Sam Bradford Goes Down (Again)

Sam Bradford tore his ACL for the Second Time in a Year

For years March 9th, 2012 was seen as a great day for the St. Louis Rams. On that day not even 3 years ago, the St. Louis Rams traded the 2nd pick in the 2012 NFL draft to the Washington Redskins for the seemingly crazy return of the 6th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, a second rounder in 2012, a first rounder in both 2013 and 2014. The Rams who were just two years removed from drafting Sam Bradford and turned the "Robert Griffin III" pick into a massive haul. The Rams turned those 4 draft picks with other trades into Greg Robinson, Alec Ogletree, Stedman Bailey, Zac Stacy, Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins, Isaiah Pead and Rokevious Watkins. That is five starters, two quality backups. 7 of the 8 players will be on the 2014 roster. The Rams turned 1 pick in the 2012 draft into nearly 15% of their total roster. Even despite RGIII's ACL tear in his rookie year, the Redskins were also seen as winner of trade because in the eyes of many there is no price too high to pay for a franchise quarterback.

This whole trade only made sense on one condition: Sam Bradford was the Rams' franchise quarterback. The Rams drafted #1 overall in 2010 out of Oklahoma. Although Bradford was injured and only played 3 games his last year in college, Bradford played all 16 games as a rookie, winning the AP's Offensive Rookie of the Year award. In 2011, Bradford got hurt and missed nearly half of the season helping the Rams finish just 2-14 and earn the 2nd pick in the 2012 draft. Despite the growing tag of injury prone, the Rams still had confidence that Bradford would continue to grow on his rookie campaign in 2012 and beyond when they decided to go the "sure-thing" in Griffin and make that trade.

The Rams seemed right as their record improved to 7-8-1 in 2012, their best since 2006, with Bradford throwing for career highs in yards, touchdowns, and QB rating. Since 2012, little has gone right for Bradford and the Rams' hope of him as their franchise QB. Bradford played just 7 games in 2013 before tearing his ACL and now is out again for all of 2014 with a torn ACL in the same knee. Bradford will have played just 33 of 64 games over the last 4 years when the season is done. After this season, Bradford will have just one year left on his deal and the Rams for the first time since drafting him can easily cut Bradford without a big cap hit.

Can the Rams really give up on Bradford now? Can the Rams and their fans now officially start to regret that trade? The Rams were rumored to be on the Johnny Manziel hunt before the 2014 draft, but passed on him to draft Aaron Donald and remove any questions about their confidence in Bradford. Now that Bradford is hurt all of those questions come back, not just this year in passing on Manziel, but starting 3 years ago when they traded away the RGIII pick. As RGIII proved his rookie year, he does need very much to lead a team to the post season. Robert Griffin III has led his team to the playoffs more times in his first season than Sam Bradford will led the Rams in 5. Its unfortunate that we may never get to see Sam Bradford at his full potential ever or even the 4-team race that the NFC West was shaping up to be, but now we get maybe the most interesting thing you can for in sports: a great game of "What if".

Summer Blog Updates

As fall classes begin across the Cornell campus, we hope our readers had a great summer.  While the blog certainly slowed down over break, we still would still like to update you on some of the things we've been working on.

First off we are pleased to announce that Stephen Rosen will be taking over as the new Editor-in-Chief of the blog. He's been a dedicated contributor, and he's even served as Assistant Editor this past year, so the site will be good hands. You can read all of Stephen's previous work here. If you are interested in writing for the blog, send Stephen an email at sfr53@cornell.edu.

Additionally there will be lot's of great content this semester, with series showcasing both club members' experiences and women in sports, in addition to past features such as Event Recaps and Blogger Roundtables.  Check out our staff of bloggers on our Contributor's page.

You may have noticed a new page on the blog as well. Incoming Assistant Editor and VP of Radio Matt Hakimian has assembled our new Events page. The page houses our past events with alumni and other sports industry leaders, conferences, charity events, and more!

Some of our contributors also did a little writing this summer.  Hannah Sawyer provided a first-hand report on the dismal state of Dominican Soccer.  And before LeBron made his latest "Decision", Josh Martin looked at whether NBA teams could win it all with a "Max Contract" player on the roster.

Incoming freshman and Chinese sports journalism legend Magic Peng wrote two awesome articles on international soccer. First, he explored the situation regarding broadcasting revenues in the English Premier League. Then in the latest edition of the "Magic Touch", Mr. Peng examined the curious case of a Chinese soccer club going public.

So while we weren't publishing a whole lot of content, we have been busy getting ready for the upcoming semester. We hope you will continue to visit the ILR Sports Business Society Blog, and for anyone on campus, please check out the club in person. Thank you for your support!

Blogger Roundtable: 2014 NFL Draft First Round Reactions

The first round of 2014 NFL Draft has come and gone. The hype and dramatic build up was tremendous as always and the first round did not disappoint. We saw everything from stars falling to surprising trades to some pretty big reach picks. All in all, 32 dreams were made a reality on Thursday night and they I'm sure they all cannot wait to get on the field for their very first NFL game.

