Urban Meyer Shocks the Football World

So you want to be a successful coach, eh? Job requirements: 16-20 hour days, even in the off season; long stretches on the road away from your family; must face and answer to media, fans, boosters (if you are in college); must always be upbeat and positive; must realize that your health and personal life become secondary in order to be succesful...

In a nutshell, that's what a coach faces. Sure there is more, like game day preparation, the pressures of winning, especially at a program or team that has a history of winning. All this pressure can weigh on one person who carries an entire program, school, or even team on their shoulders. It can lead to burnout and many health issues, most of which get ignored. Urban Meyer, head football coach of the University of Florida Gators, made a tough decision, but one that could potentially save his life.

Meyer, 45, stunned the football world on Saturday night when he announced that after coaching his team in the Sugar Bowl, he would step down as coach of Florida. No one, not even his players, saw it coming. Meyer took the Florida job in 2005, after successful seasons at Bowling Green and turning Utah into a team who is now recognized nationally. He led Florida to two National titles, one in 2006 and one in 2008. All of this coming at a price...his own personal health and well being.

While details are sketchy as of now (Meyer will hold a press conference at 4:30pm today), it has been reported that he has had chest pains and heart attack related symptoms over the last four years. It wasn't until the death of Wake Forest Basketball Coach Skip Prosser, who died of a heart attack in the summer of 2007, that Meyer started to take his health seriously. He started to go in for regular tests. He says his heart is healthy, but after the loss to Alabama in this year's SEC Championship game, he went into the hospital several times for dehydration and chest pains. After a long talk with his doctor's and family, he decided to step down as coach of the most successful college football program of the last decade.

So do you really want to be a coach? While success and National Titles heal a lot, it can also almost kill you. Just ask Urban Meyer.


UPDATE

ESPN's Chris Mortenson reports at 2:01 pm on Dec 27th, that Urban Meyer has changed his mind and will not resign. Instead he will take a leave of absence for all of next season. Assistant Coach Steve Adazzio will take over on an interim basis. 4:30pm press conference still on...

Tiger Woods & Celebrity...Should They Be Held at a Higher Standard Than the Rest of Us?

Tiger Woods had it all going for him this past decade. He won 12 Major Golf Championships (14 overall in his career), had a ton of big name sponsors in Nike, GM, Accenture, Tag Heur, Gatorade...He became the first athlete to ever earn $1 billion and was named AP Athlete of the Decade. He had a beautiful wife, two children and an impeccable image. In the early morning hours of November 27th, just a couple of hours after Thanksgiving Day, his world as we all knew it, came to a crashing end.

On November 25th, The National Enquirer, published a story about Woods having an alleged affair with a woman on a recent trip to Australia. Since it was the Enquirer who published it, not too many people gave it much thought. Little did we know that this story, in a tabloid magazine, would lead to the downfall of the greatest athlete of the 2000s.

We all know what happened in those early morning hours of November 27th. Woods mysteriously left his home at around 2:30am, proceeded to plow his car into a fire hydrant and a tree in a neighbors yard. How that incident turned into us learning that he had affairs with over a dozen women was stunning. His "perfect world" unraveling right before our eyes.

The question I have is how did we not find out about any of this until now? With the technology age, Facebook, Twitter, everyone having a cell phone with a camera and TMZ.com, who seems to be everywhere and earning more credibility by the day, it seems like he would have been caught a long time ago. The even bigger question, that I have, and that I don't think has been explored that much yet...When did Woods' "transgressions" start to happen? Was it after his father died who mentored him and with whom they were inseparable? Or was it just an ego thing where he thought he was invincible?

I would never make up excuses for anyone who cheats. I think my biggest problem with this whole thing is that, is it really our business? We all know that tabloids sell. What drives sales? Sex scandals of course. We all sneak a peak, or even buy the National Enquirer, National Examiner, Globe, etc. (Full disclosure: I do work in the magazine business and it's the sales of these magazines that help pay me my salary, however, I do not agree with what these tabloid magazines stand for). But where is the line? Is there a line that we should not cross when it comes to an athlete or a celebrities personal life? I think there is.

