Posted by frustratedfan on May 16, 2008 filed in Dallas Cowboys
First of all let me say this: OTA stands for "Organized Team Activities." Now brace yourself, because the rest of this article is not going to be pretty. Reports have surfaced on the Dallas Cowboys website, www.dallascowboys.com, that Marion "The Barbarian" Barber has not been in attendance for the team's offseason workout program and mini-camp practices. Believe it or not, even TO has been seen at some of these. Barber is not exaclty missing in action because he is currently getting ready for the upcoming NFL season by training in Miami, Florida, but we all know why he is not in Dallas. Since Barber is a restricted free agent and was not signed to an offer sheet by another team before the free agency deadline, his only choice is to sign the Cowboys tendered offer of $2.56 million for this upcoming season. Then, after signing the offer, Barber is free to negotiate with the Cowboys and determine a realistic and high paying contract extension. Barber has yet to sign his offer, which means that he is clearly unhappy with it, but he still has until June 1st to sign it. If June 1st passes without Barber signing on the dotted line, the Cowboys can actually lower the offer...and that would not be pretty. If you're wondering who is behind Barber's sudden "Me First" and team second mentality, look no further than his new high profile, and money sucking agent: Drew Rosenhaus.
Drew Rosenhaus is the NFL's most successful sports agent, as he has represented many high profile and controversial athletes...including TO. His name is also synonymous with the term "Hold Out," and do not be surprised when training camp rolls around and Barber is not in attendance.
The reports from Jerry Jones and company seem to indicate that Barber is going to be offered a $30 million dollar contract extension once he signs his restricted free agent tender of $2.56 million, but word from the Barber (Rosenhaus) camp is that Barber is looking for a deal in the vicinity of $50 million. That astronomical contract that Barber is seeking is ridiculous, and why do you wonder? Because that is nearly what LaDainian Tomlinson is paid, who happens to be the best running back in the NFL for the last five seasons and counting. Barber only started one game last season, the playoff loss to the Giants, so he is in no position at all to command such a high priced contract.
Rosenhaus thinks he can shake down the Cowboys for more money than they are willing to give out, so look for Marion Barber to join fellow Rosenhaus client, Chad Johnson, on the sidelines or whatever vacation spot they have picked out to watch training camp from. I am predicting that Barber will be a hold out, following the history of many Rosenhaus clients, and in the process mess up the chemistry of a very already sound and hungry Dallas Cowboys team.
If Barber wanted to be a team player then he would sign his tender and negotiate his contract while working out with his team at the same time, but he has chosen to go a different and selfish direction. Chris Canty, who was also a fourth round pick turned into a dominating presence, is faced with the same situation as Barber but has still chosen to report to camp and work out with his team...despite not signing his offer. Canty is the definition of a team player, and Barber clearly is not.
You would think that Barber would not hesitate to play ball with the Cowboys, since the departure of Julius Jones paved the way for him to be the starter at running back, but Barber looks like he is being greedy. I do not care if Barber is in the best shape of his life while training in Miami; because he is not doing it with his team. Training with the team helps to establish leadership and comradarie, and players who train in Miami do not seem to know what that is. Look at Jeremy Shockey, for example. He trained in Miami last season and was not even needed in the Giants' playoff and Superbowl run, thanks to the impressive performance of backup rookie tight end, Kevin Boss. Shockey was also nearly traded during this year's draft to the New Orleans Saints, which shows how his value is not as high as he believes it is.
Luckily for Barber, the Cowboys do not have a player they can start at running back besides him because all of his backups are unproven rookies. Barber knows that the Cowboys need him in camp, and thinks that Jerry Jones will blink first and give him the money he desires. The one thing that Barber seems to be underestimating though is how tough of a business man Jerry Jones is, so do not look for Jones to simply roll over and pay Barber undeserved money. If Jones wanted to, Barber could be paid only $2.5 million this season. But, Jones is willing to renogotiate to a $30 million dollar contract.
So, Marion Barber, what is it going to be? Are you going to hold out until mid-August for a contract you could be signing sometime in June, or are you going to make this process incredibly difficult in Drew Rosenhaus fashion? Are you going to be a team player or tell your team to shove it during these OTA's? And lastly, are you going to embrace your role as a starter and team leader, or will you be a dollar counting workout warrior in Miami?
