How do the Warriors matchup?

Much has been said about the Golden State Warriors and how they impacting the game of basketball. The question that is thrown around the most is how would the Warriors match up with a classic center. We are talking Shaq, Ewing, The Dream, Wilt, Kareem, Bellamy etc. let's compare the Warriors to these classics bigs. I'll use Wilt as my example. 

   

The Warriors default lineup is to run with Draymond Green as their main big only keeping Bogut and Ezeli just in case. This would in the case of Wilt Chamberlain create a matchup of 6'7" vs a guy who was at least 7'1". To add to this Wilt who have nearly 80 pounds on him too. The argument used is that Draymond is mobile and athletic. This plays to the stereotype that big guys aren't capable to matchup. Where this is mostly true Draymond has no chance defending a drop step from a real big man. He would feel fatigued by halftime and any advantage he would have had would now be gone. If he were to for any reason move past this he would have to handle Wilt's athletism... Wilt could move. This creates a no shot for any reason for the Warriors to succeed with the middle completely exposed.  

To conclude the Warriors are a great team for the current game being played but they couldn't stand alone during the eras with dominant bigs. It's the same with bigs they can't stand out by themselves anymore. The Warriors are the best current team and it would be fun to see them play best teams of their time's at some point. One can only wish right?

-Schlierman 

Should we change NFL divisions? Yes

Divisions in sports were invented to lighten travel and support local rivalries. Much like the MLB & NBA the NFL's Divisional set up is archaic to say the least. The current set up puts the division winner in the playoffs automatically even if they are in a subpar division. For example the AFC South and NFC East will be lucky to produce a .500 champion this year. 

So what do I propose? It's simple... Let's erase formal divisions and go all in on 2 conferences. We keep on official divisions as far as scheduled games go so local rivals stay in tact, but the standings won't reflect it. The world has changed. Media is at our finger tips and travel has become a breeze compared to when divisions were set up.

By doing this we will improve the validity of the playoffs and our ultimate champion. 

Lakers, Clippers and the beginning of a new NBA season

Let's get you caught up in the world of the NBA. The new season tips off Tuesday night but first there's a few things you need to know.

CAVS

Lebron James is entering his 12th season so we have a pretty good picture of who he is and isn't. He the perfect player to build around but not someone who can join any team. He's been in the last 5 finals and won 2 of them. Look to see if he can do it again and bring a title to Cleveland. 

Thompson & Love are the Cavs power forwards. They are the key to the teams success. Thompson compliments Lebron extremely well and is allowed to play to his potential within the offenses sets. Love however compliments Lebron well as well but doesn't get to play to his potential due to his rebounding style and lack of dunking. Watching these two play together and to see how they get utilized this year is the Lebron and coach Blatt's biggest concern this year. Thompson held out all summer for a big contract but the Cavs gave his money to Love. Thompson did get a big contract however and no one knows where the money came from but we will see how the Love and Thompson dynamic play out. 

CLIPPERS 

Over the summer Doc Rivers added Lance Stephenson, Josh Smith, Paul Pierce, Cole Aldrich, Wes Johnson and a rookie named Dawson who looks like a baby Draymond Green. They retained DJ after an emoji battle and some shady lack of communication from Jordan to Cuban. Nevertheless he's back with JJ, CP and Blake making this the best roster the Clippers have had in franchise history. This puts a boom or bust pressure on the squad. I believe Doc to be overhyped but this year he gets to prove just how good he is.

DUB NATION 

The Golden State Warriors are the defending champions but have gotten little to no respect during the summer. If you are one of these people you believe they didn't deserve the title let me leave you this...
1-They won 67 games in the western conference finishing with the first seed
2-They are led by the defending MVP, the first MVP since Dirk in '07 who gets 75% of his points from jump shots. He's doesn't live above the rim.
3-They had the second best offensive rating and best defensive rating in the entire league.
4-They were led by a rookie coach.

This sounds like they were the best team in the league last year... So... let's give them their respect. They are not locks to win again this year but they did deserve their title last year. Watch to see how they do this year.

GO SPURS GO

The example franchise for the last 20 years struck gold again after signing LaMarcus Aldridge. So, what makes them so special? It's in how they are ran and operated. They know their team recipe and the ingredients that make it work. They don't go after just any ole player. They only after players who match ingredients. They never scrapped their team. I am excited to see how this team performs this year and how Kawhi Leonard emerges into a top 3 player in the league.

LAKERS 

After 4 disappointing seasons Laker fans are not looking for a championship rather they are wanting to see if the front office knows what they are doing. They have young stars in Clarkson and Randle and still have Kobe. Some Laker fans including me were very disappointed in drafting D'Angelo Russell. He's hyped to be a top point guard and can be a missing link in Los Angeles. I disagree but we shall soon see how he performs and fits the squad.

STORY LINES TO FOLLOW
1-Harmony in Sac Town
2-Lawson to Houston
3-Jabari's return
4-The Bulls
5-PG13 at Power Forward

So, who's ready to tip off the 70th season of the NBA?


To conclude I would like to wish the Saunders family condolences. Til next time...

-Schlierman

Dodgers fire Mattingley and Cubs lose

Mattingly getting fired was simply to show they are doing something for the team. The team failed to succeed at the right time more then Don Mattingly failed to put them in the position to succeed.

