While our local baseball scribes from the Sun-Sentinel and the Miami Herald contemplate whether questions Major League Baseball refused to comment on are worthy of their attention; let’s take a look at this past Saturday’s football draft.
In the infinite wisdom of network sports, and the Entertainment Tonight format so prevalent in sports “journalism;” the results of Percy Harvin’s drug test results from pro football’s combine last February becoming public just days before the draft astounds me. Sensationalism is fine for gossip pages and the evening news, not for sports news. Can’t we keep it at another athlete arrested for drunk driving the lead story?
The rumor mill had been rampant over the last few weeks with allegations of several players at the combine testing positive for drugs. The story lay dormant until just a couple of days before the draft. Then, only Percy Harvin’s name surfaces, no one else. What did ESPN thinking they were going to accomplish by airing, and becoming fixated with this news item? To make matters worse, after the “news” “broke” ESPN continually alluded to Harvin’s character issues. Not once was there mention of the run-in with the law Mark Sanchez and Rey Maualuga had.
Back in 2006, Sanchez had to post $200,000 bond stemming from sexual assault charges. Charges were eventually dropped due to lack of evidence. Results from medical exams were “inconclusive” on the “issue of force.” No charges were filed against Maualuga after assertions were made he had punched another student at an off-campus party. Eric Wright, a defensive back for the same USC squad had his charges dropped in an assault as well. He had the good sense to transfer to UNLV. Nothing was mentioned by ESPN prior to, or on draft day concerning these transgressions. No mention was made pertaining to the strength of character of these two players, quite the contrary.
The draft day ESPN coverage team fell over each other trying to see who could kiss the USC football program’s ass the most, or best. The cover of the pre-draft Sports Illustrated was adorned with the linebacking corps of USC. ESPN gushed about which linebacker of the quartet would be taken first. Chris Berman referred to USC “crushing” Penn State in the Rose Bowl this past January.
I watched that game. What I saw was USC having their way with Penn State for one half. The score was tied after the first period. USC did everything right and Penn State did everything wrong in the second quarter. The third quarter was a stalemate with neither team scoring. In the forth quarter, Penn State finally got its act together and hung seventeen points on USC. This was with the starting lineup still on the field in this “blowout.” Berman then went on to add that “I’m surprised USC gave up any points last season,” or something to that effect. C'mon Chris you're a graduate of Columbia act like it for Christ's sake. You're not some idolizing high school cheerleader. This went down in the first half hour of the draft’s broadcast. No mention was made to the previous arrests of USC players. How could they? That would hinder the future canonization of the entire program.
USC’s head coach Pete Carroll is a great recruiter, a great college football coach, and a true humanitarian. Is he up for a Nobel Prize? I don’t think so. He’s a former NFL head coach who took his pro schemes and adapted them to fit the college game. Albert Schweitzer he’s not. Once the ESPN crew got done its first round of Trojan worship (the team, not the condom), it was on to the “character issues" of the draft’s most dynamic player, Percy Harvin. There would be plenty of time, and ESPN used it, to praise the USC program and their amazing players.
Harvin tested positive for pot, grass, reefer, weed, crack, not really, I just wanting to make sure you were paying attention. When did someone’s character come under suspicion due to getting stoned? Smoking pot is like anything else, if done to excess there can be serious problems. Becoming of poor character is not one of them unless you still think the movie Reefer Madness is an accurate depiction of the effects of marijuana. ESPN, those keepers of moral propriety; also alluded to the suspension Harvin received for fighting….in high school. That’s pertinent, but more recent and serious contraventions by USC players aren’t? The only character flaw testing positive indicates is stupidity. Players know they’re to be tested at the combine. C’mon Percy, you shoulda’drank the tea. I find it hard to believe Harvin’s a daily smoker without it dousing his competitive fire. For all anyone knows, Harvin got high after the Gators won the National Championship in January. That meant the marijuana would be in his system for three months. Hence, a positive test, but character issues?
If ESPN aired this Inside Edition item maliciously to lower his draft status they’re obviously a little too full of themselves. They don’t have that much sway. Besides, pro teams already had that nugget on Harvin, remember it’s their combine. Harvin’s draft position wasn’t going to change. He was chosen when draftniks said he would be, in the first round, end of story. ESPN just felt a need to share this news the public because….? Does this mean that Barack Obama is of questionable character because he got high? I certainly hope not. Thankfully, ESPN couldn’t devote any more coverage to Harvin’s trials; they had to get back to convincing everyone watching how fucking great the USC football program is.
Since the pro football draft started getting so much coverage I wish I could remember if the ESPN crew was this effusive when the University of Miami was so dominant, always having multiple early round draft choices. The same could be said for past Ohio State squads. I wonder if the ESPN fellas knew they were embarrassing themselves. They didn’t need to know, I was embarrassed for them. Aside from all the Southern Cal bullshit, I’m glad ESPN devotes sixteen hours of coverage to the draft.
I have a newfound interest in the draft since attending college so recently. I used to watch only the draft’s first round in its entirety. After that, I’d periodically tune in to see who my team, the Cincinnati Bengals took. All that changed since the 2005 draft, that’s when my interest peaked. My alma mater never had a draft choice, ever. Granted, the program is entering only its ninth year, but still, there have been some players I thought might warrant a late round pick. Several players have signed free agent contracts as soon as the draft ended, but that’s not the same as a “draft choice.”
