In the hearings on PED use in MLB, US Rep John Yarmuth asked the question of MLBPA head Donald Fehr if there has been any scientific evidence that the use of performance enhancing drugs, (PEDs), actually improve performance.
The answer to Yarmuth's question is "yes" and "no". Because the science has been completely inconclusive. But I also think that Yarmuth has COMPLETELY missed the point. And that point is that it is NOT whether or not drugs actually give someone an edge or advantage, but that the drug users THINK that they do.
As a Boston RedSox fan I use as an example the ages old argument of Bucky "F'ing" Dent. Every RedSox fan, including me, still believes that Dent used a corked bat to hit his HR that sent the Yankees to the World Series. And years later we learned that MANY MLB players used, (and suspicions abound even today), corked bats which they believe help them get an edge to get more hits and even more power.
The problem? It was scientifically proven on the Discovery Channel's MythBusters show that a corked bat does NOT provide any power advantage over a non-corked bat. Their tests even went so far as to prove that a corked bat is actually WORSE for generating power or solid hits, because the cork inside the bat acts as a shock absorber to the impact of a ball hitting it, actually REDUCING the force to drive the ball! That is proven. Corked bats do NOT give hitters an advantage and even have proven to give more of an advantage to pitchers than hitters! The only thing a corked bat is, is slightly lighter, which may allow a hitter to have a slighter faster swing, but since the ball is deadened by the impact, it is not going to go anywhere. Yet, we still hear of hitters using corked bats, (although banned by MLB), because they believe it gives them an edge. Regardless of how wrong-headed that may be.
The same is true for PEDs use. Whether or not it does give athletes an edge is completely a MOOT point Mr Yarmuth. The point is that MLB players THINK it does. And by using those PEDs they are setting the expectation to all high school and even little league athletes that if they are not as "strong as they want to be", "as fast as they want to be", "or as quick as they want to be", then taking PEDs MIGHT be your ticket to a scholarship or even a professional sports career.
Mr Yarmuth, your question is interesting, but completely invalid.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
MLBPA and MLB execs again stonewalling...
Once again, here is the MLB being dragged up in front of congressional hearings to answer questions with regard to steroid and PED use in their sport.
Nothing new here.
The question is, will there be any new results? My answer. Not on your life.
MLB has absolutely NO desire to go after any of its star players who abused PED's, the owners who knew about it, or even the trainers and front office personnel who may have encouraged such abuse.
To reinforce that, look at the continued snipping that is going on between the MLBPA and the World Anti-Doping Agency, (WADA). The Mitchell report, reinforced and suggested once again that MLB would be BEST served by putting a non-MLB managed drug testing agency in charge of the MLB testing. But the MLBPA, and specifically Donald Fehr, will have NOTHING whatsoever to do with that suggestion. Which only goes to show to me that the MLBPA 100% SUPPORTS the use of steroids and other PED's in MLB. Because if they have not been part of the solution, which the Mitchell report says they have not been, then they will be damned if they will let anyone else be part of it.
It is my opinion and contention that MLB and the MLBPA do not WANT to stop steroid and PED abuse, because everyone from the MLB exec's to the owners to the players even down to the concessionaires have benefited from players using drugs. And the reason they have benefited is because as players have "juiced" up, so to have the fans increased. And obviously, more fans, more money. So there is NO incentive for them to stop using PEDs.
Nothing new here.
The question is, will there be any new results? My answer. Not on your life.
MLB has absolutely NO desire to go after any of its star players who abused PED's, the owners who knew about it, or even the trainers and front office personnel who may have encouraged such abuse.
To reinforce that, look at the continued snipping that is going on between the MLBPA and the World Anti-Doping Agency, (WADA). The Mitchell report, reinforced and suggested once again that MLB would be BEST served by putting a non-MLB managed drug testing agency in charge of the MLB testing. But the MLBPA, and specifically Donald Fehr, will have NOTHING whatsoever to do with that suggestion. Which only goes to show to me that the MLBPA 100% SUPPORTS the use of steroids and other PED's in MLB. Because if they have not been part of the solution, which the Mitchell report says they have not been, then they will be damned if they will let anyone else be part of it.
It is my opinion and contention that MLB and the MLBPA do not WANT to stop steroid and PED abuse, because everyone from the MLB exec's to the owners to the players even down to the concessionaires have benefited from players using drugs. And the reason they have benefited is because as players have "juiced" up, so to have the fans increased. And obviously, more fans, more money. So there is NO incentive for them to stop using PEDs.
UGa Prez calls the Big Ten Obstructionists?!
