Friday, July 29, 2011

What The Shanahan - Part 4

Just when the decision making of Mike Shanahan cannot seem to get worse, he proves everyone wrong.

Last year, Shanahan looked at his roster, and thought to himself that he did not have a quarterback. As such, he went out and traded for Donovan McNabb, giving the Philadelphia Eagles a second round draft pick in 2010, and another draft choice in 2011. Well, the thought that McNabb was better than Rex Grossman or the immortal John Beck lasted for 13 weeks, before he was benched. On July 27, Shanahan traded him to Minnesota for a sixth round draft choice in 2012 and a conditional sixth round pick in 2013. Hell of a return on a second and a fourth.

Next, we come to Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth, when motivated, is a stud defensive lineman. Yet, early on in his tenure with the Redskins (pretty much in the first hour), Shanahan went out of his way to alienate his best defensive lineman. Yes, Haynesworth ended up quitting on the Redskins (who can forget him laying down in the middle of the field during play?) but he never felt respected by the current regime. In the end, Haynesworth got his wish, and was traded to the New England Patriots for a fifth round pick in 2013. Seems that $100Million doesn’t get what it used to anymore.

Now, to further compound the idiocy that is the roster construction of the Washington Redskins, they did nothing to address their quarterback situation. Unless Shanahan sees something in John Beck that no one else does, or if Beck has compromising pictures of Shanahan and farm animals, there is no way that he should be starting for a CFL team, let alone in the NFL. They also neglected the offensive line until the seventh round, way too late for them to have a significant upgrade at any point in the near future.

While there were several picks that were steals in Leonard Hankerson and Roy Helu, they made moves in free agency that limited the logic of these selections. They signed Brandon Stokley and Donte Stallworth, and traded for Jabar Gaffney – moves that would have been exciting three years ago. At quarterback, they brought in another less than exciting option in Kellen Clemens. Yeah, these are moves that will lead the Redskins back to the promised land.

This year may be the final nail in the ‘Shanahan Is A Genius’ coffin. This team is now unquestionably molded in his image. Now we all get the joy of watching it blow apart.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Here We Go Again

How delusional can one aging, overrated, and washed up quarterback be?

Now that the NFL lockout appears to be hours away from concluding, the countdown has begun. No, not the countdown to free agency and when players get to go into training camp; but rather the countdown as to when the narcissistic preening that is the inevitable Brett Favre ‘Will he or won’t he’ return saga. As it stands, the Philadelphia Eagles are rumored to be interested to bring in the Ol’ Gunslinger as the backup to Michael Vick once Kevin Kolb is traded.

The question that needs to be asked here is why. Why would the Eagles take this guy on when it is obvious from last year that he has nothing left? Of course, the Brett Favre sychophants, and there are a lot of them, will blame his offensive line, his injuries, and Sidney Rice getting hurt. What they fail to realize is that Favre simply did not have the arm to blindly throw into quadruple coverage and get bailed out by his receivers anymore.

When players age, they need to adapt. They need to find other ways of being effective in whatever position, whether by running crisper routes as a receiver, relying on their experience to give them an advantage, or to develop a new move. Favre never had the capacity to adapt. All he ever did was to fire the ball as hard as he could, regardless of how far downfield his receivers were. And of course he didn’t want to throw all of the underneath passes and hit the open receivers – it looked better on his highlight reels if he fired the football fifty yards downfield into a non-existent window and had his receivers make spectacular catches.

Plus, for Favre there is a bonus to his being a backup – the cameras of whatever station that is televising the game will comtinue to show him on air as the announcers fall over themselves to gush about what a competitor and person he is. In fact, there may be more footage of Favre holding a clipboard, getting a Gatorade, or standing there as he mentally sings his name to himself over and over again than there will be of the actual game. This is particularly likely if he signs and they show his new team on ESPN. It almost seems as though it is written in his contract that he is mentioned every fifth story on that station.

For the sake of all of our sanity, just leave Favre on the scrap heap of players that no longer can perform. He is no longer any different than any other washed up quarterback, aside from his inability to see what is directly in front of him.

Friday, July 22, 2011

The Value Of The Stolen Base

Over the course of baseball's history, five statistics had come to be regarded as the best for evaluating players. They were runs, batting average, home runs, runs batted in, and stolen bases. Now, over the course of the almost 150 years that baseball has been in existence as a professional sport, new ways of looking at players have been developed. Statistics such as OPS+, WAR, and rbat have changed the way that players are viewed now. In fact, sabermetric statistics have been a driving force behind dramatic increases of votes for the Hall of Fame. Players such as Bert Blyleven owe their induction in part to the sabermetric community.

