NBA Player Games Played

A thought struck me on the way home from work recently. Dwayne Wade was sitting out the 4^th of 4 games for the Heat because of an ankle injury and Carmelo Anthony had just announced that he was sitting for a couple of games to rest various and sundry injuries as well. My thought was: Out of the 2003 draft class(Especially the top 5 picks) who is playing the most games, thereby providing the toughness and longevity that teams crave?

The 2003 NBA draft went as follows:

1. Lebron James

2. Darko Milicic

3. Carmelo Anthony

4. Chris Bosh

5. Dwayne Wade

The rest of the draft is not important to us, and neither is the 2^nd pick, although it ultimately changed the course of the Detroit Pistons for a very long time.

Since the 2003 NBA draft, there have been 8 seasons and 656 Regular season games before the 18 or so games that have been played this 2012 season. Here are the amount of games played by each of those top 4 players in that time period:

1. Lebron James: 646/656

2. Carmelo Anthony: 608/656

3. Chris Bosh: 606/656

4. Dwayne Wade: 558/656

Ok, so here is the question. Assuming all of these players had the same amount of skill/leadership/intangibles(Which they obviously do not in real life), which player would you want as a GM? Obviously, the answer is the player that plays in the most games, thereby contributing the most by default. I think it is important for a GM to look at injury history and games played vs possible games. You can have the most talented player in the world, but if they miss 30% of your team’s games every season, he is less valuable than a less skilled player that plays 100% of the time…perhaps.

It is definitely a question worth considering. I think it also points to the added benefit of genetic “freak”ness. Consider Dwight Howard and Lebron James. It can be argued that there are better athletes in the NBA (by a hair. It is debatable), better defenders, better leaders, etc… But one thing that cannot be argued is that their physiques are second to none. The broad shoulder and overall burliness of these tow players, mixed with their obvious athletic and competitive gifts, make them less susceptible to injuries than other players of their generation. These players don’t necessarily play smarter or more conservatively than other players, their bodies are just built to withstand injury and allow them to play through pain.

So, as a GM, we should be careful to give huge contracts to players with a well documented history of missing games. Greg Oden obviously comes to mind, as do Andrew Bynum, Andrew Bogut, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Just be mindful of these players, as the potential value added may be offset by amount of time missed.

Your thoughts?

Super Bowl 46 Preview

SuperBowl XLVI (46)

Yuck.

I hate this Superbowl.

As a lifelong Indianapolis Colts fan, this is literally my worst scenario for a championship game ever. Not only is Peyton’s little brother playing for his second Super Bowl ring, and not only are the super-annoying Patriots playing for their 4^th ring with Tom Brady, but all of this crap is going on in Indianapolis, in Lucas Oil stadium. Talk about awful situation.

However, my personal biases aside, I think this is going to be a really good game. I am sure that people will make comparisons to the last Super Bowl that these two teams played in, where Brady was massacred by the superior defensive line of the Giants, and Eli Manning had to get the David Tyree “Miracle Catch” to pull off the upset and topple the previously undefeated Patriots. I would not be past making some of those comparisons myself. However, 4 years is a long time, and these two teams are very different than they were. Lets just take a look at the individual positions, and we will see which team (In my humble opinion) has the better edge.

QB: I wish I could say that Tom Brady absolutely blows Eli Manning out of the water in this category. I am sure that Patriot fans would say that he does, and I would agree with them if we were looking at entire careers worth of statistics. However, Eli Manning is the hottest QB in the league right now, as he has brought his team to this point almost entirely through his own will. Still, Tom Brady is one of the best passers that the NFL has ever seen, he is cool in the clutch (although so is Eli), and he knows how to win big games. Edge: Patriots

RB: Yes, the law firm of Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis scores a lot of 1 yard touchdowns and had a decent week against the Ravens, but I think that the Giants have more potential in their running game. Bradshaw and Jacobs can be very effective on the ground, especially if Eli can get the passing game moving effectively early in the game. Edge: Giants

