This weekend was wacky. We had the Mets complete an absolutely fabulous collapse (if the Braves can't get in, the Mets shouldn't either), the Phillies and Rockies complete incredible late-season runs, and upside-down days in college and pro football.
What the Mets did was priceless: a year after taking away the NL East crown from Atlanta, they gave it away to the Phillies. Looking at the players and fans, their faces told the whole story - they blew it. They had the division wrapped up a month ago and forgot how to play baseball. The Phillies deserve credit as well, they played their butts off to win it.
The Rockies and Padres have a one-game playoff tonight to decide the Wild Card. I know you might be thinking about Monday Night Football (NE @ Cincy), but don't pass this one up. It's been eight years since we've had one of these, and it should be exciting. Jake Peavy vs the 100ft confines of Coors Field (they would have called it Coors Light Field, but there wasn't enough room on the stadium). I predict the Rockies make it to face the Phillies.
Six of the top eleven teams lost Saturday (and Friday night), something you don't see a lot. It started with West Virginia losing to South Florida on Friday, a school that didn't have football 15 years ago. Colorado started us off on the right foot Saturday with the win over Oklahoma (I tuned in about two minutes before the field goal), and the day was capped with Florida losing at home to Auburn. Couple Notre Dame being 0-5 and Georgia handily beating Ole Miss, and it was a great day to be a college football fan - unless you were a Sooner, Gator, Mountaineer, Longhorn, Scarlett Knight or Duck. But at least Oregon got beat by a higher-ranked team. I wonder if it had anything to do with the bomb scare at Eugene Airport late in the week? I know their uniforms are bad, but they aren't going to explode.
I had a horrible day predicting the NFL on Sunday. Going into the 4:15 games, I had only gotten two games right - Atlanta and Buffalo winning. By the time the Giants and Eagles had kicked off, I was deep into sub-.500 territory - something that I didn't do all of last year (I had a .600 winning percentage for the season). For those unfamiliar with my method, I pick every game before the start of the season and don't change my picks. Not going so well this year, but at least I'm not St. Louis (0-4) or San Diego (1-3). By the way...Umenyiora with six sacks was absolutely incredible. Expect Winston Justice to hit the waiver wire about Thursday...or to be washing those horrible throwback jerseys for next week.
What to watch: Tonight it's NE @ Cincy for MNF or the Pads-Rockies mini-off in Colorado. Or, it's Heroes and Journeyman on NBC. I'll be DVR'ing the NBC shows for tomorrow and watching the Rockies make the playoffs while keeping MNF in the PIP.
Tomorrow: your guide to acronyms.
About Me
Monday, October 1, 2007
Braves go golfing again
Sunday was another major milestone for the Braves, but it wasn't them making the playoffs. It was them not making the playoffs for a second straight year. While the season wasn't as big of a disappointment as 2006 (the first losing season since 1990, and 18 games out), we still missed the playoffs by five games and missed another division by the same amount. As we look forward to next season, one has to wonder what the roster changes are going to entail.
The defensive positions are definetly the most squared away. Jeff Franceour will start in RF (and hopefully get a day off every once in awhile), Matt Diaz will probably get the nod in LF. Chipper will be back at third for as many games as his body lets him, Kelly Johnson will continue his fine work at second, and Teixiera will contend for another Gold Glove at first. Brian McCann will continue to receive a majority of pitches behind the plate. But here's where it gets interesting: shortstop and centerfield. At this point, John Schuerholz's main desire should be to get Teixiera to sign a long-term deal, one where he retires as a Brave. He's very popular already, he went to school at Georgia Tech, and (at least in the previous offseason) was considering building a home here. It should be a no-brainer, and Liberty Media needs to pony up the cash to do so.
