Letters to the Editor
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Wikipedia
I'm currently trying to edit the article into a bit better shape. At least enough to get it not deleted.
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If it's good enough for Bill...
If Plaschke gets his own Wikipedia article, surely there's room for the King.
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What, no Buster?
I can't believe that King's Wikipedia article doesn't mention his main claim to fame--his offspring, Buster, the coin-flippingest (however many years old he happens to be at the time)-year-old in America. An accompanying picture of Buster's thumb would be appropriate, too.
It's sad about Maurice Clarett.
We can never know what would have happened if Maurice Clarett hadn't tried to, and been prevented from, entering the NFL early, but if anything, his case can be an argument against the ambiguity at the time. If it had been clear that he wouldn't be allowed to enter the NFL early, then he wouldn't have lost his NCAA eligiblity, at least not in the way he did.
On the other hand, if he had been allowed to enter the NFL draft in 2003, perhaps he would have been drafted early, shown up to camp in shape, and be well on his way to a successful career. That's also a plausible scenario.
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Clarett
I'd guess Clarett would still be a *($#ed up thug.
I don't know what "character issues" the NFL different enough from the NBA that 18 year old players could not succeed. Makes me wonder if the prevalence of evangelical Christianity in the NFL has anything to do with that strict character view.
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A-Rod
Good observations on A-Rod's potential problems, but they just confirm for me that he's an over-rated and inconsistent player, and the Yanks paid too much for him.
One point you didn't discuss, however, which you've talked about in the past (skeptically or not), is A-Rod's underwhelming "clutch" performances. And even if you think "clutch" is too unmeasurably metaphysical, check out the dude's playoff stats--particularly with men in scoring position. So even if he returns to putting up gaudy MVP-like numbers, he won't win the Yankee fans over until he stops playing like a choking putz when it counts.
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Wiki snub
King Kaufman is non-notable. And not an actual King.
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Get rid of second base?
I just looked at the Wikipedia article -- does anyone have a link of the column where King proposed eliminating second base?
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Clarett
It's interesting to see someone try so hard to throw away what obviously could have been a successful (both financially and otherwise) career.
I thought the following article on him written by Tom Friend, who apparently talked to him only a couple hours before he was arrested, was fairly interesting.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?id=2545078
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Alex Rodriguez not overrated
http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/rodrial01.shtml
Most of ARod's comps are Hall-of-Famers or future Hall-of-Famers. Many of them are feared hitters who are primarily in the league because of their ability to hit. Yet Alex Rodriguez plays a passable, if not better than average SS and 3B.
Remarks about "clutchiness" aside, he'll finish his career as one of those "Pantheon" guys in the Hall of Fame.
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Clarett
As a Buckeyes fan, I watched every single game of that undefeated championship season. God knows that no one thought that Maurice Clarett's career would take such a sorry turn south so quickly, but everyone knew that he was immature--and that immaturity manifested itself in cockiness and self-entitlement. But those attributes only helped Clarett (and the rest of the team) on the field that year, so the fact that those characteristics soured on him after the Fiesta Bowl is no big surprise. His downfall has nothing to do with his early entry into the NFL, just the fact that he took (and continues to take) for granted the talent and skill that made him the phenomenon he was--and he continues to pay the price. His attempt at early entry is a symptom, not the virus.
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Why does someone always have to point this out?
Alex Rodriguez's career OBP and slugging: .385 and .577, which includes two fairly unimpressive season before he turned 20. (OPS .962)
Alex Rodriguez's OBP and slugging in the postseason: .393 and .534 (OPS .927).
And just for the sake of comparison to someone who does "get it done in the playoffs"
Derek Jeter: Career OBP and Slugging: .386 .461 (OPS .847)
Postseason OBP and Slugging: .379 .463 (OPS .842)
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A-Rod's playoff stats
Here are some stats on A-Rod's most recent playoff stints:
A-Rod's 2004 playoff performance vs. Red Sox:
series: BA=.258 OBP=.378
last 4 games: 2-17
A-Rod's 2005 playoff performance vs. Angels:
series: BA=.133 OBP=.381
I wouldn't call that impressive.
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"Clutch" gods
Mr. Clutch, Derek Jeter, vs. Boston in the postseason:
Year BA/OBP/SLG
2003 .233/.281/.400
2004 .200/.333/.233
I'll take ARod over Jeter, thanks.
And King Clutch, David Ortiz, in the 2003 playoffs:
Opp BA/OBP/SLG
OAK .095/.174/.143
NYY .269/.367/.538
Even great players have bad series.
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You are too notable!!!
OK - I've been reading for years and I've written a few times - sometimes to agree and discuss - sometimes to disagree and bash. I must disagree with the wiki thing. Your take and style are extremely fresh. There's not another columnist like you and you write for a reasonably prominent outlet. I forward your stuff to my pals frequently. Now that's not enough for wikipedia maybe... but I'd say the fact that millions of people have read your columns is. Long live the King!!!! OK, you're wrong sometimes, but you are damn sure notable enough for the wikipedia. Have you seen some of the douchebags that have been deemed notable? The Mustard Man has a wiki. Tubgirl has a wiki. Countless bikini bimbos have wikis. King deserves one too.
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Yankee fans eating their own
I've never seen a bigger bunch of morons than the Jeter-loving ARod-hating Yankee fans out there (and you know who you are). Ted Williams batted .200 in his only World Series. I guess the guy just didn't come through when it counted. maybe he shouldn't even be in the Hall of Fame.
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At least it was just guns, alcohol, drugs and reckless driving
And not performance enhancing steroids.
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The Maurice Clarett
It's sad to see Clarett's decline (and I'm no fan of The Ohio State) and even more so to see so many people quick to draw such vast generalizations from it. His high school pal LeBron didn't benefit from a year of college and has done pretty well for himself. If anything, more time spent at an institution where football is next to godliness probably wouldn't have matured him much. It's sadly reminiscent of Lawrence Phillips who never grew up either.
Thanks for the link to the ESPN interview which was really depressing. I'm a huge fan of college football but, like sausage, it is much less palatable when you know how it gets made.
Since when has Wikipedia deemed anything not worthy? Can we add that cycling fans suspect that King is a chubby couch potato? (I kid--I like cycling and chubby couch potatoes).