Juventus Soul (Del Piero) Not For Sale at £100 Million: Deal or No Deal?
January 21, 2009
News Flash: Juventus wouldn’t sell Alessandro Del Piero for £100 million pounds.
Of course not “Old Lady“, you like to hold onto your sparkling old gems.
Del Piero is one of my favourite all-time players and I can remember watching him in his sprightly youth on Channel Four’s Italian football show of a Sunday afternoon.
The now 34-year-old has been called “past it” by many but the facts don‘t add up. In each of the last three seasons, the 91 times capped Del Piero has hit the 20 goals mark, that would be the three seasons between the ages of 31 and 33.
Not exactly past his best.
This year he has 13 goals to his name with half the season left, I wouldn’t bet against him making it four in a row.
Maybe Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has a point. Other than his sparkling 1997-98 season that produced 32 goals, the Italian is in the form of his life.
254 career goals and all but one of them for Juventus. The other came for Padova, before being plucked by the mighty Juventus and with his tally of 29 international goals, it all backs up the fact that Alessandro is a class act.
So if I was Juventus, would I sell?
My heart says no, my head says yes in a heart beat.
It won’t happen of course, Gigli was just taking the chance to have a go at AC Milan but it brought up a talking point all the same.
Would you want your team to sell its soul?
Del Boy is Juve through and through, his soul will always be black and white.
Colangelo Needs to Prove His Worth and Shake Up Raps
January 21, 2009
Change is all around us. Both Bushes have finally been relegated to the status of ex-president. 2009 is a year of promise that so many have been waiting for…
But for the Toronto Raptors and their fans, it’s already been a long and arduous 20 days.
The team’s performance in January has been symptomatic of the entire season, if not a more dramatic version.
After a mostly encouraging 4-1 run to begin the month, the Raptors have currently been suffering through a season-high six game losing streak. While the quality of opponent has varied significantly during this latest downturn, one constant has emerged: a propensity to allow victory to slip away in the late stages of games.
Now, having just passed the mid-season mark, the Raptors find themselves 11 games below .500. They will have to win at a roughly 62 percent clip to reach the 40-win milestone they need to even consider contending for the playoffs.
If this improbable run does occur, the Raps face the overwhelming likelihood of losing in the first round for the third straight season; a prospect that would be a marked disappointment for a franchise that entered the season with such high hopes.
There is certainly not a lack of excuses to explain the current state of dis-affairs between the injuries and a poorly timed coaching change. But more so, it’s time for GM Bryan Colangelo to acknowledge the failings of a roster he assembled by abandoning the Raptors in their current incarnation.
While certain pessimists may have predicted the uneven health of the newly-acquired Jermaine O’Neal, it’s difficult to think anybody could have overstated the extent of the importance of a healthy Jose Calderon.
Without Calderon’s presence on the court, the roster’s lack of an effectual playmaker has been evidenced by the fact that the Raptors are losing games by an average of less than 2.5 points. For all his perceived shortcomings on the defensive end, Calderon has been the glue that has bonded the offense and allowed for any sustainable consistency of half court execution to be maintained.
The first half of the season has shown, if nothing else, the Raptors often struggle to get into their offensive sets and move the ball to players in places they can score without their starting point guard at full health. This seemingly basic task is further complicated by the absence of numerous players who are able to create their own shot.
Swing players such as Anthony Parker, Jason Kapono, Joey Graham, and Jamario Moon, while serviceable, are not exactly frontline starters at the NBA level.
In recent years, ‘the League’ has become more about imposing the will of one’s star players on the opposition and less about a team’s collective talent rising above the sum of the individual parts. The lack of such an impact player at the shooting guard and small forward positions leaves a very small margin of error for decision-making and team play.
The Raptors’ inability to create high percentage shots is adversely affecting the group, particularly Chris Bosh’s ability to function without overdue defensive attention. As Raptor fans are all too familiar with, this is a problem that has some serious long term ramifications.
