My feature on Junie Browning is causing a stir, as expected. Fans hate this guy and his attitude. One even wondered how I wrote this with a straight face. I wrote this with a straight face because that's my job, to tell the other person's side of the story whether I like it or not.
I bet you these same people hated Chris Leben, who after causing chaos on TUF got busted for DUI and spent 35 days in jail. Today, he's turned it around and put up a credible effort in a loss to Michael Bisping. You hope Leben can keep out of trouble and you hope Browning can follow a similar path, minus the DUI.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
One-on-one with Junie
Junie Browning is the Chris Leben of this season of "The Ultimate Fighter." He's a friggin' nut, and that's why many of the episodes have been centered around him, his shenanigans and his drunken stupidity. I spoke with TUF's newest lightning rod for a story coming out tomorrow, and I remain in one piece.
Browning gets his chance to back up his smack in tonight's episode when coach Frank Mir pits him against Rolando Delgado. What you've seen to this point hasn't been trick production. Browning pretty much admitted he is who you've seen, but also a bit misunderstood.
Those following TUF may think there's no hope for Browning, but Leben turned his life around and lost this past Saturday only because Michael Bispbig is at another level. Browning was honest, saying that being trapped inside a house in Las Vegas and not being able to go anywhere except the gym drove him further insane. Even should he lose tonight, losers have been brought back on the show in the past. One such fighter was Leben.
Browning gets his chance to back up his smack in tonight's episode when coach Frank Mir pits him against Rolando Delgado. What you've seen to this point hasn't been trick production. Browning pretty much admitted he is who you've seen, but also a bit misunderstood.
Those following TUF may think there's no hope for Browning, but Leben turned his life around and lost this past Saturday only because Michael Bispbig is at another level. Browning was honest, saying that being trapped inside a house in Las Vegas and not being able to go anywhere except the gym drove him further insane. Even should he lose tonight, losers have been brought back on the show in the past. One such fighter was Leben.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Elite XC and the XFL
Great line from Yahoo! Sports MMA columnist Kevin Iole. You can read his mailbag here.
It would have been far better off to let [Kimbo] Slice fight off-television fights and develop his mixed martial arts game rather than exploit him for a quick buck and, as it appears has happened, permanently ruin him. He only seems to have gimmick appeal now.
In 2001 I lived through the bloody disaster that was the XFL as a WWF employee. It was bad enough the WWF forced its sports-entertainment brand down the throats of those looking to see if it can produce a legit alternative to the NFL. The worst was that first it launched one year after it was founded when it needed at least a good two-three years to properly build a front office, its franchises and thoroughly evaluate both talent and a business plan.
Then, instead of changing perception and creating a reputation on a small cable network with a niche audience, it signed with NBC, which gave it a prime-time slot Saturday nights. The league ended up a catastrophic embarrassment and died a painful death.
I'm not saying Elite XC is the XFL; the former can brag about a collection of great fights. But their big mistake — and CBS bought into this — was forcing a cult creation down everyone's throats without any regard for the total package. Look at Strikeforce: They're on NBC during the overnight on Saturday/Sunday. They're building a program. Look at the Tampa Bay Rays. Since their inaugural season, they finished out of last place only twice, but learned after the 1999 season that the quick fix never works. They stayed patient and built a program, and they're in the World Series.
There would have been no harm in developing Kimbo slowly and getting your marketing department to promote around Robbie Lawler, Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Eddie Alvarez. Instead, the public was force-fed a fighter who needed seasoning and its core audience has its intelligence insulted.
It would have been far better off to let [Kimbo] Slice fight off-television fights and develop his mixed martial arts game rather than exploit him for a quick buck and, as it appears has happened, permanently ruin him. He only seems to have gimmick appeal now.
In 2001 I lived through the bloody disaster that was the XFL as a WWF employee. It was bad enough the WWF forced its sports-entertainment brand down the throats of those looking to see if it can produce a legit alternative to the NFL. The worst was that first it launched one year after it was founded when it needed at least a good two-three years to properly build a front office, its franchises and thoroughly evaluate both talent and a business plan.
