RIP Dougie

The Dougie is dead. Let us mourn.



Rest in Peace, Dougie. April 12, 2010 - December 5, 2010.

25 Years Ago Today

One of Philadelphia's greatest sports tragedies occurred. On November 11, 1985, Pelle Lindbergh, a promising young Flyers goaltender who was on the verge of becoming one of the best in the league, was pulled off life support after being in a car crash the day before. What follows below is footage from Channel 6 Action News, after the crash but before the final plug was pulled. May this serve as a warning to everyone what can happen if you drink and drive. No matter who you are, what you do, or how invincible you think you might be, this could happen to you.





RIP Pelle Lindbergh, 1959-1985

On This Day In 2009: RIP Harry

April 13, 2009.

There's not a Phillies fan alive that forgets where they were and what they were doing when they heard the tragic news. Yes, it's been a full year. Yes, it seems like just yesterday he told us Chase Utley was the man.

He passed away as he was preparing for a Phillies game taking on the Nationals in Washington. Rightfully forgotten about that day, the Phillies won that game 9-8.

Today is about remembering an icon, a legend, a voice. CSN Philly ran a video package remembering Harry after his death last year. I am proud to say that I have found it and have posted it below for your remembrance and reflection. The Stanley Cup playoffs start tomorrow, I will have more on them then. But for now and for today, let us remember the only true voice of the Phillies. It may be a year to the day, but we still have not forgotten you Harry. Rest In Peace.

RIP Jayson Werth's Beard

We are gathered here today to mourn the death of a legend and an icon. Jayson Werth has shaved. The beard is gone. It's over. Rest in peace Jayson Werth's Beard. We will miss you.



Today is a sad day for the Phillies. We mourn thee, JWerth's Beard and who knows, maybe on some random summer day, you shall rise up from the ashes like the phoenix and live freely, forever and for always.

Best Wishes To Sam Dalembert In His Family

As much as I like to make fun of the 76ers Sam Dalembert for being a horrible player who does nothing but collect fouls early and often, now is certainly not the time to be doing that. Dalembert, as some of you may or may not know, is a 76er who is a resident Haitian who currently has family down there. Problem is, he has not heard from them since the earthquake and it is unknown whether or not they are alive or dead. Here is an interview with Slammin Sammy D from Fox 29.



There is a difference between being an awful basketball player and having family trapped in Haiti during a massive 7.0 earthquake. Even though he may be booed regularly during home games, I doubt that there is a single Sixers fan that does not have him and his family in their thoughts today as we all still struggle to come to terms with what happened in Haiti, a country already the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, now ravaged by a massive earthquake with it's capital, Port-au-Prince, reportedly flattened with hundreds of thousands feared dead in the tiny country on the western part of Hispaniola.

Dalembert has been active in the past in giving back to Haiti and it would be a shame to see him lose his family and loved ones like this.

All the best to Sam Dalembert and may he be reunited with his family in the very near future.

And if I could give any advice to any of you out there, it would be this. Find a family member, and/or someone you care about greatly and give them a special hug tonight and tell them you love them. Because as sad as it is, you never know when something like this could happen to you and you could all of a sudden find your self in Sam Dalembert's shoes. We are lucky to live where we live and have with us who we have with us. Let's cherish that and not take it for granted.

RIP Stefanie Spielman

Wow. What a rough day for college football, first the passing of Uga VII and now Chris Spielman's wife, Stefanie, has passed away as well. She died of the breast cancer that gripped her and the public, especially those in Ohio and the Columbus area at first in 1998. Here is the story as told by Central Ohio's 10TV.

In 1998, at 31, a biopsy confirmed [Stefanie Spielman's] fears, that she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and the couple began their battle.

Without hesitation, Chris Spielman put his career on hold with the NFL's Buffalo Bills to be at his wife's side.

"For me, to leave (Stefanie) in Columbus and go play football in Buffalo would be against everything I stood for," Chris Spielman said.

