Friday, December 08, 2006

Free Agent Dementia

When I was a kid, I got a Sports Illustrated subscription for Christmas. One of the first magazines I received had an editorial by Leigh Montville that presented a fictional scenario where Jose Canseco and Roger Clemens were lying on a beach comparing their newly acquired $4 million dollar deals. In 1990, these deals were considered the pinnacle of out-of-control spending. Sixteen years later and a player strike later, a #3 starting pitcher with a track record for mediocrity is getting $11 million a year to play for the worst team in the Majors.

A few weeks ago, ESPN's Buster Olney suggested that the best thing some GM's could do in this baseball off-season would be to tell their respective owners to pocket their money in view of next season. Turns out he was bang on as usual. The ridiculous deals that are being struck because of a thin free agent market are going to haunt Major League Baseball for years to come. A few examples:

  • Coming off a year in which he missed 30 games and hit .270 with 26 home runs, Barry Bonds signed a one-year deal worth $16 million to play for the Giants. So much for the hometown discount.
  • Ted Lilly, a career .500 pitcher, signed a 4-year deal worth $40 million. He could have gotten $44 million to return to the Blue Jays.
  • Gil Meche, a similar player to Lilly, signed a 5-year deal worth $55 million to play for the Royals. The Blue Jays were offering a similar deal, but I guess their desire to win was too high. For four more million per year, the Royals would have been in the hunt for ace Jason Schmidt.
  • The Anaheim Angels signed Gary Matthews Jr., an outfielder with one good season (the Rangers had tried for years to rid themselves of him), to a 5-year, $50 million deal. If I'm Vernon Wells' agent, I'm salivating.
This is the most insane off-season I can remember. All this is going on without the Yankees even getting involved. My advice for J.P. Ricciardi: try and get Mark Redman, but don't overspend. Take all that cash you were going to splurge on Lilly/Meche and re-sign Wells (if he's willing - not a gimme). For a fifth starter, go with Josh Towers. Or Casey Janssen. Or Shaun Marcum. Easier said than done, yes, but we're already on Plan F here.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Update: Jays Pitching Wish List


Update, 10:25 am: And now, the Globe and Mail is reporting that Gil Meche has informed the Blue Jays that he will not be joining the team. Plan 1a and 1b are now off the table, it's off to see if Suppan and Redman are interested.


_________________

As suspected, Ted Lilly has flown the coop. He probably never even wanted to return to Toronto in the first place, but knowing that the Jays were keen to re-sign him his agent smartly leveraged the Jays offer to get a good deal elsewhere. Theodore never seemed to find a comfort zone in Toronto, and it was wishful thinking to hope he would get past his dust up with John Gibbons and his testy relationship with pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. You have to suspect that if recent trends continue, he'll light it up in the National League with the Cubbies, and by August fickle Jays fans will be screaming bloody murder as a 20-game winner was allowed to "escape".

Bonus Coverage: Jason Schmidt leaving the Giants to go to the Dodgers reminds me of Sol Campbell going from Tottenham to Arsenal or Johnny Damon's voyage down I-95. Both players were labelled Judas for their perceived treachery, with Tottenham fans going as far as hanging an effigy of Campbell from the gates of White Hart Lane (their stadium). There is just as much rancour between both the Dodgers and Giants, so don't be surprisedwhen Schmidt get a less than embracing welcome when he returns to San Francisco.

3. Jeffrey Scot Suppan

Age on opening day 2007: 31

2006/Career E.R.A.: 4.12/ 4.60 2006

Win/Loss: 12-7

Career Starts per Win: 2.8

2006 K's per start: 3.3

Analysis: More likely to pick his spots than to blow you away (sounds like I'm talking about an ex-girlfriend), Suppan will consistently give you a question mark when he takes the mound: will it be the good Suppan or the bad Suppan (ladies and gentlemen: Ted Lilly!). He's a .500 pitcher who fills in nicely at the no. 4 spot.

4. Mark Allen Redman

Age on opening day 2007: 33

2006/Career E.R.A.: 5.71/ 4.65

2006 Win/Loss: 11-10

Career Starts per Win: 2.9

2006 K's per start: 2.6

Analysis: Can't wrinkle your nose too much at a guy with a winning record with the Royals. However, I wonder about a guy who's never spent more than one season with the same team (although he had two stints with the Twins). Under Godfrey's master plan (and since when does the President talk about the game plan? Who does this guy think he is, Larry Luchino?), Redman would be a fifth starter at best. That's not too bad.

