NBA Draft Net currently has Walker going 9th overall to the Golden State Warriors in their latest mock draft.With all the positive spins being put on Walker over the last few weeks of the college basketball season, can he live up to the hype?
The Good: There really isn’t much to say here that hasn’t already been said. The Big East was, by far, the strongest conference in college basketball this past season, and Walker not only lead his team to victory in their end of season tournament, but his big time play-making skills thrust him into the limelight during the NCAA tournament. Walker has explosive, pro-level speed, and is more than aggressive enough to draw double teams and put pressure on any defense.
The Bad: I’m not even going to waste my time pretending there’s something bad about Walker’s game. The only thing someone can possibly point to is the fact the he’s undersized, but ask Allen Iverson if that really matters at the end of the day.
The Ugly: Same with this. There really is nothing ugly about this kid’s game, personality or anything else.
Prediction: BOOOOOOOOOOOM. I love Kemba’s game. When you can dominate at the level he did during the biggest tournament in college sports, there’s nothing to suggest that he can’t do it at the next level. Nothing.
Everyone who has seen a professional baseball game knows what a switch hitter is; but how many people have ever seen switch pitcher?
As baseball becomes a more situational game, teams have tried some un-traditional things in the past. Lefty-lefty matchups are constantly and consistently used by managers to get just one out. Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about taking someone out and playing the percentages?
Ever wanted an inside glimpse into the mind of a general manager? Ever wanted to know what makes a GM tick, what makes a team make the hard decisions that may otherwise be impossible?
Here’s your chance.
Moneyballtells the story of current Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, who is faced with a problem in 2003. Beane wants to win championship, just like every other GM. Unlike most GMs, however, Beane is faced with having one of the lowest spending allotments (budget) of any team in baseball (26th to be exact). The overwhelming majority of GMs looked hard at guys who were superior athletically, with cannon arms and light tower power. Beane couldn’t afford to lure these talents away from bigger spending teams like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox or New York Mets, so he had to try a different approach.
Thus, Moneyball was born.
Moneyball was so well respected by baseball writers, researchers, general managers and front office personnel, that many of them have adopted several of the statistical revolutions the book presented. The statistical analysis used by Beane is a system called sabermetrics, which objectively analyzes players statistics through in-game activity. Statistics such as WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) have become so commonplace among baseball front offices that they’ve even trickled down to the media world. ESPN’s “Next Level” consistently brings these figures up to analyze what a player’s worth to their team truly is.
Moneyball is one of the best baseball books you could ever hope for as a baseball fan, a casual reader, or even a father trying to teach his son the value of a dollar.
To hear the average student tell it, George Mason University doesn’t have football because of a variety of reasons, all of which seem to point toward outgoing president Alan Merten.
To hear George Mason University athletic director Tom O’Connor tell it, Division I Patriots’ football is a more complex issue. GMU football has been a hot topic for years and, with Merten’s imminent retirement, seems to be gaining additional steam.
O’Connor, who held a press conference at George Mason University on Thursday, spoke about the prospects of developing a football program at the school. He laid out logistics and requirements that are necessary for a football program to take off and described the possibility of Patriots’ football as a financial issue.
Tom O'Connor (Image courtesy GoMason.com)
“It’s a dollars and cents issue,” said O’Connor, who is entering his 16th year as GMU’s athletic director.
After five formal studies into the matter, O’Connor still has not been able to convince any of the board of directors to adopt the program. The topic of football gets mentioned as a side-bar to other athletic conversations, and figures are constantly and consistently updated.
According to O’Connor’s most recent figures, building a football stadium that would be adequate for Division I play would cost roughly $80 million. In addition, two to three million dollars would have to be allotted to the running of the team per season. What does this mean for students? An extra $500 in tuition. O’Connor isn’t against football at the school, he just wants to make sure it’s the right thing for GMU.
“We have to ask ourselves if this is how we want to spend our money,” O’Connor said. “I’m not saying it’s not, I’m just saying it’s a question we have to ask.”
