So I work in the domestic securities industry in Dallas. So the market closes at 2pm here, and most deadlines officially end at around 3pm. The problem is that I can only leave as soon as my overseas friends are done for the day, and they send me an emailed report (which I then reformat and send back out). That usually comes between 5pm and 5:30pm.
There are certain things that I can do between 3 and 5, but there's only so much. So I (and don't tell anyone) spend certain time on the Internet. There are only so many things that I can wikipedia (and I'm pretty sure I've read everything on there), so I'm starting to have to be creative.
Blogging at work, for example?
One of the things I did between February and May was listen to the offical LOST podcast, which is archived at Lostpedia. I'd always stay 2-3 weeks behind so that no spoilers ever affected me (and there is the occasional spoiler), but it's very entertaining. For a couple of dorks, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are pretty cool. They don't offer a whole lot of answers, but they do give a lot of insight into the way things are done.
And since I ran out of season 5 ones, I started listening to earlier ones. I started listening to season 3 ones (they started in season 2, but none of them are archived), and it's actually pretty interesting. And what's really funny is that they reference a lot of things, often in jest, that actually happen on the show.
- They make fun of time travel being on the show. That happens.
- They reference the Island "moving." That happens.
- They reference certain characters dying that end up dying.
And that's just a few podcasts in.
And it makes me think about the whole question of whether or not the writers are coming up with things on the fly or not. When they joked about time travel in 2006, did they know it would eventually make the show in 2009? Or were they really joking about it?
I've always trusted the LOST writers because I believe they know what they're doing. I can't imagine writing a show like LOST without having some of the big answers in mind...so I trust that they're telling the truth when they say the show is planned.
But Carlton and Damon admit that they had a road map in place with certain milestones. So they know Points A, B, C, and D...but they don't know points A1, A2, A3, etc until the season is actually getting planned. And that makes sense...the whole show is mapped, but all the blanks still have to be filled in.
So I'm guessing they knew the Island would move way back when. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
The other really interesting thing about the podcasts are the fan questions. A lot of fans guessed correctly on a lot of things, and I'm pretty impressed. The "moving the Island" joke came out of a fan question that guessed as much. A fan asked a question that indirectly referenced Jacob before he was ever mentioned on the show.
Stuff like that really impresses me because this show is pretty darn creative, if you ask me. I feel like I understand the show, but there are still things that surprise me. So when someone guesses something that I never would've thought of, I think that's cool.
So if you have time to kill and love LOST as much as I do, it's pretty fun to give them a listen. And even if its all old information, it's still pretty entertaining.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Some Rangers Thoughts
1. Ian Kinsler is really making me mad. He has to stop trying to hit home runs if he's going to be a leadoff hitter. And if he's going to be in a different part of the lineup, he has to mostly stop trying to hit home runs. I would institute a "Willie Mays Hayes" program with him - he hits the ball in the air, he has to do push ups. That way, he'll either stop hitting fly balls, or he'll be strong enough to get those last 10 feet that he can't get.
2. If Rudy Jaramillo isn't telling Kinsler what I just told him, he needs to be fired. That used to be Dallas heresy, but it's starting to get a lot more accepted.
3. If you would've told me that we would've gotten 15 innings out of Tommy Hunter, Dustin Nippert (Dusty Nipples), and Doug Mathis against the Red Sox...I would've said we would've been swept. We swept them. That's awesome.
4. I high-fived Michael Young by proxy. That's really awesome.
5. This team's will be there when it ends. But they're battling a red-hot Angels team and then the Boston/New York juggernauts for the Wild Card. It's going to be tough, but it should be fun.
2. If Rudy Jaramillo isn't telling Kinsler what I just told him, he needs to be fired. That used to be Dallas heresy, but it's starting to get a lot more accepted.
3. If you would've told me that we would've gotten 15 innings out of Tommy Hunter, Dustin Nippert (Dusty Nipples), and Doug Mathis against the Red Sox...I would've said we would've been swept. We swept them. That's awesome.
4. I high-fived Michael Young by proxy. That's really awesome.
5. This team's will be there when it ends. But they're battling a red-hot Angels team and then the Boston/New York juggernauts for the Wild Card. It's going to be tough, but it should be fun.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sunday Odds and Ends
1. I watched the end of the British Open today. Probably the most golf I've ever watched because I really wanted to see Tom Watson pull it off. At his age to do what he did was pretty amazing. I think, deep down, you have to feel sorry for Stewart Cink, though. The guy celebrates his championship, but everyone was rooting against him. He pretty much played the villain even though he seems like a good guy. Congrats to both men.
2. While I was watching the British Open, I noticed that SlamBall was on. Two fun things about that. One, I wasn't sure that SlamBall still existed. Second, it was on the Cartoon Network. For those of you who don't know, SlamBall is a version of basketball with trampolines so that almost every basket is made via the dunk. It's a bit funny because SlamBall isn't animated. But it is so ridiculous that it makes sense that it be on the Cartoon Network.
