NBA owes Spurs $250,000

By Jeff

It's very rare that I care about anything happening in the NBA, but David Stern fining the San Antonio Spurs because they benched their star players before a game against the Miami Heat is a joke.

A very expensive joke. The fine was $250,000.

Just to put that in perspective, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rando threw a punch and tackled Brooklyn Nets Kris Humphries into the stands and only received a two-game suspension. The suspension without pay is the equivalent of a $243,000 fine.

So while one player embarrassed the league and endangered some of its fans, he wasn't monetarily punished as harshly as a team trying to keep their team healthy. A team that was playing it's fourth road game in a five-day span, claiming the Spurs were acting "contrary to the best interests of the NBA."

But what about the best interests of the Spurs?

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker are all 30 or older. I don't know why Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sent Gerald Green home, but I don't care either. A coach does what he thinks is in the best interest of his team. If that is benching his players to give them some rest early in the season, that is his decision. He wanted his stars fresh for an upcoming game against first-place Memphis Grizzlies.

They sacrificed a practically meaningless Eastern Conference game to be better prepared for an important division game. It makes sense to me.

One of the first things Stern said to justify the fine was this was the Spurs only trip to Miami and they didn't give enough notice to the Heat. Give me a break. The Heat have LeBron James. They don't need help selling tickets. There will be plenty of great basketball for Heat fans to attend. I don't feel bad for anyone going to that game and being disappointed that they didn't see Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green.

There is also the fact that the Spurs almost won the game! The Heat needed a last-minute 3-pointer to seal the game. Fans got their money's worth.

Let's also not forget that just last season the NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said it was OK that the Spurs were resting players.

This is a story of David Stern flexing his muscle. He doesn't really care about the fans, but he wants them to think he does. He is showing the Spurs and the rest of the league that he can pretty much do whatever he pleases at the moment.

Van Halen - 1984

Batch silences critics

By Jeff

There is no denying that Charlie Batch had a bad Week 12. Three interceptions (at least one was not his fault) and a loss to a bad Cleveland Browns team reminded me of the 2002 game where the Steelers gave up 70 total yards, yet lost 24-6 because of three turnovers returned for touchdowns.

The saddest part was it looked as if it could have been Batch's last start, maybe even playing time in the NFL.

Fortunately, Batch found redemption this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. He outplayed self-proclaimed "elite" quarterback Joe Flacco and led the Steelers to a very important win. If or when the Steelers make the postseason, people will look back and say this is the game that made it possible. A loss yesterday, and the Steelers would have had a tough road to the playoffs.

What made yesterday's victory even better for Steelers fans was how emotional Batch was after the game. He was locked in a massive embrace with Ben Roethlisberger and crying onto Big Ben's shoulder/chest.

Moments like that are why we love sports. With Roethlisberger likely to return next week, Batch thought this was his last game. He went out with his career's best win. I'd cry too!

Batch has always been a good teammate. When the team was grooming Byron Leftwich to start in place of a suspended Ben and Dennis Dixon to back up Leftwich, it was assumed Batch was to be released. Batch never cried to the media or sulked. He went about his business and made sure he was ready.

Well, Leftwich got hurt in the preseason, which he has done in two of the past three postseasons. Then Dixon got hurt and Batch was the only one left. He helped the team win two of three games when the team was supposed to start 1-3.

Batch has been great for the Pittsburgh community and will always be beloved in Pittsburgh. It was great to see him have that moment in the sun. Not many athletes, in Pittsburgh or elsewhere, deserved it more.

Saves the Day - Jukebox Breakdown

Welcome back, Plax

By Jeff

There is a whole heck of a lot going on right now. Especially since I go AWOL every month. So let's try and catch up!

• Plaxico Burress is coming home! The big wide receiver signed with the Steelers this week because Antonio Brown and Jerricho Cotchery are hurt. It's a good signing as long as we keep our expectations in check. Burress is 35 and isn't a deep threat anymore. But it is nice to have another red zone option other than Health Miller.


• The NHL is still stupid.


• The Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Frauds trade went through. The commissioner had no right to block the trade, so I'm glad he didn't. But the Frauds deserve to be ripped by fans, media and everyone on the planet. They promised a committment to winning and broke that promise in less than a year.


• Phil Jackson is a better coach than Mike D'Antoni, but he has quit twice before on the Lakers. There is nothing wrong with the Lakers moving in a different direction. They could have handled the situation better, but can you blame them for not bringing Jackson back when everybody knows it could be just a one-year thing?


• Philadelphia Eagles fans really hate Andy Reid. Philadelphia media is also going crazy. You should hear them talk about how they should find a new coach. Sal Paolantonio says they need to move Andy out, hire a consulting group that includes ex players and really show fans they are determined to bring legitimacy back to the Eagles. This is a little over a year after they made a huge splash in free agency and people were picking them as Super Bowl contenders. One mediocre year and one bad year do not warrant the panic that has set in over here. Just hire a new coach. Done.


