If you still wanna look at the facts regarding the Astros match-fixing themselves a world championship and two American League pennants, I don't know what to tell you after this latest data dump.
If you still don't want to think Rob Manfred was openly complicit in all of this, I doubly don't know what to tell you.
Making the rounds, the last couple of days, is a project: Tony Adams, who may well be drummed out of the Astros fandom for this, created signstealingscandal.com and attempted to use audio from Astros video broadcasts on YouTube to determine how many of the opposition's pitches were tipped to Astros hitters by illegal trash-can banging.
(Note that Adams does say the Commissioner says there may have been other means as well. This just covers the trashcan bagging.)
The results are mindboggling to anyone who does not believe the championship should be removed:
Adams was not able to find information on all Astros home games.
There was a definite uptick in the trash-can signaling about Memorial Day. Before that date, though Adams could find some trash-can banging as early as the opening series, no home game he could find before the May 28th game with Baltimore had more than 6 detected incidents.
From May 28 to September 21, Adams chronicled 34 home games in which he found one game with 6, one game with 7, and 32 in double-digits.
20 of those with over 30 incidents.
Nine over 40, including three consecutive -- two with the A's and one with the Yankees, right around July 1.
The most he could find in one game was the system tipping off 54 pitches against Toronto in an early-August matchup.
About a third of the 175 pitches Houston got thrown to them in a 17-6 win.
Five Astros received information on over 100 pitches.
The most received was Marwin Gonzalez, and the impact was nothing short of steroid-like:
Gonzalez from 2015-16
888
.264/.303/.418
25
4.3%
21.6%
Gonzalez in 2017
515
.303/.377/.530
23
9.5%
19.1%
Gonzalez from 2018-19
1,015
.255/.323/.411
31
8.3%
22.1%
(Plate appearances, BA/On Base/Slugging, Home Runs, Walk percentage, Strikeout Percentage)
There is reason to believe the sign-stealing scandal could've been the end of two major-league careers -- two pitchers on that 16-7 loss never pitched in the majors again.
Not as much a tell as "Bettor X" before last year's Super Bowl (which he did get wrong), but we now have word of a $1,000,000 wager by "Mattress Mack" of Houston, a mattress-salesman tycoon, who has placed the million on the 49ers to win at +120.
Kobe Bryant is gone, helicopter crash near LA, 41.
I've had very little use for Kobe for a lot of years. Pretty much Jordan's successor in the Ballhog Basketball Association and all the stuff surrounding Eagle, Colorado and all.
Certainly also Jordan's successor in some of David Stern's machinations of the NBA (in both directions! -- see above), but an innocent helicopter flight ends in a crash and that's all she wrote.
*sigh*
And all this the morning after LeBron passes Kobe on the scoring list for #3.
And obviously, the newly-launched NBA Twitch channel will all-but-certainly have a tribute marathon -- but an ironic decision... Their normally-scheduled Hardwood Classic for Saturday night was Kobe's last game in Philadelphia.
Obviously, especially in LA, this is going to be the sports news cycle out here for the foreseeable.
I mean, there's really not much to say about it endemic to this blog which isn't completely "not the time for it". So I'll leave it here for now.
Though Magic Johnson said it well in a statement: "He was supposed to be talking about me passing away. Not me talking about him..."
ESPN is keeping track of the betting for Super Bowl LIV in Miami between the Chiefs and 49ers. In a separate article, they found the winners of a number of six- and seven-figure Vegas handicapping pools (it took about 70% against the number to win the Supercontest for nearly $1.5 million, as one example), and the winners of the Circa Sports Pro Million, the SugarHouse/BetRivers, and the Supercontest have all said Defense Wins Championships and taken the underdog 49ers at +1.
The current line, as of midnight Pacific Standard Time January 25, according to Vegas Insider:
Both William Hill and the Westgate have the line at KC -1 and the total at 54 1/2.
As of the release of the Superbook's prop bet book, the bets above are regular juice, and you're paying -105 to bet the 49ers to win, -115 to bet the Chiefs.
It opened at -1 1/2 for KC, and is still there at the MGM and Stations -- the rest are at -1.
The MGM books and Circa Sports have the total at a flat 54. All the others, 54 1/2.
Long way to go on that.
But here are the largest bets as of noon yesterday, David Purdum and Ben Fawkes reporting them for ESPN Chalk:
Largest one they could find, and by A SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE, is a $684,000 DraftKings New Jersey bet on Tuesday. It was one of the few places you could actually get 49ers +2 and pay -114 for it. That bet, if it comes through, is worth a cool six hundred grand!
