Today's Topics: Melky, Cam

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San Francisco Giants OF Melky Cabrera, serving a 50-game suspension for a positive drug test, has disqualified himself from the National League batting race.

Cabrera's .346 average this season currently leads the league.

While it's hard to refuse Cabrera's gesture, a player should not be able to remove himself from contending for an individual honor. The league or Commissioner's office should have the guts to make such a call.

As stated here in the previous post – a player who tests positive for an illegal drug should have his statistics erased for the year in which he tested positive. 

If a player does not test positive, no matter what rumors or beliefs exist, that player's stats should remain official.

Superman turns into Clark Kent

Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton clearly needs to grow up.

With his team trailing the N.Y. Giants 23-0, Newton scored a TD with 6:25 left in the third quarter. He then stood in the end zone and imitated Clark Kent ripping his shirt to display the Superman logo.

Lesson No 1: When you and your team are getting your asses whipped, nobody's going to believe you have anything in common with Superman.

During and after the 36-7 loss -- in which he threw 3 INTs -- Newton displayed total dejection. 

In fact, receiver Steve Smith criticized Newton for his demeanor.

During his postgame media conference, Newton said the Giants had nothing to do with Carolina losing -- it was all lack of execution by the Panthers.

Lesson No. 2: Winning NFL quarterbacks stand tall in victory and defeat. They don't blame teammates (are you listening Jay Cutler?) and they don't act like a First Grader who had his lunch stolen.

Today's Topics: Melky, Skins' Morgan, Oregon HS star, Jays' Escobar

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So Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera, currently serving a 50-game suspension for a positive drug test, could win this season's NL batting title with a .346 average.

Commissioner Bud Selig says MLB likely won’t interfere because “once you get into that, it would never stop.”

Here’s how you do it, Bud. If a player tests positive during a season, his statistics for that season get erased. Period.

Such a penalty might actually curb the use of enhancement drugs in MLB. 

There are some players, despite never having tested positive, who have been grouped with drug users. Those players' stats should not be affected.

Doesn’t seem right? Hey, life isn’t always fair. 

Besides, people such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, etc., might not have tested positive but they still must live with many people convinced they used illegal enhancements. 

Some Redskins fans are Twits

Joshua Morgan’s boneheaded actions on Sunday didn't inspire comment here. After all, was it really news a player committed a stupid, selfish act and hurt his team?

If you missed it, the Redskins receiver was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on Washington’s final drive during a 31-28 loss to St. Louis. The costly penalty hurt the Skins' chances of at least attempting a game-winning field goal.

But now, Morgan should be commended for how he has dealt with fans' reactions, such as death threats expressed on Twitter. Sick.

Morgan said the threats have motivated him to stay focused. He also planned to keep active his Twitter account.

“The only thing I take seriously is football and my family, and nothing really scares me,” Morgan said.

High school hijinks

Upon first learning that Oregon high school star Thomas Tyner rushed for 644 yards and scored 10 TDs in a game last weekend, I was embarrassed … for Tyner and his coach.

Allowing one player to compile such numbers in a high school game is a joke, though the opposition probably doesn't agree. And those numbers go beyond the ol', "If the defense doesn't want to be embarrassed, it should have stopped him." Please.

It wasn’t like Tyner needed the publicity. The Aloha HS star is one of the country’s top running back recruits and has verbally committed to Oregon.

Then I focused on the final score: Aloha 84, Lakeridge 63.

Does anybody play defense in Oregon? Lakeridge at least should have tried a box-and-1.

Then again, maybe Oregon High School football plays 7-on-7?

Or perhaps, as a Canada neighbor, Oregonians use a CFL-sized field?

NHL -- No Hockey Long-term

Prediction: Either the 2012-13 hockey season begins with the Winter Classic, or the entire season will be lost.

Black eye for Jays' Escobar

Blue Jays shortsop Yunel Escobar was given a three-game suspension for displaying a gay slur on his eye-black during a recent game.

Escobar and Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen, among others, said the derogatory word Escobar displayed often is expressed in a joking manner among some Spanish-speaking people.

Even if that's true, Escobar certainly needed to take responsibility. But there's a bigger issue.

MLB and the teams need to do a better job educating Latin American ballplayers about U.S./Canada cultures and customs. The league also should demand players learn some English and speak it publicly.

Many Latino players understand, even speak, English but choose not to. One reason is they fear being misunderstood. Other reasons include laziness, selfishness and choosing to be uncooperative.

Nobody's saying Latino ballplayers should become orators. They simply should exhibit an understanding that they know where they are living the American dream.

Today's Topic: Notre Dame joins the ACC

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Notre Dame joining the ACC might have been a surprise initially because news hadn’t leaked before the official announcement.

Really, the move was inevitable.

