In 2006 Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays hit .303 with 32 Home Runs and 106 Runs Batted In. He also won a Gold Glove Award and was rewarded with a 7 year $126 million contract extension. Since that time Wells has yet to hit more than 20 HR and hasn't cracked the 80 RBI mark.
To me this proves only one thing. Once he got his money he lost all incentive to try.
Now you might expect me to go on a rant about how I think this is terrible behavior and how it is ruining the game but in all honesty I agree with it.
Think about it. If I told you that for the next 7 years I would give you $126 million guaranteed what would you do? Would you quit your job or maybe drop out of school? 99% of people would and that's because once financial security is achieved what incentive is there to try?
I know that if I was promised that kind of money I wouldn't get a job and if I was still in school I would not be going to 3 hour lectures when I could be out buying Lamborghinis. Athletes should be no different.
If you want someone to blame for this attitude of laziness then look no further than the owners and GMs who sign these contracts knowing full well what will happen. It doesn't take someone with a business degree from Stanford to understand that if you give a 26 year old $126 million they are going to lose their motivation.
Most modern athletes come from the lower class. This isn't a stereotype against minorities it is a fact. These kids grow up with no money and are using sports as a way to reach the end goal in life = financial security. They get the big contract and all their problems are gone. Vernon's got his millions why run down fly balls and possibly hurt yourself when you could just jog there?
I am not going to single out just Vernon Wells however as in all sports there are countless guys who have their career year during a contract year. If I was to field a baseball team of just players who in 2009 are in a contract year here would be my starting lineup:
Note: Keep in mind that the stats for this year only cover 60-75 games as the season is only half way over. Also I couldn't find a list of relief pitchers in a contract year so I left that out.
Catcher - Victor Martinez
This Year: .321 14 HR 57 RBI
Last Year: .278 2 HR 35 RBI
1B - Russel Branyan
This Year: .303 19 HR 38 RBI
Last Year: .250 12 HR 20 RBI
2B - Orlando Hudson
This Year: .303 5 HR 41 RBI
Last Year: .305 8 HR 41 RBI
SS - Marco Scutaro
This Year: .286 6 HR 32 RBI
Last Year: .267 7 HR 60 RBI
3B - ChoneFiggins
This Year: .319 1 HR 21 RBI
Last Year: .276 1 HR 22 RBI
LF - Carl Crawford
This Year: .316 6 HR 35 RBI
Last Year: .273 8 HR 57 RBI
CF - Andruw Jones
This Year: .239 9 HR 23 RBI
Last Year: .158 3 HR 14 RBI
RF - Honestly couldn't find 1 Right Fielder in a contract year that was playing well or at least better than previous years.
SP - Kevin Millwood
This Year: 8-5 2.64 ERA 70 K 36 Walks 1.22 WHIP
Last Year: 9-10 5.07 ERA 125 K 49 Walks 1.59 WHIP
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Despite the fact that I a missing a right fielder that is not a bad team. All of these guys are doing better this year than they did last year. Now that may be due to other reasons besides money but in all likelihood it is the possibility that if they have a bad season they will cost themselves millions of dollars that is motivating them.
It is a sad but true fact that most athletes are just in it for the money.
OK so welcome to the 2009 NHL draft running diary. This draft should be really interesting as there is no clear concise first overall pick and there are many trades that should be happening. The draft has a significant fall off in talent after pick #5 and there are only a few superstars.
Just to set the scene here I am in Bryan "the Hermit" Cruse's basement with NHL Insider Stevie P, Drapes, and Older Cruse.
McDonalds has been eaten and I got the Diet Mug by my side. Just keep hitting refresh to get the hook up:
7:00 - "nice fucking girlfriend" Stevie P on Victor Hedman's girlfriend. Seriously I think he could do better and might kick her to the curb once he gets drafted. I hate these little montage videos in sports before the draft as they get these kids to try and build up some hype. 'Tonight dreams will be realised and a journey begins.' So cheesy.
Group agrees that Hedman should be taken first but that Tavares will more than likely go 1st overall.
7:04 - Darren "I know dick all" Dragger comes on and tells us that Philly has traded for Chris Pronger and that the Kaberle for Kessel trade fell through.
Tavares, Hedman, and Duchene are being interviewed right now. I feel so bad for whoever goes 1st overall as then I would have to go to Long Island and waste away. The only good thing to come out of Long Island was Debra Baron aka Patricia Heaton.
