Thursday, August 24, 2006

Thursday's Blog Time

Well, another day in sportstown, USA:

Owens being Owens


"I got to a point where I was feeling a little bit healthier," Owens said. "Obviously, to go out there and practice, I just felt like my reps really weren't monitored as they should've been and got more reps than I should have."
Owens said he takes most of the blame for taking too many reps, but "I don't want to take total blame." Normally, the position coaches monitor how much a rehabbing player works in practice.
---

"When I play the game, I play the game full speed," Owens said. "I don't really have any doubts about if I'm going to perform or not. Obviously, I need to get on the field to try to get in a rhythm with the offense, and I think that will come with time. I don't think I'm too far off."

Owens has noticed his hamstring injury has received much more scrutiny than those of Carolina's Steve Smith and Pittsburgh's Hines Ward.

"Every hamstring is different," Owens said. "It's not a situation where I tore it. I think this is a severe pull to the point of [it affects] the way I run, the way I practice. I go out and I aggravate it once, [then] I start to feel better ... So, like I said, I'm back to my same words: It's day-to-day."


In case you missed that, he is blaming the Cowboys for using him too much in practice.

Drew Henson’s happy day …he gets away from Bill Parcells


Drew Henson called it a good day, which says about everything one needs to know about his previous days with the Cowboys.

The former Michigan quarterback and New York Yankees third baseman, who came to the Cowboys in 2004 as the latest Next Troy Aikman, will not be on the roster in 2006. The Cowboys are seeking a trade but will likely have to release Henson.

"Today is a good day in my mind," Henson said in a phone interview. "I have a lot to offer teams. I'm healthy and 26, and more motivated than I've ever been....I'm looking forward to what comes next."


Personally, I think that unlike Carter and Hutchinson, Henson will play well in this league at some point.
Ho Hum. Rangers lost again …I wish I was shocked…


Wednesday, however, after they lost to the lowly Devil Rays 7-3, their third consecutive loss against Tampa Bay, the Rangers might have sent an unpleasant message to themselves.

Perhaps they are not serious contenders, having fallen 7 1/2 games behind Oakland.
"The last couple of weeks, we felt that every game was a must win," first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "You don't want to put too much pressure on yourself, but, at the same time, when you're five, six, seven games out, you can't say: 'OK, let's wait until tomorrow.'"

Nothing went right for the Rangers. Kevin Millwood, their best pitcher who is having a terrific season on the road, walked four batters and gave up six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

After striking out 13 times Tuesday, Rangers batters struck out 12 times Wednesday, and the offense, again, was limited. Texas has scored three runs in three consecutive games and is averaging only 3.3 runs in the past seven games.


We talked about it yesterday, and I am now really pondering this quite a bit: What does Buck Showalter have to do to get fired? 4 years, 1 marginally decent result, and so far nothing higher than 3rd place in a 4 team division. The players don’t seem to respond this time of year to many of his tactics and despite personnel upgrades its still the same ol’ Rangers. I believe I am close to a full-fledged endorsement of his firing at season’s end.

Richie Whitt blogs about the Ticket’s Cowboys coverage, including the delay dilemma


With the advents of cable and satellite to go along with old-school rabbit ears, there are now three different broadcast methods delivering the game to TVs. If you had three TVs lined up, each with a different method of reception, you’d see the game at three different “speeds.” For example, standard broadcast-TV viewers would’ve seen Glenn’s miraculous catch first; three seconds later, cable subscribers saw it; and six seconds later, satellite subscribers had their belated turn.

“It’s a bit of a frustration point, because it’s impossible to sync with all three,” says Sturm. “We’re trying to work through it. But we can only get in step with one, and the question becomes, which one?”

