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“Aztecs–Final Four Team-or-Team in Trouble”

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They are back home, saddened by what has happened to them the last two weeks of the basketball season.

They lost the chance to have a perfect regular season a week ago, when beaten at home.  Then they lost the chance to win the Mountain West Conference tourney, beaten on a neutral court.

This Aztecs season is not over, but there is some reality now, they may be living on borrowed time.

The record is (30-2), and yes they could still get the #1 seed in one of the regionals next weekend on Selection Sunday, and possibly head to the Madison Square Garden regional.  Yes they would wind up playing out here in the LA Staples Center regional as a #2 seed.

But they could also wind up ‘one-and-done’ too as March Madness begins.

But there are other things now to be considered, to be feared.

The look on Coach Brian Dutcher’s face on Saturday afternoon in the final minutes of the (59-56) loss to Utah State, told the entire story.

His team was fatigued.  It was not playing its in your face defense.  It’s 3-point shooting went away.  His star forwards were taken out of the flow of the game.

Dutcher had a glazed look in his eyes, as if he had run out of answers, as new questions and problems surfaced.

Tell me when you have seen an SDSU team lose a 16-point lead in a game.  Tell me when they could not defend the perimeter shots.  Tell me when they allowed entry passes into the paint down on the block so often.  Tell me when was the last time you saw this squad go 5, 6, and 8-minute spans without scoring a basket.

SDSU has now had 6-games in which they were in trouble in the last 3-weeks, most of which they were able to rally back from.  A team that has come back from being down by double digits to Air Force, Boise, USU, CSU, UNLV, failed to do it against a Utah State team that has 2-players, Sam Merrill and Neemius Quinta, and not much else.

USU’s guard drilled all those 3-point shots in the 2nd half.  The center ran free on the baseline for entry passes and got points in and around the paint with his 7′ frame.

It was an awful day for State’s big guns.  Malachi Flynn went (6-20) shooting.  KJ Feagin threw up bricks (3-11) and got schooled by Merrill at the other end.  Matt Mitchell had a substandard (1-7) shooting game, and Yanni Wetzel disappeared when they needed him most.

SDSU shot 35% in the second half, and let USU hit 69% of its second half shots in a 15-minute span.

Stunning that USU came from 16-down to win.  Stunning they could win even though they went 19-straight possessions without a basket in the first half.

3-games in 3-nights, with a shortened bench is taking a toll on SDSU.  Dutcher’s decisions on who to use, when to use them, seem to be coming back now to haunt him.

Maybe the re-emergence of Nathan Mensah, even with limited minutes of play off the bench, will be the catalyst to get Aztecs basketball back to where it should be.  Firepower at one end, fierce defense at the other.

Maybe this nearly 10-days off stretch before the first round of the tourney gets underway will be the tonic to return to form.

Yes, what happened Saturday…it only counts as one loss, but what we have seen happen the last couple of weeks has to be alarming for a team that had been rock solid consistent, with a tough as cement personality at both ends of the court.

The look on Dutcher’s face caught my attention late in the game.  The sullen look on the faces of his players post-game has to cast doubts in their hearts how much farther they can go in the tourney playing the way they are.

They are not at home any more.  There is no ‘Show’ support from Viejas Arena.  They are not doing all the things that made them unbeaten and unchallenged most of the winter.

San Diego State is not the same team anymore. Might be fatigue.  Might be scouting reports.  Might be the player rotation.  Might be the level of teams they are playing.  Might be SDSU has peaked, and others have caught up.

Aztecs basketball, just doesn’t look right, right now.  Not now, not at the most important time of the year. They should be concerned.  The fans should be too.

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“NFL-Players-Money”

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They all had an opinion, the people I spoke to on Friday and Saturday, the ones who returned Emails, and texts.

I canvassed a select group of NFL people, an agent, a just retired player, a longtime retired player, and a current member of the Chargers, to get a cross section of opinions on what is going on in the NFL…’off the field’.

It is a busy time in the NFL.  The combine in Indianapolis wrapping up as teams got a closeup look at the Crown Jewels of draft talent.

A busy time too, with impending free agency, and a veteran laced group of quarterbacks out on the market for the first time ever.

A busy time too with an upcoming vote of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, where owners carve up the ever-growing revenue pie, and whee the Union and the owners flex their muscles to get the best deal.

Here’s what the cross section of those around the NFL volunteered ‘anonymously’ about where things stand in the NFL.

