Was the A-Rod Contract Really Worth it?

A-Rod was never worth the money the Yankees gave him some six years ago. (Credits: Kathy Willens/AP Photo)

There is no arguing that Alex Rodriguez is a Hall-of-Famer. I mean other than the fact he admitted to using banned PEDs, A-Rod is first ballot material. But he also changed the sport in a totally different way, he made money matter.

When the Texas Rangers offered a 25-year-old Rodriguez a 10 year/$252 millon contract the sports world was sent into hysteria. Some thought it was laughable, others tabbed it as ridiculous and even some called it horrifying. There was no arguing at the time that A-Rod was the league's best player especially after he had just posted three consecutive 40-plus home run, 110-plus RBI seasons. Ken Griffey Jr. was on the downslope of his career apex and the injury bug was about to bite him again and again. Albert Pujols was just entering the league as a promising prospect, but nothing that could topple A-Rod's play. Major League Baseball was his.

Yet unlike many stars we've seen over the years, Rodriguez immediately proved to the world that the contract was worth it or at least that he was rightfully the highest paid player in the history of sports. .318/52/135 in his first season in Texas. .300/57/142 in his second season. In his third season he garnered his first MVP award by posting .298/47/118. Even despite his Rangers' teams being subpar, Rodriguez still was tearing through the league. However, Texas realized they couldn't sustain this deal with such horrendous talent surrounding Rodriguez. The best player in baseball was on the trade block. As we all expected the Yankees made the call to the Rangers front office and soon after the best player on earth was playing for the best franchise on earth.

Rodriguez's transition from the small market Rangers to the Bronx Empire didn't exactly bring MVP results. Though A-Rod did post .286/36/106 in his inaugural pinstripes season, a pivotal play in the ALCS sent Rodriguez in a postseason tailspin. That play of course was the "slap," something Yankees fans never ever want to talk about. Since that play was proceeded by the biggest postseason choke in the history of baseball, the pressure of Rodriguez grew to immeasurable heights.

Before that '04 ALCS A-Rod had been a pretty solid postseason player, hitting .363 in four postseason series. But all of the sudden Rodriguez became a choke artist, botching almost every single clutch opportunity he had in the following years. That '05 MVP season? Didn't matter because he batted .133 in a 4-1 series loss to Angels in the ALDS. He followed that spectacular '05 season with a solid 35 homers and 121 ribbies in the '06 regular season. Again, however, failure shrouded Rodriguez in the playoffs. He had only one hit in an embarrassing sweep to the Tigers. The superstar had hit rock bottom. Yankees fans had turned on him. Every time Rodriguez toed the batter's box in a clutch situation, it was a big joke. Flailing at curve balls, popping up fastballs, striking out at will. '07 was no different from '05. An A-Rod MVP followed by another Yankees sweep, this time to the Indians. Rodriguez was 4-for-15 in that series, hardly an indication of his monstrous 54 home-run, 156 RBI-season. His career had officially entered a bizarre realm. Things would get even more strange that offseason.

An opt-out clause after the 7th year of the contract allowed the 31-year-old to get out of his already massive contract. With money grubber Scott Boras representing him, Rodriguez went to war with the most successful organization in baseball. Rumors of 10 years/$300 million were swirling and as one of my friends, Alex Antilety put it, "He was looking for a contract only God deserves." He was right. I don't care how good the slugger was in the regular season, his putrid playoff numbers gave him no right to approach the Yankees with such gaudy dollar demands. No one that averages .230 in five playoff series (24 games) deserves that money. God doesn't choke in primetime anyways. The sides eventually met on a 10-year/$275 million extension, making Rodriguez far and away the highest paid athlete in the world.

Once again A-Rod put together a solid .302/35/103 season in that '08 campaign, but this time the Yankees couldn't even muster a playoff berth. It was considered a gigantic waste for the Bronx Bombers to miss the playoffs in the final season at historic Yankee Stadium. Rodriguez was at the center of that debacle. But something clicked in the 32-year-old after that season. The superstar had enough of being the butt of everyone's joke, being labeled a "choke artist." Late-gaem magic came out of nowhere in the summer of '09.

It's August 7th, the Yanks and Sox are locked in an epic 15-inning scoreless struggle in the new Yankee Stadium. A-Rod steps to the plate with a runner on base and proceeds to deposit an absolute bomb into the center-left-field bleachers and the rest was stunningly history. I remember that game like it was yesterday. I mean a 0-0 game in the bottom of the 15th between the Sox and Yanks can oddly be both the most boring, yet exciting thing you'll ever watch. But that's not the thing I remember from it. That's not why I remember that game so fondly. I remember sitting there as the ball sliced through the humid August sky saying this could be A-Rod's career-changing moment. It was...at least for that year. The slugger batted .330 in the months of August and September with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs. But October was when the much maligned superstar changed the world's perception.

The '09 playoffs were all about Rodriguez, who was a scorching hot .378 in 15 games with six home runs, 3 of which of the late-game tying variety, and 18 RBIs. Championship number 27 was ultra sweet for Rodriguez because it was his first, along with his first World Series MVP. For Yankees fans that postseason run was so magical, not just cause it was their first since 2000, but because A-Rod was just so sizzling hot and so clutch you couldn't believe it. The guy went from a pariah to a surefire late-game playmaker. Consider the world stunned. Consider A-Rod vindicated.

