Imagine practicing all off-season with “your” team. Getting to know the “new” guys. Getting reacquainted with the “old” guys. Attending a Chamber of Commerce luncheon, the Tuesday before the NFL season kicks off, and being introduced as the starting quarterback of “your” team. You know where this is going, right?
Everything seemed to be going great for Jacksonville Jaguar quarterback David Garrard on Tuesday. The Chamber of Commerce business people greeted him with cheers. He met, he mingled, he even got a big hug from team mascot Jaxon de Ville. And, then, just like that it was all over. David, and his very expensive contract, were released from the team.
Jaguar’s head coach Jack Del Rio said, “We were hoping for some sign of life, for him to pick it up and get it going, and we went to the 11th hour in hopes of having that happen, and it just became very obvious that it wasn’t going to happen.”
The release came as a total shock to David and his agent, who said they will move on and focus on finding a new team.
The Jaguars will put the ball in young quarterback Luke McCown’s hand in their opener. McCown has a career record of 1 – 6 and has thrown 9 touchdown passes with 10 interceptions.
Bonds were approved this week, which would allow the Sacramento Kings to move to Orange County, making Southern California home to 3 NBA teams: the Clippers, Lakers and, potentially, the Kings.
Which raises the question, how can a city (yes, I am aware that the OC isn’t LA, but that is semantics, yo) which doesn’t even have its own NFL team support three basketball teams? Phil Jackson, coach of the Lakers, doesn’t think it can.
“What other metropolitan area has three teams in it?” Jackson said rhetorically. “It’s ridiculous to put another franchise in this market. It just doesn’t make sense to do that.”
Indeed it does NOT, Coach Jackson. Especially when one considers the potential implication to the Anaheim Ducks, whose practice and play schedule would be severely impacted by the move.
Even Dennis Rodman thinks this shit is ridiculous. Take heed, OC.
The Lakers and Clippers plan to raise holy hell to keep the Kings out. Which, admittedly would be fun to watch. Updates as things progress.
It’s that simple. The head hit conversation continues this year – what’s dirty, what’s not, how much is too much. Is this just how the game is played or a squad of brutal enforcers who have heard “Crazy Train” blasting through the arena one too many times, hellbent on sucker punching and therefore brain damaging each other? (Because you know, when all else fails, blame Ozzy.)
This is a discussion that the Pittsburgh Penguins found themselves at the heart of after star Sidney Crosby was sidelined for the season with lingering concussion symptoms. Things had to be serious for Sid. His long term health, not to mention years of his career over the long-term, had to be at stake, or there’s no reason the team would have let him sit this long.
But the hits just keep on coming. And Mario LeMieux and Dan Bylsma cannot allow their players to even discuss the bad form and critical danger of contact hockey while they continue to employ a man who elbows unsuspecting dudes square in the cranium.
Well, they can do both, sure. But it means that the next time Sid, or they, or any of their guys dare to complain about a head hit or hockey violence, that people can rightfully discount it as sour grapes. Because one of the worst, most unconscionable offenders is on their ice and their bench.
I don’t know who wants to see this kind of thing or gets a big charge out of it anyway, besides someone who enjoys abuse and pain, and I’m not sure those guys should be the target audience for anything. I love ice hockey. I remember going to Caps games in college, when it seemed that fights were dirtier and happened more often, and that aspect has nothing to do with why I love the sport now. I love my team, I love watching the players play the game, and honestly I have strong good will towards hockey players in general. I don’t want anyone to die or be seriously injured, and I sure as hell don’t want to watch it happen.
All I want is to watch a great sport played well. I want the players on the team I root for to get the damned puck in the net, and I want them to win. I would love to see the Washington Capitals win a Stanley Cup before I die, and if they don’t, it’s nice if they are at least playoffs contenders who keep me on the edge of my seat. None of this has anything to do with jacking anyone in the face from behind or tripping him and breaking his leg. It may have something to do with that for other people, although I will boldly say that it shouldn’t, but it matters zero to me. Matt Cooke played fewer than 30 games as a Washington Capital. I wouldn’t have supported this behavior from him then, and I wouldn’t stand behind it from anyone on the team now.
This would be a better time than just about any for Mario Lemieux to step up like the legend he is and make this kind of statement, too.
[Image credit: Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images]
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