The biggest news this week is the trade of Kevin Garnett to the Celtics (coincidence it happened right after the NBA gambling scandal??). Everyone is talking about the new Celtic big three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and, now, Kevin Garnett. Bottom line from my view is that this was a must do for Boston. With Allen and Pierce already in the fold they needed to do everything in their power to win now. KG might make them the favorite in the East and gives them a legitimate chance to win it all. Of course, they need to supply this group of three with some more complementary pieces, but this is a very impressive nucleus.
When I look at this trade though I see the Western Conference getting that much more interesting. With KG, Minnesota was just another mediocre NBA team. They had KG but not much else. Now with this move, combined with the Draft the T'Wolves have a young nucleus of Al Jefferson, Cory Brewer and Randy Foye. In addition, they have Gerald Green and a couple more draft picks than they did yesterday to mess around with. While this team will prolly struggle mightily this year, they could easily be back in the mix in a short time. Is this just because of this young nucleus?
No it is not. As a result of this deal, and the expiration of other contracts coming off the books this upcoming offseason, the T'Wolves could be $19 million under the cap by next July. They will have the draft picks they need, the money to spend and some valuable young pieces already in place. Minnesotta gave KG 12 years to do what he could to win a title (with little help from a incompetent front office) and they were still able to deal him at a time where his value was at a premium.
In todays NBA some combination of this is what you need when dealing a franchise type player. Young talent, cap space, and draft picks. The T'Wolves were able to maneuver their way into all three. When the Sixers traded Iverson they only got the cap space and the draft picks. For Shaq, the Lakers only got young talent. For Ray Allen, the Sonics got a young player and cap space. Basically when you look at the recent deals for top talent in the NBA, you have to feel that the T'Wolves have everything in place to bounce quickly.
As far as the landscape of the NBA is concerned, this is just going to continue the Western dominance of the NBA. As of right now, the West still has the best three teams in the NBA in Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix. In addition, they now have the three most intriguing young teams (in my mind) for the future in Seattle, Minnesota and Portland. All three have big time prospects that are 6'10" or higher, have a couple solid young pieces around them and have the flexibility to maneuver in the future. As a fan of the Eastern Conference, this is frustrating and as a fan of the NBA its also frustrating. I would love more competitive balance, but it looks like the Celtics have just helped the West stay on top into the next decade.
Again, from the Celtic perspective this is a deal you have to make and for the next two years it is a risk I would feel comfortable making. For the T'Wolves though, it gives them everything they need to compete within a couple years as well....that is except for a competent GM and coach...oh well, you can't have it all. I know that.....I got the two biggest clowns in sports running my Knicks into the grave..
Quick, I mean very quick MLB Trade Thoughts...
-Finally the Yanks trade Proctor. I love the move for them. He has been overworked the past two season and will break down by the end of next season maybe sooner.
-Braves got a great player in Texiera, but if they don't win this year, next year could be a circus with that contract situation looming....Plus with Andruw most likely gone, they will need a big year from Texiera to compete witht he Mets and Phils.
-Red Sox just won the AL East and maybe the pennant.
STKAFI
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Fantasy Football '07 Preview
A couple quick hitters before I get into the preview:
- Pumped about the Teixeira trade. Yes the number one priority for them was getting another starter to solidify their rotation. But literally no one was out there...Jason Jennings? No thanks. I also understand that the Braves gave up a lot, but I'm okay with that. They haven't been this active in a decade and they need to make moves now. Smoltz and Chipper are on the older side, Andruw is most likely gone next year, and although they have a nice young nucleus, the other prospects besides Salty in the deal won't see a major league field for at least 3 or 4 years. The Mets and Phillies will keep spending and the Braves won't be able to keep up in the future. Like the aggressiveness, we shall see how it pans out.
- Curtis had mentioned that I tend to overvalue players in fantasy baseball, I will just like to make two points: 1) I have executed more trades then him this year. 2) I believe the players he was mainly talking about were Mike Lowell (who I ended up trading for a better/younger Jeff Franceuor) and Eric Byrnes (who I was trying to trade earlier in the year and he said I was overvaluing him). Let the record show that according to the Yahoo! fantasy rankings through the 2007 season Byrnes is ranked higher than ANY of Curtis' active players. Overvalued? Try undervalued. In conclusion, suck my balls.
Okay, back to the post. With our upcoming fantasy football draft on Friday, I've ranked the top 5 players at each position, enjoy:
QB:
1) Peyton Manning - IND: No comment.
2) Carson Palmer - CIN: Dynamic offense with many targets and fully healthy.
3) Tom Brady - NE: Brand new toys to play with at wideout combined with question marks at RB injury wise could spell a big year for former 6th round pick.
4) Drew Brees - NO: Most people have him rated above Brady but I believe last year was a little bit of a fluke. Colston will not have as big of a year, and most of Brees' production will come from Bush out of the backfield. He'll still but up big numbers, but not as big.
5a) Michael Vick - ATL: Just kidding. But if watching dogs kill each other and betting on them gave you fantasy points, I'd move him up to #1 (closely followed by Deon Sanders...idiot).
5b) Marc Bulger - STL: Deadly accurate, new WR's and contract. The guy just doesn't throw picks.
On the Bubble: Romo - DAL, McNabb - PHI, Cutler - DEN
RB:
1) LaDainian Tomlinson - SD: How could someone with this guy and Rudi Johnson NOT win a fantasy league...HA!
2) Stephen Jackson - STL: This guy is a stud and can do it all.
3) Willie Parker - PIT: Fast Willie will continue to put up huge numbers with his breakaway speed.
4) Larry Johnson - KC: Wanted to put him lower because of the holdout and workload issues, but I can't do it. As long as he's on the field he should be ranked 3, maybe even 2.
5) Frank Gore - SF: This young squad is up and coming. Hopefully his broken hand will be healed by season start and won't affect his fumbling.
On the Bubble: Addai - IND, Alexander - SEA, Johnson - CIN
WR:
1) Marvin Harrison - IND: I don't care how old he is, until someone knocks him off as #1 in fantasy, I'm going with Starvin' Marvin' every time (remember who's throwing to him also...).
2) Chad Johnson - CIN: Look for Ocho Cinco and the rest of the Bengals to have a monster season.
3) Torry Holt - STL: Consistency defined.
4) Terrel Owens - DAL: Love him or hate him, the guy puts up monster numbers.
5) Steve Smith - CAR: Everyone loves this guy...I don't. He's small, not very durable, and doesn't have a good QB throwing to him.
On the Bubble: R. Williams - DET, Wayne - IND, Fitzgerald - ARI
TE:
1) Antonio Gates - SD: Will flirt with 1,000 yards and 10 TD's.
2) Todd Heap - BAL: Most consistent TE numbers after Gates.
3) Jeremy Shockey - NYG: If healthy, Eli will go to him a lot in the red zone.
4) Alge Crumpler - ATL: The only decent target to throw to on this team.
5) Veron Davis - SF: Love this guy if he can stay on the field.
On the Bubble: Gonzalez - KC, Winslow - CLE, Miller - PIT, Cooley - WSH, Witten - DAL
K:
1) Jeff Wilkins - STL: Indoors, Rams sometimes have trouble putting the ball in the end zone.
2) Adam Vinatiri - IND: Indoors, greatest clutch kicker of all time.
3) Nate Kaeding - SD: Young kicker, high powered offense.
4) Shayne Graham - CIN: Ditto.
5) Robbie Gould - CHI: Another team that has a hard time scoring TD's
On the Bubble: Rackers - ARI, Stover - BAL, Scobee - JAX
DEF:
1) Baltimore: Sorry, having flashbacks of when I was laughed at for drafting them last year.
2) Chicago: So fast, especially good in the winter.
3) New England: Adding Adalius Thomas should solidify this Super Bowl contending D.
4) Miami: Getting old, but still hungry. Porter will give this D a lot of versatility as well.
5) San Diego: Shawn "Lights Out, I love Steroids" Merriman should have an even bigger year if he's not suspended any games.
On the Bubble: Pittsburgh, Dallas, Carolina, Philadelphia, Jacksonville
UPDATE: Braves also completed a trade for Octavio Dotel before the deadline passed...What's that Mets fans are hearing? Yep, footsteps.
Red Sox got Eric Gange.
Celtics got Kevin Garnett.
Big week so far for Atlanta and Boston.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Slow Days
Normally, this is one of the best times of the year. The MLB trade deadline, most years, I would check ESPN daily reading everything about the rumors and other possibilities, but this year its been slow and boring. And you know what else, its going to be like this for a long time. Young players have never been more valuable and with the Yankees 8 games back and not really threatening anybody, early August baseball has never looked less exciting, despite the dominance thus far of the Sox.
The Texas Rangers, thus far the biggest sellers on the market, are asking for ridiculous prices for the 2 individuals that are available. While Texeira's price should be high, the oft-injured Gagne is demanding two high level prospects as seen by the request of Clay Bucholtz and Jacoby Ellsbury to start negotiations with the Red Sox and the demand of "at least" Phillip Hughes from the Yanks. Are you kidding me? For a one inning pitcher? I severely doubt that he actually gets moved. The problem with the trade market both this year and in the future is that everyone over values their own players (See Matthew Katz, fantasy) and soon as a player hits the major leagues for a year or two, he almost loses value.
