NFL Films and Rankin/Bass Present

Like most kids, growing up, I was obsessed with Christmas movies around the holidays. And while Home Alone, A Christmas Story, and Die Hard (Yeah, it’s technically a Christmas movie… Ralphie had a gun too) were all favourites, nothing quite felt the same as the classic animated TV specials: Rudolph, Frosty, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and The Grinch. However unlike most kids, I also possessed an unhealthy love of football, which meant sometimes the two got crossed. So while you curl up on your couch this Christmas Eve watching one of these aforementioned films and possibly not the batch of Week 16 NFL action you may have had your heart set on; don’t fret! They may just have more in common than you think…

Greg Jennings – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Now if Aaron Rodgers is Santa, and he could be, I mean his stats this season seem like they might be fictional; then the team of reindeer carrying him to the playoffs and a possible undefeated season are his backs and receivers (Actually 14 Packers have an offensive touchdown this season; there’s only nine reindeer!). But if Santa Rodgers had to single out one of these men, it would be Greg Jennings, because quite simply Jennings can put the team on his back. It’s a lot like Rudolph. Sure, you need the other eight deer, but who’s out in front leading the way with his bright red nose? Sure as hell isn’t Dancer.

Tim Tebow – The Winter Warlock

Much like the Winter Warlock, or Winter as he’s come to be known, Tim Tebow is not quite what he appears to be. Yes, he is a quarterback by position, but as Brian Urlacher so eloquently put this Sunday, he’s also “a good running back”. Still, in the clutch when it matters, Tebow is magical, and frankly, all he does is win, even if he doesn’t have his best stuff. The Winter Warlock himself was out of magic by the end of the movie, but he was still the one with the magic corn feed that made the reindeer fly. You thought that loser Dancer learned all by himself? Wrong.

Willis McGahee – Max

But with all that said who’s really doing the heavy lifting for the Broncos? Willis McGahee has been a stud for Denver this season, with 920 yards on the ground, and at 30 years of age, five games of over 20 carries. But just like Max does he get the credit for carrying the sleigh all the way up the side of Mount Crumpit? Nope. It’s the Grinch who steals all the accolades in the 4^th quarter by saving the day. In fact, if Tebow didn’t have so many reasons to love December 25^th, he might have been that green, former Christmas stealing, cave dweller…

Peyton Manning – The Grinch

Of course then Peyton Manning couldn’t be the Grinch as well. Manning hasn’t taken a snap this season, and for Colts, or just NFL fans in general, this is like Christmas being stolen. He’s taken all their talent; he’s taken all their competitiveness; and apparently he’s taken their ability to win a single game. However like this Seuss classic, it could all turn around at the end for the Colts. Not only will they get their star QB back, but they might just get their next star QB in Andrew Luck. Oh, and in fairness to Peyton, he may be the Grinch, but it is most definitely Indianapolis and not him that nauseates me and has termites in its smile.

Albert Haynesworth – The Bumble

Now in my opinion this is a pretty obvious comparison. Both are huge; both are angry; and both bounce. Albert Haynesworth just happens to do it from team to team. The big man has packed his bags a lot these past few years, seemingly ever since stepping on Cowboys’ offensive lineman Andre Gurode’s face. He left Tennessee, signed a big deal in Washington that never worked out (mirroring the man himself), and went to New England to begin this season before currently ending up in Tampa Bay. For his sake he’s just lucky the North Pole doesn’t have an NFL franchise. And has anyone just tried sending him to a dentist?

Ryan Fitzpatrick – Frosty the Snowman

I’ll start with the lyric “Frosty the Snowman knew the sun was hot that day, So he said lets run, And we’ll have some fun, Now before I melt away.” Frosty was a smart snowman, it might have just been the hat, but still. He knew the magical adventure that he and Karen and the other children were on just wasn’t going to last. If only the Buffalo Bills were so smart. After a 5-2 start the Bills gave journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick a $59 million contract with $24 million in guarantees. Since then the team has lost six in a row as Fitzpatrick’s amazing first half stats have melted away. Buffalo fans just better pray that he’s made of Christmas snow.

Jays Stay Relatively Frozen at Winter Meetings

There's a saying about the month of March: it comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Of course this is in regard to the change of seasons; Winter to Spring. Now for me, Winter begins when the baseball season ends, and I have no greater way to justify that point than with the MLB's Winter Meetings always there to kick off December. And this year's installment was anything but like March, in fact, to quote another saying, this year's meetings went out with a bang.

Now that's not to say teams, well, maybe not plural, hadn't been making noise. The Marlins broke the bank and lived up to their new home's city motto: "Where athletes take their talents", and signed Heath Bell (3-year, $27 million), Jose Reyes (6-year, $106 million), and Mark Buerhle (4-year, $58 million). But the big action wasn't until day 4, and no, it wasn't the Rule 5 draft. Albert Pujols became the player with the 2nd largest contract in MLB history inking a 10-year, $256 million deal with the Angels. Not quite as big as the one A-Rod signed at the same age of 31 and with the same number, 3, of MVPs under his belt just a few years ago. However the Halos weren't done there. Nearly an hour later they announced the signing of possibly this year's best free agent pitcher, C.J. Wilson, to a 5-year, $77.5 million contract. When the dust settled two things were apparent: The landscape of baseball had changed and the Astros' pitching staff just couldn't catch a break.

