I find solace in sports.  All sports.  It could be my favorites or my least favorites.  I can actually sit down and watch anything, in both live form or on tv, if it’s an athletic event.  Soccer, hockey, football, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, bowling, volleyball, cricket, judo, swimming, horseshoes, lawn darts…you get the point.  Ask my wife, she’ll tell you this since it drives her crazy.  ”How can you watch this?”.  She doesn’t want my sarcastic answer so I do what every great husband does,  I turn on Lifetime or anything with Lori Laughlin or Meredith Baxter Birney.

Sports gives me comfort.  Sports help me relieve stress and feel soothed.  There is some type of feeling when following something that’s out of your control but you still feel a part of the experience.  I’ve played sports my whole life but even then you not always in “complete” control.  It all changed 10 years ago and I think many other people were changed during that time as well.

It started when William Howard Taft, our 27th President, threw out the first Presidential ceremonial pitch in American baseball history on opening day 1910. It’s actually the longest standing ritual in professional baseball.  Even Cal Ripkin, Jr. and Brett Farve can’t touch this tradition.  Every President since then has thrown out at least one pitch.  But not one pitch meant more to us as Americans.  Actually, nothing, not one thing, in professional sports meant more to us than this pitch.  This one pitch would symbolize everything to Americans.

So on a brisk October evening in 2001, then President George W. Bush stepped up to the pitching rubber at Yankee Stadium.  Donned with a NYFD jacket and the ball.  Over 57,000 people were cheering and chanting, “USA, USA”.  Millions of Americans were watching intently on tv or listening via radio not knowing they were witnessing a change in America.  Even if you weren’t a sports fan, you were watching.  Now I don’t want to be melodramatic and this isn’t a political stunt so don’t take it that way.  This is after all a sports article and I base a lot of my work on historical facts and a little observation…well more than a little.  All eyes, not on the man throwing the ball, though important, but on the pitch itself.  With this pitch it would symbolize our rebuilding phase in America.  Our strength.  Our sound.  Americans.  All on this one pitch.

For me, looking back, I had this strange feeling come over me while writing this piece.

What if he bounced it?  What if he hit the backstop?  What if he pulled a Randy Johnson vs. John Kruk?

We’ve seen President’s throw horrible pitches in the past.  First pitch guru Taft was saved by Walter Johnson from bouncing it.  Nixon stunk.  Reagan rolled it.  Carter hated it.  Now President Obama threw one of the worst pitches in the history of pitches.  Maybe he should have rolled a hoop out there and sank a three.  Imagine if Bush bounced it.  Would we have felt the same way about our spirits being lifted since that dark September morning?  Though not a policital piece, this is afterall our President.  Our commander-in-chief.  We look to him for guidance and power. Though just a man, he symbolizes the strength of the United States.  The rock. He guides us in all things that he says and does, regardless of agreement or disagreement.

With all this in hand Bush began his walk to the mound in a  stern and authoritative way.  A few waves and a thumbs up.  The President walked right past the ceremonial mound to the official pitching mound not thinking twice about doing so.  He gave a long thumbs up to those in those in the stands and then set his feet.  Will he bounce it?  Will he miss?  He knew he wouldn’t and some where deep down 400 million Americans knew he wouldn’t either.

He didn’t and we all remember. Right down the middle with authority. A perfect pitch.

Professional sports in America are tied to our livelihood.  We look up to our athletes in America probably more than anyone else and you can’t go a day without an event being on TV.  We follow their every move, wear their jerseys or cheer and cry depending upon our teams outcome. That day we didn’t do that for our athletes.  We weren’t thinking about that. Our strength as a nation relied on that pitch. Our power as a nation relied on that pitch.  Our nation was in that pitch.

Most of all, 2,977 people were remembered in that pitch.

And never forget, it was a perfect pitch.

There once was a time, my father often tells me about, that players were respected and respectable.  You could fall in love with a player and watch him for his whole career, more times than none, play with the same team.   They had integrity.  They played hard.  They didn’t complain about contracts or piles of cash.  You could call this integrity.  I said it twice because I know your astonished when I mention the words athletes and integrity together in today’s world.  You could call it sporting.  I call my fathers memories fascinating, like a bed time story of a far away land that players played for the love of the game, their team, and their fans, not “I gotsta get mine.”  Is this place actually true?

“Where can I find them now Daddy?  Where?” I asked him as any 32 year-old man would ask when he sits on his father’s knee.
My father wrote down, “You have to look hard son.  They’re almost extinct.  They’re chameleons, but keep looking, you’ll find one eventually”, he replied.

