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(04/05/16 4:25pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Scandal’s 1984 song “The Warrior” begs the question, “Who’s the hunter, who’s the game?” This inquiry finds its way into modern relevance, since the reigning-champion Golden State Warriors are starting to show signs of weakness as the playoffs draw near.
In a nail-biting Friday night fight to the finish, the Warriors fell to the Boston Celtics on Friday, April 1, in their home court, Oracle Arena, effectively ending the title defenders’ NBA record 54-game home win-streak for the regular season. Golden State was plagued by turnovers all night long, producing an uneven effort that made for its sloppiest affair of the season. The Celtics looked much more determined and poised, causing the ordinarily aggressive and unstoppable Warriors to appear timid and vulnerable.
First and foremost, the Warriors deserve a congratulatory pat on the back for such an implausible run — they had not lost a home game since January 2015. Since then, the team has won a championship and reigning MVP Stephen Curry has developed into almost inarguably the best basketball player in the world.
With an NBA-best 68-8 record, Golden State is still sitting pretty at the top of the Western Conference. There remains the strong possibility that the team surpasses the best regular season record of all-time, an achievement currently held by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, who were led by the great Michael Jordan to a 72-10 record. Yet, despite all of this success, there seems to be trouble brewing in Golden State’s basketball paradise.
This is not the same Golden State team that started off the season 24-0. Since losing sixth man Andre Iguodala from the bench due to an ankle injury in mid-March, the team’s play has visibly faltered. They are not blowing opponents away like they did earlier in the season and are instead letting teams stick around until the game’s final minutes before squeaking out their victories.
Their “struggles” were emphasized in the Thursday, March 19, loss to their most formidable foe, the San Antonio Spurs, as the Warriors only managed a meager, season-low 79 points. Ian Clark and Brandon Rush — the primary inheritors of Iguodala’s missed minutes — are simply not filling in the sixth man’s shoes well enough.
Another noteworthy deficiency has been power forward Draymond Green’s play since head coach Steve Kerr fully recovered from surgery and took back his coaching duties from the interim man Luke Walton in late January. Green was a dark horse candidate for the MVP in the early going, but simply has not played to the same effectiveness since.
Of course, these revelations are somewhat underwhelming seeing how the Warriors are the NBA’s best team regardless. Iguodala will be back before the playoffs begin and Green has still been playing like an All-Star although to less of an extent than before.
Still, a championship repeat will be tough. It sounds crazy considering that the Warriors have only gotten better since last season, but winning a title this year will be much tougher for the Warriors than it was for them in 2015.
One factor for this tough time is the fact that they were a lucky team last year. The Warriors were fortunate to not experience any injuries down the stretch in 2015, while many of their adversaries found themselves hobbled and hampered.
It can be argued that the Warriors created their own “luck” in the sense that management had assembled a younger, historically-healthier team. However, it cannot be debated that the Warriors lucked out with an easy playoff schedule. Thanks to some strange upsets, they managed to avoid both the Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers — conceivably their two biggest threats. The good fortune factor was most evident in the NBA Finals, where the healthy Golden State team managed to overcome the Kevin Love-less Cleveland Cavaliers — the Cavs were also without Kyrie Irving after Game 1 of the series due to another injury.
By the law of averages, one may figure that the Warriors’s injury and competition luck will have to run out soon enough. The opposition will undoubtedly be better in 2016-2017. The Warriors appear poised to face either the Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, two teams that are arguably the most capable to push the Warriors into a deep series. If Golden State faces off against Cleveland in the Finals once again, it is unlikely that Love and Irving will not be on the court.
However, the greatest threat to Golden State’s championship defense run is themselves. The tension is mounting as the young squad tries to make NBA history with the best regular season record of all-time and, at the same time, meeting the nationwide expectation for them to win it all once again. The Warriors have a target on their backs as every playoff team will be eager and on the prowl to take down the former champs. If they become caught up in the pressure, the Warriors might soon find themselves shooting at walls of heartache.
(03/29/16 4:15pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
As the days begin lasting longer and the weather is getting warmer, baseball season is inching ever so closer. The world’s greatest game is about to get even greater — this season, the MLB is infused with more dominant young talent than ever before and parity is prevalent, as at least 20 teams have a realistic shot at the title.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are one of those teams. After failing to make the playoffs last year, the D-Backs rattled the free agency market by adding 2015 Cy Young-snub Zack Greinke to the squad, as well as trading for All-Star pitcher Shelby Miller and shortstop Jean Segura. At the heart of Arizona’s batting order is superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, but the hottest name in the Grand Canyon State is A.J. Pollock. A five-tool player, Pollock is coming off an outstanding season, slashing .315/.367/.498 (batting average/on base percentage/slugging) to complement his 20 home runs and 39 steals — he is a dark horse candidate for 2016’s National League (NL) MVP award.
With one less steal and standing seven inches shorter than the 6’1’’ Pollock, Jose Altuve had a “down year” in 2015, sporting a slash line of .313/.353/.459. Nonetheless, the short-statured second baseman was the leader of a youthful Houston Astros squad that made a shocking playoff appearance after countless years of last-place finishes. Accompanying Altuve is American League Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa, as well as the budding George Springer. Houston’s impressive 2015 showing should give this homer-hitting lineup plenty of confidence coming into this season and with playoff experience under their belts, an NL pennant is not out of the question.
While Arizona and Houston show much promise, there is no team more hyped for 2016 than the Chicago Cubs. Although the team failed to live up to “Back to the Future Part II’s” 2015 World Series prophecy, the Cubbies still showed some movie magic by reaching the NL Championship Series with an assortment of players that most fans had never heard of before. Under the guidance of eccentric skipper Joe Maddon, young Cubs Anthony Rizzo, Jake Arrieta and Kris Bryant have become household names. With the acquisition of Jason Heyward over the offseason, Chicago effectively stripped its division rival St. Louis Cardinals of a high-quality player and cemented itself as the favorite to win it all.
Flying under the radar are Heyward’s former employers. The Cards have had an entire offseason to recover from a myriad of injuries that still did not stop them from owning the MLB’s best regular season record in 2015. Cardinal outfielders Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty are the best young, unknown sluggers and will soon be making their way into water cooler talk.
Also going unnoticed are the New York Yankees, whose recent stint of stinginess has kept them out of the spotlight. Yet, they now boast the league’s best bullpen after acquiring fireball pitcher Aroldis Chapman. The Yanks also improved their offense by replacing mediocre infielder Stephen Drew with the sterling Starlin Castro.