Texeira for Joe Saunders and Casey Kotchman? It seems to me that they should be able to do better for a potential 50 HR guy. Id be more than happy if the Sox traded Ellsbury and Bucholtz and someone else for this guy. That'll never be offered though, the Red Sox are winning without him and do not want to trade the future. Problem is, Tex could be the future, he is what 25? With the depth that they have at pitching, there is no reason not to go after this guy hard. Ortiz, Manny, Tex? Now we are getting up to Yankee levels in terms of Run production, this guy was a cornerstone of a franchise 2 years ago. Funny how things can change. Personally, I think Phillip Hughes would be too steep but anybody else in the Yankees system should be fair game was well. If all of this wacking over and under valueing of players does not stop soon, eventually there won't be a trade deadline, no one will be trading anyway.
Quick thoughts
A: I am fine with KG rumors (who wouldnt be) but giving up Green, Jefferson, Ratliff's deal and multiple picks is too much. Hands down
B: Back to what 8 games? Boy we barely survived that Yankee streak
C: I recently started playing golf. I am terrible.
The Texas Rangers, thus far the biggest sellers on the market, are asking for ridiculous prices for the 2 individuals that are available. While Texeira's price should be high, the oft-injured Gagne is demanding two high level prospects as seen by the request of Clay Bucholtz and Jacoby Ellsbury to start negotiations with the Red Sox and the demand of "at least" Phillip Hughes from the Yanks. Are you kidding me? For a one inning pitcher? I severely doubt that he actually gets moved. The problem with the trade market both this year and in the future is that everyone over values their own players (See Matthew Katz, fantasy) and soon as a player hits the major leagues for a year or two, he almost loses value.
Texeira for Joe Saunders and Casey Kotchman? It seems to me that they should be able to do better for a potential 50 HR guy. Id be more than happy if the Sox traded Ellsbury and Bucholtz and someone else for this guy. That'll never be offered though, the Red Sox are winning without him and do not want to trade the future. Problem is, Tex could be the future, he is what 25? With the depth that they have at pitching, there is no reason not to go after this guy hard. Ortiz, Manny, Tex? Now we are getting up to Yankee levels in terms of Run production, this guy was a cornerstone of a franchise 2 years ago. Funny how things can change. Personally, I think Phillip Hughes would be too steep but anybody else in the Yankees system should be fair game was well. If all of this wacking over and under valueing of players does not stop soon, eventually there won't be a trade deadline, no one will be trading anyway.
Quick thoughts
A: I am fine with KG rumors (who wouldnt be) but giving up Green, Jefferson, Ratliff's deal and multiple picks is too much. Hands down
B: Back to what 8 games? Boy we barely survived that Yankee streak
C: I recently started playing golf. I am terrible.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Ode to Curtis
For some of us yesterday was just another Thursday. For me however, my favorite player in the NFL retired. For a year now it's felt like just a matter of time. Martin was never able to recover from the knee surgery that left him bone on bone. Martin was perhaps the most under the radar first ball Hall of Famer of all time.
Consider this:
He rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons. (only Barry Sanders did this)
He is 4th All Time in rushing only behind Smith, Payton and Sanders
I mean this is a legend we're talking about, yet his retirement barely sent a ripple through the sports community. In a time where ref scandals, steroids and Vick get all the headlines, this should have been a celebratory moment. But this is the way Martin has always been. He doesn't salute first downs, and he doesn't do end zone celebrations. Many people say they put the team first, this man embodied it.
If you took all the great running backs and even the not so great ones, and put them through the combine there is no doubt in my mind Curtis would once again be overshadowed. He did not have blazing speed nor an overpowering style. He was a workhorse. A relentless runner, who did not take any carry's off.
An interview with Parcells yesterday however showed me that Martin's on the field class is merely a reflection of how he lives his life off of it. He came from as rough a background as anyone growing up in Pittsburgh, and said he had to make sacrifices in order to get to where he is today.
There is no one season of Martin's that will blow you away. He only had one rushing title. He made 5 Pro Bowls. But when you step back and look at the level this man brought it every single year you start to respect more what he did. Just off the top of my head, you have Alexander, who had an unbelievable season, only to break a foot in the next. You had Priest Holmes with an unbelievable year, but then broke down the next. Martin maintained a level of excellence matched by just a few.
His workmanlike approach, his grind it out, move the chains, get you 3 yards when you need 3, get you 4 if you need 4... this is what made him so special in the eyes of Jets fans. He will be missed for who knows how long. I hope the Jets do the right thing and retire #28.
Consider this:
He rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons. (only Barry Sanders did this)
He is 4th All Time in rushing only behind Smith, Payton and Sanders
I mean this is a legend we're talking about, yet his retirement barely sent a ripple through the sports community. In a time where ref scandals, steroids and Vick get all the headlines, this should have been a celebratory moment. But this is the way Martin has always been. He doesn't salute first downs, and he doesn't do end zone celebrations. Many people say they put the team first, this man embodied it.
If you took all the great running backs and even the not so great ones, and put them through the combine there is no doubt in my mind Curtis would once again be overshadowed. He did not have blazing speed nor an overpowering style. He was a workhorse. A relentless runner, who did not take any carry's off.
An interview with Parcells yesterday however showed me that Martin's on the field class is merely a reflection of how he lives his life off of it. He came from as rough a background as anyone growing up in Pittsburgh, and said he had to make sacrifices in order to get to where he is today.
There is no one season of Martin's that will blow you away. He only had one rushing title. He made 5 Pro Bowls. But when you step back and look at the level this man brought it every single year you start to respect more what he did. Just off the top of my head, you have Alexander, who had an unbelievable season, only to break a foot in the next. You had Priest Holmes with an unbelievable year, but then broke down the next. Martin maintained a level of excellence matched by just a few.
His workmanlike approach, his grind it out, move the chains, get you 3 yards when you need 3, get you 4 if you need 4... this is what made him so special in the eyes of Jets fans. He will be missed for who knows how long. I hope the Jets do the right thing and retire #28.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
:07 Seconds and More
Shalom.
After a 10 day absence from Beer Sandwiches, have made my return. The trip was incredible, great people, unique country, amazing experience.
Fellow blogger, IceCold had given me the book :07 Seconds or Less to read during my trip. I finished it late last night and could not have been happier with it. You do not have to be a Suns fan to enjoy it, which I am not, but you do have to have an interest in the NBA. It gives you an unbelievable perspective that quite honestly I am surprised the Suns agreed to. The author, Jack McCullum speaks very openly about the strengths, weaknesses, insecurities, etc about players on the team which to this day still play for the Phoenix Suns.
As a fan there is that hidden wall which separates us from our favorite players. This book takes us to the other side of the wall, and even though they may not be your favorite team, it is still great to read about. So I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest on this subject.
In Other News:
I go away for 10 days, and I come back to:
Vick in more trouble than ever
NBA ref scandal
Yanks on fire
Sergio choking away the British Open
Beckam making his debut (i did watch some of this game)
I have to admit, the AL East was no longer on my radar when I left for my trip, but I am now a believer.
Interesting note: On Friday, the Yankees will finish up their game against the Orioles which started in June 28th. If Arod homers (he is up second), then the homerun will be credited to the June 28th game, meaning last night's homerun will actually be his 500th homerun.
This Ref scandal is devastating. Fans will have a difficult time watching a game again. Perhaps the refs should play a game of Bear Claw to improve their integrity. I believe this was an isolated incident and wont have long term impact, but how could you be a fan of a team which lost a close game in which Doneghy reffed and not feel cheated.
Sorry to keep it short today, I'm still playing catchup at work.
After a 10 day absence from Beer Sandwiches, have made my return. The trip was incredible, great people, unique country, amazing experience.
Fellow blogger, IceCold had given me the book :07 Seconds or Less to read during my trip. I finished it late last night and could not have been happier with it. You do not have to be a Suns fan to enjoy it, which I am not, but you do have to have an interest in the NBA. It gives you an unbelievable perspective that quite honestly I am surprised the Suns agreed to. The author, Jack McCullum speaks very openly about the strengths, weaknesses, insecurities, etc about players on the team which to this day still play for the Phoenix Suns.
As a fan there is that hidden wall which separates us from our favorite players. This book takes us to the other side of the wall, and even though they may not be your favorite team, it is still great to read about. So I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest on this subject.
In Other News:
I go away for 10 days, and I come back to:
Vick in more trouble than ever
NBA ref scandal
Yanks on fire
Sergio choking away the British Open
Beckam making his debut (i did watch some of this game)
I have to admit, the AL East was no longer on my radar when I left for my trip, but I am now a believer.
Interesting note: On Friday, the Yankees will finish up their game against the Orioles which started in June 28th. If Arod homers (he is up second), then the homerun will be credited to the June 28th game, meaning last night's homerun will actually be his 500th homerun.
This Ref scandal is devastating. Fans will have a difficult time watching a game again. Perhaps the refs should play a game of Bear Claw to improve their integrity. I believe this was an isolated incident and wont have long term impact, but how could you be a fan of a team which lost a close game in which Doneghy reffed and not feel cheated.
Sorry to keep it short today, I'm still playing catchup at work.
Monday, July 23, 2007
I Just Don't Give a F
Yanks
I am talking about the New York Yankees. Not about them as a team, but their recent stretch of games since the All-Star Break. To be honest, I did not think they had this in them. I thought that they would continue to fade slowly and the season would be all but over by August 25th or so. It turns out that this team has some life. They have gone 9-3 since the All Star Break and now face four games in Kansas City and three more in Baltimore. If they continue this sort of play they could all of the sudden be within five games or so of a playoff spot, easy.
This does not impress me in the least though. When I look at this Yankee team, and the teams the Yankees have put together the past few seasons, this is what they are supposed to do. They put together a relentless line-up that beats up on bad pitching. The type of line-up that hangs 18 and 20 in consecutive games. The problem this year is for the first three months they did not do this. Only now is this team doing what it was supposed to do.
