The Bench Jockeys

If the members of the Tampa Bay Rays were not questioning their season already, they surely have to be deeply concerned now.  Manny Ramirez, the sunshine state’s savior, has elected to retire in lieu of facing a 100-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy.  The Rays were counting on Manny to hit .300+ smash a few ding-dongs at the Trop and drive in some runs to offset the position player losses they sustained in the off-season. The MLB statement announcing his retirement concluded, “Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed.”

Call-up replacement, Casey Kotchman has some mighty big, floppy shoes to fill.

Before you take sides on clear voting favorites Gadhafi and Goodell, The Sporting News is reporting that “it appears that beleaguered Ohio State coach Jim Tressel forwarded e-mails about his players committing NCAA violations despite saying his concerns about the confidentiality of a federal investigation led him to keep the information from his superiors, the Columbus Dispatch reported Friday.

The revelation destroys Tressel’s defense that he didn’t inform Ohio State officials of the e-mails implicating the players because he didn’t want to endanger the federal investigation. Tressel is the subject of an NCAA investigation into whether he committed violations by not telling his bosses about his players’ issues.”

When a golfer in match play “concedes a putt” to his opponent, he is acknowledging that the putt which his opponent is about to attempt is within a reasonable distance and is deemed holed.  The opponent does not need to strike the ball.  A conceded putt is offered as a gesture of good sportsmanship and has become part of the fabric of golf.  In 1969, at the final hole, in the final pairing of the 1969 Ryder Cup, Jack Nicklaus conceded Tony Jacklin’s knee-knocker of a putt giving England a halve of the entire match (the first tie in Ryder Cup history).  Sure, Nicklaus could have made Jacklin putt his ball, but golf just isn’t that way.

Although the Golden Bear’s concession was a fine illustration of the notion of fair play and integrity, The Bench Jockeys have no intention of following suit.  Content categorized under the Conceded Putz will involve the dubious dealings of self-important and vainglorious sports personalities and global leaders.  We know that spelling is c-o-n-c-e-i-t-e-d; it’s a play on words.  We welcome your suggestions for this topic in the comment box below.