dave_ross's Blog

As a long suffering New York Mets fan, well, it's been a tough week after the firing of Willie Randolph. i do see a solution in the Big Apple, and it involves DC... below is the actual email I sent to my buddy who's also a life-long fan of the Metropolitans; I'd have grown up a fan of the Nats had there been a team in DC, but whatchagonnado???

Anyway, I submit my replay and the original message.. enjoy!

I needed a week to assess... GREAT email.

Okay: my thoughts; I told you after last year's collapse that SOMEONE had to go. Didn't know who, but someone. Was on the fence with Willie, and truly I've always liked him. Loved his demeaner after he, was it, 5 or 6 straight losses to open his managerial campaign, and i'll never forget hearing him say that night on wfan that "we'll be alright. we've got a lot of veterans in this clubhouse that know how to play the game the right way. they're not paniking so neither am i". them wham! we win 6 straight.



You're right about not being able to get rid of the stigma and stench from that collasal collapse last year. No matter what he did this year; especially with the bullpen, it was the wrong move. I didn't want Willie out even still, until I heard the whispers that he had lost the clubhouse. At that point, no matter how much you/i/omar minaya/the truck driver in queens may like willie... too bad; time's up.



And yes, Omar may have to go next. I equate it with Bobby V. and Steve Phillips. Once the first shoe drops, the second isn't far behind. Ironically, I couldn't stand Bobby V; but I never grew a hatred for Willie like I did Bobby. Willie is just too classy I guess. But his race comments sure were stupid and showed the pressure he was under; and that it was starting to boil over at that point. The New York media can do that to anyone.



Manuel? I don't know. I watched the whole Omar/Jerry presser last week; not impressed. Omar I believe really did go back and forth on the decision, and in the end, you can critisize him all you want for how/why/when he fired Willie, but really the biggest crime WAS his indecision. He's the G.M.; act like it. Make a command decision and move on. All the hemming and hawing is where he truly started to lose me. Whether I liked the move or not, I'd at least respect the decision making process if he showed he KNEW this was the right thing to do. This seems more like a guess at this point.



So who's next? Can we dig up Davey Johnson? I'm being half serious. If the Jays can ressurrect Gaston, why not? I mean, it's not like you can't be 80 and win. Ask Tommy Lasorda. Or Torre. Age is no factor here.



HoJo? Keith? Yikes. Carter? Um.. no chance. Oberkfell? A Cardinal runnin' the Mets? I think Torre is the only guy before or after that can do that.



I'm telling you; go get Manny Acta. It's brutal here in DC. He has no chance to win. Give him one in NY. He's energetic, and he'd feel like he was handed the keys to the 27 Yankees compared to what he has now. And it may be the only way for Omar to save his own hide.



That's what I'd do. Thanks for your patience. It's been a tough week for our Metropolitans. And then Johan serves up a slammy to the King Felix. Just when you thought we'd hit rock bottom...



----- Original Message ----
From: Jay Cohen >
To: Dave Ross <>
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 9:33:56 AM
Subject: Willie


Why is it that when the Yankees totally screw up their managerial stuff (Torre, Billy Martin) it's easy to pass off on the psychosis of the Steinbrenners but when the Mets BLEEP the bed it's just an utterly embarrassing display of ineptitude? Willie had to go, but Omar should be right behind him. Just a piss poor way of handling a bad situation.



Did he need to be canned after the collapse last season? Maybe. I watched the games and it didn't matter what he did, every time he called someone from the bullpen they had a glove on one hand and can of gasoline on the other. He's got no feel for a pitching staff -- and that's why Peterson went too -- and it was just tough to deal with.



Coming into 08, I told you all we did was upgrade from Glavine to Johan. The bench was worse, the bullpen was worse. We both panned on the Milledge deal but that was for a long-term thing. Church is a serviceable guy, no worse than Shawn Green and we wouldn't truly regret it until 2010. That's on Omar. Willie tried but couldn't rid the stench of the collapse on the team. *That's* on Willie. The race card was sheer stupidity and you knew he was done then. Instead, they dragged it on for another 3-4 weeks. Sad, pathetic and embarrasing.



