Well, "Albertgeddon" has come and gone. Finally. Everybody in St. Louis okay? All present and accounted for? Looks like there was minimal damage.
There is a sense of relief even if no contract extension was signed. It's better than not knowing what's going to happen.
Much like Cardinals skipper, Tony La Russa, I like to let things digest for a night. He doesn't like to address a player or fellow coach immediately after a loss in regards to something he may be upset about until the next day to control his emotions.
The Albert contract deadline certainly had some emotions involved. It also gave me a chance to hear from Pujols himself. You know, the guy whose life path will be determined by this contract. Might as well hear from him first right?
Pujols said he wants to be a Cardinal for life. Jason Stark is right to mention he didn't say, "at any price."
But Pujols has to realized who he's dealing with. The Cardinals don't ask for a "home-town discount" because the feel they deserve it, or that the player should be willing to take less money for the privilege of playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. They've signed or offered other all-stars less money because they have to.
They are still a small-market team that can have a $100+ million dollar pay roll because of their attendance. They are 10th in profits and 10th in payroll. So it's not like they're getting by with being miserly or cheap. They're being smart.
Should Pujols go after top dollar? Sure, it's his life, his prerogative, and his contract. He's a very charitable guy, and probably has that in mind in these negotiations as well.
But I hope he understands saying he wants to be a Cardinal for life, while potentially asking for a contract that isn't realistic for St. Louis is a bit misleading to fans.
Pujols has never been on any other MLB team. And he's never had a sales pitch from another team or been wined and dined by them... well, just dined in Pujols' case. But he's never trudged through a season that was over by August either. Even the 2007 hangover season had life in September.
Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Mark McGwire, Chris Carpenter, Matt Holliday and others had been elsewhere before, and had experienced less than desirable situations. To them it was worth a few million less than what they could have demanded in free agency or from another big-market team in Holliday's case to stick around with the Cardinals.
Perhaps though we're talking about more than a few million. Tough to know the truth. Pujols scoffed at the idea of him demanding 10 years and $300 million as has been reported.
"That's so funny because me and my agent talked every other day about you guys throwing numbers out there," Pujols said. "Assuming the Cardinals offered this and 'Albert is asking for 10 years' and we just laughed about it. I'm pretty sure the Cardinals are too because you guys don't have any clue. You guys are way off on what the numbers are you guys are throwing out there."
That's certainly reassuring. It does show he isn't making unrealistic demands.
I would have an entire omelet on my face if he were after telling friends I thought he'd sign for around $23 to $25 million before the Ryan Howard extension. I still thought there was a possibility he'd ask for A-Rod money, but took his statement of, "I want to be a Cardinal for life," seriously. But perhaps we're only talking about a few million as the difference there as well.
Maybe he is still asking for A-Rod money of roughly $27 million per year. We've all assumed he wants to at least be paid as well as Ryan Howard. Pujols reportedly turned down $21 million per year over eight seasons. Which if is true, is lower than I would offer. Even though it's not my money to spend, I am realistic about the current baseball market.
I can't blame Pujols for asking for Ryan Howard money. But I also can't blame the Cardinals for thinking the Ryan Howard deal is an overpay as well and having the team's long-term financial security in mind.
But if Pujols really wants to stay with the Cardinals, why demand an amount the Cards feel is unfair? Will Pujols feel like he chickened out by not demanding for more? Will it be embarrassing for him to be considered the best hitter in the game, but not the highest paid at his position? Is his pride - one of the seven deadly sins - part of his motivation?
Getting this next contract shouldn't be a another competition for a competitive guy like Albert. It should be about finding the right compromise for him and the Cardinals, so he can remain on a competitive team without having to uproot. The higher paying job isn't always the best one to take.
I can't think of one Cardinal who left the team strictly for more money who ended up in a far better situation taking the cash St. Louis couldn't give them. Anyone? Seriously, please tell me if you can think of one.
They only ones I can think of would be Edgar Renteria or J.D. Drew. But those are a mixed bag at best. I don't think I could consider either to be distinctly better off leaving St. Louis.
J.D. Drew is the Adrian Beltre of outfielders, and Renteria was shipped out of Boston after one season.
Renteria did well in Atlanta, struggled in Detroit, and didn't stay healthy in San Francisco outside of a remarkable playoff run. Both he and Drew won titles and had some success, but would any of that had been better than staying in St. Louis and winning a World Series in 2006? Renteria's replacement got hot and won a World Series MVP himself after all.
But like Pujols said, this is all part of negotiations. There's a back and forth in negotiations that happens. He should start high, the Cardinals should start low, and eventually, hopefully, they meet near the middle. The Cardinals unfortunately drug their feet on this, but are doing what a team normally does of trying to start off as low as possible.
They're taking an awful risk by letting the negotiations get to the post-World Series negotiating window. One team who wants to make a splash could throw a ton of money at him. Pujols' options are slightly limited in comparison to previous seasons, but there's still enough teams with a spot and money available. The Yankees could could always make a spot available too.
But again, we may be talking about a difference of a few million that Albert is willing to trade off. Perhaps $28 million from the Cubs is a wash with $25 million from the Cardinals, in which he would most likely choose the Cardinals.
So the Cardinals didn't make this deadline, but there are still more to be made. And though Pujols' comments may seem slightly contradictory, he did reassure fans he's not out to top the biggest, most foolish contract in baseball history.
The wild card in all of this is Pujols' agent Dan Lazano. He broke out on his own this past year, a la Jerry Maguire, leaving the Beverly Hills Sports Council. He needs a big splash and big contract to put his business on the map.
What's he telling Albert? Is he telling Pujols he can get a mega deal, and that he should try for it? It seems as if it's been his intention all along to take this to free agency. Pujols considers Lazano a friend and would like to help him out as much Pujols would like to take care of himself.
Lazano is who I'm directing my angst towards, as I really dislike agents, if I can make any recommendations on that to Cardinals fans.
Basically, we're a tiny step closer to an extension than we were before the spring training deadline. The negotiations haven't gone horribly wrong, as Pujols has no ill will towards Cardinal management, and still wants to try to work out a deal after the season.
I've said all along the negotiations would have to take a really bad tone for Pujols to consider signing with the Cubs. He'd have to hate the Cardinals to accept being hated by Cardinal fans. And that after all is the biggest fear of Cards fans in letting Pujols go to free agency.
Much like when Pujols is at the plate, he is trying to be patient in these negotiations and see every pitch. He usually makes good contact and pleases Cardinal fans. We just have to sit back, and hope that trend continues.
www.twitter.com/timfitz76
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Cardinals Are Paying the Price for Other Teams' Foolish Spending
The St. Louis Cardinals have tried to compete with the big market teams when it comes to free agent spending, and even more so when retaining their own core players. But they still have fiscal limitations.
The Cardinals are 24th in market size amongst the 30 MLB teams.
However, they are known for their extremely loyal fan base, and rank fourth in the majors in total attendance and attendance per game. This brings their total revenue after considering all revenue sources to tenth in the majors.
They’ve paid good money to core players when they deserve it, and when it’s at a price the Cards think the player is worth.
Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Yadier Molina, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, and Albert Pujols all received very good deals for themselves, and also a contract the Cardinals felt was fair. Their ability to re-sign players to long-term, lucrative contracts depends entirely on their ability to draw fans.
Though those all-star players were paid handsomely by the Cardinals, they do not always pay players based on what the market dictates or succumb to matching a price another team is willing to pay that they feel is too high. Matt Holliday is a rare exception to the current ownership’s history since he actually reached free agency, and they coveted his bat in the lineup.
Even the Kyle Lohse contract was based on what they thought was a decent price for a pitcher coming off of a good 2008 season he had working with Dave Duncan for the first time. Though most of us have our doubts, a healthy Lohse could make the last two seasons of that four-year contract somewhat worth while.
Lohse and Holliday are both represented by Scott Boras, who pushes the salary envelope, encourages his players to chase the highest dollar, and has pilfered pretty much every team baseball. We’ll get to more on him shortly.
But players like Jeff Weaver, Jeff Suppan, David Eckstein, Mark Grudzielanek, Edgar Renteria, Fernando Vina, and others had higher offers from other teams, and the Cardinals have been fine with bowing out when they feel a team is offering a player more than he’s worth.
They didn’t feel comfortable guaranteeing free agent A.J. Burnett a fifth year before he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. They exited the bidding for Brian Fuentes when it became apparent they would have to pay more than the Anaheim Angels were offering in order to lure Fuentes away from playing near his home. Both of those decisions worked out well for the Cardinals.
The Price of Greatness
This brings us to the conundrum they face when trying to make the best player in baseball, the highest paid player in baseball.
In order to make Albert Pujols the highest paid player, the Cardinals will have to top the current salary of New York Yankees third basemen Alex Rodriguez, which averages out to roughly $27.5 million a year.
Boras engineered a 10-year $252 million dollar contract for Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers in 2001 when he hit free agency. He encouraged Rodriguez to take that deal over a lesser one offered by the New York Mets, a decision A-Rod would eventually regret.
That dwarfed the eight-year $121 million dollar contract Mike Hampton received from the Colorado Rockies just earlier that offseason, which did not work out too well for the Rockies either.
The Rangers were handcuffed by the Rodriguez contract. They couldn’t acquire starting pitching, and finished last in the AL West every year with A-Rod. He put up big, MVP numbers, but it never translated into wins, and he was traded to the Yankees in 2004.
Former Rangers owner Tom Hicks would eventually sell the team after filing for bankruptcy and borrowing money from Major League Baseball to make payroll.
After Boras clumsily opted Rodriguez out of the final year of his Rangers contract in 2007, A-Rod went around Boras to initiate the 10-year $275 million deal. It also includes incentives for achieving home run milestones that could bring the deal up to $305 million total.
Rodriguez was considered the best player in baseball and was still in his late prime when the Yankees resigned him. However, we would later learn he did steroids during various points in his career, when in 2009 Rodriguez admitted using them during a more “loosy-goosey” era in baseball after accusations of his use by others.
The use of steroids most likely pumped up what would have still been very good to great seasons for A-Rod, to historically gaudy numbers for a short stop and even a third baseman. Nonetheless it creates doubt as to whether or not he really was the best player in baseball, and if he should have been paid as such.
But the Yankees are the Yankees. They play in New York, have a shiny, new, massive stadium, their own cable network, and are immune to dead money crippling their payroll.
The Cardinals are not the Yankees. They play in a much smaller market and do not pull in the same non-attendance-oriented revenue.
Since the A-Rod signed that contract, the Philadelphia Phillies have signed one-dimensional, but powerful first baseman Ryan Howard to a five-year $125 million dollar extension that won’t even begin until after this season when Howard will be 32 years old.
First baseman Mark Teixeira signed an eight-year $180 million contract with the Yankees, short stop Troy Tulowitzki signed a 10-year $158 million contract to remain in Colorado, Carl Crawford jumped to the Red Sox for seven years and $142 million, and the biggest overpay of them all was for 31-year-old Jayson Werth by the Nationals for seven years and $126 million.
None of those contracts were the doing of the St. Louis Cardinals, and it makes their $120 million over seven years - with and option for and eighth - for Matt Holliday look like a bargain.
One mega contract that at least seems fair in the current era of baseball salaries is catcher Joe Mauer’s eight-year, $184 million deal, since he is a rare combination of exceptional offense and defense at his position. He probably could have commanded even more in free agency, but opted to remain with his home-town Twins.
All of these contracts have an affect on Pujols’ negotiations due to either their length or annual value, since they are a starting point for a contract of a position player in high demand.
Though all good players in their own right, none of the aforementioned position players comes close to matching the production of Pujols. Only nine players in baseball history have had Pujols’ average season even once in their careers according to Joe Posnanski.
Real Talk
Pujols is the best player in baseball, but it’s unfortunate that the Cardinals are expected to pay him as such based on a horrible, franchise-crippling contract of a player whose performance was enhanced beyond what Major League Baseball currently allows and should have all along.
