Surprise choice: Cubs select Jim Deshaies as new analyst

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Nobody saw this one coming.

The Cubs have selected Jim Deshaies to replace Bob Brenly. Deshaies had been the analyst for the Houston Astros, where he was a long-time pitcher.

From Paul Sullivan in the Chicago Tribune:

“It was a very tough choice,” Deshaies said of leaving the Astros’ booth. “The Astros have been very good to me and I’ve spent the lion’s share of my life here. As an Astros guy, I was very hesitant to leave. As a baseball guy, going to the Cubs and watching games at Wrigley Field, I look at that job as the best in the game.”

Later, Sullivan wrote:

While Cubs business president Crane Kenney made the final call, Kasper was instrumental in pushing for Deshaies, a source said. Deshaies spent an inning in the Cubs booth with Kasper and Brenly near the end of the season.

It’s an interesting choice considering Deshaies name never came up in any of the speculation. People were focused on the ex-Cub factor in writing about Eric Karros, Dan Plesac, Rick Sutcliffe and others.

But as the Cubs showed in bringing in Brenly, who never played for the team, the ex-Cub thing wasn’t a priority.

 

 

Posted in MLB

Following in Jordan’s footsteps: SI names LeBron Sportsman of the Year

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It was inevitable. Sports Illustrated named Michael Jordan its Sportsman of the Year after he won his first NBA title in 1991.

So it logically follows that James would receive the honor in 2012 on the heels of his first NBA title.

Despite their dominance and stature in the game, Sports Illustrated made both players wait until they got the ring before giving them the honor. It took seven seasons for Jordan and nine years for James, who had a couple extra years thanks to turning pro out of high school.

Of course, the difference is that Jordan was universally revered back then. James, meanwhile, still feels the backlash of “The Decision.”

Still, it is hard to deny James’ impact on sports, and that Game 6 performance in Boston was something to behold. Perhaps you could have made a case for Usain Bolt, but a cover featuring a Jamaican sprinter isn’t going to sell as many magazines as James.

Here is the link to Lee Jenkins’ story.

Here is the announcement from SI:

Sports Illustrated today announced that Miami Heat and USA Basketball star LeBron James is the 2012 Sportsman of the Year. James who accomplished the rare feat of winning an NBA Championship, an Olympic Gold and being named league MVP and Finals MVP, joins an elite group of immortals such as Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky to receive this honor.  James is just one of six professional basketball players to be named Sportsman including Heat teammate Dwayne Wade (’06); Tim Duncan and David Robinson (’03), Michael Jordan (1991), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985) and Bill Russell (1968). 

Annually, the magazine presents the Sportsman of the Year award to the transcendent athlete, coach or team who by virtue of their superior athletic achievement and comportment took us all to a higher place.  The award debuted in 1954, and in describing the feats of the first Sportsman, Roger Bannister, the editors introduced the award’s guiding principle: “While the victory may have been his, it is not for the victory alone that he is honored. Rather, it is for the quality of his effort and manner of his striving.”

“This year there was an endless list of high-quality possibilities,” said Time Inc. Sports Group Editor Paul Fichtenbaum. “But LeBron’s stirring accomplishments on and off the court were impossible to ignore. He showed tremendous heart during times of adversity, and he delivered with relentless determination. Equally as impressive, although much less heralded, was his development of a hands-on educational program in an Akron, Ohio, school district which will have a profound and long-lasting impact on its students. His accomplishments embody the finest traditions of this award.”

For the Sportsman feature SI Senior Writer Lee Jenkins presents a myriad of poignant voices from those who know him best. Perhaps the most thoughtful was LeBron himself who talked openly about a coming of age.  Jenkins writes: And so, less than 29 months after he sat on a stage at a Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn., and incurred a nation’s wrath, LeBron James is the Sportsman of the Year. He is not the Sportsman of 2010, when he announced his decision to leave Cleveland in a misguided television special, or 2011, when he paid dearly for his lapse in judgment.