Yet, despite the realization that a statistic such as batting average or RBIs no longer tell the true value of a player, stolen bases persist in the imaginations of baseball fans. Why is this? This seems to be a two part answer. First, the stolen base is a lot rarer now than it was even twenty five years ago, when players such as Vince Coleman and Rickey Henderson were consistently at or near the century mark for a season. Second, the stolen base is one of the statistics that count in majority of fantasy leagues, which make players such as Jacoby Ellsbury or Juan Pierre appear more valuable than they are.

Using the win probability statistic, it was determined that from between 1999 and 2002 a stolen base added .018 wins. That is 1.8% for those of you that cannot do math. Meanwhile, a caught stealing subtracted .043 wins, or added the probability of a loss by 4.3%. In order for a stolen base to actually add anything to a team's success, the runner needs to be successful on at least 70% of his attempts.

Meanwhile, a home run adds roughly 10% to a team's win probability statistic. While decidedly old school, Earl Weaver's famous reluctance to steal bases and wait for the three run home run was, in retrospect, actually quite ahead of his time for a way to view the game. The home run adds a lot more to the odds of a team winning than a stolen base does.

Taking the percentages above, let's say that the average major league starting position player hits 15 home runs. He would then add 150% to his team's possible victories. Meanwhile, Juan Pierre in 2010 stole 68 bases while being caught 18 times. This adds up to providing a positive of adding 77.4% to his team's projected ability to win a game. For Pierre to add as much as an average player, he would have needed to steal around 130 bases at the same success rate.

Players such as Pierre, Dexter Fowler, and others who do nothing more than provide speed are often overrated. Ellsbury fell into this category prior to this year, where he has suddenly developed a bit of power to go along with his 50+ stolen base potential. While the stolen base is an exciting play, it is easy to see why as baseball management has changed the way they evaluate players, the pure speed player is practically a dinosaur. Getting on base and being able to move the line along is more valuable than being able to steal 60 bases, but only get on base at a .330 clip, as Pierre did in 2006 (it was actually 58 bases, but the point is still there).

The way of evaluating baseball players has changed a lot. So too should our perceptions of what makes a worthwhile major league player.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Top Five NFL Trade Candidates

Now that there is a light at the end of the NFL lockout tunnel, it is time to turn our attention to possible moves once the CBA is officially agreed upon. Below is a list of the top five players that are most likely to get traded.

1. Kevin Kolb, QB - With the franchising, and eventual resigning, of Michael Vick in Philadelphia, Kolb has become a bit of a luxury. He is a young quarterback who has shown flashes of brilliance when he has had the opportunity to play. He turns 27 in another month, and is just about to hit his prime as a quarterback. He has a good arm with solid accuracy, and while he doesn't run, he can escape a pass rush. Teams desperate for a quarterback that they can build around should be calling Philadelphia as soon as players can be traded.

Possible destinations - Seattle, Arizona

2. Chad Ochocinco, WR - With Ochocinco, a lot of attention is paid to his antics and colorful personality. Yet, lost in all of this is that he is a productive receiver who can stretch the field. Since he became a regular starter in 2002, he has only had one season of fewer than 65 receptions. He is on the final year of his contract as well, and will be motivated to get the next payday. Chad also just wants to win. Do not discount how much the affect of leaving a losing culture like Cincinnati will have on him.

Possible destinations - New England

3. Kyle Orton, QB - Suppose you found out that you could get a quarterback for your team who has back to back seasons of over 3500 yards passing, very good accuracy, does not turn the ball over, and had previously taken a mediocre team and brought them to the playoffs. Then suppose you found out you could get him without giving up a lot. You would be pretty excited, right? So why is it that people regard Kyle Orton as not being a worthwhile option? He would be a safer option than Kolb, and would cost much less.

Possible destinations - Arizona, Minnesota

4. Carson Palmer, QB - The Carson Palmer situation is a sticky one. He has stated repetitively that he has no interest in being a Bengal and will retire if he is not traded. Meanwhile, the owners of the Bengals are stating that they will not trade him, as that would establish a dangerous precedent. So, for now, Palmer is stuck in limbo. However, if the Bengals' front office realizes that getting something is better than having nothing, Palmer will draw interest from teams looking to have a veteran presence ahead of a developing quarterback.

Possible destinations - Miami, Tennessee

5. Donovan McNabb - Ah, Donovan McNabb. A quarterback that for much of his career was overrated to the point where he almost became underrated. Now with the fiasco that is Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins, McNabb is on the block just one year after he was the darling of their eye. Again, it probably would not take much to get him, as they are seemingly just wanting to make McNabb disappear. Yet, this is a guy that still has something left in the tank, and would be a good mentor for a young, mobile quarterback.

Possible destinations - Minnesota, Tennessee

It should be interesting to see where these players end up, if they do get moved. Look for a lot of movement in the abbreviated free agency and trade period before camp. This will be fun to watch.