But the situation is what it is, and the Cardinals have to know what the expectations are from Pujols’ camp. The real world isn’t an ideal world, and the Cardinals can’t operate in a vacuum.
They have to find the right compromise with Pujols, either in years or in average annual value because he is a special case, and the heart of their franchise. He’s already a historic player, and a seat filler for a team dependent on it’s attendance clearing three million fans per season. They need to come up with a counter offer and get the ball rolling, because time is running out.
Pujols, however, has to be aware of the Cardinals limitations and their view of other contracts around the majors if he really wants to remain a Cardinal as he says.
Sure, he’s been underpaid since he’s become a machine-like, metronome of production, and other players salaries have since exceeded his. But he didn’t have to sign that contract at age 24, buying out his arbitration and free-agent years after three stellar seasons in the majors.
He signed that deal, and can’t blame the Cardinals for being smart, nor should he feel he’s owed more since other contracts passed up his in the meantime.
Albert will be 32 years old when his extension starts, and to demand 10 years at $300 million a year is unrealistic, IF that’s what his agent is really demanding, regardless of how well he trains. And it doesn’t match the public M.O. of Pujols who says his top priority isn’t money.
Edmonds, Rolen, Jason Isringhausen, Renteria, Mark McGwire and others, could have commanded more money in free agency than they did in staying with the Cardinals. But they had all been on other teams before, and knew the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Pujols hasn’t had that opportunity to look around at other back yards, and I’m sure he’s curious. But the St. Louis Cardinals have more to offer than money, and Pujols has to realize that.
Pujols has more to offer the Cardinals than just run production, and they have to realize that. He generates attendance revenue, sells merchandise, and draws attention to the Cardinals. They both need each other, and need to get this deal done.
The Cardinals have done a great job of being fiscally responsible in an era where a lot franchises foolishly throw money around. But for the sake of this season and success in future seasons, signing Albert is not only still fiscally responsible, but absolutely necessary.
The Cardinals are 24th in market size amongst the 30 MLB teams.
However, they are known for their extremely loyal fan base, and rank fourth in the majors in total attendance and attendance per game. This brings their total revenue after considering all revenue sources to tenth in the majors.
They’ve paid good money to core players when they deserve it, and when it’s at a price the Cards think the player is worth.
Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Yadier Molina, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, and Albert Pujols all received very good deals for themselves, and also a contract the Cardinals felt was fair. Their ability to re-sign players to long-term, lucrative contracts depends entirely on their ability to draw fans.
Though those all-star players were paid handsomely by the Cardinals, they do not always pay players based on what the market dictates or succumb to matching a price another team is willing to pay that they feel is too high. Matt Holliday is a rare exception to the current ownership’s history since he actually reached free agency, and they coveted his bat in the lineup.
Even the Kyle Lohse contract was based on what they thought was a decent price for a pitcher coming off of a good 2008 season he had working with Dave Duncan for the first time. Though most of us have our doubts, a healthy Lohse could make the last two seasons of that four-year contract somewhat worth while.
Lohse and Holliday are both represented by Scott Boras, who pushes the salary envelope, encourages his players to chase the highest dollar, and has pilfered pretty much every team baseball. We’ll get to more on him shortly.
But players like Jeff Weaver, Jeff Suppan, David Eckstein, Mark Grudzielanek, Edgar Renteria, Fernando Vina, and others had higher offers from other teams, and the Cardinals have been fine with bowing out when they feel a team is offering a player more than he’s worth.
They didn’t feel comfortable guaranteeing free agent A.J. Burnett a fifth year before he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. They exited the bidding for Brian Fuentes when it became apparent they would have to pay more than the Anaheim Angels were offering in order to lure Fuentes away from playing near his home. Both of those decisions worked out well for the Cardinals.
The Price of Greatness
This brings us to the conundrum they face when trying to make the best player in baseball, the highest paid player in baseball.
In order to make Albert Pujols the highest paid player, the Cardinals will have to top the current salary of New York Yankees third basemen Alex Rodriguez, which averages out to roughly $27.5 million a year.
Boras engineered a 10-year $252 million dollar contract for Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers in 2001 when he hit free agency. He encouraged Rodriguez to take that deal over a lesser one offered by the New York Mets, a decision A-Rod would eventually regret.
That dwarfed the eight-year $121 million dollar contract Mike Hampton received from the Colorado Rockies just earlier that offseason, which did not work out too well for the Rockies either.
The Rangers were handcuffed by the Rodriguez contract. They couldn’t acquire starting pitching, and finished last in the AL West every year with A-Rod. He put up big, MVP numbers, but it never translated into wins, and he was traded to the Yankees in 2004.
Former Rangers owner Tom Hicks would eventually sell the team after filing for bankruptcy and borrowing money from Major League Baseball to make payroll.
After Boras clumsily opted Rodriguez out of the final year of his Rangers contract in 2007, A-Rod went around Boras to initiate the 10-year $275 million deal. It also includes incentives for achieving home run milestones that could bring the deal up to $305 million total.
Rodriguez was considered the best player in baseball and was still in his late prime when the Yankees resigned him. However, we would later learn he did steroids during various points in his career, when in 2009 Rodriguez admitted using them during a more “loosy-goosey” era in baseball after accusations of his use by others.
The use of steroids most likely pumped up what would have still been very good to great seasons for A-Rod, to historically gaudy numbers for a short stop and even a third baseman. Nonetheless it creates doubt as to whether or not he really was the best player in baseball, and if he should have been paid as such.
But the Yankees are the Yankees. They play in New York, have a shiny, new, massive stadium, their own cable network, and are immune to dead money crippling their payroll.
The Cardinals are not the Yankees. They play in a much smaller market and do not pull in the same non-attendance-oriented revenue.
Since the A-Rod signed that contract, the Philadelphia Phillies have signed one-dimensional, but powerful first baseman Ryan Howard to a five-year $125 million dollar extension that won’t even begin until after this season when Howard will be 32 years old.
First baseman Mark Teixeira signed an eight-year $180 million contract with the Yankees, short stop Troy Tulowitzki signed a 10-year $158 million contract to remain in Colorado, Carl Crawford jumped to the Red Sox for seven years and $142 million, and the biggest overpay of them all was for 31-year-old Jayson Werth by the Nationals for seven years and $126 million.
None of those contracts were the doing of the St. Louis Cardinals, and it makes their $120 million over seven years - with and option for and eighth - for Matt Holliday look like a bargain.
One mega contract that at least seems fair in the current era of baseball salaries is catcher Joe Mauer’s eight-year, $184 million deal, since he is a rare combination of exceptional offense and defense at his position. He probably could have commanded even more in free agency, but opted to remain with his home-town Twins.
All of these contracts have an affect on Pujols’ negotiations due to either their length or annual value, since they are a starting point for a contract of a position player in high demand.
Though all good players in their own right, none of the aforementioned position players comes close to matching the production of Pujols. Only nine players in baseball history have had Pujols’ average season even once in their careers according to Joe Posnanski.
Real Talk
Pujols is the best player in baseball, but it’s unfortunate that the Cardinals are expected to pay him as such based on a horrible, franchise-crippling contract of a player whose performance was enhanced beyond what Major League Baseball currently allows and should have all along.
But the situation is what it is, and the Cardinals have to know what the expectations are from Pujols’ camp. The real world isn’t an ideal world, and the Cardinals can’t operate in a vacuum.
They have to find the right compromise with Pujols, either in years or in average annual value because he is a special case, and the heart of their franchise. He’s already a historic player, and a seat filler for a team dependent on it’s attendance clearing three million fans per season. They need to come up with a counter offer and get the ball rolling, because time is running out.
Pujols, however, has to be aware of the Cardinals limitations and their view of other contracts around the majors if he really wants to remain a Cardinal as he says.
Sure, he’s been underpaid since he’s become a machine-like, metronome of production, and other players salaries have since exceeded his. But he didn’t have to sign that contract at age 24, buying out his arbitration and free-agent years after three stellar seasons in the majors.
He signed that deal, and can’t blame the Cardinals for being smart, nor should he feel he’s owed more since other contracts passed up his in the meantime.
Albert will be 32 years old when his extension starts, and to demand 10 years at $300 million a year is unrealistic, IF that’s what his agent is really demanding, regardless of how well he trains. And it doesn’t match the public M.O. of Pujols who says his top priority isn’t money.
Edmonds, Rolen, Jason Isringhausen, Renteria, Mark McGwire and others, could have commanded more money in free agency than they did in staying with the Cardinals. But they had all been on other teams before, and knew the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Pujols hasn’t had that opportunity to look around at other back yards, and I’m sure he’s curious. But the St. Louis Cardinals have more to offer than money, and Pujols has to realize that.
Pujols has more to offer the Cardinals than just run production, and they have to realize that. He generates attendance revenue, sells merchandise, and draws attention to the Cardinals. They both need each other, and need to get this deal done.
The Cardinals have done a great job of being fiscally responsible in an era where a lot franchises foolishly throw money around. But for the sake of this season and success in future seasons, signing Albert is not only still fiscally responsible, but absolutely necessary.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wading Through Waves of Albert Pujols Coverage
If you follow any article-culling service about the St. Louis Cardinals, baseball, or sports in general, either via Twitter or an RSS feed, you’ve been inundated by Albert Pujols articles in the past few months.
Cardinals blogs, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, other local newspapers, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, The MLB Network, The Bleacher Report, the Onion, you name it, they’ve all had their pieces on Albert Pujols’ contract negotiations.
Some articles were Pujols pieces on Pujols pieces that had gathered up and summarized other Pujols pieces. Some were even updates on potential Pujols pieces.
And why not? Every sports journalist has to cover the biggest pending free agent in baseball history, right?
Even I felt like I had to write one. I had a draft ready to go as soon as the playoffs ended. It wasn’t just written as a journalist, but also as a Cards fan trying refute, share or spin anything I felt obligated too.
I started out addressing the crazy idea of trading Pujols. Big-market teams needing a first basemen began to drop in number, making my article even easier to write.
But then the daily deluge of Pujols articles began. I became a bit nauseated and overwhelmed by the waves of Pujols contract coverage, and lost the desire to publish my article. I wondered if there was there any angle left to cover.
I was especially overwhelmed by the “Potential, Pujols Free Agent Destination” pieces. Talk about a flooded market. A lot of them just made me laugh, while others were very well thought out.
But that speculation is still a season away, and it depends on the big “if” of Pujols not signing an extension by the spring. We all handicapped the Knicks or Nets as LeBron James’ free agent destinations at this time last year after all.
Sure it’s fun, gives fans in other markets hope, and is all the rage right now, but to speculate on Pujols’ possible destinations if he were to leave the Cardinals would be just that, speculation. I avoided the LeBron speculation as much as possible last year, and I’m doing it again now with Pujols.
The Cardinals and Pujols’ agents have kept quiet on the negotiations just as Pujols asked them to, and it’s driving the public and media crazy. There is a void in information and updates that we’ve tried to fill with the speculation pieces and value estimations.
So what’s left to cover in the contract negotiations? Perhaps one final attempt to wrap it all up as spring training approaches? Let’s give a shot.
What we know
Along with the deadline put forward by Pujols and his representation to have a contract extension by spring training or he will cut off negotiations, we officially know that Albert Pujols will be a Cardinal for the 2011 season.
Most of us suspected as much, and it was probably never even in question. Pujols has earned the power to veto any trade due to his time in the league and with the Cardinals, and he might as well use it. He wants to be a Cardinal, but also wants a fair contract for his value.
If Pujols won’t negotiate a contract extension with the Cardinals during the season to avoid the distraction, he wouldn’t do it with a team he’d be traded to. And any team willing to give up the haul of players St. Louis could demand in return for Albert, would want to have an extension in place with Pujols.
I don’t think the Cardinals ever entertained the idea of trading him either, not with Tony La Russa at the helm for at least one more season.
