Ted Turner & Mickey Mouse Prey on a Weak (National Basketball) Association… June 28, 2007
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , 2comments
Yes, I know… Not the scariest of predators, you tell me. Jane Fonda’s hubby and a member of the rodent family don’t necessarily strike fear in you. But they’ve certainly done a great job scavenging on the decaying carcass of the NBA…
(On a side note, yesterday, ESPN employee and talk show host Dan Patrick threw out the following observation, as a pointed question to his guests and listeners on his Show: “Have we reached a point now where we enjoy talking about the NBA, more than actually watching it?” Is the gossip more entertaining that the action on the hardwood?)
There have been several warning signs that the NBA was losing its TV viewership. First, the Scripps National Spelling Bee on ABC drew more viewers than Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons. More people tuned in to watch 13-year old Evan M. O’Dorney (7.1 million viewers) win the Spelling Bee than watched LeBron James’ thrilling 48 point, 9 rebound, 7 assist performance (5.6 million viewers). But, the red alert rang for David Stern when his product (NBA Finals Game 2) got outdrawn by a show (Sopranos Series Finale) on premium cable. And the margin was not even close; Tony whacked the Jerry West logo by close to a 2-to-1 ratio (15M HBO viewers out of 30M possible, to ABC’s 8M network viewers). The tragic part wasn’t that a pay cable show beat out something that you could obtain with simple rabbit ears on your television set. It was that, the NBA Commish, a fervent marketeer and spin-artist, was telling the media that he was not alarmed at all. The man largely credited for marketing individual stars over teams–now pointed to as a foremost reason for the Association’s downfall–was telling us that NBA fans were finding new ways to consume the NBA’s product. NBA.com was getting 30 million visitors consuming highlights. Let me tell you something, David. I have worked in the web, now for two years. And I can tell you this: web business models are still being tweaked and tinkered. The hardest thing to do when building a web content business, is to find ways to monetize users. The boob tube business model has been around for decades. Your television ratings are incredibly important to you, and you know it…
The news has just come out yesterday, Turner Broadcasting and the Disney Company (ABC, ESPN) will re-up their deals with the National Basketball Association. The financial terms of the deal were conveniently not disclosed. What this means in layman business terms is that Disney and Turner Broadcasting have taken advantage of their bargaining power (see declining NBA ratings this season), at the moment where they could purchase the broadcast rights on the cheap. David Stern was in no position to negotiate; and only hopes to right the ship in future years. ESPN and ABC only hope that he’s right, as they’ve “bought low” in this investment.
Over the past few months, on our Show, I’ve asked some of the most prominent NBA insiders and gurus (read Ric Bucher, Marty McNeal, Sam Amick…) what they can point to for the NBA’s declining ratings over the last few years. Some have told us about the increase of entertainment options. Others have said that the NBA lacks true star power. I’ve narrowed my diagnosis of the sickly Association to the following reasons:
1) Marketing Individual Stars Over Teams: in many circles, David Stern was lauded as a genius for placing the spotlight on individual stars, on each team. The Los Angeles Lakers were not facing off against the Boston Celtics. It became, “Magic Johnson and the Lakers against Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. Stars were put up a pedestal. The platitude of team unity was replaced by the more recognizable personalities of individuals. The parts were not summed up to make a whole; but instead dissolved and separated. Young guys coming up thought more about “posterizing” the opposition with an authoritative dunk than working on their jump shot. Their mentality was more about making SportsCenter’s highlight reel, so that their athletic prowess could be serenaded by another Stuart Scott “booyah” (trying spelling that Evan!). Which leads me to my next point…
2) Poor Field Goal %: Game 3 of the NBA Finals had the Cavs and Spurs combine for total of 90 missed shots. They shot a respective .367 and .412 from the field. One of many examples that can be cited for the decline of shooting percentages in the Association. How do you expect this to make for exciting roundball? The cold-blooded gunslingers of yesterday are a dying breed. Has anyone seen the aesthetics of Joakim Noah’s shot? It would make most basketball purists prey to the porcelain gods… Even to those that like the sounds of the game; doesn’t a “swish” (ask Nike 
) sound so much better than a “clank”? It’s gotten to the point to where every NBA town should be renamed “Brick City”… And I’m not talking Beacon Hill architecture, here…
3) Lack of Team Play: Apart from the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks, the NBA is littered with teams who would rather have their stars play in isolation. With very few exceptions, the ball doesn’t circulate around the hardwood as it once did in the 80’s and 90’s. I can vividly remember, watching in wonderment as a young child, as Magic and the Lakers (thanks for the indoctrination, David) would pass the ball around the perimeter until they found the open man for the shot. Today, players would rather go one-on-one, than include their teammates. Rapid ball movement and creative passing is what has made basketball so visually appealing…
So there you have it: a defective NBA product, that David Stern continues to peddle, even globally. I have had no qualms about saying this over the past few years: to me, the NBA has become unwatchable. I’ll barely tune in during the regular season; and if it weren’t for this sports talk franchise, I probably would watch very few playoff games. Which leads me to agree with ESPNRadio talk show host Colin Cowherd, when he contends that he will be pruning the NBA off his sports tree. I’ll have to find something else to replace the Association… Competitive eating anyone?
Mistake by the Lake June 28, 2007
Posted by Todd in : Uncategorized , 3commentsRight after the Browns signed me in 2004, a friend of mine who had gone to school in Cleveland called to semi-congratulate me and we had the following conversation:
“Have fun in Cleveland, Todd. And listen, if a doctor ever tells you that you have one month to live, move to Cleveland.”
“Why?”
“Because every day there is a freaking eternity.”
Truer words were never spoken. My eight months there lasted about a decade and made me a firm believer that Cleveland is the worst major city in the country. Playing for four NFL teams in five years did afford me the opportunity of traveling all over the country and seeing much of what the great United States has to offer, and I would rank Cleveland just ahead of the smell of the New Orleans gutters after the Final Four. Before I get into the why exactly northeast Ohio is so miserable, I will point out some of its strengths.
