Right Call for Costas to Speak Out on Issue Related to Belcher Tragedy

Bob Costas’ Sunday night diatribe involving gun control in the wake of the Jovan Belcher murder-suicide has created a storm of controversy. Yesterday in press releases through spokesman Greg Hughes, NBC attempted to clarify what Costas said and why he said it when he did. According to Hughes, "In a short (on-air) time period he can cover only one aspect of a complicated issue. So he quoted (columnist Jason Whitlock) about the gun culture and an almost Wild West attitude in parts of this country. He is pro-sensible gun reform and pro-attitude adjustment on guns."

 

No one is more sincere or less prone to promoting a political agenda than Costas. He admitted on The Dan Patrick Show that if he were to do it again he would have couched his comments by saying that he was addressing one part of a complicated situation that also involves domestic violence, the football culture, etc.

He also admitted in retrospect that just over a minute was not enough time to cover the subject adequately.  He rightly stated that those who were most critical of him addressing the issue during halftime were really those who simply disagreed with what he had to say.

In our PC culture it seems almost anyone of note who comments on anything the least bit controversial is subject to harsh criticism. The issues in sports are often the same as those in society as a whole. When societal issues cross over into sports it is appropriate to comment.  And, while waiting for a better time might have caused less criticism, Costas decided to tackle the subject when it still remained in the forefront. As a “commentator” on Sunday Night Football, Costas has the right to address any related subject, and certainly the episode involving Belcher was one with a major impact on the Chiefs and the NFL and one that dominated sports reporting in the previous 24 hours.

Quick takes… Reviews are mixed on the Braves acquisition of B.J. Upton, primarily because of the size of his contract (five years for $75.25 million). Some say the Bravos could have picked up Chris Young for much less—a player with comparable numbers who went from Arizona to Oakland. Upton’s OBP has also dropped significantly over the years (from .386 in 2007 to .298 in 2012). However others say B.J. brings many plusses and is a better bet for the long haul…I filled out my Football Writers Association of America ballot for Coach of the Year and went with Bill O’Brien of Penn State. It was a tough decision to go against Brian Kelly of Notre Dame, but O’Brien took the job under the direst circumstances and, despite losing several top players, brought more than stability to the program.  He brought them a winning record (a remarkable 8-6) against good competition and extraordinary odds…Aaron Murray is really a standup guy. Interviewing him after the SEC game, he was not burying his head, but was upbeat, saying “losing stinks, but we have to move on.”  Hopefully he will do so with the Dawgs again in 2013…There are many reasons why Falcons players like Coach Mike Smith. In the locker room after the Falcons win over the Saints, Sean Weatherspoon came over and gave Smitty a big hug after which the coach said “You know when I yell at you I’m doing it because I love you.” Smitty was apparently hard on the 24-year-old linebacker during practice last week. As a result Weatherspoon stepped up big against the Saints… After a brief six-month stint with Bruce Murray on Sirius/XM, John Feinstein has left to go solo with the new CBS Sports network in January. WFOM (1230 AM) will be the Atlanta affiliate…Dan Patrick is now on NBC Sports net on TV and on WIFN (1340 AM) radio in Atlanta…Sad to hear that Chamique Holdsclaw had a run-in with the law not too long ago. She was accused of breaking a window and firing a shot into the car of former girlfriend and Atlanta Dream teammate Jennifer Lacy. Chamique was an outstanding pro player and was idolized at the University of Tennessee. She was once touted as one of the few women who might make it in a men’s league. Hopefully, her situation will be resolved in some favorable fashion and she will be able to return to a productive life…Also sad to hear of the passing of Rick Majerus, the coach of the St. Louis Billikens, who was one of the most-respected and most-liked coaches in all of basketball. He died of heart failure at age 64…Enjoying MLB’s coverage of baseball’s Winter Meetings, but you sometimes wonder who concocts all the rumors that surface during the course of the three-day gathering. Very few deals actually come to fruition, but I guess that’s what the Hotstove League is all about.

 

 

 

The Variety Store

"The Call"
Here’s an interesting perspective on “The Call” in the Braves-St. Louis game. According to one veteran observer, umpires are “never wrong” when it comes to the rules of the game. They may make mistakes on judgment calls (balls and strikes, fair or foul), but when it comes to rules, they always nail it. If you read the strict interpretation of the infield fly rule, the rule in question last Friday, umpire Sam Holbrook was right to call it on Andrelton Simmons pop fly. If you read the clarifying paragraph you also note that the word “judgment” plays a part in the ruling. Hence he was very right in considering the call, but perhaps wrong in his “judgment” that the play was “an infield fly” versus a routine fly ball to shallow left. 

Covering the Game

Covering a post-season game as can be rather interesting considering the increased deadline pressure and requirement for more interviews either live or on tape. Throw in the mix a controversial call and it gets really interesting. Unlike in the regular season some teams use a press conference format for the star(s) of the game and the manager. The Braves chose to do it that way and restricted access to the locker room until after the conclusion of the press conference.  Meanwhile, the Cardinals began their champaign celebration, which was stormed by media, particularly photographers, videographers and reporters interested in relishing the initial moments of the celebration. As usual, it all works out, but having to be in three places almost simultaneously makes covering a post-season game an exceptional challenge.

