They're at the post

Time to wrap things up around here, right in the middle of our Blue Jay bloggers roundtable, but before dispensing with the usual send-off into the weekend, a note pointing ahead to next week -- specifically Tuesday, in conjunction with the Jays' 30th season opener. If you have any opening-day memories, stories and anecdotes send 'em along and we'll have some fun -- you might even win a prize from the library for it. Oh, and speaking of opening day . . .

Sports around town. It's Woodbine, back in the saddle on Saturday, with lots of talk about the installation of a Polytrack surface this summer (how long until the drums start beating for year-round thoroughbred racing in these parts? They're kicking around the artificial dirt even in better climes like California). Here's one to check in on from time to time: Longtime Star handicapper Jennifer Morrison has her own blog.

One last look. Andrea Bargnani - the next Nowitzki?, and another clip over at Raptorblog. One thing we do know: Bryan Colangelo likes him a lot, and he's not alone among the NBA GM fraternity.

Two One last read(s). Following on Bargnani, Raptors HQ has its latest European update, and to augment your Final Four viewing, check out Scott Carefoot's top 10.

The highest-valued sports club in the world has the Red Devil Airbus A380 to prove it (thanks to Alex Della Rocca for the picture).

Factoid. Combining those Forbes franchise values from Thursday, here's the top 10 franchises overall (soccer, and the four top North American pro leagues) plus some others of interest (US $):

Manchester United $1,373 million
Washington Redskins 1,274 mil.
Dallas Cowboys 1,063 mil.
New England Patriots 1,040 mil.
Real Madrid 1,012 mil.
Philadelphia Eagles 952 mil.
New York Yankees 950 mil.
Houston Texans 946 mil.
AC Milan 921 mil.
Denver Broncos 907 mil.
Plus:
Boston Red Sox 563 mil. (No. 2 in MLB)
New York Knicks 543 mil. (No. 1 in NBA)
Toronto Maple Leafs 325 mil. (No. 1 in NHL)
Toronto Raptors 278 mil.
Toronto Blue Jays 214 mil.

Watching. LSU vs. UCLA, NCAA semifinal, Saturday, 8:30 p.m., Sportsnet/CBS. Lots to choose from this weekend, but LSU look to me like the class of this tournament -- which means they're probably going to lose, the way this tournament has gone.

Not watching. Friday Night Fights, Saturday, 8 p.m., TSN. If it's Saturday, why are they called Friday Night Fights?

Jay bloggers' roundtable, Part II

Picking up from where we left off in Part I, the doughty crew having listed the Indians as the lukewarm choice in the AL Central and expressed general optimism that spring has sprung, etc . . .

JABS: Before we head to fantasyland, what about the AL West? I find this division kind of dull, but perhaps it’s because it's just so far away. Is there more to life out there than moneyball and rally monkeys?

PISTOL: In the standings probably not, but every fifth Mariner game will be a must-see game with King Felix taking the hill. He's going to get Cy Young votes this year and he's only 20.

DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR

Felix Hernandez: He'll get Cy Young votes, says Pistol.

MAGPIE: I think 2006 is Oakland's year. It may have to be - the Angels have hordes of exciting young talent just banging on the gates.
I keep expecting Buck Showalter to do in Texas what he did in New York and Arizona - put together a contender, and get kicked out the door in time for his successor to inherit the glory. And just two years ago, the Rangers won 89 games and looked ready to mix it up with the A's and the Angels. But it still looks like no one, Buck included, has figured out how to assemble a pitching staff that can get through a season in Arlington.

MARK: Texas could factor into the picture, but the race should ultimately come down to the Angels and the Athletics. Unlike in past years, I don't think it'll be much of a race. To me, the Athletics are clearly the better team, both offensively and defensively. Billy Beane has assembled a well-balanced roster with very few holes and plenty of depth, while the Angels' roster features one too many overpaid players who are in their decline phase. Although the Angels possess plenty of talent, I expect the Athletics to win the division by at least five games.

JIM: The honour of being the Third Man falls to Texas. We know the Rangers can score. Your offence is doing something right when your secondary hitters - Dellucci, Barajas and Matthews - combine for 67 homers. The pitching should be improved with Millwood and Padilla. Personally, I don't get dealing Chris Young for Adam Eaton, but the rotation should still outperform Chan Ho and the Camera Slayers. I doubt it'll be enough to catch Oakland's combination of pitching and young offence, but there should be plenty of fireworks before the west is won.

JABS: You don’t get them dealing Chris Young? Tell me about it.

JIM: From 2005:

................ AGE G .. GS . IP ...... H . HR .. BB . SO . W-L ... ERA
Young ........26 . 31 . 31 . 164.2 162 . 19 . 45 . 137 . 12-7 . 4.26
Eaton ........ 27 . 24 . 22 . 128.2 140 . 14 . 44 . 100 . 11-5 . 4.27

Their records are close, with Young posting superior strikeout and walk rates and fewer hits per inning. But consider that Young did this in the best hitter's park in a DH league, while Eaton pitched in one of the best pitcher's parks in the NL, and Young's season is quite a bit more impressive. Young is also 18 months younger than Eaton and entering just his second full season, while Eaton will be a free agent at the end of the year and figures to get expensive.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chris Young: You knew he'd show up here.

