The NFL Coach's Firing Line...Deservedly or Not?

We have reached the end of the 2008 NFL regular season and the talk around the watercoolers, on sports talk radio and between friends and family will center around the upcoming playoffs and who will be the new faces on the sidelines next season. Today, I would like to go through the annual 'head coach firing bloodbath' that has become an end of the season ritual in the NFL.

As a New England Patriots fan, I am proud of the manner in which the team carried itself throughout the season despite all of the injuries and tough, close losses. It highlighted the reason why this organization has been so good for so long. They have coaches that are teachers first; when in that teaching capacity, the players are instructed about situations of every kind so they will not be unprepared for what losing teams would call 'unforeseen'. The players that are drafted or brought in via trades or free agency have high football IQ, put football first and have no problem being a part of a machine rather than be 'the man' (listening, T.O.?). Living in Boston, MA over the years and looking not so much as the wins and losses but the manner in which the organization operates (Spygate, Shmygate), I look at other organizations with an intense amount of scrutiny and can understand why they lose. Another interesting tidbit of information is that they don't beat themselves, setting the record for fewest penalties in NFL history for a 16-game schedule. Please keep in mind that I was a huge Pats fan even back in the early 1990's during the 1-15 and 2-14 years, so believe me when say that I can feel a Lions, Chiefs, Bengals, and Raiders fan's pain.

Gone:

Romeo Crennel (Cleveland Browns): A good man who had to learn the hard way that there is a difference between head coach and coordinator. He was also tied to a General Manager in Phil Savage, who was rightgfully dumped shortly after their season ending 31-0 loss to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Crennel is a great defensive mind, but he was plauged by the issues on the offensive side of the ball. Whether it was the quarterback issues between Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn or the diva-like behavior between receivers Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow and awful free agent signings such as Donte Stallworth (did they get the hint that he wasn't justified in receiving a $35 million contract when Jabar Gaffney beat him out late in 2007 with the Patriots?). Remember folks, there is a reason why Jim Johnson in Philadelphia and Monte Kiffin in Tampa Bay have been coordinators for so long...they know their role.

The defense was competent but they were always on the field due to the ineptitude of the offense; this team did not score an offensive touchdown for final five weeks of the season and was shut out twice. This type of performance on offense is indicative of a team that could not convert third downs and turned the ball over often. My big off-season mistake for them (pre-blog life) was trading Leigh Bodden to the Lions for a 4th round pick before the season. Bodden was a integral part of the defense last season and I figured he deserved a chance to grow in the system; as we all know, you can NEVER have too many good defensive backs in the NFL. Oh yeah, can't forget about paying Shaun Rogers, a notorious career underacheiver, big money to man anchor the defensive line.

The final stake in the proverbial coffin was the stupid and asinine move by Savage to angrily reply to a fan's critical email. There is a level of professionalism expected from a check out counter at a fast food restaurant to the boardroom of a multinational corporation that people in any business capacity are expected to adhere to. In the microscope world of professional sports, Savage should have known better and realized that he, as a figurehead of an NFL would cast a negative shadow on the organization as whole. That alone, if I am an owner gives me due cause to fire him. Lastly, look at how the team finished (all losses): 16-6, 10-6, 28-9, 30-10, 14-0, and 31-0. No coach can survives these results...in the words of of Jim Mora's famous rant 'I don't care who you play...'

Rod Marinelli (Detroit Lions): Hate to see this guy get the hatchet. My co-workers at my old job would notice that I would put Marinelli quotes on my desk cubicle and they would always ask me, 'who is that?' I would feel so proud they didn't know who the author of my hidden gem of football quotes was but now I know they know who he is. Put simply, there is no recovery for going 0-16 in an NFL season. The team played hard, they competed, but they just could not get out of their own way...even when they winning, they would find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The architect of this mess was Matt 'from the booth to GM' Millen, he who drafted wide receivers four drafts in a row in the first round earlier this decade. I really can't say too much about this but that this is the official bottoming out of this franchise. They do however, have the building blocks to turn it around as they did have a solid 2008 NFL Draft, getting a franchise running back and offensive lineman. They also have Calvin Johnson(first round, 2007) who is a superstar in the making...if allowed to.

The Lions demise sits at the foot of the ownership who failed to realize that the organization was was not being run correctly despite the poor records, team chemistry, coaching and attendance. Millen was allowed to hire and fire coaches at a rate that was unfair to the players, particularly on offense. The influx of systems, players and differing terminology, stunted the growth of players they relied on and rendered them useless. The fans were alienated by ownership's obstinatance in staying with Millen and revolted; the anti-Millen websites cropped up by the dozens and this reflected onto the product on the field. This then transformed the Lions into a national media laughingstock. The Lions officially became a bad team when they refused to develop their own quarterback; Jon Kitna and Daunte Culpepper are washed up players who's best days are well behind them, yet they stuck with them. I sat back week after week thinking 'they drafted Drew Stanton in the 2nd round in 2006, why not let him develop? You can go 0-fer the season with him much less Culpepper, while Stanton at least develops.'

Lastly, this organization was woeful at best in personnel decision making. Their best defensive player, Dre' Bly was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2006 for running back Tatum Bell. Guess who was the starting running back for the Broncos yesterday? Tatum Bell. What a waste. They did the right thing in trading wide receiver Roy Williams soon after Millen was disposed of. They gained first and third round picks for him and should be able to parlay these picks into pieces to be added to the new direction for this once proud franchise and deprived fans.

Eric Mangini (New York Jets): Wow, all of the former Patriots coordinators are being fired up today...however, unlike the Crennel move, I firmly believe the Jets made the wrong move here. It all starts with why he was hired in the first place: To be another Belichick. Ownership failed to realize in the aftermath of firing the once named 'Man-genius', two factors that I will touch upon:

1) If Mangini was hired to be the next Belichick, why not give him a better chance to develop than Belichick himself got when he coached the Cleveland Browns back in the 1990's? Three years is not enough time (at least in my opinion) for a coach who took the team to the playoffs in his first season. Granted there was some drop-off in the second year, he still won 9 games this season. I firmly believe that he really did not get the proper amount of time to put his stamp on the team and present a finished product.

2) The organization tied themselves to Mangini based on the free agent shopping spree of 2008, the (now ill-fated) trade of Brett Favre and draft picks over the past three seasons. There is a philosophy that was not allowed to absorb into the players and I think back to 2006 when they made the playoffs how so much trust was earned and put into him. Why pull the plug two seasons after?

*The defensive players will now need to learn a new system and there is no telling how the financial investments made in players such as Kerry Rhodes, Vernon Gholston, David Harris, Bryan Thomas and Kris Jenkins will play out if they are now going to be asked to play a different style or position next season. Alan Faneca, Damien Woody and Brett Favre came with a high cost that will impact the salary cap in a large manner. Laverneus Coles and Chris Baker argued themselves into contract extension in successive years. The team was built to make a run for the trophy, but wilted under the rigors of the late season pressure pot of the AFC East; does the team not deserve a chance to correct the mistakes and make another run?

