Beyond Belief

When I sat down to construct my 2011 reading list, I made a point to visit a few older books that I have been meaning to read. In fact, the first five books on my list fall into that category, among them two political pieces–Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes and David Brooks’ Bobos* in Paradise–two music works–Jacob Slichter’s So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star: How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful of Record Executives and Other True Tales From a Drummer’s Life and David N. Meyer’s Gram Parson’s biography, Twenty Thousand Roads–and one sports memoir–Josh Hamilton’s Beyond Belief.  The books accurately reflect my interests in life–2 parts politics, 2 parts music and 1 part sports.

First up, I tackled Hamilton’s Beyond Belief, a light read that takes on a heavy subject–Hamilton’s well documented battle with addiction and his transformation into a sports superstar. The book was a Christmas present from my cousin. As huge Texas Rangers fans, we have both been fascinated with Hamilton’s story since he joined the Rangers. I have heard Hamilton recount his story on several occasions on local sports talk radio show, the evening news and read about it in the local paper, not too mention through the national media outlets who continue to harp on his tale of recovery. The book serves a mainly an expansion of these interviews. Indeed, nothing new is recounted in the book, but what the expanded version does provide is a glimpse at how far Hamilton had fallen, which makes his meteoric rise that much more amazing. To think that as recently as 2006, Hamilton was living with his grandmother in North Carolina, in the early stages of his fight against addiction, suspended from baseball, is unfathomable, considering that in 2008 he would be a MLB All-Star and put on a unforgettable show in the Home Run Derby and then in 2010 win the ALCS and regular season MVP trophies.

Beyond Belief is a perfect example of a book, where prose doesn’t matter as much as the substance. After all, Hamilton is a baseball player, not a writer. He gets help from Tim Keown, a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, which helps hold the book together. I read the 256 pages over two nights and it could definitely be devoured in one sitting. It would make for the ideal travel book, where you know you will be on a plane, in an airport or riding in a car, but it’s definitely worth a few hours of your time.

Published in 2008, the book basically ends with Hamilton’s exploits in the Home Run Derby, before he had his infamous relapse and before winning the MVP award, but the gist of the story is there–Hamilton is a man who has overcome a lot and serves as an example to millions of people caught in a struggle. I admit; I am a bit more intrigued with Hamilton because of his uniform. If he played for the Yankees, Red Sox, Brewers, or any other MLB team, I doubt I would find the book as interesting, even though only a brief portion is devoted to his time with the Rangers. The one theme that extends beyond team affiliation is his faith, and those stories alone beg to be told.

Do We Really Need Sports Announcers?

Friday night, TBS scored huge numbers for their coverage of the 2010 American League Championship Series between my Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. TBS did particularly well in the Dallas market earning a 21.9 rating (13.9 rating in NYC), but I have a feeling that given the choice most Rangers would prefer to have an empty announcers booth. The trio of Ernie Johnson, Ron Darling and John Smoltz continue to trivialize the Rangers appearance in the Series and appear to be on YES’s payroll, showering the Yankees with unending praise.

It’s just one more example of how useless sports announcers are in national broadcasts. In basketball and baseball, each team fields their own television and radio broadcast crew. During the course of the regular season, the Rangers and Mavericks crew provide excellent in-game analysis on their respective teams. However, once the post-season begins, the big networks’ contracts kick in, and the local TV crews get pushed out of the picture. Keep in mind, the local TV guys travel with the team throughout the season and know the nuances of the team better than anyone.

The national crews bring in their own guys who know very little about the teams involved. Much of the information they pass along is very basic and adds absolutely nothing to the game itself. Yet the networks sell these guys as the “best in the business.”

I have a couple of suggestions for the networks:

1.) Get rid of announcers completely. As indicated above, they add nothing to the game. Instead, give fans a realistic sense of being at the stadium/arena by showing the game with nothing but the crowd noise and PA announcer. Imagine the money the networks would save in salaries alone.