Eaton does have a better record of success over multiple years, and has always been perceived as a guy with the potential to be an ace. If the Rangers see Young as a one-year wonder then maybe there's some wisdom in trading him when his value is high, but you would think a team like Texas - desperate to produce a quality starter for so long - would give Young another shot.

CHRIS: There’ll be no more to life in the AL West than Rally Monkeys and Moneyball from now through 2020. Blanton, Harden, Haren, Barton, Crosby, Street vs. Wood, Kendrick, Morales, Aybar, Santana, Mathis from 2007 on. The best all-around systems in baseball, hands down.

AARON: How will the Angels compete with only one Molina? When you separate them, you diminish their powers.

JABS: I’m a little suspicious at all this unanimity, but let’s move on to quick fantasy notes, and Pistol mentioned Felix Hernandez while Jim lobs Chris Young into the mix (By the way, if the D-backs ever deal outfielder Chris Young for pitcher Chris Young, would that be the first time players of the same name had been traded for each other – to say nothing of the blogging possibilities in this space?) Who do you see as some young players who are going to outperform their auction values this season – and who are the ones to avoid?

MARK: I'm not aware of any instances when two players of the same name were traded for each other, but I do remember when Bobby J. Jones and Bobby M. Jones were teammates on the Mets. I think Josh Willingham will provide a lot of value relative to his draft position. He'll spend most of the season in the Marlins' outfield, but he qualifies at catcher and should match, if not better, the offensive totals of backstops taken approximately ten rounds before him.
On the other hand, a young player I'd be wary of is Robinson Cano. His minor league track record isn't that great, as he only performed well when he repeated a league, and various projection systems predict a slight regression. In my opinion, he's been chosen too early in almost every league I've participated in.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Robinson Cano: Don't overvalue him, Mark warns.

JABS: Cano is going to go high. He's a Yankee, coming off a good debut year. What about Johnny Damon in the Bronx? Anything to take note of there, before you jump in with both feet on draft day?

MARK: First and foremost, I look for value relative to draft position. As a result, I rarely have Yankees on my team, because they're simply overvalued as a result of overexposure, contract size, past glory, etc. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if his replacement in Boston, Coco Crisp, outperforms, or at least matches, his production this season. Other than that, Damon's a dependable player who plays 145+ games a year and should fare well relative to other outfielders. But so should Crisp and several others who'll likely be drafted at least a round or two later.

PISTOL: Things will vary from league to league. I actually found in my auction league that young players (and Young players) went significantly higher than I expected, and higher than they should have. I always like having a productive catcher since there's so few. I'd get my hands on Martinez or Mauer if it's possible. I also think David Wright will be a top 10 fantasy player this year. On the pitching side of things I like Bonderman, Webb, and Lackey to take another step forward this year.

JABS: Why do you think the young 'uns went earlier than usual? And I notice Kyle Lohse is 4-0 in the spring. When does he turn into Kyle Lohse?

PISTOL: Young players go higher than they should because expectations exceed realistic expectations. You may hear that Ryan Zimmerman will be the next Scott Rolen, but he's not going to reach that level for a few seasons, especially in the power department in RFK -- but someone will bid him too high. Lohse's peripherals looks the same as they always do. There's no reason to think he's any different now than he has been in the past. Wins are pretty meaningless for pitchers.

CHRIS: The young players I am eyeing this year are Curtis Granderson, Joe Blanton, Scott Kazmir and Fernando & Daniel Cabrera. Granderson has the starting CF job in Detroit, and looks to go 20-20 this year. Blanton and Kazmir are for real, and proved as much last season, especially down the stretch. F. Cabrera should be Cleveland's closer by mid-season & D. Cabrera has nasty, nasty stuff, and looks to be ready to break through with Leo Mazzone in his ear. I am avoiding Bobby Jenks, who has already lost his sole-closer role, and up to 5 MPH off his fastball, in spring training, Dallas McPherson, who looks to have been passed on the depth chart by Kendry Morales, and King Felix, who I think will be great this season, but not top 5 SP $$$ great.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Uh-oh, looks like another case of Pavanoitis.

AARON: I have two pieces of fantasy advice:
1) if you have a significant other who is not into baseball, the best thing you can do for your own baseball-watching habits is get her into a fantasy league. It may require some serious coaxing, but I found that saying something like "Remember the time you told me I should put emulsifying clay in my hair because it would look really great, and I was really resistant to put something brown and smelly in my hair? But I did it, right? And my hair looks great, right? Now I love the emulsifying clay! And I think it'll be the same with you and fantasy baseball." Really, it was the best thing I ever did. I turned my baseball-is-so-boring wife into a ticker-watching maniac who enjoyed rubbing it in my face when her waiver pickups worked out better than I said they would. And even if you don't like the emulsifying clay, it is key to tell her that you like it and that you never would have tried it without her. You love the emulsifying clay. It looks great. Keep telling yourself that.
If you are single and this does not apply to you, my fantasy advice is Do Not Date Actresses, No Matter How Normal And Well Adjusted They Seem.
2) my sleeper pick is Luis Sojo.