Monday, July 18, 2011

The Women's World Cup - Part 2

On the heels of the United States women falling to Japan during the World Cup Finals this past weekend, there has been debate as to what actually happened. Did the Japanese team win the match? Or did the United States team lose the match? The answer is actually quite simple. Yes.

News flash people - for a team to win, the other one has to lose. How is this a difficult concept to follow? The way it happened is irrelevant. Whine all you want about missed opportunities or letting leads slip away twice. In the end, a win is a win and a loss is a loss. They don't give extra credit for trying.

What is lost in all of this is that the Japanese team was a resilient group that played within their system and capitalized on their opponent's mistakes. If that strategy sounds familiar, that would be because that is essentially what the Boston Bruins did on the way to winning the Stanley Cup. Yet no one was crying that Roberto Luongo lost the Stanley Cup instead of the Bruins winning it.

So, move on everyone! Accept this for what it is - a victory by a nation that has had a year of earthquakes, tsunamis, potential nuclear meltdowns, and the inability to restock those vending machines with schoolgirl panties. Can you imagine living in an area where you cannot get access to those whenever you want? It's like they fell back to the Dark Ages.

Congratulations to the Japanese women's team. Now we can all ignore women's soccer for another four years.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Time To Let It Go

Well, that was anticlimactic.

Two days into the Roger Clemens perjury trial, the judge declared a mistrial as the prosecution showed a videotape that had been previously ruled inadmissible as evidence. Now, Clemens gets to walk free until at least September 2, when another court date is scheduled to determine whether or not the federal government will attempt to try him again.

Now, the total cost of this two day waste of time? Millions of dollars and several years of the government's time. Yeah, that was worth it. The United States is $14,500,619,727,103 in debt as of right now, and climbing. The government is having problems agreeing on putting together a budget that will attempt to curb federal spending, yet they can waste all that time and money on this?

And do not believe the garbage that Congress is spewing about how this is about showing that no one is able to get away with lying to them. Back in 1994 in a hearing chaired by the same Harry Waxman that was chairing the steroids hearing, the CEOs of seven tobacco companies all declared - under oath - that they believed that nicotine was not addictive. Seventeen years later, none of them have been brought up for perjury. Guess their summons got lost in the mail. Or maybe it isn't glamorous to prosecute the CEOs of companies that spend so much money on Capitol Hill, making sure that their lobbyists get the bribes to the right people.

This was never about steroids or trying to 'clean up the game', as these people claim. This was about face time. This was about being able to make pithy comments that would get replayed over and over again, as they claimed 'moral outrage'. This was never about protecting the youth of America, and making sure that their heroes remain untarnished. This was about hypocrisy, since everyone in Congress lies to one another on a continual basis. If lying to Congress is such a big deal, then every single Congressman should be prosecuted. These people are basically getting free advertising while wasting the taxpayers money.

In the end, nothing got resolved. Clemens walks free due to a legal error, and no one aside from him knows if he lied to Congress or not. And at this point, no one really cares either.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Impressions Of A Soccer Game

Last night, I went with a friend to see Manchester United take on the New England Revolution on their 2011 Herbalife World Football Challenge. Admittedly, I am not a fan of soccer, based on what I have seen of it on television. However, I absolutely love hockey, and I see a lot of similarities between the two sports. My friend is a soccer fan, and a Man United fan, so this had the makings of an interesting experience.

As such, I felt that, as with a hockey game, seeing a soccer match in person would give a truer sense of the game itself. Rather than seeing the televised focus on the ball, it would be easier to see the set up and strategy inherent in the ball movement, and to see the plays set up.

And you know what? It was. Soccer was infinitely more enjoyable in person than watching it on television. Even though the first half ended in a zero to zero tie, you could see where Manchester United was setting up plays, feeling out the Revolution defense, and getting quality shots. The only reason why the first half was scoreless was that the goalie for New England, Matt Reis, played incredibly well. In fact, only he and Shalrie Joseph seemed to belong on the same field as Man United.

This became evident in the second half when Manchester United abused the Revolution, putting up four goals on the backup goaltender. The final score ended up being 4-1 Man United, yet it truly was not that close. The difference in skill between the two clubs was obvious, even to someone such as myself who has admittedly not seen a lot of soccer.

In the end, this was a much better experience than I would have expected. Perhaps this was due to pregaming at a bar that serves mason jars filled with beer, but nonetheless it was a more enjoyable experience than anticipated. While I may not be a fan of soccer, I can see why people would be. It is definitely something I will check out in person again.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Women's World Cup

Stop the music, because we have heard this song before.

