The Failure That Was The 2011 Oakland Raiders

It was a season filled with promise despite the passing of owner Al Davis.  The once vaunted vertical game had returned.  The ground game was as explosive as any in the NFL.   The defense was playing inspired and the kicking team was challenging all-time records.   First year head coach Hue Jackson was making all the right calls both on and off the field.   Everything was falling into place for the Oakland Raiders.

For the first time since a trip to the Super Bowl in 2002, Oakland seemed like a stone cold lead pipe lock to end their playoff drought.  Through eleven weeks the Raiders were 7-4 and holding sole possession of first place in the AFC West. Unfortunately for  Raider Nation a season that was filled with hope, excitement and promise finished with emptiness, frustration and disappointment.

After losing four of its last five to the end the season including an uninspiring performance at Miami, a remarkable ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the fourth quarter of a home game against Detroit and an embarrassing effort against San Diego, the Oakland Raiders are watching the playoffs exactly like you and I…on the couch.

No matter how you look at it the lack of a playoff appearance makes this season a failure.  Coming off a 8-8 season in 2010 that included a 6-0 record within their division, a playoff appearance for the 2011 Oakland Raiders had to be the only criteria by which success for this year could be measured.

Many think the inability of the team to finish should cost Jackson his job even after just one season.  I disagree with that believing that coaches need more than one season to showcase their abilities.  I would give Jackson one more year.  If they don’t make the playoffs after next year then I would give him the pink slip.

To give Jackson the best chances to succeed I would make the these changes.  The first thing I would do is  hire a General Manager and give them complete control over player personnel.  In this day and age I will never understand how teams expect to have success without a General Manager in place.  This person will give the team an identity and build it in their image.  Head coaches or owners should not be making player personnel decisions.

Owners put their employees in the best positions to succeed, general managers find the talent and coaches get the most out of that talent.  That is the recipe for success.  See Bob Kraft who owns the New England Patriots or Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss if you disagree with me.

The next thing I would do is fire Defensive Coordinator Chuck Bresnahan.  His defenses inability to hold three different second half leads this year against Buffalo, Denver and Detroit are arguably the biggest examples of failure for the 2011 Raiders.

In losses to Detroit and San Diego the Raiders allowed them to drive over 95 yards in the fourth quarter in just a handful of plays.  That type of defensive performance is inexcusable.  To steal a famous line from Al Davis, “Bresnahan must go down and he must go down hard”.

In addition, I would try to upgrade the pass defense from my linebackers and try to bring a free agent or use what little draft picks I have left in this years draft to upgrade my secondary.  The play of the secondary was a source of weakness all season long and was routinely exploited throughout.

Lastly, I would do whatever it takes to re-sign Michael Bush.  As much as I love Darren McFadden, he has proven himself to be unreliable.  When healthy he is as good as any runner in the game.  Unfortunately he has never played more than 13 games in a season and is coming off a season in which he only played in seven games.  Bush may not have the speed and quickness of McFadden but what he lacks in that area he makes up for in durability and routinely proves he can perform like a starting running back when given the opportunity.

The 2011 season was a failure that will not soon be forgotten by fans of the silver and black.  It was a performance that should serve as a reminder of what happens when a team doesn’t give it’s best performance for an entire season.  It should also serve as a reminder that the Raiders should live by the example of their slogan and once again “commit to excellence”.

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Stern Fails Hornets Over Basketball Reasons

Last week, like many Los Angeles Laker fans, I sat on the edge of my seat as reports and tweets poured in announcing a three team trade was in the works involving the Lakers, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Hornets.

Superstar point guard Chris Paul was on his way to Tinsel Town.  Pau Gasol was going to call the L0ne Star State Home.   Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and a 2012 first round draft pick would now reside in the Big Easy.

Despite the would be gaping hole in the front court, I was beyond excited at the back court combo of arguably the best point guard in the league in Paul being teamed with up with the best shooting guard over the last decade in Kobe Bryant.

