John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud
Saturday, September 07, 2013
Thinking out loud…and wondering if I should call a press conference to announce where I’ll be spending the next four years…
• In the interest of the new school year starting, let’s make sure we’re all up on our spelling assignments. Please spell the word “f-i-g-h-t-i-n-g,” as in Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish. Because they can’t, apparently…
• Tweet of the Week I – from ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell): “McNeese St, who was paid $400K to play South Florida tonight, is currently beating them 40-7 in 3Q” (and ended up winning 53-21)…
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST• Wanna know what else might hasten the dismantling of college football as we know it? Those eight FCS (1-AA) schools that beat FBS (1-A) schools last weekend (like McNeese’s whuppin’ of USF)…and got paid to do it. Best that David get his shots in on Goliath while he can, because Goliath is about to run away and take his toys (and his money) with him…
• Watching LSU and TCU last weekend, did you notice the helmets the Horned Frogs (that’s TCU) were wearing? The red stripes on the sides of the purple helmet, streaking upward from eye level, signify something you might not know about a Horned Frog. When agitated, they shoot blood from their eyes. Now that’s cool…
• Wait a minute. I thought Syracuse was “New York’s” team? Rutgers, maybe? As it turns out, nobody is New York’s team. From the New York Times: “A study by Scarborough Sports Marketing from February 2012 through March 2013 ranked the top 77 markets in affinity for college football and found that only 7.6 percent New York area residents considered themselves to be “very interested” in the sport. That ranked 76th, slightly ahead of Providence, RI…”
• MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands of New Jersey hosted Syracuse and Penn State last Saturday…with an announced crowd of 61,202 in the 85,000-seat stadium that will host next year’s Super Bowl. It appeared the announced crowd was an inflated number, but a necessary one for promoters apparently – last year’s game between Syracuse and USC drew only 39,507…
• Maybe the current younger generation has some hope for itself, after all…four football players from William Paterson University went shopping at a general store in Wayne, NJ last Sunday afternoon. After spending several minutes trying to locate the store clerk, two of the players who needed sunglasses and batteries were captured on store security cameras leaving money at the register. The store manager was taken by their honesty. “They picked up a few items, and they left cash on the counter and waved to the cameras,” the manager told Yahoo News…
• Generally love the New York Post, as a must-see tabloid…if there is such a beast. But the headline writers need to study geography. A little more than a week ago, this headline made me do a double-take: “So. Carolina will cover against in-state rival UNC…”
• Remember boxer Tommy Morrison – mostly known for his appearance in Rocky V opposite Sylvester Stallone? Morrison at one time did hold the heavyweight title after defeating George Foreman, but lived a fast and reckless lifestyle that led to his being diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1996. While he always denied having the virus that causes AIDS, Morrison died this week in Nebraska at just 44 years of age. The cause of death was not disclosed by his family…
• Are you into social networking? Surely you must know that your favorite teams are VERY MUCH into social networking as a way to introduce and reinforce their “brand” in their respective marketplaces – in fact, some are into it way more than others. At the top of the list, the NFL. No real surprise there. And your local heroes (the Patriots, not the Giants) have the largest Twitter network out there…
• I must admit…Diana Nyad’s story this past week is not just remarkable. It’s not just extraordinary. It’s pure fantasy, coming to life. She’s 64. Yes, she’s a former Olympic swimmer. But she just swam from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage to keep her safe…without touching a boat…without complete rest (she was rehydrated and fed while treading water in the ocean)…over 53 hours…covering 110 miles. Whoa…
• Get up, couch potato. What’s your excuse?
• Larry Lucchino said this week on WEEI that there’s “a buzz” about this year’s Red Sox team. Really? I’m not hearing it. Honestly, I’ve been waiting for a buzz this entire season, and even with the team playing well and leading the AL East, there’s no real buzz. Just the sound of one hand clapping…
• We all have criticized Jon Lester during this season – and perhaps rightfully so – for failing to live up to the expectations, well, expected of him. Shouldn’t we now give him credit for leading a pitching staff that has an ERA of 2.31 between August 19 and September 4? That’s some “lights out” pitching, and speaks to his work ethic…even if he has had a tendency to whine and mope on the mound in the recent past…
• What’s working for Lester? Just about everything…but his cutter was almost untouchable against Detroit this past week, and his curveball started out of the strike zone and broke into it, leaving hitters frozen at the plate. He’s also hitched up the MPH on his fastball…just a smidge. But it’s enough to take command on the mound, and leave hitters guessing…
• And as we mentioned in this space a week ago, the MVP of the staff isn’t Lester – although he could be the “comeback” player of the year – it’s Koji Uehara. Koji-time is lock-down, shut-down time. Did the Sox actually know what they had in this guy as closers were dropping like flies earlier in the season? Doubtful. His sinker drops like the Tower of Terror at Disney World. He throws strikes. He locates as well as any pitcher locates the ball. Hits targets. Gets ground balls, and outs. That’s a closer, no matter what the velocity of his fastball (89?) might be…
• Not for nuthin’…but I love the way Dennis Eckersley continues to come up with colorful ways to describe his affection for the way Uehara (and the rest of the staff) throws the ball. Eck’s pretty good, in a kinda goofy way on the air…
• Tweet of the Week II – from @JLundbladESPN: “Koji Uehara is on track to join 1990 Dennis Eckersley as only AL pitchers with 8.0 K per BB and an ERA under 1.20…”
• Daniel Bard. Flamed out like that last summer camp fire on the beach. Maybe Theo Epstein’s picking him up from the scrap heap on a waiver claim for the Cubs is his way of saying “I’m sorry” for trying to turn you into a starter and ruining your career?
