By Rick Morris
We're introducing a new feature in The FDH Lounge, and it comes at a great time since we're at the deadest point on the sports calendar: Dream Sporting Events. Quite simply, each feature will discuss an idea whose time has come -- a big-time sporting event that could happen if only the Powers That Be in sports, television and marketing could appreciate the fact that big money could be rolling in with proper execution.
We led off the series with a true, best-of-the-best motorsports championship miniseries previously.
This installment concerns a way to do what many think is truly impossible: make soccer really relevant in America.
The premise is that FIFA would decide to make real penetration of the American soccer market its “Manhattan Project” as a means to expand its reach in a true global sense by tapping into the world’s most dominant consumer market. FIFA does have it within its reach to apply the pressure needed on the world’s soccer circuits and tournaments to be able to make this league happen.
In order to have any chance of making soccer important in America, the best players in the world will have to participate, because Americans just won't embrace a game missing all but a small handful of the world's best stars -- and that's where the FIFA leverage comes in. They would need to arrange for clubs the world over to make their stars available for play in this league; after all, the money could take care of all concerned parties -- the leagues and their stars.
The best time on the schedule for such a new league, if it were to avoid conflicts with other existing leagues, would be June/July. However, the obvious problem with this would be an overlap with the game's biggest event, the World Cup, every four years starting with 2010 -- and an overlap with the European championships and tournaments involving other leagues every four years starting with 2012.
So we start from an admittedly controversial jumping-off point: a league that could only play its games every two years, starting in 2011. Hopefully, this condition would help to build anticipation -- because it would, after all, involve the best of the best in the world.
A draft would be held with all top soccer stars in FIFA-certified leagues being eligible, certainly to great anticipation at the outset. For these purposes, we selected the six cities most likely to be able to support big-time soccer in the form of sold-out football stadiums. They are: Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C. and New York.
Each team would play everyone else one time, with an additional game being played in order to create a six-game regular season. From there, the playoffs would consist of semifinals based on regular-season records and a league championship.
Given that even the MLS has been able to achieve national television in the form of ESPN2, it can be regarded as almost certain that this new league would achieve even higher visibility -- likely through a combination of ABC/ESPN outlets.
Here is a sample of what the first season could resemble in 2011:
Tuesday June 7
DC at NY
Seattle at LA
Wednesday June 8
Houston at Chicago
Sunday June 12
LA at DC
NY at Houston
Seattle at Chicago
Thursday June 16
Seattle at NY
LA at Chicago
Friday June 17
DC at Houston
Tuesday June 21
Chicago at DC
Houston at Seattle
Wednesday June 22
New York at LA
Sunday June 26
Chicago at NY
Houston at LA
DC at Seattle
Wednesday June 29
NY at DC
Chicago at Houston
LA at Seattle
Monday July 4
Semifinals
Sunday July 10
Championship
With such a small sample of games involving the world's best players, the league would be very likely to see each and every one of its games regarded as a big event. The amount of money generated from the gate and from television would likely be enough to help FIFA achieve what so many have thought impossible: making soccer important in the United States.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume II, Issue XXIX
By Rick Morris
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The FDH Lounge Pantheon -- Second Inductees
By Rick Morris
On Wednesday night, The FDH Lounge inducted its second class of enshrinees into The Pantheon. The premise, as it was when the first class was inducted in July 2008, was to honor the best of the best of all time in 16 different categories as indicated on ballots cast by The FDH Academy of Arts & Sciences. It took place on the 66th edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com.
Let me first thank the other 25 voters for making this event as great as it was. Aside from FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones, FDH Entertainment Editor Samantha Jones and The FDH New York Bureau Steve Cirvello, they were: Russ Cohen, Mike Morris, Bob Glassman, Buck Woodward, Paul Belfi, Mama Belfi, Vegas Vic, Tom Denk, Tim Foust, TV Week columnist Adam Buckman, Sean Trench, Ron Glasenapp, Tony Mazur, Nate Noy, Mike Ptak, Bob Benak, Dave Adams, Pam Adams, Raymond Smalley, Ryan Scott, Pouyan Karbassi and Ziggy cartoonist Tom Wilson. Dave and Ryan were with me during the entire broadcast, with Jason, Nate, Russ and Adam calling in to participate in the discussion at various times. Congratulations to Sean for voting for winners in exactly half of the 16 categories, the most of any voter!
The rules were simple: voters could choose anyone they wanted in the different categories. Not every voter cast a ballot in every single category. Any ties would go to a second ballot, with voters being able to choose anyone except their first-place selections and with all second-place ballots counting the same as first-place ballots (thus allowing an entity not part of the first-place tie to come from behind and win here, as was the case twice). The third ballot constituted the final tiebreaker and came into play once: it consisted of whichever voter had called in to be a part of the show on Line #1, with said voter having to choose between the factors in a first-place tie.
Having laid all of this out, let's get to the results. Unless otherwise noted by a number in parentheses, each candidate received only one vote.
BEST PRO SPORTS COACH/MANAGER: Paul Brown (6 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Scotty Bowman (4 votes), Phil Jackson (4 votes), Tom Landry (2 votes), Vince Lombardi (2 votes), Mike Scioscia, Mike Tomlin, Tom Coughlin, Sam Rutigliano (!), Bill Belichick, Sparky Anderson, Chuck Daly, Billy Martin, Jon Gruden, Gregg Popovich, Casey Stengel (cast on the second ballot)
NOTES: Bowman and Jackson were actually tied for the lead after the first ballot, with Brown surging on the second. I voted for Bowman and valiantly tried to sway second-place votes by noting that when he came in he was a contemporary of Woody Hayes and left when Urban Meyer was a head coach. Nobody else has bridged eras with championships like that!
BEST SPORTING EVENT: Super Bowl (9 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Stanley Cup Playoffs (2 votes), March Madness (2 votes), Kentucky Derby (2 votes), World Cup (2 votes), Stanley Cup Finals Game Seven, Army-Navy football game, World Series, WrestleMania (!!!???), football in general, Wimbledon, The Masters
NOTES: This was a landslide, in a not entirely unexpected vote. The first two votes that came in were for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and none of the remaining 24 were! Well, except for the one vote for Game Seven of the Finals, that is.
BEST FANTASY SPORT: Football (17 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Baseball (5 votes), Golf
NOTES: Ultimately, there weren't enough fantasy sports elitists like myself who really treasure the amount of skill needed to win in fantasy baseball!
BEST OLYMPIC SPORT: Hockey (6 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Swimming (3 votes), Men's 100 Meters (3 votes), Boxing (3 votes), Gymnastics (3 votes), Luge, Triple Jump, Decathalon, Speed Skating, Soccer, 10-Meter Platform Diving, Basketball
NOTES: Hockey would not be denied, considering the nostalgia of the Miracle on Ice and the present-day tournament with its peerless blend of NHL All-Star skill and nationalistic frenzy. There were many strong contenders in this category, however, and it was surprising that basketball was not among them. I ragged on Russ for his luge pick, but backtracked when he said he'd actually gotten to sample the sport. Pretty cool!
BEST SPORTSCASTER (PLAY-BY-PLAY): Vin Scully (6 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Al Michaels (5 votes), Harry Kalas (2 votes), Ron Franklin, Marv Albert, Jon Miller, Mike Lange, Howard Cosell, Chick Hearn, Jack Buck, Marty Brennaman, Joe Tait, Dick Enberg, Cris Collinsworth, Gary Thorne (cast on the second ballot), Bob Costas (cast on the second ballot)
NOTES: Michaels made a late run on the ballots to force not one tiebreaker, but two, since he and Scully each tallied a vote on the second ballots. The third tiebreaker went to Russ as he was on Line#1 at the time and he chose Scully. Regional broadcasters did very well in this category.
BEST SPORTSCASTER (COLOR COMMENTATOR): John Madden (7 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Ron Jaworski, Joe Garagiola, Rex Hudler, Rich Gannon, Myron Cope, Ralph Kiner, Hubie Brown, Don Cherry (really more of a studio guy, but we counted the ballot!), Bob Brenly, Walt Frazier, Ron Santo, Troy Aikman, Merlin Olsen, Jeff Van Gundy
NOTES: What a beatdown Madden delivered! Nobody else even received more than one vote. On a shameless personal note, I was happy to see fellow Ohio University Bobcat Brenly represented here (not on my ballot -- I'm not quite that shameless -- I voted for Jaws).
BEST SPORTS MOVIE: Bull Durham (5 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Major League (3 votes), Miracle (3 votes), Caddyshack (3 votes), The Natural (2 votes), Hoosiers (2 votes), Rocky, Rudy, Slap Shot, Remember the Titans
NOTES: Bull Durham pulled away very late in the voting, garnering four of its five votes among the final seven ballots submitted. Inasmuch as it has been credited as setting the template for the modern sports movie, it was shocking to see Rocky receive only one vote.
BEST MOVIE VILLAIN: Joker - Heath Ledger version (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Dr. Evil (3 votes), Odd Job (2 votes), Joker - Jack Nicholson version (2 votes), Darth Maul, Jack Torrance in The Shining, Agent Smith in The Matrix, Wicked Witch, Khan - Ricardo Montalban version, Hannibal Lechter, Hans Gruber, Joker - cartoon version, Cody Jarrett in White Heat, Joker - any version, John Lithgow in Cliffhanger, Darth Vader, John Malkovich in any role, Gordon Gekko
NOTES: With all incarnations taken together, The Joker would have been the winner in a landslide. It's hard to believe Darth Vader only received a single vote.
BEST PRO WRESTLING MANAGER: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (7 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: The Mouth of The South Jimmy Hart (5 votes), Captain Lou Albano (3 votes), Precious Paul Ellering, Miss Elizabeth, Vince McMahon
NOTES: Heenan joins the man he once managed, Ric Flair, in The Pantheon since The Nature Boy won for Best Pro Wrestler last year. Voting tended to be clustered around a few nostaglic faves in this category.