3. Speaking of golf, I noticed that Tony Romo was playing. Imagine that. I wonder if he'll be sad at the end of the month when the golf season ends, and he'll have to go back to his other job. Oh well, I hope he gets through it alive so that he can start golfing in early January.
2. While I was watching the British Open, I noticed that SlamBall was on. Two fun things about that. One, I wasn't sure that SlamBall still existed. Second, it was on the Cartoon Network. For those of you who don't know, SlamBall is a version of basketball with trampolines so that almost every basket is made via the dunk. It's a bit funny because SlamBall isn't animated. But it is so ridiculous that it makes sense that it be on the Cartoon Network.
3. Speaking of golf, I noticed that Tony Romo was playing. Imagine that. I wonder if he'll be sad at the end of the month when the golf season ends, and he'll have to go back to his other job. Oh well, I hope he gets through it alive so that he can start golfing in early January.
The Douchebag Bowl
I'm not sure if any of you knew this, but Crocodile Hunting is an official sponsor of the Douchbag Bowl. Don't know what that is? Well then, let me tell you a bit about it.
(The top part of this blog could've been cool. The rest is about video games...so if you think I'm cool, please stop reading)
Ashley bought NCAA 2010 the other day, and EA Sports brought back create-a-team. I decided to make my team the Douchebag State Anus Patrol. EA apparently disapproves of that, so my team ended up being the Bluetooth College Awesome. Yes, the team name is the Awesome.
Some Awesome facts:
Location - Beverly Hills, California
Team Colors - Blue, Navy Blue, and Other Blue. But they also have a gold jersey because gold is awesome.
Head Coach - Tony Romo ('nuff said)
Unofficial Name - DSAP (see above)
Bluetooth College's rival is Ashley's create a school, the Prada State Guidos. They're purple and gold from Atlantic City, New Jersey. That's right, it's West Coast D-Bags against East Coast D-Bags.
We put ourselves in the WAC, replacing two of the top schools in that conference (Hawaii and Boise State) so that it's even more pathetic than it usually is.
Bluetooth University had a pretty successful inaugural season. After starting the season 0-4, they had two bye weeks in a row. I assume the entire school went to Cancun to chill with chicks. After that, they went 6-2 to earn a spot in the New Mexico Bowl. Where they were promptly destroyed by Cincinnati.
But don't worry about that. The biggest game of the season was the Douchebag Bowl. Bluetooth College vs. Prada State at Gucci. Ashley forgot to put "Stadium" after Gucci so we assume it's just a huge Gucci store that happens to feature a football field.
Anyway, Bluetooth College took a nice 10-3 lead into the half. After expanding their lead to 17-10, they promptly scored a touchdown to go up 24-10 with just three minutes left. Prada State scored late to pull within 7, but Bluetooth held on for the 24-17 victory.
I'm sure everyone's as interested in the results as we are. So I'll keep track here so that everyone will be able to see.
Seasons : 1
Bluetooth College Awesome - 1
Prada State Guidos - 0
(The top part of this blog could've been cool. The rest is about video games...so if you think I'm cool, please stop reading)
Ashley bought NCAA 2010 the other day, and EA Sports brought back create-a-team. I decided to make my team the Douchebag State Anus Patrol. EA apparently disapproves of that, so my team ended up being the Bluetooth College Awesome. Yes, the team name is the Awesome.
Some Awesome facts:
Location - Beverly Hills, California
Team Colors - Blue, Navy Blue, and Other Blue. But they also have a gold jersey because gold is awesome.
Head Coach - Tony Romo ('nuff said)
Unofficial Name - DSAP (see above)
Bluetooth College's rival is Ashley's create a school, the Prada State Guidos. They're purple and gold from Atlantic City, New Jersey. That's right, it's West Coast D-Bags against East Coast D-Bags.
We put ourselves in the WAC, replacing two of the top schools in that conference (Hawaii and Boise State) so that it's even more pathetic than it usually is.
Bluetooth University had a pretty successful inaugural season. After starting the season 0-4, they had two bye weeks in a row. I assume the entire school went to Cancun to chill with chicks. After that, they went 6-2 to earn a spot in the New Mexico Bowl. Where they were promptly destroyed by Cincinnati.
But don't worry about that. The biggest game of the season was the Douchebag Bowl. Bluetooth College vs. Prada State at Gucci. Ashley forgot to put "Stadium" after Gucci so we assume it's just a huge Gucci store that happens to feature a football field.
Anyway, Bluetooth College took a nice 10-3 lead into the half. After expanding their lead to 17-10, they promptly scored a touchdown to go up 24-10 with just three minutes left. Prada State scored late to pull within 7, but Bluetooth held on for the 24-17 victory.
I'm sure everyone's as interested in the results as we are. So I'll keep track here so that everyone will be able to see.
Seasons : 1
Bluetooth College Awesome - 1
Prada State Guidos - 0
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Script 2 - Finished
Last night, around 11pm, I finished my second script. It's a story about a baseball player with immense talent, struggling to find his way to the major leagues. Right now, I've titled it Knuckle Ball.