But the ugly playoff numbers have continued since that epic run in 2009. In his last five post season series those ugly numbers have returned. 21 games, only 12 hits and zero home runs. Rodriguez's struggles peaked last year in the ALDS when he was benched in the ninth inning in favor of an aging Raul Ibanez. The 40-year-old pinch hitter tied the game with home run in the ninth and then won the game with another bomb in the 12th. Rodriguez was thoroughly embarrassed and eventually was benched in Game 4 of the ALCS, the game in which the Tigers completed their sweep of the Yankees. Then the offseason brought about unexpected hip surgery which will have A-Rod on the DL until some time in July.

Here's the question though, were all the headaches associated with Rodriguez's lack of a clutch gene and monetary desires really worth it for the Yankees? Was one World Series trophy and a slew of embarrassing playoff exits worth the near $30 million he earns a year?. He hasn't been effective since 2010 and yet he's still under contract for at least $20 mil a pop until 2017. A mind bogging statistic when you think about it. He'll be 42 when the contract is up. 42 years old. And with all the injuries he's dealt with lately (he hasn't played more than 140 games since 2007) you have to wonder if it's going to be truly wasted money.

Giving a 32-year-old a 10-year extension is never something you want your team to do. But if it gets you a title does it then verify the necessity to ink such a deal? I'd say so if it was for a franchise that didn't have 27 championships. But no, the Yankees botched this one. They bit on Scott Boras' strategies and it may have costed them a chance to re-sign their future, also known as Robinson Cano, unless they want to forfeit their sanity and have a $300 millon dollar-plus payroll.

Prima donas aren't worth 275 million dollars. Matter of fact, no one is worth $275 million. Lesson learned Bronx Bombers. Lesson learned Major League Baseball.

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Addition of Iginla Raises Expectations in Pittsburgh

Jarome Iginla's arrival in Pittsburgh means the pressures on for the Penguins. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins are riding a 14-game winning streak, running away with the Eastern Conference, and racing toward the playoffs like a Hemi-powered Zamboni. Last night, they got back reigning-MVP Evgeni Malkin, even though everyone knows its not fair to have the two best kids on the same team. During their win streak, they have disposed of the Montreal Canadiens, the team nearest them in the Eastern Conference, by scores of 7-6 and 1-0. Now for our next trick…

Can a team like that get any better? It’s almost a spoiled question to entertain, like sitting in the backseat of Jeff Gordon’s racecar and asking if it can go any faster. But in the past week Penguins GM Ray Shero has not been afraid to ask the question of himself, a sign of great hunger though not gluttony. As the architect of the team, perfectionism is his responsibility.

After a mid-season appraisal of his squad, Shero quickly made his findings clear. Over the weekend, he added veteran forward Brenden Morrow, who still possesses above-veteran abilities, and hulking defenseman Douglas Murray, who still might be a distant cousin of the Incredible Hulk. In less than 24 hours, he added depth to the offense and shored up the defense.

The Penguins got better. But the question persisted. Could they get better still?

The question no longer seemed spoiled. Now it was scary, like wondering if the Abominable Snowman could become any more abominable. Ray Shero, the Indomitable Showman, decided again that they could.

For much of the season, the Penguins felt they were lacking one top-6 forward. With Kris Kunitz-Sidney Crosby-Pascal Dupuis solidified as the top line, they needed desired a third forward to play alongside Malkin and James Neal. (The idea of the best team in the League needing something is pretty much ludicrous.) Regardless, Shero got back on the phone, and began the search for his latest fancy.

After looking near and far, high and wide (wait, no, only Brad Richards looks high and wide), Shero shocked the hockey world when he cast out a line for Calgary-lifer Jarome Iginla, stole him right off the hook of the Boston Bruins, and landed him in Pittsburgh.

Acquiring Jarome Iginla, the 5^th highest active scorer in the League, to satisfy the need desire for a top-6 forward is like buying an iPhone because you need a calculator. He just gives you so much more than a prototypical top-6 forward. He’ll score, sure, because that’s what he done his entire career. And he’ll distribute the puck, as he’s developed something of a skill in that domain too. (If we were Grantland and had cool footnotes, I would insert this one here: Iginla may be one of the most offensively-balanced “goalscorers” the NHL has ever seen. Of his 1095 career points, 525 are goals and 570 are assists. There’s a lot more to this guy’s game than putting the puck in the net.) On that note, Iginla will make an already-lethal power play even more dangerous. He will lift a below-average penalty kill, maybe not through blocking shots but certainly through providing shorthanded offense. He will stabilize the locker room during rocky times – even if it’s smooth sailing right now – and settle down anxieties in pressurized moments. Finally, to a team that already possesses a killer instinct, Iginla will bring his late-game hammer, his overtime monster maul. Among active NHL players, the clutch Canadian ranks third in game-winning goals.

Does Shero’s latest move put the Penguins over the top? The answer may lie in the GM’s aggressiveness leading up to the April 3^rdtrade deadline. If the architect rolls up his blueprint and sits back to watch, we’ll know this team is as close to perfect as anything.

As it is, they already boast the best line in hockey. Though I’m sure there are some dominant trios of squirts and peewees somewhere up in Canada, the dynamism and chemistry displayed by Crosby Dupuis and Kunitz is unparalleled. And now, they have the best second line in the land as well. Seeing Malkin, not to mention Iginla and Neal, on the second line is reminiscent of the mid-2000’s New York Yankees, who would routinely pencil in Hideki Matsui – another megastar from overseas – as a six or seven hitter.

The story concerning those gaudy Yankee teams though, is this: Despite the assemblage of Jeter, A-Rod, Sheffield, Giambi, Posada, Matsui, and a young Cano, torrid regular seasons ended in postseason meltdowns. They belted, bashed and battered the ball to a pulp, but the thing they will be most remembered for is not winning.

