The Marshall Plan

The Broncos are well on their way on mishandling another player rift. Today the Broncos suspended Brandon Marshall for conduct detrimental to the team. The suspension runs through the rest of the Pre-Season, but this beef could go on all year.The Broncos are already a mediocre team with Marshall. Without Marshall they instantly become The AFC version of the Detroit Lions.

While Marshall is acting immature, can you blame a player in the NFL for trying to strike while the iron is hot? Marshall has no future guarantees, no long term contract, & his salary this year ($2.4M) is obviously well under his value for a WR coming off 2 seasons of 100 receptions & a Pro Bowl. Marshall is a 25 year old WR with hands, speed, blocking ability with the ability to break tackles who has clearly outperformed his contract. Brandon wants the Broncos to address his contract, the Broncos was Brandon to perform one more year before they address the contract. A common dispute with teams & players since no contracts or moneys are guaranteed. So while I despise Marshall for acting like a jerk, I'll defend it on this blog because it is truly the only leverage NFL players have to get paid.

Year after year there are dozens of players making this decisions. The Collective Bargaining Agreement is so pro owner, that the owners can actually lock out players & not pay them until the owners get there way. Players can't hold out, because they get fined (Marshall still gets paid during this suspension). Yet players can be Franchise Tagged & have their salaries controlled basically their entire careers, with NO GUARANTEES, in a sport so violent that the average player has a 6 year shelf life. If management can cut players for underperforming contacts, why can't players have some sort of avenue, to address outperforming a contract?

Management in Denver should address this contract & pay Marshall something reasonable to what he has done. Pat Bowlen has always been a reasonable owner. When Dan Reeves & John Elway didn't get along, Bowlen squashed a trade that would have sent Elway to Washington. Bowlen failed to step in during the Cutler fiasco, he should step into this one & get Marshall signed long term.

Josh McDaniels is really not warming himself up to me. He's already ran one star out of town carelessly pursuing a QB with only 1 good year under his helmet (Matt Cassel). Is Marshall next?

Mark Teixeira MVP & Next Yankee Captain!!!

Two dates you should remember when the story of how Mark Teixeira won the MVP in the 2009 season. Date 1 is December 23, 2008, when the Yankees secured Teixeira to an 8 year $180M contract. Date 2, was the return of a certain Yankee teammate. In June I text messaged my Co-host Joe Sarno that Mark Teixeira would win the AL MVP.

It came to me as an epiphany on a Saturday game vs Tampa as Mark Teixeira went 2-5, with a HR & 3 RBI's. Nothing really stood out about that game, like most things Teixeira does & has done his whole baseball career. It was just the way he carried himself & has carried himself. His slow start this year was no surprise as he always a subpar start to the season. Now there isn't much of a doubt he should win AL MVP, but Teixeira is going to cement himself in Yankee history.

Take a good look, because you are looking at the next Yankee captain. Teixeira, who is a carbon copy of Derek Jeter, is worth every dime he's getting. He's a productive switch hitting middle of the line-up Gold Glover. Teixeira's real value though, comes with how he plays, much like Jeter (with a much higher skill setting physically), he leads by example, hustles, & plays hard as he showed running out the Castillo dropped pop out scoring all the way from first base. Stays cool under pressure, humble, he cares about winning, & is a leader who's prepared to carry the team weight when needed. He stays out of the media spotlight. He's that rare player that can change the fortune of a franchise (not that the Yankees needed a fortune change) & carry a legacy with him. 1 player makes a huge difference & if you disagree, imagine if Teixeira had signed to be a Red Sox?

I said it in December & I'll say it again, the Yankees iced the East division upon signing Mark Teixeira & have probably done so for the next 5 years. None of the other signings mattered. In Mark Teixeira, the Yankees not only signed the most attractive free agent in the 2008 class, they re-invested into their legacy. That another player would carry Yankee Greatness to the next generation of players. He's the next name you will associate with "The Pinstripes" after Derek retires. While teams can easily put a price on players, you can never put a price tag on a Signature Player & that's what Mark is.

Wagner's Chooses His Death

It says a lot when a player originally rather rot in mediocrity (ok...maybe the Mets are dreadful), than play for a contender, before flip flopping & changing his mind. Wagner originally decided to invoke his no trade rights to stay in NY... or maybe, it was to avoid Boston. Ultimately he was indeed traded. Such a tough choice...

I feel sorry for Billy Wagner. I wouldn't wish this choice upon my worst enemy. Regardless of how evil a human being has been, no one deserves this. Can you imagine this being your only choices? Stay with the dysfunctional Mets or go to the exasperating Red Sox? I mean this is like selecting between being drowned in acid or being chopped up alive with a rusty hand saw. I just can't imagine either being pleasant. The last thing I'd want to do is share a small locker room with the most irritating threesome in existance (Papelbon, Youkilis, Pedroia). The Mets locker room isn't much better with the losing environment fully entrenched into the Citi Field walls.