The biggest dagger in Mangini's fate was Chad Pennington, a player who was under contract whom they let go for nothing during training camp, came back to haunt them in the final week of the season with the playoffs on the line. Favre was brought in to replace Pennington, a player who was about class and character from the start; the players believed in him, but the coaching staff did not. So he goes to the Miami Dolphins and not only wins the AFC East, but he wins it in Giants Stadium in front of Mangini. The Jets clearly miscalculated the value of Pennington as his efficiency, leadership and intangibles cannot be measured by salary caps or depth charts. Conversly with Favre, you will see chance taking, too many mistakes (22 ints this season) and was so selfish, he hindered an entire organization (Packers) from proceeding into the off-season of 2008. Reading the lips of Mangini after yet another Favre interception last evening ('what are we doing?') tells the whole story about whether the quarterback and coach were on the same page.

The money spent by Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum (Christmas tree), will be an issue that will affect their salary cap for years to come; if the Jets make the wrong hire, they will be in last place in the AFC East for a while. This is the reason why they may have been better off keeping Mangini for at least one more season. There may have been concerns about Mangini's personality and how it affected others on the team or within the organization...well, in light of what he did to his long time mentor, (Spygate) character may have been an issue.

Maybe: Herman Edwards (Kansas City Chiefs)

Herman 'Miracle in the Meadowlands' Edwards was thrust into a tough situation when he agreed to coach an aging and rapidly declining team. He had no choice but to rebuild the team and do moderately well through the draft; the positive results in the standings however are missing. With long time General Manager Carl Peterson 'resigning' two weeks ago, there is no protection for Edwards as Peterson brought him in via a trade with the Jets. Ownership has stated that they will let the new GM pick the new head coach in light of the fact that Edwards has one year left on his contract. Ownership is not sure if they want to eat the final year if they do not necessarily have to. There are some good pieces in place for this team as Dwayne Bowe continues to develop, Larry Johnson has a backfield mate in Jamal Charles and Tony Gonzalez is still effective. In addition, they may have accidently found their QB of the future in Tyler Thigpen.

I say Edwards will be gone. There is a need for a culture change on the team and since Edwards was Peterson's guy, it will be the wise choice to begin anew. The players seem to have the skills needed to be successful in a West Coast offense, but we will see.

Maybe: Wade Phillips (Dallas Cowboys):

If a man coaches a team that has a chance to get into the playoffs just by winning one game and lays down against a bitter rival, to the tune of 44-6 nothing is guaranteed. Phillips was given a vote of confidence before the game, but now, nothing is a sure thing. Jerry Jones put together a poisonous collection of personalities in the locker room in hopes of returning to football glory. It amazes me how all of titles Jones won as Cowboys owner came with a certain manner of conducting the program, yet he believes in this new way of acquiring the quest for another championship. However, like Hank Steinbrenner will realize, after his recent free agent superstar spending spree, Jerry Jones is reaping the rewards of playing a collection of individuals against a team. Talent alone gets some wins, but teams excel when times get tough. I believe the laydown job by the players can be attributed to the coaching to some degree, but the balance of the collapse is because of Jones. Jones can take responsibility and hire someone to run the show (and thus step out of the spotlight) or continue to be glory hound like most of the players he brings in and suffer late season losses amid undeserved high expectations. Not many coaches can thrive in this environment.

Maybe: Jim Haslett (St. Louis Rams):

This organization is in deep trouble. The head coach Scott Linehan was fired 5 weeks into the season. The President has recently resigned. The players have written a letter to ownership endorsing interim coach Haslett. Nobody knows who is running things here and the entire organization needs to be revamped from top to bottom. I say he is gone. This team has pretty much bottomed out as well. Running back Stephen Jackson is a bright spot as is rookie wide receiver Donnie Avery. However, there are no defensive players of note that can be mentioned on this team and the quarterback situation must be addressed. It is evident that the organization thinks improvements are in order too; they wrote a letter to the fans on their website: http://www.stlouisrams.com/splash/

Maybe: Marvin Lewis (Cincinnatti Bengals):

Maybe the three game winning streak to end the season saved his job. This team has been beset with injuries and poor personnel decisions from the front office. Bringing back Chris Henry (thus undercutting the coach's authority), signing Cedric Benson, allowing Chad Johnson to bad mouth the organization and still letting him back in the locker room; these things doom organizations. The least the front office can do is give Lewis one more year after all of the bonehead draft picks that gave him (Henry, A.J. Nicholson, Odell Thurman, Reggie McNeal, Jonathan Joseph, and Chris Perry) to rely on. Marvin Lewis stays.

Bubble guys:

-Sean Payton, New Orlean Saints (still can't stop anyone on defense and the offense disappeared at the wrong times of the season)

-Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers (so what he made the playoffs!!)

-Dick Jauron, Buffalo Bills (there may be no other choice as an adequate replacement)

-Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars (victim of front office mistakes that screwed up the chemistry of the team)

-Tom Cable, Oakland Raiders (who else would want to work for Al Davis at this point?)

-John Gruden, Tampa Bay Buccanneers (how long can one's reputation help them keep a job?)

Good Call of the Week: San Francisco 49ers. Hiring Mike Singletary as the head coach. He changed as the team changed around him. Positively. Classic situation where Singletary is a coach that the players will play for...with pride. We'll see how long the honeymoon lasts, but I have a good feeling about this hire.

The NBA's Parody Era Set to Begin...stay tuned

I am just waking up at 2:19am the day after Christmas...man I have learned the age old lesson of not mixing creativity with some really good food. Remember that television I was trying to hook up? Well, I fell asleep...literally knocked out while working on it. However, while in my seafood induced coma, I had come up with some thoughts about the Celtics-Lakers rivalry and asked myself whether these two teams will be in line for a return engagement in the 2009 NBA Finals. I ask this question within the backdrop of a vastly underrated paradigm shift of competitiveness in the National Basketball Association. David Stern should be proud in light of the fact that after years and years of Western Conference dominance and Eastern Conference incompetence, there is certifiable competitive balance prevalent in the league that has not been seen for a long time. Currently, there are more NBA Title contenders than I can count on one hand which is an anomaly.

Throughout my younger years, an NBA fan can look forward to 1 to 3, maybe 4 at most really good teams that can be called true contenders; now we have at least 10 squads that have the depth, coaching and star power to get hot and make a serious sprint towards holding that Larry O'Brien Memorial Trophy in June. In the successive eras of Magic, Bird, Thomas, Jordan, Olajuwon and Shaq and Duncan NBA fans witnessed the pinnacle of the superstar player surrounded by a wealth of talent whether it was upstart superstars or established veterans who basically ran roughshod over the entire league with little to no resistance. If we look at the number of NBA champions going back to 1980, we will see over the years, there are only 8 teams that have won NBA titles...let me clarify that in better terms...in the last 28 years, there have only been 8 organizations who have had the privilege of celebrating a title in June. In no major American professional sport do we see this type of statistic. However, when looking at the statistic, it tells me that winning in the NBA is formulaic and very few organizations have positioned themselves to construct the formula and fined tuned it to be able to withstand the regular season grind and post-season marathon.

