No longer feeling the draft

This past week, the NFL draft was held in New York. Traditionally held on a Saturday, it was instead moved to Thursday evening and stretched out over Friday and Saturday. This led to unprecedented TV ratings (at least according to reports) and some of the greatest hype to ever surround a draft. Meanwhile, I, who more than once dedicated at least a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon to watch the picks come off the board, watched no more than about 10 minutes. For the first time in .... well ever... I was simply not captured by the draft.

The obvious question is why. Why did the 2010 NFL draft, supposedly filled with talent from rounds 1 through 7, featured in prime-time on multiple networks, fail to grab my attention when past events had me enraptured? After a little thought, I know the answer. A popular phrase coined around the time of Bill Clinton's first term as president was "it's the economy, stupid!" The answer to my sudden lack of interest in the 2010 draft is similar... "It's the players, stupid!"

Most drafts have one or two players that capture the imagination. And fair or not, these players are the ones at the glamor positions like quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. They usually have personalities and stories that add drama to the proceedings. Just last year, there were two names that jumped out at me: Michael Crabtree and Mark Sanchez. Crabtree was a playmaking wideout at Texas Tech who was known almost as much for his mouth and attitude as his hands. The question was whether this (and a perceived lack of speed thanks to an injury) would knock him down the draft board. It did, but not terribly far. Crabtree proved his doubters correct, however, when he perceived the drop as a personal slight and held out halfway through the season. It was real drama around a real character. Mark Sanchez was an accomplished quarterback at USC and while not having any national titles under his belt, was widely seen as a "Franchise" (or the "Sanchize") quarterback with a golden arm. Even then, he had to compete with Georgia's Matt Stafford for props as the top QB in the pool. A lot of folks questioned whether Sanchez was like the last big-name USC quarterback, Matt Leinart, whose frat-boy ways had marred his NFL experience. Matt Stafford's absolute cannon of an arm got him the call first. It added drama to the event.

And there were other stories and players to follow. Everybody (I hope) has by now heard the Michael Oher story, which was turned into a movie while the 2009 draft was taking place. Knowshown Moreno was the "failed" Georgia running back who was supposed to be the second coming of Jim Brown when he entered college. Where would he go? There were storylines last year, just as there usually are. But where were the interesting players this year? Where were the storylines and controversies? Where was the drama?

It didn't exist, because this year's group of players were, well...... boring. Who was the dominant personality of this year's draft? If there was one, it was probably Tim Tebow. That's the best we have? The 2010 version of Eric Crouch is supposed to be the compelling story of an entire draft? I still don't get the big deal about Tim Tebow. Supposedly, he's supposed to be hated by the masses because he's loved by the press, ala Brett Favre. But I don't see it. People don't dislike Favre because the press loves him. They dislike Favre because of his many flaws, which the press conveniently (at least until recently) ignored. Where is the press favoritism towards Tebow? He won titles at Florida and played very well. Reporting that is merely reporting the truth. I saw and read many reports that slammed Tebow for his awkward-looking delivery and simultaneously predicted NFL failure. Again, where is the favoritism? It's a non-story. So Tebow is a "goody-two-shoes?" Really? I'm supposed to hate the guy because he's good to his mom and has given his life to Jesus? Sorry, I'm not buying it.

And what about the rest of the players in this "deep" draft? I'm reserving judgment, but nobody captured my imagination enough to make me tune into the TV shows. Think about it: What did the top prospects bring to the table? The answer is precious little. To wit:

1. Sam Bradford -- He missed practically the entire 2009 season due to injury. Prior to that, he was wildly successful, but many folks questioned whether he was really that good, or if he was simply surrounded by great talent. And in any case, he was kinda boring, like a Robo-QB.
   
2. Ndamukong Suh -- Here is a guy who was truly dominant on the field, but plays at an unglamorous position. And since the draft order was well-known for weeks, there was no drama as to where he'd be picked.
3. Gerald McCoy -- This player was so dominant and powerful that his college team grossly underachieved all year and just barely even made a bowl game.
   