"It meant the world to me," Stefanie Spielman said. "That's been the hardest part -- seeing him give up what he loves -- the best, for me."

The Spielmans said that they had two options when they learned about the cancer. The first was to quit. The second was to come out and fight the disease.

The couple fought with determination and a deep love.

Even talk show host Oprah Winfrey was moved by their story.

"You are about to hear an extraordinary story of love and devotion," Winfrey said at the start of her show. "What a man. What a woman."

Stefanie Spielman's story inspired others, 10TV's Andrea Cambern reported.

"Stefanie's Champions" would honor those, like Chris Spielman, who go above and beyond to help a friend or loved one get through a difficult time and care for a cancer patient.

One year after her breast cancer diagnosis, the Spielman's life was back on track.

"It feels like our life has gotten back to normal," she said. "That's how it's always been. (Chris has) been the one in the limelight and we've been there to support him, to love him, to cheer him on."

Doctors said there were no signs of the cancer and Chris planned to return to the NFL.

"It's so exciting for me and very emotional for me because I feel like we've been given a second chance," Stefanie Spielman said.

She did not let up. Her goal to raise money and awareness seemed to intensify with the second chance. Stefanie would run in the Race For The Cure and walk with college students.

"At the college level, I don't think (students) think about breast cancer but this is proof that they do," she said.

More good news came for the family. Macy Lynn Spielman was born.

She was the third of four children.

By all accounts, the Spielmans had taken on cancer and won. But in 2001, a serious setback occurred when a spot was found in Stefanie's lungs.

"We're going to fight this and do the best we can and we'll be together, no matter what," Chris Spielman said.

Cancer is a formidable foe. It sleeps and then surfaces before the battle begins again.

Chris Spielman was back on full duty as Stefanie's champion.

"Stefanie has shown me (that) this is an opportunity to make a difference again," Chris Spielman said. "I don't know why (and) don't want to ask why but this is an opportunity to make a difference again."

The Spielmans raised even more money for research and programs at The James, more than $6.5 million to date.

They visited the research labs at Ohio State to see exactly where donations would go. Stefanie saw firsthand how the money raised would help her and others battling the disease.

The battle continued for years, Cambern reported.

The last time that 10TV News sat down with Stefanie Spielman was in November 2008, when 10TV News anchorwoman Heather Pick died of the disease. The two were close friends. Stefanie spoke about Heather but it was clear that the sentiments were hers, too.

"Sometimes (Heather) felt it was a blessing to have a disease that put our mortality right in your face and let you live life in a different way (while) fully understanding that we're only here on earth for a certain amount of time and enjoying it and never taking anything for granted," Stefanie Spielman said.

Chris Spielman stood by himself at this year's Stefanie's Champions event. His love and life partner was not well enough to be by his side.

She was by his side, though, when Chris was recognized at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 5 during halftime of Ohio State's season opener. The crowd and his wife cheered his accomplishments, both on and off the field.

"Not many people get a chance to recognize their mission in life and Stefanie's mission has obviously been to be a proponent for breast cancer research," Chris Spielman said. "So this has been and certainly will continue to be an honorable quest we're on."

We may think that Chris Spielman is an awful analyst, but there is no doubt that him, Stefanie, and his whole family are incredible human beings and something that we should all aspire to live up to.

RIP Stefanie.

RIP Uga VII

I'm not a huge fan of Georgia football, but the UGAs are probably the best live mascots there are. And sadly for Georgia, they will be moving on to the 8th. Uga VII has sadly passed away from a heart attack. From The Atlanta Journal Constitution

The cause of death was an apparent heart attack, longtime sideline reporter Loran Smith told the AJC.

"Uga has gone the way of all great bulldogs....up in the sky," Smith said.

Uga VII, named "Loran's Best" after the announcer, made his sideline debut on Aug. 30, 2008 in the Bulldogs' game vs. Georgia Southern. He compiled a record of 16-7 during his tenure, the shortest for any in the Uga family.

