The trades and off season free agent signings will have a dramatic effect on some teams. Superstar players and young emerging stars have new homes now. Pedro Martinez has left Boston to go to the Mets, Randy Johnson has added another solid starting pitcher to the Yankees rotation, Sammy Sosa unfortunately has left the Cubs and now will be appearing in a Baltimore uniform, the Braves have snatched pitching ace Tim Hudson from Oakland, and Adrian Beltre leaves the Dodgers and joins the Mariners to provide another steady, potent bat in the lineup. They should all bring improvement to each team.
The Montreal Expos have relocated to Washington D.C. They are now known as the Washington Nationals. Despite the new venue and fresh faces added, the team will finish toward the bottom of their division. I don't expect the team to bring in large attendance, but some tickets will be sold just because baseball fans want to see the new ballpark. It will be at least a few years before anything relatively big happens as the team is in the rebuilding stage.
Of course baseball wouldn't be complete in the 2005 season without the chase for Hank Aaron's homerun record. All eyes are on Barry Bonds, who remains in the spotlight of the media. The pressure is all on his shoulders to break the record, which barring from a rare major career ending injury he will accomplish this feat. On the negative side of baseball, steroids is still the main issue at focus. Bonds and players like Jason Giambi are being hounded with questions and scrutinized. They both have expressed their feelings openly and in a subtle manner.
Having a book put out about steroid use by former major leaguer Jose Canseco doesn't help their situation or baseball either. It's another way to draw more negative attention to players. Steroid testing with harsh consequences is the best way to go I think. If a player is found to have used or currently use steroids penalize them. This doesn't mean to slap them with a small fine and suspend them for a couple of games, but to bare down on them through the most strict measures, letting them know just how serious the problem is and that their actions will not be tolerated. If found guilty suspend such players for half a season, take away their extra bonuses, special clauses in contracts, and other perks. As far as I'm concerned they don't deserve them in the first place, much less by violating the rules and regulations of baseball. If players have to learn the hard way so be it.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Hot dog eating contests
When did hot dog eating contests become a sport? People on ESPN seem to think so since they broadcast the pig fest every now and then. A group of fat, out of shape contestants filling their mouth with as many hot dogs as they can in a short period of time is not worth watching. There are other activities much more intriguing although most people hold little or no interest in such as golf, volleybally, hockey, playing horse shoes (If anyone does that anymore), or horse racing. There needs to be no relation between this meaningless activity and sports. The two words should never be used in a sentence. In order for an activity to be a sport there has to be physical movement besides opening and closing fat jaws stuffed with food. Americans still wonder why the majority of the country is overweight and kids in elementary schools weigh 3 times as much as the average kid their age did 4 or 5 years ago.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Baseball Players' Motives
Baseball players have really changed in the last decade. Every year their salaries expand. Whether a player performs to the high level everyone expects them to or not during a season they still receive enormous compensation because they signed a contract. This is why some unfortunate teams stay at the bottom of the league or division. Some of these athletes will be ready and willing to sign over to another team or get traded since they want so much money and there contract is about to run out. Being loyal to a team is a thing of the past as salary takes a top priority rather than winning a championship. If certain baseball players truly feel this way they should have never entered the major leagues to begin with.
Another issue most recently many are concerned with is the illegal performance enhancing drugs some ball players take to gain a huge advantage in the sport. A lot of controversy and focus has evolved around popular superstars such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi for using steroids. Their career statistics and accomplishments thus far are being reviewed under scrutiny. When players go from hitting 25-35 homeruns in a year to bashing 50-60 homers out of the park it does leave a hint for suspicion. It is a known fact that most baseball players get better and put up better numbers as their career progresses. Though it makes fans, teams, owners, promoters, scouts, and all others involved in the baseball world wonder when a minor, mainly average player on a team greatly exceeds his potential by increasing his statistical totals by far. As an example this could be driving in over 100 RBIs, scoring over 100 runs, and batting over .320 in addition to going on a homerun explosion. This is not impossible, its just highly unlikely for some players.