This should serve as a cautionary tale for the Penguins, especially after their flameout in last year’s playoffs when they gave up 30 goals in six games against the Flyers.

For though the addition of Iginla lifts the Penguins closer to the summit, it also makes the fall even farther. As the team’s expectations rise, the pressure does too. 

Shero has put the pieces in place. He has invited Stanley Cup Or Bust forecasts. The standard of success for his team is a reflection of its recent history and reservoirs of talent. Now it’s time for those pieces to come up with a whole that is equal to their sum.

Hint: it’s silver, heavy, and often filled with beer. 

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Best Case/Worst Case Sweet Sixteen: East Region

James Southerland's dynamic three-point shooting could propel the Orange to a title. (Credits: AP Photo)

With the first two rounds in the rearview mirror, we begin to get to the nitty gritty of the NCAA Tournament  Cinderellas either continue their magical ride or fade into the history books. Favorites either flame out or make their move. Superstars take over or fall to the backdrop. But, the basketball certainly improves and most of us as viewers have watched our brackets crumble to the ground which turns our attention to either our favorite team or a team we've picked up on the way. Here is a best case/worst case for each of the Sweet Sixteen finalists.

East Region
#1 Indiana
Best Case
Hoosierland has been buzzing about this team since the git-go and a thrashing of Syracuse makes them even more antsy for what could be. Next up for Indiana is a Marquette team that has just been skating by in all their contests. But, like they've done all tournament, the Golden Eagles make this game a legitimate tilt. In the end Victor Olathreepo, as I like to call him, makes a couple huge plays on both ends further solidifying his draft stock. Indiana's Final Four opponent is a familiar foe in Michigan and like the regular season games, this is an absolute thriller. This time it's Christian Watford creating the magic by hitting a buzzer beater three. The "Instant Classic" sends Hoosierland into hysteria before they surprisingly taking care of a cold-shooting Blue Devils team for the team's first National Championship since '87.

Worst Case
Syracuse finds its athletic groove much like they did in the Big East Tournament and only Victor Oladipo seems to be able to generate anything offensively. The game turns ugly as some hard fouls disrupts Cody Zeller's game and the Orangemen prevail in one of the more underrated upsets of the tournament.

#4 Syracuse
Best Case
James Southerland hot shooting continues as the Orangemen ride him to a close, hard fought victory over Indiana. With that major upset behind them, Syracuse gets a Reggie Johnson-less Miami team in the Elite Eight. Without Johnson, C.J. Fair goes off to the tune of 25 points, 15 rebounds sending 'Cuse into its fifth Final Four. In the National Semi-Final, Syracuse plays Kansas and once again Southerland goes off along with Brandon Triche adding to the three point barrage. The Orangemen, widely considered a great bet for the tournament, are moving onto the National Championship. A rematch with the Cardinals goes Syracuse's way in a National Final to remember. 'Cuse gets its second title in 10 years.

Worst Case
The Orangemen run into a determined, angry Victor Oladipo who takes over from the start. With the threes not falling for 'Cuse, Indiana takes them behind the woodshed and continues its determined quest towards the promised land.

#3 Marquette
Best Case
So far Marquette has been getting by with clutch plays by Vander Blue and nothing changes against Miami. The Golden Eagles eventually wear Miami down with their intense defense and finally start penetrating later in the game, annihilating the interior without Reggie Johnson. Marquette musters their best half of the tournament in the first half of the Elite Eight vs. Indiana, but they can't finish the job. Their inability to finish or make shots forces them to surrender their 12-point half time lead and they fall to the Hoosiers. Pretty good run though for a team most thought would be an early exit.

Worst Case
The cylinder seems locked early for the Golden Eagles who fall behind with a huge deficit before mounting a slight comeback in the second half. However, Shane Larkin continues to get whatever he wants around the rim and the Hurricanes move onto the Elite Eight.

#2 Miami
Best Case
The loss of Reggie Johnson deals a decent sized blow to the Hurricanes starting unit but Shane Larkin's play heightens even more because of that loss. The sensational guard leads the 'Canes past Marquette in a pretty easy win. A matchup with Indiana proves to be a tough one, especially with Cody Zeller playing the way he is. The game comes down to wire before Larkin magically scores the final six points as Miami escapes Indiana in dramatic fashion. Unfortunately the 'Canes first Final Four appearance is an embarrassing one as Jeff Withey and the Kansas Jayhawks take it to them in a brutal second half. All in all, what a season for the program.

Worst Case
Johnson's absence proves to be too much as Vander Blue slices and dices the Miami defense in an absolute blowout. The program's second Sweet Sixteen ends way worse than its first did when the 'Canes lost to a lower seeded Tulsa team in a close game.

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Best Case/Worst Case Sweet Sixteen: South Region

Trey Burke can carry Michigan to the promised land, but will his teammates join him? (Credits: Erin Kirkland/Michigan Daily)

With the first two rounds in the rearview mirror, we begin to get to the nitty gritty of the NCAA Tournament  Cinderellas either continue their magical ride or fade into the history books. Favorites either flame out or make their move. Superstars take over or fall to the backdrop. But, the basketball certainly improves and most of us as viewers have watched our brackets crumble to the ground which turns our attention to either our favorite team or a team we've picked up on the way. Here is a best case/worst case for each of the Sweet Sixteen finalists.

South Region

#1 Kansas

Best Case

The strong second half against UNC carries over to a sweet sixteen matchup vs. Michigan. Trey Burke and Ben McLemore cancel each other out, but Jeff Withey dominates the soft Michigan interior defense in a close Jayhawks win. Kansas gets lucky and plays a Florida Gulf Coast team that had to pull off another miracle upset, but this time in dramatic fashion. McLemore single-handedly undresses FGCU and the Jayhawks advance to the Final Four to again play a favorable foe. Marquette has pulled off a string of intensely close games and has no gas left in the tank. Withey this time dominates the smaller Marquette squad before the Jayhawks fall to a sizzling hot Duke team in the National Championship.

