Weekly Sporties

-In kind of a shocking twist late Wednesday afternoon, the Boston Celtics hired Brad Stevens as their new head coach to replace Doc Rivers. For those of you who may not watch a lot of college basketball Stevens was the coach of tiny Butler University in Indiana and coached the Bulldogs to two straight NCAA title games. (Think of them as a real-life version of Hoosiers, only they didn't win the final game.) I have to say I am really surprised Stevens took this job. He was obviously the hottest name in college basketball for the last couple of years, but after turning down jobs at schools like UCLA I thought he was determined to stay at Butler for a very long time and I wouldn't have blamed him for that. Unlike college football where you have to be at one of about 36 schools to have a legitimate shot at a championship, you can win from anywhere in college basketball and Butler is one of the rare schools where basketball is the number one sport on campus. Also, everyone is expecting the Celtics to have a couple of lean years and since this will be Stevens first impression with the NBA I would have expected him to want to start at a better job. I can only assume he didn't like the direction college basketball is heading with all the realignment and the Celtics offered him more money than he thought Butler would ever be able to pay (also, college basketball will always take him back). Now, as for the Celtics I have to say that I like Stevens as a college coach, but I have my doubts he will be able to translate to the pro game. After all, coaches trying to make the jump from college to the pros have a worse track record than most players (I don't need to remind Celtic fans how much a disaster this was the last time when the C's hired Rick Pitino.) Another thing is that Stevens in only 36 and he never came close to playing in the league, which means he doesn't have the resume a guy like Pitino could use to give him credibility with the players. I can only assume this hiring means the Celtics are going into full-on rebuilding mode and plan to ditch any player over the age of 25 because the young guys wouldn't be able to judge Stevens too harshly. Obviously I am hoping for the best but I am very interested to see how this turns out.

-I think one of the reason I really can't stand Miami center Chris Bosh is the way he was recruited during his free agency period. I just didn't understand why teams were willing to move heaven and Earth as well as pay top dollar to secure his services considering he had proven he could not carry a team on his own. Well, this week I was experiencing flashbacks as Dwight Howard was being heavily courted by five teams and I couldn't figure out why. I understand that Howard is a physical specimen and one of the few true centers in the NBA, but his lack of maturity and the fact that his best days appear to be behind him make me think it was all a giant waste of everyone's time (not to mention the NBA is trending in the direction of playing small-ball, a type of game which doesn't suit Howard at all). Yet this week the Lakers, Hawks, Mavericks, Warriors and Rockets all had to fly and meet with Howard in person and then give him their sales pitch before Howard went off to contemplate his decision. I just find this really wrong, especially for a team like the Lakers who should be above begging. Besides, am I the only one who thinks this whole thing is backwards? I mean, Howard wants around $20 million per year, so shouldn't he be the one who has to convince the teams why he is worth that kind of investment, not the other way around? I know I would look at his actions the last two years and have a hard time writing him a check that big (but this is why I was never a good recruiter). The only good news is that the entire saga is over because the notoriously flaky Howard had maintained he would make his decision on Friday and, in the most-shocking moment ever, he actually made a decided to sign with the Houston Rockets late Friday afternoon (but not before a couple hours in which he appeared to change his mind). I had fully expected him to drag this out for another week while soaking in the attention. Thankfully now that he has made up his mind the rest of the dominoes should fall quickly, with the rest of the NBA able to get on with the offseason... which will pretty much consist of the teams that didn't get Howard clearing out as much cap for next year to make a run at LeBron James in free agency. Honestly the NBA's new slogan should be - The NBA: where everyone worries about next year.