Even if the Jays end up getting just one of these guys, they'll enter the 2007 season with four solid starters. Here's hoping that J.P. can execute Godfrey's plan.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Soccer Pimp: Update

No sooner had I wondered if Jack Warner had somehow betrayed Sepp Blatter's loyalty is he cleared of all charges by FIFA's disciplinary committee. Allow me to go into further detail about why he got in trouble. Jack(ass) Warner was in hot water because the media caught wind of a racketeering operation involving his son, who sold around 9,000 World Cup tickets with heavy premiums to fans all over the world. The tickets were sold through a Trinidadian travel company owned by - you guessed it - Jack Warner. It is estimated the Warner family made off with close to a million dollars in sales from those tickets.

And now, once again, Jack Warner escapes unscathed. Accountability is not a FIFA value, evidently.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Soccer Pimp: News

  • Old Sepp Blatter was at it again this week, urging the European leagues to embrace a harmonized schedule that calls for a winter break and a season that spans February to November. I don't really know where I come down on this issue, but I can assure you it will never come to pass. The English FA will secede from FIFA before they change what they've been doing since 1863, which is to play from August to April with the FA Cup being the culmination of the season in May. As stubborn as Sepp can be, he'll never let that happen.
  • A ruling is set to come down on Thursday in the case involving CONCACAF President Jack Warner. When people in soccer talk about corruption in FIFA, they can use Jack Warner as a poster boy. As President of our confederation, Warner has lined his pockets year in and year out, and has always made sure Trinidad and Tobago got favourable matchups in tournaments and friendlies (Warner is Trinidadian). What's gotten Warner in hot water this time is the allegation that he lined his pockets by selling his allocation of World Cup tickets this summer (someone get this guy in touch with Mike Tice!). What I find most intriguing about this turn of events is what Warner must have REALLY done to attract FIFA's disciplinary attention - scalping tickets is the least of Warner's crimes against humanity. Perhaps he betrayed Sepp Blatter's loyalty?
  • Jürgen Klinsmann, the man widely credited with steering Germany to a surprise semi-final appearance in last summer's World Cup, is set to be announced as the new manager of Team U.S.A. Hold on, hold on, don't let that feeling in the pit of your stomach take hold until you hear me out. Yes, I love to bash on America and cheer against their teams - except when it comes to soccer. I view American success in soccer as an indicator of Canadian opportunity in soccer. When teams from this confederation do well, as they did in the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan, we are rewarded with some extra spots for the next World Cup. Therefore, if the U.S.A. gets a world-class manager, and have some successes (no, I don't want them to win the World Cup, I won't go that far), then it gives Canada some extra shots at making it for the first time since 1986 (its only appearance on the world stage). FORZA U.S.A! (shoot me now)
  • Toronto FC news: FC's first ever match will come against Chivas USA in Carson, California. Their home opener will be April 28th (brrrrr) against the Kansas City Wizards (there's a team that needs a name change). Also, the FC rounded out its coaching staff with a bunch of guys I don't know.

Monday, December 04, 2006

The Pimple, Week 13

I’m ready to say it out loud: parity sucks. Upsets shouldn’t be commonplace - that’s what makes them special. So far this season, underdogs have a winning record against the spread. That’s madness. I miss the days of being able to count on the Cowboys, Niners and Redskins to win games in the NFC and Dolphins, Bills and Broncos winning in the AFC. Back in the nineties, when those teams lost, it meant something. Was anyone really shocked that the Colts got beat by the Titans, or that the Bills came close to beating the Chargers yesterday?

Don’t get me wrong: a certain balance has to be struck. I’m not looking for a baseball-type system where 10 teams have absolutely no chance of winning, year-in, year-out (on the other hand, there hasn’t been a repeat winner of the World Series since the Yankees three-peat of 1998-2000, so I don’t know). However, the current NFL landscape could use a couple of powerhouses. Only New England qualifies right now, and they’re waning (as the mighty Dolphins grow in strength with every passing week!). It’s a tricky equation: you want everyone to feel they have a chance at the beginning of the season, but you also want to feel like there are sure bets. As my buddy Jason says:

“How the hell do the Titans beat the Colts and those same Colts humble the Pats and those same Pats beat the Bears despite the 5 turnovers and the Bears are the BEST team in the NFC? God help me...”

I guess that’s why I like the FIFA World Cup so much. Every four years, you know that Brazil, Germany, Italy and France are the teams to beat. You’ve got a second tier of teams that are always dangerous like the Dutch, England and Argentina. Meanwhile, you know there’s going to be a dark horse that everyone’s going to love and ride until they get bounced, like South Korea in 2002 or Croatia in 1998.

In this case I offer a problem and no solution, because frankly I don’t think there’s an easy fix. The salary cap is blamed in most circles for the current parity, since low-profile but high-impact players like offensive linemen move around from team to team as the Peyton Mannings and Ray Lewis’ of the world get paid big money to stay. The axles and ball bearings of the NFL don’t get nearly enough credit – it’s the spoilers and rims that bring in the sponsorship money! It’s also these non-glamourous position players that are the key to dynasties. Without Leon Lett and Larry Brown, Troy Aikman and especially Emmitt Smith are not Hall of Famers.

