I have to say something about the controversy surrounding Kenny Rogers and the dirt/pine tar that was on his hand.  First of all, we aren't ever going to find out what it was until Rogers writes a book twenty years from now, so the question of whether or not he was cheating is moot.  The problem I have with the situation is the role the umnpire played.  My understanding of what happened, and please correct me if I am wrong, is that after the first inning the ump talked Detroit manager Jim Leyland and told him to have Rogers wash his hand.  Since then, members of the media have been praising the umpire for being "proactive" (at least that is the word I have heard most).

This simply boggles my mind.  How can this umpire be praised for not checking Rogers' hand?  The opposing manager told him that there was a brown spot on the pitcher's hand.  Considering this is the World Series, I would think cheating would be a pretty big deal.  Evidently the umpire felt differently.  Perhaps he was worried about the image of the game, which needs anything but controversy with a steroids cloud about to unleashe a monsoon at any moment.  Maybe the ump was worried about himself.  It is understandable that he wouldn't want to be "That Ump" years later who tossed a teams best pitcher and cost them a championship.  Also, the game was in Detroit, location of the imfamous brawl between the Pacers and the Detroit fans, and I think it's reasonable to assume that there would have been a threat or two against his personal safety.

Even if he did think all this through (which I am guessing he didn't), does it still excuse his actions?  His responsibility is to the game, and I cannot understand how he could let it go with just a warning.  All he had to do was go out and look at the guy's hand.  There wasn't a dispute about anything else, just his hand.  All the ump had to do was look at the guy's hand, maybe touch it to feel the substance in question.  If Rogers was cheating, would anybody be able to argue his being ejected?  I don't see how they could.  If Rogers was not cheating, would anybody care what had happened the next day?  I don't see why they would.  At the very least, it would have answered this question that could overshadow the most exciting time of the year in baseball.

This isn't spring training.  This isn't the All-star game.  It is the World Series.  It is just too bad that "Dirtgate" has become bigger than the championship.  I mean, all he had to do was look at the guy's hand.

(Side note:  When did it become standard to put the word "gate" at the end of anything controversial.  It's not like Watergate had anything to do with the word "gate," it was just the name of a hotel.  Monica-gate, Kobe-gate, Dirt-gate...is anyone else sick of this?)

As always, comments, critiques and suggested topics are welcome by replying here or by emailing me at KONsports@yahoo.com.