Unrestricted View

"Lou is not talking about mechanics when he goes out to the mound,"
~Chicago Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Sabermetrics 101



I read an ESPN poll asking which of the following baseball statistics is the most overrated: On-base percentage, Slugging percentage, Batting average, Homeruns, and RBI's. America voted in this order: Slugging percentage, HR, BA, OBP, and RBI.

Obviously, the general public is either unaware or not buying into sabermetrics. To say that of those stats, RBI is the least overrated and slugging percentage is the most overrated is absurd. My order looks like this: RBI, BA, HR, slugging pertentage, OBP. So why isn't America seeing it the way I (and Graham and many of you) see it. Maybe it's because they haven't read Moneyball. Maybe it's because they haven't heard of Bill James. It's also because there are very few sabermatricians in the media. All the average fan hears is the stupidity of Joe Morgan and other people of his ilk. (insert firejoemorgan.blogspot.com plug here. We've got a link.) So I've decided to give a brief summary on the sabermetric's philosophy. If you are already in the know, please move on. However, if you have no idea what sabermetrics is, read this carefully and then research more about it. It will change the way you look at baseball.

Philosophy #1

The most precious resource in baseball is an out. Therefore, on base percentage is the most important statistic for a hitter. A low batting average can be made up for by a high OBP. Suppose a team had a perfect OBP of 1.000, the number of runs they would score would be unlimited because no player would ever make an out. Therefore, a player like Jason Giambi with a .277 avg/.445 OBP is far more productive to his offense than a player like Jose Guillen with a .302 avg/.349 OBP. Even though Giambi's BA is 25 points lower tha Guillen's, he makes one less out per every 10 at bats which allows the inning to continue.

Philosophy #2

Do not sacrifice outs. Sacrifice bunts give up an out in order to move a runner over one base. Over the course of a season, a team can score more runs by not sacrificing that out, but rather choosing to accept what ever other possibility could happen from allowing a player to swing away. Basestealing can contribute to run production, but is also risky. Although the number change based on the scenario, generally speaking a runner must successfully steal bases 70% of the time for the act to improve run production. Sabermetricians don't advocate never sacrificing or stealing. They just think it should be used very minimally.

Philosophy #3

Power over Speed. Slugging percentage is one of the best indicators of power. If a team has power, every at bat could be a run producing one. That is what makes sacrificing an out a mistake. The more at bats a team can get, the more oppotunities they have for home runs or doubles that lead to big innings. Because of the importance of both OBP and SP, the best indicator for how many runs a team will score is OPS or on base percentage plus slugging percentage.

Proof: The top 10 MLB teams in slugging percentage are Boston, NY Yankees, Texas, Cincy, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland, Baltimore, Atlanta, St Louis, and Tampa Bay. All of these teams except the Cubs and Orioles are also in the top 10 in runs scored. The top 4 OPS also happen to be the top 4 runs scored.

That's the meat of the sabermatricians hitting philosophy. I'll save the pitching for another day, or for Graham.

P.S.
I'm watching ESPN and I just saw that the Colts signed Corey Simon. I didn't get the terms, but I already consider them one of the favorites for the Super Bowl. This is only going to make them better. How do they fit that team under the cap though? I'd have to look at the numbers, but they could be in trouble in a couple years. I hope the signing bonus wasn't too big.

If anyone has any comments or questions about sabermetrics, please feel free to express them.

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Monday, August 29, 2005

Nothing but Air Between Their Ears

Tonight while watching the White Sox – Rangers game they showed a lady in the stands reading a book. I can’t believe that someone would want to spend the money on getting a ticket if you are not even going to pay attention to the game. Another type of fan that slays me are the ones that need to talk on their cell phones. Also, the ones that wave at the camera every single time it is on them. Isn’t once enough? Maybe a second time to say “Hi, mom and send money”, but that’s all. What are new parents doing at the games with a newborn? The kid, or anyone under the age of 4, isn’t going to remotely remember the game, all they are thinking is when is the next time that they are going to latch onto a breast. Not to mention that it is potentially dangerous for them and a distraction to everyone else near the screaming brats. What about the one that fell from the upper deck at a Yankees – Sox game? R-Kelly must have been in his head or the booze must have made him think he could fly. To top it off, are the ones that need the 2 minutes of fame by running onto the field.

