The 2010 Mid-Season NFL Coach to Go First Debate… Down and Out in Dallas

November 4, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer.

Wade Phillips has lost all semblance of control over the Dallas Cowboys. To allow him to coach one more game is an insult to both the players and fans in Dallas.

His continuing ineptitude at the helm causes more damage and scarring to the culture of an utterly defeated team. The 35-17 drubbing at the hands of the pedestrian Jacksonville Jaguars is proof enough. The Jags are currently ranked last in the AFC South with a 4-4 record, but last Sunday they looked like they were a conference powerhouse playing against the Cowboys.

Dallas’ usually vaunted defense allowed David Garrard to utterly embarrass the Cowboys and at home at Cowboy Stadium, no less. Garrard completed 17-21 attempts for 260 yards and four touchdowns. Keep in mind those stats are not coming from Drew Brees, Tom Brady, or Peyton Manning… but David Garrard. The Cowboys allowed him to go 10-10 in the first half. The worst part is the ‘Boys weren’t any more effective at stuffing the run either. Maurice Jones Drew ran wild on the Cowboys for 135 yards on 27 touches, which means he was averaging five yards a carry. There is no way anyone can be convinced that Phillips’ Cowboys haven’t completely given up when they are allowing the equivalent of a first down on every other carry throughout a game.

Things got even uglier when the Cowboys had possession of the ball. Whether backup quarterback Jon Kitna was tossing interceptions or Marion Barber was getting stuffed on the goal line, the only thing the Cowboys had to offer was highlight reel blunders. Phillips’ incompetence was on full display last week and that cannot be allowed to continue. Rich Eissen made the sad but fair assessment that even, “The Texas Ranger have more wins in October than the Dallas Cowboys.”

While firing Wade Phillips mid-season is not a miracle solution that will somehow magically catapult the Cowboys from the cellar of the NFC East into playoff contention, it is a declaration to the players, fans, and the rest of the league that Dallas is committed to competing.

Dallas must fire Wade Phillips on general principle alone. The Cowboys, after all, have a reputation to maintain.

Dallas has built a rich legacy which suffers every week Phillips is allowed to continue with his charade of leadership. The Cowboys are now in the elite company of teams like the 0-7 Buffalo Bills, who are last in the AFC, and 1-6 Carolina Panthers, who are tied with the Cowboys for the dubious honors of being the worst team in the NFC.

It is absolutely shocking that Jerry Jones has allowed for this to continue for as long as it has. Watching “America’s Team” be humiliated by a host of underwhelming opponents (yes, I mean you Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears) is slowly eroding the legacy that the Cowboys have fought to establish all these years. Jones should, and with any common sense will, make a stand and show that he is committed to winning starting right now. Anything less would be second best, and we know that won’t fly for long in Texas.

My Zimbio Blog Directory Sport Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
Add us to your technorati favorites Digg! Bookmark and Share


The 2010 Mid-Season NFL Coach to Go First Debate… The Niners Want A Winner… And It’s Not Singletary

November 4, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Babe Ruthless and Sports Geek.

As is the case seemingly every season, there are a lot of coaches on the hot seat in the NFL. My two colleagues are taking two high profile coaches today, and those guys are definitely on the hot seat. But so is San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary.

One of Singletary’s first “rants” as a head coach two years ago was directed at tight end Vernon Davis. In his very FIRST game back in October of 2008, Singletary went off in the now famous tirade, demanding that he wanted winners. He also stated that, “He would rather play with ten people and just get penalized all the way until we gotta do something else rather than play with 11 when right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team.” Well, Mike, let me tell you. I like you… I like the old school mentality you have, and the intensity you always seem to have in your voice. But, you don’t have winners right now , Mike. Sometimes, it looks like the players on the 49ers have thrown in the towel. And despite the win last week over another disappointing team, the Denver Broncos, I believe that Mike Singletary should be the first coach to be given the boot!

In roughly two and a half years as a head coach, Singletary’s record stands at 15-18. On the surface that really isn’t all that bad. But keep in mind that the NFL is a “Win Now” league. And this season many, Loyal Homer not included, expected the 49ers to compete for a division title. That just hasn’t happened as Singletary and his boys currently sit at 2-6. What’s really disturbing about some of their losses is the way they have finished games. The Saints beat the Niners on a walk off field goal in week two. They had the Falcons beaten in week four, but thanks to a bonehead play by Nate Clements, the Falcons got an extra possession and eventually won the game. And how do you lose to Carolina, who was winless at the time? Have any of you seen Carolina play? Yikes! (That’s for you, Babe Ruthless).

