With all apologies to Joy, how apropos for Rangers P&C to report today.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Those middle of the road Mavs
While their recent stretch of good play was promising, it doesn't change what the Mavs are. A middle of the road NBA team. That fact was on display tonight as they couldn't hold on against a Celtics team looking ahead to the All Star break. Sure, the Mavs will probably make the playoffs. If the Suns complete their rumored fire sale this will be a foregone conclusion. Where does that leave us though? A 1st or 2nd round exit and a nice pat on the back? Then what? Where does this team go from there with a free agent point guard whos closer to 40 than 30 and a superstar who (despite my love for Dirk) isn't a born leader.
So why such gloom and doom? Shouldn't I be happy with consistently making the playoffs? I'm sure Clippers fans would feel that way. After all, it is more than the Cowboys could say this year. Well, the source of my glass half empty approach with the Mavs is that in the NBA, moreso than any other sport, you just don't want to be an average team. Average teams don't win titles in the NBA. Think about it, when did a 5 seed win a title in the NBA? Now think about how often you see wild card teams and low seeds win titles in the NFL, MLB, and NHL. In the NBA, you need to be an elite team whos a true title contender or a bad team with cap room thats rebuilding. An average team in the NBA can stay average for as long as they want. It takes chutzpah to tear it all down but I truly believe thats what the Mavs are faced with. Call this my official declaration that I'm putting my vote behind Mavs Cap Room In The Summer of 2010.
So why such gloom and doom? Shouldn't I be happy with consistently making the playoffs? I'm sure Clippers fans would feel that way. After all, it is more than the Cowboys could say this year. Well, the source of my glass half empty approach with the Mavs is that in the NBA, moreso than any other sport, you just don't want to be an average team. Average teams don't win titles in the NBA. Think about it, when did a 5 seed win a title in the NBA? Now think about how often you see wild card teams and low seeds win titles in the NFL, MLB, and NHL. In the NBA, you need to be an elite team whos a true title contender or a bad team with cap room thats rebuilding. An average team in the NBA can stay average for as long as they want. It takes chutzpah to tear it all down but I truly believe thats what the Mavs are faced with. Call this my official declaration that I'm putting my vote behind Mavs Cap Room In The Summer of 2010.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Keepin it simple
I wanted to get a few thoughts down....
-I'm tired of hearing "who cares about prospects, who knows if they will ever pan out". This seems to be the typical response when people are told that the Rangers have the number 1 minor league system according to Baseball America. While in theory this statement is true, its ignoring the fact that the whole point of having a deep system is that improves the odds that you will hit on more prospects. Its self explanatory. Its been proven by people with more money to spend than I do (i.e. subscriptions to Baseball America) that top ranking minor league systems generally leads to a successful product at the major league level a few years down the line. Prior teams with minor league systems ranked #1 by BA have shown that more often than not, it will lead to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Congrats to my man JD.
-The Ben Sheets courtship and its eventual dissolution was frustrating. That, I realize, is obvious. If I may though, I'd add that with him manning the front of our rotation, our little Rangers would have been a playoff contender. I believe in the power of the contract year. With Millwood and Padilla as contract year 2nd and 3rd starters, we would have had something cooking. Alas...
-Rick Barnes, for all his wonderful ability as a coach and recruiter, becomes a fair to middling coach if his team does not have a true PG. Think Royal Ivey as the UT PG and this year's 9 headed monster of everyone on the roster being tried at PG. Its his Achille's heal as a coach. Having said that, its hard to ask for much more than what Barnes has done for the UT basketball program.
-Everyone else seems to be a lot more up in arms over this A-Rod deal than I am. My stance is that I really don't care. No check that... I cared when it was an original story. Now its just tiresome. Its obvious steroid use was rampant. Why are we so shocked that another of the best in the game has admitted to using steroids. Spare relief pitchers use(d) steroids. I'm supposed to be shocked that 50+ home run hitters did too? A lot of money is at stake here, its what happens. Theres this grand argument that steroid users should be excommunicated because they weren't on an equal playing field. Are we sure about that? Maybe its the other way around. What did send my head spinning though was A-Rod indirectly faulting the Rangers, the clubhouse atmosphere, and best of all, the Texas heat. I guess thats an apology. It puts the microscope on the Rangers again as some writers have insinuated the Rangers were at the intersection of 1st and 1st for steroid use in baseball. That would be the nexus of the universe for those that didn't catch the Seinfeld reference. I think its ridiculous to cite the Rangers for something that was obviously a part of MLB culture as a whole. If I may quote myself circa 1993... "but mom! Everyone else is doing it!" Wait, isn't that what A-Rod said also?
-I'm tired of hearing "who cares about prospects, who knows if they will ever pan out". This seems to be the typical response when people are told that the Rangers have the number 1 minor league system according to Baseball America. While in theory this statement is true, its ignoring the fact that the whole point of having a deep system is that improves the odds that you will hit on more prospects. Its self explanatory. Its been proven by people with more money to spend than I do (i.e. subscriptions to Baseball America) that top ranking minor league systems generally leads to a successful product at the major league level a few years down the line. Prior teams with minor league systems ranked #1 by BA have shown that more often than not, it will lead to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Congrats to my man JD.
-The Ben Sheets courtship and its eventual dissolution was frustrating. That, I realize, is obvious. If I may though, I'd add that with him manning the front of our rotation, our little Rangers would have been a playoff contender. I believe in the power of the contract year. With Millwood and Padilla as contract year 2nd and 3rd starters, we would have had something cooking. Alas...
-Rick Barnes, for all his wonderful ability as a coach and recruiter, becomes a fair to middling coach if his team does not have a true PG. Think Royal Ivey as the UT PG and this year's 9 headed monster of everyone on the roster being tried at PG. Its his Achille's heal as a coach. Having said that, its hard to ask for much more than what Barnes has done for the UT basketball program.
-Everyone else seems to be a lot more up in arms over this A-Rod deal than I am. My stance is that I really don't care. No check that... I cared when it was an original story. Now its just tiresome. Its obvious steroid use was rampant. Why are we so shocked that another of the best in the game has admitted to using steroids. Spare relief pitchers use(d) steroids. I'm supposed to be shocked that 50+ home run hitters did too? A lot of money is at stake here, its what happens. Theres this grand argument that steroid users should be excommunicated because they weren't on an equal playing field. Are we sure about that? Maybe its the other way around. What did send my head spinning though was A-Rod indirectly faulting the Rangers, the clubhouse atmosphere, and best of all, the Texas heat. I guess thats an apology. It puts the microscope on the Rangers again as some writers have insinuated the Rangers were at the intersection of 1st and 1st for steroid use in baseball. That would be the nexus of the universe for those that didn't catch the Seinfeld reference. I think its ridiculous to cite the Rangers for something that was obviously a part of MLB culture as a whole. If I may quote myself circa 1993... "but mom! Everyone else is doing it!" Wait, isn't that what A-Rod said also?
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