All teams were happy with the final result.  For the Lakers, they were getting a franchise type player that could carry on the proud Laker tradition after Kobe hangs up his sneakers.  Houston was getting a big man they’ve always coveted that could help them replace the loss of Yao Ming while New Orleans was getting two very capable forwards, one of which is the reigning sixth man of the year along with a 20 point per game scorer, a solid young point guard along with a first round pick in what analysts project to be a very deep draft class.

It was a win win scenario for all teams involved.  That is until approximately three hours later when NBA Commissioner David Stern made an unprecedented decision and vetoed the trade.  Fans, analysts, reporters and players alike were stunned at the ruling.  Citing “basketball reasons” the league decided that New Orleans, who is being run by the league while it seeks to find a permanent owner, was not getting enough in return for its biggest asset.

It’s one thing to veto a perfectly good trade for all involved but it’s another thing to do so without giving any kind of valid, transparent reason.  Stern and the NBA decided that New Orleans was more valuable with Chris Paul in a Hornets uniform.

I understand where Stern is coming from but often times sales take months to complete and to my knowledge the Hornets don’t even have any potential buyers at this point in time.  In a little over six months from now Paul will be gone.

I ask the question, “How is  having a player who’s  made it clear that he has every intention to leave as a free agent at the end of the season a good thing for a franchise?”

So let me get this straight, getting nothing for Chris Paul is better than getting four really good  players for him since he’s inevitably going to leave anyway?

The league gave New Orleans General Manager Dell Demps complete authority to negotiate a deal to restock the franchise and move beyond the constant distractions that go with having a lame duck all-star on your team.  At no point did the NBA give Demps any kind of parameters to satisfy when negotiating a deal for Paul and then when he does they completely undermine everything he accomplished.

If anything Stern has made it nearly impossible for Demps to find an attractive package in exchange for Paul.  Why would anyone want to negotiate with New Orleans with this kind of precedence already having been set?

Since last weeks veto the Clippers have emerged as a possible trade partner and have reportedly offered the Hornets Chris Kaman, Eric Bledsoe, Al-Farouq Aminu and either Eric Gordon or their rights to Minnesota’s unprotected 2012 first round pick.  Ins some reports both Gordon & the draft pick are being offered to New Orleans.

I know we’re talking about the Clippers here but even they will eventually get tired of negotiating with the completely unreasonable David  Stern er the Hornets and realize they’re stupid to offer New Orleans all those players when NO ONE else is bidding against them.

It’s the job of every commissioner in their respective sport to act in the best interest of the entire league but in the case of the New Orleans Hornets David Stern failed the franchise he had the power and greatest responsibility to protect.

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The Real Losers

If you’ve been following the sports world the past several months then you no doubt are aware of the current labor dispute in the NBA between the owners and players which has cost the league all scheduled games through December 15.

Like 99% of you out there I can’t relate to a fight between billionaires and millionaires.  Some of you side with the players while others side with the owners. As for me, I honestly don’t care and will openly admit that I haven’t been following every single detail.

All I know is that the players have rejected the owners latest proposal and now the players union is taking steps to decertify thus putting the 2011-2012 NBA season in serious jeopardy.

As I began to think about not having professional basketball this fall through spring I began to think about the people that are the biggest losers in this situation.

Chances are if you were to ask people who the losers are in this current dispute, many would say the fans are those who are hurt the most.  While I do agree, I think that’s a superficial answer.  Sure the fans are the most loyal customers of the product who pump  hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars into the NBA machine through ticket sales and merchandise just to name a couple of  revenue streams.

For them getting the receipt of a labor dispute that’s forcing the cancellation of games is not exactly the kind of payback they were looking for.  While the fans do indeed come out on the short end of the stick I think there are those who lose out just as much if not worse.

