I don't know if you have been paying attention to the first month of baseball, but there are interesting developments to start the season. I know it is a long season and there is a lot of baseball left to be played, but there are some teams off to a great start that have been fun to watch.
Going into this week, here are the AL standings with some comments:
AL East: Baltimore and Tampa Bay (you read right) are tied with Boston in first.
AL Central: The White Sox are the only team with a winning record in the division.
AL West: Oakland tied with the LAA Angels in first.
Biggest AL Surprise So Far: The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays are tied for first in the AL East. For perspective, I think it was reported that Tampa Bay has never finished April with a winning record (11-14 last year) and they finished the 2007 season 30 games back at 66-96. Baltimore was 12-14 in April last year and finished 2007 just ahead of Tampa Bay 27 games back at 69-93.
Biggest AL Disappointment So Far: The Detroit Tigers. They are 11-15 and 4 games out of first after making several big off-season moves.
Now for NL standings and comments:
NL East: Florida is in first place. Who are these guys?
NL Central: The Cubs are playing well early, but can they survive the June Swoon?
NL West: Arizona is in first place. Young roster with average age of 27.7.
Biggest NL Surprise So Far: The Florida Marlins. Quick, name any player for the Marlins? I can't. Yet, here they are again finding new talent and winning games. The team that finally got a new stadium that is scheduled to open in 2011, when they will also be called the Miami Marlins, always seems to find a way to be competitive.
Biggest NL Disappointment So Far: The Colorado Rockies. After the magical run last year that included baseball playoffs in the snow (boys of summer?), the Rockies are in 4th place in the division, 8 games behind the young D-backs.
Two interesting questions to start the season:
1. Will it be the White Sox v. the Cubs in the World Series?
2. Will the Yankees make the playoffs after getting rid of Joe Torre?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Note to NFL Owners - Draft Brian Brohm First!
With the NFL Draft fast approaching, many experts seem to think Matt Ryan is going to be the first QB taken. I disagree and urge owners to look closely at Brian Brohm before making your decision for several reasons.
First, Brian Brohm has been raised to be a pro QB. His father pointed him in the right direction. Don't forget that his brother, Jeff Brohm, was also a pro QB. Second, he is a winner. If you like Tom Brady, you have to love Brian Brohm. He led his High School to state championships and led the Louisville Cardinals to the school's first Orange Bowl victory, where he was named MVP. Third, he has character. If you like Peyton Manning, you will love Brian Brohm. He does things the right way and leads by example. He came back for his senior year at UL even though he had a new coach and new system and still excelled. Finally, he is simply better than Ryan. Check the stats. He averaged more yards per game than Ryan (335/321); he had a better TD/INT ratio (30/12 compared to 31/19); has a higher completion percentage (65/59); better yards per attempt (8.5/6.9) and a better QB rating (152/127).
So, if you are an NFL Owner and think you may want to take Ryan over Brohm, do so at your own peril. You may take him and end up with the next Ryan Leaf while some other wise owner waits and drafts the next Payton Manning or Tom Brady, Brian Brohm.
First, Brian Brohm has been raised to be a pro QB. His father pointed him in the right direction. Don't forget that his brother, Jeff Brohm, was also a pro QB. Second, he is a winner. If you like Tom Brady, you have to love Brian Brohm. He led his High School to state championships and led the Louisville Cardinals to the school's first Orange Bowl victory, where he was named MVP. Third, he has character. If you like Peyton Manning, you will love Brian Brohm. He does things the right way and leads by example. He came back for his senior year at UL even though he had a new coach and new system and still excelled. Finally, he is simply better than Ryan. Check the stats. He averaged more yards per game than Ryan (335/321); he had a better TD/INT ratio (30/12 compared to 31/19); has a higher completion percentage (65/59); better yards per attempt (8.5/6.9) and a better QB rating (152/127).
So, if you are an NFL Owner and think you may want to take Ryan over Brohm, do so at your own peril. You may take him and end up with the next Ryan Leaf while some other wise owner waits and drafts the next Payton Manning or Tom Brady, Brian Brohm.
Friday, April 11, 2008
College Basketball Review (and mini look-ahead)
The college basketball season is over and coaches are changing jobs (Darrin Horn), heavily recruiting (Billy Gillispie), getting pay raises (Bill Self) or making excuses (Bruce Pearl). Here at the bar, it is time for a look back at some of the issues that drew my attention and a (couldn't resist doing this) brief look ahead.