Then, instead of changing perception and creating a reputation on a small cable network with a niche audience, it signed with NBC, which gave it a prime-time slot Saturday nights. The league ended up a catastrophic embarrassment and died a painful death.
I'm not saying Elite XC is the XFL; the former can brag about a collection of great fights. But their big mistake — and CBS bought into this — was forcing a cult creation down everyone's throats without any regard for the total package. Look at Strikeforce: They're on NBC during the overnight on Saturday/Sunday. They're building a program. Look at the Tampa Bay Rays. Since their inaugural season, they finished out of last place only twice, but learned after the 1999 season that the quick fix never works. They stayed patient and built a program, and they're in the World Series.
There would have been no harm in developing Kimbo slowly and getting your marketing department to promote around Robbie Lawler, Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Eddie Alvarez. Instead, the public was force-fed a fighter who needed seasoning and its core audience has its intelligence insulted.
Live without Avery
My latest Rangers blog on what it's like to have Sean Avery as an enemy. It's not fun, but the Rangers won't see him again until February 6 in Dallas. They have their own camp to tend to.
And an addendum to my previous post: I want to see Strikeforce and Affliction succeed. You cannot have the UFC as MMA's sole entity. In the late 1990s and earlier this decade, professional wrestling reached its peak thanks to the "Monday Night Wars" between WWE (nee the WWF) and WCW. The competition was healthy with each company going overboard to out-do the other to win that night's ratings race. It was a lot of fun before WCW's tunnel vision and stupidity sunk its ship. Once Vince McMahon bought the remains and spit on the grave, the industry has since tanked.
The UFC needs sustained competition, and Strikeforce and Affliction needs to remember the old marathon and not a sprint expression. An industry insider sees Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields going to Affliction, and Gina Carano-Cris Cyborg happening somewhere, someday. You have to give reasons for Dana White to no longer brush you off as no-clue posers and treat you as a legit threat.
And an addendum to my previous post: I want to see Strikeforce and Affliction succeed. You cannot have the UFC as MMA's sole entity. In the late 1990s and earlier this decade, professional wrestling reached its peak thanks to the "Monday Night Wars" between WWE (nee the WWF) and WCW. The competition was healthy with each company going overboard to out-do the other to win that night's ratings race. It was a lot of fun before WCW's tunnel vision and stupidity sunk its ship. Once Vince McMahon bought the remains and spit on the grave, the industry has since tanked.
The UFC needs sustained competition, and Strikeforce and Affliction needs to remember the old marathon and not a sprint expression. An industry insider sees Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields going to Affliction, and Gina Carano-Cris Cyborg happening somewhere, someday. You have to give reasons for Dana White to no longer brush you off as no-clue posers and treat you as a legit threat.
Only Elite XC can screw this up
With deals with CBS and Showtime, the latter a major shareholder, Elite XC had the exposure other failed challengers to the Ultimate Fighting Championship lacked, but lost more than $55 million in its two years of operation.
And now, thanks to incompetence, it's all gone. Elite XC, despite producing seven of the 10 most-watched MMA matches in U.S. history, will fold by the end of this week. (My MMAJunkie colleague Steve Sievert has the story first reported on GracieFighter.com.) What this means is Robbie Lawler, the promotion's best pound-for-pound male fighter in my view, won't defend his middleweight title against Joey Villasenor Nov. 8 in Reno, Nev. It also means Gina Carano vs. Cristiane Cyborg, easily the most anticipated MMA fight behind Randy Couture-Brock Lesnar, won't happen unless UFC president Dana White has a change of heart over female fighters.