Let’s start with the player who had planned to play his final season this year.  Like many of you no one wants to be forced in to retirement due to circumstances beyond their control.  Everyone wants to end their respective careers on their own terms.  Because of this labor dispute that player will no longer have that ability.  Circumstances are forcing him to end his career in a less than ideal fashion.

When we think about the players in this dispute, we undoubtedly think about the superstars like Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade and Lebron James.  They are the faces of the NBA and deservedly so.  Does anyone think about the guys at the end of the bench who are making the league minimum on a one year contract?

With no NBA team to play for, this player must now look for alternative ways by which to make a living.  Now he is forced to play in a foreign country if he wants to continue to make a living.  Moving from one city to another or from state to state can be a tough adjustment.  I’ve done the latter twice in my life.  I can’t even begin to imagine the experience of having to move to another country and either uproot my family or spend months at a time away from them while being halfway around the world.  If you’re a player that falls into this category I in no way envy your position.

However, the biggest losers in all this are the arena worker.  The common, everyday, middle class person so many of us can relate to.  With no games to work, these people are now amongst the ranks of the unemployed.  No longer do they have the means they were counting on to pay their bills or provide for their families.

These are people we see all the time at a game but pass by with hardly an acknowledgment.  These people are your parking attendants,  ticket scanners,  food vendors, attendants and the person selling you programs.  They are the faceless people who without them you would not have some of your most cherished memories and wonderful experiences.  They are the biggest losers in the NBA Labor Dispute.

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Ramblings of a Sports Fan

My name is Joe Pacheco.  I am a married father of none.

I was raised in the LA suburbs and despite the fact that I currently call Fresno home I will always be a southern Californian at heart.   I’ve also lived in Las Vegas where I graduated from UNLV.

My sports allegiances are firmly with the Lakers, Dodgers, Raiders & LA Kings (in no particular order).

I’ve worked in sports radio and worked as a freelance sports writer.

Besides sports my other passion is music.  I love all types of rock from Buddy Holly to Metallica and all points in between and play a little bass guitar.

It’s been almost 18 months since I’ve stepped into the clubhouse.  I don’t have an answer as to why I stopped writing for a while but I’m excited to get back at it.  Thanks to the www.thenewsportsguru.com for giving me a reason to get back in front of the computer and and express my thoughts.

When I was asked to contribute a column for “The Guru” I had many thoughts racing through my head as to what I could write this first column about.  Instead of picking just one I decided to share them all so without further ado, here we go.

Just when Dodgers fans thought there was an end to this awful chapter in ownership history I came across this story.  For their fans this off-season will be the equivalent of having to sit back and watch every other kid raid the ice cream truck and all you can do is pull the lint out of your pocket.

Since moving to the central valley six years ago I’ve become a fan of Fresno State football.  It’s the closest thing we have to professional sports here and like many people I want to see the program do well.  I will always be a fan of what Pat Hill has done for the school as far as raise the profile of the program.  They’re routinely on television in front of a nation wide audience.  The quality of opponent has increased by leaps and bounds since he took over the program in 1997.  Do I think he should be instantly put in the school’s athletic hall of fame upon completion of his career?  Without a doubt.  Do I think the time has come for him to pass the torch to someone else and move on?  Yes!

The Giants victory over New England last week brought back one of the fondest memories of my sports life.  Super Bowl XLII Giants 17 Patriots 14 to end New England’s run at a perfect season and shut up Mercury Morris once and for all.  Under normal circumstances I would’ve been rooting for Patriots to make  history but I just couldn’t get past my extreme dislike for Belichek, Brady and company.  Tuck rule anyone?

On the flip side, I would love for the Packers to run the table.  While not being a fan per say, I’ve always liked what that franchise has stood for, their fans and many of the players that have put on that storied uniform.

Is it just me or does San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers have the worst body language in the NFL when things aren’t going his way?  Even Ryan Leaf thinks it’s bad.

Is anyone else besides me doing a happy dance that the Indianapolis Colts have finally been flexed out of a prime time game?

What is it about long home stands that seem to do the LA Kings a disservice?

