Mixing Sports and Broads

I'm going to assume the other clowns involved in this blog will be touching on the NFL Draft, NBA and NHL Playoffs, and the first 15-16% of the baseball season. That being said, this topic was brought up to a certain extent last week so I wanted to state the rules and regulations, as well as exceptions to each.

1) Live Events:

There is one major condition that has a huge impact on whether or not one is allowed to take a girlfriend/date to a sporting event. If a dude has season tickets, or a package of tickets for a particular team or sporting event, then a taking a girl is certainly acceptable, if the date has been planned in advance. As long as your best friends, friends that are fans of a specific team playing, friends that took you to a game in the recent past, and family (father and brother) are taken care of throughout the season.

The most important thing to remember when you have multiple tickets is planning ahead. There are different ways of doing this, reserving/assigning tickets to friends of specific teams, family, and girls. You can also have a draft/auction for the best games (still leaving some games open for others). Or even a combination of both.

The issue arises when you buy/are given tickets the day of or within a couple days of the game, and you are debating on who to invite. A girlfriend/date may only be invited after the following have been asked to join you (in no particular order): best friend, friend of home team, friend of opposing team, friend who recently brought you to a game (or even invited you), and family.

I think we all know where girlfriend/dates stand for playoff tickets.

2) Physical Participation:

There are very few sports which girlfriends/dates are allowed to participate in when playing with friends or others. Most are not even a question and self explanatory (baseball, football, basketball, even poker). However, there are a few exceptions.

A) Bowling. Unless there are some serious stakes/wages on the line, bowling can be a fun date or group activity.

B) Golf (strictly driving range). Under no circumstances should a girl be allowed on the golf course with other guys. Golf is an escape for guys from everyday life, work, stress, women, etc. It is a time to throw back a few cold ones, take frustrations out on little white balls, divots, and clubs, and just shoot the shit.

C) Frisbee. I guess that's cool.

3) TV Viewings

Any playoff or other big games during the regular season should be watched with a buddy or a group of friends. It is a time to disregard any sort of alternate thoughts or conversations and focus 100% on sports. If your friends are not around or are busy, watch by yourself. Having a girl around for this is pointless.

There is one obvious exception to this, the Super Bowl.

Any other game where your team is playing or you are interested in watching in can be viewed with the girlfriend/date, as long as you are still paying attention and not being distracted in anyway. Just throw her cell phone and an US Weekly at them and you should be set for at least 2 hours.

4) Fantasy

Hell no.

Bonus:

I'm sure many of you are interested in my thoughts on the draft, more specifically, the Dolphins passing on Brady Quinn Medicine Woman. At first I was obviously very, very angry, disappointed, and confused at the whole situation.

Now that I have had a couple days to sit back and reflect on the picks, I am no longer angry. I am still a little disappointed, and somewhat confused. I keep asking myself the same questions and going over the same scenarios:

Okay, I understand passing on Quinn, there are obvious questions surrounding him, but why Ted Ginn Jr.? A top ten pick should be a sure thing for the most part, and with his current injury he is anything but.

There is a 99.9% chance Trent Green will be wearing Orange and Teal next year. If that is the case, and if he stays healthy, he will give you two, three good years, on the optimistic side. Which means they still need a young quarterback to groom until he is ready and Green is finished. Do they truly believe John Beck has more potential than Quinn? I find that hard to believe.

This may be my way of trying to put a good spin on these events, but after some reflection I have come to the following conclusions.

From what I have seen/heard about Beck is that he extremely smart, hard working, and a gym rat. If you didn't take Jamarcus Russell or Quinn, Beck was the next in line and the closest QB to a sure thing, you know what you are getting with him. And the Dolphins were lucky that he fell to them in the middle of the second round.

Although he may not have deserved the 9th pick, before Ginn Jr's injury, do you not remember being wowed by him constantly while watching Ohio St at least once or twice a game? I do. He is blazing fast and has decent hands. He will open up the field in the passing game and is a homerun threat everytime in special teams (possibly more so than Devin Hester).

Overall, I still wonder what was going on and being said in the Phins war room on Saturday, but after having some time to reflect, I'm not as distraught and even somewhat excited for the upcoming season.

R.I.P. Josh Hancock

What To Do...

Any day now I would not be shocked if something drastic happened with the Yankees. They are in last place and playing as poorly as they have since Joe Torre took over as manager. I know they have had a ton of injuries to the pitching, but also alarming is the lack of production from players such as Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon.

If I am the owner, I stick with Torre and possibly shake of the coaches (Guidry mainly). The Mets used this method in 2000 following getting swept in a series by the Yankees and they eventually rebounded to make the World Series. It was widely reported that when picking a new pitching coach after Stottlemire left, Guidry was Torre's choice while the organization wanted to go a different way. I am not saying this is always effective, but it sends a message to the team and the fans. Bottom line is that I would be shocked if Torre was still with the Yankees next year if they don't win it all.

Interesting side note is that Torre used to be the Teflon don with the Yanks. He could do no wrong in the media or fans. Now he is roasted on a daily basis, and Cashman has Teflon status. If and when Torre goes, the heat will be turned back up on Cashman. Anyway, I would love to hear thoughts of the readers on this. It will be a very interesting story to see play out.

STKAFI

Yankees the new Knicks?

Felt like I needed to post something this week and because I've been slacking, I figured I'd give all the Yankees out there a reoccurring nightmare for the next few years:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_heyman/04/27/dolans.yankees/index.html

Can you imagine the pandemonium?

Don't Rush the Kid

What a big time weekend lined up of sports. NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs, Yankees-Sox, the NFL Draft(I'm sorry Curtis, I'll be there in spirit). But before the fireworks start this weekend, all eyes will be on the kid, Philip Hughes. I write this before he even takes the mound Thursday night. The Yanks haven't had a pitching prospect, or even a prospect, with this kind of hype in a very long time. Probably all the way back the kleptomaniac Ruben Rivera. Anyway, with the horrid state of the current Yankee pitching staff and the solid start that Hughes has had, the call up for a start or two is completely understandable. It fits in with the company line that the entire Yankee brass was saying, "We won't rush the kid, we'll wait until he's ready". Well he's ready and he was recommended by the scouts as the guy who's next in line to fill in. All this is completely understandable. However, let's say he goes out tonight and throws 5 innings, gives up 2 runs with 7 strikeouts. That obviously earns him another start with the big league team. If he puts throws another solid outing, now even with Pavano, Mussina and Wang all back, there's gonna be a ton of pressure to keep Hughes up permanently. Now the Yanks have the tough decision to make. If he starts off well, the comparisons will start to build. The media and fans are gonna push to keep Hughes up if he's successful, and it seems like the obvious choice to leave him up with the big league club. That's the worst thing they could do. When it was mentioned that Hughes was gonna get the start tonight, Torre and Cashman should have come out and stated that he's only a temporary replacement and will just get 2-3 starts and be sent down when the veterans get healthy. Now, if successful, the door is open for him to be left up with the big club. And just like with Liriano last year, if Hughes is part of a pennant race, pitch counts will be thrown out the window. For all that Torre is, he's not the game manager that he used to be, as Simmons pointed out more than a few mistakes during the Red Sox series. The Kid has thrown only 237 innings in his career, and never more than 136 in one season. I'm not saying that he won't be able to handle the workload, because it's a crap shoot. Some guys can handle it even at a young age, some guys never are able to. But with all the patience that the Yanks have exhibited so far, it would be a shame to ruin it before The Kid can legally take a shot of Jack.

A different take on the who to take to the game issue. Let's say you and you bud are in talks to get tickets to a concert. One of you is about to order them but double checks to make sure the other one definitely wants in. Turns out the other guy made some plans to hang out with the chick and says he's gonna get tickets on his own and see what happens. So he grabs the tickets, then when his buddy goes back and tries to get some on his own, it's sold out. Just a hypothetical situation, but how bad should that one guy feel for taking those last tickets?


Update:
After watching Hughes last night, the kid has the stuff to be a very good one, maybe even great. But I'm not upset at all that he wasn't lights out. Give him another start or two, then send him back down to AAA. Go out and get Clemens if your gonna pull out all the stops this year. Then bring Hughes up for another couple starts in September so that he throws some more innings then last year. Right now, it's whats best for both him and the Yankee franchise.

Beers, Buzzer Beaters and..... Buffalo????

This past weekend I traveled to Buffalo. I should probably stop here and explain I was visiting an old college roommate, I understand nobody just goes to Buffalo for the hell of it. Anyways, I don't know the exact criteria but the Buffalo Sabres were recently names the best franchise in all of professional sports.

I know I know, thats ridiculous and makes no sense, but after experiencing first hand Buffalo during a playoff game, I kind of understand now. I mean these people are crazy. I'm in Boston where every 3rd or 4th person is guaranteed to be wearing some kind of Red Sox gear, but in Buffalo... I'm talking everyone is wearing Sabres gear. Not just hats either, hockey jerseys, t-shirt jerseys, tattoos.

So Friday night was game 4 of their series against the Islanders. It was also game 1 of Red Sox-Yanks. I was at an apartment where people were over and they brought a few tv's into the living room. I figured I'd get at least one tv for the baseball game. Not a chance. All tv's on the Sabres game. 4 of the guys there even pledged and signed contracts to get tattoos if they won the Stanley Cup. From the opening minute these guys were into the game like nothing i've ever seen. Usually in a party atmosphere, people are socializing and not entirely focused on the game.
There was one point where the video of the game froze because of technical difficulties. What did these guys do? Without hesitation, took off ran outside to their cars and sat in them listening to the radio until the picture came back AND THIS GAME WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE!.

So, when you combine fan interest, with low ticket prices, a good product, and a city without ANYTHING else I guess it only makes sense that they would be on top of the rankings.

