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Random Notes - November 15, 2001

One of the great scenes in college basketball this season - or in any season - occurred in a Temple-Pennsylvania game in late December when Temple's mascot, an Owl named "Hooter," was given a technical foul and ejected from the game by referee John Hughes after walking out onto the court and making a gesture in the direction of the official. I'm not sure if Hughes simply has a great sense of humor or if he thought that the mascot was actually John Chaney, who also looks an awful lot like an owl.

I can understand to a degree why Shaquille O'Neal went berzerk and attempted to punch Bulls Center Brad Miller the other night in Chicago. O'Neal gets hammered in the paint on nearly every move to the basket so it was just a matter of time before he sought his revenge on one of the league's many stiffs that can't contain him. Fortunately for Miller, Shaq's punches were about as accurate as his free throws. Phil Jackson complained, which was amusing to me for two reasons. First, Phil invented the "hack-a-center" philosophy while coaching in Chicago. Phil's centers couldn't defend or really play basketball whatsoever so they were instructed to make good use their six fouls. Now, Jackson is crying because the tactics have come back to bite him. Second, if the referees called the game as it is truly outlined in the rule book, Laker opponents would clearly be called for many more intentional and flagrant fouls on Shaq. However, the same execution of the rule book would also mean that O'Neal would not be allowed to use his considerable bulk to toss defenders aside on his way to the rim. Under this type of officiating, Shaq would foul out in the first half of nearly every game. The best solution would be for Shaq to actually learn to play basketball. In other words, develop an outside game and learn to make free throws, rather than simply bullying away defenders and dunking the ball.

The conventional wisdom in Los Angeles is that the Lakers are unbeatable in a seven game series. In fact, when the Lakers started the season 13-1 many of their fans predicted that LA would eclipse the Bulls record season of 72-10, accomplished in 1995-1996. No one can dispute that Shaq O'Neal is the most dominant player in the game. You could even argue that Kobe Bryant is the second best player in the NBA. However, LA's roster beyond these two stars is among the league's worst. In fact, of the ten best basketball players in Los Angeles, only two play for the Lakers. The others are six Clippers, a UCLA Bruin and a USC Trojan. There may even be a few guys playing on the courts at Venice Beach that could beat Rick Fox one-on-one. Beyond the first round, the NBA's Western Conference Playoffs will be very interesting. If either Kobe or Shaq are off of their game, the Lakers will be in a lot of trouble against the likes of San Antonio, Dallas, Sacramento and Minnesota.

It seems that there is a serious disease affecting many of the NFL's head coaches. That is, the obsessive compulsion to go for the two-point conversion once an extra point attempt is missed, no matter what logic dictates. This week the affiction was demonstrated by Packers head coach Mike Sherman. Late in the third quarter of the Packers-49ers playoff game, the Pack scored a touchdown to go ahead by eight points. An extra point would have given the Packers a nine-point (and therefore two score) lead. But Sherman decided to go for the two-point conversion (Green Bay had missed an extra point after their previous touchdown). The Green Bay conversion failed and 49ers later scored a touchdown and tied the game on their own two-point conversion. Luckily for Sherman, Favre and Company bailed him out with ten unanswered points.

Notre Dame basically "tripped and fell" onto a great football coach. Kevin White and the rest of the Domers tried very hard to screw this up, but in the end it worked out very well for the program. Tyrone Willingham has a proven track record and has shown that he can win games while still maintaining a high academic standard. Willingham will do wonders for a Notre Dame football program that has been on a rapid descent into mediocrity. Notre Dame will never again be a national power like Nebraska or the Florida schools, but with Willingham in charge (and the NBC contract in place) they have a great shot to be a consistent Top 20 program for years to come.

Has the world ever witnessed an uglier automobile than the Chrysler PT Cruiser? I heard that Webster's is placing a picture of this car next to the world "monstronsity" in its next edition of the dictionary. Who is buying these? The Cruiser reminds me of the car that Homer Simpson designed for his auto manufacturing brother Herb that eventually ruined the latter's company.

