Of course we were all sick of the Brett Favre coverage before it even started this year. Is there anyone out there who loves hearing his name more often? But before I go after Brett too hard, we must ask the question: is he the problem or just merely a symptom?
Allow me to explain. Brett could have gone through all this “consideration” without public scrutiny. The workouts, the decisions, the surgery. None of that needed to be publicized. Was all of this in the news because he’s a helpless narcissist – which he clearly is – or rather was this in the news because of our absurd craving for this sort of thing? For instance, there was something extremely unnerving about the press coverage of Michael Vick’s release from jail. Sportscenter had his driving route plotted and camped out outside his home for days to cover the event and tape him pulling into the driveway. I can’t summon the words necessary to disapprove of the gall it takes to cover this event in this way. But in reality, ESPN is only covering this stuff because, apparently, we as sports fans have an insatiable appetite for this stuff.
Speaking of Vick, it has been announced that Roger Goodell has been floating the idea of what amounts to an additional five game suspension for Mr. Vick. While I, along with nearly every sports commentator was initially opposed to such a suspension for the simple reason that he has already paid a very high price for his deeds, I’ve since changed my mind. While the league could go about this by reinstating him and then banning him for life for any future misdeed, that option has no concern for Michael Vick, the human being.
These additional weeks of suspension will allow Michael Vick to come back as both a player and as a person. This will allow time for him to get the mentoring and personal rehabilitation that he needs for life in general. No one honestly believes that prison time actually effectively rehabilitates someone. There is no doubt that Michael Vick has had the past two years to reflect on his past and plan his future, but the addition of someone the caliber of Tony Dungy could change Vick’s life.
It’s clear that prior to Vick’s incarceration he just didn’t have the right influences on him. He had no one in his inner circle that was good for him personally or professionally. Even on the day he was going to jail, he purchased a $99,000 Mercedes with a debit card. Who’s to say that he’s somehow acquired better judgment about people and money simply by sitting in a jail cell? If he takes this seriously, these five weeks could be life changing. Whether or not the reasoning behind Goodell’s plan is anything like mine, it is still a good plan.
28 July 2009
24 July 2009
SEC You Later!
OK, so the title of this blog post is horrible. It's horrendous; beyond horrible, terrible, whatever. It's still not as bad as this: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/stewart_mandel/07/24/sec-espn/index.html?eref=sihpT1
Reading this article made me angry. The first weekend of college football season, 7 (!) SEC games will be on the ABC/ESPN family of networks. They also are the only football conference that CBS really cares about. Why should any of the rest of us care about non-SEC football?
The arms race that is occurring in the SEC is pretty frightening. Each school continues to up the ante; my school, Tennessee, is the latest to do this, spending an ungodly amount of money on assistant coaches after hiring Lane Kiffin. The best football coaches now all reside in the SEC - Urban Meyer and Nick Saban being the two current best, Houston Nutt proving last year that he's a good one as well, Les Miles being the luckiest coach in America, Kiffin being the most quoteworthy and taking that title from Steve Spurrier (also the former best coach in America)...it is all very, very dizzying.
They've won the last 3 national championships, and their pride in the conference is sickening. Seriously, rival fanbases hate each other on gameday, but if they are playing someone out of conference (like MAC schools, since they never play a tough OOC game) they all root for each other. It's really disturbing.
And they are spending millions and millions, tens of millions, of dollars on football. All to prove that they are best team in the best conference in the best geographical area for football in the country. Well, you know what? I don't care.
I root for a non-SEC BCS school. I enjoy college football, a lot. However, I know that if my team runs into the buzzsaw that is Joe SEC Football school, we will lose. Not just lose; get slaughtered.
I've decided I don't care about this. The journey for me is winning the Big East, and then getting to tell 50 guys who play football at Florida that they will be sorry when they work for Pitt alumni. Academics at SEC schools are a joke.
Sorry, this was a really disjointed rant but I'm just sick of SEC football.
Reading this article made me angry. The first weekend of college football season, 7 (!) SEC games will be on the ABC/ESPN family of networks. They also are the only football conference that CBS really cares about. Why should any of the rest of us care about non-SEC football?
The arms race that is occurring in the SEC is pretty frightening. Each school continues to up the ante; my school, Tennessee, is the latest to do this, spending an ungodly amount of money on assistant coaches after hiring Lane Kiffin. The best football coaches now all reside in the SEC - Urban Meyer and Nick Saban being the two current best, Houston Nutt proving last year that he's a good one as well, Les Miles being the luckiest coach in America, Kiffin being the most quoteworthy and taking that title from Steve Spurrier (also the former best coach in America)...it is all very, very dizzying.
They've won the last 3 national championships, and their pride in the conference is sickening. Seriously, rival fanbases hate each other on gameday, but if they are playing someone out of conference (like MAC schools, since they never play a tough OOC game) they all root for each other. It's really disturbing.
And they are spending millions and millions, tens of millions, of dollars on football. All to prove that they are best team in the best conference in the best geographical area for football in the country. Well, you know what? I don't care.
