I read a Rick Reilly article today that posed the question why do players with association to PEDs get disregarded by the hall of fame, but managers who used those players to succeed are given a pass? This comes up with the soon to be inductions of Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, and Joe Torre. Great question to ponder. Some other things to think about:
Tanking:
With all this talk about NBA teams tanking, ESPN is even ranking teams by their level of tanking, I wanted to give my thoughts on it. First off in the NBA you have to know how the draft works, they have a weighted lottery system where the teams that don't make the playoffs have a chance to win a top three pick. The worse the record the higher percentage you have of being selected through the lottery. If you end the season with the worst record you have a 25% chance of winning the first overall pick, which for those non-math people out there, means there is a 75% chance you won't win the first pick. The last team to win the first overall pick after having the worst season was nearly a decade ago in the 2004 draft where the Magic ended up picking Dwight Howard. So in normal years where there are only one, two, or even no franchise players in the draft tanking doesn't make a lot of sense. I think that is why the lottery system was implemented.
This year the media and scouts are saying this draft class has several franchise altering players, so if you do end up with the worst record and worst case scenario you get the 4th pick; you will still get a star. As an organization I guess that makes sense, but as a fan I hate it. You never want to associate yourself with quitting, but teams are being obvious with their attempts to tank: Celtics trading away everyone including their coach, Bucks last year drafting a European kid that has upside but isn't ready to contribute right away, Suns giving away Gortat, Jazz not re-signing any veterans and taking on salary dump trades. Now some of those teams have surprised; but I bet you Boston and Phoenix didn't think their coaches were going to be THAT good. But tanking is apart of the NFL as well, do you think the Texans had the ulterior motive of tanking in mind when they fired Kubiak mid-season? Well I do. I guess I can just be happy that none of the teams I cheer for are no-good tankers. Even if the reason is because the coach is fighting for his job.
*Vikings* cough.
So the question is losing fans and revenue for one season worth the chance to get a star that can change the fortunes of your franchise for more than a decade?
MLB Collisions:
This decision seems to be opposed, on ESPN their poll had that over 60% of people didn't like it. However I am for it. Talk about a defenseless receiver! The catcher is stationary while a base runner gets a thirty yard head start to pummel him. In a game like baseball where success is determined by concentration, skill, intelligence, and little luck; removing this aspect of unnecessary physicality makes sense. The catcher doesn't need to block the plate and the runner doesn't need to tackle him. Sure, it was fun as a base runner to lay out the catcher, but I bet every catcher is happy to see this go into effect. The penalties for this should the same as interference calls anywhere else on the base paths. Wonder if they will attempt to change breaking up a double play? That change doesn't seem as obvious to me.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
CFB Playoffs, Lakers
I probably won't do a post every couple of days, but since I just started I wanted to post another one. So let's get started.
College Football Playoffs:
What if in some alternate universe the college football playoff system started this year and we had to pick the top 4 teams to play in the semi-finals? The top three seem obvious to me: 1. Florida State, 2. Auburn, 3. Alabama; but the controversy is who the number 4 seed would be. For me it would have to be Michigan State. They have momentum, a conference championship, just proved they can beat better talent, and the old adage of defense wins championships is on their side. So what if in an even crazier universe we had a 8 team playoff? Well then the top 4 would of course stay the same but my bracket would look like this:
1. Florida State
8. Oregon
4. Michigan State
5. Baylor
3. Alabama
6. Stanford
2. Auburn
7. Ohio State
The controversy for 8th seed is just as intense as the 4th seed. The teams I chose from were UCF, Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri, and South Carolina. This was a really hard choice, UCF won their conference, if you can call that a conference. Then do you really want to punish Mizzou for going to the conference championship game and losing to a red hot Auburn team? But then South Carolina beat Missouri straight up, albeit by a field goal off the upright. They also beat UCF. For Oklahoma I just couldn't get over the beatings by Baylor and Texas so they were the first team eliminated for me. Ultimately, it just came down to choosing a team that I thought had a chance to win the whole thing, and with Oregon's offense they were that team. There could be some controversy for Ohio State but their only loss was to the 4 seed in this bracket and 2 losses compared to 1 is important to me. However, for UCF the conference they play in, and the close games against bad teams, that let Oregon jump them.
Lakers:
The two things I wanted to cover here are Kobe's extension and the possible line-up next year. Before I start in I want it to made clear that I am a Lakers fan, and an even bigger Kobe Bryant fan. So the remaining parts of this post are going to be extremely biased. Glad that's covered. Now I have absolutely no problem with the Lakers giving Kobe the 2 year north of 48 million they gave him. It does make him the highest paid player in the league, but I believe Kobe when he says that he made no negotiations and accepted the only offer they gave him. People are saying he owes the Lakers, owes them what? We have seen over the past 17+ years is that he has gave the LA Lakers his body. He also took a 23 percent pay cut but no one wants to mention that. The other reason I have no problem with this deal is that the Lakers are setting a business model. If you play for LA and become Magic or Kobe (a star) they will reward you. This will make every young star want to go to LA because if he can win them a ring, they will make him the highest paid player. They will still make money off of this deal, and they could have given Kobe another max contract and they would have still made money off of it.