1) Jacobs Field. The Indians’ home stadium was easily the best thing about my stay. One of the best in the Big Leagues with great sight lines, downtown setting with easy access, awesome scoreboard, good amenities, and the fans there do love their team. I went to about 20 games and I was converted to a fan after about the third trip because they had some young talent and they played hard. Never had a bad experience at the Jake.
2) Um…jeez, this is tough. OK, I got one. The Browns had the best cafeteria in the NFL. Three full time chefs would make you anything you wanted from omelets to grilled chicken sandwiches to smoothees. I literally gained 15 pounds in 8 months and it was due to a combination of the great food and fact that it snows through May, so getting outside is tough. See? I couldn’t even get through two compliments without ripping it.
That is it. I could only come up with one solid compliment about the place. LeBron is awesome, but you should wait until he comes to your city to go watch him play. I could see how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame could be cool for a music lover, but I would rather take my $20 and buy a bleacher seat, hot dog and a beer at the Jake. How many Elvis robes and Pink Floyd posters do you really need to see? Also, the latest inductees are Grandmaster Flash and R.E.M. Really? Grandmaster Flash and a band best known for their contribution to the Tommy Boy soundtrack are R&R Hall of Fame material? That’s like putting Ray Finkle in the Dolphins Ring of Honor. Sorry Drew Carey, but Cleveland does not rock, but instead sucks for the following reasons:
1) The weather. This city has to have the worst weather in the country. It was nice for about 3 days in the entire 8 months I was there. It went from frigid to exhaustingly hot and muggy in a span of a day and a half. Horrible thundershowers in the summer months and feet of snow from October through May. I walked out of my apartment in mid-May and it was SNOWING!!! Unacceptable. The bad weather contributes to people exercising less and thereby having bulbous bodies which leads them to being outside less. Vicious cycle.
2) The downtown area. I picked up a friend who had flown out from Long Beach to catch an Indians game and I thought I would give him a grand tour. The tour took ten minutes. “OK, there’s Jacobs Field, there’s Browns Stadium, there’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there’s City Hall…and…wow, I guess that’s it. Let’s go to a bar.” There is an area called the Waterfront that consists of a bar called Shooters and an adjoining strip club. Since Shooters is easily the best spot in town, the bouncers and bartenders all have attitudes like their poop is aromatic, and I would put the talent at the strip club on par with the 4am – noon shift at the Wild Wild Chest in New Jersey (or so I have heard…I never went in Mom, I swear).
3) The size. Cleveland is too big to be a quaint town and too small to be a big city. It’s like going to a small college…let’s say Stanford. The first few parties are great because you meet fresh faces and all the frat houses are new and exciting. By the second month you pretty much know everyone and every spot and it is starting to get stale. By the third month you are ready to transfer because you hooked up with a couple of girls and the place is small enough to where everyone knows each other and word spreads like wildfire and now you can’t get a phone number because everyone thinks you are a jerk. Wow, that was cathartic.
The list could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. I contend that given the choice between Cleveland and any other city with at least three sports teams, Cleveland would be dead last on places to live. There is a reason the sports teams have struggled for so long. Top free agents would never choose to go there…ever. I am guessing LeBron is LeGone once his max contract is up and the Browns haven’t had a solid draft pick since the team came back. This is a team that had back-to-back #1 overall picks just eight and seven years ago and neither player is even in the league! (Tim Couch and Courtney Brown). The Indians are starting to show signs of life and have some good young players, but ownership will be faced with resigning them to big contracts and will probably let them go like they did Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome years ago.
All in all, Cleveland is a miserable part of the country and a time in my life that I will not look back upon with great fondness. When I would talk to people from Cleveland and ask them why they live there, their response would be “the changing seasons”. Hey, I like the changing seasons, too. Here in California, it changes from spring to fall for about two weeks in January and then it goes right back to spring. If I can take one thing from my stint in C-Town, I can say it has deepened my appreciation for every other city in America. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to play golf, sit by the pool, and enjoy another beautiful California day (and I could have written that sentence at any time of the year).
Cheaters Never Prosper…Unless They Hit Home Runs June 25, 2007
Posted by Todd in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farYou have probably heard the saying “If you aren’t cheating, you aren’t trying.” If that is true, major league baseball players have been trying very, very hard for the last 120 years. Don’t believe me? Check this one out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pud_Galvin. The debate has gotten a little more intense in the last five years, though, and so much so that the United States government has even gotten into the ring. Remember when George Bush used part of his State of the Union address to explain to all of America how steroids in baseball are becoming a problem and how he felt threatened enough to get Congress involved? That led to Senator George Mitchell spearheading an investigation for the last few years trying to uncover the truth and even had Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and Jose Canseco testify about how steroids were/were not a part of the game. Has there been a more ridiculous waste of taxpayers’ money that this investigation? OK, that whole Iraqi war has been pretty bad, too, so let’s call the steroids investigation a close second. Here is how the investigation should have gone:
Bush: “Jose, we need to know who is using steroids.”
Canseco: “Everyone.”
Bush: “Everyone? You mean that every player in the big leagues is using steroids?”
Canseco: “OK, well David Eckstein isn’t, but everyone else is.”
Bush: “Why?”
Canseco: “Because they don’t test for it, everyone else is doing it, steroids make you much better, you will eventually get paid a ton of money, and there is no way you can get in trouble for it.”
Bush: “Oh. That makes sense…now let’s go play with Silly Putty.”
Investigation over, money saved, case closed. I know that anabolic steroids are illegal, but they are available to anyone with a computer and internet connection. Bud Selig and everyone calling for the heads of anyone accused of using steroids are complete hypocrites. How can the baseball brass not test for the drugs for years and then get upset when the league gets overrun by them? Were they expecting to rely on the players’ honor?
Here is basically the scenario baseball players were presented with over the last two decades: steroids are against the law and against the rules in baseball, but the league does not test for it, over half of the league is using them, and players who have used them had career years and got paid big money as a result. Do you think Jason Giambi regrets using them? The guy won an MVP and is making over $23 million this season.
