The recent death of Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock from an alcohol related accident has major league baseball teams knee jerking.  Several teams, including the Cardinals, have banned beer from their post game spreads.  To me, this makes no sense.  With the Cardinals being the exception, this appears to be a thinly veiled PR plan designed to garner good will among fans who are outraged that players drink in the first place.

Think about it.  How many players have been nabbed for DUI immediately following a game?  Even the most self destructive and careless of players is not going to get loaded in front of his teammates, manager and media walking around a major league clubhouse.  That's why teams like the Brewers and White Sox have not banned alcohol yet.

The problem comes later on at restaurants and bars and strip clubs where players gather during their free time.  Then we have the DUIs, the fights, the disorderly conduct and the alcohol related groping.  There is no team that can, or should, police the players after a game.  They, like Josh Hancock are given total social responsibility.  And if they choose to drive a car drunk, the choice is theirs as an individual and not the choice of the team. 

In an era where people sue each other as easily as getting Paris Hilton in the sack, there is no attorney (not even Alan Shore) who can make a case that a team has responsibility outside the workplace.  And inside the workplace, it just doesn't happen.

The best course of action is for the MLBPA to send people around to talk to the teams and remind them not only of the risks, but of the liability they face as a ball player.  Should they be involved in an accident or an altercation while drinking and found to be under the influance, just the fact that they are ball players will result in civil suits and in the loss of thousands in endorsements and other opportunities which could cost the players millions of dollars not to mention legal fees not to mention bad PR and lots of negative press.  Now that's language players understand.

Lightning Round

• Jose Contrares was magnificent Thursday giving the Sox nine strong innings and the bullpen a day off.  Ryan Sweeney continues to play impressively (of course you know I've been a big Sweeney fan for a couple of years now.) The Sox get a break from the major league schedule and meet a minor league all-star team this weekend.
• In the chase for Lord Stanley's cup, the Ottawa Senators took the first game in their series with Buffalo.  Watch for the Sabres to get more physical and more disruptive in game two.  Detroit and the Ducks kick it off tonight at the Joe.
• In an effort to recover from the worst record in hockey, the Phoenix Coyotes have fired their play by play announcer after 27 years.  Yeah, that will fix it.
  
• The Cubs are no longer serving Pie.
• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is making plans to decommission a Tank.
• Now that Dale Junior is leaving DEI, let the games begin.  I love how Teresa Earnhardt comes out with the statement "We will continue to race on.  We have many fine drivers."  Okay, Teresa, here's the deal.  You have Martin Truex and Paul Menard.  Truex is your only driver that has any chance of success and he'll bolt as soon as his deal is up.  Menard is a hobbiest at best.  So, tell me again, who is going to fly your banner?  And, after the way you treated your own step-son in his own Daddy's business, who this side of Kyle Petty is going to come drive for you?  Meanwhile, RCR, as predicted, has a leg up in the sign Junior and win contest.
• Home Depot and Falcons owner Arthur Blank claims to have had a stern talk with Ron Mexico about his bad habits and how he needs to man up and concentrate on football.  If this takes root, Blank has agreed to try the same thing with Tony Stewart.
• Fox and the NFL have signed a marketing partnership with Myspace.  Now your teenage daughter can keep up with the NFL.
• Speculation is that Dick Chaney may on the list of the Washington Madame.  Chaney won't admit it, but did offer to take the madame quail hunting.
• Welcome home, Les Paul.  When something makes national headlines in a town we live in, by God we write it up.
• McDonald's is now going to use Shrek to hawk Happy Meals with fruit slices, salads and other wholesome snacks rather than burgers or fries.  It seems critics argued that because Shrek has a pot belly, he's a bad example to children.  So, in a country where  we have EOE, actors go to rehab for slamming gays and radio announcers get fired  for phrases like "nappy headed hos", it's fine and dandy to discriminate against the overweight because they send a bad message.  I wonder if Shrek were real if he would sue.
• The Republicans and Democrats in congress can't agree on an immigration reform bill. The translation is that they don't want to endanger Hispanic votes during the upcoming election.  Hispanics are the wild card on which the election will be decided, so both sides figure getting tough right now is counter productive. Te other part of the strategy is for voters like me, you basic white, middle-aged male, both parties will try to convince me that it is the other parties fault and if they get my vote, they'll go back to Washington and get tough.  It is a sad commentary when our legislators are so worried about getting re-elected, they will turn the other way when it comes to the safety and security of our country just to pander to a key demographic.  Vote 'em all out.
• Here's Maxim's tribute to the worst TV shows series endings ever.  Personally, I thought St. Elsewhere was an awesome ending.