The Jayfiss Report

The Most [Annoying] Two [Weeks] In Sports...

2009-01-30T23:46:00.003-05:00

Let me start by saying I love NFL football, and I love the Superbowl.

But the NFL has something unique in that its championship game is set two weeks before it is to played, with no other games proceeding it. College football has the BCS championship set well in advance, but then there many other somewhat meaningful games in the interim leading up to it. Other than that, no other sport even comes close.

What that leads to is two full weeks of coverage of one game. Two teams. For two weeks. Everyday someone's got to have some new angle, some undiscovered piece of game film, some hard luck story about the long-snapper on the practice squad. What's happened in the almost two weeks since the AFC and NFC games? Some guys nursing some injuries... and... and well, that's about it. Which leaves us with nothing else but to speculate, and pontificate, and speculate some more. For two weeks.

Do I have a solution? No. Will I be jonesing for for football coverage two weeks after the Superbowl is over? Of course I will. I am just done hearing about the Steelers and Cardinals, Cardinals and Steelers, Pittsburgh and Arizona. Superbowl Sunday I will be glued to the TV like millions of others- but as of Superbowl Friday, I am big-gamed out.

Barry Bonds reportedly... wait- YAAAAWN...

2009-01-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

A little while ago I saw on the ESPN crawl that due to his hip surgery, Barry Bonds may not be ready for spring training but may be ready for opening day. Which begs the question... is this even newsworthy? Seeing as though no team seems close to touching him with a thirty foot pole, he could be ready all he wants- but it's not getting him on the field.

Just retire and go away, Barry.

UPSET?? Says who?

2008-11-21T13:28:00.006-05:00

Several news outlets this morning are reporting the massive college basketball upset that occurred last night: Un-ranked Michigan took down #4 UCLA at the Garden.

I don't buy it.

It comes back to the point I made a while back about college football. Preseason rankings mean absolutely nothing. They only take into account so-called "expert opinions" about teams that for the most part have never played all together. With the turnover in college sports, especially basketball, it's impossible to predict the cohesion of teams year in and year out. Therefore, we have all the early season "upsets" of teams that shouldn't have been ranked that high to begin with.

Who says Michigan over UCLA is such a big upset? If you want to base on the past few years- sure, huge upset. But I am talking about this year. And who knows just how good either one of these teams are? Now if in month UCLA is 9-1 and Michigan 2-9, sure- looks like a big upset. But I am not sure any game this early in the season deserves to called a "stunning upset" - short of a 1AA opponent conquering a division 1A foe. I just don't buy it.

As I said with college football, a lot of this could amended if they just do away with preseason rankings. Wait about 4 or 5 weeks into the season, and then vote based on where the teams stand at that point. At least with college basketball, there is a tournament at the end of the year, so ranking aren't truly the be-all and end-all, but it is still stupid to me- born of media hype and TV ratings.

Let them play. Let the players decide for us who are the contenders and pretenders.

Making the case for mediocrity...

2008-11-13T12:42:00.002-05:00

Another sub-par season in Notre Dame football- albeit way closer to par than last season's debacle- has got me, a born and bred Irish fan, thinking.

A couple weeks ago, sitting at 5-2, the Irish looked very capable of winning out their remaining schedule, up until the finale at Southern Cal. That would have had them finishing with a record of 9-3 and in prime position to land New Year's Day bowl game. A bowl game, against a big-time opponent which, if you have watched this team this year- you know would have ended in disaster, much like the Irish's last few big-time bowl appearances.

Well, after a heartbreaking loss to Pitt, and a dreadful showing at BC- Notre Dame is sitting at 5-4, and much better off for it, in my opionion. Now assuming (perhaps dangerously) they can get by Navy and Syracuse, and lose to USC, they are looking at 7-5 and midling bowl game at best. And perhaps against an opponent the have a chance to beat. Remember, this is a football program that hasn't tasted bowl victory since 1993. Now, national title hopes for this season have long since flown away- so I would love to end the year with a bowl win. Any bowl. Just to get off the schneid and remind yourself what a bowl win feels like.

This is a young team, with a lot of super-talented kids- but they are not ready for prime time. Next year, with a full season as a core unit together under their belts, perhaps. But this year, I will settle for mediocrity- not just because it's an improvement over last season, but because of the opportunity for the ever-elusive bowl win. I know it won't bring in the big bucks, I know it may displease a lot Irish supporters- but I am sick in tired of this team squeaking their way into BCS bowl games, to the great displeasure of others, and then getting obliterated. Touchdown Jesus, deliver us a game the Irish can win.

Intermittent golfer...

2008-09-19T11:52:00.002-04:00

I really enjoy playing golf. But due financial and time and other worldly constraints I don't get to play nearly as often as I like. Now, I hear guys complain about this all the time- how they've only gotten out to play once this week, blah blah blah. I am playing this weekend for the first time since last summer. Last summer. Yeah, that's how bad I've got it, you whiners.

Golf, like many, isn't a sport where you have the luxury of not playing for a long stretch and then coming back to with the hopes of achieving again what little success you had the last time you played. And that's really all that I ask for: a little success. And yet, for this weekend- that may just be to much to ask.

Somewhere near Princeton, New Jersey, a golf course is trembling. Not so much in fear of my conquering it, so much as it is in fear of what I may do the course: how many balls I will leave out there, what my wake may look like, how much I will be holding up the group behind us.

And yet, I'm looking forward to it. This relationship with golf is strange and troubling- but it's one that I can't refuse. To have few hours where all my frustrations lie in my attempt to make solid contact with a small, white, dimpled ball- and the frustrations of the outside world subside, or at least take a back seat. The adding of stress to relieve stress. It almost makes perfect sense.

In a perfect world, all this would happen more often. But for the sake of golf courses all over the world, we'll probably keep to a minimum for the foreseeable future.

Overrated!

2008-08-19T21:49:00.004-04:00

The preseason college football top 25 polls came out this week. Ratings of teams that haven't played a snap yet, that are populated with kids who on any given week could amaze or flop. I continue to have a huge problem with this.

It's not enough that we have deal with a system in which people's (so-called experts) opinions of a team has a say in what amounts to the national standings. Not wins or losses, games played, or points scored- opinions. Now I understand there are too many teams, and varying competitive levels throughout the college game, so standings based on wins and losses doesn't really work. But the current system doesn't really work either, because it is based too much on these "expert" prognostications- or guesses, really. Something's gotta change.

The way things are done now, a team's preseason ranking has way too much to do with how they finish. Think about it. A team ranked at the top of the preseason polls can lose a game or two early, and still wind up with a shot to end up near the top- and a shot a big-time bowl game or even the national title. But a team the in bottom half of the rankings, or even just outside the top 25: they lose a couple games and they have to scratch their way back just to get back in the picture, let alone have any shot of inching towards the top. Now I'm not asking for playoff (although there frickin should be). I'm not asking for a drastic change to the way things are done. Just give everyone a fair shot.

Perhaps wait a month, maybe 5 weeks into the season before releasing the first official rankings. Have everybody play a few games, separate the contenders from the pretenders- then rank them. Have the experts gather information and base their opinions on fact- wins and losses, points scored- not on somewhat educated guesses. Is it a perfect solution? No. But there doesn't seem to be a perfect solution to this issue. And this one, seems a little less imperfect than the way things are now.

East Coast biaszzz...

2008-07-16T16:24:00.003-04:00

Living on the east coast is great. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

That said, the only thing that stinks sometimes is nationally televised sporting events. Last night's MLB All-Star was a harsh reminder of that fact. But other things like the NBA Finals, or Monday Night Football for instance make it difficult to watch the game and get one's proper amount of sleep on any given night when one has to get up for work the next morning. And how about NFL Sundays on the west coast, where you roll out of bed and the day's games are about to begin; and the late games are over by 4pm- plenty of time left in the day to run errands or fix that doorknob or what have you. Although, then there is the Sunday night game... but I digress. Last night was the extreme example of us east coasters getting the time shaft.

Now I am no dummy, I know that an advertised start time of 8pm EST for an event like this doesn't mean that the first pitch will be at 8pm. And I thoroughly enjoyed the opening ceremonies of last night's game, all the Hall of Famers along side the night's starters. But when it came to throw the first pitch, it was practically 9 o'clock. On a school night! But dammit, I love the MLB All-Star game, and I am going to watch it in it's entirety. Well, I'm ashamed to admit- about 1:15am, and after 14 innings I decided I had to go to bed. I would DVR the rest of the game and watch it in the morning before I left for work. Which I did. About which my wife quipped, "That's why you got up so early this morning." To which I realized I had no strong argument.

Now, I realize the other side of the story is that on the west coast, I wouldn't have even been home in time to catch the start of the broadcast. Well, that's when you DVR the bad boy and catch up by fast forwarding through the multitudes of commercials. Problem solved.

Easy fix to this problem would to be move to the west coast. And that's just not happening. So I'll just complain about it, and the next time the Yankees go west to play Oakland or Seattle- I'll arrive at work a little more bleary eyed and cranky than usual.

Euro Excitement

2008-06-20T22:44:00.003-04:00

The passion and excitement that is European football (soccer) was well on display today in the Euro 2008 quarterfinal match between Croatia and Turkey. When 90 minutes weren't enough to decide the winner, the match went to 30 minutes of extra time. It took over 28 minutes for Croatia to capitalize on an error by Turkey's goal keeper, and put one in the net. The celebration had begun, Croatia seeming lock to move on to the semis against Germany.

Well some one forgot to tell Turkey, because just over a minute into injury time they sneaked one into the net, forcing a penalty kick shootout to decide the match. It was all Turkey in the shootout, with Croatia going wide with a couple shots, and Turkey's goal keeper coming up with a fantastic stop to seal the victory.

When I watch a match like that, and see the passion of the players and fans, I can't believe that this football still fails to capture the attention of the US. I know, I know, there's a list as long as my arm of reason why Americans don't watch soccer. But I guarantee that most of them have never taken the time to watch a meaningful match. I defy anyone to watch a match like today's, and not want to watch another.

