Thinking out loud: Home run derby is useless

Thinking out loud…while wondering if mankind will ever make it back to the moon…

• Counting down to kickoff, and tipoff:  T-minus 5 days to training camp.  NFL season kickoff, 47 days.  College hoop, 72 (give-or-take) until taking the court for practices.  Who's ready?  Enough of this off-season stuff, already.

• Forget the Home Run Derby on Monday nights.  The way this year's game went, we don't need it.  Just play the game.  Ten home runs?  Were the pitchers just serving things up?  Hate to say it, maybe the game was better when there was, um, something to play for?  Just sayin'.

• Speaking of the staged HR Derby on Monday, ratings were way down from just last year.  Either encourage or entice the stars to swing, or it's time to go the way of the Dodo Bird.  Or just hand the trophy to a player from the home city.

• Did you see what ex-Sox pitcher Jon Lester said about David Price?  "I don't think (he) needs to reinvent himself. He's a pretty darn good pitcher and he's been one for a while…he will figure out the Yankees at some point."

• Then could you give him a few pointers on facing that lineup, Jon?  That would be great.  Oh, and give him some guts, too…maybe like you had?  Thanks.

• And yet, this from @SoxNotes: "This is the first time the Red Sox have ever featured 4 pitchers with 10+ wins before the All-Star break (Porcello-11, Rodriguez-11, Price-10, Sale-10). No MLB team had done that since the 1977 Angels also had four 10-game winners before the break." 

• Oh.  Well then, carry on fellas.  But maybe teach your pitchers how to cover 1st base a bit more gracefully?  Either that, or maybe Eduardo Rodriguez also needs an infusion of "suck-it-up," like a couple of others on that staff?

• Really, now.  What in the world am I complaining about?  See what the Sox do to me?  Do to us all?  Can't we just enjoy a great season?  Not with the Yankees and all that talent lurking.  Blame them.  Then blame history.

• Saw an interesting item on a Holy Cross fan forum – did you know PC's basketball attendance last season was #1 in New England, among the 22 Division I teams in the six-state region?  162,315 fans watched the Friars in the Dunkin Donuts Center for 2017-18, an average of 9547 per game…and 1700 more per game than #2, UConn.

• UConn has four national titles in men's hoop, too.  No pressure or anything, Ed.

• Making plans?  The NCAA announced the next four Final Four sites this week.  It's Minneapolis for next season (2019) and Atlanta in 2020.  Then, Indianapolis in 2021, New Orleans has it in 2022, followed by Houston 2023, Phoenix 2024, San Antonio 2025 and Indy again in 2026. 

• With season tickets approaching the all-time high for the upcoming season, as the saying goes "better get yours now."  Plus, as our buddy KMac at the Providence Journal reported this week, a new Dunk scoreboard is going up and de-humidifiers are going in (woo hoo!) for next year.

• Congrats to two-time Big East assist champ Kyron Cartwright and to teammate Rodney Bullock, who now remain teammates heading for Hungary to start their professional careers.  Btw, a Friar point guard has led the league in assists for six of the past seven seasons. 

• Who gets the crack at making it 7-of-8?  It should be Makai Ashton-Langford to start, but don't be shocked if uber-frosh David Duke is handed the reigns, or the rock, at some point.

• Had someone ask me this week what I thought about URI, and where David Cox might have the Rams figure into the A-10?  With a target now on their backs, the new coach has a winning attitude and winning habits, at the very least.

• He also has competition from Saint Louis, another NCAA team in Davidson and perennial contender St. Joseph's to deal with, too.  But a Top 3 or 4 slot in the league should have the Rams in contention for the postseason again, provided they pop a Middle Tennessee, West Virginia or Providence along the way – or win in Hawaii.

• 6-8 senior forward Nicola Akele is giving up his final season of eligibility in Kingston to try the pros, back home in the Italian Serie A2 league.  His absence will impact the Rams' depth inside.

• Bryant athletic director Bill Smith was elected this past week to serve as the President of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Association for 2018-19.  URI's Thorr Bjorn held the role last year.  Smith was one of four DI FCS AD's to earn athletic director of the year honors earlier this year.

