Playing Pepper With The Reds, Red Sox, & Hanley

As the great game of baseball is nearing its first two months it is time to hit on some of the important goings on in the game currently; from the highs, to the lows. So like a 3-0 count for Albert Pujols, we got the green light so let us swing away. Let's play pepper.

- The Sizzlin' Cincinnati Redlegs: I never thought that I would be writing something with the words "first place" and "Reds" in the same entry but alas, I am. Are they the class of the NL? I don't want to go too far with this but at 23-16 they are atop the Central with a .5 game lead over the Cardinals. To watch them play ball, it is easy to appreciate and love after watching the mediocrity and insolence they displayed the past decade. Gone are the lineups of Alex Ochoa, David Ross, Todd Walker, Brandon Larsen, Edwin Encarnacion, Austin Kearns, Corey Patterson and Darnell McDonald. They have been supplanted by Gomes, Bruce, Votto, Phillips, Rolen, Cabrera and Hernandez.

The pitching? 3 CG's in one week, 8-1 their last 11 starts and a bullpen that has been rested and is able to come out and put people away. Mike Leake has taken the pitching staff by the horns and is the unsung leader of the staff with his outstanding outings this year after not pitching 1 inning of pro ball before this season. Utterly amazing. Can they keep it up? Ask me in August. Their depth in the minor leagues has me a little concerned if anyone should get hurt, but I am enjoying this now while I can. With Cincinnati sports, you never know when the rug will get pulled out from under you.

- On the opposite end of the spectrum sit the Red Sox, who are 8.5 games back of the Rays in the AL East. Big Papi is wearing out his welcome with his horrific plate appearances and what happened to Josh Beckett? The darling of Bristol is enduring some tough times and their last loss with Papelbon giving it up really had to hurt. Somewhere in Boston, the fans have to realize they won't be going to the postseason this year, with the Rays off to a hot start, coupled with the Yankees steady play and the surprising Blue Jays. Boston will be sitting at home come the postseason.

- Want a microcosim of what is wrong in the sporting world today? Look no close than Hanley Ramirez and his display of "athleticism" Monday night in Florida. Yes, I know that he got hit by a foul ball in the ankle earlier in the game but that was no excuse for his defensive display that would have made Manny Ramirez look like Ozzie Smith. He took a pathetic swipe to get the ball, then did his best Olindo Mare impression with a boot of the ball towards the outfield. However, he doesn't run; he merely jaunts to the ball like he is admiring the patterns cut into the grass, gets the ball and throws it in. Did it matter in the long run of the game; no. Florida was out of it by that point, but it shows a troubling trend in sports. A majority of the younger players show little if any heart and determination and seem to just be playing for the Sportscenter highlights and and millions of dollars.

I have felt the same type of frustration watching Brandon Phillips, albeit he is far superior on the defensive side of the field. Phillips won't run out or hustle out grounders and Dusty has spoken to him about it, yet there is no real difference. The worst part of it all was Hanley's response to his benching, basically saying manager Fredi Gonzalez has no idea what it is like to play the game since he never played before in the majors. Wow, nice response and good way to show respect to your manager, pal.

Gonzalez had the best comeback, saying how Hanley is right that he never played in the majors, but he does know HOW to play the game. That is great quotation right there. Way to get him, Fredi. Hanley probably won't take anything from this (even though he was forced/guilted/whatever into apologizing today) but it is great to see a manager putting his star in his place. It illustrates the sheer immaturity and diva complex inhibited by many young major leaguers today. Gone are the players with the mentality of Pete Rose, Barry Larkin, Cal Ripken Jr. and Derek Jeter. I guess the stadium isn't the only empty thing around when the Marlins play games; Hanley's passion bucket is as well.

RSS Roundtable: Tiger's Saga and What It Really Means

No news in sports over the past few months has captured the attention of the nation like the Tiger Woods saga. It began as a car accident in his neighborhood, but has developed into so much more. For such a dynamic story, we've brought in Brother Yohey to help us in a RSS Roundtable event to answer the 4 Most Important Questions for the big picture of Tiger Woods and HydrantGate. How has Tiger and the media handled the situation? How does this affair affect Woods' image? And, what is the lasting impact?

