King James reign over the NBA

Later this week the NBA free agency season begins, and the basketball world will accelerate it's orbit around Lebron James and where he will spend the next phase of his career. Since May 13th shows, people and websites have been running countdowns to July 1 when you can officially talk to Lebron James and his representation. Let me say now I don't care.

The last time I can recall this much hype about a free agent, it was one Alex Rodriguez in 2000. Who I think is a perfect example of why Lebron doesn't matter as much as the world thinks he does. Now while Lebron is limited to 25% of this years salary cap (14.5 million per year roughly) and some more if he signs with Cleveland (in case you're interested I don't think he will), and A-rod was limited only by greed which got him a small 10 year 252 million dollar contract, that will be the only difference between the two. While A-rod went on to be the focal point of angst for Rangers fans and how overspending will not fix your problems. He can teach Lebron one thing - you must have a team around you.

The most recent NBA Finals carried the same message, it was the Lakers not Kobe who won that championship. It was two teams, who pushed it to seven games. Even Jordan wasn't able to win without a quality team around him. That's why Phil Jackson has been so successful as head coach, managing relationships between players. So while Lebron can be the cornerstone of a great team he can not win a championship by himself. So where ever Lebron winds up Chicago, New York, Miami or elsewhere he needs another player to support him.

P.S. Brett Farve we all know you're coming back, so just announce it.

Greed and the college playoffs

So the last week of Conference shake-ups in NCAA football has just stirred up all my emotions from January and the debacle that is the BCS. So I'm going to cover some basics and explain what I feel is perhaps the most broke system in Sports.

So for starters the NCAA's purpose according to it's website http://tinyurl.com/38ubbmv is to "govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount." The part that gets me about this is not only the NCAA's (and most universities) willingness to downplay the fair, safe and equitable part of that mission statement when it comes to Division I Football (FBS). FBS is the only level of NCAA sports where a champion is not determined by a tournament or playoff system. The NCAA has been using a tournament to determine it's baseball, basketball and hockey all since the 1940's. The following five bowl games that have a tradition that is longer that that; Rose, Sugar, Orange, Sun and Cotton bowls. So why have they not instituted the same program in the FBS? The answer is money. The BCS total 5 games pay out over 83 Million to the schools involved, the remaining 30+ bowl games pay out a combined 43 million. That is a 40 million more that is not available to Non-BCS conference schools unless they are fortunate enough to gain a berth in those games. With a move towards 'Super Conferences' those smaller schools will be left out even more. All this is to say that I feel the NCAA must truly use it's oversight and install a Championship Tournament for the fair and equitable good of all their schools.

The Fastball, Stephen Strasburg and the chances of true Success

What do you think about when you hear the word fastball? I think of Nolan Ryan and then the scene in the Sandlot when Ham tells De Nunez to throw him the heater, and then goes deep into Hercules' yard.

Now in the last 2-3 years another group of young pitchers have evolved and drawing us back, Brandon Webb, Tim Lincecum and David Price and now Steven Strasburg. The debut of Stephen Strasburg has made me wonder how much pressure we as fans will put on the young Mr. Strasburg and if our ultimate 'judgement' of him will be fair. Mr. Strasburg is approaching his 22 birthday, yet he already bears the weight of what seems to be the entire Washington Nationals organization on his right arm, I don't think it's fair. When did hype start preceding the actual performance? Sometime this century I think and incredibly unfair.

The two pitchers who have had that kind of pressure really stand out to me in recent history; Kerry Wood - who's currently 80-66 over 12 years with 1478 k's, and Mark Prior - pitched for 5 years went 42-29 and 757 k's. They we're supposed to lead the Chicago Cubs back to the World Series, but between their injuries and "Bartman" those bleacher bums remained "cursed" and until the Cubs do win a series they will remain part of that cast.

So while I hold high hopes for Steven Strasburg and his phenomal potential, I'm leary of seeing him pushed to fast or being suffocated like Joba Chamberlin of the Yankees.

If you want to know more about the fastball my I reccomendThe Secret History of the the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of All Time by Tim Wendel, which not only covers some of the all time greats like Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson and my favorite Nolan Ryan, those who didn't succeed as well I'm not quite done but I highly recommend it.

*Book promo video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjOQatCEB4I

he also has blog here http://highheatwendel.blogspot.com/