Sunday, January 30, 2011

Card of the Week - Part 3


This week's 'Card of the Week' is actually a set: the 1991 Topps Desert Shield set. This set was a parallel to the basic 1991 Topps set, and was given distributed in pack form to the troops serving in the Desert Shield campaign. The difference is in the foil stamp in the upper right hand part of the card.

These cards are extremely rare, holding one of the highest multipliers in terms of value for any Topps set. As such, they were prone to counterfeiting. The best way to tell whether or not the Desert Shield card is genuine is to examine the foil stamp itself. The real logo is silver and does not shine brightly. The counterfeits have a stamp that is almost gold in color, and extremely bright. To get around this, people online tend to darken the photos, this way the foil stamp seems closer to the silver of the legitimate cards.

The Steve Jeltz card depicted is simply an example of the cards from the set. Yes, I fully admit to picking this card due to being a Royals fan and this being the first Royals player I located. All in all, this is an interesting set, not only due to the scarcity of the cards, but due to the historical context of the first war in Iraq.

Friday, January 28, 2011

What next for Tennesee?

Saying only that the Tennessee Titans and he had reached a point where it was 'Time to move on', Jeff Fisher was relieved of his duties as head coach Thursday night. Fisher was the only coach the franchise had during it's tenure in Tennessee, guiding them from their days as the Houston Oilers and through four different stadiums in four years before they settled in their present location.

The move came as a surprise, shocking assistant coaches and players alike. Given the heavily publicized feud, and subsequent banishment of Vince Young, it appeared that Fisher's hold upon his position was secure. Declining to address specifics, Fisher did acknowledge that differences did exist within the team, and factored into this decision.

Fisher did a number of good things for the Titans/Oilers franchise. He led them to their only Super Bowl appearance, brought them into the playoffs numerous times, and helped to insure a smooth transition from Houston to Tennessee. However, he had five different losing streaks of five games over the past seven seasons, had not won a playoff game since 2004, and had a career record of only 142-120.

For all intents, Fisher is a decent coach who is capable of keeping a team around .500, but isn't going to bring the team to the next level. Perhaps this is due to not ever having a legitimate standout quarterback (sorry, but VY, Kerry Collins, and Steve McNair don't count). Perhaps he is viewed differently if Kevin Dyson is able to get that extra yard in the Super Bowl. But Fisher has had the number one seed in the playoffs four times, and has only managed a 2-4 record in that situation. Maybe he just isn't that good.

If Fisher wants another coaching job, he will get it. Regardless of his record or capabilities, he is regarded as a big name amongst coaches. If he gets the urge to coach again, expect to see the Tom Selleck mustache and dark glasses on the sidelines again. Just don't expect anything better than being .500.

In the end, this is a good move for Tennessee, as Fisher's time there was definately at it's end. It will be an even better move if they manage to convince either Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden to take the job. Either way, this is a fresh start for a franchise that needed a new voice.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

When wins over two top 25 teams don't matter

Last night, the Providence College Friars defeated their second consecutive top 25 team when they defeated Villanova (8 in the AP poll) 83-68. Five days before, they defeated Louisville (23 in the AP poll) 72-67. This marked the first time in twelve years that they managed to defeat ranked opponents in back to back games.

However, these two wins are the only two victories that the Friars have in the Big East. As of this point, they are outside of their own conference tournament, and are in no way assured a berth in the NCAA tournament. While these two victories have been impressive, the Friars have also lost to some terrible programs, notably the University of Southern Florida and LaSalle.

Perhaps these two wins are a springboard for the rest of their season. In these victories, the Friars have played excellent defense, have been contesting every shot, and have taken care of the basketball. With their next two games being against Seton Hall and a rematch with USF, they have the potential to go on a little run.

The two victories over Villanova and Louisville are impressive. They just won't mean anything when March comes around.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Shut up Carmelo Anthony

For the entirety of this season, Carmelo Anthony has been trying to force a trade from Denver. His target - the New York Knicks. He is threatening to not sign any extensions with any other team if he does not go to New York, despite the fact that the Knicks have practically nothing to offer Denver in trade.

Denver's options here are limited. They have tried signing Carmelo to an extension (3 years, 65 million), which he refused. A potential deal with New Jersey fell through when, despite the absolutely egregious amount of talent that the Nets offered, the Nuggets dragged their feet at pulling the trigger. At this point, it appears that Anthony will get his wish to be a Knick, but only through free agency.