RED SOX- YANKS:
I am not concerned. Each year at some point in the season I find myself saying, man this is finally it, the Red Sox are going to win the division. Last year it was during the summer when it seemed like half the lineup was out and the Red Sox were leading the division by like 5 or 6 games (please dont check the accuracy of these summer standings). This year is it already time for that proclamation? I dont think so. Sox 3 top starters got hit pretty good. Schilling and Beckett really don't scare me, Dice-K does. Yanks will get stronger, go on a run, add an arm (Hello Roger).

Can anybody else not wait for Phillip the Phenom to take the mound tonight???
Love that Pettite and Giambi are texting Clemens

NBA Playoffs:
I really wish these games were every other night and then an extra day for travel. The Warriors and Nuggets mini upsets in Game 1 have lost a little steam. Both have just lost their second games, but as the road team all your looking for is the split in the first two.
Baron Davis just got ejected, his second technical was for clapping in a mocking way. Can anyone say referee gate II??

I think Kobe will have one last gasp in Game 3 at home. Expect Kobe to try and win this one on his own.

Rockets are going to be a serious threat to whoever they play from here on out. I have my finger ready, I want to move T-Mac up to Tier 1.

Could the Eastern Conference first round be any more boring?
So far I'm 2-2 on my picks with Barbosa for 6th man and Mitchell for COY
I never gave a defensive player of the year I'm going with Marcus Camby, with Tim Duncan coming a close second and Bruce Bowen in 3rd. If I did this one already, then I'm now revising it.

NUTS AND BOLTS:
What is it about food at games that makes it so good? I mean at any real baseball park I've been to Yankee, Fenway, Shea... i could eat at least 5 hot dogs without breaking a sweat. Yes I am an eating machine, but even mere mortals like yourself could eat 3 no problem. Are these regular hot dogs I could buy at the grocery store? And if this is the case why have i been settling for Hebrew Nationals all these years?

Why do some guys not cut their fingernails? I happen to be a biter but I dont care how you get it done. Too many guys let their nails grow to inconsiderate lengths. I can't think of one advantage to having long nails. Girls yes, do it for style, looks, etc.

Here's a question that recently came up with a slight variation... Let's say you have tickets to a game and you have one extra ticket and there are only two options. Do you take a friend of yours who happens to be a fan of the team playing versus your best friend who might not be as big a fan but would still enjoy himself.
As someone who has had tickets to games in the past and invited people I think someone should draw up rules for this. It doesn't have to follow my exact scenario but how do you choose who to invite? Where does bringing a girl fit it? What if it's a first date versus a girlfriend? Whats if it's playoffs versus regular season?

I will draw up my own hierarchy of rules for next week's column, but let's hear some ideas.

Another R.I.P.

Another week and another legendary author/writer from the 20th Century has passed away. David Halberstam wrote many books on a number of topics. I have to be honest, I only read three of his books (all sports related). I strongly recommend all three, The Teammates, Summer of '49 and The Education of a Coach. My next Halberstam conquest will be The Best and the Brightest. My Dad has been trying to get me to read this for the past ten years. I finally think that I am ready.

‘Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.’

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/24/arts/24halberstam.html?hp

Neverending Rivals

This Yankee/Red Sox rivalry has been piping hot now for about five years. Red Sox fans may want to say it has been going on for for decades, but for the most part the Yankees and their fans did not really care much about Boston and the Sox. At least as a kid growing up in Manhattan, I did not hear much talk about the Red Sox, while I'm sure my counterparts in Brookline or Wellesleywere taught to hate the Yankees from the womb. I am not saying there were not heated moments over the years (1949, 1978, etc) but nothing compares to these past five years. It has been interesting to watch the development from the Yankees being the elite dynasty and the Red Sox barely putting up a fight, to the Sox paying the big bucks and throwing everything they had at the Yankees, which led to two classic ALCS seven game series (2003, 2004). The Sox ended up winning the World Series in '04 and in the two years since the battles have been just as close fought, but neither not only to the World Series, but even back to the ALCS since. Through it all though the Yankees won every division title since 1998 and have been viewed as the favorite.

We now get to this past weekend. The first time in 17 years that the Red Sox swept a series against the Yankees. For April, it was a tremendously electric series and for the first time since the Joe Torre era began, the Red Sox may actually be the true favorite in this rivalry. While it is still very early and I do not want to get ahead of myself, I thought I would list five things about each team I have come to realize after this series is over. As the resident Mets fan on this blog, I feel that I can be pretty impartial since I strongly dislike both teams.

Red Sox

1. Friday nights' game was tremendous from a Red Sox perspective for a number of reasons, but one overlooked one is the balls of Terry Francona. While he has never been mistaken with Tony LaRussa as an in game manager, he showed some true courage at the end of Fridays' game. After the Sox game back form an improbable four run deficit (much against the Great Mariano) Francona stuck with his commitment to not pitching Jonathon Palpebon on a third consecutive day. He knows it is still just April and it would be foolish to wear Palpebon out now. There is a lot of baseball to be played and he needs him for the long haul. This is especially striking when you see what Joe Torre did with Rivera in bringing him into the game in the 8th inning in this game. Look, it could have backfired with Francona, but he has a plan and is not gonna stray from it for one win in April. Francona knew if his bullpen blew it and Palpebon never came in he was going to get roasted in the media and he was ready for it. I like the confidence and composure Francona showed.

2. While each Red Sox pitcher went deep into the ballgame, they each were touched up pretty good by the Yankee hitters. It takes a pitching being on his absolute A game to shut down the Yankee lineup, but it still needs to be pointed out that the Yankees did not exactly struggle against the Boston "Big Three". I still like the Boston rotation better than New Yorks' even if everyone is healthy and Mr. Clemens ends up in pinstripes, but so far the Yankees have shown Boston that they will be tough to shut down.

3. Jason Varitek is the most underrated player on Boston. He is the captain of the team, and when he is hitting adds another dimension to this lineup. He can hit righties and lefties, still has pop and provides great depth to the bottom of the lineup. He was the best catcher in baseball only two years ago, and since has seemed injured or in decline. If he can stay healthy and fresh for the end of the season, the Red Sox will have that leadership that they sorely lacked at the end of last year.

4. Dice-K is the real deal. I know he did not pitch great on Sunday night, but you can see the amazing stuff he has. So many pitches, with usually great control and unreal changes in velocity. Also, he is a horse. When he does not have his best stuff he will still battle for six inning and keep you in a ballgame. I also like his eagerness to pitch inside (Arod). He is a true ace and in my mind is well worth what the Sox paid him. While Schilling is older and Beckett is still a headcase, Dice-K is the best starting pitcher in this Yankee/Red Sox rivalry.

5. Not 100% sold on Palpebon. I know his stats are incredible, but I need to see two things from him before I am on the bandwagon. First is to stay healthy an entire year. Second is to pitch in October. Until then I can not act like he is the second coming of Mariano.

Overall, the Sox have to be happy with where they are at. They seem to do every well (offense, defense, pitching) and have nice balance on the roster. I do worry about age in certain positions, but with their pitching I think they will win between 95-100 games.

Yankees

1. AROD

2. AROD...I thought I would never say this but this guy is on a Barry Bonds 2001-2003 level right now. He deserves two of the Yankee talking points because he is that good. He hit two more homers last night in Tampa and looks so calm on the field. While this is a much different situation it reminds me of Bonds in the 2002 playoffs. Before this playoffs Bonds had like a .150 batting average in October. It hung over Bonds like ARODs treatment by the NY fans and media has hung over him. People did not know how Bonds would do, but all of the sudden it was like the past was long gone and Bonds just continued his regular season tear and dominated the playoffs. Right now all the AROD questions seem far away and he is just in a zone where nothing can touch him. I can't believe I am writing this, but I think the guy could hit 60 homers this year, or end up batting over .340 or something. The Yankees are 8-10 and would probably be at best 6-12 without AROD playing at this level. This performance though just makes it that more interesting with what will happen after the season considering his contract/opt out clause. If Soriano got $130 million from the Cubs are you saying you couldn't see a team signing AROD to 7-8 years $150-$180? Soriano and AROD are the same age...

3. Joe Torre needs to chill out with his bullpen. I touched on this in the Red Sox section, but Torre is blowing out two or three of his guys for the season right now. Scott Proctor and Luis Vizcaino are gonna have Spaghetti strands for arms when the season is over at this rate. I know the starters have not been good, but you need to at least try to have them give more innings. Even when they are healthy, Pavano and Mussina (at this age) are not exactly considered innings eaters. Torre needs to not have such a quick hook and let some of these starters fight and give him six innings and give up five or six runs if thats what it takes. I know managing in New York can be tough in this regard, but Joe needs to not worry about the bullpen so much and have more faith in the starters to gut through tough innings and in turn give him more innings.

4. Glass half full? Yanks rotation is banged up and it is showing right now. Glass half empty? The rotation is old and this will not get much better. I look at it in the respect that Mussina will end up pitching well, Pavano will give you next to nothing and Wang will be the best innings eater on the team. Will the bullpen still get overused? Yes. Will Phil Hughes, Roger Clemens, or some other acquired pitcher need to be brought in to help? Yes. In the end, this rotation will be patched together and fight through injuries, but it is definitely good enough to bring home another division title.

5. It will be fun to see the Yankees as the hunter instead of the hunted this year. I promise you that unless something crazy happens (major injury, etc) the Red Sox will be up in the division for a while. They are already five games ahead of the Yanks. Its early, it will just be interesting to see the Yanks come into Fenway in August if they are behind by five games. Usually it is the other way around. This Yankee team (similar to other post O'Neill, Tino, Clemens) has lacked a certain fire. Sheff and Randy had some intensity but they are gone now as well. I am not saying it would have been the right move, but maybe if Chase Wright threw at a Red Sox player after AROD and Jeter got hit it could have lit a match up this team. Watching baseball for so long, there is nothing that brings a team together more than walk offs and brawls/sticking up for your teammates on the field. The Yankee record is not good, and I would like to see a player do something beyond making a good play to pump up this group. Thinking about it, I honestly do not know who that would be. The Sox have a Varitek or a Palpebon or a Beckett/Schilling. The Mets have a El Duque or a Loduca. You can win without this sort of person, but when you are slumping a player like this can lift the the whole team up without even doing something on the field. To be honest, a manager can do the same (thing Lou Pinella, Ozzie Guillen), but that is not really Joe Torres' style.


