General

Shanoff’s W.U.C.: NBA Trades, Yuri, Junior

Feb 19, 2009, 1:21 PM UTC

Today’s Calls: NBA Trades vs. NBA Competitiveness, A-Rod vs. Yuri Sucart, Derek Jeter vs. Ken Griffey, Baron Davis vs. Tyson Chandler, Notre Dame vs. Illinois, Julius Peppers vs. Albert Haynesworth and More.â†µâ†µThe Opening Pitch: Is the NBA Trade Deadline about making contenders better? No, the dominant theme seems to be “economic survival.”â†µ

â†µâ†µWelcome to the NBA in 2009, where contending for a title takes a backseat to managing your payroll.â†µ

â†µâ†µAs I have mentioned throughout the week, there are no more than a half-dozen teams that seem to sincerely care about winning a title this season -- Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Cavs, maybe the Magic ... I struggle to add to that list. (Rockets? In November, yes; now without T-Mac, no. This Baron Davis rumor was interesting, but it looks like it was just that.)â†µ

â†µâ†µOtherwise, here’s the reality: Your team isn’t competing for a title, and it is questionable whether they care more about winning games than slimming salaries. (Given the current economic climate, I don’t necessarily blame them.)â†µ

â†µâ†µBut look at the rumor mill at the NBA’s trade deadline: The Nets are shopping Vince Carter. Why? Salary. The Wizards are shopping Antawn Jamison, re-signed just this past summer. Why? Salary. (The Hornets cynically traded Tyson Chandler for salary reasons; the irony is that it blew up in their face.)â†µ

â†µâ†µOther teams are standing pat, because they don’t want to mess around with their financial flexibility -- many claim to be planning ahead for this mythical 2010 free-agent season. What gets left unsaid: Your team is ready to essentially tank it for the rest of this season AND all of next season.â†µ

â†µâ†µAnd there are no guarantees that your team isn’t using “2010” as a smokescreen to avoid paying for competitiveness, period. I guarantee you a bunch of teams who shout “2010!” now will “just miss out” on the best free agents two summers from now and merely use it to buckle down their payroll even more.â†µ

â†µâ†µWhen only a handful of teams are legitimate contenders and the rest of the league has basically packed it in for the next two seasons (or longer), the NBA’s salary structure is woefully broken. So I’d like to propose a trade: â†µ

â†µâ†µTrade the NBA’s system for the NFL’s, where teams can cut players -- and salary -- anytime. We can even blame the economy.â†µ

â†µ

â†µName to Know: Yuri Sucart. He is A-Rod's cousin -- yes, "that" cousin -- living in Miami with his family, and about to have his life upended by the media. Cousin Alex may be removed from the Christmas card list.â†µ

â†µâ†µJeter finally talks about A-Rod: “We’re here to support him through it. I don’t condone what he did. We don’t condone what he did. And Alex doesn’t condone what he did.â†µ

â†µâ†µ“And I think at this point now it’s our jobs to try to help him be as comfortable as he can on the field and try to move past this.”â†µ

â†µâ†µJeter also got testy when he was asked about the “everyone was doing it” theory. He strongly denied he ever took any sort of PEDs. (Did any reporter ask him if he ever -- EVER -- took any sort of amphetamine stimulant ... even before MLB banned them and “everyone” was using them?)â†µ

â†µâ†µPoll: Keep A-Rod out of Hall? I don’t think so. In the white-hot glare of the scandal, only 52 percent of fans polled don’t want to see A-Rod in the Hall; that will decline dramatically as his career continues and beyond, during his 5-year Hall wait-period after his career is over.â†µ

â†µâ†µMeanwhile, the more interesting number is this: 55 percent of fans said they “cared a lot” about players using steroids. Fifty-five percent may seem like a lot, but it’s down huge from 71 percent two years ago. Moral relativism rules! (I presume this was a poll taken of MLB fans, not NFL fans -- who can’t possibly care.)â†µ

â†µâ†µMLB wants to talk to A-Rod: Of course they do. But should he talk with THEM? They say it’s “non-disciplinary,” but what incentive does A-Rod have to tell MLB any more than he told the public on Tuesday? What he says will inevitably be leaked. MLB should have had this conversation with him in ... 2003.â†µ