But the league’s best-kept secret is the Cleveland Indians’s front-end starting rotation — Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. Each pitcher posted an earned run average under 3.70 in 2015. The Indians also boast another terrific trio, consisting of hitters Michael Brantley, Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis, who each compiled a batting average over .300 last season.
However, this outside thinking may be all for naught, as 2016 is an even year, so the ’10, ’12 and ’14 World Series-winning San Francisco Giants will probably take home the championship yet again.
Personally, I am more excited for this MLB season than any that have preceded it. We are witnessing an age of extreme talent and athleticism in baseball, headlined by Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton. While the sport does not stimulate the viewer’s eye as effectively as it did in the juiced-up early 2000s, fans can take solace in the fact that baseball is now a relatively clean sport and it is being played at a level of natural human capacity that is unparalleled to MLB’s past.
Now is the perfect time to become a fan, as today’s top dogs will likely still be the best players in the sport for the next five (or maybe even 10) years. Oozing in player ability and invigorated by near league-wide parity, expectations and predictions are boundless for the 2016 season. Baseball is back, people — join in on the craze.
(03/01/16 9:40pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Over the past week, the Major League Baseball Network (MLBN) released its “Top 100 Right Now” list, in which the channel ranked the best players in Major League Baseball (MLB), supposedly based on “player performance over the past several seasons with an emphasis on 2015 and projected 2016 performance,” according to MLB.com.
Since the station is primarily owned by the MLB itself, it is quite evident that the league has done some meddling in hopes to get fans excited and gain viewership. Much of the list is downright absurd and misinformative of the reality of today’s player talent and the only way to know the truth is to hear the criticism.
Not Fit for the List?
The MLBN really missed the bag with these four players who apparently were not good enough to make the “Top 100” list:
• Noah Syndergaard – New York Mets, starting pitcher (S)
• Starlin Castro – New York Yankees, second baseman
• Maikel Franco – Philadelphia Phillies, third basemen (3B)
• Carlos Gonzalez – Colorado Rockies, outfielder (OF)
Syndergaard, a 2015 rookie, pitched 150 innings in his first season while posting a solid 3.24 earned run average (ERA) and his progress throughout the season will certainly carry over to 2016.
Castro, 25, already has six major league seasons and three All-Star appearances under his belt. Fellow youngster Franco smacked the ball around for a .280 batting average (BA), 14 home runs (HRs) and 15 runs batted in (RBIs), while only playing half of the season.
Gonzalez hit 40 HRs last year — what more do you want from the guy?
Underrated Relievers
Of any position in baseball, the reliever (R) is perhaps the most underappreciated. These five men are unmatched in their ability to work through an inning:
98. Aroldis Chapman – Cincinnati Reds, R
97. Andrew Miller – New York Yankees, R
90. Craig Kimbrel – Boston Red Sox, R
63. Dellin Betances – New York Yankees, R
46. Wade Davis – Kansas City Royals, R
Miller, Kimbrel and Betances can sling a fastball in the triple digits, while Chapman has hurled the top 100 fastest pitches ever thrown in MLB history, according to MLB.com — no joke.
One would be hard-pressed to find more consistent contributors to their teams’ successes on a near-daily basis. There is a reason the Kansas City Royals, who boast the best bullpen in baseball (including headliner Wade Davis), have made two World Series appearances in a row.
Underappreciated Aces
MLB knows that fans would rather see scoring, not shutouts, so the league clearly skewed this list to increase the notoriety of their electrifying hitters at the cost of undermining the game’s elite pitchers:
93. Jose Fernandez – Miami Marlins, S
92. Stephen Strasburg – Washington Nationals, S
71. Gerrit Cole – Pittsburgh Pirates, S
66. Chris Archer – Tampa Bay Rays, S
57. Sonny Gray – Oakland Athletics, S
40. Madison Bumgarner – San Francisco Giants, S
37. Jacob deGrom – New York Mets, S
36. Matt Harvey – New York Mets, S
16. Zack Greinke – Arizona Diamondbacks, S
If Fernandez and Strasburg can actually stay on the field, they have the potential to be top five pitchers. Cole, Archer and Gray are already dominant, but still somehow rank below the likes of slightly above-average hitters, such as Detroit Tiger Justin Upton and Seattle Mariner Kyle Seager. Even though Bumgarner, 2014 World Series MVP, has had an ERA below 3.00 for three years in a row and despite deGrom’s and Harvey’s lights-out pitching that carried the Mets to the 2015 World Series, none of these fine players found their way into the top 30.
While these starting pitchers only play about once a week, when they do take the mound, they have the most profound impact of any player on the field on that given day. They are now getting paid like top-level players and it would be foolish not to recognize their importance.
Great Expectations While Lacking Experience
According to the MLBN, “youth” is a synonym for “great.” It’s no doubt these three players have bright futures ahead of them, but this is the “Top 100 Right Now,” not “Right Soon:”
68. George Springer – Houston Astros, right fielder
44. Randal Grichuk – St. Louis Cardinals, OF
13. Carlos Correa – Houston Astros, SS
Springer has merely mustered a .256 BA and has struck out 223 times in 180 games played. Grichuk and Correa have not even played a full season’s worth of games and even their small sample-sized numbers are barely worthy of “Top 100” recognition, let alone being ranked 44th and 13th, respectively. But the list’s biggest sin of them all is without a doubt...
Sheer Absurdity
33. Brandon Crawford – San Francisco Giants, short stop
A career .246 hitter, Crawford is just an above average shortstop and has absolutely no business being anywhere near the Edwin Encarnacions, Starling Martes and deGroms of the world, let alone ahead of them. Forget jumping the shark — the MLBN really jumped the Giant on this one.
(02/19/16 1:28am)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Rims are red, basketballs are orange and the Philadelphia 76ers still stink. Some things never change, but the first half of the ’15-’16 NBA season has brought plenty of action and surprises to be excited about — for better or worse. Here are the Good, the Bad and the Ugly heading into the All-Star Break.
THE GOOD
The Golden State Warriors are good. Real good.
At 48-4, the Warriors are on pace to have the best regular season record in NBA history, surpassing Michael Jordan’s legendary 72-10 ’95-’96 Chicago Bulls team. Golden State’s championship defense season has been commandeered by their three All-Stars, who are putting up some outstanding numbers:
• Stephen Curry, who has 29.8 points per game (PPG), 6.6 assists per game (APG) and 5.3 rebounds per game (RPG), is poised to break the single-season record for three-pointers made (a record he currently holds) while still shooting a mind-boggling 45 percent from beyond the arc. The Splash Brother will likely be named the MVP for the second year in a row.