Specter wising up?

2008-06-17T13:52:00.004-04:00

Senator Arlen Specter, R-Pa., has decided he will not seek a congressional hearing on the "Spygate" matter after weeks of threatening to do so, stating that the judiciary committee already has "too much to do."

Oh really Sen. Specter? Are you sure it's not also due to the fact that Senate should have nothing to do with what happens in day-to-day operations of the NFL? Getting involved in the whole steroids issue, I can understand. It actually involves more than sports- there are legality and other larger issues in play. But whether or not a team cheated against the rules of it's league? Please. NFL rules were broken, not laws.

And it's a dead issue. The Patriots admitted it, and were punished. It's not a national crisis.

If the Stanley Cup falls in the woods...

2008-06-05T14:21:00.004-04:00

One of the better Stanley Cup finals in recent memory ended last night, bringing an end to another reasonably anonymous NHL season. It's too bad. While the ratings were up over last season, and games 3 through 6 six aired on NBC- the fact is that hockey remains far from the heart of the bulk of this nation.

What many people missed was the new face of the NHL, the Penguins' Sidney Crosby, taking on one of the old guard- one of the original six- the Red Wings. They missed a triple-overtime game that was won by the Penguins, forcing a game six, when they were some 34 seconds from elimination before tying the game in third period. They missed the first European-born captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup, in Niklas Lidstrom. Exciting stuff, and- save for some smallish, hockey-crazed regions of this country- we seem to be left with the tree falling in the woods analogy. Left with a situation where it come to one of the most popular athletes in the world in another sport saying things like,"I don't think anybody really watches hockey anymore." The fact is, Tiger Woods probably isn't in the minority with that line of thinking.

I love hockey in case you couldn't tell. It boggles me that more people don't. So far the post-strike NHL hasn't made much of splash in the national conscience: one needs to make a concerted effort these days to follow the sport. It's buried in the sports pages and on national TV- relegated to the Versus Network or sporadic segments on Sports Center. And commissioner Gary Bettman still keeps a rosy outlook despite all the evidence of his league's lack of visibility.

Maybe it'll just take some more time to get people back. And maybe the ratings will increase again next year. And maybe I'm wrong- maybe there are more NHL fans still out there than it seems... but I hate to see the league I grew up watching (a kid in southern California growing up watching hockey- an anomaly in of itself) flounder now in some sort of nebulous mediocrity- especially when, as proved by this year's finals, the game has so much to offer fans.

JT deserves more, people

2008-06-01T17:44:00.007-04:00

Pretty shocking to me, the outrage of people in the media and throughout the blogosphere at Jason Taylor. All he has maintained is that he wants to win before it's too late for him, that he wants the best possible situation for himself. A little selfish? Perhaps. Monstrous and egotistical? Hardly.

Now I don't think he deserves a free pass by any stretch of the imagination, but I think after all his time in Miami he deserves the benefit of the doubt. It's June 1. If he doesn't show up for training camp, by all means- fire away, people- be angry that he isn't on the field. But to sit there and call him a liar, to say he is no longer needed, to attack the character and question the loyalty of a guy who has given his heart and soul to his team and his community for so long is a bit much.

And why the hell should he or any player these days feel the pull of loyalty? Yes he is under contract. But what does that mean in today's NFL, where that contract isn't even guaranteed? Everybody's hopping on the Parcells/ Sparano train before it has even left the station. As a fan I am pleased with what they have accomplished so far, but until wins are on the board- what have they done? JT has been a Dolphin, has led his team, has proven results. You want loyalty Fin Fans? How about showing a little but yourself, rather than jumping ship at the first sign of trouble.

Not your daddy's Lakers-Celtics... but I'm hooked

2008-05-31T15:52:00.005-04:00

I have been transported. I am a 10 year old kid watching Bird and Magic, Kareem and Parrish, McHale and Worthy battling it for seven games in The Fabulous Forum or Boston Garden...

Okay the characters have changed, the venues have changed... hell, the game has changed.

I grew up an avid Lakers fan, but as an adult my fervor for basketball has diminished. I would still pull for my old team, but I don't follow the NBA with the same intensity I do baseball or football. Well this year, as the Lakers and Celtics spent the better part of the regular season and then the playoffs seemingly on a collision course to warp us all back to the mid-80's, my eye was definitely caught. And now that it's official- the NBA finals start Thursday, Lakers vs. Celtics- I am hooked. Like, clear-your schedule-sorry-honey-we're-watching-the-game-tonight hooked. Hooked like I haven't been in years.

Kobe and his posse versus the Big Three of Boston should be sight for the ages. Just thinking about it takes me back. I can see Magic's junior sky hook going through the net in Game 6, Michael Cooper stepping back for what seemed an eternity before throwing up a three-ball... I can taste my hatred for Larry Bird and Danny Ainge. It's all there. Now while I may not be able to drum up the same hatred for KG or Ray Allen, and my heroes of yesteryear are all gone- my anticipation for this series is through the roof.

My very unbiased pick: Lakers in 6. Kobe as Finals MVP (I know, waaaaay out on a limb there.)

Drown out those Beat-LA chants and go Lakers.

The Mighty keeps falling...

2008-04-29T17:58:00.002-04:00

Roger Clemens just can't catch a break.

First his trainer turns him in as PED user. Now, his deacade long affair from the past with country singer Mindy McCready comes to light- to which she says "I cannot refute anything in the story." What's it coming to when you can't trust your shady trainer or your mistress to lie for you when you need them the most?

Looks like he said- he said has been joined by he said- she said. Now, McNamee saved some physical evidence of his relationship with Clemens. I gotta think that Clemens is hoping McCready doesn't go all Monica Lewinsky and do the same. I think we should all hope for that- for sanitary reasons.

Clemens was guy whose workouts were stuff of legend. His exercise routine gave him some of the strongest legs ever seen in baseball. Now it's increasingly looking like he doesn't have leg to stand on.

Against the grade

2008-04-29T17:37:00.002-04:00

The NFL draft has come and gone. All the hype and coverage culminated in two full days of wheeling and dealing, selections and expectations.

Now the same "experts" we have been listening to for months- who gave us hundreds of mock drafts (which bore very little resemblance to how it went down) and prognostications- as they do every year are giving out their post-draft grades for each team. A+ for this team, C- for them. All this when common opinion is you really can't judge the success of a draft for three years. Yet, right or wrong, these guys dole out the grades- based on their opinions of what they thought each team needed. Apparently the teams themselves, those receiving bad grades, didn't know what they needed to do- and should have listened to the mock drafters.

I understand that everybody needs to pay the bills, and that's all these draft experts are doing- but I am not a big fan of the instant post draft grade. None of these guys are putting anything on the line by throwing out their opinions. Whereas the guys in the front office actually making the choices are putting their jobs on the line with these selections. Let's give it some time, then we can really see who won and who lost- instead of just guessing.

Draft Week downer

2008-04-24T15:08:00.003-04:00

As NFL draft weekend approaches, another NFL story which just won't die has come back in to the lime light. Spygate. Matt Walsh, the former employee of the Patriots is all set to talk to Commissioner Goodell and tell him all he knows about the video-taping practices used by the Patriots in the past. People are expecting Walsh to divulge information or physical evidence that the Patriots video-taped a Rams' pre-SuperBowl walkthrough in 2001.

All I really have to say is: who cares? I am no Patriots or Bill Belichick fan- in fact I can't stand either of them. But give it a rest. They got caught. The Pats and Belichick were punished, and they aren't doing it anymore. And I don't think it was ever the main reason for their success. I think it is safe to say they didn't video-tape for the remainder of last season after they got caught- and they were still pretty good. And I am still sure that there were many other teams out there employing the same or similar tactics- they just didn't get caught. You can bet there were tape- destroying parties throughout the league when this news originally surfaced.

Goodell has said he will crack down on Patriots if new evidence is revealed stating, "Taping a walkthrough is much different from what I punished them for." What's the commish gonna to do? Take away the Pats' Super Bowl victory? Fine them more cash? Hollow penalties that won't erase what happened. On some level it is kind of like the steroid crisis in baseball. I am sure there were many people who knew it was going on at all levels. Then when it became a public issue, it was denounced and people were made examples of. But we're left in the same place. Correct the problem now and going forward, and let the past be just that.

Now I am not saying that any transgression in sports can and should be swept under the carpet. But rather than delve into the past to punish these transgressors- learn from it. Especially in unprecedented matters. Make sure it doesn't happen in your league again, and make it imperative for the league's members to adhere to strict guidelines in this matter in order safeguard the integrity of the game.

Most of all, I am just bored with this story. Even as a professed Patriot-hater, I can't summon up the energy to care. And with the draft approaching, it should be a celebration of what's good about this game right now- not what was wrong in the past. Oh, and if congress gets itself involved in this one, as Sen. Arlen Specter has hinted they might- I am going to stop paying taxes.

Draft Day Anticipation?

2008-04-23T15:33:00.003-04:00

Jake Long will be the first pick this year's NFL draft. We know this thanks to countless mock drafts, expert blogs, and well, because the Dolphins held a press conference yesterday to announce it. Four full days before the draft even begins. It's a great pick for the Fins, and as a fan I couldn't be happier... but a little air just went out of my draft balloon (and no, you may not see my draft balloon).

Remember the days when the NFL commissioner walked up to the podium and announced the first pick in the draft- and despite prognosticators' opinions, leaked information, and anonymous sources no one was absolutely sure who that first pick was going to be. Well enter the age of uber-economics.

