Now that the field is set for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, I'm prepared for one of my favorite times of the year.
For the next three weeks, 68 teams will compete for the right to be crowned national champion. Many of the games are likely to be thrillers that showcase the intense emotions and huge implications that are brought about with each bounce of the ball, but there is another special part of the tournament that goes far beyond the lifelong dreams of any hard working college basketball player.
I'm speaking, of course, about the filling out of my bracket.
While most of the teams in this year's tournament don't have to get things going until Thursday or Friday, the next 56 hours are among the most nerve-racking of my entire year. Each pick carries with it the weight of whatever grand prize I'm playing for as every correctly predicted upset or perceived meltdown in the early rounds can be just as vital as calling the overall champion. Every bit of intensity that I show in rooting for my favorite team as a fan - Duke - will be repeated in every game of the tournament as I throw all of my rooting effort into pulling for No. 11 seeds which I can neither locate on a map, nor name any player on its roster for the last decade.
Another quirk that goes along with each year's bracket pool is the number of entries that are turned in. I'm not just talking about a small office pool compared to an ESPN or Yahoo! Sports pool with tens of thousands of competitors, but also the rules that govern whatever pool I'm getting into.
Some people choose to allow multiple entries from pool competitors. These people are godless heathens.
The point of winning the bracket pool is not only to get the prize at the end, but also to obtain bragging rights over everyone else in the pool for the next year. I strictly forbid it in any pool that I ever run and decline entry into any other pool that promotes this horrible practice.
However, I live by the hard and fast rule of "Work Smarter, not Harder", so I am also looking to win any pool I'm in. Therefore, I've decided that I will continue to avoid pools that allow for multiple entries, but that I will also enter into many different pools with a differing prediction of some of the toughest games to call on each of my final selection sheets.
Winning any one of the pools that I enter will far outweigh the shame of losing all the others combined, so I am more than willing to put picks that go against my better judgment in 90 percent of my brackets to increase the probability that one of them will pay off at the end.
Any of you who know me are also aware that I am prone to over-thinking my picks, and so I've come up with a way to circumvent that shortfall as well.
For everyone competing in a pool with me, I'll save you a lot of pouring through stat sheets and post some (over)thinking points regarding teams in this year's field. I'm not saying that I'm acting on all of these tips, but if you read them and second guess yourself while filling out your own picks, then all the better for me.
Enjoy:
Ohio St. - In a season that has many of the talking head claiming that there are no dominant teams, the Buckeyes are the closes thing to a sure bet to make the Final Four. Ohio St. has been in the top-5 all season and has spent almost all of the last two months at the top of the polls. The Buckeyes secured the overall No. 1 seed, but also looks to have drawn the toughest bracket. Kentucky, Syracuse and North Carolina all stand between Ohio St. and a trip to Houston, and with only 6 or 7 contributing players, the Bucks are just an injury or a fast-paced game away from bowing out early.
Duke - Along with Ohio St., Duke was one of the only teams to actually retain a No. 1 ranking for more than a couple of weeks this season. The Blue Devils are the defending champs and have a relatively easy looking road ahead of them. Potential land mines for Duke include No. 4 seed Texas that has show the ability to play much better than its positioning indicates and a long trip out west for the final two rounds of its region.
Pittsburgh - The Panthers are once again a top seed, but I think that most people have given up on them as a title threat. Pittsburgh has been one of the most consistently great programs in the country over the last 5-6 years, yet hasn't so much as sniffed a Final Four. Pittsburgh was looking good as a dark-horse title contender (if that's possible for a No. 1 seed), but quickly brought back doubters with a quick exit from the Big East tournament.
North Carolina - Just a week ago, North Carolina was a trendy Final Four pick. The Tar Heels tore through the final three weeks of the regular season to win the regular season ACC title, but struggled mightily against inferior competition twice in the tournament before being pummeled by Duck in the tournament championship game. Carolina has an NBA-caliber front line and one of the best players in the nation in Harrison Barnes, but it could all spell disaster for your bracket. The Heels are good enough to win it all, but immature and inconsistent enough to run into trouble from the get-go as they face high-scoring Long Island in the first round.
UConn - Connecticut is a potential trap as a No. 3 seed. The Huskies may have peaked too early as they stumbled down the stretch, but then seemed to regain their form in winning the Big East tournament. National Player of the Year candidate Kemba Walker and a good draw could put UConn in line for a Final Four run, but Walker has a tendency to take far too many shots and an off night will put the Huskies in a tough spot.
Notre Dame - The Fighting Irish might be the best team that no one is talking about as a threat to win it all. Notre Dame has been in the top-10 almost all season and has been one of the most consistent teams in the country, counting a two-game road losing streak to fellow tournament participants Marquette and St. John's as its low point. The two biggest threats standing between the Irish and a Final Four are No. 1 seed Kansas and Louisville - which defeated Notre Dame in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.
Utah St. - Every tournament needs a good upset by a No. 12 seed and this could be a big one. Utah St. enters the tournament at 30-3 and, despite a pretty easy schedule and no marquee wins, played very well in its showdown at No. 3 seed BYU. Conversely, some fans are getting behind the Aggies' first round opponent - Kansas St. - as a No. 5 seed that can make a run. The Wildcats showcased enough talent to be ranked in the top-5 early this season, but their meltdowns throughout the regular season make them a perfect target for an early upset.
BYU - The Cougars have to be one of the hardest teams to project this season. Armed with the nation's leading scorer in Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young was close to unbeatable for the first three months of the season. That looked to have all changed when Brandon Davies was kicked off the team two weeks ago and the Cougars promptly lost their first game without him, but Jimmer and company rebounded to win three straight - including a Mountain West semifinal win over New Mexico, which had taken down the Cougars in each of their first two meetings. But just when it looked like BYU was back, San Diego St. layed a beatdown on the Cougars in the Mountain West final. Jimmer has the talent and scoring ability to single-handedly get BYU to the Final Four, but the Cougars seem to have lost the intimidation that a No. 3 seed should be able to instill in its opponents.