We asked our bloggers for their reaction to the hectic first round that was. Here is how they responded:

Stephen Rosen, Assistant Editor- Mike Mayock

The highlight of the draft without question was the genius that is Mike Mayock. The NFL Network draft analyst never ceases to amaze me with his ability to predict what is going to happen seconds before it actually does. Starting at 3, with Mayock suggesting Blake Bortles could get drafted by the Jaguars all the way to the suggestion that Marcus Smith may go at 26 to the Eagles, Mayock was amazing. He was without a doubt the round 1 MVP.

Matt Hakimian, Featured Blogger- Quarterbacks

Heading into the draft, I was really interested to see where the big three quarterbacks would wind up. Bortles to Jacksonville was a pretty big reach, especially considering how a guy like Manziel could have filled plenty of their seats. The Browns trading up with their later first rounder to take Johnny Football was an awesome move that I think will work out extremely well for them. Lastly, Teddy Bridgewater landed in a good spot with a Minnesota offense that already features Adrian Peterson and Cordarrelle Patterson. 

Max Fogle, Editor-in-Chief- Running Backs

For the second straight year, no running backs were picked in the first round.  We all know that running backs are relatively less valuable in the new NFL, but it is still weird to see tight ends getting popped in the first half of the first round, and see players capable of handling the ball 25+ times a game having to wait until round 2.  The pro game (and the college game) has changed so much just in the last decade.

John Martin, Blog Contributor- St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns

Two teams that really impressed me in the first round of the draft were the St. Louis Rams and the Cleveland Browns. The Rams get two huge players to bolster their front line, Greg Robinson on offense and Aaron Donald on defense. While these two picks may not be enough to make serious noise in the NFC West, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Then the Cleveland Browns moved back five spots and still got Justin Gilbert, who many considered the top defensive back in this year's draft as well as a first round pick in next year's draft. Then of course they got Johnny Football who fell down the board. Many experts have their concerns about Manziel and Cleveland hasn't exactly been a hotspot for developing quarterbacks, but getting such a talented player with the 22nd pick is a steal.

Be sure to comment below to let us know your opinion.

Weekly Blog Recap (5/4)

Here is a rundown of all of the content on the blog from the past week:

(4/28) What Went Wrong With Draft Day?
Assistant Editor Stephen Rosen analyzes the movie Draft Day and explains what he thinks the movie lacked. Was the movie an accurate portrayal of the normal war room of each NFL team? Read to find out.

(4/29) NHL Stanley Cup Finals Prediction
Featured Blogger Stephen Dreznick predicts a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Final matchup. Will the Blackhawks be crowned yet again? Read for an in-depth look into the projected rematch.

(4/30) Event Recap: Becky Sendrow '02
We finally got around to posting Editor-in-Chief Max Fogle's recap from this great event last semester. Becky Sendrow discussed her career as a Sports Broadcasting Agent at Creative Artist's Agency (CAA). Sendrow spoke of representing clients such as Michelle Beadle, Nomar Garciaparra, and Ephraim Salaam. Read to find out more as well as her valuable advice.

(5/1) All Hail the NCAA's Arcane Rules
Is it time for the NCAA to take a step back and realize certain rule changes are necessary in college athletics? In light of the recent Mitch McGary incident, Stephen Rosen expresses his concern over the current rules.

(5/2) Event Recap: Jim McFarland (4/16/14)
ILRSBS played host to NFLPA Executive Committee member Jim McFarland earlier this semester. McFarland discussed topics such as player health and safety, the NFL concussion lawsuit settlement, college athletics, and race and inequality in football. Read to hear his unique insight.

(5/3) Blogger Roundtable: Best Second Round NHL Series
We rounded up the bloggers for the weekly roundtable. This week's question? Which second round NHL playoff series is the best? Read to see how each blogger chose.

Also, check out our Contributor's Page to get to know our staff. Contact information, career plans, and their sporting interests are all there.

Bloggers' Roundtable: Best Second Round NHL Series

This weekend marks the official beginning of the second round of the NHL postseason. Due to the rules change, this year's second round matchup features exclusively division match-ups. The New York Rangers v. the Pittsburgh Penguins or the NHL's biggest market vs. the league's biggest star. The Anaheim Ducks v. the Los Angeles Kings or the NHL's Freeway Series. The Chicago Blackhawks v. the Minnesota Wild or the defending Stanley Cup Champ vs. the only 4 seed remaining. Lastly, the Montreal Canadiens v. the Boston Bruins or an Original Six Matchup who have met more than any other two teams in playoff history.

With such competitive match-ups and interesting narratives in each series,  this week we asked our bloggers which second round NHL series they were most excited for.

Max Fogle, Editor-in-Chief - Boston Bruins v. Montreal Canadiens

This matchup is really has everything that people who overhype hockey match-ups are looking for: "Original Six", "Hockey's best rivalry", and the whole "Canada's team" angle. I don't know how much I buy into any of that, but this should be a great series, with the Canadiens being significant underdogs and the Bruins finishing with the East's best regular season record. Both fan bases hate each other, and feel extremely entitled. This one could get ugly.

