Sunday, October 18, 2009

Draft Draft Revolution <, >, ^, v, v, >, >, <, ^



October15/09

Matthew Stafford (NFL) $78 million over six years ($41 million guaranteed), Stephen Strasburg (MLB) $15.75 million over four years plus a $7.5 million signing bonus, Blake Griffin (NBA) $16 million over three years and John Tavares (NHL) $900,000 a season for three years? All of these athletes have something in common, they were all selected first overall in their respective entry drafts. However, one of them appears to have a lighter wallet.

I would like to commend the NHL for putting forth such a strict and economically functional limit on the salaries of draftees. Giving out massive entry level salaries seems comparable to giving a five year old a $1000 a week allowance. The NBA has a similar situation to the NHL, which sees the CBA dictate how much each draft position will earn, the amount of money gets lower with the draft position. However, the dollar amounts are much higher in the NBA than NHL, for example the 24th overall pick in this years NBA draft is making the same amount as the first overall pick in the NHL draft.

Paying a player $13 million a season before they have played a game professionally is ludicrous, I hope for the sake of Lions fans that Matt Stafford has a great career. The way that baseball and football have set up their drafts does not seem all that attractive to me. The teams that will be paying out the biggest contracts would be drafting early, also meaning they are one of the worst teams in the league, a title that is synonymous with poor attendance and having no money. The bad teams will never get better if they are forced to keep giving away their money for unproven players.

An early draft pick is something that could boost ticket sales and TV ratings short term, what if the player doesn’t pan out and turns into the next Tim Couch or Matt Bush? The team and player are both in very uncomfortable positions, the team will face an uproar from the fans and either let the players massive contract play-out, or get rid of them at a cost and the player will feel like a dejected failure………albeit a very wealthy dejected failure.

Not only does this format put to much power in the hands of the players, it puts unreasonable expectations on them. One MLB owner spoke to Sports Illustrated about Washington Nationals draft pick Stephen Strasburg “If they don’t take Strasburg and sign him, they may as well give up,” “You’d have to wonder why they’re in business. He’s got them by the gonads.”
I could not imagine the pressure that a 21 year old pitcher like Strasburg will be feeling the first time he steps to the mound. Strasburg is described as a can’t miss prospect but his manager has represented ex-phenoms Ben McDonald (1st overall), Todd Van Popel (14th), and Brien Taylor (1st overall), none of whom won more than 80 games in the majors.

For the first time I feel that the NHL has paved the way for future labour disputes between players and owners in other leagues. Teams need to have more assurance that when they draft a player they will not be handing over the keys to the stadium. In the NHL the small entry level salaries do not force a team to put a player who is not ready in the line-up, possibly stunting their development. Quite often all a player might need is a little more confidence in their skills. The ability to have a player spend more time in the minors or at college is a luxury of the NHL draft system that allows players who would have been thrown into the fire prematurely, to grow into their potential instead of wasting it.



Dan Malta

How much money would it take for you to fight Brock Lesnar?




September 30/09


These guys are under paid. UFC fighters essentially donate their faces for as little as $8000 a fight. You may think that eight grand for one nights work isn’t all that bad. Don’t forget the months of training leading up to the big day. Let’s say a fighter trains for three months before his fight and don’t forget he needs to pay his trainers, he would be making less that $100 a day with the minimum payout. If the fighter wins the standard is another $8000, a potential $16,000 payday. If the fighter wins fight of the night, submission of the night, or knockout of the night they would earn an extra $60,000, these awards are rarely given to under-card fighters, from what I’ve watched. Top fighters can make up to a reported $400,000 per fight, a payout that looks like a welfare cheque in comparison to top boxers.

It’s not like the UFC is struggling, in fact they are far from it. In 2008 the disclosed payout to fighters was just under $2.5 million. Combining the ppv earnings of four UFC events from 2008 you will see where the numbers are skewed. UFC’s 91, 92, 93 and 94 had approximately 6.5 million ppv buys for over $150 million in earnings. A UFC video game was released this year. It sold one million copies in its first month and has sold three million to date. The UFC is reported to be earning 17% of the total revenue, I bought the game when it came out for $69.99…………you do the math. The UFC also has a television deal with Spike TV and countless sponsorship deals with companies like Anheuser Busch and Harley Davidson. If one of these companies wants to sponsor a fighter individually it is rumoured that they will have to pay the UFC $100,000 before they talk to the fighter, a scenario similar to the NHL where the company must pay the league $40,000 for their equipment to appear in an NHL game.

