Honest Words

I usually like to take things with a grain of salt. Surely, I'm one to watch things with layers of skepticism.

That said, I'm convinced that this has been a very genuine week of conversation.

The centerpiece of the sports in this week's issue of The Collegian is about SDSU pitcher Layne Somsen, who missed all but two innings in 2010 and 2011 with elbow surgery to repair his right elbow's ulnar collateral ligament. It wasn't so much a story about an injury and coming back from it but how he's deemed his career a failure thus far. It's probably not justified. He was a freshman, new to the scene in 2009, when he finished 4-7 as a starter and struggled mightily. And his last two seasons have been a washout.

Yet, because his expectations are so high, it's a failure in Somsen's eyes.

It takes a man to admit that he's failed at anything, let alone the one thing that he's sunk years and years of training and buildup into. I told him that I really appreciated the honesty and I hope that his candor comes through in the story. I wrote it but I think it's a pretty compelling story too.

On Tuesday, SDSU hired its new wrestling coach, Chris Bono, to take the reins in 2012-13. He's a former national champion and a proven winner both on the mat and from the sideline. I wrote a column on him this week and talked to him for a short while over the phone.

My takeaway: He's energetic.

You might be saying, "Marcus, that's a given. He's a wrestling coach." Usually true, but SDSU's program over the last few years has been anything but energetic. It's been dull, dry and boring.

That first interview with a coach can be hyperbole and full of empty promises. (See: Tim Brewster, Minnesota. Coincidentally, he mentioned how the university and the city of Brookings is "starving" for a winner again in wrestling. Of course, my brain went straight to the words of Brewster, who famously asked if his players were "hungry or starving" to get a win. I must link to Basement Brew and all of his whack sayings to confuse his players.) But every coach teeters on that line of being confident and speaking out of their butt.

SDSU could be one of the toughest rebuilding spots in the Division I scope because it sits so low in priority among the 21 sports for the Jacks and there is little money and fewer fans. Bono thinks he can change the landscape of SDSU wrestling and it will be a challenge, no doubt.

Thanks again. I appreciate the honesty.

Yep, Marcus is venting again

Time for another blog post and without any further adieu, I'll get going.

Let me take a minute to voice my frustrations with the NHL.

What is the matter with you? The showcase of your sport, the Stanley Cup Playoffs (not the Winter Classic, sorry) is on a channel that you couldn't find with a searchlight. In fact, your whole season is on that network. Those playoff runs that are made every year go unseen to most. Not to mention you have a half-hearted partner in NBC, who will show one game on Saturday and Sunday this weekend because of Champions Tour golf.

Why put yourself in obscurity like that? The answer is pretty simple, actually. Money.

In 2004, when the TV contract was up, ESPN and Versus both offered contracts for the rights. Versus offered a two-year contract that was around $60 million a year, where as ESPN wanted a deal that would share revenue between the NHL and the "Worldwide Leader." I think I would take the $60 million a year, too.

I understand that in a sense that this is old news, but if Versus is a network that wants to be taken seriously, then they have to put themselves out there. After near-extinction, the league has superstar players, but putting them on Versus doesn't showcase them. I don't think the NHL anticipated getting the cold shoulder from ESPN like they did, but it happened. Rarely, does ESPN emphasize hockey to any degree.

ESPN and the NHL had a rough ending, but they might end up needing each other. The NHL, regardless of if they admit or not, needs the publicity that ESPN brings. Otherwise, the best they can do is 4th place, among America's four major sports. ESPN doesn't need hockey now, but could if when the NBA is locked out next year. The NBA will not be a great product when it comes back and NHL could look better simply by sitting on its hands.

The contract ends at the end of this season, so we shall see.

Jottings (That's what Sid Hartman would call this part)

• Come on David Stern. If you can suspend Ron Artest for the season for going into the stands and going nuts on beer-toting fans, then you can suspend Kobe Bryant for the last game of the season for degrading a referee.
• Joe Mauer has tired legs. Apparently, that was something that couldn't be seen during spring training after off-season knee surgery. I think it is becoming clear that you can't take the $23 million man at his word, when it comes to his health.
• Did I mention the Twins aren't very good right now. At some point, the Twins aren't going to turn it on in the second half of the season and win the division. At some point. 
• SDSU spring football game is tomorrow. What a terrible day for that. Nevertheless, 1 p.m. Saturday at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
• I hate having to press to use all of my meals by the end of the semester. 

Special shout-out to my colleagues at the Collegian this week. Great reporting on the budget cuts and job losses and our website, sdsucollegian.com is having a banner week, with four straight (and counting) days of 2,000 page views. Please trust me when I say that is a lot.