Open Letters are going to comprise of me "penning" a letter to some sports figure for one reason or another. It may be a petition to do something; it may be pure unadultered rage. You never know how I'm feeling. Today, I write to a particular underachieving Yankees pitcher...
Dear Mr. Vazquez,
I’ve always wanted to complain about a guy who makes 10 million dollars a year. You’re awful. You’re overrated. Why the hell did the Yankees trade for you, giving up my favorite player (Melky Cabrera) in the process?
You had a 2.87 ERA last year in Atlanta. EVERYONE knows the AL shits on the NL. That 2.87 ERA is like a 4.50 ERA in the American League (a bit of an exaggeration, but there’s a BIG difference). It’s funny because your ERA right now is 9.00. My goodness, that’s DOUBLE 4.50! Your best start this year (you know, the one start that got you a win) had you throwing 107 pitches to get 16 guys out. Yep, 5 and 1/3 innings pitched while giving up 3 runs. Thank God you have the best lineup in baseball.
It seems to be a common theme to me; in your only other year here (2004) you had your worst statistical season in your career up to that point, notching an ERA of 4.91, 11 hit batsmen, 12 wild pitches, your second highest WHIP in your career (1.288), and second lowest strikeout ratio in your career (6.8 K/9 IP). How you managed to 14 games that year defies all logic in nature.
Do you remember something else about that year, Javy? Specifically, coming in to Game 7 of the ALCS against the Red Sox who were still cursed at that time? Do you recall giving up a grand slam to Johnny Damon, the FIRST batter you faced? Great times. Just when you couldn’t be any lower in Yankees fans’ hearts, you gave up yet ANOTHER home run to Damon 2 innings later.
And after thriving in an inferior league, you somehow persuaded the Yankees to bring you back. Look how far it’s gotten you! All you’ve received is your paycheck and one undeserved win. Holy shit, you have no idea how angry you make me. Pull your head out of your ass. You’re 34 years old. You know how to pitch well. DO IT, you asshole. You’re such a waste of money. Justify your price tag or something of that nature. You know, other guys come to New York and succeed, if not, elevate their games and do better. Why can’t you?
Sincerely,
Michael Moschetto
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Dream Team: Allies vs Axis
So whenever I get bored, I like to conjure up “dream teams”: imaginary teams of sports players.
I wanted to recreate the historic battle between the Allies and Axis powers of World War II through a soccer/football match. The Allies will be represented by players from the United States, France, and England, and the Axis powers will be comprised of German, Italian, and Russian players.
Allies (playing a 4-4-1-1 formation)
GK: Tim Howard (United States, Everton)
LB: Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea)
CB: Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United)
CB: John Terry (England, Chelsea)
RB: Glen Johnson (England, Liverpool)
LM: Franck Ribery (France, Bayern Munich)
CM: Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea)
CM: Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool)
RM: Aaron Lennon (England, Tottenham)
CF: Landon Donovan (United States, Everton/LA Galaxy)
ST: Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United)
Bench:
G- Hugo Lloris (France, Lyon)
D-Patrice Evra (England, Manchester United), Oguchi Onyewu (United States, AC Milan)
M- Yoann Gourcuff (France, Bordeaux)
F- Jozy Altidore (United States, Hull City), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Thierry Henry (France, Barcelona)
Axis (playing a 4-3-1-2 formation)
GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus)
LB: Yuri Zhirkov (Russia, Chelsea)
CB: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy, Juventus)
CB: Giorgi Chiellini (Italy, Juventus)
RB: Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich)
CM: Daniele De Rossi (Italy, Roma)
CM: Andrea Pirlo (Italy, AC Milan)
CM: Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich)
CF: Alessandro Del Piero (Italy, Juventus)
ST: Lukas Podolski (Germany, FC Koln)
ST: Alberto Gilardino (Italy, Fiorentina)
Bench:
G- Igor Akinfeev (Russia, CSKA Moscow)
D-Per Mertesacker (Germany, Werder Bremen), Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy, AC Milan)
M- Michael Ballack (Germany, Chelsea), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Russia, Everton)
F- Francesco Totti (Italy, Roma), Giuseppe Rossi (Italy, Villarreal)
So who would you take, the Allies or the Axis?
I wanted to recreate the historic battle between the Allies and Axis powers of World War II through a soccer/football match. The Allies will be represented by players from the United States, France, and England, and the Axis powers will be comprised of German, Italian, and Russian players.