The Superbook released their book of parlays, and had a stream of bettors all day yesterday, so large they had to restrict the bettors to two bets from the book and then the back of the line if they wanted to do more.
MGM reported Thursday that twice as much money is coming in on the Chiefs, but that only about 1/20 of the betting has taken place.
The total opened at 51.5, and money is 12 to 1 over, and that's why it has already moved three points.
My comment: If the game even gets to that number, KC wins and easily.
As of Wednesday, over 90% of the bets and money in New Jersey at DraftKings was on the over.
And if you want to see how much of a sucker the NFL (and it's rigging) has made out of Las Vegas bettors... According to this article:
Only TWICE have the Vegas books lost money on the Super Bowl.
In the last three decades, the net loss for bettors on the game is almost $175 million, an average of almost $6,000,000 a Super Bowl.
Against the spread in the history of the Super Bowl, basically .500 -- 26-25-2.
And the over is 26-25-1 -- there was no total posted anywhere for the first Super Bowl.
Fifteen states have now legalized sports gambling.
Some updates on how out-of-control things are getting this week:
Dallas Keuchel has finally become the first person to apologize for the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.
But the Commissioner of Baseball will not strip the Astros of any championships so earned.
Look, I get the can of worms and Pandora's Box that vacating titles, etc. would bring.
I think we are far past time for an ounce of bravery on the professional end (and I might do a post on titles they could easily vacate, if time and circumstances permit!) and taking away ill-earned championships.
I've been asking the question since all the -Gate stuff was starting with the Patriots: It all comes down to the question of "What would you do to be called a champion?"
That's the thing. Any sense of honor, credibility or decency is gone from Major League MAGA-Ball.
And you can bet that the cheating of the last couple or three years is going to run RAMPANT in the game.
Why would I, at this point, want to follow ANY rules of baseball, written or unwritten?
Antonio Brown turned himself in on a felony robbery with battery charge of a moving truck driver in Florida.
His bail (on what could put him in prison for the rest of his life) is at $110,000, which he has paid.
He must surrender his passport, wear a GPS bracelet, and undergo a mental-health evaluation in the next ten days. He was seen in the hearing early Friday morning in a suicide vest.
If he's guilty, he needs to be put away for his own safety.
Anyone with a view of the last five or six months of Antonio Brown's life would never want this man on an NFL field again. I think one of the major reasons that Goodell has not permabanned the guy is he's tried to cover up for this guy for far too damn long.
It appears to have come to an end. Once that mental state and evaluation come out in open court, the NFL should be (once again) put on trial.
This man is BEYOND GONE.
Kareem Hunt is probably going to be suspended to start next season. Cited for speeding, marijuana was found in his car.
Will SOMEONE PLEASE investigate the Cleveland Browns organization?
But none of that, not even the baseball or Antonio Brown, compares to what happened in Lawrence, KS this week.
Kansas handily defeated cross-state rival Kansas State in men's basketball, but no one will care because of this:
This is another one of those incidents where forfeitures (both teams, and Kansas State plural for their players coming off the bench to join the brawl) are the only feasible result.
The epicenter of this brawl was Kansas' #22: Silvio de Sousa.
How in the fuck that guy is ever going to be allowed to play college basketball again, much less even attend the University of Kansas, after the stunts he pulled in rapid succession in that brawl, I have no idea.
First off, I am done with all these YouTube jackasses wondering why I want the hammer thrown down on taunting.
THIS IS WHY.
If you can't be mature enough to understand, as a fan, why taunting needs to be illegal with maximum penalty within contests, you openly desire games to end in brawls like this one.
Not only should de Sousa have been T'd up and ejected for taunting as he stood over the Kansas State player, he throws a number of punches, then picks up a courtside stool and damn near brains someone with it before someone picks it off.
For all of this, de Sousa is ONLY suspended the balance of the regular season by the Big XII.
The bidding SHOULD HAVE started with this:
Disciplinary procedures for expulsion from the University of Kansas.
A permanent revocation of his current scholarship and complete disqualification from any further athletic scholarship.
Suspension? Permanent if possible, but, if not: All of this season and post-season, all of next season.
Maybe THEN someone will finally get it through to not just players, but fans as well, that enough is fucking enough with all this manhood-testing masquerading as sport.
Other penalties:
A redshirt junior forward from Kansas State: James Love, 8 games for probably being the guy in the black shirt who was most instrumental in going after de Sousa.