• I still worry about the Red Sox ability to win in October, assuming they get there, of course. While it looks good today…the inability to beat up on good pitching throughout the season will ultimately do them in, unless they can literally outpitch the other team’s starters. They’ve put runners on base, but can’t seem to drive them in. In a 5-game series, let’s say, against Detroit…who do you like? In all honesty, the Tigers have the more formidable lineup, and staff…
• I don’t know about you…but watching the Red Sox hang 20 with eight bombs on Detroit last week was almost obscene. Great that David Ortiz got his 2000th career hit (with two long balls of his own) in such a memorable moment, but does anyone else think that this will come back to bite them somewhere down the line?
• Here’s a nugget you might have missed with the rockets’ red glare of last week…Ortiz had 10 total bases in that 20-run Detroit game, his 11th game with double-digit total bases. That mark passes Manny Ramirez and Ted Williams for most double-digit total base games in Red Sox franchise history…
• And…Ortiz became the 39th MLB player with 2000 hits, 400 HR’s and 1400 RBI in his career, the 3rd active player to hit these marks. The other two? A-Fraud and Albert Pujols…
• If you like to root for underdogs, it’s hard not to pull for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They officially snapped a 20-year streak of losing records this past week (since finishing with 96 wins in 1992), and find themselves in prime position to contend for a National League pennant. Picking up Justin Morneau from Minnesota and Marlon Byrd from the Mets has given the Pirates depth, if not simply more talent. Mark Melancon has actually been an effective closer in Jason Grilli’s absence. You just knew there would be a Red Sox angle to this, didn’t you? Just sayin’…
• Woo hoo! We’re Number One! Oh, wait a minute. This is one we wish we WEREN’T Number One in. Most expensive beer in the Big Leagues…
• Time also to give more credit where it is due…to the Pawtucket Red Sox. The defending Governors’ Cup champs from 2012 rallied late in the season to win the International League North Division title, despite having 63 different players on the roster, and a remarkable 49 player moves during the month of August. A lot of “ups and downs” for manager Gary DiSarcina to digest in his first season, and he still piloted his team into the post-season…
• And yet, as a division champ, the Pawsox opened the playoffs on the road AT the wild card team (Rochester), with only ONE guaranteed home game at McCoy, following two on the road. Usually, the division champ is rewarded for having had a better regular season. What brainiac in the IL office decided this was a good idea?
• This was the 3rd straight season for Pawtucket to reach the playoffs, losing in the opening round as a division champ in 2011, but winning it all as a wild card themselves last year…
• Did you see where erstwhile Patriots offensive lineman Brian Waters finally returned to football? Signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys this week…after effectively sitting out all of last season, waiting for a chance to play closer to his home. Good things come to those who wait, or stubbornness is the energy of fools?
• Tweet of the Week III – from @BenVolin, Patriots reporter for the Boston Globe, and former Dolphins beat reporter, on Miami’s magnanimous owner: “Stephen Ross has now donated $313 million to Michigan, his alma mater. But he needs the taxpayers to renovate Sun Life Stadium #CmonMan
• A little surprised that Zoltan Mesko was cut from the Patriots as the punter, in favor of rookie Ryan Allen. Usually, an incumbent keeps his gig unless he’s thoroughly trounced, which Mesko wasn’t during training camp. Alas, $$$ got in the way here…he was due to earn $1.3 million this year with free agency coming next year. Allen will make the rookie minimum $400K. Like age, money is always a factor. Bank on it…
• Growing pains…14 rookies on the Patriots roster this year, and NE has the 11th youngest roster overall in the NFL this season – average age is 25.9. If you count the practice squad, one out of every three players who can call himself a New England Patriot is a first-year player. What in the wide world of veteran-loving Bill Belichick is going on here? Are these rookies really the BEST players going forward, or is there an overall need to avoid multiple AARP memberships in the locker room?
