STARTING FIVE

1. “Oh, Bob”

“If I were involved with the NBA I wouldn’t want a 19-year-old or a 20-year-old kid, to bring into all the travel and all the problems that exist in the NBA. I would want a much more mature kid. I would want a kid that maybe I’ve been watching on another team and now he’s 21, 22 years old instead of 18 or 19, and I might trade for that kid. On top of it all, the NBA does a tremendous, gigantic disservice to college basketball. It’s as though they’ve raped college basketball in my opinion.”

And he was doing so well until that last line. Or, as Chris Littman tweeted earlier today, well, this.

Is this a generational disconnect? A political correctness kerfuffle? You be the judge, but trafficking in Hitler and/or rape metaphors is risky business (although sometimes you gotta say, “What the ____?”)

And, yes, this might not have been as bad if Knight hadn’t famously equated rape to stress a quarter century ago in an interview with Connie Chung.

Worth noting: I once ran into a waiter in Lawrence, Kansas, a kid just out of college whom Knight didn’t know, but who met him and expressed a sincere interest in getting a job in college hoops. And Knight placed him, I believe, in an entry level job at KU –he was waiting tables to make ends meet. The young man couldn’t say enough great things about Knight, and I imagine there are a lot of people like him. People Knight has helped without fanfare.

2. But You May Still Dink and Dunk

 

The NFL outlaws dunking over the goalposts after a touchdowns. Updating the list:

1. No crying in baseball.

2. No dunking in football.

3. No sex in the champagne room.

4. No more ‘I love you’s.” (<—–Annie Lennox insisted on this)

3. And Yet They Never Got Walter White, Pinkman, or Todd’s Uncle

Hey, Albuquerque Police Department, slow your roll. The ABQ has shot 36 people, 20 of them fatally, since 2010. Here’s more on it.

4. You Wanted The Best?

You got it! A scant 40 years after releasing its first album, KISS (Knights In Satan’s Service?) makes the cover of Rolling Stone. That’s a vintage shot from the Seventies, with Paul, Gene, Ace and Peter. Check out this surprise appearance they recently made for John Varvatos.

5. Pablo Honey

A lingering case of shingles to the eponymous host of Olbermann has created a larger window of opportunity for understudy Pablo Torre, a former Sports Illustrated reporter and writer, who keeps looking more and more comfortable in the chair. Here’s the Manhattan Regis Prep and Harvard alumnus (hey, just like Colin Jost) waxing philosophical on one-and-done and Occam’s Razor last night. Well done. He must have been on the debate team somewhere.

If you’re keeping score at home, former SI bullpen members now making a far more cushy living appearing regularly on national TV include Torre, Josh “Misdemeanor” Elliott and Seth Davis.

Fasten your seat belts, everybody. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

The Hall

Charter Inductees: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner

1937:  Tris Speaker, CF; Cy Young, P ; 1938: Grover Cleveland Alexander, P; Eddie Collins, 2B 1939:Nap Lajoie, 2B; Joe Jackson, LF; 1940: Billy Hamilton, OF; Cap Anson, 1B; 1941: Wee Willie Keeler, RF; George Sisler, 1B; 1942: Rogers Hornsby, 2B; Pie Traynor, 3B; 1943: Mickey Cochrane, C; Frankie Frisch, 2B 1944: Ed Walsh, P; Old Hoss Radbourn, P 1945: Lou Gehrig, 1B; Kid Nichols, P 1946: Ed Delahanty, LF; Lefty O’Doul 1947: Pud Galvin, P; John McGraw, INF 1948: Carl Hubbell, P; Addie Joss, P 1949: Harry Heilman, OF/1B; Monte Ward, P/SS 1950: Cool Papa Bell, CF; Jimmie Foxx, 1B 1951: Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, P; Josh Gibson, C 1952: Paul Waner, RF; Charlie Gehringer, 2B 1953: Mel Ott, RF; Hank Greenberg, 1B 1954: Eddie Plank, P; Dan Brouthers, 1B 1955: “Wahoo” Sam Crawford, OF; John Clarkson, P 1956: Chief Bender, P; Bill Dickey, C 1957: Sam Rice, RF; Joe DiMaggio, CF 1958: Bill Terry, 1B; Heinie Manush, LF 1959: Dizzy Dean, P; Tim Keefe, P 

1960: Gabby Hartnett, C; Mickey Welch, P 1961: Bob Feller, P; Ducky Medwick, LF 1962: Luke Appling, SS; Jesse Burkett, LF 1963 Jackie Robinson, 2B; Zack Wheat, LF 1964: Jake Beckley, 1B; Rube Waddell, P 1965: Ralph Kiner, 1B; Lefty Grove, P 1966: Ted Williams, LF; Smoky Joe Wood, P/OF 1967: Roy Campanella, C; Max Carey, OF 1968: Goose Goslin, LF; Rabbit Maranville, SS 1969: Stan Musial, 1B/OF 1970: Ferris Fain, 1B; Earle Combs, CF 1971: Warren Spahn, P; Yogi Berra, C 1972 Satchel Paige, P; Sandy Koufax, P 1973: Robin Roberts, P; Whitey Ford, P 1974: Mickey Mantle, CF; Eddie Mathews, 3B 1975: Lefty Gomez, P; Hack Wilson, CF 1976: Jack Pfiester, P; Johnny Mize, 1B 1977: Ernie Banks, SS; Mickey Welch, P 1978: Roberto Clemente, RF; Chuck Klein, RF 1979: Willie Mays, CF; Luis Aparicio,  SS 1980: Al Kaline, RF; Enos Slaughter, RF 1981: Bob Gibson, P; Harmon Killebrew, 1B

1982

Hank Aaron, RF; 1954-1976, Braves

His is the first name that appears alphabetically in The Baseball Encyclopedia, but it’s fitting. Hammerin’ Hank is baseball’s all-time home run king with 755 but he is also first in…. Most Seasons as an All-Star (21), RBI (2,297), Extra Base Hits (1,477) and Total Bases (6,856). Hammerin’ Hank is also fifth all-time in hits (3,771) and retired with a .305 batting average. One of the game’s more understated superstars, and one who exists in a rare orbit.

 

Frank Robinson, OF; 1956-1976, Reds, Orioles, Others

Sort of a poor man’s Hank Aaron who was a contemporary of his, Robinson finished a brilliant career with 586 home runs and 2,943 hits. Robinson won the Triple Crown in 1966 and remains the only player to have been named both a National League MVP (1961) and an American League MVP (1966). An All-Star in 12 seasons, he would later become baseball’s first African-American manager.