tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55160819597789764002024-03-19T04:45:15.848-07:00Open Eye ColoradoAn unblinking look at ColoradoOpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-37403654118898063102012-06-12T21:43:00.002-07:002012-06-12T21:46:12.447-07:00A Scout Is Brave... Is Jeremy Guthrie?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdx-ywcij_t5UjhfcgXeyfNxdN_XSuxSb6KIytvOx5NRXp5-rpzMIAqftRnCpG20SiY8nxKCc7BaFW-SgI7m8eW0q39RFjFLOCxtHmrrt4mq-udHx82FazjKX7ONPdx5mmRu8RmvOKV7o/s1600/jguthrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdx-ywcij_t5UjhfcgXeyfNxdN_XSuxSb6KIytvOx5NRXp5-rpzMIAqftRnCpG20SiY8nxKCc7BaFW-SgI7m8eW0q39RFjFLOCxtHmrrt4mq-udHx82FazjKX7ONPdx5mmRu8RmvOKV7o/s400/jguthrie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Rockies pitcher Jeremy is a Boy Scout. Literally. No matter how bad his on-field performance, Guthrie always seems to make news off the field for being a great guy. In fact, Guthrie was an Eagle Scout who continues to promote the Boy Scouts of America and its values.<br />
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A fundamental tenet of the Scout Law is "A Scout is Brave." Well, now it's time for Guthrie to stand up and be brave. There is no need to detail his desultory performance for the Colorado Rockies this season; I'll leave the statistics to the sportswriters of Denver, who do a great job of showing start after start how bad Guthrie has actually been. And he's been historically bad, even by his lousy standards.<br />
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In layman's terms, when Guthrie pitches, his poor on-field performance almost always prevents the Rockies from having a chance at winning. And this is from a guy penciled in from the outset as the Rockies' "ace" - their #1 starter. He's certainly making #1 starter money - the Rockies will pay Guthrie $8.2 million for his 2012 performance, no matter how bad he is. And realistically, he can't get much worse.<br />
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There isn't much to argue with Guthrie. He's been awful. Anyone could have told you he was going to be awful. He led the American League in losses in 2011, and he's the only the second pitcher in baseball history to have TWO 17-loss seasons. He's averaged 15 losses each of the last 4 seasons. Flat out, no matter how nice a guy off the field Jeremy Guthrie is, he simply isn't a good major league pitcher. Or even a decent one. He's terrible, and he hurts his team nearly every time he takes the ball.<br />
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Again, anyone could have told you he was going to be awful. Anyone other than the only person whose opinion really mattered, the supposed "best GM in baseball," Dan O'Dowd of the Colorado Rockies. O'Dowd should be terminated for the Guthrie signing alone, let alone the many other terrible moves he's made, but of course he won't. And he's also not making $8.2 million this year, either.<br />
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After one recent terrible outing, Guthrie beat himself up verbally, even questioning if his team should continue trotting him out there every day to be a batting practice pitcher and get lit up by nearly every team he faces. Although Rockies manager Jim Tracy tried to boost Guthrie's confidence by saying the team's success (HA!) depended on Guthrie, it was obvious. Jeremy Guthrie has realized he's not a capable major league pitcher, and he's given up. The cap tips tonight to a Rockies crowd booing him for giving up a 6-spot to blow the 4-run lead his offense staked for him, and to an opposing player who launched a Guthrie pitch to the third deck of Coors Field showed it all. All Guthrie has left is to be a nice guy; he knows he's not going to be an effective pitcher.<br />
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Herein lies the opportunity for Guthrie to live up to the Scout Law that "A Scout is Brave" and make even MORE off-field headlines for being a great guy. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbI42yf-FzZ1VhXb2nLDIARBzOGDPczIaZlYX8gspooUNCy4_B7IV1nZRCa9SlHbdup6e9UqB3-9fmAEVvipxVFPz5Y3xN4HcwjiPlhZ-m6FsTDQfDMtyg5WUAyigmR-PetLqMbb72GdU9/s1600/jguthrie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbI42yf-FzZ1VhXb2nLDIARBzOGDPczIaZlYX8gspooUNCy4_B7IV1nZRCa9SlHbdup6e9UqB3-9fmAEVvipxVFPz5Y3xN4HcwjiPlhZ-m6FsTDQfDMtyg5WUAyigmR-PetLqMbb72GdU9/s400/jguthrie2.jpg" width="400" /></a>Jeremy, give back the $8.2 million. Stand up, be brave, and say simply, "I have not earned a penny of this money, and I'm giving it back." Bob Knight did it once at Texas Tech after a season that was not NEARLY as bad as the one you are producing, and if you fail to live up to the moral standards set by Bob Knight, then you have really failed. If the Rockies refuse to take back the salary you have obviously not earned, give it to a fund that disburses it to the poor souls who shelled out for season tickets to watch you fail again and again and again. Sure, the player's union will balk at this, but being brave means standing up to people who may not be acting on principle. Stand up to the player's union, Jeremy, and say, "I did not deserve this money. I have not earned this money. I cannot in good conscience keep this money when I have failed repeatedly at the job I was promised $8.2 million to do." Just tip your cap again, Jeremy, and give back the money. Even if you give back the $8.2 the Rockies owe you for 2012, you'll still be richer than nearly every single Rockies fan who pays to come see you fail at your job.<br />
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A Scout is Brave. Is Jeremy Guthrie TRULY a Scout? Or does he just talk the talk, pocket the money, and cowardly walk away from the expensive mess he's made in Denver?OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-72147894668493541102011-11-17T11:55:00.001-08:002011-11-17T14:59:28.197-08:00Tonight Can Be Coming-Out Party For Underrated Andre Roberson<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0can_ChUsNjfLaBatYdV91Y6IlfdPpyfWW5dbsFK5zr2dnVbozlmFSSBRtA-d4J5CZ4wOYhs8RxnC5cbK7mhFO2ZxTi8ewEL__C2sdr5hKRjipNQp1uGSwkmmRhh6nXlGsoKIgiDMMrW/s1600/andreroberson.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0can_ChUsNjfLaBatYdV91Y6IlfdPpyfWW5dbsFK5zr2dnVbozlmFSSBRtA-d4J5CZ4wOYhs8RxnC5cbK7mhFO2ZxTi8ewEL__C2sdr5hKRjipNQp1uGSwkmmRhh6nXlGsoKIgiDMMrW/s320/andreroberson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676096343468905042" border="0" /></a>For those who have watched the University of Colorado's men's basketball program closely, the inevitable emergence of Andre Roberson as a national name won't be a surprise. In fact, it might happen tonight, should the eyes of the college basketball world see Roberson emerge as CU knocks off an ESPN- and mid-major-darling Wichita State Shocker ballclub in the first round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Note: Shockers a 9.5 favorite, according to Vegas. UniOf course, as luck would have it (can't CU beg for a schedule change in PR here?), the Buffs are up against a resurgent Bronco ballclub, playing the Thursday night national TV game at home against the Jets.<br /><br />But for those who are NOT intimately familiar with CU basketball - and that's most everybody - the emergence of Andre Roberson will not be seen as quite so inevitable.<br /><br />I've recently finished reading "Moneyball" - I know, I'm late, there's a Brad Pitt movie about it that I haven't seen - but Moneyball describes the late-90's/early 2000's baseball trend by Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane to identify talent using new methods of looking at tradition-bound statistical analysis.