If you're a professional athlete, at least act like you care
• Worst signing of the Arte Moreno era in Anaheim: Josh Hamilton or Anthony Rendon? Discuss . ...
• Rendon's remarks earlier this week, stressing that being a major league baseball player is “a job” and no more? That's the problem. It's not just a job. And if you don't show by your words or actions that you care sufficiently — especially when you're in the fifth year of a seven-year, $245 million contract and you've played 148 of a possible 486 games the last three seasons, with WAR of 1.0 — can you blame Angels fans if they decide to stop caring about you — and/or your team? ...
• Former Nationals teammate Jonathan Papelbon weighed in on the Foul Territory podcast, saying among other things that GM Perry Minasian should find a taker for Rendon ASAP, and adding: “He's (Rendon) not as successful as he really, truly could be, because he's got more God-given talent than probably all three of us sitting here talking. But, at the end of the day, he don't give a (bleep).” ...
• Bottom line, not only in baseball but in any sport: Fans want to believe that the participants — players, coaches, managers, executives — care about winning as much they do. No, fans don't understand all that goes into the profession, which is to be expected. But matching that level of caring — or at least acting like you do — isn't too much to ask . ...
• Do you get the impression that Major League Soccer should just rebrand itself as the Lionel Messi Tour? The circus arrives in Carson on Sunday night, as Messi and Inter Miami's other big international signings are the opponents for the Galaxy's season opener — and if there's a franchise whose institutional memory should help it understand what that environment is like, it's the Galaxy thanks to David Beckham, now one of Miami's co-owners.
Maybe Messi can pose in front of Becks' statue while he's in town . ...
• The Messi signing last year provided a boon to Apple TV+ and its exclusive deal with MLS. Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services and the company's main liaison with the league, said this week that subscriptions from Europe and South America have multiplied with Messi and his buddies from Barcelona on board, and according to Soccer America, Cue urged the league's other teams to “sign some more players!”
Sure. Meanwhile one of the league's flagship franchises, LAFC, can't even get captain and star Carlos Vela under contract by opening night because of salary cap issues. It's not always that simple . ...
• So who's more of an international phenomenon in North American professional sports: Messi or Shohei?
Sorry if this column feels like a midterm exam. You've gotta go with what you have . ...
• And here's today's exercise in reader participation (you supply the punch line): While Messi's presence seems to be the equivalent of an ATM for the league, MLS has locked out its game officials to start the season. Bonus points if you can get the word “chaos” into the response. Or “hypocrisy.” ...
• Before UCLA and
USC renew their men's basketball rivalry at Pauley
Pavilion tonight, a postage stamp honoring John Wooden will be released with a dedication ceremony today at 1 p.m. in Pauley's East Plaza, just steps from the Wooden statue north of the building. It's open to the public, but those wishing to attend are encouraged to register at usps.com/ johnwoodenstamp.
The visage on the stamp will be Wooden with a serene yet intent expression on his face. There were times earlier this season, of course, when a more appropriate pose would have had him shielding his eyes from the current Bruins . ...
• Among the tidbits dropped into the email inbox this week: Sabrina Ionescu gained 200,000 some Instagram followers after her 3-point shootout with Stephen Curry last weekend on All-Star Saturday.
The women's hoops line of succession seems firmly in place. Presumably, Caitlin Clark will give up her pandemic-driven extra year of eligibility at Iowa this year and join Ionescu in the WNBA. And you know that JuJu Watkins will be there eventually, and could surpass them all . ...
• If Clark does come back to Iowa, and the Big Ten women's schedule has the Hawkeyes playing at USC, I say they should figure out a way to play it at SoFi Stadium . ...
• Meanwhile, a preliminary injunction in a Tennessee federal courtroom issued Friday afternoon has effectively barred the NCAA from enforcing any rules that prohibit name, image and likeness compensation from being used as recruiting inducements.
Remember what we've always said about the SEC, even before the NIL era: Their motto of “It just means more” was actually code for “We will not be outbid.” That's no longer code, folks, and consider that (a) the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia filed suit against the association, and (b) the University of Tennessee, proud SEC member, is pushing back against an NCAA inquiry into recruiting irregularities involving NIL.
Coincidence? Nah . ...
• If this holds up — and the NCAA's record in courtrooms has been abysmal — the SEC and Big Ten, the heavyweights of college sports, may have to institute their own salary caps. In the meantime, the USC and UCLA collectives had better up their games immediately.