Mis-managing a World Series Contender

It’s no secret the Nationals have been a major disappointment this season.  At no point preseason did anyone expect the New York Mets to achieve a divisional crown.  Hindsight is 20/20.

What is also 20/20 is how baseball managers are evaluated.  While there are odds that must be considered, fans consider managers purely on whether (you’ve heard this before) “they press the right buttons.”  For example, a manager who takes out his starter, only to have the reliever give up a game-tying homer, usually is assailed for not sticking with his guy.  If the homer had come off the starter, however, the manager looks too eager to bring out the hook.

Matt Williams has experienced that a lot this season, especially as the season progressed.  Sympathy abounds for the guy, who never was able to get it right (for sure when it comes to the bullpen), but Williams was most frustrating in his postgame attitude.  Always a polite guy, Williams never showed any of the fire that fans observe from Joe Girardi in New York, Joe Maddon in Chicago, or Ozzie Guillen of the mid-2000s White Sox.  After his team blew a massive lead against the Mets, Williams discussed how his job was to “support” the players in the locker room.  Admittedly, he needs to do that, but at some point a little irritation should creep into your voice when describing how four relievers threw 30 balls out of 55 pitches in one inning.

That there was none in that exact moment submarined my confidence in Williams.  Clearly he has some acumen, only one year removed from an NL Manager of the Year award.  Motivating grown men also can’t be easy.  Blowing a huge lead in that moment, however, demands a “supportive” tongue-lashing.  Kind of like Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks does in Miracle during a lackluster effort against Sweden.  Anyone envision Williams doing something like that?

Today’s nonsense is further proof that Williams needs a new job.  After Jonathan Papelbon escalated a scuffle with Bryce Harper, he was sent out to pitch the 9^th inning.  When asked about why he let Pap go out there, the response was “he’s our closer.”

Yup, he is.  He also just went after your best player, and made initial physical contact.  Are you seriously telling fans that you will bench Harper for not running hard enough (as happened last year), but you won’t send a guy to the showers for starting a needless and unnecessary fistfight with your franchise’s foundational player?

(Brief aside: Papelbon should be released tomorrow.  His resume is impressive.  His attitude is not.  The Nats have given up 12.5 games in the standings since trading for him.  While that’s not entirely his fault, his on-field performance isn’t worth the headache.  If Huston Street had done this type of thing to Mike Trout, I doubt the Angels would have let him pitch the rest of the game.  To his credit, Papelbon did say afterwards that he was wrong to fight with Harper.  Nice sentiment from a headcase.)

Williams seems to have no sense of when to encourage and when to criticize.  That he seems unwilling or unable to protect the top player in the locker room is the nail in the coffin.  Fire him, and do it soon.

2015 NFL Predicted Finish

I know you are bombarded by several predictions on the Internet, but Dibbles and Bits did correctly pick six of the eight division winners last year (I whiffed hardcore on the NFC East – I had the Skins finishing second, and I didn’t see New Orleans poor play coming).

AFC East

1.      Patriots (11-5)

2.      Dolphins (9-7)

3.      Bills (8-8)

4.      Jets (8-8)

Had Brady not lost his suspension, New England remains the class of this division.  The defending champs may experience some pain in the secondary after losing Revis, and their schedule is brutal at the beginning, but the sky will not fall on them this year.

I’m a Tannehill believer, and Miami’s improved defense will help, though I think it won’t live up to the massive amount of preseason acclaim.  Still, 9-7 is possible for the Fins, particularly since they might be 5-2 to start the season.  Buffalo is starting Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, which should be all that needs to be said.  He will need to wildly exceed expectations to get this team to nine wins, even with a terrifying defense.

The Jets likely finish last, but I think a tie with Buffalo is very possible, assuming their new secondary remains healthy.  It is theoretically possible that Brandon Marshall returns to shining form at receiver, and maybe Chris Ivory makes other fantasy teams cry, but quarterback continues to fail them as a position. 

AFC North

1.      Ravens (10-6)

2.      Steelers (10-6)

3.      Bengals (8-8)

4.      Browns (6-10)

As usual, the AFC North is tough to judge.  Baltimore continues to look like the real formidable power in this division, and one can’t impugn their coaching staff over the past five seasons.  A similar roster ran the Patriots to the wire in last year’s playoffs.

