There are so many things, as people, we do just because that is the way it has always been. We eat Turkey on Thanksgiving, when we buy shoes – the first choice is usually Nike. When we want a double cheeseburger we go to McDonalds. When you attend a wedding you always have black tuxedos and a white wedding dress. When we walk into a bar and ask for a mixed drink is there anyone out there that doesn’t ask for coke? What I’m trying to say is, just because that’s the way it has been doesn’t mean that is the way it has to be.
First off I hate the Huskers more than anyone you know. Always had it out for the Tom Osborne and Eric Crouch lovers of the world and I will continue that hatred as long as I live. So keep that in mind when reading this article. I think I truly sent out about 200 texts the very second I saw ISU beat Nebraska, and were talking people who I’m not even sure they still had my number. As long as they were Nebraska or State fans they were going to hear my enjoyment.
The last time a college football player won the Heisman Trophy as a defensive player was in 1997. Michigan’s Charles Woodson took home the top prize, although he did also return punts and occasionally play on offense for the Wolverines too.
This year there was no front-runner, nobody that made one great play or had that game-winning drive, or any eye-popping statistics to say that one stands out. So wouldn’t this be the perfect year to give it to that defensive stalwart who disrupts every Offensive Coordinators’ gameplan week in and week out?
Ndamukong Suh has become a beast for NCAA Football this year. Some say he is the best ever at his position. And, as a defensive tackle. He may not touch the ball, he may not score touchdowns, but he sure does make a difference in every college football game he has played in. Chances are we see him as the number one pick in the draft next April. Doesn’t that show that he is the best player? So what if he doesn’t have the statistics like the quarterbacks and running backs receive.
Colt McCoy is getting the sympathy vote this year. He won’t win it based off of his statistics THIS year, he will win it based of a culmination of FOUR good years. The fact that he wasn’t as good as Sam Bradford last year and because he is the quarterback on the team that is in the BCS Championship game is why he is the front runner. He sits atop the list only because the Heisman committee feels there is no one else they could give it to. It’s really like most political elections – voters say they don’t think either candidate is qualified, but it seems majority always seems to rule, and whatever sounds good to the public is the way it will be.
Mark Ingram broke onto the Heisman scene faster than you could see Hawk fans grab the phones and cancel their travel plans to Glendale, AZ. He wasn’t even on the radar before the season started, just like Houston’s Chase Keenum or Stanford’s Toby Gerhart. What makes him so special? He isn’t even one of the best players on Alabama’s team. They win their game on Defense and Coaching alone. He just happens to be the running back who gets to score touchdowns, and now is in the Championship game.
So we have two players who will grace us with their presence in the BCS Title Game, another who holds records out in the West Coast (Gerhart) and If God Were To Ever Have Another Son Tim Tebow. If Florida had beaten Bama in the SEC Championship Game then Tebow could very well be at the top of the list now. It’s amazing how one game can decide a person’s fate for the Heisman. But it truly did.
Now back to Suh. Teams come in each week knowing he will disrupt your running game, your passing game, even block your field goals. The guy had 4.5 sacks against Texas (the same team in the Championship Game) on National TV and almost single handedly won that game for them. Which brings another theory to mind – what if Nebraska had won? Knock McCoy off the list and put in Suh? Florida wins and put Tebow at the top of the list? So is it more about being on the team that wins all the games or does the Heisman Truly go to the best player in college football?
Sure there a lot of what-ifs, but you shouldn’t base such a prestigious award off what your entire team achieves. Football is truly a team sport, and it takes all 11 players on the field to execute. That or just spend about $4 Mil on a new coach. The Heisman goes to the best player in college football.
The best measure for the Heisman is this – take any of these players off their team and see how many games their team wins without them. I can bet you Bama wins 10 games minimum, even with a true freshman running back. Texas probably wins 10, maybe 11, depending on which High School All-American Quarterback they throw in the fire. Florida and Nebraska are the two programs who are led by Tebow and Suh, and would probably be affected the most. Take Suh out and I bet you the Huskers would have won two, if not three less games this season.
In 1996 Danny Wuerffel and Troy Davis were the front-runners for the Heisman race. Florida had the better team, Davis the impressive statistics. Who went number one in the draft that year? Orlando Pace, who even to this day is on All-Century teams as the starting left tackle. Is that Suh thirteen years down the road?
So next time you order a drink, ask for Dr. Pepper instead of Coke. Maybe step outside the box and realize that there is something better out there for you. On that note, I whole-heartedly announce my endorsement for Ndamukong Suh as the 2009 Heisman Trophy Winner.
Maybe Nebraska should have spent more money on a Suh poster in Times Square, NY and not so much on tobacco, mullets and feeding corn.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda..
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda…
The three words that too many Cyclone fans use to describe Iowa State Athletics the last few years.
There are many opportunities that our dear Cyclones have seen throughout the years, only to come up short. So what can you make of all of this after we stood in the cold watching a 25-yard Big 12-north clinching field goal go wide right? Or maybe seeing some of our best ballers leave town too soon to never see Ames again. Ehemmm… Wesley Johnson, Curtis Stinson or Will Blalock?
Why us? Is it that we always have bad luck, Or is it something else?
On last week’s Soundoff program Andy Fales’ explained in his renown “What’s Bugging Andy” segment that Clone fans have been through too many rough times. He went through all the highlights of the couldas, the shouldas and the wouldas. But at the very end Fales exclaimed that our luck will turn around. And it ought to.
So why is it that we lose more basketball players than gain every year, and seem to hire severe alcoholics as basketball coaches?
Is it bad management in the front office? Is it bad coaching? Or maybe we don’t have the blue-chip recruits? How about the small amount of high-level donors? Is it the facilities? Or are our stadiums too small?
You can’t put a finger on any individual factor - and that is what makes sports so great to watch. Every preseason we argue about who has the better team or who is going to beat who in the big rivalry game.
It’s Any Given Saturday - any team can beat anybody. But Iowa State hasn’t been able to run with the big dogs for quite some time now. Who would have thought a team like Kansas would go 12-1 in 2007 and win the Orange Bowl? Anything is possible.
The problem isn’t our coaching staff – it’s our fans. For all those of you still cross your fingers on field goal kicks and can’t stand for our team as they run off the field (win or lose) – shame on you.
Whenever I watch a game of a storied program like Alabama or Texas I don’t see any doubt on the fan’s faces. Coaches are confident on the third-and-nines and players run up to the line of scrimmage with that type of swagger as if “There ain’t no way you are going to stop us here.”
Take Iowa for instance. For awhile they had our number – winning 15 games in a row, then we win five - Now it seems usually the home team comes away victorious. The same thing that I hate about the Hawks is the reason why they are good every year – Confidence. They have that swagger, that cockiness, that thing that I just can’t stand from their fans – but ya know what, it’s something that is genuinely contagious – and they usually back it up with a successful season.
Iowa State on the other hand has always been the little brother to Iowa. I guarantee you if you were to walk in the stands at an Iowa State-Iowa game and ask every Cyclone fan, the tall and the small, who they think will win, you will know by their lack of a quick response that they aren’t confident enough. Now walk over to any Iowa fan – drunk or not – and ask them the same question. Without a doubt you will hear them say their Hawks immediately.
None of this means I am going over to the dark side. I HATE the Hawks more than anyone, but you have to give them some credit with how their demeanor is displayed on the football field. Everyone takes the field to win, but some teams show it in their body language more than others.
