In this week’s edition of Around the Dorm, “Ref” Thomas Infante asked our panel of three experts — Malcolm Luck, Bryan Penney-Hadewyez and Tom Munnia — three questions: Should the Boston Red Sox be penalized for using Apple smartwatches to steal signs? Who will win the Sept. 16 boxing match, Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez? Is Tom Brady, the 40-year-old New England Patriots quarterback, near his retirement?
1. Should the Boston Red Sox be penalized for using Apple smartwatches to steal signs?
Malcolm: Absolutely. Baseball signs are so complex to protect the team from exposing its strategy. Using technology to steal signs from an opponent puts your team at a huge advantage. Think about it this way, what if every team used technology to steal signs? It would pretty much ruin the point of its secrecy. Coaches might as well yell from the dugouts “Hey, you should bunt here!” It would shatter the integrity and strategic mindset of the game.
Bryan: The Boston Red Sox should definitely be penalized for stealing signs. Given that baseball requires great focus and extraordinary reaction time, stealing signs by unfairly using technology truly takes something away from the sport. The counterpoint would be that many other sports use technology to better understand opponents, which is true. However, using information to prepare prior to a competition and stealing information in real time are two very different things. The latter being incredibly simple and should only be construed as blatant cheating.
Tom: Yes, I believe the Boston Red Sox should be penalized because they blatantly used technology to gain an unfair advantage over their rival. It is one thing to be able to recognize the signs being called. But to record and transmit the signs to the rest of the team, especially in a very pivotal series, that’s unfair.
Bryan gets 3 points for comparing the situation to other sports. Malcolm gets 2 points for mentioning the complexity of baseball signs. Tom gets 1 point for the shortest answer.
2. Who will win the Sept. 16 boxing match, Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez?
Malcolm: I don’t know much about boxing, but I think Golovkin will win. He has the size advantage and virtually the same amount of knockouts as Canelo in more than a dozen or less matches. Either way, it should be an entertaining match.
Bryan: Gennady Golovkin will win over Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 16. While Canelo is an incredible boxer, he does not possess the experience that GGG has. At age 35, he has seen it all in the middleweight class and has fought opponents all over the map. His power and precision are still supernatural. Even though some believe he has lost his step, it is doubtful that Canelo will be able to figure him out. Canelo has yet to fight a true champion, having recently knocked out Amir Khan who is known for having a ‘glass chin.’ Golovkin will surely throw a lot at Canelo that he has yet to experience in the ring. Experience will beat youth on Sept. 16.
Tom: Canelo in 5 rounds, mark my words.
Bryan gets 3 points for mentioning Golovkin’s previous fights and career history. Tom gets 2 points for confidence. Malcolm gets 1 point for trying his best.
3. Is Tom Brady, the 40-year-old New England Patriots quarterback, near his retirement?
Malcolm: Definitely. The decline of NFL players is a lot more sudden than in any other sport. Former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is a good example. In 2013, he broke the touchdown record in a season with 55. Two years later he threw 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 10 games. It’s unfortunate, but the speed of the game eventually catches up to you. However, I can honestly say that no matter what happens to Tom Brady between now and his retirement, he’s still the greatest quarterback of all time.
Bryan: For nearly any other player at 40 years of age, retirement would seem like a given. Tom Brady is not “any other player.” Sportscasters have been speculating for years about the retirement of Brady. Yet each year, he seems to come back stronger — physically and mentally. Having only sustained one truly devastating injury — a torn ACL in 2008 — he is consistently healthy. It is unlikely that he will take a beating in the pocket as a veteran reading defensive lines. He has the consistency of the Patriots offensive line to rely upon. Having just won a super bowl in which he did not have his best game and still threw for 466 yards, it would seem that he could play for another four to five years at least.
Tom: Given that Tom Brady started his career in 2001, I think he is definitely nearing his retirement. He is currently the oldest active QB in the league, and I think he has at most four years left.
Malcolm gets 3 points for drawing a comparison to Manning. Bryan gets 2 points for a well-informed analysis of Brady’s injuries. Tom gets 1 point for an easy prediction.
Bryan wins ATD 8-6-4
“Give me 10 good men and some climbing spikes, and I’ll impregnate the bitch.”