As you can see, I think Pittsburgh has the offensive power to match Baltimore in record, but the teams are constructed very differently.  The Steelers did not maintain their traditional defensive prowess last season, and none of their current defensive players have proven to be anything special.  If Ryan Shazier or Jarvis Jones takes a step forward, it will matter for the playoffs.  Otherwise, I see Pittsburgh putting up a good record without any real teeth to their ten wins.

The oft-predicted Year of Dalton Failure will happen in 2015.  While Cincy has a great defense and brings a good running attack, I think in this tough a division the lack of a top quarterback talent will hurt their record immensely. 

Some pundits love the Browns, and they finished 7-9 last year.  But much of their success will depend on Josh McCown, especially given the tough couple of years for this crop of running backs.  In the end, a McCown-Manziel year at quarterback sounds like pushing through muck.

AFC South

1.      Colts (11-5)

2.      Texans (9-7)

3.      Jaguars (5-11)

4.      Titans (3-13)

While this will be the year that Houston wins a game in Indy, the Colts will have no problems here.  Andrew Luck returns with more offensive weapons and the defense has re-tooled a bit. 

Houston will be in the hunt for a while, but their final placement will depend on injuries.  If Arian Foster returns and does well, the team can easily do enough to win nine games.  Brian Hoyer also factors in…if he gets injured or doesn’t play well, should we trust a Texans offense run by Ryan Mallett?

I think despite some truly bad years, the Jags will fire coach Gus Bradley after this season.  Blake Bortles will need to settle in for his second year and perform to prevent his coach losing a job.  Much as Bortles shows good pocket ability, Jacksonville’s supporting cast remains so anemic that I don’t see more than five wins.  The Titans will be all about Marcus Mariota this year, and should be in the hunt for the NFL’s worst record.

AFC West

1.      Broncos (10-6)

2.      Chiefs (10-6)

3.      Chargers (7-9)

4.      Raiders (5-11)

Was the abysmal end to 2014 just a blip for Peyton, or the sign of things to come?  Regardless, his offensive line and new coach Gray Kubiak are potent enough for the offense to succeed even if Osweiler comes in midway through the season.  With some standouts as well at key positions on defense, Denver will win again.

I have to confess that I like the Chiefs a lot this year.  It’s not only the ridiculously talented defensive group (headlined by safety Eric Berry, who everyone should cheer for), but also the development of Travis Kelce at tight end.  Jamaal Charles is also still there, and I find it hard to believe Alex Smith won’t go to great lengths to build rapport with Jeremy Maclin. 

San Diego, however, is poised to miss the playoffs again.  Sure, Rivers can play and is now all locked up contractually, but the running game has large question marks this year, and will be primarily focused on developing Melvin Gordon.  While I expect Rivers to surprise the league with his performance after a rough 2014, the Bolts don’t have enough in this division.

As for Oakland, Latavius Murray will become a household name this season.  But otherwise, Derek Carr’s issues between the 20s will continue.

NFC East

1.      Eagles (11-5)

2.      Cowboys (10-6)

3.      Giants (8-8)

4.      Redskins (4-12)

DeMarco Murray’s switch will be the most important move this offseason, in that I think it will mean they finish first.  After 10-6 with Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez last year, a Bradford-Sanchez unit with a very improved running game can do better.  Plus they secondary, which killed Philly last year, has been upgraded.

That’s not to say Dallas will slouch too much in 2015.  Sean Lee returns, and the Cowboys brought in Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory to bolster the pass rush.  While their choice of running back will loom large, the O-line is good enough to block well.  If Tony Romo has the ability (like he did last season) to feed a running game, he will have another great year.

The Giants seem perpetually stuck in neutral right now.  Odell Beckham is great on the outside, but the Giants were not a good defensive team last year, and not much has changed.  As for the Redskins, this season will be terrible.  Kirk Cousins may have a flash of brilliance or two each game, but as long as he keeps throwing picks, 5 wins is the ceiling.

NFC North

1.      Packers (12-4)

2.      Lions (9-7)

3.      Vikings (9-7)

4.      Bears (6-10)

The Packers have been so consistent that it feels weird to not pick them, even after losing Jordy Nelson.  Aaron Rodgers remains his prodigious self, and the Pack might be able to make the Super Bowl this year.