WR: This comparison isn’t even close. The only effective WR on the Patriots this season was Wes Welker. Dion Branch will catch a pass from time to time, but he is not a game-changing type of wideout. On the other hand, the Giants have one of the more effective groups of wide receivers in the NFL. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have had great seasons, and Mario Manningham had a huge TD catch against the 49’ers last week. Huge mismatch. Edge: Giants

TE: As lopsided as the WR’s were for the Giants, the TE match is even more heavily weighted the Patriots direction. Gronkowski and Hernandez are the 1^st pair of TE’s to catch as many passes for as many yards and as many TD’s in one season EVER. I think that tips the scales in their favor, especially when I don’t even know the names of the Giant TE’s. Edge: Patriots

O-line: The Patriots Offensive line has been together for years, and has widely been hailed as one of the best in the league. The Giants offensive line let Eli Manning be sacked 6 times, knocked down 10 other times, and generally made him scramble all over the world against the 49’ers. Edge: Patriots

D-line: The Giants defensive line features a bunch of physical freaks. Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Matthias Kiwanuka may be the only entire defensive line with very well known names. They pressure the quarterback, and do a decent job against the run game. The Patriots defensive line, on the other hand, has some mammoths. They don’t rush the passer as well as the Giants, but they are more consistently in position to make plays against the run. Vince Wilfork may have played the best game of his career against the Ravens, and this line has been hot for the past 3 weeks. Edge: Even

Linebackers: Both of these units are relative unknowns, especially when compared against other parts of the defense, but both units are solid. Jerod Mayo is a solid general for the Patriots defense, and the Giants linebackers, especially Michael Boley, are an improving group. Edge: Patriots

Secondary: Really, both of these units are going to get lit up on Super Bowl Sunday. With the effectiveness of these two teams passing attacks, there are going to be a lot of tackles in the secondary, but lots of yards given up as well. The depth of the Patriots secondary is a little suspect, as kick returner and WR Julian Edelman plays cornerback in nickel and dime situations. The Giants have better safeties, with Antrel Rolle and Kenny Phillips shoring up the deep parts of the field. (To be honest, I think both units are sub-par, however we do have to have a verdict so…) Edge: Giants

Coaching: Should we even do this? Tom Coughlin is annualy on the hot seat, and Bill Belichick is one of the top 5 best coaches ever. Edge: Patriots

Prediction: Going back to my feelings for this game, I really hope that both teams somehow find a way to lose, and I really really hope this game isn’t decided on a last second field goal. Those make me so mad. My pick is the Patriots in a close game, winning by a score of 27-24. But I still kinda hope I’m wrong.

Who is your pick?

The Prince of Detroit

So, what is the smartest thing to do when your team already has an overweight, defensively challenged, hard hitting first basemen? Obviously, sign another overweight, defensively challenged, hard hitting first baseman! I kid, I kid, but the signing of Prince Fielder by the Detroit Tigers is one of the biggest surprise signings of the off-season, right behind the Albert Pujols to the Angels deal.

As a GM, why would you overload your team at first base, when both players have a reasonably similar skill set? Lets compare the numbers of Prince Fielder and current Tigerts 1B Miguel Cabrera:

Fielder: .299 BA, .415 OBP, 38 HR, 120 RBI, 106/107 K/BB, 5.2 WAR (wins above replacement)

Cabrera: .344 BA, .448 OBP, 30 HR, 105 RBI, 89/108 K/BB, 7.1 WAR

I think the most important thing to notice about these statistics is not that Fielder hit more homeruns, or that Cabrera led the AL in batting average and on base percentage, or that both players posted a very impressive WAR. The most important thing to note is that both of these players are preeminent offensive players in Major League Baseball. Both Cabrera and Fielder absolutely hit the stuffing off of the baseball in the 2011 season.

