BOONE'S THEATER MEANS NOTHING IF HE'S NOT COMMANDING RESPECT

You know what I do when someone points a finger in my face in a ridiculous moment? I rip it off.  Who do you think you are Aaron Boone?

As ridiculous as it was for Brett Gardner to bang his bat on the top of the Yankee dugout a few years back, please tell me what the hell Aaron Boone was doing with his continued theatrical appearance of  

LET'S UNDERMINE THE UMPIRE ON TV BECAUSE I AM A MANAGER.  

By the way, I'd never go to a theater to see that flick. I wouldn't even see that off-off Broadway. And at a stadium, it would be funny for the moment until you actually think about how stupid it was.  It's clear Aaron Boone's disrespect for the game has reached new heights.  He's trash.

The Yankees are not great this year. This is a fact. You can preach, "Well players need to swing the bat and make their own destiny." Blah, blah, blah... we know all that.  Clearly there have been some signs of life in our offense recently because Sean Casey is there and that's good. But we need to keep this in the leadership realm. I have said this a million times... leaders make great teams. It's their philosophy, their mindset and their approach that brings out the best in teams.  It's pretty simple.   Having the title of manager means nothing if you don't know how to do it.

Phil Jackson. Joe Torre. Bruce Bochy. Vince Lombardi. Earl Weaver. Good leaders bring the team out of themselves to believe they can be unstoppable.  Good leaders find a way when times are tough. What they don't do is show their frustration card in front of a Yankee TV crowd and in an away ballpark and put on a show to not only embarrass their team, but to embarrass a fan base as well.  What a pathetic display of bad leadership.  It shows Aaron Boone's immaturity. It shows Aaron Boone is unfit to lead.

Think about your life for a second.  Think about the manager you have or had in the past.  Now think about that bad experience you had with a manager because I know you've all had a crap manager in your life at some point.  If a manager was constantly not available to speak to you or unwilling to give you positive re-enforcement, never tell you "Good job" or sit with you and talk about development and your future with the company and instead you sat in your cubicle all day wondering, what happens? You decay. You'd over think. You would wonder "am I any good?"  

Now think about that same manager doing that, but then when the president of the company comes around your office, that manager is smiling, kissing up to them, talking about all he or she does in that regional office, essentially taking all the credit and giving you none. How would that make you feel? Even worse.  

Now imagine a manager that has a team lunch once a week.  A manager that praises good work, constantly props you up, motivates you and the team and most of all, thanks you for your hard work.  Would you work harder for them knowing you are appreciated?    Look... life isn't always fair and sometimes work can be thankless, this is true.  But the point is it's all in a manager's approach.  You want to get the best out of your team.  Whether it's yelling but praising or just making sure the team knows they're keeping things steady, and profits are up, communication and approach is vital in leadership.  

Will it change things in the Yankee clubhouse if Boone was fired? Only if they go out and find experience and leadership and a guy that players will respect. Finding a guy that had one important Yankee highlight back in the early 2000s isn't cutting it.  You can suggest that firing Boone at the end of the season is just making him a Scapegoat all you want.  I say a changing of the guard proves a seriousness and a willingness to change this team for the better.

Aaron Boone strikes out Laz Díaz 😭 pic.twitter.com/kmiBvnXosa

— MLB Nerds (@MLBNerds) August 8, 2023

The New York Post writes:

"Aaron Boone made sure Laz Diaz knew the exact spot the latter blew two crucial strike calls.

Then he made sure to mock him on his way back to the clubhouse.

During the Yankees’ series-opening 5-1 loss to the White Sox on Monday evening, Boone blew a fuse on Diaz — the home plate umpire — over what appeared to be an egregious strike zone.... Volpe saw four pitches, although the called strikes did not appear out of the strike zone."

Look, if you know anything about baseball, you know you just don't argue balls and strikes. This unspoken rule stems back to Little League. You want the umpire to always give your team a fair shake, this is true... but sometimes you just know in that first inning that the umps not gonna be great.  And then, you turn to your team, and you say the magic words... "Blue's gonna be tough today, you need to make adjustments!" That's the game, folks. It's not always fair.  

Now look, knowing that, Boone need to read the freaking room.  But Aaron Boone doesn't read anything.  Boone may have been right about some pitches that were called strikes that really weren't last night, but he proceeded to not only embarrass the fans and team but take his team out of the game.  In baseball, sometimes you just don't get an umpire that's perfect and sometimes... many times, players need to adjust.  Baseball isn't about freebies.  There are plenty of things that happen in this game that aren't fair, but let's also be clear about something.  Blowing up and showing that you're trash for actual strike calls just makes you a Bozo.  Check out Kevin Kernan's Tweet! This is gold!

