Thorny Rose
Rob Manfred did on Monday what every MLB Commissioner since 1990 had done before him – he denied Pete Rose entry back into the sport of baseball. It’s been more than 25 years now since Rose was banished from baseball because of his involvement in gambling on the sport. I’m not sure if this was the last chance for the 74-year-old to get reinstated, but with a new Commissioner 
denying him just as previous ones had done before, it sure feel likes it. It’s hard to feel sorry for Rose who basically laid out a perfect plan of action over the last quarter of a century on how not to get a sentence revoked, but I still have a problem with the all-time hits leader not being in the Hall of Fame. There are plenty of less than model citizens in not only baseball’s hall but the other sports as well. Ty Cobb, Kirby Puckett and Lawrence Taylor immediately come to mind as athletes whose off the field transgressions were set aside in their consideration for induction, and there is a long list behind them for whoever wants to go digging through the names. The soft side of me believes Rose has paid enough, and it’s time for the Hall to induct him for his on the field accomplishments. MLB can keep the ban in place, as the two are separate entities. It’s not like Rose is ever destined to be in the dugout again.
Beckham Shines
This just in – Odell Beckham Jr. is pretty good. In case you missed Monday night’s game between the Giants and Dolphins, you probably have a life that involves more than watching sports. But if not, you 
saw Beckham put on another display of brilliance, grabbing 7 catches for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a toe dragging score that even the official refused to believe he made. Monday’s game was Beckham’s 26th as a pro, and even without the stats he piled up in Miami he had the most receptions and yards of any player ever through his first 25 games in the league. Beckham is what Jerry Jones hoped Dez Bryant would be when he signed him to a 5 year, $70 million contract this past summer. So far…it isn’t even close. Oh by the way, Dez pulled down one catch for a whopping 9 yards in the Cowboys 28-7 loss in Green Bay Sunday afternoon.
Serena Grabs Another Title
Serena Williams was name Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year this week, sparking debate on whether the 33-year-old should have been the one holding the trophy last night at the award ceremony in New York. Williams was the 10th female athlete to claim the award, 
but the first since 1983 when distance runner Mary Decker captured the honor. Talk radio opened up the vote to their listeners and Steph Curry was the runaway winner, with Tom Brady, Jordan Spieth and Novak Djokovic in the mix (American Pharoah garnered the animal vote). Personally I would have given Curry the nod, but what Serena accomplished this past year at her age (three major titles, went 53–3) is no doubt worthy of the acclaim.
