The Summer of Stupidity
Summer is a time of youth, innocence, beach balls and soaking up the sun. However this summer has added another category, a carnival like atmosphere of dumb dumbness.
First, we had Lebrongate. How many times is Jim Gray involved with something and HE was not the most controversial figure. Bron bron, demanding the attention only worthy of a diva, held a special on the four letter network to let millions know he would take his talents to South Beach. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert decided to write (I believe in crayon) to express his feelings calling L.B.J. a meanie. The nerve of James to want to win, rather than stay with a team who did not share the same desire.
The Cavs made no significant moves through trades or free agency while James was with the organization. By the way, adding 37 year-old Shaquille O’Neal does not count, sorry Diesel, but you’re still welcome on our network. Gilbert also decided to sell James jersey for $17.41, a reference to the birth year of Benedict Arnold, the traitor of the Independence War. It’s nice to know maturity is not required to be an N.B.A. owner.
Of course there was umpire Jim Joyce missed call which costs Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galaraga a perfect game, which would have been only the 19th perfect game since 1900. To Joyce’s credit, after the game he admitted he was wrong and apologized for his mistake.
The stupidity involved is not as much Joyce’s bad call as is Major League Baseball’s stubbornness to not allow instant replay during baseball games. MLB is the only sport of the 4 major North American sports not to incorporate instant replay in some way shape of form.
Now I’m not asking for balls and strikes to be subject to replay, as every umpire has their own strike zone, but it’s not too much to ask to see if a runner was really out or really safe. People will argue it will take too much time, well here’s an idea. Stop allowing batters to do a little dance each and every time they step out of the batter’s box. By forcing batters to actually play baseball, there will actually be enough time for instant replay.
The stupidity continued into the “classy” sport of golf last Sunday for the P.G.A. championship. Dustin Johnson was denied a chance to win the tournament because of a 2 stroke penalty.
Why did he get the penalty?
He grounded his club in a bunker which he believed to be a footpath. He thought this because fans were walking over the tiny patch of sand all week and logically believed it not to be a sand trap. Even “classier” than the rule was Johnsons’ statement. “I guess maybe I should have looked at the rules sheet a little harder.”
What? Who are these people? Losing a chance to win a major and millions of dollars because of a stupid rule is reason enough to express your emotions. Golf is bad enough as it is when their star player, Eldrick (Tiger Woods’ given first name) would say titillating quotes like “the course looks good, I feel good, I like my chances.” I understand the concept of keeping your emotions in check, but if a stupid rule costs me a million dollars better believe I would be dropping some four letters rules other than rule and book.
But the dumbest without question is something which ironically occurs every year, N.F.L. pre-season. The pre-season is too long. It’s currently 5 games, which equates to about the 3rd of the regular season. To put this in perspective it would be like the N.B.A. playing a 27 game pre-season. How many players have injured themselves in meaningless games? The N.F.L. needs to make the pre-season 3 games and needs to stop being a dumb-dumb.
