Ladies and gentlemen, I give you “Fair or Foul”: a weekly(ish) list of the most recent newsworthy events in sports, and my independent, unbiased opinion (isn’t it always?) about whether these events are fair or foul.
Note: For those who remember the old Nickelodeon show Kids Court, I totally stole this idea from the “fair or unfair” segment at the end of each show. Remember that?? Some kid would stand up and complain about something like, “My mom won’t let me play Nintendo until I take out the garbage!” Then the host would ask the kids-only audience, “Fair or unfair?” Undoubtedly, regardless of the complaint, the kids would scream “UNFAIR” at the top of their lungs. So if it helps, please feel free to imagine a room full of kids screaming “fair” or “foul” at the end of each paragraph. Enjoy.
1. Sidney Crosby Booed by Home Fans
When Ryan Miller’s Buffalo Sabers visited Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday night, the visiting goaltender (and USA hockey hero) received a noticeably louder ovation than the hometown phenom (and USA hockey villain), and apparently Crosby even received some boos. But the Pittsburgh fans weren’t booing Crosby the Penguin Tuesday night, they were booing Crosby the Canadian. Crosby the Canadian who scored the gold-medal-winning goal on Sunday afternoon and crushed the United States’ hopes and dreams in the process – that Crosby. Although the people of Pittsburgh are unquestionably some of the most loyal and vocal sports fans in America, they are also a collection of blue collar workers that put their country first. And while I hate to give credit to the people of Pittsburgh (with two Super Bowl titles and a Stanley Cup in the last four years, they don't need my help), they absolutely made the right call. On US soil, Miller gets the bigger cheer.
Ruling: Fair.
2. Missouri Senate Votes to Remove Mark McGwire’s Name From Highway
I have many thoughts on the steroid era in general and Mark McGwire’s steroid use in particular, but I’ll save those for another day. For now, let’s just go with this: Mark McGwire was one of the greatest players of his generation, period. He was crushing home runs long before he started juicing (he set the record for homeruns by a rookie in 1987 without steroids), he would have easily cleared 500 home runs even without the juice, and he should be in the Hall of Fame. And that’s before we mention that MLB didn’t even enforce its ban on PEDs until after Big Mac retired. So if they must, let the good people of Missouri debate McGwire’s place as a roll model, but let the man keep his highway.
Ruling: Foul.
3. LeBron James Changing Jersey Numbers
Apparently LeBron James has petitioned the league for a new number. Instead of continuing to wear number 23 next season, King James would like to wear number 6. Why? Well to honor Michael Jordan of course.
Call me cynical (you wouldn’t be the first), but I don’t buy it. Other than Kobe Bryant -- who also pulled this trick a few years back -- LeBron James sells more basketball jerseys than anyone alive. So unless Cleveland plans to retire number 23 (which seems unlikely given this shot), this is nothing more than a way to force the good people of Cleveland to spend another $100 on a jersey. And of course, Nike can now create a whole new logo for James (the old L23 just won’t work anymore), which they will then slap on everything from t-shirts to toilet paper.
That said, perhaps this is a good sign for Cavs fans. If LeBron planned to bolt to New York after this season, he could keep number 23 and still sell a whole new set of jerseys, right? But if he stays in Cleveland and switches jersey numbers, he gets to have his cake and eat it too. So don’t give up hope just yet Cleveland – Number 6 may be coming back after all.
Ruling: Foul.