To me, as a GM, the question of redundancy at the position is moot. If you have one awesome player and have the opportunity to add another, and you can afford it without crippling your team, why not go ahead and do it? There are a couple of options to get Cabrera and Fielder in the lineup every day. Cabrera can go back to 3B, or one of the two players can DH each day. The only real trouble comes in the 2013 season, when Victor Martinez returns from an ACL tear. He will not be able to catch every day, so he will need the DH spot at least once in a while, which may determine that Cabrera move back to 3B no matter what.

I predict that the Detroit Tigers are one of the most well attended teams in the coming season. Combining the gregarious personality of Prince Fielder with the talent of Miguel Cabrera and the Cy Young caliber pitching of Justin Verlander will make the Tigers a threat to win the World Series in the coming year.

But what do you think? Will Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera be able to work well together? Will the Tigers regret a 9 year, 212 Million dollar contract for a player who is very durable, but still plays around 250 lbs or more? Only time will tell.

Max Contracts and Roster Space

5 years and $80 Million for Russell Westbrook (16 per year)

5 years and $91 Million for Kevin Durant (16, 17, 18, 19, 21 per year)

Today my question is, as a GM or an Owner of an NBA franchise, can you afford to have 2 max contract players on your team?

First, we have to give some kudos to Russell Westbrook. If he had waited until the end of the season to sign this extension, then the new Rose Rules under the brand spankin’ new CBA would have allowed him to make a bit more money over the life of the contract, so he saved the Thunder a few million dollars over the long run. Good for him.

However, lets consider that the salary cap for the 2011-2012 season is at $58.044 Million dollars. On average, that means that these two players will be taking up slightly more than 50% of the teams available cap room. Lets also assume for a second that James Harden continues his upward trend into the lower echelons of stardom. He would probably be worth 10-12 million dollars a season, so suddenly you have 3 players taking up over $40 million dollars of your cap room every season, which is two thirds of it, even if the cap is raised to $60 million next year.

As an owner, it takes a lot of faith in these players, belief that they will be able to make a return on your huge investment, bring in fans, win games, and sell merchandise.

As a GM, you are depending on these three players to be the leaders of your team for the next 5 years. You are banking on them improving every year, continuing to work hard, and engaging your city. You are depending on them to work with less talent beside them, and to pull more of the responsibility for winning.

As a fellow player, the expectations are interesting. Any player that would want to play on this team, especially if they were in the same tier as James Harden, would have to take a pretty large pay cut to play with the Thunder. Are players willing to do this? I think the current NBA landscape is showing that they are, as players are trying to piggyback on the most talented members of the basketball community in order to win championships.

Like most columns, I end this one returning to the original question: Would you be willing to have 2 max contract players on your team, or would it limit financial flexibility too much? This is a question that teams like New York and the LA Clippers seem to have answered, and one that Dwight Howard's new team will have to consider as well.

2012 NBA Lottery Mock Draft

One of the only areas in my life where I actually have a bit of concrete knowledge is in the NBA draft. I constantly read draft blogs, and watch college basketball games, and look at NBA Mock Drafts. I feel like I have an understanding of who is talented for real, and who is a poser. (Ryan Leaf style)

So here are the 14 worst teams in the NBA right now, according to record, and the picks that they should make in the upcoming 2012 NBA Draft.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers

Terrence Ross, SG, Washington

This young man is a terrific athlete and a terrific shooter. Like many great shooters who can jump out of the gym, Ross needs to work on his handle and his decision-making. Those faults non-withstanding, The Cavs would have a pretty terrific potential in their back court if they put Ross on Kyrie Irving’s wing.

13. New York Knicks* (At the moment, the Knicks are in the 8^th spot in the Eastern Conference, with the Celtics and Bucks being the next 2 teams below them. So, one of these three teams will not be a lottery team, and one team out west probably will be. That team will either be Houston or Memphis)

Austin Rivers, SG, Duke University

I don’t know if the Knicks would be brave enough to do this, but I think that Rivers could be an interesting pick for them. Something in the back of my head tells me that Rivers will go back to Duke for a Sophomore season, but if he declares, the Knicks would love to have a shooter/slasher in the backcourt to pair with Iman Shumpert and whatever real point guard they have by this time.