I listen to Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio and he takes calls daily on his radio show. He holds one simple rule: Don’t call in and tell me that your coach should have called this play or given the ball to that player. Because, as Cowherd says, “I think a guy that puts in 80-hour weeks and watches film more than Steven Spielberg knows a little bit more about playcalling than the average Joe working down at the local Merc.”
It’s true – our coaching staffs are paid to make the big calls. And then after it all they get to sit in front of a room full of reporters who ask the same dumb questions that Farmer Bill complains about all week on the local call-in shows.
I love my team, and I support them any way I can. I look forward to the day I can become an alum and donate as much money as I can to sustain our winning foundation for the future.
Sports programs have proven to be cyclical through the years. You have your bad years and your good years. Everyone wants to win, but at the end of the day some team has to lose and some team gets that coveted W.
Sure we’ve had a few bad apples (like Gene Chizik), but that doesn’t mean we should sit back and take it. Iowa State seems to be the only team in the Big 12 that gets more scrutiny than most. Sometimes we deserve it, sometimes we don’t. Forget about the naysayers and do as much as you can to support your team.
So the next time you have the opportunity to go to Kansas City to root on your Cyclones in Arrowhead Stadium – Do It. The next time an annoying student calls you to ask for money for the University – Do It. And the next time you are debating whether or not you want to buy those season tickets – Annie Up and Do It.
Jamie Pollard and his staff can only do so much with the money they are provided. But he can’t do it alone. ISU has the smallest Athletic budget in the Big 12, and we do with it what we can. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, down the road we can all walk together hand in hand and “Take That Next Big Step” for Iowa State Athletics.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
The Coaches are Conservatives
Apparently. It's an interesting read.
Mr. Holtz, who coached Notre Dame to its last national championship in 1988, draws a parallel between the standards and rules that most coaches set for their players and the Republican vision of how American society ought to operate.
"You aren't entitled to anything. You don't inherit anything. You get what you earn—your position on the team," Mr. Holtz said. "You're treated like everybody else. You're held accountable for your actions. You understand that your decisions affect other people on that team…There's winners, there's losers, and there's competitiveness."
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Coaching and Consistency
Coaching and Consistency
When looking ahead to the upcoming 2009 NFL Season we have the Have’s and the Have Not’s.
While everyone is vying for the same goal (a Super Bowl win), only a few organizations can call themselves legitimate candidates.
There are many factors that play into an NFL season – offensive strategy, defensive schemes, strength of schedule, talent, chemistry, coaching, a little bit of luck, and management. Management. That’s right – ownership and management.
We all love the one-year wonders – the Hoosiers and Miracle on Ice stories, but realistically that doesn’t happen very often. Chances of that happening in the NFL are like Gene Chizik saying he is “firmly entrenched” in Ames. (Oh wait, he did say that)
Some owners, like the Broncos, have gotten rid of their best assets, using the phrase made famous by the epic Godfather film, “It’s not personal, just business.” There’s also the Redskins, who are acting as though they are playing a video game with their franchise, overpaying for talent, and not worrying about team chemistry.
And then there are the Raiders. You want to know how old their team owner/general manager/stickler Al Davis is? I was watching an ESPN Classic feature on Vince Lombardi the other day, and they had an interview with, guess who, the Raiders owner Al Davis. He was the owner of the Raiders when Lombardi was winning championships 40 years ago! Davis managed to name himself the general manager circa 1966, and is now an 80 year old sea monster driving the Raiders into the ground. Boy would I love to be in his league for a fantasy football draft.
Don’t forget, there are two more 100% dictatorships among NFL organizations. You can probably guess one, but probably not the other. The only other owners who can also call themselves GMs are the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones and Bengals’ Mike Brown. We all have seen problems with the Cowboys, as they think they can rebuild these troubled players, only to see them ruin team chemistry and leadership. It’s hard to win that way, and is therefore the Achilles heel to America’s Team.
Let’s talk about some more exciting facets for the upcoming season - The Wildcat Formation. It’s like drugs in the 1970s, everyone is doing it. The team that introduced it to the league (the Dolphins) displayed it against the Pats in Week 4 of last season, only to come back and try and pull the same trick in Week 12. Except this time there was a gameplan to stop it. Mark my words, the new Wildcat formation will not be as big as everyone thinks it will be. These coordinators will find a way to stop it.
Now onto coaching. Consistency is key in any profession or business. Coaching in today’s society is similar to a top 40 hit, you may be popular for awhile, but over time the fame and notoriety wears off. Too often organizations listen to their rowdy fans and once their coaches have one bad season his head is on the chopping block like Michael Vick at a PETA banquet.
It’s like working with a doctor, lawyer or insurance company, wouldn’t it make sense to keep the same person that knows you and your characteristics? Why do you think retirement accounts are set for when you retire? The key is consistency and reliability. The same goes for coaching.
Currently the longest tenured coaches in the NFL are: Bill Bellichick (9 years, 102 regular season wins), Tom Coughlin (5 years, 47 wins), Jack Del Rio (6 years, 50 wins), Jeff Fisher (15 years, 128 wins), John Fox (7 years, 63 wins), Marvin Lewis (6 years, 46 wins), Andy Reid (10 yrs, 97 wins), and Lovie Smith (5 years, 45 wins). That’s an average of 9 regular season wins per year and a combined 31 playoff appearances. Now here comes the best part. Of all these coaches, we have 4 super bowl wins and 9 super bowl appearances.
The same mantra of consistency goes for management and executive decision making. When I think of the Jenna Jamesons’ of NFL dictatorships I think of the Steelers, Patriots, Giants, Eagles, Titans and Colts. All of these teams have superb coaching, franchise quarterbacks (save Tennessee), all-pro defenses, and…. good management. They draft well, fill positions carefully and make sure they pay the right players the right amount of money.
The Pepsis to those Cokes include the Chargers, Ravens, Bears, and Vikings.
All of these teams are able to do one simple thing – balance talent with chemistry. A Terrell Owens wouldn’t last on any of these teams, either would a Pacman Jones or a disruptive Chad Ochocinco. Their first outburst and they are gone, no questions asked. If there is a player who holds out for more money, it is definitely negotiated or he is gone. They hold character high in the business and realize that by developing talent within their own system is much more important than picking it up every summer in the free agency market. Their goal is not just for this year, but for many years down the road.
So mark my words, while there are 32 teams in the NFL with one goal, only these 10 are the Have’s and are viable contenders to bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy come January. Now if only Al Davis could resign….
When looking ahead to the upcoming 2009 NFL Season we have the Have’s and the Have Not’s.
While everyone is vying for the same goal (a Super Bowl win), only a few organizations can call themselves legitimate candidates.
There are many factors that play into an NFL season – offensive strategy, defensive schemes, strength of schedule, talent, chemistry, coaching, a little bit of luck, and management. Management. That’s right – ownership and management.
We all love the one-year wonders – the Hoosiers and Miracle on Ice stories, but realistically that doesn’t happen very often. Chances of that happening in the NFL are like Gene Chizik saying he is “firmly entrenched” in Ames. (Oh wait, he did say that)
Some owners, like the Broncos, have gotten rid of their best assets, using the phrase made famous by the epic Godfather film, “It’s not personal, just business.” There’s also the Redskins, who are acting as though they are playing a video game with their franchise, overpaying for talent, and not worrying about team chemistry.
