1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Wednesday “NFL-Let the QB Derby Begin”

Posted by on July 25th, 2018  •  0 Comments  • 

-0-

“NFL Quarterback Derby-Let It Begin”

-0-

Bad teams, more likely than not, have bad quarterbacking problems.

So Friday, as NFL teams all report to camp, comes the hope somebody new might lead these teams to better times.

In Cleveland, the Browns have gone (1-31) over the last two years, that win against the San Diego Chargers of all people.

Baker Mayfield, the 1st pick is still unsigned, weird considering how desperate things are in the Browns backyard. They did acquire Tyrod Taylor from Buffalo, and he can keep you in games, but is he a difference maker?

The Jets do have Ted Bridgewater, the ex Viking, but no one knows how he holds up one a whole year, coming off that massive knee surgery two plus years ago. USC rookie Sam Darden had a good camp, but he’s unsigned. Journeyman Josh McCown is still there, to help Darden grow.

In Buffalo, AJ Mccarran comes from Cincinnati, but he hardly played, all those years with the Bengals. The future hopes Wyoming rookie Josh Allen, and he didn’t really work with the number one unit in OTA drills. Yes the weather in Laramie and Buffalo can be the same in late fall, but there’s such a long distance from playing in the Mountain West-vs-the NFL>

In Baltimore, this will be fun to watch. Joe Flacco has done so many great things, but you wonder if his best days are behind him, or whether the Ravens have failed tout better people around him? We know that Lamar Jackson did superstar things at Louisville, run first, throw second. He’s dynamic but does not appear ready to play in the NFL yet, but then against Russell Wilson showed up and did it in Seattle.

Josh Rosen of UCLA is in Arizona, so is the short term veteran rental Sam Bradord. The Cardinals are good, are they ready to donate a season to develop Rosen. But then again Bradford has had big injury problems, so Rosen might well wind up on th field.

Yes, Kirk Cousins got his big payday in Minnesota. Case Keenum has moved to Denver. Alex Smith was traded to Washington. But those are proven quarterbacks with big time track records.

We know what Tom Brady-Philip Rivers-Eli Manning-Matt Ryan-Drew Brees have accomplished. We know what Andrew Luck used to do.

It’s Jim Garopplo’s show in San Francisco, hoping year two picks up from what he did in year one.

How different a year does Dak Prescott have with so many changes on the Dallas offense?

Big Ben Roethlisberger may or may not have his top running back in Pittsburgh. The Rams Jared Goff is primed for another great season with an even better offense around him.

The kids take over in Chicago, Mitch Trubisky and Pat Mahomes in Kansas City.

Carson Wentz comes back healthy in Philadelphia, Jameis Winston in suspended in Tamp Bay. Miami’s Ryan Tannehill is trying come back from two knee injuries. How big a bounce back season will it be in Houston for Deshaun Watson remains to be seen.

Cam Newton has a new offensive coordinator, and Derek Carr has a new head coach. You know Norv Turner and John Gruen’s track records.

Does Blake Bortels continue to improve in Jacksonville?.

But more than anything else, the new faces in new places at quarterback will be the storyline in some of these NFL cities.

Keep watching.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Tuesday “Padres-Clothes Make the Man-Or Do They?”

Posted by on July 24th, 2018  •  0 Comments  • 

-0-

“Padres-Clothes Make the Man-But Not the Team”

-0-

GQ Magazine lays it all out infront of you. The lattes in men’s fashion clothing…the snazzy suits, the color combo ties, the plaid shirts, the pointed dress shoes.

GQ should do the same to major league baseball’s wide array of uniforms.

Ah the great debate this summer, the Padres uniforms, and its choice of colors.

Not a lot of debate of losing streaks, who’s hot-vs-who’s not, not even trade rumors, or trade reaction to the Brad Hand to Cleveland deal.

No it’s about uniform colors.

The Padres began life with the ‘Taco Bell’ look. Brown and Mustard yellow.

Sometimes the design layout was acceptable, many times it was not.

It was followed by brown, with pinstripes, and then brown and white with yellow and orange piping.

Then came the blue uniforms, in all shades of blues, and different lettering depending on the year.

We had blue-white-orange, a nice touch. Blue pinstripes, with orange piping, In fact, the snazzy look was the one team wore when it went to the World Series.

That was followed by a wide array of bad blue choices.

Blue and White.

Throwback designs from the old Pacific Coast League days.