Despite being a NBA fan, am I the only one who is not sad in the slightest that the league has cancelled games and could possibly miss the entire season?  I still have the NFL, NHL, college football and college basketball is right around the corner.  Not to mention major league baseball free agency is underway and we’ve already had our first off-season trade with the Giants trading Jonathan Sanchez to the Royals for Melky Cabrera.  Sorry David Stern but you’re not holding me hostage as a sports fan.  I’ve moved on.

What is it about putting on the Silver and Black Oakland Raider uniform that causes football players to commit penalties?  If I had the money of a sultan or Bill Gates for that matter I would have broken an electronic stores worth of TV’s out of pure frustration while watching their games.

Nothing feels better than the week following your NFL teams win.  Nothing feels worse following a loss.

Does anyone want to win the AFC West?

November 9, 2011 will go down as the day we got our answer to the question, “What does it take for the head football coach at Penn State to get fired?”

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Lakers Use Celtics M.O. To Top Boston In Game One

The difference between 2010 and 2008 was noticed in the opening seconds of the first quarter.  Two years ago, Boston used tough, physical and aggressive play to impose their physical will over the Lakers en route to winning their NBA best 17th championship in franchise history.

Fast forward to Thursday night where Ron Artest and Paul Pierce were battling for position underneath the hoop.  Both fell to the floor entangled in each other and a double technical was called.  It was at that point the Lakers established they were not the same team from two years ago. 

Ron Artest could not be more of a different player than Vladimir Radmanovic, who was the Lakers starting small forward in the 2008 Finals and was matched up with Pierce who took advantage of the mismatch all the way to becoming Finals MVP.

Los Angeles gave Boston a taste of their own medicine Thursday night on their way to winning Game One 102-89.  In addition to the physical tone established by Artest in the opening seconds, the Lakers dominated the paint by out rebounding the Celtics 42-31 and outscoring them in second chance points 16-0. 

Another huge factor in the Lakers Game One win was the play of Andrew Bynum.  If you look at the box score nothing jumps out at you as Bynum finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds in 28 minutes.  What I saw was a player the Lakers sorely missed two years ago that was able to give them productive minutes by staying out of foul trouble and absorb the physical punishment by Boston’s big men and most importantly allow Pau Gasol to have a more favorable matchup against Kevin Garnett and Boston’s other power forwards.  Gasol finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds (8 offensive) and 3 blocked shots. 

Last night’s win will undoubtedly give the Lakers much confidence going forward as Kobe Bryant and company look to make amends for the defeat two years ago.  However, make no mistake, as this series is far from over.  Boston looked completely out of rhythm.  Garnett was not at his best and Ray Allen was in foul trouble all night and was never able to get on track. 

None of Boston’s “Big Four” shot 50 percent.  I look for that to change sooner rather than later.  The Celtics will make the necessary adjustments and show the heart of a champion to try to keep from going down 2-0 in the series.

Look for the Lakers to continue to try to impose their physical will and continue to try to break the Celtics spirit.  I know past statistics do not guarantee future results but this stat is an impressive one none the less.  Phil Jackson coached teams are 47-0 when they have won the first game in a playoff series.  Just a little food for thought as the basketball world turns its eyes to Sunday for Game Two.

The Best Time Of The Year In Sports

April is arguably the greatest month of the sports calendar.  Starting things off we had a near “David over Goliath” experience in the NCAA Men’s basketball championship as Butler nearly pulled off the upset against the mighty Duke.  A finish for the ages was not to be as a Hail Mary heave attempt from half court was not to be answered.  Although the majority of the event takes place in the month of March, the culmination of sports greatest event kicks off April, the best month in the sports year.

How could you not love a month in which not one but two postseason’s begin with the NBA and NHL playoffs getting underway this week?  Once again I’ll be on the edge of my seat rooting for the Lakers to win their 16th championship.  With the recent injuries and poor play down the stretch along with the improvement of the entire western conference and Cleveland and Orlando in the east, the Lakers will certainly have their work cut out for them.

