Punches, Texas Rangers and Espionage

A lot of things have happened in the world of sports in the last couple of weeks so I think an update is in order.

First of all, let's talk about assault to other people.  What in the wide world of sports is going on all of a sudden with punching people in the face?  We have Metta World Peace (the artist formerly known as Ron Artest of the Lakers) elbowing James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game last Sunday.  That's obviously the biggest case of disrespect these days.  And how is that suspension not more than seven games...oh wait, I know why it's not.  David Stern was NEVER going to rip a key member from one of the NBA's big franchises for two whole rounds.  That would have been too good to be true.  World Peace should be glad that David Stern is the commissioner of this league.

Next, we have Alfonzo Dennard from my alma mater, Nebraska, punching a police officer.  What disgusts me more than anything about this is Nebraska has become the early 2010s version of the Miami Hurricanes, except this group of underachievers has no significant titles to show for it.  And Dennard should feel lucky if that punch doesn't cost him in the upcoming NFL Draft.

And so much for that World Series hangover...the Texas Rangers are picking right back up where they left off last year.  What's stunning so far is how well their pitching has done after a few changes.  The move of Neftali Feliz to the starting rotation as well as the addition of Yu Darvish has paid huge dividends so far.  We all know they can swing the sticks, so it's going to be how far their pitching can take them.  It's anybody's guess if the current pitching staff wins them the World Series this year but so far they are off to a good start.

And this New Orleans Saints thing is out of control.  Now we have New England Patriots-like espionage stories going on?  All I can say is when it rains, it pours, and it's pouring on the New Orleans Saints right now.

Tidbits from around the world of sports

In the last week of sports, we've had a lot going on.  We've had the NCAA Men's and Women's Final Four, bounties appealed (and appeals rejected), college football coaches cheating on their wives and local phenomenons winning golf majors.  So here's just a few tidbits for tonight.

First of all, full marks to Kentucky for winning the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.  You'll probably see most of those players in the NBA and that was one heck of a collection of talent.  I did find it interesting that there were rumors in the days after the game that Kentucky coach John Calipari is looking to go to the NBA himself.  I wonder if he knows the NCAA is going to come snooping around his program...

Speaking of SEC coaches, how about Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino getting in a bicycle wreck...and doing it with a girl he works with in the Razorback athletic department...while he's married?  Let me tell you something, that guy has a morals clause in his contract and if Arkansas decides they want to implement that morals clause, Petrino's in hot water...

So the New Orleans Saints hierarchy tried to get their suspensions appealed, and to no one's surprise those appeals were promptly rebuked.  Let me tell you this, these guys were lucky those suspensions weren't doubled after the audio that came out over the weekend of Gregg Williams giving a speech to his team before the NFC Divisional Playoffs...a speech which implored his team to target injured 49ers players.  I almost think Goodell should have doubled those suspensions.

Full respect to Bubba Watson for winning the Masters this past weekend, on an incredible shot at that.  I'm not so quick to crown him the next big thing in golf, but that was a great win.  That tournament had a decisively local feel to it as former Georgia Tech standout Matt Kuchar was in the tournament until the end as well.