4. Trent Williams -- See Gerald McCoy. In fact, this is perhaps the only truly amazing thing about this 2010 draft. An incredible 3 of the top 4 picks were all from the same college, Oklahoma. But Oklahoma is coming off their worst season in years, having gone 8-5 and losing as many games in the regular season as they had in the previous 3 years combined. Either the NFL talent evaluators are WAY off their game, or the 2009 Oklahoma squad was one of the worst-managed groups in football history.
5. Eric Berry -- A safety? Really? With the fifth overall pick? I hope he's good.
6. Russell Okung -- Another offensive lineman from a middling college team.... yawn......
7. Joe Haden -- A solid cornerback from Florida, but not a "name" like mouthy players of the past (see: Deion Sanders)
8. And so on, and so on......

Am I making sense? This was a boring draft. The talent was not as good as advertised. The players were uniformly boring (NOTE: I'm not "rooting against" these guys. I actually expect most of these guys to succeed thanks to a good work ethic and solid skills, and I'm all for it). There were (apparently, as I found out after the fact) innumerable trades of little impact that mostly made sense. There weren't many major surprises. It was boring, much like this blog post.


Perhaps this year's draft was best epitomized by Dez Bryant, who was this year's poor substitute for the talented but temperamental wide receiver that might slide down the board due to "character concerns." In the past, this would've been Randy Moss, who played like a freak of nature but had questions about his work ethic, his past, and a whiff of criminality to boot. In the past, this would've been Keyshawn Johnson, a prima-donna who woofed at his own teammates when he wasn't getting the ball. In the past this would've been Matt Jones, an athletic marvel who played quarterback at Arkansas through a series of questionable incidents. In the past, this would've been Ted Ginn Jr., a speed rocket with hands of stone. There was controversy with those guys. There was indecision with those guys. There were quotes and allegations and subterfuge with those guys. In 2010 we got Dez Bryant, whose horrible offense (which caused him to miss most of the 2009 college season) was panicking when being grilled by NCAA rules investigators and lying about the time he spent with ..... Deion Sanders. Is that really what passes for controversy now? Is that supposed to make me dedicate three hours of my life to watch the NFL draft? I'm supposed to be captivated by the tale of a hard-working, productive receiver who is sliding down the draft boards because he .... lied about talking to Deion Sanders?!?!

Maybe I'm asking too much. Maybe we've advanced as a group. Maybe the real malcontents are being properly threshed out long before they get to the NFL draft. Maybe we've finally learned to watch out for players with dangerous pasts. Maybe NFL general managers have learned to moderate their draft moves and focus on focused gains. Great.

That's boring. If the NFL draft is going to be exciting, I need to see superstars. I need to see controversy. I need to see Mike Ditka throwing away his entire draft to grab reefer-mad Ricky Williams. I need to see Al Davis forcing the Raiders to pick yet another super-fast player with a head of rocks. I need to see Mel Kiper Jr. nearly start a fist-fight with a GM for passing on a pet player. The 2010 NFL draft didn't have ANY of that. And that's why it didn't have me.

SAH

Dallas Cowboys Stadium

Back in early February, I had the good fortune to visit Dallas Cowboys stadium as part of a company outing. I have waited for two months to post these pictures to my blog, because I have been holding out for some photos of the key moment, ones that I did not take and had to wait for. For those of you on Facebook, you have probably seen most of these before, but I wanted to put them in this format that I find easier to browse than the Facebook photo gallery (and that my Dad can also see).They moved the Tom Landry statue from the old Texas Stadium. It sits outside the main entrance of Cowboys Stadium. (Apparently just in time, too! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gJT-hadmN0).

In the area where my group was being fed, they had this interesting fountain with colors and timed jets.

And here is that fountain after I figured out how to lengthen the exposure on my camera. Unfortunately, while this fixed the brightness issue on pictures, it made many too fuzzy and blurry. My apologies for that.


What's striking about the size of the place is that it doesn't look nearly so large from the outside as it does from the inside. I think it may have to do with the fact that half the stadium is underground. Once inside, you begin to appreciate the enormity.

The massive arches that span the stadium are the topic of some wonder. Here's where one of them enters the building, simultaneously strengthening the wall while holding up the ceiling.

If you ever wondered how those big displays are created (and I have), wonder no more. Each block has a red, green, and blue LED that can be controlled just like a TV.


This is an example of the typical seats used in the stadium.