Given the events of September 11th, it is shameful that Rudy Guiliani and his cohorts are still trying to get New York to pay for new publicly-funded ballparks for the Mets and Yankees. First of all, there are much more important needs for that money in New York City right now. Secondly, since when are the New York Yankees in need of a handout? The team can spend $80 million more on payroll than the teams they play in the American League Playoffs, but they can't pick up the tab for their own ballpark? Give me a break. If the Yankees were willing to spend the league average for about ten years, the ballpark would be paid for without dipping into taxpayer pockets. I realize that under that scenario the Yankees couldn't buy the championship, but isn't that a reasonable sacrifice to gain a new ballpark. The last time I checked, the Mets weren't exactly on food stamps either.

It is upsetting and frustrating that schools like Boston College, Northwestern and Duke rarely get the credit that they deserve for upholding reasonable academic requirements for their student-atheletes. These schools sacrifice wins and losses to maintain academic integrity (though it obviously hasn't hurt Duke basketball). What is equally frustrating is that coaches like Tom O'Brien do not receive due credit for maintaining discipline within their programs. At Boston College, the coach is not afraid to suspend his best player for the biggest game of the year for leaving campus without permission (a violation of team rules). This move undoubtedly cost him a win over the eventual National Champions. At Ohio State, on the other hand, a player convicted of drunken driving, and headed for jail time, is allowed to play in his team's bowl game. It is unfortunate that the NCAA does not do more to require that athletic programs like Ohio State operate with at least some shred of dignity.

Speaking of criminals in college football, congratulations to Larry Coker, and more specifically Butch Davis, for proving that a National Championship can be won without recruiting felons. No one will confuse the University of Miami with MIT, but the Miami program bares little resemblance to the Dade County Penitentiary crew that brought championships to Coral Gables in the 80's and early 90's. Even though he left for the NFL prior to this season, Davis deserves most of the credit for this year's championship. My only regret is that Tom "toss a woman down a flight of stairs and you can still play in the bowl game" Osbourne was not on the sideline to witness the Cornhusker beatings at the hands of Colorado and Miami.

Only Dan Duquette could trade for a player one day, then allow him to become a free agent the next by not offering that player a contract. We'll have to wait and see if Pokey Reese is wearing a Sox uniform in 2002. Nice job, Dan. You can put that on your resume, which you will undoubtedly need very shortly.

The Celtics have the second best record in their conference, the Patriots finished with the second best record in their conference and the Bruins have the best record in their conference at the season's midway point. Who would have believed this just two months ago? I don't think anyone is printing championship banners, but clearly the proverbial corners have been turned. I had forgotten what it is like to win.

Random Notes - November 8, 2001

The Boston College Eagles deserve a huge pat on the back for their effort on Saturday against the undefeated Miami Hurricanes. Without their best offensive player, best defensive player and best offense lineman, the Eagles came within nine yards of beating the #1 team in the nation. Tom O'Brien also deserves tremendous credit not only for getting his team ready to play but having the intestinal fortitude to suspend William Green for breaking team rules. O'Brien took some heat, but he did the right thing. On this team, the same rules apply whether you are a Heisman Trophy candidate or a walk-on. Even if the players won't say so, I'm sure they respect that. Some BC fans snickered about O'Brien decision and questioned his strict rules. I have two words for those people: Dan Henning. How quickly we forget what lack of discipline can do to a college football program.

Let's recap: During NYPD Blue's eight-year run, Andy Sipowicz has lost two partners (heart condition, murdered), a wife (shot), a son (shot), his Alcoholics Anonymous mentor (murdered by his son) and thought he was about to lose another son (possible cancer). I didn't realize that the Grim Reaper is bald with a moustache and carries a badge.

That makes me recall one of my favorite Simpson's lines --
Marge: Homer, I don't think you should wear a short-sleeved shirt with a tie.
Homer: Awww, but Sipowicz does it.

