The Year (Well, Sort Of) In Review

I’ve often wondered why we celebrate the New Year in January. It makes more sense to celebrate it in September. Fall brings about so much change, with the kids going off to school, the leaves turning color and then falling off the trees, and all the latest TV shows launching their season premieres.

Fall brings back the NFL and also brings about the climax of the Major League Baseball season, with the September stretch drive intensifying the final month of games before the playoffs. September of course is merely a prelude to October, the heart of the ‘real new year’, which brings the World Series, and also the new NHL and NBA campaigns, meaning during the month of October I will be in a sports induced coma, which puts schoolwork out of the question and makes social graces dependent on the success of my favorite teams.

Here we are on the cusp of a new year, one in which hope will spring eternal for sports fans and their respective affiliations yet again. Just as we do in December, now seems as good a time as any to look back on what we’ve been through. Reflection is an important part of life. Where would we go without knowing where we’ve been? I thought I would use this time to reflect on the summer that was, in all of the sports world. Here are the most memorable moments from the summer of ‘06.

1. Sure, Italy won the World Cup, but the bigger story here is French super-star Zidane going GANGSTA on Italian defender Marco Materazzi with a surprisingly powerful and effective head-butt late in the World Cup final. Materazzi did go down rather easy, but be honest—did anyone see that coming? I nearly choked on my baguette. Zidane was apologetic to the fans and to his teammates but says he is unable to forgive Materazzi, who recently admitted that he said he’d rather have Zidane’s sister as opposed to swapping jerseys with the star midfielder, and also mentioned that he would still prefer the aforementioned Ms. Zidane to this day.

Whether you agree with what Materazzi’s provocations or not, Italy won, and though the rest of the world may not respect him, he’s likely a god or something in Italy. And whether or not you think head-butts are a sweet revenge tactic, and I happen to feel they are, you have to admit it wasn’t the time or the place to do it, no matter what any Italian says about your sister.

2. U.S.A. basketball has been having its struggles lately but the team they sent to the World Championships in Japan this summer held great promise. Made up of young players, it just so happened that they were some of the best young players of all-time. I know I came to expect the routes that LeBron, DWade and the boys were putting on the rest of the world, and so when the U.S. lost to Greece I nearly choked on my corned beef hash browns. They eventually won the bronze, but like Canada and Hockey, anything less than Gold is a disappointment considering the massive talent pool the U.S. can choose from. The bottom line is that until they send Kobe, T-Mac, KG and T-Robot (Duncan) along with LeBron and the kids, it won’t be the TRUE American Dream team.

Also, in a surprising turn of events Kobe Bryant was in Taiwan doing fan appearances for the NBA when a reporter asked him what he felt went wrong for team U.S.A. Bryant said that there was a lack of team chemistry, a quality he thought could be developed in time for the ‘08 Olympics in Beijing. But wait—Kobe Bryant is pointing out a lack of team chemistry? Isn’t this the same guy that throws up nearly 30 shots a game, berates his teammates, and frequently finishes games without an assist despite handling the ball for the majority of the game? He can see it in Team U.S.A. but can’t see it in himself? Kobe is quite possibly the premier chemistry-killer in all of basketball, and possibly all of sports if it weren’t for T.O. Oh sweet irony.

I know I’m pulling for the U.S. in Bejiing. The Sidney Olympics still lingers fresh in my mind, and I loved watching Vince, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen bring home the gold in convincing fashion. Just ask Freddy Weis how con-Vince-ing it was. I don’t buy this whole theory about the rest of the world catching up to the Americans talent-wise. The rest of the world has certainly improved, and there are certainly some international players (Nowitzki, Giniobili, Gasol etc.) who are among the world’s best, but no other country can put a roster on the floor with the depth of the Red, White and Blue.

3. Major League Baseball saw Barry finally pass the Babe, but if I talk about that anymore I may throw up. The very sight of Bonds on Sportscentre (the Canadian version of Sportscenter) makes me cringe. When it comes to Barry I say out with the old and in with the new—the new being what is good about Baseball these days.

The MLB provided a lot of entertainment this summer. In Toronto, manger John Gibbons challenged disgruntled player Shea Hillenbrand to a fight. Shea had apparently written the phrase “this is a sinking ship” on the team whiteboard. Gibbons freaked, tried to fight Hillenbrand and then had him traded to the Giants for hard-throwing reliever Jeremy Accardo.

In a related story, it turns out Hillenbrand was right about the Jays as they continue to slide further down the standings. As far as managers go, at first glance Ol’ Gibby seems pretty relaxed. The guy does his post-game interviews while reclining in his office chair. But a month or so after the Hillenbrand incident, Gibbons was in an altercation with pitcher Ted Lilly, after Lilly was pulled from the game and told his skipper off on the mound. Lilly wouldn’t give up the ball, and when he finally did he told Gibbons that he was a (expletive)ing (expletive). They started fighting in the tunnel leading to the clubhouse, and though cameras couldn’t get the whole picture, it was nonetheless, sweet, and likely no-holds barred.