Jerry Manuel doesn't do much for me. If they win, so be it but I like to identify with a manager, a little swagger. Davey and Bobby V were it. I know Oberkfell has had success in the minors, but I don't know if he's the guy. I swear I keep hearing Keith Hernandez and that would be an AWFUL idea. Omar needs to make a couple of trades. Delgado is done -- platoon him at best. Trot's okay, but no panacea. Tatis, Cancel, Easley - done. Marlon can hit a little so keep him as a 25th man/PH. Heilman needs to go. Endy needs to go (sorry - the magic is gone). It's going to be a tough summer, but at least I won't have any delusions of grandeur and I can make my last visit to Shea next month just like my first in 1980 - to watch a crappy* team play ball.




* - I reserve the right to amend if we close to within 3 of the NL East before July 31.

So, who ya got?? Finally, we have an NBA finals series that people actually care and are excited about!! And this is coming from a guy who grew up HATING both Boston AND the Lakers (that's because I was a DR.J. guy.. and Andrew Toney, and Mo Cheeks.. but I digress...)

So who ya pickin'??? Even though the Celts have home court, and they don't seem to lose there (minus that one blemish against Detroit) and Ray Allen seems to come out of his slump, and Paul Pierce is playing great basketball and Kevin Garnett is well, great.....  despite all of that.... I'm going with the Lakers in 6!!!!!

Kobe gets his due... no Shaq... MVP.. and let the Michael comparisons begin!

So, here we are, getting ready for a monumental game 6 between the Wizards and Cavs...and all the talk still seems to be centered about Gilbert Arenas...

First we have the drama.. did Eddie Jordan know Gilbert wasn't going to play before game 5? Is there a rift between the two (it would appear so in my humble opinion) and now what do you do with a guy who can opt out of his contract, and has a bum knee?

Well, had the Wizards listenend to me last summer, when on WTEM I said the Wizards should trade Gilbert at the time for anything good they could get (I was mocked on the airwaves by everyone in DC, saying there is NO WAY the Wizards could trade Gil, not even for KOBE!!!!)

These days, no one is interested in Gilbert, at least not the way teams might have been when his value was high.

Ironically, after being the one guy in town who WANTED to trade Gil this past summer, now I'm not so sure. Here's why: it's the classic supply and demand; if you sell him now, you're selling way low. Last summer, you could have gotten a king's ransom; now? Not so much.

Here's what I'd do: I'd package Andray Blatche, Nick Young, and say, Deshawn Stevenson to LA for Elton Brand. He could be had, and the Wizards desperately need a true #4 man, and Elton is that guy.

Or.. yes, I'd trade Gil straight up for Brand. But if you make the deal I said with Deshawn, then I'd keep Gilbert.

This team has plenty of good perimeter players, especially with the emergence of Roger Mason, Jr. They need help up front. They have players they can move to get one. Now, they just need to go do it!!! And don't be afraid to deal Gil if the price is right, just don't dump him for the sake of dumping. Get equal value, or else I say bring him back.

But it bizarre to see Gil's stock drop so dramatically, so quickly. Oh how the mighty have fallen. 

Sure, Game 7 didn't end the way everyone this side of Philly wanted it to end, but what a thrilling second half of the season the Caps gave us here in the district.

 From Alex Ovechkin's 60-plus goals, to the hiring of Bruce Boudreau.. to the acquisitions of Matt Cooke, Sergei Fedorov and Cristobal Huet... well, let's just say all the changes seemed to work out amazingly well.

I was at game one, witnessed Ovechkin's steal and goal to win it, and the roof almost came off of that building. It wassimply one of the best sporting experiences I've ever witnessed first hand.

I reported live from Philly before and after that thrilling double overtime loss, and while that crowd was electric as well, you Caps fans certainly have proven that this indeed, can be a hockey town.

I consider myself among that masses that are no born-again puck heads. And I have the Caps to thank for making this sport relevant once again in this town.

I was there was more hockey to go to, so we could all keep rockin' the red!

Remember when college kids were described in this manner? Going hardship? I'm not sure the term really applies anymore for kids leaving the college ranks early for the big bucks of the NBA. And who can blame them?

Look, I'd be the first one standing in line to take those millions that the pro ranks were throwing in my direction. Which leads me to this year's crop of kids potentially going "hardship". Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley.. the list goes on and on...

Are these kids really "student-athletes"? Or just athletes? If these freshman all declare for the draft, they'll likely all be lottery picks. And millionaires instantly. How CAN they stay in school?

My question is this; is the "1-year rule" that mandates kids MUST go to school for at least one year really in the best interest of the kids? Or just the NBA and  the college universities?

