It's a Team Game

Which sport in the most team intensive? Well, it kind of depends on who you ask, and what team intensive really means. Camaraderie\Chemistry\Confidence are all unquantifiable. The point of my idea is in regards to how one player affects his teammates on a given play.

My list goes like this…Football, Hockey, Basketball, & finally Baseball. I limited my discussion to the four major sports, but others garnering respect include soccer, rugby, and water polo.

From my many discussions on this topic, we come to realize that there is no doubt that Football has the most team-oriented gameplay. For instance, the right guard must block a defensive tackle. Depending on who wins that individual battle affects the Linebackers, Running Backs, and ultimately Quarterback (which trickles out to the skill positions). That single Right Guard-Defensive Tackle matchup can turn a play into a 5 yard loss or a Touchdown!

Many argue that baseball is the most individual sport. Meaning what the Shortstop, let’s say Hanley Ramirez, will do at any given game (on the field or at-bat) will happen, REGARDLESS of what ANY teammate at ANY position does on that same day. Now this goes without saying that players perform differently given a different set of circumstances. But, I attest that Hanley Ramirez is trying to get a hit, or make an out, no matter what is happening on the bases.

A pitcher can have an all-time historical game and most likely with the help of his defense playing behind him. The difference is individual players affecting the outcome of a given single play, in comparison to the other players around him. A fielder in baseball is making his play off of the batter (regardless of the other fielders), which depends on what the pitcher does (not the other fielders). So, this notion that baseball is a “team oriented-game” is entirely off to me. It is a collection of individual game performances masquerading as a team. And yes I do know that a guy on 1^st base does influence who is at-bat, but Hanley is still trying to get a hit if 1^st is occupied or empty. And yes I know a guy on 1st base does influence the pitcher, but Pitcher X is trying to make an out is 1st is occupied or empty.

Baseball plays by a different set of rules because there are so many stoppages of play. Just think about a single at-bat for a moment…Have you ever seen Bobby Abreu? Half the time he just tries to foul off pitches to make the Pitcher work harder. And that is just one of the reasons why baseball is the most individual game. To me, this does not take away from the sport, it only makes it more interesting to those who love it, LIKE ME!

So, what do you think? Which sport is the most team-intense based on the criteria I have used?

Peace, for now until later.

- Aaron

October skY

OCTOBER. There is something different about this month. Its the turning of the leaves. The cool air beginning to blow. And a month in which you truly, can be Lost In Sports. It is a month that is filled with all four major sports leagues--NFL, MLB, NBA & NHL.

Baseball brought the end of the regular season with an amazing run by the Twins to the AL Central title. The MLB Playoffs have been sooo unexciting, the best part has been watching Jeter's heady baseball skills. 3 sweeps in the Division Series, and looks like a sweep for the Yankers, and a quick 5 game set for the Phils.


The only part worse about these playoffs has been Baseball's inability to capture their audience. Seriously. 3 days off for the NLCS, and 5 for the ALCS to begin. These breaks make it more about the "impact players" on a team, and not the team as a whole. Baseball misses the point, once again. And if it can't fall further, a possible 6 days off between the LCS and World Series if they end in 4 and 5 games like I mentioned before.

With October, we also see the return of NBA Basketball and NHL Hockey. These indoor, winter sports, are nothing short of exciting from the puck drop to the tip-off. Each fan likes their favorite sport for whatever reason, and basketball gets a bad rap for those I cannot understand.

NBA teams are comprised of a max of 15 players, and only 12 active on any given game day. Understand, that rarely do teams even use more than 9 players, unless otherwise dictated. That makes you have to be 1 of 270 people in the ENTIRE WORLD, to even set foot on the court, let alone make and impact on a NBA game.


I don't try to talk about hockey, but plenty of my buddies CAN, AND WILL. From time to time, I will have a guest hockey blogger, most likely to be Walter or the Jets Fan.


Finally, October is about not losing the chance to make the playoffs or stumbling through the early-middle part of your schedule. The Miami Dolphins have rallied back from an 0-3 hole, and are now 2-3, more importantly 2-0 in the AFC East. For the Gators fans, a tough win yesterday vs. Arkansas, but the first BCS rankings have UF 1st by .030 over Alabama.


Peace, for now until later.


- Aaron

Football- 3 weeks through September

There is much to be said about playing a SEC team (Tennessee) who sets out to to prove to the #1 team in the land (Florida) that they are a worthy opponent. Being a Gator fan, I walked out of yesterday's game happy in more ways than one. They won a sloppy, gritty, hard-fought game and if Tennessee had a mere mediocre quarterback the outcome could have been different. Facing obstacles like a team stricken with the flu and the inability to throw ten yards beyond the line of scrimmage (against an NFL style defense), the Gators proved they can win any type of game.