I was at the game the next night, at the Rogers Centre, and when Gibbons came out to yank starting pitcher A.J. Burnett in the 7th, the Jays faithful began chanting, “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT.” Glad we could all have a sense of humor about a manager and a pitcher resulting to fisticuffs to resolve their difference of opinion.

At one point it seemed Alex Rodriguez could do no wrong in baseball. Now, it seems like he can’t do anything right. E-Rod is posting a career-worst .938 fielding percentage, but he still has 31 HR’s and 105 RBI’s. Despite this, the Yankee faithful give him the business with regularity. I can’t decide if this makes me love Yankee fans, or hate them. When you make as much money as K-Rod does, you have to expect the jeers if you aren’t performing—especially in New York. He still has good numbers, even if he’s been striking out as much as Nick Lachey lately. He has as many HR’s and more RBI’s than Blue Jays All-Star CF Vernon Wells. I don’t feel bad for A-Rod, but I’d love to know what has caused this sudden melt-down. Great players don’t just disintegrate like he has. Have an eye on this story.

The Tigers and Mets are a great story, hey, the AL Central itself is an amazing story, but one other significant moment stood out to me this summer, and it did not involve a significant team. MLB baseball needs to do away with the 4-pitch intentional walk and just give the batter the base if the team wants to walk him. However, if this time saver was in fact a rule, I wouldn’t have seen Miguel Cabrera take advantage of a pitcher’s lazy intentional ball that was a little too close to the plate. Cabrera reached out and slapped the pitch into the outfield for a base-hit which scored a run. How does that pitcher face his teammates after that? “Gee guys, I know you played hard all game, but I just couldn’t make sure on that intentional walk. I’m really, really sorry though.” He probably gave his apology with his mouth half full of the post-game spread in the clubhouse. If this was soccer in South America that guy would have been shot on sight.

4. Remember when Monica Seles was stabbed by that crazed fan? I was pretty young at the time, and I didn’t realize the magnitude. Seeing the U.S. Open this past week reminded me of it. Imagine some lunatic tried to attack a star athlete with today’s increased security. We would see a shooting on television. Would they still finish the match if some guy was gunned down in the aisle while he was trying to shank Maria Sharapova?

5. Floyd Landis. I think Bill Maher made the best point when he pointed out that there is all this controversy surrounding a sport no one actually cares about. Be honest with yourself—have you ever watched cycling? And if you have I’d love to know why. Though these guys are amazing physical specimens, no one ever marvels at a guy riding a bike (except you Lance). Americans make fun of hockey, but no one can tell me that riding a bike for way too long all over France is exciting. No one. The Tour de France received media attention only when it was possible that Landis was going to test positive.

6. The NFL season is underway and I need to clear a few things up. First, I know nothing about the NFL, so Daniel Gibson, you are right about that. Also, and of less consequence, I know nothing about the CFL either. Secondly, I missed the Fantasy draft, so that is why my team is what it is. Even I recognized immediately that my team was bad, and that was the first indication that I will be thoroughly dominated each and every week.

The Manning brothers played each other on Sunday, and because I watch television I learned this is a huge deal. This story was everywhere. Did any other teams play on Sunday? (Kidding!!) The press persistently asked Archie Manning who he’d be rooting for, as though he would actually answer them. Just once I would have loved to hear him say, “You know, last Christmas Eli bought me a really ugly tie, and frankly, he makes enough money to know better. I hope Peyton stomps on his face.” Then he could crack a smile and reveal that he is, of course, joking. But monotonous quotes about how, “we just hope it’s a good game and no one gets hurt,” were beyond boring.

T.O. is back. I realized it when I saw a press conference of Bill Parcells practically foaming at the mouth when he was asked about Terrell’s wonky hamstring. Jerry Jones must be pining for a new reality show, because there’s no other reason to put these two volatile personalities on the same sideline. What’s the over-under for how many games the Cowboys play before the Big Tuna takes a bite out of T.O?

7. Tiger Woods. What’s left to say? Everybody’s favorite half-black, half-Asian golf superstar is again showing how dominant he can be. He won his last 5 tournaments, and after missing the cut at the U.S. Open he won the British Open and the PGA Championship. He is going to shatter every record in golf, and I hope no one else ever wins a major again. Let him win everything. Then, I can be one of those old guys that lecture’s little kids about the greatest of all time. I already get to do it about Wayne Gretzky, now I’ll add Tiger to the arsenal. Plus, I don’t care about golf much, so if Tiger’s winning it’ll keep me interested. Also, the American Ryder Cup team was named and I didn’t even recognize half the names. Good luck with that one fellas.

Maybe the sports world isn’t as boring as it seems in summer. When the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals ended I had night terrors about the coming months. It wasn’t so bad, I made it through the summer, but I know that the real fun starts in October. NFL in full swing, MLB playoffs, a new NHL season and by Halloween, a fresh NBA campaign. Happy New Year.