UCONN's Streak Ends..But Was it a Set Up?

Pretty much every sports fan knows that the UCONN women's basketball team broke the late, great John Wooden's consecutive college basketball winning streak of 88 straight games last week against Florida State. They then beat Pacific to make it 90 in a row. There most recent stop was Stanford in Stanford. Stanford gave UCONN a taste of its own medicine, routing the Husky girls by 12, 71-59, and that was the end of the streak. My question is: was the UCONN schedule set up to break the streak by 2 and then lose to Stanford away? You'd be surprised to see how it looks to be that way.

If you look at UCONN's schedule, only 1 one of the 12 teams they played before facing Stanford had a shot at beating them, and that was Baylor. Baylor almost did beat them too, but UCONN made a huge comeback in the 2nd half and edged out a 65-64 victory. The game against Baylor was the second game of the season. One could say that the streak was supposed to end their, without UCONN making history, and that their victory was kind of a surprise 'hey look what we did' type thing. They squashed a big lead in that game and then came back from an 8-point deficit with about 7 minutes to go to win it. Even Coach Geno Auriemma seemed surprised after that victory as he was quoted saying: "...The improbable happened, people other than Maya (Moore) began scoring."

Stanford had a streak of their own going into their match up against UCONN. They hadn't lost a game on their home floor since March 2007, a span of 52 games, and it stayed that way once their game against UCONN ended. In fact, UCONN has never beaten Stanford in Stanford, losing all three career meetings there. Throw in the facts that in their last three meetings Stanford has led at halftime, that UCONN was down 13 early in the game and never led, which was the first time in 5 years that happened, and that Moore only had 14 points while going shooting only 33% from the field, and this game looks a little fishy.

No one will ever be able to prove if the streak was supposed to end in Stanford, but there are quite the facts to make it seem that way. Not to mention it only seems logical to lose early in the season against one of the best teams in the nation on their home court where they haven't lost in over three and a half years. I mean once they broke the streak, what was the sense in keeping it going much longer? Everybody already knows they are a dominant force. Plus it only places more pressure on the girls the longer the streak continues. In any case, the streak has ended...and I believe it did so just as planned.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=303640024
http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/team/_/id/41/connecticut-huskies
http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/team/_/id/41/connecticut-huskies

The King Proclaims Contraction

Last week LeBron James talked about getting the NBA back to the way it was in the 80's, a great, less watered down NBA. The teams of the 80's has 3 or 4 superstars on each team and it made nearly every team exciting to watch. James attributes the better time to having less teams, and stated that the NBA would be better if it contracted. He mentioned the Nets and T-Wolves has teams that could be dropped. His comments caused quite a stir, but the big picture is that LeBron James is missing the big picture.

First off, the 80's were not much different than today. The same few teams were at the top of the divisions then just like now. The Finals were dominated by the Lakers and Celtics with the two combining to win 8 titles from 79-89. The two other teams to win were the Sixers and Pistons. Something similar happened this past decade except with the Lakers and Spurs. The only difference between then and now was that less teams missed the playoffs because the League was smaller.

When you compare decades, you have to consider all things involved, not just one. LeBron basically said the 80's were better because the League was smaller and it resulted in more powerhouse teams with elite players. Well alright, that was a small part of it. The 80's also had more elite players than today. I found a list of the top 50 players from the 80's and players like Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and Clyde Drexler didn't even crack the top 25. Of course the list was some guy's opinion, but it just goes to show that there were so many good players in the NBA in the 80's that he ranked Ewing 40th, Malone 32nd, and Drexler 26th.

The players of the 80's were not making millions of dollars to play either like players are today. It's a lot easier to put stars on the same team when they don't cost 15 million dollars a year. To what money into perspective, Larry Bird, best player of the 80's, made about 26 million throughout his entire career with the Celtics. James, arguably best player of the present, made 16 million last year alone with the Cavs. A lot of sacrifices have to be made in today's NBA if you want to build a super trio, and the Heat demonstrated this with James, Dewayne Wade, and Chris Bosh all taking less than their max.

In conclusion, lowering salaries would probably be the best option to better the NBA, not contracting. LeBron James being a player though, he wouldn't dare talk about cutting salary, and so he offered up contraction instead. When you talk about bettering anything, your going to get different options depending on where the person stands in the situation. As a star player, James said contraction because he will always have a job. An average player might say limit the number of star players on a team so that average to decent players could get a chance. As a fan, I said cut salary. A scout or coach might say let younger players come to the League faster. In the end, it will only matter what Commissioner David Stern thinks will make the League better, and he certainly knows what the big picture is.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/news/story?id=5952952
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1980finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1981finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1982finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1983finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1984finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1985finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1986finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1987finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1988finaldiv.htm
http://www.shrpsports.com/nba/stand/1989finaldiv.htm
http://forums.thesmartmarks.com/lofiversion/index.php?t56180.html
http://my.nba.com/go/thread/view/81689/22589581/Larry_Birds_Salary.....
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html

Waffling at Failure

The Toronto Maple Leafs currently have a losing record. One fan was quite upset with the early failures of his beloved hockey team. So upset that he threw waffles on the ice during the game at the Air Canada Centre against the Atlanta Thrashers on Monday. This act of throwing waffles was his way of protesting the team's poor performance so far. He was arrested and charged with criminal mischief. He has also been banned from the arena and two other venues that hold Maple Leaf events, BMO Field and Ricoh Coliseum.

The Maple Leafs are currently 12-17-4, with the last 4 meaning overtime losses since there are no more ties in hockey. The record itself is not really that bad, but when you here more stats things get worse. The Leafs are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have the third lowest point total in the NHL with 28. During the end of October through the the middle of the November they went on an 8-game losing streak. Their highest winning streak is 4 games, which they did the first 4 games of the season, since then they are 8-17-4. They have been shutout 6 times during this span. Every loss they have had this month has been by 3 or more goals as well.

It is certainly understandable why fans would be frustrated by the team. What I don't understand is why this fan decided to show his frustration by chucking waffles onto the ice. All I can think of is that he was personifying the saying 'waffling at success,' but people would have to think a bit before getting what he meant if this is truly what he was going for. Not to mention he probably looked like an idiot throwing waffles onto the ice and then getting arrested for doing so. Here's a bit of advice for frustrated fans reading this article: if you don't like your team's performance, then do what normal fans do and boo. It's much easier, to the point, and won't get you arrested and banned from multiple sporting venues. Literally waffling at failure is not OK people.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5948109
http://espn.go.com/nhl/team/schedule/_/name/tor/toronto-maple-leafs
http://espn.go.com/nhl/standings

Storming in with a Championship Mentality

The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team hired a new coach in the offseason looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament. They hired Steve Lavin, the former UCLA coach who has been to many NCAA Tournaments in the past. The team was greatly hyped before the season started and everyone thought this would be the year St. John's men's basketball would be back on the map. The team is off to a 7-3 start with tough losses to St. Mary's, St. Bonaventure, and Fordham. The Johnnies are piling up tournament victories though, winning both in-season tournaments they have been in.

