First it was Jeff Franceour and Jason Bay reportedly being annoyed at criticisms by Daryl Strawberry. Then last week, it came out that Clint Dempsey was upset with comments made by John Harkes during last years Confed Cup. And now today, Samuel Eto'o is threatening to skip the World Cup because of comments made by Cameroon legend Roger Milla.
What is going on here? Seriously, why so sensitive guys? As professional athletes you should expect to be criticized. It comes with the territory so calm down and prove your critics wrong - on the field. A quick couple thoughts on each...
Bay and Franceour, as I already mentioned, need to be aware of the history of the Mets. The 1986 team means everything to us and we will ask for Strawberry's opinion every second we get. They need to get over it and realize that the '86 players are not going anywhere.
Now, Dempsey's situation is silly because his displeasure with Harkes came out a year after Harkes' criticisms. A year. You know you're my boy, Clint, but get over it. Guess what? John Harkes never had the opportunity that you have. You have the chance to lead this team to the quarterfinals. You have led your club team to the Europa League Finals. You're better than he ever was. His job is to comment on what he sees on the field. So if you think his comments are off base, show him that they are. And if he still thinks you're performing below standards, then he will show how little he knows.
Eto'o's (correct punctuation I am assuming) situation is the craziest of all because he is threatening to skip the World Cup because of what a former player said. Think about that. He is willing to skip the biggest soccer event of his life. All because of some comments from a former striker. If I'm Cameroon, I need to seriously question his heart on this one. It's one thing to be annoyed and lash out to the media, but to skip the World Cup and hurt your teammates? That is downright crazy. Samuel, you're not bigger than your country. You need to decide right now if you're with them or against them...
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Rod Barajas Is a Winner, Update
Rod Barajas continues to put up amazing numbers in Mets wins. The statistician in me says that we can't determine which way the causal pathway goes, meaning do Mets wins lead to Barajas' success or does his success lead to Mets wins? The Mets fan in me says, who cares nerd?!? Barajas is the man.
As I continue this mental battle, here are some data for you to chew on:
As I continue this mental battle, here are some data for you to chew on:
- Mets are 18-17 when Barajas starts
- In the 17 losses he is hitting .210 with 2 hr, 2 2b and 7rbi
- In the 18 wins he is hitting .329 with 8 hr, 6 2b and 20 rbi
Nash Still the Best
I will be honest - I really have never seen Rajon Rondo play. I have no idea how good he is. So my next statement is going to be extremely biased - I still think that Steve Nash is the best point guard in the NBA. He is better than Derrick Rose. Better than Deron Williams. Better than Chris Paul. Better than all the rest.
I love everything he does on the court. Last night was an absolute treat, even if the Suns did lose. He took the game over in the fourth and led the Suns back to tie the game with little time left. He did so by not just giving his teammates open looks, but he put the game on his shoulders. Two straight times down the court in the final 2 minutes Phoenix ran the high pick and roll and both times he was able to get the mismatch against Gasol. Yet, instead of using his advantage and driving to the hole he played into Gasol's advantage and tried to shoot over him. Both times he started to drive, stepped back and drained a beautiful arching shot. He had ice in his veins.
To me, the best point guards are winners. They're not the best passers or the best shooters. They are the guys who can control the game and who can win no matter what. While Nash has never been to the NBA Finals, he has turned the Suns into perennial winners. You just know that he is going to win or at least put his team in position to win. Maybe Rondo does that - I don't know. Most of what I hear about him is that he is a match-up nightmare and that he basically runs the show in Boston even in the presence of three future hall of famers. Maybe he is a winner, I don't know. Again, I haven't seen enough of him.
But you can damn well believe that Nash is better than Williams, Paul, Rose and all the rest. Even at his old age, he is showing everyone that he is not an afterthought. Even at an old age, he deserves to be in the NBA MVP discussion.
I love everything he does on the court. Last night was an absolute treat, even if the Suns did lose. He took the game over in the fourth and led the Suns back to tie the game with little time left. He did so by not just giving his teammates open looks, but he put the game on his shoulders. Two straight times down the court in the final 2 minutes Phoenix ran the high pick and roll and both times he was able to get the mismatch against Gasol. Yet, instead of using his advantage and driving to the hole he played into Gasol's advantage and tried to shoot over him. Both times he started to drive, stepped back and drained a beautiful arching shot. He had ice in his veins.
To me, the best point guards are winners. They're not the best passers or the best shooters. They are the guys who can control the game and who can win no matter what. While Nash has never been to the NBA Finals, he has turned the Suns into perennial winners. You just know that he is going to win or at least put his team in position to win. Maybe Rondo does that - I don't know. Most of what I hear about him is that he is a match-up nightmare and that he basically runs the show in Boston even in the presence of three future hall of famers. Maybe he is a winner, I don't know. Again, I haven't seen enough of him.
But you can damn well believe that Nash is better than Williams, Paul, Rose and all the rest. Even at his old age, he is showing everyone that he is not an afterthought. Even at an old age, he deserves to be in the NBA MVP discussion.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Holy Crap
Three straight shutouts against the Phillies, a team that came into the series having scored the third most runs in the league. Last time the Mets shutout an opponent 3 straight games was 1969.
I have no analysis. This is straight up amazing. Let's Go Mets Go.
I have no analysis. This is straight up amazing. Let's Go Mets Go.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Rulers of the Patriot League
On my way to Ottawa today I saw a guy at the airport with a Bucknell tshirt on. This never happens - I can count on one hand how many BU shirts I have seen on strangers over the years.
Seeing it made me think about my days there and about how we dominate the Patriot League every year in athletics. Don't believe me? It's the truth. Here is a link to prove it.
For those who would rather read what I have to say than to read the official press release let me sum it up like this. The PL gives out a corny Presidents Trophy every year that celebrates the best overall athletic department in the league. Every varsity sport is considered. in 20 years BU has won the award 16 times! This year we set a school record with 9 League champions across all sports.
In the past I have been a bit skeptical because we have the most amount of varsity sports - 23, a number of which only Lehigh and Holy Cross can match. In years past, on a per-sports basis, it was always closer than on the aggregate. However this year we really kicked ass, finishing 15 points ahead of Navy and winning not only the women's trophy for the 16th time but the men's trophy for the 7th time.
Simply put, we kick ass. It's probably a stupid award to be proud of, but I don't care. Suck it Lehigh. Suck it Holy Cross. Respect to Army and Navy. But suck it Lafayette, Colgate and American.
Seeing it made me think about my days there and about how we dominate the Patriot League every year in athletics. Don't believe me? It's the truth. Here is a link to prove it.
For those who would rather read what I have to say than to read the official press release let me sum it up like this. The PL gives out a corny Presidents Trophy every year that celebrates the best overall athletic department in the league. Every varsity sport is considered. in 20 years BU has won the award 16 times! This year we set a school record with 9 League champions across all sports.
In the past I have been a bit skeptical because we have the most amount of varsity sports - 23, a number of which only Lehigh and Holy Cross can match. In years past, on a per-sports basis, it was always closer than on the aggregate. However this year we really kicked ass, finishing 15 points ahead of Navy and winning not only the women's trophy for the 16th time but the men's trophy for the 7th time.
Simply put, we kick ass. It's probably a stupid award to be proud of, but I don't care. Suck it Lehigh. Suck it Holy Cross. Respect to Army and Navy. But suck it Lafayette, Colgate and American.
Meet Your New #3 and #4 starters
If I was to tell you that the Mets have shutout the vaunted Phillies offense for two games in a row you would think one of two things: either I'm crazy or we had Pelf and Johan on the mound. In fact neither is correct (ok, maybe I'm a little crazy but who isn't?) as pitching for the Mets were R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi. Yep, that's right - a guy who prefers to be called RA than Robert and a guy who the casual Mets fan thinks pitched (and cried) for us last year started those two games. Our rotation is in shambles - 3/5 of our opening week starters are no longer in the rotation and yet here we have RA Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi pitching like they're Doc and Darling.
There is no real point to this post except to note that if Dickey and Takahashi can give us any stability we may have more to hope for then we thought.
There is no real point to this post except to note that if Dickey and Takahashi can give us any stability we may have more to hope for then we thought.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Who Doesn't Want Straw Around?
Bob Raissman of the Daily News is reporting that Daryl Strawberry was in the Mets dugout over the weekend and apparently he may have ticked off two prominent current players. "He was saying you're better than last place. He told them it was 'rough' watching them play, but you're better than what you showed," a Mets insider said. After the little pep talk the two players went to the management and demanded that Straw not be allowed in the dugout anymore. However, management feels that Straw is and always will be welcome.
This is a bit of head scratcher. We all know about Daryl's past and the jury is still out on whether he has turned his life around. Maybe we wouldn't feel comfortable having him hang out our youth, but this is for certain - he was an amazing player, he loves the Mets and he was part of that 1986 team. That means that he gets special treatment by the organization. From a fans perspective, it's great to have Keith, Ron, and Ojeda around the organization. They help us remember the good times and give us hope that there winning mentality may be able to rub off on the current squad. Current players need to be aware of the Mets history and be able to embrace these guys being around the team. We're not the Yankees. We don't have 20 hall of famers. But we do have some guys who deserve respect. I'm talking Tom Seaver, Daryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Mike Piazza and John Franco. For the players to be upset at what Straw said clearly shows their lack of self-awareness. This team is painful to watch. Sure there are some moments when you see what this team could be, but overall they are a sub-.500 team. It may be acceptable in Seattle, but not in NY. If you don't like what Straw said, don't go to management and complain. Instead come out with a chip on your shoulder and bust some people up. Knock over a catcher next time he blocks the plate. Brush back A-Rod next time he is crowding the plate. Piss people off with your celebrations. Bottom line - get back that old Mets attitude.
I imagine that speculation will run wild as to who the players were that were offended by Straw's comments. After taking a few minutes to think about it myself, I have to wonder if one of Wright, Reyes or Santana were in the guilty party. I think Reyes is the obvious choice because he appears to be so fragile both physically and mentally. Wright is an interesting one. At first I didn't think there was any way because of how much he cares, but you know, he has been beaten down by everyone so much lately that maybe he did take it personally. I really hope the names don't come out. Let the organization deal with this matter behind closed doors and don't let it become a mess like so many other situations.
[Update: According to Mike Francesa on WFAN, Straw talked to Wright, Reyes, Bay and Franceour and it was Bay and Franceour that didn't take it too well. My apologies for throwing Reyes under the bus and for even suggesting that it could have been my boy Wright]
This is a bit of head scratcher. We all know about Daryl's past and the jury is still out on whether he has turned his life around. Maybe we wouldn't feel comfortable having him hang out our youth, but this is for certain - he was an amazing player, he loves the Mets and he was part of that 1986 team. That means that he gets special treatment by the organization. From a fans perspective, it's great to have Keith, Ron, and Ojeda around the organization. They help us remember the good times and give us hope that there winning mentality may be able to rub off on the current squad. Current players need to be aware of the Mets history and be able to embrace these guys being around the team. We're not the Yankees. We don't have 20 hall of famers. But we do have some guys who deserve respect. I'm talking Tom Seaver, Daryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Mike Piazza and John Franco. For the players to be upset at what Straw said clearly shows their lack of self-awareness. This team is painful to watch. Sure there are some moments when you see what this team could be, but overall they are a sub-.500 team. It may be acceptable in Seattle, but not in NY. If you don't like what Straw said, don't go to management and complain. Instead come out with a chip on your shoulder and bust some people up. Knock over a catcher next time he blocks the plate. Brush back A-Rod next time he is crowding the plate. Piss people off with your celebrations. Bottom line - get back that old Mets attitude.
