Cold Draft or Hot Gamble. . .Teams Risk!

   

   What the hell is going on with the NFL Draft? We are over a week away and we already seeing fireworks. The Rams trading more than a handful of picks to Tennessee to the Number 1 overall pick, and today the Eagles trading with the Browns to get the number 2 overall pick. It is interesting to wonder if this is actually going to work out. Such actions like this are so hard to predict. We all know where the Eagles and Rams are going with these transactions. They would both like to take quaterbacks. Here is my question: Are any of these top prospects really worth it?

    Let’s look back a bit. In the past 12 years, we have seen a couple trades happen in these scenarios. Go back to 2012 draft and Washington had traded an arm and leg to get St. Louis’(now LA) draft to select Robert Griffin, III (which is ironic in all these, I’ll explain soon). How did that turn out for them? As well all know, during RG3’s rookie year, Washington won the division and he won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Now Kirk Cousins is the franchise quartback and RG3 is on the Browns, who traded down for the Eagles to get the number 2 pick. RG3 appears to be getting a second shot. You may be asking the question, was it worth for Washington to trade away all those picks? At the time, it appeared it was well worth it. It still appears it was worth it, to a lesser extent, due to the fact that they still found a franchise quarterback in Kirk Cousins.

   Now let’s go back even longer. We have the 2004 draft. The Chargers have the number 1 pick and the Giants the number 4 pick. Eli Manning refused to go to the Chargers. What happened? Draft and trade! It worked out well for both teams, but slightly better for the Giants (look at 2 SB banners). They both have their franchise quaterbacks. The Chargers had impact players for years to come and the Giants have won 2 unreal Super Bowls with Eli Manning.

   It appears, at least from the outside, that the Browns and Titans definitely won these trades for the long term. Both teams are in the middle of rebuilding (over and over in the case of the Browns). The Titans already have their franchise quarterback in Mariota and traded for RB DeMarco Murray for almost nothing. Cleveland’s defense is not so shabby, it is their offense, especially their instability at quarterback is the issue. If RG3 pans out for the Browns, the Browns should build around him.

   If the Eagles and Rams take quaterbacks, as expected, it is for the long term yes, but also for the short term. Both teams feel they are capable to compete, but feel they are a chicken running around without a head. I feel that the Rams are more ready to compete than the Eagles. They have Todd Gurley already establishing himself as a running back. Their defense is also on the rise.

  In sports, trades of these types are so unpredictable. A great example is the Tigers-Braves trade that included John Smoltz. The Tigers gave up a hall famer for half a season of Doyle Alexander. Granted at the time of the trade, Smoltz was nothing special, it’s about how they are developed. Will there be any more craziness leading up to draft day? Who knows? It is starting to get exciting. It’s fun to watch desperate teams (especially the Eagles) panic and give up a lot to get an unknown. Let’s stay tuned!

Retirment...?

   

            

  When you think of retirement, what first comes to mind? Age 65? Social Security? Grandchildren? These are just some of things associated with retirement. When a professional athlete retires, they are not really necessarily retiring. You may be thinking, “What the hell is he talking about?” There are many of professional sports athletes who have done other jobs besides playing sports. Some of them are “Set for life”, just look at Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, and Derek Jeter. Peyton is set for life with Papa Johns, Kobe with Nike, and Jeter with Ford. The real question going around is who had the best retirement out of these 3 athletes? Honestly, it is hard to decide on this topic.

    Knowing all of these athletes, it is in their blood to win. They want to go out on top. For the 2012 season, Mariano Rivera was out for the season and that was the year in set out to retire. He said he was coming out in 2013 so he could go out on his own terms(and attempt at 1 more World Series). Peyton Manning only had 1 Super Bowl before the 2015 season. Midway through the season speculation was that he was going to retire at season’s end. He wasn’t playing like his normal self and he was getting older. Unlike Jeter or Kobe, he didn’t announce anything before or during the season. The Denver defense was beyond great this season, which is why the won the Super Bowl. Peyton figured that even though he was not on top of his game, he can ride this defense as much as he could without having his best season. At the end, they were Super Bowl Champions.

