A Few Tidbits from Around the Web: Cardinals Lose, Cardinals Lose

On 12/21/14 the Seattle Seahawks destroyed the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona. The game stayed close until the second half when the Seahawks turned on the jets and flew away from the Cardinals. This win deserves recognition. It is huge and it puts the Seahawks in control of their own destiny. As such I think this win deserve attention on this blog so I am providing you a few links to some great commentary or related content. Her are a few tidbits from around the web.

• With their win over the Cardinals the Seahawks took control of the NFC West with an 11-4 record. This was the fifth straight win and an impressive feat for a team that many were questioning after they lost to the Rams and fell to 3-3. This win adds power to Bob Condotta's argument that Pete Carroll should be in the running for Coach of the year.
• Field Gulls pointed out that Marshawn Lynch is not only an amazing running back but also ambidextrous.
• The game featured yet another classic Marshawn Lynch run. After missing the first quarter with stomach issues Marshawn ripped off this 79-yard run for a touchdown.
• Prior to the Eagles, Hugh Millen cemented himself as a true twelfth man when he defended Marshawn Lynch on KJR.
• If you are like me you were down on Luke Willson prior to this game. His continued drops were annoying.Then, BAM, against Arizona he grabbed 2 TD and 139 yards on 3 catches. Most impressive to me was his acceleration away from the defense.

Congratulations Danny Shelton

The NCAA continues to insist that student athletes are exactly that, students who are also athletes. In this role they are required to attend classes while on scholarship to play a sport for the university. For many football and basketball players this is kind of a joke. Players take the lighted credit load allowed and fill it with easy classes. Turn on any bowl game this season and you will see a string of communications majors parade out on the field. We usually laugh it off as just a bunch of dumb jocks, but it is sad so many young people are wasting a opportunity at such a valuable experience. So when a player actually does take his/her eduction seriously and puts in the hard work required I think they deserve to be recognized.

The Academic All-American awards do exactly this. Their goal is to honor student athletes that excel in the class room as well as on the playing field. This year only one Pac-12 football player made the team. That player also happens to be the first UW Husky to be honored with the award since 1991. Congratulations to Danny Shelton on being named an Academic All-American. You should be proud of the 3.54 GPA you accumulated and the Anthropology degree you will earn. You are a shining example for student athletes everywhere and the University of Washington should be proud of you.

The MLS Playoffs Need to Change

Recently the Seattle Sounders defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 at CenuryLink Field. Normally this would be cause for celebration . The hometown team defeated a big rival, in a playoff game. But there was one little twist to this particular game , it was the second leg of the MLS Western Conference Finals. This meant, thanks to the stupidity of the MLS playoff format, the Sounders victory was actually a defeat and resulted in them being ousted from the playoffs.

The MLS playoffs are based on the aggregate goals scored by each team over the course of a two game series. One game is played at each teams home site. If the total goals scored by each team end up even after the two games, the victor is decided by whoever scored the most goals on the road. This often results in a team winning the second game at home, but losing the series, exactly like what happened in the Sounders-Galaxy series.

In no other major North American sport's championship playoffs can a team win the final game of a series but still lose. Could you even imagine the Yankees losing to the Red Sox in game seven, but still heading to the World Series? Probably not because it is just plain un-American. Winning playoff games should result in winning playoff series. The MLS playoff format is just dumb. They need to change.

A better format would be to play best two out of three, with no ties allowed. If the game is tied after 90 minutes you simply take one player off each team every five minutes until someone wins. As an example the Sounders and Galaxy are tied after 90 minutes so each drops to 10 men and play 10v10 for five minutes. If there is still no score another man is removed from each team and the play conitinues 9v9. At some point in the 7v7 area we are basically guaranteed to have a winner. This method would ensure a winner in each game. First team to win two games wins the series.

The best of three games series would also allow the league to eliminate the confusing and powerful, but stupid, away goals tie breaker. It would return the a goal equals a goal equals a goal sensibility that is currently missing from the system. Why should a goal scored in front of fans of the opposition be worth extra? It is simple really, it shouldn't.

The three game series would also allow for the team with the better record to have a true home field advantage. Whoever had the most regular season points would get two home games. It would probably make since to award them the first and third, but you could also give them the second and third. It doesn't really matter. It would be a home field advantage and a reason to fight for that top seed. The current system awards the second leg to the series to the team with the better season, which just results in disgruntled fans.

One downfall of the first to two series format is it could drag the already long soccer season into January and basically eliminate the offseason. But this has an easy fix. MLS would just need to schedule more than one game a week. This is nit that horrendous. Players wouldn't all suddenly drop dead with exhaustion. Baseball, basketball, and hockey all play multiple game in a week. Sure a single baseball game is much less physically demanding than soccer, but basketball is at the least equivalent and hockey is clearly much more demanding. MLS wouldn't even have to go all the way to two games a week. They could do some kind of hybrid like  Friday, Tuesday, Saturday schedule for each series. This would give players three days off between each game in a series and five games off between series. This should be plenty of time to recover.

It is time for the MLS to join all the other major sports leagues and implement a respectable playoff system. They need to eliminate the aggregate goal system.  No more loser moves on. No more confused fans. No more un-American playoff systems. No more stupid (who am I kidding this is soccer there is always going to be some stupid, but I am ok with that).

Learn an NBA Roster: Los Angeles Lakers

It's time for another edition of everyone's favorite blog post: "Learn an NBA Roster!"  Yes, now is the chance for you to learn about all the players you don't care about on the teams you don't care about.  Previously on "Learn an NBA Roster," we looked at the cream of the tanking crop: the Philadelphia 76ers.  Nobody really cares about the 76ers, and for good reason.  If you are a 76ers fan, let me be the first to say: my sincere apologies, KJ McDaniels' mom.  Rest assured, your team is not alone in its anonymity.  This year marks one of the strangest occurrences in NBA history, outside of the entirety of Darryl Dawkins' career.  The Los Angeles Lakers are tanking.  The Los Angeles Lakers are filled with players you've never heard of.

Take a breath.  We all know how strange those two statements are, but they are indisputably fact.  Gone are the days of Kobe and Shaq, though Kobe remains hilariously certain that he is that good.  Gone is Lamar Odom, who used to destroy just about everything before succumbing to the dangers of lots and lots of Hershey's kisses.  Gone is Pau Gasol, who thankfully gets to contribute to a team worth watching (until Tom Thibodeau plays him 85 minutes one night and he dies on the spot).