If I am a Yankee fan though, this is not what would excite me. Sure I would be happy that the Yankees are hitting again, but the main problem for the Yanks is still what it has been last year and the year before that. One run games. All any Yankee fan wants to say is, "look at the Yankees record in one run games....a bloop here and a call there and the Yankees would be five games better." Bullshit. The fact remains that they Yankees have suffered in one run games this season and seasons prior due to two reasons. A poor bench and an ineffective bullpen. Both of which are still very evident this season.
Following this stretch of "easy" games, the Yankees will play 17 out of 20 games against Cleveland, Boston, Detroit and Anaheim. The Yankees are going to be able to put up many 10 or 15 spots against those teams. Games are going to be close and will come down to the late innings. Those are the games that will define the Yankee season, not these. I admit, it is good to put yourself back in the race with a strong push against subpar teams, but a playoff spot will be won or lost in that stretch against the class of the AL.
Basically what I am trying to say is, good for you Yankee fans. You have something to root for now, as opposed to three weeks ago. Lets wait and see though. If the Yankees can hold their own during that stretch in August, it may not only propel them into the playoffs, but it may provide them the confidence to perform in these close games the way they would need to in October. I just hope, for the sake of all my friends that happen to be Yankee fans, that either Mattingly or Guidry or the closest person to Torre hits him over the head before he has the chance to go out to the mound and bring Kyle Farnsworth into any type of close game.
Mets
They are coming off a very solid road trip on the West coast. The offense is coming around and the team is rounding into shape in a way. It took a couple weeks to recover from the coaching shuffle. Not that Valentin is hurt, the 2nd Base situation may clear up a bit. Alou is coming back, and Milledge will continue to get playing time in all three outfield spots. The Mets are a veteran team, who has a very strong bench. A key for Randolph will be making sure the veterans are as fresh as they can be in September. The most intriguing situation though for the Mets is the pitching situation and more specifically the Pedro Martinez situation. If his health is unsure on July 31 and Oswalt is out there, do you pull the trigger? How much longer do you stick with Sosa no matter what? Cna the Mets get by if Pedro won't be ready until Sept 1st with Sosa/Pelfrey as their 5th starter? Will pedro have enough time to be effective for a possible October run? So many questions that will slowly become answered in this busy upcoming weeks.
STKAFI
I am talking about the New York Yankees. Not about them as a team, but their recent stretch of games since the All-Star Break. To be honest, I did not think they had this in them. I thought that they would continue to fade slowly and the season would be all but over by August 25th or so. It turns out that this team has some life. They have gone 9-3 since the All Star Break and now face four games in Kansas City and three more in Baltimore. If they continue this sort of play they could all of the sudden be within five games or so of a playoff spot, easy.
This does not impress me in the least though. When I look at this Yankee team, and the teams the Yankees have put together the past few seasons, this is what they are supposed to do. They put together a relentless line-up that beats up on bad pitching. The type of line-up that hangs 18 and 20 in consecutive games. The problem this year is for the first three months they did not do this. Only now is this team doing what it was supposed to do.
If I am a Yankee fan though, this is not what would excite me. Sure I would be happy that the Yankees are hitting again, but the main problem for the Yanks is still what it has been last year and the year before that. One run games. All any Yankee fan wants to say is, "look at the Yankees record in one run games....a bloop here and a call there and the Yankees would be five games better." Bullshit. The fact remains that they Yankees have suffered in one run games this season and seasons prior due to two reasons. A poor bench and an ineffective bullpen. Both of which are still very evident this season.
Following this stretch of "easy" games, the Yankees will play 17 out of 20 games against Cleveland, Boston, Detroit and Anaheim. The Yankees are going to be able to put up many 10 or 15 spots against those teams. Games are going to be close and will come down to the late innings. Those are the games that will define the Yankee season, not these. I admit, it is good to put yourself back in the race with a strong push against subpar teams, but a playoff spot will be won or lost in that stretch against the class of the AL.
Basically what I am trying to say is, good for you Yankee fans. You have something to root for now, as opposed to three weeks ago. Lets wait and see though. If the Yankees can hold their own during that stretch in August, it may not only propel them into the playoffs, but it may provide them the confidence to perform in these close games the way they would need to in October. I just hope, for the sake of all my friends that happen to be Yankee fans, that either Mattingly or Guidry or the closest person to Torre hits him over the head before he has the chance to go out to the mound and bring Kyle Farnsworth into any type of close game.
Mets
They are coming off a very solid road trip on the West coast. The offense is coming around and the team is rounding into shape in a way. It took a couple weeks to recover from the coaching shuffle. Not that Valentin is hurt, the 2nd Base situation may clear up a bit. Alou is coming back, and Milledge will continue to get playing time in all three outfield spots. The Mets are a veteran team, who has a very strong bench. A key for Randolph will be making sure the veterans are as fresh as they can be in September. The most intriguing situation though for the Mets is the pitching situation and more specifically the Pedro Martinez situation. If his health is unsure on July 31 and Oswalt is out there, do you pull the trigger? How much longer do you stick with Sosa no matter what? Cna the Mets get by if Pedro won't be ready until Sept 1st with Sosa/Pelfrey as their 5th starter? Will pedro have enough time to be effective for a possible October run? So many questions that will slowly become answered in this busy upcoming weeks.
STKAFI
AL East Heating up. Or is it?
Here we go again, for the second time this season, Red Sox nation is panicking. Currently, I have yet to reach that panic mode that usually plagues BoSox fans such as myself. Sure a 10 game lead would be preferable to a 7.5 game lead, that much is obvious. However, despite the Red Sox playing .500 ball on this last homestand, and despite the Yankees seemingly endless recent run scoring ability, I am not worried. Should I be? Perhaps but the fact remains that I am not worried. In fact, I expected this.
The Yankees are too good, repeat, too good to just go quietly in the night, this we knew. Hell of an offense and a solid starting rotation will get you a couple big time runs, this is fact. Now the thing that panicking Red Sox fans forget, is that Boston is a great team, hands down one of the best in the league this year. With a great offense, though not as good as NY when they are hitting and better pitching throughout the staff. (Perhaps Hughes will help to even this up but the Bullpen still blows). The Red Sox are built to win in the Reg season and more importantly, in the playoffs. Now, I am not sure how long this Yankees run will last but if you follow baseball, you know that they won't be scoring 13-21 runs on a nightly basis for long, and the Red Sox will most likely get hot very shortly(if they havent already against the ChiSox). By the second week of August the lead will be back up to around 9. The Red Sox are too good and the Yanks have too big of a flaw, I mean how bad can one bullpen be?
So I am not worried at this point, nor will I be worried when the Yankees heat up again in early to mid September. The Red Sox are too consistent. David Ortiz goes down temporairily, no big deal, Lugo and Crisp decide to hit .324 and .329 respectively over the last month. Curt Schiloling takes a month off ?(big time pickup in the long run, he will be good to go for the playoffs) Hello Kason Gabbard.(Sure it was KC and CWS but a Win is a win). The skill this there so have no fear Red Sox fans, the Yankees will not catch us. Not now, not back in June when Abreu was "reborn" and certainly not in September. The Yankees Suck and one cannot forget this.
Couple random thoughts
1. Personally, I think if Arod opts out, the perfect place would be San Francisco. No joke inteded here, just think it would work.
2. If Lester dominates tonight look out
3. This is looking like the most boring trade deadline in a long time.
The Yankees are too good, repeat, too good to just go quietly in the night, this we knew. Hell of an offense and a solid starting rotation will get you a couple big time runs, this is fact. Now the thing that panicking Red Sox fans forget, is that Boston is a great team, hands down one of the best in the league this year. With a great offense, though not as good as NY when they are hitting and better pitching throughout the staff. (Perhaps Hughes will help to even this up but the Bullpen still blows). The Red Sox are built to win in the Reg season and more importantly, in the playoffs. Now, I am not sure how long this Yankees run will last but if you follow baseball, you know that they won't be scoring 13-21 runs on a nightly basis for long, and the Red Sox will most likely get hot very shortly(if they havent already against the ChiSox). By the second week of August the lead will be back up to around 9. The Red Sox are too good and the Yanks have too big of a flaw, I mean how bad can one bullpen be?
So I am not worried at this point, nor will I be worried when the Yankees heat up again in early to mid September. The Red Sox are too consistent. David Ortiz goes down temporairily, no big deal, Lugo and Crisp decide to hit .324 and .329 respectively over the last month. Curt Schiloling takes a month off ?(big time pickup in the long run, he will be good to go for the playoffs) Hello Kason Gabbard.(Sure it was KC and CWS but a Win is a win). The skill this there so have no fear Red Sox fans, the Yankees will not catch us. Not now, not back in June when Abreu was "reborn" and certainly not in September. The Yankees Suck and one cannot forget this.
Couple random thoughts
1. Personally, I think if Arod opts out, the perfect place would be San Francisco. No joke inteded here, just think it would work.
2. If Lester dominates tonight look out
3. This is looking like the most boring trade deadline in a long time.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Big City of Dreams
Its wierd. I was doing some daydreaming today and I started thinking about the landscape of New York sports and how it has changed just int he 15 or so years that I have been following it. I mean, I came into play as the Mets were on the downslide. In addition, the Yankees were at the bottom of baseball. The Knicks were solid, but nothing special and the Rangers were the same. The Rangers though of course were near the end of the 54 year title drought. The Jets were near the bottom of the NFL (per usual), but the Giants were on top of the NFL. They were really the one shinging light in a dark period for New York sports.