The institution of a salary cap, beginning in the 1984-85 season (yep, it goes back that far) was made in order to engender competitive balance and parity within the league. Looking at the title winners before then, one will see the landscape dominated by the Celtics and Lakers, so the league felt showcasing more teams with winning spread among the entire league will lead to increased revenues and expand the brand among a wider demographic. However, the fact that there are so few amounts of different NBA Champions tells me that winning teams are doing things differently whether it be cost effective spending, trading volume for a player who will get them 'over the top' so to speak, drafting better and willing to let good players develop into great ones. I firmly believe if Michael Jordan was born later and drafted into the NBA in the 1990's he would have been traded around more than Chris Gatling. People seldom remember Jordan's first few years in the league were marred with injury, losing and the ability to carry bad teams. How many players suffered through that in the 1990's and were traded?

The losing end of the NBA culture is littered with bust first round picks, fired coaches, unstable ownership and reliance on one player to turn around the fortunes of the team. The current era has seen a wider number of organizations making a commitment to winning on par with NBA Title winners of the past; this is the reason why there are so many good teams right now. Organizations are not only drafting better, they are recognizing their centerpiece player(s) and rather than centralizing everything around them (despite the opposite shown in NBA related merchandising), they surrounding them with a mix of capable veterans and young players that fulfill specific roles on offense and defense. I know it sounds obvious, but that is what those 8 eight winning organizations since 1980 (Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Heat, Pistons, 76ers, Rockets and Bulls) have done, except now it is being done on wider basis. So when I see players like Dwight Howard, Lebron James, Chris Paul and Deron Williams I know that the league is in good hands. These players are supported by organizations who do not expect them to win by themselves and also are willing to spend to place a group of players around them that will extract the best from it's superstar investment. Ultimately, I believe the influx of such multi-faceted and talented players will lead to more teams winning titles in the NBA over the next 10-15 seasons. This of course could change if the teams they currently are on mismanage finances and field poor supporting casts; of course this will lead to some the young superstars jumping ship to a traditional contender, ala Shaq leaving Orlando for L.A.

With the recent resurgence of the Boston Celtics to the forefront of the NBA landscape, it is easy to look at the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen adding these future Hall of Fame players to a roster featuring another potential HOF'er Paul Pierce and overlook the development of future star, Rajon Rondo. The Celtics have done a great job of drafting over the past few seasons and with a young roster, notably excepting the aforementioned players, they are quietly building group of battle tested players that could potentially bridge them into a successful future of the organization. In the 1980's, 90's and going into the current century, teams were content to spend their way to a title (never worked, ask Timberwolves, Hornets, Knicks and Suns); or just purposely thrown really crappy teams on the floor with hopes of drafting the future superstar that could change their fortunes. Sometimes it works (Cavaliers in 2003 is the most modern sabotage example) and sometimes it doesn't (Clippers in 1998, Celtics in 1997 and 2007).

The rise in the salary cap underscores how critical teams must manage their finances and since the contracts are guaranteed, if a player is signed to a mega-deal and does not pan out, the team is stuck with the contract. The teams are then forced to trade the contract (not the player as much) to get it off their salary cap and be able to spend freely again. To the left you will see a diagram of the growth of the NBA salary cap over the years. It has grown with the economy as we can see. *Shout out to wikimedia for the image.

The salary cap is not a hindrance to keeping teams together, but it can be if the organization commits itself to spending freely without the right mix of personalities, poor coaching or a lack of an organizational commitment to a firm plan of where the team will be in the short and long term. It is easy to draft a player with superstar potential, but if he is placed in a situation where he or the coaching staff is not able to maximize his talents, the team will not succeed (Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets). It costs far more to rebuild past mistakes than it is recognize trends and adjust on the fly. As we can see, with the recent spate of coaches being fired, the teams are obviously concerned with winning and putting people in the seats. However, if a team drafted a player, signed free agents and made trades with the coach's system in mind, what happens when he is fired? For one, the coach is paid the balance of his contract and then the team has to pay an interim coach. Who knows if his new system or method will maximize the ability of the roster? If not, the players get disgruntled, tune him out and before ownership knows it, they have to sell off the assets to begin anew. In other words, a team that does this (listening Clippers and 76ers?) will continue to be in the NBA Draft Lottery and stay in 'rebuilding mode' while the teams that are committed to a players and have a plan of competing with them in mind will add to the list of NBA titlist teams in the future.


To wrap this up, I am excited for the NBA for the first time in quite a while; I cannot predict who will be the champion this year as there are so many upstart teams that can get hot and go on a run towards the NBA Finals. Here is my first annual 'Look to the Future but It Can Be Now' list (4):


Cleveland Cavaliers
Atlanta Hawks
Portland Trailblazers
Orlando Magic

*All of them have this in common: 6 years ago, they all were very bad teams. Unstable ownership, behavioral issues among the players and rosters constantly being turnover. These teams drafted well (not to hard to do when you are always in the top 3), recognized their franchise player, hired coaches with winning pedigrees (African American head coaches, NCAA athletic directors out there who may be reading this) and planned future drafts, trades and free agent additions with an eye towards making the franchise player(s) better. We will see what happens with these teams over the next few years but it is encouraging to see parody (well, relative to what we are used to seeing) in the NBA.


*By the way, the television still doesn't work.

Commercial Christmas In L.A.

Happy Holidays to readers, non-readers and soon to be readers. I hope you and your families are enjoying the season of good food, free gifts, and fun yet perilous travel. I have just finished a horribly failed attempt to move a television into my mother's living room and get the cable hooked up...min-electrical shocks, tears and fists slamming on the well cushioned carpet floor.

We are officially at halftime in Los Angeles with the Boston Celtics trailing the Los Angeles Lakers by a score of 51-45. One of the things I notice early is the officiating; there are not many calls as the players are being allowed to bang and be physical, which is a good thing. The Celtics, who regularly get to the free throw line with high frequency have only taken two free throws in the first half (both with 12.5 seconds left in the second quarter). Secondly, I notice the incessant commericals. How many full, ahem, commercial timeouts are needed? The amount of timeouts called in the first half are the exact opposite of how the coaches coach.

The constant T-Mobile 'Fav-Five' references brought into any conversation between commentators or in studio analysts...sheesh. I have T-Mobile for service, but I am wondering how the NBA feels the Gorilla Marketing that takes place on all NBA/ABC telecasts works to draw people to change their service...I am of the opinion that adults are well set in their ways when it comes to cell service so the only other demographic left to market are the young'uns who have yet to enter in the cell phone market. I am not sure if it works but they apply the pressure well along with cross referencing Disney movies by using the tired old strategy of speaking to the star of the said movie who coincidentally happens to be sitting courtside (tell me that ticket was not provided by the good ol' folks at ABC). It's good to see that there is no holiday for for marketing strategies to absorb money from people whether they are struggling economically or not.

That is my halftime rant. For those who wonder where this is coming from, I have no television and this is my first...that's right, first NBA game being watched since the Finals in June. As for analysis, the Lakers are putting up quite the battle, but the Celtics are battle tested. At the start of the second half, the Celtics are trying to throw the game away, but the Lakers will not allow it. By the way, am I the only one who noticed after a courtside 'NBA Christmas on ABC/NBA' rap by a well known hip artist and overhyped media figure, Snoop Dogg who makes no secret about his gang affiliations, he threw up what appeared to be a gang sign? (sign shown below by hip hop recording artist, Jim Jones) Snoop and Jones are from rival factions, but the hand sign was similar to what Jones is displaying. I am not writing this to gossip; this is interesting as ABC, the 'family network' allowed that to be shown. I am waiting for the media backlash on that one, especially in light of the Paul Pierce playoff bruhaha last season. Stay tuned and if you hear about it on the radio or see it on televison, remember where you heard it first.