1. The player of the year race was given to a upper classman of lesser talent and I do not have a big problem with that. Tyler Hansborough of North Carolina was the universal player of the year over Michael Beasley of Kansas State. Michael Beasley is more talented, had better stats, took his team to the NCAA tournament (which they would not have gone to without him) and will go pro this summer. Hansborough had lesser, but great, stats with lesser talent on a final four team (named NORTH CAROLINA) and may go pro this summer. Generally, if there is an upper classman that has a great year in competition with an underclassman that has a great year, the upper classman wins. In looking at the body of work, I don't have a problem with the award going to the ACC poster boy.
2. Speaking of the ACC, it was down this past season, way down. No big thing, so was the Big Ten and the SEC, however, in looking at those three conferences, I would say that the SEC has the best chance of raising the conference level the fastest, followed by the Big Ten and then the ACC. My reasoning is based on one simple fact, coaching. I think that the level of coaching in the SEC is higher than that at the other two conferences. In the ACC you have Roy and Coach K followed by schools that have guys that have allowed the game to pass them by (Maryland) or schools that hired people not ready for their position (North Carolina State and Wake Forest) and schools with coaches that have done nothing and should be leaving (Florida State and Virginia Tech). Nobody else in the league makes you worry. In the Big Ten you have Izzo and Matta leading the charge. Indiana just hired a good coach, Purdue has one that appears to be an up and comer and Minnesota and Michigan hired tested veterans that have solid histories. The rest of coaches make you wonder. The SEC though has Billy D. as its longest tenured coach at Florida and has the wild one at Tennessee in Bruce Pearl. Then you have Gillispie rejuvenating Kentucky to add to up and comers at S. Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi and solid coaching going on at Vandy plus LSU's new hire for a pretty volatile mix. Frankly, until the ACC gets some better coaching at a couple of its higher profile schools (I am talking about you N.C. State and Georgia Tech) that conference looks to remain a two team race every year.
3. The state of Kentucky had three teams in the tournament this year for the first time in quite a while. I can't say that I see it happening next year, even though I have my hopes for at least two of the schools, but it could happen.
4. Officiating was horrible this year and was only made to look good when compared to the level of the announcing that accompanied many of the games. Games were lost with very bad calls at the end of games that should not have happened. Plus, if I hear one more announcer talk about "advantage/disadvantage" one more time, I may shoot someone. That is an NBA rule, not an NCAA rule. Read the rulebook announcers, it may actually help you with your jobs.
5. Darrin Horn both saved his job and then abandoned his job within a week of each other. After getting WKU to the NCAA tourney for the first time in five years, the team then managed to win two games, making it to the sweet sixteen, and earning Horn a pay raise - from South Carolina. I can't say that I am disappointed to see Horn go as I never say much in the way of bench coaching ability from him and I know that his teams at South Carolina will consistently lose to Kentucky. I am not sure that the administration at WKU tried very hard to keep Horn, but if they did then it is quite a sobering situation to know that the one coach that you thought would stay to build the program up has left for the lowest job in the SEC east at South Carolina. Let's be serious for a moment here, S.C. is not a power and has never really been a power regardless of the "tradition" that Horn claimed in his press conference they had. If WKU can't keep a graduate that came home to coach at the school (assuming once again that they wanted him, which is a big assumption) then it is pretty obvious that they will not ever be able to keep a coach there long enough to rise above the mid-major level.
5. Looking ahead in the old crystal ball, I see different fortunes for our local schools. I see Kentucky have a 20+ win season and winning the SEC east and, possibly the entire conference as they enjoy health. I see Louisville struggling with an all freshman frontcourt, but getting its upperclassmen to take charge by the end of the year in time enough to make the dance. Western will be in the familiar situation of trying to win the Sun Belt in order to qualify for the tournament as Middle Tennessee should be the pre-season favorite.
Nationally, I see LSU becoming a power quickly with its fan base, recruiting base, athletic facilities and (finally) a decent coach in Trent Johnson. I see Florida continuing to be a collection of talented players with little to no heart. The Big East will continue to be the best conference in the nation for another year although it will probably not have any truly elite teams. Ohio State and Purdue will become the class of the Big Ten with Kansas and Texas again being the class of the conference. Out west, UCLA will continue to dominate the Pac 10 while Lute Olsen proves that Arizona really did not miss him last year at all. Of course, all of this presupposes that nothing extraordinary happens, which is never a safe thing.
Oh well, just seven more months until college basketball season starts. Maybe the NBA playoffs will be interesting this year.
