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My, how the tone has changed
with respect to the labor talks in the NFL. All of sudden the gloom
and doom that was preached, the millions of dollars spent on legal
fees that just fatten the pockets of lawyers filing frivolous
lawsuits has now been replaced by starting dates for training camp
and ticket drives.
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Yes, there
will be a season and it should start on time, which says to me the
whole “lockout” mode we had been in was a farce. Both sides proved
they were not as dumb as I initially thought.
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Lesson
learned here? You bet. Do not get caught up in what billionaires do
unless it directly effects your job. Both sides could have cared
less about you and me as that dollar bill they were both chasing
was what this was about from day one. Now
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I can now
focus on the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio in August. Normally
I am not the one who would be interested in a pre-season football
game but the events leading up to this one will be special as
Marshall Faulk will be inducted this year, an honor that is much
deserved. I will get more
into Faulk in the upcoming weeks.
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But yes, I
may be ready for some football no matter how bad it could be this
season as coaches and players have the built-in excuse of the
lockout. Not buying it here. Those who were bad before the lockout
will still be bad, not because of missed practice
time.
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“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Your 2011 St. Louis Cardinals (finally) “font-family: Verdana;”>
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As the
Cardinals start the second portion of the season, the question
still remains: Do they have enough?
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For the first
time in some time, the team that was put on paper in the spring
will actually get a chance to play on the field starting in
Cincinnati this weekend. With that in mind, I should remind you
that performance and health are two different things here, as there
have been some players who have been healthy who have not performed
to expectation.
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If the
Redbirds had not had so many errors in key spots in the game as
well as not executing routine major league plays, this would be a
different season. Had the bullpen and the back end of the starting
rotation not melted down in some stages of the season, the
Cardinals would have a near double digit lead.
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But I guess
that is why you play the games.
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There are
roughly 70 games to go, so we are in a near sprint mode. The
current roster will have their challenges in winning, so outside
help will be needed. How and where they get that from will be up to
General Manager John Mozaliek. The sooner the better as Milwaukee,
Cincinnati and Pittsburgh all think they can win too and they will
also be trying to bolster their rosters.
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“font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Roger, Barry and O.J. “font-family: Verdana;”>
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I will be
interested to see the coverage of the Roger Clemens case. He, like
Barry Bonds, was accused of lying to the authorities. While the
Bonds trial was not on the level of O.J., many paid attention, as
many wanted a conviction and eventual hanging. They barely got the
conviction as the evidence we thought was there never materialized
in court.
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In Clemens’
case, there are more witnesses as well as evidence. Will this be
tried in the court of public opinion like Barry Bonds’ case? The
answer is yes, to a point. A point that stops only because most of
sport has moved on from the steroid era. The biggest problem is the
frustration that no one really went to jail for any of the
so-called crimes against the game.
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As for
Clemens, he is taking his argument to the grave.
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His trial
comes at the time of year when there is only baseball to talk
about, so we may learn more than we did in the Bonds trial as
editors will be clambering for more, even if writers make some it
up.
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One thing we
don’t take into account is the money these players spend to stay
out of jail. It was reported that Bonds spent somewhere in the
vicinity of $30- 35 million. The tab has not stopped running for
Clemens but one has to think he may spend more.
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These players
made a lot of money while they were playing. They no longer play,
so what now? Something will have to give, as there are not enough
card shows to sign autographs for a person who has been scorned by
the game and its fans. Does anyone know a bankruptcy lawyer? Roger
and Barry may want to have one warming up in the
bullpen.
