The Hall of Fame: For Good Players or Good People?

Through the years, there have been a few instances of players not getting into the baseball hall of fame because of controversial events that had little to do with their baseball skills or statistics. The most popular case is that of Pete Rose, who was permanently banned by Bart Giamatti in 1989 for allegedly betting on baseball. Former Chicago White Sox great "Shoeless" Joe Jackson also has yet to be elected to Cooperstown after he was found guilty of the 1919 scandal to fix the world series.

Examples such as Rose and Jackson raise the question of whether players should get into Hall of Fame solely on statistics, or if character should be taken into consideration. Based on numbers alone, Rose and Jackson should certainly both be in the Hall of Fame. Rose was a career .303 hitter who also holds the all-time record for games played, plate appearances, at bats and hits. He also won three world series titles and was a 17 time all-star. I'll say that again...he made the all-star team 17 times. Shoeless Joe Jackson was a career .356 hitter and would have undoubtedly been one of the better hitters of all time if not for his lifetime ban from the game.

In my opinion, both of these men deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Last time I checked, players got into Cooperstown for being great players, not great people. I'm not defending Pete Rose's gambling, but his numbers say he is a shoe-in hall of famer. The same can be said for Jackson. In fact, there has never been any proof that Jackson was knowingly involved in the fix. He was illiterate and likely did not know the papers he was signing were documents to throw the series. In addition, if character is such a big requirement for getting voted in, then how did less than reputable people such as Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio or Ty Cobb get in?

There is one group, however, that I believe should not get in despite their gaudy statistics: the steroid users. Barry Bonds may be the all-time home run king, but he more than likely used performance enhancing drugs to help him get there. That is much different than just being a jerk (even though he has a reputation as being surly) or gambling on baseball. He did something that physically helped him put up such large numbers. The same can be said for players like Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGwire. Make no mistake, these guys are talented, but they did things to give them an edge on the field.

While the steroid users shouldn't be allowed in, I believe players like Rose and Jackson should get there, and I hope to see both of them inducted someday.

It's Time To Love Hockey All Over Again

With a possible NFL lockout looming, where will sports fans find entertainment during the winter? Sure, basketball is all good and well, but it's time to rediscover a sport that doesn't get its due justice here. America, I'd like to reintroduce you to hockey.

How this sport has lost so much attention is beyond me. Perhaps it is due to the lockout during the 2004-05 season. Well, it's time to forgive and forget. It fast paced and hard-hitting, sometimes even more violent than football. In an age where bloodsports like MMA and football are popular, how does the NHL go unnoticed? Perhaps even more impressive is the skill needed to play hockey. The coordination required to make pinpoint passes and shoot laser beam shots while moving full speed on skates is off the charts. Goalies have to stop pucks flying at speeds of over 100 miles per hour while being screened by opposing players. Defensemen have to skate backwards almost as fast as the wings do going forwards.

Yet, despite all of this, most people either refuse to watch or do not realize what they are missing out on. I have a great number of friends who enjoyed watching the NHL Skills Competition they hold during the All-Star break. They were literally amazed at the talent these professionals possess. Yet, inexplicably, they still refuse to watch once the games resume. Sports fans, it is time to give hockey another chance.

NFL Redzone: Is it Ruining Football Viewing?

"Turn to Redzone." That's what my father says anytime we watch football together. The NFL Redzone is a channel that provides viewers whip-around coverage of all the NFL games in coverage. This network is useful for fantasy junkies who can constantly watch their players who are in games that aren't on cable channels in their local market. This is why my dad loves the channel (and to watch the Patriots). Over the course of it's existence, it has caught on and become very popular with football fans everywhere.

Redzone does not come without it's drawbacks, however. While it is a great way to keep up on the action going on around the league, Redzone will only stay with a game for one or two plays before changing over to another contest. As a serious football fan, I cannot watch like this. I like the continuity of one game. Just as I get into the rhythm of one game, Redzone switches to another. For some reason, it's hard to enjoy football if you are watching three different games in a span of ten seconds. I prefer to watch a game from kick to the final whistle. So while Redzone may be great for state heads and fantasy geeks, I'll stick with CBS and Fox for my NFL coverage.