By Jeff
What? Ray Shero and the Pittsburgh Penguins didn't make a move in the final minutes of the trade deadline today? But Rob Rossi told us that his NHL sources told him not to be surprised if the Pens pulled off a stunner.
Damn you, Rossi!
This is a new and weird feeling for Pens fans who have grown accustomed to Shero making some kind of deal on Trade Deadline Day. I capitalized it because it's a holiday to hockey fans. Too bad it was kind of boring this year. Almost like when I was 4 and cried on Christmas when I got clothes.
Well, being kind of mature now, I realize that clothes may have been a boring gift back then, but they served a purpose. Unlike the Shredder action figure I opened next and was very excited about. Shredder may have brought me joy instead of tears at that moment, but he wasn't going to really help me in any way.
That's how this Trade Deadline Day was for the Pens. Shero has spoiled us into thinking he is going to do something big on this day every year, so we are a little confused and sad when he doesn't. But the no deal was the best move the team could make. Dustin Penner fetched a former first-round pick, a future first-round pick and a future third or second-round pick. Since when did Penner become Marian Hossa? If Shero was going to make a big splash today on someone like Penner, Alex Hemsky or another similar player, he would have had to overpay.
Just look at the how New Jersey Devils were able to get David Steckel and a second-round pick from the Washington Capitals for Jason Arnott. The same Arnott was on Shero's radar, but there was no way he was giving up a second-round pick for a 36-year-old with 14 goals. No, instead Shero gave up a seventh-round pick for a 38-year-old with 14 goals in Alexei Kovalev. Maybe I am biased, but give me Kovalev for seventh-round pick and no one from the active roster over Arnott for a second-rounder and a player on my NHL club any day of the week.
Shero doesn't make deals just to make them. The team didn't need another third-line center posing as a No. 2 center. No one should be sad that Arnott is not a Penguin today.
And let us not forget that Shero already made his big move when he acquired James Neal and Matt Niskanen for Alex Goligoski. So let's be happy the Pens didn't sacrifice their future today on overpriced players and just blame Rossi for getting our hopes of that the Pens might do something wild.
Phantom Planet - Big Brat
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Pens trade for Kovalev
By Jeff
The Post-Gazette and Tribune Review are both reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded a sixth or seventh round draft pick to the Ottawa Senators for Alexei Kovalev.
Let's take it back to 2000 baby!
How can a Pens fan not love this move? Kovalev is having an off year and is 38 and only has 14 goals this season, but he hated the coach in Ottawa. He was on a last place team that was going nowhere. It's no coincidence his game greatly improved once February rolled around. He was ready to get the hell out of there and go to a contender. Kovalev can score and he can skate. The power play will be better with him on it.
Kovalev will be on one of the top two lines with the Pens after being relegated to the fourth line several times this season. Of course, that doesn't mean much if you look at the current lines. Craig Adams is a second line player on this Pens team right now. But the point is he is going to have motivation to play well.
With the addition of Kovalev and James Neal, this team actually has some scoring wingers on it. I may be jumping ahead of myself, but I'm picturing a first line featuring Sidney Crosby and Neal, and a second line of Jordan Staal and Kovalev for the playoffs. It's a beautiful picture that would have to be taken as a Stanley Cup contender.
Even if Crosby doesn't come back, this team can win in the playoffs. They have great defense and a goalie playing the best hockey of his life right now (Where did the Fleury haters go?). Why can't think team make a deep playoff run with the newly acquired talent? Chris Kunitz is a week or two away, Mark Letestu could be back this weekend and Dustin Jeffrey is almost healthy. Add them to Neal, Kovalev and Staal, and you have an offense that can score goals and wreck havoc.
It's going to be a fun and long spring for Pens fans.
Eddie Money - I Think I'm In Love
The Post-Gazette and Tribune Review are both reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded a sixth or seventh round draft pick to the Ottawa Senators for Alexei Kovalev.
Let's take it back to 2000 baby!