Side Note:

Phil Hughes will make his MLB debut Thursday night. I think it is the right move for the Yanks at this time. If he pitches well, keep him up for a bit and give him a chance. If he pitches poorly then send him back down. You are bringing up with no expectation of keeping him around and just giving him a taste of the majors. I don't see how this can "stunt" his growth. They need pitching, and he has great stuff. He can't do worse than Karstens or Rasner right? There is no right way to bring a top prospect to the minors. Look at Alex Gordon. Before the season everyone said he was ready and a widely considered choice for AL ROY. Now he is batting .100 and in risk being sent down. No matter how you play it sometimes it goes well and sometimes it doesn't. The Mets played it almost the same way with Wright, Reyes and Milledge in bringing them all up in the middle of a season. While Wright and Reyes have worked out great, Milledge has not so much. There is always a little luck involved, but I think this is a good time to give Hughes a taste and if he does the job he can stay for longer.

STKAFI

Talkin' 'bout Playoffs

Thank the Lord I don't have to hear that mullet-toting freak, Barry Melrose, half as much as I have the past week. It's time for the NBA playoffs to take over and there are some great first round matchups. Great time to be a basketball fan and an even better time to make some playoff predictions.

Contenders:
Dallas
Phoenix
San Antonio
Detroit

All 4 teams should have little problem in their first round matchups, with the Suns being the only team that might find a little trouble because of Kobe. I really like the Mavs this year, Dirk had his MVP season and I believe will take that next step in the playoffs. You can never count San Antonio and Phoenix out because they play such great team basketball. Same with Detroit. However, while teams like the Spurs and Pistons are made for the playoffs, the Suns aren't. San Antonio and Detroit play very good to great team defense, that's the recipe for success in the playoffs. The Suns simply will try to outscore teams and with their offensive firepower, they very well could.

Sleeper:
Houston

I know, I know. McGrady has never advanced past the first round of a playoff series. Has McGrady ever put a team on his back like he did with Yao out? And does anyone disagree that McGrady and Yao are the best inside-outside tandem in the playoffs? I'm not saying it's gonna happen, but with those 2 and Van Gundy, I'll give them a fighting chance to surprise some people. I see them losing in 7 to the Mavs in round 2.

The Rest

I think a major problem with the NBA is a lack of depth in the top echelon of the league. I think Chicago is a good team, but they aren't going to beat any of those 3 teams from the West in the Finals. They'll knock off a worn down Heat in the first round, but I don't expect much else from them. Orlando has nowhere near the experience to beat Detroit in a series, and I do like the Nets trio of JKidd, Carter, and Jefferson but even if they get by Toronto, could they beat Detroit in a 7 game series? I don't think so. The Cavs are another talented team, and I expect LBJ to finally play hard for 48 minutes a night. It'll be Cavs vs. Pistons in the East, with the Pistons winning in 6 to face...

The West is a little more exciting. The Mavs-Warriors series will be fun because Don Nelson is the architect of this Dallas team. Lakers-Suns is the rematch that could be the best series of the first round if Kobe is up to his usual tricky tricky self. I'm interested to see how the Suns approach him on defense. The Suns need to make Nash guard, but the problem is they have no one to make him do it. That will be the problem, and why they lose. I mentioned why I love Houston and they'll make quick work of Utah. Spurs-Nuggets features 2 stars against the best "team" in the league. I've never liked the Iverson and Melo combo and never will. Spurs in a sweep. In the end I see Dallas and the Spurs in the West. Avery Johnson will beat his old team, and Dirk and crew will move on in 7. And then in one of the less exciting finals in recent memory, Avery Johnson will be the shortest coach to win an NBA championship.

Nuts and Bolts

I don't really have one topic to address today but rather a bunch of little ones.

First, congratulations to Curtin on his first guest blog. I think you do straddle the fence on appropriate fan behavior and inappropriate fan behavior, but addressed the issue well.

I have a confession to make. I almost threw up yesterday. I went to play the draft lottery game on espn, and not even seeing the Knicks logo made me nauseaous. Watching what Tyrus Thomas is doing these days, and playing that stupid game with names like Julian Wright, Conley, Noah (i dont want him) popping up next to the Bulls makes me sick. Isiah has gone like 3-14 since his contact extension. We know all about the injuries, but I'm tired of excuses! Home games against lottery teams need to be won down the stretch, no matter who you put on the court.

I know, I know it's hockey but come on... do you see what the Rangers are doing these days? 7-0?!?! I admit I did not watch more then 10 minutes of regular season hockey this year and my cable service provider doesn't give me TSN, but I am very into these playoffs. I have minor interest in each of these three eastern conference series.
Rangers-Thrashers: I'm bleeding Ranger Blue
Senators-Penguins: Senators are the team I use in NHL '08, and got to love Sid the Kid
Sabres-???: Chris Drury is my fav player in hockey, read the recent SI, you'll love him

Everyone waiting for Arod to fail... can go home early. Two of the greatest players of our generation in their respective sports will be getting the monkey off their backs. Peyton got his, and Arod will get his. It's an Abomb... for Arod. Loved the start yesterday by Wright. Couldn't believe to read it was only his third start above Single A. Every start like that puts less pressure on the Yanks to rush Hughes up before they think he's ready. Wang comes back next week against the D-Rays, prob a smart move to push his first start back to after Fenway this weekend. If there are no other rain days we are looking at the Rook Wright against Dice-K.

Speaking of Dice-K, two tough losses. He keeps racking up the K's and got a little wild last night which led to his second loss. To be honest it's nice to see the man is human because through his first two starts I wasn't sure.

Can't wait for the NBA playoffs to start on Saturday. While on the topic of the NBA, I think David Stern did the right thing with Crawford. We all know Stern protects his referees (Duncan got fined $25,000) but rumor has it he has had many of these meetings with Crawford before. The last thing he wants are the refs to be the story of the game and with Crawford reffing a game that would be the case. The man has established himself in basketball history (one of 4 to ref 2000+ games), but he broke the golden rule... do not be bigger then the game, do not be the story line. The clip of Duncan sitting there laughing and suddenly getting tossed is pretty funny, but also apparent that he should not have been tossed.

Vince Young is the cover boy for 2008 Madden.
The game gave Devon Hester 100 speed making him the first man in history to earn this honor.

It's getting ugly in Philadelphia. Manager Charlie Manuel is challenging reporters to fights, they are 3-9 despite being one of the favorites in the NL Least. Howard isn't hitting, Utley isn't hitting (haha 2 of Curtin's fantasy players)

Just for the hell of it... here's my NBA Elite
Kobe
Wade
Duncan
KG
Nash
Dirk
LBJ

Second Tier:
Iverson
T-Mac
Kidd
Carter
Shaq
Yao
Bosh
Arenas

Third Tier:
Pierce
Baron Davis
Brand
Jermaine O'Neal
Carmelo
Amare
Marion
Billups
Hamilton
Dwight Howard
Josh Howard
Chris Paul
Ray Allen
Tony Parker

For a few years now college coaches have been exposing a loop hole in the rules and text messaging recruits non stop. Like when chasing women, this can be a very effective tactic that guys like Billy Donovan and Urban Meyer to just name a few have been doing like crazy. I think it's important to regulate this because guys like OJ Mayo won't even give out their cell phone numbers. I'm kidding, but this contact does need to be controlled otherwise the kids will continue to get bombarded day and night.

I thought it was cool that the Washington National players were wearing Virginia Tech hats in Tuesday's game.

I know Coach Duleavy was upset that Dallas rested it's players against Golden State the other night but I can't get on them for that. They weren't doing it because they would rather face the Warrios then the Clippers (Warriors are 3-0 against Mavs this season). Avery did it for the good of his team. He didnt' have Stack and Dirk make the trip to Minnesota last week and he wanted them to get rest now. In every sport coaches who are playing for nothing before the playoffs make moves like this. In the NFL they might play the starters a quarter, in MLB they might push back someones start or give them a day off... so Dunleavy needs to quit whining and win some games in January and February.

Last thing, I would love to see a Nets-Raptors first round. I have been an avid Nets supporter for some time now (and they are my summer employer) but Carter deserves to be booed like crazy in Toronto. He quit on those guys and forced a trade. If a player ever did that to one of my teams i could never forgive him.

Wait one more thing... an isse that has been on my mind a lot lately is Chaffing
I watched the Boston Marathon the other day and this one guy ran by with blood all over one side of his chest. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say his bandaid fell off that nipple and thats what happened. Either that or an angry runner gave him a titty twister along the way. Now i was watching at mile 24, i cant imagine the pain he must have been in. On the other hand he may not have even known. a lot of these guys were just in a zone, not to be distracted by anything. I've known plenty of people to tape their nipples when wearing jerseys but never had i seen so much blood from not doing it.

While on the issue of chaffing I have recently begun running again and have been hit myself with the chaffing issue. I wear boxer briefs to run but sometimes this does not do the trick. Does anyone have any suggestions. Doug this may be your best opportunity to truley contribute to this blog, so what you got for me? I'm not really down for runnng spandex things, but is this the only option??

Does anyone think that maybe the sports bras women use are not only to control the "bounce" but also the issue of chaffing?

