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Saying
I'm Sorry If I hear another apology, I think I'm going to scream. The week was filled with high drama, high profile sports stars pleading their case for a second chance. It started with Alex Rodriguez in a make-shift media tent in Florida, and ended on the West Coast with Dale, Jr. finally coming clean for his bonehead driving in the Daytona 500. We also had some classics in between. Let's start with A-Rod...did anybody buy his story while being interviewed by ESPN's Peter Gammons? The reason Gammons was selected for that particular interview is because he is one of baseball's great defenders. After watching A-Rod's second stanza in front of the media, you realized how ridiculous Gammons' effort was in the first go around with Rodriguez. The more A-Rod spoke, the more I cringed. He was turning into Ryan Seacrest right in front of my eyes. It was truly a media circus and if the Yankees' overpaid star thinks the headaches and manhunt are going away, he must be out of his mind. Also getting into the A-Rod mix was another favorite of mine, Bud Selig. The MLB Commish told Newsday that he didn't want to be blamed for the "Steroid Era" in baseball. What a joke. That was another perfect example of a lack of leadership on Selig's part. Instead of trying to pass the buck, the commish should be in the midst of finding a solution to baseball's embarrassing problem. One thing you can count on, Selig doesn't have a clue. Maybe he can put together another Mitchell Report and dispel all the nightmares surrounding the game. The A-Rod saga was only the start of an amazing week. How about UNC coach, Roy Williams? After beating rival N.C. State, the coach had a field day in the post game interviews. Ol' Roy, who has one of the great expletives in sports history when he claimed on CBS that he "didn't give a ti^%$t about North Carolina", came up with a great bookend. When asked about his team's inability to press and defend, he dropped the infamous "F-word" in front of a packed house of reporters and on the teams' respective radio networks. Listen, I cuss all the time on and off the air...it is a terrible trait and habit....but if I said the same word on the PrimeTime Radio Network or on the nightly TV commentary, the FCC would be wearing me out. Roy got off big-time and in the process apologized immediately for the slip. Somewhere, Mike Krzyzewski was laughing his ass off. Maybe the only guy that handled the entire apology episode correctly was Charles Barkley. The former NBA star and current TNT analyst had been suspended for nearly 6 weeks for an infamous DUI in the Phoenix area on New Year's Eve. His return to the airwaves last Thursday brought Sir Charles back to his stupid actions. His on-air apology was sincere, direct and right on the money. It is also made it perfectly clear that another screw-up like the one in Phoenix, and he is history. I like Barkley, and even though he has the ability to use the freedom of speech double-standard to his benefit, I normally enjoy his banter and take on numerous issues. Hopefully, the DUI will not detract from his confidence and ability to interact on the air. The final "I'm sorry" was delivered by the face of NASCAR, when Dale, Jr. finally realized that he was the main culprit in the melee at last week's Daytona 500. I'm glad he finally realized that some people in media (not NASCAR media) called him out for his ridiculous driving and ability to pass the buck. I'm hoping that the percentage of Junior Nation that actually reads had the ability to hear their idol apologize for screwing up. It was amazing how many emails and calls I received from Junior fans that defended him to the hilt....sorry, boys, but your guy was guilty as sin by taking out Brian Vickers and many of the leaders. It was refreshing to see and hear Dale, Jr. come clean. I'm glad to see Phil Mickelson repeat as the winner in LA....and the reason I state that is because Tiger Woods is back on the PGA Tour. The last time we saw Eldrick, he was walking on one leg and winning his fourteenth major championship. Since Tiger's departure last June, the world of golf has fallen off the face of the planet. Without Tiger, golf's TV ratings disappeared just like your 401K....nobody cares about these robots, unless my man Boo Weekley says or does something crazy. But with Tiger in the field beginning Wednesday, the sport now has life again. I'm hoping his knee is 100%, but even if he falls short this week in the WGC Match Play event, it's good to know that Tiger is back on the tour. I failed to write about Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue last week...but is it me, or did that issue seem a little flat? Plus, Danica Patrick does nothing for me....with or without her airbrushed tattoo. The folks at SI need to get back to the drawing board...here's a suggestion: Bring back Marisa Miller. I know the month of March arrives this weekend, and that means the NCAA Tourney is right around the corner. I had a number of Davidson Wildcat fans complaining to me that they believe their team is worthy of an at-large bid, even if they fail to win the Southern Conference. Think again, Wildcats. I think it is imperative that Davidson take care of business in the Southern Conference Tournament. They have failed miserably outside of the league and they continued that trend when Butler spanked them at Belk Arena over the weekend. It's one thing to schedule tough teams, but eventually you have to beat somebody. Despite the setback, I still think the Cats get in the Big Dance by winning their tourney. While Davidson is a hot topic on the bubble, so are the Maryland Terrapins. Can you figure Gary Williams' team out? Last week they were destroyed at Clemson, but they follow it up with an improbable win over North Carolina. Is it enough to get the Terps in the NCAA Tourney? Ask me again next week. They are so helter skelter that they are sure to impress and disappoint a few more times before Selection Sunday in three weeks. |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
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