For some reason, searches about Matt Forte are off the charts. More people end up at Doin Work after searching for Matt Forte than any other topic, BY A LANDSLIDE. Can someone leave a comment and explain what the fascination with Matt Forte is? I thought maybe the guy himself is searching himself every day to see what people are writing about him, but why would he click on our fantasy football mock draft over and over again?
Monthly Archives: July 2009
Matt Forte Bonanza
The MLB is Roidless in the Economic Crisis
Since my last piece examined the state of the NBA on the decline, I figured that it would be fitting to give an assessment of the MLB during the financial crisis . Baseball is in the beginning stages of seeing exactly how bad the country’s unwillingness to spend is affecting them. We’ll know exactly what is going to happen with 19 teams within 6 games of first place in their divisions. As the July 31st trade deadline approaches, will any teams make any big moves adding money to their payroll? Baseball is facing their biggest financial hurdle since they came back from the 94 strike, but this time they don’t have the influx of steroids to save them. Even the rich teams are feeling the financial crunch as the powerhouses like the Yankees and Red Sox are even seeing declining ticket sales.
With teams struggling to get fans through the turnstiles, they’ve turned to alternatives to lure people to the games. In Arizona, they gave away an unprecedented amount of 41 season tickets to 14 different families which was worth approximately $100K. 
The Marlins are giving away $2,500 towards a mortgage or rent payment for 11 Saturday’s this season. They are also giving away free tickets on Monday night games to any person with proof that they were laid off. Baseball, more than other sports, is driven by ticket sales, and this year has shown that even the mighty Yankees and Red Sox aren’t immune to the recession, as many games aren’t selling out the way they have over the past decade and a half.
Last year there were many big names swirling around before the deadline like CC Sabathia, Mark Teixiera, Manny Ramierez, Jason Bay, Rich Harden, and Joe Blanton. Like many years past, all of the marquee names found a new home for the 2nd half of the season to help their respective teams during the playoff push. Maybe last year’s market had more top dogs than most, but this year you can hear a pin drop around most camps with teams trying to find ways to save. I haven’t heard one intriguing rumor for any player that would make a significant impact on a team pushing for a playoff spot. As we approach the July 31st trade deadline, it’s the time of the year when teams have to decide if they are a buyer or a seller. This year it seems as though everyone is a seller, and every team has players on the block as they just want to clear salary. It doesn’t seem like teams even want to improve in this bizarro situation that is mirroring the NBA. Are Mark Derosa and Eric Hinske going to be the biggest names we hear moved this year? 
So far it’s shaping up that way. The Red Sox, Phillies, Giants, and Mets seem like the only teams that are willing to take on a significant amount of salary. The economy has made GM’s much more cautious. Even if there are trades made, I doubt it will be much more than a 7-9 hitter or a 4th or 5th man in the pitching rotation. I hope we see some fireworks from one or two teams before it’s all said and done. I need something to look forward to, since my A’s were placed on the sellers list a month ago by positioning themselves firmly in last place in the AL West. Hopefully they can get a few parts via trade, that can be immediately inserted into their D rated offense for one of their proven players (their old guys or Holliday).
The Steve McNair Legacy
Steve McNair was the exception. He lived up to the hype. So often we’ve seen athletes come from small schools in small divisions, and they always face the same question. Can they be successful at the professional level against the best competition in the world? I wasn’t around (or at least cognisant) for Jerry Rice’s collegiate career at Mississippi Valley State. Terrell Owens was nobody before the NFL. The fact is, I can’t think of any other NFL player off the top of my head who was a household name DURING their time at a small school as well as their time in the pros.
Steve McNair put Alcorn State on the map. I had never heard of it before him, and haven’t heard of it since. If Alcorn State is mentioned, most people associate it with McNair. Come to think of it, they should rename it McNair University. I’m writing the board of trustees after this.
He finished third in the Heisman voting his senior season, behind Rashaan Salaam and Ki-Jana Carter. Without looking up the stats, I think it’s safe to assume McNair ended up with more rushing yards than those two combined. He also might be the only black quarterback who wasn’t ever labeled by the media as a scrambler. He had a cannon arm so you couldn’t make the mistake.
What I’ll remember McNair most for is his class and passion for the game. You never saw him screaming at teammates or taunting opposing players. He just went out and played the game the right way. He was quiet, and he let his game speak for him. Not only was he a thrill to watch, he was easy to root for. Without realizing it, I became a part-time Oilers fan right around the time he came into the league. It’s no coincidence that the Titans soon became my favorite football team that doesn’t play in either of the two most decrepit stadiums i.e. the Raiders and 49ers. After he left, I wondered who I actually even liked on the Titans. Was Lendale White really my favorite player on that team?
