Mark McGwire and the Hall of Fame

For the fifth season, Mark McGwire's name appears on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. In the previous four years, he has received between 21.9 and 23.7% of the vote. In order to gain induction, one needs 75%, so McGwire has been significantly below that threshold for the entirety of his candidacy.

On the surface, it would appear that the reason for his lack of support is due to his being linked to steroids. His pathetic performance in front of Congress when he stated that he was 'not there to talk about the past' certainly did not help his case. In an effort to attempt to help his chances for enshrinement, he apologized for 'mistakes' he made during his playing days, and has returned to baseball in the form of a hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. In doing so, he became reunited with his biggest enabler, Tony LaRussa.

However, there is more to McGwire not being inducted than just the steroid issue. Quite simply, when looking at his statistics, he does not deserve to be enshrined. McGwire did one thing well, and that was hit home runs. In fact, his 583 home runs currently ranks tenth all time. Over his career, he hit a home run for every 10.6 at bats, which is the top rate of all time. Solid numbers, yes.

Yet, McGwire only had a grand total of 1626 hits over his 16 year career, which ranks 463rd all time. He is behind such notable names as Mark Kotsay, Shannon Stewart, Alfredo Griffin, and Tony Taylor. His batting average stands at a very underwhelming .263. While he was relatively valuable with the bat, mainly for his power numbers, his fielding at a fairly critical position was lacking. His defensive wins about replacement over his career was a -3.6. The last full season that he played where he was not a liability in the field was in 1992.

Furthering the argument against McGwire, http://www.baseballreference.com/ provides a list of the top ten players who McGwire compares favorably to. Only two are Hall of Famers, Harmon Killebrew and Willie McCovey. The list is as follows: 1. Jose Canseco (ironic), 2. Jason Giambi, 3. Killebrew, 4. Carlos Delgado, 5. McCovey, 6. Jim Thome, 7. Norm Cash, 8. Jaun Gonzalez, 9. Dave Kingman, and 10. Gil Hodges. Of the eight not presently in the hall, a case can be made only for Thome. Also, three of the top ten have been linked to steroids in Canseco (who broke the story), Giambi, and Gonzalez.

McGwire was simply a player who could hit for tremendous power, but was essentially useless otherwise. Steroids or not, he simply does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame - not in 2010 or any other year.

What the Shanahan - Part 2

The biggest moves of the Washington Redskins offseason was to hire Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen as the head coach and general manager, respectively. Shanahan was given the ultimate authority to make football decisions in terms of what players he wanted on the Redskins roster. In theory, having a two time Super Bowl winning coach come over to run a team gives instant credibility. However, a closer examination of Mike Shanahan is truly in order.

Shanahan was originally the coach of the Oakland Raiders, where over a combined twenty games, he went 8-12. Keep in mind that these were not the Raiders of current times, but back in 1988 and 1989, when the team had Bo Jackson, legitimate talent on both sides of the ball, and Al Davis wasn't quite a vampire yet. In fact, in 1990, they went 12-4 and made the playoffs. Shanahan then resurfaced in 1995 with the Denver Broncos, going 8-8 in his first season before winning back to back Super Bowls with John Elway under center. After 1997 and winning his second Super Bowl, Shanahan only made the post season a total of four times, winning only one more playoff game. Following the 2008 season, after he went a combined 24-24 over the past three season, he was fired by the Broncos.

Once in Washington, Shanahan's moves have been interesting. He brought in Donovan McNabb, a player that has a history of choking in the playoffs, and casting away a solid, and respected in the locker room, player in Jason Campbell. He completely changed the alignment of the defense while ignoring the personnel assembled on the team, eschewing the 4-3 in favor of his beloved 3-4. This, despite the fact that the Redskins defense was actually decent last season, ranking 10th in total yards in 2009. This year, they rank 19th in total yards. He has publicly feuded with arguably the best defensive lineman on his team in Albert Haynesworth, forcing him to run a pointless conditioning exercise over and over again as a means of humiliating him. Eventually, Haynesworth was forced off the team and suspended for the remainder of the year.

The roster was constructed using older, veteran players that did not have anything left in the tank. Until recently, Joey Galloway was serving as the number two receiver for the Redskins. This, despite them having two second round picks from 2008 in camp. However, Shanahan, in yet another power trip, demoted both to third string, then subsequently released one and placed the other on IR. Larry Johnson and Willie Parker were brought in, and expected to serve as the backup and third string running backs. Both are no longer with the team. McNabb was given a five year extension, then demoted to backup quarterback, and now, third string. He will be released in the offseason, after Shanahan traded a second round draft choice in 2010 and a fourth round selection in 2011 for him.

The roster is filled with players more interested in padding their statistics than in winning a football game. In the loss to Dallas last week, DeAngelo Hall made an ill advised attempt at an interception, badly misplaying the football. As a result, Jason Witten was able to walk into the endzone untouched. However, had he covered Witten and stayed in position, the Witten would have been stopped at around the ten yard line. Haynesworth wanted no part of the 3-4, in part because his statistics would suffer. On long scoring plays, barely anyone on the Redskins defense attempts to chase down the ball carrier, as most times there are not any maroon jerseys within twenty yards.

Just like the overrated players on this team, Shanahan is also completely overrated. He got his Super Bowl rings riding the coattails of John Elway, and when Elway retired, the true capabilities (or lack thereof) of Shanahan came to light. This is yet another million dollar, flashy mistake by Dan Snyder, who should be kept away from the football team for the Redskins well being.

If a Tree Falls in a Forest....

