Alright guys, theres really nothing on my agenda today. But I thought i'd leave you with a few tidbits from the sports world
After going 5 for 5 yesterday and becoming the 28th person in baseball history, The New York Yankees have placed a counter in their stadium for the countdown to 4,000 hits for Derek Jeter. Jeter is only the third short stop to achieve 3,000 hits. The other two are Cal Ripken Jr. and Honus Wagner.
the next closest person to 3,000 hits is Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez with 2,842. Pudge will likely need 2 more seasons to get to 3,000 as he's not a 175 to 200 hit per season player anymore. As a homer, I'd like to see Texas sign him after this season. He will be a free agent and I would like to see him do it in Texas. But as a Pudge fan, I want to see him get it regardless of where he plays.
The railings in the outfield are all at least 33 inches high, city ordinance mandates that they have to be 26 inches high. The club is looking into raising them for more safety. If you'd like to donate to the Shannon Stone fund, there are several ways to do so. The Rangers kiosk at the 3rd base entrance is the easiest way.
Cleveland Indians play 13 of their last 19 games this season against the Detroit Tigers.
40% of Arizonas remaining schedule is against the LA Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
The transcending superstars in sports
Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. What do these guys have in common? They changed the game, whatever game they were playing. They changed it for the better. They transcended the game. Theres not a day that goes by that someone says so-and-so is the next MJ, or the next Tiger and so on.
There will never be another Jordan, he is the reason why there are huge contracts in the NBA. Lebron James was brought up through basketball being called the next MJ. He never claimed he was, he never claimed he wasn't. He even went as far as to wear the number 23 for his first 7 years in the NBA. Kobe Bryant is closer to being like MJ than anyone has been since he the 1998 season. Jordan transcended the game, he changed it and for the better. Not only did Jordan pave the way on the hardwood for players like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. But he paved the promotional world for them as well. According to a December 1991 issue of Slam! Magazine. Michael Jordan was making $3.25 million from the Chicago Bulls, but was making upwards of $20 million a year from endorsements. In August if 1991 he signed a 10 year $18 million deal with Gatorade. At this point the top 5 endorsers were 1) Michael Jordan 2) Arnold Palmer 3) Jack Nicklaus 4) Magic Johnson and 5) Greg Norman. In 1991 the NBA salary cap was $12.5m while the average player salary was $1.1m and Jordan was making $3.25m. Three times the average salary. Today the salary cap is $58m and the average player salary is $5.5m. Well over four times what they were in 1991 and the NBA, and especially the superstars of the NBA have no one but Michael Jordan to thank for that.
In the last day or two. Ive heard nothing but Rory McIlroy is the next Tiger Woods. First and foremost. No he isn't, he is very good. He has a great swing and length and his short game is great. Lets look at the numbers, last year at the U.S. Open Tiger Woods was making a strong push at the championship and the ratings were through the roof. This year Tiger isn't playing and the ratings were down 35%. One-Third of the people who watched last year didn't watch on Sunday. That reason is Tiger, he too transcended the game. Even with the ratings down 35% from last year, they are still way up from the pre-Tiger era. The prize money is huge because of Tiger. The golfers on tour love Tiger for this very reason. If a player were to shoot par every round on the PGA tour, he would make $900,000 a year. 30 years ago the top players were splitting the prize money to make more. Now the 30th player in the world is flying around on a private jet.
Now there are other players who have transcended their sports. These two are the most prevalent, but no one before, and only a few since have made the spectacular defensive plays that Ken Griffey Jr. made. There are only a few players since Griffey's heyday in the mid 90's. Also, Barry Sanders changed the game of football for running backs. There has never been a runner with better vision and awareness as him to go along with his speed. He retired at the right time, and i'm unswayable on that. Given that there were only 3 options on his team and an inferior offensive line he took a beating and if he played much longer he would have been forced to retire. I've said for a long time that if Sanders behind the great Dallas Cowboy O-Line or Denver Bronco O-line of the mid to late 90's that he would be the all-time leading rusher and not Emmitt Smith. Deion Sanders changed the game for defensive backs and kick returners. He single handedly shut down whatever side of the field he was on and was repeatedly kicked away from when returning kicks or punts, whatever the case may be. Not only did quarterbacks not want to get picked off, they didn't want to be taunted while it was happening.
I stand by what i say and there will never be another Michael or Tiger.
There will never be another Jordan, he is the reason why there are huge contracts in the NBA. Lebron James was brought up through basketball being called the next MJ. He never claimed he was, he never claimed he wasn't. He even went as far as to wear the number 23 for his first 7 years in the NBA. Kobe Bryant is closer to being like MJ than anyone has been since he the 1998 season. Jordan transcended the game, he changed it and for the better. Not only did Jordan pave the way on the hardwood for players like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. But he paved the promotional world for them as well. According to a December 1991 issue of Slam! Magazine. Michael Jordan was making $3.25 million from the Chicago Bulls, but was making upwards of $20 million a year from endorsements. In August if 1991 he signed a 10 year $18 million deal with Gatorade. At this point the top 5 endorsers were 1) Michael Jordan 2) Arnold Palmer 3) Jack Nicklaus 4) Magic Johnson and 5) Greg Norman. In 1991 the NBA salary cap was $12.5m while the average player salary was $1.1m and Jordan was making $3.25m. Three times the average salary. Today the salary cap is $58m and the average player salary is $5.5m. Well over four times what they were in 1991 and the NBA, and especially the superstars of the NBA have no one but Michael Jordan to thank for that.
