The LPGA speaks the English

Not sure if you noticed this tidbit coming out of the LPGA, but the women's golf tour is now going to require all golfers to speak passable English to the media and while giving victory speeches. Now I don't ordinarily care all that much (and frankly prior posts indicate I don't care at all) about the LPGA, but this caught my attention.

After going to an LPGA event deemed "The World Match Play Championships", it struck me as kind of shady that the powers-that-be in women's golf want only English spoken. It's very American centric, considering the best current women's golfer is from Mexico (Lorena Ochoa), the best ever is from Sweden (Annika Sorenstam), and the only other I know of is from Korea (Se Ri Pak). Oh you want concrete numbers? Here they are: There are 121 international golfers in the LPGA, 45 of who are from South Korea (you know, the good one). And during a recent 11-tournament stretch, eight were won by players from the so-called "Good Korea".


This is what the LPGA should be focused on: exploiting their athletes so men can pin them up on their walls. I'm not even sure who this is (actually it's Anna Rawson, an American) but she's just hot.

But numbers aside, apparently my concerns with this policy were raised by a few others. And it seems this isn't just American ego centrism at its finest, it's also probably not going to happen, since enforcing this sort of thing is illegal:

So-called English-only rules in the workplace are an emerging body of law; the Supreme Court has yet to weigh in. One high-profile recent case, still pending, centered on a Connecticut sheet-metal factory that made English compulsory. The attorney for the workers, Steven D. Jacobs, tells GOLF.com: "Over the last 10 years, there have been a number of decisions in this area, and the courts have consistently decreed that it is permissible for an employer to mandate English-only for two narrow reasons: safety" — air-traffic control being an obvious example — "and efficiency" — such as telephone customer service.

"And that's it," Jacobs continued. "With regards to the LPGA, safety is obviously a non-factor. So the issue becomes, is the language a player speaks fundamental to the competition? I would not want to be the one who has to make that case. Language and national origin are inextricable. The LPGA is making English a precondition of access. That's a classic no-no. I don't see how this will stand up in court if a player challenges it."

So that should solve that right?

Now the LPGA is saying there won't be strict penalties if a player doesn't speak the English, and instead a training program will be instituted to get said player up to speed speaking-wise. Media-wise, I guess this makes sense because I hate dealing with translators. But with the economy the way it is, what if a bunch of leagues start doing this? What will the translators do? Thinking about it more closely, doesn't having training in lieu of penalties essentially make the LPGA an ESOL program. They are teaching people to speak the English. I guess it's noble of them when you really get down to the nitty gritty.

App State a year later

It was about three weeks ago that I was sitting in a subway heading uptown to visit some friends back in my New York City days (as if that was longer than a week ago). I was listening to my ipod, minding my on business, when in walked this family (clearly tourists) and the father was sporting a huge gut with an even bigger Appalachian State t shirt.

Of course, seeing that name, that school got my attention away from the tunes and back to that fateful day last September when my heart was ripped out of my football soul. I immediately started shaking my head, thinking of something creative to say to this man without coming off as a creepy New Yorker (having lived there for two summers, I can tell you there are plenty). See, a year ago, I wouldn't have even noticed this man or his t shirt. But this isn't last year for Michigan fans. All I could come up with was a "you're killing me with that shirt, I went to Michigan."

The big guy just laughed it off, and started talking about how they could make it two in a row since LSU was foolish enough to put the Mountaineers on its schedule this season.

The world of college football was turned on its head when Appalachian State, led by quarterback Armanti Edwards, walked into the Big House and defeated Big Blue and its aura of mystique last season. I think everyone watching in the stadium or on television that day knew something historic was going on when that last-gasp field goal was blocked and the App State players stormed the field.

Now it's a year later, and I think it's important to take a look at just how dramatically things have changed for both teams since that upset occurred. Most significantly, the loss put into perspective just how behind-the-times the Michigan football program was as App State's spread offense sliced and diced Lloyd Carr's antiquated team. Now the Wolverines are all shiny new and advanced looking under Rich Rodriguez, and I think the opening loss from a year ago is a major reason why he isn't in Morgantown anymore. But everyone knows about all the changes that have gone on in Ann Arbor, so what about down in App State country.