Fan Behavior

Poor fan behavior has always been a pet peeve. I can recall at least three times having to deal with it. Nothing major. Once was at Foxboro during a Patriots game when inebriated fans fell from the row behind us into the group with whom we were sitting. Another time, during a playoff game at Turner Field, a fan keep yelling and making threatening comments. We summoned ushers and that “gentleman” was put in the cooler for most of the rest of the game. When he did return he was much calmer. Another incident occurred in a multi-level parking garage at Cleveland Stadium. As we wound our way down, the car behind us kept deliberately tapping our car. Not sure if the fan was under the influence or just looking for trouble. Fortunately we were with a 320 pound former lineman who, upon emerging from our car, put an immediate end to the nonsense just by his mere size and fierce persona.  Which brings us to last Friday. There’s no excuse for fans firing beer bottles, cans and other projectiles onto the field of play. It was a very disheartening feeling to see it happen at Turner Field when you knew immediately it would be the lead story on Sports Center and give Atlanta an undeserved black eye. The reality is that even if 1000 fans threw things, there were more than 51,000 fans who did not. Of course the perception is that the whole stadium is full of hooligans, instead of a select group of morons, who don’t even deserve to be called fans.

Yaddie

Yadier Molina is a pros pro. He’s the consummate hitter and a real team leader. You could tell in the clubhouse that Yadier set the tone for the Cardinals, who at this writing are leading the Nationals 2-1. Should the Cards produce another championship run you can bet Yaddie will be a major factor.

Chipper's farewell

Chipper seemed very content at his post-game press conference. He admitted he was at least partially at fault for the Braves losing, but was able to take his final appearance in stride. It was yet another indication that Chipper is ready to move on. But what a marvelous run it was for him and for followers of the Atlanta Braves.

Collegiate Marketing 

I saw Tom Stipes with IMG Sports (formerly International Management Group, the company founded by Mark McCormick) at the Atlanta Touchdown Club Monday night. Stipes talked about the amazing range of activities in which IMG is involved from athlete representation, to broadcast rights to, believe it or not, fashion shows. He is headquartered in Atlanta and is the rep for Georgia Tech.

Coach Dooley

Vince Dooley remains very active and involved. A so-called retiree, Dooley has written books, taken history classes, traveled, consulted and followed the Dogs and the Tennessee Vols, where his son Derek is head coach. Dooley told the Atlanta Press Club last week that head coaches are always dealing with crises. This was before Georgia’s stumble at South Carolina and after Tennessee’s loss to Florida. He seemed a bit concerned that Derek might have problems keeping his job in Knoxville.

Hawks vs Miami

The Hawks looked good for their pre-season outing against Miami on Sunday. They are definitely a different group than last year. Josh Smith seemed to be content and looking forward to the season, despite his statements last winter that he wanted to be traded. Jeff Teague looks ready to step up and take more of a leadership role. Everyone is healthy.  If nothing else the Hawks 2012-2013 should be refreshing to watch as they begin a new era under Danny Ferry.

Art Modell—Public Enemy No. 1

He was one of the most reviled figures in Cleveland sports history. Even for those who felt LeBron James was the consummate traitor, Art Modell remains the true villain. While LeBron left Cleveland for the sunny shores of South Beach and decimated the Cleveland Cavaliers, the franchise remained. And it was, after all, the Cavaliers not the legendary Cleveland Browns.

The brash, young owner of the Browns as we remem-
bered him when he first bought the team in 1961.

Browns fans had good reason for their tremendous sense of loss. The original Browns were one of the greatest teams in NFL history. In fact their list of championships even predated the NFL, when they dominated the old All-America Conference, winning the championship in all four years of the league’s existence from 1946 through 1949. When the Browns moved to the NFL they kept winning, taking titles in 1950, 1954 and 1955. They were in a championship game for 10 straight seasons and won seven.  Then and all through the early 1960s they were led by Hall of Fame coach and football innovator Paul Brown. In the early years they also had another never-to-be-forgotten Hall of Famer, quarterback Otto Graham and a supporting cast including ends Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli and fullback Marion Motey.  Then came the Jim Brown era—1957-1965.  Widely acclaimed as the greatest running back ever, Brown dominated the league, amassing numerous rushing records and dismantling even the best defenses such as those of the Sam Huff-led Giants, Ray Nitschke and the Packers, and the Rams Fearsome Foursome. It was Brown, Bobby Mitchell, Frank Ryan, Gary Collins and others that brought Cleveland the NFL title in 1964, the last time a Cleveland sports team has won a world a world championship.
 

 A Hated Figure

While Modell was hated after moving the team—and hate is not too strong a word—his recent passing cast additional light on the decision to leave Cleveland and also caused many to remember his contributions to the NFL. Most fans in Cleveland believe Modell could have saved the franchise --that with a 70,000 plus capacity stadium and lucrative TV contracts, no one, not even Modell, could lose money. Modell said he had to have the support of the city to survive. He said the Browns were ignored when the city was building new facilities for the Indians and Cavs, a statement that no one in Cleveland would agree with until last week, when former City Council President George Forbes said Modell was offered a spot for a stadium as part of the Gateway complex, home to what is now Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena. Even though the statement has been supported by others, Forbes shady past, including his conviction for ethics violations, puts what he says into question.

No one can doubt Modell had a big role in turning NFL football into a TV showcase. A slick Madison Avenue ad executive before he bought the Browns, Modell had the moxie to orchestrate television deals that have led to untold revenues for league even to this day.

Cleveland Municipal Stadium was the largest stadium in major league baseball and was second only to the L.A. Coliseum in seating capacity for NFL football. But as time went on the stadium became more and more outdated, not to mention the crumbling infrastructure—everything from splintered seats, to cracked walkways to frequently flooded rest rooms.

Deep in Debt

But with no financial help coming and the bills piling up, Modell said he had only one choice. When a sweet deal came along from Baltimore, he accepted. The rest you could say is history. Modell went on to win a Super Bowl in Baltimore. Cleveland was awarded a new team, with the Browns name, record and colors left intact. And the city finally came through with a new stadium.

Of course, that new team has never lived up to its name. Maybe if it did, Modell’s deed wouldn’t evoke the venom it still does some 17 years after he left the lake front. But until things improve--and perhaps long thereafter-- Art Modell, fairly or unfairly, will remain Cleveland’s Public Enemy No. 1.