In the time since then we (New York) have had pretty much every team compete at a championship lever for at least a season or two. While only the Rangers and the Yankees (who enjoyed a dynasty) won titles, the Giants and Knicks both made it to the Super Bowl and NBA Final respectively. When I look at the health of New York sports though it really starts and ends with baseball. While I truly believe that no team could envigorate New York like the Knicks, no sports drives the City like baseball.
In every way you look at it, New York baseball is as healthy as it has ever been. Attendence is at an all time high for both the Mets and the Yankees. Both teams have their own regional sports networks and both have competitive ballclubs. In addition, no matter what time of year it is baseball rules sports talk radio and has an article or two in the local newspapers.
It was not always like this. To be honest, the Yankee dynasty was the spark, but the aspect that truly exploded the the baseball landscape was the Red Sox/Yankee rivalry. It had been around for years, but not until the Red Sox basically declared war and the Yankee fans became just as passionate haters of the Sox as Red Sox Nation did of them did this rivaly really peak. At the same time the Mets and their fans felt left out. As a result they have spent more money and increased their passion for winning as well. The end result is the New York baseball world we currently live in, which is hysteria.
Times change though. With this AROD situation looming, the Yankees could be on the verge of a few years out of the playoffs. While the Yankees have a ton of young pitching talent in the minors, there does not seem to be much position player talent and with there being more money spread throughout baseball than ever it is tougher to sign players away from other teams.
In addition, I wanted to touch on a point I made earlier concerning the Knicks and how they can grab the city like no other team. They need to realize that this could change as well. With the Nets moving into Brooklyn and the Isiah/Dolan duo restroying any confidence and trust that the fans had with the fans they could end up being the second basketball teams in New York.
In the time since then we (New York) have had pretty much every team compete at a championship lever for at least a season or two. While only the Rangers and the Yankees (who enjoyed a dynasty) won titles, the Giants and Knicks both made it to the Super Bowl and NBA Final respectively. When I look at the health of New York sports though it really starts and ends with baseball. While I truly believe that no team could envigorate New York like the Knicks, no sports drives the City like baseball.
In every way you look at it, New York baseball is as healthy as it has ever been. Attendence is at an all time high for both the Mets and the Yankees. Both teams have their own regional sports networks and both have competitive ballclubs. In addition, no matter what time of year it is baseball rules sports talk radio and has an article or two in the local newspapers.
It was not always like this. To be honest, the Yankee dynasty was the spark, but the aspect that truly exploded the the baseball landscape was the Red Sox/Yankee rivalry. It had been around for years, but not until the Red Sox basically declared war and the Yankee fans became just as passionate haters of the Sox as Red Sox Nation did of them did this rivaly really peak. At the same time the Mets and their fans felt left out. As a result they have spent more money and increased their passion for winning as well. The end result is the New York baseball world we currently live in, which is hysteria.
Times change though. With this AROD situation looming, the Yankees could be on the verge of a few years out of the playoffs. While the Yankees have a ton of young pitching talent in the minors, there does not seem to be much position player talent and with there being more money spread throughout baseball than ever it is tougher to sign players away from other teams.
In addition, I wanted to touch on a point I made earlier concerning the Knicks and how they can grab the city like no other team. They need to realize that this could change as well. With the Nets moving into Brooklyn and the Isiah/Dolan duo restroying any confidence and trust that the fans had with the fans they could end up being the second basketball teams in New York.
Anyway, just trying to say times change and while we right now Can not fathom the Yankees being on top of the baseball world and being the most loved and hated team, it can happen. Remember the 1980s. The Knicks need to watch out as well. One more Isiah filled year and they may be already gone.
STKAFI
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Bend Her Over Like Beckham
It's Friday, and you know what that means! That's right, it's guest post day! Wooooo!
And without further ado, today's guest post is brought to you by the one and only Mike "I <3 Martino" Carey:
Without being asked by the contributors' of this fine sports blog, and with the two (fake) Jews heading to the homeland for falafel eating, Moses loving, and head from large nosed JAPs, I decided this post needed to be written.
And without further ado, today's guest post is brought to you by the one and only Mike "I <3 Martino" Carey:
Without being asked by the contributors' of this fine sports blog, and with the two (fake) Jews heading to the homeland for falafel eating, Moses loving, and head from large nosed JAPs, I decided this post needed to be written.
Tomorrow afternoon will reportedly be the biggest sports press conference to ever take place in L.A . David Beckham- famous to Americans for fucking a Spice Girl, famous to the world for being a global marketing icon, and famous to the footballing world for being a world class soccer specialist- is being introduced as the newest midfielder for the L.A. Galaxy.
Does this make you wonder why anyone should care? Does this bring a yawn to your face? Do you and your co-workers share snide remarks directed at the Beautiful Game? If that's the emotion this metrosexual's face conjures, you might be a victim manipulation and trickery at the hands of the 'World Wide Leader in Sports.' (However, billing yourself as the 'World Wide Leader of Sports' and failing to cover the worlds most popular game is like having an economist opine about the global economy without discussing the role of China; its blatant stupidity). You are now saying to yourself- Mike, stop being a soccer-loving ferry and go fuck Martino in the ass without a condom. The reason ESPN fails to cover soccer as accurately and commonly as all these others sports because "The people want to watch football, basketball and baseball. They want American sports!"
I poise this question to you- If a sport is played and not covered by ESPN, does it exist? I want you to seriously think about the hold ESPN's bright lights, ultra-modern Bristol studio, and witty commentators have on you. Think about the amount of reading you do on ESPN.com. Think about all those ridiculously stupid stats some chump intern comes up that you actually think matters. Then think about poker. A marginal game historically associated with sinners, whores, booze-bags, college kids, and fat married men hoping to get away from their nagging wives. BUT you put poker on television, you give it some witty/marginally retarded hosts, and BOOM, you have a fucking phenomenon. You, the ESPN viewer, may be an easily manipulated chump.
ESPN televised around 50% of the 1998 World Cup (the other 50 could be found on Pay Per View) ESPN televised almost 100% of 2002 World Cup (that was easy because it was on in the middle of the night). ESPN televised every SINGLE game in High Definition for the 2006 World Cup. And with that expanded coverage, came high TV ratings. (and I don't mean overall ratings, I mean individual game ratings) I'm not a math major but I see a trend- the more soccer was on TV, the more attention it received. The more attention ESPN paid to it on SportsCenter, the more attention it received by the American sports fan.
ESPN = Televised Sports Popularity.
(im too lazy to look for actual ratings but they were extremely high for the last WC- way higher than ESPN expected. And last months Gold Cup Final, a tournament for national teams comprised of the North American, Central American and Caribbean national teams drew a larger audience then the fucking NBA finals. Sure it's a 1 game final vs. a (potentially) 7 game final but these soccer ratings are coming from Univision and GolTV not ABC!)
Where the fucking am I going with this? Well the only question ESPN seems to be asking of Mr. Posh's arrival is if he can make the MLS and soccer relevant to Americans. The first answer is no- Beckham cannot make the MLS relevant and the second question has already been answered. Soccer IS relevant to Americans, just not to the powers that be in the American media.The current crop of powerful sports reporters grew up unable to watch soccer. They didn't see it on television, had no reference point for how the game is supposed to be played and as a result they cannot appreciate the subtleties of the game. The new follow the old and the new American sports fan (im talking people our generation) have grown up seeing the game on television. For every soccer-bashing Frank Deford or Gene Wojciechowski, there are rising sports columnist like Grant Wahl. (Best American soccer writer hands down. Also covers College bball for SI). Can Frank or Gene remember that amazing 1986 World Cup semi-final game between England and Argentina where Diego Maradona dribbled the entire England team to score? No; there is no chance they can remember that because those games where not TELEVISED nor covered in the mainstream American media. Now, ask these same people about the amazing game between the United States and Mexico at the 2002 World Cup. They will remember that win, maybe not from watching, but certainly from reading about it, seeing it reported on TV, and talking about it with friends. Soccer in America is ALREADY relevant- people just don't know it yet.
Soccer in America is not a one night ice storm that will leave us basking in it's beauty- it's a slowly moving glacier- before you know it, its going to be right on top of you.
Just as the global game took time to gain in popularity in the US, the MLS will too. There are soccer specific stadiums (i.e. 20,00 seat stadiums with much wider fields) in Columbus, Dallas, LA, Denver and Chicago. New York will have one by next year. DC doesn't need one yet cause they turn a profit by pulling around 35k to RFK every game. With team-owned stadiums, organizations can now make a profit. Profits lead to more money for players and better players equal a much more competitive league. Beckham's salary is huge- 32 million guaranteed with a % in jersey and ticket sales. But they have already made back his base salary by telling season tickets and luxury boxes to A-list stars like TomKat.
The MLS is still an inferior league. Some of the player make less then 20k and the product can be ugly, uninteresting, and boring. But the NFL wasn't made in 10 years. These things take time. And with the NHL dying in obscurity, the MLS is in a prime position to take the 4 th spot in the American sports landscape. The league is here to stay and Beckham will not make or break it- he will just kick it into another gear and open the door for a potential explosion.
Some things you need to know about Beckham the player-
· He will play his first game in a friendly against Chelsea FC on July 21st.
· He is by no means a washed up player. When I hear people say this I get pissed. If you have watched him play this past year, you know he is one of the best player in the world. He was starting for Real Madrid- one of the wealthiest sports franchise in the world who won the Spanish title this year.
· He will not dominate in the Kobe, Peyton, Ronaldinho kind of way. But he will be effective and should be the best player in the league.
· He is not flashy at all.
· He doesn't have any one on one moves.
· He may look like a pretty boy but he approaches the game with a blue-collar attitude and works his ass off every game.