I was sure this year was going to be the year. Frantz Joseph, a linebacker from Florida Atlantic, got high grades from many draft “experts.” Frantz was projected to go anywhere from the third to seventh rounds. I wasn’t leaving my house until his name was called, save for the first two hours the second day. I didn’t expect this real student-athlete, with the big heart, and his priorities in order, to go on the first day. He’d have to wait until Day Two. The player who was second in the nation in tackles last season; the player who stepped up his game in the biggest games, didn’t get his name called. I took it personally. I cursed the teams who passed on him, but took a linebacker in the later rounds. I felt bad for my school not able to reach another milestone. I didn’t feel bad for Frantz because his head’s on straight. It is what it is. He’ll just have to show he belongs via free agency. He can do that, that’s the kind of guy he is. I guess I’ll have to wait till next year for fullback Willie Rose to get drafted. I don’t think I’ll have to watch the whole draft. Thank god! I’d have to hear those ESPN guys go off about their new school du jour whose bandwagon they’ve just climbed on.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Down in Front - Part Two
Let me begin by stating that first and foremost, I am a baseball fan. Last week’s blog was not intended to disparage the Florida Marlins franchise, but to bring to light the uphill struggle facing them in terms of media respect, fan base and the prospect of a new stadium. With that said; I ‘m appalled at what the Marlins have had to, and continue to endure. They deserve much better.
Currently, the Marlins sit atop the National League East standings with the best record in baseball at 11-3. That’s after having lost their first two games of a three game series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Who, by the way, play at PNC Park which opened in 2001. I mention this because the Marlins have yet to have their own stadium, while the Pirates have had two in the last thirty years or so. Also, they played in front of approximately two thousand fans the last two nights due to the cold weather, about the same as the Marlins will be playing in front of come July due to the ghastly hot weather. But the Pirates probably won't find themselves contending by then. The Marlins, if the bullpen holds up, will still have hope.
Prior to their trip to Pittsburgh, the Marlins concluded a three game sweep of the Washington Nationals. The Nationals also play in a new stadium. In terms of attendance, the Nationals as they say, “can’t draw flies.” A three game sweep away from home is always special regardless of the opposing teams capabilities, or in the case of the Nationals, lack there of. However, what makes the Marlins sweep of the Nationals all the more remarkable was that each game was a come-from-behind victory won in their final at bat. For the Marlins fan, you can’t get any more exciting baseball than that. Yet, the Marlins will return “home” to sparse crowds, and the weather hasn’t even gotten really foul.
To add insult to injury, despite the Marlins amazing play in Washington, the sports portion of Sunday's local CBS4 News broadcast lead story was the upcoming Miami Heat first round playoff game. This was followed by the results of the Los Angeles Lakers-Utah Jazz game. Then came the Marlins and their third consecutive miraculous win. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Los Angeles is located in California, and Utah is located next to Nevada. That means that the basketball game took place in the west. The Marlins play baseball in Florida, outside Miami, in the east. CBS4 News operates out of, wouldn’t ‘cha know it, Miami! It really sucks when local news doesn’t deem the Marlins accomplishments worthy enough to be the lead sports story. Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than the Marlins. And Marlins President David Samson, predicts sell out crowds for every Marlins game the first year in their new ballpark. If you believe that, I have a stadium deal to sell you.
In their short existence the Marlins have won two World Series titles. They currently feature a team loaded with youth, and a starting pitching rotation that’s arguably one of the best in the Major Leagues. In 2008, the Marlins finished second in the National League in team home runs behind the Philadelphia Phillies. They wound up fifth in the Majors trailing the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers from the AL. This, despite playing in cavernous, heavy air, wind swept, Dolphins Stadium. And nobody was there to see it.
They have one of the finest all-around players in the game in shortstop Hanley Ramirez. They have speed to burn in new acquisitions Cameron Maybin and Emilio Bonifacio. What they don’t have is fans.
According to Harold Reynolds of the MLB Network, and formally of ESPN; South Florida has the finest and most competitive youth baseball program in the Nation. He once commented that other areas of the country aspire for their youth baseball to reach the level of those found in Broward and Dade counties. On any given Saturday local city parks are jammed with spectators to witness a particularly competitive youth contest. Rival high school baseball games generate above average crowds even if you exclude the parents of the participants. Miami Hurricanes baseball, usually a national power, regularly draws ample support. Why can’t professional baseball attract these same folks?
Last week the venue was discussed. Back in 1991, Wayne Huizenga answered the critics of South Florida summer heat by stating that there would be no 1:00 start times for games in July and August. Those games would be moved to 4:00. That proposal didn’t last very long. You see, 4:00 is just about the time showers begin at that time of year. Fortunately, until the last couple of years, the Marlins have had tremendous luck avoiding rainouts and weather delays. Another reason the 4:00 start time didn’t hold fast was television. Since television pays the bills, it’s really up to them when games should be started, not team ownership. It’s said the weather plays a roll in keeping fans away. But isn’t it brutally hot in St. Louis in July and August? How about New York, Boston, Detroit? Don’t those cities experience hot, humid weather that makes even breathing unbearable at times? As a hedge against the stifling heat and inclement weather, the new ballpark will have a retractable roof. That way the weather won’t factor into why people won’t show up right? There is more to this lack of attendance than meets the eye. Consider this; the Marlins aren’t the only South Florida team slighted.