1. The player of the year race was given to a upper classman of lesser talent and I do not have a big problem with that. Tyler Hansborough of North Carolina was the universal player of the year over Michael Beasley of Kansas State. Michael Beasley is more talented, had better stats, took his team to the NCAA tournament (which they would not have gone to without him) and will go pro this summer. Hansborough had lesser, but great, stats with lesser talent on a final four team (named NORTH CAROLINA) and may go pro this summer. Generally, if there is an upper classman that has a great year in competition with an underclassman that has a great year, the upper classman wins. In looking at the body of work, I don't have a problem with the award going to the ACC poster boy.
2. Speaking of the ACC, it was down this past season, way down. No big thing, so was the Big Ten and the SEC, however, in looking at those three conferences, I would say that the SEC has the best chance of raising the conference level the fastest, followed by the Big Ten and then the ACC. My reasoning is based on one simple fact, coaching. I think that the level of coaching in the SEC is higher than that at the other two conferences. In the ACC you have Roy and Coach K followed by schools that have guys that have allowed the game to pass them by (Maryland) or schools that hired people not ready for their position (North Carolina State and Wake Forest) and schools with coaches that have done nothing and should be leaving (Florida State and Virginia Tech). Nobody else in the league makes you worry. In the Big Ten you have Izzo and Matta leading the charge. Indiana just hired a good coach, Purdue has one that appears to be an up and comer and Minnesota and Michigan hired tested veterans that have solid histories. The rest of coaches make you wonder. The SEC though has Billy D. as its longest tenured coach at Florida and has the wild one at Tennessee in Bruce Pearl. Then you have Gillispie rejuvenating Kentucky to add to up and comers at S. Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi and solid coaching going on at Vandy plus LSU's new hire for a pretty volatile mix. Frankly, until the ACC gets some better coaching at a couple of its higher profile schools (I am talking about you N.C. State and Georgia Tech) that conference looks to remain a two team race every year.
3. The state of Kentucky had three teams in the tournament this year for the first time in quite a while. I can't say that I see it happening next year, even though I have my hopes for at least two of the schools, but it could happen.
4. Officiating was horrible this year and was only made to look good when compared to the level of the announcing that accompanied many of the games. Games were lost with very bad calls at the end of games that should not have happened. Plus, if I hear one more announcer talk about "advantage/disadvantage" one more time, I may shoot someone. That is an NBA rule, not an NCAA rule. Read the rulebook announcers, it may actually help you with your jobs.
5. Darrin Horn both saved his job and then abandoned his job within a week of each other. After getting WKU to the NCAA tourney for the first time in five years, the team then managed to win two games, making it to the sweet sixteen, and earning Horn a pay raise - from South Carolina. I can't say that I am disappointed to see Horn go as I never say much in the way of bench coaching ability from him and I know that his teams at South Carolina will consistently lose to Kentucky. I am not sure that the administration at WKU tried very hard to keep Horn, but if they did then it is quite a sobering situation to know that the one coach that you thought would stay to build the program up has left for the lowest job in the SEC east at South Carolina. Let's be serious for a moment here, S.C. is not a power and has never really been a power regardless of the "tradition" that Horn claimed in his press conference they had. If WKU can't keep a graduate that came home to coach at the school (assuming once again that they wanted him, which is a big assumption) then it is pretty obvious that they will not ever be able to keep a coach there long enough to rise above the mid-major level.
5. Looking ahead in the old crystal ball, I see different fortunes for our local schools. I see Kentucky have a 20+ win season and winning the SEC east and, possibly the entire conference as they enjoy health. I see Louisville struggling with an all freshman frontcourt, but getting its upperclassmen to take charge by the end of the year in time enough to make the dance. Western will be in the familiar situation of trying to win the Sun Belt in order to qualify for the tournament as Middle Tennessee should be the pre-season favorite.
Nationally, I see LSU becoming a power quickly with its fan base, recruiting base, athletic facilities and (finally) a decent coach in Trent Johnson. I see Florida continuing to be a collection of talented players with little to no heart. The Big East will continue to be the best conference in the nation for another year although it will probably not have any truly elite teams. Ohio State and Purdue will become the class of the Big Ten with Kansas and Texas again being the class of the conference. Out west, UCLA will continue to dominate the Pac 10 while Lute Olsen proves that Arizona really did not miss him last year at all. Of course, all of this presupposes that nothing extraordinary happens, which is never a safe thing.
Oh well, just seven more months until college basketball season starts. Maybe the NBA playoffs will be interesting this year.
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