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Cardinals over/unders

Published on August 25, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Vacationing Producer Rod Lakin came up with a list of over/unders for Burnsy to mull over:

Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald receiving yards: 1500 (1,431 in 2008) - Under

Fitz receiving TDs: 15 (12 in 2008) - Under

Fitz receptions: 100 (96 in 2008) - Under

Anquan Boldin

Boldin receiving yards: 1200 (1,038 in 2008)- Over

Boldin receiving TDs: 12 (11 in 2008)- Under

Boldin receptions: 90 (89 in 2008)- Over

Darnell Dockett

Dockett total sacks: 6 (4 in 2008) - Over

Dockett media sessions/interviews where he speaks out about his contract: 1 - Over

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

DRC total interceptions: 5 (4 in 2008) - Over

Kurt Warner

Warner passing yards: 4,500 (4,538 in 2008) - Under

Warner passing TDs: 30 (30 in 2008) - Under

Warner games played: 14 (16 2008, has never played 16 in consecutive seasons) - Under

Tim Hightower

Hightower: rushing yards: 900 (399 in 2008) - Under

Hightower: rushing TDs: 12 (10 in 2008) - Under

Beanie Wells

Beanie Wells injuries: 2 (already had 1 ankle problem) - Over

Beanie Wells games played: 12 - Under

Beanie Wells rushing yards: 600 - Over

Arizona Cardinals

Cards defense points allowed per game: 22 (26.6 allowed in 2008, 5th worst) - Over

Cards offense points scored per game: 27 (26.6 scored in 2008, 3rd best) - Over

Cardinals Pro-Bowl Selections: 5 (5 in 2008) - Over

Times we hear a Dave Pasch call on Sportscenter: 6 - Under

Times we see Wolf on TV on the NFL Network: 3 - Under

Cards wins in the regular season: 9 - Over (Burnsy has Cardinals at 11-5)

Cards playoff home games: 1.5 - Under

D-backs 2nd Half Review: At the All-Star break, we talked about the few intriguing stories left in the D-Backs season -
Will Dan Haren contend for a Cy Young? Nope. Will Chris Snyder play as well as his contract says he should? Nope. Will Brandon Webb pitch in September? Nope. Will Stephen Drew have another big 2nd half (.326 2nd half in 2008): Nope (.259 AVG). The only compelling story left in 2009 is Mark Reynolds’ chase of 50 HR and 30 SB. His current pace is 49 HR and 27 SB.

Good news, bad news at Cardinals practice:
The bad news: Cardinals’ 2nd round pick, Cody Brown, is out for the season with a dislocated left wrist. The good news: 1st round pick, Beanie Wells, participated in practice and “looked good” according to Coach Ken Whisenhunt. For Burnsy, though, Beanie Wells’ injury and history of injuries has him at DEFCON 3.

Sports 620 KTAR reporter, Johnny V, joined Dave to talk about the Cardinals first practice in Tempe including Cody Brown’s injury and how Beanie Wells looked in Cardinal Red.

UCLA football coach, Rick Neuheisel, joined Burnsy to talk about college football, his own UCLA Bruins, and Neuheisel’s last appearance on Sports 620 as a high school football player in 1977.

8-12 Edition of the 620 Sports Line

Published on August 13, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Legit or Lame for the Cardinals

Kurt Warner will play all 16 games this year. LAME.

The most important player this entire preseason is Matt Leinart. LEGIT

Matt Leinart will be handed the job as backup QB. LAME

Coach Whisenhunt suggested that the backup QB position is no more important than any other backup position on the roster. LAME.

Coach Whisenhunt isn’t that concerned about Beanie Wells injury and neither am I. LEGIT

The defensive equivalent to Matt Leinart (a guy who must have a strong preseason) is Calais Campbell. LEGIT.

Tim Hightower has the chops to be an every down running back in the NFL. LAME.

There is absolutely nothing more important to the 09 Arizona Cardinals than staying healthy. LEGIT.

Legit or Lame: Beanie Wells missing camp thus far is not that big of a deal

Legit, Running back is the one position that a rookie can away with coming in late. Their job is to run. Pretty simple, although if someone can’t stay healthy that’s pretty hard to do.

