Delusions of Randomness

To paraphrase Jon Stewart’s intro for Daily Show correspondent Lewis Black, “Sometimes a news story falls through the cracks, here to catch them is Chris Vining, with his column, Delusions of Randomness.” So I will touch upon stories that didn’t get big headlines, but are still important.


Baseball
The Red Sox finally decided to give Terry Francona (the most successful Sox manager in decades) a three-year contract extension. Francona is now signed through 2011, and as long as nothing drastic changes (Manny Ramirez goes insane and tries to mentor upcoming prospects)he has a great chance to lead the Red Sox to another World Series Championship in the next four years. Francona is a class act and does a great job of handling the Boston media.

Kudos to the Red Sox for signing Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract this week. Curt Schilling will be lucky if he can pitch with any effectiveness again, and Colon is a low risk (and cost) investment to make sure the Sox have depth in the rotation. Colon is not the Cy Young pitcher he was, and despite being an injury risk, he provides Clay Buchholz a chance to be brought along slowly. If the Sox can get anything above twenty starts they would be in a great position, as Colon can still pitch when he is on his game. For those people complaining about the rich getting richer, Colon was still unsigned when Spring Training opened, and was signed for chump change. He was more than fair game.

The Tampa Bay Rays dropped the “Devil” from their name but they might sign the Devil to their roster. Barry Bonds has arisen as a target for Tampa, which might not be as bad of an idea as it sounds. The Rays are young and talented, and Bonds would take a rapidly improving offense to dangerous levels. Bonds would also provide insurance for Cliff Floyd and Roco Baldelli. If Evan Longoria can be effective in the Majors this year, than the Rays have one of the top 10 offenses in baseball, and that is without Bonds. Adding the *All-Time Home Run King* would make the Rays a Wild Card threat, but the health of Scott Kazmir and Troy Percival will be key factors toward the Rays’ quest to get out of the AL East cellar.

Koby Clemens has been caught in a very tough spot for the Astros. While he is in Major League Spring Training he is subject to the substance advise of Miguel Tejada. If/when Koby is sent to Minor League Camp he will have his father to talk with. The younger Clemens should say he has visa problems and skip camp, or show up for another teams’ Spring Training.

Not only is Jonathan Papelbon the best young closer in baseball he showed that he could bust a move during the playoffs, and people took notice. Paps was offered a spot as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, however he turned it down when he realized he had to dance to music that wasn’t played by the Dropkick Murphys.


Football
Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor are family, and were teammates on the Dolphins up until Bill Parcells rolled into town. Taylor is now working on his footwork as a member of the Dancing With the Stars cast. Thomas was pushed into the unemployment line until Jerry Jones offered Thomas a chance to play in his home state of Texas. Thomas will make the Cowboys better on defense, even if his skills are diminishing. His knowledge and leadership will be key to the Cowboys defense, and his locker room presence cannot be underestimated. He also hates vacationing during bye weeks.

The Atlanta Falcons won the coin flip to give them the third pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The downside is that the Falcons have so many holes that they could have used a lower pick. The benefit is that more players would be off the board so they would have an easier time picking which player will be blamed for a string of losing seasons.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated predicted that the Giants would win the Super Bowl against the Patriots if they could apply consistent pressure on Brady. He also suggested the Giants might win if they could outscore the Patriots. I am a Peter King fan but my three year old knew the game was in trouble when the Pat’s line had trouble blocking the rush.

Rex Grossman was resigned to a one year, three million-dollar contract by the Chicago Bears. No seriously, the Bears resigned him and Kyle Orton in the same week. That is a punch line, but I can’t even come up with a joke.


Basketball
Former players Keith Van Horn and Aaron McKie were included in trades despite not being active players. In an attempt to bolster their roster the Celtics had a trade in place to send Bob Cousy to Memphis for Mike Conley. Memphis was looking to add veteran leadership and cut payroll (Cousy was making 5 figures in his last contract) and the deal was perfect for both sides. The trade fell through at the last minute when Memphis was unable to find a pair of shorts short enough for Cousy to wear.

Yao Ming suffered a stress fracture in his foot and now will be out for the season. While this is a shot to the Rockets playoff chances, the worse news is that Yao’s backup is Dikembe Mutombo, who has scored a whopping seven points this season. The Rockets do not have any players 6’10’’ or taller besides Steve Novak, who weighs in at a massive 220 pounds and has played less than fifty career games.

