Maybe 50 Cent should have just asked for a do-over.
That's what New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara did on Saturday, refusing to join the star rapper in first-pitch infamy. So after a botched first attempt before the Cardinals-Cubs game at Wrigley Field, the five-time Pro Bowler sought immediate redemption.
It was 11 years ago, on May 27, 2014, when 50 Cent uncorked what one reporter called "the worst thing I’d ever seen." The late Mets photographer Marc Levine had a somewhat kinder interpretation: "It was unusual how far away it went."
Enter Kamara, the 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Success on the football field doesn't necessarily translate to the baseball diamond, and let's just say Kamara's first pitch ... got away from him. The mascot-sized glove from catcher Clark the Cub apparently wasn't a big enough target. Kamara spiked the ball on the edge of the infield grass and into the left-handed batter's box (kudos to Clark for the backhanded stop!).
As we often hear on baseball broadcasts: "That's a pitch he would like to have back." And Kamara was quick to ask for a redo, shrugging off a smattering of Wrigley boos. It's rare to get a second chance at a first pitch, but who's going to say no to an NFL running back? Clark complied and Kamara fired something closer to a strike. Well, it didn't bounce anyway.
If Kamara can do it, then maybe it's time for 50 Cent to cash in on a second opportunity.