Such wonderful news! Michael Vick has been handed the third highest contract in the NFL by the Philadelphia Eagles! Put down that stethoscope, history book, police man’s baton or accountancy ledger. This news needs, no, demands to be celebrated. Us commoners should be leaving our menial tasks, running into the streets, embracing, holding each other, basically basking in the heartening news that Vick will be earning $100 million over the next six years. Yes! He! Can! Call someone you love, tell them the news!
According to ESPN, who appear to be attempting to rewrite the Michael Vick story along the same terms as the North Korean Government publicity department reports on Kim Jong Il;
‘’(Vick) played only 32 games under that deal before legal problems derailed his career.’’
Legal problems? Are you fudging serious? Legal problems? This disgusting ingrate stood and watched as animals that he and his moronic, brainless friends bred, ripped each other to shreds, literally clawing and biting their bodies to pieces. Legal problems? Not paying a parking fine is a legal problem. Breeding, killing and gambling on animals getting killed is not a legal problem, it is sociopathic behavior.
Let’s get one thing sorted before we carry on, because there are undoubtedly countless Eagles, Vick and other fans ready to pounce on the comments section below without considering what this column is actually trying to say. This isn’t a random attack on the Eagles. This isn’t a written slate against Vick, who this column couldn’t care less about either way. It is in reaction to the completely unbelievable about face being shown currently by the US sporting media to the whole Vick affair.
Remember people, it was not that long ago that the very writers who are now busy writing uncomfortably sycophantic pieces about Vick were busy ramming written daggers into his heart and soul on the back of his disgusting crimes.
You know what, call this whatever you want, but please, stop calling it a wonderful story, and a great depiction of what ‘America is all about’. Pass me the bucket, what a sickening misuse of a phrase meant for those who work their way up from the gutter, legally, and find a productive niche in society. Is everyone really comfortable with the below statement by Eagles coach Andy Reid;
"This is really what America's all about.’’
So therefore, understanding what the oaf of an Eagles coach is saying. we can surmise that America is all about killing animals in the most cruel, disgusting and evil of ways, wasting millions of dollars sloshing around with your entourage of leeches, insulting a city, a state and a nation by basically pissing away your first $100 million contract, and then ramping up to do it all again one more time? That’s what America is all about? Really?
Call it what you want, but come on, please stop throwing bouquets at this story. It is not what America is all about. It isn’t a wonderful comeback story. There is no great life lesson here. The depravity of Vick and his idiot friends callous, evil behavior has been completely wiped under the carpet. And do not dare throw that hackneyed, cliché at me ‘Oh, Vick has served his term and deserves a second chance!’ – Please stop saying stupid things! Of course everyone deserves a second chance, however people who commit truly evil, nasty and cruel crimes do not deserve second $100 million contracts, and they certainly, above all, do not deserve to be deified to the extent we are already worshipping this Vick character.
ESPN and other sporting media outlets can dress this whatever way they want, you can count this column as one of those not ready to buy into this ‘wonderful’ story just yet.
Today my Dad went to work helping educate young people. He did so with the same humility, passion and character he has shown for the last forty years. He did so without hurting or killing any animals, and he did so without wasting money on other illegal ventures. I guarantee you, you know twenty people in your life who or more deserving of the adulation and hyperbole being spent, no, wasted on Michael Vick right now.
And yet those most deserving are completely ignored, while some fool, who is set to trick us all a second time, gets treated like a King because he can run faster than most of us, and throw a football a little harder and farther than the rest of us.
Sports can be as confusing and disappointing as it is enjoyable.
Comments Comments welcome! Free and open debate and communication are some of the most enjoyable aspects of life. Please leave a comment, disagreements welcome! If you disagree, debate your case by all means. However, anything rude, spiteful or any cowardly anonymous personal attacks will be not be tolerated and will be deleted.
What a wonderful night for League of Ireland soccer, and Irish soccer in general. Not to mention those handful of hardy Shamrock Rovers supporters who bravely ventured to the Balkans, and hopefully came back in one piece. In case you missed it, last night Irish club side Shamrock Rovers made history as a 2-1 Europa League win at Partizan Belgrade made them the first Irish side ever to reach the group stage of a European competition.
