Thursday, April 9, 2009
Weekend update, notes
Today's home game between Chiefland girls and Union County is cancelled. UCo had some district games to make up and decided to bag the non-district contest here, along with the umpty-leven mile round trip.
What else?
If you're following live accounts of area games and events, coverage starts at the bottom and moves upward (see below for live posts from recent CHS baseball and softball games, and Bronson Speedway). Some events don't get live-blogged, mainly because wireless coverage around here is turrible. Wireless companies, here's a tip - stop spending gajillions on advertising and just upgrade your towers. Trust me, the customers will come.
Hot for this weekend: Williston boys come to Chiefland Saturday at 5 p.m.
What else?
If you're following live accounts of area games and events, coverage starts at the bottom and moves upward (see below for live posts from recent CHS baseball and softball games, and Bronson Speedway). Some events don't get live-blogged, mainly because wireless coverage around here is turrible. Wireless companies, here's a tip - stop spending gajillions on advertising and just upgrade your towers. Trust me, the customers will come.
Hot for this weekend: Williston boys come to Chiefland Saturday at 5 p.m.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
chs beisbol
chs beisbol
FW: Chs beisbol
Chs sofbol
Chs sofbol
Chs sofbol
Chs sofbol
Chs softball
Chs sofbol
chs softball v trenton
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Pitching change
6th inning update - shelbie
6th inning update - shelbie hastings single to shallow center scores stalvey
Top of 6th
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Seventh inning
Final:
Chiefland wins. Head coach Kyle Parnell says, "It's nice to get a district win. Adam Burton did a good job for us at the mound, hit all of his spots. He walked the leadoff man in the first inning, then got it under control the rest of the way."
Burton went the distance, allowing only two hits and fanning five in the shutout.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Courtney Paris says Sooners will win it all or else
She'll pay back her scholarship.
I don't think they can do it, and I don't think the Paris twins are the best athletes at their position, but they are some of the most exciting players to watch. Plus I had a great time watching Paris and Erlana Larkins play one-on-one at the Sun Dome last year, so I can appreciate her sense of humor as well as her sense of drama.
Paris' threat/boast/vow couldn't come at a better time for women's basketball, especially now that Candace Parker is pregnant. Now let's see if Oklahoma can get to the Huskies, and what happens if they do.
Could we start a "Will Bubba pay, and how much (in-state vs out-of-state) pool?
I don't think they can do it, and I don't think the Paris twins are the best athletes at their position, but they are some of the most exciting players to watch. Plus I had a great time watching Paris and Erlana Larkins play one-on-one at the Sun Dome last year, so I can appreciate her sense of humor as well as her sense of drama.
Paris' threat/boast/vow couldn't come at a better time for women's basketball, especially now that Candace Parker is pregnant. Now let's see if Oklahoma can get to the Huskies, and what happens if they do.
Could we start a "Will Bubba pay, and how much (in-state vs out-of-state) pool?
Friday, March 13, 2009
Classification rant continues
in dribs and drabs.
Note that 2A Arlington Country Day got like their fifth straight state title in a brutal 80-41 mauling of Summit Christian. Nobody from D5 (Bronson's district) got through the regional quarter, because of having to get by the two-headed monster (Arlington and Providence) of D6.
Arlington mopped the floor with Oak Hall (70-18) and Providence easily dispensed with Hawthorne (79-49), a team that consistently plays over its head. The outcome of the Arlington-Providence and Arlington-Florida Air (a team that beat 5A state champ Gainesville) matchups was reasonable.
The only final I can't quite account for is Arlington's six-point win over true public Franklin County. The win-loss record for Franklin in MaxPreps isn't all filled in, and what's there doesn't make a lot of sense. The only thing of note is that Franklin is a consolidated all-county school, newly built in 2006, so maybe they are pulling in two or three schools' worth of players.
Nine public high schools survived district tournaments in Florida Class 2A; only three made it to the round of 16, and only one, Franklin, got to the Final Four.
It was worse in 1A, where only five public schools got into regional play (and that's if you count FAMU High School, one of Tallahassee's two P.K. Yonge university school equivalents), and, since all four were in adjacent districts, only one reached the round of eight. None reached the Final Four.
Graceville, the lone 1A public school to get to the regional final, was dusted 54-21 by The Rock of Gainesville. That's not a matchup, that's a mugging. The margins of victory are similar wherever the basketball-committed private schools face basketball-committed public schools.
