Losing the Blue Jackets?

The Columbus Dispatch printed an article today stating that the local hockey team was losing 12 million dollars a year. The culprit is a bad arena lease. It is a possibility that the team will move if their financial needs are not met. What is a fan of the team to think?

This is typical for professional sports today. Cities have to ante up in order to keep teams viable. And why not? After all, cities will tax the players so as to gin income for the city coffers. Businesses in the Arena District thrive because of the Blue Jackets (just look at the restaurants and their business on a game night). The Blue Jackets foundation gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity. All of this and more will be lost if the team moves. The city and county can keep the Arena District thriving, with businesses open and people employed at these businesses by putting the pieces of the puzzle together to keep the local shinny team in Columbus.

As for me, I am not going to worry about it. You see, there is nothing I can do. I don't live in Columbus or Franklin County, so if there is an election held on this issue, I wouldn't get a vote or voice. So I will sit on the sidelines, and leave the worrying to those in office up in Columbus. They know what they have now in the Jackets, and they know what they will stand to lose if the team leaves. It makes too much sense to get some deal done to keep the team here. My wife says not to borrow worry. So why worry? There is nothing I can do about the situation. Let the money people work it out. And if they don't, they will embarrass themselves and the region.

The Yankees Win Another One

So the New York Yankees have won another world championship. Whoop Dee Do! Shouldn't they win the championship? Just look at their payroll. The Yankees have bought a championship for $280 million dollars. To put this into some perspective, the Yankees' payroll is almost 1/3 TRILLION DOLLARS! The Red Sox are close behind. With a player payroll of over 150 million dollars, shouldn't you win the championship EVERY SINGLE YEAR? The Yankees win is not newsworthy. A Red Sox championship or for that matter any big market championship in baseball is not newsworthy. SPENDING THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY, THEY SHOULD WIN!

I find it interesting that the fans of these big market teams will justify these payrolls because they have more media revenue and have larger attendance figures (they DO have a larger metropolitan area to draw from) and even thumb their nose at fans of smaller market clubs when the cry goes forth for revenue sharing. So, here is an idea, why not just put the Yankees and Red Sox and other big market teams in their own league? Why not just let the Yankees play inter squad games so that they can claim their own championship? Let the Red Sox compete with the Red Sox! Give them their own intramural championship trophy. And then let the mid to small market teams such as Cleveland, St. Louis, and others compete for the World Series, if the big market teams don't want to share revenue or resources to a greater extent than they are now, so as to level the playing field, then give them their own championship. It would be worth as much as the championship we saw awarded last night.

The Magic of Manchester United

The football club that is Man U is magical. Down 3-1 today they rallied with six minutes to go to pull out a tie and go through to the next level of Champions League play. I have been fortunate to be able to see Chelsea play in 2002, I have seen Rangers and Hearts play in 2002 and in 2008. Locally, I am able to follow the Crew (while I haven't made a match this year due to my schedule. However, the play of Man U over the past few years under the leadership of Sir Alex has been astounding. They always seem to be in the hunt for whatever the championship and the comeback today is nothing short of amazing. Indeed, it is magical.

Blowing Up The Browns

Earlier on this blog I advocated blowing up the Cleveland Indians and starting over as an organization. Well, guess what, it is time to blow up the Browns. The present edition of the Cleveland Browns, while they may be nice people, is an EMBARRASSMENT TO ALL FANS OF THE ONCE PROUD FRANCHISE. Think of it, here we are on November 2, and the Yankees are on the threshold of winning their 27th championship. The Browns used to be the Yankees of professional football. When I was young, the Browns were always on top of their division, contending for the NFL Championship. Before I was born, they were the class of all football franchises. But not anymore. They have become an embarrassment and a joke.

It is hard to watch a Browns game, knowing that if the opponent scores a touchdown, the Browns have already lost the game! My son and I have plans on going to the next game, on Monday night football November 16 against the Ravens. Shall we wear bags over our heads? With the sorry state of this franchise, do we publicly admit our embarrassment?

Today the Browns fired their GM, George Kokinis. In my mind, they should have cleaned house, Mangini needs to go as well. Then they need to get top notch football people in the organization to rebuild this once proud franchise. If someone knows what he is doing, it should take long to rebuild. Sadly, it looks as if Mangini doesn't have a clue.

What's Wrong with the Cavs?