The first of the two was in Alaska and it was called the Great Alaska Shootout. The 8-team tournament has been held annually every Thanksgiving since 1978. The seven teams in it besides St. John's were: Arizona State, Drake, Ball State, Weber State, University of Alaska-Anchorage, Southern Utah, and Houston Baptist. St. John's played Ball State and then Drake to get to the championship game. The Ball State game was a close game with the Red Storm winning 78-73 while the Drake game was a blowout with the Red Storm winning 82-39. The Johnnies played Arizona State in tournament finale, beating them 67-58. This was St. John's first tournament win since 2005.

The second of the two happened over the last couple of days in New York City at Madison Square Garden. The tournament is called the Holiday Festival at MSG. This tournament is small and consisted of Davidson, St. Francis (NY), and Northwestern besides St. John's. St. John's beat Davidson on Monday, 62-57, to advance to the championship game. Unbeaten Northwestern also made it to the final. But facing an undefeated opponent did not phase the Red Storm as they won their first Holiday Festival since 2005, 85-69.
It was the first time St. John's won two in-season tournaments since the legendary Lou Carnesecca led the then-Redmen to victories at the Lapchick Memorial and Cougar Classic.

The Johnnies have 7 wins overall, 5 of them coming in tournaments. They are currently unbeaten during tournament play and they look great during games that matter. This could bode well for the team when they face the other teams of the tough Big East, which currently boasts 5 teams in the Top 10. This is starting to look like the year St. John's goes somewhere in the men's basketball category of sports. If they keep up this championship mentality, then there is no stopping them.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Alaska_Shootout#Men.27s_Tournament
http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303292599
http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303302181
http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303312599
http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303542599
http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303552599

Destination of Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb's days of running the Washington Redskins offense are over this year, and maybe forever. Head coach Mike Shanahan has benched him for the rest of the season in order to look at the other quarterbacks on the roster. McNabb will not even be the backup either. He will be placed 3rd on the depth chart behind Rex Grossman, the new starter, and John Beck. McNabb has struggled mightily this year and the Redskins cannot make the playoffs, and so Shanahan has decided to use the final three games to evaluate Grossman and Beck.

McNabb has had a miserable season this year. His numbers look like those of his rookie season as a Philadelphia Eagle a decade ago, except with more interceptions. This year he has a career-high 15 picks compared to only 14 touchdowns. If it is true that he will not play again this year, it will be the first time in his career that he finished with more picks than scores. His passer rating is also a career-low 77.1. The only stat that looks right for McNabb this year is his passing yards. He totaled 3,377 this year, which is good for 4th best over his 12 year career. It is unclear whether his poor year is because of a downgrade in players around him or if he has started his decline.

McNabb has not reached the age of no return as three of the elite quarterbacks are over 30 years old with 2 of them being the same age as McNabb, 34. The three QB's I'm referring to are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees. Manning and Brees are each having fine years at ages 34 and 31. Brady is having a phenomenal year posting numbers similar to his career year in 2007 and he is also age 34. The common factor that Brady, Manning, and Brees have that McNabb doesn't is that they have plenty of weapons to go to. In New England, everybody knows about Welker and Branch, but besides them Brady also has two good rookie tight ends and a receiver-back that has also proved to be quite useful. In Indianapolis, Manning has Wayne and Garcon, and usually more if injuries didn't take down Dallas Clark and Austin Collie. But backups Jacob Tamme and Blair White have proved to be viable options in place of those two. In New Orleans, Brees has Colston, Meachem, Henderson, Moore, and Thomas along with two viable tight ends. But in D.C., McNabb only has veterans Santana Moss and Chris Cooley. He also has young receiver Anthony Armstrong, but he really is only a deep threat. Donovan McNabb simply does not have the firepower to put up good numbers, not to mention a shaky line that has allowed him to be sacked 37 times.

Last month  McNabb signed a 5-year, 78 mil extension with the Redskins and said he could see himself playing for the Redskins for the rest of his career. But that can be easily disregarded because the only guarantees of the extension was that McNabb got a 3.5 million dollar raise this year. There is a clause in the contract that allows the Skins to cut McNabb at any point before next season and all financial obligations will be dropped. With Shanahan telling McNabb that he may not be on the team next year, you can rest assure he will not be on the roster for the 2011 Skins. This immediately brings up the question, where is McNabb's next destination?

There are plenty of teams that need a QB, like: Seattle, Carolina, Buffalo, San Fran, and Minnesota. Tennessee, Oakland, and the New York Jets could also be possible suitors. If teams look at this as a fluke year because of little talent on Washington's offense, then McNabb may be in for quite the payday. But if teams look at this year as the start of his decline, then he will probably only get a 1 or 2 year contract paying him modest money. Regardless of how much he gets paid, if he becomes a free agent, the media will be all over it. The sports world could very well see three straight seasons of dominated by one free agent. First it was the Summer of LeBron, then the Winter of Lee followed, and it looks like the next stop on this wild ride is the Spring of McNabb.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5929516
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1753
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2330
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1428
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2580

Phil-Lee Bound

Cliff Lee made his decision about where he will be playing the next several seasons a few days ago. The hottest pitching commodity of this season took himself all the market by signing a 5-yr 120 million contract to play for the Philadelphia Phillies. The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers were thought to be the front runner to sign Lee, but the Phils decided to get into involved recently and it did not take very long Lee to agree after the offer was made. Yankees and Rangers fans are probably pissed right now that Lee took the deal worth the least amount of money, but they are just bitter because he won't be pitching for their teams. Let's find out if Lee chose the right team.

Lee himself was officially introduced yesterday to the Phillies. In his press conference he said all the right things. He said it wasn't about who could pay him the most. He wasn't afraid to pitch in New York or angry about the spitting incident, which he doesn't believe happened. He said it was about him and his family being comfortable, and winning championships. He liked Philadelphia during his first go around, and never wanted to leave. He understood being traded though and thought he'd never have the chance to return. So when the opportunity presented itself, of course he was willing to take less money to return to the city he loved playing in.

In the baseball sense it was also a very smart idea. The Phils already have a superb core of starters of Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels. They have a great offense and a solid bullpen too. This team just jumps off the page at you before even re-adding Cliff Lee to it. Throw in the fact that Cliff Lee has one of the lowest ERAs at Citizens Bank Field, and it becomes a no-brainer. Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies are probably the most perfect fit for a player and a team that baseball has seen in quite some time. No matter how many people don't like it, Lee is Philly-bound and he might have just ensured the Phillies to be World Series-bound.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5923327

New Knicks - It's A'mare!

In the offseason, the New York Knicks obtained Amare Stoudamire from the Phoenix Suns and signed point guard Raymond Felton, who played for the Charlotte Bobcats. The Knicks hoped that acquiring Stoudamire and the lure of the city would be enough for LeBron James to sign in New York. James, however, had different plans, and the whole world knows that story. Turns out the Knicks didn't need James, they were just fine with what they had.

They started off looking like the Knicks of old going 3-8, including a 6-game losing streak ending with a 120-118 heartbreaking loss to the Denver Nuggets. But since that loss the Knicks are 13-1. They're on a eight-game win streak for the first time in 16 years. Amare Stoudamire has scored 30+ points in all eight games of the streak, and Raymond Felton has blossomed into one of the premiere point guards in the league averaging 18.3 points per game and 8.4 assists per game. Their last game was yesterday against the very same Nuggets that handled them their 6th straight loss almost a month ago. This time the Knicks held on to win another close game between the two, 129-125. The Knicks won a lot more than just the game though.