To put this incredible achievement in perspective, Shamrock Rovers squad was put together with €600,000. Manchester City spend that much on a team breakfast. That's basically three weeks of Gareth Barry's wages. The Rovers exploits last night were nothing short of heroic.
Sitting here taking it all in this morning, this column remembers such great results as Cork 1 Bayern 0 and Everton 0 UCD 0, however this goes far and away towards being the greatest result ever for an Irish club side. We welcome suggested corrections, but take a look at this absolute peach of a goal before you go charging into the comments section.
Comments Comments welcome! Free and open debate and communication are some of the most enjoyable aspects of life. Please leave a comment, disagreements welcome! If you disagree, debate your case by all means. However, anything rude, spiteful or any cowardly anonymous personal attacks will be not be tolerated and will be deleted.
Here we are again, that time of year. Time to watch Rex Ryan inch closer to his almost inevitable heart attack, and for Ray Lewis to absolutely crush the all time record for ‘Most times being second guy in on a tackle’. As the NFL season approaches, across the entire globe prices are dropping as companies and services react to this morbid global recession by, you know, giving us all a break. Not the NFL!
Last season the NFL charged an already exorbitant $239 for access to NFL Game Pass, an internet streaming service allowing you to watch any NFL game, as long as you were outside the United States. This season? After a spring break where the NFL edged close to not being played at all, the suits in the corner offices of the NFL upper echelons deemed it pertinent to charge Joe Punter NFL fan an incredible $279 to watch their games this coming season. Yes, that’s right, the NFL is charging $40 more to watch their product this season.
As you pick your jaw from the floor, perhaps it is best to consider, we should not be shocked or dismayed by this greedy display from a sport whose players and owners recently threatened to cancel the entire season because they couldn't agree how to chop up their share of $9 billion dollars extra cash. Yes, as you tried to decide if you could afford the twelve inch Subway meatball marinara, or if you should frugally stick to the six inch, the millionaires boys club known as the NFL was arguing how to split $9 billion amongst themselves. And now they want to charge you close to $300 to watch their games on your computer. Whilst this column is not entirely sure what all the above means, in terms of life lessons, it is pretty sure this is all part of the forthcoming apocalypse, and also part and parcel of the Fundamentalist terrorist manual, ‘Why we hate America’.
The NFL is setting new standards for greed.
The NFL’s incredibly brazen, arrogant pricing is undressed further by their dramatically more reasonable MLB counterparts. This season MLB TV, the superior baseball version of the football streaming site, cost $99. To put that in perspective, you could watch 162 Boston Red Sox games at $0.60 a game, or 16 New England Patriots games at $17 a game. Imagine there were 162 Patriots games. If that were the case, you would be paying $1.72 on NFL Game Pass to watch those, compared with $0.60 to watch the Sox. You will probably agree, a pretty shocking cost disparity no matter what way you look at it.
The NFL are basically doing two things, by pricing their product so highly. First of all, they are only servicing a very small niche group. It is not a shock that much of their European advertising is done in The Financial Times. They are aiming at white collar, upper middle class customers. The NFL apparently doesn’t care about the young, students, middle to lower class, blue collar workers or, perish the thought, the unemployed. This is a completely indefensible strategy, and amounts to strange behavior considering football is, in so many areas in the States, traditionally a blue collar game.
Apart from pricing pretty much everyone out bar the upper middle class, the other main outcome of the NFL’s greedy pricing plan is, they are sending thousands of fans looking for NFL games elsewhere online. With so many readily available free streaming sites currently ‘doing the rounds’, you would think the NFL would want to encourage people from all walks of life to watch the legitimate service by keeping it reasonably priced. Instead the NFL took what was already a very expensive option and then increased it up another $40. Brilliant planning, guys! Really fantastic, outside the box, creative marketing of your product.
The NFL planning and strategy here is not only greedy, it is also stupid. If they charged a reasonable price, they would draw in thousands of fans worldwide to watch their product. Instead they are forcing thousands into the arms of the free internet streaming sites. The NFL has absolutely no way of shutting down, for example, a streaming site based out of Taiwan, or Thailand. Or even Sweden. If they just reached out to the NFL fans worldwide with a fair, reasonable pricing plan, they would draw those fans back in. Instead, their arrogant pricing is ironically going to cost them millions of dollars.
