Hello sports fans, I apologize for the missed week – and this week’s edition is going to be a bit abbreviated. My day job has me in the Philly area for training and finding time to write a column has been challenging – but there is certainly plenty to discuss! This week we’ll take a look at the Penguins season, analyze the Plaxico Burress fiasco, and predict where some of the big free agents might end up in baseball.
As you know, Plaxico Burress shot himself in a nightclub, was charged with unlawfully possessing a handgun without a permit, and was summarily kicked off the Giants for the remainder of the year – without pay. There are two angles I’d like to look at: the stupidity of carrying a handgun in this situation, and conversely the relative unfairness the league is showing with its punishment.
Can someone explain to me WHY these guys feel the need to carry a handgun into these clubs, or in public at all? Can you name ONE time when carrying a handgun has resolved, rather than inflamed, a situation involving a high-profile athlete? Now I don’t want to turn this into a political debate – I support second amendment rights, and owning a whole roomful of collector rifles doesn’t bother me a bit. But these guys are millionaires, if they fear THAT much for their safety, why not just hire a bodyguard? Why take the chance of an accident, either injuring yourself or being caught up in shooting someone else? I just don’t get it. Hopefully the Burress example will make other athletes think twice before packing heat everywhere they go.
On the other hand, what happened to due process? Matt Jones of the Jaguars got busted with cocaine in July – he JUST got a 3-game suspension handed down by the league this week, and that was AFTER he had his day in court. Burress got suspended without pay AND placed on the non-football injury list, all before any type of hearing. Do I think he deserves to be suspended? Yes. Do I think there’s a bit of a double standard here? Absolutely. I don’t think it’s a race question; I think it’s a factor of Burress’ star power. The whole incident was REALLY bad press for the league, and the league felt it necessary to show that even though Plax is a big star, he wasn’t above the rules. Fair enough, but I’d feel better about it had they also immediately suspended Matt Jones in August.
Finally, Steeler fans, anyone still bemoaning the fact that he left a few years ago? Character counts, and the Steelers correctly didn’t overpay Burress. He’s been successful his whole career, but he also has shown signs of immaturity since he was a rookie and I, for one, am glad he’s the Giants’ problem now.
On to baseball – word is that CC Sabathia has finally kicked off the free-agent season by signing with the Yankees. The five biggest free-agent names after CC are, in my opinion, 1B Mark Teixeira, LF Manny Ramirez, P AJ Burnett, P Derek Lowe, and SS Rafael Furcal. The market is definitely thin this winter, as after Teixeira everyone has some major question marks – durability, age, attitude, performance, or some combo of the above. Teixeira is the big prize – young, durable, established, consistent, a real star set to make the big bucks. As such, there are only a few teams that can afford the slugger. I’d rate the Angels as slight favorites to retain him, followed closely by the Yankees as they attempt to overhaul their franchise. Dark horse candidate: Boston.
Free-agent pitchers are always a risk, but Lowe is one of the safer bets out there, even at age 36. He hasn’t missed a start in years, and his performance has been very consistent. I expect at least 7 or 8 teams to bid for Lowe, with the favorites being the Yankees, Mets, and Angels. Darkhorse: the Brewers, who should have some cash after losing Sabathia and (probably) Ben Sheets. As for Burnett, he’s coming off a very successful year in Toronto, and he’s not that old at 31, but he’s had durability and consistency issues. I expect the Dodgers to be in the hunt for Burnett, as well as the Red Sox and Mets. Darkhorse: the Cardinals, who may feel they are one starter away from contention.
Now we get to Manny , who we discussed in this space in August. Clearly he can still play, as his unbelievable stretch run with the Dodgers showed. Still, he’s 37, he has a clear history of ‘shutting it down’ at times, and defensively he’s only going to be more and more of a liability as time goes by. If the Angels lose Teixeira I expect them to aggressively pursue Manny; the Dodgers also would like to retain him at the right price. As a NY native, the Mets might be interested as well. I think the Yankees saw what happened in Boston and will pass. Darkhorse: if the A’s are serious about contending, Manny fits their needs to a T. Do they have the cash, and the patience, to take him on? Finally Furcal is a fine SS when healthy, but suffered a serious back injury last season. If that injury is under control long-term he’s a good bet for the next four years; however, I’m always leery of back issues. Again, he fits the A’s needs very well, and the Dodgers also want to retain him. Darkhorse: the Cardinals or Cubs, both of whom could use upgrades at SS and don’t mind spending at times.
Finally, let’s look at the Pens’ season thus far. Despite their current 2-game losing streak, Pittsburgh is off to a strong start at 15-8-4, despite the injuries to Ryan Whitney, Sergei Gonchar, Marc-Andre’ Fleury, and now Hal Gill. Once these players are healthy, the team should really come alive – Gonchar and Whitney are really missed on the power play, and despite his solid numbers Sabourin has let in several goals lately that Fleury probably stops. The Pens’ young defensive corps has gained considerable experience in the meantime, and either Kris Letang or Alex Goligoski would make an attractive trade chip this spring if Pittsburgh is still struggling to get scoring from its wingers.
Pittsburgh has been a VERY exciting team to watch, as they already have seven come-from behind victories – highlighted by their 7-6 OT win in Detroit – but have also allowed an alarming number of leads to slip away – the worst example being squandering a 5-0 lead vs. Edmonton and barely hanging on for a 5-4 win. Some of this is the style and speed of the post-lockout NHL – clearly play around the league has more flow, and games are more entertaining – and part of it is the injuries, but the Pens MUST learn how to play with a lead soon if they intend to have another deep playoff run.
Through 27 games the most pleasant surprise has probably been Alex Goligoski – I have to remind myself that he’s a rookie NHL defenseman, he has played well positionally and on the power play he’s showed dynamite hands and passing skills. The biggest disappointment is probably a tie between Miroslav Satan and Petr Sykora – both still have great shots but both have disappeared for long stretches this season, and neither is playing great defense. Both need to elevate their games soon, or the Pens will have no choice but to upgrade the wings at the trade deadline.
Overall, I give them an A- through the first third of the season, they have weathered serious injuries and remain among the elite teams in the league. Remember, the last two years at this point they were out of the playoff picture and hovering around .500 – if they embark on another post-December run as they did last year, they should win the division with ease.
Dave Glass lives in Clearfield with his wife, suzanne, and their six children. He can be reached at buggyracer@verizon.net.
