I enjoy the Sporting News because each week I get straight sports talk without the crap that goes for sports in Sports Illustrated. I could go on and on with a SN vs. SI rant, but I have done that in the past. As it stands, SN gives me great NFL, NCAA Football, NASCAR, and MLB (yes, I am slowly, at long last, getting over the last labor dispute) coverage week after week. I would love to see them cover soccer (at a minimum the MLS and US National team), but I could only dream.
The May 27, 2005 issue had a couple of “Speed Reads” that I wanted to tackle. First, in the NFL coverage Dan Pompei said the following:
“Why are so many people up in arms because the NFL won’t allow Mike Nolan to wear a suit on the sideline? Don’t these people have a baseball game to watch? A barbecue to attend? Personally, I do not see this as Armageddon. And I understand completely that the NFL has to abide by its contract with Reebok and have all coaches wear Reebok attire.”
I too understand contracts, but the NFL (and Reebok) should show some class and allow Mike Nolan some sort of exception. A coat and tie would bring some much-needed class to the sideline – maybe I am too nostalgic, but there is something dignified about seeing a coach in a suit on the sidelines. Sports are just too damned commercialized when a coach has to wear Reebok (or any other brand) of sporting apparel instead of a coat and tie.
In the College Football “Speed Reads” Matt Hayes said the following:
“Someone please tell me what I’m missing here. Georgia defensive tackle Darrius Swain was sentenced to 45 days in jail – JAIL – after driving for a third time with a suspended license, and Bulldogs coach Mark Richt says Swain’s punishment will be his time in lockup. Here’s a thought: Any college athlete who spends time in jail never should be allowed to play again. Period.”
I admit that I am biased, being a Georgia football fan, but I do not agree with Hayes. As far as I can tell, Richt runs a pretty tight ship, and the current administration is very willing to suspend players as deemed necessary. I think I would throw in a couple of game suspensions on top of the jail time, as a deterrent to other players, but I would not kick a player off the time for driving with a suspended license.