Sorry the Cubs lost. The Mets are really good though. I thought their pitching would be begin to tire, but getting this much time off as they wait for the AL team to claim that division, may be enough to keep their staff of 1/2 tier pitchers fresh. The biggest question for the Mets is how their arms do with so many young arms who haven't pitched this many innings.

Baseball Wrap Up

In May I wrote a forecast for the season which can be found here: http://4cornersports.blogspot.com/2015/05/baseball-is-sound-of-summer.html

So lets take a look at some of those predictions as well as forecast for the post season.

Offensively, my predictions seemed to be spot on. Josh Donaldson is looking to be the AL MVP and Kris Bryant could be the Rookie of the year. As predicted, Kris Bryant hit 26 home runs, although, his batting average was a bit better then expected. The kid’s a beast.

On the other side, Joc Pederson and Josh Hamilton struggled in the 2nd half as expected. Actually more then I had expected. While his home run numbers were at 26 on the dot, his batting average dropped to just above the mendoza line at .210. Josh Hamilton on the other hand had a batting average very close to .260 but never had the at bats to get 14 home runs. He was on pace for about that many, however with 8 home runs in 170 at bats.

Bryce Harper broke out as I expected but I never foresaw him doing THIS http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/8875/splits/. His season has become a historic one. If you want to look into the numbers, you’ll see they’re rivaled only by names like Mantle, Hornsby, Ruth, Bonds and similar household names.That’s in terms of best seasons EVER. I’m giving myself a bit of a break on this one because I would have felt crazy if I’d predicted the numbers given, and you’d probably call me crazy and decided to never read my posts again. And we don’t want that. But to get some perspective, Bryce harper was on pace for about 20 home runs last year and 150 hits. I predicted 32 home runs and around 20 or 30 more hits. Instead, he doubled last years home run pace, and had roughly 20 more hits then that this year while he also doubled his walk rate with about 60 more bbs! It’s hard to guess about his future but keep in mind, he didn’t really break out until May. April (and technically a shortened October) was his only month he hit below .300, but since then he never stopped swinging a hot bat. 

Many of us joked “remember when we thought Bryce Harper would battle with Mike Trout for best player each year? hehehe”. Well now that looks like a real possibility. And keep in mind Trout is a better fielder. He is. The only fielding tool Bryce has over Trout is his arm. But imagine if Harper had stayed behind the plate as a catcher? Bryce harper may have been the clear number 1 value. This is still assuming he could stay healthy, but a lot of his problems have been from running into things in the outfield, so who’s to say he would have gotten hurt as often behind the plate?

So be before I get too thrilled with myself, we’ll move on to pitching which I was much more off on. While DeGrom was superb, and Carrasco had a good enough last month (and I maintained to be cautious), so I’ll call those a win, there were plenty that went wrong. McHugh, Richards, Pineda and Odorizzi never quite panned out. They all have great stuff, and have shown flashes of being fantastic, but never put it together enough to really have a fantastic season. 

The sell pitchers turned out to be more on point. Wacha still had good turns but as September rolled along, he fell apart. He truly is a good pitcher, but his numbers lead me to believe he’s hurt. Either way, he’s been doing no one any good in his final month of pitching. Archer continued a solid campaign, but returned to normalcy, posting an era between 3.20 and 3.30 as predicted. Kazmir also struggled big time as that month continued, but he also had some very good turns. While he definitely didn’t continue to be the pitcher he was early in the season, he still was a fairly reliable pitcher, more so then I expected, so I’ll take that one as me being wrong, which leads to the team predictions…

The New York Mets! This one was a bit of a reach on my part, as they were competing with the team favored to win it all. The Nationals. However Syndergaard proved to be a highly valuable pitcher who won them some games as soon as he was called up. While there’s plenty of competition, he may even get the call for ROY. Kris Bryant continues to be the favorite for ROY, but don’t sleep on Syndergaard if he gets hot in the post season and Bryant doesn’t. I like Syndergaard to have a solid post season, while I think Bryant may struggle out the womb in his first playoff birth. They’re both very talented players but if Syndergaard flourishes and Bryant flutters, that may be the push to give Syndergaard enough votes for ROY.

POST SEASON PREDICTIONS

Post season is one of the toughest things to predict as it’s hardly ever the best team who wins it all. This year, I’m predicting it will be however.

The TORONTO BLUE JAYS will win it all BUT ONLY if they can gain some momentum out of the gate. They play the Rangers who have been hitting very well lately, which could give them enough moment to knock off the Blue Jays before they pass go. If that happens, I think it’ll be the Astros to win it all. As it stands however, the Blue Jays have the offense and with newly acquired pitchers, David Price and Marcus Stroman, the pitching to win it all. The National league Mets will make it to the final showdown, but with all those young arms, not used to pitching late into the season, and their one veteran pitcher (Matt Harvey) on a pitch limit, their going to really start to struggle as it gets further into the race. I think they have enough to get there, but experience and arm strength will be the determining factor that holds them back.

So make your bets, find your local spot to watch them games and enjoy the fall season as baseball comes to an end!

See you next year, and in the mean time, enjoy some football!

-Alan Clark

Maturity in sports

It all comes down to maturity. The difference between why some can jump to the pros from high school and others spend 6 long years in college. We all grow up at different rates. It doesn't matter about talent or age. 