Allies (playing a 4-4-1-1 formation)
GK: Tim Howard (United States, Everton)
LB: Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea)
CB: Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United)
CB: John Terry (England, Chelsea)
RB: Glen Johnson (England, Liverpool)
LM: Franck Ribery (France, Bayern Munich)
CM: Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea)
CM: Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool)
RM: Aaron Lennon (England, Tottenham)
CF: Landon Donovan (United States, Everton/LA Galaxy)
ST: Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United)
Bench:
G- Hugo Lloris (France, Lyon)
D-Patrice Evra (England, Manchester United), Oguchi Onyewu (United States, AC Milan)
M- Yoann Gourcuff (France, Bordeaux)
F- Jozy Altidore (United States, Hull City), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Thierry Henry (France, Barcelona)
Axis (playing a 4-3-1-2 formation)
GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus)
LB: Yuri Zhirkov (Russia, Chelsea)
CB: Fabio Cannavaro (Italy, Juventus)
CB: Giorgi Chiellini (Italy, Juventus)
RB: Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich)
CM: Daniele De Rossi (Italy, Roma)
CM: Andrea Pirlo (Italy, AC Milan)
CM: Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich)
CF: Alessandro Del Piero (Italy, Juventus)
ST: Lukas Podolski (Germany, FC Koln)
ST: Alberto Gilardino (Italy, Fiorentina)
Bench:
G- Igor Akinfeev (Russia, CSKA Moscow)
D-Per Mertesacker (Germany, Werder Bremen), Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy, AC Milan)
M- Michael Ballack (Germany, Chelsea), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Russia, Everton)
F- Francesco Totti (Italy, Roma), Giuseppe Rossi (Italy, Villarreal)
So who would you take, the Allies or the Axis?
Why the Mets Organization Is the Most Futile in MLB
Yes, I’m about to go there. Any Mets fan is reading this and smacking their forehead loudly. It’s almost inevitable. Last year, Sportscenter had a Not Top 10 of purely Mets-related plays and events… in August. The season wasn’t even over yet. But allow me to eloquently explain the Mets’ suckitude. Keep in mind I’m explaining why the organization is merely futile; the Mets aren’t the worst team in the league. They’ve been to the playoffs during our generation. They’ve had good players, and they currently have good players. It’s merely HOW the team is RUN. It transcends their performance (or lack thereof) on the field; the front office is equally as inept.
So we’ll start with the management involved. Simply put, the Mets need a new owner. The Wilpons are doing everything they can to run the team into the ground since 2006, the Mets’ closest chance to significant success since, well, 20 years beforehand in the magical, cocaine-filled season of 1986. (Actually, the entire decade of the 1980’s was cocaine-filled in sports and society, but that be a topic for later.) Handing out big contracts to guys like Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo really doesn’t help. The fact that management has stubborn decided to keep these players every year does no good for the team.
Jerry Manuel is arguably the least efficient manager in the league. My God, he’s not even the best manager in the NL East with the last name of Manuel. Granted, Charlie Manuel is doing an incredible job in Philly, but that’s not the point. I haven’t seen a coach or manager criticized this often by the media since Isiah Thomas got ran out of town from the Knicks; he could have saved a baby out of a burning building and Knicks fans would still have booed him mercilessly.
Anyway, Manuel’s partner/butt buddy Omar Minaya at GM has assembled a team of Hispanics and David Wright that went 70-92 last year, fourth place in the NL East. An NL East with the rebuilding Braves, the Marlins with a payroll of literally, 30 million dollars, and the Nationals. Meanwhile, the Mets have been in the top 5 in team payroll practically every year this decade and have exactly ONE playoff berth (the pseudo-miracle run of 2006) to show for it. *cough* Yadier Molina *cough*
How about that new stadium? I mean, it’s aesthetically pleasing, but for actual Mets fans, have you actually SEEN the stadium? There’s more shit about Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers in there than anything! After talking to several Mets fans, it’s obvious to me that this hasn’t really struck a fine chord with the majority of supporters. Keep in mind the Dodgers haven’t played in Brooklyn since, uh, 1958. That’s 52 years. The Mets don’t even play in Brooklyn. Moving on.
I don’t get the Mets. Their organization really seems to have no desire to build a championship team. How can a team in the sports world’s biggest market have all that payroll and perennially underachieve? I don’t even root for them and it bothers me a LOT. Jason Bay was a nice addition, but the guy already peaked statistically; AND now he’s in the uber-pitcher’s park known as CitiField (or ShittiField, if you’re not a fan). Johan Santana may not even be the best pitcher from Venezuela at this point in his career (Felix Hernandez may have him beat) and gets minimal run support. I’m actually really happy that Ike Davis has been beasting so far and Jose Reyes is healthy again (he’s one of my favorite players to watch, period), but anything above third place this year will be a surprise to me. You can only hope that David Wright will make more Vitamin Water advertisements. Just saying.
So we’ll start with the management involved. Simply put, the Mets need a new owner. The Wilpons are doing everything they can to run the team into the ground since 2006, the Mets’ closest chance to significant success since, well, 20 years beforehand in the magical, cocaine-filled season of 1986. (Actually, the entire decade of the 1980’s was cocaine-filled in sports and society, but that be a topic for later.) Handing out big contracts to guys like Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo really doesn’t help. The fact that management has stubborn decided to keep these players every year does no good for the team.
Jerry Manuel is arguably the least efficient manager in the league. My God, he’s not even the best manager in the NL East with the last name of Manuel. Granted, Charlie Manuel is doing an incredible job in Philly, but that’s not the point. I haven’t seen a coach or manager criticized this often by the media since Isiah Thomas got ran out of town from the Knicks; he could have saved a baby out of a burning building and Knicks fans would still have booed him mercilessly.
