McNair an easy player to like
News of Steve McNair's death stunned the sports world this Fourth of July. That's to be expected when talking about a 36-year-old former NFL quarterback.
McNair was a former MVP. He was on three Pro Bowl teams. He led the Tennessee Titans within a yard of the franchise's first Super Bowl title in 2000. But his lasting legacy will be the toughness he displayed on the field.
That's the image of McNair that came to my mind today after hearing the news. The QB who used to pick himself up off the ground and hobble back to the huddle was gunned down in a fatal shooting Saturday that also left a 20-year-old woman dead.
McNair - who retired in 2008 - was easy to like, easy to root for. He was the blue-collar, "lunch pail" guy that fans - and the media - are always yearning for. Even though he didn't put up great stats, I found myself trying to get him on my fantasy football team every year. I didn't care. He was tough, and I liked him for it.
His hard-nosed style was emblematic of another era of pro football, back when the NFL had Chuck Bednarik and lacked "roughing the passer" penalties.
When you really think about it, there aren't that many players in the NFL that carry themselves without detraction. Take the Minnesota Vikings for example. Randy Moss was at times incredible, but he squirted a ref with his water bottle and had an incident with a traffic cop and played when he wanted to play. Daunte Culpepper had a great arm but fumbled too much. Adrian Peterson might be the best running back in the NFL, but HE fumbles too much. Everyone faces criticism.
But McNair? The worst thing I ever remember anyone saying about his playing career is he played too hurt too often. His desire to stay on the field was inspiring but also detrimental to the longevity of his career. How many players do you think wish that was the worst thing anyone said about them?
Gary Walker, who went to the 2002 Pro Bowl as a defensive end with the Houston Texans, once said McNair was Tennessee's "best offensive lineman."
"To rush this guy," Walker said, "you have to have four people getting up the field and caging him in."
McNair wasn't flashy or incredibly athletic (by NFL standards). But he was easy to like and easy to admire.
His shoes haven't been filled yet in the NFL, and it will only be that much tougher to do so now that he's gone.
Posted by: Goethe on 7/04/2009 at 11:35 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: football, nfl, steve mcnair
An anniversary on a couple of fronts
Happy 233rd birthday USA!
The Fourth of July has long been one of my favorite holidays. I love the history of the American Revolution. And there's grilling, fireworks, maybe a trip to the lake. What's not to like?
Today is also a big anniversary for the sports world in particular. Seventy years ago, on July 4, 1939, recenty retired New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig gave his inspirational speech at Yankee Stadium, proclaiming himself the "luckiest man on the face of the earth." A poster of that day hangs in the computer room from which I'm typing this blog.
There stood a man - dying from a disease that would come to bare his name - proclaiming to a sellout crowd that he had an awful lot to live. That speech remains one of the landmark moments in baseball's history, transcending the game in a way that people who don't give a lick about baseball appreciate the speech and its message.
So to pay tribute to Gehrig, here's his speech, in its entirety. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.
When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies — that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter — that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body — it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.
So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for.
Posted by: Goethe on 7/04/2009 at 12:17 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: baseball, lou gehrig, new york yankees, speech
Familiar face getting a chance in Pittsburgh
If you're a Minnesota Twins fan and don't recognize the name "Garrett Jones," it's understandable. He is your classic "Quad-A" player that never seems to get things to click at the big league level - whether it's due to performance or lack of opportunity - despite putting up very good minor league numbers.
Jones played in 31 games for the Twins in 2007, hitting .208 with two homers.
But at 28 years old, Jones is getting another shot in the majors, this time with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pirates traded outfielders Nyjer Morgan and Eric Hinske in separate deals earlier this week, and Jones went from playing at Triple-A Indianapolis to starting in left field for Pittsburgh and batting third.
Jones went 0-for-4 in his first game back in the big leagues, but he shined in his second game on Thursday. He doubled, tripled and homered in the Pirates' extra-inning loss to the New York Mets.
To put that in some perspective, Jones' three extra-base hits Thursday are only four fewer than Twins outfielder Delmon Young has posted this entire season!