For examples we can look into the below athletes. They come from different backgrounds and upbringings.

1- Kobe -- The son of an NBA player. Kobe grew up around the game and all that come with it. The pros was part of life rather than a new life. 

2- Manziel -- A rich spoiled rotten prep kid from Texas. He has never been forced to change & grow up once. Instead he just needed to play the game of life until he left alone. 

3- Manning Boys -- Apart of the first family in the NFL the Manning boys are from a traditional southern football family. They grew up around the game because of their father. 

Just because these examples could make you believe that if you are not the son of a Pro you are doomed. This is not true. We all have our upbringing which leads to what preparation we need before our life's career. The Manning Boys had a similar raising to Kobe but they went to college and Kobe still had a rocky first 8 seasons due to maturity. 

Now all still need college but for different uses. Some use college to gain maturity, some for security in a degree and others just to learn/develop a specific skill. Regardless of who you are you still need a college of some kind. It's a development ground that's needed for all and there shouldn't be a way to bypass it for your career. It should be required before you enter your life's career. For some the pros are the development grounds for something past playing but that's very few. 

It's time we look deeper into this subject case by case. 

What to watch on YouTube if you're a sports fan

When I go on YouTube to watch a sports video I first look for footage from the pros or amateurs attempting sport feats. There are 3 main categories in the sports genre that are found on YouTube.

1- Sports Footage from either Pros or Amateurs

2- Sports Interviews or Talk Shows

3- Funny/Entertaining videos loosely related to sports. 

This definition pretty much includes every sports or sports similar videos on YouTube. I don't exclude a video from the sports genre unless it is 100% unrelated. For example a music cover video would not be wrapped up with sports. So no video is a bad video, but there is the video you want to watch. 

In my search, the best sports video I found on YouTube is - Best Sports Videos On YouTube (2014 Edition) This is because it gives a glimpse of all the major sports videos on YouTube in a compilation of footage. It also uses all the biggest channels and their biggest videos to recap 2014. This video would be the best definition of a pure sports genre video. 

On the other side of the spectrum I found Kid struggles to eat a hot dog at baseball game this is not a pure sports video. It was tagged a sports video but has very little to do with sports. This isn't a bad video it's just not the video I want to watch when I search sports. So, even though it's not a bad video but it's a bad match for the search. 

 -Schlierman

NBA early picks

MLB AllStar Game 2K15

Cincinnati is abuzz with excitement as the days grow long, and the cracker jacks grow sticky in the sweaty palms of fans under the July sun as Red fans prepare to watch from their home stadium, the annual Royals game.

There’s something to be said about the balloting that’s given much of the media a tongue in cheek feeling about the whole process, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

Up to this point has been an exciting year and one that’s been somewhat bizarre. No one last year would have believed you if you told them the Mets would be fighting neck and neck with the Nationals for the National League East. Nor that Houston would lead the American League West, While Boston is last in the American League East. And Detroit, despite Miguel Cabrera hitting close to .350, and another power bat showing itself in J.D Martinez with 25 homeruns and David price with a sub 3 ERA is chasing Minnesota and Kansas City. And the team with the best record -- is St. Louis who lost staff ace Adam Wainwright and power bat Matt Adams for the majority of the year.

The league seems to be twisting and turning like a shoe in a washing machine, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch! One of the most interesting things that has happened is all the players who have shown up with significant power who had previously been irrelevant. Some of the big names have been Joc Pederson, J.D. Martinez, and Manny Machado to name a few, all who are on pace to eclipse 30 home runs. Bryce Harper has also finally figured it all out which has led to a lot of success. But it’s not just the youngsters who seem to be clicking. Pujols is 2nd in homeruns, Teixiera has 22 at the moment I’m writing this, Donaldson  has also already passed 20 homeruns, and Hanley Ramirez is on pace for a 30 homerun season. The power numbers this season have been fantastic and I will say, it’s been a lot of fun seeing new bats and old bats re-emerge.

Despite the controversial discussion of whether Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame induction would happen or not in the year of the Cincinnati All-Star game, that hasn’t been what people are rolling their eyes at. As the balloting ink finally dries, we’ve found that 4 of the 9 starters for the AL team are Royals.

I wouldn’t normally make a point of it, but it’s not getting the sort of attention it probably should be as most media outlets don’t want to risk insulting their readers. I’m not one of those writers. Kansas City fans, you’re a bunch of morons.

The way the starting lineups are chosen is fans vote in the most deserving players to play in the all star game. This is usually based a lot of batting stats but other factors come in to play such as defense and leadership when it’s to a high extent. People can vote via email up to 35 times. The winner of the all star game them gets home field advantage for the world series. Naturally fans are going to skew their choices to their favorite teams. Most notably in the past, have been the Cardinals who have elected questionable players in my mind. This year they gave a good deal of votes to Matt Holiday even though he’s been hurt, will be hurt for the game and wasn’t even that great to begin the year. Still, he has been a star in the past, and leadership plays a part, so most of us don’t mind too much. The Royals fan base however took every rational reason to select players and threw it out the window.

Now I won’t get into why most of them don’t deserve to be starters. The stats speak for themselves, and don’t tell me defense plays a part because there are some great defensive players who had way better offensive stats. Some have argued that “it just shows Kansas City has a great fan base” which is stupid. I’ve never wanted to watch an All Star game simply to watch my own players. It’s turning the game into a Prom queen contest.

