Not sure if he knows when you’re awake, but he has to know when you are sleeping. And he lives in the area.
Someone caused this; it doesn’t happen by itself, naturally. Someone slipped in and spiked the entire batch. He infected the meaning and essence of sport and sports, lacing them with such moral compromise and leaving them so diseased by dishonesty and greed, that anything that includes a scoreboard and a beer stand now makes the cut.
This past Sunday, over just a couple of hours, two big-time New York City sports events, back-to-back and a few blocks from each other, provided the latest proof.
Act I: Serena Williams, who clearly was raised to be a better player than person, for the second time in the past three U.S. Opens (she missed last year’s) seized her internationally televised match on center court to act like a classless, petulant lout toward a match official.
This one wasn’t as bad as 2009, when, sounding like a street thug, she cursed out and threatened a lineswoman. But what she this time directed at a chair ump was nonetheless ugly and disturbing.
And when the match ended, Williams beaten in the final of the U.S. Open — she defied one of her sport’s better traditions by not shaking the chair ump’s hand — Jon Vegosen, chairman and president of the USTA, held the house microphone and told Williams, the crowd, CBS’ audience and presumably the world: “Serena, I have to tell you, it’s great to have you back on court. You’ve had a tremendous comeback this year. We love you. You’re one of the great American champions and we’re very proud of you.”
Speak for yourself, Mr. Vegosen.
While my stomach turned with his pandering assertion, how do you think those tennis officials felt, the two so publicly abused by Williams? What must they have felt about the head of the USTA?
But the pernicious pandering that now helps suck the sport from our sports didn’t end there. CBS’ Mary Carillo, often valued for her candor, took the microphone and cheerfully suggested to Williams that her blowup at the chair ump “actually seemed to energize you.”
Yeah, perhaps it was a good thing! Do that more often!
For crying out loud, it was the final of the U.S. Open! One needs motivation beyond that?
Act II: Next, both on and for ESPN, the Cubs played the Mets. The game originally was scheduled and tickets sold for a logical 1:05 p.m. start. But in early July, MLB and ESPN realized that the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and mass murders landed on, of all unanticipated dates, 9/11.
So, because the game was attached to New York City, it was deemed extra-special and switched to an illogical 8:05 p.m. start as a “9/11 Memorial Game.”
A believable, honest explanation is that the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was now being exploited by MLB and ESPN for alternative TV programming.
Remember, when this game was rescheduled by MLB for ESPN money, it seemed the NFL season would not begin on time, thus Cubs-Mets in prime time might serve as an audience-booster. The Cowboys-Jets opener, that night on NBC, was in peril of being cancelled or postponed.
So, Sunday’s Cubs-Mets was anything but a matter of MLB uniformity.
But when the game began, MLB forbade the Mets from wearing the team caps of New York police, firemen and other into-the-fire rescue workers as a matter of MLB-wide uniformity!
Maybe if the NYFD and NYPD had purchased a sponsorship …
Giants new receiver a level-headed grab
Brandon Stokley — 5-foot-10, 35 and a just-signed Giants wide receiver — has made some impressive catches and runs during his 12-year career. But his best is statistically non-existent.
In 2008, he was playing for the Broncos at Cleveland in an NFL Network Thursday nighter. With 3:58 left, Brandon Marshall caught a pass to give Denver the lead. Marshall then began to pull a glove out of his pants, preface to some self-scripted excessive demonstration that surely would cost Denver 15 yards.
Likely conditioned to know that Marshall has no sense of modesty nor consequences — especially off the field, where he’s drawn to crime — Stokley caught Marshall’s post-TD act as it was unfolding, ran over, got in his face and stopped him.
Cris Collinsworth, then with NFLN, talked over the scene, thus missed it. But we didn’t, and we’ll never forget it.
* Leave it to Mike Francesa. Sunday, 9/11, he declared the Meadowlands safe for Cowboys-Jets. He spoke as if he had inside word from both Homeland Security and his buddy, the Almighty.
And at that night’s game, a guy not only got in with a taser gun, but he used it — on people!
Speaking of taser-toting Larry McKelvey, which do you think cost more: the gun, bail, his legal defense and the fine he likely will have to pay? Or the ticket to the game?
Attention Jets and Giants PSL patrons: Although you’re forced to defray the cost of obscenely priced tickets and PSLs, please refrain from selling to the armed and dangerous.
Next: ‘Being Manny’ as a legal defense
Given all the teams, media and fans who pandered to me-first Manny Ramirez — on ESPN, in Cleveland, then Boston, L.A., Chicago and Tampa Bay — we may soon learn if “Manny being Manny” is a legitimate defense for domestic battery.
* More pandering: Yankees rookie Jesus Montero, Tuesday in Seattle, doubled with none on, then was thrown out trying to go to third on a grounder to short. “Growing pains,” YES’s Michael Kay explained. But even pal Al Leiter wouldn’t buy that. Montero, he said, should by now know basic base-running.
* Reader Chris Downing asks how, on 9/11, Plaxico Burress, as seen on NBC carrying an American flag, could be among the Jets to lead the offensive starters on the field, as if he’s among the best the team can offer. That’s an easy one, Chris: The Jets wanted to make sure Burress’ hands were busy and in plain sight.
* Jon Gruden slogged through the usual ESPN excess to have a strong telecast on “Monday Night Football.” After Miami made a bunch of defensive shifts before the snap, Tom Brady hit Rob Gronkowski with a 14-yard bullet. Gruden: “You can’t fool perfection.”
* It’s official: Brian Kenny — versatile, credible and modest as an ESPN regular — has joined MLB Network as a first-string studio anchor. He’s also free to accept a cable-boxing gig.
* As long as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell claims that PSLs are good investments, reader Steven Blutig has a question: “Will a bank accept a PSL as collateral?”