Cubs’ Morrow injures his back while taking off his pants
Bizarre injuries are a Cubs tradition
In what could be a metaphor for the Chicago Cubs’ unlucky season (Kris Bryant latest to the DL with shoulder inflammation), closer Brandon Morrow suffered back spasms when taking off his pants. In explaining the injury, the team’s publicity staff acknowledged that the pitcher had back issues in spring training that were not disclosed to the reporters covering the team. General manager Jed Hoyer expects Morrow to be out for 7-10 days. Morrow was asked if he considered lying about the cause of this injury, to save himself some ridicule. He said: “Anybody who has a back spasm knows you can pretty much get it any way – brushing your teeth, sneezing, picking up a kid . . . ”
Between the Lines: The Cubs, who lost 5 straight heading into Tuesday night’s game in Dodger Stadium, have a history of bizarre injuries. Their strongest athlete, Sammy Sosa, once went to the DL with an oblique injury from sneezing. Shawon Dunston in 1991 was hospitalized for a back injury caused by lifting his daughter out of her car seat.
Mayfield stars in a spat with Colin Cowherd
Baker Mayfield, who was the first pick in April’s NFL Draft, quarreled with Fox commentator Colin Cowherd concerning the quarterback’s celebration with fans after a touchdown last season at Ohio State. Cowherd showed the film and said Mayfield should have celebrated only with his teammates. To which Mayfield rejoined: “You pulled the one clip of me running to our fans, and people who traveled well to that game. . . . I feel like you’re going for the fact that I’m not a team guy, that I’m selfish.” Smiling, Mayfield said, “Is that what you’re shooting at right here?” Cowherd replied, haltingly, “No . . . I think sometimes your judgment’s just a tad off, and I think the NFL is a judgment league, because the game is so fast. . . “
Dear Colin: It’s illogical to suggest that Mayfield’s brief union with fans who traveled to the game means he can’t think fast enough for the NFL. Clearly he thinks faster than you do.
Favre recommends ending tackle football for youths
Retired All-Pro QB Brett Favre has put his name behind an Illinois bill that would ban tackle football for youths. “I think it’s going to take someone who has poured his blood, sweat and tears into it,” said Favre, who started an NFL-record 297 consecutive games. The proposed bill is named The Dave Duerson Act to Prevent CTE, after the Chicago Bears safety who committed suicide in 2011 following years of depression. Favre suffers from memory loss attributed to concussion, but he said children are much more at risk than adults. “The body, the brain, the skull are not developed in your teens and single digits,” he said. “I cringe. I see these little kids get tackled . . . They look like they’re going to break in half.”
Between the Lines: The NFL’s great fear is that parents will prevent their children from playing football and that eventually the game could die out.
Richard Sherman reveals how teammate Garoppolo tips off his throws
Richard Sherman, Pro Bowl cornerback who this year joined the San Francisco 49ers, revealed that by studying game film he found that the team’s quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, removes his left hand from the ball a split-second before releasing it. The question some media observers posed was why Sherman publicly disclosed this “tell” by a teammate. Chris Simms, former NFL QB, said on Pro Football Talk (NBCSN): “This is just Richard Sherman explaining how smart he is.” Simms claims to “have watched a few clips of Jimmy Garoppolo last year, and the hand comes off a lot and he doesn’t throw the ball.”
Dear Richard: At a time when you want to establish loyalty with new teammates, your insights are better suited to private conversation with Garoppolo.
Rising star Mohamed Salah ponders quitting Team Egypt after a game of political futbol
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah is widely regarded as the world’ No. 3 soccer player, behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronoldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi. Salah scored 32 goals for Liverpool this season. But with a shoulder injury in the European Champions League final and a loss to Real Madrid, Salah’s career has sagged. To the point where he’s considering retirement at 26. Salah had a miserable World Cup. In its first appearance in the tournament since 1990, Egypt lost all three of its games: to Uruguay, Russia and Saudi Arabia. After being eliminated, Salah did not attend the post-match press conference as his shoulder was being treated. He issued a statement that was not appreciated by his countrymen: “I just want to say that Egypt reached the World Cup after 28 years, and some players here do not have the required experience.” There were reports of conflict in Egypt’s locker room. Salah was the first player to board the team bus.
Between the Lines: Salah is also upset at being called a “puppet” of Muslim autocrat Ramzan Kadyrod, who latched onto him with his team based in Chechnya for the World Cup. Kadyrod declared Salah, the world’s No. 1 Muslim athlete, an “honorary citizen” of his country. The athlete would prefer not being associated with “Putin’s No. 1 ally.”