But where were the Blue Jays in all this? Did they not come into these meetings with cash to burn and big name dreams? Or was that just Toronto fans being impatient and needing to be impressed once again? Truth be told, the Jays came into the week with some serious issues. They had no guarantees at 2nd base; the supposed "8th and 9th inning guys" from last year's bullpen were up for arbitration; and the back end of the rotation, as it always seems to be, was up in the air. Four days later two of these issues were taken care of and yet there are still complaints! Am I the only one who proscribes to the Meat Loaf way of life? When did two out of three become bad again?

Toronto's first move was to trade highly touted pitching prospect Nestor Molina to Chicago for closer Sergio Santos, he of the 97 mph fastball and nastyyy (with three Y's) slider. At first glance I wasn't overly impressed with this move, I was a big Molina backer and a closer (and save stat) hater, but when you really get into it, if Santos can stay somewhere in between his first and second half last season, the Jays don't lose this trade. Santos is 28. He is currently signed to a 3-year, $8 million deal with affordable team options till 2017. With Bell and Jonathan Papelbon signing for roughly $10 million a season this Winter, it's incredible how cheap Santos really is. Now, yes, you can point to Molina developing into a stud, which might happen. But it had already been discussed that Molina's future might just be in the bullpen anyway and with other prospects Deck McGuire, Aaron Sanchez, Asher Wojciechowski, and Drew Hutchison all on their way, not to mention current MLBers only just prospects Joel Carreno, Henderson Alvarez, and Kyle Drabek; Toronto was going to have to make a few difficult decisions in the near future. Then, on Wednesday night, Kelly Johnson accepted arbitration. A great sign for this upcoming season, and maybe just enough of a stopgap until Adeiny Hechavarria is ready to play big league middle infield.

But of course this wasn't enough. Where was Prince Fielder? Why wasn't this the year the Jays started spending some cash. The answer, quite simply, and just as frustrating as it was when it was our parents' reason, is just because. Because Toronto doesn't know how many of those prospects will turn into stars. Because Fielder would want too many years on his contract. Because it's not time yet! A proper rebuild takes time and you have to stick to the course to have it done right. That's why other Toronto teams toil in mediocrity. The Jays have one of the best minor league systems in baseball. They have their core MLB players tied up for several years to come. The window they've created is a wide one and if it's done right it could just keep getting wider.

The Tampa Bay Rays are a perfect example of a team being successful through drafting. Lose Crawford? Okay, call Jennings up. Lose Garza? Will Matt Moore suffice? Tampa appears to have the ability to turn over their team every five or so years and that's the kind of steamroller affect Toronto envisions. Except that when one of the Jays prospects becomes a star, Toronto might actually have the money to pay him. And that's the difference between what the Rays do and what the Jays can do. When Toronto locked up Jose Bautista for 5 years at only $65 million or when they got Ricky Romero for the same length at $30 million they had seen the production and the skill for at least a season. They had seen Bautista hit 54 home runs and Romero win 14 games. The contracts were risks and are now steals, but not nearly as risky as what Tampa has done. They signed Evan Longoria to a 6-year, $17 million deal after about a month of MLB play, and it's what they've just done with Moore after only five appearances (two starts). Sure, the Longo contract looks great now, but it was a massive risk at the time, one the Rays have to take to keep up. People complain that the Jays don't spend the kind money to win, Tampa has to gamble and beat the house to succeed.

As we sit now, with the 2012 season four months away, Toronto is not a playoff team, they are merely a good team, young and exciting. But what fans have to understand is young and exciting turns into experienced and talented pretty quick if you are patient enough to wait. The Jays might have money to spend, but why spend it now to chance making the playoffs when in two years you could spend it to cement a championship run? It's not definitely going to happen, but in my opinion it's looking the most positive it has in years. Toronto will do anything it takes to win, but jeopardizing their bright future, well, they won't do that.

Leftover Sunday

Thanksgiving dinner is one of those special meals that not only tastes amazing the night of, but arguably is better the next day. Its right up there with a cold pizza breakfast and microwaved Chinese food. Simply, the turkey sandwich holds a special place in my heart; and not just because it’s clogging the arteries. Still, there reaches a point where the turkey is no longer moist; the bird that once seemed to melt in your mouth now almost dissolves. The gravy bowl, however vast, is not bottomless, and soon one is left with the lumpy left-behinds. Heck, even your loaf of bread might get stale. Yet, you’ll put all these elements together three nights after the family feast for a sandwich that may look fine, but tastes nothing like you know it could. Which is why, as the old saying states, you can’t judge a sandwich by its cover, especially if it’s open faced, but that’s a whole different story. That is what the NFL experienced this past week: A leftover Sunday. Except the Thursday night turkey may have been a little dry to begin with.

