Thursday, February 25, 2016

BREAK'S UP

I purposely took a break from blogging during the too-hyped Super Bowl 50 period due in part to the divisive nature of the media in comparing Cam Newton and Peyton Manning. I purposely negated my desire to watch SportsCenter, NFL Network and others for over kill, sensationalism, bias and slanted reporting that would increase my blood pressure. The intentional acts of a majority of media have really soured me on any major event where this kind of peripheral activity occurs. I simply wanted to watch the game and I, for the most part, accomplished that.

©2016 The Sporting News

I since realize the Peyton Manning HGH story never got traction; and now that his college transgressions have resurfaced I doubt they'll stay around long. I heard about the "sore loser" tag that was unfairly hung on a young quarterback with high expectations of himself and so my break extended until a normal BP number was achieved LOL. 

With that all in the rear view I can now turn to the combine, the NBA and baseball reporting to spring training. So much content in all of this were does one start? I will simply say I'm enjoying the Golden State Warriors and their record breaking run sans a super start that fits the typical mold. Steph Curry is making every college coach and pro scout a little more accountable to value heart and talent, not just size and speed. But realizing he is so unique will temper the expectations for a quick find. Steph's only come along ever once in a great while. Enjoy it while you can...

©2016 NY Times

The NFL combine is always a favorite of mine because you're always pleasantly surprised at the speed of someone you didn't know, who emerges as a prize pick.  And yes you're disappointed sometimes at the players who have penciled themselves in as a top pick only to be unimpressive at the combine because they didn't take it seriously. I marvel at 300 pound linemen running sub-5 second 40's showing the speed of this game is faster than we realize. The combine is a great place to evaluate physical talent but I'm not sure of the mental talent evaluation when test are skewed and quite frankly not indicative of a person's ability to handle pressure. It's amazing how many players come in highly touted and leave the league highly disappointed based on that one criteria. Quite simply the NFL combine is a roll of the dice and people get more credit and blame for how picks pan out than they deserve. Honestly I don't see it going away any time soon.

And now baseball and the long, hot days of summer are fast approaching. The great thing about pitchers and catchers reporting is spring is just around the corner and sunshine with it. The salaries are still skyrocketing and where it stops nobody knows. Average hitters are making more money then an entire corporation and hitting a measly .240; and pitchers with high ERA's are cashing in as well. Baseball is a game every one wishes they were playing because quite simply, outside of all the travel, the pay is so out of balance with performance it's literally criminal. But if the owners are going to give you that kind of money for that kind of performance take it!

©2016 Sirrusxm.com

Well it could be a long year for several teams including the Cincinnati Reds who are still trying to trade away the real talent, for the rebuilding process. When a team comes out of the gate slow the attendance estimate could take a nose dive. I mean if you're 20 games back before the All-Star break and you're not hitting and fielding, then the trend may get worse. So Reds fans hold on to your cap and brace yourself. Who knows though, we could be pleasantly surprised...



March Madness is sneaking into the picture and you know I haven't forgotten about that. But it deserves its own blog post from me and so many other journalist so stay tuned. This time of year is arguably one of the best in the history of sports. With Baseball back on center stage, NCAA tournament beginning, the NFL combine and the NBA season heading down the home stretch, sports is utopia across the board. I'm going to enjoy it and try to remember to set the DVR, watch the sports networks and listen to sports talk radio. There is too much going on for one person to keep up with stay knowledgeable and on point. 

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.