Blue and Sand colored piping, with road uniforms that looked like pajamas..

We fast forward now to Blue and Cream White, a rather bland look, almost equal to the bland last place teams the fans have had to endure’

And now ownership is deep into debate with fans in focus groups, about ‘bringing back the brown’. Brown and gold, maybe brown pinstripes, but surely not chocolate brown and mustard yellow.

The Yankees and Dodgers designs go back to the 1930s. The Cardinals birds on a bat dates to the 1940s. The Giants colors and script have remained the same. So has the ‘swinging red socks of the Red Sox.

I personally like the Blue-White-Orange pinstripes. A bit of a Yankees look, but color included.

What I’d really like to see would be a first place team wearing the new uniforms.

Tony Gwynn wore all the colors in his Hall of Fame career. It’s the man in the clothes that makes the difference.

But I guess I can ask for only so much in any given year from the people at Petco Park.

Clothes make the man, maybe. Better players would make for better baseball in San Diego, regardless of whether it was dressed in brown, blue or whatever.

-0-

Padres-Logos & Colors:

1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Monday “PGA Golf-What is Happening-What is Next?”

Posted by on July 23rd, 2018  •  0 Comments  • 

-0-

“Golf-Where Are We Going?”

-0-

The British Open is over, and the end result was really anti-climatic.

The course didn’t play all that tough. The weather, that normally blows in off the North Sea, never arrived.

The stars we are accustomed to seeing dominate, didn’t.

The Who’s Who we are normally used to seeing atop the leader board, were placed by the Who’s That?

Whether they like it or not, it appears a changing of the guard is happening in Pro Golf, and it’s not good. Not good compared to what we have experienced.

Francisco Molinari won the Open going away, the first Italian ever to win a Grand Slam event.

He stood strong as some of the other new names wilted under the pressure.

The kids Xander Schauffele and Kevin Kisner fell apart in the final round.

But maybe the bigger story is what’s happening to the bigger names we have all come to watch, follow, cheer for on the tour.

Tiger Woods had a rock solid 4-days, and in fact had the lead as he teed off for the 11th hole, but promptly self-destructed with bad iron play. But a 5th place finish is credible considering all he has been thru. He doesn’t seem capable of dominating a tourney ever again. Good player but greatness gone.

Phil Mickelson never got rolling, and you wonder if he will ever, ever win a golf tourney again. Personality counts, but game day play just isn’t the same.

Dustin Johnson may have been ranked number 1-in the world, but his streaky play continues. He didn’t even make the cut.

Jason Day, a former number one ranked star, has battled back problems, and seems a shell of what he was just two years ago.

Jordan Spieth had health injuries, and is not the dominant player many thought he was about to become a year ago.

Rory McIlroy’s wrist injuries seem to limit his dominance, some weeks good, others not so good.

Anybody seen much of Bubba Watson lately?.

It’s just a weird feel.

Look at the leaderboards on the final round of the tourney’s this year, and you need players to present their ID cards at the door.

2018 has given us these winners: Armour…Cook….Steele….Catlay….Kizziri….Kodaira….Wise.

Know any of them? No.

For the sport that gave us Byron Nelson and Sammy Snead…..the Golden Bear and Arnie’s Army…..Sevie and the Shark….plus Phil & Tiger…..this feels and looks like a very different time on the Pro tour.

Maybe another superstar int the sport will emerge before the end of the tour schedule.

Who that is remains to be seen. Because now the fans are not just yelling ‘in the hole’…they are also uttering ‘who’s that?’.

It’s what the PGA Tour is about to become.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

1-Man’s Opinion on Sports—Friday “Padres Trade Bullpen Aces for Another Prospect”

Posted by on July 20th, 2018  •  0 Comments  • 

AJ Preller Comments-Padres-Indians Trade

Francisco Mejia-Report to AAA-El Paso
We like the bat…defensively behind the plate
Can play 3B-OF…but still as catcher
Scouted in Arizona Fall League all thru spring
22-year old switch hitting catcher
Huge arm-can swing bat-will work on defense

Mejia bat-combination of hitter and power..gap-to-gap
Good hitter could grow into power hitter
50-game hit streak-demonstrates lots ability
Switch hitter-moves ball around-does not strike out

Cleveland was adamant they had to have 2-pitchers for Mejia
Quality for quality trade.

Will take new few weeks to evaluate at El Paso
Take a look at him at AAA at catcher then decide on callups
Want him to catch everyday in PCL.