Those questions are for #24 to answer, but hopefully he does the right thing and gets himself to Dallas.
Posted by frustratedfan on May 16, 2008 filed in L.A. Dodgers
As the saying goes, "you win some, and you lose some." That definitely applies to this year's version of the underachieivng Los Angeles Dodgers, as they have been incredibly good and also terribly bad. The Dodgers showed signs of life after going through the motions for the first month of the season by winning eight straight, but in typical Dodgers fashion, they followed that performance up by going on a losing skid. Yes indeed, after working hard to establish a semi-respectable record, the Dodgers returned to form by losing 6 of their next 8 games. That little up and down trend the Dodgers went on is what I call a summary of the 2007 season. Last season the Dodgers went into the All-Star break with the best record in the National League, but ended up collapsing and blowing their season all the way to a disturbing 4th place finish in the NL West division. It's funny how these trends go for the Dodgers, but there has always been a constant about them: They always end in disappointment.
There is a reason why the Dodgers have only one playoff win since 1988: The organization, from the front office down to the players in Dodgers blue, simply do not care at all whether they make the post season or not. Sure, baseball players do get some bonuses in cash for playing in the playoffs, but usually the amount of money they get is so insignificant that it barely puts a dent in their wallet. That is why losers like Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, Jason Schmidt and Andruw Jones have no care in the world when it comes to making the playoffs; and that partly explains why the Dodgers as a team have been so bad for the last 20 years. The Dodgers always overpay for players who underachieve, and the conclusion to that formula is always a disappointed and frustrated fan base.
After that mini-rant above, now let me tell you what is different about this year's Dodgers, and why this year they will make the playoffs: All of their best players are UNDERPAID. Can you believe it??? Yes, the Dodgers actually underpay GOOD players. To give you an example of this, look at the contracts of James Loney, Matt Kemp, Andre Either, and Russell Martin. All of the money they make combined equals about 1/8th of Andruw Jones' ridiculous $18 million dollar contract! What I'm really hoping is that the Dodgers young players will play well enough for the Dodgers to make the playoffs and actually win the first round series, but we all know that will not happen. It is always fun to hope though, so maybe with this column I found a way to raise the spirits of every other depressed Dodgers fan out there.
Also, this just in....Andruw Jones hit something called a "home run" today against the Milwaukee Brewers. Being a Dodgers fan who has followed Andruw Jones and his terrible play closely this season, that phrase has only been mentioned one other time so I am not exactly sure what it means. I think what Jones did was actually make contact with the ball, as in "hitting it," and somehow the ball flew over the outfield fence. That means Jones got to set foot on the base path and actually touch home plate at the end, which must have been an amazing experience. Keep it up Andruw, maybe one day we will see you batting above .200.
Posted by frustratedfan on May 15, 2008 filed in L.A. Lakers
The Lakers put the Utah Jazz on their heels Wednesday night by winning a hard fought game in Staples Center with a score of 111-104, and now they look to deliver the final knockout punch in Game 6 at Utah. Kobe Bryant had a very efficient game, as he scored 26 points on only 10 officially attempted shots. He added 13 more points from the free throw line, and aside from missing 4 free throws he had a very solid game. Pau Gasol was visibly back to his old self and filled the stat sheets once again, while the Lakers' X-factor, Lamar Odom, had several exhilarating dunks that sent the home crowd into a frenzy. In my Game 5 predictions I stated that Lamar Odom should be given the ball more because there is nobody on the Jazz capable of stopping him, and it looks like the Lakers did just that. Odom was a force to be reckoned with, and ended the game with yet another double-double. Vladamir Radmanovich also chipped in some timely 3-pointers, which took the Jazz players' hearts out, but in the end one of the defining plays of the game came from Jordan Farmar, who extended a late 1-point fourth quarter lead by making and converting a three point play. The Lakers never found themselves behind in the score in this game, so hopefully they can take the momentum from today's win and use it to finish off Utah in Game 6.
