Quick Thoughts

Some quick hits on a few stories of note:

*Baseball needs to set a concrete trade deadline. What's the point in making a big deal about trades in July, when teams can still wheel and deal in early September? And I don't want to hear anymore bitching from small market teams that they aren't getting a fair shake because big market teams have more coin to pass around. If you're worried about financial juggernauts building super teams and ruining the competitive balance in baseball, then stop selling off all your expensive parts to them.

That being said, when I see guys like Jim Thome and Scott Kazmir getting dealt to contenders with a month left in the season, it's hard not to wonder what the fuck? When a team trades arguably its best pitcher in division like the D-Backs did when they dealt Jon Garland to the Dodgers, it makes you worry that baseball will inevitably become a league of five or six super powers and that teams like the Rays and D-Backs, while good stories when they put it all together and compete, will eventually come back down to Earth and continue on with their role as feeder teams for the big boys. The money gained from moves like this will eventually be evened out by the sales revenue lost by a betrayed fan base suddenly unwilling to spend its hard earned dollars on a team that is so quick to blow up the team when things get drastic. The Rays were in the World Series last year and, while Kazmir wasn't exactly the dominant force this year that he was last year, what do you risk by holding onto him next year and trying to make another run? Especially with teams like Boston and New York loaded with aging talent. Now, there's even more pressure on former top pick David Price to be the ace everyone thought he would be after his dominant ALCS last year and even more pessimism from a dwindling fan base that experienced a rejuvenation with last year's run.

* I hate being on the fence, but I really don't know where I stand on this LaGarrette Blount sucker-punch incident at the end of last night's Oregon-Boise St. game. On the one hand, I agree with the critics. It was classless. It was unnecessary. It was bone-headed. However, when you taunt a guy on the opposing team as he's walking by you after an emotional loss, what type of reaction were you expecting? Did you think Blount was going to turn around and say "You're right. We suck."? Prior to the punch, Byron Hout was going to be reprimanded by his coach because of HIS unsportsmanlike conduct, and perhaps Hout would be the story here had Blount let cooler heads prevail and kept walking. So I understand why Blount acted the way he did. The heat of the moment, the emotion of the loss, the added insult to injury, I can't say I wouldn't consider acting the same way. In a lot of ways, Hout got what he had coming. When you go out of your way to instigate trouble, these are the things that could happen. The fact that Hout is going unpunished while Blount is going to sit out the season, to me, is a bit ridiculous. As much of a black eye(no pun intended) as Blount's sucker-punch has left on college football's opening week, it could have been avoided had Hout shown a little more class himself.

* Now that we have closure on the Michael Vick soap opera after commissioner Goodell laid down his two-game suspension, it's time to move on to the next drama. Remember two years ago, when Vick went to prison, the uncertainty of just what the state of the game would look like when he got out? That question now goes to former Giants receiver Plaxico Burress. Burress is set to serve two years in prison for bringing a gun into a nightclub and shooting himself accidentally in the leg. A sentence that we can bicker for weeks over the degree of extremity. However, one has to wonder what's in store for Plax in two years when he becomes a free man.

His situation is much different from Vick's. Unlike Vick, Plax will leave jail far past his prime years at age 34. He won't suffer the same public relations fiasco as his crime, while idiotic and somewhat hilarious, doesn't tug at the heart strings like Vick's murder of dogs. However, because of how boneheaded Plax's infraction was, it makes you wonder whether his support for reinstatement in two years from fellow players and media figures will mirror Vick's. While Vick will never totally win over the hearts of Americans, he was released from jail with a newfound sense of sympathy from a good chunk of society after paying his debts.

Burress, on the other hand, might be re-entering a different game entirely. For one, there's the possibility of a work stoppage and the death of the salary cap following the upcoming strife over a labor agreement between the owners and the union. With owners essentially coming out of their pocket more than ever, it makes you wonder if they'll throw money at a guy who was already raising red flags with his questionable behavior prior to going Cheddar Bob on himself(especially given Plax's advanced age). Remember, it took Vick weeks before he landed with Philly and every day teams came out of the woodwork to throw ice water on any hot Vick-to-(insert team here) rumors. As an perennially dangerous red-zone target at 6'5, 230 lbs, it's hard to imagine Burress not garnering some interest in a couple years, especially with teams already pushing to add Plax over the past few weeks eventhough it was a near-certainty that he was going to jail. However, it's a question that will continue to linger until an answer becomes more imminent two years from now.

Giant Steps?

The New York Football Giants have been dominating the NFL headlines for the last few days and as Boom Roasted Sports' resident Giants fan, I feel I need to share an opinion.

First let's talk about Plaxico Burress.