Anyone who does not think that steroids were rampant in the late 1980s and 1990s is either blind or dumb, and since I only cater to intelligent people with sight, they aren’t reading this article anyway. Brady Anderson hit 50 home runs in 1996 and didn’t crack 25 the rest of his career and only hit more than 20 in two other seasons. Hmmmm, Gomer Pyle could solve this one and we have a Congressional investigation spanning two years? Pitchers were using them, hitters were using them, and considering Bruce Bochy’s head is the size of a medicine ball, a case could be made that managers were using them.
The big questions surrounding the scandal deal with the records and how history will view them. Bonds is going to break Aaron’s home run record and an argument could be made that he is the greatest player of all time, yet he might not be a lock for the Hall of Fame. Mark McGuire was overlooked by voters this past off-season despite his numbers and historic impact on the game. The funny part is neither Bonds nor McGuire has ever tested positive for steroids. Are writers going to punish them based on suspicion? The same people in charge of MLB who were willing to look the other way for years and applaud when the home runs were getting blasted out at a record pace are now leading the witch hunt. The records cannot be erased or have an asterisk because baseball allowed it to happen and must now live with the fact that the steroids era has marginalized the accomplishments of so many great athletes from the 1920s -1970s. Roger Maris, who held the single season home run record for over thirty years, is not even in the top 6 any more. Babe Ruth is now behind Maris at #8 and #9 and will eventually be pushed out of the top 10. All records are made to be broken, but they should be broken legitimately. (Steroids in the early 20th century would have been funny, though. Could you imagine a hungover Babe stumbling into the clubhouse, throwing down a few hot dogs Kobayashi style, shooting up, repping out a few sets of 225 on the bench before hitting a 1000ft blast out of Yankee Stadium?)
Baseball was faced with two options. One was not to test for any drug, actually encourage steroid use because it makes the games more exciting and sells more tickets, and then sit back and watch gorillas with protruding foreheads and backne bash 800ft homeruns, pitchers throw in the high 140mph range, and start a new record book from scratch.
The other option, which baseball wisely chose, was to make sure there is not another steroid era through strict testing and drastic punishments. Human growth hormone needs to be added to the list of banned substances. They need to own the incident, admit guilt both by the players for using and the owners for allowing it, and put the era behind them. Outfits like BALCO might be able to stay ahead of the league by designing drugs that are undetectable, but baseball owes it to the fans and to the past greats to do everything they can to try and keep the playing field level. While the truth may never come out about who was using steroids, there can be some solace in baseball protecting what little credibility it has left and create a new legacy of trust with its fans. Because, as George Bush phrased it in a manner even Yogi Berra could appreciate: “You never know what your history is going to be like until long after you are gone.” So true, but I don’t think Bud Selig was listening.
Billy Ball Stays in Gainesville After Magic Vanishing Act June 19, 2007
Posted by Neil in : Uncategorized , 2commentsAfter Billy Donovan and the Gators cut down the nets in Atlanta after their 2nd consecutive national championship, Donovan and the Rowdy Reptiles were the class program in college basketball. Joakim Noah the 2006 Final Four MOP had eschewed the riches of the NBA (you can thank his privileged upbringing as the son of a former French Open champ and rock star Yannick) and come back with his much more talented, yet underappreciated front court mate Al Horford to deliver the first back-to-back title run since Coach K (don’t ask me to spell it again please), Grant Hill (before he drank Sprite), Bobby Hurley (before he got in accidents in Cow Town), and pretty boy Christian Laettner (please defend the inbounds pass Kentucky) repeated in the early 90’s.
Billy Ball was set to role on in Gainesville for the next few decades, and the Gators were poised to join their SEC East brother Kentucky, and legendary programs such as UCLA, Indiana, Duke, Kansas, and North Carolina as one of the bluebloods of college basketball. I have always looked at Donovan with admiration as a man of class and dignity. He is well-spoken, well-manicured (but without the air of sleaziness that often bestows slick-backed counterparts such as Pat Riley and Rick Pitino), and the brightest young mind in college basketball coaching.
My perception of him changed drastically following the immediacy of his acceptance of the Orlando Magic coaching position, then subsequent backtracking back to Gainesville. I completely understood and appreciated his initial exodus to the Magic Kingdom. Orlando was close to home, he didn’t have to uproot his family, and a phenom in Dwight Howard was waiting under Mickey’s humble abode. In addition, it is arguable that Donovan had done everything he could do at Florida. He won back-to-back national championships in dominating fashion (did you ever think they were going to lose at any point during this year’s tourney), and he would never be the top dog compared to the gorilla of a shadow that is encompassed by college football in the South and especially with Urban Meyer’s recent success and own national title at Florida. Thus, like his mentor as a coach, Rick Pitino, a pairing that led the Providence Friars (Donovan in short shorts but with long threes) to the Final Four in 1987, it was time for him to test the NBA waters. Maybe he could be the special coach who could transcend coaching from the college to the NBA game unlike so many who failed in previous decades (cue Shark the Tark with towel in his mouth for less than a season in the Alamo City, Mike Montgomery’s forgetful two seasons with GSW Hoops, Lon Kruger, Pitino, Calipari, etc.) I fully supported Billy taking the challenge of the NBA and leaving the Gators to rebuild with his protege VCU coach Anthony Grant who had orchastrated his own magic with the Rams and Eric Maynor leading them past Puke (no spelling mistake, or typographical error) in the 1st round of the NCAA’s in Buffalo and then giving the most overrated big man in college basketball history Aaron Gray and the gritty (which is a pleasant way of saying tough, but asthetically unpleasing) Pitt Panthers all they could handle in an OT loss in Round 2.
Then I lost all respect for Billy Donovan. He should not have taken the job in Orlando if he wasn’t committed to the idea. He had a classic case of buyer’s remorse, and while a move to the Magic made logical sense to the basketball world, and him at the time before signing, his affections for Gainesville tore him apart. He was the modern day Bobby Cremins who had once agreed to leave his successful post at Georgia Tech for his alma mater of South Carolina (Go Cocks!) and then retreated leaving those in Columbia having so much disdain for Cremins that he still isn’t welcome at any Gamecock alumni functions. I thought Donovan’s backtracking was unfair to the Magic (including all of Pat Williams’ 27 children, just kidding Pat you are the best man in the Association), unprofessional, and unforgiving. Boy, how a little perspective can change your opinion.
