The Game is Back in the City

by Paul Knepper

Basketball may have been invented in Springfield, Massachusetts, but for nearly a century it’s been the city game. From the blacktops of Harlem to the Mecca on Seventh Avenue, the beats and rhythms of the game have embodied the hustle and bustle, ingenuity and artistry that is the very pulse of New York City. Residents take great pride in their basketball, from the legendary street ballers at Rucker Park, to the collegiate game, to their beloved Knicks.

Over the past decade New Yorkers have been brooding as the city has tumbled to the depths of irrelevancy in the hoops world. Two events took place this week which changed that: St. John’s cracked the top 25 and the Knicks landed Carmelo Anthony.

St. John’s success seems like small potatoes compared to the Melodrama which has dominated sports talk shows for the past few months, but don’t underestimate the city’s love affair with college basketball. For years the college game ran through New York, beginning with the NIT at Madison Square Garden, initially the biggest tournament in college basketball. The city always had an elite team – from LIU and CCNY to St. John’s – comprised of New York City kids.

When the Big East ruled college hoops in the 1980’s, St. John’s was a national powerhouse. The Redmen (now Red Storm) played the majority  of their home games before sellout crowds at the Garden and produced stars like Chris Mullin, Walter Berry and Mark Jackson. However, they began to tail off after the retirement of legendary coach Lou Carnesecca in 1992 and the past decade has been disastrous for the proud program.

SJU has been marred by scandal and unable to recruit the top New York City talent, resulting in many losing seasons. They haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2002 and prior to this week, hadn’t been ranked since the closing polls of the 1999-2000 season. The Garden grew barren during Red Storm games, even when top programs were in town.

Last March, the university fired coach Norm Roberts after six unsuccessful seasons in Queens and replaced him with former UCLA Coach Steve Lavin. Lavin inherited a team of nine seniors and he has them playing a brand of rugged, unselfish basketball which New Yorkers can relate to. More importantly, they’re winning again.

The Storm are 17-9, including 9-5 in the Big East, and have made a habit of knocking off top teams. They thumped third-ranked Duke in January, followed it up by pounding a talented Connecticut team, then beat #9 Notre Dame and #13 Georgetown. Their most recent victory came over the #4 ranked Pitt Panthers on Saturday, when guard Dwight Hardy tip-toed the baseline before laying in the game-winning basket. Notably, most of their signature wins have come at the Garden and there was a real buzz in the crowd during the Pitt game Saturday night.

This week, the Red Storm were rewarded with their first national ranking in 11 years, coming in at 23 in the Associated Press poll and 25 in the coaches poll. Barring a complete collapse, SJU should make the tournament for the first time since 2002. Though most of the team are seniors, the squad will be replenished with the second ranked recruiting class in the country, leading many New Yorkers to believe that the Johnnies are back.

Of course, the Garden faithful will have something else to cheer about tonight when Carmelo Anthony makes his Knick debut in the “World’s Most Famous Arena.” The Knicks, like St. John’s, fell on hard times over the past decade. And like the Red Storm, they’re rising again.

New York fell in love with the champion Knick teams of the 1960’s and early ’70’s, comprised of Reed, Frazier, Bradley, Monroe and DeBusschere. Then the franchise struggled in the early to mid ’80’s, before climbing back into contention when a ping-pong ball with Patrick Ewing’s name on it bounced their way. The Knicks went to the playoffs fourteen consecutive seasons from 1988-2001, including two trips to the NBA Finals (1994 and 1999).

New York is a passionate sports town. The fans are dedicated and very knowledgeable about their teams. Whenever the Yankees, Mets, Giants or Jets make it to the playoffs they’re the talk of the town, but they don’t capture the entire city. Most New Yorkers aren’t fans of both baseball and football teams. The city is split between them. When the Jets are losing, football is still alive and well in New York if the Giants are winning. The same goes for the Yankees and Mets.

Basketball is different. This is the Knicks town. The Nets are a Jersey team. When the Knicks are winning the city rallies around them more than any other New York team. When they’re bad it feels like pro basketball is dead. And prior to this season, they were bad for a long time.

They made the playoffs just once over the past nine seasons and haven’t finished with a winning record since 2001. Worse yet, a sexual harassment suit, horrendous personnel moves and the Isiah Thomas saga made them the laughing stock of the NBA. Knicks fans were devastated.

The ship began to change course three years ago, when the team hired Donnie Walsh as President of Basketball Operations and Mike D’Antoni as coach. Walsh spent two years unloading Isiah’s overpaid players and cleared enough cap space to sign superstar Amar’e Stoudemire last summer.

With Amar’e leading the way, the Knicks are much improved this year, sitting at two games above .500. Stoudemire represented the team as a starter in the all-star game this past weekend and fans have been serenading their new star with chants of “MVP.” The Knicks were respectable again, but still not legitimate contenders.

