Well, that was just about the best way the NFL could have kicked off the new season.
*Aaron Rodgers was dominant (and cheeky: mocking the media after the game for its obsession over "unifying" whole-team off-season workouts, like the Saints had... and the Packers didn't).
*Randall Cobb was a jaw-dropping revelation. (So much for the pre-game noise that the new kickoff rule would be stultifying.)
*The game went down to the final play, an odd call by Sean Payton to run at the goal-line with rookie Mark Ingram, rather than put the ball in Drew Brees' hands.
*The Packers look as sharp as they did during last season's playoffs. I'm totally comfortable with my preseason pick from yesterday that they will repeat.
We're in for a good year. My five favorite storylines for Sunday:
*How will the Colts look without Peyton Manning?
*How does the Eagles "dream team" mesh together?
*Sunday's best game: Steelers-Ravens
*Jets-Cowboys in Sunday night primetime.
*Two QBs duel in debuts: Cam Newton and Kevin Kolb.
College football Saturday:
*Alabama is going to smoke Penn State in Happy Valley.
*Richt hot seat gets hotter: S. Carolina is going to win big at Georgia.
*Intriguing game of the week: Mississippi State at Auburn.
*Real talk: Michigan's throwbacks are uglier than Maryland's new-fangled unis.
(That said: I love the idea of the Big House under the lights.)
*Not seeing any upsets in the Top 25 -- maybe Arizona State over Mizzou tonight?
9/11, 10 Years Later: I've been linking to a couple of particularly good retrospectives on Quickish this week, but they feel academic. If you read one thing, make it this letter that my former Page 2 colleague (now ESPNNY.com's) Kieran Darcy wrote to his dad, who died on 9/11. Here's the link.
Have a fun and safe weekend everyone. Enjoy the return of the wonderful combination of college football on Saturdays and NFL on Sundays. Don't forget to set your fantasy football lineups.
(And be sure to join in the Quickish Readers "pick 'em" games for both the NFL and college football.)
Blogging here both weekend mornings, plus great recommendations all day all weekend at Quickish. Please give it a visit (and tell a friend or two).
-- D.S.
Friday, September 09, 2011
Thursday, September 08, 2011
09/08 (NFL Kickoff) Quickie
Before anything else, join the Quickish Readers NFL Pick 'Em group. Week 1 picks seemed mostly obvious -- which indicates that it's a crazy week ahead.
NFL Playoff Picks:
Super Bowl: Packers repeat as Super Bowl champs, beating the Patriots.
NFC: Eagles, Packers, Falcons, Rams (WC: Saints, Bucs)
AFC: Pats, Ravens, Texans, Chargers (WC: Jets, Steelers)
Why the Packers? Start with my inclination/fetish to pick defending champs to repeat. But I go back to the idea that the Packers won the title last year despite themselves: Despite the fact that so many of the team's key players were injured, despite the fact they had to go on the road every round of the playoffs. With a healthier lineup and home-field advantage, they cruise. And with Aaron Rodgers -- my pick for league MVP -- at the top of his game, they beat back the Patriots in a Super Bowl thriller.
This week's picks: @GB d. NO, ATL d. @CHI, @KC d. BUF, @CLE d. CIN, @TB d. DET, TEN d. @JAX, @HOU d. IND, PHI d. @STL, @BAL d. PIT, @SD d. MIN, @WSH d. NYG, @ARI d. CAR, @SF d. SEA, @NYJ d. DAL, NE d. @MIA, @DEN d. OAK. (LW: N/A, YTD: 0-0)
Week 1 Storylines: Peyton Manning out. This doesn't even feel like a real storyline, given that he hasn't looked like he was going to play in Week 1 (and beyond?) for months. It's notable because it's his first missed start in forever. But let's focus on the storylines of players and teams actually taking the field:
Do the Texans finally impose a superiority on the nemesis Colts? (And what about Arian Foster's status?) Do the Falcons get off to a high-flying start? Do the Bucs or Lions get the first week's edge for "breakthrough team" bandwagon? Does the Steelers-Ravens winner in Week 1 really matter in the grand scheme of things? Does Chad Ochocinco have a notable opener with the Pats? Does the new kick-off rule make a dramatic difference on touchbacks?
CFB Tonight: Oklahoma State gets a primetime showcase with Arizona (potential future Pac-16 colleague?). Expect the Cowboys to roll, but hopefully a lot of offense from both teams.
Baylor vs. Texas A&M: How petty of Baylor to consider suing the SEC to keep Texas A&M from leaving the Big 12 -- look, I'm sorry for Baylor fans that the powerhouses of the conference are so ready to bolt for better situations and that Baylor isn't getting included (and, if they were, you can be sure they wouldn't be suing anyone), but the reality of college football is that there are a handful of super-conferences and the other "conferences" are loose allegiances, the Big 12 most of all (remember: the only reason Baylor got into the Big 12 in the first place is that the then-governor of Texas forced the conference to take them).
More:
*Nyjer Morgan vs. Albert Pujols: Morgan's tweet was inane. First, using "Alberta" and "she" is weak sauce. Second, Pujols would crush Morgan like a grape.
*Verlander wins No. 22: Beyond the fact that he's the most must-see pitcher in baseball right now, 25 wins is a milestone that I think many experts thought we might never see again.
*Another U.S. Open rain-out: It has rained constantly since Sunday up and down the East Coast. I'm not sure the players themselves could be more sick of it than I am, frankly.
Tons of great recs on Quickish yesterday -- with more to come today: Lots on the start of the NFL season. Pop by to check out what we're tipping.
-- D.S.
NFL Playoff Picks:
Super Bowl: Packers repeat as Super Bowl champs, beating the Patriots.
NFC: Eagles, Packers, Falcons, Rams (WC: Saints, Bucs)
AFC: Pats, Ravens, Texans, Chargers (WC: Jets, Steelers)
Why the Packers? Start with my inclination/fetish to pick defending champs to repeat. But I go back to the idea that the Packers won the title last year despite themselves: Despite the fact that so many of the team's key players were injured, despite the fact they had to go on the road every round of the playoffs. With a healthier lineup and home-field advantage, they cruise. And with Aaron Rodgers -- my pick for league MVP -- at the top of his game, they beat back the Patriots in a Super Bowl thriller.
This week's picks: @GB d. NO, ATL d. @CHI, @KC d. BUF, @CLE d. CIN, @TB d. DET, TEN d. @JAX, @HOU d. IND, PHI d. @STL, @BAL d. PIT, @SD d. MIN, @WSH d. NYG, @ARI d. CAR, @SF d. SEA, @NYJ d. DAL, NE d. @MIA, @DEN d. OAK. (LW: N/A, YTD: 0-0)
Week 1 Storylines: Peyton Manning out. This doesn't even feel like a real storyline, given that he hasn't looked like he was going to play in Week 1 (and beyond?) for months. It's notable because it's his first missed start in forever. But let's focus on the storylines of players and teams actually taking the field:
Do the Texans finally impose a superiority on the nemesis Colts? (And what about Arian Foster's status?) Do the Falcons get off to a high-flying start? Do the Bucs or Lions get the first week's edge for "breakthrough team" bandwagon? Does the Steelers-Ravens winner in Week 1 really matter in the grand scheme of things? Does Chad Ochocinco have a notable opener with the Pats? Does the new kick-off rule make a dramatic difference on touchbacks?
CFB Tonight: Oklahoma State gets a primetime showcase with Arizona (potential future Pac-16 colleague?). Expect the Cowboys to roll, but hopefully a lot of offense from both teams.
Baylor vs. Texas A&M: How petty of Baylor to consider suing the SEC to keep Texas A&M from leaving the Big 12 -- look, I'm sorry for Baylor fans that the powerhouses of the conference are so ready to bolt for better situations and that Baylor isn't getting included (and, if they were, you can be sure they wouldn't be suing anyone), but the reality of college football is that there are a handful of super-conferences and the other "conferences" are loose allegiances, the Big 12 most of all (remember: the only reason Baylor got into the Big 12 in the first place is that the then-governor of Texas forced the conference to take them).
More:
*Nyjer Morgan vs. Albert Pujols: Morgan's tweet was inane. First, using "Alberta" and "she" is weak sauce. Second, Pujols would crush Morgan like a grape.
*Verlander wins No. 22: Beyond the fact that he's the most must-see pitcher in baseball right now, 25 wins is a milestone that I think many experts thought we might never see again.
*Another U.S. Open rain-out: It has rained constantly since Sunday up and down the East Coast. I'm not sure the players themselves could be more sick of it than I am, frankly.
Tons of great recs on Quickish yesterday -- with more to come today: Lots on the start of the NFL season. Pop by to check out what we're tipping.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
09/07 (Settling In) Quickie
Apologies for the spotty posting this week -- still settling in to the new digs. A few points:
*I didn't make it to Nats Park last night for the debut of Strasburg '11, but I'm definitely going to get to one of his other starts this month.
*But about Strasburg: He wasn't overpowering -- just impressive. Remember, these last few starts of '11 are just a training exercise. By next spring, he's going to be must-see constantly.
*I could not track down a Maryland football jersey from Monday night at any of the local sporting-goods stores. Now THAT is a shame.
*Baylor is holding up Texas A&M leaving for the SEC? That's a joke; Baylor is acting in an equally self-serving way as A&M or Oklahoma or Texas. Just let it go, Baylor folks.
*Jaguars unceremoniously release QB David Garrard: He'll be fine -- plenty of contenders want a seasoned backup, and Garrard on a good team will be very effective.
(Should the Jaguars try to trade for Tim Tebow? Yes, for two reasons: (1) Marketing. (2) That team needs to shed NFL orthodoxies and try some new ideas, which Tebow allows for.)
*US Open: I'm actually kind of excited about the idea that the final 16 in the field will have to play four matches in four days in order to win. That's grueling.
*The BlogPoll collective ranked LSU at No. 1 -- as they deserved to be, if you care more about what a team has done THIS season than what the preseason fiction might have been.
*Book Club: "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach, supposedly instantly one of the best baseball novels of all time. Can't wait to dig in. Lots of good reviews this week.
*TV Tonight: "Herschel" documentary about the incomparable Herschel Walker, at 8 ET on ESPNU.
More tomorrow, including NFL picks. Thanks for your patience as I get settled in the new location.
-- D.S.
*I didn't make it to Nats Park last night for the debut of Strasburg '11, but I'm definitely going to get to one of his other starts this month.
*But about Strasburg: He wasn't overpowering -- just impressive. Remember, these last few starts of '11 are just a training exercise. By next spring, he's going to be must-see constantly.
*I could not track down a Maryland football jersey from Monday night at any of the local sporting-goods stores. Now THAT is a shame.
*Baylor is holding up Texas A&M leaving for the SEC? That's a joke; Baylor is acting in an equally self-serving way as A&M or Oklahoma or Texas. Just let it go, Baylor folks.
*Jaguars unceremoniously release QB David Garrard: He'll be fine -- plenty of contenders want a seasoned backup, and Garrard on a good team will be very effective.
(Should the Jaguars try to trade for Tim Tebow? Yes, for two reasons: (1) Marketing. (2) That team needs to shed NFL orthodoxies and try some new ideas, which Tebow allows for.)
*US Open: I'm actually kind of excited about the idea that the final 16 in the field will have to play four matches in four days in order to win. That's grueling.
*The BlogPoll collective ranked LSU at No. 1 -- as they deserved to be, if you care more about what a team has done THIS season than what the preseason fiction might have been.
*Book Club: "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach, supposedly instantly one of the best baseball novels of all time. Can't wait to dig in. Lots of good reviews this week.
*TV Tonight: "Herschel" documentary about the incomparable Herschel Walker, at 8 ET on ESPNU.
More tomorrow, including NFL picks. Thanks for your patience as I get settled in the new location.
-- D.S.
Monday, September 05, 2011
This Week's BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot: LSU!