Save the seat and ticket for a real fan!

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What a Loser!



Way to go Maurice! You are officially the biggest loser in the world right now. I don't even know what to say about this guy. Three years ago I thought he was going to be a star in the NFL. I'm pretty sure I wasn't alone on that either. Who knows? Maybe he still can produce. Maybe a team like the Eagles picks him up, gives him some carries, and he makes me look like a reactionary idiot for writing this column. But somehow I doubt it.

It's been one thing after another for this kid for two years now. Even with all the drama and a blazing 4.9 40 time in the combine, he still manages to get himself drafted on Day 1 on the draft. And by the Denver Broncos, no less. What an ideal situation. If you can't run in Denver, you can't run anywhere. Somehow, Mike Shanahan's ego got in the way, and he thought he could turn anyone into a 1,000 yard rusher. Sometimes Shanahan looks like a genius, sometimes he looks like Mike Sherman. Did he have nothing better to do with a third round draft pick than waste it on this bum? It's not as though RB was a "need" pick for the Broncos. Well, what's done is done. He took Clarett, let's see what the kid can do.

Clarett did exactly what he has done for the past two years. The stat line looks like Bill Gates' bank account. A bunch of zeroes. 0 carries for 0 yards. That's all you need to know about this kid Clarett. He is exactly what his stat line says, a big fat zero.

By the way, zero is the amount of money he earned as a pro, as well. His contract had no signing bonus. It was strictly incentive laden. NFL contracts aren't guaranteed, so if a player is released, all he recieves is the signing bonus. I know we should be applauding guys who sign contracts like this one. If they don't produce, they don't get paid. Maybe that's the way it should be. But honestly, who does that? Was Clarett represented Ricky Williams' old agency, No Limit Sports?

So Clarett is on his way out of Denver. Hopefully the Broncos will toss him a chunk of change so he can get back to Columbus. That's even if Ohio State will let him come back. Apparently, feeble attempts to bring down the university's historic athletic department are frowned upon in Ohio. Maybe another pro team will give him a shot. Or maybe he'll track down Ryan Leaf and ask him where to go from here. Whatever this loser ends up doing, I can almost be sure I'll be entertained by it.

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Sunday, August 28, 2005

Put in the New Shooter



Once again, the Chicago Bears are in a mess with the quarterback position. Lovie needs to make a decision that is going to keep him as coach of the Bears, or he’ll be looking for another job. He is going to have to decide who is going to start as QB. Angelo has handcuffed him again by not going out and getting a REAL NFL QB in the off-season. Here are the choices that the Bears have as your starters coming into the year:

The radio stations in Chicagoland, (WSCR and ESPN AM 1000) are both asking if the fans are ready to throw away a season by going to an unproven QB in Orton. This pre-season so far has shown that Hutchinson is not a starter in the League and he only has 8 starts in the NFL anyway. He could be someone that is a backup, but the Bears can’t afford to keep him on as a starter. Hutchinson lacks poise in the pocket, can’t read the defense, and he is not able to get rid of the ball accurately. Hey, this looks like last year’s backup, Quinn. Well, not exactly, at least Hutchinson looks like he belongs in the NFL, while Quinn played more like a NFL QB back in the early 70’s when you didn’t need to pass as much.

Orton has shown that he can read defenses. To that point, in the Bills game, Orton saw something in the defensive formation that he started to point out, Kreutz slapped his hand since this has been his job, pointing out defensive items in the past. The QB is supposed to take control of a situation, but for now this is a thing the he will have to earn. We are all wondering if he is ready for the fast pass of the NFL, however, we will not know until he is out there playing against first stringers. In the last preseason game, let’s put Orton in and see what he can do.

I know we love our backup QBs in Chicago, kind of like drinking the Kool-Aid the Cubs Drink every year. So you might be thinking what about Blake? Well, he was picked up from the scrap heap. There is a reason for him being there. If you want to see what the future holds, then we need to see what Orton has. Forget Hutchinson, and even Grossman, Orton is the man. After all, the Bears are not going to the Playoffs this year anyway.

GO PURDUE
Sub-note- The Bear’s will be lucky to win 5 games…. Cheer for a real team, like the BRONCOS!!! (That’s Suzanne’s comment, I do not agree!)

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Saturday, August 27, 2005

Wait Til Next Year!