The promotion signed its death warrant with the controversy surrounding Seth Petruzelli's 14-second knockout of the inflated Kimbo Slice. The way the whole thing was handled, from Slice getting paid not to back out in light of Ken Shamrock's injury (Shamrock should not have been fighting to begin with), to Petruzelli's allegations that he was bribed to trade punches with Elite XC's meal ticket, was a joke. The company's shady denials apparently sunk any hope of a bailout from Showtime.
Good riddance. Elite XC was an absolute farce. Their CBS broadcasts were plastic with all involved drunk on Kool Aid. Gus Johnson is a very good football and basketball commentator who took jiu-jitsu to help him study the MMA world, but came across like a shrieking idiot when he compared Petruzelli's win to Rocky over Apollo — this after he and his broadcast partners pumped up Kimbo as a stand-up guy when in fact he demanded money not to pull out. The UFC's lone two competitors, Affliction and Strikeforce, better digest this and take it as a lesson on how not to do things. In the latter's case, they have a graveyard shift TV deal with NBC and would be wise to continue building a program while avoiding the big bang too soon.
I wish White would open the UFC to women. Carano and Cyborg deserve better. As Yahoo! Sports' Dave Meltzer wrote, Carano's match with Kelly Kobold on that Slice undercard added more new viewers than any MMA match on television in the States White may want to study that and reconsider, but it appears as if impressive welterweight champion Jake Shields would be welcomed into the UFC fold. I'd love to see Shields against Georges St. Pierre, B.J. Penn or Anderson Silva if his game continues to develop at a rapid rate.
Meanwhile, you have to watch White's take on Kimbo vs. Petruzelli. Not only is he dead on, he's very colorful and most entertaining.
And now, thanks to incompetence, it's all gone. Elite XC, despite producing seven of the 10 most-watched MMA matches in U.S. history, will fold by the end of this week. (My MMAJunkie colleague Steve Sievert has the story first reported on GracieFighter.com.) What this means is Robbie Lawler, the promotion's best pound-for-pound male fighter in my view, won't defend his middleweight title against Joey Villasenor Nov. 8 in Reno, Nev. It also means Gina Carano vs. Cristiane Cyborg, easily the most anticipated MMA fight behind Randy Couture-Brock Lesnar, won't happen unless UFC president Dana White has a change of heart over female fighters.
The promotion signed its death warrant with the controversy surrounding Seth Petruzelli's 14-second knockout of the inflated Kimbo Slice. The way the whole thing was handled, from Slice getting paid not to back out in light of Ken Shamrock's injury (Shamrock should not have been fighting to begin with), to Petruzelli's allegations that he was bribed to trade punches with Elite XC's meal ticket, was a joke. The company's shady denials apparently sunk any hope of a bailout from Showtime.
Good riddance. Elite XC was an absolute farce. Their CBS broadcasts were plastic with all involved drunk on Kool Aid. Gus Johnson is a very good football and basketball commentator who took jiu-jitsu to help him study the MMA world, but came across like a shrieking idiot when he compared Petruzelli's win to Rocky over Apollo — this after he and his broadcast partners pumped up Kimbo as a stand-up guy when in fact he demanded money not to pull out. The UFC's lone two competitors, Affliction and Strikeforce, better digest this and take it as a lesson on how not to do things. In the latter's case, they have a graveyard shift TV deal with NBC and would be wise to continue building a program while avoiding the big bang too soon.
I wish White would open the UFC to women. Carano and Cyborg deserve better. As Yahoo! Sports' Dave Meltzer wrote, Carano's match with Kelly Kobold on that Slice undercard added more new viewers than any MMA match on television in the States White may want to study that and reconsider, but it appears as if impressive welterweight champion Jake Shields would be welcomed into the UFC fold. I'd love to see Shields against Georges St. Pierre, B.J. Penn or Anderson Silva if his game continues to develop at a rapid rate.
Meanwhile, you have to watch White's take on Kimbo vs. Petruzelli. Not only is he dead on, he's very colorful and most entertaining.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Dean of Mean
Here's the link to my feature on Keith Jardine, with great insight from trainer Greg Jackson.
