FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH

***THE WRONG SIDE OF THE COIN***
Jim Caple of ESPN, says it's a good thing that Barry Bonds is back in baseball as hitting coach of the SF Giants. Why is that a GOOD thing? Here's Caple's answer:
Jhonny Peralta - suspended for drug use - now playing for the Cardinals
Matt Williams - named in the Mitchell report - Managing the Nationals
Jason Giambi - linked with the Balco case - now playing for the Indians
Mark McGwire - admitted steroid user & failure to answer history questions - coaching the Dodgers
Caple says if these people can still be involved in Major League baseball, why not Barry Bonds? Shouldn't the real question be, "Why are all these people allowed to be involved in MLB?"

***SAME SIDE, DIFFERENT COIN***
Say you're a Major League baseball player today. You're 21 years old, just finished your first full year in the majors. You hit .283 with 14 homers and 51 doubles. You've also won the 2013 Platinum Glove Award as the best defender in the American League. You have just signed a contract for 2014. The question is: "What's your salary?"  $10 million? $15 million? $20 million and a date with owner's daughter?  If you're Manny Machado and you play for the Orioles, the actual answer is $519,000. It seems like there is a zero or two missing from that number, doesn't it? Owner Peter Angelos has never been described as free with his money. Last year, the Yankees paid A-Rod that amount EVERY week and he only hit .244 with 7 homers and 19 RBIs. Makes you want to chip in a few bucks for Manny,  doesn't it?

***IT PROBABLY WASN'T HIS FAULT***
Todd Howard was fired from his coaching job at IUPUI yesterday. His team's record this year was 6-26, so it wasn't exactly a stellar season. Maybe he couldn't concentrate on basketball because he was too busy trying to explain to his players what the hell IUPUI stood for. Actually, it's Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis. I'll bet even my cousin Fran, who knows ALL college team names, knows this one. It's the Jaguars, Fran.

***CREAM ALWAYS RISES TO THE TOP***
If cream rises, then something has to drop. In the case of college rankings, it's Syracuse University. The Orangemen have fallen to 11th in the rankings. Just a few short weeks ago, they were the number one team in the nation. They have three premier players on the team plus a very streaky three-point shooter, and should be playing better than they have been. The ACC tournament, where Syracuse has the #2 seeding, should tell us a lot about how well they do in March madness.

***THEY SAID IT***
"In Ohio, two high schools were named ice hockey co-state champions after they played to a 1-1 tie after seven overtimes. Meaning that game lasted about as long as the last two minutes of some NBA games."  -- Janice Hough
"The Oakland A's are advertising for employees to spend next season running around the field in mascot heads. Finally, the Obama jobs plan begins to pay dividends."  -- Brad Dickson
"LeBron James put up 61 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. The first time Wilt Chamberlain did that, he said, “Wait’ll you see the second half."  -- RJ Currie
"Anyway, a few years ago, someone on TV first said, “score the basketball.” Of course, “score the basketball” is ridiculous, which is why the phrase spread like a juicy rumor in a coed dorm."  -- Phil Mushnick
"Retired NBA star Tracy McGrady, who wants to play professional baseball, has been invited by the independent Atlantic League Sugar Land Skeeters to spring training. And if that doesn’t work, there’s always the Miami Marlins."  -- Janice Hough
"Sunday night the Nebraska men’s basketball team upset no. 9 Wisconsin in Lincoln. Husker fans confused about how to celebrate a huge basketball win tore down the goal posts inside Memorial Stadium."  -- Brad Dickson

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