Instead, we have a roster of forgotten partial icons and players that may all be just one guy wearing different jerseys (look at Xavier Henry, Jordan Clarkson, and Wesley Johnson.  Tell me they are not a progression of Wes animorph-ing into Henry).  That doesn't mean there's on reason to pay attention to them, though!  They're still on national TV 26 times this season, so you'll be forced to watch them instead of say, the Milwaukee Bucks or some other team that doesn't make you cry.  Yes, we live in a bizarro world where the Lakers are bad and the Clippers are good.  The Lakers are the Jamie Lee Curtis to the Clippers' Lindsey Lohan, and we've all been Freaky Friday'd.

When Advanced Stats Fail

If you have read this blog much at all you have probably noticed that I like using advanced baseball stats in my analysis. I love to drop wRC+ when complaining about the M's offense (Like did you know Justin Smoak has a career wRC+ of 94). I also like reading analysis rich in advanced stats; I especially enjoy sites like Fangraphs. One of the big things that advanced stat-heads like to promote is the devaluation of counting stats, like hits conceded, walks given up, and strikeouts. They also like to promote the value of rate based and projection stats like HR/FB% and FIP.  Most of all they love the uber-stat, WAR. However this love of WAR can lead to incomplete and inaccurate analysis.

WAR, or Wins Above Replacement, is an all-encompassing statistic that tries to show exactly the value an individual player. Batting, base-running, and defense is all considered in the calculation of WAR. It is an awesome concept. It has become kind of a super-stat and a go to for people trying to disprove traditional stats.

WAR is also a bit of a crutch for people that don't want to look at a whole myriad of information. Instead they can just look at one number and trust the math is good. The problem is WAR often causes people to lose context of the individual accomplishments it is rolling up.

Another favorite topic of the advanced stats community is the naivety and outdated thinking used during the voting of many season end awards such as the MVP and Cy Young. Back in 2012 the baseball world was stuck in fierce debate over who should be the MVP, Miguel Cabrera or Mike Trout. The debate here was between a triple crown winner (Cabrera) and a five tool stud (Trout). WAR said Trout was better, while traditional stats said Cabrera had one of the great seasons of the ages. In the end Cabrera won the award and half the baseball world groaned while the other half cheered. This award was seen as a battle between traditional and advanced stats. It was a microcosm of the new school vs the old school debate.

Over the next two seasons stat-heads continued to preach the glory of advanced stats. They focused their preaching on WAR because it is simple conceptually and scratches an age old baseball itch. It provides one number to rule them all. During this time advanced stats disciples like Dave Cameron and Nate Silver got big time exposure in all kinds of media and used WAR frequently in their analysis. Fans minds began to change and they got more comfortable with the math heavy world of advanced stats. But for many they embraced the change without truly understanding how to use the stats.

All this brings us to the present, where Corey Kluber just won the AL Cy Young award by narrowly edging out Felix Hernandez. The Cy Young award is award to the pitcher in each league that had the best season. Kluber, an Indians starter, had a great season posting a 2.44 ERA racking up 269 strikeouts which, according to Fangraphs, all added up to 7.3 WAR. This is an awesome season to be sure, the thing is by most other traditional measures Felix Hernandez had a better season. Felix had a 2.14 ERA, 248 strikeouts and a 6.2 WAR. He should have won the Cy Young.

For the 2014 season, WAR  is a very misleading stat. According to the Fangraphs calculation of WAR Corey Kluber had a more valuable season then both Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw. Yes, you read that right. Clayton Kershaw had a lower WAR than Kluber (7.3 to 7.2). Kershaw made 27 starts had a 1.77 ERA and gave up a 6.3 H/9, and struck out 239 batter, while waking only 31. The Dodger star had the best pitching season since Pedro Martinez's 2000 campaign. Yet, despite this WAR said Kluber was better.

So, why did WAR fail to show Kershaw and Hernandez as the best pitchers in the league? Partially because it shouldn't be used as a one stop shop, but also because it relies on projected value not actual outcomes. WAR projects what should have happened rather than considering what really did happen. Let me give you an example. Two pitchers each pitch one inning and give up one homerun. With their other batters, the first gets three fielded outs, while the second gives up a hit and records three strikeouts. In this case the pitcher with three strikeouts has a higher WAR because strikeouts are more valuable and are under a pitcher control.

In addition to the counting stats, WAR also includes adjustment for the defense playing behind a pitcher and the stadium they are paying in. Recording an out with a bad fielding team behind you is more difficult than doing it with a bunch of gold-glovers. So, WAR rewards pitchers who do get an out with a bunch of Russ Davis' trying to make plays more than those with Omar Vizquels behind them. In 2014, Felix benefitted from a strong Mariners defense, while Kluber had a less than stellar crew of defenders behind him. In this case WAR gives Kluber a boost over Felix. Even though Felix gave up the least runs in the league, he doesn't get full credit for that because his defenders were too good.

As mentioned before WAR also tries to capture park effects on players outcomes. It is commonly accepted that where a player plays impacts his statistical numbers. Playing in a bandbox like the Red Sox's Fenway Park will boost batting numbers and negatively impact pitchers because long flyballs turn into homeruns. The Mariners home field of Safeco Field is considered a pitchers park. As such Safeco is detrimental to Felix's case because the outs he records are considered simpler to achieve than those at other parks.

WAR undervalues the idea that the primary goal of every pitcher is to avoid letting runs score and the secondary goal is to avoid base runners. Instead it focuses on the projected outcomes that math says should have happened. So  WAR does not provide the context for award voting, which should weigh actual results (read counting stats) heavier then projection based stats. In 2014, Felix Hernandez was the best pitcher at preventing runs and base runners. He gave up less runs, hits and walks than Kluber. What Felix did worse at were two of the three true outcomes, homeruns and strikeouts. He also had a strong defense and an offense deflating home park. As such WAR valued Kluber more highly, but Hernandez had the better season.

Basically what this all boils down to highlight that WAR should not be used as a standalone stat when voting on post season awards. The success of a player over a season needs to be considered in context. In deciding what to pay a player for potential future performance WAR is great. For determining the individual impact of a single player WAR also provides great insight. However, when determining the best player of a season WAR misses the point that counting stats capture.

The 2014 AL Cy Young award epitomized where WAR can overvalue a player compared to his actual results. In 2014 Corey Kluber had an amazing season and a crappy defense and home field behind him which inflated his WAR and resulted in a Cy Young. While King Felix also had an amazing season where he did the best in the American League at achieving a pitchers two primary goals, but was punished by WAR because he had a good defense behind him and played at Safeco field. The advanced stats, specifically WAR, appear to have swayed baseball writers voting for the AL Cy Young. Advanced stats appear to have burned a guy that deserved off season recognition.

