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“NFL Rule Book-Change After Change”

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A busy week in Indianapolis. It’s NFL combine week, where every team evaluates everything about potential draft picks.

But behind closed doors, important meetings are taking place too, not involving scouts, prospects, doctors, coaches or GMs.

It’s the NFL competition committee, trying to sort out the quagmire of problems with NFL rules.

Instant replay has aided the NFL by use of multiple angles, and slow motion, to make sure the correct call is made on big plays, especially in the biggest games of the year, the post-season.

Or so we thought.

The NFL in the last five years, as the growth of replay continued, the rule book got thicker and thicker. Layer upon layer of explanations were added, making the officials job tougher, and the instant replay review even more complex.

So this week, the Competition Committee has decided to re-write the “Catch Rule”.

You name it, we’ve had controversy after controversy. The Dez Bryant catch. The Jesse James catch. The Rob Gronkowski catch. It goes on and on, with interperation’s as different as the day of the week.

Look for a language change in the catch rule. Catch the ball, make a football move, hold onto the ball. That seems simple enough.

But the debate. What is a football move? How many steps must the receiver take in possession of the ball? Must he head up field, or is allowed to run lateral or even give ground?

How many steps must he take in bounds before he goes out of bounds? How many steps must be in the end zone before he goes out of bounds?

Will you re-do the contact rule, where a defender can knock a receiver out, even with the ball, and have it be a non-catch, because both feet did not come down in bounds?

What do you do about the ball moving in the receivers hands, as he goes to the ground? Does he have true possession, is he in possession but moving it from one hand to another? Is he being jostled causing the ball to come loose of grip?

Can the ground cause the fumble, or is a receiver downed by contact? And what if the ball is moving when he hits the ground after being contacted?

So now we see what the NFL does in terms of different language.

You could simplify the rule by making a reception like college football, just one foot in-bounds.

You could allow the receiver to be treated like a running back-quarterback, if the ball breaks the plane of the goal-line, t’s a TD, doing away with ‘completing the play’.

The sideline play, if he has the ball in possession in the air, and is in-bounds, but gets knocked out of bounds, make that a catch. could that be a catch.

The idea that this can be solved easily is absurd.

The game is so fast, so quick, with such great players, it may be impossible to solve the question. Simplify the rule.And instant replay will be there to solve he questions that will arise.

What’s a catch? Des Bryant, Jesse James, Rob Gronkowski are all waiting for the new rule. So are the coaches and fans.

We’ll find out by Friday, when the new language is put in place, leading to an owners vote later in the spring..

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“College Basketball-AKA-Cesspool”

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The deeper you get, the dirtier it gets.

Think of the stain on college basketball, as we move towards ‘March Madness’, it’s most important showcase..

The sport has been dragged into the gutter. The sludge is everywhere, and it appears this is about to become an open sewer.

The seedy underside of college basketball has bubbled to the top.

College basketball, where once upon a time, racism existed unchecked, at least until Texas Western and Don Haskins changed the game.

The game has exploded in popularity. Great talent, a great amount of money in TV contracts, big time personality coaches.

Fast forward from Magic-vs-Byrd…Phi Slamma Jamma….The Wizard of Westwood….Bobby Knight…Tom Izzo.

What was then, is not now. Teams of greatness, coaches of renowned recognition.

Basketball is in big trouble.

It’s no longer academic fraud, like North Carolina. No longer scandalous abuse of players, like the latest mess at Colorado State. This is not the drug scandal that destroyed Baylor. It’s not the junk of the UNLV Shark-the-Tark era. It’s not point shaving at Boston College or CCNY.

The game is reeling under the weight of a slush fund scandal, that now may have touched as many as 35-athletes, 21-schools. Where is smoke, there is fire. There are so many more to be involved. You cannot stop connecting the dots.

What started with assistant coaches trying to get money to players who would then in turn hire deposed NBA agent Andy Miller to rep them in the future, seems to be the tip of the iceberg.

The 4,000-documents seized by the FBI in the raid on Miller’s offices, show a pattern of corruption that seems to have no end.

Allegations of a Michigan State player getting $40, to some 75,000 in payments to Dallas Mavericks first round pick Dennis Smith, the numbers are staggering.

It has brought the crushing end to RickPitino’s sordid career.

It may be about to end Arizona coach Sean Miller’s long tenure in basketball.

This is so different from college football scandals of decades gone by, booster payments, and all.

College basketball’s crisis involves AAU coaches, people with influences, shoe companies, payoffs, kickbacks, bribes.