Well, in today's Washington Post, there's an interesting little articleabout just how much has changed for coach Jerry Moore, his Mountaineers, and all of college football for that matter.

Coach Jerry Moore stopped on the edge of the Appalachian State practice field one day this preseason, turned and gazed at what his football program has become. To his right, a new turf practice field rested next to an under-construction, 120,000-square-foot complex the height of a seven-story building. To his left, Moore saw a new upper deck for Kidd Brewer Stadium, packed with 4,400 new seats. In total, the view equated to a nearly $50 million flex of might.

Moore had watched "Monday Night Football" days earlier, and the mention of one of his former players prompted a conversation among the announcers, heard nationwide, about the 16,000-student school in Boone, N.C. The quarterback he followed off the practice field, a whippet-thin charge of energy named Armanti Edwards, has been mentioned as a dark horse Heisman Trophy contender.

"This all wouldn't have happened," Moore said, "without Michigan."

I'd say that quote at the end kind of sums things up nicely. These schools have reached unprecedented heights starting with the App State debacle and concluding with another Michigan slap in the face when I-AA Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco was the second quarterback selected in the 2008 NFL Draft, ahead of Chad Henne.

But it hasn't been all peaches and cream for App State and the schools like it. Apparently, lining up additional big time opponents for the future has been a little tougher now that they went into the Big House and showed their stuff. Apparently, the Mountaineers already had their future schedules lined up with games against LSU, Florida, Virginia Tech, and Georgia before they defeated Michigan. However, Appalachian State is missing a 1-A opponent for 2009, when star quarterback Armanti Edwards will be a senior, and there aren't any takers who want to face a veteran-laden, knows how to win the big game App State.

Athletic Director Charlie Cobb said at least 25 teams have turned him down. Some schools have sent e-mails proclaiming they need a game. Cobb responded immediately, only to receive a reply saying they had found an opponent. Other athletic directors have called Cobb, telling him a division I-A school just called looking for a game. When Cobb calls the I-A athletic director, he's told the schedule is full.

"It's comical, some of the responses I've got," Cobb said. "The thing I've never understood truly, athletics is about competition. It's about who's good and who's not. At some point, step up and play people. Scheduling is not as complicated as people make it out to be."

I really recommend reading the whole article. It's definitely an interesting perspective on what has gone down in 1-AA football since App State's miraculous (yes, I'm still calling it a fluke) win. And next time I see an App State fan, I'm hoping to have something much wittier to say to them. Michigan needs to beat that school to the punch in something.

I swear I'll brb

I'm in the middle of transitioning from intern biotch/writer at the New York Sun to being big fish in a little pond here at Connection Newspapers. Transforming from a biotch to a baracuda-sized writer takes time, though, so the posts will be a little infrequent for the next few days.

I'll leave you with this quote from SI involving my man, Jim Bowden, and his decision to not sign the Nats 1st round draft choice, Aaron Crow, even though the team may be worse than that group of Hawaiians who dominated the Little League World Series:

Aaron Crow, who rejected the Nats' $3.3-million offer to sign with the Forth Worth Cats, tells Eric SanInocencio of Baseball Digest Daily Live that he would prefer if Washington picked someone else next year. Crow said after he was picked, he "didn't hear back from (GM Jim Bowden) for the rest of the month.''

For the record, the draft was on June 7, meaning Bowden decided to wait about three weeks before making contact. If he blames this on the secretary, I'm really going to be mad.

Let the Fire Jim Bowden Death March BEGIN!

I'm back in DC, and for the most part things are going well. I found out I'm allowed to wear a t-shirt and shorts to work, I figured out my coverage area, and I have cable again (which is probably the biggest positive). But being back in the nation's capital has also forced me to take a hard look at this city's baseball team.

