I don't know if you like Mayo, I don't know if you like mustard, I don't even know if you like ketchup or BBQ sauce, but I do know one thing...we're all about done with these god damn Miracle Whip commercials.
I mean, do you seriously enjoy these things? "We are Miracle Whip and we will not back down?" That is the dumbest advertising line I think I have ever heard in my life. It makes you wonder what question they're answering.
So you figure they were sitting in a board room and the dialogue went something like this:
Consultant: "I don't know if you've realized, but America is getting smarter about what they eat."
Miracle Whip: "Wait what? America has been eating McDonald's and cramming Ho Ho's down their throats for over 100 years, what makes you think they're going to stop eating mayonnaise."
Consultant: "The Biggest Loser, Alli, gym memberships are up, a ridiculous push to add fiber to everything (which make you shit a lot and feel more full), etc., etc."
Miracle Whip: "Well what can we do, our product is a mayo substitute which is not as fattening, but is still basically lard..."
Consultant: "Well you could bend over and say your product makes life better or (lights get dim) you could...NOT BACK DOWN!"
What the hell does this whole commercial even mean? "We will not disappear in the background?"
It means "we're a shitty, unhealthy product and we're going to tell you."
While I'm at it...what the hell is the deal with the Levi's commercials? Did they hire the same agency?
Check it:
I don't really know where I'm going with this...i guess I just think these commercials blow...so yeah....these commercials blow
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Oh That's Predicatble, Write a WS Post....
So I am stuck in the Minneapolis airport and I figured I would pass on the normal time-wasting activities of reading US Weekly and Danielle Steele novels to actually do something productive and write a post since I've been absent for just about four months (minus that Dez Bryant column which, for the record, I still think is ridiculous).
So now that my beloved Angels have been ousted by A-Roid and the funky bunch, they have the pleasure of meeting the phitin' phils; probably the one team anyone thought could even come close to beating them from the NL. The Phillies aren't the same team they were last year, they are A LOT better...however, so are the Yankees so let's get down to business.
So now that my beloved Angels have been ousted by A-Roid and the funky bunch, they have the pleasure of meeting the phitin' phils; probably the one team anyone thought could even come close to beating them from the NL. The Phillies aren't the same team they were last year, they are A LOT better...however, so are the Yankees so let's get down to business.
I'm going to approach this like so: Strengths? Weaknesses? Who do they need to control from the other team to win?
Let's start with my old hometown Phillies:
Philadelphia -
Strength:
Hitting - They have arguably the most potent 1-6 in the game: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Ibanez, Werth. You have speed, you have average, you have power; it’s all any manager can hope for at the top of his lineup. Although I completely disagree with the fact that Rollins is the leadoff man, you have to love the stealing ability at the top of their lineup followed by three guys who hit the ball long and hard. (Danielle Steele must be rubbing off…I mean…shit)
SIDE RANT
(Rollins is a HORRIBLE lead off man. He refuses to focus on getting ON BASE, which is essentially his only job. He’s too cocky and wants the stats, so he goes about trying to rip the ball all the time which is not what you want. Trust me, I’ve seen him refuse to bunt over runners on base with one out for the sake that he has an opportunity for an RBI, it’s stupid. If you ask me, Victorino should be lead off and Jimmy should hit second, Shane will embrace his roll because he’s a team player and Jimmy will be Jimmy…only with Victorino ready to steal second. Not to mention it would make it next to impossible to get a double play in the first.)
Bullpen – No, I’m not talking about Brad Lidge; I’m talking about everyone else in there. JA Happ should arguably be starting games but has worked the pen before, Chan Ho Park apparently is pitching like he’s fresh off the boat from Japan, Durbin is an incredibly solid middle man into the ninth and Madson is….well, what else can you say about a guy who takes over for the best closer in baseball last year and dominates? This is their strategic advantage over the Yankees and I think it’s going to be the reason that they beat the Yankees. The bullpen is like the O-line in football, underpaid and over-worked and under-appreciated.
Who they need to stop –
Mark Teixiera. Why not Alex? The answer is Godzirra. (Hideki Matsui) If you don’t get Mark out you have to face Alex with a runner on. If you get Tex out, you walk A-Rod and get the luxury of facing an old POS Godzirra, who needs walkers to get to first. It boggles my mind why he is even in the lineup. Why the hell wouldn’t you put Gardner in the number one slot and Jeter in the two and see what happens? Hideki is old, showing it and out of pity, he is still in the starting lineup. Outside of the ever so occasional Robinson Cano or Melky Cabrera hot streak, no one on this team scares me more than Tex, and that’s only because it forces you to pitch to the most synthetically enhanced player in baseball.
Yankees –
Strengths –
Starting Pitching – C.C. (The Hamburglar http://3rdnip.blogspot.com/2008/11/big-time-baseball-free-agents.html ) is a great left-handed pitcher, AJ is an eratic but occasionally good right-handed pitcher and Andy Pettite is an average left hander who has the best pick-off move in the game. Why is this important? It limits the potential impact of the speed at the top of the Phillies lineup. The Angels only had two stolen bases against them and they are one of the best teams in the league at it…I know what you’re thinking and it had NOTHING to do with George Posada.
Alex Rodriguez - I can't explain how locked in this guy was during the ALCS, stay away from him.
Mariano Rivera - You better make your run for the lead before the ninth because this guy is THE BEST post season closer in the history of the game, I don't care what anyone else says. It's like he's immune to pressure, no that's not right...he thrives on it. I hate the Ya
Bullpen - Obviously this is referring to everyone besides Mariano. Personally I think Joe
The Phillies are winning this World Series. I really don't see how they can lose outside of Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano having a monster series. The Phillies have better pitching, better bating, better defense an better fans. New York has a bigger payroll, a more expensive stadium, less talent and no drive.
Everyone and their mom has been touting the
Let's start with my old hometown Phillies:
Philadelphia -
Strength:
Hitting - They have arguably the most potent 1-6 in the game: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Ibanez, Werth. You have speed, you have average, you have power; it’s all any manager can hope for at the top of his lineup. Although I completely disagree with the fact that Rollins is the leadoff man, you have to love the stealing ability at the top of their lineup followed by three guys who hit the ball long and hard. (Danielle Steele must be rubbing off…I mean…shit)SIDE RANT
(Rollins is a HORRIBLE lead off man. He refuses to focus on getting ON BASE, which is essentially his only job. He’s too cocky and wants the stats, so he goes about trying to rip the ball all the time which is not what you want. Trust me, I’ve seen him refuse to bunt over runners on base with one out for the sake that he has an opportunity for an RBI, it’s stupid. If you ask me, Victorino should be lead off and Jimmy should hit second, Shane will embrace his roll because he’s a team player and Jimmy will be Jimmy…only with Victorino ready to steal second. Not to mention it would make it next to impossible to get a double play in the first.)
Bullpen – No, I’m not talking about Brad Lidge; I’m talking about everyone else in there. JA Happ should arguably be starting games but has worked the pen before, Chan Ho Park apparently is pitching like he’s fresh off the boat from Japan, Durbin is an incredibly solid middle man into the ninth and Madson is….well, what else can you say about a guy who takes over for the best closer in baseball last year and dominates? This is their strategic advantage over the Yankees and I think it’s going to be the reason that they beat the Yankees. The bullpen is like the O-line in football, underpaid and over-worked and under-appreciated.
Weakness -
Starting Pitching - This is pathetic because their Starting pitching is as good, if not better, as the Yankees. But Cole Hamels is the key to this whole series. Cliff Lee is a baller, he will pitch lights out like he has been all season since he joined the Phils. Who knows how Pedro is going to do in NY? I think everyone agrees the he is just as likely to get rocked for 7 runs as he is to pitch a gem. The big game is going to be when Cole Hamels pitches in Citizens. Is he going to be the stud from last years post season or is he going to be the inconsistent pitcher he has been during the regular season this year. He had his highest regular season ERA of his career this year and at times he was incredibly erratic. If he pitches well, the Phillies could win this series 4-1, if he doesn't the series could be 2-1 in favor of NY and who knows what happens. It's not a huge weakness but JA Happ could be a huge game 6 starter for them if need be...you heard it hear first.
Who they need to stop –
Mark Teixiera. Why not Alex? The answer is Godzirra. (Hideki Matsui) If you don’t get Mark out you have to face Alex with a runner on. If you get Tex out, you walk A-Rod and get the luxury of facing an old POS Godzirra, who needs walkers to get to first. It boggles my mind why he is even in the lineup. Why the hell wouldn’t you put Gardner in the number one slot and Jeter in the two and see what happens? Hideki is old, showing it and out of pity, he is still in the starting lineup. Outside of the ever so occasional Robinson Cano or Melky Cabrera hot streak, no one on this team scares me more than Tex, and that’s only because it forces you to pitch to the most synthetically enhanced player in baseball.
Yankees –
Strengths –
Starting Pitching – C.C. (The Hamburglar http://3rdnip.blogspot.com/2008/11/big-time-baseball-free-agents.html ) is a great left-handed pitcher, AJ is an eratic but occasionally good right-handed pitcher and Andy Pettite is an average left hander who has the best pick-off move in the game. Why is this important? It limits the potential impact of the speed at the top of the Phillies lineup. The Angels only had two stolen bases against them and they are one of the best teams in the league at it…I know what you’re thinking and it had NOTHING to do with George Posada.
Alex Rodriguez - I can't explain how locked in this guy was during the ALCS, stay away from him.
Mariano Rivera - You better make your run for the lead before the ninth because this guy is THE BEST post season closer in the history of the game, I don't care what anyone else says. It's like he's immune to pressure, no that's not right...he thrives on it. I hate the Ya
nkees just as much as the next person, but you have to respect how good this guy is at 65.
Weaknesses -
Everyone in their lineup besides Jeter, Tex and A-Roid - How intimidating is this lineup: Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher. HAHA, how pathetic. I'd be surprised if all of those guys combined could consistently get 5 hits a game.
Everyone in their lineup besides Jeter, Tex and A-Roid - How intimidating is this lineup: Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher. HAHA, how pathetic. I'd be surprised if all of those guys combined could consistently get 5 hits a game.