• Draymond Green (14.2 PPG/ 7.2 APG / 9.5 RPG) leads the league in triple-doubles with 10 and, in conjunction with his outstanding play on defense, he is a dark horse candidate for MVP.
• Klay Thompson (21.3 PPG/ 2.2 APG / 3.7 RPG), the other Splash Bro, is perhaps the second best three-point shooter that the league has to offer. When he gets hot, the Warriors are unbeatable.
THE BAD
What’s an NBA season without a little off-the-court controversy?
DeMarcus Cousins single-handedly stopped a Lunar New Year (commonly categorized as Chinese New Year) celebration at the Sacramento Kings Sleep Train Arena due to his own sensitivities. The promotion was scheduled to provide fans with a Lunar New Year T-shirt, which depicted a monkey in accordance to 2016 being the Year of the Monkey. However, Cousins — who is black — felt that the shirts were offensive to people of color, given that the Year of the Monkey shirt giveaway fell on Monday, Feb. 1, which is coincidentally the first day of Black History Month. The T-shirts were taken out of the stands before game time solely because of Cousins’s complaint (as he was the only one to complain), thus ruining a fine cultural celebration for the sake of one man’s misguided ego. The Sacramento Kings also share much of the blame here for shamelessly appeasing their infamously unstable superstar to keep him on their good side.
A somewhat relevant fun fact: Sacramento has more Asian people (18.3 percent) than African American people (14.6 percent) as of 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau. I am sure many of the Asian fans in attendance were disappointed to see their ancient cultural celebration hindered by Cousins’s oversensitivity.
Los Angeles Clippers superstar forward Blake Griffin also made headlines after punching the team’s equipment manager outside a restaurant this past January, according to CBSSports.com. The incident resulted in a broken hand for Griffin. The Clippers’s forward had already been sidelined for a month because of a torn quad, but his fractured punching hand is going to keep him out for at least another month. As a cherry on top, the Clippers suspended Griffin for an additional four games for his actions.
THE UGLY
Where, oh where have the coaches gone?
Five NBA coaches have already been fired before the All-Star Break. Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale was the first to get the boot after a 4-7 start, despite navigating his team to three straight playoff performances in the rocky Western Conference. The Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks would send Lionel Hollins and Derek Fisher packing during just their second seasons. Jeff Hornacek was shown the door in Phoenix after a miserable showing from an equally miserable Suns roster. The most shocking coaching dismissal was that of Cleveland Cavaliers head man David Blatt, who was fired in late January despite his team holding the first place position in the Eastern Conference and coming off an NBA Finals appearance last season.
The life of an NBA coach is a fleeting one these days. Hollins, Fisher and Hornacek were provided with awful personnel, but were all forced out of town despite having less than three full seasons to work with their players. McHale and Blatt are both good coaches with recent success, but apparently, that was not enough either. Coaches’ leashes are shorter than ever, with NBA front offices leaving their lead dogs muzzled with little sense of security. These coaches can’t even settle in and get comfortable anymore, which creates an unhealthy, unstable environment for the whole team.
Alas, no matter how bad NBA front offices may mishandle their teams, all coaches, players and fans can take solace in the fact that they are not part of the Cleveland Browns organization. It doesn’t get much uglier than them.
(02/10/16 9:56pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Johnny Manziel, once the star quarterback of the Texas A&M Aggies and winner of the 2012 Heisman Trophy, appears to have hit rock bottom after he allegedly physically abused his girlfriend and threatened to kill himself, according to Dallas’s ABC affiliate.
Manziel was born to a wealthy Texas family in 1992 and as far as any member of the media knows, his life only continued to get better for the next two decades. A multi-sport high school superstar, Manziel cemented himself as a local legend and was bestowed the “Johnny Football” moniker.
Athletic, handsome, rich and heading for national stardom, Manziel had every reason to be confident. He was beloved by fans, popular with the ladies and admired by young men for living out every guy’s dream. Toting a Heisman Trophy in his hand and holding the words of sports media’s lofty praise in his head, Manziel waltzed his way into the National Football League (NFL) and promptly took a place on his pedestal to wait for success to come to him.
It didn’t. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 22nd overall pick in 2014, Manziel flopped in his rookie season, failing to win the starting job and facing questions about his work ethic. After a surprising stint in rehabilitation for alcoholism, Manziel’s 2015 was plagued by off-field incidents, from his amount of partying and fighting with his girlfriend to missing a check-in with a team medic.
Now under investigation for domestic assault for the incident on Wednesday, Jan. 30, in which he allegedly appeared to be under the influence of drugs and acted without concern for the welfare of others or himself, it seems as if Johnny Football’s football career is over. Two failed seasons, off-field transgressions, substance abuse and emotional instability do not exactly scream “NFL material.”
It is difficult to deny that Manziel worked very hard to have success in both high school and college, but it is all too apparent that his efforts and concentration waned in making the transition to the NFL. He was a kid that had never hit a bump in the road, speeding down the highway of life scoring touchdowns, trophies and girls’ numbers. Even his reckless run-and-gun, impulsive play style resembled that of a child without restraints. In college, he was charged with a few misdemeanors and allegedly received money for signing autographs, but these mishaps were met with little to no punishment from neither law enforcement nor Texas A&M.
Manziel never faced any real discipline until reaching football’s highest stage and by then, he had become so accustomed to being the king of college that he was unwilling to act like a subject of the NFL’s domain. Successful and unhindered in whatever he did, Manziel was not used to dealing with the failures and punishments that he has experienced these past couple years. He was incapable of handling such imperfections and constraints and this shock to his system has sent him on a downward spiral.
I was never a fan of Manziel. He was always too cocky — too sure of himself and everything that he did. Perhaps there was even a hint of jealousy in my criticism.
But now, part of me feels sorry for him. Left unbound for his entire life, the boy-king has turned down the route of substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. Combined with his lack of concern for consequences, these symptoms seem to resemble some sort of psychological disorder — Manziel twice refused to enter a rehab facility last week, according to Dallas’s ABC station.
The Dallas Morning News consulted the player’s father, Paul Manziel, who provided a chilling statement: “I truly believe if they can’t get him help, he won’t live to see his 24th birthday.”