 “He is the Sportsman of 2012. ‘Did I think an award like this was possible two years ago?’ James says. ‘No, I did not. I thought I would be helping a lot of kids and raise $3 million by going on TV and saying, ‘Hey, I want to play for the Miami Heat.’ But it affected far more people than I imagined. I know it wasn’t on the level of an injury or an addiction, but it was something I had to recover from. I had to become a better person, a better player, a better father, a better friend, a better mentor and a better leader. I’ve changed, and I think people have started to understand who I really am.’”

Last season, James became only the third NBA player to achieve the NBA Champion, Gold Medal winner, MVP trifecta (Jordan and Bill Russell) and just the seventh in NBA history to have three MVP awards (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone).  He followed that by leading Team U.S.A. to an Olympic Gold medal, and was described by many as that team’s MVP. 

Less heralded but incredibly impactful has been his work to support children’s education.  While working closely with the Akron, OH school system he launched a Wheels for Education program which supports to the city’s third grade students who have been deemed at-risk. More the 500 students participate in the program which is already making an impact. The preliminary report of Kent State researchers, tracking the group’s progress, found that James students averaged 14.7 absences last year, compared with 18.9 for their peers in the district. Even after the Wheels for Education kids pass third grade, they remain in the program. They will be monitored by James and his staff until they graduate from high school. The first commencement ceremony will be in 2021. In testament to his impact Austin Qualls a senior at Akron’s Firestone High, one of 19 Wheels for Education ambassadors says, “I’m not doing this because LeBron is a basketball player. I don’t even watch a lot of basketball. I recognize him more for his fatherly side.”

Also from the story:

Team U.S.A Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski who coached LeBron in two Olympic competitions says: “The game is a house, and some players only have one or two windows in their house because they can’t absorb any more light,” says Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of Team USA. “When I met LeBron, he only had a few windows, but then he learned how beautiful the game can be, so he put more windows in. Now he sees the damn game so well, it’s like he lives in a glass building. He has entered a state of mastery. There’s nothing he can’t do. God gave him a lot but he is using everything. He’s one of the unique sports figures of all time, really, and he’s right in that area where it’s all come together. A voracious mind has caught up with a supreme body. The marriage is a marvel.”

Heat President Pat Riley (who interestingly addresses LeBron as B.O.A.T – Best of All Time). Jenkins writes: “After James had unleashed 45 points, snatched 15 rebounds and sucked all the juice from an expectant crowd, he marched toward [Pat] Riley, the Heat president who lured him to South Beach two years ago with his six sparkling rings. He was just a few steps from Riley when a 20-something man perched above the tunnel poured what remained of his beer through a net canopy, dousing James’s head and jersey…

‘From where I was standing, there was a backlight on LeBron from the arena, and as the [beer] pellets sprayed up in the air, they looked like they were forming a halo over him. This is what I saw: The good Lord was saying, ‘LeBron, I’m going to help you through this night because you’re a nice person, and I’m going to give you 45 and 15. But as you walk off, I’m going to humble the heck out of you.’ And, you know what, that’s the best thing that could have happened.’”

 

 

 

Kruk joins ESPN’s Sunday night booth

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Looks like Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser are going to be in for some bigger meals on the road.

ESPN announced that John Kruk will be the third man in the booth for its Sunday night games. Kruk replaces Terry Francona.

It’s a good move. Kruk is a fun listen, and this sets up the hitter-pitcher dynamic with Hershiser.

Here’s the info from ESPN:

ESPN’s John Kruk will join Sunday Night Baseball – the exclusive national Major League Baseball game of the week – as an analyst beginning in the 2013 season. Kruk, who has served as a Baseball Tonight studio analyst since joining ESPN in 2004, will team up with NSSA Sportscaster of the Year Dan Shulman and analyst Orel Hershiser to form the new Sunday Night booth. The trio is also joined by reporter Buster Olney.

 “It’s a real honor to work with Dan and Orel, and to be front and center on baseball’s biggest game of the week,” said Kruk. “When I was asked to join the team, I couldn’t have been happier.”

