Let me preface this brief post by providing two key variable;
1) I hate the fuckin' New York Yankees.
2) I participate in an extremely hardcore and labour intensive online Fantasy Baseball league with 11 other gentlemen from all over the U.S.
My first round pick Evan Longoria had been shelved for 15 days, and Twins 2nd Baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka was performing adequately in his place.
This league does not a designated slot for disabled lists, so you can see the problem I face especially considering I own Rockies hurler Ubaldo Jimenez who is also on the 15 day DL.
With those variables considered, I must also preface the following video by saying I played baseball for years. I understand the existence of an unwritten rule stating that a baserunner should do everything within the rules to disrupt an opposing player at a base.
Yankees troglodyte Nick Swisher does more than this, sliding well off the base path, sweeping, rather kicking his leg, striking the Twins player in the patella and shattering his fibula.
Fucking prick.
Also, Nishioka was playing in only his 5th game as a Twinkie since signing from Japan where he was a perennial All-Star and all-around nice guy.
Post-game, Swisher met with Nishioka following a positive X-Ray result. The Twins 2nd baseman said he had no hard feelings against Swisher, a sentiment that was echoed by other Twins players and longtime manager Rod Gardenhire.
Regardless, this was a scrappy play taken a little to far.
Nonetheless, Nick Swisher is a prick and the Yankess suck.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Where Amazing Happens Sometimes: Interpretations of Rules
Greetings loyal fans;
Today, I would like to focus on something that I've mentioned here once before - the inconsistent interpretation of rules by officials in the NBA.
Yes, today will be another post about sports, a post with a lighthearted approach - my apologies to all those who are enamoured with reading about the prevalence of concussions or grammatical and syntax errors.
One of the problems with the NBA is the consistency with which some calls are made, and others are not. The charge/block call has become such a marginal decision that it's as subjective as asking somebody what their favourite film is.
Since the elimination of hand checks in the late 90's/early 00's, the emphasis has been put on offense, and more often than not, the benefit of the doubt goes towards the player with the ball. I imagine Commissioner David Stern's logic is that fans will stop showing-up in droves to watch a team of defensive stoppers like the Grizzlies' Shane Battier and Tony Allen, but would arrive court side an hour early at half-mast for a team of shooters like the Golden State Warriors, who couldn't spell the word if you gave them a DE followed by a FENCE.
Which reminds me, David Stern is a brilliant man and a genius in sales. He could sell a fence to his next door neighbour if need be.
Anywho - where was I?
A hierarchy in the NBA exists where a veteran like Dwyane Wade can penetrate and always expect a foul to be called in his favour, while a rookie or fringe player will have that same call whistled against him. Michael Jordan thrived on this double standard.
One rule that I wish was more consistently enforced is the 10-second violation for foul shooters. According to NBA rules, once the player is handed the ball by the referee whilst standing at the charity stripe, he has 10 seconds to shoot his free throw.
Orlando's talismanic centre Dwight Howard has been called on it a few times, but nonetheless, not consistently enough to dissuade him from continuing the practice of setting-up shop at the line and spending 15 seconds to mentally prepare himself for a brick.
During the Christmas Day matinee tilt between Howard's underachieving Magic and the Boston Celtics, it seems Paul Pierce was aware of this rules infraction, and like myself, wanted to take a proactive stance concerning it - watch Pierce at the :43 second mark:
I'm as surprised that Howard didn't chuck the ball in Pierce's direction as I am that Glen "Big Baby" Davis didn't crack his trademark sheepish grin while standing on the line and witnessing P-Squares' actions.
Further, it seems the rest of the league has caught on, and even Bobcats rookie Gerlad Henderson had the cohones to point out Howard's obvious rules infraction to an official on Wednesday night:
Damn I love the NBA and the subtle displays by some of its players.
Today, I would like to focus on something that I've mentioned here once before - the inconsistent interpretation of rules by officials in the NBA.
Yes, today will be another post about sports, a post with a lighthearted approach - my apologies to all those who are enamoured with reading about the prevalence of concussions or grammatical and syntax errors.
One of the problems with the NBA is the consistency with which some calls are made, and others are not. The charge/block call has become such a marginal decision that it's as subjective as asking somebody what their favourite film is.