Before this season can be called a complete write off, it would be difficult not to mention the mid-season emergence of Andrea Bargnani as a best case scenario for Colangelo.
The Raptor GM is inextricably tied to his former No. 1 draft pick, and it could be theorized that bringing in O’Neal had the residual benefits of allowing more time for Bargnani’s development. However, the month of January has reinforced that Bargs can become the player that Colangelo has always envisioned with consistent minutes as long as he plays those minutes as a big and not as a three.
The recent play of Bargnani has made Jermaine O’Neal the expendable piece; his value for the Raptors was in the short term and clearly that time has passed. It will not be easy to pawn off a player like O’Neal in light of his ongoing health issues, despite a massive contract that expires after next year.
Colangelo must make every effort to flip JO and address the glaring flaws weighing down the current roster; as it stands, there’s no denying his ability, the issue will be convincing teams he can still play.
With a lack-luster draft looming, the Raptors will have no guarantees of acquiring an impact rookie in the offseason. Colangelo’s only currency for making roster additions will be to clear enough cap space in order to either directly sign or indirectly peddle for the sort talent that can help the team.
After repeated close losses, morale in the locker room is dangerously low. If the dynamic doesn’t change sooner than later, this roster could implode causing irreparable damage to any remaining functioning team chemistry. And the Raps’ lack of competitiveness will only serve to further alienate Bosh.
As big a disappointment as this season has become, it is absolutely necessary an immediate move is made to keep the current state of malaise from spilling over to future seasons. Maintaining the status quo could lead to a downward spiral that may be impossible to recover from for an organization that once held such a promising future.
Aussie Open: Day Four Preview
January 21, 2009
Here is A Preview of Day Four, at the Aussie Open
The Talent-FEST (Guccione V Simon): Strap yourself for a treat from these two Uber-talented young brigades. The Aussie and hence the local favorite ‘Gooch’ is a southpaw serve-volleyer classic style (single-fisted backhand), on the other hand Simon a French right-hander is just as talented as well. Independent of the result, you would treat yourself if you watch this match, for this is one of those ‘BAT-Man’ type of pop-corn blockbusters. Breathtaking shoe-string volleys, and fluid passing shots are the order of the day. Gooch will clearly have the support of Rod Laver Arena crowd, but Simon is the more accomplished one (a Roger Federer scalp last year now withstanding). Simon in four.
The Open and Shut Case (Nadal V Karanusic): This is what the lawyers call an ‘Open and Shut Case’. As impressive as it is that the Croat Karausic (highest ranking 89) reached the second round by defeating Serra in a close five setter two days before, we are talking Rafael Nadal here. Rafael does not look like a pirate anymore (to many tennis fanatics’ dismay), he is wearing sleeved shirts, and he is not wearing those pirate clam-diggers (3/4 pants) anymore. After all the talk about his new forehand, I finally looked at clips, it is true, he imparts more wrist action and spin on it now, his serve action has changed a bit as well, he looked extremely impressive last night too. Too much game, too much firepower, too much everything – Rafael in three (and I predict a bagel (6-0) or a breadstick (6-1))
Sister Power (Venus and Serena Williams): Both the Williams’ sisters should be able to navigate through their opponents successfully. Venus Williams plays Navarro, Serena Williams plays Dulko, and the sisters might have some challenges along the way, but look for them to be through in straight sets.
The ROCK-Star (Monfils V Koubek): Gael Monfils is the official Rock-Star from France. He is a counterpuncher who runs around all day (nicknamed Slider-Man) using his athletic prowess. Koubek is your mean of the normal curve, solid baseliner who quite impressively defeated Youzhny in straight sets in the first round. Monfils conventionally speaking has too much game for Koubek, but the inconsistency of the Frenchman is well documented as well. Monfils in four or five, unless he is on a quest to prove us all wrong.