Public schools that have to draw from true local populations can't compete with recruiting private schools. The trouble with complaining about recruiting is twofold -- one, it's hard to prove and two, it's impossible to stop. If a high school coach is very good and very committed, doesn't have to waste time teaching a subject and can therefore dedicate all of his time to basketball, including AAU, he doesn't have to contact players and violate the rules. They'll come to him. And if savvy players and parents game the system within the letter of the law, what's to punish? The obvious solution is to weight populations based on something other than actual numbers.
Time for FHSAA to examine literal population-based classification. It's not working any more.
Note that 2A Arlington Country Day got like their fifth straight state title in a brutal 80-41 mauling of Summit Christian. Nobody from D5 (Bronson's district) got through the regional quarter, because of having to get by the two-headed monster (Arlington and Providence) of D6.
Arlington mopped the floor with Oak Hall (70-18) and Providence easily dispensed with Hawthorne (79-49), a team that consistently plays over its head. The outcome of the Arlington-Providence and Arlington-Florida Air (a team that beat 5A state champ Gainesville) matchups was reasonable.
The only final I can't quite account for is Arlington's six-point win over true public Franklin County. The win-loss record for Franklin in MaxPreps isn't all filled in, and what's there doesn't make a lot of sense. The only thing of note is that Franklin is a consolidated all-county school, newly built in 2006, so maybe they are pulling in two or three schools' worth of players.
Nine public high schools survived district tournaments in Florida Class 2A; only three made it to the round of 16, and only one, Franklin, got to the Final Four.
It was worse in 1A, where only five public schools got into regional play (and that's if you count FAMU High School, one of Tallahassee's two P.K. Yonge university school equivalents), and, since all four were in adjacent districts, only one reached the round of eight. None reached the Final Four.
Graceville, the lone 1A public school to get to the regional final, was dusted 54-21 by The Rock of Gainesville. That's not a matchup, that's a mugging. The margins of victory are similar wherever the basketball-committed private schools face basketball-committed public schools.
Public schools that have to draw from true local populations can't compete with recruiting private schools. The trouble with complaining about recruiting is twofold -- one, it's hard to prove and two, it's impossible to stop. If a high school coach is very good and very committed, doesn't have to waste time teaching a subject and can therefore dedicate all of his time to basketball, including AAU, he doesn't have to contact players and violate the rules. They'll come to him. And if savvy players and parents game the system within the letter of the law, what's to punish? The obvious solution is to weight populations based on something other than actual numbers.
Time for FHSAA to examine literal population-based classification. It's not working any more.
Of course they won
(Photo by Dave Colon. Gainesville's Matt Huber forces Clearwater's Regan O'Rourke outside in last week's 5A state final game.)
The most incredible thing about GHS winning the state title was how easily they did it, with the exception of that fourth quarter against Clearwater. The key, in some ways, was the depth of the Gainesville team. When they weren't simply blowing opponents out of the water (which of course they did with solid fundamentals), they had layer upon layer of ways to win.
They played exemplary defense, mostly that nasty 2-3 ball pressure that either forces shooters to be perfect outside or forces teams to make the perfect pass inside. Since the vast majority of teams GHS played couldn't shoot as well as they could, defense alone was enough to blow the game open.
Shooting -- everybody on the team could shoot, and almost everybody could make free throws. There was almost no way to recover from a big lead against GHS because it wasn't possible to lock out enough shooters. Clearwater came closest with a straight man press that forced turnovers and held the 'Canes to one hurried shot at a time.
Patience, ball movement and unselfishness. Although T.J. Hall and Greg Gantt were the leading scorers down the stretch, they didn't hesitate to look for the open man or the hottest shooter. Hall had only eight points against King in the semifinal, although he had his hand on the ball all game. Gantt was red hot for 33, so Hall was content to defend, rebound and get the ball to number 14.
Free throws -- if everyone on the team can make them, there is no way to lock that team out.
Last but not least, the coach. To watch Coach Beckham work is to see how many levels of game go on simultaneously. There was one point late in the first half against Clearwater when Gainesville had a chance for a backbreaking lead. The 'Canes stole the ball and started a perfect break but the shot, from deep, just didn't fall. Beckham didn't know exactly what the score was but he knew they were near a tipping point, and when the shot bounced away, he fell to his knees on the sideline, his head in his hands. GHS led by 13. Afterward he said he wanted to get to a 20-point lead before the half so they could take it easy.
