(Get) A Sporting Life

From the BBC: Notts Co to revive youth scheme Notts County have revealed plans to rejuvenate their Centre of Excellence and youth programme. It closed in May 2006 as a cost-cutting measure but now chairman John Armstrong-Holmes wants to re-open it. He told the club website: "In the past couple of years we have seen significant financial benefit. But over the next few years we will miss out." A proposal to relaunch the centre at the start of next season will go before the board of directors on Friday. Chief executive Geoff Davey explained: "The proposal is indicative of the progress we have made in getting our finances back into shape. "It's very good news that the club is strong enough to make such an undertaking." There is no way you can run a succesful club without a vibrant youth program. This is really the first time I'd heard good news about the Magpies finances in awhile. Baby steps.

For all the bitching from Blues fans about the howlingly bad play from Brewer the last three weeks or so (here is a good example ), you might have figured that his was the worst blueline performance. You'd be wrong. By every measure Barret Jackman's play has been terrible. Jackman: GP G A Pts +/- PIM PP SHG GWG S SPct. 30-0-3-3-(-13)- -29 -0-- 0-- 0--- 32 -0.00 Brewer: GP G A Pts +/- PIM PP SHG GWG S SPct. 25 -1- 6- 7 -(-5)- 27-- 0--0 ---0-- 36- 2.78 Yet, for some reason, Jackman mostly gets a pass from Blues fans. I don't get it. Brewer's upside is so much greater than our other defensemen (with the exception of Johnson), that it makes no sense to attempt to run him out of town. Brewer was terrific the last 30+ games of last season, and he didn't start badly this one either. True, he has been an outright liability out there for awhile, and I certainly hope he gets some confidence back and quickly. But, to my mind, it is Jackman that has been the biggest disappointm...

I don't know that there is much to say about the Edmonds trade since we won't know if it's turned out well until we see how the younger guys produce in CF and where the freed up $$ ultimately ends up. Personally, given what there is in the free agent market, I hope they don't make a signing for signing's sake. I'd rather write off 2008 and use it for 2009. Or, in the miraculous case we are in contention come late July, look to make a deal for someone we would normally say we can't afford and use the money towards their existing contract or locking up an extension before they hit the free agent market. UPDATE: lboros has a post up on Viva El Birdos about what to do with the money. His first option of starting pitching is obvious but the names mentioned (colon, jennings, freddy garcia, john lieber, matt clement, rodrigo lopez, mark prior, and kris benson) make me cringe. I still can't believe any pair of them for $10-15 million makes us contenders. His se...

No, this is not a post about the Cards trading Edmonds (although that one should be coming soon enough.) I've not said too much about the St. Louis University Billikens in the early part of the season. There are two reasons I've been mostly quiet: 1) I've been real busy in my real world activities, and 2) I knew from the start that the Bills were going to be a mixed bag this season, so why hang on every missed shot? Don't get me wrong, I still hope they will do well, but the transition to an entirely new scheme under Rick Majerus is going to take time. So far this season the Bills look like a team that is still trying to figure out what they are supposed to be doing. The best case scenario is that they work enough out in the non-conference part of their schedule to scare some folks in the A-10 during the new year. Maybe there are some signs that that is exactly what is happening. The Billikens picked up a big win over Southern Illinois last night, and showed some grit d...

I thought when the Blues finally made a move this season it would be shipping off one of the extra defensemen for some offensive help. Swapping out a 35 year old center in Doug Weight for a 30 year old center in Andy McDonald simply was not what I was expecting. We also sent minor leaguer Michal Birner and a low rent draft pick to Anaheim as well. Weight was a good member of the Blues, and showed his loyalty to the organization by waiving his no trade clause. This deal looks to make the Blues better. Weight wasn't really clicking with any of the forwards we have nowadays, although he picked up some points of late. Weight certainly should be able to help a talented team like the Ducks, so it isn't as if the Blues fleeced anybody. Still....this is a really good move for the Note. McDonald may not be the flashiest player out there, but he is a proven goal scorer as well as a set up man. If I remember correctly, he plays a strong two-way game as well, so he should fit right into th...