I will check in later with a full NBA article.

Mark Teixeira & New York Yankees---The Soothsayer Liveth

I've tried to keep this to myself as I never wanted to be a columnist that blew his own horn or write the proverbial 'I told you so' type of article. But what the heck...I'm new to this and have an excuse for not knowing any better. Something interesting happened today in the sports world today... Major League Baseball (MLB) free agent, Mark Teixeira inked an 8 year, $180 million contract with the New York Yankees. Teixeira was highly coveted by numerous teams including the Yankees' main rival, the Boston Red Sox. However, the signing ended up coming down to the type of culture and environment the player wanted to surround himself with and based on his choices, I can see why.

In Boston, Anaheim (Angels), Washington, D.C. (Nationals) or in Baltimore (Orioles), he would be greeted with rabid fans and an easily impressed sports media waiting to exalt him as the player that could single handedly turn around the franchise or be a bridge to further future success. In New York, everyone in the office/clubhouse is 'the man' and if the team struggles blame can be deflected without him even saying anything or pointing fingers. Granted the media is harsh, but who do they attack when the guy who sits next to Teixiera has a larger contract than he? If the team wins, then he becomes another in a long list of players in pin-stripes that won a World Series Title. Conversely, being the shark in a sea full of tuna such are the environments of Boston, D.C., Baltimore and Anaheim he cannot hide if he struggles to justify his exorbitant salary; many a player have wilted under such heavy expectations.

Enough of the analysis...down to the soothsaying and personal back-patting and ball washing. I wrote a blog last week on some sports website, and that blog prompted me to begin my own blog endeavor. The Yankees at the time were in the background watching what other suitors were offering Teixiera and there were reports that they were willing to go up to $200 million or more over 8, 9 or 10 years. Here is my response:

'This is definitely a ploy to drive the price up on the Red Sox. And if they succeed in doing so, they will be able to get him. HOWEVER....have they not learned from the post World Series Dynasty they had? What happened to bringing in modest veterans, mixing in ONE or TWO superstars and have loaded pitching? Instead, they have continued to put together a traveling All Star team that isn't a team...remember the old saying, 20 players in twenty taxis after the game? This is what they create. It seems as if they want a corporate culture in a sports locker-room...it is TOO uptight for athletes who play for fun as much as for the money. When one supersedes the other, you don't win. I can understand now why A-Rod doesn't perform when it counts; the game is no longer fun for him.'

And I continue...

'It's a shame to see organizations try to 're-live the old days' by having a 'Murderers Row'. They seem to forget that it was those championships they won back in the 90's and early 2000's that built this new stadium, not the overpriced, underwhelming collection of prima-donas they have made a company-wide mission of fielding for the past few years. Get Paul O'Neil, Scott Brosius, or Wade Boggs type players...guys who have suffered for years on crappy teams but still performed. Players like that bring you rings, not the guys who come at the highest price.'

Now...I hate to piggy back on some of the big boys of sports media, but after Teixiera signed his contract today, Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins wrote in his article titled "Corporate' Teixeira has the temperament of a natural Yankee". Please read the comments below:

'The caricature of the New York Yankees, drawn by the legions who resent them, is that they are 25 bat-wielding CEOs, dressed in button-down shirts and pinstriped suits, carrying Blackberrys and briefcases into a clubhouse that could double as a board room. They are clean-shaven, image-conscious, supremely wealthy and not a whole lot of fun.'

'Mark Teixeira will fit right into the caricature. Teammates joke that they have never seen him with a five-o-clock shadow, an un-tucked shirt, a hair out of place. One general manager describes him as "corporate" and "businesslike." Teixiera describes himself as "obsessive compulsive." Scott Boras, his agent, says Teixeira has "the make-up of a CEO." Some may be turned off that Teixeira does not often hang around the clubhouse after games, pounding beers and telling stories. But the Yankees, who pride themselves on their professional work environment, will not mind.'

My only point of contention is that I do not resent the Yankees. If a team has the money, by all means spend it. However, if things do not turn out as they want, i.e. a dominating 125-win season complete with a World Series, the ownership should not be pointing the players, but the men in the mirror. Secondly, it may be a good idea to check into my blog every now and again as I believe I have a good pulse on the sports industry and the thoughts of media pundits and fans. As for the Yankees prospects this upcoming season, I am not sure how that will go. I firmly believe that you cannot hit your way to a title. A team needs clutch pitching that is battle tested and mentally strong. Looking up and down their roster, I see less and less of these types of players as the years go by. I see hired guns who've been on bad teams but never lifted those teams. Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez were teammates on horrible Texas Rangers teams. C.C. Sabathia, although a recent Cy Young Award winner, can't win big games against good teams (go ahead and look up the record). A.J. Burnett for the second time in his career turned in his statistically best season during the last year of his contract.

The bottom line is you do not win with players like this; they may win some games, but against tight knit teams of lesser talent, but more heart such as the Rays of last year, the Red Sox of '04 or the Tigers of '06, they will struggle. In the past, ownership thrust players like this on classy former manager Joe Torre in the latter dynasty years and he assumed the blame for their shortcomings even when he kept them competitive despite their incompetence. Imagine what happens when these guys clash with the confrontational second year manager Joe Girardi. Good luck.

New England Patriots: Brady's Cassel to Lose?

After such a fun filled week of NFL football complete with no shows by teams who should be prepping for the playoffs (Jets(thanks), Cardinals, Vikings and Eagles) and enough playoff intrigue build up to keep the casual fan interested in the outcome of the games during the last week of the season. I reside in Houston, TX right now and my apartment complex is a 5 minute walk from the front door of Reliant Stadium, yet I have no interest in the Texans...I can't call it...is it because I am a Northeast guy? a Patriot apologist (sort of at least)? I think it stems from the fact that the team never gave their first ever draft pick David Carr, a chance to be successful. As the first face of a new franchise in a city starving for pro-football, I thought Carr would at least warrant competent protection and weapons rather than suffer hit after hit until he became shell shocked, i.e. a QB that expects to be hit so much that he cannot focus on the play in front of him. As a result, the Texans released Carr and shipped second round picks of the 2007 and 2008 NFL Draft plus a swap of 2007 first round picks to the Atlanta Falcons in order to acquire a seldom used back up, Matt Schaub and then signed him to a six year $48 million contract. All of this for a player who had not yet started an entire season. It has not yet been determined if Schaub is a success, but time will tell. Schaub has had injury issues which have prevented him from playing a full regular season, but when he does play, he is effective. This did not stop the fans clamoring for Sage Rosenfels to be the starter whenever he played well in relief or in place of Schaub. At any rate, the Texans will again miss the playoffs in 2008. (no pun intended)