Anyway, Manuel’s partner/butt buddy Omar Minaya at GM has assembled a team of Hispanics and David Wright that went 70-92 last year, fourth place in the NL East. An NL East with the rebuilding Braves, the Marlins with a payroll of literally, 30 million dollars, and the Nationals. Meanwhile, the Mets have been in the top 5 in team payroll practically every year this decade and have exactly ONE playoff berth (the pseudo-miracle run of 2006) to show for it. *cough* Yadier Molina *cough*
How about that new stadium? I mean, it’s aesthetically pleasing, but for actual Mets fans, have you actually SEEN the stadium? There’s more shit about Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers in there than anything! After talking to several Mets fans, it’s obvious to me that this hasn’t really struck a fine chord with the majority of supporters. Keep in mind the Dodgers haven’t played in Brooklyn since, uh, 1958. That’s 52 years. The Mets don’t even play in Brooklyn. Moving on.
I don’t get the Mets. Their organization really seems to have no desire to build a championship team. How can a team in the sports world’s biggest market have all that payroll and perennially underachieve? I don’t even root for them and it bothers me a LOT. Jason Bay was a nice addition, but the guy already peaked statistically; AND now he’s in the uber-pitcher’s park known as CitiField (or ShittiField, if you’re not a fan). Johan Santana may not even be the best pitcher from Venezuela at this point in his career (Felix Hernandez may have him beat) and gets minimal run support. I’m actually really happy that Ike Davis has been beasting so far and Jose Reyes is healthy again (he’s one of my favorite players to watch, period), but anything above third place this year will be a surprise to me. You can only hope that David Wright will make more Vitamin Water advertisements. Just saying.
European Football Leagues Heating Up
International soccer (or football, depending on where you’re from) is really heating up this time of year, especially with that whole World Cup event-thing taking place in June. Most specifically, the top 4 European domestic leagues all have extremely close title races, something that doesn’t usually happen often, with the big money-making teams all staking their claim for first place from the first game of the season and never letting go. This year is obviously a bit different. Let’s go first to the English Premier League, where the race for first place is down to two teams:
Chelsea: 36 games played, 25-5-6 record, +61 goal difference, 80 points
Manchester United: 36 games played, 25-4-7 record, +53 goal difference, 79 points
Clearly, Chelsea has a monster advantage in goal difference and a slim margin of one point right now. Their last two games are on the road at Liverpool, and a home match against Wigan, who infamously thumped Chelsea 3-1 earlier this season. The Blues really can’t afford to drop either of these games, especially Liverpool, who despite an uncharacteristic 10-loss season is still a tough team to beat. To make things a bit more concerning for Chelsea, Man U’s last two games are at Sunderland and against Stoke City at Old Trafford in Manchester. Two easier opponents for the Red Devils will make this an incredible finish to the Premier League season. Onto the Spanish Primera Liga, where again, it’s a two horse race:
Barcelona: 34 games played, 27-6-1 record, +63 goal difference, 87 points
Real Madrid: 34 games played, 28-2-4 record, +59 goal difference, 86 points
Another one-point difference between the two clubs, but I’ll definitely bet on Barca to win La Liga. With one loss the entire season, Barca is looking for the double of domestic and European championships, even though they were shell shocked by Inter Milan in the first leg of the Champions’ League semifinals. With the world’s best player (Lionel Messi) and best passer (Xavi Hernandez, my man-crush), the Catalans provide a stiff challenge to Real Madrid, who despite metrosexual fiend Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka’s efforts have managed to drop 4 games this year, including two against (you guessed it) Barcelona. Now moving to Italy for Serie A action:
Inter Milan: 35 games played, 21-10-4 record, +37 goal difference, 73 points
AS Roma: 35 games played, 21-8-6 record, +23 goal difference, 71 points
Relatively close race, until you realize that Inter is playing the best football in the world right now and appear to be the new favorites for Champions League glory this year. With a couple of ugly draws this season, Jose Mourinho’s guys will hit the last 3 games of the season with a killer instinct. Even though their goal difference isn’t as high as the other league leaders in this article, Inter plays significantly better and more efficiently than Roma, who just dropped a crucial match to Sampdoria. Can stars Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi carry Roma to the title? We’ll have to see. Finally, our last league for today is the Bundesliga of Germany:
Bayern Munich: 32 games played, 18-10-4 record, +37 goal difference, 64 points
Schalke 04: 32 games played, 19-7-6 record, +24 goal difference, 64 points
A dead heat with the exception of Bayern completely defecating on defenses this year (hence better goal difference). However, with 6 games left for each club, anything can happen; with Munich kicking ass in the Champions League right now (behind Arjen Robben’s incredible left foot), they may not be at 100% full focus for the domestic league games. In addition, Schalke has quietly had a great season behind their striking duo of Kevin Kuranyi and Jefferson Farfan (who’s incredible in FIFA 10, if you’ve ever played.) I’d like to see Schalke pull off the upset and win the title; Bayern can have the European championship, which they may just win.