And then there are the Raiders. You want to know how old their team owner/general manager/stickler Al Davis is? I was watching an ESPN Classic feature on Vince Lombardi the other day, and they had an interview with, guess who, the Raiders owner Al Davis. He was the owner of the Raiders when Lombardi was winning championships 40 years ago! Davis managed to name himself the general manager circa 1966, and is now an 80 year old sea monster driving the Raiders into the ground. Boy would I love to be in his league for a fantasy football draft.
Don’t forget, there are two more 100% dictatorships among NFL organizations. You can probably guess one, but probably not the other. The only other owners who can also call themselves GMs are the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones and Bengals’ Mike Brown. We all have seen problems with the Cowboys, as they think they can rebuild these troubled players, only to see them ruin team chemistry and leadership. It’s hard to win that way, and is therefore the Achilles heel to America’s Team.
Let’s talk about some more exciting facets for the upcoming season - The Wildcat Formation. It’s like drugs in the 1970s, everyone is doing it. The team that introduced it to the league (the Dolphins) displayed it against the Pats in Week 4 of last season, only to come back and try and pull the same trick in Week 12. Except this time there was a gameplan to stop it. Mark my words, the new Wildcat formation will not be as big as everyone thinks it will be. These coordinators will find a way to stop it.
Now onto coaching. Consistency is key in any profession or business. Coaching in today’s society is similar to a top 40 hit, you may be popular for awhile, but over time the fame and notoriety wears off. Too often organizations listen to their rowdy fans and once their coaches have one bad season his head is on the chopping block like Michael Vick at a PETA banquet.
It’s like working with a doctor, lawyer or insurance company, wouldn’t it make sense to keep the same person that knows you and your characteristics? Why do you think retirement accounts are set for when you retire? The key is consistency and reliability. The same goes for coaching.
Currently the longest tenured coaches in the NFL are: Bill Bellichick (9 years, 102 regular season wins), Tom Coughlin (5 years, 47 wins), Jack Del Rio (6 years, 50 wins), Jeff Fisher (15 years, 128 wins), John Fox (7 years, 63 wins), Marvin Lewis (6 years, 46 wins), Andy Reid (10 yrs, 97 wins), and Lovie Smith (5 years, 45 wins). That’s an average of 9 regular season wins per year and a combined 31 playoff appearances. Now here comes the best part. Of all these coaches, we have 4 super bowl wins and 9 super bowl appearances.
The same mantra of consistency goes for management and executive decision making. When I think of the Jenna Jamesons’ of NFL dictatorships I think of the Steelers, Patriots, Giants, Eagles, Titans and Colts. All of these teams have superb coaching, franchise quarterbacks (save Tennessee), all-pro defenses, and…. good management. They draft well, fill positions carefully and make sure they pay the right players the right amount of money.
The Pepsis to those Cokes include the Chargers, Ravens, Bears, and Vikings.
All of these teams are able to do one simple thing – balance talent with chemistry. A Terrell Owens wouldn’t last on any of these teams, either would a Pacman Jones or a disruptive Chad Ochocinco. Their first outburst and they are gone, no questions asked. If there is a player who holds out for more money, it is definitely negotiated or he is gone. They hold character high in the business and realize that by developing talent within their own system is much more important than picking it up every summer in the free agency market. Their goal is not just for this year, but for many years down the road.
So mark my words, while there are 32 teams in the NFL with one goal, only these 10 are the Have’s and are viable contenders to bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy come January. Now if only Al Davis could resign….
Thursday, May 14, 2009
2009 NBA Playoff Picks
The difference between good and great.
In order to win the NBA Finals you have to have all the pistons firing together as one unit. Chemistry is key, coaching is ever so important and you have to have that one player you know will score in crunch time when you HAVE to have a basket.
It’s funny – every year there is always one team in any kind of playoffs that just jumps out and surprises everyone. They just get on a roll and the train they’ve been conducting brings them all the way to the championship. Examples - 2008 New York Giants, 2007 Colorado Rockies and 2009 Michigan State Spartans.
But in the NBA you have to know who the contenders and pretenders are. You don’t just have one game to prove yourself, but a complete 7-game series, which allows for the average television viewer to analyze good coaching, changing defensive schemes and offenses that play together.
P.S. How much better did the Nuggets get after trading away I Shoot the Ball before I Pass Allen Iverson for I Pass the Ball before I Shoot Chauncey Billups?
Going into the Playoffs I had the Cavs and Lakers meeting in the Finals. One week later I thought for sure we would see the Bulls as that one team to surprise the nation and carry that firepower farther along. (Turns out they had Vinny Del Negro on their bench and the Celtics had something called experience on theirs).
What I am getting to is there are only certain teams that are truly good enough to win it all. Some are getting too old (Spurs and Pistons), others too young (Hawks and Bulls), while some are one player or coach away from taking the next big step (Blazers and Hornets).
Here are Five Key Points for a Championship Winning Team
1. You can’t win on jumpshots alone, you either need penetrators or at least someone who can play inside (goodbye Mavs, Bulls and Hawks)
2. On the other side of the ball you have to have a banger inside who can handle his own and get big rebounds in crunch time (like a Dennis Rodman in his prime).
3. You must have a coach on the sidelines who can teach DEFENSE and understands when not to call a time out (Phil Jackson) over those who take too many too early (Del Negro)
4. Bench Players have to step up and understand their roles (look at how big last year’s Celtics trio of Powe, Posey and House were for Boston’s championship)
5. When the game is tied and there is 30 seconds left then you have to have a player that has IT - when you get the ball there isn’t anybody out there that is going to stop you. Former champs Jordan, Wade and Duncan had it, and now Lebron and Kobe have IT. And IT is something that doesn’t come around but every once in a great while.
So which teams remaining in the playoffs have these five facets to WIN IT ALL do you ask?
The Lakers – Size (Pau Gasol), Defense and a player that can make all the shots in Kobe (I sexually assaulted a 19-yr old girl but got away with it) Bryant. Plus they have one of the best coaches in Phil I Don’t Take Timeouts Jackson and a plethora of role players such as Ariza, Walton, Bynum, Vujacic and Farmar.
The Rockets have a chance – with Yao I could have picked them over LA, but now after his injury they have as much of a chance to win as Jason Kidd does to dunk a basketball.
P.S. How much better are the Rockets without Tracy McGrady? Remember in Hoosiers when Coach Dale tells the team to pass the ball four times before they shoot? Well THIS Rockets team can do that. If T-Mac were to play he would be Ray from Hoosiers and maybe, just maybe Coach Rick Adelman would sit T-Mac to prove a point that he can play with four players on the floor, instead of five. What am I kidding, its the NBA…
The Denver Nuggets have one great player and all those others who understand their roles. Billups is the Butter to the Nuggets Bread, Nene and K-Mart handle down low and Melo is turning into a premier player in the league. Plus they have a smart coach in George Karl and many role players (Birdman, Anthony Carter, Kleiza, and Dahntay Jones)
Cavaliers – They have that one player with IT – Lebron James. And their team is not taking anything for granted right now. They know what it takes to win with defense and how to PLAY TOGETHER. They have role players in Varejao, Pavlovic, Gibson, Wallace, Wally World and Delonte (I Don’t Have Enough Tattoos) West.
The only problem is that they have yet to be tested strategically from a coaching standpoint and don’t have enough key veterans with playoff experience. They haven’t played a close game yet (won all by double digits) – so who is going to will them to the next level when it turns into crunch time and no one out there has been in a similar situation before.