How can a Pens fan not love this move? Kovalev is having an off year and is 38 and only has 14 goals this season, but he hated the coach in Ottawa. He was on a last place team that was going nowhere. It's no coincidence his game greatly improved once February rolled around. He was ready to get the hell out of there and go to a contender. Kovalev can score and he can skate. The power play will be better with him on it.
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| Does anyone have Martin Straka's or Robert Lang's number? Screw it. I'll Facebook them. |
Kovalev will be on one of the top two lines with the Pens after being relegated to the fourth line several times this season. Of course, that doesn't mean much if you look at the current lines. Craig Adams is a second line player on this Pens team right now. But the point is he is going to have motivation to play well.
With the addition of Kovalev and James Neal, this team actually has some scoring wingers on it. I may be jumping ahead of myself, but I'm picturing a first line featuring Sidney Crosby and Neal, and a second line of Jordan Staal and Kovalev for the playoffs. It's a beautiful picture that would have to be taken as a Stanley Cup contender.
Even if Crosby doesn't come back, this team can win in the playoffs. They have great defense and a goalie playing the best hockey of his life right now (Where did the Fleury haters go?). Why can't think team make a deep playoff run with the newly acquired talent? Chris Kunitz is a week or two away, Mark Letestu could be back this weekend and Dustin Jeffrey is almost healthy. Add them to Neal, Kovalev and Staal, and you have an offense that can score goals and wreck havoc.
It's going to be a fun and long spring for Pens fans.
Eddie Money - I Think I'm In Love
Frank Coonelly needs to shut up
By Jeff
This blog is one of the rare places out there where the Pittsburgh Pirates' management and ownership is defended to some degree. Mike and I think the organization is finally on the right path to bring a successful baseball team back to Pittsburgh with their focus on the draft and improvements to their International scouting.
Too bad there is no defending what team president Frank Coonelly told Piratesprospects.com. Coonelly was asked if the team could afford a $70 to $80 million payroll. His response came off as blaming the fans for the team's low payroll. "Today, no, but we will be able to support that payroll very soon if our fans believe that we now have a group of players in Pittsburgh and on its way here in the near future that is competitive," Coonelly said. "We need to take a meaningful step forward in terms of attendance to reach that payroll number while continuing to invest heavily in our future, but I am convinced that the attendance will move quickly once we convince our fans that we are on the right track."
The whole interview is here.
How can the Pirates ask more people to attend more games at this point? The team hasn't had a winning season in 18 years. For the majority of those 18 years, the team did nothing to try and improve. No. 1 overall picks were spent on players with a ceiling of fourth of fifth starters, while other top 10 picks were used on bullpen arms. Any player the fan base has grown attached to has been traded, and usually for very little.
Even if the majority of fans think the team and management are righting the ship, which they don't, telling fans they need to come to games and watch a mediocre team in order for the team to improve is ridiculous. Does any successful business operate in this fashion? Imagine if restaurants said they would only improve the ingredients and food if more people came. It would go under very quickly.
Coonelly is right about one thing, though. Attendance will jump when fans are convinced the team is on the winning track. The people of Pittsburgh love baseball and want to cheer the Pirates. They just don't want to spend their money on a team they think is going nowhere. This team will need to spend money at some point if they want people to believe again and come to PNC Park.
The biggest criticism the Buccos face is that ownership only cares about a profit. Just listen to the local talk shows and you'll hear countless fans rip into owner Bob Nutting for never spending on the team, while he makes money. The only way to bring those fans back is to spend some money.
I'm not saying the Pirates need to go out and overpay on big free agents. That's a recipe for failure. What they need to do is lock up the good talent they have right now. Until Andrew McCutchen and the others receive nice extension, fans are constantly going to fear these players will be traded to the New York Yankees.
That's just the beginning. The team must then develop at least one top of the rotation starter. Once these objectives are done, the team can then complement it with free agents that will actually help the team win, not simply fill out a starting lineup.
Coonelly is a fool if he thinks a rise in attendance has to happen before the above three objectives are completed. This organization has already asked too much from its fan base. At some point, the fans need results if they're going to spend the money and time to attend Pirates games.