Bullpen - Obviously this is referring to everyone besides Mariano. Personally I think Joe Girardi just manages them horribly, but either way...they suck. All they have to do is pass the ball of after an inning or two from CC to Mariano and they can't do it. I think the Steinbrenner's are trying to show the Yankee fan bas that Joba and Phil Hughes were not complete wastes of
talent so they continually put them in the game in clutch to prove it. The only problem is they both seem to buckle under pressure. Joba is like a caveman, I can see him wandering around a cave saying "JOBA PITCH FAST," because all he does is pitch 97 mph. Phil has some good stuff, he has the making of a good setup man, but he gets in trouble with his breaking balls to easily and batters sit on his fastball and eat him for dinner. Coke and Demaso Marte suck, so I'm not even going to include them in the conversation.
Who Do They Need To Stop -
Who Do They Need To Stop -
Cole Hamels - They need to get jacked up and Tyson the shit out of him.
What people don't understand is that Cole Hamels is the love of Philadelphia. The fan base saw him come into his own during the world series run last year and fell in love with him. Cliff may be the #1 but Cole is the home grown product ( I know he's from San Diego, but he came up in their system). Knock him out and you deflate the city, which is going to have a lot more of an impact than people think. Philadelphians are crazy sports fans, I was there last year when they won and they were jumping on top of buses after a game 2 win. They love their Phitin' Phils and they love to win.
What's the Final Verdict?
What people don't understand is that Cole Hamels is the love of Philadelphia. The fan base saw him come into his own during the world series run last year and fell in love with him. Cliff may be the #1 but Cole is the home grown product ( I know he's from San Diego, but he came up in their system). Knock him out and you deflate the city, which is going to have a lot more of an impact than people think. Philadelphians are crazy sports fans, I was there last year when they won and they were jumping on top of buses after a game 2 win. They love their Phitin' Phils and they love to win.
What's the Final Verdict?
The Phillies are winning this World Series. I really don't see how they can lose outside of Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano having a monster series. The Phillies have better pitching, better bating, better defense an better fans. New York has a bigger payroll, a more expensive stadium, less talent and no drive.
Everyone and their mom has been touting the
Yankees as the best team in the majors since the 90's, well guess what...the Phillies read the paper too. Philadelphia is a MUCH better hitting team with Raul Ibanez in left (not to mention better defense), they're a MUCH better pitching staff with Cliff Lee as their number one, and by the way they have a rookie 12 game winner in their bullpen, a 3-time Cy Young winner starting game 3 and two guys who can setup the closer (whether that be Madson or Lidge). The Phillies are already better on paper, but they also have something that New York will never understand, heart.
Not to mention the best mascot in baseball.
Not to mention the best mascot in baseball.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Dez Bryant?
I'm sitting hear looking at the TV reading about the recent news that Dez Bryant is out for THE YEAR for lying to NCAA officials...I can't comprehend how my head hasn't exploded from all of the ridiculousness.
For those of you who don't know:
Dez Bryant had dinner with Deion Sanders (who was undoubtedly recruiting him for his next Under Armour combine commercial...dousche) and was questioned about the dinner from the NCAA.
(which by the way IS NOT against the rules because he paid for his meal)
He said he didn't have dinner with him.
They knew he did.
They called him out on lying, yes I said lying, and promptly suspended him for the entire year.
AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT THINKS THIS IS INSANE???He didn't do anything wrong, well yes he lied, but come on....WWJD?
If Jesus was the best wide receiver in the country...for a top ten team, with a guaranteed $20+ million in the NFL next year, who's trying to not break any rules to affect his teams performance let alone his draft stock...he would have lied too. I don't care what commandment number it is, he would have lied.
The NCAA rule book is so loose and broadly punishable that if Jesus was at BYU, because obviously Mormon's are right, he walked down the sidewalk and campus and brushed arms with Drew Rosenhaus I wouldn't be surprised if he was banned from the NCAA for life.
How could you blame anyone for lying about it, you make it so hard for collegiate athletes to live a normal life, I'm surprised all of them aren't doing post-game interviews with their helmet on because of social-anxiety disorders.
Regardless of the fact that Dez Bryant and Jesus would be right for lying, the punishment they laid out is SO ridiculous it's not even funny. The kid lied...I get it...slap him on the wrist, MAYBE, suspend him for a game or two but that's it...
A WHOLE SEASON??? Let's see what you've done over a lie about a LEGAL dinner with Primetime
1 - You've potentially yanked $15 million out of this kids pocket for lying about something that didn't even break the NCAA rule book.
2 - You also devastate one of the better teams in the Big 12.
3 - Zac Robinson is royally screwed now as far as a possibility of getting drafted in the second round. His two receivers who jump in are a TRUE freshman and a second year guy who hasn't done crap because Pettigrew was there last year and got all of the looks outside of Bryant.
4 - You deflate an entire campus who has been waiting the last few years for their school to finally be in the powerhouse of Big 12 football
This over something that didn't even break a rule? I've heard of sending a message guys, but give me a freaking break.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"It's Only Business..."
It's something players are conditionally trained to say when reporters ask them about a teammate leaving for another franchise. Maybe it's something players say to help them get over the fact that a team they have played 12 underpaid seasons for just let them get signed by a lesser team for a small amount of money.
This is a subject that I have been thinking about for a few weeks now because of how the Eagles handled the Brian Dawkins situation.
I'm a part of the fan base that can't possibly understand how Brian Dawkins isn't worth 3 million a year for 3-4 more years, given our team is 30 million under the cap, his deteriorating football skills yet unbelievable inspirational leadership skills. I'm not going to lie, it's been tough, I've never had to deal with something like this before.
Let me explain what I'm talking about...this film is my favorite clip on youtube. I watch it at least twice a week for some reason or another. It explains so much about why Philly loves him, and who he is as a football player.
"When he's not on the field, we definitely miss a beat" - Sheldon Brown
"He's helped so many young players develop." - Sheldon Brown
"Whatever we need, you be that thang. You be that leader that I know you will be. That heart, in that chest, be that tonight." - Brian Dawkins (with Quentin Mikell in his arms, after getting injured)
"I'm like Michael Jackson before he went crazy...I'll be there." - Brian Dawkins
This clip explains in PERFECT English (favorite clip is at 4:07) why Brian Dawkins is worth 3 million a year. He is worth 5 million a year. He has been a Pro-Bowl safety for 11 seasons and was awarded player of the month last December during one of the most important months in a football teams season, and he's (excuse me Brian) bat shit crazy with a Christian mouth.
This is a subject that I have been thinking about for a few weeks now because of how the Eagles handled the Brian Dawkins situation.
I'm a part of the fan base that can't possibly understand how Brian Dawkins isn't worth 3 million a year for 3-4 more years, given our team is 30 million under the cap, his deteriorating football skills yet unbelievable inspirational leadership skills. I'm not going to lie, it's been tough, I've never had to deal with something like this before.
Let me explain what I'm talking about...this film is my favorite clip on youtube. I watch it at least twice a week for some reason or another. It explains so much about why Philly loves him, and who he is as a football player.
"When he's not on the field, we definitely miss a beat" - Sheldon Brown
"He's helped so many young players develop." - Sheldon Brown
"Whatever we need, you be that thang. You be that leader that I know you will be. That heart, in that chest, be that tonight." - Brian Dawkins (with Quentin Mikell in his arms, after getting injured)
"I'm like Michael Jackson before he went crazy...I'll be there." - Brian Dawkins
This clip explains in PERFECT English (favorite clip is at 4:07) why Brian Dawkins is worth 3 million a year. He is worth 5 million a year. He has been a Pro-Bowl safety for 11 seasons and was awarded player of the month last December during one of the most important months in a football teams season, and he's (excuse me Brian) bat shit crazy with a Christian mouth.
EVERYONE in Philly has been, for lack of a phrase that correctly describes their attitude, utterly disgusted, with the way Jeffrey Lurie and Andy Reid handled the contract situation of Brian Dawkins. He has taken less money from the Eagles when he knows his market value is more. He has given every ounce of effort he has on every play for 12 seasons. He, has earned the respect of questionably the toughest sports town in all
of America, because of how he plays and how he handles himself. But he's 35, so who cares?
Listen to how much Brian cared...he couldn't even finish this interview...
Brian Dawkins Comcast Interview
Is it the right philosophy to let go of your older players?
The answer is: "It depends"
Every team uses "it's only business" in contract talks with older players. However, two teams in the NFL have been using it as a team philosophy for 20 years, both of them happen to be in Pennsylvania; one team does it the right way, and one team does it the wrong way, let's take a look at both of them.
The Steelers are the first franchise to use this philosophy . They are notorious for not paying big time contracts, but they choose them wisely. They look at players who they feel are at the peak of their career (Alan Faneca, Larry Foote to be recent) and they let them go elsewhere, if they believe they have someone else that can perform.
The thing with the Steelers is they sign important leaders to long term contracts. When they saw what Troy Polomalu could do to a football game, they signed him to a monster 5 year $40 million contract. When they saw what Big Ben could do, they awarded him with a 8 year $102 million deal. Who are the leaders in that locker room? Probably Big Ben and James Harrison, but Troy leas with his play. Oh yeah, they signed Harrison to a $51 million extension. Makes sense right? Sign your leaders to big contracts, sign your role players to fitting contracts or let them go and have a young player fill in...
The Eagles are different, they don't resign their veterans. Their locker room knows all about how their franchise works...On my way to work this morning, former Eagle Jeremiah Trotter was joking about the current Sheldon Brown situation on 950 ESPN...I can't make this crap up:
Trotter: "Man, this ain't new, everyone in that locker room knows what is goin on. Sheldon was boys with Dawk, he knows he's 30, he wants to know what his future on the team is."
Host: "What d'ya mean?"
Trotter: "It was an on-going joke every year in the Eagles locker room that if you were over 30, you better watch yo butt. I would look over at Donovan and say 'Hey ain't you 29? You better start throwin it deep if you want a job next year.' I'd follow that with a jab at West gettin' a little old....we all joked about it to make it easier to focus on football but it was always in the back of your mind."
When I was driving down the road this morning I was laughing. Laughing at the fact that A) Trotter just said that B) this was a well known thing in the Eagles locker room C) that Andy hasn't done shit about it, and D) that it is affecting our current players willingness to play for our team.
Sheldon Brown isn't stupid. He knows he is 30 years old. He knows Asante Samuel (28) was signed last season to a 6 year deal. He knows the Eagles traded Lito Sheppard after he complained about not being the #1 corner. He wants out of this regime, he wants out of the "it's only business," mentality.
The Eagles are different than the Steelers in the fact that they don't look at the off-field credentials of a player.
During an interview with Brian Dawkins, the local hero stated that:
"Jeff and Andy simply stated that 'this is how much we see you worth, given your age and the years left in you on the field.'"
