- 06:15 PM
- 05/24/13
For what it's worth, I have no idea if Buchholz is loading the ball or not.
See that's the thing - nobody really has an idea until a review is done. If the hitters who are facing it don't think it's out of the ordinary, then I can't say I do either. Calling for a ball to be checked is a no-downside move for any coach and yet it still hasn't been done.
I heard some of Morris' calls for the Twins - the guy absolutely loves himself, and is evolving into one of those "in my day baseball was better" types. His personal crusade to fix the game himself is not terribly surprising - I suspect he's got a "nobody else cares the way I care" kind of mental streak going on.
posted by dfleming at 04:41 PM on May 03
It's a classic results-oriented suspension - the hit on Eller was a lot less a direct target for the head than Ference, but because Eller hit the ice and there was blood everywhere, the NHL tries to protect its reputation as doing something about violence by punishing Gyrba more.
If the NHL wants to outlaw hits on defenceless players, it should just do that - but the system they have now sits a guy who aimed at the head less than one who incidentally hit it - and that's not going to achieve very good results.
posted by dfleming at 04:32 PM on May 03
That is a thing of beauty. Those guys are having a ball. Rally car drivers do have life figured out.
posted by dfleming at 10:17 AM on May 03
Zach Lowe has another great piece on the NBA and the increasing value of wing players who can score and defend since the change in the illegal defense rule.
That really is a fantastic article. Thanks for sharing.
posted by dfleming at 11:06 AM on May 02
I agree with what you said, but anonymous, totally unsourced reports on ESPN's ticker last night said at least one team had contacted him about playing a role other than QB and he turned them down.
And if that's true, I take back what I said - to play a true unsung hero kind of role, you have to be able to handle that you're not the show.
If he's still living under the notion that there's a full-time QB job for him out there, he's going to need to come to terms or just disappear.
That probably means the Patriots sign him tomorrow.
If it's a non-guaranteed contract, there's really nothing to lose - maybe he can't catch a pass, maybe he doesn't like to block, maybe he's put on weight and is slow. The Pats are probably the one team (due to their "don't tell anyone about anything ever" policy) who can starve a media frenzy, although I also don't think that there's a scenario you could sell Brady where he's not on the field - so I don't see how he'd fit and have a better skill-set at one position than anyone else.
He's probably bound for the Arena league, in part because any team in their right mind signs him to sell tickets, regardless of what he does on the field. The CFL makes no sense.
posted by dfleming at 04:32 PM on April 30
I just don't see offenses putting the effort into what you're describing unless the results were huge, and I don't think they would be.
There are still teams who run the Wildcat from time to time - despite the fact it isn't a high impact scheme. A number of teams every year struggle to put up points conventionally, so it's not like gimmicks are a non-starter.
From the outside, it doesn't seem like New York really made a go of trying to build a Tebow profile - but a more creative offensive coordinator might have a role for him. Outside of the Jets locker room, I don't think anyone thought Greg McElroy was a more game-ready quarterback than Tebow, yet they used him.
I think about occasional gimmicks like Mike Vrabel playing TE on goal-line situations - smart teams can find a way to design plays around a unique skill-set. I don't see Tebow as a star, but another weapon to force defences to spread their attention a little wider in preparation? That's not a bad thing to add if he's in the mindset not to just be a QB.
posted by dfleming at 08:00 AM on April 30
I read one analysis that says Tebow's problem is that he is highly skilled, but no one of his skills is good enough to fill a position in the NFL that uses that particular skill.
It seems more likely that the skill-set he intends to use (throwing the ball primarily) is not the same one that teams may be interested in.
A hybrid FB/TE, special teams guy, who could occasionally throw a pass would be an interesting asset to have. Kind of like a wildcat+ scenario where you could run two-back sets with no quarterback, where he could:
- Go in motion to block at the line of scrimmage for another back to run Wildcat;
- Hand the ball off to another runner and lead block;
- Run with the ball himself;
- Throw the ball out of the pocket;
- Read/option and run the kind of broken plays that he thrived on in Denver.