Mr. Muhammad Ali (Tsonga V Ljubicic): The perennial under-performance in grand slams has not served the Croat Ljubicic well. Jo-Willie, the Muhammad Ali look-alike (Yes, it is an old joke, but a good one) played impressive in round one, and he reached the finals last year. His shot-making ability is astounding, and he made Rafa Nadal look like a novice in the semis last year. His fitness is a little suspect, but look for Mr. Ali himself to get through in three or four.
Benesova V Dementieva: Elena Dementieva, the Russian (whom I think sounds like Hingis when she speaks) should get through this one navigating any potential problems. She went to three sets in the first round, she might go three this time around too, but will prevail in the end.
Easy Pickings: Murray and Ree-Shard Gasquet must be able to get through Granollers and Istomin quite easily. Gasquest normally makes easy things look a bit tougher,
2009 Sprint Cup Preview: Kahne, Montoya, Mears, Stewart
January 21, 2009
17. KASEY KAHNE
Age: 28
Hometown: Enumclaw, WA
No. 9 Budweiser Dodge
Crew Chief: Kenny Francis
Owner: George Gillett/Richard Petty/Ray Evernham
I’m going to start calling Kahne the Enumclaw Enigma. 23rd in points in 2005, 8th in ‘06, 19th in ‘07, and 14th last season. As was the case for much of 2008, Kasey and the 9 team can’t make up their minds if they want to be an elite team or simply a good one. There is a lot of potential here, but for some reason, they cannot get over that proverbial hump and into the sport’s top echelon.
I think the main issues with the nine bunch are a lack of consistency, even at their best tracks, lack of continuity (changing owners every 15 minutes cannot be good for team morale), and the fact that they often struggle at any track that isn’t a 1.5 mile tri-oval. Kahne is marketable and talented, but the GEM team (and Dodge horsepower in general) may be holding him back.
The addition of Richard Petty to the ownership team will not have an impact on Kahne’s on-track performance, but maybe the King can give the team a pep talk every now and then.
18. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
Age: 33
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
No. 42 Target/Wrigley Chevy
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie
Owner: Teresa Earnhardt/Chip Ganassi/Felix Sabates
JPM’s sophomore season in stock cars was a major disappointment, as the Colombian finished 25th in points. A driver of his caliber should not be back in the land of David Gilliland and Paul Menard in the final standings. But Dodge teams as a whole struggled in 2008, and it has to be a relief for Montoya to be moving to a Chevy operation. Let’s face it, EGR is not Hendrick or Childress, but they should still give Juan Pablo the chance to succeed.
While 2008 was an uphill battle, the 42 team started to show signs of life during the Chase, just as the communication between Pattie and Montoya was beginning to gel. The finishes may not have been there, but you have to remember he had a shot of winning the event at Texas.
I look for this team to be a pleasant surprise at the intermediate tracks in 2009, and of course, JPM will rule the road. If other areas of their program can pick up, Montoya may be able to finish higher than 18th.
19. CASEY MEARS
Age: 30
Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevy
Crew Chief: Gil Martin
Owner: Richard Childress
Casey Mears had great opportunities at both Ganassi and Hendrick, but failed to deliver for the most part. Somehow, he has earned himself a third chance in a prime seat, which I guess is the benefit of being young, good-looking, and sponsor savvy. He will be paired up with a team and crew chief that has made the Chase the past two seasons with Clint Bowyer, which for someone trying to prove themselves, could be a major asset.
I believe one of Mears’ problems at Hendrick was constantly living in the shadow of Gordon, Johnson, Busch, and later Earnhardt Jr. While Burton, Harvick, and Bowyer are all great wheelmen, none of them are really headline grabbers. Maybe this will allow Casey to relax, focus, and deliver.
I’ve never been high on Casey’s driving ability, but with a strong team surrounding him and the need to perform as strong as it has ever been, he could sneak up on people and challenge for a Chase berth in 2009.