We all know the ancient question - if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound. Well, there is a new question for modern times - if a women's college basketball team wins 89 games in a row, does anyone care? While we may never truly be able to say what the answer to the first question is, the answer to the second question is a definite and resounding NO!

Now, this is a solid streak. Winning anything 89 times in a row is impressive. However, this is not a streak on par with the UCLA winning streak in the 1970s. This is not a streak that compares with the LA Lakers winning 33 games from November 5, 1971 until January 7, 1972. Why is that? Because, despite sharing the same name, these are two completely different sports.

Take the U-Conn women's basketball team and put them in the Division One Men's side, and they get destroyed. Not only do these Clydesdales with a ball simply not have the athletic prowess that men do, but they also do not have anything near the talent of even a mediocre program. Watching women's basketball is the sports equivalent of watching paint dry. No one can hit a shot. Games are routinely in the 50's. The only thing it is good for is to have something on in the background when taking a nap if you happen to be one of those people that cannot sleep without a television on.

What could change this? Maybe lowering the hoops in women's basketball by a foot. Maybe the games would be more interesting if they had token 'basketball players' who were nothing more than hot chicks dressed up in the team's uniforms. This has proven to be a strategy that works; after all, how many people paid any attention to women's professional tennis before Anna Kournikova put on the mini skirt and 'played'? Or, maybe the mainstream media should recognize women's sports as what they are - a niche sport that perhaps four people in total care about. And this estimate may be high.

There are the arguments that these programs help to boost the self-esteem and mental toughness of females. These are valid points. Having women's sports can keep impressionable females from getting pregnant, ending up on a pole in some seedy club, or having a career on a street corner. Of course, this is not exactly something that any of the women on the U-Conn team have to worry about, but it is nice that these options do exist to keep people from following these paths. Just don't expect anyone to care about this 'accomplishment'. After all, this isn't even a real sport.

What the Shanahan?

Continuing a season in which he has made a number of, and this is being charitable, questionable moves within the organization, Mike Shanahan has stated that Donovan McNabb is being benched for the rest of the season in favor of Rex Grossman. To further the questionable nature of this move, after this weekend's game, McNabb is going to be demoted down to the third string option in favor of John Beck. Who? Exactly.

Now, this is not to say that McNabb is an elite option at quarterback any longer. In fact, this season he quite the roller coaster under center, having thrown a career high 15 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 77.1. Yes, this has been a bad season for him. However, McNabb over his career has a rating of 85.7, which ranks 23rd all time, ahead of such players as Roger Staubach, Len Dawson, and Troy Aikman. He has 230 touchdowns over his career, as opposed to 115 interceptions. Meanwhile, Rex Grossman has a career rating of 69.6, which is tied for 152 all time, with Steve Grogan and Pat Haden. In fact, Grossman's best rating was in his rookie season when he played in three games and produced a rating of 74.8. His career touchdowns and interceptions? 33 and 36, respectively. John Beck is even worse, with a rating of 62. He hasn't even been on the field since 2007 for the Miami Dolphins, in the season where they went 1-15.

Yes, McNabb has been overrated through his career. However, he is leagues better than either Grossman or Beck. Also, McNabb was just signed to a contract extension this season. What is going on in Washington? Did Shanahan completely lose his mind since being fired by Denver? What is he trying to prove here?

This could be overlooked, perhaps, if this was the first time he benched McNabb. Yet, in their loss to Detroit in Week 8 of the season, stating that Rex Grossman had a better grasp of the two-minute offense, that McNabb did not have the 'cardiovascular endurance' to run the offense, and that Grossman was a better option. He has surrounded McNabb with a terrible offensive line and a supporting cast of aging and decrepit supporting cast at receiver and running back. And let us not forget the entire feud with Albert Haynesworth from the moment he was named head coach. It sort of makes one think if the issues were truly the fault of Haynesworth, or if Shanahan was more to blame that thought.

In the end, this is just another sideshow in the circus that the Washington Redskins have become since Dan Snyder purchased the team. McNabb will probably be released at the end of the year, and will be picked up by a team that could desperately use a quarterback (like, maybe Minnesota or Arizona?) He deserves better than the insult of being benched for a collection of never-were's.

A Reflection on Bob Feller

Last night, Bob Feller died at 9:15 of acute leukemia at the age of 92. He had recently been hospitalized with pneumonia, and had been released into hospice care earlier in the month. Despite his deteriorating health, Feller still went to Indians games late in the 2010 season, made himself available for interviews, and saying what he thought - even if it wasn't the politically correct thing to do.

Over a career that started when he was 17, Feller won 266 games, struck out 2,581 batters, threw three no-hitters (including the only no-hitter thrown on Opening Day in 1940), and twelve one-hitters. All this, despite missing almost four full seasons of his prime due to enlisting in World War 2 in the United States Navy.

The thing was, he didn't have to go to war then. He had a deferment - he was caring for his sick father. However, neither that nor the fact that he had, at the time, one of the richest contracts in baseball, would stop him from doing what he felt was right. When asked about this decision in an interview, he screamed into the phone, "We were losing a war, a big war, we were losing big in the Pacific … any red-blooded American with a gut in his body would have gotten busy." The former anti-aircraft gunner screamed again: "We took back the Pacific. I can look anyone in the eye and say, 'I was there.'" His service aboard the USS Alabama earned him eight battle stars.

He never had any regrets about enlisting and missing those prime years of his career. Despite the fact that it kept him from 300 wins and 3000 strikeouts, he said "I've never once thought about all the prime years that I missed. I did what I had to do for my country. We won that war. I'm as proud of serving as anything I've ever done in my life."

