The latest rumor going around the NBA Free Agency Season is Allen Iverson to the Clippers. I cannot overstate how awful an idea this is even for the woeful Clippers. If the Clippers sign Iverson it would go down as one of the worst moves in franchise history. Let that sink in this is The Clippers and it would be the worst move in their franchise history! The Clippers are maybe the worst run franchise in all of sports, I mean people in Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo look back after failed seasons and say "Well it could be worse, we could be The Clippers." and this could be there worst move ever.
While there are numerous reasons while this is a terrible, I will focus on 4.
1. Iverson and Baron Davis are the same player- They both require lots of shots and need the ball in their hands to create their own shot. Not to mention they both are awful on the defensive end, which is an area where the Clippers drastically improve. The two of them cannot coexist on the same team let alone on the floor together. If they sign Iverson, than The Clippers will be ruining their major free agent signing of last summer.
2. Iverson is uncoachable- Listen, Iverson is a first ballot Hall of Famer but we all know he is not a coaches dream. There are mayber 2 or 3 coaches who could actually manage Iverson and Mike Dunleavy is not one of them. There is no way that Dunleavy, who is his own right is an awful coach, can get Iverson to play as part of a team. This would be the coach-player nightmare. I would give it a month before either Iverson turns the team against Dunleavy or Dunleavy quits on Iverson and buries him on the bench.
3. The Clippers have a decent core- Baron Davis can still score with the best of them and is one of the best clutch players in the league. Eric Gordan is a fantastic young player who has the potential to be a perennial All Star. Blake Griffin is a fantastic player, who will be a force in this league if he stays healthy. They have 3 quality players and need to develop and sign some quality role players who can help out the 3 stars. Allen Iverson is not what the team needs. He will destroy the the young players and will hurt their development.
4. The promotional factor- The Clippers apparently want to sign Iveson because he will sell tickets and on the same hand they are talking about bringing him off the bench. You cannot sell your franchise to fans on the premise of "Hey come watch our 6th man play 20 minutes a game!" If you want to sell tickets with Iverson you will have to start him almost every night, which will hurt the team. As for Iverson coming off the bench, there is no possible way that this idea will end well. Iverson may say all the right things but we all know after about 1 month he will start complaining to the media and destroying the team.
So please Donald Sterling and Mike Dunleavy please rethink this idea. Despite your best efforts the Clippers could actually be not terrible this year, and signing Iverson will just destroy that progress.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The British Open
On Thursday The British Open will begin at Turnberry in Scotland. While I cannot say who will win, my out on a limb pick some guy named Eldrick Tiger Woods, I will say this there may not be a better experience in sports than being at The Open Championship.
I attended The Open in 2004 when it was at St. Andrews. I was there for a practice round and the first round and my mind was blown. The courses are like nothing you have ever seen. Bunkers so deep that you cannot see out of them when you are in them and these are just the fairway bunkers! Heather so thick that you could play with a bright orange ball that was 3 times normal size and you would not be able to find it.
We got there at the start of the first round and started at the first fairway so that we could see Jack tee off. We then walked the course for about 3 hours just trying to see every hole, and at every hole we were stunned by the difficulty and beauty of each hole. We then positioned our self up in the grandstand behind the 2nd hole. In this spot we go to see players hit in to the 2nd Green, hit into the 17th hole, and tee off on 18, it was like golf heaven. It was up on the top of the grandstand that we felt the true test of The Open. The wind was blowing at about 20 MPH and you could feel every gust of cold wind, and I was floored that players were actually playing in the wind because it was at least a 3 club wind.
As we left it had started to rain which once again reminded me how difficult the conditions really are at The Open. We were walking and stopped to see David Duval's group play their approach shots onto the 7th hole. The rain was escalating as one of Duval's playing partners stuck his approach shot to the roar of the crowd. Next to hit was Duval who was fighting a broken umbrella and thick rough. He shanked one way left and after letting out a few F-bombs he took his malfunctioning umbrella and threw it as hard as he could into the hill next to him. The umbrella went probably halfway through as the poor caddie was left to try and pull it out.
It was an amazing display of the emotions that golfers have during a major and it was a perfect end to a mind blowing day of watching golf.
So I beg you if you ever get the chance even if its only for one round go see The British Open at least once before you die because it will be a truly wonderful experience.
I attended The Open in 2004 when it was at St. Andrews. I was there for a practice round and the first round and my mind was blown. The courses are like nothing you have ever seen. Bunkers so deep that you cannot see out of them when you are in them and these are just the fairway bunkers! Heather so thick that you could play with a bright orange ball that was 3 times normal size and you would not be able to find it.
