Do We Still Need All-Star Games?

Somewhere around Ne-Yo's 15th terrible song to open the NBA All-Star game, my suspicions were confirmed: we do not need all-star games anymore.

The entire NBA All-Star weekend was full of elaborate attempts to distract the viewer’s attention away from the mediocre basketball being played. None of the real stars participated in what has become the marquee event, the dunk contest. Rather than seeing Kevin Durant take on LeBron James, the fans were treated to a final matchup of Jeremy Evans and Terrence Ross. Who?

The game itself was played with an effort that would have disgusted players from the 2011 Pro Bowl. Half the players walked aimlessly around the court as the gameplay devolved into one-on-one matchups with players pretending to play defense. As soon as the other player moved to drive it in, though, the defender would pull off and casually watch his opponent take it in for the dunk. I imagine dunking is pretty easy for a professional basketball player when no one is even attempting to defend.

The entire game was meaningless and boring. After the first five dunks, they all began to look the same. The game became tiresome before the first quarter even ended. Would anyone truly care if the NBA just got rid of this pointless weekend?

The lackluster all-star showing is not specific to the NBA; the all-star games of all the major sports are just as embarrassing. Part of the problem is that there just is no good time for an all-star game to be played. In basketball, baseball, and hockey the regular season comes to a screeching halt somewhere near the halfway point for these games. The break is nice for the players, but not great for the fans.  As the playoff chase is heating up, the season stops.  Rather than watching meaningful games, fans now have to watch these lackluster exhibition games.

The problem is even worse in football. Football is too physical and taxing a sport to have an exhibition game smack dab in the middle of the season. Having it after the season, however, is incredibly anti-climactic, prompting the NFL to move the game to the week before the Super Bowl. Now, the Pro Bowl excludes all players from the two best teams in the league. The NFL is left with a choice of playing a game when no one cares or excluding some of the best, most deserving players.

Not only are these games inconvenient, the effort level makes them difficult to watch. Players do not want to play at 100% and risk injury with nothing to play for. Baseball tried to fix this problem by awarding the winning team home-field advantage in the World Series and thus make the game ‘meaningful’, but I have seen no difference in the level of play.

Before leagues begin scrambling for ways to compel their players to give more effort, they should stop and think about the consequences. Owners and players are constantly at odds over playing in international tournaments such as the Olympics because of the risk of injury. Isn’t it counterintuitive to then force players to compete in a mid-season exhibition game? How can the NHL refuse to allow its players to go to the Sochi Olympics and then demand 100% effort in an all-star game? True, the all-star game is only one game as opposed to an entire tournament, but it seems unfair to force competition in something the players seeming do not care about while denying them the chance to compete in something that matters to them.

Ultimately, leagues cannot expect fans to care in a game played at half-speed. Name an all-star team so the players are still honored, but remove the games. Not only are they terrible to watch, but the ridiculous spectacle surrounding these games have become embarrassing. Somewhere between Ne-Yo’s excruciating performance and Kevin Hart’s tiresome antics, I was done. The NBA should save itself the trouble and give us the games we actually want to see.

Wizards Enter All-Star Break Wondering What If

Despite a disastrous start to the season, the Wizards enter the All-Star break feeling more confident after the return of John Wall. The Wizards have gone 10-8 with Wall and suddenly look like a competitive team.

 

It is easy to blame the Wizards resurgence on Wall’s return alone, but coach Randy Wittman did an incredible job laying the foundation for success. Defense has been a point of emphasis for Wittman and the stats reflect that. The Wizards currently rank sixth in the league in points allowed and ninth in rebounds per game. Defense kept the Wizards competitive in multiple games in which they were completely outclassed and outplayed. Upon Wall’s return, the resurgence brought upon the team’s current success. Even with Wall, the team still is not a great offensive team. They continue winning, however, because of the team’s commitment to defense.

 

Still, it is undeniable that Wall is the leader of the team and it makes one wonder what could have been had Wall been healthy this season. The Wizards’winning percentage since his return is .555, which would currently put them at seventh in the East just above Boston. The Wizards are currently playing at a playoff caliber pace.