This emphasis on playing one's own game regardless of the opponent is one of the things that has made it possible for Beckham's teams to play over their heads. It was the same at Bronson, where convincing his players they were the better team meant appearing to dominate a technically equal or better opponent to the point of making them falter in their own game.
It will be interesting to see what GHS looks like next year, after all the seniors that got them here are gone and Beckham has to "rebuild" on the back of juniors T.J. Hall, Frank Gainey, Mychal Means and Thomas Laerke.
Friday, March 6, 2009
GHS plays for title tonight
Gainesville beat King 62-48 in the state semifinal Wednesday to advance to tonight's state final against Clearwater. Greg Gantt couldn't miss, scoring a game- and career-high 33 points. Junior swingman T.J. Hall, the second-leading scorer through tournament time, applied himself to defense and rebounding, gluing himself to King big man Toarlyn Fitzgerald. Fitgerald was held to 10 points before fouling out with half the fourth quarter remaining, and Hall was happy with just eight points to go with his rebounds and assists.
"It's my job to get after their best guy," Hall said.
"And Greg had the hot hand, so I just had to get him the ball."
Gainesville meets Clearwater at 7 p.m. at Lakeland Center.
(Photo courtesy Dave Colon. GHS Head Coach Kelly Beckham watches as Thomas Laerke defends King's Chauncey Day.)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The scores
Gainesville won, 86-67. They'll be in Lakeland Wednesday against Tampa King. Williston lost, 69-40. Jones takes over their spot in 3A.
Game/venue information:
GHS plays Tampa King at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lakeland Center. FHSAA has directions, ticket prices and other info. Click on the brackets at right for game times.
Game/venue information:
GHS plays Tampa King at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lakeland Center. FHSAA has directions, ticket prices and other info. Click on the brackets at right for game times.
Skate Park? It's all skate park
These guys know there's going to be a skate park in Chiefland, they just don't care. The stormwater runoff at CR 120 on US Hwy 27 is a pretty good halfpipe in the meantime. These guys, some from Trenton, some from Gainesville, said they think an impromptu skating surface like this concrete culvert, is more fun than a skate park because "you have to adapt."
Skatepark at Chiefland is being installed starting Tuesday March 3 at Delma Locke Park. Probably as fun or even more as the sand and debris-filled culvert on US Hwy. 27.
Track starts (JaRobyn, JaRobyn, JaRobyn)
Chiefland girls track team. All these girls have big hustle, and about half of them showed major guts on cross country this year. But I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that junior JaRobyn Rome (third from left, inexplicably laughing) makes every team she's on a *lot* better. From left, Nakila Strong, Sharnese Rome, JaRobyn, Sarah Mitchell, Mariah Mather, Tiffany English, Krystal Munnelyn, Beth Warren.
This team should tear up both short and long distances. Sharnese and Nakila should eat up competitors in the 100 and 200. JaRobyn, Beth, Mariah and Tiffany ran XC this year. Look out for Chiefland girls.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Big games today
Area teams in the Round of Eight:
GHS is at home vs Pensacola Pine Forest; Williston travels to Orlando Jones. Both games are at 7 p.m. Winners go to the Final Four in Lakeland.
Other hot matchups: Chiefland vs Williston baseball at Williston, 2 p.m. There's no finer time for baseball than a warm early spring afternoon. Go eat some peanuts.
Ill thought of the week: Check out this boys' 2A bracket for the Round of Eight.
See the Florida Air-Arlington Country Day matchup? One of these teams will probably be the state champion for 2A. Note that Florida Air beat state contender GHS by one point early this season.
Remember this is 2A. Now think about this district lineup for 2AD5 next year:
Bell, Branford, Bronson, Chiefland Hawthorne, P.K. Yonge, St. Francis and Trenton. Using what you know about 2A private schools, handicap this district and submit a bracket. Be honest.
GHS is at home vs Pensacola Pine Forest; Williston travels to Orlando Jones. Both games are at 7 p.m. Winners go to the Final Four in Lakeland.
Other hot matchups: Chiefland vs Williston baseball at Williston, 2 p.m. There's no finer time for baseball than a warm early spring afternoon. Go eat some peanuts.
Ill thought of the week: Check out this boys' 2A bracket for the Round of Eight.
