15DEC2006

I’ve decided that posting once a week is not enough. I probably knew that beforehand, but my attempt at laziness has failed. I will now post a Thursday night/Friday post, and then my Tuesday post will cover mainly the NFL this time of year, then NASCAR once it gets going again.

I also discovered, after reading my own blog, that I have a decidedly negative tone. This is not my intention. It sort of casts me in the same light as every other cynical sportswriter. So, I will mix in more positive takes and stories. I also am going to put a “Farewell and Following Seas” section for those who have either retired from their respective sport, or have gone on to a better field of play.

1.) I am going to start this week off with a positive and very motivational story. I got this story from The Bismarck Tribune, it was written by Lou Babiarz.
Jay Williams, some of you may remember, was a two-time All-American, helped Duke win a national title in 2001 and earned the NCAA player of the year award in 2002. He was also the second over-all pick in the 2002 draft, where he was picked up by the Chicago Bulls.
On June 19, 2003, Jay ran his motorcycle into a light pole. Williams suffered nerve damage in his left leg -- which doctors feared might have to be amputated -- tore three knee ligaments and fractured his pelvis. He was told he may never walk again.
Well, last Thursday, Mr. Williams scored 14 points and had nine assists in a D-League game. Playing for the Austin Toros, he helped lead his team to a 93-79 victory over the Dakota Wizards. You see, Jay Williams came to a conclusion, “I kind of realized I was doing this for something bigger than myself,” Williams said. “I’m doing this for everybody out there who was told that they weren’t able to do something because of a physical nature or a mental nature. Just to let them know that, here I was -- a guy three years ago who was told I wasn’t going to be able to walk or run -- and there was a chance I won’t have kids.”
This is something we see time and time again. It seems that will power and shear determination win out over a doctor’s prognosis every time. We should all take lessons from Mr. Williams. Far lesser things have affected us in our lives and we’re just as content to let go.
My thoughts and prayers are with Jay William…Here’s to an expedited return to the NBA.

2.) I have debated and stressed over this all day. I really think that I should avoid this story like the plague. But that would make me a wuss…and well, I can’t let that happen.
It appears that the accuser in the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case is pregnant. Now this is not my problem. The problem is that the family of the accuser claimed earlier today that she had given birth, which would put the time of conception right about the night of the alleged rape. Convenient if nothing else. But in an uncharacteristically wise move the Durham County District Attorney, Mike Nifong, denied the claim saying that the expected birth date would be in February, putting it outside the time of the alleged rape.
This case has been a debacle from the get go. I hate the fact that the DA has dropped the ball so many times. His actions have discredited the accuser, which is a shame if the accusations are true. I would urge anyone reading this that is not familiar with the case to go to either CNN.com or another news outlet to read up on it. It is a text book example for aspiring lawyers in what NOT TO DO when you are a District Attorney.

3.) Dale Earnhardt Inc. announced this week that they have hired a new President of Global Operations. That is not the story here; the story is where he came from.
Max Siegel comes over to the NASCAR world from the music business. His most recent endeavor has been as Senior Vice President of Sony/BMG’s Zomba Label Group, and President of Zomba Gospel. Not exactly the “good ‘ol boy” we are used to seeing in NASCAR, which is a goof thing.
I applaud DEI for this move. I think it takes great foresight to hire somebody like Mr. Siegel.

4.) Well, the Boston Red Sox have done it. They signed Daisuke Matsuzka to a 6-year $52 million contract. This after they paid his Japanese team, the Seibu Lions, $51.1 million just to get the right to negotiate with him. This brings the total to $103.1 Million. That’s a perfectly rational price for a pitcher from Japan…right? (I wish I knew how to type sarcastically His game check, figuring that a pitcher only plays 1 out of 5 games, is about $266,000. Really, how did it get this far?
My Grandfather was a professional hockey player in the 30’s…from what my father tells me, he made pennies a night (Canadian at that), and had to hold down several odd jobs to support himself. I guess it shows you how we, as Americans, are afflicted with a need for entertainment. We pay outrageous ticket prices, buy expensive clothes with our team’s logo on it, and even get custom plates for our cars. Meanwhile, we are sending kids straight to the NBA without college. Then we all say, “Oh, we can’t let the Japanese get smarter than us.” Guess what, they already are, they didn’t pay an athlete $52 mil…get it?


5.) Buck O’Neil, former Negro League great, was posthumously awarded the nation's highest civilian honor Friday. I could go on for hours about Buck O’Neil. How he was robbed of a place in the Hall of Fame by one vote. How even after that loss, he got up and spoke for those unable to attend. He even played in the Northern League all-star game, making him the oldest player to play a professional game. But I am so proud that this award was given to him. He died just a couple of months back, the date escapes me. But anyone who saw him speak was enchanted by his personality. If I recall right, he lead the crowed in a sing along at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year. Pleas, if you are in need of a good book to get you through these winter months, pick up I Was Right On Time by Buck O’Neil, David Conrads, Steve Wulf, and Ken Burns, or Catching Dreams: My Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues by Frazier "Slow" Robinson, Paul Bauer, John "Buck" O'Neil, and Gerald Early. You will not be disappointed.


Farewell and Following Seas to:Paul Arizin, Lamar Hunt, and once again Buck O’Neil. I encourage anyone who does not know about the things these outstanding men accomplished in life, please look them up.