Today December 14, 2010, Ruben Amaro Jr redeemed himself and the New York Yankees were dealt a large dose of reality. Cliff Lee turned down an extra 28 million dollars NOT to play in the Yankee pinstripes. They recruited him, they allured him with riches beyond any other team, they even gave Lee a promise ring to officially declare their love and exclusivity. But in the end, none of the extra stuff was worth the price of Cliff Lee's integrity.
The Yankees offered Cliff Lee 7 years, 148 million dollars, a spot in the rotation next to his good buddy C.C. Sabbathia and a pretty much guaranteed playoff roster spot for the next 7 years. And yet all those extra incentives could not equalize or overcome the opportunity to win with the team with more losses than any other sports franchise in world history; the Philadelphia Phillies!!!
OK so that last one is beside the point but it sounded good so I wrote it. The underlying truth here is that Cliff Lee couldn't be bought and that the Yankee mystique that so many fans and writers talk about, now has been redefined and renewed under a much different guise . That mystique that began way back in the 1920's when Babe Ruth became a Yankee and that same feeling that occurred in 2009 when Mariano Rivera closed out the 27th championship; that feeling and that mystique are dead.
Yankee Stadium is gone. George Steinbrenner is gone. The curse of Babe Ruth died in 2004. And the current Yankee captain and hero had to beg the team that he helped win 5 World Series rings to give him what he felt he deserved in a contract. That beautiful Yankee mystique has slowly died over the years and has morphed into an aura of corporate arrogance and entitlement. Who wants to play for that? What kind of competitor wants to play for a team that is guaranteed a spot in the finals? What kind of baseball player wants to sell out the game itself for a few extra million and a ho hum ring that means absolutely nothing because it was supposed to happen?
Mark Texiera and CC Sabbathia did what Cliff Lee refused to do. They took the money and Lee took the Game. Cliff Lee may have also started a trend. He sent a message to the rest of the world that no longer do those pinstripes mean so much. The new reality for the Yankees is they are not Sinatra's Yankees. They are not Joe Torre's Yankees. The Boss is no longer barking orders and putting fear into managers and players. The Yankees are The Powers that Be and some Major League Baseball players out there still have souls like Cliff Lee.
Bottom Line is a championship for the New York Yankees means less than it does for any other sports franchise. Players with the real goods are starting to realize this. The trend is now to refute the offer. The trend is now to take less money. In this time of poor economies and reduced means, the trend is to NOT SELL OUT.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Michael Vick Reborn in Philadelphia
I can remeber only a year ago in 2009 when Mike Vick was released from prison and all the talk began about who would dare sign him. The backlash would be severe and whom ever had the gaul to venture the undertaking of Mike Vick's 2nd chance surely better have an exit strategy, otherwise they'd be the one taking the heave-ho out the door. I even remember driving home from the Jersey Shore with my sister arguing about the prospects of Michael Vick. She said he'd be starting and make an immediate impact. Obviously she doesn't know much about football. I said he would never see the field and that he would be someone's backup.
Now as me and my sister were having this conversation driving down the Skuykill highway, the Philadelphia Eagles had already signed Vick. My sister believed that Mike Vick would assume the starting role for the Eagles and that Vick was better than McNabb. I simply laughed in her face as any knowledgeable football fan would. 1st off, Vick had been in prison for 2 years. 2nd, Donovan McNabb is a pro-bowl quarterback who makes the playoffs almost annually. 3rd, Mike Vick even at his pinnacle was never better than McNabb. They met in the 2004 NFC Championship game at both players' peaks of ability, and McNabb and the Eagles won. Argument over. Or so I thought.
Cut to 2010, after one year of being McNabb's backup and an occassional wild-cat-play-offense- kick starter, McNabb was now with Washington and Kevin Kolb had assumed the Eagles starting quarterback role... that is until he got hurt in the first game against Green Bay. It was at that moment, September 12, 2010 in the 2nd quarter of the first game when Michael Vick got his first opportunity to run the Eagles offense solely by himself. WOW!!! Where did all of this come from. The Eagles were down 21 - 3 when Vick got in the game. When the game ended the final score was 27 - 20, the Packers held on for the win. However, the Packers winning was not the story of week 1 in the NFL.
Michael Vick astonished everyone with his performance, very nearly bringing the Eagles back from 18 points down to win. Many people including Vick himself in a quote after the game said "I believe we would have won if I'd have played all 4 quarters." Here's Vicks line for the game: 16-24, 175 yds, 1 TD, quarterback rating of 110 in 2 and a half quarters of play.