MAGPIE: I'm not a fantasy player. I do know that Young Pitchers Will Break Your Heart, even worse than the women do. In this context, that would mean that King Felix or Kazmir or Bonderman, even if they pitch very well and strike out 200 batters, could easily go 12-14 at the same time. My best fantasy tip - shun Adam Eaton!

CHRIS: Come draft day I too have two simple rules -- Rule One: No beer until after the draft. I like beer, I don't like being saddled with a way overpriced Carl Pavano because I thought another owner was looking at me funny. Which leads me to Rule Two . . . No Yankee off-season SP signings. Just call it Pavanoitis or Brown's Disease. New York kills free agent pitching--steer clear.

(On Monday, Part III and a look at the Toronto Blue Jays.)

Soccer's moneyed elite

Forbes has just come out with its another one of its annual and invaluable sports franchise valuations, this one on the megabuck world of big-time European football, er, soccer, as we call it, and as usual there's lots of good reading.

These things are invariably bollocked by team owners, but as estimates go they're pretty good.

What's notable here? Off a quick first glance, Arsenal's value has increased the most among top clubs over the past year, at 37 per cent (after a 27 per cent increase in '05) and they are now rated by Forbes analysts at No. 4 overall, behind the unchanged top 3 of Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan. With the new Emirates Stadium (cap. 60,000) opening next season to replace the 38,500-seat Highbury and a bevy of emerging stars, the Gunners are heading into a golden era:

Arsenal rose the most in value during the past year because prior to the 2006-07 season the team will move into a $700 million stadium that could increase its annual revenue by as much as $60 million. More than $1.5 billion in stadium improvement subsidies by the German government to prepare for hosting the 2006 World Cup markedly improved values for Bayern Munich, Schalke 04 and Bayer Leverkusen.

Where does that leave Thierry Henry, who has fallen down to 12th on the top 20 highest paid players? No wonder this guy's leaving his options open.

Jay bloggers' roundtable, Part I

Over the next three days, ready or not, it’s the 2006 Baseball Jays Bloggers E-mail Roundtable!

Ladies and gentleman, introducing your Blue Jay bloggers:

First up, Mark Willis-O’Connor of Bluebird Banter, a 20-year-old university student who just started blogging in December, but he shows plenty of promise: “Like most Torontonians old enough to drive, I remember where I was the night Joe Carter "touched 'em all" to win the World Series: in my parents' room watching on a little 16" Hitachi television, wondering how I managed to stay up past eleven o'clock (I was a very naive 8-year-old). I'm not overly superstitious, so I don't have a lucky jersey, baseball, or bloody sock a la Curt Schilling, of course. However, I did carry a stress ball whenever Miguel Batista came in to close games last season. It came in handy.”

RICHARD LAUTENS/TORONTO STAR

A healthy Roy Halladay, some top-drawer signings - things are looking up . . .

Aaron Reynolds has been photographing and writing about the Jays for the top-drawer Batter's Box blog since 2003: “ I never intended to end up writing about baseball on the internet -- initially, I was just trying to gather some loud fans together to liven up the Rogers Centre. If you remember the big bass drum up in the 500 level from a couple of seasons back, that was us.”

Next up, Dan (Magpie) McIlroy, also of Batter’s Box: “I don't think of myself as a blogger, and I'm not much of a numbers guy, although they kid me about my Data Tables. I never gave the subject much thought. I started writing at Batter's Box at the beginning of 2005. I was interested in rather odd projects, like... oh, a 9,000-word essay on the 1912 season. The lads at the box said "Cool, go for it." So I do.”

At cleanup, the third from Batter’s Box, it’s Kurt (Pistol) Lamont: “A part of Batter's Box for several years, I grew up a Jays fan on the south side of Lake Ontario in the 80s. I now reside in Red Sox nation as perhaps the only Jays fan that isn't employed by the team or a member of their family.”

Right behind Kurt in the order is Toronto Baseball Guys, Jim Turner doing the 'splainin': “We launched March 1, 2003, in an attempt to add something unique and fairly irreverent to the baseball landscape. At the time it seemed the mainstream media was more interested in taking shots at the GM than genuine analysis, and we thought we could do better." Jim is joined by a trio of friends from TBG's and their favourite baseball memories: Sean Doyle - Game 6 of the 1992 World Series, crowded around a tiny black and white TV with friends and watching Mike Timlin field Otis Nixon's bunt; Christopher James - Emerging from two baseball-free years in Eastern Europe to find Tony Fernandez, age 37: a) back on the Blue Jays, playing 3B, b) on the all star team and c) flirting with .400; Joel Williams - Alomar off Eck in the 1992 ALCS (and oh yeah, here's Jim's - The first 8 2/3 innings of any of Dave Stieb's one-hitters).

