The career of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has shifted into the fast lane ever since Coach Jim Harbaugh decided to anoint him as the starter over Alex Smith after Smith got knocked out with a concussion in the 49ers' 24-24 tie with St. Louis on November 11th, 2012. Although Smith is now ready to play, Harbaugh has decided to stick with Kaepernick for the time being, even though the boo-birds are already hollering for Kaepernick's scalp after he made a couple of questionable plays in a 16-13 loss in the return match with the Rams on December 2nd.
Now, all of a sudden, we're finding out that Kaepernick's birth mother wants to "reconnect" with him. Heidi Russo gave up Kaepernick for adoption when he was just an infant because she felt she could not raise him adequately. She was 18 years old, had gotten pregnant out of wedlock, and for undisclosed reasons, did not marry the father. Nevertheless, Russo remained in contact with Colin and his adoptive parents, Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, until Colin turned seven, then the pictures and letters stopped arriving. Since that time, Colin has exchanged a few messages with her, but most of Heidi's tweets have gone unreturned. Heidi professes to have maintained an interest in Colin's growth, having seen Kaepernick play football in person for the first time in 2010 when his University of Nevada-Reno team played at Colorado State. Heidi also professes to have the highest respect for Colin's adoptive parents, who she met again on August 26th, 2012 when she attended the 49ers' preseason game at Denver. Colin did not want to meet with her on that occasion.
Heidi acknowledges the possibility that Colin may not ever want to meet with her. There could be a number of reasons for his reluctance. Denver Broncos tight end Virgil Green, a teammate and roommate of Kaepernick's at Nevada, speculates that Kaepernick might consider it an act of disloyalty towards his adoptive parents to meet with his birth mother. "I've been out to dinner with them and you can see the job they did raising him. I think he would view it as almost treasonous to them to meet with his biological mother or father. They did such a great job giving him everything he needed to be successful in life", explained Green.
But there could be another reason. Colin Kaepernick is now a starting NFL quarterback with a team considered to be a Super Bowl contender. This means a Super Bowl winner's share, in addition to his current salary of $1,164,610. So perhaps Kaepernick is concerned about the possibility that his birth mother wants to renew the relationship in order to exploit him financially. It's happened to other people; highly-paid professional athletes are attractive targets for financial exploitation.
Of course, it is possible that Heidi Russo simply cares about her birth son deeply and genuinely wants to be a part of his life. She's currently a registered nurse, a profession in which there will always be a demand for her services, so it is unlikely that she has any financial problems. But this controversy serves as a reason why it is always best for someone who gives up a child for adoption at birth to permanently remain out of the child's new life, except to make ancestry information available to the child later for medical reasons. If Heidi Russo truly loves her son, she will quit "stalking" him and allow him to be the sole determinant as to whether or not they form a relationship.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Dan Haren Reportedly Signs With Washington Nationals Pending Physical; May Come Back To Haunt The Angels
ESPN is reporting that Los Angeles Angels pitcher Dan Haren, whose contract was bought out by the Angels for $3.5 million in November, has signed with the Washington Nationals, although the signing is contingent upon a successful physical. Haren's performance was impeded by back problems during the 2012 season. Halos Daily reports the contract is for one year at $13.0 million.
If healthy, Dan Haren would provide veteran leadership to a Nationals rotation already including Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler, which helped lead the Nats to the National League Eastern Division title in 2012. One of Haren's past strengths has been his durability; he's made at least 30 starts in eight straight years. Last year was his first time on the disabled list.
However, this move could come back to bite the Angels in the ass. The Angels already dumped Ervin Santana, who blew up to a 9-13, 5.16 record in 2012 when he coughed up an AL-leading 39 home runs, and it is uncertain if they can re-sign Zack Greinke, who's being arduously romanced by the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers as of this post. The Angels did try to fill the prospective gap by trading reliever Jordan Walden to Atlanta for starter Tommy Hanson, but guess what? Like Dan Haren, Hanson also had back problems in 2012. Hanson was 10-5, 3.71 before the All-Star break, but 3-5, 5.69 in the second half after he went on the disabled list from July 31st to August 17th with a lower back strain.
