Friday, July 20, 2007

No-Brainers

If anything was evident in the Vegas Summer league, it was that the Greg Odens and the Kevin Durants were not as ready for the NBA as the Lebrons or the Carmelos.

Say what you will about Durant’s so-called “scoring ability,” simple fact is that he was outplayed almost every time he stepped onto the court. And people were so worried about him getting pushed around by the bigger guys, but it was Renaldo Balkman’s stringy self that was trying Durant down.

What I saw out of Durant was a guy who pretty much looked like what he is: The younger kid who was too good and too big for the kids his age, so the powers-that-be moved him up to the big boys.

The problem is that unlike the college level, these guys are going to be just as athletic, just as tall, or both. And he’s always going to be skinnier, at least for the first couple years. He simply wasn’t ready for the jump.

Oden, on the other hand, had scouts drooling last year as if he was Jessica Biel in a bikini. But the problem is that he too was not ready. I remember hearing from a commentator, “If Greg Oden was in the NBA right now, he’d be on the all-defensive team.”

If the summer league was any indication, that commentator and the masses of his supporters can hold their horses.

Before Oden went and got his tonsils removed like a 8-year-old boy, he looked like an 8-year-old boy, be it a 7’0 260 lb, caveman-looking, 40-year-old, 8-year-old boy. But even he wasn’t ready.

The system is all screwed up. Kids like Oden, Durant, and next year, O.J. Mayo; they are all not ready for the limelight. But they are raised in an educational system where it really doesn’t matter if they pass English class; they have an NBA career ahead of them.

So what’s the point David Stern? What’s the point of waiting a year after High School or not waiting at all? These guys would think they were ready if the age requirement was lowered to sixth grade.

And for every LeBron, how many Kwame Browns are there who ruined their whole life thinking NBA stardom was ahead. Even worse, these guys expect it now. They expect to be stars as soon as they get there.

Then come the Renaldo Balkmans of the world to bring them back to earth, along with all the media that have been along for the ride in their rectal cavities.

I believe in the end this will be a mute point. I believe Durant and Oden will be NBA players. They just aren’t now. But David Stern has to stop pretending that a year of college will do anything for them.

If recent events have shown anything, a year of college can actually hurt your draft stock. Just ask this year’s 9th pick, Joakim Noah, who would have gone #1 last year.

The system is made so that even these uneducated morons can see that it’s really a no-brainer when it comes to staying in college and risking injury among other things, or taking lucrative offers from endorsement companies to promote their products. This is their life-long dream. And unready or not, it’s really not their problem. It’s the NBA and its sponsors.

So why are we acting like its about the education?

Saturday, July 14, 2007

This off-season, like this article, probably doesn't even matter

MLB.com has a fantasy game called Free Agent Frenzy this year; and certainly this year’s “hot stove” seems to be anything but. This off-season does show promise as being one of the biggest free agent markets in history, with the current Home Run King (Barry Bonds), and his potential successor (Alex Rodriguez) both up for bidding.

However, while the majority of writers seem to be frantic about calculating where each member of this star-studded free agency will land, this reporter intends to point out how little significance this year’s market will have on the upcoming season.

It is unfair for me to bias myself upon being a Red Sox fan, so I will do my best to stay neutral. Oh, wait. The Red Sox aren’t losing anybody. Wakefield, Schilling, and soon Mike Lowell, have already resigned with the franchise. The only other alternatives I see for Lowell are the Dodgers - who eat up every Red Sox free agent after a World Series run (see: Garciaparra, Lowe, and Mueller), or the Braves. I look at the Dodgers because I wonder about Nomar playing third base after jostling around the infield of Tinseltown for the past three years, playing short, first and third since his signing with Los Angeles. They could certainly use the bat, not to mention the PR.

The Atlanta Braves could have a stake in the Mike Lowell saga with the continuing uselessness of one Chipper Jones. While he has been a foundation of the team that spawned one of the greatest pitching trilogies in history (Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine), he has become highly injury-prone and often sluggish at the plate in the past two seasons. (It doesn’t take too much to win my metaphoric heart, but I think that if Jones could muster a full season with at least 130 games, it could happen.) It would not hurt Lowell to go to a team that has been willing to spend a little money these past few years in hopes to rebuild a team that once was abundantly triumphant.

While we’re talking about third basemen, we might as well discuss Alex Rodriguez. Oh wait, wasn’t he a shortstop? I think it’s fair to say that most of this country has failed to recognize the fact that A-Rod practically refused to move to third base at the end of the 2003 season, before signing with the Yankees. Only one team has even brought up the notion of A-Rod moving to a different position than third, and that was the Toledo Mud Hens in jest. Could it be possible that with a wide variety of talented third basemen on each of the teams that can afford Mr. Rodriguez, that he will find himself playing shortstop instead?