A year ago, who would have thought that of the two Bay Area coaches, Mike Singletary’s seat would be hotter than Tom Cable’s. Wrap your head around that! But that’s exactly what has happened. And the thing is, the 49ers have talent. Maybe not at the quarterback position, but look at running back (Frank Gore), tight end (Vernon Davis), wide receiver (Michael Crabtree), and the linebacker position (Patrick Willis). The young pieces are there to build around. They just need a coach. Mike Singletary isn’t that guy, unfortunately. He’s an assistant coach playing the role of a head coach. He’s in over his head and it’s time for him to go… now!

My Zimbio Blog Directory Sport Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
Add us to your technorati favorites Digg! Bookmark and Share


The New NHL TV Deal Debate Verdict

November 4, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Optimist Prime and Sports Geek.

If there is anything that the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants have proven with their recent runs through the MLB playoffs, it is that history does not always serve as an indicator of future performance. And that is exactly the message that the NHL is hoping to communicate to television networks as they continue their search for a new contract to broadcast their games beginning next season.

Historically, the NHL has struggled in gaining strong television ratings, especially when compared to the likes of the NFL, NBA, or even major college sports. Even when they have added features designed specifically to enhance the TV viewing experience, they have failed to see any substantial return on their investments (who ever would have guessed that Puck Tracker would be such a flop?!).

But after an outstanding showing from both the American and Canadian teams in the Vancouver Olympics, and a Stanley Cup that featured two classic “hockey town” teams from two major markets, the NHL has seen an unprecedented spike in popularity, timed conveniently with the expiration of their current television contracts.

In reading the debates from Sports Geek and Optimist Prime, I absolutely loved Sports Geek’s analogy to an athlete playing during a contract year. It is generally accepted that an athlete will kick in a little extra if they believe it will help them get a bigger paycheck next year. It is in those times that athletes, or in this case the NHL, is playing not only for their fans, but also for potential suitors. They understand the laws of supply and demand, and know that the more demand they can generate, the greater their value will be.

But as Sports Geek cautions, once that big contract is landed, many athletes slip either back to a more “average” level of performance, or show an even steeper decline, and the value of that signing is greatly diminished.

If that pattern were the norm, though, rather than the exception, the experiment of Free Agency would have failed long ago. While there have been many players who failed to live up to their new, high-dollar contracts, many more provide exactly the value that was expected, with some providing even more.

In either case, a trend of enhanced performance, whether conveniently timed to coincide with a contract renegotiation or not, should not be automatically labeled as a fluke. Likewise, it should never be assumed that the performance will decline, again, once that high-dollar contract is signed.

Accentuating that point, Optimist Prime highlights the current climate of professional sports in America.

In this era of increased focus on player safety, the NHL is still able to maintain a relatively controlled environment that is nevertheless fast, exciting, and extremely physical. I also agree with Optimist Prime’s assessment that NHL hockey would likely be far more entertaining to watch than ESPN’s coverage of bowling and poker.

Optimist Prime argues that the NHL’s popularity truly is on the rise, and that now is the time for a network to buy, so they can capitalize on this trend.

I tend to agree with that sentiment, and am awarding the verdict to Optimist Prime.

Understandably, there was going to be a honeymoon period of sorts for hockey following the Olympics. The instantly classic matchups between the United States and Canada both helped propel the NHL’s newest stars into a very bright spotlight, and they all delivered brilliantly.

The difference this time around is that the honeymoon period never seemed to end.

The Olympic Torch was extinguished February, almost immediately after Team Canada was awarded their hockey golds, yet viewership ratings were still reaching record heights four months later, in June. Then, after a summer off that provided more than ample time and distraction from hockey (sports fans were treated to the World Cup, MLB and PGA play, ‘The Decision’, and the kickoff to yet another NFL season), the NHL somehow managed to pick up right where it left off.