The shortstop position will most likely be decided by Andruw Jones. An upcoming free agent, Jones can go wherever he wants for whatever salary he desires - except that he had the most disappointing season of his career, and while he can still play exceptional defense, you can tell he's lost a step at age 30. The Braves certainly have the upper hand in negotiations now, and Jones would be wise to return for whatever decent salary the Braves offer to him. He'll get more money if he signs somewhere else, but the fans will definetly not be so kind if he has another year like this anywhere else.
If you can re-sign Jones at an affordable price, or decide to move Willie Harris or Brandon Jones into center, you can afford to try and deal Edgar Renteria for a nice #3 starting pitcher. While Renteria had an excellent year with us, Yunel Escobar has to be considered for a starting spot. His arm is too good to be wasted at second (and especially not while Johnson is quite able to fill the role), and you'd hate to have him try to learn an outfield spot. Escobar could certainly fill-in at third while Chipper has his expected lapses in fitness, and should be seriously looked at to fill the spot once Chipper retires. We traded Elvis Andrus to Texas, so we'll need to look long-term at the left side of the infield if Eric Campbell doesn't work out. The time is now for Yunel, however, and he needs to have a shot at earning a starting spot.
Unfortunately, the asking price for Renteria isn't going to be too high. The Braves would be good to get either a starting CF or a #3 or #4 starter out of the deal, depending on who is available. But if you can get someone to replace Andruw's defense and provide .275+ BA and 20HRs, or get a starter that might actually get you longer than five innings (I'm looking at you, Buddy Carslyle and JoJo Reyes), then it would be worth the trade.
Speaking of starting pitching, the Braves need that badly. I believe it directly correlates to the poor bullpen display down the stretch - the 'pen was simply worn out. A great move would be to bring back Glavine for one or two years and let him retire as a Brave. After his performance in a must-win game yesterday for New York (more on that later), he might be looking for a quick exit. He's always been receptive to staying, then returning as a Brave, but money got in the way. That shouldn't happen now, not at the twilight of his career. We'd love to have him back, and I'm sure he'd love to spend more time at home over the next couple of years. He'd make an excellent #3 starter, and possibly Smoltz and Glavine could rekindle the playoff run. He'd also bridge the gap between our current starters and the development of Anthony Lerew (elbow ligament surgery, out until 2009) and Jeff Barnett. If you can sign Glavine to a one or two year deal, and re-sign Teixiera and Jones, then you can trade Renteria for some prospects.
I think the Braves will be fine next year, but some tough decisions will have to be made. If Jones goes, then I won't be too disappointed. I just hope the replacement we get or have fills in nicely. Franceour could play center, but that would be a waste. Brandon Jones or Willie Harris (or Tori Hunter, but I doubt we have the cash unless we do a sign-and-trade with Renteria or otherwise) would be nice there.
Also, TBS broadcasted it's last Braves game yesterday after 30 years. It was sad to see it go, especially with the crap announcers Fox Sports sometimes gives us (thank you so much for getting rid of another annoying know-it-all-but-really-doesn't catcher in the booth, though). But hopefully I can move back to Atlanta and see the occasional game on Peachtree TV (the soon-to-be WTBS in Atlanta). I really won't have a reason to watch TBS anymore, except for the playoff games they sacrificed the Braves to acquire.
Sorry if this post seems to ramble, but I'm hungry and have to pee.
The defensive positions are definetly the most squared away. Jeff Franceour will start in RF (and hopefully get a day off every once in awhile), Matt Diaz will probably get the nod in LF. Chipper will be back at third for as many games as his body lets him, Kelly Johnson will continue his fine work at second, and Teixiera will contend for another Gold Glove at first. Brian McCann will continue to receive a majority of pitches behind the plate. But here's where it gets interesting: shortstop and centerfield. At this point, John Schuerholz's main desire should be to get Teixiera to sign a long-term deal, one where he retires as a Brave. He's very popular already, he went to school at Georgia Tech, and (at least in the previous offseason) was considering building a home here. It should be a no-brainer, and Liberty Media needs to pony up the cash to do so.