Now the Nationals did do something good last night, snapping a 12-game losing streak against the Phillies (and subsequently leaving the Fightin' Phils 2.5 games behind the Mets). There's no getting around it, though, the Nats have reached unprecedented lows since they arrived in the area and there's just no beating around the ugly bush that has become this team's 45-83 record (the worst in baseball).

And up until a couple weeks ago, I felt like I was one of the few really criticizing the team. Luckily, criticism has picked up in recent weeks as the Nats have become the whipping boy for teams in the middle of pennant races who are desperately searching for wins. But if you've watched this team, you know the answer to the problems. Now in its fourth season of existence, the Washington Nationals have had just three players who can legitimately be considered key ingredients for a playoff team. One was drafted (3B Ryan Zimmerman), another just got traded (RP Jon Rauch) and the other played just a season for the team (Alfonso Soriano).

Other than that, every player brought in or is still here since the team was moved from Montreal is either irrelevant or marginal at best. And you know who the only prominent personnel employee who began with the team four years ago and is still currently with the team: JIM BOWDEN!!!


How many times do I need to put Jim Bowden's mugshot on this website.

I've said it for two seasons now, the guy is useless and shouldn't be allowed to run a baseball team. He was never successful constructing the Reds back in the mid-to-late 90s when he put far too much weight into Ken Griffey, Jr. saving the franchise. When he kept getting hurt, it was easy to notice the rest of the team was badly overmatched. And evidence is now currently mounting higher and higher that seems to point towards Jim Bowden's imminent downfall with the Nationals.

I would argue every single one of Jim Bowden's moves, have in the end, been either fruitless and seriously devastatiing. But recently his mistakes have been especially egregious. Basically, he's got a bad reputation and may have just dug his own grave in the past several weeks. When you have the worst team in baseball, someone in the national media is bound to take notice, if only because they want to be the first to break firings and hirings. Well, Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman is the first to join my chorus:

Bowden's job status would figure to remain uncertain longterm under the current conditions, which include the team's worst-in-baseball 45-83 record. But for now, his bosses are backing him on key issues in conversations with other top baseball people. Those issues include both the failure to sign No. 1 draft choice Aaron Crow and reports that Bowden is being investigated in baseball's scout skimming scandal.

Ahhh, the worst team in baseball has decided to stop signing draft picks. Excellent thinking by management. Oh, wait, the management sucks and apparently wants Jim Bowden to keep steering this ship into the middle of nowhere. See, they blame the non-signing of a first-roound draft pick on the kid's agents, and of course, the scout skimming investigation is all due to erroneous media reports.

There's no excuse for this foolish trade, though:

Several competing GMs criticized the Nationals for trading productive reliever Jon Rauch in a market bereft of bullpen stars for second-base prospect Emilio Bonifacio, a speed and glove man who one scout said "will struggle with the breaking ball.''

To me, the success of this team is dependant on Bowden getting fired. The Washington Nationals franchise has for the most part stayed in neutral since it came into existance, and it is about time things got shook up. This is the perfect confluence of poor on the field personnel decisions combining with shaky off the field mistakes.

The Lerner family, which owns the team, needs to get off its high horse and do something. Their owner honeymoon period should be over by now, and it's time to hold them to the same standards people like Abe Pollin (Wizards) and Dan Snyder (Redskins) are held to.

Whether it means giving Stan Kasten (the Nats President and former architect of the Braves dynasty) more control over personnel decisions or bringing something else in, I think it's obvious Bowden has got to go. He's done nothing for this franchise's long term success and even his short term solutions have been largely inadequate.


DO SOMETHING LERNERS!

So join in, this is going to be a fun ride. We're going to get Jim Bowden fired. For the sake of DC Baseball.

