I saw a special on the Marlins and their financial difficulties. Apparently they really do have the worst lease in baseball. No revenue from concessions, luxury boxes, parking, stadium signage or club seats. But the funniest part is listening to the Marlins talking heads complain about it. After all, they bought the team with the lease in place. It would be like me asking Calista Flockhart or Nicole Ritchie to marry me and then two years later start complaining that I really like voluptuous brunettes with lots of t&a. I swear some of these owners are incredulous. If they thought it was going to be easy to get a new stadium did Loria think that Huzienga and or John Henry (both fairly successful businessmen themselves) would have given up?
As most sports writers have a heard or gang mentality, I guess it shouldn't surprise me too much that we are hearing virtually nothing about the fact that the MLB CBA expires at the end of this season. Hopefully the owners and players will reach a settlement that averts a work stoppage. I think that the chances are pretty good - just like the recent NFL deal, there is just too much money to be lost. And with all the new sources of revenue, as long as the players don't get too greedy, there is non way they shouldn't reach an agreement.
And while I expect the major issues to be revenue sharing and luxury tax, there is one item in the current CBA that has received NO attention. Contraction. Granted everything could change in negotiations, but the current agreement calls for the owners to notify the players of their intention to contract teams (including which two teams) by July 1. So with the Expos now in DC and about to reap the owners a nice windfall and apparently MN getting a new stadium, it looks like contraction is not happening.
And I know I railed against the NFL draft, but two things from having it on - I don't know whats funnier, Matt Leinart looking like "what they hell is happening here" or the fact the ESPN can't seem to take the camera off him as he continues to slide and slide.
Apparently Jets fans (most of them anyway) can spell. J-E-T-S. Jets. Jets. Jets. Judging by the looks of most the characters at the draft, they should all be thankful they don't live in Jacksonville as I'm sure the spelling on that one would give them difficulty.
And what kind of name is D'Brickashaw? I like it.
ReplyDeleteYou're having one awesome weekend.
ReplyDeletePoor Matt Leinart. Spends one more year at college to get his degree, sleeps with like 10,000 college girls, and falls to 10th in the draft. His life must suck.
West Coast Bias my ass.
ReplyDeleteDamon has two HRs today.
ReplyDeleteHis last two 2 HR games have been at the toilet.
Somehow I doubt Yankee fans will remember this day as fondly as we remember the last time.
As i watch the Sox-DRays (why I'm not so sure - I think I need another beer), I can't help but notice that TB pitcher Doug Waechter has a bible passage on his glove. COL 3:23.
ReplyDeleteI looked it up. It means "And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."
More football news.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of the draft, it just kills me how the ESPN talking heads cover this. There is all this debate going on and then JUST before the pick someone (usually Berman) makes a comment like will the Raiders pick Leinart or will they fill their need in the secondary with maybe Michael Huff. Now we know ESPN is paying the NFL millions not to mention all the pre draft hype, so you know the NFL is cooperating with them today and feeding them the picks a little before Taglibue announces it (not to mention the almost immediate video clips). Its just funny the way they play it up like they knew it all along.
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