It is a whole lot easier to divorce yourself when you are not part of a controversial or diffciult decision and chastise others from the cheap seats. I now realize, who am I to criticize Billy for follwing his desires and having the audacity to admit his mistake and avoid coaching somewhere he didn’t want to be (although those free passes to Epcot may have made up for it to him in the long run). He potentially avoided ruining both the Magic and the Gator programs if he would have stayed in Orlando.
As anyone who listens to the program knows, I am an attorney in my day job. I have been happily working in the East Bay as a family law attorney, in that I love the office environment, people I work with, but not necessarily the idea of dealing with divorcees and splitting up people’s assets for the foreseeable future. Despite loving the comfortableness of my working environment, I ws on the lookout for more lucrative work in which I enjoyed the actual substance I was toiling away on. I was presented with an offer from a wonderful firm with a great offer (not quite as much as Billy was going to get to from the Magic, but not bad), in a subject area of the law that I am much more interested in. I only had a couple of days to weigh this big decision, of whether I would stay with what’s comfortable or try the exciting new league (job) that was unknown but exciting. I ultimately made the opposite decision than Billy did. Maybe if my previous office had the coeds that run around in Gainesville (they often do chomp a lot which you may have to watch out for in the bedroom) and seem to grow on trees (or poles)there I would have stayed. I ultimately went for the new and more unknown challenge. However, this decision was very diffcult and I now have been able to gain some small perspective into what Donovan must have been going through. I now think he made the right decision. Call it unprofessional, but in the grand scheme of things Billy only has to answer to a very select few people in his life, his family (which includes his basketball team). He made the decision that was best for himself and his loved ones, and while basketball pundits may have been put off by the way he reached his decision, he did the right thing. Billy, I hope you rebuild with your great recruiting class and continue to make Florida basketball more than just a gathering of 12,000 Rowdy Reptiles at the O Dome waiting for Spring Practice to begin. I bet Mike Montgomery wishes (I certainly do, it’s now or never this year Trent) he was still stalking the Stanford sidelines. Just make sure that now that you are back (if you truly ever left Gainesville), stay and make this program one of the most legendary in the country.
Wasted Talent June 19, 2007
Posted by Todd in : Uncategorized , 2commentsOne of the biggest drawbacks of the NFL for me personally (besides the dog fighting, making it rain on strippers, and the Cincinnati Bengals) is the all too common occurrence of wasted talent. In my experience, very rarely is the most physically talented also the hardest working player. There is little contention that Randy Moss was the most gifted WR for the first 7 years of his career, Mike Vick has more tools than any other QB, and Lavar Arrington is an absolute freak of nature. The question then is why aren’t these guys considered to be in the top 5-10 players at their position? There are a couple of reasons:
In high school and college, when so many of the fundamentals are learned and good habits are adopted, often the best athletes are ignored by the coaches. Coaches feel that their time is better spent on other players who need to the correct technique to overcome their lack of speed, strength, etc… A lack of fundamentals will always catch up to players when their physical skills erode or they get into a situation where other players around them are just as talented (ask Keyshawn Johnson).
Another reason, and probably more obvious, is that great players can get away with throwing technique out the window and not learning the intricacies of the game because they are so gifted. There is the story about Lavar Arrington not knowing half of Penn State’s defenses and doing whatever he wanted when the ball was snapped. He was still making some highlight reels, but the coach felt that he was out of position so much that he ended up hurting the team just as often as he blew up a QB. It ended up costing Lavar during his tenure with the Redskins because the coaches couldn’t trust him enough to put him out on the field. The Skins actually deactivated him for a stretch when no-nonsense Joe Gibbs took over. Lavar was a 250lb linebacker with about 5% body fat and could run a 4.4 and he was sitting on the bench?
The problem with the NFL is that they often reward the players who disregard how the game should be played because of their potential and physical attributes. Why should a guy learn the proper techniques when he is going to get paid just as much whether he plays with them or not? It always amuses me when teams ignore a college body of work or consistent underperformance and either take a player high in the draft or pay big free agent money. A perfect example occurred in 2000 when the Jacksonville Jaguars spent their first round pick on USC WR R.J. Soward (that is a lot of capitol letters in row, sorry). Anyone who had ever spent five minutes with R.J. knew he was an absolute jerk and his play on the field cost the Trojans more than one game (thanks again for that dropped TD against Stanford). At the combine in
Indianapolis, he ran a 4.3 and earned himself a couple of million dollars in the process. I remember joking at the time that R.J. would be out of the league in three years…I was wrong, it was one year. He missed meetings, performed poorly on the field, was a bad teammate, disrespected coaches and was gone in a year.
The sad thing about this story is that many more R.J.s are out there. Vick will not learn defenses, perfect his passing skills, and is becoming an embarrassment off the field. Lavar has become a non-factor thanks to a bad reputation, injuries, and bad decisions off the field (contract disputes and the recent motorcycle injury that might end his career). Moss has become a below average WR because he doesn’t block, won’t make the tough catch over the middle, and has admitted that he flat-out doesn’t care.
Until the NFL puts a cap on what the rookies can make, this trend will continue because so many of the young players are not mature enough to handle that much money so early in their careers. The giant rookie contracts breed complacency. If you were 21 years old and just got set for life financially, would you work as hard every day or play with reckless abandon that so many of us fans love to watch? Unfortunately, the answer for many guys in the NFL is “no”. That is why I root for guys like Tom Brady, Marvin Harrison, Hines Ward, Brian Urlacher, and Frank Gore. The guys who appreciate how fortunate they are to play in the NFL. The guys who have enough pride to get the most out of their skills by having great fundamentals and an excellent work ethic. The guys who want to win more than they want to make money. Those are the guys I love to watch play the game. I just wish they weren’t so hard to find.