The Lions need a running attack, and Ameer Abdullah may prove to be the answer.  Pairing him with Joique Bell could make for a nice two-headed attack.  I think Detroit will fall short of the division win, however, because the back of the defense remains fairly fluid.  The addition of Haloti Ngata will help replace Ndamukong Suh, but Detroit will need to outscore opponents to win.  That’s tough to do consistently.

The Vikings should be a great bet to rise this season.  Teddy B under center showed promise last year, and anything except a really bad sophomore slump will make for an acceptable season.  Adrian Peterson also returns, so there’s that.

The Bears are lovable, and yet they can’t live up to this division right now.  If Kyle Fuller takes a good step in development, that will be great news for last year’s third-worst pass defense.  Otherwise, this is likely the last year for Cutler in Chicago. 

NFC South

1.      Falcons (9-7)

2.      Panthers (7-9)

3.      Saints (7-9)

4.      Bucs (5-11)

One year removed from a 7-8-1 division winner, the NFC South remains the worst in football for my money.  A 9-7 division champ looks likely here, and even that might be generous.

The Falcons were abysmal on defense last year, so much so that they have to be trending upwards, especially after bringing in Dan Quinn to be the new head coach.  That said, another Julio Jones injury could tank the Falcons, and no one has any idea who will be their premier running back.

The Panthers had difficulty scoring last year, which will be exacerbated now that Kelvin Benjamin is out.  On defense, they remain very strong in a division with little to no defensive ability, so if Cam Newton can make up for Benjamin’s absence, there might be hope.

The Saints are going in the wrong direction.  Drew Brees can only do so much after losing several key players due to cap concerns, one of whom happened to be his red zone weapon in Jimmy Graham.  He can only do so much.

The Bucs are a trendy team to do well, and a 7-9 record is very possible.  There are too many holes to fill, however, and I think Tampa ends the season feeling good about Jameis Winston.

NFC West

1.      Seahawks (10-6)

2.      Cardinals (8-8)

3.      Rams (7-9)

4.      49ers (3-13)

Seattle is due for a step back at some point soon, and this year could be when it happens.  But I still think they take the division regardless, primarily because the quarterback play is consistent there and the defense is still formidable.  The holdout of Kam Chancellor, however, will impact this team’s early games, though I expect he will be resigned before too long.

The Cardinals have many of the pieces, but given the injury history of Carson Palmer and Andre Ellington, it would be a mistake to pick them to finish above .500.  After consistently rising above 20 points per game with Palmer, the team didn’t; achieve that without him once, and backed into the playoffs.

Remember that comment about quarterbacks?  Well, the Rams will need Nick Foles to prove he isn’t just a Kelly guy.  I think a losing record is in the cards, however, because even with a tough defense the Rams have a patchy O-line and a still unfounded running game.  Not to mention the scarcity at receiver, and this team will win by defense.

San Fran is going to be bad this year.  Too much turnover, and way too many questions on defense.  I think, however, that Jim Harbaugh’s absence will be felt too in the locker room.  That can’t be proven, of course, but the guy ran a tight ship and resuscitated the Niners quickly after he took over.

Losing Griffin Won't Be Immediate Fix

According to multiple media reports, the Redskins are “determined” to start a quarterback not named Robert Griffin during Week 1 of the NFL season.  Trades have been explored as well for the 2012 Rookie of the Year, but have been met with no interest by other franchises.  This effort to oust Griffin is now part of an intra-team spat, based on the following sentence from ESPN:

“High-ranking Washington front office officials and coaches want to move on from quarterback Robert     Griffin III, but are meeting resistance from team ownership.”

My readers may be similarly surprised to learn Pope Francis is, in fact, Catholic!  That Dan Snyder hinders the alleged football guys under him is nothing new, but this particular player has elicited a crazy saga of “Owner vs. Staff” in the last three seasons.  We all remember losing Mike and Kyle Shanahan due to their unwillingness to keep Griffin as the starter, a loss that looms somewhat large in my mind now that they have been vindicated by the successive Washington regime.  The father-son tandem saw the trouble signs two almost two years ago, and lost their jobs as a result.