It is reported that the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony, who has been at the center of trade rumors since the offseason, has told team officials that he will not sign his extension unless he gets traded to the Knicks. The Knicks were always thought to be the team Anthony wanted to be traded to. This win and the run the Knicks are on have made Anthony come out and say it though. It is unknown if the Nuggets are willing to grant Anthony his wish and trade him to the Knicks. But what is known is that the Knicks are back. The Knicks are back and have gotten the fresh start they have been looking for years, and it's all because of a man named Amare.

References

http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/ny/new-york-knicks
http://espn.go.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/ny/new-york-knicks
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=301212018

What a Joke: Favre Investigation

The situation between Brett Favre and Jenn Sterger was first broke by a website called deadspin.com. I don’t know if you’ve ever been on it, but the site looks like one you could easily discredit if you ask me. Even they said they weren’t sure if it was Brett Favre’s voice on the voicemails. They never cared if it was him or not. They were breaking that story if the voice sounded nothing like Favre’s because they knew it would give their site mega publicity. Besides, they were more interested in getting out that Favre sent inappropriate text messages to her anyways.

Now Favre refused to confirm or deny anything to the media before or after talking to NFL officials about the incident. It was even reported that he refused to meet with the NFL the initial time they wanted to talk to him. Favre did give one of his patented teary-eyed apologies to the Vikings organization and fans for the distraction he caused though. We then found out that Favre admitted that he had left voicemails to Sterger, but did not send her any inappropriate text or picture messages.

Sterger contemplated for a very long time on whether to talk to NFL officials about the Brett Favre allegations. I find it interesting that she did decide to talk to them a few days after her show was canceled on Versus. She then met with the NFL officials for three hours, which is weird because telling her side of the story should not have taken three hours. It was never disclosed what she said, funny how that worked; what Favre says is out mere hours after his meeting but what Sterger said to this day is still not out.

Sterger’s lawyer recently said that the NFL has finished their investigation and that all the evidence and materials are sitting on Goodell’s desk to look at. Quite frankly at this point I don’t see why Goodell would even look at them. Favre has already said he will not come back next year and that he will be retiring for good. This means that there will be no way that Goodell can punish Favre besides maybe suspending for the last three games of the year. He could also suspend him for next year in case he decided to come back for a 21^st year. But if Favre found out he would be suspended next year, he would just say he was retiring anyways and that it doesn’t matter to him.

Sterger’s lawyer also recently said that Favre will retire after this year to escape trouble from the League. I found this to be hysterical because Favre announced way before this story even broke that this would be his last year. I remember he said something about not planning to play in the League for 20 years and that it was just a coincidence that he’s retiring after 20. He said this during his press conference back in August that was held after he made the decision to return for the final year of his Vikings contract.

I personally don’t think Goodell will punish Favre at all. The situation has dragged on for so long that people actually stopped talking about it, and when people forget that means the NFL’s reputation is not being run through the mud. Favre has also brought a lot of good publicity over the years for the NFL as well. He is a legend who has almost every qb record there is, and has led his teams to countless 4^th quarter comebacks. His wavering over retirement for the last several years has grown old, but I don’t think Goodell holds that against Favre. I think Goodell honestly believes Favre wavered for all these years because it has been a tough decision to come back and play each offseason. In the end, this story will simply result in more Favre jokes and will be a funny story to look back and laugh at, nothing more.

The Old vs. New: Woods Fails, Westwood Prevails

The old number 1 golfer in the world and the new number 1 golfer in the world both played last weekend. They weren't in the same tournament, and it is a shame they weren't because both golfers lead going into the final day. Tiger Woods was playing at his own tournament in Thousand Oaks, California, the Chevron World Challenge, for the first time since 2007. Lee Westwood participated in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa. By the end of the final day, Woods was fighting for victory in a playoff with Graeme McDowell while Westwood cruised to victory. The difference between the former and current best golfer in the world? Mechanics.


Tiger Woods went into the final day with a four stroke lead over McDowell. He struggled from the start bogeying on two of the first three holes. He had a birdie in between those bogeys though and birdied again on hole 5 and seemed to regain control parring up to hole 13. Hole 13 was Wood's downfall as he double bogeyed it and fell from the lead. He then birdied Hole 18 to salvage the tie out of a miserable day. McDowell hit two long birdies to beat him in the playoff though. Woods' failure is widely attributed to bad form he had gained from being away so long. He had reverted back to his old ways for most of the tournament, which is why he was leading. But golfing experts saw the flawed form come back into play, and it was clearly visible what they were talking about. Former golfer Paul Azinger tweeted this Sunday while watching: "Tiger reverting back a bit today. When he starts to keep left elbow pointing down again, on bcksw/and after impact he'll stop pulling shots!" This is obviously refers to his swing form and that his elbow is sliding out during the swing, which causes the ball to pull to the right. Woods will need to go a whole tournament without letting his elbow slip if he wants to win again.


Taking a complete 360, all Lee Westwood needs to do to win is to enter a tournament. Westwood dominated the field in Sun City, South Africa at the Gary Player Country Club, which is said to be one of the harder courses requiring both stamina and accuracy to succeed. Well Westwood had both working over the weekend and you only need to look at the stats to prove it. Westwood ranked first in birdies with 21 as well as greens in regulation, hitting 75%. He was also second in driving accuracy with 57.14%. His Round 2 and 4 scores were either the best or tied for the best on the day. Westwood's only real blip was Round 3 when he hit a 71. Westwood finished at 17 under, which was better than second place finisher, Tim Clark, by nine strokes.


With Tiger Woods seemingly on the cusp of winning again and Westwood proving that he should be number 1 in the world, it will be interesting to see if a battle for number 1 between Woods and Westwood occurs over the course of next year. Such a battle would be great for golf because Woods would be quite the comeback story and Westwood is playing so well that if Woods retakes number 1 it will be even more astonishing. Golf has not really seen a battle for number 1 since Woods and Vijay Singh battled for it back in 2005. Woods won the battle and has been number 1 ever since Westwood overtook him on October 31th, the longest streak of being number 1 ever. If the past are any indications, Woods would win a battle for first if one does happen in 2011. The battle would be great all the same though considering what Woods is coming back from this time. The battle would truly be a battle of old versus new.


References


http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=5888817
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=5887260
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/players/scorecards?playerId=462
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard
https://twitter.com/#!/PaulAzinger
http://www.nedbankgolfchallenge.com/content.aspx?id=20706&cat=NGCHistory
http://www.nedbankgolfchallenge.com/scorecard.aspx?id=68
http://www.nedbankgolfchallenge.com/leaderboard.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Woods

Werth's Worth

It was announced today that outfielder Jayson Werth agreed to a deal with the Washington Nationals for 7 years, 126 million dollars. Apparently not many people like this deal though. ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that general managers across baseball are 'going nuts over the deal.' ESPN's SportsNation asked it's Facebook fans about the deal, and the result was loud and definitive: Nats wasted a lot of money. I want to know why everyone is against this deal. Werth has been one of the centerpieces of the Phillies offense the last three years that made it to back-to-back World Series, winning one of them. This past season they made it to the NLCS, as well, and lost to the eventual champions, the San Francisco Giants. His stats have been eye-popping as well considering he never got a chance before the Phillies. Yet, nobody seems to think Werth deserves the money.

Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira had put up similar numbers to Werth before signing his deal and no one made a fuss about that, which was worth about 60 million more and one year longer than Werth's by the way. Teixeira is not much better than Werth either. He only has more homers because he played in the small confines in Texas. Adrian Gonzales, San Diego Padres' first baseman, is also said to make Teixeira money and that is also widely accepted as a good deal for him. Gonzales is also not that much better than Werth. Werth is a great baseball player, and is not a distraction off the field. I don't see why him getting paid is causing such an uproar.

I understand that this deal is literally worth more than the Nationals have spent on any free agent over the last 20 years according to ESPN reporter Jayson Stark, but that doesn't mean they overpaid for him. At some point, the Nationals were going to pay big money for somebody, why not it be Jayson Werth? He has proven himself over the last three years with the Phillies as a reliable starting outfielder than can hit for both average and power. He has proven that he is a down-to-Earth, low maintenance guy that will do what is asked of him (just look at the first few years of his career). He has nothing left to prove. Let's face it. Jayson Werth is worth every penny of his new contract and everyone knows it.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5888329
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=4262
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=4937
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=5405
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3790141

Plax 2011 Comeback Story?

Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg almost two years ago (the exact anniversary was two days ago). Normally that wouldn't be a problem; stuff happens. Burress did not have a permit to be carrying around that go though, and so it became a problem. He turned himself in and accepted a deal that put him away for two years with an additional two years supervision. He is set to be release next June, and his agent has already said he will be able to make training camp for whatever team eventually picks him up. Burress is a wide receiver who started for the Steelers and Giants before the incident happened. What's not known is where Burress will go or how well he will do once he returns.

Plenty of NFL teams could use a 6 foot 5 receiver with 9 years experience. Off the top of my head, the Rams, Seahawks, Redskins, Bucs, 49ers, Bears, and Panthers could all use a tall, veteran receiver, and I'm sure you could make a case for more teams as well. Questions about his age will come into play though and his character. The gun incident isn't the only thing he's done as he has quite the laundry list of legal troubles. At the same time, if Michael Vick was given a shot, then Burress should easily get his. He just has to prove he has something left in the tank to give, which goes back to age. Burress will be 34 next August and that is pretty old for a NFL receiver. Terrell Owens is older than that and having a career year in Cincinnati though.

Age is not the only factor of performance though. The team, coach, money, motivation, etc. are all other reasons that effect performance. Chances are Burress will not be the focal point of whatever team signs him, but he could serve as a number 2 in an offense that already has a clear number 1. In this situation he would reap the benefits of lax coverage because defenses are focusing on the number 1 receiver. Going into a run or pass offense is virtually a crap shoot depending on who picks him up; obviously he would rather go into a pass offense to get more targets. A team will probably only sign him for 1 year at the veteran's minimum, which would be 745,000 for Burress not counting a signing bonus. Michael Vick did make 1.6 million his first year returning to the NFL from prison though, but he returned to the NFL at age 30 as a quarterback, a position that can be played much longer than receiver. Money and years will depend on how he does trying out for each team. I would think Burress would be motivated enough to play well if he got the chance due to the fact that he will probably want to prove he is still one of the better receivers in the league.

In my opinion, Burress will have a good year next year if he gets a chance. Michael Vick has shined since getting his chance in the spotlight, and he was away from football longer than Burress will be when he returns. I think coaches should look at Vick's success and immediately assume Burress will have that type of success. Burress, like Vick, does not want to have the negative image that he is viewed now. He will want to get back to the way things were, being a good football player. If he shows that he is ready to play, his coach should start him right away. There really is nothing to lose by starting Burress because he is so tall that he will be able to catch balls even if he is slower or doesn't run routes as well. There isn't a starting cornerback in the NFL that is 6 foot 5, and so Burress will always have the size advantage. To me, if Burress shows he still has some speed and decent hands then I think he should start next season for a team. Will he be the next comeback story? Only time will tell.

References

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/22147/plaxico-burress-eyes-2011-return
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=2139
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaxico_Burress#Legal_troubles

Mediocre Talent in South Beach

The Miami Heat were supposed to be one of the powerhouses in the NBA. They already had Dwyane Wade and gained LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and some pretty decent secondary players like Mike Miller and Eddie House during the offseason. They started off the season with a loss to Celtics but then rebounded nicely for a few games. Since then they have sputtered to 10-8. Teams like the Pacers, Knicks, Warriors, and Cavs all are within 2 games of them. What has happened to the Miami Heat?

For starters their leading rebounder, Udonis Haslem, got hurt and may be done for the year. Mike Miller has not played a game yet and won't until January after injuring himself in practice while guarding James. But everyone who follows basketball knows about these injuries. The real problem here is the coaching. Eric Spoelstra is not a good coach. He does not know how to handle the three stars compare to the rest of the team. If you look at the stats you'll know what I mean. LeBron James is the team leader in 3 of the 5 main stats (points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks). None of the bench players are in double digits in points for the season and there are no passers on the team besides James and Wade. The stats for the team outside James, Wade, and Bosh are really quite pitiful. It's as if Spoelstra only trusts "Miami Thrice" to win games for him, and that is certainly not how you win basketball games.

Maybe I'm being too hard on Spoelstra. Maybe we are learning through the Heat that a NBA team cannot be built around three superstars in their prime. Boston and San Antonio's Big Three all include guys towards the end of their careers, and none are prolific scorers like Miami's Big Three. Miami's Big Three is made up of three players that you can build a team around. They don't really compliment each other like the older Big Three's do. Miami's Big Three also had to get paid, which left little money for significant bench players. Miami's bench is thin once you get past Haslem, Miller, Arroyo, and House, and two out of those four are injured.

What Miami needs to do is play as a five man team and not a three man team. They need bench players to average more than 5, 6, 7 points a game and they need them to get more than just an assist or two a game. The Miami Heat consist of other players besides James, Wade, and Bosh and they need to step up big time. Spoelstra needs to trust his entire team and not just his Big Three. That mediocre talent in South Beach will have to shine if the Heat ever wants to become the hottest team in the NBA.

References

http://espn.go.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/mia/miami-heat
http://espn.go.com/nba/standings/_/group/1

New York has 2-way Streets Too

Casey Close, Derek Jeter's agent, called the Yankees negotiation process with him and Jeter to be baffling. I could not agree more. The amount of disrespect the Yankees are showing their captain is just baffling. There is no other word to describe it. Derek Jeter has spend his entire career with the Yankees, as every should know, and he has been saint-like during every year with absolutely zero distractions and never says the wrong thing to the media. On the field, he has always been one of the best in the game. How do the Yankees repay him? By offering him a take it or leave contract without even trying to be negotiable.

The contract is reported to be 15 million a year for 3 years. Now this is not a bad contract at all for a 36 year old shortstop. But this 36 year old shortstop is different than every other one because his name is Derek Jeter. He is the heart and soul of the Yankees and their fan base. He deserves whatever he is asking for and no one can say otherwise. Why, because this year he had lots of career lows? So what? Last season he was only one year younger and he was a MVP candidate, and there is no way a player experiences that severe of a drop off from a year to year basis. So has anyone thought that this year he had just had off year? This happens with athletes you know, especially in the game of baseball where a majority of your stats are based slightly on chance, like hitting the ball hard constantly but always into someone's glove. Another reason he deserves what he wants is because the Yankees gave Alex Rodriguez a huge contract that will pay him until he's 42. A-Rod had been a Yankee for only three years before getting that contract. Derek Jeter has been with the Yankees 15 years, but apparently that doesn't give him a contract that's more suitable to him.