U2 - I Will Follow
This blog is one of the rare places out there where the Pittsburgh Pirates' management and ownership is defended to some degree. Mike and I think the organization is finally on the right path to bring a successful baseball team back to Pittsburgh with their focus on the draft and improvements to their International scouting.
Too bad there is no defending what team president Frank Coonelly told Piratesprospects.com. Coonelly was asked if the team could afford a $70 to $80 million payroll. His response came off as blaming the fans for the team's low payroll. "Today, no, but we will be able to support that payroll very soon if our fans believe that we now have a group of players in Pittsburgh and on its way here in the near future that is competitive," Coonelly said. "We need to take a meaningful step forward in terms of attendance to reach that payroll number while continuing to invest heavily in our future, but I am convinced that the attendance will move quickly once we convince our fans that we are on the right track."
The whole interview is here.
How can the Pirates ask more people to attend more games at this point? The team hasn't had a winning season in 18 years. For the majority of those 18 years, the team did nothing to try and improve. No. 1 overall picks were spent on players with a ceiling of fourth of fifth starters, while other top 10 picks were used on bullpen arms. Any player the fan base has grown attached to has been traded, and usually for very little.
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| If only fabulous hair translated to wins. |
Even if the majority of fans think the team and management are righting the ship, which they don't, telling fans they need to come to games and watch a mediocre team in order for the team to improve is ridiculous. Does any successful business operate in this fashion? Imagine if restaurants said they would only improve the ingredients and food if more people came. It would go under very quickly.
Coonelly is right about one thing, though. Attendance will jump when fans are convinced the team is on the winning track. The people of Pittsburgh love baseball and want to cheer the Pirates. They just don't want to spend their money on a team they think is going nowhere. This team will need to spend money at some point if they want people to believe again and come to PNC Park.
The biggest criticism the Buccos face is that ownership only cares about a profit. Just listen to the local talk shows and you'll hear countless fans rip into owner Bob Nutting for never spending on the team, while he makes money. The only way to bring those fans back is to spend some money.
I'm not saying the Pirates need to go out and overpay on big free agents. That's a recipe for failure. What they need to do is lock up the good talent they have right now. Until Andrew McCutchen and the others receive nice extension, fans are constantly going to fear these players will be traded to the New York Yankees.
That's just the beginning. The team must then develop at least one top of the rotation starter. Once these objectives are done, the team can then complement it with free agents that will actually help the team win, not simply fill out a starting lineup.
Coonelly is a fool if he thinks a rise in attendance has to happen before the above three objectives are completed. This organization has already asked too much from its fan base. At some point, the fans need results if they're going to spend the money and time to attend Pirates games.
U2 - I Will Follow
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Shero works magic again
By Jeff
At the rate he's going, Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero will have a street named after him in this town.
The man was at it again yesterday. In case you haven't heard, the Penguins traded friend of the blog, Swan... er, defenseman Alex Goligoski to the Dallas Stars for 23-year-old winger James Neal and 24-year-old defenseman Matt Niskanen yesterday.
I haven't really seen Neal or Niskanen play, but this deal has me excited for a number of reasons.
The team is still playing for this season despite a season-ending knee injury to Evgeni Malkin and a potential season-ending concussion to Sidney Crosby. They could have packed it in and used the trade deadline as a time to bolster the team for next year, but I don't think that's what this deal is about. Both players the Pens acquired in the deal are signed through next year, which is great, but I think it'd be foolish to think Pens are only looking to the future with this move. Neal will instantly improve an offense that has lacked a viable scoring option from the wing this season. With the way the defense and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury are playing, the boost Neal provides might be all the team needs.
As for who the Pens are giving up, it's not that big of a loss. The Pens didn't need Goligoski. He was the fifth defenseman on one of the best defenses in the NHL. Shipping him does not hurt the unit as a whole when you consider their top four d-men are still here and Simon Despres is on the way soon. Goligoski is a solid offensive defenseman who does well on the power play and moving the puck up the ice quickly. He is kind of a liability on defense at times and he is not capable moving big bodies off the puck. He will be missed, but he's replaceable.