Celtics – This is the one team that I truly can’t put a stamp on. They lost KG and Powe inside, yet Big Baby Davis is stepping up. My question is can Paul Pierce and Ray Allen carry their raggedy old bones to the next series after winning by the skin of their teeth against the Bulls? All I know is that Rajon Rondo has turned into a dominant point guard, Doc Rivers has been here before and they have more than anyone else has to play for – Defending as World Champs.
So from the words of Birdman who is going to be “popping champagne like we won the championship game,” come the end of June?
It comes down to these 4 teams (well 5 if Yao wasn’t hurt) and who has it to win it all.
A. The Lakers Have Everything
B. I would be scared of the Nuggets right now (if there was ever a team you wouldn’t want to face in a dark alley – it would be the Nuggets wouldn’t it?)
C. Everybody is jumping on the Cavaliers bandwagon just like last year’s exciting New Orleans Hornets. But do they have enough leadership to help them in the closing seconds of a tight game?
D. Celtics – They have the veterans, but boy wouldn’t it be better to see KG in a uniform on the floor than in a suit on the bench.
The Lakers supplant the Nuggets in 7 and Cavs take advantage of fresh legs against the Celtics in 6.
It’s a Kobe-Lebron laden Finals and for the first time since 2003 the Larry O’Brien Trophy will be coming back to Los Angeles. Why – because they have a better coach, the Bryant-James matchup is deadlock, and the Lakers have an inside game.
Now the real question is – will Phil Jackson pull a Pat Riley and guarantee everyone that they will win another one the next year?
In order to win the NBA Finals you have to have all the pistons firing together as one unit. Chemistry is key, coaching is ever so important and you have to have that one player you know will score in crunch time when you HAVE to have a basket.
It’s funny – every year there is always one team in any kind of playoffs that just jumps out and surprises everyone. They just get on a roll and the train they’ve been conducting brings them all the way to the championship. Examples - 2008 New York Giants, 2007 Colorado Rockies and 2009 Michigan State Spartans.
But in the NBA you have to know who the contenders and pretenders are. You don’t just have one game to prove yourself, but a complete 7-game series, which allows for the average television viewer to analyze good coaching, changing defensive schemes and offenses that play together.
P.S. How much better did the Nuggets get after trading away I Shoot the Ball before I Pass Allen Iverson for I Pass the Ball before I Shoot Chauncey Billups?
Going into the Playoffs I had the Cavs and Lakers meeting in the Finals. One week later I thought for sure we would see the Bulls as that one team to surprise the nation and carry that firepower farther along. (Turns out they had Vinny Del Negro on their bench and the Celtics had something called experience on theirs).
What I am getting to is there are only certain teams that are truly good enough to win it all. Some are getting too old (Spurs and Pistons), others too young (Hawks and Bulls), while some are one player or coach away from taking the next big step (Blazers and Hornets).
Here are Five Key Points for a Championship Winning Team
1. You can’t win on jumpshots alone, you either need penetrators or at least someone who can play inside (goodbye Mavs, Bulls and Hawks)
2. On the other side of the ball you have to have a banger inside who can handle his own and get big rebounds in crunch time (like a Dennis Rodman in his prime).
3. You must have a coach on the sidelines who can teach DEFENSE and understands when not to call a time out (Phil Jackson) over those who take too many too early (Del Negro)
4. Bench Players have to step up and understand their roles (look at how big last year’s Celtics trio of Powe, Posey and House were for Boston’s championship)
5. When the game is tied and there is 30 seconds left then you have to have a player that has IT - when you get the ball there isn’t anybody out there that is going to stop you. Former champs Jordan, Wade and Duncan had it, and now Lebron and Kobe have IT. And IT is something that doesn’t come around but every once in a great while.
So which teams remaining in the playoffs have these five facets to WIN IT ALL do you ask?
The Lakers – Size (Pau Gasol), Defense and a player that can make all the shots in Kobe (I sexually assaulted a 19-yr old girl but got away with it) Bryant. Plus they have one of the best coaches in Phil I Don’t Take Timeouts Jackson and a plethora of role players such as Ariza, Walton, Bynum, Vujacic and Farmar.
The Rockets have a chance – with Yao I could have picked them over LA, but now after his injury they have as much of a chance to win as Jason Kidd does to dunk a basketball.
P.S. How much better are the Rockets without Tracy McGrady? Remember in Hoosiers when Coach Dale tells the team to pass the ball four times before they shoot? Well THIS Rockets team can do that. If T-Mac were to play he would be Ray from Hoosiers and maybe, just maybe Coach Rick Adelman would sit T-Mac to prove a point that he can play with four players on the floor, instead of five. What am I kidding, its the NBA…
The Denver Nuggets have one great player and all those others who understand their roles. Billups is the Butter to the Nuggets Bread, Nene and K-Mart handle down low and Melo is turning into a premier player in the league. Plus they have a smart coach in George Karl and many role players (Birdman, Anthony Carter, Kleiza, and Dahntay Jones)
Cavaliers – They have that one player with IT – Lebron James. And their team is not taking anything for granted right now. They know what it takes to win with defense and how to PLAY TOGETHER. They have role players in Varejao, Pavlovic, Gibson, Wallace, Wally World and Delonte (I Don’t Have Enough Tattoos) West.
The only problem is that they have yet to be tested strategically from a coaching standpoint and don’t have enough key veterans with playoff experience. They haven’t played a close game yet (won all by double digits) – so who is going to will them to the next level when it turns into crunch time and no one out there has been in a similar situation before.
Celtics – This is the one team that I truly can’t put a stamp on. They lost KG and Powe inside, yet Big Baby Davis is stepping up. My question is can Paul Pierce and Ray Allen carry their raggedy old bones to the next series after winning by the skin of their teeth against the Bulls? All I know is that Rajon Rondo has turned into a dominant point guard, Doc Rivers has been here before and they have more than anyone else has to play for – Defending as World Champs.
So from the words of Birdman who is going to be “popping champagne like we won the championship game,” come the end of June?
It comes down to these 4 teams (well 5 if Yao wasn’t hurt) and who has it to win it all.
A. The Lakers Have Everything
B. I would be scared of the Nuggets right now (if there was ever a team you wouldn’t want to face in a dark alley – it would be the Nuggets wouldn’t it?)
C. Everybody is jumping on the Cavaliers bandwagon just like last year’s exciting New Orleans Hornets. But do they have enough leadership to help them in the closing seconds of a tight game?
D. Celtics – They have the veterans, but boy wouldn’t it be better to see KG in a uniform on the floor than in a suit on the bench.
The Lakers supplant the Nuggets in 7 and Cavs take advantage of fresh legs against the Celtics in 6.
It’s a Kobe-Lebron laden Finals and for the first time since 2003 the Larry O’Brien Trophy will be coming back to Los Angeles. Why – because they have a better coach, the Bryant-James matchup is deadlock, and the Lakers have an inside game.
Now the real question is – will Phil Jackson pull a Pat Riley and guarantee everyone that they will win another one the next year?
Saturday, April 25, 2009
2009 NFL Draft Journal
14:50 -- The suspense is over, Matt Stafford has officially been taken by Detroit. The GM mentioned he liked such things as his field presence, his arm strength, and how he conducts himself in social atmospheres (?). Stafford's a wild card -- I can't determine if he's the real deal or his value was inflated by a weak draft. (Elsewhere in Norman, OK, Sam Bradford takes a HUGE sigh of relief. He just draft-dodged the Lions for next year since they've plugged the QB gap.)