The 09-10 Florida Gators are on a mission to become the only undefeated team that this school has ever seen. Each of the three championships have seen one loss--FSU in '96, Auburn in '06, and Ole Miss in '08. Make this team one-dimensional and they still can pull out the victory. The real test comes October 10 in Baton Rouge against LSU at 8 p.m.

Why is Grey's Anatomy still nominated for this bullshit (Emmy Nomination). Nobody likes that show anymore. Is this a stream of consciousness? Why doesn't LOST win it all?

Anyway, Sunday Night Football pits the Giants v. Cowboys in a standard early season NFC East Battle. So though 1 week and 14 1/2 games of week 2, what have we seen? NOTHING. The 13-3 Tennessee Titans of '08, begin 0-2 losing to the Steelers and TEXANS! These same Texans who could not gain a first down against the 2-0 NY Jets. Also, how the hell does San Francisco go 2-0 beating the Seahawks and Cardinals (two divisional games), that's crazy! Most surprising thing I have seen so far is...the Dolphins committing 4 turnovers against the Falcons in week 1. And that brings me to Monday Night Football with the Colts v. Dolphins. Miami has not won a prime time game since 2004- 57 weeks (thanks to the Sun-Sentinel for that stat).

As for other news in football...the Miami Hurricanes are close to being back. Ranked #9 in the AP Poll may be high, but beating two ranked teams says something about your team. I will the say that talent is 90% of winning in College Football and Miami usually has the most on any given field.

Thanks to Eric Berry, Lane & Monte Kiffin for giving the Gators the "scare" they needed to get things right for the rest of the season! I look forward to the coming weeks and a possible inters-state match up in Pasadena, that is if The "U" has come back full circle. HAAAAAAA, I am getting WAY to ahead of myself. Let's just beat Kentucky in Lexington next week and the Heisman is like winning NL MVP, WHO GIVES A SHIT? The goal is the crystal ball, and nothing else, actually the SEC Title first.

ALLLLLLRIGHT MIIIIIAMI- JIM MANDICH SCREAM YOUR FUCKIN' ASS OFF TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!!!!!

Peace, for now until later.

- Aaron

Go Fins, Heat, Panthers, the Fish. Low payroll and all, still better than the Braves and Mets.

HOCKEY TALK

Every time the conversation about the sport that doesn't use a ball arises, I always come back to the same issue. There is NOT ONE person covering the sport who I look forward to telling me about "the fastest game on earth."Barry Melrose WILL NOT suffice any longer.

I need more, NEW, and better personality to teach & talk to me about hockey.

You see it everywhere in the other three major sports.

NFL has an array of former pro bowlers and legends in and around the coverage of games. Deion Sanders, Steve Young, Warren Sapp, John Gruden, Dan Diedorf, Tony Siragusa, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson, Marshall Faulk and list goes on. For god sake Tiki barber retired so he could cover the games on TV!

The NBA is a league like none other because it is the smallest and most close-knit of them all. Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Magic Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy, Hubie Brown, Dr. Jack Ramsay, Jalen Rose, Mark Jackson, Jamal Mashburn, etc. In the recent past Steve Kerr & Danny Ainge left the booth to become GM's.

MLB is covered in more depth than all others sports just because the nature of the game. Orel Hershiser, Dave Winfield, John Kruk, Joe Morgan, Harold Reynolds, Steve Phillips, John Hart, Buck Showalter, and many many more.

Why has the NHL and its players seem to have lost out on the easy transition from playing their game to analyzing their game?

There are a few responses to this question.

1) The NHL is less "fraternal" than all the other sports. Meaning less camaraderie exists between the players, coaches, management, league, and ultimately the ones who cover the sport.

2) The previous response could stem from the fact that more languages and nationalities are in the NHL than any other sport. When the best players in the game do not assimilate very well into America and learn english, it leads to the inability to connect with the fans.

3) The networks, mainly Versus (they also run NBC's coverage) have failed to put people in place that a casual fan would recognize and latch onto. ESPN has tried to use Barry Melrose & Matthew Barnaby, but that is not enough!But that does not excuse Great American & Canadian players: Messier, Borque, Hull, Roy, Amonte, Vanbiesbrouck, Leetch, Richter, Robitaille, Lindros, Primeau, & LaFontaine...just to name a few. Of these guys only Vanbiesbrouck and Hull have entered the the media side, and that was only in a minor role.

Has the NHL sport not been as good to these guys as the MLB, NBA, & NFL to its players?
- No! They all have made millions.

I place blame on; First the players for not caring about the sports view in America, and Second the networks which cover the sport.

