I've been trying to keep quiet on this year's NBA playoffs as things have gone particularly well for my favorite NBA teams (the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets, in that order), but with Denver on the verge of their first ever playoff sweep, I had to jump in. Thus, I will be writing this blog as I watch the game and you will get to join me in the emotion as the Nuggets try to close out the Mavericks.
1st Quarter
- Glad to see TNT has sent the C-team to do the play-by-play for this one. Matt Devlin, Steve Smith and some guy named Marty are our commentators. Clearly, the network feels pretty sure this won't be the featured game of the night. Then again, it's not like the Cavs-Hawks game was the height of drama; everyone and their dog knew what was going to happen in that one.
- Mavs strike first with some third chance points, and the Nugs follow it up with a turnover. Billups chucks one on next possession, but the game looks like it's playing at the Nuggets pace early.
- Melo and Dirk on the board quickly, no surprise there.
- A nice bonus as Dahntay Jones hits a "three" (looked like his foot was on the line to me) and the Nuggets get on an early run. Mavs need to be very careful. My prediction coming in was that this would be a big win for Denver. The way I see it, the Mavs will get down 8-10 points at some point in the game and will give up on the game. I give Jason Kidd credit for leading this team, but guys like Howard and Terry seem the type that might hang their head with a deficit.
- Nugs run up to 10-0 (12-6 lead)...
- Both teams having early turnover problems. Psychologically, this is much more dangerous for the Mavs.
- Dahntay Jones with the steal/slam! Wow, not the kind of thing you want to see if you're the Mavs/their fans. If Denver gets confident early, they can steamroll you. As I've heard multiple times this postseason, the Nuggets are tremendous frontrunners as they really step on the gas with a lead.
- First commercial break and the Nugs hold a nice 14-8 lead. Looking good so far.
- Let me just say this about the non-foul in game 3: I completely agree that a foul probably should have been called, but for anyone to say that this cost the Mavs the game is simply preposterous. Even if they get the foul call, the Nuggets still have the ball with 2.5 seconds left, plenty of time to get a good look or even draw a foul. So don't tell me that the Mavs lost because of the non-call. By the way, if Wright wanted the foul call, he shouldn't have put his arms up will committing it in the universal "I'm not fouling" motion! Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.
- What's up with this "team role" thing TNT has been using this postseason? How many casual fans watching will know what they mean when they say Chauncey Billups is the Nuggets' "Commander-In-Chief" if they didn't already know what he does? Honestly, does this help anyone?
- Dirk is coming out aggressive and looking for his shot, a good sign for the Mavs. The problem is, Dirk's been amazing all series long and he's gotten no help. It's a shame that Josh Howard has been hurt this series and really prevented the Mavs from competing.
- Chauncey Billups is absolutely amazing. I rooted for him with Detroit when the faced the Lakers back in 2004, but as the Pistons kept dominating the East, I started to get tired of him. Now that he's a Nugget, I can't get enough of this guy. He has been exactly what the Nuggets needed. He's practically a second head coach, and when the players get sick of listening to George Karl, Chauncey can help keep things together. His scoring this postseason has been a breath of fresh air, taking a lot of the pressure off of Carmelo to score tons.
- Question: Anyone else think Carmelo is trying to prove something and win a title before his buddy LeBron?
- JR Smith is 1-for-1 from three. Uh-oh.
- Mavs with a missed three, Nugs get the fast break and the fans are already out of the game. Timeout Mavs as Kleiza nails the three and the Nugs are already up by 13. Maybe they won't win by 58, but I sense this game turning out very similar to the Nuggets' game 4 rout in New Orleans in the first round. Oh, did I mention it's still the first quarter?
- 34-23 Denver, end of 1. Pressure is squarely on the Mavericks.
2nd Quarter
- First play of the quarter, JR nails his second three. I don't care who you are, if Smith gets hot, the Nuggets are very, very tough to beat.
- No, Melo! NOOOO! Carmelo takes a swing at Antoine Wright, trying to get his arm untangled from Wright after a rebound. The last thing the Nuggets need is for Melo to get tossed or, much much worse, suspended for a game (especially a game in the next round). Hopefully the league will agree that it was fairly harmless. Steve Javy, one of the better officials I've seen this postseason, reviews the play and... Technical foul on Melo, but he stays in the game. Now it's in the league's hands.
- Quick whistle on the next play as Melo drive to the hoop. I agree with color man Smith that it was a smart play by Melo to attack the hoop and make the officials make a call.
- Dallas gets energized by a play by JJ Berea, and the Nuggets need to sense this and try to calm down a little, not let the Mavs get on a run.
- Nice pull-up by Melo, but Berea strikes again and the Nuggets still up 12. Meanwhile, Nene is playing very well and making the Mavs big men work hard on defense. Unfortunately, he misses two free throws and wastes his hard work.
- The refs are calling everything right now, and both teams are attack the rim to try to get calls. We'll see if we get another foul-fest like game 3. This would seem to favor the home team as the refs tend to call more fouls on the visitors, plus the Nuggets aren't nearly as deep in the frontcourt as they are in the backcourt, particularly with Chris Andersen m.i.a.
- Mavs crawl back within 9, 40-31, as we head to the under 9:00 break.
- Nuggets are playing a little sloppily this quarter, and with the Mavs within 7, things are getting tighter. Then again... next thing I know, Anthony "I'm not a three point shooter but I chuck 'em up anyway" Carter drains a 3, Kidd air balls one on the other end, and the Mavs momentum is fading again.
- The Mavs can't buy a 3, and as I said before, the pace of this game continues to favor Denver. Suddenly, that little Mavs run has turned around and Carlisle has to burn a timeout down 49-35.
- Brandon Bass has been huge for Dallas so far. He is playing with much more energy and intensity than the rest of his team. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are getting sloppy on offense again. 6-0 run out of the timeout for Dallas.
- Ridiculous foul called on Billups as Howard creates contact, gets the call and the bucket for a big three-point play.
- Four quick, BIG points from Melo and he gets Denver back up by 10. Teams are trading baskets right now. Nene continues to do his work down low, getting to the line yet again for free throws 9 and 10.
- Big final 3 minutes here as the Mavs need to stay in single digits going to the half.
- Nuggets get another technical as Billups whines to the refs. I agree the Nuggets haven't gotten (m)any calls in Dallas these two games, but you need to be careful not to give the Mavs free points by complaining.
- Flagrant foul on Howard. Hmmm, maybe Chauncey made an impact after all? Forget what I just said, Nuggets, whine away!
- Each team misses some golden opportunities and the game is still rather sloppy for both teams. Nugget's lead is down to 5... Big slap by Dirk on Kleiza, but Linas misses both, wasting the call. Mavs turn around and give it back with a turnover, though. Nuggets holding for the last shot.
- Another aggressive drive by Kleiza and he returns to the line with 3.8 to play, and Terry is actually called for a flagrant on a play that Smith claims he didn't even see the foul. Really, Steve? Terry basically threw himself into Kleiza, not exactly going for the ball. Nuggets make 2 of 3 free throws (Terry also got a tech) and get the ball again for the last shot.
- Amazing put-back by Carmelo as time expires and the Nuggets manage a little run to take a 10 point lead to the half.
- 63-53 Nuggets at the break. Mavs are still fighting, for now.
Halftime
3rd Quarter
- The Mavs had 9 turnovers and 20 points allowed off those. 20! That's more than 2 per turnover! That's almost impossible. To say that's the difference in the game is an understatement.
- 15 seconds in and we have our first foul. Yay.
- Foul #2 14 seconds later. This is going to be a long half.
- Another quick start for Dirk. The Nuggets really can't guard him much better, but he's just making some incredible shots.
- Jones has been much more active offensively tonight than I recall him being this postseason. He's contributing well.
- 3 by Terry, deuce by Dirk and the Mavs cut the deficit to 1. Nuggets need a timeout as they have been discombobulated on offense and the Mavs are clicking on offense themselves.
- Nuggets get 6 quick points from Melo and pull back up by 5 until Terry knocks down a pair of free throws. The Nuggets are just refusing to let the Mavs take a lead, but credit the Mavs for not going away.
- Melo adds another pair, but then he gets beat on defense by a guy with two bad ankles and Howard gets the Mavs back within 1.
- As has been the case throughout this series and the playoffs in general, the refs are making their presence felt with many close calls. So far, it doesn't seem to be favoring either team, which I suppose is all we can ask for.
- With 5:13 to go in the third, the Mavs have been called for 20 fouls and the Nuggets 15. As you might imagine, Denver leads by 7, 80-73.
- Dallas has gone cold and the Nuggets are rebuilding their lead. Dallas needs to get Terry back on the floor as the deficit grows back to 9.
- Kleiza cannot guard Dirk, and he compounds his mistake with a technical foul giving the Mavs a four-point play as Dirk hits a shot and both freebies.
- Big bucket by JR to stem a little Dallas run and Smith has a chance at the three point play (only to miss another free throw). JR has got work work on his free throw shooting.
- Again, the game is within 1 and the last 2:00 of the quarter loom large. Once again, the Mavs cannot get out of their own way with Dirk turning the ball over with a chance to take the lead.
- Bad jumper by Carter, followed by a bad 3 by Kidd. Neither team wants to score it seems. Under 1:00 to go, Melo heads to the line and gives Denver a 2 point lead (29 on the game already for Melo).
- JJ Berea strikes yet again, tying it up at 85. Nuggets get a pair of freebies from Smith to retake the lead and, after a missed trey by Howard, Melo makes a circus shot plus one to put Denver back up 5. Quick action to end the period; now it's Berea to the line. He misses both.
- 90-85, Denver. Twelve minutes to the WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS for the Nugs. Wow, didn't think I'd be writing that this year.
4th Quarter
- Denver: Win the quarter, win the game. Simple.
- Holy moly. Erick Dampier gets whistled for a technical 28 seconds into the quarter, and already Dallas has a foul and a turnover in the period. Rather inauspicious start, I would say. Nuggets up 3-0.
- Nice hometown call as Dirk flops when Melo strips him, and Dirk gets a questionable foul call, leading to another Berea score. 3-2.
- And we have foul #3 of the quarter, just 1:29 in. Insanity. Dampier is done with 10:31 to go.
- Foul #4! Wright does a good job of drawing a foul and will head to the line. Nails them both, 3-4.
- Beautiful runner by Kleiza. 5-4.
- Foul #5, third on Denver (4th on Melo) with 9:33 to play. Dirk nails 2, 5-6.
- Kleiza 3 rims out, then Terry does the same. Every possession counts.
- Denver turnover then Dirk swishes a 2, 2 point game. 5-8.
- Smith goes to the bank! 7-8.
- Bass misses from point blank, Bass then fouls out of frustration and picks up a T. Big blow-up from Bass, and this could be very costly for the Mavs. 97-93 as we go to the under 9:00 break at 7:59.
- Melo drains the T, 8-8.
- Bucket for Wright, 8-10.
- Melo drains another huge J. 10-10. Melo with a career playoff high of 36.
- Dirk wastes no time, throwing in a circus shot with an and-1, cutting the deficit to 2. 10-13. Dirk has 32.
- JR with another cold-blooded deuce. 12-13.
- Wright back to the bucket, 12-15. Non-stop action and the crowd is really getting into this one.
- Wright with a foul on the other end, and suddenly we have ANOTHER technical foul. Unbelievable. The call on Wright certainly looked a bit questionable, but if anything the foul might have been that he flopped. Regardless, the Mavs' mental errors are keeping them from closing the gap indefinitely.