Friend of Mine

I am really looking forward to this years’ NBA Draft. Considering the fact that I am a Knicks fan, I really shouldn’t be. The Knicks will potentially be giving away a top five pick for the second consecutive year. The reason though that I am so intrigued by the draft is because of former University of Florida star, Joakim Noah. Joakim and I went to high school together. While like many friends from high school, I have kept in great touch with him, I am still very excited and interested in his potential NBA career.

We still have a few mutual friends and if I saw him it would be all good, but I do not really talk to him anymore. I am totally fine with this, but as a big sports fan there are times that I watch him play and wish I could talk to him about it. It is so weird to turn on WFAN or ESPN and hear pundits debating his draft status. At times like this, I would love the chance to talk to Joakim and discuss how he is going to become a better player and hopefully become one of the top players in the NBA as he did in college.

This got me thinking. What would I say to him? Well, there are so many things, but the main thing that keeps popping into my head is which current NBA All Star or Hall of Famer would I tell him to call for real advice. You always hear stories of young players calling some of the greats for advice on things they can do to be a better player. Look, Joakim is one of the more unique prospects to ever come into the Draft. He is long, skinny, has a weird looking jumper, has spotty offensive skills, has a never ending motor, is regarded as a tremendous teammate, and is a former Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. He is one of the most weird prospects to project and everyone seems to have a different opinion on how good (or bad) he could be.

The one guy I think he should try to contact would be Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. This is a player that is without a doubt one of the top 10 players of all time. He had incredible longevity and holds the all-time points scored record. In addition though, he won five MVPs and not only won five titles with the Lakers in the 1980's, but also won a title in the 70's with the Milwaukee Bucks. There are a couple reasons I would pick him over everyone else. First is his ability to maximize his talents. He developed maybe the most unstoppable shot (sky hook) in the history of the league. He put up huge numbers all over the stat sheet. In his prime he was averaging 28 points, 15 rebounds, 4-5 assists and 3-4 blocks. The second reason is Kareems' incredible longevity. He appeared to have the same body from the time he was 22 to when he retired as a 41 year old. He actually looks like he still has that same body. He was dedicated to his craft and perfected it.

The knock on Kareem was his lack of a personality and lack of toughness or intensity on the court. Those are things we know Joakim has (whether you like his personality or not). Other big men I think could help Joakim as far as performance on the court and preparation off it are Alonzo Mourning, Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley (smaller, but played big). Zo because he is the classic undersized center that battled his way to the top of the NBA through sure grit and determination. Walton because he was extremely talent, but ravaged by injury and he persevered to stay in the league longer than his legs should have allowed him. The Dream because he was a very good player who turned himself into an all time great midway through his career. He transformed his game and brought it to another level when people thought they had seen the best of him already. Sir Charles because of his fight and to be honest his candor. He would not only have good advice, but would nto be afraid to tell it like it is. I know there are many more who could help, but these are just guys that for some reason were the first into my head for whatever reason. In any event, I'm hoping for the best and we will see how it plays out. Thank you once again Isiah for being a jackass and losing our chance to get my boy. On second thought, the way things are goin maybe Joakim could drop to where the Bulls should pick...

Randoms

• Two best players in MLB thus far in my mind both play in New York. One plays shortstop and the other should be (six errors for Jeter already??? Move him over to third!!! I am kidding all you Yankee snifers). I am talking about AROD and Reyes. Both are off to outstanding starts, AROD with more power and Reyes with more of an all aorund game. It will be fun to see if both can keep this up and if so where their seasons end up. I will say it again, if AROD keeps this up and does NOT opt out of his deal I would be shocked. He could sign another seven year deal worth over $130 million in this market..
• Dice-K is now 1-2, but has pitched well in all three starts. I can't wait to see him on Sunday night baseball in Fenway against the Yankees. It looks like he will be going against either Chase Wright or Wang (if they feel they need to push him up).
• Again, there are no words to explain this Va Tech incident. I know the kid must have had serious problems and he would have likely found a way to do something crazy if he was in that state of mind, but the gun situation in this country just confuses me.
• Denver Nuggets have played great the past month and moved into the sixth seed in the West. Too bad for them they are a better match-up against the Suns (who they would have played if they stayed the seventh seed) than the Spurs (who they will play now). Iverson always gives Nash fits, and they like to play up and down. I still think the West will come down to the Suns and Spurs in Wes though. If thats the case I can't wait.
• If you watch Mets games you will notice that so far this year the player that has been pitched around most has been Jose Reyes. Late in the game he is the guy pitchers don't want to face. Pretty amazing for a leadoff hitter.
• Quick Giants note....I do not care what you think of Eli. The bottom line is he came out to the public and said he wants Plax and Shockey to come to the optional training camps in Jersey. They have heard his pleas and still elected to train down in Miami and not come up. Look, he might suck either way, but when the two best pass catchers refuse to train with the team(and young QB) that is a slap in a face. You gotta give the QB and the team the best chance to develop, and they are not doing that. I know a ton of Miami guys do this, but I don't care about the rest of them. These are two intrical member of the Giants, and they are undermining the QB and the team by not at least trying to sacrifice one offseason.
• If the Knicks end up with the first or second pick overall I honestly think I might never make it back to the Garden. This is for another post because I have so much hate for them, but lets just leave it at this...Dolan was interviewed on Mike and the Mad Dog yesterday and he said that Isiah has a multiyear deal and he is the man to lead the Knicks for the next few years.
• Jerry West is available, and still one of the best GMs in the game....
• Just finished Snow in August by Pete Hamill...Very good book about being a young boy in Brooklyn. Sprinkles in some baseball, magic and race relations. Definitely worth a read.
• Solid beginning of the end for The Sopranos. The end of this last episode really got me pumped up. There is truly an endless amount of directions they can go with it. I honestly do not think Tony will die, but honestly who knows. I will savor these last weeks though because while it is cliche to say this, Sopranos has been the best there is on TV over the past 8 years.

STKAFI...LETS GO RANGERS

Addiction is a Terrible Thing

The Following was first written on Wednesday April 11th.

Hello my name is Matthew and I am an addict. Its' been just about 12 hours since the last time I watched a game exclusively for fantasy purposes. I watched an entire baseball game last night without once having a preference as to which team won, this is what we call a fantasy dilemma, two starters both on my team working on relative gems. Matt Cain vs Chris Young, it was the first time I've watched a baseball game with absolute apathy concerning which team won, I truly did not care, so long as the score was low and someone came away with the win. As it turned out, they both dominated, Cain even taking a no hitter into the 7th. If I hadn't watched the game and someone told me it was 1-0, my first thought would not be to ask who won but to hope that either team's closer had blown it in the ninth while allowing the other pitcher to go the distance. To attain the coveted CG SHO.

Now, while I would prefer to think of myself as a baseball addict, monitoring scores every day because I truly care about the national league, rotating between 4-5 games on my MLB.TV subscription because I care; I don't. . . other than a slight affection for the Pirates and the Mets(fostered only by friends talking about them constantly). There is not one game in the national league that I care about in the slightest. Cardinals vs. Braves? Who fucking cares.

Thankfully there is a line; and we can draw that line with the Boston Red Sox. While in the past I have admitted that a Manny Ramirez groundout is not as terrible as a strikeout, this does not mean I am rooting for one. So far, I draw the line with the BoSox. Last season this was unequivocally true, never once when watching or attending a game did I root for someone over the Red Sox. This line while not having been crossed this season; will be tested when I am present for Dice-K V King Felix at Fenway tomorrow night. While I am a little worried for myself now, there is no doubt that once I enter Fenway Park, everything will be fine. That place is electric 100% of the time. Until I prove that the addiction does have boundaries, for now I'll just be happy I switched to a bases loaded 9th the other day that didn't have anything to do with "my guys" over a Delmon Young at bat (he homered). .

Also I get way to much joy from ridiculing Mr. Relaxo for his terrible fantasy drafts, and subsequently making fun of Neal for losing to the Chone Figgins all stars in the first week of the season. It can't be healthy.

****An update****
I wrote this about a week ago but since Neal couldn't post it until around now, ive got some updated information regarding my little addiction. I did attend the King Felix Masterpiece at Fenway. I was very much relieved that I was rooting for the Red Sox over my Fantasy Stud. Granted, the pain of my home team getting no hit was lessened a tiny bit by my separate interests in the game, but when JD Drew hit one up the middle, I was happy and celebrated along with everyone else. I've heard certain people telling me that at some point, one has to start rooting for history over the home team. Its an interesting point but I don't think I can see that happening at Fenway. The people there are just too passionate(to the point of insanity with some Boston Fans)


As a guest writer, who knows when I'll be called up for another chance, so to provide some balance to the constant barrage of people tonguing A-Rod's balls (he has been a beast but is still a bitch).
Couple Points on the Red Sox and other things

1. A: Dice-K is sick but even if he beats up on the Mariners and Royals; No verdict i s in until those bum ass yanks come into town. So easy Boston fans(not that any Boston fan would ever heed that advise)
2. As I'm writing this, this girl I work with, her dad just called her because he just scratched a 1 million dollar lottery ticket. (Don't worry only 30 Grand a year for ever) So for anybody that lives in Cambridge and didn't stop at the neighborhood bodega for a lotto ticket, way to blow it. Seriously kill yourself
3. I kinda like JD Drew, haven't seen enough yet but he has been solid hustling in the field and hasn't shown much of the lack of effort that we hear so much about. Though I'm sure he'll die this afternoon from a faulty cleat or something.
4. Schilling, Papelboner and Beckett will be fine. Romero, Pinero, Timlin and co will not be
5. I really don't like Julio Lugo
6. Or Dustin Pedroia
7. Ricky Davis is the most Electrifying man in sports.
8. Sox and Yanks are in trouble when it comes to Pitching but what else is new
9. Joe Crede is terrible
10. I don't know about this Julio Lugo guy, it is tough to see these Red Sox and compare them to the 2004 World Series team, so many new faces, hired guns every year. Its tough to get behind all of these guys, im sure ill come around like I did with Lowell and Crisp last year but the Red Sox fully embracing the evil empire(buy players) mentality has been a weird transition

And Finally, thank the lord for Kevin Durant officially announcing.
Let's do it Celtics, Lose these last few, we can do it.