Stephen Dreznick, Featured Blogger - New York Rangers v. Pittsburgh Penguins

I am most excited for the matchup between the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers just came off of an emotional game 7 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers. But goalie Henrik Lundqvist will have his hands full because the Penguins have Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, two of the best scorers in the game. Expect this series to go 6 or 7 games.

Matthew Hakiman, Featured Blogger - Anaheim Ducks v. Los Angeles Kings

Anaheim Ducks v. Los Angeles Kings - the Kings are red hot coming back from a 3-0 deficit to take the series their series against the San Jose Sharks. Just two years ago, the Kings won the Cup by getting hot at the right time as the eighth seed. The Ducks have been considered by many to be the most consistent team in the West this season, but they'll have a tough time trying to get shots by Jonathan Quick. Already one of the biggest rivalries in the league, these two teams will definitely play an exciting series.

Geoffery Rosenthal, Former Editor-in-Chief - Boston Bruins v. Montreal Canadiens

Bruins-Habs is the obvious answer here. That series will be everything that the playoffs are meant to be about - great hockey, great goaltending, hatred between fan bases, and a historic and current day rivalry. Of course, if you're a fan of the trap system, clutching and grabbing, and watching players who end the careers of others, look no further than the Minnesota series. Because when I think of watching exciting, wide-open hockey, I think of Minnesota.

All Hail the NCAA's Arcane Rules

Mitch McGary will never wear Michigan Maize again

Friday April 25th the NCAA ended Michigan’s 2014-5 NCAA basketball chances likely ended. Also the NCAA found a new way to blow up twitter and blogs with its arcane rules. The NCAA suspended Mitch McGary for a year effectively forcing him to declare for the NBA Draft. Mitch McGary was an pre-season All American who missed all of last season because of a back injury. He passed 5 drugs tests over the course of the year and failed the 6th. The issue was that the NCAA administered the 6th drug test. The NCAA’s punishment for a failed drug test at a championship event which is what the Sweet Sixteen is considered when McGary failed the test and was forced to suspend for the year.

If Michigan had caught McGary smoking weed in a university drug test one that occurred just two weeks before the NCAA one, the University of Michigan policy is to suspend him for 10% of the season which is effectively 3 games and a week of activities. Michigan’s policy is considered strict by NCAA standards. If McGary’s test had occurred on April 16th and not March 28th, 19 days later then McGary would have been suspended for just 6 months making him eligible for the season and not a year.

To recap: If McGary fails his test 2 weeks earlier, he misses a week and 10% of his games, if he fails 19 days later a change in NCAA policy means his suspension would have been just 6 months and he could play for Michigan next year. Yet McGary got caught in the middle and the NCAA is all but forcing his hand to go to the NBA. The NCAA does not even require teams to test for weed, yet when they do it’s a year punishment. I am sorry, but if you were protecting your student athletes, NCAA, you would have reversed the decision on appeal and not tried to force out McGary.

He smoked weed one time, he understands the mistake he made and now his college career was effectively ended. Marshall Henderson, got a 3 game suspension for being arrested for possession of weed and cocaine, this was after numerous failed drug tests that forced him to transfer 3 different teams in college, yet the University of Mississippi and not the NCAA caught him and they got to determine the punishment. How does that make any sense? Why is everyone not held to the same standard?

This is the NCAA’s critical problem: the rules are inconsistent. It is not just that Marshall Henderson can be pulled over for weed and cocaine possession and get 3 games and McGary smokes weed once, and gets a full year suspension, but coaches can leave a school and break their contract with ease and players cannot. Last week, Kansas St. announced that would not release Leticia Romero from her scholarship. Leticia Romero wanted to transfer after Kansas St. fired their women’s basketball coach Deb Patterson, the women who had recruited Romero. Romero decided the new coach did not fit her style and wanted to leave. Under NCAA rules, if a university does not release a transferring athlete from their scholarship when they choose to transfer, they cannot receive financial aid initially at their next school.

Yes, the coach can leave a university without repercussions, but a student-athlete cannot. The NCAA took a small step to fix this injustice saying that from now on transferring players will not lose a year of eligibility when they transfer if they already redshirted, but it does not stop a university from blocking that transfer. Kansas St. was unhappy with their coach and fired them, the players were unhappy with that decision and could not leave. This is a hypocrisy that are the NCAA rules.

I am sorry Mitch McGary. I am sorry Leticia Romero. I wish the NCAA would change their rules and become a place of logic and reason. You guys are both stuck with horrible rules that do not benefit you.  These are the reasons why there is talk of players trying to unionize. They have no voice. The NCAA recently announced rule changes that are supposed to help benefit the athlete which is awesome. It would have been nice if the athletes had a say in these rule changes.

The players are left voiceless and the rules are arcane. How can you have rules that say that failing a drug test on the Sunday of the Big Ten Tourney when Michigan gave him his drug test meant he would be suspended a week plus 3 games, but if he fails on Thursday at the NCAA tournament the punishment shoots up to a year? How can you freely allow coaches to break contracts and leave schools, but tell the players that signed with those school for those coaches, that they must stay at the school and even if they can get the school to allow them to leave, they must sit out a year before becoming eligible? The NCAA needs to look at itself in the mirror and realize that mistakes are being made and they are at fault.

