Reader Bill Maroney thinks if it’s confusing for him, it couldn’t be easier for a kid. The Little League World Series on ABC/ESPN is once again shrouded in mixed messages.
One minute, writes Maroney, Tim Kurkjian and Jessica Mendoza are “talking about Little League in fairytale terms and sportsmanship. The next minute Todd Frazier and his classmates are wild. [with delight] about a [Nicaraguan team] Little Leaguer’s home run stare, bat flip and ‘I’ antics while jogging the bases. Awful.”
Ah, but that kid may have been holding onto the superficial indulgence of Rob Manfred and the MLB network’s “image” campaign to lure kids into baseball by defending MLB players for acts of excessive unsportsmanlike immodesty. Sure, who doesn’t want to match a braggart?
As Gilbert said on “Leave It Beaver,” “Gosh, Beav, if I did that, my dad would beat me up!”
But that’s why Fernando Tatis Jr., now suspended for his claim that he mistreated a current case of ringworm (too many Ring Dings?) with an anabolic steroid entering his bloodstream, was chosen and paid to play the video game. of MLB to lead. Tatis had often shown that he liked his talent to repel the better senses of the opponents.
And now, to best emphasize MLB’s all-or-nothing reduction, the LLWS includes a home run derby.
But what doesn’t make us dazed and confused?
At Rutgers, funded 20 percent by NJ taxpayers, Big Ten fever remains a financial disaster, affecting everything the prestigious university once reflected — from academic salaries to prison services. Had to be. Last year, the Athletic Department’s largely football deficit grew to $73 million.
Interestingly, Rutgers is soliciting public donations to fund his Food Pantry for mainstream students who can’t afford to both attend college and eat.
Never mind, it was recently revealed that RU spent $450,000 in 14 months to provide DoorDash with food and amenities for its football players, many with full scholarship and aided by Pell Grants – cash grants, not loans.
It was further revealed that while the DoorDash releases were ostensibly intended to serve the soccer team in and near Rutgers during the pandemic, the recipients were using DoorDash from their homes many miles away — including Florida, where Rutgers recruits heavily.
And they were used to deliver food not only from sub and salad shops, but also from steakhouses and seafood restaurants.
Rutgers explained, “Many of our student athletes come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and in addition to how difficult it was to meet their nutritional needs with COVID, this was the best way to look after the well-being of our student athletes.”
Okay, so two questions:
1) What about students who are not athletes, but have a background with an ‘economic problem’? Do they have to beg? No DoorDash steak dinners for them?
2) Why does RU recruit football recruits with an ‘economic problem’ from all over the country, plus Canada, when RU knows that ‘many’ are too poor to eat? How do they travel to and from RU from home? No local university would have a Big Ten recruit?
Confusing times. Last week, President Biden announced that he is canceling student loans, up to $20,000 for some students, putting an additional burden on taxpayers.
At the risk of being an old grunt – I used to be a grumpy grumpy – the first lesson I learned about financial responsibility came just after I graduated, when I had to start paying off my student loan – $51.95 a month for 10 years. Doesn’t sound like much now, but I was taking home $80 a week as a post-copy boy. I also had to pay for the stamps.
Never missed a payment. Ten books, all with 12 transfer receipts. It was a good, supportive lesson to learn. I borrowed money and paid it back. Imagine that. And no DoorDash, no bat-flips.
Avalanche of statistics buries the games
You’re in Yankee Stadium trying to watch the game, when the guy next to your stats starts spitting out:
Batting averages and slugging percentages over the past eight games, exit speed of grounders too short, players’ slash lines, OPS, WAR, batting averages with runners in scoring position, average throws per at bat, pitcher’s percentage change…ups, curve balls and cutters.
Enough statistics, Michael Kay, enough! Put yourself in our position. Let’s watch the match. It’s hard enough to tell where and if the Yankees are on TV this season, so stop with the stats!
I think it’s okay with Ohio’s governor and attorney general that the largest state university, the state of Ohio, is constantly awarding full football scholarships and financial perks to “student athletes” who, now trained and socialized, end up in court with a criminal arraignment.
Add former Ohio State cornerback Marcus Williamson, 23, to the list.
Last week in Memphis, Williamson, who had spent four years at OSU, was charged with kidnapping a woman, stealing her phone and wallet, and then forcing her to withdraw $500 from an ATM. He was later given a collar in the woman’s car. According to Ohio State’s 2021 football website, Williamson graduated with a degree in history. Last week, he was held on an $80,000 bond.
Ohio State, ladies and gentlemen, where soccer coach Urban Meyer was fired for covering up an assistant coach and buddy who had a habit of abusing his wife—not recruiting and then spoiling young criminals as he had done while coaching Florida – and then taught a course titled “Leadership and Character.”
It’s all a scam. But woe betide the broadcaster that even hints at such things as Ohio State plays on ESPN, Fox, and NBC.
‘Longest’ documentary is a home run
Check out counter: ESPN’s “30 For 30” podcast “The Longest Game” about the epic Triple-A, 33-inning game from 1981, Rochester in Pawtucket. The game included the Pawtucket Red Sox’s Wade Boggs and Rochester Red Wings’ (Orioles) Cal Ripken Jr. The winning pitcher, weeks later, was Pawtucket’s Bob Ojeda.
The box score indicates that there were 1,740 in attendance when the game started on April 18, and 20 left when the game was adjourned in the 32nd inning on April 19. The match was played on June 23.
Side Stories: Boggs, after driving the equalizer in the 21st – “I didn’t know if our players wanted to hug me or punch me;” Pawtucket reliever Luis Aponte came home so early in the morning that his wife did not accept his apology; and burning couches and busted bats to try and get warm.
Drew Brees is like a character from “Guys and Dolls” or Elmer Gantry from Sinclair Lewis’ novel of the same name.
One minute he’s teasing young suckers in his bet-all-game, every-game TV commercials, other times he’s delivering “motivational” Bible stories and prayer on Pray.com.
Maybe he can combine the two. Brees can offer a daily parlays-and-prop-bets prayer. Pass the poor box and put the Under!
Interesting how the PGA now has tons of money to throw at players who don’t leave the Tour for Saudi mullah moola.
Longtime public relations man/friend Chip Namias asks that I recognize Yankees organist Paul Cartier for the local historical music he played when Isiah Kiner-Falefa came to bat for the Yankees last weekend: Ch. 9’s long gone Mets post game “Kiner’s Korner.”
Reader Michael Napoliello: “As soon as you hear Paul O’Neill say, ‘I’ll tell you something’, take cover; a verbal tsunami is about to strike.”
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