Chelsea: 36 games played, 25-5-6 record, +61 goal difference, 80 points
Manchester United: 36 games played, 25-4-7 record, +53 goal difference, 79 points
Clearly, Chelsea has a monster advantage in goal difference and a slim margin of one point right now. Their last two games are on the road at Liverpool, and a home match against Wigan, who infamously thumped Chelsea 3-1 earlier this season. The Blues really can’t afford to drop either of these games, especially Liverpool, who despite an uncharacteristic 10-loss season is still a tough team to beat. To make things a bit more concerning for Chelsea, Man U’s last two games are at Sunderland and against Stoke City at Old Trafford in Manchester. Two easier opponents for the Red Devils will make this an incredible finish to the Premier League season. Onto the Spanish Primera Liga, where again, it’s a two horse race:
Barcelona: 34 games played, 27-6-1 record, +63 goal difference, 87 points
Real Madrid: 34 games played, 28-2-4 record, +59 goal difference, 86 points
Another one-point difference between the two clubs, but I’ll definitely bet on Barca to win La Liga. With one loss the entire season, Barca is looking for the double of domestic and European championships, even though they were shell shocked by Inter Milan in the first leg of the Champions’ League semifinals. With the world’s best player (Lionel Messi) and best passer (Xavi Hernandez, my man-crush), the Catalans provide a stiff challenge to Real Madrid, who despite metrosexual fiend Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka’s efforts have managed to drop 4 games this year, including two against (you guessed it) Barcelona. Now moving to Italy for Serie A action:
Inter Milan: 35 games played, 21-10-4 record, +37 goal difference, 73 points
AS Roma: 35 games played, 21-8-6 record, +23 goal difference, 71 points
Relatively close race, until you realize that Inter is playing the best football in the world right now and appear to be the new favorites for Champions League glory this year. With a couple of ugly draws this season, Jose Mourinho’s guys will hit the last 3 games of the season with a killer instinct. Even though their goal difference isn’t as high as the other league leaders in this article, Inter plays significantly better and more efficiently than Roma, who just dropped a crucial match to Sampdoria. Can stars Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi carry Roma to the title? We’ll have to see. Finally, our last league for today is the Bundesliga of Germany:
Bayern Munich: 32 games played, 18-10-4 record, +37 goal difference, 64 points
Schalke 04: 32 games played, 19-7-6 record, +24 goal difference, 64 points
A dead heat with the exception of Bayern completely defecating on defenses this year (hence better goal difference). However, with 6 games left for each club, anything can happen; with Munich kicking ass in the Champions League right now (behind Arjen Robben’s incredible left foot), they may not be at 100% full focus for the domestic league games. In addition, Schalke has quietly had a great season behind their striking duo of Kevin Kuranyi and Jefferson Farfan (who’s incredible in FIFA 10, if you’ve ever played.) I’d like to see Schalke pull off the upset and win the title; Bayern can have the European championship, which they may just win.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Top 10 Players in the NHL
I’m not going to lie, I haven’t followed hockey in about 2 years. However, with the great NHL playoffs we’ve been experiencing so far, I really have no choice but to write about the sport.
I’m relatively unfamiliar with a lot of the new faces in the league, but I’m going to try to slap together a respectable list so that casual, non-casual, and non-fans alike can all appreciate the superstars of the league. Agree to disagree, of course. Additionally, a preview of the conference semifinals will probably follow this, for all the hockey fans out there.
10. Steve Stamkos, Lightning- He has two years under his belt, but I need to put this guy on the list. The first overall pick in the 2008 draft, Stamkos immediately burst onto the scene. He tied for the league lead with 51 goals this year. You’re wondering how old he is? Twenty. He was born on February 7, 1990; he’s three days younger than I am. I feel significantly less accomplished in my life. He has an incredible future ahead of him.
9. Zdeno Chara, Senators- The 6’9’’ giant has been a cornerstone at defenseman for the Sens. Picked up the Norris Trophy last year for being the league’s best defender. He also had a slap shot clocked at 105.4 miles per hour at last year’s All-Star Skills Competition. Why the hell did the Islanders trade this guy? Oh right, because we wanted Alexei Yashin. And transactions like that are why the Islanders aren’t going to be on Long Island for too much longer. Good times.
8. Mike Green, Capitals- This guy seems pretty badass. The 24-year old is extremely prolific as a defenseman (76 points this season, 73 the year before) and reportedly ruptured one of Philadelphia Flyer Patrick Thoresen’s testicles due to a nasty slap shot. Moreover, he also hold the record for most consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman with eight. Also rocks a mean faux hawk.
7. Martin Brodeur, Devils- The guy’s track record is unmatched. He’s the all-time leader in wins and shutouts, in addition to being the only goaltender with eight 40-win seasons. He has 602 wins, to be exact. A hero in New Jersey (not like they have many of them there), he’s the most accomplished goalie in history and still tearing it up at the age of 37. Yeah, he’s pretty good.
6. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks- The 21-year old American is ferocious on the wing in Chicago. With 88 points in 82 games, Kane is capable of taking over a game and carrying the Blackhawks. The first overall pick in the 200 draft, Kane hasn’t disappointed anyone in his short career in the league. Earns bonus points for punching out a cab driver. So maybe his parents aren’t too happy with him, but it’s all good.
