Bravocolypse 2011

NBA Lockout is in day 91...and, Generalíssimo Francisco Franco is still dead.  So anyway...

Last night, Braves fans saw the holy of unholys.  The Atlanta Braves, who had been 9 games up in the Wild Card lead, and hadn't been out of the lead since late June, dropped their final game of the 2011 season, only to be left out of post-season play.  Sounds terrible, right?  I'll say....maybe.

Let's just break this down.  This was a team that was supposed to go...well...nobody was really sure.  The first time in decades that Bobby Cox was not at the helm in the dugout, or sitting on high in the front office.  First year manager Fredi Gonzalez and pretty much a whole new coaching staff taking over.  Chipper Jones coming back off of yet ANOTHER catastrophic injury and surgery.  A young and fairly unknown and untested pitching staff...both starters and bullpen.   A rookie starting at first base.  A rookie stepping into the closers role. Doesn't really sound the the recipe for a trip to the World Series.  More like the recipe for a MLB version of Kraft Mac & Cheese.   Inexpensive, familiar, and gets the job done.

Fans in Atlanta that I spoke to were braced for the worst.  Expectations for the first time in 20 years were pretty low.  And, rightfully so.  This was not the Braves of the 90's.  No real high priced talent.  No huge free agent acquisitions.  Just some good young talent from the farm system, and a handful of hired hands.  Oh, well...there was that Dan Uggla thing.  He was going to be some pop in the middle of that line up.  He'd be good for 25+ home runs, and at least 80+ RBI's...right?  Yeah, about that..let's get back to that later. 

So the season began, and as it progressed through the summer, something amazing started to happen.  These Braves gelled.  They were the consummate T-E-A-M  (Hey Michael Vick, there's that word again..got it yet?)  They fed off each other, when someone was down (like Dan Uggla was pretty much the entire first half of the season) the other guys picked him up.  The pitching staff was brilliant.  Jair Jurrgens was having his coming out party, pitching up a storm and even out-pitching his ace teammate Tim Hudson.  Tommy "Big Red" Hanson was finally starting to look like the pitcher the Braves had hoped he'd be, and the other starters were doing their part as well.   The bullpen was phenom.  O'Flaherty, Venters, and Kimbrel were quickly becoming the most feared 1-2-3 punch in the league.   By the time the All-Star break rolled around, the Braves were sending 5 players to the mid-summer classic, including McCann making his first ever All-Star start.  Not bad from where I was sitting.

You had to be optimistic if you were a Braves fan.  After all, this was the Braves.  One of the best 2nd half teams in the majors every year.  Taking the division crown away from Philadelphia didn't even seem to out of reach in July.   And then....it happened.

Injuries to Jones, McCann, Jurrgens, Hanson, Heyward, Prado, yada, yada, yada.   Even Hawkeye Pierce would have broken a bead of sweat or two at the sight of this front line injury report.  And with those injuries, came the ugly truth.  The Braves, although they had heart, weren't very deep.  With the injuries to so many key players, they were exposed.  The lack of serious bench depth, coupled with Liberty Media's strict budget guidelines, had left the Braves twisting in the wind.  By September, it was apparent...these guys were going to struggle.  And struggle mightily they did. 

Sept. 1 - Braves hold an 8.5 game lead in the wild card standings over St. Louis, but the cracks in the armor were pretty evident. Pitching was struggling, the bullpen was being overworked, and in the words of Crash Davis, we couldn't hit water if we fell out of a boat.  The month of September was beyond ugly. Beyond cruel.  It was like watching a dying spider trying to make it's way up the edge of the toilet bowl.  You just wanted to flush it and be done with it.  The Braves went 8-18 in the month of September.  It was abysmal. 

The final game of the season, which if the Braves had won could have prolonged the inevitable end for at least one more day, was a mere microcosm of the season.  So close, yet, so utterly mediocre.  Dumb baserunning plays.  A once untouchable bullpen being scorched.  And even the relatively feared big sticks coming up short in the clutch.  All leading to a 13th inning 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Phillies.  The Cardinals were in...the Braves were out.  And Atlantans acted surprisingly stunned.  Don't be stunned folks.  Don't even be mildly jolted.   Fredi Gonzalez got more out of this team than I think anyone expected, but that fact is forgotten when you partake in such a monumental collapse. 

The sad part is that we'll probably see a lot more seasons like this in Atlanta.  Well...as long as Liberty Media, one of the last corporate owners in MLB, is calling the shots.   The purse strings are tight, so the chances of getting some mega-stars to bolster that lineup, and to give some depth to that starting rotation are pretty much nil.  Over the next few weeks there is bound to be a lot of finger pointing going on in and around Atlanta.  Gonzalez, injuries, coaching, player attitude...you name it.  And all of those things are valid points.  But to me, ownership needs to take the brunt of the blame.  Play or sell boys.  Play or sell.  Don't keep this city in shackles.  Ask Ted Turner....he'll tell you how it's done. 

Michael Vick - Me Hate He

So, NBA lockout is now in day 88.  Yawn.  'Scuse me while I wipe the sleep drool from my laptop.

