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      Is Isaac Bruce a Hall of Famer?

      June 7, 2010 /

      When Isaac Bruce officially retires on Wednesday, he’ll do so by holding every major Rams receiving record of all-time. He ranks fifth in NFL history in receptions with 1,024 and is second in all-time receiving yards with 15,208. He’s also ninth all-time in receiving touchdowns with 91 and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

      But even though the former Ram and 49er set NFL stat sheets ablaze with his numbers, some don’t consider him a Hall of Famer because of the offensive systems he played in. From 1999 through 2001, the Rams led the league in passing yardage and they also set the record for most passing yards in a season in 2000 with 5,232. Therefore, many consider Bruce’s success a mere product of the Rams’ passing success in those three seasons.

      While it’s hard to argue that Bruce didn’t benefit from the offensive systems he played in (as well as from lining up across from Torry Holt all of those years), it’s hardly fair to deny him entry into the Hall of Fame because of it. It’s not like he had a choice to play in those offenses during those years and besides, he still put up outstanding numbers.

      Was Bruce a dominant player? No, but neither was Lynn Swann and he’s in the Hall (albeit after 14 tries). Bruce has the numbers, was fairly consistent (he racked up eight 1,000-yard seasons during his career) and played on some great teams.

      He’s probably not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but I believe Bruce should be elected into Canton at some point. Again, he wasn’t a difference maker but we’re talking about the best receiver in Rams’ history.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      SI.com: Best and Worst MLB draft picks of all-time

      June 7, 2010 /

      The 2010 MLB Draft starts tonight and in order to get things kicked off, SI.com’s Jon Heyman ranked the best and worst picks in the draft’s history.

      Here are a few picks from each category.

      Worst:

      3. Matt Bush, SS, 2004, No. 1 overall, Padres. This pick was terrible in itself, but considering Justin Verlander came next makes it even worse. Bush not only never rose above Class-A, he is most memorable for the damage he and his buddies caused to Padres owner John Moores’ private box shortly after San Diego drafted Bush. This was one of those supposed cost-saving picks because real prospects such as Verlander, Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver were seeking much higher bonuses than the $3 million wasted on Bush. What makes matters worse is that Bush hailed from the San Diego area, so they should have known better.

      5. Brien Taylor, LHP, 1991, No. 1 overall, Yankees. Taylor signed a record-setting bonus of $1.55 million and looked like a can’t-miss prospect until hurting his throwing shoulder in a fight defending his brother. Sadly, Taylor never pitched a game in majors, joining Chilcott as the second No. 1 pick never to play in the bigs.

      12. Jeff Clement, C, 2005, No. 3 overall, Mariners. The Mariners gave away their No. 3 overall pick after they recognized he wasn’t going to be anything close to a star, trading him to the Pirates last summer. What’s worse is that the two players drafted immediately after Clements were Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals) and Ryan Braun (Brewers). Clement is hitting .197 as a Pirates first baseman this year and is a .223 career hitter.

      Best:

      1. Piazza, C, 1989, Dodgers, 62nd round. Hard to top a Cooperstown-bound catcher in round 62. Was a legacy pick at family friend Lasorda’s behest but he became a superstar.

      6. Ryan Howard, 1B, 2000 Phillies, 5th round. This later bloomer was slow to be promoted to the majors, too, perhaps because of the presence of power-hitting Jim Thome. But as as soon as Howard arrived, he established himself as baseball’s top slugger.

      7. Bay, OF, 2000, Expos, 22nd round. The Canadian was underappreciated almost right to the point where he signed that $66-million contract with the Mets. The Expos were full of good picks. This was one of their best.

      Ha! Matt Bush. He’s so easy to root against in life.

      How about the Expos finding Bay in the 22nd round? They probably had no idea what the hell they had, although as Heyman notes in the feature, they were actually one of the better organizations at drafting young players. (And then subsequently trading them away.)

      Good list overall. There are always arguments to be made when rankings like these are released, but Heyman knows his baseball and I think he covers a wide spectrum of players. He also stays away from the most recent drafts, as one never knows if a player will fizzle after finding success early in his career. (Although I don’t think anyone would have bulked if Heyman mentioned Tim Lincecum among the best picks. He already has two Cy Young awards and the Giants showed guts taking him with the 10th overall pick despite his unusual throwing motion and small stature. Of course, I’m also a Giants fan, so take what I say at it’s worth.)


