Little Bit of This & Little Bit of That : CBSSports.com Blogs

Battle of Colleges and Athletics

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 9:06:32 EST

When Bobby Knight [ aka The General ] approached the microphone last week at Indianna, he just gave me one more reason why I like him. Bobby Knight is, by far, the world's worst speaker; and I love him for it!! He just tells it like it is; no sugar added. If it's sour, you gotta cope with it. Anyone who can throw a chair across the basketball court, DURING A GAME, you'd think was a wack-o coach; but his players always thought just the opposite. He taught his players the fundamentals of basketball. His TEAMS did it with TEAM PLAY. He didn't have the superstars that today's college teams have; and he had players that GRADUATED.

So with Coach Knight's attack on John Calipari, maybe it's time to revisit the battle that colleges have with athletics. Maybe it's time to question how a "institute of higher learning" should balance the over-all college finances and how these same colleges treat their "student athletes".

This is Our Country

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:55:57 EST

A fellow message board poster started a thread entitled "Who are the REAL HEROES" that echoed his earlier comments on another thread. As always, someone responded with their thoughts. I read those words today; and those words moved me in such a manner, that I had to respond to that individual. After reading what I posted, I thought for a while about the words I chose and decided to retain them here in my blog. I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I have a great deal of respect for my country and the freedoms it offers. Today it seems far too easy to sit back and identify the deficiencies in just about every aspect of life. Well, I think it takes a great deal of courage to avoid being swept-up by that raging wave of conformity and stand-up for the positive things today and stop focusing on some of those trivial negative things. Some of you may read my words and not care for them. That's your right. Many of you out there won't even read them, partly because they appear in my blog. In any case these are my thoughts in my blog, retained for my benefit, my feelings, for what I believe in.

A View FromThe Bottom

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:25:57 EDT

Hi Folks,

Sunday morning I opened the Sports Section of the morning paper to discover Cleveland ACTUALLY still has a baseball team . I thought they had folded; having all their players returning to their respective homes through-out the globe. I was shocked to read they're still trying; very trying from what I read.

I gave-up watching sometime back in May. When I saw them exercising absolutely no patience at the plate; throwing the baseball behind runners or just throwing the ball around like a bunch of 10-year olds; and lastly watching so-called good pitching self-destructing... I just couldn't watch any more. How do these guys keep their job? There's nothing worse then watching professional baseball players trying to leg-out little "pee-pee" hits; not just any "pee-pee" hits but million dollar "pee-pee" hits.

2009 CLEVELAND US OPEN QUALIFIER OBSERVATIONS

Mon, 11 May 2009 16:07:27 EDT

Hi everyone ......

My youngest son is an official entrant into the US OPEN qualification process for this year's US OPEN at Bethpage Black. Needless to say, this father is PROUD, wait, let me rephrase that ..... VERY PROUD of him. Actually, I have two sons; and I'm very proud of both of them for their knowledge of the game, the quality of both their games, and how each respects of the game. To use very simple English, I'm a very lucky father .

This year's qualifier in the Cleveland area is being held at the Beechmont Country Club. I've already scheduled a day-off from work so I can walk the course and watch how well the battle progresses. I've been lucky enough to watch other golf competition with my youngest, but nothing as important as this. For those of you that have never walked the course watching a golf match, I'm planning to provide my observations. Some of you may be bored, while other may enjoy these "bits & pieces". I'll add more to this as we continue next week. Hopefully, I'll be able to provide my observations from the upcoming events as he continues to advance. For now, it's 4-days and counting.

Get In The Game

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 8:22:40 EST

"Get In The Game" . . . How many times have I signed-on and had that irritating splash-screen s - l - i - d - e across my screen. I don't know what this spalsh screen promotes, all I know is it's existence is a pain in the butt for me. I've been signing-on for the past year and this darn thing comes and goes. Make one small change after sign-on and there it is..!! Like an unwantwed visitor in your home. I rate this little intrusive panel of electrons right up there with those extremely loud commercials on TV. The only thing that panel has done for me is I sometimes remember the name.

Depending on how my day's been going, I sometimes recall my displeasure for SAFECOUNT.NET. I know that I'll never "click" their panel and I have no intension to use my web-browser to visit their site. No matter how many times that irritating panel appears on my screen, interupting my CBS Sports pleasure.

Posting Etiquette

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:56:42 EST

Today is Friday, February 20, 2009.

I've been reading things on these threads recently that makes me wonder. What makes people post negative comments about other people? What is it that forces people into character assasination mode? If I don't like what a person posts that has a different opinon on a subject, I don't post personal comments about the person.... I may post my differing opinoin, but never attack a person's character. That's just not right.

