The Punch Wasn't The Big Thing

Naturally, the sports talk shows were a-buzz with the sucker punch from Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount Thursday night after the Boise State loss. A sold blow to the jaw of Boise State defensive end Byron Hout that was caught on instant replay. And replayed. And replayed. And replayed. Yesterday, Blount was suspended for the rest of his senior season. And all the debate centered on "was it warranted?" Because of the punch...no. If it ended there...an indefinte suspension with guidelines to be met before he returns. Because it was in the heat of the moment and Hout clearly taunted him (After Bount trash talked all week about how the were going to spank Boise State). And Hout should be disciplined to a lesser degree.

But the punch was secondary to four security guards having to hold back Bount from going into the stands after some taunting Boise State fans. Imagine the nightmare scenerio if they weren't already all over him. He goes into the stands. Yeah, big strong guy. But he is greatly outnumbered. Other fans come from other parts of the stadium to get into the melee. The rest of the Oregon team rushes to his aid. Full scale soccer riot!!!

It's going to happen here someday. Remember the legenday Ron Artest episode in 2004. That could have been a lot worse had it not been at the end of a blowout game and the stands were already emptying. And NBA Commissioner David Stern still suspended Artest for the rest of the season.

The only problem with the Boise incident. No snappy name. The Pacer-Pistons incident at the palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan...easy. "Malace at the Palace". Discuss

Why Is Manny Sleepwalking?

There is a reason the Red Sox paid the Dodgers millions to take him off their hands. There's a reason no one but the Dodgers offered him a big contract in the off season. He's a spoiled, petulant child. When everyone is cheering him, the precocious side comes out like it did at the end of last season. When he's sent to his room for 50 games for cheating, he sulks. And when he sulks, he loafs. The fans boo. And Manny sulks some more.

And there's always the 'roid issue. One of the boosts it gives you is confidence. He's not the deepest thinker in the world. So if this latest slump has his wondering if he'll ever perform at that high level again (something he never worried about before), he's likley to rationalize that he could still do all the things he used to if he tried. But people are being too mean to him.

Either way, in my humble opinion, it's his last hurrah in a Dodgers' uniform.

Dog Days

Former Colts coach Tony Dungy has become Michael Vick's personal mentor... trying to help him stay out of trouble. After seeing photos of Vick drinking in a bar, Tony said... "Michael, you can't do that."

Then he said..."Sit. Now play dead."

As The Race Car Turns

The latest on driver Jeremy Mayfield and his estranged...to say the least..step mother. She's been arrested for tresspassing on his property. And allegedly slugging a caretaker. This after Mayfield was suspended after testing positive for meth-amphetamines...following testimony from Lisa Mayfield that she had seen him use the drug 30 times...which prompted him to accuse her of killing his father.

This is either a sad disintegration of a family. Or a Fox reality show. We're not sure.

Dog Fight-aholic?

Even though it seems every angle has been wrung out the Michael Vick story that can be, there actually is one that's being missed; the nature of addiction. Setting aside (just briefly), the horrific nature of what is going on...studies of addiction...even those that don't involve substance abuse...show a change in brain cells. It's basic. We're wired to attach to pleasure and avoid pain. Over time, the mind adjusts to the high (gambling, etc) to the point that withdrawal is as painful as drugs. Vick admits he has been following dog fights since he was nine years old. That's a long time for the pleasure to become ingrained. He has gotten a rush from it through his formative teen years and all his adult years.

So the argument isn't is he sincere when he says he will never do anything like this again. All addicts say it and mean it. But we all know of people, perhaps intimately, who had every reason to quit...it was ruining their lives....and yet they couldn't. An example is Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. A man who became a folk hero for overcoming terrible addiction. throwing away a multi-million dollar career...then getting it back. Only to be at a bar in January, get drunk with pictures that make the internet. It's a slip. Not the end of his recovery. And not to suggest Michael Vick can't make a recovery from his addiction. But just making a conscious decision to change; even recognizing what's at stake isn't enough. If it were....there would be no need for 12 step meetings. If Vick isn't being couseled as an addict...the lust will still be there. A part of him can see the error of his ways...even sympathize with the animals. But a more powerful part of him still has lust for "the game". He may avoid it until his playing career is over. But it will never fully go away. Knowing you have a problem is indeed half the battle. If you know and accept exactly what that problem is.

The Fickle Finger

Never an off season for news about the Lakers.

Pau Gasol suffered a broken left middle finger practicing with the Spanish National Team. He's had surgery and is out for three weeks.

That's his non-shooting hand. And, except for walking around New York, you can get by without the use of your middle finger.

Jose Cuervo, You Were a Friend of Mine

Titans running back LenDale White dropped 30 pounds in the off season. And he did it with the "Tequila Diet". Now before you get your hopes up...he QUIT drinking Tequila. The former USC star admits he loved slam 'em down but went on the wagon and is now a svelte 229 pounds.

When you are drinking so much tequila that it adds thirty pounds to your frame...your problem might not be diet.