Take a look at baseball. The sport most people criticize for lack of salary cap. But if you take a closer look you actually see a great system. The real difference between large market and small market teams in baseball can be primarily found in the relief pitchers.
Although fans of large market teams may disagree by the product on the field, large market teams have more money to spend on the risky middle relievers. They are able to pay a lefty specialist. They are able to create a bullpen around their opponents. Small market teams have to develop failed starters into people who can pitch a few innings in the middle of the games. And even though the bullpen plays an important role in modern day baseball, teams can win in spite of their bullpen. For this reason, small market teams have a better chance at winning pennants. Don't believe me? The '97 and '03 Marlins, the '01 Diamondbacks, and to some extent the '05 White Sox have shown how to win a world series in a small market.
Baseball's minor league system is the best in sports. This is partially because of the multitude of rich baseball players around in the world, but it is also because of the marketability of baseball. People enjoy the atmosphere of baseball no matter if it is low A or the major leagues. This business opportunity enables players to grow in front of fans and play for a team in hopes of winning a championship at any level. Using this model, small market teams have the ability to cultivate their own talent and save money by not having to sign big free agents.
Also, because baseball talent is all very close in terms of the average player, and because the game is a game of inches, teams are generally closer in terms of talent than other sports. A team of superstars, while they may look better and more overpowering, are only a degree better than their lesser counterparts. Using these laws of baseball the Marlins and Diamondbacks were able to cultivate talent, make some free agent signings to plug holes, and consequently win championships. And in the case of the Marlins especially, trade away all their talent for more prospects to go ahead and do it again another year.
So in reality, baseball gets unfair criticism. Just take a look at this year's standings. Every single division has a race going on and only a handful of teams are out of it at this point.
But basketball on another hand is a parity disaster. Unfortunately the parity problems are more salary tax based than anything else, but unlike baseball they are unable to win in spite of financial issues. The NBA is quite possibly the only league in the world where it is sometimes considered a BAD thing to receive talent. Most of the time teams are more concerned with saving salary cap, or staying under the salary tax, thereby shipping quality players to other teams for salary relief. Expiring contracts are treated like gold, as the more players you have coming off the books next year the more players you can sign in the future. The problem with this method of business is that teams on the bottom generally stay there. The bad teams cannot afford to sign free agents because of their salary tax issues, but at the same time they are not able to trade for the expiring contracts because they don't have enough current salary cap to take them on for that year. Also, teams stuck in the losing mode have to rely on the draft, a process that can take years to pay off as there are only 2 rounds (not even considering all of the busts that enter the league). Sure, new teams come up each year, but almost every year the same teams are at the bottom. Until the NBA figures out a new method to help the floundering teams find it's feet again, they will continue to lie at the bottom.
How can the NBA fix this problem? Get rid of the lottery. I know that they do it so teams don't start tanking at the end of the year (teams do it anyways), but do you really think it's a good idea to risk having the worst team in the league not get the best player? The only way a bad team can get better is if they get new talent and the only way that can happen is if they get the top pick, it's that simple. Maybe a straight draft by standings position won't work, but the lottery has got to go.
Also the NBA should explore a owner sharing system (revenue sharing) that the NFL has in place. Pool money together to make sure the salary cap is a fair number for all markets. This method is a very difficult one to maintain and make work, but it is something good to look into.
The final thing the NBA has to explore is to improve it's D-League. We have enough basketball talent in this country that we could make a very good minor league system. As it is now the D-league is an underground train coming out only in the rare occasion that the NBA calls up a player. We are losing too many good players to European countries when we can just as easily keep them here and give them a real shot at the NBA. If the D-league was a more legitimate league teams would pay more attention to them and make more moves in house, saving salary cap, and helping out smaller market teams build from the inside out.
The NBA has some exploring to do, but I know this: If things stay the way they are, we will be seeing a lot of Celtics-Lakers in years to come. And to the large market fans, that is not a bad thing.