A message to Versus, if you are going to be the only network which covers the sport, then hold some freakin' auditions for players, coaches, and front office people who will add some insight that a casual fan is thirsting for.

At least the players and on-ice product are getting better! Only time will tell if the people covering the sport do as well.

- Aaron

MLB 2009 First-Year Player Draft

Major League Baseball just conducted its first ever televised draft, here are some thoughts on the FAD. Bud "I take no blame" Selig is trying to generate interest in the MLB first year player draft, while (for years) watching the smashing success of the NFL's and the lesser NBA's be broadcasted nationwide.

Both the NBA & NFL typically see a first round pick play significant roles in their upcoming season. Compare that to a Major League draftee, who will waaaaay more often than not spend considerable time playing in the minor leagues. That means Rookie Ball all the way thru AAA.

That is the problem point blank. I DO NOT care about someone who will not make my team better instantaneously. Jake Long (pro bowl as a rookie), Dwyane Wade (game winning shot on Baron Davis in first round playoff series as rookie), and 2008 Marlins first pick Kyle Skipworth (climbed from rookie ball to A ball).

I guess Major League Baseball is televising it because they finally have a network that would consider covering it (their own MLB Network). If you want to see who your team drafted, for impact to be seen years from now...2009 MLB DRAFT TRACKER

The everyday, average baseball fan, let alone the die-hard cannot get excited over a player who most likely won't even be in the big leagues a couple seasons. Props to Good ol' Bud for trying, but all I saw today was a televised draft nobody cared about. For the record, people who love baseball can't even figure out how the draft works in its entirety. For help on that, check out this: MLB First-Year Player Draft Rules

Yea...we may see Scott Boras' Million Dollar Arm Steven Strasburg possibly in the Majors as soon as this year. That is less common than a high school player making an impact his rookie season in the NBA (Moses Malone & LeBron James, and THAT'S IT)

Given David Price, the Rays phenom left-handed pitcher; drafted 1st overall in 2007 he waited until September 14, 2008 (1 year, 3 months, 7 days) to make his debut. WooooHooooo!!!!

-Aaron

p.s. If it sounds like I dislike Good ol' Bud, you are quite right, because I do. Step up like a man, and apologize to the fans for not caring about the steroid issue in the sport. And you didn't do anything until CONGRESS FORCED YOU.

What happened to just playing?

I would like to start off saying Jay Cutler is a baby for whining about how his new coach has treated him. Now that this is out of the way, we can move onto more pressing matters of players trying to force their way off their current team.

John Elway, Eli Manning, Wayne Gretzky are a few of the players who did this in the past well.

Mostly, this is seen in the NFL, granted the players' full contract is not guaranteed, which is to blame for this issue. In the NBA it has taken place, the most notable of recent memory is Steve Francis refusing to play for the Vancouver Grizzlies who drafted him, and a trade to Houston ensued.

This has become a trend in recent history, and I have somewhat of an oldschool view on the subject. I believe the player has rights, but not to the extent of forcing a trade upon the club. A number of reasons can lead to a players malcontent--poor management decision, lack of a committment to winning, or in Jay Cutler's situation, the way he feels he is being treated poorly.

The prime example of how a player should behave in a bad situation is Kevin Garnett. Years of being the centerpiece on a bad team, stemming from poor management decision you would think he would perform the bitching and moaning so often seen from players this day in age. But no, NOT ONE WORD out his mouth on the terrible Minnesota Timberwolves, the mark of a true team player and champion. We all know how this story ends, former Celtic teammates (McHale & Ainge) teaming up in a trade that brought Garnett to Boston, with a ring following.

If these "prima donna" players cared more about their team than themselves, as Garnett showed your professionalism will carry you far beyond any forcing of management's hand will. Yes I know Manning's refusal to play for San Diego got him a ring with the G-Men. But he will always be remembered as Elway is, for refusing to play for the team which granted them access to millions of dollars professional sports brings to athletes.

Peace, for now until later.

-Aaron

World Baseball Classic

Can anyone honestly feel pride in the USA Baseball Team? I feel the WBC is a brilliant idea stemming from baseball's removal from the Summer Olympics. But, it doesn't garner near the attention as the FIFA World Cup.

I know this is the only 2nd instance of it taking place, with Japan winning the first, but it is almost as though it is not really even taking place.

How does Commissioner Bud "I take no blame" Selig expect to enhance baseball's image worldwide if even in his own country the majority of people cannot view the WBC games. Most people don't have the MLB Network, and this issue is reminiscent of the NFL showing games that only people who pay for NFL Network can view.

I for one would like to see these multi-million or billion dollar organization think about the everyday fan for once and not the bottom line of making an extra freakin dollar from tv deals. This really grinds my gears---family guy reference.

Peace, for now until later.

-Aaron