1) How has Tiger handled the situation?

Mr. Yoder II: For a man who has built this immaculate image as a corporate icon, golfing god, and down-to-earth family man, Tiger has managed to ruin his perfect image by handling this situation terribly. From evading the police, to not confronting speculation soon enough (remember his original statement called the rumors about his affairs "irresponsible" but not untrue), to this cold, distant statement released Wednesday. Tiger is the most clutch athlete alive, but can't speak to his fans, sponsors, and media? Please.

Mr. Yoder I: Tiger has handled this situation very poorly. Y2 is right, it looks incredibly foolish to call the rumors irresponsible and 2 days later admit to "transgressions"! That is a triple bogey for Woods. Tiger is a victim though of his own image and reputation. In the grand scheme of things, people make mistakes, and we should all hope that there can be healing here. But, Tiger, being idolized like no other athlete in our history, has a long way to fall for us to realize that he's human.

Bro. Yohey: I wanted for this to not be true; I’ve liked Tiger since watching him run away from the field for his first Masters victory. However, I feel that you both are missing one big problem that has arisen in this culture; the idea of Tiger being human. Was it Tiger’s fault that he excelled in golf and was the hottest advertising commodity? I don't think there can be a judgment that he's handled it badly or not.

Mr. Yoder II: Honestly, I think the bubble shield that Tiger has built up the last 10 years has done more harm than good in this instance. Tiger's never been known as a great communicator...people marvel if he gives anything away in a post-round interview, let alone his personal life. He had to deliberate, and hide behind his PR team until they drafted this empty, defensive statement. In that sense he's failed to get in front of the story, such as Andy Pettite, A-Rod, and even David Letterman.

Bro Yohey: We build athletes up to this superficial standard, and when we find out that they aren’t flawless, then they are ripped apart. It is a terrible catch 22 which athletes find themselves in today. I just wish that athletes have something in common with us normal people; human nature. Tiger not appeasing the media with his statments is something I can not and will not fault him for. I wonder where it says that in order for you to excel at a sport and play at a high level, you must sacrifice your privacy. Why give the media anything to play with when they have showed countless times in the past that they can't be trusted with any information?

Mr. Yoder I: By only giving a sparsely detailed, defensive, and veiled statement regarding the accident, Woods only invited more speculation and conspiracy theories. That strategy blew up in his face. Once the voicemail came out it seems like the light finally went on for Tiger that he better come clean about the affair. Does Tiger regret his actions and everything he brought on his family, or does he regret that he got caught? Instead of just offering a mea culpa he again plays the privacy card and lectures us. Really? I don't expect to visibly see him for at least a few months, and then the questions will come once again.

2) How has the media handled the situation?

Mr. Yoder I: It's been good and bad. On one hand, the sensationalist tabloids like the Enquirer and TMZ were the ones to bring to light the affair accusations. Like communism in the movie Clue, Tiger's car accident was a red herring hiding the true story. Of course, the tabloids aren't real journalism, but we know the mainstream sports media would never dig up the true story. That mainstream sports media has too much interest in Woods. They ignored the real story until he finally released a statement. I'm sure ESPN and Tiger protectors will emphasize his humanity and sweep it under the rug.

Bro. Yohey: Ok, I can’t disagree more with your statement Y1 actually giving the media some credit. Oh Lord, ESPN actually covered the story, when they heard from Tiger! TMZ is garbage that posts stories dealing with speculation. So they got it right this time and I applaud the mainstream media for not going with this until they had the facts straight and got the statement from Tiger. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Mr. Yoder II: We all want to believe journalism is still well and alive in this country, but it's not. Journalism as we knew it is dead. However sleazy they might be, give credit to these "gossip" sites for breaking the news the mainstream is afraid to cover. If the mainstream wanted to show journalism wasn't dead, they'd be going after the truth in this story instead of trying to protect their cozy relationship with Tiger. I mean, there wasn't even a mention of the US Weekly allegations on ESPN's front page until Tiger's statement, that's pathetic.

