Once again Scoop Jackson submits a piece for the worse column of the year award. This conudrum that was inherited by the Bulls is not one at all.  The question Pax needs to ask himself is "Do I just want to make the playoffs or do I want championships?  The NBA is not the NFL where you must draft for need to fit your team.  Save a few exceptions if you are as bad as the Bulls were last year you need to change the complete direction and ruler of your kingdom. 

Believe it or not only a few teams have an actually chance of winning the NBA championship every year. Yeah the Jazz Mavs, Suns and Rockets are good but what continually seperates them from say the Lakers or even the Cavs. Who's the guy that leads them? Where is your "SUPERSTAR?"  And no all star scorer is not what I mean by superstar. 

Michael Beasley will be an all star.  Not quite sure what he is but he reminds me of KG.  But I'm afraid of Beasley the same way I'm still unsure what to think about Durant.  Both guys could be a transcendent player.  A player able to do everything on the court.  But do either of those have the mental makeup to be the guy.  The absolute aura of being the best player on the court in a big game ala Jordan, Kobe, Bird, and Duncan.    And no Rose doesn't have it now but the glimmer is there.  It doesn't even exsist in Beasley.

So when you have your selection of the incoming crop of players look for the guy that is willing to learn (Duncan), willing to lead (Magic), willing to take the shot(MJ), willing to sacrifice his own stats for the team (Lebron), willing to take the tough defensive assignment in crunchtime (Kobe), the guy that will make your good team great (Rose). 

Aside for the obvious Pocket Of Lint Package they got back from the Mets I hear people talking about the money factor.  They couldn't have signed him.  As a fan I couldn't give a flying flip.  If the Braves were to trade Mark Teixiera tomorrow and didn't get adequate ( I don't even hope for equal) but ADEQUATE value for him I'd be pi ssed.  I know that its hard to sign these guys but you would do better eating the player for the year and getting the two draft picks. 

Side Note: I'm so glad the Yanks didn't get Johan because it just makes the pick Atlanta gets back for the 2009 Teixiera signing that much higher.

Sign him don't sign him but the system is in place so that teams that are unable to sign their players get ADEQUATE compensation.  Bill Smith just got them less than ADEQUATE compensation.

 

Or at least you need to be.  Hello again and welcome to Hell.  Bill Smith you have just #### several National League teams for all of lint in Omar Miniya's pocket.  Well Carlos Gomez might be a piece of string. 

I say this will multiple "analyst" and "expert" testimonials, Johan Santana is the best pitcher in baseball today.   His actual name is Johan K. Santana and yes the K stand for what you thing it is.

So the best starting pitcher (most important posistion in baseball) is available so what do the Twins do to market him at the winter meetings?  I liked the pitting the two biggest spenders nad biggest rivalies against each other.  Every proposal being leaked day after day and being topped by the other one day after day. 

But what the hell was Bill Smith thinking?  He made a Boras/Rodriguez-esque mistake.  You don't go away from the Yanks.  They have the most money, the best resources, and ,in this case, the prospects.  I wonder what position did Smith have seeing as he could build up the Yanks offer but couldn't do that anywhere else. 

As a Braves fan I'm very scared and almost incredulous that  the Mets gave up so little to get Johan K. Santana.  I just saw the Braves give their top 3 prospects to get a 1st basemen.  1st Basemen grow on trees. Starting pitchers do not.  At the time I didn't think that John Schuerholz got pimped at the time but looking at this had he waited a few more months the Braves could have given up a similar package and kept players with a better chance to be good than the Pocket of Lint package.

Or at least you need to be.  Hello again and welcome to Hell.  Bill Smith you have just #### several National League teams for all of lint in Omar Miniya's pocket.  Well Carlos Gomez might be a piece of string. 

I say this will multiple "analyst" and "expert" testimonials, Johan Santana is the best pitcher in baseball today.   His actual name is Johan K. Santana and yes the K stand for what you thing it is.

So the best starting pitcher (most important posistion in baseball) is available so what do the Twins do to market him at the winter meetings?  I liked the pitting the two biggest spenders nad biggest rivalies against each other.  Every proposal being leaked day after day and being topped by the other one day after day. 

But what the hell was Bill Smith thinking?  He made a Boras/Rodriguez-esque mistake.  You don't go away from the Yanks.  They have the most money, the best resources, and ,in this case, the prospects.  I wonder what position did Smith have seeing as he could build up the Yanks offer but couldn't do that anywhere else. 

