Although the title of this column remains "Errors, Big Mistakes and Calamities," incidents fitting into the latter two categories have been of much higher frequency lately. This week, we'll touch base with one of hockey's most embarrassing players, check in briefly on Isiah Thomas and see what those darn crazy New York Mets are up to!
3. Everybody Hates Chris - Avid readers of my column will remember that in last week's issue, I called out the NHL for allowing hockey goon Chris Simon to return to action after a 30-game suspension. This week, the Minnesota Wild surpassed the NHL in absurdity by acquiring Simon from the Islanders at the league's trade deadline in exchange for one of those ever-valuable sixth-round draft picks (get 'em while they're hot!). In a day of spectacular and surprising transactions, Wild GM Doug Risebrough could land only the lowly thug, who is so unpopular that he was recently booed by his own home fans. Doug, if the goal of the NHL trade deadline was to get the player who could whack opponents with a stick the hardest, we'd call the sport professional wrestling, or organized crime. You've made a big mistake by not improving a solid Minnesota team that deserves better.
2. Wait... he's still here? - I have to admit, while I thought the New York Knicks would have a new boss on the bench by now, owner James Dolan clearly sees something in Isiah Thomas. Could it be the swagger with which he loses games or sparks sexual harassment lawsuits? No - it's definitely got to be Thomas' sixth-grade-girl-esque bickering relationship with Stephon Marbury that impresses Dolan. This week, Thomas took his feud with Marbury to a new level by forbidding the injured point guard from attending future team home games. For most owners, the immature banishment of a player by a coach just might cross the threshold of foolishness and be grounds for firing. But hey, maybe Dolan enjoys having a front-row seat to the constant circus of fighting and losing that is New York basketball. While allowing Thomas to stay keeps the "Greatest Show on Earth" alive, it's still a calamity in my book. Look for Isiah to be fired any day now.
1. An "Amazin'" Tie - The first game of the MLB's spring training season sometimes means an opportunity for college players to get a taste of the big leagues. In fact, our own local ball club, the Boston Red Sox, recently managed to slip by Boston College 24-0 in the two teams' annual contest. But alas, the unthinkable and the impossible happened in Port St. Lucie this week, as the University of Michigan Wolverines played to a 4-4 tie with the New York Mets (yes, the New York Mets of Major League Baseball) in nine innings. Upon first glance, the score seems too awesome to be true, as fans might think that perhaps the Mets played only their young prospects in the relatively meaningless game. But wait! Is Jose Reyes a prospect? David Wright? Carlos Delgado? Moises Alou? Billy Wagner? Each appeared for at least some length of time in the battle and helped to post the collective performance that allowed the "Amazin's" to live up to their infamous nickname. What a way to follow up a season in which the Mets pulled off one of the worst collapses in sports history. Perhaps if the game had gone into extra innings, the Mets could've... no, I'm sorry for even going down that road. There's just no way around the fact that a professional team should always beat a college team in regulation time in any sport. That's why the Mets have earned the calamity of the week.
Jeremy Strauss is a sophomore majoring in environmental studies. He can be reached at Jeremy.Strauss@tufts.edu.