In the last day or two. Ive heard nothing but Rory McIlroy is the next Tiger Woods. First and foremost. No he isn't, he is very good. He has a great swing and length and his short game is great. Lets look at the numbers, last year at the U.S. Open Tiger Woods was making a strong push at the championship and the ratings were through the roof. This year Tiger isn't playing and the ratings were down 35%. One-Third of the people who watched last year didn't watch on Sunday. That reason is Tiger, he too transcended the game. Even with the ratings down 35% from last year, they are still way up from the pre-Tiger era. The prize money is huge because of Tiger. The golfers on tour love Tiger for this very reason. If a player were to shoot par every round on the PGA tour, he would make $900,000 a year. 30 years ago the top players were splitting the prize money to make more. Now the 30th player in the world is flying around on a private jet.
Now there are other players who have transcended their sports. These two are the most prevalent, but no one before, and only a few since have made the spectacular defensive plays that Ken Griffey Jr. made. There are only a few players since Griffey's heyday in the mid 90's. Also, Barry Sanders changed the game of football for running backs. There has never been a runner with better vision and awareness as him to go along with his speed. He retired at the right time, and i'm unswayable on that. Given that there were only 3 options on his team and an inferior offensive line he took a beating and if he played much longer he would have been forced to retire. I've said for a long time that if Sanders behind the great Dallas Cowboy O-Line or Denver Bronco O-line of the mid to late 90's that he would be the all-time leading rusher and not Emmitt Smith. Deion Sanders changed the game for defensive backs and kick returners. He single handedly shut down whatever side of the field he was on and was repeatedly kicked away from when returning kicks or punts, whatever the case may be. Not only did quarterbacks not want to get picked off, they didn't want to be taunted while it was happening.
I stand by what i say and there will never be another Michael or Tiger.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Opinions about MLB division re-alignment
The MLB is seriously talking about realigning the divisions. Personally I think it is immenent and needs to be done ASAP. It's not fair for squads like Baltimore to have to try and compete with the Yankees and Red Sox year in and year out. They just don't have the money that the others have. One thing that needs to be done is leave the Rivalry's together, while focusing on making new rivalries. Rivalries creat controversy and controversy creates cash. Which is why they are there in the first place.
You have to keep the Red Sox and Yankees in the same division, as well as the Phillies and Mets. So it makes 100% sense to me to place those 4 teams in the same division, they all have plenty of money to spend and will only beat up on each other for the most part.
You also need to put the clubs that are in that area that have less money to spend in a division. Such as Toronto, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington. Baltimore would be an instant rivalry. But you have to give every team a chance to succeed and make the playoffs, and thats just not going to happen when those four clubs are racing with Boston, New York, and Philladelphia every year
I don't think what is now known as the NL Central or AL Central should change much. The one exception being that the Astros should be moved into a division with the Rangers. It only makes sense. The six games they play against each other are huge money makers for both clubs by moving them into the same division, they will play three times as many games against each other and making for a much bigger rivalry. Face it, people from Houston hate the Rangers and people from DFW hate the Astros. While we are on that Division, it should be Texas, Houston, Colorado, Arizona and possibly San Diego.
The West coast is interesting. as with the two Texas teams, the New York Teams and the D.C. teams, i think you have to put the California, and more inparticularly the LA teams in the same division, and maybe they should put Seattle in the division with Texas instead of San Diego. Maybe that makes more sense. On second thought it probably does.
What this leaves out is finding a place for the 3 teams in the southeastern part of the country. The Braves, Rays, and Marlins. Throw one of them in with the Baltimore group, one in with the New York group and one in with the central group. One thing i didnt touch on. Kansas City and St. Louis need to be in one division together, just like both Chicago teams need to be in a division. Also it would make sense for the Florida teams to be in the same division as well. but being that they are 2 of the 3 left out teams that may not be possible.
For all of the NL teams that enter into divisions with AL teams and vise versa to work out right. MLB would have to either make everyone use the DH rule or demolish the DH rule and have pitchers hit. Personally i like the demolishing of the DH rule because it brings more of a pure game.
You have to keep the Red Sox and Yankees in the same division, as well as the Phillies and Mets. So it makes 100% sense to me to place those 4 teams in the same division, they all have plenty of money to spend and will only beat up on each other for the most part.
You also need to put the clubs that are in that area that have less money to spend in a division. Such as Toronto, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington. Baltimore would be an instant rivalry. But you have to give every team a chance to succeed and make the playoffs, and thats just not going to happen when those four clubs are racing with Boston, New York, and Philladelphia every year
I don't think what is now known as the NL Central or AL Central should change much. The one exception being that the Astros should be moved into a division with the Rangers. It only makes sense. The six games they play against each other are huge money makers for both clubs by moving them into the same division, they will play three times as many games against each other and making for a much bigger rivalry. Face it, people from Houston hate the Rangers and people from DFW hate the Astros. While we are on that Division, it should be Texas, Houston, Colorado, Arizona and possibly San Diego.
The West coast is interesting. as with the two Texas teams, the New York Teams and the D.C. teams, i think you have to put the California, and more inparticularly the LA teams in the same division, and maybe they should put Seattle in the division with Texas instead of San Diego. Maybe that makes more sense. On second thought it probably does.
What this leaves out is finding a place for the 3 teams in the southeastern part of the country. The Braves, Rays, and Marlins. Throw one of them in with the Baltimore group, one in with the New York group and one in with the central group. One thing i didnt touch on. Kansas City and St. Louis need to be in one division together, just like both Chicago teams need to be in a division. Also it would make sense for the Florida teams to be in the same division as well. but being that they are 2 of the 3 left out teams that may not be possible.
For all of the NL teams that enter into divisions with AL teams and vise versa to work out right. MLB would have to either make everyone use the DH rule or demolish the DH rule and have pitchers hit. Personally i like the demolishing of the DH rule because it brings more of a pure game.
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