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Cubs are a $inking $hip
The direction of the Chicago Cubs was already in question when Yu Darvish was shipped to San Diego for no top end prospects and none of them pitching. If you aren't a Cubs fan the one area they've struggled with is pitching, with the brain trust never able to develop a starter. With Jed Hoyer at the lead of the front office it makes no sense to see the team purge pitching.
The Darvish trade was already a head scratcher and that was followed up with Jose Quintana going to the Angels and Jon Lester signing a five million dollar deal with the Nationals. Lester strongly implied he wanted to retire a Cub and instead signed for peanuts in the National League. It's an embarrassment for the team to treat the guy that was a pillar in changing the Cubs in to regular contenders that way.
Pitching was a big need for the team but the offense was far from set with Chicago having 'stars' that were under performing. Hence, Cubs fans find themselves in an off season where Kris Bryant, Wilson Contreras and Javier Baez are all on the trade block, and that's after Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora non-tendered. Young catcher Victor Caritini was also sent to the Padres as Darvish's personal catcher.
The Cubs haven't vocally established their direction. If you squint you could maybe say it's a rebuild but if more trades look like the Darvish one then it's going to be a rough one, and there's no damn way they can say they're competing. This has owner Tom Rickett's fingerprints all over it as Chicago just looks like they want to dump money.
Chicago Cub fans heard more than their fair share of jokes about the long World Series drought before arriving at the top of the MLB starting with the 2015 NLCS sweep against the New York Mets. Finally fans saw a World Series win and it looked like the start of a dominant run for a very young team and instead five years later management, and especially ownership, has quickly run this team back to those teams of laughingstock status.
I would take it a step further, the Chicago Cubs are an embarrassment. They are part of a bigger MLB problem with the cheapness for major markets across the board, but the Cubs are a crown jewel franchise and are acting like the Tampa Bay Rays. The direction, if there really is one, is to go on the cheap while probably gouging fans who decide to get suckered in to traveling to Wrigley Field.
If you're a Chicago fan then franchise ineptitude is nothing new for your fandom. In fact, Chicago franchise history is tantalizing fans with teams that look to be on long runs only to fall flat in rapid decline. The Cubs were swept back-to-back times in 07 and 08, the 1985 Bears were one of the youngest teams in the NFL on their dominant Super Bowl run and flamed out, Jerry Krause forced out everyone part of the second three-peat during the third championship run, Derrick Rose's knees tanked the Bulls team that challenged the Heat's big three. The Blackhawks won the two Stanley Cups in three years and then went out in back-to-back first rounds before hitting the tank. The Bears won the division two seasons ago and then missed the playoffs and backed in this season, where they didn't deserve to be.
Don't get me wrong, there are way worse cities to be fans in but is it really better to have and lost than to not have at all? Chicago gets to the pinnacle and then finds a way to quickly fall back in to a middling franchise. For one of the most historic cities in all the sports leagues to regularly be this bad is what Chicago fans have to deal with and the Cubs are just continuing their normal historic trend, as an embarrassment.
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Carsen Edwards 2.0?
Welcome to the Big Ten Jaden Ivey! You could see the improvement as the season has gone on, but if you weren't familiar how about the big finish at Ohio State? After going 0-4 from deep in the game, and some ugly misses at that, Ivey had eight of Purdue's final 13 points including the game winner.
Ivey is fearless and already has coach Painter's confidence as he put the ball in Ivey's hand on the take out for the last possession. Painter has also said he's the most talented guard on the team already, as a true freshman. It's because the coach has already developed a player very similar to Ivey, Carsen Edwards.
Boogie was an unheralded recruit out of Texas that turned in to an all-time Purdue great, and I'll die on that hill. In case you forgot, turn on the 2018-19 March Madness tournament and watch him carry Purdue to half a second from the Final 4. Edwards is in the NBA and if you squint while watching the Boilers this year,you see a young Edwards back in West Lafayette.
Watching Carsen as a freshman made you pull your hair out at times with his aggressiveness. Edwards was able to get to the cup but seemed out of control a fair amount of times. He would take drives and deep shots that would lead to empty possessions and frustrate when you had Caleb Swanigan and an upperclassmen dominated team. However, he wasn't afraid of the moment and showed fans the ability to do something a lot of Purdue players can't, drive to the hoop and finish.
I would describe Ivey the exact same way. I've had my fair share of 'That was an ugly shot Jaden.' already this season, but that doesn't stop him. 0-4 from deep against Ohio State and he still shot the last two with conviction and had no doubt. He also drove to the hoop to create offense and made a tough backboard shot late in the 2nd half.
Carsen's freshman year he was third on the team in turnovers and Ivey is currently third on the team in turnovers, but Painter was smart not to turn off their aggressiveness. For his freshman season Carsen Edwards finished with 10.3 points per game, 38.2% from the field, 34% from 3 and 74.3% from the line. On the season Jaden Ivey is 6.4 points per game, 37.5% from the field, 18.5% from 3 and 55% from the foul line, though he has been in double digits in two games of the four game winning streak with 15 against the Buckeyes.
Edwards' final season had him at 24.3 points per game, 39.4% from the field, 35.5% from deep and 83.7% from the charity stripe. That was Edwards as the number one assignment for defenses, but the year before he went for 18.5 points per game, 45.8% from the field, 40.6% from 3 and 82.4% from the free throw line. Carsen came to West Lafayette as a better shooter but Ivey is bigger than Boogie.
Ivey may not get to quite the deep threat Carsen was but the kid has a lot of the same things Edwards has and you can see it coming. On the youngest team in the Big Ten he is fearless and tonight made one of the most clutch shots on the season, besides Williams' floater at Michigan State. Jaden had a coming out moment at Ohio State and that's as a true freshamn with a weird off season. Carsen Edwards became a Purdue great and Ivey makes fans remember #3 in a big way.
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ACC is AFC East of Old
All season long Clemson was expected to be a national championship contender as the top four for the College Football Playoff committee didn't change. No one took Notre Dame seriously and Ohio State limped through some big games so it was a forgone conclusion it wouldn't be Clemson and Alabama again right? Instead for a second straight season the Tigers were absolutely blown off the field when playing with the big boys in the playoffs. Are they really as good as we think they are?
Coach Dabo Swinney is absolutely eating crowing after prodding the Buckeyes before their match up only to compete for a little after a quarter on their way to a 49-28 loss. Clemson did get to the National Championship last season, losing 42-25 to LSU, but in getting there but most would say they were outplayed by the Buckeyes the game before that and took advantage of a mistake by Justin Fields to win the game.
Now you can't take away from Swinney and Clemson, they've been one of the few national powers in college football and won two championships, BUT are we seeing the end of that run? Trevor Lawrence is expected to be the top pick in the NFL draft and likely would have been ever year before if he didn't have to play his three mandatory years, but in the last two big games we've seen him he was outplayed by Joe Burrow and Justin Fields, quarterbacks not perceived as great as Lawrence.
Lawrence led the Tigers to the undefeated national championship against Alabama in a 44-16 blowout of Alabama. I will not take anything away from the Tigers offense as Lawrence was 20-32 for 347 yards and three touchdowns, but that Tiger defense scored first, picked of Tua Tagovailoa two times and held the Crimson Tide to 16 points, all scored in the first half. The starting 11 on defense featured eight players drafted in to the NFL, including four first round picks, but since Lawrence was a freshmen they would be there for more right?
Since then they had the close game against the Buckeyes and two blow outs, so the conclusion is either the talent has fallen off or Lawrence couldn't elevate the team back to that point. Now, I wouldn't argue Trevor Lawrence is not a transcendent talent at QB so why have they looked like they've not belonged with the big boys their last few chances? Could it be because Clemson is the New England Patriots of old in the AFC East?
No one would deny under the 20 years of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady leading the Patriots that they weren't Super Bowl contenders pretty much every season, but critics would say it helps when you played in a putrid conference every season that allows you to host a home playoff game and bloat the win total to get one of the critical bye weeks.
There's no denying the ACC has fallen off with Miami, Florida State and even Virginia Tech not being their traditional selves. While Lawrence wore Clemson orange this was the first season they didn't win the regular season crown by at least two games and that's because Notre Dame played a full ACC schedule. Due to some absences the Fighting Irish won the regular season match up, close, but got crushed in the rematch in the ACC title game. In fact in bowl games for 2020 the ACC went 0-6. The conference is not good.