OK so those numbers are quite good, maybe not fantastic looking but Vick's performance against one of the better defenses in the NFL was visually outstanding and without compare. In the past Vick at his best would rush for 70 or so yards, pass for about 150 yds and maybe rush for a td or 2. But in this game Vick astonished everyone by being a pocket passer and the general of the Eagle offense. He ran the offense as if he'd been preparing everyday for 3 years, including his prison time, to play in that game against Green Bay. His throws were crisp and on target, he stayed in the pocket and only ran the ball a couple of times when the defensive pressure hurried him. This Michael Vick was one we had never seen before.
The Vick we knew was a very inaccurate passer. He was more of a check down passer or a runner than a true down field throwing quarterback. Even though Vick had made 3 pro-bowls, won a couple playoff games and was the crowd favorite in Atlanta pre-dogfighting scandal; the guy was still at best a rushing quarterback, with very limited passing skills and was probably past his prime after serving 2 years in prison.
It's clear to say now that I was wrong about Michael Vick and so were the majority of people. After spending 1 year with Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles, Vick has found his game. He has rededicated himself to football. It seems that prison actually did rehabilitate Mike Vick. Everything is now in perfect perspective for him. Where before with Atlanta, Vick was last to get to work and first to leave, now with Philadelphia he is 1st to work and last to leave. Him and Kevin Kolb are reported to be friends and co-quarterbacks as opposed to competitors for the same job.
Michael Vick is better now than he has ever been before and that is due to his own realization that playing quarterback in the NFL is more than just being talented and beloved. Its about studying the game, working with teammates and coaches and focusing on winning, not on extra-curriculars. Mike Vick gets it now. And he should be commended for that. He has repaid his debt to society and he has taken full advantage of his second chance. From age 22 to 27, Michael Vick was an athletic talent and a ego maniacal person. From age 3o to the future, who knows? Maybe he could be the greatest turnaround success story in NFL history. From the Dog Pound and Prison, to the NFL Hall of Fame.
Now as me and my sister were having this conversation driving down the Skuykill highway, the Philadelphia Eagles had already signed Vick. My sister believed that Mike Vick would assume the starting role for the Eagles and that Vick was better than McNabb. I simply laughed in her face as any knowledgeable football fan would. 1st off, Vick had been in prison for 2 years. 2nd, Donovan McNabb is a pro-bowl quarterback who makes the playoffs almost annually. 3rd, Mike Vick even at his pinnacle was never better than McNabb. They met in the 2004 NFC Championship game at both players' peaks of ability, and McNabb and the Eagles won. Argument over. Or so I thought.
Cut to 2010, after one year of being McNabb's backup and an occassional wild-cat-play-offense- kick starter, McNabb was now with Washington and Kevin Kolb had assumed the Eagles starting quarterback role... that is until he got hurt in the first game against Green Bay. It was at that moment, September 12, 2010 in the 2nd quarter of the first game when Michael Vick got his first opportunity to run the Eagles offense solely by himself. WOW!!! Where did all of this come from. The Eagles were down 21 - 3 when Vick got in the game. When the game ended the final score was 27 - 20, the Packers held on for the win. However, the Packers winning was not the story of week 1 in the NFL.
Michael Vick astonished everyone with his performance, very nearly bringing the Eagles back from 18 points down to win. Many people including Vick himself in a quote after the game said "I believe we would have won if I'd have played all 4 quarters." Here's Vicks line for the game: 16-24, 175 yds, 1 TD, quarterback rating of 110 in 2 and a half quarters of play.
OK so those numbers are quite good, maybe not fantastic looking but Vick's performance against one of the better defenses in the NFL was visually outstanding and without compare. In the past Vick at his best would rush for 70 or so yards, pass for about 150 yds and maybe rush for a td or 2. But in this game Vick astonished everyone by being a pocket passer and the general of the Eagle offense. He ran the offense as if he'd been preparing everyday for 3 years, including his prison time, to play in that game against Green Bay. His throws were crisp and on target, he stayed in the pocket and only ran the ball a couple of times when the defensive pressure hurried him. This Michael Vick was one we had never seen before.
The Vick we knew was a very inaccurate passer. He was more of a check down passer or a runner than a true down field throwing quarterback. Even though Vick had made 3 pro-bowls, won a couple playoff games and was the crowd favorite in Atlanta pre-dogfighting scandal; the guy was still at best a rushing quarterback, with very limited passing skills and was probably past his prime after serving 2 years in prison.
It's clear to say now that I was wrong about Michael Vick and so were the majority of people. After spending 1 year with Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles, Vick has found his game. He has rededicated himself to football. It seems that prison actually did rehabilitate Mike Vick. Everything is now in perfect perspective for him. Where before with Atlanta, Vick was last to get to work and first to leave, now with Philadelphia he is 1st to work and last to leave. Him and Kevin Kolb are reported to be friends and co-quarterbacks as opposed to competitors for the same job.