Having football certainly has benefits. With the addition of football, women’s sports at the University would be totally funded. Expansion of the school could occur at a much quicker rate. O’Connor also points out that football would create a great sense of community, as tailgaters and GMU alumni alike would be able to get together to celebrate and share a sport they love. They have all the figures they need.
“Major League” is the quintessential baseball movie. It was one of my favorite movies of all time when I was growing up, and its hilarity has done nothing but increase with every subsequent viewing. As a baseball player in my youth, this movie struck a special chord with me because I not only saw the humor from the perspective of a fan of comedic movies, but I was able to associate myself largely with the styles of jokes they told throughout the movie. I had grown up around similar behavior and humor my entire life, and Major League brings back many great memories of a childhood spent in a dugout.
“Major League” follows the fictional story of the hapless and helpless Cleveland Indians. Mired in last place, the team is inherited by Rachel Phelps, a former Las Vegas showgirl, whose ultimate plan is to move the team out of the cold Cleveland area to the warm beach area of Miami. To do this, Phelps invites players to spring training that she is sure will lose a lot of games and help drop the attendance below 800,000 for the season. This would void the lease with the city and allow the team to move. Then something goes horribly wrong as her plan is discovered. The team decides to play like a championship caliber club purely out of spite, much to the delight of Cleveland fans. Phelps tries to take drastic measures but the more she seems to interfere, the more the team unites and the better they play.
One of the best qualities of the movie was in the casting. The players and coaches alike were typecast perfectly into their respective roles, the most notable of which was James Gammon’s role as manager Lou Brown. The surly personality and gruff voice that Gammon brought to the role of the Cleveland Indians’ skipper created a coaching character that any competitive baseball player would tell you they have encountered at least once in their life. Additionally, the talent of Bob Uecker (announcer Harry Doyle) was a flat out treat for anyone to watch. A baseball broadcaster by profession, Uecker’s sense of humor and timing were uncanny throughout the movie.
The movie’s jokes were absolutely brilliant. Watching the movie, it is amazing how eerily similar the movie’s dialogue seem to mirror dugout conversations had by legitimate baseball players. After a basket catch by Willie “Mays” Hayes (Wesley Snipes) in center field, he races back toward the dugout expecting high fives. Instead, Lou Brown shakes his hand and says “Nice catch Hayes! Don’t ever [freaking] do it again!” This is, word for word, a conversation I’d had with a coach in the past, so it hit very close to home when I heard it the first time.
Tim Tebow is one of the most celebrated college football players ever. His quick wit, professionalism, and incredible college career have drawn praise from multiple outlets ever since his freshman campaign in 2006 at Florida University. He also has a SMOKING hot girlfriend in Lucy Pinder.
Despite this, Tebow is often criticized as being a great college player without experience in running a pro-style offense.
Will Tebow succeed at the next level?
The Good: Tebow certainly has a lot going for him. He’s extraordinarily mature for a kid his age, a hard-working player, and has a never say die attitude that has earned him respect. He’s certainly got all the physical, mental and professional tools to succeed at the next level, and no one can ever say that he played in a weak conference or for a bad team. Tebow certainly didn’t do everything by himself, but he also took things into his own hands more than once. He can win you games. If for no other reason, you have to root for him because of Lucy.
The Ugly: Nothing really. Especially not Lucy Pinder.
Prediction: Bust. No, I’m not referring to Lucy Pinder here. I actually think Tebow is going to bust. Not because he doesn’t have the tools, but come on… would you rather play football or spend time with a girlfriend who looks like Pinder? In all seriousness, if Elway doesn’t give Tebow his chance in Denver, he’ll either be traded or ride the bench. The longer Tebow rides the bench, the more likely he is to bust.
BONUS PIC:
Wow. Just... wow. And there are better pics too; none of which are appropriate to post here. (Photobucket Photo)
If you haven’t heard of the Power Showcase,you haven’t seen the best young power hitters in baseball.