This post was written by special contributor to the blog CERTANE.

Virginia Tech Tragedy

First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims involved in this terrible tragedy.

Furthermore, I would like to say that I am shocked and appalled at how this situation was handled by the university and the police. Please keep in mind I am reacting and writing in this manner with information I have as of now. I'm sure all the facts have yet to come out and some of this is still purely speculative. But from what I can gather, this incident seemed to be handled very poorly.

From what I understand, the shooter, a Virginia Tech student and dormitory resident left his dorm room and shot and killed an RA, and a female student (some say the shooters girlfriend). A 911 call was made around 7:15am and police arrived on the scene shortly. At this point, without a suspect in custody, why has the school not been locked down IMMEDIATELY? I understand officials "believed"this first shooting was domestic dispute, and they "believed" the shooter had left campus, but if you don't have someone in custody at this point, you don't have a weapon, and you don't have a definitive motive, there is still a shooter out on the loose. And there is a possibility, a good possibility as far as I would be concerned, the shooter is on the campus.

Regardless of what officials believed, there was a shooting on campus, domestic dispute or not, a gun was used IN A DORM. And the shooter was NOT captured. If I were running a university and I had word that there was a shooting on campus, the first thing I would do is cancel class and have students staying in their dorms and lock their doors strictly based on the fact that there is a chance the shooter is still loose and could be on campus. Even as a precaution. Virginia Tech decided to keep investigating and finally sent out an email 2 HOURS later (and about 10 minutes before the mass shootings), without mention of a lock down or a suspect in custody.

I just simply don't understand how this is the only action that was taken, and even why it took nearly two hours to have any sort of communication with the students. I remember exactly were I was during Astronomy class during 9/11. Within nearly 15 minutes of the incident a girl came running down the aisle of the 200+ student lecture hall, and whispered something in the professors ear. Just like that, class was cancelled and everyone was told to return to their dorm room. Granted this was a national crisis, but in VT's case, it was an isolated incident on THEIR campus (which I feel is even more reason to shut down). And an email was sent out? Two hours later? I find this disturbing.

Not to mention, there had been multiple bomb threats in the past couple weeks. Couldn't there be a chance, these incidents were connected? Again, a lot of this rant is without all the facts and very speculative. However, I do believe this could have been handled better regardless. Who knows what would have happened if a more drastic action was taken, or even if it would have prevented the second shootings from happening, but I believe I would have felt better about this whole situation if the university and police had been a little more aggressive.

As sad and disturbing this incident was, if there is one positive conclusion that can be taken out of this it could be learning from the mistakes made, to hopefully prevent such a heinous crime from occurring in the future.

When will women learn?

There's a reason for the expression, "Women belong in the kitchen". If they wander outside of the confined boundaries from which they are comfortable, "accidents" may occur:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/15/sports/NA-SPT-TEN-Graf-Injured.php

My guess is Steffi made a smart-ass remark about how Sampras was always better and how she thought Andre was sexier with the long hair and headband.

I tend to agree with both statements.

Some Things are Worth Waiting For...

especially waiting an extra day or two for Smurph Baggins blog post. As a Jets fan in the 90s, the NFL Draft might as well have been the Super Bowl for me. It's always been one of my favorite events of the year and the Jets always make it exciting. I won't go too deep into the history, but they arguably have had more busts (Blair Thomas, Johnny Lam Jones, Kyle Brady...) and made more boneheaded decisions than any other team in the NFL (Ken O'Brien over Marino, Brady over Sapp, Bryan Thomas over Ed Reed. So with the draft a little under 2 weeks away, I've decided to take out the hairspray and do my best Mel Kiper Jr. impression with my own Top 5 Mock draft, as well as some thoughts on what a couple of other teams might do.

1. Oakland- JaMarcus Russell
Anyone remember Akili Smith? Great physical skills, but after one game he jumped all the way to the top of the draft. Look at all the quarterbacks that torched Notre Dame's defense the past season. One of the biggest misconceptions is that he's very mobile. He can move around, but he's not McNabb, he's not even Culpepper. They should get rid of Moss and take Calvin Johnson. He's a freak.

2. Detroit- Joe Thomas
Probably the 2nd best player in the draft behind Johnson. However, if Calvin is still on the board I can't wait to see Millen take another reciever.

3. Cleveland- Brady Quinn
He's the sure thing at QB in the draft. He's a local guy and can start from Day 1. They may have a more pressing need at RB, but I don't think they'll pass on a franchise QB.

4. Tampa Bay- Calvin Johson
Hands down best player in the draft. The Bucs make the playoffs next year.

5. Arizona- Gaines Adams
First defensive guy taken in the draft. Hell of an athlete at DE, and Cards really need OL but this guy could be a great pass rusher either at DE or at 3-4 OLB.

I think the G-Men need Posluszny. He should still be around at 20 and I think he could step in and start right away at weakside LB. The Pats could go a number of different ways with their 2 first round picks. I think they'll look for help at LB and in the secondary. If Posluszny or Patrick Willis are still around they'll grab one of those guys. Then I could see them going with Aaron Ross, Michael Griffin, or Reggie Nelson. I know they upgraded the WR position in the offseason but I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a WR that might slip like Dwayne Jarrett. Those tricky tricky Jets can probably go a number of different ways. My guess is they'll go after a corner, unless they sign the Gay guy away from the Patriots. Guys like Chris Houston, Darelle Revis, and Aaron Ross are some of the likely names. If Greg Olsen drops, I think he might be under consideration as well. Katzo's Dolphins probably will go for Levi Brown. They need some help on the OL especially to protect Trent Green if he comes aboard.

His Body has Bledsoe Much

Sorry for the title of this post, but if you guys know me at all, you know it had to be done.

Say goodbye to Drew Bledsoe. If it weren't for him, the Patriots wouldn't be the powerhouse they are today. But more importantly, say goodbye to TonyHomo.com, quite possibly the funniest, wittiest, most creative sports blog in a long time.

Cjeasy has a long day of mourning ahead of him.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/04/11/bc.fbn.bledsoeretires.ap/index.html

NBA AWARDS

April 21st is the start of the NBA playoffs and it couldn't come any sooner. Teams are resting their stars for the playoffs and others are resting every serviceable player for a better chance in the lottery. In fact Avery Johnson recently said if Dirk or Stackhouse are on the plane to Minnesota tonight he will fine them.

So without further ado, my end of season awards

MVP:
I've always been one to pick the MVP from a good team. I can't remember it not going that way in basketball, but I was against A-rod winning it from last place Rangers.
The contenders:
Dirk-24.7, 9.1, 3.4
Nash- 18.9, 11.5, 3.5
Duncan- 20.1, 10.6, 3.4
Kobe- 31.2, 5.6, 5.5
LBJ- 27.5, 6.8, 6

I would consider these the top 5 contenders. I will begin by saying if you remove each one of these players from their respective teams they would fall into this order... Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Lakers, Cavs Probably the same order they are in in the current standings. Based on that, I would have a hard time voting for Kobe or LBJ. You could say yeah well if you remove those two, their teams fall into the bottom half of the lottery not just a worse seed in the playoffs. I agree, but I want my MVP taking a good team to elite levels.

So now we're down to the top 3. In the past 25 games, the Spurs have a better record then both the Suns and Mavs. Duncan is of course at the forefront of all this. Maybe it's because he's not on tv all the time, maybe it's because we have grown accustomed to his averages, but he's the 3rd dog in a 3 horse race. When I watch the other two, they change everything about the game. Nash and Dirk force teams to play different defenses then you would against any other team in basketball. Dirk posts up around the foul line where he's hard to double team and shoots that lofty fade away jump shot, virtually unblockable. We all know what Nash does. Following in the shoes of my boy Jason Kidd, he makes everyone around him so much better.

I'm going with Dirk this year. I think Amare, Marion, Barbosa are legit NBA stars in their own right and Nash is that key piece that gets them to play together. I'm not sold on Dirk's surrounding talent, and I believe he alone makes that team elite. Howard is good, Terry is solid, Stackhouse solid but these guy's don't touch the talent of the Suns. Dirk had the Mavs on a 70 win pace most of the season, he was as durable as anyone, and is primed for a big playoff run.

Coach of the Year:
Contenders:
Jerry Sloan 48-29
Jeff Van Gundy 49-29
Sam Mitchell 45-33

It's amazing to me that Jerry Sloan has never won the coach of the year award, and unfortunately this is not his year either. He has guided the Jazz to a surprising 4/5 seed in the deep west and done so with a 2nd year point guard, and often injured forwards Kirlenko and Boozer. We think of stability when we think of the Jazz and then steady success doesn't always get you the recognition you deserve.

The Rockets have battled injuries to Yao and T-Mac all season. Yet Battier, and the rest of the supporting cast have held this unit together and are neck and neck with the Jazz for homecourt. No one has ever denied the talent of T-Mac and Yao, but getting them on the same page, both playing defense as Van Gundy loves to preach has been another thing. This team has been a sleeper pick for years, and Van Gundy has them primed to reach that elusive second round.

But our winner is Mr. Mitchell. As much credit is probably owed to Colangelo for putting this team together but outside of Bosh, this is a team of no names. Ford is good, and Bargani had a nice rookie season but the 3 seed in the East??? That is something no one could have predicted. I usually go with the coach who exceeded the most expectations and that has to be Mitchell. They could lose in the first round, but this is a regular season award and the Raps have been winning on a pace usually reserved for the Western Conference Elite.

