I am very happy that the NFL is back from its extended lockout, but one of the casualties of the lockout is HBO’s Hard Knocks program according to Sports Illustrated Peter King.
The show gives all fans a behind the scenes looks at the lives of an NFL team during training camp. The show appealed to hard core fans like myself, but even to casual fans like my wife who tuned in to watch the personalities.
Over the years Hard Knocks gave us Shannon Sharpe, Jerry Jones and most recently Rex Ryan. I hope the show comes back in 2012.
Watching 60 Minutes this weekend, I caught an interview with two former teammates of Lance Armstrong admit to using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and that they witnessed Lance Armstrong also using them as well. Not surprising, these teammates testified to these facts recently.
Lance has categorically denied ever using PEDs and every test he has ever taken has been clean. That has not stopped allegations from repeatedly popping up, 8 different times, since 2004. Teammates, friends and competitors have all eluded to or admitted to knowing Lance used PEDs. So why can’t Lance just come clean?
My theory on why he keeps denying the truth is that it would implicate much more than himself. It is clear that the international cycling community may be just as complicit in ignoring and covering up the test results as anyone. Interest in cycling was waning in the late 90s, but in 1999 Lance Armstrong started to change that when he won his first Tour de France and his story about his battle with cancer came out. For most Americans, the only cycling race they know is the Tour de France, so it was a great story, and as he realed off 7 consecutive Tour de France titles.
It was in cycling’s best interest to keep Lance in the lead. I believe that as fellow competitors tried to keep up with Lance they learned the only way was with PEDs and that because international cycling officials allowed Lance to do it, that they would be allowed too. I find it nearly impossible to believe everyone was cheating around Lance, they could not keep up with him, and he remained clean. What biological condition or bionic condition gives him that ability?
Armstrong has done so much for the sport of cycling, for cancer awareness through his Livestrong foundation, but his greatest contribution maybe his ability to lie to himself that he used PEDs. He has done a better job avoiding getting caught than anyone in modern sports history.
Perhaps it is time for the all drug cycling competitons like SNL suggested a few years ago.
Gary Williams sudden retirement last week from a basketball program he lead for over 20 years put the spotlight back on those who question how good a coach he really was. I was never a Gary Williams fan, and while he was a winner, he also was tough to work with and work for. Gary’s dealings with former Athletic Director Debbie Yow are a perfect example where he publicly bashed her numerous times especially in 2008 when he did not get his way recruiting two individuals.
Many will point to his 2001-02 NCAA Basketball title and his other Final Four appearance, but it came at a time when top programs like Duke, Kansas, and UCLA were not getting top talent because high school kids were jumping straight to the NBA. Maryland beat a weak Indiana team that had one marginal pro in the championship game.
What saddens me the most as a University of Maryland fan is that Gary never developed a strong coaching tree where he had a natural successor. Rick Barnes, who was an assistant when Gary was at Ohio State, is by far the most notable. The rest of the list is weak at best, especially for a coach that was at the same place for 22 years. Compare that to Jim Boeheim at Syracuse or Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, both programs Maryland fans like to compare themselves to, where multiple natural successors are in place already, with former assistants lined up around the block if any of the successors don’t work out. When Gary left, not one mention was made of trying to bring back someone who played at Maryland or coached at Maryland to take over.
Now we have a new coach in town in Mark Turgeon, who ironically enough comes from the Dean Smith coaching tree at UNC via Larry Brown at Kansas. So while Gary’s legacy is a winning program and a 2002 NCAA Title, Gary also managed an 8% graduation rate and never developed a successor to the program. Maryland is not a top 10 coaching job and it never was, and that we can thank Gary for.
82 near meaningless games later, the moment all Caps fans have been waiting for is hear. The playoffs start tonight, and taking revenge on the rest of league for our lackluster appearances in the past 3 years is going to be sweet. To kick off the start of the post season, here are a few of my favorite moments from the Ovechkin era. If this does not pump you up for tonight, you are definitely not rocking the red.
Where it all began, April 5th 2008, the Caps clinch the division and last playoff spot on the final day of the regular season
And who can forget NY Rangers head coach, John Tortorella, getting suspended for Game 6, in the 2009 playoffs.
So tonight when the Caps take the ice against the Rangers, the lasting memories of Game 7 in 2009 should be fresh in all our minds.
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Peter King