I guess the Angels think a 26-year-old with a back history is a less risky investment than a 31-year-old with a back history.
The Angels still have 20-win ace Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, but Wilson was a bit inconsistent during the second half of the season. After getting off to a 9-4, 2.36 start through June 26th, Wilson went 4-6, 5.24 the rest of the way. Then there's Greinke -- IF he can be re-signed. Then there's Hanson, who must prove he's overcome his back problems. Then we have to hope that Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards can pan out; both were inconsistent at times in 2012. While Williams at least has pinpoint control, the same cannot be said for Richards, who walked one batter every two innings.
If Greinke doesn't re-sign and Williams and Richards don't rise to the occasion, the Angels will wish they had Haren back, particularly if Haren returns to form. Haren is a workhorse who can eat up innings. Perhaps the Angels got a bit gun-shy after being burned so bad by Scott Kazmir and disappointed by Joel Piniero, but it's possible they may have pulled the trigger on Dan Haren a bit too quickly. If Haren's back to normal, the Washington Nationals become the overwhelming favorite to win the N.L. East in 2013 -- and can be spoken of as a potential World Series champion.
If healthy, Dan Haren would provide veteran leadership to a Nationals rotation already including Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler, which helped lead the Nats to the National League Eastern Division title in 2012. One of Haren's past strengths has been his durability; he's made at least 30 starts in eight straight years. Last year was his first time on the disabled list.
However, this move could come back to bite the Angels in the ass. The Angels already dumped Ervin Santana, who blew up to a 9-13, 5.16 record in 2012 when he coughed up an AL-leading 39 home runs, and it is uncertain if they can re-sign Zack Greinke, who's being arduously romanced by the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers as of this post. The Angels did try to fill the prospective gap by trading reliever Jordan Walden to Atlanta for starter Tommy Hanson, but guess what? Like Dan Haren, Hanson also had back problems in 2012. Hanson was 10-5, 3.71 before the All-Star break, but 3-5, 5.69 in the second half after he went on the disabled list from July 31st to August 17th with a lower back strain.
I guess the Angels think a 26-year-old with a back history is a less risky investment than a 31-year-old with a back history.
The Angels still have 20-win ace Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, but Wilson was a bit inconsistent during the second half of the season. After getting off to a 9-4, 2.36 start through June 26th, Wilson went 4-6, 5.24 the rest of the way. Then there's Greinke -- IF he can be re-signed. Then there's Hanson, who must prove he's overcome his back problems. Then we have to hope that Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards can pan out; both were inconsistent at times in 2012. While Williams at least has pinpoint control, the same cannot be said for Richards, who walked one batter every two innings.
If Greinke doesn't re-sign and Williams and Richards don't rise to the occasion, the Angels will wish they had Haren back, particularly if Haren returns to form. Haren is a workhorse who can eat up innings. Perhaps the Angels got a bit gun-shy after being burned so bad by Scott Kazmir and disappointed by Joel Piniero, but it's possible they may have pulled the trigger on Dan Haren a bit too quickly. If Haren's back to normal, the Washington Nationals become the overwhelming favorite to win the N.L. East in 2013 -- and can be spoken of as a potential World Series champion.
Friday, November 30, 2012
AP Survey Indicates Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, And Sammy Sosa Won't Get Enough Votes For The Hall Of Fame In 2013
Apparently the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) can't overlook the association of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa with performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). On November 30th, 2012, ESPN reports that a survey of prospective voters by the Associated Press indicates that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa will not get enough votes for induction into the Hall of Fame on their first try in 2013. In fact, Sosa fares worst of all.