· His set pieces (corners/free kicks) are probably the best the world has ever seen. (the bend it like Beckham shit has been played out but his free kicks are works of art. Physicist have reportedly tried to study the swerve and cant figure it out)
· He has an ability to hit a player on a dime running at full speed 60 yards away. His accuracy is unexplainable.
· He will be hit, cheap-shoted, and generally pissed on by opposing players. This will lead him to retaliate and I bet he gets thrown out of at least one game.
· He will not score 3 goals a game.
· But if his forwards make good runs in the box, he could average 2 assists a game.
· Everything he does will be put to a global microscope.
Some things you need to know about the Galaxy.
· They fucking suck right now.
· They are in second to last place. (but have played 4 less games because they were waiting for Beckham to arrive.)
· They had new colors and new uniforms made for his arrival.
· When he gets there, they have a chance of winning the title. (the pieces are there, the team just hasn't messed well and the whole league makes the playoffs except for 2 teams- yup an absolutely stupid set up.
· They have Landon 'Ladycakes' Donovan. Still the best American player. Still a complete pussy-ass bitch for leaving Germany for the MLS.
Enjoy,
Mike
PS I cant wait to see the comments section for this one. And I apologize for the length…
I Don't Care
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2007/07/12/2007-07-12_manning_lobs_barb_at_barber.html
Again, this guy is doing everything in his power to not only motivate his team, but also work his ass off to be a good QB. What more can you ask? This job ain't easy, even if his brother makes it look easy.....ALso to the haters, look at the first three years of Aikman, Elway, Simms, Favre, etc and tell me Eli can't still be a good QB in this league...
STKAFI
Again, this guy is doing everything in his power to not only motivate his team, but also work his ass off to be a good QB. What more can you ask? This job ain't easy, even if his brother makes it look easy.....ALso to the haters, look at the first three years of Aikman, Elway, Simms, Favre, etc and tell me Eli can't still be a good QB in this league...
STKAFI
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I am Confused
First off, I like Relaxo will be missing next week's Beer Sandwiches.
All week on the radio people have been calling in and discussing the Arod contract situation and whether Yanks she even try and resign him etc. A large amount of the callers say that Arod is not a team player. I don't understand this.
What is a team player in baseball? Are they saying that he does not try and advance a runner into scoring position or he goes for a big hit rather then a sacrifice fly? Baseball is the most individual of all team sports. Does he play less hard then other players? I don't buy any of this. If you're going to say not to resign Arod then do it for the right reasons.
Maybe the money would be better spent on 2 or 3 players, like a Lowell and a Texiera.
Maybe you think his off the field behavior is too large of a distraction?
Was Peyton Manning not a team player because he has so many endorsements? These elite athletes are under such a microscope that i think people lose sight of what these guys are truley about.
I once read that Arod goes home after a game and rewatches the whole game, rewatches his at bats hundreds of times. Manning watches more game tape then anyone else. Yes I know we saw him with the blond, and apparently he likes strip clubs, but this guy has a drive to be the greatest player ever to play. To say he is not a team player is ridiculous. Is it a numbers thing or something else? He's batting like .540 in the 9th innings of games, is he not trying hard enough? He wants to win so bad, and help the team so bad that he often tries to hard and crosses the line of what is acceptable (Arroyo chop, yelling "i got it", sliding high into second, etc).
Arod is not asked to bunt, he is paid money to swing the bat. He plays every game, he plays banged up, and he plays hard. What do Yankee fans want him to do which would make him a better teammate and translate into more wins? I do have a little problem with him staying in a different hotel on the road on occasion, but you can't convince me if he stays with the team they win more games.
I believe people want a scape goat for the Yanks lack of World Series wins the past 7 years. What about Mussina, Matsui, Damon and all these other guys who haven't produced one either? Have they been so good in the clutch that they get a free pass with all the dissapointing performances they have had? No way. Arod has not got the job done in the postseason so far, we all know this. But to say that he is not a team player and a bad teammate because of this is not fair.
To get a raw deal in New York is nothing new. To be treated by the media unfairly is nothing new. But to be treated by your fans the way Arod has been is beyond.
All week on the radio people have been calling in and discussing the Arod contract situation and whether Yanks she even try and resign him etc. A large amount of the callers say that Arod is not a team player. I don't understand this.
What is a team player in baseball? Are they saying that he does not try and advance a runner into scoring position or he goes for a big hit rather then a sacrifice fly? Baseball is the most individual of all team sports. Does he play less hard then other players? I don't buy any of this. If you're going to say not to resign Arod then do it for the right reasons.
Maybe the money would be better spent on 2 or 3 players, like a Lowell and a Texiera.
Maybe you think his off the field behavior is too large of a distraction?
Was Peyton Manning not a team player because he has so many endorsements? These elite athletes are under such a microscope that i think people lose sight of what these guys are truley about.
I once read that Arod goes home after a game and rewatches the whole game, rewatches his at bats hundreds of times. Manning watches more game tape then anyone else. Yes I know we saw him with the blond, and apparently he likes strip clubs, but this guy has a drive to be the greatest player ever to play. To say he is not a team player is ridiculous. Is it a numbers thing or something else? He's batting like .540 in the 9th innings of games, is he not trying hard enough? He wants to win so bad, and help the team so bad that he often tries to hard and crosses the line of what is acceptable (Arroyo chop, yelling "i got it", sliding high into second, etc).
Arod is not asked to bunt, he is paid money to swing the bat. He plays every game, he plays banged up, and he plays hard. What do Yankee fans want him to do which would make him a better teammate and translate into more wins? I do have a little problem with him staying in a different hotel on the road on occasion, but you can't convince me if he stays with the team they win more games.
I believe people want a scape goat for the Yanks lack of World Series wins the past 7 years. What about Mussina, Matsui, Damon and all these other guys who haven't produced one either? Have they been so good in the clutch that they get a free pass with all the dissapointing performances they have had? No way. Arod has not got the job done in the postseason so far, we all know this. But to say that he is not a team player and a bad teammate because of this is not fair.
To get a raw deal in New York is nothing new. To be treated by the media unfairly is nothing new. But to be treated by your fans the way Arod has been is beyond.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Built to Last
Who ever said that building a championship caliber team is easy should be shot. Wait, I don't think anyone actually said that. Fans do tend to act like it is easy though. A trade here, a new coach there, throw in the patience with a struggling rookie and there you have it! The thing is, once the team has reached that status (albeit difficultly) they now have the responsibility to stay there. There is no break to this endless cycle.
Look at the Mets from the 1980s. The most common analysis of that team was that they should have won three or four World Series titles, not just one. The fact is, one move here or there and they just might have won more than one title. They were that talented. Then take a look at the Phoenix Suns of present day. They have not yet reached that pinnacle, but they have a team that is at a crossroads. Is the their team the way its presently constructed good enough to win it all, or do they need to do something drastic? These are the difficult decisions of a professional sports general manager.
One of the more controversial GMs of the past 10-15 years has been Theo Epstein of the Boston Red Sox. He was the architect of the 2004 championship team and had the task of figuring out what to do with the team after that historic run. The team was filled with mostly veterans, highly paid ones at that. In addition, due the the fact that Boston had waited decades for a title, the members of that team became legends in the city of Boston.
The two most debated decisions that Theo dealt with were the defections of both Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon. Both left not because they were fed up with Boston, but because the Red Sox were unwilling to pay them what other teams were. Boston made no bones about the fact that they felt both players were past their prime and likely to break down physically within the next year or so. Both Pedro and Damon though were cult heroes in New England and their departures were very difficult for the fans to accept.
To make matters worse, the team suffered in the short run and both of their presence was missed. Boston seemed a pitcher short in 2005. In 2006, Boston did not make the playoffs and Damons replacement in center field (Cocoa Crisp) played horribly. At this point in time though, The Sox are one of the top teams in baseball and they have begun to use the money they saved in not signing these two incredibly popular players towards younger talent such as Dice-K, Josh Beckett and JD Drew.
Pedro and Damon meanwhile have been ravaged by injuries in 2007 just as the Red Sox projected. You have to take your hat off to Theo Epstein for making the unpopular calls at the time of not keeping both Damon and Pedro in order to potentially have a more consistent team in the years to come. Boston has more payroll flexibility, younger pitching and a better farm system than it did three years ago. Much of this would not likely be the case if Theo did not show his "cohones", yea I said .
In the same respect you have to understand that a player can have a different value to different teams. Pedro meant more to the Mets than he did to Boston. They needed his face, his attitude and his persona to jump start their franchise. Boston just needed the pitching. As a result no one can dispute that Pedro has been a great success for the Mets even if he never pitches again the way they hoped he would. He turned the franchise around, which is something that Boston did not need.
Deals are made and not made every day of the year. There are hundreds of deals that meant nothing at the time and turned out to be franchise changers. The impressive thing about the Damon and Pedro decisions is that they were both so highly publicized and Theo stuck to his guns on each. I have to give the guy credit, and it seems to be paying off so far in 2007.
Look at the Mets from the 1980s. The most common analysis of that team was that they should have won three or four World Series titles, not just one. The fact is, one move here or there and they just might have won more than one title. They were that talented. Then take a look at the Phoenix Suns of present day. They have not yet reached that pinnacle, but they have a team that is at a crossroads. Is the their team the way its presently constructed good enough to win it all, or do they need to do something drastic? These are the difficult decisions of a professional sports general manager.
One of the more controversial GMs of the past 10-15 years has been Theo Epstein of the Boston Red Sox. He was the architect of the 2004 championship team and had the task of figuring out what to do with the team after that historic run. The team was filled with mostly veterans, highly paid ones at that. In addition, due the the fact that Boston had waited decades for a title, the members of that team became legends in the city of Boston.