Sam Cassell has asked to be bought out of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers so he can sign with (most likely) Boston or Denver. What makes Sam I Am even more attractive is that he has already missed 15 games due to injuries this year. When questioned about his health Cassell had this to say, “The Celtics are getting damaged goods if I do go over there," Cassell said. "But I'll be all right." Nothing says sign me like that quote.


NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a new team but the same winning ways. Junior hasn’t been allowed in the winner’s circle in over five-dozen races. Maybe he should spend less time doing commercials and spend more time on figuring out why his engines keep blowing up. Just a thought, I’m no car expert.


Hockey
The trade deadline just passed and players were moving all over North America (except to Mexico, there is no ice there). The Penguins acquired Marian Hossa, the top forward available, and the player that can put the Penguins in position for a Stanley Cup run. Wait, Penguins adding payroll? Weren’t they going to be sold and moved to Canada earlier this year?

In what has become an all too familiar scenario, the Boston Bruins promised to be active at the trade deadline but failed to bring in anyone at all, even a fourth line bench warmer. The Bruins are clinging to a playoff spot but are falling fast. Why are season ticket sales down again?

That is all I have this week, remember if you heard it here first you need to pay closer attention to real sports reporters! I will be back when I return.

Can the Cavaliers Really Contend?

LeBron having a supporting cast = Good
This supporting cast = Not So Good

With seconds remaining before the NBA trade deadline the Cleveland Cavaliers remade their roster surrounding LeBron James. The Cavs orchestrated a three way trade with Seattle and Chicago, a deal that allowed them to jettison bad contracts (Larry Hughes), moody players (Drew Gooden), and spare parts (Ira Newble, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons, and Donyell Marshall). Cleveland was able to bring in four players that can make an immediate impact, Seattle guard Delonte West and forward Wally Sczerbiak, and Bulls forwards Ben Wallace and Joe Smith. Despite bringing in a serious upgrade in talent, the Cavs might be worse off in the short run, and are far from being the favorites in the Eastern Conference.

There is little doubt that LeBron James is the best player in basketball, and he led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals last year with very little consistent support. Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been an All-Star caliber center in the past, but he has been on a decline the last two years, and too much weight has been placed on his shoulders. Shooting guard Sasha Pavlovic and power forward/center Anderson Varejao were the sparks that helped Cleveland exceed expectations last year, but both have been out with injuries for a month. Varejao could be back in a week, but Pavlovic’s return is still a month away. Cleveland had recently been fueled by a poor mans’ Allen Iverson (shooting guard in a point guards’ body) Daniel Gibson, but he just injured his ankle and is likely out for at least a month. Once these players return the Cavs will be much improved, but will the team have any chemistry?

While the Cavs would have preferred to add an impact star (Shawn Marion, Pau Gasol, Jason Kidd, or Michael Bibby) as opposed to revamping their entire roster mid-season, this shake up was a necessity to turn around the team’s performance. The issue with this trade is that the Cavaliers will certainly have more depth, but they still don’t have any impact players besides LeBron James. All four of the new players are having sub-par years compared to their career averages, and only Delonte West isn’t on the downward slope of his career. Will the Cavs really be able to compete for a title this year?