So ask yourself readers...which choice would you make? Choose carefully...

Jonathan Papelbon...All American DOUCHE

This fucking guy is the douche of all douches. Someone needs to hit a line drive & catch him in the mouth. Actually, nothing would be wrong with just charging the mound either. I'm sure Major League Baseball would allow it & not suspend the player. Someone do the world a favor & take the bullet for the rest of baseball. The Red Sox have plenty of annoying players. But Papelbon is top douche in an organization full of douches.

With the Red Sox claiming Billy Wagner off waivers, little Johnny voiced his opinion in asinine fashion saying, "What has he done? Has he pitched this year?" "Is he ready to pitch or is he not? … I think our bullpen is good where we’re at right now. Don’t get me wrong. But I guess you could always make it better. It’s kind of like the Eric Gagne thing, I guess."

What has he done? Well he's managed to save 385 games or so, but more importantly, he's done so without becoming an arrogant piece of shit. If Papelbon is too dense to see that this makes his team better, then he clearly is not capable of processing thought. Wagner however did not go quiet of course. "I don’t have anything to say about somebody like that. When he walks in my shoes then I’ll say something. Let him be 38 and have Tommy John surgery."

Personally I'm hoping for Tommy John surgery next week of the career ending variety. No player deserves a bigger fall off the pedestal than Papelbon. But I'll settle for someone punching him in the face. So to anyone reading this, if you happen to be a crazed maniac, & happen to see Jonathan Robert Papelbon, PLEASE PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE. Your friends at The Skinny Post will have bail money ready.

The Season of Humiliation Continues...

You knew Pedro was looking forward to this when he signed on with the Phillies. & after merely 15 minutes, Ollie Perez gift wrapped Martinez a victory against his former team. How hard was Pedro laughing inside early in the first? Before Pedro Martinez took the mound Sunday vs the Mets, he got a plate appearance courtesy of the enigma Oliver Perez. After giving up two 3 run home runs in the first, Perez couldn't throw a strike to opposing pitcher at the plate before Jerry Manuel ended his afternoon on a 3-0 count to again, the opposing pitcher. I can't think of a more embarrassing way for a pitcher to be replaced in a game.

The ending to the game wasn't any better for the Metropolitans, ending in an unassited triple play & what can only be called an ill-adviced hit & run call by the inept Mets manager, Jerry Manuel.

Pedro got in trouble a few times but in the end, Martinez exacted his revenge & outpitched a guy NY gave a 3 year $36M deal. Martinez's 6 IP 4 ER & 5 K performance Sunday was yet another chapter in the 2009 Season of Humiliation for the Mets. The Mets had plenty of chances vs Pedro. But the punchless line-up couldn't capitalize & in the end, another incompetent call by Manuel cost the Mets an opportunity against a flustered Brad Lidge & the hated Phillies. The Wilpon's seem happy with this sort of mediocrity announcing that Minaya would be back next year. Minaya then announced Manuel would be back as well. While the injuries are too much for any team to handle, there is no way Minaya or Manuel should be part of the Mets future. Minaya has never been a success as a GM anywhere. & Manuel isn't the fiery type manager the loose Mets clubhouse needs.

In addition, the Mets just need talent. For a team with the 2nd highest payroll, there sure are holes on that team. Positions in need of being addressed is the OF, 1B, 2B, C, & of course the rotation. There are a few interesting options in the upcoming Free Agency period(you take your picks), but among the players needed Jason Bay, Orlando Hudson & Adam LaRoche are the most interesting to me. Good baseball players that are skilled & more importantly give a damn. If the Mets can bring themselves to sign players that aren't Latin...it will be a step in the right direction

Tom Cable? This is Dana White...

This is laughable...really it is. Being a proud Denver Bronco fan (Russ...Joseph is a Giants fan), you knew I would blog about the dysfunctional grease fire that is The Oakland Raiders. Coming from the team who hired a Bed & Breakfast owner to run their offense, comes the latest debacle to the franchise committed to excellence.

If you haven't heard by now, Head Coach Tom Cable punched & broke the jaw of defensive assistant Randy Hanson nearly 2 weeks ago. Yet another black eye, for a team considered a black eye itself. No wonder the logo on their helmet wears a patch over his eye. Of course all involved are denying the story, but is it so far fetched to believe that someone on the Raiders would do this? Tom Cable refused to address the situation in a press conference, calling it an internal issue, after telling ESPN's Mark Schlereth the story wasn't true. Cable wouldn't even answer if Hanson was still working for the organization before stepping down from the mic.

This by far is the least surprising news in the NFL this year. I guess if you can't be good, be interesting. This is the only way the Raiders can stay relevant.

New Hope Or New Hype in Washington

There is only a 1 letter difference between the words hype & hope. In the Nationals case, they'd like the spelling to contain the letter O, like the one they so famously left off their own jerseys in April.