In one of the most ironic turn of events I have ever witnessed, the University of Georgia President, not only a week ago proposed and supports an 8 team college football playoff to decide the national champion; but now THIS week has the cahones to call out the Big Ten as being obstructionists to a playoff?
Ok, first off, I 100% agree with Dr. Michael Adams, (president of the University of Georgia), about the Big Ten. He is absolutely, 100% correct that the Big Ten does not, and likely will not EVER, support any type of 8 team college football championship. And the reason is very simple. The Rose Bowl.
But for a president of a member school of the SEC conference to even hint that another conference is obstructionist and in essence exclusionist, is laughable if not stupid. The SEC is the biggest reason why we have this BS entity called the "Bowl Championship Series", to begin with. Whether Adams was the UGa president when the SEC voted on creating this debacle, I do not know. But why is it that NONE of those SEC presidents talk about getting OUT of the BCS system and forming a playoff system, except when it is their school that is basically left out? Not only that, but as I just alluded to, it was former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer who proposed, pushed and even bullied the other conferences like the Big Ten to form the BCS to begin with!
And do you see ANY of the SEC schools threatening to walk from the BCS post-season bowl picture if a playoff is not formed? Hardly. The SEC is the single BIGGEST winner every year in the BCS system as it stands today. The SEC, since the institution of the BCS title game to the method of the system, has had two teams playing in BCS bowl games. So do not give that "poor, pitiful me" nonsense Adams.
The SEC has done EVERYTHING it can to block inclusion to BCS games to teams not part of the "big six" conferences, and even suggested that the Big East should lose its automatic bid once Boston College, Miami(FL), and Virginia Tech bolted for the ACC. Luckily, that did not happen, and the Big East has earned its automatic bid by winning every single one of their BCS games since the expansion of the league to its current member configuration.
But as ironic and self-serving as Adams statements are, he is right. The Big Ten and the PAC-10 walk hand-in-hand when it comes to the Rose Bowl. And at no time was that more evident than the 2008 version of the Rose Bowl, when the RB exec's picked a good, but not great, Illinois team to play in the RB, when there where several possibly more deserving teams, (say Missouri for example), who would have been better opponents for the Pac-10 champs, USC. The Big Ten will NEVER give up, what it considers its "birth right" to the Rose Bowl. As a matter of fact, the B-10 and P-10 will literally WITHDRAW from the BCS membership before agreeing to any type of playoff in which they might not get their teams in the Rose Bowl every year.
The point is this, as I have said before, the chances of a true, college football playoff are all but 0%, IMHO, unless the other conferences, not named the Big-10 or PAC-10, create one WITHOUT those two conferences. And what do you really think the chances are that, that will happen?
Ok, first off, I 100% agree with Dr. Michael Adams, (president of the University of Georgia), about the Big Ten. He is absolutely, 100% correct that the Big Ten does not, and likely will not EVER, support any type of 8 team college football championship. And the reason is very simple. The Rose Bowl.
But for a president of a member school of the SEC conference to even hint that another conference is obstructionist and in essence exclusionist, is laughable if not stupid. The SEC is the biggest reason why we have this BS entity called the "Bowl Championship Series", to begin with. Whether Adams was the UGa president when the SEC voted on creating this debacle, I do not know. But why is it that NONE of those SEC presidents talk about getting OUT of the BCS system and forming a playoff system, except when it is their school that is basically left out? Not only that, but as I just alluded to, it was former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer who proposed, pushed and even bullied the other conferences like the Big Ten to form the BCS to begin with!
And do you see ANY of the SEC schools threatening to walk from the BCS post-season bowl picture if a playoff is not formed? Hardly. The SEC is the single BIGGEST winner every year in the BCS system as it stands today. The SEC, since the institution of the BCS title game to the method of the system, has had two teams playing in BCS bowl games. So do not give that "poor, pitiful me" nonsense Adams.
The SEC has done EVERYTHING it can to block inclusion to BCS games to teams not part of the "big six" conferences, and even suggested that the Big East should lose its automatic bid once Boston College, Miami(FL), and Virginia Tech bolted for the ACC. Luckily, that did not happen, and the Big East has earned its automatic bid by winning every single one of their BCS games since the expansion of the league to its current member configuration.
But as ironic and self-serving as Adams statements are, he is right. The Big Ten and the PAC-10 walk hand-in-hand when it comes to the Rose Bowl. And at no time was that more evident than the 2008 version of the Rose Bowl, when the RB exec's picked a good, but not great, Illinois team to play in the RB, when there where several possibly more deserving teams, (say Missouri for example), who would have been better opponents for the Pac-10 champs, USC. The Big Ten will NEVER give up, what it considers its "birth right" to the Rose Bowl. As a matter of fact, the B-10 and P-10 will literally WITHDRAW from the BCS membership before agreeing to any type of playoff in which they might not get their teams in the Rose Bowl every year.