            There are different ways to classify a “good” game. The one most point to is the score. So at first glance, the fact that 10 of the 12 NFL games played on Sunday finished with the losing team within a score means a good week of football right? In a way, yes; much like the three day old sandwich could be good, but maybe interesting would be a better word. There were good finishes in week 12, and interesting games, but the actual football was subpar.

            The best game of the week was probably Buffalo at the Jets. The Bills were either an easy Stevie Johnson catch or an amazing Stevie Johnson catch away from winning the contest within the final seconds. However the game was decided much earlier, though not without Johnson’s involvement. After a 5-yard TD reception with just 2 minutes left in the first half, Stevie put Buffalo up 14-7. He proceeded to celebrate by mocking Plaxico Burress and pretend shooting himself in the leg. Actually, that part was funny, but to then act out a jet crashing may have been a little much. Yeah, you were playing the Jets, but think about where you are. New York may not be the best place for that. Regardless, the Bills took a 15-yard penalty, and when replacement kicker Dave Rayner muffed the kickoff right after, it gave the Jets the field position to go for the game tying touchdown. Is it Johnson’s fault that Rayner couldn’t properly kick the unmoving ball off an elevated tee? No, but in a game where Mark Sanchez didn’t complete half of his passes yet threw four touchdowns, it probably cost his team the game. Much like Matt Moore’s inability to handle a snap at the end of the half in the Dolphins/Cowboys game, cost his team a W. In general, it’s disappointing to see football games lost on bad plays rather than won on good ones and it was happening all Sunday.

            Carolina didn’t beat the Colts. Curtis Painter lost to the Panthers when he threw interceptions in the end zone on his team’s final two drives. Can anyone expect anything better in a game played by teams with a combined record of 2-18? Probably not, but at least try to give the illusion that you haven’t already had your clubhouse staff make a blue and white, number 12 jersey for your soon to be first overall pick. And speaking of illusion, Dwayne Bowe needs some lessons on how to look like he cares. At least raise your arms! It’s no wonder why your team has only scored one touchdown in its last 44 drives. This was another theme of yesterday’s action: the inability to put up seven. The Raiders keep making Al Davis look like a smart man for taking kicker Sebastian Janikowski with the 17^th overall pick in the 2000 draft. He hit 6 field goals to begin the game for Oakland, a contest they would win 25-20. Apparently field goals aren’t a bad thing if you kick nearly a three touchdown equivalent of them. Oh, and if the opposing QB throws three interceptions too. You can’t blame Caleb Hanie though; he hasn’t gotten many reps this season, just like the four men who took snaps in the incredibly ugly Houston/Jacksonville game. Still, no game reached quite the horrendousness of the turnover flush Bucs/Titans affair. It literally seemed like no team wanted to win this game. Each club managed just a single offensive touchdown. There were eight fumbles, six lost. Not to mention three interceptions, one of which was run back for a score and another thrown by Josh Freeman late in the 4^th before it could even be conceived that Tampa was going to have a game winning drive. In fact there was a point during the 3^rd quarter where three turnovers took place in the span of 1:31.

            This may be a pessimistic view of yesterday’s action. Most games were undecided late into the 4^th, playoff pictures remained murky, and the world was even given another week in which it’s socially acceptable to Tebow. But just like a turkey sandwich, there are high expectations, and the level of play this week just didn’t match-up. In the spirit of the holiday, I’m just thankful that this situation is a rare occurrence, much like Thanksgiving, it only happens about once a year. Well, maybe twice, if you have dual citizenship.

Memoirs of a Dolphins Fan

You read it hear first - at some point during tonight's Dolphins/Jets game, ESPN will show a graphic board detailing the atrocious string of quarterbacks that have come through Miami since Dan Marino's departure in 1999. Its happened in nearly every prime time game the Dolphins have played in for as long as I can remember and try as I might to not, I remember every name on that list as well.

Damon Huard– I mostly remember him coming in to replace Marino during the second half of his final game; a 62-7 destruction at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Needless to say at that point the game had kind of lost its appeal.

Jay Fiedler – He came into that game too, replacing Jacksonville starter Mark Brunell. Apparently he played well enough in that pointless blowout to become the Dolphins starting QB for the next 4 years. Also a 2002 inductee to the National Jewish Museum Sports Hall Of Fame; so that's something.

Ray Lucas – Along the same lines as Fiedler, Lucas had a few nice games with the New York Jets, one of which was against Miami, and that instantly propelled him into the running for starting quarterback of the Dolphins. He started six games. This was basically the end of Miami's “if you can't beat them, sign them” phase.

Brian Griese – The most positive thing I can say about Brian Griese's time with the Dolphins was he was easily the second best Griese to ever don the aqua and orange; meaning he is also the worst.

A.J. Feeley - Finished his career with 27 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. He started eight games for Miami and threw more than half of those picks during a magical 2004 season. My gut tells me that at least 5 of those were returned for touchdowns and I'm prone to believe it because Feeley's favourite target was the gut; just of an opposing team's cornerback.