The Dolphins couldn’t pack Dolphins Stadium for a playoff game. Frequently, home games are in danger of being blacked out on television due to lack of ticket sales. Only local business owners buying up remaining tickets at the eleventh hour allow for folks to watch the games at home.
The Miami Hurricane’s storied football team wasn’t always able to fill the Orange Bowl. It is unlikely that they will fill their new digs, Dolphins Stadium.
The Miami Heat basketball team rarely played before a full house this season. The only team that draws better than anticipated is the Florida Panthers hockey franchise. It seems attending sporting events is not high on the population’s “things to do” list. What makes David Samson think his unreasonable guesstimated attendance figures for Marlins games at the new ballpark are sweet enough to feed them to Miami city commissioners like so many M&Ms?
I went directly to the offices of Major League Baseball to see if someone there could shed some light on this issue. What I found was no one had changed the bulb since 1991.
To be continued next week. Unless the NFL Draft offers some good shit, then two weeks from now the Marlins Stadium issue will be addressed.
Currently, the Marlins sit atop the National League East standings with the best record in baseball at 11-3. That’s after having lost their first two games of a three game series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Who, by the way, play at PNC Park which opened in 2001. I mention this because the Marlins have yet to have their own stadium, while the Pirates have had two in the last thirty years or so. Also, they played in front of approximately two thousand fans the last two nights due to the cold weather, about the same as the Marlins will be playing in front of come July due to the ghastly hot weather. But the Pirates probably won't find themselves contending by then. The Marlins, if the bullpen holds up, will still have hope.
Prior to their trip to Pittsburgh, the Marlins concluded a three game sweep of the Washington Nationals. The Nationals also play in a new stadium. In terms of attendance, the Nationals as they say, “can’t draw flies.” A three game sweep away from home is always special regardless of the opposing teams capabilities, or in the case of the Nationals, lack there of. However, what makes the Marlins sweep of the Nationals all the more remarkable was that each game was a come-from-behind victory won in their final at bat. For the Marlins fan, you can’t get any more exciting baseball than that. Yet, the Marlins will return “home” to sparse crowds, and the weather hasn’t even gotten really foul.
To add insult to injury, despite the Marlins amazing play in Washington, the sports portion of Sunday's local CBS4 News broadcast lead story was the upcoming Miami Heat first round playoff game. This was followed by the results of the Los Angeles Lakers-Utah Jazz game. Then came the Marlins and their third consecutive miraculous win. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Los Angeles is located in California, and Utah is located next to Nevada. That means that the basketball game took place in the west. The Marlins play baseball in Florida, outside Miami, in the east. CBS4 News operates out of, wouldn’t ‘cha know it, Miami! It really sucks when local news doesn’t deem the Marlins accomplishments worthy enough to be the lead sports story. Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than the Marlins. And Marlins President David Samson, predicts sell out crowds for every Marlins game the first year in their new ballpark. If you believe that, I have a stadium deal to sell you.
In their short existence the Marlins have won two World Series titles. They currently feature a team loaded with youth, and a starting pitching rotation that’s arguably one of the best in the Major Leagues. In 2008, the Marlins finished second in the National League in team home runs behind the Philadelphia Phillies. They wound up fifth in the Majors trailing the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers from the AL. This, despite playing in cavernous, heavy air, wind swept, Dolphins Stadium. And nobody was there to see it.
They have one of the finest all-around players in the game in shortstop Hanley Ramirez. They have speed to burn in new acquisitions Cameron Maybin and Emilio Bonifacio. What they don’t have is fans.
According to Harold Reynolds of the MLB Network, and formally of ESPN; South Florida has the finest and most competitive youth baseball program in the Nation. He once commented that other areas of the country aspire for their youth baseball to reach the level of those found in Broward and Dade counties. On any given Saturday local city parks are jammed with spectators to witness a particularly competitive youth contest. Rival high school baseball games generate above average crowds even if you exclude the parents of the participants. Miami Hurricanes baseball, usually a national power, regularly draws ample support. Why can’t professional baseball attract these same folks?
Last week the venue was discussed. Back in 1991, Wayne Huizenga answered the critics of South Florida summer heat by stating that there would be no 1:00 start times for games in July and August. Those games would be moved to 4:00. That proposal didn’t last very long. You see, 4:00 is just about the time showers begin at that time of year. Fortunately, until the last couple of years, the Marlins have had tremendous luck avoiding rainouts and weather delays. Another reason the 4:00 start time didn’t hold fast was television. Since television pays the bills, it’s really up to them when games should be started, not team ownership. It’s said the weather plays a roll in keeping fans away. But isn’t it brutally hot in St. Louis in July and August? How about New York, Boston, Detroit? Don’t those cities experience hot, humid weather that makes even breathing unbearable at times? As a hedge against the stifling heat and inclement weather, the new ballpark will have a retractable roof. That way the weather won’t factor into why people won’t show up right? There is more to this lack of attendance than meets the eye. Consider this; the Marlins aren’t the only South Florida team slighted.
The Dolphins couldn’t pack Dolphins Stadium for a playoff game. Frequently, home games are in danger of being blacked out on television due to lack of ticket sales. Only local business owners buying up remaining tickets at the eleventh hour allow for folks to watch the games at home.
The Miami Hurricane’s storied football team wasn’t always able to fill the Orange Bowl. It is unlikely that they will fill their new digs, Dolphins Stadium.
