Daily Zoot - 8/12/09 - Not so Welcome Back

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-Wether you like it or not, it appears as though Michael Vick will find a new home in the NFL, and maybe by the end of this week. Its been two years since the whole Vick saga began to play out, and he has since spent 22 months in prison, and a full 2 seasons away from the game. Thats a long time for any player, and an eternity for a quarterback. There are two schools of thought on the future of Mike Vick, and you can't enroll in both: 

I believe Mike Vick is a reprehensible human being, who has no capacity to change his ways, and should not be allowed back into the NFL. The crime he committed is far worse than the dui's and gambling charges that are often overlooked by the league. I will picket any game Vick plays in, and my respect for the league will take a serious hit if they even consider re-instating this monster.

or

I have faith in the justice system, and I believe that if Mike Vick did the time that a jury of his peers deemed appropriate then he is adequately rehabilitated. Once he has served his time, it is not fair to deny a person the right to make a living. What he did was wrong, I am not denying that, but I think it would also be wrong to keep him out of the league, and how does that little bit about two wrongs go again?

I (back to the narrator voice) lie where I think most people do, somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. But I also tend to sway towards the latter perspective. Mike Vick did something awful, but I also believe in a person's ability to change their ways and also that everyone deserves a second chance. He has made a mistake, and I believe that he has payed for it with the jail time, and the scarlet D that he will wear on his chest for the rest of his life. Vick is one of the more exciting athletes to ever put on the pads, and there is no doubt that has played somewhat in the Roger Goodell's decision to let him play. I might not be rooting specifically for him when he comes back (and I chose the word when, as opposed to if, very carefully) but I certainly won't be rooting against him either. 

Told You So

I love to say I told you so, I absolutely love it. Especially because I'm right so infrequently. And with that said

David Ortiz tested positive for steroids in 2003

Excuse me but I believe I nailed that one. Note the day, June 8th.

I'll be accepting credit in all forms. Thank You.

Daily Zoot - 7/29/09 - Retirement Zoot

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-Well thank god for that. Brett Favre has decided not to return to the Minnesota Vikings and to stay retired. It took him until two days before the Vikings were set to start training camp, but he finally came to the right decision. There is no way that Favre had either the physical tools to compete every week, or the mental tools to compete every day to be a competent NFL Quaterback (at least thats what he said). Also, I personally don't think he would be able to handle going to Lambeau Field as the visiting quarterback, and I think that played more into his decision making than anyone has reported, or than he will ever let-on. 

Favre claims this is the hardest decision he's ever made, but I think it will prove to be the right one. His arm couldn't hold up to 16 weeks last season, there is nothing that can convince me that another year of aging and a bicep surgery will somehow make him more durable. His arm looks great right now in athletic shorts throwing to high school kids in Hattiesburg Mississippi, but I know it won't look nearly as sharp (like a spoon in fact) when he's got Brian Urlacher breathing down his neck during a week 17 game on a partially frozen Soldier Field. 

But it wouldn't be a Brett Favre retirement decision without some drama. Favre set last Friday as a deadline for a decision; there was no reason for him to do this, I just think he gets off on the feeling of an unfulfilled deadline as it passes by. Then, while he was talking out of one side of his mouth to tell the Vikings he would not return, the other side of his mouth was telling reporters that he will continue to throw and work on his arm. As a result, we will continue to hear stories about wether or not he wants to return sometime in the middle of the season until, well, probably until his arm falls off.

I would personally like to thank Brett for not coming back, because I would like to enjoy the 20 minutes of daily coverage that Sportscenter can now devote to any number of different topics. 

Daily Zoot - 7/22/09 -

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-Let me introduce you to Tony Bernazard. He played in the bigs from 1979-1991 in, as you can see, the golden era for mustaches in baseball. He had a spectacularly mediocre career; .260 average, 75 dingers, a few hundred rbi, nothing to really write home about. Now he is an executive in the Mets organization. He is officially an assistant to Mets GM Omar Minaya, but he pretty much just does whatever needs to be done. At some point, somebody decided he would be a good influence on some of the younger prospects; somebody decided wrong. 

