| The Weather
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| Shiver me timber, it has been very good and wet for the past 3 months in my neck of the woods. And this below normal weather has wrecked havoc with the start of the 2007 MLB season. Many rainouts and postponements have been seen in baseball so far this year. In addition, offensive numbers across MLB has been below normal as well. Is it because players are cleaner than they have been in decades, or is it because of the cold weather – something we have not seen in decades either?
Who knows? What I do know is, contrary to popular opinion, mankind is clueless when it comes to understanding how mother-nature works. But that is a topic for another time. Anyway, for the nasty weather that we have seen in the United States and its impact on outdoor athletics, the weather gets a nomination for the Friday Fryer this week.
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| Charlie Manuel'
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| Charlie is in his third year of managing the Philadelphia Phillies. The team has barely missed the playoffs in both of first two seasons. The main blame for missing the playoffs has been because of very slow starts to the baseball season. In the past two years, the Phillies have finished the month of April with a 10-14 record. Manuel made clear that the Phillies had to get off to a fast start this year.
So, of course, the Phillies start the season by going 4-10! Some of the games were lost because of a weak bullpen, while others were lost by players making stupid, boneheaded mental mistakes. These mistakes should not be occurring by major league players after 6 weeks of spring training. Nonetheless, they are being made.
Instead of ripping his players a new one for their mistakes, ole Charlie ripped a radio sports host, Howard Eskin. Sure, Eskin has a personality similar to an angry rattlesnake, but Eskin is not the problem here. The players, including the manager, are the problem. So Charlie, since I cannot fire you as manager, I will simply nominate you for the Friday Fryer Chair. Congratulations for nothing.
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| Memphis Grizzles
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| BCS The Grizzles earned themselves the worse record in the NBA this year by going a cool 22-60. Thankfully and mercifully, their season came to a close this week. Unfortunately, their Director of Basketball Operations, the legendary Jerry West, announced that he is stepping down come July the first. Boy, when it rains, it pours.
Memphis is in the heart of college basketball country. The Grizzles originally played in Vancouver before moving to Memphis. Sure, hideous play by the club in Vancouver caused no one there to care about the club, but that is in the past.
The future is now. The Grizzles, along with their handful of fans in this world, are hoping that the NBA Draft Lottery next month will be kind to them. Greg Oden would look sweet in a Grizzles jersey. You all know what this means – the Grizzles will not win the lottery. But hey, at least the club earned a Friday Fryer nomination this week!
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