Most of us love to see someone at the height of the career come crashing down, then watch them build themselves back up again. Numerous athletes have come back from such scandals, whether it be rape charges, attempted murder charges (see Kobe Bryant & Ray Lewis), or even allegations or admissions of using performance enhancing drugs (Alex Rodriguez). But when it comes down to something that directly affects an individuals family, like cheating on your wife, that is something that we shouldn't have to see in the headlines day after day. Sure it hurts Woods and his image, but what about his wife Elin and their two kids? Their images have been splashed all over the tabloids and on TMZ.com too. Is that fair? I don't think so. We have become a desensitized society. We forget that these athletes and celebrities are people too. I don't buy the argument that because they are public figures they have to hold themselves up higher than the rest of us. Is it ok for me to cheat on my wife or girlfriend just because I am not a celebrity and won't be put in the spotlight like they would? Of course not. Do I have different morals than someone who has a higher profile than I do? I would hope not. I would hope we would all strive to be the best person we can be. Just because someone is a good actor, musician, or athlete, doesn't necessarily mean they are seeking the spotlight. Sure, there are many exceptions, but look at Derek Jeter of the Yankees. You hear nothing of his personal life and he lives in New York City. He doesn't crave the spotlight.

There have been many, many people judging what Tiger Woods has done. We can think he is a horrible person for doing what he did. We do have that right. What we shouldn't do is hold him up to a higher standard than what we hold of ourselves. We all have flaws. We have all made mistakes. The biggest difference is that our mistakes are not being dragged through the 24 hour news cycle (or sometimes longer) or all over the cover of magazines. Let's give Woods, his family, and any other celebrity going through something as personal as this situation, their privacy. They are people too, just like us. They make mistakes, just like us. No one is perfect. How we overcome adversity is how we should be judged. The only person that should judge us in the end? Well, I think we all know the answer to that question...

The Granderson Trade - Right or Wrong for Detroit?

Speed...Power...Great Defense...That describes Curtis Granderson on the field. Kindness...Generosity...Philanthropy...This describes Curtis Granderson off the field. On Wednesday, December 9th, at the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings in Indianapolis, the Detroit Tigers did something that their fans thought would never happen...they traded the face of the franchise for the past four years and for years to come.

As fans of the game, we all know that baseball is a business. Moves have to be made to improve a club, cut payroll, etc, etc., but when you really look closely at the Curtis Granderson trade, other things come to mind beyond the game of baseball. On the field, we all know what Granderson brings to the table, just look at his 2007 season. He became only the fourth player in the history of the game to have 20 or more doubles, triples, homeruns, and stolen bases all in the same season (Jimmy Rollins also did this in '07 but reached it after Granderson). He also brings Gold Glove caliber defense to his Center Field position. Example - 2009 where he saved a Justin Verlander pitching gem earlier in the season in Cleveland when he went over the high center field wall at Progressive Field to rob Grady Sizemore of a game winning homerun in the bottom of the 9th, preserving a Verlander win (there was one more out to go which Verlander struck out the next hitter). That catch, with the situation, was probably the best I have ever seen. On the last day of the season he made a diving catch in shallow left-center field to help the Tigers go to a one game playoff against the Twins (in which they eventually would lose). That's the Curtis Granderson we all know on the field. Off the field, Granderson, I would argue, has been even more valuable.

With the city of Detroit being hit hard by the economic downturn and with one the lowest high school graduation rates in the country, Granderson, has been a big shining light in what otherwise has been a city spiraling downward. You always hear what athletes do wrong (see Tiger Woods most recently). This is a story of an athlete that is doing right. In 2008, Granderson started a foundation called Grand Kids, which serves as an education-based organization for Michigan inner cities. The foundation collects donations for books and other school supplies, as well as starting baseball programs in areas that need them to help youth gain structure and stay out of trouble. He has been big in giving back to a community that desperately needs help (It should be noted that he was able to start the foundation after signing a 5-year $30.25 million deal with the Tigers in 2008, which ironically, is the reason why he was traded in order to cut back on payroll). With all this being said, when does a person's character and him giving back to a community overshadow the economics of baseball? That's a tough question to answer.

Like I said earlier, we all know that baseball (as well as all sports) is not just a game, but a business. I know what the Tigers' intentions were with this trade, and getting back what they got for Grandy (left handed reliever Phil Coke and rookie center fielder Austin Jackson from the Yankees, left handed reliever Daniel Schlereth and right handed starter Max Scherzer from the Arizona Diamondbacks) will help them as early as this year, however, trading a guy like him can also hurt a clubhouse and a community. Again, should a player's value to a community weigh into baseball economics? I think in some cases it should. I think what the Tigers lost...no...what the City of Detroit and the state of Michigan lost, was a great young man that could have helped slowly bring back Detroit out of its own depression by helping the kids of Detroit stay out of trouble and stay in school. I'm not saying he was the sole answer of turning Detroit around, we all know it needs more help than that but he was on his way to doing his share to help.

