A Real Rant

A REAL RANT

Here are just some things that I have been thinking about in the sports world over the past few days.

*Tim Hardaway made some comments about former NBAer John Amaechi, who revealed to the public last week that he was gay. In those comments, Hardaway said things like, “You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people,” and “I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States.” First things first. Hey Tim, just so you know, the United States is part of the world in case you missed that day in geography class. Now, for the serious issue at hand. You are exactly right; certain people should not be in our world, but they are not people like John Amaechi, they are the bigots like yourself. Just think if everyone all through history thought the same way Hardaway thinks, he wouldn’t have to worry about sharing a lockerroom with gays, because HE wouldn’t be in it, and people like Jackie Robinson would have never been given a chance.

*By the way, don’t you thing John Amaechi could have come up with a better name for his book revealing his sexual preference than Man in the Middle? That had comedians everywhere waiting with punch lines.

*Bobby Knight was reprimanded today by Big XII officials for being critical of a call in a double overtime loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday. He called the call, “horrendous,” and “maybe as bad a call as I’ve ever seen.” Seeing the play and call as it happened on Saturday and thinking the same thing that Knight said in his post-game press conference got me wondering. Why are referees so protected? Why don’t they have to speak to the media to explain what they saw and why they made certain calls? In this instance, the ref clearly made a terrible call, and possibly changed the outcome of the game, yet nothing is done to him? I have a lot of respect for officials in all sports and I feel that they make the right call 99.8% of the time, but every once in a while, they mess up. Why should the player or coach or administrator get in trouble for being critical or commenting about the situation? All I’m asking for is a post-game press conference for the officials. I think it would help if they had to answer some questions about their performance every game, too.

*March Madness seems to have set-in a little early. Sure, you had Top 10 teams losing at home this week like Pitt, Texas A&M and North Carolina, but that is just the beginning. Going into this week, there were 6 teams that were “on the bubble” for the NCAA tournament, and that are in an all new territory this time of year. Can you imagine an NCAA Tournament without the likes of Arizona, UCONN, Duke, Michigan State, Syracuse or Texas Tech? Ok, you got me with the Texas Tech. So let me say it this way. Can you imagine a March without Lute Olson, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Calhoun, Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim or Bob Knight pacing the sidelines? All of these coaches and their teams have struggled in the new year. Bob Knight had lost 5 in a row, something he hadn’t done since 1971, before upseting #6 Texas A&M on Tuesday. Coach K and the Dukies had lost 4 in a row and dropped out of the ESPN/coaches poll for the first time since its inception before winning at #21 Boston College last night. Jim Calhoun is breaking in a young bunch at Connecticut this season, and the Big East has not been kind to them. They had lost 6 of 8 and 9 of their last 13 before beating Seton Hall last night. Arizona started 12-1 and is 5-6 since, Syracuse had lost 4 of 5 before winning their last two and Michigan State had lost 4 in a row before a win against rival Michiagn Tuesday night. So all these teams are now back on the winning track, but it is a track they need to stay on if they want to be playing in March. It sure would be an odd tournament without these coaches and teams on the sidelines.

*A cool story to follow that I wanted to pass along. Jon Lester, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox is back pitching again this spring after going through a tough offseason. Lester’s season ended last August 23rd after a start in Anaheim. It was then that he was diagnosed as having anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Lester went through six rounds of chemotherapy, the final one December 21st, and reported to Red Sox camp cancer-free.

*The Daytona 500 will start off the NASCAR season Sunday. The week leading up to this Daytona 500 has had a little more action and excitement than in years past though, with 5 different crew chiefs being suspended from the race due to their cars not meeting NASCAR regulations. Four of the racers who were penalized were Matt Kenseth, who finished second at Daytona last year, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Scott Riggs, but you have really got to give it to the 5th driver. Michael Waltrip and his team were hit with the toughest penalty. When these guys cheat, they really cheat. While the other racers were penalized for using irregular bolts in their cars or for improperly installing wind ducts, Waltrip's team was penalized for having a foreign substance in his car. That substance? JET FUEL. No truth to the the rumor that the song "Danger Zone" from the Top Gun soundtrack was playing in the garage when the team was busted.