Fitzgerald’s spike caused by son’s pick

Larry Fitzgerald is considered one of the classiest players in the NFL.

So, when the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver spiked the football after catching a two-point conversion that gave the Cardinals an 18-15 lead with 34 seconds left Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, it was a shocking move. It was also the first time he had ever done that in the NFL. There was a method to Fitzgerald’s spike, however.

Fitzgerald said the spike happened because his oldest son, Devin, attended the Arizona state fair instead of his father’s game Sunday.

“I was a little frustrated and had a heavy heart today,” Fitzgerald told ESPN.com. “My feelings were a little hurt, so I was carrying that around all day. So, when I got in there, I kind of let it out. To all the kids that are watching, I’m sorry. I set a bad example today.”

When asked whether he thought his son was giving up on the Cardinals, who were 1-6 entering Sunday’s game, Fitzgerald said it was a possibility.

“[Devin] didn’t want to come support us,” Fitzgerald said. “So, I’m trying to pick up the pieces. I have to be a better father.”

Fitzgerald added that he will get over his son not showing up at the Cardinals game in the future.

It just wasn’t going to be Sunday.

Tigers win, sort of

The Boston Red Sox won their fourth World Series in 15 seasons Sunday night, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

But Brian Manzullo of the Detroit Free Press calls it a World Series championship for the 2014 Detroit Tigers.

This year’s Red Sox team featured several former Tigers, including J.D. Martinez, David Price and Rick Porcello.

“It finally happened,” Manzullo wrote. “Led by the power bat of J.D. Martinez, the slick fielding of Ian Kinsler and the sweet, sweet pitching of David Price and Rick Porcello, the 2014 Detroit Tigers — constructed by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski — have won the World Series.

“It may be four years late, they may be wearing different colors and playing for a different city — one spoiled in success, winning four World Series the past 15 years — but what’s important is Dombrowski’s vision has finally become realized and his club has reached baseball’s pinnacle.

“And the Tigers Boston Red Sox only needed five games to do it, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on Sunday night, behind seven strong innings from Price and a seventh-inning home run from Martinez. “You may recall that this same group of Tigers — along with the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Victor Martinez, Eugenio Suarez, Torii Hunter (Pine Bluff) and Anibal Sanchez — failed to win a single playoff game in 2014, when they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League division series. “You’re welcome, Boston. We know you really needed this one.

“Meanwhile, the current Tigers are coming off a 64-98 season as they work to cut payroll, rebuild for the future and rejuvenate a farm system that’s been left barren for years thanks to Dombrowski trade deadline deals meant to engineer long October playoff runs.