Message to Media: Stop Complaining About the Extended “Joba Rules” Coverage

I love how media members say they are sick of the talk about Joba Chamberlain and the “Joba Rules”.  I’ve read several tweets by media members in the last few days saying they are sick and tired of hearing about Joba and his rules.  Do they not understand that their peers are the ones who make a big deal of it.  They put it on the internet headlines.  They print it all over newspaper back pages.  They bring it up over and over again on radio shows.  If I were sick of it I’d stop reading and writing about it.  The media keeps analyzing and second guessing and analyzing and second guessing.  Stop complaining about the coverage of Joba.  This is New York, the biggest media market in the world, and this is the Yankees, arguably the most well-known franchise in sports.  I could understand fans complaining about the nonstop coverage.  They can’t cut it out of the media.  They have to read what’s being written.  They have to listen to whatever is being said.  If they want their sports, they have to put up with it.  Media members are in control.  So when someone in the media says they are sick of the “Joba rules” it is ridiculous.

Jeter, Teixeira and Mauer Race for AL MVP

It’s the last day of August meaning there is one month remaining in baseball’s regular season.  Is it too early to start talking about regular season awards?  In some ways I say yes because a player can change our opinion of him if he has a stellar month and leads his team into the playoffs.  In other ways I say no because everyone else is making opinions and with over 3/4’s of the season over, we already know who is in the hunt for certain awards.  

The AL MVP is talked about most in New York because two Yankees are in the running for it.  Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira along with Twins catcher Joe Mauer are the three top contenders.  I would say it would be a big surprise if one of these guys didn’t win the award and most people have Joe Mauer winning it.  In 105 games, Mauer is batting .367 with 25 home runs and 79 RBI.  He is the “sexy” pick, if you will.  He deserves great consideration for doing what he’s doing and being a catcher on top of it.  Minnesota is 4.5 games behind the Tigers in the central and if the Twins can overcome the deficit and win the division, then there’s no question in my mind, the AL MVP is Mauer.  Not making the playoffs has not stopped voters from choosing a player.  A-Rod won it with a last place team in Texas, but come on.  A most valuable player has to be playing in the playoffs, no?

This leads into the case for Jeter and Teixeira.  Barring a major setback, the Yankees will be playing in October and these two guys are a big reason why.  Derek Jeter is as locked in as he has ever been in his career right now.  He is 35 years old and having one of his best seasons statistically.  He’s batting .335 and has only struck out 67 times.  August has been good to Jeter and if he remains hot in September, it’s going to be hard not to give him his first MVP.  

Then there’s Teixeira.  He’s batting .284 with 32 home runs and 101 RBI.  He has hit in the clutch all season blasting balls into the new Yankee Stadium’s upper deck.  His defense at first place has been phenomenal, something the Yankees were missing in the Giambi era.  

All three players are deserving and it may be too soon to decipher right now.  September can propel someone or set someone back.  Right now I’d have to give it to Jeter and it may be bias a little, I know, but Jeter deserves an MVP and Mauer’s team may not make the playoffs.  Tex is third in the running right now but could make a September push.  An MVP is nice to have but these guys would rather have a World Series ring to show for 2009.  Playing like an MVP gives a team a better chance at getting a ring.  If Jeter and Tex weren’t have MVP type seasons, then maybe the Yankees wouldn’t be in the position they are in.  I’m sure Jeter and Tex wouldn’t mind if Mauer received MVP honors and they received World Series rings.

NFL Season Ticket Holders Forced to Pay Full Price for Preseason Games

Preseason football is meaningless to the NFL fan.  To the organizations, it has a lot of meaning.  It gives players a chance to gain game experience before the season begins.  It also let’s coaches evaluate backup players who they haven’t seen in game situations.  Season ticket holders are forced to pay full price for two meaningless preseason games and by looking at the attendance of preseason games, the ticket holders often don’t attend them.  

It’s not fair for NFL season ticket holders to have to pay full price for preseason games.  The games don’t count and if your team isn’t home for the third preseason game then you don’t really get to see starters in action for an extended part of the game.  Take the 2009 New Orleans Saints for instance.  Their preseason home games are week one and four.  These are the two games the starters play the least.  Saints fans would be lucky to see the starters play for a full quarter combined in their two home preseason games.  I can’t expect Saints season ticket holders to pay full ticket price, the price of a ticket to a regular season game, to see two preseason games full of backups.   