That changed Monday night when they landed Carmelo Anthony in a blockbuster deal with the Denver Nuggets. It’s not hyperbole to say Melo is the best natural scorer in the world and the most talented offensive player the Knicks have had since his idol Bernard King. He and Amar’e together will put on quite a show and be nearly impossible to stop. Add former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups to the mix – he was part of the Anthony trade – and the Knicks have the nucleus for a championship contender.

New Yorkers were starving for competitive basketball for a decade. Suddenly, the Johnnies are knocking off one top ten team after another and the Knicks two superstars are the talk of the town. Fans are making pilgrimages to the Mecca of basketball once again. The game is back in the city.

Melo Takes His Hat Off

You have to admire Carmelo Anthony’s humility throughout this entire ordeal, which will culminate with him signing an extension for $65 million over three years, wherever he lands. He told a reporter a few days ago:

“I take my hat off to myself for dealing with all this stuff that’s going on and still be able to go out there and play at the high level that I can play at. I really don’t think an average person can walk in my shoes. I don’t think that.”

How to Improve NBA All-Star Weekend

I think all basketball fans would agree that NBA all-star weekend has lost some of its luster over the past several years. There are some obvious ways to improve the festivities, like adding incentive for the players to play hard in the all-star game and requiring participation by those selected for the three point shootout and slam dunk contest. I’ve come up a few additional ways to add a little sizzle to the show.

Playground Ball

I realize there are several obstacles to this proposal, but how great would it be if the all-star game were played like a pick-up game, outside, on a playground? Instead of the game being East vs. West, they can do what the NHL did this year, select two captains and have them choose sides. Make it the two elder statesmen in the game or leading vote getters.

In order to give the game an authentic playground feel the players could wear whatever clothes they want. There’s no need for names on the back of jerseys. These are all-stars we’re talking about. Everybody knows who they are.  Plus the announcers profile the competitors throughout the game. This ghetto game shouldn’t have any refs either. The players could call their own fouls. They did it as kids, so we know they’re capable, and it would add intensity to the game. Every player should be miced up too. The playground will bring out the trash talking and the fans will want to hear it.

Rucker Park would be the ideal location for such a game, but the weather in New York is prohibitive. Realistically, the playground game would have to be restricted to all-star weekends in warm climates, like this year in Los Angeles. The game can be moved to an indoor arena if rain is in the forecast.

Temporary seating can be installed and the owner of the local arena will be compensated with the profits from the tickets and concessions. The decrease in ticket sales with be compensated by an increase in advertising dollars due to a spike in viewership. Think about how successful the NHL’s Winter Classic has been.

More Competitions

Part of what made the dunk contest so exciting in the 80’s was that the best dunkers, who also happened to be among the best players in the game participated. The 1987 showdown between Jordan and Dominique was legendary. Dr. J competed in the first NBA dunk contest and he was about to turn 34 at the time.

The participants in this year’s contest are Blake Griffin, Serge Ibake, JaVale McGee and DeMar DeRozen. Not very intriguing is it? What if we returned the contest to a field of eight, kept Griffin, and replaced the other three with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant and previous winners Nate Robinson, Dwight Howard and Josh Smith? Now that’s a dunk contest. It’s within the league’s ability to make participation mandatory for players who are selected.

As suggested by ESPN’s Bill Simmons a few years ago, the NBA should add a different type of dunk-off to determine which player can leap the highest. The way it would work is they would raise the rim a couple of inches every round until there’s only one guy remaining who can throw it down. It would require a different talent than the dunk contest. Height, wingspan and vertical leap would be the key factors. JaVale McGee and Kevin Durant would be two of the early favorites.

I also have a suggestion for an additional skills competition event: a dribble-off. Let’s see some of today’s best ball handlers put on a show. Choose four contestants, maybe Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Chris Paul and Deron Williams, and give them each 30 seconds to do their best Curly Neal impression. Two players advance to the finals and then a winner is chosen.

NBA Hall of Fame

This is really an article unto itself; the NBA should start its own hall of fame. Unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame includes amateur and international players and coaches. The hall employs four screening committees to identify prospective nominees: one each for American candidates, female candidates, international candidates, and veterans candidates. As a result, the hall has inducted too many high school and college coaches and obscure foreign players, while neglecting former great NBA players in recent years.

In 2005, college coaches Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, NBA coach Hubie Brown, female Brazilian player Hortencia Marcari and female college coach Sue Gunter were inducted, while Joe Dumars and Dominique Wilkins were denied admission (They did get in the following year).  Bob Hurley Sr. is a great high school coach, but should he really be in the Hall of Fame over Chris Mullin or Bernard King. If you have any doubt that the Naismith Hall’s system is flawed, consider the fact that Reggie Miller wasn’t even selected to be among the 12 finalists up for induction this year.

