Sports Blog: 08/12/21

The NCAA confirms that Baylah Nasty! And, presumably, that water is wet. Yes, the August Body says, Baylor consistently reflected “moral and ethical failings” in its coverup of rampant campus sexual assault allegations, many involving athletes.

But, the NCAA says that was not a violation of NCAA rules and regulations. Let that marinate. Who’s nastier? Baylah? Or the NCAA itself?

Not that the Bay-ers are totally off the hook. Nancy Christine Anthrax Anaphylaxis still busted BU football with four years of probation. Something about “impermissible benefits” and “improper recruiting” involving a “female recruiting group.” (“New in town, Sailor?”) Understand, this probation is toothless. Baylor is entitled to play in a bowl game this season and will lose no scholarships.

Art Briles’s attorney says his rattlesnake client has been fully and totally “exonerated,” and should immediately be eligible for rehire as a FBS head coach. (As we saw with 45, apparently “exonerated” doesn’t mean what it used to.”

But some desperate school will do it. Guaranteed.

Aldon Smith, go away. And stay gone.

Dak says he’ll be back to full-speed practice next week. He has thrown for two straight days. That’s one more than one. That’s progress.

Football tonight. Don’t laugh. I’m into it. Pats host the Washington Football Team. The Hoodie says both Cam and Mac will play. Cam will be New England’s starter for about the first seven games of the regular season. Then Mac, barring injury, will start for the next 17 years.

Steelers at Eagles tonight, too. I’ve become a big Najee fan. Cool kid. Frightening athlete.

This is getting weird. First, Colts QB Carson Wentz and Colts offensive lineman Quenton Nelson suffer the same relatively unusual foot injury, just days apart. Then they both undergo the same surgery that can require up to 12 weeks recovery time. Then we find out yesterday that both are expected to be back for the regular season opener. Buddy movie?

Retired NBA star J.R. Smith has enrolled at North Carolina A&T and wants to play varsity golf. I think that is cooler than cool.

Damn! Brewers righthander Corbin Burnes had it goin’ on more than Stacy’s Mom last night. Burnes tied a MLB record by striking out ten straight batters in a 10-0 win over the Cubs. Ten straight strikeouts. He threw only 41 pitches to those ten batters. Most amazingly, every one of those K’s came on a swinging third strike. That produces a lot of wind. Burnes wound up ringing up 15 fans in eight scoreless innings.

White Sox and Yankees tonight in the first MLB regular season game ever played in Iowa. Yeah, Field of Dreams. Three things. 1. FOD was not nearly as good a movie as Bull Durham. 2. Nevertheless, I had to sit in a dark theater for 20 minutes following FOD to compose myself, lest I become a blubbering public spectacle. 3. To this day, if I hear the term “have a catch,” I can’t promise I won’t slap you.

BAYLAH NASTY!!!!

One Response

Ben says:

August 13, 2021 at 12:25 pm

“Rose goes in the front, big guy”

Reply

Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.