The two most debated decisions that Theo dealt with were the defections of both Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon. Both left not because they were fed up with Boston, but because the Red Sox were unwilling to pay them what other teams were. Boston made no bones about the fact that they felt both players were past their prime and likely to break down physically within the next year or so. Both Pedro and Damon though were cult heroes in New England and their departures were very difficult for the fans to accept.
To make matters worse, the team suffered in the short run and both of their presence was missed. Boston seemed a pitcher short in 2005. In 2006, Boston did not make the playoffs and Damons replacement in center field (Cocoa Crisp) played horribly. At this point in time though, The Sox are one of the top teams in baseball and they have begun to use the money they saved in not signing these two incredibly popular players towards younger talent such as Dice-K, Josh Beckett and JD Drew.
Pedro and Damon meanwhile have been ravaged by injuries in 2007 just as the Red Sox projected. You have to take your hat off to Theo Epstein for making the unpopular calls at the time of not keeping both Damon and Pedro in order to potentially have a more consistent team in the years to come. Boston has more payroll flexibility, younger pitching and a better farm system than it did three years ago. Much of this would not likely be the case if Theo did not show his "cohones", yea I said .
In the same respect you have to understand that a player can have a different value to different teams. Pedro meant more to the Mets than he did to Boston. They needed his face, his attitude and his persona to jump start their franchise. Boston just needed the pitching. As a result no one can dispute that Pedro has been a great success for the Mets even if he never pitches again the way they hoped he would. He turned the franchise around, which is something that Boston did not need.
Deals are made and not made every day of the year. There are hundreds of deals that meant nothing at the time and turned out to be franchise changers. The impressive thing about the Damon and Pedro decisions is that they were both so highly publicized and Theo stuck to his guns on each. I have to give the guy credit, and it seems to be paying off so far in 2007.
Off to the Homeland - The IBL
Since this will be my last post for the next two weeks or so, I decided to write about something that has relevance to why I will be MIA for the next couple of weeks...the IBL.
What is the IBL you ask? Well, it is the latest development in professional sports, the Israeli Baseball League. Although I probably will not be able to catch a game while visiting the homeland - yes, I'm going to Israel with another blogger on vacation later this week - I thought it might be interesting to introduce the rest of you to the newest league in professional baseball.
The first game of the IBL was played a mere 2 and 1/2 weeks ago on June 24th, 2007. It is a six team league with 3 stadiums scattered throughout the country. The IBL has a total of 120 players from 8 different countries. The most being from the U.S. (77 players), but players also hail from the Dominican Republic, Israel, Canada, Australia, Columbia, Japan and Ukraine. Currently, the league is 40% Jewish and hopes to make it 25% of Israelis by its fifth year of existence.
Tryouts were held across the U.S., Israel, and the Dominican Republic and then draft which consisted of current and former U.S. minor leaguers, starting college ballplayers, and professional players from other countries. The last player taken in the draft was Sandy Koufax as a tribute.
Although I don't find it nearly as competitive as the Cape Cod league over here in the U.S., or even the lower ranks of the minors. It is great to see baseball expanding into different, unlikely parts of the world.
Some interesting facts about the league:
What is the IBL you ask? Well, it is the latest development in professional sports, the Israeli Baseball League. Although I probably will not be able to catch a game while visiting the homeland - yes, I'm going to Israel with another blogger on vacation later this week - I thought it might be interesting to introduce the rest of you to the newest league in professional baseball.
The first game of the IBL was played a mere 2 and 1/2 weeks ago on June 24th, 2007. It is a six team league with 3 stadiums scattered throughout the country. The IBL has a total of 120 players from 8 different countries. The most being from the U.S. (77 players), but players also hail from the Dominican Republic, Israel, Canada, Australia, Columbia, Japan and Ukraine. Currently, the league is 40% Jewish and hopes to make it 25% of Israelis by its fifth year of existence.
Tryouts were held across the U.S., Israel, and the Dominican Republic and then draft which consisted of current and former U.S. minor leaguers, starting college ballplayers, and professional players from other countries. The last player taken in the draft was Sandy Koufax as a tribute.
Although I don't find it nearly as competitive as the Cape Cod league over here in the U.S., or even the lower ranks of the minors. It is great to see baseball expanding into different, unlikely parts of the world.
Some interesting facts about the league:
- PBS aired the opening game, which had attendance of 3,112, on a one-week delay (July 1, 2007), in Boston, New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Miami.
- MLB.com will carry coverage of the league's games.
- Tickets are $10 and $6 at all locations for regular season games.
- Half the umpires come from Israel, and the rest are international umpires. There are two umpires per game, with three on Sunday nights.
- Games are seven innings, with a home run hitting contest (a home run derby) to decide a tie.
- Games are expected to take approximately two hours to play.
Some quick All-Star break awards:
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez. Okay, listen, I realize the Yankees are light years away from the playoffs, and Vlad and Magglio are both carrying first place teams and its very hard to argue against them. But they have a ton of help (both hitting and pitching around them) and what people fail to realize is that although the Yanks have a steep up hill climb, without ARod, they would already be out of it. When all is said and done, he probably won't be the MVP (even though his numbers will deserve it), it will probably be one of the other two because of where their teams end up. However, if ARod keeps up at his current pace, his numbers alone could win it for him. See 2003 when he and the Rangers were in dead last.
NL MVP: Prince Fielder. 29 HR's at the break, and almost everyone forgets that. Love this guy, he can rake with the best of them and is leading his young Brewer squad straight into the playoffs.
AL CY Young: Dan Haren. Hey remember when I picked him to start for the AL in the All-Star game? Well guess who's starting tonight.
NL CY Young: Jake Peavy: See above.
AL Rookie of the Year: Dice-K. This guy has great stuff and can shut down any line up at anytime. Needs to work on his control. Sorry Okajima, a set-up reliever is not getting my award.
NL Rookie of the Year: Hunter Pence. An all around player. You're welcome Curtis. But seriously Nillz, get off his d*ck, sheesh.
AL Manager of the Year: Eric Wedge. Could easily go to Scioscia, Leyland, or Francona. But do you remember the start the Indians had to the season with all the snow and disarray? As well as living up to the pressure of underachieving so badly last year, that he was on the hot seat. Wedge has held it all together and lived up to all the expectations.
NL Manager of the Year: Lou Pinella. WHAT? Yeah I said it. I really wanted to give it Ned Yost or Bud Black (in his first year). But with how terrible the Cubs started at the beginning of the year, along with all the on and off the field turmoil, this guy has his club playing superb ball and making a serious run at the Brewers.
All-Star Prediction: AL 7 - NL 5. MVP: Vladimir Guerrero.
Enjoy the game.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Its baaaack
Contrary to popular belief that the most wonderful sports moment of the year comes during an actual sporting event, there is one day, one consistent activity that marks the true start of the NFL season. Every August, without fail, the latest installment of John Madden football is released.
Now a lot of people are unaware of the fact that our favorite video game franchise has struggled to make an efficient jump to the now dominant gaming platforms, XBOX 360 and PS3(this year marks the first true attempt at the Wii). The gameplay has always been solid, as have the graphics which are impossible to screw up on these powerful platforms. The problem has been with my own personal favorite feature, the Franchise mode. For whatever reason, it was almost entirely left off of the previous two Maddens for the 360. This was a terrible turn of events, one that even had me buy a old used XBOX as the Madden for the old platform was in tact. This year, the developers have promised that it is back and better than ever. While I am skeptical, there is always hope when a new Madden is released.
So lets do some quick thoughts/power rankings about which teams will be dominant.
A: Offense almost always dictates how good a team will be
B: Solid Madden players can use schemes to cover for Defensive talent liabilities
The Elite
1. The Patriots : Mr. Moss and Mr. Stallworth(more dominant in madden than in real life) meet Mr. Brady and Mr. Maroney. Killer high powered offense should rival the Colts in Maddenland. Always has a solid D, add a great LB coming off the corner in Adalius. Yikes
2. The Colts : Peyton, Marvin, Reggie, Addai, Freeney Tough to beat even with the sketchy D-fense.
3. The Falcons : It does not matter how the rest of the team is, if you know how to play with Vick efficiently, he is damn near impossible to stop. Solid D here as well.
The Really Good
4. The Chargers : Rivers is serviceable. Gates and LT are unstoppable. They have a great D but the lack of a great madden receiver bumps them from the Elite
5. The Saints : Improved D is still the weakness. Quick receivers, solid QB in Brees. Put Mr. Bush anywhere on the field and he will be the second most effective RB in the game(#1 LT)
6. The Bengals : 3 great receivers, very good RB, and a QB with a cannon arm. Nothing sexy about this pick, but an allround good team.
7. Broncoes : Similar to the Bengals, all around solid performers.
8. Titans : Vince Young just wins madden games. Scrambling QBs are so helpful in today's madden game
9. The Rams : Great offense, lots of speed at WR. Bruising back in Jackson. Decent speed on D
10. The Lions : Crazy speed on D. K Jones a better VG player than real life. John Kitna, very underrated. Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams
The Do-ables
11. The Steelers : Big Ben always has a solid rating and can move a bit. Ward is great and Willie parker has the coveted 99 speed. A solid choice
12. The 49ers : Frank Gore, Darrel Jackson, Alex Smith. All solid, plus a quick D. And their greatest asset? Vernon Davis, the only TE with 90 speed.
