Stick To Your Guns

Ten years ago, I attended the game when Syracuse retired the #44 and I wrote about it one of my first posts on this blog.
At the time I expressed disappointment with the decision, because there really wasn't a need to do so. It's not like past #44 wearers were disrespected by it, they're honored everywhere all the time at the school.
And SU forfeited the ability to use the number as a tool in recruiting.
Now SU has reversed course, and decided to unretire the number.
I disagree with it again. If you're going to do it, even if the decision maker is no longer around, I think you just need to stick with it.
Now the University looks even worse, and perhaps it can be interpreted as a gentle insult to those they were supposedly honoring.
Generally I try not to worry about how things look to the idiotic public, but seeing as how this is a total PR move, public reaction has to be considered, and I think reversing course on this is quite embarrassing.
To make matters worse, after receiving negative press for reversing course tried to make it seem like they weren't reversing course.

Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Kevin Quinn told syracuse.com's Chris Carlson that the No. 44 will continue to be worn in a "special circumstance," and that it would take "someone extraordinary given the honor it would be to wear 44."
"Yesterday's announcement was simply a reiteration of that commitment and another opportunity to celebrate the great accomplishments of those who have worn the number with Syracuse pride and honor," Quinn wrote. "The retired #44 jersey will continue in its place of honor at Dome — as a symbol of past glories and future successes."

This adds to the embarrassment of the serious NCAA sanctions, and the ridiculous misspelling of the last name of Roosevelt Bouie on the jersey given to him at a ceremony honoring him

and wide receiver Steve Ishmael also taking the field with a misspelled jersey.

Note: I can't believe I didn't post about this misspelled jerseys when they happened considering my love for such goofs.

The Abridged History of Incorrectly Spelled Jerseys

San Francisco Giant Eugenio (Ay-ooh-hey-nee-oh) Velez became the latest major leaguer to wear an incorrectly spelled jersey during a game.
Velez's jersey transposed the C and S resulting in "San Francicso" adorning his jersey.



That of course brought to mind last year's debacle when Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn wore "Natinals" jerseys.



What's amazing is not that it happens, we all make mistakes, but that these things go unnoticed. How many times does it happen and a player says wait, Cincinnati has 3 Is not just two, as Aaron Harang should have done before take the field in a "Cncinnati" jersey.


I mean seriously, how does no one noticed Adam Riggs playing in an "Angees" jersey. Anyone can tell that just doesn't look right.


And this one is my favorite. Joe Carter, this has to be old school. I am almost positive Mama Poop was in Toronto (or "Torotno") when this happened and she cut this out of the paper for me. I might even still have it in her house. Perhaps if she knew this one incident would start a lifelong obsession of mine about misspelled jerseys, maybe she would have thrown the paper away and never mentioned it.

John Wall's Hidden Message

When Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman were wearing “Natinals” jerseys during a game, the only message we took from that was the Washington Nationals are a second-class organization.

The latest misspelled jersey incident is leading to great deconstruction. Kentucky guard John Wall showed up for a photo shoot with Coach John Calipari and some of his teammates in a jersey that said “KENTCUKY.”




Coach Cal tweeted the photo, and eagle-eyed Kentucky fans pointed out the error.

Coach Cal says he knew of the mistake before uploading the picture and before the photo shoot began.

But now conspiracy theorists say the so-called mistake was actually a secret message.

With the “C U KY” on his jersey Wall was sending a hidden message that he is leaving for the NBA after this season.

Get this straight: It’s not a hidden message, or a secret message. It’s a fact. John Wall is entering the NBA Draft the earliest day he can. And he’s going to be the #1 pick. Let’s just hope the Nets can spell Nets correctly.

Wishful Thinking

The Redskins may have been hoping Ladell Betts will run like Jerome Bettis this season because they put Bettis on his jersey for the preseason game against the Ravens.

Baseball is Poop

Is it Called a Typo? Or a Sew-O?
Nationals players Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman were given jerseys without the O on the front, reading "Natinals."





It's amazing this happened and no one noticed, but even more amazing that I vividly remember it happening several other times before.
I even blogged about the time Aaron Harang was wearing a misspelled jersey.
Adam Riggs once wore an Angees jersey while playing for the Angels.

And I remember Mama Poop cutting this one out of the newspaper for me, when Joe Carter was playing for the Torotno Blue Jays.

More Jersey Mayhem
When the Mets released relief pitcher Darren O'Day he went home to Florida. That's where he was when his agent told him to hop on the first flight to Toronto because the Texas Rangers had just claimed him.
He was going through customs in the 8th inning and he came on to pitch in the 11th. But they had no jersey for him so he wore Kason Gabbard's #30. And O'Day gave up the game-losing hit to the first batter he faced.
This might have confused the front office because Gabbard was traded the next day.
O'Day now wears #56.



I Wouldn't Get Started On Emilio Bonifacio's Hall of Fame Plaque Yet
Emilio Bonifacio started out the season 14 for 24 (.583) in his first five games. After which his "owned %" in fantasy leagues probably jumped to 100. Since then Bonifacio is 6 for 45 (.133). He also has 0 extra base hits and 0 RBI over that span. And the speedster has only one stolen base during that stretch, because you can't steal first.

I'm Getting Too Old For This Shit
Last year I wrote about poor umpire Kerwin Danley getting smacked in the face with a pitch while Vin Scully ran down every thing he knew about the man (too bad the video doesn't work anymore). Less than a year later Danley was carted off the field on a stretcher again, after getting hit with a broken bat.



Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Immediately After You Just Did It
Jermaine Dye hit his 300th career home run, then was immediately upstaged by teammate Paul Konerko who hit his 300th. Back to back milestones. The odds of two teammates being stuck on 299 at the same time are astronomical. No two teammates had ever hit 300 in the same game, never mind back to back. Incredible happenstance.

Cool Picture of the Week
Rickie Weeks take a pitch to the face. I'm pretty sure he bunted it up into his face or else his face likely would have been shattered. But still pretty crazy, you can see Weeks's skin rippling away from the impact zone.