So how will these new acquisitions fit in with the Cavs? Joe Smith is a veteran that can play power forward and center, giving Zydrunas Ilgauskas a chance to stay fresh during the stretch run and playoffs. Since Larry Hughes was sent to Chicago and Gibson and Pavlovic are hurt, Cleveland lacks a shooting guard. Delonte West is a true point guard that has been shuffled from the point to shooting guard since college. The issue is that West shoots less than forty percent from the floor as a shooting guard, and James handles the ball as much as most point guards. Wally Sczerbiak may see the most time at shooting guard, however he is a defensive liability and lacks the speed to keep up with any guard in the NBA. Sczerbiak is a pure small forward, but LeBron will not be losing any minutes to him. Wally is a big contract and good scorer but has no place to play without compromising more than he offers. The real problem in this deal is Ben Wallace and his contract. Wallace has a wealth of playoff experience, but he cannot score, and his defense and rebounding has dropped immensely since leaving Chicago. Wallace has gone from star to liability almost overnight, and Joe Smith and Drew Gooden are better than Wallace at this point in his career. Wallace’s reputation as a star may keep Anderson Varejao on the bench more than he should be, thus hurting the Cavs playoff chances.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be a major force for any team that plays them in the playoffs; at least once they are healthy. Teams like Boston, Detroit, and even Orlando now have a better chance at beating the Cavs in a playoff series because of the players the Cavaliers acquired. Once healthy, the Cavs have no true point guard, undersized and average shooting guards, the best small forward duo in basketball, and too many players to get serious minutes at power forward in center. You may say the Cavs have depth, and they do. What they don’t have is a clear distinction between starters and backups. Expect a lot of lineup juggling around LeBron and Ilgauskas. The Cavs are battling for a first round playoff series at home, however they are giving up more points per game than they are scoring, a trend that looks to continue until the entire roster is healthy. Last year the Cavs rode their hot hands to the NBA Finals, but they now have more players to put on the floor and fewer players that can score. The Cavs may have made a big splash at the trade deadline, but they are far from being the realistic favorite to repeat in the East. King James may be ecstatic that he has new teammates, but that may change once they all take the floor together.

Super Bowl Conspiracy

The Giants won the Super Bowl fair and square, they knew what they had to do to disrupt the Patriots and they did. I am not taking their win away from them at all. The Patriots had plenty of time in the game to make adjustments, but it was too little too late, and they made some bad decisions. For the first time all year the ball didn't bounce the Patriots way.

However I would be remiss if I didn't share this tidbit I found that shows something was up with the clock in the final two minutes. Click the link and watch for yourself. The video isn't great but it is explained very well and shows that there was a questionable finish to that game that nobody is talking about.

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=27384

This link shows a video of how the refs screwed over the Pats in the last 90+ seconds of the Super Bowl. The funny thing is that the issues the person mentions (uncalled penalties, clock issues) are not reviewable. I thought something seemed wrong watching the last part of the game, and I was positive I saw the game clock go from :58 to :59 before a play.

The Pats should have tried to go for a field goal, but this shows the Giants never even had enough time to get the touchdown pass off. If the clock was run correctly than the plays would have been different and they still may have scored, but we will never know.

Move over 1985 Draft Ewing Envelope, we have a new New York conspiracy.

LeBron James Shut Up

Being the best basketball player on the planet must give LeBron James the ability to get away with comments that make him sound like a moron. When Shaq was traded to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, both James and Cavaliers coach Mike Brown were pleased to see The Diesel join the Western Conference, but they were remiss that talented players were not coming to the East, especially to Cleveland. The Cavs have had their once promising season turn somewhat grim after injuries to Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao. The Cavs have been left depleted and lacking in firepower outside of James, especially with the streaky play of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Larry Hughes. What LeBron needs to realize is that Cleveland isn’t going to get another star player soon, and the East is better and deeper than last year.

For years the Western Conference has been better and deeper than the Easter Conference, almost on par with the difference between the American and National Leagues in baseball. The balance of power is shifting with Toronto and Orlando becoming legitimate threats instead of cellar dwellers. If memory serves me correctly one of the biggest free agent signings this offseason was the Magic signing Rashard Lewis, who played in the Western Conference. Also the team with the best record in basketball, the Boston Celtics, traded for two Western Conference All-Stars (Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett) and only had to give up one player that is even close to being a star (Al Jefferson). Even the trade of Shaq means more to the Suns than the Heat only because they can win a title with him. The Heat have the worst record in basketball and that is with Shaq out hurt and Dwyane Wade battling injuries. Shawn Marion is a 20 point 10 rebound player for 82 games a year while Shaq’s numbers (15 points 8 rebounds) have been on the decline the last three years and is lucky to play in 2/3 of his teams’ games. At this point Shaq’s name is better than his game, and Marion is an All-Star caliber player. This deal is a steal for the East.

It would be tough to argue that the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t in rough shape, despite being the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They are in strapped with the salary cap unless another team is willing to take on Larry Hughes’s ridiculous contract (get Isiah Thomas on the phone). The team doesn’t have a true point guard, Hughes plays the point as an out of position shooting guard. LeBron handles and distributes the ball the way Michael Jordan did in his prime, with the offense revolving around him. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is an All-Star center but his play has been sporadic and he is on the down slope of his career due to injuries. Drew Gooden is an average at best power forward and the backup guards are offensive minded without enough offense, defense, or playmaking ability. The Cavs have LeBron and whoever else decides to contribute on a given night. There isn’t another playoff caliber team in the NBA that is so devoid of talent surrounding their top option.