The latest shot against Jeter comes from the Yankee G.M. Brian Cashman. He recently came out and said that if Jeter does not like the offer made to him then go test the market. To me, this sounds like Cashman and the Yankees don't care if he stays or leaves. It's as if the Yankees are shocked and angered that Jeter didn't agree to their contract even though Co-Owner Hal Steinbrenner came out and said the negotiation could get messy a few weeks ago. The Yankees have tons of money as well, and so it's not like giving Jeter a contract more suitable to his wants will be a purse-breaker.

In the end I don't think Jeter will take an offer somewhere else. Reason being is that there are no teams that are going to want to fill a need at shortstop by signing a 36 year old shortstop, and if they do it will be nowhere's near what Jeter wants. I also think that the Yankees will budge on their offer because Derek Jeter personifies the New York Yankees. If the Yankees do not bring back Jeter the fan base will be crushed. I said this is my last Jeter article, but it is all true. The Yankees need Jeter and Jeter needs the Yankees. It is a two way street and the Yankees better realize that sooner rather than later.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5843151
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3246
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153171
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=3115

A Billion for Your Thoughts

Mark Cuban is a hard working, self-made billionaire. He got into sports at the start of the new millennium when he purchased a majority take in the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA franchise where he lived. Under his leadership, the Mavs transformed from a sub-par team to a pretty good team that made it to the NBA Finals in 2005. The same year Cuban showed interest in buying his hometown NHL team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, rumored to be in an investment group that included Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, but the former Penguin Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle ended up buying the franchise. After failing to get the Penguins, Cuban turned to baseball. He had interest in buying the Pittsburgh Pirates, but nothing came of it. He had a strong interest in buying the Chicago Cubs after the Tribune Company put them on the market in 2007. He went as far as submitting a 1.3 billion dollar bid to the MLB for buying the team, but the MLB did not choose him to be part of the final bidding process that went on early last year. Cuban's latest buying quest involved the Texas Rangers this past summer when he tried to swoop in and take them from the Nolan Ryan/Chuck Greenberg group, but he failed again there too. The Houston Astros were recently put up for sale, but Mar Cuban has come out and said he has no interest in buying the Astros and gave no reasons. This bewildered me to no in and so I started to ponder why not.

The Astros have fallen since they made it to the World Series back in 05, and so I can see why Cuban may not want to go there. But ten years ago when he bought the Mavericks they were not a successful team either, so that can't be it. One of the businessmen in Cuban's group to buy the Rangers was from Houston, and so you'd think they would go after the Astros. Maybe Cuban is waiting for a bigger fish to catch. The Los Angeles Dodgers will probably end up going for sale once the McCourt's settle their messy divorce and it is decided who gets the team. Cuban has said he would be interested in buying the Dodgers if they ever did go up for purchase. If you think about it, Cuban is only interested in buying a storied MLB franchise. The Pirates, Cubs, Rangers, and Dodgers all have their back story that makes them appealing to Cuban. The Astros don't have a back story, and so why would Cuban be interested?

Back stories aside, I think Cuban should go after the Astros instead of waiting around for the Dodgers. Why? Well, it'd be easier to buy the Astros than it would be to buy the Dodgers, not to mention a lot cheaper. Cuban is a Texas man, living there for almost 30 years, and Houston is the oldest Texas baseball team (remember the Rangers started in Washington D.C. as the Senators). The Astros also have a lot of young talent mixed with veterans. They could be the next San Francisco Giants or Tampa Bay Rays. The Dodgers may be one of the most storied MLB franchises but it doesn't compare to the opportunity of owning a team in your adopted home state that could have a bright future, and that it why I'd pay a billion for Mark Cuban's thoughts.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/news/story?id=5827002
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Cuban

Racing Under the Radar

There are a lot of things that make the news in the sports world today. Most of it necessary, some of it is stupid, and none of it is useless. Injuries, trades, coach firings, etc would all be news that is necessary to report. The Favre-Sterger fiasco, Tiger Woods' affair, and LeBron defending his statements about playing time are stupid things to report. Why you ask? Because no one cares about any of that, and sports could exist just fine without those types of reports. No news is useless in the way that it is all connected to sports and therefore could be made useful, even stupid reports have underlying important reasons. Then there is the news that just doesn't get the publicity it should, like NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson going for his 5th consecutive championship.

NASCAR is a sport that goes through a lot of change. There are many drivers but only 43 spots per race. Each year new drivers find themselves in the top 10 of the standings while others who have been mainstays there fall out. Older drivers give way to new drivers. But for the last 4 years NASCAR has had a constant that had never been done before. One driver win the championship every year. That one driver is Jimmie Johnson, and he might do it again this year. This will be the first time Johnson won't be in the lead going into the final race, as he is 15 points behind Denny Hamlin. The question is not will he do it or not, however. The real question is why this is a little no fact to people outside of hardcore NASCAR fans?

Most will say because NASCAR is unpopular and not one of the four major sports in the US. Race tracks are so big that NASCAR events are the most watched sport. NASCAR is very popular in the South, but hated by just about everyone else. Most people will ask, 'What's the fun in watching cars take 4 left turns?' or 'Why watch if we're only waiting for a wreck to happen?' This popular reason to why people like it is that it's a good thing to watch while your drinking because it's on for so long. To be honest, I think NASCAR should continue getting the short end of the media stick. I think there's nothing interesting to report in NASCAR, not counting the anger management issues that every driver seems to have. But with that being said, Johnson going for his fifth straight title should be drilled into the media.

First of all, he is going for five in a row and if he was the first to do four in a row, then that means he's trying to break a record. It's his own record, but hey record-breaking situations need to be reported no matter what. Second reason why this should be constantly in the press is that Johnson has always been able to hold onto his lead to win a championship, never having to overtake someone to win. This makes for an interesting story because you can compare Johnson to other winners of three straight championships and see how they won. You could also write about how Johnson will respond to coming into the last race in second place after four straight years of being in first. It must be a totally different mindset. A lot of articles can be made from Johnson going for a 5-peat, but no one is taking advantage. I did and now everyone else needs to stop allowing this superstar to race under the radar.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Johnson
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/35/data/standings_official.html
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2007/35/data/standings_official.html
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/35/data/standings_official.html
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/35/data/standings_official.html
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2010/35/data/standings_official.html

Courageous Comrade

How many of you wish you were a great football player? How many of you wish you could be a professional football player in the NFL? How many of you wish you could be a starter in the NFL? OK now, how many of you would take a hiatus from your starting position in the NFL to join Army because you felt the need to defend those lost during 9/11? One former NFL player did all of these, except he never made it back from his hiatus.

Pat Tillman was born on November 6, 1976 in San Jose, California. He was the oldest of three boys. The Tillman family did not have television and so the three read books and played outdoors. Tillman became particularly good at football at the linebacker position. Arizona State saw this and gave him a scholarship to play for them. While there, he won Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and had three trips to the All-Pac-10 Team. Football was not Tillman's only gift though; he was also very intelligent. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Marketing in only three and a half years. He was also named to the Pac-10 All-Academic Football Team and chosen for the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship for both academic and athletic excellence. Pat Tillman was the whole package, and he decided to go pro.