Michigan St. - If there is anything that the last decade of college basketball should have taught any fan, it's that Michigan St. can't be counted out of any tournament. Ranked as high as second in the nation this season, the Spartans promptly imploded and struggled around the .500 mark early in the season. Michigan St. was in danger of being left out of the tournament entirely, but managed to pull out a No. 10 seed. The Spartans have shown no sign of returning to the form that had some experts picking them to win a title in the preseason, but Michigan St. has been counted out many times before, only to pull a few upsets and bring the nets down at the end of the season.
So, there you go. Just a little food for thought for all of you who want a little more information before turning in your picks. As for me, my seven different brackets for seven different pools are already set in stone. I look forward to gloating over at least some of you in the near future.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Entertainment... now offered on ice
Congratulations hockey. You're back on the right track.
After spending the better part of the last two decades vying with soccer in a race to the outermost fringe of the American sports conscience, all of those angry Canadians are finally doing things the right way and turning some heads.
The last few months have seen a drastic increase in exciting hockey highlights that have thrown ESPN and the other powers right back into nightly coverage of what is one of the most enjoyable sports to watch in person.
This is because hockey is perfectly suited for one of the most popular and time consuming activities on the planet - Youtube highlights.
I understand that hockey's rules can be difficult to get a firm grip on and that the constant action and difficulty in tracking the puck can lead to people losing interest, but the few people who are on top of all that now have a stage on which to show others the best parts of the sport.
Like to watch incredible shots? Pull up an Alex Ovechkin highlight reel.
Want to see goons beating each other's brains out? There are top 10 lists for those everywhere.
Goalie fights? Got those too.
And then there are the big hits.
I understand that those hits can be dangerous and that the league's poster boy - Sidney Crosby - has missed over 20 games because of a concussion sustained in one of those hits, but it's still worth it for the NHL.
Whether the guys in suits on SportCenter like it or not, angry white guys hitting things with sticks and getting away with on-ice agrevated assault is what gets the attention of most people. They may say that injuries and fighting are what holds the sport back, but with more people than ever getting enjoyment out of watching Zdeno Charra try to put opponents through the glass, I beg to differ.
Americans need excitement. We'll complain when a soccer match ends in a 0-0 draw, we conveniently turned our heads to pretty obvious steroid use in baseball when it started producing huge home runs and high-scoring games.
Since hockey came back from its strike four years ago and brought with it a new batch of rules that promoted more scoring, the ratings have been up. It's nothing like football, but national interest should continue to climb as soon as the league can get out of its terrible television contract and resign with a network other than Versus.
Even the All-Star game has been improved as hockey has made its showcase of talent by far the most entertaining. Choosing captains who then picked their own teams from a pool of All-Stars was the most enjoyable thing I've ever seen at an All-Star game of any kind. Can you imagine how fun it would be to see Peyton Manning and Tom Brady fill out competing teams at the Pro Bowl? It would attract millions to the TV set. Now that hockey has come up with the most innovative All-Star setup of any sport, I'll rank my personal enjoyment of All-Star activities as such:
With ESPN, Deadspin and Youtube showing every big hit and great shot, you're going to make your way back into the spotlight one bloody nose and cracked vertebrae at a time.
After spending the better part of the last two decades vying with soccer in a race to the outermost fringe of the American sports conscience, all of those angry Canadians are finally doing things the right way and turning some heads.
The last few months have seen a drastic increase in exciting hockey highlights that have thrown ESPN and the other powers right back into nightly coverage of what is one of the most enjoyable sports to watch in person.
This is because hockey is perfectly suited for one of the most popular and time consuming activities on the planet - Youtube highlights.
I understand that hockey's rules can be difficult to get a firm grip on and that the constant action and difficulty in tracking the puck can lead to people losing interest, but the few people who are on top of all that now have a stage on which to show others the best parts of the sport.
Like to watch incredible shots? Pull up an Alex Ovechkin highlight reel.
Want to see goons beating each other's brains out? There are top 10 lists for those everywhere.
Goalie fights? Got those too.
And then there are the big hits.
I understand that those hits can be dangerous and that the league's poster boy - Sidney Crosby - has missed over 20 games because of a concussion sustained in one of those hits, but it's still worth it for the NHL.
Whether the guys in suits on SportCenter like it or not, angry white guys hitting things with sticks and getting away with on-ice agrevated assault is what gets the attention of most people. They may say that injuries and fighting are what holds the sport back, but with more people than ever getting enjoyment out of watching Zdeno Charra try to put opponents through the glass, I beg to differ.
Americans need excitement. We'll complain when a soccer match ends in a 0-0 draw, we conveniently turned our heads to pretty obvious steroid use in baseball when it started producing huge home runs and high-scoring games.
Since hockey came back from its strike four years ago and brought with it a new batch of rules that promoted more scoring, the ratings have been up. It's nothing like football, but national interest should continue to climb as soon as the league can get out of its terrible television contract and resign with a network other than Versus.
Even the All-Star game has been improved as hockey has made its showcase of talent by far the most entertaining. Choosing captains who then picked their own teams from a pool of All-Stars was the most enjoyable thing I've ever seen at an All-Star game of any kind. Can you imagine how fun it would be to see Peyton Manning and Tom Brady fill out competing teams at the Pro Bowl? It would attract millions to the TV set. Now that hockey has come up with the most innovative All-Star setup of any sport, I'll rank my personal enjoyment of All-Star activities as such:
- Home Run Derby
- NHL All-Star Draft
- Slam Dunk Contest
- MLB Celebrity Softball Game
- NHL's Fastest Goalie Skate-off
- Any of the actual All-Star Games
With ESPN, Deadspin and Youtube showing every big hit and great shot, you're going to make your way back into the spotlight one bloody nose and cracked vertebrae at a time.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
There's no crying in basketball
Sunday night, the world learned via Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra that many Heat players were in tears after dropping their fourth game in five attempts.
