SPORTS AREN'T ALWAYS FUN AND GAMES ... FOR EXAMPLE:

 

It wasn’t easy but somehow we were able to sift 

through all the silliness that sports has become and 

settle on the five worst of the week … with No. 1 the 

leader in the clubhouse barely.

Let the count-down begin:

5 -- The once-mighty ACC is playing catchup, Who 

is responsible?

Time was, not THAT long ago, when the conference 

of MICHAEL JORDAN, DEAN SMITH, MIKE 

KRZYZEWSKI et al was the gold standard of 

college basketball. The rest of the country tried to 

keep up with the ACC ...without much success, I 

might add.

Now, having been by-passed by the SEC and Big 10, 

heretofore known only for football, the once-proud 

affiliation of schools has become unbecomingly 

desperate. Latest example was announced a few days 

ago when the ACC cut back on the number of 

regular-season conference games – from 20 to 18 – 

hoping to replace them with blockbuster matchups 

that would convince the NCAA selection committee 

to add more at-large teams from the ACC to March 

Madness. Say what?

OK, so they haven’t won a national championship 

since 2019 … and they have gone from seven 

playoff teams in 2021 to four a season ago. What 

makes anyone think that, say, Virginia replacing a 

game with Duke or Carolina is a good idea?

I was fortunate enough to cover the ACC from 1984 

to 2000 … when it was a nice, compact group of 

schools on the Eastern seaboard … before they 

panicked over the thought of losing some of ESPN’s 

money and expanded coast to coast. That was a bad 

idea then, and it looks even worse now.

It would be easy enough to point a (middle) finger at

 JIM PHILLIPS, whose duration as commissioner 

has coincided with everything that could go wrong 

has gone wrong.

Then again Phillips is not, never has been, the man 

in charge. If you want to focus the blame, I’d put it 

on the presidents of the member schools. They, after 

all, have/had the last word. 

4 – Will he ever learn? Probably not.

The NBA’s resident bully, DRAYMOND GREEN

 of the LA Clippers, was at it again last week, 

blaming everyone but the real culprit – himself – for 

an old act that has long since worn out its welcome.

After being hit for his fifth technical foul in this 

year’s playoffs during the Clippers’ 117-93 loss to 

the Timberwolves Thursday night, the veteran 

forward went off on a rant, ripping what he called 

“an agenda” to portray him as “an angry black man.”

“I’m not an angry black man,” he was quoted as 

saying. “I’m a very successful, educated black man 

… and I’m great at basketball. I’m great at what I do. 

The agenda to keep making me look like an angry 

black man is crazy. I’m sick of it. It’s ridiculous.”

What set Green, 35, off this time happened in the 

second quarter when he was fouled by Naz Reid … 

and Green responded by elbowing Reid in the head. 

Game officials checked the replay … and Green was 

hit with a deadball technical that left him so irate that 

it took several teammates and coach STEVE KERR

 to calm him down.

For sure there’s seldom a dull moment when the 6-6, 

230-pounder is on the court … or off it. Green has 

202 technical fouls in a 13-year pro career. He’s been 

ejected from 21 games for, among other things, 

kicking a rival center in the groin. Green 

“celebrated” Christmas Day one year with a flagrant 

foul then, subsequently, was fined $15,000 for not 

leaving the game “in an orderly manner.”

So, why you ask, have the Warriors put up with 

Green’s ongoing nonsense? Easy. He’s a very good 

player, defensively as well as offensively, and has the 

numbers to prove it.

3 – It’s the playoffs, man. Live with it.

For cross-checking TRENT FREDERIC in the 

face, Edmonton’s NICOLAS ROY was fined 

$78,000-plus but escaped a well-deserved 

suspension by the NHL … leading former 

defenseman of 20 years (and three Stanley Cup 

championships with the New Jersey Devils) KEN 

DANYKO to say, “I’m a little old-school. I get 

playoff hockey … and I understand what goes 

through the veins of these guys … It probably 

deserved a game or two … [but] it looked kind of 

accidental. Roy got a five-minute major (which they 

did a great job killing off). And the officials really 

don’t want to determine the outcome, especially in 

the playoffs, so …” Blah, blah, blah and blah. Cut to 

The NFL Network’s studio show … where former 

coach BRUCE BOUDREAU disagreed.

