Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 94 of 1503)

      In the end, the NFL and players are seemingly back to square one

      May 17, 2011 /
      New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (R) hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after they defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL’s Super Bowl XLIV football game in Miami, Florida, February 7, 2010. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES)

      It’s maddening to think that after nearly 70 days, we’re right back to where we started when it comes to the NFL labor dispute.

      I don’t pretend to know everything that’s going on with the current lockout situation. Just like most fans, I try to stay up on what’s current by reading news stories, columns and tweets from so-called experts, but I feel like I should have a law degree in order to completely grasp what’s going on. I have to read NFL-themed content about 12 times nowadays in order to fully understand it (which isn’t completely surprising seeing as how I’m not that bright).

      But by now everyone understands the basics. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that its temporary stay is now a full-blown, ironclad mega stay and the NFL lockout will resume. It was a major victory for the owners, who will likely win their appeal on June 3 if the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a CBA before then.

      In essence, we’re right back to where we started when the NFL officially locked its doors in mid-March. The owners want to stay out of court and are blaming the players for preferring litigation. The players continue to claim that they’re only interested in playing and the owners are the bad guys for preventing them and the fans from enjoying the game.

      But what this really comes down to is lack of communication. If that’s too simplistic a take on the topic, I apologize. But that’s what it comes down to, right? When the old CBA was still in place and a lockout was looming, all everyone kept saying was how the two sides would be better staying out of court and negotiating a new deal on their terms. Instead, the players had always planned on decertifying and taking their chances in litigation, and now we’re right back to square one. As previously mentioned, if the players continue to press on in court, they’ll probably lose and the lockout will continue uninterrupted (which means no free agency, no mini-camps and absolutely zero enjoyment whatsoever for fans). Thus, in the end, negotiation has always been the best policy.

      Nothing has changed here, at least not really. The NFL and players need to negotiate a deal. It’s the same thing they had to do months ago before the court system got involved. Think about all the time that has been wasted and for what? I get it: Labor disputes are nasty business. But what has changed here? After all this, the two sides still have to negotiate and as a fan, it’s nauseating to think that the best course of action has been right in front of the players and owners’ faces for months.

      It appears as if the 2011 NFL season is doomed unless these two sides can work out an agreement for a new CBA. What’s funny/ironic/makes-you-want-throw-up is that the same thing could have been written back in February and March before the lockout became official. Here’s hoping the two sides are done wasting everyone’s time and will actually come to an agreement when this latest round of mediation begins.

      External Sports, NFL

      Hall of Famer Harom Killebrew dies at the age of 74

      May 17, 2011 /
      A jersey bearing the number of Minnesota Twins Baseball Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew hangs in the dugout of the Twins before the start of their American League baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field in Minneapolis, May 13, 2011. Killebrew, 74, announced he has ended his fight with esophageal cancer and has entered hospice care. REUTERS/Eric Miller (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL HEALTH)

      Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday, passing away at the age of 74.

      From the Los Angeles Times:

      He hit 573 home runs during 22 seasons with the Washington Senators, Twins and Kansas City Royals, including eight seasons in which he hit at least 40 home runs. Killebrew helped the Twins reach the World Series in 1965, where they lost to the Dodgers, and he was named the American League’s most valuable player in 1969.

      A 13-time All-Star, Killebrew was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984.

      At 5 feet 11 and about 210 pounds, Killebrew was a stocky first and third baseman, outfielder and designated hitter who was particularly known for his ability to hit memorably long home runs.

      “He hit a ball in Minnesota that went over 500 feet and broke two chairs,” former Twins Manager Cal Ermer told the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press in 2002.

      Paul Richards, then manager of the Baltimore Orioles, said during Killebrew’s breakout season in 1959: “He has enough power to hit home runs in any park — including Yellowstone.” Killebrew hit 42 home runs that season for the Washington Senators, who moved to Minnesota in 1961 and became the Twins.

      I didn’t have the pleasure of watching Killebrew play in person, but I’ve read nothing but kind words about the legend. He was known as a quiet, kind man and didn’t partake in the partying lifestyle. In fact, he famously told a reporter, “Well, I like to was dishes, I guess,” when asked what he liked to do for fun.

      Even though I never had the opportunity to see him play, I know what he meant to the game of baseball. RIP, “Hammerin’ Harmon.”

      External Sports, MLB

      Report: Posada told Yankees that he wanted out

      May 17, 2011 /
      New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman watches Jorge Posada shake hands with NCAA Kentucky head coach John Calipari before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in New York City on May 15, 2011. UPI/John Angelillo

      According to a report by Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, designated hitter Jorge Posada told GM Brian Cashman that he wanted off the Yankees when he found out that he was hitting ninth against the Red Sox last Saturday. But a friend of Posada’s says the former catcher was just speaking out of frustration.

      In the heat of his anger and frustration Saturday night, Yankee icon Jorge Posada told general manager Brian Cashman amid a flood of F-bombs that he not only wanted out of the No. 9 spot in the Yankee batting order – he wanted out of the Yankees, too, according to team sources.

      “It was just something said in the heat of anger and frustration,” a close friend of Posada’s said of the former catcher’s angry comments to Cashman and manager Joe Girardi in which he took himself out of the lineup an hour before Saturday’s game against the Red Sox.

      “What happened had nothing to do with being dropped to ninth in the batting order. It was just the combination of everything building up in him – his frustration at not helping the team and the feeling that, right now, he sucks, and that everything in his world is pretty (expletive).

      “He didn’t want out, and doesn’t want out,” the friend added. “He was just frustrated and said a lot of things.”