Back in the halcyon days of yore, 1999 to be exact, there was a team of women, vying for a championship on fields of green. They faced off against a foe that was, for all intents and purposes, representative of everything that their home country was not. In the end, the US Women's team won, forever leaving the iconic image of Brandi Chastain ripping her shirt off (back when she was hot, and was not showing more neck veins and tendons than Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Riding the afterglow of their victory, a professional women's soccer league came into existence. Founded in February of 2000, the Women's United Soccer Association came into existence. Fielding eight teams, they began play in April 2001. Then they realized what should be obvious at this point - that there is not enough interest to maintain a viable women's league in ANYTHING, aside from beach volleyball and pole dancing, in this country. The league suspended operations on September 15, 2003, and faded off into the dust of history.

Back to the present. We find ourselves looking at yet another women's soccer team that has managed to capture the imagination of the United States. This time, they came back from seemingly insurmountable odds, as they had to contend with being down a player, questionable (and that is being charitable) officiating, and a soccer team in Brazil that was hungry to win the championship. Despite it all, they managed to tie the game on a miraculous play from Megan Rapinoe to Abby Wambach. They would then defeat Brazil on penalty kicks to advance to the semifinals.

Now, once again, the United States is presently enthralled with this group of women. So, this means that some people with extra money are going to look to find a way to exploit this, and gain more money for their coffers. So, in another few months, the concept of yet another women's soccer league may get bandied about, as what would be a better way to cash in on this phenomenon?

Here's an idea that would be the equivalent - find a fireplace and throw that money into it. Because you are just as likely to make some money by doing that as you are to turning a profit with a women's sports league. For proof, just look at the WNBA. Despite David Stern forcing the NBA to keep it on life support, it still hemorrhages money like a Kardashian on a shopping trip.

This may be a great moment, not just for women's soccer, but for soccer in general when it comes to this country. However, one moment does not turn into anything more. Americans are, by nature, easily distracted by the newest and shiniest thing. Women's soccer just will not hold their attention if it is constantly around. Let them be relevant once every four years, and accept that is all that will come of it.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Just Go Away

Well, it's the offseason for the NFL. This means that certain things are considered to be inevitable. And here is one such thing - rumors of yet another Brett Favre return.

Apparently, Favre has been part of the crew that has been mentoring Cam Newton, as he tries to get ready for his rookie year. His interest in mentoring Newton has given rise to the speculation that Favre may be considering another comeback. In fact, Favre has said that he is throwing the football now as well as he ever has. Which means that he can now overthrow short receivers or gun the ball into quadruple coverage with the greatest of ease once more.

Look Brett, just go away. You have had more comebacks than a horror movie villain. At this point, Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones think that your inability to hang it up and move on is pathetic. You have nothing left, and have had nothing left for a couple years now. Take that tractor, your jeans commercials, and your tears and mow a lawn someplace else.

Unfortunately, some team desperate for a quarterback (Seattle, Carolina, maybe even Arizona) will come kicking at Favre's tires and sniffing around to see if he's interested in returning. And sure enough, the Ol' Gunslinger will have numerous press conferences, where he cries more than a jilted schoolgirl. And once again, he'll do his 'Aw shucks, they like me, they really like me' routine and show up for yet another final season.

Favre, give something back to the fans of the NFL for once. Give us the enduring image that we all treasure - the image of you writhing in agony as Arthur Moats stands over you. For once in your life, do something that is not all about Brett Favre.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Some People Just Don't Get It

File this one under inevitable.

In a situation that ceases to be news worthy, Adam 'Pac-Man' Jones of the Cincinnati Bengals was arrested yet again last night for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Pac-Man, of course, claims that was not the case, as he cannot resist arrest due to wearing a neck brace that he has from surgery. No Pac-Man, you're dumb enough to try it anyway.

This clown has been arrested six times and had police called on him twelve times since he was drafted in 2005. He had to sit out a year due to his extensive legal issues. He has been suspended by the league numerous times. Yet this moron cannot get the hint. If the NFL has a 'three strikes' policy, he somehow has to be on strike 15.

Look 'Frogger', somewhere along the line, you should have figured out that having the police called on you 18 times in the past six years is bad. Obviously, you are either too stupid or too stubborn to change anything. It is almost like he is a member of the Bush family 'staying the course' with a war on a Middle Eastern country - he just doesn't know any better.

In the meantime, your nickname of Pac-Man has been revoked, as Pac-Man is too cool of a game to be sullied by associating with you. As such, your new nickname will befit such a waste of oxygen. Welcome to being referred to as Adam 'E.T.' Jones. Yes, ET, the game bad enough that it almost single-handedly bankrupted Atari.

Good luck fighting your latest rap E.T. We probably won't see you in the NFL for a long time, if ever again.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

In Defense of Uncle Bud

When people think of Bud Selig, they immediately have the image of an older man with an expression of complete and utter bewilderment. They think of someone who inherently seems as trustworthy as a used car salesman, which is ironic since Selig made his money through running an automotive leasing company. In general, they think of incompetence.

