John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud

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Saturday, August 25, 2012

John Rooke, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Thinking out loud…and wondering whatever happened to James Carville?

• Adrian Gonzalez on trade waivers this week? Josh Beckett, too? It was all procedural, until the LA Dodgers decided to make a claim. Now, the blockbuster to end all blockbuster waiver trades could free up hundreds of millions in Red Sox salary, with Carl Crawford and Nick Punto included. The kink in the chain could be Beckett’s 10/5 rights, but he wouldn’t actually want to stay in Boston, would he?

• I can’t believe the Sox actually wanted to move Gonzalez…but from what has been reported in some circles, the Sox HAD to trade him, in order to get someone (like LA) to bite on Beckett. Gee, thanks Josh. Kick us on your way out…

• While Gonzalez has been disappointing with his power output, the Sox will miss him. And I just get the feeling Crawford will bounce back – for someone else. Face it, Sox fans. You’re getting what you wanted – a clean(er) house…

• Rubby De La Rosa (who may be a player to be named later), Jerry Sands, James Loney, Ivan DeJesus…plus pitching prospect Allen Webster? Why don’t they just “team swap?” Hey, at least the Dodgers are a playoff contender…

• Not for nuthin’…for the Red Sox pitching staff, as bad as it has been this year, the math is simple. Bob McClure = scapegoat.

• The team is putting up a unified front, but the lack of players attending Johnny Pesky’s funeral was appalling. I realize that several (many?) probably didn’t know him well, since his last years in the Sox dugout were in the early 2000’s, but a player would have to be a dope NOT to know what Pesky meant to the history of the franchise. Uh, wait a minute…

• Dustin Pedroia opened up to The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessey this week, in response to accusations he led the vocal outburst among players against Bobby Valentine earlier this summer…“It’s a little unfair, but I deal with it, man. I’m strong enough to deal with it.’’ That’s great, but how about a flat-out denial? I didn’t hear one…

• So that’s how Bartolo Colon kept reinventing himself? A 50-game suspension, to him, might be a small price to pay for an extra 3-4 years of contract shelf-life…

• Anyone else find it odd that the two PED-related suspensions this season (Colon and Melky Cabrera) came from friends of David Ortiz? For his part, Ortiz said this week he’s been tested two or three times this season alone, and can’t understand why some players continue to take chances. I can – stupid is as stupid does?

• From ESPN Stats & Info: By losing 14-13 to the Angels this week, the Red Sox joined the Nationals as the only teams to lose TWO games this season when scoring at least 10 runs. At least they’re in good company…

• What does an injured Red Sox player do with his spare time? At least one supports the other teams playing…as 3rd baseman Will Middlebrooks showed up at Gillette Stadium this past week, with “The Rookie” tracking him down…

• The bottom line? That comes from Alfredo Aceves – “we’re playing (expletive), (expletive) baseball.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. And perhaps that’s why several Sox “stars” are trekking westward…

• Curt Schilling this past week called RI Governor Lincoln Chaffee a “dunce of epic proportions,” for his comments in the aftermath of the Studio 38 debacle. Is that a little like the pot calling the kettle black, or am I missing something here?

• St. Anthony (NJ) point guard Josh Brown, class of 2013, is visiting with the Friars…and will apparently decide between PC, URI, Temple and Penn State by early next week. Several recruitniks compare him favorably to former Friar great and Big East Defensive Player of the Year John Linehan…

• CBS Sports released a poll of “dirty recruitments” in college hoops in recent years, asking recruiting experts and coaches who they felt were the worst offenders. The question was: Which player is perceived to have the dirtiest recruitment in the last 10 years? Number One – was Shabazz Muhammad, an incoming freshman at UCLA who has not yet been cleared to play. Making the list were former Friar targets Chris Obekpa, Jakarr Sampson (both now at St. John’s) and Khem Birch (formerly at Pitt). Take it for what it’s worth…