What can be done about this?  NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is a proponent of decreasing preseason games from four to three and maybe even two.  He also would like to expand the regular season schedule to 17 or 18 games.  Season Ticket holders would pay what they pay now for a full season package but only have one preseason game and get an extra regular season game.  Not everyone agrees with Goodell though.  Coaches have said they like having four preseason games because it gives them a chance to evaluate players better.  Obviously, the evaluations are not of the starters, they are of the guys are fighting for a chance to make the opening day roster. 

Another way to solve the problem would be to lower the ticket prices for preseason games.  Cut the price per ticket in half and make the price for two preseason games equal to the price of one regular season game ticket.  Owners wouldn’t want this for obvious financial reasons, but it would really make fans happy.  This is why owners may rather see a cut in preseason games and an increase in regular season games.  There will be more television viewers and a higher attendance which means more money in an owner’s pocket.  Expanding the regular season also affects the health of players.  They would get paid more but would be worn down more each season.  

Roger Goodell will most likely bring up the idea of cutting the preseason and extending the regular season when the collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2010 season.  This proposal has several benefits and drawbacks.  Owners, coaches, players and fans all have various views of the situation although fans don’t have much say in the matter.

Giants and Jets Had Some Highs and Lows in Third Preseason Game

So how did the Giants and Jets look in the 40th version of their annual preseason meeting?  Both teams are still working the kinks out but that’s what the preseason’s for.  The third preseason game is most telling of how teams will play in the regular season because the starters play well into the third quarter.  There were some good things that happened and there were some bad things that happened in the game for both teams.

The Good:

Jets:

• Mark Sanchez and the Jets receivers were clicking for most of the game.  Sanchez went 13-20 with 149 yards and one touchdown.
• The Jets defense played better against the run and forced two turnovers in the first half.  
• Leon Washington had another great preseason game with 62 yards on nine rushing attempts.  

Giants: 

• The Giants used a no-huddle offense that lead to a touchdown on the first possession of the game.  
• Rookie receiver Hakeem Nicks had six receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns, including a 71 yard touchdown.
• The Giants have found a very viable backup quarterback in David Carr.

The Bad:

Jets:

• Penalties.  The Jets’ defense had five penalties, three offsides and two pass interferences, in the first quarter alone.  Even Kris Jenkins, the nose tackle, jumped offsides.  The Jets had 12 total penalties in the game.    
• The Jets looked susceptible to the big play in the air, although the Giants didn’t convert on two long passes that were open.  

Giants:

• Steve Smith dropped a perfect pass from Eli Manning that would have been a 90 yard touchdown.  There were a few other dropped balls by Giants receivers that needed to be caught.
• The defensive and offensive units played better than last week but still didn’t seem to be fully in sync.  They sacked the Jets rookie quarterback just once. 

There’s still a lot of work to do but Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin will have their teams prepared for opening weekend.  The teams are nowhere near where they need to be.  The Jets host the Eagles in their final preseason game and the Giants will travel to New England.  Starters won’t play for more than one or two series if they play at all.

The Marshall Debate

Brandon Marshall. A name that has taken headlines away from names like Favre and Vick. Marshall has been suspended for the rest of the preseason for acts detrimental to the team. He has been acting severely immature. There is a video of him at practice walking while the rest of the players are running and punting a ball instead of handing it to the ball boy. Marshall has also not learned the new playbook. Although he says he’s not trying to force a trade, his acts clearly suggest he doesn’t want to be a Bronco unless he gets a new deal.

Now to the debate whether a team should trade for Marshall. Marshall has shown he is a talented number one receiver. There’s no questioning that. His maturity (or lack there of) and work ethic are what’s in question. It’s one thing to be unhappy with your contract but it’s another to act destructively and negatively impact the team that’s currently paying you, no matter the amount.

How would you say other teams view Marshall? Would they give up a first and fourth rounder for him? Does it matter that he is acting extremely immature in his malcontent?

If Marshall was traded to another team and received a new contract I’m sure he wouldn’t act like he is now. He would learn the playbook, be subordinate, take direction. I can’t say he’d behave off the field though.

When Cutler had his fallout with the Broncos people said they wouldn’t want him on their team because he’s a baby. Well if he came to your team he wouldn’t act like he did during the fallout. He be happy to be where he is. T.O. is the only player that has had multiple fallouts.

Reality is that players almost always win. They whine and pout until they get paid or get traded. Team’s don’t need poison in the locker room. They need players who are focused and happy to be where they are.

So would I take Marshall on my team? Are his abilities so overwhelming that I’d put up with his immaturity? Do the pros outweight the cons? I think so. Keep him happy and he performs like an all-pro. Nobody talks about what happened with Cutler anymore. He’s with the Bears and working hard.