Quick takes…speaking of Cleveland, last week was the anniversary of the Indians' Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller striking out 17 Philadelphia Athletics on September 13, 1936. He was just 17 years old…A couple of good trivia questions came up over lunch at the Commerce Club today. The first: three catchers on the 1961 Yankees hit 20 or more home runs. Who were they? Think about that while we pose the second question: who was the left fielder for that same team?...Answers below…Saw Vince Dooley today at the Atlanta Press Club meeting. He’s as fired up as ever, thinks South Carolina will be the big test for the Dogs…Will blog more on Dooley later…Trivia answers: Yogi, Elston Howard and Johnny Blanchard for the first question; Hector Lopez for question No. 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons Learned from Painful Defeat

Losing is never fun. Whether it’s not landing a job or not closing a deal, suffering defeat is always painful. Sometimes however the pain is worse, especially when victory is so close at hand. Such was the case on Monday when Georgia Tech’s Yellow Jackets went down to the 16^th ranked Virginia Tech Hoakies. With victory easily in their grasp, the Yellow Jackets defense gave up a fourth and four pass from Logan Thomas to Corey Fuller for 23 yards. That brought the ball to within field goal range of Cody Journell, who missed one earlier, but this time kicked a 41-yarder for the Hoakies to tie the game and send it into overtime.



Georgia Tech head coach Paul
Johnson must rally his team
after hearbreaking loss

Certainly this was a dagger in the hearts of the Jackets, but the worst was yet to come. On their first possession in overtime Georgia Tech had a third down situation and, instead of taking a sack or throwing the ball away, quarterback Tevin Williams fired blindly and under pressure right into the hands of Virginia Tech defender Kyle Fuller. Six plays later Journell kicked through the winner from 17 yards.

The problem for Georgia Tech is their 17-14 defeat to the Hoakies was more than just a singular loss. It put a serious dent in their hopes for a special season. In fact, Tech now must look at the daunting task of possibly having to run the table in order to finish ranked and have a shot at the ACC title. In order to accomplish both, the Jackets must beat Clemson, Oct. 6 at Death Valley and then top Georgia in Athens November 24. Beyond that the Jackets have BYU on October 27 at home and North Carolina at Chapel Hill on November 11. Both the Cougars and Carolina could also be among the top 25 by the time they meet Tech.

So how do you deal with a heartbreaking loss? How do you get yourself up for that next job interview, prepare for the next client presentation, or for that matter win the next game, or the next several. Believe it or not there are people out there—they are called mental training coaches— that study such things. One such individual is Rob Polishook who founded Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group (insidethezone.com). Rob has appeared numerous places, including on ESPN. He offers five ways to get over the downer associated with a bad defeat.

First, says Rob, you have to allow yourself to accept the disappointment, release the bad feelings and realize that when victory does come, it will be all the more satisfying. Second, know that you are one step closer to reaching your goal. Polishook uses the example of tennis player Raphael Nadal, whose first two years on the court were laden with setbacks. He also refers to Babe Ruth who said every strike out puts him one step closer to another home run. The third way to overcome defeat, according to Polishook, is to listen for feedback. Asks the mental training coach in an article for his on-line publication, “Was there every a great champion, individual or team, that didn’t learn from failures, setbacks and obstacles?” Next, the performance expert said “reframe” the defeat. What can be learned from the loss? And give yourself credit for, in the Tech example, not playing a cushy opponent to start the season. Finally, Polishook says your performance is another step on the road to your ultimate goal. You learn things in the heat of battle that you cannot possibly learn in practice.

The rest of the season for Georgia Tech will not only be a test of football skill. It will be a test of character, of their ability to fight back. It could provide a lesson for everyone who has ever seen a victory taken away in a most heartbreaking fashion.

Quick Takes…Sad to see Arthur Triche leave the Hawks as their head of PR. He was there over two decades after working for awhile with the Detroit Lions. We wish him the best…Braves continue to hold on to that Wild Card lead and seem destined for the one-game play-in game. If that should happen, manager Fredi Gonzalez has no choice, I believe, but to go with Kris Medlen as his starter. Medlen has been lights out, and, while you’d like to see a veteran like Tim Hudson take the mound, you have to go with the hot hand in Medlen—assuming he remains hot through the end of the season…For those who think four games is too many in the NFL’s preseason, check this out: the Cleveland Browns played seven preseason games in 1956, more than half the 12 regular season games. Six preseason games were standard in those days unless, as with the ’56 Browns, a team won NFL championship the year before. In that case the team would play in the annual College All-Star Game against a team of college graduates headed to the NFL, adding an additional game to the usual six-game preseason slate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s Hoping New Sports Talk Station Turns Down the Volume

ATLANTA, Georgia -- I don’t know if low key works anymore in sports radio, but it certainly would be nice if Atlanta’s newest sports station Dave FM 92.9 would take that approach when it goes on the air this fall.

Yes, if you haven’t heard there will be a third sports talk station to go along with 790/The Zone and 680 The/Fan (simulcast on 93.7). Actually if you add to the mix Fans 2 and 3, which air on AM stations 1230 and 1340 respectively, there will be five sports station in the nation’s eighth largest media market. And don’t look now but six is a possibility.

What’s precipitating this most recent move is the advent of 24-hour CBS Sports radio network, which, we assume, will provide a large chunk of national programming. Obviously there will be major emphasis on local sports too.
Although I am not a huge sports talk fan, I do like ESPN Radio and some of what they do, particularly shows like Mike (Greenburg) and Mike (Golic) in the Morning and The Herd with Colin Cowherd. The former offers great guests, solid opinions usually delivered in an intelligent manner. OK, so they do act silly now and then, but that’s part of the M&M shtick and helps them attract listeners. Cowherd is another who brings good guests and solid thoughts. He will turn up the volume now and then, but he is a reasoned individual, and his opinions make you want to listen.