But this is the Redskins, a team that hasn’t received much positive press since Joe Gibbs, so we should not be surprised.  Think back on that 2012 season, a blip on the radar that is overshadowed by events since then.  While only three seasons ago, Griffin’s magical rookie year feels more like that of Mark Rypien, given his struggles to recreate anything remotely resembling top tier QB play since then.  As is often the case in DC, nothing changes.

I won’t bore you with laying the blame for that.  Owner Dan has been a plague for this team, and deserves every word of criticism he receives from fans and media.  The bigger question is should the team move on from Griffin at this stage?

The answer is undoubtedly that they should, but it requires a key caveat.  Namely, moving on from Griffin likely isn’t going to radically change our win total for the year.  Love Captain Kirk or Colt you might (and there’s no doubt fantasy owners of Garcon and DeSean do), but what else about the roster says there is a chance this team reaches more than 6 wins?  Furthermore, barring a surprising run, are either Cousins or McCoy starting for the 2016 Redskins?

Both of these guys received chances last year.  McCoy did well in games he started, but the surprising change of pace for the beleaguered offense was uninspiring by other teams’ standards.  Certainly not all his fault, but he isn’t a long-term starter unless something radically changes.  It’s a similar story for Cousins, who played exceptionally well in two games last year before crashing to Earth against the Giants.  He has some promise and upside, and has shown he is an NFL talent, but the coaching staff has given him a chance before, and he couldn’t secure it for a longer period.  Doesn’t that worry anybody else?

That’s not to say Griffin has any future with this team.  His inability to move the ball at all in the preseason is finally the straw that broke the camel’s back for the coaching staff, and the fact that trade talks occurred at all shows some wavering on the part of higher officials as to Griffin’s viability on the team.  He has had plenty of chances to do well, and while this blog defended him last season, the debacle against Detroit this preseason and the resulting media storm have convinced me that the end of the road is near, and it can’t come soon enough.

But Redskins fans should be willing to accept that the roster issues with the team are legion.  One change, even at the most important position, likely won’t have much of an impact this year, especially given the talent levels of McCoy and Cousins.  Only the Bills and the Jets arguably have worse QB situations that the Skins, so a good rookie QB might be attainable in the next draft.  I think the folks in Ashburn should be looking to then, and hope other positions improve this year.  While the “win-now” modus operandi in today’s NFL can be infectious for starving fan bases, a longer term view is indispensable to bringing this team back from the grave.

The Ideal Cast of Space Jam 2

Last week, Warner Bros. announced a deal with LeBron James, fueling months-long speculation that Space Jam 2 would become a reality.

Those with knowledge of what is good in this world can disregard the following paragraph, but those lacking any appreciation for the benefits of human existence (or those who have parents without much regard for their child’s upbringing) must read on.  Space Jam was a 1996 movie that paired Michael Jordan with the Looney Toons.  The Toons must deal with aliens who come to their world.  Upon being challenged to a basketball game by the Looney Tunes (the stakes of which are whether the Toons can stay in their world or whether they will be shipped to a Mars amusement park), the aliens steal the talent from NBA players and become the Monstars team.  Jordan, retired at this point and moonlighting as a baseball player, is brought to Toon world and must be a player-coach for the Toon Squad, which ends up beating the Monstars, who must then return the talent to the NBA players.  According to the movie, this experience forces MJ to rediscover his love for the game, and he returns to the NBA.  This all occurs during a soundtrack heavy on R. Kelly and the “Y’all Ready for This” techno song, as well as some great Daffy Duck moments.

(As a brief aside, I include the description above because I recently spoke to someone who was born in 1996 and, rather unexpectedly for me, spoke like an adult and not a middle schooler.  When I referenced Duck Hunt and got a blank stare in response, I realized sometimes people need to be taught by their elders about life.  This is one such moment.)

Now that the description is dispensed with, it’s time for real substance.  Space Jam 2 is a questionable endeavor for many, since the first installment was unbelievable.  But, whether it happens or not, we could have a real fun time wondering what a new edition would look like.  Specifically, which of today’s NBA players would have their talent stolen?

For background, Space Jam was filmed at something of a transition period for the NBA.  Specifically, it was just after MJ returned to basketball, and while there were plenty of unreal players at the time, the NBA was a long ways from its hey days of the Celtics-Lakers-Pistons in the 1980s.  The Spurs were good, as were the Rockets and Pacers, and the Jazz and Knicks were part of the equation.  But the NBA world revolved around the Bulls, no matter what, and many of the other stars weren’t close to Jordan’s level of transcendence.