The Miami Heat basketball team rarely played before a full house this season. The only team that draws better than anticipated is the Florida Panthers hockey franchise. It seems attending sporting events is not high on the population’s “things to do” list. What makes David Samson think his unreasonable guesstimated attendance figures for Marlins games at the new ballpark are sweet enough to feed them to Miami city commissioners like so many M&Ms?
I went directly to the offices of Major League Baseball to see if someone there could shed some light on this issue. What I found was no one had changed the bulb since 1991.
To be continued next week. Unless the NFL Draft offers some good shit, then two weeks from now the Marlins Stadium issue will be addressed.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
"Down in Front" Part One
Going to the ballpark is a veritable wonderland for the baseball fan. It’s of little consequence that it’s a Little League game at a local park, or a Major League game at an elaborate professional venue. The sounds, smells, and sights are for all intents and purposes the same, just varying degrees assault on the senses. However, there are occasionally times the ballpark experience is either lacking something, or something occurs that detracts from the event.
At a Little League game, a loud-mouth drunken father can put a damper on the festivities. Perhaps an obnoxious coach who’s harassing the umpire, and berating his players can also sour the mood. These things can happen at a Major League game, but in this context they often provide comic relief.
A manager losing his mind at an umpire can be quite entertaining. A manager publicly deriding a player can provide fodder for countless headlines for days. It’s always amusing to see grown men acting like children while playing a game. The same can be said for spectators.
A bumbling, stumbling sot affords a momentary respite between innings. This sort of behavior when it turns ugly, gives the car wreck rubberneckers a chance to strain their collective gaze on the hooligans, often egging on the combatants. Under most circumstances these goings on do not detract from the overall fan experience. Then again, there’s watching a ballgame at Joe Robbie, I mean Pro Player, no, Dolphins Stadium.
Just the name of the place should make the true baseball aficionado cringe. It’s named after the football team that plays there. The truly sad part of the naming fiasco is that the Florida Marlins baseball team had been playing their games there for thirteen years when the name was changed to Dolphins Stadium. Nothing like making your tenants feel unwelcome. The stadium owners are only too glad to collect the rent, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to embrace the teams existence. Geez, the least they could do is put up a big sign that says “Home of the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins.” There are other drawbacks about playing Major League baseball at a football stadium, or playing Major League baseball in South Florida for that matter.
Since the venue was designed for football viewing, the seating configuration is typical of any stadium built for football only. There are large sections of seats made up of long rows of individual seats. When the stadium undergoes its transformation to accommodate baseball, home plate is situated where all but approximately 30% of the fans in attendance must keep their heads turned to view the action on the field. This is awkward, and it can be uncomfortable for any lengthy duration. I have rectified this minor annoyance by purchasing seats in a section where turning your head to watch the game isn’t necessary. Granted, occasionally a batted ball will momentarily disappear from sight, but overall less bothersome than a literal pain in the neck.
Some rows have as many as twenty-four occupants. This is quite inconvenient for both those wishing to enter or exit the row, and for those trying to watch the game. Here is where South Florida fan decorum comes into play if you will. You’d think that folks would wait until between innings, or between batters; hell, I’d even be happy if these people would wait until it was between pitches before they decided they had to get in or out of their designated seat. This is compounded by the fact that like Los Angeles Dodger fans, many Marlins “fans” show up for the game anywhere from the first through third innings. They leave anytime after the bottom of the sixth. Most of the fans I have observed have absolutely no idea what proper baseball watching etiquette is, nor do they care. The same holds true for the ushers. At other stadiums around the country, and I have been to many, ushers will hold back those wishing to return to their seats until an out has been made. Employees at Dolphins Stadium seem to be unfamiliar with this concept. They ignore the feelings of those who wish to watch the game with minimal interruptions, and condone the rudeness of the selfish. This shouldn’t come as any surprise really.
New forms of fan displeasure have cropped up not only in South Florida, but it seems to be a phenomenon that can be found happening elsewhere. “Fans” recently started to boo a manager’s visit to the pitcher’s mound. I maybe can understand booing the visiting team’s manager for delaying the game, but booing the home team manager? Throws over to first by the pitcher for either team elicit boos. Is this our immediate gratification society rearing its ugly head? Are these “fans” pissed off because this strategic act prolongs the game and they have some place else to be? I wish they’d avoid the game altogether, and go to that other place to start off the evening. No such luck.
The baseball “fans” in South Florida just like in other cities, like to do “the wave.” I hate the wave. It is disruptive to those watching the game. It began in Seattle during a Seahawk football game. Those in Seattle are welcome to have exclusive rights to “the wave’s” use. The first wave was started during a timeout. Football timeouts can be rather protracted. It makes perfect sense to pass the time by getting the crowd involved in something during this stretch of downtime. Between pitches is not down time, between innings is. But no one starts the wave between innings. It is always started while the game is going on. I refuse to partake. I used to join in the “Let’s go Mets” chant while at Shea Stadium.
This type of cheer is used as a motivational tool for the team that’s at bat in the hope that some offense can generate some runs. Marlins “fans” chant “Let’s Go Marlins” whenever the spirit moves them. Not when the team is trying to produce hits, but also when the team is trying to produce…defense? I don’t get it. I don’t get other stuff that goes on at Dolphins Stadium.