BEST VIDEO GAME (NON-SPORTS): Grand Theft Auto (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Gallaga (2 votes), Space Invaders (2 votes), Duke Nukem, Mario Cart Wii, Guitar Hero, Pac Man, Star Wars Trilogy, Super Mario, Twisted Metal II, Bionic Commando, Asteroids, Doom, Rainbow Six Vegas, Civilization, Tetris, Mass Effect, Halo
NOTES: As I noted during the show, GTA didn't win for Best Social Redeeming Value! It was strange to see Gallaga, which was in the shadows of the other 1980s arcade games at the time, finishing in a tie for second -- especially with some of those other old favorites receiving votes. The balloting here was just all over the place.
BEST MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURE: Phil Collins "air drum solo" to In The Air Tonight (3 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: ABBA (2 votes), Neil Diamond (2 votes), Journey - Any Way You Want It (2 votes), Elton John, singing aloud to Boston, Eli Young Band, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Cross, Debbie Gibson, Barry Manilow, Sade, Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me, Andy Samburg - Incredibad, Mamma Mia musical/movie, America's Got Talent TV show, Blondie - Heart of Glass, country music in general, The Producers musical/movie
NOTES: The Phil Collins entry only received one vote on the first ballot, but took the final lead on the second ballot -- where Journey also received its second vote. Again, this category was really spread out as well.
BEST NON-U.S. CITY: Toronto (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Monte Carlo (2 votes), Vancouver (2 votes), Melbourne (2 votes), Rome (2 votes), Amsterdam (2 votes), Prague, Tokyo, Cancun, Milan, Sydney, Singapore, Jerusalem, Montreal, Puerto Vallarta, London, Paris
NOTES: The end result here was kind of a surprise: Toronto, really? Nothing against Canada's most dominant city, but we would have thought that one of the more sunny and far-flung locales would have garnered the most votes. There really were a lot of interesting choices on these ballots.
BEST U.S. CITY: New York City (9 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Las Vegas (7 votes), San Francisco (3 votes), Washington D.C., Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Diego, Los Angeles
NOTES: I was shocked that Vegas was getting absolutely buried by New York before making a late comeback on the ballots -- of its seven votes, five came on the last eight ballots received, but it wasn't enough to bring down the Big Apple. It's interesting that a sizable majority of the voters lived in Cleveland (the FDH and STN HQ city) at one time or another but the anchor of the North Coast received a cool zero votes. Paging the Chamber of Commerce!
BEST POLITICAL SCANDAL: Watergate (7 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Clinton-Lewinsky (6 votes, Teapot Dome (2 votes), Jimmy Dimora in Cuyahoga County, Cuyahoga County's present scandals in general, Chappaquiddick, Larry Craig, Joe Biden's law school plagiarism, JFK-Marilyn Monroe, Gary Hart-Donna Rice, Whitewater
NOTES: Apparently in the minds of our voters, there are two big scandals, and then there's everything else. Watergate staged a late comeback on the ballots to win, securing five of its seven votes on the last nine ballots cast.
BEST SEINFELD EPISODE: Soup Nazi (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Shrinkage (3 votes), The Contest (3 votes), Giant Ball of Oil/Kramerica Industries/The Voice (2 votes), Keith Hernandez & The Second Spitter, The Jimmy, Elaine & The Eagles Song Dude, Teri Hatcher's Breasts, The Finale, George Impersonates The Nazi Leader, Bizarro Jerry, anything with Lloyd Braun, Susan Dies, Jerry Is The Devil/Elaine's New Yorker Cartoon
NOTES: This was easily one of the most fun categories for purposes of discussion. As Dave and I noted at the time, so many great episodes didn't even receive any votes. We had a really interesting note during this category: Ziggy cartoonist Tom Wilson voted for the episode in which Elaine was accused of ripping off a Ziggy cartoon and submitting it to the New Yorker! I could have never anticipated one of our voters being able to vote on an episode involving their own product when we created this category!
BEST TV COMMERCIAL CHARACTER: Mr. Whipple (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: The Most Interesting Man in The World, crying Indian in litter commercial, Arby's Oven Mitt, Billy Mays, Geico stack of money, The Burger King - NFL spots, Little Dez, Trix Rabbit, Pillsbury Doughboy, Real Men of Genius narrator, Terry Tate Office Linebacker, Miller Lite Repo Man, Maytag Repairman, The Lebrons, The Noid, Mr. Clean, Coors Light press conference guys, eTrade baby, Bud Lite "Yes I Am" guy, Geico caveman
NOTES: This was another contender for the most interesting category. There were so many great candidates receiving votes here, but Mr. Whipple winning this one going away was on a par with Toronto's win in terms of a highly unexpected outcome. People were really looking towards the old school here!
Thanks again to all who participated in the selections and we won't be waiting a full 12 months for the third induction ceremony for The FDH Lounge Pantheon -- it will be not long after the start of 2010.
On Wednesday night, The FDH Lounge inducted its second class of enshrinees into The Pantheon. The premise, as it was when the first class was inducted in July 2008, was to honor the best of the best of all time in 16 different categories as indicated on ballots cast by The FDH Academy of Arts & Sciences. It took place on the 66th edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com.
Let me first thank the other 25 voters for making this event as great as it was. Aside from FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones, FDH Entertainment Editor Samantha Jones and The FDH New York Bureau Steve Cirvello, they were: Russ Cohen, Mike Morris, Bob Glassman, Buck Woodward, Paul Belfi, Mama Belfi, Vegas Vic, Tom Denk, Tim Foust, TV Week columnist Adam Buckman, Sean Trench, Ron Glasenapp, Tony Mazur, Nate Noy, Mike Ptak, Bob Benak, Dave Adams, Pam Adams, Raymond Smalley, Ryan Scott, Pouyan Karbassi and Ziggy cartoonist Tom Wilson. Dave and Ryan were with me during the entire broadcast, with Jason, Nate, Russ and Adam calling in to participate in the discussion at various times. Congratulations to Sean for voting for winners in exactly half of the 16 categories, the most of any voter!
The rules were simple: voters could choose anyone they wanted in the different categories. Not every voter cast a ballot in every single category. Any ties would go to a second ballot, with voters being able to choose anyone except their first-place selections and with all second-place ballots counting the same as first-place ballots (thus allowing an entity not part of the first-place tie to come from behind and win here, as was the case twice). The third ballot constituted the final tiebreaker and came into play once: it consisted of whichever voter had called in to be a part of the show on Line #1, with said voter having to choose between the factors in a first-place tie.
Having laid all of this out, let's get to the results. Unless otherwise noted by a number in parentheses, each candidate received only one vote.
BEST PRO SPORTS COACH/MANAGER: Paul Brown (6 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Scotty Bowman (4 votes), Phil Jackson (4 votes), Tom Landry (2 votes), Vince Lombardi (2 votes), Mike Scioscia, Mike Tomlin, Tom Coughlin, Sam Rutigliano (!), Bill Belichick, Sparky Anderson, Chuck Daly, Billy Martin, Jon Gruden, Gregg Popovich, Casey Stengel (cast on the second ballot)
NOTES: Bowman and Jackson were actually tied for the lead after the first ballot, with Brown surging on the second. I voted for Bowman and valiantly tried to sway second-place votes by noting that when he came in he was a contemporary of Woody Hayes and left when Urban Meyer was a head coach. Nobody else has bridged eras with championships like that!
BEST SPORTING EVENT: Super Bowl (9 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Stanley Cup Playoffs (2 votes), March Madness (2 votes), Kentucky Derby (2 votes), World Cup (2 votes), Stanley Cup Finals Game Seven, Army-Navy football game, World Series, WrestleMania (!!!???), football in general, Wimbledon, The Masters
NOTES: This was a landslide, in a not entirely unexpected vote. The first two votes that came in were for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and none of the remaining 24 were! Well, except for the one vote for Game Seven of the Finals, that is.
BEST FANTASY SPORT: Football (17 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Baseball (5 votes), Golf
NOTES: Ultimately, there weren't enough fantasy sports elitists like myself who really treasure the amount of skill needed to win in fantasy baseball!
BEST OLYMPIC SPORT: Hockey (6 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Swimming (3 votes), Men's 100 Meters (3 votes), Boxing (3 votes), Gymnastics (3 votes), Luge, Triple Jump, Decathalon, Speed Skating, Soccer, 10-Meter Platform Diving, Basketball
NOTES: Hockey would not be denied, considering the nostalgia of the Miracle on Ice and the present-day tournament with its peerless blend of NHL All-Star skill and nationalistic frenzy. There were many strong contenders in this category, however, and it was surprising that basketball was not among them. I ragged on Russ for his luge pick, but backtracked when he said he'd actually gotten to sample the sport. Pretty cool!
BEST SPORTSCASTER (PLAY-BY-PLAY): Vin Scully (6 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Al Michaels (5 votes), Harry Kalas (2 votes), Ron Franklin, Marv Albert, Jon Miller, Mike Lange, Howard Cosell, Chick Hearn, Jack Buck, Marty Brennaman, Joe Tait, Dick Enberg, Cris Collinsworth, Gary Thorne (cast on the second ballot), Bob Costas (cast on the second ballot)
NOTES: Michaels made a late run on the ballots to force not one tiebreaker, but two, since he and Scully each tallied a vote on the second ballots. The third tiebreaker went to Russ as he was on Line#1 at the time and he chose Scully. Regional broadcasters did very well in this category.
BEST SPORTSCASTER (COLOR COMMENTATOR): John Madden (7 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Ron Jaworski, Joe Garagiola, Rex Hudler, Rich Gannon, Myron Cope, Ralph Kiner, Hubie Brown, Don Cherry (really more of a studio guy, but we counted the ballot!), Bob Brenly, Walt Frazier, Ron Santo, Troy Aikman, Merlin Olsen, Jeff Van Gundy
NOTES: What a beatdown Madden delivered! Nobody else even received more than one vote. On a shameless personal note, I was happy to see fellow Ohio University Bobcat Brenly represented here (not on my ballot -- I'm not quite that shameless -- I voted for Jaws).
BEST SPORTS MOVIE: Bull Durham (5 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Major League (3 votes), Miracle (3 votes), Caddyshack (3 votes), The Natural (2 votes), Hoosiers (2 votes), Rocky, Rudy, Slap Shot, Remember the Titans
NOTES: Bull Durham pulled away very late in the voting, garnering four of its five votes among the final seven ballots submitted. Inasmuch as it has been credited as setting the template for the modern sports movie, it was shocking to see Rocky receive only one vote.