2.) Use one announcer from each team involved in the game. This way the announcers will have first hand knowledge about the teams the average fan might not be privy to or allow each home market to sync their radio feed with the television broadcast. Again, you’re not losing any revenue. The announcers are still on their respective team’s payroll and the networks end up pocketing more money. It’s a win, win situation.

 

Why Baseball Needs the Rangers to Win

For nearly fifty years, the Texas Rangers have been mired in baseball futility. Dating back to the 1961 inception of the “new” Washington Senators, and continuing through their relocation to Arlington, the Rangers have pieced together only four post-season appearances (all in the expanded eight team format) and up until Tuesday’s win against Tampa Bay, were the only major league franchise to never win a post-season series.

As the sun rose on the 2010 season, it appeared the baseball gods were laughing at the Rangers once again. The Rangers posted a surprisingly strong 2009 showing, but were in deep financial ruin and controlled by Major League Baseball. After the 2009 campaign, it appeared a deal was in place for an ownership group led by Texas legend Nolan Ryan to buy the team, yet as Spring Training began, the true state of the clubs financial woes became apparent and it was evident that the creditors were not going to let the sell of the team go through without a fight.

Even so, many in the baseball world considered the Rangers a favorite to challenge the Angels for the American League West title, but then on March 17, 2010, Rangers manager, Ron Washington admitted to using cocaine during the 2009 season. Fans and media members were shocked that Washington managed to keep his job, but then again, no one really knew who was calling the shots in the front office.

As customary under Wash, the Rangers stumbled out to a 5-9 start on the season. The prize off-season pitching acquisition, Rich Harden, failed to serve as anything more than an empty jersey and star slugger, Josh Hamilton, appeared to washed up. Yet the Rangers’ skipper remained confident, continuing to live by his mottto of “that’s the way baseball go.”

Everyone in the franchise, from upper management all the way down, bought into Washington’s philosophy and approached the game with a care free spirit. The Rangers continued to practice the fundamentals of the game Washington stressed–manufacturing runs, pitching and defense–a new style of baseball for the long-time, long-suffering Rangers fan, but unlike the gorilla ball teams of the past, this incarnation of the Rangers seemed to enjoy every minute of the “great game.”

Fans picked up on the language of the team, which reached beyond ethnic lines and joined together the Latin born and American born players–a claw for a hit, antlers for speed and laughter and smiles all the time.

Josh Hamilton eventually got red hot and the Rangers eventually acquired their ace. Along the way the old man, Michael Young, became the franchise’s all-time hits and triples leader, but the Rangers greatest victory came in the courtroom, where a resilient Greenberg/Ryan ownership group managed to outbid Mark Cuban for the sell of the team. At the exact same moment the deal was announced, Young hit a grand slam to blow open a game in Seattle. Hollywood could not have scripted this season any better.

I grew up during a transition period in the world of professional sports, as the NFL gradually overtook MLB in terms of national popularity. During that time period (roughly 1978 through the present), Major League Baseball, through drug scandals, bloated egos, work stoppages and lack of personality, has lost touch with the American public. There have been no “Big Red Machines,” “We Are Family Pirates,” “Swingin’ A’s,” “Miracle Mets,” or any cleverly nicknamed teams to capture the nation’s attention. While the Rangers lack a good nickname (perhaps the Runnin’ Rangers after Game 5 of the ALDS), they do possess the team personality America embraces.

You look at the Yankees and you see a group of professionals who excel in their field. They are highly trained, highly successful and have earned the right to be called “champions,” but you can tell this is their job–straight faces, no nonsense attitude and the confidence and swagger you would expect to find from any group that performs at the highest level of their chosen field. This persona alienates non-Yankees fans.

Watching the Rangers reminds me of playing baseball as a kid. The laughter, the smiling, the dugout banter, all combine to form a unique chemistry, which carries over onto the field. They play with an aggressive streak, relying more on being opportunistic than settling for conventional baseball wisdom. However, they remain true to the fundamentals of good baseball, bunting, running the bases and employing the hit-and-run, instead of living and dying by the long-ball.