The quarterback situation with the Texans got me thinking about quarterback controversies that are on going in the league right now. One controversy of note has shaped up into a game with heavy playoff implicatons as the Miami Dolphins travel to the Meadowlands to face the N.Y. Jets this weekend. Not only do both teams have playoff berths on the line, it is the return of Chad Pennington to Giants Stadium where he played for the Jets for parts of eight seasons. Why is this significant? Well, he was released by the Jets earlier this year in order to allow them to sign Brett Favre. Jets fans are going crazy over this as Pennington has gone to the 'Fins and put up MVP-like numbers while the man who was supposed to put the Jets over the top in Favre, has struggled mightly all season long. Tavaris Jackson of the Minnesota Vikings had early season struggles before being benched, but it was thought he turned the corner when Gus Frerotte went out three weeks ago with an injury. He has played well, and Jackson led them to two big wins, but after last weeks loss to the Falcons, will the coaching staff turn the duties back over to Gus for that final playoff push? My final QB controversy thought and subject of this article, is currently brewing in the Boston area. Although it is not something that will impact the current season, it WILL dominate the early months of 2009. This is the unique issue the New England Patriots will have to address when discussing their quarterback of the future: Tom Brady or Matt Cassel.

What does a business do when they have an older, yet effective employee that has spurred tremendous growth of the business, bringing it industry-wide respect that is physically prevented from continuing his job? What if the older guy had trained and brought along a younger, albeit less experienced employee who performed more than ably in the older employee's place? What if the business sits in the middle of an economic downturn for the entire country and costs of running the business are a major concern? Is the business sure the younger guy not only continue the course of the business but also grow it? Or is the business better off with steady, well experienced and established hand that ensured success in the past? Sorry for all of the questions, but these are some of the questions posed to the New England Patriots braintrust during the rapidly approaching off season. Tom Brady is the unquestioned face of the franchise that has enamoured football and pop culture fans alike. He has been the consummate teammate (well, according to what I've read or heard), making concessions in salary numerous time in order for the organization to afford putting top talent around him. Brady was an unheralded 6th round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and he had the unenviable task of replacing a well known and respected veteran QB, Drew Bledsoe, who at the time was in decline and injured via the infamous Mo Lewis hit on the sideline while running for a first down. Brady siezed the opportunity and made the job his, leading the Patriots to their only Super Bowl victory in 2001; over the following 4 seasons, 2 more Super Bowls were won and Brady cemented himself as an NFL legend being the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl (succeeded by Ben Rothlesberger in 2005) and in the company of several great QBs who've won 3 Super Bowls. The resume is impressive to say the least. He added to his list of accomplishments last season by passing for 50 touchdowns and leading the 2007 Patriots to an undefeated regular season. Yes, I know...stop sweating Brady right? Well, the fairy tale of my story ends here.

In the opening minutes of the 2008 regular season, Brady's MCL(medial collateral ligament) and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his left knee were severely injured. Seldom used back up and 2005 7th round draft pick Matt Cassel took over. What has transpired since then casts more than a shadow of doubt over Brady's future with the team. In comparing the stats for both players in their first season as starters the numbers are eerily similar:

*Cassel: Completed 63.8 percent of his passes, 3,270 yards, 18 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a QB rating of 87.1 (so far)

*Brady: Completed 63.9 percent of his passes, 2,843 yards, 18 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 86.5 rating.

Now just because they are similar does not mean that Cassel is the next Brady; however on the business side of things, if I am Cassel's agent, that is my best weapon in order to procure the best deal possible for my client. There are several factors that work in Cassel's favor: 1) he is an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the season, so he may be able to break the bank, 2) who knows how Brady will react to the surgery and whether the knee will hold up and being that the Patriots have committed so much money to him, how will this affect his status? 3) the new CBA(Collective Bargaining Agreement) between the Players Association and the owners is due to expire following the 2009 season.

Lets hit on factor #1, Cassel can pretty much name his own price as there are a bevvy of sub-par (at best) teams in the NFL right now. Or he will make some serious money in the short term if the Patriots slap the franchise tag on him (average of the top 5 salaries at his position) perhaps even a long term deal if a team comes along and signs him to a long term contract commensurate with the top quarterbacks in the league. He is in a win-win situation financially here. Factor #2 plays significantly in his future; Brady is a high paid player coming off of an injury that more often than not ruins careers in any sport, much less football. If he is not progressing as well as the organization thinks he should, there is a chance, the Patriots will sign Cassel to a long term or short term deal and have him compete with Brady for the top spot for 2009. Now, that is waaaaaay out there, but it is a possibility. Another (and most likley) possibility is that the Patriots let him walk and he goes on to another team after signing a crazy contract. Remember, the Patriots spent a 3rd round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft on rookie QB Kevin O'Connell and could potentially be in line to receive a compensatory 3rd round draft pick in 2010 for Cassel walking. Factor #3: With the new CBA looming many teams are signing their main guys long term in order to prevent them hitting the market during a potentially un-capped salary cap season in 2010. Cassel could easily take respectable money for 2009 and completely bust the market out its seams by signing an uncapped contract with another team in 2010. If I am his agent, maybe sticking with the Patriots for one more year is not that bad of a deal. However, our microwave, instant gratification society may not not allow this.

The Patriots may have information that Brady is progressing well from his injury, but lets be realistic; this is a two year injury. Players generally are not able to gain the explosion they had prior to the injury until at least two years after it ocurred. Carson Palmer, quarterback of the Cincinnatti Bengals took about that same amount of time in order to return to his old self (and same old Bungles). It could be in the Patriots' best interests to make sure an experienced QB that knows their system and has performed well in, be on hand if needed at least until O'Connell is ready to assume the primary back up duties. Brady also had the injury at the worst time as he is scheduled to become a free agent in 2010, that's right, you guessed it...the uncapped year. He has no choice but to come back and be effective...well he actually can leave the game and be Gisele's gopher if he wanted to. The Patriots may seem to be in tough position, but if they manage it right, they can walk away with a quality, in-house trained quarterback either way they turn along with draft picks. Patriots fans are divided as to who the QB or the future for the Patriots should be especially given the eery manner in which Brady, and now Cassel assumed their starting position: by replacing a respected player who was felled by an injury.

So even if you hate the Patriots, this situation bears watching. It carries implications that will affect many players and organizations in light of the salary cap for 2009 and the potentially uncapped year of 2010. Cassel can be constricted by the market in 2009 or be unrestrained in 2010...you do the math.

WWE: Wrestling with Labor Issues

One of my very few (but soon to be many) readers asked me why did I start a sports blog to write about professional wrestling; they actually questioned my logic in even considering addressing this 'sport' on this medium. I responded by pointing out may of the performers ARE indeed athletes; many are former football and basketball players. Some are former Olympic athletes, bodybuilders and children of pro wrestlers who grew up behind the scenes of this unique industry. Secondly, these individuals are bound by contracts, performance clauses and get injured, which in themselves constitute the same status of any professional athlete in any sport. They also have something most of us have in common: they make more money than many of us. However, this is purely theoretical as opposed to C.C. Sabathia who was reported to have pocketed $9.5 million just for signing his recent free agent contract with the New York Yankees...please read on so I can elaborate.