The point is this, as I have said before, the chances of a true, college football playoff are all but 0%, IMHO, unless the other conferences, not named the Big-10 or PAC-10, create one WITHOUT those two conferences. And what do you really think the chances are that, that will happen?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Steroid hearings, Jones verdict, Clemens denial
Today begins the Congressional hearings on the Mitchell report of the use of steroids, HGH and/or other Performance Enhancing Drugs, (PEDs), in MLB.
The first subject of the questioning will be former senator Mitchell who wrote this report. We all know that part of the story.
The bigger part of the story, is what will happen as the questioning turns to the accused in the Mitchell report? We will just have to see.
One thing we need to keep in mind is that this all comes on the heels of last friday's verdict against Marion Jones, who was sentenced to six months in prison and two years in prison for lying about using steroids in her bid for Olympic gold in 2000, as well as lying about knowing that her former coach was part of a check-fraud scam.
Now, consider that for a moment. Marion Jones was NOT, repeat NOT, convicted and sentenced to prison and probation for doing any PEDs, nor for even knowing about what her former coach was doing, but for LYING about it to congressional hearings when asked to appear and answer questions.
The question for me becomes this. Will Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and other MLB players mentioned in the Mitchell report, ALSO be found guilty and sentenced in like manner? Honestly, they should. There should NOT be a "double standard" applied here. And I do not mean that based on gender, but on sports equity. Just because these MLB players are extremely wealthy and play a major revenue sport should NOT mean that they receive anything LESS than what Marion Jones received. In fact the penalty for them should actually be higher, IMHO. They are far more well-known and play far more important a role in mainstream sports fan minds than an Olympic medalist from 4 years ago. I do think it bodes well for a fair and equitable justice system though that Barry Bonds HAS been indicted for lying to congress. So perhaps this will out, we will just have to wait and see.
As to the Roger Clemens innocence or guilt as to the Mitchell report accusation of alleged use of PEDs, I only have this to say right now. I distrust his adamant denials. Why did he wait almost 30 days before addressing this issue? Why when he did, did he and his lawyer play only snippets of a phone conversation between Clemens and his accuser and ex-personal trainer McNamee? Why did Clemens and his lawyer start hedging on whether to appear before congress to answer questions, about the same time that the Marion Jones sentencing came down? Too many questions that look far too much like damage control, and legal gerrymandering, than true, honest proclamations of innocence.
Which brings me to Andy Pettite. The single most interesting and most OVERLOOKED person in the whole sordid issue of PED use. Until the Mitchell report, we had heard literally nothing of any insinuation that Pettite had used any type of PED. And just as shocked as we were about Clemens mention in the report, we were just as much with Pettite's name appearing there. But here is where the comparison ends. Barely more than 3 days after the Mitchell report was release, Pettite came out and announced to the media and the world that he did indeed use steroids. And what was the public and especially the media's reaction to that proclamation?
(crickets chirping)
Right. DEAD silence. There was no outcry of Pettite's "cheating", no demanding of records being expunged, nothing. As a matter of fact it has been almost the complete OPPOSITE of those. Pettite is coming off almost as a "victim" in this issue. At worst, nothing more than a pathetic and pitiable athlete that became caught up in the push to compete and stay on top of his game, while his body grew older and his skill diminished. Something most of us who are growing older can relate to.
This is really the social and cultural part of this affair. Sports fans want to believe that their "icons" are pure as driven snow. Even when we know they are not. We will turn a blind eye and ear to that, UNTIL that athlete gets caught cheating. However, what we as fans want from an athlete when they get caught is NOT for their head on a platter, but true, heartfelt and honest contrition about their actions. We WANT to forgive our athletes. We want them to be bigger than they are, but will understand their humanness, if they will only own up to their actions.
The lesson we are learning in all aspects here, judicially, legally, socially, morally, ethically, and culturally, should be not only that it is unacceptable to use PEDs as a form of cheating, but that if you do and get caught, do NOT lie to the fan base and media about it. We are not stupid, but we actually are pretty forgiving.
A lesson that Pete Rose needed to learn a LONG time ago.
The first subject of the questioning will be former senator Mitchell who wrote this report. We all know that part of the story.
The bigger part of the story, is what will happen as the questioning turns to the accused in the Mitchell report? We will just have to see.