Did we mention that American loves an underdog? Let’s be honest, has any there been a bigger underdog in the League Championship Series in recent memory?

Yes, baseball needs the Rangers to win. Their success makes baseball relevant again outside the I-95 corridor and thus marketable to a much larger audience. Their youthful spirit makes people forget about steroids and strikes. In short, their success makes baseball fun for the masses once again.

After their Game 5 ALDS victory, Ron Washington was asked his thoughts on the team and in vintage Washington vernacular he replied, “they did what they does; they did what they do.” Let’s hope this magic carries over for eight more wins.

It’s time!

The Continuing Story of Dugout Ron

The theater of the absurd surrounding the Ron Washington’s ride on the “white horse,” continues to evolve into one of the strangest, most wheels-off sports story, in the history of Dallas, which considering the Dallas Cowboys, says a lot.

Randy Galloway, a favorite target of Geoausch.Com, wrote a piece for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram this morning alleging a blackmail scheme, on the part of a disgruntled Rangers’ employee, brought this festering pustule to a head. While I may not agree with everything Galloway writes, I do acknowledge that of all the Dallas/Fort Worth media members, his connections in the Rangers’ organization are the deepest.  I tend to believe what I read in his column and have no doubt that the Rangers would have never spoken a word of this incident had Sports Illustrated not obtained the leaked information.

According to Galloway, some of this former employee’s demands were met; however, the officials inside the organization refused to write the employee in question a letter of recommendation.  In other words, team officials were afraid their integrity would be tarnished if they fudged on a letter extolling this guy’s (or gal’s) worth as employee, but didn’t think twice about the reputation of the club being ran by a junkie manager.

Yes, I called the man a junkie, because Ron Washington’s drug history goes far beyond this one little bump.  Anthony Andro, writing for the Rangers blog on the Dallas Morning News’ website, reports that Washington admitted to using “amphetamines” and “marijuana” during his playing days. It was the 1970′s and everyone was using “bennies” and smoking grass, but it makes Washington’s statement yesterday-that he only used coke once-even that much more unbelievable.

While I’ve never had the desire to snort anything up my nose, I have been around cocaine and have had several friends fall victim to the drug’s addictive agents.  One thing I know about the drug is that you don’t do it just once and you certainly don’t try it for the first time when you’re 57-years old. While cocaine may not spawn daily cravings–users can go months or years without using–the taste for the drug never leaves your system. Let’s hope Washington is lying about his past cocaine use, because if he really did try coke out on a whim at the age of 57, his problems are much deeper than they appear on the surface. First of all, does that type of person have the maturity necessary for leading a professional sports team?

This story is just beginning to sprout. I firmly believe that as we near the start of the season (and the official sale of the franchise) more information will come to light regarding this situation and Washington’s past use of illegal substances. Based on Washington’s own statements, we can construct a history that leads us to believe that this type of behavior will repeat itself. Whether or not the Rangers will be open with their fans when such an event occurs is open for debate.

One thing is for sure, I bet the Dallas Morning News is regretting cutting the Rangers’ beat writer position.

Ron Washington v. Josh Hamilton

As the local sports talk shows begin to go heavy into Ron Washington talk, some of Washington’s defenders are starting to emerge. One of the more popular arguments among Wash’s defenders is to bring up Josh Hamilton–the Texas Rangers’ star outfielder who has had his own well documented struggles with drug abuse in the past, including a binge cycle last year prior to spring training. The logic is that the Rangers have remained supportive of Hamilton, in spite of his slip-up last spring, getting rid of Washington would create a double-standard.

Is there double-standard? Yes, and it’s well justified.

Josh Hamilton is a player.  Ron Washington is the MANAGER, and as such is held to a much higher standard. When a player decides to abuse drugs, he risks having a negative impact on his own personal performance. The manager is charged with making every critical decision for the team. If he chooses to abuse drugs, he risks having a negative impact on the entire organization. If we accept that cocaine impairs decision making abilities, the possible scenarios for disaster to strike with a manager under the influence become infinite.