There is a lot of gray area in the Burress situation, but let me state two truths: One, I miss Burress being a New York Giant, and two, he is an idiot.

When he did what he did last year (for those who don't know, he accidentally shot himself in the leg in a New York City nightclub), I knew he was going to be suspended. My immediate thoughts were about the Giants offense and how they were going to get along without Eli Manning's safety valve. Six foot five receivers with Plax's talent don't come along everyday.

I truly think that Burress carrying a gun into a nightclub is not that egregious. He was doing what he felt he needed to do to protect himself. Many athletes feel this way, and carry weapons or use bodyguards while they are out. These guys are targets, in many ways. They are high profile, recognizable, and rich. They are targeted by gold digging women, family members, jealous men, jealous men who have had a few too many cocktails at a nightclub. Get the idea?

I don't necessarily think that Burress should have taken a gun with him into that nightclub, I just understand why he did so. To me his mistake was not taking the gun into the club, his mistake was taking a gun into a club in New York City, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.

Well, I guess you could say his mistake was carrying a gun into a club in NYC, and tucking it into the waistband of his sweatpants, and then shooting yourself. Like I said, he's an idiot.

Now onto Eli Manning and his new contract. Little Eli signed a six year extension for a reported $97.5 million dollars, making him the highest paid player in the league on a per season basis.

At first I thought, like you did, that is an outrageous amount of money. Then I thought about it for a while. Then I listened to Doug Gottlieb on ESPN Radio on my way home from work, and he brought up the money side of this.

This contract is not about his stats or on the field performance. Eli has spent five years in the league, so we know who he is now. At times he looks every bit the QB who has a sub-par completion percentage and throws lame duck interceptions off of his back foot. Other times he looks like the calm and collected QB who leads his team on pressure packed game winning drives and throws the prettiest post pattern ball in the league. At best he is somewhat above average.

This contract is about the Giants locking up the face of their franchise. This is about Eli being beloved by New York fans. And ultimately, this is about selling tickets. New York fans love Eli, and they will forever. New York fans are peculiar in that they are always suspect of players on their teams, until they win, then they are beloved forever. Joe Namath, Derek Jeter (and most of the mid to late '90's Yankees), Mark Messier, the list goes on. By winning Super Bowl XLIII the way he did (the David Tyree catch), against who he did (the 18-0 Patriots), Eli added his name to that beloved list.

New York fans are going to love him forever, and by locking him up with this contract extension the Giants have taken a step to make sure their stadium is filled for years to come.

(They needed to do something. Those Personal Seat Licenses are ridiculous. I know personally. I was offered mezzanine seats (because I am on their season ticket waiting list) that with PSL's, and the required eight regular season games, two preseason games, and a minimum two ticket purchase would have run me just over $31,000. Anyone got that lying around?)

Indulgent Homer Blog of the Week

One of my goals is to write about teams other than those I am a fan of, most of the time. Every now and then I'm going to focus on my teams.

- Let's start with the New York football Giants. They cut Plaxico Burress last week. I am conflicted over this move. Part of me says good riddance. If you shoot yourself in the leg and, in a separate incident, yell at a cop, then you deserve to have people question your decision making. The other part of me is going to miss him on the field. The Giants played much worse without him. Their offense stagnated. He was Eli's security blanket. Of course, a 6-5 receiver would be anyone's security blanket. It reminds me of the 2001 NBA Finals when the Knicks' Larry Johnson tried to guard the Spurs' Tim Duncan. Plax and Duncan allowed you to just chuck the ball in the air to them and watch them work their magic.

- Speaking of my beloved San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili is out for the remainder of the season. The Spurs are done. That's it. That's the list.
The Spurs have clinched a playoff berth, but I'll surprised if they win one round. Ginobili is the most dynamic player on the Spurs roster. He plays everywhere on the floor. He can go to the rack with either hand. There are few players like him in the league. Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill, the rookie from IUPUI (ooey-pooey) will be filling in for Ginobili. They hardly instill confidence. I say it again, this year, the Spurs are done.
The bigger problem facing San Antonio is that their window to win another title may be closing. Tim Duncan is getting old and has knee problems. Ginobili is 32 years old and oft-injured. They aren't yet close to rebuilding, but they are past the years in which they are elite. They are still good. They will still make the playoffs for a few more years, but that isn't saying much in a league where 16 teams make the post-season and 14 do not.

- How about some good news? The Mets won a one-run game yesterday. It looks like adding J.J. Putz and K-Rod is going to work. At least for now. For the last few years when the Mets had a one run lead going into the ninth, it was scary. Billy Wagner was good but he always made me sweat. Last year they had garbage trying to close out games. This year things are looking up.

- Gabe