12. Golden State Warriors

John Henson, PF, University of North Carolina

Man, it seems like the Warriors keep drafting players, and they still have no one on their team. Stephen Curry and Ekpe Udoh, their two most recent recognizable picks, have been hampered by injuries, or in Udoh’s case, hampered by a much higher paid player starting in front of them. I see them adding a quality shot blocker and improving jump shooter in Henson to add some defensive depth to Mark Jackson’s team.

11. New Orleans Hornets (via Timberwolves.)

Tyler Zeller, C, University of North Carolina

Now, there are better prospects than Zeller on the board at this point, but in my opinion Meyers Leonard (the best center prospect after Drummond) will probably go back to school at Illinois for one more year, and picking John Henson is kind of redundant wen you picked a lanky forward earlier in the draft. So, assuming that any NBA GM has a decent amount of common sense, the Hornets will choose to add a proven low post scorer who will gain weight and be a solid 14-10 center for their team. (whenever one of the smartest men in basketball, Emeka Okafor, retires)

10. Boston Celtics

Terrence Jones, PF, University of Kentucky

This young man chose to go back to school for his sophomore year, and so far it has appeared to be a bad choice. He is being overshadowed by freshman on a team where he should have taken the reigns from the get-go. However, he is a diversified scorer who can work in the post or on the perimeter, and the Celtics desperately need someone who can play basketball without breaking. Jones can do that.

9. Milwaukee Bucks

Bradley Beal, SG, University of Florida

Somehow, the Bucks constantly need wing scorers no matter what they do. Brad Beal may be the best shooter in this class, and he projects to look a lot like Ray Allen in a few years. His form is impeccable, he can slash and create, and he can pass out of a double team if needed.

8. Phoenix Suns

Jeremy Lamb, SF, University of Connecticut

Grant Hill is officially over the hill as an athletic wing scorer. The Suns will need a new creator from the wing position who can score on his own and knock down open jumpers. Lamb fills both of those needs, and he brings a very focused demeanor on the court. He is not flashy, but he always gets the job done.

7. Toronto Raptors

Michael Gilchrist, SF, University of Kentucky

The new look Raptors under Dwayne Casey are focused on defense. There is no better wing defender in college basketball than Gilchrist. He gives 100% effort 100% of the time, and can regularly be depended upon to shut down the other teams best scorer. He may never develop into a 20 ppg scorer, but he will be a serviceable wing scorer for a long time.

6. Sacramento Kings

Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas University

Unlike the Pistons, the Kings are set at center for as long as they can keep Demarcus Cousins happy. However, they could use a bull-headed power forward who can hit jumpers and rebounds like a monster. Thomas Robinson will probably win the NCAA POY award this year, and he will bring a hard working and team oriented attitude to the Kings, who desperately need someone who will pass the ball once in a while.

5. New Orleans Hornets

Perry Jones, PF, Baylor University

The New Orleans Hornets have needs all over the board, except for maybe shooting guard and backup point guard (Jarret Jack). So, I think they go with the player dripping with upside in Perry Jones. He is a 6’11” lanky kid who can dribble, pass, shoot, and score down low. He is athletic and, I think, is developing a better idea of how to assert himself. I think he grows into a great player.

4. Detroit Pistons

Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State University

I am not a huge fan of this pick either. The Pistons already have one big man who can’t protect the rim in Greg Monroe, so I am not sure if they need another ground-bound big man. However, they can’t pass up the opportunity to shore up their frontline for the next 10+ years, so they pick up Sullinger.