Today's NYT's Headline: Selig Says Report ‘Is a Call to Action’ and Vows to Act Swiftly TRANSLATION:My head will be in the sand with such speed, I'll become a god in the ostrich community. It's been refreshing to read and listen to a large percentage of Mitchell Report punditry that feels little can be done and it is only the beginning of any potential change. There are few things more annoying than commentators who should know better, taking to the microphones to pontificate on the latest event, be it a player's death, arrest, drug OD, or whatever and proclaim it a turning point that will alter human behavior for all eternity. While I wish it were otherwise and I hope that the Players Union gets the kick in the balls it deserves over this one, I'm not holding my breath that the Mitchell Report does anything more than provide the slimmest of openings for meaningful change. Let's face it, the track and field and cycling federations haven't been able to ...

Alright. I read the whole summary and the section where the players implicated by Kirk Radomski are enumerated. Here is my take: I think Sen. Mitchell should be commended for doing such an even handed job in the report. It seems clear he collected a preponderance of evidence before releasing any names, and gave all of the accused a chance to tell their side of the story...if they had one. It also becomes clear that the players from the start have been stonewalling, and not just in the sense of trying to keep illegal activities from coming to light. The players or, maybe more accurately, the Players Association have attempted to obfuscate and wrongdoing to the point that they no longer care of the integrity of the game is at stake. For example: Of the 500 former players the Mitchell investigation attempted to interview, only 68 agreed to do so. That is 13.6%. The Players Association refused to supply any documentation on any matter whatsoever. They refused to make chief operating office...

Goddammit, George! Is this necessary? I have a .327 slugging percentage. Twelve years, seven teams, 21 homers, and a career of obscurity is ended with a mention in the Mitchell Report. Time to do a bit of cipherin'. If his HR to AB ratio is the lowest of the position players named, he'll become immortal as the answer to a bar trivia question.

Got this assessment on the Cardinals position from the PD : In the wake of the organization's four-week search before naming Mozeliak as successor to Walt Jocketty, and Mozeliak's four-week search for an assistant general manager, the Cardinals appear to be playing catch-up. Any hopes of acquiring a front-line pitcher through trade have been replaced by scouring the free-agent market for a short-term acquisition such as Kris Benson, Bartolo Colon or Josh Fogg. The situation has yet to become bleak enough for La Russa or Mozeliak to suggest Anthony Reyes' possible return as a No. 5 starter, perhaps because Reyes is being shopped widely to teams such as the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies. Club sources indicated by week's end that Rasmus could lose his "untouchable" label in a potential deal for Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Erik Bedard. Such a deal would have to include at least another prominent Cardinals prospect such as Bryan Anderson or Chri...

more so if his arrival were not heralded by so many potential BCTP posts I hardly know where to start: not-insignificant power...poor-man’s Ray Lankford...useful player...gives the Cardinals different “looks”...isn’t afraid to get plunked...Busch Stadium will make this man a cult hero. It's late so we'll start from the end and work our way back....

Just when I thought Cardinals fans would forever be forsaken .... The Cardinals have decided to release So Taguchi, ending the outfielder's six-year tenure as a member of the St. Louis organization. Taguchi was let go in order to clear space on the 40-man roster, which had been at full capacity. By opening up a spot, the Cardinals are now able to make a selection in the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday morning at baseball's annual Winter Meetings. And with that pick in the Rule 5 draft we selected Brian Barton . Here is Get Up, Baby's take on Barton: As a late-blooming, fast outfielder with not-insignificant power and a good on-base percentage, Barton reminds me the most of Matt Lawton, with the optimistic projection being some kind of right-handed poor-man’s Ray Lankford. Ah, the Ray Lankford stamp of approval–that lets you know that I am optimistic about Brian Barton. The main concern, besides his gimp knee, is that that on-base percentage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be–take a l...

