Luck of the draw….

This weekend Stanford’s Andrew Luck will play his final college game (except for the annual college all-star games of course).   With the end of his college career will come high expectations.  Barring some unforeseen circumstance Luck will be the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft.  At this point the Indianapolis Colts are the front runners to get that No. 1 pick.  However, if the Colts win and the St. Louis Rams win on Sunday, the Rams would end up with the No. 1 pick.  Regardless, Luck will carry with him hopes of Super Bowls future.

We’ve seen this scenario play out in the past.  But contrary to popular belief, top drafted quarterbacks are neither sure things, nor are they always busts.  When we look at the past couple of decades worth of quarterbacks who were drafted high we get a mixed bag.  Eli Manning, now considered one of the top tier QB’s in the league was a No. 1 pick.  Ryan Leaf, long gone from the NFL ranks was also a No. 2 overall and a complete bust.  Of course Eli’s brother, you know that guy from the Colts, um uh, oh yeah Peyton, was the #1 pick behind Ryan Leaf that year.  And what has he done?  Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round out of Michigan, Matt Stafford #1.  Both are doing quite well these days.

Even we go further back in time we see that drafting a quarterback in the NFL is a crap shoot.  Joe Montana wasn’t drafted until the 3rd round by the 49ers.  And we all know what he went on to do.  Joe Namath was highly touted out of college and drafted #1 by the then AFL New York Jets.   Meanwhile Steve Spurrier, he of the successful college coaching career was drafted in the first round by the 49ers and never amounted to much.

The point being, evaluating a college quarterback and extrapolating his talents on to an NFL field is an in exact science.  As every rookie quarterback will tell you the speed of the game is so much greater at the NFL level, and the complexities of the offenses AND defenses cause their heads to spin.

So although Colts fans will be ecstatic to get the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, it doesn’t guarantee that happy days will be here again.  It’s all in the luck of the draw.

At ArizonaPremiereLiving.com, we don’t just talk about Phoenix real estate, but we talk about the things we have a passion for, and that’s the whole reason for ArizonaPremiereSports.com.  For more information about us and the things we enjoy, check out our blog and visit our Arizona Premiere Living Resources Page and check out the Sports Resources section.

Here comes the NBA, here comes the NBA, right down lockout lane.

I’m a Golden State Warriors fan.  So for me the NBA is only that time of year between the NFL football season and the beginning of Major League Baseball.  But I still follow the game.  I’m really looking forward to those great match ups between Bird and Magic.  Is Dr. J still playing?

But I digress.  This year’s NBA lock out illustrated one thing to me.  The NBA needs to adopt the hard salary cap that the NFL instituted back in 1994.  Otherwise all we will see in the foreseeable future are finals between L.A., New York, Boston, Miami, and Chicago.  Oh sure you’ll see a smaller market team like San Antonio or Cleveland get in there once in a while.  But if you’re looking for a model of parity and maintaining fan interest in the smaller market teams you can’t go wrong with the NFL salary cap model.

Now I know basketball is different.  Their ball is round and they wear shorter pants.  Although since the days of Michigan’s Fab Five the difference in pant length has shrunken to near immeasurable levels.  Again, I stray.  Basketball only has a 12 man roster versus 53 for football.  So one player can make a HUUUUUGE difference in the NBA.  Not that it can’t in the NFL too, but Tom Brady only plays on one side of the ball and thereby only gets to touch it half the time.  LeBron James or Kobe Bryant are in on almost every play, except when they’re being spelled for a rest.  But as we saw this off season, (namely the Chris Paul trade-not trade-trade debacle)the NBA needs to adopt a different pay structure.

For almost 20 years now the NFL has operated under a hard salary cap and a draft selection process that allows small market teams like Green Bay and Pittsburgh to compete, and succeed, against the larger markets.  I understood why David Stern put the kibash on the Chris Paul to the Lakers deal.  If left to their own devices every great player will end up in either Los Angeles,  Boston, New York, Chicago or Miami.

The other thing the NBA could take from the NFL is revenue sharing.  Again, this allows the smaller market teams, who may not get the radio and television deals that the larger market teams get, to compete.