Legit or Lame: Lance Long is needed more than Sean Morey

Legit. The Cardinals offense is predicated on the spreading the field and passing. That requires more depth at the receiver position than others. So, if Anquan Boldin goes down Steve Breaston becomes the #2 receiver with Urban at #3 and Sean Morey at #4??? If Early Doucet is still hurt and Lance Long is waived and likely in Kansas City, that’s a pretty dicey proposition. A good offensive weapon trumps a good special teams player.

Legit or Lame: Kurt Warner’s hip injury is not an issue?

Lame: Watching Warner in practice, you can tell that doesn’t feel great between snaps. When he’s playing, he seems fine and probably will play fine. He’s already admitted as much, and says that his hip bothers him when he’s standing and so much when he’s out there playing. He’s never played back-to-back 16 game seasons. Couple these to factors and, yes, the hip injury is definitely an issue

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reported that Doug Davis was claimed on waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers leaving the Diamondbacks three options; working out a trade with the Brew Crew, pulling him off waivers, or just letting him go to Milwaukee. Gambo reported that a deal between the Brewers and Diamondbacks would be very unlikely.

D-backs Uncertainties

Starting rotation next season - could it be more uncertain?

Dan Haren - certain about him…through July anyway

Brandon Webb - uncertain if he’s healthy, uncertain if he’s worth $8.5 million, uncertain if he’ll be receptive to re-sign if that option is not picked up, uncertain if D-Backs are willing to offer an incentive laden contract , uncertain about another set-back if he does remain healthy, uncertain if he’ll be as good as he was before having surgery

Max Scherzer - uncertain if he’s even cut out to be a starter. Uncertain if he’s a playing role that he’s not best suited for. Uncertain if he’ll get any better. Uncertain if you want to go into a season with a #2 starter, who cannot go much more than 5 innings.

Jon Garland - uncertain if he’s worth paying $10 million next year. Uncertain if he wants to come back. Uncertain if he’ll come back for anything less than $10 million. Uncertain if he’s a top 3 starter in this league. Uncertain if he’s suited for Chase Field.

Jarrod Parker - uncertain if he’ll need more surgery. Uncertain if he’ll be as good if he doesn’t have surgery. Uncertain if he’s good enough to begin with to a starter in the majors, next year. He’s only 20…

The dead of Summer

Published on July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Jeremy Foster filled in for Dave Burns on the 620 SportsLine

AJ Hinch stated the goal for the Diamondbacks was to get back to the .500 mark. Jeremy Foster does not think they have a chance to meet that objective. Foster wants to see the D-backs move Doug Davis, Jon Garland, and Chad Qualls to get some young talent and build towards next year. He sees the Mets, Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals, Rangers, and Angels as possible trade partners.

Richard Justice, MLB Columnist for the Houston Chronicle checked to give us the latest on the trade deadline. He doesn’t see Roy Halladay getting moved unless the Blue Jays lower their demands.

Diana Taurasi allegedly got an extreme DUI and she received a two game suspension. Foster thinks the punishment was fair, but Taurasi needs to prove she is truly sorry by not repeating her mistake.

The Phoenix Suns and Steve Nash are getting closer to working out a two year contract extension to keep him in the purple and orange. Nash’s numbers have gone down the past couple of seasons, but Jeremy thinks it is very important to keep the Suns leader around. An older Nash is better than most point guards in the league.

Terrell Suggs joined Gambo & Ash this afternoon and said that Karlos Dansby needs to look at himself as a business. Jeremy feels that it is unfair to ask Dansby to take less money to stay with the Cardinals; it’s up to Karlos to look out for his best interests.

With Derrick Mason’s surprise retirement Foster wonders if the Ravens will take a serious run at Anquan Boldin. With the development of Steve Breaston and Jeremy Urban, Jeremy thinks the Cardinals should seriously consider moving Q for a couple draft picks.