Maddog Russo on Sirius/XM has such a great knowledge
of all sports his shtick doesn't get in the way 

I could go on and on critiquing sports talk show hosts—Mad Dog Russo on Sirius/XM is a raving maniac at times, but is highly respected for his overall knowledge of sports. Rarely can someone speak about the full spectrum of sports as well as The Mad Dog. And John Feinstein, the noted author, is also doing a gig on Sirius/XM with Bruce Murray. Like him or not—and he can be rather snarky—he know his stuff and has been around the block numerous times.

What irks me is that most talk radio hosts use an “in your face” approach. It’s almost like their day wouldn’t be complete if they couldn’t punch somebody in the mouth over whether today’s Olympic basketball team is better or worse than the original Dream Team. OK, valid discussion, but we don’t need to put on the gloves to talk about it. Imagine Bob Costas discussing that topic. It would be very analytical, he would have an opinion, but most of all he would present in a way that would be largely low-key and respectful of the audience.

Not everyone has the interviewing skill of a Bob Costas. In fact as far as sports interviewers go, Costas is at the top and you have to drop several rungs to find No. 2. But there is no reason, sports talk hosts can’t turn down the volume a bit and not act like every show is a Fox Sports Radio slugfest. And believe me Fox Sports is not the only network or station that does things that way. Yes, we all know it's done to draw in listeners. It's a show. Even if the hosts don't agree with what they are saying their "take" is designed to rile up listeners.

Unfortuantley many of those loudmouths are actually very smart, but camoflauge their abilities under the cloak of bombast.

So, back to Atlanta’s new entry into the sports radio business. Here’s hoping that what we hear is a new level of sophistication. Certainly CBS nationally has the resources to do it right and if the local station does the same, a fourth sports radio outlet might be a nice addition to the Atlanta market. Whether there are enough sponsors for four stations is another question for another time. BTW, that sixth station? NBC is also launching a radio network. Details coming soon.

Quick takes…a favorable schedule and the solid additions of starter Paul Maholm and outfielder Reed Johnson will assure that the Braves are in this race to the finish—be it wild card or division title. It is hard to imagine that the Nationals will remain as hot as they have been over the past few weeks, thwarting, at least up until the past few days, a Braves attempt to gain ground…Sad to hear about Montee Ball, a great running back for the Wisconsin Badgers, who was beaten up in an unprovoked attack on Wednesday (July 31). Doctors think he might have a concussion and his status for this season remains uncertain. What is certain is that the thugs who did this need to be taken off the streets pronto…Football is definitely in the air with the Falcons opening their pre-season against Baltimore August 9.

The Readers Write…Our blog on the Paterno scandal (Removing Statue Good; NCAA Penalties Not So Much, July 22, 2012) generated several interesting comments. Here are a few from

"Now all we have to do is find out when the NCAA first knew about the Sandusky mess. For some reason I kind of doubt this story snuck up on the NCAA." Washington, DC

"Very nice piece...I would have favored a bigger fine with less impact on scholarships. I don't have a problem with the 4 year ban on post season play, in light of the ban handed out at USC." Atlanta

“I too have to question why the NCAA sanctions for two reasons. One, with JoePa being dead and University President Graham Spanier and some other top-level officials being ousted, who are you punishing? Second, I believe this goes outside the realm of active players being involved such as grade tampering, illegal payments, and other direct violations. Though I knew Joe Paterno would be held culpable by not reporting Sandusky's child abuse acts to authorities instead of his athletic director, and the Freeh report affirmed that." Atlanta

"We're a PSU family and I agree with all the penalties. Only disagreement was when the head of the NCAA spoke about their mission of maintaining integrity and academics - why then do they allow Kentucky to run their basketball program with kids who are there for one year and out?" Harrisburg, PA

"One quibble. I don't think the athletes are at the heart of college sports. It is a game played for fans and alums, at least at major schools. You can argue it was pressure from these two groups behind the desire to win at all costs. I think the penalties sent the right message to the right people. I know there may be eligibility issues, but at least the younger players can transfer. Just my thoughts." Atlanta

"I don't think PSU victories dating back to 1998 needed to be vacated as part of NCAA sanctions. It's as if the players never bled, sweated, worked hard on and off the field, did the right thing, represented the school well, or...graduated. Do you know who NOW is the last winning quarterback on record? Yep. Mike McQueary. Can you spell i.r.o.n.y?!? Coach Bill O'Brien has a massive Mt. Nittany to climb. Saddens me on all counts. Still, victims' healing has to stay paramount. How much more can the Big Ten add to the punishment, though?" Elizabethtown, PA

"Too lenient." Atlanta

Here’s Hoping New Sports Talk Station Turns Down the Volume

ATLANTA, Georgia--I don’t know if low key works anymore in sports radio, but it certainly would be nice if Atlanta’s newest sports station Dave FM 92.9 would take that approach when it goes on the air this fall.

Yes, if you haven’t heard there will be a third sports talk station to go along with 790/The Zone and 680 The/Fan (simulcast on 93.7). Actually if you add to the mix Fans 2 and 3, which air on AM stations 1230 and 1340 respectively, there will be five sports station in the nation’s eighth largest media market. And don’t look now but six is a possibility.

What’s precipitating this most recent move is the advent of 24-hour CBS Sports radio network, which, we assume, will provide a large chunk of national programming. Obviously there will be major emphasis on local sports too.

Although I am not a huge sports talk fan, I do like ESPN Radio and some of what they do, particularly shows like Mike (Greenberg) and Mike (Golic) in the Morning and The Herd with Colin Cowherd.