It costs so much money to sign these guys nowadays, you be foolish not to come to some sort financial agreement with the first pick in the draft ahead of time. Ask Al Davis how it worked out for him last year. The pre-draft deal is nothing new but it seems to happening earlier and earlier. In the future, might we see teams agree on deals days after the season ends and draft order is determined? Or while attending the combine? Maybe those prognosticators can just figure out how the NFL season will play out, and we can hold the draft in the pre-season? That those player who are thinking about entering the draft early- instead of putting out feelers as where they would go in the draft- can actually wait and see where they are actually drafted before deciding on whether or not to return to college.

Okay, I jest. But who knows, with the Dolphins and Long coming to terms so soon- there could feasibly be a contract done with the number two pick before 3pm on Saturday. Talk about taking the mystery out if it! In all fairness though, we'll still probably always have the gripping anticipation of rounds 6 and 7. All this complaining, and I will still be glued come this weekend, wondering what happens next.

Concrete Truth

2008-04-13T16:32:00.003-04:00

I would have put my money on the fact that the whole "Sox shirt in the New Stadium" thing would wind up being a huge hoax. Apparently it really happened.

It took about five hours, but the Red Sox jersey that was embedded in the concrete of the Yankees' new stadium to place a curse on the New York franchise has been unearthed with jackhammers, according to a published report.

...

The [Post] reported Sunday that two workers approached a construction manager with what they thought was the location of the jersey. After digging a two-foot by three-foot hole, the jersey was found.

And even Prince Hal chimed in:

"I hope his co-workers kick the [expletive] out of him," Yankees co-chairperson Hal Steinbrenner said.

That could be a pay-per-view event waiting to happen.

I don't know what to think about all this. In a way, I kind of wish it was treated as a hoax and forgotten about. To tear up concrete to retrieve a piece of cotton, shows concern on the part of the Yankees about curses and the like. Which until now, the Yanks and their fans have been able laugh and scoff at. The other part of me is glad that it was retrieved and won't be part of the new digs (pardon the expression). Curse or no, we don't need the New Stadium built on a foundation of Ortiz shirts.

Red Sawx shirt a part of New Yankee Stadium?

2008-04-11T13:47:00.006-04:00

According to this report on ESPN.com a constuction worker and Boston fan working on the concrete crew at the $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium buried a Red Sox shirt in with the concrete foundation under what will become the visitors' clubhouse, in the hopes of jinxing the Yankees new home, the New York Post reported.

Two construction workers told the newspaper about the stunt on conditon of anonymity.
"In August, a Red Sox T-shirt was poured in a slab in the visitor's clubhouse. It's the curse of the Yankees," one worker told the Post.
"Nobody knows about it. It's in the floors, it's buried." The workers say they're now afraid that they've jinxed the Yankees.
"I don't want to be responsible for sinking the franchise," said a second worker, who witnessed the burial. "I respect the stadium."

Pretty ridiculous stuff, if it's true.

Now, I don't particularly believe in curses- but I also don't want to mess around with the Baseball Gods either. It just goes to show that Boston fans still don't quite know how to deal with winning. Last time I checked, the Sox have won two of the last four World Series and they still walk around with that put-upon chip on their shoulders. I know this is just one jackass's manuever, but it pretty much sums it up for me. A Red Sox shirt right now represents a winning franchise; and with this you are somehow putting a curse on the Yankees?

For me the most puzzling/ amusing part of it all is that it was put into the floor of the visitors clubhouse. Not the Yankees clubhouse. Not under home plate, or where Monument Park is going to be. Perhaps this construction worker has put his curse on the visitors to the new Stadium?

Only time will tell if it's hex or hoax.

Juiced Story

2008-03-26T14:27:00.003-04:00

It must be nice to be Joe Canseco; to be Vindicated, as the title of his new book claims. Well, I've got a news flash for you Jose: a lot of people still think you're a self-serving moron- this blogger included. Just because some of the stuff in your first book came to light as actual events, doesn't make you a boy scout.

Now he has turned his attentions to the arguably the biggest star in the game of baseball, Alex Rodriguez, stating he introduced A-Rod to a steroid dealer. Now this is news. The reigning AL MVP, the heir apparent to the home run record, the owner of the two largest contacts in the history of professional sports- a steroid user? Big news indeed. News that would be worthy of putting in tell-all book... like maybe Canseco's first book.

The fact that Canseco sat on this information for as long as he did, really makes me question its validity. Especially since it is widely known that Canseco has no love for A-Rod. Couple that with his claim that A-Rod tried to put the moves on his [Canseco's] wife, this sounds to me more like a guy with a personal ax to grind.

For me the bottom line is this: at this point, whether or not the claim of A-Rod's steroid use is true- matters not. The way it is being portrayed by Canseco, and the timing and characterization of this portrayal seems to to be counter-productive. Canseco is really not doing himself any service by throwing in the bit about his wife.

I would like to personally, and cordially, invite Jose Canseco to take a hike. We're all very happy that you helped spread this cancer throughout the game of baseball, and soooo impressed that you now want to take the moral high ground and help "clean up" the game... but give it a rest already. If you felt so vindicated after your first book, you should have known when to leave good enough alone.

It's here!

2008-03-16T22:44:00.003-04:00

Baseball season is officially here. It's not even spring on the calendar yet, I haven't even had my fantasy draft yet, and the regular season doesn't actually start for another two weeks- but baseball season started for me tonight. Why? I had my annual viewing of Field of Dreams tonight.

It is hands down my favorite baseball movie. And I defy anyone true fan of baseball to watch it and not get chills at least once during the movie. I myself get them throughout the movie, everytime I watch it. It's the truth.

It used to be something I did before opening day every year, on my own. Now that I'm married, I make my wife watch it with me- as she notes in her blog. It is more than a baseball movie. It's about dreams. And that's what this time of the baseball season is all about- dreaming of a World Series victory, dreaming that you'll be there at the ballpark when that historic game happens.

If this makes me a sap- then I'm guilty as charged. I love baseball, and I am anxious for this season to start- as I am every year around this time. And if dreams really do come true- then somebody other the the Red Sox needs to win the frickin' Series this year.

Incidentally, my top five baseball movies of all time:
1. Field of Dreams (1989)
2. The Natural (1984)
3. Bull Durham (1988)
4. Eight Men Out (1988)
5. Bad News Bears (1976)

Don't quit your Knight job

2008-03-14T21:06:00.003-04:00

As a fan, I have always loved Bobby Knight. His intensity, his biting sarcasm, and his passion for college basketball are unsurpassed in the coaching ranks. After resigning a few weeks back from his job as Head Coach at Texas Tech, Knight has joined ESPN as a studio analyst for their college basketball programming. And as analyst, he is one hell of a coach. Get back on the floor Bob, soon!

I would have thought he'd be a natural for the analyst's job. His press conferences are stuff of legend- his commanding presence and quick wit have always made for good TV. He obvious knows what he's talking about, and has a lot of good stuff to say, but he seems uncomfortable-directing much of his analysis downward to the desk, never connecting the with the camera. Any colorful phrases he does come out with are understated, and it makes me wonder where the real Bobby Knight is.

And I'm not sure whose idea this was, but they have him dressed in his signature v-neck sweater, with the collared shirt peaking out from underneath- what he has worn the past couple of decades on the sideline. Problem is, he's not surrouned by guys in uniforms and warm-ups. The sharply dressed, suit and tie-clad co-hosts that appear with him make him look like a schlep, to say the least, and doesn't help him in the overall polish department.

I say keep the sweater Bobby- ditch the analyst gig. Get back on the court, and get back behind the post-game press conference microphones where you shine.

The most wonderful time...?

2008-03-14T19:49:00.005-04:00

On his radio show today, Dan Patrick's poll question was: What is the best time of the sports year? The two options were March/April and September/October. And while the callers and guests on the show weighed the options, it's never really been a question for me.

Right now is a great time of year for sports, no question about it. Spring training rolls around and that means Major League Baseball is back, and hope springs eternal. And as we get deeper into March, March madness takes hold with the conference tourneys followed by the NCAA Tournament- exciting basketball in its purest form. Then April comes, the excitement of the NCAAs pass, and the baseball season begins at last- which is fantastic, and I love watching those first few games of the season-because it is always great to be watching a ballgame- but it always leaves me longing for the time where the games become more meaningful. And then at the end of April comes the NFL draft, which is over in two days after months of hype- and it just makes me impatient for football season to start.

And start it does- in September, both college and pro football, and with its short schedule every game is meaningful- even crucial. And September means the pennant races are heating up in MLB and everyday is filled with scoreboard watching and hanging on every pitch, every at bat. And as the football season grinds in to October, baseball's playoffs begin and it is sports heaven. The growing weekly intensity of football, combined with the anxiety-laced excitement of the MLB playoff run make for the best month of the sports year, period.

The majority of the voters in poll agreed with me, to the tune of 58% to 42%. And I am not selling the early spring sports season short- but for me it falls short. September/October is the best time of the year for sports.

Spring comes none too soon...

2008-02-19T20:35:00.004-05:00

With full squads starting to report across Florida and Arizona, 2008 Spring Training is finally upon us. After a winter of discontent for the game of baseball off the field, we get back to playing games on the field. As the press conferences and apologies for offending parties subside, the talk will shift from performance enhancers to performances on the mound, in the batters box, etc. Not to say that the steroids subject will go away- it just won't be all that is discussed when the subject of baseball comes up.

And maybe, just maybe congress can get back to trying to fix the economy or health care or social security, and stop worrying about trying to fix baseball. I understand that there may be a moral obligation for these lawmakers to show that they won't stand for such activities. And what better way to do that than take the power away from these athletes, sunpeona and make examples of them- and broadcast it simultaneously on multiple networks. It all just reeks of grandstanding, and it accomplishes very little. How about introducing new legislature- harsher penalties for steroid dealers and traffickers? Because when all the dust settles, and all the camera crews pack up and head home, we are back square one. The Clemens-McNamee hearing isn't the first of its kind, and probably won't be the last. And the only thing that ever changes is Major League Baseball tightening its rules a bit. Congress basically doing the work that MLB should be doing itself. And don't get me wrong, most of the blame on this one falls on MLB- but I can't shake the fact that if all that is accomplished is baseball changing its business practices a bit here and there, then this is a sorrowful waste of time on the part of these congressmen and women. There are other, more pressing matters at hand. I am talking in circles, but that's how this topic always seems to go.