Now, I'm not going to stand here and say that crying is unacceptable in sports. I cried when my pee-wee football team lost in the championship game, there were some damp eyes after my final high school baseball game, and I had a few champagne-soaked tears when the Phillies finally won the World Series.
This is getting out of hand though. It seems like not a week goes by where some player or coach being reduced to a sobbing pile of pity in front of the cameras.
Postgame press conferences following big games are providing less celebration or vows of revenge and are instead looking more like the "I give up" segment of an episode of Made.
Being the helping sort that I am, I figured that I would try to provide athletes and sports fans alike with a better guide for when to show extreme amounts of emotion. By adhering to this straightforward list, I think that we'll all be better off in that we can retain our ability to shed the occasional tear while keeping sports from looking like a soap opera.
Things that are OK to cry over
So to LeBron, Dwyane Wade and all the rest of these crybabies, please stop with this nonsense. The fact that you're getting worked up over something so minor is far more embarrasing than any amount of tears could ever be to even the manliest of men.
Now, I'm not going to stand here and say that crying is unacceptable in sports. I cried when my pee-wee football team lost in the championship game, there were some damp eyes after my final high school baseball game, and I had a few champagne-soaked tears when the Phillies finally won the World Series.
This is getting out of hand though. It seems like not a week goes by where some player or coach being reduced to a sobbing pile of pity in front of the cameras.
Postgame press conferences following big games are providing less celebration or vows of revenge and are instead looking more like the "I give up" segment of an episode of Made.
Being the helping sort that I am, I figured that I would try to provide athletes and sports fans alike with a better guide for when to show extreme amounts of emotion. By adhering to this straightforward list, I think that we'll all be better off in that we can retain our ability to shed the occasional tear while keeping sports from looking like a soap opera.
Things that are OK to cry over
- You come to the realization that your career is over
- This has to be one of the worst moments of any sports fan's life. Almost all of us grew up playing one sport or another and I'm sure that most of us held out hope that we'd make it to the pros a lot longer than we should have. But inevitably, there comes that day where you just know it's over. Whether it's the day you're cut from the high school team, the realization that there are no colleges knocking down your door, or even the last day of a Hall of Fame career, the final time that uniform comes off is a tough one. No one will say a thing if the room you're in gets a little dusty.
- After a career of at least 10 seasons, you finally win a championship
- There are a lot of great players out there who just never run into the luck of having an equally great team surrounding them. If a player has gone through the grind and his in the twilight of his career when he finally wins a championship, it's OK to let some emotion show. This doesn't hold true for rookies though. Congrats. You walked into a good thing and won. Put in a few more years of work before you start weeping for the camera.
- After a drought of at least 20 years, your team finally wins a championship
- This is the more likely scenario for most of us who spend each season in front of the television cheering on our favorite teams. If you've been a devoted enough fan that you've stuck out enough losing seasons to span the turning of a generation, then you can't be held accountable for what happens when your team finally pulls through for you. If, however, you turn on the waterworks when your team celebrates its 27th championship - I'm looking at you, Yankees fans - then you're just a giant tool.
- The day you make the pros
- If you're good enough to get drafted and - in the case of baseball and hockey - work your way up through the minors, you've got to have a ton of commitment to go along with your talent. Chances are that you've been working day and night on your dream for the better part of 20 years. If you finally make it to the show, you've earned a couple of tears while you notify family and friends that you're sending them tickets to your pro debut.
- The day your childhood hero dies
- If you spend your entire life rooting for the same team, chances are that there was one great player that you idolized as a kid. It's going to be a rough day when you wake up one morning to find that the guy you worshiped as a 7-year old is gone. Disclaimer: The athlete in question MUST be at least 20 years older than you. There are some players out there right now that I idolize, but it would be weird if I found myself crying over the death of a guy who is only a few years older than me on the grounds that he was my hero.
So to LeBron, Dwyane Wade and all the rest of these crybabies, please stop with this nonsense. The fact that you're getting worked up over something so minor is far more embarrasing than any amount of tears could ever be to even the manliest of men.
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Madness begins
The NCAA tournament field hasn't even been announced yet, and Cinderella has already struck... Or maybe her name was Michelle, or Betty.
Either way, a potential No.1 seed just got derailed thanks to some pretty girl and a Brigham Young forward who was a little too forward.
Brandon Davies torpedoed the greatest season in the history of BYU basketball for violating the school's honor code by having premarital sex, but as bad as some universities have gotten in their quest for a championship, I've got to hand it to the administration of Brigham Young.
March is probably going to end in a big disappointment for the other 11 players on the Cougar basketball team, but the school is doing the right thing.
Of all the schools in the nation, it can be argued that BYU demands more of its student athletes - as well as other students and faculty - than any other institution. There have been cries from some that suspending Davies from the team for something that wasn't illegal is more of a punishment to the team than to him, but this situation should be celebrated as an example of a school that is willing to stand up for its beliefs in the face of losing the unparalleled notoriety of one of its teams as a result of its actions.
At far too many schools, kids are allowed to get away with far greater indiscretions with barely a slap on the wrist. Quarterbacks screaming at coaches and not showing up to summer workouts receive no penalty. Underage drinking is met with a stern warning and maybe sitting out a few plays.
Even when such actions cross the line of youthful exuberance and venture into the realm of outright criminal, there is often far too much leniency shown. I'm all for giving people a break and that kids will be kids, but the light punishments usually seem to be more for the benefit of whatever team the athlete happens to be on than for the actual good of the offender. In actuality, Davies is lucky to even be allowed back in school as any violation of the honor code is grounds for dismissal from the university. By those standards, I guess his immediate and indefinite suspension from the team is BYU's version of trying to go easy on someone.
Everything from premarital sex, to drinking, to consuming caffeine is off limits at BYU and while it may be strict, everyone knows what they're signing up for.
Schools like Duke and Notre Dame might tout their rigorous academic requirements, but that still pales in comparison to the commitment that everyone at BYU must show simply to have an opportunity to be associated with the school.