 

Before the season began, the Wizards’ organization declared that this was a playoff team. Their current success does somewhat justify GM Ernie Grunfeld’s plan for this season so long as he does not ignore the lessons learned by their disastrous start.

 

The Wizards were not just bad, they were historically bad. The loss of Wall does not justify a 5-28 start. Wall’s absence revealed how weak his supporting cast really is. Nene’s health is a constant concern, Trevor Ariza is only effective when he is coming off the bench, and the Wizards have little depth at point guard.

 

Compare them to Chicago who has been without star Derrick Rose for the entire season. The Bulls are currently fifth in the east, the Wizards are 13^th. The Bulls have two players in the all-star game (Luol Deng and Joakim Noah), the Wizards have one player in the rising stars challenge (Bradley Beal). The Bulls have a strong supporting cast surrounding their undisputed leader; they are a playoff team even without him. The Wizards have a rag-tag team of bad contracts and draft picks that compiled the worst record in the league without Wall.

 

The pieces are in place for the Wizards to perhaps compete for a playoff spot, but there’s not enough there to be real competitors, even when Wall and Beal reach their full potential. There is still a long way to go for Grunfeld to bring a competitor to DC. If the Wizards can stay healthy next season, however, they can make the playoffs and that is definitely a step in the right direction.

Beal Nets 12 in Rising Stars Challenge

http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/beal-nets-12-rising-stars-challenge

Gio Gonzalez's Future Clouded by PED Connection

Gio Gonzalez reported to camp in Viera, Florida this week and again denied any connection to the Biogenesis clinic now under investigation for supplying performance-enhancing drugs to MLB players. He declared to reporters that it was time to “move on”.

 

This story, however, is far from over.

 

A recent article in the Miami New Times reported that Gonzalez and five other MLB players were listed in the notebook of Tony Bosch, founder of the Biogenesis clinic. Gonzalez’s name is listed five times next to several substances, though, as reported by Mark Zuckerman, only one contains a banned substance. The MLB has opened an investigation and Gonzalez told reporters he has already spoken to investigators. Though Gonzalez has never tested positive for any type of banned substance, he still faces a suspension based on whatever the MLB may find in its investigation.

 

Should he and Nationals’ fans be worried?

 

It’s too early to say definitively at the moment, but there are certainly factors working against him.

 

Common sense says that when there’s smoke, there’s fire. Multiple reporters have now seen Bosch’s notes and have confirmed Gonzalez’s name appears. There has to be a reason why his name is in those notes and it is probably not because Gonzalez was his favorite pitcher.

 

Gonzalez did offer an explanation. Max Gonzalez, Gio’s father, was a patient of the clinic and Gonzalez claimed it was possible his father’s bragging may have caught Bosch’s attention. Otherwise, there was no direct connection between himself and Bosch.

 

I suppose this could be plausible and it is certainly better than denying any connection whatsoever, but it is still a bit of a stretch. Your father bragged about you so much that Bosch felt the need to write your name down five times in his notes and one time next to a substance that included testosterone? Why? Just as a suggestion? Sure, we do not know exactly what Bosch was thinking, but it does not make much sense for a person to continue noting someone he has had no contact with.

 

Being linked to Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera also does not help.  After the story broke, Yahoo Sports also linked Ryan Braun’s name to the clinic.  All three have been linked to banned substances in the past.

 

In fact, the whole history of PED use in baseball is working against Gonzalez. Players are guilty until proven innocent after so many players have been caught lying. Even if Gonzalez is not suspended, he may never be able to recover his reputation as a clean player.

 

Should Gonzalez be suspended, it could be a significant loss to the Nationals to start the season. The team was able to seamlessly transition during Stephen Strasburg’s shutdown last season because they were able to plug the former ace, John Lannan, into the rotation. Lannan, however, is no longer on the team. The Nationals instead would turn to either Zach Duke or Christian Garcia. Duke has more starting experience, but Garcia seems more likely as Duke is the only left-hander left in the bullpen.  Either way, losing Gonzalez for Duke or Garcia would certainly be a step down for the rotation.

 

With no positive tests and only a few scattered notes to go on, however, the MLB does not have enough evidence to suspend Gonzalez. It all depends on what Bosch himself tells investigators regarding their relationship, but I doubt Gonzalez will miss any time. The story may follow him throughout the season, but the Nationals’ rotation will remain intact.

