Category Archives: With A Jimmmitude

Thursday Night Football sucked last night

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Last night’s game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts was terrible.

It was not too long ago that a primetime game featuring Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan would have been must see TV. Unfortunately it is 2022 and what we got on Thursday Night Football last night was abysmal. If you were one of many (including myself) who sat through last night’s field goal contest, disappointment in the product that was broadcast was an overwhelming feeling. Well that, and shame for sitting through it.

Wilson and Ryan were unable to find the end zone as all 21 points in the contest came courtesy of field goals. A combined 10 sacks and four interceptions between the two quarterbacks highlighted the disappointing night. Ryan also fumbled twice while Wilson fumbled once, just the cherry on top of terrible outings for both. Wilson did manage to do his best Baker Mayfield impression at the end of the contest, becoming a common talking point about his future in Denver.

This was the type of Thursday Night Football contest one would expect from a team like the Cleveland Browns or Detroit Lions not too long ago. A 12-9 final score in an NFL game in 2022 is simply embarrassing. The good news is that next week’s Thursday Night Football contest is between Washington and Chicago. Did I say good, I’m sorry, I meant cannot possibly be worse right, right? It is not like this is a high bar to climb over. In fact, it is so low a baby can crawl over it. Let’s hope that they can at least score one touchdown, that is not too much to ask is it?

Barry Bonds still holds MLB HR record

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Aaron Judge may have broken the American League record, but the MLB record belongs to Barry Bonds.

All eyes have been on Aaron Judge as everyone waited for the Yankees slugger to hit his 62nd home run of the season. It finally came Tuesday night as Judge finally eclipsed the number set by Roger Maris all the way back in 1961. While now has the American League record to himself it is important to remember one thing, the Major League record still belongs to Barry Bonds.

It seems many baseball personalties, analysts, reporters, and fans have decided to discount the achievements of Barry Bonds. Yes, it is incredibly likely that Bonds had some external enhancements that may have aided his on field production. That being said, any type of help that Bonds may have received would not help in the ability to put bat to ball and hand-eye coordination. These are two things that someone has or does not have and Bonds had it. Even before the widely accepted era of enhanced play, Bonds was well on his way to Cooperstown. It can even be argued that Bonds had two Hall of Fame careers, pre and post enhancement.

All things considered this is not to take away what Judge has accomplished this season, setting the new home run mark for the American League and the historical franchise that is the Yankees is incredibly impressive. It is just important to remember where Judge’s 62 sits all time (seventh) and the single season home run totals from the National League which surpass his 2022 total. It is Barry Bonds who stands atop this list and he will remain there until someone hits 74.

New Utah Jazz uniforms are terrible

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In an apparent bid to have the worst uniforms in the NBA next season, the Utah Jazz have released their new look. The source material for this design must have been police barricade tape because these are dreadful. The only saving grace in the set is the purple throwback inspired look. The nostalgia of those teams that went to The Finals is the only passable look.

There is a fine line between clean, simplistic, and minimalistic uniform design and no effort. This is the latter. An incredibly boring design featuring the most basic lettering and numbering is a complete miss.

Additionally the Jazz have a City Edition and Classic jersey for the 2023-24 season. The City Edition is inspired by the aforementioned throwback uniforms and is designed wonderfully. Utah’s Classic harkens back to their days in New Orleans and is clear success.

It is frustrating to see the Jazz be successful in some areas of their uniform design while other uniforms appear to have phoned in their effort. One thing is near certain, their next uniforms will be better than this because somehow being worse is (almost) impossible.

New Eagles word mark stinks

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The Philadelphia Eagles have updated their word mark and it is flat out awful. This is without a doubt a step backwards for their branding. Going from an instantly identifiable word mark to this remedial effort is so uninspiring I am (almost) at a loss for words.

Yes, the former word mark is dated and was in need of a refresh. Note, refresh not rebrand. Going from the 3D design to this flat boring look is a complete miss from the design department. There is no heart, no soul, no anything with this.

Choosing to imitate the lettering from the awful Jets uniforms was a bold strategy and by bold I mean terrible.

Let’s hope that any changes to their uniform do not follow this same path. Many teams have fallen victim to bad re-designs in recent years, not just the Jets. The Browns, Falcons, and Jaguars have all gone too extreme in one direction with their looks and avoiding that misstep would be wise.