Most of the things I read about the Rolen trade situation focus on the Cards perspective (how much salary to eat, what we need in return, etc). To the extent the other GM's viewpoint is taken into account, it's whether Rolen is healthy and will return to earlier offensive form. I haven't seen much, if anything, on the other simple and obvious complicating factor that he may be a headcase. It's kinda, sorta said in a roundabout way. I guess since he doesn't mouth off in front of the camera, the enigma factor remains. But any GM has to take it into account if they are thinking about acquiring Rolen - the guy is 0-2 in getting along with managers. Maybe it's no big deal because he never loafs, but do you really want to gamble with a guy coming off injuries and sub-par seasons who doesn't appear to have been happy on a club where in 5.3 seasons he won four division titles, four NLDS, two pennants and a World Series ring? I don't know what he does or does no...

This may be the only thing that surprises me more than 9 wins and a BCS bid. I never thought I would see this day come for Illini football recruiting : There's one small problem with Illinois' remarkable Rose Bowl-tinted success. There might not be enough scholarships to accommodate all of the recruits who want to become Illini.... ...With 22 oral commitments on their current list -- and room for perhaps 10 more -- the Illini are in the unprecedented position of having to express their condolences to recruits who are recruiting Illinois. "They're turning down guys right now that, a year ago, they would have been jumping up and down to get," said Jeff Johnson, Rivals.com's Illinois recruiting expert. I need a Kleenex. And not to wipe away the tears of joy....

Or is he just gonna continue to be the world's biggest pussy? Let's face it, it is an open question if he will ever get over his shoulder problems. His bat looked slow all last season, and he was even a little erratic in the field trying to compensate for something. As is he seems to be an average number seven hitter, someone who can get a hold of the occasional mistake made by a pitcher, and not in any way, shape or form "protection" for Pujols. Given that, what more can Rolen expect from this organization? They have got a shit load of money invested in this player who will never, dollar for dollar, deliver the production one would expect. So La Russa sits him after he looks like utter crap at the plate, so what? Lots of players who look like utter crap at the plate find themselves left off of the lineup card. Scott Rolen gets all the respect he should need every time he cashes a paycheck. So, shut up and play ball...if you still can.

...When the only thing Cards fans seem to have to look forward to this winter is the resigning of So Taguchi. Great.

Five Minutes Ago on the P-D website: Cabrera and Willis to Detroit for a six player package.

Got this from the PD today discussing a potential trade of Scott Rolen to Florida: The Cardinals may wait until the Florida Marlins resolve the status of third baseman Miguel Cabrera before acting. ... Cabrera would fit the Cardinals’ need for Rolen’s replacement. However, all discussions have begun and ended with center field prospect Colby Rasmus, whom the Cardinals so far have deemed untouchable. This makes it sound like Florida might accept a Rolen/Rasmus for Cabrera deal. It that is true..... JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PULL THE FUCKING TRIGGER ALREADY!!!!!WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!ARE YOU MORONS!!!!!!!!!!! And I'd add: AUGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It especially hurts when the only other deal mentioned is one for the Brewer's Chris Capuano. Don't we already have 6 or 7 Capuano's in our organization. Do we really need yet another lefty with 15+ loss potential?

I know the BCS is always complete and utter shit, but it still rankles that Illinois and Kansas get BCS berths while Mizzou is stuck in a total crapola non-BCS Cotton Bowl with unranked(!) Arkansas. It is small consolation that the game is a New Years Day game that will feature the two best players in college football this year. It is a ridiculously boring matchup and Missouri deserved better. It especially sucks that Kansas gets rewarded for their special-Olympics style schedule (although one could say the same about Ohio State as well.) It says something when the number one team in the nation can lose its conference title game to the team that ends the season at #4 in the BCS, and the former #1 drops entirely out of the BCS series matchups. It says the entire system is a joke and Ohio State and LSU aren't really playing for dick. UPDATE: This is from Burwell at the PD : Of course it doesn’t make sense. You know it, I know it, even the doofuses who continue to perpetrate this idi...