Sure the Cards could get a couple of very good major leaguers along with three to four top prospects from the Angels, Dodgers, Giants, Mets or even the Rangers. That might work in a video game, but I’m sure they’d rather stick it out with the best player in baseball - and the heart of their team - for another season.
They’d rather take another shot at signing him after this season, wooing him to stay with the intangibles of St. Louis even if not officially negotiating a contract during the year. They could also pick up where they left off in the negotiations if running out of time was the only hang up to getting a deal done.
I’m sure the Cardinals will take some flack for not resigning Pujols sooner and putting themselves in this situation. But Pujols’ camp knows what they’re doing. They weren’t pushing for the extension last season, knowing they could play the no-trade card this year.
Trading Pujols seemed like an unrealistic fan demand anyway, with no idea of who the trade would involve. The trade-him-if-you-can’t-sign-him movement oddly came from the same fans who have a win-now philosophy too.
This isn’t like dealing Herschel Walker. It’s not even like dealing CC Sabathia or Zach Greike. St. Louis isn’t New York, but it’s not a baseball market suited for rebuilding, nor is the team set up that way contractually or managerially.
I still feel Pujols will stay, and that the negotiations will go right up until spring training. But I am less confident now than I have been at any point. I felt there was a 92% chance of him resigning when the offseason began. Now I’d probably put the chances of him resigning at around 70% judging by the contract numbers being thrown around.
Hopefully something comes along to spike my confidence back up. But the silent negotiations that create a lack of updates, also gives me little to go on when trying to make an estimate on the likelihood of him resigning with the Cardinals.
I am at least still very confident the negotiations would have to go horribly wrong for Pujols to end up a Cub next season. He’d have to hate the Cardinals to want to be hated by Cards fans.
Albert is not LeBron James, even if they’re following the same pattern of starting up a twitter page and website as they approach free agency. Pujols also released a new logo that many of us St. Louisans thought looked a lot like James’.
I don’t think Pujols could deal with being the villain in St. Louis the way LeBron is in Cleveland, and Albert has a lot more going for him in his current city than James did.
There’s a good chance Pujols could break the bank with the Cubs, but there’s also a very good chance he would be miserable as a lovable loser, and I’m pretty sure he’s aware of that.
Also, the Pujols family moved to New York when they first came to the states and it was too much city for them and teenage Albert. So I have to rule out the Mets at this point to further address all of the potential-destination pieces.
Pujols asked the Cardinals to keep the negotiations quiet. He didn’t want the public back-and-forth that often comes with contract negotiations like this. He didn’t want his situation resembling Derek Jeter’s, Mark Texeira’s, Matt Holliday’s or especially LeBron James’ contract negotiations.
And Pujols has taken heat for his demand for silence. Another example of the catch 22 of trying to do the right thing and still catching flack for it, like Ricky Williams’ rookie contract with the Saints, or steroid use admissions.
What we don’t know
Perhaps this decree of silence is a test put forth by Pujols’ camp. Not only is it to avoid public mud slinging and negotiating, but if the Cardinals can avoid taking the bait as an organization to leak info about the negotiations, maybe that’s something Pujols will appreciate and wants to see from the Cardinals.
We also only have vague ideas and rumors of what kind of contract Pujols and his agents are asking for.
All of baseball has been speculating as to what kind of contract he’ll get based on others that have recently been inked by Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Matt Holliday, Mark Texeira, and Jayson Werth.
Most figure it will at least rival the contract of Alex Rodriguez. Maybe it will be configured differently or with deferred money. Perhaps it will contain more years than salary in comparison to A-Rod’s, or the other way around.
We’ve heard Pujols’ camp has asked for 10 years and $300 mil as a starting point in the negotiations. We’ve been told the Cardinals are more receptive to a seven year deal with an average annual value between $25-$28 mil.
Personally, I could deal with $27-$30 mil per year, but would want to keep it in the seven-year range. However, I'm not responsible for the Cardinals payroll or their stadium debts, so I can understand their apprehension and desire to creatively structure the contract.
Guaranteeing Albert $30 mil per season into his early 40s is risky. He trains harder than any other player in the majors, but the slowdown will eventually happen and the injury risk will rise.
Albert’s peers are a select group. Players like Ted Williams, Willie Mayes, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Stan Musial are the players he truly compares to at this stage of his career.
DiMaggio and Gehrig remained productive through age 35 before injuries and illness stopped them respectively. Aaron, Musial, and Mayes were productive through age 40. Williams remained productive through age 39 and had a big bounce-back year at age 41.
So the potential is there for Albert to remain very valuable to the Cardinals from ages 36 through 42. But let’s not confuse valuable and productive with the gaudy numbers that deserve being paid the highest salary in the majors. Even the greats with whom Pujols production matches or exceeds right now saw a decline in their power numbers and games played in their later years.
However, I’m sure his agent is making the case Pujols deserves $30 mil per season once past his prime since he’s been relatively underpaid during his prime of putting up very gaudy numbers. They will also bring up Pujols ability to draw fans while chasing records in his twilight like the other aforementioned legends did.
Musial requested a pay cut in 1960 from $100,000 to $75,000 due to his down season in ’59. If Albert’s willing do to that with his $30 mil per year, then I’ve got no problem offering a 10-year deal.
However, Musial felt his decline was due to improper conditioning at his age before players trained year round, and we know that won’t be a problem for Pujols.
No contract has touched the annual value of A-Rod's, but there is doubt as to whether or not he is truly the best player in baseball after an admission of steroid use and a downturn in production. There isn’t any doubt when it comes to Pujols, even if he turns 32 when the extension would start.
What comes next?
Either Pujols will sign an extension by the start of spring training, ending the fervent speculation, or this will drag on another season. Whether or not it becomes a distraction depends on how much he’s asked about it by the media and if he extends a no-contract-talk mandate.
If he resigns with the Cardinals, they will continue with their plan of retaining their core players and producing cheap talent from their drafts. If he doesn’t sign an extension, they will have roughly $25 mil per season to play with to sign a few free agents.
The ripple effect Albert’s next deal could have on contracts in the future is now being touched on and is worth examining. Does his extension change how rich baseball contracts can be when the best player in baseball’s price is established in his prime?
It all depends if GMs and owners are willing to put their foot down. Will they say, “No, this is how much the best player in baseball costs, and your guy’s not better than him.”
Will they be able to resist boisterous claims by agents that their player will be better than Pujols or that their client plays a more premium position?
If the owners hold their ground, they can finally change the direction of contracts in baseball. It will be there in dollars, signed on the dotted line by Albert Pujols, the best player in baseball.
So here we are. Waiting and waiting. Driven mad by the silence.
It harkens back to a day before immediate access to information and multiple media outlets gave us play-by-play on negotiations like this. A time a 35 year old like myself can only vaguely remember. Contracts still got done back then, and baseball players still played.
Pujols himself is a throwback to simpler times in the way he carries himself in public, treats the people in his life, and expresses his faith. I think his old-school style will continue as he’ll stay with the team that drafted him, when he’s ready, and on his terms.
www.twitter.com/timfitz76
Cardinals blogs, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, other local newspapers, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, The MLB Network, The Bleacher Report, the Onion, you name it, they’ve all had their pieces on Albert Pujols’ contract negotiations.
Some articles were Pujols pieces on Pujols pieces that had gathered up and summarized other Pujols pieces. Some were even updates on potential Pujols pieces.
And why not? Every sports journalist has to cover the biggest pending free agent in baseball history, right?
Even I felt like I had to write one. I had a draft ready to go as soon as the playoffs ended. It wasn’t just written as a journalist, but also as a Cards fan trying refute, share or spin anything I felt obligated too.
I started out addressing the crazy idea of trading Pujols. Big-market teams needing a first basemen began to drop in number, making my article even easier to write.
But then the daily deluge of Pujols articles began. I became a bit nauseated and overwhelmed by the waves of Pujols contract coverage, and lost the desire to publish my article. I wondered if there was there any angle left to cover.
I was especially overwhelmed by the “Potential, Pujols Free Agent Destination” pieces. Talk about a flooded market. A lot of them just made me laugh, while others were very well thought out.
But that speculation is still a season away, and it depends on the big “if” of Pujols not signing an extension by the spring. We all handicapped the Knicks or Nets as LeBron James’ free agent destinations at this time last year after all.
Sure it’s fun, gives fans in other markets hope, and is all the rage right now, but to speculate on Pujols’ possible destinations if he were to leave the Cardinals would be just that, speculation. I avoided the LeBron speculation as much as possible last year, and I’m doing it again now with Pujols.
The Cardinals and Pujols’ agents have kept quiet on the negotiations just as Pujols asked them to, and it’s driving the public and media crazy. There is a void in information and updates that we’ve tried to fill with the speculation pieces and value estimations.
So what’s left to cover in the contract negotiations? Perhaps one final attempt to wrap it all up as spring training approaches? Let’s give a shot.
What we know
Along with the deadline put forward by Pujols and his representation to have a contract extension by spring training or he will cut off negotiations, we officially know that Albert Pujols will be a Cardinal for the 2011 season.
Most of us suspected as much, and it was probably never even in question. Pujols has earned the power to veto any trade due to his time in the league and with the Cardinals, and he might as well use it. He wants to be a Cardinal, but also wants a fair contract for his value.
If Pujols won’t negotiate a contract extension with the Cardinals during the season to avoid the distraction, he wouldn’t do it with a team he’d be traded to. And any team willing to give up the haul of players St. Louis could demand in return for Albert, would want to have an extension in place with Pujols.
I don’t think the Cardinals ever entertained the idea of trading him either, not with Tony La Russa at the helm for at least one more season.
Sure the Cards could get a couple of very good major leaguers along with three to four top prospects from the Angels, Dodgers, Giants, Mets or even the Rangers. That might work in a video game, but I’m sure they’d rather stick it out with the best player in baseball - and the heart of their team - for another season.
They’d rather take another shot at signing him after this season, wooing him to stay with the intangibles of St. Louis even if not officially negotiating a contract during the year. They could also pick up where they left off in the negotiations if running out of time was the only hang up to getting a deal done.
I’m sure the Cardinals will take some flack for not resigning Pujols sooner and putting themselves in this situation. But Pujols’ camp knows what they’re doing. They weren’t pushing for the extension last season, knowing they could play the no-trade card this year.
Trading Pujols seemed like an unrealistic fan demand anyway, with no idea of who the trade would involve. The trade-him-if-you-can’t-sign-him movement oddly came from the same fans who have a win-now philosophy too.
This isn’t like dealing Herschel Walker. It’s not even like dealing CC Sabathia or Zach Greike. St. Louis isn’t New York, but it’s not a baseball market suited for rebuilding, nor is the team set up that way contractually or managerially.
I still feel Pujols will stay, and that the negotiations will go right up until spring training. But I am less confident now than I have been at any point. I felt there was a 92% chance of him resigning when the offseason began. Now I’d probably put the chances of him resigning at around 70% judging by the contract numbers being thrown around.
Hopefully something comes along to spike my confidence back up. But the silent negotiations that create a lack of updates, also gives me little to go on when trying to make an estimate on the likelihood of him resigning with the Cardinals.
I am at least still very confident the negotiations would have to go horribly wrong for Pujols to end up a Cub next season. He’d have to hate the Cardinals to want to be hated by Cards fans.
Albert is not LeBron James, even if they’re following the same pattern of starting up a twitter page and website as they approach free agency. Pujols also released a new logo that many of us St. Louisans thought looked a lot like James’.
I don’t think Pujols could deal with being the villain in St. Louis the way LeBron is in Cleveland, and Albert has a lot more going for him in his current city than James did.
There’s a good chance Pujols could break the bank with the Cubs, but there’s also a very good chance he would be miserable as a lovable loser, and I’m pretty sure he’s aware of that.
Also, the Pujols family moved to New York when they first came to the states and it was too much city for them and teenage Albert. So I have to rule out the Mets at this point to further address all of the potential-destination pieces.