As for the future, I really like this move. Neal could be that winger to grow with Crosby that this team has lacked since they drafted Crosby. Imagine the fits the Pens would cause other teams if Crosby had someone finishing his plays on a consistent basis. It's scary.
Neal will be a cap hit of around $2.8 million next season, which is a little more than Goligoski's $1.8ish million. But with Neal filling the need for a scoring winger, players like Max Talbot, Tyler Kennedy and Pascual Dupuis become expendable. I love Talbot and Dupuis, but the Pens are not going to be able to resign these guys unless they take some major discounts.
On paper this looks like a great move for the Pens. On the flip side, I'll hurt myself if Neal turns into Alexei Ponikarovsky.
Belle & Sebastian - Expectations
At the rate he's going, Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero will have a street named after him in this town.
The man was at it again yesterday. In case you haven't heard, the Penguins traded friend of the blog, Swan... er, defenseman Alex Goligoski to the Dallas Stars for 23-year-old winger James Neal and 24-year-old defenseman Matt Niskanen yesterday.
I haven't really seen Neal or Niskanen play, but this deal has me excited for a number of reasons.
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| Neal has Pens fans excited, even if they've never seen him play. |
The team is still playing for this season despite a season-ending knee injury to Evgeni Malkin and a potential season-ending concussion to Sidney Crosby. They could have packed it in and used the trade deadline as a time to bolster the team for next year, but I don't think that's what this deal is about. Both players the Pens acquired in the deal are signed through next year, which is great, but I think it'd be foolish to think Pens are only looking to the future with this move. Neal will instantly improve an offense that has lacked a viable scoring option from the wing this season. With the way the defense and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury are playing, the boost Neal provides might be all the team needs.
As for who the Pens are giving up, it's not that big of a loss. The Pens didn't need Goligoski. He was the fifth defenseman on one of the best defenses in the NHL. Shipping him does not hurt the unit as a whole when you consider their top four d-men are still here and Simon Despres is on the way soon. Goligoski is a solid offensive defenseman who does well on the power play and moving the puck up the ice quickly. He is kind of a liability on defense at times and he is not capable moving big bodies off the puck. He will be missed, but he's replaceable.
Niskanen is just an afterthought in this deal. The former first-round draft pick has a measly six assists this season, is said to have confidence issues and tends to be a liability on defense. Sounds like a poor man's Goligoski. There are already rumors that he could be a part of another deal Shero is planning.
If the Pens add another scoring winger to this mix, the team could make some noise in the playoffs this year even if Crosby doesn't come back. There are constant rumblings that Shero is targeting Alexei "I refuse to call him Alex" Kovalev from the Ottawa Senators for a low-round draft pick. The move would reunite Kovalev with the club he had his best seasons with. Granted, that was when Kovalev was a lot younger. The potential reward, especially if Crosby returns, would greatly outweigh the risk.
Of course, Shero knows a lot more than me and he might not agree with that assessment. Either way, I trust Shero to do what's in the best interest for the Pens.
As for the future, I really like this move. Neal could be that winger to grow with Crosby that this team has lacked since they drafted Crosby. Imagine the fits the Pens would cause other teams if Crosby had someone finishing his plays on a consistent basis. It's scary.
Neal will be a cap hit of around $2.8 million next season, which is a little more than Goligoski's $1.8ish million. But with Neal filling the need for a scoring winger, players like Max Talbot, Tyler Kennedy and Pascual Dupuis become expendable. I love Talbot and Dupuis, but the Pens are not going to be able to resign these guys unless they take some major discounts.
On paper this looks like a great move for the Pens. On the flip side, I'll hurt myself if Neal turns into Alexei Ponikarovsky.
Belle & Sebastian - Expectations
Monday, February 21, 2011
The day I became a real hockey fan
By Jeff
As much as I love the Pittsburgh Penguins, I didn't become a true fan of the team and the sport as a whole until I was 14 years old.
