Friday Fryer (August 3, 2007)

The average American has concluded that Bonds used performance enhancing drugs to get close to Hank Aaron’s record. Thus, we do not care if or when he breaks the record. Yet, ESPN is continuing trying to shove it down our throats by television San Francisco Giants games. Sadly, the Giants are worse than the Bonds story.

Second, ESPN is in love with the ESPY show. I mean, the network first tapes the show and then edits it before airing it. Thereafter, it is repeated on a near weekly basis. Enough already! Once was bad enough. This is just adding insult to injury.

ESPN truly needs a competitor. Unfortunately, one is not emerging. Hence, we sports fans are stuck with crap which is getting worse by the day. Nonetheless, this crap does earn ESPN a Friday Fryer Chair nomination.

The NFL has a drug testing program. To fail it, you really have to be either extremely stupid or arrogant. I don’t know which category Tucker falls into, but he definitely falls into one of the above.

The NFL this week announced that Tucker, a right tackle on the Cleveland Browns failed a drug test. It looks like Tucker came up positive for steroids. Hence, Tucker has been suspended for the first four weeks of the upcoming season.

This has been a terrible summer in regards to drugs and professional athletes. Tucker is only the latest in the long list of athletes who have either been suspended or came under a cloud of suspicion because of drug use. Sadly, Tucker will not be the last one to get busted. By his actions, Tucker at least earned himself a Friday Fryer Chair nomination this week.

It is quite clear that the Celtics are in win now mode. Sadly, the team does not have enough talent to win now. Heck, they may not even have enough talent to win the Eastern Conference. The Detroit Pistons are still the team to beat. In addition, one cannot discount the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, or the Orlando Magic.

So what the Celtics have done was essentially sell their future away in order for the GM and coach to get their contracts renewed. The Celtics, a once proud NBA franchise will not win a championship because of these moves. Instead, the team will be a playoff contender for the next two or three seasons, followed by multiple years of being the worse team in the league. This is the sad fate for the Celtics. One that earns Boston a Friday Fryer nomination.

Holding out from training camp as a rookie is always a bad development. It is worse if you are a quarterback. If one takes the time to review history and see what has happened to careers of rookie quarterbacks who have held out for an extended time, you will realize that it is quite possible that the point of no return has already been passed. For fans of the Raiders and Browns, this may cause them to throw up their hands and say “Ok, it is time to find a new team to root for.”

These hold-outs are based solely on money. Come on fellas, you are making millions. This is your first pro contract. If you are any good, the real money will come in the second contract. Stop trying to get the last nickel or penny and get into camp. Then again, maybe you only care about the money. Anyway you look at it, both Russell and Quinn are the losers this week. Hence, they share the Friday Fryer Chair!

Until next Friday, AMF!