The Marlins have cheerleaders. The Marlins are a baseball team. Cheerleaders are normally associated with football. College and high school cheerleaders are involved in a variety of other sports, but not baseball. What marketing genius thought this was a good idea to have cheerleaders? Especially for a team that averages only 16,000 in paid attendance per game. Many games less than 5000 patrons show up. For this you need cheerleaders?
Dolphins Stadium is grossly understaffed. The last two games I’ve been to, only three vendors total visited our section selling their wares. Two of the three were the same nut vendor, the other hawked beer. This necessitated a trip to the concession stand. The ones nearest the section I was seated were closed in this fan-less-friendly environment. Maybe the new stadium experience will be different.
The Marlin ownership recently got approval from the Miami city commissioners to erect a new stadium in the “Little Havana” section of Miami on the site formally occupied by the Orange Bowl. The only suitable form of accessibility to this area is by helicopter. Driving there will be a nightmare due to the lack of mass transit. Parking your car will be worse. Accommodations are being made for only 5000 cars for a 37,000 capacity stadium. That's over seven per car. And they say SUV's are going out of vogue. If the charge for parking for a Miami Heat basketball game at American Airlines Arena is any indication, prices should be astronomical. As far as I can tell, “fan friendly” this new project is not. I like the team and its players. They play exciting inspired baseball. I wish it was packaged better. Time will tell.
At a Little League game, a loud-mouth drunken father can put a damper on the festivities. Perhaps an obnoxious coach who’s harassing the umpire, and berating his players can also sour the mood. These things can happen at a Major League game, but in this context they often provide comic relief.
A manager losing his mind at an umpire can be quite entertaining. A manager publicly deriding a player can provide fodder for countless headlines for days. It’s always amusing to see grown men acting like children while playing a game. The same can be said for spectators.
A bumbling, stumbling sot affords a momentary respite between innings. This sort of behavior when it turns ugly, gives the car wreck rubberneckers a chance to strain their collective gaze on the hooligans, often egging on the combatants. Under most circumstances these goings on do not detract from the overall fan experience. Then again, there’s watching a ballgame at Joe Robbie, I mean Pro Player, no, Dolphins Stadium.
Just the name of the place should make the true baseball aficionado cringe. It’s named after the football team that plays there. The truly sad part of the naming fiasco is that the Florida Marlins baseball team had been playing their games there for thirteen years when the name was changed to Dolphins Stadium. Nothing like making your tenants feel unwelcome. The stadium owners are only too glad to collect the rent, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to embrace the teams existence. Geez, the least they could do is put up a big sign that says “Home of the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins.” There are other drawbacks about playing Major League baseball at a football stadium, or playing Major League baseball in South Florida for that matter.
Since the venue was designed for football viewing, the seating configuration is typical of any stadium built for football only. There are large sections of seats made up of long rows of individual seats. When the stadium undergoes its transformation to accommodate baseball, home plate is situated where all but approximately 30% of the fans in attendance must keep their heads turned to view the action on the field. This is awkward, and it can be uncomfortable for any lengthy duration. I have rectified this minor annoyance by purchasing seats in a section where turning your head to watch the game isn’t necessary. Granted, occasionally a batted ball will momentarily disappear from sight, but overall less bothersome than a literal pain in the neck.
Some rows have as many as twenty-four occupants. This is quite inconvenient for both those wishing to enter or exit the row, and for those trying to watch the game. Here is where South Florida fan decorum comes into play if you will. You’d think that folks would wait until between innings, or between batters; hell, I’d even be happy if these people would wait until it was between pitches before they decided they had to get in or out of their designated seat. This is compounded by the fact that like Los Angeles Dodger fans, many Marlins “fans” show up for the game anywhere from the first through third innings. They leave anytime after the bottom of the sixth. Most of the fans I have observed have absolutely no idea what proper baseball watching etiquette is, nor do they care. The same holds true for the ushers. At other stadiums around the country, and I have been to many, ushers will hold back those wishing to return to their seats until an out has been made. Employees at Dolphins Stadium seem to be unfamiliar with this concept. They ignore the feelings of those who wish to watch the game with minimal interruptions, and condone the rudeness of the selfish. This shouldn’t come as any surprise really.
New forms of fan displeasure have cropped up not only in South Florida, but it seems to be a phenomenon that can be found happening elsewhere. “Fans” recently started to boo a manager’s visit to the pitcher’s mound. I maybe can understand booing the visiting team’s manager for delaying the game, but booing the home team manager? Throws over to first by the pitcher for either team elicit boos. Is this our immediate gratification society rearing its ugly head? Are these “fans” pissed off because this strategic act prolongs the game and they have some place else to be? I wish they’d avoid the game altogether, and go to that other place to start off the evening. No such luck.
The baseball “fans” in South Florida just like in other cities, like to do “the wave.” I hate the wave. It is disruptive to those watching the game. It began in Seattle during a Seahawk football game. Those in Seattle are welcome to have exclusive rights to “the wave’s” use. The first wave was started during a timeout. Football timeouts can be rather protracted. It makes perfect sense to pass the time by getting the crowd involved in something during this stretch of downtime. Between pitches is not down time, between innings is. But no one starts the wave between innings. It is always started while the game is going on. I refuse to partake. I used to join in the “Let’s go Mets” chant while at Shea Stadium.