‘I just want to play’

Published on July 16, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Jon Bloom filled in for Dave Burns on the 620 SportsLine

Tuesday night the American League won another All Star game over the National League to give them home field advantage in the World Series. Bloom complained about the camera angle on Barack Obama’s first pitch and that Joe Maddon didn’t find a way to get Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield into the game.

Bloom is pleased with Steve Kerr’s plan on how to deal with Amare Stoudemire’s contract extension. Stat is trying to comeback from eye surgery; he has proved that he can rebound from injuries in the past, but this is a different animal. Suns management wants to see Sun Tzu perform out on the court before they talk money. Bloomer expects Stoudemire to be motivated by Phoenix’s position.

Wednesday was the deadline for franchise players to agree to terms on a long term contract. Karlos Dansby and the Arizona Cardinals were not able to get a deal done. Bloom thinks this is a good move for the Redbirds and #58. Similar to the Stoudemire situation with the Suns, Karlos Dansby will be flying around the field to make sure he gets that long term security. Terrell Suggs, the former Arizona State Sun Devil did Dansby a huge favor today setting the market with the largest contract ever for an outside linebacker. Bloom doesn’t believe that Anquan Boldin’s contract situation is connected with Dansby.

The Arizona Diamondbacks come out of the All Star break with a disappointing 38-51 record. Jon covered the Detroit Tigers in his younger years and remembered Tigers fans getting excited about a bad Detroit team making a run at .500 in the 2nd half of the season grabbing the city‘s attention. He ponders if a similar occurrence with the Snakes would have that affect on the valley. Having a positive stretch run is imperative to the Dbax moving towards next season.

Grant Hill joined Gambo & Ash earlier this afternoon and said that playing time was a major reason that he decided to stay with the Phoenix Suns. Hill has never won a playoff series and Bloom wondered if this was a good career decision for the former Duke Blue Devil who is nearing the end of his playing days.

Brett Favre continues to crave the limelight and has become one of the most agitating athletes in sports. Bloomer takes a look at the most annoying figures in the world of sports. Bloom’s list includes Brett Favre, Chad Ochocinco, Mark Cuban, Drew Rosenhaus, Daniel Snyder, Tony Romo, Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie, Bud Selig, and David Beckham. We took calls.

The Diamondbacks midseason awards

Published on July 14, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

The Midseason Awards…

1st half D Back MVP: Justin Upton? Mark Reynolds? Josh Byrnes? Nope, Dan Haren takes the prize with his All-Star first half.

Worst Bad Pitcher to beat the D-Backs: Eric Stults (4.80 ERA, 1.58 WHIP)? Jeff Weaver (1.57 WHIP)? The award goes to Kris Medlen, who came in with an ERA of 9.72 and, making his third start of the year, went 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 9 Ks.

The Eric Byrnes “Player we will miss the least in the 2nd half” Award:
Doug Slaten, Chad Tracy, and Blaine Boyer all receive votes, but the award goes to Yusmeiro Petit, who is 0-3 with an ERA close to 8 in 7 starts replacing Brandon Webb.

Best Addition to the Phoenix Sports Vocabulary?
Simply put… “Organizational Advocacy”

Highlight of 1st half?
Josh Wilson’s triple play and the Reynolds rant finish bronze and silver, but the Diamondbacks getting the 2011 All Star Game takes the gold.

Low point of 1st half?
The 8th inning (as a whole), April’s offense, and June/July’s Defense each finish highly, but none of the three can catch Doug, Wolf, and Yoda’s embarrassing hot dog race during an Arizona Diamondback game.

Biggest surprise of 1st half?
Gerardo Parra, Clay Zavada, Eric Byrnes not doing a somersault… not quite. The resurrection of Jon Rauch takes the cake for the prize that is also called, “The Where the %$*& Did That Come From Award.”

The “Remember Me” Award?
Brandon Webb beats out Conor Jackson, Randy Johnson, Bob Melvin, Spring Training in Tucson, and Josh Byrnes’ bold preseason prediction “I think we can win the World Series.”

Looking “forward” into the 2nd half?
Who is packing their bags? Will Dan Haren win the NL Cy Young, or will he continue his normal second half struggles? Will Stephen Drew have another great 2nd half?