â†µâ†µNBA Instant History:â†µ

â†µâ†µ• The NON-Trade: Is there anything quite as awkward as being traded, then having the trade get nixed because of your physical health, then having to go back to the team that traded you? (Hey, at least the Hornets showed they are motivated with or without Tyson Chandler, destroying the Magic.)â†µ

â†µâ†µ• Suns rising: OK, the Suns are on to something -- they went 140+ for the 2nd straight game, and suddenly Alvin Gentry looks like the coach who let the Suns be the Suns again. ...â†µ

â†µâ†µ• Jermaine O’Neal’s debut for the Heat? He got injured and they lost to the T’wolves. Inauspicious. â†µ

â†µâ†µNFL Combine: The offensive tackles will work out today, and they are as deep of a group at the top as fans have seen in a long time. Call this the “Blind Side Draft.” (Yes, of all of them, I’m a sucker for Michael Oher.)â†µ

â†µâ†µNFL Hot Stove: Julius Peppers wants to play for the Cowboys. Yeah, I’m sure the Panthers will rush to make a deal to send their star D-lineman to a rival for the conference title.â†µ

â†µâ†µ(Contrast that with the situation in Tennessee: Albert Haynesworth might be interested in playing for lowly Detroit? I think the Titans can afford to see him go there, knowing he won’t be coming back to haunt them in the playoff chase.)â†µ

â†µâ†µMLB Hot Stove: Ken Griffey is going back to Seattle, and no matter what his stats might be, the fans are going to go crazy for him. He made the right choice. (Willie Mays approves, too.)â†µ

â†µâ†µCBB Mania: â†µ

â†µâ†µ• It seemed unfathomable just a few weeks ago, but could Notre Dame miss the NCAA Tournament? (Between ND and G’town, the Bubblers in the Big East would compete for a conference title in almost every other high-major conference.)â†µ

â†µâ†µ• Karmic payback for Illinois’ last-second win at Northwestern a week ago that effectively ended any chances the Wildcats had of making their first NCAA Tournament? Losing in Champaign to Penn State in a 38-33 debacle.â†µ

â†µâ†µ• How valuable is Stephen Curry to Davidson? Without him, they got crushed at home by The Citadel.â†µ

â†µâ†µ• Injury: Butler loses its 2nd straight. Insult: Clock snafu might have cost them the game. (Although they really didn’t deserve to win it, anyway.)â†µ

â†µâ†µ• (Similarly, as Jack McClinton goes, so goes Miami. Right onto the outer reaches of the Bubble.)â†µ

â†µâ†µCFB: Mike Leach is totally baffled by his situation at Texas Tech. After you read this SN interview with him and check out the terms that TT demands that he accept, you’ll agree with him.â†µ

â†µâ†µBCS Mess: Utah IS No. 1. Who needs the BCS title or the AP title when you can have Mike Florio’s College Football Talk title.â†µ

â†µâ†µNHL: Yet another YouTube-worthy goal by Alexander Ovechkin.â†µ

â†µâ†µFab Five reunion? I can already tell you that my favorite part of the 2009 Final Four in Detroit will be the proposed reunion of Michigan’s Fab Five, arguably the most influential starting 5 (baggy shorts! low-cut black socks! bald heads!) in 40 years -- and the most successful recruiting class ever: Chris, Jalen, Juwon, Jimmy, Ray.â†µ

â†µâ†µThe Last Word: “I’m feeling great. I’m feeling really good. Everything is progressing just as I expected.” -- Tom Brady, on his recovery. (For those of you who are paying attention to it. What -- you’re not?)â†µ

â†µâ†µ“It’s just a matter of getting to that time. I wish it was right around the corner. I wish it was here now. It’s not, but the competitor in me has to sit back and wait and continue to work and try to get stronger. â†µ

â†µâ†µDan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning for SportingNews.com and blogs daily at DanShanoff.com. Got any comments, questions or feedback? Email Dan at shanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com. â†µ

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