7:09 - Nothing better than hearing all of these "experts" on TSN say that they have no idea who is getting picked 1st overall. Real solid reporting and investigative journalism.
7:13 - some french dudes come out to cheers and the second Bettman steps in front of the mic he boo'd mercilessly. Bettman just tried to speak French and butchered the language like Jason Vorhess butchers virgin teens by the lake. I hate this man and he needs to be fired asap.
7:15 - Islanders on the clock here are the picks in the basement:
Me - Tavares
Stevie P - Tavres
Drapes - Hedman
Cruse - Tavares
Old Cruse - Hedman
7:18 - Islanders management steps up and has their representative speak French. That better not happen all night. All 3 potential picks look like death.
Its Tavares! That smile is so forced I love it. I wish they would show Hedman and Duchene highfiving and fist pumping off screen cause they don't have to go to the Islanders.
7:20 - Pierre McGwire exclaims that this is a great pick. This was a no brainer. Way to not blow it NY. I can't believe the Montreal fans were cheering for him. Showing class for the first time ever.
7:25 - Lightning are on the clock here. Blockbuster deal gets revealed and its Pronger for a shit load. 2 first round picks and some players for an almost 40 year old Pronger. Philly must think its 2005 here paying that kind of price for Pronger.
I wish these douchebag owners and GMs would stop thanking the Montreal fans and congratulating the Penguins. Just say your pick and move on.
7: 27 - Hedman gets picked and so far the Sports Informer is 2 for 2 in my mock draft. Easy pick as Hedman is a beast. He looks like he is about to be in a Huge Boss ad.
7:37 - Wow this is brutal with all this damn french. Colorado takes Matt Duchene to replace Joe Sakic when he leaves. Bob McKenzie is talking about Haliburton like its the greatets place ever. Do me a favor and stick to talking about the players.
These players need to learn to hug the parents and then get to the podium. Both Tavares and Duchene have taken 10 minutes each to get to the podium. This 1st round might take 4 hours at this rate.
7:45 - Thrashers take Evander Kane which is the right pick. 4 for 4 in my draft. So far Atlanta has done the best job of getting up to the front and making their pick. A few pleasantries and then the pick, let's hope this continues.
LA Kings are up next. The Hermit is hoping the Leafs move up here and I think this could happen as the Kings don't really need any more young talent.
7:53 - So much for short announcements. Kings GM has taken it upon himself to talk about Luc Robitaille for 10 minutes. Make the god damn pick!
7:56 - Kings take Brayden Scheen destroying the hearts of Leaf fans everywhere. Loved seeing Luke Schenn in the crowd although it was odd to see him get up and move as usually he is glued to the ice and watching players skate by him
Burke looked oissed when Schenn went. I am sure he tried really hard but no one would bend to his will.
8:05 - The Hamilton Coyotes select Larrson from Sweden. Seems to be a logical pick but this pick breaks my streak of consecutive corrective picks.
Gord Miller says "Larrson is the first european player taken in this years draft." He must have forgotten about Victor Hedman. Great work TSN. Fire this old man and gets the Sports Informer in there.
8:12 - Burke walks up to boos but stands strong and gives the fans the biggest grin ever. Reason #345 why I love Burke: he didn't thank Montreal or congratulate anyone.
Leafs pick Nazim Kadri which is a real screw you to Ottawa. The Hermit is pissed. He wanted Cowan or MSP. Old Cruse is also upset about the pick. Leafs pick up the Arabian Knight.
Both Cruse brothers are disheveled more so the Hermit as his day started off so bright but now not so much. It is revealed Kadri's favorite team growing up was Montreal which elicits a large groan from the Hermit.
8:18 - Dallas goes way off the board and takes Scott Glennie. He is a good player but he would have been there at like 12. I love how no one is tahnking Montreal anymore which is speeding this up.
MPS and Jared Cowan might slide here. I had MPS going to Ottawa which was questioned hard by certain people (Brad Spencer) but I stand by my pick. My mock draft has officially been blown up.
8:26 - Sens take Jared Cowan who is a great defenseman. If he hadn't hurt his knee he would have been a top 3 pick. The Cruse brothers are pissed right now as they are seeing what could have been. "who needs a 6-5 defenseman?"
