How do you fell about Ray Allen’s decision to go to the Heat? Disappointing certainly from a Celtic fan’s viewpoint. - Steve S., Scarborough, ME
Photo Credit: zimbio.com
Honestly, I was shocked. If the relationship between Allen and point guard Rajon Rondo had really deteriorated to a point that the two couldn't play together any more, then I can understand him opting to play somewhere else. For me the real shocker is that he opted to go to Miami, who is essentially Boston's biggest rival right now. The Heat eliminated the Celtics from the last two postseasons, and I didn't get the impression that there was any love lost between the two franchises. I guess it just shows how much the culture of the game has changed. Can you imagine Kevin McHale signing on with the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons late in his career? Isaiah Thomas running the point in Chicago? That's basically the equivalent. We're not talking about Steve Nash, who has 0 rings, trying to get one late in his career by joining the Lakers. We're talking about someone who has won a ring, leaving a championship-caliber team (the Celtics were one win away from the NBA Finals) and going to the team that knocked them out of the playoffs. The part that I find funny is that Ray Allen thinks that the Boston fanbase is going to be understanding. Have you met the Boston fanbase, Ray? You're Johnny Damon. Roger Clemens. Eric Mangini.
Photo Credit: forums.realgm.com
The good news for Celtics fans is that while Ray Allen's perimeter game certainly makes the Heat more formidable, Boston is poised to make a run without him. The addition of Jason Terry gives them a veteran scorer who has embraced his role as super-sub (a la James Harden in Oklahoma City). Terry, who won a ring in Dallas, also has the ability to play both guard positions which is something Allen did not bring to the table. A healthy Avery Bradley gives them a substantial defensive upgrade at shooting guard as well. So Boston's going to be all right, and if they can stay healthy, they may even be better than they were this past season. The only real question that remains is who is going to get booed louder when the Heat come to Boston, LeBron or Ray Allen?
What is with the Sawx and their terrible trades this season? Earlier, Cherington traded for Marlon Byrd who has since been released and now Youk, who may have been slumping but is still Youk, for Lillibridge (batting under .200) and Stewart (ERA over 6.00). AND they paid $5.5M on top! Am I missing something oh swami of the sports world - The Dude, Chesapeake, VA
Let's review some of Red Sox GM Ben Cherington's trades since taking over:
*Traded Josh Reddick, Miles Head and Raul Alcantara to Oakland for Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney.
Photo Credit: savannahnow.com
Sweeney hit .373 with 11 doubles in April. Since then he's hitting .224 with 6 doubles and has yet to hit a home run this season. Andrew Bailey has been out the entire injury with a thumb injury. By comparison, Reddick is 10th in the American League with 20 home runs. Meanwhile 21 year old Miles Head (1B) tore through the California League (.382, 18 HRs) and was promoted to AA. On the year he's hitting .362 with 27 doubles, 20 home runs, and 69 runs batted in. At least Alcantara hasn't blossomed yet. He's 5-8 in 17 starts with a 5.38 ERA in A-ball.
*Traded Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland to Houston for Mark Melancon.
Photo Credit: zimbio.com
Melancon managed to get himself demoted to AAA until early June after starting the season by compiling a 49.50 ERA in just 4 appearances; not easy to do. While he's pitched well in his return (1 earned run in 13 2/3 innings) and lowered his ERA to 6.89, he hasn't been pitching in pressure situations which is what Boston brought him in to do. While Lowrie and Weiland are both on the DL in Houston right now, Lowrie has put together a solid campaign for the Astros hitting 14 home runs and leading NL shortstops with a .343 on base percentage.
*Traded Michael Bowden and Hunter Cervenka to the Cubs for Marlon Byrd.
Photo Credit: espn.go.com
Byrd lasted about a month and a half in Boston uniform. The former all star started the year in a 3 for 43 funk with the Cubs before getting traded. While he hit .270 with the Sox he struck out 21 times and walked just twice, he was released on the 12th of June. Bowden has posted a 7.45 with the Cubs since the trade and since been demoted to AAA but has started to find his form down on the farm. In 13 games with the Iowa Cubs Bowden has a 2.12 ERA and is holding opposing hitters to a .180 average while striking out 20 in 17 innings. The 22 year old Cervenka, who was a player to be named later in this deal, has an ERA of 2.00 in 14 minor league relief appearances since joining the Cubs' single-A affiliate Peoria. He's struck out 26 in 27 innings while allowing just 21 hits.
*Traded Kevin Youkilis to the White Sox for Brent Lillibridge and Zach Stewart.
Photo Credit: bleacherreport.com
In 15 games since the trade, Youk has hit .316 (18/57), is driving in a run a game and has an on base percentage over .400. Typical Youkilis numbers. Lillibridge is 2 for 15 in a Red Sox uniform which has actually lowered his average to .167 from .175 at the time of the deal. Stewart currently isn't on the Sox roster instead heading straight to AAA where he's made 4 starts (1-1 3.74 ERA).
So yeah, in terms of value, I think you could argue the Sox have lost every single one of those trades so far. There's a chance Andrew Bailey could change that, but even if he does, you're looking at a record of 1-3. And that's a stretch to say Bailey will be worth more than Reddick moving forward. I know the issue with Youkilis was driven by clubhouse chemistry (seems to be a common issue in Boston right now), but I'm shocked the Sox couldn't get more than Lillibridge, at best a utility infielder, and Stewart (career ERA 5.92). As for the other deals, I don't know what to tell you. It will be interesting to see what the Sox do at the deadline, and to see what exactly Cherington's plan is. I'll tell you what though, if he keeps making deals like this, he won't be around very long.
That does it for this issue. As always a special thanks to everyone who wrote in. And remember, as the great G$ Meyer says Reading is for Winners, especially when you read Smitty's Mailbag.
Got a question for the mailbag? Click on the link at the top of the
page or email us directly at smittysports.blogspot@hotmail.com.