K-State freshman forward Antonio Gordon got 3 games.
Kansas freshman forward David McCormick got 2.
It's clear that the Big XII wants more fighting in it's games, and I don't care whether the conference's commissioner reads this and condemns me saying this.
If I were the commissioner of the league:
Love's done and referred to the university for expulsion, like de Sousa.
Gordon gets the rest of the regular season.
McCormick gets 6.
Every player who came off the bench gets 1 (and maybe more, as that video would probably get the better part of 4-6 hours of going through).
Kansas has to forfeit one game, and Kansas State has to forfeit at least one game.
This is the primal behavior of sport. Taunting -> Fight -> Brawl -> Etc.
And until we decide that we are going to forfeit games (at whatever level -- high school, college, pro...) for this shit, it's going to continue because it is what the fans want and it satisfies the urges of the players.
And the New Orleans Saints have YET ANOTHER PR nightmare on their hands.
It appears that the Saints may have provided cover for local priests accused of sexual misconduct in the Roman Catholic Church in and around New Orleans.
According to ESPN, 276 documents have been unearthed to state Saints ownership (largely Roman Catholic) has been operating in a damage-control methodology to protect sexually-abusive priests.
Can't say it shocks me. Roger, you gonna investigate this one???
Thank you, but why did you have to make the first SF penalty late in the third quarter when this kind of a rout was the correct result?
Anyway, it's going to be another Offense vs. Defense Super Bowl -- Patrick Mahomes (the NFL's soon-to-be first $40,000,000/Year Made Man) vs. that monster SF defense.
The NFL got caught. Social media, especially after the first game was partially rigged (see next post below for two Tweets on two key suspicious penalties!!), was littered with at least a couple of dozen "State Farm Super Bowl"/Rematch Of Super Bowl I tweets and the like.
People were figuring this out, and probably took their hands off the wheel and let San Fran run roughshod.
And where did this matchup come from?
I mean, I do have a couple booking questions about how we got here...
AFC:
I said at the beginning of the year the league was pimping Mahomes hard and that Kansas City was probably The Choice, barring New England.
And I understand why the NFL started pushing Lamar Jackson and Baltimore as a Plan B, especially after the Mahomes injury.
One question from this Sports Entertainment Fan on the booking here:
Why not have Mahomes, especially if he IS the big Made Man of the next generation of the NFL, go into Baltimore and win today (with or without ref assistance)???
NFC:
WHY GREEN BAY???
Green Bay was about as good as Philadelphia. Green Bay had no business beating Seattle, no business beating any of the NFC North teams twice in the regular season...
Green Bay had little business in these playoffs and NO BUSINESS here.
Green Bay was 9-7, nothing more. NOT 13-3!!
Yeah, you continue that Green Bay/Seattle rivalry, but at the complete cost of any degree of competitive game here, and you'll pay for that in the ratings.
And as for SF:
You also lose any marketability on the San Francisco side of the ball (Brees/Rodgers), and now must market this like the LAST TIME San Francisco was in the Bowl, roles reversed!!!
And now the fun part: WHY SAN FRANCISCO???
Racking my brain about it all season, not really wanting to admit it to myself, largely because I couldn't come up with an angle.
And I think the third or fourth Tweet today I've gotten on the "They need a West Coast team/Silicon Valley" angle finally hit home...
I'm not talking next year on any of this, there's NO TEA LEAVES on this at all!!
What if they are actually considering moving a second team (one of the currently non-viable franchises -- Jacksonville, the Chargers, etc.) to Levi's??
Again, I have nothing on this. I have no reason but mere speculation on this one. And it'd probably be several years before any of this would come to fruition.
There have been reports that there was actual discussion of moving the Chargers back to San Diego LAST YEAR.
What if it's become so unviable for a number of these teams, the league is actually looking at doubling up the Bay Area/Silicon Valley?
--
As it is, it probably, however, highlights the shit-filled homeless problem of San Francisco, and the league is probably angling (against most of these offense vs. defense games) toward Pat Mahomes -- because if you're gonna pay $40M/year for a QB, he better already have at least one ring.
Again, I stress, from SI's reference, that was an OFFENSIVE HOLDING CALL ON THE SNAP!!! You do get illegal formation calls off the snap, but a number of other parties noted that offensive holding call was made on the snap!!
