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Jul

2008

All-Star Debriefing From A Philly Fan’s Perspective

Posted by Chamomiles Davis at 9:34 am ET 19 Comments

In the last 48 hours…

Chutley gets booed at the Home Run Derby, then politely informs the crowd of his displeasure.
Corey Hart, who beat Pat Burrell in voting for the final National League All-Star spot, went 0-for-3.
Former Phillies reliever Billy Wagner blows the National League’s lead. (Shocking!)
Current Phillies reliever Brad Lidge gets tagged for the loss.
J.D.F. Drew wins the MVP award.

Now let us never again speak of this All-Star break.

(Hey, did you know Josh Hamilton used to be on drugs? Thanks to Fox Sports and ESPN drilling that fact into my head, I won’t forget for the rest of my life. Along with “Jerome Bettis is from Detroit,” these may be the only two things I remember once the dementia kicks in.)

Read More: ALL-STAR BREAK: IS IT OVER YET?

19 Comments on “All-Star Debriefing From A Philly Fan’s Perspective”

EggsSausageAndSpam Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Wait. Jerome Bettis is from Detroit? And they played a Super Bowl there?

I also learned last night that it was the preference of The Rays that Scott Kazmir didn’t pitch. I was quite surprised, and a little disappointed when his arm didn’t fall vecause that asshole Francona put him in even when the Rays didn’t want him to pitch. Really, he just pitched Sunday, and they preferred that he didn’t pitch. Talkin’ bout Scott Kazmir, great young arm, pitched Sunday, and Rays brass, if they had their druthers, would rather he didn’t pitch in the All Star game.
Chamomiles Davis Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 10:43 am
As if the Boston-Tampa Bay rivalry needed more fuel for the fire…
Chris Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Yeah, that Jerome Bettis nonsense definitely got old. It’s like when ESPN and John Madden have their collective orgasms over Brett Favre being a “gamer”, “competitive”, and playing with a “kid-like enthusiasm.” I hate the national media, I really do.

I think the general message with Josh Hamilton’s drug addiction story is that if you want media attention, you should be a recovering drug addict. If you’re not, you’re just another clean-living schmo who plays the game well. Moral of the story, ESPN and FOX want to see you take drugs.
jd Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 10:57 am
woah woah…back up. he did drugs? and then cleaned his life up and now makes millions?

some crappy sports network should do a puff-piece time slot filler based on his tribulations.

maybe im just a little caustic before my 2nd round of coffee, but f*ing yourself up when you could be making millions playing a game, and THEN cleaning up, does NOT a hero make.

how about they do a piece about players who always chose the right path? KG jr, ryan howard, etc.?
meech.one Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 11:04 am
ESPN and FOX want to see you take drugs.

Done and DONE.
Chamomiles Davis Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 11:13 am
jd,

As any good television producer will tell you, a compelling drama needs a first, second and third act.

Act I - Promising young phenom gets signed by a major-league team.

[Cue foreboding music, ominous VH1 "Behind The Music"-style narration: "But his life was about to take a tragic turn..." Cut to commercial.]

Act II (The Downfall) - Promising young star falls prey to temptation and excess, reaches low point and vows to change his life.

[Cut to commercial.]

Act III (Redemption) - Promising young star — now cleaner, older and wiser — makes triumphant return to glory.

[End credits, edit down to five-minute version airing on 11 PM SportsCenter.]

Josh Hamilton is well into his third act, while goody-goodies like Griffey, Howard, Utley, and so on may never reach the second. Where’s the drama in that? BORRRRING.
Mike Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Wait…Josh Hamilton did drugs!?!?!

j/k
How do you spell retard? Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Josh Hamilton. Quitter.

I also learned that Yogi Berra like’s touching McCarver and Buck’s thighs. Seriously, why do you need a camera in the announcing booth? Except when Alyssa Milano is talking about her new line of MLB ~~sex toys~~ women’s wear.
Chamomiles Davis Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Yogi was also spotted kissing George Steinbrenner on the cheek before the game. So the rule, I suppose, is this: Old men are allowed to act slightly gay.
madonna Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Yup, Terry was supposed to sit a pitcher in 15 inning game because the Rays wanted it so. If they didnt want him to pitch, don’t go, so the AL can get a replacement pitcher. JD Drew pitching isn’t good for anybody.
EggsSausageAndSpam Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
What wasn’t good for anybody was having to listen to McCarver talk for five or six straight innings about how the Rays didn’t want Kazmir to pitch…
Chamomiles Davis Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Kazmir: Good pitcher, great Zeppelin song.
Philadelphia Phony Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
So the guy who made out best from Philly was C. Yeager.
Matt P Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Disclosure: I’m a total 8-year old about many things. One of them is war planes. /

So in all the Yankee cockholding (the cuckolding was surprisingly left out) on this night, not once did they mention the single coolest thing that happened all night (as far as I remember, anyway). A fucking B2 Stealth Bomber flew over New York and the stadium during the national anthem. In the only camera angle of it passing over the stadium, you could barely see it because the vantage was from beneath Sheryl Crow’s superfluous guitar.
Chamomiles Davis Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Being that it was a Stealth Bomber, I’m a little dismayed it could be seen at all.
Matt P Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Wait a minute… maybe only I could see it!
jd Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
did anyone see this?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/index

“wagner and lidge: not exactly shocking”

am i to infer that lidge is being equated to wagner? am i looking too deep into this?

cause if im not, this is a freakin’ outrage.
Chamomiles Davis Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
jd,

Apparently, Lidge will never be allowed to live down that game-winning home run he gave up to Pujols in the 2005 ~~ALCS~~ NLCS, never mind the fact that the Astros still made it to the World Series that year.

Imagine if Eckersley hadn’t won a ring with the A’s in ‘89. He would have been remembered first and foremost for letting a gimpy Kirk Gibson hit a walk-off World Series HR off him the previous year.

The comparison this year doesn’t fit. Lidge hasn’t blown a save in 20 opportunities. Wagner has blown six in 28 — not counting last night. If he’d held down the win, Lidge wouldn’t have been in a position to lose that game in the first place!
Robert Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Not to mention…IT DOESN’T COUNT! It’s the freaking all-star game. If it had been in the regular season or the playoffs, maybe then it would be news worthy, but it was a fucking exhibition game.