20. TONY STEWART
Age: 37
Hometown: Columbus, IN
No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy
Crew Chief: Darian Grubb
Owner: Tony Stewart/Gene Haas
The last time an owner/driver won a race? Ricky Rudd at Martinsville in fall 1998. In today’s NASCAR, serving in this dual role, and being highly effective at both, is next to impossible. Sure, Robby Gordon and Michael Waltrip run teams, but their on-track results leave a lot to be desired (but this was also the case before they became owner/drivers). If anyone is going to bring success back to this dying breed, it is going to be Tony Stewart.
Stewart is a man of many projects: owning Eldora, owning teams in World of Outlaws, Midgets, and Sprint Cup, and driving in Cup to top it off. He obviously has the ability to put in the hours necessary to run a successful Cup team, but that’s not to say he is going to immediately be a Chase driver out of the gate.
While this team will receive help from Hendrick and is essentially Gene Haas’ team from a year ago, there will be tons of new people and cars that must be put in place. This will be a year of adjustment for Stewart off the track, and a year of growth for SHR on it.
Don’t be discouraged if Tony slips to 15th or 20th in the standings making this difficult move in 2009, because I think we will see that 14 team running towards the front on a weekly basis a year from now.
In closing, some late-breaking, but good news: Aric Almirola will run a third full-time entry for EGR (the third team was up in the air as of last week, after everyone spent the entire holiday season figuring EGR would run four full-time entries) while the team will field a fourth car at Daytona. My prediction for the driver? Mike Wallace.
UFC 99: Rumors and Conjecture
January 21, 2009
According to Sherdog, there is some interesting chatter in regard to UFC 99, which will go down in Cologne, Germany. The front runner for the main event was thought to be Randy Couture vs. Antonio Nogueira. Both were losers in the heavyweight tournament that has Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir moving on to meet in the finale, rumored to be taking place at UFC 98. UFC 100 is not being ruled out though.
But Randy Couture elected to have surgery on his busted elbow and likely won’t be ready for a June fight. Antonio Nogueira vs. Cheick Kongo, a bout that was previously negotiated a little more than a year ago, may now become the co-headliner.
While the UFC favored Couture for his tie-ins to Germany, Cheick Kongo should fill in nicely as a native-born Frenchman and surging heavyweight contender. The winner of this fight, along with the Gabriel Gonzaga-Shane Carwin winner, would be in line for a title shot.
Also rumored to be on the UFC 99 card is a lightweight title fight between B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian. Florian has been on the sidelines and waiting for his title shot since beating Joe Stevenson at UFC 91.
A title defense by B.J. Penn depends on the outcome of his Jan. 31 super-fight against Georges St. Pierre. If Penn is unable to go, due to any medical suspension, Florian could be held off from his second title shot and could be pitted against Diego Sanchez (according to Sherdog) should he defeat Joe Stevenson at UFC 95.
While it would seem obvious to make a fight between Kenny Florian and Sean Sherk (a rematch of their UFC 64 title fight), Sherk is rumored to be busy taking on Roger Huerta at UFC 97. As always, injuries and who actually ends up fighting who will ultimately determine the outcome.
Thirdly, the UFC is also floating the idea of putting Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, who is possibly returning, into the main event against either Tito Ortiz or Lyoto Machida. The problem, sources say, is that Ortiz does not want to move up to heavyweight, while Cro Cop does not want to go down to 205 pounds.
If the rumors of Machida are true, the UFC clearly wants to throw the kitchen sink at Lyoto before letting him get his title shot. As for a Cro Cop vs. Ortiz fight, it could be a classic “wrestler vs. striker” battle between two legends of the sport, both in the twilight of their respective careers.
An Explanation Why Manchester City Will Not Attract The Very Best…Yet.
January 21, 2009
Manchester City signalled their intentions of becoming a footballing
super power by trying to sign Kaka from AC Milan for an amazing £100m.
In many respects it made sense for City to earmark Kaka as potentially
their first major signing this year.