Sports Illustrated published their rankings for the Top 65 college basketball teams along with each program's respective graduation rates. The Memphis Tigers had a 0% graduation rate. Could there be a more perfect school for John Calipari? I think the UMass basketball team had a 0% grad rate too. I bet Coach Cal makes his players do wind sprints when they do go to class. I can't imagine that it is that tough to get a degree from Memphis. I guess these guys are flunking Intro to Elvis. By the way, SI listed BC's basketball graduation rate at 53%.

The last three weeks in the NFL are the reason why so many people buy satellite dishes. In the past three weeks, 15 games have been decided by three points or less or in overtime. That doesn't even include Monday's 16-10 Ravens-Titans last play of the game thriller or the Saints-Jets Turley/Robinson battle that probably would have gone to overtime if not for "the incident."

First Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken. Now Mark McGwire. In 2001, baseball lost not only three of its greatest players of all-time but also lost three of a dying breed of ballplayer that respects and cares about the game. McGwire could have continued for at least another year; long enough to reach 600 career homeruns and collect another $15 million. But McGwire felt like he was hurting his team and therefore would not continue. Imagine that, a pro athelete concerned with something other than his paycheck. What a contrast between McGwire and Jose Offerman. McGwire, who hit 29 homers in 299 at bats is willing to walk away because he doesn't think he is good enough to continue playing. Meanwhile, Offerman, who has about ten more reasons to retire than McGwire and is basically stealing $6 million a year from the Red Sox, feels obliged to gripe about playing time. Jose is more than willing to embarrass himself as long as he is collecting million dollar paychecks. I think baseball fans will miss Gywnn, Ripken and McGwire as much for their personalities as for their Hall of Fame caliber play.

Let's assume that Major League Baseball gets its way and Montreal and Minnesota are disbanded. Let's also assume that all players on the Expos and Twins major league rosters are selected in a contraction draft, beginning with the worst team (either Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay). In reality, a draft would probably combine the minor league and major league rosters but let's limit the draft to the current major league rosters for arguments sake. Here is my mock draft:

Pirates or D-Rays: Vladimir Guerrero, RF, Expos - Guerrero is the clear-cut #1 pick in the contraction draft. Last season, he batted .307, hit 34 homers and had 108 RBI's. Believe it or not, those were the worst numbers that Guerrero has produced (in all three categories) in his four full seasons in the major leagues. The 26-year-old Dominican is probably the only true franchise player in the contraction draft and will create a lot of trade interest if the Pirates or Devil Rays are willing to bargain.

Pirates or D-Rays: Javier Vazquez, P, Expos - The 2-5 picks in this draft may all be starting pitchers and the most promising is 25-year-old Puerto Rican Javier Vazquez. Last season, Vazquez began to display his true talents, going 16-11 with a 3.42 ERA for the horrible Expos. Like Guerrero, there will not be a shortage of suitors should the Bucs or Rays be willing to pursue trades.

Orioles: Joe Mays, P, Twins - The Twins have an outstanding 1-2-3 at the top of their starting rotation. The order in which these three will be drafted is tough to predict, but I'm going to go with Mays before Radke and Milton. Mays is coming off a great 2001 season where he went 17-13 with a miniscule 3.16 ERA in 233 innings. Mays is a bit of a risk because he was knocked around in 2000, but I'm betting that Baltimore will focus on his brilliance in 2001.

Royals: Eric Milton, P, Twins - I'm going to go with Milton before Radke for one reason - he is lefthanded. The 26-year-old southpaw was 15-7 last year with a 4.32 ERA after winning 13 games in 2000. In September of 1999, Milton pitched a no-hitter against the Angels.

Tigers or Reds: Cristian Guzman, SS, Twins - The first infielder taken in the contraction draft will likely be Guzman. He will be returning from a dislocated shoulder that ended his season prematurely last year. Guzman improved a great deal at the plate last season, hitting .302 with 52 extra base hits. The speedy Guzman has a total of 34 triples and 53 stolen bases over the past two seasons. If the Reds end up with this pick (both the Reds and Tigers finished with 66-96 records), they may bypass Guzman because they already have shortstop Barry Larkin under contract for another two years.