How the Cavaliers are as good as they are remains a mystery. While you can’t fault James for wanting a second fiddle, the Cavs continue to shoot themselves in the foot and end up unable to make a move that would be of any real long-term benefit. The Cavs are one solid player away from a title, but one injury away from being a middle of the road team without playoff hopes. A serious injury to LeBron and the Cavs are lottery bound. King James can complain all he wants, but unless the Cavs can find someone willing to play in Cleveland for pennies on the dollar than they will be a one man show not talented enough to win a title for the next several years.

According to an ESPN Story here are the quotes in question

"Unbelievable," James said after practice Wednesday. "That's all I got. It's unbelievable."When James was asked if being paired with Kidd, his teammate last summer on the U.S. national team, could win the Cavs their first championship, "Yeah," James said. "It's that easy.""It helps," he said with a laugh. "It does help when you have guys on the team that are perennial All-Stars or can go out there and produce every night and you know what you're going to get.""It can mess up the chemistry a little bit and it could take a little longer for them to fit in, maybe not," he said. "The reward is you get a good player. Like the Lakers, they got a guy [Gasol] who has averaged 20 [points] and 12 [rebounds] for his whole career. Last night, Kobe Bryant gets six points and the Lakers win by 15, that's the reward.

Patriots Cheating or Jets bitter?

Whenever the topic of the New England Patriots recent audiovisual scandal was mentioned one though jumped to the forefront of my mind. Hemorrhoid cream. Strange I know, but it is a quasi-logical progression of mind ramblings that makes at least some sense. Eric Mangini was once a Patriots defensive coordinator who left to coach the New York Jets, a job the Bill Belichick didn’t think was the best fit for him. Since that time Mangini has been determined to use any and all means he has at his disposal to hurt his former club. He signed free agents that didn’t have any real spot on the Jets roster, but their departure left a void for the Patriots. Mangini has seemed focused on beating his former boss, almost to the point of obsession. If the Patriots had been violating league rules than it is possible that a former employee would know what to look for and where to look (especially if he was the beneficiary of information while with the Patriots).

Take a stroll down memory lane almost a quarter century ago to another game in New York, this time at Yankee Stadium. New York Yankees manager Billy Martin (in his 6th of 14th stint as Yankees manager) had inside information that Kansas City Royals future Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett had an illegal amount of pine tar on his bat. When Brett hit a go ahead home run in the ninth inning, Martin used the information he knew about the illegal bat (information which he had been keeping secret until he needed it) to convince the umpires that Brett had broken the rules. The umpires agreed, the home run was negated, and George Brett produced one of the most famous tirades in sports history. After MLB officials decided that Brett didn’t “Break the spirit of the rules” the game continued and the Royals won. George Brett went on to become the most famous Preparation-H spokesperson ever, and Billy Martin became yet another bitter New York coach.

So Eric Mangini takes his inside information, squeals once the Patriots beat his team, and gets revenge on his former employer. If the Patriots were not videotaping or using radio signals to help beat the Jets they may have only won by 17 not by 24 (38-14). The Jets are a fringe playoff team at best, and even if the Pats did cheat, they didn’t need to to beat the Jets. The last thing you want to do is piss off Bill Belichick and the Patriots, and San Diego found that out in a big way on Sunday, losing 38-14. San Diego was a Super Bowl favorite and the Patriots simply abused them for sixty minutes Sunday night, just like how Sixty Minutes abuses common sense earlier on Sunday nights. The Patriots have already been fined and forced to forfeit a first round pick (they won’t miss the playoffs and have to give up the second and third round picks) and it seems like Mangini will do anything he can to try to get the Pats to be forced to forfeit their win. Are the Jets that desperate for a win? Well, they should be.