3. New Jersey Nets

Andre Drummond, C, Univeristy of Connecticut

The Nets are presented with a conundrum in this spot. They already have a center in Brook Lopez, and they are one of 4 teams on Dwight Howard’s trade list. Do they really need another center? I would argue, yes. Drummond is the best center prospect to be available since Greg Oden (Who really was talented and awesome, just couldn’t begin to get healthy). I propose that the Nets save some money on Dwight Howard and groom the next dominant big man in Drummond.

2. Charlotte Bobcats

Harrison Barnes, SF, University of North Carolina

My first thought was to put Andre Drummond in this spot, but the 'Cats just picked Bismack Biyombo last year, and they are very excited about him in the middle of the lane. So....As much as I disagree, draft experts across the country agree that Harrison Barnes will be the best wing scorer to come out of this class. I think that Barnes isn’t explosive or assertive enough, but I am just an amateur and it seems that the entire basketball blogosphere disagrees with me. The Bobcats desperately need an athletic wing player who can create, and that is what Barnes is projected to become.

1. Washington Wizards

Anthony Davis, PF, University of Kentucky

This young man is loooooooong. That is really all you can say about Anthony Davis. He leads college basketball in blocked shots, with excellent timing and helicopter-long arms. He is 6’10” tall, has tons of room to get stronger, and has guard skills to boot. The Wizards would do well to kick Andray Blatche to the curb and let Davis fill his spot on the roster.

One final note: This Mock Drafting stuff is harder than it looks. If I got three or more of these picks correct, I would be absolutely ecstatic! Factoring in team needs (my opinion of them anyway) and player projections and pairing them together to make an informed decision is difficult. There are still some of the top 20 prospects that I don’t know enough about, like Terrence Ross from UW, or Adonis Thomas from Memphis. Oh well, this was very enjoyable, and I welcome your comments.

Quick Thought

The next post that I am going to work on is an NBA Draft update. Using rankings from DraftExpress.com, and the current NBA standings, I am going to do a mock lottery draft of the 1st 14 picks! Exciting stuff.

Evolution of the NFL Quarterback

Steve Young

Frank Tarkenton

Kordell Stewart

Steve McNair

Donovan McNabb

Michael Vick

Cam Newton

Tim Tebow

*Jake Locker

*Robert Griffin III

*Both of these players are unproven or have yet to play a snap.

What does this list of players all have in common? Is it that they enjoy a good cognac, the love of some healthy animal competition, the smell of pine trees in the winter, or could it be something else?

I would like to propose to you that these players, each in perhaps a different way, have opened the door to the new kind of NFL Quarterback; A QB who can make plays both with his arm and with his legs/feet. I realize that this isn’t a brand new idea, but it is one that I believe could finally be gaining some traction in the NFL.

Michael Vick was the first Quarterback to really be a dual threat in the NFL in the last 8 years. Other players could gain a first down from time to time, if they were flushed from the pocket, but teams actually had to gameplan to keep Vick IN the pocket, where he was only a threat to throw, not to run for 45 yards. (For the 21^st century fan, he was one of a kind. I know that there were amazing running QB’s in the league before my time, but I don’t know them well, and they were still an anomaly.) He revolutionized how fun a quarterback could be, and changed the amount of ways he could change the game.

Currently in the NFL, there are only 4 starting quarterbacks who can consistently run and gain yardage on the ground, and still throw to some degree. Michael Vick, Josh Freeman, Cam Newton, Tim Tebow. (argue if you want, but those are the facts. Freeman is trying to not be athletic, and his team is awful, but he can still rush for 45 plus yards a game if the OC wanted him to.) 3 of these 4 teams should have made the playoffs, although only two of them actually did.

My GM question that I would like to examine is basically tied in with my Indiana bias: Should the Colts take a traditional pocket passing QB who can occasionally make plays with his legs and could be the next Manning (Luck), or a dual threat QB who was 2^nd on his team in rushing and completed 72% of his passes? (Griffin III)?

I don’t have an answer to this question, but let’s look at some numbers to compare the two. I will include Bowl numbers, since both of them played.