I'm not really as satisfied, at this moment, as I was with the first script. Of course, the first is a shorter and "neater" comedy...so I think that's to be expected.
This was a story that I think begs to be told. I put some personal experiences in there, and I also included some aspects of the lives of people I knew playing baseball in high school. I'm not sure if I told the story correctly, but I think there's definitely a good story in there somewhere.
I think it needs a lot of work, still. Wanting to get into the head of the protagonist, I used a narrator. And, honestly, I think I relied on him way too much. A lot of that "inner monologue" is going to have to turn into dialogue at some point, and hopefully a lot of the rest can be transitioned into picture when/if the movie is ever filmed. I just don't think a narrator can have as big a role as he has in my movie.
I also struggled a bit with some of the B-story elements...my protagonist's life off the field. How much to go into it, and frankly, how that would work. There are parts that I would like to add, but there are probably parts that really need to be cut.
But it's 180 pages long...almost exactly. That's 3 hours, and this movie shouldn't be 3 hours. That probably means that 40 or so pages would need to go...but I'm sure a lot of it can be removed. One aspect I struggled with was repetition...there were milestones that I wanted to hit, and the "filler" might have become repetitive. Honestly, I don't know.
So now I come to the rough part, where I let some of my close friends read it and critique it a bit. While it's rough (and even cheesy at parts), I'm hoping they can see some value in it. Because, like I said, this was a story I've wanted to tell for a while. And I have a feeling it's the most marketable thing that I've written so far.
So here's to Knuckle Ball. Or whatever it eventually gets titled.
I'm not really as satisfied, at this moment, as I was with the first script. Of course, the first is a shorter and "neater" comedy...so I think that's to be expected.
This was a story that I think begs to be told. I put some personal experiences in there, and I also included some aspects of the lives of people I knew playing baseball in high school. I'm not sure if I told the story correctly, but I think there's definitely a good story in there somewhere.
I think it needs a lot of work, still. Wanting to get into the head of the protagonist, I used a narrator. And, honestly, I think I relied on him way too much. A lot of that "inner monologue" is going to have to turn into dialogue at some point, and hopefully a lot of the rest can be transitioned into picture when/if the movie is ever filmed. I just don't think a narrator can have as big a role as he has in my movie.
I also struggled a bit with some of the B-story elements...my protagonist's life off the field. How much to go into it, and frankly, how that would work. There are parts that I would like to add, but there are probably parts that really need to be cut.
But it's 180 pages long...almost exactly. That's 3 hours, and this movie shouldn't be 3 hours. That probably means that 40 or so pages would need to go...but I'm sure a lot of it can be removed. One aspect I struggled with was repetition...there were milestones that I wanted to hit, and the "filler" might have become repetitive. Honestly, I don't know.
So now I come to the rough part, where I let some of my close friends read it and critique it a bit. While it's rough (and even cheesy at parts), I'm hoping they can see some value in it. Because, like I said, this was a story I've wanted to tell for a while. And I have a feeling it's the most marketable thing that I've written so far.
So here's to Knuckle Ball. Or whatever it eventually gets titled.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
I really like sports, so I think this is okay
So I saw a trailer the other day for a chick flick, and I have to admit that I actually want to see it. This is a rare occasion...I've never seen The Notebook or Love Story or anything like that (I've never even seen Bull Durham).
It's called The Time Traveller's Wife.
And maybe it's because it's a sci-fi-ish chick flick? I don't know...Tucker seems to think my man card should be taken away. But my man card was probably taken away a long time ago if we're being really honest.
I'm interested in this movie for four simple reasons.
1. Rachel McAdams looks amazing. Check out her hypnotizing picture on the link below (next to the trailer) and tell me you aren't in love. I dare you.
2. The plot is pretty interesting. Well, if you get passed the "genetic disorder" part. It sounds like a better version of Benjamin Button. Which I also didn't see.
3. Eric Bana is really cool. One of the best actors out there if you ask me.
4. It will give extra incentive to go find a girl to see it with. Because its not like I can go see it with the guys or anything.
Anyway, here's a link if you want to check out the trailer and Ms. Adams' picture.
http://www.thetimetravelerswifemovie.com/
Okay, guys, do your worst.
It's called The Time Traveller's Wife.
And maybe it's because it's a sci-fi-ish chick flick? I don't know...Tucker seems to think my man card should be taken away. But my man card was probably taken away a long time ago if we're being really honest.
I'm interested in this movie for four simple reasons.
1. Rachel McAdams looks amazing. Check out her hypnotizing picture on the link below (next to the trailer) and tell me you aren't in love. I dare you.
2. The plot is pretty interesting. Well, if you get passed the "genetic disorder" part. It sounds like a better version of Benjamin Button. Which I also didn't see.
3. Eric Bana is really cool. One of the best actors out there if you ask me.
4. It will give extra incentive to go find a girl to see it with. Because its not like I can go see it with the guys or anything.