The former offers great guests, solid opinions usually delivered in an intelligent manner. OK, so they do act silly now and then, but that’s part of the M&M shtick and helps them attract listeners. Cowherd is another who brings good guests and solid thoughts. He will turn up the volume now and then, but he is a reasoned individual, and his opinions make you want to listen.

Sometimes a raving maniac, Maddog Russo's
superior knowledge of all sports supercedes the sthick

I could go on and on critiquing sports talk show hosts—Mad Dog Russo on Sirius/XM is a raving maniac at times, but is highly respected for his overall knowledge of sports. Rarely can someone speak about the full spectrum of sports as well as The Mad Dog. And John Feinstein, the noted author, is also doing a gig on Sirius/XM with Bruce Murray. Like him or not—and he can be rather snarky—he know his stuff and has been around the block numerous times.

What irks me is that most talk radio hosts use an “in your face” approach. It’s almost like their day wouldn’t be complete if they couldn’t punch somebody in the mouth over whether today’s Olympic basketball team was better or worse than the original dream team. Ok, valid discussion, but we don’t need to put on the gloves to talk about it. Imagine Bob Costas discussing that topic. It would be very analytical, he would have an opinion, but most of all he would present in a way that would be largely low-key and respectful of the audience.

Now not everyone has the interviewing skill of a Bob Costas. In fact as far as sports interviewers go, Costas is at the top and you have to drop several rungs to find No. 2. But there is no reason, sports talk hosts can’t turn down the volume a bit and not act like every show is a Fox Sports Radio slugfest. And believe me Fox Sports is not the only network or station that does things that way. Unfortuantley many of those loudmouths are actually very smart, but camoflauge their abilities under the cloak of bombast.

So, back to Atlanta’s new entry into the sports radio business. Here’s hoping that what we hear is a new level of sophistication. Certainly CBS nationally has the resources to do it right and if the local station does the same, a fourth sports radio outlet might be a nice addition to the Atlanta market. Whether there are enough sponsors for four station is another question for another time. BTW, that sixth station? NBC is also launching a radio network. Details coming soon.

Quick takes…a favorable schedule and the solid additions of starter Paul Maholm and outfielder Reed Johnson will assure that the Braves are in this race to the finish—be it wild card or division title. It is hard to imagine that the Nationals will remain as hot as they have been over the past few weeks, thwarting, at least up until the past few days, a Braves attempt to gain ground…Sad to hear about Montee Ball, a great running back for the Wisconsin Badgers, who was beaten up in an unprovoked attack on Wednesday (July 31). Doctors think he might have a concussion and his status for this season remains uncertain. What is certain is that the thugs who did this need to be taken off the streets pronto…Football is definitely in the air with the Falcons opening their pre-season against Baltimore August 9.

The Readers Write…Our blog on the Paterno scandal (Removing Statue Good; NCAA Penalties Not So Much, July 22, 2012) generated several interesting comments. As expected they run the gamut from those supporting the decisions to those wh think it wasn't enough:

"Now all we have to do is find out when the NCAA first knew about the Sandusky mess. For some reason I kind of doubt this story snuck up on the NCAA." Washington, DC

"Very nice piece...I would have favored a bigger fine with less impact on scholarships. I don't have a problem with the 4 year ban on post season play, in light of the ban handed out at USC." Atlanta

“I too have to question why the NCAA sanctions for two reasons. One, with JoePa being dead and University President Graham Spanier and some other top-level officials being ousted, who are you punishing? Second, I believe this goes outside the realm of active players being involved such as grade tampering, illegal payments, and other direct violations. Though I knew Joe Paterno would be held culpable by not reporting Sandusky's child abuse acts to authorities instead of his athletic director, and the Freeh report affirmed that." Atlanta

"We're a PSU family and I agree with all the penalties. Only disagreement was when the head of the NCAA spoke about their mission of maintaining integrity and academics - why then do they allow Kentucky to run their basketball program with kids who are there for one year and out?""One quibble. I don't think the athletes are at the heart of college sports. It is a game played for fans and alums, at least at major schools. You can argue it was pressure from these two groups behind the desire to win at all costs. I think the penalties sent the right message to the right people. I know there may be eligibility issues, but at least the younger players can transfer. Just my thoughts." Harrisburgh, PA

"I don't think PSU victories dating back to 1998 needed to be vacated as part of NCAA sanctions. It's as if the players never bled, sweated, worked hard on and off the field, did the right thing, represented the school well, or...graduated. Do you know who NOW is the last winning quarterback on record? Yep. Mike McQueary. Can you spell i.r.o.n.y?!? Coach Bill O'Brien has a massive Mt. Nittany to climb. Saddens me on all counts. Still, victims' healing has to stay paramount. How much more can the Big Ten add to the punishment, though?" Elizabethtown, PA

 "Too lenient." Atlanta

Removing the Statue Good; NCAA Penalties Not So Much

ATLANTA, Georgia—On Sunday morning, after much deliberation, Penn State University removed the statue of Joe Paterno. On Monday the NCAA announced major penalties against the university—penalties which involve fines, loss of scholarships and bowl appearances. Whether or not either decision was proper will remain a subject of controversy.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Photo
as Paterno statue goes down

Whenever questions arise such as those related to the Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno tragedy, it’s always a good idea to listen someone with an insight into the psyche of big-time college sports and someone who knew the individual involved.

To me that man is Bobby Bowden. I had a chance to chat with Bobby earlier this year on a flight to New York, had interviewed him numerous times in the past and always found him to be knowledgeable, articulate and a straight shooter. He was consistently cordial to the media and appreciative of what we did. In addition if there is anyone who could relate to Paterno’s position as an iconic figure and the face of a major state university, it would be Bowden, who roamed the sidelines at Florida State for 44 years and is now the winningest coach (377 wins to Paterno’s 297) of all time. Paterno lost 112 victories dating back to 1998 as part of the NCAA sanctions.