With just one game to go off of (mostly), LSU is on top. Boise State is No. 2. Baylor should probably be higher, given the preseason projections for TCU -- if TCU turns out to be much better than they looked on Friday night, Baylor will benefit. Like most of the teams that won on the road against non-cupcake opponents, South Florida deserved its bump. Count Houston -- a team I had already ranked pretty high in the preseason -- and Northwestern in that group. BYU probably deserved to lose at Ole Miss, but the point is that they didn't, and winning in Oxford sure is a better qualifier than beating a creampuff at home. But, yes, after No. 1 and 2, the rest of the poll is a bit of a hot mess of "Well, why are THEY ahead of THEM?"
DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 2
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU Tigers |  12 |
| 2 | Boise St. Broncos | 1 |
| 3 | Alabama Crimson Tide |  -2 |
| 4 | Oklahoma Sooners | 2 |
| 5 | Wisconsin Badgers | -3 |
| 6 | Florida St. Seminoles | -1 |
| 7 | Stanford Cardinal | -- |
| 8 | Baylor Bears | -- |
| 9 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -- |
| 10 | South Florida Bulls | -- |
| 11 | Houston Cougars | 1 |
| 12 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | -1 |
| 13 | Texas A&M Aggies | 3 |
| 14 | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | 8 |
| 15 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | 2 |
| 16 | Florida Gators | 4 |
| 17 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -13 |
| 18 | Oregon Ducks | -10 |
| 19 | Ohio St. Buckeyes | -- |
| 20 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 3 |
| 21 | BYU Cougars | -6 |
| 22 | Texas Longhorns | -3 |
| 23 | Northwestern Wildcats | -- |
| 24 | Utah Utes | -6 |
| 25 | TCU Horned Frogs | -15 |
| Dropouts: Arkansas Razorbacks, Air Force Falcons, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Penn St. Nittany Lions | ||
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »
Sunday, September 04, 2011
09/04 (LSU) Quickie
Immersed in unpacking/settling in, but a very quick comment: One of the most interesting moments of the college football season is the first Saturday, where your preseason rankings meet reality. And, really, those preseason predictions get tossed out, replaced by what we can actually see -- and what teams have actually done. Because of that, LSU will be the No. 1 team in my BlogPoll this week, for decisively beating Top 5 Oregon last night. There's a good chance Boise State will be No. 2.
-- D.S.
-- D.S.
Saturday, September 03, 2011
09/03 (Kickoff) Quickie
So I spent last night driving my family -- car packed, not to mention the moving vans -- from NYC to DC for our big relocation, but we rolled in just in time for the wild 4th quarter of the Baylor-TCU game, which I watched with the insanely valuable "Watch ESPN" app on my phone.
It's hard to top the simple "What a game" analysis -- it bodes well for an exciting Saturday and exciting season. I had TCU going 11-1 and finishing just outside the Top 10 in my preseason poll; I had Baylor unranked -- not for long.
Although Baylor's D was porous, its offense was electrifying -- Robert Griffin III as an early Heisman candidate? -- particularly against what everyone assumed was going to be a stout TCU defense. With time, we'll see if TCU's D has slipped that badly or if Baylor's offense is just that good.
But again, all that matters is that you don't have to be a Baylor or TCU (or even college football) fan to enjoy how things went last night.
My viewing guide today -- under the palms-together-in-prayer assumption that we can get the FIOS cable and internet going early:
*Noon: Northwestern at BC (ESPNU)
*3:30: UCLA at Houston (FSN), USF at Notre Dame (NBC)
*7: Florida Atlantic at Florida (ESPNU)
*8: LSU-Oregon (ABC), Boise State-Georgia (ESPN)
Don't ask me how I'm going to watch Florida with the 8 p.m. heavyweights -- let alone how we're all supposed to toggle between the LSU-Oregon and Boise-Georgia games. (Here's a hint: TV on one game, iPad on another, iPhone on another -- again, the "Watch ESPN" app is huge.)
More:
*Verlander wins 21st: AL Cy locked up. MVP votes next?
*Oklahoma leaving Big 12 for Pac-12: It's an obvious move.
*Sharapova out at US Open: Tourney loses marquee star.
*US Soccer loses to Costa Rica: Klini, come on!
*Colts hire Tressel: I'm all for a 5-game ban.
Enjoy the day, everyone! I'm off to get a "301" area-code tattoo on my chest*, just like Kevin Durant.
-- D.S.
* - Not really, but it's there in spirit.
It's hard to top the simple "What a game" analysis -- it bodes well for an exciting Saturday and exciting season. I had TCU going 11-1 and finishing just outside the Top 10 in my preseason poll; I had Baylor unranked -- not for long.
Although Baylor's D was porous, its offense was electrifying -- Robert Griffin III as an early Heisman candidate? -- particularly against what everyone assumed was going to be a stout TCU defense. With time, we'll see if TCU's D has slipped that badly or if Baylor's offense is just that good.
But again, all that matters is that you don't have to be a Baylor or TCU (or even college football) fan to enjoy how things went last night.
My viewing guide today -- under the palms-together-in-prayer assumption that we can get the FIOS cable and internet going early:
*Noon: Northwestern at BC (ESPNU)
*3:30: UCLA at Houston (FSN), USF at Notre Dame (NBC)
*7: Florida Atlantic at Florida (ESPNU)
*8: LSU-Oregon (ABC), Boise State-Georgia (ESPN)
Don't ask me how I'm going to watch Florida with the 8 p.m. heavyweights -- let alone how we're all supposed to toggle between the LSU-Oregon and Boise-Georgia games. (Here's a hint: TV on one game, iPad on another, iPhone on another -- again, the "Watch ESPN" app is huge.)
More:
*Verlander wins 21st: AL Cy locked up. MVP votes next?
*Oklahoma leaving Big 12 for Pac-12: It's an obvious move.
*Sharapova out at US Open: Tourney loses marquee star.
*US Soccer loses to Costa Rica: Klini, come on!
*Colts hire Tressel: I'm all for a 5-game ban.
Enjoy the day, everyone! I'm off to get a "301" area-code tattoo on my chest*, just like Kevin Durant.
-- D.S.
* - Not really, but it's there in spirit.
Friday, September 02, 2011
09/02 (CFB Picks!) Quickie
Resuming a DS.com Friday tradition...
(Don't forget to join the college football "pick 'em" group!)
1 Oklahoma over Tulsa
2 Alabama over Kent St
3 Oregon over 4 LSU -- Game of the Week
5 Boise State over 19 Georgia
6 Florida State over LA-Monroe
7 Stanford over San Jose State
8 Texas A&M over SMU
9 Oklahoma State over LA-Lafayette
10 Nebraska over Chattanooga
11 Wisconsin over UNLV -- picked yesterday.
12 South Carolina over East Carolina
13 Virginia Tech over Appalachian State
14 TCU over @Baylor
15 Arkansas over Missouri State
16 Notre Dame over South Florida -- Really want to pick USF.
17 Michigan St over Youngstown State
18 Ohio State over Akron
20 Mississippi State over Memphis -- Thursday.
21 Missouri over Miami-Ohio
22 Florida over Florida Atlantic
23 Auburn over Utah State
24 West Virginia over Marshall
25 USC over Minnesota
Other games of interest:
*Northwestern over @Boston College
*James Madison over @North Carolina
*BYU over @Ole Miss
*Maryland over Miami
What are your picks for best game, biggest upset potential and other best storylines?
-- D.S.
(Don't forget to join the college football "pick 'em" group!)
1 Oklahoma over Tulsa
2 Alabama over Kent St
3 Oregon over 4 LSU -- Game of the Week
5 Boise State over 19 Georgia
6 Florida State over LA-Monroe
7 Stanford over San Jose State
8 Texas A&M over SMU
9 Oklahoma State over LA-Lafayette
10 Nebraska over Chattanooga
11 Wisconsin over UNLV -- picked yesterday.
12 South Carolina over East Carolina
13 Virginia Tech over Appalachian State
14 TCU over @Baylor
15 Arkansas over Missouri State
16 Notre Dame over South Florida -- Really want to pick USF.
17 Michigan St over Youngstown State
18 Ohio State over Akron
20 Mississippi State over Memphis -- Thursday.
21 Missouri over Miami-Ohio
22 Florida over Florida Atlantic
23 Auburn over Utah State
24 West Virginia over Marshall
25 USC over Minnesota
Other games of interest:
*Northwestern over @Boston College
*James Madison over @North Carolina
*BYU over @Ole Miss
*Maryland over Miami
What are your picks for best game, biggest upset potential and other best storylines?
-- D.S.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Happy Anniversary, DanShanoff.com
Five years ago today, I launched DanShanoff.com.
Most heartfelt thanks for your attention, support and feedback. Here's to much more to come.
Most heartfelt thanks for your attention, support and feedback. Here's to much more to come.
09/01 (September!) Quickie
Love September. College football starts tonight. NFL starts a week from tonight. We decamp from NYC to DC tomorrow. (For that backstory, see the post below or click here.)
*CFB Tonight: Wisconsin starts its march to the BCS title game (maybe!)
*Texas A&M is out of the Big 12: And the rest of us have already moved on... to two questions: (1) Do Texas-Oklahoma-OK St-Texas Tech go to the Pac-12? (Almost assuredly). (2) Which team does the SEC pick up to make 14? (VA Tech).
Bonus question: Which two teams do the SEC pick up to make 16? (If they don't want to double up state representation, Maryland and UNC or NC State. But honestly, they could have Notre Dame if they wanted to; when the SEC calls, any team would listen.)
*Red Sox beat Yankees: Yawn. Call me when they're playing in the playoffs.
*Venus out at US Open: That's a shame.
*Sports x Politics: President Obama's big jobs speech next Thursday night will wrap up by 8:30, so it doesn't conflict with the NFL opener.
-- D.S.
*CFB Tonight: Wisconsin starts its march to the BCS title game (maybe!)
*Texas A&M is out of the Big 12: And the rest of us have already moved on... to two questions: (1) Do Texas-Oklahoma-OK St-Texas Tech go to the Pac-12? (Almost assuredly). (2) Which team does the SEC pick up to make 14? (VA Tech).
Bonus question: Which two teams do the SEC pick up to make 16? (If they don't want to double up state representation, Maryland and UNC or NC State. But honestly, they could have Notre Dame if they wanted to; when the SEC calls, any team would listen.)
*Red Sox beat Yankees: Yawn. Call me when they're playing in the playoffs.
*Venus out at US Open: That's a shame.
*Sports x Politics: President Obama's big jobs speech next Thursday night will wrap up by 8:30, so it doesn't conflict with the NFL opener.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
We're Leaving New York City
After 14 years of living in New York City, I am leaving on Friday with my family to relocate to D.C.
I got here in the spring of 1997, leaving ESPN.com in Seattle to come to Brooklyn to help out my gram and grandfather, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was supposed to be a short-term stay.
It lasted nearly a decade and a half, defined by some of the things that a lot of folks here have experienced: Shuffling around apartments of wildly varying quality; a baffling dating scene that thankfully ended for me with a spouse and kids; dot-com boom and bust; and friends whose talents simultaneously make me envious and proud to know them.
In the end, what really mattered was my family: We started out just me and my wife in a studio in the West Village, then a soulless one-bedroom near Columbus Circle (above a Hooters), then a lovely 2-bedroom in Brooklyn Heights became more crowded with our first kid, then our second. The start of kindergarten for the older signaled we had maxed out of our space.
It was time to move again, to be sure. But none of the choices in the immediate area felt right (or affordable, either financially or on a commute) and we decided we would take the bolder step of leaving the New York City area entirely, joining the masses of entirely level-headed folks who specifically don't live in New York.
We chose the Washington, D.C. area for a couple of reasons: I grew up there, although I haven't lived there full-time in more than 20 years; the city is almost entirely new to me, and I will make a particular point to steer clear of "When I was growing up..." nostalgia. (Or at least try....) But it strikes us as wonderfully accessible, a mix of suburban living and "big-city" culture.
My wife's fantastic law firm has a DC office, which means she can continue working with incredible people and doing work she sincerely enjoys. My parents are in DC. My wife's cousins are here. We both have good friends - her closest friend from Brooklyn; my college roommate.
DC is a lawyers' town, to be sure. But it's a media town, too: Established incumbents like the Washington Post Company and Gannett, but also innovative challengers like SBNation and Politico. (And some in between, like The Atlantic and the ESPN crew that produces PTI and Around the Horn.) Some of my favorite writers, reporters and pundits are in DC, both friends and people I will get to know once I'm local.