Dabo Swinney and Clemson were not going to leave the playoff selection process because they barely lost to Notre Dame without some defensive starters and Trevor Lawrence and avenged the loss in convincing fashion in the title game. However, was the regular season loss and preview of what could be Clemson life after Lawrence? DJ Uiagealelei was the number one quarterback in his signing class and number ten overall and could very well be the next great Tiger quarterback, but is he as good as Lawrence. Trevor got blown on in his last two playoff games.
Swinney has Clemons ranking number three for recruiting in 2020, behind Ohio State and Alabama, with five 5* prospects to the Buckeyes and Crimson Tides' four a piece, but finished tenth in 2019, seventh in 2018 and sixteenth in 2017. 2020 is a good sign for Swinney getting Clemson back to another national championship but we will see as they catch up to the teams they'll be fighting for titles with, Ohio State and Alabama.
Now I'm not making the argument that the Clemson Tigers will disappear from the college football playoffs, but if you take a step back maybe they aren't quite as good as we think. They've won two national championships and been to four of them in the last six seasons, but maybe that streak wouldn't be as impressive if they didn't play in the ACC. That's their conference and you have to win the games but I think we've seen them do what the Patriots did under Brady, win a weak division every year to pretty much guarantee their spot because of the reputation they've built.
#NCAAF#ClemsonTigers#TrevorLawrence#DaboSwinney#ACCFootball#CollegeFootballPlayoffs#OhioStateBuckeyes#AlabmaCrimsonTide
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Off the Ship Chicago
This off season has watched hockey and baseball cornerstone franchises sputter in inconsistency and try and pull one over on fans. Both are in Chicago and the 'leadership' tried to deny what was really happening, though that's if you believe Stan Bowman and Jed Hoyer know what they're doing to begin with.
This isn't condemning the choice to rebuild because that is a legitimate option on the table for the Blackhawks and Cubs, but if you're going to trade your top trade piece it ought to fuel that option and help build to the next competitive team. Instead Brandon Saad was traded for no young players or draft picks and Yu Darvish went to San Diego for some young players, but none of the Padres top 10 prospects and none of them pitchers. How does that even make sense?
Stan Bowman had some legitimate cap issues to deal with and the nuclear option of shipping off Toews or Kane was never going to be the option, but the goal was to open up some space on the blue line and find some money. Instead he saved almost no money while doing nothing at goalie and adding another defensive player. Every move since has been a vet as the team tries to cmpete in the murder's row of a new division; Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Nashville and Tampa.
As a fan I was happy to see them upset Edmonton in the extended playoffs and that was as one of the youngest teams in the 24 team playoff field. However, it did cost them the possible number one overall pick and clearly myself, and Bowman, got excited about the future of the team. Now this team won't have Kirby Dach for a few months and Toews will miss the start with an illness. If the team went the course with kids then you could build on what you did last year, but Bowman won't do that as he feigns contention.
Speaking of the farm system, how frustrating is it to see the Padres get Darvish and Blake Snell and trade only one of their top seven prospects? They're joining the Dodgers as the team in on every big trade yet still has a top farm system. The brain trust for the Cubs tore it down and built a championship contender and then, like the Hawks, traded a bunch of their kids and depleted the farm system. If Epstein, Hoyer and McLeod could draft pitching where would this team be?
The nuclear option is on the table for the Cubs as everyone is on the table to be moved with Davish now gone, Jon Lester bought out, Schwarber non-tendered and Kris Bryant, Wilson Contreras, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo all possible to be moved. If they're gonna tear it down they need to target pitching, pitching and more pitching. Instead they salary dumped their biggest trade chip for boom or bust prospects with very little minor league experience. Two big trades in Chicago and two big 'What the heck are they doing?!'
The Cubs are not alone in this as they're just the most recent team to demonstrate their cheapness, and of course no fan is going to know the inner workings of what's really happening, but fans are not idiots. Bowman alluded towards a rebuild and every move has suggested otherwise. Meanwhile every time Cubs owner Tom Ricketts talks it's normally an excuse as to why the team isn't going to improve and usually pisses off fans. It's like watching Jerry Reinsdorf with the Bulls while GarPax ran them despite needing to go MANY years before they were finally let go. Does the owner even care about winning?
The Bulls may finally have the right staff in place but they're still a non-story, the Bears may have to bring back Mitch Trubisky and yet the embarrassments of the fandom is the Cubs and Blackhawks, teams that won championships in the last decade. There will be enough talent for the Cubs and Hawks to be competitive as they muddle around in no man's land all to justify the price gouging they'll do on tickets instead of doing what's best for the teams. It's time to jump off the ship Chicago fans.
#NHL#NBA#ChicagoBlackhawks#ChicagoCubs#StanBowman#TomRicketts#YuDarvish#BrandonSaad#ChicagoBulls#ChicagoBears#SanDiegoPadres
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College Football is Full of Just Regional Powers
As we head towards another season where the top teams of the Group of 5 won't legitimately have a chance to crack the College Football Playoff, despite solid looking teams in BYU and Cincinnati, it shows the disparity in the league. However, there isn't just a gap between the power five conferences and group of five. In the power five there are regional powers and national powers.
The College Football Playoff was meant to fix the broken BCS system and open it up to make sure the best team really wins the national championship, but what it has done has showed the disparity in the power five conferences. The way the power five breaks down is a whole lot of regional powers and just a few national powers.
Off the top of your head it's probably pretty easy to think of who those national powers are; Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State. There's a case to be made that Oklahoma flirts with it as well and that's it. Before SEC fans get up in arms about how good some of their other top teams are, really think about it.
Last year LSU went on a monster run to an undefeated national championship. Where are the Tigers are now? They tied the record for most players taken in a draft and have fallen off a cliff this year. For so long they've been behind Alabama and it took one special season to get by them and win the chip. That's a regional power.
If you look at recruiting Georgia should be up there, and they have quarterback issues this season, but how are you feeling about your chances this season. The Bulldogs have the most 5* prospects in the country and still can't get over the Alabama hump. Kirby Smart has raised the profile and has them on the cusp of possibly breaking in to the national power picture debate, but they aren't.
If you look at recruiting the national power picture paints itself. In the top 20 most talented teams, based on recruiting for 2020, Alabama has 12 of the 41 5* prospects, second in the conference and no other team besides Georgia has more than seven. In the ACC Clemson has 11 of the top recruits and Florida State is second with two. In the Big Ten Ohio State has 14 blue chips and Michigan and Penn State combined for three.
Oklahoma shares the recruiting crown with Texas but still has a five to four 5* prospect advantage over the Longhorns but, much like Alabama and Georgia, coaching makes up the difference. Texas is ranked fifth in the most talented teams to OU being ninth, but it has never been close. The Sooners aren't quite to the class of OSU, Bama and Clemson but have made regular appearances in the CFP.
The PAC12 is noticeably absent from this conversation and I'm sure Oregon fans want some respect, but they're a regional power. Chip Kelly had a few good seasons but there's a reason the west coast is never taken seriously when it comes to national title threats. However, there is a team that could be a national power in the PAC12, it's USC. Now, through your laughter just consider that despite the putrid nature of the Trojans they're still the tenth most talented team in all of college football. Much like Georgia the talent is there but Clay Helton hampers the program.
Consider this, when the regime changed in the athletic department in southern California there were murmurs of Urban Meyer taking over. According to reports he was going to take the job as well before the AD said no to his baggage. If Meyer was running the Trojans would they be a threat for the national championship? Absolutely! And it wouldn't take a special season to make it happen, Meyer would have had them in the CFP immediately.
Coaching makes a huge difference, look at what Luke Fickell has done with Cincinnati, but you need more than that to be a national power. Notre Dame just knocked off Clemson in double OT without some key players, mostly Trevor Lawrence, but do you really consider them a national championship team? Most believe the Irish will get handled in the ACC title rematch with Clemson. Now, getting the first win against the Tigers will likely get them in to the College Football Playoffs and bounced once again like they have in the past.