In this time of recession, with people worrying about paying the rent, filling their car with gas, with people worrying about their livelihoods, for the NFL to increase an already ludicrously expensive package is nothing short of disgusting.
We will leave the final comment to an NFL fan who was writing on a European NFL forum. His comment below echoes the feelings of thousands of NFL fans across the World. We can only hope the NFL is listening.
''NFL Game Pass? $300? No thanks. Time to search out the freebie streaming sites.''
Comments Comments welcome! Free and open debate and communication are some of the most enjoyable aspects of life. Please leave a comment, disagreements welcome! If you disagree, debate your case by all means. However, anything rude, spiteful or any cowardly anonymous personal attacks will be not be tolerated and will be deleted.
Robbie, Robbie, Robbie. What are you getting yourself into. So, as you may or may not know, legendary Irish striker Robbie Keane has been sold by Tottenham to the LA Galaxy, who ply their trade within the heady heights of Major League Soccer. You won’t catch this column bashing MLS in any shape or form, we support their brave attempt to forge a living under the weight of the ‘Big three’ (NFL, MLB and NBA), and the LA Galaxy have every right to buy up as many thirty something players as they full well please. However, for Keane, it is nothing short of the first step towards retirement.
Put it this way, if Kevin Doyle and Shane Long aren’t the Irish strike force from here on out, we will know good old Gio Trappa has completely lost the plot. Certain players thrive as they head into their autumnal years. They do so by remaining committed to the conditioning aspect of their game, and playing amongst the best players in the world. With all due respect to the LA Galaxy, those afore mentioned best players in the world do not play in LA. Or anywhere else in the MLS.
Be the first to buy Robbie's retirement party jersey, only $90 each! Or, $180 for two!
It would appear Robbie is raising the white flag and cashing in on his admirable legacy, getting paid one last serious pay check before heading off into the sunset to become, ‘Claudine’s husband’. Of all the development linked to this, most chillingly of all perhaps are Keane’s wife, Claudine’s comments in the aftermath of the transfer. Check this beauty out.
'It's our dream come true'
Right, so we are expected to believe it is Keane’s dream to play in a league roughly the equivalent talent wise of the SuperLiga played every weekend in UCD? This column believes its SuperLiga team from way back when, the formidable Borussia Baluba, could hold their own against the LA Galaxy.
Champions League quality MLS is not.
‘Our dream come true’, good lord. Keane has basically handed over the keys to the Ferrari and said to Caludine, ‘Here hon, you drive’. For the next two years prepare yourself for endless, mindless dirge in the daily rags about how Claudine and Posh are best mates, and just love eating bad sushi, shopping and going for pedicures together. ‘Our dream’, give me a break. As Keane’s last remaining reserves of greatness slowly sap out of his legs, spilling out onto the waste lands of MLS pitches, Claudine will be swanning around LA’s many boutiques, spending Keane’s legacy, and vomiting up fresh, turgid quotes to whatever Irish and English rag is paparazzi-ing its way after her. ‘Posh and I met Tom and Katy last night at Element, and then we went to Industry, where we were hanging with Lindsay and Paris. Posh talked a lot about Her Music, but all in all, what a great night!’
As Robbie basically urinates away the remains of his career, Claudine will be free to stage all the starchy, rigid, pathetically acted swimsuit photo opportunities she wants on the hot beaches of Orange county. ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe they were taking my picture!’ Sure thing Claudine, now could you just hold that pose a second longer?
‘Oh I just love LA, and I am really getting into Posh’s music, this is a dream move for us!’
Maybe for you, Claudine, but for the rest of us, it’s the sad beginning to the demise of the career of a true Irish soccer legend.
Comments Comments welcome! Free and open debate and communication are some of the most enjoyable aspects of life. Please leave a comment, disagreements welcome! If you disagree, debate your case by all means. However, anything rude, spiteful or any cowardly anonymous personal attacks will be not be tolerated and will be deleted.