 Kruk has served as a guest analyst for ESPN’s MLB game telecasts over the years, including Sunday Night Baseball. Additionally, he’s contributed to the network’s coverage of the State Farm Home Run Derby, Little League World Series and Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Show.

 Mike McQuade, ESPN Vice President, Production, added, “Kruk has every attribute that makes an analyst great. He’s intelligent, he’s opinionated, he brings a ton of personality and his track record at ESPN speaks for itself.”

 Kruk played 10 MLB seasons (1986-1995) as a first baseman and outfielder with the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox. He was a three-time All-Star and finished his career with a .300 batting average and 100 home runs.

 “I always admired the way John competed on the field, and every time I’ve been on Baseball Tonight with him, I’ve been impressed with his depth of knowledge about the game,” said Sunday Night’s Orel Hershiser. “Now I’m looking forward to sitting next to him every Sunday Night.”

 “Krukkie is funny, knowledgeable and passionate about baseball,” said Dan Shulman. “I think he and Orel will make a terrific analyst combo in the booth, and I can’t wait for the three of us getting started.”

CBS’ NFL Today makes wrong call with Kansas City murder story

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It isn’t always easy when the real world collides with sports. It happened over the weekend with the tragedy in Kansas City.

As a result, the tone and coverage of the Sunday NFL pregame shows had to be altered. It wasn’t a normal day for football.

For the most part, the networks got it right. Fox NFL Sunday dumped a Kurt Russell opening and instead began the show with a somber discussion of what occurred. ESPN’s Sunday Countdown also eliminated Frank Caliendo’s regular comedy bit and put its focus on the tragedy.

Then there was CBS’ NFL Today. The opening of the show made it seem as if it was just another Sunday. The analysts talked about the playoff races.

Richard Deitsch of SI.com wrote in a harsh critique:

Had CBS headed straight into thoughtful analysis and reporting of the story  after its opener, it would have saved itself from these kind of critiques. Instead, CBS compounded the shill job  by opting not to talk about the murder-suicide for the next five minutes.

Think about that kind of editorial judgment. What did The NFL Today  talk about? It talked about clothing. After analyst Bill Cowher mentioned what  kind of ties he and Shannon Sharpe were wearing, viewers were treated to a  chuckle-hut segment on the AFC playoff race. Then came a discussion on the NFC  postseason picture. Finally, after an excruciating five minutes that should be  shown in journalism schools across the country as an example of what not to do  on a big story, Brown made the most awkward-of-awkward turns by saying, “All  right, fellas, a little switch here.”‘

Michael Hiestand of USA Today had the response from CBS:

When asked Sunday if CBS should have done things differently, executive vice-president/production Harold Bryant told USA TODAY Sports: “I don’t know. It was about trying to find the right balance. We covered it very well.”

The balance, he says, was about giving CBS’ NFL studio analysts more time to talk about the Belcher news — they got two segments — but also “still cover what’s going on today.”

The backlash has been pretty intense. There was only one top story going into Sunday’s games, and it wasn’t the playoff races with five weeks left in the season.

I’m pretty sure CBS realizes it made the wrong call.

 

 

Posted in CBS

Heated message: Bob Costas quotes from Jason Whitlock column in an anti-gun commentary

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Bob Costas usually doesn’t need help in writing his halftime commentary for NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

However, last night he quoted heavily from Jason Whitlock’s column in Fox Sports. Whitlock wrote that handguns should be banned in the wake of the tragic events in Kansas City over the weekend.

Costas went with the same theme. Interestingly, he used Whitlock’s words to help carry his message. Costas even prefaced his statement that he doesn’t always agree with the columnist.

Predictably, the gun supporters railed on Costas. There was this tweet from Ted Nugent.

Hey Bob Costas we all kno that obesity is a direct result of the proliferation of spoons & forks Get a clue

Deadspin’s Sean Newell was outraged. The headline to his piece read: “Here Is Bob Costas’s Sanctimonious, Horseshit Editorial On Jovan Belcher”

Newell wrote:

Bob Costas got on his phone books and condescended to a national audience about perspective—a glorified sports columnist editorialized on the Second Amendment during a fucking football game while pitting himself against those without perspective. It is so laughably out of touch it almost has to be satire.