I was looking at old Youtube.com videos of wrestling from the old days, reflecting on my youth and decided to look into the business of pro wrestling; when I was younger back when Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were ruling the roost as the top drawers in the industry, I actually thought it was a real sport, complete with legitimate beefs, titles, agendas and in-match injuries. As I got older, I wanted to know what the life a pro wrestler was OUTSIDE of the ring. Do they really ride in limos and fly in private jets? Do they lay up with super models and have tailor made suits made of silk? Do they say their prayers and take their vitamins, thus enuring another hard fought victory? Well, now that I have the time to look into that aspect, I can explore and write about it.

One thing that I did not know up until at least 72 hours ago is that pro wrestlers are entitled to little to no protection against injury as they are not employees of the various (and dwindling) wrestling promotions. They are considered 'independent contractors' who are not provided with W-2's for tax filing or given medical, dental or life insurance. They are paid weekly and if they are legitimately injured, it is up to them to foot the bill for getting better. Granted they are paid moderately well, are in the public spotlight and pretty much can use pro wrestling as a springboard into other endeavors, I thought this to be rather odd. In the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) for instance, the wrestlers are required to license themselves in the areas where they are to perform and if they need help, the WWE will charge them for assistance in doing so. In looking at the industry from my old perspective, I thought it was more like a team traveling from town to town where the company had a roster of paid employees who were taken care of, but now I look at the industry sort of like a circus where if the Elephant is injured and cannot stand on it's hind legs (compete) within 6 weeks of the injury, the boss reserves the right to put them to sleep (or in WWE's case, to terminate the contract). Some of the performers are provided perks such as first class plane tickets, hotel accommodations, and a certain percentage of the merchandise sales bearing their images. However, if I am a lay wrestler that has not yet made a name for myself in the business or generated a buzz with a fancy tag line or gimmick (which if developed while in WWE, belongs to them), not only do I pay for my transportation, I pay for living expenses, insurance, licenses, a place to live and other miscellaneous expenses...not exactly the most glamorous life huh?

As far as injuries are concerned, these athletes live a life that ensures that there are numerous high risks for injury; in order to entertain the fans, the performers take what are called 'bumps' whether it be falling from high altitudes, getting hit with tables, ladders or chairs. In order to recover from injuries that are the result of these risks, wrestlers eventually turn to performance enhancing substances in order to recover from the injuries so they can keep working. This is something that is a culture in the industry of pro-wrestling as a performer can be one missed event away from not being to feed their family or take care of themselves. Of course we know the downside of using steroids, cocaine and painkillers as they played roles in the deaths of numerous wrestlers. Once again, this is not something done by the WWE, but an inherent culture in the industry itself.

I apologize for digressing, as I wanted to really put emphasis on the injury side of the business and how razor thin the margin of error is for some performers; I can now see why if someone has slipped a disc in their back after falling 15 feet onto a thinly padded mat would take Vicodin or Percocet rather than go to a doctor and take time off to rehab the injury. I also can see that when is living on the road over 300 days per year, one can develop some some dangerous 'off the job' habits such as illicit drug use and alcoholism.

Scott Levy, better known as 'Johnny Polo' or 'Raven' in the 'sports entertainment' industry along with two other wrestlers are bringing suit against the WWE in regards to their status as 'independent contractors'. In their 'booking contracts' there are numerous clauses in them that have to do with elements an employer would ask an employee to do such as: a training regimen, how physically fit they are to be, and behavioral clauses. All of this, plus asking one to be one the road a majority of the year, not entitled to workman's compensation, health insurance, life insurance or accidental death insurance. This is something that is demanded of them even when not working for the WWE (for instance a house for a small regional brand). Wow. It has not been revealed what Levy or the other plaintiffs are seeking in damages, but it makes for a good case to examine. To be totally honest, now that I am looking at wrestling differently, I can see why performers can be looked upon as disposable. The promoter has no ties to them at all except paying for the performance or taking credit for 'developing' their character. In the late 1990's, a slew of older wrestlers left what was then called the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) and went to WCW(World Championship Wrestling) not because they wanted to stick it to Vince McMahon, but because they were offered guaranteed contracts and a lighter workload...that's it. Now that McMahon has virtually monopolized the industry since the acquisition of WCW in 2001, performers are relegated to the independent circuit where their situation can be tenuous at best or go to another company called TNA (Total Non-Stop Action) where all of the older performers are residing now. Once again the same conditions will more than likely apply for many wrestlers; the contract can be terminated at will by the promoter.

The bottom line is this: I never in my wildest dreams would have thought the life of a pro wrestler would be so difficult. The promoters do a great job of dressing up a hard, ugly industry and making it palatable for public consumption. It makes me think deeper about the business when I watch the older matches from my youth...'was he injured when he fell like that?' or 'what is his/her life like when the cheers stop, the lights go out and there is no more money?' 'How does this lifestyle affect wives and children?' On the other end, to be fair, what is a promoter to do in a case where he has assets that can be seriously debilitated at any moment? The wrestlers have no union so everyone is pretty much in it for their own well being for the most part. In the NFL, there is a similarity in that an individual can lose the ability to play in a matter of seconds and the team still has the right to terminate a contract if it is felt a player is not playing well enough; the risk doesn't warrant a total commitment. If there was a total commitment by owners in these high risk sports, the league would be subject to financial difficulty by paying for all of the injuries, especially after a career is finished; and this is why I cannot wait for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement in the NFL between owners and players. The players are guaranteed signing bonuses even though the rest of the their contract isn't; so the players are not walking away from the negotiation table with nothing in hand. I am not YET well versed in labor law, so I cannot really get into the nuts and bolts of this but I can say at least the NFL has a a union and pension fund complete with a drug prescription plan, albeit a grossly underfunded one. Do the wrestlers deserve a similar structure based on the demands placed upon them to entertain us?

I will try to keep an ongoing update in regards to the goings on of Levy's case as the WWE is preparing a motion for summary judgement. I will post any new information as I receive it.

How to Blow $200 Million and Live to Fight Another Day

I am not sure if it is on heavy rotation in the sports world, but Evander Holyfield, yes THAT Evander Holyfield is back in the boxing ring...again. This time he is facing a sideshow like freak of a man by the name of Nikolai Valuev for the WBA Heavyweight Championship of the World this Saturday in of all places, Zurich, Switzerland. Now, many pundits have put their pen to this issue and lambasted Holyfield as it seems he is just another in a long line of pro athletes who just don't know how to go away. If we were to place a 'reasonable man' in his position, I am willing to wager that he would have flown the coop with loot, cashed out of all debt and is quietly living off of the interest is some non-extradition country of their choice. I know that sounds far fetched, but I had to write on this as I am still trying to fathom how one can blow throw over $200 million; Holyfield made $34 million alone in ONE night's work against Mike Tyson!!