Granderson's departure not only leaves a big void in Center Field at Comerica Park, but a big void in the state of Michigan who really needed someone like this.

Baseball Loses Two More...

This week in baseball began, as last week ended, in tragedy. The game of baseball has lost two more greats in the game, and they were great for two very different reasons.



Harry Kalas 1936-2009


Harold Norbert "Harry" Kalas, best known for being the radio voice of the Philadelphia Phillies and of NFL Films, passed away today before the Phillies-Washington Nationals game, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 73. According to reports, Kalas was in the visiting clubhouse at Nationals Park jotting down the line ups around noon. About 30 minutes later, he was found in the broadcast booth, collapsed on the floor. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Kalas had one of the most distinct voices in the game. It was deep, with a slow tempo. He started broadcasting with the Phillies in 1971 after spending 5 years with the Houston Astros, as the first broadcaster in team history. He witnessed so much during his 43 years as a baseball announcer. Not only did he broadcast the first Houston Astros games, he also saw six no-hitters, the first games ever at the Houston Astrodome, Veterans Stadium, and Citizens Bank Park; he called Pete Rose's 3631st hit (which set the National League career record), every one of Steve Carlton's Phillies starts from 1972-86, saw two World Series Champions (1980 & 2008), and had agruably his most famous call, Mike Schmidt's 500th career homerun. He was to the Phillies as Jack Buck was to the Cardinals, Bob Uecker to the Brewers, Vin Scully to the Dodgers, Ernie Harwell to the Tigers...Kalas WAS the Phillies to their fans.

Kalas also became the voice of NFL Films after John Facenda could no longer do it, just before passed away. After Facenda died, who was nicknamed "The Voice of God", the NFL was wondering who could replace that distinct voice of his. Harry Kalas became that person.

Personally, I took every opportunity I could to listen to Harry Kalas over the past couple of years. One of the major reasons I started to subscribe to XM Radio was to listen to guys like Kalas, Scully, and Uecker, broadcasting their games locally. As a fan of the game, and a huge fan of broadcasters, I grew up listening to the best in Ernie Harwell. As I said before, Kalas was Philadelphia's Harwell. No other game values its' history more than the game of baseball. As a fan, you grow up learning the game and it's history. It's passed down generations, one person to the next. Whether it's the statistics, players, or announcers, there is no other game that it's fans hold so high. These players, these voices, come around once in a generation. As fans, we need to take them in as much as possible, for you never know when they will fall silent. Today, Harry Kalas fell silent. As he would say after a someone hit a homerun, "It's Outta Here!"...Kalas may be "Outta Here", but he will never be out of our memories.





Mark Fidrych 1954-2009


Mark "The Bird" Fidrych died of what appears to be an accident, while fixing one of his trucks on a farm today, at the age of 54. While details of his death have yet to be released, I personally found out while I was awaiting the start of the Great Lakes Loons (Class Low A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers) game in Midland. I received a text update from ESPN. I was shocked. When I read it, I showed the guy who sits next to me. We were both stunned. A few minutes later my dad called me to see if I heard the news...he said, "You are not going to believe this...".

Fidrych was a rising star when he hit the Major Leagues in 1976 with the Detroit Tigers. That year, as a rookie, he took baseball by storm. An almost instant national sensation, he compiled a 19-9 record, 2.34 ERA, and an astounding 24 Complete Games. He was the starting pitcher at the All-Star game that year and after a brilliant pitching performance on Monday Night Baseball where he talked to the baseball, manicured the mound on his hands and knees, and enthusiastically shook teammates hands after plays, he became a star. In the spring of 1977, Fidrych tore cartilage in his knee...he was never the same pitcher again. He pitched parts of the next 4 seasons with Detroit, never more than 11 games in any of those seasons. He retired after the 1980 season with just 29 career wins...a once promising career cut short by knee and arm problems. He could have been upset the rest of his life about what might have been, but he wasn't.

After retiring, Fidrych lived in the Boston area on a farm. He was a garbage man at one time, and often helped his county with road projects hauling things in his dump truck. When the Tigers came to Boston, he would always be around doing interviews with the Tigers' television and radio broadcasters. He remained upbeat, excited, and very much in love with what his life became after baseball. I had a chance to meet Fidrych at a baseball card show back in the early 90s when I was a kid. I don't remember much about it, but what I do remember is that he was talking to anyone and everyone who would listen to him. When it was my turn to get his autograph I remember him saying hi to me and smiling. He was as nice a guy as you'd ever meet, just a regular guy really. Fidrych will be missed by the Tigers organization and its' fans.