Milan are in third place in Serie A, and look like they won’t be
capable of mounting a title challenge for a few years. They are
currently playing in the UEFA Cup, so City approached a club they that
felt were in transition and a player they hoped would move.
Many column inches have been dedicated to the deal turning sour, and
Man City’s Gary Cook has been quick to place the blame on AC Milan’s
greed. The ex-Nike executive was a major part of the sportswear company
as they branded Michael Jordan in the ’90s.
His skills in negotiations are reknowned, but whereas Michael Jordan
was advertising a product to make money, Kaka was asked to turn his
back on everything he holds dear as a professional.
In other words, the deal for Michael Jordan was an easy one to sign,
all he had to do was wear trainers, for Kaka he would have to turn his
back on trophies and professionalism of the highest level,while
Manchester City get themselves in order to challenge for trophies.
And with nothing being guaranteed, the Brazillian faced never
winning anything again. Already a wealthy man, the ex-World Footballer
of the Year is a model professional. He is intrinsically motivated, not
extrinsically.
Intrinsically motivated players are those who play the game for the
love of it. Those who challenge themselves to get better every day.
Kaka is a prime example.
Extrinsically motivated players are those who have fallen out of
love with playing the game, they’re usually motivated by outside
reasons such as money or status.
The proposed move to Manchester City was entirely based on the
extrinsic motivation of money, and if the deal did not collapse at the
beginning it would have come to end sooner rather than later.
The point being that Manchester City will not be able to attract the world’s elite until they progress in the league.
For the moment they will have to make do with players like Craig Bellamy, Robinho, Nigel De Jong, and Richard Dunne.
All excellent players in their own right, but they are a little
short of that extra bit of class needed to play for the best of clubs
and at the highest level.
For many Manchester City fans the collapse of the deal was
disappointing. They were sure that their new financial clout has not
automatically made them a superpower.
But what City fans need to realise is that clubs like AC Milan, Real
Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester United have also been around for 100
years or so, but that their time has been largely spent challenging for
trophies and with that history comes a certain type of mysticism.
Chelsea have been a super power of the EPL for the last 10 years and
yet they still cannot be compared to the above clubs. Liverpool have
seen the mysticism that surround them erode greatly after 19 years
without a league win, despite the fact they have won the Champions
League.
Arsenal are also a great EPL team, and despite 12 glorious years
under Arsene Wenger they are still short of becoming a true super power.
The point being, that all of the above clubs have been around for as
long as City and have steadily built their phenomenal reputations. And
when it comes to a player or manager having to decide between between
one of them and City, the Manchester side will usually come out the
wrong side.
Especially when dealing with players of the stature of Kaka. To them
money is the least of their motivations, and while City may be able to
promise the sun, the moon, and the stars, they can’t promise greatness,
trophies, or respect.
Why Should We Keep Jason Blake?
January 21, 2009
Ever since Jason Blake was signed last year, he has gotten a bad rap.
People seemed to think that he would get 30-40 goals when he came here, but to be honest, that whole thought was set up to fail.
He is a solid player. He can put the pick in the net but not 40 like he did the year before he was signed. He is just a grinder that can put the puck into the net and that’s what people need to realize.
When people finally do realize this, that’s when they will be happy with his play.
I know it will be hard I mean it took a couple months into the season for me to realize it too but now that I do, I can see that Blake is a good player.
Last year he still played well. Even though he was in the doghouse of then coach Paul Maurice all season, he still managed 52 points. And that came without a real linemates that he had no real chemistry with.
So, after all that went on last season, he came into this season as (for lack of a better word) a bust. He was damaged goods. He is too old and can’t score anymore. That’s the label that the media put on him.
But it might have been a better thing for him because now people aren’t expecting as much from the 35 year old. Which means less weight to carry on his shoulders.
The thing about it was that he did not realize that till two months into the season.
