Perfection in a World Series game is very rare, but plate umpire Pat Hoberg called a perfect game on Saturday in game two of the World Series. According to Umpscorecard.com, Hoberg called all 129 pitches correctly, which included 89 balls and 40 strikes. This is an amazing accomplishment considering the situation, the quality of the pitchers, and the ability of catchers to frame pitches to try to influence the plate umpire. He gets my Orchid of the Day.
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I wonder how MSU fans are feeling about their $95 million coach after this weekend. His play calling in the first half of a competitive game was irrational and dumb. Not taking the points by kicking field goals in the first half goes against all conventional wisdom. In a rivalry game, points are at a premium. They need to be taken when the opportunity presents itself. If MSU doesn’t have a kicker that they can count on to kick a field goal, the coach has no one to blame but himself. He has had three years to recruit a kicker. In addition, the stupid penalties, especially on the first drive, killed what started out as a promising opening drive. Team discipline is a reflection of the coaching staff. In the end, the Wolverines were the better coached and the more talented team, as shown by the beatdown that occurred in the second half on both sides of the ball.
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Like so many people, I was shocked to wake up Sunday morning to read about what happened in the Lloyd Carr Tunnel following Saturday night’s football game The videos were gut wrenching. The ramifications of the action of the MSU players who participated in the assault will be life changing. There will be no hiding behind a vail of secrecy or that the players were caught up in the moment during the heat of the game. The videos will be played over and over for days, weeks, months, and years to come. A university that has struggled with negative press, now has another black eye. The players, the coaching staff and the university will be facing possible legal action, both criminal and civil. One of the Michigan players has already filed a civil suit against the players, the coaches, and MSU.
There is no good outcome from what happened. There is no justification and no rationale for what happened. It is not the fault of Michigan’s Lloyd Carr tunnel. It is not the fault of the two Michigan players who were attacked. It is not the fault of the police, security or anyone else who was in the tunnel at the time of the attack, It is not the fault of the MSU coaching staff or the MSU players who didn’t participate in the attack. This is the fault of individuals with “thug mentality” who felt brave and courageous when attacking two Michigan players lost in a sea of Green and White. Rather than accepting the “butt kicking” that they received in the last three quarters of the game, the “thugs” lashed out at two defenseless Michigan players who happened to be nearby. The “thugs” attacked, using their helmets as a deadly weapon. They kicked, shoved, and punched. In less than 30 seconds, they changed the direction of their lives, and they have no one to blame but themselves.
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As a follow up to my blog last Friday and my disgust with all of the political violence that is occurring in our country, more information is coming out on the attack on Paul Pelosi. Here is what was reported in the NY Times, ABC News, and other news outlets.
Federal prosecutors charged the man accused of breaking into the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with attempting to kidnap Ms. Pelosi and with assaulting a relative of a federal official, according to charging documents filed on Monday.
The suspect, David DePape, 42, was apprehended by the police at the Pelosi home in the early morning hours on Friday. The police said he forcibly entered through the back door of the house, encountered Ms. Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, and, following a struggle over a hammer, struck him with it.
Mr. DePape was looking for Ms. Pelosi, who was in Washington at the time, to interrogate the speaker on an unspecified political matter, according to the federal complaint. If she told the “truth,” he would let her go; if she “lied,” he intended to break her kneecaps because he saw her as “the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party” and wanted her to be wheeled into Congress as a lesson to other Democrats, Mr. DePape told police officers in an interview.
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Elections Matter. Pray for peace and tolerance. What are you doing to stop the violence and mass killings?
Quote of the Day: “I’m extremely saddened by this incident and the unacceptable behavior depicted by members of our football program. On behalf of Michigan State University, my heartfelt apology to the University of Michigan and the student athletes who were injured. There is no provocation that could justify the behavior we are seeing on the videos. Rivalries can be intense but should never be violent. Coach Tucker will be holding the players involved responsible, and our football team and university will be cooperating with all related investigations by law enforcement and the Big Ten Conference.” MSU President Samuel Stanley.
Orchid of the Day: Pat Hoberg-see above story.
Onion of the Day: The MSU football players who attacked the two Michigan players in the tunnel following Saturday’s game.
Question of the Day: Are you tired of the violence yet?
Video/Image of the Day: Former Southeast Michigan Umpire Camp instructor James Hoye, making a great call as the plate in umpire in game one of the World Series. This is how you make a tough call in the toughest of all situations.
My level of exhaustion with active violence is only exceeded by the violence of silence. Silence that indicates acceptance of the profusion of innuendos, comedic references, conspiracies and callousness that continues to this day by those in pursuit of power or keeping what they have.
MSU’s players that engaged in the violence after the game is a reflection of an atmosphere of violence. There must be accountability. It is my prayer that we, as a nation, will realize this experiment we call Democracy is worth our persistent knowledgeable participation. We must all do better.
Amen my dear friend