In N.Y., Joe Nocera wrote MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's office last week "issued a news release outlining its new netting policy," but what was announced "could not have been more lame." Under the new policy, teams "are 'encouraged' to extend the netting behind home plate a mere 70 feet or so down the foul lines," but this is "merely a recommendation" and not a mandate. Noccera: "There is so much wrong with this policy it is hard to know where to start." The 70-foot extension MLB is suggesting "is absurd," as the league appears to be concerned about too much netting making "some of the most expensive seats, the ones around the dugouts, less desirable" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/19).
SILVER DESERVES GOLD: In DC, Tim Bontemps wrote NBA Commissioner Adam Silver negotiated his first 22 months "about as adroitly as could be expected," yet he "still faces several potential landmines in his next two years." Trained as a lawyer, Silver "rarely answers a question in public unless he knows the facts are behind him." Unlike his predecessor, David Stern, who was "quick to fire off a quip to deflect a question he didn’t want to answer, Silver is far more measured in his responses." He also "possesses another lawyer’s trait -- pragmatism -- in abundance." Another defining characteristic of Silver’s personality that has "shone through in his first two years as commissioner" is his inclination to be a "consensus builder." While Silver "has been decisive when called for ... he rarely takes matters into his own hands" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/20).
HEADS UP: In N.Y., Seth Berkman wrote women’s hockey is a "growing sport, evolving through quicker and stronger players who are finally being rewarded for their talents as paid professional athletes." But concussions "have kept some of the best players away from the ice for extended periods as the sport struggles to combat an issue that football and men’s hockey have failed at times to properly address." Despite increased public discussion, there is a "dearth of information focused on concussions in women’s hockey," and the few published studies available "are unsettling" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/20).
