Home Run - 1, Run Scored - 0: Something very strange happened last Friday in a game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. In the sixth inning, Giants catcher Bengie Molina had an apparent single off the outfield wall, and then was immediately pulled for a pinch-runner, Emmanuel Burriss. However, the umpires decided to review the hit and changed the ruling from a single to a home run. But it was Burriss, not Molina, who was credited with the run scored. The umpires, citing the archaic rule book, ruled that once Burriss touched the bases, the player he replaced cannot return. So Molina has become the first baseball player ever to have hit a home run but was not credited with the run scored.
Sweet Street Racing: The Singapore Grand Prix is probably one of the most fascinating races in recent years. We had a winner, Fernando Alonso, who started from 15th on the grid, but should have started way further in front but for a mechanical problem. We had a front-runner, Felipe Massa, who looked like he was going to take an easy win, but hit his throttle a little too early and took the fuelling hose with him, thus giving him a 13th-placed finish. We had an under-performing driver, Nelsinho Piquet, who had a crash while running in the back of the field, which brought out the safety car and somehow propelled his teammate, Alonso, to the front and an unlikely victory. We also had a front-runner, Kimi Raikkonen, who was trying too hard and crashed into the wall, therefore not having scored a point for the fourth consecutive race. And we also had a spectator, Yours Truly, who got glued to the TV because of the jam-packed action, and forgot that his baby was hungry.
Busch League: What's going on with Kyle Busch? He had been dominating the NASCAR field for months, but when it was time for the Chase for the Cup, he simply disappeared and had had consecutive lowly finishes. It was cruel for Busch, who was in such a good form earlier in the season. But the unique format for the Chase will very likely cost him the title.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
A Departure Long Overdue
Yesterday, I questioned the Detroit Lions' decision to retain team president and general manager Matt Millen.
Earlier today, Millen was finally fired, after a run of seven dismal years.
Good call by the Lions. Admitting your mistake and rectifying it is the first step towards righting your ship, which has been going down pretty quickly under Millen.
No, I don't expect the Lions to improve dramatically after Millen's departure. But I'm darn sure that no one will be able to match him in terms of ineptitude in building and leading a football team.
Earlier today, Millen was finally fired, after a run of seven dismal years.
Good call by the Lions. Admitting your mistake and rectifying it is the first step towards righting your ship, which has been going down pretty quickly under Millen.
No, I don't expect the Lions to improve dramatically after Millen's departure. But I'm darn sure that no one will be able to match him in terms of ineptitude in building and leading a football team.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hibernating Raiders, Crying Lions
Al Davis and William Clay Ford, Sr. Two national icons in the United States.
The former being the one-time coach of the once mighty Oakland Raiders, who is now their owner and general manager. The latter is a magnate in the car manufacturing industry who is the owner of the Detroit Lions.
Their contribution to society and the game of football is indisputable. But after years of making all the right decisions, they are both making the same mistake at this very moment.
They are both meddling with their football team, and making a big mess of it.
Under the tutelage of Davis, the Lions were once one of the mightiest teams in the NFL. Their black and silver jersey once struck fear into opposing teams, and their three Superbowl wins in the late 70s' and early 80s' were evidence of their excellence.
But Davis, now nearly in his 80s', still retains his role as the team's general manager, and has made some curious decisions in recent years. The prime examples are the signing of virtually unknown defensive tackle Tommy Kelly to a lucrative contract, and his open and public undermining of head coach Lane Kiffin who, despite improving the team in many aspects, is likely to be fired at any moment.
For Ford, his sins is much simpler: He has placed his trust on the wrong person but is not willing to admit it, despite everyone inside (including his son) and outside the organization knows that Matt Millen, the general manager of the team, is probably the worst in any sports. Under Millen, the Lions have a lousy record and his personnel moves were equally questionable, which is epitomized by his drafting of three wide receivers in the first round in three consecutive years, and none of them really pans out.
Two once-proud franchises, two franchises that could have been run in a much better way.
Only if the owners were willing to listen.