And lastly, get rid of the draft lottery in the NBA.  I understand that a team may try to tank it at the end of the season in order to get the “can’t miss” college player coming out.  But these are professionals.  And I’m sure the NBA would be able to recognize when teams do try to throw games in order to get a better draft selection.  The lottery has become a joke.  It’s a marketing gimmick who’s time has passed.  Let the worst team have the first pick in the following season’s draft. Without contingencies.

I think if the NBA adopted these methods to their salary cap madness teams like my beloved Golden State Warriors would have a better shot at someday winning another championship.  Instead of going another 36 years without one.

At ArizonaPremiereLiving.com, we don’t just talk about Phoenix real estate, but we talk about the things we have a passion for, and that’s the whole reason for ArizonaPremiereSports.com.  For more information about us and the things we enjoy, check out our blog and visit our Arizona Premiere Living Resources Page and check out the Sports Resources section.

The College Bowl Games Are Here — All 35 Of Them…

This year, the list of well-known and the obscure bowl games has swelled to 35.  It’s crazy, I know.  The hardest part for me is trying to remember who now sponsors what — it seems as though the sponsors change every year.  Obviously, some games are more important than the others, most of which I’ve never even heard of, and it seems that more than ever, there is a growing chorus of commentators and former coaches calling for a new system to determine a national champion due to the inequities in the current system.  In any event, we can talk about the current system at some future date, but lets get to the games — some of which have already been played.  Don’t try to watch all of them; you’ll go mad…

At ArizonaPremiereLiving.com, we don’t just talk about Phoenix real estate, but we talk about the things we have a passion for, and that’s the whole reason for ArizonaPremiereSports.com.  For more information about us and the things we enjoy, check out our blog and visit our Arizona Premiere Living Resources Page and check out the Sports Resources section.

Xavier and Cincinnati: “We gotta whole lotta gangstas in the locker-room”

“That’s what your gonna see from Xavier and Cincinnati.”  That’s what Tu Holloway had to say about the brawl that erupted at the end of the Xavier Cincinnati game.  That’s not all he had to say about it — we’ll talk a bit more about that in a minute.   One of my favorite things he had to say was the line I used in the title of this post, “We gotta whole lotta gangstas in the locker-room.”  When coach Chris Mack was asked by a reporter for his take on the ‘gangsta’ comments, he, in my opinion dismissed the criticism by saying that they may not always represent themselves in the best way.  Why, in God’s name, would you put them in front of the press if you felt that way?!?!  When you put them up there, they are no longer just representing themselves poorly, they are representing the University poorly, and, to a larger extent, the NCAA.

I have been in a rage since I saw that press conference.  The fight was one thing — deplorable is the only word that comes to mind — but that press conference made it even worse, and when I thought it couldn’t get worse, coach Chris Mack not coming out and flatly condemning the statements made by his ball players in the press conference really was the cherry on top.

This, for me illustrates a couple of things I’ve been talking about lately:  Obviously it illustrates the lack of discipline among players (of all sports), but it also illustrates the utter impotence of coaches when it comes to dealing with discipline — some of it imposed upon them, and some of it self-imposed.

Look at the NFL, specifically at the Detroit Lions, and some of the problems we’ve seen with those guys on the field recently.  A Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving!), Ndamukong Suh stomping incident, a coach vs. coach post-game shoving and screaming match, an incident where a  referee was shoved in a game where the Lions were flagged 11 times for a total of 107 yds of penalties.  Is this how we measure conduct in the top tier of professional athletics?

The Lions are yet another example not simply of loss of control by the coaches, but them fostering an environment that seems to encourage this type of behavior.  The NFL must compel the ownership to step in at this point and impose punishment with some teeth.  If I want to see this kind of stuff, I can tune into any number of mixed martial arts tournaments that are aired throughout the week, but don’t give me this crap during an NFL game.

If we condone this kind of behavior in the professional ranks, why would we be surprised to see it rear its head in collegiate athletics?  Tu Holloway’s comments that, “we are a bunch of grown men over here” could not be further off the mark.  It is the very fact that these over-sized children have not been turned into, nor have ever been asked — let alone, told — to grow-up that is the problem.  This is a real problem, and when we excuse this behavior as, I’ll assume, it has been for much of Tu’s life, how or why should we ever expect it to get better?

The answer to this question is really pretty easy in my mind:  eliminate his scholarship.  If  it were handled this way, do you think there would be another fight in Xavier and Cincinnati’s cross town rivalry the next time they met?  I don’t think so.  It is easier to deal with these kinds of discipline issues at the collegiate level than at the professional level and I think that if you dealt with it firmly at the collegiate level, you wouldn’t have to deal with it at the professional level nearly so often.

