Hello fellow Rioters! I come to you from the Jersey Shore. No, I’m not with Snooki, Paulie D, and those other poseur douchebags. I avoid the trash sections on the shore like Seaside Heights. I’m on Long Beach Island, where it’s peaceful and the trash level is kept to a minimum. Its days on the beach with bloody marys and beer, and evenings on the porch relaxing. It doesn’t get any better than this. Although I’m more relaxed than normal, it doesn’t mean my surly attitude has completely gone by the wayside.
Phillies – The Yankees of the National League?
With the highest payroll in the National League (second in baseball), the Phillies are doing what it takes to win a World Series. Even though the Phils have the best record in baseball it doesn’t mean that they still aren’t looking to improve their team. They’ve been linked to Carlos Beltran, BJ Upton, Mike Cuddyer, Hunter Pence, Heath Bell, Mike Adams, and even Jason Giambi. The biggest concern with the Phillies is payroll and approaching the infamous luxury tax. With only $3 million to spend before it they hit the luxury tax, they have appeared to be handcuffed in the moves they can make. Currently the Yankees are the only team paying a luxury tax but that may change.
Reports are the Phillies are willing to take on more salary that $3 million, exceeding the $178 million max salary in Major League Baseball (before getting hit with the luxury tax).
Now personally I think the luxury tax is a bogus way to enforce a salary cap (another ingenious idea of “Bud” Selig), and if a team can afford players, then let them sign them. If anything there should be a salary minimum, that way small market teams like Kansas City, Florida, and Minnesota are forced to spend money. This actually might bring down the payrolls of the large market teams, since the small market teams would have to bring in free agents and resign their young talent, instead of bigger teams stealing them away.
I used to hate the Yankees for “buying World Championships”, but in hindsight it was just jealousy. Now that the team I root for is doing the same, I see why Yankees fans love it. Any baseball fan who wouldn’t want their team to do whatever they could to win a championship because they don’t want their team to be like “The Evil Empire” is a liar (except if you’re a Mets fan whose front office just gives money away by making poor personal decisions).
Winnipeg has a Logo!
As you all know, here at The Riot! we live and breathe Winnipeg hockey. We called the move from Atlanta before it was announced, and have kept tabs on Winnipeg hockey on a regular basis. We love our friends north of the border and the Jets are an official Riot! team.
In keeping with our updates, True North has officially released the Jets new logo, and as you can see it looks damn good.
While the design of the official jerseys have yet to be released, our friends in Winnipeg can pick up hats and tee shirts for their favorite hockey team. They can be found only at the “Jets Gear Store” in Winnipeg. I was really hoping to be able to buy a hat online, but my vintage Jets hat will due for now (hey, but any friends in Winnipeg want to do a Jets fan in Philadelphia a real nice favor, I’ll wire out some cash in exchange for a hat. Hint, hint.).
I was discussing this with Chris last night and both of us can’t wait to get a new Jets jersey with MANTHA on the back, which will be proudly worn when the Jets play the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center (SIDERBAR: I did find my old Alexi Zhamnov jersey. While it doesn’t fit exactly how it used to, it still gets the job done).
Tony Tarasco is an Idiot
I love to laugh when people stick their foot in their mouth. Probably because I do it all the time, but never to this level. In an upcoming Sports Illustrated article on Washington Nationals prospect Bryce Harper, Tony Tarasco, Nationals Director of Player Development, made the following comments:
"You have to go back to Jackie Robinson to find anybody who goes through this much scrutiny. It wasn't like this for [Stephen] Strasburg. Wasn't like this for Alex Rodriguez. Now, Jackie Robinson had his life threatened. I'm not comparing Bryce to that. But as far as nonstop scrutiny? Absolutely. Day to day."
Is Tarasco out of his rabid ass mind??? Comparing am 18-year-old phenom to the man who broke the color barrier??? You have to have a touch of the palsy to even consider this.
Let’s see… Robinson faced “nonstop scrutiny” because he was the only black man in a league full of bigots. They didn’t scrutinize Robinson for his playing ability; they scrutinized him for the color of his skin. Aside from death threats he couldn’t stay in the same hotels as his teammates, he was spat upon, and dealt with daily verbal abuse from both his fans and his teammates. In fact how does Tarasco even think of what Robinson went through as “scrutiny”??? What Robinson went through was hate. Those aren’t remotely in the same ballpark; hell, it’s not even the same sport.
While I do not doubt that Harper does face “scrutiny”, it wasn’t the type of “scrutiny” the man who broke baseball’s color barrier faced. Harper’s “scrutiny” is completely brought on by his own actions. He’s an immature kid with a big mouth whose ego is bigger than a perennial All-Star’s because he tore up high school and owned Single-A ball. The reason Strasburg and Rodriguez never faced this “scrutiny” was because they had something Harper lacks (in A-Rod’s case at least while in the minors), it’s called humility.
Maybe Tarasco should quit making excuses for this kid and teach him how to hit a Double-A curve ball.