The NCAA, which could crack down on college football, does not seem to be able to control the inventory of players, 24-hours a day. Whom they interact with, what their parents are involved in, who they interact with as intermediates, to deliver payoffs.

How to solve it? Who knows. I’ve always thought the NCAA was toothless in real discipline.

A solution would be to link with the NBA, to take action against dirty college players, who then face sanctions in the NBA.

Of course, I felt if the NCAA had the right to sue NFL players for damages over wrong
dong in college, the Reggie Bush case for example, maybe all the cheating, all the tampering would stop.

They didn’t in football, but the scandals have spilled to basketball.

Here in San Diego, this isn’t so much about Malik Pope, the Aztec, as it is lots of players in lots of programs, across the country. It’s now an out of control epidemic.

If the NCAA started suspending every player whose name was on the ledger, what happens if more documents surface?

You might win up with a Final 4-weekened that would pit Harvard, Savannah State, Miami of Ohio and Alabama State.

The stain on the game is awful. The stench won’t go away.

Tell me college basketball isn’t a cesspool?

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“Padres-Smiles & Sadness on Sunday”

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It was like the Winter Baseball Meetings, but only outdoors. Baseball execs everywhere, managers on hand, former players, media, and fans milling.

They came to Petco Park, not to make deals, but to honor the late Padres General Manager Kevin Towers, who passed away last month after a 15-month battle with cancer.

Larry Lucchino, the super exec, and managers Bruce Bochy and Bud Black were there.

Bryan Cashman of the Yankees, Theo Espstien of the Cubs,
Walt Jocketty of the Reds, Tony LaRussa, the former A’s-Cardinals icon, Ned Colette of the Dodgers, Jed Hoyer of Chicago, Sandy Alderson of the Mets, Paul DiPodesta, now in the NFL, became part of all this.

Legendary players Kirk Gibson, Hall of Fame Trevor Hoffman, and Phil Kevin took part. Guys he traded for, David Wells, Wally Joyner were there.

A throng of working media, and upwards of 500-fans made their way into Petco Park too.

Scouts from all different eras came to support Towers wife, Kelly, and family and friends.

His closest friends, Padres exec Fred Uhlman and agent Barry Axlerod spoke of good times, bad times, fun times, mad times too.

They played his favorite Country Western tunes, laughed at stories of baseball, road trips, meetings and drinking parties. They wept at the podium at the sadness we all ached about.

They told the story of how Towers, who was ripped by Axlerod, tried to deal away an Axelrod client, who had a no trade clause. They laughed at a traffic stop, when Towers driving, was pulled over by a patrol officer, a former Padres minor leaguer, Towers had released.

A gospel singing group opened with the hymn ‘Amen’…and closed with ‘Thank You for being a friend’.

22-spoke at the special service in a stadium that resembled a baseball cathedral.

It was a 2-and a half hour Baseball Tent Revival meeting, restoring your faith in people, the goodness of the game, the specialness of Kevin Towers, and all his relationships, in and out of the game.

The best quotes of the day…

Mark Sweeney-Broadcaster..He was a pillar of baseball brotherhood.

Mark Grant-Broadcaster..A good time guy, who used to say ‘sprinkle the infield with another round of drinks.

Ron Fowler-Owner..Petco would not have been built without the 1998-World Series team that Kevin built.

Peter Seidler-Owner..Kevin was a super inclusive guy….fearless-optimist-in his fight against cancer.

Larry Lucchino-President..He was generous-honest-decent-fun loving…he had candor-modesty and great judgement….he had an eye for talent…brought a culture on board linking baseball and business…fearless making the bold moves

Walt Jochetty-Reds..KT bonded with all types of GM-he made us one….he registered at a hotel under the name ‘Otis Campbell’ the town drunk on Andy of Mayberry.

Brian Cashman-Yankees..He was like a college buddy….called me ‘Sugar Daddy’….Lived like a king..married a queen…enjoyed everyday of life…but was a max effort guy…a baseball treasure.

Fred Uhlman-Padres..He put people above all …he connected with hot young execs….valued players as people…..took a two month window to live and made it a 15-month battle.

Barry Axelrod-Agent…Greatest accomplishment-in 35-years-never heard a person say a bad thing about him….He was unmatched with his courage and dignity….He was a hero for way he treated people-his legacy-he made people better around him.

Theo Epstein-Cubs…He was a friend-boss-a mentor…He was wired differently….Treated you all as equal and would drag you into his orbit….He was incredible….He empowered people to do their job…We had a front row seat at he built the Padres….He inspired loyalty.