I’m not even saying it should be better players to win the game for the home field advantage. That’s important, but not every team goes to world series and winning in baseball is so volatile that the AL may even win. The point of the game isn’t just to prove who has the best fans though. It’s to see what would happen when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force. To see Kershaw’s curveball go up against Mike Trout’s bat. It’s supposed to be the most exciting game, and instead  Alcides Escobar being made to look stupid by Max Scherzer and Zach Greinke. The thing is, no one’s holding their breath when Lorenzo Cain or Omar Infante (who luckily was outvoted in the final weeks) to see if they will crush a 500 foot homerun. They could have some success, but it’s not very likely.

Either way, I’ll be watching the home run derby, and probably the game as well but unfortunately with less excitement then I’d planned.



-Alan Clark

NFL in Los Angeles

The past few days have been eventful for Los Angeles as well as the National Football League in terms of moving or creating a franchise for the second largest city in the U.S., which has not seen a professional football team in over two decades.  

Both Inglewood and Carson have approved billion dollar stadium projects in a relatively fast manner that could see construction commence in the next year.  Inglewood would possibly bring the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles whereas the Carson initiative has both the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders moving into the proposed 80,000 seat behemoth located right off of the 405. 

 For the NFL, relocating 2 California teams to LA that are in the bottom rung in terms of facilities seems to be the logical move rather than relocating a team from Missouri and thus giving the Golden State its 4th NFL franchise.  However, St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke has been apart of a development group that also proposes an 80,000 seat stadium located in the old Hollywood Park Race Track plot of land. If Inglewood becomes the new home of a Los Angeles football team, Kroenke plans to add restaurants, homes, parks and office space; much like Staples Center and LA Live in Downtown. 

 St. Louis has put in the most effort of the potential cities in order to keep its beloved football team, and have also revealed plans of building a billion dollar facility along the Mississippi River as an incentive to keep the Rams in St. Louis.  That can not be said for the Raiders or Chargers as both teams have made it clear they are interested and supportive of the Carson initiative.

 On Tuesday the San Diego City Council released plans of a 1.1 billion dollar stadium in order to try and keep the Chargers in San Diego, however shortly after the release of the plans, Chargers and Raiders executives hired former San Francisco 49ers president Carmen Policy in order to take charge of the next steps needed in order to move both franchises to the nation’s second largest media market. 

 Tuesday also saw the Chargers and Raiders finalize a land deal with the city of Carson for a 157 acre plot that was formerly a landfill in what seems to be a huge step towards Los Angeles obtaining both the Raiders and Chargers.

At the conclusion of the owner’s meetings yesterday in San Francisco, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay stated that a team in Los Angeles was “not a matter of ‘if’ now, but ‘when,’" as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.  It is clear which way the pendulum has begun to swing.  

Los Angeles is closer than ever before to re-claiming a stake in professional football and as a native Angeleno I can not be more excited to see how everything plays out.  Whether it be the Rams playing in Inglewood or the Chargers and Raiders sharing a stadium in Carson football should be returning to the City of Angels very, very soon.  

Give 4 Corners a like on Facebook and don't forget to comment with any thoughts, opinions or questions
-DR
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Baseball is the sound of Summer!

Baseball Talk

A month and a half into the 2015 season, and there’s plenty to talk about for this year. The MLB has implemented a time limit for the time spent outside the batters box, and surprisingly, no one’s really said anything. Even Big Ol’ Papi huffed and puffed, but has yet to go any rants about stepping out of the box, and I’m happy to hear it. Speeding up the game was necessary.

Ortiz and company made a valid point, that stepping out of the box to have more of a mental battle for trying to figure out the pitcher can make a difference, but lets take a look at the real core of why this game is played, and that’s entertainment. I’m all about getting players the mental preparation to see them at their best, but when 9 inning games are going til 10:30pm or 11:00pm at night, it’s not good for the game. Kids need to get to bed, and working adults need to get ready for work, and that would be a sorry spectacle to have fans missing walk off moments, simply because people spent too much time on the field and spectators had to get ready for bed time. So many great child hood memories go back to watching those beautiful moments. So major league players have embraced it, and I’m happy to hear that. Now on to talking about the players...
Your Fantasy is My Reality

As with every year, there’s hot starters and cold sitters to begin the year. Some of it’s legit, some of it’s not. Here are the players you can trust, as well as some of the guys that may not be the real deal. As a fantasy veteran and guru, I’ll help you know who to chase and who to chastise if you’re in any fantasy baseball leagues. If you're not a fantasy player, I’ll let you know who’s going to let you down on your team, so you know not to buy a jersey you’ll soon regret.

hat jersey still makes me sad...

MOVING ON!

Bryce Harper – Can’t go without talking about this kid. If you watched his 6 home runs in 3 days rampage, you saw the kind of power he’s got, and IT'S FOR REAL. A side note, the day he hit the 3 home runs starting the massacre, he hit with no batting gloves, something he used to do in college and high school... so he may have figured something out... and yes I do believe that makes a difference. I think this will be the year he breaks out HOWEVER hold your panties before you drop them, because his breakout year may not be what you’re expecting. Bryce has a huge future, but a 280-290 at bts with 32 homeruns is what I’m expecting. A huge jump from previous years, but take that for what it is. Dynasty league owners, lick your chops, because this kid knows how to make adjustments. Regular season owners, don’t sell the farm for him, as he was already being drafted as a top 30 player, and I don’t foresee him being much more valuable then that if at all better, particularly since he doesn’t steal the sort of bases we thought he would. He MAY in the future, but he certainly won’t be very speed relevant til he can show he can stay healthy for an entire season.

