Doc Rivers, Bill Simmons soap opera plays out on NBA Draft night

After a frenzied night full of trades and surprises, new Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and ESPN's Bill Simmons injected a final bit of drama into the typically ho-hum completion of the second round of the NBA Draft.

Reporter Shelley Smith caught up with Rivers for a standard briefing on the Clippers’ draft during ESPN's coverage. But when Smith asked Rivers to respond to Simmons’ accusation that the former  Boston Celtics coach quit on the team, things got interesting.

“I would like to call him an idiot but I’m too classy for that,” Rivers said. “ He really needs to know the whole truth, which he doesn’t.”

Simmons, an avid Boston sports fan, fired back.

“The truth keeps changing,” Simmons said. “When he sticks to a story, I’ll believe the truth.”

After host Rece Davis attempted to steer the conversation, Simmons interjected.

“Just own it. Just admit what you did. The writing was on the wall. The Celtics wanted to rebuild. You didn’t want to be a part of it. You wanted to go to the Clippers and it happened. Just own what you did,” Simmons said about Rivers.

Rivers, who still had three years remaining on his Celtics contract, was traded to the Clippers for a 2015 first round pick. He led Boston to a title in 2008 after taking over the team in 2004.

Earlier in the night on the draft set, Simmons opined disapprovingly of the blockbuster trade sending Celtics stalwarts Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets.

Rivers told Smith he was “sad to see everybody leave Boston.”

The 2012-13 season was Simmons' first as a studio analyst for ESPN’s “NBA Countdown.”

Brian Cashman's A-Rod F-bomb for America

It's far from the first expletive thrown Alex Rodriguez's way but Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman's F-bomb for the highest paid player in baseball may be the most biting.

After Rodriguez tweeted that doctors gave him the go-ahead to return to game action soon, Cashman refuted that assertion, telling ESPN New York, "You know what, when the Yankees want to announce something, [we will]. Alex should just shut the f--- up. That's it. I'm going to call Alex now."

Ouch.

Cashman is understandably fed up with his bombastic third baseman who has lately generated more negative headlines than innings played on a baseball field. 

Rodriguez remains on the DL, however, his name continues to pop up on the back page of the papers, most recently linked to MLB's investigation of Tony Bosch's Miami Biogenesis clinic that could leave him facing a 100-game suspension. 

No one stirs up controversy like the embattled Yankee. It took about 24 hours from the time @AROD was verified on Twitter for him to create a firestorm.

That seems to be Rodriguez's most clutch ability - a pension not for drama on the field but with women in the stands or alleged injections in his mansion.

It's all surreal when it comes to A-Rod, who has done little to back up the $275 million the Yankees signed on to pay him over the course of 10 years.

His play alone is maddening but it's his reckless attitude that's a low blow.

Cashman just said publicly what fans in the stands have been saying for years in moments like Game 5 of the 2011 ALDS against the Tigers when Rodriguez struck out three times, his final one making him the first player in baseball history to end his team's season with a strikeout in two straight seasons.

That dubious distinction is a fitting microcosm of Rodriguez's time in pinstripes, as is his latest snafu.

While some guys can't catch a break under the spotlight of the New York media, Rodriguez just can't get a grip on common sense.

Huh? Miss Utah says society needs to 'create education better'

Remember Miss South Carolina and her pageant response about "U.S. Americans," education and world geography that went viral? She may have a new rival.

One of the contestants at Sunday night’s Miss USA invoked déjà vu for some after her answer to a question about women and income inequality in the final round of this year’s pageant.

Miss Utah, Marissa Powell, selected "Judge 3," NeNe Leakes of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," from cards placed in a fish bowl. Leakes’ question was “A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children women are the primary earners yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?”

This was Miss Utah’s response, which was less than awe-inspring, to say the least: 

Miss Utah finished as the third runner-up.

The 25-year-old Miss Connecticut, Erin Brady, won the crown.

Not everything turns to gold for the Patriots

When it comes to the New England Patriots it's easy to forget mistakes.

That's the case when you have the success they have had in the past decade.

Yes, the Patriots drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round, possibly the biggest steal ever, and in some cases have found productive roles for players, like Danny Woodhead, who were rejected by other teams. However, with Monday's signing of Tim Tebow it's important to remember that the Patriots have had their fair share of big-name blunders through the years too.

Look no further than the acquisition of Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson in the summer of 2011. Belichick and the Pats traded a couple late-round draft picks for the former Bengals star hoping to recapture the magic of his Pro Bowl past, much like they had with a beleaguered Randy Moss.