Anyway, here's a link if you want to check out the trailer and Ms. Adams' picture.
http://www.thetimetravelerswifemovie.com/
Okay, guys, do your worst.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Famous Words From Our Favorite Disenchanted Con Man
"See, (people) are like dogs. You knock them around enough; they'll think they did something to deserve it."
- Sawyer, LOST
- Sawyer, LOST
Friday, July 10, 2009
All Of These Make Sense In Context
1. The Stars just won the Stanley Cup! What a game!
2. I'm not sure how something can so definitively prove something and disprove the same thing at the same time. But it does.
3. WIMK?
4. It's funny because I don't care and they know it.
5. Most eagerly awaited tennis match of all time?
6. If not for so many different things, that probably would've worked.
7. Why would they make DVDs of games they lost?
8. I've watched that so many times that I've worn out the tape. I really need a digital copy.
9. I guess she was referencing my shirt. She was cute, though.
10. I don't know why I did that. And, honestly, I don't know what else I expected to happen.
2. I'm not sure how something can so definitively prove something and disprove the same thing at the same time. But it does.
3. WIMK?
4. It's funny because I don't care and they know it.
5. Most eagerly awaited tennis match of all time?
6. If not for so many different things, that probably would've worked.
7. Why would they make DVDs of games they lost?
8. I've watched that so many times that I've worn out the tape. I really need a digital copy.
9. I guess she was referencing my shirt. She was cute, though.
10. I don't know why I did that. And, honestly, I don't know what else I expected to happen.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Frustration
Tuesday night was a frustrating night for Apartment 2916. Probably because Tucker brings it out of us, but both Ashley and I were frustrated that night.
It started off early for me because I had to come back to work after a three-day weekend. And apparently people don't read out-of-office emails...so I spent most of the morning cleaning up messes. Then we had a town hall meeting that ate into my lunch time, forcing me to stay at work through lunch - and that makes me even more frustrated.
But I finally got home for Tuesdays with Tucker. Tuesday night has been, for a long time, a night where Tucker and I play tennis...then we come home and watch The Wire. And, yes, the occasional Halo game.
And people who have been reading know that Tucker is better at everything than me...and that includes tennis. I can count the number of times I've beaten him on one hand, and we've probably played between 50 and 100 times.
But that game started with me going up 3 games to 1. Before I knew it, we were tied. And even though I went up 4-3, I lost 6-4. Although I'd really say that I lost 5-4 since that's when I got angry.
You see, against Tucker, I play a lot more nervous than I play against most people. Basically because, since he's better, I feel like I need to raise my game. I can't make any mistakes, and I need to make sure that I take advantage of his mistakes. A good example of this is my "40-15" problem. When I'm up 40-15 against Tucker, I tense up. Because I know that I'm a point away from taking the game (something rare), but I'm also just a point away from letting him back in. Tucker plays even looser up 40-15 - I play even tighter.
On this day, I had the same problem with 30-love. I was up by this score 3 times, and I don't think I got any of the games. And it's the same thing - I'm a point away from a commanding lead or simply 30-15. And in those situations, I start thinking. And thinking, for me, is bad.
Tucker can see this, and I think he feeds on it. And it doesn't matter if I try and tell myself not to get nervous...that counts as thinking and still doesn't work. The only way to stop it is to not think about it - and I haven't figured out a way to do that.
My other problem was soft shots. I hit several shots that were a couple inches away from being perfect. Instead, they flew right into the net.
Because of this, by the time the score was 5-4 in favor of Tucker, I just got mad. Maybe because of tennis. Maybe because of work. Maybe because of completely separate things....I just got mad. It was my turn to serve, and I just hit the ball as hard as I could. Not surprisingly, I think I double-faulted most of the game. Because my hard serve is extremely hit or miss.
For his turn to serve, I hit the ball as hard as I could back to him. Partially because I think it's a shot I need to work on, but also because I just wanted to get some of my frustration out. Tennis had no longer become any fun...it was just a way to vent.
And I feel bad about doing that to Tucker because I know it can't be any fun. Even when I'm not angry, he's always trying to compliment my game...apologizing when he hits a perfect shot...stuff like that. I'm usually trying to stay in the zone...so I typically don't do any of that stuff. And when I'm angry and having less fun, I'm sure he's having less fun too.
I'd like to say I have less control over that, but I'm sure I do. I think there's just a "breaking point" (pun intended) where I just let the anger take over. I guess it's easier that way.
Anyway, after we get home and watch the excellent season four finale of The Wire, we start playing some Halo. And that's when Ashley gets a little frustrated. Halo on X-Box Live can do that to people - with a lot of cheapness and luck involved.
And afterwards, I told Ashley about my tennis frustration, and I explained that Halo never makes me angry. Even when I play bad, I really don't get frustrated - not enough to slam down the controller or throw it, anyway.
And I think it has to do with my skill in the two areas. With tennis, I don't think I have a lot of skill. I have a pretty generic defensive game with a very hit-or-miss serve. If I don't take advantage of certain situations, I don't win.