Feller was also notoriously dismissive of the accomplishments of modern day baseball players. For example, when asked about Stephen Strasburg after he defeated the Indians earlier this season, he said "Check back with me when he's won 100 games." It doesn't matter that the writer was looking for a basic complimentary quote - this was Bob Feller he was speaking to, and he would hear what Bob Feller thought.

Feller also loved his legacy and his place in history, and would not let you forget who he was. He used to tour the country putting on pitching exhibitions in minor league ballparks. He was in his 60s and still pitching, usually against media members that covered the local minor league teams. Those that batted against Feller received a certificate that acknowledged stating, in large print at the bottom of the certificate, was: "The aforementioned slugger realized that if he had faced Mr. Feller in his prime, the results would have been different," as if a writer that batted against him in 1980 actually thought he would have had any chance against him in 1940. It didn't matter what they thought, he wanted everyone to realize that he was one of the greats. And if you did step up to the plate against him, he would come after you with whatever he had. The fire competitive fires he had as a rocket armed youngster still burned even in his 80's.

Bob Feller was a true original, a great ambassador for baseball, and a living memory of what the game and players were like in the bygone days of the 1930's, 40's and 50's. His legacy, both as a baseball player and as a person, was perhaps even greater than he realized. He took time to speak with the fans, to support his team, and to do and say what he felt was right up until the end. And that, the passing of someone with such a different perspective of life, is the biggest loss of all.

Cliff Lee's Decision

Up until last night, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Cliff Lee would either end up on the Texas Rangers or on the New York Yankees. Both teams had met with him multiple times, and extended contract offers that were lucritive in both length and dollar amount. Both teams had made it known to him that he was the focal point of their offseasons. It appeared that Lee was destined to either remain in the heart of Texas or to be wearing pinstripes.

Early in the day on Monday, rumors began to swirl that there was a third team that had offered a contract, a mystery team that had bid upon his services. Most pundits dismissed this notion as a negotiating ploy intended to drive up Lee's price on the market. Both the Rangers and Yankees held firm on their offers, secure in their belief that it would be down to those two. Then, late Monday night, Cliff Lee signed. Turns out, there really was a mystery team all along - the Philadelphia Phillies, who had just traded him to Seattle in the past offseason in a three team deal which garnered them Roy Halladay.

The rotation that Philadelhia is going to be sending out now has a top four of Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. This is, quite simply, the best starting rotation in baseball going into 2011. The only team that is even close is the San Fransisco Giants, who they lost to in the NLCS just about a month and a half ago. The Phillies have four bona fide aces that will go out and pitch for eighty percent of their games. Oh, and their number five starter, Joe Blanton? He's gotten 25 wins in the two and a half seasons he's been in Philadelphia, and would slot as a solid number three on a lot of teams.

Speaking of the last NLCS, it appears that the Phillies are taking their defeat to heart. After watching that pitching staff shut down their offense and the offense of the Texas Rangers, they went out and built an even better rotation than the one they faced. Yes, their offense may be slightly worse than it was last season with the departure of Jayson Werth, but he was deemed expendable due to the presence of Dominic Brown, their top prospect. If Brown can produce even a fraction of what Werth gave them, then the trade off is worth it.

As it stands, the road to the World Series in the national League now runs through Philadelphia. Barring injury, no other team can boast the rotation and nucleus the Phillies have. And they are set up to rule the National League for years to come.

The end of an era

Today, Brett Favre's consecutive start streak ended at 297 games when he was listed as inactive with a sprained SC joint. Thus far through the 2010 season, he had played with a broken foot and severe elbow tendinitis. He has taken shot after shot after shot behind an offensive line that essentially best resembled a turnstile this season. There were points in time when Favre could barely walk, yet still rose up each time. Now, some of this may have been an overdramatization, since he very much enjoys being the center of attention, yet somehow these hits may have hurt more than even he let on.

Watching the Vikings struggle this season, one has to wonder how often Favre questioned his decision to return for one final year. He did not get along with his coach, the now deposed Brad Childress. His primary option at receiver had a severe hip injury, and was not even on the field for most of the season. He seemed a step slower, and never got in sync with the players around him. The receiving corps was a bit of a revolving door, with Sidney Rice hurt, Greg Camarillo being brought in right at the end of training camp, Randy Moss being there for a month, and Percy Harvin's ongoing migraine issues.

If this is truly the end for Favre and he does not play any further this season (as of now, there is talk of placing him on the injured reserve list), what will his legacy be? Some will remember him as the Ol' Gunslinger, who was out there firing the football around and having fun with his friends like it was an afternoon pick up game. Others will remember the narcissistic soap opera that was his waffling between being retired or being unretired, which stretched over four offseasons. Still others will recall how he is the main reason as to why two head coaches (Childress and Eric Mangini) got fired from their jobs.

When looking at Favre's legacy, it is important to remember all of this about him. It is also important to recognize his accomplishments, both positively (most touchdowns in a career, most career passing yards, the multiple MVP's) and negatively (most career interceptions, most career turnovers). Yes, Favre accomplished a lot of milestones and some achieved some potentially unbreakable records. Yet, how many of them are seemingly out of reach due to his ability to avoid injury (or his ego forcing him to continue playing) and the sheer length of time that he did play? To draw a parallel, Nolan Ryan has a lot of the same going for him. A lot of positive milestones (most strikeouts in a season and all-time, 300+ wins, seven no-hitters) and negative milestones (most career walks, never won a Cy Young award). Yes, both were great, but both played for a long time and managed to compile statistics just from the volume of games played.

