Homer Bailey And Jordan Crawford

Two quick thoughts on local athletes:

1. When David Weathers gave up the four-run homer to Albert Pujols (or as George Grande calls him, even when cameras aren't rolling, "Prince Albert") my only thought was, Jesus, now Homer Bailey's going right back in the toilet for his next start -- and maybe forever. With Bailey, his confidence is so obviously flimsy that any little thing hiccup will lead to a grand meltdown, and I'm always convinced he'll never recover.

So, anyway, he pitched his second consecutive gem (or whatever) last night -- 6 Ks, 0 BBs in six innings -- and I'm now convinced he's the greatest pitcher alive.

I'm also convinced Albert Pujols deserves 100 percent of the credit. I don't really feel like spending the necessary eighteen seconds searching for the quote, but if you follow the Reds even a little you know exactly what I'm referring to...you know, the one where Pujols spoke glowingly about Bailey's stuff, and how's he's going to be in this league for a long time (or something).

This is the way my mind works, and it's not going to change. You can tell me all you want about Bailey trusting his stuff, and I'm still going to give credit to a complimentary quote from the game's best player.

2. I don't have much to add to the story regarding Jordan Crawford's dunk over LeBron James, and the disappearing video fallout. Except this: That video being pulled will almost certainly be the defining moment in Crawford's life -- at least in the public eye. He's a nice player and everything, but he's unlikely to play in the NBA. And because he plays for the Muskies, it's not like he'll ever win the NCAA tournament.

Most likely, this is a story that will become legendary over time -- Crawford is a shoe-in for Sports Illustrated's "Where Are They Now" issue in twenty years -- and might become something he grows sick of talking about.

And the funny thing is, this story has somehow become newsworthy, only because LeBron is protecting his precious image. Had the video of the dunk surfaced, it would have made SportsCenter's "Top 10," for one day -- and maybe at the end of the week -- and vanished for good. And now, we get to here the story told and re-told every time Crawford's name is mentioned nationally over the next hundred years.

Trust me, this will get annoying.

-Brad Spieser (Brad@TwinKilling.com)
7/09/09