Michael Vick is better now than he has ever been before and that is due to his own realization that playing quarterback in the NFL is more than just being talented and beloved. Its about studying the game, working with teammates and coaches and focusing on winning, not on extra-curriculars. Mike Vick gets it now. And he should be commended for that. He has repaid his debt to society and he has taken full advantage of his second chance. From age 22 to 27, Michael Vick was an athletic talent and a ego maniacal person. From age 3o to the future, who knows? Maybe he could be the greatest turnaround success story in NFL history. From the Dog Pound and Prison, to the NFL Hall of Fame.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Once is an Accident, Twice is a Pattern
At the end of the 2009 MLB season, while the New York Yankees were celebrating another championship, the Philadelphia Phillies were dismayed by their own lackluster play in the World Series. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins was especially dissappointed being that before the Fall Classic began he predicted victory for his Phillies. Following their defeat, Rollins like most of his teammates was positive that if given another opportunity his team would excel and that in the coming year they would prove the 2009 outcome to be the exception, and the 2008 outcome the rule. I think Jimmy Rollins should stop making predictions.
The Phillies came up short again in 2010, this time failing to make it out of the National League. The San Francisco Giants played spoiler in a series marked by outstanding pitching, timely and untimely hitting, and an almost David vs Goliath backdrop that once again left Phils fans dejected. This was a classic case of the best team being outplayed by the over achieving underdog.
The 2010 Phillies were stacked! Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels were their top starters. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins were all back again for another title shot.
The 2010 Giants also bolstered a top notch pitching staff, however with much less post season experience, with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez. The Giants lineup, uuuhhh??? They had Cody Ross, Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff. I know. Not quite a fair fight. But, therein lies the answer to the riddle. The Phillies are not as good as we all thought or expected.
If you followed the Phillies this year you'd know that before the all star break, they were basically a .500 ballclub. Clearly underachieving and contemplating the future of the franchise, Phils General Manager Rueben Amaro Jr. later admitted that he and his ownership group talked about blowing up the team and only keeping their nucleus of young talent. But due to the fact that the Phillies are a notorious second-half team and that Amaro knew he could acquire more talent for another playoff run, they decided to stick with it. Amaro scooped up Roy Oswalt from Houston at the trade deadline and from July 20 on the Phillies went a ridiculous 53 and 28. They had done it again.
Well, come post season it seemed the first half club was the one that showed up. Despite sweeping the Reds 3 games to none the Phils could not hit with runners in scoring position. They were hitting about .100 in such situations but their pitching was so good that it didn't matter. Well, in the Giants Series the offense was going to matter. You figured the pitching for both sides would be stellar and that the team with the better offense would prevail. Being that the Giants were a team of has-beens, mid level players and young talent, they were figured to be outmatched and outclassed. Of course now we know it was the Phillies offense that was highly overrated and the Giants offense was clutch.
Players like series MVP Cody Ross, Buster Posey, Juan Uribe, Freddy Sanchez and Andres Torres came up with huge hits. While Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard all failed in the most crucial at-bats with runners on base. The Giants executed on cue whenever runners reached second base with no outs. Bruce Bochy deserves credit as a manager who knows the strengths and weaknesses of his team better than any other manager. He also knew exactly when to pull his pitchers and exactly whom to replace them with.
On the other team, Charlie Manuel was exposed as most insiders know him to be; a strategically weak manager who relies on his high power offense to nullify any opportunity to outwit his opponent. Manuel's glaring defeat was in game 4 when he left his bullpen pitchers in spots where they should not have been. And throughout the entire series Manuel refused to play small ball. Repeatedly the Phillies got men on base with nobody out and they would fail to capitalize. Manuel didn't make the adjustment till it was already too late. He sacrificed Carlos Ruiz in game 6 to get a runner to third with 1 out, but yet again the Phillies failed to get that run home. That was the second time in that game the Phillies had a man at 2nd with no outs and failed to score. The Giants had 1 situation in game 6 with runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs. Freddy Sanchez, one of their leading hitters, laid down a sacrifice bunt to make it 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Both runners eventually scored.
BOTTOM LINE: Bruce Bochy out managed Charlie Manuel. The Giants outplayed the Phillies in every facet of the game. Jayson Werth played well but will be gone. Jimmy Rollins may have played his last game as a Phillie. Next year Charlie Manuel better adapt his ballclub to become a 'National League style team' instead of a slugging reliant team that can't hang in October when pitching rules. Players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins if he's back will need to go back to the fundamentals of baseball. Sacrifice Bunting, hitting behind runners, hitting sacrifice flies and learning to hit the ball to the opposite field and pulling the ball when necessary!!!!!!!!!!