• Former WLVI-TV Channel 56 sports anchor, St. John's radio play-by-play announcer, NY Knicks voice on MSG and ESPN announcer Mike Crispino is the new radio Voice of UConn Huskies football and basketball.

• You can say a lot of things about the University of Louisville and a current culture of "poor" behavior surrounding the athletic program, but the school president last week took the Papa John's name off of the football stadium.  With UofL suffering huge money issues under a cloud of controversy and scandal, principle actually won out over profit.

• Just so you know the struggle isn't over, the University of New Mexico dropped four sports this week, including men's soccer, thanks to money issues and Title IX compliance.  This is a state university, outside of the so-called Power 5, and they're struggling.   

• Tweet of the Week I, from @GeorgeForeman: "Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali were my best friends ever in boxing. They understood me; and I understood them." 

• Understand this – Foreman is much more than just an indoor grill salesman.  He had two wins over Frazier, and suffered the first of his five career losses (with 76 wins) against Ali in 1974's famous "Rumble in the Jungle." He was a two-time heavyweight champ, and an Olympic gold medalist, too. 

• Forbes' annual ranking of sports' Top 50 most valuable franchises includes 29 of the 32 NFL teams.  Seven European soccer clubs, nine NBA teams and five MLB teams also made the list, but three of the four most valuable?  Soccer.  Or futbol, depending on your point of view.

• Which could certainly be one reason why the Kraft family – the same one that owns the Patriots and Revolution – was mentioned in a big, "fake news" story this week about bidding on Sevilla of Spain's La Liga. 

• Turns out, according to a Boston.com story, it was a Spanish soccer fan wishing the Kraft's would buy the team, and his wish-turned-story went viral.  So much for fact-checking.

• And I know you're wondering, if you haven't heard.  The Patriots come in at #6 on the planetary Top 50 Most Valuable list, worth an estimated $3.7 billion.  The Dallas Cowboys are #1 at $4.8B, with the highest revenue and earnings before taxes and depreciation.

• The cutoff for the Top 50 is a cool $1.95B (Cleveland Browns), and the three NFL teams not making the cut were Cincinnati, Detroit and Buffalo.  106 teams globally are worth at least $1 billion.  Mama, do let your babies grow up to be pro sports owners.

• And even with the NFL taking ratings and PR hits seemingly every day, pro football is still king with the people.  37 of the 50 most-watched programs on TV last year were NFL games.

• Other teams on the list – Yankees ($4B) 5th, Red Sox ($2.8B) 19th, Celtics ($2.5B) 27th. 

• Whatever you may think about the player, Revis Island's closing this week after an 11-year career was probably overdue.  But Darrelle Revis was brought in to help the Patriots win, and he did that in his one year here.  In his prime, there were few ever better.

• What I'll be watching when Training Camp opens this week in Foxboro – who plays at left tackle, who plays at cornerback and who gets extra receiving reps with Julian Edelman's unpaid vacation looming. 

• Oh, and can Cyrus Jones catch a punt?

• Julian Edelman's decision to drop his appeal with the NFL is a smart one.  He can now focus, as did TB12, on getting ready for his return from suspension AND injury.  And I think he'll be plenty motivated.

• One of these days, athletes who make mistakes/poor life choices will realize sports fans are a big part of a very forgiving society.  Own up to your mistake, apologize, and you're human just like we are.  It's really that simple.

• Bulletin board material, or just plain stupidity?  Jacksonville defensive tackle Malik Jackson predicted this week this season will be a "perfect season" for the Jaguars.  16-0.  Hey Malik?  Won't mean squat unless it's 19-0.  Ask a Patriot fan about that.

• Tweet of the Week II, from Eagles' center Jason Kelce, via @theMMQB: "The last defense we had seen was Minnesota's, and we were like, 'these dudes have got some players.' Then we see (the Patriots) and we're like, 'these dudes have got some…coaches."

• Dumb statement of the week came from Rams' RB Todd Gurley, who is trying to cash in on his recently achieved athletic fame…the wrong way.  He told the LA Times "Us NFL players, we're just mad about NBA contracts right now, that's all. I just want like $80 million. Those guys are getting like $150 (million). It's crazy. It's insane."