Faced with the biggest scandal - if you can even call it that - it's had in years, BYU probably could have gotten away with letting Davies slip by. After all, he didn't break any laws and the only reason that anyone even found out about his actions was that he came clean about everything. His remorse could have easily been construed to show that he realizes and respects the rules enough to be given a break, but BYU is bright enough to see the big picture.
Brigham Young has always and likely will always be more about the Mormon faith that governs the school than any successful sports team could ever be. I'm sure that school administrators love seeing the Cougars at No. 3 in the rankings and are excited about Jimmer Fridette and his National Player of the Year campaign, but they also have enough sense to keep their priorities in line despite round-the-clock coverage from ESPN.
I applaud everyone involved with the situation for keeping their hard-line approach. Davies' absence from the team will probably kill the Cougars' title hopes and probably get them knocked out of the tournament a game or two earlier, but nothing will be able to tarnish the good name of BYU.
I feel for Davies' teammates who are going to suffer at his expense and I even feel for Davies since he is enduring grief on a national level for doing something that thousands of other college kids are probably doing right now with no repercussion.
But I also have respect for the rules. All of those players knew what the moral price of admission was to be able to attend their school and BYU should be commended for making it known that the principles that have guided their institution 136 years are superior to a basketball team having a good season.
If a group of guys can compete for a national title with no booze, soda or "extracirricular" activities, more power to them. Just don't try it at BYU because they don't screw around... literally.
Either way, a potential No.1 seed just got derailed thanks to some pretty girl and a Brigham Young forward who was a little too forward.
Brandon Davies torpedoed the greatest season in the history of BYU basketball for violating the school's honor code by having premarital sex, but as bad as some universities have gotten in their quest for a championship, I've got to hand it to the administration of Brigham Young.
March is probably going to end in a big disappointment for the other 11 players on the Cougar basketball team, but the school is doing the right thing.
Of all the schools in the nation, it can be argued that BYU demands more of its student athletes - as well as other students and faculty - than any other institution. There have been cries from some that suspending Davies from the team for something that wasn't illegal is more of a punishment to the team than to him, but this situation should be celebrated as an example of a school that is willing to stand up for its beliefs in the face of losing the unparalleled notoriety of one of its teams as a result of its actions.
At far too many schools, kids are allowed to get away with far greater indiscretions with barely a slap on the wrist. Quarterbacks screaming at coaches and not showing up to summer workouts receive no penalty. Underage drinking is met with a stern warning and maybe sitting out a few plays.
Even when such actions cross the line of youthful exuberance and venture into the realm of outright criminal, there is often far too much leniency shown. I'm all for giving people a break and that kids will be kids, but the light punishments usually seem to be more for the benefit of whatever team the athlete happens to be on than for the actual good of the offender. In actuality, Davies is lucky to even be allowed back in school as any violation of the honor code is grounds for dismissal from the university. By those standards, I guess his immediate and indefinite suspension from the team is BYU's version of trying to go easy on someone.
Everything from premarital sex, to drinking, to consuming caffeine is off limits at BYU and while it may be strict, everyone knows what they're signing up for.
Schools like Duke and Notre Dame might tout their rigorous academic requirements, but that still pales in comparison to the commitment that everyone at BYU must show simply to have an opportunity to be associated with the school.
Faced with the biggest scandal - if you can even call it that - it's had in years, BYU probably could have gotten away with letting Davies slip by. After all, he didn't break any laws and the only reason that anyone even found out about his actions was that he came clean about everything. His remorse could have easily been construed to show that he realizes and respects the rules enough to be given a break, but BYU is bright enough to see the big picture.
Brigham Young has always and likely will always be more about the Mormon faith that governs the school than any successful sports team could ever be. I'm sure that school administrators love seeing the Cougars at No. 3 in the rankings and are excited about Jimmer Fridette and his National Player of the Year campaign, but they also have enough sense to keep their priorities in line despite round-the-clock coverage from ESPN.
I applaud everyone involved with the situation for keeping their hard-line approach. Davies' absence from the team will probably kill the Cougars' title hopes and probably get them knocked out of the tournament a game or two earlier, but nothing will be able to tarnish the good name of BYU.
I feel for Davies' teammates who are going to suffer at his expense and I even feel for Davies since he is enduring grief on a national level for doing something that thousands of other college kids are probably doing right now with no repercussion.
But I also have respect for the rules. All of those players knew what the moral price of admission was to be able to attend their school and BYU should be commended for making it known that the principles that have guided their institution 136 years are superior to a basketball team having a good season.
If a group of guys can compete for a national title with no booze, soda or "extracirricular" activities, more power to them. Just don't try it at BYU because they don't screw around... literally.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Still in the doghouse
As I was going over the daily spring training headlines a few days ago, some news from Detroit Tigers camp caught my eye.
After a very public run-in with Florida police just days before he was scheduled to be in camp, Miguel Cabrera is back on the field, giving up nothing more than a likely fine and a half-hearted apology that was rife with cliche platitudes and - from the sound of it - likely written entirely by someone with much more intelligence than Cabrera.
The man was incredibly drunk, endangering the lives of anyone on the road that night, disregarded repeated orders from law enforcement, taunted those same officers by drinking openly in front of them, and topped it all off by asking the cops if they even knew who he was, as if it should make any difference.
Any non-millionaire trying to pull a stunt like that would likely still be recovering from the savage beating/tasering that would have ensued while Cabrera's incident will be forgotten the second he knocks in a game-winning run or blasts a 400-foot bomb.
I'm not trying to single out Cabrera. He's just the latest in a long line of athletes that have committed violent or dangerous crimes, yet have walked away with their public image not much worse for the wear.
The more that this pattern of public forgiveness and forgetfulness occurs, the less genuine the apologies of the offenders seem to get. Not only does this strike me as an insult to my ability as a fan to overlook illegal actions for the sake of a few wins, but it makes the offenders that much more likely to not learn any sort of lesson from the ordeal and doesn't give any sort of incentive to stop their destructive behavior.