Here we are, game two of an 82 game marathon, and the Cavs have lost to Boston in game one, and are in danger, as I write this, of losing to the Raptors. Two losses in a row is not the way to start the season, but patience is in order. Others have observed that the Cavs need more time to jell, to get used to playing with Shaq, to get used to playing without West, etc. I think all of that is true to a certain extent. But there is one thing that I have noticed in the first two games, is that Lebron seems to be deferring to Shaq on the offensive end. I know that Lebron is the Cavs' best player and playmaker, but his role is to be the best player on the floor, not to make certain that Shaq is the best player on the floor. Lebron needs to take charge and begin to take matters into his own hands. When he wants to, he is the most dominating player in the NBA. It is time for Lebron to show he is the best player and become the focal point of the Cavs offense. Your best player needs to be your best player. Lebron is the best player, not Shaq, so let Lebron be Lebron and Shaq adjust his role to supplement Lebron.

Are You World Serious?

Here it is the first game of the World Series, and I am not interested. A baseball fan like me SHOULD be watching the game, after all, the two former Cy Young Award winning Indians are throwing to start off the series. But I can't get into it. Is it because the Tribe traded away their two best pitchers (CC and Lee) and got little in return? Perhaps. Is it because the Yankees are playing and I hate the Yankees? Maybe. But more likely it is the fact that the Series is starting on October 28. Are you serious? October 28 is the middle of the NFL season, the end of the high school football season, it is the beginning of the hockey and basketball seasons. There is something wrong with October 28 being the start of the World Series. THE SERIES SHOULD BE CONCLUDING ON OCTOBER 28, NOT JUST BEGINNING.

Now, I know why the Series is starting so late, it is in large part because the regular season lasts as long as it does. The regular season is 162 games, no double headers scheduled, so that MLB clubs can maximize their ticket sales in order to pay the salaries of their respective ball clubs. But something has to be done to shorten the season so that the Series can end by October 28. How about day and night doubleheaders, where there are individual ticket sales for both games? A four game weekend series can be shortened to four games in three days, thereby giving the ball player the day off that he needs. I would even start the season earlier, at the end of March, and risk a possible snow out rather than begin a World Series at the end of October. f

MLB can thank the good Lord that two major markets are competing for the baseball world championship, because if it was anyone else other than Philly, LA, Boston or NY, their TV ratings would be in the tank. I predict that the ratings will be respectable only because it is the Yankees that are playing in the World Series. If I were a betting man, many can't get into a World Series that starts October 28. Hey, college basketball begins in a couple of weeks! Baseball should be over by this time of year. If there was any justice, bad weather will plaque the East Coast, weather that would be fitting to the time of year that it is, Fall going into Winter. Interested in the World Series? This year? Are you serious? I would rather watch the Blue Jackets and the Browns. Well, maybe not the Browns, but you get the idea.

The Value of Vermette

Can you tell that I finally have some time to write on the blogs?

I have been wanting to write about one of my favorite winter sports: hockey. I have had the opportunity to watch many of the Blue Jacket games early this season, and I have noticed the play of Antione Vermettte. Vermette, a center, has had the difficult task of playing on the second line for the Jackets. I have concluded that playing on the second line has to be one of the most demanding positions in all of hockey, night in and night out.

Let me try to explain it in these terms:

In sports, coaches want to put their best defense men on the opposing teams top offensive threats. In hockey, this means that the third line is your checking and/or defensive line. Coaches, when at home, have the opportunity to match up their lines with the opposition. For example, the visitors have to put their players on the ice first, then the home team can put their players on, thereby matching up with the opponent. When the visitors put out their top offensive players (their first line) the home team will match up with the third line (their top defensive players) in an attempt to shut down the opponents.

When playing on the road tonight, the Jackets will start their first line with Rick Nash, and the Oilers will counter with their third line. Make sense? The Jackets put out their offensive players, the Oilers match up with their best defensive players.

Where does this leave the players on the second line? Who will Antione Vermette, Jake Voracek, and RJ Umberger play against? Probably the top offensive players for the Oilers, which puts the Jackets at a disadvantage, one would think. But that is hockey, it is the rules and one of the advantages of being the home team. Vermette and his team mates playing on his line MUST BE ALL AROUND GOOD HOCKEY PLAYERS. Tonight, they will have to play great defense for the Jackets to win.

Conversely, when the Jackets are at home, Vermette will be matched up against the visitors second line, or comparable players. The point is this: In hockey, the second line has to play against great all around competition night in and night out. It is so important to get great hockey from your second line, and the Jackets are getting it so far this season. This is a major factor in their early season success.

Of course, this all is for naught if the goaltender plays like a sieve. Fortunately, the Jackets have been getting good goal tending as well. If these things continue, look for a real good season for the men in the blue sweaters.

Tonight the CBJ plays Edmonton. It is on FSN Ohio at 9:30. I will be watching and rooting the Jackets on, of course, but also paying attention to Antione Vermette and his line tonight. The success of the Jackets tonight hinges, in large part, on their good play.