A few things strike me as unusual about this entire situation, besides that one of the best coaches ever felt the need to try to evade the rules. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was interviewed before the Patriots/Chargers game and he seemed to be hiding that this story still had a few chapters left, and that he expected that there would be more issues for the Pats in the future (and the questions about which first round pick the Pats would have to give up seemed to surprise him, almost as if he didn’t know that the Pats own the 49ers first rounder next year). During the game we were informed that the Jets are now accusing the Patriots of using radio transmitters in the defensive players helmets in an attempt to relay signals to try to shut down the Jets anemic offense. Despite missing Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour with a knee injury, Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison to a league suspension, and only getting limited action from Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, the Patriots still dominated the Jets (and Chargers as well). The Patriots don’t need any help to dominate; they don’t even need their best players on the field.

When John Madden was talking about the usefulness of videotaping opponents, he actually made an insightful comment, which is a news story in itself. Madden commented that he never needed video because it took away from natural coaching instincts, and created too much confusion. With only seconds before each snap, substituting personnel and changing formations seems to be a bit prohibitive to running a smooth defense. This would be a very uncharacteristic and reactionary tactic for a coach like Belichick that prides himself on making teams adjust to what he brings to the table.

Now that the Patriots have to turn over any and all notes, video, audio, and who knows what else, to the NFL will this show the Pats have been cheating, or that one former coach was a bit bitter? While most coaches seem to be against Mangini, you can’t fault him for trying to protect his team. In the end it won’t make a difference, the Patriots will cruise to the AFC East Crown, finish first or second in the AFC, and will make the AFC Championship, if not advance even further. With scandal surrounding this team, the Patriots are the one franchise that has consonantly been able to thrive when their backs are against the wall, and this team will be no different, just don’t hold your breath waiting for Tom Brady to endorse rectal cream.

Darko Milicic, The Next Big Thing In Salary Cap Waste

The career of Darko Milicic continues to astound me. When the Pistons drafted him with the second overall pick in 2003 it was a good move, at least in theory. A Championship caliber team attempting to add youth to the front line without having to put pressure on a rookie to perform immediately is a good plan, however Darko wasn’t the right fit. Chris Bosh would have been, but hindsight is 20/20. The problem with Darko was that he didn’t show any desire in practices to deserve anything but occasional garbage time minutes. Larry Brown is known for not playing youngsters, but if you perform in practice you can get a chance to earn playing team. After the Pistons gave up on Darko, the Orlando Magic decided to give him a chance.

Watching Darko play is frustrating because he has loads of talent but no drive or work ethic. Milicic had a chance to play next to emerging star Dwight Howard who would draw double teams that would allow Darko to have an easier time offensively. Another good plan, however the execution failed miserably. Darko couldn’t earn a starting job (losing out to Tony Battie), and struggled to put up eight points and five rebounds a game. Darko broke 20 points in a game only once, and only put up five double doubles in eighty games. When the Magic needed the salary cap space to sign a one-dimensional scorer to the league maximum contract, Darko was suddenly cast aside.

Now that Darko is a free agent the Vancouver, um Memphis Grizzlies (are there even any grizzly bears in Tennessee?) have offered him a three-year deal worth seven million per season. In four years in the NBA, what has Darko done to earn twenty-one million dollars? Start nineteen games, average five points and three rebounds per game, but he did score in double figures in all four of the Magic’s playoff loses to the Pistons (12.3 PPG but only 4.5 rebounds per game despite playing almost thirty minutes a game). Darko did just turn 22 years old and is still seven feet tall, and you can’t teach size or youth. You can overpay for size but you can’t buy desire. The one thing missing from Darko’s game is the ability to care. He shows up, plays below average and inconsistent basketball, and goes home. He has all the talent but no heart. Darko is the basketball version of Alexander Daigle, a can’t miss hockey superstar a decade ago. Daigle wasted his talent, partied, and never put in the effort needed to live up to his potential. Daigle bounced around hockey, occasionally showing glimpses of his skill, but was just a walking bad contract. Darko Milicic should fit in perfectly in Memphis, a player with talent and no heart that nobody really wants, playing for a team no player really wants to play for. This is a match made in Hell, and Elvis should be spinning in his grave.

Home Run Derby Diaster

Vladimir Guerrero claimed his spot upon the top of baseball’s home run hitters after winning the Home Run Derby on Monday. Actually Guerrero is the top home run hitter against batting practice pitchers, among All-Stars, at least those who decided they wanted to participate. When you take a look at the Home Run Derby it is plain to see that the event lacks the interest it could potentially draw. When you look at the NBA’s Slam Dunk or 3-Point contest it is sad to see that baseball has been missing a giant opportunity to help invent new stars and increase ratings. After all, sports is all about those dollar dollar bills, y’all.