Take your pick of some of the other top teams in college football; Michigan, Florida, Penn State, Oregon, Miami, Oklahoma State and ask yourself 'Are they championship teams?' No. Those teams can put together a special season every once in awhile that gets them in to the final four, but they are regional powers. There's a reason OU, OSU, Bama and Clemson have regularly been in the final four and those last three are usually the one deciding who holds the trophy at the end of the season.
The focus again this year will be on the group of five never getting a chance to prove themselves in the College Football Playoffs, but the bigger disparity is in the national powers and the rest of the power five. All season long the debate has been who is the fourth best team in college football. That's because Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State will be there once again like always.
#NCAAF#CollegeFootballPlayoffs#NationalChampionship#OhioStateBuckeyes#ClemsonTigers#AlabamaCrimsonTide#OklahomaSooners#BigTen#PAC12#SEC#ACC#GroupOf5#Power5
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Purdue Continues to Dominate Indiana
The great thing about college sports is rivalries. They just don't seem to exist anymore in professional sports, but there's real disdain in the collegiate game. For me, I think it's because the rivalry happens more on a personal level. I went to Purdue and there were kids I liked in school that went to IU, and now we have to smack talk. Look no further than one of my favorite memories. One night at Jake's an IU fan started a small chant only for the Purdue fight song to start playing and everyone start shouting it.
When it comes to the Boilermaker and Hoosier rivalry, the trash talk doesn't change. I've heard 'Banners?' more times than the rivalry has existed. Being a Purdue basketball fan it's also frustrating to watch the top talen in state seemingly never consider West Lafayette and, more often than not, end up choosing Bloomington. However, the court production has favored the Boilers and Matt Painter is changing things when it comes to signing day.
Trey Kaufman announced his commitment to Purdue tonight and gave Painter the top two Indiana players in the 2021 class with Caleb Furst. It also set a historic precedent with the Boilermakers getting two top 40 players nationally. That's better than the Baby Boilers class Purude fans. Kaufman and Furst will join a loaded team for the Boilers in 2021. More importantly, it signals a big change for in state recruiting.
Just in 2018 IU signed three of the top four state recruits while Purdue ended up with the sixth best player, Eric Hunter. In 2019 the Hoosiers got the third and sixth best players in state while the Boilers got five, seven and eight (Brandon Newman, Isaiah Thompson, Mason Gillis). It was an improvement for Painter but the top talent still wasn't coming to West Lafayette. For 2020 Archie Miller still did get number one, three and four but Jaden Ivey was number two and will be wearing black and gold.
Each season Matt Painter has improved his position when it comes to recruiting in state, culminating in the boon for 2021. Losing Robert Phinisee in 2018 hurt Purdue as the Hoosiers snagged a 4* prospect right out of the Boilers' backyard. That's why getting Kaufman feels so good as a fan, he was in Bloomington's backyard. Purdue may not be done for 2021 either, making the top six for 4* guard Blake Wesley out of South Bend. Indiana isn't even in the top six and it's another chance for the Boilers to continue to lock up Indiana talent.
Even with how Indiana has dominated recruiting, Painter has overcome that on the court. Frankly, that makes the winning streak even more enjoyable. The Boilers are on a seven game winning streak and have won ten of the last eleven. The streak also includes winning the last four in Bloomington. That's the longest winning streak for either team since 1968-1972, another Purdue seven game winning streak.
Painter has also stepped it up in March. With the 2020 March Madness canceled Purdue is on a five year streak and the last three have been trips to the Sweet 16, with the Elite 8 appearance in 2019. In that same time (2015) IU has only made it twice with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2016. The Hoosiers have missed the March tournament three straight years. You can't win banners if you don't get there.
Despite the big wins IU has racked up the last few seasons in recruiting, it hasn't shown up on the court as Purdue has put together a streak in conference play, in March and now is picking up steam in recruiting. It seemed to start with Biggie, then the Elite 8 and now the 2021 class. This also isn't a fluke as you can see Purdue improving it's in state recruiting position each year, and I don't think Painter cedes any ground.
The Boilermakers will be a competitive team in 2020 and will bring in a loaded class for 2021 to continue to establish themselves as the premier Indiana basketball college. As a Purdue fan, any time you beat IU it's a good day and the wins keep coming for the gold and black.
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Bears are Frauds
Matt Nagy hammered the 5-1 recorded coming in to prime time trying to legitimize it but the tape don't lie. After the 3-0 Chicago Bears start I raised the question 'Are the Bears good?' Monday Night Football gave us the answer, Chicago is just average. Sitting on top of the NFC standings with a chance to show they're real competitors they showed they're frauds.
The Rams won 24-10 but the Bears defense out scored their offense 7-3. It was a 10-3 game in to the second half as the D tried to keep the game close, scoring the defensive touchdown with over seven minutes left to cut it to 24-10. They followed it up with a three and out, but Nick Foles and the offense was off all night.
Chicago's offensive line got worked all night as Foles was regularly harassed and couldn't step in to throws. In the second quarter he missed Darnell Mooney for what would have been a 90+ yard score. After the three out in the fourth Foles had Anthony Miller for a big gain and left it short for an incompletion. You can't fault the two picks on Foles completely as the first was tipped, though thrown in coverage, and his hand got hit on the second. However, the last five drives for the Bears were pick, downs, downs, pick, downs.
Yet again, Nagy should receive scrutiny for his management of the offense. Cole Kmet had a couple of big plays early and then was never heard from again. Chicago had a chance to force the Rams to but to see what happens, and gave up a sack after two timeouts during stopped time. It was noted during the broadcast Foles had told the coach to be aware of the pressure he was under with the banged up offensive line, yet the coach didn't seem to help out his O. Screens, draws, quick passes there wasn't enough of it to help the offense.
The Bears need to cut Ted Ginn right now. Johnny Hekker had a great night downing all of his punts inside the 20, really inside the 10, but it doesn't help when your returner might as well of not been out there. If Ginn wasn't out there nothing would have changed and he didn't even look like he was interested in attempting to return the ball.
Chicago has played three top teams and absolutely laid an egg in two of them. After the 3-0 start the Bears got the Colts at home and the offense looked like it shouldn't be on the field. The defense kept the game close but all for not. Tonight against the Rams, Chicago had attempts but it never felt like they were actually threatening. Again, the defense out scored them.
The one big game Chicago won was at home against Tampa Bay. It was another case where the defense dominated, though the Bucs helped with very sloppy play, and the offense did just enough. It was a short week after the Bears were embarrassed against the Colts and the Bucs had the Packers the next week. Was it a fluke? It certainty seems to be trending that way in a weird 2020 NFL season. Against the good teams the offense has looked pedestrian and needs the defense to make big plays to have a chance.
At 5-2 the Bears are fourth in the NFC and the first wild card team, but the schedule doesn't get any easier. Three of the next four games are against the Saints, at the Titans and at the Packers. Very quickly they could find themselves 6-5 and Chicago still has both games against Green Bay. Nagy's squad does have both Vikings games, the Lions, Texans and at Jacksonville. With how they performed a 10 win season is in the cards but, to use a family quote, it'll be because they beat the tomato cans of the league.
There are plenty of bad teams in the league and Chicago has taken advantage of a manageable schedule, and you can only play who you face, but it doesn't instill confidence in the Bears actually being a threat. Getting that first wild card spot is a win as it'll be against the winner of the NFC lEast, but will Nagy's squad stand a chance in the next round against actual good teams?
The offensive line is an issue, there aren't enough weapons, the play calling doesn't help and Chicago has just two journeymen at the QB position. I, of course, want to see my team win but the team really isn't a Super Bowl contender. Despite having an offensive coach, and yes personnel is a problem, the coach isn't elevating the unit and has been a detriment at times also. There's still plenty of season left but the Bears are a fraud and what the heck is this team when it comes to the future?
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Difference Between TB12 and OBJ
Odell Beckham Jr. made headlines again, in multiple ways, after saying there's a double standard in how his sideline antics are perceived and Tom Brady's. In a year where racial issues have brought to the forefront there is definitely a conversation to be had but OBJ is wrong when it comes to attacking the GOAT.
Psycho Tom has gotten push back for his yelling and blow ups on the sidelines. While he hasn't received criticism to the extent of OBJ, it has been noted. Even this year it has been a talking point as Brady has lit up his Buc teammates on the sideline, most notably his yelling in Tampa after multiple penalties made in third and a mile in a close game Tampa lost. The low light from that game was Brady forgetting what down it was late.