BEST MOVIE VILLAIN: Joker - Heath Ledger version (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Dr. Evil (3 votes), Odd Job (2 votes), Joker - Jack Nicholson version (2 votes), Darth Maul, Jack Torrance in The Shining, Agent Smith in The Matrix, Wicked Witch, Khan - Ricardo Montalban version, Hannibal Lechter, Hans Gruber, Joker - cartoon version, Cody Jarrett in White Heat, Joker - any version, John Lithgow in Cliffhanger, Darth Vader, John Malkovich in any role, Gordon Gekko
NOTES: With all incarnations taken together, The Joker would have been the winner in a landslide. It's hard to believe Darth Vader only received a single vote.
BEST PRO WRESTLING MANAGER: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (7 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: The Mouth of The South Jimmy Hart (5 votes), Captain Lou Albano (3 votes), Precious Paul Ellering, Miss Elizabeth, Vince McMahon
NOTES: Heenan joins the man he once managed, Ric Flair, in The Pantheon since The Nature Boy won for Best Pro Wrestler last year. Voting tended to be clustered around a few nostaglic faves in this category.
BEST VIDEO GAME (NON-SPORTS): Grand Theft Auto (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Gallaga (2 votes), Space Invaders (2 votes), Duke Nukem, Mario Cart Wii, Guitar Hero, Pac Man, Star Wars Trilogy, Super Mario, Twisted Metal II, Bionic Commando, Asteroids, Doom, Rainbow Six Vegas, Civilization, Tetris, Mass Effect, Halo
NOTES: As I noted during the show, GTA didn't win for Best Social Redeeming Value! It was strange to see Gallaga, which was in the shadows of the other 1980s arcade games at the time, finishing in a tie for second -- especially with some of those other old favorites receiving votes. The balloting here was just all over the place.
BEST MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURE: Phil Collins "air drum solo" to In The Air Tonight (3 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: ABBA (2 votes), Neil Diamond (2 votes), Journey - Any Way You Want It (2 votes), Elton John, singing aloud to Boston, Eli Young Band, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Cross, Debbie Gibson, Barry Manilow, Sade, Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me, Andy Samburg - Incredibad, Mamma Mia musical/movie, America's Got Talent TV show, Blondie - Heart of Glass, country music in general, The Producers musical/movie
NOTES: The Phil Collins entry only received one vote on the first ballot, but took the final lead on the second ballot -- where Journey also received its second vote. Again, this category was really spread out as well.
BEST NON-U.S. CITY: Toronto (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Monte Carlo (2 votes), Vancouver (2 votes), Melbourne (2 votes), Rome (2 votes), Amsterdam (2 votes), Prague, Tokyo, Cancun, Milan, Sydney, Singapore, Jerusalem, Montreal, Puerto Vallarta, London, Paris
NOTES: The end result here was kind of a surprise: Toronto, really? Nothing against Canada's most dominant city, but we would have thought that one of the more sunny and far-flung locales would have garnered the most votes. There really were a lot of interesting choices on these ballots.
BEST U.S. CITY: New York City (9 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Las Vegas (7 votes), San Francisco (3 votes), Washington D.C., Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Diego, Los Angeles
NOTES: I was shocked that Vegas was getting absolutely buried by New York before making a late comeback on the ballots -- of its seven votes, five came on the last eight ballots received, but it wasn't enough to bring down the Big Apple. It's interesting that a sizable majority of the voters lived in Cleveland (the FDH and STN HQ city) at one time or another but the anchor of the North Coast received a cool zero votes. Paging the Chamber of Commerce!
BEST POLITICAL SCANDAL: Watergate (7 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Clinton-Lewinsky (6 votes, Teapot Dome (2 votes), Jimmy Dimora in Cuyahoga County, Cuyahoga County's present scandals in general, Chappaquiddick, Larry Craig, Joe Biden's law school plagiarism, JFK-Marilyn Monroe, Gary Hart-Donna Rice, Whitewater
NOTES: Apparently in the minds of our voters, there are two big scandals, and then there's everything else. Watergate staged a late comeback on the ballots to win, securing five of its seven votes on the last nine ballots cast.
BEST SEINFELD EPISODE: Soup Nazi (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: Shrinkage (3 votes), The Contest (3 votes), Giant Ball of Oil/Kramerica Industries/The Voice (2 votes), Keith Hernandez & The Second Spitter, The Jimmy, Elaine & The Eagles Song Dude, Teri Hatcher's Breasts, The Finale, George Impersonates The Nazi Leader, Bizarro Jerry, anything with Lloyd Braun, Susan Dies, Jerry Is The Devil/Elaine's New Yorker Cartoon
NOTES: This was easily one of the most fun categories for purposes of discussion. As Dave and I noted at the time, so many great episodes didn't even receive any votes. We had a really interesting note during this category: Ziggy cartoonist Tom Wilson voted for the episode in which Elaine was accused of ripping off a Ziggy cartoon and submitting it to the New Yorker! I could have never anticipated one of our voters being able to vote on an episode involving their own product when we created this category!
BEST TV COMMERCIAL CHARACTER: Mr. Whipple (4 votes)
OTHER CANDIDATES: The Most Interesting Man in The World, crying Indian in litter commercial, Arby's Oven Mitt, Billy Mays, Geico stack of money, The Burger King - NFL spots, Little Dez, Trix Rabbit, Pillsbury Doughboy, Real Men of Genius narrator, Terry Tate Office Linebacker, Miller Lite Repo Man, Maytag Repairman, The Lebrons, The Noid, Mr. Clean, Coors Light press conference guys, eTrade baby, Bud Lite "Yes I Am" guy, Geico caveman
NOTES: This was another contender for the most interesting category. There were so many great candidates receiving votes here, but Mr. Whipple winning this one going away was on a par with Toronto's win in terms of a highly unexpected outcome. People were really looking towards the old school here!
Thanks again to all who participated in the selections and we won't be waiting a full 12 months for the third induction ceremony for The FDH Lounge Pantheon -- it will be not long after the start of 2010.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
FDH Lounge Show #66: July 22, 2009
By Rick Morris
The night has arrived at long last! This week, THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) welcomes the second batch of inductees into the most prestigious institution in the world: The FDH Pantheon.
The premise could not be more simple: The FDH Academy of Arts & Sciences has been submitting ballots over the past few weeks in order to crown the best of the best in 16 different areas of life. On July 20, 2008, we welcomed our first group of inductees in the following categories:
BEST PRESIDENT: Ronald Reagan
BEST COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE U.S.: Canada
BEST MOTION PICTURE: The Godfather
BEST THESPIAN: Kevin Costner
BEST FEMALE BOMBSHELL: Raquel Welch
BEST MUSICAL PERFORMER/GROUP: Bon Jovi
BEST TV SHOW: All In the Family
BEST TV/MOVIE CARTOON CHARACTER: Bugs Bunny
BEST COMIC BOOK CHARACTER: Superman
BEST PRO WRESTLER: Ric Flair
BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER: Jim Brown
BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER: Michael Jordan
BEST RACE CAR DRIVER (FROM ANY CIRCUIT): Richard Petty
BEST HOCKEY PLAYER: Wayne Gretzky
BEST BASEBALL PITCHER: Nolan Ryan
BEST BASEBALL HITTER: Babe Ruth
Here's the 16 categories for our second Pantheon induction ceremony:
BEST PRO SPORTS COACH/MANAGER:
BEST SPORTING EVENT:
BEST FANTASY SPORT:
BEST OLYMPIC SPORT:
BEST SPORTS BROADCASTER (PLAY-BY-PLAY):
BEST SPORTS BROADCASTER (COLOR COMMENTATOR):
BEST SPORTS MOVIE:
BEST MOVIE VILLAIN:
BEST PRO WRESTLING MANAGER:
BEST VIDEO GAME (NON-SPORTS):
BEST MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURE:
BEST NON-U.S. CITY:
BEST U.S. CITY:
BEST POLITICAL SCANDAL:
BEST SEINFELD EPISODE:
BEST TV COMMERCIAL CHARACTER:
We'll spend the entire show breaking down these categories in this order, with various FDH Lounge Dignitaries popping in at various times to discuss their votes and to break any ties that have arisen in the different categories. We'll also preview some categories for the third version of The Pantheon (which will be early in 2010 and not a full year away as this event is just too much fun to wait that long to reproduce again). "Best Mashup" will probably be a category and we have two early candidates here and here.
It’s going to be a great program and we hope you can be a part of our audience. As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes!
The night has arrived at long last! This week, THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) welcomes the second batch of inductees into the most prestigious institution in the world: The FDH Pantheon.
The premise could not be more simple: The FDH Academy of Arts & Sciences has been submitting ballots over the past few weeks in order to crown the best of the best in 16 different areas of life. On July 20, 2008, we welcomed our first group of inductees in the following categories:
BEST PRESIDENT: Ronald Reagan
BEST COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE U.S.: Canada
BEST MOTION PICTURE: The Godfather
BEST THESPIAN: Kevin Costner
BEST FEMALE BOMBSHELL: Raquel Welch
BEST MUSICAL PERFORMER/GROUP: Bon Jovi
BEST TV SHOW: All In the Family
BEST TV/MOVIE CARTOON CHARACTER: Bugs Bunny
BEST COMIC BOOK CHARACTER: Superman
BEST PRO WRESTLER: Ric Flair
BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER: Jim Brown
BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER: Michael Jordan
BEST RACE CAR DRIVER (FROM ANY CIRCUIT): Richard Petty
BEST HOCKEY PLAYER: Wayne Gretzky
BEST BASEBALL PITCHER: Nolan Ryan
BEST BASEBALL HITTER: Babe Ruth
Here's the 16 categories for our second Pantheon induction ceremony:
BEST PRO SPORTS COACH/MANAGER:
BEST SPORTING EVENT:
BEST FANTASY SPORT:
BEST OLYMPIC SPORT:
BEST SPORTS BROADCASTER (PLAY-BY-PLAY):
BEST SPORTS BROADCASTER (COLOR COMMENTATOR):
BEST SPORTS MOVIE:
BEST MOVIE VILLAIN:
BEST PRO WRESTLING MANAGER:
BEST VIDEO GAME (NON-SPORTS):
BEST MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURE:
BEST NON-U.S. CITY:
BEST U.S. CITY:
BEST POLITICAL SCANDAL:
BEST SEINFELD EPISODE:
BEST TV COMMERCIAL CHARACTER:
We'll spend the entire show breaking down these categories in this order, with various FDH Lounge Dignitaries popping in at various times to discuss their votes and to break any ties that have arisen in the different categories. We'll also preview some categories for the third version of The Pantheon (which will be early in 2010 and not a full year away as this event is just too much fun to wait that long to reproduce again). "Best Mashup" will probably be a category and we have two early candidates here and here.
