Classless Sawx

Is it just me or does it seem like every player that comes to the Red Sox turns into a big obnoxious jerk when it comes to the Yankees. The rivalry between New York and Boston has become legendary. People talk about it, think about it, and invariably get caught up in it whether they want to or not. There's been the Yankees-Red Sox, Knicks-Celtics, Rangers-Bruins, and believe it or not Giants-New England Patriots. But at the center of it is baseball, there is no more heated rivalry in sports. But there's an issue here that continues to raise its ugly head and that's one of classlessness. Full disclosure compels me to tell you that I am a long time season ticket holder for the Yankees, but this is not about the rivalry, this is about class, style and appropriateness. It's hard to root for other team's players in such an intense environment but over the years the Red Sox have had guys that have demonstrated class and style and made you respect their competitiveness. The original Derek Jeter years ago was probably Carl Yastremski, a great competitor who kept his mouth shut and tried to win on the field not with his mouth. Then there was the quiet Dwight Evans Mr.Cannon himself always gunning guys out at home plate, and made it seem like his job not his destiny. Fred Lynn was the epitome of quiet gracefulness in centerfield. MVP in his first year and hard not to like. Then you have the other side of the coin Pedro Martinez, Bill Lee, Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and of course there was Carlton Fisk always taking shots at Thurman Munson the heart of the Yankees. Maybe its just because I bleed Pinstripes but I don't seem to remember Yankees constantly trashing the Red Sox players on a personal level and talking about how bad the organization is. No matter how successful the Red Sox are they can't resist trashing the Yankees. Maybe its the Big Brother Little Brother syndrome that they are constantly trying to overcome. Maybe it's knowing no matter how much they win they will never replace the New York Yankees as the iconic franchise that they are. Coming back from a three-game deficit in the ALCS to make history and going to win the World Series still wasn't good enough for the Red Sox to keep their mouths shut.They spent the entire winter that year trashing Yankees.(inferiority complex anyone), and for those who care the St Louis Cardinals are clearly the next most successful franchise in baseball .The most recent example of Boston's lack of class was last night's game were Napoli called Tanaka an idiot. Do they really need to go there. Yes Tanaka made a mistake, a bad pitch selection, squared it up for Napoli and Napoli was fortunate enough to jack it out to win the game. Sawx win a big game to keep their fading playoff hopes alive. Instead of being gracious, classy and grateful he turned it into a negative trashing of a guy he doesn't even know, a quiet man who has demonstrated nothing but class himself. Most athletes would know better than to mess with the gods and be happy that Tanaka didn't book him and he got away with one to win a big game for his team. But that's not the Red Sox way and it never has been. One of these days they'll realize that the only real idiots in sports and especially baseball are the Boston Red Sox...

Doing Things The Right Way

Well the rangers did it, they are in the Stanley Cup Finals as Wales Conference Champions. Because of the exhausting, physically combative, violent nature of the the sport you almost feel being Wales Conference Champions would be enough. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Their next test will be their toughest, maybe that's why it's been said the Stanley Cup is the toughest Championship to win in Sports, works for me. The Rangers won because they were a more talented, deeper, more disciplined team. Their excellent defense and all star goalie didn't hurt either. In short they are a complete team, add to that a laser like focus and commitment by all the players and a great job by the coaching staff and bingo Wales Conference Champions. The series had it's share of ugly goonish incidents. The dark side of hockey is always just one cheap shot or goonish hit away. If a fourth line player takes a star off the ice with him it's considered a good thing  no matter how he does it. Hockey rule #1 if the other team is better and has more talent, level the playing field by gooning it up. The NHL allows it and it's truly a black mark on a sport that in it's purest form is truly a marvel to watch. The skill set alone makes most of us realize we'll never be hockey players. One final thought before I continue to praise the boys in Blue.  All Great organizations usually have the same qualities, winning over time takes pride, commitment, leadership and class. Yankees, Celtics, Packers, Canadians.. Oops let me correct myself. until this series I always considered Montreal the class of the NHL. All those Cups, Guy Lafluer, Ken Dryden, Larry Robinson, Scotty Bowman etc. They were always considered a team that would beat you with there talent, superior skating and speed, this year's addition was anything but that. Three minutes into game #1 Broussard was almost killed with a late hit. Subban cold cocked one of the rangers behind their net just for the hell of it and on and on. It almost worked, the Rangers eventually wore down and started taking bad penalties ( see Rule # 1). Maybe after the first 2 games Montreal realized they were over matched. The Rangers have won all of their series with the qualities that win all championships. Talent, discipline, execution, and heart. Win or lose in the Finals the Rangers have won with Class and been an example of how to do it right. Maybe Montreal can Learn something from them.   