I imagine that speculation will run wild as to who the players were that were offended by Straw's comments. After taking a few minutes to think about it myself, I have to wonder if one of Wright, Reyes or Santana were in the guilty party. I think Reyes is the obvious choice because he appears to be so fragile both physically and mentally. Wright is an interesting one. At first I didn't think there was any way because of how much he cares, but you know, he has been beaten down by everyone so much lately that maybe he did take it personally. I really hope the names don't come out. Let the organization deal with this matter behind closed doors and don't let it become a mess like so many other situations.
[Update: According to Mike Francesa on WFAN, Straw talked to Wright, Reyes, Bay and Franceour and it was Bay and Franceour that didn't take it too well. My apologies for throwing Reyes under the bus and for even suggesting that it could have been my boy Wright]
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Search for my AFL team
After taking a year off to work on a better business model, the Arena Football League is back. I am pleasantly surprised since such a decision was considered to be a death sentence. I am also very pleased because the AFL is a fun league that I have a bit of history with.
In 1997, my buddy Jay and I went to the first ever New Jersey Red Dogs game. In that game, the Red Dogs won 52-48 over beat perennial powerhouse Iowa Barnstormers who were led by a little known QB name Kurt Warner (not sure what happened to him after that season). We ended up going to all 7 seven home games that year and really fell in love with the team and the league. still today I can remember most of the star players - QB Rickey Foggie, WR Alvin Ashley, WR Larry Ray Willis and our favorite showboater, DB Chad Lindsey. The Red Dogs,who were owned by Little Joe Morris and two other former Giants, lasted 4 years before changing ownership and becoming the NJ Gladiators. After an additional two years the Gladiators moved to Las Vegas. Surprisingly, before I knew him, my buddy D-Lib was a budding Arena League kicker who tried out for Dallas, Chicago, Grand Rapids and wouldn't you know it, Las Vegas. Small world indeed.
Anyways, after the Gladiators moved to Las Vegas my interest in the AFL dwindled. I would watch when it was on tv, but I never had a favorite team to support. With the AFL back in business and with live games on the NFL Network on Friday nights, I figure it's the perfect time to jump back in. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will eliminating teams based on specific criteria until I decide on interviewing current teams to decide who I will support.
The first criteria is that it can't be a team that was in the league when the Red Dogs were around. Simply put, I can't support one of my teams rivals. That gets rid of the Tampa Bay Storm, Orlando Predators, Iowa Barnstormers, Arizona Rattlers, Chicago Rush, Dallas Vigilantes and Cleveland Gladiators. Arizona was always a team that I respected. They were stable, had great fans and a great name. But rules are rules so they are ineligible. The Vigilantes are new to the league, but their logo is eerily similar to the old Dallas Desperados, so I am going to exclude them as well. The Gladiators would be a natural choice since their roots date back to the Red Dogs. BUT, I won't forgive them for moving AND they're located in Cleveland. No Mistake by the Lake for me.
So after the first criteria, 8 teams - Alabama Vipers, Jacksonville Sharks, Bossier/Shreveport Battlewings, Tulsa Talons, OKC Yard Dawgs, Spokane Shock, Utah Blaze and Milwaukee Iron - remain in the hunt to become my AFL team. At first glance this list is definitely underwhelming as nothing screams out to me as being the franchise worthy of my support. Luckily I will be doing a little more research on each team and hopefully will find a diamond in the rough.
Stay tuned..
In 1997, my buddy Jay and I went to the first ever New Jersey Red Dogs game. In that game, the Red Dogs won 52-48 over beat perennial powerhouse Iowa Barnstormers who were led by a little known QB name Kurt Warner (not sure what happened to him after that season). We ended up going to all 7 seven home games that year and really fell in love with the team and the league. still today I can remember most of the star players - QB Rickey Foggie, WR Alvin Ashley, WR Larry Ray Willis and our favorite showboater, DB Chad Lindsey. The Red Dogs,who were owned by Little Joe Morris and two other former Giants, lasted 4 years before changing ownership and becoming the NJ Gladiators. After an additional two years the Gladiators moved to Las Vegas. Surprisingly, before I knew him, my buddy D-Lib was a budding Arena League kicker who tried out for Dallas, Chicago, Grand Rapids and wouldn't you know it, Las Vegas. Small world indeed.
Anyways, after the Gladiators moved to Las Vegas my interest in the AFL dwindled. I would watch when it was on tv, but I never had a favorite team to support. With the AFL back in business and with live games on the NFL Network on Friday nights, I figure it's the perfect time to jump back in. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will eliminating teams based on specific criteria until I decide on interviewing current teams to decide who I will support.
The first criteria is that it can't be a team that was in the league when the Red Dogs were around. Simply put, I can't support one of my teams rivals. That gets rid of the Tampa Bay Storm, Orlando Predators, Iowa Barnstormers, Arizona Rattlers, Chicago Rush, Dallas Vigilantes and Cleveland Gladiators. Arizona was always a team that I respected. They were stable, had great fans and a great name. But rules are rules so they are ineligible. The Vigilantes are new to the league, but their logo is eerily similar to the old Dallas Desperados, so I am going to exclude them as well. The Gladiators would be a natural choice since their roots date back to the Red Dogs. BUT, I won't forgive them for moving AND they're located in Cleveland. No Mistake by the Lake for me.
So after the first criteria, 8 teams - Alabama Vipers, Jacksonville Sharks, Bossier/Shreveport Battlewings, Tulsa Talons, OKC Yard Dawgs, Spokane Shock, Utah Blaze and Milwaukee Iron - remain in the hunt to become my AFL team. At first glance this list is definitely underwhelming as nothing screams out to me as being the franchise worthy of my support. Luckily I will be doing a little more research on each team and hopefully will find a diamond in the rough.
Stay tuned..
HUGE Underdogs
The Bucknell baseball team won the Patriot League tournament as the #4 seed over the weekend and have now gained an unlikely birth in the NCAA Tournament. Bucknell has a 26-33 record this year and will likely be playing the top seeded team in the country in the Regional. In 2008 the Bison beat Florida St in the first game but then lost their next two and were unable to advance to the Super Regionals. One has to think that there will not be any magic this year but hey, anything can happen in double elimination tournaments. While beating Kansas will always be the best David-Goliath upset of all time, advancing to the Super Regionals will be nothing short of a once in a lifetime miracle.
I'm throwing all my support behind the team after the lacrosse team choked away a 4-0 lead in the PL final only to see the team that beat them, Army, take out #2 Syracuse in the first round. Could have been us, boys. So baseball, let's get it done.
I'm throwing all my support behind the team after the lacrosse team choked away a 4-0 lead in the PL final only to see the team that beat them, Army, take out #2 Syracuse in the first round. Could have been us, boys. So baseball, let's get it done.
Weekend in Review
I am not going to post a Sounders review because I'm not sure what else can be said that hasn't been said already on this blog. We outshot SJ 18-3 and lost 1-0 at home. Second straight shutout loss at Qwest. We are not out of the playoff race by any means, but continuing to lose points will put us in some difficult situations.
Now on to the Mets. I noted in a recent blog that I hate the Subway Series. it's true - on the whole I find them to be excruciatingly painful because the thought of losing to the Yanks and hearing John Sterling and his stupid 'Theeeeheheh Yankees Winnnn. Theheheheeee Yankees Winnn' make me cringe. With all that said, winning 2 of 3 at home and limiting the powerful Yankees offense to 9 runs in 3 games is a something to smile about. The Mets have off today meaning that I can bask in the glory for an entire day. Then when Tuesday comes I can be reminded of the following:.
As for the NBA, has this been the worst playoffs in recent history? The average NBA series, not counting the Suns-Lakers, has gone 5.4 games. If we exclude the first round, the average has been 5 games. And before last nights Lakers-Suns Game 3, 11 of the last 16 games were decided by more than 10 points. I am still a bit shocked to see that the Western Conference series were not in any ways competitive considering how tight the regular season standings were. I mean, the 1 through 8 seeds were separated by a mere 7 games in the standings, yet there were so many blowouts. To me, the take home message is that there are a lot of good teams in the West, but that certain teams know what it takes to get it done in the playoffs. We found out that for all the Denver praise, they were weak and soft. As for Dallas, the pieces are there, but they weren't a cohesive team yet. Meanwhile, LA, Phoenix and SA showed why the remain the teams to beat.
Finally, a programming note. I am hoping to write some entries on the Arena Football League, Why I'm a Soccer Snob, Erin Andrews, Offensive Native American Team Names, the Cold Weather Super Bowl and the World Cup in the next few weeks. If you have any ideas on what you'd like me to touch, on let me know. I also welcome comments and suggestions.
Now on to the Mets. I noted in a recent blog that I hate the Subway Series. it's true - on the whole I find them to be excruciatingly painful because the thought of losing to the Yanks and hearing John Sterling and his stupid 'Theeeeheheh Yankees Winnnn. Theheheheeee Yankees Winnn' make me cringe. With all that said, winning 2 of 3 at home and limiting the powerful Yankees offense to 9 runs in 3 games is a something to smile about. The Mets have off today meaning that I can bask in the glory for an entire day. Then when Tuesday comes I can be reminded of the following:.
- The Mets remain in last place, 5 games behind the Phils
- The Mets host Philly for a 3 game series starting on Tuesday and will be starting Hisanori Takahasi, RA Dickey
- The Mets still have to go to Yankees Stadium on my birthday weekend where you know their offense will show up. Against the Mets, A-Rod, Teixera, Cano and Jeter combined for 2 total RBI. Think about that for a second. I highly doubt that Kevin Russo (3), Francisco Cervelli (2), Brett Garnder (1), Juan Miranda (1) will be the leading RBI guys next time around
As for the NBA, has this been the worst playoffs in recent history? The average NBA series, not counting the Suns-Lakers, has gone 5.4 games. If we exclude the first round, the average has been 5 games. And before last nights Lakers-Suns Game 3, 11 of the last 16 games were decided by more than 10 points. I am still a bit shocked to see that the Western Conference series were not in any ways competitive considering how tight the regular season standings were. I mean, the 1 through 8 seeds were separated by a mere 7 games in the standings, yet there were so many blowouts. To me, the take home message is that there are a lot of good teams in the West, but that certain teams know what it takes to get it done in the playoffs. We found out that for all the Denver praise, they were weak and soft. As for Dallas, the pieces are there, but they weren't a cohesive team yet. Meanwhile, LA, Phoenix and SA showed why the remain the teams to beat.
Finally, a programming note. I am hoping to write some entries on the Arena Football League, Why I'm a Soccer Snob, Erin Andrews, Offensive Native American Team Names, the Cold Weather Super Bowl and the World Cup in the next few weeks. If you have any ideas on what you'd like me to touch, on let me know. I also welcome comments and suggestions.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Leading the Way...
...as the front runner for May 24th Man-Crush #1 is former Villareal star Robert Pires who had the following to say about a possible spell in Philly: “I do not want to be difficult, but left to take my family away, I’d rather do it in a beautiful city. Otherwise, I will put an end to my career." Now that is pure brilliance.
I don't like the Subway Series
As a Mets fan it is no fun. To me, the pain of losing is greater than the joy of winning. I know these games count as much as any other game in the standings, but the stress it puts on me isn't worth it. I despise the Yankees with every ounce of my body and to see them win plain sucks.
Even worse, was that we let Javier Vazquez once again look like an All-Star tonight. Here's a go who recently had his spot in the rotation skipped; a guy who in his previous time in pinstripes had a 4.91 ERA; a guy who Yankee fans ran of town; a guy who came into tonight's game with a 2-4 record and a 8.01 ERA. Let me repeat that - 8.01. What does he do? Of course he goes 6 innings giving up only one hit and striking out 6. This is why being a Mets fan in the Subway Series sucks.