Sage Rosenfels – Only started two games, but seemed to be the team's third string QB forever. In fact the Dolphins just resigned the Iowa product to back-up Matt Moore after the loss of Chad Henne. To the best of my knowledge is not yet a member of the National Jewish Museum Sports Hall Of Fame.

Gus Frerotte – Yes, THAT Gus Frerotte. And in 2005 he helped the Dolphins do the equivalent of running head first into a wall. He lead them to a 9-7 record. He helped them win six consecutive games to end the season. He gave the team hope. Never give an awful team hope! Because of Frerotte Miami came up with the idea that they could actually contend in the AFC. So they signed this next man out of desperation...

Daunte Culpepper – Note: He had NOT fully recovered from his knee injury. Culpepper was supposed to be the final piece of a championship puzzle. In fact SI picked the Dolphins to go to the Super Bowl; granted they were to lose to Carolina, but still! However the former Viking only started four games in what was maybe the most depressing 6-10 season in Miami history. Who was the other free agent QB the Dolphins were going after that summer? Oh yeah, Drew Brees. Good call guys.

Joey Harrington – Well, I guess that one time on Thanksgiving when the Lions played Billy Joel's “Piano Man” to introduce Harrington to the crowd gave me something to laugh at besides the 2006 team.

Cleo Lemon – He couldn't make it in the NFL. He found out this year he couldn't make it in the CFL. He's not a very good quarterback. Although he was responsible for my favourite moment in Dolphins history. Ahhhhh... Sweet, sweet 1-15. So much better than 0-16. I'm looking at you Detroit Lions.

Trent Green – Green missed most of the 2007 season with a concussion. I hope for his sake that made him forget he ever even signed with Miami.

John Beck – Beck was the first of two recent second round draft picks used on QBs. Coming out of BYU only a few things were clear about Beck. He was older than most draft picks (he was 25 when drafted after spending two years on his Mormon mission) and he had small hands. Four years later this is now what we know about John Beck: He is a career back-up quarterback in the NFL. Although he did get some time in yesterday's Redskins game, but that seems like more of a detriment to Rex Grossman than a compliment to Beck.

Chad Pennington – I actually like Pennington; and really, who doesn't? He's the every man's starting QB. He can throw about as far as I can, but the guy just wins games. However, much like Frerotte's 2005 season, the Dolphins' 11-5, 2008 club just really stunted any chance of team growth. They made the playoffs capitalizing on an easy schedule that featured both the AFC and NFC West and that also happened to be the year that Matt Cassel's name became known to the world. They were blown out by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs and haven't made it back since.

Tyler Thigpen – No, just no.

Chad Henne – This year was supposed to be the year he broke out. Or wait... Was that supposed to be last year? Either way Henne is out the rest of the 2011 season and for a player who's job was in question this off-season, that's bad. Actually to a player who's job was in question because of interest in Kyle Orton, a QB who's already lost his own job this season, that's really bad.

So welcome to the club Matt Moore. You are now part of a very non-selective group. Apparently the rest of the Dolphins' season is in your hands, which presents an interesting career opportunity. Most would agree that it would be in the Dolphins best interest to tank the rest of their games in an attempt to obtain the 1^st overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. There's this kid Andrew Luck that's just kind of getting a little publicity and could easily become the first quarterback taken in the 1^st round by the Dolphins since 1983; when they selected Marino. But then again, if Moore can win a few games maybe he can save his own job by giving Miami another pointless 8^th overall selection. It would keep two Dolphin traditions alive: The never ending search for a franchise quarterback and being so awful, that they're not awful enough to draft such a player.

Blowing a Lead in a New York Minute

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have been intertwined for over a century; they are the definition of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. In fact, if you ask Pedro Martinez, the Yankees and Sox might just be family. So it's fitting that just like any father, New York has a large role to play in the future of their son; actually, maybe more of a choice. Do the Yankees have a responsibility to play their best players in their final and upcoming series with the Tampa Bay Rays? Or can they stack the odds in the favour of the Rays and their own perceived October interests? Can they knowingly choose to assist Tampa, essentially “killing” Boston? Can they make Sophie's choice?

It's not a new concept. Every sport is accused around the end of the season for having playoff guaranteed teams trot out sub par lineups, but it just seems like baseball is the one sport that's asking for it. In September team rosters expand from 25 players to 40. Yes, it's mainly an invitation for non-contending teams to scout young talent at the major league level, but there's no rule saying that if you're playoff bound you can't play your AAA kids. I mean, if the intent of the Royals getting their farm system time in the bigs is to better the club in the future, why can't the Yankees use that same opportunity to possibly better their odds of success in the playoffs? It's technically still the future.

Now, I could, and the Yankees might just, preach the importance of giving starters a break after a long season. Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, and Curtis Granderson have all played in over 150 games, while Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have missed significant time due to injury. If they sit a few games late its understandable. It'd be normal. The x-factor in all this is the rivalry between Boston and New York. If the Yankees do give their guys some rest, it won't be looked upon in that sense, it will be seen as a blatant attempt to keep Boston out of the playoffs. If the Tigers were fighting the Rays for the wild-card? Not so much.