The roster in Space Jam reflects this a bit.  While HOFers Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing were part of the fun, the film team also included Larry Johnson, who had recently signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history to that time (an almost laughable 12-year deal for a now paltry $7 million a year, by the way).  He had attitude and was a good young player who people thought would be around a while.  Muggsy Bogues, the shortest man ever to play in the NBA, added a novelty player given his short size and distinctive voice.

Oh, and Shawn Bradley was there too, somehow.  An alleged defensive shutdown guy, Bradley had a good rookie season after being picked #2 overall.  Around that time he would have agreed to do Space Jam, but before long Bradley became a bust.  The video of the best dunks on Bradley is particularly legendary.

So we’ve got two huge names, an attitude guy who played at the somewhat disgraced early 90s UNLV, a very short true point guard, and a gangly white dude.  I think we can improve on that, while using it as a guideline. Here’s who I would put in this movie, with a few other suggestions.

Point Guard – Chris Paul, LA Clippers

Truth is, the number of true point guards in the NBA now is so tiny.  There also are no more tiny players like Bogues, but at six feet even Chris Paul has to be the guy for this role.  He has the marketability, is well-spoken, and the Monstar Chris Paul would have some great passes through LeBron’s legs.  Seems like a slam dunk for me.

Other Ideas

Russell Westbrook – Might bring the Larry Johnson attitude stuff to the equation, but not enough of a superstar on his own team.

Damien Lillard – Another great passer, but would you know this guy if he walked by you on the street?

Derrick Rose – Each player has to react when their talent is stolen, generally by stumbling around looking lost.  Think Rose could do it without injuring himself?

Shooting Guard – James Harden, Houston Rockets

Had to bat this one back and forth a bit, but Harden’s beard makes it.  Plus, the idea of the movie should be to increase interest in the NBA for younger kids.  As such, Harden will be a star for a while yet, so would be a good inclusion.

Other Ideas

Stephen Curry – Good timing for this guy as a reigning champ and MVP.  He’s also a point guard too, but has the added benefit of the cutest daughter in the world that could join him for a scene or two…

Dwyane Wade – Almost threw him on this position, but he lacks a good beard.

Kobe Bryant – See comment above about placing young players in a movie designed to increase basketball interest.  Kobe would likely be retired by the time this thing comes out.

Lance Stephenson – Remember that Pacers-Heat series two years ago, and the antics of Mr. Stephenson?  LeBron might tell the Monstars to keep Lance’s talent as retribution.  There’s good film, I tell ya.

I’m gonna add two forwards, without a good sense of who is what, particularly since Ewing and Barkley played the same position as a power forward/center combo.  For that matter, assume any of the following three could play any frontcourt position.

Forward #1 – Blake Griffin, LA Clippers

Forward #2 – DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings

Griffin makes infinite sense, not only because of how explosive his playing style is (the Monstar would likely come with rocket shoes), but his marketability is ridiculously high.  I don’t care if he does commercials for Kia and Gamefly, it works.

Many of you are wondering about DeMarcus Cousins I’m sure.  Here’s my pitch: first, he’s a young guy who’s known for being a giant pain in the a**.  I would love the scenes of him telling his coaches that he’s all good, despite bumbling around on court after losing his talent.  That his coach would likely be George Karl, who very publicly tried to trade him over the past two months, would be a great filming story (headline reads “Cousins Hates Losing Talent in Front of Karl, Even on Film”).  Furthermore, Space Jam pros will remember Patrick Ewing going through a psychiatrist appointment in search of his lost talent.  In a similar scene, Cousins would be tearing up the couch.  Who doesn’t want to see him blow off a little steam?

Other Ideas

Kevin Love – This might be fun.  LeBron gives him back his talent with the line “you better use this next year man, cuz I ain’t carrying this team anymore.”

Carmelo Anthony – Might be good to have another Class of 2003 in there, but would aliens want the talent of a guy who is definitely not a team player?

Kevin Durant – Having the consensus #2 star in the NBA in the movie would be a good idea, and the Monstar version would have extremely long arms, but he doesn’t add nearly the personality of Griffin or Cousins.

Paul Pierce – Spitting the truth throughout the movie.  Worth some consideration.