Now, this poses another potential problem for Anthony. The collective bargaining agreement for the NBA ends after this season. As such, no one is sure as to what the financial landscape of the league will be next year. His steadfast refusal to sign an extension with Denver, or to accept a trade to a team other than New York, would potentially cost him millions of dollars. In an interview with Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post, Hockman asked, “If they trade you somewhere, and you don’t sign the extension, you’re screwed …” Before Anthony could answer, Hochman attempted to correct his statement by saying, “Well, not necessarily screwed…” But, Melo flashed a smile and said: “Screwed.”

So, to make certain that is truly understood, Anthony feels screwed because he would either have to accept a ridiculous sum of money from a team he may not want to play for, or go to his desired destination for potentially less money. Well, too bad. It's called life, Carmelo. People are stuck at places they don't want to work at because it pays their bills. And while I understand not wanting to live in New Jersey (seriously, that team is terrible, the people on Jersey Shore are indicative to what is in northern New Jersey, and that area smells of burning tires and garbage) $65 million would allow me to purchase a place with a lot of air fresheners.

This is the bed that Carmelo Anthony has made by trying to force his way out of Denver. It's time that he accepts the consequences of his actions.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Should the Bears be looking for another quarterback?

Early in the third quarter of their playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Jay Cutler left the game with an apparent knee injury. However, at no point did it appear that Cutler actually injured his knee (which they are now claiming is a torn MCL). In fact, when asked directly about it, coach Lovie Smith directly contradicted his statements in back to back questions. When asked what happened, Smith claimed that he took a shot to the knee at the end of the second half. However, when asked a follow up question, Smith said the following: "He hurt his knee and he was out, all right? There's nothing else for me to tell you on that," Smith said. "I don't know exactly when it happened. He couldn't go, and we moved on. Let's go to some other questions, how about that?"

Usually, when someone injures themselves to the severity of what is being claimed about Cutler, they are receiving extensive treatment either on the sidelines or in the locker room. In fact, they are kept off that leg and carted into the locker room more often than not. You definitely don't see them wandering about the sidelines with their head down, with a look of complete apathy.

Cutler, for all of his talent, is not someone that wins football games. He makes stupid decisions with the football, throwing into double and triple coverage because he thinks that his arm is strong enough to get it there. He does not take the safe throws underneath to get the first down, because he is looking for the home run ball every time. He just doesn't have a head for the game. In fact, Jay Cutler is a lot like Brett Favre, only without the great receivers to bail him out for every misguided throw that he makes.

At this point of his career arc, Cutler has a lot of similarities to another quarterback with all of the measurables who could never win - Jeff George. Both possessed strong arms. Both put up gaudy stat lines. Yet, neither have ever been able to take a team to the Super Bowl, or win anything of consequence. The reason? Neither Cutler nor George were capable of making adjustments to their games nor were they capable of actually being a leader of their teams.

Given the fiasco that occurred last night, is it possible that the Bears would go in another direction at quarterback? This year's draft is anticipated to have a lot of solid quarterback prospects. Several big name quarterbacks should be made available by the teams they are presently on. Nothing is guaranteed for Cutler in Chicago right now.

Yesterday proved that teams cannot win without a leader at the quarterback position. Jay Cutler is not a leader. The Bears will not make the Super Bowl until they can fix that situation.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Card of the Week - Part 2



This week's Card of the Week (hopefully a weekly series as the title would suggest) is the 1987 Topps Ben Oglivie. The 1987 set was a nod towards the classic 1962 Topps set, as the wood grain borders and the overall design would suggest. Measuring 792 cards in total, the set also included the rookie cards of Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin, Bo Jackson, and Rafael Palmiero.

1986 was the final season in Oglivie's career. Spanning from 1971 until 1986, he amassed 1615 hits, 235 home runs, and 901 RBI to go along with a .273 career batting average. A three time All-Star, he also won a Silver Slugger award in 1980, the same year that he lead the American League with 41 home runs.

So, why this card? Oglivie was a solid, but rather unremarkable player over his career. Well, it's simple. People always remember their firsts in life - first love, first kiss, first concert, first pet. This card was the first baseball card I ever got, being the top card in a pack of 1987 Topps purchased by me so long ago.