One thing we need to keep in mind is that this all comes on the heels of last friday's verdict against Marion Jones, who was sentenced to six months in prison and two years in prison for lying about using steroids in her bid for Olympic gold in 2000, as well as lying about knowing that her former coach was part of a check-fraud scam.
Now, consider that for a moment. Marion Jones was NOT, repeat NOT, convicted and sentenced to prison and probation for doing any PEDs, nor for even knowing about what her former coach was doing, but for LYING about it to congressional hearings when asked to appear and answer questions.
The question for me becomes this. Will Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and other MLB players mentioned in the Mitchell report, ALSO be found guilty and sentenced in like manner? Honestly, they should. There should NOT be a "double standard" applied here. And I do not mean that based on gender, but on sports equity. Just because these MLB players are extremely wealthy and play a major revenue sport should NOT mean that they receive anything LESS than what Marion Jones received. In fact the penalty for them should actually be higher, IMHO. They are far more well-known and play far more important a role in mainstream sports fan minds than an Olympic medalist from 4 years ago. I do think it bodes well for a fair and equitable justice system though that Barry Bonds HAS been indicted for lying to congress. So perhaps this will out, we will just have to wait and see.
As to the Roger Clemens innocence or guilt as to the Mitchell report accusation of alleged use of PEDs, I only have this to say right now. I distrust his adamant denials. Why did he wait almost 30 days before addressing this issue? Why when he did, did he and his lawyer play only snippets of a phone conversation between Clemens and his accuser and ex-personal trainer McNamee? Why did Clemens and his lawyer start hedging on whether to appear before congress to answer questions, about the same time that the Marion Jones sentencing came down? Too many questions that look far too much like damage control, and legal gerrymandering, than true, honest proclamations of innocence.
Which brings me to Andy Pettite. The single most interesting and most OVERLOOKED person in the whole sordid issue of PED use. Until the Mitchell report, we had heard literally nothing of any insinuation that Pettite had used any type of PED. And just as shocked as we were about Clemens mention in the report, we were just as much with Pettite's name appearing there. But here is where the comparison ends. Barely more than 3 days after the Mitchell report was release, Pettite came out and announced to the media and the world that he did indeed use steroids. And what was the public and especially the media's reaction to that proclamation?
(crickets chirping)
Right. DEAD silence. There was no outcry of Pettite's "cheating", no demanding of records being expunged, nothing. As a matter of fact it has been almost the complete OPPOSITE of those. Pettite is coming off almost as a "victim" in this issue. At worst, nothing more than a pathetic and pitiable athlete that became caught up in the push to compete and stay on top of his game, while his body grew older and his skill diminished. Something most of us who are growing older can relate to.
This is really the social and cultural part of this affair. Sports fans want to believe that their "icons" are pure as driven snow. Even when we know they are not. We will turn a blind eye and ear to that, UNTIL that athlete gets caught cheating. However, what we as fans want from an athlete when they get caught is NOT for their head on a platter, but true, heartfelt and honest contrition about their actions. We WANT to forgive our athletes. We want them to be bigger than they are, but will understand their humanness, if they will only own up to their actions.
The lesson we are learning in all aspects here, judicially, legally, socially, morally, ethically, and culturally, should be not only that it is unacceptable to use PEDs as a form of cheating, but that if you do and get caught, do NOT lie to the fan base and media about it. We are not stupid, but we actually are pretty forgiving.
A lesson that Pete Rose needed to learn a LONG time ago.
Monday, January 14, 2008
ENOUGH with the Pats bashing!
Ok, first off, I am not a New England Patriots fan. I actually am a fan of the Tampa Bay Buc's. But I have to admit I am getting sick and tired of all of the bashing that the Patriots have had handed to them this year, just because they are WINNING.
You may hate the team, but the NE Patriots have now equaled the greatest unbeaten single season team of all time, the Miami Dolphins. And it is time for all of the 'haters' to at least acknowledge just how good this team really is.
Every time the Pats have been challenged they have come out and answered the bell. They have won throwing the ball, playing power football, playing solid defensive, even some timely special teams plays.
If the Pats can win their next two games and become the Super Bowl champs, they will deserve the title of the "greatest team in NFL history", IMHO.
The question is, can they do it? Given their pretty dominating performance against a pretty good Jacksonville team, that had a very good game plan, I think they can. But would it not be fun to see a rematch of the last regular season game played between the Giant and the Pats, who really gave the Pats a SERIOUS challenge and almost ended that streak.
Could be a great super bowl this year. But even if that matchup does not take place, it will be great to be witness to a piece of sporting history if the Pats can win these next two games. Being witness to these events as a fan, does not come often, and we need to stop bashing the team because you dislike them, and appreciate what they have done for the sport.