As it stands right now the only part of tonight's Tampa Bay / New York game that is known is the starting pitching match-up: James Shields versus Hector Hoesi, who is making just his second career MLB start. He went 2.2 innings giving up 2 runs against these same Rays last week in a game the Yankees would go on to win. Bartolo Colon will go tomorrow opposed by Jeremy Hellickson and David Price's match-up for Wednesday has yet to be decided; just don't expect CC Sabathia to be walking out of that dugout anytime soon Boston fans. New York could very well get swept in this series and the Rays could very well make the playoffs. Hey, they could even beat the Yankees in the ALCS and make this whole thing moot. But if New York feels like the Sox are the bigger threat, they should be able to do anything in their power to avoid them. It would be unsportsmanlike. It would be frowned upon. But it would be another fitting chapter in the history of the Yankees and Red Sox.

Numeric Hysterics

Next Sunday the Toronto Blue Jays will recognize Roberto Alomar by retiring his number 12 in a pre-game ceremony. Undoubtedly Alomar is one of the best, if not the best position player to don a Jays’ uniform and he will become the first person in the organization’s history to receive such an honour. All this after tomorrow becoming the first player inducted as a Jay into the Hall of Fame. Now, I love Alomar. I’ve watched his homerun in the 1992 ALCS over and over and over; his robbery of Lenny Dykstra in game 1 of the 1993 World Series still ranks on my list of the greatest catches I’ve ever seen; and his love for the city of Toronto has always endeared him to Jays fans. But to make him the first Blue Jay with a retired number is a mistake.

Roberto was in Toronto for five years. When talking about Alomar that automatically means you can assume he won five gold gloves and made five All-Star appearances during that time frame; which he did. He also ranked 6^th in AL MVP voting from ’91-’93. To say the Jays’ second baseman was consistent would be an understatement. But I believe the most important stat I just listed, at least in terms of this argument, is the first statistic: he only played for five years in Toronto. One of which was the strike shortened 1994 season. Yes, Alomar is going into Cooperstown as a Jay. Why? Because he was an amazing player and they were kind of obliged to put one of the seven logos Roberto wore over the course of his 17 year career on his plaque. There’s no question that his best seasons were played in Toronto; and there’s no doubt in my mind that he should be inducted as a Jay, but just because an organization has a player in the Hall doesn’t mean they need to retire his number. In fact I think it should be the opposite.

If you pull out your atlas and look at a map of North America you might notice that the city of Toronto is not located in the United States. You might also notice that if you turn on ESPN you won’t hear much Blue Jays baseball chatter. These two facts are just slightly intertwined. For a team located outside of the US to garner attention they have to be a) good, like Alomar’s Toronto teams; or b) have a player like Jose Bautista defying all that is logical. Maybe the best example of this is Roy Halladay. In his first season with Philadelphia Halladay went 21-10, had a 2.44 ERA, pitched a perfect game against the Marlins, and tossed a no-hitter in his first career post-season start. He also just happened to appear on his first video game cover and grace the cover of SI for the first time as well. It was Roy’s best season and it rightly placed him as the best pitcher in baseball in the minds of most who cover the game; but it shouldn’t have taken him till now to get there. Halladay had comparable seasons in ’02 and his AL Cy Young winning 2003. He may have in fact been on pace to put up better numbers in 2005 if it had not been for Kevin Mench… But that’s a rant for a different day. The point is even a player of Halladay’s calibre, a player who will most likely also end up in Cooperstown, needed to get out of Toronto to be fully recognized and appreciated. So if this is to be the curse of playing in Toronto, the organization needs to make special use of retiring a player’s number. Don’t just tack it on to a Hall of Famer, use it to honour the players not properly recognized by the baseball media. Use it as a way to tell former players “they may not realize how great you were, but you were loved here.”

A player like Joe Carter; whose 396 career home runs won’t likely carry him to the Hall, but whose bat carried the Jays to two World series titles and is responsible for one of the greatest moments (and calls) in baseball history. Ask Jays fans to name a single player from the World Series era and I’d be willing to bet you hear a lot more “Carter” than “Alomar”.

A player like Dave Stieb; who spent all but one season of his 16 year career with the Jays. Stieb was a seven time All-Star for Toronto who remains the franchise leader in several pitching categories. He also remains the only person to toss a no-hitter while wearing a Jays’ uniform. Dave was around in ’92, so he did win a World Series for his efforts, but it’s become clear after several years of eligibility that he will not be entering Cooperstown. His efforts on a young, blossoming team and a young, blossoming franchise should be recognized however.   

