Craving fries with a slab of lard?
Sunday night's Phillies vs. Mets “Fan Appreciation Day” game and home finale on ESPN was moved from 1 p.m. to the evening to benefit ESPN funds, with Phils' Kyle Schwarber leading the game.
Schwarber primarily “plays” as a DH, leading off, hitting a lot of home runs, and taking a lot of walks, but while trying to hit over . He is the star of a completely new era. 200. That's enough to land him a four-year, $80 million contract.
On Sunday, Schwarber struck out Tyler Megill on the first three pitches he threw. Strike Three was a high fastball, described in graphics as a “96 mph sinker.” Huh? Play-by-play parrot Carl Labek called it “a high sinker for a 96-year-old.”
David Cone, who pitched in the majors for 17 years, didn't explain how he throws a “high 96 mph sinker,” perhaps because nothing like it exists. Is it like a “drug deal gone wrong”?
And on a telecast that ESPN gave Philadelphia a “68 percent chance of winning” after leading 1-0 in the first inning and before the Mets won in the ninth, it was understandable that Ohtani, MLB's international prize-winner. It was filled with attention to Shohei's latest superhuman accomplishment. From jerseys, to TV deals and schedules, to TV broadcasts hidden behind paywalls, and now Ohtani is stepping in the mud that the Dodgers are selling for $150 a bag – not crazy. is.
In Rob Manfred & Commissioner's biggest final wish, Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani's U.S.-based interpreter and valet, pleaded guilty to approximately $17 million in bank and tax fraud. That should have been forgotten by now. Of his approximately $41 million in losses from sports betting.
According to guidelines ahead of his Oct. 25 sentencing, Mr. Mizuhara will likely serve between 51 and 63 months in prison, but as a reasonable suspect he could be worse off if he were a watchman. There isn't.
Unsurprisingly, MLB blamed Ohtani for the full extent of the excessive and blind trust that allowed Mizuhara to access millions of dollars in his cash account while being given millions of dollars in credit by bookmakers. He was portrayed as an innocent victim. (Also, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in April that “Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case.'')
Unlike MLB, I am not financially obligated to believe anything announced by Mr. Manfred's office.
What was so appealing about Suwon, who lost millions of dollars from his anonymous counterpart's bank account but still had a multimillion-dollar line of credit? How did a fire so large that there was no smoke occur? MLB would have us believe that Suwon's bookie had no idea where his money came from or how he was able to establish such a cosmic line of credit.
Why did MLB portray Ohtani as a mere victim of its own rotten ideas to allow Suwon, at worst an ignorant success and a clumsy amateur, the keys to his expanding kingdom? ? “Honey, did you see my $17 million pile? I think I misplaced it.”
How was it possible that Otani was completely unaware of this? Where could his accountant or banker provide even minimal attention?
As a senior compliance officer and investigator at a major financial firm – who predicted Ohtani and MLB would benefit from a quick cover-up – explained, no one around him knew what was going on. It seems like a far-fetched story to say that he had no idea what was going on.
“Transferring cash in excess of $10,000 in the U.S. banking system will trigger a SAR (Suspicious Activity Report), which is sent from the branch system to the compliance department and even the legal department if there are multiple instances. must be reviewed, reported and documented by multiple layers of bank management.
“These are things that must be complied with.
“These then need to be submitted to FinCEN.” [the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network run by the U.S. Treasury] Even if foul play is suspected.
“The pattern here screams ‘fraud!’ Red flags everywhere.
“Or should we consider, for example, 34 transfers of $500,000? [totaling $17 million] Did no one notice that each one was being sent to a known bookmaker? Impossible! “
But is it possible that Mizuhara was able to use Otani's millions of dollars to pay off about $41 million in gambling losses without Otani realizing that his money was gone? Would he buy it unless Mr. Manfred's business was a significant stakeholder?
I hate to think that everything that happened or continues during the Bud Selig and Rob Manfred era is based on anything more than a money-first scam, but Sunday night, I'll take one last look. That was interesting. Phils-Mets coach Labeque thanked all the players who wore ESPN's in-game microphones during the season as if they were volunteers.
However, participating players were paid $10,000 per game to wear microphones. The CBA stipulates 15 grand per postseason game.
From the first batter he struck out with a “high 96 mph sinker” to the last batter who had a 100 percent chance of winning, it was all a disaster. Also.
Thibodeau skates with little effort.
Last season, Fox's Darryl “Moose” Johnston was careful not to fire at players, rather than nameless and faceless game officials, but why is he a Giants LB/DE and who will play in 2022? No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeau broke that habit by wondering out loud if he disappeared during the game.
This season is no different. Even if Thibodeau was seen playing defense two days ago Sunday against Washington, he appeared as a breakaway chaser at the end of the play, well after the tackle.
Thibodeau was demoted to part-time in last Sunday's game against the Browns, and once again didn't look particularly active during his tenure. While four Giants players appeared in all 67 defensive snaps, Thibodeau, a former pass rusher and short coverage man, played in just 52 games.
With 4:32 left, Thibodeau finally showed up, bursting through the offense and making a tackle for a loss on third-and-one. Fox's Jonathan Vilma took us on an extended trip down Imaginary Avenue. Its contents are as follows:
“And what I like about Thibodeau is that he plays hard. When you watch him play, when you watch film, he goes after it.”
It must have been some old Turner Classic Movies movie.
Who cares if this country suffers an epidemic of young people losing money and hundreds of credits to sports betting? But the people who can best warn young fools to stay away from businesses that rely on investors losing money are the ones in bed with pimps.
ESPN ran an ad for ESPN BET starring Mike Greenberg, Molly Kerim, Chris Russo and Stephen A. Smith during the latest “Monday Night Football.”
All four are therefore disqualified from providing free and honest public opinion on sports-related scourges that plague the interests and welfare of sports and listeners and viewers.
The big champion seduces the little one. How heroic!
