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“Dodgers-Smart & Rich & Stupid”

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They have a world of baseball experience, and they have a world of money.

And they are no closer getting to the World Series, or winning it, than they were in 1988, the last time they won.

You look at the organizational directory of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and you see 7-members of the staff, who are or were General Managers at the major league level.

Andrew Friedman calls all the baseball shots, coming from Tampa Bay, where scouting, signing an developing, was his strength.

His hire as acting GM is Farhan Zaidi, a first timer at that position, surrounded by plenty of guys with past decision making powers.

The roster includes former Dodgers GM-Ned Colletti…ex-Padres and Arizona GM-Josh Byrnes…Toronto Blue Jays phenom GM-Alex Anthopolous…and longtime exec Gerry Hunsinger, amongst others.

So with an unlimited check book to acquire and draft talent, the Dodgers find themselves trying to stay in a pennant race with what’s left of burning embers of a pitching staff.

None of those execs are to blame for what has befallen Clayton Kershaw, the ongoing struggles with a herniated disc in his back.

Somebody on that directory made the decision to let Zack Greinke leave as a free agent, and a mega payday in Arizona.

The top 1-2 starters in baseball, both gone.

Somewhere along the way, this front office group came out of a think tank and decided to give multi-year big money contracts to starters Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy. Both had elbow ligament transplant surgery, both had shoulder issues, one had suffered a fractured skull. Both have missed more starts while on the DL, than they have made in the starting rotation.

They traded for Braves pitcher Alex Wood, who had arm problems in Atlanta and broke down again, this time in LA.

The cruel history of injuries took out Hyun Jin-Ryu, shoulder surgery last year, a struggle to rehab, then elbow problems, likely done for the 2nd year in a row. Reliver Chris Hatcher broke down this year and is done for the season.

And then there were the prospects.

Mike Bolsinger, traded after two frustrating seasons. Zach Lee, a former first round pick, dispatched after numerous opportunities to make the roster and stay on the roster. Hot young prospect Frankie Montas, whom they traded for, was traded away in less than 6-months in the organization.

Joe Wieland came in a Padres trade, and was moved on to Seattle. Mat Latos arrived and exited, falling apart on the mound.

Carlos Frias was released, as was once impressive releiver Joel Peralta, journeyman starter Juan Nicosia and aging Jamey Wright.

LA even went the rehab route with hopes guys like Brandon Beachy, an ex-Brave, could come back from surgery, and ditto for Chin Tsao, who came back from abroad.

It’s been a nightmare.

They gambled on ex Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir, who has been competitive, but who does not have a long time record of consistency. Japanese free agent Kenta Maeda has been superb, but the transition means pitching once every six days or so. The 19-year old Julio Urias has great upside, but is so young, all his starts have been four to five innings in length to protect his arm.

Thank goodness for Kenly Jansen the closer, and the surprise season of home run-plagued Joe Blanton.

They probably don’t make the post season again. The failure of Yasiel Puig, the money eaten with the release of Carl Crawford, the season long injury to Andre Ethier, are all reasons why this is not a complete ballclub.

Add this item to the discussion points. Since 1999, the Dodgers have had only 2-first round pitchers, make and contribute to this roster. Kershaw, with likely Hall of Fame credentials, and Chad Billingsley, whose career was sidetracked by arm problems after early success. Two pitchers in 17-drafts.

But in the end, the brain trust has to be blamed for whom they signed to pitch, whom they gave money to, whom they shunned, whom they gambled on and failed with.

With all that experience in the front office, a bunch of guys who have had great success other places, and this is the best they could come up with a near unlimited budget?.

The leadership, the Dodgers brass, “Smart & Rich & Stupid”.

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“Chargers-What I Saw-What I Think”

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That wasn’t very good was it? This Chargers preseason opening night loss to the lowly Tennessee Titans on the road.

The Bolts got bombed (27-10) in a game that wasn’t close at all after the first San Diego possession.

Strong first series by Melvin Gordon, with four decent rushes, and then the 44-yard TD-catch and run in space. Looks healthy, is healthy, and looks confident.

Philip Rivers sprayed the ball around.

A bit surprising that the Chargers intimating veteran wide receiver James Jones is a bit behind learning the ‘passing route tree’ that Mike McCoy-Ken Whisenhunt-Philip Rivers operate.

