Random Sports Thoughts

My prediction on the NFL's Competition committee

Everyone who knows the NFL knows that the parity is the intended consequence of any rule change. Their dream is to make all 32 teams 8-8 so that every game to the last week will be meaningful. For the most part they have succeeded.

However there is a human unintended consequence of the salary cap. First came the "hometown discount". This meant that superstars with more money than God would take less than they could make with a lesser franchise in order to make room in the salary cap so the team could hire more talent. The next phenomena is well established superstars taking huge pay cuts to come and play for a winner. In 2007, the perfect storm has developed in New England. Adelius Thomas, Randy Moss and other took less money to play for Bellichick and company. Thus that season, the Patriots were so much better than nearly any opponent that is was laughable.

I predict that the competition committee will not sit quietly on this one. I believe that they institute something that will regulate the hometown discount. They will assign elite players a level. Any player placed in this elite level by the NFL must be paid a minimal salary and cannot be traded for anything but a 1st round draft pick. This would keep several superstars from flocking to one team on minimal salaries so as to win a championship.

Don't put it past the socialists on the competition committee to consider this.


Manny smarter than he knows

Well they said it was just Manny being Manny. Several local news types tried to make a scandal out of it. I thought it was brilliant. It was brilliant because it was not meant to be brilliant thus it was childlike and honest.

After the 3rd straight loss to the Indians in the ALCS, Red Sox nation was feeling pretty bad and beginning to pack things in for the year. The Red Sox were not hitting and incredibly uptight. Then came Manny. In a nonchalant interview Manny said "If it doesn't happen, who cares? ... There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

This comment from one of their leaders brought it all home and brought reality back to the team. One of the reasons that Ramirez is so good is because he does not make baseball life and death. He enjoys it. The comments he made changed the collective psyche of the entire team. From that point on the team was looser and having fun.

I believe that was the turning point for the team and Ramirez should get credit for the unintended consequences of his comment.


Sweet and Sour World Series victory

Yes I am happy that our beloved Red Sox won it all again. I cried in '75, '78 and '86. '04 and '07 have been quite a remedy for all of those years.

However something has evolved in MLB that I think is very unhealthy. Started by the Yankees, big market teams have begun spending what money they make. Small market teams in no way can afford to do this. Thus there is an elite group of cities; New York, Boston, LA and Chicago that can afford to spend exorbitant amounts of money on free agents while smaller market cities hope for the best. In 2007 the Red Sox beat the Indians of Cleveland and the Rockies of Denver. Both of these small market teams had team salaries of around $60M. So together their team salaries in 2007 were about $115M. The Red Sox player salaries in 2007 total $143M. OK maybe if the Rockies and Indians could combine their best players and maybe add a $30M in superstars then I would feel better about this victory.

Until then I say a salary cap in MLB is the way to go.