That’s a pretty extreme reaction, even for Deadspin.

SI.com’s Richard Deitsch wrote:

One thing is certain: I don’t think any other NBC Sports employee would have  been granted the editorial freedom on such a hot-button topic.

I think any time somebody wants to have a discussion about guns, it’s OK by me. And Mr. Nugent, that woman in Kansas City wasn’t killed by a spoon and fork. Her life ended because of a gun.

Care to discuss?

 

 

 

Posted in NBC

Sporting News editor responds: Issue in tattoo column was generational, not racial

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Just catching up with this.

SportingNews.com editor Garry Howard wrote a response late Friday afternoon, addressing the furor over David Whitley’s column about Colin Kaepernick and his tattoos.

Howard wrote:

As a sports editor who also happens to be African-American, it is my job to vet each and every opinion piece to ensure that the message does not get lost and I certainly could have done more, in retrospect, to make sure it did not. In particular, the inference that many people with tattoos have been to prison, or that having tattoos is an indicator of criminality, was problematic to many readers.

Still, the overriding point of the column was there and one nationally televised discussion, in particular—on “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless—did a great job of explaining that the column was indeed more generational in tone and that tattoos in today’s society are not necessarily a great thing for young, prospective job candidates of all races.

Howard also quotes Whitley. Whitley wrote in an email:

“I fully realize sailors and Hell’s Angels aren’t the only people with tattoos these days. But tattoos still carry a negative stigma, which is why you don’t see a lot of politicians and captains of industry sporting ink.

“NFL QB represents the ultimate CEO figure in sports. And it’s been tattoo-free except for the few players who’ve lived up (or down) to the bad-guy tattoo image. Now along comes Kaepernick, a role model in the Tim Tebow category. His success would help shatter the tattoo stereotype. If old guys like me have a hard time dealing with that, too bad for us.

“That was my intended point,” he continued. “I wish I’d done a better job getting that across. What I didn’t factor in was that admitting I don’t like tattoos was going to be equated with me admitting I don’t like African-Americans. The women at the gym I referenced in that column are white. So is Jeremy Shockey. I once asked Dwight Howard if he’d ever get a tattoo, and he said no way. His aversion was based on religious ground. Mine was based on the fact I think tattoos look silly. I knew that would stamp me an Old Man. I didn’t know it would stamp me a racist.

Howard then concludes:

Hindsight always helps you see things clearer and the reaction to this—even inside our very own newsroom and the discussion I joined on Twitter last night and earlier today—has surely opened our eyes. It was not our intent to offend anyone, and if we did, we apologize.

However, we should be able to—in this day and time—have a discussion on the subject of tattoos without it morphing into a race debate when in fact, it was about a new generation doing things in a fresh and different manner.

That’s all I’m saying.

On Friday, I did a post featuring Whitley’s initial comments to the uproar. He said:

If they were old enough to read, my two adopted African-American daughters would certainly be disappointed to find out I’m a racist.

 

Rick Majerus: ESPN’s Wojciechowski remembers a special friend

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I knew Gene Wojciechowski and Dan McGrath were having a tough day Saturday when I heard the news that Rick Majerus passed away.

Gene, a columnist for ESPN.com, and Dan, my former sports editor at the Chicago Tribune, were extremely close to the basketball coach.

Gene assisted Majerus with his autobiography. It’s a fun read, and I know from his stories that Gene had even more fun working with Majerus on the book.

Gene wrote Saturday: “To this day, I think the only reason he agreed to let me write his autobiography is because it would help pay for my kids’ college tuition. That was Majerus.”

Dan, meanwhile, dates back to Marquette with Majerus. He talked of him often and I can remember on several occasions that he had to leave the office to hook up with Majerus as he breezed through Chicago.

Through Gene and Dan, I got to meet Majerus a few times. He was as you would imagine him to be: Friendly, fun and completely unpretentious for a coach who accomplished so much in the game.