I am not sure if anyone remembers a movie by the name of 'Brewster's Millions'. Richard Pryor starred alongside John Candy as a washed up lower level pitcher for some minor league team. His great uncle or other rich relative type died and left him $30 million with the condition that he spend it all in 1 month and have no assets at that time; if successful, he would get $300 million. If want more details, go see the film...in the movie, the character STRUGGLED to blow $30 million in a month...a fictional person in Hollywood script...how in the world is Evander Holyfield's home in foreclosure? Why has he coined same tag-line most broke athletes used when not paying attention to their money while living in a 'American Dream' haze? 'I trusted people around me and I was robbed'...The simple fact of the matter is that it SHOULD be impossible to blow $30 million, much less $200 million; but let us look at the factors abound that would lead a 46 year old man to continue fighting. Is it the 11 children he has? I don't think so; I know that child support can be a major constraint on one's cash flow, but $200 million? I doubt it. Let's see, he is still under investigation for receiving HGH (human growth hormone) by mail; but even Jose Canseco or Hulk Hogan cannot run through $200 million worth of chemical performance enhancers.

Most of the money (that's just purse money, not the Burger King money or Sega's 'Real Deal Boxing' money) was probably tied up in shady 'get richer quick' schemes and excessive living. I can see why one would want to live in a huge house, but let's be for real...if one is in foreclosure, that means one has a loan against the property and if one has a loan, they don't own. Is it possible that he surrounded himself with items and property that he did not own or intend to own? We all know that the with loans, rates change and as rates change and fights (in his case) become more sparse, and endorsers no longer showing interest, there is nothing but drain going on...likewise in excess. He probably had a lawyer on retainer 24 hrs a day and wanted live off the sweat of his toil that broke his face, battered his body and took a piece of his ear (thanks, Mike). One thing I believe athletes do not prepare for is this type of dilemma...you leave the game or the game passes you by and they are sitting virtually in the same mental condition (or worse) that the got into it with. They did not become savvy and invest in themselves, who is the real cash cow in life. Now image if he got his BA/BS or Graduate Degree, imagine if he paid for media training and became a student of the game so much so that he would be a part of the broadcast team covering some washed up fighter looking for a quick buck rather than being the washed up fighter.

The official bottoming out for an athlete of this kind is when they sell the very items that brought them so much fame, money and glory. The stubbornness to not move out of the compound and into a relatively modest, yet very high end condo was not an option. Getting rid of the 7 sports cars and jewelry was out of the question. This type of logic only leads to all of the 'Golden Gloves' trophies and other memorabilia that was meant for him to look back on with pride and accomplishment being on eBay, some nut with real money can brag and boast about how 'Evander and me were so tight he gave me his Golden Gloves trophy from 1985'. We need not go any further in that discussion when we look at the downfall of OJ Simpson, who needed money, which led to the failed attempt to re-acquire and sell his old football memorabilia which has landed him in prison. I wish 'Real Deal' the best, but George Foreman has already written this story with a happy ending (cooking salmon on my grille as we speak); sadly many other athletes travel this slippery slope in a quest to maintain an impossible lifestyle. When you are finished reading this, please provide a list of athletes and entertainers who have lived so fast and rich but have bottomed out due to a depressing life of excess; gives more significance to the term 'disposable money'. On a side-note, look up the fighter Holyfield is facing...what a monster...literally. I hope he gets a GEICO endorsement deal if he wins...no make up needed.

Franchise Tag Discussion---What is Haynes Worth?

Today was very interesting in that I had an opportunity to see Downtown Houston, TX and I have to say I am impressed! The only thing that throws me off is that I am so used to my Boston jaywalking days, I actually felt weird leaving others on the edge of the crosswalk when I saw no traffic heading our direction. If you ask me, screw the lights, if you have time and space to make a move, make it...that is how we do walking or driving in merry ol' Boston. BTW, quick solicitation...I need a job folks...I'm starving right now and the federal loan $ is drying up. If there is anyone willing to pay me up to $20/hr to sit and write these articles, watch football, sleep, talk on the phone (minutes paid for up front of course), study or challenge some of the knuckle-headed Houston drivers on the road...you already know.

As for the interesting world of sports, I was looking around on the Internet and one thing struck me...how Albert Haynesworth is the luckiest man this side of Lee Majors. I mean this guy had at least 1,000 lbs fall on his knee and all he has is a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL). When I first saw the injury, I know his agent was screaming DAMN!!!!! For those who do not know, Haynesworth is one of the more dominant defensive tackles in the NFL and was a mid- season candidate for NFL MVP. He has seemingly come a long way from the Andre Garoude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5nlEA8BUTQ stomp-out a couple of seasons back and put himself in line for a huge contract once he hit unrestricted free agency. His current team, the Tennessee Titans decided to hang onto him last season, placing the 'franchise tag' on him, which is a one year deal, salary all guaranteed and amounting to the average salary of the top 5 players at his position in the league or 120% of his previous year's salary, whichever one is higher. However, the major risk in a deal of this sort is that there is no long term commitment from the team and if the player's value slips during the subsequent season, he will make considerably less on the open market or be forced to sign back to his original team at a significant discount.

Now say if Haynesworth suffered a Tom Brady-like injury where the not only the MCL is blown out, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is destroyed as well, imagine the free fall in his value for the next season. He would not have the protection of a long term commitment from his existing team AND no other team would be willing to make such a risky investment over the long term. This is the dilemma players in the NFL face when they sign are tagged and sign the 'franchise' agreement. In Albert's case, I know his career flashed in front of his eyes as he made the changes in his on field behavior, rebounding from a heinous act in stomping out a fellow player (cleats to his face) and was able to rehabilitate his image to the point where his team was willing to make a large investment in him.

In signing the franchise agreement, Albert was investing in himself; a good season gets you good money, a bad season gets you decent money and a superb season lets the player set the market standard. The tag's essential purpose is to get the player to the negotiating table without the interference of other teams; if a team wants the player they must give up not one, but two future first round picks. In many cases, the player and the team come to an agreement as Lance Briggs and the Chicago Bears did last season where the team agrees to not place the tag on the player again if he agrees to play under the tag. I have two examples of this; one past and the other in the present. In 2007, New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel (who garnered a Briggs-like agreement) played under the 'franchise' tag and proceeded to have one of the best seasons of his career on a record setting team. The Patriots attempted to make an offer, but after a great season and not being able to hammer out a long term contractual commitment, Samuel decided to let the market dictate what he was worth rather than the Patriots. He was worth $57 million over 6 years to the Philadelphia Eagles. Presently Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomghua is playing under the 'franchise' tag and seems set to rake in a big haul in free agency.

However, the Raiders do reserve the right to tag Asomoghua again this off-season; this is something not unprecedented as Seattle Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones played under the tag for three consecutive seasons (2002-2004) was lucky enough to stay healthy and cash in when the team believed they could make a long term commitment without suffering negative salary cap ramifications. However, Asomghua has several things working for him: 1) he is an elite player that has not slipped during this season in performance, so he will match or exceed the market at his position, 2) the Raiders are notorious for overvaluing players on OTHER teams and undervaluing the players they do have, 3) he can always hold out until he is traded, which the Raiders would do (hopefully not for a 4th round pick in the draft ala Randy Moss) and finally, 4) the team may be better off letting him go as the organization needs a top to bottom philosophical shift in approaching football operations.