Let’s think about this: what teams can afford the overpriced Alex Rodriguez, and would consider paying him to bring them to at least a Division Series? I’ll give you a few: LA Dodgers, LA Angels, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves. I will keep the analyses short, since I’m sure you’ve heard all the stories.

The Dodgers could use A-Rod because it could keep Nomar either comfortably at third, or move him back to shortstop. It would be much like the Jeter-Rodriguez combo that held the fort on that side of the infield in the Bronx, so long as Garciaparra can keep up his end of it. Also, with Torre, we know that A-Rod will get the backing of his manager when going into contract negotiations. The two know each other and may be interested in picking up where they left off in New York.

The Angels have denied that they want A-Rod, as they should. For some reason, a lot of people think this is a good fit, but I fail to recognize the need for A-Rod on a team with Vlad Guererro, Orlando Cabrera and Chone Figgins. Right there you have power, a shortstop and a third baseman, all with All-Star quality and the experience to get to the postseason.

I have already exhausted the need for a good third baseman in Atlanta, but their need is even greater at short, where A-Rod could easily take over for the much lesser players on the Braves depth chart. Currently the two players (Escobar and Orr) combine for 5 home runs and 30 RBIs last season. Anybody think the Braves should be reading this article?

The Boston Red Sox wanted a quality offensive shortstop last year and picked up the potential All-Star Julio Lugo and placed him at the top of their order. He provided the speed that Johnny Damon once gave them, but certainly not the batting average. Think that if they’re willing to spend as much money on him, that they might consider giving A-Rod something of a looksee at that position if he doesn’t resign with the Yankees and nobody else can pick up the outstanding bill he is asking for? And who knows? If Lowell moves, the Red Sox will have some extra money to spend on a third baseman, and GM Theo Epstein has already publicly shown interest.

We all know that the Yankees want A-Rod back. He and Joe Torre are the primary reason why the team made it to the playoffs at all last year. Since Steinbrenner couldn’t bring Torre back, they’ve focused on getting Rivera, Posada and most importantly, Rodriguez back in the line card. But can the Yankees afford a $100M contract for a player who chokes in the postseason?

Let’s now discuss the players that may have impact on the next season. Paul Lo Duca will probably be done with his career as a first-stringer, with the Mets looking at Yorvit Torrealba to take over behind the plate. It wouldn’t hurt Lo Duca to do what Mike Piazza did in this situation a few years ago: go to the AL and try for a designated hitter job.

Lo Duca’s move may also be that of Barry Bonds. In the midst of another good controversy, in which Bonds has refused to attend his own induction ceremony, so long as the marked home-run record-setting baseball is displayed in the Hall of Fame; Bond could use a steroid-free and controversy-free season to boost his PR with the sports writers of America. The best way to do that may be to sit on the bench and take a few swings every nine at-bats as a DH. Since the NL doesn’t have this option, it makes little sense for teams like the Giants to sign him. He’s grown old and weak around the bases, and perhaps he, like Roger Clemens, should just hang his hat and give it a rest. But so long as he doesn’t, teams like the White Sox, Blue Jays, and Athletics may be willing to give him a shot to prove himself as a hitter again, as they did for Thome, Thomas, and Piazza.

Schilling and Wakefield are already going to give a nice buffer to the Red Sox lineup, and with a very young team with no significant players set on leaving, they may prove that a six-man pitching rotation can work. Terry Francona has already suggested that with Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Wakefield, Lester, and Buckholtz, there is a chance to dominate the American League with pitching alone. Oh yeah, and they’ve got some pretty good hitters too (see: Ortiz, Ramirez, Pedroira, Youkilis).

I’ll run down the list of free agents that MLB.com thinks will impact.

Torii Hunter did a fantastic job as the gold-glove winning center fielder for the Twins, but with the recent comments by Johann Santana, as well as the overall feel of the Minnesota franchise, several free agents will suspend any thoughts of sticking with the team with other options on the table. At least for the next year or two. I expect Hunter to find his way to a team like the White Sox. The Yankees had expressed some interest in him earlier last season, but when Miguel Cabrera started to fill in well with his speed and his glove for the injured Hideki Matsui, the club started to consider the possibility that they had an overly-stable outfield in Damon, Cabrera, Matsui and Abreu. Hunter may also be a considerable option for the Red Sox, who were not terribly pleased with the performance of Coco Crisp throughout the season, and may look to put Hunter in his place, or even rotate him or another outfielder for the sometimes weary J.D. Drew.

