Random Rumblings

• If you take anything away from the World Baseball Classic, take this: It is important. It’s soooo important. And if you ever forget, just turn up the volume and all of the commentators will be sure to remind you. It took me only two innings before I became sick and tired of hearing about the excitement surrounding the Classic and how united teams were after most spent all of three days practicing together. Come on, do you really think Kevin Youkilis cares about Ryan Braun?
  
  This whole thing reminds me of women’s basketball, when the announcers spend the entire game trying to convince viewers that they’re watching a competitive product. The problem with that is we know athleticism when we see it, and it’s just not there. And unfortunately for the Classic, we can tell the difference between meaningful baseball and an exhibition event. The world’s best ball players start playing real baseball in April; this is just glorified Spring Training.
  
  
• Everyone likes to pin the blame all over Terrell Owens when his teams don’t win the Super Bowl, but there’s no denying that the teams who let him go get worse before they get better. The 2004 San Francisco 49ers won just two games and 2005 Philadelphia Eagles went 2-7 after the team banished Owens.
  
  The Cowboys will regress this season.
  
  As for T.O., well, I’m just waiting for people to find a way to blame the Buffalo snow that ruins the Bills’ passing game every year on him.
  
  
• Some people might be upset with ESPN for not airing the opening round of the Big East tournament this week, but I say it’s a blessing. As good as the conference is at the top, it’s just as bad at the bottom. I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say again: Some of these small private schools just can’t compete with major public universities.
  
  But as long as one or two stay competitive, it just gives the Seton Hall’s of the world false hope.
  
  
• And you can’t tell me that college basketball in general isn’t down when Duke, the seventh ranked team in nation, gets zero points from its bench and still keeps a game with North Carolina fairly close.
  
  
• If Pros vs. Joes wants to become a new version of American Gladiators, it needs the pros to have gimmicks. That’s why I’m fine with Pac Man Jones getting into a fight on the show. The only thing that would make the scene better would be if he “made it rain” after laying some poor guy out.
  
  
• Food for thought: When we refer to ridiculous numbers put up during the steroid era in baseball, the one guy we always pick on is Brady Anderson. But how about Barry Larkin in 1996? The guy hit 33 homeruns at age 32, which is good for about 16% of the homeruns he hit during his 19 year career.
  
  
• Here is UConn’s fatal flaw: I’m not sure they have a guy who could make a key shot down the stretch ala Rip Hamilton or Ben Gordon. The Huskies best perimeter player is A.J. Price, who almost never takes a good shot.
  
  
• I’ll close with this short rant: What’s the deal with people wearing those sweatbands on their arms all the time now? You’re supposed to grow out of this when you get cut from your high school basketball team or (if you don’t make it that far) when you stop pretending to be Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Do bartenders really need to break out the Under Armour to serve me a Sam Adams?

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Random Rumblings: Sabathia has the option to just go home

• When Alex Rodriguez signed that $252 million contract eight years ago, the Texas Rangers were crucified by baseball people for giving the then-shortstop almost $100 million more than any other team offered. But for a franchise with no real history of winning, that’s the only type of bid that was going to land the game’s best player, especially with at least one northeastern team in the mix.
  
  Now, C.C. Sabathia is in the same situation, about to sign with one team for significantly more than anyone else was willing to give. Only this time, it’s not a second rate team from out west ponying up the extra cash; it’s the Yankees, the world’s most famous sports franchise, who had to do everything but literally kiss the extra large ass of their new ace to get him to come to the Bronx.
  
  It’s finally clear just how little interest Sabathia had in New York. Not only did he need $60 million more, but also the right to opt out in three years if things become too hard, if the pressure is too much for the cool California kid to handle. Say what you want about how poorly ARod handles everything in his life, but he does face the media every day and the guy wants nothing more than to succeed under the biggest spotlight in sports.
  
  Sabathia can learn a lot from the most scrutinized athlete in the country. He can learn how to say all the right things when everything is going well and how to handle himself if/when Tony Bleacherseat starts calling him a bum. Or he can just run away.
  
  The Yankees have given him that option.
  
  
• By the way, would it be too much if the Yankees asked LeBron James to throw out the opening pitch at the new Yankee Stadium?
  
  
• Why is that Kevin McHale, a man responsible for one good thing (drafting Kevin Garnett) in the last 13 years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, continues to get a pass from those that cover the NBA when Isiah Thomas is lucky to even be allowed into any building in the league?
  
  
• Spare me all the nonsense about what a good guy Jason Varitek is now. Here’s a guy that didn’t hit .250 in batting practice last season, who was unwilling to accept arbitration from the Red Sox. If he actually believes he’s worth more than the $10 million he probably could have made, then he is just as clueless as the fans who gave him a pass for hitting like the right fielder on your son’s little league team last season.
  
  
• You ever see those NFL/United Way active generation commercials. Part of the reason our children all look like mini-C.C. Sabathia’s is because ESPN has made it cooler to say “all-in” than “I got next.”
  
  But the World Wide Leader can remedy the situation. It just needs to push Speed Pool down our throats the way it does the WSOP. Think about it: Pool hustlers that actually hustle.
  
  Now that’s a generation of kids that I want to meet.
  
  
• It really sucks to be the UConn football team. Not only do they have to celebrate the New Year in Canada (yes fellas, New Year’s Eve is December 31 everywhere) but they’re also getting screwed when it comes to the gifts the International Bowl provides. This year, all Connecticut and Buffalo players will receive: A Timely Watch Co. watch, Two-piece Armor Gear rolling travel duffel bags and computer backpacks. In comparison, a number of other bowls are giving iPods or “Best Buy Parties” where players can spend up to $400 on electronics.
  
  One star gifts for one star recruits, I suppose.

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