Joc Pederson – This kid looks good. Real good. And the power is legit. I don’t foresee it continuing the way it has however. In fact, I foresee a major speed bump coming up. He started off super hot, and suddenly, the Ks started racking up. The bullpen is whispering, and news will soon spread on how to get this guy out, if it hasn’t already. I foresee a 250-260 at bats with about 26 homeruns and about 12-15 steals, which is alright, but not as elite as some may think. I’m predicting similar numbers for the future as well, so dynasty owners, stay calm. I foresee a Jay Bruce with some speed, an maybe a tad bit less power with this guy.

Josh Donaldson – This guy is going to be good when grows u--...oh... already 29 years old? Well He’s still going to be good. Josh Donaldson has been crushing it, and he will continue to crush it. You can count on that. It’s too bad he began his career so late, as he is going to have a monster season this year. 

He moved to Toronto, which is a ridiculous upgrade from the Oakland pitchers park. On top of that, he has all sorts of great hitters around him, so he’ll be getting his pitches. It’s hard to recommend someone 29 whose fairly new to the majors, but this is a guy who is only going to go up in value, and I foresee it continuing for at least a few more years.

Kris Bryant – Jesu-- I mean Kris Bryant broke onto the scene with his massive spring training debut where he crushed everything thrown his way. The panties had been dropped, alcohol sales hit an all time low as everyone’s heads were already swimming with adoration, and medical personal was on stand by at all times for swooning fans standing too close to the upper deck edges. Probably the scariest part was... they were right to get this excited. This kid is a monster in every respect. He has the ability, mind set and lineup support (Rizzo says you’re welcome) to be everything and more. If you’re in a dynasty league, make that crazy trade. If you’re in a season league, don’t be afraid to spend. I’m predicting a 265 and 26 homerun batting line. YES that sounds very much like Pederson who I said I would cool off on, but remember Pederson already has 9 homeruns this season, Bryant has 2. So I foresee Pederson hitting 17 more, and Bryant hitting 24 more AND, I could be being safe with Bryant...

Josh Hamilton – Why not talk about this guy? Well I'm late to the party but he’s controversial and here’s my take. C.J. Wilson made a valid point that what they did to Josh Hamilton was unfair and if Hamilton was hitting 35 bombs, the Angels wouldn’t have dropped him like a Puig pop fly BUT there’s some confusion in that statement. According to the contract, Hamilton needed to have good behavior, or else that’s a breach of contract. Rumors have it that cocaine was involved. That right there is an immediate problem. Alcohol is around us all the time. That’s just the world we live in, so temptation is higher to relapse with alcohol in my opinion. If cocaine was involved which is obviously an illegal narcotic however, it begs the question, what sort of company is this millionaire, “Christian” athlete holding? Hamilton was already struggling with the Angels, and yes it’s true, athletes playing well are given more leniency, but that’s the way the world works. Ever heard of a functional drug addicts? They’re functional because they do drugs, but can still do their job well. If famous psychologist, Sigmund Freud does cocaine, and discovers brilliant ideas, no one tells him, “we won’t buy your book you addict!” because he’s still functioning fine and doing his job very well. If an aspiring psychologist can’t write a complete sentence and is trying to get a job and then gets addicted to cocaine, people think, “this guy was already struggling, now he’s going to do this to himself? He’s only going to get worse. There’s no hope here”. What’s being forgotten is that they had a contract, and the REAL problem C.J. should have is that stars get leniency, not that fallen stars don’t get leniency. Athlete’s health gets ignored, even if their destroying their bodies and families from their lifestyle because if they can still perform, teams will say “who am I to say his lifestyle’s affecting him? He’s having an all star year, and making my team win. It clearly isn’t affecting him that much.”

There’s something to be said about it happening in the off season, and that Hamilton willfully went to the Angels about it, but the truth is, can you imagine going to your employer and saying “Gee whiz. I know my numbers have been down by nearly half of what is expected of me, but I wanted to let you know something. I did some cocaine this weekend, but I’m good now. I’ll stop.” Try it. See what happens.

Now on to performance. This seems awfully familiar. Remember Big Daddy Vladdy and how he crushed it when he was traded from the Angels to Texas? Well it’s not familiar. This seems like it could be a mistake for the Angels, and considering they ate most of the money, it’s hard to say it’s not but I don’t see Hamilton making a spectacular return and making the Angels regret what they did from a performance stand point. Vladdy was traded in 2010 to Texas where he hit 29 homeruns and batted 300 in 593 abs. You know what he did in 2009 with the Angels? He batted 295 with 15 home runs in 383 abs. If you project a full year, he had almost the exact same projected stats! Certainly the trade was a mistake, but don’t be fooled, he didn’t have a bad year and then come back strong. He was always good. Angels just made a bad trade. I truly hope Hamilton received the help he needed, and becomes the healthy responsible father he needs to be, but don’t expect a valiant return after batting 250-265 and 21 homeruns in Anaheim. He may improve but temper your expectations when he arrives in Texas. I’m predicting a 260 14 batting line if he were to arrive tomorrow (for whatever that’s worth).