With Halo, I'm pretty good. I win MVP a couple times a night when we play, and I'm probably the best, overall, of the friends that I play with. So, as I told him, if I have a bad game, I'm confident that I can make it up. Ashley, who's less confident in his game (or more confident in the cheapness of X-Box Live, perhaps), has the same frustration that I have with tennis.
And I wonder how I can translate that confidence in Halo to tennis. Or even, perhaps, into other parts of my life. Because so many things in life seem to stem from simple confidence, and it's something I would definitely like to have more of.
It started off early for me because I had to come back to work after a three-day weekend. And apparently people don't read out-of-office emails...so I spent most of the morning cleaning up messes. Then we had a town hall meeting that ate into my lunch time, forcing me to stay at work through lunch - and that makes me even more frustrated.
But I finally got home for Tuesdays with Tucker. Tuesday night has been, for a long time, a night where Tucker and I play tennis...then we come home and watch The Wire. And, yes, the occasional Halo game.
And people who have been reading know that Tucker is better at everything than me...and that includes tennis. I can count the number of times I've beaten him on one hand, and we've probably played between 50 and 100 times.
But that game started with me going up 3 games to 1. Before I knew it, we were tied. And even though I went up 4-3, I lost 6-4. Although I'd really say that I lost 5-4 since that's when I got angry.
You see, against Tucker, I play a lot more nervous than I play against most people. Basically because, since he's better, I feel like I need to raise my game. I can't make any mistakes, and I need to make sure that I take advantage of his mistakes. A good example of this is my "40-15" problem. When I'm up 40-15 against Tucker, I tense up. Because I know that I'm a point away from taking the game (something rare), but I'm also just a point away from letting him back in. Tucker plays even looser up 40-15 - I play even tighter.
On this day, I had the same problem with 30-love. I was up by this score 3 times, and I don't think I got any of the games. And it's the same thing - I'm a point away from a commanding lead or simply 30-15. And in those situations, I start thinking. And thinking, for me, is bad.
Tucker can see this, and I think he feeds on it. And it doesn't matter if I try and tell myself not to get nervous...that counts as thinking and still doesn't work. The only way to stop it is to not think about it - and I haven't figured out a way to do that.
My other problem was soft shots. I hit several shots that were a couple inches away from being perfect. Instead, they flew right into the net.
Because of this, by the time the score was 5-4 in favor of Tucker, I just got mad. Maybe because of tennis. Maybe because of work. Maybe because of completely separate things....I just got mad. It was my turn to serve, and I just hit the ball as hard as I could. Not surprisingly, I think I double-faulted most of the game. Because my hard serve is extremely hit or miss.
For his turn to serve, I hit the ball as hard as I could back to him. Partially because I think it's a shot I need to work on, but also because I just wanted to get some of my frustration out. Tennis had no longer become any fun...it was just a way to vent.
And I feel bad about doing that to Tucker because I know it can't be any fun. Even when I'm not angry, he's always trying to compliment my game...apologizing when he hits a perfect shot...stuff like that. I'm usually trying to stay in the zone...so I typically don't do any of that stuff. And when I'm angry and having less fun, I'm sure he's having less fun too.
I'd like to say I have less control over that, but I'm sure I do. I think there's just a "breaking point" (pun intended) where I just let the anger take over. I guess it's easier that way.
Anyway, after we get home and watch the excellent season four finale of The Wire, we start playing some Halo. And that's when Ashley gets a little frustrated. Halo on X-Box Live can do that to people - with a lot of cheapness and luck involved.
And afterwards, I told Ashley about my tennis frustration, and I explained that Halo never makes me angry. Even when I play bad, I really don't get frustrated - not enough to slam down the controller or throw it, anyway.
And I think it has to do with my skill in the two areas. With tennis, I don't think I have a lot of skill. I have a pretty generic defensive game with a very hit-or-miss serve. If I don't take advantage of certain situations, I don't win.
With Halo, I'm pretty good. I win MVP a couple times a night when we play, and I'm probably the best, overall, of the friends that I play with. So, as I told him, if I have a bad game, I'm confident that I can make it up. Ashley, who's less confident in his game (or more confident in the cheapness of X-Box Live, perhaps), has the same frustration that I have with tennis.
And I wonder how I can translate that confidence in Halo to tennis. Or even, perhaps, into other parts of my life. Because so many things in life seem to stem from simple confidence, and it's something I would definitely like to have more of.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Free Agency
Free agency, in all sports, is one of my favorite times of the year. I've always thought it was cool to see players in a new uniform, and I've always loved the intrigue of "who will sign with who?" Because so much goes into it. Which players are just in it for the money? Who wants to win? And who's lucky enough to get both?
Free agency gets fans excited because it gives you hope. "Yeah, we didn't win it last year, but now we've added (insert free agent name)? We're going all the way now!"
But for the Dallas teams, free agency has sucked in recent years. Hugely sucked. In the last several years, I can only think of a handful of players that my teams have signed. A lot of it is purely financial (my teams are right up against the cap), but it takes away from my excitement.