When a player makes a mistake under the influence, the manager, assuming he is lucid, can take the necessary steps to remove the intoxicated player from the game and limit the damage to the team. If the manager is under the influence, there is no one directly able to replace him, unless he retires to the locker room on his own.

What do you guys think? Is it defensible to have a double-standard when dealing with Ron Washington and Josh Hamilton?

What’s the Deal With Ron Washington

The news is breaking that Texas Rangers’ manager Ron Washington has either admitted to using cocaine, tested positive for cocaine use or both, depending on what source you read.  Either way, it appears evident that Ron Washington used cocaine while serving as the leader of this ball club.

As a lifelong Rangers’ fan, I am OUTRAGED!

Just as this team is turning the corner and entering a season with serious hopes of contending for a division title, this news drops.  I firmly believe that a person’s rights end at his or her nose, but when you are the leader of a professional sports team–a person who is responsible for making critical decisions that affect the course of the season–your free pass to engage in recreational drug use is revoked. Your decision making skills affect far too many people.

I could spend the next month pointing out in-game situations from Washington’s tenure here that may have directly been affected by his recreational drug use, but that will accomplish nothing. The Rangers’ fan base needs to take action. We need to let the team, specifically the new ownership group know, that we will not support this team if they continue to support Ron Washington.

Simply put, Ron Washington must be fired NOW!

I want to hear from the Rangers fan base. How do you feel?

Are Pro Athletes Too Friendly With One Another?

The New York Knicks defeated my beloved Mavericks 128-94 tonight. A 34-point loss is probably one of the more curious ways to end a 13 game winning, but after we handed the Knicks their worst loss ever at Madison Square Garden in January, I knew they would be looking for a revenge. Streaks are made to be broken and I knew that eventually the Mavs’ streak would end, but for it to come in such an embarrassing fashion makes it that much worse. There were moments in tonight’s game where I couldn’t tell if the Mavs wanted to be at Paquiao/Clottey fight instead, spent too much time at the Lower Greenville St. Patrick’s Day Parade or if they just wanted to play down to John Hollinger’s expectations. Whatever the case, this was one of those games in an 82 game season a NBA time is going to have.

What made tonight’s loss extremely disappointing is what happened on the court following the game.  Not that it was anything new or unusual, but rather a disturbing trend I’ve seen play out in sports more and more often. As the clock ran out, I saw several Mavericks’ players laughing and carrying on with several of the Knicks’ players. Let me be clear, I have nothing against a friendly handshake at the end of a game as a show of sportsmanship. What bothers me is when professional athletes buddy up with their opponents after a game, especially after a thrashing like tonight.

Rush Limbaugh caught a lot of heat last year when he said he hoped Barack Obama’s policies failed. Whether you agree with Limbaugh or not, his philosophy–to see your opponent defeated–should be one adopted by all professional athletes. When I see athletes goofing around with their opponents, before or after a competition, I immediately begin to question whether or not they truly desire to be the best at what they do. If I were to take such a half-hearted approach at my job–not caring that my competition was destroying me–I would surely be fired.

Not to sound like the “old man,” but when I was a kid, athletes weren’t like this. When I watched Randy White (the Cowboys Hall of Famer, not the Mavericks spare), I knew he wanted to destroy his competition. I didn’t see “The Manster” discussing dinner plans with John Riggins. Likewise, when I saw Nolan Ryan pitch, I saw a man burning with a desire to win. I never saw him fraternizing with opposing batters.

What do you guys think? Do you think professional athletes are too friendly with each other?

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the New York Yankees

I hate(d) the Yankees, beginning with their corners, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, two self absorbed cancers, linked by a common agent, Scott Boras, and committed only to him and their bank accounts. My hatred doesn’t stop there. This is an organization that has won 26 World Series, put over 30 players into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and has millions of fans worldwide. Of course, there’s also my beloved Texas Rangers and their three first round playoff losses–their only playoff appearances–to the Yankees.