The Phillies came up short again in 2010, this time failing to make it out of the National League. The San Francisco Giants played spoiler in a series marked by outstanding pitching, timely and untimely hitting, and an almost David vs Goliath backdrop that once again left Phils fans dejected. This was a classic case of the best team being outplayed by the over achieving underdog.
The 2010 Phillies were stacked! Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels were their top starters. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins were all back again for another title shot.
The 2010 Giants also bolstered a top notch pitching staff, however with much less post season experience, with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez. The Giants lineup, uuuhhh??? They had Cody Ross, Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff. I know. Not quite a fair fight. But, therein lies the answer to the riddle. The Phillies are not as good as we all thought or expected.
If you followed the Phillies this year you'd know that before the all star break, they were basically a .500 ballclub. Clearly underachieving and contemplating the future of the franchise, Phils General Manager Rueben Amaro Jr. later admitted that he and his ownership group talked about blowing up the team and only keeping their nucleus of young talent. But due to the fact that the Phillies are a notorious second-half team and that Amaro knew he could acquire more talent for another playoff run, they decided to stick with it. Amaro scooped up Roy Oswalt from Houston at the trade deadline and from July 20 on the Phillies went a ridiculous 53 and 28. They had done it again.
Well, come post season it seemed the first half club was the one that showed up. Despite sweeping the Reds 3 games to none the Phils could not hit with runners in scoring position. They were hitting about .100 in such situations but their pitching was so good that it didn't matter. Well, in the Giants Series the offense was going to matter. You figured the pitching for both sides would be stellar and that the team with the better offense would prevail. Being that the Giants were a team of has-beens, mid level players and young talent, they were figured to be outmatched and outclassed. Of course now we know it was the Phillies offense that was highly overrated and the Giants offense was clutch.
Players like series MVP Cody Ross, Buster Posey, Juan Uribe, Freddy Sanchez and Andres Torres came up with huge hits. While Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard all failed in the most crucial at-bats with runners on base. The Giants executed on cue whenever runners reached second base with no outs. Bruce Bochy deserves credit as a manager who knows the strengths and weaknesses of his team better than any other manager. He also knew exactly when to pull his pitchers and exactly whom to replace them with.
On the other team, Charlie Manuel was exposed as most insiders know him to be; a strategically weak manager who relies on his high power offense to nullify any opportunity to outwit his opponent. Manuel's glaring defeat was in game 4 when he left his bullpen pitchers in spots where they should not have been. And throughout the entire series Manuel refused to play small ball. Repeatedly the Phillies got men on base with nobody out and they would fail to capitalize. Manuel didn't make the adjustment till it was already too late. He sacrificed Carlos Ruiz in game 6 to get a runner to third with 1 out, but yet again the Phillies failed to get that run home. That was the second time in that game the Phillies had a man at 2nd with no outs and failed to score. The Giants had 1 situation in game 6 with runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs. Freddy Sanchez, one of their leading hitters, laid down a sacrifice bunt to make it 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Both runners eventually scored.
BOTTOM LINE: Bruce Bochy out managed Charlie Manuel. The Giants outplayed the Phillies in every facet of the game. Jayson Werth played well but will be gone. Jimmy Rollins may have played his last game as a Phillie. Next year Charlie Manuel better adapt his ballclub to become a 'National League style team' instead of a slugging reliant team that can't hang in October when pitching rules. Players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins if he's back will need to go back to the fundamentals of baseball. Sacrifice Bunting, hitting behind runners, hitting sacrifice flies and learning to hit the ball to the opposite field and pulling the ball when necessary!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Eagles Ownership Over-ride Reid Decision
Last week after Michael Vick ran an offensive clinic against the Green Bay Packers, almost overcoming a 17 point deficit, Andy Reid insisted to the media that once Kevin Kolb became healthy again he would be the starter. Cut to this week after Vick torched the Detroit Lions for 284 yards passing with 2 touchdowns, no picks and 37 more rushing yards leading the Eagles to their first win of the 2010 season. After the game once again Reid insists that Kolb will be the quarterback next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
OK now its Tuesday, two days later September 21st and a huge announcement is made that Michael Vick, not Kevin Kolb, will be the Eagles starting quarterback against Jacksonville. SAY WHAT? I sense an instance of team management stepping in.
Kevin Kolb got hurt against the Packers because he couldn't escape the pressure. The Eagles offensive line cannot protect him. Even Vick has been sacked and knocked down way too much. In fact, the tables will probably turn again in Kolb's favor once Vick takes one too many hits. But as I was saying, the offensive line is not good enough to allow Kolb to succeed whereas Vick's elusiveness and his new-found accurracy make him the perfect weapon for this Eagles offense. Vick has always been able to escape the rush, except now he has found his passing touch allowing him to rack up yards and thereby winning himself the starting job.