The baseball commissioner has been urged to crack down on the case on players using performance enhancing drugs. Baseball should be a clean sport, where no particular player or team should have a competitive advantage( other than great ability and talent) over the other. For some hard-working individuals that play to their highest capability, achieving the greatest honor of all, winning a World Series which for most is a distant dream. This is what the game should be about, not competitive advantages, greed, and lack of team commitment. Drug testing is being enforced for the right reasons despite how some feel about the issue. The negative attention and focus on players is what they don’t like. The media is responsible for that.
Players are too proud and worried about their careers to come right and admit they have used drugs such as steroids at first. They will deny all claims from the reporters from major television networks. Pete Rose wanted to keep his private gambling on sports a secret for so many years, but people still forgave him when he revealed the truth. Sports athletes in general are so ashamed and reluctant to comment on these kind of highly publicized illegal activities. Lying all the time eventually catches up with people and in an athlete’s case it can really eat at them. Usually after a player retires or is severely injured to point where he will never be able to play baseball again is when the truth finally comes out.
Another way players have changed is the problems not only with drugs such as steroids, but the possession, use of drugs and narcotics off the field as well as criminals records they have formed. This results sometimes from alterations with the public, brawls that break out at bars, reckless driving, violations involving DUIs, and stupid crimes they commit out of anger and misunderstandings. Using a firearm on someone for stealing or borrowing one’s cell-phone too long is not a smart way of handling such a petty situation. No one knows why these athletes really do such stupid things. They only put themselves in a bad position to the media and general public. Large news organizations harp on such stories when they occur like nothing else going on in the country or world is as worthy of reporting. Professional baseball players receive more publicity than they care to whether it’s positive or negative. These athletes are viewed to be role models for kids, but the way some act and present themselves doesn’t qualify for such a position.
Working hard in the off season as well as practicing on a regular basis while improving major and minor deficiencies is pivotal in becoming a great player and helping a team win. There are many veteran and young players who are disciplined and focused on strengthening fundamentals and further developing skills. Well-known favorites such as Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Tony Gwyn, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., and many others have set the tone and paved the way for young and old ballplayers. There is no denying talent, but there is a noticeable difference between great ability and artificial ability. When baseball players take measures to over extend their potential and ability through the use of drugs they only bring shame to themselves. Fans and spectators will always respect those athletes who give an all out effort all the time and muster up everything they’ve got to win. That’s the qualities of a great baseball player.
Practice makes perfect is an old adage. Obviously no one can be a perfect baseball player. Managers and coaches however, need to work with players more thoroughly on fundamentals. Slumping players especially should work with hitting and pitching coaches to get their swing adjusted right or gain pitch control. This is vital in regards to improvement in performance. Otherwise, when there is a facet or tidbit a player doesn’t know or is able to figure out they continue to play poorly game after game. This normally results in striking out a lot, giving up too many hits, making constant errors in the field, and not contributing to the team to help win games. It’s really that simple. That’s the why people are wrong about ball clubs with long history of losing. It’s not a bad luck or curse hanging over the teams it just lack of player contribution and repetitive low-keyed level of play. Teams are not going to develop into a powerhouse just because they make trades in the off-season or even during mid-season. They are going be championship caliber ball clubs when they function by executing on plays, using fundamentals correctly, delivering when needed, and combining outstanding efforts together as a team. More time spent working on weaknesses and simple, little areas of the game like batting strokes and fielding proves to be the difference in winning and losing.
For years to come there will be speculation and controversy in baseball and teams like the Yankees will unfortunately dominate the sport due to a rich, greedy owner and hand picked top of the line talent each year. Progress can be made though for smaller, undeveloped teams and underdogs will occasionally pull off surprises and garner glory, though it’s the players themselves who will decide how America’s national past time will evolve. They will bring joy and increased popularity or shame, rebellion, and disappointment to many die heart fans, coaches, and supporters. The game should be cherished for the desire and love to play rather than the salaries, high revenue taken in from ticket sales and vendors. Hopefully baseball players will follow their heart and not listen to the brain. Doing what’s right can only lead to good things in such a exciting sport.
