NBA Lottery - Yes, the Pope is a Grizzlies fan. But still, the team with the worst record in the league has only one the 1st pick 2 times in the last 15 years. Thats a bit insane. This year, the team with the 9th worst record (and a 1.5% chance) won the top overall pick. I think the system should revert to how it was, just like baseball and football, where the worst record in the league gets the top pick. Or how about a modified lottery, where instead of all of the non-playoff teams being eligible, just the bottom 4 or bottom 6 are eligible? Preventing losses late in the year is overrated, as fans arent coming out to see a losing team anyway.
Soccer Game Penalty Kicks - Can you imagine settling the Super Bowl with an extra point kick-off between the kickers? Or a basketball game decided on a free throw competition? Or maybe a baseball game being settled via a home run derby? Now imagine that game was not a normal game, but in fact the Super Bowl/NBA Finals/World Series. Thats what happens too often in Soccer, as the 2006 World Cup Final, as well as yesterday's UEFA Champion's League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea (both from the English Premier League), where both decided on penalty kicks. The Pope loves the beautiful game - but it just needs a bit of American ingenuity to it. For instance, in Hockey, regular season games first go to one overtime period, and then the game is settled via penalty shots. But for playoff games in the NHL, the game keeps going in overtime until a goal is scored. Yes, that could mean soccer forever, but its better to decide such a huge championship on the field of play as opposed to an individual skills competition.
San Antonio Spurs - I hate them, but man they are good. Yes, they lost game 1 last night in LA, after controlling 75% of it. But we all know they are going to do well at home, and possibly even steal one in LA. This series goes 7 games. For the NBA's sake, including the TV ratings, the fans, and everything else, lets hope the Lakers win. Fans outside of San Antonio just dont like to watch the Spurs. I dont like them, I hope they lose. That doesn't mean I dont respect what they've done though. Lets just watch Kobe in his prime instead in the NBA Finals. Lakers vs Celtics anyone?
Lack of Video Replay in Baseball - In the past 4 days, there have been two legitimate home runs that were called incorrectly on the field of play. Both were admitted to be poor calls by the umpires after the games. See video and read about them here and here. Neither affected the outcome of the game, but one of these days one will. Why not use the technology to review easily correctable situations like fair or foul on home runs? No strikes/balls being reviewed, just major plays like, at the minimum, home runs. It could be tested in spring training, and implemented once the kinks have been worked out. Yes Bud Selig, it would slow the game down a little. Rules could be made to make the replays quick, and most importantly, calls would be correct and umpires wont look like idiots. Put down the Miller Lite Bud, and just think about it.
This week's il papa's pontifications, perusing all that is objectionable in the sports world. 1. OJ Mayo - The story was broke by ESPN this past Sunday, and you can get a good recap of it here. A main topic on most talk shows this week, about half the people think OJ is at fault, while a surprisingly large % actually see him as a "victim" of the NCAA system that does not pay players, yet profits on them.
This story has sparked discussion about many topics, ranging from the NCAA / professional eligibility rules like the 1 year in college NBA rule, all the way to whether the NCAA should pay players. Since there are so many topics being discussed, here are my main points, packaged and easy to digest:
OJ Mayo likely broke NCAA rules by accepting cash and gifts from an agent while in high school and college. He might not have known the rules perfectly, but ignorance is not an excuse. Nor is his age, income level, single parent upbringing, or likely "one and done" career. He must be the first person at fault for breaking rules. If we cannot agree that OJ has a large responsibility to follow basic rules of his school/employer/family/his country of residence/whatever, then stop reading and leave my blog now.
Colleges do pay players - they get a $150,000 or more education for free. On top of just the education, many players get $100s of thousands of $$ spent on their teams travel, facilities, meals, etc. Players get unprecedented exposure while they are improving their game for the pros. Colleges offer these players a scholarship in return for their participation, and these players accept, signing a contract, or "letter of intent". The good players could go to Europe and play for a year before going to the NBA if they really wanted $$ and think the one year college rule is so unfair.