• No Todd, you're crazy.  Those NBA guys, Todd, play 82 games.  You play 16.  Go shoot hoops, then.  Stupid is as stupid does.

• The Celtics re-signing Marcus Smart is ok and all, but is his return really helping the team reach next year's NBA Finals?  No.  Kyrie Irving, and perhaps Gordon Hayward, will help Boston get there.

• But if Kawhi Leonard actually shows up to play for Toronto after his trade from San Antonio this week, don't discount the Raptors.  Or the Sixers, either.

• Tweet of the Week III, from @DarrenRovell: "In 2000, Blockbuster had a chance to buy Netflix for $50 million. Today, Blockbuster is down to one store. Netflix is worth $172 BILLION."

• Jim Kelly was eloquent, and he is courageous in his on-going fight against cancer.  The social statements made were important, but the ESPY's are mostly contrived nonsense.  Not for nuthin', but when does ex-BC baseballer Pete Frates get his plaudits for the Ice Bucket Challenge, raising awareness (and millions of dollars) for ALS?

• My buddy "Big E" sez he heard a good fish tale at the pub the other night.  Two guys on the lake were fishing and ran out of beer.  One reels in his line only to find an old bottle snagged on the hook, so he rubs it up and 'poof,' a genie pops out.  He promises to grant one wish for his release, and the guy says, 'turn the lake into beer.'

• So, the genie does his thing, and the lake is turned into beer.  "Am I brilliant, or what?" he said to his fishing partner.  "You're an idiot," his friend said.  "Now, we have to pee in the boat." 

• If you're a newbie, or into conspiracy stuff and don't believe it really happened…it really did.  49 years ago, July 20th, 1969, man walked on the moon for the first time.  Which is remarkable, really, considering President John F. Kennedy set the goal for such an accomplishment during his 1960 inauguration after the Russians beat us into space with Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin.

• But I remember where I was when it happened, just before my 10th birthday.  My first all-nighter, couldn't get enough of it, watching and listening to Walter Cronkite gush over Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in my parents' den.  We haven't been back to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, after 12 men hit the lunar dust, which makes the feat even more incredible if not unbelievable.

• Only five Apollo moonwalkers (including Aldrin) are still alive, all in their 80's.  Astronaut Alan Bean, who was the 4th human to walk on the moon (Apollo 12) and graduated from my high school (Paschal HS in Fort Worth, TX) passed away in May.  Exactly zero humans have been beyond a low Earth orbit since the last Moon mission.

• NASA had plans to send astronauts back to the Moon for 2018 as far back as 2005.  President Trump announced plans last year for a return to the Moon.  President Bush also had voted "Moon."  President Obama then said "Mars."  Now we're back to the Moon again.

• I'm all for exploration.  I've always wanted to be the first "Sportscaster in Space," and several people have long told me I'm 'not of this world' on a lot of things.  Building a Moon habitat for research purposes would be a nice trial run for eventually getting to Mars.  Hey, we might not be here, any of us, right here and right now if we didn't have the "what's out there?" gene within humanity. 

• But can we make up our minds?  Probably, if the politicians stay out of it and let the space experts just 'do their job.'  Maybe Bill Belichick should run NASA after he's done winning Super Bowls?   

• My lady buddy Bobbie e-mailed this week to say she's done with the MLB all-star game: "Why does anyone waste their time with the baseball all-star game?  It's not like it counts or anything. Used to love watching it. Now, not so much."

• Bobbie:  Like you, I actually grew into liking the "this game counts" idea behind baseball's all-star game.  It was never perfect, as we saw, but with the mystique of watching 'American vs. National' players completely wiped out of the game by interleague play, putting something like World Series home-field advantage on the line was, at the least, an original idea.  Now?  We get pitchers serving up gopher balls to their buddies in the other league, as we witnessed this week.  Sad, but I'm with you.

• Interested in having your questions on local Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send 'em to me! It's your chance to "think out loud," so send your questions, comments and local stories to john.rooke@weei.com. We'll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...

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