It is a disturbing message in itself, but perhaps equally concerning is the elder Manziel’s usage of the word “they.” With Manziel’s agent, girlfriend and now even his father unable, or perhaps just unwilling, to help him, along with his refusal to enter rehab, it seems as if Manziel’s life will continue to snowball downhill from here.
There is no more dodging a flurry of oncoming defenders, no more chucking a pass into a crowd without suffering an interception — the turnovers have caught up to Manziel. He may have his personality flaws and troubles with the law, but Manziel’s actions still resemble those of a child who is out of touch with reality.
This is no longer a Johnny Football problem — this is a life-threatening Johnny Manziel issue. He and anyone that is left out there who still cares about him must somehow help him figure out his life before it’s all over.
(02/02/16 9:39pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
On the night of Feb. 5, 2012, a crowd of players gathered in the end zone to greet a football that fluttered for what felt like an eternity over the turf of Lucas Oil Stadium. In an instant, the ball clanked off a flurry of hands and fell to the ground as gently as it had left it. Incomplete. The game clock struck zero. The New York Giants had won the Super Bowl. For 16-year-old me, it was the happiest day of my entire life.
Regardless of what the United States government says, the Super Bowl is a national holiday. It embraces all ages, genders, races and religions. A holiday of such all-encompassing magnitude naturally warrants a slew of parties. The coasters emerge from the cupboards, assortments of chips and dips line the tables and every man, woman and child with a whiff of football knowledge is wearing a jersey from one era or another. An unwritten tradition of the event is for each man in the room to bestow his wisdom upon all of the others, boldly exclaiming his pre-game analysis and undoubtedly citing an interesting fact or two which bears little actual meaning on how the game will play out. Most are there to watch the sport, but there are also some who come just for the commercials and the halftime show. From the national anthem until the final play, there is not a moment to be missed. For all those watching, it is the ultimate four hours of sheer entertainment.
While the layfolk enjoy their salty snacks from the couches at home, the football players step onto the turf to star in what is perhaps the world’s greatest stage. Behind their helmets are not actors or celebrities, but human beings who have likely dreamed of this very day since they first picked up a football. They have worked their entire lives to play in this ultimate game. Taking the field, at long last, they can bask in the day that they have waited to enjoy for so long.
Many participants in Super Bowl 50 carry emotional tales of triumphing over the trials they faced in life to reach this game. Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas did not have a mother around the house for most of his young life, as she had been in prison on drug charges. In 2016, she received her release and has since gotten to watch her son’s playoff games in person — she will be watching from the stands in this year’s Super Bowl. Carolina Panthers lineman Michael Oher was dealt a bad hand in life. His familial problems were depicted in the award-winning film “The Blind Side.” But Oher beat the odds, and has since won a Super Bowl and will get a chance at a second title this Sunday. For men like Thomas and Oher, sports became a channel for success and happiness, and to make it to the Super Bowl despite facing such adversity is remarkable to behold.
Unlike the player, there is no pressure for the fan — he or she has no plays to call, balls to catch or tackles to make. And yet, the fan is overcome by nerves not too dissimilar from those afflicting the players on the field. As a 12 year old in 2008, I enjoyed watching the Giants win Super Bowl XLII. I was a fan, of course. I had a jersey laying around in the closet and had tuned into some games, but to me, football was just another T.V. show I would watch on the weekends. However, in those four years between the Giants Super Bowl appearances, I gradually began to understand just how amazing an accomplishment it was to reach the big game. It takes a physically and mentally exhausting effort from an organization — from the front office to coaches to players — to somehow pull together a Super Bowl-winning team. In learning to appreciate these efforts, I became a superfan, and to a superfan, their team is like a second family. Albeit, the superfan has no genetic ties to this family and is not even allowed to participate in the family’s meetings and events, but it feels like a family nonetheless. And admittedly, superfans like me probably are not all that psychologically-stable to reach such a level of obsession and prioritize their emotional investments into a mere game. It might be difficult for those uninterested in sports to understand, but for a superfan, watching your team win the Super Bowl is like winning the lottery of emotions.
Keeping in mind the mentalities of these players and the superfans only adds to the Super Bowl experience. Whether you are a hardcore fan or just watching for the commercials, everyone can appreciate the entertainment and emotions brought on by the big game. Once the final whistle blows, there will be a bevy of polarizing emotional states from those on the field to those on the couches. Whatever happens, I’m glad that somewhere out there, a 16-year-old kid — maybe not all that different from my 16-year-old self — will get as much joy from seeing his or her team win the Super Bowl as I did.
(01/26/16 10:57pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
On July 11, 2014, LeBron James wrote a lovely homecoming letter to the city of Cleveland to announce his re-signing with his old Cavalier team. In this letter, he blatantly stated that he could not promise a championship for the city. He recognized the team’s youth and inexperience by stating, “My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach.”
This Cavs squad was nothing like his Miami Heat team, where he had reached four NBA Finals in four years and won two championships with the help of fellow superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Nonetheless, James affirmed that he was up for the challenge in Cleveland, seeing himself as a “mentor” and “excited to lead some these talented young guys.” He would work his hardest to try to bring a championship to the city by building upon the team’s youth. There was a plan in place.
A year and a half later, James’s love letter is showing a significant amount of wear. After drafting Andrew Wiggins as the number one overall pick in the 2014 draft just two weeks prior to James’s signing, on Aug. 23, he was traded — along with former number one pick Anthony Bennett and a Cleveland 2015 first-round draft pick — for three-time All-Star Kevin Love.
Wiggins would later be named 2015’s NBA Rookie of the Year. During the 2014-2015 season, the Cavs would send off Dion Waiters — who James specifically mentioned in his letter as a young player he looked forward to helping improve — in a trade, acquiring J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert in return. Two days later, Cleveland would send two first-round draft picks to the Denver Nuggets for 28-year-old center Timofey Mozgov.
On Friday, Jan. 22, after just a season and a half, head coach David Blatt was fired, despite his team reaching the NBA Finals in his first year and leading the Eastern Conference halfway through this year. The news came just four days after the Cavs received a 34-point deficit drubbing from the re-signing champion Warriors. Blatt was replaced by assistant Tyronn Lue.
In November of 2015, Ric Bucher, a NBA senior writer for BleacherReport.com, wrote an article detailing LeBron’s ultimate “power play” as the team’s superstar player, coach and general manager. Bucher relays Cavs General Manager (GM) David Griffin’s concession that James “is the most powerful person in the organization aside from owner Dan Gilbert.” Bucher, who has covered the NBA since 1992, also cites James’s influence in acquiring Smith, Shumpert and Mozgov, along with forcing the organization’s hand in signing Thompson to such a ludicrous contract.
