“Padres-Good Man-Bad Controversy”

-0-

He brought us one of the great moments in baseball, in a time when the game was trying to recover from the stainful shame of all the work stoppages.

You remember that time don’t you? Close your eyes, and see them congratulating each other at home plate. See the high fives with the fans. The love affair with everyone of his at bats. The special hugs with the family of Roger Maris. September 7th of that year was special that year of 1998..

Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and the home run derby they race they shared was really special, at the tail end of the 1998-season. They were chasing Roger Maris’ single season record of 61. McGwire wound up at 70, Sosa at 68. .

Of course we all suspected they were doing steroids, and they were. Big Mac, to Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro to Roger Clemens. And Bonds followed years later with 73 in a record setting steroid stained single season mark, a summer of disdain and discomfort for the game..

McGwire came back to baseball after retirement, years after what looked to be a terrible exile. He came back and worked for the only ones who liked him, Tony LaRussa and St. Louis. Now he is the bench coach with the San Diego Padres, after a tenure as hitting coach with the Dodgers, and before that with the Cardinals.

McGwire, part of the home run hitting core, the Bruise Brothers, of the Oakland A’s back in the day, with the other cheat Jose Conseco. Taking things that baseball had yet to test for. MLB had stopped cocaine and marijuana and amphetamines, but steroids, and then HGH would take years to get tests put in place.

Big Mac appeared before Congress in its steroid probe. But unlike the others, he spoke. About yes, using steroids to get healthy from all the injuries he had early in his A’s career. Steroids, at that time were not tested for in the Grand Old Game.

But he admitted he did, and he testified he wished he had not. Unlike the others who lied, pointed fingers, filed lawsuits, refused to testify.

He came clean about being dirty, but talked about the reasons. And because of that intellectual approach, he came back to the game, and has been respected ever since, because of that honesty.

He’s turned out to be a pretty good hitting coach, in St. Louis and in LA, and now he accepts the challenge to become Andy Greene’s right hand man as the Padres rookie manager takes over in the dugout.

The 583-homers are tainted. The baseball record book, the bible, is stained by all those who cheated. But how he handled this, and how open he has been about talking about it, has brought a bit of respect back.

He loves the game, and he is giving back, after taking records and money, and a needle.

I don’t know if baseball fans will forgive and forget. But I remember what that instance with Sosa meant to a game that was in so much trouble. And having interviewed him 3-times since he returned to the game, I came away impressed with his candor and his work in the batting cages..

Hopefully the work he does with Padres hitters will be impressive too.

Farewell Tour on Failing Franchise”

-0-

Kobe Bryant has begun his final road trip thru the NBA, his career farewell tour, after 20-years of greatness wearing the Purple and Gold of the Lakers.

Pick any word you want, from brilliance to greatness, from grace to glory, from style to sizzle, and it all become synonomous with Kobe.

If the ‘ring is the thing’, then he accomplished lots, by being the superstar on 5-championship Lakers teams. If it’s about the bling, then he cashed in too finishing his run with a max 25M-contract.

His career was indeed full of explosive first steps to the basket, pull up jumpers, long range three point bombs, and every type of dynamic baseline drive, and push it into the paint baskets there are.

Kobe’s 81-point explosion is one for the record books, far more impressive than the 100-point night Wilt Chamberlain had for the Philadelphia Warriors back in the day.

You knew, any time, any night, any where, any opponent, he could go off for 50-or-60 points.

He was about the smile, the scowl, the finger wag, and the finger pointing.

The greatness of the man will be remembered, but the gall of the player is also part of his biography.

The years of back and forth with Shaquille O’Neal, and ‘who’s team was it really’? the struggles with Dwight Howard. the ugly coach issues, the freeze out by Karl Malone and Michael Jordan and others in his first All Star game, and of course, “Colorado”, the extra marital scandal that carried front page news forever.

He will be accused of running off Shaq, ending an era, that should have been allowed to go forward forever. His early battles with the intense and ever demanding Phil Jackson. The mess with Mike D’Antoni and Mike Brown and Rudy Tomjanovich too.