Can Mark Reynolds become the first ever 50/30 player in the MLB?
On pace for 44 HR and 27 SB, Reynolds has an outside chance of becoming the first player in Major League History to hit for 50 Home Runs and steal 30 bases in the same season.

Why is Dan Haren not starting the All-Star game?
Two words: Arizona Diamondbacks. Yes, Haren is leading Lincecum in most major categories (including ERA, WHIP, and K/BB ratio), but the San Francisco Giants are a playoff contender, meaning Lincecum’s numbers matter.

Published on July 10, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Mark Reynolds

Out of the cellar but still selling

Published on July 9, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Out of the cellar, but make no mistake the Arizona Diamondbacks still are sellers this season, even after their impressive 5 run 8th and season high 5-game winning streak. Burnsy also lacks optimism for the “Mark the Vote” campaign, as it appears Reynolds will fall short in the end. But, in the end, didn’t the 5 names that didn’t get into the All-Star game didn’t get in because the fans didn’t get it right the first time? So why not give them another chance, only this time we’ll narrow the choices. Like someone that can’t do an essay question, so you give them multiple choice answers instead. I hate that. Instead, we should have a veto vote for the fans. You give them names of players who were voted in that really don’t deserve it. The fans get the veto power, and the manager appoints a worthy replacement. The list for veto includes:

1. Derek Jeter – good offensive numbers, not great, and is anything but great at SS anymore
2. Josh Hamilton – has been hurt – c’mon!
3. Dustin Pedroia – 762 OPS, and gets the nod ahead of Lind and Kinsler!
4. Tim Wakefield- managers choice, for the record, but why choose anyone with a 4.30 ERA?
5. Yadier Molina – OK, he’s a catcher, but a .389 SLG???

Amare Stoudemire speaks - But who’s really listening? Probably not the Suns, at least not in regards to a contract extension. That has Amare questioning his future with the organization, but is there really a future direction for this organization? Burnsy doesn’t see it, all while seeing teams like Dallas committing to acquiring players like Shawn Marion, while the Suns just seem interested.

Doesn’t it seem like everyone is really interested in the Cards right now? Yeah, just ask Darnell Dockett, who held the Valley hostage via his Twitter account. It’s unofficial pre-pre season hype time for the Arizona Cardinals. People are geared up; they are ready for another Super Bowl run, but are expectations manageable for a team that has gone to the playoffs twice while in Arizona, and to the Super Bowl only once in it’s existence. How good do you feel about this team’s Super Bowl chances, as compared with some of the other great Arizona teams coming off of their greatest seasons?

October, 1993 – Suns coming off a magical 62-20 season, and heartbreaking NBA Finals loss to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Jordan has since retired, leaving the Suns as one of the frontrunners for the NBA championship. Their roster is basically intact; Tom Chambers is gone, and AC Green is in. Richard Dumas has fallen off the wagon again, and Joe Kleine was added as a free-agent.
Confidence meter: 90 out of 100
Result: 56-26 record, and semifinal loss to the eventual NBA Champion Houston Rockets in 7 games.

October, 1994 – The disappointment of the previous year has caused Phoenix to load up in the offseason. Danny Manning was added for pocket change, and a promise from Jerry Colangelo. The Suns also added Wayman Tisdale through free-agency and 3-point specialist Wesley Person through the draft. The Suns did lose center Oliver Miller to the Pistons, and Cedric Ceballos to the Lakers.
Confidence meter: 90-100
Result: A great start and an incredible regular season OT win over the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic quickly subsides when Manning is lost in February. Despite this, the Suns take the eventual champion Houston Rockets to the limit, losing in 7 games to the team that would meet (and defeat) the Magic in the NBA Finals.

July, 1999 – The Arizona Cardinals head to camp coming off their first playoff season in Arizona. But, key members from that team have left Arizona in the offseason, including Lomas Brown, Larry Centers, and Jamir Miller. They still future a young nucleolus of Jake Plummer, Frank Sanders, Andre Wadsworth, and Simeon Rice. They’ve also added (via the draft) L.J. Shelton and David Boston
Confidence meter: 70-100
Result: The magic was not back, and the Cardinals were not back in the playoffs. They finish 4th in the NFC East with a 6-10 record. Their once promising offense ranks 30th out of 31 teams in points scored.