Pujols asked the Cardinals to keep the negotiations quiet. He didn’t want the public back-and-forth that often comes with contract negotiations like this. He didn’t want his situation resembling Derek Jeter’s, Mark Texeira’s, Matt Holliday’s or especially LeBron James’ contract negotiations.
And Pujols has taken heat for his demand for silence. Another example of the catch 22 of trying to do the right thing and still catching flack for it, like Ricky Williams’ rookie contract with the Saints, or steroid use admissions.
What we don’t know
Perhaps this decree of silence is a test put forth by Pujols’ camp. Not only is it to avoid public mud slinging and negotiating, but if the Cardinals can avoid taking the bait as an organization to leak info about the negotiations, maybe that’s something Pujols will appreciate and wants to see from the Cardinals.
We also only have vague ideas and rumors of what kind of contract Pujols and his agents are asking for.
All of baseball has been speculating as to what kind of contract he’ll get based on others that have recently been inked by Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Matt Holliday, Mark Texeira, and Jayson Werth.
Most figure it will at least rival the contract of Alex Rodriguez. Maybe it will be configured differently or with deferred money. Perhaps it will contain more years than salary in comparison to A-Rod’s, or the other way around.
We’ve heard Pujols’ camp has asked for 10 years and $300 mil as a starting point in the negotiations. We’ve been told the Cardinals are more receptive to a seven year deal with an average annual value between $25-$28 mil.
Personally, I could deal with $27-$30 mil per year, but would want to keep it in the seven-year range. However, I'm not responsible for the Cardinals payroll or their stadium debts, so I can understand their apprehension and desire to creatively structure the contract.
Guaranteeing Albert $30 mil per season into his early 40s is risky. He trains harder than any other player in the majors, but the slowdown will eventually happen and the injury risk will rise.
Albert’s peers are a select group. Players like Ted Williams, Willie Mayes, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Stan Musial are the players he truly compares to at this stage of his career.
DiMaggio and Gehrig remained productive through age 35 before injuries and illness stopped them respectively. Aaron, Musial, and Mayes were productive through age 40. Williams remained productive through age 39 and had a big bounce-back year at age 41.
So the potential is there for Albert to remain very valuable to the Cardinals from ages 36 through 42. But let’s not confuse valuable and productive with the gaudy numbers that deserve being paid the highest salary in the majors. Even the greats with whom Pujols production matches or exceeds right now saw a decline in their power numbers and games played in their later years.
However, I’m sure his agent is making the case Pujols deserves $30 mil per season once past his prime since he’s been relatively underpaid during his prime of putting up very gaudy numbers. They will also bring up Pujols ability to draw fans while chasing records in his twilight like the other aforementioned legends did.
Musial requested a pay cut in 1960 from $100,000 to $75,000 due to his down season in ’59. If Albert’s willing do to that with his $30 mil per year, then I’ve got no problem offering a 10-year deal.
However, Musial felt his decline was due to improper conditioning at his age before players trained year round, and we know that won’t be a problem for Pujols.
No contract has touched the annual value of A-Rod's, but there is doubt as to whether or not he is truly the best player in baseball after an admission of steroid use and a downturn in production. There isn’t any doubt when it comes to Pujols, even if he turns 32 when the extension would start.
What comes next?
Either Pujols will sign an extension by the start of spring training, ending the fervent speculation, or this will drag on another season. Whether or not it becomes a distraction depends on how much he’s asked about it by the media and if he extends a no-contract-talk mandate.
If he resigns with the Cardinals, they will continue with their plan of retaining their core players and producing cheap talent from their drafts. If he doesn’t sign an extension, they will have roughly $25 mil per season to play with to sign a few free agents.
The ripple effect Albert’s next deal could have on contracts in the future is now being touched on and is worth examining. Does his extension change how rich baseball contracts can be when the best player in baseball’s price is established in his prime?
It all depends if GMs and owners are willing to put their foot down. Will they say, “No, this is how much the best player in baseball costs, and your guy’s not better than him.”
Will they be able to resist boisterous claims by agents that their player will be better than Pujols or that their client plays a more premium position?
If the owners hold their ground, they can finally change the direction of contracts in baseball. It will be there in dollars, signed on the dotted line by Albert Pujols, the best player in baseball.
So here we are. Waiting and waiting. Driven mad by the silence.
It harkens back to a day before immediate access to information and multiple media outlets gave us play-by-play on negotiations like this. A time a 35 year old like myself can only vaguely remember. Contracts still got done back then, and baseball players still played.
Pujols himself is a throwback to simpler times in the way he carries himself in public, treats the people in his life, and expresses his faith. I think his old-school style will continue as he’ll stay with the team that drafted him, when he’s ready, and on his terms.
www.twitter.com/timfitz76
Monday, January 31, 2011
NHL All-Star Draft Gets Four Thumbs Down
So was I missing what the appeal was regarding NHL All-Star Draft this past weekend? I heard the draft process and idea as a whole were received well.
Maybe it will grow on me if the NHL uses the draft format to select sides from the pool of All Stars again. But as of right now, I'm not feeling it.
If the players really liked it, okay, that’s cool. I'm happy they did. Not that hockey players are a hard bunch to please.
One of my favorite players growing up was Brendan Shanahan, and he spearheaded the concept as a way to make it fun for the players. But he also said it was a way to connect with the fans in that it was like a fantasy draft.
I don’t know about my you, but most of my fantasy drafts involve the drafters being hammered half way through, one or two managers set to auto, and one guy who has no idea what he's doing. And I cut at least a third of my team by the end of the season. So it didn't help me identify with a fantasy draft.
I wondered if the strategy of the captains was supposed to appeal to us? We were told part of the fun was it would be like picking teams in a pick-up game. Well that pick-up game, schoolyard process kinda sucks. Can’t we shoot for teams?
I heard at least a handful of times as the captains made their selection, “I’m picking my boy," so-and-so. It was like one of my junior high nightmares playing out for... my boy, David Backes, Friday night.
The actual entry drafts of professional sports leagues are often derided for being made-for-TV dramas, pumped up by the network when they’re really nothing more than a televised lottery. Well this draft was literally just made for TV, and not especially good TV.
The interviewer James Duthie was really quite awful. He was campy, cheesy, forced jokes, tried to hard to be cool with the players, and was somewhat insulting at times rather than engaged in humorous, hockey banter. Players tried to avoid him like I avoided my aunt Donna at holiday gatherings. Duthie's interview style actually reminds me quite a bit of her now that I think about it.
Even what appeal the draft had for viewers didn't carry over into the game for me. I of course rooted for my lone St. Louis Blue and cheered his three assists, but it’s still nice to root for my conference, country or continent. Hard to feel any pride for Team Staal, and it felt weird telling the non-hockey savvy but interested fans, "The blue team won."
And yes, I do at least passively watch the game. Open-ice, end-to-end hockey is still entertaining.
In the end, I hope the players did have a lot of fun with the addition of the draft. They deserve it. Hockey is a tough sport, and anything that adds a little something extra for them at the break is a nice touch.
But as a fan and viewer, the draft just seemed lame, and a lot like a bad reality show. To paraphrase Rick James according to comedian Dave Chappelle, “I wish I had more hands, so I could give that draft, four thumbs down.”
www.twitter.com/timfitz76
Maybe it will grow on me if the NHL uses the draft format to select sides from the pool of All Stars again. But as of right now, I'm not feeling it.
If the players really liked it, okay, that’s cool. I'm happy they did. Not that hockey players are a hard bunch to please.
One of my favorite players growing up was Brendan Shanahan, and he spearheaded the concept as a way to make it fun for the players. But he also said it was a way to connect with the fans in that it was like a fantasy draft.
I don’t know about my you, but most of my fantasy drafts involve the drafters being hammered half way through, one or two managers set to auto, and one guy who has no idea what he's doing. And I cut at least a third of my team by the end of the season. So it didn't help me identify with a fantasy draft.
I wondered if the strategy of the captains was supposed to appeal to us? We were told part of the fun was it would be like picking teams in a pick-up game. Well that pick-up game, schoolyard process kinda sucks. Can’t we shoot for teams?
I heard at least a handful of times as the captains made their selection, “I’m picking my boy," so-and-so. It was like one of my junior high nightmares playing out for... my boy, David Backes, Friday night.
The actual entry drafts of professional sports leagues are often derided for being made-for-TV dramas, pumped up by the network when they’re really nothing more than a televised lottery. Well this draft was literally just made for TV, and not especially good TV.
The interviewer James Duthie was really quite awful. He was campy, cheesy, forced jokes, tried to hard to be cool with the players, and was somewhat insulting at times rather than engaged in humorous, hockey banter. Players tried to avoid him like I avoided my aunt Donna at holiday gatherings. Duthie's interview style actually reminds me quite a bit of her now that I think about it.
Even what appeal the draft had for viewers didn't carry over into the game for me. I of course rooted for my lone St. Louis Blue and cheered his three assists, but it’s still nice to root for my conference, country or continent. Hard to feel any pride for Team Staal, and it felt weird telling the non-hockey savvy but interested fans, "The blue team won."
And yes, I do at least passively watch the game. Open-ice, end-to-end hockey is still entertaining.
In the end, I hope the players did have a lot of fun with the addition of the draft. They deserve it. Hockey is a tough sport, and anything that adds a little something extra for them at the break is a nice touch.
But as a fan and viewer, the draft just seemed lame, and a lot like a bad reality show. To paraphrase Rick James according to comedian Dave Chappelle, “I wish I had more hands, so I could give that draft, four thumbs down.”
www.twitter.com/timfitz76
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Fitz Blitz on Mel's First Picks
Strictly for this blog, strictly some very Timmy Fitz opinions on this.
I'll start with an early nomination of Nick Fairly for the Regan Upshaw award.
If Mel and other scouts are grading Gabbert as the most pro-ready guy of all the QBs out there, that's a pretty sad indication of the 1st-round caliber QBs. He's got a lot of talent and could end up pretty good, and is a smart guy. But playing him this coming season seems like a really bad idea.
He'll need time to take in the O, and work on his footwork and pocket presence. Too many times he bails on the pocket early and scrambles. He needs to be patient and more settled in pocket in the pros. Otherwise it could be pick central, and his confidence could end up pretty low.
Is Robert Quinn really a good fit for the 49ers? Would he play OLB if they still run a 3-4? What's he weigh now? Missing a year is tough.
Mel's right about his evaluation of Prince. Might still be the way to go for the 49ers.
Aldon Smith of Mizzou should pan out. I'd be surprised if he doesn't. Not sure about moving him to OLB though. Just put on 10 and keep him at DE. I've seen him read screens, draws and reverses well, so maybe in time he can pick it up. I'd have to see what he'd look like in coverage outside of an occasional zone blitz.
Just seems like learning more pass-rush moves would be easier than learning coverages.
Julio Jones is who everybody is picking for the Rams. Super talented, and a big guy. Maybe not the brightest fella, but I think he'll be pretty good.
I might throw up a little if Mikel Leshoure ends up a Patriot.
Lastly, this sums up how to end up on Al Davis' public shit list:
http://www.ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders/2011/01/18/never-make-it-about-money-with-davis/
Timmy Fitz, out.
I'll start with an early nomination of Nick Fairly for the Regan Upshaw award.
If Mel and other scouts are grading Gabbert as the most pro-ready guy of all the QBs out there, that's a pretty sad indication of the 1st-round caliber QBs. He's got a lot of talent and could end up pretty good, and is a smart guy. But playing him this coming season seems like a really bad idea.
He'll need time to take in the O, and work on his footwork and pocket presence. Too many times he bails on the pocket early and scrambles. He needs to be patient and more settled in pocket in the pros. Otherwise it could be pick central, and his confidence could end up pretty low.
Is Robert Quinn really a good fit for the 49ers? Would he play OLB if they still run a 3-4? What's he weigh now? Missing a year is tough.
Mel's right about his evaluation of Prince. Might still be the way to go for the 49ers.