Recently, the double-A  Binghamton Mets have undergone somewhat of a losing streak. They were 1-6 in a 7 game stretch and had lost the majority of those games by a bunch of runs. Bernazard took it on himself to help the team, ummmmm, re-capture its focus is I think the nicest way I can describe it. After one of those games, Bernazard delivered what i suppose was intended to be a motivational speech. Unfortunately it didn't really come out that way. 

Reports say Bernazard entered the room, promptly removed his shirt (as is the case with any successful motivational speech; there is nothing more inspiring than a middle-aged man's nipples, nothing) and challenged the team to fight him. Its unclear if he challenged the team to line up and take turns fighting him individually, or if he wanted the whole team at once, but that isn't really important. 

No one is denying that the team needed a talking to. In addition to their poor performance, there was some rumored under-age drinking going on with some of the teams younger prospects. But that talking to could have been delivered while clothed, and in a much less confrontational way. 

The act was not only obscene, it has also proven to be ineffective. The little Mets are under .500 since the tirade, and I'm sure that there is still underage drinking going on (there always is). The speech was only successful in that it made Bernazard a personal hero of mine, but I don't think that was its intention. 

Daily Zoot - 7/20/09 - The Zoot that Got Away

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-When I wrote last week about how good the British Open was going to be this past weekend, it turns out I severely under-estimated it. I anticipated another; Tiger leads after 54 holes, three or four guys have a good front nine on Sunday, but then fade only to see Tiger win as we had seen so many times. That movie wasn't playing in Scotland this weekend. As a matter of fact, Tiger didn't even play well enough to make the weekend. But left the door open for a story nobody could see coming, or had ever seen before.

59-year-old Tom Watson was supposed to be little more than a statue at Turnberry. He was supposed to be a memory, someone that the fans would watch that could bring them back. In fact his arguably greatest moment came at Turnberry back in 1977, when he won the Open in a shootout with Jack Nicklaus. That was 32 years ago, and a lot of the players in this years Open field might not have even been alive to see it. 

That didn't stop Tom from making a run of his own at the Jug. Watson was at least within ear-shot of the lead after each of the first three rounds. Nobody had ever seen a player his age play so well, and be in contention at a major championship. Merely being on the leader board was one of the biggest storied golf had seen in a while. Then Sunday rolled around and no one had any idea what to expect from him. He could hold his slim lead, or he could fade and let a field of mediocre players pass him by.

Watson held strong all day through the tough cross-breezes. Then on the 72nd hole, Watson needed only par to win. He left himself a makable par putt, but didn't put a good enough swing on the ball to make it. He knew he missed it as soon as he hit it, and his face showed that he had let one get away.

He played poorly in the 4-hole playoff, and lost to Stewart Cink, which is too bad for everybody. There was not a single person who didn't want to see Watson win, including Cink from what it sounded like in his post round presser. And for Stewart, he won his first career major in a tournament that nobody will remember for who won. 

Daily Zoot - 7/15/09 -

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-The appeal of the four major golf championships is very similar to that of the major tennis tournaments, they are played on completely different surfaces. The Masters is all about beauty; that is until you have to putt. The Us Open is playing with a tennis ball on a course made of velcro. The Open Championship (British) plays similarly to its tennis counterpart (Wimbledon) in that it plays low and fast. The Open isn't always played on a links style course, but this year it returns to arguably the most beautiful one in the world, Turnberry. Links golf is how the game was originally played; on flat ground, with indiscernible hole boundaries, a tree every 12 holes (if that), and more sand than Father Time's hourglass. 

Tiger Woods comes to Turnberry never having played the course before. You might think that would be a disadvantage, but you might think wrong. The last time he came to a course under those circumstances he walked away from Royal Liverpool with his 3rd Open Title back in 2006, so there goes that school of thought. Tiger has the most wins on tour this year, and oddsmakers have made him the heavy favorite. Add in some extra motivation (this is the first time Tiger has not held at least one of the four major trophies since 2004) and I tend to agree with the oddsmakers. 