Tigers or Reds: Brad Radke, P, Twins - At the present time, Radke is probably the second best player in the contraction draft but teams may bypass him simply because potential is usually more attractive than consistency to a team in a rebuilding mode. But, the veteran Radke would undoubtedly be a great addition to a young pitching staff. The Twins righthander is entering his prime at age 29. Last year, he won 15 games with an ERA of 3.94. Radke has been the victim of losing teams in Minnesota. Last year was just his second winning season despite having an ERA below 4.50 in every year since 1997.

Brewers: Jose Vidro, 2B, Expos - I'm sure the Red Sox, desperately in need of a second baseman, would love to get their hands on the talented 27-year-old. Vidro batted .319 last season with 50 extra-base hits. Those numbers were actually disappointing coming off an amazing 2000 season where he batted .330 with 24 homers, 97 RBI's and 51 doubles. Vidro is also improving in the field.

Rockies or Rangers: Corey Koskie, 3B, Twins - The 28-year-old thirdbaseman hit his stride last year with 26 homeruns, 103 RBI's and 100 runs scored. Koskie, a career .289 hitter batted only .276 last year, but made up for that by stealing 27 bases in 33 attempts. Koskie is yet another player that I'm sure the Red Sox covet.

Rockies or Rangers: Torii Hunter, CF, Twins - Torii Hunter is another Twin with huge potential. Hunter is still learning to hit for average but his power game certainly arrived in 2001 as he blasted 27 homers and drove in 92 runs. Hunter is also one of the best defensive centerfielders in the game and has tremendous range.

Angels: Tony Armas Jr, P, Expos - The son of former Red Sox outfielder Tony Armas is only 23 years old and loaded with talent. He and Carl Pavano were traded to Montreal in the Pedro Martinez deal in 1997. After battling elbow and shoulder problems in 2000, Armas came back in 2001 and made 34 starts for the Expos. He was only 9-14 but had a respectable 4.03 ERA. After a solid 7-6 start last year, Armas faded a bit down the stretch, winning only 2 of 10 decisions. Consistency has been his main problem since arriving in the majors.

Marlins: Orlando Cabrera, SS, Expos - Cabrera improved dramatically in 2001 raising his batting average from .237 to .276. In addition, the 27-year-old Columbian shortstop had 61 extra-base hits and 96 RBI's. He also displayed some ability on the basepaths, stealing 19 bases in 26 tries. Cabrera is also a slick defensive shortstop. He made only 11 errors in 2001 and had a fielding percentage of nearly 99%. Cabrera would likely likely replace the disappointing Alex Gonzalez.

Padres: Carl Pavano, P, Expos - Carl Pavano was the other pitcher traded to the Expos in the Pedro Martinez deal. Due to various injuries, Pavano has made only 42 starts in the past three seasons combined. Pavano struggled in 2001, but was impressive in 2000 before elbow problems sidelined him. Pavano is an uninspiring 21-27 in his career with a 4.54 ERA. However, it is believed that he could excel if not for the injuries. He's a health risk, but one the Padres are probably willing to take.

Blue Jays: Adam Johnson, P, Twins - Adam Johnson, the second overall pick in the 2000 draft, got his first taste of major league action in 2001. He didn't fare too well, struggling to a 8.28 ERA in 25 innings, but he remains a top prospect at only 22 years of age. In 2000, Johnson struck out 92 batters in only 69 innings in A ball. He will likely be given more time to develop in the Blue Jays system.

Mets: Doug Mientkiewicz, 1B, Twins - Mientkiewicz played very well in his first full season with the Twins in 2001. He finished the season at .306 with 15 homers and 74 RBIs after fading a bit in the second half.

Red Sox: Rick Reed, P, Twins With most of the top young players gone, the Red Sox may try to grab a veteran arm for their starting rotation. Rick Reed was 12-12 with a 4.05 ERA in 2001, but went 51-30 in the previous four seasons with the Mets. Reed also gives the Sox something they dearly need in the rotation - innings. Reed has pitched 200 innings or more in three of his last five seasons. Not a single Red Sox hurler accomplished that in 2001.