- Seven. Seven! Seven technicals in this game. Incredible. Billups hits the T, 13-15.
- On the technical possession, Smith hits another ridiculous jumper. 15-15 (105-100).
- 5:39 to go and Dirk is back at the line, swishing 2. 15-17.
- Late call on Nene for a push off after a bad jumper by Melo. Dirk back to the line as Denver has long since been in the bonus. 15-19.
- Nuggets up just 1, huge possession and Mr. Big Shot drives for 2. 17-19.
- Nice little jumper from Howard, 17-21. Billups quickly answers with a 3, 20-21.
- Fast and furious, Kidd to the line makes 2, 20-23.
- Melo with another great steal off Dirk, but the Nugs can't cash in.
- Howard air ball on a three and the Nuggets have the ball, still up 2. 110-108 with just over 3 to play.
- Dirk ties it with 2:43 to go. 110-110. 20-25 in the quarter. The series comes down to just under 3 minutes. I am mentally exhausted and extremely anxious. I do NOT want a game 5.
- Here we go. Melo is rejected by Bass, then Howard misses a J. Still tied.
- Billups to the rack, misses but Nene cleans it up, Nugs back on top. 22-25.
- Dirk goes to the rack and draws yet another foul. Not surprisingly, the German makes them both. 22-27.
- Melo misses a close shot, and the Mavs get it back with a chance to take the lead.
- Unreal jumper by Dirk, Mavs take the lead, 22-29.
- Under 1:00 to play. Dirk again. Dirk finally misses one, and Melo is ridiculously called for a loose-ball foul on the rebound, Howard to the line. He of course drills them both. Mavs up 4. 22-31. The Nuggets have not played well this quarter and it's looking like they'll pay for it by having to play another game. 31.4 seconds to play.
- Awful foul by Josh Howard, and Melo heads to the line. 2 huge free throws here. First is good. Second... swish. Nugs within 2. This is looking eerily like game 3...
- Timeout. Denver must guard Dirk on this next possession. If someone else beats you, so be it.
- Great D by Martin, and a HORRIBLE touch foul is called on him. Dirk goes to the line yet again. Very weak call. Argh. He makes them both (obviously). 118-114.
- Just reviewed the replay, and it is confirmed: awful call on that last play. Should cost Denver the game. There you go, Mavs fans. No more bitching.
- Amazing 3 by Melo, and Denver is back within 1. This has been an incredible dual between Melo and Dirk, both making insane shot after insane shot. Great game. 3.1 to play.
- Terry to the line. 1.1 to go. He drains the first. Mavs up 2. Terry intentionally misses the second, and Melo can't even get a shot off before the buzzer. The Mavs improbably force a game 5 that they really had no business winning. Damn shame, but a damn good showing by Dallas. The refs made a big impact, but I'd be reluctant to say that they were the difference in this one. Certainly some calls went against Denver, but some also went against the Mavs, so it is what it is. Denver had better win game 5, because Dallas won't give up and the last thing the Nuggets can afford is for this to go 7.
Hope you enjoyed, because this was nerve-wracking and frankly, extremely disappointing. No live blog for game 5, because clrealy it was bad luck for Denver.
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Showing posts with label nba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nba. Show all posts
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Just Short Part II - Houston
Since it was so much fun to write about the miserable state of Denver sports on Monday, I've decided to give Houston, my current hometown, the courtesy of joining the party. With the exception of the Major League Soccer Dynamo, who won the league title in 2006 and 2007, their first two years in Houston, the city has actually endured a longer title drought than Denver. Since Houston does not have an NHL team, the Dynamo are the clear #4 in the city, but as much pride as this community feels for the soccer team (especially the large Hispanic population), I still feel like the city would quickly trade both Dynamo titles (and maybe even a third) for one title in the other three major sports.
I suppose I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the now-defunct Houston Comets, the most successful team in WNBA history. Founded in 1997 as one of the original franchises in the league, the Comets won the first four WNBA titles. The success waned, however, and with it so did attendance and when the owners attempted to sell the team in 2008 but found no takers, the team folded. This is more of a statement on the viability of the WNBA (a league that has operated at a substantial loss throughout its history but has been propped up by the NBA as David Stern's brain-child) than on the state of the Houston sports community. Now the Comets' wikipedia page reads like an obituary.
Now on to the meaningful sports in the city. The most successful franchise in recent years has been the Astros who made the playoffs in 2004 and 2005 as a wild card each year. In 2004, the 'Stros advanced to the NLCS before falling in 7 games to the eventual World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. That year's run was highlighted by the eight postseason home runs hit by Carlos Beltran, a mid-season addition to the Astros who played less than half a season with the team before leaving for greener pastures in New York (pun definitely intended). The following year, the Astros made the only championship appearance of any Houston team since the mid-90s, beating the Cards in the NLCS this time on their way to the World Series where they were swept by the Chicago White Sox. While the Astros have been competitive the last three years, there were few expectations of a deep playoff run in that stretch and the future isn't exactly bright.
The only current Houston team in the big 3 sports with a championship victory is the Rockets who won the NBA title in 1994 and 1995. However, I don't know if any team in any sport has had to deal with the kind of asterisk to their titles that these Rockets have. As you may recall, a certain Chicago Bulls player had mysteriously chosen to pursue minor league baseball in that two year stretch, only returning in 1995-96 to win the next 3 titles with the Bulls. It seems any time anyone discusses the Rockets' championships, it must be mentioned that Jordan was "retired" for those two seasons. Of course no one mentions the fact that "45" returned to the Bulls midway through the 1994-95 season but the Bulls would be eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Shaq, Penny and the Magic (that year's Eastern conference champs). Regardless, this disrespect is a clear chip on the shoulders of Houston fans that won't be removed until a Houston team, and specifically the Rockets, wins another title. In 1996, the Rockets would fall in the second round of the playoffs and the team has not advanced passed the first round since. As for this season, things do look surprisingly promising as the Rockets have climbed to 3rd in the Western Conference standings and appear poised to have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Whether the team can capitalize on this and win a series remains to be seen and with the Lakers looming as the dominant force in the West, the city is trying to temper its enthusiasm.
Finally, there's the NFL in Houston. As we all know, the Houston Texans have existed since 2002 but have yet to achieve a winning record, much less make the playoffs. Before the Texans came the Oilers, one of the NFL's most frustrating franchises for its fanbase. The Oilers were a charter member of the AFL in 1960 but didn't find any success until the late 1970's when they made the playoffs three straight years from 1978-80, the first three years of University of Texas product Earl Campbell's career. Those playoff appearances would be fruitless, however, with two of them ending in AFC Championship losses to the Pittsburgh "Steel Curtain" Steelers. The Oilers would fall into oblivion again until 1987 when, under quarterback Warren Moon, they became one of the most successful teams in the AFC over the next 7 years, making the playoffs each year. Despite their regular season successes, the team was never able to get over the proverbial hump and never reached the Super Bowl. Included in this run was the infamous 1992 playoff loss at Buffalo in a game known simply as "The Comeback" in which the Oilers blew a 35-3 lead to lose 41-38 in overtime, the biggest comeback/choke job in league history. After a second round playoff loss in 1993, Warren Moon was traded and the team began a new downward spiral eventually ending in the team's acrimonious stadium dispute with the city and finally the move to Tennessee in 1997. It was this move that has made Bud Adams, current Titans/former-Oilers owner, one of the most despised men in Houston. It is also the reason that a lot of Houston fans still root for the Titans, a perplexing attachment that I myself have been guilty of. I've heard it described, accurately so, as having a nasty divorce with a vindictive wife and then somehow rooting for her to find true love and be happy in the future. You should want her life to be miserable, right? Right?!?
So again, back to the topic at hand. As I mentioned, the city of Denver has had the luxury of living in the world of "just short" with most of its teams. Houston is facing the same situation with the Astros and Rockets and is quickly approaching this point with the Texans. With the Rockies and Texans, I have known the numbness of rooting for a team with no chance at contending. With the Broncos and Astros, I've had the thrill and the disappointment of rooting for teams that get ever so close only to fail in the end. As a sports fan, you start to wonder when, even if, you will feel the joy of victory again. Sometimes so much so that you become the absolute worst thing in all of sports fandom: a bandwagon jumper. You pick the hot team and attach yourself just to try to recapture the glory of victory again, but the feeling is hollow and if the team wins, you feel like you've just cheated on your team for a one-night stand.
Once again, where do your teams fall? Would you prefer an all-out loser or a soul-crushing failure in the postseason? Post your comments below.
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
I suppose I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the now-defunct Houston Comets, the most successful team in WNBA history. Founded in 1997 as one of the original franchises in the league, the Comets won the first four WNBA titles. The success waned, however, and with it so did attendance and when the owners attempted to sell the team in 2008 but found no takers, the team folded. This is more of a statement on the viability of the WNBA (a league that has operated at a substantial loss throughout its history but has been propped up by the NBA as David Stern's brain-child) than on the state of the Houston sports community. Now the Comets' wikipedia page reads like an obituary.
Now on to the meaningful sports in the city. The most successful franchise in recent years has been the Astros who made the playoffs in 2004 and 2005 as a wild card each year. In 2004, the 'Stros advanced to the NLCS before falling in 7 games to the eventual World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. That year's run was highlighted by the eight postseason home runs hit by Carlos Beltran, a mid-season addition to the Astros who played less than half a season with the team before leaving for greener pastures in New York (pun definitely intended). The following year, the Astros made the only championship appearance of any Houston team since the mid-90s, beating the Cards in the NLCS this time on their way to the World Series where they were swept by the Chicago White Sox. While the Astros have been competitive the last three years, there were few expectations of a deep playoff run in that stretch and the future isn't exactly bright.
The only current Houston team in the big 3 sports with a championship victory is the Rockets who won the NBA title in 1994 and 1995. However, I don't know if any team in any sport has had to deal with the kind of asterisk to their titles that these Rockets have. As you may recall, a certain Chicago Bulls player had mysteriously chosen to pursue minor league baseball in that two year stretch, only returning in 1995-96 to win the next 3 titles with the Bulls. It seems any time anyone discusses the Rockets' championships, it must be mentioned that Jordan was "retired" for those two seasons. Of course no one mentions the fact that "45" returned to the Bulls midway through the 1994-95 season but the Bulls would be eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Shaq, Penny and the Magic (that year's Eastern conference champs). Regardless, this disrespect is a clear chip on the shoulders of Houston fans that won't be removed until a Houston team, and specifically the Rockets, wins another title. In 1996, the Rockets would fall in the second round of the playoffs and the team has not advanced passed the first round since. As for this season, things do look surprisingly promising as the Rockets have climbed to 3rd in the Western Conference standings and appear poised to have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Whether the team can capitalize on this and win a series remains to be seen and with the Lakers looming as the dominant force in the West, the city is trying to temper its enthusiasm.