Although James and the Cavs organization have publicly denied the superstar’s excessive influence, it’s clear that the team has made crucial management mistakes regardless of who is making them.
As a unit, this team does not gel. James is still the best player in the league and Kyrie Irving is a superstar point guard — the two work well together. However, Love, Smith and Mozgov are offense-oriented players who need the ball in their hands to do well and Thompson is just a rebounder. The Cavs do not have an inside defensive stalwart or a role-player who can shoot from the outside or (besides James) a guy who can move the ball around effectively to set up his teammates for the score. To put it bluntly, the Cavs are an incomplete team with too many parts that fill the same function.
Owner Dan Gilbert and GM Griffin have to share some of the blame as well, as they have been too quick to concede their power to their superstar, allowing James to essentially become the team’s manager/coach/player a la Jackie Moon in Will Ferrell’s basketball comedy, “Semi-Pro.”
In his 2014 homecoming letter, James declared, “We’re not ready right now. No way.” He promised to improve and build upon a young Cavs team with much patience. However, it’s clear that he has tried to assemble a team that is built to win immediately while sacrificing its future success. The ink is fading fast on James’s letter from just a year and a half ago and with the Cleveland Cavaliers not showing the progress and poise of a championship contender, it appears that GM James might just be mismanaging his team out of a title.
(11/18/15 12:40am)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Through the initial weeks of the 2015-16 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, one indisputable fact prevails — Stephen Curry is a very good basketball player. Averaging over 30 points per game in the young season and earning comparisons to the great Michael Jordan — Curry continues to find ways to improve despite already having received the NBA’s most coveted individual commemoration, the MVP award, just months ago. His dazzling dribbles, pretty passes and unparalleled shooting abilities led his Golden State Warriors squad to a championship last season and an 11-0 start to the 2015-16 season. Curry’s presence alone cements the Warriors as a championship contender.
At least, that is what ESPN wants to tell you. Believe it or not, the “Golden State Steph Curries” are anything but a one-man squad. Like every other team in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors dress 13 players each time they take the court — however, this baker’s dozen of basketball players blends better than any other.
The team’s philosophy, “Strength in Numbers,” speaks volumes. Shooting guard Klay Thompson might just be the second-best shooter in the NBA, small forward Harrison Barnes adds athleticism and versatility to the floor, power forward Draymond Green has developed into the definition of a five-tool player and even defensive stalwart center Andrew Bogut is an NBA All-Defensive Second Teamer.
The bench supplies nightly contributions from matchup nightmare Shaun Livingston and the perennially underrated Finals MVP, Andre Iguodala. Together, they make up the deepest, most complete squad in the NBA. And yet, their greatest asset is not their talent but rather a less palpable quality — selflessness.
In his first year as an NBA head coach, Steve Kerr pushed the team’s selflessness to its limit. Veteran All-Star David Lee was sent to the bench to insert Green into the starting lineup, and Iguodala took a seat in favor of Barnes. Lee and Iguodala put the team before their pride, and throughout the Warriors dominant 2014-15 regular season and gritty games down the stretch it was clear that Kerr made the right move. Putting the team before the individual truly set the tone for the Warriors’ success.
This altruistic attitude also finds its way into the frenetic Golden State offensive attack, which does not work without constant, fluid passing. The Warriors players disregard individual statistics as they seek out the best possible scoring option on every play. The fast-paced, persistent passing becomes possible due to the team’s unbreakable chemistry — the players are always on the same page and constantly aware of their teammates’ positioning. This powerful trust derives from the team’s progressive strides made off the court, where they constantly make an effort to hang out together. They especially relish the opportunity to meet up for meals while on road trips.
The Golden State Warriors perfectly exemplify what it means to be a team. Ego has no place on a squad of players that puts winning as its priority while also having fun together in the process. Considerable credit must be given to Warriors owner Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, who completely reformed the culture of the team when they gained ownership in 2010. Much praise should also go toward general manager Bob Myers, who has a knack for acquiring talented, coachable players.
The Warriors are currently without head coach Kerr, who is recovering from back surgery. Nevertheless, next man up Luke Walton has coached the squad to a perfect record to start the season as the Warriors show no sign of slowing down. Look for the Warriors and headliner Steph “Chef” Curry to cook up another championship run as Golden State continues to cater the right ingredients for success.
(11/11/15 12:55am)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
In May of 2014, then-Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy mercilessly assaulted his girlfriend, Nicole Holder, through a horrifying sequence of events. These included dragging her by the hair, throwing her on a futon covered in assault rifles and strangling her to the brink of death. Eighteen months later, Hardy is currently making $11.3 million playing for the Dallas Cowboys.
The Greg Hardy saga was not of much public interest until earlier this week when Deadspin leaked photos of Holder’s bruises resulting from the assault. Shocked and appalled, the public is now demanding Hardy’s release from the Cowboys and banishment from the NFL.
Just last year, Ray Rice had assaulted his fiancé and received a two-game suspension from NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell. At the time, the NFL community did not really care for this case at all. But then the security footage of the incident was released and the public lost their minds. Facing extreme scrutiny from the fandom, the Baltimore Ravens released Rice and the NFL suspended him indefinitely. Although Rice appealed this suspension and won, no team has taken a chance on him since.
The NFL was foolish to hand a domestic violence perpetrator a two-game suspension — video or no video. The public was foolish to accept this initial punishment — video or no video. Prior to any suspensions, Rice was indicted on aggravated assault charges. The whole story was there from the start. No information was withheld. We had every bit of evidence necessary, so why was public physical evidence essential to cause outcry and demand change? It shouldn’t have been essential. Collectively, America was the fool.
And yet, we, as sports fans, have managed to make ourselves look more imprudent with the handling of Greg Hardy, whose case is extremely similar in nature to Rice’s. Hardy would play one game in 2014 before being put on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list and deactivated for the rest of the season by his team. Finishing his contract with the Panthers, the talented Hardy was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in March of 2015. Then, in April, the NFL handed Hardy a 10-game suspension, which the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) contested and succeed in reducing it down to just four games.
We, as a society, have learned nothing as we once again have exhibited ignorance. The public needed photographic evidence to ignite significant opposition and outcry, despite Hardy’s conviction by the law. The NFLPA defended a convicted domestic violence offender and “succeeded” by reducing his punishment by six games. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell may have upped the suspension by previous standards, but the punishment still does not fit the crime.