Ranger Danger?
Not at all, but there's no excuse to never put forth your best effort. The Rangers' unbeaten streak to start the season ended Wednesday, but it's not the fact they lost, but how they lost that angered coach Tom Renney. A big reason why the Yankees failed to make the playoffs is that they took way too many nights off, swinging at every pitch and playing while looking at the clock. By the time Joe Girardi nipped this in the bud (read: Robinson Cano), it was too late. Renney and the Rangers vets know victories aren't earned by your name or merely stepping on the ice.
Coming out tonight for MMAJunkie.com is a feature on Keith Jardine and his fight against Brandon Vera at UFC 89 this Saturday in Birmingham, England. Jardine's trainer, Greg Jackson, provided me an excellent interview, which serves as the crux of the piece. "The Dean of Mean" himself also knows how important this fight is. He's 2-2 in his last four fights. His wins were specatular, his losses two devastating knockouts both lasting less than a minute. The first loss came to Houston Alexander, an opponent Jardine complained wasn't marquee enough and stepped into the octagon thinking it'd be a breeze. Both parties promise a different Jardine on Saturday, one that we'll all have to watch to find out. I'll post the link once the story is live.
I completed my first article for Jets Confidential this week. The monthly publication devoted to all things Gang Green has hired me to compose monthly "Where are they now?" features. Dedric Ward was a popular wide receiver and special teams player who posted his best years as a Jet. He's a disciple of his college coach, Terry Allen, and the legendary Bill Parcells, and provided insight to the philosophy he applies today.
“A lot of times you have coaches that think they have all the answers and will do it their way regardless of what the players think,” Ward said. “But I think if you take the player’s opinion into consideration, it’s only going to be best for everybody in the long run.”
Ward doesn't get any press, but it's a safe bet that he's a big part of why the Cardinals are 4-2 and off their biggest win since forever, an overtime thriller over the Cowboys.
_______________________
Coming out tonight for MMAJunkie.com is a feature on Keith Jardine and his fight against Brandon Vera at UFC 89 this Saturday in Birmingham, England. Jardine's trainer, Greg Jackson, provided me an excellent interview, which serves as the crux of the piece. "The Dean of Mean" himself also knows how important this fight is. He's 2-2 in his last four fights. His wins were specatular, his losses two devastating knockouts both lasting less than a minute. The first loss came to Houston Alexander, an opponent Jardine complained wasn't marquee enough and stepped into the octagon thinking it'd be a breeze. Both parties promise a different Jardine on Saturday, one that we'll all have to watch to find out. I'll post the link once the story is live.
_______________________
I completed my first article for Jets Confidential this week. The monthly publication devoted to all things Gang Green has hired me to compose monthly "Where are they now?" features. Dedric Ward was a popular wide receiver and special teams player who posted his best years as a Jet. He's a disciple of his college coach, Terry Allen, and the legendary Bill Parcells, and provided insight to the philosophy he applies today.
“A lot of times you have coaches that think they have all the answers and will do it their way regardless of what the players think,” Ward said. “But I think if you take the player’s opinion into consideration, it’s only going to be best for everybody in the long run.”
Ward doesn't get any press, but it's a safe bet that he's a big part of why the Cardinals are 4-2 and off their biggest win since forever, an overtime thriller over the Cowboys.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Will they ever learn?
"If you don't learn from history, you'll relive it."
Those words came from my natural science professor my freshman year in college, about the only words I remember from that particular class. It's a life lesson applied by many, but apparently not by those whose upcoming opponents are the New York Giants.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Corey Williams is the latest to provide the Giants bulletin board fodder and more fuel for their disrespect angle that carried them to a Super Bowl championship last season. The Browns host the Giants Monday night. Williams, for reasons known only to himself, had this to say about Brandon Jacobs:
"If we can come out and hit him in the mouth from the jump, he tends to slow down and do some tip-toeing," Williams said. "You've got to swarm him, swarm to the ball."
