Hasta la vistA-Rod

And it ends. Not with with a bang, but a whimper- as the poet said. Actually it's: Not with a press conference, but a voicemail. According to agent Scott Boras, Alex Rodriguez has opted out of the last three years of his landmark contract, leaving some $80 million- plus (minus the $9 million he will still be paid by the Texas Rangers) on the table; and leaving the Bronx and the Yankees behind. The bomb was dropped by Boras not in a face-to-face meeting, but on Yankees' GM Brian Cashman's voicemail. "He was traveling, I was traveling," was all Boras had to say of his failed attempt to contact Cashman. Guess he thought a voicemail would be better than an IM, or a text- or do they make "Opting out of Contract" E-cards?

Where to even begin with this one? According to Boras, "Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do," Boras said. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing." Now, A-Rod's concern for the future of the Yankees' franchise is very touching and all, but it really has nothing to do with why he opted out. And interesting turn of phrase: "his closer, his catcher..." Last I remember, A-Rod isn't even the captain of the Yankees, let alone in any kind of position to be calling teammates "his." Granted, it's Scott Boras speaking for A-Rod - but he ain't doing the guy any favors. A-Rod was going to catch flack for all of this anyway, walking away from millions of dollars- but Boras is making him look like more of a jerk rather than helping the situation.

All I would love is the truth. For Alex Rodriguez to come out and say he didn't want to play for the Yankees anymore. He didn't want to deal with all that goes with it. Save me the quotes: "Alex enjoyed playing in New York. He played well there. He was comfortable there." Anybody believe that? And if it were true, wouldn't he have instructed his agent to negotiate in good faith with the Yankees and make it happen? But did A-Rod's feelings or opinion bear any weight? The way it is all playing out, it looks to me that A-Rod wanted out. On Boras' "advice," they never even sat down with the club to even entertain what offers may have been on the table. And A-Rod followed that advice, apparently in juxtaposition with what he truly wanted. Which begs the question: Who's working for who?

Scott Boras seems to have an almost hypnotic control over his clients. I have never heard of someone going against his wishes. Why? Because he gets people paid. And that's his bottom line.
Oh he'll go on and on about market-value, statistical analysis, and such- but he wants to put the most money in his own pocket at any cost. And his players go along with with it, because they are getting more money too. And they go along, to the point where it doesn't seem like it's the player that is making the final decision. Boras makes offers his opinion, and that's what wind up happening. But Boras never says it's about the money. What is it about if it isn't about the money? It certainly isn't about loyalty, or love of the game, or concerns about who his closer, his catcher will be. It's dollars and cents, plain and simple. I would love somebody to just stand up and say that. For Boras to say, I just want to get my client the most money possible, so I get more too, no matter what it takes. That's it... then I will stop my griping.

But this isn't about the money for A-Rod. Hank Steinbrenner, in his relatively new position as "Boss" in the Bronx, has proved to be less than sensitive when making remarks to the press. But his comments in regards to A-Rod seemed to strike the nail on the head: "It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee." And we'll probably never know. Boras can spin it however he wants, but all signs point to the fact that A-Rod no longer wanted to be Yankee. Not only that, but Boras is also making A-Rod a symbol of all that is wrong with the world of sports right now, whether that is actually the case or not. And unless Alex Rodriguez comes out and says Scott Boras his holding his life hostage, then that's all I can take away from this.

And the bleak goes on...

Just when it appeared bleak- nearly hopeless- for the Miami Dolphins, it just got bleaker. And no, I am not talking about the skies over London, where they are set to face the New York Giants next week. It was reported today that Ronnie Brown, who has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal season, will be out for the remainder of the season after learning the grim results of the MRI on his damaged right knee. Brown injured the knee in third quarter of Sunday's shellacking versus the New England Patriots, while chasing down Patriots defender Randall Gay after a Cleo Lemon interception. It was not reported however, if anyone named Murphy was involved in the play in question. No, there was no Murphy on the field on Sunday, but Murphy's law seems to have dictated the course of events this year in Miami.