Even worse, was that we let Javier Vazquez once again look like an All-Star tonight. Here's a go who recently had his spot in the rotation skipped; a guy who in his previous time in pinstripes had a 4.91 ERA; a guy who Yankee fans ran of town; a guy who came into tonight's game with a 2-4 record and a 8.01 ERA. Let me repeat that - 8.01. What does he do? Of course he goes 6 innings giving up only one hit and striking out 6. This is why being a Mets fan in the Subway Series sucks.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Learn a few things from soccer
For the second edition of Readers Choice, loyal reader D-Lib asked me to discuss the two game playoff concept and whether American fans could ever embrace it. Since the answer is simple and not worthy of a long blog post, I decided to take it one step further and talk about multiple concepts that American sports should adopt from international soccer.
First are in-season international friendlies. Sportscenter anchors always snicker when they hear the term and they probably are justified in doing so. I have discussed the negative aspects of these games in the past, but really think for sports like baseball or basketball, this would be an awesome idea. I would totally be into watching the Mets take on the Nippon HamFighters or the Nets taking on FC Barcelona or the Devils taking on CSKA Moscow. These games would be no different than the All-Star games that glorified by the leagues and would give fans the opportunity to see new players and different styles of play.
Second, are in-season tournaments. This is a concept that is foreign to most American sports fans, but it is totally an awesome concept. Domestic soccer tournaments in almost all major soccer countries pit David v Goliath as pro-am teams are able to play in single-elimination tournaments against the big boys. Imagine a baseball tournament where the A and AA teams begin playing and are then pitted against AAA and then MLB teams. For instance, imagine the Brooklyn Cyclones playing the Harrisburg Senators with the winner facing the Trenton Thunder with that winner getting to face the Mets. If Brooklyn could pull off a few wins they would get a chance to take down the big boys. It would be great. And I don't think it would be tough logistically to implement - just play less games (162 is way to much) and allow every Thursday to be an Open Cup match. If the tournament is split into regions until the later rounds, then travel wouldn't be a problem either. As for international tournaments such as the Champions League, it would be awesome to have the Lakers in a tournament with Barcelona and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Who wouldn't watch that?
Third, getting rid of 7 game series in favor of a 2 game aggregate may not be the worst thing. This is the most radical of all the ideas and while I'm not entirely sold on it I think it might be fun to try. This is how it goes down: in game 1 the Yankees beat the Mets 4-2 at home. In the second game, the Mets win 6-3 at home and take the aggregate 8-7. It means that every runs counts - that there is a difference between winning 6-2 and winning 6-3. In the new sports atmosphere where showboating and running up the score is commonplace, I think this would be a ratings bonanza. Imagine if the Lakers win game 1 by 18 and the Cavs then win an improbable game 2 by 20 points? Instant gold. I know that the owners would never go for it because it means less revenue, but it might be a welcome and exciting change.
Finally, make national teams more important. Take a page from FIFA and mandate a day every few months where national teams take precedence over club teams. Let's see more international matches - more USA-Argentina in bball; more Canada-Russia in hockey; more USA-Cuba in baseball. Some might argue that this would take away the importance of the Olympics, but soccer handles it just fine. I say let's make the World Baseball Classic more important. Stage it every 4 years. In between, have more regional matches to build up the excitement. This could work. Same for hockey - bring back the old Canada Cup competitions.
All of these concepts could be huge. Unfortunately, owners would never go for it. It works in soccer because it is ingrained in the sport. The American public could come around to it if they were given the chance. I don't see it happening anytime soon but encourage the sports to give it a go. What do they have to lose?
First are in-season international friendlies. Sportscenter anchors always snicker when they hear the term and they probably are justified in doing so. I have discussed the negative aspects of these games in the past, but really think for sports like baseball or basketball, this would be an awesome idea. I would totally be into watching the Mets take on the Nippon HamFighters or the Nets taking on FC Barcelona or the Devils taking on CSKA Moscow. These games would be no different than the All-Star games that glorified by the leagues and would give fans the opportunity to see new players and different styles of play.
Second, are in-season tournaments. This is a concept that is foreign to most American sports fans, but it is totally an awesome concept. Domestic soccer tournaments in almost all major soccer countries pit David v Goliath as pro-am teams are able to play in single-elimination tournaments against the big boys. Imagine a baseball tournament where the A and AA teams begin playing and are then pitted against AAA and then MLB teams. For instance, imagine the Brooklyn Cyclones playing the Harrisburg Senators with the winner facing the Trenton Thunder with that winner getting to face the Mets. If Brooklyn could pull off a few wins they would get a chance to take down the big boys. It would be great. And I don't think it would be tough logistically to implement - just play less games (162 is way to much) and allow every Thursday to be an Open Cup match. If the tournament is split into regions until the later rounds, then travel wouldn't be a problem either. As for international tournaments such as the Champions League, it would be awesome to have the Lakers in a tournament with Barcelona and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Who wouldn't watch that?
Third, getting rid of 7 game series in favor of a 2 game aggregate may not be the worst thing. This is the most radical of all the ideas and while I'm not entirely sold on it I think it might be fun to try. This is how it goes down: in game 1 the Yankees beat the Mets 4-2 at home. In the second game, the Mets win 6-3 at home and take the aggregate 8-7. It means that every runs counts - that there is a difference between winning 6-2 and winning 6-3. In the new sports atmosphere where showboating and running up the score is commonplace, I think this would be a ratings bonanza. Imagine if the Lakers win game 1 by 18 and the Cavs then win an improbable game 2 by 20 points? Instant gold. I know that the owners would never go for it because it means less revenue, but it might be a welcome and exciting change.
Finally, make national teams more important. Take a page from FIFA and mandate a day every few months where national teams take precedence over club teams. Let's see more international matches - more USA-Argentina in bball; more Canada-Russia in hockey; more USA-Cuba in baseball. Some might argue that this would take away the importance of the Olympics, but soccer handles it just fine. I say let's make the World Baseball Classic more important. Stage it every 4 years. In between, have more regional matches to build up the excitement. This could work. Same for hockey - bring back the old Canada Cup competitions.
All of these concepts could be huge. Unfortunately, owners would never go for it. It works in soccer because it is ingrained in the sport. The American public could come around to it if they were given the chance. I don't see it happening anytime soon but encourage the sports to give it a go. What do they have to lose?
I know nothing about cycling...
...luckily my friend J-Will knows more than any man should know. So I had to get his opinion on today's news surrounding former Tour de France winner Floyd Landis. In case you hadn't heard, the disgraced Landis admitted to taking PED's during his victory (after spending his entire income on trying to prove his innocence over the past two years) and then accused Lance Armstrong of being dirty (which coincidentally came before his very bloody crash in the Tour of California today). J-Will had the following to say...
"On July 12, 2007 I went to Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA to see Floyd Landis speak about his book Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France. There I watched and listened as he told the audience he had not used synthetic testosterone to win the 2006 Tour de France and therefore the doping allegations against him were false. Upon hearing his recent admission to doping most of his professional cycling career I wanted to throw my bike of my third story balcony and never ride again. I won’t do that. I won’t stop riding. I won’t even stop watching them ride. I will go home tonight and watch the tape delayed Giro broadcast. I will root for my favorite riders and my favorite teams. I will watch them don the leaders jersey, win the King of the Mountain, and ride up a 16% grade at speeds I can barely maintain on a mixed-use bike path. Then I will shrug my shoulders, wonder if they were clean, and ride my bike."
I think J-Will hits upon a common theme for cycling and baseball fans alike. The majority of us don't condone the use of steroids. We are aggravated by it. But at the end of the day, we love the sport too much to stop caring. If anything, we become numb to it all - but we never leave.
"On July 12, 2007 I went to Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA to see Floyd Landis speak about his book Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France. There I watched and listened as he told the audience he had not used synthetic testosterone to win the 2006 Tour de France and therefore the doping allegations against him were false. Upon hearing his recent admission to doping most of his professional cycling career I wanted to throw my bike of my third story balcony and never ride again. I won’t do that. I won’t stop riding. I won’t even stop watching them ride. I will go home tonight and watch the tape delayed Giro broadcast. I will root for my favorite riders and my favorite teams. I will watch them don the leaders jersey, win the King of the Mountain, and ride up a 16% grade at speeds I can barely maintain on a mixed-use bike path. Then I will shrug my shoulders, wonder if they were clean, and ride my bike."
I think J-Will hits upon a common theme for cycling and baseball fans alike. The majority of us don't condone the use of steroids. We are aggravated by it. But at the end of the day, we love the sport too much to stop caring. If anything, we become numb to it all - but we never leave.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Champions League Draw Announced
A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was more interested in the Sounders CONCACAF Champions League matches than for the two friendlies with Boca Juniors and Celtic. I stand here today even more excited by the possibilities after learning on the draw. First off, we have to win a two game series against a yet-to-be-named Central American foe. The team was originally slotted to to from El Salvador but due to some FIFA restrictions on the Salvadoran federation, an alternate team may be used. Regardless, this I think has to be a series the Sounders are favored to win. I doubt any player on the yet to be named team will have the skill of Ljungberg, Keller, Montero, Hurtado or Alonso. We should move on (if we don't then heads should roll) and if we do, we will then be in a group with Monterrey of Mexico, Costa Rican super power Saprissa and Marathon of Honduras. This group is stacked and that's a great thing for two reasons.
First, it provides the Sounders with an opportunity to show their quality to the entire region. Adrian Hanauer said it was a goal to complete in the World Club Championship within five years - this is where we need to start to accomplish this goal. Second, it means an additional 3 home games against some high quality opponents. The quality won't be of Boca Juniors or Celtic, but the games will have meaning. There will be no hockey style substitutions at halftime. There will be hard tackles. There will be rowdy fans. There will be no smiling after the game if we lose. This is what I wanted from the season - a chance to play quality opponents from our region in a competition that matters.
That last part is something I want to mention again - the CONCACAF Champions League is a competition that matters. It may not have the prestige of the European Champions League. It may not be taken serious by most MLS clubs, but we can be sure that Seattle will take it seriously. And as fans we need to take it seriously. I understand the league is the primary focus but how great would it be for this team to be able to say they advanced out of the group stage and were one of the best 8 teams in the entire North American, Central American and Carribean. That is powerful stuff.
Before I head to bed for the night, here's hoping that the front office allows at least one group stage game to be at Qwest should we make it past the yet-to-be-name Central American team in the qualifying round.
First, it provides the Sounders with an opportunity to show their quality to the entire region. Adrian Hanauer said it was a goal to complete in the World Club Championship within five years - this is where we need to start to accomplish this goal. Second, it means an additional 3 home games against some high quality opponents. The quality won't be of Boca Juniors or Celtic, but the games will have meaning. There will be no hockey style substitutions at halftime. There will be hard tackles. There will be rowdy fans. There will be no smiling after the game if we lose. This is what I wanted from the season - a chance to play quality opponents from our region in a competition that matters.
That last part is something I want to mention again - the CONCACAF Champions League is a competition that matters. It may not have the prestige of the European Champions League. It may not be taken serious by most MLS clubs, but we can be sure that Seattle will take it seriously. And as fans we need to take it seriously. I understand the league is the primary focus but how great would it be for this team to be able to say they advanced out of the group stage and were one of the best 8 teams in the entire North American, Central American and Carribean. That is powerful stuff.
Before I head to bed for the night, here's hoping that the front office allows at least one group stage game to be at Qwest should we make it past the yet-to-be-name Central American team in the qualifying round.
What's Wrong with Wright?
This is not an entry I had wished to write. I wished I never had to write an article on what is wrong with my favorite baseball player, David Wright. Well the time has finally come to do so. I ask you, what is wrong with David Wright? Why did he hit only 10 home runs last year? Why is he on pace for 225 strikeouts this year? Why has his fielding not improved? Why does he look completely lost at the plate?