February, 2000 – The Arizona Diamondbacks begin their 3rd spring training with big expectations. The D-backs are coming off a 100 win season and a playoff loss to the New York Mets. The team is basically back, with the exception of starter Andy Benes.
Confidence meter: 75-100
Result: A disappointing start is aided, briefly, by the addition of Curt Schilling. Injuries to Matt Williams and irritation with manager Buck Showalter eventually bring the team down, though. Arizona wins 85 games, but misses the playoffs; Showalter is fired at years end.

February, 2001 – Like the Suns in 1995, the D-backs disappointment has caused Colangelo to go on the offensive. He adds FA Mark Grace, and Reggie Sanders. Everything else is in tact, although Todd Stottlemyre is shutdown with injuries.
Confidence meter: 85-100
Result: It worked. Schilling and Johnson combine to be the most dominant 1-2 combo this side of Koufax and Drysdale. Sanders provides a punch-less lineup with some much needed pop, and Byung Kim steps in for Mantei at closer. Despite some shaky pitching from Kim, the D-backs beat the Yankees in 7 in the World Series.

February, 2002 – The defending World Series champs still have Johnson and Schilling, and still have issues on offense and with their #3 starter. An increased role for Danny Bautista (Sanders is gone) and Rick Helling is supposed to help both (but neither really pans out).
Confidence meter: 95-100
Result: It starts well, with the D-backs 37 games over .500 by late August. But adding injury to inefficiency, Gonzo goes down and the offense never really recovers. This wastes another stellar year from Johnson and Schilling, and the D-backs are bounced from the NLDS in three games to the Cardinals.

October, 2005 –Suns coming off another 62-20 year, albeit an unexpected one, since they finished with 29 wins the year before. The Suns also deal with the unexpected departure of Joe Johnson, who wants to go to Atlanta. The Suns oblige and get Boris Diaw and draft pick in exchange. They acquire James Jones from Indiana to help offset the Johnson departure, along with FA signee Raja Bell. The club also acquires Kurt Thomas to play center.
Confidence meter: 87-100
Result: Surprising in many regards. Bell does well in Johnson’s absence; Diaw steps in for an injured Amare. Still, after a memorable series with Kobe and the Lakers in the 1st and the other LA team in the 2nd, the Suns go down, once again, in the Western Finals, this time to the Dallas Mavericks.

October, 2006 – Amare is back, along with the core of last year’s team. Tim Thomas has departed for the Clippers, and the Suns add Marcus Banks to be Nash’s backup after Eddie House is not retained.
Confidence meter: 94-100
Result: Well, this is mixed bag, Amare returns, despite a pre-season knee scare (minor surgery is needed), and plays very well. Diaw does not, perhaps since Stoudemire has taken his role in the offense. Again, the Suns beat the Lakers and again the fall to the Spurs, in controversial fashion. There’s an asterisk next to this one.

October, 2007 - After finishing the 07 playoffs in controversial fashion, the Suns seem hungry for a title. Kurt Thomas is gone, and so is James Jones. Grant Hill and Brian Skinner are brought aboard thru free-agency and the Suns finally keep their draft pick! Alando Tucker from Wisconsin is selected with the 29th overall pick.
Confidence meter: 95-100
Result: This one just never really took off. Marion is disgruntled and the Suns fail to add Kevin Garnett in the off-season. The Suns also miss out on high draft pick, after the lottery balls land the Hawks the 3rd overall pick (it was lottery pick). The Suns respond to the off-season turmoil with a sluggish start and Mike D’Antoni lashes out at the fans. The Lakers overtake Phoenix in the Pacific and land Pau Gasol. The Suns deal Marion to Miami for Shaq, but the trade never really delivers anything but another painful playoff loss to the Spurs.

