« November 2007 | Main | January 2008 »
December 18, 2007
Holiday wrap
A little holiday wrap:
* Baseball is being pounded right now, but the sad truth of the matter is elite athletes in all sports will do whatever it takes to get an extra edge. Case in point: Shaquille O’Neal, in an AP story that moved Tuesday, said that to cope with nagging injuries, he must “rely on almost illegal things to get me going.” Harmless or not (and as a gullible sort, I’ll believe it was harmless), that should have thrown up a red flag to the skeptics out there who wonder about shady substances, as long as the world doesn’t test for HGH.
* Roger Clemens, go away. And no one wants to see you pitch any more. At the same time, I’m inclined to believe Andy Pettitte’s admission that he only took HGH twice. (I told you I was gullible, didn’t I?)
* When it comes to these apologies, denials, etc., who are we to believe? The truth is in many cases, we’ll never know absolutely, positively for sure. Baseball, nonetheless, has to learn from its history, develop an HGH test, hold testing at the highest level and make cheaters of the future accountable. That would be the most positive step in the aftermath of the Mitchell Report.
* The word “changes” has finally been uttered by Knicks coach Isiah Thomas in regard to the team and perhaps who should be leading it in a couple of weeks. By Jan. 15, Thomas will be out, which would give the team a fresh start if it didn’t have the same starting point guard. If they win more than 22 games this season, I’ll be amazed.
* Josh Boone still can’t shoot free throws. But he and Sean Williams can play some energetic defense, and maybe it will be enough to help turn the Nets around. (Side note: Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor can’t hit either from the stripe: He had made 52.8 percent through Friday, 52.4 percent from the field.)
Posted by Dave on 11:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 7, 2007
Blindsided
I’m no longer amazed by how quickly a New York sports story can unfold, from the beginning stage to crazed status. This week’s Jason Kidd saga, for example, hit its boiling point in a matter of hours.
It started when Kidd, the Nets’ point guard, didn’t play against the Knicks Wednesday night. Kidd said he had a migraine, but New York writers sensed something else was going on.
A “trusted source” told one writer that Kidd boycotted the game. Without naming names, this New York Post writer later said early Thursday morning on WFAN that Kidd was either (1) holding out because he was disenchanted by the Nets’ offer of a contract extension; (2) balking because he wanted to be traded because he was unhappy with the team; or (3) letting the Nets see how bad they are without him. One option that wasn’t seriously suggested: Kidd actually had a migraine.
A report in The Record of Hackensack, N.J., had pretty much the same story, that “sources close to the team” said he was “staging a protest.”
Early Thursday afternoon, Kidd did an interview on WFAN to categorically deny all of those reports. He said he indeed had a migraine. It’s also true that any news to the contrary could have led to Kidd being fined for missing the game on purpose. And Kidd could have had a hush-hush meeting with Nets president Rod Thorn to clear up any ill feelings, then spun it as he desired.
But, hey, can’t the guy have one sick day? Why is this so hard to believe? He’s as committed a team leader as there is out there. Most know him as a true professional.
Could it be these sources weren’t as reliable as the writers believed in their rush to break a story? What kind of reliable information have they handed out in the past? Anything on the livelihood of a professional basketball player, or where to find good steaks when the team is on the road? Something in between? We’ll never know.
I get really irritated by this type of journalism. We are in the business of breaking stories, but we should do so responsibly. And the fact of the matter is that we have to choose the sources that we can trust.
When one of our reporters relies on an anonymous source, I always want to know why the source must be anonymous, and if this source is truly knowledgeable. The Connecticut Post’s ethical code strongly advises against using anonymous sources. But when they are used, and only for compelling reasons, the reporter must tell the editor the name of the source.
It sounds old-school, but the rules work.
The readers deserve it. And so do people like Jason Kidd.
Posted by Dave on 12:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 6, 2007
Strange rewards
The weirdness just kept on coming Saturday night with upsets of No. 1 Missouri and No. 2 West Virginia. And it hasn’t just been on the field.
How about Syracuse welcoming back coach Greg Robinson, whose team was outscored by 514 points in his three seasons at the school? Or Pitt offering a contract extension to Dave Wannstedt last week before his fourth win this season? (At least the former Dolphins coach gave Pitt a positive buzz for the off-season with the huge 13-9 upset of the Mountaineers.) What’s next? UConn Randy Edsall replaces Bill Belichick?
While upsets abound on the college scene, where you can usually find a juggernaut or two, the NFL — a league known for its parity — is where the true powerhouses seem to reside this season. The Patriots look much more mortal, though, after close wins over the Eagles and Ravens, which leads us to the question: Is there anything to the undefeated Patriots conspiracy? The Ravens, who blamed more than one controversial call for their loss Monday, claim it exists.
I don’t know … I’d say it’s a stretch. Then again … the Patriots weren’t stung too harshly for being caught in spy-gate. If the NFL really wanted to penalize the team, it should have docked the Pats a couple of touchdowns in their second game vs. the Jets this season. That would have brought the line down below plus-20 New England.
Posted by Dave on 1:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