Dirk Nowitzki – Having a Monstar with a German accent would be fun…

Tim Duncan – I think I could see him pulling off the acting the best, he’ll just fix the camera with that somewhat blank look he does every once in a while and…magic.

Amare Stoudemire – It might be fun to have one alien take Stoudemire’s “talent”, give it a test run, and then give it back in disgust.

Center – Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

I’m proud of this one.  First, do we think Noah and LeBron could coexist on set given their tough playoff series?  I’m betting not without some serious friction, so we have some great media fodder right there.  But, the real clincher is CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW UGLY WEIRD LOOKING THIS MONSTAR WOULD BE!?  It would be truly glorious, even if Noah doesn’t bring the spindly build that Bradley graced viewers with in the first movie.

Other Ideas

Anthony Davis – Have to love The Brow as a natural prop, but also a defensive show stopper.

Dwight Howard – Remember Ewing’s awful free throw attempt in Space Jam, after he lost his talent?  Dwight would fill the role of large free throw bricker quite well…he plays it in real life.

DeAndre Jordan – This might also be another good psych scene given his about-face in free agency this month.  Maybe we could shoe-horn a few lines for Mark Cuban saying “yeah, after seeing this sharp decline, I’m sure glad he bailed on me a few years back.”

Timofey Mozgov – A gangly white dude who has been dunked on a lot is a must consideration given Bradley’s original role, though I have no doubt the script read-throughs with Mozgov would be painful.

There’s one last role to be filled.

LeBron’s Golf Partner – In Space Jam, this was Larry Bird, who told MJ how much he enjoyed retirement and playing golf in his free time.

This would no doubt have to be Shaq.  For one, they overlapped enough, and watching Shaq swing a golf club on television would be something.  Alternatively, it could be Charles Barkley, but he’s just a little too before LeBron’s time.

Lastly, there is a moment in Space Jam when, on TV, commentator Jim Rome is heard lampooning MJ’s baseball skills.  His phrase “get this guy a tennis racquet” while showing Jordan at the plate is classic Jim Rome: delivered in such a way that you instantly hate him.  Given this week, producers would be smart to give Colin Cowherd a run for this.

And there you have it, folks.  Space Jam 2!  With any luck, it will be better than True Detective 2...

Changing the All-Star Game

This week marks the “Mid-Summer Classic”, which I’ve always thought was a terrible name for the MLB All-Star Game.  Certainly, the game happens around the middle of summer time, but does anyone consider it a “classic” anymore?

The answer is likely no.  Interleague play is partially to blame for this, as fans can now see sluggers facing off against great pitchers (think Jeter vs. Maddux) during the season.  They don’t have to wait for the All-Star Game or the World Series to see that, it can happen any week of the season.

But it isn’t just that which leaves many people to approach the All-Star Game with indifference.  Spoken bluntly, the game doesn’t matter.  While MLB created a unique (and gimmicky) policy of the winning League also having homefield advantage for the real Classic – which is the one in October (at least it should be October, but often bleeds into November) – we all know the baseball playoffs are really a tournament of luck.  In that context, what’s the point of watching a game that matters only as a break from an otherwise run-of-the-mill season?

Baseball is not alone in this regard.  Think on all the other all-star games, they are more unwatchable.  The NFL almost sunk the Pro Bowl over the last two years due to a noticeable lack of effort.  And if Roger Goodell sees poor performance…something is going exceedingly wrong.  What about the NHL or NBA?  No checking and no defense, and yet those leagues continue to perpetuate the talking point that their mediocre efforts every season are all for the fans.

For a while we as fans have swallowed such nonsense, that collectively we actually want this drivel every year.  And the players themselves maintain this, on every interview ever done about any all-star game.  Watch for it this week, every time a player is asked what it’s like to play in All-Star Game, the phrase “this is all for the fans” is bound to appear somewhere.  (On a sidenote, specialty events like the Home Run Derby and the Dunk Contest do actually have some value for fans, and should stay in their current forms).

The numbers bear out fan indifference towards these games, particularly those for hockey and basketball.  Since 2010, the NBA All-Star Game has averaged 7.6 million viewers, a far cry from the 18 million average viewers of the NBA Finals over the same period.  For the NHL, their three All-Star Games since 2010 have averaged 1.43 million viewers, which is short of one quarter of the average viewership for the Cup Finals.  While I prefer not to acknowledge the Pro Bowl as anything worthy of sports inquiry, it has outstripped the other All-Star Games in pure viewership at around 12 million…but the Super Bowl just one week later is the most-watched event in America, and average viewership of the NFL season, according to The Atlantic, is 17 million.