Players need to be named on at least 75 percent on BBWAA ballots for inclusion. Ballots must be submitted to the BBWAA by December 31st, and selections will be announced on January 9th, 2013. Inductions will take place on July 28th. Among voters who expressed an opinion, Bonds received 45 percent support, Clemens 43 percent and Sosa 18 percent. To gain election, Bonds and Clemens would need more than 80 percent support among the voters not surveyed and Sosa would need to get more than 85 percent.
Bonds has denied knowingly using steroids, although a positive test was introduced as evidence during his criminal trial in 2011, in which the jury hung. Clemens has repeatedly denied drug use and was acquitted in 2012 on charges he lied to Congress when he said he didn't take steroids or human growth hormone. Although Sosa was among the 104 positive tests in baseball's 2003 anonymous survey, he told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs. But despite the denials, David Lariviere still thinks there's enough evidence against the three, writing "As a voter for 20 years, there is no way I could vote for any of these three men simply because there is more than enough evidence that they cheated at least once and, most likely, more often. Obviously, there’s no way to know how often they used the performance-enhancing drugs and how much it elevated their statistics, which should automatically disqualify them" in Forbes. But Lariviere presents no objective evidence, believing that mere association with PEDs automatically creates a character issue.
Also typical of those opposed to their inclusion is Thom Loverro, a columnist for The Washington Examiner, who wrote "No one would dare say that Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP with 762 home runs, isn't a Hall of Famer. Nor would anyone say that Clemens, with 354 career victories, 4,672 strikeouts and seven Cy Young Awards, shouldn't be enshrined in Cooperstown. The same goes for Sosa, who finished with 609 career home runs, including 243 of them from 1998 through 2001. Except they cheated -- all of them. And this Hall of Fame is not just about numbers. Three of the six criteria for election to Cooperstown are sportsmanship, integrity and character. Bonds, Sosa and Clemens fail on all three counts."
But typical of those who don't object to their inclusion is San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins, who wrote in an e-mail response "The Hall of Fame's 'character' clause should be stricken immediately, because it's far too late to turn Cooperstown into a church. Whether it was gambling (rampant in the early 20th century), scuffing the baseballs, corking bats, amphetamines or steroids, players have been cheating like crazy forever. It's an integral, if unsavory, part of the culture. I've always had the same criteria: which players were the best performers of their particular era -- so absolutely, I'll vote for Bonds, Clemens and Sosa."
The distinction between Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the one hand, and Sammy Sosa on the other, also has to do with their career records. Jim Caple of ESPN.com believes Bonds and Clemens have stronger resumes than Sosa. The public echoes this distinction in a current Sports Nation poll which now shows Bonds with 44.5 percent, Clemens with 44.0 percent, and Sosa with only 25.7 percent. I agree with this assessment because Bonds and Clemens were more consistent throughout their careers, while Sosa was not particularly productive during the first four years of his career. But Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago thinks Sosa's "good" years were simply too good for Sosa to be delayed or passed up.
Bleacher Report writes, "Regardless of what you think of them as people, there was nothing illegal about what they did and they weren't the only ones doing it. Voting individuals need to get off their high horses and address the different baseball culture that existed in the early '90s and 2000s". And the "cheating" argument loses its punch when you consider that Gaylord Perry, who wrote a book confessing to using the spitter as his "out" pitch for several years, is ALSO in the Hall of Fame. Unless Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa either confess to using PEDs or objective evidence appears, this should not ban them from the Hall of Fame.
Players need to be named on at least 75 percent on BBWAA ballots for inclusion. Ballots must be submitted to the BBWAA by December 31st, and selections will be announced on January 9th, 2013. Inductions will take place on July 28th. Among voters who expressed an opinion, Bonds received 45 percent support, Clemens 43 percent and Sosa 18 percent. To gain election, Bonds and Clemens would need more than 80 percent support among the voters not surveyed and Sosa would need to get more than 85 percent.