Andrew Luck 2011 season stats:

3517 passing yds

71.3 completion percentage,

37 TD, 10 INT

150 rushing yds

Robert Griffin III 2011 season stats:

4293 passing yds

72.4 completion percentage

37 TD, 6 INT

699 rushing yds

So the question is, in the modern NFL, which QB do you think will have the better career? Or, assuming they are both successful NFL QB’s, which one do you think will have the greater overall impact on their team? Looking at Cam Newton, Vick, and Tebow from this year, it appears that the dual threat Quarterback is in vogue, but the NFL has seen traditional throw-only QB’s win the last 296 Superbowls. In my humble opinion, I love when a team can have 2 skill players to get things done instead of one, so Andrew Luck plus a good RB would be my choice, but many people, including Tony Dungy, think that Robert Griffin III has the ability to change a franchise. What do you think?

I will post this on Facebook and Twitter, so please feel free to comment on the blog or on Facebook.

Chicago Bulls v. Orlando Magic Game Notes

Great Start. I had a late dinner and ate too slow so I missed the tip and the first few minutes of the game. Sounds like this experience is going to be a great success. However, despite my tardiness, I am looking forward to seeing some All-Stars take the court!

• Has JJ Redick always had a tattoo on both forearms!? I think not. Lockout addition possibly. This probably needs to be looked into by a more serious journalist than me. His poetic nature appears to be asserting itself in a more physical form. They appear to be text based tats’, not image based.

• Owner Thought: I wonder what the daily cost is of running an arena. Obviously, the Magic are playing in a beautiful, new arena. The cost of daily operations must be staggering. However, ticket and advertising must rake in the dough as well. Which is one of many reasons why teams try to be competitive year after year.

• 1:00 left in the first quarter. I cannot get over how useless I think Hedo Turkoglu has become. He isn’t athletic, doesn’t shoot a high percentage, does not get to the free throw line enough, and I think is an overrated facilitator. What is he bringing daily to the table, other than a very nice goatee?

This is already getting a bit long. I think I may do one post at the end of each quarter with a bit of analysis. D Howard with 14 at the end of this first, Orlando up by 1.

• GM Thought from 2^nd Quarter: Hustle Plays. The Bulls have more players who will make the hustle play, and I think that is what ultimately will separate these two teams. Talent is a must if you want to win championships, but you also must have gutsy players who will do the dirty work. Noah, Asik, Korver, Brewer, these guys will stick their noses into plays, defend, keep balls alive, and make the extra pass. Asik will bang with Dwight Howard all night. Howard may score on him, but Asik is not going to concede and easy bucket.

• GM Though from the 3rd Quarter: The Orlando Magic didn't shoot a free throw in the 2nd quarter. This is a malady for teams who lack athletic wings who can drive to the basket. This is a problem that the Orlando Magic has had for several years. Pretty much since T-Mac and Grant Hill left.

• GM Thought from the 4th Quarter: My Streaming did not go well, as I was switching computers. However, as an effort evaluator, the Bulls gave it and the Magic simply did not give enough of it.

It was fun to try and do a post during an actual basketball game, but it is also super difficult to write and watch and listen at the same time! I will have to give this another try sometime. More GM thoughts later in life.

Next Up

Tonight, I am going to (attempt) to watch an NBA game on watchespn.com and jot my thoughts down during. I will probably watch the Bulls v Magic game at 8, and keep a running journal of thoughts as we go along, @BillSimmons style.

The Value of Being in a Box

As a fan of the three major American sports (football, basketball, baseball) I find that I sincerely enjoy reading blogs and personal opinion about those sports. Whether I agree or disagree with the opinions that are presented within those pieces of writing, it always provides me with some entertainment and something to consider. For instance, on the Truehoop Network (ESPN.com site) they had an article about how bad the Lakers are in crunch time. Namely, how bad Kobe Bryant is during the ending moments of a game. It was a very interesting read, and something that I am sure will be debated around the internets.