I obviously can't say with certainty what is going on. I have never met him. I don't know what is going on in his head. But I do have a theory. And I don't think it can be fixed over night. It is along the same lines as an opinion expressed by Matt Cerone at metsblog.com.
First, you can tell that he is frustrated. I think one of the things I appreciate most about David is how much he cares. He cares about being a professional. He cares about winning. Most importantly, he cares about his childhood team that he is blessed to play for. When the Mets lose, I honestly think he feels it more than anyone.
Second, he is feeling a lot of pressure. As Cerone points out, we built David up to be the savior of the franchise. We are always living in the Yankess shadows - always competing against them even though we can never be competitive with them. David was supposed to be our Jeter. He was supposed to be the leader, the captain, the franchise. With that comes a lot of responsibility and a lot of attention. That has to weigh on him.
Third, he is not playing with a lot of support. In 2006 and 2007 he had Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado to take pressure of him. They hit 3rd and 4th and were expected to drive in runs. There was no pressure on David to drive in runs. In doing so he was able to put up better numbers than both of them. He was free. Last year he had Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy. This year he has an underproducing Jason Bay, who is on pace for 5 home runs and Beltran is no where in sight.
Finally, he is not the same player since getting hit in the head last year. He won't admit it nor will the Mets, but something is wrong. Some guys get thrown off the bull and are quick to get back on. Others will get back on in time but will never forget the image of getting thrown off. While I won't say that David is scared, I don't think he is at home in the batters box anymore.
Mix the four parts together - frustration, pressure, loneliness and fright - and I think we are all seeing the results.
I think the thing that bothers me the most is the high strikeout rate. I can handle that none of his home runs have come after the 6th. I can handle that his average with men scoring position is down. I am more than happy with his projected totals of 30 hr, 30 sb, 100 rbi. But those strikeouts just eat at me. Some say that he is seeing more balls out of the strikezone which explains his high walk total. That's fine - I'll accept that as a possible reason. But the old Wright would be walking at an incredible rate right now. The new Wright occasionally takes the free pass, but mostly the he wants to provide for the team; he wants to carry the team on his back.
He is frustrated with losing and his subpar performance so he presses more.
He is feeling pressure from fans and the media so he is presses more.
He is alone in the batting order so he presses more.
He is frightened and tries to cover it up by trying harder.
I truly believe (afterall, hope and belief are the only things Mets fans have these days) that the old David will reappear once Carlos Beltran comes back. The problem is that it seems like it may never happen. He may miss the entire year - who knows at this point. I also think Ike Davis hitting cleanup may help the old Wright reappear. If Ike can continue to be the Next Big Thing and consistently drive in runs that will undoubtedly allow David to relax a bit. Hell, if Ike wants to be the new savior, then I bet we'd get an even better version of Wright.
Some fans are calling for Wright to be traded. Most are out of respect to Wright and what he has done to the team. They can see that this is a bad situation and think the way to get him back is for him to get a change of scenery. I'm not sure that is the answer. I think they need more guys on the team to step up and take the heat from the fans; to step up and lead this team. Jason Bay was never going to be that guy no matter how many runs he drives in. Jose Reyes is not that guy regardless of how exciting a player he may be. The 2006 team had plenty of those guys. We need those guys back and our David will come back.
I obviously can't say with certainty what is going on. I have never met him. I don't know what is going on in his head. But I do have a theory. And I don't think it can be fixed over night. It is along the same lines as an opinion expressed by Matt Cerone at metsblog.com.
First, you can tell that he is frustrated. I think one of the things I appreciate most about David is how much he cares. He cares about being a professional. He cares about winning. Most importantly, he cares about his childhood team that he is blessed to play for. When the Mets lose, I honestly think he feels it more than anyone.
Second, he is feeling a lot of pressure. As Cerone points out, we built David up to be the savior of the franchise. We are always living in the Yankess shadows - always competing against them even though we can never be competitive with them. David was supposed to be our Jeter. He was supposed to be the leader, the captain, the franchise. With that comes a lot of responsibility and a lot of attention. That has to weigh on him.
Third, he is not playing with a lot of support. In 2006 and 2007 he had Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado to take pressure of him. They hit 3rd and 4th and were expected to drive in runs. There was no pressure on David to drive in runs. In doing so he was able to put up better numbers than both of them. He was free. Last year he had Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy. This year he has an underproducing Jason Bay, who is on pace for 5 home runs and Beltran is no where in sight.
Finally, he is not the same player since getting hit in the head last year. He won't admit it nor will the Mets, but something is wrong. Some guys get thrown off the bull and are quick to get back on. Others will get back on in time but will never forget the image of getting thrown off. While I won't say that David is scared, I don't think he is at home in the batters box anymore.
Mix the four parts together - frustration, pressure, loneliness and fright - and I think we are all seeing the results.
I think the thing that bothers me the most is the high strikeout rate. I can handle that none of his home runs have come after the 6th. I can handle that his average with men scoring position is down. I am more than happy with his projected totals of 30 hr, 30 sb, 100 rbi. But those strikeouts just eat at me. Some say that he is seeing more balls out of the strikezone which explains his high walk total. That's fine - I'll accept that as a possible reason. But the old Wright would be walking at an incredible rate right now. The new Wright occasionally takes the free pass, but mostly the he wants to provide for the team; he wants to carry the team on his back.
He is frustrated with losing and his subpar performance so he presses more.
He is feeling pressure from fans and the media so he is presses more.
He is alone in the batting order so he presses more.
He is frightened and tries to cover it up by trying harder.
I truly believe (afterall, hope and belief are the only things Mets fans have these days) that the old David will reappear once Carlos Beltran comes back. The problem is that it seems like it may never happen. He may miss the entire year - who knows at this point. I also think Ike Davis hitting cleanup may help the old Wright reappear. If Ike can continue to be the Next Big Thing and consistently drive in runs that will undoubtedly allow David to relax a bit. Hell, if Ike wants to be the new savior, then I bet we'd get an even better version of Wright.
Some fans are calling for Wright to be traded. Most are out of respect to Wright and what he has done to the team. They can see that this is a bad situation and think the way to get him back is for him to get a change of scenery. I'm not sure that is the answer. I think they need more guys on the team to step up and take the heat from the fans; to step up and lead this team. Jason Bay was never going to be that guy no matter how many runs he drives in. Jose Reyes is not that guy regardless of how exciting a player he may be. The 2006 team had plenty of those guys. We need those guys back and our David will come back.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Inevitable is About to Happen
Thierry Henry is set to sign with the Red Bulls. In other related news, 75% of MLS defenders have just crapped their pants thinking about how they will stop Henry and Juan Pablo Angel. Now this isn't the same NY team from last year - with Joel Lindpere and Carl Robinson in the midfield and an infusion of rookie talent at defense, the Bulls can actually hold teams to less than 1 goal a game. Had Henry played last year most games would have been 5-4. This year they're more likely to be 4-1.
Henry coming to MLS is different than Beckham no matter how look at it. Beckham was the best in the world at two things - free kicks and self-promotion. He may be the most known soccer player in the world, but he has never been the best player in the world. Sure, he finished second in the voting in 1999, but Henry accomplished that feet more recently - second in 2003 and third in 2006.
While he has been out of form and in the doghouse in Barcelona, he is without a doubt the best player in MLS. And yes, while Beckham is still more universally known, Henry's infamous handball against Ireland is sure to bring out the ire of many a fan across the states. His arrival in MLS is HUGE.
Henry coming to MLS is different than Beckham no matter how look at it. Beckham was the best in the world at two things - free kicks and self-promotion. He may be the most known soccer player in the world, but he has never been the best player in the world. Sure, he finished second in the voting in 1999, but Henry accomplished that feet more recently - second in 2003 and third in 2006.
While he has been out of form and in the doghouse in Barcelona, he is without a doubt the best player in MLS. And yes, while Beckham is still more universally known, Henry's infamous handball against Ireland is sure to bring out the ire of many a fan across the states. His arrival in MLS is HUGE.
Tomorrow Night is BIG
The Draft Lottery is going down and my Nets have a 25% chance of getting the 1st overall pick in the draft. Twice before have they had that pick - in 1990 they picked big fat Derrick Coleman and in 2000 they selected Kenyon Martin. Neither pick had as much importance as this years pick which will land us PG John Wall from Kentucky. Wall is a great player, without a doubt. But the pick is more than just John Wall. It represents the possibility of LeBron selecting the Nets as his next home.
You all know that I have been saying that the Nets were a more desirable destination for The King than the Knicks. This has been going on for at least a year. During the season no one talked about them because of their 12-70 record. "LeBron doesn't want to go to a rebuilding project. He wants to go to a winner" is all that I have been hearing. I watched a lot of the Nets games this year and really they should have won at least 15 more games. It sounds funny, but they weren't as bad as their record shows. More importantly, they have something Cleveland doesn't have - a young nucleus to grow old with. The same way OKC has a young supporting cast around Durant, the Nets can offer John Wall, Terence Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts and my favorite, Brook Lopez for The King to build around. Throw in that the Nets have the second largest cap space and signing someone like Amare or Chris Bosh is not out of the picture.
Ok, I know there are a lot of dominoes that need to fall in place. 1 - win draft lottery. 2 - convince lebron to sign. 3 - convince Amare/Bosh to sign. 4 - celebrate with the finest Russian vodka and women.
If the above does happen, how does this lineup sound? Lopez - Amare - LBJ - Williams - Wall. Oh, and I forgot to mention that with Wall in the mix, Devin Harris suddenly becomes a very valuable trade chip. I'm not smart enough to know who they could get, but I'm sure it will be nice.
I'm telling ya - Tomorrow night is the first step. It's possible we might not get The King if we get Wall. But there is no way we get The King without Wall.
[editors note: I just don't think Chicago is a good choice. Yes they have great players, but The King will need to win 7 titles to escape Jordan's shadow. I don't think any team can do that in today's NBA]
You all know that I have been saying that the Nets were a more desirable destination for The King than the Knicks. This has been going on for at least a year. During the season no one talked about them because of their 12-70 record. "LeBron doesn't want to go to a rebuilding project. He wants to go to a winner" is all that I have been hearing. I watched a lot of the Nets games this year and really they should have won at least 15 more games. It sounds funny, but they weren't as bad as their record shows. More importantly, they have something Cleveland doesn't have - a young nucleus to grow old with. The same way OKC has a young supporting cast around Durant, the Nets can offer John Wall, Terence Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts and my favorite, Brook Lopez for The King to build around. Throw in that the Nets have the second largest cap space and signing someone like Amare or Chris Bosh is not out of the picture.
Ok, I know there are a lot of dominoes that need to fall in place. 1 - win draft lottery. 2 - convince lebron to sign. 3 - convince Amare/Bosh to sign. 4 - celebrate with the finest Russian vodka and women.
If the above does happen, how does this lineup sound? Lopez - Amare - LBJ - Williams - Wall. Oh, and I forgot to mention that with Wall in the mix, Devin Harris suddenly becomes a very valuable trade chip. I'm not smart enough to know who they could get, but I'm sure it will be nice.
I'm telling ya - Tomorrow night is the first step. It's possible we might not get The King if we get Wall. But there is no way we get The King without Wall.
[editors note: I just don't think Chicago is a good choice. Yes they have great players, but The King will need to win 7 titles to escape Jordan's shadow. I don't think any team can do that in today's NBA]
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Instant (Over)Reaction: New York
Sounders returned the favor and beat 1-0 at Red Bull Arena, erasing their earlier 1-0 loss at home. I missed the first 40 minutes of the game and when given the chance to watch them on replay, I fell asleep. So this won't be a game review so much as an opportunity to comment on several players.