I know this isn't supposed to be about the Cubs, because I have A Cub Fan Rants for that, but I have to speak my mind here as well. The Cubs just cashed in the season today. See ya later. Don't Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200. The Fat Lady is singing. Stick a fork in 'em.

And whatever other silly allusions I missed.

Anyway, the Cubs traded Matt Lawton for some single-A prospect from the Yankees (did the Yankees have any "prospects" left?) Justin Berg. Great.

Sorry. I just got done writing about it, and needed to say my piece over here as well.

Call me a Spammer. A Sore Loser. Call me Ishmael.

Call me whatever you want, but what I really am is a bitter Cub fan who can't believe so many morons still pack that (beautiful) place some call the Friendly Confines. They're not there to see winning baseball, that's pretty evident.

Oh well. On to bigger and better things. I suppose that means you'll be seeing a lot more of me over here at Unrestricted View.

Just when you thought is was safe to go back in the water.

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Friday, August 26, 2005

Who's on First?



Is that Adam LaRoche or Lyle Overbay? I can't tell. Maybe you don't know what I'm talking about, so I'll explain it to you. If anyone tuned into TBS for the Braves/Brewers game tonight they'd know what I mean. The Brewers, playing at home, opted to wear throwback jerseys from their days as the Milwaukee Braves. The uniforms look almost identical to the Atlanta Braves home jerseys. They even say Braves in the same script as the current Braves. Normally this might be a good marketing idea. But when the real Braves are in town, in just looks dumb.

Ned Yost is furious about having to wear a jersey that has the team name of their opponent, and I don't blame him. In fact, I would have supported the team had they decided to refuse wearing the jersey. Something just seems wrong about the whole idea. Doesn't management see this? Could they not have decided to introduce the throwbacks another time? This is the only weekend out of the year that the idea doesn't make sense. Where's management's head on this one. I think they've been drinking to much of their sponsers product, if you ask me.

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Milk: The New Banned Substance?



An unidentified Florida Marlin batboy, which means he's under eighteen, was suspended by the Florida Marlins for accepting a dare from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny to attempt to drink a gallon of milk in one hour without throwing up. Are they serious? Evidently, yes.

The Milk industry (namely the Milk Processor Education Program) is taking this opportunity for some pub by paying the batboy $500 (the amount of the original bet) along with any lost wages from the six game suspension he received, as long as he promises to drink the recommended three glasses of milk a day (but not in one sitting).

Also, the Fort Myers Miracle (the Twins' A-ball affiliat in the Florida State League) have offered him an honorary batboy position during their Monday night game vs. the Tampa Yankees. All children under the age of 14 will receive a glass of milk upon entering the stadium, empty milk cartons will be placed in the ballpark for fans to donate to the batboy's cause, and a cow will be at the front gates along with literature promoting the importance of drinking milk (talk about grabbing onto an opportunity).

And Brad Penny thought the Marlins' reaction was outrageous as well.
"It's kind of ridiculous that you get a 10-game suspension for steroids and a six-game suspension for milk," Penny told the Herald.

"It's ridiculous that they worry about stuff like that. It shows they [the Marlins organization] don't know anything about the game. That kind of stuff goes on everywhere. It didn't affect the way he worked, the way he did his job," he said.
Udderly ridiculous, if you ask me.

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Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Running for Daylight



The 1,000 yard season has always been the benchmark for determining a running backs production. Most NFL fans realize that number was difficult to reach in the old 12 or 14 game seasons. But in a 16 game season, it appears as though there are alot of average backs who reach 1,000 yards. A 62.5 yards per game average will catapult a RB to this old benchmark. That hardly seems special in my eyes. So what should the new benchmark be? How many yards does a RB need to rush for to be consider above average?

I put together a small study of the top 30 backs in each of the last 2 seasons. Here's what I found.

The top 30 statistical backs in 2003 and 2004 have rushed for 68,692 yards on 15,901 carries. That comes out to 4.32 yards per carry and an average of 16.56 carries per game. Multiply those two numbers together and you get 71.5 yards per game, which would be 1,144 rushing yards over the course of the entire 16 game season.

If a RB remains injury free and recieves at least 16 carries per game (which 90% of number one backs do) he should rush for 1,144 yards to be considered average.