It’s sad to see what Lakers basketball has become. Yes you can reflect of the specialness of the player, but some feel the selfishness of the player hurt the club, as he took his last contract extension of 2Y-50M, in effect ending the hopes the Lakers could lure any free agents to help him finish out his career.

He’s not to blame for the (2-15) record his franchise was dragging around the night he decided to write his “Dear Basketball” letter, announcing his decision to leave. But his poor play, bad shooting, and suddenly laissez-fiare attitude about playing defense and heaving up shots, makes everything seem so much worse.

It was a bit unprofessional, as his team blew a 14-point lead, he was laughing on the court after missing shots, as his team lose to a 76ers team that was (0-18) and had dropped 28-straight NBA games over two seasons.

He’s not to blame either for breaking down, 3-injuries in 3-years, after all the minutes and the games he played for 20-seasons.

It may be awhile before we ever see this type of talent again in a Lakers jersey.

Farewell to something fabulous, even if it now plays on a failing franchise.

But in the tradition of Wilt and Jerry and Elgin, in the style of Magic, King James and Alcindor, Kobe Bryant was always part of the glitter that made the Purple and Gold special.

“Everyone Comes from Somewhere-Even at USC”

-0-
USC has a new head football coach, the interim coach, nobody really knew, who replaced the fired head coach, and proceeded to go (5-2) in place of Steve Sarkisian.

Clay Helton stepped in and returned leadership to the program, and even ended the losing streak against UCLA. A different breed of guy, lower profile, more business than pleasure.

Surely not a self-annointed brainiac in the lines of Lane Kiffin.

Surely not a dynamic salesman with the constant charisma of say Pete Carroll.

More of a Ted Tollner-Paul Hackett football intelligence and personna, but someone who did better than Hackett, and can match Tollner..

There is howling being directed at AD-Pat Haden. Insinutations he botched the last hire, Sarkisian and his baggage at the University of Washington, so therefore his judgement must be questioned going forward everyday..

Trojan Fan is caught up in yesterday, the great run by Carroll. The tremendous run of John Robinson. And prior to that era of John McKay, though that was decades ago.

The screeching today involves who was out there, who might be available. Chip Kelly of the Eagles, Sean Payton of the Saints, even Nick Saban of Alabama.

There is an attachment to old Trojans too, from Jack Del Rio, to the love affair with Jeff Fisher, or even Ed Ogeron.

USC fans fail to remember, that McKay wasn’t one of them. Neither was Robinson. Both PAC 8-guys from back in the day coming off the Oregon Trail. Pete Carroll was a Pacific guy, with an NFL background of pink-slips.

It is easy to roast Haden right now, but people assume he took the easy, cheap way out. But in the 8-weeks with the sinking of Sarkisian, bet on this. The proud Trojan quarterback-alum-and AD, has been looking at the field. Guys might not be available. Guys might come with baggage. Guys might have unbelievable buyouts. Guys might not want to move from good jobs to take on a new job.

No-one knows how Helton will work out. When Cody Kessler leaves, as well as a few of these other talents right after the bowl games, we’ll really find out how good Helton can be, coaching them up, and recruiting new ones to coach up..

He may not be a big name, but I guarantee you, neither was McKay nor Robinson upon arrival. The one thing he is, is familiar, with the staff and the roster and the program.

Yes, everyone comes from somewhere and Helton has proven himself in the volatile environment he inherited. That fact, plus the fact he already wears Cardinal and Gold, is as good a choice as you can make, especially if Haden tried but failed to convince the other big names he called, that Heritage Hall should be their next mailing address.