Aldon Smith of Mizzou should pan out. I'd be surprised if he doesn't. Not sure about moving him to OLB though. Just put on 10 and keep him at DE. I've seen him read screens, draws and reverses well, so maybe in time he can pick it up. I'd have to see what he'd look like in coverage outside of an occasional zone blitz.
Just seems like learning more pass-rush moves would be easier than learning coverages.
Julio Jones is who everybody is picking for the Rams. Super talented, and a big guy. Maybe not the brightest fella, but I think he'll be pretty good.
I might throw up a little if Mikel Leshoure ends up a Patriot.
Lastly, this sums up how to end up on Al Davis' public shit list:
http://www.ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders/2011/01/18/never-make-it-about-money-with-davis/
Timmy Fitz, out.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Fitz Blitz for 12/21: Favre knocked out, Vikings Belong Outdoors, Tebow to Lloyd, McClain Makes a Difference
So what was all the fuss about the frozen, icy field in Minnesota for? Many just wrote it off as part of football, myself included. I didn’t know what the big deal was. Hell, I’ve played on icy fields before.
One of the most famous games in NFL history was played on a Frozen Tundra after all. And the Vikings played outdoors for two decades.
But those were all natural surfaces. Not field turf.
We assume there’s going to be big hits in football, which was the players argument against the steep fines and suspensions the NFL is issuing to make the game safer. But the game has changed, so it’s best the rules change.
We also assume there are going to be frozen fields in late December, and that it’s just part of football like big collisions. But the players felt it was a bit hypocritical to subject them to these field conditions if the league is so concerned about safety.
After players inspected the field, the loudest and longest complaint came from a punter, of course, who set punters and kickers back another 10 years. But it appears the players had a gripe.
Unfortunately this change in venue was due to a difficult situation, not like the rule changes involving every-game occurrences. Bringing in a new layer of turf or tracks of sod was not an option in the conditions that had been going on there for the past week. Going too far out of Minnesota was not really fair or desirable either.
Favre’s head injury could have happened on a warm sunny field in California, but it adds to the likelihood of a concussion when you hit up against a harder surface.
This wasn’t so much the Ice Bowl as much as it was like 49er Joe Montana being driven to the turf in the old Meadowlands... or Joe Montana the Chief being swung down on the rock-hard Astroturf of Rich Stadium in Buffalo.
It was a tough situation, leaving the NFL between a rock and frozen field turf. Unlike the Saints predicament in New Orleans after Katrina, the city of Minneapolis was not decimated. Vacating to another city would have been a bit extreme.
*I was surprised the Vikings thought there would be a problem with stadium size discrepancy. Really? The team’s eliminated, it’s freezing out, you’re not serving alcohol, you tell people it will be first come first serve, and you were expecting a log jam for seats?
They were even more fortunate that Brett Favre was questionable to avoid this problem. I wonder if they’re was a late rush for tickets when fans learned Favre was starting?
Favre’s pre-game comment the cameras caught before taking the field suggests he’s done. He paused before he said it, the camera zoomed in, and he asked his teammates to help an old man to go out in style.
*Phil Krinkie of the Minnesota Taxpayers League said replacing the Metrodome because of storm damage makes about as much sense as replacing the New Orleans Superdome because it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. And because the last time the roof collapsed was in 1983, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the roof design.
Please, you’ve got to be kidding me. Have you seen the Metrodome?
I don’t much about you, Mr. Krinkie, nor am I from Minnesota, but If you didn’t know the big trash bag needed replacing before this roof collapse, I would question whether you’re a real Minnesotan or Minne... Minneapolean? Minneaplolian? Minneapoline? I’m going with Minneapoline. Correct me if I’m wrong.
You and the San Diegans can wonder if your team is bolting for Los Angeles together.
*It was a beautiful site seeing football outdoors in Minnesota. Domes allow more functions to occur there year round, which is great for the city.
But for the sporting events of their main tenants, it ruins the atmosphere and experience. A .500 team will sell out an outdoor football stadium in Minneapolis. Perhaps something in a retractable model would be a nice compromise?
The Metrodome was a 1980s second generation model of the cookie-cutter, multi-sport stadiums of the 1960s. Multi-sport stadiums were a great idea, but the geometries just don’t work for crossing football and baseball.
And I found myself rooting for the Vikes last night. That didn’t work out so well.
My old St. Louis connections with the Bears coaches were trumped by my Raider-induced dislike of Jay Cutler. I went with the over-dramatic QB rather than the over-rated one. Oh well.
*Speaking of the Raiders, Rolondo McClain made his presence felt this past week. Sure it was against the sorry Broncos who were without Knowshon Moreno, but it still counts.
McClain hadn’t made as many plays as a lot of Raider fans wanted early on in the season. In his absence, it become apparent the progress the rookie had made. In the two games without him, the Raiders run defense regressed to the form of the previous seven seasons.
*And Greg Lloyd had a good game Sunday in Oakland. He can make spectacular, diving, leaping, one-handed grabs, but drops the routine ones. Lloyd’s been known as a bad-ball catcher in his career. If that reputation continues, he should really excel playing with Tim Tebow.
Not a bad debut for Tebow though. This QB thing might work out for him yet.
*Lastly, I missed my chance to vote for the pro-bowl again this year. And I don’t feel bad this time. Unlike a mid-season game in other sports, I’d rather the guys just go home than play in the Pro Bowl. I should have worn out my mouse clicking Darren McFadden’s name, but I’d rather he just rest.
If players and coaches can’t realize what type of player he is after the fan vote, then that’s an indictment on the people around the league, and it will give me another blog entry to write that indictment.
Happy Holidays everyone! Safe travels to you all!
www.twitter.com/timfitz76
One of the most famous games in NFL history was played on a Frozen Tundra after all. And the Vikings played outdoors for two decades.
But those were all natural surfaces. Not field turf.
We assume there’s going to be big hits in football, which was the players argument against the steep fines and suspensions the NFL is issuing to make the game safer. But the game has changed, so it’s best the rules change.
We also assume there are going to be frozen fields in late December, and that it’s just part of football like big collisions. But the players felt it was a bit hypocritical to subject them to these field conditions if the league is so concerned about safety.
After players inspected the field, the loudest and longest complaint came from a punter, of course, who set punters and kickers back another 10 years. But it appears the players had a gripe.
Unfortunately this change in venue was due to a difficult situation, not like the rule changes involving every-game occurrences. Bringing in a new layer of turf or tracks of sod was not an option in the conditions that had been going on there for the past week. Going too far out of Minnesota was not really fair or desirable either.
Favre’s head injury could have happened on a warm sunny field in California, but it adds to the likelihood of a concussion when you hit up against a harder surface.
This wasn’t so much the Ice Bowl as much as it was like 49er Joe Montana being driven to the turf in the old Meadowlands... or Joe Montana the Chief being swung down on the rock-hard Astroturf of Rich Stadium in Buffalo.
It was a tough situation, leaving the NFL between a rock and frozen field turf. Unlike the Saints predicament in New Orleans after Katrina, the city of Minneapolis was not decimated. Vacating to another city would have been a bit extreme.
*I was surprised the Vikings thought there would be a problem with stadium size discrepancy. Really? The team’s eliminated, it’s freezing out, you’re not serving alcohol, you tell people it will be first come first serve, and you were expecting a log jam for seats?
They were even more fortunate that Brett Favre was questionable to avoid this problem. I wonder if they’re was a late rush for tickets when fans learned Favre was starting?
Favre’s pre-game comment the cameras caught before taking the field suggests he’s done. He paused before he said it, the camera zoomed in, and he asked his teammates to help an old man to go out in style.
*Phil Krinkie of the Minnesota Taxpayers League said replacing the Metrodome because of storm damage makes about as much sense as replacing the New Orleans Superdome because it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. And because the last time the roof collapsed was in 1983, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the roof design.
Please, you’ve got to be kidding me. Have you seen the Metrodome?
I don’t much about you, Mr. Krinkie, nor am I from Minnesota, but If you didn’t know the big trash bag needed replacing before this roof collapse, I would question whether you’re a real Minnesotan or Minne... Minneapolean? Minneaplolian? Minneapoline? I’m going with Minneapoline. Correct me if I’m wrong.
You and the San Diegans can wonder if your team is bolting for Los Angeles together.
*It was a beautiful site seeing football outdoors in Minnesota. Domes allow more functions to occur there year round, which is great for the city.
But for the sporting events of their main tenants, it ruins the atmosphere and experience. A .500 team will sell out an outdoor football stadium in Minneapolis. Perhaps something in a retractable model would be a nice compromise?
The Metrodome was a 1980s second generation model of the cookie-cutter, multi-sport stadiums of the 1960s. Multi-sport stadiums were a great idea, but the geometries just don’t work for crossing football and baseball.
And I found myself rooting for the Vikes last night. That didn’t work out so well.
My old St. Louis connections with the Bears coaches were trumped by my Raider-induced dislike of Jay Cutler. I went with the over-dramatic QB rather than the over-rated one. Oh well.
*Speaking of the Raiders, Rolondo McClain made his presence felt this past week. Sure it was against the sorry Broncos who were without Knowshon Moreno, but it still counts.
McClain hadn’t made as many plays as a lot of Raider fans wanted early on in the season. In his absence, it become apparent the progress the rookie had made. In the two games without him, the Raiders run defense regressed to the form of the previous seven seasons.
*And Greg Lloyd had a good game Sunday in Oakland. He can make spectacular, diving, leaping, one-handed grabs, but drops the routine ones. Lloyd’s been known as a bad-ball catcher in his career. If that reputation continues, he should really excel playing with Tim Tebow.
Not a bad debut for Tebow though. This QB thing might work out for him yet.
*Lastly, I missed my chance to vote for the pro-bowl again this year. And I don’t feel bad this time. Unlike a mid-season game in other sports, I’d rather the guys just go home than play in the Pro Bowl. I should have worn out my mouse clicking Darren McFadden’s name, but I’d rather he just rest.
If players and coaches can’t realize what type of player he is after the fan vote, then that’s an indictment on the people around the league, and it will give me another blog entry to write that indictment.
Happy Holidays everyone! Safe travels to you all!
www.twitter.com/timfitz76
Friday, December 10, 2010
Covering Vick, and Big Ben Makes Me Sick
I feel I have to start with this disclaimer when talking about moving on from further shaming Michael Vick for his past:
I’m an avid dog lover. I treat mine as if he were my son. Parent and pack leader aren’t that different after all. I have owned over a dozen dogs in my life, and have treated them all like family.
I donate to the SPCA and The Humane Society. My mother and aunt are serous animal rights activist. My aunt has created and sponsored legislation in California to further animal rights, and I fully support her.
I helped get prop B in Missouri to regulate dog breeders and stop puppy mills passed by writing pieces to inform the public of the special provisions the new laws would provide.
Plus, I haven’t eaten a fellow mammal in over 10 years.
AND I think Michael Vick should be allowed to play in the NFL.
Sure, I wanted Vick to serve his full 24-month sentence instead of being released after 18 months. When he first got out of prison, I wanted an eight-game (half-season) suspension. I definitely didn’t want him signing with the two NFL teams I love, and the cities I represent, Oakland and St. Louis.
If I were a GM or coach immediately after his release, I wouldn’t have wanted him to play QB. He’d have to learn another position. Hell, I didn’t think I’d be able to look him in the eye if I saw him in person.
He would have to prove himself to me. And he has.
I don’t claim to be able to see someone’s aura or peer into their soul when looking into their eyes. But there is a different vibe about Vick now from his dog-fighting days.
You can see the simple, humbleness. You can see the shame. You can see change in the way he speaks and acts.
Even the sight of him in his green Eagles jersey is more psychologically soothing than clips of him in his Falcons uniform. Knowing what was going on in his life then attaches a blood-on-his-hands connotation in that blood-red jersey.
But playing football is his job. If more felons were allowed to return to work after passing a series of tests and receiving approval from a commissioner-type figure, we’d have a lot less repeat offenders. I mean, corporate criminals are often allowed to re-enter their field, so fair is fair.