But Ochocinco didn't work out in the record-setting way Moss did - or at all. Ochocinco,  who was 34 years old at the time, reportedly had trouble picking up the Patriots' playbook and was released after catching only 15 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown in one season with the team.

No reclamation project there. 

The receiver formerly known as Ochocinco wasn't the only high-profile bust. 

That same offseason, the Patriots traded a fifth-round pick to the Redskins for defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth. The former Pro Bowler struggled and was released following Week 9 of the 2011 season.

Adalius Thomas had a strong first season in New England after signing a five-year, $35 million contract in 2007. From there though it only went downhill. In Thomas' final season before being released in 2010, he was benched for an October game and sent home after arriving late to a team meeting on a snowy December day. 

The signing of veteran wide receiver Joey Galloway in 2009 also turned out to be a misstep. Galloway played in just three games with the team before being released in October of that season. 

Yet among some there's a notion that Tim Tebow has to have success because Patriot Pat will be on his hat.

Mike Greenberg tweeted: "Tim Tebow will be on Patriots roster all season. They didn't do this for fun. They did it because, somewhere down the line, he will help."

Adam Schein wrote in a March column that Tebow would "fit right in and ride it to a championship" in New England.

This denies the fact that not everything works out in the Patriots' favor. 

Sure, a lot does. There's no denying Belichick, Brady and the legacy they have built. The three Super Bowl rings speak for themselves.

Belichick, however, is not King Midas. Not every player he gets his hands on turns into a star or reclaims past glory. 

Tebow may well find a niche in New England. There's not much space to go down from where he plateaued in his time in green and white. If you believe in bad karma for the Jets (which may not be that off base), then Tebow will probably end up in the end zone in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, where he rarely saw action last season. 

But to assert that Tebow is more right now than an inaccurate passer with an uncanny pension for late-game magic is creating false hype. Putting on a Patriots uniform will not alone lead to football salvation.

Pay back fans the right way, Indians

An apology is not enough. Neither is discounted merchandise, parking or concessions. The Indians need to do the right thing for fans who bought tickets for Friday night's rain-tattered game with the Rays: offer tickets for another game.

Those 29,603 fans, the night's announced attendance, headed out to Progressive Field expecting a fun-filled night of baseball, $1 dogs and fireworks. 

What they got was a whole lot of time to feast on those dollar dogs, a span in which Joey Chestnut may have been able to demolish a year's supply of Sugardale hot dogs. 

The game's first pitch, scheduled for 7:05 p.m., didn't come until 9:02 p.m., following a nearly two-hour rain delay. At 9:18 p.m., persisting rain led to another delay of only 13 minutes. However, heavier rain soon began again, halting the game at 9:34 p.m. Play would not resume again for two hours and 39 minutes, in only the bottom of the second, at 12:13 a.m. 

Jacob Vecchio was one of the fans that stuck around the whole time, enduring a combined four hours and 49 minutes of rain delays. While the game ended around 3 a.m., Vecchio didn't get home to Brook Park until 4:30 a.m. because the Rapid which he planned to take home was no longer running.

"It was cool to wait until the delay was actually over," Vecchio told me. "Probably the longest game I've been to but it was fun."

Alex Shirilla didn't make it as long as Vecchio. She saw just one full inning of baseball Friday night, before leaving at 11:30 p.m.

"Some of us had work early in the morning and couldn't stay," Shirilla said. Like Vecchio though, she didn't view her night as a negative one.

"It was a fun experience nonetheless at the stadium with the dollar dogs and just the atmosphere and being there with friends," Shirilla said.

Other fans were not so pleased, to say the least, voicing their anger in comments on a post on the Indians' Facebook page Friday night that read: "Thanks to everyone who is sticking it out with us, both here at the park, and on our TV and radio broadcasts! We'll resume play here at Progressive Field momentarily."

Amy Moses wrote: "Wish i could have stayed, but we had a 6 year old with us. A six year old that was thrilled to be in extremely good (and expensive) seats. A six year old that graduated from kindergarten today. A six year old that got to see just 9 outs. A six year old that is now sleeping in his bed. A six year old that was heartbroken on the drive home because he never even had a chance to cheer on his team. So disappointed in your decision to even start this game."

Sean Lowe echoed that sentiment: "I paid you guys $50 to sit in the rain for 4.5 hours! A total lack of care shown to the fans (that you can't bring to the ballpark) by not give any updates!!!"

On Saturday, team president Mark Shapiro offered an apology and said he felt "terrible" about the situation.

"We're trying to come up with some alternatives to demonstrate that materially to our fans," Shapiro said.

The alternative should not be difficult to find. Fans offered it themselves on Facebook. 