Jacobs is 10th in the NFL in rushing (380 yards), averages 5.8 yards per carry (good for fifth) and makes his living running over people. Think Williams has been paying attention? In a word, no.
"He's a good back who runs hard and has speed, but we're gonna get the job done regardless," Williams continued. "I'm gonna try to knock his head off. ... His whole attitude is to knock our head off when he's running the ball. I'm trying to get him before he gets me. He's a pretty good overall running back, but once you go to putting that wood on him, go to really hitting him, not letting him run wild like he wants to do, he's a totally different running back. He'll start tip-toeing, shutting it down.
"We came real close to beating the Giants in the NFC title game," continued Williams, a member of the Packers team the Giants stunned in January. "We were hitting (Jacobs), and he was slowing it down. He left the game. They let the (Ahmad) Bradshaw kid come in. He's really the one who killed us."
Judging by the recent past, Williams and the Browns are in serious trouble. There are enough problems in the Dawg Pound. The Browns, expected by many to contend in the AFC North, are 1-3. Their coach, former Giants assistant Romeo Crennel, is on the hot seat. Their All-Pro tight end, Kellen Winslow, was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. Quarterback Derek Anderson, a revelation last season, has been a dud and is looking at Brady Quinn in his rear view mirror.
And now Williams decides to sound off. Maybe he's looking to fire up his group of underachievers, but his comments and timing are downright stupid. Want proof? Ask these two who had their pregame words for a postgame meal:
Ronde Barber
His Tampa Bay Buccaneers headed to the playoffs, Tiki's brother told his twin on Sirius Satellite Radio, "Of course we want to play the Giants. They [win] ugly, [Jeremy] Shockey's hurt and Eli [Manning] has been inconsistent."
Result: The teams met in the first round of the playoffs, where the Giants won 24-14 in Tampa by holding the Bucs to 166 yards before their late 88-yard drive.
Patrick Crayton
This is my favorite. Leave it not to Terrell Owens, but Crayton, of all people, to run his trap days before the 13-3 Cowboys hosted the Giants in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game.
"It's funny that those guys talk, every time we get ready to play them," Crayton said. "What I have learned is when players have to talk about another team like that, either they are scared or they are trying to talk themselves into believing they can do it. I think they are trying to talk themselves up into believing they can do it.
"Tampa Bay didn't even have all their wideouts. I think (the Giants) realize we are not Tampa Bay. We don't have Tampa Bay's personnel. I think across the board, I think we are a little bit better than Tampa Bay."
Crayton also dissed Jacobs. OK, Jacobs did say the Giants would "whup" the Cowboys' butts. Instead, Dallas destroyed them, 45-35, in Week 1. That should have been enough, but you're not a Dallas Cowboy if you don't have a big mouth.
"Jacobs is a talker. (Michael) Strahan does it but he doesn't do it directly. He does it indirectly. Go back and listen to some of his stuff.
"He even talked after the first game. I think it was like a Wednesday. He was like, 'I wish they were flying in today, I'd go wait at the airport for them.' Just little stuff like that. We showed up and you weren't there. And when we got to Giants Stadium, you still weren't there."
Result: Crayton dropped two huge passes, one slanting across from the left sideline on third-and-13 from the Dallas 17 with at least 20 yards of open field in front of him, and muffed a punt. He finished with three catches for 27 yards in the overconfident Cowboys' humiliating 21-17 loss. Furthermore, owner Jerry Jones, who had NFC Championship Game tickets printed, stood on the sideline looking like he just ingested two-week-old meat.
If I left anything out, by all means drop me a line.