Two of baseball’s biggest stars optimize the issue with the Derby. The current home run leader so far this season is Alex Rodriguez, who just decided that he will valiantly play in the All-Star game itself. A-Rod is battling a debilitating injury, but decided to play because he “owed it to the fans”. If A-Rod is actually legitimately hurt enough to require time off, or decided to play just for the fans, than you probably believe that Barry Bonds has never used any substance stronger than Flintstones vitamins. Bonds is the other problem with the Derby. Bonds is a handful of home runs away from breaking the all time record, but dismissed a chance to enter the event without a second thought. What makes this decision worse is that Bonds is the only Giants player involved in the All-Star Game being played in his home park. I will admit that Bonds entering the Home Run Derby was a no win situation (he wins and the steroids debate fuels again, if he loses and than he is just off of the juice) but he should have been in the event. Baseball needs to make sure the stars people pay to see are actually on the field to be seen.

Why should All-Stars have all the fun at the Home Run Derby? You don’t have to be an All-Star to be in the Slam Dunk or 3-Point Contest. In fact several stars have emerged as household names based on their performances in these events (Shawn Kemp, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Gerald Green, Andre Iguodala, etc). The Derby should be open to the best power hitters, not just the best All-Star caliber power hitters. It isn’t uncommon to see players participating in the Derby that are not even leading their own team in home runs. It is no secret that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are the big hitters on the Red Sox, but both men have said they are amazed watching Willy Mo Pena hit more home runs (and for longer distances) during batting practice than either of them. Who cares if Pena’s strikeout average is higher than his batting average, the man can put on a home run show. Baseball needs to use this type of power hitting skill to the event’s advantage.

The Home Run Derby could be a major public relations extravaganza if baseball changed the way they run the event. Instead of a few hours of long drawn out home runs, why not turn this into a fun event for more than just eight players and one night worth of fans? Each team can pick a date during a home stand to have an entire roster Home Run Derby. The event could be separate admission (during the day when a night game is scheduled) for $5-$15 per ticket, with all proceeds going to a charity. The winner for each team advances to a neutral park derby championship (with the same charity and ticket setup) where the top four players advance to the Home Run Derby against four All-Stars, and the champion gets to put all of his winnings towards a charity of his choosing. This way everyone wins, charities across the country, fans, and families that can’t afford the outrageous ticket prices of the mid-summer classic. Even better for baseball (besides the great publicity for their charitable contributions) is that fans get to see players that could be the next great stars before they become household names.

Before baseball panics about the lack of interest in the Home Run Derby, they need to remember that the NBA once had the same issues with the Slam Dunk contest. Every event suffers from peaks and valleys, the true test is to see what changes might need to be done to fix the event, if any are even needed. Baseball needs to talk to the fans to see what they would want to see, since we fans are the people that dish out our paychecks to support the lavish life of the average and All-Star player.

Chris Benoit, My Story

I was really looking forward to the three hour WWE Monday Night Raw on June 25th. The previews indicated a comedy filled show designed to dissuade the negative publicity the WWE received towards killing off the on-air character of Vince McMahon, WWE’s chairman. I TIVOed the show as I was recovering from a virus and my wife wanted to watch a movie on Lifetime. Sleep (or just about anything else) is better than anything on Lifetime, and I knew I would have time to watch the show Tuesday morning. When I turned on Raw I was stunned by what I saw, and not in a positive way. The opening image was indicating that star wrestler Chris Benoit had died.

As I fast forwarded through the opening video I saw Benoit’s face on a black screen with the simple text “1967-2007”. Any wrestling fan is far to familiar with this image, the passing of another member of wrestling’s family. While in a state of disbelief, I quickly rewound the video to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. It was no secret Benoit had missed shows over the weekend (including a Pay Per View event where he would have had a shot at winning a World Title) to fly home to deal with a family emergency. Even with this knowledge, I thought this might be all part of some sadistic joke. When I saw the formerly deceased (for television purposes) Vince McMahon standing in the middle of the ring in an empty arena I knew this was no joke. (Thankfully the WWE decided to drop the Vince McMahon death angle, and later decided not to mention Benoit on television again once some of the facts of his death became apparent). I darted to my computer (sliding my almost seven month pregnant wife out of the way) to see if this was real. Much to my horror I found out Benoit was believed to be part of a murder/suicide involving his son and wife (a former wrestling valet herself). There were no words to adequately explain how I felt, but I was filled with a sudden sense of confusion, anger, sadness, and amazement. I am not going to fuel the fire around this tragedy because all of the facts have not been released (I may fuel or even start fires, but not involving deaths of families, illegal substances, and other tragedies) but I hope the initial reports are wrong. Either way, the wrestling world has lost another star, a legend, and a man that was held in the highest regards by his peers.