8:35 - Edmonton takes MPS. Stevie P just lost a bet to the Hermit here as Ryan Ellis was not taken. MPS might be the first Swede I have ever seen that doesn't have blonde hair.
8:40 - Barry Trotz just broke the Hermit's tv with his ugly face. Hopefully we can fix the tv before the next pick gets taken.
8:45 - Nashville takes Ryan Ellis who is a dead ringer for Josh Acheson. Ellis won't be in the NHL for awhile because he needs to get better and also deal with his acne problem.
Interesting note Ryan Ellis has a hot ass sister. Seriously she is hot and blonde and needs more air time.
8:53 - Islanders move up to the 12th spot here. The whole process took about 7 minutes and after all that they take Calvin De hann. This is really off the board as De hann probably would have been there at 24. This just proves that despite what people think and are saying about Garth Snow and the Islanders they are a terrible franchise.
The Islanders have traded all their picks for the rest of the draft. Dumb move by NY. The guy can't even put his hat on properly!
9:02 - TSN is now interviewing Landon Ferraro who is wearing one of the worst suits I have ever seen. He is porjected to go 24th overall but the basement thinks he might have to wait til the 2nd round to go anywhere. His dad is a scrub despite what the Hermit says.
The Cruse brothers have started a heated discussion about the Leafs and their crappy picks. This has become the best part of the draft as the brothers seem dejected no matter who gets taken as tey feel every pick is going to "smash" the Leafs.
9:04 - Buffalo takes Zac Kassian who is a great winger. Drapes is a Sabers fan so he is loving it as he is glad they take a forward rather than a defenseman. Sabres > Leafs in terms of picks.
Buffalo now has taken 2 solid players in a row in the draft and should get better.
9:09 - The Florida Panthers take Dimitri Kulikov who much like Ryan Ellis has a hot ass sister. Pierre McGwire says that he is not afraid to get physical. Nothing funnier than listening to sports announcers make statement that can easily be seen as sexual inuendos.
By the way he is the first Russian taken in the draft. No Americans yet.
9:16 - The Ducks take Peter Holland. Drapes make notes of the all the Puck Bunnies who are in the Holland entourage. McGwire says Holland needs to get a little bit more dirt on him. Don't really know what that means but whatever. Love this exchange as Old Cruse re-enters the room:
OC - any news?
the Hermit - Leafs still fucking suck
9:21 - The Wild who moved down earlier take Nick Leddy who is the first American taken in the draft and is wicked undersized. The Hermit believes that there are a lot of good players left, which is true, but the Leafs don't have a chance at any of them.
The Cruse brothers are currently dividing up the remaining pieces of pizza hut pizza. Forgot to mention that the Running Diary is sponsored by Pizza Hut.
9:27 - The Blues take David Rundblad out of Sweden. Gonna run a little interview with the Hermit:
SI - Thoughts on Kadri?
TH - suck my balls
9:33 - Montreal finally gets to make their pick and the fans are going crazy. The Canadiens pick Louis Leblanc and the place goes crazy. Fans cheering "Louis, Louis, Louis." That must be an amazing feeling having all those people cheering for you.
I hope he can do well but I have to agree with McGwire when he said if he doesn't do well he is screwed. I love how easy it was to call this pick.
9:44 - The Rangers pick Chris Kreider after a little tribute to Alexi Charipanov which was ruined by the Hermit's insensetive comments. If he wasn't already going to hell for being a Leaf fan then he is now.
9:49 - The diary is going to get cut short after the Canucks pick at 22. I am getting pretty tired and we are having some technical problems.
9:54 - The Devils pick Jacob Josefson and bothb the Hermit and Pierre McGwire say in unison "good pick."
Ok so we just had a chat about softcore porn on Cinemax and also I have to mention that currently my Red Sox are beaintg Drapes' Braves 4-0 in the bottom of the 8th.
9:57 - A trade is named here in which Columbus gets the pick of the Ducks. The Cruse brothers thought it was Toronto getting it but no go. John Moore is taken here and he fell a lot. Draper can't stop talking about the Puck Bunnies who are out in full force.
10:04 - Having a conversation where I asked if I offered $100 million to the Columbus Blue Jackets would they make me their 1st round pick. Consensus seems to be that yes they would. I think I should start a fund where I raise money to make that happen. Or if I have any rich readers maybe they could do it.
Canucks pick now and for some reason Luongo is there. Oh god he is on the stage now talking french. God I hate Luongo right now. Then they take Jordan Schroeder who had no business being around still. Great pick and I love it.