The only star shining in San Francisco is the All-Star Game June 19, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so far
At the rate the Giants are going, when Barry Bonds does finally hit 756 to pass Hank Aaron for the home run record, the reaction will be ho hum.
Los Gigantes are anything but their namesake right now. Aside from their vaunted starting staff of Matt Cain, Tim “Franchise” Lincecum, Noah Lowry, Matt Morris, and their 126-million dollar man Barry Zito, there’s nothing to see here.
Having covered the Giants since 1999, their last year at old Candlestick Park which I loved for its “anti-charm”, Baseball along the shores of McCovey Cove has been the place to be and be seen, especially Neil and Paul sitting in the swanky Lexus Club seats some 44-feet behind home plate.
This team is absolutely pathetic and I for one am relishing in their self-destruction. Again, going back to the year 2000 when the Giants moved to 24 Willie Mays Plaza, the organization has had a holier than thou attitude, especially towards the media. Barry Bonds has never been remotely hospitable but with the new clubhouse and numerous hiding places, (trainers’ room, kitchen, players’ lounge, weight room, laundry room, etc.) players are never available to talk.
This wasn’t much of a problem until 2005 when the Giants began a run of two plus seasons of mediocrity. Even when the team does win a game, rare as that is, I’ve never seen more than three players in the clubhouse at any time. A little goodwill does go a long way, but it seems President and Managing General Partner Peter Magowan and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Larry Baer sold their souls to the devil so they could continue to milk an old cow to the bone.
People still love to flock to the yard because of its scenic beauty. Yes I have to admit even though I seem jaded (at least to Paul), the park does have one of the best views in the country, especially on the club and view levels. You can stare out into San Francisco Bay in right field and see the Oakland hills in the distance. On the left field side is a view of the Bay Bridge and the nearby Marina harbor with its many sailboats.
This season, the Giants biggest acquisition besides shelling out for Zito is the new spectacular HD scoreboard and new concession items to lighten your wallet.
Ok, great but Baseball is still about winning games.
This year also saw the first increase in season ticket prices and those increases were significant. After all, someone has to pay for the 16 million Barry Bonds is receiving and let’s not forget Barry Zito getting 18 million this season to look cool while he’s shagging Hillary Duff or whatever Hollywood celeb he’s rubbing shoulders with of late. I find it extremely amusing that Zito keeps recycling the same quotes every time he struggles. Zito is 6-7 with a 4.41 ERA. Following his start in Boston where he was massacred by the Red Sox, he had these comments in the San Francisco Chronicle.
“It’s an adjustment year,” Zito said Sunday. “You look at a lot of guys in the first year of their big contracts, and we’re all trying to adjust to this new thing. You have to focus on pitching for passion even that much more because you know you’re going to be here for a certain amount of time and financially you’re all set up.
“You come up to the league and you’re pitching to stay in the big-leagues. ‘I can’t go back to Triple-A.’ Then you get your first contract and you’re pitching for your free-agent year, so it’s all different steps. I’m going to be pitching here seven years, so now let’s get into the art of pitching and the craft. There’s not a contract you have to worry about. Just go out and pitch and get in your rhythm and start to figure out what makes you successful.”
I’ve heard him tell me similar words in at least two of his starts where he was absolutely horse**it. Zito may have won game one against the Minnesota Twins in the 2006 ALDS but he’s a complete choker in big games. He’s already been bombed by the A’s, the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Rockies. Zito also hasn’t gone more than seven innings in any start. The one bright spot is that five of his six wins are against teams that are above .500.
Barry, I’ve got an idea, why don’t you start throwing strikes. Unlike your former team where the batters are patient at the plate, you nibble and have zero command of the strike zone consistently falling behind in the count and serving up 86 mile an hour home run balls that are hit so far, there should be a flight attendant serving drinks.
My friend and colleague Damon Bruce who is the esteemed host for SportsPhone 680 on KNBR proudly boasted that the signing of Zito would automatically give Matt Cain five more wins. Damon also predicted that Zito’s veteran experience could bolster the staff and the team would be in contention for the National League West. That’s high praise but without a good supporting cast, even a movie starring A-list stars will fail at the box office and that’s the story of the 2007 Giants. Damon is horribly wrong on both fronts and it doesn’t appear the losing will end anytime soon.
How the hell can a team win without a good bat in the lineup? Bonds had his last productive year in 2004 when he won his seventh MVP award and finished the year with 703 home runs. Since then, its been a freak show with Bonds either dodging Federal investigators in the BALCO scandal and his body breaking down from alleged drug use and the fact that he is 42. Bonds turns 43 on July 24.
Bonds was on a tear in the first month of the season and is still having a fine year batting .290 with 14 home runs and 31 RBI. But the only player besides Bonds to have double digit homers is Pedro Feliz with 10. Center fielder Dave Roberts who is now 34, a little younger than some of the geriatrics on this club is past his prime and is batting a ROBUST .222 (ok, I’m a little sarcastic) but is 11 for 12 in stolen bases.
Don’t blame General Manager Brian Sabean. He’s at the mercy of tweedle-dee (Magowan) and tweedle-dum (Baer). Unfortunately since he’s not writing the checks, he probably will be the fall guy and possibly out of a job at the end of this season.
Normally I would also feel sorry for long suffering Giants fans but I’m not because most of them aren’t able to afford going to the ballpark anyway. In this day and age of luxury suites and club seats, the die-hards are either in the nose-bleed “view reserve”, freezing their butts off in the bleachers, or smart enough to watch the game from the comfort of their home where they can simply click off the TV or radio when the game is over or been over when the Giants are in the midst of a blowout loss.
Everyone likes to joke about the Cubs last championship in 1908 but did you know.? …(insert ESPN Did You Know music here) that the Cleveland Indians are next on that list. The Tribe won their last championship in 1948 and the Giants haven’t won a title since they swept the Indians in the 1954 World Series when the team played in New York at the Polo Grounds. The Giants aren’t going anywhere in 2007 so make that 53 years and counting…
As Brooklyn Dodgers fans used to say to each other, “Wait till next year.” Actually I think it’ll be, “Wait till Bonds retires.”