My father mentions names like Whitey Ford and Meadowlark Lemon.  Bob Cousy and Bob Feller.  They sounded like mythological names alongside Sasquatch and Lochness, but were actually real men.  Men like Bill Russell did have some likeness to Sasquatch, with size and hair, but my father assured me he wasn’t Big Foot.  I marveled at Whitey Ford who played his entire 18 year career with the same team.  This can’t be possible?  You mean I don’t have to buy FOUR Whitey Ford jerseys?

My father also never mentioned drugs in his sport memories either unless he was talking about beer and cigarettes.  Those were the drugs of choice in locker rooms and for ball players of that day.  Heck, doctors said smoking was good for you so of course you smoked.  You never heard of roids or androstene.   These drugs replaced the words “heart” and “will” through most recent years.  The players my father mention played with this heart, as well as broken bones and torn muscles.  They didn’t sit out for turf toe and blisters.  Bobby “Boomer” Baun played with a broken leg in the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals.  A broken leg.  And scored the flippin’ game winning OT goal! ON SKATES?!  I said a BROKEN LEG!  These guys could play and play they did.

Now my father turned to me, with the pain in his face due to what my 180lb frame was doing to his leg, and wrote to me, “Now find a player son”.

Wow.  Really?  I need to find a player?  There are so many, who do I pick?  It’s like American Idol and I’m widdling down the contestants.  Magic? Roy? Farve? Bonds?  As I cycle through the players and write them down, let me tell you about my father in the mean time.

My father is a hard worker.  Always has been.  He gets up every morning at 6am and reads his devotional.  He makes breakfast and kisses my mother goodbye as she walks out the door to her job as a teacher’s aide.  Then he starts to work.  Not the work he’s always done.  He was once Chief Engineer of the Water and Gas Department for the city he’s lived in for the last 28 years.  He holds a Bachelors in Aeronautical Engineering and a Master’s in Mathematics.  Pretty much the smartest person I’ve ever known.  He’s spoke in front of dignitaries and and taught aviation classes.  Now he folds laundry or works on the yard.  He cleans the house and other less résumé building activities.  He does love his birds. They come right up to him everyday like Ace Ventura, just minus the hair.

I wander back to my list and see the name Alex Rodriguez.  Wow, what a hitter!  3x AL MVP!  Over 600 Home-runs! How about him? But like a bad smell that lingers around and you have no clue where its coming from, the word steroids finds its way to my nose.  He admitted to using them and a large question mark flies over my head.  I scratch him off the list and continue pondering my contestants.

Now I learned everything I know about sports from my father.  He taught me how to defend, pass, dribble, shoot and score.  Of course my dad is old school, so in that order.  My father swam in college and can play some mad bball and baseball.  He was also known for hustling people at billiards and bowling growing up in New York and played stick ball with future New York Yankees in the early 50’s.  Not many can beat him with his 6 degrees of separation to Mantle, Maris, Yogi and even the aforementioned Whitey Ford.

It’s about 4pm and he takes a nap on the floor, since the day has just began for his 68 year-old body.  He heads off to work at 5pm, everyday, to work as custodian at his local church.  He cleans floors, fixes doors and make sure everything is in working order.  He does all of this with a smile on his face and not one complaint.  He locks up, takes out the trash and leaves at well after 9 most nights.

Hold on.  Another name on my list.  Kobe Bryant!  Now that’s my player!  5 time NBA Champion!  MVP of the league! Scoring champ! One of the greatest ever.  You can’t get much better than that right?  Then again a few more words come up in his biography.  Rape.  Adultery.  But he’s a sure fire Hall of Famer?  What went wrong?  Another contestant booted off.

My father comes home after a long day to my mother as he’s done so for the last 38 years.  Three kids, two cars, one marriage, 38 years.  She’s sometimes already in bed as he opens up a beer, which he never drinks.  I think he just likes the thought of having one close by just in case of a nuclear war, he’ll have his beer.  He crashes on the floor in his favorite position watching whatever is on his 25″ TV since he’s unable to find the remote nor use it, but he doesn’t care.

That’s my father.  After 68 years he does all that with integrity and happiness even though he had a stroke 16 years ago that left him disabled, out of a job and unable to speak, probably for the rest of his life.  He continues to do it and WILL ALWAYS do it with respect.  He taught my brothers and I to play sports and play life, yes play life, with respect.  You give respect, you get respect.  “Yes, sir” and “No, sir”.  You work hard regardless of pay and go above and beyond without being told.

So again I look down at my list:

Patrick Roy? domestic abuse.
Barry Bonds?  steroids.
Michael Jordan?  infidelity.
Pete Rose?  cheating.
O.J Simpson?  murder.
Even Bill Russell divorced twice.