See the Florida Air-Arlington Country Day matchup? One of these teams will probably be the state champion for 2A. Note that Florida Air beat state contender GHS by one point early this season.
Remember this is 2A. Now think about this district lineup for 2AD5 next year:
Bell, Branford, Bronson, Chiefland Hawthorne, P.K. Yonge, St. Francis and Trenton. Using what you know about 2A private schools, handicap this district and submit a bracket. Be honest.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
GHS to Sweet 16
Sixteen clock minutes before Gainesville's 70-52 win over Jacksonville Wolfson, GHS Head Coach Kelly Beckham looked harried as his team headed to the locker room.
"I hope we can pull this one out," said Bill Goess, his brother-in-law, from behind the bench.
The 'Canes were up 36-20.
To be fair, Gainesville had grabbed the big lead up front and held off Wolfson, but with a mixed performance at the free throw line in the first half, and a series of turnovers to the Wolf Pack's half court trap defense, it was plain that the 'Canes were on the receiving end of a rally.
It got worse before it got better. The 'Pack kept trapping, forcing turnovers and scoring in transition, while GHS had trouble getting stops. They were caught again and again in the traps, and didn't make their usual crisp passes. Wolfson trimmed the lead to seven points before the 'Canes recovered and started finding the open man against the trap.
GHS got a huge boost in the fourth quarter with 11 points by Greg Gantt, who had been quiet since his opening salvo of three threes in the first quarter. T.J. Hall, the game-high scorer with 23 points, adjusted his role to set up Gantt in the fourth. Gabe Rutledge had a huge block with two minutes remaining that helped deflate any comeback hopes remaining for Wolfson.
"I was never all that worried," Beckham said afterward.
Annual postseason school population inequity rant
Check the brackets for the teams mentioned in the previous post, 3A and 5A, and see how many private schools are in the bracket.
Check this bracket twice a week for the next three weeks.
Check the brackets for 1A and 2A also.
After basketball season is over, see who won in every classification. Ask yourself if FHSAA needs to take action.
Why? Because private schools take up a number of bracket places and win state championships with a frequency disproportionate to their numbers in the state. This is because, although FHSAA accepts their enrollment numbers as representing their actual student population in the same way as public schools, the fact is that private schools can draw from a population up to 100 times larger than the same size public school.
Some states deal with this by having a separate private school conference. Other schools allow private schools in the public school conference, but handicap their population numbers up, to account for how much larger a pool the school can select from.
Check out this comprehensive analysis of state high school athletic associations from Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Oh.
Several states, including New York, Virginia and Texas, exclude private schools from the public school conference. Other states allow private schools but handicap their population numbers, like Alabama. Others sort their classes by past-season wins, not population. Still others allow private schools and simply force them into a higher division.
But also note that, some states have playoff systems that are, astonishingly, even screwier than ours.
I guess normal is what you know.
Check this bracket twice a week for the next three weeks.
Check the brackets for 1A and 2A also.
After basketball season is over, see who won in every classification. Ask yourself if FHSAA needs to take action.
Why? Because private schools take up a number of bracket places and win state championships with a frequency disproportionate to their numbers in the state. This is because, although FHSAA accepts their enrollment numbers as representing their actual student population in the same way as public schools, the fact is that private schools can draw from a population up to 100 times larger than the same size public school.
Some states deal with this by having a separate private school conference. Other schools allow private schools in the public school conference, but handicap their population numbers up, to account for how much larger a pool the school can select from.
Check out this comprehensive analysis of state high school athletic associations from Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Oh.
Several states, including New York, Virginia and Texas, exclude private schools from the public school conference. Other states allow private schools but handicap their population numbers, like Alabama. Others sort their classes by past-season wins, not population. Still others allow private schools and simply force them into a higher division.
But also note that, some states have playoff systems that are, astonishingly, even screwier than ours.
I guess normal is what you know.
Regionals start tonight
Williston is at home tonight against D6 upset runner-up Keystone.
Check this video to see how the Red Devils put down D5 runner-up P.K. Yonge, who travels to D6 upset winner Union County.
Williston and P.K. coaches agree they'll meet in the Regional Semi on Tuesday at Williston.
For some idea how crazy upsets happen, check out this analysis of Bronson's crash in 2AD5.
Last, but not least, Kelly Beckham's Gainesville High School hosts Jacksonville Wolfson in their regional opener. The 'Canes look, or looked, Lakeland-bound, but they look less invincible now, with season-ending injury to second-leading scorer and top defender Anthony Nwadigo.