As a Braves fan I'm very scared and almost incredulous that  the Mets gave up so little to get Johan K. Santana.  I just saw the Braves give their top 3 prospects to get a 1st basemen.  1st Basemen grow on trees. Starting pitchers do not.  At the time I didn't think that John Schuerholz got pimped at the time but looking at this had he waited a few more months the Braves could have given up a similar package and kept players with a better chance to be good than the Pocket of Lint package.

I am officially the checking out as a fan until 2010.  As a fan of the Braves since 1998 the thing I've really loved about about John Scherholz is the fact that the guard changes so seemlessly.  It went from a just good veteran team to The Triplets, to Chipper's team, to the Slugging Braves, to the Baby Braves, and now...  (and I'm jumping ahead to 2010) Jason, Jeff, Jordan, and Brian.  I don't expect to keep Mark Teixiera, Scott Boras got trashed way too hard this off season and I believe he'll stick it to owners this upcoming year.  But checking out BA Braves' prospect page reminded me that the Braves will have the best lineup in 2010.

Heyward will be 21

McCann 26

Schafer 24

Francoeur 26

Lots of potential, lots of praying, lots of boring Octobers not watching the playoffs.  I'm just waiting for 2010

 

inspired by all the damned Red Sox hats

The people that are contributing to the death of sports as we know it.  Not sportswriters or dog loving (or hating) quarterbacks.  I'm talking about the casual sports fan.  Really this is mostly jealously because you get the attention and the love that me, the diehard, deserves. 

All business and marketing ploys are directed towards you.  All rule changes are made with the purpose of making you like the game.  And no you don't respect the game with any sort of fan loyalty.  You jump from team to team like some sort of team polgamist in which you ride the wave of title contention without enduring the 12 games back finishes or the 3-13 seasons.

You watch the afternoon Yankees - Red Sox game not because you love Derek or Papi but because Fox promotions tells you that this is the most stimulating and scintillating series of the year.  The worst part of this is; we are penalized because we are loyal to one team.

  I am a Cowboys fan.  I watched Quincy Carter and Chan Gailey.  I am a Braves fan.   I watched every single failure in October.  All those guys repping the Patriots, Red Sox, or Suns in the last 5 years; you are in a purely carnal relationship.  You are treating a  glorious franchise like that nice girl in high school that gets with cool guy that is probably going to make her put out and dump her.  Didn't we all hate that guy that would deflower the pretty, sweet girl then trash her because he just got bored.  I hate you Sports David Wooderson.  I'm out of high school and I still hate guys like you.

John Schuerholz is the best executive in baseball.  But for whatever reason the King Of GM's (I'm listing to King of Kings right now with no explanation) defied all logic.  Maybe having the best pitching for a decade with minimal results has "warped his fragile little mind".  Though Tex is definitely an upgrade of the Hack-A-Lot Triplets of Thorman, Salty, and Franco.  For arguements sake, maybe he thinks that his new and improved lineup can work and pummel other team's pitchers like Tyson in 89. 

After three weeks of seeing Slugger's Row (if you're a Braves fan use it and make it their moniker) fall to 5.5 games back because Micah Owings is the second coming of the Bambino I'm a little underwhelmed by all those lumberjacks hitting back to back to back to back to back.  Normally there wouldn't be cause for concern if not for two factors. 

First this is a team built for now.  Not just playoff now.  World Series Now.  Andy is going to the Anaheim Squatters of LA or ,depending on Alex's decision, as northeast as the Antichrist Scotty will take him.  Then Tex is probably shooting to the Bronx not to long after that.  Francouer is still a very good ax handler at this point.  Brian McCann is 23 going on 34.  And someone please correct me but Andy is having the worst walk year in the history of walk years.  Without meaning any sort of hyperbole.  He is actually having the worst walk year in the history of free agency in organized sports.  This is the anti Rod Tidwell.  With declining range and an absurdly ineffective bat, if he keep regressing, i promise he will be in an independent league next year. 

Tex is good by this team needs great.  Not just from him but Andruw, Jeff, and the rest of Da Row (that's the nickname: a little hip hop with America's pastime)  The last few games have shown that this isn't the 01 D'Backs or the 04 Sox so the hitters need to pick it up because outside of Johnny and Timmy; pitching just isn't this Braves game.

 

This stupid playoff ghost had risen from the depths again.  Hasn't modern college football been around for 50 years?  Bowls games with conference rivalries and unique postseason prestige is how the teams have been championed and crowned each year forever.  I respect the traditionalist that have fought so hard to keep the system the same even though their reasons (financial) are different from mine (love of history). 

The first three years went without giving the old playoff delegates much ammo.  Then Nebraska got smoked, and seriously almost any other team in the last 10 years would have gotten smoked by that Miami team.  So the campaigning began. 

