As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred draws more and more criticism for how he’s handled the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he’s glad he’s not tied to major league baseball.
As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred draws more and more criticism for how he’s handled the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he’s glad he’s not tied to major league baseball.
As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred draws more and more criticism for how he’s handled the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he’s glad he’s not tied to major league baseball.
As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred draws more and more criticism for how he’s handled the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he’s glad he’s not tied to major league baseball.
The Houston Astros are hated by everyone right now.
By now we all know the Houston Astros were caught cheating during their 2017 World Series-winning season and that the head of baseball, commissioner Rob Manfred, didn’t care all that much… because why would he?
Sure, Manfred suspended the team’s GM and manager for a year, and those two guys were quickly fired by the team. But none of the players – the guys who actually devised and carried out the elaborate sign-stealing plan – didn’t even get a slap on the wrist.
But here’s there the thing – these players may end up wishing they had been punished because at least then they could would have an answer to all those who are coming out and rightly ripping them for what they did.
It’s a circus for the Astros and MLB right now, which MLB probably likes because people are actually talking about baseball for a change. But this circus is only going to continue to get bigger and bigger all because MLB didn’t have the guts to punish the guilty people.
Monday was supposed to be a quiet Presidents Day where baseball teams quietly made their way back onto diamonds in Florida and Arizona and got to work.
Instead, it was a you-know-what show for baseball. It’s gotten so bad for the Astros and baseball that Mike Trout – Mike freaking Trout, one of the most blandest stars in all of sports – ripped the Astros for their cheating ways and ripped MLB in the process for barely handing out any punishments.
That couldn’t have sat well with Manfred, hearing his boring star tearing him to shreds like that.
Golly, not Mike Trout!
Speaking of Manfred and his offensive comments about the World Series trophy, Dodgers star Justin Turner took an epic shot at baseball’s commish on Monday. And everything single thing he said was right, too.
So yeah, this stuff is just going to go on and on and on and on, mostly because baseball asked for this by not punishing the players. It’s not going to stop. At all. Because how could it, when they were allowed to cheat their way to a title and not get punished for it? This is serious stuff!
Manfred, meanwhile, has done an amazing job of making Roger Goodell look amazing at doing his job.
But say Altuve and others were suspended a bunch of games and the Astros were banned from the playoffs for at least this upcoming season, think things would be a little less volatile around the league?
Yes, of course they would.
The punished Astros players could then say things like: “We were wrong we were punished accordingly for what we did. We’ll serve our punishments and learn from it and then get back to work.”
People might be more understanding if that happened. Probably not, but maybe.
But that didn’t happen and now it’s a beautiful free-for-all to verbally attack the Astros and do-nothing Manfred.
Now just wait for the games to start. This circus is about to be amped WAY UP.
Which can all be blamed on… Rob Manfred.
And the cheating Astros.
What a mess.
Ranking every NBA team from contender… to when’s the lottery?
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA is still off for a few more days for the All-Star break, which means it’s a perfect time to see where each team stands as we get ready for the push to the playoffs. Charles Curtis, who is sadly a Knicks fan, does just that right here, as he ranks all 32 teams for where they stand right now.
Quick hits: NBA GIFs… VAR stinks again… Tomlin rips ESPN… And more!
– Speaking of the NBA, here’s every team’s 2019-20 season thus far, summed up in one GIF.
The heat on the Houston Astros is only being turned up as other star players and teams report to spring training. Questions are being asked and hoo boy are opposing player giving their opinions on the cheating scandal that helped lead the Astros to a World Series win in 2017.
One of those players who didn’t shy away from talking about the Astros is Mike Trout, who is arguably the very best player in the game.
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Trout stepped out of his normal, bland self and took a number of pointed shots at the Astros on Monday, which says a lot.
Here’s what the three-time MVP had to say, via ESPN:
“It’s sad for baseball,” Trout said. “It’s tough. They cheated. I don’t agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing. It sucks, too, because guys’ careers have been affected, a lot of people lost jobs. It was tough. Me going up to the plate knowing what was coming — it would be pretty fun up there.”
“I lost some respect for some guys,” Trout said. “… All the stuff coming out, it’s tough to see.”
None of players who cheated, of course, were punished by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, which is absurd.
Here’s video Trout’s meeting with the media:
Mike Trout shares his thoughts on the Astros’ sign stealing scandal, and isn’t happy with the punishment pic.twitter.com/LPU9iX0soo
Tim Tebow turned down offers from the AAF and XFL to continue pursuing his dream of playing in MLB.
Tim Tebow’s football career might be over but he’s not giving up on his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player.
The former Gators Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback played for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019 and had a .163 batting average with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 77 games before his season was prematurely ended by a hand injury.
The 32-year-old baseball prospect is now healthy again and he’s attending New York’s spring training in Florida. Tebow, who was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, has had opportunities to return to football but he has remained committed to baseball.
Two years ago, Steve Spurrier offered Tebow a roster spot with an Orlando-based team in the Alliance of American Football. Tebow turned down the ex-Gators coach and the AFF didn’t even last a full season before folding.
More recently, the XFL approached Tebow about playing quarterback again. He turned them down, too.
“[Baseball] is what I wanted to do and pursue it and be all-in,” Tebow told the Associated Press earlier this week. “When I’m 50, I can’t come back and do this. This is part of a season and a time, and I feel I’m in that season. I don’t know when I’ll feel like I’m out.”
Tebow helped Denver win a Wild Card playoff game against the Steelers following the 2011 season. After losing to the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs that year, Broncos general manager John Elway signed Peyton Manning during free agency and traded Tebow to the Jets.
Tebow lasted just one year in New York before brief stints with the Eagles and Patriots. He hasn’t been on an NFL roster since 2015. In 2016, Tebow signed with the Mets. This season marks his fifth year pursuing baseball.
What I’m Hearing: USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale says former Astro Will Harris is having a hard time fitting in with his new Nationals teammates who have openly called the Houston cheating scandal “disgusting”.
What I’m Hearing: USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale says former Astro Will Harris is having a hard time fitting in with his new Nationals teammates who have openly called the Houston cheating scandal “disgusting”.