5. Henrik Zetterberg, Red Wings- One of the most versatile forwards in the league, the Swedish Zetterberg can do it all. A two-time Stanley Cup winner, he may not have mind-boggling numbers but is a proven commodity the league and improves his teammates’ play just by being on the ice. Like a Steve Nash of some sort.
4. Joe Thornton, Sharks- Arguably one of the most dynamic centers in the league. Thornton is the only guy to ever win league MVP and lead the league in points while switching teams in one season. A great asset for San Jose, the 6’4’’, 235-pound monster does nothing but score points; you also may have seen him make an appearance for the evil Canadians in this year’s Olympics.
3. Ryan Miller, Sabres- Easily the best goalie in the league right now. Came up monsterously in the Olympics and in the NHL season this year as well (41 wins, 2.22 GAA, .929 SV%). America’s goalie for years to come, Miller is a huge reason for Buffalo’s success the last few years; like a quarterback, this goalie is the cornerstone of the team and will keep stopping shots in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
2. Sidney Crosby, Penguins- If you’re from Canada or a Penguins fan, you love him. If you’re a female, you think he’s the cutest player in the league. If you’re none of the above, you hate Sidney Crosby. You may describe him as a “frail, pretty-boy, smug little bitch.” You may hate him because of his gold medal-winning goal in this year’s Olympics against the United States. Personally, I’m not a fan of his, but you have to recall the lockout for the 2004-2005 season. Crosby was the first pick of the draft following the stoppage, and had a HUGE responsibility of helping make the NHL relevant again. It’s still a bit of a journey, but with 506 career points in 370 games, Crosby is on his way to being one of the best ever. But he’s still not the best player in the league…
1. Alexander Ovechkin, Captials- This guy dominates the league like LeBron dominates the NBA. I’m hard-pressed to find a single thing Ovie can’t do. He’s big, fast, strong, and an extremely good stick-handler. There’s also that thing he does when he puts the puck in the net. It’s not just that he scores a lot of goals, it’s HOW he scores them; I’m too lazy to find a Youtube video on here and post it. So you may have to look yourself. In summary, Ovechkin is the best, most exciting, and most electrifying player in the world right now.
I’m relatively unfamiliar with a lot of the new faces in the league, but I’m going to try to slap together a respectable list so that casual, non-casual, and non-fans alike can all appreciate the superstars of the league. Agree to disagree, of course. Additionally, a preview of the conference semifinals will probably follow this, for all the hockey fans out there.
10. Steve Stamkos, Lightning- He has two years under his belt, but I need to put this guy on the list. The first overall pick in the 2008 draft, Stamkos immediately burst onto the scene. He tied for the league lead with 51 goals this year. You’re wondering how old he is? Twenty. He was born on February 7, 1990; he’s three days younger than I am. I feel significantly less accomplished in my life. He has an incredible future ahead of him.
9. Zdeno Chara, Senators- The 6’9’’ giant has been a cornerstone at defenseman for the Sens. Picked up the Norris Trophy last year for being the league’s best defender. He also had a slap shot clocked at 105.4 miles per hour at last year’s All-Star Skills Competition. Why the hell did the Islanders trade this guy? Oh right, because we wanted Alexei Yashin. And transactions like that are why the Islanders aren’t going to be on Long Island for too much longer. Good times.
8. Mike Green, Capitals- This guy seems pretty badass. The 24-year old is extremely prolific as a defenseman (76 points this season, 73 the year before) and reportedly ruptured one of Philadelphia Flyer Patrick Thoresen’s testicles due to a nasty slap shot. Moreover, he also hold the record for most consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman with eight. Also rocks a mean faux hawk.
7. Martin Brodeur, Devils- The guy’s track record is unmatched. He’s the all-time leader in wins and shutouts, in addition to being the only goaltender with eight 40-win seasons. He has 602 wins, to be exact. A hero in New Jersey (not like they have many of them there), he’s the most accomplished goalie in history and still tearing it up at the age of 37. Yeah, he’s pretty good.
6. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks- The 21-year old American is ferocious on the wing in Chicago. With 88 points in 82 games, Kane is capable of taking over a game and carrying the Blackhawks. The first overall pick in the 200 draft, Kane hasn’t disappointed anyone in his short career in the league. Earns bonus points for punching out a cab driver. So maybe his parents aren’t too happy with him, but it’s all good.
5. Henrik Zetterberg, Red Wings- One of the most versatile forwards in the league, the Swedish Zetterberg can do it all. A two-time Stanley Cup winner, he may not have mind-boggling numbers but is a proven commodity the league and improves his teammates’ play just by being on the ice. Like a Steve Nash of some sort.
4. Joe Thornton, Sharks- Arguably one of the most dynamic centers in the league. Thornton is the only guy to ever win league MVP and lead the league in points while switching teams in one season. A great asset for San Jose, the 6’4’’, 235-pound monster does nothing but score points; you also may have seen him make an appearance for the evil Canadians in this year’s Olympics.