But three of the greast championship games of the last quarter century occured.  02, 03, and 05 were good games.  The system worked 7 of 9 times.  And 3 of 7 held very good games.  The system actually worked great last year.  The consensus best team was destroyed by a superior team that faced better competition.  As an Arkansas fan I remember a Razorback team that was a few good plays from being SEC champions.  People want to use Boise St. and Utah as examples.  BSU beat an down year Sooner team and Utah beat Pittsburgh.  Don't tell me that either of those teams could have beat any of the championship teams of the last 9 years. 

Here's why the BCS has proven its worth.  Every year it pressed every large conference team to compete every week and does not allow for more than one half step, which makes for better competition week to week.  Unlike in pro sports like basketball when players admit to taking nights off and not playing hard or when an NFL team clinchs a playoff spot and starts resting players.  It also allows for one small conference team to compete nationally and get publicity in a major bowl and hopefully that small team can play a major team tough and pull out a yard school play.  Kind of like last years Fiesta Bowl.

So USC didn't get in the title game in 03.  Oklahoma and LSU were the best two teams as decided by the people that maintain the institution of collegiate football.  Who's to say a playoff wouldn't distort the competitive balance of the game.  An injury to Vince Young in a round one game would have guaranteed a USC repeat.  But we had the greatest game ever.  So maybe the playoff system might not work.

All Star break and there is nothing new in the Wide World Of Baseball.  This few things I know are true.  Magglio is have an all galaxy first half.  A Rod is going to go from very rich to hella rich in a few months.  Andruw Jones no matter how he (for that matter Bobby Cox) try to drown the Braves, they'll make playoffs interesting and Andruw is going to be very rich.  But there aresome things that are puzzling me. 

Like...

 Why the hell is hitting so far below average this year?

Why isn't Albert Pujols hitting like the Baseball Prophecy said he would?

Why hasn't Cole Hamels Facts had a funny line in a few months.

Why is Andruw still hitting 4th? For the life of me I don't see why when clearly McCann and Salty are better with runnners on.  How does "Screamin" Bobby Cox have a job

Why do people accuse Barry without accusing Roger?

Why do people care about Roger and the Yankees?

Did anyone cheer or care that Frank Thomas hit 500 home runs?  Free Agency sucks

Yankees and Mets suck.  I know is a statement but why doesn't anyone else know this?

Is World Series of Pop Culture the greatest summer show ever or is it?

Why doesn't Derek Jeter like Alex? Is this still about the magazine comment for a few years back?  Because he wasn't lying, you know?  I'll start a Stump the Schwab list of better shortstops.  Reyes, Renteria, Ramirez, Rollins, Hardy are better with the bat.  Cabrera, Furcal, Wilson, Betancourt are better with the glove. 

Is it me or does the guy playing Billy Martin on the Bronx Is Burning have the hugest ears ever?

Lastly.  Scott Boras how do you sleep at night? 

 

Let's play the first installment of The Rocket's Advocate and place my opinion of several opinions that are a little too snappy. 

First, I don't see why everyone outside of NYC is trashing Isiah for the Zach Randolph trade.  People look at the Spurs and the Pistons and figure the blueprint to winning is find a good coach and finding players to fit the system in place.  How about giving Isiah props for conning Kevin Pritchard out of at least a top 10 power forward.  They add  a needed rebounder and this will finally release Eddy Curry from this fantasy that everyone has for him.   The one where he plays defense or rebounds anthing that doesn't just fall down from the rim into his hands.  Dickau can run the point a little and give Lil Nate competition.  Now if he could just get rid of Starbury

I must place a disclamer in front of this.  I love Michael Jordan.  Absolute man-crush.  But my first memory of basketball is ,like anyyone around my age, of Mike.  Jason Richardson fills a need at the 2 with 20 pts and a adequate defense.  J-Rich is also a plus athlete which makes him the abosolute foil of Adam "Cry Me A River" Morrison.  Brandon Wright I'm not entirely sold on.  A less athletic Tyrus Thomas.  Has to add size and shooting range to contribute, then has to be coached into a superstar four.  He's like KG but he's not like KG.  Kevin Garnett was born for this. Brandon Wright probably not.  Adding Jason puts another shooter on the bench so that Adam can come into his own and maximize whatever NBA level skills he has because he is working for worst 3 pick ever!

Rashard Lewis....

