Sports Junkie

Quick Take


 

 


Quick Take


The NFL season opened on June 27 as the New England Patriots hammered the Miami Dolphins, 25-8. Wait a minute now; that wasn’t a football game. It was actually a baseball game; Boston’s Red Sox bombed the Florida Marlins by the above-mentioned score, 25-8.


Boston actually scored 14 runs in the first inning and scored 10 runs before making an out.


So here’s the deal: should a team run up a score on its opponent? If you’re the manager or coach of the team doing all the scoring, do you tell your boys to let up or maybe even put in your second stringers? Or do you ascribe to Leo Durocher’s doctrine of "nice guys finish last," and make sure that what happened to the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 5, 2001 doesn’t happen to you.


Seattle was up on the Cleveland Indians, 14-2, but Cleveland won the game, 15-14. I


I see nothing wrong with making sure you win; when you have an adversary down, put your opponent away. And if you’re the Boston Red Sox, you’d better make sure you win when you can—before the historical September dive rolls around.


Story of the Week


Pete Rozelle was named 1963 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. His shrewd handling of the office of NFL commissioner for 30 years did as much to popularize the game as any league or team exec—before or since. He took full advantage of TV and made certain the NFL profited handsomely from it throughout his tenure.


He faced two very difficult decisions that year. The first came on April 17. After notifying the parties involved, he announced that Packers running back Paul Hornung and Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras were suspended from the NFL indefinitely for gambling on football games, this after a thorough 10-month investigation.


In handing down this harsh penalty, Rozelle took some risks. The suspension of Hornung, one of the game’s glamour players, meant the loss of a powerful drawing card. Karras wasn’t exactly chopped liver either. And the acknowledgement of wrongdoing cast a cloud of suspicion over the NFL. Both star players sat out the 1963 season before being reinstated in 1964.


Largely because of his handling of the crisis, Sports Illustrated named Rozelle the recipient of the prestigious award; he was the first non-athlete to receive it. But if 1963 was the year in which the commissioner most distinguished himself, it also was when he was most harshly criticized.


Critics arose in force when Rozelle announced that regular-season games would be played as scheduled on Sun., Nov. 24, two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Although it was a measured decision (Rozelle conferred with White House press secretary Pierre Salinger, who thought the games would be a healthy diversion at this time of tragedy), Rozelle’s detractors were no less angered at the perceived insensitivity.


Philadelphia Eagles owner Frank McNamee refused to attend his team’s home game against the Washington Redskins. He announced that the game was being played by order of the commissioner, and he, McNamee, would be at a memorial service instead. He was joined by other team officials and players as well.


Interestingly, the AFL did, in fact, postpone its schedule that Sunday.


Years later, Pete Rozelle did admit that it was the one decision in his long and successful tenure as NFL commissioner that he’d have changed if he had the chance.


But he certainly didn’t have to apologize to anyone for the brilliant job he did while commissioner of the NFL for three decades. Rozelle’s insight was the catalyst to the great popularity the NFL has enjoyed, and will, no doubt, continue to enjoy.


Last Week’s Trivia


Who holds the career record for highest batting average in World Series competition with at least 50 at-bats to qualify? Bobby Brown of the Yankees in the ’40s and ’50s at .439. After his playing career, he was Dr. Bobby Brown, a successful surgeon for 30 years, before serving as president of the American League from 1984-1994.


Trivia Question of the Week


What ominous commonality do Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie share? See next week’s Sports Junkie for the answer.


Visit the Sports Junkie Website at www.sportsjunkie.info.




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