<br /><br />The college basketball equivalent of Billy Beane, although not a general manager or even an affiliate of a single program, is Ken Pomeroy. Pomeroy's brilliant blog - <a href="http://www.kenpom.com">www.kenpom.com</a> - uses, in a nutshell, efficiency statistics to identify college basketball teams, and players, that are undervalued or who may be underappreciated and poised for breakout. When the pace of a game, and resultant statistics, is removed from statistical analysis, Pomeroy and his acolytes (of which I'm one) believe, TRUE value of teams and players can more closely be analyzed.<br /><br />One of those people who won't be caught of guard by an Andre Roberson coming-out party is, you guessed it, Ken Pomeroy. In an analysis of Andre Roberson posted <a href="http://kenpom.com/blog/index.php/weblog/2011/08/">here</a> in August - yes, in August - Pomeroy makes the brilliant arguement that, eventually, the college basketball world WILL know who Andre Roberson is.<br /><br />In his analysis, Pomeroy first details Roberson's "absurd rebounding rates", showing Roberson's rebounding efficiency statistics (must be seen to be believed how many of all rebounding opportunities are claimed by Roberson) and THEN discussing comparable players. Further, Pomeroy then points out Roberson's pace-adjusted steal and blocked shot rates, which also are beyond impressive, if not "absurd."<br /><br />However, the most interesting point discussed in Pomeroy's piece is WHY Roberson is so unknown, despite these remarkable efficiency statistics. Pomeroy posits Roberson's lack of blue-chip status, the fact that he was overshadowed by Burks and Higgins during CU's 2010-2011 season, and the fact that CU's offense last season didn't emphasize Roberson (nor should it have, with Burks and Higgins doing the heavy lifting on the scoring end.<br /><br />But what Pomeroy does NOT speculate may be even greater. And there are two ways to look at this.<br /><br />1. Efficiency statistics are not yet analyzed or even discussed by the mainstream media - read ESPN - and thus no matter HOW eye-popping Roberson's efficiency statistics are, the segment of the sports world who listens only, or even primarily, to the "worldwide leader" will never know the value of efficiency statistics in college basketball. Further, just as Billy Beane's unorthodox use of statistics were poo-poohed by the mainstream baseball world when he started using them and are now a part of (nearly) every team's scouting, it can be expected that Ken Pomeroy's brilliant analysis will similarly be embraced. Simply put, ESPN moves the college basketball needle more than anyone else, and as always, they are behind the curve. Talk to me in 2021 when efficiency statistics are so mainstream that the college basketball world laughs at the thought of ANYONE placing importance on a player leading the nation in scoring while playing for the rabbit-paced tempo of a novelty team such as US International or whoever the hell they were.<br /><br />2. There is also the possibility that Roberson goes so unnoticed and underappreciated because the University of Colorado basketball program is irrelevant in the college basketball world... and makes little or no effort to become relevant. The appearances in the Maui tournament last year and the Puerto Rico tournament this year notwithstanding, CU's non-conference schedule - the part of the year when striving teams serve notice of their aspirations - is a joke. Its sports information department is regarded as inept within the industry, and its relationship with that entity that moves the needle - ESPN - never improves because the aforementioned inept sports information department continues to be insular and never finds a way to promote the great players that CU DOES have. Additionally, it's a 2010 world, and there are many opinion leaders on blogs, message boards, Twitter, etc., just like Ken Pomeroy. Does CU's sports information department embrace these buzz-makers? Nope - it sits idly by in a 1980's mentality, passing out paper statistics at halftime of games and failing to embrace those people (other than the worldwide leader) who really COULD build buzz for Andre Roberson... and for CU's program.<br /><br />So when Andre Roberson inevitably becomes the star he is, he can blame two things that prevented that inevitability from presenting itself earlier. First, the underappreciation of efficiency statistics, such as those proffered by the brilliant Ken Pomeroy. And the backwards insular nature of CU's sports information department, which refuses to get onboard with modern methods of player and program promotion offered by the 2010's digital world.OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-48669242908196822292011-07-25T10:31:00.001-07:002011-07-30T18:36:51.212-07:00At Their Heart, Rockies Are A Bush-League OperationSo Ubaldo was traded. I'm OK with keeping him, and I'm OK with trading him.<br /><br />I'm not OK with letting him go out there an emotional wreck and be embarrassed for one horrifying, cringe-inducing, 45-pitch, 4-walk, 4-run 1st inning in San Diego before being pulled so he can be traded.<br /><br />That's just bush league, Rockies. And I suspect you know it. Because we as fans know it.<br /><br />If Ubaldo was to be traded, let Esmil Rogers (Ubaldo's replacement) start the game. Don't force Ubaldo to attempt to pitch while Rogers warms up in the bullpen.<br /><br />Rockies brass looks like a monkey fucking a football, as was said in the classic "Days of Thunder."<br /><br />Thanks, Ubaldo, for all the excitement - the no-hitter, the leadership, the fastballs, the miniscule first-half of 2010 ERA, thanks for everything. And best of luck in Cleveland.<br /><br />As for the trade itself, it basically hinges on the long-term success of 2010 overall #5 pick pitcher Drew Pomeranz (who, because of contractual reasons, is the "player to be named later.") If Pomeranz turns out to be an ace, the trade was a wash. If Alex White turns out to be a long-term starter, the trade was a good one. And if Joe Gardner (P) and Matt McBride (OF) turn out to be contributors at all, then the trade was VERY good. But it all hinges on Pomeranz... and if he doesn't come up until 2013, it means Rockies management may have written off the 2012 season waiting on Pomeranz. Wonder if they will reduce my season ticket costs...<br /><br />As for HOW the trade was handles, it could not have been worse. Rockies management, for whatever bullshit reason they will most certainly proffer in the coming days, humiliated a guy who gave the Rockies a lot of good moments, and gave Rockies fans a lot of good memories.<br /><br />Godspeed, Ubaldo.<br /><br />Shame on you, Rockies management.OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-283358542206640822011-03-15T12:54:00.000-07:002011-03-15T13:29:49.804-07:00Blame Mike Bohn For CU's NCAA SnubFirst, let's get this out of the way. The University of Colorado men's basketball team was ABSOLUTELY robbed when the mysterious "selection committee" left them out of the 2011 tournament. Given the lower-than-usual quality of the teams on the bubble, and given the expanded size of the tournament, there is absolutely NO excuse for Colorado to have been left out of the tournament, and without question, there should be a change in how the selection committee members are chosen, and how they do their work. Disgraceful is probably the BEST word to describe the decision.<br /><br />But, there seem to be two reasons why the committee COULD have eliminated Colorado - one quasi-legitimate and one totally nefarious. And BOTH the fault of Mike Bohn.