It would be nighmarish to have to scheme for that a few times a game. He'd just have to agree that it's his best suited role and not as a starting QB.
posted by dfleming at 06:50 PM on April 29
You can also ask Mike Wallace. Nice start to your Dolphins career - the team needing to distance itself from you publicly.
posted by dfleming at 05:18 PM on April 29
Awesome. Hope this has a cascading effect.
posted by dfleming at 02:21 PM on April 29
The NBA has a real opportunity here to become the truly progressive major sport in North America - if a suite of superstars comes out and supports Jason, it'd be a real step forward and would put pressure on other sports and stars to do the same.
Courageous guy.
posted by dfleming at 01:53 PM on April 29
Oh, still here? Unless I missed something in my totally cursory glance at the article or I'm not seeing something in your comment, there's no adjustment for the number of players/ games/ etc.
From the article:
Previous studies have shown that football has nearly twice the injury rate as the next most popular sport, basketball.
Rate implies that it's not just about volume.
posted by dfleming at 03:32 PM on April 25
Samuel Dalembert expresses an interest in signing with one of the teams in his current playoff series, but not the one you'd expect.
posted by dfleming at 11:39 AM on April 23
I get where he was trying to go, but he was totally stupid about building his analogy.
Cooke getting nominated is a farce - the guy was likely one dirty hit away from at least a year away from the game - or a lifetime ban if the NHL was really worried about its image. He saw the writing on the wall.
So I don't really applaud Cooke for changing his game - it was a product of survival. Sean Avery didn't evolve and he disappeared. Cooke was always an effective hockey player and 19 goals is not so far out of his existing production (he scored 15 twice and his team is stacked with offensive talent) that I see anything other than the occasional nasty hit has changed. He's still an effective hustle guy.
Ron Harris, who by all accounts hit Bill Masterton cleanly, 35 years later was still haunted by it. I haven't seen Cooke interviewed much lately, but I wonder how he feels about the Savard hit today - he didn't kill him, but by all accounts his whole life is different. It would've been nice (and maybe it happened but I didn't see it) to have seen a mea culpa not only from him, but from the NHL for their failure to protect Savard, before he got the inspirational NHL award.
posted by dfleming at 02:14 PM on April 22
I can't believe Madden outlived him. RIP.
posted by dfleming at 08:25 PM on April 16
I also saw a Yankees <3 Red Sox logo somewhere. It's heart-warming to know that people can recognize where rivalries end and partnerships begin.
posted by dfleming at 10:20 AM on April 16
CNN has a story - but is careful not to call anyone a suspect yet.
posted by dfleming at 09:48 AM on April 16
More violent times? Less violent times? Who really knows.
People with data know. Did you read Grum's article?
Because I'm not on the spot to witness, first-hand, the carnage and devastation doesn't mean I don't sincerely feel for the innocent people who, in this case, were taking part in a running race, but wound up seeing others badly hurt or worse.
People who made a dark joke a few weeks ago can also feel empathy too. I, for one, find humour to be a pretty good coping mechanism for a world that doesn't make a lot of sense sometimes, and it's part of my grieving process as much as overreacting is part of yours. No one is more or less insensitive.
posted by dfleming at 07:14 AM on April 16
From this CNN article, the accuser netted $1.5M in civil penalties for the alleged rape from the local school district.
Hell has a special place for people who are not only willing to send an innocent man to jail, but also are willing to express "concern" at returning money they effectively stole from a school district.
posted by dfleming at 02:51 PM on April 04
I wonder how little action it would take for TSN to do away with the insane amount of coverage they do for trade deadline day. Much ado about nothing so far.
posted by dfleming at 11:21 AM on April 03
Robinson Cano has fired Scott Boras and replaced him with . . . Jay-Z.