Tillman was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 1998 NFL Draft. Despite his talent, he was drafted in the seventh and final round. The Cardinals converted him from linebacker to safety, as what is normally done with smaller linebackers coming into the NFL from college. Tillman wasted no time making an impact in the NFL as he had 74 tackles and a sack in his rookie season. Two years later he broke the Cardinals tackle record with 144 while adding one and a half sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception among other things during that season in which he was selected NFL All-Pro. He left the NFL after the 2001 season and through 60 games he had 344 tackles. His reason for leaving was probably the best reason you could give to a coach, owner, and franchise.

Tillman was a great human being that was constantly helping others. During the offseasons of the NFL, Tillman volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of Arizona, the March of Dimes, and read and talked to students in schools across Phoenix Valley. But why he left the NFL probably topped every good deed he ever did. As we all know, a great tragedy befell on the United States on September 11, 2001. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers resulting in the collapse of the both and numerous buildings around them. It was an act of terror that had never been seen before and the death toll was in the thousands. Tillman decided to leave football and go serve his country along with one of his brothers, Kevin.

The Tillman brothers enlisted in July of 2002. They completed basic training in September and were assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington. Pat Tillman was then deployed to Iraq as part of the initial invasion. Upon his return to the US, he entered Ranger School in September of 2003 and graduated the following month. His second tour overseas was to Afghanistan shortly after graduating. On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman was shot to death amidst confusion between his and another unit.

Tillman's death was surrounded in controversy. Things I will not get into because this article is out of honor and remembrance for Pat Tillman and every soldier serving for this country. What's not controversial, though, is the size of Pat Tillman's heart. Tillman turned down a 3-year 3.6 million dollar contract with the Cardinals in order to serve and protect the people of this country. He could have been set for life playing the sport he loved. But he chose to go overseas into war areas and fight for everything that this country stands for. He didn't just join and do the bare minimum either. He completed basic training and then went became a Ranger as well. He was fully committed to serving.

The Arizona Cardinals and his alma mater both retired his number in 2004. The Cardinals also wore a memorial decal on their jersey during the 2004 season. Many football players, including Jake Plumber, A.J. Hawk, and Nick Mangold, grew out their hair in honor of him because that's how he wore it went he played. The Tillman family started the Pat Tillman Foundation in honor of Pat and it raises money for veterans and active members of the military and their families. In September 2008, Rory Fanning, a fellow Army Ranger who was stationed with Tillman in Fort Lewis, began something known as "Walk for Pat." Walk for Pat is Fanning walking across the US raising money and awareness for the Pat Tillman Foundation. Tillman was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame this past May as well.

I have known about the Pat Tillman tragedy ever since it happened, but I never knew the person Pat Tillman was until now. While writing this article I have realized that Tillman was the type of person people should model themselves after. He was selfless and cared more for the people around him then himself, and not in the bad way. Pat Tillman was the type of person that makes you go, 'Wow, why aren't there more people like him?' Pat Tillman was that courageous comrade that turned down millions to fight for us. Pat Tillman is a true American hero.

References

http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/about-pat-tillman.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman#Death

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1605

Captain's Cash

Derek Jeter is set to become a free agent tomorrow. He and the New York Yankees do not look like they will come to terms before then. Jeter has played his entire career for the Yankees and has been team captain for most of that time, as mostly everyone knows. Him becoming a free agent means virtually nothing though because if the Yankees do not re-sign him, I'm pretty sure the world will stop spinning and the apocalypse will ensue. Derek Jeter is the heart and soul of the New York Yankees. Both the and Yankees understand this, and that's why a deal will be worked out. The question remains who will bend in the negotiations.

The Yankees have legitimate reasons to pay him less over fewer years. Jeter is now 36 and while he seemed ageless last season on his way to a MVP candidacy season, this season he looked as if his age caught up with him. He had his worst statistical season this year and he lost a step on defense as well. As the lead off hitter and shortstop, both of those drops are a bad sign. The Yankees will only want to sign him for 3-4 years and not at the 20+ million he was making last season. Derek Jeter and his agent obviously think differently.

Derek Jeter has been the Yankees captain since 2003, only the 14th Yankee to be named captain. He is an 11-time All Star through a 15 year career. He was won 4 Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. There is way more to his list of awards but I think you get the point. At age 35, he had one of his best years and was a MVP nominee. Jeter deserves to get paid based on merit alone, but Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman says he does negotiate contracts that way. Fellow Yankee Alex Rodriquez was given a deal that has him on the Yankees' books til age 42, and you bet Derek Jeter will want at least that. Would it even make sense that A-Rod got a longer deal than the longtime Yankee captain? Over the life of A-Rod's 10-year 275 million dollar deal he signed in 2007, the lowest he will be paid is 20 million dollars and that's the final two years of the contract. Jeter's agent will look at this and say you can't offer anything under 20 million dollars a year because you will be paying A-Rod that when he's ages 41 and 42. Now you start to see where Jeter and his agent aren't coming from.

So the Yankees have a point and Jeter and his agent have a point. Who's right? Well, they both are and that is why Hal Steinbrenner said that this will be a messy negotiation. It's easy to negotiate when you have leverage, but neither the Yankees nor Jeter have that. They both will make outstanding points to their side of the coin. So who will give in? The New York Yankees will be the benders in this negotiation because Jeter personifies their organization and the repercussions of letting him walk will be devastating. Fans know how deep the pockets are and will be furious if the Yankees decide to put their foot down on the Yankee captain. I expect Jeter to get a 6 year deal with him getting no less than 20 million a year the first three years of the contract. The captain is an important piece to the New York Yankees, and so is his cash.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3246

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Jeter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_York_Yankees_team_captains

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153171

Man at Heart

A man will be playing on the George Washington University women's basketball team this year. Don't worry he played last year as well, just as a woman. Yes, that would make this man transgendered. His name now is Kye Allums, and as a woman he was known as Kay-Kay Allums. GW has been supportive of the change, but the NCAA has not yet commented which brings up the question, 'is this allowed?'.

The answer could go both ways in all honesty. I mean biologically he is a woman that turned herself into a man, which would mean she has every right to play on the women's basketball team. It's her body and she has every right to change her appearance. Because when you think about it, changing your appearance is all your doing when you change your gender. You're body will still go through all the things a woman will go through with the difference of looking like a man. Looking at things through this way, there is no question; you have to allow him to play for the women's team. But there will people that view this situation the entirely opposite way.

The opposite view is simple. You want to be a man, so why don't you play with the men? Looking at pictures, he certainly looks like he has the size to hang with the men. It would also make a lot of sense if he changes teams because of his decision to become a man, in appearance of course. He is even quoted as saying he didn't choose to be born a woman. If the men's team would be open to taking him, then I would not be surprised if the NCAA forced him to play with the men.

In my opinion, the NCAA should have a meeting with Allums and ask him which side is he more comfortable with - a man playing for the women's team or a man who used to be a woman playing for the men's team. Whatever Allums says to that question, the NCAA should respect that decision. He's obviously already chosen which team he wants to play for, and I think he will play for that team with no trouble from the NCAA. After all, there is nothing wrong with being a man at heart.