I don't respond to the yelling and screaming type of leadership, but you can't deny it is a type of leadership. Has Psycho Tom pushed it too far before? Absolutely. Tom Brady has had arguments with his coaches; Josh McDaniels and Bill O'Brien, but would you group his leadership tactics as selfish? It's the heat of battle, Brady is the GOAT and wants to win. I'm by no means a Brady fan, nor do I share the hate most of the NFL universe does, but I see Psycho Tom as a motivator and having the ultimate desire to win.
That is where the split happens between Brady and Beckham. An argument absolutely can be made for passion and getting caught up in the moment. However, I dare anyone to make the case that OBJ's antics are anything but selfish. OBJ punched the net in New York, got in repeated scuffles with Josh Norman, went to Miami before a playoff game and now took off his helmet and cleats before getting in an argument with a fan on Sunday.
OBJ is not leading, he is not motivating his team, all he is doing is throwing a tantrum. I'm not a great loser and I can respect passion but repeatedly passes a line he has been chastised for. Even after being traded once already the antics have not stopped. There are even rumors now that he wants to be traded, who leaked those?
Let's not forget Tony Romo and Jason Witten going to Cabo in an off week before a playoff game and then losing at home the next week. They were the leaders of that team and were criticized for that, and rightfully so. I remember plenty of coverage about Romo playing golf in the off season and trying to make the PGA cut and plenty of talking heads saying he wasn't focused enough on football.
This week alone Aaron Rodgers has taken a beating for his body language and energy on the field. Beckham defenders can point to the lack of coverage that has received compared to OBJ, and I would argue it deserves more. However, Rodgers is not far removed from an off season of press beatings for his personal life and just being a jerk in Green Bay. That's without the optics OBJ seems to provide regularly.
As a Bears fan I'm sure most remember the beating Jay Cutler took for not completing the NFC Championship game against Green Bay. Now Cutler was by no means a leader, but a torn ligament was a legitimate injury and he was piled on because he was generally disliked. Cutler displayed plenty of the body language problems Rodgers is now receiving criticism for, but again the outburst were not to the level of OBJ. There are plenty of examples of players of all colors and creeds being criticized.
In sports winning cures all. Tom Brady absolutely gets some leeway because he wins. Being on losing teams is by no means all Beckham's fault, but he hasn't won enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even still, it would be hard pressed to give him a pass for taking his cleats off on the sideline and arguing with a fan. That isn't about team, it's about me. This also comes the same week OBJ made ignorant comments about COVID-19 and received a two year ban for handing out cash to LSU players after they won the National Championship.
Passion can be expressed in many forms and winning cures all, but OBJ and TB12 are not the same. While Brady may flirt with, and even cross the line, his passion is about the team and winning. After the yelling on the sideline in Chicago the Bucs came out the next week and played an almost perfect game to crush the Packers. You know Brady will always be in the fox hole with his team the next week no matter what. That's the difference, OBJ is about him. His antics aren't inspiring or leading his team, he's throwing a tantrum and it's about him.
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Fantasy Football Headset 2020; What I'd Trade (Cluckin and Coin)
[12 team league, 25 man rosters, 5 taxi spots, start 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 2Flex, 1DST, 1K]
Right before the start of the fantasy football season our league saw an arms race like no year before and Cluckin and Coin were right at the center of it. Both traded two 1st round picks for a player and both have not gotten returns for their stud trade. Because of that these two teams, who were part of a preseason top four that were expected to be championship favorites, have fallen short of expectations.
Cluckin has regularly been on the doorstep, owning his division and threatening but ultimately falling short. Because he has regularly locked up the two seed he has been ultra aggressive when it comes to trades, very rarely having a first round pick in the draft. This year it looks like it's starting to catch up with his team.
The core of Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Davante Adams, Tyler Lockett and Zach Ertz has been good enough to keep him competitive. However, the trade this year for Leonard Fournette, and last year for Devonta Freeman cost him premiere picks and have not worked out. David Johnson was a key to his early success and fell off but he got lucky with a bounce back this season. He swapped D.J. Chark for Melvin Gordon in the offseason to add some RB depth as well.
Cluckin deserves credit for still getting some decent players without 1st round picks. He drafted Hollywood Brown last season and Brandon Aiyuk this season. The problem is besides Jared Goff there's not really much on his bench to help out with byes and injuries. And this year he has not had luck. Freeman and Fournette haven't done much, Ertz has been a disappointment and is now hurt along with Melvin Gordon. That is why he has gotten off to a 2-4 start.
Cluckin doesn't have a 1st or 3rd round pick for 2021 and has traded his 2022 1st rounder as well and so his team is kind of stuck at the moment. 2020 is a weird fantasy football season and he's at the mercy of the season. It's unlikely the Packers will lay an egg like they did this past week, and they already had their bye, so that big three will be key to him trying to right the ship but his options seem a bit limited. He has been aggressive most seasons so it wouldn't shock me to see him try and get some depth, but mostly I think you're just waiting and hope you can right the ship and get healthy if you sneak in to the playoffs.
Coin is the gold standard of our dynasty league. He has three championships in the four years of existence and was in the top four (losing to the eventual winner) the one season he didn't win. Coin made the big trade of two 1st round picks, Calvin Ridley and Preston Williams for Saquon Barkley. (He also traded Fournette to Cluckin for his two 1st rounders). That trade stings this year with Barkley going down early and Ridley looking like a superstar, but Barkley is still a stud going forward.
Coin did get his 1st in 2021 back by trading some WR (John Brown the only notable one) and that looks like a smart move with him sitting at 2-4. The other trade he made was a 2021 2nd and 2022 3rd with Drew Lock for Josh Allen. Allen has tailed off the last few weeks but he looked the lock up another young star for more security, but the top team in the league has just had bacd luck.
Julian Edelman has only had one game and Mike Evans has been up and down. Losing Barkley has required him to count on James White (who just came back) and Jerrick McKinnon for his running backs behind Zeke. Chark also hasn't be the star he was last season for fantasy football. That's the bad luck that has put his team in the hole early.
However, this team isn't going anywhere. Coin has Diontae Johnson and Scotty Miller and drafted J.K. Dobbins, Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Denzel Mims, Quintez Cephus and Cole Kmet. Coin started with the strongest roster and has regularly drafted well to continue to give himself pieces to trade and reload his roster. Even with the bad luck he still has one of the best rosters in the league.
A 2-4 start would shake any owner but for me the choice is easy, you trade from the fringes and run it back next season. He got his 1st round pick back and could have a really good 1st round pick from Cluckin if he can't right the season. With the lack of assets for Cluckin to improve his team for next season also that 2022 1st round pick could be interesting also. Coin doesn't have a 2nd or 3rd pick in the next two drafts, but still has enough draft ammo and deep enough roster that this year will probably just be a hiccup. Worth noting also, Coin has regularly traded some players in the off season that won't make his roster cuts for mid round picks that he has used well. Something to watch in the off season with a loaded roster.
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Fantasy Football Headset 2020; What I'd Trade (Nati and Sidearm)
[12 team league, 25 man rosters, 5 taxi spots, start 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 2Flex, 1DST, 1K]
These two teams made the decision to trade a big piece ahead of the season, conceding they weren't championship contenders, but have found themselves in playoff contention. Both teams were in post season last year, but even with trading star players now find themselves deciding which way to go for the rest of 2020.
Sidearm has finished 2nd and 4th in the previous two years and a big part of that was the stack between Patrick Mahommes and Travis Kelce. However, his running back position took a big hit and he decided to load up on assets and come back in 2021 by trading Kelece. Two 1st round picks and Blake Jarwin is a solid haul. The reason the trade hasn't hurt him as much is because of the emergence of Mike Gesicki and the long awaited revival of Mo Alie-Cox.
Sidearm has done a solid job building his team through the draft with Mahommes, Devin Singletary, Antonio Gibson, Terry McLaurin, Gesicki, Christin Kirk, Phillip Lindsay, Josh Reynolds, Hunter Renfrow and Henry Ruggs. This his how the team went from picking in the top five to a top playoff team in just a few seasons. However, the running back position was why he leaned in to a retooling in 2020.
