Sports Commentary
As a long time sports fan, I have grown complacent
with the happenings year in and year out in the world of sports.
The reason for this is the fact that in general,
nothing out of the ordinary happens from year to year.
Sure, a different team wins the championship
every season for the most part and the franchises at the top generally
fade away over the course of a few years making room for the latest
talented teams to come along.
And sure, big name players change teams, often
creating excitement and making a 2nd tier team a potential contender.
But these things are just part of the cycle.
And for the most part, the cycle simply repeats itself again and
again every few seasons.
As a result of this, I have compiled a list
of things in sports that I would like to see occur. I like to see
things that have never happened before. That is what truly gets me
excited as a sports fan.
Also, unlike many other sports fans, I tend
not to root for the underdog just for sake of rooting for the underdog.
I like to see excellence prevail, so when I am emotionally neutral
about the teams or individuals competing, I tend to support the athletically
superior team.
This is not the case however when I harbor a
rational or irrational dislike for one of the individuals or teams
in question, nor is it the case when a local team is playing. The
exception to this is when Michigan State is involved. I root for
them to lose at all costs, unless an MSU victory somehow benefits
the Michigan Wolverines. I could write a whole essay on how much
I hate Michigan State and how much shallow satisfaction I get from
seeing them fail, and I may someday, but not this day.
9-24-08
If you live in the state of Michigan
or are connected to the sports world in any way, you've undoubtedly
heard the news Lions fans have been calling for for half a decade:
Matt Millen is no longer the President
of the Detroit Lions.
I found out while casually checking
out the local newpaper's website on my lunch-break, about an hour
after the story initially broke. I perused over to freep.com, the
website of the Detroit Free Press to read some of the columnists
initial thoughts. After reading their articles, I felt as I've felt
through the past nine years or so since Barry Sanders retired.
I felt apathetic.
Which I guess makes me a fair-weather
fan. But not totally. Because I still watch them almost every weekend.
The only difference is that I watch them knowing that they're going
to lose. The outcome is more obvious than a WWE match. Predicting
a Lions loss is like predicting that Lindsay Lohan will
do drugs, smash her SUV and act promiscuously this weekend. Some
things in life ARE guaranteed.
I've read a lot of fluff pieces in
the past 12 hours about the Millen firing. But quite frankly, what's
really changed? The Lions still have the same shitty team, the same
mediocre quarterback, the same unmotivated coaching staff - they're
still the fucking Lions.
What's changed? Nothing. And nothing
will. They'll clean house. They'll hire a big name to fill the position.
That big name (ahem Marty Schottenheimer, you heard it here first)
will assume the GM duties and dump the Marinelli experiment, only
to perpetuate the tradition of 'M' names (albeit only his first name)
by appointing himself head coach for next season.
All of that said, I actually feel
for Millen a little. For all of the criticism, for all of the horrific
things that have been said about him for the past several seasons,
he never wavered. He never caved to the pressure or the opinions
of people who think they have all the answers but in reality their
accountability doesn't go past the words they speak into a microphone,
or snarky remarks that find their way to print or to the sports section
of a web page.
The fact is, Matt Millen tried. I
believe he did his best. Did he suck at his job? Yes. I think his
inexperience in such an exceptionally complicated and high profile
position was simple more than the man could handle. Does this make
him a bad person? I certainly don't believe so. Do you truly believe
his intention was to make the Detroit Lions the worst team in the
league year in and year out? A man that won four Super Bowls wants
to be a loser?
Your pissed because he did a shitty
job. Fine. But lets see things for what they really are, shall we?
He opened his tenure with no coaching
staff and the third pick in the draft, needing help in every facet
of football not called special teams. He had the opportunity to draft
a high-profile college quarterback. The fact that it didn't work
out isn't Millen's fault.
Charles Rogers. Millen probably didn't
do his homework here. He saw a local boy with a 4.3 in the 40 yeard
dash and nothing else mattered. A broken collarbone each of Rogers'
first
two seasons
didn't help either.
Roy Williams. He was supposed to be
the dual threat along side Rogers right? Except the other receiver
couldn't
stay healthy (or off drugs) and there wasn't a quarterback to throw
to him (or either of them). As misguided as the draft choice was,
it's a good thing he did choose Williams. He's the only one of the
first three receivers chosen that's still with the team.
Mike Williams. Completely inexcusable
fucking blunder of a draft choice. Sometimes you have to call a spade
a spade.