Is there anyone I can pick?

I’m at my whits end with this cruel and twisted version of “America’s Idle” and I try to think back on my own good memories in sports and the name Meadowlark Lemon comes back to me as earlier mentioned.  You know, I met Meadowlark once with my father, mother and my two brothers in Charlotte, North Carolina.  At the time I had vague clue of who he actually was.  I was 11 at the time and he was tall, so I figured he was a basketball player.  Anyone that tall was always a basketball player when you’re 11.  I don’t remember much of that exchange with Mr. Lemon.  A picture.  A signature on a napkin from inside the Cracker Barrel.  A smile and a few kind words.  But I do remember him saying to us, which I found out was one of his favorite phrases years later, “You can be anything that you can imagine.”  What advice from a Hall of Famer who played ball with Presidents, dazzled millions and is now an ordained minister.  I found the answer to my father’s question, “Pick one.” in Meadowlark’s quote.

I pick my father.

All age-old questions but only one seems to have our attention this summer.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to downplay extraterrestrials, just in case they’re reading this and want to probe me on their next trip zippin around the galaxy or Ricky Martins Menudoesqe rise and fall to fame, again, due to his zombie-like 15-year stroll out of the closet.  LeBron James’s signing in Miami for 6 years in the summer of 2010 will go down as both the greatest signing and pairing in professional sports history or…I’ll say it:

The biggest bust ever.In any sport.
Ever.
Bigger than Ryan Leaf and Sam Bowie.  Combined. Times infinity. Plus one.

Both Miami and their Tri-fuego (like that?  that’s mine. copyright 2010. not really), will bring in 3, if not 4 rings out of the next 6 or Cleveland will be rejoicing and pointing the finger saying, “our freakishly loud-mouthed owner was right after all!”.  You think the Yankees have expectations every year?  All eyes will be on Miami for the next 6.

So what if the Tri-fuego doesn’t win even one?
What if?

Now I don’t necessarily hate LeBron James, in reality I hate everyone, but to keep this article going, he’s a tremendous basketball player.  Of his era.  First off, he can’t hold a can of shoe polish to Mike’s, Magic’s, Larry’s, Bill’s or Wilt’s shoes.  The nice ones with the Italian leather.  It’s only been 7 years.  Then again all these guys won rings in their first seven.  Some had multiple.

Secondly, what has LeBron done?  Really?  Take a look at my thoughts below.

MVP?

I'll trade ya

LeBron has 2 MVP’s in his first 7 years.  That’s not bad.  One of only other 9 guys to do it.  And the other 9 are already Hall of Famers with 2 soon-to-be’s once they hang’m up in Steve Nash and Timmy D.  But in all honesty do we really care about the MVP?  Really?  I could honestly care less about it.  It’s kind of like being an All-Star now a days.  I bet Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Sir Charles and AI would give theirs up for 1 championship ring.  Karl Malone would hand over both for a chance to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy once.  For just a few minutes.

How many times do we hear about how the big names in any sport, Malone, Marino, Barkley, Bonds, and how they never won a championship?  That’s all you hear about their career.  You never hear about Malone’s 2 MVP’s or him scoring more career points than Jordan.  You hear, “He doesn’t have a ring”.  Marino has all those records but…doesn’t have a ring.  It’s a lot more than just having a ring though; I’ll get into that a little later.

Really? These are the next Jordan, Magic and Kobe?

Also look at LeBrons competition during his 2 MVP years.  He was up against an aging Kobe, Duncan and Shaq, a near rookie in Kevin Durant and oft-injured Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony.  Dwayne Wade deserved it in 09 but his Heat team won 23 less games than LeBrons Cavs.  Is that the same as the 80′s battles of Magic, Bird, Isaiah, Barkley, Kareem and Drexler?  The 90′s of Jordan, Olajuwon, Malone, Pippen, Ewing and Robinson?  Or the early 2000′s with Kobe, Shaq, Duncan, Iverson, Garnett and Kidd?  Can you even compare that competition?  Other than Wade and Melo, who’s there now?

Winner?
I already clarified that he hasn’t won a championship but is he a winner in places that are more important?  To focus on the last few weeks, I say with my resounding burning bush voice, “NO”.  He’s proven to be a loser when it comes to handling his exit out of Cleveland.  Seven years as a leader of a team, a 2-time MVP and the face of a city and that’s how you go out?  I know it’s a business but there is also respect in business.  I don’t believe in the, “it’s all business” mentality.  People that say that are those that will rip your heart out on Monday and then ask why you weren’t into work on Tuesday.  It’s never “all business.”  There’s a personal part to every job, story and friendship.  When you’re the next face of a multi-billion dollar league, the best player in the game and oh… it’s your home town club that’s done everything by YOUR book it’s especially true.