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“You’re going to trust the owners to do right by you on a 10-year contract extension?  Not me.  I would only vote yes on a much shorter CBA extension or one with a Union re-opener if the economics change. This deal has to be better thought out about how things could-might change.  It is not just about current money-but future money too. Wish we had a second bye week.  People don’t know how much value there is in getting players rest-healthy-prepared.  That from a CURRENT Chargers player.

From an AGENT.  “This is a good deal, considering the massive pay bump every category of players gets, especially the entry level players and the mid-level veterans.  I am surprised no one addressed any change in the Franchise Tag rule.  The owners backed away from the extended health plan (8-years) for retired players but there are upgrades in lots of areas”.  My question would be why should Union stay stuck at 48.5% of the total revenue pie in an industry that will continue explosive growth to 25M in a couple of years?  It is a partnership yes, but it becomes a one-sided deal after the third year or so of a 10-year pact, with the players shares frozen.  The Union needs to have a shorter contract, or a re-opener clause halfway thru this partnership”

The JUST RETIRED player:  “17-games and the additional playoff teams puts more money into the pot for everyone.  They should have pushed harder for the 2nd bye week.  The reduction in padded practices and the limited OTA workouts might sound good for players health, but not good for coaches.  Less teaching time.  Less time to practice at full speed.  Less quality in games early in season.  More international games-makes it tougher on players.”

From a LONGTIME RETIRED player:  Every new CBA-we have gained things, but the owners have gained things too.  Our biggest concern, post-career health care, and that did not improve.  The current guy only thinks in today’s dollars, rather than long-range dollars.  I am doing okay.  I have retired Chargers players who are not doing well at all.  I cannot forgive past leadership, the Tagliabue era, for the concussion situations that were allowed to exist.  I credit Goodell for needing to change the culture of the game, the hitting, the injury factor.  There are 22-retired players who committed suicide.  There are 202 of 211 brains that had serious CTE that Boston University researched.  Adding more games-does that prevent these things from happening in the future?  17-games is wonderful for fans of Thursday, Sunday and Monday night football.  Not so wonderful for the wear and tear on guys on the roster.”

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It is interesting to see the battle lines being drawn now.

Union Chief DeMaurice Smith spoke out Friday, saying this was the best deal they could get after 300-days of negotiations, and they got a lot.

The window to vote will likely open next week for the 1,900-active NFL players and there has been a vocal element against the deal by names you know.  Aaron Rodgers, Richard Sherman, JJ Watt, Russell Wilson have all sounded off, and they are influential people.  Can the ‘militants’ influence the masses?

There are so many younger players, minimum dollar players, probably half the roster of each team, who will jump at the pay raises.

The veteran players know this game, its history, how the owners and the league office operate.  That is why they speak out.

Listed below are the fine print points the players will have to read before they say yes or no.

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Owners…Proposal includes”
..17G-schedule 2021
..2-new wildcard teams for 2020 playoffs
..Salary cap go from 188M-to-200M-to-300M in 3-years.
..Teams can use either Franchise Tag-or-Transition Tag-once year
..All players get 17th game-check equal to regular game checks
..Teams will play 9-home games-7 road one year…then flip next year
..Drop idea of 16-neutral sight or international games
..Limit NFL to 10-international games a year
..Allow teams to recall 3-players from Injured Reserve each year
..Stay at 1-bye week in season
..Preseason schedule will drop to 3-games for 2021
..Teams will have 2-full weeks to prepare for NFL opener
..Reduce days in pads in training camp from 28-to-16
..8-full off days in each training camp
..Limited days in pads in regular season
..5-days non contact to start preseason camp
..Reduced OTA workout schedule in spring
..Players allowed to be in facility for max of 12-hours a day
..Players who have contract-refused to report to camp-lose 1-year service-free agency
..Players fines for holdouts in camp increase to 50,000 a day-cannot be rescinded
..55-man roster..48-active game day
..12-man practice squad…expand to 14-players in following years
..Ban on teams signing practice squad players from other teams
..Continue plan-retired players get 5-years medical health coverage
..Add Vision coverage to health coverage
..Upgrade stipend for retired players
..Revenue split goes from 47% to 48.5% immediately-but frozen then
..100,000 pay raise for all rookies-1st-2nd year players minimums
..Eliminate discipline for positive marijuana test
..Players put into clinical counseling program for marijuana test
..Continued research on use medical marijuana
..Increase suspension for steroid use from 4G-to-6G…Repeat offender 10G suspension
..Increase penalty for tampering with samples drug tests from 6G-to-8G
..Increase suspension for DUI from 2G-to-3G..2nd time offender 6G.

