One City, Two Stories

I know it sounds incredibly cliché, but it almost really was a tale of two cities as free agency began.

On one hand, it was a city reloading for another run toward the Cup. On the other, it was a city firing blanks as it looked to be spiraling downward.

One city added two highly-touted free agents to appear even stronger than before. The other city lost two highly-coveted free agents in two moves – or should I say non-moves – that make it seem like the team doesn’t plan to compete.

Funny thing is, it’s the same city.

The team on the up is the New York Rangers. The team on the way down is the New York Islanders.

Madison Square Garden will welcome Scott Gomez and Chris Drury this coming season after both signed long-term deals to play above Penn Station, giving the Rangers a lot of firepower for the new season. They will likely lose either Michael Nylander or Brendan Shanahan, and they very well could lose both. Faced with that, the Rangers did more than enough to replace them. And if they do bring back Shanahan – the re-signing of Nylander looks increasingly more unlikely each day – the team will really have offensive firepower to hang with the best of the league.

The Coliseum, however, will do more than say goodbye to Jason Blake and Ryan Smyth, as well as Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov. They might be saying goodbye to any chance of postseason play as well.

The Isles traded three prospects for Smyth to gear up for a playoff run late last year, but with every intent of re-signing the star. That, however, was clearly not the case. Smyth bolted for Colorado, while Blake will be with the Maple Leafs. Poti and Kozlov are now teammates in Washington.

The Rangers’ signings speak volumes about the Garden’s commitment to bring a championship back to Broadway.

But the Isles’ decisions are highly questionable.

I’m not sure why owner Charles Wang would allow his team to basically give up before the season started. Smyth cost him a lot of young talent, and so everyone believed that he would do whatever it takes to re-sign him. That, however, wasn’t the case. Then Blake, who was a bit of a revelation last season, walks free.

It makes absolutely no sense.

The Islanders snuck into the playoffs last season without the services of their top-class goalie down the stretch, and re-signing Smyth would give the Isles a lot of firepower to mount a similar run. It would also signal that the team is committed to getting to the playoffs.

But Wang’s non-moves signal that he doesn’t care about his team, current or future, and that is most surprising. In the win-at-all-costs pressure that any New York sports team faces, the Islanders are going in a direction that seems to embody the avoid-winning-at-all-costs theory.

And that will never fly in New York.

Now, will the Isles’ fan base tolerate this, or will they call for Charles Wang to sell the team. This will be a very interesting story to watch.

NBA Draft Review

Before I delve into my not-so-expert analysis of what transpired at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden last night, I’d like to provide you with some of my favorite quotes from last night’s draft.

“He’s new school, he’s 50 cent.” – Chad Ford, on Yi Jianlian’s style of play

“Michael Jordan should’ve worn a mask when he made this pick.” – Jay Bilas, on the Bobcats drafting Brandan Wright at No. 8

“That’s me.” - Rodney Stuckey, in response to Stu Scott’s question “Who is Rodney Stuckey?”

“Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” - Stephen A. Smith, on the Knicks’ trade with Portland

“Stop hurting me man, stop hurting me.” - Stephen A. Smith, to Dick Vitale

“I hear the brother at DePaul.” - Spike Lee, on who he thought the Knicks would take with their first round pick

Now, on to more substantive things.

There weren’t really a whole lot of surprises in the lottery, save for what transpired at 11 and 12:
- Atlanta took Acie Law IV, and while I loved watching Law play, I don’t know how his game will translate to the next level. I’ve heard some rumblings that he won’t make a very good pro player, but obviously that remains to be seen.
- Philadelphia took Thaddeus Young at with their first-rounder, and although I like what I saw from the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, I think he’s a couple of years away from being an impact player. He’s a little raw, and I think the 76ers needed someone who could be a major contributor sooner.

But before we move on, there’s one more lottery team’s move that needs to be addressed – Boston’s. I really have no clue what Danny Ainge was doing when he traded away the No. 5 pick for aging and injured Ray Allen. Why they didn’t just stick and take Yi Jianlian is beyond me – I think the Chinese superstar could be a great NBA player and stick around for longer than Allen will. But then again, I’m not Danny Ainge.

Then we get to the Knicks/Trail Blazers deal. Spike Lee approved, and therefore I approve. But seriously, I’ve never been a Channing Frye fan and Steve Francis doesn’t fit on that team, so whatever trade they made that got rid of those two was fine with me.