As pitiful as that is, what's even worse is that the one athlete who has been the most sincere about his remorse and has worked hardest to make amends for his actions is still one of the biggest pariahs to the general public.
Michael Vick hasn't so much as picked up a speeding ticket since serving his 18-month sentence in federal prison for financing a dogfighting operation, yet his repentant nature is still met with scorn while others who are walking away with their fifth DUI or having a kid with an eighth different woman barely register on the radar for many.
When Vick does an interview about his wrongdoings and talks about all of the steps he is taking to make himself a better person, people say that his words are all scripted and that he hasn't changed at all.
When Vick spends his off days touring public schools preaching about the stupidity of his actions and how no kid should look at his past as a guide on how to behave, people say he just wants the cameras to take notice.
When a party with old friends turned into a violent altercation, people wanted him thrown right back in prison before the news ever emerged that Vick had basically run for his life to get away from what he knew was about to become a bad situation.
The craziest part about this continued outrage directed at Vick is that the main reason for most athletes' indiscretions being ignored - "he helps us win games" - is one of the most noticeable things that has changed about Vick.
In his days as a Falcon, Vick was criticized for not being a complete player and not showing the commitment necessary to improve or succeed in the NFL. Many players and coaches came forward with stories of how he was the last one to pull into work and the first one to leave.
Now, the stories couldn't be more different. Instead of coaches trying to locate Vick, it's Vick that is calling his quarterbacks coach, wondering why he isn't at practice yet.
Coaches claim that he watches twice as much film as he used to and understands offensive and defensive schemes better than he ever did in Atlanta.
In fact, his new teammates claim that the only time Vick's head isn't totally into that day's preparation is when he's at one of those aforementioned school visits imploring kids who still view him as a role model to act more like 2011 Vick and not the pre-prison version.
So, to recap, Vick's punishment was extreme when compared to the often toned down sentences or fines by other celebrities. His apology in his first public appearance after getting out of prison was incredibly genuine - he spoke at great length about everything concerning his crimes and did so without notecards or a P.R. rep in his ear - and his actions both on and off the field since his return have been exactly what teams and fans alike want to see out of their starting quarterback.
And where does that leave us?
Miguel Cabrera will get a standing ovation on opening day. Reggie Bush (flagrant violations that cost him his Heisman Trophy) is still adored in New Orleans. Cam Newton (charges of theft and academic dishonesty on top of allegations of NCAA violations) will likely have a statue built for him at Auburn. Francisco Rodriguez (assault on his wife and father-in-law) won't lose a cent of his multi-million dollar contract.
And yet, Vick is still public enemy No. 1.
The guy who admitted to everything - as heinous as it was - can't be trusted while others (see above) make the minimal apology or concession and walk away.
The guy who served his time without a single setback or black mark during his sentence "will never fully understand just how wrong it was to do what he did."
The guy who has been a model citizen and teammate since his return, and who has shown a new dedication to his career "is a constant threat to implode and take the whole team with him."
I'm not trying to downplay Vick's crimes. I believe he deserved every second of time that he spent behind bars, but I also believe in granting second chances. That being said, I think there's a good argument to be made that Vick has done more with his second chance - both personally and professionally - than most ever do.
When you look past the actual crimes committed by Vick, the other athletes named above, and countless others, there are many similarities and only a few differences.
Regardless of severity, all of these actions are crimes. All of them require punishment of some sort, and all of them require some sort of acknowledgement or apology by the offending individual.
The only differences are that Vick is the only one to fully go through every one of those steps and that he is the only one that retains an overwhelmingly negative public image once the incident is over and done with.
I was disgusted with the actions that led Vick to his prison sentence, but he is the only high-profile people faced with a crime that I respect more after the fact than I did before.
The system actually worked for Vick. When you commit a crime, you're supposed to face some punishment, learn from it, and bounce back as a better person. The one guy who has actually done that continues to be hated at every turn, but those who skirt around their transgressions never have to learn and continue to become worse people because of it.
I've never been a fan of Michael Vick, the football player, but I'm a huge supporter of Michael Vick, the person.
As much as I love sports and want to see my teams win, doing right and being a decent person should rate higher in anyone's scorebook than any amount of home runs or touchdowns ever could.
Michael Vick, you'll probably never get the same undying support as some of these other offenders who have gotten off easy. You'll never win any fan poll and "dog killer" will likely follow your name just as often as "All-Pro", but you're better for it, and the world is better for that fact.
Vick will never be able to undo his crimes, but he's done a great job of redoing his life in the last two years.
As more time passes, there will hopefully be an increase of others who see this and can appreciate Vick for what he is doing rather than what he did. Maybe that will even lead the public to dwell on the more minor incidents that others commit in hopes that it won't take another federally prosecuted crime to get someone to come out better on the other side.
Some people like to joke that your sole purpose in life may be to serve as a warning to others.
That might just be true, but it certainly doesn't have to be negative.
Many people will view Vick as a horrible person for the rest of his life, but that isn't the warning for others to heed.
Vick is walking proof that people can change, but only by facing their issues with sincerity and not trying to get off the hook.
If you lack the pride in yourself to take responsibility and right your wrongs, than the warning that Vick's ordeal serves is that you won't be the person that you should be.
Thousands might cheer you, you could make millions of dollars, and you might never spend a night in jail. But when you half-ass an apology, duck any criticism, and save no expense to keep a good public image, you aren't building a legacy, you're bleeding out decency.
The world might love having its Cabreras, Bushes, Newtons and others on game night, but when it comes to the more important lessons to be learned in life, we could use a few more Michael Vicks.
After a very public run-in with Florida police just days before he was scheduled to be in camp, Miguel Cabrera is back on the field, giving up nothing more than a likely fine and a half-hearted apology that was rife with cliche platitudes and - from the sound of it - likely written entirely by someone with much more intelligence than Cabrera.
The man was incredibly drunk, endangering the lives of anyone on the road that night, disregarded repeated orders from law enforcement, taunted those same officers by drinking openly in front of them, and topped it all off by asking the cops if they even knew who he was, as if it should make any difference.