The NBA should start its own Hall of Fame for NBA participants only, in a location more accessible to fans than Springfield, Massachusetts, where the Naismith Hall is located. The NBA could announce the inductees or host the actual induction ceremony Sunday afternoon of all-star weekend. More old-time greats would attend the festivities and it would add another level of intrigue and excitement to the weekend.

Entertainment

I have a couple of ideas to entertain the crowd during Saturday afternoon of all-star weekend. Remember those WWF battle royals you used to love watching as a kid? How about a battle royal with all of the NBA mascots? Can you imagine the ratings for something like that? Who wouldn’t love to see Hugo the Hornet exchange blows with Benny the Bull? How about the Phoenix gorilla piledriving the San Antonio Coyote? On a side note, does anybody know why the Suns mascot is a gorilla and the Spurs a coyote?

These days every NBA team has a cheerleading/dance squad that performs at their home games during breaks in the action. Let’s see which crew is the hottest… I mean best. Have a dance-off with former NBA players as judges (current players would be biased towards their own girls). The Laker Girls would probably be the early favorites, but I’m willing to bet the Knick City Dancers would put up quite a fight.

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Forget the PCP

The NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to expire on March 4th and a player lockout is looming. Owners and players are deliberating several key issues, including; an 18 game season, rookie salaries, player safety and retirement and disability benefits. Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), DeMaurice Smith, should be contesting the deeply flawed Player Conduct Policy (PCP) as well.

In order to protect the players’ rights, any conduct policy in a professional sports league must be clear, consistent and subject to review by a neutral party. The current NFL PCP falls way short of those standards.

In April 2007, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell instituted the current PCP in response to several highly publicized off-the-field incidents involving NFL players. It states in part:

“It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the League is based, and is lawful. Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime.”

The NFLPA should have been up in arms over the arbitrary policy which tramples on the rights of the players, but then Executive Director Gene Upshaw endorsed it instead.

The above passage is confusing and problematic to the players for several reasons. For starters, it specifies that a player doesn’t need to be convicted of a crime to be punished, which was the standard under the previous PCP instituted by former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, but fails to identify any specific criteria for under what circumstances or to what extent a player can be punished. There’s simply a vague reference to the players responsibility to “promote the values upon which the league is based.”

Without a clear trigger for applying the policy, such as an arrest or conviction, players are subject to the whim of the commissioner, leaving them susceptible to unfair and arbitrary punishment. This lack of guidelines or any reliance on precedent has led to an inconsistency in the punishments rendered.

For example, the late Chris Henry was suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season after committing six offenses, including; five arrests (marijuana possession, concealed weapons charges, DUI, providing alcohol to minors, and assault and disorderly conduct) and three driving citations.

Compare that to the rap sheet of Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who was arrested 4 times (DUI and Domestic Assault three times), charged two other times while in college, involved in seven additional domestic abuse calls in which no charges were filed, and once fired a gun at his father. The then Denver Bronco received three game suspension in 2008, which was reduced to just one game on appeal.

Several players committed multiple offenses and were not suspended at all, such as, former Lions safety Dwight Smith (arrested for indecent conduct, charged of brandishing a handgun, misdemeanor marijuana position and arrested for pulling a fake gun on fans) and Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh (arrested three times, two of which involved driving with weapons in the car.)

On the other hand, Giants linebacker Michael Foley and and Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington were suspended a game each after just one offense; both were arrested for domestic abuse. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season, and while the accusations made against him – sexual assault and rape – are very serious, he was never even charged for either alleged incident.

How does the NFL reconcile these discrepancies in punishment? It doesn’t have to because suspended players aren’t provided sufficient recourse. The policy states “Any person disciplined under this policy shall have a right of appeal, including a hearing, before the Commissioner or his designee.” So basically, a player who is suspended by the commissioner has the right to appeal the suspension to the commissioner – which is essentially no right of appeal at all.

In other sports, punishments handed down by the commissioner’s office are subject to review by a neutral arbitrator who ensures that the punishment fits the offense and has the ability to strike down or decrease an overly aggressive or seemingly arbitrary disciplinary action against a player. This prohibits the commissioner from punishing a player excessively in order to send a message to the rest of the league, which seems to have been at least part of Goodell’s motivation for suspending players like Henry and Roethlisberger.

Another problem stemming from the current PCP is that in order for the commissioner to punish a player who hasn’t been convicted of a crime the NFL must rely on its own investigations of reported incidents. Investigators hired by the league are likely not as qualified as law enforcement officers to investigate the facts and reach a proper conclusion as to the player’s culpability. That player is then essentially put on trial by the league without all of the safeguards that come from the judicial system, such as, the ability of the accused to call witnesses on his behalf or contest the evidence against him.

The main issue of contention during the ongoing labor negotiations is the distribution of profits, with player safety a distant second, though DeMaurice Smith shouldn’t stop there. It’s time for the NFLPA to protect the rights of its members by demanding an equitable Player Conduct Policy.