Gene and Dan’s relationship with Majerus underscores the best thing about being a sportswriter. It isn’t about the games. It’s about the people you meet.

I know Gene and Dan feel fortunate today that as a sportswriters they got to meet Rick Majerus.

Gene did a wonderful tribute to Majerus. Here is an excerpt.

Majerus was 10 of the smartest people I’ve ever known. The Jesuits educated him well. He was a coach, but he could have been a councilman. He lived in a hotel during much of his career, but his suites often were filled with books. He’d call at night just to talk about a Maureen Dowd column he had read an hour earlier.

He won games, lots and lots of them, but I swear he cared more about seeing his players get diplomas than victories.

He could charm an entire national press corps. He could alienate an entire local media corps. He could hold court. He could hold grudges.

Majerus didn’t suffer fools. He was brilliant, complex and demanding to a fault. He also was loyal, caring and giving to a fault.

Saturday flashback: Celebrating Vin Scully’s 85th birthday with his greatest calls

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Vin Scully turned 85 Thursday. Earlier this year, Keith Olbermann put his longevity in perspective with this tweet:

Mickey Mantle debuted in NY in an exhibition vs #Dodgers, 1951. Bryce Harper debuts vs Dodgers tonight. Announcer then and now? Vin Scully

Simply amazing.

Last year, KTLA in Los Angeles assembled a clip of Scully’s top 5 calls. There are a couple obvious ones in there, but there is a surprise or two. For instance, I only heard Milo Hamilton and Curt Gowdy’s calls of Hank Aaron’s 715th homer. You forget Scully also was there as the voice of the Dodgers.

Terrible trend: Racist label gets thrown around way too much in today’s media world

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It really bothers me when somebody in the media is accused of being “a racist.” It’s a horrible label to hang on a person, and it happens too frequently in today’s blog, Twitter-mad world.

To wit, this headline in Deadspin about David Whitley: “Who is this hack who wrote about Colin Kaepernick’s tattoos. And why is he such a racist dicktroll?”

You could say many things about Whitley, but the AOL FanHouse columnist at SportingsNews.com is not a racist.

In an earlier post today, Whitley defended himself in the wake of a column he wrote about Colin Kaepernick’s tattoos. He said: “If they were old enough to read, my two adopted African-American daughters would certainly be disappointed to find out I’m a racist.”

Indeed, they would.

People who know him know better about Whitley. ESPN’s Jemele Hill said in a tweet:

I worked with Whitley in Orlando. I don’t agree with his column, but he’s a terrific guy. #NotRacist

Whitley pointed out in his response to me that his column wasn’t based on race. There are plenty of white athletes with tattoos, he said.

Isn’t he right? Just look around, folks. White Pitchers, white linebackers, white power forwards, white hockey players, etc.

Whitley’s point is you don’t see many NFL quarterbacks sporting tattoos like Colin Kaepernick.

Was Whitley guilty of stereotyping? Sure. He makes it seems like anyone, white or African-American, who gets a tattoo is one step away from San Quentin.

Whitley is a funny, entertaining fellow, and his columns usually are in the same vein. Perhaps he missed with this one.

Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz said in a tweet:

I’m not going to pile on David Whitley today. We’ve all swung and missed on columns. He’s a terrific writer who missed the mark. It happens.

It’s become fashionable to accuse media people of being a racist. Earlier this year, New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick was called a racist for a column on the Brooklyn Nets. Mushnick might have gone over the line in making a point, but any regular reader of his columns knows it is absurd to call him a racist.

I’m sure some people will say I’m a racist for defending Whitley. I already got a note with this lovely opening: “You are a fuckin idiot….You gotta be kidding….Hypocrytical peice  of trash trying to come to the defense of a blatent closet racist.”

Thanks for writing.

I’m sorry, but calling somebody a racist is too much of a knee-jerk reaction. And it’s about the worst thing you could call somebody. It’s just irresponsible, especially coming from somebody in the media.

Just think about it. How would you like it if somebody hung the racist label on you?

It could happen. Just ask David Whitley.