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Former Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo surprisingly said Friday he did not mean the NFL covered up hundreds and hundreds of domestic-violence cases as he was quoted in a Thursday USA Today article. OK, not surprisingly. He said his words were taken out of context and twisted. USA Today reporter Josh Peter stood by his story and what Angelo said initially. Something says USA Today just might have reported accurately. Something also says Angelo might want to think twice (well, that does assume he thinks once) before making statements he later regrets.
Video below of Jessica Barton. For those who might be interested.
* Speaking of thinking, Bears receiver Brandon Marshall might want to think about being healthy rather than playing when he is injured to a point that an ailing ankle becomes worse. Unless, of course, the ankle never is going to be healthy. In which case, what’s he doing on the field? Last time anyone checked, football is a team sport. And the team should be more important than an individual, especially an injured one. Of course, by not letting an injured Marshall play, he might suffer an even more severe injury — to his ego.
* Speaking of players with significant egos, A.J. Pierzynski is on the St. Louis Cardinals’ National League Championship Series roster after being left off the NL Division Series roster. Not that the former White Sox catcher is going to supplant Yadier Molina as the Cards’ starting catcher. But Pierzynski does provide a left-handed bat off the bench and a player with postseason experience (as Sox fans might recall from the 2005 World Series crown). Wonder if Las Vegas will have a prop bet on the number of altercations/controversial plays he is involved in. Anyone who has followed Pierzynski’s career would have to set the over/under at at least 1 1/2, don’t you think?
* Speaking of postseason baseball, there’s no reason Game 1 of the American League Championship Series between the Kansas City Royals and host Baltimore Orioles should have been allowed to be played in the rain. Oh, wait. Yes, there is. It’s called money. As in television money. Apparently, it would take a monsoon or something close to that to have a rain delay. As long as they’re going to make the players perform in inclement weather, Major League Baseball ought to have an official — preferably commissioner Bud Selig — stand out somewhere on the field. Without a raincoat or umbrella; maybe a baseball cap.
* Speaking of baseball (not postseason variety), the Chicago Cubs had their Season Ticket Holders gathering Friday. Judging by some of the comments emanating from that event, you have to think the Cubs will win the 2015 World Series. Maybe even 2014, as management painted a picture so bright that they should have handed out sunglasses to the attendees.
* The possibility of a Cubs television channel a few years from now means more money for the team. Not necessarily more success on the field. The team with the top payroll (Los Angeles Dodgers with more than $235 million) lost to the Cardinals ($111 million) in the NLDS. Only the Giants ($154 million) are in the top 10 in payroll among teams remaining in the postseason. The Cubs ($89 million) had a payroll $3 less than the Royals. It’s not what you spend but how wisely you spend. For the Cubs, not spending makes sense in the world of dollars and cents — as long as you care about profitability more than you do about winning.
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