Clearly Andy Reid was going to stick to his guns. Afterall, this is the coach who insists on passing the ball 70 percent of the time and running the ball only when the Eagles have a big lead. His coaching style and leadership has produced the best regular season record in the NFL since his tenor began. However, Reid playoff failures in the big games are well documented. It seems when the pressure is on in the big moments of the biggest games Andy Reid screws up. And it's not just in the big games, every now and then Reid will call a stupid time-out or make a terrible play call. Well Marty Morninghweg is calling the plays now, but Reid still has the say to make judgement calls and throw in a play or 2 of his own.
Bottom Line: Finally Eagles management has stepped in, pulled back the reigns and said, 'This is our team Andy, not yours.' The Eagles should have manned-up and fired Reid when his contract was up like every Eagle fan thought they would. Instead they went against their gut and went with the numbers. How can you fire a coach who wins 10 games every year. It's easy. You look in the mirror and ask yourselves, should we have won more? With the talent we've had, could we have won more? Andy Reid should be a general manager or a coordinator, not a head coach. Mike Holmgrem he is not. Bill Walsh he is not. George Seifert he is not. All these guys Reid worked under but he attained none of their capabilities when it comes to the number one thing: WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS
OK now its Tuesday, two days later September 21st and a huge announcement is made that Michael Vick, not Kevin Kolb, will be the Eagles starting quarterback against Jacksonville. SAY WHAT? I sense an instance of team management stepping in.
Kevin Kolb got hurt against the Packers because he couldn't escape the pressure. The Eagles offensive line cannot protect him. Even Vick has been sacked and knocked down way too much. In fact, the tables will probably turn again in Kolb's favor once Vick takes one too many hits. But as I was saying, the offensive line is not good enough to allow Kolb to succeed whereas Vick's elusiveness and his new-found accurracy make him the perfect weapon for this Eagles offense. Vick has always been able to escape the rush, except now he has found his passing touch allowing him to rack up yards and thereby winning himself the starting job.
Clearly Andy Reid was going to stick to his guns. Afterall, this is the coach who insists on passing the ball 70 percent of the time and running the ball only when the Eagles have a big lead. His coaching style and leadership has produced the best regular season record in the NFL since his tenor began. However, Reid playoff failures in the big games are well documented. It seems when the pressure is on in the big moments of the biggest games Andy Reid screws up. And it's not just in the big games, every now and then Reid will call a stupid time-out or make a terrible play call. Well Marty Morninghweg is calling the plays now, but Reid still has the say to make judgement calls and throw in a play or 2 of his own.
Bottom Line: Finally Eagles management has stepped in, pulled back the reigns and said, 'This is our team Andy, not yours.' The Eagles should have manned-up and fired Reid when his contract was up like every Eagle fan thought they would. Instead they went against their gut and went with the numbers. How can you fire a coach who wins 10 games every year. It's easy. You look in the mirror and ask yourselves, should we have won more? With the talent we've had, could we have won more? Andy Reid should be a general manager or a coordinator, not a head coach. Mike Holmgrem he is not. Bill Walsh he is not. George Seifert he is not. All these guys Reid worked under but he attained none of their capabilities when it comes to the number one thing: WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Reggie Bush forfeits his Heisman
This story is a joke, therefore it's very easy to write about.
Reggie Bush was a star running-back in college at the University of Southern California. In 2005 his final year, he won the acclaimed Heisman trophy over Vince Young and his teammates Matt Leinart and Lendale White. The subsequent investigations into Bush's dealings with professional sports agents procured findings that Bush received moneys nearing $200,000 for himself and his family. These reports surfaced shortly after Bush's final season at USC, but the credibility of the story didn't become official until recently.
Now the NCAA is in an uproar, an NFL running back is having to explain the mistakes of his college days and the sports world is having a hey day calling for Bush to give back his Heisman. Well, Reggie finally gave in to the NCAA's and the National Media pressure. He 'forfeit' the prestigious trophy today, September 14, 2010.
In the grand scheme of world stories and happenings, this is not a tragedy nor a important historic event. However, it is the first time ever that a Heisman trophy winner has officially forfeit the award. The important issue at the heart of this story is the idea of college athletes being paid. For almost 10 years now, the NCAA has been in litigation with various factions, including former UCLA Basketball star Ed O'Bannon, for the usage of college athlete's names and likenesses in everything from jersey's in campus stores to video games sold around the world.