PITCHERS – A quick run down of pitchers. Buy DeGrom, Carrasco (but be cautious), Richards, MccHugh, Pineda, and Odorizzi. These are all guys who I’ve seen are generally underestimated. Sell Wacha (great talent but going to be huge injury concerns come playoff time) Archer (too good to be true, although could finish with a 3.20-3.30 era), and Kazmir. These are all guys who have played well but are bound to have problems later in the year. Also Wood is a sell. He has struggled early on, so may be tough to sell. He’s looked bad though, and can’t throw strikes like he has in the past. I'd try to distance myself if I could get one of the above "buy" pitchers, but hold if you can't get a decent player in return.

TEAM TO WATCH – Ya GOTTA watch out for the Mets. When you look at their offensive talent, it’s hard to be too impressed, but they’re in 1st place currently AND THEY’RE ONLY GETTING BETTER. David Wright hit the DL early, but he was looking good before he left, and assuming he can get back to where he was, they’re offense, with him, Duda, Cuddyer and Flores are going to put up a decent amount of runs. That’s right, I said FLORES. He’s struggled at times early on but he’s going to be a difference maker, if he can get at bats. The big question is his glove which is a bit weaker. Whether he puts it all together this year is in question, but he has some upside that can make a difference for their offense, and yours, but that’s not why we need to watch them. It’s their pitching staff, which has been fantastic. Harvey, DeGrom, Colon and Niese have been incredible, and while Colon and Niese will almost certainly come back to reality to at least some degree, they're still getting better as their bringing in top prospect Noah Syndergaard who is a fantastic pitcher, I foresee having very few speed bumps. He’s smart and talented, and while he may not hit his peak this season like a Jose Fernandez, he will be a difference maker.

Keep on that waiver wire! 

-Alan Clark 

NFL Draft: Winston or Mariota?

The weather is getting warmer, baseball is in full swing and many of us in school can already taste the freedom of summer (unless your like me and taking summer classes :/).  All this only means one thing, its NFL Draft time!  With the draft just a couple of days away we here at Four Corner Sports are already getting our popcorn ready for Thursday and can not wait to see how every pick plays out.  This years biggest questions are not necessarily who will be drafted first overall but more important questions such as will Jameis Winston be able to transition from young stupid college student to a responsible and sensible adult apart of the National Football League?  Or, will Marcus Mariota be able to evolve his skills from the spread offense used at Oregon to the traditional pocket passing style of offense run by almost every team in the NFL?  

Marcus Mariota

It is almost a given that Winston will be playing in Tampa Bay next year.  It is hard not to wonder whether playing in Florida will help or hurt Winston in the long run.  Will he be too close to the negative influences that have troubled him at Florida State throughout his college career? Only time will tell, however the thought of Jameis staying in Florida after his struggles in Tallahassee makes me nervous.  On the other hand, Mariota can be drafted anywhere between picks 2-6.  Whether he lands with the Titans at 2 (the most likely scenario) or falls all the way to the Jets at the 6 spot my concerns with him remain the same.  Mariota has everyone from scouts, ESPN personalities and GM’s overthinking Marcus and his skill set.  His inability to stay in the pocket and deliver balls on an accurate strike will be his biggest hurdle of adjustment to the NFL.  History tells us that quarterbacks who have previously tried to run around end up getting hurt (RGIII, Michael Vick).  Russell Wilson is the closest comparison to Mariota that I can find, however Wilson has the ability to fit the ball into tight spaces as well as sitting in the pocket when it is necessary.  Winston and Mariota have some similarities in their game, but Winston’s skill set is that of a more traditional QB in the NFL.  While he has shown he can scramble and run when the occasion calls for it, his overall strengths are in his fundamental pocket style.

Jameis Winston

 I predict the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Jameis Winston with the first overall pick and Tennessee taking Mariota second.  It will be very interesting to see where both players are a year from now. Let us know how you think the draft is going to shape up and any other draft related comment/questions on our Facebook or email.  

-Derick Riggs

The NBA is the Best Ran Professional Sports League in the World.

When it comes down to what makes a perfectly run sports league there are three main components. The first is to have a strong leader or commissioner. The second, it is imperative to have a tight and well run financial system.  And finally, a league be active in the community and online. There are six major professional leagues in the world. The English Premier League, Major League Soccer, National Hockey League, National Football League and National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. The NBA is the best ran league of the group.

The first component to having the best ran professional sports league is to have a strong leader at the top.  First, one must look at the commissioner in order to determine which league is best . The media hates the NHL and NFL commissioners, while the MLB’s commisioner is brand new so it is difficult to compare him to the likes of Roger Goodell and Adam Silver. That leaves us with the MLS, EPL and NBA leaders. The NBA’s leader is Adam Silver who spent 23 years working in the league’s front office. He made his stamp as leader last April when he banned Clippers owner Sterling from the game for life. This swift and aggressive stand has earned him credibility around the league. On the day of the banning all the league’s players stood behind Silver and praised his leadership via social media.  Silver not only  has a Juris Doctorate but is experienced in movie production as well. . His unique resume and talents give him an advantage in today’s markets.  Silver knows the media, but also knows the law. 