Dealing With DeMarcus

Past the midway point of DeMarcus Cousin’s rookie season, as Dennis Green might say, he is who we thought he was; a superbly talented big man with troubling character issues.

Sacramento fined their young power forward an undisclosed amount on Monday after investigating his role in an altercation with teammate Donte Greene following the Kings 99-97 l0ss to Oklahoma City Saturday night. Cousins was reportedly upset that Greene didn’t pass him the ball for the final sh0t of the game, instead dishing it to Tyreke Evans, who missed a three-point attempt. Cousins confronted Greene in the locker room after the game and again on the team flight before being removed from the plane.

This wasn’t the first time the Kings had to discipline their big man this season. He was fined during training camp for verbally abusing the team’s strength and conditioning coach and Coach Paul Westphal kicked him out of practice in November. Then he was fined and removed from the starting lineup for one game for making a choking gesture at Golden State’s Reggie Williams during a game in December.

It sounds like Cousins is hardly worth the trouble, until you remember that he’s one of the most physically gifted big men to enter the NBA over the past decade. He has big, soft hands, a wingspan well over seven feet and at 6’11 and close to 300 pounds is adept at gaining good position in the low post. He’s used that size and strength along with great instincts to lead NBA rookies in rebounding and become a very difficult force to defend around the basket.

The rookie is averaging 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in just 27 minutes a night. Last night, in his first game since the altercation with Greene, he posted 21 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 27 minutes of action. He’s been dominant at times this season, though his effort and aggressiveness have been inconsistent.

His reputation as a malcontent dates back to his high school days. Last year, during his lone season at Kentucky he clashed with Coach John Calipari on the sidelines on several occasions and developed a reputation for being moody. The media and scouts questioned his drive and conditioning. Still, he put staggering numbers per minute, averaging 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in just 23 minutes per game.

That mixture of talent and controversy made Cousins a divisive figure heading into last year’s NBA draft. On talent alone he may have been the first player selected, but teams shied away from him because of perceived character issues. ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla summed it up the sentiment of scouts when he said, “He [Cousins] is either going to get a general manager fired or get him executive of the year.” Sacramento’s President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie took a chance on Cousins’ immense talent and selected him with the fifth pick.

Now the question for the Kings is how to deal with their immature, ultra-talented rookie. Immature is the key word. Cousins is only 20 years-old, two years removed from high school and like most elite modern day athletes has been pampered every step of the way. Coach Cal knew the kid was one-and-done at Kentucky and had no incentive to discipline him or time to teach him how to carry himself on or off the court.

The Kings’ relationship with their prized rookie is complicated by the high stakes business of the NBA. The league and teams are marketed through individual players. Superstars sell tickets, which gives top tier players a stranglehold over their respective organizations. We saw the power LeBron wielded over the Cavs, pressuring them to make moves to keep him in town. Carmelo has held the Nuggets hostage all season with his demands and Orlando, New Orleans and Utah are already quivering at the prospect of losing their franchise players, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams next season.

The Kings know they have something special in Cousins and are well aware of how valuable he could be to the franchise if he fulfills his potential. It’s also become increasingly difficult for small market teams to retain star players. So management has been walking the tightrope between trying to mold him into the person and consequently the player he can be, without pushing him away if and when he becomes that player.

They decided to hold Cousins out of their game against the Suns Sunday night while investigating his altercation with Greene and fined him for the incident, but failed to suspend him. It was a slap on the wrist for a player who’s initiated four incidents this season.

Management’s middle of the road approach with Cousins won’t work. Young men don’t stop making demands, acting out and bucking authority unless there are serious repercussions to their actions, such as a substantial suspension in Cousins’ case. They need to take a stand. Paternalism may push him away, but if they don’t try and rein him in now, he won’t be worth the trouble of holding them ransom in the future anyway, regardless of how much he improves his game.

Carmelo, LeBron and Chris Paul may be divas, but they play hard, value team ball and are respected in the locker room. That’s what makes them great players and is the reason their teams are so desperate to hold on to them. The Derrick Colemans and Stephon Marburys of the world don’t win championships or sell tickets.

Most Influential African-American Athletes

Sports have been a catalyst for social change in this country, especially within the civil rights movement, as African-Americans have battled institutional racism in order to earn equal opportunity and respect in the athletic arena. Through courage and determination, many individual athletes blazed trails for future ballplayers and in the process became heroes and role models for African-Americans in all sectors of society. Black History Month is the perfect time to count down the twenty most influential African-American athletes in sports history.

20) Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Sports Illustrated named Joyner-Kersee the greatest female athlete of the 20th century. She won six Olympic medals in track and field, including three golds, and also scored over 1,000 points in a stellar college basketball career with the UCLA Bruins. She was an inspiration for countless African-American girls.

