Got a kick out of Masters chairman Billy Payne giving Tiger Woods a lecture on morality Wednesday. Hmmm, if I’m not mistaken isn’t the Masters held at Augusta National, a country club that didn’t allow African-American members until about 20 years ago and still doesn’t allow female members? Given the restrictions of where this “tradition unlike any other’’ golf tournament is held, I think I’d leave the moralizing to someone else if I were Mr. Payne.
• Speaking of Tiger, I found his new Nike commercial a desperate attempt to clean up his image with the aid of his strongest sponsor and his deceased father. In the commercial we see the golfer with the serious sexual fidelity issues staring stoically into a camera while his dad, Earl Woods says: “To promote discussion, I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything?’’ The camera then zooms in on Tiger’s face as flash bulbs go off, apparently representing the media’s glare. I wish Tiger’s advisors would realize that there is no magic wan that will instantly make up for his transgressions. Contrition and trust are built over time. Stop with the feeble spin-doctoring attempts, play golf to the best of your ability, continue to receive counseling for your problems and attempt to make amends to your wife and your kids.
• These are the times when I miss being a sports columnist here in Rochester. You have the Rochester Institute of Technology hockey team gunning for a Division I national championship. You have the retirement of legendary University of Rochester basketball coach Mike Neer after 34 seasons and you have the Red Wings opening the International League baseball season. Lots of stuff to opine about.
Should RIT come home from the Frozen Four with a title it would rank as one of the top sports stories in Rochester history, right up there with the Ryder Cup, the Royals winning the NBA championship, Sammy Urzetta’s victory in the U.S. Amateur golf tournament and Abby Wambach scoring the gold-medal-winning goal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Here’s hoping that regardless how the Tigers fare that the powers that be at RIT start raising funds for a much-larger ice rink to replace Ritter Arena (capacity 2,100). The time to strike is now, while the excitement is so high.
RIT’s exciting run reminds me of their last national hockey championship back in 1985. I was there in Schenectady when coach Bruce Delventhal guided the Tigers to a 5-1 win vs. Bemidji State. I’ll never forget captain Blaise MacDonald’s response when I asked him to sum up his feelings. He said: “I’m so excited I have goose bumps on my finger nails.’’ Great quote.
Coach Neer’s retirement signals the end of an era for the Yellowjackets. I was there, too, covering UR’s national basketball championship back in 1990 as Neer’s boys nipped DePauw University (alma mater of former vice president Dan Qualye), 43-42, in the lowest-scoring title game in DIII annals. Mike was always a classy guy to deal with and as his 563 victories attest, he knew hoops.
Oldtimers may remember that Neer was second choice for the Rochester job. The first choice was a guy from nearby Lyons by the name of Jim Boeheim. Jimmy B withdrew his name from consideration when his alma mater, Syracuse, finally woke up and promoted him to head coach after Roy Danforth left the Orange men. I’d say things worked out nicely for both coaches and their schools.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Sorry, people. It was just an April Fool's joke.
OK, folks, it’s the day after April 1st, so it’s time for me to fess up. The blog I wrote – or should I say concocted – yesterday about me landing a job with the Yankees and Beth starting up a pet-sitting business in the Big Apple was an April Fool’s Day joke.
Yes, it has been a struggle since I left the newspaper business and, yes, the stuff about the four books I’m going to be publishing was true. But Beth and I aren’t going anywhere - though some of my friends and relatives might want to run me out of town after falling for my prank.
Even my son was duped. He actually called me from the University at Buffalo yesterday to congratulate me. And my college roommate also left me a message to tell me how happy he was for me before realizing he had been had. Several friends said they were disappointed – not that they had been fooled, but rather that they weren’t going to be able to hit me up for Yankee tickets.
One reader brought up the greatest sporting hoax of all – Sidd Finch. Some of you might remember that fictitious tale spun by George Plimpton in a cover story in the April 1, 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. The article told of a pitcher in the Mets organization who could throw the ball 168 mph and who had studied to be a yogi (no relation to Mr. Berra) in Tibet. SI included photographs of Finch conversing with then-Mets pitching coach Mel Stottlemeyre and outfielder Lenny Dykstra. Scores of readers fell for it hook, line and sinker. It wasn’t until two issues later that the magazine ran a story telling folks that it all was a ruse.
My friend and long-time newspaper colleague, John Moriello, works for FoxSports.com, and he told me that Nike pulled a fast one yesterday that had him and other reputable reporters and editors scrambling. Nike boasted of discovering a junior college wide receiver who was 6-foot-7 and ran the 40-yard dash in a record 3.9 seconds. Only one problem with this unreal prospect. He was unreal, as in he didn’t exist. Needless to say, John and other reputable journalists were ticked at Nike.