Bill Brick-Scout…Part of Foxhole guys…he built a circle of trust.

Dennis Gilbert-Agent..He developed the Scouts Foundation to help all those old timers…convinced all the GMs to come on board.

Todd Green-Scout…he loved the city, baseball, his wife and his bulldogs.

Ryan Issacs-Scout…He was positive, transparent, authentic with a rolodex of integrity.

Bill Gayton-Scout..Such a spirit

Charles Kerfeld-Scout..You didn’t work for KT..you worked with KT.

Phil Nevin-Player..Our moments made me better….Great leaders develop great leaders.

Bruce Bochy-Manager..He was a bulldog on the mound…he did so much for so many people….taught you how to live life right to the end.

Bud Black-Manager….Never forget the competitor in him….a baseball man to the end.

Kirk Gibson….He’d wear the horns when he accomplished things in life and in baseball.

Trevor Hoffman-Player..He was superstitious…he loved being a baseball guy….Bet he’s up there scouting saints now.

It was Padres baseball history, honoring the club legacy, at its best.

We laughed at stories, we cried at memories, and we remembered.

It was a classy day honoring a classy person.

Gunslinger-Bulldog-Kevin Towers. Good baseball man-greater person.

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“Angels-Pitching Staff-Help Wanted”

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Baseball’s attention this weekend will likely be focused on Diablo Stadium in Tempe, where the Angels face Milwaukee on a Cactus League exhibition game.

Why? The debut of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, painted in some corners, as the next Babe Ruth.

That’s an awful lot to say considering he has never thrown an inning on a mound in the US, has never taken a pitch as a DH.

Ohtani, the 100-mile an hour fastball pitcher, and the legendary (.330) hitter with home run power, will begin his trek in Halo Red as a 2-position player. With him, in addition to his credentials, comes enormous expectation that this 6’4 phenom will be something special here, just like he was with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Might he be the best of the best Japan has ever sent us?

In recent years, Japan has delivered us a likely Hall of Famer in Ichuro Suzuki, who debuted and starred for so long with the Mariners. Pitcher Yu Darvish came here to Texas, and just signed a big money deal with the Cubs. We remember Dice Matuzaka, Hidecki Matsui, and long ago the likes of Hideo Nomo and more.

But Ohtani is so diverse, so dynamic, so talented, and he has yet to play in a game.

The Angels have openly said they have configured a formula as to how to use Ohtani, as part of a 6-man pitching rotation., and then let him DH on some of the off-days he is not pitching. That means aging and ailing Albert Pujols will have to play more first base than he has in recent years.

The other stress point will be the rest of the rotation, all talented, and virtually all who have had major health problems.

On paper, Garrett Richards has all the makings of an ace, and a big front of the rotation guy.

Matt Shoemaker has shown flashes of spectacular stuff. Andrew Heaney was so highly rated as a prospect. Tyler Skaggs has been penciled in for a couple of years as a rotation guiy. Parker Bridwell pitched well last year when needed to much. Nick Tropeano and JC Ramirez have had opportunities in the past.

You may say strength in numbers, 7-established major league starters, to front and back and put aroud Ohtani.

Sounds good except for one thing. 6-of-those 7 have had major arm issues, with only Bridwell the only one not to spend time on a disabled list, or on an operating table.

Shoulders, rotator cuffs, capsules, elbow ligaments, forearms, flexor tendons. Those are the words linked to Richards, thru Shoemaker, all the way to Ramirez.

A 6-man rotation sounds sexy as a way to protect the huge investment in Ohtani, but if you go with six, that means they have to be productive and go deeper into games, because it probably means you may have fewer people in the bullpen.

And the Angels bullpen has been a triage unit too, with the end of the run to closer Huston Street, the injuries to Cam Bedrosian, and a whole sort of other physical ills, to the rest of the bullpen brigade.

What a 5-weeks the Halos have in front of them, to sort out this pitching, to chart the health of the once ailing arms, and come up with the right formula work-schedule for their next designated superstar, where many hope Ohtani becomes the equivalent of Mike Trout.

Manager Mike Scoscia is starting his 19th year in that Halos dugout. He’s probably seen everything there is to be seen in baseball, as a catcher, now as a bench boss.

Bet he’s never seen this challenge…7-pitchers, 1-raw rookie star, 6-who need special handling.

Scoscia may be old school, but he may need new breed calculus to figure out who goes where, and how healthy can they stay as we go towards Angels opening day.

They could be great, but they could also all get hurt again, thus the ‘Help Wanted’ sign hanging next to ‘Game Today’ sign hanging outside Diablo Stadium in Tempe.

