John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud

John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud

Thinking out loud…and wondering if we could just speed things up a bit, past the NFL pre-season…

• One of the funniest men I ever had the privilege to interview passed away this week…Art Donovan, the great defensive tackle for the Baltimore Colts in their late 1950’s heyday, died at age 88 last Sunday. Mr. Donovan was one of my first introductions into the art of interviewing on the radio…and I thought I was a flipping genius as he had us all laughing hysterically during and after his guest spot on a show I hosted in San Antonio, TX more than 25 years ago. Hah. Little did I really know then…Donovan was the real genius…

• Felix Doubront…where did we get this guy?

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• Seriously…Doubront has been as reliable as the tax man hitting on you April 15th. 15 straight starts allowing three runs or fewer is a remarkable accomplishment for any pitcher. But the fact its’ come from Doubront – at best a pitching “afterthought” going into this season – is amazing, and surely one of the reasons behind Boston’s renaissance this year. Think about this – no Red Sox left-handed pitcher has had a streak like it in more than 90 years…

• Anyone remember when we all thought the ball was juiced? Just sayin’…

• A Rod - "The only thing I ask from this group today and the American people is to judge me from this day forward." – Alex Rodriguez, Feb. 17, 2009. Ok, Alex. You got it…

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz takes it a bit too far, however, when he says his “all-steroids” team includes guys who were on the Mitchell Report, or were fingered by Jose Canseco. Or worse yet, the “I think he took something but can’t be certain” category. Really? He has no problem throwing some innocent athletes under the bus, just because Jose Canseco (an admitted liar and cheat) says so? Here you go, Jeff. Let me back up the bus on you…beep-beep-beep…

• Interesting reaction from former HR King Mark McGwire this week on the Biogenesis suspensions in baseball, and the penalties doled out – including to A-Rod. “I wish I was never part of it…It’s not worth it at all.” McGwire is currently the hitting coach for the LA Dodgers, also says he doesn’t believe he’ll ever reach the Hall of Fame because of his admitted PED use. “I’m OK with it.” If he’s sincere – if he can be believed – then he’ll still have a shot at it, someday…

• Just like Pete Rose will. Rose deserves to be in Cooperstown, if anyone does. Time for baseball to set an example, and do the right thing. Rose has paid his penance…

• Honestly…I don’t feel sorry for this guy. A marriage proposal didn’t go as planned at a New Britain Rock Cats game recently…so that begs a question. Was he not already reasonably sure she would say “yes” before he popped the question? If not, then why would he subject himself (and the bride-to-be, of course) to the possible embarrassment? In the aftermath of the decision, several parties report this as a stunt. You be the judge. Stupid is as stupid does…

• Absolutely loved this from Dan Shaughnessy in his Boston Globe column last week: “Picked-up pieces while reminding all of you that John Henry’s greatness has been vastly underappreciated.” My goodness. That was fast. On the day of the announcement he was purchasing the publication…already sucking up to the new boss?

• One other thought here…it may not mean much to you, but when the owner of the Boston Red Sox forks over more $$$ for a player (like the $110 million to Dustin Pedroia) than he does his new newspaper ($70 million), it tells you all you need to know about the newspaper business right now…

• And if you think Henry’s ownership of the Globe won’t mean or change much…just think about this: Do you really believe the entire “chicken and beer” escapade would have been written if Henry owned the paper at that time? He certainly would have been in position to kill the story…and where would the Sox be right now without bringing this story to light? Probably still saddled with several bad contracts, to say the least…

• Tweet of the Week I – from @FoxSportsLive last Monday: “I’m deeply sorry…that I got caught.” – A lot of baseball players today…

• A Friar Fab 5? Unlikely…but it’s possible. PC’s Ed Cooley is hosting an Elite Camp this weekend for high school prospects, and uber targets Abdul Malik Abu (6-8 forward) and Jared Terrell (6-2 guard) are visiting the school...after each narrowed his list of teams to four this past week. The one team they have in common on their lists? Providence. And the two have decided, after their visits, to make their college choice announcements together. Hmmm…

• Additionally, PC recruits Kaleb Joseph (along with Syracuse and WVU) and 7-2 Paschal Chukwu (UConn) will also visit…which makes this weekend one of THE most important and potentially exciting recruiting weekends in some time at Providence. Having already received a verbal commitment from Top 40 Tennessee recruit Jalen Lindsay last month, if these four players popped for PC (all are considered ranked among the national Top 80 players, at least)…it certainly could create some local comparisons to the Michigan “Fab 5” recruiting class of 1991 that featured Top 10 talents Jalen Rose and Chris Webber…

• ICYMI…congrats to Coach Cooley, Stonehill College ’94, for his selection as an Outstanding Alumnus. Cooley is the first African-American to be named an outstanding alumnus of the College. The award is presented annually to a Stonehill graduate who has contributed significantly to his professional field and has brought honor to his alma mater. Indeed...