Chris Benoit was one of the most well respected wrestlers in the world, despite having a lack of natural athletic ability. Benoit prided himself on working harder than anyone else in his business, using is drive and motivation to hone his craft to the level of a master. He was a teacher to some of the best young talent in wrestling, and helped bring out the best in any person he stepped into the ring with. I had the privilege to see him live numerous times and it was obvious that he was a perfectionist, never happy with himself if he was off of his game. Benoit was the person young talent wanted to work with; he was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge, and the type of person that would take a green rookie under his wing. His latest “protégé” is a wrestler MVP (Montel Vontavious Porter) that had struggled with legal problems in the past. Benoit was known as a person willing to give anyone a second chance, no matter what they had done in the past.

The career Benoit had chosen was a brutal one, both mentally and physically. Being on the road over three hundred days a year with no more than a few weeks off at any time makes for horrible working conditions. Wrestlers are generally only paid if they work at a show, but most are expected to show up at all events, often paying for travel out of their own pocket. There is no health care in wrestling, and it is next to impossible to find an independent company that would insure a person that fights for a living. Injuries are as common as bad airline food, but if you don’t show up and work you don’t get paid often at the expense of your place in a company. It is no surprise that pain medications are often used and abused, as it is sometimes the only way a wrestler can make ends meet. The people that bring us so much joy in the ring often spend their time out of the ring battling personal demons, all in the name of entertainment. This tragedy is an example of the fight, an unsuccessful one albeit, to battle personal issues.

While Chris Benoit’s legacy will forever be tarnished by a horrible incident out of the ring, it is difficult to look past the joy he has brought people around the world. Benoit was active in many charities, he went on several tours to visit our troops putting their lives on the line for our safety, and helped give back to families of colleagues that had passed away. Before you judge Chris Benoit as just a horrible human being, try to look at some of the good he did and the happiness he brought to others. While that doesn’t make up for what he did to his family, it does show that he isn’t just some heartless monster. I personally will always remember the amazing man that showed skill, grace, and dedication, not just as a murderer.

Coco Crisp Is Back!

Coco Crisp has been a major disappointment in replacing Johnny Damon, except on defense. Crisp went from a star in Cleveland capable of .300 20+HR 20+SB, to a guy who is lucky to have a job in Boston. Recenly hitting coach Dave Magadan has reconstructed Crisp at the plate and the results have been amazing. Here is just a taste of a recent interview with Magadan about Crisp's changes...

"He's standing a little taller," hitting coach Dave Magadan said. "A little less stride. And getting the feeling like he's above the ball instead of like landing with that front leg bent.

"Just trying to get him taller, both ways. If he's not going to load, at least keep him where he holds his position instead of leaning toward the baseball.

"You don't want to swing around your body. If you get all spread out, with your legs and the weight of your upper body, you swing around it, which slows up your bat and you hit a lot of balls weakly. It gets him in a better position where he can generate some bat speed. He's done a real good job, both sides.

"I think it's easier for him to get a load, righthanded. Lefthanded, he's a little more still in his load, so we just try to get him to stand up taller."

I take special note of the last line of the interview, as it came as a great shock. Apparently Coco hasn't hit in Boston due to issues with his load. I guess a year and a half being constipated will hurt your production. All I can say to Coco is go, go, go!

The better Coco does now, the more value he will have when Jacoby Ellsbury proves why he is the best leadoff hitter not in the Majors and the 2008 AL Rookie of the year.

Barry Bonds Survived Boston

Barry Bonds must be full of relief today. Not only did he survive his first trip to "baseball's most racist city" but he even hit a home run to take one step closer to breaking a record he doesn't deserve to hold. Who cares that his team got swept, Bonds is probably just happy he made it out alive.