Reference:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=5758450

Artificial Moss

In nature, moss latches on to something and grows there. It's like a plant parasite, sapping the nutrients from what it grows on, like a tree. It can also choose not to be a parasite and grow on inanimate objects like rocks. Moss does not leave whatever it decided to latch onto until it either dies or is killed. Don't quote me on any of that, for I am not a scientist; I've just seen moss on trees and rocks. The famous Moss of the NFL should look into natural moss; he may learn something. The Moss I am referring is of course Randy Moss.

 Randy Moss has never lived out a contract that he has signed with a team, and has been traded three times and waived once. His latest trade back to his original team, the Vikings, only lasted four games. Moss started off this season with the Patriots and he was unhappy that he was not given an extension, but he acknowledged it was just business and that he would not cause any distractions. Well after some choice words in a press conference and a rumored confrontation with a coach, Moss was shipped out a month into the season. He did not play particularly well for the Pats, and then for the Vikings after that. Now a different team will get to take a shot at him, but will it matter? Some will say Moss has lost a step, but others, including myself, will say he's not going 100%. Moss has proven throughout his career that when he is unhappy he does not go full speed. This year looks to be no different. What will make him happy? Well, it appears to be an extension. He said he does not like the feeling of limbo. The problem with this is that his next team will probably not give him that extension. So then what is the point in picking up an unmotivated Moss, and is there other ways to motivate him besides an extension? Well to answer the second part, a run at the Super Bowl may motivate him since he has never won a title, but the way the waiver process goes is that the bad teams have the better chance of landing him. This just echoes the first question, is there any point?

The answer is yes. There is a point to having Randy Moss on your team, even if he's not going all out. His presence on the field forces coaches to pay attention to him because he's still a great receiver no matter how hard he's playing. Moss is the type of player that makes everyone else on the offense better because he frees up space on the field for others. During his last game as a Viking, Belichick had two or three Patriots defenders constantly watching him. This opened the field for the likes of Percy Harvin and Vincent Shiancoe. Randy Moss is a game changer that every team should consider claiming. He may be artificial compared to moss, but in the NFL, Moss is a natural.

Holdouts - Trick?..or Treat?

For some Halloween night is almost ending, and for others it may be just beginning. For me it's the former; I had quite an interesting night, one I could have never even imagined. But Halloween night still has some time left (well when I started writing it did) and so why not close it out with an intriguing sports topic - holdouts. They happen in basically every sport but are most publicized in the sports of football and the NFL. There were five prominent holdouts in the NFL this season, and they by: New York Jets Darrelle Revis and Nick Mangold, San Diego Chargers Marcus McNeill and Vincent Jackson, and New England Patriot Logan Mankins. A few of these players were successful while the other two were not. So the question is: are holdouts a smart thing to do?

The two players that essentially failed holding out were Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins. Both of Pro Bowl caliber players on their respective teams and both thought their teams would succumb to not having them and give them what they wanted. What did they want? They wanted a lot of many over a lot years. The Chargers and Patriots refused to give this to them and basically said, 'Fine, sit out. We'll play without you.' Jackson and Mankins both play on the offensive side of the ball with Jackson being a receiver and Mankins a lineman. Both offensives have done quite well without them which means both teams have looked wise in allowing them to holdout. The NFL Players Association have recommended both players sign their 1 year tenders with their respective teams in order to accrue enough games to count as playing a full season, and so Jackson has already done so and Mankins will sign his soon. The difference between signing now and during the summer is that Jackson will be getting paid a fraction of what he could have been paid and it might be the same for Mankins. So basically both players are took less money to play in less games and showed they'd be more apt to sit out they be a team player all for a chance that their teams would have paid them the big bucks when their first started holding out. That last sentence basically means that Jackson and Mankins holding out was virtually pointless, and they gained absolutely nothing by doing so. Looking at Jackson and Mankins' holdouts, holdouts look like a stupid, selfish idea that won't lead to anything. But there are two sides to every coin.

Revis, Mangold, and McNeill all held out successfully. Why were these three successful? Their teams gave them close to what they wanted in terms of a contract. Mangold and Revis of the Jets got their new contracts towards the end of training camp and did not sit out any games. McNeill of the Chargers sat out the first 5 games before he signed his tender and was given an extension a few days later. Things have worked out great for Mangold and McNeill, playing in every game they could and suffering no effects from sitting out. Revis, however, was a different story. Revis injured his hamstring after missing all of training camp and I think the preseason. He forced out of two games, which the Jets won anyways. What happened with these players is why holdouts will continue to be done, players gambling on their worthiness and teams succumbing and giving them what they want or close to it. This is the other side of the coin I was referring to earlier. Some teams will give in to their players because they think they cannot win without them.

To finish up, I think holdouts are pointless even if you do get what you want. Players who holdout will get the greedy tag slapped on them and they may lose players, teammates, and coaches respect because of it. Respect goes along way especially when you become a free agent. Some coaches do not want the drama of a player who may holdout on their team. Not to mention if you fail and your team plays fine without you, then that team will probably not re-sign you anyways. It doesn't even work if you fail and your team plays bad because then people start to say if so and so wasn't so selfish we may be winning right now. Holding out will always have some type of loss afterwards, and that's why I say it's just a trick, no treat.

Series of Firsts and Waits

Game 1 of the World Series starts tonight. The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants will face off for the title. Yes that's right, no Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Phillies, Cardinals, or Braves, it's the Rangers vs. the Giants. Immediately you think this, well the majority will: 'Wow, what a terrible World Series.' In reality, it's not. This match up brings originality to the Series. The Rangers have never been to, much less, won a World series in their 49 years of existence. The Giants have not won a World Series since they were the New York (baseball) Giants, and the New York version won their last title in 1954. So technically the San Fran Giants have never won the Series, meaning that both teams will be vying for their first title. The match up is relatively even as well. 

The Texas Rangers were very impressive baseball team this year, and then they went out and got arguably the best active pitcher in the game, Cliff Lee. The rest of the starters, who were doing fine before Lee came along, upped their game a lot too. The offense rivals that of the New York Yankees, just without household names. Their closer, Neftali Feliz, had 40 saves in his rookie year, and the bullpen in front of him has been great as well. In the playoffs the bullpen became their weak spot though. After a rough start, the bullpen seemingly has gone back to the way it was during the regular season. The Rangers have an all around tough team for anyone to beat, including the San Fran Giants.

Speaking of the San Fran Giants, they also have an impressive starting pitching rotation lead by one of the best young pitchers in the game, Tim Lincecum. Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez behind him aren't too shabby either. Their bullpen is utterly amazing led by closer Brian Wilson and his ferocious beard. The weak spot on this Giants team is definitely their offense. Cody Ross exploded onto the scene against the Phillies, but there is no guarantee his offense will remain consistent. The only consistent offense play they have this postseason is their rookie catcher, Buster Posey. This team as a whole has a lot of heart and determination and will win games they aren't supposed to, like 4 out of 5 against the Phillies in the NLCS. Their offense does not need to be great anyways when their starting pitching is dominating, which has happened throughout the playoffs this October. Taking down the G-Men of baseball is not exactly an easy task, just ask the Braves and Phillies.