Carles Puyol is looking at maybe having surgery on his knee, and will
most likely not be fit for the Euro 2012 tourney. I know he's just one
guy, but he's pretty well the anchor of that back 4 for Spain. How big
of a loss would it be to not have him when Spain tries to defend their
Euro title? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: guardian.co.uk
Tough break for Carles "don't call me Carlos or Charles" Puyol. Any time you lose one of your starters, particularly one of your team leaders, it's a blow. Fortunately for Spain, they're incredibly deep in the back. Even without Puyol they can trot out an imposing back line consisting of Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona), Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid) and Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid). Puyol is 34 now and the reality is that Spain was going to need a plan to move forward without him in the near future anyways. Now they're just going to have to do it a little bit sooner than expected. The bigger concern in my mind for Spain is that they will be without their leading scorer from their World Cup run as David Villa continues to recover from his broken leg suffered with Barcelona. Spain will have to get production from somewhere else on the field or teams like the Netherlands or Germany will be able to upset the defending champs.
The NFL just handed down the suspensions for the Saints players involved
in the "bountygate" fiasco. As a result, Will Smith got suspended for 4
games. it seems to me like I have heard the words "Will Smith" and
"suspended" a lot over the years for one reason or another. Just how
long has this guy been suspended overall and while we're on the subject,
who's the most suspended player of all-time? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: football.about.com
It's actually not as bad as it sounds. As you noted, Smith is set to lose 4 games due to BountyGate, but prior to that he'd only missed 5 games in his entire career and only two of those due to suspension. That said, the word "suspended" and "Will Smith" has come up a lot over the years because his most recent suspension in 2011 involved a substance abuse case that dated back to 2008. So the rumors for that were on the table for the better part of 3 seasons before finally kicking in the first two weeks of the 2011 campaign.
Photo Credit: sportsillustrated.cnn.com
As for the most suspended player of all time, surprisingly no one seems to keep a list for that. I can tell you that quarterback Art Schlichter was basically banned for life for gambling in the '80s and that former New York Giants fullback Merle Hapes was suspended for 8 years for conversing with a known gambler in 1946 before being reinstated in 1954 (though he would never play another down in the NFL). The longest suspension for a player who actually came back to play is 2 years and 2 games for Michael Vick for his role in an illegal dogfighting ring.
Well Well well... it seems like the San Diego Chargers have picked up
former LSU QB Jarrett Lee. I know a TON of haters who said that he was
garbage as a qb, and yet the Chargers, who have a pretty darn good qb
themselves, seem to think he was worth the effort and the money. How do
you see him shaking out? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: espn.go.com
I wouldn't read too much into this signing. Lee was not drafted so the Chargers picked him up as an unrestricted free agent. Now it's not unheard of for undrafted quarterbacks to succeed in the NFL (Kurt Warner), but it's not typically a glowing endorsement to have the starting quarterback for Chattanooga picked over you. And while Lee would seem to be a fit for the third quarterback slot on San Diego, the past two seasons the Chargers have only carried two quarterbacks. And I'm not sure I see Lee beating out Rivers or backup Charlie Whitehurst to earn himself a roster spot. Stranger things have happened though and if Lee shines in the preseason there's always a chance he sticks or someone else sees him and takes a liking to his potential. Bottom line, I'd hold off on getting your personalized Jarrett Lee Chargers jersey for the time being.
This came up at dinner last night with my wife.... When is instant replay allowed to be used in MLB games? For what type of plays? - Trucker, San Francisco, CA
Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com
The current replay system in Major League Baseball allows instant replay to be used to review boundary home run calls to determine:
*fair (home run) or foul
*whether the ball actually left the playing field
*whether the ball was subject to spectator interference
There was a proposal on the table this spring that would expand replay to cover all fair and foul calls as well as balls that
are caught or trapped by the player catching the ball. It would also have
expanded fan interference reviews beyond the home run boundary to all walls. However, a consensus was not able to be reached on how to implement some of these changes. While it's easy to turn a fair ball into a foul ball, or a hit into an out, the opposite isn't always the case, especially with runners on base. Trying to determine where the runners should end up isn't as simple as it sounds, and as a result of those types of questions, implementation was delayed until at least 2013.
Philip Humber pitched a perfect game for the White Sox on Saturday. But what if the 3rd
batter in 9th inning for the Mariners, Brendan Ryan, had realized more appropriately
that the pitch strike 3 was called on was wild, and had sprinted to
first, and beat the throw from the catcher? He would have been safe. A
strikeout recorded for Humber…. Is it still a perfect game? - Trucker, San Francisco, CA
Video Screenshot: mlb.com
No, even though it's technically not an error, and it's by definition a strikeout, nobody can reach base in a perfect game. The pitcher has to retire all 27 hitters without any blemishes. Now as for Ryan's baserunning... it's certainly not going to make Tom Emanski's videos that brought his teams back-to-back-to-back AAU Championships. If he takes off down the line instead of arguing the call with the umpire, I don't know if he beats it, but he at least makes it close.
There are some who are saying that Brendan Ryan checked his swing
on the last pitch of Humber's perfect game. I'm not sure, because they
never showed the side angle. Regardless, you have to assume the ump made
up his mind that anything close was strike three, right? If he had
missed the call and ruined the perfect game, that's all we'd be talking
about today. Or is that just the pitcher in me talking? - Mike (from Chesapeake, VA in case I make a mailbag)
Photo Credit: reddit.com
Well, Mike, you made the mailbag. I'm kind of with you that the ump was going to punch out Ryan on anything close and his mind was made up before the pitch was even thrown. While that might not seem fair, that's not something that's exclusive to perfect games. When pitchers get in grooves, they tend to get a few more breaks. But this shouldn't come as a surprise to the hitters. Anyhow, the umpires are in a really tough spot in a game like this. If they make a wrong call like Jim Joyce did robbing Detroit's Armando Galarraga of a perfect game back in 2010, they get crucified. But it's not like that if they err to the other side they won't get the same criticism. If your perfect game is the result of a blown call, does that cheapen it? Some might say it does. In any case, the shot above makes it look like Ryan went and umpire Brian Runge made the right call in punching him out. Still, that's a gutsy call for a home-plate umpire to make.
