I don’t have a core story for a notebook today, so just like yesterday I’m gonna try something a bit different. I’m just gonna run through a few different topics in sports right now, give a little opinion, and find the exit. Pretty light work, I know, but you can’t make apple pie with oranges and barley.
I’ll go with one from each sport. It’ll be like a veggie tray with five different sections, each sport being a section. No dip. Here we go.
Broccoli: MLB Combines Negro League and Major League Records
I’m starting off with a hot one. Yesterday, the MLB retroactively made the Negro Leagues count the same as the major leagues for statistics and stuff like that. I can’t say I care about it too much, but when I first read the headline something didn’t sit right.
It felt more like a PR stunt and an attempt to diminish the discrimination black players people faced. It’s like, “Oh, you remember those Negro Leagues where a whole race of people were banished to play because America’s pastime didn’t let them in? Well that was actually the same thing as the MLB. There were no problems at all. Please keep watching our game on TV.” Which I will because baseball is awesome.
But you can’t treat the Negro Leagues like they were the major leagues because they weren’t. You should be teaching the history as it happened and in some way making sure past trangressions do not repeat themselves in any way. How about doing something like calling for more black managers and front office personnel?
Sure, I guess this act makes sense for appearances sake, but changing it now does nothing for what happened in the past. As far as I can tell, this move didn’t attempt to do anything for the present or future, which should be the goal whenever you talk about the past. You can’t change what already happened, but you can use it to better the days of today and tomorrow.
It’s also hard to perceive the two leagues as equal when for so long we were shown they weren’t. The treatment was unfair, of course, but now it feels like the MLB is trying to edit history to convey a perfect past, like some of Quentin Tarantino’s movies.
I guess better late than never, but little progress came of the resolution beyond a one-day, feel good headline. Maybe I’m overthinking things, but I believe I made a solid point somewhere in there.
Carrots: James Harden Has a Poopy Diaper
I read a great story on ESPN yesterday further detailing James Harden’s spoiled, infantile behavior with the Houston Rockets. None of the details in there should surprise anyone after the choices Harden has made this offseason.
Harden would make the team stay overnight in cities with his favorite strip clubs and show up to film and plane departures whenever he wanted. Reading between the lines, it sounded like Harden’s enabler was Daryl Morey.
Much of the selfish acts relayed came during Morey’s tenure as general manager. Morey let Harden get whatever he wanted in return for playing his sacred style of basketball. According to the story, Harden got Kevin McHale fired and approved most if not all important basketball decisions, including the Chris Paul for Westbrook swap.
Harden threatened demanding a trade if Westbrook was not acquired by Houston, yet refused to mesh with his supposed best friend once Westbrook got to town. Russ gets a lot of respect from me after reading what transpired. He got really annoyed with Harden and couldn’t take the unprofessionalism after just one season, which McMahon details with several examples. Read the story.
Every GM in the league should read that article and think “Why would I ever want to trade for this guy?” Unless you think you could change him. That’s the only way.
Maybe OKC won the Harden trade after all. At least by getting rid of him they could cease dealing with his entitlement. Houston could be about win a Harden trade as well. Anything to get that toxic fool out of your franchise. But he is good at basketball, I’ll give him that.
Finally, following up from yesterday, “The Brat” is my new nickname for Baby James. You know what, Baby James might be the better option. I’ll do a poll on Twitter later.
Cauliflower: Freddie Kitchens Ain’t Hear No Bell
I’ll make these next few quick since I’m running out of time.
What a storyline going into this week’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Browns and Giants. Jason Garrett is out as offensive coordinator because of a positive test, so Freddie Kitchens slides in his place, against his former team no less.
I can’t way for Freddie to throw the kitchen sink at Cleveland with Colt McCoy (another former Brown) and Darius Slayton as his prime weapon. I would say the Browns have an edge because they already know Kitchens’ gameplan, but then again so does every third grader that’s played Madden before.
It’s good news for the Washington Football Team, who have QB injury problems of their own to deal with and face a stiff test in Seattle this Sunday. One week after going 3-1 as a division, the NFC East should be back to the NFC Least in no time.
Tomatoes: The Pro-Cincinnati Brigade Found Its New Leader
After Cincinnati dropped a spot in the rankings, AAC commissioner Michael Aresco went OFF about the College Football Playoff rankings and even went so far as to crave a return of the BCS computer.
Aresco said the committee is “undermining its credibility with rankings that defy logic and common sense and fairness.” I love it. You want passion from your conference commissioner, and this AAC diehard delivered. Stick up for your boys.
But it is crazy how Florida can lose to LSU, have two losses, and still be ahead of Cincinnati at 8-0. Not like the SEC is that much better than the AAC, is it? Well you know what, maybe it is. But that won’t stop Mad Mikey Aresco from speaking his mind.
Celery: Ron Hunter Knows How to Coach
This one will be ultra quick because Kansas-Texas Tech just started.
I watched college basketball yesterday, and the number one thing that stood out to me was how much passion Tulane head coach Ron Hunter has for basketball and being a leader of young men. He led the Green Wave back from a huge early deficit against Memphis and nearly pulled off the win. If only his players brought the same fervour as their coach to begin last night’s contest.
That is all. Enjoy your night. Time for a little top 15 duel in the Big 12 and Thursday Night Football.
CHILL YOURSELF DYLAN WOODS 