Just about everyone has had, or will have a difference of opinion. Did you know that a person's opinion is never wrong. It's an opinion. Opinions are never right or wrong; opinions are your personal thoughts. They may not appear to be very logical, but an opinion is never wrong. However, what is wrong ... I've had some shots taken by people just because I came across STUPID in what I posted; and you know what, after reading it, I was pretty stupid. But just because I posted fairly stupid material, doesn't give other people the right to post personal attacks about my character. As much fun as that might seem... and trust me, sometimes what people post about me is funny, I don't deserve being called stupid. Humorous comments are always welcome, even when they highlight flaws in opinion. Like when a person has no idea what they post....

BASEBALL = CHEATING

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:09:09 EST

If you're looking for the ultimate panacea answer, you won't find it. If you're looking for an opinionated response, feel free to read-on . From the responses I've read, the general concensus is .... spread the blame all around. I somewhat agree with that, except the root of this problem is a little more than blame everyone.

The root of this entire mess starts with the PARENTS .... the parents of each and every ballplayer that used performance enhancing drugs to get an edge over the other players that had enough parental influence to know the difference between right and wrong. It was the PLAYERS not having solid parental guidance that chose the incorrect path. If the players had better parents, they would not have chosen to CHEAT by takeing the drugs; and they would not have had to LIE about during and afterwards. Definitely, the PLAYERS ARE GUILTY of chosing their incorrect path based upon the guidance they received.

Athletic Balance

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 6:55:36 EST

Let me first state my position on basketball:: I've played "old time" high school basketball back in the days when you clubbed a dinosaur to put food in the cave . . . . . well it almost seems like it was that long ago. Let's just say that when I played, we actually wore shorts, not those pantaloons that these guys wear today. The game wasn't played with such vivid interpretation of the rules like it is today, but then again, it was advertised as a non-contact sport. Frankly, I like the way the game has interpretted the rules and the increased pace. Players are much more athletically talented today then they were in the dark ages.

So I played and I've coached. I still love the game at the high school level and at the college level..... the professional level riles my dander. I hate to see the pushing and the shoving in the paint, while a simple hand-check out front gets whistled every time. I also don't like to see the walking, the carrying, the FLOPS, and the WHINNING. These are professionals and they should act like professionals. Tom Hanks once said, "Crying.!! Are you crying? There's no crying in baseball". . . . Well, there shouldn't be any whinning in basketball, either.!! It's almost like these guys are flaunting the Screen Actors Guild [ SAG ] card everytime they step out on the court.

Team Rudder-ship ??

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 9:41:39 EST

I recently viewed an entry in the BLAWG POUND by BrownsCamp2011 where he wrote “This week's Kellen Winslow fiasco made me long for the days when we had #82 at tight end. Ozzie Newsome was the epitome of an NFL Hall of Famer.” This made me think a bit which resulted in today’s Blog entry [ sometimes a person just can’t remain silent ]. Ozzie Newsome was the greatest tight end I’ve ever seen; and I remember when Ozzie almost had equal numbers to wide receiver Steve Largent [ when Steve retired he held all major NFL receiving records ]. Ozzie was a master athlete on the field and quiet off the field. Thinking of Ozzie also conjured-up thoughts of other memorable players; such as, the great Otto Graham, Don Strock, Brian Sipe, Bernie Kosar, Eddie Johnson, Leroy Kelly, Frank Minnifield, Hanford Dixon, Clay Mathews, and the greatest of all….. Jim Brown [ just to name a few ]. Not one of these players danced or pointed or head-butted anyone. They all did their job quietly and Jim Brown did his job better than anyone ever. These players all had one thing in common, they were LEADERS both ON the field and OFF. Leaders help guide teams over the rough spots throughout the seasons. Leaders are easily identified in sports here in Cleveland. Take for instance the CAVs . . . who does the media always search for when it comes time for comments on the game or team direction . . . . .?? …..Times-up..!! They look to LeBron James that’s who, because he’s a leader. Fresh out of high school he had more leadership qualities than any CAVs veteran. That was almost too easy so let's move onward. The INDIANS have had a variety of leaders from the Jim Thome days [ Geez . . . he was always being interviewed ] to Grady Sizemore of today. This brings me around to the Browns. Who is the leader of the BROWNS.?? For the life of me I can’t identify anyone as being the leader; it certainly isn’t Derek Anderson. If there was a leader, we wouldn’t have the Winslow Fiasco that we have today. Winslow and Edwards two of a kind; being extremely gifted athletes, but are a pin in the butt for everything else. Both are headstrong players, but they only see their world as if it was centered on them. This is NOT a leadership quality. Could the true leader be sitting the bench? I know the leader isn’t playing right now; and the BROWNS definitely need a LEADER right now. Who will step-up..?? Till next time . . . Stay Well, and See You Somewhere, I Hope. . .