      Posada is currently hitting .165 as the Bombers’ DH and is going through some personal issues as well. His son, Jorge Luis, is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct craniosynostosis, which is a condition in which normal brain and skull growth are affected. The procedure, which will take place on June 8, is hoped to be his last surgery to correct the problem.

      There have been many fans on the internet boards that are screaming for the Yankees to cut ties with Posada and move on. But nobody knows what this guy is going through and he has already apologized to the team for his immaturity over the weekend. He was in the wrong and he apologized. If he doesn’t start hitting then Cashman and Joe Girardi can figure out what’s best for the team and go from there.

      But how many of us get so tired of our situations that we burst out in frustration and say things we don’t mean? Hell, I think I do it on a weekly basis. Let’s cut Posada some slack and see how the situation plays out. He’s a four-time World Series champion and a five-time All-Star. If he’s done, the Yankees will make that decision when the time comes. For now, let’s give the man a little time.

      External Sports, MLB

      Appeals court sides with NFL, lockout remains

      May 17, 2011 /
      NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (C) enters a federal courthouse to resume talks regarding labor and revenue issues between the NFL and the NFL Players Association in Minneapolis, May 16, 2011. REUTERS/Eric Miller (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS)

      The owners received a major victory on Monday night when the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NFL’s stay, meaning the lockout is no longer temporary.

      While this may not be good news for fans in the short term (because the lockout continues), it should force the players and owners to head back to the negotiating table. The owners want to stay out of court and have blamed the players for preferring litigation. The owners are now expected to draw up a new CBA proposal soon, which could be viewed as a positive sign.

      The owners are in a great position here because the same panel that sided with the league to keep the lockout in place will also hear arguments next month on the legality of the NFL’s work stoppage. Thus, it could be assumed that the owners would win their appeal on June 3 if the two sides can’t come to an agreement before then.

      The most frustrating part about this labor dispute is that the answer to the lockout has been in front of the owners and players’ faces this entire time: Negotiation. Way back in February and March when the old CBA was still in place, observers kept commenting on how the best course of action was for the two sides to come to an agreement and stay out of the courts. But the players seemingly made up their minds that they wanted litigation when they decided to decertify, which made it hard for the two sides to come to an agreement at the start.

      Now we’re right back where we started from, and negotiation is the best way to end the madness. Maybe this time the two sides will get it right and actually hammer out a new CBA deal before even more damage is done.

      External Sports, NFL

      The Scores Report chats with Ozzie Smith

      May 16, 2011 /
      Twenty-five years ago today, October 14, 1985, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith raised his fist in celebration after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 1985 National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Smith, who had never hit a home run in his previous 3,009 left-handed major league at-bats, pulled an inside fastball down the right-field line for a home run, ending Game 5 in a 3 Cardinals victory. Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck used the line, “Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy,” after the home run was hit. The Cardinals went on to face the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series, known as the I-70 Series. UPI/Bill Greenblatt/FILES

      His name is Osborne Earl Smith but to baseball fans everywhere, he’s simply known as “The Wizard.”

      In an era when the shortstop was known as being the best defender on the field, Ozzie Smith was the best of the best. For 19 seasons he strengthened the middle of the diamond for the Padres and the Cardinals, making 15 trips to the All-Star Game and winning an astonishing 13 Gold Glove Awards. Before he hung up his cleats in 1996, he helped the Cardinals win a World Series championship in 1982 and was the 1985 NLCS MVP. The Cardinals retired his No. 1 jersey in order to pay homage to the man who thrilled crowds with his dazzling defensive heroics and of course, his entertaining back flips in between innings.

      I recently had the opportunity to speak with Ozzie, which was a great pleasure to someone who has always cherished the game of baseball. He’s currently assisting Holiday Inn with their “Pay it Forward” program, which is encouraging people to show each other a little extra kindness every day to benefit Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) youth initiative. Ozzie spoke about the program and his involvement, as well as how people can be entered to win an all-expense paid trip for two to the 2011 All-Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona just by sharing their “pay it forward” stories.

      Of course, Ozzie was gracious enough to field some questions about baseball as well, including what current players impress him and what his secret was to always being in the right position to come up big defensively. He also gave his take on whether or not Albert Pujols will return to St. Louis next year and what he thinks of the ever-evolving shortstop position.

      For more information on Holiday Inn’s “Pay it Forward” program, including how you could win a trip for two to the 2011 All-Star Game, check out Holiday Inn’s Facebook page.

      Ozzie Smith: Hey Anthony!

      The Scores Report: Ozzie, how are you?

      OS: Doing real good, how are you?

      TSR: Excellent! As a fan and big admirer of the game, it’s a pleasure to speak with you today.

      OS: Oh, no problem – no problem at all.

      TSR: How did you get involved with Holiday Inn and their “Pay it Forward” program?

      OS: Well, I’ve always been associated with Major League Baseball and now I’m teaming up with Holiday Inn to encourage people to “pay it forward” by showing each other a little extra kindness every day to benefit baseball’s connection with the inner cities. We’ve lost so many youth to different sports and many programs have been eliminated. Holiday Inn is about celebrating the everyday hero and this program encourages people to act heroically every day, from holding doors open, to giving up your seat on the bus, to buying a friend a cup of coffee. It’s small acts of kindness that make a difference day-to-day, and for each person who shares their story at Facebook.com/HolidayInnHotels, in turn, Holiday Inn will give tickets to Major League baseball games to children participating in RBI. The people who post their stories will be entered to win an all-expense paid trip to the 2011 All-Star Game. It’s a great way to do something good, make yourself feel good, and make someone else feel good, too.

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      External Sports, Interviews, MLB

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