15:00 -- Start of the 2009 NFL Draft. Just cracked the first beer. Sorry Boomer, as you announce the official sponsor of the draft as Coors Light, I glance at the MGD in my hand.
15:05 -- The Stafford announcement is made to a plethora of boos. Erin Andrews pulls him aside and mentions his desire for a challenge. I'd call resurrecting a team from 0-16 is more than just a challenge. Until Detroit bulks up the offensive line, they are setting Stafford up for failure.
15:15 -- St. Louis takes OT Jason Smith second and I like this pick. Some experts thought they should take Mark Sanchez, but they've already committed buckets of money to Bulger and decided to give him more room to work with. Ask Robert Griffin about Smith's talents, as he played a major role in keeping Baylor's offense productive.
15:24 -- Kansas City takes Tyson Jackson, a defensive end out of LSU. I didn't watch LSU much last year so I don't know much about him. Instead I'll compliment ESPN for assigning Erin Andrews to the draft. The woman is a goddess: beautiful, intelligent, and can talk sports with the best of them. She's the best thing about Thursday night college football.
15:32 -- Aaron Curry falls to Seattle to fill the void at outside linebacker. He's not very big, but he's quick to rush passes.
15:42 -- The hometown Jets take Sanchez at the five spot, resulting in mixed emotions in the crowd. Some love it, some hate it, and I'm somewhere in the middle. The Jets needed a quarterback and Sanchez comes from a big market area, but he's untested, took advantage of a superb USC line, and, like Stafford, looks better than he would in other drafts. Only time will tell...
15:50 -- Andre Smith to Cinci is a great pick. I'm still waiting on Carson Palmer's breakout season so bulking up the O-line can't hurt.
15:58 -- The first shocker of the draft comes courtesy of Oakland. They take WR Darrius Heywood-Bey over Michael Crabtree. They needed a wideout and must have been scared off by Crabtree's leg/speed/height. His stock fell fast at the NFL Combine after it was revealed Texas Tech listed him two inches too tall and he ran a slower 40m than most. I think he'll be a steal if he falls out of the top ten.
16:13 -- Andrews comments that Crabtree's table was relieved he didn't go to Oakland. Can't blame him, but he's hoping to go to Green Bay...
16:14 -- And he didn't. The Packers evidently didn't feel the need for an upgrade on offense. B.J. Raji is only the second defensive player selected thus far.
16:18 -- Bottom of the fourth, St. Louis strikes first off a Khalil Greene RBI double. I could write an entire post about how the internet and live gamecasts have made this world a better place.
16:21 -- The 49ers wisen up and draft Crabtree. Eighty-six percent of the online nation think it's the right move, the most supported pick all day. He'll significantly help their anemic offense, commanding double teams as a potential long threat. Even if he's a shade slower than the defense, he's a playmaker who reads passes well. Keep an eye on this guy.
16:32 -- Denver takes Knowshon Moreno and Washington takes Brian Orakpo with the 12th and 13th picks. I like the latter more, but Moreno might surprise; after trading Cutler, most thought the Broncos would take a QB. Dallas is going to be down this year and who knows what Eagles team will show up, so Washington takes an NFL-ready defensive end who can help their push for the playoffs.
16:39 -- Cubs are on the board, but still trail 3-1. Cubs-Cards have played four games, all down to the wire. Taking center stage in the best division in the NL, this 2009 rivalry may be one of the most pertinent in sports.
16:46 -- Now that we've reached the second-tier players of this draft, I take a moment to imagine how good next year's draft will be. It's no coincidence that the day after Bradford announced his intent to return to Oklahoma, Sanchez declared for the draft.
17:08 -- Just got back from making a beer run down the street to the trusty neighborhood gas station. Twelve packs of Miller High Life on sale? Allow me to revert back to my college sophmore year...
17:12 -- Somebody finally gambled on Josh Freeman. I've heard more than once he might be the sleeper in this draft.
17:23 -- Not sure why Jeremy Maclin fell this far. He was favored as a potential top ten talent, with Woody Paige strongly endorsing him on Around the Horn yesterday as the must-have offensive player in the draft. He'll fit in well at Phillie.
17:27 -- Albert Pujols just hit a grand slam. I challenge you to convince me he's not the best player in the majors.
17:28 -- Still undecided on Percy Harvin, I just saw him go to a division rival in Minnesota. Not entirely impressed, still he has yet to hit his ceiling. I'd be interested in the opinion of a particular Vikings fan (cough *Cale* cough).
17:52 -- ESPN aired another trailer for the new Star Trek movie. I've never seen an entire Star Trek movie and couldn't really get into any of the 17 tv shows, but it looks good. However, J.J. Abrams is hit or miss. Lost = Awesome, Cloverfield = Motion Sickness. If nothing else, I'll go see if Spock cuts anybody's head off using telekinesis.
18:00 -- Cardinals win, move four games ahead of the Cubs and claim the best record in baseball.
18:27 -- The first round ends 3.5 hours later. Notable late round picks include #26 OLB Clay Matthews (Green Bay needs improvement to the line if Aaron Rodgers is going to flourish), #29 WR Hakeem Nicks (provides another speedy target for Eli Manning), and #31 RB Beanie Wells (may become one of the biggest flops of this first round).
18:33 -- Feeling better about the Bears forfeiting their early round picks for Jay Cutler. We're set at QB for the next 10 years and there wasn't anybody in this draft they simply had to have. I'll let you know where I plan to have the post Super Bowl party.
15:00 -- Start of the 2009 NFL Draft. Just cracked the first beer. Sorry Boomer, as you announce the official sponsor of the draft as Coors Light, I glance at the MGD in my hand.
15:05 -- The Stafford announcement is made to a plethora of boos. Erin Andrews pulls him aside and mentions his desire for a challenge. I'd call resurrecting a team from 0-16 is more than just a challenge. Until Detroit bulks up the offensive line, they are setting Stafford up for failure.
15:15 -- St. Louis takes OT Jason Smith second and I like this pick. Some experts thought they should take Mark Sanchez, but they've already committed buckets of money to Bulger and decided to give him more room to work with. Ask Robert Griffin about Smith's talents, as he played a major role in keeping Baylor's offense productive.
15:24 -- Kansas City takes Tyson Jackson, a defensive end out of LSU. I didn't watch LSU much last year so I don't know much about him. Instead I'll compliment ESPN for assigning Erin Andrews to the draft. The woman is a goddess: beautiful, intelligent, and can talk sports with the best of them. She's the best thing about Thursday night college football.
15:32 -- Aaron Curry falls to Seattle to fill the void at outside linebacker. He's not very big, but he's quick to rush passes.
15:42 -- The hometown Jets take Sanchez at the five spot, resulting in mixed emotions in the crowd. Some love it, some hate it, and I'm somewhere in the middle. The Jets needed a quarterback and Sanchez comes from a big market area, but he's untested, took advantage of a superb USC line, and, like Stafford, looks better than he would in other drafts. Only time will tell...
15:50 -- Andre Smith to Cinci is a great pick. I'm still waiting on Carson Palmer's breakout season so bulking up the O-line can't hurt.
15:58 -- The first shocker of the draft comes courtesy of Oakland. They take WR Darrius Heywood-Bey over Michael Crabtree. They needed a wideout and must have been scared off by Crabtree's leg/speed/height. His stock fell fast at the NFL Combine after it was revealed Texas Tech listed him two inches too tall and he ran a slower 40m than most. I think he'll be a steal if he falls out of the top ten.
16:13 -- Andrews comments that Crabtree's table was relieved he didn't go to Oakland. Can't blame him, but he's hoping to go to Green Bay...