2nd round draft pick tight end Hunter Henry caught 3-passes for 43-yards, and dropped another when he was open. Can run routes, can get open, can catch.

Ken Farrow, rookie free agent running back from University of Houston, had 85-all purpose yards, and was productive, even if it was rookies-vs-rookies.

Offensive guard Ken Wiggins played alot and seems to be moving to the forefront of ‘1st guy off the bench’ if an OLineman goes down.

Darius Philon was pretty active in the front, with pressure and some tackles.

Safety Dwight Lowery lowered the boom on a couple of ball carriers and receivers.

Run defense was deplorable in every way. Yes the Titans added tough guy runner DeMarco Murray and drafted Heisman Trophy winner Derek Henry, but to give up (288Y) rushing to anybody, is not good. The defense gave up runs of 8-8-9-9-9-11-14-15-16 and the TD runs of 47-71. Maybe too much youth in the defensive front seven.

Bad night for kids in the offensive line. C-Max Tuerk, coming knee surgery at USC, a couple of penalties. Ty Burwell, in his second year, took three flags, and not as far along as you would hope, and this was against the Titans backups.

Thought I’d see some plays made by 3rd round pick Joshua Perry, but he got taken out of plays that turned into big runs while the rookie Ohio State linebacker was on the field.

It surely does not look like the quarterback I saw at LSU, or even as a starter in Tennessee. Zach Mettenberger went (2-for-8), was off the mark, and late with a pass that got picked off. .That showing doesn’t help get him on the roster.

Awful lot of nicked up players sat this game out, Travis Benjamin, Tyrell Williams, Jevontee Herndon, a trio of wide receivers. LB-Tourek Williams got hurt again, though it does not seem major.]

I just cannot get the thought out of my mind, the Charges got mugged by a team that was horrible last season, fired its coach, and dumped a chunk of its roster.

Joey Bosa, sitting at home in Florida, in this elongated holdout. For someone who is supposed to be ‘all football-all the time’, I wonder how he feels about not being part of his team?

Mike McCoy spent the end of the week talking about good practices, and good contact workouts, then his team went out and got mugged. Also said the first preseason games would be about individual gradin of players on video-making or blowing assignments. Sunday at the movies must not have been too much fun.Lots of work to do, especially on defense. Luckily three weeks left before prep week for the Kansas City Chiefs opener.

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“A-Rod…A-Fraud”

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It’s always been about him. His wants, his needs, his wishes, his paranoia.

This Friday it will likely all end, for him, and for the Yankees, as he exits.

His outright release brings to an end a decade of dynamic play, and a decade of distractions. The amazing big league seasons have been accompanied by the years of issues.

For every 40-home run season, and there have been 8-in all, including years of 52-54-57, there were the years of raging controversy.

A-Rod and the lies. A-Rod and the positive drug test. A-Rod and the suspension. A-Rod and the lawsuits.

His clubhouse relationships were sometimes stormy, sometimes steamy, always territorial. Who’s team was it, Ron Guidry’s, Derek Jeter’s, Mariano Rivera’s, or CC Sabathia’s?

It was ‘love me-love me not’ with managers from Joe Torre through Joe Girardi.

His bombast was probably only superseded by the bombast of the man who kept giving him contracts, George Steinbrenner.

It was the war with Yankees executives, from the late ‘Boss’, to his sons Hal and Hank Steinbrenner.

His fights with the Commissioner’s office, the MLB drug testing program, his own team, his union were legendary.

There was also always an explanation, an excuse, or a lie.

I never took PED’s. I didn’t know what I was taking. I felt pressure to use.

There were fall guys everywhere, from his cousin Yuri Sucart, who delivered him ‘Boli’ in Texas, and PED’s in New York. Anthony Bosch and the HGH clinics in Florida, where he violated the baseball drug testing agreement a second time, leading to his one year suspension.

His contracts, his paydays, his bonus money, was all front and center. He loved the game, and he loved the limelight, and he loved to get paid.

From little things, like demanding clubhouse boys put toothpaste on his toothbrush, to his ongoing brush with the New York media, to opting out of his contract in the middle of the Yankees-World Series games, he always had to be the center of attention.