Part of that thought process is due to several situations that occurred during his tenure as acting commissioner and when he officially became the commissioner of baseball. First was the strike of 1994, and the cancellation of the World Series. That work stoppage effectively ruined baseball in Montreal, and it took years before the sport was able to get back to the level of popularity it had been at previously. This has been a huge black mark for Selig; yet since that point in time, baseball has had unprecedented labor peace. In fact, while the NFL and NBA are staging lockouts, the collective bargaining agreement for baseball is also up after this year, and there has been no talks of strikes or lockouts there. They are already working on the new CBA, which they hope to have done by the end of the year.

Selig also presided over the tied All-Star Game in 2002, which he takes an undo amount of flak for. While he could have created a way to determine the winner with some contest (home run hitting derby, skills competition, whatever), the managers were the ones that ran out all of the pitchers. Not Selig. This definitely could have been handled better, but that is not entirely his fault, as a lot of people seem to think.

Then there was the steroid era. Technically, steroids were being used in baseball as far back as the mid to late 1980's, when he was not even commissioner. In fact, the steroid era taints the reigns of at least four commissioners - Peter Ueberroth, A. Bartlett Giamatti, Fay Vincent, and Selig. Selig catches the most heat for the steroid era because he was the commissioner when it all came to a head in 2005. However, steroids helped the game of baseball get back into the national consciousness with the McGwire-Sosa home run chase. Also, other sports, notably football, have a far greater issue with steroids and PEDs, but no one cares. Selig is the victim of a double standard here.

Now, lets look at some of the positives of his tenure. First, baseball has had labor peace for almost 20 years at this point. The union and the owners, while not exactly friends, are no longer as adversarial has they had been in the past. Selig has a large part in this, as the face of the owners at the negotiating table. Also, the sport has had tremendous financial growth during his tenure, outpacing the United States GDP by almost 150%. From 2007 to 2008, baseball had an increase in revenue of over $400Million, despite selling 800,000 fewer tickets. This is partially due to the revenue sharing plan Selig instituted, which is helping smaller market teams invest money into their product, and also due to MLB embracing the internet and new media.

Selig also brought about radical realignment after the 1994 strike, and added the wild card. More teams now have a better chance to make the playoffs, which keeps fans interested. Without the wild card, the Florida Marlins would not have won either of their championships. It would have been 2007 until the Red Sox won a World Series. In total, nine wild card teams made the World Series, with four of them winning it. In fact, in 2002, both teams (the Giants and Angels) were wild cards.

Interleague play was another creation of Bud Selig. While there are issues in terms of the interleague schedule, there is no doubt that fans want to see it. Ticket sales increase during these games, and it creates fun situations where the Cubs played at Fenway for the first time since the 1918 World Series. Yes, people may want to see it eliminated, but it still draws attention to the game.

Selig has also made it where the American and National Leagues are controlled by the same office, the umpires are no longer split according to league, brought about the World Baseball Classic, helped create a stricter PED testing policy (and got the union to agree to it), and created Jackie Robinson Day. Is Selig perfect? Hell no. But everything he does is due to his true love of baseball, and his desire to help improve the sport. In the end, the good far outweighs the bad.

Bud Selig has been a good commissioner, and has been good for the game of baseball. He deserves a lot more credit than he gets.

Friday, July 8, 2011

The Legacy of Yao

Earlier today, reports surfaced that Yao Ming has decided to retire from the NBA, due to knee and ankle injuries that have robbed him of all but five games last season. Yao had been dealing with injuries over the past several years, having surgeries on his feet and ankles in an attempt to be able to keep playing.

Over his eight year career, Yao averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.89 blocks per game. However, his contribution to basketball, and the NBA, goes beyond the numbers. Yao, while not the first Chinese basketball export (that would be Wang Zhi Zhi), was the most prominent. His playing ability, as much as his size and presence, helped to further the international growth of the NBA. Yao was already a beloved figure in China prior to coming over the the US to play in the NBA; afterwards, he became legendary.

To some, Yao's career may be a bit of a disappointment due to his injury issues, but look at what he accomplished. He was an All-Star every year he was in the league. He made the All-Rookie team. Three times he was an All-NBA third team member, and twice made All-NBA second team. If anything, the most disappointing part of his career was that the Rockets did not truly take advantage of one skill that Ming had - his ability to pass the ball. Yao Ming was a great passer, perhaps even the best passing center since Arvydas Sabonis in his prime. The Sabonis that eventually came over to Portland was merely a shell - look him up on YouTube in his younger days and you will see a truly great player. His greatest asset was his ability to pass the ball, and Yao was almost as talented there as he was. Only Houston could never figure out a way to utilize that skill.

