Stay out of it
10/08/2000
Codding Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
First, let me just say that I'm not a big hockey fan. I'll watch a random game here and there and I understand the rules (mostly thanks to a few hockey video games), but I don't follow the sport like I follow baseball, football and basketball. But that doesn't mean I don't have an opinion on this Marty McSorley incident - what kind of sports columnist would I be if I didn't?
Just a quick recap for those of you who follow hockey even less than I do: On February 21, McSorley, a member of the Boston Bruins at the time, skated in behind Vancouver Canucks forward Donald Brashear and slapped him in the head with his stick, sending Brashear sprawling on the ice. McSorley was suspended indefinitely for the hit, missing the final 23 games of last year's NHL season, and was also charged with assault. This past Friday, a Vancouver court found McSorley guilty of assault with a weapon and sentenced him to 18 months probation. During that time, he is not allowed to play in any game against Brashear.
Since the verdict and subsequent punishment have been handed down, I've heard over and over again how sick and tired people are of athletes getting special treatment because they play a game. People are asking what kind of sentence a "regular" guy would have gotten in a similar case. I don't think a regular guy would be involved in an NHL slashing case, but a more interesting question is should this have even gone to court?
Earlier this year, Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens, a man who's shown remarkable control throughout his career, drilled Mets catcher Mike Piazza in the head with a fastball. Piazza and his teammates insisted that the pitch was intentional and that Clemens was a notorious headhunter. Clemens of course denied the allegations, and while there was still some friction between the two teams throughout the series, no action was taken either by MLB or any U.S. court.
But if McSorley can be taken to court for his actions, why wasn't Clemens? McSorley passionately claimed that he wasn't trying to hit Brashear in the head just as Clemens did, and while a hockey stick to the noggin could cause some serious damage, getting hit in the head with a baseball, even with a batting helmet on, doesn't exactly tickle either.
How often do we hear about NFL players being suspended and/or fined for helmet-to-helmet collisions? After seeing guys like Stan Humphries, Al Toon and Steve Young suffer multiple concussions that eventually may have cut their respective careers short, the NFL clamped down on these devastating hits. Yet even today, when a linebacker or defensive back pops someone helmet-to-helmet, the NFL steps in and issues punishment, but no courtroom proceedings are involved.
When Mike Tyson actually tore a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear off during a boxing match, he was fined and suspended by his sport but he wasn't taken to court. I mean, that's a pretty serious situation, one Tyson couldn't really claim was an accident... what, you meant to bite his nose off?So why was it necessary to get the courts involved in the McSorley case? Surely his hit wasn't anything more violent than what Tyson did to Holyfield. A blow to the head in football or a high-and-tight fastball could cause just as much damage to someone as a hockey stick to the head could. Shouldn't the leagues be left to police their own problems? When acts such as these take place on the field (or ice) of play, it should be considered a league matter. Where and why do the courts become involved? Remember that huge rumble earlier this season between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers? Detroit catcher Robert Fick and outfielder Karim Garcia were throwing punches at any Chicago player in sight. Sox closer Keith Foulke took a shot from Fick that left him bleeding from the nose and above the eye. Dozens of players and coaches were suspended by MLB for their actions but, again, the punishment was handled solely by the league.
Where is the line drawn? What is now considered a league matter and a legal matter? Take McSorley off the ice and obviously you have a problem. But, barring an extremely violent and obviously blatant act of violence, there is, in my opinion, very little room in sports for the law.
Lock 'em down
The Seattle Mariners just put the finishing touches on a first round sweep of the Chicago White Sox. As we pointed out in our
2000 Playoff Preview, Seattle's bullpen would have to come up big in the playoffs if the Mariners were going anywhere and, much like they did in the regular season, the Seattle relievers closed out the late-game leads against the Sox when it counted. In the three-game sweep, the Mariners' bullpen pitched 12 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, six walks and no runs while striking out 12. Kazuhiro Sasaki, Seattle's closer, notched two saves while Jose Mesa and Jose Paniagua, both relievers, also accounted for two of the three wins. If Seattle's starters can continue to hand leads off to their bullpen, the Mariners could be playing baseball for another couple of weeks.
In the Bullz-Eye
Jacksonville Jaguars' RB Fred Taylor. After a loss to the Steelers, the Jaguars are really struggling and perhaps the most obvious reason is the team's lack of a running game. Fred Taylor has only played in two games since returning from a preseason knee injury but he hasn't been the ground force the Jags need. If Jacksonville wants another Super Bowl shot, its star running back will have to regain his All-Pro form.