First I would like to start off by saying that I stand by my comments last week. We are not a great time right now. Maybe we will be in the future, but we are not great. Winning cures all (especially on the road) but I don't think any of us can can say that things are great right now. In MLS 9 games this year, Sigi has started 19 different players! That is staggering and points me to two conclusions. 1. He has no idea what the right lineup is and it shows every week with the lack of consistency. 2. All things considered, 3-3-3 isn't a terrible record.
With that being said, let's get on to the player comments:
First I would like to start off by saying that I stand by my comments last week. We are not a great time right now. Maybe we will be in the future, but we are not great. Winning cures all (especially on the road) but I don't think any of us can can say that things are great right now. In MLS 9 games this year, Sigi has started 19 different players! That is staggering and points me to two conclusions. 1. He has no idea what the right lineup is and it shows every week with the lack of consistency. 2. All things considered, 3-3-3 isn't a terrible record.
With that being said, let's get on to the player comments:
- Brad Evans - I will continue to be an Evans supporter when most other fans are calling for his head, just like I was last year with Jaqua. I know, I know, strikers are supposed to score. Being close doesn't count. I get all the comments but the fact remains is that we have 1 pure striker who is available until Jaqua, Nkufo and Montano are ready. Levesque doesn't seem to be a 90-minute guy, so why not Evans? He is making great runs and working his ass off every week. That is infectious. And let's remember he has played Right Back, Center Mid and Striker this year - you try doing that and being perfect
- Sanna Nyassi - He is young and still maturing as a player, but he always leaves me wanting more. Something about his style of play just doesn't work for me. Maybe its the endless sprinting with the ball into defenders. Maybe it's his lack of size. Who knows. Just not a big fan.
- Patrick Ianni - Pat played Center Mid in college so he has experience there. Add in the fact that we gave up 4 goals last week and the decision to have him in front of the D wasn't a terrible one. He was unspectacular, but sometimes that's good. I think he has a place in thsi squad for years to come.
- Nathan Sturgis - Last year he seemed to be buried firmly on the bench, but recently has been the first sub into the game. I confess that I am not a fan, but I also don't hate him. I am simply ambivalent towards him. But here's the kicker - he is only 22 years old, which is something I often forget considering he has been in the league since 2006. He has played on 2 Under-20 teams as well as the Olympics. He obviously has some talent - now he just needs to transform into a pro. If he can do so, then he will be an important part of our team.
- Fredy Montero - Again, he shows why he is the most talked about player on our team. At times he is brilliant and sublime. At other times he is lazy and frustrating. Yesterday was the former. He takes a ball out of the air with his chest, then his thigh, a slight touch with his foot and he finishes with a deft touch under Condoul. It is the Montero we all love. It is the Montero that makes us believe he has a great future ahed of him overseas. But it is also the Montero that drives us crazy. He is so freakin talented, yet is always taking time off. Let's hope he reacts to the benching and subsequent goal in a positive light.
Friday, May 14, 2010
No No-No's
On April 17, Ubaldo Jiminez through a no-hitter for the Colorado Rockies. In doing so, the Rockies became the 27th of the current 30 teams to have had a no-hitter. Mets fans know where I'm going with this. The three teams to have never thrown one are the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay and of course, my New York Mets.
Here are some additional stats to drive home how crazy this is:
For more great information on the Mets futility with throwing no hitters, check out a great site www.nonohitters.com.
Here are some additional stats to drive home how crazy this is:
- Since 1962, the Mets have played 7671 regular season games. The total number of no-hitters across the Majors during this span: 122. The LA Dodgers lead the way with 10 no-hitters thrown during this time.
- The Florida Marlins have been in existence since 1993. In 2721 regular season games, they have thrown 4 no-hitters.
- At least 9 players who had one time played for the Mets have thrown no-hitters (could be more, bvut I don't feel like doing the extra research). This list includes Nolan Ryan (7), Hideo Nomo (2), Doc Gooden, David Cone, Bret Saberhagen, Tom Seaver, Kenny Rogers, Al Leiter and Scott Erickson.
For more great information on the Mets futility with throwing no hitters, check out a great site www.nonohitters.com.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
What's In a Name?
My daughter has the same name as a dog that lives two houses over. When she gets older will she hate it or think its funny?
Loyalty in Sports
All this LeBron to NY talk has got me thinking about loyalty in sports. As all of you know by now, LeBron is a free agent at the end of the year. He has a big decision to make: stay with his hometown team, the Cavs, or go to a bigger market like NY or Chicago. The speculation is constant.
What he will do is up in the air. But an even tougher question is what he should do. Here's the thing - LeBron and all other athletes are the same as you and me. Growing up, they had a favorite team. They dreamed of playing for that team and winning championships for that team. But then they become a professional athlete and it seems like something happens. No longer are they loyal to their childhood teams. Rarely are they ever loyal to the team paying their bills.
As a fan I want my players to show that they care. I want to know they will do anything for my team. I want to know that when it comes time to sign a new contract, they will want to stay with my team. After all, we, the fans, deserve it. The thing we fail to realize, though, is that rarely is it ever as simple as appeasing the fans. Sports is a cut throat industry. At any moment, a players rights can be traded. At any moment, an athlete can get hurt. Once either one happens, the athlete is forgotten and the fans move on. The only loyalty in sports lies with the fans and their love of the team.
I think we need to realize that yeah, ideally athletes should be loyal, but the state of sports really doesn't allow for it. It all starts when a player is drafted. All of a sudden, childhood allegiances are thrown out the window in favor of this new team that is paying your bills. If I'm a Mets fan growing up and I get drafted by the Yanks, I all of a sudden am expected to be loyal to them. So I burn my Mets stuff and love the pinstripes. Then in four years, I am traded to the Marlins. Again, another team that I must become loyal to. Two years later I'm injured, I miss a year and lose my job to a younger kid. Now I have to either choose to take more money to stay with the team that gave my job away or go someplace else in search of that one last paycheck. Obviously I need to do what is best for me.
I think the LeBron situation is an interesting one. Every fan base wants him, but no one more than Cleveland. He's a home town kid but like the Yanks and has an affinity for wearing Yanks hats around the streets of Cleveland. This just seems to add fuel to the fire; an blatant shot to the fragile Cleveland sports psyche. At first it seems like he is in the wrong. But I ask you this - isn't LeBron just doing what we all want him to do? Isn't he showing loyalty to a team that he supports. He says he's a Yankees fan so shouldn't he be able to wear their hat? Why must he wear an Indians hat just because he's in Cleveland? You can see the hypocrisy.
LeBron and all other athletes need to watch out for themselves. Leave the loyalty thing to the fans.
What he will do is up in the air. But an even tougher question is what he should do. Here's the thing - LeBron and all other athletes are the same as you and me. Growing up, they had a favorite team. They dreamed of playing for that team and winning championships for that team. But then they become a professional athlete and it seems like something happens. No longer are they loyal to their childhood teams. Rarely are they ever loyal to the team paying their bills.
As a fan I want my players to show that they care. I want to know they will do anything for my team. I want to know that when it comes time to sign a new contract, they will want to stay with my team. After all, we, the fans, deserve it. The thing we fail to realize, though, is that rarely is it ever as simple as appeasing the fans. Sports is a cut throat industry. At any moment, a players rights can be traded. At any moment, an athlete can get hurt. Once either one happens, the athlete is forgotten and the fans move on. The only loyalty in sports lies with the fans and their love of the team.
I think we need to realize that yeah, ideally athletes should be loyal, but the state of sports really doesn't allow for it. It all starts when a player is drafted. All of a sudden, childhood allegiances are thrown out the window in favor of this new team that is paying your bills. If I'm a Mets fan growing up and I get drafted by the Yanks, I all of a sudden am expected to be loyal to them. So I burn my Mets stuff and love the pinstripes. Then in four years, I am traded to the Marlins. Again, another team that I must become loyal to. Two years later I'm injured, I miss a year and lose my job to a younger kid. Now I have to either choose to take more money to stay with the team that gave my job away or go someplace else in search of that one last paycheck. Obviously I need to do what is best for me.
I think the LeBron situation is an interesting one. Every fan base wants him, but no one more than Cleveland. He's a home town kid but like the Yanks and has an affinity for wearing Yanks hats around the streets of Cleveland. This just seems to add fuel to the fire; an blatant shot to the fragile Cleveland sports psyche. At first it seems like he is in the wrong. But I ask you this - isn't LeBron just doing what we all want him to do? Isn't he showing loyalty to a team that he supports. He says he's a Yankees fan so shouldn't he be able to wear their hat? Why must he wear an Indians hat just because he's in Cleveland? You can see the hypocrisy.
LeBron and all other athletes need to watch out for themselves. Leave the loyalty thing to the fans.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Barajas is a Winner
In 24 games started by Rod Barajas the Mets are 12-12. In the 12 losses, Barajas is hitting .191 with 2 hr, 6 rbi. In the 12 wins, Barajas is hitting .326 with 7 hr, 13rbi
I am no statistician, but this seems like a trend that is too obvious to ignore. When Barajas is hitting, the Mets are winning.
Matt Cerone at metsblog.com wonders if he should be getting more at bats seeing that he is the second leading rbi guy on the team. The logical choice is yes, but that would have subtle ramifications on the lineup. I doubt they move Frenchy down to 8 even in his slump. No way Ike is going to 8 nor are Wright, Bay or Reyes. That then leaves Castillo and Pagan. If Pagan moves to 8, then Reyes goes back to 1. This will happen sometime this year, but probably not until Beltran comes back. So that leaves Castillo. He is a popular whipping boy, but he rarely strikes out and is hitting .271 this year. He's not going anywhere unless they move Reyes back to leadoff. I mean, who will hit 2 if Reyes is 3? Certainly not Wright.
So yes, it would be great to get Rod more at-bats but I don't see how it works with Reyes hitting third. He is the key to whole equation. So for now, keep on keeping on, Rod.
I am no statistician, but this seems like a trend that is too obvious to ignore. When Barajas is hitting, the Mets are winning.
Matt Cerone at metsblog.com wonders if he should be getting more at bats seeing that he is the second leading rbi guy on the team. The logical choice is yes, but that would have subtle ramifications on the lineup. I doubt they move Frenchy down to 8 even in his slump. No way Ike is going to 8 nor are Wright, Bay or Reyes. That then leaves Castillo and Pagan. If Pagan moves to 8, then Reyes goes back to 1. This will happen sometime this year, but probably not until Beltran comes back. So that leaves Castillo. He is a popular whipping boy, but he rarely strikes out and is hitting .271 this year. He's not going anywhere unless they move Reyes back to leadoff. I mean, who will hit 2 if Reyes is 3? Certainly not Wright.
So yes, it would be great to get Rod more at-bats but I don't see how it works with Reyes hitting third. He is the key to whole equation. So for now, keep on keeping on, Rod.
I know nothing about basketball
I did not see that result happening last night. Cleveland got pasted.
Lebron, you want to be the best ever? Now is your time to step up. You need to lead your team to victory in Game 6. Period. Win Game 6. The go home and win Game 7. Their have been some whispers recently about your makeup; that you're not the winning type. You'll never be MJ. Well, now is the time.
Lebron, you want to be the best ever? Now is your time to step up. You need to lead your team to victory in Game 6. Period. Win Game 6. The go home and win Game 7. Their have been some whispers recently about your makeup; that you're not the winning type. You'll never be MJ. Well, now is the time.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Aging Superstar
Somone once said (and apologies to who that person for the lack of citation) that the toughest thing about being a sports manager is how to deal with an aging superstar. I think folks in Seattle would whole heartedly agree right now. The Mariners beloved superstar, Ken Griffey Jr appears to be on his way out and no one in the city feels good about it.