• ICYMI…the youngest team in the NFL is St. Louis, with an average age of 24.9 per player. The oldest is Detroit, at 27.2. Even with an apparent youth infusion in Foxboro, the Dolphins, Jets and Bills all remain YOUNGER than the Patriots. As for title contenders, seven of the 12 playoff teams from last season rank in the oldest half of the league…and two of them – Seattle and Green Bay – rank in the Top 10 youngest. New England just misses out on the Top 10 at #11…
• You can criticize Rex Ryan for a lot of things…but it’s hard to criticize the Jets coach for his dedication to family. Ryan opted out of sticking around for roster cut down day and instead chose to go watch his son Seth play his first game as a freshman receiver at Clemson. He’s taken some heat for it with Jets’ fans, and in the New York media. The job of releasing players, while emotionally difficult, was still handled by Ryan – largely over the phone. Other details were handled by GM John Idzik, after all decisions had already been made. Hey, if you’ve ever had to miss a child’s game, recital or important “life event” for work, you know how it feels. I don’t blame him one bit…
• Speaking of the Jets…if there was ever an opportunity to move on from “the Sanchize,” this might be it. Rookie QB Geno Smith has the nod, for now, as starter over Mark Sanchez thanks to a shoulder injury. Which could be tied to Ryan’s leaving him in a meaningless pre-season game too long. Hmmm…
• Bonus Tweet of the Week – from @MikeRiley54: “Time to get on my soapbox…nobody cares about your fantasy football draft results – stop posting it everywhere…”
• You’re perdy…a phrase uttered by countless thousands of Tennesseans. Or, the nickname for the Nashville NHL team…
• Obama? Syria? Nope. As if the campaign needed an endorsement…that austere publication known as Time Magazine jumped on the “time to pay ‘em” bandwagon this week…
• Last week, it was Keith Olbermann returning to ESPN. This week, it’s Arsenio Hall returning to late night TV. Next week, it’ll be Miley Cyrus reprising Will Smith’s “Gettin’ Jiggy wit it.” Did we all step into one, gigantic time warp and return to the ‘90’s?
• As Rick Pitino is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA this weekend...would any of his former Friars be considered among the top players he has ever coached? Since he was here for such a short time (1985-87), it’s hard to think there would be. However, you can certainly make a case for Billy Donovan, who was a great college player leading an unlikely team into a Final Four…and has turned into potential HOF-caliber as a coach himself…
• Where are they now? Former Friar Donnie McGrath announced this week his basketball journey continues this season with a Russian twist…he’ll be playing for Spartak St. Petersburg…in Russia, not Florida…
• Former Friar (and former Friar coaching target) Jim Larranaga re-upped at Miami this week, through 2022. He’ll be 72 years old at that time. No financial details were available, but for a guy thought to have his best days behind him, he certainly has re-energized the Miami program. Two seasons, including last year’s 29 wins and ACC regular season/tournament titles, two extensions…
• Xavier athletic director Greg Christopher kinda let the cat out of the bag this week, when he mentioned in an interview that “the Big East will expand, from 10 to 12. I don’t think that it’s set in stone, but it does appear that things are headed that way.” That Christopher said this isn’t the surprise, really. That he said it all – at this stage of the conference’s young life – is the surprise, since just about everyone else (AD’s, presidents, TV officials) is saying they’re happy with 10 schools. As for a time frame, Christopher mentioned he believes it will be within the next five years, and that Richmond and VCU are under prime consideration, along with previously mentioned Saint Louis and Dayton…
• I just don’t see Richmond and VCU as a viable part of the Big East’s future. Richmond has football (FCS) and VCU is going to have it. Yes, Villanova has an FCS team, Georgetown does as well…but in this instance, they’re Big East originals. Or at least Georgetown is. Newbies who have football need not apply, unless the league wants to eventually face the same (football) problems that got them into “trouble” in the first place…
• The Friars made out ok with the Big East schedule for this season. Nothing worse than back-to-back road games (a first draft had PC on the road for SEVEN out of NINE games!), with the Feb. 8-10 stretch at Xavier and Georgetown a tough set. They also have three straight at home, in January consecutively against Big East rookies Creighton, Butler and Xavier. And I don’t mind the regular season finale at Creighton as a “rivalry.” This year, it might mean a game between two teams contending for a title…
• Chances are, by the time you actually read this, Friar fans will know where highly-touted recruits Abdul Malik Abu and Jared Terrell will be headed for school next fall. Their joint “press conference” to announce their college decisions notwithstanding, isn’t there something a little out of whack about teenagers – talented as though they may be – staging a show to let us know where they’ll be spending their formative year(s)?
• My buddy Statbeast sez he knows a guy who just made a big decision in his life – to get a vasectomy. His doctor said “that IS a big decision. Have you asked your family what they think?” His friend replied “yes, and they favor my decision 15 to 2…”
• From the mailbag this week – Bruce in Acushnet, MA writes via Facebook: “Hey John, I don't see Buchholz being the same pitcher he was before the injury, but he can still be a key to a deep playoff run. They have got to worry about getting by Detroit in a playoff, they concern me.” Bruce: Detroit’s starting pitching is the best, last week’s performance notwithstanding. Expecting Clay Buchholz to be the same pitcher he was before going out in June is fantasy. The Sox don’t have a #1, per se…but 2-3 guys who could all be viable options, and Buchholz is one of those. Anything they get out of him in a positive sense is a bonus. But I will say this – unless they get SOMETHING positive from him, there won’t be a World Series flag flying over Fenway this year…
• 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 [email protected]. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
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• The recently released “Rhode Island Radio” from Arcadia Publishing is available for sale, and the book tells the story of the 91-year history of radio in our state through photographs, clippings and memories from many of the personalities who have graced our airwaves. If you’re in search of the gift that says “Rhode Island,” you’ve found it. Or, find it in local bookstores and online right here…