June 26, 2010
June 10, 2010
U.S. World Cup Preview Part II: Legitimate Expectations
The time is upon us. The World Cup is set to kickoff in less than a day away with the US debuting in less than two days. Head Coach Bob Bradley chose a very young, exciting and talented team but an inexperienced one to bring in South Africa. This World Cup expectations are real. Anything less than advancing to the knockout stage will be seen as utter and total failure.
Goalkeepers
Quality goalkeeping has often been a strength of U.S. teams whether it be Kasey Keller or Brad Friedel. Expect this year to be no different with star goalkeeper Tim Howard. Last summer's Confederations Cup showed just how far a team can advance with a red hot keeper with Tim Howard leading the way to a second place finish. The weakness of Howard used to be his inconsistent play on services into the box. He has fine-tuned his game to read those crosses better though now and become a staple of the Everton defense. The U.S. boasts one of the deepest goalkeeping trios and while that starts with Howard they are not short of options behind him. If the worst were to happen and Howard were to go down Marcus Hahnemann would most likely step in. The 37-year-old American debuted back in '94 but only began to see more time in '03. Next in line would be Brad Guzan, a steady, but unspectacular keeper.
Defense
The biggest fear the U.S. may have this summer is a suspect defense leaking goals. A lot of that will have to do with the health of Oguchi Onyewu and to a lesser extenxt Carlos Bocanegra. The U.S. defense is much stronger when they can put team captain Bocanegra on the left and allow him some freedom to push forward. However, a lot of that depends on whether Onyewu is good to go and what point he is fit to play. Onyewu has yet to play a full 90 minutes since tearing his patellar tendon seven months ago just when he was starting to get quality time for world renown AC Milan. When healthy Onyewu is the U.S.'s best defender due to his shere size and physical play coupled with his ability to read the game so effectively. If Onyewu is healthy he will be paired with a hard-nosed tackler in Jay DeMerit. The Watford defender looks so much more comfortable when he has Onyewu alongside him. However, if Onyewu is unable to go come Saturday the U.S. may turn to University of Maryland product Clarence Goodson. Goodson is excellent in the air and couple be key to shutting down or at the very least slowing down the effectiveness of an aerial threat such as Peter Crouch. The problem is that DeMerit's play seems to suffer when paired along with Goodson whether it be a lack of chemistry or whether their styles do not mesh. In that case the Bob Bradley may push Bocanegra into the middle and continue the perennial black hole at left back for the U.S. In such a case it would come down to Jonathan Spector or Jonathan Bornstein. Spector played every minute of last summer's Confederation's Cup and provided some very promising services. However, he is clearly more comfortable on the right as exhibited by his inconsistent play at left back for West Ham with past season. Hopefully the last resort for the U.S. is converted forward Bornstein. Bornstein has excellent speed and can be dangerous at times pushing forward, but too often his caught out of position and is very susceptible to the counter attack: a weakness the U.S. cannot afford with their defend and counter style of play. The last of the U.S. defenders is longtime Hannover 96 defender Steve Cherundolo who is appearing in his third World Cup for the Yanks. Cherundolo is an small, but scrappy defender who provides steady play to a largely inconsistent back line. Cherundolo should get the nod over Spector going into the opener against England.
