HATFIELD SPORTS DAILY DIARIES:

BY MATTHEW HATFIELD

Friday, June 3^rd, 2005

What's up with all you Jerry Rice haters out there?

I know... it would be nice to see the guy leave out on his own terms and at the top of his game. Haven't we heard that saying before, though? Rice's physical skills have diminished, no question. He's no longer what he once was, we know that. Still, we should be celebrating people like him. Why? Very simple.

Rice was the greatest player ever to play his position, bar none. Nobody did it better than him and as long as he did. Championships? He got one. Records? Has plenty of them, too. I agree 100% with all of you out there that a player who plays much of his sports career (15 years+) should end it all with that particular team. Fact is some organizations need to go in a different direction and move on without the franchise's premier player for so many years. Look at the Utah Jazz for example. John Stockton and Karl Malone gave them 18 glorious years, two Finals appearances, and an abundant amount of memories. Sadly, the time came. Time for the team to move on, for Stockton to move on, and for the Mailman to chase his lifelong dream somewhere else.

In Rice's case it is a little difference considering he has the title and all the unbelievable statistics to back it up on his way to Canton. All I'm asking is shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt? Lets reward this iconic figure in professional football for all the great plays, games, etc. Lets reward him by supporting Rice as he tries to make the Denver Broncos roster, make an impact, and do what he can to help the team anyway possible. Hey, it's not like this guy has been bickering like other 'me first' receievers such as Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. He's not demanding high dollars. Maybe's it's me, but I cannot recollect Rice holding out so that he can 'feed his family'.

How can you not enjoy watching the Rice's, Malone's Stockton's, Reggie Miller's, and Emmitt Smith's? Yes, as mentioned earlier, they are only a shell of what they used to be now. Playing in San Francisco so long and then splitting the end of his football years with Oakland, Seattle, and now Denver may not be a storybook/happy ending.

If you ask me the Seattle Seahawks should have had him on the field instead of their not so sure-handed receivers at the end of the playoff game vs. St. Louis. I don't care how old he is – Jerry Rice, more than likely, would not have made a game-costing error at the end.

Also remember this: it's his life, his career, and ultimately his legacy.

George Mikan:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Mikan family following the death of an NBA pioneer at the age of 80 on Thursday. George Mikan was one of the game's 50 greatest players of all-time. More importantly, though he paved the way for players of today. ESPN did a tremendous piece a few weeks back on Mikan, who had diabetes and lost a leg. Back in his era many of the players do not have the great benefits that pro athletes during the 70's, 80's, 90's and now have. I personally believe the league and the players association should do something to reward those players of yester-year.

All-Star Voting:

Is this crazy or what? How can Nomar Garciaparra be the top vote getter at shortstop in the National League, let alone have 23,000+ more votes than the next guy (David Eckstein of St. Louis) at that position? The fans most definitely deserve the opportunity to have part in selecting who plays in the All-Star game. That being said, sometimes I question whether they should when I see this. Make it a minimum: all players (non-pitchers) must play in at least half of the games prior to mid-summer classic, or something along those lines. Does Ken Griffrey Jr. deserve to be on the team? As much as I like him, the answer still is no. Mike Piazza? Look at his stats and then factor in the fact he has enormous trouble throwing out guys stealing second. The AL voting doesn't bother me much at all. I did hear about the idea of having certain teams allow just fans to vote for their particular league. Not too bad of an idea, but that isn't flawless either. Check out today's edition of Baseball Weekly for more on my thoughts on the early All-Star voting.

Heat Is On:

The Heat is definitely on the defending Champion Detroit Pistons to win Saturday night. If they don't then they no longer hold claim to that title. Rasheed Wallace – putrid game on Thursday night as he played 27 minutes, committed five fouls, scored only two points, and made one of three shots. Udonis Haslem took care of everything, going off for a double-double --- 14 points and 13 boards. Shaq was on without question, scoring 20 points and freeing up everyone else. One of those guys benefitting from the big fella – Rasual Batler, a former La Salle star that averaged over 19PPG in college. Butler, whose been working a lot with Steve Smith as of late, scored 12 key points of the bench. Dwyane Wade's injury in the third quarter is cause for some concern... but not a lot if Miami can continue to shoot 52% and keep the Wallace boys from taking control.