February, 2008 – The D-backs are coming off a memorable season, one which saw them win 90 games and return to the NLCS. The team added Dan Haren in the off-season and features a young nucleus that can only get better, with Chris Young, Conor Jackson, and Stephen Drew all entering their prime years. Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds also figure to get better. Randy Johnson is also healthy and figures to round out a strong rotation featuring Brandon Webb, Haren, and Doug Davis.
Confidence meter: 92-100
Result: After a scorching April, the rug is pulled out from underneath Arizona. Brandon Lyon fails to replace Jose Valverde, as the young lineup struggles to score runs. Orlando Hudson goes down in September once again, and the D-backs trade for Adam Dunn in an effort to replace Hudson’s bat and keep up with the Dodgers, who have added Manny Ramirez. It doesn’t matter, though, as Arizona finishes 82-80, 2nd to LA in the NL West standings.

July, present – The Arizona Cardinals are coming off a Super Bowl appearance with their roster basically intact. Edgerrin James is gone at RB, with Beanie Wells being drafted as his eventual replacement. Anquan Boldin was not traded and is now Rosenhaus-less. Darnell Dockett still employs Rosenhaus, but will not holdout. Todd Haley is now the head coach in Kansas City, and Clancy Pendergast is his defensive coordinator.
Confidence meter: ?????

In a bind and bad baseball

Published on June 30, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

The Suns are in a bind. Amare Stoudemire is likely not going to Golden State for a package featuring Stephen Curry. In fact, the Suns are looking at a return package that features little more than role players, hardly what the draft war room had envisioned when the erupted in applause at Curry’s selection.

So how does one interpret such a gap in intelligence gathering when it came to the Warriors 7th pick? When the deal was seemingly agreed upon in principle, did the Suns NOT submit a list of names that they wanted with the 7th pick? Did that list NOT include Curry’s? If it did, how did Golden State NOT inform Phoenix that Curry would be their property if he was available at #7? How did the Suns NOT find out a list of names that Golden State was content with drafting instead of the Amare deal? In other words (and this just has to be said) how did Steve Kerr and Suns management screw this up so badly? Moving forward, and in light of Sarver’s empty promise NOT to make a bad move just to make a move (yeah Mr. Sarver, that’s what you call the Shaq deal), how can Suns fans NOT be incredulous to any future moves that this organization makes?

They’re lost in other words. As lost as the star player that they’re trying to trade. So maybe the Suns and Amare really deserve each other. Neither seems to have a clue about where they’re going, where they want to go, or how fast they want to get there. Enjoy the 2009 season together guys… We surely will not.

We surely saw some bad baseball this weekend. But how bad is really bad? Or, better yet, what’s bad enough to be worse than the 2004 season?

Despite the “recentcy factor” Burnsy doesn’t think it’s quite “04’ bad.” He also doesn’t think the 09’ season is the most disappointing in team history. In both cases (at least thus far) it’s a close runner-up:

Worst season:

1. 04’ - 51-111.

Yes, they were expected to be bad. But this bad? It cost Bob Brenly his job, and led to the costly signing of Russ Ortiz. In short, bad with little hope on the horizon.

2. 09’ – 30-46 (in-progress).

No, they were not expected to be this bad. In fact, they were not supposed to be bad at all. All that could go wrong has: The loss of a manager, an ace, and relevance during a baseball season where it’s really hard not to be.

3. 98’ – 65-97.

Expansion teams are supposed to be bad, and the D-Backs were surprisingly good the following year (100-62). Compare that with their expansion brethren in Tampa.

Most disappointing season:

1. 02’ - 98-64.

How can 98 wins be disappointing? Well, it is after you win the World Series the year before, return with perhaps the most dominating 1-2 starting pitching combo in baseball history, and then fall in 3 games in the opening round of the playoffs.
2. 09’ - 30-46 (in-progress).

The D-Backs were supposed to be playoff contenders, World Series contenders according their GM, not irrelevant by late June. And as we said before: It’s very hard to irrelevant this year.

3. 08’ – 82-80 

In April the D-backs were MLBs best team in the worst division in all of baseball. They seemed like a shoo-in for the playoffs, but by the end of September they were the 2nd best team in the worst division in all of baseball. And not very fun to watch.