"They didn't see any value in the fact that I wanted to finish my career as an Eagle. All they cared about was the financial responsibility to the club."
"I love Philly, I never wanted to leave. I wanted to end my career here."
So did we, and you should have.
Listen to how much Brian cared...he couldn't even finish this interview...
Brian Dawkins Comcast Interview
Is it the right philosophy to let go of your older players?
The answer is: "It depends"
Every team uses "it's only business" in contract talks with older players. However, two teams in the NFL have been using it as a team philosophy for 20 years, both of them happen to be in Pennsylvania; one team does it the right way, and one team does it the wrong way, let's take a look at both of them.
The Steelers are the first franchise to use this philosophy . They are notorious for not paying big time contracts, but they choose them wisely. They look at players who they feel are at the peak of their career (Alan Faneca, Larry Foote to be recent) and they let them go elsewhere, if they believe they have someone else that can perform.
The thing with the Steelers is they sign important leaders to long term contracts. When they saw what Troy Polomalu could do to a football game, they signed him to a monster 5 year $40 million contract. When they saw what Big Ben could do, they awarded him with a 8 year $102 million deal. Who are the leaders in that locker room? Probably Big Ben and James Harrison, but Troy leas with his play. Oh yeah, they signed Harrison to a $51 million extension. Makes sense right? Sign your leaders to big contracts, sign your role players to fitting contracts or let them go and have a young player fill in...The Eagles are different, they don't resign their veterans. Their locker room knows all about how their franchise works...On my way to work this morning, former Eagle Jeremiah Trotter was joking about the current Sheldon Brown situation on 950 ESPN...I can't make this crap up:
Trotter: "Man, this ain't new, everyone in that locker room knows what is goin on. Sheldon was boys with Dawk, he knows he's 30, he wants to know what his future on the team is."
Host: "What d'ya mean?"
Trotter: "It was an on-going joke every year in the Eagles locker room that if you were over 30, you better watch yo butt. I would look over at Donovan and say 'Hey ain't you 29? You better start throwin it deep if you want a job next year.' I'd follow that with a jab at West gettin' a little old....we all joked about it to make it easier to focus on football but it was always in the back of your mind."
When I was driving down the road this morning I was laughing. Laughing at the fact that A) Trotter just said that B) this was a well known thing in the Eagles locker room C) that Andy hasn't done shit about it, and D) that it is affecting our current players willingness to play for our team.
Sheldon Brown isn't stupid. He knows he is 30 years old. He knows Asante Samuel (28) was signed last season to a 6 year deal. He knows the Eagles traded Lito Sheppard after he complained about not being the #1 corner. He wants out of this regime, he wants out of the "it's only business," mentality.
The Eagles are different than the Steelers in the fact that they don't look at the off-field credentials of a player.
During an interview with Brian Dawkins, the local hero stated that:
"Jeff and Andy simply stated that 'this is how much we see you worth, given your age and the years left in you on the field.'"
"They didn't see any value in the fact that I wanted to finish my career as an Eagle. All they cared about was the financial responsibility to the club."
"I love Philly, I never wanted to leave. I wanted to end my career here."
So did we, and you should have.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Cheap I know....
...but I didn't get around to writing this piece until right now when the sweet 16 is already in place. However, props to Broc for pointing out that the Big East is ( * )( * ) and was going to run a muck in the tourney. The Big East is 10-2 to this point and either one of the five teams left could hit a hot streak and find themselves in the final four. Here's how I see each match up breaking down.
Midwest -
Louisville vs. Arizona:
Everyone's immediate reaction is Louisville, but do not underestimate this Arizona team. They've made the tourney for the past 100 years and understand that each game is a one game season...loser does wind sprints.
The problem with picking this upset is easy, nothing really jumps out at you when you look at Arizona. They have an overly-lame assist-TO ratio, they don't shoot overly well from the arc, or the line, they out-rebound their competition every once in awhile, they are just a very tournament savvy team.
Louisville on the other hand is the BEST defensive team in the country, they have Rick Patino as their coach, they out-rebound their opponents 75% of the time and have four guys who can hit a three at any point in the game. Louisville's biggest weakness has been it's poor free throw shooting and its' occasional cold shooting nights.
Let's face it, Arizona has played Utah and f'ing Cleveland State. Arizona has already surpassed its expectations by getting to the sweet 16, have fun on your flight home.
LOUISVILLE
Kansas vs. Michigan St.
I'm not gonna lie, I had Kansas losing to ND State. It looked like it was going to happen with four minutes and then they came up with some huge plays to pull away and finish the first year ND State team off.
Michigan State plays in the Big Ten, who's sucked it up the entire tourney outside of Purdue so....sorry Tom Izzo, you can't play for your entire team of Flint HS grads.
KANSAS (How the F is this team still in this bracket)
WEST
UConn vs. Purdue -
This game is going to be AWESOME. Mark it down on your calendars and watch it. Thabeet, like Broc said in his post, is over-rated and a loser but also happens to be nine feet tall. He has had a BIG problem fouling out in big games and not being around in the end to win a game for his team. You don't remember which games? How about Syracuse, Pitt (one time he didn't need to foul out but was still a loser).
Smart teams will drive the lance in his direction and get him in foul trouble and play a COMPLETELY different team with him on the bench. Guess what, Purdue has no size and they are going to do their best Argentinian NBA impression and fall over every time he gets close to them.
I see Thabeet being a huge loser in this game and not being a big factor (watch him show up and embarrass the crap out of me).
UPSET CITY BABY, PURDUE
Memphass vs. Mizzou
I hate Memphis. They're over-rated 250-2 record in the C-USA makes them a sexy pick for people who know nothing about basketball. You get Dozier in foul trouble and this team has to hit 8,000 threes to win. I will take those odds any day of the week. That being said Memphis is INCREDIBLY TALENTED , for example getting 35 points in the first round from a guy who averages 3, and can run with the best of them...but I still hate them.
Mizzou is a balanced team who doesn't blow you out, but wears you down with their inside out movement and wins. They don't have any amazing players, but they play as a team, they don't turn over the ball (a ridiculous 33-10 assist/TO ratio) and have a great 3 pointer specialist named Kim who's coming off the bench for them.
MIZZOU
EAST
Pitt vs. Xavier
Pitt can, beat any team in the country, and they're a pick for A LOT of people to win this tournament. I don't think they are winning the tournament but they are sure as hell winning this game.
Pitt has two of the best big men in the country in Sam Young and DeJuan Blair as well as a senior point guard in Levance Fields. I have never seen one guy throw around athletes like Dejuan Blair, it looks like he's a 270 pound DT that decided to play basketball with a bunch midgets. I watched the end of the E. Tenn. St. game and at the end of it, they were going back and forth with them with two minutes left. Blair looked at his team in the TO, said "give me the damn ball," and threw people off of him and dunked it in their faces twice in a row. It was one of the most impressive things I've seen this year in college basketball. They are TOO talented to lose this game, sorry Xavier, you had a good run...again.
PITT
Nova vs. Duke
Duke is the only team I hate more than Memphis. Their fans are the whole reason. They walk around like they deserve a national title on a silver platter because they have coach K and blah blah blah, they are Duke. Well fuck you, Nova wins.
NOVA
SOUTH
UNC vs. Gonzaga
Me: Hey Gonzaga, how are you
Gonzaga: Doing pretty well, excited about playing UNC
Me: You're excited to play Ty Lawson?
Gonzaga: Yeah, and Tyler Hansborough
Me: Well you're an idiot
Gonzaga: Why do you say that?
Me: Did you watch the LSU game?
Gonzaga: Yeah, LSU played well
Me: Yeah until Ty Lawson, who by the way looks like he's possessed by some other-worldly demon who wants to win the tournament, decided that he was going to win the game.
Gonzaga: Oh, I didn't see that
Me: Hence you are an idiot
Gonzaga: That's a little harsh don't you think?
Me: Let me put it this way, do you think you're winning this weekend?
Gonzaga: I think we have a pretty good chance
Me: Nice PC answer you douche. Do you think W. KY or Akron are anywhere NEAR as talented as UNC?
Gonzaga: I think they all have their strengths and are all really good teams
Me: Haha, you're like a little 6 year old that doesn't understand the world yet but thinks you're going to be an astronaut. Well guess what, you're not.
UNC WINS
Syracuse vs. Oklahoma
Oklahoma has been handed a pretty easy road so far by beating Morgan St. and a Michigan squad that wasn't pumped up for their second round game. Play time is over OU, let me introduce you to Syracuse. They are from the Big East and they've beaten the number one team this year with a white guy who has more grease in his hair than the Fonz. They have a Freshman phenom point guard who has a knack for scoring .
I know everyone hear is sucking on Blake Griffin's pee pee but he's the only stud on that team. Willie Warren is a freshman who either scores 25-30 or has 10. If he doesn't show up, there is NO WAY they win this game.
CUSE
All of these match ups give some interesting Great Eight match ups. Here's what I think and one reason why I think they're advancing
Louisville vs Kansas: Louisville (Rick Patino)
Purdue vs. Mizzou: Mizzou (Seniors don't lose)
Nova vs. Pitt: Nova (I have a feeling that American woke up a beast)
UNC vs. Cuse: UNC (Ty Lawson)
Hopefully we'll get a piece from Broc here soon, he's been out with Wisdom teeth pain for about a month now. He's the expert on NCAA basketball not me, so if you just read this I successfully wasted fifteen minutes of your time...SWEET
Midwest -
Louisville vs. Arizona:
Everyone's immediate reaction is Louisville, but do not underestimate this Arizona team. They've made the tourney for the past 100 years and understand that each game is a one game season...loser does wind sprints.
The problem with picking this upset is easy, nothing really jumps out at you when you look at Arizona. They have an overly-lame assist-TO ratio, they don't shoot overly well from the arc, or the line, they out-rebound their competition every once in awhile, they are just a very tournament savvy team.
Louisville on the other hand is the BEST defensive team in the country, they have Rick Patino as their coach, they out-rebound their opponents 75% of the time and have four guys who can hit a three at any point in the game. Louisville's biggest weakness has been it's poor free throw shooting and its' occasional cold shooting nights.
Let's face it, Arizona has played Utah and f'ing Cleveland State. Arizona has already surpassed its expectations by getting to the sweet 16, have fun on your flight home.
LOUISVILLE
Kansas vs. Michigan St.