Any non-millionaire trying to pull a stunt like that would likely still be recovering from the savage beating/tasering that would have ensued while Cabrera's incident will be forgotten the second he knocks in a game-winning run or blasts a 400-foot bomb.
I'm not trying to single out Cabrera. He's just the latest in a long line of athletes that have committed violent or dangerous crimes, yet have walked away with their public image not much worse for the wear.
The more that this pattern of public forgiveness and forgetfulness occurs, the less genuine the apologies of the offenders seem to get. Not only does this strike me as an insult to my ability as a fan to overlook illegal actions for the sake of a few wins, but it makes the offenders that much more likely to not learn any sort of lesson from the ordeal and doesn't give any sort of incentive to stop their destructive behavior.
As pitiful as that is, what's even worse is that the one athlete who has been the most sincere about his remorse and has worked hardest to make amends for his actions is still one of the biggest pariahs to the general public.
Michael Vick hasn't so much as picked up a speeding ticket since serving his 18-month sentence in federal prison for financing a dogfighting operation, yet his repentant nature is still met with scorn while others who are walking away with their fifth DUI or having a kid with an eighth different woman barely register on the radar for many.
When Vick does an interview about his wrongdoings and talks about all of the steps he is taking to make himself a better person, people say that his words are all scripted and that he hasn't changed at all.
When Vick spends his off days touring public schools preaching about the stupidity of his actions and how no kid should look at his past as a guide on how to behave, people say he just wants the cameras to take notice.
When a party with old friends turned into a violent altercation, people wanted him thrown right back in prison before the news ever emerged that Vick had basically run for his life to get away from what he knew was about to become a bad situation.
The craziest part about this continued outrage directed at Vick is that the main reason for most athletes' indiscretions being ignored - "he helps us win games" - is one of the most noticeable things that has changed about Vick.
In his days as a Falcon, Vick was criticized for not being a complete player and not showing the commitment necessary to improve or succeed in the NFL. Many players and coaches came forward with stories of how he was the last one to pull into work and the first one to leave.
Now, the stories couldn't be more different. Instead of coaches trying to locate Vick, it's Vick that is calling his quarterbacks coach, wondering why he isn't at practice yet.
Coaches claim that he watches twice as much film as he used to and understands offensive and defensive schemes better than he ever did in Atlanta.
In fact, his new teammates claim that the only time Vick's head isn't totally into that day's preparation is when he's at one of those aforementioned school visits imploring kids who still view him as a role model to act more like 2011 Vick and not the pre-prison version.
So, to recap, Vick's punishment was extreme when compared to the often toned down sentences or fines by other celebrities. His apology in his first public appearance after getting out of prison was incredibly genuine - he spoke at great length about everything concerning his crimes and did so without notecards or a P.R. rep in his ear - and his actions both on and off the field since his return have been exactly what teams and fans alike want to see out of their starting quarterback.
And where does that leave us?
Miguel Cabrera will get a standing ovation on opening day. Reggie Bush (flagrant violations that cost him his Heisman Trophy) is still adored in New Orleans. Cam Newton (charges of theft and academic dishonesty on top of allegations of NCAA violations) will likely have a statue built for him at Auburn. Francisco Rodriguez (assault on his wife and father-in-law) won't lose a cent of his multi-million dollar contract.
And yet, Vick is still public enemy No. 1.
The guy who admitted to everything - as heinous as it was - can't be trusted while others (see above) make the minimal apology or concession and walk away.
The guy who served his time without a single setback or black mark during his sentence "will never fully understand just how wrong it was to do what he did."
The guy who has been a model citizen and teammate since his return, and who has shown a new dedication to his career "is a constant threat to implode and take the whole team with him."
I'm not trying to downplay Vick's crimes. I believe he deserved every second of time that he spent behind bars, but I also believe in granting second chances. That being said, I think there's a good argument to be made that Vick has done more with his second chance - both personally and professionally - than most ever do.
When you look past the actual crimes committed by Vick, the other athletes named above, and countless others, there are many similarities and only a few differences.
Regardless of severity, all of these actions are crimes. All of them require punishment of some sort, and all of them require some sort of acknowledgement or apology by the offending individual.
The only differences are that Vick is the only one to fully go through every one of those steps and that he is the only one that retains an overwhelmingly negative public image once the incident is over and done with.
I was disgusted with the actions that led Vick to his prison sentence, but he is the only high-profile people faced with a crime that I respect more after the fact than I did before.
The system actually worked for Vick. When you commit a crime, you're supposed to face some punishment, learn from it, and bounce back as a better person. The one guy who has actually done that continues to be hated at every turn, but those who skirt around their transgressions never have to learn and continue to become worse people because of it.
I've never been a fan of Michael Vick, the football player, but I'm a huge supporter of Michael Vick, the person.
As much as I love sports and want to see my teams win, doing right and being a decent person should rate higher in anyone's scorebook than any amount of home runs or touchdowns ever could.
Michael Vick, you'll probably never get the same undying support as some of these other offenders who have gotten off easy. You'll never win any fan poll and "dog killer" will likely follow your name just as often as "All-Pro", but you're better for it, and the world is better for that fact.
Vick will never be able to undo his crimes, but he's done a great job of redoing his life in the last two years.
As more time passes, there will hopefully be an increase of others who see this and can appreciate Vick for what he is doing rather than what he did. Maybe that will even lead the public to dwell on the more minor incidents that others commit in hopes that it won't take another federally prosecuted crime to get someone to come out better on the other side.
Some people like to joke that your sole purpose in life may be to serve as a warning to others.
That might just be true, but it certainly doesn't have to be negative.
Many people will view Vick as a horrible person for the rest of his life, but that isn't the warning for others to heed.
Vick is walking proof that people can change, but only by facing their issues with sincerity and not trying to get off the hook.
If you lack the pride in yourself to take responsibility and right your wrongs, than the warning that Vick's ordeal serves is that you won't be the person that you should be.
