It’s Not News Unless It’s Relevant
For God’s sake why can’t the Federal Court judge and the MLB hierarchy simply puts us all the fuck out of our misery concerning the ongoing idiocy of Frank McCourt and his wish to retain control of the Los Angeles Dodgers ? It now comes at a time when the beleaguered owner is seeking recourse though US Bankruptcy Courts in the state of Delaware to reach an accord with the team’s creditors. Amongst those who ae creditors of the organization are former players Manny Ramirez , Andruw Jones and at least six other players who are owed in excess of $55 million in salary and other compensation that was deferred by the front office at the time . Personally I’ve yet to meet a fan or anyone who claims they understand the business side of baseball , who seemingly understands the wherewithal and economics concerning the sport. Instead all I continue to hear is the game is pure , in its legacy and the fact that it still stirs the nation as a whole . What a crock of absolute bullshit ! Television viewership for the postseason has been declining steadily over the past decade and a half and this season has proven to be no different .
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Slide show for your perusal .
Frank McCourt having had his divorce finalized from his ex spouse Jamie McCourt with the former co-owner receiving a $130 million settlement in terms of divesting herself of her interest (personal stake) in the ball-club. Bud Selig for his part and Thomas Schieffer brought in by the commissioner to oversee the day to day operation of the team have simply let things ebb and flow like the ripples on a stream . Personally , I’d rather see this team go belly up rather than continue to have Frank McCourt further run it into the ground ! At the same time McCourt’s fellow baseball team owners are buffoons who have simply shown very little acumen much less anything else one deem to be intelligence . or for that matter having the insight to speak openly on the fact they are at present in financial cataclysm of unimaginable proportions . Anyone who’s of the belief that the game can be self sustaining with its present business template must have their head buried under a rock ! The only reason why Bud Selig now seeks to have divisional realignment and a revised playoff format is to add to his already suspect legacy . Here is a commissioner who obfuscates responsibility and only seeks the photo opportunities that comes his way, merely keep a high profile. And the baseball fans are meant to believe that Bud Selig has been good for the game ?
At the insistence of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels somehow the St Louis Rams have acquired Brandon Lloyd from the Denver Broncos . And as poorly as both teams have been playing from an offensive standpoint I severely doubt that the acquisition of the former Broncos’ wide receiver will revive the fortunes of this Rams’ team ! Head coach Steve Spagnuolo and his coaching staff is under a great deal of pressure to succeed in light of the positive improvements of last season . and the fact that they missed the postseason by a mere whisker , albeit that winners of the NFC West was a substandard Seattle Seahawks team that this season has been a considerable bust by any stretch of the imagination .
If anything one of the real issues facing the St Louis Rams is to protect team quarterback Sam Bradford and that duty belongs to the offensive line which itself this season seems still to be a work in progress. Through the team’s first six games of their season they have had a litany of injuries which have played their part in derailing the St Louis Rams’ aspirations . As one of the bright young talents of the NFL , Bradford has seen his star rise the moment he was drafted by the Rams in 2010 . His ascendancy and command of the game makes him a natural leader and one of the primary reasons why his teammates and the front office have placed their faith in the former — Oklahoma Sooners’ player.
Now don’t get me wrong but given the disparity and inconsistency of the NFC West as a division , it is not out of the realms of possibility that the St Louis Rams even with 0-5 record the team could very well pull off the impossible by playing their way into the postseason . The San Francisco 49ers (5-1) at present lead the division but who’s to say that if by week 9 or twelve we will not have seen this team fall back into their old ways with Alex Smith struggling to keep his poise ? If anything the former number one overall pick has been a revelation this season for Jim Harbaugh , the team and for the Niners’ fan in general . Alex Smith and that of the San Francisco 49ers have been one of the more pleasant surprises of this NFL season . As to whether or not they can maintain this momentum remains to be seen .