It would be disingenuous if I didn't acknowledge the sports: That I am excited to trade the Knicks -- a team I never took to, even in '99 -- for the woeful Wizards, nevertheless a team I have been avidly rooting for since I was a kid. Following John Wall up close has me giddy. I am excited to rekindle my fandom for the Capitals, a team I went to see so many times growing up but lost touch with from long distance.
I am really excited about adopting the Nationals, particularly with Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper on the roster for the next decade. I am particularly excited about figuring out whether my youthful contrarian loathing of the Redskins is ready to re-emerge, like the region's locusts that pop up every two decades or so. And I am more excited than anything about sharing all that with my kids, just reaching the age where they can begin to appreciate sports fandom.
But this week, it's about saying goodbye to New York City -- to ogling DiFara's pizza (OK: scarfing Lucali even more)... to sweating through summer weekends watching hoops at West 4th Street... to experiencing free Met Opera in the park... to slurping Joe's Shanghai soup dumplings... to sneaker-shopping along Fulton Mall... to having a letter to the editor published in the Times (and having my wedding announcement rejected by the Times)... to paying off parking tickets from accursed "alternate-side-of-the-street" parking snafus... to grinding away on Quickish at the communal table at General Assembly... to bringing home newborn babies in yellow cabs... and to the kind of neurotic exceptionalism that gives the city its aggravation and its energy.
I will miss all that -- I will miss even more the people I have gotten to know and love. Facebook and Twitter and Gchat and Tumblr and blogging break down the barriers of distance, but it's hard not to lament the end of the spontaneous happy hour on Atlantic Avenue or the random run-in (literally, on a run) with my high school homecoming-dance date who lives one neighborhood over or regular rides on my building's elevator with the A-list celebrity who quietly lives one floor down.
The access within the city -- even out here in Brooklyn -- is what makes the city so unique, but it remains, always, about the people.
Part of why we are moving is to get away from people -- to have our own space, for once. We found a cute little house that is small by neighborhood standards but fairly immense by Manhattan or Brooklyn ones.
What is next is less a homecoming or even a fresh start than building on the wonderful experience of being in NYC over the past decade and a half and growing it from here. I couldn't be more excited. And part of what I am looking forward to most is immersing myself in the people I know in the DC area -- friends and colleagues and people I admire -- and the ones I have yet to meet, but will make an earnest effort to get to know.
If you are in New York, I look forward to seeing you again on what will inevitably be regular trips up here. If you are in DC, I really look forward to seeing you down there. And if you are elsewhere, I hope you are as happy as I and my family are right now, over the anticipation of what might come next.
-- D.S.
I got here in the spring of 1997, leaving ESPN.com in Seattle to come to Brooklyn to help out my gram and grandfather, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was supposed to be a short-term stay.
It lasted nearly a decade and a half, defined by some of the things that a lot of folks here have experienced: Shuffling around apartments of wildly varying quality; a baffling dating scene that thankfully ended for me with a spouse and kids; dot-com boom and bust; and friends whose talents simultaneously make me envious and proud to know them.
In the end, what really mattered was my family: We started out just me and my wife in a studio in the West Village, then a soulless one-bedroom near Columbus Circle (above a Hooters), then a lovely 2-bedroom in Brooklyn Heights became more crowded with our first kid, then our second. The start of kindergarten for the older signaled we had maxed out of our space.
It was time to move again, to be sure. But none of the choices in the immediate area felt right (or affordable, either financially or on a commute) and we decided we would take the bolder step of leaving the New York City area entirely, joining the masses of entirely level-headed folks who specifically don't live in New York.
We chose the Washington, D.C. area for a couple of reasons: I grew up there, although I haven't lived there full-time in more than 20 years; the city is almost entirely new to me, and I will make a particular point to steer clear of "When I was growing up..." nostalgia. (Or at least try....) But it strikes us as wonderfully accessible, a mix of suburban living and "big-city" culture.
My wife's fantastic law firm has a DC office, which means she can continue working with incredible people and doing work she sincerely enjoys. My parents are in DC. My wife's cousins are here. We both have good friends - her closest friend from Brooklyn; my college roommate.
DC is a lawyers' town, to be sure. But it's a media town, too: Established incumbents like the Washington Post Company and Gannett, but also innovative challengers like SBNation and Politico. (And some in between, like The Atlantic and the ESPN crew that produces PTI and Around the Horn.) Some of my favorite writers, reporters and pundits are in DC, both friends and people I will get to know once I'm local.
It would be disingenuous if I didn't acknowledge the sports: That I am excited to trade the Knicks -- a team I never took to, even in '99 -- for the woeful Wizards, nevertheless a team I have been avidly rooting for since I was a kid. Following John Wall up close has me giddy. I am excited to rekindle my fandom for the Capitals, a team I went to see so many times growing up but lost touch with from long distance.
I am really excited about adopting the Nationals, particularly with Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper on the roster for the next decade. I am particularly excited about figuring out whether my youthful contrarian loathing of the Redskins is ready to re-emerge, like the region's locusts that pop up every two decades or so. And I am more excited than anything about sharing all that with my kids, just reaching the age where they can begin to appreciate sports fandom.
But this week, it's about saying goodbye to New York City -- to ogling DiFara's pizza (OK: scarfing Lucali even more)... to sweating through summer weekends watching hoops at West 4th Street... to experiencing free Met Opera in the park... to slurping Joe's Shanghai soup dumplings... to sneaker-shopping along Fulton Mall... to having a letter to the editor published in the Times (and having my wedding announcement rejected by the Times)... to paying off parking tickets from accursed "alternate-side-of-the-street" parking snafus... to grinding away on Quickish at the communal table at General Assembly... to bringing home newborn babies in yellow cabs... and to the kind of neurotic exceptionalism that gives the city its aggravation and its energy.
I will miss all that -- I will miss even more the people I have gotten to know and love. Facebook and Twitter and Gchat and Tumblr and blogging break down the barriers of distance, but it's hard not to lament the end of the spontaneous happy hour on Atlantic Avenue or the random run-in (literally, on a run) with my high school homecoming-dance date who lives one neighborhood over or regular rides on my building's elevator with the A-list celebrity who quietly lives one floor down.
The access within the city -- even out here in Brooklyn -- is what makes the city so unique, but it remains, always, about the people.
Part of why we are moving is to get away from people -- to have our own space, for once. We found a cute little house that is small by neighborhood standards but fairly immense by Manhattan or Brooklyn ones.
What is next is less a homecoming or even a fresh start than building on the wonderful experience of being in NYC over the past decade and a half and growing it from here. I couldn't be more excited. And part of what I am looking forward to most is immersing myself in the people I know in the DC area -- friends and colleagues and people I admire -- and the ones I have yet to meet, but will make an earnest effort to get to know.
If you are in New York, I look forward to seeing you again on what will inevitably be regular trips up here. If you are in DC, I really look forward to seeing you down there. And if you are elsewhere, I hope you are as happy as I and my family are right now, over the anticipation of what might come next.
-- D.S.
08/31 (Anniversary) Quickie
Big news coming at 11-ish.
Apparently, I like my major life changes on August 31 -- five years ago, August 31 was the final edition of the Daily Quickie; DanShanoff.com launched the very next day. Sincere thanks to everyone who has stuck with me over all those years.
It's basically been the same Blogger template ever since -- I switched fonts a year ago, but that hardly counts as major change. Wondering if I should do something a little more radical.
Anyway, college football kicks off Saturday, but there are a bunch of games tonight, including the season opener for Wisconsin, the team I picked to run the table and meet Alabama in the national title game. Excited to see how they look, even if it's a cupcake game.
More later, as you'll find out.
-- D.S.
Apparently, I like my major life changes on August 31 -- five years ago, August 31 was the final edition of the Daily Quickie; DanShanoff.com launched the very next day. Sincere thanks to everyone who has stuck with me over all those years.
It's basically been the same Blogger template ever since -- I switched fonts a year ago, but that hardly counts as major change. Wondering if I should do something a little more radical.
Anyway, college football kicks off Saturday, but there are a bunch of games tonight, including the season opener for Wisconsin, the team I picked to run the table and meet Alabama in the national title game. Excited to see how they look, even if it's a cupcake game.
More later, as you'll find out.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
08/30 (Vickie) Quickie
Be sure to sign up for either (or both!) of the Quickish Pick 'Em groups -- NFL and/or College Football!
*Happy Madden Day: I once wrote that Madden release day sits only behind the Super Bowl (and, perhaps, the first day of the NFL Draft) as the single-most popular NFL day of the year. Still believe it -- for those of you who play Madden, enjoy the day.
*Vick gets $100M deal: The most fascinating second act in NFL history gets even more interesting. If it wasn't before, it's Super Bowl championship or fail.
*Jarvaris Crittenton finally arrested: This story is only going to get more messy as we get into the trial (and, if it happens, a conviction).
*NBA eyeing a TWO-year ban before draft eligibility: As someone who hates the existing rule and wants to return to a more fair and efficient free-market system, this is terrible for the NBA.
*Texas A&M ready to leave Big 12 for SEC: It's going to be an awkward final year for them in their current conference and they may get waxed in the SEC, but it's a worthwhile move.
*Cole Hamels is back: Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are awesome, but it is adding a potent, injury-free Hamels that takes the Phillies from "Best team in the NL" to "World Series champs."
*This season's "DWTS" athletes: Hope Solo and Ron Artest. The history of success of athletes in DWTS is dynastic. I may not be watching, but I'll be openly rooting for Ron Artest.
(Join the Pick 'Em leagues!)
-- D.S.
*Happy Madden Day: I once wrote that Madden release day sits only behind the Super Bowl (and, perhaps, the first day of the NFL Draft) as the single-most popular NFL day of the year. Still believe it -- for those of you who play Madden, enjoy the day.
*Vick gets $100M deal: The most fascinating second act in NFL history gets even more interesting. If it wasn't before, it's Super Bowl championship or fail.
*Jarvaris Crittenton finally arrested: This story is only going to get more messy as we get into the trial (and, if it happens, a conviction).
*NBA eyeing a TWO-year ban before draft eligibility: As someone who hates the existing rule and wants to return to a more fair and efficient free-market system, this is terrible for the NBA.
*Texas A&M ready to leave Big 12 for SEC: It's going to be an awkward final year for them in their current conference and they may get waxed in the SEC, but it's a worthwhile move.
*Cole Hamels is back: Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are awesome, but it is adding a potent, injury-free Hamels that takes the Phillies from "Best team in the NL" to "World Series champs."
*This season's "DWTS" athletes: Hope Solo and Ron Artest. The history of success of athletes in DWTS is dynastic. I may not be watching, but I'll be openly rooting for Ron Artest.
(Join the Pick 'Em leagues!)
-- D.S.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Join The NFL and CFB Pick 'Em Group!
It's that time of year! Join our NFL and college football "Pick 'Em" prediction groups. As usual, we run the group through ESPN.com. In a new twist, the traditional group name "Daily Quickie Readers" has been replaced by -- go figure -- "Quickish Readers." Join up!
Join the NFL "Quickish Readers" Pick 'Em group here.
Join the college football "Quickish Readers" Pick 'Em group here.
Join the NFL "Quickish Readers" Pick 'Em group here.
Join the college football "Quickish Readers" Pick 'Em group here.
Initial BlogPoll Top 25 Released
The initial preseason ballot of the BlogPoll Top 25 has been released. Alabama is No. 1, but is by no means via consensus; Oklahoma gets nearly as many No. 1 votes. Oregon is No. 3, collecting a handful of votes for No. 1. Boise State is 4th (1 1st-place vote) and FSU is 5th (2 1st-place votes).
My initial ballot is here: I am predicting Alabama to win the national title, beating Wisconsin. (But I have a healthy log-jam of 1-loss teams ready to pounce, including Boise State, South Carolina, Florida State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Oregon, Virginia Tech and TCU. I showed how I got there here.