Smart move. You know there's a 95% chance that Cashman's kids want to meet Beyonce and that's probably worth another zero on the end of his contract.
posted by dfleming at 03:49 PM on April 02
Some academically blessed students may be fortunate, through school scholarships, to get a full ride, but most get only partial scholarships (as do athletes in smaller sports, such as tennis and field hockey) and must rely on financial aid and loans to finance the remainder.
Nobody makes money off of regular students - the difference is the athletes generate a ton of revenue for their performances and get none of it back.
Not to mention - athletes have a shorter window to earn and, as seen by Kevin Ware, there is the potential that they get hurt in college and never get a chance to earn anything from their skills professionally.
It's a matter of degrees - $50-100,000 a year in tuition, room and board might seem like a lot except when you look at the sheer volume of revenue being generated by their activity.
posted by dfleming at 06:24 PM on April 01
Great move by Pittsburgh - not only adding a great leader and player, but also pulling the rug out from under Boston and driving the price of lesser players up a little.
posted by dfleming at 07:48 AM on March 28
It's really opportunity cost - what else could $33 million have bought the Brewers as an upgrade to their rotation that would also have left them their first rounder? Are they really good enough this year to have needed to invest that money this year rather than in next year's free agent market?
$11 million doesn't buy you what it used to on the FA pitching market (Haren, Jackson, Peavy all got more money annually - Jackson, though, was the only one to get more than two years), I just wonder why with next to no market left for his services he got three years at 34 years old. Some of it might be the first-rounder, but still.
posted by dfleming at 06:48 AM on March 27
If the Brewers draft a pitcher in the first-round and he becomes their number two starter for three years, wouldn't they be happy with that?
Lohse has pitched at that level three of the last five years (the other two years, was injured and/or ineffective) , so he's by no means a lock to be a #2 starter for three years, especially given he's 34 this year and moving to a hitter-friendly park that he's been awful at (although facing the Brewers can do that to a guy.)
I mean, yes, he's a known commodity, but he's not a lock to be #2 starter in that rotation for three years, seeing as he's never been #2 level for three straight years and is at the age where most pitchers decline.
posted by dfleming at 04:11 PM on March 26
This is a crazy deal - the Brewers add a guy whose profile (fly ball) doesn't match their park, at a rate that's not really discounted at all from his qualifying offer, and they give up a first-rounder and a bunch of prospect money in the process.
The Brewers even with 2012 Lohse aren't likely contenders for the division title, so how they got so desperate for not-that-immediate pitching help is beyond me. Boras is an effing magician.
posted by dfleming at 01:37 PM on March 26
No more Tuck rule and no hitting with the crown of the helmet for either offensive or defensive players.
My opinion of the latter (the former was really a stupid rule, and I'm a Pats fan) is that some goal line runs are going to be pretty dicey from here on out - the leaps that some players do often lead to a crown-first collision with a defender, which may now be a penalty.
posted by dfleming at 01:02 PM on March 20
The NFL weasels out of the inappropriate questions asked in recent combines by calling them "chatter" and not part of the interview, despite the fact they happened at the same time as the interview.
posted by dfleming at 11:39 AM on March 19
The Pats have apparently released Brandon Lloyd. I am not sure what Bill B is thinking here, as Lloyd when he hits the market will be the best receiver available by a mile. I don't see how a combination of Amendola/Jones/Sanders (if they even get him) is going to do a lot to empty out the field for their TE's.
posted by dfleming at 05:09 PM on March 16
One person the Pats have signed is Leon Washington.
Leon replaces Welker in the return game and provides a neat little running back to perhaps design custom plays for, a la Shane Vereen.
The Pats also picked up Donald Jones, who in Buffalo occasionally looked like an outside-the-numbers receiver. Low risk, not getting my hopes up too high there, as he was a poor route runner and seemed lazy, something that will get him in Brady's bad books in a hurry.