So baseball then. Hot dogs and home runs and sacrifice bunts. Beats the hell out of hearings and reports and depositions any day of the week in my book. Play frickin' ball already.

*******************************
Oh, and unrelated yet so related- Senator Arlen Spector (R- PA), has taken this congressional oversight nonsense a step further in his desire to further the investigation into "Spygate"- the New England Patriots' video taping scandal. Now, while I am willing to give congress a little leeway in regards to the steroid issue- there is valid concern to the public in that regard- I don't understand what Spygate has anything to do with anybody other than parties invloved. Is the distinguished Senator from PA worried that the children of the nation are going run out and purchase video cameras, to record the movemens of their upcoming Pop-Warner opponents? Give me a break already.

There is a Sports God...

2008-02-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Or gods, higher-power, infinite-ubiquitous presence, or what have you...

It had to happen sooner or later. Now, I can't actually speak for this- we'll call it- SportsGod, but I gotta think he (and yes, we'll call it he, to save on keystrokes.. cut me some slack) was getting pretty tired of opening the sports pages everyday and hearing nothing but good news out of Boston. Red Sox win the World Series, Celtics aquire Ray Allen & Kevin Garnett and go on to dominate the first half of the NBA season, the Patriots become the first NFL team to finish the regular season undefeated in 35 years... you get the point. The sun's out. The town that once made a habit of hanging their heads and believing in curses, is now feeling pretty darn good about themselves and their teams.

But into every life, or season, a little rain must fall. And one morning, (figuratively speaking of course because time of day is irrelevant to SportsGod), SportsGod woke up (also figurative because S.G. does not in fact sleep) and realized he could do something about this: So the Patriots lose, in dramatic fashion, ending their bid to end their season perfectly. They lose to one of the biggest underdogs in recent memory. And they lose in the Super Bowl- one of the, if not the most watched games in all of sports history.

Then, Curt Shilling, once an ace (now just an ass) for the Sox, continues his grand spiral into irrelevance- as it is announced he has a shoulder injury and may miss most if not all of the 2008 season. This one's not the end of the world for the Red Sox, but it is a gray cloud as the sun of spring training fast approaches.

Oh and those Boston Celtics, who started the season 30-3, have gone a mere 7-6 since January 9th... Okay that last one is reeeeally stretching it; I mean they are still 37-9 and sitting atop the Eastern Conference... Geez SportsGod or whoever you are, you are starting to slack off, making me look pretty pathetic here... I mean really, SportsGoddammit!

That said, SportsGod, thank you for having the Patriots lose. I know you can't please everyone, but in this case- and I am sure you know this, as S.G. is all knowing- you did please the correct people. And here's to 2008! And don't screw this one up.... honestly.

Pulling for Big Blue (i.e. NOT the Pats)

2008-01-21T14:31:00.000-05:00

Living in New York, I have realized that there has been a noticeable increase of Giants garb-clad folks on the street, subways and buses over the past couple weeks. And one can only expect those numbers to increase exponentially with Giants now heading to the Superbowl. Now I am no Giants fan, nor will I be seen wearing any of their paraphernalia the next two weeks- but make no mistake: come Superbowl Sunday I will be be pulling for the Giants like they are my own.

Why? Because the Patriots must lose. I hate to be one of the bitter masses- cheering against a team, rather than just not rooting for them- but there you have it. I will say this: I always root against the Pats, as they are a rival of my lowly Dolphins, so at least I am not guilty of being a bandwagon-hater. In a season where everything has gone right for them, now would be the perfect time for things to fall apart for them. Of course, I also thought the past two weeks would have been a good time too- but who's counting? But for the Pats to fall on the grand stage that is the Superbowl, would satiate my desires. For Tom Brady to have that game that costs his team the championship, I could rest easy (darn near happened yesterday- fortunately for him he threw his three picks to a team with endzonaphobia). That's it... all I'm saying. Go Giants (sort of)!

DO-OVER!

2008-01-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

That's Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga who can be heard calling "do-over" in Miami. One year ago, after being rebuffed by Nick Saban for a return the college ranks, Wayne and the Dolphins conducted a hard target search for a new head coach. A search that included flights on Huizenga's jet all over the country and even down to Central America, where Wayne wooed USC head coach Pete Carroll while he was on vacation. And when the San Diego Chargers were bumped from the playoffs early, their man was made available: then Chargers' offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Wayne's jet flew to San Diego to pick him up and bring him back to Miami. There was talk of returning the franchise to glory, of improvement, of changing the way things were done in Miami. GM Randy Mueller was retained, and even extended.

And then, the perfect storm that was the 2007 football season happened for the Dolphins.

Flash to late December 2007, as Bill Parcells is brought in by Huizenga to be the guy in charge of all things pertaining to football. Within the first couple weeks, Parcells cleans house- Mueller, Cameron, and the entire coaching staff: gone- and he replaces key positions with guys he has a recent personal history with. Case in point: Cowboys' director of scouting Jeff Ireland, who Parcells worked with in his stint in Dallas, is tabbed as the the Dolphins new GM.

Which bring us to now, nearly a year after this all began. And again another high-profile playoff team gets bounced early- this time Parcells' old club, the Cowboys- and again the Dolphins' appear to have their man: current Cowboys' assistant head coach Tony Sparano. And reports are Huizenga's jet has left for Dallas with Jeff Ireland on board to bring Sparano back to Miami with him. We are sure to hear some more of the "return to glory" stuff, with promises of greater fortune for the franchise.

It all has a sickening deja-vu feeling about it all. But Parcells has already put his stamp on this franchise, and will continue to in the next few months. And one thing is clear: the decisions made in the next few months will decide what Bill Parcells' legacy in Miami is. And another thing we can be sure of: Parcells will not be calling "do-over" this time next year.

Happy New Year from Happy A-Rod

2008-01-01T17:18:00.000-05:00

Alex Rodriguez made a surprise appearance with Carson Daly at just few a minutes to midnight last night on NBC's New Year's coverage in Time Square. The seemingly impromptu visit by the AL MVP appeared to be an "I love New York" public-relations move from A-Rod's camp as he attempts to repair his up and down, and at best rocky relationship with the fans of New York. He showed up just short of the stroke of midnight, to the supposed surprise of Daly, in his casual best- complete with a Yankees cap on his head. He nervously chit-chatted with the host for a a few minutes, who had to interrupt A-Rod as the ball began its descent.

2007 was A-Rod's most comfortable at the plate in Pinstripes, but that comfort has never translated for A-Rod in his off-field persona. God love the guy, but he is just not comfortable in his own skin, so putting him in conversational situations like this one on live TV is not going to be a huge strong point. Some advice for A-Rod's PR machine: keep him well hidden, and have him focus on baseball. If A-Rod keeps hitting, and stays out of the newspapers for non-baseball related issues, he may just go down as one of the all-time great Yankees. His skills at the plate are definitely stuff of legend, so really all he needs to is stay out of his own way off the field.

Big Tuna starts his swim upstream in Miami

2008-01-01T15:43:00.000-05:00

The Bill Parcells era for the Dolphins officially began December 26th. But his first big stamp on the organization came on Monday, when he arrived at for work at 8am, walked into GM Randy Mueller's office and told Mueller his services were no longer required in Miami. Parcells and Mueller hadn't sat down prior to this, and apparently never will. Sorry Randy, your term of "final word" on the roster after the Nick Saban years lasted but one season. And it can't be taken as a shock- everyone knows that Parcells is gonna get his guys into place in the front office. New York Jets' director of college scouting Joey Clinkscales, and Jeff Ireland, vice president of college and pro scouting for the Dallas Cowboys appear the early front-runners for the vacated position, with a big edge going to Ireland- having just worked with Parcells in Dallas. Word on the new GM could come as early as tonight.

Next on the packed off-season agenda is the decision on current head coach Cam Cameron. Parcells has said he wants to have his Gm in place before that decision is made, but a meeting is supposed to take place between he and Cameron today. While a decision may take a couple days, Parcells knows he has to work quick; especially if we wants to bring in who many feel would be his top choice, Cowboys' assistant Tony Sparano as a possible candidate- the Cowboys have a bye this week before starting their playoff run.

And then all that's left to do is a major roster overhaul, including making some decisions on key veterans on both sides of the ball, evaluating young players and determining their future with the team, and getting ready for the draft- where currently the Dolphins hold the first overall pick- and deciding on prospects and/or trades that may materialize.

Now Parcells is no dummy, and he knew exactly the situation he was getting into. And he has said that he is going to leave the final decisions to the people he puts in place. But he will most assuredly give himself free reign this off-season to leave his mark, setting up his regime and making the big decisions, before he steps back and lets those individuals run the show. He knows that this off-season, the decisions he makes- from the front office to the roster- will most likely dictate the direction of the franchise under his tenure.

Cameron- A phish out of water?

2007-11-27T11:28:00.000-05:00

There certainly wasn't a lack of moisture last night in Pittsburgh, either in the air or on the field (if you want to call it a field). But Cam Cameron, king fish of the Dolphins, has to be gasping for air at this point.

Cameron was brought in last off-season, with the hopes of steadying a franchise who has been for years in constant flux: A parade of coaches since Don Shula to match the parade of quarterbacks that have come through since Dan Marino. Touted as an "offensive genius" he came in part to fix a struggling offense, to bring their level up to that of the Dolphins top-notched defense. Cameron brought in Trent Green, a veteran QB Cameron was familiar with, to take the reigns for a bit, while they groomed 2nd round draft pick John Beck. No one had delusions of grandeur, thinking this made the Dolphins Super Bowl contenders. But an improvement over the previous season's 6-10 record, was a safe assumption- if not down right expected- and a there was at least a glimmer playoff hopes.

