Summer storylines: player movement, parity

FOr 'cac and country: Collins’ coming out shows change in time

Before this week, most people probably hadn’t heard of Jason Collins. The 7’0,” 260-pound NBA center spent his 12-year career in obscurity, playing for six different teams and never averaging more than six points per game.
But on Monday, Jason Collins became a household name. He came out as homosexual in a column in Sports Illustrated, becoming the first athlete in a major professional American sport to come out before retiring.
His story was featured as the halftime special on virtually every game this week. Even President Obama fielded questions about his coming out.

FOr 'cac and country: It’s time for student-athletes to receive their due compensation

The legitimacy and authority of the NCAA is under attack, but it’s going unnoticed. Two Saturdays ago, 28 football players from Northwestern, Georgia Tech and Georgia protested against the NCAA during their games by writing APU on their wristbands and towels. The National Collegiate Players Association (NCPA) orchestrated this demonstration, known as the All Players United campaign. Its stated goals are to “demonstrate unity among college athletes and fans...stand behind individual players being harmed by NCAA rules...direct a portion of over $1 billion in new TV revenue to guarantee basic protections.”
Although casual fans of college football may not know the 28 protestors, they have certainly heard of the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. The outgoing quarterback allegedly breached his amateur status this summer by signing autographs in exchange for cash. The NCAA was unable to confirm the allegations, but still deemed that he violated NCAA bylaw 12.5.2.1, which forbids “the use of his or her name or picture to advertise, recommend or promote directly the sale or use of a commercial product or service of any kind” and suspended the quarterback for the first half of Texas A&M’s opening game.
Amateurism prohibits college athletes from being in contact with professional teams or receiving any type of benefits. In other words, the student-athlete is not allowed to earn money. This policy is in place “to ensure the students’ priority remains on obtaining a quality educational experience and that all of student-athletes are competing equitably.”

FOr 'cac and country

Summer storylines: player movement, parity

September 20, 2013

Spring final exams are inconvenient. It always coincides with the NBA and NHL playoffs, and frankly, I can’t forgo the post-season for the library.

At the end of the blue books await the Finals and Stanley Cup. Top baseball teams separate themselves from the pack while the NFL’s training camp offers pundits a valuable, and sometimes fateful, preview of the year. If you were somehow unable to keep track of sports this summer, the following recaps—void of SportsCenter’s recurring tabloids—bring you up to speed in 140 words or less.

NBA

The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-3 in the NBA Finals in June to earn their second straight championship. LeBron James won the Finals MVP, also for the second year in a row. Comparisons between James and Michael Jordan ensued—most of which unfairly derided James—a topic I will address in a later column.

The offseason, spanning June to August, consisted of blockbuster trades (Andre Iguodala to the Warriors; Dwight Howard to the Rockets; Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to the Nets), the Draft (the Cleveland Cavailers were the big winners) and rehab for key players (Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo). These moves created more “superteams”—teams where big-time players join forces. Opening night is October 29.

NHL

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins four games to two to win the Stanley Cup in June. The NHL then began its shortest summer in recent history. Training camps began September 11, only 79 days after the Cup.

Despite the limited offseason, there were a range of moves: the Bruins exchanged Tyler Seguin for Loui Eriksson then signed Jarome Iginla. The Kings acquired scrappy left-winger Dan Carcillo. The Rangers hired offensive-minded head coach Alain Vigneault. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks retained most of their roster.

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association reached a new collective bargaining agreement to prevent another lockout. The upcoming season, scheduled for the standard 82 not the shortened 48, will indicate if the Blackhawks’ success was a fluke. They won the President’s Cup with a 36-7-5 record, or .750 winning percentage, but each time only played regular season games in their conference. Play begins October 1.

MLB

The 2013 baseball season opened March 31. By mid-May, the Cardinals sported the best record in the league. The Rangers were close behind and led the American League (AL).

On June 3, outfielder Yasiel Puig made his major league debut with the Dodgers. He went on a tear, becoming the first player to record 34 hits and seven home runs in his first 20 games. He was named National League (NL) Rookie of the Month, NL Player of the Month and propelled the Dodgers to the top of the NL West.

The steroid era continues. Nelson Cruz, Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez received major suspensions after the release of an incriminating report. Their teams, the Brewers, Rangers and Yankees, respectively, all dropped in the standings. Playoffs begin September 29. As of September 17, the Red Sox lead the AL and the Braves are atop the NL.

NFL

Training camp started mid-July. Coaches scouted their team’s strengths, weaknesses and personnel while the league proved deserving of its occasional title, the National Felony League—31 players were arrested in the three-month offseason between the Super Bowl and training camp.

The moves this offseason contribute to the parity amongst teams; the old guard is catching the new guard. The Ravens improved their depleted defense with linebackers Elvis Dumervil and Daryl Smith. The Seahawks traded for Percy Harvin. The Broncos signed Wes Welker, further emptying the Patriots receiving core. Chip Kelly, formerly of the University of Oregon, became the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles with the hopes of maximizing the explosive offensive talent of Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson. The season began September 5. After two weeks, only eight teams flaunt an undefeated record.

These summaries are unable to capture the storylines of each league. The recaps do, however, reveal a captivating development. Each league is becoming more competitive. As teams look to assemble the greatest talent, players rarely remain with one franchise their entire career. This trend produces the NBA’s superteams, the NHL’s stacked rosters that fluctuate yearly, and the MLB’s deeper squads are complete with aces and sluggers. NFL teams, operating with fixed salary caps, benefit from unprecedented levels of training and teaching.

As sports that will stretch through the winter start their seasons anew this year, we can look forward to watching higher levels of competition than ever before.

Comments are permanently closed.