And this was the EASY PART. Now, you have to try to sell a team which was rightfully blown out on this same field in a prime-time game by THIRTY-SEVEN TO EIGHT earlier in the season -- and now you have to sell this as competitive. Good luck, NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Fisher: $14,037 and he wasn't original about it. He tried to duplicate the earlier beer celebration by dumping two cold ones on himself after a TD.
San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa: $28,075 for a blindside block.
That makes the 49ers the tenth team to reach the first fine threshold and be team-fined $50,000.
The final four:
Both the 49ers and Green Bay have reached the first fine threshold. San Francisco is eighth in fines, Green Bay tenth.
Kansas City is 26th on the fine list with only five fines for about $56,000. Tennessee is 18th with about $95,000, but no fines since Week 9.
"Black Jack" McDowell believes at least one case of this went back into the 1980's with Tony LaRussa in Chicago with the White Sox! (ESPN)
And it involves one of the most successful managers, going all the way into recent times.
McDowell never played in Chicago (White Sox) under LaRussa when he managed there, but, the year after, when he came, he saw a system in which a camera was focused on the catcher, and a light was being toggled, apparently by the next day's starting pitcher, in center field near the batter's eye!
LaRussa is now a senior advisor for the Angels, after winning a World Series with the McGwire A's and two in St. Louis. That brings all of them into question.
And the biggest problem that could come of this -- even more than the fines and suspensions -- is what McDowell told WFNZ in Charlotte, NC:
"You know how it used to be taken care of?" McDowell said in the radio
interview. "If they were stealing signs from second base, you just had
the catcher call a breaking ball and then throw your fastball off
someone's neck and just say, 'Oh, you're gonna keep trying to pick up
signs, guys? What's it going to be?'"
It's gonna be someone is going to get 100 MPH off the dome this year and never get up.
More discussion of the 2017 #HoustonStrong World Series.
It was long believed that Yu Darvish was, in fact, tipping his pitches, especially in Game 7.
Now, Darvish is questioning whether, instead, they got his signs in Game 3 and basically used that, as much as feasible, to rock Darvish in the Series. (ESPN)
My anonymous friend -- who, until MLB exposed itself as MAGA-LB, was a Dodgers fan -- notes these numbers from Clayton Kershaw in the 2017 Series:
11 innings at home: ERA 0.81
4+ innings on the road: 11.58
There can be no doubt remaining that the Houston Astros won a World Series and two American League Championships due to sign-stealing.
Is it going to take someone taking 100 off the dome and never getting up for someone to do something REAL about it???
(Hat-tip to my anonymous friend for several other pieces of information.)
Today, as an adjunct to the whole sign-stealing situation, Major League Baseball is saying they have no evidence of players wearing equipment to gain knowledge of stolen signs. (ESPN)
If that statement was made by MLB, we have officially crossed the line into deliberate coverup.
We have an MLB player and a relative of the player being accused who are accusing Jose Altuve of wearing a wire to steal signs in the clinching game in the 2019 American League Championship Series in which Altuve hit a walk-off home run to send the Astros to the World Series.
Tommy Pham of the Tampa Bay Rays posted this picture of Altuve during the at-bat:
There is also a video of Altuve rounding the bases. Pay particularly close attention to when Altuve bunches his jersey together near the end of this clip from "Greatest Show On Dirt":
And my anonymous friend has noted this comment from posts today on Dodger Digest regarding the Astros situation from user "Egg Shen's wOBA":
"Beltran's niece just dropped this bomb on twitter that Altuve and Bregman used SHOULDER BUZZERS that were operated by the trash-can beater. Says she has pictures. Then a ton of players/writers are all saying they've heard this rumor from tons of sources."
And my intrepid friend has found a JPEG of the Tweet in question:
And more intrepid research from my friend has Phil Hughes stating the veracity of this Twitter account, speaking of the hiring and then firing of Carlos Beltran with the Mets:
And a very cursory search for the walk-off home run in question leads to THIS ARTICLE from the Yes Network -- that Altuve demanded his teammates NOT rip off his jersey in the championship scrum at home plate:
Keep trying to cover for your chosen teams, Manfred, and you will lose what little respect people have left for American sport!
If you are not willing to nullify at least Houston's championships on all levels the last three years (and that's before we get to Boston), you de-legitimize baseball at all levels going forward on a basis not dissimilar to Bud Selig's deliberate and criminal coverup of steroids in baseball.