My uncle set it up so Mario Lemieux just happened to be at the Ground Round on Route 19 back in 1989. Our dog had just died, so my parents had my uncle take us to dinner while they buried the dog. Lemieux and Dan Quinn were there and my brother and I played checkers with the two men.
I have bragged about this experience my whole life, but it didn't make me like the Pens anymore. Cartoons and pro wrestling were my favorite things at the time.
Even Dan Quinn coming to our house on Christmas Eve the following year made much of a dent. Honestly, I didn't have a clue who Quinn was at the time. I just know I cried in front of him because my family from California gave me clothes. In my defense, what 5-year-old wants clothes for Christmas.
You'd think the Pens' Stanley Cup runs in 1991 and 1992 would have made me the fan I am today, but I don't remember watching any of the games. I do remember being obsessed with winning at that time, so I only cheered for teams that won. This led me to tell everyone I was cheering for the Minnesota North Stars when they won a game, and the Pens whenever they won a game. There are rumors that this is the formula that created today's Washington Capitals fans, but I can't confirm or deny it.
No, the moment I fell in love with hockey was Dec. 27, 2000. Diehards don't need me to point out that this was the game Mario Lemieux came out of retirement.
I can't specifically tell you why it took me so long to realize how great the sport was and how much the Pens meant to me. I think it was because I was old enough to realize what an incredible comeback it was and how big the actual moment was for the city.
The team that was almost moved away from the city was getting it's best player back. A player who overcame cancer and various back ailments to play the game he loved. How could you not look at the moment and love every part of it.
To me, it didn't matter that Mario was coming back against my second favorite team in the league, The Toronto Maple Leafs. I wanted Mario to light the lamp and the Pens to destroy the Leafs.
I can still see (without the assistance of YouTube) Mario breaking down the ice, demanding the puck from Jaromir Jagr and burying the shot.
Lemieux was back and he hadn't lost anything. I was hooked to the sport and the team from that point on. If there was a hockey game on, I was watching it, or at least trying to find out who scored the next day.
Needless to say, the Pens have been my favorite team in any sport since that day. The Steelers are great, but I can't look back on them with the same memories the Pens have given me. Even though I wasn't a real fan throughout my childhood, I can remember my dad taking me to games whenever my uncle or friends gave us tickets. I remember being the last people to leave the arena because my dad is one of the most impatient drivers in the world and wanted to avoid traffic. The Igloo would go dark and the two (or three if my brother was there) would just be sitting there with the hopes we might get a broken stick or something. We never did, but it was still cool. We never got tickets to Steelers games, so there are no similar memories when it comes to football.
My love for the Pens also grew as the team sucked in the years prior to lockout and the year following. It would have been easy to throw them away, but it was a great time if you loved going to hockey games for $20. My friends and I would hit up Student Rush whenever we could to see the X-Generation. The team stunk, but we got the best available seats for $20.
The best example was when the Steelers played the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs of the 2002-2003 season. The Pens had an early start and the Steelers were playing that night. The arena was practically empty, so Swan, Johnny and I got seats seven or eight rows from the ice. I had never sat so close at a hockey game!
The Pens lost to the New York Rangers 3-1 that day, but it was an awesome experience with me flinching whenever the puck hit the glass near us.
I think the reason these dark ages in Pens history made me a bigger fan is because I now feel like I have grown up with the team they have now. You tend to feel more attached to a team when you have seen them struggle for an extended period of time and then reward your faithfulness with an extended period of success.
None of these feelings would have ever happened if No. 66 came back on that December day in 2000. Sure, I'd still like the Pens, but this level of love and commitment to the club would not have been anywhere close to what it is now if that moment never occurred.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Theme Song
As much as I love the Pittsburgh Penguins, I didn't become a true fan of the team and the sport as a whole until I was 14 years old.
My uncle set it up so Mario Lemieux just happened to be at the Ground Round on Route 19 back in 1989. Our dog had just died, so my parents had my uncle take us to dinner while they buried the dog. Lemieux and Dan Quinn were there and my brother and I played checkers with the two men.
I have bragged about this experience my whole life, but it didn't make me like the Pens anymore. Cartoons and pro wrestling were my favorite things at the time.