When I was talking to my college roommate, Ed Shaw, last night, he told me how excited he was for me as he was reading yesterday’s blog, and how peeved he became when he discovered it wasn’t true. “Scott,’’ he admonished, “don’t do that again.’’
I promised him I wouldn't 364 out of 365 days of the year.
Thanks for going along with the gag, folks. You’re all good sports.
* I'd like to congratulate my good friend and vintage base ball teammate Max Robertson on his retirement from Greece Arcadia Middle School, where he was a long-time art teacher. As I told him the other day, the teaching profession has lost a great one, and I'm not "fooling" when I say that. Also, I'm happy to report that Max's better half, Kathy, is recuperating from her recent surgery and getting stronger every day.
Yes, it has been a struggle since I left the newspaper business and, yes, the stuff about the four books I’m going to be publishing was true. But Beth and I aren’t going anywhere - though some of my friends and relatives might want to run me out of town after falling for my prank.
Even my son was duped. He actually called me from the University at Buffalo yesterday to congratulate me. And my college roommate also left me a message to tell me how happy he was for me before realizing he had been had. Several friends said they were disappointed – not that they had been fooled, but rather that they weren’t going to be able to hit me up for Yankee tickets.
One reader brought up the greatest sporting hoax of all – Sidd Finch. Some of you might remember that fictitious tale spun by George Plimpton in a cover story in the April 1, 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. The article told of a pitcher in the Mets organization who could throw the ball 168 mph and who had studied to be a yogi (no relation to Mr. Berra) in Tibet. SI included photographs of Finch conversing with then-Mets pitching coach Mel Stottlemeyre and outfielder Lenny Dykstra. Scores of readers fell for it hook, line and sinker. It wasn’t until two issues later that the magazine ran a story telling folks that it all was a ruse.
My friend and long-time newspaper colleague, John Moriello, works for FoxSports.com, and he told me that Nike pulled a fast one yesterday that had him and other reputable reporters and editors scrambling. Nike boasted of discovering a junior college wide receiver who was 6-foot-7 and ran the 40-yard dash in a record 3.9 seconds. Only one problem with this unreal prospect. He was unreal, as in he didn’t exist. Needless to say, John and other reputable journalists were ticked at Nike.
When I was talking to my college roommate, Ed Shaw, last night, he told me how excited he was for me as he was reading yesterday’s blog, and how peeved he became when he discovered it wasn’t true. “Scott,’’ he admonished, “don’t do that again.’’
I promised him I wouldn't 364 out of 365 days of the year.
Thanks for going along with the gag, folks. You’re all good sports.
* I'd like to congratulate my good friend and vintage base ball teammate Max Robertson on his retirement from Greece Arcadia Middle School, where he was a long-time art teacher. As I told him the other day, the teaching profession has lost a great one, and I'm not "fooling" when I say that. Also, I'm happy to report that Max's better half, Kathy, is recuperating from her recent surgery and getting stronger every day.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
My kinda, sort of farewell blog
I won't lie to you. It's been a financial and emotional struggle since I left the newspaper business 15 months ago after a 35-year career as an ink-stained wretch.
There have been some triumphs - three books written that will be published this year with a fourth on the way next year - and a lot of deadends while trying to reinvent myself. There were times when my lovely bride, Beth, and I wondered if we would be able to keep our home.
But I've always been an eternal optimist and I felt if we kept plugging away that everything would work out.
Well, after many ups and downs, our ship has finally arrived and, fortunately, we weren't at the airport when it did.
I have landed a job as the new director of publications for the New York Yankees and Beth is going to start her own pet-sitting business in the Big Apple. I will be in charge of putting out the Yankees media guide and yearbook and coordinating their annual Oldtimers Day. Beth, meanwhile, will be spending plenty of time pampering the cats and dogs of the rich and famous.
The only sad part about this scenario is that we will have to leave behind family and friends and a community that has been so special to us.
But NYC is just a 5-hour car ride and 45-minute flight away, so we'll be back often.
I want to take this time to thank you readers for your wonderful support of my blog since we launched it roughly a year ago. And Beth wants to thank the legion of listeners who tuned into her morning show with Chet Walker these past 20 years. We're going to miss you.
If you are ever in the Big Apple, please look us up. You can find me at the Big Ballpark in the Bronx and Beth walking a gaggle of dogs along the streets of Manhattan.
Until we meet again . . . HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY.