Because with no free agents, I look around and think, "This didn't work last year. We weren't even close. Why would it work this year?"
And it's probably because I don't anticipate players getting better. I look at Player A's production last year, and I expect the same. And while I probably realize that Free Agent A won't put my team over the top, I do realize that it puts us that much closer.
My second problem is money-related. Free agency, in all the sports, has exploded in recent years. Fair market value is no longer around - so if you want to sign a free agent, you're probably going to pay too much. And while I understand teams wanting to be financially responsible, I don't have a problem with spending some billionaire's money. And I get upset when Owner A will spend $75 million on his fifth private jet, but he won't throw in a couple million to sign some free agent.
Let's take a team-by-team look at free agency and why it sucks now.
Cowboys
I have no issues with Jerry Jones and free agency. When Jerry sets his eyes on a free agent, he doesn't let him leave town. Owner Jerry is perfect in my eyes. Whether it be Leonard Davis, Ken Hamlin, or even T.O. - if Jerry wants him, Jerry gets him.
The Cowboys have probably done the best in recent years with free agents. They didn't really sign anyone this year, but they're pretty close to the cap. I give them a pass.
Rangers
Ashley's going to hate this, but this is the team I have a lot of issues with. Of the four major sports, Major League Baseball is the only one that isn't capped. So the Rangers can go out and sign every player on the free agent roster.
And the Rangers like to pretend that they're a lot poorer than they are. We're in Dallas/Ft. Worth - we're a top 5 market. But Tom Hicks would like to convince us that we're in Boise, Idaho, and that's how he's been setting up his payroll.
Now I understand the problems that Hicks is facing. I promise that I do, and I'll illustrate:
1. The man is hemorrhaging money. He's having trouble paying for a lot of things, and the team is suffering because of it.
2. The Rangers have sucked for so long that the fanbase is turning on him. No fans in the stadium means less money to spend. If the Rangers draw like a small market team, their payroll will look like one too.
3. Hicks wants to win, but he's in this for the business of it. He's in it for the money. And he doesn't want to lose any of it.
4. The Rangers are trying to win with a home-grown roster. Free agents will take playing time away from Derek Holland, Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Nelson Cruz, Neftali Feliz, Michael Main, etc.
5. Signing a free agent costs the Rangers draft picks. That draft pick could be extremely important down the road.
So...see? I do understand. But I don't think I have to like it. And I think most of those reasons are going to be defunct in the next couple of years.
Because the Rangers are winning. And when the Rangers are winning, fans start showing up. Revenues will rise. Hicks will be able to sell the team or it will become profitable. And if the Rangers are close enough, it's worth losing a draft pick or two to make a run.
I've had this discussion with Ashley before. I'm okay not signing Free Agent A in 2009 if it means that Hicks is willing to spend money in 2010 and 2011. If we're going to be the New York Yankees (home-grown kids like Derek Jeter surrounded with free agent talent like C.C. Sabathia) then I'm okay with the waiting process.
But if we're going to pretend we're the Oakland As - with constantly rebuilding and trying to make a run before arbitration ends - I'm not on board.
Stars
This is a funny one because hockey only recently started up a salary cap. Outside of the Alex Rodriguez signing (which I thought would revolutionize my life in ways I couldn't imagine), the free agent signing I was most excited about was Bill Guerin. It's why I own a Guerin Stars' jersey - I knew he was the final piece to getting back to the Stanley Cup.
And while he's become nervous about spending money in baseball, Tom Hicks has never been afraid to spend money in hockey. He took on the huge Brad Richards contract two seasons ago to make a run at the Cup, and he seems to let his hockey people decide what kind of money is smart and what kind of money isn't.
Hicks has kept the Stars at the top of the salary cap for as long as he's been the owner, and I've never really had a problem with that.
But this year is a bit different. Because of Hicks' money problems, the Stars are suffering a bit. Instead of spending up to the NHL's real cap, Hicks is holding the Stars at a personal cap...about $10 million below the actual cap.
And that means that the Stars aren't going to get any new players to plug any holes. I guess the good news is that I don't see a lot of holes on this team - even though they didn't make the playoffs. I blame injuries more than anything with the Stars, and I'm looking forward to their season whether they sign anyone or not.
Plus, they've won a payoff series this decade. So I can give them the benefit of the doubt.
Mavericks
Here's the one that annoys me the most. Because I know for certain that Mark Cuban wants to win. I know for certain that he'd be willing to lose $100 million if it meant the Mavericks would win the NBA championship. If you want to rank the owners in their desire to win, Cuban and Jerry are right there at the top in all of professional sports.
And I realize that the Mavs are over the cap. They only have a mid-level exception with which to sign free agents.
But this is supposed to be the ultimate team at working around the money. This is the team that made blockbuster trade after blockbuster trade at the beginning of the decade. They were able to trade the Ultimate Albatross Contract in Raef LaFrenz. You could make a pretty awesome team with all of the players the Mavs have traded (and traded for) in the last 10 years.