Ok, so it seems like Wigan is on a mission at the moment to avoid
relegation. Back-to-back wins over Top of the table Man U. and Third
place Arsenal are not only keeping them in the hunt to stay in the PL
next season, but doing what they can to keep the title and champions
league races interesting. Can this run of form hold up? And what does
this say about their hopes for a successful campaign next season? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: watoday.com.au
Despite Wigan's last minute 2-1 loss to Fulham on Saturday, it's clear that they're playing much better ball as they hope to avoid relegation from the Premier League. As for whether or not they can keep it up, I really don't know. Consistency has hardly been Wigan's calling card this year although they have managed 4 wins and 2 draws in their last 8 matches. Wigan does play bottom-dwellers Blackburn and Wolverhampton the final two weeks of the season and that could very well be the difference in another season in the Premiership and a trip down a division. High drama to be sure. Regardless, I don't know that anything Wigan does to conclude this season will carry over into the 2012-13 campaign. With such a long gap between matches, transfers, injuries, retirements, etc. momentum tends not to roll from season to season.
I like to watch a lot of the mid-table teams play in the EPL but I
always wonder about how they can consider simply staying in the Premier
League and not getting relegated as a success. Over here in the NFL,
NBA, what have you that would constitute a pretty crappy season. How
does one quantify being in, say, 12th place as a success? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: bloomberg.com
I think you have to view it the way Americans evaluate a team's college football season. While you're top teams are looking at conference titles and BCS bowls as the measuring sticks for success, you have a lot of schools out there who just aren't going to ever be top-tier football schools: Duke, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Army etc. But that doesn't mean that they have nothing to play for. It just means that success is defined differently. Duke could go 6-6 and qualify for the Insert-My-Ridiculous-Website-Name-Dot-Com Bowl and that could be a hugely successful season for them. Conversely, if LSU or Alabama or Oklahoma goes 6-6, that's a complete disaster. In the Premier League, teams like Swansea City and Stoke City may not be Champions League material, but they can vie for a spot in the Europa League, and they have both the Carling Cup and the FA Cup in which they can contend. Success isn't drawn solely on where they finish during the year, it's what they were able to do as a whole.
Special thanks as always to everyone who wrote in this week. And remember, as the great G$ Meyer says Reading is for Winners, especially when you read Smitty's Mailbag.
Got a question for the mailbag? Click on the link at the top of the
page or email us directly at smittysports.blogspot@hotmail.com.
With the Premier League season almost over, everybody always seems to be
so worried about the top dogs. But what i wanna know is, who do you see
getting regulated and who do you think will be advanced for next
season? That fight sometimes seems to have so much more drama to it. - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: football365.co.za
You're telling me. Wigan Athletic has been playing out of their minds lately throwing the whole race into chaos after back-to-back wins over Manchester United and Arsenal. Anyhow, there are basically six teams at risk of being relegated (the bottom three teams in the English Premier League get sent down a division at the end of each season):
I'd say at this point that it's a forgone conclusion that Wolverhampton will be headed down, so that's one. Blackburn finishes their slate with Norwich City, Spurs, Wigan and Chelsea, so it's tough to see them making a huge push forward, so I'm going to say they're two. I feel like Aston Villa and Wigan - following Wigan's stunning upset at Arsenal today - are probably in the clear, so it comes down to QPR and Bolton. QPR has an absolutely brutal schedule the rest of the way: Spurs, Chelsea, Stoke City and Manchester City. Bolton, in addition to having two more games than QPR does, has a much more reasonable schedule with Swansea City, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Spurs, West Bromwich Albion, and Stoke City. So with the schedules being what they are, I think QPR is going to come up short. So those are my three.
As for who is going to replace them? I think you're looking at Reading and Southampton for sure, and I'm going to say it's between West Ham and Birmingham to win the promotion playoff.
Newcastle has been on fire here lately. Can they keep their run up and going and make a charge to finish in the top 4 and maybe qualify for Champions League ball? And if they do, are they deep enough to compete? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: thesun.co.uk
Here are the standings as of right now:
As you can see it's basically a three-team race for the fourth spot at this point between Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle with five matches to play. Chelsea is at a bit of a disadvantage because in addition to worrying about their Premier League Schedule (which includes matches with Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle), they're also still alive in the FA Cup and have the semifinals of the Champions League against Barcelona to worry about.
Spurs appeared to have a Champions League spot locked up a few weeks ago, but following a 5-0 win over Newcastle on February 11th, they've won just 1 of 8 matches. They certainly have a favorable schedule the rest of the way as they take on Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Aston Villa (4 of the bottom 6 teams in the league) and Fulham, but they need to start winning games.
That leaves Newcastle. As you pointed out, they're in form winning their last 5 matches, conceding just 1 goal during that stretch, but Newcastle's schedule is arguably the toughest of the three teams still in contention. They host Stoke City, travel to suddenly red hot Wigan, then go to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea, then host Manchester City, and then finish on the road at Everton.
Needless to say it's going to be an exciting finish. Should Newcastle qualify for Champions League play, expect them to make some moves to bolster their roster. Especially if Demba Ba jumps ship. Since the Champions League is never a guarantee for these guys the way it might be for a team like Manchester United, expect them to really go all in.
Fulham are knocking on the door to be competing in Europa League next year. Clint Dempsey says he's not making up his mind about where he wants to play next year until the season is over. Is Fulham's finishing position gonna make a difference in his decision? And if he does test the transfer market, where do you see him going? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: guardian.co.uk
The general consensus is that regardless of where Fulham ends up this year, Clint Dempsey will be headed to greener pastures. And can you really blame him? His stock will never be higher, and he has aspirations of playing in the Champions League and I can guarantee you there will be a market for him. Dempsey's keeping his mouth shut until the season is over, but there are already teams identified as having an interest. Some of the more plausible destinations:
Schalke 04 - With Dutch striker and leading scorer
Klaas Jan Huntelaar and potentially Raul likely gone next season, the German
club will need to replace goals. Currently in 3rd place in the Bundesliga, Schalke almost surely will qualify for
the Champions League next year and a player like Dempsey could be a solid signing for
them.
Paris St. Germain - PSG has money and more importantly, they're looking at a spot in next season's Champions League as they currently sit in second place in France's Ligue 1. PSG has been aggressively pursuing just about everyone under the sun, and they have the potential to put together quite a squad and a player with Dempsey's skill set would seem to be a good fit.
Newcastle/Spurs - Don’t rule out an English club with cash like Tottenham or Newcastle going all in and overpaying for him. Depending on how the race for 4th shakes out, both could be intriguing options. They certainly make more sense than Manchester United or Arsenal, both of which have also been linked to the American striker.
Best tattoo in the NBA? - Garrett M., Boston, MA
It's hard to narrow it down to just one, so I'll give you three to choose from.