I think Flloyd Mayweather said it best after Dana White offered him a contract in 2007 “why would I go into a sport paying hundreds of thousands when I’m in a sport paying $20 million.” It’s wither time for the UFC to pay their fighters what they are worth, or the fighters to form a union and force the issue.
So........whats youre price?

Dan Malta

Comeback Cast-offs


September 14/09


Theo Fleury and Jason Allison are two players who don’t seem to understand the basis of the new NHL, old players are out and drafting is in. Gone are the days where a GM would utter the words “draft schmaft”…………Cliff Fletcher. These players need to learn the lessons that players like Claude Lemiuex, and to a lesser extent Mats Sundin were trying to teach them, just stay retired.

I understand that everybody loves to talk about it, that it is an inspiration for people everywhere. There does not seem to be a reason for it other than a love for the game, even though the game does not seem likely to love them back. They may have been excellent players once upon a time, but returning to the game only to be a shadow of their former selves diminishes their names and images. Claude Lemiuex was brought on board by San Jose last season, to do nothing but disappoint, he tallied one assist in 18 games, what a waste of his and the organizations time. Giving a 43 year old player a roster spot, when the way to succeed is drafting and developing your own players………….Detroit Red Wings. Mats Sundin returned to the game to record a 0.68 point per game average, his average over the rest of his career was a far superior 1.05. The proof is in the hypothetical hockey pudding.

There are few success stories to speak of however; Mario Lemiuex, Saku Koivu, Gary Roberts and Bryan Berard. The difference is all of the cited players were forced to retire due to injury or illness. They were knocked down in the prime of their careers. Jason Allison already returned in 2005 after concussion issues forced him out of the game. A 60-point season was respectable statistically but I remember watching him play in the new NHL, he was clearly a step behind. His lack of speed was seemingly the reason he hung up his skates the second time around. Now watching him play this pre-season with the Leafs after a three-year absence, he doesn’t seem to have improved in the speed department, making a 34 year old even more unattractive to the youthful rebuilding Leafs.

The diminutive Theo Fleury is attempting to come-back and play for a team that is looking to make a run at the cup. The issue with the Flames signing a right winger like Fleury is, they have incredible depth at the position. Jarome Iginla, Rene Bourque, David Moss (recently signed to a three year deal worth $1.3 million per), Eric Nystrom, Fredrik Sjostrom, first round pick Chris Chucko, and Enforcer Brian McGratton. Right wingers galore, there is no spot on the roster for Fleury. His history of drug and alcohol abuse should not help his chances, albeit he’s been sober four years.

Maybe the teams enjoy the extra media, not that Calgary and Toronto need to try for media exposure. I just simply can’t see any other reason to allow these players to try-out, just to give them false hope. If either of these comeback cast-offs make an NHL roster I will be very surprised and disappointed in management. I think maybe giving Allison a two-way contract and leaving him in the reserves, in case of multiple injuries would be acceptable. In Theo Fleury’s case I can’t see the Calgary higher ups being stupid enough to mix a substance abuse program regular in with young impressionable AHL prospects.

Daniel Malta

T.O in Buffalo.......nono


September 9/2009


Terrell Owens is bad for the Bills. Donovan Mcnabb and Jeff Garcia are two quarterbacks that have been alienated by T.O. It now appears that Trent Edwards is next in line. Throughout Terrell Owens career nobody has ever questioned his skill, work ethic, or passion for the game. The real question is, has he ever made a team better? He carries the burden of a media spotlight to every team he joins; he acts in a seemingly calculated manner trying to gain everybody’s attention.

To me he is a short-term fix, comparable to an athlete taking a steroid. Sure it will look good for a year or two, everything will be fine, until you get caught. Caught in a firestorm of controversy, outrage, and betrayal, leaving your team in a worse situation than it was in before he was signed.

Quarterbacks should be the leaders of any offence, not a running back, not a lineman, and certainly not a receiver. Terrell Owens has a hard time understanding his place on a football team. The image of T.O barking in Donovan Mcnabb’s ear on the sidelines is one of my favourite examples of how he is a self centred quarterback killer. His previous QB, Jeff Garcia received a T.O attack on a more personal level when Owens insinuated Garcia was gay in an interview with playboy magazine. In Dallas, he voiced his concern that quarterback Tony Romo was conspiring with tight end Jason Witten to keep the ball away from him. Even after a super-bowl appearance with the Eagles he was attacking Donovan Mcnabb, saying that he was not in good shape. Now put Owens in an environment where winning will not be easy and to top it off a young unproven quarterback at the helm. All of the ingredients are there; just wait for them to be mixed together, the four quarterbacks might need to form a support group.


Dan Malta