I'm not gonna lie, I had Kansas losing to ND State. It looked like it was going to happen with four minutes and then they came up with some huge plays to pull away and finish the first year ND State team off.
Michigan State plays in the Big Ten, who's sucked it up the entire tourney outside of Purdue so....sorry Tom Izzo, you can't play for your entire team of Flint HS grads.
KANSAS (How the F is this team still in this bracket)
WEST
UConn vs. Purdue -
This game is going to be AWESOME. Mark it down on your calendars and watch it. Thabeet, like Broc said in his post, is over-rated and a loser but also happens to be nine feet tall. He has had a BIG problem fouling out in big games and not being around in the end to win a game for his team. You don't remember which games? How about Syracuse, Pitt (one time he didn't need to foul out but was still a loser).
Smart teams will drive the lance in his direction and get him in foul trouble and play a COMPLETELY different team with him on the bench. Guess what, Purdue has no size and they are going to do their best Argentinian NBA impression and fall over every time he gets close to them.
I see Thabeet being a huge loser in this game and not being a big factor (watch him show up and embarrass the crap out of me).
UPSET CITY BABY, PURDUE
Memphass vs. Mizzou
I hate Memphis. They're over-rated 250-2 record in the C-USA makes them a sexy pick for people who know nothing about basketball. You get Dozier in foul trouble and this team has to hit 8,000 threes to win. I will take those odds any day of the week. That being said Memphis is INCREDIBLY TALENTED , for example getting 35 points in the first round from a guy who averages 3, and can run with the best of them...but I still hate them.
Mizzou is a balanced team who doesn't blow you out, but wears you down with their inside out movement and wins. They don't have any amazing players, but they play as a team, they don't turn over the ball (a ridiculous 33-10 assist/TO ratio) and have a great 3 pointer specialist named Kim who's coming off the bench for them.
MIZZOU
EAST
Pitt vs. Xavier
Pitt can, beat any team in the country, and they're a pick for A LOT of people to win this tournament. I don't think they are winning the tournament but they are sure as hell winning this game.
Pitt has two of the best big men in the country in Sam Young and DeJuan Blair as well as a senior point guard in Levance Fields. I have never seen one guy throw around athletes like Dejuan Blair, it looks like he's a 270 pound DT that decided to play basketball with a bunch midgets. I watched the end of the E. Tenn. St. game and at the end of it, they were going back and forth with them with two minutes left. Blair looked at his team in the TO, said "give me the damn ball," and threw people off of him and dunked it in their faces twice in a row. It was one of the most impressive things I've seen this year in college basketball. They are TOO talented to lose this game, sorry Xavier, you had a good run...again.
PITT
Nova vs. Duke
Duke is the only team I hate more than Memphis. Their fans are the whole reason. They walk around like they deserve a national title on a silver platter because they have coach K and blah blah blah, they are Duke. Well fuck you, Nova wins.
NOVA
SOUTH
UNC vs. Gonzaga
Me: Hey Gonzaga, how are you
Gonzaga: Doing pretty well, excited about playing UNC
Me: You're excited to play Ty Lawson?
Gonzaga: Yeah, and Tyler Hansborough
Me: Well you're an idiot
Gonzaga: Why do you say that?
Me: Did you watch the LSU game?
Gonzaga: Yeah, LSU played well
Me: Yeah until Ty Lawson, who by the way looks like he's possessed by some other-worldly demon who wants to win the tournament, decided that he was going to win the game.
Gonzaga: Oh, I didn't see that
Me: Hence you are an idiot
Gonzaga: That's a little harsh don't you think?
Me: Let me put it this way, do you think you're winning this weekend?
Gonzaga: I think we have a pretty good chance
Me: Nice PC answer you douche. Do you think W. KY or Akron are anywhere NEAR as talented as UNC?
Gonzaga: I think they all have their strengths and are all really good teams
Me: Haha, you're like a little 6 year old that doesn't understand the world yet but thinks you're going to be an astronaut. Well guess what, you're not.
UNC WINS
Syracuse vs. Oklahoma
Oklahoma has been handed a pretty easy road so far by beating Morgan St. and a Michigan squad that wasn't pumped up for their second round game. Play time is over OU, let me introduce you to Syracuse. They are from the Big East and they've beaten the number one team this year with a white guy who has more grease in his hair than the Fonz. They have a Freshman phenom point guard who has a knack for scoring .
I know everyone hear is sucking on Blake Griffin's pee pee but he's the only stud on that team. Willie Warren is a freshman who either scores 25-30 or has 10. If he doesn't show up, there is NO WAY they win this game.
CUSE
All of these match ups give some interesting Great Eight match ups. Here's what I think and one reason why I think they're advancing
Louisville vs Kansas: Louisville (Rick Patino)
Purdue vs. Mizzou: Mizzou (Seniors don't lose)
Nova vs. Pitt: Nova (I have a feeling that American woke up a beast)
UNC vs. Cuse: UNC (Ty Lawson)
Hopefully we'll get a piece from Broc here soon, he's been out with Wisdom teeth pain for about a month now. He's the expert on NCAA basketball not me, so if you just read this I successfully wasted fifteen minutes of your time...SWEET
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Fantasy Baseball Nip Style
I love fantasy baseball. It is the most difficult fantasy sport to play and by far the most difficult to draft. There are two reasons though, that I like it more than the other fantasy sports:
1) There are so many different kinds of leagues: Rotisserie, Head to Head, 5X5, 4X4, AL/NL only on all of the previous....you get the picture. To make it even more customizable, all leagues have over 25 categories per side (batters/pitching) that can make every league even more different. The thing I like even more is that everyone likes one league setup more than another for whatever reasons. What this means is that only the best of the best are in your specific type of league, making it more competitive than any other kind of fantasy game.
2) There are 25 rounds to draft. Depending on the league you can have to fill anywhere from 9 to 14 offensive spots and 5 to 8 pitching spots. This leaves room for a whole bunch of strategies that you can employ to cruise your way on to victory.
That being said, a fantasy baseball draft can go in 1,000 different ways given the type of value each specific team puts on a player.
I've played for a five years now and I've won twice so, of course, I think my strategy is the best to win...Without further ado...I give you
I've played for a five years now and I've won twice so, of course, I think my strategy is the best to win...Without further ado...I give you
The 3rd Nipple's Fantasy Baseball Rules of Drafting
1) Offense Wins Championships
What do you think is more consistent a guy swinging a bat or a guy throwing a pitch at a strike zone the size of a milk carton box? The answer should be obvious. Besides the constant ridiculous toll pitching takes on an arm, pitching is insanely hard to predict every year except for a few high priced arms.
Therefore, I think it's safe to take the Texas Rangers philosophy and outscore your opponents in batting all around and hope to steal some points in one or two pitching categories.
Which leads into...
2) Do NOT draft a pitcher before the eighth round. DON'T DO IT.
There isn't a big enough difference in stats from a pitcher you draft in the first eight rounds to one you can get in the later rounds. On top of that, the offensive value you can get at the pick if you picked a pitcher will hurt you big time in later rounds.
Here's an example w/'08 stats:
Player A: 9 wins, 3.45 ERA, 175 K's, 1.39 WHIP
Player B: 12 wins, 4.67 ERA, 200K's, 1.32 WHIP
Player C: 13 wins, 3.47 ERA, 183K's, 1.28 WHIPPlayer D: 12 wins, 4.03 ERA, 172 K's, 1.19 WHIP
So looking at those four pitchers, I would assume if you were to have two of them, you would probably pick the middle two because they rank the highest in the most categories.
Time to use your brain for a minute. Please explain to me why people are drafting player D 80 picks before player C.
Players names and ADP (Average Draft Pick):
A) Felix Hernandez - 88 B) Javier Vazquez - 126 C) Zack Greinke D) Josh Beckett - 68
It doesn't make sense, don't draft pitchers for names or teams...draft for stats, after the tenth round only.
3) Read up and draft, based on, position scarcity.
It's a simple concept, there are WAY more better 1B than there are 2B. There are way more quality OF than there are SS. You get the picture? no. Well italicized voice, let me explain further.
There are these things called tiers in fantasy...read up...and you want to choose positions based on how quick the drop off is in talent. Opinions differ from person to person, but it's pretty safe to say most would agree SS and 2B have the biggest scarcity in talent.
Here's a quick run down of each position by scarcity of talent:
Second Basemen - The top players at this position have the ability to hit 20 home run's and steal 20 bases (Utley, Pedroia, Phillips, Kinsler, Alexei Ramirez).
After that there is only a few players worth having for specific reasons: Roberts (steals, avg.), Uggla (power), Cano/Lopez (both for decent avg. and power). SLEEPER: Jose Lopez...big season coming
Although you can usually get Cano or Lopez late, If you don't have one of the mentioned players on your team you are screwed, there is no way around it.
Shortstop - This crew is a little deeper but not too far off of second base. There is a significant drop off after the first three (Hanley Ramirez, Reyes, Rollins) who are usually off the board in the first round. All three of them have the potential to steal 40+ bases and Rollins and Ramirez could both hit 20+ home runs to boot. This kind of size/power combination is seen nowhere else in the league so spend high and spend early.
Other key players in this position: Troy Tulowitzki (power/avg.), Michael Young (power), Stephen Drew (avg./semi-power)
SLEEPER: Johnny Peralta
Third Baseman - This position is a lot more thin than most people think, but you can find some bargains late so listen up. The top two players are argueablythe top players in fantasy baseball (Wright, Miguel Cabrera). After that there is significant power for 7 more picks (Longoria, A-Roid, A. Ramirez, Youkilis, Atkins, Chris Davis).
After this there isn't a lot of stats around but here they are: Zimmerman (injury risk), Aubrey Huff (solid power #'s in an improving Orioles lineup), AdrianBeltre (can someone say contract year), Jorge Cantu (streaky but when he's on he's as good as any).
SLEEPER: Zimmerman
When I draft I usually try to get one of the top seven, no excuses.
One final note on this topic; don't wait to fill out your OF's. All of the good OF'sare taken by the 15th round, and you should have good OF's in every position.
4) Draft Consistency
What does that mean? Guys that bat over .280.
If a guy bats over .280, he's a pretty damn good hitter. What that means is that he will battle out of slumps, he's likely to give you a consistent week in and week out average and won't have an out of the blue crappy season. This is a big difference between my system of thought and most others. I absolutely will not take a player that bats below .270 (exception Adam Dunn because of his insanely high number of walks and high OPS) because you have to make up for it with other players on your team.