The second component of what makes a good league is revenue. The NBA is one of the few leagues where every team earns a surplus of 100 million dollars per season and every franchise is worth 600 million or more. The league in general ranks third amongst professional sports leagues in total revenue as of 2012. They are bringing in 2 billion dollars less than the NFL but we will see how that number changes due to the NFL’s name being dragged through the mud in the midst of recent controversies. 

The NBA dominates the media landscape. In 2014 the NFL resigned with DirecTV for 12 billion dollars. That’s a large sum of money? Yes, but their TV deal in 2011 was worth 27 billion. On the other side the NBA just resigned with ESPN and Turner for 24 billion. The tide isn’t just turning in TV media but also in social media. The NBA more than doubles the second place league in the NFL with 27 million likes to 12 million likes on Facebook. They have over 6 million subscribers on YouTube which is more than all of the major professional leagues combined. The importance to this is not in how big their following is or how great their contributions are rather in that the NBA saw social media as a useful tool for league branding and recognized their responsibility to give back. This gives us an inside look into how well the league is being operated. Putting the game right into their hands engages and empowers the viewers. This creates culture. As we move toward the future the NBA will prosper due to their early involvement in technology. The NBA website is the easiest sports site to use and is the most interactive by far. It puts all the games of the day in the top for easy access, then under, puts stories in video and written format. Finally at the bottom they put links to their TV, Community and Social Media sites. The other leagues make very little effort to link their TV or Social sites from the main website. This limits where the fan can wander on the page. The NFL for instance is not interactive at all. A good website needs to be laid out with the scores of the day first then under, with videos and articles, After, you need to include interactive feature so a fan can get lost in the site.

They have also been the leader in giving back. The NBA Cares campaign has donated more than 230 million dollars to charity, 2.8 million hours of hands on service, and built over 860 places to live in 25 countries. No other league comes close to those numbers. The NBA is the worldwide leader in service.

In conclusion, the perfect league has a strong leader, tight finances, and is active in the community along with social media. The NBA exhibits all of this and is a leader in the future for the other leagues. That is why the NBA is the best ran league. The real question to ask is not if the NBA is the best ran sports league but is it the best ran company in the world? 

-Chris Schlierman

NBA: Phil Jackson

History

Phil Jackson is an 11 time NBA champion coach and 2 time NBA champion player. He has been associated with the Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks. He has become the modern day "Zen Master" and patriarch of the triangle. Last spring he was signed as the GM and President of operations for the New York Knicks.

The Problem

The Knicks finished 17-65 and last in the NBA. Their team is Melo and a bunch of D leaguers. No one is willing to play for them or watch them. To top this off Melo finished the with a season ending knee surgery. He is under contract for the next 3 years. 

The Solution

Start by firing Phil Jackson. He should of coached this season and Fisher should have been associate coach but instead Phil through Fisher right into the line of fire without setting up a culture beforehand. He has made all the wrong roster moves and has botched the team budget. The Knicks need to let him go and pick a new path to rebuild on. 

They need to find a new star to build around. Melo is a one dimensional score only player. He does not lead a team or facilitate an offense. He's not the guy you give over 100 million too. 

NBA Trade Deadline

With the NBA trade deadline officially over, this year will go down as one of the more interesting and exciting deadlines in recent memory.  The biggest news coming out of the NBA today is the trade between the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns that sent veteran guard Goran Dragic and his brother Zoran to the Miami Heat for for 2 first round draft picks. Phoenix also gets swingman Danny Granger and the New Orleans Pelicans acquired point guard Norris Cole, forward Shawn Williams and center Justin Hamilton.  Although Dragic is a free agent at the end of this season, he immediately makes the Miami Heat a contender in a weak Eastern Conference.  Needless to say I hope we can see a Cleveland, Miami match up in the playoffs this year. 

 Next, we stay in Phoenix as the Suns also traded point guard Isiah Thomas to the Boston Celtics.  Boston gets Thomas for Marcus Thornton and a first round pick in 2016 from Cleveland.  The Celtics also sent NBA veteran Tayshaun Prince back to Detroit.  Prince spent the best years of his career in Detroit and won an NBA Title in 2005.  The Pistons weren’t done dealing there, the Oklahoma City Thunder sent Reggie Jackson to the Pistons in a three team deal that would see the Thunder acquiring Utah center Enes Kanter, forward Steve Novak as well as Kyle Singler and D.J. Augustin. Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin were teammates in 2007 and it will be interesting to see how they play together again a few years older. In return the Utah Jazz acquire center Kendrick Perkins who is rumored to be bought out and then pursued by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers. 

 In what might be the most surprising news of the day the Philadelphia 76ers completed a three team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns that sends former rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams, Miles Plumlee and Tyler Ennis to the Milwaukee Bucks.  The Suns get Brandon Marshall and Kendall Knight whereas the 76ers, who seemed to give up a lot in MCW only get a draft pick in return.