For me, a die hard baseball fan, days like today, and over the past few weeks are especially sad. While I didn't know these players, former players, and broadcasters, but having followed the game as close as I have over the years, you feel like you know them. I hadn't heard of Nick Adenhart other than he was a good young pitcher for the Angels, but to hear of his tragic and senseless passing last week at the age of 22 was crushing. The passing of George Kell was not as surprising as the rest, but still sad. Then the events of today, first Harry Kalas, then Mark Fidrych, just hours apart. Death always makes you think of your own mortality. While mourning these deaths, we should also celebrate their lives and what they did while they were here. Adenhart, a great kid with so much upside, was also a great teammate...Kell, a Hall of Fame player, great broadcaster and Tiger baseball on TV in the 70s-90s...Kalas, THE voice of the Phillies and NFL Films, loved by players and fans alike.

Let's remember these four indviduals, not only as baseball personalities, but as people. They were all great people first, who will be sorely missed by their friends and family. We will all miss them...

A Tribute to a Hall of Famer and a Young Rookie Pitcher

The world of Baseball has recently seen two high profile passings...One of that of Hall of Famer George Kell, and the tragic death of 22-year old Nick Adenhart of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

George Kell 1922-2009

George Kell had a brief, but Hall of Fame career with the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia A's, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles. Perhaps his greatest achievement as a player was beating out Ted Williams for the batting title by .0002 (Kell, .3429; Williams .3427), in 1949. After his playing days were over, he became an announcer for the Orioles, CBS television, and NBC Radio. In 1959, he joined the Tigers as a play-by-play announcer where he remained until his retirement in 1996. In 1975, another Tigers' great, Al Kaline, joined Kell as his broadcast partner. On a personal note, I grew up watching Kell and Kaline on TV. They were Tiger Baseball on Television as was Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey were to Radio. Kell's slow, down home, friendly style was popular with everyone. He said very few words and let the pictures do the talking. I had followed Kell after his retirement. He had a rough time with a car accident, a fire at his home, and the death of his wife. Through all that, he maintained his love for the Tigers' and watched almost every game. I had the pleasure of seeing him in person at Tiger Stadium at the first game of the last series ever at The Corner. Although he was on the field and I was in the stands, I was able to snap a picture of him. He is one person with whom I would have loved to have met. My dad also held him in very high esteem and would have loved to have had the chance to sit down and talk to him. George Kell will be sorely missed by not only by the Tigers and their fans, but by baseball, and by my dad and I as well...

Nick Adenhart 1986-2009

Nick Adenhart was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 14th Round of the 2004 draft, right out of High School. He was a projected overall #1 pick until he blew out his elbow that May of the draft and had to have Tommy John Surgery. He was named Baseball America's Youth Player of the Year in 2003. He was named the #1 prospect in the Angels' organization for this upcoming season by Baseball America. After a successful climb through the Minors, he started three games for the Angels last season. Despite giving up 12 runs in 12 innings, he did record his first Major League win. He was disappointed with his Major League debut giving up 5 runs in just 2 innings. Adenhart worked hard over the winter and in Spring Training this year, earning him a spot in the Angels' rotation as their #3 starter (necessary due to injuries to much of the Angels' rotation). In his first start of the year last night, and with his father in the stands, he pitched 6 scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics, scattering 7 hits, walking 3 and striking out 5. A strong outing for a kid with so much promise...hours later, he would be dead. Adenhart, who was a passenger in a Mitsubishi Eclipse with three other people, was broadsided in an intersection after a mini-van ran a red light at around 12:30am. Two of the passengers in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. Adenhart was pronounced dead later, in surgery, at University of California, Irvine Medical Center. A fourth passenger in the vehicle was expected to recover. The driver of the mini-van, driving with a suspended license for prior DUI arrests, fled the scene after the accident. He was caught by police about 30 minutes later where the driver registered a blood alcohol level over the .08 legal limit in California. He is expected to be charged with Hit-and-Run, DUI, Vehicular Manslaughter, and possibly murder. Needless to say, the Angels, Adenhart's family, and all of baseball are shocked and saddened by this tragedy.



Two separate deaths...Two different ends of the spectrum...One having lived a full life after a brilliant, Hall of Fame career...One having so much life left to live...One sad...One tragic...Both losses for everyone, not only in baseball, but in life...