Midfield
For the U.S. to score goals they will need strong wing play from veterans Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. Unlike last go round, Donovan has embraced the expectations for both him and the team. He has finally silenced the doubters with strong play for Fulham in the Premiership while on loan. On the other wing Clint Dempsey may just be the U.S.'s most dangerous weapon. Due to a surefire partner for Altidore there has been talk of moving Dempsey up top. But watching Clint's play it is clear he is much more comfortable and dangerous attacking people along the wing where he has freedom instead of being a stationary target man up top. However, Dempsey will surely see sometime up top late in games to provide a spark or shut the door as he did against Spain in the U.S.'s monumental upset last summer. Unlike the wingers, the central midfield is not so solidified. The one staple is Michael Bradley who will in all liklihood be paired with various partners depending on the opponent and situation. While Bradley's passing is suspect at times, he brings excellent pace to the game and is not afraid to do the dirty work. He evens provides some offense with his ability to be in the right place at the right time with nothing pretty about it. Bradley will need to avoid missing the consequential match due to excessive bookings as he has done in the 2007 CONCOCAF Gold Cup and the 2009 Confederations Cup. Ricardo Clark will most likely start alongside Bradley against the English squad. Clark is a gritty player who plays solid defense but is no real offensive threat. An intriguing name and one that is growing in popularity is Jose Torres. When Torres has been given the opportunity in recent play he has demonstrated outstanding play. He is very viable on the attack and shown an ability to win crucial tackles, a weakness often sighted by critics. With the opportunity and strong performance Torres could win himself a big transfer this summer. Two other names that could have impact are fellow youngsters Stuart Holden and Benny Feilhaber. Both have played strong at times and disappeared at others. Their inconsistent play will in all likelihood prevent them from securing a starting spot. In a close game in need of a game changer though they could provide that spark off the bench. Another young and rising player is Maurice Edu. Edu while not known for his offense has scored a handful of goals highlighted by his game winner against Glascow Rangers in the Old Firm. Edu plays a solid defensive midfield and can play center back in a pinch. The last of the midfielders is DeMarcus Beasley. Less than a year ago Beasley was exiled from international play for his largely inconsistent form and failure to attack defenders. He earned his way onto this roster and although not a game changer, he does provide experience to a fairly youthful squad.
Forwards
The U.S. striking force is headlined by a real American star in Jozy Altidore. The budding star will need to provide timely goals for the U.S. to succeed. The question really is who to pair with Altidore since Charlie Davies was not fit to make the roster. The choice looks more and more like it will be Edson Buddle. He was scoring goals at will in the MLS and that earned him a shot on the team. Up until the Atrailia friendly no striker had nailed down the spot opening the door for Buddle who put his goal scoring on display with two goals. A real dynamic player could be speedster in Robbie Findley. Findley's addition to the roster shows the emphasis Bob Bradley is placing on speed. Findley can blow by defenders already, imagine a fresh Findley running down a ball against a tired defender. The one thing Findley will need to do is finish his opportunities though. The U.S. defend and counter strategy cannot afford to waste opportunities. The last of the forwards is surprise golden boot winner of Mexico's premier division Herculez Gomez. He has scored his fair share of timely goals and will look to build on that once the real action starts.
So what are legitimate expectations for this youthful squad? Anything short of advancing to the knockout stage will be utter disappointment and could set American soccer back. The team is certainly not short of athletic players and much will ride on the ability to convert chances at a high percentage and not give up soft goals. The Americans will probably finish behind England in the group. That would match them up with the winner of Group C, probably Germany. However, the injury to star midfielder Michael Ballack has created questions for a German side that may not win the group so easily anymore. In the end anything can happen once you reach the knockout stage. If the U.S. wins the group they would have a much easy path and the semi-finals would not be out of the question. Ultimately, this is guesswork and we really will not know what to expect until we see the teams perform. A quarterfinal appearance would be big to boost American soccer and would largely be seen as a success. The question is whether the U.S. can meet expectations now that they are higher than ever.
Goalkeepers
Quality goalkeeping has often been a strength of U.S. teams whether it be Kasey Keller or Brad Friedel. Expect this year to be no different with star goalkeeper Tim Howard. Last summer's Confederations Cup showed just how far a team can advance with a red hot keeper with Tim Howard leading the way to a second place finish. The weakness of Howard used to be his inconsistent play on services into the box. He has fine-tuned his game to read those crosses better though now and become a staple of the Everton defense. The U.S. boasts one of the deepest goalkeeping trios and while that starts with Howard they are not short of options behind him. If the worst were to happen and Howard were to go down Marcus Hahnemann would most likely step in. The 37-year-old American debuted back in '94 but only began to see more time in '03. Next in line would be Brad Guzan, a steady, but unspectacular keeper.
