THIS WEEK’S RECAP…
Superstar of the Week: Chipper Jones
This is the final week of regular season action for Chipper Jones. After 19 years with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones is retiring at the end of the 2012 season. In my opinion, Chipper Jones is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Playing in an age of steroids and scandal, Jones never found himself attached to the rumors and the dark clouds that tarnished so many legacies in the major leagues. Chipper Jones went out and played baseball. Not only did he merely play baseball, Jones played baseball like one of the all-time greats.
On September 12th, Jones recorded his 1500th walk in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the first switch hitter in Major League Baseball history to obtain at least 2500 hits, 1500 RBIs, 1500 runs, and 1500 walks. Jones also joined Stan Musial, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Lou Gehrig as the only players in Major League history to record at least 2500 hits, 1500 walks, 1500 runs, 500 doubles, 450 home runs, and 1500 RBIs while hitting .300 with a .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. Jones is set to end his career hitting over .300 from each side of home plate. Among switch-hitters with at least 5000 career at-bats, the only other player to do so is Frankie Frisch. He and Mickey Mantle are the only two switch-hitters in MLB history to have an on-base percentage of .400, slugging percentage of .500, and 400 home runs in their careers. Jones also has the most RBIs of any player who was primarily a third baseman.
Jones was named to the all-star team eight times, including this season, was the National League batting champion in 2008, earned the MVP honor once in 1999, and won one World Series with the Braves in 1995.
The Atlanta Braves are going to the postseason this year as a Wild Card team. While the odds are against Jones winning a second World Series title with the Braves this year, stranger things have happened. The truth is that if anybody deserved to go out as a champion, it would be Chipper Jones. This is not a Superstar of the Week honor merely for the last week. This is an honor to recognize one of the greatest baseball careers I have ever had the honor of witnessing. Thankfully, Chipper was on my team. Thanks for everything, Chipper -- the greatest Atlanta Brave of all-time.
Jerk of the Week: Roger Goodell
Superstar of the Week: Chipper Jones
This is the final week of regular season action for Chipper Jones. After 19 years with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones is retiring at the end of the 2012 season. In my opinion, Chipper Jones is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Playing in an age of steroids and scandal, Jones never found himself attached to the rumors and the dark clouds that tarnished so many legacies in the major leagues. Chipper Jones went out and played baseball. Not only did he merely play baseball, Jones played baseball like one of the all-time greats.
On September 12th, Jones recorded his 1500th walk in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the first switch hitter in Major League Baseball history to obtain at least 2500 hits, 1500 RBIs, 1500 runs, and 1500 walks. Jones also joined Stan Musial, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Lou Gehrig as the only players in Major League history to record at least 2500 hits, 1500 walks, 1500 runs, 500 doubles, 450 home runs, and 1500 RBIs while hitting .300 with a .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. Jones is set to end his career hitting over .300 from each side of home plate. Among switch-hitters with at least 5000 career at-bats, the only other player to do so is Frankie Frisch. He and Mickey Mantle are the only two switch-hitters in MLB history to have an on-base percentage of .400, slugging percentage of .500, and 400 home runs in their careers. Jones also has the most RBIs of any player who was primarily a third baseman.
Jones was named to the all-star team eight times, including this season, was the National League batting champion in 2008, earned the MVP honor once in 1999, and won one World Series with the Braves in 1995.
The Atlanta Braves are going to the postseason this year as a Wild Card team. While the odds are against Jones winning a second World Series title with the Braves this year, stranger things have happened. The truth is that if anybody deserved to go out as a champion, it would be Chipper Jones. This is not a Superstar of the Week honor merely for the last week. This is an honor to recognize one of the greatest baseball careers I have ever had the honor of witnessing. Thankfully, Chipper was on my team. Thanks for everything, Chipper -- the greatest Atlanta Brave of all-time.
Jerk of the Week: Roger Goodell
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| The game-winning interception herd 'round the world. |
On the September 24th edition of Monday Night Football, the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Green Bay Packers, 14-12, on Russell Wilson’s game-winning interception. Yes, Wilson’s pass was not a touchdown to wide receiver Golden Tate; it was an interception by Packers safety MD Jennings. However, the replacement officials called the interception a touchdown for Seattle and cheated the Packers of a victory. Now, America blasted the replacement referees who blew the obvious call. Those officials deserved it too. However, one man deserved hatred more than anyone else did after this debacle in Seattle: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Roger Goodell, in another move to replace NHL Commission Gary Bettman as the worst commissioner in sports, refused to pay the regular NFL officials what they deserved and started the 2012 NFL season with replacement officials. While preaching the sanctity of the game, Goodell made little to no effort to protect the credibility of the game as these Lady Foot Locker employees butchered game after game with bogus calls, mind-blowing no calls, and bush league mistakes like giving out extra timeouts and having no idea who was playing. In the first edition of Armchair Quarterback Tuesday, I said it was going to take a major blunder on a national stage that directly affected the result of a game for America finally to voice their displeasure with the officials’ lockout. The Green Bay-Seattle game happened. America snapped at the NFL for their inaction in getting the real officials back on the sidelines. Roger Goodell witnessed the NFL, America’s top sport, become a national punch line as comedians, talk show hosts, and even national newscasters destroyed the league on Tuesday. Goodell finally saw the damage he was causing the NFL. The real officials returned to the sidelines by the Cleveland-Baltimore game on Thursday night.
I believe the damage has already occurred. The first three weeks of the NFL season have a cloud over them because of poor officiating. Now, fans are watching the moves of the officials more than ever before. Officiating has replaced the on-the-field action as the main topic of discussion when it comes to football. When this happened in other sports, namely the NBA, the sport never returned to the level of credibility and respectability it previously had because the cloud of doubt loomed overhead. I still cannot watch the NBA without pointing out the shadiest outcomes. The success of the Miami Heat is a prime example of shenanigans in the NBA. David Stern wanted them to succeed and finally got it. While Roger Goodell did not damage the NFL to that level, he did hurt the integrity of the game by allowing under-qualified officials work games that actually count. The ego of Goodell has run wild since he first got the Commissioner position and this was the worst show of it yet. Whereas the Saints bounty scandal only hurt one team, Goodell hurt the entire league with his hardheaded stupidity. That was a jerk move by the worst commissioner in sports.
Babe of the Week: Julie Bowen
A Melancholy Happy Trails to…
- Bill’s Pizza Pub, 43 - Legendary pizza place in Greensboro, NC. I loved this place. While there are still locations on Randleman Road and in Oak Ridge, none will replace the original Bill’s on High Point Road. (September 29th)
- Chris Economaki, 91 - American motorsports journalist (September 28th)
- Andy Williams, 84 - American singer and entertainer. Favorite performer of Nelson Muntz. (September 25th)
- Cecil Gordon, 71 - NASCAR driver and team owner (September 19th)
- Steve Sabol, 69 - American filmmaker and co-founder of NFL Films (September 18th)
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