I’ve been thinking all night of who made bad choices in coming out early, and I can’t think of anyone other than Gabe Pruitt, the guard out of USC. He’s affectionately known as “Smiling” Gabe Pruitt, thanks to USC basketball PA announcer Petros Papadakis, but I don’t think he’ll be smiling any more. Not only did he fall out of the first round, but he was drafted with the second pick of the second round – which is, unfortunately for him, owned by Boston. He’ll now have the opportunity to play for a team that appears to be falling apart in the Celtics, who might get booed out of their own building this season. Let me remind you that the alternative to coming out was staying in Los Angeles on a team that will also include rising star Taj Gibson and incoming super freshman O.J. Mayo. Do you think Pruitt is second-guessing himself now? I do.

And finally, I’m not into this whole draft grades thing, but I’ll hand out a couple:

Los Angeles Clippers C-: I don’t like the pick of Al Thornton, mainly because they need youth at guard and they passed up a quartet of highly-talented guards in Rodney Stuckey, Nick Young, Marco Belinelli, and Javaris Crittenton in favor of Thornton. Then, in the second round, they take Jared Jordan, the guard out of Marist. He was lights-out this past season, but I don’t know how good he can be at the next level.

Golden State Warriors A-: They did trade away Jason Richardson, who averaged 16 and 5 in the regular season and 19 and 7 in the playoffs, but they acquired Brandan Wright, who has the potential to be an absolute superstar in the NBA. They also drafted Belinelli in round one and Stephane Lasme in round two. The Italian guard has a great skill set, and I’ve heard at least one or two experts say that they think Lasme is very underrated.

NBA Lottery Mock Draft

This isn't necessarily what I think should happen (read: Kevin Durant should go number one overall), but I have a feeling this is how it will play out.

Boston will take a gamble on the center from China, largely because I think Danny Ainge is unimpressed with the second tier (everyone after Oden and Durant). Boston has a lot of needs, but I think the most pressing is at center. The downside of that pick? Jianlian is a big wild card, and he could turn out to be a huge bust, which would derail the Celtics even more. But I don't think Ainge has a choice.

One player that could fall is Joakim Noah. Obviously he would've been a top three pick if he had come out a year earlier, but this past season truly exposed his game for what it is, and I think he could even slip out of the lottery.

But without any further adieu, here it is:

1. Portland Trail Blazers: Greg Oden, C, Ohio State

2. Seattle SuperSonics: Kevin Durant, F

3. Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford, F/C, Florida

4. Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley, G, Ohio State

5. Boston Celtics: Yi Jianlian, C

6. Milwaukee Bucks: Corey Brewer, G/F, Florida

7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Brandan Wright, F, North Carolina

8. Charlotte Bobcats: Jeff Green, F, Georgetown

9. Chicago Bulls: Spencer Hawes, C, Washington

10. Sacramento Kings: Joakim Noah, F, Florida

11. Atlanta Hawks: Julian Wright, F, Kansas

12. Philadelphia 76ers: Acie Law IV, G, Texas A&M

13. New Orleans Hornets: Nick Young, G, USC

14. Los Angeles Clippers: Javaris Crittenton, G, Georgia Tech

Hot Off the Stove

It’s getting near that time of the year, the one where general managers across the baseball landscape decide whether they’re buyers or sellers, whether they’re in it to win it or not. We’re still a month away, but baseball’s hot stove is heating up.

July 31st looms.

So let’s examine a few trade rumors that have been swirling around.

Mark Buehrle to the New York Mets for a slew of prospects
I say slew because there have been a lot of names tossed around – Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, and Mike Pelfrey have come up along with Aaron Heilman, who has been offered in every trade since the turn of the millennium. Heilman’s name has come up in potential deals for Ken Griffey, Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano. And he certainly hasn’t been in good favor with the fans at Shea.

So as it stands, the Chicago White Sox want at least two of those prospects plus Heilman for the left. And quite frankly, I think that’s too much. In two years, Gomez is going to be the starting right fielder for the Mets – he has improved every step of the way in his large cup of coffee with the big club, and I’m not willing to give him up. Nor am I willing to give up Humber of Pelfrey, who are both going to be stars in this league.

Furthermore, this deal is for Nolan Ryan? Oh, no, it’s for Mark Buehrle. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good pitcher. He has a career 3.80 ERA and is 101-70, but he’s not a dominant pitcher, and he’s not worth the plethora of prospects the Mets would have to give up to get him.