*Disclaimer: This post failed to mention other slightly less important, but equally stupid Jim Bowden atrocities:

1) not trading Alfonso Soriano before the trading deadline a couple years back, therefore receiving nothing for him after the team didn't re-sign him in the offseason 2) bringing in some players with shaky reputations (Wily Mo Pena — .205 BA, Elijah Dukes — .264 BA 6HR, Lastings Milledge .261 BA ) who have all flopped 3) bringing in players that have been largely irrelevant or aren't even with the team anymore (Paul Lo Duca, Felipe Lopez, Austin Kearns), 4) mistakenly re-signing mediocre players at positions they didn't need them (Dmitri Young or Nick Johnson, Ronnie Belliard, Ryan Langerhans).

This would have been helpful three years ago

Remember the thrill you used to get when that fake ID got you into a bar after spending an agonizing amount of minutes in line showing everyone you knew a license of Robert Lafleur from Smithton, Massachusetts, asking endlessly if people thought it looked remotely like you?

Well, apparently the Presidents of numerous high-profile universities around the country no longer want you to be worrying about such nonsense:

College presidents from about 100 of the nation's best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth, and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age to 18 from 21, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

I was going to post about this yesterday, but was traveling from Brooklyn to Potomac. When I first heard about this, I wasn't sure whether to be happy for people like my little brother, who is going to Penn State and hasn't even turned 18 yet, or to be pissed off that I had to go through fake ID after fake ID during college.

Turns out the news was too good to be true. A day after the Presidents' initiative went public, there's been a ton of dissent on this issue. According to the Washington Post, it seems as if many Americans take the view that it's okay to send 18-year-olds off to war, but it's somehow terrible to let them have a beer:

Safety advocates say the legal drinking age of 21 saves about 900 lives every year. And Laura Dean-Mooney, president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said people look to college presidents "for their leadership role on their campuses. It just seems like they didn't do enough homework to look at the science on this."

Other critics said the university leaders are trying to avoid being held liable for enforcing the drinking age and are kicking the problem to others. "I'm an alumnus of Dickinson College and can't believe they signed on to this initiative," said Jonathan Adkins, a spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association. "They are really just punting on the issue and leaving the high school principals to deal with it. Very disappointing."

Ahhh, but like a high school nerd looking to re-shape his image within the drunken realm of freshman year, there is hope:

Although polling has shown that the public strongly opposes lowering the drinking age, there has been some consideration of it this year, "way more so than in the past," said Matthew Gever, a policy associate with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Minnesota, Kentucky, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Vermont have considered bills. In Minnesota, a measure that would have let anyone 18 and older drink in bars and restaurants failed. In Vermont, legislators set up a committee to study the topic. The bills in Kentucky, South Carolina and Wisconsin, also unsuccessful, were aimed at changing the rules for members of the military.

Unfortunately, in order to advance our society past the days of fake IDs, there's going to be a need for more legislation than just altering the drinking age. Back in the 70s, when Congress was in pursuit of changing the drinking age back to 21 after the Vietnam War, they decided to throw federal highway appropriations into the mix. Any state that didn't adopt a 21-and-over drinking age would be docked 10 percent of their highway money. And no state is currently going to sacrifice valuable infrastructure money just so a bunch of teenagers can get their Smirnoff Ice legally.

Here was my favorite part of the Washington Post article, though. Gotta love tidbits like this in a hard news story:

Will Porter, a 21-year-old economics major at U-Md., said that one of the favorite games in his fraternity is for 10 guys to pass around a handle of bourbon until it's gone. About a month ago, he said, he drank seven shots of whiskey and six glasses of Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola at a bar near campus. He doesn't remember much else.

We play similar games called "drink the beer" and "pass that pitcher til it's gone", which have similar ramifications to those faced by Will Porter. I would explain further, but I don't remember much else when I play those games.

Let the Phelps mojo roll on

It seems like the past week or so has been all about Michael Phelps and his Olympic achievements, so naturally my thoughts turned to how much money the swimmer extraordinaire is going to make off his exploits — I figured a whole bunch.


Phelps will make lots of money to do this from now on.