Worst Case
McLemore and Burke get into a guard matchup for the ages as the two take the game to the wire. Withey's foul trouble allows for Mitch McGary to dominate the post once Kansas starts doubling Burke. Eventually the Jayhawks can't stop the dynamic Michigan guards and their Final Four hopes are dashed way before they anticipated.

#4 Michigan
Best Case
Burke puts on an absolute show for the rest of the tournament easily garnering him the John Wooden award. But the play of McGary and Glenn Robinson III really accentuate how the underachieving Wolverines regular season was the aberration. Kansas is the toughest game Michigan has to play before ripping through a wounded Florida squad and exacting beautiful revenge against Indiana in the Final Four game in a hugely surprising blowout. Louisville has a hard time trying to find the cylinder in the National Championship and Michigan walks away with its first title since 1989.

Worst Case
The Wolverine's worst nightmare comes true as the lack of a true dominant big man does them in against Withey and the Jayhawks. Michigan continues its mind-boggling series of disappointing losses after thunderous victories. Oddly successful season for a Wolverine's squad who probably was no better than a Sweet Sixteen team.

#3 Florida
Best Case
FGCU's magical run comes to a screeching halt as Kenny Boynton and the Gators run the Cinderellas out of the building. Florida finds itself in a war with Kansas as Withey and Erik Murphy slug it out in the paint, but Withey's late foul troubles allow Murphy to put the game away late. A surprising Final Four matchup with a run down Syracuse squad (thanks to the Big East Tournament) sees Florida dominate on their way to the National Championship game. But Florida falls apart in a tough matchup vs. Louisville, who's suffocating defense just doesn't let Murphy, Boynton or Patric Young get anything done.

Worst Case
Cinderella comes crashing right through Florida, who succumbs to Florida Gulf Coast's high-flying, athletic style of play. They can't stop the Eagles sizzling ball movement and Sherwood Brown continues his great performance in the tournament. A late run by Florida makes it a riveting, close game, but Brown and the Eagles make magic one more time in this tournament.

#15 Florida Gulf Coast
Best Case
The magic just won't stop for these Eagles who once again put together an insanely efficient offensive performance. Brown and Bernard Thompson are too much of a dynamic duo for Boynton and Scottie Wilbekin. Although the game goes down to the wire, the basketball gods remain on FGCU's side as Brown finishes the game in sensational fashion. This magical run ends in the Elite Eight as they see Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. click on all cylinders, blowing out the Eagles. Still one of the most memorable runs ever.

Worst Case
Kenny Boynton gets off to a sizzling start and a 15-point Florida lead at halftime simply out does the upstart Eagles. Gators win by 20+ and the Eagles go home as a good story and little else. 

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The U.S. Flexes its Collective Muscle

In his first USMNT start Matt Besler brought the kind of intensity, physicality and composure that's been missing from the U.S. back line (Credits: Maxsport)

Mexico's Estadio Azteca is equivalent to hell on earth, for opponents that is. It's a towering, imposing edifice filled with savages who cheer on their team in the most violent and ravaging ways. They don't care too much for sportsmanship or even humanity for that matter. However when the opponent is the Mexican's heated rival the United States, the place becomes void of rules. If the fans weren't behind two massive steel cage walls, they'd probably storm the pitch and kill everyone in a U.S. jersey. But the United States has begun to understand how the Azteca works. They're grasping the idea of the buzzing beehive that is the Mexican crowd and they've learned how to use that vicious beast to their advantage.

Tuesday night was no different from any of the other recent contests the United States have played in Azteca. They were constantly on their back heels, rarely getting a solid possession nor many quality shots on goal. Yet, unlike the past the Americans didn't wither under the constant Mexican pressure. They didn't let the crowd break them mentally, letting the bags of urine fly without an ounce of notice. Actually, if you really paid attention to the game, the Americans played with more composure then I've ever seen them play on the road against anyone.

Calling America's play last night "physical" might be an understatement. They might not have dominated the possession, or had Mexico on their heels, but they took El Tri's speedy strikers off their game almost immediately. In the seventh minute, veteran DeMarcus Beasley watched Javier Aquino sail right by him on a beautiful ball, but instead of letting him cruise by into the box, Beasley threw a shoulder into his back. From the git-go, Mexico needed to realize they weren't going to get anything easily. American wasn't backing down this time. Yes, the Mexicans did get a dangerous free kick out of it, but nothing materialized. Following up Beasley's physicality was Matt Besler, who put together one of the best (and most promising) first caps I've ever seen out of a center back. In the 20th minute Besler was poised to stop speedster Giovanni Dos Santos from going on a goal-producing run. As he began approaching Dos Santos, Besler knocked him off his run by just bumping him. Another yellow card for an American defender, but that was more a good sign than an impending issue. The Mexicans, only 20 minutes in, were thoroughly rattled.

They continued to have chance after chance, the crowd grew more tense, groaning loudly due to their squad's lack of finishing. With a little help from the officials, the Americans had disrupted the Mexican rhythm.  There was unity in the back line and goalkeeper Brad Guzan once again proved my theory right; the Americans would be just fine without Timmy Howard. This was an especially important performance if you realize that the combo of Besler and Omar Gonzalez played an almost perfect game in the center and only two games ago were we clamoring about how atrocious the backline looked. Anyways, you knew that the Americans would bring their heart and effort. That was a given. But, their cool, calm, collected nature was a truly beautiful sight to see.