Those words came from my natural science professor my freshman year in college, about the only words I remember from that particular class. It's a life lesson applied by many, but apparently not by those whose upcoming opponents are the New York Giants.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Corey Williams is the latest to provide the Giants bulletin board fodder and more fuel for their disrespect angle that carried them to a Super Bowl championship last season. The Browns host the Giants Monday night. Williams, for reasons known only to himself, had this to say about Brandon Jacobs:
"If we can come out and hit him in the mouth from the jump, he tends to slow down and do some tip-toeing," Williams said. "You've got to swarm him, swarm to the ball."
Jacobs is 10th in the NFL in rushing (380 yards), averages 5.8 yards per carry (good for fifth) and makes his living running over people. Think Williams has been paying attention? In a word, no.
"He's a good back who runs hard and has speed, but we're gonna get the job done regardless," Williams continued. "I'm gonna try to knock his head off. ... His whole attitude is to knock our head off when he's running the ball. I'm trying to get him before he gets me. He's a pretty good overall running back, but once you go to putting that wood on him, go to really hitting him, not letting him run wild like he wants to do, he's a totally different running back. He'll start tip-toeing, shutting it down.
"We came real close to beating the Giants in the NFC title game," continued Williams, a member of the Packers team the Giants stunned in January. "We were hitting (Jacobs), and he was slowing it down. He left the game. They let the (Ahmad) Bradshaw kid come in. He's really the one who killed us."
Judging by the recent past, Williams and the Browns are in serious trouble. There are enough problems in the Dawg Pound. The Browns, expected by many to contend in the AFC North, are 1-3. Their coach, former Giants assistant Romeo Crennel, is on the hot seat. Their All-Pro tight end, Kellen Winslow, was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. Quarterback Derek Anderson, a revelation last season, has been a dud and is looking at Brady Quinn in his rear view mirror.
And now Williams decides to sound off. Maybe he's looking to fire up his group of underachievers, but his comments and timing are downright stupid. Want proof? Ask these two who had their pregame words for a postgame meal:
Ronde Barber
His Tampa Bay Buccaneers headed to the playoffs, Tiki's brother told his twin on Sirius Satellite Radio, "Of course we want to play the Giants. They [win] ugly, [Jeremy] Shockey's hurt and Eli [Manning] has been inconsistent."
Result: The teams met in the first round of the playoffs, where the Giants won 24-14 in Tampa by holding the Bucs to 166 yards before their late 88-yard drive.
Patrick Crayton
This is my favorite. Leave it not to Terrell Owens, but Crayton, of all people, to run his trap days before the 13-3 Cowboys hosted the Giants in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game.
"It's funny that those guys talk, every time we get ready to play them," Crayton said. "What I have learned is when players have to talk about another team like that, either they are scared or they are trying to talk themselves into believing they can do it. I think they are trying to talk themselves up into believing they can do it.
"Tampa Bay didn't even have all their wideouts. I think (the Giants) realize we are not Tampa Bay. We don't have Tampa Bay's personnel. I think across the board, I think we are a little bit better than Tampa Bay."
Crayton also dissed Jacobs. OK, Jacobs did say the Giants would "whup" the Cowboys' butts. Instead, Dallas destroyed them, 45-35, in Week 1. That should have been enough, but you're not a Dallas Cowboy if you don't have a big mouth.
"Jacobs is a talker. (Michael) Strahan does it but he doesn't do it directly. He does it indirectly. Go back and listen to some of his stuff.
"He even talked after the first game. I think it was like a Wednesday. He was like, 'I wish they were flying in today, I'd go wait at the airport for them.' Just little stuff like that. We showed up and you weren't there. And when we got to Giants Stadium, you still weren't there."
Result: Crayton dropped two huge passes, one slanting across from the left sideline on third-and-13 from the Dallas 17 with at least 20 yards of open field in front of him, and muffed a punt. He finished with three catches for 27 yards in the overconfident Cowboys' humiliating 21-17 loss. Furthermore, owner Jerry Jones, who had NFC Championship Game tickets printed, stood on the sideline looking like he just ingested two-week-old meat.
