Baseball drops the ball
The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick has issues with Muhammad Ali, who refused induction into the U.S. military during the Vietnam War, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday night’s All-Star game.
“It doesn’t matter what your politics are or your stand on the war in Iraq and/or the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali, in view of MLB’s daily, nationwide reminders to think about our troops, makes a bad fit, a terrible fit.”
Having gone after one American icon, Mushnick set his sights on another, writing, “And it’s worth noting during World War II, U.S. fighting men of all political persuasions booed John Wayne, who avoided induction into the armed forces, yet often appeared in the role of a heroic military man – a terrible fit.”
Just call him Coach $
It has been more than a week since Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski spurned the Los Angeles Lakers and their millions in favor of retaining his castle in Durham, N.C.
But some media members are still casting a wary eye at Coach K’s professed intentions.
“That’s what this charade of a possible move to the L.A. Lakers was all about: a power play by Krzyzewski to remind Duke, college basketball (as in ESPN) and the ACC/NCAA (and their people in charge of officiating) how much all those entities need his visibility,” wrote Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“You have to like Krzyzewski’s chances of getting that new practice facility, considering that Duke President Richard Brodhead led a ‘Please stay, Coach K’ rally” on campus.
And Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star compared Krzyzewski to fictional mob boss Tony Soprano.
He also wrote, “This affair with the Lakers now seems very orchestrated, choreographed, put together. It was a well-timed score.
“One year after North Carolina lavished Roy Williams with a perk$-laden contract, not long after the ACC made a huge commitment to football, just weeks after his two best players jumped to the NBA and during Brodhead’s first week on the job, suddenly Coach K, the face of college basketball, wants to contemplate a move to L.A.”
He’s no lock
Jim Armstrong, in his AOL Sports column, talking about Shaq’s departure from the Lakers:
“… The Big Diesel is rolling off into the sunset. Why? Because Kobe doesn’t want to play with him anymore. With Shaq gone, Kobe will be free to sign a seven-year contract. Then he’ll have to hope he doesn’t get a 30-year deal from the Colorado penal system.”
Top-paid ‘manager’ in baseball
The Toronto Blue Jays have two people who will clear $10 million this year – first baseman Carlos Delgado ($19.7 million) and Pat Smith ($14.8 million), says Tom Fitzgerald of the San Francisco Chronicle. You may not have heard of Smith. She’s the office manager of Toronto’s spring-training operations in Dunedin, Fla. According to the Toronto Sun, she and her husband won $27 million in the Florida lottery.