Wakefield! Furbush! How can we not keep an in running Red Sox diary? With the Sox keeping a short nose ahead of the Yankees, Red Sox stalwart and all round good guy Timmy Wakefield goes for his 200th win in a Red Sox uniform. Enough with the chit chat. Let's see what happens.
So, last time out, the hilariously named Furbush gave up just the 7 runs. Furbush was pitching for Detroit earlier this season, at least now in Seattle he gets to start every week. Until those 7 run outings pile up, that is. Furbush starts the game with a ball inside. All things considered, what's the over/under for innings pitched for Mr Furry Bush today? 3.5? 4? I'm going under 4.
Of course, naturally, he comes back to strike out Ellsbury. Tough enough matchup for Jacoby, however, seeing as Mr Furrybush is a lefty. Pedroia rolls one out to short and is out after a nice play by the Seattle first baseman, Haddock, or, Carp. Tito comes out to argue that the latter's foot came off the bag, which it appears it did. I'm all on for venting, but, really, what's the point. To my mind, I have never seen a call reversed. Ever. Ever. So, managers, do yourself a favour, just take a deep breath and let it go.
Gonzo grounds out to Trout, and the top of the first is done, in the books, over.
Bottom of the first inning Red Sox 0 Seattle 0
Ichiro, batting lead off for Seattle, has to be one of the greatest wasted talents in MLB history. Before you Seattle fans out there start banging angrily on your keyboards, come on. The Mariners are, and have been for a long time, terrifically awful. Splendidly brutal. Imagine Ichiro at the top of a decent order. Ouch-ee-waa-waa! That boy would have scored a lot of runs, and won a couple of MVP awards too, I would wager.
Instead, he is top of one of the most inept orders in all of baseball.
That's crazy, Wakefield has never won at Safeco Field. Hard to believe. Well, you have to like his chances tonight. Quick one, two, three inning, and we go merrily to the top of the second.
Top of the second inning Red Sox 0 Seattle 0
Youk! Is it just me or is Youk swinging at bad pitches, outside the zone, more so than ever before? On cue he swings and misses at a very mediocre high and outside fastball. A pitch I just can't help thinking he was ignoring in seasons past.
Big Papi's shades look like something from Tron. If batters are allowed wear shades, why can't pitchers do same? Papi strikes out looking on a very mundane looking fastball on the outside corner. Furrybush's inning over/under has increased to 5.5. Right now the seemingly sleepy Sox are making him look like Cliff Lee.
Jed Lowrie is batting .370 against left handed pitching. Tasty. However, make that .369, as he ground out to third. Half inning over.
Bottom of the second inning Red Sox 0 Seattle 0
Oh boy, a promo on NESN for the Liverpool v Sunderland match, airing tomorrow on NESN. The game itself was played Saturday, yesterday afternoon. Jerry Remy actually mentions this, and I imagine Don Orsillo was waving at him frantically to not give the score away (Excellent result for Sunderland, 1-1). As a lifelong Sunderland fan, thoroughly enjoyed that one, and if you are in Boston, do yourself a favour and check out Sunderland's Seb Larsson's spectacular equalising goal.
Meanwhile, the Mariners, including former Sox bopper Wily Mo Pena, go very, very quietly in order, undo, dos, tres. Inning over.
Top of the third inning Red Sox 0 Seattle 0 The last inning was over faster than A-Rod says, while turning his cards over, 'Look, all red!'
Jerry and Don are talking about flowers. Personally, I like them, they are easy to listen to, informative, and fun. I think the general consensus amongst Boston fans is that the jovial duo do a good job, however I would be interested to know what other baseball fans think of them.
Carl Crawford becomes the games first base runner with a patient walk. Not a good plan, Mr Furrybush, walking Crawford to lead off an inning. Let's see if he steals. You know, I haven't decided yet what I think about The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons's latest project, Grantland, but I loved his amalgamation of Varitek and Saltalamachia into one single name, for catchers batting statistics. Varimachia. Thumbs up to that one.