Next up, Darryl Lierman of Blue Jay Way, launched on June 6th, 2002: "It has grown by leaps and bounds, especially in the last 12 months. Been able to feature interviews with people such as past players such as George Bell and Pat Hentgen, to management staff like J.P. Ricciardi and Dickie Scott, to players prospects like Kevin Cash and Josh Banks. My favourite baseball memory has to be Joe Carter’s home run – sure, 99 per cent of Jays fans will say that, but it felt extra special for me because it was the same day as my 14th birthday. My favourite baseball memento would be a Juan Guzman autographed card, not so much for the player, but because it was a unexpected gift from my grandmother.”

RICK EGLINTON/TORONTO STAR

. . . Though there's a long way to go to these kind of glory days.

So there's your program (whew! that's some heavy lumber there). The plan is to handle the intros and some opening-day optimistic thoughts and a quick look at the AL Central in this Part I. Part II on Friday will finish off the AL and move to a few, um, fantasy possibilities. Then Part III on Monday will be all-Jays, setting up Tuesday's Opening Night.

With that ceremonial first pitch out of the way, let’s get started.

JABS: I realized, I guess it was around mid-February, that I was actually hungering for the upcoming season. And that hasn't happened to me for at least 10 years. Obviously that has a lot to do with the Jays' moves, and we'll talk about those later -- but you guys are hooked into this more than I am. Generally, how pumped are you for the season, and have you any sense of the level of interest your blog's readers have for the upcoming season?

AARON: In '03 I bleached my hair and then dyed it Jays blue for Opening Day; bleaching it hurt so much that I swore I'd never do it again, but I thought long and hard about doing it this year. I still might.
There's a definite split among both the readers and the writers at Batter's Box: the majority seem to have really, deliriously high hopes for the upcoming season, but there's a minority that includes a couple of really smart people who I usually listen to because they're brighter than me who don't see that big an improvement in the team. Not that they think that the team hasn't improved, because it would be really hard to argue that the team isn't better this year than last year, but more that they think the '05 Jays were lucky, and that the '06 Jays have improved enough to not be as lucky and finish with the same record. Vegas seems to agree, predicting that Burnett, Ryan, Glaus, Overbay and Molina plus a full season of Roy Halladay will only give the Jays about six more wins.

MARK: I'm always very excited for baseball at this point in the season. The weather is slowly becoming more benign, which, to those in cold climates, signals that the dawn of a new, exciting season is upon us. Judging by the reactions of Blue Jays fans I encounter everyday -- both via the Internet and in person -- I sense that the excitement level is particularly high this year. Of course, that's directly related to the fact that Ricciardi has assembled what many perceive to be a playoff-calibre team that's poised to dethrone the Yankees and the Red Sox. My main concern, however, is whether the excitement and support will remain as elevated should the team succumb to a slow start. Although, I certainly hope my concern becomes alleviated by a red-hot April.

PISTOL: The busiest month at Batter's Box was this past December when the Jays signed Burnett and traded for Glaus and Overbay, so reader interest has definitely picked up. Personally, the start of any baseball season is enough to get me pumped. However, now that Jays have made it through the rebuilding years and have a team capable of making the playoffs my excitement level is higher this year than any time since 1993.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Francisco Liriano: Magpie's excited about his potential.

DARRYL: I’m very excited for this coming season; heck, I’ve been out throwing the baseball around myself in 3 degree weather. Each and every season I always get pumped for Jays baseball, but coming into this year it’s the return of an old feeling. Not since the Clemens signing have Jays fan had the chance to see their team pick up the best players on the market. But this year it’s even beyond that, they just didn't get the best starter. They got the best closer, starter, catcher and 2 top-flight corner infielders. The month of December was a dream for fans. On Blue Jay Way we saw our biggest numbers ever in terms of traffic. I haven't seen fan interest like this since the glory days, people actually have the we-can-win mentality back. And it's not the hey we can sneak in via the wild card, it's we can win our way in.

JIM: Our numbers are way up, with referrals showing that lots of people are Googling names like Ryan, Burnett and Overbay. Whether you like what the Jays did or not, they have certainly stirred up some interest. For any baseball fan, spring training always has the lure of "maybe." Maybe that kid pitcher is the new Dwight Gooden, maybe last year's rookies will hit better, maybe we signed Jason Giambi's chemist, maybe this is OUR year. Even if you root for the Kansas City Royals, and your particular "maybe" involves rising flood waters throughout the cities of the AL Central, that old cliche that everyone is still in contention provides some hope. How many people really thought last year would be the year of the White Sox? For Jays fans, just the prospect of a full season from a healthy Roy Halladay is exciting, as it was last year. Add in all these shiny new players and the real games can't start soon enough.

MAGPIE: All this optimism makes me nervous. No good reason, it just does. We were pretty optimistic heading into 2004, as I recall. Coming off an 86-win season. That didn't work too well. (Next Monday, by the way, I intend to remind everybody, in Gruesome Detail, exactly what happened in 2004.)