Since the elimination of hand checks in the late 90's/early 00's, the emphasis has been put on offense, and more often than not, the benefit of the doubt goes towards the player with the ball. I imagine Commissioner David Stern's logic is that fans will stop showing-up in droves to watch a team of defensive stoppers like the Grizzlies' Shane Battier and Tony Allen, but would arrive court side an hour early at half-mast for a team of shooters like the Golden State Warriors, who couldn't spell the word if you gave them a DE followed by a FENCE.
Which reminds me, David Stern is a brilliant man and a genius in sales. He could sell a fence to his next door neighbour if need be.
Anywho - where was I?
A hierarchy in the NBA exists where a veteran like Dwyane Wade can penetrate and always expect a foul to be called in his favour, while a rookie or fringe player will have that same call whistled against him. Michael Jordan thrived on this double standard.
One rule that I wish was more consistently enforced is the 10-second violation for foul shooters. According to NBA rules, once the player is handed the ball by the referee whilst standing at the charity stripe, he has 10 seconds to shoot his free throw.
Orlando's talismanic centre Dwight Howard has been called on it a few times, but nonetheless, not consistently enough to dissuade him from continuing the practice of setting-up shop at the line and spending 15 seconds to mentally prepare himself for a brick.
During the Christmas Day matinee tilt between Howard's underachieving Magic and the Boston Celtics, it seems Paul Pierce was aware of this rules infraction, and like myself, wanted to take a proactive stance concerning it - watch Pierce at the :43 second mark:
I'm as surprised that Howard didn't chuck the ball in Pierce's direction as I am that Glen "Big Baby" Davis didn't crack his trademark sheepish grin while standing on the line and witnessing P-Squares' actions.
Further, it seems the rest of the league has caught on, and even Bobcats rookie Gerlad Henderson had the cohones to point out Howard's obvious rules infraction to an official on Wednesday night:
Damn I love the NBA and the subtle displays by some of its players.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Paris To Roubaix
Without a doubt, one of my favourite events on the sports calendar is Paris to Roubaix, a gruelling one-day cycling race commonly referred to as 'Hell of the North'.
Since its inception in 1896, the race started in Paris and finished in Roubaix, Belgium, only to have the starting position moved 60km north-east of Paris centre to Compiegne in 1968. The race is an annual staple of the cycling campaign and typically takes place on a mid-April weekend.
I recall vividly a year ago today, sitting in my hotel room in the Montparnasse arrondissement of Paris, plotting my means of travel to Compiegne, only to run out of time as I left my preparations short. My life is nothing if not consistent.
Having long been intrigued by cycling, I fell in love with Paris to Roubaix years ago when my friend and avid cyclist Marty let me borrow the DVD Road To Roubaix. Below is the trailer to the DVD.
,
The terrain, notably the 27 cobblestone paths (setts), make the race as challenging as it is rewarding, an achievement of a lifetime for many riders, and a joke to others.
The course is maintained annually by a collective group of volunteers known as Les Amis de Paris-Roubaix who formed in 1983 to preserve the tradition of the race and ensure the quality of the course and the safety of the riders. For North Americans, it's can be difficult to fully graps the passion much of Europe has for cycling. In many of the western European nations, cycling is more than a sport, but a way of life. For the people of the North and Belgium, Paris To Roubaix is their World Cup.
This year's installment of Paris To Roubaix takes place this Sunday with American sports channel Versus providing coverage. In Canada, you won't find the race on your dial, so I suggest visiting either www.cycling.tv or www.steephill.tv for live streaming video, highlights and interviews.
Here's a wrap-up of last year's race provided by Versus.
Thanks for reading folks - I hope some of you have the chance to check-out the race, and if not, I'll be sure to post a results video as soon as it is made available.
Since its inception in 1896, the race started in Paris and finished in Roubaix, Belgium, only to have the starting position moved 60km north-east of Paris centre to Compiegne in 1968. The race is an annual staple of the cycling campaign and typically takes place on a mid-April weekend.
I recall vividly a year ago today, sitting in my hotel room in the Montparnasse arrondissement of Paris, plotting my means of travel to Compiegne, only to run out of time as I left my preparations short. My life is nothing if not consistent.
Having long been intrigued by cycling, I fell in love with Paris to Roubaix years ago when my friend and avid cyclist Marty let me borrow the DVD Road To Roubaix. Below is the trailer to the DVD.
,
The terrain, notably the 27 cobblestone paths (setts), make the race as challenging as it is rewarding, an achievement of a lifetime for many riders, and a joke to others.
