Tag: Sports

Coffee Talk #612: Random Thoughts on Alex Rodriguez + Poll

You’ve got to hand it to Alex Rodriguez. Just when you think he couldn’t possibly look more ridiculous, he manages to find new ways to top himself. After getting slapped with a 162-game suspension by an independent arbitrator in a process that was agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (the union), A-Fraud decides to sue MLB and the MLBPA. A man that has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in the past has adamantly denied that he was recently using performance-enhancing drugs despite damning evidence to the contrary. He loses an arbitration hearing that both MLB and the MLBPA have publicly stated is a final decision, in accordance to the collective bargaining agreement. Since A-Fraud didn’t get the results he wanted to, he’s going to sue everyone. It’s amazing that…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Golden Globe Awards, the amazingly overrated Lena Dunham, or the NFL playoffs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

You’ve got to hand it to Alex Rodriguez. Just when you think he couldn’t possibly look more ridiculous, he manages to find new ways to top himself. After getting slapped with a 162-game suspension by an independent arbitrator in a process that was agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (the union), A-Fraud decides to sue MLB and the MLBPA. A man that has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in the past has adamantly denied that he was recently using performance-enhancing drugs despite damning evidence to the contrary. He loses an arbitration hearing that both MLB and the MLBPA have publicly stated is a final decision, in accordance to the collective bargaining agreement. Since A-Fraud didn’t get the results he wanted to, he’s going to sue everyone. It’s amazing that the A-Fraud circus continues to get bigger and sillier.

There are so many takeaways from this. Where to begin?

– Several web sites have consulted with legal experts on the chances of A-Fraud getting his case heard by a federal court. All of them have said that it’s extremely unlikely. The reasoning behind these opinions is that federal courts are extremely wary of interfering with arbitration processes that were collectively bargained.

– A-Fraud has some of the dumbest fans in the world. Despite the notes from his presumed PED supplier and several coded BlackBerry messages, they believe their hero is clean. They also believe that a federal court will overturn the ruling, despite what most legal experts are saying. So many of them are trying to apply basic court logic (probably learned from Law and Order reruns) to an arbitration hearing. I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is that comparison is dumb. It doesn’t work that way. My favorite are the ones that say he’s being singled out because he’s Latino. No, he’s being singled out because he’s the only player that disputed the initial Biogenesis suspensions.

– Let’s ignore the fact that A-Fraud was dumb enough to use his personal phone instead of a burner to discuss PED usage. Why the hell was he still using a BlackBerry?!?

– I love that “gummies” was one of the codewords for the PEDs A-Fraud was using. I don’t understand how A-Fraud defenders can dismiss this. Do they think that he was sending messages to a know PED pedaler about when to consume chewable German candy?

– No, MLB isn’t clean in this matter either. Some of the tactics it used to build a case against A-Fraud were sleazy. Many A-Fraud supporters point out that some of MLB’s evidence wouldn’t be admissible in a court of law due to the manner it was procured. However, this was an arbitration and not a court case, so….

For the record, I was never happy that the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez. I don’t care about his strong performance in the 2009 playoffs that helped win the Yankees a World Series. I’ve loathed him ever since he threw his former best friend Derek Jeter under the bus in a 2001 Esquire article. He has embarrassed the team time and time again and, like I said in the intro, always manages to find new ways to top himself.

All that aside, the evidence against A-Fraud is difficult to dispute. I don’t believe his claim that he’s been clean for the last several years. I do believe that he looks like a crybaby for suing MLB and the MLBPA.

More importantly, I want to get your thoughts on the matter. Do you think his suspension was too harsh? Do you believe that he took PEDs? Do you think a federal court will overturn the arbitration ruling? Kindly vote in the poll below and leave a comment with your thoughts on the latest Alex Rodriguez situation.

[poll id=”189″]

NFL Week 12: What You Learned

Since so many of you are big (American) football fans, here’s some space to talk about the latest NFL games. Whether you’re discussing your fantasy league players, Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, or the voluminous coverage of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning overshadowing the actual game between the Patriots and the Broncos, please talk it up in the comments section!

Tony Allen Kicks Chris Paul in the Face

In a recent NBA game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers, there’s a play where Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul in the face. In the last month, I’ve been posting some cheap shots by the Miami Heats’ Mario Chalmers on Facebook and Google+. This roundhouse kick by Allen is so phenomenal that I had to post it on RPad.TV. Just look at it (video above, animated GIF below). It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in a basketball game.

Watch Paul drive the lane as he gives an excellent head fake. Marvel as Allen jumps and inexplicably raises his leg to…I dunno, possibly kick the ball out of Paul’s hands?!? Laugh as Allen rubs his shin as he’s speaking to the referees, hopelessly trying to generate some sympathy. Normally, this type of foul would result in a bench-clearing brawl, but it’s so wacky that the players are wondering what the hell they just saw. To be fair, part of it is that Allen is known as a tough, but fairly clean defender; his game is based on hustle and effort, and he’s not known as a cheap-shot artist (like RPadholic Iceman’s beloved Chalmers). On a side note, I love that “Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul” is currently a popular Google search term.

The Tony-Allen-kicks-Chris-Paul-in-the-face foul would have made a ton of sense if the cameras panned to the Grizzlies’ bench and showed Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese nodding in approval. That would have been cool…and logical. Since Kreese wasn’t at the game (or wasn’t seen at the game), I’m amazed that this play actually happened. I do think Allen’s ejection was justified, but I don’t think that the foul was premeditated. It was just a stupid reaction that resulted in a bad foul that looked like a cross between jazz dancing and the “hurricane kick” from Street Fighter.

Anyway, check out the clip when you have a moment and kindly give me your take on the “Tony Allen kicks Chris Paul in the face” extravaganza.

Tony Allen Kicks Chris Paul in the Face

Source

NFL Week 11: What You Learned

Since so many of you are big (American) football fans, here’s some space to talk about the latest NFL games. Whether you’re discussing your fantasy league players, the impact of Wes Welker’s concussion, or Ahmad Brooks’ hit on Drew Brees, please talk it up in the comments section!

Today’s Poll: The Jonathan Martin Bullying Controversy

I’ve been fascinated by the reactions to the Jonathan Martin bullying situation. For those of you not familiar with the situation, he was allegedly bullied by his teammates and things got so bad that he left the team to seek treatment. There are many that empathize with Martin and believe that he’s a victim. There are those that feel that this behavior is unacceptable for an NFL player — an occupation perceived by many Americans to be macho.

On one hand, the Jonathan Martin bullying controversy shows how universal the issue can be. Bullying can happen to a person of any race, sex, ethnicity, occupation, etc. Seeing it happen to a professional athlete — especially an NFL player — is extraordinary. Some believe that this is a fantastic example that shows the severity of bullying — something that will help people realize that it’s not just something that happens to kids in grade school.

On the other hand, some believe that this is a sign of the softening of the NFL and society in general. Several of you RPadholics have accused NFL commissioner Roger Goodell of “pussifying” the league. Several ESPN.com commenters have said that the Jonathan Martin bullying situation never would have happened in the NFL of the ’70, ’80s, and ’90s. It can be argued that American sports have gone soft and Martin is an example of how soft things have become.

Since you RPadholics are outstanding at bringing up interesting points of view without blasting each other like the silly kids on G4tv.com, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Jonathan Martin bullying situation. Is he the victim of dickish teammates that was driven to seek therapy for legitimate emotional issues? Or is the problem ridiculous for highly-paid athletes that have one of the manliest jobs in America? Kindly vote in the poll below and share your feelings like a Care Bear in the comments section.

[poll id=”187″]