Repeatedly , year in , year out I am aghast when the front office of the Jacksonville Jaguars retains the services of Jack Del Rio and his coaching staff ! Either team owner Wayne Weaver is now suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease and is completely oblivious to the fact that for the last six years this organization hasn’t come within sniffing distance of making the postseason . At the same time the long suffering fans have had to endure those years of torture and systematic ineptitude. With the organization seeking to jettison — David Garrard , first year quarterback Blaine Gabbert has been thrust into the spotlight as he embarks on his inaugural season in the NFL .
The AFC South is a now a division up for grabs and as we all know the win-less Indianapolis Colts may well vying for the privilege of being in the hunt of aspiring teams looking to draft Andrew Luck the consensus number one pick in the 2012 NFL Draft . With Peyton Manning — sidelined perhaps for the remainder of the Colts’ season it is reasonable to assume that their shot at repeating as divisional champions has been firmly laid to rest . Jim Caldwell and his coaching staff , as admirable as they have performed , it has become abundantly clear that without Manning this team become a mere caricature of itself . Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter are not the answer to the team’s woes . As this season goes and Colts embark on the remainder of their schedule I am beginning to believe that this will be one of a great deal of soul searching for the Indianapolis Colts’ front office led by Bill Polian and team owner Jim Irsay . Do they retain their four time league MVP and Superbowl MVP or look to the future in the form of Stanford Cardinals’ quarterback Andrew Luck.
As to the impending schedule of the Jacksonville Jaguars I firmly believe that Wayne Weaver has to make a decision as to the future of his coaching and that coaching staff ! Should the Jaguars fail to win when they host the high flying Baltimore Ravens at Everbank Field Stadium in Jacksonville , Florida when the game itself will be televised by ESPN on Monday 24th October 2011. Anything short of a victory for this team with an incredibly mediocre record of 1-5 and one has to consider that the front office will have to come to a decision concerning Jack Del Rio’s future .
OK so the West Coast is all in a fervent fever , as it was announced that the Oakland Raiders had acquired — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer . With the loss of incumbent signal caller Jason Campbell one could view this acquisition of as a dire need for the team . With the death of Al Davis at the age of 82 the organization enters an era where they will be without the man who made it all possible in terms of its history and resonance within the NFL . Campbell has performed admirably this season leading the Raiders to a 4-2 record within the AFC West sitting a mere one game behind divisional leaders the San Diego Chargers (4-1).
With the addition of Carson Palmer to this Raiders’ team they get a Pro Bowl quarterback and a player looking to regain the form he showed in 2007. From my own perspective I firmly believe that the Oakland Raiders were duped in this deal simply in giving up two first round draft picks (first round 2012 & again in 2013) for the Bengals’ quarterback ! Granted , such is the urgency facing the Raiders at this juncture that Hue Jackson and the front office felt it necessary to press ahead with this deal . The Cincinnati Bengals’ front office for their part divest themselves of a player who became disinterested with the organization , his former teammates and some might even say that Carson Palmer was acting like a petulant child who simply chose to deflect blame and show the leadership qualities one would come to expect of an elite quarterback within the NFL . Personally , I for one would like to see how he will perform for the team when he faces some real adversity while playing at the Oakland (Alameda County) Coliseum Oakland , California , in front of a packed crowd of rabid Raiders’ fans . As passionate as these fans are known to be at the first sign of any semblance of ineptitude on the player’s part these fans will make their voices heard with their criticism .
Miami Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross may not have envisaged his team being so inept and lackluster but the real issue here is why does Tony Sparano remain the coach of this franchise ? He is clearly out of his depth and all of the sound bytes in the world proffered up by the coach and general manager Jeff Ireland cannot hide how bad this team really is . Acquisitions asides , the organization’s draft choices under the duo’s tenure are still a work in progress .
High profile players such as Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall have shown little if anything that would simply convince most fans that at 0-5 this team has the slightest chance of being competitive within the AFC East this season much less the conference as a whole . Perhaps even more to the point would be mediocre play of starting quarterback Chad Henne . Karl Dorrell as the team’s quarterbacks’ coach may well be trying to simplify the game for the player but clearly Henne is struggling to show his prowess on the field and with that , there is little confidence being in shown in the quarterback by his teammates .