The former being the one-time coach of the once mighty Oakland Raiders, who is now their owner and general manager. The latter is a magnate in the car manufacturing industry who is the owner of the Detroit Lions.
Their contribution to society and the game of football is indisputable. But after years of making all the right decisions, they are both making the same mistake at this very moment.
They are both meddling with their football team, and making a big mess of it.
Under the tutelage of Davis, the Lions were once one of the mightiest teams in the NFL. Their black and silver jersey once struck fear into opposing teams, and their three Superbowl wins in the late 70s' and early 80s' were evidence of their excellence.
But Davis, now nearly in his 80s', still retains his role as the team's general manager, and has made some curious decisions in recent years. The prime examples are the signing of virtually unknown defensive tackle Tommy Kelly to a lucrative contract, and his open and public undermining of head coach Lane Kiffin who, despite improving the team in many aspects, is likely to be fired at any moment.
For Ford, his sins is much simpler: He has placed his trust on the wrong person but is not willing to admit it, despite everyone inside (including his son) and outside the organization knows that Matt Millen, the general manager of the team, is probably the worst in any sports. Under Millen, the Lions have a lousy record and his personnel moves were equally questionable, which is epitomized by his drafting of three wide receivers in the first round in three consecutive years, and none of them really pans out.
Two once-proud franchises, two franchises that could have been run in a much better way.
Only if the owners were willing to listen.
Friday, September 19, 2008
What Were They Thinking?
DeSean Jackson, a rookie wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, snuck behind the Dallas Cowboys secondary for an easy touchdown, and casually flipped the ball behind him to celebrate. One problem: He never crossed the goal line with the ball, therefore nullifying the touchdown. Luckily for him, none of the Cowboys on the field expected him to be that stupid and didn't pick up the ball, and the Eagles retained possession on the one-yard line and punched it in on the very next play. It wasn't the first time Jackson did this. In a high-school game a couple of years ago, he tried to swan-dive into the endzone for a touchdown, but came up just short of the goal line.
Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur, both former Kansas Jayhawks and draft picks in the NBA Draft this year, were expelled from the league mandated Rookie Transition Program earlier in the month for inviting guests (a.k.a., girls) into their rooms and being suspected of marijuana use. They have both been fined $20,000 and required to repeat the symposium next summer.
And speaking of marijuana use, Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks, who has openly admitted that he still uses it occasionally, was captured in a video making disparaging remarks about the US national anthem and presidential candidate Barack Obama, during a charity flag football game.
Despite their physical prowess, athletes can be, dare I say, idiots.
Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur, both former Kansas Jayhawks and draft picks in the NBA Draft this year, were expelled from the league mandated Rookie Transition Program earlier in the month for inviting guests (a.k.a., girls) into their rooms and being suspected of marijuana use. They have both been fined $20,000 and required to repeat the symposium next summer.
And speaking of marijuana use, Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks, who has openly admitted that he still uses it occasionally, was captured in a video making disparaging remarks about the US national anthem and presidential candidate Barack Obama, during a charity flag football game.
Despite their physical prowess, athletes can be, dare I say, idiots.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Fine Vettel
I am simply lost for words.
For a diehard underdog supporter like me, Sebastian Vettel's victory at the Italian Grand Prix was too good to be true.
The 21-year-old Vettel has long been known as an excellent racer in the rain. But for a momentary lapse in concentration in last year's Japanese Grand Prix, he could have notched up his first podium finish or even victory back then.
When rain came down hard during qualifying for this year's Italian Grand Prix, I was extremely excited as I knew a wet race would spring up surprises. But I just didn't expect Vettel to snatch pole and victory at the same time.
A win by "minnows" like Toro Rosso (formerly Minardi) is good for the sports, which has been dominated by big guns like Ferrari and McLaren. The last time a "minnow" won a race was in 2003, when Giancarlo Fisichella won the wet Brazilian Grand Prix in a Jordan, in a much more chaotic fashion when virtually all the usual front runners had spun out.