Mr. Yoder I: Both sides of the media have a clear agenda, and it leaves the public uninformed and uneducated. There is a vacated middle ground that has to look at this from a grounded perspective. How does the scandal affect Tiger's marketability? Will his rep ever be the same? How does this relate to other cases? Neither end of the media is right, but both might have a shred of truth and accuracy in their coverage.

Bro. Yohey: The media has become a cancer in the world of sports. The notion of Tiger living in a world where privacy stops at his doorstep is ridiculous. I wonder how those in the media would like it if they had an incident like this happen, and people all over start making remarks regarding private matters when they don't even know the truth.

Mr. Yoder I: Bro. Yohey, in a perfect world Tiger could have his privacy. He could also give back that billion dollars and go work in a factory for $10 an hour in Duluth, MN. But, we need to be realistic. He's perhaps the 2nd most recognizable person on the planet behind Barack Obama, real privacy is a pipedream. It's the media's duty to cover him just like any other celeb and hold him accountable. I don't care if it's TMZ or ESPN. You don't think sponsors and the PGA Tour want to get to the bottom of this? It might be tough for Tiger, but it's the price he pays for being the world's first billion dollar athlete.

Mr. Yoder II: And I think that's the main point in the coverage of this story. It's not that Tiger doesn't deserve his privacy, everyone certainly does. In an ideal society, these tabloids wouldn't exist, athletes and celebrities could be just like the rest of us. But, when you become one of the world's most high-profile athletes, you have to play by a different set of rules than "normal people". Just because Tiger is usually in control of everything, doesn't mean he's exempt from the same scrutiny as all other public figures.

Mr. Yoder II: Look, nobody's asking Tiger and his family to go on Dr. Phil for a public counseling session. But, for a man that is the most recognizable figure in the world, he owes it to the millions of fans who pay to see him play and buy his merchandise to speak to them. Not to beg for forgiveness, but show his face to the public. By submitting this crafted statement, he's taking the easy way out and hoping the controversy goes away before he returns to golf in a couple months.

3) How does HydrantGate affect Tiger's aura of invincibility?

Mr. Yoder II: To the public and some of his peers, his image is affected greatly in the short-term. Look at Jesper Parnevik's comments yesterday (boy those Swedes sure know how to stick together, huh). The longer he's defensive about it, the harder it's going to be for the public to completely forgive him and move on. Look no further than Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Mark McGwire: legendary athletes who have never faced up to allegations that have dogged them for years. The public still holds them in a negative light because they haven't addressed their "sins" publicly to a camera. Woods admitted his guilt, but he needs to actually showremorse, and not just type it on a word doc.

Mr. Yoder I: Maybe not so much his invincibility, but his carefully manicured image. Think about what a bad end of 2009 it has been for Tiger Woods on and off the course. It started with blowing his first major to YE Yang at the PGA, and now this happens. I think Tiger's aura is definitely affected here. Part of the intrigue of this whole story is that it is Tiger Woods. It's not Rick Pitino or David Letterman that we're talking about here. Rick Pitino's affair didn't put Rick Reilly on Good Morning America, for better or worse.

Bro. Yohey: I get a kick out of this question. Tiger wishes to stay private and not let his life play out on the tabloid pages. For that, he is protrayed as being invincible; I say he is being smart. The media will do all they can to bring you down; if you are deemed "invincible" they will search to find chinks in the armor just to make you look bad and to sell publications. Y2, the McGwire, Clemens and Bonds analogy is illogical; their accusations dealt with cheating in the sport they played. Tiger’s situation has nothing to do with his golf game, and the only sense of invincibility he should have is on the golf course.