I actually feel sorry for Griffey and the M's fans so I won't go back in time and relive my thoughts on his signing. Anyone who has talked to me knows my opinion on the subject. Instead, I will take this time to say that I appreciate the fact that Seattlites are finally discussing the idea of him retiring or being released. It is a sign that they are finally thinking about the team first.
MOst sports fans have a "What have you done for me lately?" mentality when it comes to its stars. The minute their once beloved stars stop producing at the level they have become accostumed to, fans will want them replaced. Mets fans felt this in 2005 after Mike Piazza finished his 7 year deal with the Mets. Clearly, he was not the same player we knew from 1999-2001. In his final season with the Mets he hit .251 with 19 hr and 62 rbi in 110 games. As Mets fans, we owed a lot to Piazza. He made us relevant again. He helped the city forget 911 for one night with his home run against the Braves. He was the franchise for 7 years, but we were not willing to re-sign him for more than market value just to see his face at Shea. He felt he was worth more money than the Mets were willing to give him and he signed a 1-year contract with the Padres. He played one more year in Oakland and retired after the 2007 season .
The Piazza situation was a tough one for us even though the logical decision was clear. Upon his return to Shea as the oppostion, we gave him a standing ovation. I hoped he would hit two homers in a Padres loss. Still today he is beloved by Mets fans and recently he said he wanted to enter the Hall of Fame with a Mets hat. The divorce was not a bitter one.
That is what I wish for the Mariners and Griffey. His return was a great story last year. He came back to the city where he was idolized earlier in his career. While he didn't come anywhere close to his stats from ten years ago, he was loved by the city and his team. In fact, his teammates carried him off the field after what was thought to be the last game of his career. I can handle last years decision to re-sign The Kid. It made sense for the chemistry and character of the ballclub. This year's decision to re-sign was very short sighted. He was not going to bounce back. I think that was clear. Most thought if he was ok with his role than it was money well spent. Well, he has been ok with the role but a silly off the field incident like sleeping through some innings has now put the spotlight on him. The M's aren't likely to take the high road - they already went out of their way to pay him more money than he is worth. It's up to Griffey to bow out gracefully.
I actually feel sorry for Griffey and the M's fans so I won't go back in time and relive my thoughts on his signing. Anyone who has talked to me knows my opinion on the subject. Instead, I will take this time to say that I appreciate the fact that Seattlites are finally discussing the idea of him retiring or being released. It is a sign that they are finally thinking about the team first.
MOst sports fans have a "What have you done for me lately?" mentality when it comes to its stars. The minute their once beloved stars stop producing at the level they have become accostumed to, fans will want them replaced. Mets fans felt this in 2005 after Mike Piazza finished his 7 year deal with the Mets. Clearly, he was not the same player we knew from 1999-2001. In his final season with the Mets he hit .251 with 19 hr and 62 rbi in 110 games. As Mets fans, we owed a lot to Piazza. He made us relevant again. He helped the city forget 911 for one night with his home run against the Braves. He was the franchise for 7 years, but we were not willing to re-sign him for more than market value just to see his face at Shea. He felt he was worth more money than the Mets were willing to give him and he signed a 1-year contract with the Padres. He played one more year in Oakland and retired after the 2007 season .
The Piazza situation was a tough one for us even though the logical decision was clear. Upon his return to Shea as the oppostion, we gave him a standing ovation. I hoped he would hit two homers in a Padres loss. Still today he is beloved by Mets fans and recently he said he wanted to enter the Hall of Fame with a Mets hat. The divorce was not a bitter one.
That is what I wish for the Mariners and Griffey. His return was a great story last year. He came back to the city where he was idolized earlier in his career. While he didn't come anywhere close to his stats from ten years ago, he was loved by the city and his team. In fact, his teammates carried him off the field after what was thought to be the last game of his career. I can handle last years decision to re-sign The Kid. It made sense for the chemistry and character of the ballclub. This year's decision to re-sign was very short sighted. He was not going to bounce back. I think that was clear. Most thought if he was ok with his role than it was money well spent. Well, he has been ok with the role but a silly off the field incident like sleeping through some innings has now put the spotlight on him. The M's aren't likely to take the high road - they already went out of their way to pay him more money than he is worth. It's up to Griffey to bow out gracefully.
Baseball is stupid
It has rules that are officially written in a book. It has unofficial ones that are written, well, from what I can tell, no where. Yet somehow they are to be followed as if they were official.
The other night in Oakland, rule #NBDPG was broken. Here's the situation: top of the 5th inning. Dallas Braden has allowed no hits through 4 with Evan Longoria at-bat. Longoria lays down a bunt to try to get a rally started. Like the majority of bunt attempts, he is thrown out and the perfect game continues. No harm, no foul.
Here is the amazing thing. Some are accusing Longoria and manager Joe Maddon of breaking one of baseball's oldest unwritten rules - No Bunting During a Perfect Game. I gotta say folks, this is one that pisses me off beyond belief. We are talking about professional sports. As Herm Edwards would say, "You play to win the game!" That's it - in professional sports its about winning and losing. Tampa was losing 4-0 at that point and were being dominated by Braden. So they tried to get a runner on base. Some may say that it was a cheap way of attempting to get a hit; that somehow Tampa's best hitter bunting was a trick that would catch the Oakland defense off guard. I think that's ridiculous. How is that any different than Longoria having his bat broken and getting a bloop single over the second baseman? Or a swinging bunt where Longoria barely makes contact and the ball slowly trickles down the line? Or a fl ball that hits the roof at the Trop or the rightfield overhang at Target Field?
The fact that this happened in the 5th inning makes the outrage even more ridiculous. At what point is a no-hitter considered to be a big deal? Does the Bottom Line even report no-hitters being thrown prior to the 6th inning? I don't think I have ever seen it. Fact is, a no hitter through 12 batters should not be considered a no hitter. It just isn't. And neither is a no hitter through 2 innings. A batter leading off the 3rd with a bunt base hit did not break the rule. Neither did Longoria. Fact is, there should be no rule. Unwritten rules are unwritten for a reason - they are not official. Mostly they govern how we interact socially. Professional baseball should not be subject them.
[Editors Note: There is only one that I can think of that I support: If you are going to throw at someone, keep it away from their head]
The other night in Oakland, rule #NBDPG was broken. Here's the situation: top of the 5th inning. Dallas Braden has allowed no hits through 4 with Evan Longoria at-bat. Longoria lays down a bunt to try to get a rally started. Like the majority of bunt attempts, he is thrown out and the perfect game continues. No harm, no foul.
Here is the amazing thing. Some are accusing Longoria and manager Joe Maddon of breaking one of baseball's oldest unwritten rules - No Bunting During a Perfect Game. I gotta say folks, this is one that pisses me off beyond belief. We are talking about professional sports. As Herm Edwards would say, "You play to win the game!" That's it - in professional sports its about winning and losing. Tampa was losing 4-0 at that point and were being dominated by Braden. So they tried to get a runner on base. Some may say that it was a cheap way of attempting to get a hit; that somehow Tampa's best hitter bunting was a trick that would catch the Oakland defense off guard. I think that's ridiculous. How is that any different than Longoria having his bat broken and getting a bloop single over the second baseman? Or a swinging bunt where Longoria barely makes contact and the ball slowly trickles down the line? Or a fl ball that hits the roof at the Trop or the rightfield overhang at Target Field?
The fact that this happened in the 5th inning makes the outrage even more ridiculous. At what point is a no-hitter considered to be a big deal? Does the Bottom Line even report no-hitters being thrown prior to the 6th inning? I don't think I have ever seen it. Fact is, a no hitter through 12 batters should not be considered a no hitter. It just isn't. And neither is a no hitter through 2 innings. A batter leading off the 3rd with a bunt base hit did not break the rule. Neither did Longoria. Fact is, there should be no rule. Unwritten rules are unwritten for a reason - they are not official. Mostly they govern how we interact socially. Professional baseball should not be subject them.
[Editors Note: There is only one that I can think of that I support: If you are going to throw at someone, keep it away from their head]
Monday, May 10, 2010
We're getting our money back
In case you hadn't heard, the Sounder Front Office has decided to give Sounders fans their money back in response to this weekends terrible game. All season ticket holders will have one game paid for next year if they renew. GM Adrian Hanauer said, "That wasn't Sounders soccer and it was quite frankly embarrassing, humiliating and the fans don't deserve that," adding "As the owners of the club we reserve the right to do whatever we think we need to do to treat our fans the way they've treated us."
I read a few comments on the team's message board and they sound very cynical, assuming that ticket prices will just be raised to make up for it. Others wonder how if it is fair for non-season ticket holders. I, for one, will not be cynical and take it as a genuine gesture from the front office. The team sucked. Hanauer and Roth sound embarrassed. Let's take it as face value and be happy with who we have running the show. It could be a lot worse.
I read a few comments on the team's message board and they sound very cynical, assuming that ticket prices will just be raised to make up for it. Others wonder how if it is fair for non-season ticket holders. I, for one, will not be cynical and take it as a genuine gesture from the front office. The team sucked. Hanauer and Roth sound embarrassed. Let's take it as face value and be happy with who we have running the show. It could be a lot worse.
Stay Classy Sounders Fans
This is the part of the Sounders existence that I have been dreading. I knew it was coming. We were going to hit a rough patch; maybe hit rock bottom. It was inevitable. But I remind everyone that it is a long season and that we are a talented team (on paper at least) .
So I ask Sounder Nation not to go crazy. Be angry with this team. But don't give up on them. The rest of the league thinks we are fickle. They think we will run away once we don't make the playoffs. They think 36k will go down to 15k. Let's not let this happen. Continue to support this team as you have had all along. They are in a funk. They are not a good team right now. But we have to believe that Sigi and crew will turn this around.
So keep the attendance strong. Keep up the insane support. Don't be fickle.
So I ask Sounder Nation not to go crazy. Be angry with this team. But don't give up on them. The rest of the league thinks we are fickle. They think we will run away once we don't make the playoffs. They think 36k will go down to 15k. Let's not let this happen. Continue to support this team as you have had all along. They are in a funk. They are not a good team right now. But we have to believe that Sigi and crew will turn this around.
So keep the attendance strong. Keep up the insane support. Don't be fickle.
Instant (Over)Reaction: LA
The title of my Sounders reviews doesn't really apply this week. There is no overreacting to a 4-0 loss. Simply put, we are not that good of a team right now. I'm not saying that we won't be a good team or that the season is over with. Fact is, RSL won MLS Cup last year with a losing regular season record. So all is not lost. But as we wake up on Monday May 10, 2010, we see the Sounders squarely in last place and must be honest with our assessment. They are not getting it done. And now some specific observations from Saturday's game
- The weather was amazing.
- The Sounders looked really good in the first 20 minutes or so. On several occasions they strung together 15+ passes and really controlled the flow of the game. My only complaint was that most of the time these passes went backwards and we were never able to get any quality shots on goal
- Keller messed up on the first goal. He will admit it. How the team reacted is what bothered me. You have two options when your leader messes up. Pick him up. Score a goal and get the game tied again. Or do what the Sounders did and completely fall apart. They looked demoralized after that first goal. They showed no heart for the remainder of the match
- El Presidente looked really bad
- The only fight that team showed was when Miguel Montano knocked down the assistant referee and then stood over him. (Ok, it was an accident, but still funny to see the ref react in the way he did)
- Only positive of the match was when Montano made his Sounders debut in the 58th minute. I couldn't tell how well he played, but he did show some energy and flashes of creativity. Here's hoping he can get some quality playing time and push Montero to play harder
- We are going to miss Alonso if he is out for any significant amount of time. If he does miss time, I think the 4-3-3 has to be scrapped because Sturgis and Vagenas simply cannot provide the bite that Ozzie brings. Go back to 4-4-2 and have Evans in the middle to provide a little stability.