Pride Month and Sports

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Every year June comes and with it comes a month of arguing about the concept of Pride activities at sporting events. Ranging from teams simply selling team gear with a rainbow color scheme to a full blown Pride Night with performers in drag. As expected this leads to outcries from certain individuals and even players refusing to wear a uniform with rainbow decals or logos. Let’s explore those subjects beginning with player refusal.

Opting out

Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson wore the standard Rays hat and removed the rainbow decal from their uniforms this past weekend. Citing “religious reasons”, the very much outdated argument against “lifestyle choice” was used to justify their lack of participation. This argument, which stood on flimsy ground to begin with, is completely invalid. Those who refer to religion in cases like this are using it to shield their own prejudices without having to take accountability for them. Adding lifestyle choice on top of that is just doubling down on their own close-minded beliefs.

The term lifestyle choice was used more frequently in television and film 20+ years ago and has significantly decreased and rightfully so. Unfortunately the extended previous use of the term has resulted in it still being considered acceptable to use when it is in fact inaccurate. For those who do not quite understand and need a little help here you go, it is not choice. Outfit selection is a choice. The type of vehicle you drive is a choice. Sexuality? Not a choice.

Part of the blame also falls on the Rays. Tampa made it optional to wear the rainbow hat and decal which led to the group of players opting out. This should not be an option, it should be absolutely mandatory in order to play. One must wonder how people would feel if players opted out of wearing the patriotic uniforms on Memorial Day or 4th of July. There is a very large percentage of players who are not from the United States and there are definitely those who disagree with how the country handles their affairs domestically and internationally. Additionally, sort of funny how when it comes to opting out of wearing Pride gear is acceptable, but if an individual were to opt out of the patriotic uniforms or participating in the National Anthem before the game it is a crime against humanity and should be tried for treason. Double standards much?

Nonsensical arguments

There is a very large contingent of people who have decided to rally against “grooming of children”. Just like the aforementioned use of “lifestyle choice”, this is also very much outdated. Concerns about grooming can be traced back decades as this is not a new argument from those oppose the LGBTQIA+ community and Pride Events. This intellectually deficient tactic has unfortunately seen a resurgence in popularity. The most recent example is a homophobic senator from Texas proposing to ban drag shows in the presence of minors. This is a proposal based on attacking LGBTQIA+ individuals and not out of general concern of children.

This is rooted in the fear of children being groomed at drag shows, something that simply does not happen. What this logic says about the person using it is that they know absolutely nothing about drag performances. The types of performances in public venues such as Pride events are much different from those at a bar close to or after midnight. As far as the sports world is concerned this is targeting drag performers at games.

A recent Pride night including drag queens took place in Toronto and was instantly a target for hate mongers. The upcoming event in Milwaukee will receive similar outcries and criticism from those who hide behind nonsense to justify their bigotry. This should not be a deterrent to other teams looking to have their own Pride events. The sports world has a sub-par relationship with LGBTQIA+ individuals to say the least. Continuing to push forward will help people who may not feel safe or accepted at sporting events feel more comfortable when attending. Each and every team has fans and even employees that identify as members of this community and having a good relationship with them is a good business decision. Not just from a public relations standpoint, but as an additional stream of revenue. Speaking of…

Cash grab

There are a few things to consider when teams are selling Pride merchandise. At some level there are definitely people in those organizations who genuinely care about the LGBTQIA+ community. There is also a contingent that make decisions based entirely in financial reasons. Finally there are the fans who find themselves walking the fine line between both parties.

Fans of teams may want to show off their fandom with rainbow themed gear, but that can result in an internal struggle, especially for fans of teams that sell items but do not have an actual Pride event or night. On one hand it is fans wanting to wear Pride themed gear and on the other it is easy to recognize as a cash grab by the team. Sure, teams can mend the gap by having people in mascot costumes attend the Pride event of a city, but it is not quite the same. Taking that next step would go a long way towards actually making a difference to help people feel included in the world of sports.

Looking forward

As the month of June progresses there will be many positive aspects of Pride month. Unfortunately there will controversies as well. These will come from the expected sources who lack the cognitive ability to form an original thought and instead will regurgitate talking points from 50 years ago. Let’s hope that the increased organized attack on the LGBTQIA+ community will not result in teams canceling Pride events in the future. These events are very important and need to be expanded upon going forward. Then and only then will it appear as an actual effort towards promoting inclusivity rather than the cash grab it still appears to be.

