* The obscenely payrolled circus that is the New York Yankees was at the Trop last weekend. How weird that the Yankees are the vehicle for the last go round for both Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera, the most reviled narcissist and the most revered player in the game today. Not fair.
* Not that it matters now, but Rodriguez, 38, failed his first drug test in 2003. His Yankee tenure was tainted long before the Biogenesis scandal. There’s $114 million left on his contract. It’s the price the Yankees are paying because they are the Yankees. Too bad.
* Keith Olbermann’s new TV show, eponymously titled Olbermann, is now up and running on ESPN2 at 11 p.m. week nights. The network is characterizing it as the sports version of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Anyone else remember when the games and players were the top programming priority–not preening, know-it-all personalities?
*Once again the issue of compensating college athletes is in the news. Here’s the bottom line.
First, if schools would only recruit legitimate student-athletes, that would take care of half the problem. Student-athletes understand the value of a diploma, exposure in a public arena and a life time of key contacts to help leverage or launch a career. An education can be its own reward to those inclined to consider the concept. But most big-time football and basketball programs are convinced they can’t compete at the highest levels without lineups of mercenaries.
Second, the schools, television networks and the NCAA hype high-profile players. Player names, numbers and visages are marketing staples. Until recently–as in Heisman huckster Johnny Manziel–player autographs had been common-practice perks for alums, boosters and assorted fans. When players are treated as commodities and note that their head coach makes 10 times what the president of the United States does, they often act accordingly. Especially the sham “student-athletes” marking time until they can leave early and “graduate”–to the pros.