In the end, Favre's last pass (fittingly intercepted) may have been thrown, and he is now set to limp off into the sunset, until the point in time when he arrives in Canton to wear the mustard yellow blazer signifying his due place in the NFL Hall of Fame. When recalling his remarkable career, don't just focus on the positive, but keep in mind the full portrait of this unique player who seemed incapable of receiving criticism from the pundits. Perhaps that is his greatest legacy of all.

Two storylines from the Pats-Jets game last night

In a much anticipated Monday Night Football game last night, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets squared off in what promised to be one of the best games of the 2010 season. Instead, this game was over by the end of the first quarter, as the New England Patriots pummeled the New York Jets as though they were Mike Tyson in his prime against Michael Spinks. Even France put up more of a resistance to Germany during both World Wars than the Jets defense did to Tom Brady and the Patriots offense.

However, during this drubbing, two things occurred. First, this game marked the complete derailing of the Sanchize Bandwagon. Mark Sanchez is now being criticized as not being a franchise quarterback, being incapable of playing in a big game, and essentially being a waste of the number five pick last season. Now, there are several things to remember here. Sanchez is only 23 years old. This is his second year in the league. Young quarterbacks do make mistakes, especially when facing a great defensive coach such as Bill Belichick. Even experienced quarterbacks make mistakes. Brett Favre has made an entire career out of making mistakes and being bailed out by his receiving corps.

The argument that Sanchez cannot win in a pressure situation also does not apply here. Last season, as a rookie, he won two playoff games and brought the Jets to the AFC Championship game. Yes, he had more of a game manager role, but the fact of the matter is that he still twice led them to road playoff victories. While Sanchez may never reach the levels of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees, not too many quarterbacks ever will. There is nothing wrong with having a solid quarterback who can play within a system and will only improve in time. The Jets are 9-3, not 3-9. There is no reason to panic and throw the quarterback under the proverbial bus.

The second interesting occurrence may have been missed by majority of the viewers. Late in the fourth quarter, with the game far out of reach, the Patriots brought out Fred Taylor to finish the game. While Taylor has been injured for much of this season, this was a peculiar time to put him on the field. Majority of the rushes during the game were given to Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, the former was on the bubble in terms of roster cuts during training camp and the latter of which wasn't even with the Patriots until week two. It would appear that there should have been an opportunity for Taylor to get a couple of plays when the conclusion of the game was still in question.

So, at this stage of his career, is Taylor the Patriots human victory cigar - an aging veteran who no longer is capable of performing on the field but is great in the locker room? Has he taken over the role that Junior Seau had the past couple of years when in New England? If so, this is a sad ending to Taylor's vastly underrated career. Despite the injuries he has accumulated over the years, he has still managed to gain 11,647 rushing yards, good for second amongst active players and fifteenth all-time. He is a Hall of Fame caliber player, even if he toiled in the obscurity of Jacksonville for most of his career. Yet, Taylor only made it to one Pro Bowl, signifying the lack of respect he has received over his career. If this is truly the end of the line, then the best thing for Taylor would be for him to go onto the IR, and allow him to become an unofficial coach and mentor for the young runningbacks on the team. Watching him limp onto the field and take a handoff in the waning moments of a blowout is not how this underappreciated player should be remembered.

What is the true problem with the Colts?

With today's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Indianapolis Colts have dropped to 6-6 on the season. Over the past three games, all losses, Peyton manning has been uncharacteristically sloppy with the football, throwing for eleven interceptions. To put this streak into context, the last time Manning threw three interceptions in back to back games was during the first two games of his rookie season. Presently, he is in uncharted territory for him, and things do not appear to be getting any better any time soon.

So, what is the cause of this sudden and shocking inability to protect the football and win games? Is it a defense that cannot stop anyone from running the ball? Would all the injuries to key personnel on offense have anything to do with this? The embarrassing lack of anything resembling a running game, so the play action passes are completely ineffective? Perhaps, but Manning has dealt with terrible defenses, no running game, and injuries on offense before. He has always found a way to win football games, regardless of who he has on the field.

As such, the focus must fall upon the coaching staff, in particular Jim Caldwell. He is roughly as animated as a cardboard cutout on the sidelines. He doesn't speak during the games, doesn't make adjustments at halftime, and seems entirely clueless about what it takes to be the head coach of a football team. Yes, I realize that this was Tony Dungy's hand-picked successor, but that doesn't mean that Caldwell has the same lack of reaction as would be expected from someone trying out for the lead for Weekend At Bernie's 4 - Coaching In The NFL.

Prior to Caldwell taking the reins, the Colts had won twelve or more games for six consecutive years. Last season, they managed a 14-2 record, in spite of a coach that may as well be listening to Barry Manilow through his headset. This season, Caldwell has reached a level of incompetence matched only by Edward Smith, who was the captain of the Titanic. Why make adjustments when we can stay the course? What's the worst that can happen?

This season, the Colts ship has struck the iceberg and is sinking fast. This team is too talented, even while missing a number of key players on both side of the ball, to miss the playoffs and lose the AFC South to Jacksonville. Manning is too good of a quarterback, and is capable of willing this team to victory, as he has a number of times before during the regular season.

After the San Diego game, members of the defense said that they were able to call out the plays as Manning was barking signals at the line. There is no movement on offense. Sets do not change, and the plays run out of them remain the same. Adjustments must be made to the offense, and this falls upon the coaching staff. Based on what has been seen thus far this season, don't expect that to happen. Sometimes talented teams are let down by egos, by injuries, or by an inability to get on the same page. In this case, the Colts are being let down by their coaching staff.