I had fully intended on doing a column about the NHL, and the Thrashers...err...I mean, Jets.  But, then Michael Vick opened his indelibly bountiful mouth-o-rama, and provided every journalist in the world with sufficient fodder to last until the next NFL lockout or strike.   His message?  Simply put, "Refs are letting me get hit too much"  Wow Michael, Really? Really?....Really?

This is one of those journalistic "where do I start?" moments.  But we'll take the Joe Miller, Esq. approach, and explain it so a 5th grader (or even Vick) could understand it.  News flash Michael.  You play the inherently violent, ground acquisition game of American Football.  Being hit, and hit hard (stay with me here Mike) is part of the game.  Yes, you are one of the NFL's marquis players, and an important cog on your T-E-A-M (I'll pause so you can look that one up Michael)....Ok, got it?  Onward.

Contrary to what many people believe, and I'm sure will read into this column, this is not a race thing.  This is not a "he killed puppies" thing.  This isn't even a "he screwed my Falcons" thing.  Michael Vick, in my opinion, represents nearly everything that is wrong with the NFL, and is a shining example of why we had a work stoppage this past off-season.  Michael Vick has a $100 million dollar contract to play football.   That's all he had to do.  Play a game.  He didn't even have to fake a degree path from Virginia Tech.  All he had to do was run really, really fast and throw an oblong pigskin to other really, really fast guys.  And what did he do?  Let me count the ways.  Ron Mexico.  Airport Water bong..err...bottle incident.  Flipping birds to fans at the Georgia Dome.  Incoherent press conferences.  Oh, yeah..and that whole dogfighting ring, spending time in prison, admitting I didn't give my all to Arthur Blank despite all his generosity thing.  Not exactly what the script read for you there Mike. 

Now I'm all for second chances.  God knows I've made my share of mistakes, and I've even spent a brief amount of time in our so-called penal rehabilitation system.  He did his time as dealt out by the system.  I have no problem with him coming out of prison, and resuming his career.  I'm certainly glad it wasn't with the Falcons, but I digress.  Once out of prison, he was under strict instructions from the court, from the league, and from anyone who cared about him, to keep his mouth shut and his head down.  Just do your job.  So what happened?  He got back hanging with his friends who helped get him in trouble in the first place.  He was questioned regarding his association with a shooting following a birthday party for him...at a club.  And of course, once again resumed his diarrhea of the mouth symptoms, and made brash statements at press conferences and interviews.  And, last week against the Falcons, he again taunted the crowd at the Georgia Dome as he was returning to the locker room.  Wow.  Just, wow.

In my humble opinion, Michael Vick hasn't changed.  Prison did nothing to reshape his character (as it seldom does with anyone).  Visits from Tony Dungy were merely good P.R., and a springboard for him to get back in the league.  He wasn't doing any soul-searching in that cell.  Just waiting out his time.  Changed? No.  In the words of Sgt. Foley he's "Just polished up his act.  Shined it up".   Michael Vick, meet Zack Mayo.  You guys should get along just fine.  Some may ask why Vick should be held to a higher standard post-prison than any other criminal.  Well, because he should.  Because he's paid obscene amounts of money and, like it or not, young kids look up to him and idolize him.  Part of the deal of being able to make this kind of money and play in an elite league like the NFL is that you don't conduct yourself like a flaming douche-bag off the field.  Period.  If you can't deal with that kind of scrutiny in your life, then I'm sure there are a few dozen Kurt Warner wannabees, bagging groceries at Publix right now who will be happy to take your place.  So I'm not giving him a pass on anything beyond that he has a right to make a living in the career he's chosen. 

Which brings us to today.  In the last 2 weeks, Vick has taken some big hits.  Suffered a mild concussion, a slight neck injury, and now a fractured..oh, no...wait..not fractured, but rather hand contusion and swelling.  His knee-jerk response is to bash the NFL referees and to name names of other QB's who get "more protection"  Just curious Michael, were you referring to your offensive line, or the eyes of the officials in that protection?  For those of you who may not be familiar with Vick's work, he's not your traditional quarterback.  He has the speed and elusiveness of greased lightning in a pinball machine.  He's a running quarterback, who can make some throws, but his best plays are made with his legs.  He doesn't spend a lot of plays standing in the pocket, checking down, and making laser accurate throws.  And that's ok.  His game is different.  But, in that difference also comes different risks.  Once you tuck that ball and start running you are no longer the "defenseless quarterback" that the league is trying their best to protect.  You run...you identify yourself as a runner, and you take hits as a runner. 

So through all his whining about not being protected by the officials, an important fact came out.  His team, the Philadelphia Eagles, have been the beneficiary of more roughing the passer penalties than any other team in their division since 2010.   Which, coincidentally, is the year Vick started taking most of the snaps for the Eagles.  (Cue Vick's bloodshot eyes getting big and rolling back in his head)
Now, in his inevitable style, he's backtracking and apologizing.  His quote from today, in regard to his comments, "I was kind of out of character and being too candid in that aspect...you won't hear me complaining about that no more."  Beyond the atrocious grammar involved in that statement, you know what I hear?  I hear someone who needs to talk to his P.R. Firm BEFORE he ever steps in front of a microphone again. 