We got there at the start of the first round and started at the first fairway so that we could see Jack tee off. We then walked the course for about 3 hours just trying to see every hole, and at every hole we were stunned by the difficulty and beauty of each hole. We then positioned our self up in the grandstand behind the 2nd hole. In this spot we go to see players hit in to the 2nd Green, hit into the 17th hole, and tee off on 18, it was like golf heaven. It was up on the top of the grandstand that we felt the true test of The Open. The wind was blowing at about 20 MPH and you could feel every gust of cold wind, and I was floored that players were actually playing in the wind because it was at least a 3 club wind.
As we left it had started to rain which once again reminded me how difficult the conditions really are at The Open. We were walking and stopped to see David Duval's group play their approach shots onto the 7th hole. The rain was escalating as one of Duval's playing partners stuck his approach shot to the roar of the crowd. Next to hit was Duval who was fighting a broken umbrella and thick rough. He shanked one way left and after letting out a few F-bombs he took his malfunctioning umbrella and threw it as hard as he could into the hill next to him. The umbrella went probably halfway through as the poor caddie was left to try and pull it out.
It was an amazing display of the emotions that golfers have during a major and it was a perfect end to a mind blowing day of watching golf.
So I beg you if you ever get the chance even if its only for one round go see The British Open at least once before you die because it will be a truly wonderful experience.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The MLB All Star Week
I love the MLB All Star game because it is one of the few games where players give it their all. Luckily baseball is one of the few games where you cannot coast because the game comes to you. Batters cannot take it easy at the plate or they will look silly, pitchers have to throw good pitches or they will get shelled, and fielder better be ready or they will look like Dan Uggla and make 3 errors in the game.
I love the Home Run Derby even though I think it is a little too long and should only be 2 rounds and have 4 guys in the finals. That would ensure that the finals are still competitive and will still ensure some drama with a lot of home runs. Overall though I am a huge fan of the Home Run Derby because it is not fixed like the slam dunk competition. (If you need proof of that go youtube Rudy Fernadez two dunks from this years dunk contest and tell me if there was not an agenda to get Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard in the Finals.)
However I think the MLB should expand the All Star festivities to have some skills competitions. Here are my ideas.
1. Fast Pitch competition- Think about it, all of the hardest throwers in the game trying to hit the highest on the radar gun. The only rule the pitch has to be a strike. Broxton, Papelbon, Verlander and maybe 3 other guys. Each gets 10 pitches with a generous umpire calling strikes. The fastest strike for each player counts winner takes all.
2. Fastest Round the Bases- Crawford, Sizemore, Ichiro and 3 other speedsters. Each gets one run around all the diamond and the clock stops when the players crosses home plate. Who is the fastest man in the Major League? This will settle it.
3. Outfield Assist- My personal favorite. Straight out of Tom Emanski Defensive Skills video. Get all of the outfielders selected to the All Star team, go out to the out field. They each get 5 throws from Left, Center, and Right from about 250 feet out. There will be a trash can in place behind home place. If the ball hits the trash can you get 1 point but if it goes in the trash can you get 3 points. The top four highest scores will go to the finals and the highest score there wins.
Are these ideas perfect no but at least it gets everybody involved in the All Star festivities and will make it much more entertaining just like the NBA, NFL, and NHL skills competition. The MLB has more than just home run hitters and its time to showcase some of that talent.
I love the Home Run Derby even though I think it is a little too long and should only be 2 rounds and have 4 guys in the finals. That would ensure that the finals are still competitive and will still ensure some drama with a lot of home runs. Overall though I am a huge fan of the Home Run Derby because it is not fixed like the slam dunk competition. (If you need proof of that go youtube Rudy Fernadez two dunks from this years dunk contest and tell me if there was not an agenda to get Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard in the Finals.)
However I think the MLB should expand the All Star festivities to have some skills competitions. Here are my ideas.
1. Fast Pitch competition- Think about it, all of the hardest throwers in the game trying to hit the highest on the radar gun. The only rule the pitch has to be a strike. Broxton, Papelbon, Verlander and maybe 3 other guys. Each gets 10 pitches with a generous umpire calling strikes. The fastest strike for each player counts winner takes all.
2. Fastest Round the Bases- Crawford, Sizemore, Ichiro and 3 other speedsters. Each gets one run around all the diamond and the clock stops when the players crosses home plate. Who is the fastest man in the Major League? This will settle it.