With Chad Henne now sidelined at present due to an injury it was left to Matt Moore to helm the team this past Monday when they were the guests of their divisional rivals the New York Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium , East Rutherford , New Jersey . Suffice to say there was little to be pleased about if you happened to be a Miami Dolphins’ fan as they were subjected to seeing the team suffer its most embarrassing loss of the season losing 24-6 to a Jets’ team that feasted on an inept defense that at no time gave you the impression that they could withstand whatever was being thrown at them by Rex Ryan’s players . For the New York Jets’ coach this may well have been just what the doctor ordered as his team simply “beat up “ on the Miami Dolphins like an unwanted stepchild .
Billionaire Stephen Ross may well have felt in adding A list celebrities amongst the ownership throng of the organization would be a way of attracting more fans within South Florida locale . But at this juncture I am not so sure that the likes of Gloria & Emilio Stefan , Venus & Serena Williams , Mark Anthony and Jennifer Lopez can be entirely happy with the current return on their investment . Overall this game was not a satisfying one for the television viewing public or those in attendance at the stadium. Other than Jets’ cornerback Darrelle Revis a punt for a 102 yard touchdown there was little of anything to be satisfied about other than the result for the New York Jets and their coaching staff . After three successive losses this was something that Rex Ryan needed in order to steer the team back on track within the AFC East . Having seen the sudden rise of the Buffalo Bills (4-2) this season within the division and with the New England Patriots (5-1) apparently clicking on all cylinders from an offensive standpoint the Jets’ coach finds his team unwittingly seated in third place with a none too imposing 3-3 record .
As opinionated and self aggrandizing as Rex Ryan happens to be , he knows that if his team is make the postseason for a third consecutive year this franchise have to play with a great deal more consistency and less complacency being shown the players . Anything short of deep run into the playoffs and questions will be asked of not only of the coach but clearly of the players , such as Mark Sanchez , Santonio Holmes , Darrelle Revis , LaDanian Tomlinson and most certainly of Plaxico Burress in particular .
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Picture gallery for your perusal .
What thoughts if any do you have concerning the points raised within this piece ? And from your perspective which results in the NFL this past weekend was of the biggest surprise to you ? Simply leave a comment as you deem fit and thanks as always for the continued support as it is greatly appreciated !
Alan aka tophatal …………………
https://tophatal.wordpress.com
E-mail …… rapptu@gmail.com
Picture and slide show details below .
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(1) Who got stiffed ? FILE – At left in a Nov. 19, 2010 file photo, Jamie McCourt arrives at court in Los Angeles. At right, in a Sept. 22, 2010 file photo, Frank McCourt arrives at court in Los Angeles. The McCourt’s have reached a divorce settlement that gives him control of the Los Angeles Dodgers and her about $130 million , making it one of California’s costliest divorces, according to a report published Monday, Oct. 17, 2011. AP Photo/Nick Miller …
(2) MLB Commissioner Bud Selig (left) is seen here with beleaguered Los Angeles Dodgers’ owner Frank McCourt at Dodgers’ Stadium , Los Angeles , California . The league hierarchy are hoping with the present uncertainty as to the club’s impending future McCourt will relinquish control of the team and sell to a prospective bidder . LA Times / Reinaldo Martinez …..
(3) GREEN BAY, WI – OCTOBER 16: Head coach Steve Spagnuolo of the St. Louis Rams looks on from the sidelines against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 16, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers beat the Rams 24-3 . Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images ……
(4) FILE – This Aug. 1, 2011 file photo shows new St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, left, talking to quarterback Sam Bradford during NFL football training camp at the Rams’ training facility in St. Louis. The Rams promise a more unpredictable offense this season under McDaniels, with the first test coming in a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts this Saturday. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson ….
(5) Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio looks on from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 17-13 . (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar ….
(6) Blaine Gabbert (11) of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks to throw a third quarter pass behind Ziggy Hood (96) of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on October 16, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh won the game 17-13. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images ….
(7) Quarterback Carson Palmer, left, smiles alongside Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson at the team’s NFL football headquarters in Alameda, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez …..