JABS: We can get into the Jays in depth a little later, but right now I want to ask you about the AL in general. The White Sox surprised a lot of people last year. Magpie, you're a numbers-historical kind of guy -- why did they surprise people, and how do you see their chances at repeating the same kind of season?

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bobby Jenks: Where'd he come from?

MAGPIE: Obviously the 2005 White Sox surprised me - I wrote the Box preview for them last year (and this!) and I saw them finishing third. I thought they'd lost a ton of offence and the improved pitching wouldn't make up for it. As it happened, they did lose an enormous amount of offence – they scored 124 fewer runs in 2005 than the previous year. Huge, huge fall-off. But the pitching was so much better - in a home run park, no less - that they were a much better team anyway. Mostly because Garland in the first half, and Contreras in the second half, took a big leap forward. And the team defence was much improved as well. Iguchi, Pierzynski, and Rowand had a lot to do with that.
Can they do it again? Well, Jim Thome is a great hitter, and if they get 130 games out of him, it helps a whole lot. My main reservation about the White Sox is mostly just the law of averages catching up. They had a lot of very good fortune last year. Granted, you need that when you have to win it all. But they were extremely good in close games, which doesn't tend to hold up from year to year. Even the things that went wrong in 2005 somehow went right for them anyway. When their closer (Takatsu) was awful, they plugged in Hermansen (who was brilliant). When Hermansen got hurt, they plugged in Bobby Jenks (who they picked up off the scrap heap.) That sort of thing makes you think the dice were just a little loaded. I think they'll win 90 plus games, and not make it to the post-season.

JABS: Not even to the postseason -- well, the AL Central is turning into a pretty good division. Cleveland has to keep improving – I think Sizemore is the best young player in the majors -- and Minnesota can do better than last year's disappointment. Some are talking about the Tigers, though I don't see it. If the AL East is the best division, can we say this is the second best division in the big leagues? Who do you guys see coming out of it?

MAGPIE: I think it's Cleveland's year, it should be close, and it should be great fun. I don't think the Twins will be a factor, because I don't see where the offence comes from. I am very, very excited about Francisco Liriano - but young pitchers will break your heart if you count on them. (Detroit may sing that song too, although Bonderman and Verlander just might explode on the league.)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Curtis Granderson: In good company with Gibson (left) and Trammell (right).

PISTOL: The AL is as balanced as its been in recent years. The past few years it was almost a given that the Red Sox and Yankees would take the wild card with the other winning the division. Now I think they've both have slipped a bit and the wild card can come from any of the AL divisions. I'm not sure there's a clear ranking of the divisions. They're all pretty similar - two main teams at the top with a definite third team that can challenge the top two. In the Central that's the White Sox and Indians with the Twins as a dark horse. The Indians are probably the popular pick but it's not often that teams continually make smooth improvements in wins each year and Cleveland has gone from 68 wins in 2003 to 80 wins to 93 wins last year. I expect a drop from there this season which should be enough for the White Sox to take the division with about 90 wins that Magpie expects.

MARK: To be honest, it's incredible how competitive the American League projects to be, especially relative to the noticeably weaker National League. In my view, nine teams -- New York, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Cleveland, Minnesota, Oakland, Anaheim, and Texas -- are legitimate contenders for the playoffs. And it wouldn't be too much a stretch to include Baltimore in that group, either.
As for the AL Central in particular, I share a similar view to Magpie. Ultimately, according to baseball savant Dan Fox, Chicago's and Cleveland's 2005 won-lost records adjusted for luck were 89-73 and 88-74, respectively (NOTE: Fox has gone back at these numbers, and suggests the White Sox were a very lucky bunch indeed). Clearly, either of the two -- or Minnesota, lest we forget -- could realistically win the division this season. My preseason favourite, however, is Cleveland, if only because of their youth.

CHRIS: While the White Sox did everything they had to this off-season to stay at the top of the heap (re: re-up Konerko), they also made a lot of noise that may not amount to anything … Admittedly, I am one of those guys who has my eyes on Tigers, drooling over the prospect of their prospects (I think Granderson, not Sizemore, will be the one to watch in the AL Central, and what about those young starters...), but I too think Cleveland will be the class of the division for some time to come. Youth, youth, youth, and an attitude of warriors that came out of nowhere last year. I mean did you see the way Martinez, Blake, and Boone turned it on in the second half? They each had such poor starts that on any other team they would have been long turfed, but given the chance, they not only pulled through, but each earned starters jobs again this coming year.
That fact, however, has as much to do with their perseverance as it does with the team’s brain trust. This is a smart club that rebuilt from the Belle/Lofton glory days awful quick, and they haven’t stopped looking forward. Instead of adding older former stars to the group this off-season, they added more youth, picking up future star Andy Marte and potential breakthrough LF Jason Michaels, as well as a decent SP in Paul Byrd. Cabrera throws bullets in the pen, and when Wickman finally falls, they will be fine with him and Mota. Oh, and then there are some kids named Hafner, Peralta, Martinez, and Sizemore. Even with a little evening out on this team (I think Sizemore will pick up whatever numbers Peralta loses, and without Howry and Rhodes, I do think the pen will be worse), these kids have the heart and youth to win for years, heart, youth, and hitting, plenty of hitting.