This type of cheer is used as a motivational tool for the team that’s at bat in the hope that some offense can generate some runs. Marlins “fans” chant “Let’s Go Marlins” whenever the spirit moves them. Not when the team is trying to produce hits, but also when the team is trying to produce…defense? I don’t get it. I don’t get other stuff that goes on at Dolphins Stadium.
The Marlins have cheerleaders. The Marlins are a baseball team. Cheerleaders are normally associated with football. College and high school cheerleaders are involved in a variety of other sports, but not baseball. What marketing genius thought this was a good idea to have cheerleaders? Especially for a team that averages only 16,000 in paid attendance per game. Many games less than 5000 patrons show up. For this you need cheerleaders?
Dolphins Stadium is grossly understaffed. The last two games I’ve been to, only three vendors total visited our section selling their wares. Two of the three were the same nut vendor, the other hawked beer. This necessitated a trip to the concession stand. The ones nearest the section I was seated were closed in this fan-less-friendly environment. Maybe the new stadium experience will be different.
The Marlin ownership recently got approval from the Miami city commissioners to erect a new stadium in the “Little Havana” section of Miami on the site formally occupied by the Orange Bowl. The only suitable form of accessibility to this area is by helicopter. Driving there will be a nightmare due to the lack of mass transit. Parking your car will be worse. Accommodations are being made for only 5000 cars for a 37,000 capacity stadium. That's over seven per car. And they say SUV's are going out of vogue. If the charge for parking for a Miami Heat basketball game at American Airlines Arena is any indication, prices should be astronomical. As far as I can tell, “fan friendly” this new project is not. I like the team and its players. They play exciting inspired baseball. I wish it was packaged better. Time will tell.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Opening Day and Finals Night
The pomp and circumstance surrounding the opening of the Major League baseball season is unrivaled. Buntings and banners adorn stadiums across the country. The green grass of playing fields is mowed in checker boarded aesthetic symmetry. It is the most sacred of days for a baseball fan whether they are rabid or casual. Children are withdrawn early from school. Men and women call in sick to work. Opening Day should be a national holiday.
The start of the professional football season doesn’t have an Opening Day. The same is true for professional basketball and hockey. They all have their first games, but nothing as grand as an Opening Day. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
I have attended 34 consecutive baseball home openers somewhere. Most have been in New York at Shea Stadium. A few took place at Yankee Stadium back during Reggie Jackson’s tenure with the club. The last sixteen have been played in Florida at a football stadium reconfigured for baseball. In 2002, I was fortunate enough to be at Shea for the Mets home opener, and then back in Florida to see the Marlins ring in the new season. I have had the privilege of sharing the Opening Day experience with my son Cory for the last twenty-one years. As he pointed out, his Opening Days can now buy beer legally.
Numerous Opening Days have been shared with another companion, my friend Gregg, the possessor of the sacred Sugarless Peppermint Bubble Yum Bubble Gum. I have been fortunate enough to be in the company of both many times. There was one year Cory and I went to Shea, while Gregg attended the Marlins inaugural Opening Day. That was April, 1993. Cory and I would move to Florida the following June. It was the only Marlins home opener we’ve ever missed. That night Gregg in Florida, and Cory and I in New Jersey, would watch his alma mater, the University of North Carolina win the NCAA basketball championship.
Opening Day holds many special memories for me. In 1987, at Shea Stadium, the banner was hoisted signifying their World Series Championship over the Boston Red Sox in 1986. In 1988, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of Shea Stadium was celebrated with a scoreboard video montage of Shea’s greatest memories accompanied by The Beatles song In My Life. They would run this clip before every game that year. Each time I got choked up, and each time I got goose bumps every time the ball went between Bill Buckner’s legs. The memories of Opening Day at Shea 2002 were equally as moving.
It was the first Opening Day in New York following the 9/11 tragedy. Emotions ran high, and rather close to the surface. The rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner was made rousing by the 55,000 in attendance signing joyously along. So when Art Garfunkel sang God Bless America in the fifth inning, it was no surprise that those 55,000 voices drowned his out by the end of the first bar. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Opening Day 2009 will also stand out as special. First and foremost, this year Gregg brought along his two daughter’s Carly and Jamie, for the first time. The day before, Cory and I guessed how many ceremonial “first pitches” would be thrown out this Opening Day. Formally a tradition of particular significance, the first pitch had become so commonplace at a Marlins game, that I’ve witnessed seven such pitches to start a game. An honor started by President William Howard Taft, the Marlins and their PR department had reduced the importance of the act to that of casting a fishing line in the ocean. If someone was a big enough team sponsor, some suit, or their kid got to throw out a ball.
This year was different. As our group, which numbered ten this year, made their way toward the Stadium about fifteen minutes prior to game time; an announcement was made that one such corporate dignitary was about to throw out the season’s ceremonial first “first pitch.” I breathed a disheartened sigh. I figured by the time we all reached our seats at least five other “first pitches” would be thrown. This was not the case.
When we sat down all members of both the visiting Washington Nationals, and the Marlins were introduced. After the Nationals aligned themselves along the third base line, and the Marlins along the first, a small boy with a glove made his way to the front of the pitchers mound. His name was Sean Romero. His father was an F-15 fighter pilot stationed in Iraq. To everyone’s surprise, his image appeared on the stadium Jumbotron. His message was short, telling Sean that while he would be ringing in the new season in Florida, he would be ringing it in Iraq. He told Sean that he loved him and would see him soon. Only the black of heart were unmoved. The kid got a standing “O.” We remained standing while the band Chicago covered The Star-Spangled Banner. No one really cared that the audio didn’t work properly, because a tad too early, a formation of F-15 fighter jets performed a “fly over.” Let the game begin.