Marlon Mack and Lindsay were a big part of his run to runner up two seasons ago, but both got company in the backfield this past offseason. That's the case for Singletary though Zack Moss' injury has allowed him to flourish early. Gibson was a good pick and those two have provided enough production to get him to 3-2 with a manageable game this week. I still have my questions about those two being lead backs for a championship team.
The trade of Kelce gives Sidearm two 1st in 2020 and 2021. He also traded Josh Allen for Drew Lock and a 2nd and 3rd which gives him two 2nd round picks in 2020, a 2nd and two 3rd round picks for 2021. He is absolutely loaded in draft capital with T.Y. Hilton and Emmanuel Sanders on his bench that could be moved for a few more mid round picks.
The question is how do you go the rest of the way for this season? Sidearm could move Hilton and Sanders to add even more draft pick capital or could deal from his stash of picks to push his team in to contention. Saquon Barkley, Leonard Founette, Kenyan Drake, James Connor and Raheem Mostert have already been traded, leaving the RB market a bit thin but the assets are there to entice a team to part with a top RB.
A lot of the core is in place and good ages so you could go either way. It is supposed to be a loaded rookie draft which makes it all the more tempting to get to the draft and see what you can add to a solid team, but will you find a superstar? If someone like Christian McCaffrey is available then you have to be tempted to make a deal, especially with his draft pick and WR depth, but do you want to be that aggressive?
I think you go for it. Finding a superstar is easier said than done and with four draft picks in the top two rounds for this draft and three for the next one there's plenty of capital to make a move and not leave the cupboard bare. Plus, you can't count future championships without winning one first. The team has produced so go for it and still have an incredibly young team. However, if the price is too steep then you have to move Hilton and Sanders. Load up on picks and put together one of the youngest teams in the league that can really grow in to a title contender.
Nati's reason for trading was a little different. Despite being a playoff team he was realistic about his team. The TE duo of Darren Waller and Austin Hooper was a big factor in his success, but his best WR was Jamison Crowder. Nati got an offer for Barkley he flet like he couldn't turn down and decided to retool his team knowing he couldn't get it with his WR. The trades was a 2020 1st and 2021 1st round pick, Preston Williams and Calvin Ridley.
Now, I'm still not sure it was the right trade to make but it does look like a short term win with Barkley hurt for the season and Ridley becoming a superstar. However, there are some other trades to go over. A trade last year for A.J. Green cost him his 2nd and 3rd round pick this past draft and he felt the need to get a QB so he went with Joe Burrow instead of a WR. Nati has also traded the 1st he got for a 2nd next year, John Brown and a few other depth WR.
Nati started off solid because David Montgomery was producing and Ridley was a big boost to the weak WR position but has fallen off and could be 2-4 after this week. With Hooper falling off and Barkley gone this roster is showing what it really is. Montgomery and Dalvin Cook are the top running backs but after that isn't really much. Besides Waller and Hooper there isn't much at TE either.
The WR position has been remade with Ridley, Crowder, Brown, Williams and Green, but it still needs help. Chris Hogan, Randall Cobb and Kenny Stills are really the only vet WR worth mentioning. Nati's team has shown it still is very much a work in progress, though early on it was in line with Sidearm to consider using the draft capital to push towards more contention.
With the trades Nati only has his 1st round pick and 2nd rounders in 2020, but two 1st and 2nd round picks for 2021 so this is a retooling team with not much draft capital this season to add, so he needs to lean in to the retooling. Crowder, Green (if he can produce), Matt Ryan, possibly Brown and any other vets should be on the market to try and get some more draft capital for a loaded rookie class.
Nati could also hit the nuclear rebuild after trading Barkley already and go after a haul for Cook. While there's no argument for trying to build around him, Cook could bring back a haul of players to build around along with picks and would be a full rebuild to reset the clock. This is where the questions are raised over trading Barkley. It upgraded the WR position but also revealed more of the weaknesses of this team, and with the lacking of capital this year would make it tough to replace Barkley for 2021. Though Nati absolutely has to get at least a RB in a Cook trade because that's where the Barkley trade really hurt him.
Sidearm is really in the position to go all in or wait and see with his roster and draft capital where Nati needs to rebuild at least partially, but both have vets they definitely need to move in the least. Theoretically, both could look up for a Dalvin Cook trade and it would work out for both.
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Fantasy Football Headset 2020; What I'd Trade (Tink and Centerfield)
[12 team league, 25 man rosters, 5 taxi spots, start 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 2Flex, 1DST, 1K]
It goes without saying you want to build the best fantasy lineup possible, but sometimes all it takes are a few hot players that can carry you through to a championship. Tink is a new owner that inherited a team that won a championship and rode a few hot starters as the last team in. Both Tink and Centerfield are playoff caliber teams who those types of players.
Tink inherited a team with Alvin Kamara, Julio Jones, Brandin Cooks, Eric Ebron, Kyler Murray, Kerryon Johnson, Sterling Shepard and still had the top pick in the draft. She also moved Deshaun Watson for a haul and had an incredible draft. Tink added rookies, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Justin Jefferson, Jalen Reagor, Adam Trautman and Anthony McFarland. She also won the bidding war for Hayden Hurst.
That's an impressive team with a bright future after a great draft and has the type of players that can spark a run. She also has her first and three 2nd round picks for 2021, so she is set to really reshape this team in two drafts, especially if she can nail her picks like she did in her first draft. The question is do you wait on those to 2021 picks to make your push or trade some of your assets and go all in for 2020?
Tink is 3-2 and in a playoff position and will likely hover there for the rest of the season. Kamara, Julio and Murray could go off any week to pull off even the most difficult upset, but her team has suffered some dings. Jones has been hurt, CEH now has Le'Veon Bell in the backfield and some of the other notable core pieces have been banged up or inconsistent.
While the team is solid it still falls in the second category of teams, a playoff team but not a championship contender. The problem is with a lot of teams already making the decision to sell and try and avoid the playoffs it could be tough to get under the playoff threshold. If she was to sell Julio is the obvious choice to bring back another big haul. He was on the block early in the season but didn't fetch the desired price. Injuries seem to be catching up with Jones as he ages but I think most would agree he's not going to fall off a cliff is she hangs on to him for another season.
I think Shepard will be a solid piece when healthy, Cooks can be (and was good with the new coach) but the questions about the lineup start to add up after you get past the first few starters. Jefferson has broken out and Reagor will be someone to watch after he gets healthy. Johnson was an early pick but is behind AP (who Tink owns) and D'Andre Swift. CEH's value takes a hit in a committee. TE is a little rough as well with Ebron not quite hitting the marks some thought he would and Hurst's target consistency being a bit concerning.
This is a team no one will want to see in the playoffs, especially if everyone is healthy but the best case would be to miss the playoffs in 2020 and try and load up in 2021. If she can move Jones that ought to bring back another huge haul, but you can trust him on the team for another season if need be.
Centerfield is a team that has some great pieces as well; Miles Sanders, Derrick Henry, Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs and Austin Ekeler. Cam Akers and Tee Higgins were added in the draft as well. Ekeler, and O.J. Howard, are hurt but Ekeler will be back and there's several pieces that can go off and fuel a run above the team's projections, but this team is not in the tier of championship contenders.
QB is a bit of a rotating start with Derek Carr, Nick Foles, Baker Mayfield, and Dwayne Haskins, Carr has been solid and Mayfield seems to be coming in to his own behind the Cleveland running game. Losing Howard hurt with Kyle Rudolph and Dalton Schultz behind him. The QB position has solid enough options to not really hold the team back but TE looks to be a regular hole in the lineup each week.
What has really hurt this team has been bad luck with draft picks. Howard, until this year, Paris Campbell, Mecole Hardman and Dwayne Haskins all were good picks at the time but haven't delivered. With all of them being higher picks it stresses the squad as you're hoping for them to blossom in to regular contributors.
Centerfield is 2-3 and more on the playoff fringe than Tink with a little more uncertainty. There are definitely players that could get hot and carry him, Diggs, Kupp, Henry and Sanders, but the lineup is far from complete. Centerfield also doesn't really have any vets that are obvious trade candidates. If DeSean Jackson can come back healthy and do something he could be worth a minor pick but most of the starting pieces are still the right age.