Learn an NBA Roster: Philadelphia 76ers

Basketball season is here, and the stars are out.  Cleveland isn't just a cesspool next to Lake Erie anymore, it's a cesspool next to Lake Erie with LeBron James and the best basketball-playing Beach Boys relation!  Chicago has all sorts of talent to have hurt their ankles!  Phoenix is using a roster consisting of nothing but people related to other NBA players and Eric Bledsoe!  Yes, it is truly an exciting time to like basketball or, like most people, need something to do between Monday Night and Thursday Night Football.

The NBA may not have the severe brain injuries that we all love most about the NFL, but it does have the interchangeable, forgettable players!  Remember Joe Jurevicius?  Of course you don't, and for good reason.  Well fear not, intrepid NFL fans, for the NBA has its own Joe Jureviciuses.  It is practically overflowing with them! While we all might know the big names like Dirk, Melo, and the marketing robot that calls itself Kevin Durant, the lesser names in the NBA may have fallen by the wayside in our sporting minds.

Today, we remedy that.  Today, we take a look at the players that don't make the NBA exciting so much as they make the NBA a league with rosters of the requisite size.  There is no team better to begin with than the Philadelphia 76ers.  The 76ers are, by all NBA rules, an official NBA team with players and everything.  Why, you might ask?  That's an excellent question.  Perhaps the other NBA teams like knowing that no matter what they do, they will not be the worst team in the league.  Perhaps the creators of Sporcle just wanted to increase the difficulty of their NBA quizzes.  Perhaps Sam Hinkie really doesn't know anything about basketball and is just picking names out of a hat.

The 76ers are in the midst of the purest, greatest tank ever accomplished by a professional sports team.  So obvious are their intentions that the NBA tried to change their draft lottery rules to make it harder for the worst teams to get any better.  That's right, NBA owners were so annoyed with how bad the 76ers are that they tried to make things even easier for the Lakers, Knicks, and other such rich franchises.  To be fair, the Lakers and Knicks have been trying to make it harder for themselves for years on end now, it seems, which is very generous of them.

Looking at the 76ers roster might intimidate you.  It's true, you really haven't heard of any of these players and no, it doesn't make you any worse as a sports fan.  Let me help you.  It will be ok.  If you need cheering up, just remember that a particularly good performance at your local YMCA may earn you a contract from Philadelphia.

Move Bruce Irvin Back to DE

The Seahawks drafted Bruce Irvin in the first round of the 2012 draft. At the time Irvin was considered a reach by many. In college he was essentially a one trick pony. He made it at West Virginia and built his NFL potential as a pass rusher. According to the NFL.com player profile, "Bruce would be an ideal option at outside backer in a 3-4 defense where he can focus solely on rushing the passer."

During his first year with the Seahawks he was used almost exclusively as a pass rushing DE. He found success in this role getting to the QB and notching up eight sacks. The future looked bright for the young and athletic pass rusher. At the end of the 2012 season Irvin he seemed sure to be on the cusp of breaking big. Fans expected an offseason dedicated to refining his skill to boost him to the next level. Then Pete Carroll and his staff threw a wrench in the perceived plan and decided to transition Irvin to an OLB in their 4-3 scheme. This is still the position he plays today.

The Seahawks play a 4-3 and generally only use their OLB as pass rushers on blitzes. As an OLB Irvin is asked to primarily play coverage against the pass and stop the run. Occasionally he is asked to blitz the opposing quarterback. The Seahawks want him to be an everything linebacker, much like K.J. Wright.  However, through his first 19 games at the position (spanning 2013 and 2014) Irvin has been forgettable. He has shown flashes of brilliance, but when those plays happen they remind me that Irvin is even on the team. He doesn't produce consistently.

The stats back up my perception of Irvin as a non-contributor at the OLB position. So far in 2014 he has eight tackles. That is eight tackles in seven games. For comparisons sake here are the Seahawks other main OLB games played and total tackles over the last several season.

LeRoy Hill - 2013 GS 12 G 14 Tkl 31

Malcolm Smith - 2013 GS 8 G 15 Tkl 34

Malcolm Smith - 2014 GS 3 G 7 Tkl 19

Aaron Curry - 2010 GS 16 G 16 Tkl 57

K.J. Wright - 2013 GS 13 G 13 Tkl 46

Notice how Irvin's numbers are nowhere near the other players. Malcolm Smith, K.J. Wright, and LeRoy Hill all out perform Irvin. Even Aaron Curry, who is considered one of the biggest busts in Seahawks history managed to record tackles at a greater rate, 3.5 tkl/g to 1.14 tkl/g,  than Bruce has in 2014.

Now all of this seems really depressing, but stop yourself before you fall into the pit of football despair, there is still hope for Bruce Irvin it will just require a position change back to DE. Irvin's best feature is his pure athleticism. He has put that on display the last two weeks against Oakland and Carolina. He can run fast and jump high. What he appears to struggle with is reading the offense and putting himself in a position to make a play. Often players like that need to have the game simplified to allow them to excel. At DE Irvin could focus his skills on just one job, finding the quarterback and tackling him.

The move would also allow Malcolm Smith (when health) and Kevin Pierre-Louis to get more playing time. Both of those players appear to have the makings of excellent NFL level linebackers. They require less molding and training and more fine tuning to turn them into contributors. They both played the position in college and appear to have a much better feel for it.

In his return to his old role as a DE Irvin would be able to unleash himself as a quarterback seeking missile and provide the Seahawks with the additional pass rush they so desperately need. Instead of hurting the team as a sub-par OLB Irvin could help the team as an average to above average DE. The position change would also free up playing time for other talented players with potentially bright NFL futures. It is time for Pete Carroll to move Irvin back to DE.

Why the Seahawks are 3-3

2013 Sack Rankings from Most to Least

2014 Sack Rankings from Least to Most

Well, Guess I am Rooting for Notre Dame

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/us/florida-state-football-casts-shadow-over-tallahassee-justice.html?_r=0

Did you click that link? If not here it is again. Click it and read the story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/us/florida-state-football-casts-shadow-over-tallahassee-justice.html?_r=0

Finished reading? If not here is the link again.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/us/florida-state-football-casts-shadow-over-tallahassee-justice.html?_r=0

In case you didn't click the link and read the story yet and you didnt read the title to this post, you might be confused why I keep posting the link. Just click the link and read the story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/us/florida-state-football-casts-shadow-over-tallahassee-justice.html?_r=0

Now that you have read the story I beat it makes more sense. Turns out the whole town of Tallahassee is a steaming pile of human shit. It wasn't Jamies Winston being one bad apple. FSU has instantly become a villain to me. For one of the few times n my life I will be rooting for Notre Dame to win a football game.

Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic Nick Young.  He was lying on his tattoo-less, "strictly for buckets" arm and when he lifted his afro-ed head he could see Iggy Azalea, who was absorbing African-American music to allow white people to feel comfortable with it.  His numerous (ok, two) legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of the professional athlete world, waved helplessly before his eyes.

The NHL: Players to Watch this Year

The NHL season is almost upon us, bringing visions of sugarplum fairies dancing in our heads.  Or maybe that's Tyler Ennis, it can be hard to tell the difference sometimes.  Even so, hockey's here!  It's time for everyone to don their favorite Nordiques jersey, pour a warm cup of Molson's, and laugh at the Maple Leafs all season.

Of course, some of us out there don't have quite the grasp on hockey that we should.  The offseason is a tumultuous time and some of us (I'm looking at you, entire Calgary Flames roster) have had a few too many blows to the head to remember everything that went on.  Fear not, that's why I'm here!

Nobody wants to hear about everything that happened in the offseason though.  That's just too much information and besides, I don't think anyone will much care if I skim over the Tanner Glasses of the world.  Hell, Tanner Glass probably didn't notice when he signed a contract.  There were, however, a few very interesting developments giving us a handful of players that should be imminently entertaining to watch this season.  Don't care to come up with your own opinion on who is "watchable?"  Well perfect, that's what I'm here for.

Who to Root for?

Next Saturday the 18th, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Florida State Seminoles in a college football prime time show down. This game pits the storied tradition that is Fighting Irish football against the defending Division 1 National Champions. Coming into the game, both teams are undefeated and 6-0. In this matchup, there are serious playoff implications on the line. Fans are going to struggle not to be interested in this one. Heck, I might even watch the game and I almost never watch college football. However, the dilemma that I and many other fans will be faced with is who do you root for in a game like this? Can you root against both teams, but still find a way to enjoy the game?

Normally I have a rule against ever rooting for Notre Dame. You would think I would like the Fighting Irish. They have a history of success and they place a strong emphasis on truly being a student athlete. They actually hold their players accountable. The problem is the team comes across as high and mighty and with a better then you attitude. As an organization they appear pompous. The media just feeds the beast that they created by continuously overrating and over reporting everything about Notre Dame.  The team is guaranteed to get multiple number one votes in the AP poll just because of their name. You have to read about their results in nearly every paper. There is no escaping their omnipresence. It is just plain annoying.

ND's opponent, Florida State, is also a team I might have liked. They are a traditional power, but not from the SEC. They don't play the spread offense or the option. They score points using both their passing and rushing attack. On defense they are hard hitting and dominate. They have just one problem keeping me from rooting for them, their starting quarterback, Jameis Winston. The Seminoles signal caller is a complete at total knucklehead. From shop lifting to alleged rape he just can't stay out of trouble. I will choose to look the other way for players on teams I already support, but I can't bring myself to voluntarily align with a team lead by such a nincompoop. If the Seminoles could just bring back E.J. Manuel I would gladly jump on their band wagon. Instead they are playing Famous Jameis, who seems dead set on out doing Johnny Manziel any way he can.

So, the Fighting Irish are out for their history of arrogance and general over exposure and the Seminoles are out because of their idiotic quarterback. I am left wanting to watch the game, but not wanting to root for either team. If I do turn it on, I will be forced to pick between the lesser of two evils. I just don't know who I will end up rooting for. I think I will just have to let the game speak to me and see where I fall.

Sounders vs Whitecaps Recap

I attended my third Sounders game of the year on Friday night. In it they lost 0-1 to the Vancouver Whitecaps and with it their lead in the supporter shield standings. Now they have to hope Dallas beats LA on Sunday to set up an epic showdown over the last two regular season games. This could turn into one of the most dramatic finishes to a sports regular season in Seattle history. But, before we get ahead of ourselves thinking about the upcoming LA games, let's talk about three takeaways from Friday's game.

First thing I notice is Stefan Frei is still a liability. The defense played well in this game. They kept the Whitecaps away from the goal for most of the game. However, right before the half, during the 45th minute, Frei let an injured Kekuta Manneh poke a shot right between his legs for what would turn out to be the only score. This shot was vintage Frei, despite a mistake by Chad Marshall the shot should have been stopped. It wasn't that great or difficult of an attempt. It was a shot that a good goal keeper would have stopped. Instead Frei let it right through his legs.

The second thing that I noticed during the game was Michael Azira isn't good. He certainly isn't terrible, but he shouldn't have been starting. His best skill appeared to be kicking the ball out of bounds. That does have value at times, but it isn't really a skill that should be listed in anyone's top five. When it comes to offensive skills he was lacking. He had one clear chance for a score that he botched. He tripped over himself without even directing the ball towards the goal. On defense Azira was adequate. He didn't hurt the team, but he surely wasn't helping. When Head Coach Schmidt took Azira out for Gonzalo Pineda it highlighted how much worse Azira is.

The final thing hat stood out was Referee Jair Marrufo in ability to control the game at the end. His refuse to issue a yellow card for flopping just led to more and more Whitecap player hitting the deck. From the 80th minute forward, there must have been four or five Whitecaps that spent time on the ground. It was ridiculous. They would roll around delaying the game and wasting time only to pop up and keep playing minutes later. Referee's are allowed give yellow cards to prevent exactly this kind of thing from happening. It probably didn't cost the Sounders the game, their inability to put together any kind of competent offensive attack cost them the game, but the constant delays and time wasting sure didn't help.

Pete Carroll Reviews the Season Thus Far

Hey guys!!! I hope you're loving your bye week as much as I am!  I spent all of Thursday doing hot yoga with Percy and the rest of the weekend chewing gum and high-fiving everyone I saw on the way home from yoga.  FYI, Percy broke both legs at yoga and is out for the year.  I'm just kidding!  We like to have fun here!

"There may be people who have more talent than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you." -Derek Jeter

A Proposal for the NFL

The NFL insists on acting extrajudicially and punishing players for off field incidents. Their current method has commissioner Roger Goodell play the role of judge, jury and executioner. Goodell's punishments often seem arbitrary and ill-fitting of the crime. This current system is failing and it needs reformed. Even the NFL admits this. There are two straight forward things they can do to fix the system and quickly. The first thing to do create a clear detailed player misconduct code. Second up is creating an independent  committee to review incidents and administer punishments.

Since Hammurabi had some subjects chisel his code into stone, the rule of law has worked to stabilize society.  If done correctly a criminal code provides citizens with a clear and defined set of rules and subsequent punishments for breaking them. The Ray Rice scandal exposed the current state the NFL personal misconduct policy for failing to do exactly that.