Rookie of the Year:
Your winner Brandon Roy
16.7, 4.4, 4.0

He has no competition here so I won't waste your time arguing the point.

Bargani would have given him a run for his money had it not been for the appendectomy which ended his season prematurely.

Most Improved:

David Lee

Knicks were heading for the post season before Lee was hit with his injuries. Mr. Double Double himself played his way into the hearts of Knick fans. His relentless energy and rebounding gives us some hope for next season and him and Curry figure to be a playoff front line for years to come.

If I wasn't blinded by Knicks blue and orange I would probably go with the Brazilian Blue, Barbosa. There is no one in the league that can stay in front of him and he is averaging over 18ppg and shoots over 40% from three.


Other Notes:

It's an A-Bomb for A-Rod! 6 homeruns in his first 9 games... quieting the fans at least for now

Two strong starts in a row for Pavano and Pettite... it's nice to see that ship righted.

Congrats to blogger Katzo on taking out blogger Neal in week 1 of fantasy baseball

NHL playoffs starts tonight.. .anyone else think the Rangers are taking out the Thrasher in round 1?


Sangyina (Neal look alike) did great last night



Love what Commissioner Goodell did. These athletes for the most part are able to buy their justice. Well when the league takes a stance like this and courtrooms decision aren't the bottom line, it is a huge step. Pacman is a great talent with a knack for getting in trouble. This may hurt the Titans but in the long run will hopeuflly help Pacman get back on track

R.I.P Kurt Vonnegut

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/books/12vonnegut.html?hp

Read his books. Tremendously thought provoking and timeless. A true genius.

Early Schedule Thoughts

At first glance, the G-Women's schedule does not look much easier than last year. Right off the bat with a prime time game at Dallas. At Washington and then Philly in weeks 3 and 4 will not be easy. Then you got those tricky, tricky Jets, a Monday night game in the dome at Atlanta against Vick. To finish off the first half of the season it's an up and coming San Francisco team and then off to London against the Dolphins. Similar to last year, it's gonna be a matter of them getting through the first half of the season and hope to remain in contention. However, the schedule doesn't really lighten up at all to finish off the year. Best case scenario, I see a 10-6 finish, but I can also see them going 6-10 just as easily. I think they'll be favored against GB, Jets, SF, Miami, Dallas, Det, Minn, Wash, and Buff. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt in most cases. I don't see that they've made significant improvements as of now. I think they need to grab a linebacker in the draft(I'll get into this Friday) and then hope some young guys step up. But I'll go with 9-7 and and actually even slip into a wild card berth once again.

My completely biased opinion on the tricky, tricky J-E-T-S is that they caught a break from the schedule makers once again. I think they split in the division overall going 4-2. Out of division games aren't as daunting as I thought they would be. Baltimore has an aging McNair, and a defense that lost Adalius Thomas. However, McGahee kills us so we lose that game. We beat the G-Women, no questions asked, it is not up for debate. Has anyone ever looked at Eli on the sideline. He sits by himself with this dumbfounded look on his face, while big Chad is moving around yelling, getting people fired up. And he was a freakin' Rhodes Scholar. Who needs arm strength? Anyway both Washington and Philly come to the Meadowlands, along with Pittsburgh and KC. I like our chances against Gibbs, Herm, and a rookie coach. I'll take a loss to Philly, but then we'll get revenge against the Browns at home this year. The other 3 road games are the 'Boys, Cincy, and the Titans. Cincy will beat us, the other 2 are close to a toss up. So I see the J-E-T-S being favored against Miami, @Buff, Buff, Wash, Pitt, @Miami, Cleve, Tenn, KC. Like the G-males, I see around 9-7 record. They were clearly helped out by the schedule last year and it will probably much more difficult to make the playoffs this time around. All that said, we're going 12-4 and knocking the Pats from the top of the AFC East, starting week 1 at the Meadowlands.

To Put It More Simply

Our first look at Kansas City starter: Zack Greinke, whose career nearly got derailed by an anxiety disorder last season. That's really the difference between the Sox and Royals in a nutshell: When the Sox need a No. 3 starter, they can just say "screw it" and spend $103 million on the best Japanese pitcher alive. When the Royals need a No. 3 starter, they roll the dice with a guy battling an anxiety disorder. These are the things that happen when a professional sports league decides against a salary cap.

Quote from Bill Simmons in his diary about Dice-K.

Level Playing Field?

What is so different about Major League Baseball than the other three (if you count the NHL) major sports? Your first answer is probably its history. It is affectionately referred to as America’s National Pastime. It has been around for over 100 years and many of the most recognizable American athletes/icons from the 20th Century played baseball. Names such as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, and Sandy Koufax are obvious examples of these. The other sports meanwhile did not fully establish themselves until the later part of the 20th Century. While many feel that the NFL has since passed MLB by in popularity, baseball is currently considered by many to be as strong as ever.

At this point in baseballs’ history a more relevant difference than the other sports stands out though. While each of the other three sports have instituted a salary cap, baseball has thus far refused to do so. I am not concerned with the politics of why baseball has not followed the same approach as these other sports. What I am concerned with though is the direction that baseball is headed without having a stronger form of payroll regulation.

In the year 2001, baseball was at a unique time in its history. The game appeared from the outside to be prospering as well as it ever had, catapulted by both Cal Ripkin breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak in 1995 and the Summer of 1998, where Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa battled for the all-time single season home run record. Owners though were crying broke and there were rumblings that they would try to institute a salary cap at the middle of that season (when the collective bargaining agreement expired). Never in the history of labor negotiations between the owners and the players in MLB did the owners "win" when it came down to it. It was clear that at this point they were going to stand as firm as ever. At the same time though, the nation was still recovering from the events of 9/11 which had happened not even a year prior. As a result the players had to give in much more than in the past, but in addition the owners could not stand as firm as they would have liked to ideally because the fans did not have patience for petty fighting between multi-millionaires. The outcome was significant financial changes (increased revenue sharing, luxury tax, etc) but not a salary cap.

In the years that have followed since then, baseball has found the proverbial money pit. Due to some shrewd business moves concerning both national television contracts and the Internet (MLB.com) baseball is richer than it has ever been. In addition, while the luxury tax has not taxed many teams, the ones that it did tax supplied some extra income to the teams that were in need. This sudden fortune has made many franchises forget of their crying broke in 2001 and encouraged them to look towards the future. I do not see this fortune as being around forever though, and I view the current collective bargaining agreement as a band-aid over a wound that needs stitches.

Look, I am not going to sit here and tell you that I am an expert on the numbers and the legal facts of the collective bargaining agreement. What I am going to use is my common sense derived from my understanding of the MLB situation and the situation of the other major sports leagues. The fact remains that the luxury tax in MLB has only been inflicted on three franchises (New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Anaheim Angels) since its inception. In addition, prior to 2007 only one franchise had been penalized more than once (New York Yankees). When you look at the numbers of the money paid out as a result of the luxury tax, only one team (New York Yankees) have paid a significant amount. Now this is by no means a knock on the Yankees. All this is saying is that this tax is set at such a high level that the high majority of the teams are not even close to reaching it. The luxury tax threshold is set at $148 million for 2007, $155m for 2008, $162m for 2009, $170m for 2010 and $178m for 2011. To put that in perspective, the highest team payroll for 2006 was $194m (Yankees), second was $120m (Red Sox), third was $103m (Angels) and so on. While the 2007 figures are not out yet, it is clear that based on last years numbers only one team would pay the tax, and the rest of the league is nowhere close.

This is not to say that the Yankees are alone in this financial imbalance. There are a group of teams in major markets that can dwarf the income of smaller market franchises. How can you expect a Milwaukee Brewers to financially compete with a Los Angeles Dodgers or a New York Mets without some extreme help? When you look at these other leagues, they all go about it in somewhat different ways, but they all have the same basic concept. They are capping the amount that the highest payrolls can be. While the NBA has a "soft cap", which means you can technically go over it. Once you are over it you cannot increase your payroll by much by acquiring a player from another team. The NBA basically allows flexibility to resign a teams players. I am not an expert, so I am not saying what kind of cap the MLB should have, all I am saying is that they need something.

I do not really care about the supposed parody of the past eight seasons in MLB. What I am concerned with is the future. This influx of money from new stadiums, the upcoming MLB Network and MLB.com will be old in five years. While the Royals were able to pay a pitcher $11m a year to come pitch for them, how many teams were able to realistically bid for pitcher on the open market from Japan? Smaller market teams have more money than they used to, but so do large market teams. The gap is still very large, it is just shifting to higher numbers.

Opponents of a salary cap point to teams like the Twins and the A's. These are two small market teams that have shown the ability to compete consistently in this generation without a high payroll. When you look at these teams, they have proven to have very consistent and prodigious minor league systems. While they have different philosophies, one thing is consistent in both and that is that they rely on production from their young players. Well, look at a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are forced to go by that same model as the Twins and A's. The thing with the Pirates though is that in their past seven drafts they have picked a pitcher in the first round. Six of those pitchers has suffered a major arm injury. They do not have the luxury of signing a Dice-K or Pedro Martinez to soften this blow. They endure bad luck and have to live with it. Teams like the Anaheim Angels or New York Mets can overcome this bad luck through spending from their seeming less endless pile of money.

The other type of way to compete as a small market is the "yo-yo" plan. This has been used by teams such as the Texas Rangers, Arizona D'Backs and most famously the Florida Marlins. They spend a ton of money for a year or two, win as much as possible while most likely losing money and then sell all your players, most likely lose games and make your money back. While this may make sense for an owner, it has got to be hell on a fan. Especially in the Rangers case because they did not even win as a result of it.