Sergio Garcia has the second best odds to win the tournament, which is a bit of a surprise considering that he has yet to win a major title. But his style of play is suited for a links course. He is an exceptional ball-striker, but his putting and driving accuracy occasionally leave something to be desired. Those negatives can be neutralized (at least partially) on a course that is set up like Turnberry is. 

But again, I'm still taking tiger, because there really is no way anyone can convince me that anyone has a better chance than him. He might not be a lock, but if everyone has only got a chance to win, I'm taking the guy with the biggest slice of the pie. 

Daily Zoot - 7/13/09 - Slam Shots and Long Balls

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-Tonight is the MLB Home Run Derby, featuring St. Louis' Albert Pujols and 7 other players vying for 2nd place. There's no doubt (at least in my mind) that Pujols is going to win the contest tonight; and I'll go even further, if he doesn't win than the contest should be eliminated all together. What's the point of giving out a trophy for hitting a ball far if you're not going to give it to the guy who hits it the furthest the most frequently? 

The Home Run Derby features 4 players from each league, and the real story from this years contest is how pathetic the AL representatives are. The 4 NL players - Pujols, San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez, Philladelphia's Ryan Howard, and Milwaukee's Prince Fielder - have combined for an extremely convenient 100 hr's this season. The 4 Al players - Texas' Nelson Cruz (Who?) Detroit's Brandon Inge (A defensive specialist) Carlos Pena (batting a robust .228 this season) and Joe Mauer (hits for average more so than power, although in my opinion he has the best chance of any of the 4) - have combined for 82. They are four very good ballplayers, but the NL was able to send its best hitters, while the best hitters in the AL (see: Hamilton, Josh - Morneau, Justin - Texeira, Mark - Bay, Jason) decided to pass. 

Albert Pujols is attempting to win the triple crown, he would be the first to do it in over 30 years. He will be slugging tonight in front of his home-crowd, after receiving the second most all-star votes ever. Tonight should be more of a coronation than a contest. 

Daily Zoot - 7/10/09 - Tour de Zoot

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-Am I the only one who feels pretty badly about the feel good story of the summer? Lance Armstrong has returned to the Tour de France after taking 3 years off. Prior to that hiatus, Lance had won an amazing 7 straight tours. But somewhere in those three years he went from national hero, to kind of a deusche (at least in my eyes).

-Let me first show the other side of the coin. Lance became a hero because he overcame testicular cancer and was still able to dominate one of the most grueling competitions in the world for nearly a decade. He deserves and justly receives my respect for his ability to do that. His Livestrong campaign has generated a ton of money for his charity, and he made yellow, and bracelets ok things for men to wear; no easy feat. Its the things he has done off the bike that bothers me. There's no single thing that he does wrong, but everything he does just seems to rub a little bit of the luster off the reputation he worked so hard to build. 

-First came the doping allegations. Its important to note that he hasn't ever tested positive, but the allegations alone are enough to taint his legacy somewhat (not sure if thats fair, but thats the way it goes). Doping in Cycling is as common as using yeast to bake, but it doesn't make it any worse. 

-He goes through women like I go through ice cubes. The ink was still drying on his divorce papers when he started dating Sheryl Crow in 2003. Since then he has dated a handful of celebutants, including Kate Hudson and a rumored Ashley Olsen (I understand Ashley Olsen is hot, but can you really hook up with somebody who you met first as a baby on Full House? Lance: Would you like to go out to dinner? Ashley: You got it Dude)

-He started hanging out shirtless with Mathew Mcconaughey and Jake Gyllenhaal (both hard names to spell mind you); and not just while exercising, the man was topless 75% of the time. Anybody who hangs out topless just for the sake of it isn't a friend of mine. 

-This entire comeback just seems a little "I told you so." It seems like he is coming back to show us that he can and not for himself. That kind of chip on your shoulder can be a good source of motivation, but if you've already won 7 tours, there isn't really anything left to prove. We get it Lance, you can ride a bike real fast.

Now I will be happy when Lance wins (and he is probably going to win) because he represents our country, but I won't necessarily be happy that he won.