Trunk, you’ll appreciate this article by Rick Reilly:
Your first link says he was rumored to have tested positive, not that he was “involved in an investigation.” Have you read anything about the Grimsley case except a ‘steroid blog?’ Grimsley said he never mentioned Clemens’ name in the investigation, and the government said the report that Grimsley had dropped those names was inaccurate.
That means nothing. Ryan was a baseball player and would have known long before the public did, especially since he was on the same team as Canseco and Palmerio - and Pudge Rodriguez, who Canseco has also accused. Again, I don’t think Ryan used.
As far as I am aware, the Knicks and Rangers are owned by the same organization. (Cablevision.)
One big problem with having a New York City team is that because there is so much money available, New York fans “won’t tolerate” rebuilding seasons. There is no “we’ll get 'em next year” mentality when you can throw a 50 million at overpriced big-name stars who should (in theory) be great. So for the better part of a decade, the Rangers eschewed patient cultivation of young talent in favor of bringing in grossly overpaid superstar has-beens. (eg: Eric Lindros.) The rosters never came together as a cohesive unit, and as a result the team was a perennial embarassment.
From what I can gather, the Knicks are in the middle of that right now. The Rangers only managed to get out of the downward spiral because of the newly imposed hard cap; they made the playoffs both years under the cap after not making it for 7 consecutive seasons.
It is to the Yankees credit that they have managed to avoid this pattern. (Though I’ve heard it said that team chemistry isn’t as important in baseball as it is in hockey or basketball.)
The Dolans, who own Cablevision and MSG do own both teams. They are the worst owners in sports. Strangely the other member of the family, does a good job owning the Indians.
As far a team chemistry, it is important, but baseball is different from the other sports as the Starter is different each day and they play so many games. Momentum in baseball is determined by the next days starter. The QB normally plays every offensive down. The Center in BB plays most of the game and if healthy never gets a game off. Goalies at least get some games often occasionally but nothing compared to starting pitchers.
Jim
Instead of whining about the “unfair” advantage th eYankees supposedly have, you might want to ask why the “small market” teams who’ve gotten so many millions in payroll tax dollars from the Yankees haven’t done anything productive with that money.
It’s mighty obvious that some small market owners who cry poverty are taking George Steinbrenner’s money and pcoketing it, rather than making any effort to improve their own rosters.
In my opinion, that makes teams like the Royals parasites at best, and thieves at worst, more worthy of scorn than pity.
You wonder why the Royals haven’t put together a roster to compete with the 200 million the Yankees spend when their 35 million dollar spending account is bumped up to 40 million?
The luxury tax is worse than doing nothing because while doing nothing it gives the league the ability to claim they’re trying to do something.
Aren’t the Royals one of the more profitable teams in the league, or am I thinking of the Twins?
Were you listening to the game on the radio Monday? They said the exact same thing.
Not Monday, but I can remember Bill White, Frank Messer and Scooter* talking about this when I was a kid. It is probably as old an idea as the 4-5 man rotation. 
Jim
- Scooter is Phil Rizzutto
Annual “luxury tax” distribution per team = $1 million
Annual advantage in Yankee payroll over typical small-market team = $120 million
Used to love how they would always rotate one of them to the radio broadcast every three innings.
I don’t especially believe that quote - baseball teams will field a core of 8 players, and if you get several of them on streaks, you can gain momentum. A pitcher who is confident he will get run support will pitch more aggressively, and if hitters are getting quality starts, they can be more aggressive, and it all snowballs. It’s the kind of quote used when a team is neither consistently losing nor winning, and announcers will trot out a contradictory quote when a team is on a winning or losing streak.
Chemistry can make or break a competent team. Ask the Dodgers. Bradley was a poison to the team, and the whole clubhouse suffered from his presence. Once he was gone, (and certain front-office people vanished) the team rebounded nicely.
All the payroll-and-expectations salvos aside…
…is it even fun being a Yankees fan at Yankees Stadium, where apparently “showing patriotism” during the playing of God Bless America during seventh inning stretch is being enforced with security personnel and chains? :eek: 
:dubious:
Take me out to the ballgame… So I don’t end up in Gitmo??
I thought it was already overwrought that the Yanks were the only team in MLB still playing God Bless America during every home game (instead of just Sundays and holidays). I knew about that, and the flying eagle bit during the anthem for playoff games. That’s at least “merely” showy posing. But glaring guards holding chains giving admonitions to paying fans? That’s more than kinda creepy.
Geez, I’ve been to 40+ games since 9/11. I have never experienced a problem with this. I think this is much to do about nothing.
Jim
Doesn’t the article say this measure was taken on behalf of fans complaining about the disrespect shown by others and that since it’s been adopted, complaints have ceased? Sounds like they’re simply respecting the desires of the masses, not imposing some unreasonable, or unusual (8 other teams doing something similar) hardship.
I have. I hate that song and the jingoism behind it. If I don’t time my exit correctly, security will chain the aisles although they won’t do anything other than glare at you if you unchain and exit.
ETA
lieu, as a former serviceman and an atheist, I don’t feel it proper to be asked to pray for the fallen, nor do I have any respect for that song and its implication that America is God’s preferred country. I’m definitely in the minority at the stadium, though. If the Yankees would changed the wording of the request and choose a different song, I’d have no problems at all.
Well, I usually race to the Men’s room right before they play YMCA, so I am never trying to be any place else for the playing of God Bless of America. I would have no complaints, if they stopped playing it. I find the YMCA song and the WAVEs the most offensive things at the games.
Jim
Is the article incorrect in that both ends aren’t chained to a fixture, that one end remains held by the off-duty officer?
There aren’t that many off-duty uniformed officers and security personnel there.
I’ve been to 15+ games and can’t recall ever being stopped, or noticing it as a hassle.
It certainly doesn’t look good as it is portrayed, but the reality, in my experience, is not oppressive…