Over the past few seasons, I’ve enjoyed watching the Yankees’ post-season futility, but realize that the streak is probably about to end. The Yankees currently hold a 3-2 game lead in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and need only one win to advance to the World Series. I thought about boycotting the World Series entirely if the Yankees advance, but then I had an epiphany. I hated the Yankees for the same reason so many people hate the Dallas Cowboys–success. The New York Yankees franchise is the best franchise in their business. Instead of hating the Yankees, I should be in love with the Yankees. Indeed, the Yankees are free market capitalism at its best.

At a time when capitalism faces daily attacks from the Federal government, the media, the entertainment industry and disillusioned Millennials across the nation, the Yankees stand as a monument to the beauty of capitalism. Compared to other leagues, Major League Baseball is very loosely regulated. No salary cap and a very weak revenue sharing policy, allow owners to spend as much money as they want to improve their product–their team. The system engenders a sense of personal responsibility among owners, rewarding the franchises willing to spend and the franchises with the best front offices and punishing those with frugal owners or those who make bad business decisions.

Throughout his career, George Steinbrenner has experienced success. He’s made a ton of money, a lot of sound investments and has spent that money wisely to add to the Yankee legacy. The Yankees spend almost $60 million more on payroll than any other team in the Majors. Alex Rodriguez’s salary alone is more than the entire payroll for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Every year, the Yankees go out, find the best talent and offer that talent more money than anyone else.  Every year, the Yankees field one of the most competitive teams in the League. Their success generates more revenue, which the front office uses to improve their product/team. This is capitalism in its purest form.

Other teams complain about the unfair advantages caused by the discrepancies in capital between the Yankees and the rest of the league, just as other nations complain about the “unfair advantages” the American economy created during the 20th Century.  Instead of complaining, these teams should learn from the Yankees, take their capital and create greatness. The system rewards hard work and creativity.

What’s your problem with Jerry?

First, I’d like to apologize to my loyal readers. I’m using August as a vacation of sorts, to regroup and reset my blog. I’ll have some very exciting news to share regarding a new blog I’m launching within the next few weeks, so stayed tune.

Until then, football season is upon us and we need to talk some football. A couple of quick questions I thought about over my lunch break:

1.) I’m a life long Dallas Cowboys fan. I was 11 years old when Jerry Jones bought this team and fired my childhood hero, Tom Landry. During the past 20 years, I’ve experienced the highest highs and lowest lows with my team. Through it all, I’ve remembered not to give Jerry too much credit for the glory days and not to throw too much blame his way for the lean years.

I realize that Jerry’s personality rubs some people the wrong way, but I also realize that many of those same personality traits are traits necessary to building a winner. Jerry wants to win and will spare no cost in the attempt to reach his ultimate goal.

Why then do so many Cowboys fans despise Jerry so much? Do they not realize that the Cowboys owner wants to win more than any other owner in the NFL?

Does he make some bone headed decisions? Yes, but we all make mistakes.

2.) There is a small, but vocal, contingency of Rangers fans out there who complain about the amount of attention being placed on the Rangers wild card chase compared to Cowboys preseason action. They seem to be offended that more people want to watch a Cowboys preseason game than a Rangers regular season game.  At this point, ”baseball hubris” kicks in.

“Baseball hubris” is a trait possessed by some hardcore baseball fans who feel that baseball is the only true sports and all others should be ignored. They’ll berate the other leagues and belittle the fans of sports.  

I love baseball, but I don’t get “baseball hubris”. I think football, basketball and golf all have something to offer as well.  In the professional ranks, my love for the Cowboys has never caused me to hate the Rangers or Mavericks. In fact, I find that my love for these teams compliment one another.

Why is it that some Rangers fans HATE the Cowboys (and the NFL) so much?