But in the last couple of years, what have they done? The Kidd trade. And, outside of swapping spare parts, that's it.
Dirk, Terry, J-Ho, Dampier. That has been the Mavericks in the last few seasons. It didn't work in 2006, choking (or being strangled, whichever way you want to look at it) in the Finals. It failed against Golden State. It failed against New Orleans. It failed against Denver.
And the Mavericks are the ultimate example of "This didn't work last year! Try something else!" I look around and see the same faces, and I expect the same results. And I promise you that the players are thinking the same thing.
I see teams trying to get better. The freakin' Spurs go out and get Richard Jefferson. The Cavs go out and get Shaq. The Magic got Vince Carter. The Pistons are getting Ben Gordon and Charlie Villenueve. The Warriors are trying to get Amare.
The Mavs are trying to re-sign Jason Kidd (just to get back to the level they were at last year) and they drafted a bunch of projects. So far, that's it. In addition to Kidd, they're also looking into a backup center.
Where is the big splash? Where is the mix-up? Where is the shake up? Where are the Mavs?
I'm not saying there's anyone out there that can change the world. There isn't a player out there that the Mavs can sign or trade for that will win them the championship. But I don't think that's an excuse not to try. Even the Rangers are "rumored" to be going after people - you don't even hear the Mavs mentioned in any of these scenarios.
And I realize that they're chasing the Great Dragon of 2010. The free agent class that will include Wade, LeBron, and Bosh.
But I can't help but think that it's going to all be a ruse. Because the NBA is structured so that players stay on their teams. So that LeBron James will want to stay in Cleveland, Dwayne Wade will stay in Miami, and Chris Bosh will stay in Toronto.
And if they're going to leave, they're going to leave via sign-and-trade. So all the salary shedding and financial responsibility doesn't make a whole lot of sense - because to make a sign-and-trade for any of those guys, they'd still need salary to send back in most cases.
So I don't get it. And if the Mavs don't do something, I'm going to be angry. Because I don't believe in the power of the 2010 free agent class. And I won't believe in the braintrust's ability to get anyone...even if all those guys become available.
Because they haven't done anything in almost four years. Why would they do anything then?
And so I faithfully monitor the news websites and the blogs, desperately looking for activity. I see great players going to other teams while my teams stand pat.
And I can't help but understand why my teams haven't won a championship this decade.
Free agency gets fans excited because it gives you hope. "Yeah, we didn't win it last year, but now we've added (insert free agent name)? We're going all the way now!"
But for the Dallas teams, free agency has sucked in recent years. Hugely sucked. In the last several years, I can only think of a handful of players that my teams have signed. A lot of it is purely financial (my teams are right up against the cap), but it takes away from my excitement.
Because with no free agents, I look around and think, "This didn't work last year. We weren't even close. Why would it work this year?"
And it's probably because I don't anticipate players getting better. I look at Player A's production last year, and I expect the same. And while I probably realize that Free Agent A won't put my team over the top, I do realize that it puts us that much closer.
My second problem is money-related. Free agency, in all the sports, has exploded in recent years. Fair market value is no longer around - so if you want to sign a free agent, you're probably going to pay too much. And while I understand teams wanting to be financially responsible, I don't have a problem with spending some billionaire's money. And I get upset when Owner A will spend $75 million on his fifth private jet, but he won't throw in a couple million to sign some free agent.
Let's take a team-by-team look at free agency and why it sucks now.
Cowboys
I have no issues with Jerry Jones and free agency. When Jerry sets his eyes on a free agent, he doesn't let him leave town. Owner Jerry is perfect in my eyes. Whether it be Leonard Davis, Ken Hamlin, or even T.O. - if Jerry wants him, Jerry gets him.
The Cowboys have probably done the best in recent years with free agents. They didn't really sign anyone this year, but they're pretty close to the cap. I give them a pass.
Rangers
Ashley's going to hate this, but this is the team I have a lot of issues with. Of the four major sports, Major League Baseball is the only one that isn't capped. So the Rangers can go out and sign every player on the free agent roster.
And the Rangers like to pretend that they're a lot poorer than they are. We're in Dallas/Ft. Worth - we're a top 5 market. But Tom Hicks would like to convince us that we're in Boise, Idaho, and that's how he's been setting up his payroll.
Now I understand the problems that Hicks is facing. I promise that I do, and I'll illustrate:
1. The man is hemorrhaging money. He's having trouble paying for a lot of things, and the team is suffering because of it.
2. The Rangers have sucked for so long that the fanbase is turning on him. No fans in the stadium means less money to spend. If the Rangers draw like a small market team, their payroll will look like one too.
3. Hicks wants to win, but he's in this for the business of it. He's in it for the money. And he doesn't want to lose any of it.
4. The Rangers are trying to win with a home-grown roster. Free agents will take playing time away from Derek Holland, Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Nelson Cruz, Neftali Feliz, Michael Main, etc.