• Just saw "Silver Linings Playbook" last night. I usually HATE BRadley Cooper, but he was great and stole just about every scene he was in. That is saying a lot considering he shared many scenes with Robert De Niro. The dialogue was the best I've heard since "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang". Not sure it should be getting the Oscar buzz it is as a whole, but Cooper's name should be tossed around. 


• I've been playing a lot of "LA Noire" for the PS3. It's a very cool and unique game, as it lets you play detective by searching for clues and trying to figure out if people are lying or not with some groundbreaking gaming technology. It gets a little redundant, but that's how all Rock Star games are.

• I get that Mike Golic played football and doesn't like that the game is focusing more on safety. I do. But it still bothers me that every time there is a hit to the head and a fine, he complains. We get it, Golic, you were a very tough man when you played. That doesn't mean that hits to the head have a place in the NFL with all this new research showing how dangerous headshots are. Maybe he should have manned-up and healed naturally instead of using steroids. Zing!

• I hate to say it, but Notre Dame deserves their ranking. They played a tough schedule, and despite some close games, they are the only undefeated team that matters (Ohio State hasn't lost, but they are on probation).

Big Country - The Promised Land

Give me back my hockey!

By Jeff

Yes, I'm channeling my inner Mel Gibson. No, not the anti-Semitic, anti-women drunk. I'm talking about the one in "Ransom" who wants his son back and kicks some ass to do it.

What the hell is wrong with the NHL? I would give the definition of insanity, but we've all heard the saying. But truly, the NHL is insane. They are pushing their fans to the brink.

We want hockey. We want to pay to go to games and we want to watch throughout the week. But it seems the NHL doesn't give a damn about those that make their business possible.

We've lost one season to CBA negotiations, and now three others have been shortened because owners and players can't agree.

There is not another major league in the country that has lost a season to labor disputes, yet the NHL may lose two in less than 10 years. That's embarrassing. It's a $3 billion business, and they can't find common ground?

One of the big sticking points right now is the contract rights. The league wants to limit the number of years a deal can have, as well as delaying free agency by a year.

I understand the idea behind limiting deals to 5 years, especially when you see they 10-year, mega-deals that circumvent the cap. Of course, the league could have hindered this by actually having a spine and rejecting all the deals like this, not just the Ilya Kovalchuk contract. At the same time, it was the OWNERS who gave these contracts in the first place!

As for delaying free agency until the 8th year of NHL service instead of 7, that's just stupid. If you have a player in your organization for 7 years and don't know if he is right for your team or ready for the NHL, then you need to fire your scouts/development team because they are failing.

Now, we don't officially know what's being said in these negotiations. But to me it seems like the players are being asked to give up more than the owners, again. You can only push a person so far until they can't take being pushed around anymore. That's where the players seem to be now.

If I lose the NHL this season, I will place all the blame on the owners. And I don't think I'm wrong.

David Essex - Rock On

Marlins are jokes

By Jeff

How are the Miami Marlins still a professional franchise?

For the third time in my lifetime, they have sent their best players packing to say boatloads of money. Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, John Buck and Emilio Bonifacio are all headed to Toronto for Yunel Escobar, Jeff Mathis and three of the Blue Jays' top prospects.

Baseball should be furious. Other teams should be furious. Marlins fans should be furious. The three Marlins players left should be furious.

In the words of Donald Trump, we need a revolution! (Seriously, what a joke the Donald is. What's scary is some people think he makes good points.)

Marlins ownership lied to the public. In order to get more than $300 million of public money for their new stadium, they said they would field a competitive team. They tried for one year. Yes, they started with a bad year, but that's not reason to blow it up. The team had boatloads of talent. Maybe it just needed to gel. Maybe it just needed a manager who cared more about managing and less about attention.

Sad to say it, but the Pirates are in a similar boat. They received hundreds of millions of public dollars to fund PNC Park and promised a winning team. They haven't had one and have consistently made questionable baseball decisions.

This is a problem for baseball and fans in these cities. With no salary floor and revenue sharing, teams like the Marlins can make a lot of money while putting terrible teams on the field. It doesn't matter that people don't show up for games, because teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will fund the poor teams.

What a joke.

Now, as a Blue Jays fan, I am excited for Toronto. If Johnson and Reyes stay healthy, they could actually compete for the AL East for the first time in a long time.

As a fan of baseball, the deal angers me and just shows how silly this league can be. Teams that are not committed to winning should not be rewarded. If you don't have a payroll of X amount, then you should not be eligible for revenue sharing.

David Bowie - Heroes

Don't blame the refs

By Jeff

Before a co-ed IM soccer game in college, a student referee completely changed the way I view refs in sports.