3. Outfield Assist- My personal favorite. Straight out of Tom Emanski Defensive Skills video. Get all of the outfielders selected to the All Star team, go out to the out field. They each get 5 throws from Left, Center, and Right from about 250 feet out. There will be a trash can in place behind home place. If the ball hits the trash can you get 1 point but if it goes in the trash can you get 3 points. The top four highest scores will go to the finals and the highest score there wins.
Are these ideas perfect no but at least it gets everybody involved in the All Star festivities and will make it much more entertaining just like the NBA, NFL, and NHL skills competition. The MLB has more than just home run hitters and its time to showcase some of that talent.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Take It Easy Lebron
Allegedly Lebron James was dunked on by Xavier guard Jordan Crawford in a scrimmage after hours at Lebron James summer camp for top high school players. The scrimmage was between the counselors who are top college players and Lebron James, and early in the scrimmage Crawford went to the basket and dunked on Lebron. This was probably one of the highlights of Crawford's early career and probably would have gotten him on Sports Center and on multiple TV shows talking about the dunk. Unfortunately for Crawford Nike reps confiscated the video of the game and the tapes have not been released to the public. According to the people at the game after the dunk Lebron called over a Nike rep and said something and the rep later went around to gather the video evidence. Despite all of this Crawford acted maturely saying "It was exciting just to be playing on the same court as him. I can see why he is so great at what he does."
As much I love Lebron James and for the most part defend him when haters try to attack him, but I cannot defend this action. You got dunked on no big deal everyone who has played basketball at at least the college level has been dunked on by an opposing player. Jordan was posterized by Starks. Lerbon himself has posterized people from Sheed, to KG to Tim Duncan. Part of being one of the premier players in the league means people are gunning to score on you. Jordan dealt with everyone trying to make him look silly. Iverson crossed him once and the video is all over YouTube.
Lebron you cannot get upset just because a talented college kid threw it down on you, and as long as you are a premier player in the league you will be a target for people to try and dunk on you. Let the kid have his moment and let it go. No one will think you are less of an NBA player because you were dunked on by a college kid.
So please let the video out and throw on a smile. Laugh it off and give the kid some props. Nobody wants to root for a player who gets this upset at being dunked on by a fellow player. I promise you will still be considered the best player in the league.
As much I love Lebron James and for the most part defend him when haters try to attack him, but I cannot defend this action. You got dunked on no big deal everyone who has played basketball at at least the college level has been dunked on by an opposing player. Jordan was posterized by Starks. Lerbon himself has posterized people from Sheed, to KG to Tim Duncan. Part of being one of the premier players in the league means people are gunning to score on you. Jordan dealt with everyone trying to make him look silly. Iverson crossed him once and the video is all over YouTube.
Lebron you cannot get upset just because a talented college kid threw it down on you, and as long as you are a premier player in the league you will be a target for people to try and dunk on you. Let the kid have his moment and let it go. No one will think you are less of an NBA player because you were dunked on by a college kid.
So please let the video out and throw on a smile. Laugh it off and give the kid some props. Nobody wants to root for a player who gets this upset at being dunked on by a fellow player. I promise you will still be considered the best player in the league.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Steve McNair
I know everyone has already heard about the tragic death of Steve McNair, and I am also sure everyone has heard about the circumstances surrounding his murder.
In story's like that it is important to remember that athletes have two personalities. They have the on the field persona and a personal life as well. These are separate lives and need to be treated as such. Yes, Steve McNair made some bad decisions at the end of his life that may have eventually lead to his death, but that does not change how he should be remembered as football player.
At the end of the day Steve McNair was a warrior on the football field. The list of injuries that he played through is mind blowing, and he was a fearless leader whose teams rallied behind him. Not to mention he came from a Historically Black College in Alcorn State, and still manage to be a top 5 draft pick. He was a trailblazer who can serve as motivation for all football players who bust their humps at smaller schools. Also Steve McNair was a major contributor to the community and even paid for multiple football camps entirely out of his own pocket.
Was Steve McNair perfect off the field? Absolutely not, and the tragic nature of his death have blown his mistakes in his personal life into the mainstream media. However as a player, a role model on the field, a field general, and giving back to society he was most definitely perfect.
I will choose to remember the on the field version of Steve McNair because in my eyes he had that role down perfectly, and I hope you all do the same.