It's been that kind of season for the Dolphins. If could get worse, it does. And so continues the dismantling of Miami's offense: Brown and starting quarterback Trent Green lost to injury, and starting wide out Chris Chambers to San Diego via trade. Two former Pro-Bowlers and a rising star gone, all in the course of a couple of weeks. Hey, at least they got a 2nd round draft pick and his salary off the books with Chambers. The other two leave nothing but question marks: Trent Green's career is very much in doubt, suffering his second serious concussion in as many years; and it remains to be seen just how bad Ronnie Brown's injury is.

What's next for the offense-poor, weary Dolphins? A long plane ride across the Atlantic, where they will face the league's hottest defensive unit in the Giants. Lambs to the slaughter? It is the NFL, and anything can happen in any given week- but that anything that could happen to the Dolphins may just be another disastrous bump in the long road that is this season. A long road that just may bring about more losses. Really there's only thing to play for now (besides pride, or the first pick in the draft), and that's not to become the first win less team in the history of the 16-game season. What a shame it would be for the Miami Dolphins, the team famous for its unprecedented and unmatched perfect season, to set a precedent of another kind all together- an unblemished record on the other end of the spectrum. So as they slog through the rest of the 2007 season, looking for their first win the Dolphins may want to take note: Weeks 10 and 14 find them facing the Buffalo Bills, who boast a tight-end by the name of Matt Murphy. What better way to exercise the demons of Murphy's law than by defeating Murphy himself? Maybe there is something else to play for this season after all.

A class act, to the end

The Joe Torre era in the Bronx has come to end. Throughout the 2007 season, I thought- many times- maybe it was time to move on. When the season ended abruptly with yet another first-round disappointment- I thought, maybe it's time for the Yanks and Torre to part ways. But when the news came down that Joe had rejected the Yankees one-year contract offer- I didn't know what to think, or how I felt. A day after his farewell press conference, I am sure of one thing: he deserved better. Maybe not from the Yankees so much- although that argument can be made- but certainly from the media.

Joe Torre went out of his way to hold his press conference yesterday- which he did not have to do. But as he has been throughout his tenure as Yankees skipper, he has handled the press corps with grace and tact- with fairness and openness. So yesterday the press flocked to the Hilton in Rye, New York, and were greeted by Torre with, among other things: "I'm here for as long as you need me." A pretty selfless act for someone who was in an awkward situation. The same guy who in 12 years, never had a notable run in with a member of the press: no arguments, no turning over his desk in is office. Yesterday, as he always did, he invited them in and leveled with them.

To show their appreciation to him, there were headlines this morning containing "Bitter Joe," and "Why I quit" (words never uttered in the press conference)- unfair treatment to a guy who had given his time freely to these very writers who turned around and decided to put a negative spin on the event. It is a reaction befitting of crazed fans maybe, but not of the supposed unbiased media. To be quite honest, Torre really could have said a lot of harsh things, about Steinbrenner, about the Yankees organization, about all the second guessers. But instead he remained a class act, spoke his mind- but never to the point of bad mouthing or pointing fingers or deflecting blame.

The next Yankees manager has some huge shoes to fill- and never mind Joe Torre's numbers. The way he handled the media, and protected his players; created an atmosphere in the clubhouse that was prone to winning: positive and always team- oriented. Hopefully the next guy is someone who has been watching closely the past 12 years, someone who can even come close to emulating those ideals.

Nothing lasts forever. And perhaps this is right time for this to happen. But I was hoping the press could give the guy a fond send off. Say what you will about his in-game management, second guess his pitching changes or substitutions- but characterizing JoeTorre as bitter, or a quitter; painting a picture of Joe Torre the man as anything less the gracious is something that I won't be a part of. Good luck, Joe. We were lucky to have you around all these years.