My initial ballot is here: I am predicting Alabama to win the national title, beating Wisconsin. (But I have a healthy log-jam of 1-loss teams ready to pounce, including Boise State, South Carolina, Florida State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Oregon, Virginia Tech and TCU. I showed how I got there here.
DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 1
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | -- |
| 2 | Wisconsin Badgers | -- |
| 3 | Boise St. Broncos | -- |
| 4 | South Carolina Gamecocks | -- |
| 5 | Florida St. Seminoles | -- |
| 6 | Oklahoma Sooners | -- |
| 7 | Stanford Cardinal | -- |
| 8 | Oregon Ducks | -- |
| 9 | Virginia Tech Hokies | -- |
| 10 | TCU Horned Frogs | -- |
| 11 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | -- |
| 12 | Houston Cougars | -- |
| 13 | LSU Tigers | -- |
| 14 | Arkansas Razorbacks | -- |
| 15 | BYU Cougars | -- |
| 16 | Texas A&M Aggies | -- |
| 17 | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | -- |
| 18 | Utah Utes | -- |
| 19 | Texas Longhorns | -- |
| 20 | Florida Gators | -- |
| 21 | Air Force Falcons | -- |
| 22 | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | -- |
| 23 | West Virginia Mountaineers | -- |
| 24 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | -- |
| 25 | Penn St. Nittany Lions | -- |
SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »
08/29 (Crazy Week) Quickie
It's a crazy week, and I'll explain more tomorrow. In the meantime...
*Be sure to check out my initial BlogPoll Top 25 ballot. I leave a lot of room open at the top with plenty of one-loss contenders, but I'm sticking with Alabama-Wisconsin in the title game.
*My favorite story of the weekend is Arian Foster tweeting out his indignation toward fantasy football fans who care more about his individual injury than his team.
I appreciate his point of view, but he couldn't be more wrong. If not for fantasy, Foster's season last year would have been overlooked, almost entirely. Doesn't matter how much of a breakout season you have if it's done on a crappy team... except for the massive fantasy implications.
If anything, Foster should be cultivating his fantasy fan base -- which is sizable. The fact is: More fans care just as much (if not more) about their fantasy team as their "real" team, which begs the question of whether their "real" team IS their fantasy team. Chew on that for a minute....
*Congrats to the kids from California on their LLWS title -- what a finish.
*Verlander for AL Cy: Obviously. Verlander for AL MVP? No way. Lots of season to go, but for now, I'm going with the runaway AL leader in WAR -- Jose Bautista.
*Peyton Manning activated: Doesn't mean he'll be in shape to play -- or take multiple hits to that iffy neck.
*US Open starts: The one NYC event I have never been to and really want to go to badly. We'll see if I can make it happen this week.
*Usain Bolt's DQ: Any rule that eliminates Bolt -- the sport's biggest star, by a wide margin -- is a stupid rule.
*David Price Ks 14: Love Price. Speaking of crazy K rates, I'm hoping to make the return of "Strasmas" in DC on Sept. 6. We'll see.
More later. Pop by Quickish all day for the best takes on the biggest stories.
-- D.S.
*Be sure to check out my initial BlogPoll Top 25 ballot. I leave a lot of room open at the top with plenty of one-loss contenders, but I'm sticking with Alabama-Wisconsin in the title game.
*My favorite story of the weekend is Arian Foster tweeting out his indignation toward fantasy football fans who care more about his individual injury than his team.
I appreciate his point of view, but he couldn't be more wrong. If not for fantasy, Foster's season last year would have been overlooked, almost entirely. Doesn't matter how much of a breakout season you have if it's done on a crappy team... except for the massive fantasy implications.
If anything, Foster should be cultivating his fantasy fan base -- which is sizable. The fact is: More fans care just as much (if not more) about their fantasy team as their "real" team, which begs the question of whether their "real" team IS their fantasy team. Chew on that for a minute....
*Congrats to the kids from California on their LLWS title -- what a finish.
*Verlander for AL Cy: Obviously. Verlander for AL MVP? No way. Lots of season to go, but for now, I'm going with the runaway AL leader in WAR -- Jose Bautista.
*Peyton Manning activated: Doesn't mean he'll be in shape to play -- or take multiple hits to that iffy neck.
*US Open starts: The one NYC event I have never been to and really want to go to badly. We'll see if I can make it happen this week.
*Usain Bolt's DQ: Any rule that eliminates Bolt -- the sport's biggest star, by a wide margin -- is a stupid rule.
*David Price Ks 14: Love Price. Speaking of crazy K rates, I'm hoping to make the return of "Strasmas" in DC on Sept. 6. We'll see.
More later. Pop by Quickish all day for the best takes on the biggest stories.
-- D.S.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
08/28 (Top 25) Quickie
How did I spend a sleepless, Irene-watching night last night? Working on my initial BlogPoll Top 25 ballot. The place to focus is the top dozen or so, I think. I take the additional step of going through the schedules of the Top 40-ish teams and projecting a record. Take a look below, then let me know what you think. Ballot is due to the BlogPoll folks tomorrow a.m.
1. Alabama (12-1 - loss at home to LSU, still wins SEC title)
2. Wisconsin (13-0 - will lose to Alabama in national-title game)
3. Boise State (13-0 - earns BCS-level bowl bid)
4. South Carolina (12-1 - loss to Alabama in SEC title game)
5. Florida State (12-1 - stunning loss at Florida, still wins ACC title)
6. Oklahoma (12-1 - loss at Florida St)
7. Stanford (12-1 - stunning loss at USC, still wins Pac-12 title)
8. Oregon (11-1 - loss at Stanford)
9. TCU (11-1 - loss at Boise State, no BCS bowl this year)
10. Virginia Tech (12-1 - loss to FSU in ACC title game; next stop: SEC?)
11. Nebraska (11-2 - loss at Wisconsin, loss to Wisconsin in B10 title game)
12. Houston (13-0, complete BCS afterthought)
13. LSU (9-3 - losses vs. Oregon, at Mississippi St, at W. Virginia)
14. Arkansas (9-3 - losses at Alabama, vs. S. Carolina, at LSU)
15. BYU (10-2 - losses vs. Texas, vs. TCU)
16. Texas A&M (9-3- losses vs. Arkansas, at Texas Tech, at Oklahoma. But beats Texas.)
17. Oklahoma State (9-3 - losses at Texas A&M, at Mizzou, Oklahoma)
18. Utah (10-3 - losses at BYU, at Arizona, vs. Stanford in Pac-12 CG)
17. Texas (9-3 - losses vs. Oklahoma, vs. OK St, at Texas A&M)
20. Florida (9-3 - losses vs. Alabama, at LSU, at S. Carolina)
21. Air Force (10-2 - losses vs. TCU, at Boise State)
22. Mississippi State (8-4 - losses at Georgia, vs. S. Carolina, vs. Alabama, at Arkansas)
23. West Virginia (9-3 - loss at Maryland, at Rutgers, at South Florida)
24. Notre Dame (8-4 - losses at Michigan, vs. Michigan St, vs. Air Force, at Stanford)
25. Penn State (7-5 - losses vs. Alabama, at N’western, vs. Nebraska, at OH St, at Wisconsin)
Predictions:
*This is Joe Paterno’s final season.
*Andrew Luck wins the Heisman (Runner-up: Trent Richardson)
*Utah makes it to the Pac-12 title game in its inaugural season.
*I’m dismissing Ohio State and I shouldn’t be. Same with Mizzou and Georgia.
*Defending champ Auburn goes under .500
1. Alabama (12-1 - loss at home to LSU, still wins SEC title)
2. Wisconsin (13-0 - will lose to Alabama in national-title game)
3. Boise State (13-0 - earns BCS-level bowl bid)
4. South Carolina (12-1 - loss to Alabama in SEC title game)
5. Florida State (12-1 - stunning loss at Florida, still wins ACC title)
6. Oklahoma (12-1 - loss at Florida St)
7. Stanford (12-1 - stunning loss at USC, still wins Pac-12 title)
8. Oregon (11-1 - loss at Stanford)
9. TCU (11-1 - loss at Boise State, no BCS bowl this year)
10. Virginia Tech (12-1 - loss to FSU in ACC title game; next stop: SEC?)
11. Nebraska (11-2 - loss at Wisconsin, loss to Wisconsin in B10 title game)
12. Houston (13-0, complete BCS afterthought)
13. LSU (9-3 - losses vs. Oregon, at Mississippi St, at W. Virginia)
14. Arkansas (9-3 - losses at Alabama, vs. S. Carolina, at LSU)
15. BYU (10-2 - losses vs. Texas, vs. TCU)
16. Texas A&M (9-3- losses vs. Arkansas, at Texas Tech, at Oklahoma. But beats Texas.)
17. Oklahoma State (9-3 - losses at Texas A&M, at Mizzou, Oklahoma)
18. Utah (10-3 - losses at BYU, at Arizona, vs. Stanford in Pac-12 CG)
17. Texas (9-3 - losses vs. Oklahoma, vs. OK St, at Texas A&M)
20. Florida (9-3 - losses vs. Alabama, at LSU, at S. Carolina)
21. Air Force (10-2 - losses vs. TCU, at Boise State)
22. Mississippi State (8-4 - losses at Georgia, vs. S. Carolina, vs. Alabama, at Arkansas)
23. West Virginia (9-3 - loss at Maryland, at Rutgers, at South Florida)
24. Notre Dame (8-4 - losses at Michigan, vs. Michigan St, vs. Air Force, at Stanford)
25. Penn State (7-5 - losses vs. Alabama, at N’western, vs. Nebraska, at OH St, at Wisconsin)
Predictions:
*This is Joe Paterno’s final season.
*Andrew Luck wins the Heisman (Runner-up: Trent Richardson)
*Utah makes it to the Pac-12 title game in its inaugural season.
*I’m dismissing Ohio State and I shouldn’t be. Same with Mizzou and Georgia.
*Defending champ Auburn goes under .500
Saturday, August 27, 2011
08/27 (Irene) Quickie
Settling in for a weekend of Irene here in NYC -- Brooklyn Heights isn't a neighborhood with a lot of cachet, but in a moment like this one the "Heights" part comes in handy.
If you're in the storm zone -- say, anywhere on the East Coast -- please be safe, and here's to an entirely uneventful next 48 hours.
Provided the power doesn't go out (no guarantee there), I'm spending the time pulling together my college football preseason Top 25 for the BlogPoll, plus trying to write a bit.
I'm also going to try to set up the Quickish Readers (nee Daily Quickie Readers) pick 'em leagues for the NFL and college football. I'm also dabbling with a bit of a redesign for the blog.
And, as always, publishing great reading recommendations and hot-off-the-presses analysis at Quickish. If you're inside all day, give it a try.
-- D.S.
If you're in the storm zone -- say, anywhere on the East Coast -- please be safe, and here's to an entirely uneventful next 48 hours.
Provided the power doesn't go out (no guarantee there), I'm spending the time pulling together my college football preseason Top 25 for the BlogPoll, plus trying to write a bit.
I'm also going to try to set up the Quickish Readers (nee Daily Quickie Readers) pick 'em leagues for the NFL and college football. I'm also dabbling with a bit of a redesign for the blog.
And, as always, publishing great reading recommendations and hot-off-the-presses analysis at Quickish. If you're inside all day, give it a try.
-- D.S.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Fantasy Update: Solid
The results of tonight's draft. I had the 2nd pick in a 14-team league drafting 16 spots. Deadspin's Drew Magary picked first and, despite being a huge Vikings fan, took Arian Foster. Here's how I went:
Adrian Peterson, Mike Wallace, LaGarrette Blount, Percy Harvin, Chad Ochocinco, Julio Jones, Sam Bradford, Willis McGahee, Roy Helu, Jordy Nelson, Jared Cook, Emmanuel Sanders, Jacquizz Rodgers, John Beck, Greg Little, Miami D.
No kicker yet, but I'll fix that from the free-agent pool after I see how my surplus of RBs and WRs shakes out. A few notes:
*Peterson was a no-brainer.
*Wallace: No. 27 overall and the highest-rated WR available.
*Blount: Picked him up last year and loved him.
*Harvin: I'm in the tank for him, injury-proneness be damned.