If Gainesville wins tonight, they'll host the winner of Jax First Coast and Eastside. If Eastside wins, that would make it the fourth meeting for the 'Canes and Rams, and with all three wins, Gainesville has the momentum. First Coast, the D3 winner, has four losses: one each to Paxon, Raines and Jax Jackson, and two to Wolfson, which they finally overcame for the district title.
Check this video to see how the Red Devils put down D5 runner-up P.K. Yonge, who travels to D6 upset winner Union County.
Williston and P.K. coaches agree they'll meet in the Regional Semi on Tuesday at Williston.
For some idea how crazy upsets happen, check out this analysis of Bronson's crash in 2AD5.
Last, but not least, Kelly Beckham's Gainesville High School hosts Jacksonville Wolfson in their regional opener. The 'Canes look, or looked, Lakeland-bound, but they look less invincible now, with season-ending injury to second-leading scorer and top defender Anthony Nwadigo.
If Gainesville wins tonight, they'll host the winner of Jax First Coast and Eastside. If Eastside wins, that would make it the fourth meeting for the 'Canes and Rams, and with all three wins, Gainesville has the momentum. First Coast, the D3 winner, has four losses: one each to Paxon, Raines and Jax Jackson, and two to Wolfson, which they finally overcame for the district title.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The game changes - get used to it
By Pat Hibbs
Guest Columnist
Let’s talk about baseball and steroids. Alex Rodriguez took "a substance" six years ago and now Miguel Tejada is accused of lying to Congress. My question: "Who cares?"
Why should Sosa and McGuire not be in the Hall of Fame? They revived the game after the ’96 strike, and their rivalry was glorious. Bonds, though not a sympathetic character, was and is a great athlete. Baseball has been through many "eras." This one has included performance-enhancing drugs.
The players who used them have perhaps reaped their benefits in the short term, but may suffer in the longer term.
Would there have been a scandal about the booze and broads that Babe Ruth favored?
What about the Negro League players who couldn’t break into the big time until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier? Look today at the diversity in baseball.
Let’s be grateful for Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr. for true role models. But let’s not sluff off the truly great players who have contributed so much to the game.
After all, the game has changed. I grew up in a golden era (as far as I was concerned) after my father came home from the war (WWII). I started following the Phillies when I was five and could do a box score at six. In 1950, the Phillies won the National League pennant (let’s not talk about the series, an 0-4 loss to the dominant Yankees.) I remember listening to Dick Sisler’s home run to win the pennant – on the radio!
Does anyone care that I can still name the starting 1950 Phillies’ lineup? Probably not, but I can! Think of the wasted brain cells – and the precious memories.
In those days, there were no middle relievers or closers, no pitch counts, no "perfect" games with three pitchers. We had Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons, who regularly pitched nine innings – and won. We had Jim "the fireman" Konstanty, who "saved" games that had begun to slip away. He could come into the game in the sixth inning or the ninth and do the job. Where is that player now?
I got to watch Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 series – at school. That was the kind of excitement generated by baseball.
Let’s admit that the game has changed. Equipment has changed, as has training (do you think Babe Ruth ever entered a weight room?). Most of this is to the good – that of the athlete and the fan.
So let’s just back off on steroids. They were a fad. They’re illegal now, and the game is probably better for it.
But the purist talking heads (think Lupica) – who are mostly younger than I – are acting as if the Hall of Fame should be denied to the players who would have made it easily – probably on the first ballot – steroids or HGH or not. Get off it.
The Hall reflects the game – and everything has changed. I can’t go back to my beloved 1950 Phillies – nor do I want to. They’re a wonderful memory, but that’s all. The game is vastly different, and that’s OK.
Meanwhile, let’s enjoy it as it is. Those four magic words – "pitchers and catchers report"- can’t come soon enough for me.
Guest Columnist
Let’s talk about baseball and steroids. Alex Rodriguez took "a substance" six years ago and now Miguel Tejada is accused of lying to Congress. My question: "Who cares?"
Why should Sosa and McGuire not be in the Hall of Fame? They revived the game after the ’96 strike, and their rivalry was glorious. Bonds, though not a sympathetic character, was and is a great athlete. Baseball has been through many "eras." This one has included performance-enhancing drugs.