Hypothesis on Jon Gruden's future

There is a lot of speculation about Jon Gruden going to the University of Miami to become the next head coach of their program. At this time, however, it seems as though there is a lot more interest from Miami in Gruden than from Gruden in joining them. Despite an alleged offer of over $4 million per year and the ability to bring his brother in as part of the coaching staff, Gruden remains a member of the ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast.

It strikes me that Gruden is not the type that would have a lot of interest in building a college program and recruiting. Based off of what I gather from his present situation, he is looking for a place that he can go into and win within a couple of years. The University of Miami does not fit that profile. They are losing Florida high school football recruits to other schools, the program is simply not that good, and they really do not have a lot of impact players. Of course, landing a coach with the resume of a Jon Gruden would provide a significant boost to recruiting, but it would be a few seasons for his program to take shape. And Gruden is not exactly the most patient of people.

So, where could Gruden end up where he has a legitimate chance of winning soon? There will be the inevitable rumors of Dallas and Minnesota, but those are teams with significant flaws. He will avoid places like that as if the cities were overrun with plague carrying rodents. The team that I think he ends up with, in what may be a shock, would be the Cleveland Browns.

I realize that at first glance this would seem to be an extreme stab in the dark. However, the Browns are a team that deserve a much deeper look. First, Mike Holmgren gave Gruden his first shot in the NFL in 1990 while Holmgren was in San Fransisco. When he left to become the head coach in Green Bay, Holmgren brought Gruden with him, making him the wide receivers coach for the Packers. Also, Mangini is not a Holmgren guy - he inherited him when assuming the titles of President and General Manager. So, there is a definite link there.

Second, Cleveland has a solid core of players on offense. Gruden loves Peyton Hillis, who he regards as a Mike Alstott clone. Colt McCoy has shown that he can develop into a solid NFL quarterback, and keep in mind, Gruden turned Rich Gannon into a Pro Bowler. Also, Cleveland's defense and special teams are solid. On defense, Cleveland is only giving up 20.8 points per game, which is actually thirteenth in the NFL. Josh Cribbs, when healthy, is an absolutely dynamic returner and a potential game changer on kickoff and punt returns.

Also, Cleveland has all of it's draft choices next year. As of this point in time, the Browns would be drafting in the top ten, which would allow them to either draft the stud receiver or a pass rushing outside linebacker that they need. Given Homgren's track record on draft day, the Browns could end up being a surprise team next season with the right coach.

If Mangini gets fired, don't be surprised to see Gruden don the brown and orange.

Erik Spoelstra - Dead Coach Walking

In a scenario extremely reminiscent of 2005, the spectre of Pat Riley looms over the Miami Heat bench. This time, caught in the crosshairs is young Erik Spoelstra, a young coach whose players are openly questioning and debating whether or not he should be on the bench of the Miami Heat.

Flashing back to 2005, Stan Van Gundy (who you may recognize as that Ron Jeremy look-alike wandering about NBA sidelines) was the head coach of the Miami Heat. In the previous season, he brought an injury ravaged team to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champion Detroit Pistons. In a situation widely thought to be orchestrated by Riley, Van Gundy abruptly resigned from his position as head coach on December 12, 2005, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his family. In response to the 'unforeseen' and 'unexpected' departure of the coach, Riley 'reluctantly' came down from his elevated position as president of the Heat, and promptly led the team to it's only championship.

Fast forward to 2008. Riley once again resigned as coach of the Heat, and elevated another assistant, Spoelstra, to the head coaching position. Once again, in his first two seasons, the coach brought the team into the playoffs. Following the same script, Riley brought in several players (Shaq in 2005, Lebron and Chris Bosh in 2010) in an attempt to win a championship. Continuing the parallel, the team has started off slowly (10-8 at the time of this post).

However, here is the difference: the players never questioned Van Gundy's ability. LeBron James has openly questioned Spoelstra's coaching acumen. When asked about his coach, Dwayne Wade stated “He’s a different person and I’m a different player than when we came in." Wade then continued, “So, I’m not going to say he’s my guy, but he’s my coach, you know. Right now, in my opinion, no one is doing a good job, we’re 9-8. We’re all in this together. Players not doing a good job; coaches not doing a good job. As a whole. When success comes, we win as a whole. We win four in a row, Coach is going to look great.” Nothing quite like having your coach's back, right? I wonder if those two took their directions right from Brutus's playbook as he stabbed Caesar.

James has repetitively stated that he is not 'having fun this year'. Perhaps I missed the point, but isn't professional sports supposed to be about winning championships or getting paid, based on your outlook? Didn't James state that the reason why he was 'bringing his talents to South Beach' was to win titles? So what if the coach is demanding that you stop goofing off and actually do something, for example - practice the plays and defense, at an actual practice? Last time I checked, LeBron, for all his talents, is not Allen Iverson in his prime and does not have nearly .0001% of the heart, guts, and determination Iverson had. LeBron is a spoiled child who is used to getting his way, and doesn't like that Spoelstra is calling him out for it.

As such, the Heat are literally on the brink of outright mutiny. Spoelstra is trying to put out all the fires he can, but that's hard to do when wearing gasoline pants in a flame filled room. Even though Riley states that he has no intention of coaching this team, don't be surprised if you see him at a Miami area orphanage looking for an infant to give Spoelstra so that he can 'spend more time with his family'. The inmates are running the asylum in South Beach, and it's a matter of time before they get the warden that are demanding.

Why is Joe Namath in the Football Hall of Fame?