Stockar McDougal. He was supposd to
be a bad-ass tackle. Injuries kept that from working out, but what
are you going to do? Some things you can't predict.
The fact is, Matt Millen simply didn't
get the job done. This wasn't for lack of effort or lack or desire.
He simply didn't have the experience or the ability that the position
required. For this, he should be released, but not with the indignity
that has been thrust upon him in the past 12 hours - not to mention
the past five years.
9-7-08
The Lions season starts in about an
hour. I have them going 5-11 this year.
The Lions are perpetual losers in
certain situations. On paper, this team should be able to contend
for the NFC North title - or at least a wildcard spot. But they won't.
Here's why:
The Lions do not play well on the
west coast. Nor do they play particularly well in 4:00 pm games in
general. Week three in San Francisco and week seven in Houston are
games the Lions could and probably should win, but they won't.
The Lions do not win in Green Bay
or in Minnesota. Period. There's two more losses.
Week 16 New Orleans at Detroit. The
Lions will play hard and tough, but NO will likely be playing for
a playoff spot and will come in hungry. The Lions will lose a close
one here.
Week 10 Jacksonville at Detroit. Jacksonville
is going to be one of the best teams in the league. I don't see the
Lions in an upset here.
Week 15 at Indianapolis. With Indy
in the playoff hunt and the Lions playing for pride(?), combined
with the fact that this game is on the road, Indy is a pretty solid
pick.
Week 8 Washington at Detroit. The
Redskins just seem to have Detroit's number. On paper, the Lions
will likely be favorites in this one, but I still like Washington
by a touchdown.
Week 11 at Carolina. The Panthers
will be one of the best teams in the league, and will destroy the
Lions in a blowout.
Week 9 at Chicago. This one is more
of a toss-up. I go with Chicago since Detroit will likely have won
against then in week five at home. This will motivate them to play
well and their defense will dominate the game.
Week 13 Tennessee at Detroit. The
Lions always seem to have one or two home games in the middle of
the season that they should win but always find a way not to. That's
pretty much the only basis I have for picking the Titans in this
one.
---
For their wins, I have them winning
week one 34-30 in Atlanta, at home against Green Bay in week two,
at home against Chicago in week five (making them 3-1 at this point),
week 12 at home against Tampa and week 14 at home against Minnesota.
8-8-08
Here's an entertaining article from
FindSportsNow about the three-week-long abomination that's about
to ensue.
8-6-08
As of this writing it seems to be
a certainty that Brett Favre will not end his career as a Green Bay
Packer.
In all of my time as a sports fan/observer,
I cannot think of a more unnatural and perverse set of circumstances
than seeing Favre's name and number four on a jersey other than that
of the dark green & gold. This includes seeing Michael Jordan in
a minor
league
baseball uniform, Dennis Rodman doing, well everything Dennis Rodman
does, and Jason Giambi's moustache.
It's really more sad than anything.
Maybe it's because Pro Football has an element to it's league that
transcends the other major sports. In baseball, basketball and hockey,
players, even star/marquee players change teams on a fairly regular
basis. It is truly unusual for a player, regardless of talent, to
spend his whole career with the same team. In the age of salary
caps, trade deadlines and fire sales, basically everyone is expendable.
That's where football is different. John Elway, Tom Brady, Peyton
Manning, Michael Strahan, Barry Sanders, etc.: there are numerous
examples of great players who've spent their entire careers with
the same
franchise. Furthermore, even the great players who hang on a little
too long (see: Emmitt Smith; Jerry Rice) and try to pick up with
another team usually have spent their productive seasons all in
the same place.
Favre chose to retire. He committed
to not being part of the team any longer. He trained his successor
to the point of competence and then hung up his cleats. He left the
game holding practically every single passing record, he left as
a Super Bowl champion, a lock to be a first ballot hall of famer.
He left a legend; The Gunslinger they called him. An absolutely infallible
deity amongst both Cheeseheads and football fans alike. How many
are able
to do that?
But now he has the itch to play again.
This is like seeing the woman that you broke up with a month ago
with a younger, better looking man and all of a sudden you want her
back. It doesn't work that way. Brett Favre should stay retired and
ride off into his merry Mississippi sunset with what's left of his
image and integrity intact.
At this point, seeing Farve in any
jersey other than a Packer's one would be a travesty and a disgrace
against his legacy.
5-20-08
The Piston & the Celtics are playing in the Eastern
Conference finals.
