Although I generally try to avoid espn.com, Andy Katz and Jay Bilas put together an early ACC preview yesterday, a piece with a lot of interesting information. You can read the entire article here
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/notebook?page=notebook/shootaround/acc
For those who don't feel like reading, here is a brief summary of key points:
1.) Despite key losses, UNC is still king
2.)Jay Bilas is very high on Greivis Vasquez, who he terms "a complete player" who is very underrated.
3.) Its very early, but Bilas has the Terps finishing 3rd in the ACC behind UNC/Duke, citing the arrival of big men James Padgett and Jordan Williams as complements to the scoring capabilities of Vasquez and Sean Mosley.
4.) Although most teams' schedules are not out yet, there are a few pretty intriguing non-conference matchups coming to D.C. this year, including Duke/Georgetown (TBA), and Maryland/Villanova (December 6th in the BB&T classic). The latter could be a key matchup for the Terps prior to starting ACC play.
The D.C. Sports Guys 8-18-2009
Kevin, T.J., and Big J talk about Strasburg, the Skins, Tiger, and Raven's fans. The guys also welcome back Sandman who breaks down WWE's upcoming SummerSlam.
Video is back this week... kind of. Some viewers were having problems with the live video feed so Kevin reset the stream during the first break. The reset accidentally deleted the first segment. This only affected recorded video, the audio only podcast is 100% A-OK. Thanks again for bearing with us as we try to tie all of these technologies into the show.
As always, send your comments, suggestions, or ideas to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com
Podcast Times (Audio Only)
Intro
MLB/Nats: 00:01:30
Redskins/NFL: 00:22:50
WWE/SummerSlam: 00:58:30
Tiger/NHL/Strikeforce/Olympics: 01:31:00
End
Video is back this week... kind of. Some viewers were having problems with the live video feed so Kevin reset the stream during the first break. The reset accidentally deleted the first segment. This only affected recorded video, the audio only podcast is 100% A-OK. Thanks again for bearing with us as we try to tie all of these technologies into the show.
As always, send your comments, suggestions, or ideas to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com
Podcast Times (Audio Only)
Intro
MLB/Nats: 00:01:30
Redskins/NFL: 00:22:50
WWE/SummerSlam: 00:58:30
Tiger/NHL/Strikeforce/Olympics: 01:31:00
End
Video from 2nd Segment on
Nats Avoid Embarrassment, Ink Strasburg Before Deadline
The Nationals signed their 2009 #1 draft pick (and #1 overall pick in the draft), pitcher Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State, to a 4-year deal last night just minutes before the midnight signing deadline (at 11:58 p.m. to be precise). Negotiations between Nationals brass and Strasburg's agent Scott Boras were expected to come down to the wire, with Boras pushing for a deal in the neighborhood of $50 million and the Nationals holding firm on a deal comparable to those given to other high first-round picks over the past several years and closer to the $10 - $15 million range.
In the end, the Nationals and Strasburg agreed on a 4-year deal worth just over $15 million. Strasburg's success had been well-documented and hyped by the media in advance of the draft, garnering national exposure after he helped lead the San Diego State Aztecs (coached by Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn) to a College World Series appearance. He went 13-1 last season, leading Division I pitchers in ERA (1.35) and strikeouts (195 in 109 innings), and won the Golden Spikes award for the top U.S. amateur baseball player.
More importantly, the Strasburg signing should help breathe life into the Nationals franchise, spurring momentum and excitement for the 2010 season. Its hard to tell whether Strasburg will make an appearance this season for the Nats (I would guess they'd hold off on bringing him up until the start of next season), but signing the most heralded pitching prospect in decades (and by the account of some, possibly ever) should help those Nats fans out there have confidence that the Lerners are intent on building a foundation for the future. If I'm the Nats, I start the Strasburg marketing right now. I bring him in for a huge media session, have Strasburg t-shirt nights, start jersey sales, etc. For a time that has been often maligned for its lack of PR-prowess, its time to get things right and start achieving a return on their investment in this guy.