While I’m excited for another post season run by the Lakers, I am beyond happy to see my beloved Los Angeles Kings return to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.  During this time I, like many other Kings fans, have suffered through some lean years, but tonight when they hit the ice in Vancouver to begin postseason play, all those rough times will be forgotten.

The Kings are proof that if you have competent management that has  a plan and is committed to seeing that plan to fruition you will find success sooner rather than later.  I’m realistic in my expectations.  I don’t believe this is the year the Kings will end a 43 year drought and hoist the Stanley Cup, but I do believe that a second round appearance is a realistic possibility.

Nothing is better than playoff drama with teams going all out to win the championship in their respective sports.  I love the playoffs in all the major sports.  I enjoy a major league baseball playoff game from first pitch to final out.  The NFL playoffs are three hours of pure joy.  As a confessed sports junkie, I’ll take two playoffs going on simultaneously over just one any time.

In addition to the great playoff action, April is a time of new beginnings and a renewed sense of hope for baseball and football fans.  For fans of America’s past time, a new season has just begun.  Fans of all the teams come out of spring training with a hope and an optimism that this could be the year their team is celebrating October glory.  For some that hope is realistically attainable, for other that’s all it is…hope.  But the beauty of sports is you don’t know how things will play out which is why you have to watch and see it all unfold day by day, month by month.

For NFL fans, April marks the annual entry draft which is the beginning of a new era.  Fans of teams that finished amongst the worst the year before have a renewed sense of excitement with a highly touted draft pick set to come their way.  For the fans of the good teams, you hope your general manager will be unable to uncover a hidden gem and keep your team riding the wave of success.

The sports calendar has something for every fan throughout the year, whether Indy 500 in May, the baseball all-star game in July or the Super Bowl in January, but for my money, I’ll take April any time of the year.

Silver On The Scoreboard, Gold In Our Hearts

For two weeks the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team took our nation on a magic journey.  Led by the  magnificent play of goaltender Ryan Miller, forward Zach Parise and defenseman Brian Rafalski they came within one win of capturing the gold medal.

Although the NHL season resumed last night with one game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche, the full schedule of games resumes this evening.  Before their accomplishments fade too far into the rear view mirror, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how special their achievements were in capturing the silver medal.

Coming into the Olympics, many people picked the U.S. to finish in the neighborhood of fourth or fifth.  While there were many talented players that comprised the roster, not many felt that talent compared with the likes of Canada, Russia or Sweden.

Although the U.S. did not play Russia or Sweden, they fought with the heart of a champion and defeated every team they played along the way to earning a spot in the gold medal game, including Canada in the preliminary rounds.  For those who watched the Americans 5-3 win over their Canadian rivals a little over a week ago, the U.S. was outplayed in just about every aspect of the game besides on the scoreboard.  It was at that moment I truly believed the Americans could capture gold.  They showed the character of champions which was to find a way to win a game they probably shouldn’t have.

With every Miller save or a big goal, the U.S. made us believe more and more that anything was possible including a gold medal.  This team refused to listen to the critics who didn’t give them much of a chance and never stopped showing the heart of a champion.

That was never more evident when amidst a frenzied largely pro-Canadian crowd that could taste victory, Parise scored with 24 seconds remaining in the game to tie the score 2-2, send the game into overtime and send a shock wave throughout Vancouver and all of Canada.  Although Sidney Crosby became a Canadian hero with the overtime goal that gave Canada the gold medal, the U.S. and its fans could hang their head up high and be proud of the heart their team showed on the way to earning the silver medal.

As my beloved L.A. Kings resume their NHL schedule tonight in Dallas against the Stars, I’ll go back to dreaming of a moment that will one day be filled with Stanley Cup glory.  The American hockey fan will once again be divided amongst the allegiances for their respective teams.  As we watch our teams fight to become champions, let us not forget that for two weeks, we were all fans of one team.  A team that had character, heart and a belief in itself to win gold.  Thank you for the ride U.S. Men’s hockey and for showing all of us what a beautiful sport hockey can be.