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Ok the diary is done. I hope you all enjoyed it. Love the Canucks pick and love the fact Toronto fans didn''t get who they wanted.
From Drapes, Stevie P, Old Cruse, the Hermit, and myself...goodnight.
Tonight were the first two rounds of the NBA draft and they gave me a lot to talk about. Lots of interesting picks and a tonne of story lines. Let's get right to it:
Breaking the Rules
OK well he didn't officially break the rules he just worked around them. I am of course talking about Brandon Jennings who instead of spending the mandatory 1 year in college opted to play professional basketball in Italy. Many thought that this would hurt Jennings' stock in the draft as no one got to see him play but he ended up going 10th to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Everyone was watching Jennings to see where he would go because if he fell below 20th then his little experiment would have failed. But he went 10th and now has shown youngsters that they no longer need school and can just go to Europe.
I am alright with this because I feel the minimum in college should be 2 years or not at all. What Jennings did may not be in his best interest for the future but for now it seems to have worked.
On Guard
This year an NBA record was broken as 17 of the first 30 picks were guards. Picks 4-7 were all point guards as were picks 17-21 and in total there were 11 point guards picked in the 1st round. This is pretty telling of the current state of the NBA as it is no longer a leage dominated by big men as it was in the 70s and 80s. Now it is all about guards who can slash into the lane and then kick out for open looks.
In a league where so many teams has shitty centers only 2 were drafted in the 1st round. The most startling thing is how important a good center is. Look at the NBA Finals. Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard, who are two of the best centers in the league, were there and played big roles. I find it odd more teams don't try and get better centers.
NY Fans Show No Class
What is wrong with the people of New York? Do they have any class what so ever? They boo'd when the Knicks picked Jordan Hill because they wanted Stephen Curry. Idiocy. Hill is a great player but because he isn't from NY he gets treated like shit by the fans. Curry won't even be that good of a pro in my opinion as he is way too small and is viciously over hyped by the media. Yes he put up big numbers but that was at Davidson.
The fans aren't like this only at the NBA draft either as every year you can expect Giants and Jets fans to be booing whoever their teams pick no matter what. Jets fans boo'd when they took Nick Mangold and now he is a Pro Bowl player. Smarten up assholes. The Knicks blow and any player you bring in to help you should be praised.
Shaq Not Gonna Do It
I am sorry to all those bandwagon Cavs fans out there but Shaq isn't gonna win you a championship next year. Yes he can still put up his numbers (17.4 ppg 8.2 rpg in 72 games last season) but his defense is lacking.
The reason the Cavs lost to the Magic was because they couldn't defend the pick and roll of Orlando. Now they bring in Shaq who couldn't stop the pick and roll if his life depended on it. Seriously if you are reading this now keep this in mind, the next person you see after reading this and yourself could run the pick and roll on Shaq, it's that bad.
Bringing in Shaq is a good way to make your fans happy but it won't get the job done. It may have worked 4 months ago but now it's just a hope.
International Flavor
The NBA is truly an international game and its reach was expanded tonight as two players, Hasheem Thabeet and Omar Casspi, became the first men to represent their home countries in NBA history. Thabeet for Tanzia and Casspi for Israel. Each year the NBA gets more and more international stars and this year was no different as Thabeet and Ricky Rubio made sure more superstars will be from outside the USA.
Value Picks
A lot of guys fell really far tonight and teams were able to pick players they never dreamed would still be available. Here are just a few of the better value picks that were made:
Jordan Hill at 8
Jrue Holiday at 17
Wayne Ellington at 28
DeJuan Blair at 37
Blair is the biggest, both literally and figuratively, as many experts had him going in the top 20. I am not exactly sure why he fell so hard but the Spurs somehow got him at 37 and that is an absolute steal.
Trades
There were a few trades today and yesterday. Some big names moved and I am sure more trades will be coming soon. Here is a recap:
Tonight Ricky Rubio became the first person to ever be selected in the NBA draft that was born in the 90s. He was born in 1990 and is only 18 years old. When I first heard this it made me feel really old even though I am only 22. All these damn punk kids making something out of their lives and having millions of dollars. Its just the worst.
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Don't forget that tomorrow night I will be doing my running diary of the NHL draft starting at 6:45pm EST. Just keep clicking refresh allll night.