Fast forward to last night, and the Dolphins inability to put a single point up on the board, losing a sloppy battle to the Steelers, 3-0. Trent Green is done for the season. John Beck is starting. Those glimmers of playoff hopes have vanished, and have been replaced by utter desperation to get on the board in the win column, as the Dolphins sit at 0-11. Many things have conspired against them this year: injuries, inexperience. But the inexperience of the head coach, is what seems to be hindering them the most.

Cameron came in and decided he wanted full autonomy over the offense, as he would wear both the hat of offensive coordinator and head coach. Now it is one thing for a veteran coach to take over play calling if he doesn't like how things are being handled. But it is hard enough for a rookie head coach in the NFL without having to worry about the plays. And it appears as though one thing can't get out of the way of the other for Cameron this year, as his decision making has been debatable at best: both in-game and personnel. Last night's decision to scrap plans for a field goal after a delay of game penalty remains the freshest.

With the score knotted at zeroes in the fourth quarter, Cameron decided not to try a 42 yard go-ahead field goal after the Dolphins were pushed back five yards on a penalty. Previous to that, the Dolphins had lined up to kick- which was blocked only to be washed out by the penalty. That brought the Dolphins to 4th & 11 on the Steelers 25 yard line. Somehow, Cameron felt that the conditions lent themselves more to a big play on offense (remember it is 0-0 after 50 minutes of football), rather than risking a shot at taking the lead (not to missed is the fact that after the five yard penalty, it put the ball on a patch of the playing surface that was in much better condition- a fact which kicker Jay Feeley lobbied for on the sideline). Cameron's decision to go for the first down led to a sack of John Beck, to turn it over on downs. A missed field goal attempt would have netted the same result. A made field goal? Well, I'm no math wizard, but...

This is just another in a long line of poor decisions by Cameron. From sticking with a lame-duck quarterback (second-stringer Cleo Lemon) for too long, to various questionable play calls, it has left Dolphin fans with a lack of space on their heads left to scratch. There have been, in recent weeks, many in the media and on various blogs calling for Cameron's firing already, and I have been one to dismiss them. But watching his post game press conference last night, the guy just looked like a deer in the headlights: A shell-shocked shell of the offensive genius that was hired to stop the mediocrity. It occurred to me that Cam Cameron may just be in it way over his head. A great offensive coordinator doesn't necessarily make a great head coach. And wearing two hats in this league can prove to be too much. So if Cam can't re-distribute some of the responsibility he'd asked for, this may spell doom and turbulence for him and the franchise he was supposed to stabilize. Fire him now? Call this one a lost battle and part ways? I am suddenly not sure it is a bad idea. Another year of flux maybe what the Dolphins need in order to steady the ship for years to come.

Irish past the point of "Pep"

2007-11-16T13:15:00.000-05:00

It was a blast from the past last night, watching ESPN's Lou Holtz dressed up in Notre Dame garb, giving one of his "Lou's Pep Talks"- a goofy segment which airs on ESPN's college football programming, where Lou puts on the get-up of a team facing a specific challenge that week, and acts as their coach giving the pre-game pep-talk. This week's team: Lou's old team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Their challenge: Beating a team who is as perennially awful as the Irish are this season: the Duke Blue Devils.

Holtz's pep-talk included all the stuff you would expect: summoning the glory and prestige and tradition that is Notre Dame football. All in all, a decent locker room speech. It certainly stirred up memories of the late 80's-early 90's for me, and not only because it looked like Lou was wearing actual articles of clothing he wore on the sidelines back then- foregoing the sleeker, streamlined dandies worn today by coaches and players alike. And it certainly stands to reason to use these elements of history to inspire these kids who seem to have lost their way, if not their will. I would suggest though leaving all that behind and dumming it down to the simplest of messages: Go out there and just be the second worst team on that field!

Inspiration, it lacks. Reality? It is is chock-full. Duke: You fear them on the basketball court and you run them over on the football field- whether you are Notre Dame or Southern Methodist. But as the case is this year in South Bend- it doesn't need to be pretty, it doesn't need to be dominating. All Irish fans can possibly hope for is for their team to suck less than the Blue Devils, and come away with at least one more point on the scoreboard than their foes. Another notch in the nearly empty W column.

That's all folks: there is no bowl-eligibility this year, and it's too late to win a few to salvage the season. Just Duke this week, and another basketball power in Stanford next week. The echos don't need to be woken up- let them sleep 'til next year. Just find a way to win this battle-of-the-bads, and salvage- not the season- but at least a shred of pride. Lou appealed to the seniors in his "pep-talk," and on senior day in South Bend- let's hope the tears will be more of joy, than of another microcosm of this forgettable season.

Anatomy of Greed

2007-11-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

LOCAL ONE STRIKES AGAINST THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN THEATRES AND PRODUCERS.

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Irish taking one (two?) for the good of the country?

2007-11-11T09:35:00.001-05:00

Here's a noble, if misguided, attempt to put a positive stamp on this dismally unprecedented season for Notre Dame. Last week's historic loss to the Naval Academy, followed by Saturday's drubbing at the hands of Air Force got me thinking. The Fighting Irish are doing their part in improving the morale of service men fighting throughout the world- no word on whether there are last minute plans to schedule games with Army or Virginia Military.

Yes, 1-9 begets finger pointing and excuses as plentiful as losses; but doesn't a feel-good excuse, albeit completely and utterly fabricated, for lack of better verbiage: feel good? All right, at 1-9 nothing feels good. You know just how very bad it is when you can't even find solace the remaining schools on the schedule: Duke and Stanford- teams not often feared off the hardwood.

Once wunderkind coach Charlie Weis hears the boos and definitely feels the pressure that this debacle of a season has placed on him. But he just maybe the first losing coach to receive a call from the President: thanking him for doing his part in the war on terror. Unfortunately Weis may need to worry more about a possible coming Holy war- precipitated by the one call he doesn't want to receive: the Pope.

Shula's remarks surprising, sad

2007-11-08T00:07:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks back here I took issue with the NY Post, placing an asterisk next to New England in the standings column- with the notation below that the asterisk carried the meaning "caught cheating." Chalk it up to the NY-Boston rivalry.

At the time, I thought that diminishing the Patriots' season by bringing up "Spygate" was foolish, because they were playing the best football of anyone in the league. As the season progresses, it seems even more ridiculous to to talk of asterisks and qualifications against the Pats, as it is clear- no matter what happened- that they are the team to beat, and could very well run the table this year.

Enter our guy, Don Shula. Talking to the New York Daily news, Shula said "The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished. You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They've got it." Now I understand it is a touchy subject- everytime the topic of somebody making a run at an undefeated season is breached, the '72 boys come out of the woodwork to get their discouraging remarks published by anyone who will listen- but this coming from Shula surprises me.

With the Dolphins sitting at 0-8, any comments from anyone associated with franchise, past or present, aimed at attacking the Patriots' accomplishments this season has to be viewed as a desperate attempt at nostalgia, if not outright jealousy. Even from Don Shula, who has every right to be proud, it seems somewhat pitiful.

He certainly has a right to his opinion, and even later downplayed his strong remarks saying that "[The]Only thing I did was answer questions asked of me," but the reality of the situation is this: If he were someone else making these remarks, it would be just somebody else piping in on a tired NFL news story. But he is Don Shula- unmistakably associated with the Dolphins- and the past and present of the Dolphins' franchise colors what would otherwise be innocent remarks.

Let's get one thing straight. I hate the New England Patriots. And yes, their coach was caught cheating- no defense for that. But I am tired of hearing about Spygate and asterisks. They are playing the best football of anyone I can remember for a very long time. And if they do manage to complete a perfect season, it will have nothing to do with video-taped signals on the sideline. And bringing it up time and time again seems more and more like an excuse, because they are making other NFL teams look silly. I would have hoped that Shula in his vast experience with the game could recognize that. I love ya Don, and I don't pretend to know more about football than you- but I disagree with you on this one.

Turn the (calendar) Page

2007-11-03T22:52:00.000-04:00

2007. A year that shall forever live in infamy in the pantheon of my fandom. I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. Never has a year tested my patience, and caused me more grief and/or acid-reflux than this season of discontent. The good thing about being a fan of many sports is the fall-back mentality it affords you. If one of your teams has a bad season, another sport invariably rolls around and helps ease the sting. But never have the stars aligned, or un-aligned as the case may be, against me in such a fashion as to leave me in a state of utter despair- when "wait 'til next year" actually speaks to the pages of the calendar not falling fast enough.

The Los Angeles Kings, my first love of all sports franchises, have toiled for years in NHL mediocrity. 2007 brought the disappointing end to another season. Adding insult to injury, their neighbors to the immediate south, the Ducks (ne' Mighty Ducks) of Anaheim, hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup- in only their 13th year of existance as a franchise (it was their second trip to the finals). The Kings have only been to the Stanley Cup finals once in their 40 year history, never to win it all. Another year, another year of rebuilding.

The long, cold winter ending means spring. Which means Spring Training. Which means baseball. The Yankees carried with them into spring the usual hopes of another World Series title. However, they forgot to show up for the first two months of season. They did rally in time, and in amazing and inspiring fashion, to make make the playoffs- only to disappoint in the first round once again. And the off-season has been less than kind as of yet. Joe Torre is wearing Dodger Blue after turning down a one-year offer to return to the helm of the Yanks. After a regular season for the ages and most likely another MVP, A-Rod exercised the opt-out clause in his contract- not even waiting for the 10-day window after the World Series to begin before doing so. And the Yankees are still unsure of the future of Yankee staples Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera- not to mention Andy Pettitte. After a roller coaster season with a frustrating end, never has there been more questions in recent history as to what the immediate future holds for the Yankees.