AARON: Cleveland is slaughtering the competition in Spring Training play, and we all know that means... nothing. Really, I don't pay enough attention outside of the AL East until the season is underway to know what's going on -- there's only so much space in my brain, and if I started paying attention to the ticker and actually caring what the Kansas City Royals were doing in the off-season, I'd probably end up divorced. But I do like Cleveland because they have Cliff Lee, and he was a centrepiece of a blockbuster, seven player trade I made when my fantasy team was tanking last year -- I traded everyone on my roster named Brad for everyone on another guy's roster named Cliff.
It didn't work out for either of us.

(Tomorrow, Part II: The AL West, and some fantasy thoughts).

Alternate Universe standings, Pt II

Tuesday's Champions League footy over in Europe delivered. Arsenal ran rampant and looked formidable everywhere but perhaps finishing (they should have had one or even two more than the 2-0 scoreline), while favoured Barcelona looked a bit ragged. Both were eminently watchable, and there's another set today, and return legs next week sandwiched around the meat and potatoes of league fare this weekend.

It's time to imagine an alternative reality along those lines over on this side of the Atlantic, following on Part I's NHL with a look at the NBA today.

Ed Betz/Associated Press

JABS' alternate universe has Larry Brown pointing to relegation.

Before going any further, here's some related reading:

When you look at the business of professional sports—in both Europe and the United States—American sports are virtually all socialistic while the European soccer leagues more closely resemble the entrepreneurial capitalism we (North) Americans fetishize.

In reality, the NBA grid has appeared pretty static this season, and the playoff races have mostly been rather joggerly thanks to the league's setup that grants top seeds to division-topping teams. The top four in the east are the same as they were on Jan. 1, for pete's sake, and only one team that were in the top eight on the first day of 2006, not even 30 games into the schedule, has fallen out (Orlando, replaced by Washington). Out west, there's a great Texas duel between San Antonio and Dallas, the top two teams in the conference -- but because there are too many divisions, the loser of this one will drop down to a No. 4 seed, behind the intriguing Phoenix Suns and the vastly inferior Denver Nuggets. The west overall has been a little more volatile this year: of the top 8 on Jan. 1, two have dropped out of the running (Minnesota and Golden State, replaced by the Nuggets and Sacramento).

Now let's have a look at the Alternate Universe, where last year's top 4 (the NBA finalists, and the next two best season records) are facing Europe's four best teams in the Hoops Champions League, while today's league standings are chock full of up-and-down drama:

(C-This season’s Basketball Champions League members; r-relegated; p-promoted; pp-promotion playoff; Divisions based on last year's records)

Premier Division
................................. W-L (GB)
C-Detroit ................... 56-14 (-)
C-San Antonio ............ 55-16 (1 1/2)
Dallas ........................ 54-17 (2 1/2)
C-Phoenix .................. 47-23 (9)
C-Miami ..................... 47-23 (9)
Denver ...................... 40-31 (16 1/2)
Sacramento ............... 35-36 (21 1/2)
Chicago ..................... 31-40 (25 1/2)
r-Houston .................. 30-40 (26)
r-Seattle ................... 29-41 (27)

Second Division
p-New Jersey ............. 41-28 (-)
pp-Cleveland .............. 41-29 (1/2)
pp-LA Clippers ............ 41-29 (1/2)
Memphis .................... 41-30 (1)
Washington ................ 37-33 (4 1/2)
Indiana ...................... 35-34 (6)
Philadelphia ................ 32-37 (9)
Minnesota .................. 29-41 (12 1/2)
r-Boston .................... 29-42 (13)
r-Orlando ................... 28-43 (14)

Third Division
p-LA Lakers ................ 38-34 (-)
pp-Milwaukee .............. 36-35 (1 1/2)
pp-Utah ..................... 33-37 (4)
New Orleans ................32-37 (4 1/2)
Golden State .............. 30-39 (6 1/2)
Toronto ..................... 26-44 (11)
Atlanta ...................... 21-48 (15 1/2)
Portland ..................... 20-50 (17)
r-New York ................. 19-50 (17 1/2)
r-Charlotte ................. 20-52 (18)

Alternate universe standings, Pt I

This being a day for the renewal of the Champions League, it’s time for an Alternate Universe post, as in: what if the NHL and the NBA did the same thing as European soccer does, with relegation and promotion determining the divisions, and the long season spiced up by incorporating a chase for Champions League-style positions during the season, their best taking on the best from around the world?

The Champions League part is easy. The NHL is forever on a quixotic quest for TV money in America, but bringing the hockey hotbeds of Europe into the mix for games that matter make more sense (it might even be lucrative and attract viewers). In the NBA, the Olympics and world championships (not to mention Maccabi Tel Aviv beating the Raptors in preseason, remember that one?) have shown that the rest of the world is more than competitive. Both leagues have become true melting pots, the overwhelming Canadian-ness of the NHL and Americanized NBA opened up to welcome all the corners of the world where their games are played. So here's what we do in our Alternate Universe: the championship finalists from the NHL and NBA earn Champions League spots for the following season, along with the next two best records.