16:14 -- And he didn't. The Packers evidently didn't feel the need for an upgrade on offense. B.J. Raji is only the second defensive player selected thus far.
16:18 -- Bottom of the fourth, St. Louis strikes first off a Khalil Greene RBI double. I could write an entire post about how the internet and live gamecasts have made this world a better place.
16:21 -- The 49ers wisen up and draft Crabtree. Eighty-six percent of the online nation think it's the right move, the most supported pick all day. He'll significantly help their anemic offense, commanding double teams as a potential long threat. Even if he's a shade slower than the defense, he's a playmaker who reads passes well. Keep an eye on this guy.
16:32 -- Denver takes Knowshon Moreno and Washington takes Brian Orakpo with the 12th and 13th picks. I like the latter more, but Moreno might surprise; after trading Cutler, most thought the Broncos would take a QB. Dallas is going to be down this year and who knows what Eagles team will show up, so Washington takes an NFL-ready defensive end who can help their push for the playoffs.
16:39 -- Cubs are on the board, but still trail 3-1. Cubs-Cards have played four games, all down to the wire. Taking center stage in the best division in the NL, this 2009 rivalry may be one of the most pertinent in sports.
16:46 -- Now that we've reached the second-tier players of this draft, I take a moment to imagine how good next year's draft will be. It's no coincidence that the day after Bradford announced his intent to return to Oklahoma, Sanchez declared for the draft.
17:08 -- Just got back from making a beer run down the street to the trusty neighborhood gas station. Twelve packs of Miller High Life on sale? Allow me to revert back to my college sophmore year...
17:12 -- Somebody finally gambled on Josh Freeman. I've heard more than once he might be the sleeper in this draft.
17:23 -- Not sure why Jeremy Maclin fell this far. He was favored as a potential top ten talent, with Woody Paige strongly endorsing him on Around the Horn yesterday as the must-have offensive player in the draft. He'll fit in well at Phillie.
17:27 -- Albert Pujols just hit a grand slam. I challenge you to convince me he's not the best player in the majors.
17:28 -- Still undecided on Percy Harvin, I just saw him go to a division rival in Minnesota. Not entirely impressed, still he has yet to hit his ceiling. I'd be interested in the opinion of a particular Vikings fan (cough *Cale* cough).
17:52 -- ESPN aired another trailer for the new Star Trek movie. I've never seen an entire Star Trek movie and couldn't really get into any of the 17 tv shows, but it looks good. However, J.J. Abrams is hit or miss. Lost = Awesome, Cloverfield = Motion Sickness. If nothing else, I'll go see if Spock cuts anybody's head off using telekinesis.
18:00 -- Cardinals win, move four games ahead of the Cubs and claim the best record in baseball.
18:27 -- The first round ends 3.5 hours later. Notable late round picks include #26 OLB Clay Matthews (Green Bay needs improvement to the line if Aaron Rodgers is going to flourish), #29 WR Hakeem Nicks (provides another speedy target for Eli Manning), and #31 RB Beanie Wells (may become one of the biggest flops of this first round).
18:33 -- Feeling better about the Bears forfeiting their early round picks for Jay Cutler. We're set at QB for the next 10 years and there wasn't anybody in this draft they simply had to have. I'll let you know where I plan to have the post Super Bowl party.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
March Madness Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight Recap
The Final Four is set. No Big XII teams, one Big Eleven team. Obama could still potentially beat all of us except Rickers. The chalkboard bracket is winning. Well, son of a bitch...
For the record:
The updated standings:
For the record:-The winners of the Sweet Sixteen were Armbrecht and Kassel with 6/8 correct.
-The winners of the Elite Eight were Beyer, Kelly, and Alberty with 2/4 correct.
-Slik Rick and Armbrecht both have the most points possible remaining as the only brackets with their champions still alive.
-The only bracket to get a region completely correct was Beyer (the South).
-The only brackets to predict the lowest seeded Final Four participant, #3 Villanova, were Kelly and JWill.
-The top four finishes are all up for grabs, while everyone lower has no more PPR.
-Of the eight possible championship game scenarios: three outcomes result in Armbrecht winning (UConn def. UNC, UConn def. Vill, Vill def. UConn), three outcomes result in Beyer winning (MSU def. UNC, MSU def. Vill, Vill def. MSU), and two outcomes result in Rickers winning (UNC def. UConn, UNC def. MSU).
Thursday, March 26, 2009
March Madness Second Round Recap
After a first round with plenty of upsets, the second round didn't provide as much drama. For the first time ever, all twelve of the 1, 2, and 3 seeds made it to the Sweet 16. Goddam chalkboard bracket. The best finish to a game thus far was Western Kentucky vs Gonzaga, as WKU just missed out on putting two of the mighty 12 seeds into the mix. From here on out is when things get interesting...
Some notes:
The updated standings:
Some notes:-The winner of the second round was Armbrecht with 14/16 correct.
-The brackets with unique Final Four picks are: Alberty (Michigan State), Hertel (Texas), and Theo (AZ State).
-The brackets that already have a Final Four pick eliminated are: Hertel (Texas), Theo (AZ State), JWill (Marquette), and Alberty (Marquette).
-The brackets that picked the lone cinderella (#12 Arizona) are: Hertel, Kelly, and Theo.
-8/13 brackets have all four #1 seeds survive to the Elite Eight.
-8/13 brackets have at least one Big XII team in the Final Four.
-12/13 brackets have at least one Big East team in the Final Four. (Theo is the exception.)
Friday, March 20, 2009
March Madness First Round Recap
You'd think this would be my year. Three 12th seeds won, there is a region in which the 9/10/11/12/13 seeds all won, and it seems everyone is beating the chalkboard bracket. Well, everyone except for me. Those who know me well know I prefer that upsets and chaos rule the tourney, but after last year's all #1 Final Four I guess it made me a bit conservative. (It doesn't help when five of my picks had chances at the buzzer to win and missed.) At least I'm beating the president of The United States of America...
Anyways, it's early and there are lots of games to be played, but here are the current standings after the round of 64:
1) Beyer: 280
2) Kody: 260
T-3) Armbrecht: 250
T-3) Kassel: 250
T-3) Deni: 250
6) Alberty: 240
T-7) Fischer: 230
T-7) Krull: 230
T-7) Slik Rick: 230
T-7) JWill: 230
T-7) Theo: 230
12) Hertel: 220
13) Kelly: 200
A few facts from the first round:
-Some home team bias was evident as 10 picked USC and 7 picked Northern Iowa.
-Other biases served beneficial as the Big XII went 6-0.
-Beyer correctly picked the first 25 games.
-The only one to predict the biggest upset (Cleveland St. over Wake Forest) was Krull.
-Krull and Kelly are the only brackets to have two of their Elite Eight eliminated.
-Seth dodged the biggest bullet when Marquette (which he has in the final) squeaked by Utah St. 58-57.
Anyways, it's early and there are lots of games to be played, but here are the current standings after the round of 64:
1) Beyer: 280
2) Kody: 260
T-3) Armbrecht: 250
T-3) Kassel: 250
T-3) Deni: 250
6) Alberty: 240
T-7) Fischer: 230
T-7) Krull: 230
T-7) Slik Rick: 230
T-7) JWill: 230
T-7) Theo: 230
12) Hertel: 220
13) Kelly: 200
A few facts from the first round:
-Some home team bias was evident as 10 picked USC and 7 picked Northern Iowa.