MLB Trade Deadline winners and losers

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The 2021 MLB trade deadline was one to remember as many franchise cornerstone players were on the move. As with any deadline, there are clear winners and losers of the day, let’s take a look.

Winners

Los Angeles Dodgers 

This one is obvious. Los Angeles swung a deal with the Washington Nationals landing both Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. Adding Scherzer to their rotation when they are currently without Clayton Kershaw due to injury and the unknown status of Trevor Bauer, who may never throw another pitch as a Dodger, is a huge win. Inserting Turner into the mix lengthens their lineup and with another year of control after this season gives them a consistent presence beyond this season.

New York Yankees

There are two criticisms when evaluating the lineup of the New York Yankees, too right handed and too all or nothing. They addressed the two areas by acquiring Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers and Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs, both are left-handed bats. While Gallo is another all-or-nothing guy, Rizzo has the ability to be more of a consistent source of at least decent batting average. Sure they have some work to do in regards to the playoff hunt, but they can’t be counted out just yet. Additionally, the short porch in right field should be quite nice for both new faces in The Bronx.

New York Mets

The Bronx Bombers were not the only team making moves in New York. The Mets made a big splash of their own, acquiring Javier Baez from the Cubs. At the moment the Mets are without Francisco Lindor, so Baez can slide into the shortstop position for the time being. When Lindor does return Baez can shift to a different position, something he said he would only do for Lindor. Are there concerns with the bat of Baez? Sure, but the Mets do not need him to be The Guy in their lineup, but just another contributor for their offense. While adding another starting pitcher could have helped, they did add Rich Hill and saw the debut of Carlos Carrasco Friday night, two options they could rely on in some capacity down the stretch. At the end of the day it was an overall great deadline for the Mets.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have essentially already won the division, so they were looking to solidify a few positions. Adding Cesar Hernandez was a solid option for a team that would later move the injured Nick Madrigal in a deal that saw Craig Kimbrel moving from the north to the south side of Chicago. Additionally, the team also acquired Ryan Tepera from the Cubs in a deal from the previous day. The White Sox are loading up on their bullpen and now have a three headed monster featuring Liam Hendriks in addition to their new acquisitions of Kimbrel and Tepera. Come playoff time the back end of the White Sox bullpen could be scary.

Chicago Cubs

Let’s face it, the Cubs had to blow it up. They had a roster full of extremely talented players on expiring contracts that extension talks had broken down with. Moving Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Craig Kimbrel, and Ryan Tepera had to be done. While they could open up contact talks after the season when most of the aforementioned names become free agents. In the end the Cubs had to turn the page on the World Series winning core and begin a new era in Chicago.

Losers

Colorado Rockies

There was speculation that the Rockies could move Trevor Story and Jon Gray. Flash forward to after the deadline and both players remain in Colorado. If the Rockies were going to actually have a successful deadline they needed to move Story and Gray. The fact both are still on the roster is team building malpractice and they deserve all the criticism they get.

Boston Red Sox

This was an underwhelming deadline for the Boston Red Sox. They had the opportunity to bring two former players back in Anthony Rizzo and Craig Kimbrel, yet the only move they made was for Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber is currently injured, but when he comes back there will be a logjam of where to play him. As everyone knows, Schwarber is defensively challenged. There is another defensively challenged outfielder on the roster in JD Martinez, who is currently their designated hitter. Because of this, putting Schwarber at DH, an option that would make sense for most American League clubs, is not available to the Red Sox.

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres were on the cusp of acquiring Max Scherzer until the Dodgers swooped in and got the deal done for themselves. Missing out on a player like Scherzer is bad enough, but losing him to a division rival and one that is looking to create separation is not a great outcome.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals added two pitchers on expiring deals in Jon Lester and J.A .Happ. St. Louis is 9.5 games back in the division and trails by 6.5 games in the Wild Card race. The moves overall are confusing and don’t make a lot of sense. Neither pitcher has been necessarily good this season and are not the answer to fix a rotation they once were. This really seems like they made moves for the sake of making moves.