College sports makes tons and tons of money - This is the biggest mirage in all of sports. A great article here in the Wall Street Journal discusses college sports budgets. (Interesting note from that article - only 19, yes 19, schools had athletic departments that made money in 2006). Football at major schools, as well as basketball, make plenty of money. Big money. The problem is that most schools have 20 or so other sports programs that lose money. Football and Basketball revenues fund the athletic department, which at most schools lose money. When people say that players should be paid because schools are using them to make $$, thats not a full picture of reality. The money made is for a not for profit organization that is trying to fund its athletic department. Its not going to a few wealthy individuals like business profits might.
High school players turning Pro right out of high school is a tough call. As a fan, I want them to stay in or go to college. It helps both the NBA improve quality (no 18 year olds using gametime as development time), and the NCAA improve its star power. The NCAA tournament and the Final Four TV ratings were all better because players like Greg Oden, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, and others played for one year in college. But if I were a high school star, ready for the NBA paycheck, I can understand their dislike of the rule. Especially with Tennis, Golf, and Baseball stars all getting paid major $$ well before they are out of high school sometimes. This issue is a tough one by itself, but should not be used as an excuse as to why OJ Mayo took money early from agents.
None of these points above are excuses for OJ Mayo. He broke the rules. Arguing whether the rules are fair or not is another discussion. When will people let persons - not "the system" - take the blame for their own actions?
2. Arlen Spector - Just when it looks like the New England Patriot's "Spygate" scandal is all but finished, Arlen Spector decides to keep running his mouth. I have one question for the Senator from the Keystone state: "WHO CARES!!????" My second question would be "Why does the government need to delve into how the NFL runs things?". What's next, the government trying to regulate my fantasy football league? STAY AWAY.
Video taping other team's signs is wrong. The Patriots did it, were caught and punished, quite heavily I might add. But can this advantage be so great as to warrant all this time we spend talking about it? Would the Patriots have been an average team without these tapes? No way. Its as overrated as stealing signs in my 5th Graders Baseball games - you know whats coming, but still can't stop it. Arlen Spector looks like an older, not as cool version of James Caan. Go away please.
I think I may have seen this once when I was 11, playing in some random game at Willow Road Community Center, likely involving a parent from the BBC (Bartlett-Bolton-Cordova, a triangle of prestige and strip malls). What Gloria James did was ridiculous, but not as funny as this dad:
This week's edition of il papa's pontifications, the Pope's weekly tirade involving the world of sports, discusses the blog-hater Buzz Bissinger, the NFL Draft from this past weekend, and the BCS of college football. Here we go:
I'd say he needs about $100LARGE worth of indulgences to clean up his mess. This guy is getting railed on by the entire internet, so I wont waste your time. There is great stuff about the Buzz situation on the blogs I have linked above. I enjoyed his book "3 Nights in August", but won't ever buy another piece of his again.
2. NFL Draft Coverage - I want to know who is picked, a little about the player, and then what Mel Kiper or Ron Jaworski thinks about the pick. Unfortunately, I got too little of what I wanted and too much of the below during ESPN's NFL Draft coverage this past weekend: - Todd McShay (McGay), Chris Berman, and Keyshawn Johnson all fighting for words with more seasoned analysts that we want to hear from (Mortensen, Kiper, Jackson, Jaworksi). Too many morons fighting for the microphone, causing the analysis to lock continuity or flow, and become confusing.
- Too little Mel Kiper Jr. Say what you will, this guy is to NFL Scouting media coverage what Bill James is to baseball statistics. Kiper isnt always right, but he brings a wealth of knowledge and contacts to the table. More of him, less of awful suit Keyshawn.
- And the Grand Pontification of ESPN's NFL Draft coverage - Camera crews at every potential draftees house, oftentimes revealing the outcome of a pick before it happens. Teams call a player before they make an official pick. Well, ESPN was filming these players celebrating before the pick was made. Then they would hit up a commercial break, coming back to see the official pick being made of what the viewer already knew. How about just a little suspense for this male soap opera, please?
