Your Transitive 2008 NCAA Champions…
January 22, 2009A Developing Situation…
January 23, 2009While We’re Waiting aims to be the round-up of the recent WFNY-esque information for your morning viewing. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.
I like the guy, but somehow I struggle to believe this: “There’s still offers out there, but I’m not entertaining anything right now,” [Former Browns center LeCharles] Bentley said. “I’ve lived the NFL dream, better than 90 percent of the guys have ever lived it.” As for playing again, Bentley said, “I play football every day, I’ve got three boys. That’s what I’m doing now.” [Marla Ridenour/ABJ]
“Tally up another day in which George Kokinis has not signed with the Cleveland Browns. According to the Star-Ledger, the team interviewed another candidate last week — Giants director of pro personnel Dave Gettleman. With the Plain Dealer reporting yesterday that an offer has “yet to be made” to Kokinis, could it be time to start thinking about other candidates?” [Chris Pokorny/DBN]
On ASG voting: “Only one big whiff here. LeBron and Wade are MVP candidates, and Dwight Howard’s the best big man in the league. Over at Inside the NBA, Gary Payton’s claiming that Chris Bosh belongs in over KG; the rest of the crew is knocking him because of Toronto’s record, and claiming Garnett can’t be as impressive individually because he’s got better teammates. Oh, and the Celtics are better. Iverson, though, just doesn’t belong there. His presence proves that the fans vote on name recognition. I’d go with Joe Johnson instead, since he’s having a career year and has the Hawks finally looking like a legit playoff team.” [Bethlehem Shoals/Sporting Blog]
It doesn’t look like everyone is aboard my Gerald Wallace train: “On the surface, it seems like the Cavs should be interested. For some reason though, I just don’t like this move. Wallace makes about $10 million a year for the next three years which isn’t great but it’s certainly less than what guys like Vince Carter or Michael Redd are going to make over that period. The problem is that I just don’t trust Wallace’s numbers. He seems to me like your classic case of a guy whose stats are inflated because he’s the only offensive threat on the floor for his team on any given night.” [CMCR]
And for those of you who are fans of the Chuckster as a potential HC for the CBs: “I’m noticing a trend with [Jon] Gruden’s former players (some of them, anyway): they didn’t trust him, or, if nothing else, thought he was a liar. That’s probably not the best way to build a successful team in the NFL, which might explain, at least in part, why Tampa Bay hasn’t won a playoff game since 2002.” [Adam Gretz/FanHouse]
14 Comments
fans voting on name recognition isnt exactly anything new, isn’t just about every award in any sport awarded based on popularity
Cmon guys, Kokinis is coming. He didn’t spend two days “in tightly confined spaces” with Mangini just to have lunch. He’s got Lerner by the proverbial balls in regards to contract negotiations. Lerner has positioned this so that NO credible GM/Executive VP candidate would take this gig. It’s Kokinis or bust.
Saw Mangini speak (briefly) last night on Donovan’s sports report, all I can say is……this guy better win, oh my gosh.
Viva la Monkok.
“…your classic case of a guy whose stats are inflated because he’s the only offensive threat on the floor for his team on any given night.”
Wouldn’t that mean he would garner more attention from opposing teams and it would actually deflate his stats instead of inflate them?
I mean, anyone who comes to Cleveland with this team is going to see some kind of reduction in stats, that’s what happens when you land on a better team than you left, correct?
When we hear the usual complaints that fans shouldn’t choose all stars or that their influence in making choices should be limited, remember that these are exhibitions originally created for the fans, so that they could see their favorites. Every year, in every sport, players and coaches complain about about selections. But it’s not really their game. It’s designed to increase the audience of the sport. If a marginally knowledgeable fan, or a little kid, would rather see a past-his-prime Shaq, or Cal Ripkin, rather than a “better” player, that’s the way it should be. Fan voting for all stars did not always exist, and I think it was instituted because of the exclusion of “stars” the fans wanted to see. Bud Selig has tweaked the traditional all star game equation by making the exhibition count. I have no problem with that either, IF that’s what the fans want.
I agree with most of that Harv, except for the MLB ASG counting for home field advantage for the World Series. If this “exhibition” should count for something, then the best players in the game should be on the field, not the fan favorites who may be years past their prime.
I’d love to see Cal Ripken out in the All Star Game this year. Viva la Cal!
@ Harv: The all star game in baseball affecting home field advantage is complete crap, the records of the 2 teams playing should be the determining factor.
Fan voting came around in an attempt to increase TV ratings for the games, not sure if it has had the desired effect. But it definitely has tainted the prestige of being named an all-star. Heck Yi Jianlian finished 3rd in voting for forwards in the east. AI has been destroying team chemistry (and championship hopes) for the past few years now and he made the starting roster? Thats a slap in the face to Joe Johnson, Devin Harris, Jose Calderon, and dare I say our own Mo Williams, all of who are either playing better ball or pushing underpowered teams into positions to make the playoffs (which I feel makes them better than AI).
@6: that’s why they have the Old Timer’s game….they still have it, don’t they?
@Hoy: “prestige” for whom? If the game is for the fans, and they want to see their favorites, why should we care if the players themselves feel less honored by a selection? I guess my general point is the players tend to lose perspective and think the game is of the players, by the players and for the players.
1. LeCharles Bentley should be charged with robbery. Maybe if he gave some of that money back, Lerner wouldn’t have had to let go alot of the Browns employees. I guess it’s the nature of the business though.
2. If Kokinis dosen’t come here, we’re screwed. He’s the guy Lerner/Mangini want, and if he decides not to come not only have the Browns let a division rival into the inner workings of our franchise, the coach and new GM probably won’t get along at all.
3. The NBA ASG is a glorified slam dunk contest. I’ll probably still watch it though.
4. Gerald Wallce in Cavaliers wine & gold equals disaster.
5. One good point about hiring Mangini so fast is Gruden is not an option. The players may not like Mangini, but they’ll be able to trust him. Chucky’s deal was he wanted to be the most popular on his team, not any of the players.
6. I’m done.
Fine… I’m off the Gruden Train… are you happy
Viva la Mankok … so long as this whole we’re meeting with him and don’t give him a contract yet thing ends at some point
Re: All Star games – why not take fan voting out of it and go with a fantasy stats base for who plays (accumulate points for certain statistics, highest point totals go)? That way, the players that are producing the best at their position get to go, injured players with crap production don’t, and those playing the best in that particular year are recognized for it.
Plus, you could track the standings throughout the year to see how it plays out. Seems more fun than watching all of the New York/Boston/Chinese players get in because of stuffed ballot boxes.
@ Jay – luckily, there arren’t a lot of inner workings of this franchise to get into
@Harv: When I say prestige I mean being recognized for excellence by other players and coaches, people that spend their lives day in and day out focused on basketball, not fans who seem to vote based on marketing ploys and whoever ends up with a catch phrase on ESPN.
I think the game would be more entertaining with the best players, as a fan thats what I want to see, the players that are considered the best by their peers. I want to see the best talent of today playing against the best talent of today. Not people that are over the hill, not guys that are a waste of talent, but the guys that are getting it done right now in the 2008 2009 NBA season. I agree with most of the choices made, but some are arguable and AI is laughable.
If they want to let the fans do the voting then change the name, call it the “NBA Fan Favorites Game” they could shorten it up to FFG and then sell it to some corporate sponsor and recognize the game for the popularity contest it is, instead of trying to say its the best players because its not.
When people look back and talk about how great a player was or wasn’t one thing that gets brought up is all-star appearances, which under the current system doesn’t hold water.