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Reason 1: CU's Pre-Conference Schedule Was Laughably Weak... and Mike Bohn Could Have Changed It</span></span><br /><br />This is the reason most often cited for CU's exclusion, and there is SOME validity to this. The Buffs' pre-conference schedule was, and has been for several years in recent memory, embarrassingly weak. This pattern - which has been in effect for the tenures of at least three head coaches - is SO well-known that many CU fans eschew season ticket purchases to avoid the cost of buying tickets to so many lousy pre-conference games, preferring just to attend the one (or MAYBE two) worthwhile pre-conference games and then the Big XII games that follow. <br /><br />So whose fault is it that the pre-conference schedule was so weak? Well, as good leaders will always proclaim, and as President Harry S. Truman said, "The Buck Stops Here." In this case, the buck SHOULD stop with the CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn. However, the buck apparently stops "over there"... as in Winston-Salem, NC. The university athletic department may want the public to believe that the 2010-2011 pre-conference schedule that probably cost the Buffs a trip to the Big Dance was the fault of former coach Jeff Bzdelik - an easy scapegoat since he's not around to defend himself nor did he leave a positive legacy with most Buff fans when he bolted for Wake Forest - but this type of scheduling was in place LONG before Bzdelik arrived in Boulder. After Bzdelik left in the spring, there was one person who COULD have changed the schedule had he wanted... Mike Bohn. Basketball schedules, unlike football schedules, are relatively fluid and not finalized until just a couple of months before the season begins, and had Mike Bohn wanted to, the schedule could easily have been beefed up. But he chose not to, and now the team is paying the price for his inaction.<br /><br />But why would Mike Bohn NOT beef up the absurd pre-conference schedule, when he had the chance before the season?<br /><br />It's simple. Mike Bohn didn't believe that this team had a chance of making the NCAA tournament. Rather, he runs the entire CU basketball program in a bush league fashion, with the obvious goal - based on his actions - of reaching the NIT rather than the NCAA tournament. Bohn and the CU Athletic Department can pay lip service to how the NCAA tournament is always the goal for the basketball team, but his actions belie his true beliefs. The pre-conference schedule this year - and every other year, by the way - was designed to get the Buffs to a final record over .500, thus making them eligible for the NIT. Load up on horrendous out-of-conference competition, then a 4-12 Big XII record doesn't drop you below .500, and you can get in the NIT. Clearly, this has been the scheduling goal of the CU Athletic Department for years, and now that bush league philosophy has caught up with them.<br /><br />And given that Bohn didn't believe enough in this team to beef up the pre-conference schedule, thus costing the team an NCAA berth, Bohn owen an apology to the players. Of course he's too arrogant to make that apology - or any apology, including one for the Dan Hawkins contract extension 3 years ago - publicly, so I guess Cory Higgins, Levi Knutson, Marcus Relphorde, and Alec Burks (who will almost certainly declare for the 2011 NBA Draft) will have to accept my apology. Guys, I'm sorry your Athletic Director didn't believe in you enough to provide you with a schedule copacetic with that of all other NCAA at-large teams.<br /><br />So what's the solution?<br /><br />Well, a VERY smart CU fan posting on a message board has boiled it down in detailed, accurate fashion that even Mike Bohn should follow. See the solution for future out-of-conference basketball scheduling here: <a href="http://www.allbuffs.com/showthread.php/59393-Basketball-scheduling.-How-do-we-fix-our-mistakes">http://www.allbuffs.com/showthread.php/59393-Basketball-scheduling.-How-do-we-fix-our-mistakes</a><br /><br />It shouldn't come down to message board posting fans - who, if Mike Bohn agrees with Dan Hawkins, are the "scum of the Earth" - to tell a Division 1 Athletic Director how to do his job. But it has - and if Mike Bohn is smart, he prints that message board poster's suggestions and follows them EXACTLY in the future.<br /><br />But it's worse than that. Read on:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Reason 2: Mike Bohn Gave A Double Middle Finger to Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe, Who Used His Role On The NCAA Basketball Selection Committee To Exact Revenge on Bohn</span></span><br /><br />Here is the evidence: <a href="http://openeyecolorado.blogspot.com/2011/02/short-sighted-cu-athletic-department.html">http://openeyecolorado.blogspot.com/2011/02/short-sighted-cu-athletic-department.html</a> Over a month ago, this very same blog predicted the Big XII getting revenge on Mike Bohn, and the CU basketball program, for Bohn and the athletic department's decision to remove all Big XII logos from the Coors Events Center, and specifically from the arena floor.<br /><br />Well, we were off the mark. While we assumed (erroneously, apparently) that it would be the Big XII officials who would get back at CU, based on the thin skin and petty grievances of new Big XII Director of Officials Curtis Shaw, apparently the pettiness and revenge-seeking extends even higher. All the way to Big XII Commissioner Dan Beebe.<br /><br />This is the same Dan Beebe who refused to go to Lincoln to honor the Big XII North football Champion Nebraska Cornhuskers - who, like the Buffs, are bolting the Big XII conference after the season - but then absurdly excoriated the fans in Lincoln by claiming that it would be unsafe for him to attend a game in Lincoln. Yet he sent his officials and a Big XII opponent to the "lions" in Lincoln. Just an absurd, classless statement for Beebe to make - and if you can make this blog actually DEFEND the Cornhuskers, you really have to stoop low.<br /><br />Then Beebe stooped even lower when he OBVIOUSLY didn't defend the CU Buffs when fulfilling his role on the NCAA Selection Committee. Presumably tweaked by Mike Bohn's decision to give a double middle finger to the Big XII by removing those logos from the CEC, Beebe seems to have made SURE that CU didn't get into the Big Dance. If you believe that the NCAA Selection Committee members "leave the room" when their school/conference is being discussed, then you are a moron.<br /><br />And so is Mike Bohn, for not only believing enough in the 2010-2011 University of Colorado basketball team to provide them with a tournament-worthy schedule, but for being short-sightedly bitter as his school exited the Big XII and removing all Big XII logos from his school's basketball arena.<br /><br />The CU basketball players deserve an apology.<br /><br />The CU basketball program deserves better.OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-69091577341632002322011-02-09T10:07:00.000-08:002011-02-09T10:22:43.651-08:00Short-sighted CU Athletic Department Gives Double Middle Finger To Big 12With the announcement that the University of Colorado was moving its athletic teams from the Big 12 to the Pac-10 came cheers and kudos from CU fans, CU academic staff, CU alumni, and of course, the sycophantic local media.