This team may not have to put much effort in to avoiding the playoffs to get a higher pick, but really needs to hope for some more luck in the draft. Again, it hasn't been bad picks, it's just the picks not developing like you expect when you pick them in the first and second rounds. Most of the core is in place, it'll just be about adding some more depth and consistent play makers to push the lineup to the next level.
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Fantasy Football Headset 2020; What I'd Trade (DaFnBoys and McCaffinator)
[12 team league, 25 man rosters, 5 taxi spots, start 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 2Flex, 1DST, 1K]
It's interesting that in this 12 team league there are pairs all the way up in how they should handle the season. Admittedly, this pairing got here in two different ways but face a tough choice of trading a top RB to go full rebuild or try and trade and push towards the playoffs.
McCaffinator's team was built around Christian McCaffrey and has been a playoff team with him and a few other solid players. The week's right after the injury looked like an obvious tank season, but the team has leveled out and could make a run in to the playoffs if McCaffrey comes back right, but that's the tough choice...should he?
McCaffinator is set to go 3-2 and a big part of that is his WR position bouncing back. Adam Thielen, D.J. Moore (finally showing up), OBJ have been solid. Golden Tate and Sammy Watkins can be flex vets in a league where you can start up to five WR. That top three is why he has been able to weather the McCaffrey injury.
Rookies Josh Kelly and Jerry Jeudy are big rookies that will be key to his team going forward. QB Gardner Minshew, while on a bad team, has been solid in filling out his lineup. Rumors are the job could still not be his past this season if the Jags pick high enough. Ryan Tannehill has been solid also, but what is his long term outlook? Trading for Phillip Rivers and keeping Jimmy Garoppolo have been whiffs at a position with very little value as well.
The running back position has been a weakness of this team, even with McCaffrey and why there could be a lingering big decision. An offseason trade for Duke Johnson and Tarik Cohen, while not studs, could have provided enough coverage with CMC and the WR to be playoff team, but that hasn't worked out. Tight ends Jack Doyle, Greg Olsen, Trey Burton and Cameron Brate has also been a big weakness.
That's why this team could face the choice of trading CMC. It's a bold choice but even with CMC the team has never even sniffed the championship game, let alone winning the chip. RB depth is a problem, though Kelly could give the team pause for the big move, Thielen is old and how much do you trust OBJ? QB is an easier position to fix but TE is a hole as well.
Even injured McCaffrey is still worth a haul; a couple of young players and multiple high end picks. The move would also likely put Thielen on the block, possibly OBJ and put other fringe players on the block to really load up picks. Trading CMC would also fuel a push to a top pick for his own and allow him to add a lot of young players with Kelly and Jeudy to really build a strong core instead of one superstar and some solid pieces around it.
DaFnBoys faces a similar decision but got there by building up from a complete tear down. He's set to be 2-3 and still a ways away. There have been some questionable moves in the draft but the team has collected some nice young pieces; Josh Jacobs, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Zack Moss, Tyler Higbee, Tyler Johnson, Justin Herbert, Michael Pittman, Darius Slayton, T.J. Hockenson and Ronald Jones. There's a lot there but still not a playoff team.
The problem is that's basically the team. Mark Ingram, Dak Prescott, Teddy Bridgewater, Matt Stafford and Rob Gronkowski are really the only veterans of note, most of them at quarterback and none of them lifting your team. Even worse, Prescott is now out for the season with an uncertain future.
Now, DaFnBoys faces a similar choice as McCaffinator when it comes to a stud RB but has some more flexibility. Trading CMC is something to consider because of the rest of the make up of the team, but for DaFnBoys most of their team is young and it would be very reasonable to just continue to try and add more and more young players. Most of his core is on a similar time line, whereas McCaffinator hasplayers on a much shorter timeline.
It is a tough pill to swallow to be the one moving a top player, especially because no one wants to be on the losing side of moving a stud, but you have to be honest about your team. If you're constantly middle ground even with a superstar then it could make sense to tear it down to build a more complete team. This league saw Saquon Barkley get traded and, despite the injury, it looks like it might of been the right call for their team. If McCaffinator plays it right he quickly could have a young core with the haul he gets from the trade, but can he swallow making the move?
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Fantasy Football Headset 2020; What I'd Trade (Danny Boy and Undynasty)
[12 team league, 25 man rosters, 5 taxi spots, start 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 2Flex, 1DST, 1K]
As we wrap up the fifth week of the season the playoff picture is starting to form and for teams that aren't going to make it, or want to position themselves in the top of the draft. It's key for selling teams to start making moves. Unless you're in a league with very aggressive owners there will only be a set number of moves to make so it's key to get ahead of the market, especially in our league where an arms race preceded the season.
Undynasty is in full tank mode, running out the tank lineup in a race to get to the top pick of the draft and heading for 1-4 to start the season. This team has already traded Kenyan Drake and James Connor for a 1st and a 2nd round pick in 2021 and a 2nd round pick in 2022. The 1st was his own, a big get to initiate the tank, and he should have three picks in the top 18.
Those picks go along with a core of Deshaun Watson, Mark Andrews, Chase Edmonds, Corey Davis, A. J. Brown, N'Keal Harry, Will Fuller and Courtland Sutton. Rookies Antonio Gandy-Golden and La'Mical Perine are the interesting kids to go along with those vets. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Dalls Goedert are interesting pieces that could be on the team next season also.
What that leaves is not much after shipping out the two backs. Alshon Jeffery is the only notable vet that could fetch something, but that's if he ever gets healthy and can produce for the practice squad receiving corps that is the Philadelphia Eagles. Justin Jackson and D'Ernest Johnson gained some value with injuries in their backfield but have a limited window. Those two are really the only pieces left to move and need to do so in a hurry.
Depending on your feelings for Goedert and Scantling they could be interesting flips if they do something, though the Zach Ertz contract could turn Goedert into something if his time ends in Philly. Otherwise, it's about using their FAAB to find anyone that's interesting going forward or could possibly be a minor flip as most of the selling work is done on this team. It's all about the 2021 draft and hitting on those picks.
Danny Boy is on the cusp of pulling off an upset to move to 2-3 but still in contention for a top pick. This team has already been in seller's mode to further push the tank. Raheem Mostert and Jimmy Graham were traded for Chris Herndon, Miles Gaskin and a 2021 2nd round pick. This gives them three top 23 picks.
Gaskin joins D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Boyd, Even Engram, D'Andre Swift and Devante Parker as the likely core for next season. Rookie K.J. Hamler is their other player that seems like an asset moving forward. This team has done a nice job adding pieces but not leaning in to a rebuild before this has seen their team sink to this point.
Todd Gurley, Jared Cook, Jarvis Landry, Drew Brees, Kirk Cousins, Marvin Jones and Larry Fitzgerald are the vets to move. Quarterback isn't a high position of value so anything for them would be a win, but Jones and Fitz could be serviceable vets for a competing team. Cook would be someone I'd move as quickly as possible before Michael Thomas comes back, though the pecking order of pass catchers in New Orleans has left him as an inconsistent producer.
Landry has fallen off from his target monster ways but has put together some solid weeks and has seen at least a slight uptick with the Nick Chubb injury. He could slide in as a flex option for a competing team. Gurley is the real asset that could bring back something of note. The committee early on hurt his value but he has really come on the last few weeks and backs are always valuable. Gurley is worth a late 1st/early 2nd round pick and could be a boost to a team with all the injuries thus far in the season.
Both teams have been active sellers early on and that's big for positioning themselves in contention for a high draft pick and also getting ahead of the market. Undynasty has just fringe moves left but Danny Boy could still be a factor before the selling is done. Fitz, Jones and Cook are quickly heading to roster cut territory and it's hard to find value for signal callers so anything for them might be all you can get, but Gurley and Landry could still bring back something useful for the rebuild. They could both still be on the team for next season but their value has already trended down and it's a dangerous game to play for a team clearly rebuilding.
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Are the Blackhawks Actually Rebuilding?
When Stan Bowman said Corey Crawford wasn't coming back, and are going with Colin Delia and Malcolm Subban, it seems to signal a rebuild. Then the next day the Blackhawks sent Brandon Saad to Colorado. It all would seemingly signal a rebuild, but are they really?