Since it's impossible to calculate just how much Phelps is worth now and what he might be worth in the future, I've used snippets of info I've gleaned off the web to give you a ballpark range. Essentially, this is the gold mine Michael Phelps has discovered, likely making him pretty wealthy the rest of his life. According to ESPN:

Entering the Beijing Games, Phelps was reportedly earning an estimated $5 million from corporate endorsements, with deals from companies like AT&T, Visa, PowerBar, HiltonHotels, Omega and Speedo.

According to the Wall Street Journal, who interviewed Phelps's agent, Peter Carlisle:

Carlisle expects Phelps' current annual earnings of between $3 million to $5 million to at least double.

"What is the value of eight golds in Beijing before a prime-time audience in the U.S?" Carlisle told the newspaper. "I'd say $100 million over the course of his lifetime."

Oh, and about those endorsement possibilities. Obviously a corporate giant like Nike wants a piece of that action:

Howard Bloom, who teaches sports management at Algonquin College in Ottawa and has worked with several Olympic athletes, says the key decision for Mr. Phelps will be whether to renew his contract with Speedo, the swimsuit maker that sponsors Mr. Phelps and offered him $1 million if he won seven gold medals.

"Michael Phelps would be worth $40 or $50 million to Nike," Mr. Bloom said. "He could literally allow them to launch a massive swimwear company, and I think you are going to see an incredible bidding war for him."

There's more, too:

Phelps also will be the spokesman for the beverage PureSport, which is about to launch its first national ad campaign with the swimmer. Phelps and the rest of the men's and women's U.S. swim teams are receiving free pizza and pasta for a year from Pizza Hut. Another one of his sponsors, Kellogg Co., is also looking into possible deals. Plus, he's hearing from potential consumers online -- reportedly 795,000 people have signed up as fans of Phelps on Facebook.

Basically, unless he's a total fool (which I don't think he is) Phelps is going to cash in big time. I didn't even include the types of appearance fees Phelps could demand speaking for corporate events, signing autographs somewhere, and other things of that nature. Although I could totally see Phelps being the type of person who develops some kind of gambling issue and loses everything. He is from Baltimore, after all. I think we've all seen enough episodes of The Wire to no longer overlook that fact.

Proof Philly fans blow

I think my hate for all things Philly has been well documented on this blog. Well, this whole "Jimmy Rollins calling Philly fans front runners" thing has me about as giddy as a schoolgirl. Finally, the truth about how terrible that city's fans and teams are is coming to light. If you don't know what Rollins said to become public enemy No. 1 in the home of the Liberty Bell, here's a refresher:

""There are times, I might catch some flak for saying this, but, you know, they're front-runners. When you're doing good, they're on your side. When you're doing bad, they're completely against you. When you're doing good, they're on your side ... St. Louis, it seems like they support their team, they're out there and encouraging. In Philly, can't be no punk. "

Apparently, in reaction to the comments by one of the city's best athletes, the people of Philly may finally be wising up to just how terrible they have become. One Philly sports blog is trying to rally the city to actually, you know, be fans of their team:

C'mon everybody, why so glum? I want you calling the radio stations, writing the newspapers, making huge signs to display with pride for our 2nd place team. Enough of all this negativity, they need our support. I know that's difficult after losing to the Padres 8-3, but the boos aren't helping, so it's time for change.

A thoughtful perspective on drugs in baseball

I've told many, but I'm making it official on the blog today. I'm moving back to the Washington, D.C area where I'll be covering high school sports in Northern Virginia. Last Thursday was my last at The New York Sun. It wasn't too shabby of a run there, though. In all, I had 39 bylined stories, which included memorable stories about ridiculousness at Circuit City, a fast food ban, a Bronx-born judo Olympian, me trying to be a ballboy, and me mysteriously calling something an emporium.

So now with the Sun in the rear view mirror, I've begun to return my focus to sports, and specifically topics of interest for high school sports. I had been thinking about a story involving the usage of amphetamines in high school sports, especially with Major Baseball banning their usage as part of its crackdown on steroids and drugs in the game. Well lo and behold, as I was reading the Sun today (which I think I'm going to continue to do even though I don't work there anymore), there was a story about steroids.