What Went Wrong With Draft Day?

Kevin Costner was not Draft Day's Problem

Draft Day has been out over two weeks now and is just getting close to finally making up its budget. The general rule in Hollywood is that a film must make double its reported budget to be successful. It seems unlikely that Draft Day will ever make it there. How does a film that was seemingly a propaganda film for a 9 billion dollar industry fail?

Well it was not the reviews by critics or the fans of the movie that tanked it with critics being 62% positive and the fans at 72%. The downfall of the movie was the unrealistic script that left most football fans uninterested in the movie. Below are the top 3 mistakes I believe the movie made (Warning there are SPOILERS of the movie):


1) Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) would never trade for the first pick without consulting anyone first. He woke up on the day of the draft, wrote down that he was talking Vontae Mack over anyone and then traded up to number 1 immediately without consulting a single member of his staff even though Vontae Mack would have been there at #7 pick. He even walked into the office after trading up to the #1 pick and had to ask whether or not the Browns had the cap space to make the trade.

This is beyond absurd.

No NFL GM would trade 3 first round picks without consulting a single member of the organization. Even after Sonny made the trade, he called no one in the organization to tell them. He walked into the office and everyone only knew about the trade because Seattle the team he traded with had leaked it.  I know the movie was trying to create Weaver’s character as a maverick, but a simple conversation between Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garners’ characters would have sufficed about whether the Browns should make the trade or if they had the cap space.

2) Weaver had never scouted the consensus #1 pick in the draft, Bo Callahan. This year Jadeveon Clowney, the likely #1 pick, has visited nearly every team in the top 10. Even the teams that have not had him visit have at least spent time to scout him. The Browns’ front office seems to know almost nothing about Bo Callahan, the consensus #1 pick in the movie, when the trade is made. The team has never done a background check on Bo Callahan, brought him in for a visit, or even looked at his medicals.

This is the stuff I would expect from a team that had made the playoffs, but not the team at #7 who has even the thought to go to #1. This problem in the movie is only made worse when Bo Callahan begins to slip in the draft and no one else has scouted him to say their is a mistake with him or understand why it is happening. Even when Reggie Bush was considered a consensus #1 pick in 2006 and the Texans took Mario Williams above him, Bush fell to #2 and did not free fall in the draft.

3) The Browns traded the #6 pick for #7 for more than it took them to go from #1 to #7. In the 2004, NFL Draft the Browns actually traded up from #7 from #6 to draft Kellen Winslow Jr. and it cost them a second rounder. The movie had the Seattle Seahawks give up 3 first round picks and return specialist. Seattle was completely prepared to not draft Bo Callahan at the beginning movie when they traded the number #1 pick to Cleveland, yet at the end of the movie was prepared to trade away more than they got in the morning for the same quarterback just to save some money. 

 Seattle originally traded away the pick because they had more needs than just a QB and wanted extra picks, yet just 12 hours later they have completely changed their mind. No matter how much Seattle valued Bo Callahan, why would they have ever trade away more to move up 1 spot than it took them to go down 6 spots that same morning.

The plot of Draft Day doomed the movie. I left the theater not discussing how entertained I was for the movie, but rather whether or not it was possible for any of them to have actually occurred. After a long discussion about how it was not, I realized that was what frustrated me most about the movie. It was unrealistic.  The movie seemed better made as a documentary about the behind the scenes of the draft rather than a major motion picture with fictionalized players amongst other things. Draft Day was entertaining movie, but it definitely did not feel like an accurate portrayal of what life is like in the NFL Draft day for any team.

Weekly Blog Recap (4/27)

Here's a rundown on all of the content on the blog from this past week:

(4/20) Teams on the Rise Trilogy- Part 2: Boston Celtics (NBA)
Rick Saxe continues his three-part examination of teams he feels are on the path to success. While 2013-14 did  not go so well, the Celtics future is bright according to Saxe

(4/22) Batting Leadoff: Paying for an Opponent:
Our partners at Batting Leadoff deliver premium baseball content, and this piece is no exception. Read about the MLB's strange phenomenon of teams paying their opponent's players.

(4/23) ILRSBS Home Run Derby to Benefit the SEED Projectt:
Freshman Zoe Forster pens an event preview for the ILRSBS Home Run Derby to Benefit the SEED Project which is occurring on April 28th in the Cornell Arts' Quad.

(4/24) Reviewing My NBA Regular Season Preview:
Featured Blogger Thomas Kroner breaks down his original NBA predictions back before the season started. Which did he get right? Which did he miss? Read and find out.

(4/25) Nomadic Fandom: Why Playing the Field Comes Highly Recommended:
ILRSBS blog contributor Brian Gordon talks about life rooting for professional teams when your hometown has none. Brian talks about the NBA, NFL, and MLB in his piece.

(4/26) Blogger Roundtable: Most Appealing Regular Season NFL Game:
Assistant Editor Adam Malz rounds up the bloggers for the weekly roundtable. This week's question? Which regular season NFL game is most appealing? Will it be a divisional rivalry or the Super Bowl rematch? Read to see how each person picked.