    At the very same time this Broncos team was riding high, we knew that the Lakers were not going to be very good this year, even if Kobe had a magical rebound of a season. Like Jeter before him, we knew that Kobe was not leaving the team he started with at the beginning of his career. There’s 2 things Kobe was about this season: 2^nd year of 25 million deal and the mentoring of these young players. He pushed through the season the best that he could do. Kobe knew he didn’t have much game left, but he still scored 60 in last game (even though it was on 50 shots)! It just so happens that Kobe was playing on the same night as the Warriors making history winning 73 games. Initially, people did not know which game to watch. The next morning more people tuned into the Kobe game. How can you not? 60 points and “Mumba Out!” Kobe had a game for the ages!! Definitely a way to go out.

   There are 2 things Kobe and Derek Jeter have in common: they stayed with 1 team for 20 years and they both have 5 championships. With that said, Jeter’s game to end his career couldn’t have been more scripted (not done on purpose) and unexpected. You may be thinking, “Kobe was more scripted than Jeter’s last game.” What I mean by this is that Jeter’ game is the way Jeter would have wanted to go out (but doing it Game 7 of the World Series.) It is the way that he wanted to do it. The reason why Jeter’s last game is the best was because he was so humble about it. There was no “Mumba Out” or “I’m going to go have a Bud.” He went out on the field, like any other day, to do his job.  He went out there to be “Mr. Clutch” without saying it.

   The great thing about all 3 of these athletes is that when it is time to go in their respective Hall of Fames in Cooperstown, Canton, and Springfield, they will be going on the first time. They are all winners and were at top of their games. They all finished in some top 10 categories in their sports.  I hope people of this generation realize what we are going to be missing. Derek Jeter is my all-time favorite athlete, I remember when he came up in 95 and his last game 2014. Peyton Manning is arguably the best quarterback of all time. Kobe is definitely a top 15, if not top 10 all-time basketball player. I remember watching Michael Jordan playing in those back to back finals against the Jazz and was like “WOW!” I would have loved to watch his career from beginning to end. We never know when we will come across these kind of athletes again. Yes we have Lebron James, but he doesn’t have the same likability that Kobe, Jeter or Peyton had when they played! Take advantage!

Peyton Did What?!?!

                                       


   Hey all!! I am sorry for such long delays in post! Today, we are hear to talk about, who I think is the greatest quaterback ever, Peyton Manning. Super Bowl 50 has just passed with Peyton kind of "riding into the sunset." He has not called it quits yet, but we all know he most likely will retire. Everyone, including myself, were happy that he won his elusive 2nd ring. Now is when we really run into some issues with Peyton.

    Earlier in the season, there was a report that there were athletes across all sports, that have taken HGH or PED's. Peyton was included on this list. He denied these accusations. In my opinion, Peyton Manning is the Derek Jeter of football. I believe him when it is was stated that he had not taken any kind of PED's. As this story fizzled, he came back from an injury and helped lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory. Peyton did not make it to the victory parade without another scandal coming to light.

   Shaun King, of the New York Daily News, came out with a story that in 1996 Peyton was accused of sexual harassment. Don't get me wrong, I despise any one or kind of incidents like this that happen. Here is my true question, why was this hidden for 20 years? Now!! Now!! After a Super Bowl victory, this is brought to fruition! Timing is everything, but why now? Does someone have it in for Peyton Manning? I believe it was known this was about timing and did this after an all time high, plus this doctor came forward in a book about 13 years ago, and nothing happened!

  Peyton Manning is an all time great! If something has happened 20 years ago, wouldn't you think it would be settled eventually? Look what happened with Kobe Bryant and his sexual harassment case. It happened during the prime of his career and took away from his on the court accomplishments. People have to realize that while not even Peyton is perfect, give him some slack.