In the meantime, enjoy that overpriced Baseball and if you can afford the exorbitant prices for the midsummer classic, have an adult beverage and engage in some lively banter with a lovely lady who is probably a gold digger. Am I speaking to you Paul?
NFL’s Offseason of Discontent June 14, 2007
Posted by Todd in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farWe are currently heading into the fifth month since good old Peyton “Buckethead” Manning was able to overcome having the worst body language in the history of sports and the fact that no one looks worse in a football uniform to win his first Super Bowl, and that means one thing: the start of moronic NFL “experts” like me predicting what is going to happen next season. While I will get to my NFL June Super Bowl pick at the end of the article, I will first review which teams have done the most and the least for their chances to win. However, there are some things all 6 of you reading this need to know before taking my information and speeding to Vegas to place bets based on my advice.
1) I am a firm believer that teams win based on the strength of their offensive and defensive lines. Look at the teams who have had consistent success over the last 6 years (Pats, Eagles, Colts, Bears, Panthers) and you will notice that they spend a lot of draft picks on the big guys up front. Good offensive lines allow teams to run the ball and protect the passer and good defensive lines allow teams to pressure the passer while only rushing 4 guys. In other words, studs in the trenches give everyone else on the field a chance to make plays. That is why the Lions and the Cardinals have been so feeble despite having more speed than a meth-lab.
and
2) Injuries play as big of a part as anything in the success of a team. Amazing how much worse the Rams got when Orlando Pace went down, the Seahawks saw their season go down the drain when Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander hit the injured list, and the Browns…well, let’s all face it, the Browns would have sucked if everyone had stayed healthy were spotted 10 points a game. That city is cursed, but more on that another time.
So, whichever teams with the best lines stay the healthiest will end up winning. Now, onto the offseason reviews.
Teams that did the LEAST
Buffalo – they traded their best offensive player in Willis McGahee (a former 1st rounder who they invested a lot of time in developing) and lost their top two defensive players in Nate Clements (49ers) and London Fletcher (Redskins). Their draft was commendable with two Pac 10 guys, RB Marshawn Lynch and QB Trent Edwards, sandwiching PSU standout Paul Posluszny (yes I had to look up how to spell that), but the problem is that those guys won’t be ready to be play makers for a few years. So the front office basically admitted that they are in rebuilding mode, got rid of their only big name players, and took a dump on their season ticket-holders. I’m sure the people who spent half of their salary to watch no-names stink up the league will see if front the GM’s point of view. On second thought, they’ll probably just stay in the parking lot drowning their sorrows in wings and Old Style while they think of ways to track down Scott Norwood.
Miami – How pissed do you think Jason Taylor and Zack Thomas are right now? Could you imagine being two of the best defenders in the game and running off the field after a big third down stop, only to watch the offense trot out Jay Fiedler, Sage Rosenfels, Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, Gus Frerotte, AJ Feeley, a hobbled Daunte Culpepper, or Cleo Lemon to lead the offense down the field? Ignoring the QB position through the draft for so many years had finally caught up with them and they answer by…passing on Brady Quinn to take Ted Ginn, Jr., a kick returner with great speed and questionable hands! They drafted John Beck in the second round out of BYU, but is he really going to take that team to the next level? Trent Green has a lot of questions coming off of a horrific head injury and, at 37, has only maybe 1 good year left in him. Nick Saban pissed off a lot of people by promising to be with the team only to bolt when Bama backed up the Brinks Truck, and they replace him with a guy in Cam Cameron who has never been an NFL head coach. Ronnie Brown hasn’t emerged as the game breaker they hoped for when they drafted him #2 overall, they got rid of two of their best offensive players in WR Wes Welker and K Olindo Mare, and unless Ginn turns out to be an absolute stud (100 to 1 odds on that flake scoring 8 TDs this year) the Dolphins wasted another year of Thomas and Taylor’s stellar careers.
Atlanta – You think the GM wants Matt Schaub back? Mike Vick couldn’t have done more damage to his image or his standing with the organization if he had been charged with knowingly infecting a woman with herpes and then gave an absurd alias like Ron Mexico…oh, wait, never mind. It’s safe to say everyone is getting a little tired of his act and it is a shame a guy with his athletic ability and profile can flush them both down the toilet in such a short period of time. Algernon Crumpler (8 TDs) emerged as a top-flight TE last year and Jerious Norwood will probably supplant Warrick Dunn as the #1 RB, but they are the few weapons on offense. Actually, Agle is just above average, but I just wanted to point out to everyone that his real name is Algernon. They have some talent on defense with DE John Abraham coming back from injury and DeAngelo Hall should make some plays at CB, but all will be overshadowed by Vick’s embarrassing offseason.
Honorable Mention:
Green Bay (lost Ahman Green and Brett Favre’s circus of returning/not returning/criticizing the front office/not showing to mini-camp) and the Titans (Pacman edges out Ron Mexico for worst guy in sports award and no big free agent moves)
Teams that helped themselves the MOST
San Francisco – The Niners made some big offseason signings in CB Nate Clements, DE Tully Banta-Cain, WRs Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie (he needs to start performing up to his talent level and grow up) and had an impressive draft with LB Patrick Willis (Ole Miss) and OT Joe Staley (CMU). A great mix of youth and veterans on both sides of the ball, Alex Smith showed improvement late last year, a franchise back in Frank Gore, and a good offensive line finally have Bay Area fans expecting playoffs.