Since 1956, the University of Georgia's mascot has come from a line of solid-white English bulldogs named Uga, owned by Sonny and Cecelia Seiler of Savannah.

"We are all in a state of shock," Sonny Seiler said. "We had no warning whatsoever."

There will be no live mascot at Georgia¹s game on Saturday but a wreath will be placed on Uga VII¹s doghouse on the north sideline.

Oof. No word yet if the Seilers have an Uga VIII lined up, but that certainly is a touching gesture that the University of Georgia will have this Saturday.

RIP Uga VII.

Jasper Howard's Best Friend Breaks The Hearts Of UConn Fans Everywhere

This may be one of the most shocking and heart-breaking touchdowns you will ever see, regardless of what team you like or who you support in college football in general.

Trailing 21-17 with under 2 minutes to go in their first home game since the tragic slaying of Jasper Howard, the UConn Huskies executed a beautiful 2-minute drive that resulted in a UConn TD with under a minute left. Given all that had happened, it was the perfect way for UConn to end the game and celebrate and be happy for something after the loss of Howard and a heartbreaking loss to West Virginia. Lost in the mix was the fact that Rutgers called 2 timeouts with UConn inside the 5 to preserve as much clock as they could in case UConn did score a touchdown. As mentioned above, they got into the endzone.

Left with 1 timeout and 33 seconds on the clock, Rutgers, with one of Jasper Howard's best friends, Tim Brown, lining up at wide receiver for them, had 1st and 10 at their own 19 when the unthinkable happened.



So heartbreaking, and yet, at the same time, so fitting. Not only did UConn lose, but Jasper Howard's best friend got the game-winning touchdown. I can only imagine how emotional of a moment that was for Tim Brown. Despite scoring the game-winning touchdown against UConn, somewhere, you have to believe that Jasper Howard is proud of his best friend for going out there and playing and making the big play in the game.

What a moment and what a game.

9/11

Sadly, today is the 8th of that terrible day. We all know what happened, there's no need for me to repeat it. It always sounds cliche the saying that when something big happens, you'll never forget where you were. That could not hold more true for me.

I remember sitting in my 6th grade science class, listening to a lecture on the scientific method. I was in the 2nd row closest to the door sitting in the 4th seat back. The principal, Mr. John Bravo (no joke) came over the loud speaker and in a very sad, solemn voice broke the news of what happened. While I can vididly remember his voice and him telling us what happened, the rest of the day was just a blur. Supposedly all the teachers just showed the news for the rest of the day, but I can't remember for sure (at my middle school, most of your classes are with the same group of people, which is how I got that information). The more I think about it, the more I can sort of recall my one teacher showing it. But then again, that's just who he was and his personality. He was one of those few "special" teachers. You know, the ones who stand out to you and really outwardly do their best to help you be the best you can be. The one who thinks of his students above all else. The kind of teacher that I aspire and hope to be like. Anyway, just based on who he was as a person, discontinuing class and showing the news for the day is something he would naturally do.

I only have two other vivid recollections of that day. My dad was out of town that day and when he came home, in the most innocent ways possilbe, I asked him, "did you hear what happened today?". I'm pretty sure the tone of that question was asked in about the same way I would inquire about what's for dinner that night. Yeah, to say that I was an innocent schmuck at the time is definitley an understatement. The only other one was later in the night, watching the news, and they were talking about how the towers were built or something, I'm not sure, whatever it was it was over my head completely, and I just remember thinking, "how did this happen?"

RIP all who died in those terrible, terrible attacks of that day. Always remember, never forget.