Back to the Phillies
As I stated earlier the Phillies have been linked to about every potential trade candidate available. The three most often names mentioned are Carlos Beltran, Heath Bell, and Hunter Pence. Like everyone else in the Greater Philadelphia Area, we all have an opinion. Well here’s my take:
I like the idea of Beltran finishing this season in Philadelphia. His offensive talent is the spark the Phillies lineup needs down the stretch and into the playoffs. In saying that, because Beltran is a free agent at the end of the season, he’d be a few month rental. Unless the Phils can get him for a couple mid-level prospects, I’d pass on him. The odds of him re-signing in Philadelphia are slim to none, so to deplete the farm system for a three month stretch is something I can’t stand behind. I want to see my team win, but I don’t subscribe to the theory of mortgaging the future to win now. There has to be a happy medium.
Bell is a top closer in baseball and by acquiring him would put the Phillies bullpen over the top (and if you watched the Giants beat the Phillies in last years NLCS, you know what it means to have a strong bullpen). Similar to Beltran he’s a free agent at the end of the season, so there’s a good chance he would be a three month rental. I would be okay if the Phillies parted with some of their better prospects providing the Phillies were able to sign him to a contract extension. With Brad Lidge (thank god), and Ryan Madson free agents at seasons end, the Phillies will be in the market for a closer; so Bell would be a nice fit (if not, bring back Madson).
Pence is the player I would target. He’s a five-tool stud who is putting up some serious offensive numbers in a lineup that gives him no protection. He also is under team control until 2014, so parting with some quality prospects for him could be good for the Phillies in the long run. Also, I think the Phillies can get him for less than people think. Ed Wade, the Astros General Manager, is a rube. The Phillies have a habit of giving up scraps for quality when trading with the Astros, and because of the past every Phillies fan loves seeing Ed Wade make a dumb move, especially when it helps the Phillies.
I Have SunburnThat is all. It was a random thought…
Return of the NFL
Given it’s the top story on any sports radio station, I suppose I’ll address it (although I wanted to ignore it all together). Overall I’m happy about it the NFL lockout ending. It’s good for the economy, it’s good for lazy Sunday, and it’s great for gambling (be it fantasy football or straight up bookkeeping). As of the time of this writing, not many moves have really happened (at least not as many as the tools at ESPN predicted), so I can’t touch on them but there was one that did leave my head scratching.The sub-.500, but NFC West Champion, Seahawks told Matt Hasselback that they had no interest in re-signing him. Instead they signed two former busts. Tavaris Jackson and Matt Lienart, who will compete for the starting job in training camp.
Let me get this straight… You informed a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback that you no longer wanted his services because you would rather sign two backups and let them duke it out? Seahawks fans, this is why your team can’t win eight games in a season! I’m sure coach Pete Carroll thinks a reunion with Lienart will somehow inspire him to play like days of old when he was at USC, not the strip club loving douchebag he was in Arizona (I might be wrong here, I’m willing to bet he was a strip club loving douchebag at USC too). I don’t see it happening. I see failure in the Pacific Northwest.
NFL Predictions:
Kevin Kolb to Cardinals for Warren Cromartie and a second round pick.
Santono Holmes re-signs with the Jets
Vince Young to Eagles for a third round pick
Kyle Orton to Vikings for a third and fourth round pick
Donovan McNabb to Dolphins for third and fifth round pick
Carson Palmer does not get traded, nor does he retire
Ben Roethlisberger will still be a douchebag
Return of Another Former NHL Star?
This NHL offseason has seen stars from 12 years ago making returns. First a 39-year-old Jaromir Jagr signs a one year deal with the Flyers. Then a 41-year-old Teemu Selanne says he will only play for the Ducks, if not he’ll retire. Now it’s a 38-year-old Alexi Yashin looking to return to the NHL. The rumor is he wants to return to his former team the Islanders.
Is this a friggin’ joke? While Yashin was a good player during his days in Ottawa, there are two distinct differences between Yashin and the other two senior citizens. Both Jagr and Selanne were on a different level then Yashin as they were elite players and Yashin never fulfilled potential, and unlike Jagr and Selanne, Yashin is an asshole.
Yashin wore out his welcome in Ottawa to the point where he sat out an entire season because he didn’t like his contract. Then after joining the Islanders and getting the contract he wanted, his production fell apart. Yashin’s stint with the Islanders got to the point where he played on the fourth line and the Islanders bought out his contract. After returning to Russia, his play or attitude didn’t improve.
So why the hell would the Islanders consider bringing back a player who was a cancer on the team and is still technically being paid by the team (as part of the buyout)? Because the Islanders are one of the poorest run franchises in the NHL. Nothing would make me happier than to see someone who knows how to run a hockey franchise (this has nothing to do with you’re ethnicity Charles Wang), buy the Islanders and relocate the them to Quebec.
NBA Lockout
Since I’ve addressed all the major sports, I figured I’d touch on the NBA lockout. They’re still locked out, players are blindly threatening to play in Europe, and quite frankly, I don’t care.
Vacation
Waking up early, pouring a cup of coffee, sitting on a deck with a cigarette is so peaceful. It’s been my own little piece of serenity this past week. The sea air, the birds chirping, it’s amazing. Everyone needs a week to clear their head and forget about life for a while. I encourage you all to do it. Until next time…
No comments:
Post a Comment