By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)
It's one of those few weak weeks that float by every once in a while…
A Tom Brady decision would certainly spice it up. No matter what comes down on ATOM Brady, there will be disagreement and applause. Will two games be accepted by the Brady Bunch? Will zero games be accepted by the goody Goodell clan? Lots of people ask and I have no clue.
I do say two games but what do I know about how they operate in the NFL. Why would they keep the most important face in the NFL on the sidelines for the league opener against Pittsburgh? It goes against everything they stand for. That would be ratings, ratings and more ratings, which translate into money, money and more money.
Hey, they may be stupid to prove a point but the point they would be proving is that they are stupid.
I'm writing this on the day of the worst contrived event in American sports history: The knockoff home run derby.
It’s a knockoff because it doesn’t even come close to the original black and which half hour show between two superstars of years past. This is just back, back, back and back. I'm sorry, but I always hope for rain. It seems to alter the swings of great players who compete.
They leave the derby as different players until they get their stroke back in a matter of months. It happened to Ortiz. By the way, since Ortiz didn’t make the All-Star team and got Sunday off, do we think he went to the Dominican for a four-day vacation?
Who knows with a guy who thinks he is bigger than the game. Ask David Price. By the way, I think Ortiz is a pretty damn good first baseman. I have seen no problem, except the risk of injury, with his defense. Actually, he is probably the best first baseman they have on the club. The last loss to the Yankees seems like a killer. They can't win the games they have to win.
It's because they have a pitching staff comprised of all relief pitchers. It’s a novel idea, and the thinking is sound. It's just that those dogs don’t hunt on a regular basis. By the way, again- I have never seen anyone hit the ball harder than Hanley Ramirez, or Xander Bogaerts or Mookie Betts. How did the three of them get on the same team? The line drives are vicious.
Still, there are more players on the Boston Red Sox this year who you can't leave your seat until they hit.
It's those three, plus Ortiz and Holt. That’s a good group of must watch players. Go get a beer or bathroom break when Napoli or some others are due. Or when the phone rings in the bull pen.
A couple of other things..
Why is Jordan Spieth not as exciting as Tiger was? He is probably as close as possible to being as good as Woods was. The PGA has an obvious plan to move Jordan and Rory into a continuing rivalry like Jack and Arnie and Phil and Tiger.
It's a key to their popularity, and thus, a key to future telecasts on major networks. Finally, this is one of those weak weeks where you ask opinion questions like, who is or was the most famous athlete in the world? Pele? David Beckham? Michael Jordan? Babe Ruth? Tiger Woods? Hope Solo? Arnie? None of the above?
Muhammad Ali is my choice as the most well known athlete in the world. That’s fading as the generation that grew up with him fades as well.
But, he is the man!
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