In the real world, pro sports owners would never stop their game of musical chairs in January so that a few teams can go over to Europe to play the front half of a home and home against the best club sides from across the pond. As for promotion and relegation, as someone weaned on the North American way, that's not where I’d want to go.

But this is an Alternate Universe we’re in, so the willing suspension of disbelief is turned on. I've used the most recent seasons to determined this year's divisional setup (in other words, the NHL’s 2003-04 grid, the most recent given last year’s lockout. Of course, if this were a true three-division setup, teams would play exclusively in their own division, and the figures are merely taken from the current NHL standings, which include the shootout results -- so it’s not perfect, but really, what is?)

I’ll be back with the NBA version tomorrow.

The Alternate Universe NHL
(C-Champions League participants; r-relegated; p-promoted; pp-in promotion playoff)
Premier Division
GP-W-L-OT/SO L-(Goal differential)-Pts
C-Detroit 71-49-15-7-(+85)-105
Ottawa 70-48-16-6-(+108)-102
Philadelphia 71-40-21-10-(+11)-90
Colorado 72-39-25-8-(+32)-86
Vancouver 73-39-28-6-(+9)-84
C-San Jose 70-36-24-10-(+18)-82
C-Tampa Bay 72-38-29-5-(-2)-81
New Jersey 71-35-27-9-(-7)-79
r-Toronto 71-33-32-6-(-25)-72
r-Boston 73-28-32-13-(-27)-69

Second Division
p-Dallas 71-48-20-3-(+49)-99
pp-Buffalo 71-44-21-6-(+32)-94
pp-Nashville 71-42-21-8-(+23)-92
C-Calgary 71-39-24-8-(+6)-86
Edmonton 72-36-24-12-(-1)-84
Los Angeles 72-38-29-5-(-9)-81
Montreal 71-35-27-7-(-9)-79
Minnesota 71-32-32-7-(+13)-71
r-NY Islanders 70-33-32-5-(-30)-71
r-St. Louis 70-20-38-12-(-76)-52

Third Division
p-Carolina 71-47-18-6-(+45)-100
pp-NY Rangers 72-40-20-12-(+48)-92
pp-Anaheim 70-37-21-12-(+22)-86
Atlanta 71-35-30-6-(-3)-76
Florida 71-32-30-9-(-13)-73
Phoenix 71-33-34-4-(-20)-70
Columbus 71-28-40-3-(-68)-59
Washington 70-23-38-9-(-70)-55
r-Chicago 70-21-38-11-(-64)-53
r-Pittsburgh 71-18-41-12-(-77)-48

More Ali G spots

A batch of these "rough cuts", each of them just under 30 seconds, just showed up here --  Ali G "interviewing" Tim Duncan, Robert Horry and the TNT crew, from the canny TNT marketers. These ones caught my fancy, each of them along the same lines as the ones that were used to preview the NBA season back in November (all Windows MP) and recently re-gathered at I Hate the Raptors:

With Tim Duncan, go here.

With Steve Kerr, go here.

With Duncan and Robert Horry, go here.

Another Duncan one, go here.

One more with Horry, go here.

Canada's DNP

I was going to link to this on last week's all-blog Thursday renewal, but that was pre-empted, so I'll pass it along here because it's worth it -- Now THAT'S Amateur's marking of last Tuesday's anniversary of the United States' pullout from the 1980 Olympics, which led to the tit-for-tat Soviet bloc's boycott of the '84 Games:

One thing I know for certain: the 1980 boycott was a tragedy for sport. The world's best athletes were robbed of an opportunity to meet on the playing field, not once, but twice. Those individuals who were brave enough to publicly oppose the boycott, like Canada's Diane Jones Konihowski, suffered even worse.
To the IOC and the international Olympic movement, these athletes simply do not exist. But in Canada, they hover in a sort of twilight zone. Although the COC joined the boycott on April 22, 1980, they still named 212 athletes (and a flagbearer) to the Olympic team. All of those athletes can be found in the COC's athlete database, distinguished by the soldier's identification: a Name; a Serial Number (database id); and finally a Rank, which is universally denoted by the three letters DNP.

Bad, but not bad enough

I’m sure there are a few people today feeling some sense of schadenfreude at the Leafs’ misfortunes. Not me.

A few years back, though, Joe Queenan coined the term scheissenbedauern – "shit regret", as he called it, "the disappointment one feels when exposed to something that is not nearly as bad as one hoped it would be." And it's scheissenbedauern that I’m feeling this morning with regard to the Leafs. They are not nearly as bad as we should hope they could be.

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

See you in September.

In the everybody-shares-the-wealth world of North American pro sports, the ashes of the weak contain the seeds of their rebirth – High draft picks such Crosby and Ovechkin to make those cold winter nights a little warmer now and perhaps later, or in the case of lightning bolts like Tim Duncan, enough to change the entire course of a franchise.

