Introducing Sam Rogers: America's most ardent referee fan

First things first people, happy Fourth of July!

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend with family and friends.

I had a tremendous weekend up on Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire with friends from college and came back home with some fresh new material for this blog, so stayed tuned.

Anyway, getting down to business, after the Braves' unfortunate 5-4 loss to the Orioles on Sunday night, my good 'ole buddy Chipper Jones spewed off at the mouth and ripped the umpire that blew a couple ball/strike calls. He even went on to call the umping in the Major Leagues "substandard" and said he didn't care if he gets fined for his critical comments.

But this post isn't about Chipper Jones or whether or not Major League umping is poor for that matter. Chipper's comments are really just an excuse for me to introduce one of the most unique sports fans out there -- my good friend Sam.

For the readers who don't know who Sam is, here's a brief, anecdotal introduction into the mind of the guy we call "Rogahs" before I unveil his inaugural Referee Power Rankings:

After his first trip to New Meadowlands Stadium for a Giants preseason game last year, I asked Sam what he thought of the new, state of the art stadium, to which he responded:

"Honestly, to tell you the truth, I'm not a fan of it," Sam said defiantly. "But I do respect all of the condiment bars around the stadium, 'cause they all have those dirty hot onions."

How about when he went to Citi Field for the first time last April, it took Sam about 10 minutes to develop an extensive itinerary of which food locales he'd hit up and during what inning.

Yes, that's President George W. Bush checkin' out former NFL 

running back Michael Pittman's biceps.

But my personal favorite came last summer when Sam attended a corporate fantasy football draft in New York City, where he was helping his coworkers draft a squad for their company. At the event was former New York Giant Michael Strahan and Jets great Curtis Martin. As most of his teammates nervously and halfheartedly asked Strahan for advice on which players to draft for their fantasy team, Sam decided to take his conversation with the all-time sack leader in a different direction.

"Eh yo Strahan, on that real tip -- who has biggeh biceps, Thomas Jones or Michael Pittman?"

As Sam's coworkers looked on in shock (asking themselves, "Did he really just ask Michael Strahan that question?"), a short and tense pause ensued, as Strahan took a step away from the group.

"I'd have to say Pittman," Strahan then emphatically responded, with a playful grin on his face.

My question is who in their right might would think to ask a future Hall of Famer that question?

But the point to all of this is that Sam isn't some cookie cutter, meathead sports fan. His sporting interests don't lie in teams or individual athletes or scores -- it's all about the details that no one ever pays any mind. Thus it comes as no surprise that Sam is the most passionate and ardent fan of refereeing out there.

Sam's interest in stadium concessions or bicep comparisons are nothing compared to his passion for the officiating methodology of different sports. That's right, referees.

Ed Hochuli has nothing on Sam's boy Mike Carey,
who's pictured above

In fact, when asked who his favorite NFL team was, Sam said the referee union. When asked who his favorite athlete was, he responded, "Mike Carey." Who is Mike Carey you may ask? That NFL referee with the diesel mustache who, when making a call, points in the opposite direction before signaling which team the infraction is actually on, like so:

For a guy who's as passionate about the craft of officiating as Sam is, I recently had him go on record and tell the world how he feels about refs from the four major professional sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL). So in Sam Rogers' debut on I'd Rather Be Playing, here are his inaugural Referee Power Rankings, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Thus I only felt it was my duty to share them with the rest of the world (or at least the three people that actually read this blog). Without furthur adieu:

As you can see, Sam gives it up for NFL officials, but has no love for the gray-clad NBA refs. It's pretty difficult to argue with him on any of these rankings, being that he provides an in-depth explanation for each. I have to say that my favorite line from this diatribe is his reasoning for putting MLB umps in the No. 2 hole. "You can get up in people's face and throw them out. I'd love to throw somebody out."

I have to tip my hat to Sam for this one. I love your passion for the craft of officiating. Hope to see you in the stripes one day, making over the top false start calls and stealing the show in NFL stadiums.

With Donnie out, Knicks' future suddenly looks cloudy

I've had some 48 hours to digest the news of Donnie Walsh's resignation from his post as general manager and president of the Knicks.

Donnie Walsh, left, with Knicks owner James Dolan.

Walsh's departure shocked Knicks fans, the media and the basketball world, alike. Most of all, the stability that Walsh brought back to the Garden has faded some since his resignation.

The franchise, which spent the 10 years prior to his arrival floundering in losing and dysfunction, once again plunges into the unknown.

Yes, the foundation for success is in place. Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have re-energized the franchise and will make the Knicks, if nothing else, competitive for years to come.

But remember, it was Walsh who got the Knicks to this point of respectability. In three seasons, Walsh cleaned up the mess that was left by former GM and president Isiah Thomas, purging the roster of bad contracts that he had doled out. Sure, the team's play suffered during those first two years under Walsh, but it was his aggressive slicing and dicing that enabled the organization to get under the cap and procure the likes of Stat 'n' Melo.

At 70 years old, Walsh cited his age, a lack of energy and his reluctance to sign a long-term deal as the reasons for his resignation. But we all know that's just Donnie being the class act he's known to be. He'd never throw his owner James Dolan under the bus by telling the world how things really work at the Garden.

It was widely reported that Dolan wanted Walsh to take a 40 percent pay cut and wouldn't give him the autonomy to make basketball decisions freely, which Walsh wanted guaranteed. It was the point of control that proved to be a deal breaker, according to the New York Times..

Knicks beat writer Howard Beck writes: "In February, Dolan commandeered negotiations in the Carmelo Anthony trade and pushed the deal through despite Walsh's concerns. Walsh had taken a conservative approach and was opposed to giving up as many players and draft picks as Dolan ultimately did in the deal with Denver"

Now with Walsh out, who will guide the Knicks into this next, all important phase?

It's likely the Knicks will look in-house for Walsh's replacement, perhaps tapping former star and current front office assistant Alan Houston. But with Dolan running the show, who knows what direction the Knicks will go. And what will it mean for coach Mike D'Antoni, who has one year left on his four-year, $24 million deal? The future of the offensive-minded coach is suddenly clouded as well.

If it were only about basketball decisions and winning championships (something the Knicks haven't done since 1973),  Dolan would have swallowed his pride and given Walsh the autonomy he coveted. Sure, in professional sports organizations, the power ultimately flows from the owner. No general manager ever has final say over the guy who owns the team.

But Dolan missed the chance to finally step back and let savvy basketball people like Walsh -- a consummate professional, a basketball lifer -- run the show at this all important juncture. Instead, he opts to keep Isiah Thomas in his ear and run the Garden like a political machine, as Mike Lupica wrote in today's Daily News. 

Once again, uncertainty surrounds the short-term health of the franchise. Now at critical moment as the Knicks look to take that next step -- a very important next step -- who knows who will be the man to lead the way.

All I know is that the right man for the job just walked out the door and Dolan was holding it wide open.