Is It Really Over?

Earlier this week Brett Favre announced his second retirement from football. His first retirement ended after Favre worked out and played ball with a local high school. After announcing his retirement, Favre waited a few months and then announced he would seek reinstatement into the league. What followed was a painful experience for fans and football, and Favre ultimately was traded from the Packers to the Jets.

This year Favre again announced his retirement. After 18 seasons of avoiding injury and showing us how young he still is, it seems to be over. Favre, and the Jets, probably expected one more year. He could do it couldn't he? His body stood the test this year, his legacy remained intact, and he won 9 games. Maybe it was the sudden collapse at the end of the season. In the final 5 games of the season, the Jets went 1-4. The collapse was not Favre's fault, but why not retire when your new team doesn't have a wide receiver or running back, and then misses the playoffs after starting 8-3. At the Very least you can be like Mike, and come back again.

Brett Favre has, over his 18 year career, averaged 9 wins, 15 starts a season- however 16 starts in each year since starting for the first time, 3618 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, 317 completions, and 17 interceptions. This means that at 39, Favre was as good this year as any year. In 2008 he had 9 wins, 16 starts, 3472 yards, 22 touchdowns, 343 completions, and 22 interceptions. In 2008 Favre was better than he was in 1992 and 1993, when he was a young newbie. You aren't supposed to get better as you get older, however we have yet to see Favre deteriorate, or even have a bad season. After a few months of working out and throwing the ball with friends, family, and local high schools, Brett Favre will re-evaluate his shape, and the shape of teams around the NFL. Favre is the Michael Jordan of football, and he will return. Maybe since the Panthers didn't trust the running game that got them to the playoffs they will look for someone who can throw the ball, maybe someone like Favre?

Thoughts

Michael Phelps:

I came across SwimRoom.com and looked up Michael Phelps and found that his favorite quote is... "Actions speak louder than words." (see http://www.swimroom.com/phelps )



My thought: You would rather smoke pot than remain on top and be a role model. Michael you do not deserve your medals and you don not deserve a chance to swim in 2012.



Rivalry Week- UNC at Duke:

This is an easy thought: The game will be full of heart and as exciting as a 2 point close match-up. None-the-less UNC Seniors will be undefeated at Cameron Indoor.


Got any thoughts of your own? let me know whats on your mind at themindonsports@yahoo.com

Alex Rodriguez Used Steriods- So What?!

This past week the media blew up the Alex Rodriguez story, and tried to make something that does not matter relevant. Since the “Steroid Era”, baseball’s revenue has doubled, and in 2007 its revenue increased by 50%. No one cares if players dope. Fans, as long as the player is still in baseball, still pay to see them, and still cheer when the ball flies 500+ feet. Other than the despicable Barry Bonds, who needed steroids to increase productivity and size, fans are not concerned with the issue.

Here is why.

In 1994 and 1995 Alex Rodriguez came into the league and spent time in AAA and MLB. In his first two years he had 5 homeruns and only 65 games played. In his first full season Rodriguez played in 141 games and had 36 homeruns, 15 stolen bases, and .358 batting average. His started his career strong, and laid the foundation for a hall of fame career.

From 1994 to 2000, just prior to the 2001 season, A-Rod averaged 161 hits, 22 stolen bases, an average of .286, and 31 homeruns. Prior to arriving in Texas, he had 42 homeruns in back to back seasons followed by a 41 homerun season. When you look at Rodriguez’s batting, hits, and stolen base averages the only years hurting those numbers are 1994 and 1995, when he didn’t even spend a third of his time in the MLB.

From 2001-2003 A-Rod’s only “enhancement” was his homeruns. Over the three year span, Rodriguez hit 52, 57, and 47 homeruns respectively, and his performance dropped to an average of 14 stolen bases. His batting average dropped to .305 as opposed to an average of .313 during all of his prior full length seasons. Not to mention He didn’t help Texas get to a single World Series.

But now that baseball has entered into its testing era, and has begun to clean up the game, what is he doing? From 2004 to 2008 A-Rod averaged 41 homeruns, lower than his doping years, but higher than the first half of his career. Nothing odd about that, most players have their best years prior to declining and entering retirement. His stolen bases have gone back up, and he his averaging around 22 a year, and his average is at a very respectable .302.

How about his future? Rodriguez is an honest man, and a humble man. As long as he continues his recent trend of testing negative for “Juice”, he will remain in baseball with no asterisk, and he will have a chance to break the homerun record and knock Barry Bonds’ name off a list on which it never belonged. With at least seven seasons left, and his average of 40 homeruns a year, A-Rod will eclipse the record without a problem- even if his production drops with age.

New York is no stranger to drama, and is no stranger to steroid use. And as for the fans, they can forgive anyone as long as they are on the Yankee roster. Just look at Giambi, and Pettitte. I leave out Clemens because he is guilty of much more than doping.

The bottom line is this: Rodriguez was tested at a time when there was no punishment for doping, and the test was a way to learn about a potential problem. Despite the leak of Alex Rodriguez’s name, he needs to be treated as though no one ever knew. And he is. The fans -the people that matter- are not concerned and not worried about this. The media must respect that the leak could be a criminal act. A-Rod’s name cannot be tarnish, because when he was tested he was guaranteed anonymity.

It’s time for the media to focus on the people who cheated after the rules were set in place, and it is time for baseball, not congress, to investigate and prosecute the people involved. The court system will work for baseball and congress can work on the economy.