This might seem ridiculous, but you won't hear me saying:
"Ryan Howard is batting .150 over the past month, he's killing my team"
"Pat Burrell hit three home runs tonight!" (Insert Jim Thome, Travis Hafner, Chris Young, David Ortiz or anyone they put the shift on for)
...and that makes me sleep well at night.
5) Try to draft guys who can hit 20 HR and steal some bases while they're at it.
Yeah I know they are few and far between, but they are a HUGE advantage. You should over value them and draft them before everyone else can.
Here's some examples:
Early picks - Ryan Braun (40, 15), Brandon Phillips (24, 25), Jimmy Rollins (18, 45), Hanley Ramirez (33, 33), David Wright (33, 14), Ian Kinsler (17, 33), BJUpton (15, 45), Soriano (24, 20), Lance Berkman (35, 15), Carlos Beltran (24, 24), Utley and Pedroia come to mind too...
Middle Picks - Bobby Abreu (24, 20), Matt Holiday (30, 13), Matt Kemp (17, 33),Granderson (20, 12), Rios (16, 20), Alexei Ramirez (20, 20), Nate Mclouth (23, 23), Corey Hart (20, 20)
Later- Derek Lee (25, 11), Lastings Milledge (15, 20), Johnny Damon (17, 25),Torii Hunter (20, 20), Jayson Werth (25, 20), Joey Votto (30, 10)
You can make a whole team out of 10 steal guys who will kick the crap out of a team with Jose Reyes and BJ Upton with the above guys. I usually like to play it safe and get Rollins to assure me some steals every week though.
6) Chicks dig the long ball.
Guess what you're scored on? Runs, Hits, Home Runs, Avg, SB. Guess what hits four out of those five categories? A Home Run.
Hopefully this gives you a few pretty good ideas about what to do in your draft, let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer them...Happy Drafting!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
It's the Most Wonderful Time....
OOOOOOF THE YEEEEEAR...Drink up and celebrate!
In the past week and a half I have had the following questions asked to me while at work:
"Hey, Jack told me you're pretty good at fantasy baseball and I was wondering if you could help me out with my draft in a couple of days..."
"Who do you thinks winning the tourney this year?"
"Man, can you believe this NFL off season? Do you think the Eagles should trade a first and a third for Boldin or hold their picks for the draft and sign Plaxico?"
"Do you do any work in the office or just read sports stuff all day?"
"You think the Phillies repeating this year?"
"Why not, who do you think will win then genius?"
I know exactly what's going through your head, "who gives a shit Greg, we're all getting asked those questions."
That's the point genius, I FUCKING LOVE THIS MONTH!
Despite the fact that in this month I decided to bless this glorious planet with my existence; it's also the only time in the year where you get asked all of those questions in the span of a week. What a great time of year for a sports nut.
So that being the case, I'm going to answer all of those questions one post at a time while Broc keeps you up to date with his awe-inspiring basketball intellect.
"Who do you thinks winning the tourney this year?"
"Man, can you believe this NFL off season? Do you think the Eagles should trade a first and a third for Boldin or hold their picks for the draft and sign Plaxico?"
"Do you do any work in the office or just read sports stuff all day?"
"You think the Phillies repeating this year?"
"Why not, who do you think will win then genius?"
I know exactly what's going through your head, "who gives a shit Greg, we're all getting asked those questions."
That's the point genius, I FUCKING LOVE THIS MONTH!
Despite the fact that in this month I decided to bless this glorious planet with my existence; it's also the only time in the year where you get asked all of those questions in the span of a week. What a great time of year for a sports nut.
So that being the case, I'm going to answer all of those questions one post at a time while Broc keeps you up to date with his awe-inspiring basketball intellect.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
ACC/Big East: Part II
So I know I said I wouldn’t comment on which conference is better, but after preparing for this article, it became very clear to me that the ACC is the best conference this year. Better than the Big East, better than the Pac-10, better than the Big-10. This conference will have 8 teams in the tournament, for those of you rocket scientist's out there, that’s 75% of the conference teams! So let's break down the best teams in the conference and show you why they truly are the tops in the nation.
FSU -
As much as I built up Clemson, this FSU team beat them twice. This team only has one player that averages double digit scoring a game, (Toney Douglas) and their lack of depth will really limit this team from going much further that the 2nd round of the tournament. One big star player, but just not enough to make it all happen.
Best of the Rest
This conference is stacked with teams that will never play easy, give up, or play poorly when called on. Every year, Duke or UNC loses to Maryland and NC State. Miami had a good showing this year as well. BC, NC State, Maryland, and Miami all have a chance to make the tournament, and with the experience that they gained playing in this conference in the regular season, they have every opportunity to beat any team and make it a Sweet trip.
So, I am getting my wisdom teeth pulled on March 19th, so I get to sit at home and watch all the first round games...Sure to be some great basketball soon, and I hope that my underdogs, Providence and Clemson, can make a show in the tourney!
Best of the ACC
UNC -
The preseason favorite to win it all. However, as we
learned throughout the season, one white power forward named Tyler does not make a title team. This team is stocked head to toe, and their first five guys off the bench could form their own Top 25 team, I am sure of it. This teams shoots above 49% for the season, and leads the ACC in every major statistical team category.
The thing you might not catch on to is that the key to this team is actually Ty Lawson. He has the 3rd best assist/turn-over ratio in the nation, at about 4, and leads the ACC with 6.3 APG.
Here is the key: every game that UNC has lost this season, Ty Lawson has seen his Ass/TO ration drop below 1. If a team can stop Ty Lawson and force him to turn over the ball, UNC will lose. Although Hansborough leads the ACC with 21 PPG, he doesn’t produce unless Lawson feeds him the ball.
Wake -
Yet another causality of being ranked #1, this team has been up and down all season. Wake is one of the teams that, as a 'Nova fan, scares the crap out of me. With Jeff Teague averaging 20 PPG and shooting above 50% from the field (including behind the arc), and with the combination of Aminu and Johnson averaging over 17 rebounds a game, this team will punish you on both ends of the court. Flat out, they have one of the most prolific offenses in the country.
However, their weakness is playing in big games on the road. 13-1 at home and 7-4 (which really isn't that bad) on the road. They have to grow up fast, and find the experience that will help them win the big games in the Tourney. Watch out America, this team could do the dance.
Clemson -
You only have to talk about one person when you talk about Clemson and that is Trevor Booker. The guy averages just about a double-double, he is one of the most under-rated players in the country and I think he will have a coming out party in the dance. With the support of KC Rivers and his 14 PPG, this team is special and has the potential for a big upset. If Booker plays well, he can carry this team all the way to the final four.
Duke -
A buddy of mine at work really represents the Blue Devils fan base. Like most Duke fans: he thinks he is entitled to a title every season, he thinks his basketball mind is superior to the rest of us because Duke was good in the 90's, he's constantly confused with Daniel Radcliffe and generally has trouble doing basic math. HOWEVER, not to worry! Just like the past couple of years, this team will have an early exit in the tournament, and I will be able to laugh in his face...hopefully in front of a hot girl in a bar.
A buddy of mine at work really represents the Blue Devils fan base. Like most Duke fans: he thinks he is entitled to a title every season, he thinks his basketball mind is superior to the rest of us because Duke was good in the 90's, he's constantly confused with Daniel Radcliffe and generally has trouble doing basic math. HOWEVER, not to worry! Just like the past couple of years, this team will have an early exit in the tournament, and I will be able to laugh in his face...hopefully in front of a hot girl in a bar.
Duke feeds off its home crowd so much, that come tournament time, they lose their 6th man, and fall short. But, one of my favorite players this season has got to be Gerald Henderson. This guy is everything you could want from a college player. Averaging 17 PPG and 5 RPG, this guys is athletic, emotional, and dominant in every part of the game.
FSU -
As much as I built up Clemson, this FSU team beat them twice. This team only has one player that averages double digit scoring a game, (Toney Douglas) and their lack of depth will really limit this team from going much further that the 2nd round of the tournament. One big star player, but just not enough to make it all happen.
Best of the Rest
This conference is stacked with teams that will never play easy, give up, or play poorly when called on. Every year, Duke or UNC loses to Maryland and NC State. Miami had a good showing this year as well. BC, NC State, Maryland, and Miami all have a chance to make the tournament, and with the experience that they gained playing in this conference in the regular season, they have every opportunity to beat any team and make it a Sweet trip.
My Case for the ACC
My roommates, college friends, and all the people around Philly always wonder how I could stand admitting that the ACC is better than the Big East this year. Well, its pretty easy when you look at one stat, non-conference play.
When you watch the ACC and the Big East beat up on each other all season, its hard to put into perspective how good those teams really are. The only way to differentiate is what they did against all the out of conference power teams.
So lets look:
- Georgetown lost to Duke.
- UNC destroyed the Big 10 champions, Michigan St.
- Wake beat Illinois (2nd place in the Big 10)
- Clemson beat Baylor and Indiana
The ACC played so well out of conference, that it is hard to say that they aren’t better, especially when the Big East lost to teams like Texas, Dayton, Tennessee, Cleveland St., Mississippi, and UNLV. I am not saying those teams are bad, but the difference is that the ACC won tough games out of conference and the Big East didn’t. Sorry Big East, ACC will win.
So, I am getting my wisdom teeth pulled on March 19th, so I get to sit at home and watch all the first round games...Sure to be some great basketball soon, and I hope that my underdogs, Providence and Clemson, can make a show in the tourney!
I'll update you guys with a little more later, MARCH MADNESS BABY!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
You Work, I Watch the Combine
I stayed home the other day because my work computer exploded and I had nothing to do, so I immediately thought about the loyal readers of the Nipple...and that they might wonder what the hell happened at the combine.
I didn't get to see the QB's but there really wasn't anything spectacular there anyways, so I'll break it down how I saw it.
Defensive Tackle -
I guess I just have a really big problem watching the DT's because all of them are just FAT. They don't look athletic, they don't look strong, they don't look fast. So I took Warren Sapp's POV on most of these guys and here's what I came out with.
Terrance Taylor - is a MONSTER. His bench press was one of the most eye-opening things I saw all day. I can do 225 maybe 15 times...this dude wasn't even winded when he hit 25. The first 30 seconds just looked like he was lifting a toothpick . He ended up putting it up 37 times and that stands as the second most in the whole combine. I can't imagine what it was like when Broderick Bunkley put it up 47 times three years ago.