I root for a non-SEC BCS school. I enjoy college football, a lot. However, I know that if my team runs into the buzzsaw that is Joe SEC Football school, we will lose. Not just lose; get slaughtered.
I've decided I don't care about this. The journey for me is winning the Big East, and then getting to tell 50 guys who play football at Florida that they will be sorry when they work for Pitt alumni. Academics at SEC schools are a joke.
Sorry, this was a really disjointed rant but I'm just sick of SEC football.
16 July 2009
Answer my Question, Bill Simmons! (Vol. 2)
Q: Sports guy, which was a greater sin upon the citizens of Seattle?
1. Taking their beloved Sonics and turning them into the OKC Zombies
or
2. Making them keep the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.
1. Taking their beloved Sonics and turning them into the OKC Zombies
or
2. Making them keep the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.
12 July 2009
Congratulations, Jamie! (and Ashton)
US wins world junior championships
"AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States broke an 18-year gold medal drought when it beat Greece 88-80 Sunday to win the FIBA under-19 world basketball championships.
Tyshawn Taylor had 18 points and five steals to lead the United States to its first victory at the world junior tournament since it claimed the gold medal at Edmonton, Canada in 1991.
Ahston Gibbs finished with 13 points.."
11 July 2009
Greatest all-time linebackers
I should be writing my dissertation, so naturally I am thinking about the greatest linebackers ever.
In my view the top 4 are, in roughly this order:
1. Lawrence Taylor
2. Dick Butkus
3. Jack Lambert
4. Ray Lewis
After that, I think Ray Nitschke, Mike Singletary and Sam Huff have to be in the top ten. After that, I am not sure who belongs to round out the top ten. Junior Seau? Jack Ham? Ted Hendricks? Any suggestions? Any disputes about the top 4? What are your thoughts?
In my view the top 4 are, in roughly this order:
1. Lawrence Taylor
2. Dick Butkus
3. Jack Lambert
4. Ray Lewis
After that, I think Ray Nitschke, Mike Singletary and Sam Huff have to be in the top ten. After that, I am not sure who belongs to round out the top ten. Junior Seau? Jack Ham? Ted Hendricks? Any suggestions? Any disputes about the top 4? What are your thoughts?
09 July 2009
You know we've all been there
There's some er, analysis of the most recent Twins game over at Twinkie Town that includes more about Tecmo Bowl than baseball. Yeah, it's that good:
http://www.twinkietown.com/2009/7/9/943837/twins-done-in-by-the-computer
http://www.twinkietown.com/2009/7/9/943837/twins-done-in-by-the-computer
07 July 2009
5 Reasons to Watch: Bucs 2nd Half
Well, as we near baseball's midsummer classic (a week from today!), the evidence starts to pile up. This will not be a winning season for my beloved Bucs. They are currently 9 games under .500 and in last place in the division (although, quirkily, they are only 7.5 back of the Cards). However, I am feeling a lot more optimism for this team than I have in the July's of past. Why is that? Well, here are 5 reasons to watch the Bucs in August and September that will keep you optimistic:
1. The outfield situation - in the last two seasons, the Bucs have traded away four starting outfielders. This may be a technicality, since Nyjer Morgan shouldn't start on any contending team, but they still traded the guys who took the majority of the outfield at-bats. However, the situation here is exciting, looking from the major league roster to the depths of Single A West Virginia. McCutchen has been a revelation in center; he is going to be a star for the Bucs for at least the next 5+ years. Brandon Moss has been mostly a failure so far in RF, but he should still be given chances to produce over the next two months. Lastings Milledge has the pedigree (as a former No. 1 overall prospect of the Mets, as well as leading the Nats in HR and RBI last summer) and now should be given a chance; he won't be sent down to AAA after 7 starts like he was in April by the Nats (at least for performance purposes). Garrett Jones, Steve Pearce, and Delwyn Young will still get opportunities to show what they can do by getting spot starts all over the outfield (although I'm not bullish on any of the three; Young has the most potential as a pinch hitter). In the minors, the Bucs have at least two potential above average major leaguers at Altoona in Gorkys Hernandez and Jose Tabata. Robbie Grossman is performing admirably for a 19-year-old rookie at West Virginia, and Starling Marte has shown a lot of promise in his 2 weeks with the team. Overall, the Bucs have greatly improved their outfield depth throughout the organization while sacrificing only one above average major league player (Jason Bay).
2. The 2009 Draft Class - the Bucs just went Moneyball on everyone's @$$ and people still aren't recovered. They drafted a bunch of high upside high school pitchers after quickly coming to terms with Tony Sanchez at No. 4 overall. They will be tough signs, but it is worth watching the situation until August 17 to see who the Bucs are able to sign. Also, the Latin American market is clearing up, and it appears that the Bucs should be able to sign Miguel A. Sano. This will be the biggest international signing yet for Neal Huntingdon, who has signed players from all six baseball playing continents in his less than 2 years on the job. Seriously, he has signed players from: Holland, South Africa, Australia, India, Taiwan, and various Latin American countries.