With every hall of fame, regardless of the sport, there are certain players enshrined that do not make sense to be there. Either the player in question gains a reputation far beyond his actual abilities, there is a weak class of eligible players for that year, or the player gains entrance through the votes of his peers - a number of which may be on the voting committee (this is actually how 'High Pockets' Kelly made the baseball Hall of Fame, but I digress). In the case of Joe Namath, we have a classic case of the first way in, a player that made it in solely on reputation.

Looking at Namath's career stats, he should not be allowed in Canton even if he bought a ticket. What are his statistics? He had 173 touchdowns, against 220 interceptions. That is a difference of 47 more interceptions than touchdowns. Not good at all. For passing yards, he amassed 27,663 over a 13 year career, which averages out to just over 2100 per season. His per game average - 152. Again, not a good number. His career quarterback rating was a miserable 65.5. The highest quarterback rating he had in any season over his career was 74.3 in 1969. This career mark leaves him tied for 180th all time with Norm Snead. Who? Exactly. Some of the luminaries of the quarterback position that are ahead of him on the list are Eric Hipple (68.7), Joey Harrington (69.4), and Quincy Carter (71.7). Namath is barely ranked ahead of Rick Mirer (63.5) on this list. This is not exactly a list of all time greats that he is surrounded by.

So does this mean that Hipple, Harrington, Carter and Mirer should be enshrined? They are comparable, and in some cases better, than what Namath was in his career. Yet no one is rushing to give them a bust in Canton and the ugly mustard yellow blazer received upon induction.

Then there is the argument that Joe Namath was a winner. His career winning percentage was 48%. He was not even a .500 quarterback overall. All he had was one game when he predicted a victory in a major upset. The image of Joe Namath became clouded with that one boast, and the subsequent images of 'Broadway Joe' in fur jackets, wearing tights, and being the consummate ladies man - which is something Joe still thinks he has, just ask Suzy Kolber.

Stripped away of all the glitz and legend surrounding Joe Namath, he was nothing more than a below average quarterback. Unless there is a Hall of Fame for mediocrity, he should not be enshrined anywhere.

Man up Vince Young

On Sunday, another spectacle in the arena of sports immaturity occurred in Tennessee. Once again, the leader of this three ring fiasco was none other than Vince Young, whose inability to handle anything remotely resembling adversity is starting to achieve legendary status. This time, Young was upset about being removed from the game and not permitted to re-enter, despite the fact that he had severe problems gripping the football and did not mention to anyone that he wanted to play.

So VY reacted to this as only VY can. He took his jersey and shoulder pads and threw them into the crowd. Then he followed that up by walking out of the post game meeting. When his coach, Jeff Fisher, told him that he was walking out on the team, he replied with 'No, I'm walking out on you.' Absolutely classic line right there. And people were concerned about Randy Moss being a problem in the clubhouse.

Then on Monday, Young attempted to enter the team meeting as though nothing happened. Only now, Fisher placed VY on the IR, since his thumb is going to require surgery and he will not be recovered by the end of the season. As such, he is not required to attend these meetings. In order to drive that point home, Fisher had Young removed from the facility, and told him not to come back. To be honest, I think Young handled that part well, in that no one had to contact the suicide hotline or put out an APB to locate him afterwards.

Finally, it dawned on our wayward quarterback that he should apologize to his coach. So, how does he choice to accomplish this task? In a way that only Vince Young and other people that are too cowardly to do so in person would - he sent a text message. Now, I realize that I don't know Jeff Fisher personally, but based off the Tom Selleck mustache he has, I'm thinking that Fisher doesn't quite know how to text. In fact, to quote Coach Fisher: "I'm not a real big text guy. I'm not really into this new-age stuff," he said. "I don't Twitter or tweet. But I think face-to-face is a man thing, OK?" In fact, when he was asked if a text was better than no apology at all, Fisher said: "Someone could have grabbed his phone."

So Vince Young, man up. It would be the first time you did.

NCAA recruiting volations and logic

On November 20th, the NCAA suspended Bruce Pearl of Tennessee for the first eight games of the SEC conference play. Until that point in time, he will be able to coach the team during games and lead practices. So, when is the beginning of the SEC season to cause the suspension to begin? Try January 8th.

In the meantime, Pearl will have plenty of time to teach his system, coach the players, and make certain that the assistants know exactly who to play when. Also, he gets to lead practices and implement game plans - he just can't lead practices on game days. This led to Bruce Pearl uttering the following quote: "I have been a very public advocate for playing by the rules," Pearl said Friday. "When you don't play by the rules, these are the things that can happen. So while these penalties that we've self-imposed and now the commissioner's imposing are unprecedentedly strong, it sets a very high standard and a high standard that I agreed to."

Let me get this straight: not being able to coach the team for a total of eight days in a span from January 8th until February 5th is a strict penalty? Especially when the coach can lead practice on every other day and see to it that the game plan he comes up with is implemented for the opponent? Seems to me that this is nothing more than a token slap on the wrist.  At first glance, this appears to be a strong punishment if one focuses strictly on the eight games. However, in reality, this is barely a punishment at all.

If the NCAA and the conferences were serious about cleaning up recruiting violations and improper benefits to 'student' athletes, they would suspend these coaches for entire seasons and put crippling sanctions on the programs they coach. Instead, typically the punishments are nothing more than something to appease the other schools while chiding the violators for being careless enough to get caught.

It is, in a way, pathetic that one can almost safely assume that every major school in the major college sports (football and basketball) is doing something underhanded in order to gain an edge. Seemingly each week, there are new reports and scandals.  This over-saturation of scandals and violations has done nothing more than to desensitize those that follow college sports. At this point, I would be shocked to find out that a major school in a major conference was running their program in a legitimate fashion.