*Ochocinco: Bit of a reach, but I think he has a very good year.
*Jones: My obligatory "undervalued rookie skill-position player" pick.
*QB: I was picking between Bradford and Josh Freeman.
*McGahee is a solid end-of-the-draft pick-up.
*Helu: For when Hightower fumbles his way out of the starting job.
*Nelson: Benefits from Aaron Rodgers toying with the rest of the league.
*Cook: Last TE picked (and exactly who I had targeted before the draft).
*Emmanuel Sanders was, nominally, my hand-cuff for Wallace.
*Jacquizz Rodgers is another freaky rookie on the Falcons.
*Beck was kind of for kicks. More on that next week.
*Little: Happy accident! Meant to take a K, but I'm glad I took him.
*Miami D was the option after my first choice, the KC D, was taken two picks before me by a guy who already had a defense and had no business taking another D.
I am perennially a second-division fantasy owner. I feel very good about this team in ways I haven't felt about other teams in recent years. That can't bode well.
Adrian Peterson, Mike Wallace, LaGarrette Blount, Percy Harvin, Chad Ochocinco, Julio Jones, Sam Bradford, Willis McGahee, Roy Helu, Jordy Nelson, Jared Cook, Emmanuel Sanders, Jacquizz Rodgers, John Beck, Greg Little, Miami D.
No kicker yet, but I'll fix that from the free-agent pool after I see how my surplus of RBs and WRs shakes out. A few notes:
*Peterson was a no-brainer.
*Wallace: No. 27 overall and the highest-rated WR available.
*Blount: Picked him up last year and loved him.
*Harvin: I'm in the tank for him, injury-proneness be damned.
*Ochocinco: Bit of a reach, but I think he has a very good year.
*Jones: My obligatory "undervalued rookie skill-position player" pick.
*QB: I was picking between Bradford and Josh Freeman.
*McGahee is a solid end-of-the-draft pick-up.
*Helu: For when Hightower fumbles his way out of the starting job.
*Nelson: Benefits from Aaron Rodgers toying with the rest of the league.
*Cook: Last TE picked (and exactly who I had targeted before the draft).
*Emmanuel Sanders was, nominally, my hand-cuff for Wallace.
*Jacquizz Rodgers is another freaky rookie on the Falcons.
*Beck was kind of for kicks. More on that next week.
*Little: Happy accident! Meant to take a K, but I'm glad I took him.
*Miami D was the option after my first choice, the KC D, was taken two picks before me by a guy who already had a defense and had no business taking another D.
I am perennially a second-division fantasy owner. I feel very good about this team in ways I haven't felt about other teams in recent years. That can't bode well.
08/25 (Fantasy) Quickie
I'm in two longtime fantasy leagues -- one is a keeper, the other renews annually. The latter is today, and I'm the No. 2 overall pick in a 14-team league. So I guess I'm locked into taking either Adrian Peterson or Arian Foster, whoever the No. 1 guy doesn't take. (And if he doesn't take either, I'm not sure what to do -- Peterson, I guess.) But I dread that wait from No. 2 until No. 27 for my 2nd pick. I'll boom or bust off of picks No. 27 and No. 30.
Speaking of which, I'll set up the Daily Quickie Readers (or perhaps Quickish Readers) NFL and CFB pick 'em leagues by the end of the week.
More:
*RIP Mike Flanagan. I grew up in the DC area and went to a lot of Orioles games as a kid -- Flanagan was a staple of the O's rotation; I don't have quite the recollection of the '79 season where Flanagan won the AL Cy and the O's went to the World Series, but I certainly remember in the early 80s, including the World Series title in '83. If you read the tributes, Flanagan was beloved.
*Is Mike Vick the biggest individual story of the NFL season? Yes, so it makes all the sense in the world that ESPN would dedicate its entire NFL preview issue to Vick. It's a bold idea.
*LLWS: I'm entirely comfortable jumping on the Montana bandwagon after last night's walk-off HR put them into the US championship game.
*Kerry Collins: Really? Anyone who thinks that Peyton Manning is going to be OK this year is going to be very disappointed.
*Steve Jobs resigns: Is Jobs the greatest CEO of the past century? That we can even say "arguably" puts him in a pretty rarified place.
*Bleacher Report gets $22 million in new funding: Huge congrats to that team, which is killing it right now. $22 million is a war chest -- not to mention the foundation of a $100 million valuation (which means that any potential acquirer will pay a premium on top of that).
(I'm moderating a panel in NYC next month at the 4th annual Blogs With Balls conference and B/R co-founder David Finocchio is on the panel. Get your pre-sale tickets here.)
Give Quickish a try today!
-- D.S.
Speaking of which, I'll set up the Daily Quickie Readers (or perhaps Quickish Readers) NFL and CFB pick 'em leagues by the end of the week.
More:
*RIP Mike Flanagan. I grew up in the DC area and went to a lot of Orioles games as a kid -- Flanagan was a staple of the O's rotation; I don't have quite the recollection of the '79 season where Flanagan won the AL Cy and the O's went to the World Series, but I certainly remember in the early 80s, including the World Series title in '83. If you read the tributes, Flanagan was beloved.
*Is Mike Vick the biggest individual story of the NFL season? Yes, so it makes all the sense in the world that ESPN would dedicate its entire NFL preview issue to Vick. It's a bold idea.
*LLWS: I'm entirely comfortable jumping on the Montana bandwagon after last night's walk-off HR put them into the US championship game.
*Kerry Collins: Really? Anyone who thinks that Peyton Manning is going to be OK this year is going to be very disappointed.
*Steve Jobs resigns: Is Jobs the greatest CEO of the past century? That we can even say "arguably" puts him in a pretty rarified place.
*Bleacher Report gets $22 million in new funding: Huge congrats to that team, which is killing it right now. $22 million is a war chest -- not to mention the foundation of a $100 million valuation (which means that any potential acquirer will pay a premium on top of that).
(I'm moderating a panel in NYC next month at the 4th annual Blogs With Balls conference and B/R co-founder David Finocchio is on the panel. Get your pre-sale tickets here.)
Give Quickish a try today!
-- D.S.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
08/24 (Summitt) Quickie
Very very sad news about Pat Summitt having Alzheimer's disease. The columns expressing admiration for her -- and assurance she'll fight like hell to battle it -- have been amazing. See a Quickish selection here. Thoughts are with the coach, her family and the entire Vols community.
More:
*I'm coining a new phrase: "Tebow trolling." It's when sports-media folks say crazy things about Tim Tebow because it gets them a ton of attention. If there's anything that defines the Tebow phenomenon, it's the idea that there has never been a 2nd- (or, ok, 3rd-) string QB in the history of the NFL who gets more attention (and wouldn't get it if fans didn't want it). I fall much closer to Peter King's analysis than Boomer Esiason's "analysis."
Much more all day long at Quickish. Sorry for the short post today. Scrambling a bit on various things.
-- D.S.
More:
*I'm coining a new phrase: "Tebow trolling." It's when sports-media folks say crazy things about Tim Tebow because it gets them a ton of attention. If there's anything that defines the Tebow phenomenon, it's the idea that there has never been a 2nd- (or, ok, 3rd-) string QB in the history of the NFL who gets more attention (and wouldn't get it if fans didn't want it). I fall much closer to Peter King's analysis than Boomer Esiason's "analysis."
Much more all day long at Quickish. Sorry for the short post today. Scrambling a bit on various things.
-- D.S.
Monday, August 22, 2011
08/22 (Midday) Quickie
*If I'm GM of a crappy team, I'm using a 4th-round pick on Terrelle Pryor.
*Angels lock up Jared Weaver: Can't believe Scott Boras let this happen before he hit free agency. Speaks to Weaver's commitment to the team -- he's worth the money.
*I'm not a big watch-full-MLB-games-on-TV person during the regular season -- I'll watch highlight shows or tune in during notable moments like no-hitters, etc. -- but I'm seriously considering watching Justin Verlander against the Rays tonight. He's on pace for a Cy season, but the Rays have given him fits this year.
*I love that Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted out that he is in Favre's hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, sending the sports-media world into a frenzy. Look: If he's effing with everyone, he's a genius. And if he actually recruits Favre to back up Peyton Manning? It's bonkersville.
*I'm starting to work on my Week 1 ballot for the College Football BlogPoll. Readers know I love this ballot -- I'll have a draft here for your reactions and improvements, then submit the full thing.
*The Super Bowl battle between the Pats and Packers and Falcons and Steelers and Eagles will be great. I'm almost as intrigued for the battle among bottom-feeders to tank for Andrew Luck.
*The Broncos are totally screwing it up with Tim Tebow. (Even if they don't want him, why bury him in 3rd string and kill his trade value?)
*Congrats to longtime friend of the blog Holly Anderson on her new gig as lead college football blogger for SI.com. Check it out!
*More congrats to blog pals Josh Zerkle, Bethlehem Shoals, Dan Levy and Dan Rubenstein on their new gigs with Bleacher Report, an entirely fascinating company making very smart moves.
*Give Quickish a try today! (And tell a friend!)
-- D.S.
*Angels lock up Jared Weaver: Can't believe Scott Boras let this happen before he hit free agency. Speaks to Weaver's commitment to the team -- he's worth the money.
*I'm not a big watch-full-MLB-games-on-TV person during the regular season -- I'll watch highlight shows or tune in during notable moments like no-hitters, etc. -- but I'm seriously considering watching Justin Verlander against the Rays tonight. He's on pace for a Cy season, but the Rays have given him fits this year.
*I love that Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted out that he is in Favre's hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, sending the sports-media world into a frenzy. Look: If he's effing with everyone, he's a genius. And if he actually recruits Favre to back up Peyton Manning? It's bonkersville.
*I'm starting to work on my Week 1 ballot for the College Football BlogPoll. Readers know I love this ballot -- I'll have a draft here for your reactions and improvements, then submit the full thing.
*The Super Bowl battle between the Pats and Packers and Falcons and Steelers and Eagles will be great. I'm almost as intrigued for the battle among bottom-feeders to tank for Andrew Luck.
*The Broncos are totally screwing it up with Tim Tebow. (Even if they don't want him, why bury him in 3rd string and kill his trade value?)
*Congrats to longtime friend of the blog Holly Anderson on her new gig as lead college football blogger for SI.com. Check it out!
*More congrats to blog pals Josh Zerkle, Bethlehem Shoals, Dan Levy and Dan Rubenstein on their new gigs with Bleacher Report, an entirely fascinating company making very smart moves.
*Give Quickish a try today! (And tell a friend!)
-- D.S.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
08/21 (Very) Quickie
Don't miss the Quickish highlights of last night's Goodman League-Drew League feud summer-league hoops game in DC.
*Cards pay Larry Fitzgerald a ton: He is the face of their franchise (not to mention the best WR in the league). Unclear if any WR deserves as much as Fitz is getting, but if any do, he does.
*The simplest solution to the "should college football players be paid" debate: Create a pro league for players during the three years between h.s. and being eligible for the NFL draft. I have been advocating this for a decade.
What that does, as much as anything, is account for what the "pay college football players!" doesn't: Andrew Luck deserves a ton of money; the 100th guy on the roster doesn't. There are roughly 150 players per college year with any hope of making the NFL.
A pro league for 18- to 21-year-old pro prospects ensures that the most pro-worthy players get paid well above anything a "pay college athletes" model would offer. (My favorite is that pro-pay advocates seem to think that $50K a year is somehow a good deal for the biggest college stars.)
It allows the market to dictate who deserves to get paid (and roughly how much they deserve). And it allows the most pro-worthy players to focus exclusively on preparing for the NFL, which is in the best interests of both the player AND the NFL.
If you choose to play college football, you are doing it because you want the free education and because you love playing football -- if you stay and happen to develop into a pro prospect (not already claimed by the pro development league), all the better for you. Otherwise, the current incentive system is fine for you.
College football will survive without its most pro-worthy stars: The sport has always been about the tradition, the schools themselves, the pageantry, the results -- not who is playing. They will still pick a Heisman winner. (It's not like that was ever indicative of pro potential anyway.)
In this way, it is modeled on the pro clubs of European soccer, which remains the fairest and most efficient way to train and reward pro potential.