Note that the luxury suites have much nicer chairs....

Here's the end of the stadium my group was occupying. That's the "Ford platform" and the "Dr. Pepper Pavilion" or something like that....

This is the opposite end of the stadium, where the go-go dancers appear on deer stands during games.

This is a sadly blurry picture of my co-worker Dexter (waving) and another LSI person munching away in the Ford pavilion.

Dexter and I clambered down to the field to get some pictures, not knowing that a legitimate tour was to come later. That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for Cowboys fans everywhere....

Here's a good look at the endzone from field level.

From the absolute center of the field, you can look upwards through the score/videoboard and see this star on the top.

Being on the field where you can only dream of playing makes you do weird things, like pretending to lunge for fumbled balls (or perhaps peanut M&Ms?) in the endzone.

Here I am holding up the goalpost.

In a fit of pique, I decided to tear down the goalpost to celebrate actually being on the Cowboys' field. Fortunately, it was too well grounded and the fever passed.

Here's a shot of Dexter standing where the Cowboys run onto the field on gameday. Yes, last-second restroom stops are apparently available to the right.


Our group also had a visit from some of the Cheerleaders, who signed pictures and posed for photos.

Yes, they're pretty and very nice (but of course, that's their job, isn't it?)

I followed along with a tour group when I realized they were forming. Here's our tour lead describing the luxury suite in which we were standing. He (and all the other help at the stadium) was nothing but friendly and professional, despite the mean demonic eyes.

YES!! We're going in!
Here I am standing in front of Jason Witten's locker (and Miles Austin's and Tony Romo's). Obviously, I would've stood in front of Billy Bates' locker if he still had one, but he's been retired for something like 15 years now.

Now comes the time for "THE" event. This is what has taken two months to get posted. For those of you who have seen the Facebook photos, it is now time to reveal the FULL story. At this point of the tour, we were taken out onto the field. Now Dex and I had already been out earlier (probably illegally), but this time there was one difference. Somehow, a partially aired-up football had been left near the endzone where my group entered the field. One guy picked it up, and you can guess what happened next. Yes, I was lobbing passes and catching a football in the endzone at Cowboys Stadium.

BUT WAIT!!! It got better. I've never had much chance to be a football player. I grew up playing soccer. While it was always mostly a pipe dream for me to be an NFL player, the one position where I MIGHT have had a shot was at.... kicker, naturally. So there was little I would rather do than to say I kicked a field goal at Cowboys Stadium. For crying out loud, the net was even up behind the goalposts just DARING me to try. I managed to clear a little space out and asked someone to hold the ball at the 10-yard line (at least what would have been the 10...the fieldturf was pulled up and folded just over the 10-yard markings, so it was really on foam). With a few (maybe 6) people paying attention, I lined up for the equivalent of an extra point. I was a little nervous because one really shouldn't be kicking a (slightly flat) football in a crowd of 30 people milling about the endzone, especially when you rely on many of them for your livelihood. But who knew when I would ever get such a chance again, so I stepped up and swung. The nerves (combined with some wag who noticed enough to shout "CHOKE" right as I kicked) made me tentative and I hit a weak corkscrew off to the left that would've embarrassed Nick Folk even during his slump.

But all was not lost. Enough people saw the attempt to make it something of a novelty, and soon there was a parade of folks lining up to attempt the same kick. That half of the people in the tour group were from foreign locales probably added to the "kicking" desire. Even one of the tour guides got involved and started playing the role of holder. That was a lot of fun, and while nobody looked to challenge Adam Vinatieri for an NFL roster spot this fall, a handful of folks managed to get the ball through. That was fun to watch, and I really admire the guys who kicked while wearing dress shoes. That's dedication.

But I wanted another shot. I managed to slip back into the line during a brief lull and lined up for a shot at redemption. This time, I was much more calm and focused, as everyone was now involved and having fun. This time I ignored the few shouts and the eyes of by now about 40 people and popped a powerful drive.