-A few days ago the NHL conducted its annual player draft. Like with any draft the moves were fast and furious as teams traded proven players with high contracts for cheap guys with potential. Most of the trades meant nothing to me because I am not the biggest of hockey experts but there was one which captured my attention - the Vancouver Canucks traded Cory Schneider to the New Jersey Devils. I thought this trade was noteworthy because teams don't usually trade their starting goalie unless the have a capable backup and the only other goalie the Canucks have is Roberto Luongo. Now, two seasons ago Luongo was probably the best goalie on the planet, but a bad playoffs ruined his confidence and he was sent to the bench in the middle of last season then never regained the trust of the coaching staff. I'm sure the Canucks would have much rather parted ways with Luongo, but his contract pretty much makes that impossible. (Luongo is 3 years into a massive 12-year deal - exactly the kind of contract which resulted in last year's lock-out.) So, now the team has no choice but to turn back to Luongo and hope that he can regain his previous form. I have to say, even though Luongo will be working under a new coaching staff, this certainly has all the appearances of one awkward season. I really can't see how he would enjoying going to work every day knowing that the organization would much rather have almost anyone else in his place and his roster spot was more a result of economics than skill. On top of that the fans had begun to turn on him as well and the first time he has a bad game they will do so again. Of course, this is professional sports so everyone will put their best foot forward and make it work, but I can't help but wonder if the Canucks want Luongo to play just well enough that they can find a team to take him off their hands in case he lapses again. The annoying part of this story is that neither side will have learned anything because I guarantee you the Canucks will offer another massive and long contract to the next guy. I know sports executives are not exactly fast learners in any sport, but this is why hockey has had 3 lockouts in 20 years.

-Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the Red Zone channel. The NFL-owned subscription station goes commercial-free from 1 o'clock until the last of the afternoon games ends, bouncing from game to game and showing you all the best action. It is a dizzying blur of uniforms and touchdowns and it will really change your life if you are an NFL fan. Anyway, because they have not been very good for a couple of years you hardly ever see the Jacksonville Jaguars appear on the broadcast. Well the Jaguars, who have had trouble drawing since the very beginning and have had to resort to tactics like tarping over large chunks of the stadium to get close to a sell-out, apparently are planning to take on the old "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach and are discussing playing the Red Zone channel on the Jumbotron while their games are still in progress. I have to say, I think this is one of the saddest ideas I have ever heard. Really what the Jaguars, who are one of only 32 NFL teams and by default one of the best-marketed organizations in all of sports, are proposing is that they want to be a sports bar with a football game going on. Now, I have long maintained that one of the most widely-known secrets in sports is that attending an NFL game is not nearly as much fun as you think it is going to be and can understand why the Jaguars may think allowing fans to keep tabs on their fantasy players would lure a few more of them into the stadium, but if the team stops and thinks about it they will see one giant hole in their logic - anyone who could afford tickets to a Jaguars game could probably afford the Red Zone channel. And if you go one step further the seats in a football stadium are placed facing the field, not the Jumbotron, which means you don't even have a really good angle to watch the channel (it'll be like you're at Fenway) and if you are at home there are no drunk strangers yelling obscenities in front of your children. So while I appreciate what the Jaguars are trying to do in getting more people to the stadium, I don't think this is the answer. Maybe they should try something else, maybe even something radical, like improving the quality of the team. Nah, that's too crazy to work.

-Even though I don't watch a lot of Los Angeles Dodger games, I am very aware of the growing legend of Yasiel Puig. Puig, a 22 year-old Cuban defector, has been taking the majors by storm since being called up from the minors earlier this season. In his first game he nailed a running trying to score from third and ever since he has been a non-stop highlight reel of diving catches, throws with laser-accuracy and game-winning hits. He has quickly become one of baseball's rising stars. As you would expect there are some fans who think his hot play should warrant a place in the upcoming All-Star Game. However, there are almost as many people who think the sample size is not big enough and that Puig is just a flash in the pan. Among his detractors is Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, who thinks putting Yasiel Puig on the All-Star team would be a disgrace and take a spot away from a more deserving veteran who has displayed their talent for a longer period of time. I can see Papelbon's point because 30 good games don't make you an All-Star, but I have to say his quick fall into 'grumpy old man' territory is shocking. I mean, if you wanted to just go on sample size one could could easily make the case closers shouldn't be in the game either. For example, Papelbon has pitched about 32 innings all year long. Puig may only have played in 30 games, but that still means he has played about 9 times as many innings as Papelbon. Who's the part-time star now? But, the main reason I have no problem with putting Puig in the game is that, unlike Papelbon, I remember that the All-Star game is an exhibition. You can talk all you want about it deciding home-field for the World Series, but I've always felt that was a bad idea and using it to heap importance on this game is an insult to the players who work all year to have the best record. (It is why Tony LaRussa screwed up when he didn't start RA Dickey last year.) It goes back to the problem with assigning an actual prize to a contest in which you let the fans vote for the starters. Baseball is trying to play to both sides and I feel like somehow neither side is going to walk away happy when they make their decision.