-- D.S.
*Cards pay Larry Fitzgerald a ton: He is the face of their franchise (not to mention the best WR in the league). Unclear if any WR deserves as much as Fitz is getting, but if any do, he does.
*The simplest solution to the "should college football players be paid" debate: Create a pro league for players during the three years between h.s. and being eligible for the NFL draft. I have been advocating this for a decade.
What that does, as much as anything, is account for what the "pay college football players!" doesn't: Andrew Luck deserves a ton of money; the 100th guy on the roster doesn't. There are roughly 150 players per college year with any hope of making the NFL.
A pro league for 18- to 21-year-old pro prospects ensures that the most pro-worthy players get paid well above anything a "pay college athletes" model would offer. (My favorite is that pro-pay advocates seem to think that $50K a year is somehow a good deal for the biggest college stars.)
It allows the market to dictate who deserves to get paid (and roughly how much they deserve). And it allows the most pro-worthy players to focus exclusively on preparing for the NFL, which is in the best interests of both the player AND the NFL.
If you choose to play college football, you are doing it because you want the free education and because you love playing football -- if you stay and happen to develop into a pro prospect (not already claimed by the pro development league), all the better for you. Otherwise, the current incentive system is fine for you.
College football will survive without its most pro-worthy stars: The sport has always been about the tradition, the schools themselves, the pageantry, the results -- not who is playing. They will still pick a Heisman winner. (It's not like that was ever indicative of pro potential anyway.)
In this way, it is modeled on the pro clubs of European soccer, which remains the fairest and most efficient way to train and reward pro potential.
-- D.S.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
08/20 (Very) Quickie
(1) Oklahoma is AP preseason No. 1: Hard to believe that 36 so-called college football experts who make up more than half of the AP college football poll actually believe that Oklahoma would beat Alabama in the national title game. Because that's what ranking OU No. 1 ahead of Alabama says.
(2) Peyton Manning's neck? Uh oh. If it's bad enough that Jim Irsay is tweeting about it and that Manning might miss the season opener, it's MUCH worse than you think it is.
(3) Get on the Beckwagon! Journeyman-to-starter Redskins QB John Beck might be the most intriguing player in the NFL this season.
(4) Oregon RB Lache Seastrunk -- at the heart of its recruiting scandal this summer with Willie Lyles -- has been granted his release to transfer. Both Oregon and Seastrunk are better off for it.
(5) So I was in DC last night but didn't go to the Nats game -- so I missed Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off grand slam to beat the Phillies...
...And I left this morning -- so I'm missing the "Capital Punishment" summer hoops showdown between the stars of DC's Goodman League (featuring Kevin Durant and John Wall) against the stars of LA's Drew League (featuring Brandon Jennings and James Harden), which is going to be one of the most unique basketball experiences of the past decade.
-- D.S.
(2) Peyton Manning's neck? Uh oh. If it's bad enough that Jim Irsay is tweeting about it and that Manning might miss the season opener, it's MUCH worse than you think it is.
(3) Get on the Beckwagon! Journeyman-to-starter Redskins QB John Beck might be the most intriguing player in the NFL this season.
(4) Oregon RB Lache Seastrunk -- at the heart of its recruiting scandal this summer with Willie Lyles -- has been granted his release to transfer. Both Oregon and Seastrunk are better off for it.
(5) So I was in DC last night but didn't go to the Nats game -- so I missed Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off grand slam to beat the Phillies...
...And I left this morning -- so I'm missing the "Capital Punishment" summer hoops showdown between the stars of DC's Goodman League (featuring Kevin Durant and John Wall) against the stars of LA's Drew League (featuring Brandon Jennings and James Harden), which is going to be one of the most unique basketball experiences of the past decade.
-- D.S.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
08/18 (Better Late Than) Quickie
(1) Day 2.5 of the Miami scandal. I'm less convinced they'll get the death penalty than yesterday; the fact that it's still remotely in the conversation remains staggering.
(2) NFL lets Terrelle Pryor in, but bans him for 5 games: This is kind of appalling. I'm with Craggs: In an ideal world, Pryor sues the NFL and makes them go to the mat on this. Then again, I'm so anti-NFL draft-eligibility rules as it is, I'm way too biased on this. But most seem to think this is absurd.
(3) Mike Vick article in GQ: The NFL denies they steered Vick from a starting gig in Cincy or Buffalo to 3rd-string (but more stability) in Philly. But Vick seems pretty happy with how things turned out -- as has Philly and Eagles fans (and, frankly, most of the rest of us).
(4) Georgetown brawl in China: Wha???
(5) Tim Tebow laughs at the Miami bounties on him: Of course he does.
More tomorrow a.m. Catch up on all the best of the day at Quickish.
-- D.S.
(2) NFL lets Terrelle Pryor in, but bans him for 5 games: This is kind of appalling. I'm with Craggs: In an ideal world, Pryor sues the NFL and makes them go to the mat on this. Then again, I'm so anti-NFL draft-eligibility rules as it is, I'm way too biased on this. But most seem to think this is absurd.
(3) Mike Vick article in GQ: The NFL denies they steered Vick from a starting gig in Cincy or Buffalo to 3rd-string (but more stability) in Philly. But Vick seems pretty happy with how things turned out -- as has Philly and Eagles fans (and, frankly, most of the rest of us).
(4) Georgetown brawl in China: Wha???
(5) Tim Tebow laughs at the Miami bounties on him: Of course he does.
More tomorrow a.m. Catch up on all the best of the day at Quickish.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
08/17 (The U!) Quickie
Yikes.
The scope of the news about Miami's runaway booster is jaw-dropping, but the real damage is in the details -- specific payouts, favors, bar tabs, hookers and more. Dozens upon dozens of players. (Coaches!) Not just "many players were involved" but 70-odd players specifically named, each with a page of specific details.
I never thought that the NCAA would be able to toss around the word "death penalty" again after the SMU debacle of the mid-1980s, but the conventional wisdom is that it is at least worth mentioning in the wake of last night's story being broken.
Mostly, it seems ludicrous that something this institutional could merit the old "reduction in scholarships" or "bowl ban" or "vacated wins." You have to wonder what the NCAA thought as they went through the allegations and evidence (or what they are thinking today).
(Quick sidebar: You also have to wonder what the Miami beat reporters have been doing for the past 10 years. It's not like Nevin Shapiro wasn't the most ostentatious booster around the program. He had a fight with the compliance director in the press box, for god's sake. I would make a point about recruiting "reporters" and how they had to have known, but they are closer to part of the problem than a watchdog keeping things honest.)
The point is that it's a really big story and it will likely subsume the storied Miami football program. If someone asked me for a percentage, I'd put it stronger than 50/50 that The U. gets the death penalty. Partly, it's because it's warranted; partly it's because the NCAA -- under so much fire from so many different angles -- will feel pressure to do it, to satisfy the blood lust from some corners for a poster program for the largely lawless excesses of college football.
It may take a season for everything to pull together -- and oh what a brutal season Miami is in store for, with every mention of the team being paired with "scandal!" -- but the hammer will come down.
(I've been trying to think of a way for the program to avoid a flat-out "your program is shut down" -- maybe a voluntary move to 1-AA for some number of seasons? God: Imagine what happens if they shut the program down and current Miami players are allowed to transfer to other schools without sitting out a year. Talk about a recruiting frenzy.)
Anyway, there's a ton going on -- over at Quickish, we're trying to help you keep up by curating out the best takes, columns and tweets and anything else, all day long. Pop by!
-- D.S.
The scope of the news about Miami's runaway booster is jaw-dropping, but the real damage is in the details -- specific payouts, favors, bar tabs, hookers and more. Dozens upon dozens of players. (Coaches!) Not just "many players were involved" but 70-odd players specifically named, each with a page of specific details.
I never thought that the NCAA would be able to toss around the word "death penalty" again after the SMU debacle of the mid-1980s, but the conventional wisdom is that it is at least worth mentioning in the wake of last night's story being broken.
Mostly, it seems ludicrous that something this institutional could merit the old "reduction in scholarships" or "bowl ban" or "vacated wins." You have to wonder what the NCAA thought as they went through the allegations and evidence (or what they are thinking today).
(Quick sidebar: You also have to wonder what the Miami beat reporters have been doing for the past 10 years. It's not like Nevin Shapiro wasn't the most ostentatious booster around the program. He had a fight with the compliance director in the press box, for god's sake. I would make a point about recruiting "reporters" and how they had to have known, but they are closer to part of the problem than a watchdog keeping things honest.)
The point is that it's a really big story and it will likely subsume the storied Miami football program. If someone asked me for a percentage, I'd put it stronger than 50/50 that The U. gets the death penalty. Partly, it's because it's warranted; partly it's because the NCAA -- under so much fire from so many different angles -- will feel pressure to do it, to satisfy the blood lust from some corners for a poster program for the largely lawless excesses of college football.
It may take a season for everything to pull together -- and oh what a brutal season Miami is in store for, with every mention of the team being paired with "scandal!" -- but the hammer will come down.
(I've been trying to think of a way for the program to avoid a flat-out "your program is shut down" -- maybe a voluntary move to 1-AA for some number of seasons? God: Imagine what happens if they shut the program down and current Miami players are allowed to transfer to other schools without sitting out a year. Talk about a recruiting frenzy.)
Anyway, there's a ton going on -- over at Quickish, we're trying to help you keep up by curating out the best takes, columns and tweets and anything else, all day long. Pop by!
-- D.S.
Monday, August 15, 2011
On Jim Thome's 600th HR
There's something I've been dabbling with over the past few years -- it's sort of like a "bucket list" for athletes: The ones I really want to see in person before they retire.
It started a couple years ago when I was in Denver and had the chance to see Allen Iverson play in person for the first time.
Now, AI was at the tail end of his career -- it didn't matter, he was still mesmerizing in person. The Nuggets were playing the Cavs and even LeBron didn't captivate me like watching Iverson.
Jim Thome is one of those legendary players -- and whose legend will only increase with time, as fewer and fewer players join the "600 HR Club" -- I didn't appreciate until recently. I certainly appreciate it even more now that he has hit that 600th.
I just tweeted out a link to an SI cover story by Posnanski from last September about Thome (here it is). That helped, as great sportswriting often does.
I didn't come to appreciate Thome until far too late in his career - a career that might be over relatively soon. I'd like to see him play in person.
There is a list of baseball players I'd like to see play in person. Many/most are (or could be) eventual Hall of Famers. Some I have already seen -- Jeter, Chipper, Papi, Tulo.
Other players who make the list:
*Albert Pujols
*Roy Halladay
*Tim Lincecum
*Justin Verlander
*Lance Berkman
*Prince Fielder
*Adrian Gonzalez
*Ryan Braun
*Joey Votto
*Robinson Cano
*Justin Upton
*Jose Reyes
*Cliff Lee
*CC Sabathia
*Felix Hernandez
I think there are some -- like Pujols, possibly Berkman, probably Lincecum and Verlander -- that we can all agree on. Otherwise, lists like this get very personalized. You want to see Chase Utley and couldn't care less about Justin Upton -- more power to you.
I'd love to see them -- particularly the pitchers -- at the height of their powers, rather than the downside. For some, that's a multi-year window; for others, it's closing. And for others, like Berkman, I just want to see before my opportunity to do so evaporates with their retirement.
But for now, I am thinking about Jim Thome, the gigantic number that is "600" and how I wish I had caught him in person along the way.
-- D.S.
PS: Scanning the list of potential "600" club members in the future, Pujols obviously could make it (437 career HR). Adam Dunn looked like he might have had a shot (365), but not after this season. Mark Teixeira is over 300 and is "only" 31 -- that means he has to hit as many HR between age 31 and 40 as he did between age 22 and 31... yikes. Ryan Howard is only at 279 and is already 31. Miguel Cabrera is at 270 and is only 28 -- he has a shot. Prince Fielder has 219 and is 27; it is crazy to think that if he hits 35 HR a year for the next TEN years, he still falls 30 short. Ryan Braun is 27, too, and has "only" 150 career HR. Matt Kemp is 26 and has 117. Jay Bruce has 94 and is 24; let's see if he can put up 30 a year for the next three years and put himself around 200 by age 27. For half these guys, they'll be impossibly lucky to hit *500.*
The lesson is clear: You need to start your career early, hit home runs often and have a career that lasts until you are 40. You need longevity just as much as you need power: 30 home runs a year for 20 years. Absurdly, beyond Pujols and Cabrera, the most "realistic" candidate is Bryce Harper, who has 30-HR-a-year power and could make the majors at age 19. All the others simply fall off the pace too quickly, either from their age or lack of production or both.