The Celtics will win Game One, the Pistons will win
Game Two in Boston.
The Pistons will win Game Three and Boston will win
Game Four and Game Five back in Boston. Detroit will win Games Six
and Seven.
---
The Red Wings open the Stanley Cup Finals against
Pittsburgh Saturday. I predict they will win the cup in four games.
Henrik Zetterberg wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.
11-11-07
The Lions will lose tonight at Arizona.
Update 8-21-07
I am particularly sick of a common strategic practice
in pro baseball. The overuse of the intentional walk has diminished
the integrity of the game during it's crucial moments.
Issuing an intentional walk to an opposing team's
best player as a strategic means during the critical stages of the
game is like allowing the San Diego Chargers to have 12 men on the
field but not allowing LaDainian Tomlinson to touch the ball, or
like allowing the Chicago Bulls to shoot into a basket that is 20%
larger than the standard size but not allowing Michael Jordan to
shoot or the ball. The point is, with intentional walks, the benefit
to the team receiving the walk does not outweigh the disadvantage
suffered by the defensive team.
I'd like to see a new rule implemented
in Major League Baseball, one that much severely penalizes the
defensive team for walking a batter without throwing a strike, whether
intentionally or not.
Here's a couple ideas:
If a batter walks on four pitches,
the batter is allowed to advance two bases
instead of one. This eliminates the intentional walk as a means of
setting up a potential double play.
Another idea is to give the batter
(or manager) the option of taking first base or forcing the pitcher
to throw another pitch, with all baserunners advancing one base for
every additional ball thrown. If this option is chosen, the batter
foregoes any future options to walk, and must bat until the ball
is put in play or he strikes out.
6-25-07
The Lions will finish this season 6-10. Here's why:
The Lions sucked on defense last year. Losing Dre Bly
will not improve this. If their key players stay healthy (which they
probably will not), you can probably upgrade their defensive status
to slightly below average, which will allow them to win a shootout
or two.
The Lions offensive line is bad, which causes them
to not be able to run the ball. When Kevin Jones is healthy, and
the Lions are playing a shitty team, they are able to run the ball
fairly well. But they play Minnesota and Chicago twice, both of whom
had stellar run defenses last year.
The Lions offense as a whole could be exciting. With
Roy Williams emerging and Calvin Johnson's potential to light up
the scoreboard, the Lions run game should improve by proxy. The problem
is, the Lions will only win the games where they can outscore their
opponent. The Lions continue to put themselves in positions where
they can't win a game without scoring 30 points. There aren't enough
defensively inept teams in the league to make this a viable strategy.
And lastly, you can always count on the Lions to lose
a couple game that they should have won. On paper, this offense alone
should make them a wildcard contender. But, by the end of October,
Lions fans will be chantin' for Stanton after they're off to yet
another sub-standard start.
I see the Lions beating Minnesota at home, Green Bay
at home, Dallas at home, Arizona on the road, Tampa Bay at home,
and Oakland on the road for their six wins.
The Lions will actually have the best chance in years
of actually making the playoffs, likely being 6-7 going into the
final three games of the season. But, they have to play San Diego
on the road, Kansas City at home, then Green Bay at Lambeau Field
on Dec. 30th to finish the season. They are going to lose all three
of those games, causing Lions fans to become temporarily over-excited
and unnecessarily disappointed yet again.But hey, look at the bright side, won't six wins be
a personal best for Matt Millen?
6-2-07
The Pistons play the Cavs tonight in Cleveland for
game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Prediction # 1: The
Pistons will lose. They will lose by nine points. Final Score: 89-80.
Cleveland has ALL the momentum, a huge factor for a young team with
nothing to lose. Also, the game is in Cleveland, and Lebron James
is on fire and eager to prove he can finish. (6-3-07
EDIT: Sometimes I hate being right)
Prediction # 2: The
Spurs will beat Cleveland in six games to win the NBA Championship. (6-16-07
EDIT: This was a no-brainer and probably shouldn't count it was so
easy.)
The reason is Cleveland does not have enough talent,
experience, or veteran leadership to beat San Antonio. Lebron James
was enough to get past sub-par opponents in the first two rounds
of the playoffs, then beat the Pistons, who came into the series
overconfident and over-rated.
James is a great player, and Ilgauskas is a solid,
under-rated big-man. But other than that, Cleveland has little to
rely on. Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes are pretenders.