EDIT TO ADD: More Damning Video
On top of the adrenaline pumping and telling ur teammates not to rip your jersey off, your the first one to go into the clubhouse while everyone else celebrates on the field and puts the shirt on over the jersey? Jose Altuve clearly has wires under his jersey. pic.twitter.com/Gb1JNJqc3A
Carlos Beltran, believed to be (as a player) one of the masterminds behind the sign-stealing scandal, has become the third major-league manager to be fired (he stepped down, but come on...) as a result.
Makes you wonder how many more managers are going to go...
So not only has Odell Beckham Jr. endangered any still-eligible LSU players you could find in a video where he apparently was handing out real money hand over fist after LSU dispatched Clemson Monday night...
... but he's now also facing an arrest warrant for sexual battery of a New Orleans female police officer he smacked on the ass.
I think we are finally at the official precipice and about to go over.
I think we are about at the day where the sports media can officially stop presenting these contests as legitimate, fair, or whatever competitions.
Why? Let's take a look at the NFL playoffs in one microcosm, and the Astros situation (and it's tentacles) as another.
First, here's your NFL playoffs this year:
Wild-card weekend:
Jadaevon Clowney of the Seahawks delivers a Kurt Warner-esque headbutt to Carson Wentz, putting him out of the game and advancing the Seahawks. He is neither penalized nor disciplined.
The Saints deliberately screwed on a PI no-call on the winning overtime touchdown against the Saints.
The Patriots finally held to account in a shocking loss to Tennessee.
Houston gets refballed over Buffalo.
Then in the divisional weekend:
Comeback of the Century, with deliberate help and collusion with both the officials and Bill O'Brien!
This was called a key Packer first down in the win over Seattle
Baltimore getting out of the way (at barest of minimum) of Kansas City.
San Francisco, about the only real legitimate win of the bunch -- all eight of them!
And then, today in baseball, the 2017 World Series has been declared illegitimate under all semblance of decency, with 2018 about to follow.
One important question for everybody:
With Brian Tuohy's exposition of "We Sell Fantasy" in mind, are we now about at the point where the sports media, networks, and leagues can just stop with even the illusion of a fair contest?
Loss of first and second round MLB Entry Draft picks in 2020 and 2021.
Jeff Luhnow fired by the Astros as their GM. Banned from the game one year.
AJ Hinch fired by the Astros as their manager. Banned from the game one year.
The book finally closes on the whole Taubman saga. Placed on the Ineligible List for one year, must be reinstated by the Commissioner. Anything further? Banned for life.
Alex Cora will be withheld until the Boston situation is fully dealt with.
One question remains: What does it take to get a professional championship vacated?
I don't think people have any idea of the kinds of sacrifices which are perceived to be willing to be made to get a championship.
I get the perception of stain on the game if you do so, especially because it places into question even the worth of competition.
But there has to be the question put to all of this: Do you not think that there are many people within the realm of sport who would gladly sacrifice the remainder of their career and their good name to be simply called Champion? Especially in the day and age post-David Stern and jordon NBA?
I don't think there can be an ounce of doubt as to the tandem ideas of necessity and that if they do get caught, no one else is going to be called champion anyway.
So, to the major sports, what does it take to get a championship vacated? NFL should have at least 4-6-more of the last 20 or so...
I'm getting the feeling someone got orders to the Houston sideline here.
Now, there are still 37 minutes to play in the game, but it is becoming evidently clear that the Houston Texans have been ordered to take a blatant dive to the Kansas City Chiefs for the league narrative. (Which I now, increasingly, am beginning to think reads "Green Bay vs. Kansas City -- Rodgers vs. Mahomes -- Super Bowl I Rematch. (And will that look stupid in about seven hours if Seattle wins!!))
Houston scores on a 3 minute drive after getting the ball first for 7-0.
Three and out, block the punt, 14-0.
Muffed punt, recovered by Houston inside the KC 10. 21-0 end of the first.
Houston then gets a field goal for 24-0 10:58 to go in the second quarter.
THEN...
Long kickoff return, 2 plays, one touchdown. 24-7.
Then Houston decides to FAKE PUNT???? Three plays later, 24-14.
Then a fumble on the next play from scrimmage. Three plays later, 24-21!!!
6:37 to go in the second.
THREE KC TOUCHDOWNS IN 4:21.
UGH.
EDIT TO ADD: 50 seconds to go second quarter, 28-24!! Comeback complete.
And KC gets the ball to start the second half.
EDIT TO FURTHER ADD: And it was an illegal forward pass on top of it!!!!