Even Dan Quinn coming to our house on Christmas Eve the following year made much of a dent. Honestly, I didn't have a clue who Quinn was at the time. I just know I cried in front of him because my family from California gave me clothes. In my defense, what 5-year-old wants clothes for Christmas.
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| I'll never get sick of this image. |
You'd think the Pens' Stanley Cup runs in 1991 and 1992 would have made me the fan I am today, but I don't remember watching any of the games. I do remember being obsessed with winning at that time, so I only cheered for teams that won. This led me to tell everyone I was cheering for the Minnesota North Stars when they won a game, and the Pens whenever they won a game. There are rumors that this is the formula that created today's Washington Capitals fans, but I can't confirm or deny it.
No, the moment I fell in love with hockey was Dec. 27, 2000. Diehards don't need me to point out that this was the game Mario Lemieux came out of retirement.
I can't specifically tell you why it took me so long to realize how great the sport was and how much the Pens meant to me. I think it was because I was old enough to realize what an incredible comeback it was and how big the actual moment was for the city.
The team that was almost moved away from the city was getting it's best player back. A player who overcame cancer and various back ailments to play the game he loved. How could you not look at the moment and love every part of it.
To me, it didn't matter that Mario was coming back against my second favorite team in the league, The Toronto Maple Leafs. I wanted Mario to light the lamp and the Pens to destroy the Leafs.
I can still see (without the assistance of YouTube) Mario breaking down the ice, demanding the puck from Jaromir Jagr and burying the shot.
Lemieux was back and he hadn't lost anything. I was hooked to the sport and the team from that point on. If there was a hockey game on, I was watching it, or at least trying to find out who scored the next day.
Needless to say, the Pens have been my favorite team in any sport since that day. The Steelers are great, but I can't look back on them with the same memories the Pens have given me. Even though I wasn't a real fan throughout my childhood, I can remember my dad taking me to games whenever my uncle or friends gave us tickets. I remember being the last people to leave the arena because my dad is one of the most impatient drivers in the world and wanted to avoid traffic. The Igloo would go dark and the two (or three if my brother was there) would just be sitting there with the hopes we might get a broken stick or something. We never did, but it was still cool. We never got tickets to Steelers games, so there are no similar memories when it comes to football.
My love for the Pens also grew as the team sucked in the years prior to lockout and the year following. It would have been easy to throw them away, but it was a great time if you loved going to hockey games for $20. My friends and I would hit up Student Rush whenever we could to see the X-Generation. The team stunk, but we got the best available seats for $20.
The best example was when the Steelers played the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs of the 2002-2003 season. The Pens had an early start and the Steelers were playing that night. The arena was practically empty, so Swan, Johnny and I got seats seven or eight rows from the ice. I had never sat so close at a hockey game!
The Pens lost to the New York Rangers 3-1 that day, but it was an awesome experience with me flinching whenever the puck hit the glass near us.
I think the reason these dark ages in Pens history made me a bigger fan is because I now feel like I have grown up with the team they have now. You tend to feel more attached to a team when you have seen them struggle for an extended period of time and then reward your faithfulness with an extended period of success.
None of these feelings would have ever happened if No. 66 came back on that December day in 2000. Sure, I'd still like the Pens, but this level of love and commitment to the club would not have been anywhere close to what it is now if that moment never occurred.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Theme Song
Friday, February 18, 2011
In battle between millionaires, fans are the only losers
By Jeff
Is anyone else getting tired of potential NFL lockout?
It's a big story and needs to be followed closely, but it's the two sides that annoying. How are fans supposed to choose sides between the NFL owners and players? They are both coming off as greedy, yet they are both crying to fans and the media that they are getting screwed.
Apparently, one of the main points of contention is the owners received $1 billion off the top under the previous CBA and want $2 billion off the top in the next one to cover rising costs. This would mean less money in the pol for players, so they obviously don't want that.
That's the main argument from what I can tell. It seems they are willing to compromise on the stupid 18-game schedule and a rookie wage scale.
