Camping part II
NFL camps are opening. That is a good thing because it certainly means football is, cue Hannibal Lector, "closer closer."
It also means that for the next couple or three weeks, most of the stories falls into two categories:
Negative or hollow.
Hollow - Daniel Jones vs. Eli Manning (does it really matter for anyone other than Saquon Barkley fantasy football owners); the Broncos' QB race since Denver has gone from Super Bowl winner to last in the AFC West relatively quickly; any and all position battles this early in the chatter.
Negative - injuries like the Falcons suffered Monday (yes a year after being decimated on defense by injuries, the Falcons had safety J.J. Wilcox tear his ACL and Michael Bennett break his ankle on the first preseason practice); potential contract disputes such as Melvin Gordon and possibly Zeke Elliott; Off-the-field altercations and police stuff.
That last one brings an interesting discussion with divergent outcomes recently.
On Monday, Jarran Reed, the former Alabama stud, was suspended for the first six games of the 2019 season for a domestic violence issue that happened in 2017.
The police were called and investigated an alleged assault between Reed and a female in April 2017 but Reed was not charged or arrested but the NFL conducted its own investigation and found enough to deny his appeal and rule that Reed violated the league policy.
This announcement came a couple of days after Chiefs star receiver and all-around dirtbag Tyreek Hill was cleared by the NFL.
Here's a report that Kansas authorities did not cooperate with the NFL. Those authorities used a loophole in state open record laws to deny the NFL its files.
That wrinkle makes me wonder if the NFL should be investigating this at all.
Sure, in a perfect world - especially in a world when the NFL has to deal with PR issues and make their product appealing to female fans like Jules and others on here - the standards and absolute baseline expectation of adult men not hitting women and abusing children should not only required but expected.
But, investigating crimes and allegations of issues this emotionally charged - and allegations and charges that police departments struggle with discovering the truth, with their resources and subpoena powers and the tools at their disposal.
It just seems a bit strange that something as clear-cut as the Jarran Reed issue and the Hill history and details led to opposite results.
Netting or narrative
Obligatory caveat: No one wants kids or old people or anyone for that matter to get smoked with a line drive foul ball. No one. Not me. Not Trump. Not AOC.
We have found common ground. Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya.
That said, with each passing line drive into the stands and each hit patron - more times than not remember, they are either not paying attention or their parents are not paying attention - the drum beat gets louder and louder for foul-pole-to-foul-pole netting.
It's an easy stance from 40,000 feet. Commentators and even players who feel awful when they hit someone accidentally are almost universal in supporting and wanting the netting.
The White Sox were the first to go foul pole-to-foul pole, and ESPN sent a reporter for last night's netting debut.
The reaction: Exactly one of the almost half dozen fans Michelle Steele spoke with hated the netting and the drastically reduced chances for souvenirs or pregame autographs.
Again, no one wants fans to be injured. Please see Obligatory Caveat above.
Two quick observations, and it's not like we are going to be able to put the netting toothpaste back into the tube gang:
First, how long before the netting is in front of the outfield seats too? Ronald Acuna hit a 430-footer Sunday night that left the bat at 110 mph. If that had clocked a guy digging on his phone or an 8-year-old not paying attention, well, netting for everyone. (Side point on the side observation: And until they put netting in front of the outfield seats, here's betting that those outfield tickets next year will increase in price because of the "real souvenir chance" sitting there.)
Second, and this is bigger picture - and again, see Obligatory Caveat above - but this is the latest example of rules or regulations for the miniscule-minority rather than the masses. According to most reported averages, there are roughly 40 foul balls hit into the stands per game according to @FoulBallzMLB. With 30 teams playing 162 games for a total of 2,430 games, that's 97,200 foul balls and the screaming for netting has become the universal rallying cry.
OK.
Closing the book
As football nears and baseball starts to approach the trading deadline, the details and discovery from the lingering FBI college hoops stuff are starting to bubble again.
Auburn is expecting an NCAA notice of allegation. (Somewhere in the annals of the NCAA, regardless of what Chuck Person did or did not do or Bruce Pearl's history, there has to be a certain list of schools that are so football-crazed that if they ever reach the Final Four there is a mandatory NCAA investigation. Auburn would be assuredly on that list.)
NC State is expecting some NCAA stuff, too.
There will be more.
There also is the circling absence of details and or concern about Arizona and coach Sean Miller. Here's an interesting story catching up with the inactivity about the Wildcats in then aftermath of all that player paying. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/pac12/2019/07/23/sean-miller-arizona-basketball-college-basketball-recruiting-fbi-ncaa-drew-askew-nimari-burnett/1802275001/
The money line is simply, from 247sports.com national basketball recruiting ace Brian Snow from that story: "It's pretty simple: No one cares," Snow said. "The only thing recruits and parents have cared about over my 10, 15 years of doing this is stability. And right now, it seems pretty stable that Sean Miller's going to be the head coach at Arizona, and that's all that really matters. ... That's the concern: winning and making it to the pros. Not, 'Did an assistant coach take money from an agent?'"
This and that
- Robo Umps got the go-ahead to continue the rest of the season. War Robo-Umps.
- UTC was picked fourth by the coaches and fifth by the media at the SoCon media event Monday. Many thanks to coach Rusty Wright discussing that with us on Press Row on Monday.
- OK, sometimes you just have to admit to Divine sports intervention. To that point, last night the Houston Astros celebrated the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Of course that was Apollo 11 and the stats from the Astros' 11-1 win over the A's make you go hmmmmmm: Gerrit Cole got his 11th win with 11 strikeouts; it was the 11th time the Astros scored 11 or more runs; and rookie Jordan Alvarez hit his 11th homer.
- Hey, the intersection of politics and decency and sports and conversation is a difficult corner to patrol. You guys brought some great points to the table about LeBatard's off-day/suspension/whatever and the reality of doing what you want and what your employer allows. We can all agree that this story had the proper ending, right? Yes, that's the story of the Louisiana policeman saying Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez deserved to be shot getting fired.
- I'm not crying you're crying. This story - an armless guy facing his fear and landing a 20-inch box jump much to the delight of his gym friends - for me at least, demands that we remember to count our blessing and maximize our gifts.
- Here's TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer on the Braves' numbers - good and bad - heading down the stretch.
Today's questions
True or false Tuesday.
True or false, the NFL should be investigating off-the-field allegations.
True or false, you are for netting all around the baseball playing field.
True or false, no one cares that big-time college basketball programs are paying their players.
True or false, you are in favor or Robo Umps for the big leagues.
As for today, July 23, well, let's explore.
On this day in 2000, Tiger won THE Open Championship to become the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.
John Daly won The Open on this day in 1995.
Harry Potter (aka Daniel Radcliffe) is 30 today.
Philip Seymour Hoffman would have been 52 today. That dude was talented.
Rushmore of Phillip Seymour Hoffman movies. Go.