Andruw Jones had a mediocre season last year, and may not be the top free agent on the market, but expect him to be wanted back by the Braves. Other than that, he will be fighting for a spot against Torii Hunter, who is younger, faster, and has more potential in his youth. But Jones also picked up the Gold Glove this season for his job in center.

Bartolo Colon and Tom Glavine are a pair of pitchers who were once dominant, but have stuttered greatly in the past two years; mostly due to injury. I’d watch Colon to stay in the AL, and go to a lesser team than the Angels for a little less money, where he can be the number one guy, while Tom Glavine is expected to dig back into his roots at Atlanta, rejoining with former teammate John Smoltz. Now all Atlanta needs to do is get Maddux back and they’ll have a team of old and useless oafs who can’t figure out when to take that AAA coaching job.

I’ve already mentioned, and most have already heard: Rivera and Posada have already talked to the Yankees and both been offered deals. The odds of another team taking Rivera for an equal contract are slim, and Posada will likely stay in pinstripes, where he feels he belongs.

I also think Aaron Rowand will be staying in Philadelphia. But even though MLB.com claims him to be a hot topic, I haven’t read anything discussing his potential as a free agent. Funny how we grasp at straws when all we have to talk about is Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Lowell and a manager.

To say the least, don’t expect the playoffs to be determined by what happens this off-season. Sure, whatever team picks up A-Rod will get a few more notches in their wins column because of it, but they will also suffer a few more losses from all they had to give up for his contract. Torre may be able to bring another team that Grady Little failed with back into orbit; and without much depth, Torre may be the only man capable of doing so. In my opinion, MLB.com’s “hot stove” has turned itself into Plath’s oven. Have I really discussed anything exciting today?

No.

Go watch the Celtics.

Baseball is boring this off-season. I need a better job.

Originally posted at ChewThemOut.com by Andrew Keating

Thursday, July 12, 2007

I Support Barry Bonds

I support Barry Bonds. Somebody has to, and it might as well be me. And you should too. Now before you condemn me to walk a plank straight into McCovey Cove, hear me out.

Yes, I think Bonds used steroids. But I also believe Roger Clemens, Lance Armstrong, Evander Holyfield, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa did too. So what?

Now I’m not here to make excuses for this guy. I just feel for him. He came into the league a skinny base-stealer. 13 Hat sizes later he’s approaching the “most hallowed record in all of sports” (Gee, whoever wrote that line must be a billionaire) and it has angered traditionalists everywhere. Most of the people outside of Rice-a-roni’s birthplace don’t want him to break the record… or so they say.

Everywhere Bonds goes, he is a star. He’s the only reason almost every away game he goes to sells out. The only guy who’s been at this level in my lifetime is Michael Jordan. The difference is that everywhere he goes instead of being cheered, he’s booed. And while everybody claims to hate him, they’re giving him no reason to stop using steroids because they’re there at the games.

Every time a fan boos his actions, every negative quotation of his they put in newspapers, every tell-all book that comes out, every person that states that they won't be there Bonds indeed does break the record; it all adds to his persona as the perfect super-heel of sports, and we needed that.

It actually surprises me that Bonds doesn’t get more love. After all, don’t you get tired of always cheering for the good guys? I for one am. It feels good when you’re wearing a Yankee jersey while your team beats up on the Milwaukee Brewers. And anybody with an “Austin 3:16” t-shirt in their hamper should know the feeling too. Sometimes you just get tired of the superhero. It gets old. But people like Barry are the types of guys that pave the way for the world to love A-Rod and Albert Pujols when they surpass Bonds.

So what! Bonds cheated. How does that affect you? His destroying of his own body means little to nothing in your life. But when he hits that record-breaker, that’s something you’re going to tell your easily influenced 6’6” 300 lb. homerun-hitting grandkids. Why don't you try teaching them the difference between right and wrong before you go blaming Bonds and Marilyn Manson for their roid rage.

All of you who blame him for using steroids have only yourself to blame. Don’t put it on Air Bud Selig who really just played the hand he was dealt. Homeruns saved the game. It brought that casual fan back and it’s the reason we don’t look at MLB like we look at the NHL today.

Yeah, Bonds may not be the most sociable guy. But hey, neither is Russell Crowe. He may not be the ambassador that Michael Jordan was, but that’s his own prerogative. He doesn’t need to be the Cliché-spewing, team-first player we all think we love. Yet it’s the Bonds’s and the Owens’s of the world that have paparazzi noting their every like they were Princess Diana. You the fan have made him into what he is, not steroids.