One of the keys to the Game 5 victory was definitely the turnover margin. I stated in previous post that the Lakers must cut down on their careless mistakes, and although they did just barely, they still had four less turnovers than the Jazz. Carlos Boozer was also not allowed to go nuts like he did in Game 3, but he still had a decent came. I characterize Boozer's 18 points and 12 rebounds as more of a containment by the Lakers, because Boozer was far from dominant. Deron Williams once again lit up the Lakers, but Kobe's efficient game ended up canceling out the young Jazz guard's great performance. The Lakers do not really appear to have an answer to Williams' great offense, but Derek Fisher is doing all he can to guard him.
If the Lakers want to close this series out on Friday night in Utah, then they need to do the following things:
1) Ignore the home crowd-- The Lakers will get terrible calls there as usual, but they cannot let the crowd feed off of their frustration
2) Quiet the crowd-- If Lamar Odom has more dunks in Utah like he did tonight at Staples, you will hear a pin drop in the Jazz' arena.
3) Contain Boozer-- Do not let him get a 20/20 performance, of else Game 7 will be sure to occur.
4) Guard the arc-- Mehmet Okur lives in this area, but he is not nearly as accurate with a hand in his face.
5) Limit the turnovers-- the Lakers won Game 5 with 14 turnovers, which is semi-decent, but they need to decrease that number to around 10 in Utah. The Utah players feed off of points off turnovers, and so does their crowd.
If you notice one thing about these predictions, it is that most of them have to do with the Jazz crowd. The Jazz as a team are far better at home than on the road, and I just have to admit that their crowd has something to do with that. The Lakers will need to take the lead early and maintain it, and also find a way to hold off the Jazz when they make their 3rd quarter run. For some reason the Lakers are just not a 3rd quarter team, so they need to have a strong first half to make up for it. By the time the 4th quarter rolls around the Jazz fans will feel a position of desperation, and then a few late shots by Kobe and company should rip their hearts out. Let's see if the Lakers can put this thing away, and we all know that 3rd time's the charm in Utah.
Posted by frustratedfan on May 13, 2008 filed in L.A. Lakers
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers jumped on the Jazz early in the second round of the playoffs by putting them in a 2-0 hole, but the following trip to Utah showed that the Jazz would not be going down easily. Although the Jazz were a mediocre 17-24 on the road this season, their home record was a sparkling 37-4. That discrepancy may make a few NBA fans suspicious of the Jazz's home cooking, including me, but I will still give them credit for frustrating the Lakers and evening up the series. The key to upsetting the Lakers in game 3 was Jazz center, Carlos Boozer. Boozer was a no-show in Los Angeles, but in Utah he had 27 points and 20 rebounds, not to mention a dominating performance over Pau Gasol. Gasol managed to get back to his consistent play in game 4, yet it was Jazz point guard Deron Williams who put on a show. Williams thoroughly put a smack down on Derek Fisher, and backup guard Jordan Farmar had no idea what truck rolled him flat. While on the subject of Jordan Farmar, I would like to point out that the former UCLA Bruin has not been representing his alma mater very well, as he has shot 1 for 16 at one point in this series. He also let a routine chest pass fly right through his hands and out of bounds in game 4, which turned out to be one of many costly and irresponsible Laker turnovers. If the Lakers want to take the upper-hand in this series and defeat the Jazz to win game 5, then they must make better decisions and execute more on the offensive end. Their passing has to improve and they need to score more baskets on assists. At the defensive end they also must make the Jazz work harder for their points. Games 3 and 4 were just too easy for the Jazz, so the Lakers need to toughen up and re-establish their dominance.
To sum it all up, if the Lakers do the following things then they will win Game 5:
- Defend the 3-point line-- Mehmet Okur has been given way too many open shots, and he needs to have a hand in his face.
- Rebound on both ends of the floor-- This needs to be done especially at the defensive end, because the Jazz are getting way to many second chance points.
- Limit the turnovers-- Turnovers happen, but the Lakers have been making some really stupid ones. I counted at least 5 occasions when the Lakers got a steal on defense and then quickly turned the ball back over to the Jazz at the offensive end. This simply cannot happen anymore, and the Lakers need to capitalize on points off of turnovers.