A Quick Heads Up And RIP Ted Kennedy

First of all, my apologies for the dearth of posts the past couple of days. This has been a real hectic time for me as this job is definitley much more than what I expected when I first signed onto it last spring. I am hoping that by late tomorrow afternoon, I'll finally have some time to relax, chill, and blog and what not. In a perfect world, I will have a live blog up for tomorrow's Eagles pre-season game to test out how CiL works with football, but BU has their first football game as well and if I decide to get together with a couple friends or what not, the Eagles will just have to wait (I get NFL-N up here so I can catch a reair if I miss it) but I have not forgotten about you guys or Andy Reid. I'm also hopeful that I will get around to typing up the next NFL preview sometime this afternoon.

And lastly a very sad RIP to Ted Kennedy, the last remaining and oldest of the 3 Kennedy brothers. Democrats and liberals have lost a strong and powerful voice today. At least we can all take solace in the fact that he was able to live out his life to the fullest and it was not abruptly ended like JFK and RFK.

Stop The Madness!!!

Late Saturday night, 49er16 sent me an email regarding the tragic death of David Sale, who as I'm sure you all know by now, was beaten to death outside of a bar connected to Citizens Bank Park. I intentionally did not talk about it for I did not want to get into the rant that I knew I was going to get into if I talked about it. However, the media firestorm that has come from this has driven me to a point where I can no longer be quiet about this. The madness must stop.

Because of a reputation, based mostly on things that happened in the last century, the tragic death of David Sale is being blamed on Philly sports fans and the sports culture here in general. Yeah, hard to believe, I know. Something bad happens at one of our ballparks and it's because of the "hooliganism" in Philadelphia that caused this to happen.

Why can't you people wake up? Why are you such hypocrites? Do you honestly think this only happens in Philadelphia? If so, please, go back to Kindergarten for that is where your intelligence level is right about now.

You are quick to prosecute us yet you are too blind to see the other headlines that the media conveinently hides from you. For what kind of a story is it that a Los Angeles Angels fan was killed while leaving the stadium earlier this year? Folks in Los Angeles are not like that. They are not hooligans, criminals, and thus like Philadelphians are. They are cool, laid back, surfer dudes. All of them. Hooliganism does not exist in Los Angeles. No, not at all.

And what about the 03 shooting of a Dodgers fan by a Giants fan? Surely, it must have been some sort of freak accident. There is no other logical explanation. I mean, after all, sports fans out west are all laid back surfer-dudes. You can't blame this on a sports euphoria that exists all over the world, including California. No, this kind of stuff can only happen in Philadelphia for sports hooliganism lives only there. No where else in the world. Just Philadelphia.

Okay, enough of the absurd sarcasm and more to the straight facts. I'm not trying to trivialize anything having to do with the deaths. They were very tragic indeed as. You can't trivialize a mother losing her son and a sister losing her brother for good. But a point needs to be made to shut up some people of the mainstream media (*cough*cough*Colin Cowherd*cough*cough, who even went as far as to essentially say our school system sucks; yeah, um, that explains why some of the nations finest universities are in the city of Philadelphia) who are as thick-headed as I depicted them to be with the above sarcasm about the 2 real deaths that occured. I don't take pleasure in doing this. I'd rather take John Gonzalez's advice and focus more on what really happened, as in an innocent kid died way too young, and not argue about this, but the mainstream douche bags have driven me to it.

Let's take a look at David Sale's murderers. Just to save time for me as I have a live blog to get to in 30 minutes, I'll quote the above linked Gonzalez column. You'll find the emphasis of the point is still there.

Three men - 28-year-old Francis Kirchner, 35-year-old Charles Bowers, and 45-year-old James Groves - have been charged with murder. In 1995, Bowers was sentenced to six to 23 months for stabbing a man four times. In 2006, Kirchner had to undergo court-ordered anger-management counseling after he and some associates broke a man's cheekbone. If history is any indication, these are not nice people.

Face it, these are not sports thugs. These are thugs thugs. These guys would be considered thugs in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Baton Rouge, Anchorage, where have you. So why are we blaming this on a sports culture?