Xavier should be ashamed.  Sure, they suspended a few guys for a variable number of games — gotta’ get ‘em in before conference basketball starts — and Tu Holloway who may not have thrown an actual fist, but who may have delivered the biggest blow with what he said was suspended for a mere 1 game.  Great message to send to aspirant high school ball players around the country:  If you wanna be a gangsta, go to Xavier.  To their credit, Cincinnati who may have been more at fault for the physical altercation, did not say anything stupid after the game and suspended 3 players for 6 games, however I feel this punishment did not go far enough.

The scholarship is the ultimate leverage against a collegiate athlete, and it should be treated as such.  It is a privilege that, in my mind elevates their behavior putting them against an even higher standard, and when you simply wag your finger at their transgressions, you hold them to no standard at all.  It is time to deal with these problems now rather than later.  If the purpose of college is to prepare young men and women for the professional world, whether that be in sports or otherwise, a message must be sent that this kind of behavior is not tolerated in any other professional environment, and it will not be tolerated here.

At ArizonaPremiereLiving.com, we don’t just talk about Phoenix real estate, but we talk about the things we have a passion for, and that’s the whole reason for ArizonaPremiereSports.com.  For more information about us and the things we enjoy, check out our blog and visit our Arizona Premiere Living Resources Page and check out the Sports Resources section.

10 years for Albert Puljos? Crazy? Or not?

Let me preface this post by saying that I am a huuuuuuuge (said in my best Donald Trump voice) Albert Puljos fan.  Even though I’m a Giants fan, I can still appreciate greatness, even that player is not a Giant.  So this is not a criticism of him.

Today the Los Angeles/California (whatever they’re called this year) Angels reached a deal with Albert Puljos in the amount of $254 million over 10 years.  My issue, unlike many people, is not with the amount of money Albert is receiving.  He is a unique ball player.  One of the greatest ever.  His like doesn’t come along that often.  So I say he deserves the money.  No, my issue is with the length of the contract.  10 years.

Albert will be entering his 12th major league season next year.  He will be turning 32 before spring training starts.  Although Albert’s numbers have not tapered off recently, and I fully expect him to have several (4 or 5) more great seasons in him, by the time this contract expires Albert will be 42.  And we all know 42 year old baseball players don’t hit 40 homers, drive in 100, and bat .300.  In fact, very few players over 35 continue to put up those type of numbers.

Now, in order for the Angels, or any other team to secure Albert’s services this year they HAD to give him a ten year deal.  So I don’t blame them necessarily.  But we are reaching a point in sports where GM’s don’t seem to look at the long term consequences of these type of deals.  What I think will happen is in about 5 years Albert’s numbers will start to slide.  One only needs to look at Alex Rodriguez (Albert’s only contemporary equal) to see how this deal could hamstring the Angels in the future.

Through A-Rod’s first 12 seasons, and the age of 32,  he averaged 43 HR’s and 123 RBI per season.  Since then he has averaged only 28 HR’s and 98 RBI.  Quite a steep drop off.  But not unexpected for a player on the downside of his career.  But the Yankees can afford to carry A-Rod’s hefty salary, even if his production doesn’t match it.  The question is, can the Angels do the same when Albert’s numbers fall off?  And they will. You can bank on that.

At ArizonaPremiereLiving.com, we don’t just talk about Phoenix real estate, but we talk about the things we have a passion for, and that’s the whole reason for ArizonaPremiereSports.com.  For more information about us and the things we enjoy, check out our blog and visit our Arizona Premiere Living Resources Page and check out the Sports Resources section.

Hope. Energy. Life.

This Sunday, December 19th, I, along with my wife and kids, will be participating in a short 3k walk at Kiwanis Park in Tempe to benefit Mitochondrial Disease research, and namely, to benefit this amazing little girl pictured here.  This is Mylee Grace, and she has Mitochondrial Disease, a disease for which there is no cure.

Mitochondrial Disease limits the the mitochondria’s ability to convert food into energy.  To me,  Mitochondrial Disease was obscure, but when I found out that mitochondrial dysfunction is an underlying cause behind Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, Autism, Spectrum Disorders, and some Cancers, I realized that Mitochondrial Disease is anything but obscure.