19) Bill Russell

Russell won 11 NBA championships over his 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics and changed the way the game was played through his dominance on the defensive end of the court. He was a stalwart supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement and became the first African-American head coach in any major sport.

18) Andrew “Rube” Foster

Rube was one of the best African-American pitchers of the early 20th century, though his biggest contribution to the game came as an entrepreneur. He organized the National Negro League in 1920, the first long-standing league for African Americans, which was essential to the growth of Negro League baseball in this country.

17) Charlie Sifford

Sifford was the target of racist taunts as he was repeatedly denied access to PGA events throughout the 1950’s. He eventually became the first African-American to participate on the tour when the PGA dropped it’s “Caucasian-only clause” in 1961 and in 2004 became the first African-American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

16) Frederick “Fritz” Pollard

In 1919, Pollard and Marshall became the first African-Americans to play in the NFL. Walter Camp once called Pollard “one of the greatest runners these eyes have ever seen.” He led the Akron Pros to the first NFL championship in 1920 and a year later was named player-coach, making him the first African American head coach in the NFL.

15) Jack Johnson

The first African-American to win the heavyweight title was a lightning rod for controversy. He was beloved within the African-American community, though a brash black man with an affinity for white women didn’t go over very well with white America. His victory over Jim Jeffries in 1910 sparked race riots throughout the country.

14) Magic Johnson

Magic brought excitement and prosperity to college basketball and the NBA with his style, flare and million-dollar smile. His announcement that he’s HIV-positive changed the way people perceived the illness and he’s been a leading advocate for HIV/AIDS research and prevention ever since.

13) Hank Aaron

Hammerin’ Hank was the epitome of class, as he endured horrific racism in pursuit of the most hallowed record in professional sports, Babe Ruth’s 714 home runs. Since eclipsing the Babe’s mark he’s worked with Major League Baseball to advance the rights of minorities within the game.

12) Tiger Woods

This son of an African-American father and Thai mother is arguably the greatest golfer of all time and has introduced a white, country club sport to people from all different racial and socio-economic backgrounds. In the process, he’s chipped away at the institutional racism that still exists within the golf world.

11) Curt Flood

Flood refused to accept a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals after the 1969 season and instead took Major League Baseball to court, challenging the reserve clause, which he compared to slavery. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where he lost, but it was the first step in a process that eventually led to free agency in baseball.

10) Wilma Rudolph

Rudolph was one of the stars of the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where she became the first American female to win three gold medals in track and field during one Olympic games. She emboldened girls around the globe to compete in athletics and was an active participant in the civil rights movement.

9) Althea Gibson

Gibson has been called “the Jackie Robinson of tennis” for breaking the sport’s color barrier. She was the first African American to win a Grand Slam event and won a total of five throughout her career. When she retired from tennis she became the first African American woman to play professional golf.

8)  Arthur Ashe

Ashe remains the only African American man to win Wimbledon and was a staunch proponent of civil rights in the U.S. and abroad. He was one of the first athletes to take a stand against apartheid in South Africa and fought for the right of immigrants in the United States, even getting twice for the causes. He also raised awareness for HIV/AIDS, the disease which eventually killed him.

7) John Carlos/Tommy Smith

The two track stars provided one of the most memorable moments in Olympic history when they lowered their heads and raised black-gloved fists on the medal stand during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner at the 1968 Games. Carlos and Smith paid an enormous price for their gesture, but they succeeded in calling the world’s attention to the plight of African-Americans.

6) Jim Brown

Considered by many to be the greatest football player to ever suit up on the gridiron, Brown starred with Raquel Welsh in the first interracial love scene in a movie in 100 Rifles. He worked with other great athletes to bring about social and political change within the African-American community and in recent years has successfully quelled gang violence in California.

5) Michael Jordan

“Air” Jordan transcended race, becoming one of the most popular athletes in the world and elevating the popularity of basketball to new heights in the U.S. and abroad. He redefined the marketability of a professional athlete, becoming a brand unto himself, and recently became the first African American former athlete to be the majority owner of a sports franchise.

4) Joe Louis

“The Brown Bomber” was one of the greatest boxers of all-time and is best remembered for knocking out Germany’s Max Schmeling. The victory over Hitler’s pawn made him a hero to white America; no small feat in 1938, and it’s safe to say that no athlete has been more embraced and revered by the African-American community.

3) Jesse Owens

Owens was the first African-American athlete to be lionized by Americans of all races when he shattered Hitler’s idea of a “master race” at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. His four gold medals and three world records at the Games inspired millions of African-Americans, including a young Jack Roosevelt Robinson.

2) Muhammad Ali

Ali was one of the greatest pugilists of all-time, a poet, a showman, and perhaps most importantly, an activist. He’s become a worldwide symbol of resistance for his willingness to stand up for what he believes in, whether it’s racial equality, his religion or opposition to the Vietnam War, often at great personal cost.