<br /><br />And let's be fair... it IS a great decision. And it was a great, proactive move by CU's Athletic Director, Mike Bohn, who got ahead of the tectonic shifts in conference switching and ended up in a great situation - in the Pac-10, WITHOUT Texas and its sure-to-be-masturbatory ESPN TV contract, and in a Pac 10 division with BOTH Southern California teams. Considering the number of CU alumni in California, the number of current CU parents who are in California, the imminent new-media contract of the Pac-10, and the FAR more desirable travel destinations offered by the Pac-10 (Palo Alto vs. Ames? no contest), this clearly was a great move.<br /><br />But CU, after some negotiation, had to play one more season in the Big 12, in both football and basketball. Clearly, Dan Hawkins's final football season was never going to be a success given the abject failure of a head coach the 2010 Buffs were saddled with for the first 9 games, but there was hope for the basketball team. A new coach, some returning experience, and the fortuitous return of Big 12 superstar Alec Burks all signalled good things for the Buffs. And when the Buffs won the first two conference games, both against ranked opponents, and surged to the top of the Big 12 standing, the outlook was rosy.<br /><br />Then reality set in. Since its 3-0 start, CU has lost 4 of 5 games, several close, and several on the road. The games at Nebraska and Oklahoma were games the Buffs had NO business losing, yet somehow they blew leads and lost. But as CU was losing these road games, I noticed something.<br /><br />CU has removed ANY reference to the Big 12 Conference from the Coors Events Center - including the Big 12 logo from the basketball court.<br /><br />This is AMAZINGLY stupid and short-sighted, and represents a double middle finger to the Big 12 Conference. Every single other team in the Big 12 - yes, even Nebraska, also bolting the conference at the end of the year - has the Big 12 logo on its floor. Who made this decision at CU? And why? Don't they realize this will antagonize a conference office that already was exposed as petty and stupid when its commissioner claimed to be unable to attend a division-clinching football game in Lincoln because of fear of the Husker fans?<br /><br />A primer on how basketball officials are assigned:<br /><br />Each conference employs a coordinator of officials - in the Big 12's case, this is Curtis Shaw (new to the position this year). Shaw assigns game officials based on whatever criteria he likes. He can claim to review them, or to have a committee to review the officials' performance, but ultimately, whatever Shaw says goes. And the officials know that getting these plum officiating assignments hinges on whether they are able to effectively play the political game and kiss the ass of the conference assigners. In other words... if you are an official and you want to work Big 12 conference games in the 2011-2012 season and beyond, start kissing Curtis Shaw's ass NOW.<br /><br />So for the rest of the season, CU should EXPECT to get the short end of the officiating stick, as officials try to kowtow to Curtis Shaw and his arrogance in his future assigning duties. Basketball, more so than ANY other sport, has a lot of calls that "could go either way" - and which way do you think they will go in a Colorado game?<br /><br />Why? Because the Big 12 conference office - which staffs small, petty men like Curtis Shaw in powerful positions - has to have noticed what I noticed. That the CU Athletic Department gave the conference a double middle finger on its way out by actively removing the conference logo from the Coors Event Center floor.OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-89952540444471400292010-11-06T17:24:00.001-07:002010-11-06T18:07:55.026-07:00Dan Hawkins's 5th Year at Colorado... What It REALLY Means For Dan HawkinsAt the end of his four<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCJ70x2pCm0eWsmI2Bp98hyuc9yg6H5_fgFkx_HY6mE1IJAZPHApzIs2s2bFYDFo-1CpR3m5ciLDGlEx-LW-jXnkjuw4T5ahS7WNCq_BHooRVSGQjbCFAxiQJfOsKvlyBYxzrbiOjVG62/s320/DanHawkins1.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536598654276627234" />th season as University of Colorado head football coach, Dan Hawkins sported a dismal 3-8 record and was facing a season-ending home game against the heavily favored and CU rival Nebraska Cornhuskers. Approaching the end of a season which began with a shameful home loss to Colorado State and a humiliating road loss to Toledo and never really improved, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Dan Hawkins was ready to do what he does best... blame someone else for his own failings.</span></b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>What Is The Significance Of A College Coach's Fourth Year?</i><br /></b></span><div><div><br /></div><div>In major college sports, a fundamental axiom of coaching success is that a coach is best measured in his fourth year. During that year, a successful coach is still riding a wave of enthusiasm over his "newness" and a failure of a coach can no longer blame a previous regime's players since he has 4 year's worth of his own players. In fact, former Colorado basketball coach told a booster group, "If we aren't winning in our fourth year, there is no one to blame but Jeff Bzdelik." Sure enough, Bzdelik headed to Wake Forest following his third year in Boulder.</div><div><br /></div><div>But back to Hawkins and his fourth season at Colorado. Clearly an on-field failure, it was time for Hawkins to be fired. However, with a cash-strapped athletic program facing a nationwide financial recession, Chancellor Phil DiStefano, it is believed, overruled Colorado Athletic Director Mike Bohn, who had made the decision to fire Hawkins and enter 2010 with a new coach. Some people close to the program even believe that Bohn actually TOLD Hawkins he would be fired, but the always-charismatic Hawkins made his case to Bohn's boss DiStefano, and Bohn was overruled. It was likely during this period where Hawkins thought he was being fired that he made the unfortunate "burned to the ground" comments.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What Do Hawkins's Comments Say About His Character?</span></i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>From Hawkins's first days on campus in Boulder in 2006, those who knew him least liked him most. He brought enthusiasm, a sunny attitude, a Boulder-friendly "Zen" approach to coaching, and a commanding 54-11 record from his previous stop, Boise State. Fans, the media, Boulder locals, boosters... they all showed what came to be knows as "Hawk Love." But for those closest to Hawkins, "Hawk Love" faded and "Hawk Hate" prevailed before Hawkins had even coached a game. Off the record, even those boosters closest to the program said that Hawkins was arrogant, shirked alumni relations duties, was aloof during meetings with potential boosters, and even spent an entire in-home "get to know you" session with prominent donors on his cell phone. "A true asshole" was how one person close to the program described Hawkins... before he had even coached a game.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the losing seasons mounted, Hawk Love dissipated even in those not-so-close to the program. Attendance at Hawkins booster events dwindled as tension as those events grew. Rather than make nice with boosters, Hawkins chose public venues to argue with and criticize those people who wanted nothing more than to see the same thing Hawkins supposedly wanted... to see the University of Colorado football team win. Late in the 2008 season, Hawkins's third at CU (and third losing season), Hawkins responded to online critics - often the most passionate, vocal, and knowledgeable segment of a fan base - by painting them all as "internet scum."