Finally, there's the NFL in Houston. As we all know, the Houston Texans have existed since 2002 but have yet to achieve a winning record, much less make the playoffs. Before the Texans came the Oilers, one of the NFL's most frustrating franchises for its fanbase. The Oilers were a charter member of the AFL in 1960 but didn't find any success until the late 1970's when they made the playoffs three straight years from 1978-80, the first three years of University of Texas product Earl Campbell's career. Those playoff appearances would be fruitless, however, with two of them ending in AFC Championship losses to the Pittsburgh "Steel Curtain" Steelers. The Oilers would fall into oblivion again until 1987 when, under quarterback Warren Moon, they became one of the most successful teams in the AFC over the next 7 years, making the playoffs each year. Despite their regular season successes, the team was never able to get over the proverbial hump and never reached the Super Bowl. Included in this run was the infamous 1992 playoff loss at Buffalo in a game known simply as "The Comeback" in which the Oilers blew a 35-3 lead to lose 41-38 in overtime, the biggest comeback/choke job in league history. After a second round playoff loss in 1993, Warren Moon was traded and the team began a new downward spiral eventually ending in the team's acrimonious stadium dispute with the city and finally the move to Tennessee in 1997. It was this move that has made Bud Adams, current Titans/former-Oilers owner, one of the most despised men in Houston. It is also the reason that a lot of Houston fans still root for the Titans, a perplexing attachment that I myself have been guilty of. I've heard it described, accurately so, as having a nasty divorce with a vindictive wife and then somehow rooting for her to find true love and be happy in the future. You should want her life to be miserable, right? Right?!?
So again, back to the topic at hand. As I mentioned, the city of Denver has had the luxury of living in the world of "just short" with most of its teams. Houston is facing the same situation with the Astros and Rockets and is quickly approaching this point with the Texans. With the Rockies and Texans, I have known the numbness of rooting for a team with no chance at contending. With the Broncos and Astros, I've had the thrill and the disappointment of rooting for teams that get ever so close only to fail in the end. As a sports fan, you start to wonder when, even if, you will feel the joy of victory again. Sometimes so much so that you become the absolute worst thing in all of sports fandom: a bandwagon jumper. You pick the hot team and attach yourself just to try to recapture the glory of victory again, but the feeling is hollow and if the team wins, you feel like you've just cheated on your team for a one-night stand.
Once again, where do your teams fall? Would you prefer an all-out loser or a soul-crushing failure in the postseason? Post your comments below.
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Just Short or Not Even Close?
It's a depressing time to be a Denver sports fan. I've covered some of the local teams' failings ad nauseam in this blog (well, maybe not that much but close) and watching yet another late-season swoon by the Nuggets has lead me to a question that I've debated many times in my sports life: is it better to have the teams you root for be perpetually awful/mediocre non-contenders, or to have them get close and always come up short?
Here's how this applies to the Denver sports scene. The last championship in the city of Denver was won by the Avalanche in 2001, shortly before hockey became irrelevant in the United States. Before that, we were blessed to get back-to-back Super Bowl victories from the Broncos in 1998-99, so I know it may not have been long enough since our last major title to really start the complaining process, but we're going on 8 years here! Since the Avs' last title, the team has gone from very good (immediately after the title) to good to mediocre to the point where they likely won't even make the playoffs this season, for the second time in the last three years, a far cry from the nine consecutive division titles the Avs won immediately after moving to Denver from Quebec in 1995.
The other local teams have been equally as frustrating. First, the aforementioned Broncos have had one realistically good season since the Super Bowls (and coinciding retirement of John Elway), a 13-3 season in 2005 that ended with an embarrassing 34-17 home conference championship loss at the hands of the sixth-seeded (and eventual champion) Steelers. Also in that span the Broncos gave us the Brian Griese era, consecutive blowout playoff losses to the Colts (2003-04, along with the much-"enjoyed" (read: endured) Jake Plummer era), the soon-to-be-infamous blown three-game division lead with three to play (capped by a wonderful 52-21 loss to the rival Chargers in the final game to seal the collapse), and now the Josh McDaniels era that is off to an inauspicious start as he seeks to alienate his young franchise quarterback in his first month on the job. Certainly not a fun time to be a Donkeys fan.
Second, the Rockies have come the closest to breaking the title drought with their improbable run to the 2007 World Series, but a four-game sweep at the hands of the heavily-favored Boston Red Sox put an end to that dream season. The Rocks made a significant splash in the Denver area as they won the first NL Wild Card ever in 1995, the franchise's third year in existence. After that, mediocre would be a generous way to put things as they wallowed in the cellar of the NL West for the next 11 years, rarely even threatening the .500 mark before the breakout 2007 season. Even in '07, concerns lingered that it was a "lightning in a bottle" situation where a so-so team got hot at the right time with the exact right set of circumstances to make a playoff run. Of course Rockies fans will never forget the young team reeling off 14 wins in 15 games to force a 1-game playoff with division-rival San Diego, and then the 13-inning epic that game became and finally the 7-straight wins to sweep their way to the NL Pennant. Unfortunately, 2008 brought the feared back-slide, and the Rox have already begun disassembling (read: selling off) their most successful roster ever with the trade of their best player, outfielder Matt Holliday. While I still hold out hope as all baseball fans do in March, I fear this year's Rockies will be little better than last year's.
Finally, there's the Nuggets. For a team that has historically been one of the NBA's most exciting to watch, never have they been a legitimate title contender and particularly not in the last 8 years. The team only gained any sense of competitiveness in 2003 because of sheer luck, winning third in the lottery behind a Detroit team that had inexplicably fallen in love with a foreign big man named Darko. Because of that love affair, the second-best prospect in the draft (behind a certain forward currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers), Carmelo Anthony, fell into the Nuggets' laps and the franchise was relevant for the first time in a decade. 'Melo made an immediate impact, leading a rag-tag Nuggets team to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. Suddenly Denver began to believe they had a shot, and began making free agent acquisitions to improve their contending status, such as signing Andre Miller, Kenyon Martin and eventually moving Miller for Allen Iverson. Unfortunately, these moves (which were both lauded and derided at the time they were made) all had the same inevitable result: first round playoff losses. In Anthony's first four season in the NBA, the Nuggets lost first round playoff series's all by the result 4 games to 1. Finally, they broke the streak last year, getting swept by the Lakers.
So now I sit here watching my new hometown team, the Houston Rockets, face my true hometown team, the Nugs, and as the Nuggets trail by 12 at home in the fourth quarter, I wonder if this year will be any different. Yes, all signs point to the Nuggets making the playoffs again and if they can get hot, they might even have homecourt advantage for the first round for the first time in the Melo era. Heck, they might even win TWO games with Chauncey Billups, their first real point guard in this era, manning the 1. But will they win a series? Maybe. Two? Probably not. A title? Flatly, no.
And now finally I return to my first question with you having a full understanding of where I'm coming from: is it better for your favorite teams to be downright awful or to be good but not good enough? For Denver fans, we are smack in an era of not quite good enough for all of our teams. None are so bad that they will flat-out rebuild and try to become better in a few years, but also none seem to be close enough to winning it all to be a team to rally behind. I thought the Rockies, with considerable youth, had the talent to start a string of successful seasons. Instead, they're a team whose window may have opened and closed in an 18-month span as ownership's purse strings are too tight to make the needed moves. For the Nuggets, my hopes have been raised and dashed so many times I'm becoming numb to them. The Broncos are closer to rebuilding than winning it all. And the Avs? Well, they basically died to me at the 2004-05 lockout and don't appear to have the talent or direction from ownership/management to become relevant again any time soon.
Alright, now that I'm thoroughly depressed, let me know what you think. Which situation are your teams in, and which would you prefer?
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Here's how this applies to the Denver sports scene. The last championship in the city of Denver was won by the Avalanche in 2001, shortly before hockey became irrelevant in the United States. Before that, we were blessed to get back-to-back Super Bowl victories from the Broncos in 1998-99, so I know it may not have been long enough since our last major title to really start the complaining process, but we're going on 8 years here! Since the Avs' last title, the team has gone from very good (immediately after the title) to good to mediocre to the point where they likely won't even make the playoffs this season, for the second time in the last three years, a far cry from the nine consecutive division titles the Avs won immediately after moving to Denver from Quebec in 1995.
The other local teams have been equally as frustrating. First, the aforementioned Broncos have had one realistically good season since the Super Bowls (and coinciding retirement of John Elway), a 13-3 season in 2005 that ended with an embarrassing 34-17 home conference championship loss at the hands of the sixth-seeded (and eventual champion) Steelers. Also in that span the Broncos gave us the Brian Griese era, consecutive blowout playoff losses to the Colts (2003-04, along with the much-"enjoyed" (read: endured) Jake Plummer era), the soon-to-be-infamous blown three-game division lead with three to play (capped by a wonderful 52-21 loss to the rival Chargers in the final game to seal the collapse), and now the Josh McDaniels era that is off to an inauspicious start as he seeks to alienate his young franchise quarterback in his first month on the job. Certainly not a fun time to be a Donkeys fan.
Second, the Rockies have come the closest to breaking the title drought with their improbable run to the 2007 World Series, but a four-game sweep at the hands of the heavily-favored Boston Red Sox put an end to that dream season. The Rocks made a significant splash in the Denver area as they won the first NL Wild Card ever in 1995, the franchise's third year in existence. After that, mediocre would be a generous way to put things as they wallowed in the cellar of the NL West for the next 11 years, rarely even threatening the .500 mark before the breakout 2007 season. Even in '07, concerns lingered that it was a "lightning in a bottle" situation where a so-so team got hot at the right time with the exact right set of circumstances to make a playoff run. Of course Rockies fans will never forget the young team reeling off 14 wins in 15 games to force a 1-game playoff with division-rival San Diego, and then the 13-inning epic that game became and finally the 7-straight wins to sweep their way to the NL Pennant. Unfortunately, 2008 brought the feared back-slide, and the Rox have already begun disassembling (read: selling off) their most successful roster ever with the trade of their best player, outfielder Matt Holliday. While I still hold out hope as all baseball fans do in March, I fear this year's Rockies will be little better than last year's.
Finally, there's the Nuggets. For a team that has historically been one of the NBA's most exciting to watch, never have they been a legitimate title contender and particularly not in the last 8 years. The team only gained any sense of competitiveness in 2003 because of sheer luck, winning third in the lottery behind a Detroit team that had inexplicably fallen in love with a foreign big man named Darko. Because of that love affair, the second-best prospect in the draft (behind a certain forward currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers), Carmelo Anthony, fell into the Nuggets' laps and the franchise was relevant for the first time in a decade. 'Melo made an immediate impact, leading a rag-tag Nuggets team to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. Suddenly Denver began to believe they had a shot, and began making free agent acquisitions to improve their contending status, such as signing Andre Miller, Kenyon Martin and eventually moving Miller for Allen Iverson. Unfortunately, these moves (which were both lauded and derided at the time they were made) all had the same inevitable result: first round playoff losses. In Anthony's first four season in the NBA, the Nuggets lost first round playoff series's all by the result 4 games to 1. Finally, they broke the streak last year, getting swept by the Lakers.
So now I sit here watching my new hometown team, the Houston Rockets, face my true hometown team, the Nugs, and as the Nuggets trail by 12 at home in the fourth quarter, I wonder if this year will be any different. Yes, all signs point to the Nuggets making the playoffs again and if they can get hot, they might even have homecourt advantage for the first round for the first time in the Melo era. Heck, they might even win TWO games with Chauncey Billups, their first real point guard in this era, manning the 1. But will they win a series? Maybe. Two? Probably not. A title? Flatly, no.