1) Jackie Robinson

No athlete is more closely identified with the struggle of African-Americans than Robinson. He overcame vile racism and overwhelming pressure to brake the color barrier to America’s favorite pastime, inspiring African-Americans in all facets of society with his courage and dignity. Later in life he used his status to support the civil rights movement.

Honorable Mentions: Wilt Chamberlain, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, Ernie Davis, Lee Elder, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Spencer Haywood, Carl Lewis, Marion Motley, Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Frank Robinson, Gene Upshaw, Serena and Venus Williams


Rocco and Me

By Paul Knepper

Sports fans choose their favorite ballplayers for different reasons. Some root for athletes who play for their favorite teams, grew up near them or attended the same school. Others admire players for their style of play or flare.  Some identify with athletes that exhibit the personal qualities they value in themselves and others.

Over the past three years I’ve become a big fan of baseball player Rocco Baldelli because I admire the courageous way he’s battled illness.

Baldelli was a five-tool prospect who drew comparisons to Joe DiMaggio when the Rays selected him out of high school with the sixth pick in the 2000 draft. He had an impressive rookie season for the Rays in 2003 and followed it up with another solid season in 2004. Then the injuries began.

After the 2004 season, Baldelli tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing baseball with his younger brother. During rehabilitation, he injured his left elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the entire 2005 season and half of 2006.

He pulled his hamstring in spring training in 2007 and the problem lingered, limiting him to 35 games that year. While rehabbing from that injury the Rays’ centerfielder experienced excessive fatigue and muscle cramps after brief workouts. Routine baseball activities left him exhausted and it took days for him to recover.

Baldelli underwent a series of tests and in March of 2008 was diagnosed with “metabolic and/or mitochondrial abnormalities.” He held back tears as he informed the media that he wouldn’t be able to play in the near future and didn’t know if he’d be able to play again. Rocco also felt the need to refute rumors that he had Multiple Sclerosis, a serious blood disorder or had used steroids.

To some extent I can relate to Baldelli’s struggles. I’m not a professional ballplayer, but I love playing ball, especially basketball. For much of the past nine years, and especially the past three, I haven’t been able to.

I too have a strange illness. I’ve received varying diagnoses, from chronic sinusitis to Fibromyalgia, though no doctor seems to be sure what the crux of the problem is. I have chronic head and facial pain and swelling and suffer from extreme fatigue. Regardless of how much I sleep, my body is thoroughly exhausted and my thoughts are foggy. My muscles ache and feel very weak. Sometimes they shake or spasm.

Daily tasks are burdensome and I avoid activities that require me to go outside at this time of year because cold weather causes discomfort in my head and limbs. Most of the time I’m not strong enough to exercise, and when I am, even minimal exertion may make me ill for days.

I recognize that my situation doesn’t compare to Baldelli’s. I love playing basketball, but it’s not my livelihood. I’m not immensely talented and my illness isn’t costing me millions of dollars. I haven’t had my dream thwarted. I also don’t assume to know the exact nature or degree of his symptoms.

However, I can empathize with some of the emotions that he’s experienced. I know the frustration of feeling that your body is failing you at far too young an age. I understand how fatigue can affect your social life, general mood and self-esteem. I too have felt like a guinea pig, constantly trying different treatments, having my hopes squashed every time a doctor doesn’t have an answer or a medication fails to help.

I know what it’s like to not want to talk about an illness, but feel compelled to explain. I understand the difficulty in attempting to distinguish severe fatigue from the feeling one experiences after a sleepless night, or overexertion at the gym. I’ve had my have toughness, sincerity and mental health questioned too.

Rocco refused to give up on his career after his diagnosis. After experimenting with different treatments and an extended rehab assignment, the Ray’s outfielder made it back to the big club in August 2008, in time for the team’s first A.L. East title.

Despite being too weak to play in back-to-back games and needing to sit down and rest at times in the outfield, Rocco played a key role in the playoffs. He homered in the ALCS and World Series and knocked in the winning run against the Red Sox in Game 7 of the ALCS. After the season he received the 2008 Tony Conigliaro Award, presented annually to a baseball player “who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage.”

In December of 2008 he was re-diagnosed with channelopathy, a less serious illness involving dysfunction of ion channels or the proteins that regulate them. Soon after, he signed with the Red Sox, though he only played in 62 games in 2009 and a shoulder injury kept him off of the post-season roster.

After being unable to find a job last winter, he rejoined the Rays as a minor league instructor, but he didn’t stop working out  and on July 19th, signed a minor league deal with the Rays Single-A affiliate. Once again, he fought his way back to the big leagues and played ten games for Tampa Bay in September. However, after one playoff game he was sidelined with cramping in his leg.