Presently, Reggie Bush is a highly paid star running back and kick returner for the current Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. But back at USC, Reggie was just another college kid struggling to make a few dollars, get his school work done and fulfill his duty as a student athlete. OK he wasn't a typical college kid. He wasn't paying tuition, he probably wasn't having trouble with his school work and I'm sure his plate was never lacking in size or quantity(Have you seen the modern college athlete. They weigh 200 to 300 lbs. Do you know how much you have to eat to get that big?).
So what are the facts and determining circumstances of this story. We know Reggie took money. Is that a crime? No. Does it violate current NCAA regulations? Yes. Is the NCAA a joke? Yes. Do college athletes deserve some compensation for their work as athletes? If their work as athletes contributes in any way to the financial betterment of their institution, then HELL YES they do.
Reggie Bush did nothing wrong or different than most other logical human beings would do in the exact same situation. He and his family were struggling to make ends meet so a couple of sports agents lured them in, knowing that eventually Reggie would be a Pro Athlete of high accord. They gave them some money probably for the promise of future agent and promoting services that would occur once Reggie was drafted into the NFL.
Did taking money affect Reggie's play on the field? Of course not. I'm sure it improved his piece of mind and his families' living conditions though. AND WHO WOULDN'T DO THAT FOR LOVED ONES??? I wouldn't like anyone whom would choose to not better their families lives.
The Bottom Line is Reggie Bush is the 2005 Heisman Trophy Winner and he always will be. The fact that the NCAA are an organization of hypocrites make them the losers in this story. They take all the money that these "college athletes" earn on the fields and then they say it is unethical for a student-athlete to receive money. That in itself is laughable. If I were Reggie Bush, I would be all over the news saying things like, "Yeah I took money. So What? Did I take drugs? No. Did I cheat? No. All I did was improve the lives of my family in a time of need and for that I am being looked at and reported as a criminal. I am and always will be a Heisman trophy winner. And I know that I am not the only college kid who ever took money from an agent. I am just the only one who's won the Heisman and got caught.
Reggie Bush was a star running-back in college at the University of Southern California. In 2005 his final year, he won the acclaimed Heisman trophy over Vince Young and his teammates Matt Leinart and Lendale White. The subsequent investigations into Bush's dealings with professional sports agents procured findings that Bush received moneys nearing $200,000 for himself and his family. These reports surfaced shortly after Bush's final season at USC, but the credibility of the story didn't become official until recently.
Now the NCAA is in an uproar, an NFL running back is having to explain the mistakes of his college days and the sports world is having a hey day calling for Bush to give back his Heisman. Well, Reggie finally gave in to the NCAA's and the National Media pressure. He 'forfeit' the prestigious trophy today, September 14, 2010.
In the grand scheme of world stories and happenings, this is not a tragedy nor a important historic event. However, it is the first time ever that a Heisman trophy winner has officially forfeit the award. The important issue at the heart of this story is the idea of college athletes being paid. For almost 10 years now, the NCAA has been in litigation with various factions, including former UCLA Basketball star Ed O'Bannon, for the usage of college athlete's names and likenesses in everything from jersey's in campus stores to video games sold around the world.
Presently, Reggie Bush is a highly paid star running back and kick returner for the current Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. But back at USC, Reggie was just another college kid struggling to make a few dollars, get his school work done and fulfill his duty as a student athlete. OK he wasn't a typical college kid. He wasn't paying tuition, he probably wasn't having trouble with his school work and I'm sure his plate was never lacking in size or quantity(Have you seen the modern college athlete. They weigh 200 to 300 lbs. Do you know how much you have to eat to get that big?).
So what are the facts and determining circumstances of this story. We know Reggie took money. Is that a crime? No. Does it violate current NCAA regulations? Yes. Is the NCAA a joke? Yes. Do college athletes deserve some compensation for their work as athletes? If their work as athletes contributes in any way to the financial betterment of their institution, then HELL YES they do.
Reggie Bush did nothing wrong or different than most other logical human beings would do in the exact same situation. He and his family were struggling to make ends meet so a couple of sports agents lured them in, knowing that eventually Reggie would be a Pro Athlete of high accord. They gave them some money probably for the promise of future agent and promoting services that would occur once Reggie was drafted into the NFL.
Did taking money affect Reggie's play on the field? Of course not. I'm sure it improved his piece of mind and his families' living conditions though. AND WHO WOULDN'T DO THAT FOR LOVED ONES??? I wouldn't like anyone whom would choose to not better their families lives.
The Bottom Line is Reggie Bush is the 2005 Heisman Trophy Winner and he always will be. The fact that the NCAA are an organization of hypocrites make them the losers in this story. They take all the money that these "college athletes" earn on the fields and then they say it is unethical for a student-athlete to receive money. That in itself is laughable. If I were Reggie Bush, I would be all over the news saying things like, "Yeah I took money. So What? Did I take drugs? No. Did I cheat? No. All I did was improve the lives of my family in a time of need and for that I am being looked at and reported as a criminal. I am and always will be a Heisman trophy winner. And I know that I am not the only college kid who ever took money from an agent. I am just the only one who's won the Heisman and got caught.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Derek Jeter wants A-Rod money?