The answer is shockingly simple: it's our portrayal in the media. Whether we like it or not or we want to admit it or not, everything in the media is a continuance of some story and the media only covers what they see think will garner them the most ratings. Let's face facts, Philly fans do have a reputation. We did cheer when Michael Irving was wheeled off a football fan for the last time, and we did boo Santa Claus (I have a major gripe with this story as well and how it's been portrayed, but that's another rant for another time). But given the reputation of Philly fans, which makes a better, more interesting story for the media to cover? A bunch of thugs beating up a guy outside of a bar that just so happens to be outside of Citizens Bank Park? Or a San Francisco Giants fan killing a Los Angeles Dodgers fan in a stadium parking lot? The Philly thugs, of course. Even though the 03 Giants incident is to an infinite power more of a sports crime and a bigger example of sports hooliganism, hey, Philly has the more interesting media story because of our reputation, therefore, that's a bigger story. And while the Giants fan may have gotten his headlines back then, was everyone blaming that on the horrible obnoxious sports culture in San Francisco?

People frequently claim that sports hooliganism, if you will, only takes place in Philly. Now I assume that most of you have been around sports long enough to know what I am saying is more than true, but still, the point needs to be made. Every professional sports team is going to have their people! Yes, even Philadelphia. I'm not here claiming that Philly fans are angels of the sports world or something, but give me a break here. Drunkeness occurs at any and all sporting events. There are always guys who just can't limit themselves to a beer or 2 to enjoy the game with and go way overboard and in turn get nasty, obnoxious, and in some cases, violent. That can happen anywhere in the country. Scratch that, that does happen everywhere in the country. Because let's face it, it's human nature for that to happen. During sporting events people want to party and when people party they tend to drink alcohol, in some cases lots of it. And when the human body has too much alcohol, especially in a person obnoxious when he is sober, you know things are going to be taken to the next level. The level that was reached in that parking lot in 2003 and the level that was reached outside of Citizens Bank Park last Saturday. It does not matter if we're in Philadelphia, Los Angeles or Kalamazoo, THIS STUFF HAPPENS! GET USED TO IT AND STOP PIN-POINTING OUR CITY AS THE ASSHOLE SPORTS CITY OF THE COUNTRY WHEN MUCH WORSE HAS HAPPENED ELSEWHERE!!!!!!!!!! OH, AND COLIN, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND DREXEL UNIVERSITY?!?!?!?!?!? Sigh....why do I even waste my breath on someone who the best thing most people can say about him is that he is a skidmark on the underwear of life?

However, in the grand context of it all, none of this stuff even matters, now does it? Who cares about Colin Cowherd and what happened in what sports city? Someone way too young died a death that he did not deserve to die.

RIP David Sale.

RIP Jim Johnson, 1941-2009

Without a doubt, one of the best defensive coordinators of all time and should be a shoe-in for a posthumous spot in the pro football hall of fame. The melanoma that had sidelined him from coaching in the spring sadly took his life away today.

Rest In Peace, Jim Johnson. We love you and you will be missed.

RIP Steve McNair, 1973-2009

What is it with all of the tragic deaths this past month or so? First we had Gary Papa, then Ed McMachon, followed by Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays. And today, sadly, it is former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair.

And perhaps saddest of all, Steve McNair's death was different from the rest of the above in that McNair was shot. And he was shot multiple times as well. And while there is no good way to die, it is particularly sad and painful to people whose life he affected when someone is shot as opposed to dying of more natural causes. For when someone is shot, there is a hate aspect involved. And that's never right and it's never a happy thing to deal with. As odd as it may seems, a Nickelback song in a way best sums up the thoughts that we are all feeling right now upon hearing the news that McNair was shot, "How could you take his life away? What made you think you had the right? How could you be so full of hate to take away somebody's life?"

Steve McNair was not the only one shot in this sad incident. There was a woman with him (not his wife) who suffered a fatal gun shot wound to the head. It is not clear yet who the heinous person is who pulled off this despiciable act.