Thousands might cheer you, you could make millions of dollars, and you might never spend a night in jail. But when you half-ass an apology, duck any criticism, and save no expense to keep a good public image, you aren't building a legacy, you're bleeding out decency.
The world might love having its Cabreras, Bushes, Newtons and others on game night, but when it comes to the more important lessons to be learned in life, we could use a few more Michael Vicks.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Rounding the bases
Last summer, I was spending an evening at the local watering hole with some friends when we happened to overhear another guy with a different group discussing a recent date.
The tragic downfall of this gentleman's evening out was when his lady friend informed him that she "doesn't go to second base" on a first date.
After getting a few good laughs over the fact that a college aged girl was using the first base, second base, etc. vernacular in an actual dating situation, we got to thinking about those baseball euphamisms that most of us left behind around our freshman year of high school.
While the coding system for such activities is seemingly archaic, my friends and I set about reviewing and ammending the terms to adjust for the vast advancements that we've made over the last decade regarding both baseball strategy and the dating game.
Think of it as rounding the bases for a dating sabermetrician. Instead of just first, second, third and home enjoy the more nuanced accomplishments such as:
Strikeout swinging - Self-evident. You make a pass and get shot down.
Strikeout looking - You've been planning your approach for too long and another guy strikes up a conversation with the girl before you take a chance.
Picked off/caught stealing - You're in too much of a hurry to get to the next base. You inadvertently kill the mood and, suddenly, you're off the bases altogether.
Pinch hitting - You've sufficiently talked up a target, then let a friend/wingman step into your place to take his cuts.
The tragic downfall of this gentleman's evening out was when his lady friend informed him that she "doesn't go to second base" on a first date.
After getting a few good laughs over the fact that a college aged girl was using the first base, second base, etc. vernacular in an actual dating situation, we got to thinking about those baseball euphamisms that most of us left behind around our freshman year of high school.
While the coding system for such activities is seemingly archaic, my friends and I set about reviewing and ammending the terms to adjust for the vast advancements that we've made over the last decade regarding both baseball strategy and the dating game.
Think of it as rounding the bases for a dating sabermetrician. Instead of just first, second, third and home enjoy the more nuanced accomplishments such as:
Strikeout swinging - Self-evident. You make a pass and get shot down.
Strikeout looking - You've been planning your approach for too long and another guy strikes up a conversation with the girl before you take a chance.
Picked off/caught stealing - You're in too much of a hurry to get to the next base. You inadvertently kill the mood and, suddenly, you're off the bases altogether.
Pinch hitting - You've sufficiently talked up a target, then let a friend/wingman step into your place to take his cuts.
Hit by pitch - Taking one for the team. That girl who is friends with the one you're wingman is talking to might not be good looking, but if you just lean into one, your wingman will be better off and it probably won't cause you any permanent damage. Also, whatever you do, don't rub it. People will laugh.
Sacrifice bunt - Appeasing the target of your wingman in order to put her in a good mood and help move him along.
Sacrifice fly - The big brother of the sac bunt... More important since it involves someone scoring. You swing for the fences with someone to help your wingman score - i.e. his girl doesn't want to desert a friend or doesn't want to seem slutty by taking someone home while her friend comes home alone. There is a reason why the dugout empties to congratulate the guy who successfully converts one of these. The sac fly is truly selfless and admirable team play.
Leaving the bases loaded - You did everything right, but couldn't get that run across. If this becomes a trend, postgame tirades will ensue.
Hitting into a double play - Not only do you get yourself out, but you get a wingman thrown off the bases in the process.
Run rule - After finding out the number of times that the girl you're talking to has already scored, you decide that it's best to just move on to the next game.
Danny Almonte rule - In play at nicer bars. Watch out for that cougar that says she's 29. She's probably closer to 40 and married with three kids.
Julio Franco rule - Potentially much more dangerous than the Almonte rule. You don't look 18. I'm going to need to see some I.D.
Draw a walk - It's a free pass. You set you sights on a slutty girl and make it to first without even trying.
Grand Slam - You do something so incredibly badass (bankroll the drinks for a girl and her friends, spring for the hotel, win big at the craps table) that an entire group of girls are impressed enough to entertain you and your friends for the night.
Hit for the cycle - A one-night stand. You cover all of the bases within 24 hours of meeting someone.
Suicide squeeze - A wingman does something drastic to try to get you home. This is usually some combination of an outright lie or fantastic story told to either the target or her friends in order to send you all the way. It is usually used at a pivotal moment and, while it is to be celebrated in the form of many high-fives the next day if successful, will spell total disaster if not executed perfectly.
Straight steal of home - Do not attempt unless you are Ben Roethlisberger.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A New Begining
My blog is back. This time, I promise I'll actually be here for awhile.
The unofficial start of spring announced itself as pitchers and catchers reported last week, and I find myself once again energized with the promise of another year of baseball.
Instead of going with a full rundown of predictions and projections (which might still come at a later date), I'll use this post to vent against a particular subject.
I awoke this morning to find that Adam Wainwright is likely lost for the season. While I feel for Wainwright and the loss of an entire season in the prime of his career, I can't help but feel that the baseball gods are serving justice on a man who is long overdue for some humbling.
That's right. I'm looking at you, Tony LaRussa.
While I appreciate the newfound science/religion of sabermetrics, I have never found myself so enraged at someone who has taken so much credit for so little actual production as the "by-the-book" ways of Mr. LaRussa.
For the better part of three decades, LaRussa has done a masterful job of marketing himself as one of the great minds of the game, yet what does he have to show for it?
Yes, he has two World Series championships. That is a very admirable thing, and I respect it, but the man is simply overrated when it comes to actual managing.
When you boil it all down, LaRussa's career can be defined mostly by two title winners (one with a pair of noted steroid users, and another that notched the worst winning percentage of any champion) and 10 other division winners that never lived up to their potential.
While many prospective world champions have fallen short due to bad luck, bad timing or just running into a hot team, no manager of any shortcoming team draws as much obvious and direct blame as LaRussa for the eventual downfall of his squad.