I for one am glad Albert Haynesworth will be okay and he will be able to reap the benefits of another 'franchise' tag (which I know he will probably not do), strike a deal with the Titans at market value or blow out the market when he hits unrestricted free agency. The franchise tag in my estimation works well for both sides (player and team) as the team is forced to put up a lions share of guaranteed money that counts against the salary cap (which can inhibit them from signing players they need to be competitive) and the player assumes the risk of injury and poor performance...classic benefit detriment as I have learned in law school. Imagine if it is all positive and it works out with the team being successful, the player can get his money and the team can attract prime free agents from other teams. This a classic situation in which the Titans and Haynesworth are in now; get well big man and get paid.

The Price of Winning

Hello readers, bloggers, internet hacks and casual browsers. I am sitting here in my empty apartment after the hardest academic exercise of my life writing about sports, that's right sports. My friends tell me that I have better things to do such as get a job, go to the bar or whatever now that I am 'free' from my law school constraints. However, as we all know, no matter how liberated one may feel, they are never truly free. What is free though is some of my insight on the the world of professional sports. I hope you enjoy reading my postings as much as I enjoy writing them. So....

I have been stuck in books, studied through a hurricane and worked insane nights waiting for the opportunity to give my take on the sports world that I have not been a part of for at least 4 months. One of things that has been stuck on my mind doesn't have to do with batting averages, yards per carry, penalty minutes or assist to turnover ratio. It has to do with the recently declared recession in the United States and how it is and will affect not only the economics of the professional and ameatur sports we enjoy, but also the jobs of the people who are directly involved in the industry whether it be the sausage vendor, ticket scalper, equipment manager, coach or Vice President of an organization. I have seen owners of teams so vastly affected by the ever-shrinking bottom line, that the general managers, coaches and players they employ have shorter leashes than in the past and there is no longer patience for team to get better over a series of seasons whether they be up or down. If an owner (or school, as we shall see) is hemorraging money, the only way to conceivably break even, is to put immense pressure on the people they employ to win NOW. The days of hiring a coach and giving him 3 years to turn around a program are becoming a thing of the past. Barry Melrose of the Tampa Bay Lightning lasted mere weeks before given his walking papers. Owners who are facing serious financial peril need a product that the fans, sponsors, local and national media can embrace as it will equal more merchandising opportunities and then in turn, increased gate attendance at games (especially if one put up tons of cash to finance the building of a state of the art arena or stadium). The NBA has already featured 5 coaching changes within the the opening stages of the 2008-09 season; Washington's Eddie Jordan, Oklahoma City's P.J. Carlisimo, Sacramento's Reggie Theus, Minnesota's Randy Wittman and Philadelphia's Maurice Cheeks have been handed the ol' pink slip by their employers within the past three weeks and we have not even reached the halfway point of the regular season. In the NFL, numerous teams will undergo major organizational reconstruction projects on the personnel side, coaching and the executive positions. If anyone were to ask if this is necessary, I would bittersweetly say yes.

If I were an owner of a pro sports franchise in the current economic environment, I have to be cognizant of several things: 1) If the team is not winning, how do we make a profit? 2) If the on the field/court/ice product does improve, will it positively affect the bottom line? and 3) If I can positively affect the bottom line, can I afford to do it over a 3-5 year period? The answer is no. Look at the recent examples of not only the NBA coaches but the short life span that Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage will have for the NFL's Cleveland Browns or the recent resignation of former Kansas City Chiefs President and General Manager, Carl Peterson. In the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor decided to relieve General Manager Kevin McHale of his duties and put him on the bench to coach the team McHale himself assembled, which is an obvious move to push McHale out of the organization; John Wooden, Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach combined could not get this young team to win NOW. The pressure is on coaches and players to perform and the economic contraints are clearly showing ; the NFL contracts are now featuring behavioral clauses for a large number of players, which will enable the organization to distance themselves from dibilitating financial ramifications of a deal signed with players. Even leagues themelves are affected; the WNBA's Houston Comets, once the flagship of the popular league is now defunct and the Arena Football League (AFL) has cancelled it's 2oo9 season. It has been said that pro sports is recession-proof, but as we can see with the layoffs all of the major professional sports leagues have initiated recently, this obviously is not true.

If we look at the new stadiums that popped up from 1995 t0 2007, we see a sterling example of publicly funded venues that raked in profits for the owners, tax money for the municalities and increased prices (and taxes) on the consumer. Taxpayers across the country have financed large number of the these projects and the states themselves have given prime land and investment to them; however, citizens are the ones's often footing the bill on maintenance and infrastructure. Teams have forced fans to buy personal seat licenses and overpriced food at the games with the combined costs of travel and parking, the typical night out with the family is too much to bear. Now the fans are in an even more precarious position; the recession has rendered the average fan no choice but to not go to the games not willing to frivilously spend money that can be saved on on paying that adjustable rate mortage. This fan especially is not going to pay large money to see a young team 'getting their lumps' but improving slowly before they make some noise down the line at some indeterminable time. In the 1990's that plan was acceptable as money was flowing all over the place to the point where we saw our first $100 million player in Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kevin Brown.

For a profit/spotlight seeking owner, this was a great environment to operate; however now, this does not exist. The owner now faces the prospects of either a championship run or empty stands...there no longer is that happy medium. In Sunday's Phoenix Cardinals-Minnesota Vikings game, the stadium was not sold out. This is not a regular stadium either mind you; it is the prestigious University of Phoenix Stadium (look up at my header, yeah that's the stadium). The Cards are division champions for the first time since 1975 AND the game could be a playoff preview between two good teams. Under normal circumstances, that place would be banged out and the fans would have been going crazy...not anymore. This dilemma is exactly what prompted Ralph Wilson, the owner of the Buffalo Bills, to examine potential profits in other markets, hence, the team's recent agreement to play several games over the next few years in Toronto, Ontario.

Owners now have to find a way to justify all of the political strong-arming, the financing of expensive venues and exorbitant salaries of employees that no longer relate to the people who watch them. The luxury boxes built into new stadiums were contructed with corporate interests in mind; now that the corporations are themselves suffering, what is an owner to do? If they have priced out the 'everyman' who was and still loyal. The upper classes are scaling back their expenses and less wealthy fans are considering cutting this entertainment out entirely. How can an owner make a buck here? WINNING. The owners are willing to spend now to gain a foothold in future generations via that magical championship season(s) and it is the coach who will bear the brunt of pressure because of this. The Philadelphia 76ers gave Maurice Cheeks a contract extension 2 and a half months before firing him. Sylvester Croom, the head coach of Missisippi State University's football team was forced to resign one season removed from being named SEC Coach of the Year and likewise rewarded with a contract extension(yes, the bottom line has trickled down to the college ranks as well). The message here is mere improvements only buy you stay; there is no room for a 'bad' season; just ask Tommy Tuberville, the deposed football coach at Auburn University.

If we thought sports on any level was bottom line before, there is no doubt it really going to be at that point from now on. There are positives that may come out of this such as better management, more control over the market value of the players (i.e. protecting the owners from themselves), better player development and owners making hires on a common ground with the individual they are bringing in, which would save us from Lane Kiffin-Al Davis like feuds. However, it seems as if some organizations still don't get it as the New York Yankees handed out over $200 million in combined guaranteed money to two free agents while employing one with a $180 million deal and another with a $250 million contract. Winning is at an all-time premium right now and everyone (fans, owners and players) has a smaller margin for error due to the economic crisis in the United States.