The players who used them have perhaps reaped their benefits in the short term, but may suffer in the longer term.
Would there have been a scandal about the booze and broads that Babe Ruth favored?
What about the Negro League players who couldn’t break into the big time until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier? Look today at the diversity in baseball.
Let’s be grateful for Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr. for true role models. But let’s not sluff off the truly great players who have contributed so much to the game.
After all, the game has changed. I grew up in a golden era (as far as I was concerned) after my father came home from the war (WWII). I started following the Phillies when I was five and could do a box score at six. In 1950, the Phillies won the National League pennant (let’s not talk about the series, an 0-4 loss to the dominant Yankees.) I remember listening to Dick Sisler’s home run to win the pennant – on the radio!
Does anyone care that I can still name the starting 1950 Phillies’ lineup? Probably not, but I can! Think of the wasted brain cells – and the precious memories.
In those days, there were no middle relievers or closers, no pitch counts, no "perfect" games with three pitchers. We had Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons, who regularly pitched nine innings – and won. We had Jim "the fireman" Konstanty, who "saved" games that had begun to slip away. He could come into the game in the sixth inning or the ninth and do the job. Where is that player now?
I got to watch Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 series – at school. That was the kind of excitement generated by baseball.
Let’s admit that the game has changed. Equipment has changed, as has training (do you think Babe Ruth ever entered a weight room?). Most of this is to the good – that of the athlete and the fan.
So let’s just back off on steroids. They were a fad. They’re illegal now, and the game is probably better for it.
But the purist talking heads (think Lupica) – who are mostly younger than I – are acting as if the Hall of Fame should be denied to the players who would have made it easily – probably on the first ballot – steroids or HGH or not. Get off it.
The Hall reflects the game – and everything has changed. I can’t go back to my beloved 1950 Phillies – nor do I want to. They’re a wonderful memory, but that’s all. The game is vastly different, and that’s OK.
Meanwhile, let’s enjoy it as it is. Those four magic words – "pitchers and catchers report"- can’t come soon enough for me.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Chiefland wins! And now, Williston
Cantrell Richardson (left) congratulates teammate Tommy Sheffield on Sheffield's last-second shot to send the district tournament opener into overtime. With the 67-65 OT win over Dixie County, Chiefland advances to the semifinal Friday at 7 p.m against Williston.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Loosey-goosey indeed
Major League baseball needs to make up its mind once and for all and unify its stated policy on steroids with its actual policy. Ban them for real or admit you really don't care and allow their use -- just pick one and stick to it.
I say this because after watching ESPN's Peter Gammons interview A-Rod yesterday, it occurred to me that there is no way for any player to be completely honest about banned substance use without bringing MLB down like a house of cards, Watergate-style.
The interview was going swimmingly, with Gammons probing delicately and tastefully and Rodriguez responding cagily, acting like the awkward dork he always appears to (but can't actually) be. Suddenly, Gammons asked Rodriguez which drugs he had taken and Rodriguez hesitated for like a month before dribbling out some half-baked prevarication about it being "such a loosey-goosey era" that he really...wasn't...sure...what he took.
Right, I said to myself, and noticed the blood vessels pumping in poor Gammons' temples. Is anybody in baseball a bigger control freak than A-Rod? Wouldn't he know, to the molecule, exactly what he was shooting into his glutes? But as he struggled to find the right weasel phrase to hold Gammons off, I could hear the doors slamming in his head as he tried out responses and rejected them.
Imagine the truth -- which is obviously that everyone in baseball knew about the juice, from Bud Selig on down. It's not just that they turned a blind eye -- they had to have encouraged it. While certain hitters got a bump in their stats while they were juicing, the main effect of steroids on baseball has been quicker recovery from injuries, leading to more consistent seasons and longer careers. Steroids in baseball are less a performance-enhancing drug than a durability-enhancing drug. Durability, when you think about it, is a big part of the money in baseball. Fans develop attachments to favorite players, and the more games and more years those players can stay active (and winning), the more the teams make in gates, broadcast contracts and licensed merchandise.
(Case in point - the other day in the NBA, San Antonio went to Denver the day after a hard night at Golden State. Spurs coach Greg Popovich decided the altitude wouldn't do his big three any good, so he sat Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Fans were livid -- *Denver* fans -- and many complained; many left. Knowing the visiting stars might not play when they come to your town -- bet that won't make cash-carrying fans think twice next time tickets are for sale?)