To sum it up, the Rangers are the winners on paper because you can't see the heart of the Giants in any stat sheet. But if you look closer the two teams are a lot more even that you think. This World Series will be exciting for every fan that decides to watch. I explore everyone to not knock this series just because the teams aren't ordinary title teams. In 2008, the Rays and Phillies were not ordinary title teams either. What happened? The Phillies won and became a title and proceeded to get to the World Series the following season. They lost to the Yankees, but they became instead favorite to reach the World Series again, especially after trading for Roy Halladay. I could see that happening if the Rangers win this World Series. Unfortunately nothing will happen as a result of the Giants reaching or even winning the World Series. The Rays missed the playoffs the season after they reached the World Series. 2002 was the last time the Giants reached the World Series and they won their division the next season, but their division has become much tougher the past 7 years and the barely won their division. But in the end you should watch this Series because it's a series of firsts and waits.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Rangers_(baseball)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Giants

Conflict of Interest

The NBA season officially started a few hours ago. A little over a week ago the NHL season started. The NFL season is through 7 weeks and is in full swing. The MLB season has been over for awhile, but the World Series is set to start tomorrow. Where I am going with all this? This is the only time of the year where all 4 major professional sport leagues in North America are playing at the same time. While some are considering MLS to be a major professional sports league, I do not think it has gotten to that point yet. Although Commissioner Don Garber has done a fantastic job of making the league relevant enough for some to consider it a major North American sport. By now you are thinking this: why is any of this important? Well to put it simply, if you had an organization that makes millions of dollars would you like three other million dollar organizations running at the same time as you? I'm pretty sure none of the league commissioners or individual team owners like this time of the year, but some leagues have it better than others.

The NFL and MLB are the two primary sports out of the top 4. The MLB has been around for over 100 years has simply been planted into the minds of Americans. It used to be known as America's favorite pastime, and it has the longest season, excluding playoffs, of the 4 leagues. The length of the of the league's existence and its season has created very deep fan bases and rivalries. The deep fan bases and rivalries are why the MLB is still immensely popular today. The NFL's rise to fame was very much the opposite. The NFL has been around for 50 some odd years and became popular because of the physical prowess involved in the sport. People have always enjoyed violence, see Ancient Rome, and football brings a violence that is just enough to not be sick and disturbing. As a result of this violence, deep fan bases are also part of the NFL due to the intensity any given Sunday. NFL has proven that you do not need a terrible long season to be successful as well. Shorter season obviously means less games and thus each game means more. Neither the MLB nor NFL worry too much about the conflicting schedules of the 4 sports because they know they are the upper echelon so to speak.

The NBA and NHL are then two secondary sports. It is almost unfair to call them secondary because they are both successful and make millions of dollars, but it is the truth. There once a time when basketball and hockey were immensely popular, when players like Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky played, but both have fell are relatively hard times. The NHL recently had a lockout (2005) and so they are on the rebound. The NHL has never really been to dominating a league with their salary cap somewhere around 60 million per team for this season. The NHL has trouble because most of the talent in the NHL comes from outside the United States (see my article No USe for more on that), making it harder to get behind players. It is also hard to follow on TV because you can barely see the puck zip around the ice. The NBA had a lockout as well, but it was over a decade ago and I would say they recovered from. The NBA has a lot of stars, both from the US and around the world, and so they are fine in that regard. The NBA's problem is that the elite teams have remained the same in recent years. It has lost one of the most important factors to why people watch sports: unpredictability. I learned this from many of my college professors, and it is common sense if you think about it. Who wants to watch an event when you can predict what will happen and you will have a good chance of being right? For the last decade, it would a safe and easy to say that the Lakers would be in the Finals with a good chance of winning them and it is the same this season, it is much different in the other three sports. The New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl for the first time in February. Although the New York Yankees won the World Series last year, this year a team that has never won (Texas Rangers) and a team that hasn't won in nearly 50 years (San Fran Giants) will battle out for the title. The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup for the first time in nearly 50 years in hockey. What happened in basketball? The Lakers won for the about the 4th time in the last decade. Parity lacks in basketball, and it's one of the key reasons in lags behind the NFL and MLB. With that being said, the NBA does a lot internationally and is the most advanced of the 4 leagues in that sense. I'm sure the NBA and NHL do not like starting their seasons in the midst of the MLB Playoffs and the start of the NFL season, but they have no choice really.

To conclude, what the leagues don't like the fans do like. All 4 leagues playing at the same time means sports on virtually all the time, which is a sports fans dream. Not to mention MLS season is going on for its fans and college football is almost to it's halfway for its many fans. The only hard part for fans is which one to watch. With the technology these days, it is quite easy to watch multiple, but I still this time year can turn into quite the conflict of interest.

The Star of South Beach

Before this summer, the answer to the question, 'Who's the star of the Miami Heat?' was always the same, Dwayne Wade. He's been in Miami for 6 years. His only season averaging under 24 points per game was his rookie season. In 2006, Shaq teamed up with him and he won a championship. He also won a scoring title 2 years ago by averaging 30.1 ppg. Fast forward to this past summer when LeBron James and Chris Bosh join the team and now all of a sudden there is a dilemma. The dilemma is: is the Heat Wade's team or LeBron's team? Bosh apparently can't be the star of the team. Why? I don't know. I didn't create this dilemma.

LeBron James spent the last 6 years carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise on his back. He has won consecutive MVP's and reached the Finals once while there. But he didn't win. This summer he became a free agent. He weighed all his options; well, he supposedly did, and then decided to announce his decision on national television. This special that he and his people organized would be on ESPN with its proceeds going to charity. It would be called 'The Decision.' Within the first few minutes of this special he said these words: 'I am taking my talents to South Beach.' After that sentence chaos ensued. Mass t-shirt burnings were happening in Cleveland while riots of celebration went on in Miami. 15 million people watched that hour special as the Miami Heat became either beloved or hated. His reasoning for leaving Cleveland for Miami? He wanted to win championships because that's what his career would be defined by. While chaos ran amok in the streets, it also ran wild in the media. Every NBA analyst had to answer that question in the previous paragraph.

Now to me that question is obvious. It's Wade's team. He's been around longer, and he's already proved himself. He's also accomplished what James is hoping to do, win a championship. How can it possibly be James' team? He has done nothing for Miami besides agree to play there for the next 6 years. Some will say it's LeBron's team because he is the bigger star and better player. I would say the first part of that statement is true, but the second is rather debatable. If you judge players the way LeBron does, Wade is the better player because he has reached the Promised Land and won. Statistically James is better player, but then again James didn't have much help in Cleveland. He only got Mo Williams during the final few years of his time in Cleveland, and he didn't even play a full year with Antawn Jamison. I realize that Wade never exactly had any key help either besides Shaq, but his numbers are still slightly worse than James. So maybe James is a slightly better player.

Who's better or not shouldn't matter though. Wade has the time, the championship, and the trust of Miami. Getting back Dwayne Wade was the key focus this offseason for the Miami Heat, not acquiring LeBron James or Chris Bosh. They renamed the county Miami-Wade County, not Miami-James County. Dwayne Wade is the main factor of the Miami Heat. Wade is Batman and LeBron is Robin and Bosh can be like Catwoman or something. The point is that the Miami Heat are Wade's team. LeBron is just a really good player that followed him there. The star of South Beach is known as D-Wade, not King James, and you can count (your stars, get it?) on that.

References

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=1987
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=1966