Bottom line Mike, if the words coming out of your mouth aren't preceded by "down", "set",  or "hike"....nobody wants to hear it.  You are lucky to be where you are.  Personally, I don't see you remaining there long.  Your character is going to end up dragging you through the mud again,  and by that time you'll only wish it was a linebacker instead of your deep-rooted personal flaws. 

NCAA Conferences = Whack-A-Mole

The NBA lockout is in day 84.  Yeah, ok.  That's enough about that.  Now on to real sports news.

The NCAA has a real mess on it's hands with all of the teams flip-flopping from conference to conference.  Schools committing to stay, then threatening to leave, then talking to other conferences.  Conferences talking mergers, then talking disbanding.  It's a game of whack-a-mole, and unfortunately, the student-athletes are the moles.

It all comes down to one thing.  Money.  Hey, it's sports in America...does that surprise you?  Every school wants to find the BBD (bigger better deal).  More money.  More TV exposure.  More fertile recruiting territory.  It's all about the almighty Benjamins, and the ever-powerful booster organizations. 

So here's the thing.  What about the students who already committed to these schools?  What if you committed to play for TCU over another school next year because you know that TCU was joining the Big East, and you'd get more potential exposure on TV than you would otherwise.  Now, with Syracuse and Pitt more than likely bolting the Big East to join the ACC, the Big East is talking about possibly disbanding, or inviting some much weaker teams to join the conference. TCU is left sitting in the cold.  So, where does that leave our TCU committed athlete?  Does he switch schools? Will that nullify his eligibility to play for a year?  Does he have a legal case against the Big East? All valid questions that I doubt any of these conference officials are considering.

I maintain that if the conference powers-that-be are going to make their conference alignment decisions based on money, and they are going to continue using this farcical BCS system to decide who gets to be the champion (and what schools receive the lion's share of the revenue from the BCS), then we need to just make the NCAA a minor league system for sports.  That's right.  Pay the players. Let them partake in the millions of dollars they help to generate for these athletic programs.

Ok, I hear the collective "GASP" coming from you out there.  But let's take a close look at it.  Now, when I was in college I was on a music scholarship.  My scholarship amount covered all of my tuition costs.  I also had an on-campus work/study job.  That covered books and incidentals.  I also had an off-campus job.  That covered beer and, well...beer.  I also got help from mom, and aunt MJ, and grandpa, and..and..and..you get the idea.  Essentially, I was not a "struggling college student" (Mom, ignore that last sentence)  Yeah, I ate my share of ramen, and Kraft Mac & Cheese, and Big K cola, but bottom line, I wasn't hurting by any stretch. 

Now let's say for a minute I had received a football scholarship (ok, it's a stretch..work with me here).  My scholarship would cover my tuition and maybe books.  NCAA rules would forbid me from having a job.  NCAA rules would monitor every dollar that I received and who it came from.  If I borrowed a car to go to the mall, I'd have to mind carefully who I asked.  I would have to sign documents stating that I'd have no contact with agents or sports representative firms of any kind.  Now a lot of these kids who are on athletic scholarships are poor.  I don't mean having to buy last years Air Jordan's type poor.  I mean where-the-hell-is-our-rent-going-to-come-from poor.   So I ask you, what is wrong with a school helping out a kid who they recruited to join their program?  Is there anything really so horrible about dangling some fringe benefits to have a student pick your school over another?  Is the NCAA argument that it would be unfair to the smaller, not as financially lucrative schools?  Forgive me, but isn't that pretty much the mantra of the BCS? 


The problem is that the NCAA essentially denounces the use of money, gifts and perks to lure or keep a student in a school.  But, they turn around and support those very tactics to lure or keep a school in a conference, or to get a conference to "join" (and i use that term loosely) the BCS.

You can't have it both ways.  Either it's a league that is financially based, and the wealth is spread among all (schools and students alike) or, you keep money out of the equation, and bring  it back to being an extra-curricular activity.   NCAA board members need to consider the students more, and their wallets less.  

It's a Blog - Not the Burning Bush

Hey folks.  Welcome to the first day of my blog.  We'll set a few ground rules right from the get-go. 

First, this is my blog.  I'm opinionated and stubborn.  Don't like it?  I got two words for ya!

Second.  I encourage your opinions, I encourage debates, I encourage smack-talk.  But please, let's keep it family friendly.  If you get abusive, you will be deleted and blocked.

Last, it's about sports.  From time to time, a sports story might bleed over into something political or other topic, but that's rare.  I don't want to debate politics, religion, or other topics.  Let's keep this fun!

Essentially what I'll be doing is picking a sports story and giving my own take and/or spin on it.  It will usually be something that's causing a stir in the sports world, or that has caused a divide. 

Some may ask, "Why are you doing this?"  Well, a few reasons.  I keep being told by all my friends and family what a good writer I am.  I love sports.  I love to write.  So I'll combine the two, and who knows...maybe I'll get noticed by the right person.  Hey, if it works for pop artists broadcasting unsolicited and random works on YouTube, then why can't it work for me?

Look forward to my first real post!