The Leafs aren’t that earth-shaking bad to count on some outsized talent coming aboard for next year. They are in that sort of in-between world -- not quite in either race, be it the playoff variety or the one for the few blue-chip pieces available at draft time.

But there’s another reason for feeling scheissenbedauern. It’s that the Leafs -- much moreso than the Raptors, who have nowhere near the history of futility and concurrent milking of the fan base that their senior sporting partners have, and with pieces like Chris Bosh and Charlie Villanueva, look a lot closer to making an upward move -- could do with a dose of the humility, ridicule and comeuppance that would come with dropping right down to the basement.

Now that would be schadenfreude. Otherwise, I really have nothing to say to add to the Leafs’ latest playoff "drive." But if you missed them, there are a couple of essential reads from the weekend. First, Damien Cox pulled out an elegant précis of their age-old top-down troubles here:

Of greater interest is the apparent operational rift between coach Pat Quinn and GM John Ferguson, the involvement of president Richard Peddie and the rumoured uncertainty over the chairmanship of Larry Tanenbaum. None of this should surprise anybody who has closely watched this franchise over the past 15 years.
Or the past four decades.

Over at the National Post, Teresa Tedesco on Saturday wrote of the Leafs’ (and John Ferguson Jr.'s) “plan” to rebuild and write off this season – absolutely no surprise there -- but as she points out, it’s full of contradictions:

“Few Leafs fans and ticket holders are aware that Mr. Ferguson's strategy, described as "building not buying," received the board's blessing in January, 2004, before the NHL lockout last year, and that he has been slowly implementing it ever since.
(snip)
But that new approach was never really articulated to a public that has anxiously waited for the newly minted general manager to put his stamp on the legendary hockey franchise. Indeed, if Mr. Ferguson committed two years ago to rebuilding the team with talented youngsters in lieu of high-priced veterans, that strategy has not had any discernible impact on the Maple Leafs roster, which still leans heavily toward older players.

At this point, I’m feeling the same sort of fatigue that one feels toward the end of stories that run over their best-by date. Sources are coming forth explaining the strategy, long after it matters. Third-string goalies are playing (and playing well, for a night anyway), the high-priced additions from last summer are either injured or inactive or ineffective and entrails are being read as we check the latest playoff watch:

8 Montreal 79
9 Atlanta 76
10 Ithoughtwewerereallyready72
11 Islanders 71
12 Florida 71

With the season winding down, everyone's looking for answers and heads to be rolled.

But once those ritual beheadings are taken care of, we’ll all be back in September, ready to rev it up all over again. The Leafs know it, even if they have a hard time admitting to it on the record. It’s the fiction that unites us all.

Spring is in the air

Things are looking up here in the T-zip - I walked over to St. Lawrence and back at lunch, and I can still feel my nose. So cheer up, sports fans! I can feel my nose and MLSE has almost left the stage, which means that spring is almost here! Bring on the weekend!

One last look. Remember that link to the Colbert Report from last Friday? Here's the "Rejazzebration" with Kareem on bass.

One Two last read(s). Colby Cosh has a chart of NHL salaries according to position on the depth chart, and an anagram for Toronto Maple Leafs: "Plan for Team to Lose." Beauty, that. Oh, and I'll vouch for this review of last night's game from Sisu Hockey, and especially this paragraph:

Joe Bowen provided an entertaining play-by-play. Bowen is like that Leafs fan buddy of yours. You know the type - fridge full of Molson Canadian, loves the Tragically Hip, and for some unknown reason just can't seem to grasp that no one really gives a shit that it's Todd Gill's birthday today.

Breaking news. Former Madison Square Garden boss Dave Checketts buys the St. Louis Blues, but the real big one around here is that Toronto will host the 2007 National Ultimate Championships.

Sports around town. Lots of junior hockey with the playoffs underway -- tonight it's Barrie at St. Mike's and just out of town, Belleville at Brampton (both 7:30 p.m. starts). And if you're in Hamilton Sunday morning, keep an eye out for the oldest distance race in North America - the Round the Bay. If you're running it, good luck and above all, save something for the final 10K.

This week on the Sopranos: The Book:

Edie Falco polishes off her Emmy acceptance speech: 1 to 9
With Tony on the DL, Vito comes out of the closet and makes a play at becoming the boss: 5 to 1 (dropping)
Haunted by ghosts of Adriana and Cosette, Christopher turns to Scientology for solace: 99 to 1

Watching. CIS men's hockey championship, 10 p.m. Sunday, TSN. One more dose of Canadian college finals, and this is always a good game -- too bad it's tape delayed, which kinda sucks on its own, aside from the way-late hour. If you want your college pucks live, TSN has Alberta vs. McGill (I'm pretty sure that's the matchup) in one of Saturday's semifinals at 6 p.m.

Not watching. Oakland vs. Chicago Cubs, 3 p.m. Saturday, WGN. Call me a purist, but I think interleague play is a bad idea, even if it's spring training.