Another issue most recently many are concerned with is the illegal performance enhancing drugs some ball players take to gain a huge advantage in the sport. A lot of controversy and focus has evolved around popular superstars such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi for using steroids. Their career statistics and accomplishments thus far are being reviewed under scrutiny. When players go from hitting 25-35 homeruns in a year to bashing 50-60 homers out of the park it does leave a hint for suspicion. It is a known fact that most baseball players get better and put up better numbers as their career progresses. Though it makes fans, teams, owners, promoters, scouts, and all others involved in the baseball world wonder when a minor, mainly average player on a team greatly exceeds his potential by increasing his statistical totals by far. As an example this could be driving in over 100 RBIs, scoring over 100 runs, and batting over .320 in addition to going on a homerun explosion. This is not impossible, its just highly unlikely for some players.
The baseball commissioner has been urged to crack down on the case on players using performance enhancing drugs. Baseball should be a clean sport, where no particular player or team should have a competitive advantage( other than great ability and talent) over the other. For some hard-working individuals that play to their highest capability, achieving the greatest honor of all, winning a World Series which for most is a distant dream. This is what the game should be about, not competitive advantages, greed, and lack of team commitment. Drug testing is being enforced for the right reasons despite how some feel about the issue. The negative attention and focus on players is what they don’t like. The media is responsible for that.
Players are too proud and worried about their careers to come right and admit they have used drugs such as steroids at first. They will deny all claims from the reporters from major television networks. Pete Rose wanted to keep his private gambling on sports a secret for so many years, but people still forgave him when he revealed the truth. Sports athletes in general are so ashamed and reluctant to comment on these kind of highly publicized illegal activities. Lying all the time eventually catches up with people and in an athlete’s case it can really eat at them. Usually after a player retires or is severely injured to point where he will never be able to play baseball again is when the truth finally comes out.
Another way players have changed is the problems not only with drugs such as steroids, but the possession, use of drugs and narcotics off the field as well as criminals records they have formed. This results sometimes from alterations with the public, brawls that break out at bars, reckless driving, violations involving DUIs, and stupid crimes they commit out of anger and misunderstandings. Using a firearm on someone for stealing or borrowing one’s cell-phone too long is not a smart way of handling such a petty situation. No one knows why these athletes really do such stupid things. They only put themselves in a bad position to the media and general public. Large news organizations harp on such stories when they occur like nothing else going on in the country or world is as worthy of reporting. Professional baseball players receive more publicity than they care to whether it’s positive or negative. These athletes are viewed to be role models for kids, but the way some act and present themselves doesn’t qualify for such a position.
Working hard in the off season as well as practicing on a regular basis while improving major and minor deficiencies is pivotal in becoming a great player and helping a team win. There are many veteran and young players who are disciplined and focused on strengthening fundamentals and further developing skills. Well-known favorites such as Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Tony Gwyn, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., and many others have set the tone and paved the way for young and old ballplayers. There is no denying talent, but there is a noticeable difference between great ability and artificial ability. When baseball players take measures to over extend their potential and ability through the use of drugs they only bring shame to themselves. Fans and spectators will always respect those athletes who give an all out effort all the time and muster up everything they’ve got to win. That’s the qualities of a great baseball player.