Disappointed But It Was The Right Call

Disappointment.

That was the first emotion that came to me as I found out the Atlanta Thrashers had traded all-star forward Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils as part of a five player deal.  The Devils also received defenseman Anssi Salmela.  Atlanta received rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first round pick in the 2010 draft.  The two sides also agreed to swap 2010  second round picks.

Kovalchuk, in his eighth season, has 328 career goals and has never scored fewer than 41 goals in any year since the 2003-2004 season.  He would’ve been the perfect fit for the up and coming Kings who as I write this are on an eight game winning streak and on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-2002 season.

For weeks, much of the hockey media had the Los Angeles Kings as one of the front-runners to land the all-star.  After reading their name so often in various reports, part of me began to believe there was no way they couldn’t acquire him.  Names that were mentioned as part of a potential Kovalchuk to the Kings deal included second year forward Wayne Simmonds, winger Alexander Frolov, defenseman Jack Johnson, number one goaltending prospect Jonathan Bernier and a draft pick.

Although all of them are solid young players for an overall young Kings team, I would’ve traded any of them to land a player of Kovalchuk’s status, if and only if I could have signed him to a contract extension.  New Jersey gave up some nice players in the deal but have no guarantee Kovalchuk will remain with the team past July 1 when he will become an unrestricted  free agent.

I know there are those who will say you have to go for broke when there is an opportunity to win and that past success does not guarantee future results.  I would agree with you if the Kings were one piece away from having a realistic shot to hoist the Stanley Cup.  Despite their recent string of success they are not at that level.  What they are is a playoff team.  Nothing more nothing less.  Considering they haven’t been there since losing to Colorado in the first round in 2002 I think it’s a more than a great position to be in.

The Kings history has been one filled with failed short-term plans.  Having learned from their past failures, Lombardi and the rest of management have installed a long-term plan in place and it’s working.  This year is a shining example of that.

The Kings have drafted well, developed that talent and now it’s starting to come together.  When they have traded, they’ve done so by acquiring proper talent at a fair price.  I applaud Lombardi for knowing that no superstar is worth deviating from his plan.  If he really wants Kovalchuk, he can make a run at him this summer through free agency when there is no addition by subtraction.

I am confident the Kings will be buyers before the trade deadline and that management will give this young team  some help as they enter the postseason.  I look for Lombardi to find some depth both up front and at the blue line.  It seems as though he has made all the right moves planning for tomorrow.  Kings fans should enjoy the ride down the stretch and into the postseason all the while knowing that tomorrow is on the verge of becoming today.

2010 Hits The Ground Running In The World Of Sports

The new year is barely two weeks old and 2010 is already packing quite a punch.  Since the start of the year, we have had two major college programs change head coaches with Lane Kiffin becoming the new head coach at USC and Tennessee naming former Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley replacing Kiffin.  Both of these coaching hires smell of desperation like a bad perfume at a strip club.  If not for the fact that national signing day is right around the corner, I doubt if either of these coaches would have been hired as quickly as they were.

Trojan fans, I know Kiffin is a sexy name.  He was a member of the USC coaching staff during its decade of domination in the 2000′s, but as a head coach what has the guy done?  He was not successful as coach of the Raiders (but then again under Al “The Dictator” Davis how can anyone be?) and in his only season at Tennessee he was  7-6 with nearly as many secondary NCAA violations to boot.

After talking to a couple of Trojan fans I have come to the conclusion that Kiffin was hired not based on his merits, but on who he had the ability to bring with him.  Ed Orgeron and Monte Kiffin are two of the top assistants in the game, no question about it, but if you are using the head coach as simply window dressing then I would take a wait and see approach before getting more giddy than a fat kid in a candy shop over Kiffin’s hiring.