Sadly Varimachia strikes out looking. Crawford remains glued to first. Perhaps he is just timing Furrybush, who has an almost Bronson Arroyo like full leg kick, it's that high.
Furrybush is throwing 89/90. Hard to understand how so many Red Sox batters are just watching it slide on by for a strike. His stuff is anything but over powering. The home plate umpire isn't even giving him anything special. So far it's just a lacklustre Sox showing. Crawford steals second as McDonald strikes out on a pitch low and way, way outside. What are these guys swinging at?!
Furrybush has 5 more strikeouts than he should have (0!). Ellsbury rolls over on a flat fastball and grounds out weakly to second. Do the Red Sox have somewhere to be this evening?
Bottom of the third inning Red Sox 0 Seattle 0
Zeroes all the way across the board thus far.
Casper 'The friendly ghost' Wells makes it on via the walk, and then makes it all the way to third, when Varimachia's throw to second sails into center field. Wells scores on Wilson's single. Just like that, the weakest lineup in all of baseball (yes, worse than Houston) takes a 1-0 lead.
Have you ever heard of Kyle Seager before? Nuh-uh? Neither have I. Well, he slams a single to right, and Seattle have runners on first and second. no out. This could spiral out of control in a heart beat if Wakefield doesn't start getting some swings and misses.
Some sloppy defence, and Seattle suddenly have the bases loaded, no outs. Tito pops out of the dugout to argue again, Tito! Do yourself a favour, don't bother!! No call has ever, ever been altered after an argument. Never gonna happen, Tito!!
One quick sacrifice-fly later and it's 2-0 Seattle. You wonder what kind of a length of leash Wakefield is on tonight, you know, seeing that he is chasing his...you know the rest. Lots of Red Sox fans in the crowd. For all the bluster at Seahawks games, the Mariners crowd is pretty quiet really. Aren't Seattle fans supposed to be outrageously loud?
A walk and a single and suddenly it's 3-0. Matt Haddock Trout Carp knocks in the third. The bases are still loaded, and there is just the one out. Can Wakefield make it out of the inning alive? Old friend Willy Mo Pena's at bat will have a lot to say about that.
The big guy helps his old buddy out, popping up limply for Gonzo on first. Two away. Some of these Mariner averages are just horrendous. Miguel Olivo, sporting his .216 average grounds out weakly, and the inning is over.
Top of the fourth inning Red Sox 0 Seattle 3
Yes, I know, I absolutely hexed the Sox with that prediction of an early night for Mr Furrybush. Pedroia lines out to short, after which Gonzo breaks up the burgeoning no-no with a hard long drive to right. Just hearing Dan Uggla's 33 game hitting streak is over. Joe Dimaggio can rest easy. To non baseball fans, that 56 game streak of DiMaggio's is just a bunch of numbers. To most baseball fans, it might be the single most unbreakable sporting record around.
Youkilis walks, and the Sox are in danger of stepping into a little rally action.
Ortiz bats without the Tron shades, and that appears to do the trick, as the big guy flares a single into center field. Stupid shades! Bases loaded, only one out.
Gonzo may be slow, but he runs with a determined look on his face, doesn't he? Sprinting home from third on a sac fly by Lowrie, Gonzo looks like he is chasing after someone who just stole his wallet. Crawford pops up and, well, at least Boston are on the board.
Bottom of the fourth inning Red Sox 1 Seattle 3
The Mariners go swiftly, one, two, three, and the inning is over faster than A-Rod can say, 'Hey, what does it mean when you have four aces?'
Top of the fifth inning Red Sox 1 Seattle 3 Mentions of Wakefield's quest for 200: Do I even have to tell you? Still just the 2.
Furrybush gets two very quick outs and then slaps Ellsbury on the backside with a 27 mph curve ball, that does not curve. Pedroia provides a giant tease with a long fly ball that, ultimately, is just the final out of the top of the fifth.
This game is just zinging by.
''Robot boy'' Linkin Park
Bottom of the fifth inning Red Sox 1 Seattle 3 Here come Seattle. The top of the order goes, by their standards, nuts, with single, single, single greeting Wakefield to open the bottom of the sixth. I have to ask, how on earth is there no one warming up in the Red Sox bullpen? Of course, as soon as I finish typing that, they cut to Aceves, getting loose. Wakefield gets an out, and there's runners on first and second with one away.