Mylee and her parents have shown tremendous courage throughout this trial, and there will undoubtedly be more obstacles further down the road for this family and others who are experiencing similar challenges.  I ask that, if you have the opportunity please support this little girl; this family; and those like them who may be going through the same things.  If you can be in Tempe, on Sunday morning between 8 – 9, go and register, but if you can’t, no donation is too small.

Put yourself in this family’s shoes:  What if this were your little girl?  Short of going through what this family goes through on a daily basis, I urge you to figure out a way to show your support by either participating in this event, or by making a donation to this most deserving of causes.

Please visit the event information page HERE, join the team and/or make a contribution.  Remember, no donation is too small–everything makes a difference.

http://www.energyforlifewalk.org/c.clKTIeOZIjJ4H/b.6153607/siteapps/teampage/ShowPage.aspx?teamid=3883734

At ArizonaPremiereLiving.com, we don’t just talk about Phoenix real estate, but we talk about the things we have a passion for, and that’s the whole reason for ArizonaPremiereSports.com.  For more information about us and the things we enjoy, check out our blog and visit our Arizona Premiere Living Resources Page and check out the Sports Resources section.

Hey Jeetah! (pronounced like Cheetah) Fuhgitaboudit!

Sorry, but that’s the best Bronx accent I could muster electronically.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand.  Which is, Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees.

But before I delve into the never ending Soap Opera that is the New York Yankees and their superstar shortstop and the ever increasing self import that the fans of that team and the city that hosts them (I think it’s New York, right) foist upon themselves, let’s talk about aging athletes and contracts.  And the dumb owners that award the aging athletes huge contracts.

You see, sports/athletics is unlike any other industry in the world.  Whereas out in the business world a person’s value increases with the invaluable experience, knowledge, wisdom, and increased intellect we all acquire as we age (hopefully), in the sports world things tend to work in the opposite direction.  And yet athletes garner ever larger and larger contracts as their production, skills, and value, diminish.  It’s a strange occurence.  And one that has been going on for decades.

And you would think that the sports franchise owners, many of them previously, or currently, successful businessmen/women themselves would realize this disconnect.   But alas, they don’t.

Which leads us back to Messr. Jeter and the New York Highlanders, I mean Yankees (sorry, I’m old school. I still refer to them by their ORIGINAL name).

Senor Jeter is a 37 year old shortstop.  Senor Jeter has posted many a fantastic season with the High…Yankees over a stellar 16 season career.  And he’s been part of 5 championship teams during that run. (Notice I didn’t say “HE has won 5 championships.  He HIMSELF did not win those championships).  So Mr. Jeter has quite a resume.  AND he’s approaching 3,000 career hits.  Another milestone that will probably assure him of Hall of Fame status.

But the thing is…HE”S 37 YEARS OLD!!!  Now color me stupid if I missed this, but when was the last time a 37 year old shortstop IMPROVED upon his previous 16 years of production?  I would gather a guess, and that guess would be never.

So why would the Yankees/Highlanders be inclined to offer Jeter more than the $45 million over 3 years they have on the table right now?  In my opinion that is MORE than a fair offer for a 37 year old shortstop.  And Jeter and his agent need to realize that.  Jeter needs the Yankees more than the Yankees need Jeter at this point.

What value does Jeter, I remind you, a 37 year old shortstop, have to ANY other team in the league?  Not a whole lot.  Jeter’s glory days are behind him, and they were with the Yankees.  It would be a different story if this were the year 2000 and we were talking about a 27/28 year old Jeter who had just been on a team that won 4 World Championships.  But this is not Bizarro World and we cannot turn back the clock.

So, my advice to Rico Suave, I mean Derek Jeter, and his agent, is to stop posturing and take the damn deal.  Jeter will be happy, the Yankees will be happy, their obnoxious fans will be happy, and I won’t have to listen to my wife pining for Derek Jeter (sorry hun, but that chick he’s engaged to is pretty hot) while wearing another uniform.

At ArizonaPremiereLiving.com, we don’t just talk about Phoenix real estate, but we talk about the things we have a passion for – like sports – and that’s the whole reason for ArizonaPremiereSports.com. For more information about us and the things we enjoy, check out our blog and visit our Arizona Premiere Living Resources Page and check out the Sports Resources section.

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