The D-backs haven’t been very fun to watch this year. Funny maybe, but not fun. This weekend also made Arizona the clear cut leaders in two categories: Errors and team meetings. The latter Burnsy really hates. Sure a team meeting garners some cheap headlines and might enjoy a brief push in the polls…for a day. Afterward you get what you would normally receive. In the D-backs case, that would be bad baseball. But what would be considered more frivolous than a team meeting in sports? We made a list:

Uniform changes – the Oakland Raiders probably have the most iconic uniforms in sports (or at least one of them). They’ve averaged 4 wins over the last six seasons. Uniforms don’t matter.

Team meetings – It shouldn’t take a meeting to realize that you’re not playing well. You shouldn’t play well because someone told you in a meeting that you aren’t playing well.

Logo tweaks – Players don’t player harder because the bird on their helmet looks meaner.
All-Star balloting – If I can name the All-Star starters before the season starts, it’s frivolous.

Stadium Signage – Makes money. Not wins.

Roof at Chase Field – The best team usually wins. Leave it alone.

Halftime interviews in college football –It’s not fun for anyone – the coach, the viewer, Erin Andrews. OK, maybe it’s good for the viewer if Erin Andrews is doing the interview, but other than that it is a waste of time.

NFL injury reports – Especially in New England. Think Tom Brady (pre knee injury)

Super Bowl “home field” – It’s the friggin’ Super Bowl. Trust me when you’re playing on the world’s biggest stage, in front of millions watching on TV, the idea of a few extra Steeler fans booing you probably isn’t going to bother you a whole lot.

All-Star Game Home field Advantage - Exhibition Game having any kind of merit is far-fetched. It’s a holiday for the extremely well paid. It’s a reprieve for the privileged. No matter how many times you harken back to the 1970s, it still will never be important to the athletes in the 2000s!

Retirement in boxing – no such thing

Brett Favre retirement – no such thing

Nationally televised games - Isn’t everything nationally televised now?

NFL schedule/strength of schedule rankings – teams change in the offseason. Those changes lead to more or less wins the following year. I don’t need 30 minutes of an ESPN special to explain that.

Mascots – Kids love them. Adults hate them. Adults pay for most tickets, and kids do not, so mascots should go away.

The similarities of Amare Stoudemire and the Phoenix Suns.

Is there a shot?

Published on June 23, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

He came close, but Phil Mickelson ended up just short of a storybook U.S. Open Monday.  There was no shortage of support for Phil at Bethpage Black, and for Burnsy it’s a familiar sight.  Mickelson, after all, has been a favorite of Arizona sports fans for years, rivaling the popularity of some of Arizona’s most famous adopted sons.  They include Jerry Colangelo, Charles Barkley, Mark Grace, Luis Gonzalez, Pat Tillman and Jake Plummer.  Burnsy also puts Phil (at least for the time being) in his “unrippable” club, one that was started when Jeff Kent had the nerve to take a shot at Vin Scully.

It’s pretty clear that the Arizona Diamondbacks have no shot this year.  Not even if they start a winning streak, not even if their bullpen gets better, and not even if Brandon Webb makes a miraculous return.  No, it’s time the D-Backs start looking for some return on tradable assets such as Doug Davis, Chad Qualls, Jon Garland and Felipe Lopez.  Burnsy believes Qualls could fetch the most, and most feel that Davis would also have an active market.

The trade market for Shaq and Amare seems to have cooled, and now Suns’ brass is talking about standing pat with the league’s highest payroll - and the West’s 9th best roster.  Burns isn’t buying that, and addresses a few other issues in another edition of legit or lame:

The Suns could stand pat, and bring back the entire roster next year – LAME (no way they pay that much for that little)
Amare coming back – LEGIT
Amare wants to come back – LAME (don’t believe that for a second)
Shaq is garnering interest from many teams – LAME (too old, too expensive)
Shaq will be in a Suns uniform one week from now – LAME (he’s gone, likely on Thursday)
Nash really is interested in re-signing – LAME (he is in NY right now, wants to be in NY ASAP, and won’t re-sign with a team in transition)
Suns will draft with the 14th pick - LEGIT (they’re not selling anymore, and they’re probably not moving up either)
Suns will draft an impact player with the 14th pick – LAME (What do you have with James Johnson, Austin Daye or Earl Clark?  Well, here’s what you don’t have: an impact player that will take this team to the next level.)

