by Nick Brower | Mar 27, 2018 | SPORTS
LiAngelo Ball has officially made himself available for this year’s NBA draft. The middle Ball brother has been playing well overseas, averaging 15.7 games with Vytautas in Lithuania and this announcement comes off the heals of a massive 72 point performance in a Big Baller Brand Challenge Game against a youth team from China. I don’t know what the hell a Big Baller Brand Challenge Game is but I have to admit 72 points is an eye opening number. Still, I don’t see LiAngelo getting many looks this year in the draft. He has no proven track record yet. This gimmick of playing in Lithuania doesn’t impress me. There is no reliable competition out there and I still haven’t forgotten his whole fiasco in China. I hate that he dropped out of college instead of serving his suspension and coming back next year. And honestly I’m over Lavar and his antics. Lonzo has shown he can play and has a future in this league. And until LiAngelo gives us a reason to think the same, he’s nothing more than a nuisance. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a chance to make the league, I’m just saying he hasn’t done anything yet to deserve it. He’s a big name sure, but we don’t know if he can actually ball. But we shall see. I’m sure some team will be interested in bringing the Big Baller Brand on board because it does come with a lot of press. We’ll just have to wait and see where he lands, if anywhere. All I know is that I wouldn’t draft him.
by Nick Brower | Mar 27, 2018 | SPORTS
One of the best parts of Spring Training is the laid back atmosphere. Players and coaches are way more relaxed and this is always great for the fans. The games don’t always have the star power of a regular season game but the massive amount of in-game interviews is always entertaining for hardcore fans like myself. ESPN took it to another level and strapped a mic on Mookie Betts while he was out in right field today against the Cubs. Kris Bryant ripped a line drive over his head mid sentence and it created an amazing soundbite. Betts turns into a full sprint towards the wall after muttering “Uh-Oh” to himself and tells the announcers mid stride, “I ain’t getting this one boys.” He got a good chuckle out of the broadcast crew and many fans I’m sure. The pure honesty was awesome especially in a circumstance that we are not used to seeing and one that players are not used to either. Who knows what players say to themselves when they’re chasing fly balls? We can normally only try to lip read if their backs aren’t turned. But this was great, and Mookie handled it perfectly. This soundbite will be around for a long time and hopefully it inspires broadcast teams to try to do stuff like this more often, because whoever pitched this idea at ESPN deserves a raise. Check out the video below.
by Nick Brower | Mar 27, 2018 | SPORTS
Astros’ Manager AJ Hinch told reporters on Tuesday that the four-man outfield is not just a gimmick. The Astros have experimented with it a little this spring and are prepared to use it in certain situations this year during the regular season. Hinch says that it will be used against pull-happy lefties, most likely on the road since Minute Maid Park has a relatively small outfield layout. The extreme shift would push second baseman Jose Altuve into shallow right, shortstop Carlos Correa to the first base side of second, and move third baseman Alex Bregman into true left field, sliding the other three outfielders towards the right field line. It would leave the third base side of the infield completely empty. Hinch cites two reasons for the extreme shift. The first of course being the numbers. There are hitters in this league that almost never hit the ball on the ground to the third base side and this defense puts the fielders in positions better suited to make plays for those kind of hitters. The second is psychological. It completely messes with the hitter’s head. The Astros are basically telling hitters, “We don’t think you can hit the ball over there.” It will cause some hitters to change their approach to try to beat the shift, pushing them away from what they do best. Those who don’t want to change their approach will be playing right into the Astros’ hands and have less grass to find between fielders. Now this won’t be seen often I’m sure, but I kind of like it. If you’re going to play the percentages and over shift why not go all the way? Leaving the third baseman up the middle doesn’t really add any value, but a fourth outfielder really makes a difference by eliminating gaps. Not every team could do this though. You need to be confident that one or more of your infielders can handle the outfield. It will be interesting to see how Bregman handles the assignment. He saw time in left field on his way to the big leagues before settling in at third base and he’s spent all of an inning and two thirds out in left in the big leagues but clearly AJ Hinch is confident in the young star. I guess we’ll have to wait until Hinch decides to break it out this year to see how it goes. Who knows? This might become common just like the current over shifts.
by Nick Brower | Mar 27, 2018 | SPORTS
The NFL owners approved three rule changes today. The biggest one is updated language in the definition of a catch. The league is responding to a lot of backlash about the previously shaky language regarding what is and what isn’t a catch. They stripped down all the jargon and simplified the definition. Now, for a play to be considered a catch it must meet three requirements. The receiver must establish control of the ball, establish himself inbounds (still two feet), and perform a “football move”. A football move is considered a maneuver common to the game, such as a third step or lunging with the ball. So yes, the infamous Dez Bryant non-catch (2014, pictured above) and Calvin Johnson’s non-catch (2010) would have been catches under the new language and will be called as such from this point forward.