Mr. Yoder II: Of course Tiger's on-course persona takes no hit from this scandal. We've already seen Tiger is the most mentally strong athlete ever, so he'll be able to block this out with no problem. Unless Phil's caddy or Sergio start talking trash on the golf course, or women run out on the tee to give Tiger their phone number, he'll be unaffected. His competitors will draw more confidence from his failure in the 2009 PGA Championship than his rocky personal life. Let's not kid ourselves, Tiger can't be the only pro golfer who's putting his clubs in a different bag, if you know what I'm saying.

Mr. Yoder I: Really, we don't know these people at all. We idealize our athletes so much and Tiger is the perfect example. He's crafted such a perfect image of himself that when it takes even the slightest hit, it's a huge, huge deal. The affair and the decline of the idealized Tiger are the true story here. I think when a role model falters it's a tragic story no matter how you look at it. Whatever the actual number is, there will be many of people that will turn Tiger off, and not watch on TV, or have to answer tough questions from 10 year old kids that want to be the next Tiger Woods. That's the underlying sadness to this story.

4) Does this whole episode have any lasting impact?

Bro. Yohey: Ask me this in a year. Tiger giving the press and media nothing to work with is a good tactic, although they feel "entitled" to an explanation. They don't deserve a damn thing and it gets me annoyed.

Mr. Yoder II: In a word, no. Does anyone honestly believe Tiger won't go on to win another major just because he's having problems at home, of course not. Tiger will still go on to break Jack Nicklaus's record for most career major titles and go down as the best golfer in history. His sordid affairs will merely be a footnote, much like Babe Ruth, Kobe Bryant, Ray Lewis, and countless others.

Mr. Yoder I: The PGA, sponsors, and countless others are invested in the Tiger Woods brand and need to know if they can trust this guy in the future or not. The direct impact is on Woods' legacy; much like Ruth, Bryant, Lewis, and any other athlete that has faced scandal it is a very small portion of their legacy, but a portion nonetheless.

BY: Now, after hearing there are leeches out talking about indecent Tiger texts and voice mails, this will grow larger and it is sad. People are only coming out with this due to the crash and it is sad. They are like sharks who pounce when they smell blood. Put them all on a spaceship and launch it to the sun. Fans need to be more realistic. The idea of having athletic role models always troubled me. I didn’t grow up idolizing Barry Larkin or Bernie Kosar or Larry Bird; I grew up idolizing my father. What is so wrong with society that no longer worships athletes as more than human?

Y1: Again though, I think that the lasting impact is larger than even Tiger Woods. Think about it, the one athlete that we thought was perfect in every way has fessed up that he's human. That's what is so compelling part about sports: that we can look up to these people as something more than they actually are to inspire us in our "normal" lives. The troubling thing for me moving forward is the question of whether or not there are any role models left today in sports? Today it's Tiger Woods, who will it be next? Do these athletes need to be more responsible and accountable to the millions that look up to them, or do fans need to have more realistic expectations of their heroes? I think that's a question that sadly nobody has the answer to.

What do you think? Let us know your opinions about the Tiger Woods saga and what it really means for Tiger's rep, his future, the game of golf, and what it says about society and sports.

Hail To The... Cheaters??

Which way are the winds blowing in Ann Arbor for you Rich??

It doesn't take a meteorologist to tell you that the winds are swirling against Rich Rodriguez in Maize and Blue country. Michigan football prides itself on a lot of things: the tradition, the Big House, Bo, national championships, Heisman winners... and having a clean program. When have you ever heard of any sort of controversy, rules violation, or unrest up north before the vaunted arrival of RichRod. You haven't because Michigan football has never had major NCAA rules violations.

My, how times have changed.

The latest saga from Ann Arbor is that players have anonymously gone to the Detroit Free Press complaining about possible NCAA rules violations. The allegations center around players having to spend ungodly amounts of time relating to football activities, shattering NCAA limits for hours allowed during a given day (4 in season) and week (20 in season, 8 out). Of course, every team in the nation violates these rules, let's not kid ourselves to think that kids at D-I powerhouses are there to get an education. But, making kids spend 12 hours a day in the program, and breaking the rules to the extent of two to three times the limit is extreme.

