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Stupid
Is As Stupid Does
Damn, Steve Smith....what were you thinking? I just returned from a two-week vacation, which included spending some quality time in California. While out West, I dodged wildfires and earthquakes. By the sound of things, I could've experienced the same sensations by heading down to Spartanburg instead. Even the San Francisco Chronicle had headlines about the Carolina Panthers' star wide receiver and his penchant for throwing right crosses to fellow teammates' faces. This is not the type of headline or exposure that Smith or the Panthers organization was looking to receive, in the early going of training camp. Given everything at stake this upcoming season for Fox/Hurney and the franchise, this is an ugly start. The Panthers had to suspend Smith, and a two-game penalty seems about right. But how this one, single episode in Spartanburg either unites or divides this team will be interesting to watch. You never know how a team will react to an event like this one. Since I've been out-of-pocket, I have not been around to see or hear the reaction, but I'm assuming that everyone was putting their best spin on the matter from the players, coaches and media members that cover the team. I also know that people are so anxious for any tidbit of information, that anything usually gets blown out of proportion by the media. Even though the guys are in camp, it's usually after the first game until we get some valid information about the make-up of the team. I can only imagine that the Smith-Lucas brawl rated as high on the seismograph as the quake in LA last week. As far as Steve Smith is concerned, his actions are inexcusable. The guy is a veteran, a leader, an All-Pro that has worked his tail off on the field. He's also made huge strides in trying to change his image away from the game, too. He should be congratulated for his efforts in both categories. But his latest anger-issue unfortunately hurts his progress ten-fold....it was simply a terrible decision. There is no doubt he'll suffer the consequences with the two-game suspension and hefty fine. The money is a no-brainer in this case, because the more important development will be how the team reacts to playing San Diego and Chicago without #89 on the field. Brett Favre is coming back to Green Bay. I did see that the Georgia Bulldogs are the pre-season #1 ranked team in college football, according to the USA Today Coaches Poll. You know what that means?.....Absolutely nothing. The pre-season polls are great for talking heads like me and college football fanatics across the land. But its purpose is really detrimental to the game. The list is solely based on a team's end to last season and the number of returning starters. It's a joke. I've stated this for years: the first college football poll should be unveiled the first Monday of October. At that point in time, everybody in the country will have the time to witness at least three or four games, some of them important, like Ohio State @ Southern Cal; Georgia @ Arizona State; LSU @ Auburn and Florida @ Tennessee, just to name a few. I do believe that teams like Georgia, Southern Cal and Ohio State are going to be good and loaded...but I think college football would benefit by delaying the first poll or ranking of teams until the beginning of October. Brett Favre just changed his mind and is going to retire. The Olympics begin this week in Beijing. I remember the day when the Olympics were a big deal, now it's just another couple of weeks to whet the appetite before the real season gets underway. I'll probably catch some of the opening ceremonies, assuming that the smog in Beijing makes it nearly impossible to see even through the NBC camera lens. I'll be used to it, after spending a couple of days of trying to see Half Dome in the Yosemite Valley during the wildfires last week. I'm sure there will be some interesting sidebar stories of note, and I fully expect to see Coach K and his NBA All-Stars cruise to a gold medal. Plus, we can always count on at least one or two doping incidents during the span of the next two weeks. But otherwise, if I get tired of watching baseball or the first quarter of a pre-season football game, I can always count on a couple of good weeks of Olympic coverage. It makes for wonderful second-layer sports viewing. Brett Favre has just confirmed that he will be back with Green Bay on odd numbered months. Michelle Wie missed the cut...again. Why do we have to be subjected to such nonsense? I know Nike is losing their ass on this investment, but watching her hack it around, shooting an 80 for the umpteenth time is not helping matters...including her own. She can take some solace in the fact that she beat David Duval. But then again, who doesn't beat that guy on the links these days? The PGA Championship gets cranked up this week in Michigan. The final major of the year is wide-open and nobody can lay claim to being the favorite. Perhaps Vijay Singh feels good after his win at Firestone, and perhaps Phil Mickelson is playing with some confidence, too. It should be noted that only one golfer has finished in the Top 10 in all three of this year's major tournaments....can you name him? It is Robert Karlsson. I'll guarantee you that you'd win that bet against anybody. Oh boy, Favre has changed his mind again and he's officially back....at least for the week! |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
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