The course is maintained annually by a collective group of volunteers known as Les Amis de Paris-Roubaix who formed in 1983 to preserve the tradition of the race and ensure the quality of the course and the safety of the riders. For North Americans, it's can be difficult to fully graps the passion much of Europe has for cycling. In many of the western European nations, cycling is more than a sport, but a way of life. For the people of the North and Belgium, Paris To Roubaix is their World Cup.
This year's installment of Paris To Roubaix takes place this Sunday with American sports channel Versus providing coverage. In Canada, you won't find the race on your dial, so I suggest visiting either www.cycling.tv or www.steephill.tv for live streaming video, highlights and interviews.
Here's a wrap-up of last year's race provided by Versus.
Thanks for reading folks - I hope some of you have the chance to check-out the race, and if not, I'll be sure to post a results video as soon as it is made available.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Concussions
Last week ex-NHLer Keith Primeau discussed the problems of concussions as part of a panel investigating the negative consequences of head trauma in sports. Primeau expressed a desire to have a better understanding of what exactly constitutes a concussion, and what are both the short and long-term causes of such trauma. He also expressed fears of growing old prematurely and suffering from Alzheimer's as a result of a half dozen known concussions he'd suffered throughout his career.
He has joined the growing list of professional and amateur athletes who have pledged to have their brains donated to science.
In the past, professional athletes would go to great lengths to hide the fact that they had suffered a concussion, fearing that it might reduce the amount of playing time or dissuade management from re-signing the individual.
In hopes of not making a sweeping generalization of sorts, many men, especially professional athletes, have more pride than is good for one person. This pride manifests itself when it comes to injuries and how they're interpreted by the team, management and fans.
These are but a few reasons why in the past, pro athletes have chosen to disregard the consequences of trauma to the head.
The scientific understanding of concussions has also evolved over the last decade, and now even Major League Baseball has a mandatory 7-day disabled list for its athletes that suffer a concussion. Without a doubt, American football and hockey are clearly the flag bearers for the concussion issue in this new era of introspective reasoning, but studies show that a large number of soccer players unknowingly suffer concussions, especially younger children, as a result of heading the ball improperly.
Minnesota Twins 1st baseman and British Columbia native Justin Morneau missed the better part of last season with concussion-like symptoms stemming from a collision with Jays shortstop John McDonald. Only the January was he able to begin fielding balls and participating in light workouts.
Professional leagues have, and must take further steps, to ensure the safety of their players.
Sidney Crosby has been out since suffering trauma to the head in Pittsburgh's first two games in January. He continues to experience the same concussion-like symptoms that shelved Morneau for nearly 8 months. The NHL desperately needs its Ovechkins and Crosbys to continue scraping-by in the sun belt states that have showed an aversion to the game despite Commissioner Gary Bettman's vast expansionary moves.
The leagues need their stars to be fit and ready to play, and beyond that, fit to lead prosperous lives after they retire.
The Dave Duerson story is a sad reminder of the negative consequences of veiling traumatic injuries suffered while playing.
In today's Globe & Mail, sportswriter Allan Maki put together a well written piece about the Canadian Football League, its stance on concussions relative to the University of North Carolina study and the grim reminder that pro athletes face lives of pain and mental anguish following their playing days.
CFL veteran Doug Brown says it best in the article - enjoy.
Life Expectancy of 55 Shocks CFLers Into Push for Safety - Globe & Mail
He has joined the growing list of professional and amateur athletes who have pledged to have their brains donated to science.
In the past, professional athletes would go to great lengths to hide the fact that they had suffered a concussion, fearing that it might reduce the amount of playing time or dissuade management from re-signing the individual.
In hopes of not making a sweeping generalization of sorts, many men, especially professional athletes, have more pride than is good for one person. This pride manifests itself when it comes to injuries and how they're interpreted by the team, management and fans.
These are but a few reasons why in the past, pro athletes have chosen to disregard the consequences of trauma to the head.
The scientific understanding of concussions has also evolved over the last decade, and now even Major League Baseball has a mandatory 7-day disabled list for its athletes that suffer a concussion. Without a doubt, American football and hockey are clearly the flag bearers for the concussion issue in this new era of introspective reasoning, but studies show that a large number of soccer players unknowingly suffer concussions, especially younger children, as a result of heading the ball improperly.
Minnesota Twins 1st baseman and British Columbia native Justin Morneau missed the better part of last season with concussion-like symptoms stemming from a collision with Jays shortstop John McDonald. Only the January was he able to begin fielding balls and participating in light workouts.