So how exactly do these billionaires and millionaires expect to gain our support when they are fighting over $1 billion in an industry that had $9.3 billion in revenue last season?
How are fans supposed to feel bad for either side? You have players crying that they won't have league-provided health insurance if there is a lockout. This is a common problem countless Americans face every day, but unlike these NFL players, most regular people don't make millions of dollars. The players can afford a few months of buying their own health insurance.
On the flip side, how can anyone feel bad for these billionaire owners? They are going to make money even if there isn't a season. They cry about rising costs and the need to build new stadiums, yet taxpayers have been footing the bill for many of these modern stadiums in all sports. These same owners charge ridiculous amounts of money for jerseys and other sports merchandise. Why should we feel bad for them if the players want that extra $1 billion for their salaries. Afterall, the players are the ones endangering their lives.
I think I speak for the majority of football fans when I say that both sides are coming off as greedy. That's how business works, though. Business leaders are always trying to get the best deal for their own interests. Businesses are also content with sacrificing short-term profits in exchange for greater long-term profits, which is exactly what the owners' stance is regarding the CBA. Sure, they won't make as much money this season if there is a lockout, but if their long-term profits will significantly increase if they get their way in negotiations.
It's unclear which side will win, but it's very clear that the fans will lose if this stalemate continues and there is no 2011 season.
Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
Is anyone else getting tired of potential NFL lockout?
It's a big story and needs to be followed closely, but it's the two sides that annoying. How are fans supposed to choose sides between the NFL owners and players? They are both coming off as greedy, yet they are both crying to fans and the media that they are getting screwed.
Apparently, one of the main points of contention is the owners received $1 billion off the top under the previous CBA and want $2 billion off the top in the next one to cover rising costs. This would mean less money in the pol for players, so they obviously don't want that.
That's the main argument from what I can tell. It seems they are willing to compromise on the stupid 18-game schedule and a rookie wage scale.
 |
| Greed is good unless you're an NFL fan. |
So how exactly do these billionaires and millionaires expect to gain our support when they are fighting over $1 billion in an industry that had $9.3 billion in revenue last season?
How are fans supposed to feel bad for either side? You have players crying that they won't have league-provided health insurance if there is a lockout. This is a common problem countless Americans face every day, but unlike these NFL players, most regular people don't make millions of dollars. The players can afford a few months of buying their own health insurance.
On the flip side, how can anyone feel bad for these billionaire owners? They are going to make money even if there isn't a season. They cry about rising costs and the need to build new stadiums, yet taxpayers have been footing the bill for many of these modern stadiums in all sports. These same owners charge ridiculous amounts of money for jerseys and other sports merchandise. Why should we feel bad for them if the players want that extra $1 billion for their salaries. Afterall, the players are the ones endangering their lives.
I think I speak for the majority of football fans when I say that both sides are coming off as greedy. That's how business works, though. Business leaders are always trying to get the best deal for their own interests. Businesses are also content with sacrificing short-term profits in exchange for greater long-term profits, which is exactly what the owners' stance is regarding the CBA. Sure, they won't make as much money this season if there is a lockout, but if their long-term profits will significantly increase if they get their way in negotiations.
It's unclear which side will win, but it's very clear that the fans will lose if this stalemate continues and there is no 2011 season.
Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Baseball salaries are out of control
By Jeff
Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals have broken off negotiations on a contract extension. Reports out there say that Pujols was looking for a 10-year deal worth $300 million, which would make him the highest paid baseball player in history.
For those of you who suck at math (Like, really suck), that's $30 million per season. If he were to average 40 home runs and 125 RBIs during the length of the contract, he would make $750,000 per home run or $240,000 per RBI. That's right, he could buy a really nice house for every RBI he gets.
This is why baseball is ridiculous. Really, all the professional sports are ridiculous when you think about the money players make. Baseball is just the most ridiculous of the bunch because there is no limit as to how much players can be paid.