Practice makes perfect is an old adage. Obviously no one can be a perfect baseball player. Managers and coaches however, need to work with players more thoroughly on fundamentals. Slumping players especially should work with hitting and pitching coaches to get their swing adjusted right or gain pitch control. This is vital in regards to improvement in performance. Otherwise, when there is a facet or tidbit a player doesn’t know or is able to figure out they continue to play poorly game after game. This normally results in striking out a lot, giving up too many hits, making constant errors in the field, and not contributing to the team to help win games. It’s really that simple. That’s the why people are wrong about ball clubs with long history of losing. It’s not a bad luck or curse hanging over the teams it just lack of player contribution and repetitive low-keyed level of play. Teams are not going to develop into a powerhouse just because they make trades in the off-season or even during mid-season. They are going be championship caliber ball clubs when they function by executing on plays, using fundamentals correctly, delivering when needed, and combining outstanding efforts together as a team. More time spent working on weaknesses and simple, little areas of the game like batting strokes and fielding proves to be the difference in winning and losing.
For years to come there will be speculation and controversy in baseball and teams like the Yankees will unfortunately dominate the sport due to a rich, greedy owner and hand picked top of the line talent each year. Progress can be made though for smaller, undeveloped teams and underdogs will occasionally pull off surprises and garner glory, though it’s the players themselves who will decide how America’s national past time will evolve. They will bring joy and increased popularity or shame, rebellion, and disappointment to many die heart fans, coaches, and supporters. The game should be cherished for the desire and love to play rather than the salaries, high revenue taken in from ticket sales and vendors. Hopefully baseball players will follow their heart and not listen to the brain. Doing what’s right can only lead to good things in such a exciting sport.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Playing College Sports Is Not A Job
College sports will probably always have issues and controversies that pose a threat or problem. Getting to play sports for a college is a privilege. There remains to be attention focused around college athletes being paid and given lavish gifts as a incentive to play basketball or football at a particular college. This is wrong by all means. Despite whether or not a student-athlete is still receiving a good education it’s unfair to everyone else. Other students and athletes don’t receive any preferential treatment for going to college. Participating in such an extracurricular activity is not a job, but a form of recreation linked to personal enjoyment. Sure there is a main goal to achieve by playing during a season, although this doesn’t qualify anyone to get compensated for trying to help a team win a championship.
Until an athlete reaches the professional ranks there should be no question about getting “paid under the table” so to speak. Trying to bribe a talented young football player just out of high school with a convertible, SUV, or whatever to come sign on with a prestigious school is immoral and indecent. Besides giving such incentives will usually lead to more problems. That athlete will either wreck the car, get caught inside with illegal drugs in the back seat then be arrested, or sell the car for their own personal gain. Coaches, scouts, or college big wigs that promise these outrageous gifts are idiots. What do they think that no one will ever find out about these private, illegal activities? News leaks out sooner or later. There is not enough money to go around to keep everyone’s mouth shut. It’s quite stupid to risk a job you enjoy just for a possible chance at having a winning season. There are no guarantees in sports. The outcome of success is measured by how well a team plays, not based on the performance of one player.
When we people ever learn that money is not the answer to everything? Coaching, motivating, inspiring, mentoring, and constructive criticism for improvement is what leads to winning. Using cheat tactics that are corrupt and unethical never reaps awards in the long run. I think when a team gets so desperate to win that they will sink to such a low, undermined level it’s time to quit playing altogether. If a team stinks so bad for years and years through good moral coaching and contrived routine that they never have a winning season a college shouldn’t even a have a team. This, however is highly unlikely because whether or not a team has depth and is loaded with talent they still can find a way to win. The movie Hoosiers is a classic example here. The new Indiana coach didn’t have much to work with at the small high school, but through relentless coaching and team unity the underdog team was transformed into a contender.
The glamour and salaries of professional sports is too enticing for young college athletes. This is the main reason why they choose to forego their remaining years in college and go straight into the professional leagues. The thought of making millions of dollars rather than finishing school to receive a degree seems more important to them at the time being. It’s difficult to turn down such a exciting, lucrative opportunity. This balance of what’s the right thing to do would be eliminated if professional leagues refused to allow college athletes that have not graduated to enter the drafts. The restriction is far from ever being imposed, but it would give young standout players time to get their college education and mature. These players are blessed with great talents and gifts, there is no denying that, though professional sports is a business which takes time to learn. The whole expansion of team revenue, promotions, sponsors, team/player merchandise, and product endorsements is a lot to think about and consider. For the most part, they all affect the players’ salaries. Then agents come into the picture. Having the right representation to negotiate is an important part of a player’s career too.
