Making something out of nothing... in a bad way

By Eric Y

Last Friday, South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier admitted he did not vote for Florida quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow as All-SEC quarterback. Spurrier was the only coach in the conference to vote for a quarterback other than Tebow. ESPN, among others, has spent a lot of time covering this story. Talk of the Head Ball Coach "dissing" his alma mater and their star was all over the news. But I have to ask: why do we care?

Ok, ok, we get it: Tebow should have been unanimously the first-team quarterback. But does this error, this mistake, which Spurrier himself fessed up to, really deserve this much fuss? Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead getting ONE vote does not mean Tebow isn't on the first team. And do you think Tebow is upset that Spurrier accidentally voted for someone else? Do you think a good guy like him is gonna go on a rant, calling out the Gamecocks, because of this? No! Of course not! There is nothing so newsworthy about this mistake that it should be the headline of the SEC media day, where we should be hearing about the upcoming season and not Tim Tebow's virginity.

This whole over-reporting of the SEC first team "scandal" really leaves me wondering: is ESPN turning into the MTV of sports television? Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of SportsCenter and of when the station shows games. But more and more of ESPN is becoming off-the-field stuff and less and less is about what's actually happening in the game. Of course, a little bit about what's happening to athletes off the field is good, but after hearing about Terrell Owens' antics and reality TV show and the pregnancy testing for Dirk Nowitzki's girlfriend every day, you get pretty sick of it. Why don't you tell me how Owens, the same wideout who was exiled from three different cities, can mesh into Bufallo's system and thrive? How about you spend just a second talking about Nowitzki's performance on the court and not in bed?

Often times, I turn on the TV expecting to see a game on ESPN, but, most times, I'm disappointed to see yet another goddamn E:60 report on Michael Vick and his puppies. ESPN is slowly but surely turning into MTV, showcasing the World Series of Poker but not Major League Baseball, and Outside the Lines but not NFL Live. And that's why I like ESPN Classic; they show actual sporting events (with the exception of American Gladiators, but it's entertaining). I'd rather watch a football game from 10 years ago than hear about a punk wide receiver who kills a guy but doesn't get 10 years.

On a totally unrelated note, Tim Tebow's reported girlfriend is totally bangin. I wouldn't mind if the guys on ESPN talked about her a little bit more.

The Prince who should be King

By Eric Y

Many players in all sports leagues are sifted into two separate categories: underrated or overrated. There's always a few sleeper players (e.g. Ben Zobrist) who end up in all-star games, and there's always a few players who sign stratospheric contracts then drastically underperform (e.g. Jose Guillen).

In Major League Baseball this year, a great amount of attention is given to St. Louis Cardinals' superstar Albert Pujols, who is neither underrated nor overrated. With everyone focused on him, not many are paying attention to the most underrated player in the MLB: Prince Fielder.

Some casual baseball fans might know Fielder as "that guy who won the Home Run Derby a couple weeks ago." But if you look closely at the Milwaukee first baseman's stats, you realize what an outstanding season he's actually having. Fielder is tied for fifth in the National League in home runs, but that's no surprise to me. What's really surprising is that he has, in one season, gone from a one-tool, power-hitting slugger, to a .300 hitter.

But Fielder hasn't just raised his batting average; he's raised almost every other statistical category from last year. His On-Base Percentage raised from .372 in 2008 to .438 (second in the MLB, behind Pujols), and his Slugging Percentage leaped from .507 to .610 (also second in the bigs). His On-Base plus Slugging Percentage skyrocketed from .879 to 1.048 (second in the MLB). His Value Over Replacement Player (the number of runs contributed beyond what a replacement-level player at the same position would contribute if given the same percentage of team plate appearances) is 49.4, which is less than only Pujols and Florida Marlin shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Fielder's hitting is the key to the Brewers success, and his hitting has helped everyone else on the team thrive.

But hitting isn't all Fielder can do. Fielder went from one of the worst defensive first basemen in the majors (17 errors in 2008, second worst in the MLB) to a much more sound defender (only 4 errors thus far). Fielder is also the most fleet-of-foot 268-pound players I have ever seen. Fielder isn't going to be a big threat to steal a base, but he is a very smart and good baserunner, and is actually pretty damn fast (Prince holds the distinguished record of heaviest player ever to hit an inside-the-park home run, which he did last year).

At age 25, Fielder has nowhere to go but up. Right now, he will have to settle for second-best behind Pujols. But the Big Broccoli has nowhere to go but up. Watch out.

Chillin in The Lounge

The Kufere Laing Lounge

As you sit back in the cool AC provided in The Kufere Laing Lounge (emphasis on the capital t in The) we have a nice video presentation to show you; featuring LeBron James and Xavier guard Jordan Crawford. I think you know where this is going, click here to see for yourself.

The Most Interesting Man in the World

The Kufere Laing Lounge

As the social networking fad continues to rage on, I must bring your attention to something, Ron Artest's Twitter page! Artest is known for being a rap star, a mixed martial artist, and when he's not fighting or rapping; Artest has been known to play a little basketball. With all these unique talents combined with Artest's personality, one would think Artest would have his own reality show. Still, why would Artest need a reality show, if we could constantly know what he's thinking through Twitter? For all the sporting news that has been "reported" through Twitter and with tv shows like SportsCenter and PTI now using Twitter it's surprising that no one has said anything about Artest's amusing "tweets."