Winning At All Costs

As a sports fan it is getting more and more frustrating and much harder to actually follow the games that are being played on the field without being subjected to the constant distraction of all the off field problems that accompany our sports teams in this day and age. Sports shows begin numerous broadcasts with lead stories concerning steroids, DUI's, sibling assaults, gun possession, club fights,and even murder. Game action and strategies become a backdrop for these reports. News is news no matter where we find it and athlete's crimes are after all more newsworthy then the final score of their games. That will never change, but the rub here for me is the focus on what's really important. Right now the big story is DeSean Jackson's alleged involvement with the gangs in LA. The media's focus was not about the issue of gangs and the connection and influence they have with many of our major sports leagues, NBA ,NFL, etc. which is a serious problem, it was on the fact that DJ was somehow a victim because people were not rushing to his doorstep to resign him. Are you kidding me. Let me make sure I understand this, DeSean has a history of gang related problems and is released from the Eagles because of it and then is rewarded with a 24 million dollar contract from the Redskins. Who says crime doesn't pay. The Media is only outraged because they don't understand how a talented player no matter what his sins are isn't idolized and rewarded with money. Athletes have always been given special treatment, in local sports, College and the Pros. They are our modern day gladiators and role models. But when we honor the thugs and criminals that are playing our games we have lost our way. How did our standards as a society ever get this twisted, and we wonder why our kids don't get it...

Deja Vu All Over Again

Building a sports franchise into a championship caliber organization is a challenge not unlike any other corporation trying to get to the top of the heap. It's sales revenues and market share are directly related to the quality of the product that they're trying to market, just like any other corporation the  direction the company's headed in is imperative for people to understand before they commit their time and money to the company's future. A confusing mission statement is never a good thing for a company to try and sell to the public but that's what the New York Jets are constantly trying to do. Over the last few years the Jets quarterback position has been a constant abyss of clarity and player development proving that their head coach at the very least is quarterback challenged in his skill set. The Jets completely mismanaged Mark Sanchez's career and then proceeded to parade in every possible option including the less than functional Tim Tebow to further confuse the situation. but wait there's more, in the off season they drafted a quarterback and with a simple draft choice created an instant quarterback controversy that would have lasted all year except for the actual  benefit of Mark Sanchez getting injured. If this was a divorce Sanchez could sue the Jets for lack of child support. By signing Michael Vick they have created a second and more dramatic quarterback controversy again. Maybe the front office and the head coach believe that constant turmoil and  chaos on a team is good for morale and the most functional way to build a champion. Successful teams do not strive to get the back pages of newspapers with controversy, they strive to make the headlines with their deeds. Great organizations are built on stability, predictability and making wise decisions when tough decisions need to be made. True leadership is recognized by clarity of judgement, strength of conviction, and commitment to excellence and execution. It seems like the Jets front office has never read a book with any of these definitions in them. Congratulations New York Jets your  not  "going to Disney World" you are Disney World.

Where Have You Gone Joe DiMaggio?

This is the time of year we reflect on the past year and ponder what the future will bring for us all, its a time to be grateful for ones good fortune and keep charity in our hearts for the less fortunate, to remember the good and try to change the bad. It's also a time many of us sit inside and watch a lot of sports. While I was doing that a little Elf kept whispering in my ear why do some athletes have to be such jerks.In this day and age it sometimes appears that classlessness seems to be an end game for some sports franchises and athletes alike. Many of today's athletes seem much more concerned with their individual highlights rather than whether their team wins or loses. "How many points, goals or hits did I get and will it be on ESPN?" How often do we see an NFL player make a tackle, get a pick or sack the quarterback in a game where they are losing by 25 or 30 points and celebrate like they just won the Superbowl. When did performing like a professional and doing your job as expected become a special reason for a world-class celebration.There used to be a time when putting yourself before the team or acting like a Prima Dona got you traded or benched, or possibly and emotional "Code Red" from your teammates. We constantly hold up our past heroes, coaches and players alike as role models for our children to learn from. People with character, class and professionalism that did their jobs with discipline and distinction. Like Red Auerbach, Vince Lombardi, Scotty Bowman, Derek Jeter, Carl Yaztremski, just to name a few. Then we proceed to market and sell the biggest mouthed, most poorly behaved, self centered modern day athletes we can find. For whatever reason it seems they are more abundant in football - Keyshawn Johnson, Terrell Owens, Dion Sanders, Warren Sapp, etc. These people are responsible for their behavior, but they are not to blame alone. The TV Networks, radio, and newspapers are possibly even more responsible for encouraging flamboyant and loudmouth behavior. The media doesn't condemn or criticize this behavior, they market it, highlight it and in essence promote it with their coverage. If you are an obnoxious big mouth player in your career, many times you will end up on some NFL pre-game show as a reward after your playing days are over. They are all there, just look around. This dynamic is not unique to Sports, it's really a sign of the times and shows how much our society has changed. The more outrageous a celebrity's behavior the more coverage they get - Lindsey Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, et al. It works in every arena just look at politics. The rub here is that we all watch sports to generally get away from all the crazy inappropriate things we deal with in our lives everyday. The sports arena has been invaded, its often been said that sports imitates life, so in this case we all would be better off still living in a fantasy.