- Next week's game will be an interesting psychological battle. NY lost also got pasted 4-0 by San Jose this weekend. You have to think that they are in a better mental state than the Sounder though since their loss was on the road with only 10 men. But will they come out flat expecting to win at home? Will Kasey Keller allow the Sounders to come out flat for another week? My early feeling is that Seattle will be uber motivated and will be fine on the road.
- Finally, everyone's whipping boy, Landon Donovan really has LA going. They look to be the best MLS squad I have seen in years. With all the attention on Buddle, Donovan pulled the strings and got other guys involved. We weren't ready for them. As he walked off the pitch, the Qwest faithful gave him an earful of boos to which Donovan calmly looked to the crowd and clapped. I'm sure it made more enemies, but I actually enjoyed seeing it. Look, we are in a World Cup year and he is clearly confident and a bit cocky. When you're up 4-0 on us, you can do what you please. I like seeing that from him.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Rod Effing Barajas
...has 9 hr's on the season, 1 off the NL lead.
Only 8 other players have as many home runs. Can you name them?
Nope, not Howard. Not A-Rod. Not Pujols. Not Prince Fielder. Here is the list:
12 - Paul Konerko
10- Ty Wigginton, Kelly Johnson, Andre Ethier
9 - Barajas, Mark Reynolds, Andruw Jones (!), Alex Gonzalez, Robinson Cano
That HAS to be the craziest list ever.
Only 8 other players have as many home runs. Can you name them?
Nope, not Howard. Not A-Rod. Not Pujols. Not Prince Fielder. Here is the list:
12 - Paul Konerko
10- Ty Wigginton, Kelly Johnson, Andre Ethier
9 - Barajas, Mark Reynolds, Andruw Jones (!), Alex Gonzalez, Robinson Cano
That HAS to be the craziest list ever.
Important Eric Byrnes Update...
...he's joining his buddy's softball league. No, really, he is. The link is right here.
I gotta be honest - I think this is awesome. If I had $11 million and then lost my job, I would fly my college buddies out to Seattle to play bball every weekend.
I gotta be honest - I think this is awesome. If I had $11 million and then lost my job, I would fly my college buddies out to Seattle to play bball every weekend.
Big Fat JaMarcus
I have spent the good part of my last 15 years watching Georgia football on Saturday evenings in the fall. While I won't claim to be as hardcore as those who live in the South, I do think I know a thing or two about the SEC. That is why I was so shocked when the Raiders selected Big Fat JaMarcus with the first pick in the draft three years ago.
I never thought he was any good. Never. It was hard not to be impressed by his collegiate performance - 67.8% completion pct, 3129 yards, 28 td, 8 ints during his Senior season. He topped it all off with an impressive Sugar Bowl performance where he shredded the Notre Dame defense for 332 yards and 2 td's. I'm a statistician and I know it is easy to lie with numbers. Simply put, his numbers didn't give the whole picture. While he had great arm strength, I questioned his decision making and his size, even back then. (I know it is easy to say all this now, but this is the one pick in recent history I knew was going to be a bust). He reminded me of Byron Leftwich, not because of his skin color, but because he was a 6'5, 248lb QB with great arm strength. Let me tell you - if you are a 250 lb QB coming out of college, you will probably be a 260/270 lb QB after you graduate unless you have a great work ethic. Hearing what is coming out of Raiders camp - that Big Fat JaMarcus slept through team meetings - it is no surprise that he is out of shape and totally lost as a NFL QB.
He ended his tenure with a 7-18 record and had more than 250 passing yards in a game once. The look on his face always portrayed the same though - "Holy shit! I am totally lost out here." I There will be some team who takes a chance on him because every NFL coach is arrogant enough to think he is the one to be able to turn this guy around. But it won't work - JaMarcus is the biggest NFL punchline since Ryan Leaf. That does not exactly lead to confidence.
I never thought he was any good. Never. It was hard not to be impressed by his collegiate performance - 67.8% completion pct, 3129 yards, 28 td, 8 ints during his Senior season. He topped it all off with an impressive Sugar Bowl performance where he shredded the Notre Dame defense for 332 yards and 2 td's. I'm a statistician and I know it is easy to lie with numbers. Simply put, his numbers didn't give the whole picture. While he had great arm strength, I questioned his decision making and his size, even back then. (I know it is easy to say all this now, but this is the one pick in recent history I knew was going to be a bust). He reminded me of Byron Leftwich, not because of his skin color, but because he was a 6'5, 248lb QB with great arm strength. Let me tell you - if you are a 250 lb QB coming out of college, you will probably be a 260/270 lb QB after you graduate unless you have a great work ethic. Hearing what is coming out of Raiders camp - that Big Fat JaMarcus slept through team meetings - it is no surprise that he is out of shape and totally lost as a NFL QB.
He ended his tenure with a 7-18 record and had more than 250 passing yards in a game once. The look on his face always portrayed the same though - "Holy shit! I am totally lost out here." I There will be some team who takes a chance on him because every NFL coach is arrogant enough to think he is the one to be able to turn this guy around. But it won't work - JaMarcus is the biggest NFL punchline since Ryan Leaf. That does not exactly lead to confidence.
Is there any hope?
Here is a sobering thought for my fellow Mets fans - Roy Halladay will be in our division for 3 more years. Stupid Philly making that trade. Damn them.
Anyways, I decided to look at some data to determine if there is any reason for hope. So far in his first 7 starts, Halladay is 6-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 6.9 k's/game. Interestingly, last year Halladay was 8-1 after his first 9 starts with a 2.78 ERA and 6.3 k's/game. He ended the season 17-11 with a 2.79 ERA and 6.5 k's/game. There is good news and bad news in thsse data. Good news: He went 9-10 in his last 24 starts. Bad news: His stats were essentially the same as the first 9 starts meaning his team was partially at fault for the sub-.500 winning pct.
Since 2002, he has had two seasons where he lost part of the season with injuries. Even if we include those, he has averaged 213 1/3 innings pitched a year and nearly 6 complete games. Obviously all these data are while going against superior lineups in the AL. What he is going to do in the NL is downright scary. This is not going to be fun for the Mets, Braves, Marlins and Nationals who should get to see him at least 4 times a year.
(Oh, and one side note, since 2002, the Mets have averaged 4.6 complete games a year)
Anyways, I decided to look at some data to determine if there is any reason for hope. So far in his first 7 starts, Halladay is 6-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 6.9 k's/game. Interestingly, last year Halladay was 8-1 after his first 9 starts with a 2.78 ERA and 6.3 k's/game. He ended the season 17-11 with a 2.79 ERA and 6.5 k's/game. There is good news and bad news in thsse data. Good news: He went 9-10 in his last 24 starts. Bad news: His stats were essentially the same as the first 9 starts meaning his team was partially at fault for the sub-.500 winning pct.
Since 2002, he has had two seasons where he lost part of the season with injuries. Even if we include those, he has averaged 213 1/3 innings pitched a year and nearly 6 complete games. Obviously all these data are while going against superior lineups in the AL. What he is going to do in the NL is downright scary. This is not going to be fun for the Mets, Braves, Marlins and Nationals who should get to see him at least 4 times a year.
(Oh, and one side note, since 2002, the Mets have averaged 4.6 complete games a year)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Thursday Night Brain Dump
It's beautiful weather here in Seattle today and I am outside mowing the lawn (well, not right now because I am eating and typing). It is perfect. A lot of things happening around this great country of ours - nothing so seismic that I have to write a whole blog entry so this will have to do.
- Giants great Lawrence Taylor was arrested today and charged with 3rd degree rape. This is just a sad story and one that I think most Giants fans are not surprised with. LT was an amazing player and one of the first true sports stars I knew growing up. His subsequent downfall after his playing career was an unfortunate one, but news of his sobriety and changed lifestyle was a welcome one. I don't know if he is innocent or not - that obviously will be determined by the legal system, but it is a sad day when one of your sports idols is linked to something like this
- What's up with Lebron? Has this guy ever played with an injury? If it is as minor as Cleveland is making it out to be, then why does he seem so bothered by it? Cleveland better watch itself - if they lose tonight they could be in a world of hurt. Boston is one of those teams you need to put down early because they will gain their swagger back if given the chance
- A buddy of mine asked today if I thought Ubaldo Jimenez is the best pitcher in baseball. I said that Lincecum and Halladay are in front of him, but I'd be hard pressed to think of another one. Maybe Sabathia or King Felix, but not too many
- I am 100% in favor of that kid getting tasered in Philly. We are given an amazing opportunity as fans to be allowed to sit within arms reach of players and coaches when we're at the ballpark. Let's not mess it up. Now, I know that running on the field has been going on for years, but lets face it, the world is different today. Security at ballgames is very light - most places want to look in your bag and that's it. I always wonder if there needs to be more. Someday what appears to be an 'innocent' streaker could be someone who poses a security risk. I know a lot of media members are saying it was a teenager being a teenager - I just wonder if he wasn't a white boy how it would be perceived.
- While I'm on my soapbox, I'd like to congratulate the Suns for taking a political stand and wearing the Los Suns jerseys in Game 2 the other night. this is not supposed to be a political blog so I won't give my thoughts on it besides saying I am impressed to see a sports team take such a stand.
- Looks like the Flyers are in crap load of trouble. I love it
- Sounders - LA this weekend. Man I hope we can get it done. I don't need to give a preview - stopping LA is as simple as stopping Donovan and Buddle (I know he has 9 goals, but Landy's name still needs to be listed first). If El Presidente is up for the job and if LA is unable to handle the 4-3-3 then a good result is possible.
- Manchester United is playing the MLS All-Stars this July and then are going to Philly to take on the Union. Not sure what to say about that one besides, hope you enjoy the experience and the money, Philly.
- World Cup getting ever so close....
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
End this misery
Memo to the Mets Management from its fans: Please release Gary Matthews. Eat his contract. Bring up Cris Carter or someone that can hit. He is terrible.
I will be the first to admit I was intrigued by the deal they got from the Angels. LA ate all of his remaining salary except for $2 million. The Mets had a short-term fill-in for Carlos Beltran. In his free agent year of 2006 he hit .313 with 19 hr, 79 rbi, 102 runs. If he could be half of that it could be viewed as a positive considering we only gave up Brian Stokes for him.
He is terrible. I can handle Catalanotto hitting .136 on the year. At least he has value as a utility infielder even though he isn't hitting. But giving Matthews at bats is terrible. Even worse is that we kept him on the roster long enough for the Reds to see how terrible he is. There is no way they even consider Matthews for Arroyo now like they had earlier in the spring. I'm not saying bring up F-Mart, but how about Carter or even Nik Evans? Just do it.
I will be the first to admit I was intrigued by the deal they got from the Angels. LA ate all of his remaining salary except for $2 million. The Mets had a short-term fill-in for Carlos Beltran. In his free agent year of 2006 he hit .313 with 19 hr, 79 rbi, 102 runs. If he could be half of that it could be viewed as a positive considering we only gave up Brian Stokes for him.
He is terrible. I can handle Catalanotto hitting .136 on the year. At least he has value as a utility infielder even though he isn't hitting. But giving Matthews at bats is terrible. Even worse is that we kept him on the roster long enough for the Reds to see how terrible he is. There is no way they even consider Matthews for Arroyo now like they had earlier in the spring. I'm not saying bring up F-Mart, but how about Carter or even Nik Evans? Just do it.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
This is why we are hated...?