Oh, the Big Ten seemed to be a more logical place for Notre Dame, but it was just a matter of time before the small South Bend school sent its own shockwaves through the reshaped college landscape.

The biggest news is not that ND will be joining the ACC in all sports except football and hockey. The significant part of the deal is this: the Fighting Irish football team will play five ACC teams annually.

Basically, Notre Dame football will remain independent in name and revenue only.

You see, tradition means little in college athletics today. It’s all about self interest, survival and money -- and the three usually are intertwined. Kudos to school president Rev. John Jenkins and athletic director Jack Swarbrick for understanding that.

Notre Dame needed to leave the Big East. The once proud, powerful conference, especially in terms of basketball, is dying; its football league already is on life support.

ND officials needed to find a new home for their non-football sports while looking out for the future of their signature program.

With restructured mega conferences having added complexity to future football scheduling, the Irish needed to avoid slates filled with mid-major and Big East foes.

Even with five ACC games, Irish fans still will see their team play Southern California annually. Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Navy and Army likely will remain as regular foes, though probably not every year.

Notre Dame gives the ACC a credible institution, and the league gives the Irish quality competition in all sports.

From a football perspective, the Irish still will recruit nationally while becoming a bigger presence in the South. Oh, and the lucrative NBC TV contract isn't going anywhere soon.

Notre Dame football never has been irrelevant.  Sure, it has been absent from national title contention much of the past 20 years, when many school officials were guilty of death-gripping tradition and the idea the Irish could survive alone.

That’s not the case anymore. Everybody knows that. It’s as easy as A-C-C.

Today's Topics: Ark., UCLA, ND, Modell/Browns, Clemens

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A couple of quick things from College Football Week 1:

Couldn’t help but smile when I saw the score: La.-Monroe 34, Arkansas 31 (OT)

That’s because Razorbacks head coach John L. Smith took over at Arkansas after ditching his alma mater (Weber State) before even coaching a game there.

Smith turned his back on his own to grab a spotlight job in the SEC.

He’s not the only coach who would have done that, but his bolting Weber State left a bad taste in my mouth.

La.-Monroe’s victory served as some mouthwash.

BTW, earlier last week, Smith filed for bankruptcy concerning debts incurred through real estate investments in Kentucky.

Smith last week paid the price for multiple decisions.

Not sure why UCLA football has suffered through such a long period of national irrelevance, but beating Nebraska might be a sign the Bruins are headed in the right direction under Jim Mora.

The team is very young – inexperience that will be costly at times during the season. Saturday’s night victory, however, got people’s attention.

Even people at USC.

Saints suspensions overturned

Funniest thing seen in light of Saints players having there Bounty-gate suspensions overturned by a three-person NFL panel was ESPN’s Mark Schlereth saying the league was a brotherhood and he never knew of a player intentionally trying to hurt another player.

Typing that has me laughing again.

A’s pitcher recovering

Never like to hear that a McCarthy is hurting, and that’s especially true after learning A’s right-hander Brandon McCarthy was hit in the head by a line drive on Wednesday night.

The most important update is that McCarthy appears to be recovering. He’s even Tweeting from the hospital!

How a guy who nearly dies after being hit by a lined baseball can take the mound again is beyond me.

But never underestimate a McCarthy. J

Former Browns owner Modell dies

As an outsider looking in, I thought it was a crime when Art Modell moved his Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore.

OK, he owned the team and felt he got a raw deal from the city officials. But the Browns had a large, loyal following -- the Cleveland fans had a right to be incensed.

At least Modell and the NFL did the right thing by leaving the Browns’ name and history in Cleveland. Thus, we have the Ravens.

Upon learning of Modell’s death last week, some Cleveland fans commented that time and a new Browns franchise helped heal the wounds. Good for them.

Sadly, other Cleveland fans reiterated hatred for Modell, among other things.

Let’s hope the bitter fans have better perspective when something really significant, tragic and/or important happens in their lives.

Irish delay (inevitable?) Kelly Watch

Notre Dame pulled out a last-second victory against Purdue, perhaps aided by a no-call when the play clock appeared to have expired.

The Irish avoided a loss that, fairly or unfairly, would have started the clock on the Brian Kelly Watch.

With a murderous schedule, Notre Dame likely will lose several times in 2012. But beginning 1-1 for a fourth straight year, and following a disappointing home defeat, many Irish fans would have been left feeling dismayed and unhappy quicker than expected.

The enhanced Rocket

Drug-aided or not, Roger Clemens clearly is an enhanced version of other 50 year olds.

Just taking the mound in an independent league and shutting down batters half his age is impressive.

Clemens should pitch as long as he can. It's not like his Hall of Fame status would be affected, since he's not going to Cooperstown for a while, at best.