MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
For the first six weeks of the season, The Milwaukee Brewers were on fire, winning games, hitting well, pitching great, and just having a blast. Then, they hit the wall, losing eight of ten.
Funny thing, how all of the sudden people realize they don’t know how good they got it until thy don’t have it anymore. That’s the Brewers right now. They are trying to get back into the groove that was allowing them to play with reckless abandon, not caring about anything and just having fun winning games. In fact, what is making things good for them is that if you look at the NL Central Division, everyone else is pretty much sucking right now.
Meanwhile, we can’t talk baseball without recognizing those ‘Pinstripers’ in the Bronx, who can’t seem to find a way to get out of the rut they are in. Their superstar hitters are not hitting and their pitchers are having problems, including the long relievers. Roger Clemens should be a nice inclusion to the team. Perhaps he can bring a new attitude to the Yanks, and they can change their losing ways.
NASCAR
In the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Sweepstakes, it seems Joe Gibbs Racing is bowing out. They won’t have a relationship with Budweiser, and Gibbs does not want a beer sponsor. However, Bobby Ginn Performance Racing has entered into the picture here, and it could get interesting.
So, we shall see how things continue to unfold. Meanwhile, I would bet that Dale Jr. does not win a race this season on the circuit. Maybe he can pull a ‘Rosie O’Donnell’ and get out of his ride early.
How about the battle going on between NASCAR and AT&T? You’ve got two massive, powerful factions working here, with NASCAR saying AT&T cannot have their logo on Jeff Burton’s #31 car, while AT&T is saying they can do what they wish, since they just bought Cingular, the current sponsor of Burton’s car.
Of course NASCAR is trying to protect their relationship with Nextel, the title sponsor of the racing series, which included exclusivity for their cellular business. All I can say is, my friends, this is gonna get damn nasty!
NFL/JAGS
This whole deal with Falcon’s QB Michael Vick and his dogs is getting ugly, and the NFL is absolutely hating it! It is an awful situation from a public relations-standpoint, to the point where I say it’s worse than a player getting a DUI. And I will say that I don’t think it’s gonna cool down anytime soon.
Earlier this week Pete Prisco wrote an article on CBS Sportsline ripping the local media for their attitude towards Jaguar QB Byron Leftwich. Prisco wrote how local media has not given Leftwich a chance at all because he ‘wasn’t Mark Brunell’, meaning Leftwich is not a scrambler who brought winning and excitement to Jaguar games, and who also was a smiling darling in oh-so-many ways, with a positive influence on the community. It doesn’t help that Leftwich and Jack Del Rio don’t seem to get along.
Now, I’m not saying Prisco is right, but I’m not gonna say he’s wrong, either. I will say that so far, there have been a number of items that have come into play since Byron Leftwich was drafted in the first round a few years ago by the Jags, and he hasn’t been able to completely fulfill the desires and hopes of the fans and the coaches, and I bet the owner as well.
And you simply cannot place the total blame for the Jaguar’s mediocre success the past three years on Byron Leftwich. Sure, injuries have taken Byron away from being able to perform. I would also say, though, that he hasn’t had the best personnel to work with on his side of the ball, including the coaching. Perhaps that will change this season, with a new Quarterbacks Coach and a new Offensive Coordinator.
In the meantime, the only thing the local media have done so far is to interpret what they have seen and heard, then come out with an opinion. That’s what makes Prisco his money. And if you don’t like it or agree with it, then simply don’t read or listen to what’s being said anymore.
Tom Weppel talks trash with Greg Larson, Ron Duguay, and Lonnie Marts on SportsAvengers.com 24/7.
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