St. Louis is a great baseball town. The Cardinals mean a lot to the city. But St. Louis is not New York, Boston or Los Angeles. They can't afford to put together a solid team around Pujols if they have to pay him $30 million. The Cardinals' payroll for 2010 was a shade below $94 million, meaning Pujols' salary would take up almost a third of the team's salary for 2011 and beyond.
As good of a player as Pujols is, and I think he is the best in baseball right now, deals like this cripple teams not named the Yankees or Red Sox. Because baseball contracts are guaranteed, teams the size of the Cardinals and smaller clubs can't afford to hand out these deals. They are screwed if the player suffers a major injury or just doesn't live up to their potential because they have all their money invested in one player.
I'm not mad at Pujols for working the current system. He is the best player in baseball and you should be paid your worth. I'm mad that baseball salaries are spinning out of control. Deals like this trickle down to the mediocre players of the league, forcing small teams to overpay even bad players.
My favorite example is Gil Meche. Because pitchers command so much money today, he made more than $11 million in 2008 and 2009. Meche would have made more than $12 million this season if he didn't retire. Nevermind that Meche has only pitched more than 200 innings twice, had an ERA below 4 three times and had a career ERA of 4.49. How does someone with those numbers deserve $12 million?
Here is a great chart showing the highest paid player each year since 1985. I understand that times change and there is also inflation, but it's crazy to see that the highest paid player in 1985 (Mike Schmidt) was making $2.1 million a year. Flash forward to 2010, and Alex Rodriguez's $27.5 million per year salary and you can't tell me salaries are not out of control.
Can we please get a friggin salary cap in MLB? If another Gil Meche gets $12 million I am going to go nuts.
Van Halen - Hot For Teacher
Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals have broken off negotiations on a contract extension. Reports out there say that Pujols was looking for a 10-year deal worth $300 million, which would make him the highest paid baseball player in history.
For those of you who suck at math (Like, really suck), that's $30 million per season. If he were to average 40 home runs and 125 RBIs during the length of the contract, he would make $750,000 per home run or $240,000 per RBI. That's right, he could buy a really nice house for every RBI he gets.
 |
| If he gets what he wants, Pujols would make more than $50,000 per at-bat. |
This is why baseball is ridiculous. Really, all the professional sports are ridiculous when you think about the money players make. Baseball is just the most ridiculous of the bunch because there is no limit as to how much players can be paid.
St. Louis is a great baseball town. The Cardinals mean a lot to the city. But St. Louis is not New York, Boston or Los Angeles. They can't afford to put together a solid team around Pujols if they have to pay him $30 million. The Cardinals' payroll for 2010 was a shade below $94 million, meaning Pujols' salary would take up almost a third of the team's salary for 2011 and beyond.
As good of a player as Pujols is, and I think he is the best in baseball right now, deals like this cripple teams not named the Yankees or Red Sox. Because baseball contracts are guaranteed, teams the size of the Cardinals and smaller clubs can't afford to hand out these deals. They are screwed if the player suffers a major injury or just doesn't live up to their potential because they have all their money invested in one player.
I'm not mad at Pujols for working the current system. He is the best player in baseball and you should be paid your worth. I'm mad that baseball salaries are spinning out of control. Deals like this trickle down to the mediocre players of the league, forcing small teams to overpay even bad players.
 |
| Meche's contract with the Royals represented all that is wrong with baseball salaries. |
My favorite example is Gil Meche. Because pitchers command so much money today, he made more than $11 million in 2008 and 2009. Meche would have made more than $12 million this season if he didn't retire. Nevermind that Meche has only pitched more than 200 innings twice, had an ERA below 4 three times and had a career ERA of 4.49. How does someone with those numbers deserve $12 million?
Here is a great chart showing the highest paid player each year since 1985. I understand that times change and there is also inflation, but it's crazy to see that the highest paid player in 1985 (Mike Schmidt) was making $2.1 million a year. Flash forward to 2010, and Alex Rodriguez's $27.5 million per year salary and you can't tell me salaries are not out of control.
Can we please get a friggin salary cap in MLB? If another Gil Meche gets $12 million I am going to go nuts.
Van Halen - Hot For Teacher
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