College athletics is supposed to be about amateur players playing for a love for the game and trying to follow their dream of making it to the professional ranks. Instead, it is nothing more than a cash machine for their schools. And this is not going to change unless the NCAA gets serious about punishing any violations of the rules in place.

Derek Jeter gets another Gold Glove why?

The American League Gold Glove awards were announced the other day.  There were few surprises amongst those who received the awards (Ichiro getting his tenth in ten years, Mark Beuhrle getting his second, Franklin Gutierrez being recognized) and for the most part, there were few flaws with those who received this award.  However, that is unless one looks at the winner of the Gold Glove award for shortstop - the essentially immobile Derek Jeter.

Looking at the metric for defensive capability (Rfield - which measures the number of putouts, assists, and double plays made by each fielder, and comparing those totals to positional norms of other fielders to arrive at a figure above or below average. Each extra out made, or hit allowed, is worth X runs which leads to the FR figure) Jeter ranked dead last in the American League, and 27th of 28 shortstops in baseball that played a minimum of 100 games at that position (here is a link to the chart at baseballreference.com: http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/9067 ).  Now, this is taking nothing away from Jeter; he is a smart baseball player who knows almost exactly where to position himself with each hitter. If he is able to get to the ball, he typically makes the play, as exemplified by his six errors all season.  However, he simply does not have any range at this point in time in his career. He has major problems getting to a ball hit in the hole or behind second base unless he is already shaded in that direction.  Getting to a ground ball anywhere beyond two steps of his location either way is improbable at best.

The best choice for the AL Gold Glove award based on the chart would have been Jack Wilson. However, he plays in Seattle on a dismal ballclub and is not a 'name' for the fans. Let's face it, how many people out there care about Jack Wilson's baseball career outside of his family? Having the career that Jeter has had, and playing in pinstripes, definitely helped him get this award.

Linebacker to retire due to rule enforcement?

James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers was permitted to skip practice today, after informing Coach Mike Tomlin that he is considering retirement. The reasons for his sudden thoughts on retirement: the $75,000 fine he was assessed for Mohamed Massaquoi of the Cleveland Browns, and his thought that he will not be able to play football under the current rules. His exact quote, as told to the Fox Sports Radio program 'Into the Night with Tony Bruno' was: I'm going to sit down and have a serious conversation with my coach tomorrow and see if I can actually play by NFL rules and still be effective," Harrison told guest host Judy McDonald. "If not, I may have to give up playing football."

According to the NFL rulebook, rule 12, 2, 7g bans "using any part of a player's helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/hairline parts) or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily," and also states, "violent or unnecessary use of the helmet is impermissible against any opponent." This is not a new rule; it presently exists and was on the books prior to Sunday's action. This rule applies to ANY player, including the ball carrier, or the intended target of a pass. As such, Harrison's hit was in direct violation of the rule.

To state that he might not be able to play if the rule is enforced in simply nothing more than an attempt to cover his actions. Hits such as the one that he put on Massaquoi can leave a person paralysed (just ask Darryl Stingley - here's a video for those that haven't seen that hit to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1lYWg0_Yz8 ).

There is nothing wrong with enforcing a rule that is already on the books. There is nothing wrong with attempting to prevent hits that can literally cripple a player for life. But there is a lot wrong with an NFL linebacker, whose career has been during a time with that existing rule being on the books, questioning his ability to play when that rule is enforced. Stop trying to be a drama queen like Brett Favre. Play football as it was meant to be played, and by the letter of the rules.

The Rangers Finally Win a Playoff Series

The Texas Rangers organization has been around for fifty seasons. They began their existence as the second incarnation of the Washington Senators franchise, after the original Senators moved to Minnesota. Coming into the league as an expansion franchise along with the Los Angeles (later California, then Anaheim, then Los Angeles of Anaheim) Angeles, they spent their first ten seasons in Washington before moving to Texas, where they play now.

Why the brief history lesson? Well, prior to last night, the Rangers franchise had never won a playoff series in their fifty years. They are, in fact, the only franchise to have not won a playoff series in that time frame. Yes, even the Montreal Expos won a playoff series before the Rangers (1981 against Philadelphia when Steve Rogers outdeuled Steve Carlton in Game 5). To be eclipsed in anything by a team as historically terrible as the Expos is a bit sobering.

The Ranges have had their opportunities in the past, having made the postseason in 1996, 1998, and 1999. Over those three trips to the playoffs, they had won a combined one game. Of course, in each postseason appearance, they ran into the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees. Featuring lineups filled with home run threats and a pitching staff that would not frighten any legitimate major league lineups, they tried to bash their way to postseason victory.

This approach changed with the introduction of Nolan Ryan as team president. Ryan introduced the concept of getting actual pitchers on the roster, pitchers that threw strikes and and could get out of trouble. This concept was extended throughout the Rangers system, and was capped off with the mid-season acquisition of Cliff Lee. Now the Rangers had a legitimate ace, which they have lacked seemingly over their entire franchise history. With ease, the Rangers made the playoffs behind their strong pitching staff and a potential MVP candidate in Josh Hamilton, winning the AL West by nine games.

After going up 2-0 in the series, the Rays fought back, evening the series at two games each. Game five was played in Tampa, and it seemed as though the Rangers franchise would once again find a way to lose in the postseason. The Rangers struck first, scoring a first inning run on a groundball by Hamilton on a hit and run with Elvis Andrus on second. The Rays would score in the third, making it a 1-1 ballgame, and seemingly opening the door for yet another Rangers playoff exit.