I know for a lot of people a tie looks like a mediocre result, particularly when there's all this talk about U.S. Soccer taking the next step. But, they more than got the job done by grabbing only their second competitive point in their history of playing at Azteca. They're ahead of Mexico, who's in somewhat dire straits with only three points, and in solid position to cruise to the finish line. Most importantly, they've won and tied in their last two contests in Mexico. Is the mystique of Azteca wearing off? Maybe. Is the fear of Azteca disappearing? Definitely. The Americans aren't afraid anymore when they step into the hostile confines of Azteca. And if you take their physicality and composure as a sign of confidence, then Tuesday's game could completely alter the structure of CONCACAF play.

One point usually doesn't mean much, but for the Americans one point in Azteca means everything.

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Hurricanes Trigger-Happy in Extending Semin

Alex Semin's netted 30 points in 30 games, but does that mean he's worth an average of $7 million a year? (Credits: Chris Seward/News Observer)

When it comes to Russian superstars in the NHL, a breed that over the years has earned a reputation in the League as talented but apathetic, there is one word that sticks to them like the puck to their blades: enigmatic. They disappear from games as quickly and suddenly as they appear, floating through one shift before surging through the next. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, as Alexander Mogilny proved to us once and Pavel Datsyuk proves to us now, but there are also epitomizations of it. Alexander Semin falls in the latter category.

Yesterday, the Carolina Hurricanes signed Semin to a 5-year, $35 million extension, keeping him in Raleigh through 2018. I’m not a mathematician, but that looks to me like $7 million a year, more than the 2012-13 annual salaries earned by the Sedin twins, Ryan Getzlaf, Thomas Vanek, Anze Kopitar and the aforementioned Datsyuk. In terms of 2012-13 cap hit, Semin’s comparables include Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Jason Spezza and his countryman Ilya Kovalchuk.

Semin is an undeniable offensive talent, but he is not in the same tier as the men just mentioned. Those guys are first-rate NHL stars, the type of players whom you build franchises around, who are dependable night in and night out. Semin, on the other hand, is the type of player who supplements your big guns, who provides the second round of artillery after the main weaponry has gone to work.

In Washington, where he played Robin to Ovechkin’s Batman, he was paid accordingly, his contracts ranging in annual value from $4.2 million to $6.7 million (excluding his entry-level deal). But more to the point is the conservative length of Washington’s commitments to Semin, never once offering the Russian dynamo more than a two-year deal. The caution of the Front Office is reflective of Semin’s fickle nature as a player, who some nights in Washington wore the Capitals red like the Russian national jersey and other nights like a practice penny.

As Semin’s ex-teammate Troy Brouwer explained a few weeks ago, in what was a mix of pre-game trash talk and purgative release, “Some nights you didn’t even know if he was going to come to the rink. It’s tough to play alongside guys like those because you don’t know what youre going to get out of ‘em.”

Another former teammate, Matt Bradley, once said that Semin “could easily be the best player in the league, and just for whatever reason, just doesn’t care.”

Keep in mind, these criticisms come from heart-and-soul guys who know a thing or two about “taking one for the team.” Through their own displays of toughness and self-sacrifice, they have earned the right to question a guy’s commitment to the cause. (Give a Brouwer or a Bradley the skill-set of a Semin, and you’re looking at a Hall of Fame player.)

The Hurricanes came to Semin’s defense in response to Brouwer’s comments, noting that he has demonstrated consistent play and a high work ethic in his first season with the team. Fair enough. But until yesterday, Semin was playing with the motivation of a soon-to-be free agent, looking for a long-term deal. His impulse for playing a team-game may have been to help the collective group or it may have been to boost his own value. We’ll never know, but Semin’s track record in Washington as a locker-room cancer suggests his incentive is mainly personal. And remember, his best season with the Caps – and his only 40-goal season in his 8-year career – came in 2009-10 with free agency looming.

He was 25 years old that season, a star seemingly on the rise, with 100-point campaigns beckoning in his future. He was entering his prime and mastering the North American style of play, his roaring engines counting down to take-off, his career on its launch pad. But the ensuing season, as if not so sure of himself anymore, Semin sputtered, stumbling to a 54-point season, which he repeated last year. After averaging a point-per-game pace of 1.2 from 2008-2010, Semin fell precipitously to a pace of .75 from 2010-2012. Through those years, one pattern, however, remained constant: Semin’s inability to stay healthy. He averaged less than 70 games played through the aforementioned 4 seasons, and has not played more than 77 games in a season in his entire career.

This year, Semin has certainly reversed these trends. He has returned to a point-per-game pace and played in each one of Carolina’s 30 games to date. He has excelled on a line with center Eric Staal, aiding the Hurricanes’ captain in a modest resurgence of his own.

But this doesn’t justify a relatively massive 5-year extension, not after two mediocre seasons in Washington signaling a decline. While the Hurricanes’ acquisition of Semin this summer makes them look shrewd, their commitment yesterday makes them look love-drunk. This team was so uncertain about Semin in July they handed him an experimental one-year contract, an expression of trust that amounts to letting your dog outside to run free with a 10-foot barbwire fence enclosing the yard. Now, just 6 months later, they’re ready to tear down the fence, throw out the leashes and tear off the collar, on the merits of a strong (read: not spectacular) start to the season.              