</div><div><br /></div><div>And as his 4th season became yet another failure, Hawkins resorted again, as is his wont, to cheap shots lobbed from the balcony when he made the now-infamous "burned to the ground" comment. People close to the situation believe that Chancellor Phil DiStefano, immediately before Colorado predictably lost its final 2009 game to Nebraska, was wowed by Hawkins's charisma, enthusiasm, and unfortunately Hawkins's most prominent characteristic, his excuse-making. There is even a belief in some quarters that Hawkins presented to DiStefano an elaborate PowerPoint presentation to lobby for a fifth year, a presentation allegedly seen in other venues by other folks who say it includes myriad excuses for Hawkins's failure, including the previous regime, the bad luck of close losses, the loss of key players due to injuries, and even a rationale of how firing Hawkins could financially sting the CU Athletic Department. Of course, no mention of on-field success was made by Hawkins. And he got his fifth year.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What The Fifth Year Means For Dan Hawkins</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Hawkins's fifth year at Colorado has been, predictably, more of the same. Embarrassing home losses, a complete failure on the road, 5 straight conference losses, and the biggest blown lead in school history in a loss at inept Kansas. But his record isn't what will stick with Hawkins - everyone already knew he was a failure as a major college coach. His off-field performance IS what will stick with Hawkins as he attempts to seek work in the future.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Here's how Dan Hawkins failed OFF the field, and why no reputable athletic director will ever hire him again:</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>1. Refusal to Take Responsibility</b></i> - rather than own up to his failings and be classy about his exit from CU, Hawkins chose to blame the past by saying the program was "burned to the ground". Hawkins will probably continue to blame everyone other than himself for his obvious failure as a football coach at CU. Conversely, if the next guy is successful at CU, expect to see Hawkins claim that he laid a great foundation...</div><div><i><b>2. Lack of Respect </b></i>- Hawkins has repeatedly shown a lack of respect for boosters and fans, as discussed above. Further, Hawkins has showed the media extreme disrespect by acting like a boor on Big XII conference calls, and in his shameless, curt dismissal of CU Announcer Mark Johnson during a postgame interview at Kansas.</div><div><i><b>3. Lack of Perspective</b></i> - Hawkins, in the face of everything obvious, continue to believe that his team is "close" to achievement, and claims illogically that success was only "a few plays away". In reality, even Hawkins's 3-9 2009 team, the key fourth year team, was 2 plays away from a dismal 1-win season, although Hawkins never admits that, instead claiming insanely that his team was "10 plays away" from a bowl.</div><div><i><b>4. Lack of Class</b></i> - Hawkins, an obvious failure, has not only failed to resign and set an example for his players and for young fans of the program, he has demonstrated that he is willing to do ONLY what he is contractually obligated to do to retain his bloated salary. Curt, actually rude, contractually obligated media appearances have become the norm as a small, selfish man does the bare minimum to get paid. And recruting? Forget it... Hawkins has done almost nothing, truly leaving the talent cupboard for the poor soul who replaces him in 2011.</div><div><br /></div><div>Remember, athletic directors are a fraternity... </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Do You Think Anyone Will EVER Hire Dan Hawkins Again?</span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Probably Not... and It's Because He Got A Fifth Year at Colorado</span></b></i></div></div></div>OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-21980448307576430482010-08-28T09:14:00.001-07:002010-08-31T07:54:03.162-07:00Why Couldn't Mark Kiszla Write This In May?It must really suck to have Mark Kiszla's luck. Over and over (and over and over) he makes an ass of himself with his self-serving and bizarrely craven attempts at prescience in the Denver Post. Recent example: <a href="http://http//www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_15834757">http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_15834757</a><br /><br />Kiszla, never one to pass up a cheap shot at anyone, took on Todd Helton in the above column, and Helton had REALLY struggled all year. In spite of Drew Goodman's constant insistence that Helton had transformed himself from the power hitter Rockies fans knew for years into a singles and doubles hitter, it was obvious. Todd Helton's best days were behind him. In nearly every offensive efficiency category, Helton was last or second-to-last in the league among first baseman. Helton was not only diminished, he was probably hurting the Rockies on the field (his superior defensive skills notwithstanding) and given his salary, he was DEFINITELY hurting the Rockies off the field.<br /><br />The Rockies did what they could do to protect Helton, who is one of the rare baseball players in this era to spend his entire career with one organization. The team places Helton on the DL with a "sore back," an ailment so vague in nature that it brought to mind Barry Bonds's inane DL assignation of "side." Of course, this comparison insists that the question of steroids, which has haunted Bonds his entire career (and retirement) must be asked of Helton, whose astronomical offensive numbers coincided with the steroids era, but that's a column and question for another day.<br /><br />Back to Kiszla, who proclaims in his Denver Post column HEADLINE that it's "Time for Helton to hang 'em up." How does Helton respond? With a 7-game stretch in which he hit .429, raising his anemic batting average more than 15 points. Additionally, in that week following Mark Kiszla's column, Helton doubles his season-long total of home runs (from 2 to 4) and RBI (from 5 to 10). A 4-for-4 game in Coors Field vs. Atlanta ignited the Rockies, and Helton had key hits in several other games.<br /><br />In short, without question, the guy that Mark Kiszla wanted to retire responded by performing as the team's most valuable player in the week following the Kiszla column.<br /><br />Does Kiszla have terrible luck? Terrible timing? Or is he a moron?<br /><br />And why couldn't he have written his column in May? Or better yet, why can't he write another one about Clint Barmes, who has become an automatic out?OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-25391526942001611402010-07-19T09:46:00.000-07:002010-07-19T19:21:38.160-07:00Bad Calls Even Out... And Why The Weak Denver Media Doesn't Help Local TeamsThis is less about Colorado and more about a follow-up to our post from last month about the horrendous Jeff Nelson call that absolutely cost the Colorado Rockies a victory (<a href="http://openeyecolorado.blogspot.com/2010/06/worst-call-in-history-and-how-it-could.html">http://openeyecolorado.blogspot.com/2010/06/worst-call-in-history-and-how-it-could.html</a>).<br /><br />First, let's discuss the adage that we've all heard in sports. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> "Bad calls even themselves out."</span> Well, I guess the Rockies are approaching even, in a sense, because a team the Rockies are battling for a playoff spot just got cheated out of a victory.