"This will be our last game if some sort of makeup game or refund isn't offered," Jason Weppelman, who went to the game with his daughter, wrote. 

"My kids were wet, disappointed and falling asleep when we finally called it a night....we bought tickets for 26 members of my family for tonight's game....what a waste!!!! I don't want to be gifted an Indians store, free dinner for a year etc etc....I just want what we paid for!! To enjoy a day at the ballpark with my family," Katie Paonessa commented.

It's a simple solution really - one that shouldn't take days to discern. 

"They should let those who stayed or left get another game for free," Vecchio said.

It's that easy - because when it comes down to it most of the 29,000 fans were gone by the post-midnight long-term resumption of action. Most didn't get to see more than an inning of baseball and none got to see fireworks, which were canceled.

What should have been a memorable night turned out to be a major disappointment for many. Even those who did still have a good time did not get their full money's worth for what was included in the night's promotion.

Shapiro and the Indians should give them that back, with a ticket of equal value (as available) to a future game of their choosing. There are still multiple fireworks games on the schedule, so fans who were eager to see the show would still have that option. Others who just want a nine-inning day or night at the park that doesn't take eight hours to fulfill deserve that too.

It is not the Indians' fault that factors out of their control forced the decision of playing out the game in the wee hours of the morning. But it's also not that of fans who paid to attend that there were scheduling constraints and a murky forecast for the weekend ahead.

The Indians have enough trouble getting people out to the game, again at the bottom of baseball in attendance numbers. They have promised to make the problematic logistical situation right and now need to show Friday night's strong crowd, 12,000 more than their season average, that they'll do that with fair compensation.

Reds' Chapman stirs up Ohio Cup controversy with high heat

[Posted to newsnet5.com May 28]

With a couple scorching fastballs, Reds’ closer Aroldis Chapman put some sizzle into the Battle of Ohio.

On the first pitch of Nick Swisher’s ninth inning at-bat, Chapman sailed a 100 MPH fastball over his catcher’s head to the backstop, invoking memories of Randy Johnson and John Kruk at the 1993 All-Star Game. Chapman's second high heater forced Swisher to duck away, narrowly missing his head.

A visibly unhappy Swisher could be seen on TV mouthing ‘don’t do that’  - a natural reaction after an object at triple-digit speed was just inches away from striking your head. Swisher’s Indians teammates were on the top step of the dugout, ready to charge Chapman, Indians’ play-by-play Tom Hamilton screamed on the team’s radio broadcast.

After the game, both teams played it relatively cool. Swisher said it wasn’t exactly the best thing. Reds’ manager Dusty Baker said everyone overreacted but the ump.

Others were not so diplomatic.

Ask Reds fans and Chapman doesn’t speak English, how could he possibly have been trying to stir something up with Swisher? Indians fans will tell you Chapman was obviously headhunting, just watch the clip.

But it was Hamilton who may have been the most riled up, holding nothing back on the airwaves.

“What you’d love to see Swisher do here is knock it right off the temple of Chapman and see how much fun it is to have a ball coming at your head. That is bush league,” Hamilton said after the incident.

“There will be other games and there will be Reds hitters that will pay the price for the stunt of Aroldis Chapman,” Hamilton continued.

The annual matchup of the state’s northern and southern clubs is usually a spirited but fun battle for pride and bragging rights. Not so much Monday.

“I don’t know what has got into Aroldis Chapman but he was set and ready to meet Nick Swisher face to face, walking right at him as he made his turn coming over the infield,” Jeff Brantley said on the Reds’ radio broadcast.

“This isn’t over yet. I’ll guarantee you one thing. Tito Francona will make sure that this is settled on the field - and then the Reds players can go to Chapman and say ‘Thanks,’” Hamilton said. “Maybe you get away with that in Cuba.”

Chapman closed out the game but Hamilton was not done yet, putting a punctuation mark on the day during the postgame.

“If I were Joey Votto, I’m probably not going to sleep a whole lot tonight,” Hamilton opined, predicting retaliation from the Indians.
Reds’ radio play-by-play man Marty Brennaman struck a much different chord.

“Rarely do players on a ball club use any logic at all. There’s no way in the world Aroldis Chapman is throwing at Nick Swisher. He has no reason to...there’s no history between the two,” Brennaman said.

“I don’t know that that had anything to do with anything other than the fact that the ball just got away from Chapman,” Brantley added in the Reds’ postgame show. “I think anytime you get close to somebody’s noggin, the team that you’re on, more times than not, is not gonna be real happy about it. It’s just the way it’s always been and always will be.”

The two teams are back at it for three more games this week and either way you come down on the incident, one thing is certain - the 2013 Ohio Cup just got a whole lot more interesting.