With all this in mind, it was interesting to hear Bowden’s comments on the Penn State mess made during an interview with Cory Giger on 1450 ESPN  Radio in State College Pennsylvania and later relayed in a story in USA Today. They came before the recent news regarding the statue and the sanctions, but he did address the former and we can pretty well guess how he felt about the latter.

Bowden began by saying, “It's really sad, and now the facts are out, there's no more dodging the issue.“ He said that “I hate that it came out like it did. It's sad because it could have been stopped. It never should have happened after the first incident.

"We were pretty close as coaches and everyone has such great respect for Joe," Bowden added. "Still, you must look at it as a man who made a mistake --not a little-itty mistake, but a very serious mistake.

"To cover it up, that's a tough one," said Bowden.

Regarding the statue, Bowden noted, "When it comes to fields, statues, and names on trophies, everytime somebody looks at them, it might bring up a bad picture."

It’s obvious that Bobby thought the statue should go and even though he didn’t express an opinion on sanctions, it would be surprising if he does not feel they are too strong, especially as they relate to the athletes, No one was ever more supportive of his players than Bobby Bowden and to see the NCAA penalize a group of players and coaches and fans who had nothing to do with the crime is grossly unfair. I can live with fining the university for the administration’s failings, I can’t see penalizing current players, which the loss of scholarships and the bowl game prohibition will do. I suspect Bobby might feel the same.

Quick takes…congrats to director Bob Bryant and all involved in the BB&T Atlanta Open. The move to Atlanta Station was a huge success despite some rain delays. Sunday’s finale with Andy Roddick coming off a slow start to win the title was great theater. Roddick, along with 12 other BB&T participants, is on his way to London. The Atlanta Opening will return to Atlanta next year. If you missed it check my story in the July 1 issue of the Atlanta Business Chronicle on how Mayor Reed helped move the event to the city…So many developments with the Braves. The most painful of which was watching Jair Jurjjens disintegrate again today. He just has not regained his form, nor his confidence after being injured last year…The Braves also let a golden opportunity slip away. After an epic win on Friday, coming from a 9-0 deficit, they won again Saturday and had the Nats on the ropes until losing the final two. The schedule is easier now in the next two weeks—with home and away series against Miami and two other sets at home against Philly and Houston.

Ferry Makes Waves in First Week with Hawks

ATLANTA, Georgia--Experts say when you first take a job, you have about ninety days to make an impression. For Danny Ferry the process took a little over a week.

Ferry looked squarely at his biggest problem, the lack of cap room, and unloaded the biggest obstacle in his way by sending Joe Johnson to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Johan Petro, Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Williams and a signed-and-traded DeShawn Stevenson. The Hawks also received a lottery-protected first-round draft pick via the Houston Rockets that turns into a second-round selection if Atlanta doesn’t use it by 2017. No sooner had that deal been completed when Marvin Williams was traded to the Utah Jazz for guard Devin Harris.

Both moves were good from a cap standpoint, but they also served to unload players not living up to expectations on the court.

Johnson went from averaging over 25.2 points in his second year in Atlanta to averaging 18.8 in 2011-2012. He also failed miserably as a finisher. Counted on as a take charge guy at game’s end, Johnson came up short far too many times.

As far as Williams goes, he never lived up to his potential as a No. 2 draft pick. Marvin had streaks, but overall he wasn’t close to being the player the Hawks bargained for when they took him over Chris Paul in the 2005 draft.

Despite all the hoopla over Danny Ferry’s first moves, the “proof in the pudding” will likely not come until the 2013 season when Atlanta can take advantage of that cap room to make some major free agent acquisitions. Some have speculated Atlanta will try to follow the Heat formula of building a core of three key players—perhaps Josh Smith, if they can keep him; maybe Dwight Howard, if he becomes a free agent in 2013; and maybe Paul, also free-agent eligible after next year.

Whether that scenario comes about remains to be seen. Even with those three, however, there would be a potential downside, particularly in the case of Howard. But that’s putting the cart first. Let’s just be satisfied that the Hawks finally have a solid basketball guy at the helm and one who very quickly showed that he was in charge.

Tiger’s Back, Will Sponsors Return Too?

No matter how you slice it, having Tiger Woods back is the best thing that could happen to golf. Regardless of what you think of Tiger he has apparently regained his focus and is once again the most electrifying player on tour.

Should his play continue, and he’s able to add a major to his current string of victories, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of those sponsors who jumped ship think about coming back. As it is he still has a number of marquee names backing him including, according to his website: EA Sports, NetJets, Nike Golf, TAG Heuer, Tatweer: The Tiger Woods Dubai, TLC Laser Eye Centers, and Upper Deck.  The sponsors who dropped Tiger from advertisements and ended endorsement contracts were Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade and Gillette. In a world where business interests often beget forgiveness, don’t be surprised if a few of the companies that jumped ship return to the fold. The bigger question is whether or not Tiger will want them back since, undoubtedly, a plethora of others will be waiting in the wings.

Erin Go Bragh

As this is being written we just returned from a week in Ireland where they say if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute. That was the case for the entire week we were there as sunny skies and warm weather gave way to clouds, rain and wind in a matter of minutes.

What an enchanting country, though, from the old world charm of Dublin to the scenic Cliffs of Moher to the Silicon Valley feel of Galway. As with most parts of the world, Ireland is a country that relishes sports. With an emphasis on local rivalries, the Irish have a very personal rooting interest in their parish teams, many of whose players are neighbors and friends. The Irish love their Gaelic football, rugby, hurling, and soccer and cricket to a lesser extent. Even American collegiate football will be played in Ireland again this fall as Notre Dame tangles with Navy at the new Aviva Stadium on Sept. 1. Aviva, with a capacity of 57.200, opened in 2010.

