ILLSPORTS 1

In yet another example of the immense power of entertainment over the populace, I bring to you ILLSPORTS. You see if the cinematic master piece known as “Seven” taught me anything, its practicing the heinous sin of sloth can lead to a psychopath crafting a guaranteed painful demise of my existence. To avoid such a outcome, I have chosen to combat laziness by writing more. ILLSPORTS will be a weekly dissertation, of recent compelling themes in the sports world. I hope you feel my thoughts whether you agree with me, or surmise that I just smoked way to many trees in my formative years. So………

MLB

The reality that whenever I hear the name Kenny Rogers, I instantly think of the country music legend, and poker, causes me to question the my immense storage capacity for useless knowledge, and recently, where my youth went.. My memory bank listing of Kenny Rogers was updated last week, due to incident acted out by Mr. Rogers of Texas Rangers fame. For those who are sticking to their refusal to watch any ESPN programming, because it has sucked for the most part since Kenny Mayne slept with the head of managements wife, I’ll fill you in. While leaving the dugout to partake in one of the most strenuous activities MLB players endure, stretching, Rogers found the standard practice of a cameraman filming his entrance on to the field very paparazzi like, and decided to basically mush him a couple of times, then after feeling the need to embody the American sprit of putting full effort into all endeavors, returned to push the cameraman man on the ground and toss around the tool of his trade a little. In the ensuing week after the incident public opinion about the incident has not surprised me, but disappointed me to the point of humor. One of the most factual sayings ever concocted is “You can justify anything”. And the recipe for justifications doesn’t always require much logic. The general populace has been split 50/50 on the issue, with some pretty strong condoning of pitcher gone wild behavior. “Baseball players need their privacy”, “he asked him not to take his picture” where among the amazingly hypocritical observations of individuals who feel players should endure any un pleasurable scenario fans concoct and heave toward them, and “love it” Now I feel that both incidents are completely different, in the aspects of, venues, participants, and results, but can someone please explain to me how your animalistic and completely barbaric if you physically confront someone who throws a beer on you with provocation, but are in the right you physically assault a person who faux pax was filming you, a practice that MLB allows to avoid the perils of non visibility, which sports like hockey endure?. Rogers eventually received a 20 game suspension and $50,000 fine, which is sorrta like getting sent to your room for a “timeout” after telling your mom to go fuck herself. Being a pitcher, Rogers will only really miss 4 games. Rogers will also still be fiscally compensated, firmly solidifying my belief, that no one will explain to me the true element of punishment withen the phrase “suspended with pay” .Personally I think this whole controversy has been over hyped, particularly because there are no good sports to conversate about at the moment. Ultimately issues are never black and white, right or wrong, just a amalgamation of circumstances. MLB despite, the so called steroid controversy has no “image” problem, so the need to impose a draconian punishment to appease public opinion is non existent, hence the proverbial slap on the wrist. Rogers should have been suspended 10 starts and fined $200, 000., for his boorish, unprovoked behavior, and the embarrassment brought upon his organization, and baseball as a whole. But it’s not what is right or wrong, but what is deemed necessary.

NBA

Despite what rational thought decrees, the fact that the Spurs (who are only one step down from the Patriots in my level of a hate) won the championship again has really shaken my faith in God.. The pain of Detroit’s defeat has subsided long enough for me to peer into recent NBA events.

The Draft: Is the scientific breakthrough, insomniacs have been looking for

Larry Brown: The best coach in basketball by far, really has some bitch tendencies. Step up and be real real about ya actions…..but then again honesty in the act of conducting business almost always ensures defeat. I predict he stays with the Pistons, and leaves during mid season due to health reasons.

Free Agency: When the marquee free agents available are Jesus Shuttleworth and some guy from Milwaukee, you know your off season deserves to get ignored.

NFL

The frivolous grid iron rumor given massive attention this week, was the supposed possibility of T.O being traded to the Raiders. Even tho I feel the majority of mankind is comprised of fools, I have enough faith in Raiders management to see the idiocy in such a move. By know means am I a T.O hater. Most of the incidents he has been involved in have been overblown, he is a premier talent at his position, and I feel he is warranted the right to hold out given a variety of factors if he deems it partial to his interests. Facts overpower gratuitous prase, and Mr. Owens is about as tangible as locker room cancers are. There is no excuse, for the slick comments he made about Mcnabbs super bowl performance, true a they may have been, the where completely non related to the issue being discussed and extremely disrespectful. His propensity to call out other teammates at the slightest whim of losing and seemingly zero awareness makes him a pariah due to liability. As much as I like T.O, I can truly understand why no team would want him, let alone give up a receiver on the cusp of stardom (Jerry Porter). While the prospects of a Moss/ Owens tandem might seem to some in the raider nation the best thing since, spiked shoulder pads, I would start the over under at 5 games before Moss and Warren Sapp tried to choke the life out of T.O. In Madden it would be a great deal, in reality its a sign of ones IQ not being In the triple digit range. If Kerry Collins is not a drunken racist, but a adept NFL qb like I think he is, the Raiders will be set as things already stand.

While Shaun Alexander has a argument as Styles would say “hard as the stuff u walk on” explaining why he deserves, a long term contract from Seattle, the cutthroat nature of NFL relations deems his receiving what he his performance warrants uncontainable. It hard to get people to look at sports from a labor relations standpoint, but if one releaves themselves of bias, they can see how the gluttonous abundance of perceived running back talent has cause NFL teams not to even feign loyalty any more. Do diligence and latterly shedding blood and tears for the company doesn’t get you job a small semblance of job security in the NFL if you’re a running back, just 1 chance to do it again, There are no morals in business, so I completely understand the Seahawks rationale. And on a realistic level, even under the worse case scenario, Alexander would receive over $6 million this year, so it is hard to really back his hold out like some others, principle laden or not. But like the example of Edgrin James and thousands of others, loyalty from management and labor is more of a myth than a desired ideal.

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Thanx…..Peace