There are weeks that go by when you just have to shake your head, turn off the sports networks and watch Hawaii 5-0.
Sometimes sports is just too goofy to understand. Sometimes things happen that just make you say, “Really? Seriously?” Here we go:
1) James Reimer had a great run as the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender, won three straight then lost once and was demoted to the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. That’s because the No. 1 goalie in Toronto, Jean-Sebastien Giguere (8-7-2, .894 save percentage and a 2.80 goals against average), will make $7 million this season, the No. 2 goaltender in Toronto, Jonas Gustavsson (6-12-2, .896 save percentage and 3.13 goals against average) makes $1.3 million and Reimer ($555,000 in the NHL) has a two-way contract.
In fairness, it’s the way of the NHL, but you can see why the Leafs never make the playoffs. When they have a chance to give a young goalie they drafted a chance to play at the NHL level, they can’t, because they feel it necessary to play the overpaid guys.
Of course, maybe they’re playing Giguere so they can trade him. If that’s the case, they should be praised.
2) The voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame came and went and the donkeys in the Baseball Writers Association of America have again shut the door on the players who performed remarkably during the steroids era (back when Major League Baseball was fun and interesting).
It’s frightening when baseball writers have been given the power to become the conscience of the game. A large collection of beer bellies who have never faced a curve ball in their lives will cheapen a players career just because they can.
In the 1990s and early 2000s just about everybody in the game was on the juice. That’s because steroid use wasn’t really against the rules until 2003. OK, some guys want to suggest that a memo from commissioner Fay Vincent in 1991 warned players against using banned substances, but if there is no testing, there are no banned substances. The commissioner might have wanted the juice banned, but the Players Association would have no part of testing and without testing, banning any substance is a moot point.
In the meantime, sportswriters are in charge of who or who doesn’t get into Cooperstown. Meanwhile, Ozzie Smith and Bert Blyleven are IN the Hall and Alan Trammell and Jack Morris aren’t. What a joke.
3) The made up Hershey Bears jersey controversy. You know, the jerseys with the Manitoba Moose and Texas Stars logos on the shoulders to recognize the two teams the Bears beat to win back-to-back American Hockey League titles? The jerseys the team wore once, then auctioned off for charity? Made a load of dough, too, I’m told.
It was a controversy that was started with newspaper outrage, picked up by a whole load of bloggers and then debunked by people in Hershey who actually knew that it was a tribute to two great opponents, not a shot at anybody.
4) Ahh, the things that deadspin.com notices. In a nine-minute news conference this week, New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker made 11 references to feet, a not-so-subtle shot at New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who apparently has a foot fetish. Apparently. Or maybe. Or something.
This Pats-Jets playoff game has certainly generated a lot of talk. Hope tomorrow’s actual game has half as much action.