Personally, I was always a Steve McNair fan. As a kid and watching Donovan McNabb early on in his career, I was thinking and hoping that McNabb would turn into the next Steve McNair. I always enjoyed watching Steve McNair play, especially in Tennessee when McNair was in the prime of his career. There was just something about him that was always so fun to watch. And he was such a class act as well. McNair was always a team player and he was such a warrior. I remember there were a few years where he had so many injuries yet he continued to play on despite it all and the most amazing part of it was that he was still an effective quarterback despite all the injuries. Steve McNair was a warrior and he would never sit down and quit. The only way he would leave the field was if you dragged him off of it. And even then, it took a whole hell of a lot just to do that. Bottom line: the man was one hell of a warrior and he will be missed. I think I speak for everyone when I say that as both a football player and a person, he will be missed.

RIP Steve McNair.

RIP Michael Jackson, 1958-2009

The music industry suffered a great loss yesterday as Michael Jackson, aged 50, passed away from what they believe now to be cardiac arrest resulting from a heart attack. And I must say, that I have never seen such a diverse spectrum of reactions to the death of someone so well known and who was such an icon as I have seen today.

There are those that appreciate the musical Michael Jackson and will remember him for it. There is no doubt about it, Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. Thriller is one of the biggest selling albums of all time and I am sure that sales of that album and many will posthumously skyrocket. Personally, I was never a huge fan of Michael Jackson's music. But at the same time, I think everyone has to have a good deal of respect for him and what he did in this industry. When you think greatest singers/bands of all time, Micheal Jackson has to be one of the first that comes to mind, perhaps right along side of the Beatles.

And then there are others who remember the other side of Michael Jackson. The Michael Jackson that was accused of being a pedophile and molesting children. I have heard from numerous people that they do not feel bad for Michael Jackson's death today. And you can't blame them for feeling this way. We can't say for sure the exact veracity of those allegations, but if there is any amount of truth to them, then yeah, child molestation is a serious crime and perhaps they are right in believing that someone like him is not worthy of the amounts of sympathy that some people are giving him today. After all, the American public does not feel bad for Joe Schmo The Child Molestor when he dies in prison. And while Michael was never convicted like I alluded to the fact that Joe Schmo was, it still is a very serious allegation and one that everyone in the national media completely blew up and made it more of a game and late-night comedy material instead of focusing on the seriousness of those allegations.

I don't think neither side is wrong here. Some will remember him as one of the greatest singers of all time. Others will remember MJ as a sick, pedophile who beat our American justice system. As cruel and heartless as it may sound, both have a legitimate point and there is no convincing either side that they are wrong in their beliefs. Only history will say which side truly is the more dominant line of thinking. My inclination is that 10-years from now more people will remember Michael Jackson the singer instead of Michael Jackson the freak who got plastic surgery and molested children. I know that I will remember him as the great singer. But that does not mean that the person who remembers pedophile Michael is a bad, ill-willed person. It's something that the American public will forever have to agree to disagree on.

And in perhaps the cruelest senses of irony, at around a little past 3 PM ET, myself and some others were actually discussing Michael Jackson as the extended music video of Thriller played in the background on the computer. And I had asked the question of "where is Micheal Jackson now?", as it had been a long time since I had heard anything about him and where he was living and what he was doing in such. A few hours later when I got home and logged into my Facebook account, I got my answer.

RIP Michael Jackson.

RIP Gary Papa, 1954-2009

I know that most of you probably don't know who he is, but Gary Papa was a sports anchor for WVPI-TV (6ABC) and was perhaps one of the most recognizable and beloved faces in local Philadelphia sports coverage. You'd be hardpressed someone in the Philly media market who did not know who Gary Papa was.