Typical Browns Season

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:31:52 EDT

In case any of you have missed the last 20 years or so of Browns football (excluding the 3 years that they did not have a football team; although, some may argue that they haven't had a team for many more years than that), let me give you some handy-dandy step-by-step descriptions on how most Browns fans react. By the way, this process is CMM Level-3 certified as it is a repeatable process.

#1 July/August - Browns fans excited. Claim they can make the playoffs and probably the Super Bowl. They think their new draft picks will be "just what they need". They are excited about a new coach. They claim that they can sweep the Steelers in the upcoming season.

#2 September - Brownies usually win 2 or 3 in this time span. One of the losses is to the Steelers. Browns fans still think they have a more than legitimate shot at the playoffs and start looking at their schedule and saying things like " we should be able to take 3 of the next 4". They say that they will beat the Steelers the next time they face them.

George W Bush

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:28:11 EST

I normally don't like to discuss politics, but George W Bush has pushed me over the edge [ and I promise not to do this again ]. These have been the roughest past eight years I can ever remember; and it might just grow even rougher. Let's see just what George W Bush has done for us.

It all started on a rainy day in January when "W" took the oath for the office of the presidency. Then something big happened .... This guy Bin Laden decided to talk some of his cronies into destroying the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC. After that it's been all down hill since. Bush vowed he'd get Bin Laden .... BUT NEVER DID. In fact, we still have no idea if Bin Laden's alive, or where he might be. Good ol' "W" lied to us the first time [ that is other than all those campaign promises he never kept ]. When he struck-out trying to find Bin Laden, he turned his sights to Hussein in Iraq. Hussein didn't do a darn thing to the US, but "W" seemed the need to fulfill a dream started by his father [ the other George Bush ] ..... Get Saddam Hussein. So what does "W" do????? He lies again and states there are Weapons of Mass Destruction being built by Hussein which was threatening American lives. So the military invades [ more like walked in because they're so well trained ] and FINDS ...... what did they find...... NOTHING - that's right.... ZERO WOMD. Since finding nothing, the Iraq war turns into one HUGE embarrassing poorly planned event. We're still there and have no idea how to get out. Trapped might be a better term. Our troops should have been gone long ago....In Fact, We Should NEVER Have Even Been In Iraq to begin with. The worst fall-out from Bush's poor decision is a large number of American families have had to pay the price for "w"s MISTAKE and will NEVER see their loved ones again.!!!!

Shortest Home Run in The Majors

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:28:32 EDT

I'll never forget this one because it was my introduction to the great Hal Lebovitz. You see, Hal Lebovitz was a writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and had a column entitled "Ask Hal". I was a kid at the time when a friend of mine asked to see the newspaper. He started reading Hal's column and laughed. He said "I've got one for you, what was the shortest home run ever hit in the majors?" Well, at the time, I thought the newspaper was was just something to wrap the garbage in, so I never heard of "Ask Hal". But being a baseball lover, I thought about the distances of the outfields and how some inside-the-park homers had been hit, so I guessed ...... one hundred feet. My friend laughed and said..... TWO FEET..!! Believe it or not TWO FEET.

NFL Coaching

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:31:16 EDT

WOW . . . . . I've read many, many posts on these boards where posters clearly state that the next move their organization should make should be to replace the bum who's currently the coach's favorite or fire the coach because of time management or the method the coach chooses to to put points on the board. Talk about unhappy fans . . whew .... we have 'em here, don't we.?? Maybe in these trying economic times, posting their thoughts on these boards is a way of stress relief, I don't know, but I'll say this much for them, they certainly think they know everything. It's like anything else, if I were good at it, I'd be doing it. BUT, I'm not good at it so I don't coach.

Coaching is a very high-pressured job. Whether the pressur to win is coming from the home-town fans, or whether it's self-induced by the coach doesn't lessen the effect. I don't think there's one coach out there who doesn't want his team to win. Every coach worth his weight in twinkies has spent years developing his coaching style and philosophy. I'll bet every coach spends twice as much time doing his job, as what the normal fan does in theirs.

North vs South

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:14:09 EDT

I've long been a golfer here in northern Ohio. I've played on courses that ressembled links-type courses where the ball would roll forever during those long hot dry summers; and I've played on those same courses during the wet rainy summers and you couldn't buy a simple bounce. Every year can be much different than the previous year. The elements have always been known to control the game here in northern Ohio.

Early spring time brings the flood of ambitious golfers forth from their warm and cozy homes to battle their nearest favorite golf course. Hopefully, it's their easiest course, for these early combatants have to be brave to play on courses with snow mold still clinging to the grass. There's nothing like playing a round of golf with knit hats and gloves, but it's just good to be out. Cold early spring golf gives way to enjoyable summers and low scores, and that 19th hole for bragging right. Warm summers then yield to cool autum rounds where we just don't want to let winter steal golf back from us. The year just doesn't seem to be long enough. This leads me to wonder which is better: to live inthe abbreviated season of the north, or to live in a more southern climate where the golf season may be enjoyed year round?