It’s going to be a great program and we hope you can be a part of our audience. As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Dream Sporting Event: New & Improved IROC
By Rick Morris
We're introducing a new feature in The FDH Lounge, and it comes at a great time since we're at the deadest point on the sports calendar: Dream Sporting Events. Quite simply, each feature will discuss an idea whose time has come -- a big-time sporting event that could happen if only the Powers That Be in sports, television and marketing could appreciate the fact that big money could be rolling in with proper execution.
We lead off this series with a true world motorsports championship: call it New & Improved IROC.
In theory, the IROC series was a dream come true, with top open-wheel and stock car drivers squaring off in the same vehicles, leaving only a battle of skills to determine the winners. The reality fell far short of the promise, however, as the heads of different motorsports federations didn't want to do anything to diminish the importance of their own big races. Instead of promoting the events with the equivalent of a warm hug, a limp-fish handshake was substituted. Also, with the races being held in the summertime, the great Formula 1 drivers were on the outside looking in because there was no way logistically for them to participate.
Currently, there is an event held after all of the major racing circuits are done for the year. It is called the Race of Champions. However, drivers are competing for their respective countries rather than purely head-to-head and the event does not register at all in America. If a tree falls in the forest, DOT DOT DOT.
We propose a return for IROC, but in grand fashion: a two-race series after the seasons are completed for the main circuits. A treaty would have be finalized between NASCAR, Formula 1 and the IRL for participation among drivers and teams, as well as the division of spoils with the economic pie at stake. Additionally, the Race of Champions would have to be bumped back a bit, but there would still be time to run it during the "offseason."
Think about this: with the NFL Network moving the traditional Saturday December NFL games to prime time, Saturday afternoons in that month are now wide open. An event such as this one, properly marketed, could pull huge numbers for ESPN or any of the over-the-air networks.
The series would rotate between eight oval tracks and four road courses, with an eight-year cycle seeing one oval race on each track and two road races on each course. Here is what the first eight years would resemble under the proposal:
2010
December 11: Daytona oval race
December 18: Mexico City road race
2011
December 10: Las Vegas oval race
December 17: Las Vegas road race [NOTE: A course could be assembled at any location in town that makes sense. Formula 1 used to race on a course specially constructed for those purposes at Caesars Palace.]
2012
December 8: Charlotte oval race
December 15: Phoenix road race
2013
December 14: Fontana, CA oval race
December 21: Long Beach, CA road race
2014
December 13: Atlanta oval race
December 20: Mexico City road race
2015
December 12: Talladega oval race
December 19: Las Vegas road race
2016
December 10: Texas/Ft. Worth oval race
December 17: Phoenix road race
2017
December 9: Miami/Homestead oval race
December 16: Long Beach, CA road race
These races would have extreme importance to the host cities and in many cases would receive even more local acclaim than the regular-season races being hosted. Regrettably, under this calendar, it would be impossible to race at Indianapolis, but being able to bring over the F1 racers after their season must take precedence.
The driver pool would participate of the following: the top 20 drivers from the season's NASCAR standings, the top 15 drivers from the IRL standings and the top 10 drivers from the F1 standings. Additionally, Internet voting would determine the last six spots, with two per circuit being allocated.
Driver points would be allocated according to the NASCAR points system, with an additional 15 points awarded to the pole-sitter of the two races. In the extremely unlikely event that two drivers would tie for first place at the end of the two races, the winner would be the one with the best cumulative finishes between the races.
FDH Lounge Dignitary Nate Noy raised an excellent question about driver participation. The respective circuits could make it mandatory, but would be able to throw in plenty of sweeteners (sponsor caysh, families being put up at posh resorts, glamorous parties).
Ultimately, there is a tremendous amount of money waiting to be realized with a concept such as this one. The different associations involved would have to put aside their own petty, sectarian interests and realize that in the end, giving true motorsports fans what they want would be quite lucrative -- and thus, it would not have to be its own reward. Everybody wins!
We're introducing a new feature in The FDH Lounge, and it comes at a great time since we're at the deadest point on the sports calendar: Dream Sporting Events. Quite simply, each feature will discuss an idea whose time has come -- a big-time sporting event that could happen if only the Powers That Be in sports, television and marketing could appreciate the fact that big money could be rolling in with proper execution.
We lead off this series with a true world motorsports championship: call it New & Improved IROC.
In theory, the IROC series was a dream come true, with top open-wheel and stock car drivers squaring off in the same vehicles, leaving only a battle of skills to determine the winners. The reality fell far short of the promise, however, as the heads of different motorsports federations didn't want to do anything to diminish the importance of their own big races. Instead of promoting the events with the equivalent of a warm hug, a limp-fish handshake was substituted. Also, with the races being held in the summertime, the great Formula 1 drivers were on the outside looking in because there was no way logistically for them to participate.
Currently, there is an event held after all of the major racing circuits are done for the year. It is called the Race of Champions. However, drivers are competing for their respective countries rather than purely head-to-head and the event does not register at all in America. If a tree falls in the forest, DOT DOT DOT.
We propose a return for IROC, but in grand fashion: a two-race series after the seasons are completed for the main circuits. A treaty would have be finalized between NASCAR, Formula 1 and the IRL for participation among drivers and teams, as well as the division of spoils with the economic pie at stake. Additionally, the Race of Champions would have to be bumped back a bit, but there would still be time to run it during the "offseason."
Think about this: with the NFL Network moving the traditional Saturday December NFL games to prime time, Saturday afternoons in that month are now wide open. An event such as this one, properly marketed, could pull huge numbers for ESPN or any of the over-the-air networks.
The series would rotate between eight oval tracks and four road courses, with an eight-year cycle seeing one oval race on each track and two road races on each course. Here is what the first eight years would resemble under the proposal:
2010
December 11: Daytona oval race
December 18: Mexico City road race
2011
December 10: Las Vegas oval race
December 17: Las Vegas road race [NOTE: A course could be assembled at any location in town that makes sense. Formula 1 used to race on a course specially constructed for those purposes at Caesars Palace.]
2012
December 8: Charlotte oval race
December 15: Phoenix road race
2013
December 14: Fontana, CA oval race
December 21: Long Beach, CA road race
2014
December 13: Atlanta oval race
December 20: Mexico City road race
2015
December 12: Talladega oval race
December 19: Las Vegas road race
2016
December 10: Texas/Ft. Worth oval race
December 17: Phoenix road race
2017
December 9: Miami/Homestead oval race
December 16: Long Beach, CA road race
These races would have extreme importance to the host cities and in many cases would receive even more local acclaim than the regular-season races being hosted. Regrettably, under this calendar, it would be impossible to race at Indianapolis, but being able to bring over the F1 racers after their season must take precedence.
The driver pool would participate of the following: the top 20 drivers from the season's NASCAR standings, the top 15 drivers from the IRL standings and the top 10 drivers from the F1 standings. Additionally, Internet voting would determine the last six spots, with two per circuit being allocated.
Driver points would be allocated according to the NASCAR points system, with an additional 15 points awarded to the pole-sitter of the two races. In the extremely unlikely event that two drivers would tie for first place at the end of the two races, the winner would be the one with the best cumulative finishes between the races.
FDH Lounge Dignitary Nate Noy raised an excellent question about driver participation. The respective circuits could make it mandatory, but would be able to throw in plenty of sweeteners (sponsor caysh, families being put up at posh resorts, glamorous parties).
Ultimately, there is a tremendous amount of money waiting to be realized with a concept such as this one. The different associations involved would have to put aside their own petty, sectarian interests and realize that in the end, giving true motorsports fans what they want would be quite lucrative -- and thus, it would not have to be its own reward. Everybody wins!
Big Business is the rattlesnake the GOP pets
By Rick Morris
One of the only areas in life where I differ with my good friend and FDH Lounge colleague Tony Mazur is on the subject of Rush Limbaugh. While we have the same politics (by and large), he is a fan of El Rushbo and I am not. I see him as an extremely ineffective communicator of public policy ideas outside the echo chamber that already agrees with him.
The kind words he has spoken about Big Business testify to his ineptitude. Contrary to what he has asserted, it is small business that is the engine of this country's economy, not those he relates to so well in Big Business.
Unfortunately, many conservatives and so-called conservatives fall into this same trap: Big Business, they feel, must be defended on general principle because to do otherwise is to surrender to liberal economic theory.
This is garbage. Paleocons know better. Pat Buchanan was writing as far back as the freaking 1970s on the need for the right to take on Big Business from time to time both on matters of genuine principle as well as political reality. He knew what those who mindlessly demonize Big Business and those who mindlessly worship it still do not to this day: that it is not inherently very good or bad, but rather, a force of nature that can only be counted on to perpetuate its own self-interest.
Had more on the right heeded him, then there wouldn't be so many "OMG, how could Big Business sell out to Obama!!!" stories dealing with the health care lobby trying to cut a deal with the Democrats and Wal-Mart's sellout to Obama on the subject of national health care.
OF COURSE Big Business is going to collude with the power-grabbing central planners in D.C. on as many matters as possible! It sees which way the political winds are blowing. More power has been centralized in Washington over the past year than at any time since the Great Depression. Plus, Big Business has a vested interest in keeping growing small businesses from joining their ranks. Using Big Government to raise barriers to competition is not at all unthinkable; ideology has no place in the marble boardrooms of the nation's economic elites.
Seeing so many self-proclaimed conservatives sulking like wounded puppies at the sight of their heroes in the Fortune 500 groveling to Obama would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic. Eventually -- perhaps sooner rather than later if recent polls are any indication -- this nation is going to look for responsible alternatives to Obama's collectivist vision. If the right can't leave behind George W. Bush's vision of crony capitalism once and for all, it will cede that ground to a brand-new and potentially very irresponsible resistance movement.
