Selig ‘proud’ to be elected to Hall of Fame

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I heard from former Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig this week, who tells me he was very happy to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this month.

“It is a remarkable feeling and I am very proud and grateful for this election and for the career which I have had,” he said.

Selig, 82, who was MLB commissioner from 1992-2014, attended Champaign County native Harvey Haddix’s 12-inning perfect game in Milwaukee on May 26, 1959.

“I never would have imagined (that night) that one day I would be a Hall of Famer,” Selig said.

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Last Sunday’s Bengals-Steelers game looked eerily similar to last season’s playoff loss to Pittsburgh.

The Bengals had the lead in the second half in both games, but gave both away with undisciplined play.

In the latest loss, Cincinnati committed defensive penalties on four straight plays in the second half, and actually had more penalty yardage in the second half than total yards on offense.

As was the case in the playoff loss, Pacman Jones and Vontaze Burfict both committed ridiculous penalties on Sunday … Jones for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting and Burfict for a personal foul on Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

It’s no surprise the Bengals will finish with a losing record this season after self-destructing in the playoff loss last season.

The real problem is head coach Marvin Lewis, who should have been fired after the playoff debacle instead of being able to preside again over the same bunch that he allows to be undisciplined.

Unfortunately for Bengals’ fans, Lewis will probably be back again as coach next season.

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You have to wonder about the future of college football bowl games now that three star players – LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Baylor’s Shock Linwood and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey – have opted out of upcoming bowls in order to “prepare” for the NFL draft.

It’s not just that these players are selfish and don’t care about their teammates – it’s all about the money.

Fournette, Linwood and McCaffrey don’t want to do anything that might damage their NFL stock – like suffering a serious injury or having a bad performance – just for the sake of playing in what amounts to an exhibition game.

And it’s likely that more star players will follow suit, maybe even in playoff games, in the years ahead.

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Trivia Time – Before Bud Selig, Happy Chandler in 1982 was the last living ex-Baseball Commissioner to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

This week’s question – How many Super Bowls did Christian McCaffrey’s father, Ed McCaffrey, win during his NFL playing career?

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By Steve Stout

[email protected]

Reach Steve Stout at 652-1331 (ext. 1776) or on Twitter @udcstout

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