As it was in the past with flagship stations KVIL-FM (103.7) and KLUV-FM (98.7), the answer will likely be the standard rabbit-ears majority. That’s because the metroplex has the highest percentage of non-cable/satellite homes of any major U.S. city. (Why? I dunno. Why do wheels on cars look as if they’re spinning backward? Some things just defy explanation.) The ultimate goal, obviously, of The Ticket’s broadcasts is to mesh with the most viewers. So dust off your old antennae, or get ready for yet another season of Sham being one step ahead of you. –Richie Whitt


Is it wrong to quote yourself on your own blog? It felt wrong.

Gold Len Pasquarelli audio!

Boro 2, Chelsea 1 …Awesometown…

Here is sports mail:

Bob,

I don't care about Landon myself but this paragraph from your blog interested me:


This is why I have soured on a kid like Landon Donovan. Donovan tried Europe, got home sick, missed his girl friend, and now is more than happy to dominate in Los Angeles, which would be like Dirk dominating in Berlin. There is no way a soccer player can be the best he can be if he stays in the MLS, but Donovan is more worried about lifestyle than maximizing his career. I find that weak.


Who are we, the sports public, to tell an athlete how and where to spend their life on this Earth. If Landon Donovan chooses to spend the best years of his life in his homeland close to family and loved ones versus year after year in a foreign country, who are we to tell him otherwise? If Dirk wakes up tomorrow and decides that he wants to spend the next 20 years with his family and friends in Germany and taking advantage of all the things he loves about Germany that he can't find in Dallas, TX who could really argue otherwise? I admire athletes making choices on where they perform much more when the decision is based on real life issues rather than just money. Sacrificing your happiness and letting the world pass by you for the sake of your career? I find that weak.

Nigel Lowrie


Nigel, you make a fair point. Many people may agree with you, but I absolutely do not. I believe that some of us are blessed with special gifts. I then find that responsibility goes with that gift. Nothing is more annoying in sports than the ultra talented player who does not wish to fully develop his skills and be the best he could be.

That is what makes Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan so great. It isn’t the talent. It is also the drive to never be happy with taking 2nd place. Never to be happy that you have arrived. They are always trying to be the best they can be, and never settling for the path of least resistance.

So, Landon may find that his girl friend likes Los Angeles and so does he. Maybe he thinks that European weather sucks, and so does the food, and everyone talks weird. But, with each passing day as he plays against inferior competition with inferior methods he wastes his special gift a little more.

Incidentally, Dirk would never do that. He has proven he is about basketball. And he is about doing whatever he can to get better and better.

Today’s Youtube:

Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl was just unfair:


Ohio State Dorks

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I could have been FIRST, but i choose not to be!!

Anonymous said...

I never thought I'd say this, but I side with TO on this one. From what I've read, Parcells has a history of rushing players back too quickly from injury.

Anonymous said...

wow, i am so honored to be 2nd

Anonymous said...

Bob, what if you were offered a job as play-by-play guy for the Premier League? Would you make Sally leave friends and family behind so that you could live out your dream, or would you be content to have the pretty good gig that you've got and stay here?

Anonymous said...

Bob,

I agree with Nigel. Maybe it's your "sports is my life" attitude, but, and I hate to break this to you, but sports isn't life.

Your kids, family, friends, culture, and ultimate happiness - that's life. Here's a guy who has chosen that stuff, and still makes $900k plus endorsements, gets to be a "star" but they type that only a fraction of people will recognize (and bother). I have trouble faulting a guy for making that decision.

Plus he chose to live in America. F the rest of the world.

-Rob in Big D

Anonymous said...

F the buckeye.

Bob, what about guys that chose to go to/stay in college to get their degree instead of skipping it (baseball) or coming out early to go pro? Is he neglecting his "responsibility"? Granted, he may only be delaying is professional sportsdom, but it is still a choice of lifestyle vs. sports challenge.

Again... F the Buckeye.

Sturminator said...

Rob-

I don't think it has anything to do with "sports is life". The bottom line is it could be anything in your life: You may have to leave your friends to move off to college. You may have to take a job in Houston and leave your parents. Sometime, to accomplish what you can, you have to leave the nest. Or, you can be that person who will always regret not taking a chance.