Only I missed.... again. I made the classic blunder of kicking it like it was a soccer ball. Those of you who have kicked both types of ball know what I'm talking about. There's a "soccer-style" of kicking a football that many pros use, but it's still fundamentally different than a typical soccer "shot" kind of hit. My powerful drive curved cleanly left and hooked two yards wide of the goal post. The first miss was excusable. The second was left me red-faced and ashamed. I was even wearing my Samba shoes, supposedly made for kicking things, and I couldn't make a simple extra point. I seethed and crucified myself for my worthlessness while another few people took their shot. By now, the group(s) were starting to move on and there were only a couple of people still trying kicks.

I wanted redemption. Yes, seeing Cowboys stadium was awesome, and it was loads of fun just to watch everyone trying to kick a field goal. It also felt good to think that I instigated it. But if I, the big Cowboys fan, the "soccer guy" wearing Samba shoes and a Bill Bates jersey, failed to make a simple extra point, I was going to regret it for the rest of my life. As I stood on the field, I thought of the infamous quote from former USA Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks. Before the 3rd period of the game against Finland, when a win would guarantee the team a gold medal (they had already beaten the Soviets in the famous "miracle" game), the US trailed the Fins 2-1. According to witnesses, US coach Herb Brooks came into the locker room during intermission, and rather than spouting off a series of profanities or throwing chairs, he said just one thing. "If you lose this game, you'll take it to your graves." He then paused, took a few steps, turned again, said, "Your !#$@!#* graves," and walked out.

So while trying desperately to not appear desperate, I lingered around hoping for one more chance. There were now only a couple of folks left, plus the kindly tour guide holder and a photographer who had been randomly clicking pictures of the group. I asked if the holder would let me take just one more, and he agreed. At that point, the photographer said, "hold up a moment," then dashed behind me and set up for an action shot, like I needed the extra pressure. The holder tour guide gave me a quick tip and then lined up the ball while I settled into my stance. I just concentrated on blasting the ball through the uprights, and took my chance.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I crushed the ball straight up and through as the camera flashed behind me. It was as good a kick as I could ever hope to strike (at least with a partially flat ball). It would've been good from almost 40 yards (an extra point is essentially a 20-yard field goal). It was the best kick of the night by anyone. The photographer jumped up and patted me on the back, saying, "I got a perfect shot! You can see the ball going right through and your leg is still in motion."

At that point, I was on cloud nine. I don't think I stopped smiling until I fell asleep back at the hotel a few hours later. The photographer told me he was going to drop off the pictures with the tour organizer so I could get the shot later. I already had this blog post in my mind on the bus trip back to the hotel.


After the tour ended, I went outside near entrance K to find a slab of concrete. Now this slab of concrete was special. All around the stadium, there are tiles with names on them that were purchased by fans to help defray the cost of the stadium. A group of Cowboys fans that I have been fortunate to communicate with via email for a decade or so ponied up the cash to purchase one of these tiles. Here's the proof:

And with that, I will say goodbye for another week (or at least until I feel like updating the blog again). I hope you enjoyed my tour and pictures from Cowboys Stadium. It really is a great experience, and I hope you get to see it some day, whether you're a Cowboys fan or not.

SAH

Added thoughts on MLS

Just a quick addition to my last blog post. It may appear that I'm slamming the league, or that I don't like to watch MLS. That isn't the case. I love MLS, and I even used to be a season-ticket holder for the Kansas City Wizards until family considerations put a (hopefully temporary) kibosh on it. I just want the league to be even better, and I think that raising the overall salary cap is the best way to do that.

It was also nice to see the same general sentiment expressed by Soccer America's Paul Kennedy in an article that posted just a few days after my blog post. See here : http://www.socceramerica.com/article/37639/what-to-do-about-mlss-bad-signings.html

I will have new blog post soon about an exciting sports event that took place a couple of months ago. Check back then!!

SAH

"Two designated players?" or "The real problem with MLS"

I had planned to do an MLS season preview blog post last week, but my sources (the "Soccer America MLS preview") have been delayed. Rather than offer a poor, information-free preview of the season, I decided instead on this (a week late).

Just this past week MLS (that's Major League Soccer, the relatively big-time pro soccer league here in the US, for those of you who don't follow the sport much) announced a change to their salary cap rules. Previously, one player on a team could be "designated" for a salary cap exemption. Without going into the details, the point is that this exception allows teams to sign a player any amount of money and yet only count a fraction of that towards the notoriously stingy MLS salary cap. It's what allowed the LA Galaxy to sign superstar David Beckham three years ago, and also brought a few other "name" players to the league.