Buying, selling or trading

Published on June 16, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Yes, the 620 Sportsline finally had a full show with host Dave Burns.

As Kobe Bryant celebrates his first non-Shaq NBA championship, the Phoenix Suns may be preparing for a non-Shaq regular season, as there is speculation that the Suns are set to deal O’Neal, possibly to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Burnsy feels that the Suns options with Shaq are threefold. Buy, sell, or trade:

Buy – Keep Shaq and his $20 mill for one more season, writing it off at years end, and hopefully getting another year’s worth of quality work.

Pros: You could get another quality year out of Shaq, enough to be in contention for a playoff spot in the West, or maybe just get a better deal from a contending team at the deadline.
Cons: Shaq gets hurt, gets lazy, gets angry, and you get nothing for $20 million on a bad team next season.

Sell: Shaq to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the remnants of Ben Wallace, and another contract that can be easily dispensed (Sasha Pavlovic).
Pros: Cap relief, possibly enough to pursue a free-agent as soon as this offseason.
Cons: If Shaq is dealt and Amare immediately wants out, the Suns would be left with little more than expiring contracts and young players. You think Steve Nash wants to stick around for that???

Trade – Come up with a more enticing deal, possibly with Dallas, although Eric Dampier and Jerry Stackhouse hardly seem like equal return.

Pros: You could wait for another one to develop with New Orleans, possibly for an athletic big like Tyson Chandler, who although injury probe, could be a steal if the Suns training staff works more wonders.
Cons: By waiting, the Cleveland deal is now off the table (they want help for LeBron right now!), and you’re left dealing with teams mainly in the West, with the main return being Eric friggin’ Dampier.

Speaking of buying and selling, how about the Arizona Diamondbacks?

First, though, a distinction with a difference in regards to the D-backs: The Arizona Diamondbacks are a team of young, talented players.

Or: The Arizona Diamondbacks are young, talented players on a team. Burnsy agrees with the latter, and the later we get into the 09′ season, the easier it is to realize that “young and talented” just isn’t going to cut it, as the D-backs prepare to cut loose what movable assets they have before the trading deadline. The deadline for the D-backs official post-season elimination is what, though? Last year for Cleveland, another young team, the deadline was set at July 7th , when they dealt C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Indians were 37-51 at the time, 13.5 games out of first in the AL Central, and had lost 8 straight at that point in their season. The D-backs are right about the same pace, with a .002 difference in winning percentage, and are 15 in back of the Dodgers. But if a sell-off commences, who stays, who goes, and, where? Burnsy has some ideas:

Who: Chad Qualls – will be 31 in August, makes 2.5 mill this year, and is arbitration eligible for one more. Probably not part of the D-backs long term plans at closer or in the bullpen. Could draw interest from teams with closer issues: Tampa Bay, Chicago Cubs, LA Angels, and Philadelphia. Teams always need help in the bullpen, so NYY and others would surely be involved as well.

Felipe Lopez – is 29 (turned just 3 days before me…he’s old!!), makes 3.5 mill this year, and will be a free-agent next year, not likely to be classified as Type B, meaning compensation would be minimal. Teams with poor production from 2B could be interested, including LAA, Tampa Bay (they lost Iwamura), Chicago Cubs, etc.

Doug Davis – is 33, makes 8.7 mill this year, but is a free-agent this offseason, likely Type B classification (this means a decent pick coming back if he doesn’t). Phillies are interested in acquiring another starter and may be interested. The Cardinals and Brewers do not have a lefty in their rotation, and the Mets starting pitching is iffy. The White Sox already tried to trade for Jake Peavy, while the Tigers only lefty starter is Dontrelle Willis… And Texas always needs starting pitching!

Jon Garland – is 29, makes 6.2 mill this year, free agent at year’s end, and could be a type B class. Phillies, Mets, Tigers, and (you guessed it) Texas could be very interested.