3. Ryan Miller, Sabres- Easily the best goalie in the league right now. Came up monsterously in the Olympics and in the NHL season this year as well (41 wins, 2.22 GAA, .929 SV%). America’s goalie for years to come, Miller is a huge reason for Buffalo’s success the last few years; like a quarterback, this goalie is the cornerstone of the team and will keep stopping shots in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
2. Sidney Crosby, Penguins- If you’re from Canada or a Penguins fan, you love him. If you’re a female, you think he’s the cutest player in the league. If you’re none of the above, you hate Sidney Crosby. You may describe him as a “frail, pretty-boy, smug little bitch.” You may hate him because of his gold medal-winning goal in this year’s Olympics against the United States. Personally, I’m not a fan of his, but you have to recall the lockout for the 2004-2005 season. Crosby was the first pick of the draft following the stoppage, and had a HUGE responsibility of helping make the NHL relevant again. It’s still a bit of a journey, but with 506 career points in 370 games, Crosby is on his way to being one of the best ever. But he’s still not the best player in the league…
1. Alexander Ovechkin, Captials- This guy dominates the league like LeBron dominates the NBA. I’m hard-pressed to find a single thing Ovie can’t do. He’s big, fast, strong, and an extremely good stick-handler. There’s also that thing he does when he puts the puck in the net. It’s not just that he scores a lot of goals, it’s HOW he scores them; I’m too lazy to find a Youtube video on here and post it. So you may have to look yourself. In summary, Ovechkin is the best, most exciting, and most electrifying player in the world right now.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Winners and Losers of the NFL Draft
So now the draft is over; there probably won't be another football post for a while. Unless a two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback gets accused of rape for a second time or something of that nature. You mean that happened already? Good, let's move on.
Winners
Rams: You would expect the holders of the first overall pick to have a successful draft. But the Rams got four potential cornerstones of the franchise in Sam Bradford, stud tackle Rodger Saffold, cornerback Jerome Murphy, and wideout Mardy Gilyard. This draft definitely will push St. Louis to a 4 or 5 win season, a great improvement from last season’s debacle.
Patriots: To be honest, when do they NOT win in the draft? The Pats addressed practically all of their needs this weekend, picking up a first round CB in Devin McCourty, two tough linebackers from Florida (Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes), two tight ends (Ron Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, my favorite TE this year), and the draft’s best punter. (Zoltan Mesko of Michigan!) Just the Pats doing work in April as usual.
Panthers: With John Fox perhaps in his last year as head coach, Carolina did work this weekend. They may have committed the robbery of the draft getting Jimmy Clausen at pick number 48, which supplies a stable replacement at QB as well. Also drafted by the Panthers were wide receivers Brandon LaFell (who excelled playing in the tough SEC) and Appalachian State hero Armanti Edwards. I’m still upset over that whole Michigan debacle… Anyway, Carolina also drafted Eric Norwood (OLB) and Greg Hardy (DE) in the sixth round; BOTH of these guys have been ranked in the top 60 of many people’s drafts boards but slipped for whatever reason. So it was a good draft for my team.
Texans: CB Kareem Jackson will immediately help out in replacing Dunta Robinson. Running back Ben Tate and tight ends Tony Moeaki and Dorin Dickinson (a seventh-round steal) are new faces on offense to supplement the immortal Andre Johnson. Earl Mitchell is a great choice for defensive tackle, and Trindon Holliday was a rather beastly return man for LSU standing at 5’6’’. Solid draft for Houston.
Cowboys: No one really likes the Cowboys, but you have to admit they had a hell of a draft this year. Dez Bryant was arguably the best wideout in this year’s class and will definitely make a splash in place of the ever-awful Roy Williams. LB Sean Lee of Penn State will fill in holes in the middle for Dallas, which desparately needed punch after being dominated by the Vikings last year in the playoffs. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah is an amazing pick, coming from Division II college Indiana of Pennsylvania; at 6 feet tall and 210 pounds, he is an impressive DB prospect who will make an immediate impact in the secondary. Sixth-round pick Sam Young had a stellar college career at Notre Dame and will provide depth along the offensive line.
Losers
Jets: The law of averages came into play here; despite their particularly successful offseason, the Jets fell short this weekend. They only had 4 picks this draft and used their first-round pick to take defensive back Kyle Wilson of Boise State. Why? Linebackers like Sergio Kindle and Jerry Hughes were still available, and the Jets desperately need to replace mega-bust Vernon Gholston. Although second-rounder Vladimir Ducasse was a good fit, I was a bit surprised with Joe McKnight, an extreme underachiever at USC, being picked up in the 4th round. The Jets’ fourth pick was a fullback named John Conner, though. The name may compensate for his skill, but not really.
Browns: Granted, the Browns have nowhere to go but up, but I expected more out of their draft. Drafting Joe Haden (the “best” of a weak crop of cornerbacks) was a bit of a reach at pick #7; I don’t know why they passed up on Jimmy Clausen, but they really could’ve had a chance at a better impact player that high in the draft. Other than Colt McCoy, the players Cleveland picked were slightly above average at the collegiate level; to expect them to succeed in the NFL will take a lot of praying… and player development.
