Nick's Nicknacks

Black eyes deepen as sports further embarrassed
by Nick Nance, Managing Editor

  This week has seen some events in the sports world unfold and yet again scar the face of professional sports.

  This week no one was spit on, run down or even beat up.

  This week the pain was self-inflicted.

  We saw a shining basketball star accept $800 worth of jerseys, a veteran baseball umpire use ethnic slurs and a has-been baseball player violate his probation.

  These are some fine examples for young athletes these days. Where has self control or even self respect gone? Do these people no longer care about public perception of them and their sport?

  It is a shame to think Lebron James, the suspended high school basketball player, was even allowed to be in the position for this to happen.

  It is no secret he will be awarded a contract similar to the numbers of China's 2000 census.

  Even more ridiculous, numerous high schools have raised ticket prices for games he played.

  Where was their punishment?

  Long-time umpire Bruce Froemming has been suspended for 10 days and has lost his opening day assignment in Tokyo after a slur he used to describe a major league baseball administrator.

  Froemming was suspended for calling umpire administrator Cathy Davis a "stupid Jew bitch."

  After 33 years as an umpire, this man scars his entire career in five seconds.

  As a former baseball fan, I find his punishment to be less than adequate.

  When will a professional sport stand up and say we will not tolerate these actions from our people? As sports fans, we must show how outraged we are by such examples.

  Former National League MVP Ken Caminiti had a probation violation warrant issued last week for his arrest.

  A urine sample he gave showed the presence of drugs.

  Caminiti was on probation for pleading guilty to cocaine possession in March of 2002.

  Caminiti was the NL MVP in 1996 when he played for the San Diego Padres, hitting 40 homers and driving in 130 runs.

  Last summer during a interview with Sports Illustrated, he made a John Rocker-type blunder and admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his MVP year.

  He also said that more than half of major league baseball players use steroids. Caminiti later retracted that statement after many players were outraged.

  I always wondered why these players were so outraged by his statements.

  It could have been because he was high and didn't know what he was saying or because he was telling the truth.

  No matter what the scenario, incidents like these continue to provide poor examples to young athletes and tear down the image of professional sports.