He could have been banned by the NFL or suspended a full season, and thus played in a lesser league. But being a big fish in a small pond wouldn’t have finished his transformation on and off the field. He may have never fixed some bad habits in his footwork and reads. Nor Would he have been as humbled.
Being a relatively broke, back-up QB on a winning team with Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb was critical. Having to struggle for his next pay would be good for him, and would continue the process of learning from his mistakes.
He had to have his status as a starting QB taken away from as well as his freedom. And immediately getting a big contract may have lead to him keeping other bad habits.
It’s best he slowly earns his money for his improved performance. And it is best he eventually does get a big pay day again.
The more he makes, the more that can be funneled to his creditors, to the care for the dogs he killed and psychologically damaged, and for future funds allocated to animal rights causes. And I guess his lawyers should get their cut too.
I am still looking for quotes or an interview from Vick about how his view of dogs and animals has changed since his incarceration for my own personal feelings to be truly clear on Michael Vick.
But as far as covering him as a football player, and inquiring into whether or not he’s reformed as a human being, I think the sports media has done a good job. I feel they address his past properly when covering the present.
I would prefer the rest of the mainstream media cover dog fighting stings and prosecutions as vigorously when a famous athlete isn’t involved as they did with Vick.
I don’t blame the NFL for wanting Vick to remain in their league. Him playing the UFL or an Arena league would not only take attention and revenue away from them, but I do feel they actually cared about how his life turned out. If he failed, it would look bad on the league, and they wanted to get him under their now stricter supervision.
I realize some can’t forgive Vick for not thinking he was doing anything wrong while involved in dog fighting. But it’s a different world where he’s from.
Newport News Virginia is country and ghetto. That’s a bad combo, and a breeding ground for dog fighting, literally.
And honestly, though I love dogs and animals, I do feel there are current players in the NFL who have gotten away with worse. And that’s just the ones we know of, and I’m sure plenty there’s plenty that we don’t.
From Leonard Little, to Dante Stallworth, to Lawerence Phillips, to Lawerence Taylor, to well... Big Ben Roethlisberger (who, by the way, said the most phony-sounding “God is good” in his post-game interview after beating the Baltimore Ravens) there have been plenty of less-than reputable characters allowed to play in the NFL.
The same fuss is not made over them. Which shows how far animal rights have come, but also shows a double standard.
Which on a side note creates more confusion for me on how some these guys are still playing and out of jail, while Plaxico Burress gets more time for shooting himself? I guess I’ll never get that one.
So it’s okay to root for Vick. Believing in reform over banishment does not make you a bad person. Oh, and I almost forgot, God is good.
http://twitter.com/Timfitz76
I’m an avid dog lover. I treat mine as if he were my son. Parent and pack leader aren’t that different after all. I have owned over a dozen dogs in my life, and have treated them all like family.
I donate to the SPCA and The Humane Society. My mother and aunt are serous animal rights activist. My aunt has created and sponsored legislation in California to further animal rights, and I fully support her.
I helped get prop B in Missouri to regulate dog breeders and stop puppy mills passed by writing pieces to inform the public of the special provisions the new laws would provide.
Plus, I haven’t eaten a fellow mammal in over 10 years.
AND I think Michael Vick should be allowed to play in the NFL.
Sure, I wanted Vick to serve his full 24-month sentence instead of being released after 18 months. When he first got out of prison, I wanted an eight-game (half-season) suspension. I definitely didn’t want him signing with the two NFL teams I love, and the cities I represent, Oakland and St. Louis.
If I were a GM or coach immediately after his release, I wouldn’t have wanted him to play QB. He’d have to learn another position. Hell, I didn’t think I’d be able to look him in the eye if I saw him in person.
He would have to prove himself to me. And he has.
I don’t claim to be able to see someone’s aura or peer into their soul when looking into their eyes. But there is a different vibe about Vick now from his dog-fighting days.
You can see the simple, humbleness. You can see the shame. You can see change in the way he speaks and acts.
Even the sight of him in his green Eagles jersey is more psychologically soothing than clips of him in his Falcons uniform. Knowing what was going on in his life then attaches a blood-on-his-hands connotation in that blood-red jersey.
But playing football is his job. If more felons were allowed to return to work after passing a series of tests and receiving approval from a commissioner-type figure, we’d have a lot less repeat offenders. I mean, corporate criminals are often allowed to re-enter their field, so fair is fair.
He could have been banned by the NFL or suspended a full season, and thus played in a lesser league. But being a big fish in a small pond wouldn’t have finished his transformation on and off the field. He may have never fixed some bad habits in his footwork and reads. Nor Would he have been as humbled.
Being a relatively broke, back-up QB on a winning team with Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb was critical. Having to struggle for his next pay would be good for him, and would continue the process of learning from his mistakes.
He had to have his status as a starting QB taken away from as well as his freedom. And immediately getting a big contract may have lead to him keeping other bad habits.
It’s best he slowly earns his money for his improved performance. And it is best he eventually does get a big pay day again.
The more he makes, the more that can be funneled to his creditors, to the care for the dogs he killed and psychologically damaged, and for future funds allocated to animal rights causes. And I guess his lawyers should get their cut too.
I am still looking for quotes or an interview from Vick about how his view of dogs and animals has changed since his incarceration for my own personal feelings to be truly clear on Michael Vick.
But as far as covering him as a football player, and inquiring into whether or not he’s reformed as a human being, I think the sports media has done a good job. I feel they address his past properly when covering the present.
I would prefer the rest of the mainstream media cover dog fighting stings and prosecutions as vigorously when a famous athlete isn’t involved as they did with Vick.
I don’t blame the NFL for wanting Vick to remain in their league. Him playing the UFL or an Arena league would not only take attention and revenue away from them, but I do feel they actually cared about how his life turned out. If he failed, it would look bad on the league, and they wanted to get him under their now stricter supervision.
I realize some can’t forgive Vick for not thinking he was doing anything wrong while involved in dog fighting. But it’s a different world where he’s from.
Newport News Virginia is country and ghetto. That’s a bad combo, and a breeding ground for dog fighting, literally.
And honestly, though I love dogs and animals, I do feel there are current players in the NFL who have gotten away with worse. And that’s just the ones we know of, and I’m sure plenty there’s plenty that we don’t.
From Leonard Little, to Dante Stallworth, to Lawerence Phillips, to Lawerence Taylor, to well... Big Ben Roethlisberger (who, by the way, said the most phony-sounding “God is good” in his post-game interview after beating the Baltimore Ravens) there have been plenty of less-than reputable characters allowed to play in the NFL.
The same fuss is not made over them. Which shows how far animal rights have come, but also shows a double standard.
Which on a side note creates more confusion for me on how some these guys are still playing and out of jail, while Plaxico Burress gets more time for shooting himself? I guess I’ll never get that one.
So it’s okay to root for Vick. Believing in reform over banishment does not make you a bad person. Oh, and I almost forgot, God is good.
http://twitter.com/Timfitz76
Keeping Brendan Ryan Not the Worst Option for the St. Louis Cardinals
When the Cardinals acquired Ryan Theriot from the Dodgers, and proclaimed him their staring shortstop, the question arose of what to do with former starting shortstop Brendan Ryan.
Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, has explored trade options for Ryan to get either a big leaguer or depth for the minors. Teams that were looking for shortstop help like the Orioles, Padres, and Pirates filled their needs through other acquisitions of more established players.
The other option is keeping Ryan as utility infielder for the 2011 team.
Ryan’s play has lead to me yelling out loud at my television on a number of occasions. Often in awe. Just as often in anger.
So many times I’ve wanted Ryan to just put the ball in his pocket instead of trying a difficult, unnecessary throw. He has great range and a strong arm, but is erratic.
For too long his default throwing motion was a sidearm, slinging action. His thinking was if his throw was off, he’d be better off missing to the side rather than throwing over the first baseman. I never liked that theory, as it incorporates planning to fail.
Last year he took his troubles at the plate into the field. He searched for the proper feel at plate instead of sticking with an approach and just locking in on the ball.
Much has been made of how his quirky, hyperactive personality blends in the clubhouse. I’m personality more bothered how personality leads to his unfocused play on the field.
I would think he’s probably a great guy and fun to hang out with, though it may be difficult to be around that kind of personality 162-plus days in your workplace. I’d most likely be one of his teammates that has told him to sit down and shut up at some point.
Tony La Russa says his personality and maturity level is not the reason for him being on the trade block, and that he’s matured. And I believe him. Ryan has grown up quite a bit, and has mellowed out. It just takes a while to come down from a sugar buzz of Ryan’s magnitude.
But his game hasn’t fully matured either, as he’s slowly grown as a player.
That, however, is part of his upside. He’s still a young player. It’s one of the reasons him being a Cardinal in 2011 isn’t a bad option at all.
The parts of his game he needs to fix, such as plate discipline, smarter decisions in field, and base running, are things a young, part-time player usually improves on if he becomes a regular.
He has the range and strong arm, good speed and has hit well every other season in the bigs. And he’s most likely going to remain inexpensive this season.
If Skip Schumaker or Theriot struggles during the season, he’s there to fill in. Schumaker is a clubhouse and La Russa favorite. He’s a hard worker and smart player who normally gets on base and makes good contact.
But he’s still new to second base. He needs to shuffle his feet more on his throws instead of planting and throwing like and outfielder and he must improve on bending down to get grounders.
Though I like the acquisition of Theriot, he had his worst year at plate last season, and doesn’t have the defensive range of Ryan. So there’s a need for a back-up plan at both of these positions.
Spring performances can’t be ignored either if one of the starting middle infielder struggles mightily and Ryan plays well.
He would also be very helpful to a Cardinal team that had an uncharacteristically poor year in the field last season. Based on the reputations of the players added during the winter meetings and the positions they will be playing, the Cardinals have downgraded defensively.
Picture a La Russa-style, late-inning defensive change while ahead by a couple runs. Ryan can come in to play short, with Theriot moving to 2nd, and Skip heading out to RF for the newly acquired Lance Berkman. It’s a lot better than bringing in Aaron Miles, right?
I felt shortstop was the higher priority for an upgrade this offseason. Schumaker has at least hit consistently at the major league level. Last year was his worst full season in the big leagues, and was probably an aberration.
Schumaker can play second base and all of the outfield positions. He also and makes more money, so it wasn’t as important or as feasible to jettison Skip.
I’ve been pretty hard on Brendan Ryan in the past. He’s frustrated me with his inconsistent play and poor decisions. But he can bring value for the Cardinals as a player on the 2011 team, and I’m certainly in favor of him sticking around -- as many Cards fans probably are.
This relegation to a utility role could be just the motivation, and kick in the pants he needs, which makes Ryan a nice option for the Cards to keep in their pocket.
Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, has explored trade options for Ryan to get either a big leaguer or depth for the minors. Teams that were looking for shortstop help like the Orioles, Padres, and Pirates filled their needs through other acquisitions of more established players.
The other option is keeping Ryan as utility infielder for the 2011 team.
Ryan’s play has lead to me yelling out loud at my television on a number of occasions. Often in awe. Just as often in anger.
So many times I’ve wanted Ryan to just put the ball in his pocket instead of trying a difficult, unnecessary throw. He has great range and a strong arm, but is erratic.
For too long his default throwing motion was a sidearm, slinging action. His thinking was if his throw was off, he’d be better off missing to the side rather than throwing over the first baseman. I never liked that theory, as it incorporates planning to fail.
Last year he took his troubles at the plate into the field. He searched for the proper feel at plate instead of sticking with an approach and just locking in on the ball.
Much has been made of how his quirky, hyperactive personality blends in the clubhouse. I’m personality more bothered how personality leads to his unfocused play on the field.
I would think he’s probably a great guy and fun to hang out with, though it may be difficult to be around that kind of personality 162-plus days in your workplace. I’d most likely be one of his teammates that has told him to sit down and shut up at some point.
Tony La Russa says his personality and maturity level is not the reason for him being on the trade block, and that he’s matured. And I believe him. Ryan has grown up quite a bit, and has mellowed out. It just takes a while to come down from a sugar buzz of Ryan’s magnitude.
