DEFLATE GATE is a perfect example. It started with a player, who had just intercepted Brady as the half ended and was seen handing the ball to his coach as he left the field. A reporter in the press box said, "Look at this he's telling the coach there's something wrong with the ball. It's probably under inflated (because Brady said earlier he likes them that way.) The player later on said, "I just wanted the coach to save the ball for my trophy case." BUT...the old axiom in the press says..."Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story." AND...the rest is history. Thanks ROGER GOODELL!!
For months now sports talk shows have been saying how THEY are sick of hearing about it BUT...THEY are the ones who are propagating the story. Callers must, by now, realize that the shows won't let you on the air unless you're talking about what THEY want you to talk about. End of story.
It seems to me, and countless other true sports fans, mostly older fans (who remember the good old days) are begging for a "SPORTS FAN'S UNION." that would represent the real sports fan's interest. The idea I've heard most is to get a large group of like minded sports fans together and
go after the sponsors of the games promising to boycott their product if they didn't insist on a fairness that gave a top quality game to the fans. Gee whiz, shouldn't they ALL want that?? It seems everyone but ROGER GOODELL. Spending millions of dollars to prosecute (persecute?) Tom Brady isn't in anybody's best interest except HIS. THEN, spending millions more to appeal the courts decision??? So..HE won. BUT..the FANS lost.
Here's the thought on suspensions and taking away of draft picks by the sports union fans.....When you sit down a player (as punishment) you're only punishing the FANS. FINE the player, hitting him where it hurts the most...IN THE POCKETBOOK, BUT leave him ON THE FIELD TO PLAY. The sports fan still gets to see a top quality game and the commissioner gets his punishment across.
Taking draft picks away from the team only hurts the FAN. Again, FINE the team millions of dollars instead. THAT'S hurting them where they live...IN THE POCKETBOOK and the fans still get the opportunity to see top notch teams.
This is a WIN/WIN situation. The guilty parties are punished AND the fans still get to see a top quality sporting event. By the way, the penalty, EVEN IF Brady were guilty, which he's not...is $25,000. AND, I still don't know why Bob Kraft and the Patriots were deprived of a FIRST and fourth round draft pick as well as a MILLION DOLLARS???
Now for some good news....You've all heard of the expression, "Don't tug on Superman's cape, don't spit into the wind...don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger," Patriot's fans also add...AND YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH BILL (BELLICHICK). Having assembled one of the most powerful football teams in their history Bill and the entire team are on a mission. We're all going to see one of the most incredible seasons in recent football history as the Patriots take on GOODELL and the world.....without, then WITH Brady. The Patriots are coming and hell is coming with them. Forgive me for stealing Wyatt Erp"s saying but all of PATRIOT'S NATION is on board for this season. We've all heard the saying, "Hell hath no fury like...." Well add this one al.so to that list..."the Patriots being scre, excuse me, robbed again. Is it any wonder Las Vegas has made them favorites to win the super bowl.....Stay tuned to this space.
Now that I and my fans have had our say here's some old baseball stories to pass on to the youngsters so we don't all lose our AMERICAN sport's heritage to ignoramus sports talk hosts.
Would you believe that Casey Stengel used to manage here in Boston? That's right...he managed the old Boston Braves before WWll. Now old Casey was a clownish figure even then and the sportswriters were getting mad about it. They wrote entire stories to try to discredit him. (sound familiar?) Finally the commissioner got on Casey and he apologized to the media and the fans. Actually the fans didn't mind but the media, who never bothered to learn "Stengelese" felt he was
dodging their questions and discrediting them. (Time doesn't change too much does it?)
Well the next day, when, per accustom, the opposing managers met at home plate with the umps to discus ground rules and swap lineups, the fans all held their breath waiting to see what ol' Case was going to pull. As they finished and were walking back to their respective dugouts the fans gave Stengel a standing ovation. Casey stopped at the head of the dugout, bowed and doffed his cap in gratitude to the fans....and a canary flew out....True story. The fans cheered and that was the end of that. The commissioners was smart enough to listen to the fans....Do you hear that GOODELL?
Another Stengel story....In his last year as manager of the old BOSTON Braves a young left handed pitcher named WARREN SPAHN came up to the majors with the Braves. On his first day he went to Stengel and said, "Coach, I'm well rested and ready to start any game you like, even today's. Stengel said, "START?" You're a reliever...get the heck out to the bullpen where you belong."
Well Stengel never got the chance to change baseball history by making the winningest left handed pitcher in baseball history a reliever because WWll took over. After the war, when Spahn came back to the Braves Stengel was gone. Years later, (363 wins later) in the last year of his career, Spahn went to the New York Yankees to pitch for Casey Stengel. When he saw Ol' Case he informed him that he was ready to start whenever the skip said so. (Spahn tells this story magnificently)...Stengel said
to him, "What the hell's wrong with you? I keep telling you...get the hell out to the bullpen, YOU'RE a reliever, not a starter." With that Spahn, Yogi, Scooter Rizzuto and the rest of the players there just fell over laughing. If THAT'S not a story to be enjoyed and passed on throughout the generations I don't know what is. AND...there are thousand more where those came from. Next time I'll tell you the story of the Red Sox Yankees game back in 1950 that was legendary for a few reasons. Fighting to keep a one game lead over the Yankees a real oddity, (actually TWO) happened......Stay tuned.....