One of the goals for the season was to clear up some spots on the blue line for the returning Brent Seabrook and some of the kids. Shipping off Oli Maata was a start but in the Saad trade Chicago took back defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm. The trade did save Chicago about 1.5 million but what did it accomplish? Bowman traded his best trade chip and got back no picks or young players.
Trading Maata and Saad and letting Crawford walk added up to about 10.5 million dollars in cap space, but Dominik Kubalik signed a two year deal with a cap hit of 3.7 million. That's a big move that needed to get done but goalie looks weak and the Blackhawks lose about 20 goals a season from Saad. I'm still hopeful for Dylan Strome, who was tendered a contract, Kirby Dach looked promising in his rookie season and Alex DeBrincat needs a bounce back but what is the actual direction for Chicago?
Stan Bowman's comments have alluded to a rebuild, and so have the players being moved, but is Chicago actually rebuilding? There's no room right now for another young defenseman to get playing time and Bowman hasn't acquired any picks or young players. With the suppressed cap situation for the upcoming season also, how many moves does Bowman actually have left?
Crawford signed a two year deal with the New Jersey Devils for a 3.9 million dollar cap hit. That seems like a contract the Blackhawks could have fit in and given themselves competent goal tending for the 2021 season. But it's a rebuild, alright go through with it. Get as many kids seasoning as you can, but instead Bowman got another defenseman in his prime.
I know it's blasphemous to even talk about trading Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews or even Duncan Keith, and I don't want to see them gone, but what's the direction. If they're staying in Chicago then Bowman shouldn't be wasting their seasons. Now, I'm not necessarily saying trade the picks and farm to build a non-playoff team to fringe playoffs, but how about a consistent direction?
Chicago was one of the youngest teams in the expanded playoffs and saw the kids step up but also saw just how far away they were. Another season of that with the defense featuring kids would have made sense as the core of the Stanley Cup teams is their to elevate the team, but instead Bowman is making moves that signal trying to go both ways. Getting another in his prime defenseman without a competent goalie makes no sense. It's also wasting another season to evaluate any of the prospects to see what you have.
Bowman has put the Hawks in cap hell with no relief in sight and that hinders what he can do, but leadership needs to pick a direction and see it through. Stan is clearly terrified of bottoming out for fear of losing his job in the fans so instead Chicago will be wallowing in no man's land, not a threat for the Cup and not getting premiere picks.
Calvin de Haan or Connor Murphy look likely to move, possibly both. Speculation, and probably a fantasy, but things got ugly in the post season between Marc-Andre Fleury and Las Vegas. Now that two year seven million dollar cap hit is too much for the Blackhawks but the Golden Knights have been looking for a defenseman in free agency. Could their be a match there that improves the goalie situation for Chicago, gets rid of the locker room distraction and gets Vegas a quality defenseman?
Zack Smith and Andrew Shaw combine for 7.1 million this season, Shaw has two years left, and are both buyout candidates but will Bowman do it? On reason Drake Caggiula wasn't tendered a contract was because he was similar to Shaw, who is likely unable to be moved. Can he stay healthy? Will Smith contribute anything?
Regardless of what Bowman has said of the direction for the Blackhawks he has put Chicago in a position of having more questions than they started with. Loyalty has been a big reason the Hawks have found themselves in cap hell, see Bryan Bickell contract and subsequent trade of Teuvo Teravainen to move him. Moving on from Crawford seemed like a final change in that but I'm not so sure. I'm not confident in the direction of this team and it likely will mean very little success for the remaining primes of Kane and Toews.
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Did the Bears Actually Change Quarterbacks?
Any reasonable Bears' fan had to be skeptical of the 3-0 start and were watching this Sunday's game just to see what the Bears really are. The answer, a team that gotten some breaks and could easily be 0-4 instead of 3-1. Head coach Matt Nagy made the QB change and got the guy he wanted, Nick Foles, but if you watched the game nothing changed. In fact, the offense looked like it did last year.
The trade for Foles will always deserve criticism because Jacksonville was not going to keep Foles and Chicago traded a 4th round pick, outbidding themselves. What would the Bears look like if they signed Cam Newton for next to nothing? The reasoning for the trade was Foles knows the offense and should be able to take the helm and be an improvement. Don't get me wrong, Foles is not an All-Pro but the Colts game showed maybe it's not just the guy under center that's the problem.
All reports from former players and professionals are Matt Nagy is extremely clever and the type of offensive coach that can elevate his team. Where is it? Was it all just smoke and mirrors that first playoff birth season? The offense looked exactly like it did last year despite the QB change and was putrid at home in an ugly game.
The Bears were 3-0 against bad teams, combined 1-11 for the season, so the quality of team on the other side was a big step up but Nagy helped the Indy defense. In the first three games Chicago rushed 85 times for 414 yards, good for 4.87 yards per carry. The rushing attack was averaging 138 yards per game but Nagy only called 16 rushes against the Colts. The team only totaled 28 yards, an awful 1.8 yards per carry, but Nagy has to be better.
Again, the Colts defense is immensely better than any other team the Bears have faced, and Tarik Cohen was lost for the season against Atlanta, but if the coach is clever he ought to be able to figure something out. Nagy's comments painted a picture of being unhappy with how the offense had to run to suit Trubisky but I'd take that over what I saw against Indy. 13 carries for the backs versus 42 pass attempts for Foles? The Bears offense isn't good enough to operate that way.
Nagy ran the pass happy offense last year to awful results and with 'his guy' apparently is going to pass, pass and pass some more. No running back is going to get in the flow of the game with ten rushes and apparently Nagy forgot David Montgomery was on the team, despite averaging over 14 rushes and two catches a game coming in. Not far off his average admittedly, but Nagy needs to realize what his team needs to win and that's not 40+ throws a game.
Can we be done with the Cordarrelle Patterson running back experiment? He has 18 rushes for 62 yards on the season and is taking carries from better players, namely Montgomery. Patterson isn't a big play back and my last memories of him will be getting stuffed on 4th down as the coach has gotten too cute trying to outsmart everyone with something that isn't working. In a league where backs can be pulled from anywhere and produce Chicago can't find someone better than Patterson as a change of pace?
The defense gave up an opening drive TD but put together it's first complete game, holding Indianapolis to 19 points despite the offense regularly putting them quickly back on the field. Nagy responded with only three points until garbage time, that should never happen. Any optimism we had as fans has found itself where it normally is for Chicago, gone and making you question why you even believed things would be different.
The running game will apparently succeed in spite of its coach in Chicago, as Nagy would rather approach 50 throws a game instead of 30 carries. I'm not saying Montgomery is a stud, but he can produce when given the chance. Instead Nagy put the ball in his journeyman QB and watched balls repeatedly hit the turf. Great coaches adjust to their players' strengths but it seems Nagy will be damned if his system doesn't work, that's what he's going to run and Chicago will only beat bad teams because of it.
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The Ride is Over
Besides winning the 2016 World Series the best moment for Cubs fans was signing Theo Epstein. He is a revered leader of a franchise and seemed like finally the right kind of management that could lead the Cubs to the level they had been waiting over 100 years for. The brain trust of Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod tore it down and built a World Series winner, but that window seems shut.
Epstein broke the curse of the Great Bambino and Boston, he had broken a drought already, but let's not forget Boston was happy to see him go. Epstein had built a World Series winner in Boston, and won two, but was also the reason the team got stuck in payroll purgatory. Carl Crawford, Mike Cameron, Julio Lugo; plenty of contracts Epstein handed out tanked the two time winners. Sounding familiar Cubs fans?
Epstein drafted a lot of players to help those Boston Red Sox win but then depleted the farm system and cap space by making big moves to keep the contention going, instead it shut the window. The brain trust made the Cubs one of the best with top draft picks and shipping out everyone from the previous regime, but where has that been since they won the World Series?
Coming in to the 2020 season the Cubs farm system rated as 23rd out of 30 teams in all of baseball. Their highest rated prospect in the top 100 is number 63 Brailyn Marquez, who's with the major league club. They have two other prospects in the top 100, OF Brennen Davis who's at A ball and C Miguel Amaya who's also with the big club. Chicago's top 10 prospects has three with the parent club and the rest at A ball or lower. For the rest of the top 30, three pitchers are in the majors and every other prospect is A ball or lower. The farm system is weak.