There have been some triumphs - three books written that will be published this year with a fourth on the way next year - and a lot of deadends while trying to reinvent myself. There were times when my lovely bride, Beth, and I wondered if we would be able to keep our home.
But I've always been an eternal optimist and I felt if we kept plugging away that everything would work out.
Well, after many ups and downs, our ship has finally arrived and, fortunately, we weren't at the airport when it did.
I have landed a job as the new director of publications for the New York Yankees and Beth is going to start her own pet-sitting business in the Big Apple. I will be in charge of putting out the Yankees media guide and yearbook and coordinating their annual Oldtimers Day. Beth, meanwhile, will be spending plenty of time pampering the cats and dogs of the rich and famous.
The only sad part about this scenario is that we will have to leave behind family and friends and a community that has been so special to us.
But NYC is just a 5-hour car ride and 45-minute flight away, so we'll be back often.
I want to take this time to thank you readers for your wonderful support of my blog since we launched it roughly a year ago. And Beth wants to thank the legion of listeners who tuned into her morning show with Chet Walker these past 20 years. We're going to miss you.
If you are ever in the Big Apple, please look us up. You can find me at the Big Ballpark in the Bronx and Beth walking a gaggle of dogs along the streets of Manhattan.
Until we meet again . . . HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Bills should make play for McNabb
Now that Andy Reid has officially put Donovan McNabb on the trading block, I'd take a very serious look at him if I'm the Bills.
The Philadelphia Eagles reportedly want a first-round pick in exchange for McNabb, and as much as I like the former Syracuse star, I think parting with a No. 9 overall pick for a 33-year-old quarterback is a little steep.
Instead, I'd propose a package deal - say, this year's first-rounder and a conditional 2011 pick based on McNabb's performance this season in exchange for McNabb and Philly's first-rounder (24th overall this year).
This would allow the Bills to solve their quarterback problem for several years and still be able to pick up a left offensive tackle or a defensive lineman or linebacker with the lower first-round pick.
As I've stated previously, I don't think this is totally similar to the Drew Bledsoe trade last decade. Bledsoe had little left his tank and was coming off a serious injury and a season in which he had lost his job to New England Patriots superstar Tom Brady. McNabb's performance last year and in the previous seasons indicate a quarterback still near the top of his game.
He also would give the Bills something to market, which they don't have right now.
Critics will claim that this would set back the Bills rebuilding program, to which I say - "The hell with rebuilding. This is a win-now league and Buffalo's been in a freaking rebuilding mode for a decade.'' McNabb would help them become a winner a lot sooner. And, in next year's draft, you could look for your quarterback of the future and not have to force him into action right away.
* PERSONAL MEANDERINGS: Attended my friend Tom Hildebrandt's 60th birthday party/roast Saturday night, and if that's what awaits me on my 60th, I think I might sneak out of the country for a few days to avoid being torched . . . Birthday greetings today to Patti Aman and Dave "Smitty'' Smith, and tomorrow to my Bills Bro John DiTullio.
The Philadelphia Eagles reportedly want a first-round pick in exchange for McNabb, and as much as I like the former Syracuse star, I think parting with a No. 9 overall pick for a 33-year-old quarterback is a little steep.
Instead, I'd propose a package deal - say, this year's first-rounder and a conditional 2011 pick based on McNabb's performance this season in exchange for McNabb and Philly's first-rounder (24th overall this year).
This would allow the Bills to solve their quarterback problem for several years and still be able to pick up a left offensive tackle or a defensive lineman or linebacker with the lower first-round pick.
As I've stated previously, I don't think this is totally similar to the Drew Bledsoe trade last decade. Bledsoe had little left his tank and was coming off a serious injury and a season in which he had lost his job to New England Patriots superstar Tom Brady. McNabb's performance last year and in the previous seasons indicate a quarterback still near the top of his game.
He also would give the Bills something to market, which they don't have right now.
Critics will claim that this would set back the Bills rebuilding program, to which I say - "The hell with rebuilding. This is a win-now league and Buffalo's been in a freaking rebuilding mode for a decade.'' McNabb would help them become a winner a lot sooner. And, in next year's draft, you could look for your quarterback of the future and not have to force him into action right away.
* PERSONAL MEANDERINGS: Attended my friend Tom Hildebrandt's 60th birthday party/roast Saturday night, and if that's what awaits me on my 60th, I think I might sneak out of the country for a few days to avoid being torched . . . Birthday greetings today to Patti Aman and Dave "Smitty'' Smith, and tomorrow to my Bills Bro John DiTullio.
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