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There’s nothing like old-timers in any sport lecturing the whippersnappers about how to play the game the right way — like they did back in the day. It’s the jock’s equivalent of your parents’ stories about having to walk barefooted three miles through the snow to school every day.
It seems to be human nature for all of us to believe our generation was tougher and smarter and had it harder than the one to follow us. Fifty years from now, our own kids will be boring their grandchildren with tales about how when they were young, cars didn’t drive themselves, you had to use something called a controller to play video, and you couldn’t tell a computer what to do just by thinking about it.
But no matter who’s talking that talk, it’s still whining. And quite frankly, my dears, the kids don’t give a damn.
This brings us to our choice for Whiner of the Week, retired Mets reliever John Franco. He’s got a problem with the current edition of the team: They have “almost no” leadership.
That’s why they’re foundering in the NL East, not because several of their stars, including Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes, have spent much of the season on the disabled list, but because they don’t have proper leadership.
Franco was particularly critical of star third baseman David Wright, who, Franco said, isn’t taking control in the clubhouse. Since Franco isn’t in the clubhouse all that often, it’s impossible to say how he knows that. Maybe he read it in the New York Post.
Anyway, Franco told a radio show: “I tried talking to him and tell him to come forward and be that guy, but I think David feels that being that he's such a young player and you have the (Carlos) Delgados and (Gary) Sheffields and veteran guys like that, he's afraid that they'll look at him like, ‘Be quiet and sit down.’"
Wright basically laughed it off, as well he should. After all, you have to consider the source.
Franco played 16 seasons with the Mets, from 1990-2005. And during all those years, he went to the playoffs twice and the World Series once. In five seasons before this year, Wright has been to the playoffs once, giving him 11 more years to equal or surpass Franco’s astonishingly unremarkable record.
But that’s leadership for you.
Dishonorable mentions:
1) Harvey Perlman
We didn’t know who this joker was, either, until he popped up in a headline about why there’s still no playoff in the top division of college football. Turns out he’s the chairman of the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee, which means he’s the guy who has to argue that having a subjective champion is better than having an actual champion. Congress lately has been making noises about declaring the current system a violation of antitrust laws. Perlman whined back that if Congress ends the two-team popularity contest that now rules, the BCS might not play a championship at all. So there!
2) Florida State
The school had a major cheating scandal involving athletic teams, including the scholars on the football team. The NCAA is considering stripping the school — and legendary coach Bobby Bowden — of 14 wins accomplished with cheaters. The school, which wants Bowden to beat Joe Paterno in the race for the all-time victories record, whined that it’s not fair to take victories away from old Bobby because he wasn’t involved in the cheating. This from the same people who offer degrees in ethics and logic.
3) Landon Donovan
Regular readers — both of them — know how we feel about players who whine about their teammates. Donovan makes the list for complaining about his famous L.A. Galaxy teammate, David Beckham. Donovan whined about how much money Beckham makes and the fact he didn’t attend a game he was suspended for. “I can’t think of another guy where I’d say he wasn’t a good teammate,” he whimpered. “But with (Beckham) I’d say no, he wasn’t committed.” It might be true, but it’s still bad form.
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