- Give Lamar Odom more looks-- has anyone noticed that the Jazz do not have anyone to stop this guy???? He has been going crazy on offense and defense, yet for some reason he's not getting the ball. Give LO the ball!
- Bench Jordan Farmar-- I'm sorry, Jordan, but your play has been pathetic. I know that Sasha Vujacic can do a better job in your place, so only Sasha should be rotated with Fisher for the rest of the series.
- Involve Gasol early-- I think that Gasol plays much better when he gets into an early groove, so Kobe should look to get Gasol the ball in the 1st quarter. We know Kobe can finish the game and score at will, but he needs that early push from Gasol.
So there you have it, and hopefully the Lakers listen to the prescribed advice. If they don't, then I'm sure Game 6 in Utah will not be very pleasant.
Posted by frustratedfan on May 05, 2008 filed in L.A. Lakers
Well this award was about five years overdue, but at least the day is finally here and Kobe Bryant can now call himself the NBA's Most Valuable Player. Consistently one of the top players on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, Kobe has been one of the most dominant players in the NBA for several seasons now. I still cannot believe that Steve Nash became the first player in the league since Michael Jordan retired to win two consecutive MVP's, and to this day I still have no problems at all saying that those awards should have gone to Kobe. The word "defense" is not in Steve Nash's vocabulary, as he has never been found on any All-NBA defensive team, let alone the third team. Kobe, on the other hand, has consistently been a First Team All-NBA Defensive Player selection throughout his career. He can burn any team on offense, yet shut down any team's best player on defense. A few seasons ago people thought that Kobe would win the MVP because he had one of the most prolific scoring streaks since Wilt Chamberlain in the 1960's, yet Kobe finished 3rd in the voting. Last year Kobe thoroughly dominated the NBA, putting on one of the greatest offensive performances in league history by scoring 81 on Toronto, yet once again he did not win the MVP. The difference between this year and the past is that sports writers (and voters) have claimed that Kobe has not been able to make his team better, like Nash with Phoenix, but this year Kobe has proven without a shadow of a doubt that he is capable of making his team better while being the most dominating player in the league. The Lakers finished with the #1 seed in the toughest Western Conference of all time, so it was only right that the best player on the best team would win the MVP, and this year it was finally Kobe. Congratulations Kobe, too bad you had to have Brian Grant, Chucky Atkins, Smush Parker, Chris Mihm (still) and Kwame Brown on your team the last few years...let's see what Nash would have done with that group.
Looking at the way the MVP voting is done, it is easy to notice that often times the best player in the league does not win it. Nowadays the winner of the NBA's most prestigious individual award must be the best player on the best team, but Kobe was a victim of the system because of the lack of talent around him until this season. Do not mistake this at all: This was no lifetime achievement award. This isn't Karl Malone being given the MVP at the cost of Michael Jordan. This isn't Tim Duncan robbing Shaq of two consective MVP's. What this is, in this 2008 season, is the acknowledgement that Kobe Bryant is now considered the best player in the NBA.
Sports Illustrated has done several polls over the last few seasons which have asked NBA players what player they fear in the NBA the most, and in every poll the majority of the players have stated that Kobe is the most feared player. I do not care what any fan in the NBA says, if their team is down by 1 point with 5 seconds remaining, they hope to God that Kobe is on it to take the last shot. If the USA Olympic Team is tied with 1 second left in the championship game against Manu Ginobili and Argentina, America wants Kobe Bryant to take the gold medal winning shot. Why wouldn't it be that way? Kobe has dominated the NBA for many years, including players such as Ginobili.
This year there is no controversy, there is no "this player should have won it," because everyone knows that Kobe is the best player in the league. Hopefully the Lakers will add an NBA Championship to this great accomplishment, because they have the best chance of doing it, and they are led by the fiercest and most competitive player in the league.