So how can All-Star Games change for the better? 

First, after taking all this time to savage these games as unwatchable, it would be fair to ask me why I care.  The reasoning is simple: the honor bestowed on individual players for these games is important. When determining Hall of Fame entrants, how often do we hear talk about All-Star or Pro Bowl selections?  It's fairly ubiquitous, even if it isn't the most important piece of the resume.

As far as the perfect system for All-Star games, it’s easy: eliminate fan voting.  Those who know me personally (and disagree with my political or cultural sentiments), won’t be surprised that I want to keep the vote from the common man, but some of the most egregious cases of All-Star honors have happened because of fan voting.  In the NHL last year, fans voted in Zemgus Girgensons of the Sabres, who had a whopping 30 points the entire season.  Back in 2011, the fans voted Yao Ming into the starting lineup, despite him playing only five games to that point in the season, and Kevin Love putting up ridiculous numbers.  And does anyone remember the one guy who voted for Nomar Garciaparra 39,000 times?  Ballot-stuffing is a real problem, and tarnishes the selection process.  There’s lots to like about the NFL process here, as fans, coaches, and players count for one-third of the ballots.

Without fan voting, the majority of emphasis should go to coaches.  These are the people who prepare, observe, and adjust according to the strengths of their opponents.  Their expertise adds further emphasis to any selections they make.  Throw in a prohibition on coaches voting for their own players, and it’s perfect.

There is one aspect of the All-Star Game unique to baseball, which is the rule that every team have one representative.  Admittedly, this world is no meritocracy, but this is complete nonsense.  Fans of one team will not change their viewership patterns of the All-Star Game based on one player from their hometown team.  None of the other leagues have this rule, and given the numbers, nothing says the rule will help viewership.  It should be the best players, regardless of team.

This would all lead to the best reform of all.  Less fan stake means fewer people who care, which means fewer reasons to even hold an All-Star Game.  Which might mean the end of All Star Games, Pro Bowls, and anything in between.  And that’s the way to fix them…get rid of them.

Conference Finals and the Caps Offseason

Chicago Blackhawks v. Anaheim Ducks

I had the Blackhawks losing last round, but they made me look totally foolish by sweeping the Wild.  The Ducks, meanwhile, might be the best team thus far in the playoffs, having lost only one game.  That said, they’ve had by far the easiest road to this point.

At this stage, series inevitably revolve around goaltending.  For the Hawks and Ducks, there are some wrinkles.  First, for Chicago, Corey Crawford had a rough first round but started all four games of the Wild series.  He’s also a Cup winner, but he needs to not revert to first-round form against the talented Ducks roster.  For Anaheim, Fredrik Andersen has been good enough, which is to say he has let his team flash its offensive prowess in front of him without being a sieve.  His stats look good, no doubt, but I remain a bit skeptical given his competition thus far and the gaudy 3.9 goals averaged by the Ducks this postseason.

Offense remains key for Anaheim.  Corey Perry has posted 15 points in the playoffs, along with goals at some very key moments.  For the Blackhawks, their superstar Patrick Kane has defied expectations in not only returning early from an injury but also producing at a high level.  Chicago has another worry on the back end, however, after Michal Roszival broke his ankle in the second round and is out.  They will now look to Kimmo Timonen and Davind Rundblad, both of whom played in Game 1 on Sunday.  I remain deeply skeptical Timonen has much left in the tank, so it will be interesting if coach Joel Quenneville breaks up the awesome Oduya-Hjalmarsson pairing to bring more balance across all three lines.

As a final note, two of the best two-way centers are playing in this series.  Jonathan Toews for Chicago, and Ryan Kesler from Anaheim.  Kesler will likely slot against the Kane line, which should be a fun matchup and will lead to plenty of shoving matches.  Toews is expected to match up with the Getzlaf-Perry line, which is bound to be entertaining.