   He is set for life as far as finances are concerned. He will make enough money off of Papa John's alone. I feel that these allegations are coming to light to try and get something out of him. Leave him alone! Let Peyton Manning walk into the sunset. If you want to settle this, keep out of the public eyes. People need to learn respect. What he did, if he did it, was absolutely wrong, but people do change! I am sure Peyton has changed!

Hall Of Fame

  Hey all! I am back!!!! I apologize for the delay, but things have been hectic for me the past 6 weeks.  I know what you're thinking,"Why are you doing the Hall of Fame when you aren't finished with your Best of Series?" My answer is too you is easy, it just happened and still fresh. We have Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mike Piazza, both are definitely Hall of Fame worthy baseball players. What did you think of "The Snub"? Why did it take so long for Piazza to make it? Both definitely made the correct decisions when it came to which cap to wear in the Hall.  

   Ken "The Kid" Griffey, Jr. definitely deserved this nod. Every single sports fan knew he was a first ballot Hall of Famer. Not only was he an offensive juggernaut, but he was beyond amazing as a defensive player as well. We could say he was the Willie Mays of our lifetime. He was plain fun to watch. I am a Yankees fan and as hard as was to watch some of those match ups, he always made things interesting. Offensively, he was in the same group as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Defensively, he was the equivalent of Omar Vizquel. Before he made his Major League debut, the Mariners never had an winning record. He certainly helped their cause throughout the 90's. Griffey was a difference maker. When it comes to the Hall of Famers, the voters take into consideration character, leadership, and the impact the player had on his team. Yes, there are players in their solely based on stats, which is fine, but impact on teams definitely should have an impact. He was also the first overall number 1 draft pick ever voted into the baseball Hall of Fame.

   Mike Piazza was just the opposite. Hes the lowest draft pick to ever be voted into the Hall of Fame. He was the 1390th pick in the draft. What a steal he was for the Dodgers. It happened to be a favor Tommy LaSorda did for Piazza's father. Look how it all turned out. He spent 12 of his 19 seasons in 2 of the biggest markets in the country, Los Angeles and New York. Even though played extraordinarily well for LA, it appeared he had a bigger impact for the Mets. He helped them contend for most of his time with them, including winning the NL Pennant in 2000. Piazza also was the all time home run leader for catchers. It was not until his 4th time on the ballot that he made it in the Hall of Fame. The main reason it took so long is because of his potential to link to PED's, which was never proved.

   As much as these 2 players were deserving of their inductions, I truly believe Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Trevor Hoffman deserved to make this year as well. Next year's ballot includes first timers Manny Ramirez, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, and Vlad Guerrero. Manny has the numbers, but because of his direct link to steroids, he'll won't make it in like Bonds and Clemens. In my opinion, Pudge is the overall best catcher, offensively and defensively. Vlad was a great player, but if he makes it in to the Hall, it will take time. Next year, my vote would go to Pudge, Raines, Bagwell, and Hoffman making into the Hall. Congrats to Piazza and "The Kid", your elections were well deserved.  I hope the BBWAA gets their stuff together and votes the right players into the Hall. Happy New Year!

Best of the Best, Part 2

   

   Welcome back to Part 2 of this Best of the Best series. What did you think of my best baseball team of all time? As we move on from baseball, I thought let’s move onto basketball. Before we get started, Golden State seems to be a better team than last year. They are 11-0 and an unreal 11-0! They have a chance to be the best basketball team of all time, but until that happens; we will talk about the current all-time best time. When it came down to baseball, it was really hard to choose between the 27 and 98 Yankees. Basketball was a little bit less complicated, but was compelling none the less.

    What’s the first team that comes to mind when you think “Best of All Time” in basketball? If you guessed the 1995-96 Bulls, then you are correct. They had a 72-10 record(something no one has ever matched). That season they were first in the league in Points per game with 105.2. They were also 3^rd best in the league at 92.9 points per game allowed. Not only was the best player on the planet, Michael Jordan, on that team, but he had a great supporting cast. Pippen was a scoring and assist wizard. The real steal was Dennis Rodman. He came over from that “Bad Boy” team in Detroit. He was a rebounding machine. That season he averaged 14.9 rebounds per game.