DeShawn Stevenson - New Jersey Nets - Abe Lincoln - "I was going to get Martin Luther King and I told Gilbert Arenas.
You should never tell nobody your idea. That summer, he came back and
got it. So I didn't know who to get. I got Abraham Lincoln because he
freed the slaves. I just had Abraham Lincoln and, from a distance,
everybody kept saying, 'Who is that?' So I put the five-dollar bill so
everybody would stop asking me."
Photo Credit: atlnightspots.com
Brad Miller - Minnesota Timberwolves - Scrappy Doo - Because nothing is more intimidating on a 7-foot tall white guy than Scrappy Doo...
Photo Credit: totalprosports.com
Marquis Daniels - Boston Celtics - State of Florida - If he tattooed in some highways he could save a ton of money on maps.
Photo Credit: theuppitynegro.wordpress.com
Honorable Mentions:
Greg Ostertag - Retired - Fred Flintstone - Another giant white guy rocking a totally intimidating cartoon character.
Photo Credit: themax.mlblogs.com
Stephon Marbury - Chinese League - Starbury Logo - Deadspin's Take on the tattoo when he got it back in '08: "It's probably as subtle as you can get for a head tattoo and it clearly
shows that for all of his questionable, unhinged behavior of the past
year, Marbury is still a very savvy businessman. It's completely
logical. One person asks, 'Hey, what's that funny symbol on your head?'
and then you just nail them with the cheap sneakers pitch. Ka-ching!"
Photo Credit: bleacherreport.com
Marquis Daniels - Boston Celtics - Guy Shooting Himself in the Head - The best part is that it says 'Only the Strong Survive'... Because you know, that makes sense.
Photo Credit: vvmetattoo.wordpress.com
Who the heck is Colt Knost? - The Dude, Chesapeake, VA
Photo Credit: usatoday.com
Colt Knost surprised a lot of people this week at the RBC Heritage Classic when he actually had a two shot lead heading into the weekend and finished 8 under par and in 3rd place for the tournament. Hardly a household name, the 26 year old from SMU earned more for his 3rd place finish this weekend than he did in all of 2011. This was Knost's second 3rd place finish on the tour this year and he currently ranks 54th in the FedEx Cup standings. I don't know that he's on the verge of making a leap to the next level though. While he's shown glimpses of being a very good golfer - like this weekend - he's only finished under par three times in the nine tournaments he's played in this year.
When did Mike Stanton become Giancarlo Stanton and why? - James B., Virginia Beach, VA
Photo Credit: faketeams.com
The Florida Marlins aren't the only thing in South Beach that had its name changed this offseason. Power-hitting outfielder Mike Stanton announced this spring that he'd like to go by his given name, Giancarlo for the 2012 season. The Marlins slugger's full name is Giancarlo Cruz Michael Stanton, but his mother calls him Cruz, his father calls him Mike and teammates call
him Bigfoot. Stanton became Mike because his junior high school teachers
could not properly pronounce Giancarlo. "No one could pronounce it right," he said.
"Everyone thought it was two words. Gene-carlo, Juan-carlo,
Gionne-carlo. You have seven periods in school, so seven times a day:
'No, that's not the name.'" So he switched to Mike. And now he's switching back. His teammates don't seem to mind, although they do have some suggestions. "I told him he needs to have longer hair," catcher John Buck
said. "When I think of Giancarlo, I think of someone with long, flowing
hair, like Fabio. But if he keeps hitting homers, I'll call him whatever he
wants me to call him."
So I watched Eric Lichaj defend against one of the best wingers in the Premier League in Antonio Valencia and did a pretty solid job. Is he the answer at left back for the USMNT? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: soccerbyives.net
Lichaj is certainly a player to keep an eye on moving forward. He played capably for the U.S. during last summer's Gold Cup, and we probably would have seen more of him during the Klinsmann era had he not been sidelined with a hip injury. In his absence, no one has really emerged and seized the position - Fabian Johnson has arguably come the closest - so I'd be surprised if he doesn't find himself getting an invite to camp. As to whether or not he's the answer? He's only made 4 starts since returning from injury, and while he hasn't played badly, he's been a part of a defense that has allowed 10 goals in those 4 games. So I don't think he's quite there yet, but the potential certainly is. My bet would be you'll see either him, Johnson, or Timmy Chandler (assuming he doesn't unseat Steve Cherundolo at right back) at left back when World Cup Qualifying kicks off.
Special thanks as always to everyone who wrote in this week. And remember, as the great G$ Meyer says Reading is for Winners, especially when you read Smitty's Mailbag.
Got a question for the mailbag? Click on the link at the top of the
page or email us directly at smittysports.blogspot@hotmail.com.
Whatever happened to Major League Baseball's 'Opening Day'? - Ben K., Slidell, LA
Photo Credit: chicagonow.com
That's a great question. I feel like when we were kids you had Opening DAY and now it seems like we have Opening WEEK. And that doesn't even begin to take into account the Japan series between Seattle and Oakland in March. I guess the justification is that it prolongs the celebration of the start of a new season with your marquee Opening Night matchup and then two full days of season openers. I dunno, personally I'm not a huge fan. I had to wait all the way until Friday for the Astros to open their season. Although the upside of this was that the Astros were undefeated all the way up until Friday... If it was up to me I'd say go back to the way it was, but I think the current setup is here to stay for the time being. Ultimately I'm just happy that baseball is back.
What are your thoughts on the Celtic lineup when they have Rondo and Bradley on the floor at the same time? - Garrett M., Boston, MA
Photo Credit: masslive.com
Avery Bradley reminds me of a miniature version of Tony Allen, and if you'll recall, the Celtics won a ring with him back in 2008. Now granted, at 6'4" 213 lbs, Allen could do things on the defensive end that Bradley can't at 6'2" 180 lbs, but he's still highly effective. With Bradley on the floor with Rajon Rondo the Celtics can wreak havoc on the defensive end. Unfortunately, they become a much smaller lineup, and they're decidedly more limited on offense. Bradley has made just seven 3-pointers all season, and isn't going to remind anyone of Ray Allen any time soon. I think he's an ideal fit for Boston's second unit, but I feel like he'll kill your offense if used too much in a half-court set. But then again, the Celtics won a ring with Tony Allen on the floor and I swear I saw that guy have a layup rejected by the underside of the rim. So far Coach Doc Rivers has found spots to use Bradley and succeed without exposing his shortcomings, so expect the Celtics small-ball package of Rondo, Bradley, Allen, Pierce and Bass/Garnett to continue to see minutes down the stretch.