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      Ravens forced to cancel rest of OTAs; did a player issue a complaint?

      June 7, 2010 /

      The Ravens were forced to cancel the final week of OTAs for violating the Collective Bargaining Agreement’s offseason workout rules, the Baltimore Sun reports. But nobody knows who issued the complaint that led to the cancellation.

      It was determined that the Ravens violated the rules concerning the intensity and tempo of drills well as the length of time spent by players.

      A complaint was received by the NFL Players Association, but it is unknown who issued it. The Ravens were scheduled to have a special teams camp on June 15-16.

      Here is the joint statement from the NFL and the union:

      “It was determined that the Ravens violated the rules concerning the intensity and tempo of drills conducted on the Club’s organized team activity days (‘OTA days’) and the length of time spent by players at the Club’s facility on such days.

      “As a result, the Ravens will forfeit the final week of their off-season program (June 14-18, 2010). Ravens’ players are not permitted to be at the facility on those days, but will be paid for the sessions. The Club cannot reschedule the canceled days.”

      A couple of years ago, several Lions players complained to the media about the degree of difficulty of Rod Marinelli’s practices during his first year in Detroit, although the team was never penalized. Players hate OTAs and training camp, so it wouldn’t be shocking to find out that one of the Ravens issued the compliant that led to the cancellation.

      Either way, this hardly hurts the Ravens in terms of preparing for the regular season. While it’s always better for players to get as many reps under their belt before the season starts as they can, training camp and preseason is where jobs are won and lost. Plus, unless it’s a new coaching staff or scheme change, OTAs aren’t vital for veterans outside of making sure they’re getting into shape. They’re more beneficial for newcomers and rookies.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Parker-for-Lee…why not?

      June 7, 2010 /

      Tony Parker is rumored to be available for trade, but that has more to do with the presence of George Hill than anything the Spurs have done since their season ended. The Knicks are in dire need of a good point guard, so of course there have been some Parker-to-New York rumors as well.

      Chad Ford writes that the Spurs are looking for a big.

      The Spurs and Thunder also are in the hunt for a big and have targeted a number of teams in the lottery to move up a few spots. The Thunder have multiple picks to offer. The Spurs have Tony Parker or George Hill. While the Spurs aren’t necessarily shopping either player, they’re not untouchable, either. If the Spurs can get another big man to help prolong Tim Duncan’s career, they’ll do it.

      But looking ahead — if the Knicks strike out on their plan to get one of their LeBron/Bosh, Wade/Bosh or LeBron/Wade dream combos, maybe a Lee-for-Parker deal would make some sense.

      Let’s say the Knicks strike out on LeBron, Wade and Bosh, but manage to sign a couple of second-tier free agents (Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, etc.) starting at $14 million per season, that would leave them about $9.5-$10 million to re-sign Lee and then move him for another asset like Parker. That would give the Knicks a core of Parker, Johnson and Boozer moving forward, and give the Spurs a quality power forward to play alongside Duncan. (Remember, Antonio McDyess is still under contract for another season and the Spurs have DeJuan Blair as well.)


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Cavs, Izzo have discussed deal

      June 7, 2010 /

      Per Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

      According to multiple sources, Gilbert has discussed the framework of a massive contract offer to Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. Gilbert, a Michigan State graduate, has handled the recruitment personally and Izzo is said to be mulling the chance to jump to the NBA.

      The offer is said to be worth approximately $6 million annually and would be for up to five years, much larger than the industry standard for a coach without previous NBA head coaching experience. The offer might also be loaded with potential bonuses and perks including free use of one of Gilbert’s private jets.

      There is no doubt that Tom Izzo is a great coach, but a lot of great college coaches have gone to the NBA only to fail miserably or suffer in mediocrity. Without assurances from LeBron that he’ll re-sign with Cleveland, I don’t see Izzo making the move. That’s just a gut feeling.

      So this could be “if LeBron re-signs” deals. If LeBron leaves, Gilbert knows that he’s going to have a tough time getting a big name coach anyway, so why not have the framework of a deal in place that he can sell to LeBron?

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News

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