MLB All-Star Game uniforms are a complete miss

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The uniforms for the MLB All-Star Game have been released and they are a complete miss. In some strange way they are over designed and too simple at the exact same time, that is before even getting to the style of the jersey.

The very basic vertical lettering appearing on the chest spelling out the abbreviations for each team is very remedial and boring. Adding the logo of each team on top of the letting just makes this whole area of the jersey a complete miss. It is very much a jumbled mess with entirely too much going on.

Now let’s get to the style of the jersey. The goal of this uniform must have been to make the players look like as amateurish as possible. There is only one way to make this look even worse and that is they decided to make the players wear shorts as well.

There is one aspect of the uniforms that they managed to get right, the hats. The All-Star Game logo is perfect as it combines both a star and the Rockies logo. The purple and white star on the front with the red and white team logos just has the right combination and contrast of colors. It is just a shame that a similar idea could not have made it onto the actual uniforms. Embracing or embodying the host city is usually a goal when creating uniforms for an All-Star Game and nothing about this jersey says Colorado.

White Sox City Connect jerseys are perfect

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I am someone who can appreciate a good jersey, especially an alternate one. Having an alternate jersey that looks good is the perfect addition to the uniform set. The Chicago White Sox unveiled their Nike City Connect jerseys and they are absolutely perfect.

Having the black jersey with white pinstripes is just a great inverse of their usual white with black pinstripes. Instead of the usual Sox on the hat it is Chi. Across the chest is Southside in the familiar Sox font. The numbers also appear in the same font.

It is just great to see a team come out with an alternate jersey that is not underwhelming or a complete letdown. Even though I am not a White Sox fan, I can admit that these jerseys are flawless.

Popcorn throwing fan deserves to be banned

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A fan threw popcorn at Russell Westbrook and they should no longer be allowed to attend sporting events in person ever again.

Homer Simpson once said while attending a Springfield Isotopes game that “This ticket gives me the right, no the duty to make a complete ass of myself”. Contrary to the wisdom of Homer Simpson, the real world doesn’t work like that. This brings us to Wednesday’s playoff game between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. Russell Westbrook was leaving the floor after suffering an injury and a fan decided to embrace his inner Homer Simpson by dumping popcorn on the Wizards star.

This is completely unacceptable and a total scumbag move. This fan should never be allowed to attend a sporting event in any city at any stadium/arena ever again. There is a certain line that once crossed should prevent an individual from going to games again and that line was crossed Wednesday by this fan.

Russell Westbrook said that the players need to be protected after the incident and he is absolutely right.

A great way to protect the players is by making an example of this specific fan. Taking action in regards to this incident and individual can be a way to discourage others from doing something similar or worse. The reality is that there are consequences for actions in the real world. It’s about holding people accountable for doing something despicable. The privilege of attending games should no longer be an option for this fan.

I’m hoping for the best when it comes to Corey Kluber

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The former Cleveland Baseball Club and current New York Yankees starter will miss significant time with an injury.

If there is one thing that Cleveland baseball fans can appreciate it is the nine seasons that Corey Kluber spent with the ball club. That’s what makes the last three seasons for Kluber so sad to see from the standpoint of a fan. Kluber suffered season-ending injuries the previous two seasons. While 2019 he was able to appear in seven games for Cleveland, he only pitched a single inning for the Texas Rangers in 2020. That’s why when the news of Kluber exiting a game with a shoulder injury hit it was like a gut punch. The update on his injury isn’t any better as he is expected to miss at least two months with the injury.

https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/1397665149121667077?s=20

What makes all of this just a little bit worse is that Corey Kluber tossed a no-hitter in his previous start. Kluber was starting to appear to be in Klubot form and was looking like his old self again. In 10 games with the Yankees, Kluber had a 3.04 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, and 9.3 K/9. While just a bit down from his prime years, this was a nice rebound after the last two seasons were cut short.

I don’t care that Corey Kluber plays for the Yankees now, I am rooting for him. I want to see Kluber come back and look like a good pitcher again. The fact that he was pitching good again was great to see considering the previous two seasons. Even if Kluber comes back and there is a little bit of a drop off it will still be great to see. The drop off is palatable as long as he returns to the mound.

I always have been and will be a fan of Corey Kluber. Right now I’m just rooting for him to come back.