Artest has called out everyone from Shaquille O'neal to the Los Angeles Clippers. In one recent tweet Artest called out Clippers head coach and GM Mike Dunleavy by writing, " Mike that joke was so bad I bet you just signed it for 5 yrs & 90 million. Stick to your day job, whatever that may be." Artest even called out the actor Morgan Freeman when he tweeted, "Sam Jackson hosting ESPYs? I hear they wanted Morgan Freeman, but he had to take his fiancee to the playground."

So you heard it first in The Kufere Laing Lounge, Ron Artest not only the world's most interesting man, but also the world's most amusing. Click here to "follow" Artest, and while your at it follow the find fellows at Garbage Time so you will always know what's going on in The Kufere Laing Lounge.

Air McNair Has Been Grounded

The Kufere Laing Lounge

As the facts concerning the tragic death of NFL quarterback Steve McNair continue to spill out, an interesting dilemma has arisen. Some feel McNair should be judged based upon his feats in life opposed to his faults (here's ESPN's Jemele Hill's take). Others feel that the recent allegations which have come out in the wake of McNair's death must be factored in when judging him (here's what Jay Mariotti had to say). Either way, McNair had us all fooled.

Over the course of his career, McNair was said to be a warrior, a great leader, and the ultimate leader on the field; off the field McNair gave back to his community, opened up a restaurant, and gave life to the Tennessee Titans franchise which had just moved from Houston, all while serving as an icon in the Nashville, Tennessee area. With this image, McNair was seen as the ultimate professional athlete, the role model off the field, and the all-star on the field. For his entire career, he was able to stay out of the news for the wrong things, which has made his death so shocking.

Due to the fact that the public had no idea about McNair's "other" life, a new question arises, how much should the public know? Due to camera phones, the internet, and the constant stream of news that flows into our Blackberrys, Sidekicks, iPhones, ect. few things celebrities do are left unnoticed. However, a good portion of the "news" concerning celebrities often isn't news. There have been news reports about everything from Tom Brady bringing his wife flowers to A-Rod possibly in a relationship with Madonna. At what point is the line drawn?

While the recent news concerning McNair's girlfriend is actually noteworthy because it pertains McNair's death. There a lots of news stories which go deep into the lives of professional athletes, robbing them of any kind of privacy in addition to dehumanizing the athletes. The "line" of newsworthy separating and nebby are often crossed by obnoxious reporters often confusing news, with their own personal curiosity and in the process making another persons life much more difficult or depressing (Selena Roberts are you reading?). Because McNair's personal life was kept from the masses (until this weekend's tragic event), it allowed for everyone to focus on the great things he did in his life. After all, isn't that the way it should be?

Note--the picture was taken from the sports blog http://passtheword.wordpress.com/

Change Clothes and GOOOOOOO!

The Kufere Laing Lounge

With Shaquille O'neal set to join his fifth team in his 17 year career, a loyal reader of Garbage Time suggested a post about how great players no longer play with one team for their entire career any more. Making the matter more mind-boggling, the faces of franchises are finding new homes. Think about it, NBA greats like: Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen, and heck, even the "best" of them all Michael Jordan didn't play their careers with the teams' that retired their jerseys or dedicated statues to them. The trend not only takes place in basketball, but in every other major sport.

After having a great tenure in Green Bay, Brett Favre was forced to pack his bags and move to a different city after a messy divorce over some guy named Aaron Rodgers. The late Reggie White, who is second on the NFL's all time sacks list, played for not one, not two, but three NFL teams over his 17 year career! This summer, All-Pro wideout Terrell Owens signed with his fourth NFL team, and while some may blame his attitude for the various changes of scenery, how does one explain Jerry Rice leaving the 49ers (after breaking every major league and franchise receiving record) to go play for the Radiers?

Ken Griffey Jr. made his name with the Mariners, but after nine seasons in Seattle, Junior felt it was best if he packed his bags and moved east; to Cincinnati. Junior would also play in Chicago before making his way back west to Seattle. Another Mariner great Alex Rodriguez not only played for the Texas Rangers, but also played for the Yankees and entertained offers two seasons ago to play elsewhere. Even the legends like Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds (there's no denying Bonds as one of the all time greats), and Frank Robinson played for more than one team.

Since the creation of free agency, the possibility of star players staying with one team has become less likely, as players normally go to whoever offers the most money; and rightfully so, after all isn't that what capitalism is all about? Still, even before free agency, star players nearing the end of their careers would often be traded, sometimes against their will to either save money or to jump start the rebuilding process (see: Mays, Willie). Besides creating curses, these instances created a culture that placed no emphasis on loyalty. The owners do what's best for the team financially, and the players do what's best for their families. At this point in time, would you really be surprised if the face of your favorite franchise was traded tomorrow? I wouldn't. Nevertheless, I'm hoping I can remember Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, and Hines Ward the same way Orioles' fans remember Cal Ripken, Jr.