     On this Bulls team, they had 3 players who averaged 13.1 points per game or better. As well, 8 players had a Field Goal percentage of 48% or better, but Steve Kerr was the only one over 50%. 4 players had 5.1 rebounds per game or better. If you put all of this together, we can collectively see how well that team played together. They were also in the middle of a 2^nd 3peat of winning championships.

     Honestly, the only team I feel that I can come close to comparing to this team is the 1971-72 Lakers. Yes, I know I was not born during this time period, but I did do my research. Just like the Bulls, they were first in scoring that season. They actually had more points per game than the Bulls with 121.0/game. With that, they also gave up more points per game with 108.7/game. This team was just a scoring machine. Jerry West averaged 25.8 points per game and Gail Goodrich had 25.9 per game. They also had 6 players with Field Goal percentage at 47% or better including Wilt Chamberlin’s insane 64.9%. He was also better at crashing the boards than Rodman, averaging 19.2/game.

   Even though the Lakers did have a 69-13 record that season and won the title, I don’t feel that they were the better team than the Bulls. The Bulls played in a league with 29 teams opposed to the Lakers with 17 teams. This means that the Bulls had more competition to deal with on a daily basis. The Bulls were also better defensively. The presence of Rodman certainly helped them. No disrespect to Wilt, but Jordan was just the better player on a better team. Unless the Warriors keep up the magic this season, I do not think that we will see a team like the 95-96 Bulls for quite a while.

Best Of The Best, Part 1

  As I was watching the World Series, a certain thought came to my mind. The thought was about the best teams ever to play in baseball history. Not just baseball came to mind, basketball, football and even hockey came to mind. If you start to think about it, the best teams in baseball vary by the time period. Everyone says could the 1998 Yankees measure up against 1927 or 1936 Yankees. Comparing teams is not an easy task. In this particular post, I will be talking about the best team in baseball history. It will be a 4 part post. Debates are this topic are endless, making it so much more to discuss.

   While thinking about this the past few days, it was a difficult decision. It was between the 1927 Yankees and 1998 Yankees. I remember watching the 1998 Yankees and saying "WOW". They played well together all season long. After doing some research, it just amazed me to see the similarities and difference of both teams. 1998 Yankees had 8 players with 17 home runs or more that season. They were also about driving in runs, 4 players had 98 or more RBI that season. Hitting .300 or better in a season is very difficult. The 98 Yankees pitched well from beginning to end. David Cone had 20 wins, followed by David Wells at 18 and Andy Pettitte with 16 victories. Keep in mind that the season was 162 game. They also had 2 extra rounds in the playoffs. In total, they went 125-50 including the playoffs.

   As all sports fans know, the 1927 Yankees are known as "Murderers Row." They had 4 players with over 100 RBI and 6 players with over a .300 batting average that season. Lou Gehrig had 47 home runs and Babe Ruth had 60 home runs. Babe Ruth had more home runs that season than a bunch of the teams combined. Gehrig had 173 RBI season. People may ask "What were these guys taking?" Honestly, it was all natural. This team could also hit for average. There were 6 players with a batting  average of .300 or better. Lou Gehrig had a .373 average. Both Earl Combes and Babe Ruth had a .356. The pitching for this team was just as amazing. They had 4 pitchers with 18 or more wins.

   While debating which team was better, there were other considerations I had to take besides the stats. If you look, the 1927 played only 154 games compared to 162 games. As well, the 1998 Yankees played in 2 extra rounds of postseason baseball. In 1927, hitting over .320 or .330 was more of the norm. The pitching was also seemed to be better during the mid to late 20's. In the end, I believe that the 1927 "Murder's Row" Yankees are the best team in baseball history. Very rarely do you see talents like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in the same lineup. 1998 comes close, but there are very little comparisons. There are two things these teams had in common, they both won World Series and both played in New York.