Overall, I think this a huge step forward. I will always be in favor of simplifying things. These referees are professionals too and they know how to do their job. This just makes their job easier. This will not end speculation and debate over catch calls though. There will always be something to debate over. Now, that focus will be placed on the “football move”. What counts as a football move? Did the receiver actually complete the move? Was the move completed before the ground separates the ball? This rule change doesn’t make the catch a perfect science, but no amount of change will. There will always be an area of judgment that will change across different people. But this simplifies the decision making process for the people in charge of making these judgements and that is win for me.
The other rule changes are less significant but will still prove to be difference makers. The temporary, trial rule that changed touchbacks on kickoffs to the 25 yard line was made permanent. The rule had good results in its trial run. It helps limit the amount of touchbacks and increases the amount of exciting returns while still keeping the safety benefits of kicking off from the 35. The third rule is completely new. Al Riveron, the senior vice president of officiating, now has the authority to eject a player from a game for non-football acts even if the on-field referees choose not to. This rule was in response to big hits that were penalized but did not result in ejection. I’m sure this rule will get a lot of attention the first time it is enacted. It will be difficult for players and coaches to accept the influence coming from outside the stadium, but in the long run I think this is a good move. The NFL needs to continue to clean up the game from a safety standpoint if it wants to stick around.
by Nick Brower | Mar 23, 2018 | SPORTS
Former Cleveland Browns and current burnout Johnny Manziel threw in front of 13 NFL scouts yesterday at the University of San Diego’s Pro Day. Representatives from the Patriots, Bears, Browns, Chargers, Giants, Chiefs, Jets, Raiders, Titans, Lions, Jaguars, Panthers, and Buccaneers were in attendance. Manziel had been working out at USD with their two receiver prospects who did not have a QB to throw to them. This was a win-win as Manziel got a shot at fresh eyes and brought much more coverage to the other two prospects. Manziel claims he is a changed man and is on the grind for a comeback to the league. Sources who were present said that Johnny looked sharp throughout. He told reporters, “I’m a married man. I’m at home with my wife and my dogs, and I don’t have a lot of time after that after doing six-hour training days. I’m happy with where things are. I think things are going well, and I couldn’t ask for a better place to be in my life right now.” If he really has matured, and I hope he has, then he deserves another shot. We all know that he is an amazing athlete and a polarizing character. I have a feeling that Johnny Football will find a gig one way or another with the two new professional football leagues on the horizon. But why not take one last run at the fat paydays in the NFL? Best of luck to you Johnny, just keep your nose clean and the ball flying.
by Nick Brower | Mar 23, 2018 | SPORTS
Aaron Boone has been messing with the idea of hitting Aaron Judge in the leadoff spot for awhile now, but today we finally saw it. Judge led off today against the Red Sox in Tampa with Stanton in the two spot. Boone said that this could be an option against a tough lefty when Gardner might see some rest. The idea of having to face Judge and Stanton at the very beginning of a game is definitely going to be a mental obstacle for opposing pitchers. Starters often talking about settling into the game when they pitch and there is nothing settling about seeing those two monsters one-two. And don’t forget that the lineup doesn’t get much easier after those two. You’ll still have to face Greg Bird, Sanchez, Didi and others. That’s a scary sight. As for Judge, leading off doesn’t seem to phase him. “This morning I wake up and I’m hitting leadoff,” Judge said. “It’s just another day. No big deal.” Today he struck out twice but hit the ball hard twice as well, finishing with a 1 for 4. Today’s start was much more about getting comfortable to the idea of leading off then actual results. I hope we see this during the regular season. I agree that it’s a great idea against lefties with Hicks hitting ninth to turn over the lineup. The other plus to this approach is simply more at bats for the two sluggers. Having them higher in the lineup will get them more at bats over the season and of course you want your best hitters getting the most at bats. Balancing this lineup will be one of many good problems Aaron Boone will have to juggle in his rookie year managing. But if he can keep everything straight and this team can stay healthy, the sky’s the limit.
