Time Out Awards: NCAA, Shaun Rogers and MLB

Jason Frazier, Alestle Reporter

by Jason Frazier, Alestle Reporter

For the most part this past week, it seemed as if the sports world had taken my advice, and avoided doing anything worthy of receiving a Time-Out.  But not everyone heeded my advice.

My first Time Out goes to the NCAA committee for contemplating expanding the men’s basketball tournament from 65 teams to 96 teams. Expansion is usually a good thing, but in this case I don’t think so. The NCAA tournament is one of the most marketable, anticipated sporting events, why fix something that is not broken?

You already have a number of hopeful Cinderella’s in the tourney now, who have little chance to win the tourney. Why water it down with even more teams of that nature? How does the NCAA expect college students to afford extra travel expenses to show their team support for longer amounts of time? If you want to know why this will probably happen, it’s easy. Money from increased ticket revenue, TV contracts and other money generating factors is why this will take place. The people benefitting from this money are not students spending work-study money to show school spirit or the players spending extra time practicing instead of studying; it will NCAA officials. They truly deserve a Time Out.

The next Time Out goes to Cleveland Browns’ defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. Although football season is nowhere near, Rogers found a way to get a Time Out. Rogers must have been hiding under a rock the last 10 years, since he didn’t know airports have heightened their security since 9/11.  He thought it would be cool for him to bring a loaded gun on a plane. He was arrested shortly thereafter, a surprise to Rogers but not to anyone else. Rogers can accept his Time Out in whatever jail he currently is in right now.

When we are at MLB games, some of us get seats down the baselines and have ambitions of catching a foul ball. I think we fail to realize how dangerous this can be. Winthrop University professors Robert Gorman and David Weeks have gone back and documented 52 deaths from foul balls hit into the stands.

“It’s amazing to me that there aren’t more, to be honest, foul balls can zing off a bat at more than 100 mph,” Gorman said.” Even if the fan is paying attention, that’s not much time to duck or get out of the way. And for the fan that is glancing at a scorecard or a cell phone or has his or her hands full with a hot dog, forget about it.”

MLB is finally looking at addressing this problem by putting nets up to protect fans sitting behind the dugout and along the baselines. I’m giving MLB this Time Out for just now considering addressing this potentially dangerous problem.

That closes this week’s edition of the Time Out awards this week. Until next week; coaches, players, and all those involved in the world of sports be nervous, because I am on the lookout for those who deserve a Time Out.