Obviously, this is no in depth Bill James type study. There are many other factors that could be plugged in to find out who the best running backs are. My purpose was just to establish a rough idea of what the new benchmark for yards in a season should be. The above numbers are enough for me. I'm setting my new benchmark at 1,150.

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Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Cedric, You Fool



Cedric Benson is doing his best Curtis Enis impression, holding out for more cash than he's presently worth, or than any of his fellow draftmates are signing for. We all know what happened to Enis (he held out for more money in 1998, got a little bit more, and then got injured and never really played above third-string level again), so what do you think the chances the once-bitten Chicago Bears will bend and pay off Cedric? Well, here's the quote from Bears GM Jerry Angelo (released Aug. 18th):
After missing all of training camp, we want to make it abundantly clear that the Chicago Bears have made their best and final offer to Cedric Benson. No dollars are left on the bargaining table, and at this point the only contract discussions that will be entertained will be reflective of the considerable loss of value to the club created by the player's extended absence.

We will not provide details regarding contract negotiations, however, in an effort to move forward and focus solely on preparing for a winning football season, we believe it is important for everyone to know our position on Benson's contract situation as his holdout enters Day 26 and now is the NFL's only unsigned first-round draft choice.

The Chicago Bears have always placed a premium on having our players in camp on time, and recent history reflects our excellent track record. Our last four number one draft picks have been signed on time for the opening of training camp. Two of those picks, Rex Grossman and Tommie Harris, were also represented by Benson's agent, Eugene Parker.

The failure to reach an agreement on a fair and reasonable contract has been a huge disappointment. We look forward to having Cedric end his holdout and join his coaches and teammates as they prepare for the upcoming season.
Wow. Looks like he has two choices. Sit out for a year and re-enter the draft next year (yeah, other NFL teams ought to really jump at that chance) or check his ego at the door and take the honest money the Bears are offering him and get his butt into camp.

I mean, he was the fourth pick in the draft, the third signed for $19 million (Braylon Edwards with Cleveland), the fifth draft pick signed for $15 million (Carnell "Cadillac" Williams with Tampa Bay), and Benson was offered $17 million. What's the problem rookie? It takes a lot of kolaches to not only raise yourself above the other draft picks, but to also do so without playing one NFL game or even attending one NFL practice.

I know this is somewhat self-defeating, but I hope they Bears front office really doesn't budge. If he doesn't want the cash, screw him. See you later. Like the other Bears, who are actually practicing, want to deal with this guy now anyway.

I wish the best of luck to Thomas Jones and Adrian Peterson as the Bears starting backfield if Cedric indeed doesn't sign (even if he does now, he'd most likely not start for a few games). But, man, without Rex Grossman already, and now that three more Bears got hurt on Sunday and are out for the season (backup safties Bobby Gray and Cameron Worrell and reserve linebacker Marcus Reese), the upcoming season for the Bears looks fairly bleak. As in, .500 would be an amazing accomplishment. Wonderful.

This brings up another concern, why do they play four preseason games? How many players have to get hurt before they reduce these meaningless games to a reasonable two or possibly three? Is the cash at the gate and from the TV viewership that important? Ask Michael Vick his opinion on that (or Rex for that matter).

Later.

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Bob Huggins Tanked



Bob Huggins, coach of the University of Cincinnati Men's Basketball squad, has been asked to resign by the end of the day, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer, and of which I heard listening to WSCR this afternoon. The coach is out due to his drinking problems, including his infamous pictures canoodling with college coeds at a party on campus and his DWI arrest a while back. Nice. Hope it was worth it.

Yes, he made the NCAA Tournament 14 straight years, but Cincy was knocked out in the first round in 10 of those years. Also, his graduation rate was as low as 0% a few seasons ago (last year it was in the low twenties). So, he has lots of issues, but it could be argued that the new president is just trying to make a statement.

The guys on The Score are really ripping into him. Saying that his car comes with a roll-over option, that he makes sure it's Scotch-Guarded for puke protection, etc. Will he ever get another job coaching college kids? Not for a while, but since America is extremely accomodating and forgiving (see Raffy and the Lewises in Baltimore for more evidence), we'll probably see him again, perhaps in the NBA or even in the NCAA.

He gets a three million dollar buyout if he resigns, but if he refuses to quit, he'll get fired and "only" get two million, so expect a press conference with Coach Huggins announcing his resignation very soon.

