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Monday, 9-Dec-2002

 

Spurious thoughts and idle musings from the sports week just past ...

 

Here's something you don't see everyday ... Over in India, as we speak, they're having a cricket tournament.  For blind cricket players.  From six different countries ... India, South Africa, Pakistan, England, Australia and Sri Lanka.  They use a hard plastic cricket ball that rattles so they can hear it since each team has to field at least six fully blind players with the rest partially blind.  No truth to the rumor that Eric Gregg, Don Denkinger and Tim Tschida were invited over as guest umpires.

 

So what shall we get for the newly engaged Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra ???  Well, candlesticks always make a nice gift but maybe we should check the happy couple's bridal registry first.  Yep, just like I thought.  Here's something he still needs ... Jewelry: Boston Red Sox World Series Championship Ring ... Number Requested: 1 ... Number Still Needed: 1.  Purchase Price: Unknown.

 

Are you ready to order, sir ???  Yeah, I'll have whatever Priest Holmes is having.  And keep it coming.

 

Okay, I'm giving you a heads up here.  If you don't wanna listen to me piss and moan, then skip this rant because I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore.  Okay, deep breath ... The sports teams of my beloved alma mater, Mr Jefferson's Academical Village, the University of Virginia Cavaliers get boned ... B-O-N-E-D ... boned like this time and time again.  Someone please tell me what was the point of snot-bubbling NC State, Maryland and Clemson on the field only to watch all three schools get much better bowl invites ???  Hell, what's the point of even belonging to the ACC at all if the league suits not only look the other way but openly encourage this kind of naked coin grab ???

 

Because that's what it's all about ...Cash rules.  And bowl sluts like the Woofs, Twerps and Tiggers will always have a leg up because they quote unquote "travel well" which we all know means happy happy joy joy in the cash register.  Hey, it's true.  When Clemson hits the road, there ain't a trailer park within miles that isn't fully booked.  And yes, I do admit that perhaps Virginia doesn't travel as well.  Muffy and Chip can't land their Learjets at just any old airport, you know.  And try getting decent goose pate and Dom Perignon in places like Shreveport.  Still though, I just wish that everyone concerned would just admit the truth.  It's all about the Benjamins.

 

So after all that, just where are my Wahoos going bowling ???  And the answer is ... Right here in my very own Charlotte backyard in something new called the Continental Tire Bowl against the West By God Virginia Mountainfolk.  So I should be happy, right ???  Guess again ... That ain't a Gator or a Peach or a Tangerine.  That's a Tire.  And if you believe that Chuck Amato, Ralph Friedgen and Tommy Bowden won't use this to their advantage in future recruiting battles, then you must believe Manute Bol's got a future in ice hockey.  Recruiting is everything in college sports.  And that's the name of that tune.

 

Why is The New York Times pitching such a hissy fit over Augusta National's refusal to admit women as club members ???  It's a private club.  Let me say that again ... It's a private club.  They can do whatever they want with it.  Do the Hooties look foolish with their heads up their you-know-whats ???  Of course they do.  Not only that, they don't have a clue that they can't possibly win this image battle.  But hassling El Tigre and gagging their own sportswriters isn't winning the Great Gray Lady any brownie points either.  Hard to believe, Harry.

 

I think I need to see the promo for ESPN's "The Junction Boys" one more time.  Those first 500 times didn't really explain what the movie's all about, don'tcha think ???  And boy, isn't this just the kind of sports movie we've all been waiting for ... Cranky old coot makes a buncha Texas A&M college boys puke until they drop.  Then he bolts for a better job at Alabama.  With any luck, fifty years from now, they'll film the sequel showing Dennis Franchione bolting Bama for a better job at Texas A&M.  Payback's a bitch, Tide.

 

This just in ... The NCAA has announced that after careful review it has decided to continue to play out the entire 2002-03 men's college basketball season as scheduled in its entirety including all regular season games, holiday tilts, conference games, league tournaments and of course March Madness itself.  The NCAA felt it necessary to issue this decision given that overzealous Tar Heel fans have been insisting that no other games need be played and that all championship trophies should be sent to Chapel Hill immediately and without further delay.

 

NFL Week 14 is in the books ... Problems 24, Steelers 6 ... Big problem.  Iggles 27, Seahawks 20 ... No problem.  Belichicks 27, Bledsoes 17 ... Same old problem.  Bucs 34, Vicks 10 ... Solved that problem.  Browns 21, Jagwires 20 ... Someone else's problem.  Niners 31, Pokes 27 ... Texas-sized problem.  Vermeils 49, Rams 10 ... Not his problem anymore.  Jints 27, Dead$kins 21 ... Still a problem.  Raiders 27, Bolts 7 ... Bye-bye problem.  My Panthers 52, Bungles 31 ... End of problem.

 

Rest in peace, Roone Arledge.  Thank you for Monday Night Football, perhaps the single greatest sports broadcasting idea ever imagined.  Tell Howard Cosell we miss him.

 

See ya nexted week ...

 

Robert E Hunt Jr

 

Copyright ã 2002 by Robert E Hunt Jr.  All rights reserved.