The 2014 Lakers is what everyone is worried about with Kobe's extension, but I say don't worry. With the free agent class this could potentially be the Lakers starting line up next year:
PG Eric Bledsoe
SG Kobe Bryant
SF Wesley Johnson
PF Pau Gasol
C Greg Monroe
Bench:
Jodie Meeks, Steve Blake, Jordan Farmar, Xavier Henry, Nick Young, Shawnee Williams, Robert Sacre, Ryan Kelly, Draft Pick
Now that is what is possible, Pau would have to take a pay cut (~50%) and we would have to be able to sign two restricted free agents (Monroe and Bledsoe) to reasonable contracts (~ 12 million). This includes using the stretch provision on Steve Nash and waiving him. Sorry Steve but you have the back of an 80 year old. Maybe if he can't get healthy this year, he just retires. This team would cost around $75-78 million if everything worked out and I do think if Kobe can be his usual Black Mamba self then that team can compete for an NBA championship. Also, that total would be close to what the Lakers are spending this year.
College Football Playoffs:
What if in some alternate universe the college football playoff system started this year and we had to pick the top 4 teams to play in the semi-finals? The top three seem obvious to me: 1. Florida State, 2. Auburn, 3. Alabama; but the controversy is who the number 4 seed would be. For me it would have to be Michigan State. They have momentum, a conference championship, just proved they can beat better talent, and the old adage of defense wins championships is on their side. So what if in an even crazier universe we had a 8 team playoff? Well then the top 4 would of course stay the same but my bracket would look like this:
1. Florida State
8. Oregon
4. Michigan State
5. Baylor
3. Alabama
6. Stanford
2. Auburn
7. Ohio State
The controversy for 8th seed is just as intense as the 4th seed. The teams I chose from were UCF, Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri, and South Carolina. This was a really hard choice, UCF won their conference, if you can call that a conference. Then do you really want to punish Mizzou for going to the conference championship game and losing to a red hot Auburn team? But then South Carolina beat Missouri straight up, albeit by a field goal off the upright. They also beat UCF. For Oklahoma I just couldn't get over the beatings by Baylor and Texas so they were the first team eliminated for me. Ultimately, it just came down to choosing a team that I thought had a chance to win the whole thing, and with Oregon's offense they were that team. There could be some controversy for Ohio State but their only loss was to the 4 seed in this bracket and 2 losses compared to 1 is important to me. However, for UCF the conference they play in, and the close games against bad teams, that let Oregon jump them.
Lakers:
The two things I wanted to cover here are Kobe's extension and the possible line-up next year. Before I start in I want it to made clear that I am a Lakers fan, and an even bigger Kobe Bryant fan. So the remaining parts of this post are going to be extremely biased. Glad that's covered. Now I have absolutely no problem with the Lakers giving Kobe the 2 year north of 48 million they gave him. It does make him the highest paid player in the league, but I believe Kobe when he says that he made no negotiations and accepted the only offer they gave him. People are saying he owes the Lakers, owes them what? We have seen over the past 17+ years is that he has gave the LA Lakers his body. He also took a 23 percent pay cut but no one wants to mention that. The other reason I have no problem with this deal is that the Lakers are setting a business model. If you play for LA and become Magic or Kobe (a star) they will reward you. This will make every young star want to go to LA because if he can win them a ring, they will make him the highest paid player. They will still make money off of this deal, and they could have given Kobe another max contract and they would have still made money off of it.
The 2014 Lakers is what everyone is worried about with Kobe's extension, but I say don't worry. With the free agent class this could potentially be the Lakers starting line up next year:
PG Eric Bledsoe
SG Kobe Bryant
SF Wesley Johnson
PF Pau Gasol
C Greg Monroe
Bench:
Jodie Meeks, Steve Blake, Jordan Farmar, Xavier Henry, Nick Young, Shawnee Williams, Robert Sacre, Ryan Kelly, Draft Pick
Now that is what is possible, Pau would have to take a pay cut (~50%) and we would have to be able to sign two restricted free agents (Monroe and Bledsoe) to reasonable contracts (~ 12 million). This includes using the stretch provision on Steve Nash and waiving him. Sorry Steve but you have the back of an 80 year old. Maybe if he can't get healthy this year, he just retires. This team would cost around $75-78 million if everything worked out and I do think if Kobe can be his usual Black Mamba self then that team can compete for an NBA championship. Also, that total would be close to what the Lakers are spending this year.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Yankees, BCS, and coaching changes
This is my first blog, and I decided to start one simply because I really enjoy sports and always have a strong opinion about them. I am not a journalist by any means, I am just a fan who thinks he knows more than he actually does. So let's jump right in.
