A Giant Statement?
From the Desk of the Self-Appointed Sports Department:
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey says that San Francisco is the nation's "Gayest" city, with 15.4% of the residents claiming homosexual orientation. So it shouldn't be surprising that the Giants have become the first professional sports team to embrace the "It Gets Better" campaign:
Of course, what the activists really want is for an active star to come out of the closet. So far, no takers.
Speaking of Giant Pains: In a radio interview yesterday Giants GM Brian Sabean hinted that the Giants would find some way to retaliate against the Marlins' Scott Cousins for his season-ending collision with catcher Buster Posey. "He chose to be a hero, in my mind, and if that's his flash of fame, that's as good as it's going to get, pal. We'll have a long memory."
God forbid that a baseball player should try to be a hero and score the winning run. How perverted is that? Doesn't he know that you need to be deferential to the World Series Champions?
The Giants and the Marlins aren't scheduled to meet again until mid-August. Since Cousins can't seem to get his batting average above the Mendoza Line, he may well be back at AAA New Orleans by then. UPDATE: ESPN is reporting that Sabean is likely to get a stern talking to from Joe Torre, MLB's Director of Baseball Operations with a stiff fine to follow.
One third broke? The LA Times reports this morning that as many as nine MLB teams could be in violation of the league's debt-service rules. Along with the well-documented troubles of the Dodgers and Mets, they include the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals. All are said to carry debt 10 times higher than revenues. No word on how many of those owners plan on running for Congress.
And the deadline is when? AEG Sports, owners of the Los Angeles Kings and the Staples Center has given the Los Angeles City Council until July 31st to sign off on its proposal to build a new NFL stadium in downtown next to the arena. That's $350 million in municipal bonds for a city that's already had its bond rating reduced for a team that doesn't exist in a league that may not have a season this fall.
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Jul '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
EJHill
And the deadline is when? AEG Sports, owners of the Los Angeles Kings and the Staples Center has given the Los Angeles City Council until July 31st to sign off on its proposal to build a new NFL stadium in downtown next to the arena. That's $350 million in municipal bonds for a city that's already had its bond rating reduced for a team that doesn't exist in a league that may not have a season this fall. ·
So it's a shoe-in then?
Aug '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
There's no place for hate, unless you REALLY want to get that home run and the Catcher is being inconvenient.
Dec '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
I can see it all now... In 6 months time, all of MLB will be using Nerf balls and bats.
Mar '11
Re: A Giant Statement?
In other sports news, the NHL season is forecast to end before summer officially begins...
May '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
Did you see that NBC ran a promo for the Stanley Cup Finals featuring the Canucks and Lightning?
Jul '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
If its that bad why don't they consider "Playing for the home team"?
That was really insensitive of me. I glad I turned off baseball after the first strike.
Oct '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
EJHill
From the Desk of the Self-Appointed Sports Department:
God forbid that a baseball player should try to be a hero and score the winning run.
Actually, the "crime" was the fact that Cousins lowered his shoulder and barrelled into Posey despite the fact that Posey didn't yet have the ball and more importantly, despite the fact that Posey did NOT block the plate but instead left exposed a portion of the plate for the runner. In other words, there was NO NEED to barrel into Posey. The plate was available to the runner. He could have scored easily. Instead, after the collision, he went back to touch home plate because he wasn't sure he had. It was a stupid and unnecessary play on Cousins' part, and Posey and the Giants are now paying for Cousins' idiocy.
Sabean is also pissed off in part, I think, because Posey did exactly what Giants' management instructed him to do as catcher - "don't block the plate, leave some of it for the runner" - precisely to avoid the kind of mindless, boneheaded collision Cousins intentionally and needlessly inflicted upon Posey.
And THIS post is coming from a Met fan!
May '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
Baseball is 90% mental and Sabean's comment was aimed at the players and the fans. Just like a coach getting thrown out of the game for contesting a call can add a spark even if its just theater, sometimes the GM paying a fine is just what the doctor ordered.