While I do not watch as much local news as I once did, I remember as a kid when my grandparents would babysit me when both of my parents were working, they would always have 6ABC on and Gary Papa would always be there to do the sports during the 6:00 PM broadcast.

What makes this more troubling than usual is the fact for the past few years, we were forced to watch him tear away before our very eyes. In 2004, he announced over the air that he was going under chemotherapy for prostate cancer. Gary would fight through it though and continue to work while receiving the therapy. In 2007, it was announced that once again he would once again be receiving chemo for the exact same reasons. After years of battling the cancer, it is what tragically took his life away today.

Here is Jim Gardner, the 6 PM and 11 PM news anchor of 6ABC, breaking the news and giving a very moving tribute.



RIP Gary Papa. You will be missed.

Cricket Is A Dangerous Sport For Pigeons

Poor little pigeon never saw it coming.....



I honestly feel bad because I have a lot of friends and family who are animal lovers (and in turn have influenced me a bit on the issue of animal rights), but I just can't stop laughing at this video. Maybe it was the way the announcers described it for the fact that it was practically a one-in-a-million type of shot, but that is funny. RIP pigeon who died at a cricket game....we hardly knew ye.

Chris Benoit's Doctor Is Going To Spend Some Time In Jail

I'm sure that everyone remembers the much talked about and publicized double-homicide suicide of former WWE Superstar Chris Benoit. And perhaps 2-years later, those affected by this tragedy (i.e. family and friends of the Benoits. WWE fans and the wrestling community as a whole) may finally have gotten a bit of closure today as the doctor who prescribed the illegal drugs to Chris Benoit believed to have led to his so-called "'roid rage" and to many other patients has been sentenced to 10-years in jail. From Yahoo! News.

The personal doctor to a professional wrestler who killed himself, his wife and their 7-year-old son was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday for illegally prescribing painkillers and other drugs to patients.

Dr. Phil Astin, 54, had pleaded guilty Jan. 29 to a 175-count federal indictment that accused him of writing illegal prescriptions to known drug abusers, some of them for years. Prosecutors said at least two of Astin's patients died of drug overdose — a fact the judge said he could not overlook in handing down the sentence.

"I take full responsibility," Astin told U.S. District Judge Jack Camp during a sentencing hearing that lasted more than two hours. "I am sorry I hurt so many lives. I was thinking that I was looking after my patients."

The killing spree of Chris Benoit certainly stunned and shocked everyone at the time, especially seeing as if you look at all of the wrestlers that were around 2-years ago, he would not exactly have been the one that you would have pin-pointed and said that this was a steroid user and was taking illegal drugs behind everyone's back and was going to kill himself, his wife, and his kid. And while it is good to know that Dr. Astin is going to be spending some time in jail for his actions, it still does not get back the fact that Benoit, a great wrestler, will never be around again and that his reputation as such will forever be tarnished.

A Haunting Story About The Effects Of Steroids

I saw this in the Philly Inquirer today and considered it a worth while, haunting read about the new A-Rod book, some of the stuff in the book and the effects of steroids. The article is called "Steroids: A Tale of Two Outcomes" and it is written by Phil Sheridan, one of my favorite Inquirer columnists. And yes, I have copied and pasted the whole article into a blockquotes.....

The more we hear about Alex Rodriguez, the more surreal his spring-training news conference in Tampa, Fla., seems in retrospect. And the more I think about that odd event - Yankees teammates watching with arms crossed as A-Rod spun a tale about shooting a product called "boli" with a cousin - the more I come back to the chilling words of Don Hooton.

They are words that every parent of every young athlete should hear.

The father of Taylor Hooton, a Texas high school baseball player who committed suicide after quitting steroid use in 2003, was in Tampa to announce a "partnership" with Rodriguez. In trying to repair his reputation, Rodriguez had agreed to a vague relationship with the Taylor Hooton Foundation, which is dedicated to educating young athletes, parents, and coaches about steroids.