Professional leagues have, and must take further steps, to ensure the safety of their players.
Sidney Crosby has been out since suffering trauma to the head in Pittsburgh's first two games in January. He continues to experience the same concussion-like symptoms that shelved Morneau for nearly 8 months. The NHL desperately needs its Ovechkins and Crosbys to continue scraping-by in the sun belt states that have showed an aversion to the game despite Commissioner Gary Bettman's vast expansionary moves.
The leagues need their stars to be fit and ready to play, and beyond that, fit to lead prosperous lives after they retire.
The Dave Duerson story is a sad reminder of the negative consequences of veiling traumatic injuries suffered while playing.
In today's Globe & Mail, sportswriter Allan Maki put together a well written piece about the Canadian Football League, its stance on concussions relative to the University of North Carolina study and the grim reminder that pro athletes face lives of pain and mental anguish following their playing days.
CFL veteran Doug Brown says it best in the article - enjoy.
Life Expectancy of 55 Shocks CFLers Into Push for Safety - Globe & Mail
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Treevenge: A Film Short
Greetings to the motley crew of rapscallions, petty thieves, sex offenders, perverts, and the legally blind that flock by the thousands daily to this website - your commitment has not gone unnoticed.
Thanks to you, I am now able to monetize the site by inserting subtle Google ads, allowing me to forsake my dreams of becoming an oceanographer to put the entirety of my focus and energies towards this site.
Imagine my delight when I received a check for $0.31 this morning.
I know what you're thinking; I'm probably going to cash it and buy 5 mini sour keys. Well my friend(s), you'd be wrong as fuck - I'm going to buy that commemorative $2 multi chromatic bill celebrating America's National Parks as seen on late-night television and have it sealed in a melamine casing that will forever preserve its value.
Fuck investing in an ever-growing resource like gold when I can buy a bank note of less value than a dog-eared and coffee stained Sergei Berezin rookie card.
My apologies for running off on a tangent there, but I wanted to throw a little filler your ways since today's post is nothing more than the embedding of a 16 minute short video by Jason Eisner, the Canadian responsible for Hobo With A Shotgun.
Mr. Eisner entered a contest in conjunction with the 2009 South By Southwest festival to create a short film, only to win the competition and have it optioned for major theatrical release.
The short, titled "Treevenge", couldn't be more Canadian if it starred Anne Murray and Burton Cummings as feuding parents of twin, ginger Minor Bantam hockey hosers played by Eugene Levy and Rick Moranis.
Anyways, enjoy the short and hopefully I'll have something of a higher intellectual standard for my followers foaming at the mouth for the byzantine content of norm.
Thanks to you, I am now able to monetize the site by inserting subtle Google ads, allowing me to forsake my dreams of becoming an oceanographer to put the entirety of my focus and energies towards this site.
Imagine my delight when I received a check for $0.31 this morning.
I know what you're thinking; I'm probably going to cash it and buy 5 mini sour keys. Well my friend(s), you'd be wrong as fuck - I'm going to buy that commemorative $2 multi chromatic bill celebrating America's National Parks as seen on late-night television and have it sealed in a melamine casing that will forever preserve its value.
Fuck investing in an ever-growing resource like gold when I can buy a bank note of less value than a dog-eared and coffee stained Sergei Berezin rookie card.
My apologies for running off on a tangent there, but I wanted to throw a little filler your ways since today's post is nothing more than the embedding of a 16 minute short video by Jason Eisner, the Canadian responsible for Hobo With A Shotgun.
Mr. Eisner entered a contest in conjunction with the 2009 South By Southwest festival to create a short film, only to win the competition and have it optioned for major theatrical release.
The short, titled "Treevenge", couldn't be more Canadian if it starred Anne Murray and Burton Cummings as feuding parents of twin, ginger Minor Bantam hockey hosers played by Eugene Levy and Rick Moranis.
Anyways, enjoy the short and hopefully I'll have something of a higher intellectual standard for my followers foaming at the mouth for the byzantine content of norm.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Ruminations 17.0
Hey kids,
Don't have a whole heck of a lot to say today. It's 10:10pm here in the big city and it has just now began to snow. Seriously - it's starting to snow.
Needless to say, this wasn't on today's forecast. Must be that bloody unpredictable lake effect again. For chrissakes, I skated to Shoppers today to grab some Q-Tips and a pack of Zags with a seasonal spring wind at my back. A few hours later, Mother Nature has reared her menopausal spotted head in this direction and it's covering the grass I raked just hours ago with a light blanket of fresh snow. Fuck.