This time though, Vettel beat all the pre-race favourites fair and square. In fact, the Toro Rosso team was so strong over the weekend that had Sebastien Bourdais not stalled his car on the grid, they could have both drivers celebrating on the podium with their team boss Gerhard Berger, who took an emotional victory here for Ferrari 20 years ago, just weeks after the death of Enzo Ferrari.
(By the way, with a Sebastian and a Sebastien on the team, Toro Rosso should seriously consider changing its name to Seabasses.)
The race itself could not be said as a thriller, as the expected jammed-pack action failed to materialize. But who cares when an underdog emerged victorious?
For a diehard underdog supporter like me, Sebastian Vettel's victory at the Italian Grand Prix was too good to be true.
The 21-year-old Vettel has long been known as an excellent racer in the rain. But for a momentary lapse in concentration in last year's Japanese Grand Prix, he could have notched up his first podium finish or even victory back then.
When rain came down hard during qualifying for this year's Italian Grand Prix, I was extremely excited as I knew a wet race would spring up surprises. But I just didn't expect Vettel to snatch pole and victory at the same time.
A win by "minnows" like Toro Rosso (formerly Minardi) is good for the sports, which has been dominated by big guns like Ferrari and McLaren. The last time a "minnow" won a race was in 2003, when Giancarlo Fisichella won the wet Brazilian Grand Prix in a Jordan, in a much more chaotic fashion when virtually all the usual front runners had spun out.
This time though, Vettel beat all the pre-race favourites fair and square. In fact, the Toro Rosso team was so strong over the weekend that had Sebastien Bourdais not stalled his car on the grid, they could have both drivers celebrating on the podium with their team boss Gerhard Berger, who took an emotional victory here for Ferrari 20 years ago, just weeks after the death of Enzo Ferrari.
(By the way, with a Sebastian and a Sebastien on the team, Toro Rosso should seriously consider changing its name to Seabasses.)
The race itself could not be said as a thriller, as the expected jammed-pack action failed to materialize. But who cares when an underdog emerged victorious?
Friday, September 12, 2008
One Hectic Week
This NFL season could not have kicked off with a better start.
During the pre-season, the New York Giants lost starting defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a knee injury. That simply rubbed salt into the wounds of the defending champion, who had already lost their marquee defensive end Michael Strahan to FOX.
While many believed that the New England Patriots will go unbeaten in the regular season for the second year running, their confidence was cruelly shattered midway through the first quarter of their opening game against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, when All-World quarterback Tom Brady suffered a torn ACL and MCL and is done for the season. His replacement is Matt Cassel, who last started a football game at high school.
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts lost at home to the Chicago Bears. Not only was their star quarterback Peyton Manning ineffective (probably due to pre-season knee surgery), they also lost key tight end Dallas Clark to a knee injury. Luckily, Clark's injury appeared to be minor and he should be able to play next week.
Also in San Diego, the Chargers lost to the Carolina Panthers on a last-second touchdown by little-known tight end Dante Rosario (who?). And after the game, All-Star linebacker Shawne Merriman finally decided that enough is enough and will undergo knee surgeries which will cost him the rest of the season.
On the happier side, we also witnessed the emergence of some high-profile rookies.
Matt Ryan threw a 62-yard touchdown on his very first pass in leading the Atlanta Falcons to a comfortable victory over the hapless Detroit Lions.
The first time Felix Jones touched the ball, he ran for an 11-yard touchdown as the Dallas Cowboys completely dominated the Cleveland Browns. He oh-so nearly added another touchdown on his very next carry, but was stopped by a shoelace tackle.
And although Matt Forte and Eddie Royal were not first-round draft picks like Ryan and Jones, they both excelled in their debut for the Bears and the Denver Broncos.
And finally, who would have thought, just a couple of months ago, that Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers would be the winning quarterbacks on the same week?
So many storylines, so much happening on Week One. Looks like Week Two has a tough act to follow.
During the pre-season, the New York Giants lost starting defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a knee injury. That simply rubbed salt into the wounds of the defending champion, who had already lost their marquee defensive end Michael Strahan to FOX.