It's when you look at the current prospects that you gain an even greater appreciation for Thome entering that "600" club (or even guys in the 500 Club, like Frank Thomas and Gary Sheffield, or not-quite-500 Club, like Fred McGriff, who had 493, or Carlos Delgado, who had 473. And it makes Pujols' 437 that much more awe-inspiring. Might have to go see Pujols play a few times.
-- D.S.
It started a couple years ago when I was in Denver and had the chance to see Allen Iverson play in person for the first time.
Now, AI was at the tail end of his career -- it didn't matter, he was still mesmerizing in person. The Nuggets were playing the Cavs and even LeBron didn't captivate me like watching Iverson.
Jim Thome is one of those legendary players -- and whose legend will only increase with time, as fewer and fewer players join the "600 HR Club" -- I didn't appreciate until recently. I certainly appreciate it even more now that he has hit that 600th.
I just tweeted out a link to an SI cover story by Posnanski from last September about Thome (here it is). That helped, as great sportswriting often does.
I didn't come to appreciate Thome until far too late in his career - a career that might be over relatively soon. I'd like to see him play in person.
There is a list of baseball players I'd like to see play in person. Many/most are (or could be) eventual Hall of Famers. Some I have already seen -- Jeter, Chipper, Papi, Tulo.
Other players who make the list:
*Albert Pujols
*Roy Halladay
*Tim Lincecum
*Justin Verlander
*Lance Berkman
*Prince Fielder
*Adrian Gonzalez
*Ryan Braun
*Joey Votto
*Robinson Cano
*Justin Upton
*Jose Reyes
*Cliff Lee
*CC Sabathia
*Felix Hernandez
I think there are some -- like Pujols, possibly Berkman, probably Lincecum and Verlander -- that we can all agree on. Otherwise, lists like this get very personalized. You want to see Chase Utley and couldn't care less about Justin Upton -- more power to you.
I'd love to see them -- particularly the pitchers -- at the height of their powers, rather than the downside. For some, that's a multi-year window; for others, it's closing. And for others, like Berkman, I just want to see before my opportunity to do so evaporates with their retirement.
But for now, I am thinking about Jim Thome, the gigantic number that is "600" and how I wish I had caught him in person along the way.
-- D.S.
PS: Scanning the list of potential "600" club members in the future, Pujols obviously could make it (437 career HR). Adam Dunn looked like he might have had a shot (365), but not after this season. Mark Teixeira is over 300 and is "only" 31 -- that means he has to hit as many HR between age 31 and 40 as he did between age 22 and 31... yikes. Ryan Howard is only at 279 and is already 31. Miguel Cabrera is at 270 and is only 28 -- he has a shot. Prince Fielder has 219 and is 27; it is crazy to think that if he hits 35 HR a year for the next TEN years, he still falls 30 short. Ryan Braun is 27, too, and has "only" 150 career HR. Matt Kemp is 26 and has 117. Jay Bruce has 94 and is 24; let's see if he can put up 30 a year for the next three years and put himself around 200 by age 27. For half these guys, they'll be impossibly lucky to hit *500.*
The lesson is clear: You need to start your career early, hit home runs often and have a career that lasts until you are 40. You need longevity just as much as you need power: 30 home runs a year for 20 years. Absurdly, beyond Pujols and Cabrera, the most "realistic" candidate is Bryce Harper, who has 30-HR-a-year power and could make the majors at age 19. All the others simply fall off the pace too quickly, either from their age or lack of production or both.
It's when you look at the current prospects that you gain an even greater appreciation for Thome entering that "600" club (or even guys in the 500 Club, like Frank Thomas and Gary Sheffield, or not-quite-500 Club, like Fred McGriff, who had 493, or Carlos Delgado, who had 473. And it makes Pujols' 437 that much more awe-inspiring. Might have to go see Pujols play a few times.
-- D.S.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
08/14 (A&M) Quickie
I just can't get agitated ("aggie-tated?") about the idea of Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, even if it triggers all sorts of other things that impacts conferences all over the place.
I'm not sure why the fixation on college football as some sort of runaway train mis-managed by conference commissioners suddenly happened now.
Why not last summer, when Nebraska, Utah and Colorado all moved? Why not when the ACC poached BC and Miami from the Big East? Why not when the Big 12 was formed? Why not when Penn State joined the Big Ten? Why not when the SEC created a playoff game?
The folks who seem aghast at the latest like to fall back on decrying the end of college football "tradition." But nothing has been more core to college football's tradition than the loose confederation of conferences basically doing what is in their best interests, whether that means poaching teams or creating playoff games or creating their own TV networks or schmoozing with corrupt bowl committees or creating a championship cabal. That IS college football tradition.
When you look back on all the "us-first" moves over the past 20 years, almost all of them have actually been pretty good for fans and pretty good for the game (at worst, value-neutral).
Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC doesn't erode the fabric of college football. The Longhorn Network doesn't erode the fabric of college football. The SEC poaching a 14th (or even 15th and 16th) member doesn't erode the fabric of college football. Anymore than Ohio State or USC's scandals eroded college football.
The game is so much stronger than that, and it is surprising to see so many really smart college football pundits so bearish about the game, when historical precedent -- not to mention last season's TV ratings -- prove otherwise so conclusively.
Is it a shame if Texas and A&M stop playing each other? Sure. But that result appears to be from Texas pouting, more than anything else; its alums should DEMAND the annual game against A&M continue. Is it kind of ironic if A&M gets walloped in the SEC? No one will cry for the Aggies.
I just can't stress this enough: In reality, college football is better than it has ever been. The elite teams are awesome. The mid-tier teams are competitive. The best players are thrilling. The coaching is phenomenal. The TV numbers are huge. The games are fun. And the system -- for all its flaws -- still means that every week matters in a way that is unique in sports.
Conference realignment -- Texas A&M to the SEC, specifically -- is a distraction, maybe, at a moment when we should be entirely focused on the upcoming season. But it is hardly the signal of some larger infrastructural problem with the sport. Not when it is more popular than ever.
(UPDATE: SEC folks met and decided against extending an offer to Texas A&M... for now, at least. All the more reason for people to just chill out that the sky is falling.)
-- D.S.
I'm not sure why the fixation on college football as some sort of runaway train mis-managed by conference commissioners suddenly happened now.
Why not last summer, when Nebraska, Utah and Colorado all moved? Why not when the ACC poached BC and Miami from the Big East? Why not when the Big 12 was formed? Why not when Penn State joined the Big Ten? Why not when the SEC created a playoff game?
The folks who seem aghast at the latest like to fall back on decrying the end of college football "tradition." But nothing has been more core to college football's tradition than the loose confederation of conferences basically doing what is in their best interests, whether that means poaching teams or creating playoff games or creating their own TV networks or schmoozing with corrupt bowl committees or creating a championship cabal. That IS college football tradition.
When you look back on all the "us-first" moves over the past 20 years, almost all of them have actually been pretty good for fans and pretty good for the game (at worst, value-neutral).
Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC doesn't erode the fabric of college football. The Longhorn Network doesn't erode the fabric of college football. The SEC poaching a 14th (or even 15th and 16th) member doesn't erode the fabric of college football. Anymore than Ohio State or USC's scandals eroded college football.
The game is so much stronger than that, and it is surprising to see so many really smart college football pundits so bearish about the game, when historical precedent -- not to mention last season's TV ratings -- prove otherwise so conclusively.
Is it a shame if Texas and A&M stop playing each other? Sure. But that result appears to be from Texas pouting, more than anything else; its alums should DEMAND the annual game against A&M continue. Is it kind of ironic if A&M gets walloped in the SEC? No one will cry for the Aggies.
I just can't stress this enough: In reality, college football is better than it has ever been. The elite teams are awesome. The mid-tier teams are competitive. The best players are thrilling. The coaching is phenomenal. The TV numbers are huge. The games are fun. And the system -- for all its flaws -- still means that every week matters in a way that is unique in sports.
Conference realignment -- Texas A&M to the SEC, specifically -- is a distraction, maybe, at a moment when we should be entirely focused on the upcoming season. But it is hardly the signal of some larger infrastructural problem with the sport. Not when it is more popular than ever.
(UPDATE: SEC folks met and decided against extending an offer to Texas A&M... for now, at least. All the more reason for people to just chill out that the sky is falling.)
-- D.S.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Time for SEC to "SEC-ede" From BCS
Here's what I'd like to see. It's very simple:
(1) SEC expands from 12 to 16 teams.
(2) SEC withdraws from the BCS cabal.
(3) SEC sets up its own 8-team end-of-season conference playoff, running over three weekends: The quarterfinals run the 1st Saturday of December, usually reserved for the SEC title game; the semifinals are on New Year's Day. The title game is a week later, directly competing with the BCS title game.
(4) SEC sells the 7-game playoff package to a TV network for $500 million dollars, keeps all of the revenue for the conference (rather than giving away BCS millions to the other leagues). Option open to split the package between current TV partners CBS and ESPN.
(5) SEC crowns its playoff champ, implicitly defying the anti-BCS AP pollsters to nullify the SEC's playoff system by picking a different, non-SEC, BCS team as national champ.
Only one conference -- the SEC -- has the credibility, clout and commissioner to pull this off. And they should.
This post is the evolution of an idea I first suggested in November 2008.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Predictably -- and as they did three years ago -- lots of people hate the idea. (But I'll bet SEC commissioner Mike Slive doesn't necessarily hate it!)
(1) SEC expands from 12 to 16 teams.
(2) SEC withdraws from the BCS cabal.
(3) SEC sets up its own 8-team end-of-season conference playoff, running over three weekends: The quarterfinals run the 1st Saturday of December, usually reserved for the SEC title game; the semifinals are on New Year's Day. The title game is a week later, directly competing with the BCS title game.
(4) SEC sells the 7-game playoff package to a TV network for $500 million dollars, keeps all of the revenue for the conference (rather than giving away BCS millions to the other leagues). Option open to split the package between current TV partners CBS and ESPN.
(5) SEC crowns its playoff champ, implicitly defying the anti-BCS AP pollsters to nullify the SEC's playoff system by picking a different, non-SEC, BCS team as national champ.
Only one conference -- the SEC -- has the credibility, clout and commissioner to pull this off. And they should.
This post is the evolution of an idea I first suggested in November 2008.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Predictably -- and as they did three years ago -- lots of people hate the idea. (But I'll bet SEC commissioner Mike Slive doesn't necessarily hate it!)
08/13 (Very) Quickie
*Texas A&M to the SEC: It's going to happen, even if nothing is official yet. It should happen Monday. The SEC will be deliberate in adding a 14th team (and perhaps, down the line, No. 15 and 16). VA Tech says they don't want in, but you know if asked, they'd want in.
*Big Ten & Pac-12 OK with "Plus-One" CFB playoff format? If you thought there was an outcry finding the Top 2 teams in the country -- and, let's be honest, it's been way easier than not -- you cannot imagine the shitstorm when trying to distinguish between No. 3-4 and Nos. 5-8+. Critics don't think it can get worse than the current system; it can get worse.
(UPDATE: Apparently, Big Ten commish Jim Delany is NOT down with the "Plus-One," as he hasn't been for forever and which made the story kind of sketchy to begin with.)
*NFL last night: (1) Julio Jones is going to be very very good... (2) The Bengals are going to be terrible (and Andy Dalton looks like he'll have a rough go of it this season)... (3) If the choice is Team Rex or Team Beck, I'd like to see Grossman start for the Redskins. More fun, if nothing else.
*Tiger misses the cut: Didn't think his malaise could get worse? This is the worst yet. If people hadn't already written him off, this would be really humiliating.
