Friday, December 03, 2004
Potpourri
Whether you think the firing of Tyrone Willingham was racially motivated or that he was just not given enough of a chance, most people seem to be pretty critical of Notre Dame this week. I think The Irish look kind of foolish from a different angle.
It seems to me that the firing of Willingham had less to do with Tyrone than it had to do with Urban Meyer. Sure, they weren't happy with their record the past two seasons, but I think the presumed availability of a better coach (in their minds anyway) was the clincher.
However, now that Meyer has reportedly agreed to take over at Florida, Notre Dame appears to be left standing with its golden dome in the wind. They look like Ethan Embry in "Can't Hardly Wait" when he sees Jennifer Love Hewitt making out with her cousin. As Bill Simmons would say, Notre Dame is making The Ethan Embry Face.
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So now we know for a fact that Barry Bonds used steroids. Finally. His image is certainly forever tarnished, not that it was all that sterling to begin with, but I am wondering how this will affect the reverie in which his records and incredible achievements are held.
While the use of steroids is clearly an illegal means of greatly increasing strength and muscle mass, I wonder if it really gives Bonds, or anyone, an unfair advantage in homerun hitting. If this were tee-ball or even slowpitch softball, I could see it, but a homerun in baseball seems to be more a matter of timing, coordination, and bat speed rather than arm strength. I suppose you could argue that his beefed up arms allow him to swing a reasonably heavy bat a lot more quickly. The reduced power numbers over the past two seasons would certainly support that theory or just that steroids do affect homeruns in general. I am not sure, even given that correlation, that Bonds' numbers should have an asterisk attached to them. Depending on which player you talk to, you'll hear that perhaps as many as 80% of major league players are using steroids or have used them in the last five years. Yet only one hit 73 homeruns in a single season. Of course, the counterargument is that hitting better than others whom are also on steroids does not prove that his numbers are not inflated compared to what they would be if he were drug free. We may never know for sure, but Barry's dominance has got to still count for something.
Bonds is regarded as one of the greatest hitters of all-time because of his bat speed, his coordination, and his keen batting eye that seems to have laser-like precision. Subtract ten feet from 60% of his homeruns and he is still going to be hailed as such. Joe just reminded me that Bonds did win an MVP in Pittsburgh, before any of this steroid controversy. He also had another incredible season in 2004 when it was presumed that steroid use was greatly decreased.
Barry Bonds will still get into the Hall of Fame, as he should. Maybe they'll give his section bad lighting or stick it right next to the men's room, but he will still be there. I hate to close my thoughts on Bonds by starting onto someone else, but if Bonds gets in, don't they have to let Pete Rose in as well?
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Speaking of the greatest hitters of all-time, the bat that Babe Ruth used to hit the first ever homerun at Yankee Stadium was sold at auction for $1.26 million. What amazes me is that the bat made of solid ash is 36 inches long and weighs a massive 46 ounces! That is positively Flinstonian! I can barely manage a modern 32 oz. bat. I couldn't benchpress a 46-er! I would need written notice of a pitch five days in advance in order to swing lumber like that!
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It seems to me that the firing of Willingham had less to do with Tyrone than it had to do with Urban Meyer. Sure, they weren't happy with their record the past two seasons, but I think the presumed availability of a better coach (in their minds anyway) was the clincher.
However, now that Meyer has reportedly agreed to take over at Florida, Notre Dame appears to be left standing with its golden dome in the wind. They look like Ethan Embry in "Can't Hardly Wait" when he sees Jennifer Love Hewitt making out with her cousin. As Bill Simmons would say, Notre Dame is making The Ethan Embry Face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So now we know for a fact that Barry Bonds used steroids. Finally. His image is certainly forever tarnished, not that it was all that sterling to begin with, but I am wondering how this will affect the reverie in which his records and incredible achievements are held.
While the use of steroids is clearly an illegal means of greatly increasing strength and muscle mass, I wonder if it really gives Bonds, or anyone, an unfair advantage in homerun hitting. If this were tee-ball or even slowpitch softball, I could see it, but a homerun in baseball seems to be more a matter of timing, coordination, and bat speed rather than arm strength. I suppose you could argue that his beefed up arms allow him to swing a reasonably heavy bat a lot more quickly. The reduced power numbers over the past two seasons would certainly support that theory or just that steroids do affect homeruns in general. I am not sure, even given that correlation, that Bonds' numbers should have an asterisk attached to them. Depending on which player you talk to, you'll hear that perhaps as many as 80% of major league players are using steroids or have used them in the last five years. Yet only one hit 73 homeruns in a single season. Of course, the counterargument is that hitting better than others whom are also on steroids does not prove that his numbers are not inflated compared to what they would be if he were drug free. We may never know for sure, but Barry's dominance has got to still count for something.
Bonds is regarded as one of the greatest hitters of all-time because of his bat speed, his coordination, and his keen batting eye that seems to have laser-like precision. Subtract ten feet from 60% of his homeruns and he is still going to be hailed as such. Joe just reminded me that Bonds did win an MVP in Pittsburgh, before any of this steroid controversy. He also had another incredible season in 2004 when it was presumed that steroid use was greatly decreased.
Barry Bonds will still get into the Hall of Fame, as he should. Maybe they'll give his section bad lighting or stick it right next to the men's room, but he will still be there. I hate to close my thoughts on Bonds by starting onto someone else, but if Bonds gets in, don't they have to let Pete Rose in as well?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Speaking of the greatest hitters of all-time, the bat that Babe Ruth used to hit the first ever homerun at Yankee Stadium was sold at auction for $1.26 million. What amazes me is that the bat made of solid ash is 36 inches long and weighs a massive 46 ounces! That is positively Flinstonian! I can barely manage a modern 32 oz. bat. I couldn't benchpress a 46-er! I would need written notice of a pitch five days in advance in order to swing lumber like that!
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:19 PM 