-While I know the world of college recruiting can be extremely cutthroat, I still like to hold on to the illusion that there may be a little honor among thieves. But, then something like this week happens and I am reminded that there is no time for sentimentality when you are trying to woo fickle 17 year-old football players. Late in the week we learned that Ohio State, with the blessing of head coach Urban Meyer, tattled to the NCAA regarding a possible recruiting violation by the University of Florida. Apparently a Florida assistant coach had called with a recruit during the time in which no contact is allowed. The NCAA looked into it and saw no issue with what happened, so all is well that ends will. Still, the idea that Meyer, who won two National Championships and made millions of dollars for Florida would rat on the school is slightly disturbing. I think we all have held a grudge against a former employee for one thing or another, otherwise we would still work there, but Meyer appeared to leave Florida on good terms. To me it shows a real lack of class. Also, I just think Meyer needs to be a little more careful here. As we know, when a program turns another school in for breaking a rule it is only a matter or time before the initial school gets the spotlight turned on them. Thanks to the Aaron Hernandez arrest we are learning more about what was going on at the school during Meyer's tenure at Florida and apparently it was the wild west down there. (Just this morning Meyer put out a statement saying he can't be blamed for Hernandez's behavior, which is a little hard to swallow because he often willing to pat himself on the back for turning boys into men. I feel like he got a lot of credit for this thanks to Tim Tebow, who most likely showed up a grown man. I know Meyer can't be held responsible for every action by every one of his players but to say he had no impact of Hernandez's sense he could get away with anything is equally laughable.) Either way I have a hard time believing Meyer is suddenly recruiting nothing but alter boys at Ohio State, so I wouldn't want the NCAA sniffing around especially since the Buckeyes just finished a bowl ban. If this proved anything it is that coaches won't hesitate to snitch on one another, so those handshakes at midfield at the start of the game are going to keep getting shorter and shorter.

-The last couple of weeks have seen a couple of interesting caddie/golfer tiffs. First it was Bubba Watson publicly (and loudly) blaming his caddie for talking him into the wrong club and "causing" him to hit a ball into the water, ending his chances of winning the Travelers Championship. Then last weekend LPGA player Jessica Korda fired her caddie midway through a round at the women's US Open and had her boyfriend carry her bag the rest of the way. Apparently Korda and her caddie had been having a disagreement for several holes and at some point she just decided enough was enough and told him to take a hike. At first blush I understand why should would do this when she did - caddie/player relations are very similar to those of a pitcher and a catcher, meaning you have to trust everything the other guy is telling you and if you start fighting over simple stuff than it is not going to work so you may as well end it sooner rather than later (I would probably still wait for the end of the round, but that is just me). However, in the end I can't help but feeling like this is just Korda and Watson's way of trying to deflect blame onto another person. Golf is supposed to be an individual sport but more and more it feels like golfers (especially young golfers) rely on their caddies way too much. It used to be that the caddie was only there get you a distance and then pull the club you wanted, but now they are asked to do all that as well as read putts and occasional act as a mental coach - all while getting none of the credit and all of the blame. (Oh, and these increased duties are one of the main reasons play has slowed down so much on Tour, but for some reason no one mentions that when analysts are offering advice on how to make pace of play faster.) At the end of the day the golfer is the only one who swings the club, so they need to take responsibility for their bad play. I just hope Korda has a new caddie by the time her next tournament rolls around, otherwise by the weekend she may need a new caddie and a new boyfriend.