I get it; after the Kwame Brown disasters. and Eddy Curry's of the world, the NBA wanted to hold off plucking down their hard-earned cash on kids who haven't displayed their talents on bigger stages. So college has become, for some "student-athletes", basically a showcase for young studs for big bucks . I just wish we'd call it what it is, instead of hiding behind this "student-athlete" label.

Like I said, I don't begrudge any of these kids for the decisions they make or are about to make. I'd make it too. But I just don't know if this "1-year rule" is good for the klds, or the game itself.     

My alternative would be to *gulp* PAY the "student-athletes" to avoid potential real-life "hardship" problems. Give them a stipend. It's not too much to do when the alternative is shady off campus deals (ie: Reggie Bush) and God only knows how many other athletes have felt the need to take some cash under the desk to hang around their college campuses just a little bit longer. 

Heck, the schools are making millions on all of those Derrick Rose #23 jerseys, and your Kevin Love ones out west, why not kick back some of that cash to the kids themselves? That way, the kid may actually WANT to stay in school for another year or two, and actually learn something in the process without having to take some shady side deal, but do it the right way. And lo-and-behold, maybe these kids willl get that real-life maturity that NBA execs glamour about in board rooms when assessing their draft selections.

It really could be a win/win for all parties involved. It's time the NCAA took their collective heads out of that buried sand, and give the kids a little, and in return, the game and the fans will get back a whole lot more.

Look, I get it. You pay your hard earned money to go to a game, you generally have the "right" to say and do what you want at a ballgame. But booing the President of the United States? As he gets introduced to throw out the first pitch? I think that's crossing the line.

And here's why: this is NOT a political arena. This is a sporting event. This tradition of the president throwing out the first pitch dates back to President Taft. From Commanders in Chief like FDR, to Eisenhower, to Kennedy, to Nixon, to Clinton and Bush, it is a time honored tradition.

Look, put your political affiliation aside when you come to the ballpark for a Nats opening game. No matter what side of the political spectrum you may reside, I always say this: even if you do not respect the man, respect the office. As a Marine, we were taught this from day one; respect the rank. And I always will. 

I must say I was disappointed to hear the mixture of boos reign down at Nationals Park last night. It was a terrific and historic night, and there's a reason the President of the United States was ASKED to be there.

Next year, there will be a new president in the White House. No matter if it's Obama, Clinton, or McCain, I would hope that when the Commander in Chief throws out the first pitch next season, he or she is shown more respect than what happenend last night.

Baseball fan or not, you've got to check this place out, especially if you went to RFK in the past.

No offense intended to RFK, but this is a place Nats fans and their players can clearly call their own. While some argue it doesn't have a "defining" characteristic; I'll disagree.. it has one big one.. IT'S MODERN!!!

From the press boxes (very important to yours truly) to the concourse to the suites, to the seats themselves, this place has been done, to quote Judge Smails in Caddyshack, "TOP NOTCH!"

There really isn't a bad seat in the house, and you can get a cheapie nosebleed seat for just 5 bucks, and even those seats are doable.

All I could think about this week while I was down there was; when this team gets better, and they will in time, can you imagine October baseball at Nationals Park? I can, and it's gonna be sweet.

See you at the stadium kids!

Well, why not? Let's do a little pro/con to figure out if it would be a good move by the Nats shall we? And we shall:

Pro: He's available! Just sittin' by the phone waiting for any GM to call him...

Con: He IS a con...

Pro: He just so happens to be baseball's all-time leading home run hitter.

Con: We probably will have to put an * by that record when it's all said and done.

Pro: The Nats need a draw, and no matter what you think of Barry, he's a draw.

Con: He may get routinely booed at home; not exactly how the Nats brass wants to christen the new stadium.

Pro: From a baseball standpoint; the Nats could really use him. Wily Mo Pena is hurt, and Barry could be a fine fourth outfielder and a great late-inning pinch hitting weapon to have on your bench.

Con: Barry's knees may not hold up to play the field anymore, and unless the National League gets the DH in a hurry, he'd have to run in the outfield.

Pro: Let's be honest, the Nats are not going to contend this year... why not have some fun and cheer/boo Barry?

Con: Let's be honest; the Nats are not going to contend this year... why not have some fun and cheer/boo Barry?

Pro: If Bonds has a required appearance with either the Supreme Court or Congress, he won't have to travel far, and could still make the 7pm opening pitch.

Con: If those meetings don't go well for Barry, he may need to get bailed out by Manny Acta.

So there you have it; after scientifically presenting both sides, I think it's clear to see the pro's outweigh the con's.. actually I'm not sure if they do, but it would be fun to watch the circus while it's in town.

