It was 1994 and Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators beat Kentucky 73-7. It was the second consecutive week the Gators put 70 on the board. Kentucky coach Bill Curry said after the loss, "We were not able to get the job done in any phase of the game." No kidding Bill. Curry didn't want to answer questions about Florida "running up the score. And Spurrier had no apology for his team reminding the media that his backups are not going to just run the ball and run out the clock and the opposing team's defense gets to put out a defense and try and stop them.
But what about playing with class? What about good sportsmanship? What about it?
It wasn't Steve Spurrier's job to make Bill Curry's bad football team look not as bad at any point in the game. And it wasn't the White Sox fault that the Twins kept giving up runs to them earlier this week. Once Twins manager Rocco Baldelli opted to put a backup catcher on the mound was a new set of rules put in play? No. And so the unwritten rules of baseball was again on display. Yermin Mercedes hit a homerun off Willians Astudillo and Tony LaRussa lost his mind. By now, you know how the story went.
On Thursday, the Reds lost to the Giants 19-4. During the blowout, the Reds inserted shortstop Alex Blandino to pitch. He pitched an inning plus and gave up a run and walked two. The Reds could have used other relievers, but opted to save arms in the blowout. No one hit a controversial homer so it's no big deal. Just like what happened in the White Sox-Twins game, it's no big deal. Blowouts happen in all sports.Get over it. If you don't like a team scoring on your, STOP THEM!!!
Bill Curry kept putting 11 players on the field who tried to stop Florida's offense back in 1994, it wasn't Spurrier's fault the WIldcats were not very good. If you don't like getting blown out, that's your problem to fix- not your opponent.
The Friday notes:
Potato salad vs macaroni salad- now that's a battle...I love good schtick but Skip Bayless and his constant LeBron bashing was tired years ago. Then I hear Colin Cowherd suggesting the Warriors should trade Steph Curry and blow it up. Curry is a once-in-generation player that you don't trade, ever...The Magic's Jeff Weltman said there is a new timeline now for the Magic. It sure feels like the same timeline that has been in place for the last decade...Anyone else think the Tebow jersey will sell more than Trevor Lawrence jerseys in the next month?...Why are all cardboard cutouts of people taller than the actual person?...John Daly shot 85 in the first round of the PGA Championship. Daly is an internet story today because his beard has a Santa look to it. John Daly has been battling bladder cancer. The fact he is out there playing with the best golfers in the world is a victory we should celebrate...When will ESPN have on their roundtable of football experts debating Mel Kiper's Mock Draft for 2022 and projecting first round trades? Wait! That already happened?...Quickest way to increase offense in MLB is eliminate the shift. It doesn't fix all the woes but it will instantly help...
Final thought: From Star Trek, Spock's skin was originally going to be red.
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