The shortstop position will most likely be decided by Andruw Jones. An upcoming free agent, Jones can go wherever he wants for whatever salary he desires - except that he had the most disappointing season of his career, and while he can still play exceptional defense, you can tell he's lost a step at age 30. The Braves certainly have the upper hand in negotiations now, and Jones would be wise to return for whatever decent salary the Braves offer to him. He'll get more money if he signs somewhere else, but the fans will definetly not be so kind if he has another year like this anywhere else.
If you can re-sign Jones at an affordable price, or decide to move Willie Harris or Brandon Jones into center, you can afford to try and deal Edgar Renteria for a nice #3 starting pitcher. While Renteria had an excellent year with us, Yunel Escobar has to be considered for a starting spot. His arm is too good to be wasted at second (and especially not while Johnson is quite able to fill the role), and you'd hate to have him try to learn an outfield spot. Escobar could certainly fill-in at third while Chipper has his expected lapses in fitness, and should be seriously looked at to fill the spot once Chipper retires. We traded Elvis Andrus to Texas, so we'll need to look long-term at the left side of the infield if Eric Campbell doesn't work out. The time is now for Yunel, however, and he needs to have a shot at earning a starting spot.
Unfortunately, the asking price for Renteria isn't going to be too high. The Braves would be good to get either a starting CF or a #3 or #4 starter out of the deal, depending on who is available. But if you can get someone to replace Andruw's defense and provide .275+ BA and 20HRs, or get a starter that might actually get you longer than five innings (I'm looking at you, Buddy Carslyle and JoJo Reyes), then it would be worth the trade.
Speaking of starting pitching, the Braves need that badly. I believe it directly correlates to the poor bullpen display down the stretch - the 'pen was simply worn out. A great move would be to bring back Glavine for one or two years and let him retire as a Brave. After his performance in a must-win game yesterday for New York (more on that later), he might be looking for a quick exit. He's always been receptive to staying, then returning as a Brave, but money got in the way. That shouldn't happen now, not at the twilight of his career. We'd love to have him back, and I'm sure he'd love to spend more time at home over the next couple of years. He'd make an excellent #3 starter, and possibly Smoltz and Glavine could rekindle the playoff run. He'd also bridge the gap between our current starters and the development of Anthony Lerew (elbow ligament surgery, out until 2009) and Jeff Barnett. If you can sign Glavine to a one or two year deal, and re-sign Teixiera and Jones, then you can trade Renteria for some prospects.
I think the Braves will be fine next year, but some tough decisions will have to be made. If Jones goes, then I won't be too disappointed. I just hope the replacement we get or have fills in nicely. Franceour could play center, but that would be a waste. Brandon Jones or Willie Harris (or Tori Hunter, but I doubt we have the cash unless we do a sign-and-trade with Renteria or otherwise) would be nice there.
Also, TBS broadcasted it's last Braves game yesterday after 30 years. It was sad to see it go, especially with the crap announcers Fox Sports sometimes gives us (thank you so much for getting rid of another annoying know-it-all-but-really-doesn't catcher in the booth, though). But hopefully I can move back to Atlanta and see the occasional game on Peachtree TV (the soon-to-be WTBS in Atlanta). I really won't have a reason to watch TBS anymore, except for the playoff games they sacrificed the Braves to acquire.
Sorry if this post seems to ramble, but I'm hungry and have to pee.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
ESPN's Race War
All too often, the world of sports and world of politics converge. I was hoping to avoid too much of that with this blog, but it looks like that's exactly right where I have to start. These days, if you're talking about both, usually you're talking about forms of racism. Again, unfortunately, that's exactly where we are.