But the bottom line is this; after the novelty of the new ballpark wears off by say, June, when the Nats are almost mathmatically eliminated from playoff contention, I'd like to have another reason to go to the ballpark than just going to see.... the ballpark.

And Barry Bonds would give you and I that reason to go, love him or hate him.

Well.. that's debateable... so.. let's debate...

Sure he owns just about every passing record known to man.. both good AND bad... he has the coveted ring (sorry Dan Marino fans) and that does go a long way in my way of thinking... so.. without further adieu... who ya got in your all-time best QB's???

ONLY CRITERIA FOR MY DEBATE: you must have seen them play.. (not in person mind you, but at least on TV... so, for me, I can't put in a Johnny Unitas or a Slingin' Sammy Baugh... you're picking up what I'm putting down..) and yes, you CAN INCLUDE current QB's if you think they're good enough to be in there, without playing another down.. so... here's mine...

5) Troy Aikman. 3 titles. Precision accuracy. Never blinked in the clutch. Had a rocket of an arm, great decision making, and cool under fire. A bit Montana, and a bit Brady. But since his supporting cast was so good, he gets passed aside alot in these debates. But there's no denying his numbers, second only to Montana in the playoffs, although Brady's were better until his loss this year. (3-0 in Super Bowls in still better than 3-1).  

4) Roger Staubach. Okay, I'm biased here. But the guy is sooooo underrated in the history of the greats it's maddening. 2 Super Bowl trophies, and he only played 10 years in the league because of:   a) the Navy (4 years he gave, which he probably would have/could have won another ring in his prime) and:    b) his family. He left the game when he still had plenty left. Roger the Doger gave me thrills as a kid; the man was Fran Tarkenton with a much better arm, and a predecessor to John Elway. 

3) Tom Brady. Yep. right now, I gotta put him in there. Reminds me so much of Montana it's scary. 3 rings, and if had a 4th already; I would have put him even higher. Think of his receivers and running backs he actually WON the Super Bowl with: Troy Brown, Deion Branch, David Patten, David Givens, Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk, Antwoine Smith etc.. etc.. none of these guys did anything before or after their time with Brady (except for Dillon, who had some really good years in Cincy). And although he has a loss and Aikman doesn't as previously noted, Brady did more with less to get his 3 rings.

2) Joe Montana. As much as it pains me to say, 4 rings are 4 rings (sorry Terry Bradshaw, but your defenses were much better than Montana's en route to your 4 rings.) He's cool Joe for a reason... just always in control. Maybe the ultimate quarterback leader, and that cannot be under valued. 

1) John Elway . Yep, if I had one QB for one game to win, this is my guy. He's got 2 rings, took 3 other very average Bronco teams to a Super Bowl... with some of the worst defenses you'll ever see in a title game.  5 appearances in all, but more than that; he's my ultimate do-it-all QB. Can run for the yards necessary, and make any throw from anywhere on the field. And to win those titles back-to-back and then retire, can anyone have gone out better? The answer is no.

Fire away people. There are no wrong answers. Well, sure, we all know that's not true, but I look forward to hearing your lists!

Now look; I recognize Pretty Boy Floyd as one of the 3 best fighters in the world (may have to put Miguel Cotto and Kelly Pavlik in that discussion) but come on, WRESTLING WITH THE BIG SHOW??

Now I know "Money" Mayweather is all about showin' off.. and flash.. and yes i get it.. it's entertainment... but now? In the prime of his career? I saw this happen with Antonio Tarver; right after he whipped Roy Jones, Jr, yet again, he decided to be the co-star in "Rocky Balboa"; gained 30 pounds, then was lacklucter when he got back in the ring after losing all that weight and lost his title.

Floyd is great, but he doesn't need this. Not yet. If he wants to entertain, he can wait 5 more years and still do the whole wrestling bit. Just my 2 cents, but I want to see Pretty Boy fight Cotta or Sugar Shane or De La Hoya again, not some fake BLEEP with the Big Show.

STOP!!

At some point, this guy has got to get some credit for the year he's having. Yes, he can still be broodish. Yes, he can tough on his teammates; but the last I remember, that sees to be the way one Michael Jordan was in his Chicago days. No one was harder on his `mates than MJ, but nobody had a problem with it. When Kobe does it, he's being a baby.