While many of the talking heads placed skeptic odds on the Nationals ability to sign Strasburg due to the involvement of Boras in negotiations, its nice to see that the two sides came to their senses and realized that they really needed each other. For the Nats, this was a chance to sign a fresh type of young arm that will put fans in the seats (mark my words, I will be there when he makes his debut at Nats park, no matter what I have going on). For Strasburg, his options were limited. If he failed to agree to terms with Washington, he would be forced to play either in an Independent league, return to San Diego State, or go to Japan, only to return to the draft pool next year. And while the Nats have been playing around .500 ball since the All-Star break, they still have the worst record in baseball. Hopefully that turns around prior to the end of the season, but its too early to tell. In reality, Strasburg could find himself in the same situation a year from now, trying to settle an 11th hour deal with the same team he spurned a year before.
What also was reinforced by this signing was that Scott Boras is trying to ruin baseball. As I mentioned above, he was seeking a deal worth around $50 million for Strasburg, using guys like Dice-K and Jose Contreras as his comparables (the Nats, in contrast, were using Mark Prior and certain others as their benchmarks). Two observations are worth noting from this. First, Boras, in coming to the table, was effectively trying to establish a new metric by which draft picks could be evaluated. Secondly, he was making a statement about baseball economics that we often read about. The nature of the draft is one that gives the worst teams in baseball the best picks. These teams are typically the small to mid-market teams (Washington, Kansas City, Seattle, Pittsburgh), and are not willing to shell out money that could be reserved for an otherwise established free agent pickup to take a gamble on a high school or college kid that is billed as having the "best fastball", "5-tool skills" or other such buzzwords that may or may not turn out to be true. Additionally, imagine the resentment that would be felt in the Nationals minor league clubhouses had Strasburg signed for $50 million. I'm not contending that $15 million is chump change, or that Strasburg will be in the minors for very long, but think about a 25-man roster at the AA-level. You have a guy making $10 million dollars alongside other guys in a rotation that are getting paid $50,000 each? It just doesn't make sense. Give him a good bonus to bring him on board the organization, and then allow him to earn his stripes. I'd venture to say that $15 million is much more money than Steven Strasburg has ever seen in his life, and if he is as good as everyone claims he is, he'll have a chance to have an even more lucrative career in the long-run. embarrassment
In the end, the Nationals and Strasburg agreed on a 4-year deal worth just over $15 million. Strasburg's success had been well-documented and hyped by the media in advance of the draft, garnering national exposure after he helped lead the San Diego State Aztecs (coached by Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn) to a College World Series appearance. He went 13-1 last season, leading Division I pitchers in ERA (1.35) and strikeouts (195 in 109 innings), and won the Golden Spikes award for the top U.S. amateur baseball player.
More importantly, the Strasburg signing should help breathe life into the Nationals franchise, spurring momentum and excitement for the 2010 season. Its hard to tell whether Strasburg will make an appearance this season for the Nats (I would guess they'd hold off on bringing him up until the start of next season), but signing the most heralded pitching prospect in decades (and by the account of some, possibly ever) should help those Nats fans out there have confidence that the Lerners are intent on building a foundation for the future. If I'm the Nats, I start the Strasburg marketing right now. I bring him in for a huge media session, have Strasburg t-shirt nights, start jersey sales, etc. For a time that has been often maligned for its lack of PR-prowess, its time to get things right and start achieving a return on their investment in this guy.
While many of the talking heads placed skeptic odds on the Nationals ability to sign Strasburg due to the involvement of Boras in negotiations, its nice to see that the two sides came to their senses and realized that they really needed each other. For the Nats, this was a chance to sign a fresh type of young arm that will put fans in the seats (mark my words, I will be there when he makes his debut at Nats park, no matter what I have going on). For Strasburg, his options were limited. If he failed to agree to terms with Washington, he would be forced to play either in an Independent league, return to San Diego State, or go to Japan, only to return to the draft pool next year. And while the Nats have been playing around .500 ball since the All-Star break, they still have the worst record in baseball. Hopefully that turns around prior to the end of the season, but its too early to tell. In reality, Strasburg could find himself in the same situation a year from now, trying to settle an 11th hour deal with the same team he spurned a year before.