<br /><br />Here's the situation. In a tie game in the bottom of the 9th inning in San Francisco yesterday afternoon, the Giants appear to score the game-winning run, as seen here:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MVNlOkEJleHdP5D2jES_lv4O4QzR9nabATdY4mKYnJJ6mpcDyCV66_Ka9GJvq2lU8uKjl_XwtRrNaHzIa2MvYnkqnbJt4UpnFneKy36XD7KKsmQ7AS09E8VZVbylvKFKRHtA1peLeLZS/s1600/philcuzzi1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MVNlOkEJleHdP5D2jES_lv4O4QzR9nabATdY4mKYnJJ6mpcDyCV66_Ka9GJvq2lU8uKjl_XwtRrNaHzIa2MvYnkqnbJt4UpnFneKy36XD7KKsmQ7AS09E8VZVbylvKFKRHtA1peLeLZS/s320/philcuzzi1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495797930730550674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Unfortunately, umpire Phil Cuzzi didn't see it that way, made the "out" call, and the inning continued when the game should have ended with a 1-run Giants victory over the Mets. Of course, the Giants fail to score in the 9th, the Mets score in the top of the 10th, and the Giants fail to score in the bottom of the 10th. Sure, the Giants had chances to win after Cuzzi's bad call, but had Cuzzi made the RIGHT call, the game would have ended with a Giants victory.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">What does this have to do with the Denver media, you ask?</span></span><br /><br />Well, the discussion about "discipline" for Phil Cuzzi has already begun, trumpeted initially by dogged NY Daily News blogger Andy Martino here: <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2010/07/mlb-likely-to-speak-to-phil-cu.html"> http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2010/07/mlb-likely-to-speak-to-phil-cu.html</a> New York Mets catcher Henry Blanco's comments also didn't hurt, and they are also discussed in Martino's excellent blog. And remember, it was Martino's hometown team that was HELPED by Phil Cuzzi's inability to tell safe from out !!!<br /><br />Why didn't this happen here, when Jeff Nelson cost the Rockies a victory with a disastrous call? Why didn't Troy Renck, an excellent reporter but not one to make waves like Andy Martino, trash Jeff Nelson for his obviously wrong call that cost the Rockies a game in April? Why didn't Tracy Ringolsby hammer home the blown call that definitively cost the Rockies a game during his interminable segments on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain until Major League Baseball was forced to respond, even if only with a rumor of discipline for Nelson?<br /><br />I challenge you, Denver media... DEFEND YOUR TEAMS WHEN THEY ARE WRONGED!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">And here's a prediction:</span></span><br /><br />Due to Phil Cuzzi's obvious inability as an umpire (remember his HORRENDOUS call in last year's ALDS in New York <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/After-Phil-Cuzzi-s-blown-call-MLB-needs-to-put-;_ylt=AhE63pNQEHGSNZGqpx_IWNurO4d4?urn=mlb,195187">http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/After-Phil-Cuzzi-s-blown-call-MLB-needs-to-put-;_ylt=AhE63pNQEHGSNZGqpx_IWNurO4d4?urn=mlb,195187</a> that resulted in Cuzzi being removed from the 2009 World Series umpiring crew), we will never see Mr Cuzzi work a merit-based game again. Cuzzi will never work an All-Star game; he will never work a post-season game; and it wouldn't be surprising if he's found another line of work by Opening Day 2011.<br /><br />Yet nothing about Jeff Nelson polishing his resume... and his call cost the Rockies just like Cuzzi's cost the Giants.OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-81360271120782933502010-06-03T07:20:00.000-07:002010-06-03T08:27:14.821-07:00The Worst Call In History, And How It Could Help The RockiesJim Joyce made the worst call in sports history last night. For the rest of our lives, we will see Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers getting Jason Donald of the Cleveland Indians out to complete the 27th and final out of a perfect game. And we will see umpire Jim Joyce rule Donald safe when Donald was CLEARLY out, making the absolute worst call in baseball history.<br /><br />The play unfolded as follows: 26 up, 26 down, and Galarraga makes a 1-1 pitch to Donald that Donald slaps to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Galarraga races to first, has his foot on the first base bag, and the throw from Cabrera CLEARLY beats Donald yet Joyce calls Donald safe, totally blowing the call.<br /><br />25 years ago, the SAME THING happened in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. With nobody out in the top of the 9th inning and the St. Louis Cardinals leading the Kansas City Royals 1-0 (and leading the series 3-2), the Royals' Jorge Orta grounds to Cardinals first baseman Jack Clark, who tosses to Cardinals pitcher Todd Worrell covering first. Although Orta was clearly out, umpire Don Denkinger ruled him safe. Of course, Orta eventually scored, the Royals won the game 2-1, and their blowout in Game 7 gave them the World Series title. Until last night, THIS was the call that was considered the worst call in history. AND IT DIDN'T EVEN DEFINITIVELY CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME!!! Orta would have been the first out, but the Royals STILL could have scored those runs! Similarly, the Cardinals had a chance to win the World Series in Game 7, and they got blown out. So the oft-repeated statement that Denkinger's blown call "cost the Cardinals a World Series" is factually untrue.<br /><br />But it is factually true that Jim Joyce's blown call cost Armando Galarraga the 21st perfect game in baseball history. Of course Galarraga maintained his composure and got the 28th out, so the OUTCOME of the game (a 3-0 Tigers victory) was not changed. But whether history views the game as a perfect game for Galarraga or as a 1-hit shutout hinges on Jim Joyce's ability to get a simple call right.<br /><br />And this morning, the Sturm und Drang has begun for Major League Baseball Commissioner to overturn Joyce's blown call and award Galarraga with the perfect game that he rightly owned. People argue that, because the blown call occurred on the 27th out and definitively, absolutely nothing else could have occurred after the call to ruin Galarraga's perfect game - as opposed to if the call had occurred in the 6th inning - this is an opportunity for Selig to right a very specific and correctable wrong.<br /><br />Well if that happens, the Colorado Rockies should have their April 18 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves erased and replaced with a 3-2 victory. Here's the situation:<br /><br />With 26 outs completed (2 outs in the bottom of the ninth) and Braves runners on first and second, Braves first baseman Troy Glaus grounds to Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, who flips to Rockies pitcher Franklin Morales covering first. Even though the throw beat Glaus, first base umpire Jeff Nelson made the exact same mistake that Denkinger made in 1985 and that Joyce made last night - he ruled the baserunner safe on a play at first where the first basemen fielded the ball and the pitcher covered. Think Glaus wasn't safe? Look at these pictures of the play:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNPj13xPo4_ILK860FdkW8fDou1WBo7YjHiguuT-SWyuBzBur9xXvjX8RMFum35dAVUgNKjdV2EPfMAUD9_Tq8FKmgp1ccM-Zim1MHwyb6mO3R_wo8FBW_C3yF7eQSAuG6iLya0S3j6bD/s1600/colatl041910-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478558134758806770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNPj13xPo4_ILK860FdkW8fDou1WBo7YjHiguuT-SWyuBzBur9xXvjX8RMFum35dAVUgNKjdV2EPfMAUD9_Tq8FKmgp1ccM-Zim1MHwyb6mO3R_wo8FBW_C3yF7eQSAuG6iLya0S3j6bD/s320/colatl041910-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoW3gVX819IdOOn4a_z2SkQY3848EiiSjKQj7LYwNPZvLMmHUAn1iiGw_coB5e5jKrAYhRmtnbQbzxRLHK5LYTNRx8_y50R_pQfqk1Qm_lSPmKlCJrtixJFSgQ5mVgMuRAyEm6DOP21o7/s1600/colatl041910.