Despite having detailed and strictly enforced policy related to marijuana, the NFL didn't have a policy for the much more egregious offense of domestic violence. The league's policy for domestic violence relied on Commissioner Goodell reviewing each case and deciding individual punishment. This is ridiculous. It opens up the system for inconsistency and accusations of bias. A detailed set of rules would protect the NFL and the players. It would provide fans with a sense of understanding and lessons the pull of punishment by populist sentiment.

The NFL should work with the NFL Players Association to develop a clear set of rules that players must abide by. Once this list is finished the two groups will need to decide on an appropriate range of punishment for breaking each rule. A range is important to allow the severity of the offense to be considered. An outside group should be brought in the review and approve the conduct code. Bring in a non-advocate to review the proposed code would help to eliminate situations where the crime doesn't match the punishment.

Once you have the law written you need someone to enforce it, which brings us to the second easy fix. In his current role, Goodell has mixed priorities that cloud his judgment. He is focused on making the NFL heaping piles of cash, which is fine. That is what he was hired to do. However, it creates a conflict of interest when he is asked to pass judgment on players. Instead an independent board  should be created that answers no one else. This boards RAA should be to sentence players for breaking a clearly defined personal conduct policy and hearing  and reviewing appeals. This board must remain independent from the commissioner's office to avoid coercive influence. The commissioners only role with this board should be nominating new members. Those members should have to be approved by the NFL Players Association.


As the NFL continues with their self-examination after the recent spate of scandals there are two ideas that should be implemented. The first is a clear conduct code with detailed punishment ranges and the second is an independent administer of those punishments. Each would work to protect the players and the NFL from future scandals and work to regain trust with the media and fans.

Blame Ray Rice and the Police

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been in the news a lot lately because of his response to Ray Rice's public domestic violence case. The assault, perpetrated by Rice against his fiancee, Janay Palmer, was captured on hotel security cameras and brought to the public attention by the media.  It rightly brought to the forefront the issue of women's rights and spousal abuse. A lot of the anger and outrage at this event has been focused on Ray Rice, I won't argue against that. However, others are pushing farther and attacking the NFL and the commissioner Roger Goodell. They are calling for Goodell's ouster and boycotts of the league. I think this anger  is misguided. The blame for this crime should be placed squarely on Rice's shoulders. The outrage at the failure to properly punish the running back should be directed at the criminal justice system, not the NFL or commissioner Goodell.

The root of the NFL's current scandal is years in the making and started when the NFL made a conscious decision to become the morality police. In Roger Goodell's words they had to "protect the shield". Commissioner Goodell  started suspending players for actions that he deemed as detrimental to the NFL brand. Drunk driving, smoking weed, end zone dances, and publicly speaking out against referee all became common reasons to get suspended. By reaching out from his area of expertise (i.e. regulating professional football games and seasons) and trying to act as an arbiter of justice Goodell set himself up for scrutiny and scandal.

When he decided to start punishing players for their off field acts he should have considered all the areas of potential problems. He should have worked with the NFL Players Association to document and define exactly what the punishments for different crimes are. These guidelines should have been strictly followed. Considering that NFL players commit domestic violence at a higher rate the general population he should have seen this coming. Because they decided adjudicate off field incidences outside of the legal system, the NFL should have had a clear policy to deal with domestic violence. They did not.

Until recently the NFL's policy on domestic abuse relied on the personal conduct policy. Each case was reviewed by the commissioner's office and punishment was decided on an individual basis. However, this offseason, the suspensions of Josh Gordon and Ray Rice highlighted the ridiculousness of this policy as Gordon received a season long ban for smoking weed while Rice received a two game suspension for beating is finance (now wife) unconscious, spitting on her and dragging her out of an elevator. The crimes and their respective punishments were clearly disproportionate. They needlessly set themselves up for this controversy. What Goodell and the NFL are guilty of is being completely arbitrary and random in how they dish out justice to different crimes and overreaching their authority to try and play the law.

The NFL shouldn't be the judge when it comes to criminal punishment. They shouldn't be making the calls between innocence and guilt. This should remain the domain of the police and court system. The NFL isn't suited to be a judge of moral character and they should not have to be. In the United States we have a legal system to do this. The legislative branch of government passes laws, executive branch enables them and the judicial branch enforces them. The NFL doesn't fall into any of those branches. By dishing out punishment to players for being a bad person isn't the NFL's job. It is the legal systems job.

In the case of Ray Rice it is not the NFL's  that failed so terribly, it is the police and court systems in New Jersey that failed. Rice should have been charged with a crime. He should have faced trial. Assaulting his fiancée should be a serious matter. The Police should have investigated and pressed charges, even if Janay Palmer didn't want to. We need victim protection laws for this very reason. The real organization we should be mad at is the local law enforcement. The New Jersey criminal justice system failed the American people. We should be demanding that our court systems work for the betterment of society and the protection of the innocent.

Seahawks Season Preview: Divisional Opponents

As previously discussed, the ten non-divisional opponents in 2014 are no pushovers. The Packers, Chargers, Broncos, Panthers, Chiefs, and Eagles all made the post season last year and could give the Seahawks real tests (well I guess not the Packers ;) ). The other six games, against the NFC West teams, will be even tougher. Over the last few years the NFC West has turned into a hard hitting defense first division. All four teams feature formidable defenses capable of shutting down the league's best teams. This mean the quality of the four offenses are probably going to decide most games. This is a major plus for the Seahawks, who feature the divisions best running back, arguably the best quarter back and a top set of receivers. The Seahawks are going to have to rely on these guys to get the job done against the Rams, Cardinals, and 49ers.

Seahawks Season Preview: Non Divisional Opponents

The Seahawks enter the 2014 season in a position only one other professional men's sports franchise ever has in Seattle history. They are the defending league champions! THEY WON THE FREAKING SUPER BOWL!!! That means everyone else in the NFL is going to be gunning for our team. They are going to bring their best and look to dethrone the champs.

The thing is the NFL only has 16 regular season games and 6 of them are against divisional opponents, the same three teams we see every year and we will cover those guys in a different post. That means only 10 of the remaining 28 NFL teams get a shot at the champs. So, who are these insolent groups that dare challenge the kings of the NFL? Let's take a look at them.

Another Dave Sims Classic

If you read this blog often you probably know that we aren't big fans of Dave Sims being the Seattle Mariners TV play-by-play guy. He just doesn't do a very good job. That being said listen in to this Dave Sims classic. It happened this year in a game against the Yankees.