The Pats are also meeting with John Abraham and Dwight Freeney. Abraham at the right price would be a nice fit - a guy who can play multiple positions, provides pass rush and might take some heat off the DBs by getting QB pressures.
posted by dfleming at 11:55 AM on March 15
Rather, it is that the defense was unable to make a play when the opportunity arose. Just watch the tapes of the last 2 SBs against NY.
The Giants held them under 300 yards of total offence and to an average of 15.5 points in those two games after averaging 34.4 points per game over those two seasons. The defence were not the only ones who missed opportunities.
posted by dfleming at 07:32 AM on March 15
The idea is that Welker and Amendola aren't the same player
I don't disagree - his perspective is very good. I think there's something to be said about how critical the option route is to this offence - and Brady's had challenges in the past creating the kind of chemistry with receivers that you need to excel at those. And they still need someone to stretch the field - maybe that's a Tavon Austin in the draft, but an undersized deep threat from the slot isn't really opening up a ton for Gronk and Hernandez, or Jake Ballard (who'll be back this year.) Maybe they kick the tires on Greg Jennings, but what they really needed wasn't available at a sensible price.
Still, with Welker in Denver, they need three starter-quality cornerbacks to cover this team now. They don't have any, and Denver got a nice bargain picking up Rodgers-Cromartie on a one-year reclamation deal. He was horrible in Philly, but that was as much a bad system as anything else, and if someone can teach him how to tackle he'll be set. The Pats' problems aren't really solved, though a number of DB's are still on the board and Ed Reed is hanging out there still and would look super in Pats blue.
posted by dfleming at 03:17 PM on March 14
There's always an argument to be made for paying for future production instead of past, like Bill Barnwell does here.
I don't doubt that - and I do think that historical production for Amendola is much lower in part because it's Sam Bradford and not Tom Brady feeding him the ball. Further, I think Welker's numbers are going to drop because he's going to a much more spread out offence.
The skill-sets are similar and ultimately, Brady can make David Givens look like a star, so I'm not hugely worried, except for the fact that Gronk & Amendola have been hurt a lot the last two years and there's almost no depth on the squad at the position. There's also the question of playoff experience.
This is a Pats team with cap room that has essentially subbed one guy for another so far - I am not sure what they're waiting for, but they're down 2 corners (Dennard may spend a couple of years behind bars) from an already questionable secondary and haven't upgraded anywhere. The elite teams, minus Baltimore, have all gotten better the last few days and the Pats are, at best, the same.
posted by dfleming at 01:40 PM on March 14
I don't get the "tail end" talk about Welker - he's 32, coming off his 3rd highest reception total and 2nd highest yardage of his career, not to mention his 2nd highest YPC. Is it really that inconceivable to think he has another contract in him, especially considering the guy he's replacing in Denver is 36 year old Brandon Stokley?
His game isn't predicated on flat out speed - it's quickness, smarts and the ability to absorb hits. Tim Brown caught 81 balls at 36. Cris Carter caught 95 at 35. Jerry Rice was 40 when he caught 92 balls. It would not be out of this world to suggest in New England he'd catch 100 balls each of the next 2 years. He'll see his numbers drop in part due to the glut of options Manning has, and his style of spreading it around readily.
His numbers, though, suggest he hasn't slowed yet.
I certainly didn't notice anyone in the few Pats games I followed last season.
Everyone uses Edelman as the natural successor and he's been effective when used.
posted by dfleming at 01:27 PM on March 14
He's not Welker but I think he can fill much of that same role, provided he can stay on the field.
That's the thing. He's a more expensive, health-riskier non-Welker. I have trouble calling that a great deal.
posted by dfleming at 10:38 AM on March 14
The Pats pay Amendola $31 million - $10 million guaranteed - the same amount they offered Welker.
posted by dfleming at 07:41 PM on March 13
Yeah, I do not get this move at all. For all the money Brady left on the table, putting an extra $1 million towards keeping Welker seems like a total no-brainer, especially given he's going to play with Peyton effing Manning. They essentially were asking for him to take a 50% pay cut from last year despite the fact he was one of the top receivers in the league.