And now it’s almost over, though you expect another chapter and verse. He gets 27M next year from New York.

Will he try to go home to Miami or Tampa Bay, and try to get to 700-home runs? Will he move into the TV booth, where his always ‘slick’ (sleazy) persona might ooze baseball for a network? Can he live outside the limelight? What will his post career life be like?

In modern day baseball history, few of the cheats have ever been treated well once the cheering and adoration stopped. The littered trail of arrogance by divas like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and now A-Rod, has not left them in good light.

Aside from the post playing career popularity of Cardinals slugger Mark McGuire, who admitted steroid use for injuries, and who has gained respect as a hitting coach with the Cardinals-Dodgers and now Padres, none of the others, stained from that era have done much. Where have you gone Sammy Sosa to Rafael Palmiero, to so many more?.

Barry Bonds may be in Miami as a coach for Don Mattingly, but he is held in disrespect virtually everywhere, except San Francisco. The rest are in the shadows, out of baseball, and nearly off the Hall of Fame ballot.

In this his final week in Pinstripes, more drama. Wanting to play the final group of games at Fenway Park despite not hitting all all. The New York media went haywire on Manager Joe Girardi, calling him ‘vindictive’ for not granting A-Rod a final wish to finish it out in the lineup.

He did finally play on Friday, and did what he has done so much this season, (0-4), his final batting average hovering near the Mendoza Line.

Girardi blew his lid, saying his job title did not mean he had to conduct farewell tours, though he has allowed equally slumping-about to retire Mark Teixeira to stay in the lineup, and did the same a couple of years back as Derek Jeter wound it all down.

It was typical Rodriguez, wanting what he wants. Fascinating what is just up ahead for him though.

And that will be the next discussion point, as to whether Hall of Fame voters will vote yes for him, or no, as they have for every one of the other cheats from that time.

He put up big numbers, (696) home runs, he earned mega money (452M) in his career that stretched from Seattle-to-Texas-to New York. He leaves behind a legacy, of good-bad-evil.

History will write about his hitting prowess, his relationships, his way of being.

Yankees fans will miss his talents. Doubt those who suffered while he sat in that dungeon of a dugout around him, will miss him. The drama queen will be departing after tonight’s game.

A-Rod was a A-Fraud, but that’s what you would expect from someone who should have gone by a different name “Mr. Me-Myself-and-I.”

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“Aztecs Football-Respect-Deserve It or Earn It?”

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What you did last year was nice, but it doesn’t mean too much right now.

Or maybe people, the media pundits, just weren’t paying attention.

Or maybe you have no real history nor tradition so you are not front of mind with anybody.

Just another mid-major team in an off-the-radar conference, striving to be very good every year, doing that, but not getting rewarded.

San Diego State is caught between the ‘rock and the hard place’. They are in the shadow of all things PAC-12 Conference, namely UCLA-USC. They play in the Mountain West Conference, where the only recognizable name is Boise State, and no one else matters.

So the preseason polls are out, and no one cares, no one paid attention, no one respects nor believes in you.

The Aztecs finished with a 10-game winning streak; they won 11-games last year; they battered the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Aloha Bowl. They return a roster full of talent.

And nowhere to be seen in the preseason polls, anywhere.

The prestigious Associated Press did not rank them in the Top 25. ESPN did not ranked them in their top 50. The USA Today coaches poll did not give them recognition, unless you think being tabbed 37th is worth the bother.

Sports Illustrated slotted them at 24th and said they could be this year’s University of Houston, who had the unbeaten regular season for awhile last year. College Football News ranked them 43rd.

You want to rankle Rocky Long at a press conference, ask him if SDSU is about to become the next Boise State, flagship of the conference. This after his team beat up the Broncos a couple of times the last couple of years, including wins on the Blue Turf up there.

Don’t tell him a couple of polls this year have Boise rated higher than San Diego State, despite it appearing the Broncos are no longer what they used to be.

The only solution. Blast the people on this year’s schedule. That would include beating the Cal Golden Bears of the PAC-12, and then going cross country and winning in DeKalb, in a tough place to play, at Northern Illinois. There are other road games of concern, at Fresno or at South Alabama or to Utah State.

But (12-0) will force people to recognize you by late November. Winning the conference championship game, and beating, say Boise again, should get you more recognition.