B.J. Raji - is supposed to be awesome. He looks like a fat prick to me. He had to sit out his whole junior year because of academic probation and when he came on the set of NFL network it was obvious why. I don't think he used a word over two syllables the entire time he was on set.
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80edfdee
Terrance Knighton - Has the largest lower body I have ever seen in my entire life. It looked like one of those apple picture things where you can stretch the photo with the click of a button. Oh, and performance wise, nothing special.
Defensive End -
This was the most intriguing group of guys. A lot of them can be conversion outside linebackers, they are all fast and huge and amazing athletes.
Connor Barwin - stole the show. Everyone was thinking "oh here's a defensive end from Cincinnati," everyone came out saying "here's one of the best athletes at the combine." This guy boosted his draft position more than anyone at the combine by far. He had the highest vert of any DE, the second fastest 40 time (4.61) and he tied Beanie Wells in the broad jump at 10'8.
Aaron Maybin - is 20 years old. Twenty...and he looks like he can handle it. He's big, he's fast and he looks like an athlete. The only knock in him is that he's from PSU and I don't like the DE's that come out of that school. If he's converted to a OLB, WATCH OUT.
Brian Orakpo - is a BEAST. He looks bigger than Jevon Kearse who I think is one of the biggest DE's in the game. He ran a top ten 40 time and looked pretty good until his hamstring popped. No worries, he will be fine...he's my dark horse for defensive ROY.
Orion Martin - was a walk on. So you know he has heart and determination. He has vaulted himself into a top three DL pick and I think over time he will be a house hold name.
Michael Johnson - is my pick for flop of the draft. He looked like a man among boys, except for Orakpo. He was one of the fastest DE's has HUGE arms, a long stride and was the best athlete in drills. My only worry, as the NFL Network said is that he's HIGHLY inconsistent. His raw talent and potential is bar none in this draft.
Linebacker -
Aaron Curry - should be the first pick in the draft. He is/was that good. It was obvious he was the best LB at the combine. His quickness and decision making were obviously faster than everyone else's and he was a top performer in EVERY drill.. His only downfall is he gets excited in the open field and misses tackles...no worries Detroit, give him his money now.
Clay Matthews - has NFL blood in him. His dad was an NFL linebacker, his uncle is the famous Bruce Matthews, his brother is a top prospect at Oregon...how's that for pedigree? I think he boosted himself almost as much as Connor Barwin. He looked so fluid in every drill it was like he was born to be a linebacker. Watch out for Clay to make a big impact in the NFL.
Brian Cushing - is a meat head. "What NFL team doesn't want a meat head on their squad," as Jon Gruden so eloquently put it. He by passed all of the big name combine workout facilities to go back to his NJ high school's training facilities because he thought "they knew him best." That is bad ass. "Screw the froo-froo crap, I'm going to Jersey to flip dumpsters and pull semi trucks." I absolutely love this kid.
Marcus Freeman - is a name you should know about going into the draft. This guy was always over-shadowed by the oh so famous James Lauranitis at OSU. Let us not look past him anymore...he looked better than him in every drill. He's a tenth of a second faster, 7 reps stronger and he looked more fluid in drills and James did...can we say UNDER RATED.
Ray Malaluga - got hurt in his 40. I don't really have a lot to say about him other than he is probably the second best LB in the draft. He's like a bigger Troy Polomalu who doesn't talk like Michael Jackson.
Tight End -
Cornelius Ingram - was the only person that blew me away. By blew me away I mean, holy crap, this dude is an animal. Anyone who is 6'4 245 and ran the 40 in 4.68 is ok in my book. He is a unproven Kellen Winslow, without a motorcycle license. A huge down side is that he was just recovering from an ACL tear that kept him out all season at Florida. He looked like he was playing with a bunch of rookies at the combine to me.
Brandon Pettigrew - is a lot better than was shown at the combine. He is a prototypical tight end who can block and catch. If you need a 10 year TE prospect, draft him.
Wide Receiver -
Deon Butler - was the fastest man at PSU. His first ten yards of his 40 were non existent. That being said he ran the 30-yard dash in 4.26 seconds. He looked RIDICULOUSLY fast. Other than that he did ok.
Johnny Knox - is faster than Deon. This guy was believe it or not, even faster.
Take three minutes and watch this...it's unreal: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80edffeb
Michael Crabtree - broke his foot but will be a beast in the NFL...everyone knows that.
Jeremy Maclin - is going to be the best athlete from this draft class. He's fast as hell, he's got amazing hands and he's a threat to score on any punt return or kick return.
Percy Harvin - is ok. I question how good Percy is going to be in the NFL because of his size. He's only 5'11, which I think is a stretch, and he's gonna get knocked around a lot. Bottom line is Percy didn't jump off the field at me during the combine and I don't think he will in the NFL...could regret saying that.
Running Back -
Cedric Peerman - looks like the top RB in this class. He went to Virginia which has a history of turning out some MONSTER tailbacks into the NFL, and he performed very well. He was a top performer in nearly every drill, he's big, he's fast, he's agile...what more do you want?
Ian Johnson - really surprised me. Everyone thinks of Ian as the guy that proposed during a bowl game. Everyone also knows that he played for Boise State and the team isn't that impressive, blah blah blah... I got news for you people, this guy can play ball. I think whoever takes him in the third or fourth is going to get a workhorse that loves to play the game.
To be honest, no one else really impressed me at the combine...so there you have it. These are the guys to look out for in the Draft in April. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm going to leave you with some good clips of Rich Eisen at the combine...hilarious stuff.
Rich Eisen's 40: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80eea0dc
Rich Eisen's Wonderlic: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80ee436c
I didn't get to see the QB's but there really wasn't anything spectacular there anyways, so I'll break it down how I saw it.
Defensive Tackle -
I guess I just have a really big problem watching the DT's because all of them are just FAT. They don't look athletic, they don't look strong, they don't look fast. So I took Warren Sapp's POV on most of these guys and here's what I came out with.Terrance Taylor - is a MONSTER. His bench press was one of the most eye-opening things I saw all day. I can do 225 maybe 15 times...this dude wasn't even winded when he hit 25. The first 30 seconds just looked like he was lifting a toothpick . He ended up putting it up 37 times and that stands as the second most in the whole combine. I can't imagine what it was like when Broderick Bunkley put it up 47 times three years ago.
B.J. Raji - is supposed to be awesome. He looks like a fat prick to me. He had to sit out his whole junior year because of academic probation and when he came on the set of NFL network it was obvious why. I don't think he used a word over two syllables the entire time he was on set.
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80edfdee
Terrance Knighton - Has the largest lower body I have ever seen in my entire life. It looked like one of those apple picture things where you can stretch the photo with the click of a button. Oh, and performance wise, nothing special.
Defensive End -
This was the most intriguing group of guys. A lot of them can be conversion outside linebackers, they are all fast and huge and amazing athletes.
Connor Barwin - stole the show. Everyone was thinking "oh here's a defensive end from Cincinnati," everyone came out saying "here's one of the best athletes at the combine." This guy boosted his draft position more than anyone at the combine by far. He had the highest vert of any DE, the second fastest 40 time (4.61) and he tied Beanie Wells in the broad jump at 10'8.
Aaron Maybin - is 20 years old. Twenty...and he looks like he can handle it. He's big, he's fast and he looks like an athlete. The only knock in him is that he's from PSU and I don't like the DE's that come out of that school. If he's converted to a OLB, WATCH OUT.
Brian Orakpo - is a BEAST. He looks bigger than Jevon Kearse who I think is one of the biggest DE's in the game. He ran a top ten 40 time and looked pretty good until his hamstring popped. No worries, he will be fine...he's my dark horse for defensive ROY.Orion Martin - was a walk on. So you know he has heart and determination. He has vaulted himself into a top three DL pick and I think over time he will be a house hold name.
Michael Johnson - is my pick for flop of the draft. He looked like a man among boys, except for Orakpo. He was one of the fastest DE's has HUGE arms, a long stride and was the best athlete in drills. My only worry, as the NFL Network said is that he's HIGHLY inconsistent. His raw talent and potential is bar none in this draft.
Linebacker -
Aaron Curry - should be the first pick in the draft. He is/was that good. It was obvious he was the best LB at the combine. His quickness and decision making were obviously faster than everyone else's and he was a top performer in EVERY drill.. His only downfall is he gets excited in the open field and misses tackles...no worries Detroit, give him his money now.
Clay Matthews - has NFL blood in him. His dad was an NFL linebacker, his uncle is the famous Bruce Matthews, his brother is a top prospect at Oregon...how's that for pedigree? I think he boosted himself almost as much as Connor Barwin. He looked so fluid in every drill it was like he was born to be a linebacker. Watch out for Clay to make a big impact in the NFL.Brian Cushing - is a meat head. "What NFL team doesn't want a meat head on their squad," as Jon Gruden so eloquently put it. He by passed all of the big name combine workout facilities to go back to his NJ high school's training facilities because he thought "they knew him best." That is bad ass. "Screw the froo-froo crap, I'm going to Jersey to flip dumpsters and pull semi trucks." I absolutely love this kid.
Marcus Freeman - is a name you should know about going into the draft. This guy was always over-shadowed by the oh so famous James Lauranitis at OSU. Let us not look past him anymore...he looked better than him in every drill. He's a tenth of a second faster, 7 reps stronger and he looked more fluid in drills and James did...can we say UNDER RATED.
Ray Malaluga - got hurt in his 40. I don't really have a lot to say about him other than he is probably the second best LB in the draft. He's like a bigger Troy Polomalu who doesn't talk like Michael Jackson.
Tight End -
Cornelius Ingram - was the only person that blew me away. By blew me away I mean, holy crap, this dude is an animal. Anyone who is 6'4 245 and ran the 40 in 4.68 is ok in my book. He is a unproven Kellen Winslow, without a motorcycle license. A huge down side is that he was just recovering from an ACL tear that kept him out all season at Florida. He looked like he was playing with a bunch of rookies at the combine to me.
Brandon Pettigrew - is a lot better than was shown at the combine. He is a prototypical tight end who can block and catch. If you need a 10 year TE prospect, draft him.
Wide Receiver -
Deon Butler - was the fastest man at PSU. His first ten yards of his 40 were non existent. That being said he ran the 30-yard dash in 4.26 seconds. He looked RIDICULOUSLY fast. Other than that he did ok.Johnny Knox - is faster than Deon. This guy was believe it or not, even faster.