The whole issue of paying college athletes boils down really to ethics and good principles. The way others profit such as television networks as well as sponsors from big sports events have some people feeling like the athletes deserve a cut of the money. Companies do make money from these games, but it’s a way for most of them to advertise and do promotions. They are not doing anything illegal by doing so, it’s to reach a larger target audience through television. There always will be some controversy over why or why not college athletes should get compensated. There has to be a fine line drawn though, between actual jobs and recreational activities committed to by choice. Universities and colleges can’t force students to participate in sports programs if they don’t want to so getting an education should be utmost important rather than money or gifts. If student-athletes work hard in and outside of the classroom they will be satisfied later on with a rewarding career and good salary.
Until an athlete reaches the professional ranks there should be no question about getting “paid under the table” so to speak. Trying to bribe a talented young football player just out of high school with a convertible, SUV, or whatever to come sign on with a prestigious school is immoral and indecent. Besides giving such incentives will usually lead to more problems. That athlete will either wreck the car, get caught inside with illegal drugs in the back seat then be arrested, or sell the car for their own personal gain. Coaches, scouts, or college big wigs that promise these outrageous gifts are idiots. What do they think that no one will ever find out about these private, illegal activities? News leaks out sooner or later. There is not enough money to go around to keep everyone’s mouth shut. It’s quite stupid to risk a job you enjoy just for a possible chance at having a winning season. There are no guarantees in sports. The outcome of success is measured by how well a team plays, not based on the performance of one player.
When we people ever learn that money is not the answer to everything? Coaching, motivating, inspiring, mentoring, and constructive criticism for improvement is what leads to winning. Using cheat tactics that are corrupt and unethical never reaps awards in the long run. I think when a team gets so desperate to win that they will sink to such a low, undermined level it’s time to quit playing altogether. If a team stinks so bad for years and years through good moral coaching and contrived routine that they never have a winning season a college shouldn’t even a have a team. This, however is highly unlikely because whether or not a team has depth and is loaded with talent they still can find a way to win. The movie Hoosiers is a classic example here. The new Indiana coach didn’t have much to work with at the small high school, but through relentless coaching and team unity the underdog team was transformed into a contender.
The glamour and salaries of professional sports is too enticing for young college athletes. This is the main reason why they choose to forego their remaining years in college and go straight into the professional leagues. The thought of making millions of dollars rather than finishing school to receive a degree seems more important to them at the time being. It’s difficult to turn down such a exciting, lucrative opportunity. This balance of what’s the right thing to do would be eliminated if professional leagues refused to allow college athletes that have not graduated to enter the drafts. The restriction is far from ever being imposed, but it would give young standout players time to get their college education and mature. These players are blessed with great talents and gifts, there is no denying that, though professional sports is a business which takes time to learn. The whole expansion of team revenue, promotions, sponsors, team/player merchandise, and product endorsements is a lot to think about and consider. For the most part, they all affect the players’ salaries. Then agents come into the picture. Having the right representation to negotiate is an important part of a player’s career too.
The whole issue of paying college athletes boils down really to ethics and good principles. The way others profit such as television networks as well as sponsors from big sports events have some people feeling like the athletes deserve a cut of the money. Companies do make money from these games, but it’s a way for most of them to advertise and do promotions. They are not doing anything illegal by doing so, it’s to reach a larger target audience through television. There always will be some controversy over why or why not college athletes should get compensated. There has to be a fine line drawn though, between actual jobs and recreational activities committed to by choice. Universities and colleges can’t force students to participate in sports programs if they don’t want to so getting an education should be utmost important rather than money or gifts. If student-athletes work hard in and outside of the classroom they will be satisfied later on with a rewarding career and good salary.
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