One of the only areas in life where I differ with my good friend and FDH Lounge colleague Tony Mazur is on the subject of Rush Limbaugh. While we have the same politics (by and large), he is a fan of El Rushbo and I am not. I see him as an extremely ineffective communicator of public policy ideas outside the echo chamber that already agrees with him.
The kind words he has spoken about Big Business testify to his ineptitude. Contrary to what he has asserted, it is small business that is the engine of this country's economy, not those he relates to so well in Big Business.
Unfortunately, many conservatives and so-called conservatives fall into this same trap: Big Business, they feel, must be defended on general principle because to do otherwise is to surrender to liberal economic theory.
This is garbage. Paleocons know better. Pat Buchanan was writing as far back as the freaking 1970s on the need for the right to take on Big Business from time to time both on matters of genuine principle as well as political reality. He knew what those who mindlessly demonize Big Business and those who mindlessly worship it still do not to this day: that it is not inherently very good or bad, but rather, a force of nature that can only be counted on to perpetuate its own self-interest.
Had more on the right heeded him, then there wouldn't be so many "OMG, how could Big Business sell out to Obama!!!" stories dealing with the health care lobby trying to cut a deal with the Democrats and Wal-Mart's sellout to Obama on the subject of national health care.
OF COURSE Big Business is going to collude with the power-grabbing central planners in D.C. on as many matters as possible! It sees which way the political winds are blowing. More power has been centralized in Washington over the past year than at any time since the Great Depression. Plus, Big Business has a vested interest in keeping growing small businesses from joining their ranks. Using Big Government to raise barriers to competition is not at all unthinkable; ideology has no place in the marble boardrooms of the nation's economic elites.
Seeing so many self-proclaimed conservatives sulking like wounded puppies at the sight of their heroes in the Fortune 500 groveling to Obama would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic. Eventually -- perhaps sooner rather than later if recent polls are any indication -- this nation is going to look for responsible alternatives to Obama's collectivist vision. If the right can't leave behind George W. Bush's vision of crony capitalism once and for all, it will cede that ground to a brand-new and potentially very irresponsible resistance movement.
Outside the Boxscore: Red Sox All-Star picks
By Rick Morris
The FDH assessment of All-Star rosters was harsh on the assessment of some pretty dumb Red Sox selections. SpastikMooss over at Outside the Boxscore begs to differ, so courtesy of our association with that site under the banner of The 21st Century Media Alliance, we present the counter-argument [NOTE: This was written prior to the All-Star Game].
Defending My Red Sox: Why 5/6 of them Belong in the All Star Game
By SpastikMooss
Everyone is dissing on my beloved Red Sox, accusing their fans of poor taste for the five Sox players voted to this year's All Star Game (I'm looking at you, Rick). It really isn't that bad, however, as I think most of the dudes deserve to be in this year. Here's who, and why:
The Guys Who Deserve to Be There:
Jason Bay- Bay has 55 Runs, 20 HR, and an AL leading 72 RBI with the break coming up. He and Torii Hunter have easily been the best AL outfielders so far this year, and he deserves his spot.
Josh Beckett- Josh Beckett isn't the best pitcher in the AL, but he's up there, and he definitely belongs on this team. The only starting pitcher that might be deserving of a nod over Beckett that didn't get one is Jered Weaver, and his stats are very similar, so that's a wash.
Tim Wakefield- Many look at this selection as an example of wins (11) overvalued in lieu of performance (4.31 ERA). I see a baseball lifer who has never made the All-Star Game despite some great seasons, all thanks to his one signature pitch. In the name of Robert Alan Dickey, Wake deserves an All Star Game at least once in his career. Let this be his one.
The Guys Who Maybe Belong:
Jonathan Papelbon- While Paps is certainly having an off year, he's still tied for second in saves and has a respectable ERA. Like it or not, the American League All-Star bullpen will probably feature Paps, Rivera, and Nathan every single year until one of the guys is hurt or retires. So sorry, Joakim Soria (who was injured too long), J.P Howell (who doesn't get enough saves) and David Aardsma (who is a former Red Sox with sparkling peripheral stats this year), but that's the way it is. And for those who would accuse me of homerism here, Rivera is A) an amazing closer and B) his ERA is up this year (2.43), so he too isn't having the best of years. But he belongs in the game too.
Kevin Youkilis- Eight AL 1B have at least 45 R, 14 HR, and 45 RBI at the halfway mark. I don't see anyone other than Morneau and Texiera standing out above the rest, and so Youk isn't the worst pick of all for third-string first basemen. There's some argument for Carlos Pena (but he's hitting .231) and Paul Konerko (who is having a revilatization year but isn't quite as good as most of the big boppers). Debatable here...but Youk isn't a bad pick.
The Guy Who Doesn't Belong:
Dustin Pedroia- I still don't see this pick as a big deal, as the guy was last year's MVP (whether you agreed with it or not), and it's hard to beat that name recognition. While Aaron Hill did make the game, there's no question he should have been its starter, and not a bench player. And after that, I count Ian Kinsler, Chone Figgins, Robinson Cano, Brian Roberts, and Ben Zobrist (who made the game) as all better 2B options than Pedroia this year. Unlike Youk, who sort of fits amongst that upper echelon, Pedroia has been a bit behind the pace in this year's first half, and I would have kept him off the ballot, but hey, that's me. Also, Pedroia's pregnant wife is in the hospital anyways, so he may not play. So then Kinsler would make it, one less Red Sox would be in the game, and maybe you'd all be a bit happier. Maybe?
So there you have it. Say what you will, but I think (most of) these guys deserve their spot in the All Star Game. Especially Wake.
The FDH assessment of All-Star rosters was harsh on the assessment of some pretty dumb Red Sox selections. SpastikMooss over at Outside the Boxscore begs to differ, so courtesy of our association with that site under the banner of The 21st Century Media Alliance, we present the counter-argument [NOTE: This was written prior to the All-Star Game].
Defending My Red Sox: Why 5/6 of them Belong in the All Star Game
By SpastikMooss
Everyone is dissing on my beloved Red Sox, accusing their fans of poor taste for the five Sox players voted to this year's All Star Game (I'm looking at you, Rick). It really isn't that bad, however, as I think most of the dudes deserve to be in this year. Here's who, and why:
The Guys Who Deserve to Be There:
Jason Bay- Bay has 55 Runs, 20 HR, and an AL leading 72 RBI with the break coming up. He and Torii Hunter have easily been the best AL outfielders so far this year, and he deserves his spot.
Josh Beckett- Josh Beckett isn't the best pitcher in the AL, but he's up there, and he definitely belongs on this team. The only starting pitcher that might be deserving of a nod over Beckett that didn't get one is Jered Weaver, and his stats are very similar, so that's a wash.
Tim Wakefield- Many look at this selection as an example of wins (11) overvalued in lieu of performance (4.31 ERA). I see a baseball lifer who has never made the All-Star Game despite some great seasons, all thanks to his one signature pitch. In the name of Robert Alan Dickey, Wake deserves an All Star Game at least once in his career. Let this be his one.
The Guys Who Maybe Belong:
Jonathan Papelbon- While Paps is certainly having an off year, he's still tied for second in saves and has a respectable ERA. Like it or not, the American League All-Star bullpen will probably feature Paps, Rivera, and Nathan every single year until one of the guys is hurt or retires. So sorry, Joakim Soria (who was injured too long), J.P Howell (who doesn't get enough saves) and David Aardsma (who is a former Red Sox with sparkling peripheral stats this year), but that's the way it is. And for those who would accuse me of homerism here, Rivera is A) an amazing closer and B) his ERA is up this year (2.43), so he too isn't having the best of years. But he belongs in the game too.
Kevin Youkilis- Eight AL 1B have at least 45 R, 14 HR, and 45 RBI at the halfway mark. I don't see anyone other than Morneau and Texiera standing out above the rest, and so Youk isn't the worst pick of all for third-string first basemen. There's some argument for Carlos Pena (but he's hitting .231) and Paul Konerko (who is having a revilatization year but isn't quite as good as most of the big boppers). Debatable here...but Youk isn't a bad pick.
The Guy Who Doesn't Belong:
Dustin Pedroia- I still don't see this pick as a big deal, as the guy was last year's MVP (whether you agreed with it or not), and it's hard to beat that name recognition. While Aaron Hill did make the game, there's no question he should have been its starter, and not a bench player. And after that, I count Ian Kinsler, Chone Figgins, Robinson Cano, Brian Roberts, and Ben Zobrist (who made the game) as all better 2B options than Pedroia this year. Unlike Youk, who sort of fits amongst that upper echelon, Pedroia has been a bit behind the pace in this year's first half, and I would have kept him off the ballot, but hey, that's me. Also, Pedroia's pregnant wife is in the hospital anyways, so he may not play. So then Kinsler would make it, one less Red Sox would be in the game, and maybe you'd all be a bit happier. Maybe?
So there you have it. Say what you will, but I think (most of) these guys deserve their spot in the All Star Game. Especially Wake.
Sportsology: Ranking those who won 300 games
By Rick Morris
Our good buddy Russ Cohen over at Sportsology put together a ranking of the best pitchers ever to win 300 games. Courtesy of our association through The 21st Century Media Alliance, we bring you that excellent column.
How Old Were They When They Won 300 Games and How Do I Rank Them All-Time?
By Russ Cohen
I decided to look at the list of 300-game winners, and from that list, I wanted to decide for myself: who were still-vibrant pitchers when they won their 300th, how old they were and who was on their last legs holding on to get to that number. To me, there’s a difference. Sure, either way, the player makes it to the Hall of Fame, but from this list, I still think we should figure out who were the most prolific winners were in the history of the game.
Sure, some players not on this list have a higher winning percentage, but if they don’t have 300 wins, they aren't a part of this conversation. I rounded up their ages because counting the days to who was the youngest isn’t that relevant here.
1) Walter Johnson – 32 – The “Big Train” was pretty young, although players that reached 300 before him were even younger! To me, his best stat is the fact that he hit over 200 batters in his day. I’d say he owned the plate and he had two 20-win seasons after his 300th.