How do the Caps Turn Things Around?

After losing nine of their first eleven games including an embarrassing 5-2 blowout loss in Pittsburgh, front office desperation seems to be taking hold of the Capitals’ front office.  It was reported on ESPN Sunday that Capitals’ General Manager George McPhee has begun inquiring about possible trades.  They had no specifics, but the fact that he’s looking is an indication of just how bad things have gone for the Caps this season.

A shortened season pretty much throws the normal dynamics of the NHL out the window, but even so I think we can safely say the Caps have underachieved even by the most pessimistic of standards.  I knew the team would struggle for the first month or so as they figured out Adam Oates’ new system, but I also assumed they would be able to pick up points along the way.  Five out of a possible 22 points to start the season and an NHL-worst record means that the team needs to turn the ship around now or the season will be over as quickly as it began.

So what options does McPhee have to try and keep the train from derailing completely?

Adam Oates could be sweating a little bit about his job security, but do not expect a coaching change anytime soon.  Things may be bad right now, but it would be unfair to place the blame solely on his shoulders.  Oates was not allowed to even contact his team during the lockout, let alone coach them.  When the lockout was finally lifted, NHL teams were given a whopping 6 days for training camp.  With a condensed season, the team also has fewer days in between games, meaning fewer practices.  Oates has made his share of mistakes, but that is to be expected based on the circumstances.

Also, since a lot of the Caps’ problems stem from having to learn a new system from a new coach, you are not going to solve that problem by bringing in a fourth coach in two years.

Rumors began flying over the weekend that the Caps were interested in goalie Roberto Luongo after Vancouver’s GM, Mike Gillis, was spotted by cameras during Sunday’s game in DC.  Both McPhee and Gillis have stated they have not discussed a trade for Luongo and let’s hope they’re telling the truth; bringing him in would make no sense.

Of all the many problems the Caps have had so far, goaltending is by no means the most glaring.  Neither goalie is getting any help from the defense.  While Braden Holtby has looked terrible, Michal Neuvirth has been fairly solid.  True, he has had his own inconsistencies and let in some soft goals, but in many games he was the only thing keeping the Caps competitive.

There’s also a reason Vancouver is trying to trade Luongo.  He has a massive contract that extends through the 2021-22 season and a cap hit of $5.3 million.  Add that to Ovechkin and Backstrom’s contract and good luck trying to build a team with what little room remains of the salary cap.

Vancouver has been shopping Luongo since the beginning of the offseason and they have yet to pull the trigger on a deal.  Chances are they are asking for a lot in return.  It does not make sense to give up what Vancouver is expecting to obtain a massive contract to solve the least pressing of the Caps’ many problems.

The Caps have a much greater need for a scoring winger and a top-four defenseman.  The Caps rank 24^th in goals per game and 27^th in goals against per game.  The problem for McPhee is finding available players at a reasonable cost.  It is hard to find a high-impact player that a team would be willing to give up for very little.  As Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault seem to have fallen out of favor with Oates, McPhee could perhaps look to use them as trade bait.  Neither, however, is likely to return the type of player the Caps would be seeking.

At this point, coming off the heels of the Caps’ worst game of the season, it may be best to stand pat.  Fans of course never appreciate it when their team gives up on a season, but I do not see the point in trading prospects or draft picks to try and salvage a season that may be past saving.  No, it is not too late to turn things around, but should the Caps continue collapsing, chances are they will hold a very high draft slot.  At this point, those picks are worth more than a rental player.

The Caps will either have to turn things around on their own or use next year’s draft to bring in the type of young, dynamic talent this team suddenly seems to be missing.

For the latest DC sports news, follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy

Caps Struggling to Start the Season

Through the lockout, all the Washington Capitals wanted to do was to play hockey. All they want now is to go back to the lockout.

The young season has not been kind to the Caps who, after Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh, have stumbled to a 2-6-1 record. With a very short camp and a new coach, the Caps were likely to struggle to start the season, but the transition has been harder than many expected and have left the team searching for answers.

So what’s gone wrong so far? A little bit of everything.