The season opener brought in exceptionally high TV ratings on the Versus Network, and several teams have sustained those ratings boosts through the entire month of October, with no sign of a drop-off anywhere in the foreseeable future. Obviously, the reigning champion Chicago Blackhawks knew they could count on increased ratings for their games, but even teams like the St. Louis Blues, who missed last years Stanley Cup playoffs, are seeing record numbers from their television viewing audience.

By comparison, the MLS, who had hoped to capitalize on the tremendous exposure that U.S. Soccer generated in their dramatic World Cup performance, saw ratings plummet as soon as two weeks after the World Cup Champions were crowned.

The increased viewership totals for the NHL are being sustained for a much greater period of time than what is normally seen after an event that generates a popularity spike. Every indication right now is that the NHL is experiencing something far more exciting than a simple peak in fan interest that will be short lived. Instead, the league truly does appear to be on the rise.

My advice to the television networks, along with the advice of Optimist Prime and the NHL executives is simple – Get it now, while the getting is good. Demand for the NHL as a television product appears to be on the rise, and this is a tremendous opportunity for any television network to partner with the NHL in a deal that will likely become extremely lucrative for everyone involved.

My Zimbio Blog Directory Sport Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
Add us to your technorati favorites Digg!
Bookmark and Share


The New NHL TV Deal Debate

November 3, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Optimist Prime and Sports Geek.

The San Francisco Giants won their first World Series Championship in over 50 years. Brett Favre cut his chin and the Vikings waived Randy Moss. The Miami Heat, after a game one slip, are now rolling over their competition.

But what is going on in the NHL?

After a 2009 season that attracted some of the highest TV ratings in the league’s history, league executives believe that you, as the fans, are craving just that information more than ever before, and hope to leverage that into a more lucrative television contract.

With their current television contracts set to expire at the close of this season, and with that recent statistical data backing their claims that the NHL’s popularity is on the rise, today’s question is a simple one – If you were a television network executive, would you buy into the NHL’s estimation and invest heavily in a contract with the league, or do you still think buyers should beware?

There is no denying that the NHL received a HUGE popularity boost last year, thanks to the combination of a fantastic Winter Olympics performance from both the United States’ and Canadian teams, along with a tremendous Stanley Cup series that featured the Chicago Blackhawks winning their first Cup in 49 years over the Philadelphia Flyers (both of which are teams that play for true “hockey towns.” But is that popularity sustainable, and does it truly warrant a substantially more lucrative contract?

Optimist Prime believes that this is the beginning of a surge in popularity for the NHL, and now is the time to invest in the league, while Sports Geek contrarily wants to caution those television networks on what he perceives to be a poor investment.

And now that the U.S. elections are concluded, I don’t want to see any negative campaigning in these debates.

My Zimbio Blog Directory Sport Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
Add us to your technorati favorites Digg!

Bookmark and Share


The New NHL TV Deal Debate… NHL Confusing in Contract Year

November 3, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Optimist Prime.

Superficially this seems like a no brainer. The NHL is coming off of record television ratings after last season. Strike while the iron is hot, cable and television networks… right? The NHL is suddenly a hot commodity again and so it the rights must be quickly nabbed up. The network to act the fastest gets the rights to the hot and suddenly fast-growing NHL.

The analogy is almost too perfect. How many times have knowledgeable sports people witnessed a player play great in a contract year, sign a big deal, then completely suck for the duration of the new contract?

For non-NHL fans, think about Adrian Beltre. In 2004, a contract season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Adrian Beltre hit .334, slammed 48 homers, and finished second in MVP voting. He then signed a five-year deal with the Seattle Mariners that paid him between $11.4M and $13.4M over the next five seasons. In that same time span he never hit over .276 and never hit more than 26 home runs in a single season.

NHL fans likely know the story of Chris Drury. The would-be greatest young player in the NHL at one point signed a big five-year contract with the New York Rangers after a season where he scored a career-high 30 goals (no, that’s not that good if you’re still reading non-NHL fans). Drury still has $21M remaining on that contract, though he has never scored more than 70 points in a single season in the NHL – not exactly big time star money that is deserved.

