May 18 - Agents Angling for More NBA Gravy

In recent weeks, we have begun to hear some rumblings that the NBA and its players union could have trouble reaching a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, in part because player agents want more opportunity to make a buck. You see, when the league negotiated its current CBA back in the last nineties, the agents were the ones who took the biggest hit. This is because that CBA established a salary regime for Rookies that is basically formulaic instead of negotiated. As a result, there is no reason for a player to pay out a big fee to an agent since there is little negotiating to be done. Moreover, many of the sport’s superstars now fall into a category where teams have to offer them “maximum” contracts and again, this allows for no negotiation. As a result, basketball agents have seen their windfalls dry up over the years as players no longer feel the need to pay up for their services. Word now has it that some of the sports big agents have had it with the current system and will advise their players to vote against the new CBA if it continues to be biased against negotiation. I find this to be incredibly bothersome. Why are the freaking agents involved in this matter at all? Who appointed them counsel to the union? And when did their endangered interests become a species deserving of protection? If I were union chief Billy Hunter, I would be incredibly offended by this power grab. After all, what the agents are implicitly telling their clients is Hunter is not looking out for their best interests. This is a self-serving lie and it is time for Hunter and the players to send a message to these vultures and cut them out of the game entirely. Rather then importing more negotiation into the system, I would suggest the league take steps to restrict it further. I have had it with agents controlling professional sports and Hunter and the league now have a chance to do something about it. Let’s hope they don’t squander this opportunity.

Define Irony – How about Kentucky school-boy legend Rex Chapman having consensual sex with a black women in a gym named after Adoph Rupp. The latest word from Chapman is that during his time at Kentucky in the late eighties, he was “discouraged” by athletic department officials and boosters from dating black women. Should this come as a surprise? After all, we are talking about Kentucky here and Lexington is not exactly a bastion of social liberalism, particularly when it comes to basketball. True, UK currently has a black coach in Tubby Smith, but this program was run for decades by one of the biggest racists in American sports history. Lest you forget, Rupp didn’t recruit black players and wasn’t exactly thrilled to have his team take the court in the 1966 NCAA final against an all-black team from El Paso. As such, I am a little curious why this story got so much attention. Is it really all that newsworthy that such practices occurred almost twenty years ago in a state that probably still longs for the good old days?

Notes from the NL: As the horses near the quarter mile pole, Brewer Brady Clark is leading the pack in the race for NL centerfielder of the year. Beltran and Edmonds are doing their thing, but Clark is hitting .350 after spitting out four knocks last night. By the way, he plays a great center field, is slugging .500 and has already scored 32 runs. The Brewers got a great outing last night from Wes Obermueller who has a no hitter going into the seventh and finished with an eight inning two hitter. Bobby Abreu remained white hot with another bomb for Philadelphia last night – that makes it eight dongs in nine games for the Philly right fielder. The Phillies, meanwhile, made five errors yet were still able to eek out a 7-5 win over Jeff Suppan and the Cards. Suppan has been very consistent for St. Louis this year but for some reason the Phillies have given him trouble, scoring thirteen runs in just seven innings this year. Derrick Lee catapulted back into the hunt for the NL Memorial Day MVP race by dropping a couple of bombs last night, including a ninth inning game winner off the usually dependable Jose Mesa. Cubs manager Dusty Baker finally shook up his lineup last night by dropping Corey Patterson to the six hole – a move that demonstrates Dusty does in fact have some grey matter remaining. The Pirates have a decent shot of getting to .500 this week, but things will get ugly next month as they play 16 of 19 against Florida, Atlanta, Baltimore, the Yanks and Boston. I think manager Lloyd McClendon would be happy to steal six of those games. The big debate in New York this morning is whether Kaz Ishii is Hispanic or Asian. Regardless of the answer, Ishii threw a great game for the Mets last night who suddenly find themselves with a staff of six. If Willie Randolph can’t decide who to keep, then perhaps he shouldn’t be managing. The Assholes won a pitching duel last night as Lee Harvey Oswalt out-pointed Javier Vasquez in a close fight. The “shooter” threw eight scoreless while the ex-yank gave up just a run over seven. Since April 20, Vasquez has been top-shelf and, in the process, has lowered his ERA from twelve to four. In Los Angeles, D-Train got smacked around early and was tagged with his first loss of the season. Has Dontrelle put in a top? Perhaps since history suggests he is a “star through May but fades away” kind of guy. Cesar Izturis had five hits for the Dodgers while Jeff Kent drove in four as Derrick Lowe picked up his third win. I realize the Braves lead their division, but this Danny Kolb experiment has to be a concern down in Buckhead. He blew another game for John Smoltz last night and at some point, Smoltzie is going to demand a new personal closer. With the gift from Kolb, Los Madres have now won six in a row and 13 of 15. They now hope to keep it going with Eaton and Peavy. The one thing you won’t hear on WFAN today is Chris Russo singing the praise of Giant pitcher Noah Lowry who got lit up again last night. Russo always trumps this guy, but after a 1-5 start and an ERA over six, its time for Noah to return to his shipbuilding roots. Is it just me or have the Rockies already played the Giants ten times this year?