In story's like that it is important to remember that athletes have two personalities. They have the on the field persona and a personal life as well. These are separate lives and need to be treated as such. Yes, Steve McNair made some bad decisions at the end of his life that may have eventually lead to his death, but that does not change how he should be remembered as football player.
At the end of the day Steve McNair was a warrior on the football field. The list of injuries that he played through is mind blowing, and he was a fearless leader whose teams rallied behind him. Not to mention he came from a Historically Black College in Alcorn State, and still manage to be a top 5 draft pick. He was a trailblazer who can serve as motivation for all football players who bust their humps at smaller schools. Also Steve McNair was a major contributor to the community and even paid for multiple football camps entirely out of his own pocket.
Was Steve McNair perfect off the field? Absolutely not, and the tragic nature of his death have blown his mistakes in his personal life into the mainstream media. However as a player, a role model on the field, a field general, and giving back to society he was most definitely perfect.
I will choose to remember the on the field version of Steve McNair because in my eyes he had that role down perfectly, and I hope you all do the same.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Keep it Down Serena
I have nothing against the Williams Sisters. I think they are two of the greatest tennis players of all time, and helped bring a new style of tennis into this generation. They brought a power game that the women's side had never seen. They combined this power with grace and beauty and become icons. The fact that they were African Americans from the hard streets of Compton, California made them even bigger icons to all young girls.
I am always thrilled when they dominate a tournament like they did at Wimbledon this year. They steamrolled the competition to face each other in the singles final, and not to mention they crushed the doubles field to win another doubles title. Serena had one of the best two weeks of her life winning both singles and doubles on the same day. I even thought her shirt that read "Are you looking at my titles" was hilarious and a great way to play on her good looks.
What is did not like was her press conference about being ranked #2. She ripped number 1 Dinora Safina and the WTA rankings. Now I agree Serena is the best woman's player today, but that does not mean she should be ranked number 1. The WTA rankings are based on a year round performance not just the majors. Serena tends to only focus on the 4 majors and does not have the same intensity for the other tour events. Dinora Safina brings her A game to every tournament no matter how big and because of her consistency in those tournaments she has gained the right to be ranked number 1. Not only that its not as if she is losing in the first round of the big tournaments.
No one complained on the men's side when Nadal passed Federer even though Nadal had only won one major outside the red clay of Roland Garros and Federer had been in 3 Grand Slam Finals and 1 Grand Slam Final that season. Why because Nadal had a better year all around in the other tournaments. When Federer took it back after winning Wimbledon no one complained because he has had a better season in the past year.
So if Serena really wants to be number 1, she needs to go out and play all the tournaments on the circuit. She needs to give and A+ effort and win a few of those tournaments. If she only wants to focus on majors that is perfectly OK too. She can keep winning the big ones and get closer to the all time record and cement her legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.
However, if she does not play in the events necessary to accumulate points to overtake the number 1 spot than she needs to stop complaining. You cannot complain about a system that you do not fully participate. So Serena the proverbial ball is in your court, either give it your all and take back what you want, or stop whining about the system.
I am always thrilled when they dominate a tournament like they did at Wimbledon this year. They steamrolled the competition to face each other in the singles final, and not to mention they crushed the doubles field to win another doubles title. Serena had one of the best two weeks of her life winning both singles and doubles on the same day. I even thought her shirt that read "Are you looking at my titles" was hilarious and a great way to play on her good looks.
What is did not like was her press conference about being ranked #2. She ripped number 1 Dinora Safina and the WTA rankings. Now I agree Serena is the best woman's player today, but that does not mean she should be ranked number 1. The WTA rankings are based on a year round performance not just the majors. Serena tends to only focus on the 4 majors and does not have the same intensity for the other tour events. Dinora Safina brings her A game to every tournament no matter how big and because of her consistency in those tournaments she has gained the right to be ranked number 1. Not only that its not as if she is losing in the first round of the big tournaments.
No one complained on the men's side when Nadal passed Federer even though Nadal had only won one major outside the red clay of Roland Garros and Federer had been in 3 Grand Slam Finals and 1 Grand Slam Final that season. Why because Nadal had a better year all around in the other tournaments. When Federer took it back after winning Wimbledon no one complained because he has had a better season in the past year.
So if Serena really wants to be number 1, she needs to go out and play all the tournaments on the circuit. She needs to give and A+ effort and win a few of those tournaments. If she only wants to focus on majors that is perfectly OK too. She can keep winning the big ones and get closer to the all time record and cement her legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.