Defense
The biggest fear the U.S. may have this summer is a suspect defense leaking goals. A lot of that will have to do with the health of Oguchi Onyewu and to a lesser extenxt Carlos Bocanegra. The U.S. defense is much stronger when they can put team captain Bocanegra on the left and allow him some freedom to push forward. However, a lot of that depends on whether Onyewu is good to go and what point he is fit to play. Onyewu has yet to play a full 90 minutes since tearing his patellar tendon seven months ago just when he was starting to get quality time for world renown AC Milan. When healthy Onyewu is the U.S.'s best defender due to his shere size and physical play coupled with his ability to read the game so effectively. If Onyewu is healthy he will be paired with a hard-nosed tackler in Jay DeMerit. The Watford defender looks so much more comfortable when he has Onyewu alongside him. However, if Onyewu is unable to go come Saturday the U.S. may turn to University of Maryland product Clarence Goodson. Goodson is excellent in the air and couple be key to shutting down or at the very least slowing down the effectiveness of an aerial threat such as Peter Crouch. The problem is that DeMerit's play seems to suffer when paired along with Goodson whether it be a lack of chemistry or whether their styles do not mesh. In that case the Bob Bradley may push Bocanegra into the middle and continue the perennial black hole at left back for the U.S. In such a case it would come down to Jonathan Spector or Jonathan Bornstein. Spector played every minute of last summer's Confederation's Cup and provided some very promising services. However, he is clearly more comfortable on the right as exhibited by his inconsistent play at left back for West Ham with past season. Hopefully the last resort for the U.S. is converted forward Bornstein. Bornstein has excellent speed and can be dangerous at times pushing forward, but too often his caught out of position and is very susceptible to the counter attack: a weakness the U.S. cannot afford with their defend and counter style of play. The last of the U.S. defenders is longtime Hannover 96 defender Steve Cherundolo who is appearing in his third World Cup for the Yanks. Cherundolo is an small, but scrappy defender who provides steady play to a largely inconsistent back line. Cherundolo should get the nod over Spector going into the opener against England.
Midfield
For the U.S. to score goals they will need strong wing play from veterans Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. Unlike last go round, Donovan has embraced the expectations for both him and the team. He has finally silenced the doubters with strong play for Fulham in the Premiership while on loan. On the other wing Clint Dempsey may just be the U.S.'s most dangerous weapon. Due to a surefire partner for Altidore there has been talk of moving Dempsey up top. But watching Clint's play it is clear he is much more comfortable and dangerous attacking people along the wing where he has freedom instead of being a stationary target man up top. However, Dempsey will surely see sometime up top late in games to provide a spark or shut the door as he did against Spain in the U.S.'s monumental upset last summer. Unlike the wingers, the central midfield is not so solidified. The one staple is Michael Bradley who will in all liklihood be paired with various partners depending on the opponent and situation. While Bradley's passing is suspect at times, he brings excellent pace to the game and is not afraid to do the dirty work. He evens provides some offense with his ability to be in the right place at the right time with nothing pretty about it. Bradley will need to avoid missing the consequential match due to excessive bookings as he has done in the 2007 CONCOCAF Gold Cup and the 2009 Confederations Cup. Ricardo Clark will most likely start alongside Bradley against the English squad. Clark is a gritty player who plays solid defense but is no real offensive threat. An intriguing name and one that is growing in popularity is Jose Torres. When Torres has been given the opportunity in recent play he has demonstrated outstanding play. He is very viable on the attack and shown an ability to win crucial tackles, a weakness often sighted by critics. With the opportunity and strong performance Torres could win himself a big transfer this summer. Two other names that could have impact are fellow youngsters Stuart Holden and Benny Feilhaber. Both have played strong at times and disappeared at others. Their inconsistent play will in all likelihood prevent them from securing a starting spot. In a close game in need of a game changer though they could provide that spark off the bench. Another young and rising player is Maurice Edu. Edu while not known for his offense has scored a handful of goals highlighted by his game winner against Glascow Rangers in the Old Firm. Edu plays a solid defensive midfield and can play center back in a pinch. The last of the midfielders is DeMarcus Beasley. Less than a year ago Beasley was exiled from international play for his largely inconsistent form and failure to attack defenders. He earned his way onto this roster and although not a game changer, he does provide experience to a fairly youthful squad.
