Old Guys Report
I like old guys in professional sports who can still get the job done. On the other hand, I get peeved with old guys who don’t know when to hang it up. Of course, “old” is a relative term. Late 30s to 40s is old in most sports, whereas in most other aspects of life people in that age group are still considered young. It all has to do with peak physical performance, which for most happens in their late 20s to mid 30s. There have been some old guys in the new lately. Here they are.
Tom Watson
In the British open, Tiger Woods has missed the cut and 59-year-old Tom Watson not only made the cut but at the end of round two is tied for the lead. Playing like a young buck, Watson seems charmed through 36 holes. Watson is tied for first with Steve Marino, a 29-year-old American about which little is known. Usually barely a blip on the radar screen of golf, Marino has become a part of the Watson/Woods story by virtue of the second-round tie. Woods, who missed the cut for just the second time in his career, was out by virtue of one stroke. Woods, the top-rated golfer in the world, had two double bogies, three bogies and three birdies in the second round. In April, Watson missed the cut at this year’s Masters. I’m hoping the guy can keep going strong and lead a charge through the final round. It’ll be a great story.
Brett Favre
The former Green Bay icon and New York Jets one-year semi-wonder Brett Favre says that he will decide on whether or not he’ll play for the Minnesota Vikings by July 30. With the Jets last season, Favre threw for 3,472 yards, completing 65.7% of his passes. The future Hall of Fame quarterback threw 22 touchdown passes and 22 picks, earning a rating of 81.0. He played in all 16 regular season games, proving he could still be productive. But the aging QB continued his propensity for making errant throws and he was also sacked 30 times. In 17 previous seasons, he was caught behind the line of scrimmage an average of 16.5 times per season. Favre underwent surgery in the off-season to repair a partially torn biceps tendon in his throwing arm. He’s said that the surgery was successful and his velocity is up to NFL levels, but he wants to be sure that he can make it through an entire season. Favre played better than I thought he would last season, and he still has some pop left in his arm. He’s a tough competitor. But I cringe when I see him trying to elude the sack and flinch when he is sacked, wondering if he’ll get back up. It’s been reported that if Favre does sign with the Purple that Vikes’ QB Tarvaris Jackson might want out.
Joe Paterno
Penn State Nittany Lion coach Joe Paterno is 82 years old. He’ll turn 83 during this year’s NCAA bowl season. It’s appropriate for a guy who is 23-11-1 in bowl contests (most wins all-time). Paterno’s 383-127-3 record gives him the most wins of any Division I football coach. I have to admit that I thought he was all washed up when his teams struggled from 2000- 2004. In that time, the Lions had three losing seasons, went to one bowl game, the Capital One which they lost 9- 13 and twice finished ninth in the Big Ten. But since that time, Penn State has tied for first twice in the league, won three of four bowl games and finished in the top 25 four times. He contemplated retirement in 2005, and said publicly that he would retire if his team didn’t win. Penn State went 11- 1 that season, took the conference crown and defeated Florida State in the Orange Bowl 26- 23 in triple overtime. If there’s any doubt about his abilities, last season he was selected as the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Keep going Joe!
Pedro Martinez
The former Red Sox ace is now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Martinez, who has had shoulder problems for the past few years, is back in uniform after passing a battery of tests and being evaluated by the Phils numerous times. He’s 37-years-old, has been in decline and offers a fragile frame. Like many aging pitchers, he’s had to use more finesse than power over the past few seasons. He’s hoping to toss a bullpen session on Saturday prior to reporting to the Philadelphia training center in Clearwater, Florida. My take is that Martinez will get about six to eight starts before he’s out for the season. The propensity for teams to continue to sign aging pitchers who have become marginal performers is simply an indication of how little starting pitching there is put there. It’s at a premium and premium starters are really at a premium! I hope the guy does well, but it will surprise me if he does.
Shaquille O’Neal
Can O’Neal still play? Obviously the Cleveland Cavaliers believe that he still has enough gas in his tank to make a difference. In three of the last four seasons, O’Neal has played in an average of 53 games per season. Last year, he appeared in 75 games with the Phoenix Suns. In that times, he’s averaged 29 minutes per game. The Cavs are paying him $21 million. Not bad for a guy who, despite putting in a decent season last year, is definitely in decline. The injury bug will strike him again and O’Neal, who’s seen these days in some very funny commercials with actor-political commentator-former game show host Ben Stein, will miss about 30 games.
Fenway Park
I used to go to Fenway Park all the time. My first game at Fenway was in May 1973 when the Red Sox hosted the New York Yankees. A bunch of us drove into Boston, bought tickets when the National Anthem was playing and sat in the first row, third base side of a virtually empty park. Since that time, I’ve probably been to Fenway at least 100 times. I was at the one-game playoff when Bucky Dent hit that homer, I saw Yaz get his 3,000 hit and was at the Patriot’s Day game and then after the game crossed the street to the Boston Marathon the year that Rosie Ruiz jumped into the race near the finish line, claiming that she had won. (I never saw Rosie run by me and was astounded when I saw on the news hours later that she had won.) I love Fenway Park and owner John Henry and company have done great things with the park and environs. But please—the Red sox need a new baseball park. The Yankees just did it! I mean they moved out of the House that Ruth Built! Fenway is an icon. But it is cramped, uncomfortable and falling apart. It’s also too small. I’ve sat in luxury boxes, bleachers, box seats and seen games from every angel possible. Yes, you are close to the action. That’s great! But the place is 97-years-old. I think the Red Sox and their fans deserve better. Tradition, nostalgia and history go just so far.
To sum up: Watson’s a great story, I hope Favre makes the right decision, Paterno is some sort of demi-god, Martinez is on borrowed time, O’Neal is a breakdown waiting to happen and Fenway doesn’t need another facelift, it needs to RIP. Those are my thoughts on the older generation.
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Tags: Brett Favre, Fenway Park, Joe Paterno, Pedro Martinez, Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Watson