(Big news from the Tour Championship at East Lake, where medium and small businesses can now take advantage of joint hospitality opportunities. No blog this week, but see below for my story which appeared in the June 8-14 Atlanta Business Chronicle print edition.)

Golf’s Tour Championship a winner for charity

By Gary McKillips
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Page 14A • June 8-14, 2012 www.atlantabusinesschronicle.com

Crowning golf’s FedEx Cup winner is only one purpose of the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola, held each fall at the East Lake Golf Club. The other is charity.

In 2011, the tournament raised $2.25 million for charity, primarily benefiting the East Lake Foundation, which supports housing, education and wellness programs in the East Lake community. This year, as the result of an agreement with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, tournament officials hope to encourage sponsorships among midsized and small companies and continue the revitalization that has made the East Lake community a national model for urban development.

Building in the green: Officials hope to build upon

prior success, lifting charitable funds raised to

more than $3 million.

Doug Hertz, president and CEO of United Distributors, a board member of the East Lake Community Foundation and on the executive committee of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, sees the joint Chamber-Tour Championship effort as a win-win for business and the community. “The Tour Championship is a real feather in the cap of Atlanta,” Hertz said. “Big businesses such as [The] Coca-Cola [Co.] and Southern Co. have stepped up as sponsors. Now we hope by partnering with the chamber we can communicate the value and the opportunities available to midsized and small businesses as well.” Added Hertz, “We think that once we get a small group of companies interested, in a few years this will be sold out.”

Organizers say they do not give out exact sponsorship sales numbers, but “typical sponsorships for PGA Tour events are in the mid-to-upper seven figures.”

For this year, officials want to build upon last year, lifting charitable funds raised to more than $3 million, and double what they did in so-called “shared hospitality.”

“The shared hospitality concept means that even medium and small companies can partner with other similar-sized firms for on-site hospitality tents, which come with food, refreshments and amenities such as big screen televisions,” said Todd Rhinehart, executive director of the Tour Championship.“For an investment of $2,500 to $10,000 small and medium-sized firms can provide their clients and customers with great entertainment, gain significant exposure, and receive the satisfaction of contributing to a worthwhile cause.”

A 501(c)(6) organization, the Tour Championship has raised more than $13.25 million for charity. The PGA Tour has raised more than $1 billion since 1938.  According to Lillian Giornelli, chair of  the board of directors of the East Lake Community Foundation, the initial funding for the project came from the Family Foundation of Tom Cousins and a variety of other individuals, foundations and businesses as well as the Atlanta Housing Authority and the Atlanta Public School System. “As a result,”Giornelli said,” East Lake was turned from an underserved, crime-ridden area into a community which boasts high levels of employment, exceptional education with the Drew K-8 Charter School, and an excellent overall quality of life.”

But Giornelli says there is still much work to be done. “From a capital investment standpoint much is done, but from a social capital standpoint, the work continues every day. We help the families in the community with supportive services such as work-force development and entrepreneurship, academically focused after-school programs, college preparatory programming and we are even considering a high school.”

While the emphasis is on the East Lake community throughout most of the year, it’s golf that will be center stage when the 30 top players in the world vie for the Fed Ex cup Sept. 20-23. The FedEx Cup goes to the golfer with the most points accumulated throughout the year in PGA tournament events. Those expected to be in the 2012 field at East Lake are Masters winner Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, last year’s Tour Championship victor Bill Haas and Luke Donald, among others.

John Smoltz…Starting and Closing

No bombshells, but new book reveals a few secrets about Braves' future Hall of Famer

 While many athletes are content with one successful career in professional sports, very few are willing or talented enough to go for two. But then not every athlete is John Smoltz. No, he’s not going to become another Deion Sanders and slip on a Falcons' uniform. Nor will he attempt to impress Larry Drew with his three-point shot. But, about five years from now, don’t be surprised if you see the affable Smoltzie teeing off at a PGA Champions Tour event. The Champions Tour pits mostly of the PGA stars of the past (Hale Irwin, Fred Funk, J.C. Snead to mention just a few) in series of events throughout the year for some big prize money. It’s not for sissies, but Smoltzie seems up for the challenge. Of course that won’t be the first time John Smoltz has made a change and delivered. In late 2001, after a stellar career as a starting pitcher, he became the Braves' closer and for the next three years was one of the most dominant in the game.                                                    

John Smoltz spoke to the Atlanta Press Club last Monday, promoting his new book, Starting and Closing, which is more about him than about baseball—though the two will be forever intertwined. He reaffirmed statements he had made earlier about taking his scratch golf game to the next level, but he also sprung a few other surprises on the audience of more than 100.

Frosty Relationship

For one, he discussed his frosty relationship with Braves General Manager (now president) John Schuerholz. He said he was brought in under Bobby Cox regime as general manager and the change to Schuerolz altered the negotiating dynamic. As he says in the book, “It’s safe to say we didn’t talk very much, but it’s not like we despised each other. Really, for the most part, our relationship was non-existent if we were not negotiating contract; he did his thing and I did mine. “

Schuerholz was also instrumental in setting up Smoltz with sports psychologist Jack Llewellyn, a story which the pitcher said was “blown way out of proportion.” Smoltz admits to seeing Llewellyn a few times and that the psychologist did help him by suggesting he create a highlight tape of his best moments that could be referred to when he was having problems. Smoltz said the technique worked and “helped him get the wheels back on track.” But despite all the press it received, there wasn’t anything more to the story than that.