By paying Semin top-dollar, the Hurricanes are not handing him the title of franchise player, but they areasking him to play like one, to march in line with the Sedins and Stamkoses and Kanes of the League and maintain the beat. And asking him to do that feels very much like drunkenly asking your drunken friend to wake you up early tomorrow. Chances are he’ll promise to do it and chances are you’ll believe him, because just about anything seems possible after a few Jack-and-Rums (just go with it.) But when you wake up at 11:00 and your friend is still passed out, you realize the mistake you’ve made. It’s not his fault for failing to do it, but yours for asking. And expecting.

So if Semin responds to this extension with the type of lackadaisical, erratic play that characterized his last two years with the Capitals, the Hurricanes can’t be upset with him. If you ask a player to be the best he can be, he’s going to promise to oblige. But they can be upset with themselves, for falling in whimsical love with a player and proposing with a diamond ring. For letting 30 games of consistency obscure 450+ games of inconsistency. For forgetting that when it comes to Russian superstars, enigmatic is the word.         

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Best Case/Worst Case Sweet Sixteen: West Region

Cleanthony Early and the Shockers might still have some more Shock in them. (Credits: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

With the first two rounds in the rearview mirror, we begin to get to the nitty gritty of the NCAA Tournament  Cinderellas either continue their magical ride or fade into the history books. Favorites either flame out or make their move. Superstars take over or fall to the backdrop. But, the basketball certainly improves and most of us as viewers have watched our brackets crumble to the ground which turns our attention to either our favorite team or a team we've picked up on the way. Here is a best case/worst case for each of the Sweet Sixteen finalists.

West Region

#9 Wichita State

Best Case

The Shockers are in the cinderella driver's seat after letting it fly against Gonzaga in a minor upset, especially after matching up with La Salle instead of Ole Miss. With the shooting tandem of Ron Baker and Cleanthony Early remaining sizzling hot from three-point range, the Shockers dominate La Salle from the start to finish. Arizona somehow takes care of Ohio St. in a surprising upset, giving Wichita State a good chance for an upset in the Elite Eight. The hot shooting once again continues, but this time Mark Lyons forces them to continue it into overtime. The cinderellas from Kansas continue onto their first Final Four since 1965. But the run ends as Louisville lock down defense suffocates the Shockers perimeter offense.

Worst Case

La Salle's Ramon Galloway continues his solid tournament with another 25-point performance and gets a lot of help from fellow guard Tyreek Duren as the Shockers see La Salle fit the glass slipper in an Elite Eight Appearance. Wichita's Early can't get it going early and the Shockers dig themselves a hole too deep for a comeback.

#13 La Salle

Best Case

Everyone's been talking about Florida Gulf Coast, but people begin talking about La Salle after they make their first Elite Eight Appearance since 1955. They pretty much dominate Wichita State, who can't seem to find the bucket in any capacity. Ramon Galloway's big performance then carries over against Ohio State and the Explorers take the Buckeyes to the wire before Aaron Kraft bails Ohio State out once again.

Worst Case

No contest against at sizzling hot Shockers squad. Jerrell Wright gets dominated inside by Early and Carl Hall who seem to get whatever they want, wherever they want. T'was a nice run for the Explorers, but they don't even deserve to be on the court in this game vs. the Cinderellas from Wichita.

#6 Arizona

Best Case

Mark Lyons makes quick work of the Buckeyes' Kraft, who puts up one of his worst shooting preformances. 'Zona's leading scorer continues his impressive tournament with a 30-point barrage from all areas. Solomon Hill forces DeShaun Thomas into foul trouble on the offensive end and the Wildcats advance behind some lucky late game circumstances. Lyons makes his case for player of the tournament with another 25+ point performance as the high scoring Wildcats make quick work of Cinderella La Salle. In the National Semi-Final they actually burst out to a quick lead before the Cardinals slowly grind it out as Peyton Siva eventually gets everything he wants offensively. Nice, unexpected Final Four run for 'Zona.

Worse Case

Two words: DeShaun Thomas. He goes for 22 and 10 alongside a big shooting performance from Kraft. The Wildcats offensive is stymied by some quality Big Ten basketball out of Ohio State. An ugly, grind it out game leaves Arizona searching for answers on the offensive end. Buckeyes advance. 

#2 Ohio State

Best Case

Kraft and Thomas provide enough offense for this team's suffocating defense to get a hold of Arizona which looks more like a rout on the eye test than it does on the scoreboard. Wichita State goes mind-numbingly cold in the Elite Eight matchup as Ohio State once again flexes its defensive muscles. The Buckeyes are slowly starting to look like National Champs when they run into a surprising Michigan State team who just athletically overpowered its way to the Final Four. As a familiar foe, the Buckeyes make alarmingly quick work of Izzo's squad before meeting another heated rival inMichigan in the National Championship. Thomas' inside presence causes fits to the weak interior Wolverines' defense and the Buckeyes get their sweetest National Championship yet by beating Michigan. 

Worst Case

The Wildcats offense clicks on all cylinders in a Sweet Sixteen matchup for the ages. The teams trade baskets late with Lyons and Kraft just locked in. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes they just cannot keep up and see DeShaun Thomas' foul trouble as the final nail in their coffin.

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Best Case/Worst Case Sweet Sixteen: Midwest Region

Adreian Payne and Gary Harris' exciting style of play could propel the Spartans to the National Championship Game. (Credits: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

With the first two rounds in the rearview mirror, we begin to get to the nitty gritty of the NCAA Tournanment. Cinderellas either continue their magical ride or fade into the history books. Favorites either flame out or make their move. Superstars take over or fall to the backdrop. But, the basketball certainly improves and most of us as viewers have watched our brackets crumble to the ground which turns our attention to either our favorite team or a team we've picked up on the way. Here is a best case/worst case for each of the Sweet Sixteen finalists.