2) Cy Young – 34 - His 511 wins seem to be a curse; fans seem to dismiss it. He had a 30-win season after his 300th game, but he did hang on a bit at the end of his career. In 7354 innings, he gave up just 7092 hits and 1217 walks. His lifetime WHIP is 1.13 and he deserves a lot of credit for that no matter the era.
3) Christy Mathewson – 31 – The originator of the fade-away pitch or the modern day cutter. He had a 25-win season after reaching 300. His lifetime ERA is 2.13. This WW1 war hero died at the age of 45 due to tuberculosis because of poison gas he ingested during the war.
4) Warren Spahn – 41 – The lefty with the most wins in the history of the game still had 18 and 23-win seasons after the milestone. He pitched 5243 innings lifetime, WOW!
5) Greg Maddux – 38 – He was in the midst of a 16-win season at the time of the milestone and still had two double-digit win seasons after that. Known for his control, he walked just 999 in his career.
6) Tom Seaver – 40 – “Tom Terrific” was in the midst of a 16-win season and still threw over 238 innings the year he got to the magic number. He beat the Yankees at “The House that Ruth Built” for his 300th, and after that, his knee failed him and he knew when to hang it up. He still threw 176 innings in that last season, which would be very acceptable today.
7) Grover Cleveland Alexander – 37 – For his standards, he was going downhill fast. He did rebound with 21 and 16-win seasons near the end, but in those days, it wasn’t that great.
8) Nolan Ryan – 43 – “The Express” had a double-digit win effort during his milestone season. The no-hitters and fun starts that he had will make some think he should be higher, but from 1985-87 he was pretty average (30-36) and that works against him here.
9) Steve Carlton – 38 – “Lefty” had a decent 15-win milestone season where he threw 283 innings and the season after he won 13 before it got ugly. Yes, he hung on too long but not to get the milestone.
10) Lefty Grove – 41 – He had an amazing .789 winning percentage before the milestone and he was just better than a .500 pitcher afterwards. He ended up with 300-even, but I cut him some slack because he was 7-7 in that final season.
11) Roger Clemens – 40 – This guy has a cloud of suspicion following him, so while I can’t take away his accomplishments, all I can do is say that he was a great for a long time and he amassed a lot of wins.
12) Eddie Plank – 39 – Got his milestone during a fine season in the Federal League. The year after, he still won 16 games in the AL, and that gives him more credibility than some of the others below him on the list.
13) Early Wynn – 43 – OK, he was a fabulous pitcher who was fading, but he was still 8-2 when he was 41. He knew he was done and he walked away after the win and you have to give him some credit for that.
14) Randy Johnson – 45 – “The Big Unit” did win double-digits last season so why isn’t he ahead of Wynn? His age is the answer. He has hung on way too long. He is currently on the DL as I write this.
15) Tom Glavine – 41 – He pitched a solid game in Wrigley Field to get his 300th win, but lets face it, he was done at that point. His 13-8 record was misleading because he was abysmal in the second half of the season, including a seven-run first inning (he retired just one batter) against the Marlins to help his team fall out of the playoff race.
16) Gaylord Perry – 41 – The master of the “spitball” did get double-digit wins during that milestone season and once more before he hung up his spikes. He was a master of psychology (he may have only loaded up a few times in his career) and did hang around too long, but was effective throwing 205 innings when he was 41.
17) Don Sutton – 41 – He was always suspected for scuffing and that’s why he is so low on this list.
18) Phil Niekro – 46 – “Knucksie” just kept hanging around. He won 16-games in his milestone season, but if he wasn’t on the Yankees, I’m not sure he would have gotten to this milestone.
The rest of the list I am lumping together because their careers were played at a time when the rules and the game didn’t really resemble the modern-day game. They were great athletes and I don’t want to diminish that.
^ Pud Galvin – 31 – He once started 76 games and completed 72 of them.
^ Tim Keefe – 33 – Once pitched 619 innings in one season.
^ John Clarkson – 30 – Has the Cubs team record of 53 wins.
^ Charley Radbourn – 36 – He had one 59-win season.
^ Mickey Welch – 30 – He was 44-11 one year.
^ Kid Nichols – 30 – He had seven years of 30 or more wins.
Our good buddy Russ Cohen over at Sportsology put together a ranking of the best pitchers ever to win 300 games. Courtesy of our association through The 21st Century Media Alliance, we bring you that excellent column.
How Old Were They When They Won 300 Games and How Do I Rank Them All-Time?
By Russ Cohen
I decided to look at the list of 300-game winners, and from that list, I wanted to decide for myself: who were still-vibrant pitchers when they won their 300th, how old they were and who was on their last legs holding on to get to that number. To me, there’s a difference. Sure, either way, the player makes it to the Hall of Fame, but from this list, I still think we should figure out who were the most prolific winners were in the history of the game.
Sure, some players not on this list have a higher winning percentage, but if they don’t have 300 wins, they aren't a part of this conversation. I rounded up their ages because counting the days to who was the youngest isn’t that relevant here.
1) Walter Johnson – 32 – The “Big Train” was pretty young, although players that reached 300 before him were even younger! To me, his best stat is the fact that he hit over 200 batters in his day. I’d say he owned the plate and he had two 20-win seasons after his 300th.
2) Cy Young – 34 - His 511 wins seem to be a curse; fans seem to dismiss it. He had a 30-win season after his 300th game, but he did hang on a bit at the end of his career. In 7354 innings, he gave up just 7092 hits and 1217 walks. His lifetime WHIP is 1.13 and he deserves a lot of credit for that no matter the era.
3) Christy Mathewson – 31 – The originator of the fade-away pitch or the modern day cutter. He had a 25-win season after reaching 300. His lifetime ERA is 2.13. This WW1 war hero died at the age of 45 due to tuberculosis because of poison gas he ingested during the war.
4) Warren Spahn – 41 – The lefty with the most wins in the history of the game still had 18 and 23-win seasons after the milestone. He pitched 5243 innings lifetime, WOW!
5) Greg Maddux – 38 – He was in the midst of a 16-win season at the time of the milestone and still had two double-digit win seasons after that. Known for his control, he walked just 999 in his career.
6) Tom Seaver – 40 – “Tom Terrific” was in the midst of a 16-win season and still threw over 238 innings the year he got to the magic number. He beat the Yankees at “The House that Ruth Built” for his 300th, and after that, his knee failed him and he knew when to hang it up. He still threw 176 innings in that last season, which would be very acceptable today.
7) Grover Cleveland Alexander – 37 – For his standards, he was going downhill fast. He did rebound with 21 and 16-win seasons near the end, but in those days, it wasn’t that great.
8) Nolan Ryan – 43 – “The Express” had a double-digit win effort during his milestone season. The no-hitters and fun starts that he had will make some think he should be higher, but from 1985-87 he was pretty average (30-36) and that works against him here.
9) Steve Carlton – 38 – “Lefty” had a decent 15-win milestone season where he threw 283 innings and the season after he won 13 before it got ugly. Yes, he hung on too long but not to get the milestone.
10) Lefty Grove – 41 – He had an amazing .789 winning percentage before the milestone and he was just better than a .500 pitcher afterwards. He ended up with 300-even, but I cut him some slack because he was 7-7 in that final season.
11) Roger Clemens – 40 – This guy has a cloud of suspicion following him, so while I can’t take away his accomplishments, all I can do is say that he was a great for a long time and he amassed a lot of wins.
12) Eddie Plank – 39 – Got his milestone during a fine season in the Federal League. The year after, he still won 16 games in the AL, and that gives him more credibility than some of the others below him on the list.
13) Early Wynn – 43 – OK, he was a fabulous pitcher who was fading, but he was still 8-2 when he was 41. He knew he was done and he walked away after the win and you have to give him some credit for that.
14) Randy Johnson – 45 – “The Big Unit” did win double-digits last season so why isn’t he ahead of Wynn? His age is the answer. He has hung on way too long. He is currently on the DL as I write this.
15) Tom Glavine – 41 – He pitched a solid game in Wrigley Field to get his 300th win, but lets face it, he was done at that point. His 13-8 record was misleading because he was abysmal in the second half of the season, including a seven-run first inning (he retired just one batter) against the Marlins to help his team fall out of the playoff race.
16) Gaylord Perry – 41 – The master of the “spitball” did get double-digit wins during that milestone season and once more before he hung up his spikes. He was a master of psychology (he may have only loaded up a few times in his career) and did hang around too long, but was effective throwing 205 innings when he was 41.
17) Don Sutton – 41 – He was always suspected for scuffing and that’s why he is so low on this list.
18) Phil Niekro – 46 – “Knucksie” just kept hanging around. He won 16-games in his milestone season, but if he wasn’t on the Yankees, I’m not sure he would have gotten to this milestone.
The rest of the list I am lumping together because their careers were played at a time when the rules and the game didn’t really resemble the modern-day game. They were great athletes and I don’t want to diminish that.
^ Pud Galvin – 31 – He once started 76 games and completed 72 of them.
^ Tim Keefe – 33 – Once pitched 619 innings in one season.
^ John Clarkson – 30 – Has the Cubs team record of 53 wins.
^ Charley Radbourn – 36 – He had one 59-win season.
^ Mickey Welch – 30 – He was 44-11 one year.
^ Kid Nichols – 30 – He had seven years of 30 or more wins.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume II, Issues XXVII and XXVIII
By Rick Morris
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Along with our fantasy football coverage, both of the last two editions of the newsletter contain information unveiling our 2009-10 UQB numbers for fantasy hoops, so we are providing the links together. Here is the most recent edition of the newsletter (with position-by-position breakdowns) and here is the previous one (with the Top 50 overall).
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Along with our fantasy football coverage, both of the last two editions of the newsletter contain information unveiling our 2009-10 UQB numbers for fantasy hoops, so we are providing the links together. Here is the most recent edition of the newsletter (with position-by-position breakdowns) and here is the previous one (with the Top 50 overall).
Post-trade WrestleMania 26 ideal card
By Rick Morris
After the results of "Donald Trump's blockbuster trade" (I feel like I just lost 50 brain cells typing that even though I put it in sarcastic quote marks), here is an updated version of what looks from here to be the best possible card for WrestleMania 26. With the company now putting themselves in position to have to fill domes for every 'Mania in order to make their nut for the rest of the year (since everyone has been waiting in vain for the next wrestling boom for years now), the company cannot afford to throw together as many matches for next spring at University of Phoenix Stadium as they did for this past year. WrestleMania 25 sells itself to an extent; WrestleMania 26 will not.