After Atlanta 

Smoltz did not finish his career in Atlanta as he had hoped. After turning 40, he was peddled to Boston, where he said, “…it’s safe to say that I found myself disoriented and out of my comfort zone in so many ways…” His numbers reflected his discomfort. He made eight starts with the Red Sox in 2009, going 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA. The final chapter in his career came with the St. Louis Cardinals. After being released by Boston he was picked up by the Cardinals for their stretch run, one which resulted in one more playoff appearance for John Smoltz. Smoltzie did well striking out five in two-innings of relief, but the Cardinals fell in three to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  “Losing is certainly a bummer," said Smoltz in his new book, "but there was enormous satisfaction in simply proving I still had it. I had been able to deliver in the moment again…”

Today Smoltz is a busy as ever. He has started a school, The Kings Ridge Christian School, plays tennis and racquetball in addition to golf and also does commentary for the MLB Network.

The Perfect Pitcher

At the conclusion of last week’s Press Club session I asked Smoltz to identify the main ingredient he would be looking for in the ideal pitching prospect. He said simply “heart. A lot of guys have talent,” noted Smoltzie, “but you gotta want to be the guy. You’ve got to be the guy who’s willing to lay it on the line.”

In other words you''ve got to be a guy like John Smoltz.

Quick takes…There’s a lot of humor in Smoltz book as well. Check out the story about Greg Maddux inability to remember names, and what Smoltzie did to liven up the clubhouse…The Celtics are looking older by the day…I think the rash of injuries toward the end of the season in the NBA is the result of the shortened season and the number of injuries in baseball, particularly muscle pulls, are the result of poor conditioning. Players will loosen up before games and spend hours working on technique (batting cage, etc.), but stretching and strengthening of muscles is taken much more casually. Just my view.

Causing a Furor

Last year the American Sportscasters Association (ASA) issued their list of the top 50 sportscasters of all time-- http://www.americansportscastersonline.com/top50sportscasters.html. Unfortunately, as member of the organization’s advisory board, I was part of the decision-making process. Fortunately the names of individual voters were not revealed since the list caused quite a furor on talk radio shows across the country. Here in Atlanta I remember Chris Domino of 680 the Fan calling the list something like “idiotic.” Such is talk radio. But now as I look at the list, I still believe we were right in most cases, but there were some errors and omissions.

I was thinking about this list driving home from Turner Field the past two nights. Thanks to the miracle of Sirius/XM radio—and it is a miracle to those of us who relish hearing sports events from around the country—I was listening to the Dodgers and Diamondbacks from Dodger Stadium. The announcer was the incomparable Vin Scully. The next night, it was the San Francisco Giants against the world champion Cardinals with Jon Miller at the Giant’s mike. After listening to both it was easy to determine that the Scully choice as the No. 1 sportscaster of all time is irrefutable. But the ASA’s pick of Jon Miller in the No. 19 spot, was way off base. Miller is an incredible talent and probably deserving of a top 10 ranking, albeit against some very stiff competition.

Vin Scully--the best sports broadcaster ever

At 84, Scully still comes to each game as he has for the past 63 years with facts and anecdotes like no other broadcaster. He was a Red Barber protégé’. He moved with the Dodgers to L.A. in 1958 and covered all the great Dodger players on both coasts from Jackie Robinson to Sandy Koufax to Kirk Gibson. He also called football and golf. When he missed a few games at the opening of this season with a cold, he made headlines in every part of the nation.

Jon Miller has many of the characteristics of Scully—melodic voice, an uncanny ability to describe the details of a play, and the knack of moving flawlessly between radio to television. Miller was with the Baltimore Orioles but due to a dispute with ownership, left for the West Coast. California’s gain.

While Scully and Miller are outstanding there are other Hall of Fame announcers still on the air, including Bob Uecker, voice of the Brewers; Marty Brenneman of the Reds; and Milo Hamilton, once a Braves broadcaster, now in his last season with the Houston Astros. None are in the top ten on the ASA list, but there’s a good argument they all should be. In fact Uecker was not even among the top 50 and Joe Buck was. Although Joe is a budding Hall of Famer he hasn’t been around long enough to earn his stripes. His father, Jack, the Cardinals play-by-play voice, is another legend, who justifiably ranks 11^th of all-time.

One of the problems with the ASA list is that it includes broadcasters from all sports. Hence, those who call baseball—the sport most conducive to radio listening—can’t all be toward the top. At No. 6 is Howard Cosell, who turned broadcasting into an issues-oriented pursuit and changed the field forever. Bob Costas comes in at No. 6, but if you created a category of the best sports interviewer of all-time he would head the list.

Then, of course, you have make room for the old-timers such as Graham McNamee, a journalist turned broadcaster in the very early days of radio; Marty Glickman, a voice for New York sports for four decades and a former Olympian; Jack Whitaker, a brilliant essayist for golf and horse-racing on CBS; Russ Hodges of “The Giants Win the Pennant…” fame; Bob Elson of the Chicago White Sox, known as “The Commander” for his experience in the U.S. Navy; and Clem McCarthy, who once called the wrong winner of the Kentucky Derby. You also had to leave room for specialists such as Bud Collins, the great tennis commentator.

Fortunately some of the greats still ply their trade and you can judge for yourself who’s among the best.

As for as the list, maybe that’s why lists are created—to cause discussion and controversy. The ASA list certainly did that.

Quick Take…Dusty Baker, manager of the Cincinnati Reds was in Atlanta this week. He also appeared on Dan Patrick’s FOX radio show this morning. One of the most genuine guys in the business, Dusty talked about coming to Atlanta as a kid just out of Del Campo High School near Sacramento. An African-American, Dusty had no use for the South in the 1960s but with Hank Aaron's support, he managed not only to adapt, but to thrive and went on to have an outstanding 16 year career, which included a World Series ring with the Dodgers in 1981…Also Dusty was the on-deck man when Aaron hit his historic 715^th home run. When he came to the plate Baker doubled, but he said by that time no one cared. In fact, after the ovation for Hank,  Dusty said he  “heard the clanking of seats” as most of the fans headed for the exits.