But his game hasn’t fully matured either, as he’s slowly grown as a player.
That, however, is part of his upside. He’s still a young player. It’s one of the reasons him being a Cardinal in 2011 isn’t a bad option at all.
The parts of his game he needs to fix, such as plate discipline, smarter decisions in field, and base running, are things a young, part-time player usually improves on if he becomes a regular.
He has the range and strong arm, good speed and has hit well every other season in the bigs. And he’s most likely going to remain inexpensive this season.
If Skip Schumaker or Theriot struggles during the season, he’s there to fill in. Schumaker is a clubhouse and La Russa favorite. He’s a hard worker and smart player who normally gets on base and makes good contact.
But he’s still new to second base. He needs to shuffle his feet more on his throws instead of planting and throwing like and outfielder and he must improve on bending down to get grounders.
Though I like the acquisition of Theriot, he had his worst year at plate last season, and doesn’t have the defensive range of Ryan. So there’s a need for a back-up plan at both of these positions.
Spring performances can’t be ignored either if one of the starting middle infielder struggles mightily and Ryan plays well.
He would also be very helpful to a Cardinal team that had an uncharacteristically poor year in the field last season. Based on the reputations of the players added during the winter meetings and the positions they will be playing, the Cardinals have downgraded defensively.
Picture a La Russa-style, late-inning defensive change while ahead by a couple runs. Ryan can come in to play short, with Theriot moving to 2nd, and Skip heading out to RF for the newly acquired Lance Berkman. It’s a lot better than bringing in Aaron Miles, right?
I felt shortstop was the higher priority for an upgrade this offseason. Schumaker has at least hit consistently at the major league level. Last year was his worst full season in the big leagues, and was probably an aberration.
Schumaker can play second base and all of the outfield positions. He also and makes more money, so it wasn’t as important or as feasible to jettison Skip.
I’ve been pretty hard on Brendan Ryan in the past. He’s frustrated me with his inconsistent play and poor decisions. But he can bring value for the Cardinals as a player on the 2011 team, and I’m certainly in favor of him sticking around -- as many Cards fans probably are.
This relegation to a utility role could be just the motivation, and kick in the pants he needs, which makes Ryan a nice option for the Cards to keep in their pocket.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday Quick Hits for the Fitz Blitz
Some quick hits and analysis from week 12 of the NFL.
First things first, my fan level for Andre Johnson climbed a few notches yesterday. Way to get the helmet off and deliver some quality punches. He wasn't on skates, but that's not bad.
I find the first couple of paragraphs here hilarious. I'm also very curious as to what will come out of this new video taping scandal. Though I refuse to use the suffix "gate" to describe it. The apple doesn't fall far from the coaching tree.
It's pretty obvious DeSean Jackson still has the hit he received against Atlanta on his mind. He alligator-armed a potential TD against the Bears yesterday. That has to be difficult to get back to going over the middle. Only human to be a little leery of that situation still. Might take an offseason to feel comfortable with that again.
There is a proper way to still make that catch and protect yourself at the same time though. A speedster like him will learn the subtleties of body positioning with experience. If he turns his body while catching it, he may take a hit, but not to the head. I'm sure his coaches will address that with him.
And the late, great, comedian George Carlin would really appreciate the candor of Stevie Johnson of the Buffalo Bills.
From his twitter feed @steviejohnson13 shortly after dropping what would have been a wide-open, TD reception against the Steelers in OT. "I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."
George Carlin wrote and performed these lines, "Can’t we silence these Christian athletes who thank Jesus whenever they win and never mention his name when they lose? You never hear them say, 'Jesus made me drop the ball' or, 'The good Lord tripped me up behind the line of scrimmage.'" Hilarious. Way to break the mold Stevie!
Today Johnson addressed the quote on twitter with the tweet of, "And No I Did Not Blame God People! Seriously??!? CMon! I Simply Cried Out And Asked Why? Jus Like yal did wen sumthin went wrong n ur life!"
I'll say this young man, I've learned to not ask why God would do anything to me, or how he could allow it to happen. It is what it is, and as it should be. Look it in.
http://twitter.com/Timfitz76
First things first, my fan level for Andre Johnson climbed a few notches yesterday. Way to get the helmet off and deliver some quality punches. He wasn't on skates, but that's not bad.
I find the first couple of paragraphs here hilarious. I'm also very curious as to what will come out of this new video taping scandal. Though I refuse to use the suffix "gate" to describe it. The apple doesn't fall far from the coaching tree.
It's pretty obvious DeSean Jackson still has the hit he received against Atlanta on his mind. He alligator-armed a potential TD against the Bears yesterday. That has to be difficult to get back to going over the middle. Only human to be a little leery of that situation still. Might take an offseason to feel comfortable with that again.
There is a proper way to still make that catch and protect yourself at the same time though. A speedster like him will learn the subtleties of body positioning with experience. If he turns his body while catching it, he may take a hit, but not to the head. I'm sure his coaches will address that with him.
And the late, great, comedian George Carlin would really appreciate the candor of Stevie Johnson of the Buffalo Bills.
From his twitter feed @steviejohnson13 shortly after dropping what would have been a wide-open, TD reception against the Steelers in OT. "I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."
George Carlin wrote and performed these lines, "Can’t we silence these Christian athletes who thank Jesus whenever they win and never mention his name when they lose? You never hear them say, 'Jesus made me drop the ball' or, 'The good Lord tripped me up behind the line of scrimmage.'" Hilarious. Way to break the mold Stevie!
Today Johnson addressed the quote on twitter with the tweet of, "And No I Did Not Blame God People! Seriously??!? CMon! I Simply Cried Out And Asked Why? Jus Like yal did wen sumthin went wrong n ur life!"
I'll say this young man, I've learned to not ask why God would do anything to me, or how he could allow it to happen. It is what it is, and as it should be. Look it in.
http://twitter.com/Timfitz76
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Raiders Offense Will Go As Far As O-Line Takes Them
The changes the Oakland Raiders made in the offseason have gotten a lot of attention from the media and fans.
They traded for quarterback Jason Campbell, ditched Jamarcus Russell, completely re-tooled the defensive front seven, and hired a new offensive coordinator in Hue Jackson.
But the Raiders offensive line remained rather stagnant, and it deserves major scrutiny.
All five current starters on the line were with the team last season. Two mid-round draft picks, two free-agent rookies, a second year free agent, and one veteran back up were added to the roster.
None of those players are expected to be plugged into the lineup for the season opener. They are here to provide depth, or are talented projects who will most likely need some time before they are ready to start.
Last season the Raiders finished 21st in rushing yards gained, and allowed the third most sacks in the NFL. That's a bad combo. Though no Russell should help bring the sack total down.
Most offenses go as far as their offensive line takes them. Only one playoff team from 2009 finished in the bottom half of the league in both rushing yards and sacks allowed. That team was the first-round knockout, Philadelphia Eagles.
The Raiders certainly lack the offensive weapons the 2009 Eagles had, and definitely didn't pressure the QB or force turnovers like them.
It's great to have a new quarterback who can complete almost 65 percent of his passes, and who has had his completion percentage increase each of the past three seasons. The Raiders haven't had a QB start all 16 games and complete over 60 percent of his passes since Rich Gannon in 2002.
But if he can't stay upright, it will be hard for him to complete many passes. Campbell had to deal with poor protection in Washington, which affected his accuracy on down field throws, and it may follow him here.
Let's look at the top eight offensive linemen and what they bring to the table.
Mario Henderson - LT
Hederson came on strong in 2008 after getting out of former head coach Lane Kiffin's dog house. He parlayed that strong finish into an opportunity to start in 2009.
He had a great training camp, which re-assured the coaching staff he could be the starting left tackle. There wasn't much competition to fend off however after Kalif Barnes fractured his foot.
Since becoming the full-time left tackle, Henderson has been inconsistent. His lack of focus appears on the field at times, as he will just flat out miss a pass rusher going by him. Other times he gets in trouble by not moving his feet or leaning too far forward.
Mel Kiper's knock on him coming out of Florida State was that he was very athletic and a great physical specimen, but hadn't put it all together yet. You know, Al Davis' type of guy.
Without being inside the Raiders' facility every day, it's hard to know how that lack of focus or motivation manifests itself. Does he watch as much film as he should? Is he studious when watching the film? Or has he just gotten comfortable knowing there's not much competition for his spot?
Whatever the problem may be, he's shown flashes of great play, is very talented, and is still a young player. The Raiders need him to play more consistently, as left tackle is the most critical to pass protection. Hopefully rookie Jared Veldheer or Barnes can put some pressure on him to play better.
Robert Gallery - LG
It's been a long, strange journey for Gallery as an Oakland Raider. Not that it hasn't been strange for most long-tenured Raiders, but Gallery's has been exceptionally turbulent.
After being considered a bust as the second-overall pick of the 2004 NFL draft at left and right tackle, Gallery has settled into being the team's starting left guard, and its top offensive lineman. He many not be quick enough to play tackle in the NFL, but he is for a guard and is definitely strong enough to handle interior lineman.
Gallery missed 10 contests last season, and tried to play through other games banged up. When he went down, a lot of o-line shuffling occurred and the Raiders offensive-line struggles were magnified.
The Raiders need Gallery to be on the field or they can expect to struggle offensively again.
Samson Satele - C
The Raiders acquired Satele from the Miami Dolphins in 2009 for a fourth and sixth round draft pick, after the Dolphins signed former Raider center Jake Grove in free agency.
The knock on Satele in Miami was that he couldn't handle blocking the big interior lineman of the NFL. Most reviews said he wasn't able to push them, and they could push him.
Well, that evaluation has been true of his time as a Raider too. Satele and the Raiders attributed his problems with moving big lineman to a shoulder injury he suffered in 2008. He had his torn labrum fixed before coming over to the Raiders. One would expect his shoulder to still be weak just months removed from a procedure like that, and he also missed time with a calf injury last season.
However in the preseason opener against Dallas, we saw the same problems again. Satele had trouble pushing the Cowboys lineman backwards on run plays, and would get shoved into the backfield in pass protection. Too often we saw him looking backwards as the player he was blocking made a tackle.
If Satele can't handle the rigors of center in the NFL, he may find himself replaced by young-veteran Chris Morris or rookie Jered Veldheer.
Cooper Carlilse - RG
Former Denver Bronco Cooper Carlisle is the type of lineman Cable, then the offensive line coach, wanted for his zone blocking scheme when he was hired by Kiffin.
Yes, it felt gross mentioning the Broncos and Kiffin in the same sentence.
Carlisle is quick, pulls well, and gets down field. He's light for a modern NFL guard, as he is listed at 295 lbs. Unlike Satele, he is able to push lineman down field on run plays or at least do a good job of turning them to create a seal and an alley to run through. (Picture Vince Lombardi at the chalk board)
But like Satele, he gets pushed backwards by big interior lineman on pass plays. So Carlisle grades out as pretty average. He's steady if unspectacular, fits the system well, and is durable.
The Raiders will hang on to him until his pass-blocking becomes a major liability or they find a top-flight guard or younger player with a higher upside to replace him.
Langston Walker - RT
Where do I begin? First, let's address the obvious question most Raider fans have regarding Walker.
Why is he still here?
Is he back to be our designated field-goal blocker?
What seemed to be just an injury- necessitated, in-season signing last season with a familiar player, turned into a resigning and a starting spot for the 2010 season. I don't get it.
He was deemed not good enough to be resigned after the 2006 season, which he wasn't, and went to Buffalo. He was released by the Bills after two-and-a-half seasons, and was picked up by the Raiders when multiple lineman went down with injuries last year.
Langston is big and strong, but that's about it. He is not mobile enough for offensive tackle or to be in the Raiders zone blocking scheme. And he commits far too many penalties.
My good friend and Raiders season ticket holder, Todd Fournoy, refers to Walker as, "The Stuart Schweigert of the offensive line." As you can imagine, he didn't like Stuart Schweigert.