Anyways...
Recall a little while back I was penning a short story about time travel for the Star's fiction competition. Well, I hit an obstacle or few and instead decided to submit a story about an African-American playing professional basketball in French and his slow acclimatization to the better way.
Needless to say, it was pretty shit and will never be published on this very site.
Regardless, I did a fair bit of research on a specific understanding (see variation) of time travel for the story, and have continued delving deeper into these concepts when the time permits. Without a grasp of either science or math, I find myself reading and re-reading the same articles ad nauseum.
As a result I have just tonight started reading H.G Wells' Time Machine again, for the first time since I was around 13.
When I'm done I plan on doing a little something something on the man that is remembered for 4 works of science fiction, and as remembered, I mean widely criticized, despite writing 4 million words of fiction and 8 million words of journalism throughout his career.
His work is now considered to be novice and ideologically driven, but take my word for it, I'm a chapter and a half in a fuck is this way more exciting than the first time I read it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those of you at work looking to kill a few hours, somebody has gratefully organized a Wikipedia page detailing some of the more bizarre means of dying.
It's a hoot.
Wikipedia Bizarre Death Registry
Check-out the one from 1993 of the Toronto Lawyer and his run-in at the Toronto Dominion Centre.
Thanks for reading - stay fit and have fun - Bodybreak!
Don't have a whole heck of a lot to say today. It's 10:10pm here in the big city and it has just now began to snow. Seriously - it's starting to snow.
Needless to say, this wasn't on today's forecast. Must be that bloody unpredictable lake effect again. For chrissakes, I skated to Shoppers today to grab some Q-Tips and a pack of Zags with a seasonal spring wind at my back. A few hours later, Mother Nature has reared her menopausal spotted head in this direction and it's covering the grass I raked just hours ago with a light blanket of fresh snow. Fuck.
Anyways...
Recall a little while back I was penning a short story about time travel for the Star's fiction competition. Well, I hit an obstacle or few and instead decided to submit a story about an African-American playing professional basketball in French and his slow acclimatization to the better way.
Needless to say, it was pretty shit and will never be published on this very site.
Regardless, I did a fair bit of research on a specific understanding (see variation) of time travel for the story, and have continued delving deeper into these concepts when the time permits. Without a grasp of either science or math, I find myself reading and re-reading the same articles ad nauseum.
As a result I have just tonight started reading H.G Wells' Time Machine again, for the first time since I was around 13.
When I'm done I plan on doing a little something something on the man that is remembered for 4 works of science fiction, and as remembered, I mean widely criticized, despite writing 4 million words of fiction and 8 million words of journalism throughout his career.
His work is now considered to be novice and ideologically driven, but take my word for it, I'm a chapter and a half in a fuck is this way more exciting than the first time I read it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those of you at work looking to kill a few hours, somebody has gratefully organized a Wikipedia page detailing some of the more bizarre means of dying.
It's a hoot.
Wikipedia Bizarre Death Registry
Check-out the one from 1993 of the Toronto Lawyer and his run-in at the Toronto Dominion Centre.
Thanks for reading - stay fit and have fun - Bodybreak!
Friday, April 1, 2011
The King of Walks - Barry Bonds
Those who know me well - beyond the semi-anonymous veil of the internet that protects my true identity - will acknowledge that I am a baseball junkie.
Last night, I took part in my second online fantasy draft of the week, this time with some of my fellow Deadspin commenteriat, and I was so enveloped in the enjoyment of sifting through middle relievers and their stats that I hardly noticed 3hours of my life had just passed me by.
The season started yesterday, and despite the difficult weather conditions for baseball, I soaked it all in as if it were opening day 1985 and I sat with my mother at Exhibition stadium fawning over my favorite Blue Jays.
Being a baseball fanatic these last few years has been a challenge. For some reason, the U.S. Supreme Court has stepped in with their Mitchell Report and started imposing their will on Major League Baseball, having not just athletes, but the stars that carried the game speak under oath concerning performance enhancing drugs that WEREN'T EVEN ILLEGAL when they were allegedly used.
This situation has forced many of this generation's stars to swallow their pride and admit to the usage of drugs that despite being completely legal at the time, are considered an ethical injustice with regards to the puritanical traditions of baseball.
Forget the fact that following the lockout in the 90's, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's efforts to smash Roger Maris' home-run record of 61 completely revitalized the game and brought-back the interest of the national audience.