Yankees:
Three things the Yankees have done this off season makes sense: signing Brian McCann, not over paying Cano, and getting Kuroda to not retire. I am okay with the Ellsbury signing because you take arguably one of the best players on your rival's team, and put him in your outfield. However, he is a slightly better Brett Gardner. So now you have two 30+ year old outfielders who are contact hitters and depend on their speed. Then the signing of Carlos Beltran baffled me, this is the Yankees outfield now: Gardner, Ellsbury, Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro, and Beltran. So now you have five decently paid outfielders for 3 spots and a DH. Also, only two of those players can play any defense, Ellsbury and Gardner. But I guess in that ballpark for ants, if its a fly ball its a home run. If Tanaka isn't available for the Yankees to sign they will not be any better than last year, the offense has potential if Ellsbury and Gardner get on base and Beltran defies age for another season. However the rotation is not good. CC is the top of the line starter and he wasn't what he was a couple of years ago. Nova could be another solid starter but I wan't to see another good year first.
But after the Beltran signing I wanted to put my name out for the GM of the Yankees, I will have more logical signings and will take a tenth of the salary Cashman gets. (I want to mention that I despise the Yankees and am a Twins fan so I may not be the guy for job.)
BCS:
I keep hearing that should Auburn win then they should jump Ohio St, and play in the National Championship game. Why? Is this because the SEC has won the last 7 NC games? If this is the case then we are taking past seasons into consideration, then if that is the case Ohio St was undefeated last year as well! No team has beaten them in two years, which is more impressive than a win over Alabama. (Alabama lost a game in both of their last 2 NC seasons, Urban Meyer has yet to lose at OSU.) So in my opinion no matter the score of the big ten championship game, if OSU wins they should play in the NC game.
Coaching Changes:
I want to applaud Washington, their coach left them for another school and then they hired a better coach. Coach Petersen has been mentioned in every major coaching vacancy since he ran the statue of liberty against Oklahoma. In all speculation, I think he wanted to stay in the west and go to a school where the media scrutiny isn't that tough. He waited for what he thought was the best fit and now is going to be in a BCS conference (if the Big 12 adds Boise St then Petersen stays, which they should have.) His former defensive coordinator is already employed by Washington and his former offensive coordinator just got fired from Florida, coincidence? I think not. I am going to say it right now Washington won this break up and I think Petersen will have more success that Sark at USC.
Yankees:
Three things the Yankees have done this off season makes sense: signing Brian McCann, not over paying Cano, and getting Kuroda to not retire. I am okay with the Ellsbury signing because you take arguably one of the best players on your rival's team, and put him in your outfield. However, he is a slightly better Brett Gardner. So now you have two 30+ year old outfielders who are contact hitters and depend on their speed. Then the signing of Carlos Beltran baffled me, this is the Yankees outfield now: Gardner, Ellsbury, Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro, and Beltran. So now you have five decently paid outfielders for 3 spots and a DH. Also, only two of those players can play any defense, Ellsbury and Gardner. But I guess in that ballpark for ants, if its a fly ball its a home run. If Tanaka isn't available for the Yankees to sign they will not be any better than last year, the offense has potential if Ellsbury and Gardner get on base and Beltran defies age for another season. However the rotation is not good. CC is the top of the line starter and he wasn't what he was a couple of years ago. Nova could be another solid starter but I wan't to see another good year first.
But after the Beltran signing I wanted to put my name out for the GM of the Yankees, I will have more logical signings and will take a tenth of the salary Cashman gets. (I want to mention that I despise the Yankees and am a Twins fan so I may not be the guy for job.)
BCS:
I keep hearing that should Auburn win then they should jump Ohio St, and play in the National Championship game. Why? Is this because the SEC has won the last 7 NC games? If this is the case then we are taking past seasons into consideration, then if that is the case Ohio St was undefeated last year as well! No team has beaten them in two years, which is more impressive than a win over Alabama. (Alabama lost a game in both of their last 2 NC seasons, Urban Meyer has yet to lose at OSU.) So in my opinion no matter the score of the big ten championship game, if OSU wins they should play in the NC game.
Coaching Changes:
I want to applaud Washington, their coach left them for another school and then they hired a better coach. Coach Petersen has been mentioned in every major coaching vacancy since he ran the statue of liberty against Oklahoma. In all speculation, I think he wanted to stay in the west and go to a school where the media scrutiny isn't that tough. He waited for what he thought was the best fit and now is going to be in a BCS conference (if the Big 12 adds Boise St then Petersen stays, which they should have.) His former defensive coordinator is already employed by Washington and his former offensive coordinator just got fired from Florida, coincidence? I think not. I am going to say it right now Washington won this break up and I think Petersen will have more success that Sark at USC.
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