Walker is obviously someone Davis likes, and is a former second round pick out of Cal Berkeley in 2002.
Even with being a Davis favorite, I don't expect him to remain in the starting line up throughout the season due to his poor play. He could be replaced by Veldheer, Barnes, Henderson if he is moved from left tackle, or several street free agents and UFL players looking for NFL jobs.
Jared Veldheer - T/C
The rookie's name has been mentioned a few times in this article already. Veldheer was drafted in the third round out of football powerhouse, Hillsdale college. I assume it's somewhere near the mall.
Even though he is from a small school in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, he is a big guy with big-time talent. We've already heard from Jerry McDonald that he has done well in one-on-one passing drills and plays from scrimmage.
At 6'8" and 315 lbs, he fits the bill to play tackle in the NFL. He is very athletic for his size and seems to be a bright guy, as he is picking up two positions rather quickly.
He didn't just play well against his small school's competition in college, he dominated it. His progress will determine if the Raiders can move one of their problematic, weaker lineman to the bench and replace them with the more talented Veldheer this season.
Bruce Campbell - G/T
Campbell is a Davis type of guy as well. He's big, fast, strong, was a workout warrior, and has a lot of potential. Many draft "experts" expected Davis to take him in the first round. Instead the Raiders took him in the fourth.
Like Veldheer, the Raiders are having Campbell learn two positions to increase his versatility. He's had good moments and bad moments so far in camp. But overall, you can see the potential due to his athletic ability.
He was banged up in his junior season at Maryland, playing in nine games, but only finishing seven of them. He's still raw and inexperienced and will probably take two to three years to develop. But his upside makes him worth keeping an eye on, and keeping hope for him to improve the Raiders o-line down the road.
Chris Morris - C/G
A seventh round draft pick of the Raiders in 2006 out of Michigan State, Morris is versatile and steady, and started 10 games last season after only starting once in his previous three seasons.
It's unclear if Morris can be a starter in the NFL. He did okay filling in for various injured Raiders offensive lineman. He was the starting center for a stretch last year, filling in for Satele while his shoulder was still weak and had an injured calf, and then played guard after Gallery was injured.
He played better than Satele for while last season, and is pressuring him again for playing time. He's best suited for center, is still only 27 years old, and has only started 11 games in his career.
Satele makes more money than Morris, so the Raiders have to start the season with the depth chart at center as it is now. But If Satele continues to get pushed into the backfield, Morris could get another shot to be the Raiders starting center and should hang on to the job this time.
So there they are. The Raiders top eight. One potential pro-bowl caliber guard, and a lot of question marks.
The young Raider lineman are the unknown variables in the offensive line equation. Their progress determines if the Raiders have to stay with the veterans if they struggle and how much the Raiders o-line as a whole can improve from within.
It's important to have skill and speed, but without time or running lanes to use the speed, it's all for naught. The Raiders will have to rely on quick-hitting plays, rather than their beloved deep ball if the offensive line doesn't improve.
If it doesn't improve, the quarterback turnstile, and losing records, will continue.
They traded for quarterback Jason Campbell, ditched Jamarcus Russell, completely re-tooled the defensive front seven, and hired a new offensive coordinator in Hue Jackson.
But the Raiders offensive line remained rather stagnant, and it deserves major scrutiny.
All five current starters on the line were with the team last season. Two mid-round draft picks, two free-agent rookies, a second year free agent, and one veteran back up were added to the roster.
None of those players are expected to be plugged into the lineup for the season opener. They are here to provide depth, or are talented projects who will most likely need some time before they are ready to start.
Last season the Raiders finished 21st in rushing yards gained, and allowed the third most sacks in the NFL. That's a bad combo. Though no Russell should help bring the sack total down.
Most offenses go as far as their offensive line takes them. Only one playoff team from 2009 finished in the bottom half of the league in both rushing yards and sacks allowed. That team was the first-round knockout, Philadelphia Eagles.
The Raiders certainly lack the offensive weapons the 2009 Eagles had, and definitely didn't pressure the QB or force turnovers like them.
It's great to have a new quarterback who can complete almost 65 percent of his passes, and who has had his completion percentage increase each of the past three seasons. The Raiders haven't had a QB start all 16 games and complete over 60 percent of his passes since Rich Gannon in 2002.
But if he can't stay upright, it will be hard for him to complete many passes. Campbell had to deal with poor protection in Washington, which affected his accuracy on down field throws, and it may follow him here.
Let's look at the top eight offensive linemen and what they bring to the table.
Mario Henderson - LT
Hederson came on strong in 2008 after getting out of former head coach Lane Kiffin's dog house. He parlayed that strong finish into an opportunity to start in 2009.
He had a great training camp, which re-assured the coaching staff he could be the starting left tackle. There wasn't much competition to fend off however after Kalif Barnes fractured his foot.
Since becoming the full-time left tackle, Henderson has been inconsistent. His lack of focus appears on the field at times, as he will just flat out miss a pass rusher going by him. Other times he gets in trouble by not moving his feet or leaning too far forward.
Mel Kiper's knock on him coming out of Florida State was that he was very athletic and a great physical specimen, but hadn't put it all together yet. You know, Al Davis' type of guy.
Without being inside the Raiders' facility every day, it's hard to know how that lack of focus or motivation manifests itself. Does he watch as much film as he should? Is he studious when watching the film? Or has he just gotten comfortable knowing there's not much competition for his spot?
Whatever the problem may be, he's shown flashes of great play, is very talented, and is still a young player. The Raiders need him to play more consistently, as left tackle is the most critical to pass protection. Hopefully rookie Jared Veldheer or Barnes can put some pressure on him to play better.
Robert Gallery - LG
It's been a long, strange journey for Gallery as an Oakland Raider. Not that it hasn't been strange for most long-tenured Raiders, but Gallery's has been exceptionally turbulent.
After being considered a bust as the second-overall pick of the 2004 NFL draft at left and right tackle, Gallery has settled into being the team's starting left guard, and its top offensive lineman. He many not be quick enough to play tackle in the NFL, but he is for a guard and is definitely strong enough to handle interior lineman.
Gallery missed 10 contests last season, and tried to play through other games banged up. When he went down, a lot of o-line shuffling occurred and the Raiders offensive-line struggles were magnified.
The Raiders need Gallery to be on the field or they can expect to struggle offensively again.
Samson Satele - C
The Raiders acquired Satele from the Miami Dolphins in 2009 for a fourth and sixth round draft pick, after the Dolphins signed former Raider center Jake Grove in free agency.
The knock on Satele in Miami was that he couldn't handle blocking the big interior lineman of the NFL. Most reviews said he wasn't able to push them, and they could push him.
Well, that evaluation has been true of his time as a Raider too. Satele and the Raiders attributed his problems with moving big lineman to a shoulder injury he suffered in 2008. He had his torn labrum fixed before coming over to the Raiders. One would expect his shoulder to still be weak just months removed from a procedure like that, and he also missed time with a calf injury last season.
However in the preseason opener against Dallas, we saw the same problems again. Satele had trouble pushing the Cowboys lineman backwards on run plays, and would get shoved into the backfield in pass protection. Too often we saw him looking backwards as the player he was blocking made a tackle.
If Satele can't handle the rigors of center in the NFL, he may find himself replaced by young-veteran Chris Morris or rookie Jered Veldheer.
Cooper Carlilse - RG
Former Denver Bronco Cooper Carlisle is the type of lineman Cable, then the offensive line coach, wanted for his zone blocking scheme when he was hired by Kiffin.
Yes, it felt gross mentioning the Broncos and Kiffin in the same sentence.
Carlisle is quick, pulls well, and gets down field. He's light for a modern NFL guard, as he is listed at 295 lbs. Unlike Satele, he is able to push lineman down field on run plays or at least do a good job of turning them to create a seal and an alley to run through. (Picture Vince Lombardi at the chalk board)
But like Satele, he gets pushed backwards by big interior lineman on pass plays. So Carlisle grades out as pretty average. He's steady if unspectacular, fits the system well, and is durable.
The Raiders will hang on to him until his pass-blocking becomes a major liability or they find a top-flight guard or younger player with a higher upside to replace him.
Langston Walker - RT
Where do I begin? First, let's address the obvious question most Raider fans have regarding Walker.
Why is he still here?
Is he back to be our designated field-goal blocker?
What seemed to be just an injury- necessitated, in-season signing last season with a familiar player, turned into a resigning and a starting spot for the 2010 season. I don't get it.
He was deemed not good enough to be resigned after the 2006 season, which he wasn't, and went to Buffalo. He was released by the Bills after two-and-a-half seasons, and was picked up by the Raiders when multiple lineman went down with injuries last year.
Langston is big and strong, but that's about it. He is not mobile enough for offensive tackle or to be in the Raiders zone blocking scheme. And he commits far too many penalties.
My good friend and Raiders season ticket holder, Todd Fournoy, refers to Walker as, "The Stuart Schweigert of the offensive line." As you can imagine, he didn't like Stuart Schweigert.
Walker is obviously someone Davis likes, and is a former second round pick out of Cal Berkeley in 2002.
Even with being a Davis favorite, I don't expect him to remain in the starting line up throughout the season due to his poor play. He could be replaced by Veldheer, Barnes, Henderson if he is moved from left tackle, or several street free agents and UFL players looking for NFL jobs.
Jared Veldheer - T/C
The rookie's name has been mentioned a few times in this article already. Veldheer was drafted in the third round out of football powerhouse, Hillsdale college. I assume it's somewhere near the mall.
Even though he is from a small school in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, he is a big guy with big-time talent. We've already heard from Jerry McDonald that he has done well in one-on-one passing drills and plays from scrimmage.
At 6'8" and 315 lbs, he fits the bill to play tackle in the NFL. He is very athletic for his size and seems to be a bright guy, as he is picking up two positions rather quickly.
He didn't just play well against his small school's competition in college, he dominated it. His progress will determine if the Raiders can move one of their problematic, weaker lineman to the bench and replace them with the more talented Veldheer this season.
Bruce Campbell - G/T
Campbell is a Davis type of guy as well. He's big, fast, strong, was a workout warrior, and has a lot of potential. Many draft "experts" expected Davis to take him in the first round. Instead the Raiders took him in the fourth.
Like Veldheer, the Raiders are having Campbell learn two positions to increase his versatility. He's had good moments and bad moments so far in camp. But overall, you can see the potential due to his athletic ability.
He was banged up in his junior season at Maryland, playing in nine games, but only finishing seven of them. He's still raw and inexperienced and will probably take two to three years to develop. But his upside makes him worth keeping an eye on, and keeping hope for him to improve the Raiders o-line down the road.
Chris Morris - C/G
A seventh round draft pick of the Raiders in 2006 out of Michigan State, Morris is versatile and steady, and started 10 games last season after only starting once in his previous three seasons.
It's unclear if Morris can be a starter in the NFL. He did okay filling in for various injured Raiders offensive lineman. He was the starting center for a stretch last year, filling in for Satele while his shoulder was still weak and had an injured calf, and then played guard after Gallery was injured.
He played better than Satele for while last season, and is pressuring him again for playing time. He's best suited for center, is still only 27 years old, and has only started 11 games in his career.
Satele makes more money than Morris, so the Raiders have to start the season with the depth chart at center as it is now. But If Satele continues to get pushed into the backfield, Morris could get another shot to be the Raiders starting center and should hang on to the job this time.
So there they are. The Raiders top eight. One potential pro-bowl caliber guard, and a lot of question marks.
The young Raider lineman are the unknown variables in the offensive line equation. Their progress determines if the Raiders have to stay with the veterans if they struggle and how much the Raiders o-line as a whole can improve from within.
It's important to have skill and speed, but without time or running lanes to use the speed, it's all for naught. The Raiders will have to rely on quick-hitting plays, rather than their beloved deep ball if the offensive line doesn't improve.
If it doesn't improve, the quarterback turnstile, and losing records, will continue.
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