However, if she does not play in the events necessary to accumulate points to overtake the number 1 spot than she needs to stop complaining. You cannot complain about a system that you do not fully participate. So Serena the proverbial ball is in your court, either give it your all and take back what you want, or stop whining about the system.
Friday, July 3, 2009
The Return of Manny
As exciting as the frenzy of NBA free agency has been, I am putting that on hold till all the contracts become final on July 8th. Instead I am focusing on something more disturbing, the return of Manny to the Dodgers.
It has been the lead on SportsCenter all week long and frankly it makes me upset. Manny was suspended for steroids and yet he is being talked as the savior for the Dodgers World Series hopes. It would be different if he was returning from injury but he was suspended for taking performance enhancing drugs! He should be treated as a cheater not as a savior. For all the outrage over PEDs in the recent years, Manny seems to be getting a free pass. Bonds was rejected by all fans outside the San Fransisco area, Clemens is seen as a criminal, and A-Rod was ripped apart by every media outlet. Yet Manny does not seem to be getting any of this treatment.
I think one reason for this treatment was the suspension. Manny is the first superstar to actually be suspended for 50 games. There is a feeling that he did his time and now should be treated like a regular player. I just do not agree with this sentiment at all. He cheated and got caught this makes him a black sheep in the league and should be treated as such. Players should treat him differently in the locker room and the media should not put up with him avoiding questions about steroids.
If Manny continues to get a free pass then where is the real motivation to avoid PEDs. Yes you will miss 50 games games but if you are a valuable asset to your team you will return to hero's welcome when you get back. It is time for players, coaches, media and fans to treat Manny the way he should be treated, as a cheater who got caught and forever tainted his legacy. If not then the PED problem in baseball will never truly be fixed.
It has been the lead on SportsCenter all week long and frankly it makes me upset. Manny was suspended for steroids and yet he is being talked as the savior for the Dodgers World Series hopes. It would be different if he was returning from injury but he was suspended for taking performance enhancing drugs! He should be treated as a cheater not as a savior. For all the outrage over PEDs in the recent years, Manny seems to be getting a free pass. Bonds was rejected by all fans outside the San Fransisco area, Clemens is seen as a criminal, and A-Rod was ripped apart by every media outlet. Yet Manny does not seem to be getting any of this treatment.
I think one reason for this treatment was the suspension. Manny is the first superstar to actually be suspended for 50 games. There is a feeling that he did his time and now should be treated like a regular player. I just do not agree with this sentiment at all. He cheated and got caught this makes him a black sheep in the league and should be treated as such. Players should treat him differently in the locker room and the media should not put up with him avoiding questions about steroids.
If Manny continues to get a free pass then where is the real motivation to avoid PEDs. Yes you will miss 50 games games but if you are a valuable asset to your team you will return to hero's welcome when you get back. It is time for players, coaches, media and fans to treat Manny the way he should be treated, as a cheater who got caught and forever tainted his legacy. If not then the PED problem in baseball will never truly be fixed.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Singing a New Song
Sports are a simple game, usually the best team wins and usually the best players win titles and and MVPs. What makes sports so appealing is the fan's perspective and the arguments sports present. Who is the greatest of all time? Who was the best team in history? and etc. Everyone who follows sports even a little bit has opinions on all things sports and everyone likes to voice their opinions to anyone who will listen. My favorite part about this is how we change our perspective in an instant in order to support our favorite team.
I am just as guilty as the next one. Some of my personal favorite flip flops include; Hating Roberto Alomar for spitting in an umpires face and yet cheering for him the minute he put on the Indians uniform. Calling Jamal Lewis a thug and a criminal and yet now looking for him in fantasy drafts because he is the Browns best offensive weapon. There are countless other times as well.
So naturally I have been thrilled by some of the flip flopping happening in the last few days in the NBA. In March the Cavs were talking about signing Shaq. All the Cavs fans were saying "We do not need Shaq to win the title, he will just slow our team down." Now after the Cavs have signed Shaq the Cavs fans sign "We have Shaq, now we our the favorites to win the title. Just think of how good our offense will be with Shaq."
All playoffs long I listened to Magic fans talk about how Hedo Turkaglu was the heart and soul of their team and when the Magic needed a big bucket in the clutch Hedo was their man. Then he opted for free agency and the Magic signed Vince "I only try in a contract year and if I am not happy I quit on my team" Carter and suddenly the Magic fans are singing "We are even better than last year. Vince is a huge upgrade for our team we are the favorites for the title"
Even in Lakerland people are singing new tunes. During the season all we heard was that Trevor Ariza was the next Scottie Pippen for Kobe. They told us that Ariza was one of the cornerstones of the franchise for the next 10 years. Now Ariza is asking for a bigger salary and will most likely sign somewhere else. Now the Lakers fans are singing "Ariza was not a big piece to our title run, we can find someone to fill his role easily. We are still the favorites for the title next year."