I don't know if it's true, but it's been reported that Derek Jeter wants his upcoming contract to equal or top that of Alex Rodriguez'. Considering Jeter is 36 years old, having the worst year of his career and is clearly on the decline, most fans and media find this matter laughable. However, a closer look at the situation offers quite a reasonable yet sad explanation.
Assuming the report is true, if Derek Jeter played for any other team in the world his demands would be absolutely preposterous. Jeter and his agent, Creative Artists Agency's Casey Close(gimme a break), would be laughed out of the room. But we're talking New York here. The team with unlimited funds; the Yankees. They basically control the MLB free agent market. They can out-bid every other team as well as sell every player on the idea of playing with 5 to 10 all star teammates annually.
This is why Jeter is demanding top dollar. Derek Jeter knows he's not worth 25 or 30 million a year. Hell, he knows he ain't worth 5 million a year at this point. But the town and the team are of a different ilk. It's fitting that Jeter is represented by a marketing firm geared toward the celebrity rock star or hot model-actor. He will be negotiating this contract based on his star-power, not his hitting power. His argument for the dollars is completely contingent upon his marketability and his meaning to the Yankees franchise. The perspective and insight into the Yankees franchise is completely on display here. It is the perfect picture to explain why the Yankees are one of the few things wrong with baseball. Jeter will make his case for his contract not on baseball skills and talent, but on his marketing prowess and celebrity status. The funny thing about the whole deal is Derek Jeter will be 100 percent RIGHT!!!!!
In New York, he is worth 30 million a year. In New York, he is a rockstar/model/actor/ballplayer. For the Yankees Jeter is a money maker, heart breaker and seat filler. For any other team Jeter would be either on the bench, DH'ing or platooning. He would be a starter on a last place team with no winning prospects. But the New York Yankees don't operate on MLB's market, they function on a market all their own.
It is worth mentioning Derek Jeter's lifetime stats and historic impact on baseball. Jeter has a .314 lifetime batting average. He is an 11-time all star and a 4-time gold glove winner. Next year barring injury Jeter will surpass 3000 hits. He has 234 homeruns and 320 stolen bases. And what so many people point out, Jeter has 5 championship rings so he is a winner. His post season performances are also very good. He has basically played 1 extra full season of baseball in post season play. Those numbers are as follows. Hits: 175 BA: .313 HR: 20 Runs: 99 RBI: 55. Jeter also has contributed as a key defensive player in his team's championship runs. He has quite a few highlight reel plays in the most important pressure-packed games.
Assuming the report is true, if Derek Jeter played for any other team in the world his demands would be absolutely preposterous. Jeter and his agent, Creative Artists Agency's Casey Close(gimme a break), would be laughed out of the room. But we're talking New York here. The team with unlimited funds; the Yankees. They basically control the MLB free agent market. They can out-bid every other team as well as sell every player on the idea of playing with 5 to 10 all star teammates annually.
This is why Jeter is demanding top dollar. Derek Jeter knows he's not worth 25 or 30 million a year. Hell, he knows he ain't worth 5 million a year at this point. But the town and the team are of a different ilk. It's fitting that Jeter is represented by a marketing firm geared toward the celebrity rock star or hot model-actor. He will be negotiating this contract based on his star-power, not his hitting power. His argument for the dollars is completely contingent upon his marketability and his meaning to the Yankees franchise. The perspective and insight into the Yankees franchise is completely on display here. It is the perfect picture to explain why the Yankees are one of the few things wrong with baseball. Jeter will make his case for his contract not on baseball skills and talent, but on his marketing prowess and celebrity status. The funny thing about the whole deal is Derek Jeter will be 100 percent RIGHT!!!!!
In New York, he is worth 30 million a year. In New York, he is a rockstar/model/actor/ballplayer. For the Yankees Jeter is a money maker, heart breaker and seat filler. For any other team Jeter would be either on the bench, DH'ing or platooning. He would be a starter on a last place team with no winning prospects. But the New York Yankees don't operate on MLB's market, they function on a market all their own.
It is worth mentioning Derek Jeter's lifetime stats and historic impact on baseball. Jeter has a .314 lifetime batting average. He is an 11-time all star and a 4-time gold glove winner. Next year barring injury Jeter will surpass 3000 hits. He has 234 homeruns and 320 stolen bases. And what so many people point out, Jeter has 5 championship rings so he is a winner. His post season performances are also very good. He has basically played 1 extra full season of baseball in post season play. Those numbers are as follows. Hits: 175 BA: .313 HR: 20 Runs: 99 RBI: 55. Jeter also has contributed as a key defensive player in his team's championship runs. He has quite a few highlight reel plays in the most important pressure-packed games.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
PHILLIES All-Stars break the curse!!!!!
