* What’s a university to do? In the case of FSU, why not discipline Jameis Winston, the Heisman Trophy winner with the penchant for, uh, bad decisions, in a fitting fashion? Why not suspend him from baseball and make him concentrate on being a STUDENT-athlete? Maybe even take some speech courses in case he wins another Heisman.
* I love the Joe Maddon way of managing the Rays. On and off the field. And that includes those periodic, let’s-not-take-ourselves-too-seriously, thematic road trips. The most recent one was this week’s Woodstock-era dress-up to Seattle. Only problem: There can be a thin line between what is fun and camaraderie-enhancing and what is silly and reality-avoiding. It’s a matter of how the team is playing before they don those bell bottoms, love beads and Afro wigs. In this case, the Rays had just lost five of six home games before jetting out.
* Speaking of Maddon. Not unlike most coaches and managers, he gives a shout-out for players giving their all. Most recently: “If we weren’t playing until the last out, I would be concerned,” he said after that disappointing 1-5 home stand. “If you saw guys giving up, that would be my concern. But I don’t see that at all.” I get that, but it’s also setting the bar rather low. Professional athletes are paid too well to be backslapped for not giving up.