-Other biases served beneficial as the Big XII went 6-0.
-Beyer correctly picked the first 25 games.
-The only one to predict the biggest upset (Cleveland St. over Wake Forest) was Krull.
-Krull and Kelly are the only brackets to have two of their Elite Eight eliminated.
-Seth dodged the biggest bullet when Marquette (which he has in the final) squeaked by Utah St. 58-57.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A-Rod's Bluff
Alex Rodriguez is bluffing.
I may be right. I may be wrong.
All I know is A-Rod took steroids, and now is going to escape a terrifying storm that is the New York media for two months with an “opt to have surgery for a cyst on his hip.” That is more than convenient for the 3-time MVP, who has played in 141 games or more in 11 of the last 13 years. Now Rodriguez can just sit in Cancun with Jessica Simpson for two months and collect the largest paycheck from the scroogest of all scrooges – George Steinbrenner.
The following conversation is with Steinbrenner and his unpaid intern who has unequivocally called in sick to work more days than Charles Barkley has come to work sober.
“Bah Humbug,” says Steinbrenner. “Who is the next one on our list to heed from the basements of the majors? I know - call up Jason Giambi’s agent - I think he might be interested in becoming a Yankee”
“But sir,” exclaims the sea monster’s helpless intern. “Giambi already went back to the A’s with a no-trade clause on his contract.”
“Bah Humbug,” yells Steinbrenner. “Screw contracts. I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse. And get Billy Martin down here. We need a new manager too. Now where is my one-a-day pill!”
The most talked about scandal since O.J. Simpson gives me the impression that A-Rod is settling in court (to MLB), so that instead of serving jail time (facing the New York media) he is taking a reduced sentence (crying in front of Peter Gammons) for a few dollars out of his own pocket (the man makes $25 million a year, and that’s without incentives or endorsements).
Seriously it can’t be that hard to make up a story about an “injury” when you get paid more bucks than Dickie V says “baby.” A-Rod could give some of his pocket change to his media assistant, and all of a sudden he has a hip injury. He knows that he needs to escape from the media’s limelight – even if it is for a short while. So why not just say you have an injury, sit out spring training and the first month of the season, and come back somewhat unscathed in the process.
The guy is taking a leave of absence at the perfect time. By the time A-Rod comes back to play in May the dust would probably be close to settling in the new Yankee Stadium. The cloud over his head would almost be gone, and there won’t be a “Sportscenter Breaking News” moment every time the Yankees are having a press conference.
Rodriguez will get back just in time to finish out the final five months of the season. The Yankees won’t miss him at all. I mean seriously, how important are the first 25 games when your 12-time All-Star will be back for the final 137?
I will bring back from the grave two other athletes who had lied and cheated at different points in their lives, and how all of a sudden their deceit and treachery left their sides as if they were innocent all along.
Kobe Bryant’s lawsuit was the talk of the town in 2004. Everyday there was something on ESPN pertaining to the trial, negotiations and Kobe’s personal life. Then all of a sudden it was over, no more. Apparently the witness refused to testify. Nobody knows what came out of the trial, but just like Warden Norton in Shawshank Redemption said after Andy escapes, “vanished like a fart in the wind,” it sure did die quickly.
In 2003 Barry Bonds won his fourth straight MVP award. In 2004 he was brought up for steroid use. Following the allegations Bonds found something wrong with his knee and decided to have three surgeries. He ended up playing in only 14 of the 165 possible games in 2005. After the steroid talk Barry took off five months, only to come back in September and hit four homeruns in four consecutive games. This steroidphile, whose head has expanded as fast as his testicles have dropped, had played in 130 games 16 of the previous 18 seasons. He had never played less than 102 games in his career, but all of a sudden – in demise with the media – Bonds had a knee problem.
Here is a short timeline on our new counterpart - A-Rod
Feb. 10, 2009 – Alex Rodriguez admits to Peter Gammons that he took steroids from 2001-03
Feb. 25 – Speaks at Press Conference at Yankee’s Spring Training in Tampa addressing media for first time since his interview
Feb. 28 – Examined by team physician about possible hip injury
Mar. 1 – Meets with MLB officials about steroid use
Mar. 3 - Rodriguez goes to specialist in Colorado about injury
Mar. 4 – Cyst revealed and word comes that hip was bothering Rodriguez the previous season
Mar. 5 – Torn labrum in hip is announced with possible surgery (could be out up to 10 weeks)
Mar. 6 – Hip surgery is worst-case scenario for Rodriguez, but specialist indicates there is a very good chance that Rodriguez could play the whole year with the labrum tear.
Mar. 8 – A-Rod opts for surgery and will miss 6-9 weeks
It turns out that in less than a week A-Rod goes from all of a sudden having hip problems to saying he can play to opting for surgery. Why wouldn’t he?
Rodriguez is one hell of a player. But he cheated, and I will forever remember him with an asterisk next to his future records, just like Barry Bonds. The same can be said about my respect for Kobe Bryant for committing adultery on his wife and Pete Rose for gambling on baseball. Corruption is evident in the game of sports, but its too sad that some people can get away with it.
I may not be a World Series of Poker player, but A-Rod I can see right through your bluff.
I may be right. I may be wrong.
All I know is A-Rod took steroids, and now is going to escape a terrifying storm that is the New York media for two months with an “opt to have surgery for a cyst on his hip.” That is more than convenient for the 3-time MVP, who has played in 141 games or more in 11 of the last 13 years. Now Rodriguez can just sit in Cancun with Jessica Simpson for two months and collect the largest paycheck from the scroogest of all scrooges – George Steinbrenner.
The following conversation is with Steinbrenner and his unpaid intern who has unequivocally called in sick to work more days than Charles Barkley has come to work sober.
“Bah Humbug,” says Steinbrenner. “Who is the next one on our list to heed from the basements of the majors? I know - call up Jason Giambi’s agent - I think he might be interested in becoming a Yankee”
“But sir,” exclaims the sea monster’s helpless intern. “Giambi already went back to the A’s with a no-trade clause on his contract.”
“Bah Humbug,” yells Steinbrenner. “Screw contracts. I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse. And get Billy Martin down here. We need a new manager too. Now where is my one-a-day pill!”
The most talked about scandal since O.J. Simpson gives me the impression that A-Rod is settling in court (to MLB), so that instead of serving jail time (facing the New York media) he is taking a reduced sentence (crying in front of Peter Gammons) for a few dollars out of his own pocket (the man makes $25 million a year, and that’s without incentives or endorsements).
Seriously it can’t be that hard to make up a story about an “injury” when you get paid more bucks than Dickie V says “baby.” A-Rod could give some of his pocket change to his media assistant, and all of a sudden he has a hip injury. He knows that he needs to escape from the media’s limelight – even if it is for a short while. So why not just say you have an injury, sit out spring training and the first month of the season, and come back somewhat unscathed in the process.
The guy is taking a leave of absence at the perfect time. By the time A-Rod comes back to play in May the dust would probably be close to settling in the new Yankee Stadium. The cloud over his head would almost be gone, and there won’t be a “Sportscenter Breaking News” moment every time the Yankees are having a press conference.
Rodriguez will get back just in time to finish out the final five months of the season. The Yankees won’t miss him at all. I mean seriously, how important are the first 25 games when your 12-time All-Star will be back for the final 137?
I will bring back from the grave two other athletes who had lied and cheated at different points in their lives, and how all of a sudden their deceit and treachery left their sides as if they were innocent all along.
