Liguori: Questions To Ponder In Sports As The New Year Is Under Way
By Ann Liguori
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The New Year has begun with a plethora of issues in sports that are fueling fodder and heated debate on sports radio stations. Here are a few of the biggest questions as the New Year unravels ahead of us:
1) With no candidate elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year (no Barry Bonds, no Roger Clemens, no Mike Piazza…), must baseball re-evaluate the process and the criteria involved? Various players who got in prior to the steroid era committed other offenses through the years that would certainly go against the "character and sportsmanship" criteria. Should the "character and sportsmanship" clause remain as criteria to get into the Hall of Fame?
2) Will Lance Armstrong use his appearance on Oprah to finally, after all these years, admit that he did in fact use performance-enhancing drugs and spent years concealing it and lying about it? And if so, will the disgraced cyclist appear apologetic or come off as his arrogant, defiant self?
3) What was Redskins coach Mike Shanahan thinking when he left RGIII in the Redskins' game against Seattle, specifically since the rookie quarterback was limping early in the game? Is a player wearing a leg brace fit to play at all? What kind of player will Griffin be when he returns from surgery?
4) Did Brent Musburger go too far in gushing over former Miss Alabama Katherine Webb -- AJ McCarron's girlfriend -- during the broadcast of the national championship game on Monday night? I think we need to lighten up on this one. There have been many comments through the years that men have said on the air that have been disturbing and inappropriate regarding women, but in reviewing the tape and hearing Musburger's banter on this one, I think most people would agree that "Quarterbacks do seem to get all the good-looking women!"
Webb herself didn't have a problem with his comments, saying, "It was kind of nice … I didn't look at it as creepy at all. For a woman to be called beautiful, I don't see how that's an issue…" Plus, her celebrity quotient more than quadrupled!
5) Can the NHL rebound and thrive after this latest lockout, and after three lockouts since 1993?
6) And whether you support him or criticize him (and I've always supported him for his athleticism and leadership abilities), the future of Tim Tebow is of huge interest! Will he end up back home in Jacksonville and will he get the opportunity to start for the Jaguars, who recently hired David Caldwell as their new GM?
7) And finally, will Tiger Woods win a Major this year? At 37 years of age, he's running out of time to tie Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major Championships. Tiger owns 14 Major titles but hasn't won a Major since the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
Sports. It's always an adventure!
You can follow Ann on Twitter @annliguori, on Facebook here and via her website at www.annliguori.com.
Which sports storyline are you most looking forward to seeing unfold in 2013? Let us know in the comments section below...