Despite having a decided advantage in talent (as noted by many analysts) in the N.L. Central over the last four years, LaRussa and his Cardinals have managed just one division title. You can attribute any number of factors to the team's failure to produce, but I put the blame on LaRussa.
No manager consistently wears out a bullpen or tinkers with a lineup that needs no tinkering more than LaRussa.
No manager tries out more quirks for the sake of quirkiness than LaRussa.
Most importantly, no manager hides behind the sacred "book" more than LaRussa.
Some guy hits a walk-off off of a rookie lefty?... "He was a left-hander that can't handle off-speed from lefties", says LaRussa.
It doesn't matter that it was a big game or that you had two or three seasoned veteran relievers in the bullpen.
Batting your pitcher eighth in the batting order?... "It sets up the offense for Pujols every time the lineup turns over," says LaRussa.
I guess we can forget about the fact that every conceivable pinch-hit/relief pitching situation that can make or break a game is now moved up by one batter for the sake of LaRussa trying to predict the endgame of a contest before the lineup cards are exchanged.
The trick with LaRussa is that he'll tell you about his genious idea as he impliments it and before it ever pays dividends. By doing this, the shortcomings of his strategies are brought up before they occur, and are thus quickly forgetten when they happen since they can easily be dismissed.
Conversely, the fact that many of his ideas differ from the norm give plenty of room for praise and adulation on the chance that they do actually work.
By the paterns of human nature, LaRussa can get away with more than a few stupid ideas, so long as one of them actually works. Even then, he can parlay the fact that he was the first to implement such an idea or strategy into further proof of his genius regardless of any other failures.
I realize that none of this really pertains to the injury to Wainwright, but since I'm a spiteful person, I'll go ahead and translate Wainwright's bad break as the doling out of due justice from the all-powerful baseball gods.
Those gods have had enough of your crap, LaRussa. They watched you submarine a roster that was capable of multiple division - if not league - championships, yet still come out looking like the managerial genius that was somehow failed by his players.
Now, you're going to suffer the indignity of being pummeled by the Reds and Brewers all season, and you'll actually have to demonstrate some managerial skill to stay ahead of a bipolar Cubs squad and a rebuilding Astros franchise.
I harbor no ill will towards any player on the Cardinals, but this is the season that LaRussa gets exposed as a fraud of a baseball manager and I'll be the one laughing from April until September.
The unofficial start of spring announced itself as pitchers and catchers reported last week, and I find myself once again energized with the promise of another year of baseball.
Instead of going with a full rundown of predictions and projections (which might still come at a later date), I'll use this post to vent against a particular subject.
I awoke this morning to find that Adam Wainwright is likely lost for the season. While I feel for Wainwright and the loss of an entire season in the prime of his career, I can't help but feel that the baseball gods are serving justice on a man who is long overdue for some humbling.
That's right. I'm looking at you, Tony LaRussa.
While I appreciate the newfound science/religion of sabermetrics, I have never found myself so enraged at someone who has taken so much credit for so little actual production as the "by-the-book" ways of Mr. LaRussa.
For the better part of three decades, LaRussa has done a masterful job of marketing himself as one of the great minds of the game, yet what does he have to show for it?
Yes, he has two World Series championships. That is a very admirable thing, and I respect it, but the man is simply overrated when it comes to actual managing.
When you boil it all down, LaRussa's career can be defined mostly by two title winners (one with a pair of noted steroid users, and another that notched the worst winning percentage of any champion) and 10 other division winners that never lived up to their potential.
While many prospective world champions have fallen short due to bad luck, bad timing or just running into a hot team, no manager of any shortcoming team draws as much obvious and direct blame as LaRussa for the eventual downfall of his squad.
Despite having a decided advantage in talent (as noted by many analysts) in the N.L. Central over the last four years, LaRussa and his Cardinals have managed just one division title. You can attribute any number of factors to the team's failure to produce, but I put the blame on LaRussa.
No manager consistently wears out a bullpen or tinkers with a lineup that needs no tinkering more than LaRussa.
No manager tries out more quirks for the sake of quirkiness than LaRussa.
Most importantly, no manager hides behind the sacred "book" more than LaRussa.
Some guy hits a walk-off off of a rookie lefty?... "He was a left-hander that can't handle off-speed from lefties", says LaRussa.
It doesn't matter that it was a big game or that you had two or three seasoned veteran relievers in the bullpen.
Batting your pitcher eighth in the batting order?... "It sets up the offense for Pujols every time the lineup turns over," says LaRussa.
I guess we can forget about the fact that every conceivable pinch-hit/relief pitching situation that can make or break a game is now moved up by one batter for the sake of LaRussa trying to predict the endgame of a contest before the lineup cards are exchanged.
The trick with LaRussa is that he'll tell you about his genious idea as he impliments it and before it ever pays dividends. By doing this, the shortcomings of his strategies are brought up before they occur, and are thus quickly forgetten when they happen since they can easily be dismissed.
Conversely, the fact that many of his ideas differ from the norm give plenty of room for praise and adulation on the chance that they do actually work.
By the paterns of human nature, LaRussa can get away with more than a few stupid ideas, so long as one of them actually works. Even then, he can parlay the fact that he was the first to implement such an idea or strategy into further proof of his genius regardless of any other failures.
I realize that none of this really pertains to the injury to Wainwright, but since I'm a spiteful person, I'll go ahead and translate Wainwright's bad break as the doling out of due justice from the all-powerful baseball gods.
Those gods have had enough of your crap, LaRussa. They watched you submarine a roster that was capable of multiple division - if not league - championships, yet still come out looking like the managerial genius that was somehow failed by his players.
Now, you're going to suffer the indignity of being pummeled by the Reds and Brewers all season, and you'll actually have to demonstrate some managerial skill to stay ahead of a bipolar Cubs squad and a rebuilding Astros franchise.
I harbor no ill will towards any player on the Cardinals, but this is the season that LaRussa gets exposed as a fraud of a baseball manager and I'll be the one laughing from April until September.
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