3. The pitching depth - Maholm and Duke are probably locked in as #3-4 starters. Ohlendorf has sparkled at times this year, and he's almost a certified genius, but he isn't throwing as hard as he did last summer. Charlie Morton is the big variable; he has the best stuff of anyone on the staff but it needs to translate into major league success. His first four starts have been encouraging; he bears watching. In the minors, top prospect Brad Lincoln needs to prove his stuff at AAA Indy after being dominant in Altoona. If he does, he may earn a rotation spot for next April. Snell and Gorzo still have major league success in their backgrounds, if they can ever throw enough strikes again they could still be viable major league options. All of this coupled with the aforementioned draft has greatly improved the Bucs pitching situation; it should only get better from here.
4. The trade deadline - We don't have anyone who is going to bring back a ton this year, but Grabow, Ad. LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, and Capps are all candidates to be dealt. The question about the middle infield lingers into 2010; if Sanchez and/or Wilson are traded, there aren't people to replace them yet in the system. Which of the guys will go, and how much will the fanbase cry over their departures?
5. The march to 82... - wins or losses? Well, it was said here earlier that it will be losses, and in truth it will probably be many more than 82. This will mark a 17th consecutive losing season, a record for American professional sports. There isn't too much more to say about this. It's inevitable. It will probably happen around September 13-14; all I hope is that its not against Houston, for some personal reasons.
Anyway, this second half should be more exciting for the Bucs than it normally is. This is a sign that the team is going in the right direction. Let's hope that Huntingdon and company keep it up to meet my 2012 deadline; they have to compete by then for me.
1. The outfield situation - in the last two seasons, the Bucs have traded away four starting outfielders. This may be a technicality, since Nyjer Morgan shouldn't start on any contending team, but they still traded the guys who took the majority of the outfield at-bats. However, the situation here is exciting, looking from the major league roster to the depths of Single A West Virginia. McCutchen has been a revelation in center; he is going to be a star for the Bucs for at least the next 5+ years. Brandon Moss has been mostly a failure so far in RF, but he should still be given chances to produce over the next two months. Lastings Milledge has the pedigree (as a former No. 1 overall prospect of the Mets, as well as leading the Nats in HR and RBI last summer) and now should be given a chance; he won't be sent down to AAA after 7 starts like he was in April by the Nats (at least for performance purposes). Garrett Jones, Steve Pearce, and Delwyn Young will still get opportunities to show what they can do by getting spot starts all over the outfield (although I'm not bullish on any of the three; Young has the most potential as a pinch hitter). In the minors, the Bucs have at least two potential above average major leaguers at Altoona in Gorkys Hernandez and Jose Tabata. Robbie Grossman is performing admirably for a 19-year-old rookie at West Virginia, and Starling Marte has shown a lot of promise in his 2 weeks with the team. Overall, the Bucs have greatly improved their outfield depth throughout the organization while sacrificing only one above average major league player (Jason Bay).
2. The 2009 Draft Class - the Bucs just went Moneyball on everyone's @$$ and people still aren't recovered. They drafted a bunch of high upside high school pitchers after quickly coming to terms with Tony Sanchez at No. 4 overall. They will be tough signs, but it is worth watching the situation until August 17 to see who the Bucs are able to sign. Also, the Latin American market is clearing up, and it appears that the Bucs should be able to sign Miguel A. Sano. This will be the biggest international signing yet for Neal Huntingdon, who has signed players from all six baseball playing continents in his less than 2 years on the job. Seriously, he has signed players from: Holland, South Africa, Australia, India, Taiwan, and various Latin American countries.
3. The pitching depth - Maholm and Duke are probably locked in as #3-4 starters. Ohlendorf has sparkled at times this year, and he's almost a certified genius, but he isn't throwing as hard as he did last summer. Charlie Morton is the big variable; he has the best stuff of anyone on the staff but it needs to translate into major league success. His first four starts have been encouraging; he bears watching. In the minors, top prospect Brad Lincoln needs to prove his stuff at AAA Indy after being dominant in Altoona. If he does, he may earn a rotation spot for next April. Snell and Gorzo still have major league success in their backgrounds, if they can ever throw enough strikes again they could still be viable major league options. All of this coupled with the aforementioned draft has greatly improved the Bucs pitching situation; it should only get better from here.
4. The trade deadline - We don't have anyone who is going to bring back a ton this year, but Grabow, Ad. LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, and Capps are all candidates to be dealt. The question about the middle infield lingers into 2010; if Sanchez and/or Wilson are traded, there aren't people to replace them yet in the system. Which of the guys will go, and how much will the fanbase cry over their departures?
5. The march to 82... - wins or losses? Well, it was said here earlier that it will be losses, and in truth it will probably be many more than 82. This will mark a 17th consecutive losing season, a record for American professional sports. There isn't too much more to say about this. It's inevitable. It will probably happen around September 13-14; all I hope is that its not against Houston, for some personal reasons.
Anyway, this second half should be more exciting for the Bucs than it normally is. This is a sign that the team is going in the right direction. Let's hope that Huntingdon and company keep it up to meet my 2012 deadline; they have to compete by then for me.
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