Prediction # 3: The
loss will cause the Pistons to immediately deal Rip Hamilton, Rasheed
Wallace and the higher of their first round draft choices for Kobe
Bryant and a scrub. This could occur before the NBA finals conclude.
Prediction # 4: Lebron
James will not win an NBA Championship with Cleveland. Detroit will
come back stronger than before in the next few years. Chicago is
also a team sharply on the rise and Miami will bounce back and regain
their championship form from last year, making the Eastern Conference
more dominant than the West once again. Cleveland, like the Orlando
Magic in 1995, will have reached their peak this season.
4-20-07
Some things I'd like to see in sports:
I'd like to see Tiger Woods win. A lot. I know
he already has, and it will take a bona fide act of Allah
to prevent him from breaking The Bear's record of 18 major tournament
wins. I feel
as though we are witnessing the career of the greatest
golfer to ever live, and there's something special about that. I
hope he sets
the bar so high that it will take a truly gifted athlete
a lifetime to challenge his mark. Furthermore, Tiger Woods personifies
excellence
and class on and off the golf course, for that reason I
admire him and root for him to win.
I'd like to see a horse win the triple crown.
It hasn't happened in my lifetime. A handful of times in the last
decade or so a horse has won the first two legs, only to get upset
in the Belmont Stakes by a longshot. It seems as though a monkey
riding a zebra could win the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby, but
the last contest, the longest of the three, is anyone's race.
I for one, do not like the parity that has been
a staple of NFL competition for the past 12 years or so. The problem
I have, is that there is no team to beat per se. In any given season,
there's no guarantee that the superior teams from the prior season
will be any better than average. The reasons for this have been discussed
ad nauseum elsewhere, with free agency, salary cap issues, and injuries
generally agreed to be the main culprits.
Any given Sunday, any one team is capable of
beating another. It used to be that there were a couple of
superior teams that by which the rest of the league was compared.
In the 70's,
it was Pittsburgh. In the 80's, it was San Francisco and
the New York Giants. In the early 90's it was Dallas and to a lesser
extent
Buffalo. And in the mid to late 90's Green Bay was the toughest
place to play, and opposing players loathed playing in Wisconsin
at the
end of the season and in the playoffs.
It would take major changes and will probably
never occur, but I would like to see a team DOMINATE for years. Watching
a team squeak into the last spot of the playoffs, go on a miracle
run and win the Super Bowl, only to start the following season 2-6
and not even make the playoffs is boring. How often do we see a team
play in the Super Bowl one year only to fall flat on their asses
the following season? It happens way too often.
Need examples? Tampa won the SB a few years
back, they haven't done shit since. They played Oakland in that SB,
who have been even worse since. New England won the first
of their SB championships, then missed the playoffs entirely the
following year (although, they did win the SB the next two years,
but they are the exception). The Giants played in the SB (after barely
making it into the playoffs) against Baltimore and lost. In the following
years, they sucked so bad NY fired their coach and hired Tom Coughlin,
who alienated one of the best running backs in the league to the
point that he retired during the prime of his career.
It has gotten to the point that the window of
opportunity for an NFL team to accomplish anything significant has
shrank to the size of a pinhole. If only the Lions could somehow
take advantage of this system and manage to win more than five games
in a season. It's been proven that you don't have to be good for
very long, just long enough, and at the right time.
I'd like to see a hitter break DiMaggio's 56
game consecutive hit streak record. This record is so pristine that
baseball people get excited when a player gets halfway there.
Furthermore, this is one of the rare records in sports that when
broken, no real argument to trivialize the accomplishment exists.
Look at the home-run craze of the past 10 years
(and prior). In 1991, Cecil Fielder his 51 home runs in that season,
the first time someone hit over 50 since 1977. I remember back then
how big of a deal it was that someone hit 50, let alone
anyone get close to the record at the time which was 61. Anymore,
it's not uncommon for several players to hit more than 50 in the
same season. And that untouchable record of 61 has been eclipsed
several times in the past 9 years, with the record now at 73.
The home run record has been impurified and
the accomplishments have been dimished by steroids, by new hitter-friendly
ballparks, by expansion's impact on the quality of pitching etc.
But, the hit streak record is immune from such
counter-arguments. It is a feat that would be achieved by skill and
consistency alone.
I'd like to see someone hit .400 in a season.
It hasn't happened in my lifetime.
I'd like to see someone win the triple crown
in baseball. I think the last player to do it was George Brett in
1980.
