Name a team and I’ve got issues. I don’t know whether it’s a psychological problem to hate losing or if it’s a blessing but I don’t understand it. Let’s roll through our local teams and discuss the problems.
D-BACKS:
For everything I loved about this team last year, they drive me crazy this year. The NL West is far and away the worst division in baseball. No one has a right to make the playoffs from this division. However, the St. Louis Cardinals aren’t going to apologize for their last World Championship that they didn’t deserve so who cares how you get there, just get there.
That’s my problem, just get there. Nobody has enough heart in this division to will themselves to a victory. In the 1967 “Impossible Dream” season, Carl Yastrzemski batted .619 at the end of the season and led all outfielders in assists to lead the Red Sox to the pennant. With three games remaining the White Sox, Red Sox, Twins, and Tigers were all in the mix for the World Series (in 1967, there was no ALCS, you either went to the World Series as a first place team or you went home). That’s the definition of heart.
Sure, you didn’t need me to tell you the D-Backs don’t have Carl Yastrzemski. I just can’t believe it’s August 27 and you can’t run the bases, hit cut-off men and work the count. Will someone on the D-Backs please step up and decide winning sucks and play the game the right way!
CARDINALS:
I don’t have any issues right now unless I see number 7 playing against the 49ers. Matt’s a good guy. I hope there’s a way I can say this without attacking him as a person. He’s just not a tough enough man to play football in the NFL. Maybe if he went somewhere else he’d be faced with mortality and that would drive him to succeed. Right now, he’s a hair above worthless.
The Cards need to rack up wins early to handle the travel and opponents of mid-October and beyond. The Cards must go 4-1 to start the season. The season is too tough to be able to come back from a slow start. Kurt Warner must start in order to get as many wins as they can early. It’s no different than the D-Backs. Where would we be if the D-Backs didn’t have the April they did? The Cards need the room a great September and early October will bring to get through the rest of the year.
SUNS:
So Shaq is getting restraining orders and not getting in shape. They spend first round money on a second round pick but they didn’t spend money on Rudy Fernandez who lit up the US team last week. I question whether or not Sarver really wants to win a championship with the same desire as other owners in the league. If the owner doesn’t want to do what it takes to win, how can I believe that the rest of the decisions move the team closer to a championship?
ASU:
I like the Sun Devils but not as much as fans do.
Let’s get one thing straight, the Devils are not beating UGa or USC. Once we’ve got that established, I think they’ll be good. I actually would take the Devils over every other team on paper. Obviously, you’re not going to go through the conference season 8-1 when you’ve got a 5-game road schedule this year but I like this team.
Even though their schedule is tough, I like the way it sets up. Your first four are at home. You go 3-0 with a conference win to get the very young O-line feeling confident. You get your butt handed to you against UGa but you’re team learns how far they have to go and you have a bye week to lick your wounds. Now you’re 3-1 with a very winnable road game at Cal. I like the Devils at 4-2 and 2-1 after USC game. Who knows how they respond from this point forward but I see a 9-3 season.
I know injuries are part of the game but you can’t make a blanket statement about them to cover your tracks, you have to be specific so give me one. If Bolden goes down, my picks can change. I only get one pre-set excuse.
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I’m going to have issues with the Cardinals if I don’t see #7 on the field. I understand that he is young and maybe not a right fit for the NFL. But I would rather see this team go 4-12 and give Leinart a chance, than go 8-8 with Warner and still not make the playoffs. At least we can say that we gave Leinart a try if it doesn’t work out.
Ryan,
How could you possibly prefer to go 4-12 over 8-8?! Did I read that correctly? What is it that you love so much about Leinart? At what point in his NFL career have you seen signs of him being great? Warner is apparently having the offseason of his life and if he gets benched, Whisenhunt is essentially saying I was completely blowing smoke up your *!! when I told you this is a competition to start at QB. Maybe me and you are just too different and won’t see eye to eye on this, Ryan, but I am sick watching the Cardinals lose. I think Whisenhunt is doing great things here and this team will be exciting to watch with Warner at QB. By the way, 2 9-7 teams made the playoffs last year in the NFC and that is definitely possible.
Did I just read Ryan say he’d prefer to lose 4 more games with Leinart on the field?
That’s simply moronic, but pretty much what we’ve come to expect from Leinart’s fanboys lately.
Leinart simply isn’t in Warner’s league. Last season, Matty boy posted the worst passer rating in the NFL (61.9), and threw for the fewest yards per game (129). He completed only about 50% of his passes, averaged only 0.4 TD’s per game, and tossed 2 interceptions for every TD.
Through 5 games, Leinart threw only 1 TD to Boldin and zero to Fitzgerald. That’s a waste of the best wideout duo in the NFL.
And Matt Leinart is fragile. He’s suffered 2 season-ending injuries in his last 5 sacks. Is that some kind of record?
Warner, with an identical cast plus a bulky left arm brace, played at a Pro Bowl level. 27 TD’s in only 11 starts? 21 TD’s in his final 8 games? Those are Pro Bowl/MVP-caliber numbers.
Anyone who would want to put that on the bench and lose more games all in the name of “developing Matty” needs to have his head examined!
And it wasn’t lost on me how Leinart disconnected from his teammates at Oakland… pouting on the bench and refusing to support the other QB’s when their times came. And how he snuck out of the locker room rather than face the reporters.
Matt Leinart is a weak-armed, slow(mentally and physically), whiny, immature, self-centered jaker… the league’s latest incarnation of Ryan Leaf. And you can take that to the bank!
Well I say start Warner if it looks like the best for the team because unlike Q ,Leinart does gripe to the media.
Also Leinart has only had one (that’s right…ONE!!) season ending injury.Last year against the Rams..
He played til the end of the season in 2006 and had a 4-11 record for those last 11 games he started.
That has always bugged me when I hear that he had 2 straight season ending injuries.Facts ,just remember the facts..
Leinart suffered a season-ending injury in 2006 at SF. Warner finished the season, starting at San Diego.
That equates to 2 season-ending injuries in his last 5 sacks.
And that’s a fact.
I’m kind of surprised RJ hasn’t gotten on his young teammates about the way they are not playing behind him……….I thought he wanted to get to 300 wins before he retired - what’s he gonna do…..play another year?!?!? He’s been pitching well enough to have racked up more wins than he has but the team isn’t putting any runs on the board to help him out……..why doesn’t he get on them and explain to them how it’s done in the big leagues?! He’s the only one with the experience in that clubhouse these days —– who else is going to tell them?! (should have kept Gonzo around:-})
Doug, you forgot to finish your column. I’ll help you out.
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Coyotes:
This is a team with waning fan interest due to the lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season and the fact that they have not made the playoffs since 2002.
This year may be different. The Coyotes will bring in one of the youngest teams in the NHL into the season led by their captain Shane Doan, defensemen Ed Jovanovski and Derek Morris, and netminder Ilya Bryzgalov. The young players include the most exciting player here that wears #13, Daniel Carcillo. Peter Mueller, Keith Yandle, and Martin Hanzal look to continue to grow. Kyle Turris, Mikkel Boedker, and Kevin Porter will likely be heavily relied upon to provide some offense for this team.
If they can stay relatively injury free and the kids can perform near to their potential, this could be one very dangerous team this season.
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See, that wasn’t hard. Next time you do it Doug. Thanks.
Thanks Bill!
I can’t wait for the puck to finally drop! The Yotes are the buzz with fans throughout the NHL. Would be nice to hear a little news about them from our local folks!