What a game it was. Sterling defensive plays, stolen bases, and the long ball. Marlins first baseman Jorge Cantu belted one. Adam Dunn who should be Washington’s first baseman after the way he played left field, hit one to the next town over.
Emilio Bonifacio, who the Marlins acquired in a trade with Washington, was starting his first game as the Marlins third baseman. He was the reason Cantu had been moved to first, even though Bonifacio is a shortstop. His home run was of particular note. In the forth inning, he lofted a fly ball deep in center field, over the head of the Nationals Lastings Milledge. Had Milledge caught the ball, it would have been spectacular. But, what resulted was even more so. Once Bonifacio saw that Milledge didn’t make the play, he turned on his jets and sped around the bases. The crowd went ballistic, not sitting until they coaxed him from the dugout for a curtain call. Welcome to South Florida. It was the first Opening Day inside-the-park home run since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1968. Bonifacio finished the day 4-5, with two RBI’s, and three stolen bases. Quite a debut. Hanley Ramirez added an exclamation point with a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth. The crowd whipped into a frenzy, clamored for another curtain call, and it was granted. Ramirez dutifully stepped from the dugout and tipped his cap in grateful acknowledgement. Everyone went home a winner. For at least one day the Marlins were in first place…tied with the Mets. What a day, but it wasn’t over yet, there was still the night.
Just as in 1993 Gregg, Cory, and I planned on watching the North Carolina Tar Heels play for the National Championship. This time we got to do it together. We weren’t separated by an entire coastline, only by seven or eight miles. After a quick stop at home, Cory and I picked up his friend Jarred, and we all made our way to Gregg’s to see if history would truly repeat itself. We weren’t disappointed.
By the time everyone had gotten comfortable UNC was up by twenty on the Michigan State Spartans. Each time the lead shrank below that watermark Gregg squirmed. Occasionally a phrase will fit the scenario precisely. The axiom “all over but the shouting” would have fit if uttered any time after the first ten minutes of the forty minute contest. The Tar Hells had too many weapons at their disposal. If Michigan clamped down on Tyler Hansborough, they’d go to Ty Lawson. If Lawson got squeezed, Wayne Ellington stepped up. The 89-72 final score was closer than the play of the game. North Carolina had won its fifth National Championship in basketball.
Fifteen years ago, my friend celebrated his hometown baseball team’s first victory. Fifteen hundred miles away my son and I watched the New York Mets win their first game of the season. Separately, we shared our friend’s joy when his school won the NCAA Championship.
Monday, together we saw the Marlins and North Carolina do the same, just as we had years ago. This year, we celebrated tradition, friendship, and camaraderie.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Greatest Blog Written Ever
A reporter for CNN in London reported that the groups of demonstrators at the G20 Summit were unprecedented. The criteria she was basing this assumption on is open to suspicion. It couldn’t have been the sheer number of protesters participating. There have been numerous assemblies that have far exceeded those gathered in England. Did she mean the multiple groups protesting different issues? Perhaps, but what constituted this statement of grandeur wasn’t made clear. To grab the viewer’s attention, the reporter resorted to a common practice in media today, the abuse of hyperbole.
Our society is so immersed in mediocrity it’s hard to believe how superlatives are strewn about like so much confetti. This is particularly true of news media. Those who occupy anchor desks, and those who cover the news and sports in print, seem compelled to buttonhole any event or persons by using words like “unprecedented,” “unmatched,” “unequaled,” “largest,” “biggest,” “greatest,” “fastest,” “most,” and the supremely popular “best.”
Often the hyperbole needs an exclamation point, so for extra emphasis if we are not already duly impressed, “ever” is added. “Of all time” is occasionally substituted when the need arises. Is this all really necessary, or warranted for that matter?
Exaggeration is not new in American vernacular. There was a time not too long ago when it was the benchmark of excellence for something to be “the Cadillac of...” referring to the most prestigious General Motors nameplate. A Viking refrigerator is the “Cadillac” of refrigerators just for example. Now, Cadillac is no longer even the best car.
Something monumental was once considered to be “Ruthian” in stature. A term associated with George Herman “Babe” Ruth, the great New York Yankee slugger. Baseball announcers have often referred to unusually long or high arcing home runs as “Ruthian” blasts. A mansion could be of “Ruthian” proportions. Thankfully, no one will ever refer to a ten thousand square foot home as “Bondsian.” Sports are a fertile breeding ground for unfounded superlatives.
The current NCAA tournament has given us “the best defender in college basketball,” “the best pure shooter the game has seen in quite some time,” “the most physical player I’ve ever seen on both ends of the floor.” I didn’t realize that when I watched the Villanova/Pittsburgh game, that I was witnessing “one of the greatest games in tournament history” according to Verne Lundquist of CBS sports. If that was one of the greatest games in tournament history, then I guess the tournament hasn’t been all that great for the last sixty years or so. Maybe I should stop watching, ‘cause geez, how can any game from here on out top that one? Oh, that’s right; the talking heads will just call the next really good game “one of the greatest” and move on. It doesn’t end there.