Denver – They finally handed the reigns to Jay Culter and are ready to sink or swim based on his play. This could be one of the easier jobs in the NFL, though, because all he has to do is not suck. The Broncos have one of the most talented defenses in the league with the additions of Dre Bly and Warrick Holdman, and they drafted super-stud DE Jarvis Moss out of
Florida. Those guys join former first rounders Champ Bailey, Kenard Lang, DJ Williams, Ebenezer Ekuban, and Gerard Warren (probably the biggest jerk I ever played with in the NFL. I have never been on a team were about 75% of the guys actually hate someone, but that was the case with Warren in Cleveland). The additions of WR Brandon Stokely and TE Daniel Graham make this a star-studded team on both sides of the ball. Anything less than a deep playoff run will be viewed as a disappointment by many of the Elway faithfuls. However, they will have to get by the best team in the NFL in…
New England – Brady finally got his wish in a big-time playmaker with Randy Moss, and all early reports are that he is fitting in with team, working hard, diving for balls in practice, and even stopped smoking grass. And if you believe that last one, Ricky Williams wants to hire you as his agent. They also signed WRs Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth, play-making DE Adalius Thomas, and drafted a top safety/asskicker Brandon Meriweather. They had a bunch of late round draft choices as well (one 5th rounder, four 6th rounders, and two 7th rounders), and the Pats have proven to get maximum value out of those picks. My money is on former USC LB Oscar Lua to be a special teams stud and eventually end up starting for them. New England has put themselves is a position to be much better than the team that made it to the AFC Championship last year, and if they stay healthy, they have very few weaknesses on paper.
Honorable mention:
Detroit (Calvin Johnson is an absolute dominator),
Minnesota (Adrian Peterson should help people forget that they have no QB),
Baltimore (McGahee could be the missing piece, and they need to win now before Ogden, Ray Lewis, and McNair hang up the cleats)
That concludes my rundown of some notable off season moves and my first blog entry. To recap, the Patriots will beat the Broncos in the AFC championship (Buckethead will be home watching the game with Archie “everyone remembers me as being better than I was because my sons are famous even though I stunk” Manning and Eli “I would be third string somewhere if my last name wasn’t Manning” Manning) and then smacking the Saints in Super Bowl XLII. So now you are now free to put on a suit, head to Vegas, and put some lettuce on it, but don’t blame me if someone gets hurt.
Arthur Drawing a Blank; as Vick Needs Shorter Leash… June 13, 2007
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , 2commentsFederal agents have now stepped into the fray, in the Michael Vick dog fighting investigation. Surry Country DA Pointdexter hasn’t been aggressive enough in his pursuit of a public figure in their humble opinion; so they’ve made this personal. (My Co-Host Neil–YSNC’s Roger Cossack–has a plausible hypothesis for Pointdexter’s relative lack of appetite for this case: as an elected member of government in a pro-Vick County, he’s got a lot to lose by incarcerating a man that could outrun him in both senses of the term. But that’s a topic for a later discussion…). According to many, this latest surge by the Federal Government has the not-so-hidden motive of bringing down the despicable practice of dog fighting by taking down one its most high-profile participants.
Va Tech’s ex-QB continues to make a fool out of himself on and off the field. With his prodigious talent and decent supporting cast, we should be talking about consecutive playoff appearances from the Falcons.
In an era known for its boisterous, highly-publicized, and over-involved sports owners (yes, that means you: Mark Cuban, Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder), Arthur Blank has been very sub-par in making crucial decisions thus far. He deserves a share of the blame about what has happened to the Atlanta Falcons over the past few years. Let’s take a closer look at some crucial decisions he either had to make or was overseeing recently, to see how he has handled them:
1) Mishandling of the Mora Situation: His former Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. was known for his loose mouth. Can one fault him, having been raised in his family? (Just imagine the scene at the Thanksgiving dinner table…) Now, think back to the happenings at the head coaching position late last season for the Falcons. Was Mora Jr. truly let go because he didn’t make the “playoffs” (insert Senior’s famous pronunciation here)? Or was it not more likely that he got fired by Blank for comments made on KJR, stating that he would gladly leave the Atlanta NFL franchise for a head coaching gig at University of Washington, “even if [the Falcons] were in a playoff run”? Granted the Atlanta Falcons ended up with a 7-9 regular season record, and out of the playoffs. Yes, Mora had been unable to harness Vick’s outstanding talent. Yes, he had failed to improve for the second straight year on the NFC Championship campaign in his first year as Atlanta Falcons head coach in 2005. But I have trouble saying that Mora would have been on his way out of Atlanta had he not made those off color comments on live radio while the Falcons were still mathematically alive for the playoffs. It was the straw that broke the Joe Camel’s back. Let’s face it; in most NFL circles Jim was viewed as a top young talent for the head coaching position. A couple of sub-par years, with respective records of 8-8 and 7-9 had not yet tarnished that perception. Arthur Blank had to fire Mora after his comments on KJR and another sub-par season. Had he made the ground rules clearer to Mora, perhaps he wouldn’t have had the need to rid himself of a promising head coach. (Not surprisingly, shortly after his dismissal, Mora easily found an Assistant Head Coaching job with the Seahawks; the market to whom he had professed his love “on air”).
2) Lax Discipline with his Star QB: It is true that Michael Vick has not yet been even indicted in the dog fighting charges facing him. His other brushes with the law and PR snafus have continued to plague the image of what should be considered the face of the Atlanta Falcons franchise. An NFL QB, in this day and age, is much more than just a passer. He is the unquestioned leader of the team, and the guardian of its outside perception. Most would agree that an accusation of herpes transmission or airport Marijuana possession are not the most responsible of behaviors for a team leader. You layer an instance where Vick felt compelled to give his own fans a special rendition of the dirty bird, and you’ve got yourself someone far from wearing the responsibilities of being an NFL QB. After this latest very public incident, the NFL stepped in to fine Vick a cool $10K. After a private meeting with his signal caller, Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank didn’t want to add to his quarterback’s torment apparently. He sat pat and did nothing. When the recent dog fighting allegations intensified against Vick, Blank emitted a statement to Falcons fans. Addressing the Michael Vick situation, here’s a meaningful excerpt from Blank’s letter, “We hope you understand it would be inappropriate and premature to make any definitive statements or take any action until we know the facts. Therefore, we are awaiting the outcome of the investigation just as you are. For the benefit of our fans, the Falcons and Michael, we hope there will be a quick and clear resolution to this matter so that we all can move forward.” Let me tell you this, Arthur; I strongly suggest you take a clue from Roger Goodell and penalize your quarterback for getting himself entangled in this mess. Proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is left up to the courts. In the court of public opinion, your athletic signal caller is already guilty of a myriad of things. If you continue to refuse to discipline your outlaw gunslinger, you’re going to do two things: 1) Lose the respect of other members of your team & 2) Lose face in front of your own fans.