Jaguars: Probably the worst draft in the league this year. I don’t get it. Jacksonville needs a new franchise face; Maurice Jones Drew can’t carry the team on his tiny-but-extremely-jacked shoulders. So naturally, the Jags draft Tyson Alualu, a DT with a SECOND-ROUND grade, at the 10th overall pick. Following that? Another DT named D’Anthony, and guys from Central Arkansas, Murray State, Southern Illinois, and James Madison. When the Jacksonville Jaguars get relocated within 3 years, you’ll know who called it. Disgusting draft. EW.
Giants: Maybe I just don’t like either of the New York teams. But after Jason Pierre-Paul, the G-Men passed up on guys like Taylor Mays and Terrance Cody to draft Chad Jones and Linval Joseph. Additionally, barely anything was done to address the lack of depth on the aging offensive line (a fifth rounder is simply not enough).
Vikings: Granted, they didn’t have a first-round pick, but Minnesota didn’t do much to improve their team. Their first pick, CB Chris Cook, is the typical victim of a weak position class; he may have 7 interceptions next year and make me look bad, but the Vikings still need more depth in the secondary. Other than Toby Gerhart (who I do like, but won’t get more than 100 touches this year), there isn’t much to speak of here. In addition, Minnesota failed to pick up a quarterback despite the ambiguous future of Brett Favre.
Winners
Rams: You would expect the holders of the first overall pick to have a successful draft. But the Rams got four potential cornerstones of the franchise in Sam Bradford, stud tackle Rodger Saffold, cornerback Jerome Murphy, and wideout Mardy Gilyard. This draft definitely will push St. Louis to a 4 or 5 win season, a great improvement from last season’s debacle.
Patriots: To be honest, when do they NOT win in the draft? The Pats addressed practically all of their needs this weekend, picking up a first round CB in Devin McCourty, two tough linebackers from Florida (Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes), two tight ends (Ron Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, my favorite TE this year), and the draft’s best punter. (Zoltan Mesko of Michigan!) Just the Pats doing work in April as usual.
Panthers: With John Fox perhaps in his last year as head coach, Carolina did work this weekend. They may have committed the robbery of the draft getting Jimmy Clausen at pick number 48, which supplies a stable replacement at QB as well. Also drafted by the Panthers were wide receivers Brandon LaFell (who excelled playing in the tough SEC) and Appalachian State hero Armanti Edwards. I’m still upset over that whole Michigan debacle… Anyway, Carolina also drafted Eric Norwood (OLB) and Greg Hardy (DE) in the sixth round; BOTH of these guys have been ranked in the top 60 of many people’s drafts boards but slipped for whatever reason. So it was a good draft for my team.
Texans: CB Kareem Jackson will immediately help out in replacing Dunta Robinson. Running back Ben Tate and tight ends Tony Moeaki and Dorin Dickinson (a seventh-round steal) are new faces on offense to supplement the immortal Andre Johnson. Earl Mitchell is a great choice for defensive tackle, and Trindon Holliday was a rather beastly return man for LSU standing at 5’6’’. Solid draft for Houston.
Cowboys: No one really likes the Cowboys, but you have to admit they had a hell of a draft this year. Dez Bryant was arguably the best wideout in this year’s class and will definitely make a splash in place of the ever-awful Roy Williams. LB Sean Lee of Penn State will fill in holes in the middle for Dallas, which desparately needed punch after being dominated by the Vikings last year in the playoffs. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah is an amazing pick, coming from Division II college Indiana of Pennsylvania; at 6 feet tall and 210 pounds, he is an impressive DB prospect who will make an immediate impact in the secondary. Sixth-round pick Sam Young had a stellar college career at Notre Dame and will provide depth along the offensive line.
Losers
Jets: The law of averages came into play here; despite their particularly successful offseason, the Jets fell short this weekend. They only had 4 picks this draft and used their first-round pick to take defensive back Kyle Wilson of Boise State. Why? Linebackers like Sergio Kindle and Jerry Hughes were still available, and the Jets desperately need to replace mega-bust Vernon Gholston. Although second-rounder Vladimir Ducasse was a good fit, I was a bit surprised with Joe McKnight, an extreme underachiever at USC, being picked up in the 4th round. The Jets’ fourth pick was a fullback named John Conner, though. The name may compensate for his skill, but not really.
Browns: Granted, the Browns have nowhere to go but up, but I expected more out of their draft. Drafting Joe Haden (the “best” of a weak crop of cornerbacks) was a bit of a reach at pick #7; I don’t know why they passed up on Jimmy Clausen, but they really could’ve had a chance at a better impact player that high in the draft. Other than Colt McCoy, the players Cleveland picked were slightly above average at the collegiate level; to expect them to succeed in the NFL will take a lot of praying… and player development.
Jaguars: Probably the worst draft in the league this year. I don’t get it. Jacksonville needs a new franchise face; Maurice Jones Drew can’t carry the team on his tiny-but-extremely-jacked shoulders. So naturally, the Jags draft Tyson Alualu, a DT with a SECOND-ROUND grade, at the 10th overall pick. Following that? Another DT named D’Anthony, and guys from Central Arkansas, Murray State, Southern Illinois, and James Madison. When the Jacksonville Jaguars get relocated within 3 years, you’ll know who called it. Disgusting draft. EW.