Is Manny Ramirez the greatest clutch hitter in history? I don’t know. I’d have to research mounds of statistics, read thousands of pages of coverage, and watch hundreds of games to give you an accurate assessment. But who has the time for that? Statistics show Ramirez is one of the best RBI men in history, but there is nothing to definitively determine “clutch.”
Did you know that in succession, Christy Mathewson, Sal Maglie, Sandy Koufax, Bert Blyleven, and Dwight Gooden all had “the best curveball in baseball history?” How do you determine that without polling every player who ever faced all these men? That’s like me saying “I’m the world’s biggest asshole” when I haven’t met everyone in the world.
Michael Jordan has been anointed by current sports pundits "the greatest basketball player of all time," regardless of criteria. See, this is true because they tell us it is so, because they’re the experts right? Wilt Chamberlain averaged fifty points a game for an entire season. Oscar Robertson average a triple double for an entire season (points, rebounds, and assists). Did, or could Michael Jordan have done that? Now the debate rages on about whether Kobe Bryant is a better player than Michael Jordan. Occasionally LeBron James’ name comes up. Yet, you never here Larry Bird or Magic Johnson’s name come up, much less Oscar Robertson or Wilt Chamberlain. Discussions of this type are to be reserved for sports bars and dens. Comparisons such as these should not be made during any sports program lest younger viewers think, as I’ve said before, that sports began in 1980.
Mohammad Ali, the self professed “Greatest” really was. There is little debate. Let that be our guideline for all athletes. Let’s make sports announcers preface their overstatements with “In my opinion…” before making some absurd declaration of supremacy. Let’s make sure newscasters qualify their remarks with relevant criteria before blurting out more gloom and doom. Let’s enact these recommendations now before these folks become the Edsels of media coverage.
Our society is so immersed in mediocrity it’s hard to believe how superlatives are strewn about like so much confetti. This is particularly true of news media. Those who occupy anchor desks, and those who cover the news and sports in print, seem compelled to buttonhole any event or persons by using words like “unprecedented,” “unmatched,” “unequaled,” “largest,” “biggest,” “greatest,” “fastest,” “most,” and the supremely popular “best.”
Often the hyperbole needs an exclamation point, so for extra emphasis if we are not already duly impressed, “ever” is added. “Of all time” is occasionally substituted when the need arises. Is this all really necessary, or warranted for that matter?
Exaggeration is not new in American vernacular. There was a time not too long ago when it was the benchmark of excellence for something to be “the Cadillac of...” referring to the most prestigious General Motors nameplate. A Viking refrigerator is the “Cadillac” of refrigerators just for example. Now, Cadillac is no longer even the best car.
Something monumental was once considered to be “Ruthian” in stature. A term associated with George Herman “Babe” Ruth, the great New York Yankee slugger. Baseball announcers have often referred to unusually long or high arcing home runs as “Ruthian” blasts. A mansion could be of “Ruthian” proportions. Thankfully, no one will ever refer to a ten thousand square foot home as “Bondsian.” Sports are a fertile breeding ground for unfounded superlatives.
The current NCAA tournament has given us “the best defender in college basketball,” “the best pure shooter the game has seen in quite some time,” “the most physical player I’ve ever seen on both ends of the floor.” I didn’t realize that when I watched the Villanova/Pittsburgh game, that I was witnessing “one of the greatest games in tournament history” according to Verne Lundquist of CBS sports. If that was one of the greatest games in tournament history, then I guess the tournament hasn’t been all that great for the last sixty years or so. Maybe I should stop watching, ‘cause geez, how can any game from here on out top that one? Oh, that’s right; the talking heads will just call the next really good game “one of the greatest” and move on. It doesn’t end there.
Is Manny Ramirez the greatest clutch hitter in history? I don’t know. I’d have to research mounds of statistics, read thousands of pages of coverage, and watch hundreds of games to give you an accurate assessment. But who has the time for that? Statistics show Ramirez is one of the best RBI men in history, but there is nothing to definitively determine “clutch.”
Did you know that in succession, Christy Mathewson, Sal Maglie, Sandy Koufax, Bert Blyleven, and Dwight Gooden all had “the best curveball in baseball history?” How do you determine that without polling every player who ever faced all these men? That’s like me saying “I’m the world’s biggest asshole” when I haven’t met everyone in the world.
Michael Jordan has been anointed by current sports pundits "the greatest basketball player of all time," regardless of criteria. See, this is true because they tell us it is so, because they’re the experts right? Wilt Chamberlain averaged fifty points a game for an entire season. Oscar Robertson average a triple double for an entire season (points, rebounds, and assists). Did, or could Michael Jordan have done that? Now the debate rages on about whether Kobe Bryant is a better player than Michael Jordan. Occasionally LeBron James’ name comes up. Yet, you never here Larry Bird or Magic Johnson’s name come up, much less Oscar Robertson or Wilt Chamberlain. Discussions of this type are to be reserved for sports bars and dens. Comparisons such as these should not be made during any sports program lest younger viewers think, as I’ve said before, that sports began in 1980.
Mohammad Ali, the self professed “Greatest” really was. There is little debate. Let that be our guideline for all athletes. Let’s make sports announcers preface their overstatements with “In my opinion…” before making some absurd declaration of supremacy. Let’s make sure newscasters qualify their remarks with relevant criteria before blurting out more gloom and doom. Let’s enact these recommendations now before these folks become the Edsels of media coverage.
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