5. Signing a free agent costs the Rangers draft picks. That draft pick could be extremely important down the road.
So...see? I do understand. But I don't think I have to like it. And I think most of those reasons are going to be defunct in the next couple of years.
Because the Rangers are winning. And when the Rangers are winning, fans start showing up. Revenues will rise. Hicks will be able to sell the team or it will become profitable. And if the Rangers are close enough, it's worth losing a draft pick or two to make a run.
I've had this discussion with Ashley before. I'm okay not signing Free Agent A in 2009 if it means that Hicks is willing to spend money in 2010 and 2011. If we're going to be the New York Yankees (home-grown kids like Derek Jeter surrounded with free agent talent like C.C. Sabathia) then I'm okay with the waiting process.
But if we're going to pretend we're the Oakland As - with constantly rebuilding and trying to make a run before arbitration ends - I'm not on board.
Stars
This is a funny one because hockey only recently started up a salary cap. Outside of the Alex Rodriguez signing (which I thought would revolutionize my life in ways I couldn't imagine), the free agent signing I was most excited about was Bill Guerin. It's why I own a Guerin Stars' jersey - I knew he was the final piece to getting back to the Stanley Cup.
And while he's become nervous about spending money in baseball, Tom Hicks has never been afraid to spend money in hockey. He took on the huge Brad Richards contract two seasons ago to make a run at the Cup, and he seems to let his hockey people decide what kind of money is smart and what kind of money isn't.
Hicks has kept the Stars at the top of the salary cap for as long as he's been the owner, and I've never really had a problem with that.
But this year is a bit different. Because of Hicks' money problems, the Stars are suffering a bit. Instead of spending up to the NHL's real cap, Hicks is holding the Stars at a personal cap...about $10 million below the actual cap.
And that means that the Stars aren't going to get any new players to plug any holes. I guess the good news is that I don't see a lot of holes on this team - even though they didn't make the playoffs. I blame injuries more than anything with the Stars, and I'm looking forward to their season whether they sign anyone or not.
Plus, they've won a payoff series this decade. So I can give them the benefit of the doubt.
Mavericks
Here's the one that annoys me the most. Because I know for certain that Mark Cuban wants to win. I know for certain that he'd be willing to lose $100 million if it meant the Mavericks would win the NBA championship. If you want to rank the owners in their desire to win, Cuban and Jerry are right there at the top in all of professional sports.
And I realize that the Mavs are over the cap. They only have a mid-level exception with which to sign free agents.
But this is supposed to be the ultimate team at working around the money. This is the team that made blockbuster trade after blockbuster trade at the beginning of the decade. They were able to trade the Ultimate Albatross Contract in Raef LaFrenz. You could make a pretty awesome team with all of the players the Mavs have traded (and traded for) in the last 10 years.
But in the last couple of years, what have they done? The Kidd trade. And, outside of swapping spare parts, that's it.
Dirk, Terry, J-Ho, Dampier. That has been the Mavericks in the last few seasons. It didn't work in 2006, choking (or being strangled, whichever way you want to look at it) in the Finals. It failed against Golden State. It failed against New Orleans. It failed against Denver.
And the Mavericks are the ultimate example of "This didn't work last year! Try something else!" I look around and see the same faces, and I expect the same results. And I promise you that the players are thinking the same thing.
I see teams trying to get better. The freakin' Spurs go out and get Richard Jefferson. The Cavs go out and get Shaq. The Magic got Vince Carter. The Pistons are getting Ben Gordon and Charlie Villenueve. The Warriors are trying to get Amare.
The Mavs are trying to re-sign Jason Kidd (just to get back to the level they were at last year) and they drafted a bunch of projects. So far, that's it. In addition to Kidd, they're also looking into a backup center.
Where is the big splash? Where is the mix-up? Where is the shake up? Where are the Mavs?
I'm not saying there's anyone out there that can change the world. There isn't a player out there that the Mavs can sign or trade for that will win them the championship. But I don't think that's an excuse not to try. Even the Rangers are "rumored" to be going after people - you don't even hear the Mavs mentioned in any of these scenarios.
And I realize that they're chasing the Great Dragon of 2010. The free agent class that will include Wade, LeBron, and Bosh.
But I can't help but think that it's going to all be a ruse. Because the NBA is structured so that players stay on their teams. So that LeBron James will want to stay in Cleveland, Dwayne Wade will stay in Miami, and Chris Bosh will stay in Toronto.
And if they're going to leave, they're going to leave via sign-and-trade. So all the salary shedding and financial responsibility doesn't make a whole lot of sense - because to make a sign-and-trade for any of those guys, they'd still need salary to send back in most cases.
So I don't get it. And if the Mavs don't do something, I'm going to be angry. Because I don't believe in the power of the 2010 free agent class. And I won't believe in the braintrust's ability to get anyone...even if all those guys become available.
Because they haven't done anything in almost four years. Why would they do anything then?
And so I faithfully monitor the news websites and the blogs, desperately looking for activity. I see great players going to other teams while my teams stand pat.
And I can't help but understand why my teams haven't won a championship this decade.
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