Giants: Maybe I just don’t like either of the New York teams. But after Jason Pierre-Paul, the G-Men passed up on guys like Taylor Mays and Terrance Cody to draft Chad Jones and Linval Joseph. Additionally, barely anything was done to address the lack of depth on the aging offensive line (a fifth rounder is simply not enough).
Vikings: Granted, they didn’t have a first-round pick, but Minnesota didn’t do much to improve their team. Their first pick, CB Chris Cook, is the typical victim of a weak position class; he may have 7 interceptions next year and make me look bad, but the Vikings still need more depth in the secondary. Other than Toby Gerhart (who I do like, but won’t get more than 100 touches this year), there isn’t much to speak of here. In addition, Minnesota failed to pick up a quarterback despite the ambiguous future of Brett Favre.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Apples to Oranges: Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay
So as you may know, Tim Lincecum has won the last two National League Cy Young Awards. He’s pretty good. In fact, you may call him the best pitcher in the National League. That makes sense. However…
This pitcher named Roy Halladay got traded to the Phillies, who are conveniently located in the National League as well. Halladay is pretty filthy himself with a Cy Young of his own; this poses a threat to Lincecum’s title. So who would YOU take? Let’s break it down.
Name:
Lincecum- Timothy Leroy Lincecum (25 years old)
Halladay- Harry Leroy Halladay III (32 years old)
Nickname:
Lincecum- The Freak or The Franchise
Halladay- Doc
Size:
Lincecum- 5’11’’, 175 pounds
Halladay- 6’6’’, 230 pounds
Draft Status:
Lincecum- 1st round, 10th pick
Halladay- 1st round, 17th pick
Pitches:
Lincecum-fastball clocked at 98 MPH, absurdly disgusting curve, cutter, changeup
Halladay- everything except an eephus (2 and 4 seam FB, curve, cutter, changeup in particular)
Key Career Stats:
Lincecum- 2.84 career ERA, .717 winning %, 1.140 WHIP, 10.2 K/9 ratio, 3.18 K/BB ratio
Halladay- 3.39 career ERA, .667 winning %, 1.193 WHIP, 6.6 K/9 ratio, 3.33 K/BB ratio
Decorations:
Lincecum- 2 All-Star games, 2 Cy Youngs (2008, 2009)
Halladay- 6 All-Star games, 1 Cy Young (2003)
Statistic that best defines his skill:
Lincecum- Strikeouts (led league last 2 years)
Halladay- Complete games/Shutouts (51 CGs and 16 SHOs in career most among all active players)
One sentence description:
Lincecum- An undersized but overwhelming power pitcher that looks like he’s 15 years old.
Halladay- A master of control and going the distance, both of which are dying traits these days.
Bonus points for:
Lincecum- Being so nasty despite being really small and having an extremely unusual windup.
Halladay- Having a moderately attractive wife. And for being really old-school.
So there you have it. Despite the fact that neither of these guys have ever pitched in the playoffs, who would you rather have start for Game 7?
This pitcher named Roy Halladay got traded to the Phillies, who are conveniently located in the National League as well. Halladay is pretty filthy himself with a Cy Young of his own; this poses a threat to Lincecum’s title. So who would YOU take? Let’s break it down.
Name:
Lincecum- Timothy Leroy Lincecum (25 years old)
Halladay- Harry Leroy Halladay III (32 years old)
Nickname:
Lincecum- The Freak or The Franchise
Halladay- Doc
Size:
Lincecum- 5’11’’, 175 pounds
Halladay- 6’6’’, 230 pounds
Draft Status:
Lincecum- 1st round, 10th pick
Halladay- 1st round, 17th pick
Pitches:
Lincecum-fastball clocked at 98 MPH, absurdly disgusting curve, cutter, changeup
Halladay- everything except an eephus (2 and 4 seam FB, curve, cutter, changeup in particular)
Key Career Stats:
Lincecum- 2.84 career ERA, .717 winning %, 1.140 WHIP, 10.2 K/9 ratio, 3.18 K/BB ratio
Halladay- 3.39 career ERA, .667 winning %, 1.193 WHIP, 6.6 K/9 ratio, 3.33 K/BB ratio
Decorations:
Lincecum- 2 All-Star games, 2 Cy Youngs (2008, 2009)
Halladay- 6 All-Star games, 1 Cy Young (2003)
Statistic that best defines his skill:
Lincecum- Strikeouts (led league last 2 years)
Halladay- Complete games/Shutouts (51 CGs and 16 SHOs in career most among all active players)
One sentence description:
Lincecum- An undersized but overwhelming power pitcher that looks like he’s 15 years old.
Halladay- A master of control and going the distance, both of which are dying traits these days.
Bonus points for:
Lincecum- Being so nasty despite being really small and having an extremely unusual windup.
Halladay- Having a moderately attractive wife. And for being really old-school.
So there you have it. Despite the fact that neither of these guys have ever pitched in the playoffs, who would you rather have start for Game 7?
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