And if you can do all that, and get a bid to a New Year’s Day Bowl game, you are positioned to get the respect you think you deserve.

Long takes exception to any critical question about the growth of his program. It has come in steps, winning seasons, he is (43-23); bowl games, six in a row; name bowl game against a really good opponent, still to be accomplished.

You remember Fresno State, under Pat Hill, ‘play anybody, any time, anywhere’ in the Trent Dilfer era. They got recognition as they were winning..

And how did Boise State become someting special? Bowl game wins vs Georgia, Oklahoma and more.

The Aztecs have a tremendous defense. What they did from week four on was staggering. The stats stood out in neon lights.

…23-interceptions
…34-takeaways
…37-sacks
…99-tackles for losses

…28%-3rd down conversion rate

…3.2YPC against the run

…53% completion rate-opposing quarterbacsk

…16-points a game allowed
…283-yards per game allowed.

The Red & Black teams are good. The Aztecs program is even better.

But until there is a New Year’s Day invitation, and a New Year’s Day bowl victory. very good just won’t be enough.

San Diego State deserves respect. They’ll just have to earn it.

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“Chargers-On the Field-On the Sidelines”

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Opening week of the preseason schedule.

The intensity has ramped up in Chargers camp, prepping for the Saturday night road exhibition game in Nashville against Tennessee.

The week has been marked by some scraps between offensive and defensive lineman, and Coach Mike McCoy likes that tenacity. But fights in camp are foolish-meaningless. You’d hate to have DJ Fluker break his hand punching some free agent in a scrap. Fights in games lead to 15-yard penalties in games.
Mc Coy wouldn’t be happy about that.

No word on the extent of the surgery to receiver Stevie Johnson. Torn meniscus is a serious injury if the damage is extensive. The club likes to withold injury information, eventhough Johnson could be gone 10-weeks, maybe the year. What’s the difference right now. Tell the media so we can tell the fans.

Is there a change in offensive philosphy coming? If the Chargers are loading the offense with two tights and a fullback, adding Sean McGrath at tight end with Derek Watt at fullback, it figures they are going to pound the ball a bunch. They’re not going to walk away from the passing game, but if you can run it, make defenses load the box, then you can throw it on single coverages.

Please, I don’t believe it, Melvin Gordon returning kickoffs. Too valuable a commodity for that risk. Brandon Oliver, or a speed backup receiver should handle that.

Offensive front so far-so good in terms of health. But you hold your breath with the concussion history of King Dunlop and Fluker upfront.

Hard to believe Joey Bosa has now missed 22-practices and 39-meetings, especially for someone who pronounced themselves ‘all football all the time’ when he came to camp for his first meeting with the media.

They can say and write all they want about Mantei Te’o and his linebacker improvement. Till I see him making plays consistently, not tackles behind the line of scrimmage, or be able to cover people on pass routes, I won’t buy that he is a finished product. Football instinct is great, but you have to make plays at the point of attack.

Will be fascinating to watch the safeties operate without Eric Weddle lining up the defense. But for all the positives, Weddle whiffed on lots of tackles though. Will see if Dwight Lowery can be sure handed when he hits people.

Who is going to earn snaps at wide receiver once the bullets start flying for real? I assume 6’3 Tyrell Williams gets a real opportunity for Philip Rivers likes big targets and yards after catch. Third year CFL-guy Donnie Inman is more a route runner, but with good hands. Jevonte Herndon has been nicked and not practicing, falling behind the race right now. He played well down the stretch last season when the team plunged to a (4-12) mark.

Owner Dean Spanos spent a half hour talking to GM-Tom Telesco during practice. The team is being mocked nationally for its stance on Joey Bosa. I don’t think having a winning season will have any impact on the Stadium vote. There are so many unanswered questions, so much opposition, I don’t see how this thing passes. And there is no longer a threat to move to LA. Stan Kroenke and the Rams own the market, season ticket wise, and corporate sponsor wise.

Things to watch for this weekend, the health of the offensive line if they are in there for more than just a series. Keep an eye on Darius Philon, who showed quickness last year at pass rusher, before going down with an injury, and active Tenny Palepoi, who played well in spurts in 2014 before getting hurt in camp last year. With no Bosa, somebody has to step up to go get the quarterback.