Goodbye (again) to Brett? Ozzie being Ozzie & Independence Day

Brett Favre is one of all time favorite NFL players. He’s clearly a diva, he can be reckless in his style and his waffling has (once again) proven harmful to his team as they get ready for a new season. But to watch him play is to understand why the NFL is the biggest sport in this country. His style of play, his enthusiasm and the fact that he gives his team a chance to win every single time out is unlike anyone else.

There are some players who when they perform in their sport, the energy, joy and abandon with which they play transcends the game and cannot be scripted. Ken Griffey Jr., before injuries derailed his career trajectory as the greatest of all time, Magic Johnson, Leonel Messi (below,) Kevin Garnett, Usain Bolt, Derek Jeter (R.) Players who you would never question their drive, their desire or their 100% commitment. As the old timers say, the ones who play the right way. Brett Favre goes in that category.

NFL football is possibly the most violent organized sporting contest on the planet. Some may say rugby, but I guarantee that if the average rugby player put on pads and steps on the field in an NFL game he would be destroyed-the speed and size of the NFL players, the abusively violent physical contact in every game is not matched by any other sport. Nineteen years after he first started playing professionally, Brett Favre says again that he is retiring. And in nineteen years he has never missed a game. That to me is the most remarkable record in all of sports.

He plays a position where he is hit all game, by 200 pound + guys coming at full speed. Lesser guys have had shoulders, knees, arms, legs give out over time. Lesser people have had one play end it all for them. Favre played in every game. And won a lot of them. If I were to explain to someone who has never watched the game what makes it so interesting, I’d invite them to watch Favre play. If this is indeed the end of the road, he will be missed.

I like Ozzie Guillen. I liked him as a player and I like him as a manager. He often says some things that on the surface may appear to be inflammatory, but usually have some nugget of truth in them. His most recent comments regarding Latin players, Asian players and PED education seems a little off base. The situation he described with Latin players in baseball is exaggerated, because the numbers of Latin American players in the game now shows that overwhelming support is being provided to these players, often at the expense of many others, including American players. Asian players come to the US usually as polished professionals, not 16 year old kids learning the game. There are no more than a dozen total Asian born players in MLB. There are probably a dozen Latin players on every baseball team. Not to mention coaches, managers and trainers. I think an interpreter may be needed for the ones speaking English. Sorry, but Ozzie is very wrong on this topic.

Other players in baseball-mostly black players have complained about the treatment of minorities in the game, and personally it is disgusting to me that baseball teams are building academies in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and other countries and not doing the same here in the US. The stated reasons for that and the obvious reasons should provide outrage, but it doesn’t.

It should come as no surprise that the percentage of black athletes playing baseball is now under 10%. I wonder how Jackie Robinson would feel about that?

I’m posting this video because its been generating a lot of buzz recently. I may be in a decided minority here, but I actually have very little issue with what transpired. A little back story to this whole affair:

The man on the ground in this video was apprehended by the police. He apparently-in front of witnesses-stabbed his wife to death and then attacked and stabbed others who came to her aid. He was also laying on the ground throwing stones at the ’arresting’ officer, as seen on the video. And according to news reports, he had recently been released from prison after serving time for other violent crimes. In other words he is not a law abiding member of any society by any definition you choose to use. He is, was, and to the end remained a criminal.

While I do not think that the police should be judge, jury and executioner, if we are going to be distraught at the loss of life and barbarism of this situation, let it be centered on his dead wife. He acted like an animal and was put down like one.

The police officer was arrogant in his approach, considering the incident was being watched by a crowd and as we now know being videotaped. He should be punished for what he did, which was murder an unarmed man in cold blood and he and the other officers abused their power. But the lowlife in question stabbed a woman to death, and stabbed those who came to her defense. I cannot feel a second of sympathy for him, as far as I’m concerned, he got his just due.

Two criminals met up that fateful day last week. One didn’t make it and the other will most likely get his just desserts soon, but the only victim here is Loveta Wilson. Save the sympathy for her.

And oh, yeah, this video is one of the funniest things i've seen recently. Some people do some really dumb ish dont they?

 

This week its all about Jamaica...Happy 48th birthday!  The first 47 years of independence may have been rocky, but our people, our spirit and our identity remains stronger than ever......in the words of Sizzla, solid as a rock.