My question is, should a GM be reading all of these things? Let’s take the Washington Wizards for instance. They have a very talented young man on their team named Andray Blatche. He is 6’10”, can shoot and pass, can run the floor, basically has all of the makings of a very good power forward. He does seem to have a bit of a reputation for underwhelming everyone who watches him play. He is constantly ridiculed on Twitter and various sporting blogs for being a knucklehead/player who will never make a good teammate or live up to his potential. (For example: last week, Andray Blatche tweeted ((paraphrase)) that his team didn’t win because he was not posting up/getting the ball in the post enough. The internet thoroughly ridiculed him, and he tried to smooth it over the next day)

If I was the GM of the Washington Wizards, should I be on the internet trolling for these things? Would I want to know that everyone thinks the player that I paid so much money for is a goofball? Would this adversely affect the way I interacted with this player and treated him? I am no sure. The GM will obviously get reports from coaches and other people within the organization about players, but those could be rose-colored as well, giving a different kind of false or biased opinion.

Personally, as an educator, I can definitely get pre-conceived notions about a student because of the stories I hear from other teachers. I do not let that student show their character to me, I think that I already know their character. In my experience, I am way nicer than a lot of other teachers, so I don’t think kids are as bad) An opinion that is formed from an outside perspective is almost never totally right, and it can have a bad effect on the classroom, or in our case, the locker room.

I suppose that is the questions for you readers: As a person in a position of power, should you read outside perspectives on your employees, or should you form your own opinions based on what you hear from people inside the company?

THe Colt's Conundrum

As many of you know, both Bill Polian and his son Chris, the GM and VP of Operations for the Colts, were fired by Jim Irsay this week. They have been with the team for over a decade, and their firing came as a shock to the sporting world.

As a lifelong Colts fan, I was immediately surprised and a little upset. The Polians have been a big part of making the Indianapolis Colts one of the most successful franchises in the NFL over the last 10 years. They have drafted good players (until very recently, but that post is for another time), retained key veterans, and kept Peyton Manning happy and throwing. As a fan, my response was that Jim Irsay, the Colt’s owner, reacted too strongly and harshly to his first losing season in this century.

However, lets look at this from Irsay’s perspective. Peyton Manning has been a long time friend of Jim Irsay’s, and so we can assume that he would try to at least consider Peyton’s feelings when making personnel decisions. The Polians have gone on record as saying they want to draft Andrew Luck with the 1^st overall pick in the 2012 draft. That would obviously put 2 quarterbacks on the roster, one who is coming off of an enormously long recovery to a neck injury/surgery(and may never fully recover), and one who is touted to be the next Peyton Manning.

This puts Jim Irsay in a tight spot. Does he keep his aging quarterback who has suddenly turned from incredibly durable to an injury risk, or does he put him out to pasture? Does he let the quarterbacks battle in training camp and see who wins the job? Does he try to trade the #1 pick for an enormous package of players and picks and try to rebuild the team that way?

If I were Jim Irsay, here is what I would do. Just like the Packers did with Aaron Rogers and Brett Favre, I would draft the next generation quarterback while still keeping my proven veteran on the team. Irsay has said that the Colts could afford to keep both players because of the rookie salary scale under the new CBA. Andrew Luck would get the benefit of learning under the most cerebral and intelligent quarterback of all time(One of the least arguable but controversial things I have ever said), and the Colts suddenly have a backup if Peyton gets hurt again. The Colts would still have the first pick in the 2^nd round of the draft, and could work on filling some of the other holes on their roster, like a new DE, or some depth in the secondary and O-line.

Whatever the Colts do, it will automatically be a franchise changing decision, and one that I will talk about in the future!

Daily Thought (MLB)

Does it strike anyone else as odd that Albert Pujols was snatched up by the end of the winter meetings, but Prince Fielder is still without a contract or a team? Perhaps this is just how these things work, and perhaps it is because of his agent, but I would have thought that Fielder would have been on fast and furiously, and then snatched up. Just an interesting thought.