Bonds has denied knowingly using steroids, although a positive test was introduced as evidence during his criminal trial in 2011, in which the jury hung. Clemens has repeatedly denied drug use and was acquitted in 2012 on charges he lied to Congress when he said he didn't take steroids or human growth hormone. Although Sosa was among the 104 positive tests in baseball's 2003 anonymous survey, he told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs. But despite the denials, David Lariviere still thinks there's enough evidence against the three, writing "As a voter for 20 years, there is no way I could vote for any of these three men simply because there is more than enough evidence that they cheated at least once and, most likely, more often. Obviously, there’s no way to know how often they used the performance-enhancing drugs and how much it elevated their statistics, which should automatically disqualify them" in Forbes. But Lariviere presents no objective evidence, believing that mere association with PEDs automatically creates a character issue.
Also typical of those opposed to their inclusion is Thom Loverro, a columnist for The Washington Examiner, who wrote "No one would dare say that Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP with 762 home runs, isn't a Hall of Famer. Nor would anyone say that Clemens, with 354 career victories, 4,672 strikeouts and seven Cy Young Awards, shouldn't be enshrined in Cooperstown. The same goes for Sosa, who finished with 609 career home runs, including 243 of them from 1998 through 2001. Except they cheated -- all of them. And this Hall of Fame is not just about numbers. Three of the six criteria for election to Cooperstown are sportsmanship, integrity and character. Bonds, Sosa and Clemens fail on all three counts."
But typical of those who don't object to their inclusion is San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins, who wrote in an e-mail response "The Hall of Fame's 'character' clause should be stricken immediately, because it's far too late to turn Cooperstown into a church. Whether it was gambling (rampant in the early 20th century), scuffing the baseballs, corking bats, amphetamines or steroids, players have been cheating like crazy forever. It's an integral, if unsavory, part of the culture. I've always had the same criteria: which players were the best performers of their particular era -- so absolutely, I'll vote for Bonds, Clemens and Sosa."
The distinction between Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the one hand, and Sammy Sosa on the other, also has to do with their career records. Jim Caple of ESPN.com believes Bonds and Clemens have stronger resumes than Sosa. The public echoes this distinction in a current Sports Nation poll which now shows Bonds with 44.5 percent, Clemens with 44.0 percent, and Sosa with only 25.7 percent. I agree with this assessment because Bonds and Clemens were more consistent throughout their careers, while Sosa was not particularly productive during the first four years of his career. But Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago thinks Sosa's "good" years were simply too good for Sosa to be delayed or passed up.
Bleacher Report writes, "Regardless of what you think of them as people, there was nothing illegal about what they did and they weren't the only ones doing it. Voting individuals need to get off their high horses and address the different baseball culture that existed in the early '90s and 2000s". And the "cheating" argument loses its punch when you consider that Gaylord Perry, who wrote a book confessing to using the spitter as his "out" pitch for several years, is ALSO in the Hall of Fame. Unless Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa either confess to using PEDs or objective evidence appears, this should not ban them from the Hall of Fame.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Why Barry Bonds And Roger Clemens Deserve Election To The Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame
I can think of no better excuse to re-start this blog than the latest Hall of Fame ballot which has just been published on November 28th, 2012. Included on the ballot are three prominent superstars who are suspected to have used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during their careers -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa. For all three, it is their first time on the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) ballot; they will each need to be named on at least 75 percent of the BBWAA ballots to qualify for induction. The outcome will be announced on January 9th, 2013.
All three have imposing credentials. Barry Bonds is the all-time home run champion with 762 and won a record seven MVP awards. Roger Clemens set a record with seven Cy Young trophies and Sammy Sosa hit 609 homers. But all three were linked to PEDs, although unlike Mark McGwire, who's also on the ballot this year for his seventh time, they've never admitted to using the drugs. I've hot-linked their names to the career stats on Baseball Reference.
Reaction to their possible induction is mixed. Much of the public seems receptive, since none of the three admitted to using PEDs. Here's a screenshot of a Sports Nation public poll currently in progress.
