The “Association of Fly-By- Night Used Car Dealers” has launched an image campaign to discourage the public from further negative comparisons to sports commissioners.
After all, the NFL, like MLB under Bud Selig, to put it indelicately, is full of it.
Pretending to always have been concussion-conscious, the NFL, despite Ray Lewis’ obstruction plea in a double homicide, nevertheless chose Lewis as its “Come Get Your Violence!” TV ads salesman.
Lewis is inarguably an anti-personnel weapon — an accomplished and remorseless hit man rather than a tackler — and has been for years. And the NFL, its licensed advertisers and partner TV networks, no matter the league’s sensitivity to brain injuries perpetrated upon the defenseless, love Lewis for it.
And the NFL’s campaign to return civility among in-stadium fans doesn’t quite rhyme with a new ain’t-we-got-fun NFL Network show on fans, one that includes a close-up of a fan-held poster that carries a vulgar, scatological and graphic message: Stay thirsty, my friends!
And because, as commissioner Roger Goodell claims, “It’s all about the fans” – as opposed to TV money — next Sunday’s Eagles at Bears and Buccaneers at Ravens, both scheduled for 1 p.m. ET kickoffs, have been moved to 4:15 p.m., on and for Fox.
Yes, those NFL patrons in Chicago and Baltimore are no doubt grateful that the NFL changed outdoor late November games from a logical time to an illogical one.
And those Jets fans — especially the PSL owners — must be too grateful to express in printable words their appreciation for this week’s 8:25 start on Thanksgiving night!
Yes, it’s all about the fans. And don’t forget, fans: According to Goodell, PSL’s are “a good investment”! Really? Try selling one or two. The Jets can’t even sell those they still have, even at discounted discounts.
It’s all code. Most any time a modern pro sports commissioner claims that anything is done to benefit “the fans,” just substitute “team owners” to reach the truth.
Meanwhile, what are the chances that you will be awake to watch the fourth quarter of Thursday’s Bengals-Jets on TV? Remember, turkey is rumored to contain tryptophan that rocks you to sleep.
Either way, stuffing is more powerful than NyQuil.
* The NFL might consider gifting the NFL Network its live games in the first half of the season, before first and second-string quarterbacks are out, injured.
* Though Tedy Bruschi was an undersized linebacker with the Patriots, he now looks half his playing size during his ESPN speaking parts. Isn’t TV supposed to make you look heavier? Used to be NFL players would retire and get fat. Naturally. Now? Many retire and get small. Odd.
Some swing lessons a year after Tiger fiasco
One Thanksgiving later, the bottom line reads that while Tiger Woods may not have won an event this year, he provided tens of thousands of men and women, the world over, invaluable swing lessons: 1. Keep your cell phone on you at all times. 2. Text, delete. Text, delete. Text, delete.
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For his own good, Yankees employee Michael Kay should assiduously avoid interviewing Yankees execs on his 1050 ESPN radio show. He comes across — surprise! — as a rubber stamp, an audience-insulting shill. Kay’s interview last week with Yankees COO and ticket greed-defender Lonn Trost was a transparent tank job on both ends.
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Lookalikes: Lots of folks claim Mark Teixeira and Prince William. But Teixeira and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow remains the pick here.
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Kenneth Hogan is a former NYPD officer, a current NYC fireman and the author of two slightly off-center and thoroughly cool baseball books.
His 2007 soft-cover “The 1969 Seattle Pilots, Major League Baseball’s One-Year Team,” is a kick.
The last-place Pilots included a spring training-only rookie, Lou Piniella, and fading notables Don Mincher, Tommy Harper, Jim Bouton, Tommy Davis, Jack Aker, Steve Barber and infielder Ray Oyler who, along with the Yankees’ Bobby Murcer, started a bench/bullpen-clearer after throwing punches at second base.
Now Hogan has a larger soft-back about the Yankees, specifically easily forgotten Yankees of mostly brief stays in The Bronx.
Smartly titled, “Batting 10th for the Yankees,” it’s loaded with interviews, photos and tales of 30 Yankees of fleeting fortune, 1940s into the 1990s, including 1940s backup catcher Ralph Houk, 1950s backup catcher Charlie Silvera and 1960s pitchers Thad Tillotson and Bill Burbach. A-to-Z there’s Joe Ausanio (pitcher ’94-95) and Paul Zuvella (infielder, ’86-87, whose Yankees career began 0-for-28).
Published by Author House (authorhouse.com) the foreward is written by Buck Showalter. Very neat stuff. And only 20 bucks — 67 cents per Yankee — plus mailing.
Legendary Grambling coach always ran up score
WISCONSIN coach Bret Bielema has been more widely condemned for what he has three times done this season — hideously running up the score — than was legendary Grambling coach Eddie Robinson for doing the same throughout his long career. Robinson piled on every chance he got.
Sixteen years before Bielema had Wisconsin go for two with a 41-16 fourth quarter lead against Minnesota, Robinson used a tackle-eligible play to score a two-pointer to take a 46-6 lead over Morgan State. Then he called time for his offense to try to score again, two seconds left in the half — with a 53-6 lead.
Grambling edged past Morgan State that day, 87-12. Under Robinson, Grambling beat Mississippi Valley State, 93-0 and 72-14. And there were those regular stompings of Prairie View, 70-7, 68-0, 63-3, 77-7, 66-0.
Yet, the pandering (or ignorant) media and the NCAA determined that he was a superior sportsman, a noble, peerless leader of young black men. The NCAA even named its Coach of the Year Award after him.
Apparently, it didn’t matter that Robinson specialized in the needless humiliation of opponents, also young black men.
So vote Bielema for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. He deserves it.
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Reader Joseph Dobies: “The NCAA is considering an investigation of Army football. Allegedly, recruits meet with a member of Congress, and they’re guaranteed a job after graduation. ESPN also quotes sources as claiming that the entire team is involved with weapons.”