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478558128760547042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoW3gVX819IdOOn4a_z2SkQY3848EiiSjKQj7LYwNPZvLMmHUAn1iiGw_coB5e5jKrAYhRmtnbQbzxRLHK5LYTNRx8_y50R_pQfqk1Qm_lSPmKlCJrtixJFSgQ5mVgMuRAyEm6DOP21o7/s320/colatl041910.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhy-WRk5dpNVXJN4DJQ-xIrylxL7F7bP9FuDtP4S5BlmLX1S24FTQPp2GfkVvWV9tqco9t2JVAN37jMZgqm9xby5jUqEjR_ENL59wW-wnBMngz8ezQ9gk_N0HSCrkpPWvhiFulhXbS98B8/s1600/colatl041910-3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478558141336002274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhy-WRk5dpNVXJN4DJQ-xIrylxL7F7bP9FuDtP4S5BlmLX1S24FTQPp2GfkVvWV9tqco9t2JVAN37jMZgqm9xby5jUqEjR_ENL59wW-wnBMngz8ezQ9gk_N0HSCrkpPWvhiFulhXbS98B8/s320/colatl041910-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There is no discussion. When that baseball rested in Franklin Morales's glove and Troy Glaus's foot was NOT yet on the base, the 27th out had been achieved and the ballgame was over. Only umpire Jeff Nelson ruled Glaus safe, and Morales subsequently imploded and eventually allowed a game-winning hit to Braves star Jayson Heyward.<br /><br />So far, there is one difference. Jim Joyce was humble, admitted his mistake, and apologized to Armando Galarraga. However, we have not heard from Jeff Nelson. No admission of a bad call in the face of visual evidence to the contrary; no humble apology for an incorrect call that absolutely cost a team a victory, in this case the Rockies. And in a tight NL West race, what happens if the Rockies miss the playoffs by a single game? And that single game is the April 18 game where the Rockies achieved the 27th out with a 3-2 lead, but umpire Jeff Nelson, as Jim Joyce would say, "kicked the shit" out of the call...<br /><br />So if Bud Selig decides, as many are clamoring for, to overturn Jim Joyce's egregious call and award Armando Galarraga with a perfect game because the umpiring error occurred on the 27th out and is "correctable," then the same ABSOLUTELY thing must happen with regards to the Colorado Rockies-Atlanta Braves game on April 18 of this year.<br /><br />Overturning poor umpiring calls post-facto starts baseball on a slippery slope, and is very unlikely to happen, even in the Jim Joyce situation. But if it does...OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516081959778976400.post-66861306308047270892010-05-19T11:00:00.000-07:002010-05-19T13:53:48.942-07:00Is Drew Goodman Guilty Of Racism?Hate to come out the box like this, but I suppose it's the things that seem like the greatest injustices that move people to act. In my case, the Fox Sports Rocky Mountain broadcast of the Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago Cubs game last night; Tuesday, May 18; has made me act.<br /><br />The worst charge that can be levelled against someone is the charge of racism. Not only is racism itself absolutely inexcusable, but a charge of racism is indefensible. In the face of the charge of racism, ANYTHING a person does or says only makes things seem worse and makes them seem like MORE of a racist. So I will absolutely NOT make the claim that Drew Goodman, Colorado Rockies TV play-by-play guy, is a racist. Rather, I will simply say that things that he consistently says during broadcasts of Colorado Rockies games absolutely demand that the question be asked: "Is Drew Goodman Guilty Of Racism?" I will then provide a series of actions Goodman can take that will prove that he is NOT guilty of racism.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Three Reasons That One Might Ask "Is Drew Goodman Guilty Of Racism?"</span></strong><br /><br />Here are the three things I have noticed about Drew Goodman during his tenure as Rockies play-by-play announcer that make me ask that unfortunate question:<br /><br />1. Drew Goodman offers unnecessary praise of white players, over-estimating specific players' abilities to contribute to the team's success, over-emphasizing the positive contributions they make to a game he is broadcasting, and superciliously commenting on their families and personal lives.<br /><br />2. Drew Goodman is reticent to criticize white players, often ignoring their failures, yet is never above open criticism of black and Latin players.<br /><br />3. Drew Goodman consistently uses what I feel is subtle, perhaps even subconscious, code for racism in that he often comments on the great "work ethic," or positive work ethic-related characteristics, of white players while rarely, if ever, making the same comments related to black or Latin players.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Goodman's Comments on May 18, 2010</span></strong><br /><br />While I have noticed the three above tendencies of Drew Goodman for years, it has only been recently that I've been sharing my opinions with friends. Having done so, my friends have begun to take similar notice, encouraging me to blog about that (and other topics). So although I have some specific memories of comments Goodman has made prior to this season, it's only been this season that I've been paying particular attention to his comments related to my feelings that it must be asked if Drew Goodman is guilty of racism.<br /><br />In fact, I've even always tried to couch my comments to friends about Drew Goodman by saying, "I don't think he's a racist, but...". In fact, I've always tried to explain away what I feel is Goodman's obvious favoritism of white players by saying that perhaps he feels more of a kinship with them due to language, communication, or cultural issues. Recently, having listened to my opinion and watched Colorado Rockies broadcasts on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain with an eye on Goodman's comments related to the race of the players on which he is commenting, my friends have begun saying, "Why do you say you DON'T think Drew Goodman is a racist? Listen to his comments!" So I have been paying an even closer amount of attention to Goodman's comments this season, with regards to the race of the player on which he is commenting.<br /><br />Take Goodman's comments during last night's game. One of Goodman's favorite players, Rockies second baseman Clint Barmes (who is white), comes to bat with two men on and two out in the second inning. Barmes, who is consistently among the least productive, offensively, full-time players in all of baseball when excluding catchers, does what Rockies fans consistently see him do but Drew Goodman never points out - Barmes grounds out to shortstop, ending the inning, and failing to deliver much-needed runs for the Rockies. Does Goodman comment on Barmes's repeated failure to deliver in a big spot? Nope. Goodman makes this comment as the inning ends and Fox Sports Rocky Mountain goes to commercial: "Barmes, who always goes 100%, almost beat that throw!"<br /><br />Later, with no outs in the bottom of the 8th and the Cubs clinging to a 1-run lead, the Cubs' Tyler Colvin attempts to steal second base. When Rockies catcher Paul Phillips's throw skips past shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, the ball goes all the way into centerfield because Clint Barmes - the same Barmes who Goodman told us "always goes 100%" - didn't hustle to back up the throw. Although Goodman spent several innings criticizing the poor defense of the Venezuelan Melvin Mora during a game a couple of weeks ago, he was unable to criticize not only the poor defense of Barmes last night, but didn't say a peep about Barmes's poor EFFORT! After Barmes's failure to back up second led to an additional base for Colvin, all Goodman could offer was "you hate to see that."