People are stupid.
Athletes are stupid.
Most of society is stupid.
Don’t be stupid too….
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This is video 1 of 2. Please watch video 2 for my entire take on Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement announcement.
Andrew Luck is an adult human being. He is allowed to make whatever decision he pleases regarding his own well being. It may be shocking, but Andrew Luck’s NFL playing career doesn’t belong to you.
That is all.
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To kick off the week, we bring you a special, comeback story. There are comeback stories of many varieties. Some from poor performance, and some from injury. But there are none greater than literally coming back from death. Such is the inspiring comeback story of Jared “Flash” Gordon.
Gordon made his UFC debut last night at UFC Fight Night 112 in Oklahoma City. Gordon was originally scheduled to make his debut at UFC 211 in Dallas on May 13th but had to withdraw due to food poisoning. This was the final hurdle en route to the fulfillment of his dream; fighting in the UFC.
Originally from Long Island, Gordon attended Wheatley High School in Old Westbury, NY. It was there, where he was introduced to a life of addiction. It is often too late when someone realizes they have an addictive personality. This was almost the case for Gordon. He always had a passion for mixed martial arts, as he was drawn to the action inside the octagon. His first amateur fight came nearly 10 years ago, at the age of 19 (he won a unanimous decision). After an injury early on in his MMA career, Gordon was prescribed pain medication. Right then and there, his addiction became a reality. A Vicodin prescription was parlayed into an addiction to OxyContin and Percocet.
Looking to kick his addiction, and take his fighting career to new heights, Gordon relocated to Florida. Unfortunately, his addiction to drugs, rather than fighting, was taken to new heights. Gordon found himself addicted to heroin. His addiction became a daily habit, a choke-hold he simply could not shake. And one fateful day, Gordon overdosed and was rushed to the hospital. After flat-lining, doctors were able to revive Gordon, brining him back to life. In television and movies, this is the “wake-up call” that turns it all around, but reality isn’t always so pretty. Gordon found himself, on the couch of his dealer, that very night, feeding his heroin addiction once again….
After 3 overdoses, Gordon finally rid himself of his drug addiction in a rehabilitation facility. This was the moment his addiction transferred to a life of fighting. Gordon’s addictive personality, I believe, is what makes him such a successful fighter. The hard-work and dedication required to succeed in MMA is astounding, and it showed last night on the grandest of stages.
“Flash” Gordon fights out of Astoria, Queens. He stands at 5’9″ tall and weighed in at 149 pounds for Sunday night’s fight. Gordon’s debut was against another UFC first-timer, Michel Quinones. This bout was fought at a catch-weight rather than featherweight (145 pounds). Quinones came out of the gate with flashy, spinning kicks and punches, however, Gordon was not phased. After several take downs by Gordon, he took control of the fight. And at 4:24 of the 2nd round, referee Keith Peterson had seen enough. It was a TKO (strikes) by Jared “Flash” Gordon!! Gordon now holds a 12-1 record in his MMA career, and is 1-0 in the UFC. With such an impressive performance, Gordon has put the UFC on notice.
While his performance inside the octagon is inspiring, it is his actions outside the octagon that are a true inspiration. Gordon took the time, this past Father’s Day, to speak at the last rehab facility he attended. His audience, 22 men, drug addicts who were recently released from prison. Gordon has nobly decided to use his platform to be a positive influence in other people’s lives. In a recently written article by Damon Martin of Fox Sports, Gordon spoke of his advice to these men, “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. So the main thing for me is to be an influence and to lead by example that you should never quit and no matter how hard your life is or what you’re going through, there’s always a way out.”
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I wish people would tell the truth. I wish the New York Mets would tell the truth. I wish Matt Harvey would tell the truth. I wish….hey where the hell did you come from genie?! What do you mean I only get 3 wishes?? Who the f*** asked you?! I’m busy talking about Matt Harvey, aka the ‘Fat Disaster’. Get back in your bottle!
Matt Harvey’s career has been tumultuous to say the least. We used to call him ‘The Dark Knight’. Now, we call him the double-chinned drama queen. Harvey burst onto the scene in 2012. He pitched extremely well in his first 2 seasons. He even started the 2013 All-Star Game before succumbing to the all-mighty Tommy John Surgery at the end of that season. Harvey would miss the entire 2014 season while in recovery but bounced back to all-star form in 2015. Despite his renewed success, Harvey’s laundry list of antics began during the 2015 postseason.
In the midst of the Mets’ World Series run in 2015, Harvey thought it would be a good idea to ‘go out’ and ‘party it up’. That’s all well and good during the offseason, but not smack dab in the middle of the postseason. Especially when your night out causes you to miss a mandatory workout. Harvey’s 2016 couldn’t have gone worse. His e.r.a. ballooned to nearly 5.00, and he was shut-down midseason with thoracic outlet syndrome. His return this season was highly anticipated, as the baseball world wanted to see how he would bounce back this time. After winning his first 2 outings, it’s been as they’d say all downhill from there.
ENTER NEW RIDICULOUS DRAMA HERE ———> Matt Harvey has been suspended for 3 games without pay for violation of team rules. Harvey failed to show up to the ballpark for Saturday’s game, as first reported by Fox Sports. Oh now you put your foot down with your star pitcher?! Where were these brass balls last week when Thor was putting the hammer down?! And on Sunday, Harvey’s scheduled day to start against the Miami Marlins, he was sent home. This has led to a mountain of speculation. Upon announcement of the suspension, Mets’ General Manager Sandy Alderson would not specify the reason for the suspension. Instead, he read a prepared statement, and then hung Manager Terry Collins out to dry. Yeah, because Collins always holds up under pressure from reporters. The Mets essentially threw Sunday’s game away with last night’s trash, calling up Triple-A pitcher Adam Wilk (he gave up 6 runs in 3 and 2/3 innings, leading to a 7-0 loss).
The Mets story is they are fed up with Harvey’s behavior. They claim this suspension is a culmination of his poor attitude and actions over the past few seasons. They also claim Harvey made no attempt to contact the club prior to his absence. Harvey is claiming he had a migraine and tried to contact the Mets but to no avail. He couldn’t get in touch with them?! Was he using a freakin’ carrier pigeon?! As with any story there are 3 sides: your side, my side, and the TRUTH.
Harvey likes to party. That’s why he missed that mandatory workout in 2015, that’s why he pitched like poop when he got moved up in the rotation last week (nothing helps a quality start quite like a raging hangover), and that’s why he didn’t show up on Saturday. It was also reported that Harvey was seen playing golf on Saturday. Maybe he and Yoenis Cespedes do have something in common. The story is Matt Harvey doesn’t care about anything but Matt Harvey. He is more committed to landing in the headlines than landing in the win column. And now, Harvey has filed a grievance against the Mets. YAY!! What a great idea!! Because nothing says sign me to a long-term contract like filing a grievance against your own team. I wouldn’t expect Harvey to change his ways anytime soon, and in the mean time we will watch his e.r.a rise as his value falls.
What do you think about Matt Harvey’s behavior? What do you think really led to his suspension? Let me know in the comment section below.
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Dave Talks Sports 