The other day I received an email from my cousin (who happens to have a high quality blog View from the Couch) with the subject line: "See Seattle fans, this is why we hate you". Apparently some Seattle bloggers are not happy with the choice of Celtic and Boca Juniors as our friendly opponents this year, which has led other supporters to believe we are all arrogant up here. In particular, he points me to one posting by Sounder at Heart which says that Celtic is disappointing given last years opponents. Now I have read this article and agree that it does give the perception that the Sounders are too good for Celtic; that we should be having Barca and Chelsea every year. I won't mince words here - considering last years opponents, this DOES feel like a step down. There is no way around it - Barca won the Champions League while Chelsea made the semi's. Celtic finished last in their group. There is no debating those stats - Celtic was not as good as Chelsea and Barca last year. PERIOD. But in no way am I too arrogant to say that we are too good for Celtic. They are a great team with great history who play in the Champions League year in year out. And if this match had meaning, Celtic would probably paste us 3-0 minimum.
Now that that is out of the way, I wanted to discuss friendlies in general. We all know that soccer remains a foreign concept in the US. Casual soccer fans in America don't understand the idea of international competitions like the Champions League that occur during the season. They don't understand a single table concept. And they don't understand friendlies. Now I can defend the first two because they are brilliant. Let me tell you, if there was a single elimination competition that the Mets could compete in during the month of August, I would be all for it because they will most likely be out of the playoff push by then.
But friendlies? I don't know, they just leave a bad taste in my mouth. I get that they are critical for the financial health of MLS teams. But when we consider what the players are getting out of it, I think the pros outweigh the cons. I went to both games last year and I have to say that the second halves were the most boring 45 minutes of soccer I saw all season. It was great that Terry Boss, Lamar Neagle and Mike Fucito got once in a lifetime opportunities to play against Messi, Lampard and the likes, but at the end of the day, what did it do for the team? MLS teams are not deep - one injury can cripple a team. There are no national team players battling for playing time who can step right in. If Freddie Ljungberg gets hurt, we will have Stephen King as our starting midfielder (no offense to Stephen who I hear is a nice dude) for the rest of the season. So Sigi plays his guys for 45 minutes and thats it. As for Barca and Chelsea? They are all in pre-season form. Now maybe this is good for the scoreline (Seattle was luck to have lost both 4-0), but I want the guys to compete against the best in their top form.
Bottom line, I want a competitive game. I am not saying I will forfeit my tickets to the games. Seeing Messi work his magic (even in preseason form) was amazing. But the game was a glorified scrimmage at best and we got nothing out of it besides tired legs (in fact, we got 1 point out of 3 games after Chelsea left town and 3 points out of 3 games after Barcelona left town) and a whole lot of revenue. Competively, I would rather see a match against Club America or Saprissa or some mid table Euro squad like Sunderland or West Ham. The risk of injury would be the same, but at the end of the day it would be a competitive match that could help define us as a franchise.
We get one more friendly from our season ticket package. While it will be less sexy, I am hoping its the play-in game for the CONCACAF Champions League against an unknown team from Belize or Panama. But hey, I'm just one person. Please don't judge your opinion of Sounder Nation by what I have to say.
Now that that is out of the way, I wanted to discuss friendlies in general. We all know that soccer remains a foreign concept in the US. Casual soccer fans in America don't understand the idea of international competitions like the Champions League that occur during the season. They don't understand a single table concept. And they don't understand friendlies. Now I can defend the first two because they are brilliant. Let me tell you, if there was a single elimination competition that the Mets could compete in during the month of August, I would be all for it because they will most likely be out of the playoff push by then.
But friendlies? I don't know, they just leave a bad taste in my mouth. I get that they are critical for the financial health of MLS teams. But when we consider what the players are getting out of it, I think the pros outweigh the cons. I went to both games last year and I have to say that the second halves were the most boring 45 minutes of soccer I saw all season. It was great that Terry Boss, Lamar Neagle and Mike Fucito got once in a lifetime opportunities to play against Messi, Lampard and the likes, but at the end of the day, what did it do for the team? MLS teams are not deep - one injury can cripple a team. There are no national team players battling for playing time who can step right in. If Freddie Ljungberg gets hurt, we will have Stephen King as our starting midfielder (no offense to Stephen who I hear is a nice dude) for the rest of the season. So Sigi plays his guys for 45 minutes and thats it. As for Barca and Chelsea? They are all in pre-season form. Now maybe this is good for the scoreline (Seattle was luck to have lost both 4-0), but I want the guys to compete against the best in their top form.
Bottom line, I want a competitive game. I am not saying I will forfeit my tickets to the games. Seeing Messi work his magic (even in preseason form) was amazing. But the game was a glorified scrimmage at best and we got nothing out of it besides tired legs (in fact, we got 1 point out of 3 games after Chelsea left town and 3 points out of 3 games after Barcelona left town) and a whole lot of revenue. Competively, I would rather see a match against Club America or Saprissa or some mid table Euro squad like Sunderland or West Ham. The risk of injury would be the same, but at the end of the day it would be a competitive match that could help define us as a franchise.
We get one more friendly from our season ticket package. While it will be less sexy, I am hoping its the play-in game for the CONCACAF Champions League against an unknown team from Belize or Panama. But hey, I'm just one person. Please don't judge your opinion of Sounder Nation by what I have to say.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Reader's Choice
This is a new feature to JerseySounder where one of my loyal readers get to choose a topic for me to discuss. This weeks entry comes from my good friend T-Gasp (not to be mistaken with WWE wrestler Shad Gaspard) who is quite fired up over a recent botched suicide squeeze.
I am unable to find video of the entire at bat, but here is the situation. The M's, losers of three gut wrenching defeats the weekend before, played the Rangers, a team they will most likely be battling for first all season long, at home on Friday night. After nine innings the game remained tied 0-0. In the bottom of the 11th with the bases loaded and one out, Eric Byrnes stepped up to bat.
Before I get to Byrnes' at-bat, allow me to play a little Monday Morning QB. What do we know? Well, we know that Eric Byrnes is an above average defensive outfielder who, when signed, seemed to fit perfectly with the M's philosophy. He was meant to be a situational outfielder and nothing more. Yet here he was with the bat in his hands when the game was on the line. Let's look at his average yearly stats - 88 games, .258 average, 10 hr, 36 rbis. Nothing spectacular. Here is the most damning stat of them all - in 11 years he has attempted 9 sacrifice bunts. For you math majors, thats less than 1 a season.
This is what I have a problem with. You have to know your personnel as a manager. You have bases loaded with Ichiro on third, one out and a guy who never bunts at the plate. A fly ball to anywhere in the park will probably bring home the run. A ball on the ground is no automatic double play because Byrnes has some speed. Yet Wakamatsu pretends that he is in the NL and bunts with Byrnes at bat. I'm sorry, I just think its a terrible call. Let him swing. I know no one has scored to that point and that the bases were left loaded in the 10th, but seriously, only the Mets screw up like this.
Ok, that being said, you're a major league hitter and the manager tells you to bunt. You have to get it down. At least foul it off, but don't let it get past you. There is a 5% chance Ichiro scores on the play if you miss the ball. By now you know what happened. Watch the beauty right here. Yeah, it was terrible. I just have to wonder if Byrnes is the M's scapegoat for a 11-12 start amidst all of the heightened expectations. After all, Wakamatsu was partially to blame.
Of course that's just my opinion. T-Gasp had the following to say: "I was watching live and cussed so much that I got in trouble with the wife." He called Byrnes a "So. Cal surfer looking douchebag" and was not encouraging of his future with the M's, noting that "Someone needs to take away his glove, uniform and 'man-card' and never allow him another shot at bat in the big show." well, T, The M's cut him on Sunday so may never have to look at him again.
To help ease the pain, I offer this video on how to properly perform the squeeze.
I am unable to find video of the entire at bat, but here is the situation. The M's, losers of three gut wrenching defeats the weekend before, played the Rangers, a team they will most likely be battling for first all season long, at home on Friday night. After nine innings the game remained tied 0-0. In the bottom of the 11th with the bases loaded and one out, Eric Byrnes stepped up to bat.
Before I get to Byrnes' at-bat, allow me to play a little Monday Morning QB. What do we know? Well, we know that Eric Byrnes is an above average defensive outfielder who, when signed, seemed to fit perfectly with the M's philosophy. He was meant to be a situational outfielder and nothing more. Yet here he was with the bat in his hands when the game was on the line. Let's look at his average yearly stats - 88 games, .258 average, 10 hr, 36 rbis. Nothing spectacular. Here is the most damning stat of them all - in 11 years he has attempted 9 sacrifice bunts. For you math majors, thats less than 1 a season.
This is what I have a problem with. You have to know your personnel as a manager. You have bases loaded with Ichiro on third, one out and a guy who never bunts at the plate. A fly ball to anywhere in the park will probably bring home the run. A ball on the ground is no automatic double play because Byrnes has some speed. Yet Wakamatsu pretends that he is in the NL and bunts with Byrnes at bat. I'm sorry, I just think its a terrible call. Let him swing. I know no one has scored to that point and that the bases were left loaded in the 10th, but seriously, only the Mets screw up like this.
Ok, that being said, you're a major league hitter and the manager tells you to bunt. You have to get it down. At least foul it off, but don't let it get past you. There is a 5% chance Ichiro scores on the play if you miss the ball. By now you know what happened. Watch the beauty right here. Yeah, it was terrible. I just have to wonder if Byrnes is the M's scapegoat for a 11-12 start amidst all of the heightened expectations. After all, Wakamatsu was partially to blame.
Of course that's just my opinion. T-Gasp had the following to say: "I was watching live and cussed so much that I got in trouble with the wife." He called Byrnes a "So. Cal surfer looking douchebag" and was not encouraging of his future with the M's, noting that "Someone needs to take away his glove, uniform and 'man-card' and never allow him another shot at bat in the big show." well, T, The M's cut him on Sunday so may never have to look at him again.
To help ease the pain, I offer this video on how to properly perform the squeeze.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
I Love Canada...
...Vancouver specifically, since I have never been to Toronto or the other major cities. The wife and I were up there over the weekend and I love their passion for the Canucks. All the local bars had their doors open and you didn't have to watch the game to know what was going on. There was honestly a collective uproar after every goal. Everyone is diehard. I even saw to guys in front of me stop a moving police car to tell them the score of the game. Hockey is life. Eight pages in the local paper. One in five cars flying a flag. GO CANUCKS GO on bus billboards. Love it all and am sad that Seattle is not a hockey city. It still amazes me that cities like Phoenix, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami and Columbus can have teams but there are none in the US Northwest. I know all Rangers fans love to rip on the Devils for not having a real fan base, but at least its better than Seattle. Hockey is no where to be seen and it brings a tear to my eye.
And now a few other comments from the weekend:
And now a few other comments from the weekend:
- After another mental letdown seconds before the half, I think we can see what type of team the Sounders are. They are a talented bunch that don't have their heads on. We dominated the first half and I mean dominated. I can't say it enough. And yet somehow they allow the Crew to score on their one opportunity all game.
- Loved the 4-3-3 and hope Freddie stays in the middle in the future. He looks great. I also like Ozzie out wide and was praying for this shot to hit the net
- I think there is something up with Johan. Philly should win 2 out of 3 at home, but we had them where we wanted them and Johan gave it up. The fact that he is relying on two pitches is disheartening. Overall, we got 1 of 2 but in addition to Johan, Pelf also got shelled. These are the times when Pelf has needed a shrink in the past - hopefully the one he hired over the winter has worked his magic.
- I know I am in no position to criticize Philly sports, but $12.25 million for Kevin Kolb?? This has to be a mistake.
- In case you hadn't heard, the Big 10 and Pac-10 are considering adding teams which could send shockwaves through college athletics. Great 'what if' article in SI which I can't find online, so here is Stewart Mandels' FAQ's on the subject. Love to hear your thoughts (John especially) on Utah and Colorado going to the Pac-10
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