• The Ricky Ledo eligibility question has to be affecting more than just anxious Friar fans. How about considering Ledo himself? Sure, he put himself in this position to begin with, by moving from high school to high school without considering the consequences of those decisions over the past few years, but who among us didn’t make questionable choices at his age? It’s called growing up…and it’s a shame his life is on hold, seemingly at the mercy of unknowing, unfeeling paper-pushers at the NCAA…

• A similar situation to Ledo’s is apparently coming to some conclusion at North Carolina State (a potential Friar opponent in Puerto Rico this November), as top incoming recruit Rodney Purvis has at least been cleared to begin school. His eligibility for basketball, however, is still to be determined…

• Former PC all-American and NBA veteran Eric Murdock is out at Rutgers as director of player development…the 3rd year of a contract with the Scarlet Knights’ program was apparently not renewed…

• ESPN may be “villainous” for many...but every once in a while the self-proclaimed “World Wide Leader” comes up with a good idea. Have you seen their “50 in 50?” The top 50 college hoop programs over the past 50 years is an interesting list thus far…and it doesn’t include PC…

• A friend on Facebook reminded me that incoming college freshmen this year were born in 1994…which happened to be the year the Friars won their only Big East basketball title (so far). Wow. My own youngest child is also a senior in high school (born in 1995). Double wow. And, next year he may end up at the school whose current coach led those Friars in ’94. Triple wow…

• Peter Picerelli, who played football (an all-state kicker) and baseball at LaSalle Academy, could be the starting punter and kick-off man for the Tulane Green Wave this season. As a freshman. They open with Rutgers on September 1st in New Orleans…

• Jeff Green has his new deal with the Celtics, and all of a sudden, the C’s look like they could – could – challenge in the Eastern Conference again. There is definite depth, and still plenty of opportunity for AARP to solicit new memberships…

• My buddy Statbeast sez he’s getting to the point where he knows he’s getting older…there’s nothing left to learn the hard way…

• LeBron James’ new Nike-branded sneakers will cost $315 a pair? As my friend Karl pointed out this week, the laces had better be self-tying to lay out that kind of dough…

• Congratulations to Michael Strahan, who will be the new, long-sought co-host for “Live!” with Kelly Ripa, replacing Regis Philbin. A Super Bowl ring, a network TV gig, and love and affection all around. Funny, but doesn’t Strahan now have just about everything his former NY Giant teammate Tiki Barber wanted?

• The new “out” for teams caught in unfavorable contract situations – or for teams who bring in high-priced busts…the Patriots released defensive tackle Jonathan Fanene this week, capitalizing on a “failure to disclose physical condition designation” in his contract. They’ll probably seek to recoup some of the bonus money paid out…

• As part of the US 4x100 relay effort that took silver in London, the hope is that Jeff Demps can bring a little of his sprinters’ speed to the Patriots’ kick return game. Don’t be surprised if Demps helps out on offense at some point, as he played running back at Florida, and played under an offensive coordinator by the name of Charlie Weis…

• Do you recall that, on the night before the Super Bowl last February, the Patriots cut receiver Tiquan Underwood? Seemed like a pretty cold thing to do, didn’t it? Underwood, who is now with Tampa Bay, reported this week that Bill Belichick promised him, one way or another, he would get a ring. The Pats – and the coach – kept the promise and delivered his AFC championship ring this week…

• Can someone explain WHY the Giants and Bears were being shown on Channel 12 last night, while the Patriots game in Tampa was nowhere to be found if you have DirecTV?  Just sayin'...

• Roger Goodell says he thinks the replacement refs in the NFL will do a “very credible job” if they’re needed into the regular season. Sounds to me like we need to get used to longer replay decisions, bad calls and coaches getting threatened with fines for commenting on officiating. ‘Cause if you’ve seen what I’ve seen, it ain’t too good…

• Here’s the first move toward an international team playing in the NFL…Jacksonville announced this week it will travel to London for a home game each of the next four years. Don’t be shocked if the Jags make it a permanent address…

• And don’t look now…but the first blow for AFC supremacy may have just been struck by Baltimore. I know, it’s just a pre-season game, but Thursday nights’ 48-17 walloping of Jacksonville shows exactly where those two teams are at the start of this season…

• My friend Bobby V (not THAT Bobby V) brought up a good point this week…how come “are not” is aren’t, and “is not” is isn’t, but “am not” isn’t amn’t?