While you can argue that signing to the deal Boras reportedly wanted would have increased the DC crime rate, you can't argue that the Nats are in serious need of not only talent...but a box office draw for a franchise that is 26th in attendance. More importantly than that, Washington entered Monday night without an identity. So at approximately at 11:58 last night, they purchased that. An identity. And for Stephen Strasburg, he immediately becomes the face of a franchise, signing to the highest signing bonus ever paid to an amateur draftee. The record $15M signing bonus surpassed the previous high paid to Mark Teixeira ($10.8M with Texas in 2001). Personally, I think this was an absolute necessity for a franchise desperate to shed the vagabond label that has followed them from Montreal. Simply put, the Nationals weren't just biding for a pitching prospect. They were biding for a face & a name fans can recognize & pin some sort of hope on.

Hopefully for the DC franchise, this is money well spent & it doesn't turn into something similar to the Smiley Gonzalez signing who was discovered this year to be 23 (not 19) & actually named Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo. Even if the list of failed high caliber pitching prospects is as long as Yao Ming, the Nationals sent a message to their fans late Monday. That message being we are ready to compete, & we will spend record dollars to do it.

Vick Gets His 2nd Chance

If you listened to The Skinny Post late last night, then you found out that Mike Vick was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles for 1 year $1.6M & an option for year 2 at $5.2 million. My first thoughts were "what the hell are they doing?"

As with most athletes Vick is being remembered for all the on the field positives, like rushing for 1000 yards as a QB, his amazing athleticism, & the dazzling plays he occasionally pulled off. No one wants to talk about his 53% completion rate or the questionable decisions he made on & off the field. The consensus on Vick, is that for a player who has been away from the game for 2 years, will still come into the league & DOMINATE. Not only will he dominate, but he will dominate opponents it at another position in "The Wildcat." Forget that Vick wasn't a dominant QB in an offense drawn up for him in Atlanta. None of that matters, for Vick is the god of all gods & the king of all kings when it comes to the game of football. The common fan will tell you how tremendous of an athlete he is & how he will mesmerize opponents with his quick feet. What people in general fail to realize, is that this is the NFL. Not Fantasy Football or Madden 10. Football revolves around 3rd down conversion rate & the ability to avoid turnovers. Vick isn't a needed piece to succeed in those 2 aspects.

The thought that Vick will make enough of a difference in Philadelphia is beyond ludicrous. Suddenly, because of "The Wildcat" Vick is a hot commodity that will make any team he is on, the team to beat. If you are one of those people who believes that...sorry, but you are being quite asinine. Vick will NOT get anything over 8 touches in any game (other than a McNabb injury or benching). Feel free to think rationally before you embarrass yourself making any proclamations. The only category Vick is going to improve the Eagles in is the most hated team nationally category. He will he be a media distraction to the Eagles, that could only rival Terrell Owens. Andy Reid will continuiously have to answer questions concerning Vick's playing time & his role with the team. Not to mention the irrational Philly fan he will be playing in front of or the undue pressure on Donovan McNabb looking over his shoulder every time he throws an interception.

Vick's signing may be high profile, yet will be low impact. In fact...NO IMPACT. Barring injury, Vick will be standing next to Andy Reid, watching his beard gain more gray & catch a few WR screens. If you disagree, feel free to prove me wrong.

Big Papi's Big Press Conference

Kind of strange to hold a Press Conference on a Saturday (12:30 PM on ESPN) before a game in your biggest rivals territory isn't it? But that's exactly what David Ortiz is going to do. Ill-advised or not, Ortiz is to address the situation he said he would not run or hide from.

Ortiz (in case you don't know) will answer questions about his 2003 positive steroids test. If you ask me this is a distraction the Red Sox didn't need. In the middle of a post break swoon, the Red Sox not only find themselves playing a hot Yankee team, but find themselves 4.5 games back of a team that hadn't beaten them before Thursday. This series was such a big deal, that it drew a national debate of "what team needs this series more." Meanwhile Ortiz is drawing national attention for different reason all together. After stating that a positive test should carry a 1 year suspension (amidst the Alex Rodriguez positive test) in Spring Training, Ortiz has let a week plus go by without answering questions on his own positive test. Tomorrow's press conference is supposed to answer those questions. But why do I get the feeling Ortiz will say very little & most of the press conference will be directed by the new leader of the Players Association Michael Weiner. Oddly enough Weiner will be at the press conference, but is there really a need Union head there? Why not just answer questions like others have in a forum that you called for?

When the news came out, Manny Ramirez (who was also implicated) said, "we are like two mountains. We’re going to keep doing good no matter what . . . Only God is going to be able to move those two mountains." Actually Manny one of those mountains is in the middle of a 4-29 slump since the news came out. So obviously this is getting to Ortiz, who has prided himself as a lovable clean player throughout his Red Sox career. I'll be real interested in what Papi has to say (as will most baseball fans) tomorrow.

About a year ago some idiot RSN Inhabitant buried a David Ortiz jersey in this very stadium. If Ortiz fails to give a reasonable explanation, his career might be buried there as well.