What did we learn from this? Don't pose for pictures with a beer in hand while kissing on underage girls? Try actually getting your college players to go to their college courses? Or, how about simply stay out of trouble and don't do anything stupid? I'm not sure if Huggins learned that one or not.

He's got a lot of time to think about it now.

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Monday, August 22, 2005

The So Called Sports Guy



I don't know how many of ya'll have read ESPN's Bill Simmons or not, but my roomates love him. Every time he comes out with a new article it's the best day of their lives. Well they have finally convinced me to start reading his articles. Over the past couple weeks I have read his stuff and I find it almost completely worthless. Apparently this guy has a pretty big following or his articles wouldn't continually get posted on what I believe is America's number one sports website. (Behind Unrestricted View that is.)

So what is it that I hate about this guy? I'm not exactly sure. Maybe it's that fact that he's never written one piece of sports information. I'm not so sure I would even classify him as a sports writer. To me he seems like a comedian with an interest in sports. Fine. I'd love to read his articles on college humor or some other website like that. But when I log onto ESPN, I want to read something about the actual games that were played that night.

You won't get that from Bill Simmons though. He thinks we care more about where Roger Clemens ranks on the "too old to highlight their hair" list as opposed to how he pitched that night. Don't get me wrong, that's funny to think about, but I don't need Bill Simmons to tell me about it. The fact is that I need to hear about how he pitched because I spent the last three hours getting drunk with my buddies and talking about Clemens' highlights.

Simmons also wrote an article comparing certain athletes to rock bands. For example, I believe Cal Ripken was Aerosmith because of longevity. But really, who the f-ck cares?

If this guy wants to write insignificant articles that are occasionally funny, go ahead. But can we put them on a different site. I wish ESPN would get away from comedy and back to sports. That's why I still prefer Peter Gammons.

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Saturday, August 20, 2005

MLB Cover Up?

It's the job of a professional sports reporter to make sure they have facts before they break a story. I'm no sports reporter. I'm just a fan with an opinion, so I'm willing to write about rumors and speculation.

There is chatter all over the internet that 2 American born players (1 AL/1 NL) have tested positive for steroids. One is a sure fire Hall of Fame pitcher. The players being speculated about are Johnny Damon and Roger Clemens. The story goes like this. These guys failed steroid tests, but because Clemens is such a big name, the league is allowing them to appeal the results before reporting the story. Should they win their appeal the story never comes out. But should they lose the appeal, we the public hear about it sometime within the next week.

I've read just a little bit about this story and it seems to have some merit. It certainly seems reasonable to me that the league would be willing to hide the results from the public until the appeal process has taken its course. Why wouldn't they do that favor for "Rocket". MLB wants its legendary pitcher being tainted by steroids as much as I want cancer. Now I know this is all speculation, but it's not out of the realm of possibility in my view.

Hopefully we can get some more information about this within the next couple days. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open. If this story is true, it's going to be all people talk about. I'll try to keep you updated.

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Friday, August 19, 2005

Randy, Shut Up



Hey, I'm all for being honest, but sometimes there are certain ears that don't need to hear the whole truth. Randy, it's cool that you get high, hey, so do a lot of people I know, and I may or may not indulge from now and again, but it's one thing for some guy writing a blog and working for the man to speak his mind, but it's quite another for someone making several million dollars a year who has already got busted for a dirty UA by his employers. Randy Randy Randy. Shut up and smoke in private. You think you're getting street cred or something? There is no street that is safe for a multi-millionaire, trust me. You're a mark, and they're coming for you. And now, it's the NFL coming for you. And you do know that canniboids stay in your system for 20-35 days, right?

My advice, lay low. Smoke away, but shut the f_ck up. Trust me, you've done yourself a great disservice. Is it safer than alcohol? YES. Should it be legal? YES. But, while it is still illegal, should you say anything about it? Duh, NO.

Anyway, that's my take on that.

Maybe he just felt that T.O. was getting too much attention and that he needed some of the spotlight on him. Whatever, Randy, but just realize that isn't a spotlight, it's a police flashlight. Good luck, man. I've heard Certa works. You're going to want to try whatever remedy you think might help, because you're definitely going to be peeing in a cup for the rest of the season (at least).

And Randy, one more thing, your agent, Dante Ditrapano is an idiot. Seriously. Get a new one.