Man U looks to be in typical Man U late-season form picking up 3 points left and right. Now that Man City seems to be dropping points almost on a regular basis, are the Red Devils on their way to a 20th title? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com
Manchester City will need a miracle to get back into the race at this point. Already facing a difficult uphill climb heading into yesterday's match with Arsenal, they suffered a crippling 1-0 defeat that now puts them 8 points back with just 6 matches to go. City has no one but themselves to blame either. While United has taken care of their business winning 8 straight league matches, the last 5 of them via shutout, City has fallen on its face winning just once in its last 5 games. While nothing has been clinched yet and there are no sure things, I'd be pretty confident that United will bring home some more hardware. Here's a look at both teams' schedules the rest of the way:
Manchester City
4/11/12 vs West Bromwich Albion (13th)
4/14/12 @ Norwich City (9th)
4/22/12 @ Wolverhampton Wanderers (20th)
4/30/12 vs Manchester United (1st)
5/06/12 @ Newcastle United (5th)
5/13/12 vs Queens Park Rangers (17th)
Manchester United
4/11/12 @ Wigan Athletic (19th)
4/15/12 vs Aston Villa (15th)
4/22/12 vs Everton (7th)
4/30/12 @ Manchester City (2nd)
5/06/12 vs Swansea City (14th)
5/13/12 @ Sunderland (10th)
People are going ga-ga over the possibility of an all La Liga Champions League Final. However, as they say, it ain't over til it's over. While I don't see anybody stopping Barcelona from reaching the finals, what are the odds of Bayern Munich playing spoiler and locking out Real Madrid? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: goal.com
Bayern Munich isn't a team that should be taken lightly. They have the best goal differential in the Bundesliga scoring more goals (69) and giving up fewer goals (19) than anyone else in the league. In 15 league matches at home they've outscored their opponents 47-6, and they're undefeated at home in the Champions League. They boast an exceptional keeper in Manuel Neuer, the captain of the German National Team in Philipp Lahm manning the backline, and a number of gifted finishers in Thomas Müller, Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben and the Bundesliga's leading scorer Mario Gomez. Now are they good enough to stop an in-form Real Madrid squad? Maybe not. But Real Madrid has drawn 3 times in its last 5 league matches, and hasn't REALLY been tested in the Champions League thus far. I can say with certainty that Bayern Munich is a better side than APOEL Nicosia, so an all-Spanish Championship is far from a foregone conclusion.
After finally seeing how Herculez Gomez plays, could he be the answer to the USMNT's scoring woes? He seems to maybe be the clinical finisher that we need. - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: newyorkredbulls.com
If you follow the blog at all, you know I'm a huge fan of what Herculez Gomez has been doing lately. And while I certainly think his performance is deserving of some attention for Jurgen Klinsmann, I've got another name for you to keep an eye on as we move forward: Kenny Cooper. The 27 year old Cooper is 6'3", and in 10 career national team appearances, he's scored 4 goals including one against Guatemala during 2010 World Cup Qualifying and 2 more at the 2009 Gold Cup. Since Cooper's insertion into the Red Bulls starting lineup 3 weeks ago, New York is 3-0 and has scored 13 goals with Cooper bagging 5 of them. I could see him serving as the central forward that we want Jozy Altidore to be. A big body, capable of holding the ball up front, and an adept finisher. We've always known Cooper to be a physical presence, and his recent scoring binge isn't a fluke. He also had 18 goals for FC Dallas back in 2008. With Juan Agudelo out injured, Edson Buddle and the Galaxy mired in a big-time slump, and Teal Bunbury's lackluster showing at Olympic Qualifying, I'd love to see both of these guys get a long look. But we'll see what Klinsmann has in mind.
When and where was the first indoor MLB game played? - Trucker D., Gold Canyon, AZ
Photo Credit: swamplot.com
The first indoor game in Major League history was played 47 years ago today in 1965 when the Houston
Astros took on the New York Yankees in an exhibition game at the brand new Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The first indoor regular season game was played there a few days later when the Astros hosted the Phillies on April 12th. Philadelphia won the game 2-0.
Special thanks as always to everyone who wrote in this week. And remember, as the great G$ Meyer says Reading is for Winners, especially when you read Smitty's Mailbag.
Got a question for the mailbag? Click on the link at the top of the
page or email us directly at smittysports.blogspot@hotmail.com.
How many steps are you actually allowed in NBA Basketball without dribbling before you are called for a travel? And jumping? I watched a highlight of the Bulls-Magic game last night on ESPN, and a top ten play was Dwight Howard making a bucket from the paint… after he stopped dribbling… pivoted… jumped to a new location… pivoted again… then made a jump shot. Seriously? – Trucker D., San Francisco, CA
The NBA. Where Traveling Happens. Ok, this is how the rule ACTUALLY reads...
How much is a championship worth? With the recent movements in the NFL, I wonder what goes through a player's mind when he goes to a team that seems to have no chance at a title but is willing to pay him an extra few million dollars. We know what teams are looking for in a quarterback, but what is Peyton Manning, or any other elite free agent, looking for in a team? - Ben K., Slidell, LA
Photo Credit: espn.go.com
You know I really think it depends on where a player is in his career. A guy in his prime might be more inclined to go after the big payday because he assumes he'll have plenty of time to get that title. However, an older guy who has never won or wants to win one more time might be more willing to sacrifice some money to play for a winning team. You see this a lot in basketball. Last year you saw Mike Bibby join up with the Miami Heat. Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown signed with Boston a couple years back... There are examples in every sport though.
Let's look specifically at Peyton Manning since he just apparently signed with the Denver Broncos. If I'm Manning this is what I'm looking at in terms of where I want to play football:
*Offensive line play. With all the neck surgeries, the last thing I'd want is to play for a team that gives up 5 or 6 sacks a game. The ability to protect the quarterback cannot be undervalued.
*Surrounding talent. At this stage in my career I am only playing because I want to win. I'm not going to sign on to play for a team like Cleveland that is a lot more than a good quarterback away from contending.