A-Rod thought about all that, and then he thought about his paycheck, his reputation and his future in baseball -- coaching, commentating, endorsements (GNC anyone?) -- and concluded the best thing to say was, "I didn't really know what I was taking."
And Gammons looked like he was going to have another aneurysm.
Nobody is bigger than baseball, but Peter Gammons is a pretty major edifice. Be a damn shame to lose him over such foolishness. That's why I say MLB needs to get it together, pick a position and stick with it.
Either embrace steroids and let the '89 A's unretire or get ready to start producing dramatic teaser commercials featuring David Eckstein squaring up to bunt, and highlight reels of Kevin Youkilis' greatest walks.
I say this because after watching ESPN's Peter Gammons interview A-Rod yesterday, it occurred to me that there is no way for any player to be completely honest about banned substance use without bringing MLB down like a house of cards, Watergate-style.
The interview was going swimmingly, with Gammons probing delicately and tastefully and Rodriguez responding cagily, acting like the awkward dork he always appears to (but can't actually) be. Suddenly, Gammons asked Rodriguez which drugs he had taken and Rodriguez hesitated for like a month before dribbling out some half-baked prevarication about it being "such a loosey-goosey era" that he really...wasn't...sure...what he took.
Right, I said to myself, and noticed the blood vessels pumping in poor Gammons' temples. Is anybody in baseball a bigger control freak than A-Rod? Wouldn't he know, to the molecule, exactly what he was shooting into his glutes? But as he struggled to find the right weasel phrase to hold Gammons off, I could hear the doors slamming in his head as he tried out responses and rejected them.
Imagine the truth -- which is obviously that everyone in baseball knew about the juice, from Bud Selig on down. It's not just that they turned a blind eye -- they had to have encouraged it. While certain hitters got a bump in their stats while they were juicing, the main effect of steroids on baseball has been quicker recovery from injuries, leading to more consistent seasons and longer careers. Steroids in baseball are less a performance-enhancing drug than a durability-enhancing drug. Durability, when you think about it, is a big part of the money in baseball. Fans develop attachments to favorite players, and the more games and more years those players can stay active (and winning), the more the teams make in gates, broadcast contracts and licensed merchandise.
(Case in point - the other day in the NBA, San Antonio went to Denver the day after a hard night at Golden State. Spurs coach Greg Popovich decided the altitude wouldn't do his big three any good, so he sat Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Fans were livid -- *Denver* fans -- and many complained; many left. Knowing the visiting stars might not play when they come to your town -- bet that won't make cash-carrying fans think twice next time tickets are for sale?)
A-Rod thought about all that, and then he thought about his paycheck, his reputation and his future in baseball -- coaching, commentating, endorsements (GNC anyone?) -- and concluded the best thing to say was, "I didn't really know what I was taking."
And Gammons looked like he was going to have another aneurysm.
Nobody is bigger than baseball, but Peter Gammons is a pretty major edifice. Be a damn shame to lose him over such foolishness. That's why I say MLB needs to get it together, pick a position and stick with it.
Either embrace steroids and let the '89 A's unretire or get ready to start producing dramatic teaser commercials featuring David Eckstein squaring up to bunt, and highlight reels of Kevin Youkilis' greatest walks.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Video goodness
Here are a couple more videos of recent games for Chiefland boys and girls and Bronson boys. If you went to Bronson Senior Night tonight, you know the Eagles pulled out an ugly 44-39 win over Seven Rivers, but even better, Eagle super fan Jonathan Irizarry received the Sixth Man Award for leading the Eagle rooters at every home game and many away games. Jonathan keeps the stands from getting too quiet when the Eagles really need some friendly noise and his sideline posse brings the free throw mojo.
As you can see in this video from Bronson's loss to Bell last week, Jonathan is the man, where team spirit is concerned.
More videos:
Here's video of Chiefland thrashing Trenton.
Chiefland girls almost come back on Trenton at Senior Night.
As you can see in this video from Bronson's loss to Bell last week, Jonathan is the man, where team spirit is concerned.
More videos:
Here's video of Chiefland thrashing Trenton.
Chiefland girls almost come back on Trenton at Senior Night.