So, time to turn my attention to the NFL... The Dolphins made a splash long before the season even began, drafting Tedd Ginn Jr. with the #9 pick over a handful of other possible- maybe even more deserving- players, most notably Notre Dame quaterback Brady Quinn (see below as to the doubly painful effect on me). When the dust had settled, and training camp started, all in Fin-fandom seemed to have calmed down. Daunte Culpepper's turbulent time in Miami had ended, the Dolphins brought in another former Pro-Bowler at QB in Trent Green, and there was a general feeling that there would be improvement over the 6-10 season past. Then the season began. And the losing began. Trent Green was lost for the season due to a severe concussion, former #2 overall pick RB Ronnie Brown's breakout season ended with a torn ACL, and top wide-out Chris Chambers was shipped out west to San Diego for a second round draft pick. As I write this, the Fins- whom are the only NFL franchise in the modern era to have ever completed an undefeated season- are sitting at 0-8 (inlcuding an ugly loss at the hands of the Raiders and the banished Culpepper). Little left to cheer about this year, save for "moral" victories (let alone perhaps an actual victory) and the development of prospects. And it's barely November. Sigh.

So thank God for college football, right? This is one the one I was born into. This is also the one that hurts the most. My grandfather's graduating in 1935 from Notre Dame and subsequent passion for ND football left me no option but to bleed green from September to early January. This year, the loss of four-year starting QB Brady Quinn, along with other key departures on offense at the skill postions would definitely be felt. But the signing of the top high-school recruit in QB Jimmy Claussen would surely ease the blow and point the Irish in the direction of building toward another successful run. But Claussen didn't come in and take a stranglehold on the starting job as he was expected to in spring practice. A three-way battle was born at the QB position over the summer, as well as reports that Jimmy Claussen had surgery on his throwing elbow. The season began amidst cautious optimism, with Claussen at number three on the depth chart. Once the team took the field, it was obvious that this team wouldn't be competing for the national championship this year. And as Jimmy Claussen became the starter, and then following his demotion to backup- it became painfully obvious that there would be no bowl game this year for the Irish. At 1-7, there didn't seem to be anywhere to go but up... until this past weekend. Notre Dame lost in overtime to perrenial dormat Navy. A Navy team that the Irish had defeated 43 consecutive times (context: Roger Staubach was the QB for the Naval Academy's previous victory over Notre Dame). Coach Charlie Weis' utter lack of faith in his special teams unit led him to decide not to go for a field goal on fourth down towards the end of regulation time. And now, despite the soft remaining schedule for the Irish, there has to be an utter lack of faith that Notre Dame will wake up the echos in victory again this season. Somewhere, my grandfather is looking down on all this in disbelief. And I see that disbelief reflected on the faces of all Irish fans- as well as in the mirror- every Saturday.

My lesser passions, pro and college basketball are not without their downsides as well. The LA Lakers' on going soap-opera with Kobe Bryant makes for great headlines but not great basketball. And the recent reports of University of Arizona's fixture Lute Olson need for a leave of absence doesn't bode well for the Wildcats this year- after the 'cats underachieved last season. Geez.

I haven't even metnioned the the debacle that was my fantasy baseball season... It may just be my fantasy football team that saves the year from being a complete sports loss. It's still too early to call that one. But what's not too early too call is 2007 as the darkest sports-year in my three-plus decades of fandom. The promise of next year always looms though, and lord knows I'll be there: praying for the light to shine.

Hasta la vistA-Rod

2007-10-29T11:52:00.000-04:00

And it ends. Not with with a bang, but a whimper- as the poet said. Actually it's: Not with a press conference, but a voicemail. According to agent Scott Boras, Alex Rodriguez has opted out of the last three years of his landmark contract, leaving some $80 million- plus (minus the $9 million he will still be paid by the Texas Rangers) on the table; and leaving the Bronx and the Yankees behind. The bomb was dropped by Boras not in a face-to-face meeting, but on Yankees' GM Brian Cashman's voicemail. "He was traveling, I was traveling," was all Boras had to say of his failed attempt to contact Cashman. Guess he thought a voicemail would be better than an IM, or a text- or do they make "Opting out of Contract" E-cards?

Where to even begin with this one? According to Boras, "Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do," Boras said. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing." Now, A-Rod's concern for the future of the Yankees' franchise is very touching and all, but it really has nothing to do with why he opted out. And interesting turn of phrase: "his closer, his catcher..." Last I remember, A-Rod isn't even the captain of the Yankees, let alone in any kind of position to be calling teammates "his." Granted, it's Scott Boras speaking for A-Rod - but he ain't doing the guy any favors. A-Rod was going to catch flack for all of this anyway, walking away from millions of dollars- but Boras is making him look like more of a jerk rather than helping the situation.

All I would love is the truth. For Alex Rodriguez to come out and say he didn't want to play for the Yankees anymore. He didn't want to deal with all that goes with it. Save me the quotes: "Alex enjoyed playing in New York. He played well there. He was comfortable there." Anybody believe that? And if it were true, wouldn't he have instructed his agent to negotiate in good faith with the Yankees and make it happen? But did A-Rod's feelings or opinion bear any weight? The way it is all playing out, it looks to me that A-Rod wanted out. On Boras' "advice," they never even sat down with the club to even entertain what offers may have been on the table. And A-Rod followed that advice, apparently in juxtaposition with what he truly wanted. Which begs the question: Who's working for who?

Scott Boras seems to have an almost hypnotic control over his clients. I have never heard of someone going against his wishes. Why? Because he gets people paid. And that's his bottom line.
Oh he'll go on and on about market-value, statistical analysis, and such- but he wants to put the most money in his own pocket at any cost. And his players go along with with it, because they are getting more money too. And they go along, to the point where it doesn't seem like it's the player that is making the final decision. Boras makes offers his opinion, and that's what wind up happening. But Boras never says it's about the money. What is it about if it isn't about the money? It certainly isn't about loyalty, or love of the game, or concerns about who his closer, his catcher will be. It's dollars and cents, plain and simple. I would love somebody to just stand up and say that. For Boras to say, I just want to get my client the most money possible, so I get more too, no matter what it takes. That's it... then I will stop my griping.

But this isn't about the money for A-Rod. Hank Steinbrenner, in his relatively new position as "Boss" in the Bronx, has proved to be less than sensitive when making remarks to the press. But his comments in regards to A-Rod seemed to strike the nail on the head: "It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee." And we'll probably never know. Boras can spin it however he wants, but all signs point to the fact that A-Rod no longer wanted to be Yankee. Not only that, but Boras is also making A-Rod a symbol of all that is wrong with the world of sports right now, whether that is actually the case or not. And unless Alex Rodriguez comes out and says Scott Boras his holding his life hostage, then that's all I can take away from this.

And the bleak goes on...

2007-10-22T15:15:00.000-04:00

Just when it appeared bleak- nearly hopeless- for the Miami Dolphins, it just got bleaker. And no, I am not talking about the skies over London, where they are set to face the New York Giants next week. It was reported today that Ronnie Brown, who has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal season, will be out for the remainder of the season after learning the grim results of the MRI on his damaged right knee. Brown injured the knee in third quarter of Sunday's shellacking versus the New England Patriots, while chasing down Patriots defender Randall Gay after a Cleo Lemon interception. It was not reported however, if anyone named Murphy was involved in the play in question. No, there was no Murphy on the field on Sunday, but Murphy's law seems to have dictated the course of events this year in Miami.

It's been that kind of season for the Dolphins. If could get worse, it does. And so continues the dismantling of Miami's offense: Brown and starting quarterback Trent Green lost to injury, and starting wide out Chris Chambers to San Diego via trade. Two former Pro-Bowlers and a rising star gone, all in the course of a couple of weeks. Hey, at least they got a 2nd round draft pick and his salary off the books with Chambers. The other two leave nothing but question marks: Trent Green's career is very much in doubt, suffering his second serious concussion in as many years; and it remains to be seen just how bad Ronnie Brown's injury is.

What's next for the offense-poor, weary Dolphins? A long plane ride across the Atlantic, where they will face the league's hottest defensive unit in the Giants. Lambs to the slaughter? It is the NFL, and anything can happen in any given week- but that anything that could happen to the Dolphins may just be another disastrous bump in the long road that is this season. A long road that just may bring about more losses. Really there's only thing to play for now (besides pride, or the first pick in the draft), and that's not to become the first win less team in the history of the 16-game season. What a shame it would be for the Miami Dolphins, the team famous for its unprecedented and unmatched perfect season, to set a precedent of another kind all together- an unblemished record on the other end of the spectrum. So as they slog through the rest of the 2007 season, looking for their first win the Dolphins may want to take note: Weeks 10 and 14 find them facing the Buffalo Bills, who boast a tight-end by the name of Matt Murphy. What better way to exercise the demons of Murphy's law than by defeating Murphy himself? Maybe there is something else to play for this season after all.

A class act, to the end

2007-10-20T22:46:00.000-04:00

The Joe Torre era in the Bronx has come to end. Throughout the 2007 season, I thought- many times- maybe it was time to move on. When the season ended abruptly with yet another first-round disappointment- I thought, maybe it's time for the Yanks and Torre to part ways. But when the news came down that Joe had rejected the Yankees one-year contract offer- I didn't know what to think, or how I felt. A day after his farewell press conference, I am sure of one thing: he deserved better. Maybe not from the Yankees so much- although that argument can be made- but certainly from the media.

Joe Torre went out of his way to hold his press conference yesterday- which he did not have to do. But as he has been throughout his tenure as Yankees skipper, he has handled the press corps with grace and tact- with fairness and openness. So yesterday the press flocked to the Hilton in Rye, New York, and were greeted by Torre with, among other things: "I'm here for as long as you need me." A pretty selfless act for someone who was in an awkward situation. The same guy who in 12 years, never had a notable run in with a member of the press: no arguments, no turning over his desk in is office. Yesterday, as he always did, he invited them in and leveled with them.