*Coaching/Front Office situation. I want to go into a stable situation where I have a good relationship with the coaches and the front office.
*Team philosophy. I want to go somewhere where my style of play will fit into the team concept. As a prolific passer I'm not looking to hand the ball off 40 times a game.
So how did Denver stack up?
O-Line: Well, they did allow over 40 sacks last year, but that was with Tim Tebow under center. Despite his mobility, Tebow was sacked a lot where a better quarterback may have been able to see a throw sooner.
Talent: You can argue that Denver isn't loaded in talent, but they did make the playoffs - albeit in a weak division - AND they won a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Apparently Denver has a free agency plan in place that they drew up in the event Manning signed with them. We'll see how all that comes together.
Front Office: Two words. John. Elway.
Philosophy: Obviously the Broncos aren't going to run the offense like they did with Tim Tebow. With that in mind, you'd expect Manning to get the freedom to run his style of offense.
All in all, I still think if I'm Manning I would've gone to San Francisco. Great defense, great tight end, decent receiver situation with Manningham, Moss and Crabtree, weak division... I dunno, maybe he thinks the road to the Super Bowl is easier going through the AFC. Maybe John Elway is a personal hero of his. Maybe his wife is an avid skier. Who knows. So I guess in summary, there's any number of factors, football related and otherwise, that affect these guys' decisions, and those of us on the outside may never really understand what exactly goes into making them.
Fantasy baseball draft next week!!! Who's looking hot? Also, don't misdirect me because we're in the same league and you want me to get a bad team. (Feel free to make fun of me for being so bold as to ask for advice from my competition.) I did a mock draft, and can't keep from getting so many Braves. I still pick them despite how terrible they're doing in spring training. Also, why are the Braves doing so poorly? I want to blame the players that are being "tried" since it's spring training, but the starters are playing and also doing terrible. Can spring training performance be used to determine how the season will go? - Bama Slammas, Lushbucket Baseball League
Photo Credit: bartscave.blogspot.com
Bold move, Bama. I suppose it's been a while since you've won the Lushbucket title (2005) so maybe I can give you SOME advice. Let's take a look at who's been hot this spring:
*Ryan Raburn - Detroit Tigers - Heading into play today, Raburn leads the majors this spring with 5 home runs and 16 runs batted in.
*Delmon Young - Detroit Tigers - Young has 14 hits in his first 27 at bats this spring (.519) with half of those hits going for extra bases.
*Lorenzo Cain - Kansas City Royals - One of the pieces in the Zack Greinke trade, Cain is 15 for 29 (.517) with 6 doubles and a pair of home runs.
*Dustin Ackley - Seattle Mariners - Ackley has ten hits this spring, but just one single. The young second baseman also has six doubles, two triples and a home run.
*Daniel Descalso - St. Louis Cardinals - Descalso is hitting .385 this spring and leads the majors with 10 walks.
*Adam Wainwright - St. Louis Cardinals - Back from Tommy John surgery, the former ace has tossed 9 innings this spring without allowing an earned run.
*Mike Minor - Atlanta Braves - Minor leads the majors this spring with 14 shutout innings over 4 starts.
*Wade LeBlanc - Miami Marlins - Opposing hitters are batting just .030 against LeBlanc this spring. 10 innings, 1 hit, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts.
Ultimately, I don't know how much you can really read into any of this though. Last year Jake Fox led the majors with 10 spring training home runs, and then went on to hit 2 in 61 at bats for the Orioles and spent a majority of the year in AAA. So use some discretion when evaluating the small sample size. Along those lines I wouldn't worry too much about your Braves. Unless you're looking at a guy who struggled last year and is still struggling this spring, I think you give the benefit of the doubt to past performance. Good luck in the draft this week, but be forewarned the Flying Cave Donkies are looking to get back to winning championships.
Ok, let's go ahead and talk about the 800lb gorilla in the room,
"BountyGate". What are your thoughts about the whole situation and how
bad could this screw up the Saints' chances of winning a Superbowl in
their home stadium next year? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: musiccitymiracles.com
For starters, let me be clear on one thing. I absolutely love the hard hitting aspect of football. I have no problem with guys getting excited over big hits. I'm not even upset about players getting rewarded for delivering big hits. For me this issue comes down to one thing: the Saints were (allegedly) rewarding players for injuring players on the opposing team. Whether it's putting bounties on player's heads, or giving a guy a bonus for sending an opposing player off on a stretcher, this stuff is deplorable, and it needs to be eliminated from the game. We wouldn't tolerate this in any other sport. Anyone remember Temple Basketball and 'The Goon Game'? Temple Head Coach John Chaney was suspended for the remainder of that season when that happened. Shoot, in the movie The Mighty Ducks, everyone knows that when Coach Reilly sends McGill into the game to take out Adam Banks that there was something morally wrong with that. Adding money on top of that just compounds the wrongdoing. So that's where I stand on that.
Photo Credit: droppintreats.com
Now whether or not this sort of thing is commonplace in the league or not, the commissioner has to come down hard, and how hard he comes down will impact how much this affects the Saints. It's really going to come down to whether or not any of the defensive players involved are dealt suspensions. Losing draft picks will hurt them in the long run, but playing short-handed hurts them right now. The NFC South is quickly becoming one of the league's most competitive divisions and the Saints 2012 schedule is far from a cakewalk. In addition to their divisional games the Saints play at Green Bay, at the Giants, at the Cowboys, and at the Broncos (who suddenly have Peyton Manning). AND they have tough home games against the Chargers, 49ers and Eagles. That's a lot of losable games. Given how much better New Orleans is at home than they are on the road, playing without some of their key defenders could greatly impact any hopes they have for homefield advantage in the NFC, which in turn could keep them out of the Super Bowl.
Herculez Gomez is on fire right now, scoring goals like it's nobody's
business in Mexico. he's showing poise and creativity in front of goal,
along with an extremely deft first touch. How long could it be before we
see him back in a U.S. jersey, and what kind of impact could he have in
his current form? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
I sure hope Jurgen Klinsmann is watching because this guy is red hot right now. Edson Buddle's recent benching in L.A. could result in him moving down on the National Team depth chart as well, so this would seem like a perfect opportunity for Gomez to swoop in and get a shot, no pun intended. If you haven't been following Gomez lately, the 29 year old Santos Laguna striker has scored in the last 5 matches he's played in tallying a total of 7 goals. Three of those came in two matches against the Seattle Sounders in the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals. Say what you want about the quality of goals or opponents or what not, but you can't deny the fact that Herculez is getting the job done. With the U.S.'s lack of gifted finishers and capable 1v1 attackers, Gomez could be a great asset coming off the USA bench moving forward. Hopefully he gets an opportunity during the next round of friendlies to show what he can do.