The change to allow 2 of these players to now be on the same team (plus a possible 3rd with some wonky details) is supposed to open up the league to more big-time players and raise the level of play across the country. This should address the biggest problem with MLS, which is that the level of play simply isn't as good as other leagues around the world.

Except for one thing..... the level of play in MLS is sub-par not because there aren't enough elite players, but because there aren't enough merely good players. Adding another few elite players (which is no guarantee, as anyone who has actually followed the designated player history could tell you) won't be enough. What really must happen to take MLS to a higher level is to open up the coffers in a smaller way, but to a larger group of players. This isn't going to happen, for reasons I'll discuss, but it better happen soon or MLS will start to lose the progress it's made since its inception in 1996.

First let me reinforce the main point. This league has some elite players. Sure, Beckham is hurt at the moment, but he still counts. He was logging major minutes for no less a team than AC Milan in Italy just this winter. You also have to count Landon Donovan. Many have scoffed at descriptions of Donovan as an "elite" player, but his recent loan (player movement in international soccer is curious for those only accustomed to US leagues... ask me about it and I'll explain in a blog sometime) stint at Everton proved that he could be a difference-maker in any league. Kasey Keller is an older goalkeeper, but one with a sterling history who could've stayed on in England had he wished. Shalrie Joseph has been almost a one-man-gang in New England for a couple of years now. Juan Pablo Angel had a disappointing and injury-marred 2009, but his record is that of a top-notch forward with success around the world. Freddie Ljungberg can still motor around the field and is making plays in Seattle. MLS has some elite players. There aren't nearly enough of them, but they are there.

However, there is a huge drop-off in quality below those guys (except at goalkeeper, the one position at which Americans always seem to excel) around the league. The player quality dips precariously from "blue-chip" stars to "junk bonds" without much in-between. Where are the "red-chip" starters that may not be quite as good as those elite players, but can still compete and play some good soccer? They've been removed from the league due to a myriad of circumstances. This dearth is why MLS teams look (on paper) to be comparable to top-level teams from around the world, but consistently come up short whenever they're actually paired up against them. Yes, Freddie Ljungberg and Kasey Keller were with the Seattle Sounders last summer when they matched up against English powerhouse Chelsea. But while Ljungberg and Keller compare fairly well against Michael Ballack and Peter Cech, Chelsea's TEAM was so far superior that they won by a couple of goals while playing in preseason mode. You see, where Seattle had to turn to rookie college product Steve Zakuani, Chelsea could play sometime English national-teamer Joe Cole. Where Seattle had to use Tyson Wahl in defense, Chelsea could call on then-English captain John Terry.

Now you may be saying to yourself that this isn't a fair comparison. Chelsea is one of the richest clubs in the world. Even in the top division of English soccer, they will almost always line up more stars than their opponents. That is true, but in the top division of English soccer Chelsea sometimes loses or ties. MLS teams NEVER beat "foreign" competition when it really counts. Sure, the MLS all-stars do fine in exhibitions, but that's the all-stars, not a real MLS team. Sunderland or Fulham don't match up man-for-man with Chelsea's stars either, but they're at least a threat because their lineup has decent players at all positions, not just bodies to support a couple of stars.

You see, soccer is a team sport. Yes, we celebrate the great individual players (as we should), and they certainly can make a big impact. But unlike basketball, where Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan could single-handedly make their teams competitive, or baseball, where that one star pitcher always gives you a shot to win when he starts, soccer requires more bodies. It's much more like American football, where even the greatest players can only do so much if their teammates stink. Right now, Lionel Messi is widely considered to be the best player in soccer. He's tearing it up for Barcelona in Spain, and they're contending for titles. But Barcelona has a lot of good players alongside Messi. It's not just him. If you put Messi onto say... the Colorado Rapids, he would certainly improve them, but they still wouldn't be any match for most International teams. Again, it's like American football.

Take the St. Louis Rams from last year. They were pitiful, despite having a great running back in Steven Jackson. Now what would most improve the Rams? Adding Peyton Manning or adding 5 decent offensive linemen? The easy answer is the latter. Sure Peyton Manning would be better than the Rams had last year, and make the team a lot better. But he would soon find himself buried alongside Jackson because the offensive line was a sieve last year. In these team games, with lots of players on the field, you simply cannot compete unless you have a large group of at least mid-tier quality players.