More NFL draft coverage like this would be appreciated:
3. BCS Playoff Discussion - The BCS committee met the past few days and officially rejected the idea of a playoff. Everyone wants a playoff, and its going to take 20 years to get it. Most in need of Pontificating - the fact that we keep talking on and on about a playoff each year. Here are some agreed upon beliefs, pretty much close to fact:
- A playoff would be wildly entertaining and much better way to crown the national champion - A playoff could make plenty of money and likely would make much more than the current system - Scheduling issues about when to play all the playoff games would be minimal; play some during December, the season could end at approximately the same time as it does now
So why no playoff? Simple. More facts:
- The BCS is as financially healthy for all the schools involved as any college bowl system ever - Very handsome TV contracts are signed and done through 2014. Any change to the formula would call for those to be renegotiated and could be a risk - Any type of playoff will cause revenue uncertainty for all major conferences
All BCS conferences are guaranteed one $17M paycheck per year, at a minimum. Any type of a playoff would be very difficult to negotiate $$, and could likely cause the $$ to be spread out over more teams (like the NCAA Basketball Tournament revenues, spread over all 350ish Division 1 teams). That means less money guaranteed. Presidents and Athletic directors dont have the balls to take that chance.
I find it interesting that the Pac-10 and Big 10 are against it. Obviously there is some Rose Bowl snobbery there, an appreciation for tradition in spite of better alternatives.
In the first of what will be a regularly used format, the Pope presents "il papa's pontifications", a venting, ranting, diatribe of a post, focused on unveiling the sins of the sports world to all.
"Jose Canseco - The Biggest Tool in all of Baseball" "Dear People who got mad at Roy Williams for wearing a Kansas sticker . . ." "Hi, my name is Carmelo Anthony, and I drive drunk instead of having a driver"
These are all topics that need pontification, or pontifying, if you prefer the gerund form of a noun never meant to be a verb. There will be no regular schedule per se, for the Pope's sermon's, except that on the month of Awesome, every day will be comprised of il papa's pontifications.
Today's Topic >> The NBA Playoffs
The NBA Playoffs begin this weekend, with the first of 4 rounds of potentially 7 game series. The NBA Finals dont begin until June 5th . . . 50 days from now. So when the playoffs start on Saturday the 19th, until the earliest day the Finals could end (after game 4, assuming a sweep) on June 11th, that would make the length of the playoffs 52 days. Yes, thats 14% of the year from start to finish. Yes, Dimaggio's hit streak was 56 games in 62 days.
Pontification 1 - The first round should be shortened to best of 5 or even best of 3 games. Lest we all get to miss a game of the Cleveland vs Washington series, or dear god not the Magic vs Raptors first round match up. If these series go 7 games, who will be watching besides the fans in the stands, ESPN, and the player's moms? Not il papa.
Pontification 2 - Lets reseed the playoffs. Because of the great imbalance of the Western Conference vs the Eastern Conference, lets reseed the playoffs, without regard to East or West, so that the top 16 teams in the league get in and appropriate matchups occur. There is a nice blog piece on the topic, albeit from last April, but nonetheless appropriate. Yes, division winners automatically get in, but past that, the top teams based on record would enter the field and everyone would be reseeded. Instead of having Phoenix vs San Antonio in the first round for 2008, you would have Phoenix vs Washington and San Antonio vs the Raptors. It would work just like the NCAA tournament in a way, meaning that you wouldn't play someone from your division in the first round, but past that you could play anyone in any round.
And lastly, we would not be a papal minded blog if we did not wish Happy Birthday to Pope Benedict, who happens to be traveling in the US currently.
This week's rant from the Vatican: 
Now imagine that game was not a normal game, but in fact the Super Bowl/NBA Finals/World Series. Thats what happens too often in Soccer, as the 2006 World Cup Final, as well as yesterday's UEFA Champion's League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea (both from the English Premier League), where both decided on penalty kicks. The Pope loves the beautiful game - but it just needs a bit of American ingenuity to it. For instance, in Hockey, regular season games first go to one overtime period, and then the game is settled via penalty shots. But for playoff games in the NHL, the game keeps going in overtime until a goal is scored. Yes, that could mean soccer forever, but its better to decide such a huge championship on the field of play as opposed to an individual skills competition. 
Both were admitted to be poor calls by the umpires after the games. See video and read about them here and here. Neither affected the outcome of the game, but one of these days one will. Why not use the technology to review easily correctable situations like fair or foul on home runs? No strikes/balls being reviewed, just major plays like, at the minimum, home runs. It could be tested in spring training, and implemented once the kinks have been worked out. Yes Bud Selig, it would slow the game down a little. Rules could be made to make the replays quick, and most importantly, calls would be correct and umpires wont look like idiots. Put down the Miller Lite Bud, and just think about it. 
