NBA Needs to Make a Point

  How would you like to be in charge of public relations for the NBA?
  The National Basketball Association isn't quite as bad as the NFL (National Football/Felony League) but there are consistent flare ups that make commissioner David Stern cringe.  Rember Kobe Bryant and the big Colorado scandal?  How about referee Tim Donaghy who pled guilty to betting on games?  Of course there was the infamous brawl in the stands at The Palace when Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermain O'Neal tried their collective best at pugilism.
  The latest PR nightmare is the Gilbert Arenas gun scandal.  By now the news is fairly old: Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenden had a gambling dispute which spilled over to alleged threats.  I guess the dispute was fairly significant since both men felt compelled to bring guns to the stadium.  Crittenden pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge; Arenas pleaded guilty to a felony gun charge.  While Crittenden received a one year probation sentence, Arenas is likely to do some jail time.  While he could face up to five years, a more likely scenario is six months.
  Both players were suspended the rest of the season without pay by the NBA.  This will cost Arenas $147,200 per game missed, and he is out indefinately.  Crittenden stands to lose $13,435 per game, or $510,530 of his $1.48 million salary.
  While team President Ernie Grunfield won't rule out voiding Arena's $111 million contract, the union executive diretor Billy Hunter has vowed to fight such an action. 
  Here's my question: Since when can any employee, contract or not, bring firearms to work?
  My suggestion: Void Arena's contract and let the lawyers figure it out.  Perhaps if a knucklehead loses a $111 million contract, others will clean up their acts and understand that playing in the NBA is not a right but a privilege.
 
 

Indy was a Lock in the Sports Book

Well, yours truly hit the Red Rock sports book with a nice wager and walked away with cash in hand with the Indy over NY (-7.5/-8 depending upon casino) Jets selection.  As I said in the last blog, Peyton Manning was too much for the blitzing Jet defense and Indy shut down the running game of New York.  That meant an easy win.

I selected the EXACT score of New Orleans in their win over Minnesota.  Yep, I picked the Saints to put up 31 points...their exact score.  I also said Brett Favre would throw a few picks and cost Minnesota the game.  I was right there, too.  Problem is, I expected Minnesota to only offer up 24 points; not 28.  With New Orleans at -4 favorites, that means I lost my wager.

Good news is, I put up significantly more on the Indy game as my confidence was much higher on that game than the New Orleans/Minnesota matchup.  Thus, I was an overall winner.

I don't condone sports gambling outside Las Vegas.  If you wish to go there, let me know and I can put you in contact with excellent hosts at a variety of hotels/casinos who will help with your accomodations.

Viva Las Vegas

I have been going to Las Vegas for over 25 years and have a second home there.  Besides a solid game of Texas Hold 'Em and a joy for the luck involved in roultette, yours truly enjoys making substantial sports wagers.

Some of my sports bets are legendary.  In 2008, I bet college football and that Washington would cover a +49 spread to USC.  (For those of you who are uneducated in the sports book, that means Washington got 49 points and had to be within that margin of USC for me to win an 11/10 bet.)  USC won 56-0 and I lost by seven points. 

I have been more prone (and successful) to pick upsets in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts.  I picked Shane Mosely to beat up Oscar De La Hoya and Brock Lesnar to defeat Randy Couture.  Both wagers netted me good money.

With professional football playoffs this Sunday, I have two bets for you to consider.  Indianapolis is a -7.5 favorite at home against the surging New York Jets while New Orleans is a slight favorite at -4 in The Superdome against the Minnesota Vikings.

COLTS -7.5  Look for Peyton Manning to end the glorious run of the Jets and their rookie quarterback, Mark Sanchez.  Manning picked apart a similar Baltimore Raven defense last week and the Indy defense is very underrated.  Sanchez' goal is not to win the game; it's not to lose thegame.  This means a successful running game, conservative passes and a desire to let the defense score some points on turnovers.  Manning and company should be too deep for all that.  The Colts will score on this defense and stop the Jets running game.  My pick: Colts, 21-10.

SAINTS -4.  The Minnesota Vikings brought in Brett Favre to win a Super Bowl.  The 40-year-old quarterback dismantled a solid Cowboys team last week, but they weren't playing in the Superdome.  And on his best day, Tony Romo isn't Drew Brees.  The Saints led the NFL in offense last year and improved dramatically on defense this year.  Reggie Bush is playing over his head.  I see a shootout but in the end, Favre throws a few interceptions.  My pick: Saints, 31-24.

Be advised I'm not advocating sports wagers or gambling.  However, if you need to contact me this weekend, I'll be in the sports book at the Red Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Mark McGwire and PR 101

Lou Brock, the highly-esteemed hall of fame outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals was once asked what he thought of Mark McGwire in my presence.  Brock smiled and replied: "I think he should kiss more babies."  McGwire, much like Ozzie Smith had love/hate relationships in St. Louis.  Both started careers in California and while both were popular on the field in the river city, they weren't touchy, feely types with the fans outside Busch Stadium. 

McGwire tearfully admitted to steroid use yesterday.  In a tearful, twenty minute interview, he admitted what many had suspected the past decade.  McGwire admitted he used steroids throughout the 1990's which included the year he broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record.  Remember that year?  It was a great time for professional baseball with both Mac and Sammy Sosa chasing the record dinger for dinger. 