Do you blame'm?

I know he doesn’t “technically” owe them anything but how hard would it be to make good on your send off?  It’s that difficult?  He could have paid me a handful of cash and a package of gummy worms and I could have written up about 5-6 exit strategies with class.

What if he left Cleveland with class?  What if?

We would of all go our separate ways saying he wanted to win a championship and he’s a nice guy.  Now he’s the bad boy and I’ll get to that a bit later. It was an ego trip.  A way to put himself above everyone else, like he needs to know that, and say, it’s about me.  Not you.  Me. Do you honestly think the so-called greatest free-agent in the last 20 years does not know where he’s going with only a day left?  You’re kidding me?

Here comes 3 months of my salary

It’s the prime years of his basketball life and he’s going to leave it up to the day before “The Decision”?  What a joke. He knew where he was going all along, so did Wade and Bosh.  They’re great friends and talk all the time.  My friends know if I’m not diggin a job or have plans on doing a side project and I have a handful of friends and my salary is equal to LeBron scoring 7 points.  For the season.

What if he handled it better?

Luke 6?
I don’t think LeBron grew up like me or my wife where the Word has a lot of bearing on your life.  I’m not here to preach or get all up in the Bible since this is a sports column not a religious article.   Making amends goes a long ways in the world and a simple word like “loyalty” is met with respect and fanfare. It’s said in many ways all over the world:

Do to others as you would have them do to you.
What goes around comes around.
Treat people like you would want to be treated.
Good Karma. Bad Karma.
You got my back?
Don’t stab me in the back.
What? Yo Tony, lest get’m.

He could have still been “the chosen one” instead of “the evil one”.  Think about all the players you followed in sports that have handled these situations in the same way as LeBron.  Just one example.

He just doesn't look right in purple eh?

Brett Farve. The guy everyone loves to hate.  He did it to himself just like LeBron.  Toying with us every year whether he’d hang’m up or not.  Than 4 years ago you left Green Bay while making a mockery of your legacy by getting a legal layover in NY then onto the Packers arch nemesis, The Vikings.  That’s like Superman joining forces with Lex Luther.  Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster would light themselves on fire it they wrote that on paper.  Then hate themselves enough to light the paper on fire while being on fire.

LeBron did just that.  He treated Cleveland like you would an old female friend you liked that turned you down for the high school prom 15 years ago and now you want to rub in your seven figure salary, model wife and brand new Lexus LS Hybrid.  You hate those guys don’t you? He could just handle it with respect and class, but no.  Now you just want it to come back at him like a tornado to a trailer park.  Lose his job, wife leaves him with everything and his Lexus breaks down in a really bad area of Cleveland.

Loyalty goes a long way in a legacy.  Especially in sports.
What if Jordan left Chicago for Detroit before the second three-peat?
What if Sidney Crosby left the Penguins for the Flyers after his cup raising?

So, what if he never wins another MVP?
What if he left Cleveland with class?
What if he gets what he’s done back on him?

But back to the first…last…question, what happens if LeBron never wins a championship in Miami?
I mean the odds are unlikely but what if?

Well…

What if the #199 pick in the 2000 NFL draft wins 3 Super Bowls?
What if the Third pick, not the First, in the 1984 NBA draft becomes the greatest player ever?
What if a skinny kid from Ontario that everyone said was too small and thin to play in the big leagues didn’t account for 61 NHL records?

Anything can happen.
My answers are clear.

No. FBI took her and her film. Refer to question one. Pass.
I don’t care since it’s really not all about championships.
More importantly LeBron, be sure to watch out when you’re driving your Lexus through Cleveland.

Who Dat? no really...who Dat?!

Chuck is allowing his Super Bowl date to take his place in the photo this week:

Who knew Drew Brees was this sick of an athlete.

Carl Nicks, you just won the Super Bowl, where you going?

Nothing like a lil Tecmo Bowl recap of the pick-6.

Norleans police are cracking down on what makes the city great….such a shame.

Your Weekly Chuck Norris Fact:

Chuck Norris is not hung like a horse…horse’s are hung like Chuck Norris.

* Please note that Chuck Norris is in no way affiliated with The Drubbing or its writers. If he did find out we were using his name in a gimmick he would roundhouse kick all of us to death.

A few links this week before the Big game:

Who knew bobsledders wore thongs?

Your friend, his favorite, Mark Titus has a sweet retro video.