<br /><br />Then later in the same inning, with Cubs runners at both second and third and only one out and the Rockies infield drawn in, the Cubs' Kosuke Fukudome pops out to Barmes at second, with Barmes hustling from his drawn in position to short center to make a nice catch. But it was exactly that - a nice catch. Nearly every major league middle infielder would have made the same play nearly every time. Goodman, however, begins fawning over the play, and Barmes's effort on said play, with apparent amnesia about how it was Barmes's laziness that allowed a runner to reach third in the first place. In a pretty obvious attempt to bolster his claim that Barmes's hustle caused the catch to be made on that play, Goodman immediately begins goading his partner, former infielder Jeff Huson, into complementing Barmes. Rather than simply allowing Huson to comment on his own, or even asking Huson about that play, Goodman immediately bleats out a demand that Huson tell the viewer why the play was so difficult.<br /><br />And of course, during the course of the game, Goodman had to tell the viewers that Barmes had many friends and family members at the game in Chicago, since it's near Barmes's home in Indiana. Was pointing that out enough? Nope. Goodman had to unnecessarily add that Barmes comes from "a great family."<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">What Last Night's Comments Mean</span></strong><br /><br />The examples provided in regards to last night's game, on their own, really don't demonstrate anything. But taken together, there are three major points that could demonstrate something nefarious, or even racist, about Goodman's attitude.<br /><br />1. By pointing out that Clint Barmes "always goes 100%" when he hustles to first on a routine groundout to shortstop, Goodman is implying that there are SOME major league players - presumably even some Rockies players - who do NOT always give 100% effort. Who are those players, Drew?<br /><br />2. When Barmes's lack of effort allows a baserunner an extra base, does Drew step up to point that out? Nope. Apparently, Goodman only points out that Barmes "always goes 100%" when Barmes is hustling, not on the plays where he doesn't hustle. Further, with the comment about Barmes's effort having been made earlier in the SAME GAME, wouldn't a comment about Barmes's lack of effort actually be warranted here?<br /><br />3. What is the point of telling the viewer that Barmes comes from a "great family." Is this relevant to the broadcast? To the Rockies' on-field performance? Or is this just another way of puffing up the credentials of the white Clint Barmes, since it's nearly impossible at this stage to defend Barmes's on-field performance?<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Why I Feel The Comments On Work Ethic Are So Telling</span></strong><br /><br />When Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Al Campanis made his despicable comments about how blacks did not "have some of the necessities" to be an on-field manager or general manager of a baseball team in 1987, he was summarily dismissed from his job. The implication Campanis appeared to make (and that cost him his job, although he later attempted to explain away his comments) was that blacks seeking managerial jobs weren't smart enough for those positions. Clearly, in 1987, it was unacceptable to say that blacks weren't smart enough for any job, but apparently Campanis thought it was OK to imply it. An old man (Campanis was in his 70's at the time) a generation ago had his career ended for making a veiled comment about the innate abilities of a minority group compared to white folks, yet as we all know, racism is still alive and well today... even if the rhetoric, particularly the veiled rhetoric, of racism has changed.<br /><br />Today, no one would dare publicly claim, or even imply, that any race was mentally inferior to another, as Campanis did 23 years ago. However, to me, the 2010 corollary to that sentiment is the belief that there are ethnic groups who do not have the same "work ethic" that white folks have. As our nation deals with the unfortunate repurcussions of the desultory immigration law recently passed in Arizona, we are bombarded with more and more sound bites of people who, I feel, harbor racist views. A common refrain from this group is that immigrants, often called "<em>those people,</em>" come to the United States of America, often called "<em>here</em>," and obtain governmental benefits without contributing to the system that pays those benefits, often stated as "<em>refuse to work</em>" or "<em>don't pay taxes.</em>" While no one would claim that any race was mentally inferior to another in 2010, there are people who would claim, or even imply, that there are ethnicities who don't have the same inherent work ethic as whites, which is simply absurd.<br /><br />In other words, I believe a code for a belief in racial inferiority in 2010 is the phrase "work ethic" and the ancillary characteristics that work ethic implies.<br /><br />Again, I'm not saying that Drew Goodman harbors these feelings, or is consciously using these code words. But I am saying that his comments demand that the question be asked, particularly given his penchant for point out the work ethic of white players and rarely, if ever, pointing it out in black or Latin players. And he is a YOUNG man in a NEW generation making these comments, totally different than Al Campanis, to boot!<br /><br />Earlier this year, when the Rockies played a home series vs the Philadelphia Phillies, Goodman went into great detail about how the addition of Roy Halladay, who is white, to the Phillies' roster had provided such a great example of "work ethic" to other Phillies players. By pointing out that Halladay is "never just sitting at his locker" but is always watching tape or working out, as Goodman pointed out, there is an obvious implication that some major league players do NOT have a great work ethic. But, again, Goodman didn't provide any examples of the other side of his argument.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">What Goodman Can Do To Demonstrate He's Not Guilty Of Racism</span></strong><br /><br />There are three direct things that Drew Goodman can do to demonstrate that he's not guilty of racism, which I certainly hope he's not. Here they are:<br /><br />1. Objectively criticize Clint Barmes, who is an obvious offensive failure and is a hindrance to the Rockies at this point. Goodman is not afraid to criticize other players, particularly Melvin Mora (who deserved the criticism), but the same "courtesy" must also apply to white players, especially Barmes.<br /><br />2. Comment on a lack of effort by players where appropriate, if comments about "work ethic" are going to part of his on-air commentary, without regards to the player's race. Especially after pointing out that Barmes "always goes 100%", Goodman must prove his racial objectivity by telling his Fox Sports Rocky Mountain viewers when a player does NOT "go 100%." Similarly, point out hustle and "work ethic" from players who are NOT white, when appropriate.<br /><br />3. Share family information about players objectively, without commentary about which players come from a "good family" unless he is willing to point out players who he feels do NOT come from a "good family." Or, better yet, explain the difference between a "good family" and a "bad family" when making comments about players' families.<br /><br />Comments are welcome.OpenEyeColoradohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06127048357901227299noreply@blogger.com0