Jersey snafu with coach’s son: Boeheim’s name is misspelled

During a timeout in Thursday night’s 2K Empire Classic in Madison Square Garden, ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla spoke of the unique bond between Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and his son Buddy, a freshman guard, as the team huddled.  The camera zoomed in on Buddy’s orange and white No. 35 jersey, and the name on it, misspelled as “Boheim.”  Speaking to reporters after the game, which Syracuse lost to UConn, the player termed the error “kind of ironic.”  A Twitterfest ensued.  @DanWeiner: “It’s not like this guy’s dad has won 1,000 games or anything. . . ”   And it’s not like the kid has done nothing in his own right.  He’s a 6-5 forward who was a 3-star recruit.  He turned down a scholarship to Gonzaga to walk on at Syracuse.  He’s fourth on the Orange in minutes, at 26 per game.  So how could his name be botched?  The Syracuse athletics department provides its own jerseys, and the equipment staff did not notice faulty stitching by someone who was probably not a basketball fan.  A university spokesman, Pete Moore, told ESPN that there was “no rational” explanation of how the misspelling occurred. 

Dear Pete: No need to turn this into a mystery that needs to be investigated.  Isn’t it “rational” that someone made an honest mistake?  Your comment suggests the possibility of conspiracy, an attempt to embarrass Coach Boeheim.

 

Houston Cougars’ Ed Oliver in spat with coach Applewhite over wearing a jacket

As the first half ended between the Houston Cougars and Tulane Green Wave on Thursday night, Coogs coach Major Applewhite approached All-America defensive tackle Ed Oliver and tugged a sleeve of the team jacket that was on his shoulder. Oliver did not take this well.  On national television he was seen shouting at the coach and being restrained by teammates.  Oliver may have seen Applewhite’s maneuver as a response to his frolicking on the field in a pregame appearance but not wanting to put his first-round draft slot at risk following a knee injury that was believed to be relatively minor.  Or he may have seen it as a physical assault.  “If you’re not playing in the game, you’re not allowed to wear one of those jackets,” Applewhite explained to reporters.  He wants the jackets worn exclusively to keep players warm who are involved in the game.  “It’s a rule for our team.  They’re going to learn and grow from this.”

Dear Coach: You might learn from this. Don’t squabble with your best player on national TV to enforce such a petty rule.  Oliver is a likely top-5 pick who could be a valuable boon to future recruiting.  You need him more than he needs you.

 

My guess on how this ridiculous situation went down lol

1) HC & Euip staff have an agreement that jackets are only 4 Active Players
2) Ed Oliver is inactive & decided to wear it anyway
3) Oliver Made Euipment staff angry & they snitched on him. 😂

pic.twitter.com/8444M4egf7

— Will Blackmon (@WillBlackmon) November 16, 2018

 

Adios, Mexico: NFL shifts Monday Night game to LA because of turf-safety/labor issues

Mexico City was looking forward to a Monday night football game between two of the most explosive teams in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams.  Neither team is playing much defense, so the over-under line was set by Las Vegas bookmakers at 63, making it the highest projected total in three decades.  But when players saw photos of the splotchy Estadio Azteca natural turf (too many recent soccer games and concerts), many complained of a safety issue.  So the league transferred the event to Los Angeles, since it was officially categorized as a Rams home game.

Between the Lines: This move surprised many NFL reporters who questioned whether the field in Mexico, ragged though it is, does not measure up to what we see in Oakland’s Coliseum or Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field or Chicago’s Soldier Field in December.  This seems to be part of Roger Goodell’s plan to achieve peace with the NFL Players Association.

 

Kaepernick’s pal is frequently drug-tested 

Eric Reid, Carolina Panthers free safety, alienated most NFL teams by joining Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem.  He is one of the few athletes in all of American sports who is still kneeling as a protest against police violence against black people.  Reid believes the NFL shows its resentment by subjecting him to frequent drug tests.  He said he’s been drug-tested five times in six weeks since joining the Panthers.  “They’re not going to catch me on anything,” he said.  Reid also suspects his social protest may have been a factor in his ejection from a game in Pittsburgh on Thursday.  The rulebook provides that each week 10 players per team will be randomly tested.  Reid seems to be defying the odds.  Israel Gutierrez, speaking on ESPN Highly Questionable, said, “Because of the social stance he’s taken, he’s an enemy of the league.”