You may hate the team, but the NE Patriots have now equaled the greatest unbeaten single season team of all time, the Miami Dolphins. And it is time for all of the 'haters' to at least acknowledge just how good this team really is.
Every time the Pats have been challenged they have come out and answered the bell. They have won throwing the ball, playing power football, playing solid defensive, even some timely special teams plays.
If the Pats can win their next two games and become the Super Bowl champs, they will deserve the title of the "greatest team in NFL history", IMHO.
The question is, can they do it? Given their pretty dominating performance against a pretty good Jacksonville team, that had a very good game plan, I think they can. But would it not be fun to see a rematch of the last regular season game played between the Giant and the Pats, who really gave the Pats a SERIOUS challenge and almost ended that streak.
Could be a great super bowl this year. But even if that matchup does not take place, it will be great to be witness to a piece of sporting history if the Pats can win these next two games. Being witness to these events as a fan, does not come often, and we need to stop bashing the team because you dislike them, and appreciate what they have done for the sport.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tubby & Bobby & Billy & Steve.....
Ok, the title of this post is not a setup line to a bar joke. But it could be. Certainly, a lot of UK basketball and UL football fans feel like a joke has been played on them. And what is interesting is that, the UK Bball and UL Fball fans are sharing being the same brunt of that joke. Now how odd is that?
First, let's rewind the tape a bit to this time last January. UL football was coming off of the greatest single season it had ever had, winning the Orange bowl in football, and just barely missing a shot at the BCS championship, along with a #6 finish in both the AP and ESPN-Coaches poll. Then UL FB was submarined by HC Bobby Petrino who abruptly left UL for the HC job for the NFL Atlanta Falcons. UL AD Jurich immediately went after what was his first choice when John L Smith left UL, and hired Steve Kragthrope, who nearly all UL fandom, on the statements made by Jurich about how good Steve was, believed that Kragthorpe could get UL to that BCS championship game. Not "years" from now, (as we were later told), but in 2007.
Secondly, also at that time Tubby Smith was being pummeled on web sites and call in radio talk shows by UK fans while leading UK basketball to a 22-10 season last year. (I might have the exact record a bit off.) In March/April, Tubby surprising UK fans, abruptly left UK for the basketball wasteland of Minnesota? And after botched efforts by UK AD Barnhardt to land Florida HC Billy Donovan, he plucked HC Billy Gillispie from Tx A&M. Billy fresh off the heels of beating UK's hated rival UL in the NCAA tournament IN Lexington's Rupp Arena. Suddenly, all was goodness and light in UK basketball fandom. Like UL fans, UK fans were led to believe that Billy G would lead them back to national prominence and better showing in the NCAA tournament in 2008. But UK bball fans fared a little better than UL fball fans, because they tempered their expectations knowing that Tubby had not recruited talent enough to lead UK back to the final four.
Fast forward to December. UL fball fans enduring the worst season in 10 years with one of the more talented UL fball teams they have seen, and the first time in 10 years to miss playing in a post-season bowl game. The "savior" HC Steve Kragthorpe was brutalized by UL fans during the season, to the point where the UL media mouthpieces started trying to browbeat and bully UL fans into submission to stop them from voicing their displeasure over the very poor performance on the field, and the lack of information or even acknowledgment of the issues and problems by Kragthorpe. The only solice that UL fball fans had was that they felt justified in vilifying Petrino who did worse to Atlanta Falcons owners and their fans than he ever did to UL by quitting the team with 3 games still remaining the regular NFL season. Still UL fans thought Kragthorpe was too "secretive" and "suspicious" of fans. To the point of being paranoid, and honestly unapproachable by fans who wanted answers to tough questions.
Flip scene to January. UK basketball now begins its SEC conference schedule with a LOSING record under 1st year HC Gillispie. And on the heels of losing to their hated in-state rival, Louisville and the "satan incarnate", (according to UK fans), Rick Pitino. Like UL fball fans, UK fans are beating Billy G up on radio talk shows and the internet, while getting nothing back from Billy G in the way of substantiative answers to questions. Indeed many times Billy acts as if he flat out does not CARE what UK fans think, giving UK fans fodder to call him arrogant and stand-offish. To make matters worse, the former UK HC Tubby, who UK fans horribly blasted, (fairly or unfairly), has the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 11-3 and poised to make the NCAA tournament for first time since 2005. But even beyond that, it was a huge turnaround for a team with a losing record last season. All of that while UK basketball under the "savior" Billy G, is looking more and more like a team that will not even MAKE the NCAA tournament this year, much less have a win in the first round of it.