• So Augusta National invited its first two female members? In this day and age, should this be a story?

• The news that Lance Armstrong is giving up his fight against doping charges from the USADA and is banned from cycling for life is sad in several ways. One – that Lance is quitting, although I certainly understand at some point “enough is enough.” After a while, you keep hitting your head against a wall, it will bleed…

• It’s also sad because his extraordinary feat of winning seven Tour de France titles, from 1999-2005 after bouncing back from a deathbed battle with testicular cancer, will forever be marred. They’ve been stripped from him, so we should just forget it ever happened? His heroism to so many cancer patients – and victims – will be discredited, if not forgotten altogether. And what of his “Livestrong” Foundation? Won’t it be affected by his decision not to “fight on?”

• And finally, it’s sad because his refusal to continue to fight doping charges will be seen as an admission of guilt, whether Armstrong is or not. Maybe he should consult with Roger Clemens…another one-time resident of Austin, TX? Roger did beat his rap, didn’t he?

• Speaking of Clemens…who else isn’t surprised that he’s returning to baseball, even if it is only a minor league start for the “Sugar Land Skeeters?” This is all part of the master plan – to restore credibility to his name. The guy is 50, and can still throw in the high ‘80’s. He wants to show – to prove – he doesn’t need (and didn’t need) PED’s to do what he did. You can believe what you want…but Clemens ultimately wants the Hall. And I think eventually, he’ll get it…

• The silly seasons’ arrival, also known as a Presidential election year, got me to thinking about one of my favorite political personalities – James Carville. Carville, as you’re probably aware, helped get a little-known Governor from Arkansas named Bill Clinton elected to the White House. Since then, he’s turned into several forms of political analyst/pundit/critic/teacher, but he never fails to make me laugh. Not so much because I disagree with his leftist leanings…but because he’s a caricature of himself. I’ve always thought he knew exactly what he was doing. At last check, he’s teaching political science at Tulane University. I’ll wager his classes are full…

• And by the way, the election is over. Why? Two University of Colorado professors have mathematically – and accurately – predicted the last eight presidential elections. This year, according to their equations, Romney blasts Obama in a landslide. Mark it down…

• Our mailbag question/comment this week comes from Lori in East Greenwich, RI via Facebook: “What’s your take on Lance Armstrong? He was one of my last hopes in professional sports. I wanted to believe in him, and did.” Lori: I too, have long been a fan of Armstrong’s. What I fear has happened is nothing more than pure jealousy over some extraordinary athletic accomplishments. The European/French press started the accusations, because an “American” could not possibly do what he did in winning seven of their “beloved” Tour titles. Especially after surviving cancer. Hundreds – thousands – of clean drug tests-be-damned, over two decades, they were going to get him. Apparently, they’ve finally beaten him, when nothing else could…not even cancer. The fact that the US Anti-Doping Agency is doing this to him is shameful. Or, he’s a liar and cheat of epic proportions. But I refuse to believe that…

• Interested in having your questions on local RI sports (including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions and comments to jrooke@golocalprov.com. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @jrooke0722…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...

• And you’re up early anyway…don’t forget to join us for GoLocal Sports on 103.7 FM, every Saturday from 7:00-9:00 am! Call in (401) 737-1287, or text 850850…and send email to the show - golocal@weei.com .

• And one more plug – we’ll be back for a 12th season with “Patriots Playbook” on Patriots.com Radio beginning September 5th. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-4:00 pm ET, we’ll be live with commentary, interviews and your calls and questions on the Patriots and the NFL via social media. It’s a great way to break up the day at work! But if you can’t make it for the live webcast, never fear…the podcast will be near…
 

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