As collections and thoughts change, it can all be traced back to the appropriate first. This card, depicting Oglilvie as he appears to be thinking back fondly upon a solid career, kickstarted my enjoyment of collecting. Hopefully somewhere, you still have the item that brought you to whatever brought you into the hobby that you enjoy.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Revisiting Tom Brady

Given the expections that began to creep around Foxborough through November and December, this season is being considered squandered in the minds of Patriots fans. However, at the start of this season, if Patriots fans had been told that their team would go 14-2, even they would have considered that person insane. Of the 53 man roster, 45 players had two or fewer years of experience. Major questions surrounded the offensive line with the hold out of Logan Mankins, the defense with the infusion of youth, and even the coach. Had the game passed Belichick bye? Did he lose the team last season? Can he still find those players late in the draft that he had before?

These questions were answered by an offense that, even with the mid-season trade of Randy Moss, managed to lead the league in scoring. The defense managed to come into it's own towards the end of the year, with a potential emerging superstar in Devin McCourty. Indeed, the future in Foxborough is bright.

However, back when the Patriots were winning championships (in those helicon years of 2001, 2003 and 2004), they were lead by a defense that was the strength of the team. Brady was, for lack of a better term, more of a game manager in those years. And yet, the formula worked: build a lead or keep it close, and let Brady win the game in the end. Being able to rely upon an impressive defense, a solid running game, and a quarterback that did not make mistakes will lead to wins, and, in this case, championships.

However, things changed in 2007. Perhaps this was due to the postseason failures of 2006. Perhaps this was due to Spygate. Perhaps it was due to a major infusion of talent on the offensive side of the football in Moss and Wes Welker. Perhaps it was a combination of the three. Yet, for whatever reason, Brady was asked to become more than a game manager - he was asked to fire the ball downfield with regularity as the Patriots rode his arm to the Super Bowl in 2007.

Since then, Brady has proven to be a great quarterback, and in the discussion of the top five of all-time. However, is it possible that the Patriots have been asking too much from him? Over his career, he has achieved his greatest success with play action. Until this past season (mainly when Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis became the starting running back and Moss was traded) teams did not have to fear the run. In fact, New England typically used a short passing game with Welker to simulate a running attack.

However, with this approach, there are problems. First, an incomplete pass stops the clock, so it provides more time for the opposition to be able to score. Second, it makes the team one dimensional, which allows defenses to key on one thing and attack. This was proven in the Super Bowl against the Giants, where the Giants defensive line was in pass rush mode exclusively the entire game. For Brady to be at his optimal level, there needs to be balance on the offense. This also helps the defense to rest during the drive, as drives would take more time off the clock, even if they do not result in scores.

New England needs to revisit the formula that worked for them before - a stellar defense and a balanced offense. It appears that they are getting there, and 2011 may end up being a championship season. But Brady should not be expected to do it on his own.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Card of the Week - Part 1


Above is the Shoeless Joe Jackson bat card from 2001 SP Legendary Cuts. The card was a part of the Debut Game Bat set, featuring players who had yet to have a game used card produced.

The card has an interesting history. As Jackson was banned from Major League Baseball due to his alleged involvement with the 1919 Black Sox scandal, he was not able to be on any cards licensed by Major League Baseball or the Player's Union.  As such, this card ended up being pulled from production, making it a difficult card to locate.

Jackson was also a very good player, and one that would have ended up in the Hall of Fame had he not be banned. He left baseball with the third highest all-time batting average at .356. He had a career total of 1772. However, he is best known for his alleged role with the Black Sox, a matter that he was found innocent after a trial in 1921. Despite this, the commissioner of baseball, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned him and the other seven players, stating that baseball needed to clean up it's image.

Jackson's tale is rather tragic, and this card, and the history surrounding it, reinforces the absurdity of his suspension.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Pot, kettle. Kettle, pot

ri·val·ry  (rvl-r)
n. pl. ri·val·ries
1. The act of competing or emulating.
2. The state or condition of being a rival

There was an article recently proclaiming how the Jets-Patriots are not a rivalry, mainly because the Jets haven't won anything. This is a true statement. There cannot be a rivalry unless both sides are legitimately good in their field, and can back this thought up in some way. For instance, even though LeBron went to the Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers cannot consider them a rival because the Cavs are terrible while the Heat are really good.

As such, it is amusing that this article exists, and that it was written in a New York newspaper. After all, they know what it is like to have someone proclaim a rivalry without anything to back it up. They had the same thing happen in baseball for eighty six years. Red Sox fans proclaimed the Yankees as their rivals, yet could only base this on geography. The results from 1918 until 2004 would mean that their closest rival should have been the Chicago White Sox, given the futility and lack of championships.