Airmail from the AL: This Yankee run is starting to get a little worrisome. Last night, even Giambolic and Pavano got into the act as roid-dog drove in three and Pavs threw a complete game shutout. That gives the Yanks ten straight and 21 at the quarter mile. That equates to just under $2.5 million per win. The White Sox are paying about a quarter of that at this juncture. Richie Sexson atoned for his game-losing gaffe on Monday night with a couple of meaningless hits last night for the Ms. Oakland absolutely handed The Red Sox a gift last night as the Sox were able to chalk up seven runs on just four hits. Matt Clement was scary ugly last night, but the Sox were able to coerce 11 walks and four unearned runs out of Oakland’s finest. Manny Ramirez looked absolutely lost on a couple of swings last night but I guess it’s hard to concentrate when your mom is suffering from such a terrible disease like arthritis. I know he is crap, but I want Eric Byrnes on my team. Did you see him tackle that fan the other night? I love that guy and that has nothing to do with the fact that he is a Bruin. Mark Kotsay’s wife is featured in the current edition of ESPN Magazine and let me tell you, she is an 8.8 with some upside. I have no trouble putting her in with Mrs. Joe Montana as the best looking wife of a Bay Area athlete. Has the Johan Santana train been derailed? Last night, everyone’s pick as the top lefty in baseball got smacked around like a Venezuelan piñata and if you take away a couple of wins over KC and Tampa, Johan has had a pretty ordinary season. Former Twin Corey Koskie got a standing ovation last night at the Metrodome which proves that people in Minnesota will applaud anything with a pulse so long as its name isn’t Brett or Spree. Who would have thought the Jays would be 21-18 at this point with nothing from either Vernon Wells or Ted Lilly? Wells is beginning to show some sings of life but Lilly remains stuck in reverse. Baltimore overpowered KC last night but the Birds can’t be happy that Sid Ponson gave up eight runs and had to be lifted after only one and a third. Things are so ridiculous in Kansas City right now that Matt Stairs actually hit cleanup last night. That bears repeating – MATT STAIRS HIT CLEANUP. Johnny Garland notched his eighth win last night as the Sox rampage through the Midwest continued. All Garland does is throw strikes and guess what – it works. There has been a lot of venom aimed at Manny Ramirez in recent days, but strangely, I haven’t heard much criticism aimed at Paul Konerko. If Manny is stuck in a slump, Konerko is mired in a damn depression. The Angles better hope Kelvim Escobar isn’t out too long since the emaciated Ervin Santana doesn’t appear ready to be a capable replacement. On the bright side for the Halos, Steve Finley has been hot of late and now has his average planted firmly on the Mendoza line.

Last weekend, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays squared off against the Kansas City Royals in a series that probably matched the AL’s two most hopeless teams and the two teams that are most often thought of as contraction candidates. Well, rather then contract both teams, I have the following suggestion: Combine the two teams and move them to a city equidistant from Tampa and Kansas City – someplace like Memphis. If this marriage came to pass, I predict the couple would be pretty competitive even though the Royals don’t bring a whole lot to the alter. I say this because the addition of just Mike Sweeney to Tampa’s lineup would be huge. Lou Pinella has been seeking a big bat for a couple years and Sweeney would satisfy his thirst. Look, if you had Carl Crawford lead off, Rocco Baldelli follow in the second slot, Aubrey Huff hit third and Sweeney bat cleanup, you would have some ability to score runs. I am not saying this would become another incarnation of the Big Red Machine, but they wouldn’t exactly be weapon-less either. As far as pitching goes, Zach Greinke would be a huge addition to Tampa’s staff, and Andy Sisco and Jeremy Affeldt would be nice additions to the pen. In sum, Memphis would still have some questions in its thin rotation, but its pen would be deep and its lineup would score some runs. That isn’t such a bad recipe. In fact, it is kind of a slimmed own version of Baltimore. Check that – it is an emaciated version of the Birds. I don’t think this would be a playoff team, but it would probably be a winning team which is a lot more then either franchise can claim right now. Bud, make this happen and while you are at it, its time to merge Colorado with either Milwaukee or Pittsburgh.