Posted by frustratedfan on May 04, 2008 filed in L.A. Dodgers
After a brief hiatus due to updates and minor changes here and there on this website, it is time to get back to what bothers me most right now about the Los Angeles Dodgers: Andruw Jones. Not only is our $18 million dollar per season center fielder underachieving in typical Dodgers fashion, partly because he is overweight and lazy overall, but offensively he is looking like one of the worst players to ever put on a Dodgers uniform. Nearly one month into this baseball season, 30 games to be exact, Jones is hitting with an incredibly pedestrian .163 batting average. That is just 16 hits in 98 at-bats, and that will not get the job done. But wait, of course there's more...
We all know that Jones isn't having his problems because of the number on the back of his jersey, since he managed to steal it away from the equally underachieving Esteban Loaiza. It looks like the great #25 is not making a difference anyway though, because if it did then I am sure that Jones would not have accumulated these disastrous numbers:
- 1 home run this season, he had 5 at this time last season as a member of the Atlanta Braves.
- Only 3 doubles in the month of April; 5 total this season.
- 34 strike-outs and 15 walks in 30 games, which comes out to over a 2:1 ratio of strike-outs to walks...pathetic.
- 4 RBI's in 30 games. That is downright embarrasing, especially for a power hitter.
- A .255 slugging percentage, which is Juan Pierre status....but worse.
- 0 Stolen Bases, which isn't surprising since he is reportedly 30 lbs. overweight.
- Only 14 runs scored, which is an average of less than 1 run scored every 2 games.
- 1 multi-hit game this season, which came against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates on April 15th.
- A 1/25 hitting streak from April 5th - April 13th
After making you sick to your stomach with those stats, which sum up Jones' terrible play this season, let me remind you once again that he is under a two-year, $36 million dollar contract. I do not know if I can put up with this for the rest of this season alone, and it looks like Dodgers manager, Joe Torre, is feeling the same way. Lately I've noticed that Torre has been benching Jones in favor of Juan Pierre, and embarassingly enough, Pierre is actually outplaying Jones. So, the Dodgers are basically splitting center fielding duties with guys making a combined total of $27 million dollars. That is nearly half the total of what the Colorado Rockies (World Series Runner-Ups) are making as a team.
If you think Jones is laughing all the way to the bank, then I wonder how his fellow Dodgers are feeling about his astronomical salary. Andre Either, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin and James Loney are all outperforming Jones by a landslide, yet all of them make less than $1 million per season. In fact, their salaries hover around the $500,000 mark. All of these players also came up through the Dodgers farm system, yet incompetent Dodgers General Manager, Ned Colletti, rewards Andruw Jones with a huge free agent contract. I love the way the Dodgers do business, and I am sure many of the young guns in their locker room feel the same way....it is ridiculous.
Posted by frustratedfan on April 08, 2008 filed in YouTube
So this is what happens when the Dodgers go over 20 years without winning a World Series.....our fans start to get a little creepy...
I still applaud the effort, but don't get your hopes up big guy...
Dodgers Can't Close Out Giants, Fall 2-1
Posted by frustratedfan on April 03, 2008 filed in L.A. Dodgers
In similar fashion to last year's mediocre ball club, this 2008 version of the LA Dodgers let another game slip away. The Dodgers could have swept the Giants, but Andre Ethier managed to drop a routine fly ball in the top of the fifth inning, which allowed the tieing run to score. Even if Ethier would have caught the ball the runner would have tagged up and scored anyway, so the Dodgers proved once again that they know how to blow games in a variety of ways. If you are wondering what pitcher allowed the last place Giants so many baserunners in such a crucial inning, look no further than Esteban Loaiza. This game was in the midst of a heavy rainstorm, and if Loaiza does not allow any runs, then the game would have been called due to rain and the Dodgers would have won, 1-0. The umpires were just itching to end this game, but the Dodgers, of course, had to give up the tieing run right before the rain delay was called. Once the rain finally ceased, the Dodgers resumed play with their rivals from SF and managed to lose the game in nine innings outright. Way to go, Dodgers, I am sure this will not be the last time I see a game like this.