What also was reinforced by this signing was that Scott Boras is trying to ruin baseball. As I mentioned above, he was seeking a deal worth around $50 million for Strasburg, using guys like Dice-K and Jose Contreras as his comparables (the Nats, in contrast, were using Mark Prior and certain others as their benchmarks). Two observations are worth noting from this. First, Boras, in coming to the table, was effectively trying to establish a new metric by which draft picks could be evaluated. Secondly, he was making a statement about baseball economics that we often read about. The nature of the draft is one that gives the worst teams in baseball the best picks. These teams are typically the small to mid-market teams (Washington, Kansas City, Seattle, Pittsburgh), and are not willing to shell out money that could be reserved for an otherwise established free agent pickup to take a gamble on a high school or college kid that is billed as having the "best fastball", "5-tool skills" or other such buzzwords that may or may not turn out to be true. Additionally, imagine the resentment that would be felt in the Nationals minor league clubhouses had Strasburg signed for $50 million. I'm not contending that $15 million is chump change, or that Strasburg will be in the minors for very long, but think about a 25-man roster at the AA-level. You have a guy making $10 million dollars alongside other guys in a rotation that are getting paid $50,000 each? It just doesn't make sense. Give him a good bonus to bring him on board the organization, and then allow him to earn his stripes. I'd venture to say that $15 million is much more money than Steven Strasburg has ever seen in his life, and if he is as good as everyone claims he is, he'll have a chance to have an even more lucrative career in the long-run. embarrassment
Strasburg is a National
San Diego State phenom Stephen Strasburg has signed with the Washington Nationals. The Learner's were able to to ink the 6-foot-4, 220 pound pitcher who can throw over 100 mph to a record 4 year $15 million deal. This puts an end to the summer long saga of whether the Nationals would fail to sign their first round drat pick for 2 years in a row. Of course if you had been listening to "Juicy" Jeff on the D.C. Sports Guys Show this comes as no surprise. "Juicy" has declared for weeks that there was no way in world this deal was ever going to be made before 11:59pm Monday night.
Brian will be at the Nationals game tonight and will have a more detailed update on just what this means for the Nats and their Fans.
Former Capital Ken Klee calls it a career
According to Puck Daddy, Ken Klee who was drafted 177th overall by the Washington Capitals in 1990, "has told his family he's retiring." Drafted at the age of 19 Klee played 3 seasons in the CCHA for the Bowling Green Falcons then in the AHL for another 3 seasons for both the Baltimore Skipjacks and the Portland Pirates before being called up by the Capitals in the 1994-95 season. Klee was a hard hitting and strong stay at home defenseman who roughed up any opposing player trying to enter the Capitals zone. In his 9 seasons as a Capital, Klee's hard hitting helped Washington make playoffs 6 times including the 1997-98 run when the Caps were swept by Detroit in the Stanley Cup Finals. Klee did not put up a lot of points, but his ability to lock down opposing forwards kept him on the ice for 20 minutes a game. Sounds like the kind of player the Caps could use for the upcoming 2009-10 season.
More important than any of this however is that as a young puck head I got to meet Ken Klee at the Chesapeake Bagels that used to exist in Crofton, just down the road from Piney Orchard where the Capitals used to practice. I still have the bagel bag he signed for me that day:
Thanks for the memories Ken and here's to the Caps finding another defensemen that hits as well as you did.
More important than any of this however is that as a young puck head I got to meet Ken Klee at the Chesapeake Bagels that used to exist in Crofton, just down the road from Piney Orchard where the Capitals used to practice. I still have the bagel bag he signed for me that day:
Thanks for the memories Ken and here's to the Caps finding another defensemen that hits as well as you did.
LIVE D.C. Sports Guys Tuesday 8/18 at 7:30pm
Go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com to watch The D.C. Sports Guys LIVE Tuesday, August 18, at 7:30pm. Before the show send an email to mailbag@dcsportsguys.com with any questions, comments or topics you would like the guys to discuss.
This LIVE D.C. Sports Guys will have a new feature, real time chat. By using any browser that supports flash, viewers and listeners will be able to have a one on one chat with the guys during the show. This is a two way form of communication that requires no sign-up or accounts to use. Simply go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com during the LIVE show and the chat box will be located below both the video and audio only feeds. Just enter your name and message and the chat will begin.
The D.C. Sports Guys want to hear what you have to say!
This LIVE D.C. Sports Guys will have a new feature, real time chat. By using any browser that supports flash, viewers and listeners will be able to have a one on one chat with the guys during the show. This is a two way form of communication that requires no sign-up or accounts to use. Simply go to http://www.dcsportsguys.com during the LIVE show and the chat box will be located below both the video and audio only feeds. Just enter your name and message and the chat will begin.