As always, these matches are a balance of the best possible card along with the realistic internal politics of the company.
RANDY ORTON (WWE CHAMPION) vs. JOHN CENA: Reportedly, the company has been eyeballing a matchup of the man slated to be the franchise face of the company over the next decade against his counterpart on the heel side. This is not going to be an easy sell in terms of coming off like a big-money match, not least of which because the two men are facing off (along with HHH) at Night of Champions this month and these three men headlined WrestleMania 24 in another title match. Beyond the very near term, the WWE has to find a way to keep these two men separated between now and the 'Mania buildup period, which will not be easy because it will mean sequestering one of them outside the title picture for almost half a year. IF they can do this and IF Orton can regain his heat from this past winter/spring and IF Cena can regain enough edge to his character to the point where fans are clamoring for him to stop Orton, this could be the big money match that the powers-that-be see it as on paper. Short of achieving those three objectives, though, it will flop and perhaps mightily.
CM PUNK (WORLD CHAMPION) vs. SHAWN MICHAELS: HBK doesn't like to work Tuesday nights because of his church schedule, but he could probably squeeze in a few in the 'Mania season (plus shooting some scenes on Monday nights that could be presented as "backstage from Smackdown"). Punk can become a franchise heel on Smackdown, but will still be in need of validation in that spot. Michaels has demonstrated time and time again his ability to get the most out of talented people that he works with and the "rub" from a win over him could really help, as it did for Cena at 'Mania 23. Plus, the company needs to work in a heel victory every once in awhile in these main and co-main event matches just to keep some element of unpredictability. The easiest way to interject Michaels into this match would be to have him bum-rush an Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out (similar to what Edge did last year), but have that match be for the #1 contender spot for the World Championship and the title match at WrestleMania.
VLADIMIR KOZLOV (ECW CHAMPION) vs. THE UNDERTAKER: This match is perhaps the most out of left field, but it would work in a way. Assuming that the company doesn't plug in another top star against Undertaker (Chris Jericho would work nicely if Edge doesn't return from injury in time), Kozlov works well as a big and tough young guy who would be credible but is probably not a future cornerstone who needs to be protected. Assuming that the company pulls the trigger on him as ECW Champion and he has the belt going into WrestleMania, he could start mouthing off about how he's run out of challenges and how he wants to beat the Undertaker at WrestleMania. With the Undertaker never having been ECW Champion (he's never fought for the belt, but why let that detail get in the way of the hype?), that adds another layer to the "behemoth trying to end the streak" storyline. How to get the ECW Title off of Undertaker in an orderly fashion post-'Mania when he won't be staying on the roster is potentially a problem, but if he gets "drafted back to Smackdown," then the Lashley precedent of '07 would be enough to strip him of the title because it is the only title on the roster specifically named for a brand.
MVP and EVAN BOURNE (UNIFIED WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS) vs. HART DYNASTY -- LUMBERJACK MATCH: Realistically, I'd like to see Legacy in this match, but Ted Dibiase looks certain to be turned face before then. With that being the case, this needs to be the match where the Hart Dynasty is elevated to the tag champs spot and I choose MVP and Bourne because I don't have them slotted into any other important matches and I feel like at this point of their careers, they need to have a high-profile match on this stage (either or both could easily fit into Money In The Bank, but since I'm picking another wrestler to win that, I'd rather put them into this match). Also, Bourne never really got a chance to play out a feud with these two before they were all abruptly yanked from ECW and there in some history and potential chemistry there. The lumberjack element could come into play since the match is cross-brand, with the loyalties of various wrestlers coming into play: will they side with their fellow faces/heels or with the wrestlers on their same brand? Plus, it gets everyone a 'Mania paycheck and interjects at least a touch of intrigue (at least theoretically) to everyone's storylines heading into the big card.
MONEY IN THE BANK -- JOHN MORRISON vs. THE MIZ vs. CODY RHODES vs. TED DIBIASE vs. JACK SWAGGER vs. REY MISTERIO vs. CHRISTIAN vs. MATT HARDY: If Jeff Hardy is still on the roster, he should be substituted in for Christian or perhaps put in with Kofi Kingston in the first-ever 10-man version of the match. This match has the potential to go beyond the spotfests of past years because of the personal issues that could be involved (Miz/Morrison, Legacy, Hardys). Announcers could play up the questions about whether the various wrestlers involved risk being too caught up with any grudges to focus on the stakes involved. In the end, Morrison is the wrestler most worthy right now of the elevation that comes with the "magic suitcase," and a series of matches next year against Punk for the World Title (with the roles reversed from their very good ECW Title feud back in '07) could be pretty hot.
MISS WRESTLEMANIA BATTLE ROYAL: While this year's match was basically a throwaway that the promoters devoted very little thought to, it turns out that this is the best way to shoehorn all of the Divas on the roster into one segment. Given the subtle comedic skills that Beth Phoenix flashed with Santino/Santina over the past year, a win here could be a good launching pad to go after Maryse in the form of a face turn.
HHH vs. BATISTA: With the aforementioned six obligatory matches out of the way, there is room for about three or four grudge matches or dream matches. Assuming that Batista returns from injury with enough time to at least briefly wrap up the Orton feud, a turn on HHH would be a good way to even out the face/heel imbalance on Raw. Before Batista's injury, some subtle seeds of discomfort between the two were planted this past spring. All that would be necessary would be the sense on Batista's part that HHH is holding him back as he was back in 2005. From a political point of view in terms of selling the match to HHH, the fact that he would be able to "get back a victory" from Batista after putting him over clean three PPVs in a row five years ago might be sufficient.
CHRIS JERICHO vs. EDGE: While Edge may not make it back with much time to spare, there is currently reason to hope that he could be in the ring by the start of April and this could even be his "big comeback match." The seeds for this one have already been planted and watered on WWE television over the past few weeks and once Edge is cleared to come back, the storyline could pick up from there. A Jericho win could prolong the feud into summer, giving Edge the chance down the line for a blowoff win that would catapult him into the World Title picture as a monster face for the first time on Smackdown.
JERRY LAWLER & THE GREAT KHALI vs. THE BIG SHOW & KANE -- NO DISQUALIFICATION: If Vince McMahon would really like to get "The King" into a WrestleMania match at some point, there aren't many ways to really make it work assuming that the match is supposed to provide a feel-good moment without damaging any useful heels in the process. The backstory for this one could be manufactured relatively easily, with both of these monster heels in situations where they end up bullying Lawler, only to have Khali come to the rescue. The "No-DQ" provision allows for Lawler to win cheaply by dipping into his own Memphis heel bag of tricks, maybe by throwing fire or using the proverbial foreign object. Lawler's potential for working comedy into a match could keep it from becoming too plodding given the size of everyone involved (although in fairness, Kane is one of the most talented big men ever and Big Show has become very, very good as well).
After the results of "Donald Trump's blockbuster trade" (I feel like I just lost 50 brain cells typing that even though I put it in sarcastic quote marks), here is an updated version of what looks from here to be the best possible card for WrestleMania 26. With the company now putting themselves in position to have to fill domes for every 'Mania in order to make their nut for the rest of the year (since everyone has been waiting in vain for the next wrestling boom for years now), the company cannot afford to throw together as many matches for next spring at University of Phoenix Stadium as they did for this past year. WrestleMania 25 sells itself to an extent; WrestleMania 26 will not.
As always, these matches are a balance of the best possible card along with the realistic internal politics of the company.
RANDY ORTON (WWE CHAMPION) vs. JOHN CENA: Reportedly, the company has been eyeballing a matchup of the man slated to be the franchise face of the company over the next decade against his counterpart on the heel side. This is not going to be an easy sell in terms of coming off like a big-money match, not least of which because the two men are facing off (along with HHH) at Night of Champions this month and these three men headlined WrestleMania 24 in another title match. Beyond the very near term, the WWE has to find a way to keep these two men separated between now and the 'Mania buildup period, which will not be easy because it will mean sequestering one of them outside the title picture for almost half a year. IF they can do this and IF Orton can regain his heat from this past winter/spring and IF Cena can regain enough edge to his character to the point where fans are clamoring for him to stop Orton, this could be the big money match that the powers-that-be see it as on paper. Short of achieving those three objectives, though, it will flop and perhaps mightily.
CM PUNK (WORLD CHAMPION) vs. SHAWN MICHAELS: HBK doesn't like to work Tuesday nights because of his church schedule, but he could probably squeeze in a few in the 'Mania season (plus shooting some scenes on Monday nights that could be presented as "backstage from Smackdown"). Punk can become a franchise heel on Smackdown, but will still be in need of validation in that spot. Michaels has demonstrated time and time again his ability to get the most out of talented people that he works with and the "rub" from a win over him could really help, as it did for Cena at 'Mania 23. Plus, the company needs to work in a heel victory every once in awhile in these main and co-main event matches just to keep some element of unpredictability. The easiest way to interject Michaels into this match would be to have him bum-rush an Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out (similar to what Edge did last year), but have that match be for the #1 contender spot for the World Championship and the title match at WrestleMania.
VLADIMIR KOZLOV (ECW CHAMPION) vs. THE UNDERTAKER: This match is perhaps the most out of left field, but it would work in a way. Assuming that the company doesn't plug in another top star against Undertaker (Chris Jericho would work nicely if Edge doesn't return from injury in time), Kozlov works well as a big and tough young guy who would be credible but is probably not a future cornerstone who needs to be protected. Assuming that the company pulls the trigger on him as ECW Champion and he has the belt going into WrestleMania, he could start mouthing off about how he's run out of challenges and how he wants to beat the Undertaker at WrestleMania. With the Undertaker never having been ECW Champion (he's never fought for the belt, but why let that detail get in the way of the hype?), that adds another layer to the "behemoth trying to end the streak" storyline. How to get the ECW Title off of Undertaker in an orderly fashion post-'Mania when he won't be staying on the roster is potentially a problem, but if he gets "drafted back to Smackdown," then the Lashley precedent of '07 would be enough to strip him of the title because it is the only title on the roster specifically named for a brand.