The NHL was in a contract year last season. Knowing that the silly season of television contract negotiating was upcoming, the NHL just so-happened to put on a great show, with a well-timed contract year coinciding with a slight pause in the regular season while the league’s players gained notoriety while playing in the Olympics. The league received a notable post-Olympics ratings boost that carried it through the entire post-season, when two popular, big-market teams battled for the Stanley Cup.

As TV networks contemplate the idea of signing on with the NHL for a big chunk of money, buyer must beware of the player in a contract year. A great performance in the clutch is always helpful, but it also serves as a mirage, inflating the price of the contract while only laying the groundwork for too-high expectations and crash that’s sure to follow.

While the league enjoyed getting some fans back after the strike with the post-Olympics ratings bump, let’s not forget that the league had a hugely devastating strike that crippled the sport’s growth and was a major setback for the league’s growth. It is hard to predict what will happen the next time the NHL has to negotiate a labor deal.

Perhaps the most important point – aside from the fact that the league’s value is inflated with an Olympics bump that will eventually disappear – is that this sport just does not translate well to television. More than any other contributing factor to this deal, a network executive must consider that hockey on TV is just hard to follow for casual fans. As has been discussed on this website before, the casual fan fuels a sport’s popularity. An appeal must be made to attract casual fans, and the NHL has always excelled and drawing and keeping diehards, but the casual fan is historically elusive, and that still rings true.

Personally, I would love to see the NHL sign a nice TV contract and regain some popularity it’s lost in the general sports landscape. I am a hockey fan (the song that plays in the United Center after the Chicago Blackhawks score a goal is my ringtone). But a TV executive would be a fool to sign the NHL to a big time contract right now. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of the player in the contract year pulling out all of the stops to secure big money, then relaxing on a nice fat contract. The NHL is no different than Adrian Beltre. It just remains to be seen how smart the networks will be. To me it’s clear – buyer beware.

My Zimbio Blog Directory Sport Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
Add us to your technorati favorites Digg! Bookmark and Share


The New NHL TV Deal Debate… More Great Options Than Ever

November 3, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Sports Geek

I have to argue that hockey should be a hot property for television. That seems crazy to your average sports fan, but your average sports fan is used to consuming ESPN. ESPN crafts very nice, friendly highlight packages for NHL games… but that is the extent of its coverage. Versus crafts detailed, well-produced national coverage for NHL games, but only two-thirds of the national cable audience gets Versus, and few know where to find it. I have to argue that larger networks should invest in a niche sport and promote it – but they should. I know I’m right. Let me prove why.

When the contributors behind thesportsdebates.com sent out this week’s topic list, the first line of the reference article for the hockey ratings debate told the tale. Plain and simple, the NHL ended last season with its best television rating for a game in thirty-six years. That, in and of itself, indicates a healthy and growing product that the league should promote. It’s a difficult conflict for the league – it appreciates Versus as a loyal (and paying) business partner, but there is only so much home penetration with a network like Versus.

Easy, says my opponent, who is determined to argue against my point. Some regular season games, and many playoff games, were on NBC, and even a test pattern on NBC will usually pull a 1.0 (with apologies to Jay Leno’s 10p show, may it rest in peace). However, game six of the Stanley Cup Finals drew a 4.7 rating. NASCAR on Fox, the nation’s universally respected number two spectator sport, drew an average 4.8 rating for the early portion of the 2010 Sprint Cup season. Though contract numbers are not always exact, based on the value of the NASCAR TV contract (across multiple networks), the NHL is severely undervalued as a television entity.

Stepping away from the statistical facts, think about where sports in America are headed. We like violent sports and we like sports that are easily delivered in HD. The NHL on a basic cable/network contract fits that bill easily. While hockey is taking necessary steps to curb unnecessary violence in the game, it is, by necessity, a fast and violent game. At its root, hockey is a simple game that translates well to adequate broadcast booths. The excitement of the game (especially late in the season and during the playoffs) translates well to the short attention span of today’s television sports viewer. Beyond that, there are many television networks trying to gain a toehold into sports viewing (think about Turner Sports’ play for the baseball playoffs and NCAA tournament). The sports viewing landscape is no longer ESPN or bust. In fact, knowledgeable observers can picture the NHL on a number of non-ESPN properties, and I think the NHL is salivating at that possibility. While the league has carefully cultivated quality studio and play-by-play personnel on Versus, I suspect the league’s strong endorsement of those personnel would translate very well to any broadcast network.