Vacation Talk

Stephanie and I returned from our Florida vacation yesterday.  After a rough two hour flight, we stepped off the plane and walked out into the welcoming heat of Dallas, Texas.  I missed a few things: Rangers baseball, Mexican food, and the comfort of our own bed, but the vacation provided much needed relief in our lives.

This was my first vacation in over five years, so it was a major adjustment. It began like any other hectic day, waking up at 4:30 AM on Thursday morning to catch a 6:45 AM flight out of Love Field.  I learned that not only would we have to switch planes in Tampa, but also we had to make a stop in New Orleans before even making it to Tampa.  Stress set it in. However, by the time we landed in Tampa, got a Nathan’s hot dog, I began to remember what vacation is all about. We finally arrived in Jacksonville later that afternoon and I learned a lot over the next few days.

Beach side is not always the best side For approximately $300, we got three nights at an ultra hip  boutique hotel (and 3 day car rental).  Situated in a brand new mixed-use development, the hotel featured a post-modern design and furnishings, was centrally located to the major thoroughfares and attractions and all of the usual amenities. Everything in the hotel, from the laundry bags to the key cards, from the “Do Not Disturb” sign to the lounge menus were written in haiku and our room featured a serene view of a scenic lake.

Our other friends, lured by the prospects of beach front lodging, opted for rooms at a more expensive            establishment. Their rooms lacked the character and charm that our rooms had and none of them had actual views of the ocean from their room. Sure, they had easy access to the beach, but they were well removed from the venues of our other festivities. None of their hotel’s literature was written in haiku.

In my opinion, we spent less and got more out of our hotel.

Not until you get away for a while, do you realize just how fast-paced Dallas can be! Dallas has a reputation for being a laid back city. However, after visiting Jacksonville, I wonder if this reputation is really accurate.

For one, Jacksonville is much easier to get around.  We saw virtually no traffic while in Jacksonville and the roads are “user friendly”. Noticeably absent are the congested freeways, mix-masters and annoying toll roads that make driving in Dallas such a hassle. U.S. Highway 1 is a major road in the Jacksonville area. It runs the complete length of Florida and connects Jacksonville with the tourist haven of St. Augustine.  In Dallas, a highway like this would consist of six lanes, entrance and exit ramps, with strip malls and gas stations dotting the side of the road. Although U.S. 1 is four lanes and divided by a media, the 20 mile stretch in between Jacksonville and St. Augustine looks more Louisiana State Highway 1 in between the Texas border and Shreveport with its pine trees and bayous.

In Dallas, everyone wants to be a star; it’s the land of the $30,000 millionaire. People live well above their means to have designer lifestyles complete with the right face, clothes, cars and home. I didn’t really seen any of that in Jacksonville. People were happy with that they had and didn’t try to be someone they were not. It was very refreshing.

Jacksonville residents love their tattoos A lot of people have tattoos, which can be concealed rather easily for day-to-day activities. However, residents in Jacksonville aren’t content with a single tat on their bicep, small of their back, or ankle. Jacksonville residents, both male and female, love the look of the full sleeve and the 3/4 sleeve tat. Apparently, it is acceptable in the Jacksonville business community, because you see them on people of all walks of life.

How the hell did Jacksonville host a Super Bowl? Their airport is about the size of Love Field. As I mentioned earlier, there are few major highways that run through Jacksonville. From what I could tell, most of the lodging is beach based and located well away from Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.  From my understanding, cruise ships were brought in to serve as extra “hotel rooms” for Super Bowl visitors.

The NFL usually chooses cities with a night life to host Super Bowls. Things start to shut down in Jacksonville around 10 PM EST. Seriously, the bar in our hotel had last call at 10:00 PM on the dot. Most restaurants start shutting down around 9 PM or 10 PM as well. How they were ever able to service the teams, fans and media, I will never know.  I’m still amazed that Jacksonville has a NFL team, let alone ever hosted a Super Bowl.

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Now playing: Ernest Tubb – Waltz across Texas (Album)
via FoxyTunes