In fact, Jets-Patriots have a lot in common with Sox-Yankees. Both have had vastly overrated players (Joe Namath, Tony Conigliaro). Both have, and had, egotistical drama queens (Brett Favre, Rex Ryan, Roger Clemens, Jonathon Papelbon). Both have iconic players (Namath again, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Tom Brady). And half have been able to be considered dynasties (Yankees and Patriots). Meanwhile, fans of the other teams (Jets and Red Sox) proclaim a rivalry without anything to truly back up the claims.

For the vast majority of their history, neither the Sox nor the Jets have won anything. They have not even been in a position to call themselves competitive with their self-appointed rivals. In fact, to Yankee fans, the Sox were that 'other team in the East' until 2004. In 2004, with an epic comeback, the Red Sox and Yankees could officially have a rivalry. Two teams, both competitive at the same time, both winning championships.

The Jets have a chance to be able to legitimately have a rivalry with the Patriots this season. It begins with their game this Sunday at 4:30 pm. If the Jets win, and manage to go on to win a championship, then they can consider themselves truly rivals. Otherwise, if the Patriots win, they go back to being ignored by Patriot fans and are relegated to being that 'other team'.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

A coach with loyalty?

In this day and age of coaching weasels, the tendency is to move on to bigger and better things at the first opportunity. Regardless of the contract, any commitments given to recruits, or any promises made, these individuals scatter as soon as more money and a bigger name comes calling. Loyalty is as foreign a concept in this world as the automobile would be to someone in feudal Europe.

As such, it is refreshing when a coach actually keeps his commitments and displays loyalty to a school and a program that he helped build. Thus, when someone such as Boise State coach Chris Petersen rejected the overtures of Stanford to remain at the mid-major school he has helped to build. "I'm really happy to be in the position I've been the last five years," said Petersen. "I think [Stanford] is a very special place. I just thought it was worth having a conversation about, but that's about as far as it went."

No one is completely certain as to whether or not Petersen actually spoke to Stanford about their position, but that is irrelevant. In an industry where coaches routinely sign multi-year extensions only to leave weeks later or bounce from job to job at the drop of a hat, it is refreshing to find someone that might just be the anti Nick Saban.

Hopefully this signifies a change in the mindset within the coaching ranks. However, in all likelihood, this is simply an aberration. Weasel coaches will continue to make up the majority of the coaching ranks, and will continue to get the major positions at the big name schools. Loyalty exists in the mind of one coach, and it will be to his detriment.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Johnny Weir - No Kidding.....

So, Johnny Weir announced to the world that he is, in fact, gay. Across the globe, this announcement was greeted by complete apathy. Why? Because we already knew. Honestly, if someone dresses like this: http://jeffwise.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/johnny-weir.jpg or this http://skaterjen7.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/a_weir_195.jpg or even like this http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/winter-olympics/7270926/Winter-Olympics-2010-Johnny-Weir-ranks-high-in-the-Vancouver-style-stakes.html then how could anyone be surprised?

Next, let's face it. Ice dancing, especially for men, is not exactly a macho, tough guy sport. It's more likely that there is the token straight guy in the events than vice versa. After all, when talking about this 'sport' and their costumes, Scott Hamilton uttered the line of 'Sometimes a guy just needs to feel pretty.' Right Scotty. Moving along.....

Now, naturally, other obvious headlines from the world of sports also need mentioning from the announcements of today. So, let us pay equal attention to 'The baseball is round', 'Ice is cold', and 'The Seahawks suck.' All of the preceding headlines have roughly the same inherent shock value as Weir's announcement.

At any rate, congratulations to Johnny Weir for finally coming out of the closet and admitting what we all knew all along. I guess it much have been pretty scary in there amongst all the ruffles and sequins.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Of Blyleven and Bagwell

Yesterday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced the results of the 2011 election. Inducted were Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven, Alomar on his second attempt and Blyleven on his 14th. Alomar received 90.9% of the vote, and Blyleven finally made it over 75%, with 79.7%. Following them were Barry Larkin, Jack Morris, and Lee Smith to round out the top five.

Now, any time the human element is involved in any process, there are bound to be flaws - it is simply a part of what makes people who they are. However, some of the votes made absolutely no sense. For instance, B.J. Surhoff received two votes. In fact, one of the people that voted for Surhoff (ESPN news editor Barry Stanton) did not vote for Roberto Alomar. Exactly what criteria was used showing that Surhoff is a Hall of Famer while Alomar is not? Because I would absolutely love to know the rationale behind that vote. Then again, Stanton also voted for Tino Martinez, so it would seem his idea of what a Hall of Famer is would be completely dismissible. At least he didn't vote for Lenny Harris.