..Retain ‘Stadium Credit’ fees-owners used for NFL-G3-Funds

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You like the NFL, you like more games.
You play in the NFL, you like to make more money
You survive in the NFL, you need rest-health-luck not go get hurt
You own an NFL team, the profits get bigger and bigger.

Read it…React to it.
Would you sign the deal?

Email me: via my *website .. www.leehacksawhamilton.com

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“A Ticking Time Bomb–Among Us”

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The great unknown is so scary.

Coronavirus.

We don’t know what causes it.  We don’t know who is carrying it/  We don’t know how to control it.

Our stock market is in a global plunge, down nearly 4,000-points in a 4-day span.

We have seen how bad it is in China, what’s happening in India.  What just happened in Italy.

It is on our door step, but we wonder where it will crop up next.

You have to be enraged that China’ doctors knew about this for 3-weeks, and did nothing till the virus spread like an oil fire.

The CDC is working round-the-clock to find a vaccine.  So are global experts everywhere o this planet.

The sports world is scared too.

The revelation the Red Sox quarantined a rookie pitcher they signed this winter from Taiwan, right after he arrived at spring training.  A 14-day hiatus in a single room in the hotel, which his meal served to him in private.  His only activity is long distance throws with a trainer.  There is no access to the team’s facilities for another week.

In China, the big money Chinese Basketball Association, suspended its schedule a week ago and will remain dark till at least April 1st.  Former NBA and college players, who dot all the rosters, are still in the country, working out on their own, but like everyone else, fearful of whom they come in contact with.

The Korean Baseball League will not start its season, scheduled for March 28th.  No games, no stadiums to be opened.

In Japan, where their leagues start on March 20th, the Nippon Leagues are discussing locking fans out of the stadium, and just having the teams play games, without fans.

Still to come, the status of the Tokyo Summer Olympics.  Who knows if this will be under control by then.  And by bringing together so many people from so many parts of the globe, how fearful are they of another outbreak.

President Trump, with opinions on everything, but limited knowledge of certain things, tries to downplay the seriousness of this, by saying there are only 15-afflicted in the US.  A day later a woman in California dies and no one knows where she got it from, for she was not a traveller.

In the US, at last count, 800-people were under observation and that number figures to increase day-by-day..

It has touched sports abroad, and you fear this virus will spread to touch other sports.  You hope it doesn’t arrive in the US, but no one knows where it came from, how to control it, how to end it, and where it spreads next..

A ticking time bomb around the world.  Life affected.  Sports might be next.  The virus is among us.

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“Things I Think”

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PADRES…The Wil Myers trade talks to Boston are over.  The Red Sox don’t want to take on more than 30M of the remaining 61M-owed to Myeres.  Boston also wanted top prospects to take on the contract, thought Myers could become a big factor hitting balls over the Green Monster.  The Padres though did not want to give up talents like Cal Quantrill or Joey Lucchesi.  Interesting to see if Myers finds himself and becomes a season long contributor.

DODGERS…What a lineup from Mookie Betts at the top, to Cody Bellinger in the middle, to Corey Seager later in th border.  Big question to me, the loss of veterans Kenta Maeda, Hyun Jin-Ryu and Rich Hill’s veteran experience leaves a big void in that rotation.  Can Julio Urias, Dustin May, Tony Gonxolin be reliable?

ANGELS..Pretty good batting order, pretty thin starting rotation.  Think about a batting order led by Mike Trout, relying on Anthony Rendon, paced by Albert Pujols, the re-emerging Shohei Ohtani, along with Andrelton Simmons.  That’s a pretty good set of sticks.  The huge question will be what kind of mileage they get out of Dylan Bundy and Julio Teheran, and how quickly Ohtani can return to be an every fifth day starter in the rotation.  Health has always been a problem with the Halos pithing staff.

YANKEES….What a bad first week.  P-James Paxton, back surgery….P-Luis Severino-elbow surgery….OF-Giancarlo Stanton-calf.  Just one week into camp.  Last year they had 18-major injuries.

RED SOX…The criticism is relentless over the Mookie Betts-David Price trade.  The farm system is barren.  The starting rotation has a history of injury.  Long season, bad season coming to Boston?

ASTROS…A first week of non stop criticism for Houston as the Grapefruit Circuit got underway, and it won’t get any better once the season begins for baseball’s Public Enemy-1 team.  This will not go away, all year long.

