Our sports contributor Kevin Drake joins Just Talking for our Let’s Talk Sports segment. Baseball has finally arrived! Opening Day for the 2023 MLB Season is today, Thursday, March 30. The season kicks off with action from all 30 teams with 15 games on the slate.
Does the punishment fit the crime
I'm sure most of you heard or read that NFL wide receiver "Calvin Ridley" was suspended for the entire 2022 season for placing $1500 of parlay bets on NFL games while on leave last season. Why is this serious? Does the punishment fit the crime? Let's first look at past suspensions of more serious offenses.
Ray Rice (Beat Fiancé) 2 games
Greg Hardy (Beat girlfriend) 4 games
Adrian Peterson (Felony Child Abuse) 6 games
Ezekiel Elliott (Hitting Girlfriend) 6 games
Josh Gordon (Smoking Weed, failing multiple drug tests) 6 seasons
Calvin Ridley suspended 1 season for placing bets with Hard Rock Sportsbook App
The suspensions listed may or may not fit the crimes committed. BUT the NFL needs to do a better job of protecting the integrity of this sport! Especially now that they are partnered with FanDuel. The NFL is treading into new waters by partnering up with the FanDuel gambling site now that more States are legalizing gambling. AND Fantasy Sports brought in a whopping $22 billion dollars last year!!! The NFL wants a piece of that pie!
Gambling on one's own sport is a serious offense! Pete Rose was banned for life for gambling on baseball. Pete repeatedly bet on the Reds to win whereas Calvin made some casual bets over 1 weekend. Pete should never hold any job in the MLB—BUT he should be in the HOF! David Ortiz was caught and suspended for using HGH and is in the HOF! MLB has issues to work out.
Did Calvin get the help that he needed when he took his leave from the team? I really hope Calvin Ridley gets the help that he needs and is able to return in 2023. He made a mistake and deserves a 2nd chance. He should chat with Pete Rose and be grateful that he was only suspended for 1 year. Calvin is out $11 million in salary. Ouch! That hurts!
The Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics have begun in Beijing China and not without all of the controversy that is surrounding the games. It used bring the world together, but after what happened in the last 2 years with the out break of the Corona Virus says otherwise.
The opening ceremony was way down in viewership than the 2018 South Korea Winter Olympics. I have mixed feelings about this Olympics, part of me thinks that the USA should've not sent any athletes there and part of me says I'm ok with them going. Let's begin with why the USA should' not have sent our athletes there to compete.
For starters, Homeland security urged the athletes to take a burner phone leaving their cell phones behind. Is it safe or what. Then they live in a bubble after they quarantine for 2 weeks. Normally the athletes are shielded from the public living in their own village, nut not this time. Then they have to get a Covid19 test everyday with getting a giant swab down their throat. That doesn't sound comfortable at all. Yikes!
When competing there are no fans in the stands and yet in Los Angeles. CA, while under a state emergency and mask mandates, they are hosting the Superbowl. That brings 100,000 plus to the City. Yes we are talking about Communist China though. With no fans kills the electricity of the fans cheering their country on. Lastly why should anyone trust China. They violated everyone's trust ,but we're having trust issues with our leaders in America.
Now the other side of the coin. On the business side, why not capitalize on the opportunity at hand. Building their brand, winning medals and taking advantage on the world stage. China is close to becoming the #1 Economy in the world as they evolved so rapidly in the last 40 years. Why not cash in and make money off of them like they have been doing to America and other countries.
I guess my argument is more for NOT sending our athletes if it were my choice, but I'm glad that they are hopeful that this does bring people together or just an escape even if you watch your favorite events. I'm focused on the Superbowl, then hopefully Baseball if MLB gets their act together and settle this strike, but that's a topic to discuss another time.
Game, set, match: Djokovic leaves Australia
As most of you have heard, Novak Djokovic was recently deported
from Australia for not being vaccinated. He has won the last 3 Aus Opens and has a record 9 Aus Open titles—but will not be defending his title this year. Being deported from Aus carries a possible 3 year ban.
This is unfortunate news for the tennis fans around the world. Why did the Aus Gov make a big spectacle out of Novak? After talking with some of my close contacts in Melbourne they told me that the Aus Gov didn't want to let him in unvaccinated, because it would promote anti-vaxxers. While I respect a Country for protecting their citizens with a strong secure border, why are they ignoring natural immunity? Novak already had Covid19 a year ago and is naturally immune.
Did you know that the CDC is NOT keeping track of unvaccinated people who have survived Covid19, and now are naturally immunized to see if they are spreading the disease? Wouldn't you want to know that? I certainly do. Pushing an emergency use vaccine may be good for some people, but not all. I support Novak for not wanting to get the Jab. He knows what is good for his body and is not a health hazard to other people.
Back in November Packers QB Aaron Rodgers tested positive for Covid19. Then the world found out that he was unvaccinated. He had to be quarantined for 5 days and missed the KC game. He is back now playing NFL football traveling with the team unvaccinated, but naturally immunized. NBA star Kyrie Irving is also unvaccinated and is playing in road games for his team. The state of NY will not allow him to play at home, however they will allow unvaccinated visiting team players play in NY.
Are you confused? I am! It seems States, Countries are all over the place on how to deal with Covid19 and all of its variants. Let's face it. The cat is out of the bag! We'll have to live with this just like the common cold. Why is getting vaccinated the only solution? The double dose vaccine is only FDA approved for emergency uses and should be for the people who desperately need it.
Now that Djokovic has been deported, he remains at 20 Grand Slams tied with Nadal and Federer. The Big 3 have dominated tennis for the last 18 years. Rafa Nadal and especially Roger Federer are in the twilight of their careers. Djokovic still has time to get #21, however the Aussie's will not get to see that live in Melbourne.
I feel that each individual and their doctor should decide what is best for them—NOT Big Pharma. Next Slam for Novak is to defend the French Open, but if the King of Clay is healthy, that will be a tall order.
MLB is in a lockout!
Once again MLB is in a lockout! This time it's the owners locking out the players over an expiring agreement where labor is the main issue. Luckily this is happening in the off-season where the NFL, NHL and the NBA are in full swing—but this could linger.
My frustration with the MLB is that I'm a fan of the Cincinnati Reds. Now the MLB didn't force me to be a Reds fan—but they aren't able to compete with larger market teams in keeping or signing big time free agents to a long term deal. No salary cap and free agency has opened up to the huge sports agent business, where certain sports agents are very aggressive with these massive contract deals that price out the smaller market teams. The Cincinnati Reds go from a World Series champion in 1990 to becoming a farm system for the rich teams in the last 25 years. Frustrating to say the least! Losing players that became stars in smaller markets to go play for a larger market really hurts the fan base.
I understand the players association wanting to improve the income situation for younger players who have to serve 6 full seasons in the MLB before they are able to hit free agency and sign large contracts—but both sides will need to dig deep and work out these issues before the start of the next season. The owners also need to figure out how to level the playing field for small market teams. Maybe a salary cap could be the answer. Hopefully the MLB addresses this issue in the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.
OK MLB you need to figure out a way to induct Pete Rose into the HOF while he is still alive. A 33 year suspension is long enough, especially that the DraftKings is a co-exclusive sports betting partner of MLB. Get this right MLB!