Yesterday was one of the most boring days in sports. In fact, most years, the day before and after the MLB All-Star Game are the only days of the entire calendar year that an American pro sports league is not playing some games. The NHL and NBA All-Star Breaks don't overlap, so one is always playing during the other's. No, it is only in the heat of summer we get a couple off days.
But don't fret - baseball returns tonight and we'll have more regularly-scheduled Daily Sports Update programming again tomorrow as games are played and division races continue. Also to be featured moving forward will be the likely drama of the MLB trade deadline, as teams decide if they're buying or selling as everyone pushes towards the finish. Someone from the AL Central has to make a statement, or I think whoever wins that division is just going to go quietly into the night when they make the playoffs - but I maintain that I think the Tigers have the best chance of winning playoff games out of the division, if only because of Justin Verlander.
A couple NFL notes -
As rumors come out about the NFL labor talks, I feel more and more confident that we'll have a season. This pleases me and it should please you - I know football better than baseball and feel I can offer more insights on a football season than a baseball season. But hey, I'm learning. And I'm a pretty avid fantasy football fan (expect a weekly fantasy football column if there is a season).
James Harrison went off on the commissioner again, this time in an interview for Men's Journal. Now, I don't mind nor do I disagree with many of Harrison's antipathies towards Roger Goodell. I do think Harrison was unfairly targeted and used as Exhibit A in Goodell's case for player safety last year. And I think Goodell is owned by the owners - he clearly advocates for them and seems to lack understanding or empathy or something for the player side, more often than not, unlike his predecessor, who was more even-handed. So I definitely think Harrison has a valid beef with Goodell. But his tirade was just that - a tirade. He used language that I don't think anyone wants to use as a professional and, unfortunately, his choice of words (and imagery; see the article) make him look and seem more like a thug mouthing off than someone offering a valid criticism. He speaks highly of his teammate Troy Polamalu - he should take after the man's example, then, and learn to speak his mind in a more respectful manner.
Harrison's tirade does make me think one thing though, something that I thought immediately when the lockout started - how will players react to Goodell after? Goodell's tenure as commissioner so far has three major points to it: 1) heavier penalties on defenders, often including fines; 2) disciplinary meetings for code of conduct violations that often result in suspensions; 3) a lockout in which he is clearly sided with the ownership. None of these make for a good working relationship with the player base. Harrison's choice of words might have been poor, but I imagine his resentment towards Goodell resonates through much of the league. I am interested to see how that plays out once football returns and things return to a semblance of normalcy.
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