Also, check out our Contributors Page to get to know our staff. Contact information, career plans, and their sporting interests are all there.

Blogger Roundtable: Must-Watch Winter Olympic Sport

What is the most intriguing, must-watch Winter Olympics event and why? Here are our thoughts, now share yours. Be sure to vote in the poll above and comment below to let us know your opinion.

With the 2014 Winter Olympic Games getting underway in Sochi, Russia feelings of nationalism, patriotism, and pride in our country reach peak levels. As the most talented athletes from across the globe step into the national spotlight we will get to view some of the most classic along with some of the most strange events on a daily basis. All of the events are unique in their own sense, but some are clearly more captivating than others.

The little nuances about each sport are what makes each competition so fascinating. Figure skating and snowboarding are critiqued down to every little movement by the participants, luge, skeleton, and speed skating are all about, and bobsled and hockey are all about a team first mentality. It is a challenge to pick one favorite event, so we asked our bloggers to help you out.

What is the most intriguing, must-watch Winter Olympics event and why?

Here's a look at what our bloggers had to say:Matthew Hakimian, Featured Blogger- Men's Hockey

There's no doubt that hockey is the most intriguing event at the Winter Olympics. People might say curling or skeleton just because we only watch these sports once every four years, but lets be real here - there is no sport in the Olympics more thrilling than hockey. Unlike basketball, professional hockey stars rarely have the opportunity to represent their nations. When they have the opportunity to do so in Sochi these next couple weeks, it will absolutely be must-watch TV.

Stephen Rosen, Assistant Editor- Curling

Curling. Its a once every four years event. Unlike hockey, snowboarding or even figure skating which get coverage even in non-Olympic years, Curling is only televised during these weeks. For those who don't totally understand curling take a break and watch some of the action on CNBC or USA throughout the week. It is amazing how something that looks so simple can be so difficult. Maybe we should call it the Flappy Bird of Olympic sports. I am excited to continue this once every four year tradition and get totally wrapped in this Olympic's curling events.
Stephen Dreznick, Blog Contributor- Men's Hockey

The most intriguing sport in the Winter Olympics is men's hockey. There is violence, action and suspense all involved. Many of the other sports, such as skiing and figure skating, can be boring to watch at times. Last Olympics, the gold medal game in hockey ended on an overtime goal, in which Canada defeated the United States. The bottom line is that men's hockey is very captivating to watch and is the most intriguing sport in this year's Olympics.
Max Fogle. Editor-in-Chief-Curling

It's curling and it's not even close.  Ten ends of gut wrenching action you can't see anywhere else.  Curlers practice in underwhelming facilities for decades, all without a single paycheck, waiting for their chance at representing their country.  No precision game (darts, archery, bowling, etc.) requires the strategy of curling. And perhaps no other Olympic sport better captures the spirit of amateurism like curling.

What is the most intriguing, must-watch Winter Olympics event and why? Here are our thoughts, now share yours. Be sure to vote in the poll above and comment below to let us know your opinion.

Revisionist History: The Dwight Howard Trade

            

Who Really Won the Dwight Howard Trade?

With the news that Andrew Bynum has been traded to and cut by the Chicago Bulls and will be on his 4^th team in 3 seasons, it is time to revisit the blockbuster trade of the NBA in the summer of 2012. It has been 15 months since the Dwight Howard blockbuster occurred and this article was written about winners and losers and now it is time to revisit the winners and losers of the trade. To recap on August 11^th 2012, the Los Angeles Lakers received Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, and Earl Clark from Orlando.

The 76ers got Andrew Bynum from the Lakers and Jason Richardson from Orlando. The Nuggets got Andre Iguodala from the 76ers. The Orlando Magic got Aaron Afflalo and Al Harrington from Denver, Nikola Vuevic and Moe Harkless from Philadelphia, Josh McRoberts and Christian Eyenga from the Lakers as well as 3 first rounders and 2 second rounders over the next 5 years. Just 15 months later only 3 players remain on the team they were traded to and thus we have new winners and losers of the trade.

Winners:

Orlando Magic

Crazy to think that the Magic could trade away one of the 5 best players in the NBA at the time and end up a winner, but they did. The Magic in the deal got much younger and much worse quickly. Without the trade, the Magic would not have been one of the worst teams in 2012-3 and would not have landed Victor Oladipo with the 2^ndpick in the draft. Also the Magic got a starting shooting guard in Aaron Aflfalo and center in Nikola Vuevic as well as a solid rotational player in Moe Harkless. While the team may not compete this year, they should have two lottery picks in the crowded 2014 draft (their own and the less favorable of the Nuggets/Knicks pick).