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was often criticized by some Twin Cities pundits for his gushing over Jones while he was in the Twins organization. The Twins were at risk of losing Jones because he was out of options.
Jones may have finally found his place in the big leagues, or maybe he's just another hitless wonder that Gardy always seems to love. Whatever the case may be, Jones is making the most of his opportunity in Pittsburgh.
Posted by: Goethe on 7/03/2009 at 12:27 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink
Tags: baseball, garrett jones, minnesota twins, mlb, pittsburgh pirates
"The Gaborik Era" was unfulfilling
Almost as quickly as free agency began, Marian Gaborik was gone from the Minnesota Wild.
Gaborik's decided to sign a long-term deal with the New York Rangers, putting an appropriate ending to a career that blended brilliant play with the all-too-often "DNP - groin injury."
Gaborik was the last remaining original Wild player. He's the franchise's all-time leading scorer and its first-ever draft pick.
Credentials like that would leave an outsider to think his departure has left a big hole on the team and an even bigger one in the hearts of its fans. But that really isn't the case.
Most of the Wild fans I talk - and yes, save your jokes, they do exist - feel Gaborik needs a change of scenery and are more than happy with the Wild choosing to accomodate.
He had a five-goal game, and he managed to shine in a defensively driven system. Yet Gaborik is a guy that only played more than 65 games in a season once in the last five seasons. He played just 17 games for the Wild last year, making it impossible for the team to trade him in the final year of his contract.
And on the first day of free agency - just like that - he's gone. Again.
To leave you on a good note, here's Gaborik's five goals from that game against, who else, the New York Rangers.
Posted by: Goethe on 7/02/2009 at 12:13 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink
Tags: hockey, marian gaborik, minnesota wild, nhl
Rubio saga gains steam, even when nothing is said
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been getting quite a bit of attention from national media outlets, and not necessarily for anything good.
Reports out of the Twin Cities had Ricky Rubio meeting with Wolves officials last weekend, yet neither side refuses to acknowledge it, and no one is quite sure whether or not there actually was a meeting. At least as far as I can tell.
It's looking more and more like Rubio is never going to play for the Wolves. He will either return to Spain and remain overseas or, in a more likely scenario, be traded to the NBA team of his choice.
It's a shame. I think it's a shame that a guy like Rubio - who is 18 and has no NBA experience - can have this type of leverage. A kid his age should just be glad to have the opportunity to play in the NBA. It's a naive stance on my part, but still. It reminds me of Steve Francis when he was drafted by Vancouver a decade ago. I wasn't happy about it then, and I'm not happy about it now. Play out the three years of your rookie contract and move on if you don't like it.
It's also a shame from the Wolves standpoint. If he's really that unhappy playing in Minnesota, how did the Wolves not know about it? Or did they know about it and just figured they would take him anyway after being unable to work out a pre-draft trade? I don't know. It all seems very peculiar, though I assume the latter is true. It's the only explanation for taking back-to-back point guards at 5 and 6 (though the fact that the draft had NOTHING but point guards could be another reason).
Rubio is among the many athletes nowadays using Twitter to keep fans in touch with their lives. But - no big surprise - Rubio hasn't updated his status since the day of the draft, when he wrote:
"Ser el #5 del draft es increíble. ¡Estoy muy contento! Be the 5th pick in the NBA draft is incredible. ¡I'm very happy!"
He's had little trouble containing his excitement while avoiding the public eye during the last five days.
I hope the Wolves can work things out with Rubio. He might be a bust. Who knows? But man, that guy's highlight reel was something. At the very least, maybe he could put some meat in the seats at the Target Center this season.
UPDATE
Rubio has reportedly filed a lawsuit against his team in Spain, hoping to help diminish some of his buyout. This is a positive sign, yet it's hard to ignore the fact that Rubio has yet to make any sort of a public appearance with the Wolves since the draft.
Posted by: Goethe on 7/01/2009 at 12:13 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink
Tags: basketball, minnesota timberwolves, nba, nba draft, ricky rubio