Perhaps the solution lies in allowing teams two or three superstar allotments, where they can pay those three players as much as they want, leaving the salary cap for the bricks and mortar of the team. Player movement would go down in most cases, and fans would see some continuity return to their teams. The MLS is about to start the experiment, and maybe the NFL is watching closely to see how it plays out.

I had to work this weekend, and at first I wasn’t too upset about it because looking ahead to the one o’clock games from Sunday there didn’t seem to be many exciting matchups. Sure, I held a sliver of hope that Vince Young would take it to Peyton’s Colts, and my fantasy monsters were in action (Brady and LaDainian), but I didn’t expect fireworks from K.C. v. Cleveland or a fourth quarter comeback from the Patriots against the Lions.

Gratefully, Football Night in America has been top notch in its inaugural season (so much so that I think they deserve a full banner plug), so I got to see extended highlights for most games. How ‘bout that Rob Bironas! And what’s with 60+ yard field goals to win games this year? Eagles fans will surely remember Matt Bryant’s 62 yarder to win the game for the Bucs (sorry Ital-Dean). Dick Pound, take note!

What I was really looking forward to were the four o’clock games, more specifically my Dolphins testing their new-found legs on the Jaguars and the only matchup in the NFC that mattered, Cowboys v. Giants. I won’t dwell too much on the Dolphins game, only to say that my kiss of death reared its ugly head once more: the moment I endorse The Joey he forgets to make good decisions (just ask Gérard Gallant about my kiss of death. Word is he seeks my address to thank me). It must also be said that the Mammals had the misfortune of running into the “good” Jaguars. Final word on the Dolphins to, once again, my buddy Jason who was on fire with his Sunday post-mortem:

“God bless your Dolphins they sure do try hard once they are 5 games under .500. They are like the Toronto Blue Jays of the NFL. They always make you think they are one year away.”

Great. I’m a fan of both.

Cowboys-Giants was everything it was billed to be. Eli had a slightly better day than Romo statistically, but did it really feel that way? The Cowboys are on a list of two teams I refuse to cheer for, along with the Buffalo Bills. This immutable law’s only exception extends to individuals, and one of these individuals is Eli Manning. Manning 10’s place in my heart was sealed when he refused to play for San Diego not because he was from New York (he isn’t), not because the Giants were a much better team than the Chargers (they weren’t), but because playing for the Chargers would cap his endorsement opportunities. As far as I’m concerned, any failure he suffers on the football field can be traced to the Football Gods exacting revenge. If he ever wins a championship I will scream then jump off a bridge, because it would be proof that there really isn’t any justice in the world. On top of that, it’s saying something that I would cheer for a team with Terrell Owens on it than Eli Manning – that is a deep dislike. You can therefore imagine my glee when Tony Romo answered Manning 10’s game-tying touchdown pass by rolling left, throwing across his body and connecting with Jason Witten for a 42 yard gain that put the Cowboys in field goal range with a minute left. The only thing missing was a Grammatica pirouette, but I guess he was too busy being carried off the field by his teammates to indulge me.

Clunk (soundtrack to the beginning of the Jay Cutler Era). The Sunday night game also had some game-ending drama in a tilt that was otherwise devoid of any fireworks. You get the feeling that the Broncos had the wind sucked out of them after Al Wilson was carried off the field on a stretcher. Jay Cutler came out looking as nervous as a rookie making his debut at home at Mile High Stadium after 12 weeks of the hometown fans and media pining for the end of the walking disaster that is Jake Plummer. Poor kid. He’ll be fine, but he won’t see the playoffs this year.

Tonight’s game features the Carolina Panthers against the Philadelphia Eagles. Fire up the Xbox!

Sunday, December 03, 2006

The Rosin Bag: Blue Jays Pitching Wish List

According to Blue Jays President Paul Godfrey, the Jays are going to be aggressive in their pursuit of starting pitching. They will be looking to sign two of the following four candidates: Ted Lilly, Gil Meche, Jeff Suppan and Mark Redman. Considering the quality of the starters the Jays already possess (Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Gustavo Chacin), signing any of the two mentioned would make the Jays staff one of the best in the Majors. However, saying and doing are two different things, and in this pitcher-thin free agent market, signing two of those pitchers is about as likely as Sacha Baron-Cohen getting the keys to the city of Astana.

