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From the minds of WMEB’s newest sports talk show, “Three and Out.” We will be bringing you three hot topics from the world of sports. It’s your weekly pill for instant sports relief.
First Down: Tigers meow out of the gate
With all due respect to Red Sox Nation and Yankees Universe, this was supposed to be the year of the Tiger. The Detroit Tigers were supposed to take it to the next level with the addition of star third-baseman Miguel Cabrera and ace Dontrelle Willis. These two added to an already stacked team that includes the likes of Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield and Justin Verlander.
Despite all the hype, the Tigers fell on their faces at the start of the season. The Kansas City Royals swept them in their three game home opener series and they followed that effort up with an 8-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday. Tiger pitching has been roughed up for 21 runs over those four games while their mighty lineup has mustered a measly 2.5 runs per game.
With 158 games left in the season, it is far too early to be overly concerned about the slow start. Gary Sheffield has been limited to seven at-bats with a torn tendon in his finger, and center fielder Curtis Granderson has been on the disabled list with a fracture in his right hand.
However if the Tigers pitching staff doesn’t pick up their game, they will find a potential World Series season quickly spiraling away from their grasp. With a series against the defending champion Red Sox scheduled Tuesday, their schedule certainly won’t get any easier than it has been the first week of the season. The Tigers need to get their roar back before it is too late.
- Steve
Second Down: Chad’s off-season destination – vindication
Among the many things Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver Chad Johnson said in his peculiar interview on ESPN a few nights ago, he actually made a good point: He doesn’t get in trouble. Johnson catches a lot of flak for his big mouth, persona and celebrations, but to his credit, he is one of the few Bengals who stays out of trouble.
Later the very same night, Cincinnati received some wonderful news: Wide receiver Chris Henry, 24, got arrested -again. Now the fifth time he’s been collared, Henry just proved Johnson’s point – he’s not the Bengal getting arrested and making the team look worse than the Portland Jailblazers from several years ago.
Between April 2006 and June 2007, according to Fox News, 10 Bengals players were arrested. The team appears to be fed up with their players’ shenanigans and has cut Henry to send a message.
After taking a barrage of verbal assault from everyone in the media, including his own coach, where does this leave Johnson? Lewis has spent so much time bashing Chad for his outspoken manner, I wonder if Johnson called him afterwards and asked Lewis how his foot tastes.
Johnson isn’t the best teammate, but remember, he doesn’t get arrested. All he does is run his mouth and catch about seven touchdowns a year for more than a thousand yards a season and frequently vacations in Hawaii at the end of each season with the NFL’s best at the Pro Bowl. Oh yeah, he also dances after those touchdowns.
- Sean
Third Down: Are you questioning my fanhood?
I’ve just returned home from watching my beloved Tar Heels get trounced in the national semi-final by the Kansas Jayhawks, in what has to have been the weirdest game I’ve seen in a long while. Kansas got out to a 28 point lead in the first half by shooting over 70 percent, but North Carolina made a run at the end of the half to cut into the huge deficit. They continued the momentum into the second half, slicing the lead to five points at one time. But Kansas was too much for them on this night and pulled away in the end.
As I was walking back to my room, I realized something: I wasn’t upset. As much as I loved my Tar Heels, I just didn’t get that gross feeling in the pit of my stomach like usual. It wasn’t because of my lack of fanhood, (because I follow them like a dog follows a piece of meat).
Then it hit me: They aren’t like the Sox and the Pats. It’s amazing what these two franchises will do to a person. I felt like throwing up when Aaron Boone took Timmy Wakefield deep in Game 7. I had to use the bathroom every two innings during the first World Series run. And it felt like they were filming a commercial for Miracle Blade inside my stomach after the Pats fell in the Super Bowl.
It’s not a question of fanhood, it’s an appreciation and an acclamation of how strong we really care about these two teams.
- John
Out:
You can catch us each Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on 91.9 FM, WMEB or read us each week right here in the Maine Campus. From Sean, John and Steve, we are three and we are out.
Bangor Daily News