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“Lots of Stories-Lots of Takes”

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When you compete…you have good days…bad days. Your stories get covered and people express opinions.

Some on the mark-some terribly off.

ERIC HOSMER…Many believe this was a great acquisition by the Padres, but some analytics say the price tag paid was excessive. People do believe he will produce for the Padres, and many believe Hosmer will have a very positive effect on streaky Will Myers, veteran Chase Headley and the overwhelmed rookie Hunter Renfrone. Who knows but we know how the Royals lineup come together as Hosmer grew up alongside Sal Perez-Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon.

SEBASTIEN JANIKOWSKI….Unless he has physically broken down at age 40, back issues hurt him last year, the Chargers need to take a look at the longtime Raiders kicker. The Bolts had to use 5-ickers last year because of injury-inefficiency.

MARK CUBAN….A bad season, this Dallas Mavericks are (18-40), was followed by a 600,000-fine by the NBA for saying his team would intentionally tank the rest of the season, and now the revelation that an Animal House culture existed for 6-years in his front office. 7-women employees went public attacking the fact the CEO was allowed to go unchecked in all types of work place sexual harassment.

RICK PITINO…Speaking of bad weeks, Louisville got nailed again by the NCAA, in the aftermath of all the scandals involving the Cardinals hoops program under Rick Pitino. The Adidas slush fund scandal….the Sex Party Recruiting scandal led by an assistant coach and of course Piton’s own adulterous scandal incident in a restaurant. He’s not guilty of any of this, so he says, but he won’t have to worry about telling any future employer about all his issues at U-of-L. He won’t get another job interview. His program, it happened on his watch.

TAMPA BAY-MIAMI….Commissioner Rob Manfred can say all he wants about his belief the Marlins and Rays will bounce back in the future, but there will be a lot of pain between now, and that point down the road. The Marlins dealt away 4-keiy players, got 13-prospects in return. Tampa Bay just dealt 3-top veterans, and got 8-prospects in return. Low payrolls this year, likely 100-losses in both cities.

GULLS….The AHL team has had a strong mid-winter surge, but now they may have to try to sprint to the finish line without their leading scorer, and maybe other players. it’s always great to see hot prospects from the Anaheim Ducks, but you are at their beck and call. They can pull your players at at any time because of injuries. They can also trade prospects to prop up the big club for the NHL playoff run. The Gulls lost 17-goal scorer Eric Fehr, when the Toronto Maple Leafs, who loaned him here, dealt him to San Jose. Earlier, the Gulls lost power forward Spencer Abbott, and now top young blue liner Marcus Pettersson has been recalled. Life in the AHL can be tough at times.

AZTECS…Yes they have had a mini hot spurt, ambushing teams at home, but the reality is, the Mountain West Conference tourney will be in Las Vegas, and when SDSU has had to play good teams on the road, they come home with losses. They’ll have to prove me wrong.

TOREROS…What a pleasant bounce back season for Lamont Smith, but they need more players. A redshirt class of big men this year, will join 3-established starters next year. Aside from the nice win against BYU, USD has not done much against the best teams in the WCC. Quality is still to be delivered.

JIMMIE JOHNSON…A bad day at the office, you bet. A bad week at Daytona. 3-wrecked cars in 3-races, the Clash..the Twin Qualifying race, and the 500. All this coming after a very disappointing second half of the season for NASCAR icon.

TIGER WOODS….Most everyone felt so positive after his season debut at Torrey Pines, though he had a wild round. But last weekend, it was even worse, terrible off the tee…worse with the putter on the green, an awful experience at the LA Open. On he goes to the Honda Classic.

TED LEGITY…Not a good week for the US’s top downhill skier, but a brilliant career. Age, 33, and injuries shadowed this what will be his final Olympiad. Not a disappointing week, but a great career.

LINDSEY VONN…Is going home with just one medal, but she has down so many great things in her ski career, we should remember her greatness over all these years, not just what happened this week. How unfair of the LA Times to write a headline ‘Over the Hill’ when you confer the major injuries she has come back from.

USA HOCKEY…A tough way to put a team together, using college players, and select journeyman from abroad, but USA held up well in the face of a couple of loaded teams. They wound up losing in the first round of medal play, but they got that far thanks to Harvard star Ryan Donato. But Russia got around the NHL ban, by using former NHL stars now in the KHL to fill their rosters.

USA HOCKEY….The Women’s program has grown and the rivalry with Canada, it is their game, they founded it, is fierce, The US women’s program has grown by leaps and bounds in just the last 5-years.

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