When you're competing you're going to value production for the parent club, but Epstein is always talking about parallel fronts, but it isn't happening. After that big wave that included Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber and others, they haven't been able to replenish it even in to the middle rankings of the majors. Epstein and his brain trust regularly draft position players early, where has the pitching been?
Epstein's biggest shortcoming, and the biggest contributor, to the down fall of the Cubs will be his inability to develop pitchers. While the top ranked prospects that are with the club are mostly pitchers, are they any top end starters? Jon Lester, Yu Darvish, Jose Quintana, most of the rotation has been bought and that has left ownership saying 'We don't have any money to spend.'
It has been the exact same with closers. Aroldis Chapman, Greg Holland, Craig Kimbrel, all closers either bought or traded for. Now, let's be honest the Chapman trade was inevitable. While it hurts to see Gleyber Torres develop for the Yankees, especially with Chapman signing right back with the Yankees, that's the price for the World Series. However, the White Sox got in to the playoffs in big part because of Eloy Jimenez. The trade for Jose Quintana was a big set back from the Cubs and an indictment the organizations failure to find in house pitching.
Epstein is entering the last year of his deal and there are already rumors he'll stay a lame duck and just walk away. It's hard to envision after 2016 that just four years later we'd get to 2020 and be okay with Epstein walking away. For Chicago that's probably just, and should be, the beginning of a lot of changes for this Cubs team.
Chicago already tried spending to extend the window and it has just seen disappointing season after disappointing season. The window is closed. It's time to blow it up and start fresh. For the first time in a few seasons the Cubs will have some payroll open up with Lester a free agent, 25 million team option, Quintana's 10.5 comes off the books, Tyler Chatwoods 13 expires. That leaves the Cubs with 87 million, though Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez enter their final years of arbitration with seven other players on the big league squad in arbitration.
Anthony Rizzo has one more team option at 16.5 million that will likely be picked up. I'd imagine Lester will not have his option picked up but could be back at a cheaper price. The talent is there, but it's been well documented the issues management has had trying to get a deal hammered out with Baez and Bryant. Again, who would of thought after 2016 those two wouldn't be sure bets to get another Cubs contract, but they may have played their last games at the friendly confines.
It was shortened season for 2020 but Baez still only hit 203 with eight home runs and 24 RBI. There's no doubt he has the 'It factor' on defense, but where has the offense been in the post season? Kris Bryant hit 206 in 2020 with only four homers and 11 RBI and has struggled to stay healthy since winning the MVP. Both are going to expect huge contracts but have been the core of a team that has regularly disappointed. Rumors came out of last season's off season that whoever would sign the Cubs would keep and they'd move the other, but now both could be gone.
Expect the rumors to ramp up this winter as both still aren't signed and, while they're value is depressed now and could keep them on the roster to start 2021, it doesn't seem Chicago will pay them as they blow it up and restock the farm system. Anthony Rizzo could join them on the way out despite being the leader of this team. Rizzo is 30, hit 222 with eleven homers and 24 RBI and has not gotten an extension either.
Kyle Scwarber seemed inevitable to come to a railroad situation at some point as he's more suited to be a DH and now enters his last arbitration year. The theme is reoccurring for 2020 as Schwarbs hit 188 with eleven dingers and 24 RBI in 2020. His price will be more reasonable for Chicago, but he was benched during the season for his defense and needs to be a full time DH.
David Bote and Nico Hoerner, while not the same caliber as the big stars, provide solid options at a cheaper rate for the Cubs while they rebuild another winner. Albert Almora was sent down during the disappointing 2020 season but Ian Happ broke out in a big way. Those three, along with Wilson Contreras at catcher and Victor Caritini needing a position, could be the core of the Cubs offense before 2021 is over.
You draft and trade to develop the type of players the Cubs had, but whatever this team was going to do looks like it has been done. During interviews throughout the season the stars knew what this year could mean for them and they were bad and flamed out in disappointing fashion in the playoffs yet again. Of course there's always a risk of never getting back, but signing the stars means the team won't change and it could be continual competitive purgatory.
With the stars at a depressed value it's likely they could start the season in Chicago, but will they finish 2021 in the Windy City? If Epstein truly is in a lame duck year how does he manage the team? Will Hoyer take over after he leaves or do they try and win before they possibly bounce? Running it back would be a mistake and it's time to to restart. Very rarely have we seen continued top competitiveness in the MLB and it looks like the Cubs need to go back to the basement and figure it out again.
#MLB#ChicagoCubs#WorldSeries#TheoEpstein#JedHoyer#JasonMcCleod#KrisBryant#JavierBaez#AnthonyRizzo#BostonRedSox#JonLester
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Super Teams Need Leadership
As LeBron James heads towards an inevitable fourth championship he continues to shine bright in the brightest lights. James' contribution to the NBA was mobility, empowering players to put themselves in the best position to win and maximize their earnings. The inverse of this was the creation of super teams.
While initially, and in bitterness I'd add, LeBron was credited with creating the super team movement when he took his talents to South Beach, it was actually the Boston Celtics putting together the 'Boston Three Party' to get past King James. While the Celtics captured a title and LeBron got his three titles in the copany of three stars, what we're seeing is it isn't that easy.
With the movement of stars in the modern NBA to compete we're seeing it isn't just getting the best players to win. It's about leadership and culture. For all the passive aggressive antics of LeBron he gets criticized for, there's no question he leads his team and will carry them to success. While the culture and system may revolve around him, and leave teams in a bad spot when he leaves, while he's on your team that culture and system is winning.
The two big superstars that have formed their own super teams to top LeBron, Kawhii Leonard and Kevin Durant, captured titles as mercenaries but only because they folded in to a culture that worked. The winning culture in Toronto and Golden State were established and had leadership in place. Both Durantula and The Claw could just play and pushed their teams over the top because Steph Curry and Kyle Lowry checked their egos and made them part of the team.
However, both wanted to be the man and left for 'greener pastures.' We already saw one super team finish as a huge disappointment in the Los Angeles Clippers. There was a grit and grind culture for the other LA team, but Kawhi destroyed that and didn't replace it with any leadership. Instead the team blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets and got their coach fired as they passed the buck.
Paul George said after the massive choke job 'It wasn't a championship or bust season for us.' Really? The Clippers were the overwhelming favorite to win the championship and yet didn't look engaged in the bubble. Doc Rivers took the blame despite having two top 15 players at worst and one of the deepest rosters in the league. This 'super team' is back to the drawing board with an extremely mortgaged future and facing a gut check I'm not sure they'll answer.
KD formed his own super team with the epitome of culture destruction, Kyrie Irving. Irving forced his way out of Cleveland to 'have his own team' only to destroy Boston. After a season where the kids took LeBron to a game seven in the Eastern Conference Finals, they couldn't repeat and Boston was more than happy to see him go.
Kyrie went to a young team with an established culture, the Brooklyn Nets, and promptly wrecked what made that team appealing. The coach was fired, the young players were alienated but they landed KD. Already one of the favorites for next year's title, everyone is aware the two most thin-skinned NBA superstars are running that franchise right?
Kyrie and KD made sure no one forgot as they said on Durant's first podcast episode 'I don't really see us having a head coach...It's a collaborative effort.' Steve Nash is only a few weeks in to the job and has already been belittled by his two star players. Let's also not ignore the blatant shot Kyrie took at LeBron about finally have a clutch teammate he can trust to take the last shot.
This should be a huge red flag after just seeing the Clippers flame out. Kyrie has wrecked multiple teams on his way to Brooklyn, and now has them teetering. KD couldn't get it done in OKC even up on the 73 win Warriors 3-1. There should be plenty of blame that goes Russell Westbrook's way also, but even when he was winning in Golden State he wasn't happy.
If you aren't a leader as a super star you better fit in to the culture, but the stars run the NBA and the super teams are running their cultures in to the ground without leadership. The superstars are joining forces to dethrone LeBron James, and the talent is there, but without the leadership there's no success. The biggest threat to James' Lakers next year will be the Golden State Warriors, not the Clippers or Nets.
#NBA#NBAFinals#LeBronJames#LosAngelesLakers#KawhiLeonard#KevinDurant#LosAngelesClippers#KyrieIrving#BrooklynNets
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