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.