Midwest Region

#1 Louisville
Best Case
The Cardinals live up to the pre-tournament, best-team-in-the-tournament hype by storming through high seed Oregon, suffocating Duke's three point shooting. They then dominate Ohio State and Indiana in the Final four for the most dominant tournament run since the '09 Tar Heels who slaughtered everyone on their way to a title.

Worst Case
Oregon gives Louisville a run for its money before the Cardinals overwhelming defense finally shuts down the Carlos Emory, E.J. Singler duo in an overtime thriller. Then Duke catches fire from behind the arc in the Elite Eight and turns a close first half into a rout. Russ Smith is colder than the Arctic in the game and Louisville can't keep up with clicking-on-all-cylinders Duke offense. So much for all the out-of-nowhere hype

#12 Oregon
Best Case
Singler and Emory provide the type of dual threat offensively that builds Oregon a surprising 10-point lead at halftime. But Gorgui Dieng and the Cardinals interior defense becomes stifling in a slow, grind 'em out second half. Oregon continues to battle to a double overtime finish, but Peyton Siva begins to slash through a tiring Ducks defense and the Pac-12 champs eventually lose.

Worst Case
Louisville comes to play from the git-go, suffocating the Ducks offense, while shredding their defense to pieces. Ducks "magical" run goes up in flames with an embarrassing 20-point blowout.

#2 Duke
Best Case
Ryan Kelly finally turns on the burners from the three-point arc and turns into a human 9-0 run machine. Duke actually finds itself in a game with Michigan State in the first half, but then turns in a insanely efficient second half. That second half groove carries over to their game vs. Louisville, who they handle pretty easily. Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee help Ryan Kelly methodically break down the Cardinals good defense. Duke gets lucky and meets an overmatched Wichita State team who watches this Duke team score 80-plus points on the way to a monster blowout. Duke plays a Marquette squad who is dead tired from winning tight game after tight game. They take low-scoring Marquette behind the woodshed and Coach K wins his fifth National Championship

Worst Case
Duke goes relatively cold against a Michigan State team whose athleticism is simply unmatchable. Keith Appling slices and dices Quinn Cook and Adreian Payne puts on a show, blocking shots, grabbing boards and throwing down momentum-shifting dunks. Tom Izzo marches on in a close, but relatively dominating Spartans performance.

#3 Michigan State
Best Case
Tom Izzo's tournament wisdom helps his immature, but highly athletic team overwhelm the Dukies in a game that is close on the scoreboard but far from close on the eye test. A matchup against Louisville goes down to the wire but freshman Gary Harris nails a buzzer beater three in a ugly, but exciting game, sending Izzo to his seventh Final Four appearance. In the National Semi-final the Spartans play the Buckeyes, and avenge a February 24th loss to their Big Ten rivals in a surprisingly high scoring game, with Aaron Craft and Harris trading big three pointers late. However, Mich. State can't get it done for a third time this season against a determined Hoosiers side. It's a battle, but the Spartans waste all their offensive efficiency in the National Semifinal and lost in the National Championship.

Worst Case
Michigan State just cannot keep up with a hot shooting Duke team while their own issues on the bench flair up again. This time the team is down eight, instead of up eight and they simply implode in the second half. Derrick Nix gets called for a frustration flagrant two and is tossed from the game. Duke once again outclasses another opponent.

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The Buzz About Vernon Wells Signals The Yankees are in Dire Straits

Vernon Wells isn't the solution to the Yankees problems. (Credits: Jeff Gross/ Getty Images)

It was the winter of 2009 and the New York Yankees were just coming off their first postseason-less season in 13 years, an embarrassing way to spend their last season in historic Yankee Stadium. The free agent market had two big names, C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira who wanted monster contracts. George Steinbrenner wanted them and George Steinbrenner got them, along with A.J. Burnett adding $450 million to the Yankees already burgeoning payroll. Of course, the Yankees went on to win the World Series thanks to A-Rod's one and only quality playoff run (which somehow is forced by Yankees' fans to be a reason to why the Yankees gave him $270 million/10 yrs when the guy was already 32 years of age). But, my oh my, doesn't that seem like an eternity ago.

"Plagued by injuries" looks like a phrase too understated for these 2013 Yankees. The core of the Yankee lineup looks ancient. Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson both will be on the DL when the season starts and they could be joined by Derek Jeter, whose ankle looks as if it's developing into a season long debilitation. We haven't even spoken about Alex Rodriguez, whose situation is beyond weird. The Yankees have major issues.

However, the real indication of how desperate the Yankees have gotten is their legitimate interest in Vernon Wells. The 33-year-old hasn't been himself since the 2010 season, both with hitting slumps and injuries issues. He has yet to live up to current 7-year/$126 million contract that the Angels gave him by only hitting .222/36/95 in 208 games in L.A. Could Wells be the answer in the home run hitter's paradise that is Yankees Stadium? Potentially, but for a majority of the season, Wells won't have much of a lineup around him to allow him pitches hittable pitches. Anyways, we've seen this too many times. Guy goes and gets overpaid by a big contract and never preforms again, even when he gets a change of scenery. I just don't see Wells as their answer, especially when the Yankees have been thoroughly hyping up their farm system. This is just another indication that the Bronx Bombers have lied to their fans about how much talent they have in the minors. The Yankees are in trouble.

With all these lineup issues this Yankees squad is going to rely on a rotation that is receiving a lot of hype. On paper, the hype is legitimate. But two of three main cogs in Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte are above of 38 and their ace Sabathia is coming off elbow surgery. Not exactly the most reassuring in the health department. Rounding out their rotation they have Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova, who had their flashes of brilliance last year but haven't proved themselves to be consist. Question marks and storylines will be abundant in the Yankees rotation. However, the biggest question of them all is can they actually carry this team? Because that's looking like the only way they'll make the playoffs.

