Knucklehead of the Week
Brewers centerfielder Keon Broxton was arrested at 3:26 a.m. last Friday in Tampa, Fla., after he jawed with police like they were bad umpires. Police said he refused to leave the area after they responded to calls about a fight. Rule No. 1: When the cops give you a pass and say “leave,” you should leave. Police said Broxton was “extremely intoxicated” (you don’t say) and had “visible injuries.” A friend grabbed Broxton and left, but Broxton continued his tirade and headed back to the scene of the scuffle. The cops, apparently tired of Broxton, slapped on the handcuffs and gave him a ride to jail.
Election Day is upon us and I’ll be voting Tuesday. Never understood why anyone would choose to vote early because, hey, you never know. Whatever happens, the sun will come up Wednesday. Probably.
Gordon Gekko would love the Big Ten and the way college football is trending. For you millennials, Gekko was the bad guy in the 1987 movie Wall Street. His famous line was "greed is good." Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, the man behind a new TV deal that requires the BIG to play games on Friday nights starting next year, probably has a Gekko poster in his office.
Our favorite conference has crossed the line with this move. We expect desperate money grabs from lesser leagues, but the BIG should be above this sort of nonsense. Does it not realize its effect on high school sports throughout the Midwest? Schools are desperate for revenue and this dishonorable decision pits the BIG against the high schools that produce its talent.
Shame on any conference that abandons fall Saturdays for the lure of easy TV cash. The SEC is the only major conference to avoid this gimmick — most likely because there would be riots across the South if Alabama and Ole Miss played on Friday. I pledge to boycott Friday night Big Ten games. Who’s with me?
The Indians lost a 3-1 lead in the World Series, but it was a minor miracle that they were even in position to knock out the mighty Cubs. Even with Cleveland going home with a 3-2 edge, it felt like the Cubs were in good shape because they had the pitching edge. Certainly, Joe Maddon tried to undermine that advantage by pulling Kyle Hendricks too early in Game 7, but he was bailed out.
There are no moral victories in pro sports, but this seemed pretty close for Cleveland. Rajai Davis’ heroic homer that tied Game 7 in the eighth inning was a nice consolation prize. The joy of an unlikely comeback nearly cancelled out the eventual defeat.
Plus, could Cleveland really handle another championship so soon after the Cavaliers ended the city’s title drought?
It figures that the Bengals and Redskins would play to a tie last week in London. The game was played at Wembley Stadium, home to many, many soccer matches (and many ties). I'm glad our version of football usually has a clear winner and loser because ties are like choosing lukewarm water over cold beer.
Trending up: Kyle Schwarber, Chris Beaschler, Navy. What's not to like about Middletown's Schwarber? He's a hitting machine and, as a bonus, looks like his team's cuddly mascot. Schwarber's bat and presence gave the Cubs a huge lift in the World Series. He batted .412 and his hard ground-ball single through the Tribe's defensive shift got things going in the pivotal 10th inning of Game 7.
Trending down: Mike Napoli, Norv Turner, Harvard men's soccer. The Tribe lost to the Cubs for many reasons (poor fundamentals in the outfield among them) and Napoli's bat made that list. The cleanup hitter who hit 34 home runs this season batted .167 with one RBI and 11 strikeouts in the seven-game series. Cleveland's lineup was not as potent as Chicago's and it could have used some pop from the No. 4 spot.
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