"If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
~Albert Einstein, Observer, Jan. 15, 1950

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The Things I Learned Watching Million Dollar Baby



I just watched Million Dollar Baby, which for some reason, the Academy seemed to enjoy. I don't get it (*Spoiler Alert*). I mean, the first hour and a half is good, even great (the dialogue between Eastwood and Swank and Freeman is fantastic), but then shut the movie off, walk out, and enjoy your life. Seriously. Don't watch the end. If you didn't get out while the getting was good, then here's the lessons you might learn:
  • The only people who keep fighting are retarded (sorry, "mentally challenged").
  • "I fought to get into this world," but she sure quit on the way out.
  • Family Sucks.
  • Cheaters Win.
  • Turn your back for a second, and it all goes to hell.
  • Murder is OK, if she's medicated.
  • Parapalegics have no reason to live.
  • You can throw it all away for a good piece of pie.
Hey, sounds like a winner to me. Talk about leaving the movie with a bad taste in your mouth. And I'm not talking lemon meringue in a can. I'm all for not having the traditional "sweet, Hollywood" ending, but come on already.

I need some retribution.

And some sleep.

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Thursday, August 18, 2005

Greed



Tell me the Chicago Blackhawks ownership group is not serious. Are they really going to continue to charge PPV for the television feeds to their home games? I can't believe it. Hey, idiots, there was just a season long strike, maybe you heard about it?! WTF? Are not all the faucets in your fourth home not clad in platinum yet? Are you saving up for an Aston-Martin for each day of the week? For each of your family members?

Someone please tell me I've been mislead and this information I overheard on WCSR is incorrect.

Thanks.

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My Take on T.O.



Alright, I know the world (that means you) is sick and tired of T.O. this and T.O. that, but just to get my two cents in on the matter, I think he should honor his contract. If you sign a contract, if you pick up the pen and ink your name to the deal (Sharpie or no Sharpie), then you stand up and honor the deal. If you wanted more money, the time for negotiations was before you signed. I understand the point Drew Rosenhaus brings up about the NFL team can cut you at anytime (blah blah blah), but hey, you worry about that if/when it happens or you write some language into the deal to prevent that. If you worry about your performance from year to year and getting paid what you deserve, then sign one year deals to ensure you always get paid for your current value.

Now, that being said, I don't think he has to talk to anyone or get along with anyone. That's not in the contract. He just needs to play. If he catches the damn ball and racks up some RAC, then hey, he's doing his part, and most likely the Eagles can think Playoffs. Who cares who he talks to, who he gets along with, who he doesn't, who he bunks with, what TV shows he watches, who he eats lunch with, what color socks he wears... Ya know, I could care less. They're grown men on the team and they'll work that stuff out between themselves. He's in camp now, he's running routes, end of story.

Donovan McNabb is equally at fault for going to the media, even though he's "protecting" himself, he could easily just shut up and play the party line if he wanted to. But, he wants to be the "team leader" and have the focus go through him, like many think the QB should be. Whatever. If you don't want it blowing out of proportion Donovan, then just say "Terrell is an Eagle, I'll throw him the ball, and we'll win. Thank you and goodnight." He pretty much said that ("if he's open, I'll throw him the ball") but then he had couldn't resist taking a few jabs himself. This is very high-school to me, and I think these adults could handle themselves better if they really wanted to.

Alright, that's all I'm saying about that. I hope the Bears sign Cedric Benson soon. I mean, if Alex Smith, draft pick numero uno can sign, then just get to the table and sign already CB. Get the pads on, join the team, and let's start the season already. Man.

Later.

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Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Welcome to Unrestricted View



Welcome to our new site, Unrestricted View. It will be dedicated to our take on sports. The title refers to the plight many ticket holders in sports venues across the country have experienced at one time or another: The dreaded Restricted View. For anyone that has had to sit behind a pole or other structurally inconvenient locale, we're here for you. We promise our view on sports will always be Unrestricted.

Currently, the authors are myself, Graham Funk, and my good friend Matt Resell. My brother Kevin is on the roster as well, but it is yet to be determined if he'll join our team. Something about agents and the under- or over-performing of the contract or something. Maybe he'll report to camp soon.

Alright, enough of the frickin' pomp and circumstance and on with the show.

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