The Caps thought they were set in goal with both Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth, but at its best the goaltending has been inconsistent. Holtby, last season’s clutch performer has so far looked anything but. In four games, he has a whopping 4.52 GAA. He has shown none of the poise and focus of last season and his play has reflected that. Neuvirth has been the stronger of the two by far, but his mostly-solid performance has been marred by soft goals.

It is hard to put too much blame on the goalies, however, because neither is getting a lot of help. Defensively, the Caps have been a mess. Bad turnovers, bad penalties, and miscommunications have been prevalent especially from John Carlson.  Carlson has been on the ice for the vast majority of goals the team has allowed.  He has looked sluggish and out of sync with the rest of the team.  While the Caps have several bodies on defense, they have few top four defensemen.  So while Carlson has been terrible, he keeps getting top minutes; 22:52 per game, second highest on the team behind only Mike Green.

Offensively, the Caps just are not scoring. They rank 25^th in goals per game. They are creating good chances and great pressure, but that just has not translated into more scoring. Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green have five goals combined.  Alexander Semin may have become a punchline at the end of his tenure in DC, but he did provide the Caps with another weapon other teams had to account for.  He was a skilled winger capable of producing pionts and taking pressure off the other stars.  The Caps are missing his presence more than they expected.  They are getting secondary scoring from players like Joel Ward and Mike Ribeiro, but they need their stars to start producing.

More than anything else, it has been the mental mistakes that have hurt this team. The Caps are ranked 21^stin penalty minutes and 26^th in penalty kills. They have gotten off to poor starts and have collapsed at the end of games. When a team transitions to a new coach, these mental mistakes can happen because the players are thinking too hard. Rather than instinctively knowing what to do, players have to stop and think and that split second can mean everything.

When the Capitals have managed to put together a solid effort, you can see the makings of a good team. When they finally figure things out, this team will be much better. It is not time yet to panic in DC.

While things may not be as dire as the record may suggest that’s not to say Oates has done everything right; he’s made his share of mistakes.

Knowing what a burden the transition was going to be for the team with the abbreviated training camp, it was Oates’ responsibility to try and make that transition as seamless as possible. Moving Ovechkin from the left, where he has played his entire life, to the right while teaching him a new system in a 6-day training camp was overly-ambitious. I like the idea of trying him on the right, but that will be something to try next season after Ovechkin has a summer to get used to it.

The Caps thought they may have an advantage coming out of the lockout because Backstrom and Ovechkin had been playing with each other in Russia, but Ovechkin was playing left wing in Russia.  By switching Ovechkin to the right, you have negated whatever chemistry and familiarity the pair had built with one another.

Now Backstrom and Ovechkin are not even on the same line and Oates has struggled to find a combination that produces. In his tinkering, Oates tried for a time to match Ovechkin with Jay Beagle and Joey Crabb. This was a disaster from the start.

The season has been condensed in order to get as many games as possible in between now and April, making conditioning a major factor. It is important therefore for the team to be able to roll four lines to prevent fatigue. Spreading the grinders and energy players with the stars can bring a new energy to some of the stars and keep each line fresh. Matching Ovechkin with Beagle and Crabb, however, puts far too much pressure on Ovechkin’s shoulders. For a player who has been struggling to produce and has been criticized for trying to do too much at times, why would you put him on a line with no other offensive playmakers? With all due respect to Beagle and Crabb, this line forces Ovechkin to try and do everything himself.

The biggest problem facing the Caps now is time. If and when they finally adapt to Oates’ system, will they have dug themselves a hole they cannot get out of? Of all the seasons to have new coach, this is about as unfortunate as you can get.

When Dale Hunter took over mid-season for the Caps last year, the team lost six of their first 11 games and that was after losing 10 of their previous 15. The difference was that the Caps still had half a season left to turn things around.

It may not be time to panic, but the clock is ticking. The Caps need points and they need them now.

For the latest DC sports news, follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy

Should Redskins Feel Buyer’s Remorse for RG3 Trade?

What a difference a month makes.

On December 30^th, Robert Griffin III led the Redskins to a 28-18 win over the Dallas Cowboys to cap off an improbable seven-game winning streak. The win clinched a playoff bid and the team’s first NFC East Division title in 13 years.