Not every team can have 70 Mannings or 70 McNabbs. You have to choose between character and talent sometimes. In Marshall’s case, I would take the bad and good and hope he produces on the field and behaves.

Joba Will Pitch on Regular Rest for Remainder of Season

Joba hasn’t been the same pitcher that roared out of the all-star break since the Yankees changed his routine and pitched Joba on extended rest.  He was phenomenal in his starts on regular rest coming out of the break and now he is struggling as he follows Yankee management’s plans.  Six and seven days rest is too much for Joba.  He can’t find a groove, can’t get a rhythm, and can’t get a static schedule.  When Yankee management first implemented the “Joba Rules”, Joba didn’t even know when exactly he was going to pitch.  It messes with his mind and messes with his daily routine.  

The Yankees have done away with the rules and will pitch Joba on regular rest, every fifth game, for the remainder of the season.  Joba will stick to a routine and know exactly when he is pitching.  

The Yanks don’t want to wear Joba out by having him pitch a ton of innings early in his career but the “Joba Rules” haven’t worked.  As the Yankees get Joba back to starting every fifth game, they’ll ease him back in.  Pitch him four innings in a start then go up from there.  

I applaud the Yankees for realizing their plan for Joba hasn’t worked and probably won’t work. I applaud them for coming out and basically saying it was a mistake to extend Joba’s rest period between starts.  Pitching Joba on normal rest will keep him sharp and we should see positive results.  I think he’ll get reacclimatized to pitching every fifth day and start pitching like he did after the all-star break.

Marshall Comes Off Immature to Possible Suitors

Broncos disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been suspended by the team for the rest of the preseason for acts detrimental to the team. Marshall has vocally, as well as physically, showed his frustrations with the team.

“I think everybody knows there’s a lot of stuff built up there, and me handling it that way wasn’t good,” said Marshall. “I’m not out there trying to be a distraction to the team. Unfortunately, yesterday I kind of let my frustration get the best of me.”

Marshall isn’t handling the situation well and it doesn’t make him look good to his possible suitors. He can be frustrated but act like a man, not punt a ball away from a ball boy or walk when the rest of the team is running. Marshall’s immaturity is publicly on display and the Jets and Giants, both in the market for a receiver, should be weary, if they aren’t already.

Initially, I was all for either New York team going after Marshall but now there are definite second thoughts. This fits into the talent vs. character issue that teams go through when assembling a team. Marshall isn’t making it any easier for him to be traded and the Broncos have their second rocky situation with a star this offseason.

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Knicks and Lee Can’t Agree

The Knicks and David Lee are not only not on different pages, they aren’t even in the same book.  There were talks of a sign-and-trade but nothing other than rumors have come of that.  There were also talks of Lee coming back to the Knicks on a one-year deal but the two sides can’t come to reasonable terms.  Now it looks like Lee may hold-out.  According to the New York Post, David Lee’s agent Mark Bartlestein says they are considering it, although they hope it doesn’t come down to that.

Hold-outs are most common in the NFL.  Leave it to the Knicks to make hold-outs the new thing in basketball.  The Knicks aren’t going to give Lee a long-term deal and use a substantial amount of cap space on him when the coveted 2010 free agent class is in sight.  They should find a suitor for a sign-and-trade or  come up to Lee’s asking price on a one-year deal when it doesn’t matter how much cap space it eats up in 2009.  If Lee and his agent are serious about a hold-out, the situation is going to get much uglier.  The Knicks need to solve it before it dissuades stars from coming to the Knicks in 2010.  Save face Knicks, get Lee signed or sign-and-trade him.

Jets Interested in Eagles Receiver?

The Philadelphia Daily News believes the Jets and Ravens would be interested in obtaining a receiver, notable Reggie Brown, from the Eagles.  The Eagles have an abundance of receivers and would like to trade one of them before they make their final cuts.  

It is becoming more apparent that the Jets are in search for a receiver.  I won’t put anything past Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum since he dealt for Favre last August.  Tannanebaum won’t be afraid to pull the trigger to bring in a receiver as long as it fits in with the Jets’ plans.  I think he’ll keep his ears open but won’t push to make a deal for a wideout.  

It has been rumored that the Broncos would want a first and fourth round pick in return for Brandon Marshall.  If the situation between Denver and Marshall gets worse, they may lower the asking price and the Jets could jump in.  Right now it wouldn’t be worth it to give up a first and fourth rounder but again, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tannenbaum made Denver a proposal.