Or a player like Carlos Delgado; who more than any other player I could mention here had his run at Cooperstown side-tracked by bad luck and even worse timing. Delgado was in Toronto for 12 seasons. He won three Silver Sluggers, made two All-Star appearances, and finished top 4 in AL MVP voting twice; including 2003 where he finished second to a steroid enhanced Alex Rodriguez. This sums up the time in which Delgado played. He was 40 home run hitter during the steroid era, lost amongst the numbers A-Rod, McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds were putting up. But his luck would only get worse. At the age of 37, after playing just 26 games with the ’09 Mets, Delgado would succumb to injury and never return to the majors. Carlos had hit 38 homers in 2008. With 31 in 2009 he would have reached 500 for his career; what use to mean automatic entry to the Hall. Instead Delgado retired earlier this year as the Jays’ franchise leader in almost every offensive category and with 473 home runs. One more thing to consider? He signed with Toronto as a 16-year old from the Dominican in 1988. In my opinion Carlos Delgado is the greatest Blue Jay of all-time. Maybe it’s just that they can’t decide which number to retire… It doesn’t matter! 6, 21, 25! Any of them! Just do it!

             Now contrary to the previous thousand words or so, I do think that someday Roberto Alomar’s number 12 should be retired. Just not right now. I think the Jays organization made a quick decision fuelled by the momentum of Alomar’s Hall of Fame induction; a decision that won’t be looked upon as wrong by most. Which is fine; because it isn’t really wrong, it could just be done better. The greatest honour an organization can give is to retire a former player’s number, something that Roberto Alomar most definitely deserves. But for some players not like Alomar, it’s the greatest honour they could ever even hope to achieve.

America's New Pastime

Baseball was long ago titled “America’s Pastime”, it was a symbol of the United States and, however stereotypical, a topic of conversation between fathers and sons nationwide. However, much like basketball, baseball is now a game shared by the world. It is beloved in South American and Pacific countries; with each having their own professional leagues and slew of Major League Baseball stars to call their own. Baseball is no longer America’s; it’s the world’s game. But what about football? More specifically: the NFL.

            Of the four major sports leagues in North America the NFL is the only one without a team outside the States. Now the exception to this rule for the NBA and MLB is Toronto, with failed franchises moving from Vancouver to Memphis and from Montreal to Washington respectively. The NHL is the most diverse, but seeing as without Canadian teams and players the league would probably collapse, it’s a bit of a different circumstance. Either way, a passport is required to play in each of these three leagues. Recently the NFL has been getting closer to branching out. Regular season games have been played in Mexico City, Toronto, and London; the latter two having become annual events. Moving franchises to Toronto and London has even been debated and deliberated at length. But to me the question isn’t: Could teams survive in outside the U.S.? But: Could the NFL keep its identity?

            Take Sunday’s Super Bowl. In fact take any Super Bowl. The NFL always tries to sell its global efforts. I mean how many times have you heard “viewed in over 200 countries” at some point during the opening 20 minutes of the broadcast? Countless. They aren’t wrong, but the game is a spectacle, it’s easily identified with. In fact it just justifies my point; the NFL could survive anywhere, the league is that well run. But Super Bowl XLV’s pre-game festivities did little to showcase any other nation but the United States, alienating those other 199 apparent nations enjoying and partaking in the big game.

            Yes. It is important to show support for the troops. I have no problem with any of that, especially considering this is likely the most watched event on the Armed Forces Network, but reading the Declaration of Independence before the game? Seriously? For a league that is trying to market its product in Britain; is it really the best idea to read a document that features a section completely bashing King George III and basically listing the reasons they wanted out from under “absolute Tyranny”? Does no one else see the irony of the Americanised NFL having a colony… Sorry, a team in London? It’s like the bizzaro Declaration of Independence. Even the singing of “God Bless America” presents a problem when dealing with the league featuring non-American teams. It’s a tradition, and quite frankly, a beautiful song. But are you going to sing it at a Super Bowl featuring a team from Toronto? If so where? Between “O Canada” and “The Star-Spangled Banner”? Is it politically correct to break-up national anthems so you can sing a second song about how white and foamy one nation’s oceans are? From 6 p.m. to the 6:30 kick-off there’s so much Americana shoved down the throat of the viewer you’re left coughing up stars and stripes for a week.

            Now, that’s all fine if that’s what the NFL wants. It is the only of the four major leagues that has the opportunity to be completely American. It’s the U.S.’s most popular sport and should appeal to its audience. But the league can’t have it both ways. Either globalize the game or continue to embrace the perceived notion of being an all-American league. However, one piece of advice if you want to continue on the path to being America’s new pastime, get someone who knows the words to your national anthem to sing at the Super Bowl.

Rap-athy

Is there ever a point when it’s okay for a fan to not care about wins and losses? Or does that completely undermine what it is to truly be a fan? To be a fan is to be a fanatic, to love a team to the point of near obsession, but there comes a time when even the most diehard fan needs to accept that a team’s best course of action is to lose. This is the case with the Toronto Raptors.

            At 13-32 the Raptors currently sit tied for 13^th in the Eastern Conference. They’ve lost 8 in a row. They’ve lost 21 of their past 26. Now, this was expected. With Chris Bosh leaving Toronto had a void in their line-up that it was widely recognized would not be filled easily. But it’s not as if the team doesn’t have talent to build its future around.