The question remains as to what is a suitable punishment for these domestic violence perpetrators. Since the Ray Rice debacle and the bad publicity that followed, the NFL has adopted the “NO MORE” campaign, which seeks to end domestic violence and sexual assault. For an organization so adamant on having “no more” lenience for domestic violence, they sure seem pretty tolerant about the issue, as they allow a horrible human being such as Hardy to be a member of their league. If the NFL genuinely wants to help alleviate and prevent the domestic violence issue and restore some of its reputation, it must institute more condemning punishments as a means of prevention. Thus, a new policy is in order: a lifetime ban from the NFL for those convicted of domestic violence.
This may seem like a steep punishment, but don’t forget that football is a job for these players. If a worker were to be convicted of domestic violence in a different setting, they would expect to quickly find themselves without a career. It’s also important to note that the NFL is stacked with talent, as there are more than 1,000 players currently employed by teams — a handful of criminals will not be missed. The powerful NFLPA, which blindly protects the players at any cost and deserves another layer of blame altogether, would likely get these lifetime suspensions reduced regardless. In Hardy’s case, the association managed to reduce his suspension by 60 percent of its initial standing. A steeper initial punishment thus becomes essential.
We must learn from this issue. Someone who is convicted of domestic violence is a criminal. We cannot wait for visual evidence — we must seek the truth and trust the justice system. Perhaps most importantly, we must educate ourselves on what domestic violence is. People seem to have the idea that domestic violence is just a push and a shove, which would explain why they were appalled to see the Rice footage and Holder’s bruises. To understand the issue is to combat it.
When Jerry Jones calls Hardy a great leader and worthy of an extension, the entire nation should recognize his senselessness. When Stephen A. Smith proudly boasts of his unencumbered support for abusers like Hardy and Floyd Mayweather, we should all acknowledge his idiocy. We must look beyond sports and examine the actual, real-life impacts of actions. Does Hardy’s talent warrant employing a despicable human being? The answer is obvious, but the NFL, the NFLPA and the public seem uncommitted and continue to waver in their responses. It is time to educate ourselves, gather our senses, and make the right decisions in properly punishing and working to prevent domestic violence.
(11/03/15 9:30pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Bunting is and has been a baseball tradition. It is not a difficult concept to grasp: stick bat out, ball hit bat. Of course, bunting aficionados are always inclined to inform listening ears of every little intricacy of the bunt. Some even call bunting an art form and will defend it to the death. After witnessing some miserable bunting in the 2015 World Series — baseball’s greatest stage, the time is nigh to discuss the futility of some of these boondoggling bunts — at least the sacrifice bunts.
One stat says it all: according to baseballprospectus.com, there is a 24.4 percent better chance of scoring a runner from first with no outs than scoring a runner from second with one out. The sacrifice bunt — a “strategic” offensive maneuver that is almost always used to move a runner from first to second while giving up an out — is thus inferior to swinging the stick.
There is also the matter of limiting one’s own team to a minimal amount of runs. According to Dan Levitt of baseballanalysts.com, a 15-year study showed that a team can expect to score .877 runs in an inning when there is a runner on first with no outs. But with a runner on second and one out (a common situation after a sac bunt), the expected runs for an inning dips to .693. By taking an out to put a runner on second, teams are destroying an opportunity to let their batters get on base and produce bigger innings. Thus, the sacrifice bunt does not just sacrifice an out: it sacrifices more runs. Games are often decided by big innings. Limiting one’s team to just a one-run inning — if they can even get that one run — destroys much of the potential for higher run output and prevents a team from breaking the game open.
The sac bunt is also damaging to the mental health of a team. Baseball is an extremely cerebral sport in which success depends on individual players’ mentalities, as well as the collective team mindset. That being said, no player goes up to the plate with the aspiration to sacrifice bunt — hitters want to hit! Hits lead to confidence, which leads to getting hot, which then leads to winning streaks. In squeaking out one run every other inning or so, players are denied the opportunity to find a rhythm.
Even more discouraging, the usage of the sac bunt seems to be most prevalent in high school and college play, where players’ psyches are even more vulnerable and volatile. In these leagues, batting averages are much higher than those in pro ball, so having little Johnny lay one down is an even more absurd tactic. Given that these kids only get to play a few dozen games a season, sacrifice bunts not only limit run-scoring but also negate the opportunity for experience-building and confidence-boosting.
Despite these incriminating statistics and psychological ramifications, bunting still does have a place in today’s game when utilized correctly. Bunting for a hit can catch sleeping defenses off-guard, resulting in an easy hit if executed properly. Also, with the prominence of excessive shifting on lefties in the big leagues, a bunt to the left side of the diamond will nearly always go for a hit. Even the sacrifice bunt still has a niche use for those pitchers that barely know how to grip a bat but need to move a runner over.
Nonetheless, in nearly any situation, the implementation of the sacrifice bunt is statistically illogical and an incriminating example of over-coaching. MLB managers and — perhaps more importantly — high school and college coaches need to step out of the dead-ball era and accept the stats. Let the hitters hit or have the runners steal — enough with the sacrifice bunt.
(10/06/15 9:18pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Baseball is rooted in American tradition: it has survived two world wars and the Great Depression, it has subsisted through scandal and steroids, it has broken hearts and broken the color barrier. Founded in 1903, Major League Baseball has been an enduring part of American culture for over a century. Although today it has been overshadowed by football and basketball to an extent, the appeal of modern baseball largely subsists through its rich history.
The annals of MLB read almost like a fairy tale: Lou Gehrig’s farewell address, Don Larsen’s perfect playoff game and Hank Aaron’s 715th home run are truly magical moments that seem surreal to those who were not able to experience them in person. Legendary players like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays are perceived with grand reverence in baseball lore as their dominance would seem preposterous if it were not for some grainy footage to serve as evidence. Through these mythical moments and players, fans of all ages and eras have come to love the sport and have adorned baseball as “America’s National Pastime.”
With such a title comes a requisite of respect. As with any great tradition, its participants are expected to hold their custom with veneration and deference. In MLB’s long lifespan, no player was ever too big for the sport — every competitor was and is expected to follow the unwritten rules of the game. So what exactly does “respect for the game” mean? There are many specifics, but the overall message is that players must show respect for their fellow competitors and carry themselves with an air of humbleness.