One of my Fox-5 compatriots, Wisdom Martin love to debate this in the newsroom when I can break him away from working one his stories. And he's going to hate what I have to say next:  

Bottom line is this: no matter what you think of Kobe, he's having, dare I say it Wisdom Martin, an MVP season. That's right; MVP. He's playing hurt, and playing out of this world. In my humble opinion, he's simply the best player in the entire world; case closed.

I don't need to list his credentials; we all know them. But, and this is where Wisdom and I DO agree, he needs to do it in the playoffs to truly break out of Shaq's shadow. Yes, Kobe has 3 rings, but Shaq has 4. He needs to win one, and what better way to get one more than to go through Phoenix to FINALLY be in the mentioned in the same breath as MJ.

Only time will tell if he can do it, but even for this non-Laker fan, you've got to be impressed with what he's doing in the wild wild west.

Wisdom and all you Kobe haters, I can't wait to hear the replies!

The sport of kings is back!! Have you been watching some of these fights? Pavlik-Taylor 2 was another show-stopper... although it lacked the sheer brutality of the first fight; it was a tactical masterpiece in and of itself. For the record, I had it a draw, but I had no problem with the decision. But I did think Taylor deserved better, and while I've been one of his most vocal critics through the years, he has regained my respect ironically in his two losses to Kelly the "Ghost".

For his efforts, Pavlik may move back to 160 and put his middleweight crown on the line against... drum roll please... Felix "Tito" Trinidad. Yes, Tito is past his prime. Yes, Tito may not be able to make the weight. (He struggled to check in at 170 for the Roy Jones bout!) But IF he can lose the weight, what a dynamite championship bout this could be. Two of the best knockout artists of their time. (Although Tito's time may have passed). Just remember you heard it here first... IF this fight comes off, I really think Tito will knock Pavlik out. And I'm a huge fan of Pavlik's.. just a very dangerous fight for him, but great for us fight fans.

Meanwhile, Oscar De La Hoya is stepping back in the ring against Steve Forbes (contender fame). This should be an easy tune up for the Golden Boy, and then it's on to De La Hoya-Mayweather part 2. Can't wait to see it again. And yes, I think Oscar could take the rematch. The first fight was much closer than most people seem to remember.

Also, there's talk of Sugar Shane Mosely taking on the Nicaraguan nightmare Ricardo Mayorga. I love Mayorga's fighting style, which is no style to be sure, but sheer aggression. But he will get absolutely tatooed by Sugar Shane's precision, but I'd love to see it go down.

Then there's Calzaghe-Hopkins coming up; (I think B-Hop, who's always been one of my personal favorites, is a little long in the tooth to hang with Super Joe.) We've got talks of a Jermaine Taylor-Mikkel Kessler fight. (This would be a GREAT matchup!)

Now if the heavyweights could come up with some enticing matchups, we'd REALLY have something. But you know what? I'm not waiting for that division to come around; we've got too many star studded matches to made in the lower weight classes.

So fight fans; get ready for an incredible 2008!!

and it has nothing do with brian mcnamee, congress or steriods.

Here's what I'll base it all on; remember the world series between the Yankees and Mets in 2000? Game 2?

Yeah, you remember... Clemens sawed off Piazza's bat with a nasty inside fastball. Great pitch. The broken bat went flying back towards Clemens, and the ball rolled weakly foul. As Piazza made his way up the first base line off contact, Clemens grabbed the splintered bat, and fired it towards Piazza, who paused, stunned, as the bat flew past him.

Piazza looked at Clemens, with the most incredulous look on his face, as if to say, "what in the world are you doing? You could have killed me if that jagged bat caught me in the throat or head!"

Clemens, clearly exposed for a bush league play of epic proportions, simply mouthed, "I thought it (the bat) was the ball."

Thought it was the ball? Really? You have a splintered bat in your hand, which at that point, is essentially a weapon, and you throw it at a guy jogging up the line? Had Piazza kept his head down and not paused when the ball went foul, he could have been seriously injured.

Clemens inexplicable defense, which he re-iterated time and time again in postgame comments, is simply laughable. How can a splintered bat, which you picked up off the ground, and flung angrily at a player you had previous issues with, be confused for a baseball? But Roger being Roger, he just sticks to his story.

Sound familiar anyone?

Clemens lost me on that day 8 years ago; he gets no benefit of the doubt from me now in his "time of need".  I don't need a congressional inquiry to know if Roger Clemens can tell the truth.

Who knew??? This is a stone cold stunner... out of left field... NEVER been a coordinator before, and now, head coach? Well, that certainly was one way to go...

your thoughts skins fans... can you believe it???