For Blyleven, the fact that he had to wait nineteen years after his last pitch to be inducted in is ludicrous. He struck out 3701, which is fifth all time. He pitched 60 shutouts, good for ninth all time. His 242 complete games is good for 91st all time, which counts the days when teams routinely had two starting pitchers and the bullpen was made up of position players. His career WHiP is 1.198, he struck out 2.8 hitters for every one that he walked, and was actually decent with the glove. however, voters for years focused on his won/loss record (287-250), his lack of Cy Young votes, and only making two all-star games as justification on why he was not a Hall of Famer.

Blyleven's case was truly helped by the advent of advanced statistics and sabermetrics. When looking at the innings pitched by pitchers with an ERA+ of 118 or higher, Blyleven is fifth (thanks to baseballreference.com for the chart: http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/9619 ). His adjusted pitching wins is 36.1, which is 19th all time. His win probability added was 30.6, which is 26th all time. And his wins above replacement for pitchers was 90.1, 13th all time.

The other problem with Blyleven is how he accumulated his statistics. Unlike a Nolan Ryan or a Bob Gibson, Blyleven did not strike people out with a 100 mile per hour fastball. He relied on a devastating curve, which does not capture the imagination of the casual fan or sportswriters. Blyleven also pitched for some truly terrible teams in his career, which limited his ability to garner wins. All of this was held against him.  Blyleven has long been the poster child for how traditional statistics do not point to the true value of a player, and now these statistics have led to his induction.

Now, to Jeff Bagwell. Regardless of what criteria is used to view his statistics, they are amazing. He is one of only three first basemen to score 1500 runs and drive in 1500 hitters without spending a lot of time as a designated hitter. The other two - Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx. He is the ONLY first baseman with 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases. This is a player who, from 1991 until 2004, ranked in the top five in home runs, RBI, hits, doubles, runs, and walks. Bagwell made four All-Star games, was a Rookie of the Year and an MVP, and won a Gold Glove. Typically, these are all things that the writers look at when determining whether or not a player should get into the Hall.

The strike against Bagwell is the era in which he played. A number of writers did not vote for him based off of the suspicion that he was on performance enhancing drugs, despite his never testing positive for banned substances. He was never named on the Mitchell report, his name was not on any of the information taken from BALCO, and Jose Canseco (the most credible person in the entire steroids saga) did not mention him in any of his books. In fact, Dan Shaughnessy even mentioned that he was withholding his vote on Bagwell based on his suspicions. "Bagwell never tested positive for anything," Shaughnessy wrote. "But like a lot of players who will follow him to the ballot, he was a guy who made you wonder."

Here is the point: Bagwell NEVER tested positive for anything. A case cannot be made against someone just based off of a hunch. Especially when confirmed cheaters such as Gaylord Perry (who wrote a book during his playing career about the art of the spitball) and Don Sutton (who threw a scuff ball) are in the Hall. In fact, it was once said that if anyone can find a baseball that was not doctored in a game where those two faced each other, that it should be sent to the Hall. Yet Perry is celebrated for being a 'competitor' who would 'do what he needed to win'. How is this any different than using PEDs? I understand not voting for someone who did take them, but in no way should someone be held out on suspicion.

Bagwell deserves to be inducted. Unfortunately, it looks like he is going to have a Bert Blyleven type wait before making it to Cooperstown.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Thank you Stanford

Finally!

On December 30, 2010, something happened that hasn't occurred since November 16, 2008 - the U-Conn women lost. Ironically, the last time they lost was also to Stanford. However, this loss snapped their winning streak at 90 games.

However, something more important happened with that victory. Now, everyone can go back to their normal routines. We can watch SportsCenter again. We can go to sports related websites again. We can watch highlights of the previous nights sporting events again. Why? Because now these Clydesdales are no longer going to be forced down our throats as every media outlet tries to make us care about this 'accomplishment'.

Women's college basketball can now go back to the same corner reserved for sports no one cares about, like curling, luge, cribbage, footbag, and unicycle hockey. You have your four fans. You have better mustaches and more armpit hair than I do. Good for you. Now go away.

Hopefully this squad will continue to lose at random points in time so that they can stop being forced into the national consciousness. This is a niche sport - like kyudo. Once again, thank you to the Stanford women for getting rid of them from my television. If any of you were attractive, I'd take you out for a beer.