Oklahoma City Thunder

While on the face of it Dwight Howard going to the Western Conference should have left them worrisome, the 2012-3 Lakers were nothing that anyone expected and the Thunder benefit from that with an easy 1^st round series. Dwight Howard’s injured back never fully healed until it was too late for the Lakers to gel and truly reach its potential. Instead the Lakers were poor man’s version of themselves the whole season and Oklahoma City benefited with a walkthrough first round series against the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers

Yes 15 months later the Lakers are winners but for completely different reasons than before. The Lakers like many other teams have nothing to show for the Dwight Howard blockbuster other than one less first rounder in 2017. The fact they have nothing to show might be their biggest gain. Without the trade, the Lakers would have had no choice but to give Andrew Bynum a max deal after the 2013 season.

He is the Lakers only lottery pick of the last 18 years and was most likely player to pass the torch as the face of the Lakers after Kobe. The problem is Andrew Bynum does not want to play basketball. He is on a year prove-it contract and he does not want to play. Imagine if they Lakers invested 5 years and 100 million dollars in the guy who then decided he does not want to play. The fact that this trade saved the Lakers of Andrew Bynum makes them a winner.

Losers

The NBA’s new CBA

Dwight Howard left and the Lakers got nothing for him. The NBA wanted to prevent players from being able to take an extra year if they left their team in free agency via the sign and trade. With Dwight Howard unable to sign and trade, the Lakers got nothing from the Rockets in return for the potential superstar leaving just so he could grab the extra year and 30 million dollars.

Unlike in the summer of 2010, when both Lebron and Chris Bosh were sign and trades to end up in Miami leaving Cleveland and Toronto with future picks from the Heat, the Lakers got nothing. The NBA was trying to convince superstars to stay where they were by providing financial incentives to not leaving via free agency, but as Dwight proved even the new CBA will not stop them.

The 76ers

The 76ers thought their best chance to compete in the East was becoming a big physical team that could beat up Miami and slow down the game, much like the Celtics and Magic teams that beat LeBron in Cleveland and the Celtics and Pacers who slowed down the Heat in the 2012 playoffs. The 76ers traded their franchise player Andre Iguodala for another in Andrew Bynum. The problem is Bynum never played a single minute for the 76ers in 2012-3. He battled constant knee injuries that never healed and created such a divide in Philadelphia with the fans that they were forced to let him go in free agency.

The Denver Nuggets

The 2011-2 Denver Nuggets were a 6 seed that lost in the first round and the 2012-3 Denver Nuggets were a 6-seed that lost in the first round. The biggest difference between those two teams was the addition of Andre Iguodala instead of Aaron Afflalo at shooting guard. Aaron Afflalo had an extremely team friendly 5 year 36.1 million dollar deal that had 3 years and player option left at the time of the deal and Iguodala was entering the final year of his deal. A year later the Nuggets were unable to re-sign Iguodala and rather than entering the 2014 draft with likely two lottery picks and Aaron Afflalo, the Nuggets instead just have 1 lottery pick to show for it.

Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard’s image took an even bigger hit from the trade. Dwight Howard went from one of the most liked, marketable NBA players to one who is simply disliked. The Dwight Howard time in LA and free agent saga was referred to as a Dwightmere. Dwight Howard suffered the same issue that LeBron did; in trying to make everyone like him he instead made everyone hate him. Dwight led teams along even though almost everyone knew that he was going to end up in Houston from the moment free agency started. While Dwight might be happy in Houston now, his image took an even greater punishment as he switched teams for the 2^ndtime in 2 years.

Blogger Roundtable: Which League Does Soccer Threaten the Most?

Which North American sports league does soccer threaten the most? We gave our thoughts, so now it's your turn. Answer our poll at the top of the blog and then leave a comment at the bottom of this post explaining why.  

We all know that soccer is experiencing tremendous growth both in North America and abroad.  Powerful foreign soccer leagues clash with North American leagues' expansion overseas, while also carving out a chunk out a slice of the domestic sports market as well.  Soccer stacks up very well among Hispanics and young audiences, both favorable market segments.

MLS has also emerged onto the mainstream, with average attendances higher than that of the NBA or NHL.A mature MLS would almost certainly force a disruption in the traditional "Big Four" model of professional North American sports.

But the competition for viewers may not even be the greatest threat. Injury and cost concerns for youth participation have driven many athletes into soccer. Many parents choose soccer as an alternative to the physicality of football.  Others families may not be able or willing to pay for the significant expenses related to hockey and baseball at a young age.  If soccer can continue to win in the marketplace of youth participation, the consequences could be significant for other sports.

So here's the question for our blogger roundtable:

Which league does soccer threaten the most?

Matthew Hakimian- NFL

The NFL has to feel somewhat threatened by the growth of soccer in America. It seems like everyday more cases come out regarding players suing the league for health-related issues, including concussions. In turn, many American families are becoming reluctant in allowing their children to play such a physical sport. Moreover, it certainly does not help that we're one of the few nations in the world that refer to the NFL when talking about "football". 

Adam Malz- None

I don't think the growth of soccer is anywhere near the point of threatening any one of the four major sports leagues in the United States. It simply does not have the fan support that the MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL currently do. Also, the fact of the matter is that the U.S. level of competition of soccer is very far from what it is in Europe. Perhaps it will pose a threat in the future, but I don't see it being a major concern for any of the major four leagues for a while.