The D.C. Sports Guys want to hear what you have to say!
USA vs Mexico
I guess this forum will have to do for my rant on soccer since there is little to no chance of me getting to talk about it on the show. And really, there is not much to say about another weak performance from the US National Team in a big game. At least that was my thinking immediately after the game on Wednesday. But given some time to think it over, I've actually become even more enraged.
I wrote in my previous post how this country does yet get excited for soccer but only for big events. Well here was a big event. USA vs Mexico in Mexico City. A place where the US has never won...
If I may take a minute for an aside. Why wasn't this game on ESPN? I mean, it wasn't even on ESPN the Ocho. Why wasn't this game on something better than Telemundo (in Spanish) and Mun2 (in English)? Mun2, by the way, is a normally Spanish language station that is not part of the basic cable package and was only available for the day via a free preview. It gets better. Telemundo actually offered the English broadcast to ESPN last winter. ESPN refused! WHAT!? Are you fucking kidding me!? What could you possibly have to show at 4pm on Wednesday that would be better than this? The craptastic Sports Nation, starring that asshole Colin Cowherd and some average looking chick? Jim Rome is Burning? Unless he's going to have a reunion with Jim Everett, I don't wanna see it. Okay, I'm done.
...So here was soccer's chance to grab headlines in the US. And they blew it. They blew it because of US Coach Bob Bradley's shitty game plan and his irrational fascination with playing veterans who aren't half as good as the subs behind them. No one thinks forward Brian Ching is an international level player except for Bradley. 87 year old Steve Cherundolo at right fullback? Where was Jonathan Spector, who had just shown himself to be the best the US has had to offer in years at that position with his excellent showing at the Confederations Cup? And when will Bradely begin to understand that the MLS is shit!? Where was Jose Francisco Torres who plays professionally IN MEXICO? If anyone was built to handle the pressure of playing IN MEXICO it's him. And what about tactics? The strategy (what little there was) the US employed appeared to be sit back on D and absorb run after run from the Mexicans and when actually gaining possession to just boot the ball up the field like a freaking six year old. Where upon the Mexicans would regain possession and begin their attack again.
This loss is not world ending for the US. In soccer terms, a road loss in World Cup Qualifying means very little. The US will continue their qualifying run for South Africa. And they will qualify. It's just that now, no one will be watching.
I wrote in my previous post how this country does yet get excited for soccer but only for big events. Well here was a big event. USA vs Mexico in Mexico City. A place where the US has never won...
If I may take a minute for an aside. Why wasn't this game on ESPN? I mean, it wasn't even on ESPN the Ocho. Why wasn't this game on something better than Telemundo (in Spanish) and Mun2 (in English)? Mun2, by the way, is a normally Spanish language station that is not part of the basic cable package and was only available for the day via a free preview. It gets better. Telemundo actually offered the English broadcast to ESPN last winter. ESPN refused! WHAT!? Are you fucking kidding me!? What could you possibly have to show at 4pm on Wednesday that would be better than this? The craptastic Sports Nation, starring that asshole Colin Cowherd and some average looking chick? Jim Rome is Burning? Unless he's going to have a reunion with Jim Everett, I don't wanna see it. Okay, I'm done.
...So here was soccer's chance to grab headlines in the US. And they blew it. They blew it because of US Coach Bob Bradley's shitty game plan and his irrational fascination with playing veterans who aren't half as good as the subs behind them. No one thinks forward Brian Ching is an international level player except for Bradley. 87 year old Steve Cherundolo at right fullback? Where was Jonathan Spector, who had just shown himself to be the best the US has had to offer in years at that position with his excellent showing at the Confederations Cup? And when will Bradely begin to understand that the MLS is shit!? Where was Jose Francisco Torres who plays professionally IN MEXICO? If anyone was built to handle the pressure of playing IN MEXICO it's him. And what about tactics? The strategy (what little there was) the US employed appeared to be sit back on D and absorb run after run from the Mexicans and when actually gaining possession to just boot the ball up the field like a freaking six year old. Where upon the Mexicans would regain possession and begin their attack again.
This loss is not world ending for the US. In soccer terms, a road loss in World Cup Qualifying means very little. The US will continue their qualifying run for South Africa. And they will qualify. It's just that now, no one will be watching.
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