A couple of weeks ago Baldelli announced his retirement at the age of 29. He’s going to remain with the Rays organization as a minor league instructor. He said he’s proud of what he accomplished and doesn’t regret his career being cut short due to illness. He also noted that some of the most memorable moments of his career occurred since his diagnosis, specifically the Rays run to the World Series in 2008.

He went on to say, “I don’t live angrily; I live kind of happy. Why would I look at the negative aspects of everything that I’ve been through and live the rest of my life talking about those things that aren’t the important things to me? The important things to me were all the wonderful things I got to do.” He added, “And you know what. The only time I feel like it’s good to retire is when you’re happy to retire. And I’m happy.”

Even in retirement, Rocco continues to inspire me with his positive outlook. A mysterious illness robbed him of his health, livelihood and millions of dollars; If he can be at peace with his illness, so can I.

Battle of the Birdmen

By Paul Knepper

Denver Nuggets forward Chris Andersen and former WWE wrestler  Koko B. Ware are two of the most colorful athletes in their sports and both are affectionately referred to as “The Birdman.” Which of these professional athletes is most fly? Below is a head-to-head comparison.

koko

Athletic Success

B. Ware’s popularity exceeded his success in the squared circle, though he received the ultimate honor for his athletic achievements when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

With his long wingspan and great leaping ability Chris Andersen is one of the best shot blockers in the NBA and a key component of a Nuggets team that won over 50 games in each of the previous two seasons.

Style

Koko always looked stylish entering the ring in bright baggy pants and sunglasses, though it was his yellow macaw Frankie who turned the ladies’ heads.

Confined by the NBA’s strict uniform codes, Andersen expresses himself through a dazzling array of tattoos across his arms, upper torso and neck, and an early 80’s punk-rock mohawk.

Claim to the Name

Koko used to flap his arms as he the entered the ring with Frankie on his shoulder to the tune of Morris Day and The Time’s “The Bird.”

Before soaring at the 2005 Slam Dunk Contest Andersen announced, “It’s time for the birdman to fly.” He has wing tattoos on his biceps and celebrates emphatic dunks by flapping his hands in a flying motion.

How About a Little Separation Between Sport and State?

By Paul Knepper


As I watched some girl from Glee sing America the Beautiful before Sunday’s big game, I found myself wondering when exactly the Super Bowl became mistaken for Patriots Day?  Sports are supposed to be a diversion from controversial issues like politics and religion and I’ve grown increasingly disgusted by the way sporting events are used as a platform to promote nationalism and militarism in this country. Sunday’s game put me over the edge.

Let me run down the litany of patriotic propaganda that was thrust upon the viewing audience. First there were the presidents. Like Commanders-in-Chief before him, President Obama couldn’t pass up the opportunity to espouse his love of America’s favorite pastime during the most televised event of the year. Then shortly before kickoff the fans at Cowboy Stadium were subjected to a video tribute celebrating the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan. These people paid thousands of dollars a ticket to see a football game, not a prelude to the Republican National Convention.

After the presidential portion of the event the viewing audience was bombarded with a heavy dose of nationalist propaganda. First, Fox showed several past and current NFL stars reciting the Declaration of Independence with an American flag waving in the background. I’m sure Thomas Jefferson and the boys were thinking about the right to play football – especially for the predominantly African-American NFL – when they signed their names to that historic document. I know this has become a Fox tradition, but so is that robot dancing in the corner of the screen. That doesn’t make it a good idea.

Next, several military men unfurled an enormous American flag on the field as Lea Michelle belted out America the Beautiful. Apparently, The Star-Spangled Banner is no longer enough, we now need two songs extolling the virtues of this great nation before the game. I suppose given the Christina Aguilera debacle we can’t blame the NFL for hedging their bets on that one.

And how could we possibly have a sporting event of that magnitude without the military getting in on the action. It began subtly with the color guard presenting the flag and a few uniformed officers serving as honorary captains during the coin toss. Then there were the shots and interviews of troops watching the games in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I fully support facilitating communication between troops and their families and providing the public at large with a glimpse into life on the base. I just don’t think a sporting event is the proper venue for it. If that were the NFL, Fox or military’s primary concern they could air monthly or bi-annual specials showcasing the troops. That would give Americans the option to tune in or not. What takes place during the Super Bowl is nothing but cross promotion between the three parties.

After Christina Aguilera botched the national anthem the Navy treated the fans in Cowboy Stadium to a ceremonial fly-over by four F-18s. By the way, the roof was closed in the domed Cowboy Stadium. The fans saw the jets for two seconds on the jumbo screen and this ridiculous stunt cost the Navy, and in turn taxpayers $450,000.

The encroachment of the American imperialist agenda upon the sports world isn’t confined to the Super Bowl. The national anthem has been played regularly before sporting events since World World II and after the September 11th attacks several baseball stadiums added a rendition of  God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch. It’s also become common place for fighter jets and enormous American flags to make appearances at football games.