Even if you plug Amendola and/or Edelman in, at best their upside is Welker's constant, plus there's a good chance they get hurt and/or don't live up to that. I'm slowly becoming less and less of a "Bellichek knows best" because now they have the cap room to load up on D and bring back their best OT and WR and so far...nothing. Most of the top players that aren't Patriots are off the board.
The Broncos are better. 49ers are better. Seahawks are better. These are teams you're going to have to face to win it all and right now, the Pats are looking like a team regressing, which I am sure makes their QB happy he left $10 million a year on the table.
posted by dfleming at 07:16 PM on March 13
I like Boldin, but his peak was back in Arizona and he's a possession receiver now.
He's always been a possession receiver - his yards per catch in Baltimore the last two years have been the 2nd and 3rd highest of his career.
He's not targeted as often, but that's partially a product of not having Larry Fitzgerald on the other side of the field any more to demand a double team and Kurt Warner throwing 35 times a game (Baltimore's attack was much more balanced.) He's never been a burner and doesn't get a lot of separation in double coverage. It's why his hand strength is so legendary - often times a pass that's not quite perfect is still caught because he just rips it from the defender's hands. I read somewhere Flacco's completion percentage to Boldin was 13% higher than to his other receivers - not bad to throw at a young QB.
I don't think it's likely he'll hit his previous targets in San Fran (less passing volume than the mid 2000's Arizona), but he averaged 95 yds and 1 td per game in the playoffs when Baltimore threw more often, showing he has big numbers in him if the volume is there.
posted by dfleming at 01:02 PM on March 12
Boldin to the 49ers for a 6th round pick shows how desperate Baltimore is right now to shed salary - in the absence of another big name receiver, it will be interesting to see how Flacco's first season as most expensive quarterback in the league is going to go. It could be argued that without a number of Boldin's extraordinary catches, he'd have never got that contract in the first place.
You have to think that the Seahawks feel a little hosed at the deal they got for Harvin - clearly, Harvin's younger and has more upside, but he's also talking like he wants a Calvin Johnson deal and is often hurt - both big risks - and their biggest divisional rival upgraded for much cheaper at the same position on the same day.
posted by dfleming at 08:11 AM on March 12
After all, if you dump a bunch of money into a QB, he has to be able to at least imbue some confidence in the organization right?
There are a couple of other wrinkles to this, including:
a) Alternatives - Flacco was coming on the market at a time where established quarterbacks with playoff winning experience are not readily available;
b) Flacco was coming on to a market with a number of teams with huge quarterback holes would've thrown buckets of money at an established winner;
As a result, I think the $120 million represents an opportune time in the market.
If you think about it, of today's starters, only Drew Brees and Jay Cutler switched teams with a track record and very little risk attached to them. Guys like Manning and Vick changed teams at times where they were wildcards - nobody knew exactly what they were going to do. If you look at the 32 starters from last year, by my count only Brees, Cutler, Manning were established NFL starters at the time they changed teams - three in the last 6 years. Vick and Henne were former starters.
The opportunity to get an established NFL quarterback (even an imperfect one) is so limited that I think teams like San Diego, the New York Jets, and maybe even the Ravens get pinned in to contracts they don't necessarily want because there are no alternatives that give you an equivalent shot at the playoffs. There are always Matt Cassells, Flynns, Schaubs or Kevin Kolbs around to take a flier on, but QB more than any other position is a homegrown or bust solution.
posted by dfleming at 08:59 AM on March 06
The Ravens officially "respect" Joe Flacco to the tune of $120.6 million over 6 years.
I think the economics of the modern quarterback market are really fascinating - very strange mix of products where many of your elite QB's (Rodgers, Brady and Roethlisberger) all make substantially less than market by choice, other guys like Brees, the Mannings and Flacco who are in that tier making top market prices, and then guys like Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers and Kevin Kolb making substantially above market for their production.
posted by dfleming at 04:18 PM on March 04
Brave kids - you have to think at least the teams asking these types of questions (maybe there are one or ten, hard to tell) are pretty much writing him off at this point as nobody likes a snitch. They could've waited until they were drafted to say something, but picked a good time to grab the spotlight on this issue. Kudos to them.