Bronson boys host district tournament starting Tuesday
Bronson district tournament bracket
Tuesday 4:30 Bell v Lafayette (Mayo)
6 p.m. Oak Hall v Trenton
7 p.m. Bronson v Branford
Friday: (If Bronson wins Tuesday:)
6 p.m. Hawthorne v winner of Bell v Lafayette
7:30 Bronson v winner of Oak Hall v Trenton
Alternate Friday (If Bronson does not win)
6 p.m. Branford v winner of Oak Hall v Trenton
7:30 Hawthorne v winner of Bell v Lafayette
Saturday 7 p.m. Championship game
Is Chiefland ready? You bet
Chiefland looks to be peaking just in time for districts, and fortunately, they're hosting. They've lost to the district muscle, Williston and P.K. Yonge, by nine points each in the last three weeks, each time surging to within five points. Far from being the best shooting team in the district, the Indians might be the best executing team on defense and on the boards. With outstanding conditioning carried over from football, Chiefland has awesome footspeed in the backcourt and forecourt, and their undersized posts can jump out of the gym.
Stephen Davis, Tommy Sheffield, Cantrell Richardson and Donnell Sanders will frustrate any high-flying opponent in the paint, while point Eugene (PeeWee) Carter is one of the best ball distributors in the area. Add the sixth man -- the Indians' nasty home crowd -- and this should be a district tournament to remember.
Here's the bracket at Chiefland:
Tues: 5:30 Newberry v Ft White
7 p.m. Chiefland v Dixie County
Friday 5:30 winner of Newberry-Ft. White v P.K. Yonge
7 p.m. winner of Chiefland-Dixie County v Williston
Saturday 7 p.m. Championship
Stephen Davis, Tommy Sheffield, Cantrell Richardson and Donnell Sanders will frustrate any high-flying opponent in the paint, while point Eugene (PeeWee) Carter is one of the best ball distributors in the area. Add the sixth man -- the Indians' nasty home crowd -- and this should be a district tournament to remember.
Here's the bracket at Chiefland:
Tues: 5:30 Newberry v Ft White
7 p.m. Chiefland v Dixie County
Friday 5:30 winner of Newberry-Ft. White v P.K. Yonge
7 p.m. winner of Chiefland-Dixie County v Williston
Saturday 7 p.m. Championship
Eagles win toss, trade up seeds
With the flip of a coin, Bronson boys went from the ugly fourth seed (facing Hawthorne) in the district tournament to the much more hopeful three seed (facing Oak Hall).
Bronson has lost twice to Oak Hall this season, by six points at home and by 12 away. The Eagles have feel-good wins against quality teams outside their district (and classification), like Union County and Chiefland, but have stumbled against good, but beatable teams in the district, like Oak Hall and Bell.
On paper, Bronson has more talent and chemistry than anyone but Hawthorne, with starters like all-around scorer James Rivers, wiley point C.J. King and all-out defender Rodolfo Contreras. Those three are seniors; lane-buster Kelby Barber, a junior, is a mean rebounder and shot blocker. This combination alone exceeds the arsenal of pretty much anyone else in the district except the orange Hornets. Bell has monster soph James Thomas, but Bronson really looks like the package.
That said, the maroon Eagles have put the zap on the blue this year. Now would be a good time for Bronson to snap out of it. Oak Hall doesn't even have Skyler Neale and Luke DiPerna any more. With the best point and best inside combination in the district, the Eagles should wake up and believe in themselves this coming week.
Tonight (Friday) is Senior Night for the Eagles; on Tuesday, districts start.
Bronson has lost twice to Oak Hall this season, by six points at home and by 12 away. The Eagles have feel-good wins against quality teams outside their district (and classification), like Union County and Chiefland, but have stumbled against good, but beatable teams in the district, like Oak Hall and Bell.
On paper, Bronson has more talent and chemistry than anyone but Hawthorne, with starters like all-around scorer James Rivers, wiley point C.J. King and all-out defender Rodolfo Contreras. Those three are seniors; lane-buster Kelby Barber, a junior, is a mean rebounder and shot blocker. This combination alone exceeds the arsenal of pretty much anyone else in the district except the orange Hornets. Bell has monster soph James Thomas, but Bronson really looks like the package.
That said, the maroon Eagles have put the zap on the blue this year. Now would be a good time for Bronson to snap out of it. Oak Hall doesn't even have Skyler Neale and Luke DiPerna any more. With the best point and best inside combination in the district, the Eagles should wake up and believe in themselves this coming week.
Tonight (Friday) is Senior Night for the Eagles; on Tuesday, districts start.
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