            DeMar DeRozan has taken massive steps in the past 22 games; averaging just under 20 points, even scoring 20+ on 9 of those occasions. He may just be the explosive wing player that the Raptors have lacked since Vince Carter; or at the very least, the first wing that can create for himself that Toronto’s had in a long time. Andrea Bargnani appears to have found a niche as a scorer in the league, averaging 20+ points a game for the first time in his career. Now, the knock on Bargnani is that he doesn’t rebound and he’s below average on defence, but guess what? That’s who he is. He won’t ever average 10 boards a game, but not many centers in the NBA can score like he does in as many ways as he can. At the very least he’s a piece to either build around or trade. Even potential can be seen in young combo guard Jerryd Bayless, who was picked up for basically nothing in a trade earlier this season. He put up his first career double-digit assist total with 11 Monday against Memphis. Maybe nothing; or maybe a small step for a two-guard trapped in a point guard’s body.

            Maybe it seems wrong that to Raptor fans this season has become nothing more than a glorified fantasy team; with stats of the individual meaning more than the success of the club, but a fan needs something to cheer for right? Maybe your average Toronto fan can’t stand to consciously cheer for his team to lose, but they can live with just focusing on the development of DeRozan this season.

            In fact, success isn’t always a good thing when you look at the big picture. I use for example the team that causes me the most pain as a fan: the Miami Dolphins. When Ricky Williams retired unexpectedly, the team plummeted. Then in 2005 there appeared to be hope. The Dolphins went 9-7 behind the steady play of Gus Frerotte at quarterback. Now, as anyone who knows anything about Miami can tell you, the Dolphins haven’t had a franchise QB, let alone a reliable QB since Dan Marino retired in 1999. Now, as anyone who knows anything about the NFL can tell you, Gus Frerotte is not a franchise QB, he is in fact, a QB who injured himself for an entire season by head butting a cement wall while with the Redskins. Essentially, the Dolphins got a little lucky. So when next season rolled around, we had wasted a mid-1^st round pick on Jason Allen; given Daunte Culpepper the keys to the offense, believing we were one piece away from a Super Bowl; and gone an awe inspiring 4-12. The 2010 Dolphins just finished 7-9. Why? Because the team has yet to go through a proper rebuilding process.

            Patience will be the key for Raptors fans. I mean, look at the prospects of the Eastern Conference playoffs anyway. Sure, a team with a below .500 record will make it this year in the East, maybe two. But is getting swept by the Celtics or Heat in the first round of the playoffs really worth giving up a lottery pick?

               Nothing is ever guaranteed in a league where draft selection order is left to chance, but with an above average draft class this year; the Raptors need to take advantage with a top five pick. They need to continue to rebuild. Regardless of the sport, a successful team is structured around home grown talent and Toronto has an opportunity to add to theirs by, well, losing. A true fans’ job is to cheer for and understand their team. Maybe you can’t bring yourself to cheer for losses, but at the very least, an apathetic approach this year is the way to convey your understanding.     

All's Well Without Wells

Even if he does nothing else this season, Jays’ GM Alex Anthopoulos may have just cemented himself as executive of the year in the MLB. The massive, unreasonable, team-crushing contract that was Vernon Wells 7-year, $126 million deal has reportedly been traded to the Angels.

You’ll notice how I didn’t include what he was traded for… How observant of you. Well, the sad truth is, it doesn’t really matter. Apparently C/1B Mike Napoli is part of the package coming back to Toronto, but I doubt he becomes much more than a blip on the Jays’ radar with the wealth of catching talent Toronto has in the minors, and in the majors with J. P. Arencibia; who is not with the big club to be a backup. However the players the Blue Jays get in return are merely an obligation; the real value of this deal of course is the money it clears. Wells was set to make $23 million this season, and $21 million in each of the following 3 seasons. Now, let me get this out of the way, I like Vernon Wells. He’s a well-spoken man, who’s charitable in the community, and, frankly, was a very good player. But he was never worth $126 million. He was going to get that type of money somewhere after batting .303/32/106 in a contract year, but it was obvious the mistake former GM J.P. Ricciardi had made by signing Wells to such a deal within the next few seasons. Vernon’s tenure in Toronto can be pretty much summed up by unattainable expectations. His career numbers were good, but not good enough to be making $20+ a season; he had lost a step in centrefield, but fans needed to see him as the 3-time Gold Glover he used to be; he wasn’t a typical clean-up hitter, but the Jays had no one else to put there. The truth is if Vernon Wells made $13 million a year in Toronto; his name would be included in discussions of “Greatest Jay of All-Time”. But he didn’t. So he wasn’t.