Is it gonna take a miracle of biblical proportions for Cypriot-Side APOEL Nicosia to win the Champions League? I'm not really a fan, but I'm always up for a good underdog story. - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: guardian.co.uk
Wow. You're talking Miracle on Ice times like a billion. Not only do they have to get by Real Madrid, but then they could conceivably play Bayern Munich in the semifinals, and THEN they'd likely meet defending champion Barcelona in the finals. And this isn't like March Madness where you could steal a fluke win and advance. You have to outscore these powerhouses over TWO matches. Could Nicosia shock one of these teams once? Absolutely. Twice? Highly unlikely. Shock THREE of these teams twice? Put it this way. The former Miss South Carolina would have a better
chance of finding Cyprus on a map than Nicosia has of winning the
Champions League.
Diego Forlan is one of my favorite strikers. However, he seems to be not really suited to the kind of soccer that Inter plays. Where do you think would be a better fit for him and why? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: bleacherreport.com
Forlán replaced Samuel Eto'o at Inter in August and to say the results have been disappointing would be an understatement. He scored in his first goal in his debut on September 11th, but then didn't score again until March. That's like six months. Eto'o scored 37 goals and had 15 assists across all competitions a season ago. Forlán has two goals and one assist this year. That's not going to cut it. Especially when you consider that Inter isn't a 'don't worry, we'll get 'em next year' kind of team. Now I know there have been injury issues that have kept Forlán off the pitch, but the question remains as to whether or not he fits into Inter's system. There's also the fact that the Uruguayan striker will be 33 in May, and with younger options available he may not even be a fit for the club after this year. If that's the case, then what? My opinion? Three words. Major. League. Soccer. Ok, maybe not. Forlán is still good enough to catch on somewhere in Europe if that's what he desires. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go to a mid-level club, like a Fulham or PSG or something, somewhere where they could use a legitimate striker, but there's a little bit less pressure on him. One thing's for sure. With Inter sitting on 11 losses in 7th place in the Serie A, there are definitely going to be changes.
Why do college players wear t-shirts under their jerseys? - Garrett M., Boston, MA
Photo Credit: uni-watch.com
I know you and I brainstormed this a bit the other day. Some of our better ideas:
*They don't want their mom and dad to see their tattoos.
*To hide back acne.
*To avoid chafed nipples.
*Hides the lack of muscles.
*Jerseys are too big.
*Economics. A 6-pack of t-shirts from Walmart is like $3.
*Limits opposing players' access to chest hair.
*Absorbs sweat better than jersey does keeping hands dry.
*Advertising. Hanes pays the bills.
*Sex appeal. Sometimes showing less skin is worth more.
*Some of the gyms are really, really cold.
*Longer sleeves go better with longer shorts.
Anyone out there know the real reason? Assuming of course that we didn't already nail it with one of our guesses.
Was Charles Barkley good at basketball? What made him effective? I don't remember him being super athletic even in his prime, but he was highly effective. - Garrett M., Boston, MA
Let's go to the video tape:
Charles Barkley was an absolute beast in his heyday. In 16 NBA seasons, he averaged at least 10 rebounds per game 15 times and is the shortest player in league history to lead the league in rebounding which he did during the 1986-87 season with 14.6 a game. Dwight Howard (14.9 rpg) is the only player this season averaging more rebounds than that.
A prolific and proficient scorer, Sir Charles shot 54% from the field including a ridiculous 60% during the 1989-90 season. He played in 11 All-Star Games, won an MVP, won two Gold Medals... He was even a good passer averaging nearly 4 assists a game over his career. The guy did it all.
So how did he do it? This guy was the ultimate mismatch. He was too strong for the smaller players to handle him and he was too quick for the bigger players to stay with him. He's kind of the shorter stockier version of the Ron Artest/LeBron James breed of athlete. So Barkley was like the Defensive Tackle to LeBron's Defensive End. The biggest difference with Barkley though is wherever he lacked in skill, he made up for it in desire. He said it himself in the video. No one worked harder than him.
So to make a long story short yes, the Round Mound of Rebound was good at basketball. To say anything less would be uncivilized.
Special thanks as always to everyone who wrote in this week. Also a big shoutout to G$ Meyer for the mailbag's new tagline: "Reading is for Winners, especially when you read Smitty's Mailbag." Got a question for the mailbag? Click on the link at the top of the page or email us directly at smittysports.blogspot@hotmail.com.
The recent birth of my first child, Lily, has gotten me thinking the important questions that fathers think: when can we start practice (age)? What sports should she play (or should I force her to play!)? Right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous? I did a little bit of google searching and found that of the top 10 highest paid female athletes, five play tennis, three play golf, one is a race car driver, and one is a figure skater. I want to go with tennis or golf, especially since I prefer her NOT to be a "go-daddy-girl". I'm not suggesting that I intend to exploit her, but hey, I love her, and I also love sports. I'll ease off the pressure when she gets a brother! - Big Daddy, Parts Unknown
First off, congratulations on the birth of your first child, that's awesome. Now, as far as her future in sports goes... I think when you start her depends on what's available to you guys. You can get kids involved in swimming lessons pretty early, some gymnastics programs start really young, and I know they make ice skates for little kids... Beyond that, unless you're in China or the former Soviet Union you can probably hold off on really pushing sports until they're in school. I mean by all means expose them to stuff when they're little; baseball glove, golf clubs, basketball, soccer ball, tennis racket, etc. But you're probably wasting your time trying to coach the intricacies of a 3-2 zone to a 4 year old.
Photo Credit: soccer-answers.com
Anyhow, once they're in school I think you let get them into everything: t-ball, soccer, tennis lessons, swim team... Let them play and participate in as much as possible and figure out what they like to do and what they're good at. And most importantly, make sure she's having fun. You can live vicariously through her all you want, but she needs to be doing what she enjoys, and not just what you want her to enjoy.