I sincerely doubt the NFL has the stones to wholeheartedly go after this issue and put people's feet to the fire, no matter how many times they get embarrassed by it.
posted by dfleming at 02:02 PM on March 01
If you're interested, the Marquette Sports Law Review has a review of litigation history on this topic - apparently it's territory that's been crossed before. Page 41 shows a precedence where a ball got through the netting, someone's nose was broken, and damages were awarded. I will promptly eat my hat.
posted by dfleming at 11:59 AM on March 01
I'm terribly disappointed in this thread. It's almost 24 hours old and no one has bad-mouthed the old lady who got hot coffee spilt on her at McDonalds.
I tried but just couldn't fit it in. *hangs head in shame*
posted by dfleming at 10:18 AM on March 01
I think a waiver wouldn't work in that situation.
Why not? The waiver suggests getting hit by a foul ball is your responsibility. They may take steps to mitigate that risk, but ultimately the risk is still yours. You sign up for that when you buy a ticket - if you don't like that, there are radios and TVs.
posted by dfleming at 02:55 PM on February 28
It sure did! Wow. Swish and everything.
posted by dfleming at 07:02 AM on February 28
The problem with the Rangers is that they don't really roll 4 lines. They ride their best players, and if it doesn't work, they're in trouble.
Yeah, they went all-in on that philosophy and now have two guys with more than three goals, although Nash likely won't stay that way for long.
They lost a lot of what made them so good last year (tight checking, pressure and forecheck, truculence) when they moved guys like Dubinsky, Anismov and even Prust. I don't think they're out-of-the-playoffs bad, but they're missing a huge part of what was working for them.
posted by dfleming at 03:06 PM on February 26
The Blackhawks run so far is amazing. Alot of teams are riding their starting goalies hard and in this short season, i think you need to rest those guys earlier so they are sharp come playoff time.
I agree, but in Chicago's case, Ray Emery has started 42% of their games and is amazingly 8-0.
If you adjust for the season length, last year's 8th place team in the West would've needed 56 points to qualify. The Hawks aren't even at the halfway point yet and only need 11 victories in their last 29 games to get there. That allows them a lot of freedom to spread the minutes out evenly and ensure Crawford and others are fresh for the playoffs.
posted by dfleming at 12:01 PM on February 26
50 Cent makes an extremely awkward and very public pass at Erin Andrews at the Daytona 500. The slow mo only heightens the awkward.
posted by dfleming at 11:51 AM on February 26
He's got financial security forever, so he's looking squarely at his legacy at this point.
His last deal was way below market too (he signed a $6 year, $60 million that was $24 million less than Peyton's at the time.) I think he's just a rare case of someone who'd rather win than max out his earning potential and recognizes that $4 million a year can be another upgrade that his team couldn't afford otherwise.
posted by dfleming at 06:47 AM on February 26
If the Pats trade Mallett, you may be right beaverboard - but what the Pats really need is a young QB to groom to be Brady's successor, which they have right now, so I hope that doesn't happen.
The Chiefs would be wise to pick up a steady arm like Smith - ultimately freeing them up to take an OT or DT at #1 and dramatically make their team better. The QB's in this draft are shaky at best and getting the opportunity to install a perennial all-pro lineman is going to benefit them quicker and longer than a QB who may/may not develop.
posted by dfleming at 03:27 PM on February 25
Canadian tennis pro Rebecca Marino is stepping away from the sport, in part due to the regular negative attention of people on social media.
posted by dfleming at 11:40 AM on February 20
But back to the point that she's overhyped, is Patrick so much better than all of those other women that they deserve to fade into the background of sports history like Sam Bowie?