As you can tell I feel very passionately about this subject. Luckily I am a fan of a team that has money. While money has never guaranteed my team wins, it promises me as a fan that my team has the opportunity to use any avenue to improve the team, whether its posting highest for an international player, spending more on scouting, signing a high priced free agent, or trading for an overpaid star. While the other sports leagues provide this to each of their fans, MLB does not.

Lastly I want to make two points. One counter argument by (selfish) fans of high priced teams is that if their owner or team is making money then why should he give it up to other teams. If those owners wanted to buy the Cubs or the Yankees then they could have. My answer to that is this...baseball is a sport above all else. While Target may try to put Walmart out of business to make more money, the Mets can't try to put the Pirates out of business. Without teams like the Pirates, Royals and so on, these big market teams would have no one to play, and there would be no league for them to play and make money through.

When people look at the NFL they see the epitome of revenue sharing and a salary cap where every team can compete. Most experts point to one man as the driving force behind this development. That man was Wellington Mara. He was was the late owner of the New York Giants. As the oldest franchise in the largest market in the League, Mara could have held out to get his team the most money possible. Not only did he not do that, he pushed to get the revenues shared throughout the league. He saw that without the other teams, there was no league and there was no Giants. Can any of you see a George Steinbrenner or a Fred Wilpon doing this? It is time that these big market owners stopped thinking strictly about dollars for a moment and realized that the game needs fairness to exist.

This is a situation that is so complicated and so intricate that it could take years to figure out (it has and will) and take hundreds of pages to write about (I wish I could). There are so many more details and arguments that can be made on this subject. The bottom line though is that the way baseball is financially structured now is not fair. I don't care if you are a Mets fan, a Marlins fan, a Giants fan or whomever, but you have to realize this. I know that they are wasting time now, but I hope that someday they get it right. Until then, I will root for my team and continue to be lucky I did not grow up in a Pittsburgh or a Tampa Bay.

STKAFI

I Can Relate...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/steve_hofstetter/04/10/standup.guy/index.html

Being a Knicks fan has probably been the toughest of all my teams. That is definitely saying something when you consider I root for the Mets (Bobby Bonilla and Mo Vaughn anyone?) and the Giants (Vikings in 1997 and 49ers in 2002). In my mind our best shot for a title was in 1993 (Charles Smith I hate you) or 1997 (can you stay on the bench Ewing/Starks/everyone and their moms). In any event, I hate you Isiah.

STKAFI

Week in Review

One week is in the books (well for most teams, I would not want to be a Cleveland Indians fan right now) for the MLB regular season. We have seen some surprises, some disappointments, and even some dramatics, in what has been a wild and crazy opening week.

Lets start with the Cleveland/Seattle series, which was completely wiped out because of snow. Now the Indians next series with the Angles has been moved to Milwaukee's Miller Park. This essentially has taken three home games away for the Indians, and at the very least postponed three more. This has brought up a debate that hasn't really come into play, at least taken this seriously, for the history of Major League Baseball: Should cold weather teams host early April home games? Frankly, I'm not sure which side of the fence I am on. The fact that this has not really been that big of an issue in the past say, 100 years leads me to believe that it should not be changed or addressed. However, I do realize this does cause a problem for fans, and can lead to early season injuries for players.

If I had to choose, I believe the players, fans, coaches, umpires, and executives should suck it up, and play as long as the weather permits. Obviously, this weekend's snow was unplayable, but for the most part this is very rare. Weather effects outdoor sports all the time, why should the MLB be any different?

I find it amazing how one swing of the bat can change a players game and mental state. The same can be said for the fans and the media. On Saturday afternoon, Alex Rodriguez did just that by CRUSHING a walk off grand slam, down one, with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth on a 1-2 count. You could feel for him, you knew he was going to choke. Against Tampa Bay less than two days before Arod was in an almost identical situation and in "typical" form failed to come through. He had even swung straight through a fastball the pitch before, the anticipation of boos and angered fans was palpable. Then with one pitch, one stroke of the bat all of that disappeared.

Of course, that being said, it's a week into the season, and obviously Arod will not be able to keep up this pace. However, with that one moment, he avoided the usual criticism, at least for now, and it looks like he could have a monster year and help lead the struggling Yankees to the playoffs.

Overpaid pitchers market: Dice-K (6 years, $52 million, + the $51.1 million posting fee) looked great, no real surprise there. Barry Zito (7 years, $126 million), not so much.

Dice-K (1-0): 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1BB, 10K, 1.29 ERA
Zito (0-2): 11.0 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, 8.18 ERA...(Giants 1-6), yikes

Top 10 Power Rankings (through week 1):

1. LAA Angels (5-2): Strong pitching staff is only going to get stronger with the additions of Colon and Weaver down the road.
2. NY Mets (5-2): This line-up is very, very scary and Reyes is a special player. Starting pitching has been a nice surprise though, not sure if they can keep it up, let's hope they're aren't many Bingo games floating around Shea.
3. Atlanta Braves (5-1): Very impressive start, sweep of the Phils and taking 2 of three from the Mets. Starting pitching still a concern (what a surprise Hampton is out for the year). Bullpen is phenomenal, and if Kelly Johnson can start to get on base they will score a lot of runs.
4. NY Yankees (3-3): Starters have been horrendous, yet the Yanks still managed to squeak out 3 wins. The pitching will come around and this line-up is the best in the majors.
5. Boston Red Sox (3-3): If Dice-K can continue his strong start, they will make a push for the AL East Title.
6. Florida Marlins (5-2): Miguel Cabrera is the very early NL MVP and putting up fantastic numbers (he will be getting Pujols and Bonds treatment by the All-Star break). Still very young. Hanley Ramirez needs to stay healthy, he is exciting to watch.
7 Arizona Diamondbacks (6-2): Strong pitching (Randy Johnson to still to come), clutch hitting, but they play in the NL West.
8. Minnesota Twins (4-2): Mauer, Cuddyer, and Morneau are one of the better 3-4-5 combo's in the game. And they have the best starter (Santana) and closer (Nathan) in the MLB today.
9. Detroit Tigers (3-3): The defending AL champs are off to a somewhat slow start, but still have the line-up and the young fireballers to still be one of the favorites to come out of the AL.
10. Toronto Blue Jays (4-2): I liked this team at the beginning of the year, but playing in the AL East its impossible to pick them to finish anything above third. Pitching has been inconsistent, but could make a serious run if Burnett can pitch consistently like he did last night. Haven't played anyone yet or I would have put them higher.

Teams to watch for: San Diego Padres (5-2): Strong pitching, but again, NL West. Cleveland Indians (2-1): Like the squad as a whole, bullpen questions plus they literally haven't played anybody. Pittsburgh Pirates (4-3): In a wide open division, and I like their young line-up.

Disappointments: SF Giants (1-6): Zito signing is looking worse and worse every game. Philadelphia Phillies (1-6): Jimmy Rollins might want to think about taking the foot out of his mouth. The offense is no where to be found. Charlie Manuel may be looking for a new job sooner than later if this keeps up. St. Louis Cardinals (3-4): Defending World Champs were swept by the Mets at home, and now their star pitcher has landed on the DL. I can see myself taking shots with Tony LaRussa in the near future.

One comment on the Masters:

Ballsy performance by Zach Johnson by holding off Tiger. It was half Johnson playing well enough to win and not falling apart. Half Tiger not being on his game and unable to make a serious run at the green jacket.

And I didn't see this shot until after the tournament, but are you kidding me??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGfDk1Oxj_A

How did he not break his wrist? How did he even come up with a shot like that? And how did the result of the shot end up as good as it was? He knew the risks of the shot, he knew he wouldn't be able to replace the club for the rest of the round, and he KNEW what he was doing. This is why you love to root for Tiger.

Grouch (Grump) Wear

Since Smurph Baggins has fallen off the face of the earth and doesn't post when he is supposed to. Plus the fact that it is Good Friday and I am stuck at work with the other Jews (I'm only half) feeding off the free pizza they are going to get us for being stuck here today. Which is extra special because I am not keeping Kosher but everyone else is...suckers. I thought I would pass along this heart warming story about a minor league mascot who is just a squirrel trying to find a nut. Sorry.

http://www.timesleader.com/news/20070403_03grump_arrest_ed.html

This story coincides with my usual mood (as my friends will attest to), particularly today, "I'm stuck at work all day, gruumppp ummp umm ummmp".

Fortunately for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, from what I saw at Foxwoods last week, Curtin will be first in line to interview for this job to complete his wardrobe.

Masters update for anyone who cares:

Tiger: +1 on the day thru 3, +2 overall, T-18th
Tits Magee: +4 overall, T-41st, Tees off at 2:03pm

Current leader: Brett Wretterich, -1 on the day thru 9, -4 overall (both he and Justin Rose shot 69, hehe, yesterday).

Apparently Jay Buhner has been hanging out with Choppers lately:

http://withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=2536

Look more closelier...Happy Easter everybody.

Play the Lotto

Now that One Shining Moment has played we can address our next stop for basketball, the NBA Draft.

I have watched a lot of college bball this season, and my feelings on guys have gone up and down all year. I will rate my players for this draft, but since we do not know the draft order this is not a prediction of their draft position Also, i will talk about any guy even remotely considering the draft, not just those who have declared.

Oden- Not too much to say about him that everyone hasn't already. He delivered his best in the season's biggest moment. He protects that rim like nobody I have ever seen on the college level. I've even been impressed with his righty jump hook, which at his height is virtually unblockable. Also that step through to the middle where he reaches out with his left hand. I mean look at how raw a guy like Dwight Howard is and the success he is having. Oden is not raw, but impressively polished. Still got to wonder if he cares enough about winning each and every night, but I think all the great things we expect from him will be realized.

Durant- His level of play was so consistently high this season it's scary. The only subpar game I remember off the top of my head was following that Ok St. thriller, the Villanova game a few days later was a poor performance from him. He is talented, marketable.... and in love with school??? He rebounds, he blocks shots, and he has a great stroke from 3. This is a guy that you draft no matter who you have on your team, players like this find ways on the court no matter who is in front of them.