Tuesday night, ESPN held a 'public' forum for the 'Michael Vick divide,' a contrived excuse to keep the subject relative and ratings high. There was a range of panelists there, including former Vick teammates Chuck Smith and Terrance Mathis, AJC columnist Terrance Moore, radio host Neal Boortz, and a couple other people. The whole event was hosted by Mr. ESPN Emmy himself, Bob Ley. I would have found more relevance in the special had it aired a month ago, and if they actually had some people in attendance that weren't completely ignorant.
It wasn't a public forum, it was by invitation. One blog respondant on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website responded that he thought he was there for the pure fact he was white (paraphrased). There was a fair share of ostentatious attendees proudly wearing Vick jerseys, and alternatively cheering or jeering when any facts or opinion was presented on Vick, or what he did. The panel I thought did a nice job, but the people in attendance were a joke.
During the entire show, there was a very vocal part of the crowd, inappropriate at best, that cheered anytime someone said that Vick deserved a second chance. As someone who has benefited from second chances in a few areas of my life, I can appreciate that view. Short of murder, I feel most people deserve second chances. However, when making this arguement, you need to have some sense of respect, or acknowledgement of what you or someone else did wrong. A majority of the audience could not grasp this simple concept.
It was so bad, at the end, an online poster asked a question which was asked to the audience. The question asked how many people in the audience didn't even think Vick did anything wrong, based on their actions during the entire broadcast. The response was disappointing, at best. The response to the 'No' part of the question was very telling: a large portion of the audience did not understand why Vick was being punished, or alternatively, that what Vick did was wrong and we shouldn't be doing it either.
As someone who has studied Political Science, and was interested in the field as a career, I understand the need for debate. As reasonable people, we should all be able to participate in a reasonable debate. However, there exists the need to be reasonable. It shouldn't have to be said, that as human beings with the ability to wield dominance over lesser creatures, we have the ability - neigh, the responsibility, to use our superior intellect for the advantage of all creatures. Yes, we are omnivores, we kill animals for food. We also kill animals for clothing, we have done both since we learned how to fashion and use tools. Do we gain either from fighting pit bulls? Of course not. That in and of itself invalidates the arguement I've heard way too often that fighting dogs isn't any worse than hunting for deer, etc. One of these benefits us in tangible ways - food, materials for clothing, etc. The other does not, and I hope that if you've been able to get this far in the world (able to surf the internet, find this post), you grasp which one is which.
There has also been an arguement that Vick shouldn't be responsible because it was a part of his upbringing, and it's a part of the black culture. So? Part of being an intelligent human being is the ability to make our own choices and decisions. Vick did both by fighting dogs, and is now being held responsible. That's how it works. You can make the arguement that it shouldn't be illegal, and you know what? I support that discussion. Discuss, lets examine the laws and see if the punishment is just, or if a law should even be enforceable. But - and this is a huge but - until said law is repealed, every one of us is reponsible for following that law, and it is up to the law enforcement sections of our government to enforce those laws. Don't blame anyone else for not being able to follow a law.
White people in Atlanta didn't want Vick indicted or kicked off the team because he is black. He wasn't getting the job done. Since Vick was drafted, the Falcons have made the playoffs twice. They have not changed the franchise streak of having back-to-back winning seasons. During the 2001 season, fans cheered when then-starting QB Chris Chandler suffered an apparent injury, believing that Vick would then enter the game. These are the same fans that were in attendance Tuesday night, and they are as disrespectful and ignorant as they were six years ago.
Oh, Vick did have a winning record as a starting QB, but in the NFL you are judged on postseason success. Need proof? Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb would be prime examples. Peyton was supposedly 'vindicated' by his Super Bowl XLI win, and McNabb has taken constant criticism in Philadeplhia for the lack of a title. Wins and losses in the regular season get you to postseason glory, but if you don't bring that glory back with you on a plane, along with some hardware, then it was all for naught. The 1991-2004 Atlanta Braves exemplify this more than any other team in history. A run of 13 straight division titles is always accompanied by the one WS asterisk.
