"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 8/31/13

What I've Learned.............. *With sports being such a big part of my life for so long, I figured I'd share some things I've learned from observing/covering the sports world over the years............... ~the sporting world is simply fueled by greed ~an athlete can lie, take drugs, and cheat on his wife--but STILL be applauded/adored by clueless fans ~NFL players cannot get THAT big and THAT fast through weightlifting alone ~I can pay the hefty admission price to a major league ball game--but then have to live on Ramen noodles for the next month or so ~golfing is NOT as easy as the pros make it look like on television ~as one ages, 10:00 PM game times become a major problem ~lead-off walks WILL come back to "bite" a big league pitcher ~the Super Bowl is no longer a game--it's a SPECTACLE ~legendary Division III baseball coach Bill Holowaty got a raw deal from Eastern Connecticut ~Don King was as exploitative as it gets ~some athletes are bigger heroes OFF the field; RIP, Joe Delaney ~Bernie Madoff will NEVER be elected to the NY Mets Hall of Fame ~Americans CANNOT run marathons like Kenyans ~some incredibly talented female journalists have been passed over for TV sports gigs--simply because they didn't have "the look" ~NFL kickers CAN'T make field goals much longer than 63 yards ~a human being CANNOT run much faster than Usain Bolt ~the "Phillie Phanatic" will always be in a class of its own ~artificial turf has ruined MANY athletes' careers ~Bill Buckner got a bum rap ~Pat Tillman was one of a kind ~athletes and nightclubs don't mix ~the bigger the athlete, NOT necessarily the bigger the brain ~the sports media biz can be very "clique-y" ~tattoos don't make a player perform better ~Steve Busby had Hall of Fame "stuff" ~J.R. Richard had Hall of Fame "stuff" ~NFL pre-game/halftime shows were much better when there were LESS people in the studio ~major league managing has become INCREDIBLY "robotic" over the past 30 years ~once you view a sporting event in "high-def", there's no turning back ~the business of big-time college athletics has VERY little to do with academics ~baseball players CANNOT legitimately hit more than 61 home runs in a season ~the sports world mirrors society in general: crime, greed, tragedy, daily ups/downs, etc. ~talent AND luck result in championships ~Nolan Ryan's career strikeout total will never be challenged ~Nolan Ryan was a 'freak' of nature ~hockey referees--for the most part--stay "under the radar" ~MLB umpiring has digressed over the years ~bowling a 300 game is EXTREMELY difficult ~many sports media members--who supposedly were trained in communication strategies--ironically remain "stand-offish" ~5 or 6 dollars for a hot dog is flat-out ROBBERY ~Vin Scully will always be in a class by himself ~Roger Federer--at his best--was better than ANYONE who ever picked up a tennis racquet ~it's very difficult to dislike a guy who hustles ~Yogi Berra made a lotta sense ~the thought of Mantle and Namath with good legs STILL scares me ~there's a reason why MLB pitchers don't throw screwballs anymore ~writer's block among sportswriters is more common than one may think ~you can't teach "guts" ~you can't teach speed ~the terms "pitch counts" and "quality starts" will always make yours truly nauseous ~there will never be a more powerful sports slogan than Nike's 'JUST DO IT' ~no boxer ever exits the fight game "unscathed" ~"Pistol" Pete Maravich was WAYYYYYY ahead of his time ~"Pistol" Pete Maravich was misunderstood and SEVERELY underrated ~Mariano Rivera is one of a kind ~I can live without the end zone dances ~young athletes should be shown videos of Pete Rose (that is, how he approached the game ON the field) ~pro football is a game of survival ~MLB players DON'T need the meal money anymore ~MLB players don't need ANY type of "bonus" money anymore ~Walter Payton was one of a kind ~the DP combination of Alomar/Vizquel was BEYOND beautiful to watch ~the average kid of today doesn't possess HALF the passion for sports as the kid of 30 years ago ~the Army/Navy football game will ALWAYS be special ~bunting is now a lost art in baseball ~having long fingers helps greatly when throwing a curveball *Finally, ~writing a column like this doesn't scratch the SURFACE when it comes to conveying what I've learned about sports over the past few decades; more to come........