Brewer- No Florida player made a bigger jump from last year to this year. Usually the knock on perimeter players leaving college is that they don't know how to play D. This is not the case with Brewer. He effects shorter players shots, and he plays the passing lane as well as anyone. Although he shot lights out in the Final Four, I'm not sold on his as a deadly shooter. On PTI the other day one of the two compared him to a young Pippen. I love the comparison. The way he runs the floor and can do a bit of everything reminds me of the way Pippen was as well.

Conley- I am a big point guard guy. Teams with true point guards are usually better off then those that don't have them. There is a very short list in the NBA of pg's I want. Kidd, Paul, Nash, Deron Williams, and maybe one day Marcus Williams. I may have left someone out, but the point being... Mike Conley is a point guard! He will make others better. He is so quick that Georgetown could not even let Wallace bring it up, instead they turned to their shooting guard Sapp. He forced Taurean Green of Florida into 6 turnovers on Monday night. His jump shot does not appear to be the most reliable, but what he does with his penetration, finishing and defense is more then enough to sell me.

Horford- Anyone who was not sold on the real Big Al before the second half Monday should be now. Until then, I only thought of him as a back to the basket, overpower you over his left shoulder type of guy (think Devon Bruce). That second half though, he was knocking down jump shots, he ever hit one memorable off the dribble jumper. Combine that with Billy Donovan saying Horford as the highest basketball IQ of any player he has ever coached. His dad was a Dominican born NBA player. He reminds me of an Elton Brand type. Neal had mentioned Karl Malone, either will work.

Wright & Wright- I don't know what to say about these guys. They are both long, good finishers and both have bright futures. They were both surrounded by such talent that they were never really relied on to be big time, crunch time, go to guys. Combine that with dissapointing tournament finishes and I have question marks for both. However, they each also have this feel of Chris Bosh to me. I don't know... I think they will both be successful, I think Brandon will eave, and I think Julian will stay.

Byars- I never saw this kid play until the tournament. He was player of the year in the SEC and I fell in love with his game. He is a true 2 guard and athletic as hell. He takes the big shots and makes big athletic defensive plays. I'm not sure of who he reminds me of, because I don't think he has the height of a T-Mac or Vince, but he's athletic like that. He scored 19 in the second half when they upset Washington St. Wow, i just looked him up, he's 6'7 230. Now I love him even more. Draft this man.

Noah- Love the energy, love the attitude, don't love the game. I mean David Lee averaged about 12 and 12, and is generally considered a high energy, rebounding type of guy. Is Noah better then David Lee? He definitely will block more shots, but Lee does have a jump shot that Noah lacks. I wouldn't jump too high on this guy, even with what he brings.

Hibbert and Gray- I think the NBA is too fast for guys like this now. Look at the big men coming in. Amare and Howard are the recent two successful ones, and they are athletic, powerful, agile, etc. Gray and Hibbert are not. Guy's are too fast these days to be a plodding 7 foot center. 7 footers are Garnett, Dirk, Bargani, etc... how many "plodders" we still got left??? Curry I guess is a plodder, but his agility and athleticsim on offense far surpass that of these two. Don't get me wrong they do have value, but I can't see either one being an all star.


Jeff Green- I don't think he is quite on the level of deference of Rudy Gay, but really 5 shots in the national semifinal??? I mean this is one game after hitting that ridiculous shot the game before. He plays D, he passes (reminds me of Luke Walton for his size with that passing ability). I think he can score, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I like him in the 8-10 range. I think he'll be a Battier type, or better.

Just Because

Look, I would love to go on and on about how I hate the Yankees. The bottom line though is that it would take way too long to write and no one would read it. I understand my audience. At least fifty percent of you are Yankee fans. In any event, I might as well just write about the 2007 edition of this storied franchise (in a negative light).

For the past six or seven seasons, the Yankees have had the highest payroll in baseball. This year is no different. They not only have the highest payroll, but they are ahead of the second place Boston Red Sox by about $30 million. I know that all the Yankees are doing is playing by the rules that are agreed upon by the owners and the player union, but I would remissed not to mention their extremely high payroll when discussing this team. It is just a fact in Major League Baseball today that payroll disparity is everywhere. The Yankees though are in at a level of their own when it comes to payroll. While they have lowered it by about $20 million from a couple years ago, they are still far and away the highest paid team in the sport.

When you look at this Yankee roster there are big names all over the place. You have Derek Jeter at shortstop, Alex Rodriguez at third, Johnny Damon in center field, Mariano Rivera in the bullpen, and so on. Their offensive firepower is tremendous and their pitching staff is filled with high paid veterans, while they have hard throwing youngsters waiting in the minors. If you had to pick one real baseball team to be you fantasy baseball team, the Yankees would without a doubt be the number one pick.

As we all know though, baseball is not played on paper (it's played on on grass, stupid). When I look at this ballclub, they have a couple of glaring weaknesses. While I understand that every team in baseball has its weaknesses, I believe that the Yankee weaknesses are going to be most apparent in later in the season and more specifically in October. In addition, these are the same weaknesses that the Yankees have had the past few years and have failed to address.

1. Defense. The Yankees are not a good defensive team. Their outfielders have worst arms of any outfield in baseball. Matsui is a below average left fielder at this point in his career. Johnny Damon still can cover some ground in center, but his arm is probably the worst in all of baseball. Abreu is an average right fielder, with an above average arm and is known to have mental lapses in the field. In the infield, as I have stated in a prior post, Jeter is a good defensive shortstop. His range leaves much to be desired, but he makes all the routine plays and has possibly the best arm of any shortstop in the AL. AROD at third has all the ability, but over the last couple of seasons has had a propensity to botch the routine grounder. Cano is similar at second, but has exceptional range. The Yankees will play a few different guys at first, with Meintkevitz being the best by far. The problem is though that the Yankees continue to try to play Giambi at first, which is a major mistake. Hopefully they will keep him atDH for the year (if so it only took them six years to figure this out).

Why does this mean so much? Well, the Yankee pitchng staff (especially starters) are guys that have the ball put in play (Wang, Mussina, Pavano, etc). They do not have one starter who is known as a strikeout pitcher/hardthrower. The more balls that are put in play, the more this defense has a chance to be exposed. At least the bullpen has some power arms.

2. Age. The Yanks have worked on improving on this. The fact remains though that their everyday line-up though is filled with guys over 30 with the exception of Robbie Cano. While over the course of the season they will still hit, injuries will be a factor. This was very evident last season when Matsui and Sheffield were out much of the year.

What is possibly more troubling though is their inability over the past few postseasons to hit power pitching. The stereotype in many older players is that they need to cheat a bit on the fastball. They can get away with hitting off of softer throwers, but the hard throwers will give them trouble (the Yanks have done nothing to disprove this in the past six postseasons). This would be especially evident at the end of a season when players are more worn down. Dispute this if you want but look at the pitchers that have shut them down over the past few postseasons...Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Ervin Santana, Joel Zumaya, and Jeremy Bonderman. There is a clear pattern there.

3. AROD. The guy is possibly the most talented player in all of baseball. He is also may be the most mentally fragile. I honestly can not tell you how he will perform this season, but I can tell you that he will be the center of a media circus. With AROD on the Yankees it is like a cloud hanging over them on a day to day basis. I think it effects the team in a negative way and guys like Torre and Jeter hate dealing with it. Everyday, the players and coaches have to answer questions not only about the team or their personal performance but about AROD as well. He doesn't help matters by continuing to say dumb things to reporters. I would be shocked if he did not opt out of his contract at the end of the season.

I want to kill the Yankees for keeping him, but I understand the catch 22 that they were in. He is the only power righthanded hitter in this lineup. After getting rid of Sheffield (who was a major distraction in his own right), they could not afford to be without at least one bigtime righthanded power hitter. I still think that they will not win with him, and so far he has shown nothing to disprove that to me. I am not saying he has to perform in October change his reputation with the fans and media, but if he is not a distraction in August and is an MVP candidate then that is enough for me. Look at Carlos Beltran last year with the Mets. He was horrible in 2005, booed the first week of the season in 2006 and then became a fan favorite by just playing and performing. AROD has performed in the regular season for the Yanks in the past, but has also always been a distraction in various ways.


I honestly feel that with their money and the trading pieces they had last year, the Yankees could have fixed these problems. The bottom line though is that any team is going to have weaknesses. My problem is that the Yankees have the same ones that they have had for the past few seasons. I do not see a change. The only difference this year is the young arms that they have in the minors. By trading Randy Johnson and Gary Sheffield, the Yankees acquired young, power arms to go with the phenom they already had (Phil Hughes). This bodes well for their future, but I see this season ending the same way the past six have ended, as long as the team is similar to the way it is constructed now (Roger Clemens, Phil Hughes, acquire a quick bat).

What I would have done top change the Yanks...

1. Trade Carl Pavano in a package for Todd Helton. I have heard rumor about the Rockies being interested in Pavano, and they also would love to get Heltons' contract off of their books.

2. Trade AROD. Pick your team and you could get a monster package for him.

3. Keep Sheffield or sign Soriano.

4. Trade Matsui. I am sorry about I think he is a DH at this point in his career and the Yanks already have one in Giambi. By doing this, Sheff or Abreu would move to left and the arms/defense would be upgraded.

5. Continue to keep your top prospects. THey are already doing this and it is going to help them a ton in the next few years.

Remember that with these trades they would have filled a few holes and any not filled they could have taken care of in free agency.

Remember, I hate the Yankees, so I am gunna view them as negative. Bring the Ice Cold hate comments on! Who will be first, Bocker or Relaxo........I got Relaxo at -4.

STKAFI