Here is a much better view of Boone’s ump imitation … BTW it was a strike Aaron. The plate was wide but not on this one @ Yankees https://t.co/4EyCL7yVdX

— Kevin Kernan (@AMBS_Kernan) August 8, 2023

Now look, Boone in the post-game chat with his team will tell them in a closed-door meeting about how much he will fight for his team, but what is that really showing a team that can't win consistently? The New York Yankees do not need theater... they need a boost in morale!  Get loose, go bowling, hire a stripper... do literally ANYTHING except putting on a show with umpires in the middle of Chicago because you think that's what a good manager should do.  Boone's pathetic... it's pretty obvious at this point.

Look, I'm beating a dead horse these days. I find my team to be hard to watch.  I still watch. I still root. I still believe they can get to the playoffs.  But I'm sick and tired of no one driving the leadership train.  

Leaders that command respect win.  Say that Boone's "epic" ejection was important all you want. Try and compare it to an Earl Weaver all you want. Say "Well Weaver was a loose cannon and fought with umpires all the time."  It's different.  Want to know why?  Championships. Weaver lead the O's to 4 titles. Three of them were in succession, from 1969 to 1971, and another in 1979. He also won a World Series in 1970. 

What's Boone's managerial record?

And ZERO championships.  

That crybaby act looks real fucked up now, doesn't it?

Do better.

JAMES DOLAN: THE WORST PERSON ALIVE!

I watched this Charles Oakley, James Dolan feud closely this week. Actually, I've been watching the antics of James Dolan for a while now.  I find the man shameful and embarrassing. I find it truly childish that an adult baby can have a toy like the Knicks, and own it for the mere reason of manipulating every aspect of the team for his own pleasure.   Not for the fans that pay to see the games, he doesn't care about you, and not for the players that work their asses off every single game. 

He cares only about himself and how great a leader he thinks he is. Dolan is no leader. Dolan is a loser.

Players don't play well when there is no one to lead them, and it starts at the top.  Now you can blame Carmelo Anthony or Derek Rose or Phil Jackson all you want.  But everyone knows that when morale is lost... it comes from the top.  That's James Dolan... a despicable leader in every sense of the word.  And that brings me back to Charles Oakley.

Charles Oakley has had his problems as a person. Let's be honest, who hasn't?

Photo: New York Daily News

But Charles Oakley gave his blood, sweat and tears to this New York Knick organization for 10 years.  Working his tail off during some of the better Knicks seasons, he always gave 100%.  In some regards, he should be remembered as a passionate player and leader and loosely named New York icon.  Fans love him!

Photo: Reuters News

After all... he's right there when folks rattle off Knicks of years past with Patrick Ewing and Johnny Starks.  Bottom line... Oak was right there, and now years later because of some personal spat between he and James "Cry baby" Dolan... the man is just "not welcome" by the Knicks anymore.



Now what happened this past week was insane to me.  Oak was at the Garden and Oak was asked to leave.  It wasn't that Charles Oakley was spilling beer on folks and looking for a fight.  Charles Oakley got a ticket like every Knick fan that night.  No doubt... he was rooting, and maybe in some regard, he may have even been shouting frustrations like many fans. Maybe some of that was at James Dolan.  We don't know... but what we do know is Dolan didn't like it, and that confrontation between Oak and security only happened because Dolan called his minions to have Oakley removed. 

But let me ask you something? Wouldn't a normal person have a one-on-one and squash the beef? Maybe an office meeting? Maybe you take it out into the hallway? Not Dolan... he's a wimp. Look at how pathetic he looks while his little minions are surrounding the superstar? Spineless much? "Wasn't me!"

Now someone asked me, "Did you see Oakley push those security guards?"  I quickly chimed in... "Acutally, did you see that security guard put his hands on Oakley, and then did you see Oakley push those security guards in defense?"  If someone was to touch me in a public forum because some bitch owner called for the order... I'd get physical too.  Oak and Dolan have a history... They hate each other.... last time I checked though... this was America! And if you want to go to a ball game, pay money for a ticket and get alittle loud about a team you played for and loved... you should be able to do that.

Sadly, Dolan thinks he's powerful in some regard and took his power to another level trying to humiliate a former Knick great.  He made a vital mistake, just like he's done with the Knicks and everything else he has dirty, fat fingers in.

If life tells you anything about humanity, humility and good and bad choices... karma will be on Oakley's side here.  The Knicks were wounded by this horrible display by James Dolan, not a leader... a baby.  That team will fall apart, their "stars" will fade, and Dolan's "empire" will be soon damaged. And this is why I believe that.... it comes down to reputation.

Charles Oakley is speaking out defending himself to the media hard... and he should! If Charles Oakley was truly guilty, he would go "get help", a shameful statement from Dolan, and then apologize and disappear.  But he won't, because in the trait of a human being, it is well documented... that if you truly are innocent, or believe you are wronged... you will fight back because your reputation is on the line. Notice Dolan is using the Knicks "press release". Notice Oakley took the gloves off and going man to man... a tough cookie, just like his playing days.

Oakley's fighting back because Oakley knows he is the victim here.  Dolan? He needs to go away.  He's a pathetic excuse for leadership. Don't believe me?

Just look at the pitiful Knicks.