Minor League Baseball Pay

A recent article in ESPN Magazine by Mina Kimes enlightened me to the plight of most minor league players. These young men barely make a living wage. In fact many of them live at or below the poverty line while playing minor league baseball. This is especially disheartening when you read that MLB pulled in $8 billion in gross revenue last year and, according to Kimes, it would cost each major league team only about an extra $1 millions to give all their minor leaguers a $5000 annual raise (major league teams pay the minor league players).

Minor league players only work for their teams 5-6 months a year and they only get checks during the season.  During the off-season they are not getting paid by MLB. However, most of these guys are still working on their baseball careers. They go to the gym and work out. They take hitting and fielding practice. They are trying to better themselves and by extension their big league team. This extra work is not technically required, but teams and fans expect it and the fierce competition for major league jobs demand it.

Most of the arguments against giving the prospects a raise center around the tradition of the minor leagues. It basically boils down to a feeling that minor league players should put in their time and take their lumps because that is what the current major league players did. This is a bogus argument. Just because one group had to suffer does not mean another has to. It is like your parents saying you cannot get a drivers license until you are 18 because they had to wait that long. The goal of each generation should be to better itself.

It is time for MLB to give the minor league players a pay raise.

Sources:

• http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/players-sue-for-better-salaries/
• http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2014/03/minor_league_baseball_lawsuit_should_we_care_that_low_level_ballplayers.html
• http://www.milb.com/milb/info/faq.jsp?mc=business#11

Jacque Jones Got a HoF Vote, Seriously

I was reading a Fangraphs article, by Tony Blengino, about the recent changes to the Baseball Hall of Fame voting rules. His article focused on the large amount of players currently sitting in the HoF eligibility pool and whether the new rules will impact that pool's size. His article also provided a list of the players receiving votes in 2014. A different version of the 2014 HoF voting can be seen on Baseball-Reference.com. On this list there were 19 players in their first year of eligibility. 14 of these players did not receive enough votes to return to the ballot next year. Six players did not receive any votes. However the big shocker here was one of the players that did receive a vote, Jacque Jones.

Don't feel bad if you are asking yourself who exactly Jacque Jones is. Unless you are a fan of the Twins or Cubs, or you played a lot of 2000 MLB Showdown, you probably never had reason to know who he was. You might even think I am misspelling his first name repeatedly, but I am not. Let me enlighten you about Jones' baseball career. He was an outfielder with a career triple slash of .277/.326/.448 who spent the majority of his career in Minnesota. His best single year in the Bigs was 2002, when he batted .300 hit 27 homers, good for a 121 wRC+. He only spent 10 years in the majors and only had two, maybe three, years worthy of All-Star consideration. Those stats don't cry Hall of Famer to me. In fact they barely scream anything.

Whoever it was that voted for Jacque Jones must have had an ulterior motive. Maybe Jones' uncle is part of the BBWA and has a HoF vote. Maybe one of the Twins writers just really loved interacting with Jones during his tenure with the team. Who knows? The point is Jacque Jones actually got a HoF vote.

In Larry Stone's Sunday tribute to King Felix he dropped this little fact, "Only former teammate Aaron Harang among active pitchers, with 337, has made more career starts than Hernandez’s 288 without appearing in the postseason" This fact struck me for a couple of reasons. First, it confirms what many Mariners fans have been whining about for years. The Mariners ineptitude has been wasting the greatness that is Felix Hernandez. More surprisingly though was that Aaron Harang has managed to miss the playoffs all 14 years of this career.

Harang isn't a bad player. In fact he has been a good player during most of his career. During his eight year run with the Reds he routinely posted strikeout numbers that grouped him with the league leaders. He kept his ERA respectably middling, at 4.24 for his career. These aren't Felix Hernandez stats, but they are solid. Additionally, Harang has played for the A's, Padres, Mets, Dodgers, and Mariners in his career. With that many teams you would think somebody would sneak in. Yet some how he has managed to miss the playoffs every year.

I wonder if Reds' fans mope about wasting the prime of his career. Do they wish they could have made the playoffs at least once for him? Do they even remember he was on their team? Probably not. He did stick around for a long time, but his stats weren't good enough to develop a following in most cities. Also most Cincinnati fans probably didn't even know he had such a record. Cincinnati is a town with a strong baseball tradition, but that doesn't mean they know minutia like this.

If Reds' fans don't bemoan the injustice of Harang's playoff drought, probably only his mom does. Up until now at least. Going forward, I hope that Aaron Harang makes the post season with the Braves this year. He has a good chance. The Braves are a good team and sitting in second place in the NL East. Plus if he breaks the curse that means there is hope for Felix.

The US Men's National Teams 2014 World Cup Performance

Team USA had a fun, but disappointing run at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Some people are casting the tournament as a success because the Men's team made it out of the group of death (Germany, Portugal, and Ghana). The argument is that the USA went up against some of the big boys of the soccer world and lived to tell about it. I don’t view it this way.

The team showed stout defense and a never say die attitude against some of the toughest opponents in the world. The played exciting matches and got US fans hearts pumping. They definitely raised the country's collective soccer passion a few notches. The Portugal game alone probably caused enough American hairs to be pulled out to keep Bosely Hair Transplant in business for another 50 years. However, the excitement level caused by a single game or tournament is not what Americans should be judging  soccer success on.  We have grown past that. We should be competing for championships, not settling for the participation trophy.  Tying for ninth (if you don’t consider Goals For and Goals Against) isn't good enough for a rich and sports crazy country with 316 million people. Tying for ninth is a disappointment.

Our team should have performed better at the World Cup. Against Ghana we were sloppy and beaten in every aspect of the game but the scoreboard (I know, the only one that really counts). Against Portugal we played at a world class level only to make too many stupid amateur mistakes at the very end of the game and finish with a draw. Against Belgium we failed to put together any semblance of an offensive attacked and if not for Tim Howard's other worldly performance in goal would have gotten massacred. Our team needs to be better.

I know others are claiming the strikers were the biggest problems, but I think the biggest area for improvement is the offensive midfield. Before the tournament began, Michael Bradley was argued to be the best player on the men's squad by several soccer minds. During the tournament he struggled to control the ball, he struggled to distribute to the right man at the right time, and he played like crap. Bradley may be the excellent world class player the sport's experts claimed, but he certainly didn't look it during the tournament. I don't want to pile on anyone players to much, especially in a sport that is as much of a team game as soccer, but Bradley's lack of success was the biggest reason for our team's struggles and eventual ousting.