One thing that I was glad to see about yesterday's game was that manager Joe Torre placed right fielder Matt Kemp back into the starting lineup. I do not care how much Juan Pierre is getting paid ($9 million this season), because Kemp is clearly the better player because he hits for power and can also steal bases. The Dodgers desperately need a hitter like Kemp, who should be an every day player. If anyone should be sharing time in the outfield it should be Ethier with Pierre, but for some reason Torre appears to be alternating Kemp. I sincerely hope that Pierre is not being used solely on the basis of his gigantic and underserved contract, because that sounds like the Dodgers' front office is running this ball club. If anyone should have the right editing this lineup, all responsibility should fall on Joe Torre's shoulders, because he actually knows a thing or two about baseball.
....and do not think I will not end this article with another shot at Dodgers General Manager, Ned Colletti. Hey Ned, sure looks like that Juan Pierre signing is paying dividends, right? I love when the Dodgers overpay a player, but it is even better when that overpaid player loses his starting position and has to share time. I am sure that Juan Pierre is laughing all the way to the bank, so once again, great decision on handing out that contract, Ned.
Also, Andruw Jones is batting a pathetic .200 average after his first three games of the season, as he has gone 2/10. He has also not scored a run or had an RBI. In spring training at Vero Beach he hit for a pedestrian .214 average, so now once the season has started he appears to be kicking it into high Dodgers underachieving gear. Way to go Andruw, but I am sure you do not even care, since Ned Colletti is paying you $18 million this season. Amazing.
Posted by frustratedfan on March 31, 2008 filed in L.A. Dodgers
Start printing the playoff tickets...because the Dodgers actually won on Opening Day. I would advise against getting your hopes up too soon though, but the Dodgers did actually look somewhat semi-decent today, especially since the Giants were shut out and looked terrible all afternoon. Barry Zito, the $126 million dollar ace, once again got smashed by the Dodgers and looked awful. If he keeps pitching like he did today and last season, then there is no way he will finish the year out in the majors. One guy who stood out in the Dodgers' lineup today was our favorite motor cross fan and old man in general, Jeff Kent. The Dodgers oldest second baseman to ever start on opening day found a way to hit a two-run home run shot, and the Dodgers never looked back after that. James Loney also had a nice day as he knocked in a run of his own, and I'm sure fantasy owners loved his stolen base. Andruw Jones, the $18 million dollar free agent signee, is already on pace to have a better average than last year's pathetic season because he went 1/4 today. That is kind of sad, but at least it's an improvement. Oh yeah, often injured starter, Jason Schmidt, will be starting this season on the Disabled List because of lingering shoulder problems...what a surprise.
Posted by frustratedfan on March 29, 2008 filed in L.A. Lakers
Yes, there is a basketball team in Memphis, and they now have 19 wins this season after embarrassing the Lakers in Staples Center. The Lakers have now lost three of their last four games this season, including five of their last ten, and that is pretty ridiculous considering the talent they have. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are still out of the lineup, but there is still no excuse for the Lakers to tank this portion of their schedule until both players return. Kobe Bryant scored 53 points against Memphis, yet he barely received any help from the rest of the Lakers, and that is inexcusable. The Lakers have now fallen to third place in the Western Conference playoff standings, but at least they are still only one game out from the number one seed. Hopefully Pau Gasol comes back next game because the Lakers need him desperately, as they have been playing like an average .500 ball club stuck in a downward spiral of underachievment.
The Lakers have now lost their last two games to teams (Memphis and Charlotte) with a combined total of 47 wins. That is less than the Lakers currently have by themselves, which shows how big of a disappointment this team has been. It is understandable that the Lakers would not play as well without Gasol because of a lack of an inside presence, but the way they have been playing the last ten games has been truly pathetic. This Lakers team still has a lot of talent, yet they are just getting worked by no-name players from cellar-dwellar basketball teams. Their defense is getting shredded not only in the interior, but from the outside as well. They look like a swiss-cheese defense, that's how many holes they have right now. I certainly hope the Lakers do not think they will just be able to "flip the switch" when playoff time comes around, because aside from Kobe and Fisher, this team does not have the playoff experience to dominate in that fashion. Gasol will be rusty when he returns, and certainly Bynum's timing and stamina will be down due to not playing in over two months, so the Lakers better find a way to get their act together in order to have an easy tranition into the playoffs.