MVP and EVAN BOURNE (UNIFIED WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS) vs. HART DYNASTY -- LUMBERJACK MATCH: Realistically, I'd like to see Legacy in this match, but Ted Dibiase looks certain to be turned face before then. With that being the case, this needs to be the match where the Hart Dynasty is elevated to the tag champs spot and I choose MVP and Bourne because I don't have them slotted into any other important matches and I feel like at this point of their careers, they need to have a high-profile match on this stage (either or both could easily fit into Money In The Bank, but since I'm picking another wrestler to win that, I'd rather put them into this match). Also, Bourne never really got a chance to play out a feud with these two before they were all abruptly yanked from ECW and there in some history and potential chemistry there. The lumberjack element could come into play since the match is cross-brand, with the loyalties of various wrestlers coming into play: will they side with their fellow faces/heels or with the wrestlers on their same brand? Plus, it gets everyone a 'Mania paycheck and interjects at least a touch of intrigue (at least theoretically) to everyone's storylines heading into the big card.
MONEY IN THE BANK -- JOHN MORRISON vs. THE MIZ vs. CODY RHODES vs. TED DIBIASE vs. JACK SWAGGER vs. REY MISTERIO vs. CHRISTIAN vs. MATT HARDY: If Jeff Hardy is still on the roster, he should be substituted in for Christian or perhaps put in with Kofi Kingston in the first-ever 10-man version of the match. This match has the potential to go beyond the spotfests of past years because of the personal issues that could be involved (Miz/Morrison, Legacy, Hardys). Announcers could play up the questions about whether the various wrestlers involved risk being too caught up with any grudges to focus on the stakes involved. In the end, Morrison is the wrestler most worthy right now of the elevation that comes with the "magic suitcase," and a series of matches next year against Punk for the World Title (with the roles reversed from their very good ECW Title feud back in '07) could be pretty hot.
MISS WRESTLEMANIA BATTLE ROYAL: While this year's match was basically a throwaway that the promoters devoted very little thought to, it turns out that this is the best way to shoehorn all of the Divas on the roster into one segment. Given the subtle comedic skills that Beth Phoenix flashed with Santino/Santina over the past year, a win here could be a good launching pad to go after Maryse in the form of a face turn.
HHH vs. BATISTA: With the aforementioned six obligatory matches out of the way, there is room for about three or four grudge matches or dream matches. Assuming that Batista returns from injury with enough time to at least briefly wrap up the Orton feud, a turn on HHH would be a good way to even out the face/heel imbalance on Raw. Before Batista's injury, some subtle seeds of discomfort between the two were planted this past spring. All that would be necessary would be the sense on Batista's part that HHH is holding him back as he was back in 2005. From a political point of view in terms of selling the match to HHH, the fact that he would be able to "get back a victory" from Batista after putting him over clean three PPVs in a row five years ago might be sufficient.
CHRIS JERICHO vs. EDGE: While Edge may not make it back with much time to spare, there is currently reason to hope that he could be in the ring by the start of April and this could even be his "big comeback match." The seeds for this one have already been planted and watered on WWE television over the past few weeks and once Edge is cleared to come back, the storyline could pick up from there. A Jericho win could prolong the feud into summer, giving Edge the chance down the line for a blowoff win that would catapult him into the World Title picture as a monster face for the first time on Smackdown.
JERRY LAWLER & THE GREAT KHALI vs. THE BIG SHOW & KANE -- NO DISQUALIFICATION: If Vince McMahon would really like to get "The King" into a WrestleMania match at some point, there aren't many ways to really make it work assuming that the match is supposed to provide a feel-good moment without damaging any useful heels in the process. The backstory for this one could be manufactured relatively easily, with both of these monster heels in situations where they end up bullying Lawler, only to have Khali come to the rescue. The "No-DQ" provision allows for Lawler to win cheaply by dipping into his own Memphis heel bag of tricks, maybe by throwing fire or using the proverbial foreign object. Lawler's potential for working comedy into a match could keep it from becoming too plodding given the size of everyone involved (although in fairness, Kane is one of the most talented big men ever and Big Show has become very, very good as well).
MLB power rankings for mid-July
By Rick Morris
NOTE: Previous rankings are listed in parentheses.
TOP TIER
1 Los Angeles Dodgers (1)
2 Boston (2)
3 New York Yankees (3)
SECOND TIER
4 Philadelphia (11)
5 Los Angeles Angels (5)
6 Tampa Bay (6)
7 St Louis (4)
8 San Francisco (15)
9 Detroit (8)
10 Texas (9)
11 Colorado (16)
12 Florida (18)
13 Minnesota (12)
14 Chicago White Sox (10)
15 Milwaukee (7)
16 Seattle (14)
17 Chicago Cubs (17)
18 New York Mets (19)
19 Houston (22)
20 Toronto (13)
21 Atlanta (20)
22 Cincinnati (21)
THIRD TIER
23 Baltimore (23)
24 Arizona (26)
25 Kansas City (25)
26 Oakland (27)
27 Pittsburgh (24)
28 San Diego (28)
29 Cleveland (29)
FOURTH TIER
30 Washington (30)
BIGGEST RISERS: Philadelphia and San Francisco (7 spots), Florida (6 spots), Colorado (5 spots)
BIGGEST FALLERS: Milwaukee (8 spots), Toronto (7 spots), Chicago White Sox (4 spots), Houston, Pittsburgh and St. Louis (3 spots)
NOTE: Previous rankings are listed in parentheses.
TOP TIER
1 Los Angeles Dodgers (1)
2 Boston (2)
3 New York Yankees (3)
SECOND TIER
4 Philadelphia (11)
5 Los Angeles Angels (5)
6 Tampa Bay (6)
7 St Louis (4)
8 San Francisco (15)
9 Detroit (8)
10 Texas (9)
11 Colorado (16)
12 Florida (18)
13 Minnesota (12)
14 Chicago White Sox (10)
15 Milwaukee (7)
16 Seattle (14)
17 Chicago Cubs (17)
18 New York Mets (19)
19 Houston (22)
20 Toronto (13)
21 Atlanta (20)
22 Cincinnati (21)
THIRD TIER
23 Baltimore (23)
24 Arizona (26)
25 Kansas City (25)
26 Oakland (27)
27 Pittsburgh (24)
28 San Diego (28)
29 Cleveland (29)
FOURTH TIER
30 Washington (30)
BIGGEST RISERS: Philadelphia and San Francisco (7 spots), Florida (6 spots), Colorado (5 spots)
BIGGEST FALLERS: Milwaukee (8 spots), Toronto (7 spots), Chicago White Sox (4 spots), Houston, Pittsburgh and St. Louis (3 spots)
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
FDH Lounge Show #65: July 15, 2009
By Rick Morris
The 65th edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT) revolves around two great themes: interviews with top sportscasters and entertaining analysis from our FDH Lounge Dignitaries.
At the top of Hour One and the top of Hour Three we have two of today's top broadcasters coming into The Lounge to give an overview of the present sports scene. Chip Caray and Kenny Albert will be occupying those spots, respectively, and it will be a pleasure to add them to our roster of impressive guests.
In between those segments, our Dignitaries will chew over some interesting topics:
^ The Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries.
^ This Week in The FDH Lounge.
^ The long-awaited return of our "Wimp or Pimp" segment: tonight, we settle the notion of whether it is ever justified for a fan to "go into exile" and root for his team to lose and suffer in the short term so as to get rid of a horrible front office or coaching regime.
^ MLB at the All-Star break: What are some of the most consequential stories of the year so far and what looms on the horizon in the second half?
^ "Dream" sporting events: How to actually make soccer relevant (and popular) in this country with some help from FIFA and a "best of the best" in motorsports that could be of vast interest. We preview forthcoming FDH Lounge columns about sports happenings that make too much sense not to exist any longer.
^ A preview of next week's second annual FDH Lounge Pantheon episode: The FDH Academy of Arts and Sciences is casting ballots right now to salute the best of the best in 16 different categories.
After we speak with Kenny Albert, we move into a belated version of THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER with a look at the fantasy football players who achieved areas of notable separation in 2008 and a preview of our "Ultimate Stat" for fantasy hoops in 2009-10. THE GOON SQUAD is on hiatus tonight and at least next week as our Pantheon broadcast will consume the entire three hours, but fear not, hockey fans, we will be bringing back that "show within a show" in the next few weeks as we progress through the deadest part of the calendar for that sport.
It’s going to be a great program and we hope you can be a part of our audience. As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes!
The 65th edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT) revolves around two great themes: interviews with top sportscasters and entertaining analysis from our FDH Lounge Dignitaries.
At the top of Hour One and the top of Hour Three we have two of today's top broadcasters coming into The Lounge to give an overview of the present sports scene. Chip Caray and Kenny Albert will be occupying those spots, respectively, and it will be a pleasure to add them to our roster of impressive guests.
In between those segments, our Dignitaries will chew over some interesting topics:
^ The Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries.
^ This Week in The FDH Lounge.
^ The long-awaited return of our "Wimp or Pimp" segment: tonight, we settle the notion of whether it is ever justified for a fan to "go into exile" and root for his team to lose and suffer in the short term so as to get rid of a horrible front office or coaching regime.
^ MLB at the All-Star break: What are some of the most consequential stories of the year so far and what looms on the horizon in the second half?
^ "Dream" sporting events: How to actually make soccer relevant (and popular) in this country with some help from FIFA and a "best of the best" in motorsports that could be of vast interest. We preview forthcoming FDH Lounge columns about sports happenings that make too much sense not to exist any longer.
^ A preview of next week's second annual FDH Lounge Pantheon episode: The FDH Academy of Arts and Sciences is casting ballots right now to salute the best of the best in 16 different categories.
After we speak with Kenny Albert, we move into a belated version of THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER with a look at the fantasy football players who achieved areas of notable separation in 2008 and a preview of our "Ultimate Stat" for fantasy hoops in 2009-10. THE GOON SQUAD is on hiatus tonight and at least next week as our Pantheon broadcast will consume the entire three hours, but fear not, hockey fans, we will be bringing back that "show within a show" in the next few weeks as we progress through the deadest part of the calendar for that sport.
It’s going to be a great program and we hope you can be a part of our audience. As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes!
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