#21 Philadelphia Flyers - Robin Lehner 6-3 220 POS: G Team: Frolunda (Swe)
For over a decade this team has been unable to find a star goaltender to play for them and in order for this team to contend for the Stanley Cup, this team needs a top tier goaltender to take them to that next level.
So that’s why this pick makes sense. Lehner is another product of the Frolunda goaltending factory which has turned out goaltending prospects on an annual basis. He easily has the potential to be like a Lundqvist type of goaltender where he uses his size and positioning to take up a lot of the net.
Not to mention he has a quick glove hand that can steal goals from even the best shooters.
#22 Vancouver Canucks - Stefan Elliot 6-1 180 POS: D Team: Saskatoon (WHL)
With Mattias Ohlund most likely leaving in free agency, there will be a need for a possible successor to be in the Vancouver system and Stefan Elliot has all the potential to be that replacement.
He has great hockey sense and has the ability to always be in the right position to make a play. Not to mention he has amazing hockey intelligence, being able to see the play before it happens. With another year or two of development, he has the potential to be the anchor of this already strong defense.
#23 New Jersey Devils - Tim Erixon 6-2 190 POS: D Team: Skelleftea (Swe)
The New Jersey Devils have always been a defensive minded team so that’s why this pick seems so right. Although he has some offensive upside, Tim Erixon is for the most part a defensive defenseman that has the potential to be a great shutdown defender in the NHL.
He is very safe with the puck and always makes the right play, something that the New Jersey Devils always preach to their players.
#24 Washington Capitals - Zach Budish 6-3 229 POS: RW Team: Team South West (MHSEL)
For the past two seasons, the Capitals have gone heavy on defense, so that’s why they will most likely take a forward in this year’s draft. Plus with the amount of pure talent already on the team, it would make sense to draft a much more gritty player to complement the skill they have.
Zach Budish is a very big, gritty forward that is not scared to get into the face of the opposition. His foot speed could use some work, but his good hands and ability to get in front of the net will be a welcome addition to the team.
#25 Boston Bruins – David Runblad 6-2 189 POS: D Team: Skelleftea
Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb:"He has a very good shot. He is a right-handed shot and he is used on the power play, even in the (Elite) League despite being a young player. He is a very smart player. He could be a little more physical in his game, but that is something that he is learning."
#26 New York Islanders – Jordan Caron 6-2 202 POS: RW Team: Rimouski (QMJHL)
NHL Central Scouting's Chris Bordeleau:"Jordan is a very steady, dependable player. He works hard. He's not a flashy player, but he plays his position well and also gets his fair share of points."
#27 Carolina Hurricanes - Calvin de Haan 6-0 170 POS: D Team: Oshawa (OHL)
Although they did make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they did not do it with a skillful defense. That’s where Calvin de Haan comes in. He has a very good shot and even better passing ability, not to mention he is very fast making him a big asset on the power play.
The only knock on this guy is his defensive positioning. He can get away with it in the OHL because of his speed, but will have to work on it in order to make the NHL.
#28 Chicago Blackhawks - Drew Shore 6-3 190 POS: C Team: USA-18 (USDP)
There is nothing really special about the forward. He has above average abilities in almost every aspect. What makes him such a good prospect is his willingness to do the dirty work and the drive he has to win.
He will do everything it takes in order to succeed and that is something that all coaches look for in a player. Plus he is great on the penalty kill and even better in the faceoff circle.
#29 Detroit Red Wings - Kyle Palmieri 5-10 191 POS: RW/C Team: USA-18 (USDP)
Once considered a top 15 prospect in the draft, is stock dropped because of a less-than-stellar combine.
But regardless, Palmieri is a blue chip prospect that the Red Wings will not pass up. He is a great stick handler that when put into any situation, will never be a liability.
Give him a couple years to develop in the system, and he will be a potential second line center.
#30 Pittsburgh Penguins – Carl Klingber6-3 205POS: LW Team: Frolunda Jr. (SWE)
The new Stanley Cup champs are a team that has a good balance of skill and grit. But one thing that is still missing is a winger to play next to Sidney Crosby. Klingberg has an amazing shot and has offensive instincts past his age. Plus not to mention that he is a very strong skater and is not easily hit off the puck.
The one thing that is keeping him from being a top prospect in the draft is his lack of defensive responsibility. He sometimes forgets to play his position at both ends of the ice.