If I left anything out, by all means drop me a line.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Your 2008-09 New York Rangers
The Rangers set their roster for the start of their season this weekend in Prague and named Chris Drury the 25th captain in franchise history. This blog has reaction from Drury, a look at team revamped from a year ago. And suddenly, Petr Prucha has an attitude problem.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Be thankful Cashman is still in NY
Not only am I happy Brian Cashman decided to stay on as Yankees senior vice president and general manager, he manned up to all the adversity, perception, meddling and belly-aching he deals with about 1,000 times more than the average working citizen. My favorite Cash quote from his Wednesday press conference was this:
"For a long time we've been old and everybody knows that, right? Now when you start to fix it, people are like, 'Oh my God! You missed the playoffs! Off with his head.' I accept it and I'm not running from it, I'm not going to let that story off with the head stay. I plan on making it different, and if I don't I'll say I'm sorry in the end if I'm not right."
Perceptions change instantly, and in this town a nanosecond. If the Yankees are winning, Cashman is a genius. If they struggle, like they did many times this past season, he's a moron. It was amazing how many people took to YES' message boards with calls for Cashman's and Joe Girardi's heads. Was this a disappointing season? Absolutely. Was it a terrible season. No. The Yankees won 89 games, which more than half the teams in Major League Baseball will kill for. Furthermore, the Yankees haven't made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2004 — and that year they blew an 0-3 ALCS lead to, of all teams, the Red Sox. Cashman has his list of hits and misses, and more than ever it's critical he's right far more often than he's wrong. That means no more Carl Pavanos and Kei Igawas.
Many decisions made in sports, i.e. Cashman not trading for Johan Santana, take years to fully and fairly evaluate. Take the time you need, but once you settle on your opinion, stick with it. Don't fluctuate with the ebb and flow and think that firing people is always the answer. Nothing is a guarantee, but I still believe years from now Phil Hughes will be a frontline starter, and I can almost assure you Santana's days as an elite starter will be numbered.
Cashman's vision is building a program, not go all in, maybe win it all and then deal with years of living in the dark ages. He's the right man for the job and Yankees fans better learn to appreciate him. Just try and comprehend the level of chaos in the Yanks' front office if Cashman decided to say, "The hell with you" and begin anew.
Instead, he's determined to write an entirely new story.
"For a long time we've been old and everybody knows that, right? Now when you start to fix it, people are like, 'Oh my God! You missed the playoffs! Off with his head.' I accept it and I'm not running from it, I'm not going to let that story off with the head stay. I plan on making it different, and if I don't I'll say I'm sorry in the end if I'm not right."
Perceptions change instantly, and in this town a nanosecond. If the Yankees are winning, Cashman is a genius. If they struggle, like they did many times this past season, he's a moron. It was amazing how many people took to YES' message boards with calls for Cashman's and Joe Girardi's heads. Was this a disappointing season? Absolutely. Was it a terrible season. No. The Yankees won 89 games, which more than half the teams in Major League Baseball will kill for. Furthermore, the Yankees haven't made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2004 — and that year they blew an 0-3 ALCS lead to, of all teams, the Red Sox. Cashman has his list of hits and misses, and more than ever it's critical he's right far more often than he's wrong. That means no more Carl Pavanos and Kei Igawas.
Many decisions made in sports, i.e. Cashman not trading for Johan Santana, take years to fully and fairly evaluate. Take the time you need, but once you settle on your opinion, stick with it. Don't fluctuate with the ebb and flow and think that firing people is always the answer. Nothing is a guarantee, but I still believe years from now Phil Hughes will be a frontline starter, and I can almost assure you Santana's days as an elite starter will be numbered.
Cashman's vision is building a program, not go all in, maybe win it all and then deal with years of living in the dark ages. He's the right man for the job and Yankees fans better learn to appreciate him. Just try and comprehend the level of chaos in the Yanks' front office if Cashman decided to say, "The hell with you" and begin anew.
Instead, he's determined to write an entirely new story.
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