November 17, 2015
One of the worst feelings in the world is when you find out you have been hoodwinked.
You were sold a bill of goods, and you found out they were no good at all. The vacuum cleaner that was supposed to be powerful enough to lift an elephant can’t suck up bread crumbs; the car that you watched plow through a snow bank on television, can’t get you to the WaWa after an inch of powder; and that seven-device tool you purchased fell apart when you tried to pry off the top of a Corona.
If you really want to look at a case of the Hoodwinked Blues, take a look at the world of sports.
You can start with Ronda Rousey.
Count this typist as one person who bought into the whole media hype. Didn’t matter that the fights lasted about 10 seconds and were on at 1 a.m., there we were in front of the TV watching her take some opponent who looked like Bambi and throw her on her shoulders after taking her apart.
How could any of us have actually bought into the argument that Rousey would even stand a chance against a boxer such as Evander Holyfield? The whole thing looked like an enormous PR scam built upon Rousey’s good looks, personality and certainly a mean streak and work ethic that she took into the ring.
And then came Saturday night. After round and round of late-night television and interviews by people who really never even watched UFC, Rousey arrived in the Octagon for what was supposed to be another quick night of work in Australia against Holly Holm.
Kaboom.
This time, Rousey was on the mat, and the myth was gone. This time, it was a victory for the old school sweet science of boxing as a traditionally trained boxer went into that octagon and schooled Rousey. The ending was a brutal kick, and when it was over more than a few people felt hoodwinked.
How could any of us have actually bought into the argument that Rousey would even stand a chance against a boxer such as Evander Holyfield? The whole thing looked like an enormous PR scam built upon Rousey’s good looks, personality and certainly a mean streak and work ethic that she took into the ring.
Despite that work ethic and edge, Rousey turned out to be nothing more than the latest overhyped phenomena. She was a classic case of the sizzle meaning more than the steak, and the only question to be asked now is how the biggest star in the sport was not protected longer and allowed to get into a ring with an opponent who proceeded to kill the sport’s golden goose.
And the fear around these parts is that Eagles coach Chip Kelly is our version of Rousey. Has Philadelphia and the NFL been hoodwinked by Kelly and that up-tempo offense? After two seasons of media hype about the Eagles newfangled training methods and offensive tempo, will Kelly be knocked on his behind by the traditional boxing standards of the NFL?
Will be get kicked back to the NCAA and land in USC or some other set of letters to chase a national championship?
Were we all hoodwinked?
We know we were hoodwinked by Domonic Brown, who was once the face of the Phillies future but now can’t get a sniff as a free agent. And what about Ryne Sandberg, who was supposed to stress fundamentals as we watched the Phillies fundamentally go belly up? So, now our hopes are that owner John Middleton has the muscle to get things changed?
Hoodwinked?
How about the fear that everybody is being hoodwinked by the Philadelphia 76ers and general manager Sam Hinke? Face it, this could be a giant game of shells. Accumulate all these draft picks, trade star players, keep building for the future.
But there is no future.
Hoodwinked by Joel Embiid? Hoodwinked by Nerlens Noel? Hoodwinked by Brett Brown? The Sixers might turn into an entire Wikipedia page on the subject of "hoodwinked," a situation made even more spectacular because so many people have bought into the Hinkie Plan.
If it works long term, the Sixers will look brilliant and all those that believed will be able to crow that they had known all along. The tough times will look like a proving ground to get to where they want to get -- a championship, and nothing less.
If not, Philadelphia is once again Hoodwinked, USA.
Not to be left out, the Flyers have brought in a college coach (remind you of Kelly?) with the high hopes are that coach Dave Hakstol will be able to make the jump from North Dakota into the NHL. The theory is that the regime of owner Ed Snider was out of touch and the era of general manager Ron Hextall and Hakstol would introduce a new culture.
Maybe ... or maybe it will turn into another hoodwinking.
Let us all just hope that Chip Kelly, Sam Hinkie, Ron Hextall and the entire Phillies ownership now apparently directed by John Middleton aren’t the local versions of Ronda Rousey.