(8) Quarterback Carson Palmer is introduced after signing with the Oakland Raiders at the team’s NFL football headquarters in Alameda, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez …
(9) Sean Smith (24) and Yeremiah Bell (37) of the Miami Dolphins knock the ball away from Plaxico Burress (17) of the New York Jets during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 17, 2011 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images …..
(10) Roberto Wallace (18) of the Miami Dolphins tumbles over Jim Leonhard (36) and Darrelle Revis (24) of the New York Jets during their game at Meadowlands / MetLife Stadium on October 17, 2011 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images ……
(11) Tony Sparano, head coach of the Miami Dolphins, reacts during the first quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 17, 2011 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images …..
(12) Billionaire real estate developer and Miami Dolphins’ team owner Stephen Ross is seen here with team president & GM Jeff Ireland . Since the departure of Bill Parcells as a front office executive the franchise has regressed greatly both on and off the field of play . Palm Beach Post / Greg Lovett …..
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Blackstar …. feat’g …… Common …….” Respiration ”
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Tophatal's Blog 
So Frank McCourt has to pay his ex wife $130 million as part their divorce settlement . A bullet between the eyes would’ve better served McCourt . Unfortunately he still retains control of the team until they’ve been completely reorganized and taken out of bankruptcy . Bud Selig by his own measure should have sought legal recourse given the mess that the owner and front office placed the organization in to begin with. But the assholes who provide analysis on TBS , Fox and ESPN …. they wouldn’t the fu#king difference between a baking sheet and a balance sheet ! Most of the time they’ll choose to ignore the mess that the Dodgers and Mets have embroiled themselves in by skirting the subject matter completely ! But all they simply opine on is what they believe to be is the very healthy state of the game . In what fu_king universe can that be substantiated when more than 1/3 of the teams in baseball in one form or another are being subsidized by the league hierarchy ?
Del Rio and Sparano’s days are now numbered ! There’s no way in hell should both teams fail to have a winning season can they be allowed to retain their coaching positions ! That’s unless Wayne Weaver and Stephen Ross are as dumb as I believe them to be !
Simply chime in with your thoughts .
tophatal ………………..
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Love Rex Ryan…he’ll get the Jets to 10-6 and into the playoffs somehow. Did you see his comments about Norvie and the Chargers? Classic!
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Drew
It’s Rex Ryan’s way of making himself and his team relevant as anything else you’d think that they were an also ran ! It’s going to be tough for them to make the playoffs should they fail to beat out the Buffalo Bills within the AFC East and get an automatic wildcard berth . It’s my contention that the Patriots wins the division thereby possibly gaining a one or two seed in the AFC .
Do you think that Nolan Ryan will be made to eat his words in light of the Cardinals’ win last night ?
Amy Miller
tophatal ……………..
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Chris Ross / Paintstheblack
Thanks for chiming in with a vote as it’s greatly appreciated !
Girls who simply love to play .
tophatal ……….
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If the Raiders fail to either win the AFC West or quite possibly make the playoffs then what will be ramification for the franchise as a whole ? Everything now rests on Palmer and this team over the remainder of the season . Any Oakland Raiders’ fans who believe otherwise obviously have their heads buried in the sand !
tophatal …………….
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The Dolphins need to go for 0. Their need for a quarterback is obvious and a little Luck is just what they need.
I hope Palmer does well in Oakland. It would be nice to see the Raiders relevant again.
I’m off on vacation this afternoon so until next time, cheers my friend!
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aero
I don’t mind seeing the Dolphins tank their season because Chad Henne and Matt Moore aren’t cutting the mustard or anything else for that matter ! But knowing the stupidity of the front office of the organization these idiots are liable to pass on Luck . Jeff Ireland can’t spell the word ” talent” much spot it on a playing field !
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Need I say anymore on the subject ?
Stay safe while and do take in the site, especially the ones of the voluptuous semi clad female !
tophatal …………….
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McCourt has enough sense to be an NBA owner.