As for Dooley, I must admit that I haven’t followed the Louisiana Tech program very closely but I do know that the Bulldogs always gave a strong effort game in and game out.  I’m sure the fact that Dooley has Athletic Director experience didn’t hurt his cause.  But at the end of the day his record at LA Tech was 17-20 including 4-8 last season.  As far as I’m concerned shouldn’t you have more wins than losses at a little boy conference before getting the opportunity to show what you can do with the big boys?  Go figure.

Also in college football, the Boise State Broncos continue to show why they should be considered a threat to both BCS teams and non-BCS teams alike by defeating TCU in the Fiesta Bowl to finish another season unbeaten.  I know many people will say the Broncos are only good because they play in a weak conference (which they do) and if they played Florida, Alabama, USC, Texas or any top school they would get pounded but to that I ask, why not let them have their chance?  Why not let the Boise’s, BYU’s, Utah’s and TCU’s of the world have the opportunity to prove themselves between the lines?  It’s politics like this against the non-BCS conferences combined with the lack of a playoff system that make me dislike college football.

College football’s coach of the decade left southern California to take on new challenges at the NFL level by becoming the new head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.  I can’t blame Carroll for wanting to take the opportunity to try to once again prove himself on football’s biggest stage.  Combine that with the fact Seattle is paying him a ton of money and giving him the personnel control he has longed for made this decision a no-brainer.  After nine years on the college level in which USC had a record of 97-19 that included two national championships, seven consecutive Pac-10 titles, and three Heisman trophy winners, the man had nothing else left to prove.

Carroll is eager to prove he is a better NFL coach than his 33-31 career record indicates.  Only the passing of time will tell us if he will be successful.  But I will say this, I doubted Carroll once before and he took one of college football’s most historically proud phoenix’s and rose it from the ashes.

Mark McGwire finally admitted to the world he took steroids.  The headline should have read, “McGwire admits to the public what it has already known for at least 10 years”.  I’m glad McGwire finally got that off his chest and came clean.  It’s an obvious step in the right direction for him to try to rebuild his name and image to baseball and its fans.  I grew up a big fan of McGwire since we are both from Claremont, Calif. and attended the same elementary school.

At the end of the day, I feel McGwire is a good person with a great heart.  I believe him when he says that he wanted to come clean five years ago but was not granted immunity before testifying in front of congress back in 2005.  The big problem I have with his apology and his statements in recent interviews with Bob Costas of MLB Network and Bob Ley of ESPN is when he says steroids didn’t help him hit home runs and the only reason he used them was to recover from injury sooner and keep himself on the playing field.  If that’s the case, why did he apologize to the Maris family?  I think those statements are the equivalent of taking intelligence and kicking it square in the groin.

Although the incident took place in December, the fallout from the Gilbert Arenas gun incident in our nation’s capital continues to take place.  It’s still quite early but Arenas is undoubtedly the leader in the clubhouse for the NBA’s Idiot Of The Year Award for his ill-timed humor in a pre-game display at Philadelphia.  The man was the center of a big time investigation by law authorities for bringing a gun to an NBA arena.  The commissioner was debating on whether or not to suspend Arenas and he reacts to the adversity surrounding him by brandishing his hands like two guns during a pre-game huddle.  Not only did Arenas take a stupid pill before that night’s game but he showed he obviously overdosed on said stupid pill.  To the surprise of no one, Arenas was suspended the next day.

In the NFL, wild card weekend was capped off by the most exciting game we have seen in years as the Arizona Cardinals emerged victorious in an overtime thriller over the Green Bay Packers.  My heart feels for the  Packer fans to lose the game they way they did but I feel nothing but happiness for Kurt Warner and the Cardinals.  Warner was simply on fire that game throwing more TD passes (5) than incomplete passes (4).  Considering the odds that he overcame to make it to the NFL, win two MVP’s,  win a Super Bowl and have a rebirth of success at the twilight of his career in Arizona which had been the door mat of NFL franchises for decades, how can you not root for the guy?