13. The Cowboys : This team could have been higher, while I might not like Tony Ho, er, Romo. The hype should lead to an inflated madden rating. The rest of the team is solid and T.O. is amazing. Great D here, Ware is a beast. Speedy Corners are always nice
14. The Cardinals : Two great WR. A young QB(always fun). A solid RB and a revamped O-Line(the most unrated thing in Madden) Not to mention a decent D led by the Amazing Adrian Wilson
15. The Bears : Too low? Maybe but I hate Rexy-Poo. The only reason they are this high is the mystery Devin Hester 100 speed rating. No way to tell how dominant he could be, especially on offense.
16. Eagles : Unlike real life, we do know that McNabb will be healthy in Madden. Westbrook is great. They've got a good tight end and a solid D. Can't say I like those WR though but what else is new
17. The Ravens : This high for the D-fense. Mcnair is valuable as a scrambler and Mcgahee has always been able to contribute in Madden
18. The Redskins : Antwan Randle El is valuable in madden and Portis is Amazing. I love the safeties on this team, maybe the only truly great madden tandem that can stop the deep ball. Landry and Taylor are awesome
19. The Jaguars : Leftwich has a cannon. Two great receivers means that one can make up for a mediocre receiving core.
The competitive Disadvantages
20. The Giants : Brandon Jacobs is good but Im not sure I trust him in Madden. A low fumble rating and lack of speed will hurt him.
21. The Jets : Actually not a bad team. Only this low because Chad Pennington is staring the first sub 80 rated Throw Power in the face.
22. The Panthers : Nothing really special about this team. D'angelo Williams is a bright spot
23. The Browns : About a year away from being really solid
24. The Dolphins : Solid across the board, losing Wes Welker hurt. Just not too excited about anyone on this team. An uninjured Madden Culpepper could be a wild card that vaults them higher on this list.
25. The Seahawks : They should be higher, probably around 10 or 11. But I completely missed them and am lazy. Alexander is great. Solid receiving core. Hasselbeck can't move but he'll be solid.
26. The Cheifs : Other than LJ. No one on this team is very good. T-Gon is getting old
27. The Raiders : Rookie QB and young team makes them exciting. Better on D than people may think
28. The Vikings : No one fun here except for Peterson.
29. The Packers : Favre still gets the respect rating. Nothing else about this team is great.
30. The Texans : Andre Johnson is awesome. That is about it.
31. The Bucs : Garcia should have a fine rating but both their WR and RB regressed last year.
32. The Bills : Ummmm yeah
Now a lot of people are unaware of the fact that our favorite video game franchise has struggled to make an efficient jump to the now dominant gaming platforms, XBOX 360 and PS3(this year marks the first true attempt at the Wii). The gameplay has always been solid, as have the graphics which are impossible to screw up on these powerful platforms. The problem has been with my own personal favorite feature, the Franchise mode. For whatever reason, it was almost entirely left off of the previous two Maddens for the 360. This was a terrible turn of events, one that even had me buy a old used XBOX as the Madden for the old platform was in tact. This year, the developers have promised that it is back and better than ever. While I am skeptical, there is always hope when a new Madden is released.
So lets do some quick thoughts/power rankings about which teams will be dominant.
A: Offense almost always dictates how good a team will be
B: Solid Madden players can use schemes to cover for Defensive talent liabilities
The Elite
1. The Patriots : Mr. Moss and Mr. Stallworth(more dominant in madden than in real life) meet Mr. Brady and Mr. Maroney. Killer high powered offense should rival the Colts in Maddenland. Always has a solid D, add a great LB coming off the corner in Adalius. Yikes
2. The Colts : Peyton, Marvin, Reggie, Addai, Freeney Tough to beat even with the sketchy D-fense.
3. The Falcons : It does not matter how the rest of the team is, if you know how to play with Vick efficiently, he is damn near impossible to stop. Solid D here as well.
The Really Good
4. The Chargers : Rivers is serviceable. Gates and LT are unstoppable. They have a great D but the lack of a great madden receiver bumps them from the Elite
5. The Saints : Improved D is still the weakness. Quick receivers, solid QB in Brees. Put Mr. Bush anywhere on the field and he will be the second most effective RB in the game(#1 LT)
6. The Bengals : 3 great receivers, very good RB, and a QB with a cannon arm. Nothing sexy about this pick, but an allround good team.
7. Broncoes : Similar to the Bengals, all around solid performers.
8. Titans : Vince Young just wins madden games. Scrambling QBs are so helpful in today's madden game
9. The Rams : Great offense, lots of speed at WR. Bruising back in Jackson. Decent speed on D
10. The Lions : Crazy speed on D. K Jones a better VG player than real life. John Kitna, very underrated. Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams
The Do-ables
11. The Steelers : Big Ben always has a solid rating and can move a bit. Ward is great and Willie parker has the coveted 99 speed. A solid choice
12. The 49ers : Frank Gore, Darrel Jackson, Alex Smith. All solid, plus a quick D. And their greatest asset? Vernon Davis, the only TE with 90 speed.
13. The Cowboys : This team could have been higher, while I might not like Tony Ho, er, Romo. The hype should lead to an inflated madden rating. The rest of the team is solid and T.O. is amazing. Great D here, Ware is a beast. Speedy Corners are always nice
14. The Cardinals : Two great WR. A young QB(always fun). A solid RB and a revamped O-Line(the most unrated thing in Madden) Not to mention a decent D led by the Amazing Adrian Wilson
15. The Bears : Too low? Maybe but I hate Rexy-Poo. The only reason they are this high is the mystery Devin Hester 100 speed rating. No way to tell how dominant he could be, especially on offense.
16. Eagles : Unlike real life, we do know that McNabb will be healthy in Madden. Westbrook is great. They've got a good tight end and a solid D. Can't say I like those WR though but what else is new
17. The Ravens : This high for the D-fense. Mcnair is valuable as a scrambler and Mcgahee has always been able to contribute in Madden
18. The Redskins : Antwan Randle El is valuable in madden and Portis is Amazing. I love the safeties on this team, maybe the only truly great madden tandem that can stop the deep ball. Landry and Taylor are awesome
19. The Jaguars : Leftwich has a cannon. Two great receivers means that one can make up for a mediocre receiving core.
The competitive Disadvantages
20. The Giants : Brandon Jacobs is good but Im not sure I trust him in Madden. A low fumble rating and lack of speed will hurt him.
21. The Jets : Actually not a bad team. Only this low because Chad Pennington is staring the first sub 80 rated Throw Power in the face.
22. The Panthers : Nothing really special about this team. D'angelo Williams is a bright spot
23. The Browns : About a year away from being really solid
24. The Dolphins : Solid across the board, losing Wes Welker hurt. Just not too excited about anyone on this team. An uninjured Madden Culpepper could be a wild card that vaults them higher on this list.
25. The Seahawks : They should be higher, probably around 10 or 11. But I completely missed them and am lazy. Alexander is great. Solid receiving core. Hasselbeck can't move but he'll be solid.
26. The Cheifs : Other than LJ. No one on this team is very good. T-Gon is getting old
27. The Raiders : Rookie QB and young team makes them exciting. Better on D than people may think
28. The Vikings : No one fun here except for Peterson.
29. The Packers : Favre still gets the respect rating. Nothing else about this team is great.
30. The Texans : Andre Johnson is awesome. That is about it.
31. The Bucs : Garcia should have a fine rating but both their WR and RB regressed last year.
32. The Bills : Ummmm yeah
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Washed Up
Being around town the past few days, going out... it's been kind of weird to see the "star" athletes of yesteryear in their current state.
I'm 6'1, sure I have a barrel chest but by no means am I a giant. It's funny how our mind can play tricks on us with how we remember people. For example last night, I saw two ex football players out at the bar. I remember watching these guys blow past, through and over people while in high school. Now... they had trouble getting to the front of the bar to order a drink.
Then you got another ex-star who you always remember for having the hottest gf and being popular in school, etc. Now.. .I see him last night and he is dancing awkwardly with a girl he would probably regret he even talked to in the morning.
And there are tons of these cases. Although I find ive noticed it most with football players. I guess that's because high school football players tend to be the strongest and being big and strong is most important to their sport.
Then you got the guys going bald or gray at a young age. Not that we know any of these people, so we'll just stick to the washed up athletes. One cannot expect them to keep in the same shape, and maybe it's cause I myself have gotten much bigger since high school so now it just seems like they've shrunk.
All I do know is that last night I must've done 5 or 6 double takes of random people who just looked so inferior to their characters of 6-7 years ago. I guess it can work the other way too though. There was a few guys who just got huge.
There were two active athletes in the building last night (besides myself)
One, all Ivy 1st team basketball, all Ivy 2nd team baseball
The other, still trying to make a NFL team
And in conclusion, I can't wait for this weekend
I'm 6'1, sure I have a barrel chest but by no means am I a giant. It's funny how our mind can play tricks on us with how we remember people. For example last night, I saw two ex football players out at the bar. I remember watching these guys blow past, through and over people while in high school. Now... they had trouble getting to the front of the bar to order a drink.
Then you got another ex-star who you always remember for having the hottest gf and being popular in school, etc. Now.. .I see him last night and he is dancing awkwardly with a girl he would probably regret he even talked to in the morning.
And there are tons of these cases. Although I find ive noticed it most with football players. I guess that's because high school football players tend to be the strongest and being big and strong is most important to their sport.
Then you got the guys going bald or gray at a young age. Not that we know any of these people, so we'll just stick to the washed up athletes. One cannot expect them to keep in the same shape, and maybe it's cause I myself have gotten much bigger since high school so now it just seems like they've shrunk.
All I do know is that last night I must've done 5 or 6 double takes of random people who just looked so inferior to their characters of 6-7 years ago. I guess it can work the other way too though. There was a few guys who just got huge.