But the Rangers did not go away. Nelson Cruz stole third in the top of the fourth inning, and scored on the wild throw down the line. Cliff Lee held the Rays scoreless the rest of the way, as the Rangers tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and two more in the ninth innings, finally sending this franchise to the second round, where they face their old nemesis - the New York Yankees.

After the game, the Rangers went to celebrate. Previously, upon clinching their first playoff berth in over a decade, they had celebrated with champagne, as most teams normally do. However, their prized slugger Hamilton, who has a history of alcohol and drug abuse, was unable to celebrate with the team. This time, they grabbed Hamilton and brought him into the clubhouse to celebrate with them. Making certain that no one would be left out this time, they had bottles of Canada Dry ginger ale ready so that Hamilton could join in this time, and get a taste of the celebration.

Congratulations to the Rangers. It has been a long time coming, and definitely well earned.

Is Jed York onto something?

One day after losing to the Eagles to drop to 0-5 on the season, Jed York - owner and president of the San Fransisco 49ers - stated that not only will his team make the playoffs this season, but will outright win the NFC West. On the surface, this statement seems completely preposterous. Since 1990, no team that has ever started 0-5 has even reached the playoffs, let alone win it's division. So, it would seem that it would be relatively simple to dismiss this statement outright.

But let's take a closer look here. It isn't as though the 49ers play in anything that resembles a juggernaut of a division in the NFC West. Presently, the division leader is Arizona at 3-2 (who has been outscored by their opponents 88 to 138). Following them is Seattle at 2-2 and the Rams at 2-3. This division won't exactly confuse anyone as anything beyond mediocre. After five games, the 49ers are only three games back, so the difference in record is possible to come back from.

Now, let's look at their remaining schedule. Starting next week, they host Oakland, head to Carolina, play Denver in London, host St. Louis and Tampa Bay after a bye week, go to Arizona and Green Bay, host Seattle, go to San Diego and St. Louis, and finish up hosting Arizona. Of those teams, only three (Tampa, Green Bay, and Arizona) are over .500. Also in the 49ers favor, they have played only one game in division.

Looking at the teams in the NFC West, the other teams also have some potentially serious issues. Arizona is starting an undrafted rookie free agent in Max Hall (who I personally think will turn out to be decent, but that's another topic). Matt Hasselback has been one hit from the IR for the last three seasons, and does anyone really trust Charlie Whitehurst? St. Louis might be in the best shape quarterback-wise with Bradford, but his primary target is now out for the season. Seattle has troubles getting to the quarterback. Arizona's defense as a whole is terrible, ignoring the uncharacteristically bad day that Drew Brees and the Saints had yesterday. St. Louis has serious problems amongst it's receiving corps now that Clayton is out for the year.

Maybe Jed York is right. The NFC West certainly seems wide open for anyone to take, even as unlikely as it would seem for a 0-5 team to win a division.

Randy Moss Trade

As I am certain that everyone has heard by now, Randy Moss was traded to the Vikings yesterday for a third round pick. On the surface, this is not a trade that appears to make any sense for New England. Presently they are sitting at 3-1 on the bye week, have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs, and yet they trade their primary deep threat.
So, why would they do this? On the surface, it would appear that there are two distinct reasons for the trade. First, to acquire an asset for a player that does not fit into their long-term plans. Moss is in the final year of his contract and wants an extension, which the Patriots were quite unwilling to give. He was not going to be there after this season - pure and simple. Secondly, this is simply what the Patriots do. They get rid of players that want more than they feel that they are worth. This follows their pattern. Look at the examples: Deion Branch, Asante Samuel, Richard Seymour, and now Randy Moss. And this does not even reflect the current holdout of Logan Mankins or the almost holdout of Vince Wilfork this offseason.
However, what does this mean for the offense as it stands now? Theoretically, this makes Welker the primary receiving option, even if he stays in the slot. Brandon Tate would move into the position vacated by the departure of Moss, but can he really be counted on? Granted, Tate has been impressive this season, but he has a history of injuries. Last season, he began the year on the PUP list, played in two games, then ended the season on the IR. Even if Tate stays healthy, then who is the number three receiver? This is a fairly important part of the Patriots offense. Looking at their depth chart, this job would fall to Julian Edelman (who is a Welker clone as a slot receiver), Matthew Slater (who is a special teams player with a grand total of ZERO career receptions over this three years in the NFL), and Taylor Price (who hasn't seen the field this season). Does anyone truly feel comfortable with any of those options?
My thought is that the Patriots will be running a lot of two tight end sets. Hernandez and Gronkowski appear to be legitimate targets, and Hernandez has shown potential as a playmaker (he already has two plays of 40+ yards this season). The running game should also be more of an option. It feels as though the Patriots are attempting to recreate the offensive gameplan from 2001-2006, where they would control the ball with short passes and the running game.

On the Vikings side of the ball, this is a trade that absolutely makes sense. Acquiring a receiver that is still amongst the best at his position for a third round pick is an easy trade to make most times. But to acquire Randy Moss in a contract year after he's been traded and feels disrespected by the Patriots? Moss is going to be motivated. Expect huge numbers from Moss by the end of the year.
This also makes the Vikings offense truly impressive. Not only do they have one of the top three backs in the NFL in Adrian Petersen, but they have dramatically improved their receiving corps. Adding Moss to a roster that already includes Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Greg Camarillo, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Sidney Rice (when he comes back)? That is a formidable group right there.

It will be interesting to see how this trade impacts the end results of both teams, but it certainly appears that the Vikings are now the favorites to come out of the NFC and make the Super Bowl.