The boy’s got juice
Alex Rodriguez, the supposed savior of Major League Baseball, fell into the same realm as George W. Bush, Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and that guy who wrote that one book about drug use and embarrassed Oprah.
He was exposed8212;a liar and a cheat.
He was the golden boy who was supposed to exonerate the nightmares of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, the finger-pointing Rafael Palmeiro and the blubbering Mark McGwire that made people forget about Pete Rose. The news broke Sunday evening, and Rodriguez sat down with ESPN’s Peter Gammons to discuss the accusations. There “A-Fraud” sat, half-sobbing and half-talking as though he had no idea what was going on.
None of us really knows what happened as we still await investigations and clarifications. Unfortunately, this is old news and people find more interest in staring at a brick wall.
Are you sure?
While I’m on the subject of old news, “Broadway Brett” has decided to hang up the tights8212;again.
I’m sorry, I am just trying to get a reading on the “Who Cares?” meter.
Probably only Thomas Jones, who got tired of Brett Favre’s half-assing and bitching. Eric Mangini was lucky enough to meet the curb while the storm brewed and now, after Favre’s one season in the Meadowlands that saw 22 touchdowns and 22 picks, football’s most famous No. 4 is apparently ready and able to head back to Mississippi and play touch football in Wrangler jeans. One note of interest: Former Utah quarterback Brett Ratliff is one of three quarterbacks on the Jets roster to vie for the starting quarterback position.
Maybe the Jets will have “Broadway Brett 2.0” come August of 2009. Even “Brett 1.0” has given the kid compliments for the future.
Bada-bing, bada-bong
The Daily Utah Chronicle ran a column earlier this week explaining to us that Michael Phelps, the same guy who won an Olympic-record eight gold medals, was a bad role model on account of him abusing his gleaming limelight with a few puffs.
“Drug use is stupid because it impairs judgment and damages society,” the editorial read.
Well, if you can toke up every once in a while, live your life as you see fit at the ripe age of 23 and break the record for most gold medals attained at one Olympic Games, I would say that you aren’t abusing your role as a role model, but were rather just enjoying the moment and got caught doing so. Maybe Phelps just needed to add on some muscle and in turn needed to snack down for a few hours? As for Phelps being sent to jail on a suggested “zero-tolerance” policy8212;maybe not Phelps. How about Rod Blagojevich? I am in favor of a zero-tolerance policy for politicians who try to sell their elected seat on Craigslist.
Love and hate
As ESPN promoted its “rivalry week,” the main attraction was the CONCACAF World Cup qualifier featuring hated rivals United States against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio. Although the United States hadn’t lost to the Mexican side on American soil in more than seven years, the rivalry lived up to its tension-filled billing, but waited till the end. In a sluggish first half, players were helping each other off the pitch and making chitchat. Once Mexican defender Rafael Marquez came flying in with his cleats up, ready to pierce the thigh of American goalkeeper Tim Howard, the gloves were off. Both teams exchanged a ritual shoving match, and sanctimonious words flew. After the United States emerged victorious 2-0, the drama and hate didn’t stop there. Mexico assistant coach Paco Ramirez proceeded to give American defender Frankie Hejduk a hard slap to the face. An emerging free-for-all ensued between the squads. The “border rivalry” is arguably the best in the world, and just wait8212;the Americans visit Mexico City in August. And to make things more interesting, U.S. star Landon Donovan urinated on a Mexican pitch back in 20048212;viva el patriotismo.
He is just that into you
Before Wednesday night’s showdown with the 42-9 Lakers, Jazz point guard Deron Williams summed up his team’s potential to win the game by saying, “Everything will have to go right.”
As Williams stamped his fifth-straight 30-point game8212;one shy of tying Karl Malone’s record of six8212;his analysis wasn’t exactly spot-on. The Jazz were outrebounded 39-35 and gave up 10 steals and 16 turnovers, while Kobe Bryant notched 37 points and Lamar Odom had 19 points and 19 rebounds. Although Utah won 113-109, the Jazz missed 9-of-18 fourth-quarter free throws that would have eased the stress of the 20,000 at EnergySolutions Arena.
You don’t always need everything to go right, apparently, and Williams earned praise from someone special.
“(Deron’s) one of the best in the world,” Bryant said.
Something must have gone right.
Chris Kamrani