Manny being... oh, Manny

Okay, second entry in row where I am making the statement, "If I were a _______ fan, I'd be…blah blah blah." That said, if I were a Red Sox fan- and thank the good lord I am not- I would be pretty much done with Manny Ramirez. The ol' "Just Manny being Manny" has reared it its ugly, nappy-dreaded head again this week in multiple. It wasn't enough that we had to watch Manny, hands extended over his head, standing for way too long at home plate admiring his home run on Tuesday night in Cleveland- a solo home run that brought the score to 7-3: in favor of the Indians. What was he so damn excited about that he needs to hot-dog like that, show up the opposing team in their own stadium, and frankly embarrass himself and his teammates? To quote the guys on ESPN's show PTI, "It looked like he thought he just hit a 6-run walk-off homer!" Just Manny being Manny.

Now today we learn that Manny, in his words, gave a hearty "Who cares?" in regards to whether or not the Red Sox win their series against the Indians. From ESPN.com:

"Why should we panic?" he said in a rare clubhouse interview. "We've got a great team."And then, this: "It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not the end of the world."

Who cares, Manny? Red Sox Nation, knucklehead. With the recent history of Red Sox comebacks, the last thing a hyped-up Sox fan wants to hear is that one of the star players on their favorite team really doesn't care too much, and is willing to give it the old college try next year. Especially a Boston fan. I think there have been far too many next years for them.
Will there be any backlash from this? Time will tell I think. Let's see how Manny performs tonight and see if the Sox can pull this one out. Then we'll see the reaction from Red Sox Nation.
To me, there has to be point where the all the crap- the sound bites, the loafing around the bases and outfield, the yearly trade requests- outweighs even the most spectacular hitting performance. And Manny Ramirez is an enormously talented and feared hitter- maybe even one of the best right-handed batters in the history of the game. But I wouldn't want him anywhere near my team- as a fan and I would think as a front office staff. The fact that the need for damage control is so frequent that it has garnered its own catch phrase, "Just Manny being Manny," should say it all. If at all goes bad this week for the Red Sox we may see that yearly trade request actually come to fruition- and Manny can be Manny somewhere else.

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OH AND…

Happiest of birthdays today to my beautiful wife Heather! Also not a Red Sox fan (otherwise probably not my wife…ha). Also, such a phenomenal wife that had the Yankees made it to the ALCS, and to a Game 5- that's where we'd be tonight. On her birthday! Yes gents, she is a keeper!

Bitter, party of one newspaper!*

Let the Boston-New York rivalry, nay, hate-fest continue! This time it spills off the football field into and onto the pages of The New York Post. But not quite where you'd expect: not in the column of some Jets' beat-writer; not in some sports editorial piece; not in a cheesy ad for a bar that shows NFL games; but in the NFL standings section of the paper (A section heretofore, in my recollection, which has matched, in its contents, the print and paper it exists on- black and white- or maybe even off-white in its extreme). In an extremely- dare I say- colorful move, the powers-that-be over at The Post felt the necessity to put and asterisk next to the name of New England, who at present boasts a 6-0 record and a commanding lead in the AFC East. Just below the standings we see noted that the asterisk has the connotation of "Caught Cheating," in bold type-face. Now, I am no fan of the New England Patriots- in fact I loath them. But, being that I am also not Jets' fan I can (in this case) remove myself from the inter-city slugfest that is Boston-New York.

This reeks of bitterness on the part of New York (The Post taking it upon themselves to speak for all), on behalf of the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Not just run of mill bitterness- but that chip on the shoulder, deep-seeded bitterness that has become synonymous with Boston fans. The famous bitterness that provoked a "Yankees Suck" chant to break out during a celebration of the Patriots Super Bowl championship celebration in 2002. As most every football fan now knows, in or out of Boston, the New England Patriots and their coach Bill Belichick were caught video taping signals of the opposing team's coaching staff on the sideline during a game. Belichick was fined $500K and he and the Patriots organization were vilified in the national and local media. And rightfully so: the Patriots were caught using illegal tactics to gain an advantage over their opponents. They turned over all the illegally-obtained information to the League. End of that story.