Back on point, Vick wasn't an elite QB in the NFL. He was an incredible athlete, with a skill set that we may never see again outside of Vince Young. He was lightning-quick, with a rocket for an arm, and the ability to escape seemingly impossible situations. Unfortunately, this is not what you need as a starting quarterback. The ability to see lanes, to make the tough throws, and to not stare down receivers are all qualities that you need, and Vick did not show these traits. At the first sign of difficulty in the pocket, Vick escaped it. While he was successful a lot of the time, the work that went into these routes was wasted. At some point with Vick, you have to wonder if the Offensive Coordinator just told Vick to tell his receivers to go ten yards and get open. With Harrington or Leftwich, while not possessing the natural talents that Vick does, they aren't as likely to run for yards at the first sign of trouble. While this is not exciting, it is more likely to produce results. This is why Vince Young looks so promising - he has the speed and agility to escape those situations, but he's more likely to stay around the pocket and get the ball to his receiver. Of course, Vince Young is also tall enough to see the passing lanes.
This isn't a racism issue, but ESPN and the people in that audience seem to want to make it one. Should Vick get a second chance once time is served? I say yes. Should Vick come back to this franchise for a second chance? Absolutely not. He's not the person to lead this franchise to a title. He didn't show that while he was here, and I can't believe that would be improved upon after a stint in jail. The best thing for him to do would be to concentrate on his receiving skills. It isn't because I think someone who isn't white shouldn't be a quarterback. I would hope my support for Kordell Stewart, Vince Young, DJ Shockley and Warren Moon would assuage that, but I know it won't. All I want from my quarterback is a good head on their shoulders, and the ability to get the ball to the receivers while leading the team both on and off the field. Of all these things, Vick has failed.
The Falcons are probably going to go 4-12 or 5-11, with a good shot at getting the first pick in April's draft. Brian Brohm is coming Atlanta, don't hate on him because he is white.
Tuesday night, ESPN held a 'public' forum for the 'Michael Vick divide,' a contrived excuse to keep the subject relative and ratings high. There was a range of panelists there, including former Vick teammates Chuck Smith and Terrance Mathis, AJC columnist Terrance Moore, radio host Neal Boortz, and a couple other people. The whole event was hosted by Mr. ESPN Emmy himself, Bob Ley. I would have found more relevance in the special had it aired a month ago, and if they actually had some people in attendance that weren't completely ignorant.
It wasn't a public forum, it was by invitation. One blog respondant on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website responded that he thought he was there for the pure fact he was white (paraphrased). There was a fair share of ostentatious attendees proudly wearing Vick jerseys, and alternatively cheering or jeering when any facts or opinion was presented on Vick, or what he did. The panel I thought did a nice job, but the people in attendance were a joke.
During the entire show, there was a very vocal part of the crowd, inappropriate at best, that cheered anytime someone said that Vick deserved a second chance. As someone who has benefited from second chances in a few areas of my life, I can appreciate that view. Short of murder, I feel most people deserve second chances. However, when making this arguement, you need to have some sense of respect, or acknowledgement of what you or someone else did wrong. A majority of the audience could not grasp this simple concept.
It was so bad, at the end, an online poster asked a question which was asked to the audience. The question asked how many people in the audience didn't even think Vick did anything wrong, based on their actions during the entire broadcast. The response was disappointing, at best. The response to the 'No' part of the question was very telling: a large portion of the audience did not understand why Vick was being punished, or alternatively, that what Vick did was wrong and we shouldn't be doing it either.
As someone who has studied Political Science, and was interested in the field as a career, I understand the need for debate. As reasonable people, we should all be able to participate in a reasonable debate. However, there exists the need to be reasonable. It shouldn't have to be said, that as human beings with the ability to wield dominance over lesser creatures, we have the ability - neigh, the responsibility, to use our superior intellect for the advantage of all creatures. Yes, we are omnivores, we kill animals for food. We also kill animals for clothing, we have done both since we learned how to fashion and use tools. Do we gain either from fighting pit bulls? Of course not. That in and of itself invalidates the arguement I've heard way too often that fighting dogs isn't any worse than hunting for deer, etc. One of these benefits us in tangible ways - food, materials for clothing, etc. The other does not, and I hope that if you've been able to get this far in the world (able to surf the internet, find this post), you grasp which one is which.