Forwards
The U.S. striking force is headlined by a real American star in Jozy Altidore. The budding star will need to provide timely goals for the U.S. to succeed. The question really is who to pair with Altidore since Charlie Davies was not fit to make the roster. The choice looks more and more like it will be Edson Buddle. He was scoring goals at will in the MLS and that earned him a shot on the team. Up until the Atrailia friendly no striker had nailed down the spot opening the door for Buddle who put his goal scoring on display with two goals. A real dynamic player could be speedster in Robbie Findley. Findley's addition to the roster shows the emphasis Bob Bradley is placing on speed. Findley can blow by defenders already, imagine a fresh Findley running down a ball against a tired defender. The one thing Findley will need to do is finish his opportunities though. The U.S. defend and counter strategy cannot afford to waste opportunities. The last of the forwards is surprise golden boot winner of Mexico's premier division Herculez Gomez. He has scored his fair share of timely goals and will look to build on that once the real action starts.
So what are legitimate expectations for this youthful squad? Anything short of advancing to the knockout stage will be utter disappointment and could set American soccer back. The team is certainly not short of athletic players and much will ride on the ability to convert chances at a high percentage and not give up soft goals. The Americans will probably finish behind England in the group. That would match them up with the winner of Group C, probably Germany. However, the injury to star midfielder Michael Ballack has created questions for a German side that may not win the group so easily anymore. In the end anything can happen once you reach the knockout stage. If the U.S. wins the group they would have a much easy path and the semi-finals would not be out of the question. Ultimately, this is guesswork and we really will not know what to expect until we see the teams perform. A quarterfinal appearance would be big to boost American soccer and would largely be seen as a success. The question is whether the U.S. can meet expectations now that they are higher than ever.
June 9, 2010
Stephen Strasburg: From the Stadium
Yeah, I was there. Why did I drive 3.5 hours from Philadelphia to Washington D.C., wait in long lines on the metro, and run to get in the stadium in time to see a 21 year old pitcher from California face the worst hitting team in the majors? Hype. This kid was labeled as the greatest pitching prospect in the last 30 years, a "once in a lifetime talent." This kid had it all.
But seriously, could I really expect anything from him on his first ever start in a city on the other side of the country? I could, but to be honest I didn't expect what he showed me. Did anyone?
With a Nationals record 14 strikeouts, 0 BBs (0!), and 7 innings pitched throwing less than 100 pitches, he dazzled. Sure everyone joked about how amazing he was going to be and how he is the best we have ever seen... could he be?
I know for one I am not going to get rid of that ticket just in case he becomes who he is touted to be.
But I know you don't really care about the fact that I was there (and on tv and on mlb.com highlights-- the 2:02 mark of the Mr. Precedent recap), so I'll give you my thoughts on his performance.
-His curveball is nasty. Nasty and he went to it early and often. And he learned pretty quickly that throwing too many breaking balls results in bad results. Delwyn Young's homerun (after multiple breaking balls in the at bat) came off of a breaking ball. He has to learn (and I have no doubt he will) to mix pitches better. He primarily throws only fastballs and curveballs, with an occasional change-up and what some are calling a dipping or rising 4 seam fastball (his fastball either moves up in the zone or drops like a breaking ball, only at 98+ mph). So with so few pitches he needs to figure out a method to mix and match to always keep the hitters off guard.
-He can throw. He consistently hit upper 90's and even 101 mph at one point and the hitters looked absolutely helpless. When you have a fastball as good as his, you can tend to rely solely on it, but he did mix in breaking balls (but like I said before to a fault). He definitely went to a high, rising fast ball as his out pitch and it seemed to work fairly well until the middle innings where the Pirates started to keen in on it.
-He has poise. He ended the game with 7 straight strikeouts and battled back from multiple 3 ball counts and also got out of a few jams (he only let up 4 hits, so there wasn't much going on on the base paths).
We truly won't know how good he is until he is tested and until he has faced the league a few times, but it was definitely a night that all will remember.
Could this be the start of a legend? Maybe. But I know for a fact that that was one of the greatest debuts I have ever witnessed.
But seriously, could I really expect anything from him on his first ever start in a city on the other side of the country? I could, but to be honest I didn't expect what he showed me. Did anyone?