• Caught an interesting note from ESPN’s Andy Katz this week, on the new pre-season practice schedule for college basketball teams this year. Teams are allowed to begin practice 40 days prior to their season opener, with 30 practices scheduled during the time frame. So, in effect, gone are the days of everyone tipping-off the season Midnight Madness-style on or about Oct. 15th, although many schools will be holding celebrations, anyway. The Friars this year will actually begin practicing, as a team, on Sept. 29th. Fox Sports 1 has already announced tentative plans to hold such a “made-for-TV” tip-off event, most likely on (or about) the night before the World Series gets started Oct. 23. And FS1 has told Providence they plan to be at Alumni Hall…

• And if you’re wondering like I am…the upcoming schedule for PC? Consider the fact that in the past few years, the schedule hasn’t been released until early September…largely due to the late release of NBA and NHL schedules. Several Big East schools play in arenas shared with pro teams, so nothing can be done until those dates are secured. Add to this mix the late start of hiring a commissioner and conference personnel, and the Fox television network attempting to put together the conference schedule – with no prior experience in scheduling for a league, and with no one in the league office to handle it, yet – and voila, you have a delay on your hands…

• This being said, Fox has announced a five-game Big East opening day/night extravaganza on New Years’ Eve to launch the conference schedule. The Friars are one of two “returning” Big East schools to get a home game, with PC playing Seton Hall at 2:30 pm. Other than that, nothing is set in stone within the league…

• Non-conference games are set for the Friars. Home games will feature Boston College (11/8), Brown (11/13), Marist (11/16) and Vermont (11/18) before traveling to St. Thomas, VI for the Paradise Jam…the Marist game is at the Dunk, but will be considered part of the tournament, as the Red Foxes will be at the opposite end of the bracket and teams are allowed to play a 4th game if they so choose. Fairfield, Kentucky (in Brooklyn), at URI, Yale, Maine and at UMass will round it out before the league opener on New Years’ Eve…

• One other item for the Friars’ schedule…there will be only one pre-season exhibition this year, at the Dunk against Rhode Island College, set for 11/2. PC has elected to scrimmage another Division I team, which is allowed by the NCAA, rather than play another exhibition. There will be no tickets sold for the scrimmage, and no fans/media allowed to watch. It’s disappointing to not be able to see the team play (and call the game on the radio, of course), but might be better for this squad if they test themselves against an NCAA tournament-caliber team…which they will be doing...

• Woo hoo! Rhode Island isn’t last in something! And Massachusetts? Pure studs…

• Tweet of the Week II – from Peter Gammons (@pgammo): “Calling PED users selfish, Jonny Gomes on MLBPA’s A-Rod defense: “I hope our dues aren’t being used for his lawyer fees”…

• One of the great college quarterbacks to ever play the game, Vince Young, is getting another shot at the NFL…this time auditioning as Aaron Rodgers’ backup in Green Bay. If you saw his performance in the ’06 Rose Bowl win over USC (267 pass, 200 rush) – for the national title, no less – it was one of the truly great individual games ever played. But his talents never transferred to the pro game. His playing situation is not unlike Tim Tebow’s…

• Speaking of Tebow, he continues to work almost exclusively at QB, save for the occasional punt-protector position on special teams. If there’s a role other than under center for him, the coaching staff has done a magnificent job of holding those cards very close to the vest. I’ll say it again – he makes this team, for not just his ability to be a scout-team QB, but also because he’s the Pied Piper of the NFL…

• So TB12 had a good week in practices against the Philadelphia Eagles this week. That’s great and all, but don’t we expect it? In a controlled situation or scrimmage, like a lot of the on-field work this week in the joint practices with the Eagles, he SHOULD be good. It’s the receivers I’m worried about. They still have to catch the balls he throws…

• I’m going to jump on the Danny Amendola band wagon…and say this: If he stays healthy – and that’s a BIG if, since he hasn’t really been able to do it yet – he’ll approach Welker-like numbers with 110 catches and well over 1000 yards in receptions. If he gets hurt, the Patriots’ offense suddenly becomes sedentary…