So, the question will inevitably be asked if Yao is a Hall of Fame player or not. He is fairly borderline as a player looking at the raw statistics. Yet Yao is bigger than the numbers. He helped bring the NBA into the Asian market. Roughly 200 million Chinese would watch the NBA on CCTV, their television network. 50 million of those were strictly for Rockets games, just to watch Yao. He essentially brought to Houston the equivalent of not one major market city, but FIVE. At a time when the NBA is claiming that 22 of their teams lost money, Yao helped bring major revenue to Houston. He helped further the globalization of the game that David Stern keeps promoting. Yao was one of, if not THE face, of international basketball.

Will Yao make the Hall? He should. If not as a player, he definitely deserves to as a contributor to the game. Furthering the appeal of the NBA overseas, and for being the driving force behind their ability to tap into the Asian market is more than enough for enshrinement in Springfield.

Let The Exodus Begin!

And so it begins.

Deron Williams, a top 20 player in the NBA and one of the top point guards, has agreed to a contract with Besiktas in the Turkish Basketball League. The team also announced the signing of Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia. Both contracts are expected to be officially announced next week.

The Deron Williams contract is for one year at $5Million, and includes an immediate out in the event that the lockout is lifted. This signing, and the framework of the contract, are expected to be the pattern for other European and Asian teams looking to sign American players. In fact, Besiktas has stated that they are not done going after NBA players, and are going to reach out to Kobe Bryant to gauge his interest in playing over there.

Now, if Besiktas sounds somewhat familiar, it is because they have employed NBA talent in the past. This is the team that briefly signed Allen Iverson last year, before he left the team. So, they do have experience in dealing with NBA players, their egos, and everything that goes along with them.

Here is where this gets interesting. Some people are suggesting that Williams is signing this contract as an attempt to show that the NBPA is serious about not accepting a deal that would eliminate any of the progress they made over the past ten to fifteen years through the collective bargaining agreements. They are thinking that Williams is doing this only as a sign of solidarity with the union, and is not serious about playing overseas. Now, what happens when the lockout drags into the season, as David Stern and company seem intent on having happen? What happens when players overseas realize that the teams will provide them housing at no cost to the players, or that they are willing to play the taxes on the contracts? What happens when they realize that the Euro is a stronger monetary unit than the dollar? What then?

Deron Williams is the first domino to fall in the game of chicken that the NBA is intent on having with it's players. Doubtless, they figured that the players would never go overseas to play, as that would be a logical choice for them to make. After all, most of the owners seem to regard their players as trained animals that perform for their enjoyment.

Williams and Pachulia were the first, and they will not be the last. The NBA had better tread carefully, or they could be in a lot of trouble.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Tiger Woods Did PEDs

The evidence is circumstantial at best, but where there is smoke, there is usually fire. Let's connect the dots here.

We have here a person the likes of which his sport had never seen before. A person who could, seemingly without exerting any effort, could drive a ball to incredible distances. A person who would seemingly win an event that he showed up for, just based off of his intimidation presence alone. A golfer who was built more like a linebacker. A golfer that actually lifted weights, as opposed to being the out of shape hobbyists that the rest of the PGA Tour consisted of. An actual athlete that happened to play golf. That person was Tiger Woods.

Fast forward to October of 2009. Dr. Anthony Galea, who just so happened to be the personal doctor of Tiger Woods, was charged in federal court for bringing Human Growth Hormone and similar substances into the United States, as well as lying to border guards to avoid being caught. Now Dr. Galea, who plead guilty in court on Wednesday, admitted that he brought these substances in to treat athletes.

Woods claims that HGH and steroids were never a part of any treatments that he received from Dr. Galea. So, we are to believe a guy who is a known liar and cheat when he claims that he never took or received any of these drugs from this person, who is an admitted that such things were a part of his healing medicine? Or is it just coincidence that the other athlete from the list of 20 golfers, baseball players , and football players that he treated just so happened to be Alex Rodriguez? Oh, and by the way, A-Rod is an admitted PED user, only he claimed his cousin got them for him. Sure, cousin. That cousin wouldn't have happened to be a disgraced Canadian doctor now, would it? Wait, we understand you won't answer honestly - don't want to blow up your golden goose now.

Now, let's look at the Tiger Woods timeline here. The last tournament he won was back on September 13, 2009, at the BMW Championship, were he defeated the field by eight shots. Now, on Thanksgiving of that same year, he crashed his SUV into a shrubbery (the Knights Who So Formerly Said Ni! were not pleased with this development), a fire hydrant, and finally a tree. He then conveniently removed himself from any other tournaments for 2009.