As far as left-handed/right-handed goes, I think baseball's really the only sport that truly favors left-handers. So unless lefty relievers become all the rage in softball someday, I'd say go with whatever's natural. However, if she does end up leaning towards a sport like soccer or basketball, I'd say get her using that off-hand or off-foot early, because that'll pay big dividends down the road.
Ultimately, as long as you have her active and involved, you never know what doors will open up. One of my sisters played soccer all through high school, and then went on to become a Second-Team All American rugby player in college with two National Championships. True story.
Which sport/sports produce the BEST athletes? - Garrett M., Boston, MA
Hahah, oh good an easy one... I don't know that I can narrow this down to just one without opening myself up to a substantial amount of criticism, but I'll give you three that it would be worth having a debate on.
Basketball Players - Ok, so I ruled out baseball because of two words: David Wells. I ruled out hockey because just because you're amazing on skates doesn't mean you can do anything without them. Soccer players are tempting to put on here, but ultimately it's more a finesse game than a power game. I played 4 years of college soccer and never once lifted a weight. So it comes down to basketball and football. I'll grant that football requires a toughness that basketball doesn't, but when it comes down to pure athleticism, I give basketball the edge over football. A lot of that has to do with the emergence of the new-age tight end. Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham were all basically basketball washouts. Big, fast, strong, good hands, good footwork, great leapers... Nobody in football can cover these guys and they've changed the way the game is played. You've got these guys on the defensive side of the ball as well. Think Julius Peppers, formerly a basketball player at North Carolina. When you consider that there are bigger, faster, stronger players in the NBA who jump higher and are more athletically gifted than the guys who made it in the NFL (i.e. LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose etc.), I think you have to give the edge to basketball players.
Photo Credit: zimbio.com
Water Polo Players - Treading water is not easy. Now add in treading water while fighting off other swimmers while running basketball plays in a pool without drowning.
Photo Credit: zimbio.com
Wrestlers/Boxers/Ultimate Fighters - If you have never sparred with anybody for a 3 minute round, you have no idea how physically demanding these sports are.
Photo Credit: findfreegraphics.com
In the pros, when can a player enter the key during a free throw... I thought I knew the rule... - Garrett M., Boston, MA
Photo Credit: findfreegraphics.com
Ok, as far as I can tell here's the rule: "When a player attempts a free throw, none of the players lined up along
the free throw lane may enter the lane until the ball leaves the
shooter's hands. If a defensive player jumps into the lane early, the
shooter receives another shot if his shot misses. An offensive player
entering the lane too early nullifies the shot if it is made." So I don't know what we've got going on in the picture above. Those dudes are like halfway into the lane and the ball hasn't left the shooter's hands yet.
The Saints have yet to sign Drew Brees to a long term deal. What kind of numbers is it gonna take to make sure he doesn't test the free agency waters? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: whodatdish.com
Bottom line? It sounds like it's going to take Peyton Manning-esque dollar figures to make this deal happen. From what I've heard, the two sides are about $5M apart with the Saints coming in at $18M/year with Brees looking to be in the ballpark of the $23M/year that Manning signed for. Now, throwing out the debate of whether or not ANY athlete deserves that kind of money, it's hard to justify not paying Brees. When you look at what he's done for the Saints franchise and the New Orleans community following Hurricane Katrina, and you see how his numbers stack up with his peers (his 28,394 passing yards since joining New Orleans in 2006 are the most in the NFL), how can you say he doesn't deserve to be among the highest paid players at his position? And now that the Saints were unable to reach a deal with Brees and were forced to franchise him they risk losing Marques Colston and Pro Bowl guard Carl Nicks to free agency. Add in Bounty-Gate and the Saints are not having a very good offseason so far.
Klinsmann seems to pick a lot of guys that play in the Bundesliga. Is that just his personal preference because he himself is German? Or is that just where the majority of Americans are playing overseas? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: shop.sportsworldcards.com
I think it's a combination of things. Part of it is the fact that he's German, and because of that he has a lot of connections in Germany and I would imagine his scouting network over there is very extensive. As a result he's able to get detailed reports on these guys which he might not have access to for say Bryan Gerzicich over in Israel. But there's also a number of American field players (i.e. not just goalies) playing in Germany and playing very well: Timmy Chandler, Steve Cherundolo, Jermaine Jones, Terrence Boyd, Joe Gyau, Fabian Johnson, Danny Williams, Alfredo Morales... If you look around the other top European leagues we don't have an abundance of position players in any of them. Dempsey's the only superstar field player in the Premier League although Zak Whitbread and Tim Ream are worth mentioning, Bradley's the only name that comes to mind in Italy, there's no one in Spain, Altidore's the only one in the Netherlands and Charlie Davies is the biggest name in France. Then you start getting into your next tier of leagues (Scotland, Portugal, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, etc) where we have a little more of a presence. So while I'm sure Klinsmann's German heritage is part of it, as far as Europe's top leagues go, Germany is also where the bulk of our boys are.
We're entering the final stretch of the EPL season. Can Man U. catch Man City? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
Photo Credit: fanpop.com
Yes, City is only 2 points clear with 11 games to go so the title is far from being decided. Let's take a closer look at both club's schedules the rest of the way though:
As long as things stay the way they are, the season could come down to that April 30th derby. United needs to keep winning though because if they fall any farther behind they're in real trouble.
Chelsea just fired their manager(shocker, I know). Who do you see them going after to replace him and can all this manager- swapping possibly be good for a team that's supposed to be competing for titles every year? - Cory L., Raceland, LA
The firing of Andre Villas-Boas means that Chelsea is looking at their 8th manager in 9 years. Russian owner Roman Abramovich has made it clear that the Champions League is his top priority and he wants someone who can deliver success immediately. As far as who that might be? It's hard to say. Abramovich's quick hook with his past managers can't make him an ideal guy to work for so it'll be interesting to see who's up for the challenge of both bringing Chelsea back to prominence and dealing with the erratic Russian. In the meantime assistant coach Roberto Di Matteo, a former Chelsea player and West
Bromwich Albion manager, will take charge of the Blues until the end of
the season.
Photo Credit: dailymail.co.uk
That concludes this week's mailbag. As always a special thanks to those of you who wrote in. Couldn't have done it without your questions. Got a question for
the mailbag? Email us at smittysports.blogspot@hotmail.com.