All of this you already know. So here is my conclusion on this.
It is pretty much consensus knowledge that in the world of college sports, men's basketball and football are games dominated by coaching. A good coach, with the right scheme and that can adapt the scheme to take advantage of the players they have, can build a winning program.
In the case of both 1st year HC's, while one may have had unfairly high expectations heaped on him, and the other a team that was not as talented as believed to be; BOTH of them were handed teams and programs that were and are talented enough to be FAR better than they were and are. UL's fball team may have had unrealistic expectations of getting to the BCS championship game, and I admit, maybe even unrealistic expectation of winning the Big East. But WITHOUT QUESTION, UL's fball team had FAR better talent than a team that just barely reached a .500 record, and not make a post season bowl game. And FAR better talent than to finish 6th place in an 8 team Big East conference.
UK may not have the talent to win two games in the NCAA tournament, but they have FAR and AWAY enough talent to at least get TO the NCAA tournament. Which at this point, and UK sitting @ 6-7 on the season heading into the SEC conference schedule is looking more and more like the ONLY way that UK gets into the NCAA tournament is if they win the SEC conference tournament...and it is NOT a lock that UK makes THAT either!
With both Billy and Steve, it is becoming very obvious that their methods of operation are to try and adapt the players to their scheme. As a result, these two coaches have and are failing miserably given the talent level they were handed. They have completely missed an opportunity that was handed to both of them. And it is now looking like they either were and are completely in over their heads or grossly underestimated how effective they are as leaders, motivators and game-planners.
Add to that is that regardless of their manner and ease with media members, they both are very unapproachable by fans who are less than enthusiastic about their job performance to date. Neither, until recently with Kragthorpe, had shown any type of contrition to accepting responsibility for the results being produced with straight-forward answers and changes to their methodologies.
I will say this in Kragthorpe's defense. The off-season changes he has made in the wholesale clean of the defensive staff, and the resignation of Charlie Stubbs as the Offensive Coordinator, does show that Kragthorpe has gotten the message loud and clear. The changes he has made, and the quality of staff he has brought in, has shown he has the ability to look at his own methods, fairly evaluate them, and make appropriate and decisive changes for the better. While we still do not know how those changes will translate to performance on the field, he has proven that he does have the strength to make tough decisions and make self-evaluations. And with UL football coming off of a very disappointing, if not awful season, the expectations for the 2008 campaign will be drastically less than what they were in 2007, when he was handed a top-6 program with a Heisman candidate QB. The 2008 season was always looked at by UL fans as more of a rebuilding season, so just making a bowl game would show dramatic and positive steps to rebuilding a program that had the foundations kicked out from under it.
The question being asked by UK basketball fans today, and the frustrations they are showing are nearly identical to the ones that UL football fans asked and showed during the middle of their season. The question for Billy G is, can he also make the necessary off-season changes, (in this case upgraded recruiting and buy-in from the players), that Kragthorpe has? That has yet to be determined.
The one thing we can say about both hires is this. Neither of them has lived up to the billing of the hires that the fans were given. Both of them had some major warts that neither AD lessened by trying to damper fan expectations. I can not lay blame for their results solely at their feet. Both the AD's at UL and UK MUST share the blame for the poor performance by not trying harder, or maybe not loudly enough proclaiming, that both coach's will need time to get their programs in place, and that some rough times were ahead for both programs.
First, let's rewind the tape a bit to this time last January. UL football was coming off of the greatest single season it had ever had, winning the Orange bowl in football, and just barely missing a shot at the BCS championship, along with a #6 finish in both the AP and ESPN-Coaches poll. Then UL FB was submarined by HC Bobby Petrino who abruptly left UL for the HC job for the NFL Atlanta Falcons. UL AD Jurich immediately went after what was his first choice when John L Smith left UL, and hired Steve Kragthrope, who nearly all UL fandom, on the statements made by Jurich about how good Steve was, believed that Kragthorpe could get UL to that BCS championship game. Not "years" from now, (as we were later told), but in 2007.
Secondly, also at that time Tubby Smith was being pummeled on web sites and call in radio talk shows by UK fans while leading UK basketball to a 22-10 season last year. (I might have the exact record a bit off.) In March/April, Tubby surprising UK fans, abruptly left UK for the basketball wasteland of Minnesota? And after botched efforts by UK AD Barnhardt to land Florida HC Billy Donovan, he plucked HC Billy Gillispie from Tx A&M. Billy fresh off the heels of beating UK's hated rival UL in the NCAA tournament IN Lexington's Rupp Arena. Suddenly, all was goodness and light in UK basketball fandom. Like UL fans, UK fans were led to believe that Billy G would lead them back to national prominence and better showing in the NCAA tournament in 2008. But UK bball fans fared a little better than UL fball fans, because they tempered their expectations knowing that Tubby had not recruited talent enough to lead UK back to the final four.