Half the damn team came from Philly LOL!!!!!! And in the year of the pitcher, the arms ruled the day. And think about this. In his entire career, Derek Jeter had never lost an all star game. And Albert Pujols, an all star every year of his career except for 2002 when he won the MVP award, had never won an all star game. Almost every player in that game last night with the exception of freakin' Arthur Rhodes who's 40, were all in grade school the last time the National League won an all star game.
So with a collective sigh of relief for fans and a resounding chest pound for Charlie Manuel, the NL will finally bring the bacon home for the World Series(I think thats how the saying goes?). It was reported that Charlie gave a 'gipper' speech before the game to fire up his players and let them know that this would be the game that would end the streak. OK, so he didn't actually dedicate the game to a dying loved one or even give a speech that fired everyone up. He actually said "We came here to do one thing; win the game." Yeah so Manuel is no Rockney or Hemingway, big shocker. The players actually laughed when Manuel made the serious comment but I think they still got the message(Its kind of hard to take Charlie Manuel serious when you don't know him personally so I can understand the players' reaction).
Oh yeah, and lets re-cap the NL Phillie All Star roster. Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Michael Bourn, Scott Rolen and Marlon Byrd. Obviously the latter 3 are former Phillies and Chase Utley wasn't there due to injury but it almost felt like a collective Phillie team from the last 10 years or so. All they needed was Kruk and Daulton and it would've been a 20 year team.
And it bears repeating that the skipper of the National League team to break the streak of All Star game losses is Charlie Manuel. Personally, I thought last year was going to be the year that the streak ended but this year it seems so much more sweet. With Phillies from the present and years past, the rest of the National League's best and the player's manager Manuel leading them on, it almost felt like a true playoff game victory. And maybe it was. Streaks like that aren't supposed to happen. I do remember hearing of a similar streak in the 60s, 70s and early 80s but I don't think it was thirteen in a row. Oh it was from Municipal Stadium at Cleveland in 1963 to Olympic Stadium in Montreal in 1982, the National League won 19 of those 20 all star games. The National League won 8 in a row, lost at Tiger's Stadium in Detroit in 1971, and then won the next 11 in a row till 1983 at Comiskey Park in Chicago(How's that for dropping some KNOWLEDGE!!! Class dismissed). Well not yet.
Bottom Line: In the year of the pitcher, the NL reigns supreme. A theme that will continue into the playoffs. Trust me
So with a collective sigh of relief for fans and a resounding chest pound for Charlie Manuel, the NL will finally bring the bacon home for the World Series(I think thats how the saying goes?). It was reported that Charlie gave a 'gipper' speech before the game to fire up his players and let them know that this would be the game that would end the streak. OK, so he didn't actually dedicate the game to a dying loved one or even give a speech that fired everyone up. He actually said "We came here to do one thing; win the game." Yeah so Manuel is no Rockney or Hemingway, big shocker. The players actually laughed when Manuel made the serious comment but I think they still got the message(Its kind of hard to take Charlie Manuel serious when you don't know him personally so I can understand the players' reaction).
Oh yeah, and lets re-cap the NL Phillie All Star roster. Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Michael Bourn, Scott Rolen and Marlon Byrd. Obviously the latter 3 are former Phillies and Chase Utley wasn't there due to injury but it almost felt like a collective Phillie team from the last 10 years or so. All they needed was Kruk and Daulton and it would've been a 20 year team.
And it bears repeating that the skipper of the National League team to break the streak of All Star game losses is Charlie Manuel. Personally, I thought last year was going to be the year that the streak ended but this year it seems so much more sweet. With Phillies from the present and years past, the rest of the National League's best and the player's manager Manuel leading them on, it almost felt like a true playoff game victory. And maybe it was. Streaks like that aren't supposed to happen. I do remember hearing of a similar streak in the 60s, 70s and early 80s but I don't think it was thirteen in a row. Oh it was from Municipal Stadium at Cleveland in 1963 to Olympic Stadium in Montreal in 1982, the National League won 19 of those 20 all star games. The National League won 8 in a row, lost at Tiger's Stadium in Detroit in 1971, and then won the next 11 in a row till 1983 at Comiskey Park in Chicago(How's that for dropping some KNOWLEDGE!!! Class dismissed). Well not yet.
Bottom Line: In the year of the pitcher, the NL reigns supreme. A theme that will continue into the playoffs. Trust me
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