*Dan Uggla streak hits 32: I'm rooting for him to continue it, if only because it only feels like it'll get interesting once he hits the 40s.
*Carlos Zambrano wants to retire: Meh, let him.
*Hoop Hall inductions: As expected, Rodman stole the show, but more for his heartfelt speech than his typically freaky appearance.
*Bryce Harper hits a walk-off HR: And the incident at home plate earlier this week is instantly forgotten. (Meanwhile, Stephen Strasburg looked good in another rehab assignment.)
*Ravens trade for Lee Evans: Predicting the huge year we've all been predicting for Evans for season after season after season...
If you're out having fun today, pop by Quickish and we'll be sure you are caught up on anything big/fun that happens.
-- D.S.
*Big Ten & Pac-12 OK with "Plus-One" CFB playoff format? If you thought there was an outcry finding the Top 2 teams in the country -- and, let's be honest, it's been way easier than not -- you cannot imagine the shitstorm when trying to distinguish between No. 3-4 and Nos. 5-8+. Critics don't think it can get worse than the current system; it can get worse.
(UPDATE: Apparently, Big Ten commish Jim Delany is NOT down with the "Plus-One," as he hasn't been for forever and which made the story kind of sketchy to begin with.)
*NFL last night: (1) Julio Jones is going to be very very good... (2) The Bengals are going to be terrible (and Andy Dalton looks like he'll have a rough go of it this season)... (3) If the choice is Team Rex or Team Beck, I'd like to see Grossman start for the Redskins. More fun, if nothing else.
*Tiger misses the cut: Didn't think his malaise could get worse? This is the worst yet. If people hadn't already written him off, this would be really humiliating.
*Dan Uggla streak hits 32: I'm rooting for him to continue it, if only because it only feels like it'll get interesting once he hits the 40s.
*Carlos Zambrano wants to retire: Meh, let him.
*Hoop Hall inductions: As expected, Rodman stole the show, but more for his heartfelt speech than his typically freaky appearance.
*Bryce Harper hits a walk-off HR: And the incident at home plate earlier this week is instantly forgotten. (Meanwhile, Stephen Strasburg looked good in another rehab assignment.)
*Ravens trade for Lee Evans: Predicting the huge year we've all been predicting for Evans for season after season after season...
If you're out having fun today, pop by Quickish and we'll be sure you are caught up on anything big/fun that happens.
-- D.S.
Friday, August 12, 2011
08/12 (NFL is Back) Quickie
Yet another unintended consequence of the NFL Lockout: Last night's preseason openers were more widely anticipated and embraced than any preseason games in NFL history.
*The Eagles looked good, which only affirms the expectations for them.
*Tim Tebow didn't fail, which only shows that when his critics create low expectations for him, it only makes it that much easier for him to exceed them. (TimTeblog analysis here.)
*Otherwise, it was just enough football to make fans giddy over the real games starting in a few weeks.
More on the radar:
*Texas A&M to the SEC? It's absurd this didn't happen a year ago, but that was pre-"Longhorn Network," which was apparently the final straw for TAMU to bolt the Big 12 for the SEC.
From here, the SEC will need another team to add in (Oklahoma? Unlikely. Missouri? Maybe, but unlikely. Florida State? Not if Florida has any say. Virginia Tech? Possibly.)
As for the Big 12, they will have to scramble to fend off what will inevitably be a strong push from the Pac-12 to snag Oklahoma (and OK St, plus others).
*Basketball Hall of Fame: Fun class tonight, headlined by Dennis Rodman, the greatest rebounder in NBA history -- and one of its top 5 most interesting characters.
*Justin Verlander wins 17th: It's neck-and-neck between he and Weaver for the AL Cy race. But, wow, Verlander is on the short list of players that you really should see in person so you can say you did when he's a Hall of Famer.
*Tiger stinks: It's worth repeating -- Tiger struggling is vastly more interesting than Tiger dominating. We're all rubber-necking at this point.
*Ohio State faces NCAA panel today for Tressel infractions: Don't hold your breath that the NCAA will come down hard on OSU. Can't wait to hear the way Tressel slithers in and out of his answers to the committee.
Should be a fun day -- and weekend -- on Quickish. Pop by!
-- D.S.
*The Eagles looked good, which only affirms the expectations for them.
*Tim Tebow didn't fail, which only shows that when his critics create low expectations for him, it only makes it that much easier for him to exceed them. (TimTeblog analysis here.)
*Otherwise, it was just enough football to make fans giddy over the real games starting in a few weeks.
More on the radar:
*Texas A&M to the SEC? It's absurd this didn't happen a year ago, but that was pre-"Longhorn Network," which was apparently the final straw for TAMU to bolt the Big 12 for the SEC.
From here, the SEC will need another team to add in (Oklahoma? Unlikely. Missouri? Maybe, but unlikely. Florida State? Not if Florida has any say. Virginia Tech? Possibly.)
As for the Big 12, they will have to scramble to fend off what will inevitably be a strong push from the Pac-12 to snag Oklahoma (and OK St, plus others).
*Basketball Hall of Fame: Fun class tonight, headlined by Dennis Rodman, the greatest rebounder in NBA history -- and one of its top 5 most interesting characters.
*Justin Verlander wins 17th: It's neck-and-neck between he and Weaver for the AL Cy race. But, wow, Verlander is on the short list of players that you really should see in person so you can say you did when he's a Hall of Famer.
*Tiger stinks: It's worth repeating -- Tiger struggling is vastly more interesting than Tiger dominating. We're all rubber-necking at this point.
*Ohio State faces NCAA panel today for Tressel infractions: Don't hold your breath that the NCAA will come down hard on OSU. Can't wait to hear the way Tressel slithers in and out of his answers to the committee.
Should be a fun day -- and weekend -- on Quickish. Pop by!
-- D.S.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
08/10 (Good Reads) Quickie
It's surprisingly slow in sports today -- presume that picks up tonight with Klinsmann's debut with the USMNT and tomorrow night with the first NFL preseason games -- but there are a bunch of really good reads from this week's SI that I recommended on Quickish yesterday and today:
*The story about the Auburn trees at Toomer's Corner.
*A profile of Dustin Pedroia.
*A profile of fascinating MLB prospect Trevor Bauer.
All three are great -- worth bookmarking or Instapapering for reading at lunchtime or downtime or over the weekend.
Unrelated to sports: As always, you've got to read Michael Lewis in Vanity Fair writing about the economy -- this time, about Germany.
More on Quickish all day.
-- D.S.
*The story about the Auburn trees at Toomer's Corner.
*A profile of Dustin Pedroia.
*A profile of fascinating MLB prospect Trevor Bauer.
All three are great -- worth bookmarking or Instapapering for reading at lunchtime or downtime or over the weekend.
Unrelated to sports: As always, you've got to read Michael Lewis in Vanity Fair writing about the economy -- this time, about Germany.
More on Quickish all day.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
08/09 (Bearish) Quickie
A few extraneous thoughts while the U.S. economy collapses (again)...
*Just can't get outraged about Steve Williams somehow overstepping his bounds. On the contrary: Isn't it refreshing to have someone trash-talk Tiger so openly?
*Here's the thing about Roy Halladay and the Phillies: All the regular-season success in the world won't mean anything if the Phillies don't win the World Series (and I think they know it).
*Love that CFB practices are underway. (Obviously, I had a very high tolerance for all the love for Florida on ESPN yesterday.) Working on my Top 25 and my unifying theory of the season.
*FWIW, Lions rookie RB Mikel Leshoure was going to be one of my lock-solid fantasy football sleeper picks (which always includes my fetish for undervalued rookie RBs and WRs).
*How about Ricky Williams on the Ravens? That team has consistently brutalized fantasy GMs -- you think Ray Rice is The Guy, then one of the RBs gets all the touches near the goal-line.
*Tim Tebow listed at No. 2 on the Broncos' QB depth chart: Should include a caveat "(For now.)"
*Oh, is it really so bad that Real Madrid signed a 7-year-old? Let's put it this way: It is more economically and strategically irrational to have artificial age-limits than it is NOT to.
*Here's a slow clap for 61-year-old Diana Nyad, who had to give up her attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida after the seas wouldn't give her a fair shot.
Be sure to check out Quickish today, all day long!
-- D.S.
*Just can't get outraged about Steve Williams somehow overstepping his bounds. On the contrary: Isn't it refreshing to have someone trash-talk Tiger so openly?
*Here's the thing about Roy Halladay and the Phillies: All the regular-season success in the world won't mean anything if the Phillies don't win the World Series (and I think they know it).
*Love that CFB practices are underway. (Obviously, I had a very high tolerance for all the love for Florida on ESPN yesterday.) Working on my Top 25 and my unifying theory of the season.
*FWIW, Lions rookie RB Mikel Leshoure was going to be one of my lock-solid fantasy football sleeper picks (which always includes my fetish for undervalued rookie RBs and WRs).
*How about Ricky Williams on the Ravens? That team has consistently brutalized fantasy GMs -- you think Ray Rice is The Guy, then one of the RBs gets all the touches near the goal-line.
*Tim Tebow listed at No. 2 on the Broncos' QB depth chart: Should include a caveat "(For now.)"
*Oh, is it really so bad that Real Madrid signed a 7-year-old? Let's put it this way: It is more economically and strategically irrational to have artificial age-limits than it is NOT to.
*Here's a slow clap for 61-year-old Diana Nyad, who had to give up her attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida after the seas wouldn't give her a fair shot.
Be sure to check out Quickish today, all day long!
-- D.S.
Monday, August 08, 2011
08/08 (Monday) Quickie
Steve Williams seems like kind of a dick, but I can't help but appreciate him tweaking Tiger Woods yesterday after he carried Adam Scott's bag to a WGC title. (No one else has the wherewithal to insult Tiger, so to me, this feels refreshing, even if it's coming from a jerk.)
Great Football HOF ceremony -- the Sabol intro video, the emotional Sharpe speech, Deion's showmanship (including tying that bandana to his odd-looking HOF bust).
Red Sox solve Rivera, beats Yankees in 10: I just can't get too worked up about any result between the Yankees and Red Sox in August -- not when both teams feel like locks for the playoffs.
Stephen Strasburg Watch: 4 Ks in a bit less than 2 IP. He gave up a HR among three hits allowed, but no walks. It's going to be fun watch him get back up in September.
Oscar Pistorius has been picked to participate in the track and field world championships in late August: Not the Paralympics -- the one for able-bodied athletes, becoming the first disabled athlete to run in a mainstream world championships. Predicting this will be a huge "must-see" moment for sports fans.
Atlanta Hawks sold: The presumption here is that the team will inevitably get moved, no matter what the new owner says about their intentions. That franchise is stuck: It won't break into the East (let alone NBA) elite, but has too much invested in its top-tier players to rebuild.
ESPN "all-access" at Florida today for football practice? Yes, please.
Today feels like a "dog days of August" moment -- rooting for something interesting to break.
Keep up with all the interesting stuff at Quickish.
-- D.S.
Great Football HOF ceremony -- the Sabol intro video, the emotional Sharpe speech, Deion's showmanship (including tying that bandana to his odd-looking HOF bust).
Red Sox solve Rivera, beats Yankees in 10: I just can't get too worked up about any result between the Yankees and Red Sox in August -- not when both teams feel like locks for the playoffs.
Stephen Strasburg Watch: 4 Ks in a bit less than 2 IP. He gave up a HR among three hits allowed, but no walks. It's going to be fun watch him get back up in September.
Oscar Pistorius has been picked to participate in the track and field world championships in late August: Not the Paralympics -- the one for able-bodied athletes, becoming the first disabled athlete to run in a mainstream world championships. Predicting this will be a huge "must-see" moment for sports fans.
Atlanta Hawks sold: The presumption here is that the team will inevitably get moved, no matter what the new owner says about their intentions. That franchise is stuck: It won't break into the East (let alone NBA) elite, but has too much invested in its top-tier players to rebuild.
ESPN "all-access" at Florida today for football practice? Yes, please.
Today feels like a "dog days of August" moment -- rooting for something interesting to break.
Keep up with all the interesting stuff at Quickish.
-- D.S.
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