Oller: Columbus Crew spill blood money all over themselves with Lucas Zelarayan deal
The only thing more stunning than the Crew accepting Saudi blood money to send fan favorite Lucas Zelarayan into the desert is that LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman was not sent to Columbus as part of a package deal.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would have paid the Crew just to get rid of Norman. True, his majesty has easier, if messier, ways of making mistakes disappear, but the world is watching. Taking a hacksaw to Norman, who has become a golf punchline, would be too obvious.
But enough about the Great White Snark. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room (which may be missing a trunk once MBS’s henchmen read this.) The Crew sold a piece of their soul in sending Zelarayan to Al Fetah of the Saudi Pro League, which is part of the Saudi sportswashing scheme, even if Al Fetah is not owned by the regime in the same way other sports teams take their direct orders from Saudi central.
The Crew reportedly received between $6 million and $7 million in the deal, which buys a lot of Pabst Blue Ribbon at Betty’s but not a lot of good will among those who view the Saudis as trying to buy their way out of wrongs related to human rights.
As much as the Crew would like to take a Godfather approach to the deal – it’s not personal, just business – team management should not be let off the hook.
Crew president/general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said he received an offer he had to consider, for the sake of the franchise. OK, but after considering he could have declined. By signing off on it, however, he must take his medicine and get raked over the coals in the same way LIV players have taken heat for bolting the PGA Tour for huge paychecks signed by the Saudis.
Fair is fair. Fans and front offices can’t have it both ways. You can’t castigate Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau for padding their pockets with millions in Saudi cash and then excuse the Crew for doing the same, even if it was done in the name of improving the franchise and building the bank account of Zelarayan, who just got richer. Admit the dollar signs were too enticing to ignore.
Pac-12 appears to be on life support
I have no love for the Pac-12, but what’s happening to the once proud conference saddens even my cold ticker.
First, Southern California and UCLA bolt for the Big Ten, which is like Bugs Bunny befriending Yosemite Sam. Then Colorado returns to the Big 12 (where it should have been all long). It looks like Arizona also may jump. And now, after months of negotiating uncertainty, the Pac-12 reportedly is zeroing in on moving to a primarily subscription-based Apple streaming deal for its television contract.
What’s next? Gas station pump TV?
Seriously, what is to become of Cal, Stanford and the rest of the Pac-12 leftovers? I still hope the Big Ten adopts at least two orphans, preferably Oregon and Washington, but so far is taking the approach that even if doing so makes a lot of sense, it does not make a ton of dollars and sense.
But stay tuned, because the dominoes are not done falling.
Gambling bug bites Iowa State quarterback?
In the college football race between which controversy is leading the news – hazing or gambling gone wrong – betting is ahead at the turn.
The latest? Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers is accused of betting on events involving the Cyclones, including a 2021 football game. He also is one of four current or former Iowa State athletes charged with tampering with records related to an ongoing gambling investigation by the Iowa Criminal Division.
Dekkers’ DraftKings sportsbook account was linked to 366 bets totaling $2,799, including on 26 Iowa State sporting events.
Not good, but also not shocking. The ease with which anyone can legally gamble via their phones simply adds to the ease in which athletes are tempted to break rules on betting. Like hazing allegations, there will be more gambling gone wrong where this came from.
Today was the big 4-0
Didn’t want to feel old so I fired up our old OSU conditioning test
20 half gasses
17 second run
30 second test
Here’s the final one… and I somehow managed to make them all pic.twitter.com/C3OQQIXTWK— Bobby Carpenter (@Bcarp3) August 2, 2023
Listening in
Today was the big 4-0. Didn’t want to feel old so I fired up our old OSU conditioning test: 20 half gasses, 17-second run, 30-second test. Here’s the final one… and I somehow managed to make them all." – former Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter, who turned 40 Tuesday.
Off-topic
About a week ago a thunderstorm hit my neighborhood, dropping pea-sized hail. No damage to property, but it got me thinking about these reports – tales? – of softball-sized hail. Where does this happen? And how? Meteorologists and weather geeks chime in.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew dealing Lucas Zelarayan to Saudis no better than LIV greed