I turned on SportsCenter the other day and I saw that Bonds went 1-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Doesn’t that just say it all? Not only do they show every Balco-induced homerun, but they also show every Barry-induced strikeout.

So hate him for disrespecting the media. But also hate Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson for doing the same. Hate him for hitting steroid-aided longballs. Just don’t forget to do the same for Sammy Sosa.

But if you ask me, I think most people just hate Bonds because they love to hate him, and nothing else. And homerun record or not, he’s putting asses in the seats of Miller Stadium. And I don’t think even Michael Jordan could have done that. Because Michael Jordan made himself into what he was. With Bonds, we created the monster.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

My State of the Knicks Address

New Yorkers can be so impatient at times. “Fire Isiah” chants rained on the very first game in Madison Square Garden last year, a game that I attended. THE FIRST GAME, and they went Bob Backlund on us and threw in the towel. No the Knicks didn’t make the playoffs. But all in all, I still feel that last season was a success.

I learned a lot about this team though. I learned that David Lee is Pretty Fly for a White Guy. That he is a dominant rebounder despite everything he has going against him, his skin color, his hair, and his size. I learned Stephon Marbury can be dominant, and that Larry Brown didn’t totally castrate his basketball abilities. I learned that Eddy Curry could hit a three, and more importantly that he could dominate the game with his post scoring.

It still wasn’t all peaches and creams. I also learned that despite what John Hollinger’s CDR (I’ll get into that later) may tell you, Channing Frye isn’t a 20-10 player. I learned that no, Steve Francis isn’t even a shell of the shell of a player he was in Houston. But you know what… in one foul swoop, Isiah fixed those two negatives in the trade that brought in Zach Randolph.

ZACH RANDOLPH! Think about it this way. In two years Isiah essentially traded Channing Frye, Michael Sweetney, Trevor Ariza and LaMarcus Aldridge for Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph… because dominant young post players before their prime are easy to come by in the NBA.

Now before John Hollinger loses more hair coming up with new ways to add to his PER aka the CDR (Curry Deficiency Rating) I have a new rating system that I came up with all by myself… lets call it the CSM or the Common Sense Method. See, instead of using the theory of relativity to compare the effectiveness of players I’ve never watched, I’m going to instead watch every Knicks game and then analyze it using my EYE.

How could a combination of two dominant post presences not equate into wins? Common sense, right? Two guys shooting over 50%, getting the majority of the touches while the other team only shoots 45%. Ron Burgundy: It’s science.

What can any team with one defensive stopper do? They can’t double-team both of them. Even the conscienceless Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford could hit open shots. Heck, even Jared Jeffries would start hitting those shots. Everyone who says that there aren’t enough balls to go around have to realize that other than Jerome James, the Centers aren’t the ones bringing up the ball. When they get the ball, they are supposed to take a high percentage shot. That’s why they made the position, despite what Mike D’Antoni tells you.

And now there’s talk of shipping over Ron Artest for David Lee. While I love David Lee, we have to think both short-term and long term. Ron Artest can literally put these Knicks over the top. David Lee can really be nothing more than an energy guy. But with Randolph’s knack for rebounding, Lee has become less needed. If the Knicks can somehow swing a trade for the St. John’s alumn, it would bring a defensive toughness that has been missing since they sent Charles Oakley packing. And when the time comes where the Knicks would have to actually pay David Lee, I don’t think him or his agent are settling for the Veterans Minimum. Don’t you think we’re better off convincing a complete nut to take less money? Yeah… and it’s even easier when that nut is an All-Star talent who is from New York.

Maybe you Knick fans haven’t watched in a long time. It sure seems that way. Yeah, for a while, these Knicks were practically unwatchable, especially that year when Larry Brown was coaching. But stop for a second regurgitating beat writers’ opinions and try grabbing a remote and watching the game for yourself. Because if you haven’t watched, then you missed this slow overturning of a bad expensive roster into an expensive one with enormous potential.

Complain all you want about the payroll, Knick fans, but that really doesn’t affect you. All that matters is that the Knicks have become relevant in the league once again. With or without the addition of Ron Artest, the Knicks have a young nucleus that Isiah is not afraid to change if it doesn’t work. And in a day when so many people refuse to take responsibility for their actions, Isiah is, and if he fails it’s not for lack of trying. As compared to you Knick fans who so gave up on him the first game of last season, I stuck with him. And I’m about to see the fruits of his labor. (Pardon the sexual harassment pun)

Jason Paderon is a co-owner, columnist and cartoonist for ChewThemOut.com. Additionally, he was a newswriter at the Staten Island Advance. He can be reached at paderon@chewthemout.com