When a player hits a home run and stares arrogantly at their shot while flamboyantly flipping their bat in the air, this is taken as a sign of disrespect to the pitcher, the opposing team and towards the game itself. Other common occurrences of disrespect include trash talking, refusing to run out weakly-hit balls and running up the score when having a big lead. These actions of disrespect are often met with retaliation, which usually comes in the form of plunking the offenders with a fastball to the midsection. Pitchers are often tossed out of the game for intentional beanballs, and habitually the benches will clear and a brawl may start because of these matters.
Recently, some baseball writers have commented that there are notions of nativism and racism within the game today. These remarks derive from studies which state that most of baseball’s heated altercations in recent years have occurred between players of different ethnicities — every incident in 2015 was between players of dissimilar ethnicities. These commenters have been quick to lay the blame on the white players and their supposedly outdated notion of “respect for the game.” This is an unfair criminalization which aims to attack the sport and players at the macro level — in reality, this is an individual-based problem.
Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Gomez, whose arrogant attitude is unwelcomed by opposing teams, and Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, who does not take kindly to giving up hits, are at the forefront of the issue. These two players have combined to cause the benches to clear seven times in the past four years. Time and again, scuffles will arise from their lack of respect toward the other team, usually because of Gomez’s admiration of his home runs and Ventura’s constant jabbering at opposing hitters. Some may say that these actions do not necessitate retaliation as they are innocuous acts that are stigmatized simply because they do not meet white players’ standards. These cynics fail to realize that “respect for the game” is not a white philosophy but rather a collective policy in American baseball. Blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians and players of any other race or ethnicity have always been obliged to respect their fellow players and the game itself since they joined America’s major leagues.
“Respect for the game” exists because it safeguards a key piece of American culture. MLB’s unwritten code is an essential element of the game. When a player steps onto a baseball field, he must acknowledge and respect the established culture of the ballpark. For example, the Korean leagues are often much more flamboyant as home run hitters are encouraged to flip their bats in extravagant celebration. That is all well and good in its own right because that is customary of these players’ respective league. American baseball, however, has developed a much different culture with a distinct ethical code.
American ballplayers’ willingness to uphold the culture of their sport is not an act of nativism nor racism, contrary to what some critics might say. Rather, it is a measure of players’ dedication to a game that has brought them great joy and transcended generations of Americans. Like it or not, “respect for the game” is a defining feature of American baseball and it is not going away any time soon.
(09/29/15 9:36pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Two double-digit fourth quarter leads resulting in two losses is not a good way to start a season. In fact, never before had an NFL team accomplished such a miserable feat until just a few weeks ago when the New York Giants imploded for a double dosage of defeats. In Week One, the Giants held a 23-20 lead with the ball on the Dallas Cowboys’ four-yard line with under two minutes to play — they lost. In Week Two, the Giants held a 20-10 lead late in the third quarter with the ball in the Atlanta Falcons’ red zone — they lost. Mismanaged clocks, leaky late-game defense, questionable quarterbacking and crucial dropped passes were the story of both collapses.
Facing a media firestorm, the Giants came into Week Three facing a must-win situation in a Thursday night tilt against the Washington Redskins on Sept. 24. Fortunately for the Giants, the Redskins couldn’t play their way out of a wet paper bag that night as they gave away the ball three times. The Giants coasted through the game until — that’s right — the fourth quarter, where they let up two touchdowns, one via a 101-yard kickoff return. And yet again, the Giants mishandled the clock as they attempted to pass the ball with under two minutes left while holding an 11-point lead. Nevertheless, the Giants walked away with a 32-21 win and now stand at, 1-2.
Believe it or not, these lowly Giants still have high hopes. The boys in blue can confidently say that they have outplayed their opponents in all three contests, even though they only have one win to show for it. The Giants will also welcome the return of slot receiver and fan favorite Victor Cruz for Week Four after he suffered a torn patellar tendon last season. Along with sophomore stud Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants have a dynamic duo at the receiver position that may prove to be the best tandem in the league. Big Blue fans can also take solace in the fact that notorious pass-dropper Preston Parker is off the team and is unlikely to resurface to public life unless it’s for a mascot gig with Butterfinger.
What really sweetens the deal for the Giants, however, is how sour the rest of the division is looking. The Dallas Cowboys are without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant — the two players most integral to the Cowboys’ success — for a significant stretch of the season, due to their respective injuries. The Philadelphia Eagles have taken a nosedive as coach Chip Kelly’s new additions have yet to earn their wings. And the Washington Redskins, well, they’re the Washington Redskins. The poignantly-named NFC “Least” is looking as pathetic as ever, but someone has to win this division.
For the past 11 years, coach Tom Coughlin and franchise quarterback Eli Manning have kept the Giants’ ship steady. Both of them made critical mistakes in the season’s opening weeks that cost the team two crucial wins. Nevertheless, these blunders are but an anomaly on their respective résumés. Coughlin, unfazed by Father Time, is still the red-faced, motivating force capable of invigorating any batch of players into a winning squad. Manning can still throw with the best of them, and historically, his best features are his short memory and his ability to come up big in the clutch. Their 0-2 start is water under the bridge as the Coughlin-Manning combo will keep the New York Giants afloat amidst the muddy mess of the NFC East. Don’t jump ship just yet, Giants fans: Big Blue is poised for a division title.
(09/24/15 12:15am)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
Coming into a Thursday Night Football matchup in Week Two against the Kansas City Chiefs, 39-year-old Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was faced with an unfamiliar forecast — the football world expected him to fail. His exorbitant amount of records and five MVP awards held no weight anymore — Peyton was finished. The naysayers had a case — the Broncos’ signal caller had struggled down the stretch last season and looked like a shell of his former self against the Baltimore Ravens just four days prior. Nevertheless, by the time the game was over, the cynics were nowhere to be found. Denver won the contest, 31-24. Peyton Manning filled up the stat sheet with a game-tying final drive and the Denver defense sealed the win by forcing a fumble six in the final seconds. Broncos fans were riding high back in the Mile-High City as their superstar QB was back to his old self.
Well, that is what the box score would tell the observer, at least. Manning’s 256 passing yards and three touchdowns against a formidable defense are certainly nothing to scoff about. But beyond the numbers, this was not a pretty game for Peyton. Midway through the second quarter, he felt the heat on a Chiefs blitz and heaved the ball blindly before his receiver could even make it out of his break, resulting in horrible pick-six returned by rookie cornerback Marcus Peters.
Throughout the night, Peyton’s passes fluttered like dying ducks, seeming to float in the air for an eternity until gravity grew disinterested. Although the scorecard indicates just one Manning interception, the Chiefs secondary would have told you that they should have snagged two or three more.