 John Zakour- None/MLB

I don't think soccer especially threatens any of the major American sports. I suppose if it could reach popularity levels of the big four in America, then we might have a conversation. That day is probably far enough away that the dynamic of the big four will likely be very different. Soccer still struggles to get highlights on ESPN, and the MLS is still a second tier league, at best. 

But, If I had to choose, I'd say soccer threatens MLB the most. The prototypical soccer player is most similar to the prototypical baseball player, as neither sport really has "size requirements" (soccer and baseball players still look like non-giants, unlike the NFL and NBA) and both tend to attract Hispanic and Asian audiences. But I'm grasping at straws here. I doubt Bud Selig is losing sleep over it. 

Stephen Rosen- MLB

The sad answer is MLB. The 2013 World Series was the least watched World Series by Americans under 18 EVER. There is no way around the fact that baseball does not have a young core group of fans to continue its growth into the next 20 years. Baseball suffers from long breaks and extremely slow moving pace. Unlike soccer which ever game is almost always under 2 hours, baseball can have a non-delayed 9 inning game take 4 hours. Lastly baseball has lost one of its coolest aspects in the post season the day time game. The 9:07 start to ever World Series games means most kids will be long asleep by the time the late innings arrive. 

MLS instead went with a 4PM Saturday start to its classic MLS final on Saturday between Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake that everyone could watch. Despite the fact the game went through extra time and a shootout it was still over by 8PM when every kid was awake. Major League Baseball may be America's pastime but soon it will be past its time as a major American sport.

A Knicks Fan's Misery

The New York Knicks on Tuesday night were in last place in the Eastern Conference. This is the same team that finished in second place last year in the Eastern Conference and was projected to make the playoffs again. While watching the classic college basketball doubleheader of Michigan St.-Kentucky and Kansas-Duke, it was impossible to not consider the Knicks never getting good this year and being able to land one of the fabulous freshman in those games. I fully believe that David Stern rigged the lottery to land Patrick Ewing on the Knicks in 1985 and how could I not hope the NBA would do the same and make Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, or Andrew Wiggins the next great Knick.

As I started to consider all of this, I remembered one very important thing: James (Jim) Dolan is the owner of the Knicks.  Jim Dolan, the man who tried to hire Isiah Thomas so many times that the NBA finally said he could not. So I looked and quickly realized the Knicks do not have a 2014 first round pick. It was traded away for Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks’ best player who may walk away in free agency this summer. The reason Carmelo may walk is because the Knicks have nothing to offer him to stay other than more money and the city of New York.

There is minimal championship talent around him, and just this week the Knicks rumored plan to keep him was leaked. The plan is comical, much like James Dolan. The Knicks plan on keeping Carmelo by promising to bring Kevin Love who is a free agent in 2015 to New York. Yes, you read that correctly, the Knicks plan on keeping Carmelo by convincing him they will sign a guy who is a free agent a full year after Carmelo has to re-sign. How does a team that consistently spends over the tax, is in America’s largest market, and plays in the most famous arena in the world fall so far? James Dolan.

This year Chris Smith was described as the worst player in the history of the NBA Summer League. A league where over 75% of the players are not good enough to play in the NBA, yet Chris Smith is on the Knicks bench this year. How did the Knicks end up with such a bad player on their bench? Jim Dolan. If you did not know Chris Smith is J.R. Smith’s brother and only Jim Dolan would force his GM and coach to give a roster spot to someone who did not deserve it simply to make sure his brother re-signs with the team. The Knicks are extremely desperate for an extra big man, yet are stuck keeping Chris Smith on the roster because of Jim Dolan.

Unfortunately this is not the first mistake that Knicks have made regarding roster decisions under Jim Dolan. Jim Dolan was the man who traded away the most popular Knick in 30 years when he dealt Patrick Ewing in 2000. The Knicks could have let Ewing’s deal expire and taken the huge salary cap relief into a summer with Tracey McGrady, Grant Hill, and Tim Duncan all as free agents. No way to guarantee the Knicks would have signed them, but nothing would have been better than Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Vernon Maxell and others.

Jim Dolan was the owner when when the Knicks significantly overpaid for Allan Houston in 2001 despite knowing he was often injured and no one else would pay that much. Sadly the Knicks and James Dolan made the same mistake 9 years later with Amare Stoudemire and his massive deals.We have not even mentioned the fact the Knicks traded two first round picks for Eddy Curry after he had been diagnosed with a heart condition. Those two draft picks were LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah. Either player would be enough to keep Carmelo on the roster past this season, but instead those picks were traded for 222 games of Eddy Curry over a five-season span.

 Sadly the Knicks can do nothing about their owner. It does not matter if the fans rebel, the fans protest, or come up with some other way to show our displeasure because James Dolan OWNS the Knicks. He is arguably the NBA’s worst owner who has driven a premier franchise into the ground. I can write about firing James Dolan all I want, but it will not mean anything because we are stuck with him as our owner. Maybe one day the team can overcome the incompetence of our owner but until then I will simply go to the Garden and chant “FIRE DO-LAN”!

NFL Statistical Over- and Underachievers Through Week 8

Will Cam Newton and the Panthers rise to the top of the NFL or compete at .500?