VSiN and Nick Bogdanovich of William Hill had this observation of the massive upset by the Vikings (from a third party, presumably "Tony", who probably caught this on VSiN on Sirius XM:
@TheFixIsInTuohy Per Nick Bogdanovich from @WilliamHillUS - Minnesota beating New Orleans was their (sportsbook) biggest win ever for an individual game in the state of Nevada. That's everything. Game, 1H. 2H, all of it. @VSiNLive . Bigger than a Super Bowl.
The replay room of the Red Sox was being used to cultivate and steal signs for the advantage of the hitters for Boston in that all-too-dominant 2018 season.
The report CLAIMS that they couldn't use it in the playoffs because MLB stationed people at the various video rooms.
Kee-rist, Manfred. Why not just come out and admit you want this game to go back before West Coast baseball was in vogue...
You've done nothing from the day you've become Commissioner but to attempt to regionalize the sport, rig championships, and move America's Pastime into your own MAGA White image...
After last year's mess, two lawsuits were filed by Saints fans against the league and other relevant parties.
The NFL not only just paid the piper on that (their memories are LONG), but there's an even scarier side to all of this:
The National Football League is openly embracing the belief the games are rigged, and is doing NOTHING to dissuade that situation.
Let that process, people.
Houston has gotten a bit of a stealth push into the second tier of the AFC, a place where it is believed Buffalo never belonged. Hence, some Refball in that game.
Spygate III + the Robert Kraft case resurfacing ends their narrative.
Blatant Refball to ensure New Orleans is out.
And wouldn't you know it... THIS in Seattle to ensure Seattle goes to Green Bay to continue THAT playoff rivalry...
And wouldn't you know it: Cheap-shot artist Jadeavon Clowney -- who has parlayed an illegal helmet hit in a bowl game to his status in the National Football League -- central to it...
NFL: Don’t lead with the Helmet, it could cause a concussion.
Minnesota Vikings: Andrew Sendejo: $10,527 for unsportsmanlike conduct. TWO-TIME LOSER
Carolina Panthers: Tre Boston: $10,527 for a late hit. THREE TIME LOSER, nearly a hundred grand this year.
And that one costs Carolina, placing them into dollar-for-dollar territory for any remaining fines for the week (since their season is over). $25,000 foe entering that phase, another $837 for the dollar for dollar part of it.
Los Angeles Rams: Clay Matthews adds to his significant record: Another $21,056 for roughing the passer. TWO-TIME LOSER.
I just didn't think it was going to be in THIS ROUND.
But I can't say I'm surprised, especially with new word that the Patriots will be disciplined for the latest Spygate scandal and the move to escalate the Bob Kraft Florida case rightfully to a felony charge.
So the NFL just could not trust having the Patriots go any further. I get that.
First time in a decade the Patriots will not see at least Divisional Weekend. Only the fourth time in this Patriots rigged dynasty of the same.
New York Yankees: Domingo German will miss the first 63 games of the next season -- suspended half a season for the domestic violence policy, 18 games already served.
Must also give a donation to domestic violence charities and be psychologically cleared to return first.
Houston Texans: Charles Omenihu: $28,075 for a blindside block.
Cleveland Browns (and the team -- AND it's a doubled Repeat Offender): Sheldon Richardson, $42,115 for Roughing the Passer.
That puts the Browns over $1,200,000 in onfield fines.
And one from the NHL:
John Tortorella, coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, pretty much explains the whole thing. Rails on the refs after losing his goaltender as a result of having to go to a shootout which appears not to have been necessary.
As a result of that rant...
Columbus Blue Jackets: Coach John Tortorella fined $45,000 -- $25,000 of it suspended if he doesn't have another such incident in 2020 -- for criticism of officials.
We lost two high-level sports personalities on the first day of the new year.
Don Larsen, the only man to pitch a perfect game in the World Series, passed today.
He really didn't the world's greatest pitching career, but for one magical October day, he etched himself into immortality in a way no player has done before or since.
The more endemic one to this blog, however, is the passing of former NBA Commissioner David Stern.
I think I've made my contempt for Stern as Commissioner well known, from the Ewing Draft to the Jordan Rules to all but allowing Donald Sterling to destroy the LA Clippers while being a racist fuck...
It really was his "We Create Heroes" philosophy, though, with the Foolish and Wretched One at the forefront, which will be his lasting legacy. And, to be clear, he did not invent game-rigging by the leagues and referees.
But he perfected and normalized it, and set the table for what both the NBA and NFL, especially, have become in this regard.
