No matter how much I have always loved the Cleveland Browns, I think that the NFL has gotten too big and powerful. You aren’t even allowed to say “Super Bowl” on television without their permission. Public financed stadiums make little sense when the teams and league are phenomenally wealthy. Corporate team owners often select the team’s hometown based on which city is willing to go into debt further to build a shiny new football field for them. The takeover of our colleges for the needs of the football team pushes the education they were founded for to the background. No one should disagree that a college football coach shouldn’t make more than the university president, state governor, or a U.S. president. None of this is fiscally responsible behavior in any way.
I never watch the Super Bowl. This time is no different. It is mainly because the Browns aren’t in it. But my love of the Browns should never interfere with what I see as tax payers being robbed and football fans being terrorized. Just ask the fans in St. Louis.
Dock Ellis (b1945-d2008) was a major league baseball pitcher in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. He’s mostly remembered as a Pittsburgh Pirate. He was an above average pitcher and played mostly in the National League. He usually would win a few more games than he’d lose, but in his prime he had pretty good stuff and had a good career, with decent numbers.
He pitched a no-hit, no-run game against the San Diego Padres while he says he was under the influence of LSD. The 1969 National League expansion Padres were not yet a very good team in this their second year in existence. But it still counted.
Below is an animation of Dock telling the story of that game. I think it’s hilarious. As he explains, steroids is just the latest drug of choice in baseball. Many veterans will admit to being drunk while playing or taking speed to help their performance. Or usually because they stayed out too late the night before drinking. I bet none of them pitched a no-hitter though.
I read an editorial today in the sports section about Pete Rose admitting that he had gambled on baseball. I understand that he has a new book out where he admits that he did place bets on baseball while he managed the Cincinnati Reds. The story that I saw made mention that although he had admitted wagering on baseball, he had not said that he was sorry. The author of the story is a sports editor for the paper. I must admit that I am a fan of the Cincinnati Reds and have followed them since I was a little boy. I was at a game in 1968 where Pete Rose played right field and was talking to my group of little leaguers in the bleachers between innings.
I just saw the 2004 Fiesta Bowl, a day after it actually happened. Unfortunately, I only taped four hours of a four hour and ten minute ball game. I knew when I set the timer I should have set it for a little bit longer. I am not sure what the final score was for the game because I can’t find my newspaper for today. I assume it is about the same as it was when the tape ran out. It was 35-28 in favor of Ohio State at that point, with about two plus minutes left.