Pythagorean was a Greek mathematician who died over 2500 years ago. Most people know him for his theorem that A² + B² = C². In the sports world, Bill James transformed this theorem as a way to predict win expectancies in baseball. Daryl Morey took Bill James’s theory and moved it to basketball and then recently it became a way to also predict wins in the NFL. As the NFL hits the mid-season it is now time to see what teams are overachieving or underachieving based on football’s Pythagorean theorem. The theorem is:

Points For^2.37 / (Points For^2.37 + Points Against^2.37)

The formula produces an expected winning percentage. Today I am going to look at through week 8 of the NFL season which teams are doing better or worse than their expected number of wins so far this season. I did not include the Chiefs as an overachiever or the Jaguars or Buccaneers as underachievers as they are on pace to go 16-0 and 0-16 respectively and this system projects wins and loses for every team.



Underachievers:

Carolina Panthers: Current Record (4-3). The Panthers have won 57.1% of their games so far during the 2013 season, over the course of the season that projects to 9.14 wins. Yet according to their Pythagorean expectation the team should be on pace to win 12.7 games. The Carolina Panthers, based on Pythagorean expectation, are one of the best teams in the NFL this year. The projection is so optimistic because the Panthers are winning their games by an average of 24 points per game while they are losing games by an average of just 7.33. That’s an absolutely huge difference. One of the largest in the league, which is why the Panthers are expected to be much better than they are.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Current Record (2-5). The Steelers are currently on pace to win 4.57 games if they continue their 2-5 pace over the course of the season. The Steelers Pythagorean expectation is 6.12 wins. That means the Steelers are under performing by nearly 1.5 wins so far through 7 games. While this does not show the degree that the Steelers have been disappointing to many people, the Steelers are still not winning as many games as they should be. The Steelers have lost their 5 games by average of 8.8 points per game. Their average win has been 6.5 points which is why you would expect to see the Steelers to be on pace to win more games than they have.

Atlanta Falcons: Current Record (2-5). The Falcons just like the Steelers with the same record are on pace to win just 4.57 games this year. Yet the Falcons based on their points scored and given up should be on pace to win 7.03 games this year. That’s a difference nearly 2.5 wins over the course of the season and already over a win through 7 games. The Falcons were for many a Super Bowl pick this year; yet, not only have injuries hurt them, but also some bad luck. The Falcons based on the points scored and given up should be a better team this year. Some of this has to do with the fact that in their wins the Falcons have won by an average of 7.5 points, yet in their loses the Falcons have been outscored by of an average of just 6.6.

Overachievers:

Detroit Lions Current Record (5-3) The Lions are currently on pace to go 10-6. Yet their Pythagorean theorem for football has the team winning just 8.91 games. In the competitive NFC, the difference between making and missing the playoffs very easily could be the difference between going 9-7 or 10-6 especially after last year when even 10-6 could not make the postseason. This expectation is partially influenced by the Lions winning their 5 games by an average of 8 points a game while their 3 loses have been by an average of 7 points. The Lions will need to continue to hope to overachieve if they want to make the postseason this year.

New York Jets Current Record (4-4) The Jets are shocking many people by being .500 through the midway point of the season. Most people saw the Jets as a team closer to competing for the first pick than a playoff spot. To those people it may not be a sursprise that the Jets happen to be the NFL’s greatest overachiever through 8 weeks. Based on their current points for and against the Jets are team that should win 28.5% of their games which would be the Jets at approximately 2-6 through 8 games. The Jets are currently on pace to finish 8-8, yet have a Pythagorean win expectation of just 4.55 wins for the season. The Jets are the one of two teams who are .500 or better and have a negative point differential. The Jets average win has been by just 3.25 points while their loses have been by average of 20.25 point. The Jets have been one of the luckiest teams winning close games and getting blown out in loses.

Denver Broncos Current Record (7-1) The Broncos as an overachiever seemed extremely surprising considering the Broncos have averaged 42.88 points per game and have won their average game by 18.7 points while their sole loss was by just 6 points. The Broncos current pace has them finishing at 14-2 being the 10th team in the last 11 years to finish 14-2 or better. The Pythagorean theorem thinks that might be a bit ambitious having them nearly 2 wins worse with a projection of just 11.9 wins for the season or less than 6 wins so far this year. Even a small regression by the Broncos in the second half the season will still leave the Broncos battling for the AFC West title as well as one of the top seeds in the AFC.

Like any prediction model, the Pythagorean expectation for the NFL is not perfect. But it will be interesting to see how if teams underachieving at the half way point play better and will overachieving teams fall apart in the second half of the season. Will the Falcons and Steelers begin to play closer to some of the pre-season hype and move towards respectability? Will the Jets and Lions continue to compete for a post-season birth or regress back towards the middle and bottom of their conferences?







The team that to me is most interesting is the Carolina Panthers. Currently the Panthers are 2 games behind the Saints in the NFC South, yet they are expected to be better than the Saints by .5 game based on the Pythagorean expectation. Will the Panthers win the South and compete for a bye in the NFC or simply fight to make the post season?