Given the low-rated sports programming on the ESPN family networks (bowling, poker, etc.), the NHL would be a solid investment. The league would be an inexpensive investment given other properties and the NHL is looking for a growth opportunity on a network that will promote the league to most cable homes. As much as I appreciate the Versus broadcasts, any large network (ESPN, Turner networks, etc.) will incorporate homegrown talent capable of distributing to an existing audience, which is clear judging by the ratings for last season’s Stanley Cup Finals. This seems like the perfect opportunity for a broadcast entity to buy rights fairly low and reap the advertising revenue and ratings fairly high. The question is, who will take advantage of this rare opportunity?

My Zimbio Blog Directory Sport Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
Add us to your technorati favorites Digg! Bookmark and Share


The Ironman Record Debate Verdict

November 1, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Optimist Prime and Loyal Homer.

With each hit this NFL season, Brett Favre’s consecutive starts streak teeters more and more tenuously on the brink. That has provoked a great many in the sports world to compare the achievements of this unquestioned ironman with that of another icon legend, Cal Ripken, Jr.

Optimist Prime made a very direct and concise argument aimed at portraying football as vastly more violent sport than baseball. He explained that even though baseball players occasionally face brutal collisions, vicious and devastating hits are a reality in every game for a professional football player. Adding credence to his argument was the statistic that the average NFL player’s career is approximately three years.

A pivotal aspect of Optimist Prime’s argument was his focus on how some NFL teams and players actually plan to target specific players to take out. This is a sobering reality of a sport steeped in violence. Former players often reveal in tell all interviews or biographies that they actually planned to injure certain opponents. It is precisely this type of premeditated brutality that can prematurely end the career of even the toughest gridiron goliath. It would be naïve to believe that teams and players do not consider taking dirty or unnecessarily aggressive shots on game changing players like Favre.

Quarterbacks certainly make easy targets for such attacks, especially high profile signal callers like old number four. Look no further than Tom Brady’s 2008 ACL tear to understand the potential extreme impact an injury to a game changing quarterback can have on a team. While the Patriots did extremely well without Brady, they are the exception rather than the rule. Despite playing with a target on Favre’s ever aging back (and knees… and shoulder… and insert decrepit body part here), he has managed to avoid injury long enough to record 291 consecutive starts and counting. The simple fact that Favre survives from week to week without being crushed into a pile of aged dust and fossils simply amazes.

Although Optimist Prime’s argument expertly portrayed Brett Favre’s streak as one of extreme toughness, it was rather one dimensional. Loyal Homer on the other hand painted a well rounded picture of Cal Ripken, Jr.’s accomplishments in his rebuttal. He pointed out the immense skill necessary to adapt to new pitchers every night. The resilience to take get plunked by high and tight fastballs and continue to make plays in the field. He explored the genuine mental and physical toughness to make starts in hundreds of meaningless games in blisteringly brutal heat, when a star of his status could easily catch a break in an air-conditioned clubhouse without reprimand.

While Cal Ripken, Jr. may not have experienced the same jarring hits Favre did, his streak required incredible toughness and fortitude. To simply boil down this debate to a “which sport is more physical debate” would be a mistake. There is more to being an ironman than simply being able to absorb hits. If that’s all this debate were about then long tenured boxers and MMA fighters should be included as well. Instead the ironman ideal is represents more – the ability to endure and respond to the changes in their respective sport, the ability to contribute consistently and effectively, and the ability to achieve in a way that no one will ever be able to surpass. Loyal Homer made a compelling cause for Cal Ripken, Jr. and his 2,632 game streak. No contemporary player holds a candle to Cal, and I doubt anyone ever will.

While he may not have been crushed by the weight of a 300 pound lineman weekly for 18 seasons, he did endure the unforgiving grind of thousands and thousands of innings which I found to be simply more impressive than the mere physicality of Favre’s record. That’s why I’m awarding this debate victory to Loyal Homer.

May this win bring the start of an ironman streak of victories in TSD debates. That is until the next time we square off. Then I’m hoping to embarrass you as much as a leaked text from Brett Favre’s phone.

My Zimbio Blog Directory Sport Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory
Add us to your technorati favorites Digg! Bookmark and Share


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.