• It may not be going out on a limb, but WR Kenbrell Thompkins is also having his moments, and the Cincinnati Bearcat free agent stands a strong chance of sticking. Having seen him play several times over his collegiate career, Thompkins was categorized as a play-maker in the Big East, someone his QB’s could rely upon, but perhaps under-utilized. He’s got good hands, deceptive speed and athleticism. The Patriots do have a recent history of finding a couple of free agent surprises each year…think they’ve found one here…

• From the “not a good sign” department…an ex-Jet teammate said this about QB Mark Sanchez: “Nothing good to say, so I'm not going to say nothing." Umm, that’s all he needed to say, really… 

• Whether he did or did not sell his autograph for an alleged five-figure payout, Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel’s off-season escapades tell me a few things, in addition to his being a spoiled, inebriated brat with football talent. One – that 20-year olds are still largely kids and that fame will always be a tough thing to handle. Two – that his actions (if they are proven to be true) will help re-define amateurism rules in this country – not to mention college athletics. And three – the adage “to whom much is given, much is expected” is no longer appropriate today…

• Tweet of the Week III – from @SolidVerbal, referencing Manziel’s mess after apparently accepting cash for his autograph…which is a no-no: “Business Lesson: $7500 is what having a dropout friend handle your business affairs gets you. Hire pros.”

• Btw…kudos to ESPN’s Jay Bilas and CBSSports.com’s Dennis Dodd – among others – for continuously haranguing the NCAA over its hypocrisy. These two guys have been particularly steady – if not brilliant – with constant tweets and links to NCAA.com websites that list players’ jerseys and memorabilia for sale. In other words, the NCAA is making a buck off of the backs of players who couldn’t, and currently can’t make that same buck – and stay eligible to play. 

• Guess what the NCAA just announced? That they’d no longer be selling “team jerseys” on their website any longer. NCAA championship gear is still available, however. Well. That’s a start…

• Ever been on the subway in New York (or wherever there’s a subway) and been confronted by a panhandler? This guy wins the prize…

• Can Tiger win another major? That’s a question that will be, and has been asked, ad nauseum, leading up to and through this week’s PGA Championship. If you need a little Pepto for that upset stomach, here’s your remedy…the one and only Dan Jenkins, who’s covered 52 of these shindigs… 

• If Wes Welker were still a Patriot, what are the chances you’d see him pose for a photo like this? 

• And Welker “put up with” Belichick toward the end of his playing tenure here? That’s part of what he told Sports Illustrated this week. Gee, I don’t know Wes…but could it have been the other way around? At all?

• The most meaningless streak ever? Might be the 11-straight home pre-season wins by the Tennessee Titans, before Thursday night’s one point loss to Washington. Pre-season games are worthless, save for the teams’ ability to decide the last few roster spots. So worthless, in fact, that the league is doing a study on them during THIS pre-season. A shorter exhibition slate could be – should be – forthcoming in the next year or two…

• Not for nuthin’…the Titans’ last pre-season loss at home? To New England, 14-6, in the 2007 opener. In case you were curious…

• What isn’t worthless are the joint practice scrimmages held by teams during training camp…like the Patriots held with the Eagles in Philadelphia before Friday night’s game, and like they will hold with Tampa Bay this next week in Foxboro before the game with the Bucs. It’s always better to hit someone else other than your own teammates…and coaches have said the ability to control the scrimmages with instruction is more valuable than “turning players loose” in a game. This, we’ll see more of…

• My buddy Statbeast sez he had a great time at the Irish wedding he attended last week, before the Pro Football Hall of Fame game. At one point the DJ yelled “would all married men please stand next to the one person who has made your life worth living?” The bartender was almost crushed to death, but he’s expected to survive…

• From the mailbag this week – Joe in Westchester, NY writes via Facebook: “what's your predicted order of finish for the AL East, and related to that, how many teams will the division get into the playoffs? Thanks!” Joe: As a Sox fan, I wish I could be more optimistic. I just don’t know how the pitching will play out…and I am very concerned over Jon Lester’s swoon. Therefore, I’m taking Tampa Bay to win in the end, but the Sox to squeak into the playoffs as a Wild Card. Texas will end up with the other berth, IMO, over Baltimore…but just barely. Losing Nelson Cruz to suspension will hurt. Ultimately, Boston loses in the ALCS…but it’s a great year nonetheless, considering where it started…

• 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…