Anyway, McNair always shed a positive light about him. Even when he got in trouble, he never came across as a troublemaker. I vaguely remember him on trial, but do I remember what for? No way. I also remember him getting banned from the Titans workout facility. Do I know why? Not even. That’s what’s so great about him. Even when he caused trouble, he wasn’t causing any at all.
Steve McNair might be my favorite player that I never knew I loved.
Sucks To Be Chris Cohan
Rumor over at Golden State Of Mind suggests owner Chris Cohan is thinking about selling his majority stake. Whether there’s truth to this or not has yet to be seen, but in the meantime, the fan poll is extremely surprising. Not in the sense that fans would be thrilled to see him go, but the landslide numbers in favor. Goes like this…
Would you be doing backflips if Warriors majority owner Chris Cohan sold off his stake in the franchise?
YES: Cohan is the worst owner in all of pro sports 225 votes
NO: I work for the Warriors and I won’t bite the hand that feeds me 4 votes
I wouldn’t be surprised if those 4 votes really did work for the Warriors. If you were Cohan and you saw this, wouldn’t you just walk away on the spot??? Though terrible, I never really considered Cohan the worst owner in all of pro sports, but I don’t think anybody could inspire poll results as bad as this!
UPDATE: AS OF 7/5, IT IS NOW 1,229 TO 44
Artest To The Lakers E-mail Thread
Andre: I hope the Lakers are thinking about letting Ariza go so they can spend
their money on Artest instead
Tony: YES…that’s what I’m talking about too Dre!!!!!!!!!! However, ask any
fan what they think of him, and people want to throw up. Just adds fuel
to fire for the laker haters and doubters out there.
Andre: We know the Lakers like Artest, he’s basically Ariza a few years down
the line and stronger and scarier on D as well. Lamar knows he will
need to take that Mid level Exception id he wants to stick around, which
leaves Artest some room if they don’t extend an offer to Ariza. It’s
too bad the Lakers seem to be ok with Odom, I’m not
Matt: Dude, Artest playing with Kobe is a soap opera no one will be able to
resist. Ron has become a bigger black hole every year. Kobe will be
yelling at him every game. There’s no way they work out. Dj Mbenga and
Chris Mihm won’t be the only guys fighting each other in practice!
Tony: If Jordan could put up with Rodman something tells me Kobe and Artest
will find some good middle ground….Wins and championships seem to be a
good cure all.
Matt: Yeah, but Rodman wasn’t a black hole on offense.
Tony: Artest will adapt…shit he’ll be on a winning team for a change.
Brian: The Pacers were a winning team, that turned out well…
Tony: Really comparing the Pacers to the Lakers?
Brian: Only in the sense he had two other guys that were stars in Jackson and
O’neal and they were winning…
Andre: Ha, you’re saying Jackson was a star 5 years ago? And seriously, I’ll
repeat Tony’s words, are you really comparing the Pacers and Lakers?
Wow. I think teams are always in for a surprise when it comes to
Artest, but magically teams keep taking a chance… wonder why if he’s
such a ball hogging black hole on offense
Brian: He had already won a championship with the Spurs, so yes he had earned
his All star status… I’m not comparing the teams, I’m just saying that
he was on a good team and it turned out well (pun intended)…
Andre: Ok, cause I’m still thinking Stephen Jackson is NOT a star and never has
been. At least not of the caliber your trying to compare him with. But
that’s a different argument for a different time, who cares about
Stephen Jackson, he needs a shower
Matt: Well how about this…
O’Neal = Gasol
Jackson = Odom (neither are all-stars)
Andre: But then you would be drawing a direct line between the Kobe and Artest,
and there’s no way even Artest would agree with that, and that’s the
point. HE would get the picture pretty damn quick on that team. HE has
a great basketball IQ, and he’s been made the go to guy on all of his
previous teams. No more of that if he comes to LA
Tony: Exactly….you take a write up for a guy who was the only offensive
player at time at Houston, and want to transport the analysis over to
how he would play as a Laker?
Brian: So Artest with Yao and Oneill is suddenly different than with Gasol?