3) No Solid Second Option Under Center: Mr. Blank opts for a new coach in Bobby Petrino from Louisville. He thinks he’s found the natural replacement to Mora Jr.; the man that will take the next steps for this franchise. What he’s done, without realizing it, is allowed another head coach to be mesmerized by the outstanding physical gifts possessed by your starting quarterback. No need to keep a guy like Matt Schaub around; we’ve got the guy that’s going to do it for us in Atlanta. There’s no question that Vick has all the physical tools in the world. But let’s not forget that a guy like Jeff George could throw off of his back foot like no other. We all remember what a mess he was… Matt Schaub, an outstanding prospect, is dealt to the Texans for the two second round selections and an exchange of 1st rounders. Yes, decent value was garnered for the young quarterback. But at what cost, I ask? Does anyone reasonably think that retread Joey Harrington can carry the load, if Vick gets hurt or worse yet, incarcerated? Rick McKay most certainly had a part in this call; but an owner has the final right of veto of any initiative. And on this one, Arthur drew another Blank…
Arthur Blank, I certainly thought that you had learned and exhibited smart decision-making from building out the empire that is Home Depot. A quick post-it note to you: once in a while, please remove yourself long enough from the office supplies you’ve surrounded yourself with and make a decent decision for your NFL franchise. A few years ago, it seemed like you had something going in Hotlanta. Today, you’ve got a team with an unstable quarterback, mired in mediocrity. Tomorrow, you’ll be lucky to have a team that hasn’t lost the respect of its fans…
Unfettered Personality vs. Common Decency: The Eternal Debate in Men’s Tennis June 12, 2007
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farOur Weapon of Mass Destruction, Nick Griffith, was good enough to start the conversation, by sending the following YouTube video clip (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ceB4ZpeJPao): portraying Jimmy Connors wiping away a potentially reversible call on his opponent’s (Corrado Barazzutti) side at the ‘77 US Open at Forest Hills. The unabashed Jimbo crosses over to Barazzutti’s side of the court, as the latter is asking for a review of the “in” call from the umpire, on the tournament’s Hard Tru surface. Connors steps in; erases the mark in jest, and still gets the Chair to rule in his favor. How far have we come in Men’s Tennis!
Watching the video prompted this email response, which I promptly composed and fired back to the members of YSNC’s Tennis Round Table: ‘These days you would get a point penalty for venturing to your opponent’s side of the net. I find that bit a little disgusting, to say the least.
There’s a delicate balance in tennis these days; between letting these players express their emotions and personalities freely on the court, and letting them get away with the shananagans afforded to Johnny Mac and Jimbo in the past. The men’s game is said to lack personality. And much of this is blamed on the rule changes that took place to fetter the misfits of the 80’s Tennis Boom.
I can personally cite a recent example which could have gone either way, according to most observers. Back in 2004, I attended (for the first time) the Major held in my native City of Paris. Mantilla and Safin were battling, late one summer night, in the first week, on Court 1 at Roland Garros. Known as “The Arena”, this stadium, in comparison to the other show courts (most notably Chatrier), gives fans an opportunity to sit right next to the action. There’s an intimacy there, that can be relished by any tennis aficionado. This was the match to watch, in the evening, on the grounds; as these two were in a true dogfight (surprisingly, despite his “heavyweight” status, Michael Vick wasn’t placing wagers ). Most of the fans had migrated to the court (including fellow ATP Tour colleague Arnaud Clement), which created a raucous atmosphere. Carlos Bernardes was presiding over the gritty proceedings. Despite his incessant pleas in French (”S’il vous plait”, “Merci”, “Les joueurs sont prets”), the naturally irreverent Parisian crowd was not to be quieted. Sometime in the 4th set (if memory serves correct), Mantilla and Safin get involved in a protracted rally; the kind that makes any fan of clay-court tennis all the more giddy. Felix and Marat are exchanging heavy topspin groundstrokes from behind the baseline. Finally, Mantilla shows off his deft touch and sneaky feline ways by caressing an exquisite drop shot to Safin’s backhand side. The French assembly gasps; Marat will need all of his Mousquetaire agility to reach this one… As we’ve seen from him many times before, he musters the improbable. In a few long strides, he gets to the short ball and retorts with a beautifully sharp angled cross court drop shot of his own. Needless to say the crowd erupts! Marat is so elated and surprised at this improbable get, that he decides to drop his pants in celebration (okay, who hasn’t celebrated that way, really). Roland Garros gets a glimpse at Marat’s white briefs. This sends the Parisian female population into a synchronized swoon… Bernardes remains stern and spoils the beginnings of a good party, “Code Violation, Mr. Safin”. Seated ten rows of so in back of Bernades, I get up to back my favorite Russian. “Carlos, get out of the chair!”, emanates from my mouth. “You don’t deserve to be on the same court!” I had picked a time when the frenzy had subsided. Bernardes tries to turn around to see who had uttered those words so distinctly and loudly. Before he or the two large security gentlemen see me, I duck for safety and rapidly immerse myself with my fellow spectators.
To me, this single moment was an act of joy from a character on the ATP Tour. Is this the kind of thing that should be penalized? Does it matter that we saw Safin’s jock? Do the women of Paris wish he had been wearing his CK’s or are they just thankful that they got this intimate with the Big Russian? These are all questions that swirled in my head back then, and then now, when watching this episode with Connors. How much is too much control over players? When is conduct truly reprehensible? How much wiggle room should we give these umpires in hopes that they use “sound” judgment when applying these rules?
These all are questions I pose, Gentlemen… Because, I’m not quite sure I have all the answers…’
