The Lighter Side of Sports

They Said What???

Former NFL All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal was arrested for a DUI on Tuesday in Fresno, California when his truck went off the road and crashed into a pole.

The arresting officer said, “Neal just ran off the road, struck a pole. Nothing real major about it. Luckily, he didn’t hit anyone else.”

If there’s nothing “real major about it”, why arrest him for a DUI?

Neal issued a statement in conjunction with the company he works for stating, “Lorenzo feels drinking and driving is a major problem and affects people from all walks of life and all segments of society.” Really? That’s a noble position to take after the fact.

Just to Clarify, Neal is lucky that the company he works for helped issue that statement for him and is seemingly supporting him. By the way, Neal works as the chief information officer of Safe Rides Solutions. Part of Safe Rides Solutions main focus is a DUI prevention program and professional driving services. Safe Rides Solutions is operated by law enforcement officers.

I wonder where Neal will be serving his community service hours… not that the classes and information being taught there have affected him in any way so far?

Former MLB pitcher Larry Andersen was asked, “Who was the one hitter you never wanted to face?”

His answer, “The hitter I feared the most was anyone that took a bat to the batter’s box, as my stuff for the majority of my career wasn’t good enough to let me feel comfortable on the mound without a screen in front of me.”

Larry Andersen played for 7 different teams during his pro career which lasted from 1975 to 1994. He appeared in 699 games, primarily as a reliever, and compiled a win-loss record of 40-39. He is most remembered in Boston and in Houston as one of the players that Houston traded to get would be 1991 Rookie of the Year and 1994 NL MVP, Jeff Bagwell. Andersen is the current color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Speaking of the “Killer B’s”

Craig Biggio, a 7-time All-Star, future Hall of Famer, and former MLB player for the Houston Astros was asked, “Who are the top three home hitters of all time?”

Biggio answered, “Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire.”

Just to Clarify, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and Biggio shared his. Bonds was not a great home run hitter, consistent but not great. Not even when he started taking PEDs and/or steroids. In fact Bonds only had one season where he hit more than 50 home runs; in 2001 he hit 73. McGwire, when healthy, was a prolific home run hitter; seems his rookie season may have been his only clean season in MLB. Who knows how much of McGwire’s career was tainted with steroid use? It’s troubling that former MLB players give credit to the players that cheated the game and other players, past, present and future.

Biggio is the head baseball coach for a Houston area high school. What kind of message does that send to the kids on his teams?

Stuff that dreams are made of

Cal Ripken was asked, “What was your most memorable home run?”

Cal responded with, “The first one of my career in Kansas City. I got to shake my brother’s hand at home plate and my dad’s hand in the dugout. You can’t get better than that.”

Cal’s brother Billy Ripken played in the Bigs from 1987-1998 for 4 different teams, primarily as a second baseman. Billy must have been a ball boy for the Orioles at the time as Cal hit his first home run in 1982. Cal Ripken Sr. was the third base coach for the Orioles at the time of Cal Ripken’s first home run.

Huh, Really?

Philadelphia Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard was recently asked, “What’s the best ballpark to hit in”?

Howard said, “Our park, Cincinnati, Yankee Stadium, Boston. Those are the hitter’s parks. But you know, a lot of times you can get sucked into that. You walk in and people say you have to be licking your chops at that right field line. That can make a guy change his approach. Sometimes it’s better playing in a bigger park. You say, All right, I have to stay with my approach. You do that and usually good things happen.

Just to Clarify, That’s too funny! Has Ryan Howard ever changed his “approach” to hitting? It’s a home run or a strike out when Howard is at bat. In each of his 6 full major league seasons, he’s struck out more times than the total number of games he’s played in. Teams use the Shift on him defensively when he’s at bat; teams will place their second baseman in between the right fielder and the typical spot where a second baseman lines up and they move their short stop to play over second base.

Howard led the league in strike outs in 2007 with 199. Had Arizona Diamondback’s Mark Reynolds (2008 – 204 strike outs, 2009 – 223 so, 2010 – 211 so) not been in the league over the past three seasons Howard would have led then as well.

Mike Decourcy of the Sporting News recently had these kind words about Dick Vitale, “Dick Vitale is such a kind, generous man it is easy to embrace the notion of his receiving another honor.”

Decourcy is trying to get the Detroit Titans, University of Detroit, to honor Dick Vitale in some way. Vitale coached at University of Detroit from 1973 to 1977. Vitale only made one NCAA tournament appearance, 1977, during his coaching days. After the 1977 season was completed he took over as athletic director for the Titans. And we all know what a power house he turned the Detroit Titans into. Who are the Detroit Titans again? By the way, Vitale started calling games for ESPN in 1979. Just because Vitale is a recognizable person that was once employed at the University of Detroit does not mean the University of Detroit should honor him because he’s a celebrity of sorts.

Just to Clarify, Vitale is a one trick pony… he’s a yeller. His enthusiasm for college basketball helped ESPN during the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s but his shtick has gotten really old. The only games he seems to be interested in are the Duke and North Carolina matchups; his love affair with Duke and Coach K is borderline obsession; talk about a bromance. And somehow everyone on any team, good or bad, is a PTPer, “prime time player”, or a “Diaper Dandy”, seems he goes into a production meeting and asks the head coach “which of your players is the best. Okay, I’ll talk about him for 40 minutes during the game, even though I know nothing else about this kid other than what the stat sheet says and what you just told me.”

HogManInLA knows some inside dirt on Vitale. Several Sarasota, Florida residents, where Vitale resides, have reported to HogManInLA that they have witnessed Vitale routinely throwing temper tantrums when “his” table is occupied by someone else, he’s rude to the servers, and is a horrible tipper (less than 10% horrible).

What’s not to honor about Dick Vitale? One NCAA Tournament appearance, one and done in that appearance, 4 years as a college basketball head coach, and he’s rude when the cameras are not on… Decourcy, do you know who Dick Vitale really is? 

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