Eventually Wily Mo Pena will step into one and hit it 500 feet or thereabouts. Not this time though. He grounds out weakly and there's two away.
Olivo strikes out, and the Mariners have to be content with just the one additional run.
Top of the sixth inning Red Sox 1 Seattle 4 Furrybush throws what looks like a 75mph 'fast'ball, followed by a looping curve that Gonzo slaps into left for a lead off single. Ichiro makes a splendid play on a Youkilis fly ball. Gosh he's good. He has everything you could want from an outfielder. Once again though, sad as it is to say it, what a singularly 'lost' career, results wise, anyway. Ortiz grounds into a double play, and Boston is in danger of losing a series to the weakest hitting team in major league baseball.
Bottom of the sixth inning Red Sox 1 Seattle 4 Casper The Friendly Ghost Wells absolutely whales on a Wakefield flutter-ball and slams it a billion miles to left for a solo shot. Seattle have five runs too many. I will be stunned if Wakefield comes out to pitch the seventh, you know, assuming Boston wants a win here. To his credit, Wakefield knuckles down (Get it?!) and gets out of the inning without further damage.
'Shadows and regrets' Yellowcard
Top of the seventh inning Red Sox 1 Seattle 5 For me, the Sox have not made Furrybush work hard enough in this outing thus far. They are swinging at some really terrible pitches. Lowrie shuts me up by slapping a goofy little seeing-eye single to left to start the top of the seventh.
Did you know Boston plays Tampa after this? Doesn't that make tonight's game even more important? Imagine facing Tampa on the back of a 1-2 weekend against this brutally bad Seattle lineup? The Tampa series starts with a double dip on Tuesday. Lester and Bedard, in case you are wondering.
Another tease! McDonald wallops a fastball deep to center field, and ends up with nothing to show for it than the end of the top of the inning. This is slipping away fast from Boston.
Bottom of the seventh inning Red Sox 1 Seattle 5 Dan Wheeler up in the pen. Meanwhile, Wakefield is still on the hill. Remy calls one of his pitches 'a slower version of the knuckle ball'. Wait, what? Slower?
Wily Mo! Not quite, 'I told ya', but, almost, as the big guy slams a line drive double to left. The Mariners strand him there though, and we're through seven innings in just under two hours. Who said baseball games are too long?!
'Redemptions son' Joseph Arthur
Top of the eighth inning Red Sox 1 Seattle 5 Furrybush out, Bill Gray in. You have to tip your cap to young Furrybush, he pitched fearlessly today, throwing strikes and keeping a rhythm going. Holy tamolé Timmothy Hutton has gotten faaaaaaat. I know this because NESN shows him on the big screen, enjoying the game, in a flopsy, old looking Red Sox cap. He wears it jauntily sloping to the right. Good for him.
There are two away faster than A-Rod can say 'Can I check?' after the player to his right has already raised. With a runner on, Youkilis steps into a pitch and launches it to left, Just like that, 5-3 Seattle. That, at least, makes the ninth interesting.
Bottom of the eighth inning Red Sox 3 Seattle 5 Frankly, I am stunned Wakefield is still on the hill. I am completely aware he is chasing that target of 200 Red Sox wins in his excellent career, however Boston has to keep Seattle off the board here to have any chance of a come back in the ninth. Don't get me wrong, I want Wakefield to succeed, but with a day off for Boston tomorrow, I do not understand why Papelbon isn't pitching, right here, right now. Or at least Bard.
There is, however, nothing more pointless than second guessing MLB managers, so I'll shut up. Besides, Wakefield just got through the half inning! One, two, three, inning over.
Top of the ninth inning Red Sox 3 Seattle 5 In comes Brandon League, former Blue Jay. Lowrie strikes out feebly. Is it just me or do Boston need badly a signature win this season? The 10-2 record over New York is all well and good, but remember that ridiculous come back, back in 2003 I think, against the Phillies? Trot Nixon was involved. They need a signature come back, from the dead, win I reckon, just to give their second half some serious 'Ooomph'.