Matt: I don’t think that’s the parallel being drawn, but now that I think
about it, Gasol would prob be the most frustrated sitting down there
wide open while Ron jacks up a 24 footer
Andre: Suddenly different? You’re talking about one of the best C’s in the game in terms of being active, having great hands, a smooth jumper, and moving up and down court like a forward and not a C.
PLUS, You’re comparing Artest with KOBE to begin with. This thought process is flawed from the beginning. Artest wouldn’t be the ballhogging black hole if he made all of the pressure shots that Kobe makes. He’s not Kobe on offense by far. Just a bull in the low post with a great jumper and lots of opportunities to miss in his career because the guys around him were his support, he was a main cog on offense.
Brian: Yeah, just try and tell Artest that. He thinks he’s the best player in the league and doesn’t need help from anyone…
Tony: Say what you will…..but being life long kings and warriors fans your
indoctrinated to look at things from the bleakest and most negative
perspectives. Its in your bloods, us laker fans come from the
perspective of winners, and we can make it work school of thought.
Brian: Yeah, and you obviously haven’t watched him play more than 100 games…
Matt: Yeah, I’ve watched Artest on the Pacers when I hated him, I watched him
on the Kings and liked him, then I watched him on Houston where I was
unbiased. Same shit, different toilet.
Brian: I realized that the matching him with a HOF coach wasn’t really
addressed. I can already hear Kobe crying over the phone to Phil when
Artest takes 25 18 ft jumpers with a hand in his face. (Since Phil won’t
be there to do anything for half of their games, that settles that)
Matt: I’d love to hear Rambis, “um Ron, er, Mr. Artest? Umm, do you, uh, think maybe you could not take so many off-balance 22 footers? I mean, it’s cool if you want to keep doing that, but we have Kobe on our team too. He’s not just a decoy. Thanks Mr. Artest. Don’t hurt me”
Andre: Did Artest come over and personally pee on your rug or something? IS
Artest a carpet-pisser??
Brian: HAhaha! No, no rug pissing, he’s just been devastating to the team
concept for every franchise he’s played for, so I really can’t stand
that type of player..
Tony: I’d say Houston did just fine this year?????
Brian: Definitely a fluke, I’ve never seen him make that many shots through two
straight series…
Tony: I was talking about the team killer aspect……
Matt: Yeah, b/c much like you said, but with a different intent, the Rockets
didn’t have a kobe or gasol. You think Shane Battier or Von Wafer are
gonna get pissed at him for shooting so much? No.
Tony:Lets just accept the fact your going to shit on him no matter what he
does…….I get that.
Matt: I’m not saying he’s gonna turn the Lakers into a lottery team.
Remember, I’m the guy who defended him and said over and over I would
never trade him for Lamar Odom. I still feel that way. ALL I’M SAYING,
is that he’s gonna be a ball-hog and Kobe’s gonna get pissed at him.
Not really going out on a limb
Tony: Good let him get pissed….to alpha-dogs going after the same thing is
great. Phil is in his element with that shit.
Brian: You want Kobe to get pissed so he passes less? That doesn’t sound like a
good thing…
Doin Work’s Top Five Football Players in the World
With the European football season on hiatus for another month, and the rumor mill of transfers still churning hard, I thought it would be fun to revisit the always fun question: Who are the Top Five Footballers in the World? And to be honest the list is pretty easy to come up with. In what order will always be subjective, who you root for and what style of football you enjoy watching will impact your own personal rankings it should be noted. Rankings are always fun, if you have other players you would rate in your top five by all means leave them in the comments section, we’d love to hear them.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo: I’m not sure how winning the Champions League title instantly vaults Messi to the title of “Best Football Player in the World” which was discussed at length after the final. Granted his form was excellent this year, and his impact on the outcome of the CL final was far greater then his counterpart Ronaldo. Having said that, if we were to take a step back and look at the body of work of both players over the last three years, as well as technical side of each player I think Ronaldo clearly has the edge as the top player in the world. His goal scoring rate is second to none, can play any attacking position on the field including up top, is one of the top free kick takers in the world, and is devastating with both feet (not to mention his Arial ability is pretty wicked to boot). When motivated there is no one better.
#2 Lionel Messi: His emergence at Barcelona has been amazing to watch, and it’s no coincidence that it has coincided with the revival of Barca’s domination both domestically and in Europe this year. His on ball ability, searing pace, and rare vision in the open field is unrivaled in the world. Although his goal scoring wasn’t a prominent aspect of his game in the two preceding years, that changed drastically this campaign with a haul of 42 goals in all competitions. Messi’s encore (and continued growth next year) will be interesting to watch.