Nonetheless, here's a primer on four potential Blue Jays:

1. Theodore Roosevelt Lilly

Age on opening day 2007: 31

2006/Career E.R.A.: 4.31 / 4.60

2006 Win/Loss: 15-10

Career Starts per Win: 2.7 (i.e. wins every 2.7 games he starts)

2006 K's per start: 5

Analysis: Lilly is the cream of the second-tier starters available this off-season. Personally, I would be shocked if he re-signed with the Blue Jays, considering he got into a fist-fight with manager John Gibbons last season and has a mostly confrontational relationship with pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. Lilly has expressed his desire to return to his home state of California, and that's where I think he's going, unless the Yankees blow him away with an offer he can't refuse.

2. Gilbert Allen Meche

Age on opening day 2007: 29

2006/Career E.R.A.: 4.48 / 4.65

2006 Win/Loss: 11-8

Career Starts per Win: 2.6

2006 K's per start: 4.9

Analysis: Meche and Lilly are basically the same guy, except Meche is two years younger (although Lilly has only thrown 100 more innings). My thought is that the Jays, at best, get one of the two, and they might as well get a fresh start with Meche.

3. Jeffrey Scot Suppan

Age on opening day 2007: 31

2006/Career E.R.A.: 4.12/ 4.60 2006

Win/Loss: 12-7

Career Starts per Win: 2.8

2006 K's per start: 3.3

Analysis: More likely to pick his spots than to blow you away (sounds like I'm talking about an ex-girlfriend), Suppan will consistently give you a question mark when he takes the mound: will it be the good Suppan or the bad Suppan (ladies and gentlemen: Ted Lilly!). He's a .500 pitcher who fills in nicely at the no. 4 spot.

4. Mark Allen Redman

Age on opening day 2007: 33

2006/Career E.R.A.: 5.71/ 4.65

2006 Win/Loss: 11-10

Career Starts per Win: 2.9

2006 K's per start: 2.6

Analysis: Can't wrinkle your nose too much at a guy with a winning record with the Royals. However, I wonder about a guy who's never spent more than one season with the same team (although he had two stints with the Twins). Under Godfrey's master plan (and since when does the President talk about the game plan? Who does this guy think he is, Larry Luchino?), Redman would be a fifth starter at best. That's not too bad.

Even if the Jays end up getting just one of these guys, they'll enter the 2007 season with four solid starters. Here's hoping that J.P. can execute Godfrey's plan.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

The Death of Sportsnet

An ominous bell tolled last night for Canadian broadcaster Rogers Sportsnet, as it was announced that The Score had reached an agreement with the English Premier League to broadcast its games for the next five years, commencing in 2007.

The Premier League was one of Sportsnet's most prized assets, along with the Toronto Blue Jays. Now the ailing network is left with Jays baseball, sporadic regional NHL coverage and poker. Lots and lots of poker. With the NHL, NFL, CFL and curling securely nestled in the crook of TSN's arm, and NBA and Premiership at The Score, there isn't much left for Sportsnet. Perhaps they could mould themselves as MLBTV North? Or put a television camera in radio stations across the country?

Poor Sportsnet can truly feel like the Montreal Expos of sports television. Eight years ago it took a chance on English soccer when no one believed people would watch foreigners play the game early on a Saturday morning. Slowly but surely a loyal following emerged and grew to the point where this year, because of interest produced by the FIFA World Cup, Sportsnet's soccer ratings doubled and were making a significant dent in the broadcasting landscape. Now The Score gets to reap the rewards (rumours are The Score will also get the rights to Toronto FC's games).

Sportsnet had also carefully cultivated a partnership with the Canadian Soccer Association, winning exclusive rights to both the men's and women's national teams. Then came the deal with the CBC to carry the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, as well as the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. Seems like, just as in sports, there is no loyalty in sports broadcasting.

Where does that leave us, the fans? The news that The Score will be broadcasting Premiership and probably Toronto FC matches is a little hard to take, quite frankly. When The Score does live sports broadcasting it always looks second rate, with a community TV feel. James Sharman will be an upgrade on Gerry Dobson as the in-studio host, while Craig Forrest is the dean of former players in Canada as well as a pretty good panelist, and will be missed. My bet is that the quickly gets scooped up. As for Toronto FC, let's hope they get someone in the booth who truly loves soccer. Say, Sid Seixeiro, with Tim Micallef as his wing man, and Cabbie as a sideline reporter. Throw it to James Sharman in the studio, joined by Craig Forrest or Dick Howard. Yeah, I could live with that.

The bigger question remains the future of Sportsnet. They're not likely to fade away into the sunset, considering the deep pockets propping it up. When the NFL finally comes into town with Ted Rogers as one of the owners, it will almost certainly pick up all the league's TV rights in Canada. Until then: more Jays, poker and Bob McCown?

_______________________

With all the changes, let's recap:

- English Premiership: The Score (August 2007)
- Toronto FC: The Score (probably)
- UEFA Champions League: TSN
- World Cup: CBC
- German, Italian, Spanish, Rest of World: Fox Sportsworld Canada