Daily Round up- Thursday, January 29th

I’m a big fan of new stadiums and well whenever I get to see plans for new stadiums I get excited. Here is the new stadium plans for YOUR Miami Marlins.

So let me get this straight, they are giving this team, the Marlins, a team that NEVER sells out, a brand new stadium? Does this mean that their payroll will go above 20 dollars? Because if this team, with their VERY CAPABLE front office people, can get some money to keep some of their people, then this could be a very very dangerous team. They obviously know how to build a championship team since they have done it twice in the last decade. Could be big news for this franchise and for baseball in general and bad news for the Mets and everyone else in the NL East.


For the first time since he was fired by the Tampa Bay Bucs, former head coach Jon Gruden talked to the press and relayed that he is ok and has some things lined up for him. Possibly even television.

Its not surprising that this guy would turn to television. It seems the coaching cycle includes a brief pit stop in the television studios so before he goes to any team he might be there.

I was a bit surprised that everyone came out and trashed him on a regular basis, especially Jeff Garcia. He was the ONLY guy who gave Garcia a chance to start in the NFL and to just pull the rug from underneath him, that was a bit surprising. I think that many teams will be lining up next year to put Chucky on the sidelines. He may not sleep and have that scowl, but he gets results. I think if you put him with the San Diego Chargers (a team that is talented enough to win the Super Bowl) then good things can happen. He’s the kind of guy who can take a good team and put them over the hump.

Tom Cable is NOT the head coach of the Oakland Raiders according to the Raiders organization heads. Seems ESPN and the Raiders are at odds with each other.

It seems that the Raiders and the world wide leader are having a bit of a tiff and it seems that both are not willing to stand down. Chris Mortensen voiced his displeasure with the Raider organization unwilling to verify some of the information he learned from his sources. Since then, whatever ESPN hears about the Raiders, they report regardless of checking in with the Raider organization I would think. Which is against Journalism 101. But hey, who said ESPN is a news reporting organization, as much as it is a news MAKING organization.

Many like to play the second guessing game and the after the fact game, well Joe Posnanski wants to play and thinks what could have been had the 16th pick in the 2003 draft been a bit different and the man with the flowing locks was in a Chiefs uniform instead of being a Steeler.

Plenty of teams can play that second guessing game and I’m thinking the Jets are thinking what if, with the Vernon Gholston pick. But the point is everything happens for a reason. Of course they went with Larry Johnson with the 29th pick, which I’m sure plenty of teams wish they hadn’t passed up.

The LDT and AJ Smith feud is something that is making headlines in San Diego. Here, LDT says he understands the business and talks about his phone conversation with GM Smith.

This is yet another problem that AJ Smith has had with personnel. I know the line about its not personal its business, but for AJ, it seems that it’s a bit of both. He just sounds like a douche bag to be around and is a my way or the high way kind of guy. Don’t get me wrong, he gets results and puts together some of the best talent. He understands drafting and putting together a team but does he understand the people part?
Now with that being said, LDT’s mileage is adding up and its clearly showing. He’s lost a step (that’s not opinion, that’s fact, the man can barely cut) and maybe its due to injury but it was a season long problem. He just never got to put up the stats he used to. Hence, the Chargers will not pay him the bucks he wants and might look elsewhere for the dollars which he may not get. He’s going to be a very valuable back in a two back system, sharing the load. He’s no longer the main guy. However, the Chargers know that Darren Sproles is also due for a contract and he’s not an every down back. So look at what the Chargers do during the draft. If they go for an every down kind of guy, look for LDT’s time to come to an end unless he accepts a huge pay cut. Either way, look for a pay cut.
If you ever needed to know how much LDT has fell off, all you need to do is think about where you’d take him in your fantasy draft next year. Yeah, probably not even a first round pick any more.



While NBC will be rolling out the geriatric gang to do the Super Bowl, the NY Times Richard Sandomir looks at the first and ONLY woman to call an NFL game, Tampa’s own Gayle Sierens.

I’m all for reform and change and seeing a female in the announcing booth would be something new but like I’ve always said, the best broadcasters are the ones who don’t even let you know they are there. They are the people who give you the information you need to have during the game, call the game and the less they talk about their dogs and pets at home the better.


Some sad news on the Big Blue front. Amani Toomer is going to be a free agent and doesn’t see himself coming back to the New York Giants, which would be a huge loss.

Personally, being a Giant fan its sad to see the team leader in almost every important receiving category. It’s a part of the business to phase out veterans and understandably Amani is upset.

I say it all the time, when you let go of guys like Amani Toomer it’s a dark day for your franchise because your not only losing a piece of your history, your losing a piece of your identity. He was the veteran guy that many of the younger guys looked to for help, confidence, advice on how to play in a market like NY where the expectations are high all the time. Now, without those beautiful tippy toe catches on the sidelines, who’s going to pick up the slack?


Michael Wilbon talks about Dan Rooney the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There are very few owners and families that are associated with a team like the Rooneys are with the Steelers. His dad bought the Steelers two years before he was born and they have run the organization. The fact that he walks with no security and shakes hands with every player on the team and cares that much for every single person, its no wonder that guys want to play their entire career here. He doesn’t believe in an organization, he believes in family and for many players who never grew up in one, its no wonder they took to that creedo.