Fast forward to December. UL fball fans enduring the worst season in 10 years with one of the more talented UL fball teams they have seen, and the first time in 10 years to miss playing in a post-season bowl game. The "savior" HC Steve Kragthorpe was brutalized by UL fans during the season, to the point where the UL media mouthpieces started trying to browbeat and bully UL fans into submission to stop them from voicing their displeasure over the very poor performance on the field, and the lack of information or even acknowledgment of the issues and problems by Kragthorpe. The only solice that UL fball fans had was that they felt justified in vilifying Petrino who did worse to Atlanta Falcons owners and their fans than he ever did to UL by quitting the team with 3 games still remaining the regular NFL season. Still UL fans thought Kragthorpe was too "secretive" and "suspicious" of fans. To the point of being paranoid, and honestly unapproachable by fans who wanted answers to tough questions.
Flip scene to January. UK basketball now begins its SEC conference schedule with a LOSING record under 1st year HC Gillispie. And on the heels of losing to their hated in-state rival, Louisville and the "satan incarnate", (according to UK fans), Rick Pitino. Like UL fball fans, UK fans are beating Billy G up on radio talk shows and the internet, while getting nothing back from Billy G in the way of substantiative answers to questions. Indeed many times Billy acts as if he flat out does not CARE what UK fans think, giving UK fans fodder to call him arrogant and stand-offish. To make matters worse, the former UK HC Tubby, who UK fans horribly blasted, (fairly or unfairly), has the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 11-3 and poised to make the NCAA tournament for first time since 2005. But even beyond that, it was a huge turnaround for a team with a losing record last season. All of that while UK basketball under the "savior" Billy G, is looking more and more like a team that will not even MAKE the NCAA tournament this year, much less have a win in the first round of it.
All of this you already know. So here is my conclusion on this.
It is pretty much consensus knowledge that in the world of college sports, men's basketball and football are games dominated by coaching. A good coach, with the right scheme and that can adapt the scheme to take advantage of the players they have, can build a winning program.
In the case of both 1st year HC's, while one may have had unfairly high expectations heaped on him, and the other a team that was not as talented as believed to be; BOTH of them were handed teams and programs that were and are talented enough to be FAR better than they were and are. UL's fball team may have had unrealistic expectations of getting to the BCS championship game, and I admit, maybe even unrealistic expectation of winning the Big East. But WITHOUT QUESTION, UL's fball team had FAR better talent than a team that just barely reached a .500 record, and not make a post season bowl game. And FAR better talent than to finish 6th place in an 8 team Big East conference.
UK may not have the talent to win two games in the NCAA tournament, but they have FAR and AWAY enough talent to at least get TO the NCAA tournament. Which at this point, and UK sitting @ 6-7 on the season heading into the SEC conference schedule is looking more and more like the ONLY way that UK gets into the NCAA tournament is if they win the SEC conference tournament...and it is NOT a lock that UK makes THAT either!
With both Billy and Steve, it is becoming very obvious that their methods of operation are to try and adapt the players to their scheme. As a result, these two coaches have and are failing miserably given the talent level they were handed. They have completely missed an opportunity that was handed to both of them. And it is now looking like they either were and are completely in over their heads or grossly underestimated how effective they are as leaders, motivators and game-planners.
Add to that is that regardless of their manner and ease with media members, they both are very unapproachable by fans who are less than enthusiastic about their job performance to date. Neither, until recently with Kragthorpe, had shown any type of contrition to accepting responsibility for the results being produced with straight-forward answers and changes to their methodologies.
I will say this in Kragthorpe's defense. The off-season changes he has made in the wholesale clean of the defensive staff, and the resignation of Charlie Stubbs as the Offensive Coordinator, does show that Kragthorpe has gotten the message loud and clear. The changes he has made, and the quality of staff he has brought in, has shown he has the ability to look at his own methods, fairly evaluate them, and make appropriate and decisive changes for the better. While we still do not know how those changes will translate to performance on the field, he has proven that he does have the strength to make tough decisions and make self-evaluations. And with UL football coming off of a very disappointing, if not awful season, the expectations for the 2008 campaign will be drastically less than what they were in 2007, when he was handed a top-6 program with a Heisman candidate QB. The 2008 season was always looked at by UL fans as more of a rebuilding season, so just making a bowl game would show dramatic and positive steps to rebuilding a program that had the foundations kicked out from under it.
