Sunday, August 26, 2012

Today's Topics: NFL officials, Lance, MLB druggies, Clemens

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Playing a little catch-up following a trip to Boston, NYC and New Jersey ...

NFL and its locked-out officials

Players and coaches are starting to get louder when expressing displeasure at the use of replacement officials.

But you know what? It doesn't matter.

I miscalculated on this one, and so has the officials’ union.

The NFL is intent on getting its way -- a larger pool of officials, work based on merit, and some full-time zebras.

Sure, there have been some blown calls and a few embarrassing moments during the first three weeks of the preseason. The league's spin is the replacement officials are improving weekly.

If the replacements are working come the regular season, you can be sure off-field officials will be wired to on-field refs to try and prevent obvious gaffes.

Teams will live with missed or erroneous calls just as they did when the locked-out officials were working.

The players and coaches can yell all they want. Right now, the NFL has deaf ears.

Armstrong loses Tour de France titles

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency gave Lance Armstrong a lifetime ban from professional cycling and vacated his seven Tour de France titles. (Of course, the USADA doesn't really have the authority to do either.)

Armstrong said he no longer would challenge USADA and declined to exercise his last option by entering arbitration. He again denied taking banned substances in his career despite about a dozen USADA witnesses willing to testify to the contrary.

So, we are to believe:

1. A sport full of dopers was dominated by a non-doper.

2. After years of maintaining his innocence in the public arena, Armstrong suddenly got tired of challenging allegations he doped.

It's hard to believe either one.

Colon joins Melky

Bartolo Colon and Melky Cabrera became the latest major leaguers to be suspended for violating MLB’s drug policy.

Since 2005, when MLB began suspending big-leaguers for performance-enhancing drugs, 24 of the 39 suspensions have been handed to players born in Latin America, including eight of the past 10.

Why so many guilty Latinos, who comprise about 25 percent of MLB rosters?

Many Latin players come from modest to extremely poor backgrounds. Those who strike it rich in America seek to maintain their status for themselves and, in many cases, their families.

It’s also easier to acquire banned drugs in much of Central and South America.

So what's the solution?

Unfortunately, increased education of Latino players won't solve the problem.

While a lifetime ban after failing one test would be extreme, perhaps a two-three year suspension with no pay would have a positive effect.

Rocket returns

Just what does Roger Clemens want?

OK, so he threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. 

Does he want to pitch in the Majors again?  

Doing so simply would be a brief show.

Does he seek money? 

Hard to believe.

Does he expect to win over people who believe he used steroids and HGH? 

Not going to happen.


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