So now back to the asterisk. Now while "caught cheating" is a statement of fact, the statement it makes is one of blind jealousy and stupidity. It implies that Patriots are 6-0 because of the incident, and that their record therefore is somehow irrelevant. Perhaps The Post should print what New England's record ought to be, with the cheating taken into effect. Or better yet, maybe the all-powerful press should vote every week and tell us who the best team in the league is- like they do so accurately do for college football week after week. The real truth is, cheating, or what have you, aside- the Pats are 6-0 because they are more than likely the best team in the NFL at present. And let's face it: Belichick got caught- but it doesn't mean other teams haven't done it or maybe even continue to do it, albeit more discretely. And let us not forget against whom the Patriots were playing when all this went down… yep, the New York Jets. Hmmm. Quite frankly, the asterisk would embarrass me if I were a Jets fan. The Patriots did not beat the Jets on that day thanks to stolen signals. They beat them because they were, and are the better team- by far. And New York fans being as savvy as they are, they know this.

The bottom line is: the NFL standings page is not the place to make opinions known, or qualifications made. Why not add asterisks to the Major League Baseball standings, or to any team in any sport who has had a player suspended for performance-enhancing drugs? Why not add asterisks to denote the period of time when a team had its star player out with an injury? Or for players in touble with the law? I could go on and on into infinity, into minutiae -but that would be ridiculous. The New York Post has now set the bar for ridiculous-ness. There was a report today that Tom Brady was fined by the NFL for not buckling his chin strap fully in last week's game against Dallas. I can't wait to read the NFL standings The Post in the morning to see if they've added another asterisk.

(Midnight) Blue in October

Believe me, I understand. Not every team can gauge their success at the end of the year by whether or not they have won the World Series. But call it Yankee Pride, greed, or whatever you want- a World Series ring is the measuring stick in the Bronx. And Yankee's brass and fans desire and expect no less than that.

Yes, baseball has crowned a new world champ every year since 2000- when the Yanks won their last of four titles in five seasons. And yes, that is great for Major League Baseball, competitive balance, and all that. And yeah, it's teriffic that we can go into Spring Training every wondering who will be this year's suprise break-out team... but guess what? I don't care. My favorite team has a $200 million payroll, and frankly it's embarrassing when they get bouced in the first round of the playoffs time and time again.

I refuse to listen to fans of other teams whining about the fact that they haven't won anything in years and years- if ever- and all the finger pointing that has gone on with it- the Yankees spend so much money on big players, they're buying their championships, it's bad for baseball, blah blah blah... If it was so bad for baseball, why has it been 7 years since their last title? It seems to me that spending all that money with nothing to show for it is only bad for the Yankees. If you own a professional sports franchise, you've got the cash to spend on upgrading your team if you so desire. And I don't ever remember seeing George Steinbrenner crying over lost greenbacks- just missed opportunity. And quite frankly, if I was shelling out the cash that he does year after year, I would expect the world as well- and would be outspoken of my expectations. He just wants to win at any cost, and has ingrained that into his team's fans' psyche.

I'm rambling. I have no grand plan on how to fix this situation. Part ways with Joe Torre, and you may lose some of the players that revere him. Keep him, and you may just precipitate a repeat performance of the past few seasons. Let A-Rod go, and you reduce the monumental payroll that everyone complains about- but create a gaping hole in your lineup. Sign A-Rod to yet another record-breaking deal and incur the wrath of all the whiners, further the lore of the "Evil Empire." All I know for certain, is that it's not quite the middle of October and I already don't care about the outcome of rest of the playoffs (except of course that Boston be ousted sooner rather than later): and I don't like that. Yes I'll still watch, I'm a baseball fan too, not just a Yankee fan. But it won't be that heart in my throat, pacing around my apartment excitement that I somehow enjoy. And say what you will, you fans of other teams who don't often taste the thrill of the ultimate in baseball- I get it: I'm spoiled, I'm arrogant. But guess what? I am a Yankee fan, and I don't care.