With his aging arm not on the same page as his genius football mind, Peyton could not zip balls into tight windows nor hit his men in stride on deep passes, as he used to do just a few short years ago. He demonstrated zero mobility in the pocket, unable to even execute a play-action rollout pass without looking like he was wearing lead boots.
To his credit, Manning was able to orchestrate a beautiful final drive, matriculating the ball down the field with sluggish yet sublime passes — with the final one ending up in the hands of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the end zone for a game-tying touchdown. Denver got the win, but their QB was anything but flawless. On that night, Manning was just good enough.
And yet, good enough is all the Denver Broncos need him to be. Peyton Manning, a perennial superstar forever in the spotlight, has played many roles throughout his career — Franchise Face, All-Pro, Big Brother, Playoff Choke Artist, Super Bowl Champion, Record Holder, Most Valuable Player — but now he must prepare for his final act: Manning must step behind the curtains and be the stagehand.
When Manning exits stage right, the defense enters the gridiron and puts on a dazzling show. Most may not see it yet, but the 2015 Denver defense is one of the most menacing defenses in NFL history. Their secondary sports three 2014 Pro Bowlers, and their linebacking corps starring Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Brandon Marshall is by far the best in the league. With defensive mastermind Wade Phillips now handling the headset as a coordinator, this defense knows no bounds.
On offense, Manning has a terrific receiving tandem in Demaryius Thomas and Sanders, but his running backs are unproven and the offensive line is shaky at best. Contrary to the past three years, the Denver defense outshines the offense.
In his post-game interview from Thursday night, Manning looked exhausted yet happier than we have ever seen him. He was so exhilarated to get this victory because of how hard he had to work for it: winning does not come easy with an old body, a dying arm and no offensive line.
At his current state, Manning will not win games by trying to be the Manning of old. He simply does not have that in him anymore, nor does the construction of his offense support that notion. Manning will have to rely on his immaculate accuracy, because that is all he has left. Slinging scorching passes into narrow frames and launching deep pass dimes are in the past — that Peyton is dead.
But as they say, the show must go on.
Now, Peyton will have to be merely a game manager, letting his top tier receivers get open and make the plays while he focuses on limiting turnovers — Von Miller and company will take care of the rest and rake in the wins. The defense is now the star of the production — all Manning must do is set up the backdrops and hand out the brochures. In what looks to be Peyton Manning’s final year, The Sheriff and his cast are in Super Bowl-or-bust mode and have a great shot at taking home the gold.
(09/15/15 8:34pm)
By Matthew Ajaj
Staff Writer
The New York fans that pack Yankee Stadium must be crazy to pay five dollars for a water bottle, but perhaps even more outrageous is their newfound adoration for the notorious Alex Rodriguez. In fact, A-Rod routinely receives the loudest ovation of any player on the New York roster. It is a stunning contrast from just two years ago, when Yankee fans bombarded their third baseman with heckles and boos each time he emerged from the dugout.
A-Rod is undoubtedly the most polarizing figure in all of baseball. His three MVP awards are shrouded by scandals and his 3,000 hits and 600-plus home runs cannot counteract his off-field antics and liaisons with the ladies. The controversy began in the late 2000s as A-Rod was hit with allegations about his past steroid usage. He flat-out denied the charges, but was hit with more credible reports in 2009 which would eventually cause him to succumb to the truth. In 2013 he was tied to the Biogenesis scandal and cited for using performance-enhancing drugs; he was eventually suspended for the entire 2014 season. A-Rod was allowed to finish the 2013 season, but every game he was met with waves of jeers from fans of every team — including Yankee fans. Declining in production, marred by lingering injuries and losing the loyalty of the Yankee faithful, the organization looked for ways to separate themselves from A-Rod and avoid paying out his massive contract but their efforts were to no avail.
Coming into spring training for 2015, A-Rod was a new man. He arrived at camp early and in excellent shape without any injury to speak of. Thrown into the designated hitter role, A-Rod has defied expectations and is now on-pace for 35 home runs and 91 runs batted in. Two years prior, Yankee Stadium rained with boos with each A-Rod at-bat. Today, the crowd craves his plate appearances and goes into frenzy with each A-Bomb that clears the outfield walls. Following Rodriguez’s 661st home run to pass up Willie Mays on the all-time list, the crowd begged for and received an A-Rod curtain call — a phenomenon that no one believed would happen again.
Many are dumbfounded by the Yankees fans’ sudden change of heart towards their troublesome superstar. Most theorize that this is due to A-Rod’s excellent play this season, which has put the Yankees in position for a playoff run. This explanation is partially true, but fails to capture the true essence of A-Rod’s charm: he is an entertainer.
When Derek Jeter retired last season, the New York Yankees lost their heart and soul. Jeter was the team’s perennial, blemish-free leader who encapsulated the Yankees’ winning ways. Two years removed from playoff contention and left with a dull, aging team, not much was expected from the 2015 Yankees. Enter Alex Rodriguez. In Jeter’s shadow for the past decade, A-Rod was ready to assume the captain’s role.
A-Rod is by no means a positive figurehead. His use of performance-enhancing drugs is deplorable, and his diva attitude off the field in years’ past is inexcusable. But it is vital to remember that A-Rod has been in the league since he was just 18 years old — he has no college experience, no job experience and, consequently, has no experience being a mature adult. All he has ever known is baseball (a children’s game) and as a result, he is still a child — a 40-year-old, homer-hitting child. But a kid’s attitude and passion is exactly what was missing from New York’s recipe to success.
Rodriguez has become a crucial figure in the clubhouse, as his uplifting attitude and electrifying play has reinvigorated the old squad and brought them back to their winning ways of yore. Unlike Jeter, A-Rod is a multi-dimensional character. He lies, he cheats, he is willing to do whatever it takes to be the best. While Jeter’s life was a fairy tale composed of cherry blossoms and unicorns and happy endings, A-Rod’s life plays out like a psycho thriller. A man of fluid morality, A-Rod is a polarizing figure whose past regressions juxtaposed by his newfound nobility and leadership make him all the more compelling of a person. This is why Yankees fan root for A-Rod: he has brought a fresh, empowering vibe that the organization desperately needed.
Alex Rodriguez has stepped in and has become the lifeblood of the organization, giving them their spark and now depending on him down the stretch as the Yankees attempt another title run. Yankees fans do not have to like A-Rod, but they sure do appreciate him.