And now finally I return to my first question with you having a full understanding of where I'm coming from: is it better for your favorite teams to be downright awful or to be good but not good enough? For Denver fans, we are smack in an era of not quite good enough for all of our teams. None are so bad that they will flat-out rebuild and try to become better in a few years, but also none seem to be close enough to winning it all to be a team to rally behind. I thought the Rockies, with considerable youth, had the talent to start a string of successful seasons. Instead, they're a team whose window may have opened and closed in an 18-month span as ownership's purse strings are too tight to make the needed moves. For the Nuggets, my hopes have been raised and dashed so many times I'm becoming numb to them. The Broncos are closer to rebuilding than winning it all. And the Avs? Well, they basically died to me at the 2004-05 lockout and don't appear to have the talent or direction from ownership/management to become relevant again any time soon.
Alright, now that I'm thoroughly depressed, let me know what you think. Which situation are your teams in, and which would you prefer?
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Who'll Feel the Economic Pain First?
Interesting coincidence, as it turns out, not only did A-Rod take steroids, but apparently spring training is about to start pretty soon. Who knew they actually still play baseball anymore? With some big name free agents still on the market in baseball (names such as Manny Ramirez and Ben Sheets top the list now that Ken Griffey, Jr. finally signed) as pitchers and catchers report to Florida and Arizona, the issue of the economy looms large on the upcoming season. In previous years, players like Ramirez would have signed within a couple weeks of the end of the season (it's been almost four months since play ended) and even a guy like Sheets, with all of his injury concerns, would have likely found a home. But times, they are a-changing and owners are tightening their belts around the MLB and all professional sports.
Already, there are signs that teams (outside of the greater New York metropolitan area) are cutting back, or at least minimizing their spending. Here in Houston, Astros owner Drayton McLane, not necessarily known to be extremely tight with money, has all but shut it down this offseason as the Astros have signed only one free agent (Mike Hampton for around the veterans minimum) and have let several players from last year's wild-card runner-up team sit unsigned. Starting third baseman Ty Wigginton is still on the market, and pitcher Randy Wolf, a solid late-season pickup last year, sat on free agency until just 2 weeks ago when he signed with the Dodgers. Houston is not exactly a small market, yet the purse strings are as tight here as anywhere.
Baseball is the first major pro sport in the US that will get a true taste of the bad economy. For the NBA, most teams sold their season tickets around April or May of last year, before the stock market crash, meaning that their only noticeable impact from the recession is a decrease in walk-up ticket sales and the difficulty in getting money in loans for payroll. But for the MLB, last season didn't end until the economy began it's decline, and now we will find out just how much American families and corporations are cutting back their spending on sports entertainment. After years and years of attendance gains, Major League Baseball may see a huge drop-off as fans will be very reluctant to come out to the ballpark for mid-week games early in the season or between two bad teams.
With the NBA trade deadline passing this afternoon, we began to see (and hear) similar economic rumblings from that league. Many struggling small market teams looked to make trades to trim money, but even the big market teams were reluctant to bring on big salaries leading to a relatively quiet day of action. One of the higher-profile trades, the New Orleans Hornets sending former All-Star center Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder (a trade that was later rescinded because Chandler failed a physical), was a clear cost-cutting move by the struggling New Orleans franchise. The trade made very little sense on paper for the Hornets as a team, but as a franchise that is in one of the league's poorest markets, they felt they had to do something, and trading a big contract for a couple of expiring contracts seemed like their best option. Who knows what will happen now that that trade has fallen through. Word out of the NBA's All-Star Weekend last week was that the talk among NBA insiders was about the economy and some of the dramatic effects it could have on the league. The question of whether some franchises, such as New Orleans, New Jersey, and Memphis, would move or even be contracted was the undercurrent of the weekend.
While the MLB free agency period has shown us one view of the struggling economy, we will get an interesting perspective in the coming weeks as the NFL, the country's most successful league, will enter its free agency stage. With a more equitable profit-sharing system and a strict salary cap, the NFL presents a much different landscape from the MLB. Small market teams will not be completely locked out of free agency as they were in baseball, and big market teams, while still having some advantage, shouldn't dominate. Then again, a team like the Dallas Cowboys offers a much stronger opportunity for a free agent looking for outside income (advertising money, for example) than a team like the Buffalo Bills does, and the Cowboys will now be far more willing to give a nice healthy signing bonus than those smaller market teams. I shudder to think what the situation would be like if this year was the uncapped year as opposed to next year. (In case you didn't know, the NFL owners exercised an option to opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, reached several years ago, as of next year and if no new deal is reached, the NFL would have no salary cap in 2010.)
The reason for some of the financial woes for teams isn't even necessarily the lack of income from the teams. While this is the catalyst for problems, the root cause is that many of the super-"rich" franchise owners were really only rich on paper (in other words, companies/stocks/funds they owned had extremely high value). Now that these big companies' values have collapses, so too has the wealth of these owners. For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers owner's money comes from Quicken Loans. How do you think his portfolio is doing these days? That is a team that might be a financial risk if it weren't for LeBron James and the fact that the team is a title contender, assuring strong attendance. Many owners will be forced to cut back their spending -- such as big signing bonuses for NFL free agents -- because of the lack of availability of cash for them.
All in all, we don't know exactly how teams will respond because we don't know exactly how long the economy is going to stay bad, and how bad it will be over the next couple of years. Regardless, I'd call it a fair bet that at least one NBA franchise moves in the next two years for financial reasons (my money's on New Orleans, but Memphis seems promising, too) and the other leagues may see the same thing. Even if the franchises don't move, there's still a strong possibility that we could see some teams sold in the next two years. Which sport do you think will be first or most affected by the nation's financial turmoil?
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Already, there are signs that teams (outside of the greater New York metropolitan area) are cutting back, or at least minimizing their spending. Here in Houston, Astros owner Drayton McLane, not necessarily known to be extremely tight with money, has all but shut it down this offseason as the Astros have signed only one free agent (Mike Hampton for around the veterans minimum) and have let several players from last year's wild-card runner-up team sit unsigned. Starting third baseman Ty Wigginton is still on the market, and pitcher Randy Wolf, a solid late-season pickup last year, sat on free agency until just 2 weeks ago when he signed with the Dodgers. Houston is not exactly a small market, yet the purse strings are as tight here as anywhere.
Baseball is the first major pro sport in the US that will get a true taste of the bad economy. For the NBA, most teams sold their season tickets around April or May of last year, before the stock market crash, meaning that their only noticeable impact from the recession is a decrease in walk-up ticket sales and the difficulty in getting money in loans for payroll. But for the MLB, last season didn't end until the economy began it's decline, and now we will find out just how much American families and corporations are cutting back their spending on sports entertainment. After years and years of attendance gains, Major League Baseball may see a huge drop-off as fans will be very reluctant to come out to the ballpark for mid-week games early in the season or between two bad teams.
With the NBA trade deadline passing this afternoon, we began to see (and hear) similar economic rumblings from that league. Many struggling small market teams looked to make trades to trim money, but even the big market teams were reluctant to bring on big salaries leading to a relatively quiet day of action. One of the higher-profile trades, the New Orleans Hornets sending former All-Star center Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder (a trade that was later rescinded because Chandler failed a physical), was a clear cost-cutting move by the struggling New Orleans franchise. The trade made very little sense on paper for the Hornets as a team, but as a franchise that is in one of the league's poorest markets, they felt they had to do something, and trading a big contract for a couple of expiring contracts seemed like their best option. Who knows what will happen now that that trade has fallen through. Word out of the NBA's All-Star Weekend last week was that the talk among NBA insiders was about the economy and some of the dramatic effects it could have on the league. The question of whether some franchises, such as New Orleans, New Jersey, and Memphis, would move or even be contracted was the undercurrent of the weekend.
While the MLB free agency period has shown us one view of the struggling economy, we will get an interesting perspective in the coming weeks as the NFL, the country's most successful league, will enter its free agency stage. With a more equitable profit-sharing system and a strict salary cap, the NFL presents a much different landscape from the MLB. Small market teams will not be completely locked out of free agency as they were in baseball, and big market teams, while still having some advantage, shouldn't dominate. Then again, a team like the Dallas Cowboys offers a much stronger opportunity for a free agent looking for outside income (advertising money, for example) than a team like the Buffalo Bills does, and the Cowboys will now be far more willing to give a nice healthy signing bonus than those smaller market teams. I shudder to think what the situation would be like if this year was the uncapped year as opposed to next year. (In case you didn't know, the NFL owners exercised an option to opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, reached several years ago, as of next year and if no new deal is reached, the NFL would have no salary cap in 2010.)
The reason for some of the financial woes for teams isn't even necessarily the lack of income from the teams. While this is the catalyst for problems, the root cause is that many of the super-"rich" franchise owners were really only rich on paper (in other words, companies/stocks/funds they owned had extremely high value). Now that these big companies' values have collapses, so too has the wealth of these owners. For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers owner's money comes from Quicken Loans. How do you think his portfolio is doing these days? That is a team that might be a financial risk if it weren't for LeBron James and the fact that the team is a title contender, assuring strong attendance. Many owners will be forced to cut back their spending -- such as big signing bonuses for NFL free agents -- because of the lack of availability of cash for them.
All in all, we don't know exactly how teams will respond because we don't know exactly how long the economy is going to stay bad, and how bad it will be over the next couple of years. Regardless, I'd call it a fair bet that at least one NBA franchise moves in the next two years for financial reasons (my money's on New Orleans, but Memphis seems promising, too) and the other leagues may see the same thing. Even if the franchises don't move, there's still a strong possibility that we could see some teams sold in the next two years. Which sport do you think will be first or most affected by the nation's financial turmoil?
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Few MLB, NBA Observations
Here are a few thoughts on some of the top sports stories right now.
Obviously number 1 has to be the A-Rod steroid story. As a sports fan and a baseball fan, I think this was finally the last straw in the steroid era for me. I'll admit, I had cheered for A-Rod because of the belief that he was going to do clean what Bonds had done tainted. Unfortunately, we now know for sure that A-Rod cheated (he admitted as much) while Bonds continues to deny any wrongdoing (not that anyone believes him). My feeling now is that the entire Steroid Era in baseball should be separated from the rest of baseball history. Jim Rome made an interesting point on his radio show yesterday: with all of the conflicting stories on steroids, the public has only two options: assume no one used, or assume everyone used. Looks like assuming everyone used is a pretty safe bet these days.
So here's what baseball should do (are you listening, Bud Selig?): anyone that played from 1985 on will be considered to have used some form of performance enhancing drug, and it's okay. They were not illegal in the sport at the time. However, all such players will be held to a separate standard when considered for entry into the Hall of Fame, and statistics compiled during this period will be kept as if unrelated to historical baseball numbers. Barry Bonds will be the Steroid Era Home Run King, while Hank Aaron will retain his title as all-time HR King. Bonds will also keep his SE single-season HR record, but so will Roger Maris keep his single-season mark. The baseball Hall of Fame is in a precarious position, and they have shown a propensity to hold suspected steroid use against players (see Mark McGuire). To remedy this, just create a separate wing in the Hall for those that played in the Steroid Era. Maybe a few bad apples will be tarnishing the accomplishments of many great, clean players, but the evidence seems to indicate the contrary.
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Now that football season is officially over, it's time to start shifting gears to basketball. The NBA All-Star break is coming up this weekend, which means the trading deadline is right around the corner as well. Many experts and NBA executives seem to think that this could be one of the most active trade deadlines we've seen in years, although it may not involve many star players. The reason for this is, of course, the economy. Teams that are losing this year and not getting good attendance will be looking to unload expensive players that they literally cannot afford to keep. Meanwhile, other teams will be looking to position themselves for the Summer of 2010 free agent class (remember, includes LeBron, D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash, among others). This means trades will be made with teams eying their salary cap a year and a half from now.