Whether or not the Yankees pitching staff lives up to its billing, Vernon Wells doesn't answer their batting issues neither in the short term nor the long term. Throwing even more ugly money to stopgap your burgeoning holes already filled with excessive cash isn't how you're supposed to do it. Not when you're the Yankees and not when you play in the AL East. This team could struggle to win 80 games, with Wells or without him.

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Oh Hi Georgetown, Oh Bye Georgetown: A Repetitive Narrative

It's time for change at Georgetown and that starts with John Thompson III (Credits: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Frustrating is a word used to describe a situation that may infuriate, upset, anger, annoying an individual. Frustrating is also not a word appropriate enough to describe the Georgetown Hoyas.

Not just this year, no not just this year. This team has been built on frail foundations, coached by a guy who is only in his position because his father is the greatest coach in the school's history. They play an outdated system that folds their athletic, high talent players into a little box that they can't escape. Put them down 10, they can't come back. Put them in a late game situation, they crumble. Make them sweat on the offensive end and they're colder than the Arctic. Georgetown needs a facelift.

It won't happen though. John Thompson III is going nowhere, not while his father still sits next to the bench and still consults the team. Not when his father's resume still includes the only National Championship in school's history. Not when his own shiny record of 209-88 includes three regular season Big East Championships, one Big East Tournament title and one epic Final Four run. On paper there's really no reason to fire him. But basketball isn't played on paper. And basketball hasn't embarrassed himself by losing to Florida Gulf Coast, Ohio, VCU and N.C. State before they even reach the Sweet Sixteen.

For Thompson, Jeff Green is not going to magically reappear. There's no 7'2" Roy Hibbert or a quick, explosive guard named Jonathan Wallace walking through the door. You're not going to recreate that tournament run ever again. There was too magic involved, too much right place, right time going on. This system has given the Georgetown nothing but embarrassing upsets, shattered brackets and broken dreams in the last five years. I don't care about the regular season Big East title or the fact we thrashed bitter rival Syracuse both times this season. How does that matter after you get shellacked by a team who just received Division 1 eligibility three years ago? Pure disgrace.

I know Georgetown is a Jesuit, private, mostly conservative University, but dear lord can we just get rid of this Princeton offense and let these boys run and gun. I don't blame the players at all, they're just trying to do there job. A team can't rely on one player to carry them for every single contest of a 40-plus game season. This system can help get the most of out of a high energy, solid all-around guy like Nate Lubick, but it's just completely handcuffs shooters like Markel Starks and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Not only is it mind-bogglingly boring to watch, but it doesn't work. The proof is in the pudding with all these embarrassing losses in the first and second rounds.

So either JTIII or his Princeton offense goes. It's time to step out of the time machine, Georgetown.

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The U.S. Wins an Important and Ridiculously Fun Game

The United States came together and weathered the storm., literally (Credits: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Imagine shredding through the freshest Vail powder, weaving in and out of moguls, side-stepping massive trees on your way to an epic finish at the bottom of the mountain for an ice cold Coors Light. Well that's kind of what happend at Dick's Sporting Good's Park in Colorado last night for the United States Team.

America didn't wither under the weather. They embraced the wildest conditions I've ever seen in a soccer match and they ran with it, literally. The back line, what would be the most vulnerable part of the team in these conditions, played with great composure and didn't let Costa Rica have much of anything. Possession was completely in favor of the United States all game. I actually think there was a time in the first half when the Costa Ricans didn't have the possession for more than five straight minutes. The midfielders for the U.S. were that good.

Anyways, you can't take too much out of this game other than the fact that they won, didn't complain and are heading to Mexico on Tuesday in second place and fresh batch of confidence. Sure they had a serious advantage over the Costa Ricans who probably haven't seen snow in their lives, but they certainly did play the better game. And I'll give Costa Rica credit, in the 54th minute they could have heeded the referee's warning and called the game, but they were ready to ball, trying to salvage a point in enemy territory. Yet once I saw that it was going to blizzard all game, I knew this one was in the bag.

Individually no one stood out for the United States in a good way or a bad way. Good. Newly donned captain Clint Dempsey found twine on a hard run after a deflection, but it was by no means a pretty goal. DeMarcus Beasley did a good job controlling tempo and Jermaine Jones flexed his muscles out there. The fears about Tim Howard's absence disappeared quite early when people realized that Brad Guzan is still a high quality goalie. Everything was right with the United States and nothing more. Good.

Here comes the test though. Mexico looks very beatable right now with an embarrassing tie to Jamaica at home last month and another embarrassing draw yesterday blowing a two goal lead in the 76th minute to Honduras. I repeat, Mexico is beatable. But that doesn't mean that the U.S. can just walk into the jungle that is Estadio Azteca and overwhelm the Mexicans. It will be a war. People might have downplayed the Americans first win in Azteca late last year because it wasn't a full squad friendly, however I think it's important for their confidence. Once you crack through an 0-for-a-lifetime like that, you gain some serious swagger and yesterday's win adds some more confidence, while Mexico tries to figure out how to switch their soccer button from overly cocky to overwhelming.

Right now, I wouldn't be surprised if the Americans got a point out of Tuesday's match. However, I also wouldn't be surprised if we got thrashed. Azteca has been a graveyard for American teams over the years and unless we bring our A-game and the back line stands strong, this headstone will read "United States 2014 World Cup Qualifying Team."

Quality, important win last night. Tuesday remains a different beast.

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