Fantasy or Reality?

In baseball signing free agents has become an accepted way to either rebuild your team or add to a nucleus to help you stay on top. More and more teams are  now willing to spend big money in the off season to build their brands and increase the value of their franchises. The luckiest owners in Major League Baseball have to be the Wilpon 's because even with all of their failure in recent years the Mets still are the 3rd highest valued franchise in the league. I wrote in an earlier blog that the Mets continually try to sell an inferior product to their fan base and convince them that they really care about the success of their franchise . The bottom line is based on recent acquisitions and money spent they don't care about their fans or winning a championship. They have been terrible owners ; but the fans don't get a pass because they continue to acccept this lack of commitment and continue to support an ownership  that doesn't really seem to care about the future of the team .  2014 may actually be different. The recent acquisition and signing of Curtis Granderson  shows at least a minimal effort on the part of ownership to give the fans a better team.  But one has to wonder if this was done simply to placate the fans, who would have no reason to go to the ballpark without serious upgrades this year ,  or are they really trying  to build a winner in New York . If they are really committed  they certainly have a lot more work to do regarding trades , free agency signings , and player development . Granderson is a class act , an upgrade and should help the team even if  his power will be discounted hitting in homerun challenged Citi Field. The Mets got good value for their signing and did not overpay , the coffers should have plenty of money left let's see how serious the Wilpon 's are about winning . Money talks or fans should walk.

When Men Were Men

I always find it interesting when societal issues arise to watch the hysteria and the lack of clarity in analyzing what's appropriate for our culture. The most recent bullying issue involving the Miami Dolphins is just the most recent example of this. It is very clear what happened and very obvious that the infractions that occurred were culturally, personally, and professionally unacceptable. As a society we are constantly struggling to rise above are lowest common denominator and exhibit behavior reminiscent of a more intellectually advanced society. We are constantly condemning gay bashing abuse towards women and racial profiling as unethical and unacceptable in our society, yet somehow when this abuse occurs in a professional football locker room it's somehow less than terrible. The talking heads on the radio and television have actually raised the question as to whether the simple solution would have been for the victim to punch the other person in the mouth as the proper way of correcting this injustice. Better yet I would prefer a dual at Dawn with pistols at 10 yards. Martin the victim, tried to be a good soldier and work through this abuse and when he couldn't take it anymore he did the appropriate thing, and went to his superiors and the powers to be to correct the situation that had gotten out of control. When people start making death threats and threatening your family, ignoring the situation is impossible. Rather than respecting Martin's professionalism and class in some circles he has somehow been cast as a snitch and male content because he tried to take care of the situation by taking the high road. It's amazing to me that this is the kind of message some of these talking heads are trying to send. If this situation had occurred at a high school a workplace environment a private office or anywhere else there would be no question about how to handle it and the solution would not be to have a mud wrestling match in the middle of the office or hospital or school room; but because it's football we have to solve this man to man. I'm all for being tough, defending yourself, taking responsibility for your actions, and not letting people intimidate you, but going to superiors rather than using a gun, smashing someone in the face, or killing a person does not mean you did the wrong thing. Crosby Stills Nash and & Young have a song called "Teach Your Children Well ". We are taught our society is only evolved if we are able to gain justice for all, how we do this also speaks to our character and our commitment to that idea. Martin is trying to do it the right way. He should be supported not criticized...