Jose Contreras to the New York Mets for a smaller slew
Contreras is not Mark Buehrle, but his asking price is significantly less. A career 53-35 pitcher with a 4.32 ERA, Contreras has tremendous stuff but has had difficulty putting it all together. I’m not sure what the ChiSox’ asking price is or will be, but I’d be more inclined to give up a small package for Contreras then a large package for Buehrle.

Mark Teixeira to the New York Yankees for a price that won’t be cheap
This is completely speculation, but Teixeira, who is currently out until after the All-Star break, may be shipped from Texas (18 games out in the AL West) to the Yankees (11.5 games out in the Al East). The deal makes sense from New York’s perspective – they don’t have a first baseman thanks to Jason Giambi's injury, and it’s unlikely that New York will be satisfied with Miguel Cairo, Andy Phillips, or Johnny Damon playing first.

That being said, it is going to take a lot to get Teixeira. The Yankees will have to part ways with a prospect or two, as well as give up some veterans who can play immediately in Arlington. No packages have been thrown out in the rumor mill, but I’m sure that Texas won’t be left on the short end of this deal, especially if the Boss were to issue an ultimatum to his general manager.

Griffey Would Be King

When Barry Bonds breaks the all-time home run record this season, surpassing Hank Aaron and grabbing hold of arguably the most coveted record in all of sports, steroid rumors will swirl more fiercely than the winds at Candlestick Park.

There will be a large contingency of people who spend countless time questioning the validity of Bonds’ accomplishment and cry out that he’s a cheater and a liar. There will be another, smaller group of people who stand there and cheer Bonds; they will celebrate his accomplishment and brush away those accusations.

Then there will be me, and my thoughts won’t even be about Bonds – they’ll be about Ken Griffey Jr.

They’ll be about the man who would eventually hold the hallowed record if he had not been injured.

Yesterday, Griffey hit home runs No. 583 and 584, surpassing Mark McGwire on the all-time home run list for seventh place. And it got me thinking.

What if Griffey hadn’t lost nearly four full seasons during his tenure in Cincinnati? What if he had continued his torrid pace that marked his last few years in Seattle? The answer is pretty clear – Bonds wouldn’t be king for long.

Griffey hit 460 home runs from 1989 through 2001, the last season being his first in Cincinnati. That stretch averages out to about 35 home runs each year, and let’s not forget that there were three years where he played less than 111 games or less.

Now, Griffey’s biggest power surge came from 1996 to 2000, when he hit no fewer than 40 homers in each season and had 56 twice.

In 2001, Griffey played only 111 games, and hit 22 home runs. Assuming he had stayed healthy for the remainder of that season, we’ll assume that he hits another 8 home runs, bringing his total through 2001 to 468, which is 287 homers shy of Hank Aaron’s record.

Over the past five seasons, which have been marred by injury, Junior showed that he has not run out of power. He has hit at least 20 homers three times without playing more than 128 games, 20 in 2004 when he played only 83 games and 35 in 2005 when he played only 128. That leads me to believe that Griffey still had enough in the tank to put up 40 per season.

So let’s do that – 40 home runs each season for five seasons is 200, putting Griffey at 668 going into this year, and only 87 home runs shy. As it stands, he’s 37 years old and has 21 home runs halfway through the season. That means right now, he’s at 689, 66 shy of tying Aaron.

If he hits another 25 in the second half, Griffey would finish 2007 with over 700 blasts, and 41 shy of tying Aaron. And if Griffey’s production goes down, it would be 2009 when the 39-year old Griffey would tie and break the record that the then-40 year old Aaron set, possibly on the same day that baseball crowned a new home run king.

I know the numbers may be a little sketchy, and I’m not saying that my mathematical computations are an exact science. In fact, they’re definitely not. But what they represent his a hypothetical situation where the future Hall of Famer stayed healthy, where he kept hitting home runs, and where he continued to be the most well-rounded player ever to play the game.

It’s a hypothetical where Griffey would make Bonds’ tumultuous time as home run king brief.

If only it weren’t a hypothetical.

Clemens Needs to Stop Talking

I never thought anyone would have to say these words, but here they are: Roger Clemens, grow up.

Thursday night, Clemens failed to get win number 350 and both he and skipper Joe Torre were chock full of excuses. The Rocket lasted only 4 1/3 innings and gave up 4 runs on the way to his second loss of the year, and it was also the team's third straight loss to the Rockies.