Prediction: Ducks in seven.  They are better rested and bring more goal scoring depth to the picture.  Matt Belesky, Jacob Silfverberg, and Kyle Palmieri all can score goals, which in the end will overwhelm the Hawks.  But it will be tough, and I expect this series to go the distance.

Tampa Bay Lightning v. New York Rangers

In a matchup between one team no one cares about and one that everyone is tired of, this series hopefully will be more exciting than either of the second round tilts in the East.

One guy will determine this series: Henrik Lundqvist.  The Rangers goalie was nothing short of sensational last series, and his ability to nurse a one goal lead is, by now, well-known (feels like the Rangers haven’t had a two goal game since the Messier days).  This is particularly noteworthy when you consider how well Tampa has been this playoffs when scoring first (they’re undefeated).

For the Lightning, Steven Stamkos will continue to be the storyline.  He had three goals last round, but the sniper who decimated opponents the past few seasons just doesn’t seem to be there right now.  Tampa has relied on its famed Triplets line for top-end scoring thus far. 

This series will hopefully be characterized by speed.  Both teams bring very quick players, especially on their lower lines, that can change the course of a game just by a hard move into the offensive zone (kinda like Chris Kreider did against the Caps).  The last round didn’t feature much of this, but when it did both the Rangers and the Lightning cashed in. 

As was the case against Montreal, real emphasis will be placed on whether Ben Bishop can match Henrik Lundqvist.  Bishop has had a great postseason, but with some blemishes.  His glove hand in particular has failed him at some points, but through Game 1 he looks to have done a decent job.  It seems, however, that Lundqvist gets better and better as a series progresses, so the question remains whether it can all be sustained.

Prediction: Rangers in six.  I can see Tampa winning two here, but after their close calls in the first and second round (without a Tyler Johnson goal with under a second left they might not even be here) it’s tough to trust them at this point.  New York has, for lack of a better term, proven themselves qualified winners.  Their talent from top to bottom might not be as prolific, but with the Swede at their back I don’t see them losing to Tampa.

The Caps Offseason

Coming into the offseason, the Caps have some serious decisions to make.

First are the restricted free agents: Marcus Johansson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Braden Holtby.  It’s obvious they should do whatever they can to make Holtby happy, as he is the franchise goalie officially.  Kuznetsov, despite his disappointing season, looks to be the second line center for the Caps going forward.  I say sign him too.

The unrestricted free agents are a different batch: Mike Green, Joel Ward, Eric Fehr, Jay Beagle, Curtis Glencross, and Tim Gleason.  To dispense with the low-hanging fruit, Gleason and Glencross should not return.  Glencross started hot, but faded, and Gleason for all his physicality is keeping the spot warm for a youngster like Dimitry Orlov or maybe Nate Schmidt.

The key decision will be Mike Green.  In a more limited role this year, Green responded with 45 points, his most since the barnburning ’09-’10 season.  That’s great production, regardless, but it also means Green will be due a big pay day, especially at age 29.  I am in favor of letting Green go, mainly because he would demand a lot of money for a guy playing less than 20 minutes a game.  I also believe the younger guys can replicate his production in 5-on-5 when they come up (Orlov in particular), though it will be difficult to find his replacement for the power play unit.

Once those options are taken care of, we’re left with Ward, Fehr, Beagle, and Johansson.  Ward made $3 million last year, and might be looking for a raise after proving his worth in the postseason.  Eric Fehr had 33 points this year, and seems comfy in DC after his brief stint with Winnipeg a few seasons ago.  Jay Beagle, despite only 20 points, is a wonderful face-off man and a great penalty killer.  Marcus Johansson can play on the top line and, amazingly, is the 5^th most prolific scorer from his draft class, despite being picked at the bottom of the order.

If possible, you sign all four, but I don’t think that will happen.  The Caps have carved out a great use for Beagle, who I think deserves more than the 900K he made last season, and should stay.  The others are question marks.  Ward also has his specific role, and it seems he is a great presence in the locker room based on how he handles the media.  In the end, both he and Johansson have the ability to play on the top line, so if you can keep one, the other may have to go.  Fehr was a sparkplug this season, scoring big goals and plenty of them, and I liked his play before going down in the playoffs.  He provides true depth scoring and also is a decent two-way player that can contribute on the penalty kill, something Johansson does not do.

In the end, I’d let Johansson walk if I had to.  Regardless, it was a good season, though they choked at the end.