The biggest rumor currently swirling around is that the Phoenix Suns are looking to move Amar'e Stoudamire. This seems like a clear case of cutting off the nose to spite your face. The Suns have been a disappointment this year, and the reason is that their players do not match the playing style wanted by their head coach, Terry Porter. Again, these are the same players that led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals two years ago and consistently put up 50-win seasons under Mike D'antoni. But the Suns management decided to go another direction, bringing in a slow-it-down, defensive-minded coach in to replace Mike D and trying to make the players play the coaches style. This has not worked at all, and the players appear to be turning on the coach. So what is GM Steve Kerr going to do? Not get rid of the coach, but instead blow up the nucleus that's had so much success over the years.
Stoudamire, just 26 years old, is among those that will be in the famed Summer of 2010 class, and thus is going to require a big payday. He will be a coveted prize and thus can fetch a very nice package now because: 1) he's an All-Star caliber player at his best, and 2) he has an expiring contract in 2010, which means he'll create cap room that summer. Is Kerr making the right move shopping him? Well, for one thing, he'd better trade him now, because knowing the guy has been criticized for his work ethic before all this, you can just imagine how hard he'll try playing for a team that openly discussed moving him. I think the Suns would be better off trying to move Shaq, but almost no one would even consider taking on his huge contract for another year after this one, even if it does mean cap relief in 2010. But if the Suns do trade Amar'e, then they'd better be prepared to let Nash go in 2010 as well and be ready to start from scratch.
###
One last NBA note. The Houston Rockets are self-destructing right before our eyes. This team, one that many think has the talent to be among the 5-6 championship contenders this year, has been in a tailspin the last month or so. They have not yet been the unit that was expected when Ron Artest was acquired in the offseason, and this is largely because their stars (Artest, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady) have not been healthy at the same time all year. Now, they claim, they are healthy and ready to make a strong stretch run. So how do they start it? By getting blown out by a terrible Milwaukee team last night that was missing three of its top players. The Rockets already have 6 losses this season to last place teams, and while their 31-21 record is not bad at all, it may be time to wonder just how far this team can go if they keep playing this poorly. They're not that far removed from the #9 spot in the West, meaning they'll probably need to be better than .500 over their last 30 games to make the playoffs.
What troubles me most is that it sounds like the locker room is beginning to splinter. After the Rockets loss a few days ago, Artest evidently called out T-Mac for not playing hard on defense. McGrady then went to the media and said that the team "talks too much." If this isn't the start of a meltdown, I don't know what is. On top of that, the fact is, McGrady (whether he's truly hurt or that's just an excuse) is a shell of his former self. He's only 30, but he's been in the league since he was a teenager and he plays like he's closer to 40. He's got no lift on his jumper (which was never great to begin with, and is now downright bad) and he can't get to the rim like he used to. He's a mediocre (at best) player right now. I suspect the Rockets would actually consider trading him if it weren't for the fact that he is due $20+ million next year, making him unpalatable for any team that might think he still has something in the tank. Looks like the Rockets are stuck with him for the rest of this year, and they have to hope that things get better before the playoffs. Either way, McGrady might be moved next offseason the way the Nuggets rid themselves of Allen Iverson, to a team looking for an expiring contract.
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Obviously number 1 has to be the A-Rod steroid story. As a sports fan and a baseball fan, I think this was finally the last straw in the steroid era for me. I'll admit, I had cheered for A-Rod because of the belief that he was going to do clean what Bonds had done tainted. Unfortunately, we now know for sure that A-Rod cheated (he admitted as much) while Bonds continues to deny any wrongdoing (not that anyone believes him). My feeling now is that the entire Steroid Era in baseball should be separated from the rest of baseball history. Jim Rome made an interesting point on his radio show yesterday: with all of the conflicting stories on steroids, the public has only two options: assume no one used, or assume everyone used. Looks like assuming everyone used is a pretty safe bet these days.
So here's what baseball should do (are you listening, Bud Selig?): anyone that played from 1985 on will be considered to have used some form of performance enhancing drug, and it's okay. They were not illegal in the sport at the time. However, all such players will be held to a separate standard when considered for entry into the Hall of Fame, and statistics compiled during this period will be kept as if unrelated to historical baseball numbers. Barry Bonds will be the Steroid Era Home Run King, while Hank Aaron will retain his title as all-time HR King. Bonds will also keep his SE single-season HR record, but so will Roger Maris keep his single-season mark. The baseball Hall of Fame is in a precarious position, and they have shown a propensity to hold suspected steroid use against players (see Mark McGuire). To remedy this, just create a separate wing in the Hall for those that played in the Steroid Era. Maybe a few bad apples will be tarnishing the accomplishments of many great, clean players, but the evidence seems to indicate the contrary.
###
Now that football season is officially over, it's time to start shifting gears to basketball. The NBA All-Star break is coming up this weekend, which means the trading deadline is right around the corner as well. Many experts and NBA executives seem to think that this could be one of the most active trade deadlines we've seen in years, although it may not involve many star players. The reason for this is, of course, the economy. Teams that are losing this year and not getting good attendance will be looking to unload expensive players that they literally cannot afford to keep. Meanwhile, other teams will be looking to position themselves for the Summer of 2010 free agent class (remember, includes LeBron, D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash, among others). This means trades will be made with teams eying their salary cap a year and a half from now.
The biggest rumor currently swirling around is that the Phoenix Suns are looking to move Amar'e Stoudamire. This seems like a clear case of cutting off the nose to spite your face. The Suns have been a disappointment this year, and the reason is that their players do not match the playing style wanted by their head coach, Terry Porter. Again, these are the same players that led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals two years ago and consistently put up 50-win seasons under Mike D'antoni. But the Suns management decided to go another direction, bringing in a slow-it-down, defensive-minded coach in to replace Mike D and trying to make the players play the coaches style. This has not worked at all, and the players appear to be turning on the coach. So what is GM Steve Kerr going to do? Not get rid of the coach, but instead blow up the nucleus that's had so much success over the years.
Stoudamire, just 26 years old, is among those that will be in the famed Summer of 2010 class, and thus is going to require a big payday. He will be a coveted prize and thus can fetch a very nice package now because: 1) he's an All-Star caliber player at his best, and 2) he has an expiring contract in 2010, which means he'll create cap room that summer. Is Kerr making the right move shopping him? Well, for one thing, he'd better trade him now, because knowing the guy has been criticized for his work ethic before all this, you can just imagine how hard he'll try playing for a team that openly discussed moving him. I think the Suns would be better off trying to move Shaq, but almost no one would even consider taking on his huge contract for another year after this one, even if it does mean cap relief in 2010. But if the Suns do trade Amar'e, then they'd better be prepared to let Nash go in 2010 as well and be ready to start from scratch.
###
One last NBA note. The Houston Rockets are self-destructing right before our eyes. This team, one that many think has the talent to be among the 5-6 championship contenders this year, has been in a tailspin the last month or so. They have not yet been the unit that was expected when Ron Artest was acquired in the offseason, and this is largely because their stars (Artest, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady) have not been healthy at the same time all year. Now, they claim, they are healthy and ready to make a strong stretch run. So how do they start it? By getting blown out by a terrible Milwaukee team last night that was missing three of its top players. The Rockets already have 6 losses this season to last place teams, and while their 31-21 record is not bad at all, it may be time to wonder just how far this team can go if they keep playing this poorly. They're not that far removed from the #9 spot in the West, meaning they'll probably need to be better than .500 over their last 30 games to make the playoffs.
What troubles me most is that it sounds like the locker room is beginning to splinter. After the Rockets loss a few days ago, Artest evidently called out T-Mac for not playing hard on defense. McGrady then went to the media and said that the team "talks too much." If this isn't the start of a meltdown, I don't know what is. On top of that, the fact is, McGrady (whether he's truly hurt or that's just an excuse) is a shell of his former self. He's only 30, but he's been in the league since he was a teenager and he plays like he's closer to 40. He's got no lift on his jumper (which was never great to begin with, and is now downright bad) and he can't get to the rim like he used to. He's a mediocre (at best) player right now. I suspect the Rockets would actually consider trading him if it weren't for the fact that he is due $20+ million next year, making him unpalatable for any team that might think he still has something in the tank. Looks like the Rockets are stuck with him for the rest of this year, and they have to hope that things get better before the playoffs. Either way, McGrady might be moved next offseason the way the Nuggets rid themselves of Allen Iverson, to a team looking for an expiring contract.
To get updates and notices each time there's a post, subscribe above. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
State of the Denver Nuggets
As I've mentioned numerous times before in this blog, I still consider Denver to be my hometown even though I currently reside in Houston. Therefore my "home" teams are still the Denver sports franchises (Rockies, Broncos, Nuggets, Avs). So when news breaks (no pun intended) that a Nuggets player has a broken hand and will miss 3-4 weeks, this stands out to me. When that player happens to be their best player, Carmelo Anthony, this is a big deal.
The Nuggets (24-12, #2 in the Western Conference) have been a completely different team this season since the acquisition of Chauncey Billups for "me-first" star Allen Iverson. Don't get me wrong, Allen Iverson is likely a Hall of Famer and in his prime he was a franchise-defining player that could carry a team single-handed. But now, Iverson still has the score-first mindset but without the remaining gas in the tank to be a game-changing player. The Nuggets knew this, and I have to believe the Pistons knew this, too, when they agreed to the trade. The decision for the trade from the Detroit perspective seems pretty clear: they knew their window was almost closed, with The Big Three in Boston and LeBron dominating in Cleveland, in the Eastern Conference Detroit, with its roster at the start of the year, was a second-round playoff team at best.
The choice to move Billups makes perfect sense in the salary cap era. Billups was an aging (while still very effective) guard with 3 years left on his contract, while Iverson was the same aging (yet much less effective) guard with 1 year left on his huge contract. In other words, the Pistons had to decide whether to be above average this year before potentially losing Rasheed Wallace in free agency, or be average this year with the chance to clear Wallace and Iverson off the cap next year and buy some new, younger talent. They chose the latter. We'll never know if they could have made a push this year, one more (last?) time, but we will know in a year or two if the path they chose was correct.
As for the Nuggets, Billups is the perfect player for them right now. It's been an interesting road that has led to this point for Denver. The first incarnation of the Nuggets with Anthony was their most effective run-and-gun style, with Andre Miller manning the point and Marcus Camby, a great defender with enough "hops" to be an effective alley-oop target, playing center. The addition of Kenyon Martin was questionable at this point, as his defense was good but his offense didn't seem particularly suited to the up-and-down the court style. When Melo was suspended for 15 games for an ill-advised cheap shot on a player in a fight against the Knicks, the Nuggets decided that they needed more scoring to replace him, and that a second scorer would give the team more offensive versatility in the long run. This led to the trade of Miller for Iverson.
At first, Iverson's time in Denver was a big success, but as had been the case throughout Anthony's young career, the team simply wasn't good enough defensively or consistent enough offensively to compete in the slow-it-down, every possession counts postseason. Again, Denver was one-and-done in the playoffs. So the Nuggets finally decided that a new direction was needed. When Denver traded Camby for effectively nothing this offseason (officially the rights to swap second-round picks with the Clips in 2010... aka NOTHING), it looked like a clear cost-cutting move as Camby was a highly-paid player at a position where they already had another highly-paid, yet younger, player in Nene. What accidentally happened was the Nuggets put themselves in a position to completely shift gears as a team.