Clemens said in a post-game interview that in one inning - he can't remember which one it was, because there were so many to choose from - the wind was blowing so hard and directly into his chest that he had trouble finding the plate.

Are you kidding? The wind hit his chest so he couldn't pitch? That's an absolute joke.

Torre said that when he spoke to the aging wonder during the game, Clemens said he was gassed, but that he'd go out and give it his all anyway. Gassed? After 90 pitches? After less than five innings? Are you kidding?

So wait, let me get this right - Roger Clemens is being paid about a million dollars per start, to be gassed by the fifth inning? To make excuses about how the wind threw off his pitches? No. He's being paid a million per start to pitch, not to, well, complain.

Hey Roger, grow up. And quickly too.

When the Yankees inked Clemens, the media frenzy in New York was absolutely wild. It began with Suzyn Waldman screaming at the top of her lungs in one of the great comedic moments in broadcasting history. It continued with television and newspaper reporters alike extolling Clemens' virtues (which include intentionally throwing a pitch and a broken bat at Mike Piazza) and hailing him as the Yankees' Messiah. It was as if Roger Clemens was going to save the Yankees.

Clemens to this point hasn't really done much saving. He's 1-2 in three starts, with the lone victory coming over the Pirates and his losses coming at the hands of the reeling Mets and the National League West's fourth-place team, the Rockies.

It's not like Clemens can't pitch any more - he already has 21 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings pitched - but he's certainly not the same Clemens. His ratio is 1.38, and he's allowed three home runs already. If he makes 20 starts this year, Clemens would be on pace for 20 home runs allowed, his highest total since 2003, when allowed 24 in over 200 innings pitched.

Still, his age - or whatever is causing him to be less dominant - does not give him the liberty to make excuses; not when he's making a million dollars for each start. He knows what his job is - it's to go out there and win ballgames. It's ridiculous for anyone to think that Clemens will single-handedly save the Yankees' season, but if they are to right the sinking ship, their 20-million dollar man has to make his pitches speak louder than his excuses.

Because right now the Yankees are sinking, and fast. They've won 11 of their last 15 games are still 10.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox and 6.5 games out of the wild card. Yes, it's still June. And yes, more than half of the season is left. But time is running out. Clemens knows why he's in the Bronx - to pitch effectively and rack up wins, not to pitch poorly and ramble on with excuses.

So Roger, stop talking, and start winning. Because if 11 of 15 means the deficit is still double digits, you and your teammates are going to have to work twice as hard to reach October.

Time To Pac It Up

Hey, Pacman, you got your chances. Probably about 20 of them. But now it’s all over. Pack it up, and pack it in. You’re done.

If I were NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, I’d call Mr. Jones to my office and say to him, “Adam, good night, and good luck, and get the heck out of my office and out of my league.”

This time, the oft-troubled Titans cornerback has gone too far. Way too far.

Earlier in the week, he was sought in conjunction with a shooting that had occurred. The details were shady, but apparently his entourage fired shots at another group, but he wasn’t there – or he was there, but not then, and then he reappeared. Basically, a little more than a wrong place, wrong time situation.

But now the highly-talented yet incredibly-stubborn defender finds himself facing not one but two felony charges. We’re not talking misdemeanors or parking tickets – we’re talking full-blown felonies. He hadn’t been charged in any of the dozen or so incidents his name was associated with, and quite frankly, that’s all that kept Goodell from telling Jones to get out.

Now, Sergea- er, uh, Commissioner Goodell, has all the ammunition he needs to deliver the final blow.

Part of me feels really bad for the kid. He has all the talent in the world, and it could earn him a lot of money and fame over the next decade or so. This past season, he had four interceptions and three scores on punt returns, four for his career. That’s a lot of talent, and a lot of potential.

But part of me doesn’t feel bad. He had so many chances to get out of that crowd. He had so many chances to clean up his act. And when he took out a full-page ad in a local newspaper, I actually believed him. It’s because I wanted to believe him.

I wanted to give him another chance, even though he had had so many. But not anymore.

Now, it’s time for him to face the fact that he has completely messed up, that he’s crossed the line for the final time. If I were Roger Goodell, as Pacman starts walking out the door, I’d stop him and say “Adam, watch out, because sooner or later, if you continue down this path, you’ll lose something far more important than your football career. Think about that.”

Take care, Pacman Jones, and please, be safe.