To show their appreciation to him, there were headlines this morning containing "Bitter Joe," and "Why I quit" (words never uttered in the press conference)- unfair treatment to a guy who had given his time freely to these very writers who turned around and decided to put a negative spin on the event. It is a reaction befitting of crazed fans maybe, but not of the supposed unbiased media. To be quite honest, Torre really could have said a lot of harsh things, about Steinbrenner, about the Yankees organization, about all the second guessers. But instead he remained a class act, spoke his mind- but never to the point of bad mouthing or pointing fingers or deflecting blame.

The next Yankees manager has some huge shoes to fill- and never mind Joe Torre's numbers. The way he handled the media, and protected his players; created an atmosphere in the clubhouse that was prone to winning: positive and always team- oriented. Hopefully the next guy is someone who has been watching closely the past 12 years, someone who can even come close to emulating those ideals.

Nothing lasts forever. And perhaps this is right time for this to happen. But I was hoping the press could give the guy a fond send off. Say what you will about his in-game management, second guess his pitching changes or substitutions- but characterizing JoeTorre as bitter, or a quitter; painting a picture of Joe Torre the man as anything less the gracious is something that I won't be a part of. Good luck, Joe. We were lucky to have you around all these years.

Manny being... oh, Manny

2007-10-18T22:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, second entry in row where I am making the statement, "If I were a _______ fan, I'd be…blah blah blah." That said, if I were a Red Sox fan- and thank the good lord I am not- I would be pretty much done with Manny Ramirez. The ol' "Just Manny being Manny" has reared it its ugly, nappy-dreaded head again this week in multiple. It wasn't enough that we had to watch Manny, hands extended over his head, standing for way too long at home plate admiring his home run on Tuesday night in Cleveland- a solo home run that brought the score to 7-3: in favor of the Indians. What was he so damn excited about that he needs to hot-dog like that, show up the opposing team in their own stadium, and frankly embarrass himself and his teammates? To quote the guys on ESPN's show PTI, "It looked like he thought he just hit a 6-run walk-off homer!" Just Manny being Manny.

Now today we learn that Manny, in his words, gave a hearty "Who cares?" in regards to whether or not the Red Sox win their series against the Indians. From ESPN.com:

"Why should we panic?" he said in a rare clubhouse interview. "We've got a great team."And then, this: "It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not the end of the world."

Who cares, Manny? Red Sox Nation, knucklehead. With the recent history of Red Sox comebacks, the last thing a hyped-up Sox fan wants to hear is that one of the star players on their favorite team really doesn't care too much, and is willing to give it the old college try next year. Especially a Boston fan. I think there have been far too many next years for them.
Will there be any backlash from this? Time will tell I think. Let's see how Manny performs tonight and see if the Sox can pull this one out. Then we'll see the reaction from Red Sox Nation.
To me, there has to be point where the all the crap- the sound bites, the loafing around the bases and outfield, the yearly trade requests- outweighs even the most spectacular hitting performance. And Manny Ramirez is an enormously talented and feared hitter- maybe even one of the best right-handed batters in the history of the game. But I wouldn't want him anywhere near my team- as a fan and I would think as a front office staff. The fact that the need for damage control is so frequent that it has garnered its own catch phrase, "Just Manny being Manny," should say it all. If at all goes bad this week for the Red Sox we may see that yearly trade request actually come to fruition- and Manny can be Manny somewhere else.

*******

OH AND…

Happiest of birthdays today to my beautiful wife Heather! Also not a Red Sox fan (otherwise probably not my wife…ha). Also, such a phenomenal wife that had the Yankees made it to the ALCS, and to a Game 5- that's where we'd be tonight. On her birthday! Yes gents, she is a keeper!

Bitter, party of one newspaper!*

2007-10-17T22:38:00.000-04:00

Let the Boston-New York rivalry, nay, hate-fest continue! This time it spills off the football field into and onto the pages of The New York Post. But not quite where you'd expect: not in the column of some Jets' beat-writer; not in some sports editorial piece; not in a cheesy ad for a bar that shows NFL games; but in the NFL standings section of the paper (A section heretofore, in my recollection, which has matched, in its contents, the print and paper it exists on- black and white- or maybe even off-white in its extreme). In an extremely- dare I say- colorful move, the powers-that-be over at The Post felt the necessity to put and asterisk next to the name of New England, who at present boasts a 6-0 record and a commanding lead in the AFC East. Just below the standings we see noted that the asterisk has the connotation of "Caught Cheating," in bold type-face. Now, I am no fan of the New England Patriots- in fact I loath them. But, being that I am also not Jets' fan I can (in this case) remove myself from the inter-city slugfest that is Boston-New York.

This reeks of bitterness on the part of New York (The Post taking it upon themselves to speak for all), on behalf of the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Not just run of mill bitterness- but that chip on the shoulder, deep-seeded bitterness that has become synonymous with Boston fans. The famous bitterness that provoked a "Yankees Suck" chant to break out during a celebration of the Patriots Super Bowl championship celebration in 2002. As most every football fan now knows, in or out of Boston, the New England Patriots and their coach Bill Belichick were caught video taping signals of the opposing team's coaching staff on the sideline during a game. Belichick was fined $500K and he and the Patriots organization were vilified in the national and local media. And rightfully so: the Patriots were caught using illegal tactics to gain an advantage over their opponents. They turned over all the illegally-obtained information to the League. End of that story.

So now back to the asterisk. Now while "caught cheating" is a statement of fact, the statement it makes is one of blind jealousy and stupidity. It implies that Patriots are 6-0 because of the incident, and that their record therefore is somehow irrelevant. Perhaps The Post should print what New England's record ought to be, with the cheating taken into effect. Or better yet, maybe the all-powerful press should vote every week and tell us who the best team in the league is- like they do so accurately do for college football week after week. The real truth is, cheating, or what have you, aside- the Pats are 6-0 because they are more than likely the best team in the NFL at present. And let's face it: Belichick got caught- but it doesn't mean other teams haven't done it or maybe even continue to do it, albeit more discretely. And let us not forget against whom the Patriots were playing when all this went down… yep, the New York Jets. Hmmm. Quite frankly, the asterisk would embarrass me if I were a Jets fan. The Patriots did not beat the Jets on that day thanks to stolen signals. They beat them because they were, and are the better team- by far. And New York fans being as savvy as they are, they know this.

The bottom line is: the NFL standings page is not the place to make opinions known, or qualifications made. Why not add asterisks to the Major League Baseball standings, or to any team in any sport who has had a player suspended for performance-enhancing drugs? Why not add asterisks to denote the period of time when a team had its star player out with an injury? Or for players in touble with the law? I could go on and on into infinity, into minutiae -but that would be ridiculous. The New York Post has now set the bar for ridiculous-ness. There was a report today that Tom Brady was fined by the NFL for not buckling his chin strap fully in last week's game against Dallas. I can't wait to read the NFL standings The Post in the morning to see if they've added another asterisk.

(Midnight) Blue in October

2007-10-09T22:35:00.000-04:00

Believe me, I understand. Not every team can gauge their success at the end of the year by whether or not they have won the World Series. But call it Yankee Pride, greed, or whatever you want- a World Series ring is the measuring stick in the Bronx. And Yankee's brass and fans desire and expect no less than that.

Yes, baseball has crowned a new world champ every year since 2000- when the Yanks won their last of four titles in five seasons. And yes, that is great for Major League Baseball, competitive balance, and all that. And yeah, it's teriffic that we can go into Spring Training every wondering who will be this year's suprise break-out team... but guess what? I don't care. My favorite team has a $200 million payroll, and frankly it's embarrassing when they get bouced in the first round of the playoffs time and time again.

I refuse to listen to fans of other teams whining about the fact that they haven't won anything in years and years- if ever- and all the finger pointing that has gone on with it- the Yankees spend so much money on big players, they're buying their championships, it's bad for baseball, blah blah blah... If it was so bad for baseball, why has it been 7 years since their last title? It seems to me that spending all that money with nothing to show for it is only bad for the Yankees. If you own a professional sports franchise, you've got the cash to spend on upgrading your team if you so desire. And I don't ever remember seeing George Steinbrenner crying over lost greenbacks- just missed opportunity. And quite frankly, if I was shelling out the cash that he does year after year, I would expect the world as well- and would be outspoken of my expectations. He just wants to win at any cost, and has ingrained that into his team's fans' psyche.

I'm rambling. I have no grand plan on how to fix this situation. Part ways with Joe Torre, and you may lose some of the players that revere him. Keep him, and you may just precipitate a repeat performance of the past few seasons. Let A-Rod go, and you reduce the monumental payroll that everyone complains about- but create a gaping hole in your lineup. Sign A-Rod to yet another record-breaking deal and incur the wrath of all the whiners, further the lore of the "Evil Empire." All I know for certain, is that it's not quite the middle of October and I already don't care about the outcome of rest of the playoffs (except of course that Boston be ousted sooner rather than later): and I don't like that. Yes I'll still watch, I'm a baseball fan too, not just a Yankee fan. But it won't be that heart in my throat, pacing around my apartment excitement that I somehow enjoy. And say what you will, you fans of other teams who don't often taste the thrill of the ultimate in baseball- I get it: I'm spoiled, I'm arrogant. But guess what? I am a Yankee fan, and I don't care.

Can I hear you now? ..Yes!

2007-01-28T22:29:00.000-05:00

Can you hear me now? I thought it was a question I could answer at any given time with some amount of confidence. I am not sure anymore, if what I heard was what I heard, or if I heard it to its full capacity.