“I want to know the limits of what you can do and 

not do before getting suspended in the playoffs,” he 

said. “There’s no puck. He looks at [Frederic] … 

takes his stick in both hands and cross-checks him 

across the face. And, they only fine him [the 

maximum amount agreed to in the collective 

bargaining agreement]? I don’t know what they’re 

thinking. If anyone should be suspended for a stick 

foul … that should be it.

Shortly after the Oilers killed off the penalty … 17 

seconds to be exact … they scored in sudden-death 

overtime to take a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-

seven, second-round series.

2 -- Sure looks like he wants to be fired, doesn’t it? 

For a 73 year old man taking up with a 24 year old 

hottie, BILL BELICHICK has been acting almost 

oblivious to the daily scrutiny and controversy 

swirling around him. If you didn’t know better, you 

would think it’s all an act … bottom line, the 

University of North Carolina’s newest football coach 

wants out … but doesn’t want to pay the $10 million 

buyout his five-year, $50M contract calls for if he 

leaves before June 1. Or the $1 million should he 

walk thereafter without coaching one game.

The tabloids have had all kinds of fun with 

Belichick, winner of six Super Bowls as coach of the 

New England Patriots, and squeeze JORDON 

HUDSON, a former runnerup for Miss Maine … 

who is running for the same title again this year and 

has been quoted as saying she’s going to win.

Obviously, there is nothing bashful about Hudson 

who met Belichick on a flight four years ago, so the 

story goes. There are photos of the two of them, with 

him in a coat and tie and her wearing … as little as 

possible.

Meanwhile, with Belichick making his first foray 

into the college game, Hudson has been the center of 

much contention and debate over her role. Such as 

… well, she set off alarms when seen on the field at 

practices … and they grew even louder when 

Belichick told everyone to copy her with any e-mails 

sent to him.

Later, it was discovered Hudson had been the reason 

HBO’s “Hard Knocks” wouldn’t be coming to 

Chapel Hill for a preseason inside look at the Tar 

Heels, as scheduled. Then, more recently, CBS 

Sunday Morning did a one-on-one with Belichick 

that Hudson reportedly interrupted constantly … 

although the coach, a his stoic best, didn’t seem to 

mind.

Now, there have been calls from former athletes to 

fire Belichick before Hudson ruins his legacy … and 

family members are said to be looking into Hudson’s 

past, presumably hoping to find something to 

convince him to dump her … before it becomes 

embarrassing, as if it hasn’t already. Stay tuned.

1 – Why put up with this nonsense? Send him on his 

way. You can do that, can’t you?

In Boston, when it comes to the Red Sox, the answer 

apparently is no.

RAFAEL DEVERS is hitting .280, making $27.5 

million base (plus $5M in deferred bonus) from an 

all-time franchise high $313.5 million (10 years), 

and he’s very unhappy … so unhappy, in fact, that 

owner JOHN HENRY flew to Kansas City Friday 

for the sole purpose of talking to Devers ... “as the 

feud between the star third baseman and the front 

office escalated this week,” according to a reporter 

covering the team.

So, what is upsetting Devers, 28? Well, he’s no 

longer the Boston third baseman, having been 

replaced by newcomer – and much better defensively 

– ALEX BREGMAN … to become the team’s 

designated hitter and now they have the temerity to 

ask Devers to play first base. How dare they!

“I know I’m a ballplayer,” he told the Boston Globe, 

“but they can’t expect me to play every single 

position out there.”

Admittedly, he wasn’t pleased when, “in spring 

training, they basically told me to put my glove 

away,” Devers said. “So, right now, I just feel it’s not 

an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play 

another position.”

(It should be noted Devers, from the Dominican 

Republic, made his feelings known through a 

translator. From experience we’ve learned that 

seldom is as accurate as it could be.) 

Anyway, the Red Sox lost first baseman TRISTON 

CASASto a season-ending injury, and a couple of 

potential replacements have been less than 

satisfactory.

If Devers continues to refuse to give 1B a try, he 

could be traded, say, for someone who would. All his 

contract says about the possibility is that he will be 

due an additional $2 million (to be paid by his new 

team).

From early indications from assorted teammates, it 

can’t happen soon enough. While moving Devers 

doesn’t appear likely, nevertheless, several teams 

(including the Cubs, Phillies, Brewers and Mets) 

already have been identified as potential landing 

spots.

Until next time ...