Bonds market down

Two of baseball's last three home run kings, Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds, left the game unwanted by any major league team. Makes you long for the days of the grace and dignity of Henry Aaron.

 

'Baseball guy' gets top job at Hall of Fame

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown named Jeff Idelson as its new president on Wednesday, and the Hall’s Board of Directors couldn’t have made a better choice.

Idelson has spent 22 years working in baseball and has a passion and respect for the game. The most famous museum in the country will be in good hands for years to come.

NFL Network finally rid of Gumbel

Since Bryant Gumbel has quit the NFL Network, cable companies like Time Warner can stop their boycott without worrying about subjecting viewers to the worst play-by-play announcer in history.

Gumbel's confused delivery the last two seasons have left fans wondering what game he was watching. His replacement - whoever it is - will help make the NFL Network's broadcasts bearable for anyone able to watch.

Pacman Jones a Cowboy?

Now that Pacman Jones has stayed out of trouble for, oh, about 15 days, the Tennessee Titans' defensive back is hounding NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to reinstate him. Seems the problem is no team wants to trade for Pacman until he is actually eligible to play.

The team most linked to the pursuit of Jones?

The Cowboys, who are apparently tired of life without troublemakers like Michael Irvin and Nate Newton. If Pacman lands in the Metroplex, the Dallas police may want to budget a lot more overtime.

Is Joe ready to go at age 81?

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno says he's comfortable without a contract extension. But could this be a subtle way for the school to send a message to Joe Pa? It's time to clean off your glasses and see where you are, Joe. At 81, it's time to retire.

Orange won't miss Greene, but he'll miss Syracuse

Syracuse won’t miss Donte Greene’s 91 turnovers, his 42 percent field-goal shooting or his disappearing acts on defense.

In fact, the Orange might not miss Greene at all. But the misguided freshman is going to miss Syracuse.

Greene did the expected Wednesday and declared himself eligible for the NBA draft after one season of college basketball. He will almost certainly be a first-round draft pick June 26, and he’ll quickly become a millionaire.

Then… well, that’s the question that might hound Greene for the rest of his days.
As tough as it would be to turn down millions – and Greene figures to sign a guaranteed contract worth about $2 million – Greene needed to stay in college. At 6-foot-11 and a svelte 226 pounds, Greene lacks the bulk to compete at the NBA level.

And at 20 years old, Greene lacks the maturity to compensate for his physical shortcomings.

Greene is hardly alone. The NBA is littered with players who come into the league too quickly, simultaneously drawn by the money while blinded to reality. Guys like Javaris Crittendon, Brandan Wright and Wilson Chandler all entered the draft in 2007 before they were anywhere near ready to compete as pros.

As a result, they ride the bench and watch others play the game they love. Greene will join them next fall.

Is it worth the money? In a career where the average lifespan is less than a decade – college and pro included – the answer is no. By grabbing the gold as soon as possible, players like Greene sacrifice a college experience that nearly every NBA player wishes they could repeat.

The lesson is clear: From a distance, the money appears to be everything. But once the money is there, the player finds it is the game itself that contains the magic.

With a 2008-09 lineup featuring Paul Harris, Jonny Flynn, Arinze Onuaku, Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins, the Orange will be able to replace Greene’s points and rebounds.

But Greene will never replicate the thrill of playing  basketball for the Orange.