Forget the fact that the allure of the 'Home-Run' generation of Major League Baseball spiked both attendance and viewership numbers. All of this is irrelevant when considering the archaic means MLB and its owners use when governing the game.
Forget the fact that the use of drugs are not the only means of bettering a player, and that Tommy John surgery repairs a pticher's elbow by taking a tendon from the leg and inserting it in the arm. Sure, Human Growth Hormone, which is used to allow the body to rehabilitate quicker is taboo, but taking a piece of your leg and putting in your fucking arm is perfectly okay.
And finally, please forget the fact that these men care about their legacies and image, and sometimes have too much pride to admit their fault. We canonize the likes of former Yankees starter Andy Pettitte for admitting his errors when cornered, but burn others at the stake for hiding the truth - something I believe most of us would identify with if put in a similar position.
It's baseball.
Motherfucking baseball folks - take a step back and realize the athletes are only trying to better themselves both for their personal gain, and OUR ENJOYMENT. They are the ones selling tickets, not the pasty fat cats in the press boxes whose parents left them the team or bought it themselves following the Dot Com boom of the late 90's.
FUCK.
I just wanted to let off a little steam, but I can't help but be a little sad, that the best pitcher of our generation, Roger Clemens, has perjured himself in court by lying about his HGH use, and the greatest hitter I've ever seen is currently embroiled in a courtroom drama similar to that of Mr. Clemens.
I could go on and on about the Bonds trial, but Ben McGrath at the New Yorker has done an impeccable job of it so why not click on the link below ad enjoy a brilliant article that covers the entire thing in-depth.
King Of Walks - New Yorker
Enjoy and thanks for reading.
Last night, I took part in my second online fantasy draft of the week, this time with some of my fellow Deadspin commenteriat, and I was so enveloped in the enjoyment of sifting through middle relievers and their stats that I hardly noticed 3hours of my life had just passed me by.
The season started yesterday, and despite the difficult weather conditions for baseball, I soaked it all in as if it were opening day 1985 and I sat with my mother at Exhibition stadium fawning over my favorite Blue Jays.
Being a baseball fanatic these last few years has been a challenge. For some reason, the U.S. Supreme Court has stepped in with their Mitchell Report and started imposing their will on Major League Baseball, having not just athletes, but the stars that carried the game speak under oath concerning performance enhancing drugs that WEREN'T EVEN ILLEGAL when they were allegedly used.
This situation has forced many of this generation's stars to swallow their pride and admit to the usage of drugs that despite being completely legal at the time, are considered an ethical injustice with regards to the puritanical traditions of baseball.
Forget the fact that following the lockout in the 90's, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's efforts to smash Roger Maris' home-run record of 61 completely revitalized the game and brought-back the interest of the national audience.
Forget the fact that the allure of the 'Home-Run' generation of Major League Baseball spiked both attendance and viewership numbers. All of this is irrelevant when considering the archaic means MLB and its owners use when governing the game.
Forget the fact that the use of drugs are not the only means of bettering a player, and that Tommy John surgery repairs a pticher's elbow by taking a tendon from the leg and inserting it in the arm. Sure, Human Growth Hormone, which is used to allow the body to rehabilitate quicker is taboo, but taking a piece of your leg and putting in your fucking arm is perfectly okay.
And finally, please forget the fact that these men care about their legacies and image, and sometimes have too much pride to admit their fault. We canonize the likes of former Yankees starter Andy Pettitte for admitting his errors when cornered, but burn others at the stake for hiding the truth - something I believe most of us would identify with if put in a similar position.
It's baseball.
Motherfucking baseball folks - take a step back and realize the athletes are only trying to better themselves both for their personal gain, and OUR ENJOYMENT. They are the ones selling tickets, not the pasty fat cats in the press boxes whose parents left them the team or bought it themselves following the Dot Com boom of the late 90's.
FUCK.
I just wanted to let off a little steam, but I can't help but be a little sad, that the best pitcher of our generation, Roger Clemens, has perjured himself in court by lying about his HGH use, and the greatest hitter I've ever seen is currently embroiled in a courtroom drama similar to that of Mr. Clemens.
I could go on and on about the Bonds trial, but Ben McGrath at the New Yorker has done an impeccable job of it so why not click on the link below ad enjoy a brilliant article that covers the entire thing in-depth.
King Of Walks - New Yorker
Enjoy and thanks for reading.
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