At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, I don’t think I should have to rise at attention and salute the flag every time I attend a sporting event. We don’t sing the national anthem before a Broadway show or at the movie theater. Why should a ballgame be any different? I’ve actually been yelled at for not removing my hat during the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner. I’m sorry, I thought the freedoms this country were founded upon gave me the right to express my love of country if, when and how I choose.

Sports leagues and team owners receive plenty of compensation in return for marketing the United States of America. The federal and local governments don’t poke their heads into the business of professional sports leagues – with the exception of addressing rampant drug use – unless it’s to offer up public funds for the construction of new luxury stadiums, so the billionaire team owners don’t have to dip into their own pockets.

As Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post pointed out yesterday in an excellent piece on the excesses of football, “The last great building binge in the NFL was from 1995 through 2003, when 21 stadiums were built or refurbished in order to create more luxury boxes, at cost of $6.4 billion.” Jenkins asked, “Know how much of that the public paid for? $4.4 billion.” Bankrupt states are cutting spending on social welfare programs and education, while footing the bill for new stadiums replete with sky boxes the average tax payer will never step foot in.

Enough is enough. I’d like to go to a ballgame without having the stars and stripes shoved down my throat. If there’s one aspect of our lives which should be free of government interference and propaganda it’s our play time. There’s a word for societies which intertwine the forces of nationalism, militarism, private enterprise and entertainment: It’s called fascism. This country needs separation between sport and state.

Top Ten Athletes I’d Like to Hear Sing the National Anthem

by Paul Knepper

Everybody has heard by now that Christina Aguilera flubbed the words of the national anthem in front of 160 million viewers prior to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. Any time I hear a botched rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at a sporting event I think of Carl Lewis’s infamous hack job before a Nets-Bulls game in 1993. However, there have been athletes who have nailed the anthem at sporting events, Jerry Stackhouse, Walter McCarty and Jose Lima, to name a few. Upon reflecting on these athletes turned crooners, I put together a list of the ten current or former athletes I’d most like to hear sing the anthem at a sporting event.

10) Dave Stewart/ Bill Cartwright

It would be embarrassing to throw the ultra-competitive, high-pitched hurler out there by himself, so I partnered him with one of the deepest voices ever to man the paint. The only thing more unorthodox than Big Bill’s baritone voice was his eccentric shooting style.

9) Arnold Schwarzenegger

Who can forget Julius belting out “Yakety Yak” in the shower? I want to hear more from the Governator, though it’s unlikely he’ll be caroling at events in California any time soon, where his approval rating has dipped lower than his voice.

8)  Avery Johnson

The Nets coach’s bizarre squeaky southern twang looks as unnatural as it sounds. It’s as if he’s having an internal battle with his mouth while trying to enunciate the words. I used to find it irritating, but the Louisiana native’s peculiar pitch has grown on me and I’d love to hear its full range.

7) Shaquille O’Neal

We got a taste of the Diesel’s skills on the mic from his fabled days with the Fu-Schnikens and free-style Kobe dissing. At times “The Big Mumbler” makes Ozzy Osbourne sound like an elocutionist, but the Shaqtus has a flare for the dramatic and would be entertaining even if we couldn’t understand a word.

6) Mike Ditka

If you saw Ditka sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at Wrigley Field a few years ago then no explanation necessary. Coach looked like his head was about to explode as he sputtered out high-pitched barking noises, while neglecting to break for air.

5) Ozzie Guillen

There’s a decent chance the White Sox skipper would get booed, either for messing up a line (English is his second language) or pissing off the crowd one way or another. If he were, you can be sure he’d start swearing like a sailor. It would make for great television.

4) Bill Parcells

Technically, he’s not a pro athlete (though he was drafted by the Lions) and there’s nothing unusual about his voice, but the Tuna is one of the biggest curmudgeons in sports. Can you imagine how uncomfortable he’d be singing a tune in front of a packed house? It would be fantastic.

3) Randy “The Macho Man” Savage

The Macho Man would make a grand entrance to “Pomp and Circumstance,” decked out in sunglasses, a bandanna and colorful robe. Then he’d serenade the crowd with his signature gravely voice, broken up by several emphatic pauses. I can hear it now… “And the home… of the… brave… Ooooh Yeah!”

2) Dikembe Mutombo

Call me crazy, but I’d pay money to hear a lovable 7’2 giant who sounds like Cookie Monster sing any song. Dikembe would perform with a big grin on his face and be the first to tell us what an excellent job he did. Maybe he could even sprinkle in a few diva-like finger wags throughout the song.

1) Mike Tyson

It never grows old that the once baddest man in the world sounds like Mickey Mouse on roofies. Speaking of roofies, I found the champs rendition of “In the Air Tonight” in The Hangover simply breathtaking. Plus, there’s always a chance Iron Mike will go Artest and attack a few fans.

Honorable Mentions: Charles Barkley, Herm Edwards, Manny Ramirez