Doesn't look likely tonight, however, with Crawford striking out, more feebly than Lowrie.
Nice catch in center, game over, Seattle takes two out of three from Boston.
Tonight feels like a lost opportunity, and the AL East is not going to win itself. Boston needs to start winning a few of these types of games. And, fast. Goodnight.
Comments Comments welcome! Free and open debate and communication are some of the most enjoyable aspects of life. Please leave a comment, disagreements welcome! If you disagree, debate your case by all means. However, anything rude, spiteful or any cowardly anonymous personal attacks will be not be tolerated and will be deleted.
You know, one thing you can certainly not accuse good old A-Rod of is being boring. He is approaching that hallowed celebrity ground where literally any story you hear about him could be possible. ‘’A-Rod had a sex change? I guess that could happen!’’
So what now, A-Rod? It would appear the Bronx Bomber might be in more trouble than usual, even by his lofty standards.
Cue the latest, sensational, A-Rod related news headlines. Major League Baseball is telling all and sundry that they are taking allegations that A-Rod played in an illegal, underground, high stakes poker game, which subsequently turned violent when one of the big losers refused to pay up.
The details are as swarthy as your imagination could possibly come up with. First reported by Radaronline.com and now flashing across the universe like an exploding Death Star, it appears A-Rod has been playing on a sort of a poker tour frequented by A-List actors and other big shots in the movie and music world. Those allegedly involved include Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. Most of the information appears to be coming from a ‘Poker Pro’ who was at one of the games A-Rod frequented.
That particular game was hosted at investor and record label owner Cody Leibel’s $16.5 million Beverly Hills mansion, and cocaine was allegedly openly used. The ‘Poker Pro’ said that a fight nearly broke out when Leibel refused to pay after losing more than a half million dollars. With tempers at the table flaring, A-Rod tried to distance himself from the game, and left. Absolutely love this quote from the ‘Poker Star’ - “It was a rough initiation to high-stakes for poker for A-Rod,”
Questions, questions, so many questions! We at this column need to know more about the game itself. Did Affleck and Damon spend the evening taking A-Rod to pieces verbally? Was that also a catalyst to the purported brawl?! If you are playing poker against A-Rod and you hold a good hand, does he try to slap it out of your grasp? Who on this Earth actually thinks Tobey Maguire is A-List?! Did A-Rod cheat?
In the wake of that last flippant question, before those A-Rod apologists still out there descend on this column like an angry mob, led by Moe Sizlak, brandishing pitchforks, let us remind them, it is a valid question.
So, it is completely reasonable to assume he cheats at poker too, right?
On a more serious note, six years ago MLB and the New York Yankees warned A-Rod to stay away from underground poker games. For a sport that punishes gambling so seriously (someone ask Pete Rose how he feels about this) MLB cannot be seen to be being ignored, no matter if the star is as big as A-Rod. MLB has to act, if only to protect its own disciplinary stature.
Personally, this column has absolutely nothing against A-Rod. I actually remember his first major league at bats. Summer of '94 I believe. I was working in a hotel in Cape Cod, and listening to Boston play Seattle on the radio, WEEI. Roger Clemens was pitching and A-Rod was a highly touted young shortstop with a 'can't miss' tag attached to him. As I sat there, reading a paper, eating nachos with my feet up on the counter, little did I know I was listening to the debut of such an outrageously comical character.
The period that A-Rod has been in the Majors has been a wild ride. There is no doubt we will miss him when he is gone, and, that time might not be too far away, not if he keeps letting himself get caught up in antics like this sordid Poker story.
If his steroid ridden, rapidly declining body doesn’t finish his career for him, Bud Selig and MLB might step in and finish things based on findings around illegal gambling. If both of those don’t get him, a couple of big Eastern European thugs looking for Tobey Maguire’s money might.
As always with A-Rod, it’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks.
Comments Comments welcome! Free and open debate and communication are some of the most enjoyable aspects of life. Please leave a comment, disagreements welcome! If you disagree, debate your case by all means. However, anything rude, spiteful or any cowardly anonymous personal attacks will be not be tolerated and will be deleted.
