THE Bud Selig Era should be marked by an asterisk and a laugh-track.
Consider that the Federal Drug Administration, on Oct. 28 of last year, ruled that the new designer steroid, THG, is an illegal drug.
Last week, Selig boldly declared that MLB has added THG to its list of banned substances. Hmmm, banning the use of an illegal drug. Imagine that.
And to think that we once accused Selig of giving the drug issue a look-away pass! And shame on all of us for even suggesting that Selig, more than 30 years in the game, hadn’t noticed that players, roughly 15 years ago, began to show up as anvils.
Next week Selig plans to announce that regardless of the collective bargaining agreement, MLB will adopt a new, zero-tolerance policy for murder, rape and arson. And players convicted of aggravated manslaughter, gunrunning, espionage and the counterfeiting of currency will face a 30-day suspension – for a second offense.
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Among the greatest contributors to the removal of sport from our sports is pandering, especially among highly regarded national sportscasters who, instead of trying to come across as hip, could use their forums and clout to make a difference.
Friday, East Tennessee State’s Jerald Fields blocked the shot of a Cincinnati opponent, then made with an extended in-yer-face howl in the victim’s face. Dick Enberg, calling the game on CBS, grew excited and acted as if he was absolutely delighted by Fields’ immodest behavior.
And yet, we’ve all known Enberg long and well enough to know that he couldn’t possibly have approved of such unsportsmanlike conduct.
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HBO is shortly expected to name flighty Roy Jones Jr. as its ringside analyst, replacing George Foreman. In other words, HBO will replace a fellow who never showed up prepared with a fellow who might not show up at all.
MSG’s Tracy Wolfson, a CBS sideline reporter during the NCAAs, made a tough job tougher (on herself), Thursday, by trying to sound savvy when she asked Arizona coach Lute Olson if he was going to try to get his defense going in the second half. Olson made with a thin smile, then told her it already was. Arizona, at the time, led Seton Hall, 37-31, and SHU had shot 37 percent.
In spite of a second consecutive bumping from David Letterman‘s CBS show Wednesday, Chris Russo, if he was as cynical about himself as he is on the air about others, might’ve noted that his invites to appear on Letterman have more to do with WFAN being a corporate sibling of CBS’s than with being recognized as an in-demand talent.
St. Joe’s fans are still getting carried away. Friday night they hung Billy Packer in effigy, which is a small, lower-case town south of Scranton . . . New Fordham head football coach Ed Foley is the brother of ex-BC/Jets’ QB Glenn Foley.
Bob Wolff, venerable and gentlemanly sports director/anchor for L.I.’s News-12, the last 18 years – following a long and distinguished career as a play-by-play man – is cutting back on his studio work, even though he’s only 83. He’ll be replaced by Michael Coleman, who debuts tomorrow following his arrival from ABC’s affiliate in Tyler, Tex.
After nearly six years of stubbornly staying its course – one that targets the almighty young, male demographic via glitz, cleavage, trash-talk and “attitude” – Fox Sports Net has succeeded in attaining and sustaining near total irrelevance.
A marriage made in digital cable heaven: Suzy Shuster has joined NBA TV as a correspondent. She recently married ex-ESPNer Rich Eisen, now with the NFL Network . . . Boxing raconteur Bert Sugar, the world’s oldest juvenile delinquent, Tuesday night hosts a forum at Manhattan’s American Folk Art Museum on one of his many favorite topics – Harry Houdini.
Allen Iverson, rhetorically and incredulously, asks who ever heard of an All-Star, someone as prominent as himself, coming off the bench? We’ve a two-word answer for The Answer: John Havlicek. And he didn’t blow off practice or his team.
Come to think of it, two of the best things about being a basketball fan of modest financial means are 1) You never have to write a paycheck to Iverson and, 2) You never have to worry about being seated next to Spike Lee or Mark Cuban.