Despite the failure in 2014, there is obvious reason to be optimistic for the USA's future (and this is why so many people see Brazil as a success). Although this lack of individual success during the 2014 World Cup was bad, Bradley is only 26. He should have at least one more World Cup in him. A player of his purported greatness shouldn't fail twice. Additionally, the USMNT has  several very young and very good players, such as Julian Green and DeAndre Yedlin, that we got to see just glimpses of during this tournament. Both should be even better in 2018. Finally, the popularity of soccer in this country is continuing to grow. The MLS is finding success at attracting and importantly developing better and better players. So, despite the disappointment of 2014, don't give up on the USMNT, just get ready for the next run, which looks to be even better.

Cole Gillespie: Don't Get Excited

If you are anything like me you tuned out on the Mariners for most of April and the beginning of May. The eight game losing streak looked too much like seasons past and it just wasn't worth watching. It wasn’t until that streak ended and the M’s started winning again that you jumped back on the wagon. So, you probably missed when the M’s added Cole Gillespie to their roster in an attempt to help their moribund offense.

Additionally, you probably didn’t pay much attention to 2010 and 2011 Diamondback teams. They were a bad National League West team, without many marquee players. We already had our own bad American League West team, without many marquee players, so why would you watch the D-backs? You probably wouldn't. However, much to my disappointment, it turns out that Cole Gillespie played briefly for those Diamondback teams.  

Unlike, James Jones and others, Gillespie is not a young player from the Mariners with a potentially bright and promising future. Instead he is a 30 year journeyman minor leaguer who is probably not going to get much better than what he is today. Most guys are done developing at that point in their career. Basically Gillespie is exactly what we are seeing. How deflating to learn that this guy is basically a fifth outfielder at best.

All of this isn’t to say you shouldn’t root for Gillespie or enjoy his successes. It just means don’t get big expectations or grow too attached to him. He probably isn’t going to turn into a perennial All-star. In fact he probably won’t even be on the team come 2015. Anything he adds to the 2014 version of the team is great. If he helps us win a few games, with his ability to be a baseball players, I will consider it a success. I just don't expect anything

Derek Jeter Never Played for the Mariners

This may come as a surprise to some people, but shortstop Derek Jeter never played a single inning of his career for the Seattle Mariners. In fact he has only ever played for one team in his career, The New York Yankees. Despite this simple statistic, the Seattle Mariners (along with most of the rest of Major League Baseball) have decided they should spend time and money honoring this man's illustrious playing career. They went so far as to give him a seat from the Kingdome because he played his first major league game there. They have also decided to give him the second base used during this weeks Mariners vs Yankees series. All of this begs the question, why?

Why are the Seattle Mariners, a team that Jeter never once suited up for, going so far to honor this man? The Mariners don't have much to thank Jeter for. They don't owe him anything for all their success because they haven't really had any during Jeter's career (1554-1570 for a .497 win %). During his career Jeter batted .283/.345/.417 against the M's. That is not great, but it is not bad either and definitely not bad enough to have significantly helped the M's win. What it boils down to, like most things in professional sports, is cash.

Derek Jeter is a big name and he plays for one of the most beloved and loathed teams in the world. In fact he has basically been synonymous with the Yankees for the last 15 years. People love to watch Jeter and his Yankees. Attendance at Safeco field spikes when the Bronx Bombers are in town. When attendance spikes, ticket sales spike, and with them profits. People want to see the legends. On top of that, most of these people, much to the chagrin of this hometown fan, are Yankees fans, paying to see their team in person. These fans buy hats and jerseys, which makes the Mariners yet more money.

I supposed I should be glad about all this because anecdotally, if the Mariners make money they are more likely to spend more on good players (hopefully good players, but this post isn't about the talent evaluation skills of the M's so let's leave it at that) which will help my team win. And I would rather have the team spending money on good players then not spending money on good players.  However, I don't feel happy about it. Instead, I feel a sort of weird awkwardness combined with jealousy. 

There is just something not right about seeing another team's great honored so emphatically. Like mentioned before, the Mariners didn't mess around. They made it known that the Yankees shortstop was great and should be honored. They pulled out all the stops. The only thing missing was Ken Griffey Jr parachuting out of a 777, painted in Yankees livery with a big old #2 on it, and personally delivering the keys to Safeco Field to the shortstop. It feels like your parents throwing a party to celebrate your neighbors excellent report card because yours was full of D's. Why do we have to make such a big deal about it? People are going to play to see the Yankees play in Seattle even if every Mariners great doesn't show up to high five the Yankee captain. I wish we could just say good job on the jumbo-tron, give him a round of applause, and move on.



References: Baseball-Reference.com

All is Right with the World

Puget Sound are NBA fans, I have great news. We are safe again, for at least one more year. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been eliminated from contention for an NBA title. This year the heroes are The San Antonio Spurs, who finished off the ne'er-do-well Thunder 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals. Tim Duncan proved once again that he is truly a defender of righteousness. Alongside him Boris Diaw proved that he still plays in the NBA. The Spurs have brought balance to the force and prevented the unspeakable from happening. Let us all raise a glass to the Spurs and celebrate their noble effort.

Why James Jones Matters

If you are a Mariners fan, anything like me, you probably lost confidence in the word prospect. After seeing countless Mariners minor leaguers hailed as the next big thing, only to fail in the majors, you've given up hope. You probably roll your eyes and make some sarcastic comment about how they will just fail anyways. Prospect are something for those other clubs, like the ones in Tampa or Oakland. Here in Seattle we rely on mediocre veteran role players for our 70 wins a year.

Well if you are like me, you need to open your eyes to Mariners rookie outfielder James Jones. He is currently batting .286/.351/.400. He came out of the gate like a bat outta hell and he has slowed down since then. Even so he has provided something we haven't seen in Seattle in a while. A confident, fun to watch rookie who is actually having success. Instead of looking scared or over-matched at the plate or in the field, Jones looks like he belongs. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but if Jones can keep it up even a little (say .275/.330/.400) he might be able to restore at least some of my faith in prospects.

So, let's not judge him early or look for weakness. Let's just settle in and enjoy the ride. Be thankful that the baseball gods are giving us at least a few months to watch a young player succeed.

Oops

Well shit, that went poorly. In soccer, it can't get much more embarrassing than a 0-5 ass whooping. The Sounders just got plain demolished. I guess I couldn't have picked a more inopportune time to write a blog post about the Sounders resilience and never say die attitude. They sure made me look silly.

Seattle Sounders FC: The Comeback Kids

The Sounders are currently on a six game unbeaten streak, including five straight wins. During this amazing streak, they have come from behind, after giving up the lead to the opposition, five times. This has shattered the old American stereotype that coming back to win a soccer match is essentially impossible and it has provided super exciting soccer to watch.