Different strokes, I suppose.

Anonymous said...

Bob,

You "leave the nest" to go to college or to take a job to get ACCESS to the things that will improve the quality of your life.

From what I can tell of LD, he's got a VERY nice situation, both financially and personally. If he fails to "maximize his professional potential" but dies a happy man, my guess is that he'll have no regrets.

-Rob (again)

Anonymous said...

Bob,

sync 1310 to rabbit ears

sync 104.1 to cable

sync the Bone to Sat...

your welcome.

Anonymous said...

I fully endorse firing Buck TODAY!

Why wait until the end of the season to do it?

Anonymous said...

Bob,

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be your best, but at what sacrafice? You are putting to much stock into sports. I love sports just as much as the next guy, but there are more important things in life than if some athelete reaches his sports potential. What about his potential as a human being? You might want to check your own priorities before you end up with some regrets of your own.

AntiBob

cracker1743 said...

Thank God someone else is saying it now.

FIREBUCKFIREBUCKFIREBUCKFIREBUCK

2007 World Series here we come, brutha.

*sips refreshing koolaid*

Anonymous said...

Buck rhymes with suck.
TO is an Ass Ho
If you've got the gift, do the rest of us a favor...use it.

Anonymous said...

I would have sold my soul to the sports gods to have two good knees that could have carried me to Germany. There are pretty women over there too, I've seen them. But we need the Landon attitude. Without it, no company would be safe since everybody would constantly be looking to upgrade their jobs. I understand the frustration at seeing wasted talent, but then again, he is an American and would only be so good across the pond. Plus he's funny looking. And we don't want the Euros to think that we Americans are funny looking.

My friend tried the Bo Jackson bit once. ONCE! It's hard to make him run when you cnn't reach the controller.

Goodbye Buck.

Observer said...

I kinda like listening to the radio when it is ahead of the TV coverage by a couple of seconds. Sometimes I'm doing some chore and not looking at the TV during the game. When Brad starts getting loud, I know to look up at the TV real quick to see what's about to happen.

Wheels appear to go backwards only on film or some kind of flourescent light that creates a kind of strobe effect. In daylight or continuous incandescent light, you won't see the backwards effect, though sometimes your mind may trick you briefly. Of course, this doesn't count those stupid hubcaps that spin independently of the wheel.

The Rangers ought to think about canning Buck and Rudy. The biggest problem with the team this year is that they just aren't hitting worth a crap. 3 runs a game against the Double-A's? I know we miss Mr. Super Powerful Brad Wilkerson, but come on!

Anonymous said...

I think it is OK to quote yourself as long as you have something to say. And you always do, Bob...

Anonymous said...

Nice Tecmo Super Bowl vid, the greatest game ever made.

Anonymous said...

As a non-American Landon Donovan is near and dear to my heart. He shows us that people really are all the same everywhere in the world. I once thought all Americans have this boring "go for gold" attitude, but Donovan shows us that there are also people who take the easy way out and look for the path of least resistance. It's really a step toward world peace if you think about it.

Anonymous said...

Sync the radio feed to satellite, thereby, giving P1's more of a reason to call Dish Direct and switch to satellite. The Ticket gets more ad revenue and Bob, Dan, Donovan, and maybe even Gribble, all get a raise.

You're welcome.

Anonymous said...

I will not respect any [insert sport here] Pplayer-man who won't play in the best league available to him. Damn money and all. The best football is played in Europe.

Landon Donovan isn't even in contention for Top 100 Players in the World until he scribbles his name across the contract of a club in Spanish Primera Division, Serie A (although, that is suspect now), English Premiership, or Bundesliga. And, no, that is not crazy to say. Play with the big dogs, then let's talk.

Anonymous said...

I posed a friendly wager with a buddy monday night while watching the game.

$200 T.O. scores a TD in the opener at Jacksonville.

He would not take it.

For all the H.S.O.'s on T.O. let your wallet tell you what you already know.

P.S. Screw the Eagles