Okay, let’s actually talk about Napoli. Not so much what he brings to the team, but what he’s going to change. The 29-year-old had a career year in 2010. Hitting 26 home runs and driving in 68 runs. Now he only hit .238, but I view him essentially as a trade-off for departed catcher John Buck. The question is; where will he play? Arencibia needs an opportunity to show the franchise whether or not he’s an MLB catcher, so I can’t see Napoli getting too many starts behind the plate. The Jays do have a hole at first base, which is likely where Napoli will end up, but that sets into motion several possible positional changes if John Ferrell wants to keep certain bats in the lineup. Adam Lind appeared to be in line to take over at first, so he’ll now have to either go back to being the everyday DH or start to get more time as a corner outfielder. There is a spot open now in right field with Rajai Davis most likely moving into the centrefielder’s role, so will it be Lind and Travis Snider on the corners? It’s still my belief that Jose Bautista is needed at 3^rd base, so I don’t want to pencil him in as an option in right, but with Edwin Encarnacion and John McDonald on the bench, there’s no reason to think Jose can’t continue his role as the ultimate utility man. The point is this team has positional flexibility. So next season you may want to get to the Rogers Centre before they announce starting lineups to try and avoid some confusion.

            Again, this deal is all about the money saved. To a lesser extent, I compare it to Bryan Colangelo moving Hedo Turkoglu’s contract to Phoenix this summer to reference another Toronto team. For a young Raptors team it was obviously nice to add the veteran scoring presence of Leandro Barbosa, but let’s be honest. When you heard about the deal did you text your buddy “We got Barbosa” or “Thank God Hedo’s gone”? Don’t see the Wells deal for what the Jays are getting in return, but for the opportunities it opens up in the future. Alex Anthopoulos always said the Jays were a few pieces and a few years away from contention; that the 2012 season was the goal. Toronto now has money to burn next off-season and a GM who wants to spend it. It could get very interesting.

3rd Needs To Be His 1st Option

Last season Jose Bautista proved to be one of the best, if not the best, offensive threat in the Blue Jays line-up. He also became their most valuable defensive player, playing both 3^rd base and right field, his preferred position. This season Bautista can again play a key role in Toronto’s success, by playing third base for the Jays instead of the outfield.

            When he was traded to Toronto during the 2008 season, Bautista had played 3^rd base for the Pittsburgh Pirates in all 91 games he had appeared in that year. With the golden glove of Scott Rolen occupying the hot corner for the Jays, Bautista became a utility man for Toronto, finishing the season playing every infield position except shortstop. Then in 2009, when Rolen was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, an everyday spot opened for Bautista, and he took advantage, hitting 10 home runs over the Jays’ final 26 games. In that small frame of time Bautista had done enough to warrant a full time look from Toronto in the 2010 season.

            We all know what happened next. Bautista had a season beyond belief. Clubbing 54 home runs and driving in 124 runs, easily trumping his old career highs of 16 and 63. But what went unnoticed to some was his play with the glove. Bautista made 45 starts at 3^rd and 113 in right field. He even made a start at 1^st. However, Bautista wasn’t just out in the field to keep his bat in the line-up; he made an impact. He made only seven errors all season, moving back and forth from not just the infield and outfield, but across the diamond. His 12 outfield assists tied him for second in the league. But that’s not what Toronto needs most heading into 2011.

            The Jays have lacked a legitimate leadoff hitter for some time. Bautista himself was thrown into the role out of necessity to begin last season. But with the acquisition of Rajai Davis this winter, it would appear Toronto has found someone to fill the role. However, with Vernon Wells an immovable fixture in centerfield and still unproven prospect Travis Snider needing the full-time job, and entire season of playing time, in left, the Jays only have one outfield spot remaining, with two players available to fill it.

            It’s not as if Toronto will lose much defensively if Davis were to get the call. His arm isn’t the greatest, tossing out only 5 men in 157 games last season, but with the speed and range of a centerfielder, Davis can rely on his legs to keep doubles from turning into triples. That centerfield speed also translates to the base paths, which is where the Jays need Davis the most. He stole 50 bases last season. Toronto had 58 as a team. Not surprisingly ranking them last in the American League. With the speed of Davis and projected number two hitter Yunel Escobar’s ability to handle the bat, Bautista may not get to play the position he wants, but his at bats with runners in scoring position should climb dramatically.

            The other thing you have to look at is: if Bautista’s in right field, who’s left to play 3^rd? Edwin Encarnacion split time with Bautista at 3^rd last season, but has always been identified as a liability in the field. On the other end of the spectrum, John McDonald, fan favourite and defensive specialist, doesn’t have near the bat to warrant an everyday spot in the starting nine. There was speculation that 2^nd baseman Aaron Hill, who came up as a 3^rd baseman, could move over, but neither Adeiny Hechavarria or Brett Lawrie is ready to take over in Hill’s place. There just isn’t another Major League option on the Jays’ roster.

            Jose Bautista is an incredible right fielder, this no one can dispute. But by not filling the Jays’ biggest void, 3^rd base, Bautista is hurting his team. Toronto needs Rajai Davis’ bat at the top of their line-up this coming season. In 2010 Jose Bautista had to carry the offense. By switching positions he can assure that he’ll have some assistance in 2011.