As someone said earlier, nobody remembers who finishes second. Jackie Robinson was not the first African-american to play pro ball, he was the first to play in the major leagues, and most people forget the handful of guys who played previous to him. I don't think people would remember him any less if he had've hit .220.
Most race fans recognize the other women on various levels but they don't have a problem singling Danica as, currently, the most successful woman out there.
posted by dfleming at 07:06 AM on February 20
What I'm saying is that it's possible for someone to think, "'Achieved a result' doesn't mean she's actually a good driver, nor does it mean that she doesn't get more press because she flaunts her looks."
I don't disagree, but when people isolate Danica from, say, Dale Earnhart Jr. (who's been polled as the most popular driver in NASCAR for 10 years), or a number of other marketable athletes from other sports whose popularity outpaces their performance and insist on tying her particular popularity to other pretty females like Anna Kournikova, there's not a very good case for this being about anything but her gender and how good looking she is.
I'm not trying to say that it's not possible, but plenty of athletes have hype way past their performances, but you chose Anna Kournikova as the most apt comparison. That doesn't convince me you're where you think you are in the argument spectrum.
posted by dfleming at 01:58 PM on February 19
One annual line on the ESPN home page and a blurb in USA Today aren't the same thing as the blitz that Patrick has received -- take a look at the "auto racing" topic on this very website and tell me how many Daytona pole stories we've ever run.
Look at the Google News Headlines trends on Daytona 500, Nascar and Danica Patrick. It will be interesting to see what happens post-race to this, but so far, this has not been out of the ordinary in terms of headline coverage. Maybe that changes.
You can look at ESPN today and see one article about Danica winning the pole and one on the overall race dynamics...neither of which are on the front page of the site.
Even still, you can take the example of the last U.S. election - Tammy Baldwin being the first openly gay senator got a lot more press than most other senatorial victories - because the media, and by default the people who read them, like to know when something out of the ordinary occurs.
I mean, you're comparing her to Anna Kournikova, which outside of them both being attractive women makes absolutely zero sense. Anna K competed in women's tennis and stood out in women's tennis because she was the most attractive female (even including her doubles titles, she was by no means the best doubles player) - Danica races exclusively with men, achieved a result, and stands out because she's the ONLY woman in the field. Do you not think that has at least a little intrigue to it that people might be interested in?
posted by dfleming at 11:19 AM on February 19
But there's also a backlash against her because she's getting largely undeserved press because she generates pageviews.
She's not undeserved - she's the latest in a very short series of women who have broken the gender barrier in racing. She also got the press that every Daytona pole position winner gets (national press) with the exception that it includes a bit about how she's the first woman to have done it in the top tier series. Like Michelle Wie, or Manon Rheaume, it will stop being a story when it's not such a rare feat.
Nobody is saying she's the best driver in Nascar. Most people are saying she probably won't win the race. I think the level of hype is appropriate, but arguing that merit should be the driver of marketability is ignoring the fundamental history of marketing, not just in athletics, and blaming Danica for cashing in the way every other athlete does isn't really fair to her. She's just better at it than the rest.
posted by dfleming at 07:24 AM on February 19
I don't even get the relentless self-promoter - it's not like she's Randy Moss out there yelling about how she's the best driver of all time. She's the most marketable driver in the world and is cashing in, but it's not like she's writing checks she can't cash on the track.
posted by dfleming at 02:25 PM on February 18
Thanks Ursus! Steve Sax Offenders commend you!
posted by dfleming at 01:54 PM on February 15
There was a post a few days ago about fantasy baseball and the mention of potentially switching to a keeper league - just pinging for any more interest in that kind of thing. I've been looking for one for years from Yahoo so I'm definitely in.
posted by dfleming at 10:29 AM on February 15
...awkward.
posted by dfleming at 03:44 PM on February 14
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
Joey Crawford doing his hothead thing tossed Chris Paul and Zach Randolph last night after the game was more or less over.