It doesn't matter, really, whether Don Hooton was right or wrong when he said he believed Rodriguez's story that day. What matters is the message the heartbroken father has made a commitment to spreading. If attaching his foundation to the richest steroid cheat in baseball history will save a kid this year or next year or the year after that, fine. It's a deal well worth making.

Rodriguez's statement that he used boli was prompted by a Sports Illustrated report that he tested positive for steroids during Major League Baseball's pilot testing program in 2003 - the same year Taylor Hooton died. The results of those tests were supposed to remain secret according to an agreement between MLB and its players' association.

Now the reporter who broke that story, Selena Roberts, has published a book filled with all kinds of new allegations about Rodriguez. Among the more intriguing in A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez is that Rodriguez used steroids way back in high school - long before his cousin obtained the boli from a pharmacy in the Dominican Republic.

According to the book, Rodriguez could barely bench-press 100 pounds as a sophomore. A year later, he was throwing 310 pounds of iron around.

As soon as I read that, I thought again of Don Hooton's haunted eyes and the chilling story of his son's tragic attempt to speed up his physical maturation to become a better baseball player.

According to Don Hooton, Taylor had been told by his coach that he needed to bulk up if he was going to have a chance to be in his team's starting rotation. So Taylor went to the gym, where teammates introduced him to the secret of their workout regimens. They didn't even know the names of some of the substances, Don Hooton said, nor the proper way to use them.

They just injected themselves and pumped iron. That part of the story is what struck Hooton about Rodriguez's account of using boli and not even being sure what it was or whether he was using it properly.

Much has been made of denials by Rodriguez's coach, Rich Hofman, and high school teammate Doug Mientkiewicz that they had any knowledge or awareness of steroid use by Rodriguez. But Hooton's tale might shine a little light on that. Coaches who pressure young players to bulk up can unwittingly drive them to steroids, and a culture of such abuse wouldn't reflect well on other players, either.

That's why Hooton's foundation focuses on educating coaches as well as parents and athletes.

Taylor Hooton's behavior changed suddenly and noticeably, his father said. He wouldn't say what was wrong. Eventually, Taylor revealed the steroid use to a therapist. Soon after, he stopped taking the drugs. Soon after that, he was found dead.

Taylor Hooton was 17.

Steroid use causes the body to slow and eventually stop production of its own testosterone. That production doesn't start again the moment the steroids stop. So the body is left without the natural testosterone it needs. That can lead to depression and lethargy, especially in a 17-year-old boy.

When Congress held its hearings on steroids in baseball, it was easy to be skeptical of politicians who said they were all about saving young people. That smacked of political grandstanding. But listening to Don Hooton that day in Tampa, and looking into his eyes, was both heartbreaking and compelling.

And that's why his face and his words are what stuck with me from that day. Amid all the spin and lying and cheating, Don Hooton was telling the brutal truth.

If the book is right, Rodriguez and Taylor Hooton were in similar places at one time. They were high school players wanting to get bigger and stronger in a hurry. They did what they heard would help them.

Taylor Hooton died.

Alex Rodriguez became the highest-paid player in the history of Major League Baseball.

Steroids helped each of them get where they were going.

Very well-written and very powerful, as I mentioned and alluded to above. Now whether or not, A-Rod did use steroids back in high school is not fully known, but one thing is for sure, Taylor Hooton did. And tragically, he is no longer with us because of it.

Songs of the Day: "High Hopes" By Harry The K And "Swallowed In The Sea" By Coldplay

It's a twofer today. Both in memory of the late, great Harry Kalas...



This song may be by Coldplay, but it's beautiful and it fits.

Harry's Final Homerun Call, Final Out Call, And Final Sign Off

Comcast Sportsnet Philly re-aired last night's Phillies-Rockies game (a.k.a. Harry's last game). I was hoping that someone would use this opportunity to upload the final HR call onto YouTube. And they did. My eternal thanks to the YouTube user who uploaded this vid.