While losing Camby significantly hurt the team's defense and rebounding, the Nuggets have been finding over the last two years or so that both Nene and K-Mart are becoming competent defenders and managing to stay healthy, a huge issue with both. Both are also showing to be plenty competent offensive players in a half-court set, meaning that the missing ingredient was no longer a scorer, but instead a point guard that could actually make plays for his teammates. Allen Iverson, this was not. So when the Pistons decided it was time to make a change (rumors are this trade was discussed in the offseason, although it wasn't consummated until a couple games into the regular season), the Nuggets jumped at it and George Karl, a solid coach that has always liked solid point guards that could defend, got the player he'd been seeking since coming to Denver.
So if Chauncey is so important to the Nuggets' success, why am I so worried about the injury to Carmelo? Simply put, Carmelo is still the heart of this team. One thing I have definitely seen over the first 2 months of the season is that every member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team, particularly the starters, from Melo to D-Wade to LeBron to Chris Paul to Dwight Howard, has shown a dramatic increase in both confidence and leadership ability. Each of these guys bought fully into the team concept and it was refreshing to see the way they functioned in Beijing. Now, this has spilled over into the NBA season as these players are all leading top teams in the NBA.
What's my point in all of this? Maybe I'm just trying to justify this being more than just another Nuggets team that wins in the regular season only. Or maybe there's more here than that. Maybe, just maybe, the Nuggets have finally found the combination that they've been needing all these years. The next few weeks will be very telling, because the Nuggets have to at least maintain a .500 record while Melo is out to avoid losing serious ground in the brutal Western Conference. But if ever there was a Nuggets team that could survive time without Melo, this just might be it.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
The Nuggets (24-12, #2 in the Western Conference) have been a completely different team this season since the acquisition of Chauncey Billups for "me-first" star Allen Iverson. Don't get me wrong, Allen Iverson is likely a Hall of Famer and in his prime he was a franchise-defining player that could carry a team single-handed. But now, Iverson still has the score-first mindset but without the remaining gas in the tank to be a game-changing player. The Nuggets knew this, and I have to believe the Pistons knew this, too, when they agreed to the trade. The decision for the trade from the Detroit perspective seems pretty clear: they knew their window was almost closed, with The Big Three in Boston and LeBron dominating in Cleveland, in the Eastern Conference Detroit, with its roster at the start of the year, was a second-round playoff team at best.
The choice to move Billups makes perfect sense in the salary cap era. Billups was an aging (while still very effective) guard with 3 years left on his contract, while Iverson was the same aging (yet much less effective) guard with 1 year left on his huge contract. In other words, the Pistons had to decide whether to be above average this year before potentially losing Rasheed Wallace in free agency, or be average this year with the chance to clear Wallace and Iverson off the cap next year and buy some new, younger talent. They chose the latter. We'll never know if they could have made a push this year, one more (last?) time, but we will know in a year or two if the path they chose was correct.
As for the Nuggets, Billups is the perfect player for them right now. It's been an interesting road that has led to this point for Denver. The first incarnation of the Nuggets with Anthony was their most effective run-and-gun style, with Andre Miller manning the point and Marcus Camby, a great defender with enough "hops" to be an effective alley-oop target, playing center. The addition of Kenyon Martin was questionable at this point, as his defense was good but his offense didn't seem particularly suited to the up-and-down the court style. When Melo was suspended for 15 games for an ill-advised cheap shot on a player in a fight against the Knicks, the Nuggets decided that they needed more scoring to replace him, and that a second scorer would give the team more offensive versatility in the long run. This led to the trade of Miller for Iverson.
At first, Iverson's time in Denver was a big success, but as had been the case throughout Anthony's young career, the team simply wasn't good enough defensively or consistent enough offensively to compete in the slow-it-down, every possession counts postseason. Again, Denver was one-and-done in the playoffs. So the Nuggets finally decided that a new direction was needed. When Denver traded Camby for effectively nothing this offseason (officially the rights to swap second-round picks with the Clips in 2010... aka NOTHING), it looked like a clear cost-cutting move as Camby was a highly-paid player at a position where they already had another highly-paid, yet younger, player in Nene. What accidentally happened was the Nuggets put themselves in a position to completely shift gears as a team.
While losing Camby significantly hurt the team's defense and rebounding, the Nuggets have been finding over the last two years or so that both Nene and K-Mart are becoming competent defenders and managing to stay healthy, a huge issue with both. Both are also showing to be plenty competent offensive players in a half-court set, meaning that the missing ingredient was no longer a scorer, but instead a point guard that could actually make plays for his teammates. Allen Iverson, this was not. So when the Pistons decided it was time to make a change (rumors are this trade was discussed in the offseason, although it wasn't consummated until a couple games into the regular season), the Nuggets jumped at it and George Karl, a solid coach that has always liked solid point guards that could defend, got the player he'd been seeking since coming to Denver.
So if Chauncey is so important to the Nuggets' success, why am I so worried about the injury to Carmelo? Simply put, Carmelo is still the heart of this team. One thing I have definitely seen over the first 2 months of the season is that every member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team, particularly the starters, from Melo to D-Wade to LeBron to Chris Paul to Dwight Howard, has shown a dramatic increase in both confidence and leadership ability. Each of these guys bought fully into the team concept and it was refreshing to see the way they functioned in Beijing. Now, this has spilled over into the NBA season as these players are all leading top teams in the NBA.
What's my point in all of this? Maybe I'm just trying to justify this being more than just another Nuggets team that wins in the regular season only. Or maybe there's more here than that. Maybe, just maybe, the Nuggets have finally found the combination that they've been needing all these years. The next few weeks will be very telling, because the Nuggets have to at least maintain a .500 record while Melo is out to avoid losing serious ground in the brutal Western Conference. But if ever there was a Nuggets team that could survive time without Melo, this just might be it.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
So What Else is New?
Yesterday I covered the big stories (on the field, at least) in the NFL thus far this year. Today, let's take a look at what we know so far in the NBA season.
1. There are three teams that can win the title. The Lakers, Caveliers and Celtics are the clear-cut favorites for the NBA title this season, and there's really no argument to be made for anyone else. In the NBA this year, as is often the case, there are a finite number of teams with the star power and depth that it takes to win the title, which is why we see so many teams stay at the top for extended periods while the rest of the league toils away in the "everyone else" column. Last year, the Celts and Lakers (after the Pau Gasol trade) were the clear favorites, while the Pistons, Cavs, Spurs and Hornets, and to a lesser extent Jazz, were the "if we can get all the right breaks and play our very best in the playoffs, we might have a shot" teams. In other words, they were the contenders, and everyone else was just along for the ride. This year, the Cavs made the jump to that top echelon, while it looks like the Nuggets and Rockets have moved up to the contender level, and the Pistons officially declared they're looking to tear down that roster.
2. The Knicks should change their name to the "New York Summer of 2010s." Mike D'antoni was given a huge contract to lead the Knicks back to relevance, but this turnaround will not happen overnight, and they know it. While the Knicks have been surprisingly competitive this year, their recent roster moves (trading Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford, two of their only long-term contract players) clearly signal that the building process has begun, and it's all supposed to come together in the fabled "summer of 2010." In case you haven't been following the league lately, that summer marks the free agency of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash (you know the star Canadian guard would love to get back together with the Suns old coach), among many others. Currently the Knicks have 0 contracts on their payroll that don't expire within the next two years. Heck, they may even have enough cap flexibility to sign 3 superstars, with room left over for the customary flock of veterans willing to take a discount to play for a title (see Celtics, Boston, 2007-08).
3. Trades have started early this year. Headlined by the Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson trade, which has turned out to be very one-sided in favor of the Nuggets save the fact that Iverson is a much-coveted expiring contract, this year has already seen a handful of meaningful trades. Now that December 15th has passed, players that signed with new teams this offseason have also become available for trade. So the next few weeks and months leading up to the trade deadline should be quite fascinating, although as outlined above, every trade will be performed with an eye on 2010. The question is, as the Western conference appears tighter and tighter at the top, which team is going to make that desperate move to try to move from an also-ran to a contender? And will it have the same damaging effects as the Shaq and Jason Kidd trades did last year, effectively closing the Suns and Mavs windows for a title.
4. The Thunder may be historically bad. For those of you rooting for the Detroit Lions to "run the table backwards," I present to you the 2008-09 Oklahoma City Thunder! They are, after all, on pace to set the NBA record for losses in a season. Are they really that bad? No... probably not. Could they pull it off anyway? Absolutely.
5. Coaches are dropping like flies. Six head coaches have already bitten the dust and I have no doubt more will inevitably follow. And we haven't even reached the new year yet. Just crazy. But this begs the question, back to my first point, if it's so clear who is in contention, is there really any reason to get rid of the coach when the team's ceiling is a first-round playoff loss?
Next up, and quick glance at the MLB Hot Stove League and how the tanking economy has played a big role.
Chris
1. There are three teams that can win the title. The Lakers, Caveliers and Celtics are the clear-cut favorites for the NBA title this season, and there's really no argument to be made for anyone else. In the NBA this year, as is often the case, there are a finite number of teams with the star power and depth that it takes to win the title, which is why we see so many teams stay at the top for extended periods while the rest of the league toils away in the "everyone else" column. Last year, the Celts and Lakers (after the Pau Gasol trade) were the clear favorites, while the Pistons, Cavs, Spurs and Hornets, and to a lesser extent Jazz, were the "if we can get all the right breaks and play our very best in the playoffs, we might have a shot" teams. In other words, they were the contenders, and everyone else was just along for the ride. This year, the Cavs made the jump to that top echelon, while it looks like the Nuggets and Rockets have moved up to the contender level, and the Pistons officially declared they're looking to tear down that roster.
2. The Knicks should change their name to the "New York Summer of 2010s." Mike D'antoni was given a huge contract to lead the Knicks back to relevance, but this turnaround will not happen overnight, and they know it. While the Knicks have been surprisingly competitive this year, their recent roster moves (trading Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford, two of their only long-term contract players) clearly signal that the building process has begun, and it's all supposed to come together in the fabled "summer of 2010." In case you haven't been following the league lately, that summer marks the free agency of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash (you know the star Canadian guard would love to get back together with the Suns old coach), among many others. Currently the Knicks have 0 contracts on their payroll that don't expire within the next two years. Heck, they may even have enough cap flexibility to sign 3 superstars, with room left over for the customary flock of veterans willing to take a discount to play for a title (see Celtics, Boston, 2007-08).
3. Trades have started early this year. Headlined by the Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson trade, which has turned out to be very one-sided in favor of the Nuggets save the fact that Iverson is a much-coveted expiring contract, this year has already seen a handful of meaningful trades. Now that December 15th has passed, players that signed with new teams this offseason have also become available for trade. So the next few weeks and months leading up to the trade deadline should be quite fascinating, although as outlined above, every trade will be performed with an eye on 2010. The question is, as the Western conference appears tighter and tighter at the top, which team is going to make that desperate move to try to move from an also-ran to a contender? And will it have the same damaging effects as the Shaq and Jason Kidd trades did last year, effectively closing the Suns and Mavs windows for a title.
4. The Thunder may be historically bad. For those of you rooting for the Detroit Lions to "run the table backwards," I present to you the 2008-09 Oklahoma City Thunder! They are, after all, on pace to set the NBA record for losses in a season. Are they really that bad? No... probably not. Could they pull it off anyway? Absolutely.