Now, let's look at 2010. Zero victories. In fact, he even failed to make the Ryder Cup team, an event for which his name had previously been penned in. He would skip events. He would claim his equipment was hindering his performance. Meanwhile, the rest of the tour was mysteriously starting to catch up to him, to the point where he finally relinquished control of the top ranking in the world of golf, dropping to second. Did the effects of all of those golf courses 'Tiger Proofing' themselves finally start to work all of a sudden? Or was it that Woods no longer had the PED advantage he previously had, now that his doctor was busted?

So, we move forward to 2011. Once again, Woods has not won an event. In fact, he has barely been able to finish an event he appeared in, leaving twice due to 'injuries'. Recently, he announced that he would not return until he felt right. Now, HGH and other PEDs can not only help one accumulate muscle mass and strength, but they also help decrease recovery time from various injuries and surgeries. Suddenly, Woods seems to have a lot of 'minor injuries' and other ailments that he never had before. He has been having issues with his Achilles tendon and his left anterior cruciate ligament, which is ironic since steroids have suggested to increase the risk of tendon tears and injuries in athletes.

With everything added up, and with his sudden fall from the pinnacle of his 'sport', there is plenty of evidence suggesting that Tiger Woods has done PEDs. Just because no one has actually seen him get injected means absolutely nothing. Now, the PGA Tour does have a PED testing policy, and a player was caught under the system. However, the PGA Tour is run by THE PLAYERS, and since it is, how serious are they about actually testing for such things? They are smart enough to know that if one of their cash cows got caught, it would ruin golf's image. So, point to the fact that Tiger Woods has never tested positive for PEDs all you want. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Andy Pettitte never tested positive for them either.

Tiger Woods did PEDs. It is just that no one wants to admit it.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

When Engagements Go Wrong

It is not just us regular slobs that have troubles with dating or our love lives. No, these issues can happen to athletes and other famous people as well. Just ask Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys.

Williams is suing his ex-girlfriend to recover an engagement ring he sent her worth approximately $76,000, which she claims she lost. This ring was part of a package that Williams mailed to her in February that included $5000 for a dental procedure, a baseball for her brother, and a videotaped marriage proposal.

Now, I realize that I am no expert on relationships, as most of mine have been as horrifying as Pauly Shore acting. However, I would think that sending a videotaped marriage proposal would not exactly work. I mean, why couldn't Williams go there in the first place? It was February, so it's not like the Cowboys were playing for the Super Bowl. Hell, they weren't even in the playoffs. With the impeding lockout, it was not as though he had any pressing 'voluntary' football training commitments. No, this was just being lazy. It is no wonder she turned him down.

So Roy Williams, take your rejection like a man and keep the legal system out of it. It's what the rest of us do, unless we are getting hit with restraining orders for stalking.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Tour De Farce

With the coming of July, the attention of the sporting world turns ever so slightly toward an event so dirty that even a Kardashian sister thinks that it has an image problem - the Tour de France. In this farce of an event, 'clean' cyclists race across France, striving for the ever elusive Yellow Jersey of Leadership and ultimate victory.

This grand event of cycling prowess has lost a lot of it's luster over the past few years. Since Lance Armstrong and his one testicle ripped off seven consecutive victories, allegations of doping have circled the race like so many vultures over a dying animal. In fact, it has gotten to the point where claiming that someone on the Tour de France is using PEDs is not even news. If someone is actually running that race clean, they are at a major competitive disadvantage. Even though they do occasionally catch someone doping, it seems that is more likely to have happened because they actually tested that one person's blood during the event. They can't test them all and have everyone come back dirty - after all, they have a race to run and corporate sponsorship money to receive.

As it stands, the Tour and professional cycling may as well come clean about the entire situation and be a lot more transparent. Sell the naming rights to the event to BALCO. Bring in Victor Conte and Greg Anderson as experts, giving tips on the best way to use PEDs for maximum effect. Have disgraced former winner Floyd Landis as a commentator, detailing each cyclists doping regiment. In fact, you can even bring Charlie Sheen in as a celebrity guest. He used steroids when filming Major League, so he knows all about PEDs. Plus, there would be the unintentional comedy of watching him try to ride a bike.

The Tour de France is nothing more than a farce. It's time they admit it.

Monday, July 4, 2011

A Tribute To Gluttony

Ah, the Fourth of July. A day where America celebrates it's independence by getting drunk, watching people walk down streets in costumes, blowing a chunk of itself up, and by going to the emergency room for mishaps while handling fireworks. Also, the Fourth of July marks another tradition - the annual homage to gluttony that is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Now that there are such things as 'professional food eating' and 'major league eating', gluttony is no longer one of the seven deadly sins. It is no longer a problem that causes obesity in a country where the obesity rate has doubled from 15% in 1980 to 30% today. No, now they are trying to market watching fat people stuffing their faces with large quantities of various foods as a sport.

