Tag: Column

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spit in the face of all baseball fans on Sunday

Rob Manfred thinks the World Series trophy is just a “piece of metal.”

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Last week I wrote that, for many obvious reasons, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred should be fired from his job. I think I even wrote about somebody tossing him out on the sidewalk with his little cardboard box of stuff, too.

That’s not exactly a hot take, because many people hit me up on social media after to let me know they agreed and that they loved me (not all of that is true).

And then on Sunday #FireManfred trended on Twitter for many, many hours. I wish I could say that was because of my post from a few days ago but I can’t take credit for that. Nope, all that credit goes to Mr. Manfred for being so utterly terrible at his job.

On Sunday, the spineless commish came out and defended the punishments handed out to the Houston Astros for blatantly cheating their way to a 2017 World Series title, even though none of the players who cheated were punished. Manfred apparently thinks the boos they’ll receive are punishment enough. Good luck getting through those boos, Astros players!

Manfred also said any pitchers that throw at the Astros (which will be a lot, I assume) will be punished very strictly for doing so. Don’t you dare throw at those protected cheaters, you honest pitchers!

But here was the kicker, the ol’ spit in the face of all the fans out there who love baseball. Manfred called the World Series trophy just a “piece of metal” and MLB didn’t need to get it back from the Astros for their tainted 2017 World Series title.

How dare you, sir?!

Here’s what Manfred told ESPN about the piece of metal:

“The idea of an asterisk or asking for a piece of metal back seems like a futile act. People will always know that something was different about the 2017 season, and whether we made that decision right or wrong, we undertook a thorough investigation, and had the intestinal fortitude to share the results of that investigation, even when those results were not very pretty.”

I mean, ew, right?

Not cool, Mr. Commissoner!

You think taking back a trophy that a team proudly displays is futile? You don’t think there could be some embarrassing way you could go to Houston and strip them of their trophy? I mean, this could be turned in to a fun (I know fun isn’t a word often used in MLB headquarters) and therapeutic way to handle the situation. Embarrass the heck out of the Astros by taking their trophy! Broadcast the removal of said trophy! Have some fun with it! Send an embarrassing message to the rest of the league!

But instead you call the idea of taking back the trophy futile? This trophy that teams fight all season for? This trophy that players kiss after they battle their whole lives to try to win? This trophy that is proudly paraded through a city after a World Series win?

And instead of going after that “piece of metal” you’ll punish players who take things into their own hands because you’re afraid to do anything?

That’s weak and all fans should be grossed out by you.

#FireManfred feels like it’s gonna be around a while.

As it should be.

Sunday’s biggest winner: Dr. Dre’s tribute to Kobe Bryant.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Dr. Dre released a really touching tribute video to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi before Sunday’s All-Star Game and, man, is it absolutely beautiful. You need to go watch this right now.

Quick hits: Chaka Khan’s interesting anthem… XFL QB’s perfect TD pass… CBS’ golf broadcast stinks again… And more!

– Chaka Khan’s national anthem before Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game was rightly compared to Fergie’s doozy from a few years ago.

PJ Walker is a QB in the XFL. But after a TD pass like this on Sunday he should be in the NFL next year. Because this was beautiful.

– Golf fans rightly ripped CBS for missing a very important – and very bad – shot in Sunday’s final round of the Genesis Open. CBS’ golf broadcasts lately have been brutal.

– Here’s how Tom Brady fared as QB for all 32 teams on Madden.

– Dale Earnhardt Jr. really misses racing.

– This story by Michelle Martinelli on the spotters at the Daytona 500 (which will hopefully be completed on Monday) is too good.

Kyrie Irving’s blunt message to anyone criticizing him as a leader

Kyrie Irving doubles down after making polarizing comments about the Nets’ issues.

Earlier this week, Kyrie Irving made headlines after he talked about the “glaring” needs after he delivered a 6-of-21 shooting performance in a loss to the 76ers.

Now, Irving is back with more. Instead of taking a step back and seeing how his comments could be perceived negatively by the teammates he’s playing with, he’s leaning in and taking shots at the media for calling him out and not understanding his leadership strategy.

He spoke to the media after practice on Friday and went in. This was his explanation.

“I’ve earned that respect, in terms of how great I am as a player. And there are still more goals that I want to accomplish in this league and I can’t do it without improving an organization and winning a championship and that’s what it comes down to. 

So, I’m going to continue push and I’m going to demand greatness out of myself and demand greatness out of my teammates and we go from there. If it’s harsh as a leader or it’s too much for anybody, you’re not in our locker room. Stay the [expletive] out.” 

These comments just show that Irving missed the entire point of the criticisms lobbed at him the other night.

The Nets lost a completely winnable game. In that game, Irving’s plus/minus was -29. He shot 6-21 from the field and was completely invisible down the stretch of that game.

Irving didn’t seem to realize that he is the help the Nets needed. He was brought in to bring the Nets to the next level and he hasn’t, yet.

That’s not a moment where you call out your teammates and say you need better teammates. That’s a moment where you take it on the chin, tell them you’ve got the next one and move on.

I’m not going to spell out what makes a “real” or effective leader. Different things work for different people. It’s not my place to say.

But what Irving has displayed over these last few weeks is the same type of behavior that soured his time in Boston. If he’s not careful, the same thing could end up happening here.

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