Take three minutes and watch this...it's unreal: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80edffeb
Michael Crabtree - broke his foot but will be a beast in the NFL...everyone knows that.
Jeremy Maclin - is going to be the best athlete from this draft class. He's fast as hell, he's got amazing hands and he's a threat to score on any punt return or kick return.
Percy Harvin - is ok. I question how good Percy is going to be in the NFL because of his size. He's only 5'11, which I think is a stretch, and he's gonna get knocked around a lot. Bottom line is Percy didn't jump off the field at me during the combine and I don't think he will in the NFL...could regret saying that.
Running Back -
Cedric Peerman - looks like the top RB in this class. He went to Virginia which has a history of turning out some MONSTER tailbacks into the NFL, and he performed very well. He was a top performer in nearly every drill, he's big, he's fast, he's agile...what more do you want?Ian Johnson - really surprised me. Everyone thinks of Ian as the guy that proposed during a bowl game. Everyone also knows that he played for Boise State and the team isn't that impressive, blah blah blah... I got news for you people, this guy can play ball. I think whoever takes him in the third or fourth is going to get a workhorse that loves to play the game.
To be honest, no one else really impressed me at the combine...so there you have it. These are the guys to look out for in the Draft in April. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm going to leave you with some good clips of Rich Eisen at the combine...hilarious stuff.
Rich Eisen's 40: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80eea0dc
Rich Eisen's Wonderlic: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80ee436c
Introductions are in order
Everyone, I just wanted to let you know that my buddy Broc is now (and by now I mean his first post is already below this one) going to be writing for the Nipple. I told him I could use some help giving all of you guys more stuff to read about and he said he would be more than happy to tag in every once in awhile and write up some stuff about basketball/baseball/whatever in the hell he feels like. So, welcome him to the family and write nasty comments about everything he says like you do with me.
Just so you know...He went to Villanova and therefore knows a HELL of a lot more about basketball then I do. He is a fellow Halos fan and transplant from L.A. like myself. With that being said, look for a little more Left Coast attention to even out your ESPN bias.
(FYI he wrote his first post on Monday, before the Providence upset of Pitt. Props to you Broc...called the Darkhorse on your first post.)
Just so you know...He went to Villanova and therefore knows a HELL of a lot more about basketball then I do. He is a fellow Halos fan and transplant from L.A. like myself. With that being said, look for a little more Left Coast attention to even out your ESPN bias.
(FYI he wrote his first post on Monday, before the Providence upset of Pitt. Props to you Broc...called the Darkhorse on your first post.)
Monday, February 23, 2009
ACC/Big East: Part 1
The Big East and the ACC are the best conferences in college basketball, period. They have had the most #1 teams in rankings of any conference and between 2001-2005, every national champion has come from one of the two conferences.This is not a debate about which conference is better, that's a really tough question and I'm going to stay away from that discussion like Calhoun avoids discussions about his state paid salary. What this is going to touch on is the current state of the Big East/ACC and hopefully give you all a good idea of what college basketball is looking like going into March.
Best of the Big East
As you can see from the standings, this may be the only conference that can have a #1 ranked team in second place! But the question is, who is the best team in the big east?
Most major sports analysts would tell you it has to be UCONN or Pitt. Is the story really that simple? I think not.
UCONN -
Uconn is the most over rated team in college basketball. Why? Hasheem Thabeet is the most over rated player in college basketball. Yes, he averages about 5 blocks a game (with one ridiculous 10 block performance against L’Ville), and yes, he averages double-digit points...but his size is the only reason he gets the coverage he does.
He is soft in the paint. As we saw in the game against Pitt, anyone with some strength can eliminate his shot blocking ability. I hate to say it, but in the NCAA tournament, every team will have someone that can play him strong, get ready for a disappointment. I predict an early exit in the tourney.
PITT -
Pitt is now the #1 team in the country, and I think they deserve that title. This is the most complete team in the NCAA, but they have problems consistently showing up. In order for them to make moves in the tourney Sam Young has to elevate his game, and Levance Fields needs to find his stroke again. When this team is firing on all cylinders, they are un-beatable. This is the best team in the Big East, no question about it. They will make a deep run in the tournament, and they will have every opportunity to win the whole shebang!
VILLANOVA -
Considering I went to Nova, I'm going to try to keep this un-biased. To me, this Nova team is much more balanced than any other Nova team in recent years. With 6 people scoring in double digits, their offense is potent, and doesn’t depend on one or two people like most programs in the country. A deep bench and some key seniors makes this a dangerous team to play, and also a tough team to play in the tournament.
Draw back: defense. This team cant stop a good offensive team, so they will need that offense to carry them deep.
MARQUETTE -
Marquette is another team that has everything in place to show up n the national stage. With all their senior guards, and the leadership they have, this team will have the tools in place to make a difference. They remind me of the 2006 Villanova team that made the Elite 8, and they might even be better than that.
Unsung Heroes
WVU -
Two teams that have not received a lot of press this season are West Virginia and Providence. WVU has several key big wins, including a blow-out win against the fore-mentioned Villanova team. WVU has one of the most prolific defenses in the country, save Michigan State or Purdue. With three easy games left in conference play, and a key game against L’Ville to end the season, this team could finish 12-6 in the Big East, and have a chance to be the five seed in the Big East tournament. In my opinion, this unranked WVU team is the 5th best in the conference; ahead of #6 ranked L’Ville, but that game can bee seen March 7th to decide that comment.
PROVIDENCE -
Providence is another team that is surprisingly high in the Big East standings. Collecting 8 wins in conference play already, this team is in position to finish better than .500 in the conference, and also gain a 1st round bye in the Big East tournament. If they play well there, this bubble team could quickly become a lock in the NCAA tourney! This is my dark-horse pick, so place your bets in Vegas baby!
What the...
So with all this babble about the top teams in the Big East, where does that leave the rest of the teams, including Notre Dame, Syracuse, and G-Town?
Well, Syracuse only has one Top 50 RPI team left in Marquette. So with them finishing 10-8 in the Big East makes them a good choice for the NCAA tourney with out the chance to shine in the conference tournament.
ND and G-Town on the other hand have a lot of work to do. Both teams play Nova in the next two weeks. A win there and vault both teams back into striking distance of the Big Dance. G-Town has had an awful year with none of their stars really doing anything. But this team is dangerous, and if they decided to turn on the jets, they could win the Big East tourney and earn and auto-bid to the Show. Notre Dame is a lost cause in my opinion. With only one real weapon in Harangody...who let's face it is white...they really have a pretty dark future, with a chance of missing the NIT!
So what does it all mean?
After about five minutes of writing and about a thousand words, have we made any progress in this article? Well, Pitt is the best team in this conference, with Marquette, Nova, and Connecticut within striking distance of taking the Big East crown. L’Ville, WVU, Syracuse, and Providence round up the second tier. Can anyone of these teams, including G-Town and ND, win the Big East tournament? Absolutely. Can any of them win a National Championship? I think any of the top teams in this conference can. Pitt has the best chance if Blair can stay out of foul trouble, with Marquette and Nova having an opportunity depending on their seedings, brackets, and offensive play during the dance.Next to come, the look at the ACC and some projections of a dream Big East/ACC match-up.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Legend of Barry Bonds
You're cocky, arrogant, arguably one of the most talented athletes of your era, your freaking god father is Willie "Say Hey" Mays, yet you still thought you had to take performance enhancing drugs to make yourself better?What were you trying to live up to? Did you think you had to be a better player than your dad?
Bobby Bonds, played for 13 seasons, career stats: .268 avg, .471 slug, 332 HR, 1024 rbi's, 461 SB. Never was higher than 3rd in MVP voting and was a 3 time all-star. His most impressive season was either when he was 24 (.302/.504/26/78/48) or when he was 25 (.288/.512/33/102/26).
I think it's pretty fair to say you could have surpassed those numbers without taking steroids.
Was it the '90/'91/'92 seasons? Did the loss push you over the edge? Did you make the decision in your mind that you would win a championship at ANY cost?
The 1990 Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 who eventually went on to sweep the Athletics 4-0 to win the '90 WS. In 1991 the Pirates were up 3-2 in the NLCS with two games left in Three Rivers Stadium. They lost game 6 in the top of the ninth inning when Doug Drabek gave up a double for one run; game 7 was lost 4-0. In 1992 the Braves were up 3-1 in the NLCS, Pittsburgh won the next two games in dominant fashion to take them to game 7 for the 2nd consecutive year. Pittsburgh was up 2-0 entering the ninth with Doug Drabek pitching, Atlanta would score 3 to win the pennant.
I think anyone who just read that blurb has to have a lot of respect for Doug Drabek not going down Donnie Moore lane. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Moore )
GETTING TO THE POINT...
If you look at Barry Bonds statistics, they are unbelievable. By the time he was 32 (11 seasons) he had: hit over .300 5 times, stolen over 30 bases 9 times, won 7 silver slugger awards, hit over 30 HR's 7 times, hit over 40 HR's 3 times, hit over 100 RBI's 7 times, his career OPS was 182 for god-sakes.Over, what should have been, his seven most-productive seasons (age 25-32) he AVERAGED .305, 36 HR's, 109 RBI's, 38 SB's a season. OVER SEVEN SEASONS he almost averaged a 40/40 season. For those of you who don't know baseball, that is unheard of. The ridiculous thing is if it wasn't for an injury-plagued 1994 season, it would have been even better.
But none of this matters, because of 1998.
In 1998, Barry Bonds was 33. He had an amazing year: .303/.609/37 HR/122 RBI's/28 SB's. However, no one seemed to care. Sosa and McGwire were the center of attention on their race to top Maris. Bonds would get 8th in MVP voting, despite having a higher OPS and SB than two of the players above him. That whole off-season began a downward turn for his career. In 1999 Barry was injured and missed about 50 games which further led to his dependence on the drugs to help him recover from injuries.
In 1999 an interesting thing happened, Barry's stolen bases declined RAPIDLY. That kind of stat kind of smacks me in the head because it tells me that his age is catching up with him and he lost some of his athleticism.
The year 2000 would start five consecutive years of 40+ HR seasons, something he had only done 3 times previously in his whole career.
In 2001 Barry would win his first MVP since 1993 at 36 years old. During this season his batting average was .328 and it wouldn't dip below this number for four more seasons.
2002 Barry won the MVP again, carried his team to the World Series and lost in seven games (AGAIN) to the Anaheim Angels.