5. Coaches are dropping like flies. Six head coaches have already bitten the dust and I have no doubt more will inevitably follow. And we haven't even reached the new year yet. Just crazy. But this begs the question, back to my first point, if it's so clear who is in contention, is there really any reason to get rid of the coach when the team's ceiling is a first-round playoff loss?
Next up, and quick glance at the MLB Hot Stove League and how the tanking economy has played a big role.
Chris
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Is soccer gaining ground in America?
The conclusion of the Euro 2008 soccer tournament was televised on national TV in the U.S. this weekend, broadcasting on ABC at 2:30 eastern time. With the world's largest sports network, ESPN, beginning to not only broadcast Major League Soccer (U.S.) games but many European league games and international matches, it is looking more and more like the world's most popular sport is gaining a foothold here in the United States.
Certainly your average sports fan is paying more attention than ever to the sport, but this doesn't necessarily mean much. Soccer has long been an afterthought for Americans due to its generally slow pace and low-scoring games, not to mention the dreaded ties. All of these aspects are things that American sports have been fighting to avoid for years, from the strict defensive rules imposed in the early '90s by the NBA to allow for more free-flowing, 1-on-1 basketball leading to more scoring, to the NFL's continuing rules changes this decade making it more difficult for defensive backs to hang with speedy receivers, to the NHL's numerous rules changes following the devastating lockout, all aimed at increasing scoring. These rules changes really started, one could argue, in the late 1960s in Major League Baseball when the pitchers' mound was lowered and the strike zone shrunk following a season with record-low scoring totals and the remarkable seasons of starting pitchers Denny McClain of the Tigers (31 wins) and Bob Gibson of the Cardinals (1.12 ERA).
Scoring didn't truly reach the point of mass appeal until the 1990's and the Michael Jordan era in the NBA. In order to further promote the league, Commissioner David Stern decided to take the approach of promoting the game's stars to draw more attention to the sport. While the Larry Birds and Magic Johnsons of the previous decade had drawn significant attention to the sport, it was Jordan that drew in even the most casual of sports fans, the same way Tiger Woods draw even casual sports fans to golf, a game with a history of not connecting particularly well with the average Joe. Jordan brought both national and global attention to the league because of his high-scoring ability and flair for the dramatic, and the other leagues began to take notice.
Further evidence of the U.S.'s desire for scoring and offense came in 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa engaged in a home run duel that lasted throughout the summer with both chasing, and each surpassing, the MLB home run record previously held by Roger Maris. This summer saw what many call the rebirth of the sport that was still reeling from a player strike and the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. This event is also what many believe is the beginning of the Steriod Era in baseball, but the fans flocked to the sport, happy to ignore the signs of cheating to watch the offensive juggernauts at work.
Why am I going through all of this? It allows me to present a simple question: Will soccer ever gain a significant foothold in this country, moreso than just the niche sport that it currently is, without some change that provides for more offense? For years I've thought this sport would gain significant appeal and would increase scoring if it simply removed the offsides rule (or perhaps changed it so that players can only be offsides if they are beyond the goal box). Despite the fact that the 1-0 Spain victory on Sunday was an entertaining game, there is something to be said for the idea that a 1 goal lead is not sufficient for a team to just sit on and expect a victory, or at worst a tie. Yes there will be games where a team may overcome a 2 goal lead, but those instances are so rare, it is difficult for a fan to want to continue watching a game if either team takes a 2 or more goal lead.
So what do you think? Does soccer need to consider rules changes to gain more popularity in one of the world's largest economic markets, or should the game remain as it is and be content to be an afterthought in the U.S. while being number 1 nearly everywhere else?
Certainly your average sports fan is paying more attention than ever to the sport, but this doesn't necessarily mean much. Soccer has long been an afterthought for Americans due to its generally slow pace and low-scoring games, not to mention the dreaded ties. All of these aspects are things that American sports have been fighting to avoid for years, from the strict defensive rules imposed in the early '90s by the NBA to allow for more free-flowing, 1-on-1 basketball leading to more scoring, to the NFL's continuing rules changes this decade making it more difficult for defensive backs to hang with speedy receivers, to the NHL's numerous rules changes following the devastating lockout, all aimed at increasing scoring. These rules changes really started, one could argue, in the late 1960s in Major League Baseball when the pitchers' mound was lowered and the strike zone shrunk following a season with record-low scoring totals and the remarkable seasons of starting pitchers Denny McClain of the Tigers (31 wins) and Bob Gibson of the Cardinals (1.12 ERA).
Scoring didn't truly reach the point of mass appeal until the 1990's and the Michael Jordan era in the NBA. In order to further promote the league, Commissioner David Stern decided to take the approach of promoting the game's stars to draw more attention to the sport. While the Larry Birds and Magic Johnsons of the previous decade had drawn significant attention to the sport, it was Jordan that drew in even the most casual of sports fans, the same way Tiger Woods draw even casual sports fans to golf, a game with a history of not connecting particularly well with the average Joe. Jordan brought both national and global attention to the league because of his high-scoring ability and flair for the dramatic, and the other leagues began to take notice.
Further evidence of the U.S.'s desire for scoring and offense came in 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa engaged in a home run duel that lasted throughout the summer with both chasing, and each surpassing, the MLB home run record previously held by Roger Maris. This summer saw what many call the rebirth of the sport that was still reeling from a player strike and the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. This event is also what many believe is the beginning of the Steriod Era in baseball, but the fans flocked to the sport, happy to ignore the signs of cheating to watch the offensive juggernauts at work.
Why am I going through all of this? It allows me to present a simple question: Will soccer ever gain a significant foothold in this country, moreso than just the niche sport that it currently is, without some change that provides for more offense? For years I've thought this sport would gain significant appeal and would increase scoring if it simply removed the offsides rule (or perhaps changed it so that players can only be offsides if they are beyond the goal box). Despite the fact that the 1-0 Spain victory on Sunday was an entertaining game, there is something to be said for the idea that a 1 goal lead is not sufficient for a team to just sit on and expect a victory, or at worst a tie. Yes there will be games where a team may overcome a 2 goal lead, but those instances are so rare, it is difficult for a fan to want to continue watching a game if either team takes a 2 or more goal lead.
So what do you think? Does soccer need to consider rules changes to gain more popularity in one of the world's largest economic markets, or should the game remain as it is and be content to be an afterthought in the U.S. while being number 1 nearly everywhere else?
Friday, June 27, 2008
Top 5 Best-Run Organizations in Sports
While it's fun and amusing to look on and laugh at the poor teams stuck in the dregs of sports hell as we did with the last list, there are much different emotions for a list such as this. Often, it's feelings of bitterness, resentment and envy that comes to the following organizations as sports fans look on and wish it was their favorite team that was always on top and holding that bright future. In the era of salary caps, free agency and parity (or mediocrity some would argue), the franchises that are consistently on top are often the subject of hatred, but their fans don't care because they're too busy revelling in their successes. Again, as with the last list, teams must show a commitment to winning both on and off the field.
Honorable Mention - Detroit Red Wings, NHL - Since we didn't include any NHL franchises in the previous discussion, it seemed only fair to not include any in this discussion as well. Thus, the Red Wings, one of the most successful sports franchises in any sport, are excluded from this list. Nonetheless, they still deserve mentioning here as they are a model of consistency when it comes to hiring quality coaches and front office members, signing quality free agents, drafting well and most importantly winning games.
5. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - A tough call between the Angels and fellow LA team the Lakers, but the Angels win out because of their ability to make the playoffs consistently in the most competitive sport (in that only 8 total teams make the postseason each year). The Lakers were a one-man team until they stole Pau Gasol from Memphis, and it's hard to give their front office credit for that thievery. The Angels, on the other hand, have been a mainstay in the MLB postseason in recent years, and despite the fact they've only appeared in 1 World Series (which they won in 2002), the appearances are far more meaningful than those of an NBA team. The Angels have a strong coaching staff under Mike Scioscia and a very successful front office that has consistently found young talent making the Angels are one of the strongest organizations in baseball.
4. Indianapolis Colts - Some would argue that the Colts are themselves a one-man team, and that Peyton Manning is good enough to elevate the entire franchise. This simply isn't the case, and football people in the know agree that the Colts are well run from the top down. For a team that has significant turnover on its defense due to salary cap restrictions thanks to its offense, the Colts are consistently among the best defensive teams in the league. Virtually all of the Colts' stars are homegrown players that they drafted, running down the list from Manning to Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Joseph Addai... And the list goes on. Add to this a very good coaching staff with one of the NFL's most successful regular season coaches of all time (Tony Dungy), and you have a very strong organization.
3. San Antonio Spurs - Surprisingly, the Spurs are the only team that I really deemed worthy of this list from the NBA. It's hard to value a playoff appearance for an NBA team given the fact that literally over half the league makes the postseason each year (16 out of 30), so an NBA team must be particularly impressive in the postseason to make this cut. The Spurs, having now won 4 of the last 10 NBA titles in an era of parity, have also progressed to at least the second round each year of that time-frame. While the Spurs are considered among the luckiest franchises for landing Tim Duncan in the draft lottery, many, many examples show that one player cannot carry a team to a title in the NBA. That's where the Spurs deserve the most credit: they have brought in strong supporting players year in and year out and have developed some very strong players out of players drafted late in the first round or discarded from other teams. Again, the coaching staff is one of the league's best anchored by head coach Gregg Popovich who has been among the most successful head coaches in NBA history, and has done so in an era and a conference that is among the toughest ever.
2. New England Patriots - Say what you must about Spygate (I'll be the first guy to agree with you that no matter what they say, the Pats did it because they knew it would help them), the Patriots have been successful over the past 7 years because of the strength of their coaching, scouting and player development. One of the signs of a truly strong franchise is the ability to bring in big-name veteran free agents for below market value because they just want a chance at a title, and that's what the Pats have done year after year. Players like Rodney Harrison, Randy Moss, and Corey Dillon have flocked to the Pats and despite their known character issues, have flourished with the team. Much like the Colts and Spurs above, the Patriots were lucky that they found a player that blossomed into one of the best at his position in Tom Brady, but football is the ultimate team game and now team could find the success the Patriots have if all they had was Brady and a bunch of no-names. The Patriots front office has been extraordinarily successful at bringing in those no-names and sculpting them into players that fit the team and the system, and then using them to win championships. They also have a decent coach, I guess.
1. Boston Red Sox - And we conclude our Boston slurp-fest with the team that appears poised to dominate the MLB for the next 5 years or more. Under Theo Epstein, GM since 2002, the Sox have been the best-run organization in their sport and are quickly developing the deepest farm system in the Majors to go along with the best active roster. While the Sox have the benefit of a huge market and no salary cap, many MLB teams have proven that money can't buy championships (see New York Yankees since 2002 and New York Mets) and that teams shouldn't sacrifice their entire farm system in an attempt to acquire veterans to win now. Boston has a quality manager in Terry Francona, but with the talent on the roster Francona's player-friendly approach is precisely what the team needs to find on the field success. All this makes the Sox the favorite to win this year's World Series, and subsequently our number 1.
Honorable Mention - Detroit Red Wings, NHL - Since we didn't include any NHL franchises in the previous discussion, it seemed only fair to not include any in this discussion as well. Thus, the Red Wings, one of the most successful sports franchises in any sport, are excluded from this list. Nonetheless, they still deserve mentioning here as they are a model of consistency when it comes to hiring quality coaches and front office members, signing quality free agents, drafting well and most importantly winning games.
5. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - A tough call between the Angels and fellow LA team the Lakers, but the Angels win out because of their ability to make the playoffs consistently in the most competitive sport (in that only 8 total teams make the postseason each year). The Lakers were a one-man team until they stole Pau Gasol from Memphis, and it's hard to give their front office credit for that thievery. The Angels, on the other hand, have been a mainstay in the MLB postseason in recent years, and despite the fact they've only appeared in 1 World Series (which they won in 2002), the appearances are far more meaningful than those of an NBA team. The Angels have a strong coaching staff under Mike Scioscia and a very successful front office that has consistently found young talent making the Angels are one of the strongest organizations in baseball.
4. Indianapolis Colts - Some would argue that the Colts are themselves a one-man team, and that Peyton Manning is good enough to elevate the entire franchise. This simply isn't the case, and football people in the know agree that the Colts are well run from the top down. For a team that has significant turnover on its defense due to salary cap restrictions thanks to its offense, the Colts are consistently among the best defensive teams in the league. Virtually all of the Colts' stars are homegrown players that they drafted, running down the list from Manning to Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Joseph Addai... And the list goes on. Add to this a very good coaching staff with one of the NFL's most successful regular season coaches of all time (Tony Dungy), and you have a very strong organization.
3. San Antonio Spurs - Surprisingly, the Spurs are the only team that I really deemed worthy of this list from the NBA. It's hard to value a playoff appearance for an NBA team given the fact that literally over half the league makes the postseason each year (16 out of 30), so an NBA team must be particularly impressive in the postseason to make this cut. The Spurs, having now won 4 of the last 10 NBA titles in an era of parity, have also progressed to at least the second round each year of that time-frame. While the Spurs are considered among the luckiest franchises for landing Tim Duncan in the draft lottery, many, many examples show that one player cannot carry a team to a title in the NBA. That's where the Spurs deserve the most credit: they have brought in strong supporting players year in and year out and have developed some very strong players out of players drafted late in the first round or discarded from other teams. Again, the coaching staff is one of the league's best anchored by head coach Gregg Popovich who has been among the most successful head coaches in NBA history, and has done so in an era and a conference that is among the toughest ever.
2. New England Patriots - Say what you must about Spygate (I'll be the first guy to agree with you that no matter what they say, the Pats did it because they knew it would help them), the Patriots have been successful over the past 7 years because of the strength of their coaching, scouting and player development. One of the signs of a truly strong franchise is the ability to bring in big-name veteran free agents for below market value because they just want a chance at a title, and that's what the Pats have done year after year. Players like Rodney Harrison, Randy Moss, and Corey Dillon have flocked to the Pats and despite their known character issues, have flourished with the team. Much like the Colts and Spurs above, the Patriots were lucky that they found a player that blossomed into one of the best at his position in Tom Brady, but football is the ultimate team game and now team could find the success the Patriots have if all they had was Brady and a bunch of no-names. The Patriots front office has been extraordinarily successful at bringing in those no-names and sculpting them into players that fit the team and the system, and then using them to win championships. They also have a decent coach, I guess.
1. Boston Red Sox - And we conclude our Boston slurp-fest with the team that appears poised to dominate the MLB for the next 5 years or more. Under Theo Epstein, GM since 2002, the Sox have been the best-run organization in their sport and are quickly developing the deepest farm system in the Majors to go along with the best active roster. While the Sox have the benefit of a huge market and no salary cap, many MLB teams have proven that money can't buy championships (see New York Yankees since 2002 and New York Mets) and that teams shouldn't sacrifice their entire farm system in an attempt to acquire veterans to win now. Boston has a quality manager in Terry Francona, but with the talent on the roster Francona's player-friendly approach is precisely what the team needs to find on the field success. All this makes the Sox the favorite to win this year's World Series, and subsequently our number 1.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Top 5 Worst-Run Organizations in Sports
In honor of the upcoming NBA draft (tonight at 6:30), let's have a little fun and run down the five worst-run organizations in the Big Three pro sports (NFL, NBA and MLB; sorry hockey fans, but American stopped caring about 3 years ago). In order to make this prestigious list, the organization must show a deliberate and sustained approach to failure, both on the field and off. Teams on this list have been consistently poor in regards to on-field performance and front office decision-making, and while some have made strides at one time or another, all are still considered the worst of the worst in the sport. Let's begin.
5. Los Angeles Clippers - Okay, so many would argue that the Clips deserve to be higher on this list because of the fact that for many years the ownership made no qualms about the fact that their sole intention was to make money, and they thought they knew the dirty little secret of sports: an owner can make a profit without having to spend money on players or coaches, because people will still come. This thinking led to years of misery for Clippers faithful (if there is such a thing) until a story-book run to the conference semifinals in 2005 got fans excited again, moving LA down the list. Unfortunately, this good fortune turned bad as the owners suddenly started overspending on players and extended coach Mike Dunleavy's contract in the middle of yet another losing season. A few injuries to key players later, and the Clips are back in the cellar where the belong.
4. Detroit Lions - The war chant of Detroit sport fans, no matter the venue or sport, has become "Fire Matt Millen" as these tortured souls have watched the front office of the Lions fail to pull the team out of the gutter year after year. Millen, the Lions GM that has been much maligned but evidently has incriminating photos of the teams owners, has been touted as the main cause of the Lions failings. But the fact is, the team has been awful since well before Millen's time, and even a Hall of Fame running back like Barry Sanders couldn't help the team move beyond mediocrity. And let's not forget the drafting of wide receivers with their first pick in four out of five years, including 3 straight from 2003-05. Only one of those three, Roy Williams, is even in the league anymore.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates - The laughing stock of the MLB now that the Rays are starting to turn things around (and the Rays avoid this list because they at least appeared to have a plan for the last couple years) are the woeful Pirates. Pittsburgh, a team with a long and storied history, has not seen the postseason since 1992 and has not even been in contention for a vast majority of the seasons since. The team has a history in that period of trading its best players in order to dump salary (see, most recently, Brian Giles and Aramis Ramirez) and getting little in return. While Jason Bay turned out to be a solid player coming back in the Giles deal, he is currently the only player on that team that you or I have even heard of. Despite a new and very nice stadium, it's hard to say the future looks bright for the Pirates.
2. New York Knicks - Hard to believe they found their way out of the number 1 hole, but the hiring of Donnie Walsh as GM and Mike D'antoni as head coach are two huge steps in the right direction for a franchise that has been downright embarressing since Patrick Ewing retired. The culprit: Isiah Thomas. No man, without committing a heinous crime (yes, we're talking about you Juice), has done more to sully a stellar professional playing career after retirement, than the aforementioned Thomas. Few will remember him now as the fearless leader of one of the great franchises of the late '80s and early '90s. He will now forever be known as the man that virtually destroyed the NBA's flagship franchise with his ludicrous general management and coaching moves. And that's without mentioning the $10+ million blackeye resulting from a sexual harassment suit. Thanks for the memories, Isiah.
1. Oakland Raiders - An easy choice given the downward spiral this franchise has seen in the last 5 years since losing the Super Bowl. The Raiders, who even at the time of their Super Bowl loss were considered an old folks home for NFL players, have added new members to their solid list of past-their-prime stars in the years since, most notably Warren Sapp. Many of these players have received excessive contracts that have left the team crippled by the salary cap and unable to rebuild. Add to this the numerous failed draft picks (here's looking at you, Robert Gallery) and the coaching carousel led by the league's worst owner Al Davis, and you have a recipe for horrible failure. Even with the team finally seeming to go into rebuilding mode, they can't help but make mistakes. Take this offseason, where the signed wideout Javon Walker to a large contract despite his well-known character issues, and the alleged "letter of resignation" sent by Davis to head coach Lane Kiffin for him to sign, and you see why this team has to rank where it does. While there may be other franchises run worse than Oakland, none have fallen so far, so fast.
5. Los Angeles Clippers - Okay, so many would argue that the Clips deserve to be higher on this list because of the fact that for many years the ownership made no qualms about the fact that their sole intention was to make money, and they thought they knew the dirty little secret of sports: an owner can make a profit without having to spend money on players or coaches, because people will still come. This thinking led to years of misery for Clippers faithful (if there is such a thing) until a story-book run to the conference semifinals in 2005 got fans excited again, moving LA down the list. Unfortunately, this good fortune turned bad as the owners suddenly started overspending on players and extended coach Mike Dunleavy's contract in the middle of yet another losing season. A few injuries to key players later, and the Clips are back in the cellar where the belong.
4. Detroit Lions - The war chant of Detroit sport fans, no matter the venue or sport, has become "Fire Matt Millen" as these tortured souls have watched the front office of the Lions fail to pull the team out of the gutter year after year. Millen, the Lions GM that has been much maligned but evidently has incriminating photos of the teams owners, has been touted as the main cause of the Lions failings. But the fact is, the team has been awful since well before Millen's time, and even a Hall of Fame running back like Barry Sanders couldn't help the team move beyond mediocrity. And let's not forget the drafting of wide receivers with their first pick in four out of five years, including 3 straight from 2003-05. Only one of those three, Roy Williams, is even in the league anymore.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates - The laughing stock of the MLB now that the Rays are starting to turn things around (and the Rays avoid this list because they at least appeared to have a plan for the last couple years) are the woeful Pirates. Pittsburgh, a team with a long and storied history, has not seen the postseason since 1992 and has not even been in contention for a vast majority of the seasons since. The team has a history in that period of trading its best players in order to dump salary (see, most recently, Brian Giles and Aramis Ramirez) and getting little in return. While Jason Bay turned out to be a solid player coming back in the Giles deal, he is currently the only player on that team that you or I have even heard of. Despite a new and very nice stadium, it's hard to say the future looks bright for the Pirates.
2. New York Knicks - Hard to believe they found their way out of the number 1 hole, but the hiring of Donnie Walsh as GM and Mike D'antoni as head coach are two huge steps in the right direction for a franchise that has been downright embarressing since Patrick Ewing retired. The culprit: Isiah Thomas. No man, without committing a heinous crime (yes, we're talking about you Juice), has done more to sully a stellar professional playing career after retirement, than the aforementioned Thomas. Few will remember him now as the fearless leader of one of the great franchises of the late '80s and early '90s. He will now forever be known as the man that virtually destroyed the NBA's flagship franchise with his ludicrous general management and coaching moves. And that's without mentioning the $10+ million blackeye resulting from a sexual harassment suit. Thanks for the memories, Isiah.
1. Oakland Raiders - An easy choice given the downward spiral this franchise has seen in the last 5 years since losing the Super Bowl. The Raiders, who even at the time of their Super Bowl loss were considered an old folks home for NFL players, have added new members to their solid list of past-their-prime stars in the years since, most notably Warren Sapp. Many of these players have received excessive contracts that have left the team crippled by the salary cap and unable to rebuild. Add to this the numerous failed draft picks (here's looking at you, Robert Gallery) and the coaching carousel led by the league's worst owner Al Davis, and you have a recipe for horrible failure. Even with the team finally seeming to go into rebuilding mode, they can't help but make mistakes. Take this offseason, where the signed wideout Javon Walker to a large contract despite his well-known character issues, and the alleged "letter of resignation" sent by Davis to head coach Lane Kiffin for him to sign, and you see why this team has to rank where it does. While there may be other franchises run worse than Oakland, none have fallen so far, so fast.
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