There has also been an arguement that Vick shouldn't be responsible because it was a part of his upbringing, and it's a part of the black culture. So? Part of being an intelligent human being is the ability to make our own choices and decisions. Vick did both by fighting dogs, and is now being held responsible. That's how it works. You can make the arguement that it shouldn't be illegal, and you know what? I support that discussion. Discuss, lets examine the laws and see if the punishment is just, or if a law should even be enforceable. But - and this is a huge but - until said law is repealed, every one of us is reponsible for following that law, and it is up to the law enforcement sections of our government to enforce those laws. Don't blame anyone else for not being able to follow a law.
White people in Atlanta didn't want Vick indicted or kicked off the team because he is black. He wasn't getting the job done. Since Vick was drafted, the Falcons have made the playoffs twice. They have not changed the franchise streak of having back-to-back winning seasons. During the 2001 season, fans cheered when then-starting QB Chris Chandler suffered an apparent injury, believing that Vick would then enter the game. These are the same fans that were in attendance Tuesday night, and they are as disrespectful and ignorant as they were six years ago.
Oh, Vick did have a winning record as a starting QB, but in the NFL you are judged on postseason success. Need proof? Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb would be prime examples. Peyton was supposedly 'vindicated' by his Super Bowl XLI win, and McNabb has taken constant criticism in Philadeplhia for the lack of a title. Wins and losses in the regular season get you to postseason glory, but if you don't bring that glory back with you on a plane, along with some hardware, then it was all for naught. The 1991-2004 Atlanta Braves exemplify this more than any other team in history. A run of 13 straight division titles is always accompanied by the one WS asterisk.
Back on point, Vick wasn't an elite QB in the NFL. He was an incredible athlete, with a skill set that we may never see again outside of Vince Young. He was lightning-quick, with a rocket for an arm, and the ability to escape seemingly impossible situations. Unfortunately, this is not what you need as a starting quarterback. The ability to see lanes, to make the tough throws, and to not stare down receivers are all qualities that you need, and Vick did not show these traits. At the first sign of difficulty in the pocket, Vick escaped it. While he was successful a lot of the time, the work that went into these routes was wasted. At some point with Vick, you have to wonder if the Offensive Coordinator just told Vick to tell his receivers to go ten yards and get open. With Harrington or Leftwich, while not possessing the natural talents that Vick does, they aren't as likely to run for yards at the first sign of trouble. While this is not exciting, it is more likely to produce results. This is why Vince Young looks so promising - he has the speed and agility to escape those situations, but he's more likely to stay around the pocket and get the ball to his receiver. Of course, Vince Young is also tall enough to see the passing lanes.
This isn't a racism issue, but ESPN and the people in that audience seem to want to make it one. Should Vick get a second chance once time is served? I say yes. Should Vick come back to this franchise for a second chance? Absolutely not. He's not the person to lead this franchise to a title. He didn't show that while he was here, and I can't believe that would be improved upon after a stint in jail. The best thing for him to do would be to concentrate on his receiving skills. It isn't because I think someone who isn't white shouldn't be a quarterback. I would hope my support for Kordell Stewart, Vince Young, DJ Shockley and Warren Moon would assuage that, but I know it won't. All I want from my quarterback is a good head on their shoulders, and the ability to get the ball to the receivers while leading the team both on and off the field. Of all these things, Vick has failed.
The Falcons are probably going to go 4-12 or 5-11, with a good shot at getting the first pick in April's draft. Brian Brohm is coming Atlanta, don't hate on him because he is white.
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