Since then, Griffin underwent surgery to repair his LCL and ACL and we’ve seen quarterbacks previously dismissed as inferior dazzle in their quest for the Super Bowl. Despite how incredible Griffin was in his rookie season, with his future now in doubt the Redskins may be thinking about all those draft picks they gave away for their “long-term” QB.

Griffin left fans in awe of his abilities in his rookie season. The Redskins have not had a franchise quarterback since Joe Theismann, but Griffin showed that streak was over in his very first game. In New Orleans, Griffin threw for 320 yards, two touchdowns, and ran for another 42 yards. You could not ask for a better debut.

Griffin took the team on his back for much of the season, helping the Redskins improve to 10-6 after going 5-11 just one year ago. He boasts impressive arm strength, pinpoint accuracy, and incredible mobility. These skills make him one of, if not the most dangerous QB in the NFL.

The problem with Griffin is his durability. I would not label him injury prone, but the way in which he plays makes him more susceptible to serious injuries.

Griffin played 16 games this season and did not finish three of them. He also missed one game entirely due to injuries sustained the week before. Each of these injuries could have been avoided.

Many critics of the Redskins’ offense argue that the read option system the team runs allows a QB to take too many hits. This can be successful in college, but in the NFL where players are bigger and faster, you cannot allow your most important player to take so much punishment. While injuries are always a risk, both Russell Wilson of the Seahawks and Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers have managed to run a very similar type of offense successfully and without injury. True, even Michael Vick managed to play one full season in his career, but if you watch Wilson and Kaepernick play the difference between how they play and Griffin plays the same offense is noticeable.

Whenever Griffin scrambles, the play inevitably ends with a bone-crunching hit as Griffin continues extending the play looking for extra yardage. Wilson and Kaepernick run along the sidelines and slide when rushing in the middle. Essentially, the problem is not the Redskins’ offense, but the way Griffin approaches it.

With his entire 2103 season now in doubt and Wilson and Kaepernick running the same system with success, do you think the Redskins think about those four draft picks they traded for Griffin?

Hindsight is of course 20/20 and there was no way the Redskins could have known Wilson would be as effective as he has been. Wilson fell to the third round of the draft as every NFL team had questions regarding his size, but ask yourself this: would the Redskins have been better off keeping the picks and drafting Wilson?

With Wilson falling to the third round, the Redskins could have addressed other needs as well as quarterback with the 2012 draft. The Redskins could legitimately have drafted both Wilson and Morris Claiborne. Claiborne could certainly have helped the team’s struggling secondary this year. Of course, the fan base would not have been pleased at least initially. After the John Beck disaster, few would have had the stomach to see Shanahan pass on a chance to trade up for Griffin choosing instead to draft a "hidden gem" in the third round, but the results would have silenced the critics.

Let’s say teams were aware of Wilson’s potential. Many experts have said Wilson’s talent puts him on par with Griffin and Andrew Luck; the only reason he fell so far was because he is only 5ft 11in. The Redskins’ would not have needed to trade up for a quarterback.  Indianapolis would have selected a QB with the number one pick, but no one in front of the Redskins needed one.  Cleveland may have traded up to ensure their spot, but that would still leave the Redskins either Luck, Wilson, or Griffin depending on who was left.

The Redskins’ prospects for the 2013 draft would be very different as well given that they would still have their first round pick. With an $18 million cap penalty, it will be hard to address team weaknesses through free agency. A first round pick, however, would allow the Redskins to draft a safety that could have an immediate impact on the field.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Griffin. He has better arm strength than any of the rookie QBs and incredible accuracy. A healthy Griffin is undoubtedly better than Wilson, Kaepernick, and debatably Luck. He does not help the team, however, if he can’t stay on the field.

After Griffin’s concussion against Atlanta, he came back saying all the right things about how he needed to be more careful and protect himself.  That message did not sink in.

He needs to consider what’s best the team and best for his career. Take notes on how both Wilson and Kaepernick run the read option. It’s ok to slide; it’s not ok for your career to be cut short after only two or three seasons.

If Griffin takes another shot to the knee, his career may be over before St. Louis can even use the last draft pick they received in the trade. That was not what the Redskins had in mind when they drafted their franchise QB.