News flash - stuffing your face is not a sport. If it was, then the All You Can Eat Buffet at Ponderosa is home to some serious sports talent. In fact, the people there are constantly sweating, although it is from the strain of walking five feet to get their tenth helping of mashed potatoes as opposed to exercising. At least their jaw muscles are highly developed.

So today, you have a choice. You can either watch some freak try to eat as many hotdogs as they can in ten minutes without throwing up, or you can do anything else. Honestly, this shouldn't even be a question. If you want to see freaks of nature, find the bearded woman from the circus or Bat Boy from the Weekly World News. Hell, you could even go find Paris Hilton. Just don't watch this spectacle of waste and gluttony.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Start of a Future Trend?

One of the facets of the NBA lockout is the desire by the owners to have a hard salary cap. This cap number, which is thought to be around $60Million, would serve to lower the salaries of players across the NBA, which would make the ridiculous contracts given to role players seemingly a thing of the past.

As such, players, particularly those that would not be considered star caliber, may look to other avenues to maximize their income. One such way would be to play for a professional team overseas, where they do not have such guidelines. Previously, foreign leagues had been seen as a last resort for those not good enough for the NBA, or for those players whose peak had passed them by, yet they still thought they had something to offer (see Iverson, Allen).

However, this has begun to change. In hockey, Jaromir Jagr spent three seasons playing in the KHL for Avangard Omsk before returning this past week to the NHL. Evgeni Nabokov later joined him in the KHL, signing with SKA St. Petersburg. Even in basketball, Josh Childress played for Olympiacos Piraeus in the Euroleague, turning down a contract from the Atlanta Hawks for one that was worth the equivalent of $15Million per year in Greece.

Fast forward to yesterday, when Real Madrid in the Spanish ACB offered Rudy Fernandez a six year contract that would make him the highest paid player in the history of the league. The proposed contract would pay roughly $4.25Million per year, which is a million dollars more than the qualifying offer that he would receive next season as a free agent. Given the potential of a vastly altered financial landscape in the NBA, this contract may be better than what Fernandez could get in America.

Now, Fernandez is a decent player, but he is a role player. He is not, and will never be, a centerpiece for a championship team. He is a bench player who can come in and drain a three. That's all. In all likelihood, it would make sense for him to go overseas, where he could be a primary scorer and make more money there than to play for ten minutes a night here.

Now, this is just the possible tip of the iceberg. Role players going overseas won't matter a big deal to most teams, as a lot of players with a similar skill set can be found elsewhere. But what happens if a star player gets a Godfather offer from a foreign club once the hard cap is instituted? Let's say that Kevin Durant becomes a free agent, and a Euroleague team offers him $25Million a year. Does he take what would be much less to stay in the NBA, or does he jump overseas for the money?

Sports like basketball and hockey have to worry about foreign teams going after some of their players as it stands now. The NBA may need to worry a lot more about this in the near future.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

The NBA Lockout

This is going to make the NFL lockout seem like a minor disagreement.

On one side, there are the owners and David Stern. They are claiming that 22 of the 30 teams lost money over the past season, and are looking to institute a hard salary cap, as opposed to the soft cap they presently have. The hard cap number they are looking at? Somewhere in the $40Million to $60Million range. The owners also want a 60-40 split on revenue, with ownership getting the 60%. Presently, the players get 57%.

Naturally, the players want nothing to do with this proposal. They feel that it is likely that only 10 teams lost money during the previous season. Also, they feel that it is not their fault that incompetent management and short-sighted owners gave them the ridiculous contracts that they presently have (looking at you, Gilbert Arenas, Josh Childress, and Desagano Diop, amongst others). The players also refuse to accept a proposed splitting of the revenue that has them losing that much money.

In other words, they are not even close to an agreement.

Around the league, it is fully expected that the NBA will not play this season. Owners lose less money when they do not have to open up the arenas and by not fielding teams. David Stern has stated that once the lockout actually started, the offers by the NBA will be lowered, which is not exactly conducive to getting an agreement in place. Nor does this seem like a fair bargaining tactic, especially if the NBA truly wants there to be a 2011-12 season.

The NBA was riding the high of a season of goodwill and momentum, where they had the opportunity to be the primary focus for the winter months. Now, they have thrown that all away. With the distinct possibility that the NFL labor dispute will be wrapped up in short order, the NBA faces the distinct possibility of losing it's hold on the American public. The season being lost may initially be met with outrage from the fans, but will settle down to complete apathy, as the viewing public moves on to the NHL or watches the English Premier League.

So, who wins in all of this? The NHL. On the heels of a great Stanley Cup Finals, they find themselves on the verge of being the only daily American winter league. You know Gary Bettman wants the NBA to take it's ball and go home for the year. And it looks like Gary is about to get his wish.