The question being asked by UK basketball fans today, and the frustrations they are showing are nearly identical to the ones that UL football fans asked and showed during the middle of their season. The question for Billy G is, can he also make the necessary off-season changes, (in this case upgraded recruiting and buy-in from the players), that Kragthorpe has? That has yet to be determined.
The one thing we can say about both hires is this. Neither of them has lived up to the billing of the hires that the fans were given. Both of them had some major warts that neither AD lessened by trying to damper fan expectations. I can not lay blame for their results solely at their feet. Both the AD's at UL and UK MUST share the blame for the poor performance by not trying harder, or maybe not loudly enough proclaiming, that both coach's will need time to get their programs in place, and that some rough times were ahead for both programs.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Roger Clemens goes on the offensive....
Roger Clemens, just before going on 60 Minutes to deny all of the charges against him regarding the use of steroids and HGH, Clemens' lawyer filed suit NOT against either the author of the Mitchell report nor against Major League Baseball, but against his former personal trainer McNamee who said he injected Clemens with HGH.
And then we were subjected to a very odd press conference where Clemens played for the nation, a taped phone conversation between McNamee and himself regarding the situation.
First, I applaud Clemens for going on the attack and trying to defend his name as hard as he can. But there are SO many unanswered, or more accurately, UNASKED questions about this situation that it is hard to determine whether to believe Clemens or to think that he is really just trying to cover up his actions.
No, at this point there is NO direct evidence that Clemens has taken steroids or HGH, other than what one witness said he did. But the questions about the situation that have not been asked and answered by Clemens have not led us to any real conclusion other than to scratch our heads and try to figure out what the turn of events really are.
First, why did it take SO long for Clemens to come out and deny these charges? The report was out in early November, and it took nearly two MONTHS before Clemens said or did anything. Why?
Here are questions that have been asked, but answered in ways that make very little sense.
When asked what possible reason did McNamee have to lie about Clemens, but not about Andy Pettite, Clemens answered, "I don't know." Ok, maybe he does not. But he can not even venture a guess? (BTW, lost in all of the media circus surrounding Clemens is the fact that Pettite admitted taking steroids, and yet NO ONE is talking about that? It seems that the media could not care LESS about players admitting taking performance enhancing drugs, as much as they do creating a circus about a player denying taking them.)
Other questions not even asked have been:
Why did you wait so long to address these allegations?
Why when McNamee during the phone call conversation when he asked you, "What do you want me to do?", did you not just say, "Tell the truth." Why did you leave that hanging out there, causing some doubt?
Clemens said that he WILL be at the congressional hearings this month to defend himself and directly address the allegations before him. He better be. But he ALSO better be able to give more articulate and definitive answers than the ones he has so far, because I can assure you that the questions asked of him will not be as easily dismissed with sound bite answers as what he has given us so far.
And then we were subjected to a very odd press conference where Clemens played for the nation, a taped phone conversation between McNamee and himself regarding the situation.
First, I applaud Clemens for going on the attack and trying to defend his name as hard as he can. But there are SO many unanswered, or more accurately, UNASKED questions about this situation that it is hard to determine whether to believe Clemens or to think that he is really just trying to cover up his actions.
No, at this point there is NO direct evidence that Clemens has taken steroids or HGH, other than what one witness said he did. But the questions about the situation that have not been asked and answered by Clemens have not led us to any real conclusion other than to scratch our heads and try to figure out what the turn of events really are.
First, why did it take SO long for Clemens to come out and deny these charges? The report was out in early November, and it took nearly two MONTHS before Clemens said or did anything. Why?
Here are questions that have been asked, but answered in ways that make very little sense.
When asked what possible reason did McNamee have to lie about Clemens, but not about Andy Pettite, Clemens answered, "I don't know." Ok, maybe he does not. But he can not even venture a guess? (BTW, lost in all of the media circus surrounding Clemens is the fact that Pettite admitted taking steroids, and yet NO ONE is talking about that? It seems that the media could not care LESS about players admitting taking performance enhancing drugs, as much as they do creating a circus about a player denying taking them.)
Other questions not even asked have been:
Why did you wait so long to address these allegations?
Why when McNamee during the phone call conversation when he asked you, "What do you want me to do?", did you not just say, "Tell the truth." Why did you leave that hanging out there, causing some doubt?
Clemens said that he WILL be at the congressional hearings this month to defend himself and directly address the allegations before him. He better be. But he ALSO better be able to give more articulate and definitive answers than the ones he has so far, because I can assure you that the questions asked of him will not be as easily dismissed with sound bite answers as what he has given us so far.
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