Can anyone explain to me why a player, like Yi Jianlian even had to join the draft? Why not just join the NBA as a free agent and not even go thru the hassle of the draft? The same thing for college players. If someone like Oden or Durant didn't want to go to Portland or Seattle, and say, wanted to go to LA, NY, or Chicago, why can't they avoid the draft?

"What bothers the players/agents is the fact that if you went down and got hurt you are screwed becuase your contract does not go past the season.  Then your team won't re sign you or any other team for that matter, so the big time loser is the player, not the team."

-Anonymous Blogger

How are the players screwed when they just got paid the average of the top five salaries in the entire league?  What you are really saying is that the player wants to get paid for not working beyond the season if they get hurt.  Would you get paid for not working?  Most of us regular Americans don't.  Just imagine, from a business standpoint, how much money teams are paying to people who are no longer producing for them or are in their employ.  Tons of players are getting paid for nothing.

If a player gets hurt, he should take some of that franchise money and start a business or get a regular job like the rest of us.

The franchise tag is more than fair and was agreed upon by the players' union in the last Collective Bargaining Agreement.  It protects teams from losing really good disloyal players to the highest bidder while at the same time compensating them very well during the process. 

QUIT YER BITCHIN' AND START PLAYING!!!

I was just checking the waiver wire and I just saw that the Lions just re-signed defensive tackle Cory Redding to a multiyear deal today right before the contract deadline.  It looks like the only players to still have the franchise tag on them are potential holdout twins Asante Samuel and Lance Briggs.

It is not a surprise to me that the only two players who threw a major tantrum about being franchised are the only two players left without long term deals at the contract deadline.

This should go as a warning to all future potential franchise players:

SHUT UP AND PLAY!!  Everything else will take care of itself if you do.  Too bad Samuel and Briggs didn't get that advice ahead of time.

Did anyone see Michael Smith's interview with Joakim Noah on Rome is Burning yesterday on ESPN?  I was one of the many Bulls fans that was initially disappointed with the Noah pick, but I have to admit, the more I see this kid talk and carry himself, the more I like this kid.  My opinion change is exponential.

This kid isn't just happy and ecstatic to be in the NBA, he is genuinely ecstatic and excited to be in a Chicago Bulls uniform.  I haven't seen a kid this genuinely excited to be a Chicago Bull in a long time, and it's rather refreshing.

This guy isn't your typical NBA draft story.  This is not the kid who grew up in poverty and had basketball as his main option out of the hood.  His dad is a French tennis star, and his mom is a model.  If you believe in good breeding, what better pedigree can you have than that?

This kid didn't need basketball.  Like Matt Leinart he stayed in school longer because he like college and didn't need the money of a #1 draft pick.  He got good because he genuinely loves the game and he hates to lose. 

This guy was totally humble in the interview.  Totally different than the characature that we have seen on tv.  Very intelligent.  A great interviewee.  When asked about what his main personal goals were for his rookie season he answered, "to work as hard as I possibly can every day and to get better and better every day... to do whatever is asked of me by my team to win". 

Every answer this kid gave was team oriented.  When asked what he needed to improve on in his game he said he needed to improve on his shooting and his strength.  He also said that even the things that he is considered to do well he would like to improve upon.  That is the sign of a hard worker.  When asked about how the rookie of the year balloting comes out, he replied "I don't care... all those personal accolades, and all that stuff is poison... I just want to win... just like I was in college, it's all about team with me".

I pray this guy isn't all talk, and I doubt he is.

I'm not the kind of guy to say "I told you so", but, er, who am I kidding?  I TOLD YOU SO!!!!  As soon as Tank got arrested, people were on this website and blog throwing stones and passing judgement.  This is just another reason why in this country you are supposed to be considered "innocent 'til proven guilty"!

All you Tank haters out there were just itchin' for a chance to blast the guy.  You couldn't wait for that one slip up.  That one minor infraction.  Then BAM!!!  Crucify the guy.  After the Pacman Jones  and Chris Henry incidents, the bloodlust and desire to bash and judge professional athletes and football players in general has increased ten fold.

On the Fox Sports thread, I went on record defending Johnson and I got blasted and ganged up on just because I wanted to wait and see before I threw a stone at the guy.  I went on record to say that it wasn't as big of a deal as people were making it out to be, and people acted like I was defending Satan himself.  Even the Romans who crucified Jesus are saying that we judged too soon.

Did we learn anything from the Duke Lacrosse case?  I guess not.

As soon as Tank was arrested, it was like a full blown witch hunt, Salem style.  Tank drowned and didn't float.  I guess he's not a witch after all.