Boring Golf

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:51:17 EDT

Talk about mixing the good with the bad . !!

The Ryder Cup was the BEST GOLF I've seen in a lomg long time. The shot making was terrific by both teams; and as for the one-upmanship with the full use of the Rules of Golf, it was even better. The Ryder Cup has meaning.!!!! To follow-up the good Ryder Cup with that joke of a FEDEX Cup / Tour Championship was a waste of time. That's what I call BAD GOLF. I know I certainly didn't watch any of that junk. The PGA has to do something to make this a competition that has meaning. Un til that happens, the FEDEX will be an embarassing, over-priced event not worth watching.

Till next time . . . Stay Well, and See You Somewhere, I Hope. . .

Why Does Baseball Need CLOSERS..??

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:11:17 EDT

April 09 = =

I really don't understand why there's such a thing as a closer. Why doesn't baseball do what they did years ago.... keep the current reliever in the game because he's throwing stuff that the opposing team just can't figure-out.

When did this all start? [ anybody have any ideas? ]

Who came up with this concept..?? Does any team have a *lights-out* closer..??

Will IU Ever Find a Knight Replacement..??

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:03:02 EDT

April 3 = =

I have a great deal of respect for Bobby Knight as a Basketball COACH. As a person, he falls a little short. His teams were always very competitive, yet he very seldom had a squad full of "blue chippers" like some of those other schools had. He taught the game well. His players "learned" and "listened".

Unfortunately, IU is still looking for his replacement. Maybe if they hadn't allowed the set-up of Bobby Knight, they would still be looking. Maybe Tom Crean is the answer.... maybe not.

Will IU Ever Find a Knight Replacement..??

Putting

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:13:11 EDT

One of the best things about living in the ugly snowy north, is you get to put away the clubs for 6-months. Most everyone else continues to play while us northerners only dream about it. At the same time, we have an opportunity to start fresh each spring. We don't have those nagging bad habits carry-over from one season to the next. It's great starting with no bad habit.... and just letting them develop as the year progresses.

This year I'm going to try putting with a different style. . . . I'm going to look directly at the hole, align myself, check the ball and club, look at the hole, and stroke it while looking at the hole. I've read about this technique in GOLF Magazine before and I'm now going to try it. This is counter to what I've done all my life, so it should be interesting. We'll see just how much magic is left in this "Louisville Slugger" of a putter.

When Is Enough . . . Enough..??

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:51:42 EDT

March 28 = =

When is Enough actually .... enough..?? I've been asked that question many times and I've asked that same question many times myself. Some of my best conversations are internal struggles that we all have. If I " Lift - Clean - and Cheat " will anyone really know? If I don't "Lift - Clean - and Cheat " will I be doing what everyone else is doing? Is it right? Is it wrong? These are all internal conversations that we deal with on a daily basis.....some conversations more serious than others.... like, "should I take that extra piece of pie?" " Oh, go ahead, no one's looking". Internal conversation..... we all have them . . . . right..??

How about "When is enough actually, enough?" I've truly been asking myself that question recently with regards to golf..... Specifically, Tiger Woods. Currently, there are thirteen discussion threads boldly advertising Tiger Woods in their titles. That's 13 out of 50 discussion threads. That's 26% of the first-50 threads. I don't even wish to research how many more of these first-50 threads have discussions where Tiger is mentioned, alluded to, praised, or abused. I can guess that the percentage is a lot higher than we even imagine. He's a great putter - he's a terrible putter - he's the greatest since___________ [ you can fill in the blank ] - he'll win the masters - he'll lose the masters - his #1 ranking is in jeopardy - he breaks necks - he swears - he breathes - he doesn't like fish because he avoids water hazards - he's the greatest thing since sliced bread .. .. .. .. the subjects / comments just go on-and-on..!!

Season Opener ....??????

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:57:14 EDT

Am I the only one around who thinks having a season opener over in Japan is counter to the American Tradition of Baseball..?? In fact, I consider having this "silly" opener in Japan as a slap to the most important of all American Traditions . . . . . having the first opening pitch being thrown in the contest between Cincinnati and their opponent. For those of you who aren't baseball history buffs.....The Cincinnati Reds were the first "all" professional team in baseball; and therefore, it has been a tradition to have the Cincinnati game always start 5 minutes before any other game. This way we always have the first pitch of the season thrown during the Cincinnati contest. Its a tribute to the first team in baseball. hmmmmm....... I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks that's an insult..??