But now that he has, he has been one of Toronto’s best players. Ron Wilson was quoted as saying “I don’t think I’m stepping out on a gang plank here or anything, but he’s been our best player the past two months.”
If you can get the coach that benched you at the beginning of the season to say that about you, then you are doing something right.
In the past 23 games, he has gotten 19 points and ten goals. But the one stat that I would like to mention is this.
When Blake played for the Islanders, on average Jason Blake would get around 50 PIM a season. This was when he scored 25 goals consistently remember.
Last year, Blake only got 24 PIM the entire season. He also got only 15 goals the whole season remember.
In the past three months, Blake has gotten 24 PIM in only 33 games. In those 33 games, he has 12 goals and 25 points.
The point I am trying to make is that the Blake we have seen this season is how Blake has always played. This is what he does. He plays fast hockey where he handles the puck and is willing to get rough when needed.
That’s a good hockey player by the sounds of it. To be honest, I will take a gritty, two-way 25 goal-scorer any day then a finesse, one-way 30 goal-scorer because two way players prevent goals as well.
So why not embrace what we have in Jason Blake instead of criticizing him for what he isn’t. I am happy with what he has done. And with a four million dollar contract in this economy, he isn’t going anywhere for a long, long time.
Ritters Rant
January 21, 2009
by Mark Ritter…
Brendan Shanahan comes back and doesn’t miss a beat. Gotta love a guy who sits out 40+ games and scores his first game back. I said it before, I’ll say it again, what took teams so long signing Shanny? Fact is, Shanny only wanted to play in the New York area, since there are only two teams there- the Rangers and Devils (Sorry, the Islanders hardly qualify as a hockey team these days)- the choices were slim, glad to see he’s back in the swamp, good luck to you Shanny…
So, it’s the Arizona Cardinals versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl; I don’t know about you, but I’d hate to see the Cardinals win. Here’s hoping the Steelers can pull out a win, the Cards were lucky to pull off the win last week, Pittsburgh dominated.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson isn’t much for “Tact”, then again, why the hell should he be? Wilson should be applauded for calling a spade a spade, the Leafs are a bad team, there’s no hiding from it and no there’s point in blowing smoke up his players butts. Besides, most of these players will not be here in 2010, so what did Wilson have to lose? Respect from a bunch of underachiever’s???
Rick Dipietro, human money pit that he is, looks like he’s done for the season, and, quite possibly, out for a career. It was a stupid deal when the Islanders made it, the deal looks worse every day. Makes you wonder if Mike Milbury is still the GM after all…Don’t get me started on that clown!
Can’t say I watch much basketball these days, I mean what’s the point, it’s the same story every game for the dreadful Toronto Raptors. Give the opposing team a 10 point lead, wait for their second string to come on, make it close and then lay an egg once the oppositions starters get back on the floor. If they are trying to get Chris Bosh to ask for a trade they are doing a great job. Besides, watching the games on T.V. just isn’t the same without the stylings of Chuck “Never met a Dairy Queen I didn’t like” Swarky.
I’ll be watching the NHL All-Star game, at least until I fall asleep. This has to be the worst All-Star game in all of sports, no hitting, no intensity, no fun. If you ask me they should scrap the game and just have a weekend of skills competitions, make it like a “Skins” game, reward the players with cash and they will bring their “A” game.
The Leafs look as if they might have a shot at a top 5-7 pick. If you could choose a player at the 5-7 spot, who would you pick? My pick will be in next weeks Rant.
Big Surprise, Kyle Wellwood is a healthy scratch in Vancouver. Haven’t we seen this happen before? It’s one thing to have a great month in the NHL, quite another to have a good season, never-mind a good career. Wellwood, is what we thought he was….
Hockey tape can fix anything, except Pierre McGuire’s mouth! I love the little guy, but man, he just doesn’t shut up! For the love of God Pierre, take a chill pill breathe once in a while, will ya?
Until next week,
Peace!
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