Whose next? Celtics after they sign Rasheed Wallace? I don't know but I know I will enjoy the singing of new songs by all the fans of of the title favorites but for now "Shaq will absolutely dominate the paint and improve our offense so my Cavs have to be the favorites for the Title."
I am just as guilty as the next one. Some of my personal favorite flip flops include; Hating Roberto Alomar for spitting in an umpires face and yet cheering for him the minute he put on the Indians uniform. Calling Jamal Lewis a thug and a criminal and yet now looking for him in fantasy drafts because he is the Browns best offensive weapon. There are countless other times as well.
So naturally I have been thrilled by some of the flip flopping happening in the last few days in the NBA. In March the Cavs were talking about signing Shaq. All the Cavs fans were saying "We do not need Shaq to win the title, he will just slow our team down." Now after the Cavs have signed Shaq the Cavs fans sign "We have Shaq, now we our the favorites to win the title. Just think of how good our offense will be with Shaq."
All playoffs long I listened to Magic fans talk about how Hedo Turkaglu was the heart and soul of their team and when the Magic needed a big bucket in the clutch Hedo was their man. Then he opted for free agency and the Magic signed Vince "I only try in a contract year and if I am not happy I quit on my team" Carter and suddenly the Magic fans are singing "We are even better than last year. Vince is a huge upgrade for our team we are the favorites for the title"
Even in Lakerland people are singing new tunes. During the season all we heard was that Trevor Ariza was the next Scottie Pippen for Kobe. They told us that Ariza was one of the cornerstones of the franchise for the next 10 years. Now Ariza is asking for a bigger salary and will most likely sign somewhere else. Now the Lakers fans are singing "Ariza was not a big piece to our title run, we can find someone to fill his role easily. We are still the favorites for the title next year."
Whose next? Celtics after they sign Rasheed Wallace? I don't know but I know I will enjoy the singing of new songs by all the fans of of the title favorites but for now "Shaq will absolutely dominate the paint and improve our offense so my Cavs have to be the favorites for the Title."
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The pressure of sports
So often in sports we take the athletes for granted. I know I am just as guilty as anybody else out there, too often I watch a reliever blow a lead, a two guard miss an open 3 in a clutch situation, or a QB throw a pick in the last two minutes and get upset. We say things like "that guy is a bum or why is he even in the big leagues" At games we shower the goat with boos and agree as he is ripped apart through the media. However after hearing the story of Ian Snell and his near mental collapse after being sent down to the minors, I was brought back to reality. Ian Snell recently came out and admitted that as he was struggling mental as he was failing in the big leagues and was sent back down. He talked about how he fell into depression and thought about suicide, but thankfully thought better and is using it as a source of strength as he battles to return to the big leagues.
Too often we forget the massive amount of pressure these players face. They walk out in front of thousands of people (or hundreds if they play for the Marlins) and in front of millions on live TV or highlight shows. Not to mention in the cutthroat world of professional sports a few bad performances can end the dream before it even begins. Yes they are massively well compensated but that can only increase the pressure. A high paid CEO can work in obscurity and will have years to work on their company.
Now I am not saying that professional athletes should be immune from criticism because after all it is their job. I am saying that sometimes we as fans we take for granted the amount of pressure these athletes are under. So the next time you see an athlete make a mistake or blow a game, just stop an appreciate the stress and pressure that he is under, then feel free to get upset at the result. Just remember that the athlete is probably 100 times more upset than you are.
Too often we forget the massive amount of pressure these players face. They walk out in front of thousands of people (or hundreds if they play for the Marlins) and in front of millions on live TV or highlight shows. Not to mention in the cutthroat world of professional sports a few bad performances can end the dream before it even begins. Yes they are massively well compensated but that can only increase the pressure. A high paid CEO can work in obscurity and will have years to work on their company.
Now I am not saying that professional athletes should be immune from criticism because after all it is their job. I am saying that sometimes we as fans we take for granted the amount of pressure these athletes are under. So the next time you see an athlete make a mistake or blow a game, just stop an appreciate the stress and pressure that he is under, then feel free to get upset at the result. Just remember that the athlete is probably 100 times more upset than you are.
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