Mejia wants to catch-he is a positive-headstrong confidence-ability
He knows he is a hitter first..but knows he can catch
Any thoughts 3B-OF are down the road-want him to catch at El Paso

Austin Hedges-we think a ton of him-flashed all ability we’ve seen
This was a value trade for a premium prospect-those are hard to find
Mejia gives us lots of options at positions
We have two of best catchers under 25-years of age
This is a down the road trade

Scouts looked at comparable prospects from other clubs
We have been scouting Mejia since spring training
Spent 10-days talking with Cleveland
We valued Mejia as best prospect of all teams talked about

Brad Hand gave us consistency in his performances over 3-years
No longer skeptical how good Hand would be
Kirby Yates becomes a closer for now
Our scouts have found bullpen pitchers over the years-will do again.

Brad always had talent-hi draft pick with Marlins
Found a home working with Andy Green-Darren Balsley
Always had stuff-had to find consistent role
Grew as talent from waiver claim to All Star
We gave him opportunity..he made most of it.

Jose Castillo-Matt Strahm will have opportunities to step into roles.
We have arms in AAA-AA that will get a look over 2nd half of year
We are looking for next Brad Hand-Adam Cimber

Yes we will have questions for 40-man roster in off season.
Confident between now December will manage 40-man roster
We will have lots of discussions of deals prospects for major leaguers
Industry views our minor league level with respect.

We have fruitful system-quality players coming
Want to ber realistic-won 5-series in a row
Focus big picture goals-what we see in the system
More young players coming last two months
Big league level is what it’s all about-but we know big picture.

1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Thursday “Dodgers Blue–Lots of Green”

Posted by on July 19th, 2018  •  1 Comment  • 

0-

“Dodgers Blue–Lots of Green”

-0-

The rich get richer in baseball, because they have the money.

The Dodgers outbid 4-other teams, and traded for Orioles All Star shortstop Manny Machado.

They fill a gaping hole in the infield, created when Corey Seager needed elbow surgery early in the year.

Somehow, the leadership of the last place Orioles, didn’t get any ready-made major league players for Machado, in the final year of his contract. Maybe that’s why Baltimore is some 42-games below .500 in the standings at the All Star break.

They settled for 4-prospects from Class A ball, and a Triple A-journeyuman infielder.
Do you know how far away Rancho Cucamonga is from Baltimore? And I’m not talking miles, I’m talking talent.

How could Baltimore make a deal that did not include a cornerstone young major leaguer. LA still has P-Walker Beuhler, OF-Yasiel Puig, OF-Joc Pederson,, OF-Alex Verdugo, and P-Julio Ulias. The Orioles got none of them in the package.

They wound up top rated young OF-Yusniel Diaz, a .300-hitter with 20-homers, and highly regarded in Class A. A Cuban prospect who was given a 15M-signing bonus package a couple of years ago.

The Birds also got Class A-pitchers, Dean Kremer (5-3)….P-Zach Pope (1.04-7 saves)….3B-Ryan Banner (.296-20HR) ….and veteran AAA-3B-Breyvic Valera.

The deal looks like armed robbery in LA.

Of course the Dodgers will have to find a way to sign Machado to a big free agent contract extension, shelling out big money to him, much like they will have to. to keep iconic pitcher Clayton Kershaw.

The Dodgers have a history of being bold at the trading deadline. Last year they traded for Texas P-Yu Darvish in a deal that cost them top young outfielder Willie Calhoun. Dervish helped get them to the World Series, but then went down in a flames, got hurt, and left for the Cubs as a free agent.

Prior to that, LA made deals a couple of a years ago at the deadline for starter Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Roddick from the A’s for two top minor league pitchers..

LA’s deadline trades include deals for Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, all in deals with the Red Sox in years gone by..

No one has forgotten the arrival of Manny Ramirez, in a short rental, that was spectacular acquisition. You remember Mannywood in Hollywood?

Insurance policy pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson were also LA late additions in other years.

It’s the law of the land. Big money clubs, willing to take on salaries, made these type of deals to drive home a chance to go deep into postseason. It drives home the brutal disparity that still exists in the game, big market-vs-small market. The 197M payroll LA has compared to the 75M the Padres put out on the field.

The rich get richer, and the poor, in this case the Orioles, get poorer. So do a lot of other franchises, who cannot compete at this level, including the swing-and-miss Padres, whose mail is still being sent to ‘last place-National League West’.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-