-0-

That was a different Sunday afternoon for the Chargers, the players, the fans, even the coach.
The woeful last place Bolts finally won a game, edging out a very young and struggling Jacksonville Jaguars team.
For one day and for the upcoming week, everyone can feel better about themselves.
Philip Rivers was Philip Rivers, making play after play down the field, and running out of trouble, out of the pocket 5-times in the game. Included was a 4th and 7 scamper trying to keep a drive going in Jaguars territory.
Antonio Gates reached back to yesteryear and caught 2-TD passes. Limited by knee problems, he caught 2-short yardage TDs, critical catches too. He may not be any longer what he used to be because of knee issues, but he is still a load to cover.
Stevie Johnson showed flashes of what he used to be, a big yards after catch guy, the kind of stuff that made him a thousand yard receeiver once upon a Sunday in Buffalo.
Melvin Gordon banged and grinded for 80 all purpose yards, run and catch.
On defense, they blitzed alot, and seemed to freak out Blake Bortels. There wasn’t alot of flow to the Jaguars offense after the early going, and Bortels did something no-one ever sees in the NFL, drawing two penalty flags for scrambling over the line of scrimmage and then throwing a pass.
The mistakes were fatal, one at the Bolt 7, the other at the 5, wiping out potential TD drives. In fact, the Jaguars young gun drove his team to the 4-6-7-28-and-33 and just could not get them in the end zone.
Denzel Perryman played really well at inside linebacker. Jason Verrett was tested, beaten, but fought back on plays on the corner too..
And for the first time since early September, the Chargers were starting drives outside their 20-yard line, even once in Jags territory.
It was a struggle of a win, but it was a “W”. Everyone felt good, including a strange looking Mike McCoy, who even tried to be funny with a San Diego media he has treated with disdain for nearly 3-seasons.
Maybe there is a hope for change, that the team can put together a mini-winning streak is their lost season, and that McCoy will actually quit scowling, and start enjoying his job, and the people who cover him.

Everyone needed this win, the fans, the hard-working playes, the troubled coach.
It was only one win, and looming next, the suddenly rejuvenated Broncos and the kid QB-Brock Osweiler. We may never see Peyton Manning again.
We will see the Bolts next Sunday to see if they can make it 2-in a row, now that they’ve finally won a game in this lost, and sadly, last season in San Diego.
-0-

Heading towards another NFL weekend, you have to look at the standings, and ask this NFL question.

How did they get so good, while the Chargers got so bad? How did they wind up who they have and the Bolts wind up (2-8)?

The Carolina Panthers are unbeaten, a complete team, with a firebrand leader, and an (11-0) record.

The Arizona Cardinals are for real. Good players, good coaching, good scheme.

It appears Carolina and Arizona are on a collision course in the NFC-Championship game. The Chargers are headed to the top of the draft board.

The Chargers? They thought they hired the best coach on the open market just three years ago, and that coach was walking into the best situation of any of the new coaches who inherited players, led by Philip Rivers.. Mike McCoy is (2-8), his team on a terrible tailspin since last December, a roster ruined by injuries, with 11-losses in the last 14-games.

Just think who the coaches are of the teams mentioned above. Bruce Arians-Arizona. Ron Rivera-Carolina. 1-walked into a franchise that had a history of horrible ownership-leadership, the Bidwell family. The other came on board to a franchise that was once (1-15), and more recently was failing..

And think about this, the Chargers had the chance to hire both, and didn’t.. Arians never seemed to be a serious candidate here. Rivera was here as an assistant and was swept out in coaching changes.

Carolina is led by gifted quarterback Cam Newton, polar-opposite of the other quarterback taken high in the draft, the Redskins Robert Griffin III. The Panthers play ferocious defense, have a violent front, tremendous linebacking, and a diverse offense. Luke Kiechly and the gang are everywhere making plays. Newton’s diversity makes him dangerous run and throw, and others even more dangerous.

Arizona has a recycled quarterback, Carson Palmer, a scrap heap running back, Chris Johnson, and quality draft pick receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and others. Calais Campbell leads a defense upfront, with Patrick Peterson and the Honey Badger Tyrann Mathieu on the backend.

So those teams move on from the calamity of what they were just three years ago. The Chargers trudge on playing out the string.

2-franchises that were pretty bad, are indeed now pretty good. One team, that used to be pretty good, has gotten pretty bad.

And to think, the Chargers could have had either of those coaches, and could have drafted some of those type players too.

We know who got good. We know who is bad, and now probably, who should be blamed..

—0—–