When he appeared before a congressional committee regarding steriod use in baseball in March, 2005 McGwire never answered questions directly and went into exile without explaining the circumstances behind outsider accusations.  After all, he was a tall, skinny kid who took long swats in Oakland who turned into a glowering hulk who spanked balls out of Busch stadium with half-swings. 

In the tearful apology to all the right people, McGwire said  all the right things.  He even broke the news to Maris' wife.  Wow.  If Sarah Palin had public relations like this, she would be sitting in the white house.

While the timing of his admission is questionable, consider this: McGwire was named hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals by his two-time manager Tony LaRussa.  LaRussa gushed over his slugger being forthright and honest and spoke about his respect for Big Mac. 

My thoughts are fairly clear on the timing of this admission.  Before long, McGwire and LaRussa will be visiting baseball stadiums around the country with arguably the best hitter in baseball, Albert Pujols.  It would be a distraction for the Cardinals organization if McGwire was bombarded by the media about steroid usage day after day and night after night across the United States.  While McGwire went into self-exile after the Congressional meetings, he would be open game as a coach in a Cardinal uniform. 

I don't know whether Bud Selig, Tony LaRussa or a high-priced public relations professional got in his ear.  Perhaps McGwire wanted peace for himself and made the admission on his own.  I suspect the admission was about his return to the Cardinals and a desire to shoot down the media sorties that would be flown his way.  He manned up and knows his reputation is officially tarnished and the Hall of Fame will be a big debate for not only him but many other suspected users.  He also knows that America is a forgiving society and that for every player in denial (Barry Bonds?) the ones who admit use (A-Rod) have already moved on and are
receiving the cheers of the fans in the stands again.

Kissing babies works.  Ask the politicians.  Sarah, take notice.

Fighters Fight

The biggest fight in the history of professional boxing is officially dead.  Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Many Pacquiao is no longer scheduled for March 13 and "Pac Man" has opted to fight Joshua Clottey in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium.

The only "winners" who walked away from the blown up negotiations between Mayweather and Pacquiao are Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and, well, Clottey.  Jones gets to showcase his new stadium to the boxing world with the premiere fighter in the universe and Clotttey gets a payday.

Problems making Mayweather-Pacquiao started when the Mayweather camp insisted on blood and urine testing that was outside the regulations of the Las Vegas State Athletic Commission.  The Pacquiao camp agreed to blood tesing a month before the bout; Mayweather wanted random testing up to the fight but backed off the request and asked for 14 days. 

In my opinion, the entire unhappy fiasco was much deeper than the drug testing issue itself.  Pacquiao has a known phobia of needles.  This sounds like a case of Mayweather wanting to get inside his head.  More likely, though, was a strategy to buy time.  Mayweather is coming off an extended layoff with one fight in which he dominated a much smaller Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19, 2009.  His previous fight before that was December 2, 2007 against Ricky Hatton.  "Pretty Boy" Mayweather stopped Hatton in the last round of the bout held in Las Vegas.  Pacquiao knocked Hatton stiff  in two rounds in the same ring on May 2, 2009.

Mayweather's "comeback" bout against Marquez was supposed to prepare him for Pacquiao.  Problem was, the Marquez was much smaller than "Pac Man" is and spent the better part of twelve rounds eating jabs and trying half-heartedly to work his way inside.  Mr. Marquez, I know Manny Pacquiao...and you're no Manny Pacquiao.

Look for Mayweather to huff and puff about Pacquiao avoiding him.  Look for him to be ringside when "Pac Man" blast out Clottey in Dallas.  Look for Mayweather to take a small payday in another tuneup before he gets in the ring with the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world for a $25 million payday.

Fighters fight.  And after all the blowing and blustering and pointing of fingers...this fight will happen.  Both Mayweather and Pacquiao have 50 million reasons why it will take place.

Martin Mayhew's Mess

With one season under his belt as Detroit Lions General Manager, Martin Mayhew recently spoke about his unhappiness with the 2-14 record.
  He said alot; and he said nothing.
  He said every position would be evaluated, but spoke about building around quarterback Matthew Stafford.  He gave vocal support to Drew Stanton.  He said he might add a running back to the trio of Kevin Smith, Maurice Morris and Aaron Brown. 
  Perhaps the most daunting statement made during his discussion with the media Thursday was that he wouldn't rule out drafting an offensive player with the second round pick in April.
  Ugh.
  Without question, the Lions are deficient all over the field.  However, the defense has more holes than a slice of swiss cheese.  One wag at Ford Field told me he had rather watch little old ladies play slots at the casino than watch the Lions play defense.  Why?  The little old ladies "hit something" every now and then.
  If the Lions select an offensive player in the draft, it better be on that offensive line.  Stafford is a big, strong kid. Problem is, it's tough to throw the ball when you're on your back trying to get up with one hand and wiping stars from your eyes with the other. 
  More prudent would be to make some free agent moves on the offensive line and load up on the defense.  Other than Larry Foote, Earnie Simms, Julian Peterson and Louis Delmas, nothing should be sacred.  There is virtually no pressure on opposing quarterbacks and the secondary was horrendous all year long.
  There is only one way to approach a turnaround situation: Make changes fast and make them drastic.
  Mayhew has a mess left by Matt Millen.  It's an ugly baby.  But it's his baby.
  Martin: Make your changes fast and make them drastic...