Catching Up On What I Missed

Little did I know that when I embarked on my vacation a little over three weeks ago, I would be missing some of the biggest, most exciting sports stories of the year. As I was walking the streets of San Francisco and playing on the beach in Rhode Island, the sports world kept churning out surprise after surprise. Now that I am back, allow me to brainstorm all the major stories that I have missed.



I missed Tiger Woods' final round collapse at the PGA Championship, in which Y.E. Yang made dazzling shot after dazzling shot to deny Tiger his fifteenth major championship. Tiger will be hungrier than ever to win majors next year, but his stunning loss in Minnesota marked the end of a disappointing season for Woods. Sure, he may have picked up a handful of impressive PGA Tour victories, but the only thing that matters to Tiger is winning majors.



I missed Michael Vick's return to the NFL, via the Philadelphia Eagles. Kudos to the Eagles for giving Vick a second chance. Vick has expressed genuine remorse regarding his dogfighting past, and now that he has served his time, he deserves to be welcomed back onto the football field. Make no mistake about it: Donovan McNabb is the starter for Philadelphia. But Andy Reid can utilize Michael Vick in several different ways, whether it be as a running back, wide receiver, or part-time QB on specially designed plays. Vick will help the Eagles, even if he won't get an opportunity to play until his full reinstatement in Week 6.



Speaking of quarterbacks returning to the NFL, I missed yet another chapter in Brett Favre's repulsive offseason behavior. Favre came out of retirement for the zillionth time to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, the heated rival of Favre's former home, the Green Bay Packers. Favre, once hailed as one of sports most likable figures, has blossomed into a petulant, thoroughly unlikable jerk. After all, he's no longer an effective quarterback, yet he insists on holding teams hostage year in and year out. Sources say that Favre's arrival in Minnesota has divided the Vikings clubhouse, and who could blame Tarvaris Jackson if he decides to cover Favre's locker in graffiti?



I missed the twentieth anniversary of Pete Rose's banishment from baseball. This anniversary led to the resurfacing of a timeless debate: Should Pete Rose be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame? I say absolutely yes. In no way do I condone his betting on baseball----a hard-to-forgive offense indeed. But Rose is one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen, an integral part of the Big Red Machine in the 1970's. Rose also played with fearless intensity and effort, a reputation that earned him the nickname Charlie Hustle. His legacy on the field is more than worthy of enshrinement in Cooperstown.



I missed two more coaching scandals in college basketball, just a couple of months after Tim Floyd exited USC mired in controversy. First, Louisville coach Rick Pitino admitted to having sex with a woman in a Louisville restaurant six years ago. That much is clear; the rest of the story features a foggy distinction between reality and fiction. That woman, Karen Cunagin Sypher, has accused Pitino of then paying for her abortion. Worse, she has accused him of two incidents of rape. Pitino adamantly denies these two allegations. These charges have been dropped, due to the total lack of evidence to support Sypher's claims. Nonetheless, for a man who has prided himself on having a strong moral code, this is an embarrassment of riches for one of college basketball's most high-profile coaches. Meanwhile, John Calipari has once again left a program in ruins. And once again, he suffers no punishment. Thirteen years after doing the same to the University of Massachusetts, Calipari has left Memphis in complete scandal and disarray as he escapes to the riches of the University of Kentucky. Memphis is now forced to vacate all the wins from their 2008 Final Four season, while Calipari suffers zero consequences. Stay classy, Coach.



I missed Usain Bolt continue to break world records in track and field. Bolt may have a sizable ego, but the Olympic gold medalist backs it up with an incredible display of speed and athleticism on the track. Bolt is one of the most charismatic and entertaining Olympic athletes ever, and I can't wait to see what he can do at the 2012 Summer Games in London.



I missed the sinking ship otherwise known as the Chicago Cubs. Three weeks ago, I remarked on the red-hot Cubs. Three weeks later, Lou Piniella's team is a walking corpse with no shot at reaching the postseason. On paper, a team with Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, and Rich Harden should be playing in October, but this roster of talent has not translated to wins on the field. This coming October, the Cubs will experience their 101st anniversary without a World Series championship, and GM Jim Hendry has a lot of work to do if the Cubbies are going to be contenders next season. Things aren't so great for the South Siders either, as the Chicago White Sox are fading fast from the AL Central race. Following Saturday's 10-0 blowout at the hands of the Yankees, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen unleashed one of his trademark, wildly entertaining, profanity-laced diatribes. Tough times in the Windy City.



I missed more heartbreaking injuries to the snake-bit New York Mets. I was at Citi Field in Queens when David Wright took a Matt Cain fastball to the head. Following the Wright injury, Johan Santana suffered a season-ending injury. All of this is happening to a team that is already without Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Delgado. I can't recall a sports team that has been more than depleted than the Mets.

I missed the resurgence of my San Francisco Giants. After last Monday's crushing 14-inning loss in Denver, the Giants sat 4 games back of the Rockies in the NL Wild Card standings. Even a sunny optimist like myself felt somewhat pessimistic about our playoff chances. But one week later, the Giants are tied atop the Wild Card standings, thanks to a huge sweep of those Rockies. Edgar Renteria's go-ahead grand slam with two outs in the seventh inning and the Giants trailing by three runs is one of the most clutch hits in Giants history. As Los Gigantes commence the September stretch run, they are right where they want to be. From here on out, every game is crucial, and the Giants are playing pennant race baseball for the first time in five years. Go Giants!

I missed the continued dominance of the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers have won six of their last seven against the arch rival Red Sox, essentially putting the AL East race to bed. Things are going so well for the Yankees, even journeyman Sergio Mitre looked like Cy Young on Saturday. However, as good as the Yankees have been, Red Sox Nation need not fret. The Yankees have embarrassed the Sox recently, but a potential ALCS rematch is very much a possibility. Right now the Yankees are clearly the better team, but Boston may have a shot at revenge in October.

I missed Jeff Kent's return to San Francisco. Kent was a spectacular Giant, but count me among the millions of Giants fans who showered Kent with boos when he returned to AT&T Park over the years in a Dodger uniform. However, over the last couple of months Kent has genuinely remarked about how his best years and best memories came in San Francisco. Kent has paid tribute to the Giants organization and the Giants fans, and he has said that he wants to be remembered as a Giant. So all is forgiven, and when Kent was honored by the Giants over the weekend, I was happy to see him receive a well-deserved standing ovation by the Giants faithful.

I missed the controversy regarding that eye sore of a jumbotron at the new Cowboys Stadium. Several punts have hit that disgustingly huge video screen in Dallas, and the NFL has ruled any such punt a do-over in the future. Jerry Jones has stubbornly refused to alter the size of the video screen, staying true to his reputation as one of sports most controlling, egotistical owners.

I missed the Little League World Series, won by the team from Chula Vista, California. I get intermittent enjoyment from the Little League World Series, but sometimes I feel like too much pressure is being placed on the shoulders of innocent eight-year-olds. It always makes me a little uneasy when a 45-year-old coach berates a eight-year-old boy for failing to put down a successful sacrifice bunt.

And I missed the sad saga of Allen Iverson, who may or may not land with the Memphis Grizzlies. Iverson used to be at the top of his profession during his years in Philadelphia, but he has gradually declined into a me-first, careless athlete who puts his individual accomplishments ahead of the team. His potential signing with the lowly Memphis Grizzlies serves as a reminder of how far he has fallen.