And though this is a conservative site and that means nothing ever changing. Adopting the college rule for the pros which discourages collisions at the plate is no more sacreligious in my view than advances in protective gear. I don't think it spoils the game to save a few broken bones.
As for the "it gets better" video, I think the campaign is a good one, even if it is a bit precious and I got no problem with my guys telling anonymous teenagers that it gets better -- because it does. And it can't hurt to hear that message from someone incredibly cool.
Edited on Jun 3, 2011 at 2:23pmMar '11
Re: A Giant Statement?
Another classic from the "Dewey defeats Truman" file...
Doesn't matter who the Canucks face -- there'll be celebratory rioting in Vancouver around June 11!
Oct '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
So you think Bruce Bochy and Joe Torre and Tony La Russa are wussy Nerf lovers?
Oct '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
Canuckski
Doesn't matter who the Canucks face -- there'll be celebratory rioting in Vancouver around June 11! · Jun 3 at 2:23pm
Rioting, yes. Celebratory...well, I'm not so sure.
Aug '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
As far as public service ad campaigns go, I'd agree, it's good.
But it needn't feel restricted to LGTB teens when teenagers bully each other for anything and everything.
Too fat, too thin, too smart, too stupid, too pimply, too beautiful... It may even be possible to be bullied for being too popular, for all I know.
Dec '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
Yawn...zzzzz How much longer til football season starts?
May '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
The LA stadium is intended to persuade the Minnesota Vikings (or Jacksonville Jaguars) to move there to play- the problem is, you can't service the debt on a stadium costing a billion bucks with just football revenues, and you also have to find tens of millions in stadium revenue to give to the team, since higher stadium revenue (which doesn't have to be shared with the whole league the way TV contract money does) is the only reason anyone would move there. When the NFL begged LA to take an expansion franchise a few years ago, no money people stepped up.
BTW, I congratulate EJ Hill on removing the Evil Blue States color in the logo and making Ricochet, at long last, Red State-friendly!
May '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
Certainly not the first two. LaRussa on the other hand...
May '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
The overwhelming majority of people who are upset with this play are those who have never played the game. Sabean and San Francisco fans forget the way JT Snow of the Giants barreled into Pudge Rodriguez in the NLDS in '03.
Guys who have played the game and those still in the game will tell you it was good baseball.
Edited on Jun 3, 2011 at 7:06pmDec '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
Trace Urdan:
And though this is a conservative site and that means nothing ever changing. Adopting the college rule for the pros which discourages collisions at the plate is no more sacreligious in my view than advances in protective gear. I don't think it spoils the game to save a few broken bones.
In 2005 the Oakland A's had a "college style" play at the plate: Bobby Crosby, 2004 Rookie of the Year, slid into home plate feet first and broke his ankle after getting tangled up with the catcher's legs. While the two collisions look very different, the outcomes were the same. One set of rules leaves the catcher more exposed, the other leaves the runner more exposed. Plays at the plate are a high risk play similar to special teams kickoffs in football. Everyone on the field knows that, rules committees do what they can to mitigate this risk, but these situations are a part of the game. When Pujols breaks his ankle sliding in feet first to home, what do we do then? Check out this picture. Posey had his feet tucked beneath himself. He didn't know how to take a hit.
Dec '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
EJHill
The overwhelming majority of people who are upset with this play are those who have never played the game. Sabean and San Francisco fans forget the way JT Snow of the Giants barreled into Pudge Rodriguez in the NLDS in '03.
Guys who have played the game and those still in the game will well you it was good baseball. · Jun 3 at 5:50pm
Clean play...Thanks for bringing up this video. Notice the way veteran catchers like Pudge stay on their feet, not on their knees during close plays at home.
Nov '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
I'm most disturbed to learn that real live professional baseball players are participating in such silly videos. Thank goodness my fav ace Timmy Lincecum was probably too busy working on his game to contribute.
May '10
Re: A Giant Statement?
EJHill
The overwhelming majority of people who are upset with this play are those who have never played the game.
Your point is well-made EJ but I hate this particular device. Lord knows that if personal experience is required to have an opinion, Ricochet would become a very dull place indeed.