On the flip side of that game, I was happy to see Green Bay finish the regular season strong and for Aaron Rodgers to prove to everyone that he has what it takes to lead one of the NFL’s most historically proud franchises for years to come.  Green Bay should be a contender for the next several years and I truly believe that Rodgers will have an MVP season on his resumé before his career is said and done.

If the remaining 50 weeks of 2010 are anything like the first two in the world of sports then I will have plenty to write about.  I want to wish everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.  Thanks for hanging out in the clubhouse.

The Hot Stove Is On Fire

For baseball fans the days between the end of the World Series and the beginning of spring training are highlighted by one rumor after another of a potential trade or a possible free agent signing.  After a certain point you get desensitized to the daily reports of possible destinations for players to stay at or move to.  However when a big domino does fall it still sends a certain shockwave through a fans system.

Today, two of the biggest dominoes fell.  Since last July there have been dozens of reports on potential trade destinations for former AL Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay spanning from the Bronx to southern California and all points in between.  Former Blue Jay General Manager J.P. Ricciardi failed to move Halladay at last years trade deadline because in his eyes potential teams did not “blow him away” with an offer. 

Apparently current Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has been “blown away” by an offer and according to numerous media outlets has tentatively agreed to move Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies as part of a three team blockbuster trade that involves 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee winding up as a Seattle Mariner.  Toronto would receive top-level prospects from both Seattle and Philadelphia.  In addition to Halladay, the Phillies would end up with a couple of prospects from Seattle for Lee. 

Obviously the trade is a great one for Philadelphia as they’re getting one of the games elite pitchers in Halladay and have reportedly inked him to a three-year extension that will pay him $60 million between 2011-2013.  They did not have the same guarantee Lee would be on their roster past this upcoming season as he is set to become a free agent following 2010. 

Halladay should become even more dominant than he already was in the AL East where he was 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA, 208 strikeouts and nine complete games.  If past trends are any indication of future results (see C.C. Sabathia to Milwaukee in 2008 and Lee to Philadelphia in 2009), Halladay should win 20 or more games and the NL Cy Young award next year. 

For Seattle, they get another ace to go along with Felix Hernandez.  That 1-2 punch will obviously make them a force to be reckoned with in the AL West.  Having already signed Chone Figgins away from the division rival Angels, Seattle is letting it known they plan to be a contender next year.   

As for Toronto, congratulations, your team is officially in the toilet.  I say those words based on my personal belief that teams who are contenders get major leaguers in trades while teams in the toilet get prospects.  Even if they are highly touted prospects, they have not proven themselves on the major league level.  Only with the passage of time can we say if this is a good deal for the Blue Jays.  That being said, I will give them credit for getting something for Halladay instead of the nothing they would have gotten when he walked away as a free agent after 2010. 

The other big shoe to drop today was Boston’s signing of free agent pitcher John Lackey to a five-year deal worth between $80-$85 million.  This gives the Red Sox that all important third arm who they feel can match up with the Yankees big three of Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte.  Personally, I have mixed feelings on this signing.  As someone who roots for anyone to take down the Yankees I am happy to see a top talent stay out of their grasp but as someone who roots for the Angels, I am extremely disappointed at the fact they’ve failed to re-sign both of their top free agents of this offseason. 

I can honestly say this is something I would not have predicted for the reigning AL West champions.  Although the signing of designated hitter Hideki Matsui away from the Yankees is a nice one, it doesn’t even began to cushion the blow of losing not one but two important pieces to their team not to mention the writing is on the wall that fan favorite Vladimir Guerrero will not be back. 

If recent history has shown us anything it’s that Angels owner Arte Moreno will do whatever it takes to put a contender on the field.  I have no doubt he and GM Tony Reagins have a plan in place but until it comes to fruition, today is undoubtedly a day of disappointment for halo fans.