#3 Steven Gerrard: Things get tricky here separating Gerrard and Kaka; in fact you could swap them with little argument either way. I’ll take Gerrard over Kaka in my midfield based on the stronger offensive side of his game, and his ability to score in the seemingly clutchest of moments. Gerrard’s work rate and pure power in midfield is priceless as well, the engine he provides in the middle of the park with his passing can’t be understated. Fans of Kaka could point to Gerrard’s lack of a domestic league title or larger individual awards on his resume, which is a fair critique. I’ll argue Gerrard is more of a game changer on any given night and give him the nod here.
# 4 Kaka: There is no doubt Kaka is one of the best players of his generation. His pace, dribbling, technique, vision, and natural flair are mesmerizing to watch. The highlight of his individual career coming in 2007 when he was named FIFA’s World Player of the Year. With his recent transfer to Real Madrid, one can only imagine what performances he will be capable of producing on such a star studded squad. Kaka’s place as one of the world’s greats isn’t changing anytime soon, and the glitzy stage of Madrid is a fitting place for one of the world’s best.
#5 Fernando Torres: I would argue he is the currently the best striker in the world, and thus slides in at five. There are several other players who could easily take Torres’s place here, but his ability to score in a variety of ways and the attention he demands at all times from defenses puts him in a class all his own. His devastating pace, coupled with his unique touch and aerial prowess creates a total package. His style of play and strength on the ball is also perfectly suited for the Premier League, his impact for Liverpool was immediate, and he is also a central figure for the Spanish national team. Fresh off Barca’s recent success many will push for Xavi or Iniesta here, but for my money Fernando Torres nips them both.
Honorable Mentions: Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, David Villa, Frank Ribery, Xavi Hernandez, Wayne Rooney, Zalatan Ibrahimovic, Daniele De Rossi, Samuel Eto’o
The Sad State of the NBA
With the draft wrapped up and the free agency about to kick into full swing (Highlighted by Ben Gordon and Hedo Turkoglu), it seems like the NBA is in a different state than it has been for most seasons with the vicious economic decline. Instead of hearing about the best players being traded, we hear more about 
the rumors on how so many NBA teams are losing money, and are definitely going to have even more troubles with their payrolls next season. Money is the most valuable part of every organization and it seems that more teams are interested in shedding cap space, than making their teams better to compete for a title. Trade offers aren’t even about talent as much as who is getting the player with the big contract that expires next year. 12 teams accepted the leagues offer to borrow between $13 and $20 million. I won’t completely blame it on players and situations like the highly chronicled Darius Miles who is still sucking cap space away from Portland and just violated the leagues drug policy again. 
But, he is definitely one of the reasons the league needs to review the collective bargaining agreement before the seemingly imminent lockout in 2011.
My biggest concern for the NBA is the shrinking cap space each season. If the economy continues to go the way it has, the cap will keep falling. In turn, this will make it impossible for teams to stay under the cap especially with the current contract constructions weighted at the end, and put some teams over the cap before the next season even starts. This year will only be the second time in league history that the cap has been lowered from the previous season. Teams know this, and it is making them thriftier than ever. Why do they want to risk hitting the luxury tax for making it one round deeper in the playoffs? They really don’t, and this is going to be the NBA’s biggest problem during the recession! The objective for mediocrity in the league is not going to keep fans around, and without the fans the league will obviously struggle. The seats are already empty in the smaller market areas and terrible franchises. I watched many Clippers games (more than I’d like to admit) this year and most of the time you could hear the other teams fans that happen to live in L.A. at the games cheering over the Clippers’ fans (if there actually were any).
So with Amare on the block, and few interesting free agents out there, what will happen this offseason you ask? I think it’s going to be a lot of low-balling, and there will definitely be a lot of teams giving away superior talent just to relieve their books. With all of the talks surrounding my Warriors, and Amare Stoudemire possibly going to them, I took a step back to see what could possibly be behind it. Sure Amare is a great player when he’s healthy, but even he felt that the Warriors are giving up too much talent for him to want to go to there. It makes me wonder if the Warriors original objective was to have Stoudemire for a one year rental and have a lot of money come off the books instead of having: Biendris (5 years), Wright (3 years), and Bellinelli (3 years). 
Were the Warriors making a money dump like the Kings did when they gave away Brad Miller to save themselves millions off the cap in the long run? I feel like I can’t trust any move my team is making this offseason without wondering, was this done just for the pocketbook or did they really try to improve the team to make them a contender…
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