ATHLETICS…Some believe P-Mike Fiers was a snitch.  Many think what he did as a whistleblower was correct to save the integrity of the game. Now ex-A’s C-Jon Lucroy went public saying the A’s notified the Commissioner’s office of Astros wrongdoing in 2017, and nothing happened till the post season of 2019 when Fiers went public. Why the delay?

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The QB Derby–Race About to Begin”

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They need quarterbacks, most of the teams atop the NFL Draft board.

In Indianapolis, the blue chip quarterbacks will begin workouts, then meet with respective teams for personal interviews.

We could have as many as 8-quarterbacks go in the first round of the draft.  Some could be instant stars, others will take time to develop, some surely will be projects that will take time.

Look for movement at the top of the draft board….not from Cincinnati, but from everyone else.

The names atop the board, flash in neon lights.  The Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow.  Alabama’s QB-Tua.  Oregon’s passing star Justin Herbert.

The unknown on the rise, might be Utah State’s Jordan Love.  Beyond that group would be the up and down Washington Huskies Jacob Eason, and further back Georgia’s Jake Fromm

The Bengals and Joe Burrow of LSU seem a perfect link.  Home state boy, staying at home to help fix an ailing franchise.

But the Bengals still have Andy Dalton, and think about this idea.  Keep Dalton, and trade the pick to Miami for all three of their first round picks.  The Dolphins draft 5-18-26.  Cincinnati could then go get the kind of help they need to fill all the other holes that developed around Dalton over the last couple of years.  Miami would get Burrow.

Miami is sitting  there with the 5th pick, and  that puts them in line for Tua Tagovailoa, who appears ready to workout, coming off the fractured hip surgery.  But there is a health history issue, three different surgeries in two years, for the Crimson Tide that could scare people away.

The Chargers are sending mixed signals  about how they replace Philip Rivers.  Is it Tyrod Taylor, a journeyman at best?  Is it a free agent like Marcus Marietta, a fove of coach Anthony Lynn?  Or is it Justin Herbert, the 6’6 gem of a quarterback from Oregon?

Herbert’s stats don’t overwhelm you, because he had roster limitations at Oregon.  He did not throw 60-TDs like Burrow did.  He did not put up massive passing yards as Tua did at the football factory that was Alabama.

But the Oregon Duck brings size, accuracy, mobility, and a 4.5GPA to consume information, having played for 3-coordinators in 3-years at Autzen Stadium

But there could also be changes at the top of the leader board, via trades, that could shake this draft upside down.

Rumors are that the Detroit Lions at 3-might trade out for someone who wants to move up to take a quarterback.

The Giants, sitting at four, might be willing to trade down too..

Carolina is at number seven and still unresolved, what to do about Cam Newton, might find a way to trade up and become a player in all this.

Teams in the top six need to be worried, somebody might jump infront of them.

And if that is not enough, keep an eye on free agency.

It’s more than just Philip Rivers and Tom Brady.  Look for new faces in new places.

The Raiders have two picks, 12-and-19, and a possible Derek Carr as trade bait too, and you read between the lines, and realize Jon Gruen always likes to look at different quarterbacks beyond his own.

Jacksonville is the other team with multiple picks, at (9&20) but won’t be in the market for a QB after the kind of money they lavished on Nick Foles.

Free agency could be part of all this.  Anybody want to rent-a-vet for a couple of years?

Where does Tom Brady wind up at age 43?  Stay in New England, look at the Charges-Raiders?

Does Philip Rivers suddenly become an Indianapolis Colt, or go to Tennessee?

Does Tampa Bay want to keep turnover prone big play QB-Jameis Winston, or will they become a player in the free agent market, and put Winston and his interceptions on the open market..

Taysom Hill could also test the market, though most believe the Swiss Army-knife talent stays in New Orleans.

Ryan Tannehill comes off a really good season, coming off the bench for Tennessee and might get an offer somewhere else.

Teddy Bridgewater comes off a bounce back season as the backup with the Saints, and become an off the radar type guy, who has proven again he can play.

The whole Dak Prescott debate will swirl on till the Cowboys and the QB’s agent figured out how Dallas can afford to keep him, take care of Amari Cooper, and deal with the free agents they could lose on defense.

And reports that people like Carolina, might try to jump into the top five to draft an heir apparent to Cam Newton, coming off multiple years of surgeries.

A fun week ahead of us in Indy at the combine.

The 8-QBs on the draft board and the 8-veteran free agent quarterbacks about to go on the open market.

A quarterback derby about to begin, like we’ve never seen before.

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