There were two active athletes in the building last night (besides myself)
One, all Ivy 1st team basketball, all Ivy 2nd team baseball
The other, still trying to make a NFL team
And in conclusion, I can't wait for this weekend
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Draft Report Card
One of the more anticipated NBA drafts in league history was last week. After the dust has settled and there were some trades (but not to my surprise with all the Kobe, KG, Amare, Marion talk, not one of them was moved, the NBA always does this shit), I have decided to give each team a grade.
Note, this does not include what has happened this week in free agency i.e. Rashard Lewis to the Magic (which would hurt the Sonics grade if it did, who is going to be open for the kick out and shoot for them now when Durant is double teamed every play?) Just specifically what was done on draft night.
In order of the draft picks:
Portland: B+. I can't give them an A because the pick was too easy and they didn't have to do anything, because they got very lucky, but Oden will be great and on luck alone they get an A-, plus I don't like any of their other picks, particularly Soft, I mean Josh McRoberts and don't think they got enough for Randolph.
Seattle: A. Landing Durant was obvious, but getting Jeff Green, Delonte West, and Wally's World for Ray Allen was a steal. Still need shooting (Not re-signing Lewis would have hurt this grade, even though he's not worth max money) but their front line will be competitive, and they will need to be being in the same division as the Blazers.
Atlanta: A-. Got Horford so they should be able to ship Chidlress or either Williams, and finally addressed the point guard issue. Would have maybe liked to see them pass on Horford and take Conely, Jr because I'm not sure I think Law IV will be a serviceable NBA PG, hence the A- and not A. Safe picks though.
Memphis: B-. Picked Conely for the PG need, however, still should have dealt Gasol and need to soon. Not much going on with this team right now.
Boston: B-. After the first three players in the draft, you could make a case for drafting any of the next 8 players. Dealing their pick looked pretty bad at first (wanted to give them a C), but made up for it with Big Baby in Round 2.
Milwaukee: D+. Took the one player with the most questions who might not even sign with you.
Minnesota: C-. Deal KG already, Christ. Brewer will be a bust...you heard it hear first.
Charlotte: D-. HATE the Richardson trade. HATE it. Stupid. Not only will Wright be good, but Richardson is overrated and injury prone. Ugh. The only reason they don't have an F is because of the Dudley pick later in the round.
Chicago: A-. Got lucky that Noah dropped to them at 9, he fits perfectly on their team. Need to get rid of Wallace and pick up Gasol.
Kings: F. Spencer Yawns. This team is going nowhere.
Philadelphia: B+: Like Jason Smith and Derrick Byars, would have like to see them take Julian Wright over Thaddues Young though.
New Orleans: A-. Good safe pick with Wright.
L.A. Clippers: B+. Another good safe pick, oldest rookie in the NBA though.
Detroit: A. Good solid draft with Stuckley and Afflalo will keep them a top the Leastern Conference, especially if they can re-sign Billups.
Washington: D+. Nick Young, don't like it.
New Jersey: B. Sean Williams should be good and gives them the rebounding they need, but the off the court stuff makes this pick a little bit of a reach.
Golden State: A+. Did I mention the Jason Richardson trade? Well as much as I hated it for the Bobcats, I love it just the same for Golden State. With Belinelli and Wright, this team will be even more fun to watch than it was last year. Watch out for them in the West.
L.A. Lakers: B. Solid pick with Critterton, I think this guy will be good. But trade Kobe already.
Miami: C-. Don't like Cook at all. This team is sliding and fast.
New York: B+. Like the Wilson Chandler pick, on the fence about the Randolph trade, didn't give much up (Frye and Francis, getting rid of Stevie was a blessing), but don't see how he fits. However, an underlying factor is getting Demetris Nichols. Being a Big East guy, I think this guy is a steal. The Knicks need shooting and this guy can shoot the lights out. Isiah somehow always seems to do a decent job around the draft.
Phoenix: A-. Tucker, a slasher, will fit well with the Suns. Love the DJ Strawberry steal at the end of Round 2. Will give them some very solid perimeter D which they desperately need. Should still try to land KG though.
Utah: B+. Like the Morris Almond pick, will be able to spot up for a penetrating Deron Williams.
Houston: B-. Not sure if I like Aaron Brooks as an NBA player. Could be wrong though, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and give them a decent grade.
San Antonio: C+. Another boring pick, Tiago Splitter (who will probably be good though) for the most boring team ever. Marcus Williams will be a decent back up for Parker. I hate these guys.
Dallas: C-. Nick Fazekas and Rayshawn Terry are not going to cut it.
Indiana: D+. No moves. Stanko Barac, C from Bosnia. Will keep getting worse.
Toronto: D. Nothing, should have shipped Ford or Calderon. Giorgos Printezis late in the second round.
Orlando: C+. Not much going on. Heard Milovan Rakovic was decent though.
Denver & Cleveland: F. Neither team did anything to make a championship push.
So there you have it. Another NBA draft which ended up mostly predictable, with a couple decent players moved and superstars kept at home. "I love this game!" Is that even still the NBA catchphrase? I hope not.
Note, this does not include what has happened this week in free agency i.e. Rashard Lewis to the Magic (which would hurt the Sonics grade if it did, who is going to be open for the kick out and shoot for them now when Durant is double teamed every play?) Just specifically what was done on draft night.
In order of the draft picks:
Portland: B+. I can't give them an A because the pick was too easy and they didn't have to do anything, because they got very lucky, but Oden will be great and on luck alone they get an A-, plus I don't like any of their other picks, particularly Soft, I mean Josh McRoberts and don't think they got enough for Randolph.
Seattle: A. Landing Durant was obvious, but getting Jeff Green, Delonte West, and Wally's World for Ray Allen was a steal. Still need shooting (Not re-signing Lewis would have hurt this grade, even though he's not worth max money) but their front line will be competitive, and they will need to be being in the same division as the Blazers.
Atlanta: A-. Got Horford so they should be able to ship Chidlress or either Williams, and finally addressed the point guard issue. Would have maybe liked to see them pass on Horford and take Conely, Jr because I'm not sure I think Law IV will be a serviceable NBA PG, hence the A- and not A. Safe picks though.
Memphis: B-. Picked Conely for the PG need, however, still should have dealt Gasol and need to soon. Not much going on with this team right now.
Boston: B-. After the first three players in the draft, you could make a case for drafting any of the next 8 players. Dealing their pick looked pretty bad at first (wanted to give them a C), but made up for it with Big Baby in Round 2.
Milwaukee: D+. Took the one player with the most questions who might not even sign with you.
Minnesota: C-. Deal KG already, Christ. Brewer will be a bust...you heard it hear first.
Charlotte: D-. HATE the Richardson trade. HATE it. Stupid. Not only will Wright be good, but Richardson is overrated and injury prone. Ugh. The only reason they don't have an F is because of the Dudley pick later in the round.
Chicago: A-. Got lucky that Noah dropped to them at 9, he fits perfectly on their team. Need to get rid of Wallace and pick up Gasol.
Kings: F. Spencer Yawns. This team is going nowhere.
Philadelphia: B+: Like Jason Smith and Derrick Byars, would have like to see them take Julian Wright over Thaddues Young though.
New Orleans: A-. Good safe pick with Wright.
L.A. Clippers: B+. Another good safe pick, oldest rookie in the NBA though.
Detroit: A. Good solid draft with Stuckley and Afflalo will keep them a top the Leastern Conference, especially if they can re-sign Billups.
Washington: D+. Nick Young, don't like it.
New Jersey: B. Sean Williams should be good and gives them the rebounding they need, but the off the court stuff makes this pick a little bit of a reach.
Golden State: A+. Did I mention the Jason Richardson trade? Well as much as I hated it for the Bobcats, I love it just the same for Golden State. With Belinelli and Wright, this team will be even more fun to watch than it was last year. Watch out for them in the West.
L.A. Lakers: B. Solid pick with Critterton, I think this guy will be good. But trade Kobe already.
Miami: C-. Don't like Cook at all. This team is sliding and fast.
New York: B+. Like the Wilson Chandler pick, on the fence about the Randolph trade, didn't give much up (Frye and Francis, getting rid of Stevie was a blessing), but don't see how he fits. However, an underlying factor is getting Demetris Nichols. Being a Big East guy, I think this guy is a steal. The Knicks need shooting and this guy can shoot the lights out. Isiah somehow always seems to do a decent job around the draft.
Phoenix: A-. Tucker, a slasher, will fit well with the Suns. Love the DJ Strawberry steal at the end of Round 2. Will give them some very solid perimeter D which they desperately need. Should still try to land KG though.
Utah: B+. Like the Morris Almond pick, will be able to spot up for a penetrating Deron Williams.
Houston: B-. Not sure if I like Aaron Brooks as an NBA player. Could be wrong though, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and give them a decent grade.
San Antonio: C+. Another boring pick, Tiago Splitter (who will probably be good though) for the most boring team ever. Marcus Williams will be a decent back up for Parker. I hate these guys.
Dallas: C-. Nick Fazekas and Rayshawn Terry are not going to cut it.
Indiana: D+. No moves. Stanko Barac, C from Bosnia. Will keep getting worse.
Toronto: D. Nothing, should have shipped Ford or Calderon. Giorgos Printezis late in the second round.
Orlando: C+. Not much going on. Heard Milovan Rakovic was decent though.
Denver & Cleveland: F. Neither team did anything to make a championship push.
So there you have it. Another NBA draft which ended up mostly predictable, with a couple decent players moved and superstars kept at home. "I love this game!" Is that even still the NBA catchphrase? I hope not.
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