Prior to the game starting, the official was going through his pregame spiel (wear shin guards, no slide tackling, etc.) and he finished with a simple request. Don't yell at him if he makes a mistake. Well, what ref wouldn't say that? It was what he said after that has resonated with me since.

"If you guys make a stupid play or kick the ball over the net, I'm not going to tell you how much you suck," he said. "So give me a break if I miss something. I'm trying my best."

Having never been a ref, I never looked at it from that perspective. And it's a brilliant point. I've never experienced a ref ripping me for all the poor plays I've made throughout my life. I've never seen a ref tearing into anybody for their poor play, so why are we so quick to not only tear them new ones, but blame them for our losses?

This memory has been on my mind recently with the replacement officials in the NFL and the recent controversial call in the NL Wild Card game between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The former was really highlighted at the end of the Week 3 Monday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle won on a last-second hail mary where the Seattle receiver should have been flagged for pass interference and most observers will tell you that Seahawks' Golden Tate did not have duel possession as the refs ruled.

The replacement officials messed up on the final play of a game, which is pretty rare. Usually people screw up, but teams have time to overcome it. This was different, but it still didn't cost the Packers the game. The Packers offensive line gave up eight sacks and their high-octane offense didn't do squat. Their defense let the Seahawks get to the 30-yard line and have a shot at the endzone.

The refs screwed up at a vital part of the game, but the Packers had 59 minutes to make that last drive irrelevant.

As for the umpires in last night's Wild Card game, it is a lot easier to defend. Now I don't know how a fly ball to the middle of left field could be an infield fly rule, but that is what the umps decided. I don't care what Joe Torre says, it looked wrong to me.

But once again, the umps didn't decide that game.

The fact the Braves couldn't get timely hitting when they had runners in scoring position is a reason they lost. Three errors certainly didn't help the Braves either. The umps made a bad call, they didn't cause the Braves to lose.

That how it is with pretty much all blown calls. Like the Packers games, the call may be the last play of the game and cause a win or loss. But these games are four quarters, nine innings, three periods, whatever. There is plenty of time for teams or players to win or lose the games. They have vastly more control from the refs, and those who blame the refs need to look at themselves or their team more closely.

Weezer - Teenage Victory Song

When did journalism and fact checking separate?

By Jeff

Anyone else notice a strange happening going on in the media? No, not that thing where networks like Fox News and MSNBC are the most popular cable news networks because they promote partisan hackery. That is old news.

The strange happening I am talking about is the rise of the all powerful fact checkers. We have FactCheck.org, Politifact.com, The Fact Checker for the Washington Post and countless others. These Web sites and individuals look at what is being said in the political world and determine if these statements are true or not.

While I like that these resources exist, it's strange that they have to. From my understanding of journalism, it is the responsibility of the reporters and editors of the news media to check facts and hold people accountable when they lie to the media and the American people. But at some point, journalists seemed to have stopped doing this. They let political candidates and their supporters spout lies. They don't point out in their stories that these statements are actually false. They just get their quote and go on their way.

Look back at the Republican National Convention for a perfect example. Vice president candidate Paul Ryan told some lies in his speech. Some of the news organizations covering the event (I'm looking right at you, Wolf) knew that he was lying. They mentioned on the air that some of the things Ryan said sounded false. But instead of them informing the viewers about the truth, they said they would leave it to the fact checkers.

Are you friggin' kidding me! You're supposedly journalists! It's you're job to report the facts. If a man, especially a vice presidential candidate, is lying, you call him out and educate the audience to the truth.

To be fair, there are plenty of real journalists out there who understand their responsibility and do great work. Unfortunately, these folks aren't as popular or big personalities.

Sure, the Internet had a lot to do with the decline of traditional media, but maybe these editors, publishers and producers need to look in the mirror and realize that they have become part of the problem too. Our watch dogs have turned from dobermans to greyhounds. You see, greyhounds are known as the 30-mile-per-hour couch potatoes. If there is a furry creature a greyhound will sprint after it without thinking twice. But when they are not racing after rabbits, they are sitting around doing nothing.

Kind of like many of the popular media today. When they have a juicy story, they chase it and report on it with all kinds of enthusiasm, even when said story is a silly as that Chick-Fil-A garbage. And they do it until the story is utterly exhausted. But then they are crazy lazy when it comes to other stories. They don't ask tough questions out of fear as being labeled bias, unless it's Fox News, then they embrace the fact they are bias (Well, or they are just lazy and don't care. It's hard to tell.). They sit back and let other people (fact checkers) do their jobs.

Fortunately, much of what our elected officials do and say are public record. We as good citizens don't have to rely on journalists or fact checkers to see if we're being lied to. We just need to have open minds and get off our asses. Whether we are liberal or conservative, but we need to recognize that not everything our side says is true.

Weezer - Tragic Girl