While many believed that the New England Patriots will go unbeaten in the regular season for the second year running, their confidence was cruelly shattered midway through the first quarter of their opening game against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, when All-World quarterback Tom Brady suffered a torn ACL and MCL and is done for the season. His replacement is Matt Cassel, who last started a football game at high school.
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts lost at home to the Chicago Bears. Not only was their star quarterback Peyton Manning ineffective (probably due to pre-season knee surgery), they also lost key tight end Dallas Clark to a knee injury. Luckily, Clark's injury appeared to be minor and he should be able to play next week.
Also in San Diego, the Chargers lost to the Carolina Panthers on a last-second touchdown by little-known tight end Dante Rosario (who?). And after the game, All-Star linebacker Shawne Merriman finally decided that enough is enough and will undergo knee surgeries which will cost him the rest of the season.
On the happier side, we also witnessed the emergence of some high-profile rookies.
Matt Ryan threw a 62-yard touchdown on his very first pass in leading the Atlanta Falcons to a comfortable victory over the hapless Detroit Lions.
The first time Felix Jones touched the ball, he ran for an 11-yard touchdown as the Dallas Cowboys completely dominated the Cleveland Browns. He oh-so nearly added another touchdown on his very next carry, but was stopped by a shoelace tackle.
And although Matt Forte and Eddie Royal were not first-round draft picks like Ryan and Jones, they both excelled in their debut for the Bears and the Denver Broncos.
And finally, who would have thought, just a couple of months ago, that Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers would be the winning quarterbacks on the same week?
So many storylines, so much happening on Week One. Looks like Week Two has a tough act to follow.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
One Sport, One Language?
Of all the regulations or policies governing players' "conduct" in all major sports, this has to be one of the most ridiculous ever.
The LPGA requires all players to pass an oral English exam, or face a suspension.
Years ago, the LPGA was dominated by players from the USA and countries like Sweden, who can speak fluent English. But with the recent emergence of Asian players, especially the South Koreans, one can often find that English is not the official language in the playing field.
Up steps the LPGA with a new mantra: Speak English or perish.
Why does speaking fluent English matter? The LPGA doesn't stand for Ladies Professional Grammar Association. It's the game of golf it should take care of, not its players' language ability. You cannot bar capable players from playing in tournaments because of it. It's simply wrong.
Imagine FIFA requiring all soccer players to be able to speak fluent English. That would probably be the only way for England, as the sole participant, to win the World Cup.
Worse still, some believe that such a policy reflects the stance of the LPGA: Those who can't speak English are not welcome. They should stay home and not take away the prize money.
It's just a bad PR move. Even Lorena Ochoa, one of its top players from Mexico, said the move is "a little drastic."
They should rescind the policy and welcome players from all over the world, whether they speak fluent English or not, with open arms.
Then again, the LPGA won't listen to me because I don't speak fluent English either.
The LPGA requires all players to pass an oral English exam, or face a suspension.
Years ago, the LPGA was dominated by players from the USA and countries like Sweden, who can speak fluent English. But with the recent emergence of Asian players, especially the South Koreans, one can often find that English is not the official language in the playing field.
Up steps the LPGA with a new mantra: Speak English or perish.
Why does speaking fluent English matter? The LPGA doesn't stand for Ladies Professional Grammar Association. It's the game of golf it should take care of, not its players' language ability. You cannot bar capable players from playing in tournaments because of it. It's simply wrong.
Imagine FIFA requiring all soccer players to be able to speak fluent English. That would probably be the only way for England, as the sole participant, to win the World Cup.
Worse still, some believe that such a policy reflects the stance of the LPGA: Those who can't speak English are not welcome. They should stay home and not take away the prize money.
It's just a bad PR move. Even Lorena Ochoa, one of its top players from Mexico, said the move is "a little drastic."
They should rescind the policy and welcome players from all over the world, whether they speak fluent English or not, with open arms.
Then again, the LPGA won't listen to me because I don't speak fluent English either.
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