The streak was started with a 4-4 draw against their arch rivals, the Portland Timbers. That game was really crazy. It was much different then any other soccer game I have seen. There were eight total goals scored. The Sounders struck first but fell behind 2-1, battled back to 2-2, gave up 2 more goals, then tied it up 4-4 in the waning minutes. Literally scoring in the 85' and 87' minutes.

Looking back at it, this epic game, against the Timbers, seemed to galvanize the Sounders, who, up until that point in the season, had looked sluggish and mediocre. Since their draw, Seattle has been a completely different team. The team's body language on the pitch shows they never feel defeated and never give up fighting. They truly believe there is always a chance to win and the results prove them out. As mentioned, they have come from behind four of five games to beat their opponents. It has become sort of a self replicating cycle as more come from behind wins build confidence and let them comeback again the next week.

The key to the Sounders success has been the unflinching play of their forwards. The two designated players up front, Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, have been proving, with their play, why they get paid so much. Dempsey has 8 goals and 2 assists while Martins has 4 goals and 6 assists. The two of them are constantly attack and making runs that provide the Sounders with scoring chances. They also seem to have developed a chemistry with each other, allowing them to make jaw dropping connections with each other.

The string of amazing games has also built up the confidence of the fans. Like the team, conceding an early goal barely even faze us. There is confidence about the team and their ability to battle back that overrides any fears about being down on the scoreboard. These are must watch games. The Sounders are showing us exactly how exciting soccer can be.

Time for the Stefan Frei Experiment to End

During the 2014 pre-season the Sounders had no clear goal keeper. The 2013 starter, Michael Gspurning, was let go by the team for a combination of budget and talent reasons. Gspurning had moments of brilliance and moments of complete meltdown. In his place they had brought in Stefan Frei, Toronto's former backup and resigned 41 year old Marcus Hahnemann. All reports were it was an open competition between the two goal keepers. However, the favorite to win the starting job was Frei and after doing just enough to prove himself to the coaches during the pre-season he secured the role. Since the regular season started he has done little to prove it was the right choice.

In the first game of the season Frei kept a clean sheet and the Sounders won 1-0, but he didn't look good doing it. Several times he failed to hold onto balls shot his way giving up rebounds. He also misplayed shots that ended up just barely missing their target. The shut out was much more because of the stout Seattle defense and the pouring rain then anything Frei did.

He followed that game up with a 2-1 loss against a stacked Toronto squad. Although Toronto has lots of highly talented players at least one of Jermain Defoe's goals should have been stopped by the Seattle keeper. It was a straight shot with almost no bend.  Frei just missed the save.

In the next two games Frei picked up another shut out against an inept Montreal squad and a 2-1 against Columbus where the Sounders had to play down a man for almost 30 minutes. There was nothing especially remarkable about his performance In either of these games. At this point, despite two shut outs, Frei overall season performance, in the first four games, would have to be described as adequate at best. Then Saturday's game against the 0-2-2 Portland Timbers.

Frei looked awful against rival Portland team. He gave up four goals and, if not for a lucky bounce off the cross bar into Yedlin's head, he would have given up a fifth. On most of these he looked out of place and poorly positioned to make a save. Sure the Djimi Traore-less defense did him no favors, but he still misplayed several balls. A better goalie could have kept the Timbers at a lower total.

After a five game stretch to start the season it is time to pull Stefan Frei from the starting job. He has proven mediocre at best and down right bad at worst. Let's give Marcus Hahnemann a shot in goal. He proved able to keep the team in the fight last year. This doesn't have to be a permanent move. If Hahnemann doesn't work out we can always give the job back to Frei. However, right now Frei isn't giving the Sounders the best chance to win. He should be pulled from the starting eleven.

The 2014 Seattle Mariners: Meh

Major League Baseball's regular season is fast approaching. The first game for the Seattle Mariners is on March 31st. Usually this time of year is filled with anticipation for the upcoming season. Baseball fans across the nation are dreaming about their team's chances. If just a few things break right, it could be their year. However, here in Seattle the general attitude is much more depressing. Most fans either have no interest in the team and upcoming season or they are downright mad about the direction of the team and have given up hope. I know of very few fans that still have optimism for this team.

There are many reasons for this general malaise about Seattle Mariners baseball. However the largest and most overarching is that the team hasn't made the playoffs in 12 years. After the 2001 team put together the greatest regular season in baseball history, they have consistently gotten worse every single year sense then. The trend line for the Mariners is clearly going down.

Probably one of the most frustrating things is it isn't as if the team isn't trying to get better; they just constantly fail in all their attempts. Here is a list of some of many strategies the front office has tried over the years.

• Sign big name high priced free agents, such as Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre, to try and win now.
• Sign established quality veteran players, like Raul Ibanez, to bring in leadership and a winning culture.
• Build through the farm system by drafting and trading for young players with high upside like Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley.
• Take a non conventional approach and try to find players to maximize run prevention, like Franklin Gutierrez and Brendan Ryan.

Despite two general managers, several field managers and a seemingly countless number of players nothing has worked.

Sure there have been a few bright spots like Griffey's return in 2009 and Felix's perfect game, but they have been few and far between. They almost act more to highlight how low all the other times have been.  For the most part they feel wasted just like Ichiro's brilliant career.

At this point, fans have distanced themselves from the pain.  It is the most logically thing to do. Rather then keep returning to only get hurt again, stay away. Even previously diehard baseball fans like me have started to stray. The time and emotion required to truly care about the M's just isn't worth it anymore. If they ever get good again and start fielding competitive teams they will probably lure me back, but until that time it is easier to just stay away.

A Few Tidbits from Around the Web

Here are a few interesting links from around the world wide web (and one from a magazine that is reprinted on the web). Click on them and be enlightened.

• The Sounders season opener was a wet one and for the first 90+ minutes it looked like the weather was going to be the only victor. Then during injury time (and definitely near the end of that) the Sounders struck with this goal. Definitely worth watching the whole thing.
• JR Smith quite possibly has the most tattoos per skin area of anyone in the NBA. He can shoot 3 pointers with the best of them. He once played in China. He was also fined $50,000 for repeatedly untying opponents shoes. Yahoo Sports took a closer look at this very interesting player.
• The No Fun League (NFL) has struck again. This time they are outlawing post touchdown goalpost dunks. Apparently because they hate seeing players and fans happy.
• ESPN the Magazine took a look at while the NBA is the most conspiracy laden league. Pablo Torre does a great job and it is definitely worth a read. However if you don't have EPSN insider or you don't want to spend the time here is the short version, David Stern was the NBA's commissioner for 30 years.