One final way to look at this is with simple statistics. Skip this if you're bored already. Imagine rating every player on a team from 1 (why is he even playing?) to 10 (hall-of-famer in his prime). Now let's say your team is filled with weaker performers that you would grade at a 3. What would be the average talent of this team? Obviously it's 3. Now replace one of those players with a 10. That changes the average (for 11 players) to 3.6. Nice, but nothing special. (Compare that to replacing just one of 5 players, such as in basketball, which would raise the average talent from 3 to 4.4, a more significant jump. Just a couple of stars can carry a basketball team, not so a soccer team.) Now if you had the choice of swapping out one other player for another 10, or swapping out three other players for say... sixes, what would you choose? Well, swapping out for one more 10 brings the average to 4.3. But swapping out the 3 for sixes would raise the average to 4.6. It is better overall to add more mid-level players, especially once you factor in the odds of the one "10" getting hurt.

So why hasn't MLS done more to beef up the lower end of the roster? Why all the focus on just the stars? The answer is a combination of schedule, salary cap, and coaching cowardice.

The schedule in MLS is actually fairly demanding. It may not be quite as busy as many European schedules, but there are still a lot of games. Even the best players struggle to start EVERY match. Over the course of the season, players are bound to pick up bruises, sprains, muscle pulls and illnesses. Teams need depth to deal with the schedule. But if salary cap money has already been sunk into a small group of starters, there would be nothing left over for the backups. The result is that teams have stocked their rosters with cheap bodies. They have plenty of young legs on the roster because they're cheap, and they resist injury. If there's only enough money in the cap to buy either two youngsters or one proven veteran, virtually every MLS team will opt for the two youngsters because they need the bodies for the long schedule.

The salary cap is simply too low. There is a parabolic arc for player salaries in relation to their quality. You could get half-a-dozen decent veterans for the price of two "superstars", and an entire team of rookies and wanna-bes for the price of those decent veterans. Right now, the salary cap is such that teams can only afford to fill out the roster with the youngsters. There simply isn't enough space in the cap for the decent veterans. Either they're good enough to become "designated" players and get the exception, or they ply their trade elsewhere.

Finally, coaches in this league are cowardly (in general). It's a lot easier to grab a bunch of young athletic guys for peanuts and have them play a scrappy, defensive game, than it is to work with a group of veterans and develop a real plan of attack. At least with the scrappy youngsters coaches can excuse close losses with worthless phrases like "we're still growing as a team," or "we're giving a great effort." If they had to explain the same with veterans, their excuses become less believable.

So what can be done? Simple. MLS needs to raise the salary cap overall, not just provide another designated player exception. Why doesn't the league do so? Because they're cheap. Not every team will take advantage of the designated player rule, and those that do will likely target players that can sell t-shirts and tickets, not necessarily improve the soccer on the field. If the league raised the salary cap, that would add payroll to all 16 (18 next year) teams without necessarily generating more sales. Sure the soccer would improve, but the bottom line might not, and that's what's foremost on the owners' minds right now. But that's a short-sighted view.

There are a ton of soccer fans in this country. However, most of them can (and do) easily watch games from leagues around the world. It's difficult to convince those fans to start following MLS when the games often resemble a fast-paced game of kickball (or even worse sometimes, "kick-shins"). It's also hard to stomach the occasional game where a star is playing, but is simply hounded out of the game by a bunch of youngsters hacking away at him, and the remaining players aren't good enough to take advantage of the extra space. Until MLS games are consistently more entertaining and well-played, the league will not make many new fans.

So while the extra designated player slot may make a splash, and sell a few more jerseys, only the raising of the salary cap will make a long-term impression on the league's success. I still watch a lot of MLS, and usually enjoy the games, but it can certainly be frustrating to see when the league is clearly making a decision on the cheap. I hope teams actually use the extra designated player slot, and bring in some top players. I greatly fear, however, that the end result will be just that LA and New York grab another "name" veteran on the downhill of his career to move merchandise, while the games remain generally sloppy.

SAH