 In the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired hardened shooting guard Aaron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee from the Denver Nuggets in a five player trade.  Denver recieved Thomas Robinson, Will Barton and Victor Claver as well as a first round draft pick in 2016.  Finally, in our feel good story of the day, veteran power forward Kevin Garnett will return to his roots in Minnesota.  Garnett, who jumped to the NBA right out of high school and spent his first 12 seasons with the Timberwolves dropped his no trade clause with the Brooklyn Nets and will likely finish his career in the city where it all began.  The Brooklyn Nets add Thaddeus Young to a roster that has been plagued by injuries and lack of team chemistry.  What marked one of the busiest days in NBA history saw more than 30 players change teams with moves that made sense and some that don’t (I’m looking at you Philidelphia).  Check back soon for an update on the NBA and how things seem to be shaping up for the playoffs.

-Derick Riggs

Pete Rose in the HOF?

"Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

These are the considerations made upon inducting a baseball Hall of Famer, and have deserved a little more scrutiny after recent talks about a re-induction of Pete Rose. After all, Pete Rose's stats are good. Very good, and this has become a question of Ethtics vs. Forgiveness. The romantic in my heart has an ear for hearing the underdog's side, but my conclusion stands that Pete Rose has no place in the Hall of Fame.

Shortly after the recent Hall of Fame induction, a discussion arose (no pun intended) about Pete Rose meeting with MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred to discuss reinstatement for the Hall of Fame balloting. This perhaps may have been sparked by Rose's Sketchers commercial where he claims "I can't catch a break". You can watch the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYEGUzV-tOs

You can also find a great discussion by Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's "First Take" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FklZ0xEXuZA. 

They talk about various considerations that need to be made when deciding if Rose should be reinstated or if he should never have a place in the Hall of Fame. The important points to take from it is Pete Rose's character by betting on baseball while managing the Reds and the comparisons to steroids.

Admittedly I didn't live through the Pete Rose era, so I have less context then perhaps another commenter but I did live through the steroid era which I think is an important contribution to the way people feel about this subject.

Pete Rose made a mistake when he decided to bet on the Reds. He decided to try and make money through betting while he was a manager. The argument has been made that he bet on his own team exclusively (although unproven), so it wouldn't make sense for him to be trying to throw games. Skip Bayless brings up a good point though in questioning "What about the games he didn't bet on?" as they mean he was in a way, guessing they wouldn't win. Having that sort of mentality questions his efforts as a manager. Did he try harder in the games he bet he would win? 

This remains important because it gives enough reason for the him to be kept from the Hall of Fame, independent of outside variables. A lot of questions come up however when it's compared to the players who have controversy surrounding their PED (Performance enhancing drugs) abuse.

In 1991 PEDs were placed on the banned substance list for the MLB, and with the continuing of PED abusers, the testing for PEDs began in 2003. It has been alleged that there were many players who continued to use PEDs between 1991 and 2003, and some have been found to use even after 2003. So the conversation becomes "if all these players used steroids, but were put on the ballot, how come Rose can't be inducted?" and there's an answer to that question.

Pete Rose's mistake was made from being selfish. After receiving 24 years of baseball stardom, he wanted more. He decided to embarrass a sport that has been called classy and old school minded for years. However you script it, Pete Rose did things to get more after already being given so much. This is why the steroid era isn't a fair comparison.

What's not being talked about is that a lot of athletes admit to using PEDs. In fact they would say "everyone was doing it". So the unfortunate truth, is that many of them had already started their careers in the majors or minor leagues using PEDs before it was illegal. 

Does that make it right? No. But when your job is on the line, sometimes right doesn't matter. Players are paid to be the best at their position, and when you're asked to stop doing what's making you good, but have no one testing you or the people competing with you for your job, you better believe you are going to assume the other people competing for your job that are on the cusp of succeeding are going to be taking those PEDs.

So when considering the ethics of betting on the team you're managing vs. cheating to keep your job, I don't think they're completely the same thing. One is trying to compete with players who may be putting you in the minor leagues where you make a fraction of your pay, not to mention the embarrassment of losing your job, while the other is trying to put more coin in your pocket after a career where he probably made more then most people reading this will make in a lifetime.

These two problems are not the same. Even with that, I'd say those who partook in steroids, particularly after 2003, should never reach the Hall of Fame either. But there's also the question of if they'd actually taken steroids. It's a lot easier to prove someone was betting on a sport, because there are usually many other people involved in a sports bet. Taking steroids can take as few as two people, and not to be too 'merican, but in America, people are innocent until proven guilty. So those who haven't been proven guilty can't be held out of the Hall of Fame until their infraction has been proven. Many of the players who are highly suspected of using PEDs have been held out of the Hall of Fame anyway, as even though they are on the ballot with eye popping numbers, they've been passed over time and time again. As they should be.

Pete Rose doesn't deserve to be in the Hall Of Fame. That's a privilege, not a right (just like driving a car). Pete Rose doesn't deserve a job as a manager. I can't imagine wanting to hire someone who may be trying to sabotage my business for a highly sought after job with lots of qualified people without that looming over their head. 

When you read those six prerequisites for becoming inducted to the Hall of Fame, Pete Rose doesn't meet all of them. He meets some exceptionally, but that doesn't qualify him completely. There have been questions about players who have been 'good guys' that weren't extremely talented stats-wise entering the hall of fame, but at least they were above average talent players. Pete Rose's character and integrity were bottom of the bucket. I can see the view that others in the Hall of Fame, shouldn't be in there, but it shouldn't be a qualification to allow us to place people like Pete Rose in.

By Alan Clark