With a Nationals record 14 strikeouts, 0 BBs (0!), and 7 innings pitched throwing less than 100 pitches, he dazzled. Sure everyone joked about how amazing he was going to be and how he is the best we have ever seen... could he be?
I know for one I am not going to get rid of that ticket just in case he becomes who he is touted to be.
But I know you don't really care about the fact that I was there (and on tv and on mlb.com highlights-- the 2:02 mark of the Mr. Precedent recap), so I'll give you my thoughts on his performance.
-His curveball is nasty. Nasty and he went to it early and often. And he learned pretty quickly that throwing too many breaking balls results in bad results. Delwyn Young's homerun (after multiple breaking balls in the at bat) came off of a breaking ball. He has to learn (and I have no doubt he will) to mix pitches better. He primarily throws only fastballs and curveballs, with an occasional change-up and what some are calling a dipping or rising 4 seam fastball (his fastball either moves up in the zone or drops like a breaking ball, only at 98+ mph). So with so few pitches he needs to figure out a method to mix and match to always keep the hitters off guard.
-He can throw. He consistently hit upper 90's and even 101 mph at one point and the hitters looked absolutely helpless. When you have a fastball as good as his, you can tend to rely solely on it, but he did mix in breaking balls (but like I said before to a fault). He definitely went to a high, rising fast ball as his out pitch and it seemed to work fairly well until the middle innings where the Pirates started to keen in on it.
-He has poise. He ended the game with 7 straight strikeouts and battled back from multiple 3 ball counts and also got out of a few jams (he only let up 4 hits, so there wasn't much going on on the base paths).
We truly won't know how good he is until he is tested and until he has faced the league a few times, but it was definitely a night that all will remember.
Could this be the start of a legend? Maybe. But I know for a fact that that was one of the greatest debuts I have ever witnessed.
June 1, 2010
U.S. World Cup Preview Part I: The Rebirth of a Soccer Nation
It is that time again. Every four years the greatest sporting event occurs (sorry Olympics). We are now just a mere 10 days away from Mexico and South Africa kicking off in Johannesburg at 10:00 A.M. EST. The biggest question on everyone’s mind in the U.S. is which team we will see. Will we see the improbable run to the Confederation’s Cup final last summer? Or will we relive the disappointment of the 2006 World Cup lamented by a very poor team effort. We seem to never know what you get with U.S. soccer. The rebirth of soccer took place in 1990. In the 1990 World Cup the U.S. failed to record a win, dropping all three games to Czechoslovakia, Italy, and Austria. Then in the 1994 the U.S. advanced to the knockout stage where they feel to eventual champion Brazil 1-0 that featured a red card for both sides. Then the 1998 World Cup came along. Expectations were high, but not unrealistic. The U.S. put forth a pitiful effort failing to emerge from a group that while it included Germany, also featured the pitiful Yugoslavia and Iran. To make matters worse the U.S. recorded a single goal in three games. Then along came the 2002 World Cup. The winner of the 2002 Gold Cup gave U.S. soccer fans a glimmer of hope. However, they many saw firsthand the demise of past teams. The U.S. put together a sparkling run that ended in a controversial 1-0 loss at the hands of eventual runner-up Germany in the quarterfinals where a clear handball on the goal line by Frings prevented a game-tying U.S. goal. As the 2006 World Cup approached the U.S. team had extremely high expectations, perhaps a bit unrealistic as well. The U.S. drew a deadly group of Czech Republic, Italy, and Ghana. This team had its ups and downs in the tournament looking pitiful against the Czech but played exceptional against eventual Italian champions to record a 1-1 draw in a hard fought match that featured three red cards. While it seemed unlikely for the U.S. to advance heading into the final group game against Ghana there was a chance. U.S. just needed to beat Ghana and get help from the Azzuri. The Azzuri delivered with a 2-0 win against the Czech and all the U.S. needed was a win. Instead then fell to Ghana in disappointing fashion that included a mysterious penalty kick called against the U.S. The U.S. team has certainly had its ups and downs; the question is which team will we see in South Africa?
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