I made my first visit to an Ear, Nose & Throat doctor today for, among other reasons, to get my ears checked out. For a while, I have felt in my right ear- a little plugged up. Not so much as to greatly affect my hearing, but enough to know it's there, and I told my doctor this, as he looked into my ear with that little light thingy. "Well, you've got a load of wax in there," he said, followed by the question do I clean my ears with Q-tips- yes I said- and went to the lecture we have all heard: the do not put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow speech, you're just making worse blah blah blah. The next thing I know, I was told to be very still and he inserted a cold metal instrument into my ear- much to my discomfort. Be still, I was told again- I thought I had been still, but I guess one loses awareness of one's movement when confronted with cold steel in your ear (no I don't know if it was actual steel, but the gun metaphor adds a certain dramatic flair I just couldn't resist)- and with a touch of effort pulled the instrument out of my ear, and said something to the effect of, "Look at that." What remained on the instrument was a gob of wax, roughly the size of my pinky nail- which doesn't seem like much, even more so given the fact I have very small pinkies, and yet- monumental with the knowledge that it came out of my ear.

Following his conquest on my right ear, the doctor cleaned up the left and sat down at his computer and began asking me questions. It was then I noticed. Every click of his keyboard, every "s" in his speech hit my ears with such ferocity that I exclaimed something like, "Wow, everything's really loud," or something stupid of the like- to which responded, dryly and seemingly unimpressed, "I'll try to talk quieter." I left the office and walked out into the bitter cold morning. Bitter, cold, loud morning. Truck breaks, taxis honking, a bird flapping its wings twelve blocks away. I had supersonic hearing, I explained to my coworkers, once I had reached the office. And every time I spoke, it sounded as if I was speaking into a tin can and having the sound bounced right back at me. The rustle of papers, the ring of the phone, the guy sneezing two floors below me. My hearing had improved to annoying level. And it continued like this for the rest of the day. Sounds I had heard in the past as background noise, competed for my attention with ones right in front of me.

So what have I learned (besides the whispered secrets of people fifty feet away from me)? I am sticking to the Q-tips. Sorry, Doc. A little wax goes a long way from keeping someone sane. No one should hear as well as I heard after leaving that office. I now understand fully why Superman needed his fortress of solitude. Can I hear you now? Most definitely. So be careful what you say, wherever you are- because whether I like it or not, I may be listening.

Time to sell low for Bonds?

2007-01-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

What has been for so long a bad dream to Major League Baseball, is quickly turning into a complete nightmare. Perhaps at their own doing. As he has approached Hank Aaron's sacred home run record, Barry Bonds has hidden behind the blanket of never actually failing a drug test. Now reports are that he did indeed fail a drug test last season, although for amphetamines- not for steroids as anyone following the story might have thought. But any sort of positive test for Bonds at this point is a big negative for him. He can no longer hide behind his veil, although ultra-sheer to begin with, of innocence. Reports that it may affect the completion of his contract with the Giants have surfaced, as well early reports of blaming a teammate for the positive test, both of which have been refuted by the Bonds camp. To a man who has never been thought of as the model teammate, this just adds fuel to the fire. It also adds the weight of more scrutiny on Bonds as he continues his march toward baseball history.

Under the new testing policy, a first positive test for amphetamines carries no suspension, and results of the test are kept private. So in that respect, we have no idea how many players tested positive for amphetamines during the 2006 season. Barry Bonds run at Hank Aaron has been met with tepid, if not downright cold response from MLB and the commissioner's office. Almost as if to sweep it under the table, Bud Selig's remarks have been very understated and unclear as to how baseball would recognize or deal with Bonds' forthcoming record. Conspiracy theorists- have at it! It is interesting that the only name we have heard in conjunction with amphetamines testing happens to be Barry Bonds. Almost as interesting is the timing: Amidst reports that the Giants and Bonds' representatives are in a quagmire hammering out very important language of Bonds' contract that was supposedly close to being a done deal over a month ago. Not to suggest that a top secret directive came down from the commissioner's office, but certainly there are those in baseball that would like this problem to go away, rather than having to deal with it head on. Bonds is tired. Physically, mentally. Could something like this push him into retirement, short of his goal of home run King? It certainly seems possible. And maybe, whoever leaked the information of his failed drug test thought so too.

So, Barry Bonds' march towards baseball history could carry with it a nasty double meaning. Does he make history, and pass Hank Aaron as baseball's big fly leader? Or does he become baseball history, by retiring? We'll find out in the weeks to come. And as for conspiracy theories? Pitchers and catchers don't report for another month, and nothing makes the winter pass like a good read.

*******
Oh, and…

After it has failed to promote its own stars, and failed to capture the consciousness of American sports, Major League Soccer has gone trans-Atlantic, if not trans-Galactic to bring David Beckham stateside. One the biggest stars worldwide, transcending that of sports fame, Beckham brings publicity wherever he goes. MLS is banking on that celebrity to boost sales and notoriety. Banking is a careful choice of words too, as reports tell us the total worth of Beckham's contract may reach the $250 million stratosphere. Is this a good thing for MLS? This fledgling league putting all its golden eggs in one basket? In the short term, it seems a no brainer. For the LA Galaxy, who reported a 2,000 seat boost in season ticket sales following the announcement, they will see an immediate increase in attendance. Fans will flock to see the most famous British import since perhaps The Beatles. We may even see Lakers game- like celebrity attendance in the beginning. And so too will they flock when and wherever the Galaxy travel. But as far as staying power, will it be enough to keep the fans coming back? At this point, it appears MLS is hoping to just get fans in the stadiums, and hedge their bets as whether they will stay when the mania subsides. Or hoping this opens the door for others to make the jump from other European elite leagues. The MLS season starts in early April, and Beckham's current contract with Real Madrid is through June 30. Do the 2,000 fans who rushed out to by their Galaxy season seats know they won't be seeing Beckham for the first three months of the season? It would be an awful way to start off building a fan base if they don't.

A kinder, gentler unit

2007-01-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

A small bone, a half-hearted kudos, tossed to ex and current Diamondbacks starter Randy Johnson. In his introductory press conference yesterday in Arizona, Johnson buried hatchets, took the slow boat on the water going under that fabled bridge, saying among other things "The run that I had, as short-lived as it was, as well-documented as it was in New York, I wouldn't change a thing. I think those are life experiences that make a man."

Wow. This from a guy whose first quotable after landing in New York as Yankee was "get outta my face [sic]" as he shoved a WCBS camera man by the lens with his Arsenio Hall-sized tallons. He could have said, Hey I pitched over 400 innings and won 34 games the past two seasons. Get outta my face! We have witnessed a transformation from the don't-even-look-at-this-guy-on-gameday, to the guy who is just happy to be wearing the number 51 again. Approachable Unit. And seeing the posed pictures from the press conference, the Unit beaming for the cameras, how can we be sure Randy didn't want to go back to Phoenix to get into the snazzy new red uni's the D-backs got going on. Makes you wonder if Yankees GM Brian Cashman dropped that in somewhere to Randy thoughout the negotiation process, Hey Randy, you know if you go back to Arizona, you know you don't have to wear bright purple anymore.

Seriously though, everybody's saying the right thing, but everybody is happy to have this chapter closed. Randy Johnson is home, playing in NL West anonymity, wearing number 51 in a half-emtpy beautiful retractible- roof stadium; and the Yankees get younger (for the moment, they are surely on speed dial with the Rocket), they have $14 million they can spend on someone who they know can pitch in the Bronx, and they continue to stockpile young arms.

Oh, and...

Without getting into the steroid debate- here's one thought on the Hall of Fame voting results, announced yesterday. Shame on voters, albeit 2-2.5%, who didn't vote for Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken. If ever there was a chance for unanimous entry, these guys were it. Leave it to the writers who feel it is their duty to not vote anyone in on the first ballot, based on principle. Which begs the age-old seemingly unanswerable question, if a guy isn't a hall of famer this year, why is he the next year? Or in five years? Ten? (Hang in there Goose, 21 votes to go.) I could keep going- and rag on the guys who turned in a blank ballot (see Paul Ladewski of the Daily Southtown in Chicago) in part because no one is above supsicion in this era of baseball- but this is just a tag, which is why I refuse to go into the whole steroid debate.

A-Rod's NY State of mind...

2006-11-16T12:48:00.000-05:00

Of course A-Rod is not going to opt out of the last three years of his historic contract. And the Yankees don't want him to. Say what you want about A-Rod's "short-comings," or his postseason failings- but he just may be the best bargain in baseball. He's not going anywhere anytime soon. Why? Here's what we know:

1. A-Rod will put MVP caliber, if not more-than-solid numbers season in and season out. Mark him down for .300, 35 & 120. You can't question the guy's love for the game, or his dedication- you could in fact argue he cares too much.

2. The Yanks paid three guys more than A-Rod to play ball last year. While that may change slightly next year with Mussina's new contract, the Yankees have to agree that thanks to the Texas Rangers, they are getting this guy at a discount. Speaking of discounts...

3. Even in today's free-agent market, no one- not even A-Rod, will get A-Rod money. Which means leaving New York on his own accord means A-Rod will take a pay cut. He is too smart, and has too much pride to do that. And the Yankees know that trading A-Rod would cost them in another way. There is no way the Yanks could possibly get trade value for a guy of his stature, even if he is in a so-called decline. A-Rod for a couple pitching prospects? Not bad for an aging Gary Sheffield, not for Alex Rodriguez.

Bottom line here, no one wants to take a discount on this one. The Yanks are not going to come out and say they want one of the best players ever off their team. A- Rod is not going to say he wants off the one the most prestigious franchises in sports. Maybe it's posturing on both sides, to increase value, but I don't think so. I think they both know they are stuck with each other. And not for worse. It's not too often a no-win situation could produce more winning.

* * * * * * *
OH, AND...

The Red Sox officially lose the right to complain about the Yankees' lack of frugality. Theo Epstein's remarks about it not being financially feasible to put out an "uber-lineup" don't hold much weight when the Sox brass are willing to shell out cash enough to field an entire roster, for one unproven 26 year old. Their $51.1 million bid, together with a projected 3 year deal at around $12-13 million per could take us into the neighborhood of $29-30 million per year of actual cost on Mr. Matsuzaka. A-Rod money and then some.