However, Curt Schilling, currently an ESPN analyst who's on the HOF ballot for the first time this year, said he'd never vote for them. "Here's the thing, it generally goes this way with people who are caught doing stuff: You generally never catch someone on the first go-around. These guys to some degree or another in different cases cheated and in some cases cheated for a lengthy period of time", said Schilling.
The problem is that so many players were linked to PEDs during the "Steroid Era" of the late 90s/early 00s that you would have to keep out the lion's share of superstars who played during that era. Is it their fault that the Lords of Baseball refused to recognize the problem and take corrective measures during that time? Furthermore, these players didn't take PEDs to get high; they took them to get more out of their bodies. Conscious of the fact that they were making seven-figure salaries at the time, they felt the need to get more out of the physical tools that already put them at the top of their game. Just because these superstars were making gargantuan salaries doesn't mean they didn't still take personal pride. They wanted to help their teams win -- and prolong their careers as long as possible.
Consequently, unless they suddenly admit they took PEDs, I would consider Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to be slam dunks for admission to the HOF this year. In the case of Sammy Sosa, I'm not so enthusiastic -- while he hit 609 career home runs, he was not consistent throughout his entire career. His first four years were rather ordinary, and he aged quickly in his 30s, so Sosa should wait. I predict of the three, Roger Clemens may have the best chance to get selected this year, since he succesfully defended himself in two trials for allegedly lying to Congress (although Congress never gets put on trial for lying to us).
All three have imposing credentials. Barry Bonds is the all-time home run champion with 762 and won a record seven MVP awards. Roger Clemens set a record with seven Cy Young trophies and Sammy Sosa hit 609 homers. But all three were linked to PEDs, although unlike Mark McGwire, who's also on the ballot this year for his seventh time, they've never admitted to using the drugs. I've hot-linked their names to the career stats on Baseball Reference.
Reaction to their possible induction is mixed. Much of the public seems receptive, since none of the three admitted to using PEDs. Here's a screenshot of a Sports Nation public poll currently in progress.
However, Curt Schilling, currently an ESPN analyst who's on the HOF ballot for the first time this year, said he'd never vote for them. "Here's the thing, it generally goes this way with people who are caught doing stuff: You generally never catch someone on the first go-around. These guys to some degree or another in different cases cheated and in some cases cheated for a lengthy period of time", said Schilling.
The problem is that so many players were linked to PEDs during the "Steroid Era" of the late 90s/early 00s that you would have to keep out the lion's share of superstars who played during that era. Is it their fault that the Lords of Baseball refused to recognize the problem and take corrective measures during that time? Furthermore, these players didn't take PEDs to get high; they took them to get more out of their bodies. Conscious of the fact that they were making seven-figure salaries at the time, they felt the need to get more out of the physical tools that already put them at the top of their game. Just because these superstars were making gargantuan salaries doesn't mean they didn't still take personal pride. They wanted to help their teams win -- and prolong their careers as long as possible.
Consequently, unless they suddenly admit they took PEDs, I would consider Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to be slam dunks for admission to the HOF this year. In the case of Sammy Sosa, I'm not so enthusiastic -- while he hit 609 career home runs, he was not consistent throughout his entire career. His first four years were rather ordinary, and he aged quickly in his 30s, so Sosa should wait. I predict of the three, Roger Clemens may have the best chance to get selected this year, since he succesfully defended himself in two trials for allegedly lying to Congress (although Congress never gets put on trial for lying to us).
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Dan Wheldon Expressed Concern About His Race Car Just 24 Hours Before Fatal Crash In Las Vegas
Just 24 hours before his fatal crash at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dan Wheldon noted that things hadn't been going very well as he and his team started their pursuit of the $5 million GoDaddy IndyCar Challenge. During Thursday's practice session and Friday's practice and qualifying sessions, they were quite a bit off the pace in the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins Magnolia/William Rast Dallara/Honda. Off the pace in auto racing can mean as little as three mph off the pace, because the deficit can add up quickly.
