Guest Tigrinum Major Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Bonds, basketball and bogus awards... In a related story April 5 , 2006 -- Bud Selig, commissioner of Major League baseball announced last week that the league will begin an investigation into allegations that San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds used performance enhancing drugs to boost his already prolific numbers. The league’s investigation comes as a result of the publication of the book Game of Shadows which provides specific information on Bonds’ alleged doping. Former Senate Majority Leader and current director of the Boston Red Sox, George Mitchell, was tapped by Selig to lead the inquiry. In a related story, the Hair Club for Men announced it will begin an investigation into allegations that talk show psychobabbler Dr. Phil is bald. Come on. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or even a Senate Majority Leader to know that something happened to boost Bonds’ size and production to gargantuan levels. Seriously. The man’s head grew several hat sizes while he was in his 30s. Chances are it wasn’t a steady diet of Krispy Kremes and orange juice that turned Bonds from Urkel to Arnold. If it was, he’d be on television shilling them. What’s sad is that Bonds didn’t need the boost to be remembered. Before he first allegedly sought a chemical solution he already had Hall of Fame talent. He would have been remembered as one of the best in the game’s history even if he weren’t in juice-aided pursuit of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron and if he hadn’t injected himself to the top of the single season home run board. His decision to pursue the medical path to greatness was allegedly fueled by his jealousy over the attention fawned on Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire when the two were in their epic home-run chase. Bonds, who was at the peak of his game and doing things no other player had ever done, fumed when his accomplishments were all but ignored in the media infatuation with Mark and Sammy. What Bonds didn’t realize then and doesn’t realize now is that the love for McGwire and Sosa was only in part because of their plate prowess. It was their personality that made them interesting. Too bad Bonds couldn’t find a doc to dispense him a manufactured dose of that. On the eve of the NCAA basketball Final Four, the Associated Press announced its choice for Coach and Player of the Year. The AP selected North Carolina coach Roy Williams as Coach of the Year. In a related story, the Associated Press announced its selection of Elvis Presley as best new artist. Roy Williams? Come on. When did these guys vote on this award, at the end of last season? Did any of the AP writers watch basketball this season? Did they notice George Mason (the school, not the person) in the Final Four? Apparently not. Williams was the leading vote getter followed by Villanova’s Jay Wright, Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl (who was beaten out by LSU’s John Brady for SEC coach of the year), Bill Self from Kansas, Thad Matta of Ohio State, John Calipari from Memphis, George Washington’s Karl Hobbs, Ben Howland of UCLA and Al Skinner of Boston College. Note that LSU’s Brady didn’t receive a single AP vote. Also note that George Mason coach Jim Larranga is nowhere to be found. All Larranga did was take his Patriots from the middle of nowhere (also known as the Colonial Athletic Association) to the Final Four. All his team did was beat Michigan State, beat North Carolina -- who was their coach again? -- and beat UConn in the Regional. All three teams have a national championship pedigree. If Williams has any self respect, he’ll take a fingernail file, scrape his name off the AP award, scratch Larranga on there and deliver it personally to Fairfax Virginia. Auburn freshman forward Joey Cameron announced last week that he was transferring from the Plains to a destination as yet undetermined. "The bottom line is it just didn't work out for me," Cameron said. "I wasn't happy with my role, and I wasn't happy with my minutes.†Cameron is one of three players to leave since the beginning of the season and seven who have departed the Tiger program since Jeff Lebo was named head coach. In a related story, it was reported that numerous passengers attempted to depart the Titanic. Okay, so Auburn basketball isn’t quite a disaster of titanic proportions, but the number of players leaving the program has to be a concern. Also of concern should be the seemingly perpetual rebuilding project under Lebo. Basketball programs don’t take ten years to build, just ask Tennessee’s Pearl. In fact if you look beyond football and swimming -- where Tiger coach Dave Marsh just equalled basketball legend John Wooden in number of national championships and passed Bear Bryant in number of SEC titles -- the situation on the Plains is somewhat unnerving. The baseball team plays in one of the nation’s best facilities and is struggling. The Tigers dropped a home series to Elon. Who? If you want a pattern for athletic success look to LSU. The football team won the SEC and national titles in 2003 and played for the SEC crown last season. The men’s and women’s basketball teams made the 2006 Final Four. The baseball team is still the standard by which other SEC teams are judged. Yeah, but those Tigers can’t swim. The South Carolina Gamecocks won their second straight NIT title the week of the NCAA Final Four. In a related story, Laura Lane Pippy was named Miss Watermelon of Forsythe County for the second consecutive year. Congratulations, I guess, to both. 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PChamp119 96 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Apparently he didn't realize that they voted before the Final Four and that it is based on the regular season - hense why no George Mason or LSU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KunzelTiger 0 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Would I REALLY care if we had a basketball team? prolly not. It would just lose me money in the Bracket Pools cause I'd pick Auburn all the way every time. So, thank you Auburn for not being good at basketball! You have helped me win $200 in pool earnings in the last 2 years. And baseball is just as much fun if we're winning or losing..its all about atmosphere. Football on the other hand? Auburn is a football school and thats why I chose it (kinda) !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vatz22au 142 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I for one would like to see some huge improvement with baseball. We have some of the best facilities yet we cannot even be a consistent winner....this year is a flat out bomb. As far as basketball goes, I'd like to see some players actually play for more than a semester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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