Kobe Bryant’s lawsuit was the talk of the town in 2004. Everyday there was something on ESPN pertaining to the trial, negotiations and Kobe’s personal life. Then all of a sudden it was over, no more. Apparently the witness refused to testify. Nobody knows what came out of the trial, but just like Warden Norton in Shawshank Redemption said after Andy escapes, “vanished like a fart in the wind,” it sure did die quickly.
In 2003 Barry Bonds won his fourth straight MVP award. In 2004 he was brought up for steroid use. Following the allegations Bonds found something wrong with his knee and decided to have three surgeries. He ended up playing in only 14 of the 165 possible games in 2005. After the steroid talk Barry took off five months, only to come back in September and hit four homeruns in four consecutive games. This steroidphile, whose head has expanded as fast as his testicles have dropped, had played in 130 games 16 of the previous 18 seasons. He had never played less than 102 games in his career, but all of a sudden – in demise with the media – Bonds had a knee problem.
Here is a short timeline on our new counterpart - A-Rod
Feb. 10, 2009 – Alex Rodriguez admits to Peter Gammons that he took steroids from 2001-03
Feb. 25 – Speaks at Press Conference at Yankee’s Spring Training in Tampa addressing media for first time since his interview
Feb. 28 – Examined by team physician about possible hip injury
Mar. 1 – Meets with MLB officials about steroid use
Mar. 3 - Rodriguez goes to specialist in Colorado about injury
Mar. 4 – Cyst revealed and word comes that hip was bothering Rodriguez the previous season
Mar. 5 – Torn labrum in hip is announced with possible surgery (could be out up to 10 weeks)
Mar. 6 – Hip surgery is worst-case scenario for Rodriguez, but specialist indicates there is a very good chance that Rodriguez could play the whole year with the labrum tear.
Mar. 8 – A-Rod opts for surgery and will miss 6-9 weeks
It turns out that in less than a week A-Rod goes from all of a sudden having hip problems to saying he can play to opting for surgery. Why wouldn’t he?
Rodriguez is one hell of a player. But he cheated, and I will forever remember him with an asterisk next to his future records, just like Barry Bonds. The same can be said about my respect for Kobe Bryant for committing adultery on his wife and Pete Rose for gambling on baseball. Corruption is evident in the game of sports, but its too sad that some people can get away with it.
I may not be a World Series of Poker player, but A-Rod I can see right through your bluff.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Stat of the Day: 2/20/09
St. Louis Cardinal great Stan "The Man" Musial finished his Hall of Fame career with 3630 hits. Musial, an incredibly balanced and unnerved batter, totaled 1815 hits at home and 1815 hit on the road.
Re: The BCS is a Mess...
Now, I'm normally a bit of an idealist when it comes to sports. I prefer stances of principle, steadfast rules, and even a hint of could-have/should-have attitude, albeit not necessarily by choice. However, I've taken the realistic route in regard to the BCS. (Pardon the alliteration.) I don't find it overly terrible in the current format, but I have voiced my fandom of the playoff initiative, particularly a four-team tourney that spans two weeks. It's no March Madness, but it's a start. Eight teams may be the goal, but four is a step in the right direction, and one that's more possible at this point. The method in which those teams is chosen is up for debate...
Before it gets forgotten completely, I'd like to revisit last year's results. For starters, I don't understand how an Oklahoma win would have thrown the BCS into more disarray. OU was #1 and UF was #2: no matter who won, they weren't going to get leaped. Either way we'd end up with the same situation, the "three teams with one loss (and one with none!)" scenario was going to be the outcome irregardless of the victor.
What's overlooked is the fact that the humans got it wrong! This fiasco exists as a byproduct of voter arrogance and major-conference machoism. Finally we get handed a college football season in which the BCS had a chance to prove itself -- to be vindicated for past seasons of uncertainty and unfairness -- and the very persons who lobby for the need of a playoff and condemn the system blew it. Utah could have and should have been national champions! (Ok, there's a dash of idealism.) The reality is this: we have a team that played in a conference that statistically measured up to some of the majors, went undefeated, was doubted and denied a chance to prove themselves, was picked by all the experts to get throttled by Alabama, won convincingly, and wasn't named national champion because the writers and coaches refused to admit their mistake.
I'm not claiming the Utes beat Oklahoma or Florida, but you better believe the possibility was there for this mess to unravel an undisputed champ. Shall we take an over/under on how many times this needs to happen before the voters realize the error in their ways? Or maybe Utah just needs to join the Big Ten.
Before it gets forgotten completely, I'd like to revisit last year's results. For starters, I don't understand how an Oklahoma win would have thrown the BCS into more disarray. OU was #1 and UF was #2: no matter who won, they weren't going to get leaped. Either way we'd end up with the same situation, the "three teams with one loss (and one with none!)" scenario was going to be the outcome irregardless of the victor.
What's overlooked is the fact that the humans got it wrong! This fiasco exists as a byproduct of voter arrogance and major-conference machoism. Finally we get handed a college football season in which the BCS had a chance to prove itself -- to be vindicated for past seasons of uncertainty and unfairness -- and the very persons who lobby for the need of a playoff and condemn the system blew it. Utah could have and should have been national champions! (Ok, there's a dash of idealism.) The reality is this: we have a team that played in a conference that statistically measured up to some of the majors, went undefeated, was doubted and denied a chance to prove themselves, was picked by all the experts to get throttled by Alabama, won convincingly, and wasn't named national champion because the writers and coaches refused to admit their mistake.
I'm not claiming the Utes beat Oklahoma or Florida, but you better believe the possibility was there for this mess to unravel an undisputed champ. Shall we take an over/under on how many times this needs to happen before the voters realize the error in their ways? Or maybe Utah just needs to join the Big Ten.
Friday, January 09, 2009
The BCS is a Mess...
...and so is NCAA football. The only thing Florida, Tim Tebow, and the Gators won outright are people's apparent confusion as to what "John 3:16" is.
Is Florida the national champion? Yes. No. And no. (By the way, ESPN - the "Chompions"? How terrible is that headline?)
Last night I cheered hard for the Sooners. I must admit - I am no lover of Oklahoma football, and I usually only cheer for Big 12 teams when they play Big 10 teams (by the way Big 10: 1 for 6 in bowls? Only Iowa can beat a team from another conference? Ouch...). The reason I cheered for Oklahoma was that a Sooner win last night would throw the BCS into an even bigger disaster than it is now. Three teams with one loss (and one with none!) and only one gets to be that National Champions without even ever playing the others? Do you see why I wanted Oklahoma to win?
I know that some of you won't agree with me on this one, but I think that this year above all others the BCS has utterly failed at delivering an uncontested national champion. It's time for some playoffs.
Is Florida the national champion? Yes. No. And no. (By the way, ESPN - the "Chompions"? How terrible is that headline?)
Last night I cheered hard for the Sooners. I must admit - I am no lover of Oklahoma football, and I usually only cheer for Big 12 teams when they play Big 10 teams (by the way Big 10: 1 for 6 in bowls? Only Iowa can beat a team from another conference? Ouch...). The reason I cheered for Oklahoma was that a Sooner win last night would throw the BCS into an even bigger disaster than it is now. Three teams with one loss (and one with none!) and only one gets to be that National Champions without even ever playing the others? Do you see why I wanted Oklahoma to win?
I know that some of you won't agree with me on this one, but I think that this year above all others the BCS has utterly failed at delivering an uncontested national champion. It's time for some playoffs.
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