 

Can't defend it.  Nobody can.  Otis can't.  Stan can't.  Whatever yahoos on the Magic can't.  There is no player on this roster thats an all world player.  Futhermore they are #### for the next six years because the fans will get fed up with 2nd round loses and they won't be able to make a move.  When you look at the bad moves the Magic match up with almost any team in the NBA.  Hill, Lewis, Redick, Fran Vasquez (the spainish player that didn't even come over), the Donovan fiasco,  I'll dare someone to match that, T'Wolves not withstanding. I'll say this; Nelson, Lewis, Redick, Turkoglu will make for decent 3 point bets to show up on youtube hopefully. 

This is absolutely the largest problem with the NBA.  Its become a fiscal game instead of a talent game.  The reason there aren't any absolutely dominant teams anymore is because the structure of the cap allows home teams to keep their players.  I'll be surprised if Mo Williams leaves Wisconsin for godforsaken South Beach and a chance to be number 3 on a title contender next year for a few more million.  (Few more million and i'm struggling to pay for school next year. Funny)  It would actually have been funny had a player like Chauncey Billups took the midlevel from the Lakers or something to be number 2 to Kobe and go to the Finals next year.  He'd rather dwell in Detroit and be out in the semis for the next 2 years before being out in the first round before being in the lottery.  But I digress

What the hell is Jeff Green and Kevin Durant going to do with each other!?  You have two 3's one that actually looks like he'll be ineffective against any agressive defender and "Play Patty Cake during the Final Four" Green.  No 2 guard, an undersized 1 and a lot of raw 5's.  What's the plan?  Durant will be McGrady or Dirk.  Not Michael, Larry, or the Logo.  He won't be one of those " I don't care if my teammates suck.  VICTORY WILL BE MINE!" type of players.  So you can't have him and pick up game scrubs and attempt to get to the Finals.

 

What the hell is Ray Allen and Paul Pierce going to do with each other?!  Now Boston is overstocked with scorers and are missing some defenders somewhere in there.  The sad part is they'll make the playoffs and believe they accomplished something. 

 

 

In light of this Kobe trade debacle I must shed light to the biggest misconception in basketball.  An absurd statement that is mentioned by supposed analyst.  Steven John Nash is the best player in basketball.  He isn't even the best player on the Suns and he isn't even the best point guard the league.  I like to refer to Nash as Chris Leak or Danny Wuerffel, system quarterback on the talented team that has superior atheletes and gameplanning.  I respect him as a very good point guard that has had his stats hot air balloned into two mvps and into mounds and mounds of undue praise. 

Check his career statline and explain how his statistics have gotten better as he gets older.  Any Nahs fan take an evaulation method from baseball, find another player in history that has ever did such as thing.  If a baseball player does something of the similar then he is using performance enhancing drugs and in most cases they are.  There is no drug to help shooting or dribbling skills.  He cast of teammates wasn't that bad.  Its not as if Steven was on a bad team with a bad coach  that surpress his abilities.  His running mate was the current MVP, his coach just pulled the greatest upset in playoff history.  I don't want to begin to compare the effectiveness of STAT vs. Dirk or Nellie vs. D'Antoni, but SJN couldn't have exploded into the second coming of Magic magically.  Could he?

Where does Nash rank in a pickup game?  He is at least one of the two best passing 1's in the league.  Smart player and always makes a good decision.  Unselfish and makes his teammates better. He also doesn't have the athleticism of Baron or Deron, scoring abilities of Chauncey or Gilbert, or the all around game of J Kidd.  Not to mention he's a flopper.  But all the reason that these guys or someone like Kobe or Tracy are placed in such a negative light is that they aren't winners; neither is Steve.  There are excuses every year but has he ever led any of his teams to anything but a high seed in the playoff.  The reason why the Suns are so good have been gilded just a bit to make a player better in the public's eye than he really is.

I honestly believe that Steve Nash was the MVP of  the Association this year but the writers consistenly getting it wrong.  Two years ago Shaq was robbed and last year Kobe got shafted(it was 81 points for god's sake).  Everyone knows that the media hates Kobe Bryant.  I don't think anyone has ever came to his defense on any subject.  But to accomplish a slightly racial and Stern's fun & gun agenda Shaq had to be sacrificed.  NBA MVP voters has shown a history of using any small hole to discredit a rightful canidate and assign an award to its personal choice.

I really don't want to change anyone's opinion.  I expect that my arguement will be blasphemy to some nice guy thats a fan of the Suns as an opinion that believe Kobe isn't the best since Jordan is to me(even though I've heard it so much I don't pay attention to silly notions like that).  In the offseason when Tracy and Dirk try to get there mojo back and Kobe and KG try to keep from commiting a murder of themselves or someone else, I just hope that Mike D'Antoni is finally given credit for turning a very good point into a two time Most Valuable Player and leader of the three time 2nd best team in the Western conference.  I'm sure that helps his ringless hands sleep at night.