But, the Michigan Workin' Overtimegate (can anyone out there think of a better ___gate name? please?) controversy is stunning because current players in the program are exposing their head coach to the public anonymously. Grasp your mind around this.

Players for a major D-I program... are exposing their own head coach... for major NCAA rules violations.

Major. NCAA. Rules. Violations.

We're talking losses of scholarships, probation... this isn't a $5 lunch at Arby's violation, or a discounted pair of sneakers, this is serious stuff. And the players outing their head coach know it. Have we ever seen anything like the mutiny happening at Michigan? These players aren't just throwing their head coach under the bus, but the entire program and heck, the whole state! The consensus is that these players might be Lloyd Carr recruits unhappy with RichRod, but to absolutely betray the new HC is astounding, head-scratching if you will.

Nothing about the RichRod Era at Michigan has seemed right from the beginning. Let's look at the facts:

-Ugly departure from West Virginia involving paying back $1.5 Million dollars to the school in a court settlement.

-A record of 3-9 in his first season. The worst record in Michigan football history. The first year not in a bowl game in 33 years.

-Lost out on star QB recruit Terrelle Pryor... to archrival Ohio State

-Starting OL Justin Boren transfered... to Ohio State. Willingly. Boren's father played for Bo Schembechler. Nice endorsement for you Rich!

-Oh, and RichRod is not a "Michigan Man", whatever that means.

Compare this scenario to Jim Tressel's tenure at Ohio State. In a sense, Tressel is the anti-RichRod. He has an impeccable off-field reputation, always brings in the big recruits, keeps the program clean, always has the full support of the players and the program, wins games and titles, and beats Michigan. Tressel's 7-1 against the Wolverines.

Tressel didn't exactly inherit a juggernaut from John Cooper in 2001 either. The Buckeyes went 7-5 in Tressel's first season and lost to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. But, in his 2nd season, he won a National Championship. 5 BCS appearences, including 2 losses in the national title game later, and Tressel's Ohio State program is regarded as one of the elites in the country. Sure, Ohio St and the Big 10 gets a bad rap from the SEC/USC-mad media, but nobody can question Tressel's credentials.

And to an extent, RichRod was in that category. He led West Virginia to national prominence, a Sugar Bowl win, and a should've been national title game appearance in 2007 before a choke job versus Pitt. But, his Michigan tenure has been nothing short of a train wreck. Does anyone think his team can win the National Title this year, let alone approach .500? Shoot, they might even lose to Notre Dame, how pathetic would that be!

He remains defiant that his program hasn't committed any violations. He was quoted this morning saying, "we comply by the rules" and also appeared choked up at his press conference... PUH-LEASE Rich! I've seen better acting from the cast of The Hills and Heidi and Spencer than that performance. If you've seen any of the press conference, this is a man who appears to be in trouble. Now a former player, Tony Clemons, is talking about approaching the NCAA about the violations and allegations to confirm them.

The only bright light for Michigan is that he has another Top 10 recruiting class coming to Ann Arbor. Oh, and he always performs much better in his second year at a school with his spread offense, at least that's what we're told.

But make no mistake, the walls are closing in on RichRod at Michigan. He was an outsider to begin with, and he's now soiled their pristine program's reputation and brought controversy to Ann Arbor. A Big 10 and school investigation is underway. He's already lost games, recruits, and shockingly transfers to eternal rivals Ohio State. Seconds ago, Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp called him a "defeated man" on SportsCenter.

He coached Michigan to their worst season in history. That wasn't expected from the man that was supposed to bring Michigan back to their prominent place as the winningest team in college football history. RichRod was supposed to bring Michigan football into the 21st Century with a spread offense, reclaim the Big 10, and beat Ohio State. He was hailed as a savior of a program, riding into town as a hero.

Instead, something very different is transpiring at Michigan.

The winds are shifting in Ann Arbor, and they might just blow Rich Rodriguez out of town, sooner rather than later.

Check back this week at RSS for our College Football Preview featuring the YCS and our Heisman Watch. And, also look for our Top 5 Soundbytes of the Decade coming this week!