These kids are more than a little legit at the plate; many of them hit home runs exceeding 500 feet.
The video below includes a demonstration from Virginia native and current George Mason University baseball player Zack Helgeson. Definitely worth a look, as even if you aren’t a big fan of baseball, these guys are at the pinnacle of their game in their youth. Check it out:
What did you accomplish before you were 18? Whatever it was, you probably were no Bryce Harper.
He’s already been called baseball’s “Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated. He’s drawn comparisons to some of the best players that Major League Baseball has ever seen. He’s already signed a multi-million dollar professional contract.
Harper’s talent has been talked about since his sophomore year of high school, when Sports Illustrated revealed that Harper had hit a 570-foot home run (if you can, read that link. A LOT of good info about the home run is in there) as a fifteen year old. If true, metal bat or not, high school baseball or not, 570 feet is 570 feet. Let’s take a look at Harper’s “qualifications”:
The Good: As a baseball prospect, Harper is rock-solid on paper. After getting his high school GED at age 16, Harper spent most of his seventeenth year on Earth playing college baseball at the College of Southern Nevada, where he hit .443 with 31 bombs and 98 RBI. Oh, and a meager OPS (On Base Plus Slugging) of 1.513 (.800 is considered good). His swing is lightning quick, his arm strength is incredible and his defensive strength is improving every day.
The Bad: Almost nothing. The only possible knock against him MIGHT be that he’s too big already. Where do you have to go when you’re already 6’3″ and 225 at 18?
The Ugly: Arrogance. Harper has been often criticized for his cockiness, which is actually not an overwhelmingly bad quality as a ballplayer. As an interview candidate, however, this can be a public nuisance to the team. Just ask the Giants and Barry Bonds.
Prediction: Big boom. Unlike Stephen Strasburg, Harper is a position player. Moving Harper from catcher to the outfield will likely extend his career, and will almost certainly allow him to keep healthy for a decent number of years. I may be biased, wanting to have “baseball’s answer to LeBron James” come to fruition, but Harper’s already being praised by professionals and amateurs alike, and there’s nothing in his past to suggest he can’t succeed.
History: Major League Baseball was the last of the four major sports in the United States to adopt any form of instant replay. While the current system was implemented in 2008, the first use of replay actually predates the new millennium. In 1999, a game between the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals was played where Marlin outfielder Cliff Floyd hit a ball off the top of the left field scoreboard at Pro Player Stadium. Umpire Frank Pulli consulted a monitor in the Marlins’ dugout and ruled that Floyd had to return to second base.
The first official use of replay occurred on Sept. 3, 2008 in a game between the visiting New York Yankees and division rival Tampa Bay Rays. Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez hit a ball down the left field line that was ruled a home run by third base umpire Bryce DePuy. Joe Maddon, the manager of the Rays, demanded the umpires take a look. The umpires obliged, but returned with the same decision as before. Thus, the current system of instant replay was born.
Arguments For: There are a couple main arguments for replay:
* The technology exists
* Could speed up the game
* Get the call right is the most important thing.
Arguments Against: There are also a couple main arguments against replay:
* Human element should not be compromised
* Could lengthen the game
* How extensive would it get?
One way it could be done: There is a very simple way of implementing a quick form of replay:
* A fifth umpire could be put into the press box.
*If a play comes into question, this umpire could have reviewed the play numerous times already by the time the officiating crew decides to ask for his help.
* The home plate umpire could then make a call from a phone placed in the tunnel behind the plate.
* The decision could be rendered from this official, and time would actually be cut from the game where the manager would otherwise be arguing his case.
The only argument from the critics that now still stands is the view that “the human element is important to the game”. The issue with this logic is that the human element can still be kept in tact by limiting the number of challenges a team can have per game, while also limiting what can be challenged. It is done this way in every other sport, so why would baseball fans be worried about that? It seems like a desperate attempt at being right.
Replay is not the end of baseball; it is the beginning of returning integrity to the game.
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