Little did he know that it was about to get worse -- a whole lot worse -- on Sunday October 16th. The video below shows what happened. The problem begins with a puff of smoke at the 0.11 second point, and ends up with 15 cars involved:
Dan Wheldon was in the car that went airborne on lap 13, flew for about 200 yards, and smashed into the wall just outside turn 2. Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power, were hurt in the pileup. The wreck left Townsend Bell upside down and smoldering cars and debris littered the track nearly halfway up the straightaway of the 1.5-mile oval. Wheldon was airlifted to a nearby hosptial, but his injuries proved to be unsurvivable. Bleacher Report has a list of all drivers affected by the crash.
Wheldon was well behind the first wave of cars that got into trouble on the fateful lap, but still had no way to avoid the wrecks in front of him. There was no time to brake or steer out of trouble. "I saw two cars touch each other up in front of me and then I tried to slow down, couldn't slow down," driver Paul Tracy said. "Then Dan's car, from what I saw in the videos, came over my back wheel and over top of me. Just a horrendous accident."
Getting the remaining drivers off the track long enough to clear the track was also a daunting task. Ryan Briscoe explained "The debris we all had to drive through the lap later, it looked like a war scene from Terminator or something. I mean, there were just pieces of metal and car on fire in the middle of the track with no car attached to it and just debris everywhere. So it was scary, and your first thoughts are hoping that no one is hurt because there's just stuff everywhere. Crazy."
By the way, the remainder of the race was cancelled, and drivers did a five-lap tribute to Wheldon after the track was cleared. Points-leader Dario Franchitti, who avoided the crash, ended up clinching his third straight title and fourth overall. Wheldon, a two time Indianapolis 500 winner and former rookie of the year, leaves behind his wife, Susan, and his two kids, Sebastian and Oliver. When someone makes a mistake at 225 miles per hour, there simply is no time to react if one is too close; this is a risk all drivers accept.
Little did he know that it was about to get worse -- a whole lot worse -- on Sunday October 16th. The video below shows what happened. The problem begins with a puff of smoke at the 0.11 second point, and ends up with 15 cars involved:
Dan Wheldon was in the car that went airborne on lap 13, flew for about 200 yards, and smashed into the wall just outside turn 2. Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power, were hurt in the pileup. The wreck left Townsend Bell upside down and smoldering cars and debris littered the track nearly halfway up the straightaway of the 1.5-mile oval. Wheldon was airlifted to a nearby hosptial, but his injuries proved to be unsurvivable. Bleacher Report has a list of all drivers affected by the crash.
Wheldon was well behind the first wave of cars that got into trouble on the fateful lap, but still had no way to avoid the wrecks in front of him. There was no time to brake or steer out of trouble. "I saw two cars touch each other up in front of me and then I tried to slow down, couldn't slow down," driver Paul Tracy said. "Then Dan's car, from what I saw in the videos, came over my back wheel and over top of me. Just a horrendous accident."
Getting the remaining drivers off the track long enough to clear the track was also a daunting task. Ryan Briscoe explained "The debris we all had to drive through the lap later, it looked like a war scene from Terminator or something. I mean, there were just pieces of metal and car on fire in the middle of the track with no car attached to it and just debris everywhere. So it was scary, and your first thoughts are hoping that no one is hurt because there's just stuff everywhere. Crazy."
By the way, the remainder of the race was cancelled, and drivers did a five-lap tribute to Wheldon after the track was cleared. Points-leader Dario Franchitti, who avoided the crash, ended up clinching his third straight title and fourth overall. Wheldon, a two time Indianapolis 500 winner and former rookie of the year, leaves behind his wife, Susan, and his two kids, Sebastian and Oliver. When someone makes a mistake at 225 miles per hour, there simply is no time to react if one is too close; this is a risk all drivers accept.
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