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That’s where you’re wrong by mentioning Frank McCourt in the same sentence as an NBA — franchise owner gives credence that they have an IQ ! In reality the owners , league hierarchy , union and McCourt are fu##ing idiots ! 😛
There are idiots within this forum opining on owners such as David Glass , Bob Nutting , Lew Wolff and Fred Wilpon as if they’ve been great for the game and talking about building for the future in terms of their respective franchises . These owners and some of the patrons , much like the MLB hierarchy are in a semi comatose state because they’re well on the way to being fu_#ing brain dead !
Tell me how those respective franchises have been doing over the last five years ?
If I’m not mistaken isn’t there a better way in terms of an art form of doing this ?
😛
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😉
tophatal …………. 🙂
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Chris Humpherys (@SportsChump)
Let me put this more succinctly the owners within MLB and the NBA are given way too much credence as to their apparent intelligence . If they were all that bright then both of the sports in question wouldn’t have the financial insolvency problems that they continue to have brought on by their own malfeasance and stupidity . There are idiots in and outside of this forum who claim that they have knowledge about the game but from a business standpoint they’re as dumb as a box of fucking rocks !
🙂
tophatal ……………. 😉
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Stupid is as stupid does. Bud Selig and Frank McCourt are birds of a feather. JAX is dead. Fire Del Rio. The Doncos I mean Broncos have another idiot head coach-John Fox. He is medicore at best. Ther Raiders are the old fashioned team pond and ground and then hit the home run ball. an Al Davis speciality. The AFC Westv will be fun.
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Bobby Gee
You’re right birds of feather do flock together ! . McCourt has plundered the coffers of the Dodgers and gotten off Scott free for the present . Selig has been plundering the league as a whole by way of the exorbitant salary he’s been averaging each year for the last five years which is said to be in excess of $15 million a year . So I’ve no malice towards these idiot owners within baseball or the league hierarchy for that matter . I just want them simply to go to hell ! Specifically because they’re all a bunch of fucking crooks to begin with !
The AFC West will be a highly contested division in which I now expect the Chargers and Raiders to “Duke it out ” for the privilege to be called the divisional champion !
😛
🙂
tophatal …. 😉
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So is Selig ever going to leave his post? That’s Frank’s only hope now that he has sole possession of the team. It’s a shame they can’t even do anything with the team since he’s so broke. Wasting away the talents of Kemp and Kershaw is the biggest travesty.
It doesn’t even look like the Dolphins need to try to suck for luck, their players seem to do a pretty good job without any added help!
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chappy
Well he’s due to step down at the end of the 2012 season but for me that’s far too long to wait ! Frank McCourt is still banking on the fact that the tv deal with the local LA Fox affiliate will get final approval from the league hierarchy . As to the presiding judge in the bankruptcy proceedings (Chapter 11) he has to be entirely happy with deal and that is amenable to the creditors .
From my standpoint as a player on that Dodgers’ team why would anyone want to stay there ? It’s not as if they’re even the best team within the division to begin with . And given the financial uncertainty if I were Kemp and Kershaw I would want out , rather than remain with an organization that’s bereft of intelligence within the front office never mind the issues with the coaching staff ! As good as Don Mattingly is as a manager I think he’ll be hampered by the ownership office and their overall reluctance to spend money .
The woes of the Jaguars and Dolphins have been brought on the by the sheer stupidity of the respective owners in Wayne Weaver and a front office that wouldn’t know talent if it bit them on the ass . It is the same too with Stephen Ross and Jeff Ireland !
Jenny McCarthy …
😛
tophatal ……
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aero
This just in the Cuban and Haitian communities in South Florida have offered their assistance to the Miami Dolphins by performing voodoo and Santeria rituals at Dolphins Stadium for the remainder of their scheduled home games . For away games both High Priests and Witch Doctors have said that they will give the players a potion that makes them stand erect , play with more aggression and passion . It’s amazing what you can do by crushing some Viagra pills , mixing in chicken blood and rat’s piss isn’t it ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!! Their offer however has been turned down by the Dolphins’ front office .
Maya Sakura . No wonder things can get so hot in Malaysia !
😛
tophatal …….
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