Now we know how Greg Oden spends his free time…breaking it down house party style.

Your Weekly Chuck Norris Fact:

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

* Please note that Chuck Norris is in no way affiliated with The Drubbing or its writers. If he did find out we were using his name in a gimmick he would roundhouse kick all of us to death.

Cards at Saints (-7)

The cards are an enigma.  They can beat anyone in the league or they can lose to anyone in the league.  It just depends on what Cards team shows up.  I think this will be a close game, or an Arizona win.  With that said, i am taking the points and the Cards.

Ravens at Colts (-6.5)

The Ravens absolutely destroyed my Patriots.  I can’t remember purposely not watching the 4th Quarter of a Patriots playoff game ever in my lifetime.  Well last weekend was the first time.  Now, will the Ravens suffer a let down after a huge win? Possibly.  But, the Colts do not blow teams out this year, they just don’t.  Because of that, i don’t think the Colts, if they win, will cover the spread.  Let’s go Ravens.

‘Boys at Vikings (-3)

God i wish neither team can win.  Romo or Favre, that is as close to my personal hell in choosing teams as it can get.  Outside of choosing Manning vs Manning in the Super Bowl.  If that happens my eyes may start bleeding.  Anywho, i think the Vikings can stuff the run with the wall of Williams and force the Cowboys to be one dimensional.  I got the Vikes covering the spread and winning fairly easily.  Yup, i am taking Favre to hopefully hand off the ball to the running backs 30-40 times.

Jets at Chargers (-7)

This is a tough one.  I think the Chargers will win, and god i hope they win, but its a bad, bad, match-up for them.  I am going to take the Jets (wincing) and the points as i believe it will be a low scoring affair.

The Tally is in on the 60yd race….. and its a tie with 33% of the voters saying Chris Johnson and also 33% of the voters saying Usain Bolt.  I personally think Trinidad Holliday would smoke both in 60yds (4.2 40yd).

Check out the top 10 dunks from the NBA so far this season.  My personal fav is Wade doing the Iverson, to Sideshow Bob.

The Bird man, gives his endorsement for….mattresses?

Check out this article on the quiet Marvin Harrison.  So bizzarre.

Your Weekly Chuck Norris Fact:

Chuck Norris has good reason to believe that Mary was, in fact, not a virgin.

* Please note that Chuck Norris is in no way affiliated with The Drubbing or its writers. If he did find out we were using his name in a gimmick he would roundhouse kick all of us to death.

While we are headed into the NFL playoffs, its the NBA that has had some odd events lately.

Some odd things going on in the NBA recently.  From Scottie Pippen having a press release related to beating up midgets, to Chris Quinn’s Miami heat mobster bio photo, to Luc Longley naming a shrimp. And none of these even include Gilbert Arenas.

Then we have a Randy Moss mask.

Your Weekly Chuck Norris Fact:

Chuck Norris does not get frost bite.  He bites frost.

* Please note that Chuck Norris is in no way affiliated with The Drubbing or its writers. If he did find out we were using his name in a gimmick he would roundhouse kick all of us to death.

I thought this was a cool and interesting blog entry by The Truth, Paul Pierce.

I can’t understand a thing any of these guys are saying, but apparently some dude lost a bet and had his TV shot up after the ‘Skins beat the Saints.

With all due respect to Rajon Rondo and his huge ego, no way he can beat Chris Johnson in a race.

Injuries can derail and make us play the “what if” card.  This comparison has to do with T-mac (man was he good).

Your Weekly Chuck Norris Fact:

Chuck Norris doesn’t give Christmas presents. If you live to see Christmas, that is your Christmas present from Chuck.

* Please note that Chuck Norris is in no way affiliated with The Drubbing or its writers. If he did find out we were using his name in a gimmick he would roundhouse kick all of us to death.

Ron Artest never ceases to amaze me.  Most people caught drinking on the job would be fired, not given millions of dollars.

And since everyone wants to know my take on Tiger Woods.  Let me say this, being rich & famous got him the golddiggers girls, being rich and famous will also get him the public scrutiny.  Fair is Fair.  N ow, on to the important stuff, a few jokes -

• I heard they are not calling Tiger Woods, “Tiger” anymore.  They are calling him “Cheetah”

• Whats the difference between a car and a golf ball?

Tiger Woods can drive a golf ball 400 ft.

Your Weekly Chuck Norris Fact:

Chuck Norris’s hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush

* Please note that Chuck Norris is in no way affiliated with The Drubbing or its writers. If he did find out we were using his name in a gimmick he would roundhouse kick all of us to death.