The amount of scrutiny given to steroids over the years got to the point that people just didn't want to hear about it anymore. Recently, the attention on the subject has waned. But in today's Sun, Tim Marchman makes a couple observations that make perfect sense and could bring the topic of illegal drug use in baseball back to the surface:

By now, three things are certain. One is that players have either stopped using or, more likely, are good at not getting caught, as baseball has suspended only two major leaguers for stimulant use in the last three years.

The second is that since the ban, an apparent plague of attention deficit disorders has washed over the sport, requiring really stunning numbers of players to obtain therapeutic use exemptions for speed-like drugs such as Ritalin. (One hundred and seven players had such exemptions in 2007, up from 30 in 2006.)

And the third is that in a society where you can buy an energy drink called Cocaine, no man really needs to sit around popping Benzedrine.

To me, all of that makes perfect sense. Obtaining ADD medicine is the next evolution of amphetamines. I think it provides the first example of a loophole in the new drug regulations in sports. These guys are all getting prescription drugs to replace the over the counter stuff. Now, I'm guessing some of the prescriptions are legitimate, but the steep increase seems to indicate some are taking advantage. Remember, there isn't a prescription money can't buy, and these baseball players certainly have plenty of green.

Mickey Mouse would have been proud

Earlier this summer, former five-star Michigan running back, Kevin Grady was picked up by police on a DUI charge. He's since been punished internally by Rich Rod and his coaching staff, and is now back to being a third-string running back — something he's become fairly comfortable with after coming to Ann Arbor as the second coming of Ahtony Thomas.

Well, back when the charges unfolded originally, it was revealed this wasn't your ordinary DUI charge because Kevin had had quite a bit to drink that night. In fact, it was .24 BAC worth of drinks, three times the legal limit. I was legitimately shocked he could even do the simplest things required to start a car — like not being able to locate the steering wheel drunk.

Turns out that's not even the beginning. Get ready to laugh and cringe at the same time:

Wyoming Police Officer Kevin Meany says when he approached a white GMC Yukon in the early hours of July 2, the driver, football standout Kevin Grady, was passed out behind the wheel with the car running and in drive. Grady was unconscious and his foot was on the brake. ...

Grady was given a breathalyzer test, which showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.281 -- more than three times Michigan's standard for drunken driving. ...

The officer also wrote that Grady was off-balance and unable to recite the alphabet, with Thompson quoting Grady as saying "O, R, S, J, L, P." Thompson said he asked for a number between 12 and 14, and Grady answered "15." And when asked whether Mickey Mouse is a dog or a cat, he answered "dog."

I don't even think I need a catchy one-liner to that. It's funny just there by itself.

The Olympics are cool again

Is it just me or does it feel like these Beijing Olympic games are the most significant sporting event to have occurred in our lifetime? I realize I'm fairly young, just out of college, but I think what's going down in China is historic.

I thought coming in this would be remembered in the history books simply because of the backdrop of China becoming a truly prominent country, coupled with sometimes atrocious human rights violations for a country of its power. But now, with what has gone down athletically, I really think this is a moment in my sports life that I'll always remember. I just can't get past the my own pure reverance I have of MIchael Phelps — someone of my generation — becoming the greatest Olympian ever. And it means, the games he achieved them in will always stand the test of time.

Well, today comes proof that I'm not the only one basking in the glow of watching greatness go down. According to the ratings, me, my friends, and the rest of the television watching world are ensuring NBC makes tons and tons of money now and in the future:

The network has averaged 30 million viewers in prime time -- on par with the numbers tuning in for "American Idol" -- since the games opened on August 15, and Saturday night's audience peaked at 40 million viewers in the half hour during which the men's 400-meter medley was held.

I must admit, the ratings part of the equation never occurred to me coming in. I figured that sports like swimming and track and field are on television all the time, and therefore people wouldn't be too interested in what went down sports wise. Obviously, I was wrong.