2003-2004 Barry won two more MVP's boosting his career OPS another 20-30 points on the way. He's never been the same since the 2004 season because he stopped taking supplements.
Just in the past hour, while writing this post, I've went through four or five different emotions: amazement, jealousy, pity, embarassment and hatred. I suppose I feel sorry for Barry Bonds being as he is now the name that we all associate with steroids. Even though I don't condone what Barry did, we should really blame Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa for bringing the steroid era to baseball.They changed baseball into a game of home runs, they changed what fans wanted every time they walked into a park. Maybe the real culprits are ourselves for falling into a trance of only enjoying long balls instead of a lead off hitter who's OBP is over .420 and scores 140 runs.
Barry was an actor in the show. A show that we paid for. He could have been a Hall of Famer known for being one of the best combinations of speed and power to ever play the game. Instead, he is now known for being the face of steroids and for a symbol that will forever haunt his stats.
*
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Who's Going to Crack First?
My buddy Jim and I had an interesting conversation today that I thought I would include you guys on.
"Who is going to crack in NY first: The Hamburglar or Mark Teixeira?"
My immediate reply was Sabathia. Jim's was Mark "Just call me Trump" Teixeira. We both had pretty good arguments, but I was just curious what everyone else thought...so, let me know if I'm crazy or not.
Here's some reasoning for both of them cracking first.
The Hamburglar -
- Read the previous post I had on Sabathia -
I basically state that his career is slightly comparable to Bartolo Colon. We all know what happened to him after he went to California. (He won a Cy Young and then buried himself in KFC)
- The Hamburglar grew up in California -
What does this have to do with anything? It has a lot to do with his personality.
You've heard of the "California Cool," well it's pretty much instilled in every person that grew up there. It's a kind of relaxed state of mind that is only explainable if you've been somewhere that's sunny 300 days out of the year. It's a state of mind that really clashes with un-necessary pressure.
C.C. has never had the kind of pressure he's going to have on him in NYC, I think everyone can agree to that. He's getting paid A LOT of money from New Yorkers to be their main guy out there and he's going to have to perform like it every day...or they are going to boo the living crap out of him. Take for instance, this clip:
(Those of you that didn't recognize that clip, it was Victorino hitting a GS off of Sabathia in this past seasons playoffs.)
There are only a few stadiums I know that, as a collective whole, would boo that pitcher off of the field (given the game was in their home stadium): Phillies, Yankees and the Mets. (I don't even know if the Phillies would do it anymore because they usually did it because of their 30 year drought...I'm going to error on the side that they would because of what just happened with the Eagles.)
All it takes is one "man screw you guys," while walking off the field for a whole town to turn on you and be the focus of a whole lot of negative, un-necessary, press; especially in New York.
- Sabathia's Arm -
Sabathia pitched an unprecedented 130 innings in the last third of the season last year; including back-to-back-to-back-to-back-back starts on four days rest...the more I look at that stat, the more amazed I get. (and one was a complete game) He pitched 253 inning last year, which puts him at the most in baseball for the SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. If it wasn't for an injury stint in 2006 he would have been up over 200 again.
People, if he isn't hurt for a significant amount of time next year I will shave my head, glue the hair to my back and walk down a runway.
Which leads to the real reason....
- The Blame Game -
Hey Yankees fans, good luck making the playoffs next year, you're going to need it. Yes, your team is stacked. Yes, you have the best corner players in the big leagues. Yes you have a revamped pitching staff. No, you're not going to win your division.
If you look at team who have won the title in the past five years, they all have something you guys never seem to have, chemistry.
Even the 2003 Yankees had chemistry that just isn't possible with all of the new players you guys have in your club house. The only change from the 2003 team from the 2002 team was losing Rondell White and replacing him with Hideki Matsui. There was a chemistry that took time to create and throwing in Burnett, Sabathia, Tex and Swisher is NOT going to work out.
That being said, the blame is going to fall on some one's shoulders...New York wouldn't have it any other way. It's not going to be Cashman, he's amassed, argue ably one of the most talented teams put on a baseball field in 10 years. I would argue that it's not going to be Tex after he puts up .300/30 HR's/120 RBI/100+runs/gold glove. It could be Burnett, but I think Sabathia.
After he says "I tried my hardest, the rest you just hope falls into place." the NYC media rips into him about if he thinks the large amount of innings is affecting him. Then he gets pissed, develops a hatred for (the un-necessary) NYC pressure, opts out of his contract after the third year and heads to Cali.
Mark Teixeira -
- "Earn Your Paycheck" -
Jim's main argument, is that Teixeira is not worth $180 million. Jim's right, he's not worth anywhere near that money. Youkilis (who hit for ten fewer RBI, four point higher average, four fewer home runs and is also a phenomenal first base glove) JUST signed a 4-yr $44 Million dollar contract with the Red Sox. He can also play third base and is only a year older.
WTF. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
The Yankees are so stupid. I'm going to have so much fun for the next five years making fun of their performance per dollar. Haha, what a bunch of morons...ok, sorry I got off topic.
Jim and I both met in the middle and said Mark is pretty safely projected to hit .295/32 HR's/115 RBI's...I don't think Yankees fans are going to think it's worth the money.
The question is...is he going to crack under the pressure to perform at a higher level? He said he has "his best baseball," still ahead of him...but how good is his best? Is it .320 good? Is it 40+ home runs? Is it 130+ RBI's? That's what A-Rod has averaged the past two seasons (plus 20 SB) and he still gets criticized for not doing enough.
Wow, after writing that, I think Jim might have a point...
HOWEVER...A-Rod hasn't cracked yet and this could possibly give him something in common with someone else on the team. I can completely see them meeting up for a coffee and then head over to Madonna's place for a tag-team and a high five. Just wait, it will happen.
What do you guys think? Comments would be appreciated on this one.
"Who is going to crack in NY first: The Hamburglar or Mark Teixeira?"
My immediate reply was Sabathia. Jim's was Mark "Just call me Trump" Teixeira. We both had pretty good arguments, but I was just curious what everyone else thought...so, let me know if I'm crazy or not.
Here's some reasoning for both of them cracking first.
The Hamburglar -
- Read the previous post I had on Sabathia -
I basically state that his career is slightly comparable to Bartolo Colon. We all know what happened to him after he went to California. (He won a Cy Young and then buried himself in KFC)
- The Hamburglar grew up in California -
What does this have to do with anything? It has a lot to do with his personality.
You've heard of the "California Cool," well it's pretty much instilled in every person that grew up there. It's a kind of relaxed state of mind that is only explainable if you've been somewhere that's sunny 300 days out of the year. It's a state of mind that really clashes with un-necessary pressure.
C.C. has never had the kind of pressure he's going to have on him in NYC, I think everyone can agree to that. He's getting paid A LOT of money from New Yorkers to be their main guy out there and he's going to have to perform like it every day...or they are going to boo the living crap out of him. Take for instance, this clip:
(Those of you that didn't recognize that clip, it was Victorino hitting a GS off of Sabathia in this past seasons playoffs.)
There are only a few stadiums I know that, as a collective whole, would boo that pitcher off of the field (given the game was in their home stadium): Phillies, Yankees and the Mets. (I don't even know if the Phillies would do it anymore because they usually did it because of their 30 year drought...I'm going to error on the side that they would because of what just happened with the Eagles.)
All it takes is one "man screw you guys," while walking off the field for a whole town to turn on you and be the focus of a whole lot of negative, un-necessary, press; especially in New York.
- Sabathia's Arm -
Sabathia pitched an unprecedented 130 innings in the last third of the season last year; including back-to-back-to-back-to-back-back starts on four days rest...the more I look at that stat, the more amazed I get. (and one was a complete game) He pitched 253 inning last year, which puts him at the most in baseball for the SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. If it wasn't for an injury stint in 2006 he would have been up over 200 again.
People, if he isn't hurt for a significant amount of time next year I will shave my head, glue the hair to my back and walk down a runway.
Which leads to the real reason....
- The Blame Game -
Hey Yankees fans, good luck making the playoffs next year, you're going to need it. Yes, your team is stacked. Yes, you have the best corner players in the big leagues. Yes you have a revamped pitching staff. No, you're not going to win your division.
If you look at team who have won the title in the past five years, they all have something you guys never seem to have, chemistry.
Even the 2003 Yankees had chemistry that just isn't possible with all of the new players you guys have in your club house. The only change from the 2003 team from the 2002 team was losing Rondell White and replacing him with Hideki Matsui. There was a chemistry that took time to create and throwing in Burnett, Sabathia, Tex and Swisher is NOT going to work out.
That being said, the blame is going to fall on some one's shoulders...New York wouldn't have it any other way. It's not going to be Cashman, he's amassed, argue ably one of the most talented teams put on a baseball field in 10 years. I would argue that it's not going to be Tex after he puts up .300/30 HR's/120 RBI/100+runs/gold glove. It could be Burnett, but I think Sabathia.
After he says "I tried my hardest, the rest you just hope falls into place." the NYC media rips into him about if he thinks the large amount of innings is affecting him. Then he gets pissed, develops a hatred for (the un-necessary) NYC pressure, opts out of his contract after the third year and heads to Cali.
Mark Teixeira -
- "Earn Your Paycheck" -Jim's main argument, is that Teixeira is not worth $180 million. Jim's right, he's not worth anywhere near that money. Youkilis (who hit for ten fewer RBI, four point higher average, four fewer home runs and is also a phenomenal first base glove) JUST signed a 4-yr $44 Million dollar contract with the Red Sox. He can also play third base and is only a year older.
WTF. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
The Yankees are so stupid. I'm going to have so much fun for the next five years making fun of their performance per dollar. Haha, what a bunch of morons...ok, sorry I got off topic.
Jim and I both met in the middle and said Mark is pretty safely projected to hit .295/32 HR's/115 RBI's...I don't think Yankees fans are going to think it's worth the money.
The question is...is he going to crack under the pressure to perform at a higher level? He said he has "his best baseball," still ahead of him...but how good is his best? Is it .320 good? Is it 40+ home runs? Is it 130+ RBI's? That's what A-Rod has averaged the past two seasons (plus 20 SB) and he still gets criticized for not doing enough.
Wow, after writing that, I think Jim might have a point...
HOWEVER...A-Rod hasn't cracked yet and this could possibly give him something in common with someone else on the team. I can completely see them meeting up for a coffee and then head over to Madonna's place for a tag-team and a high five. Just wait, it will happen.
What do you guys think? Comments would be appreciated on this one.
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