Bleacher Report - Articles by Tom Hammer

"Tressel-Ball" Under Fire: Ohio State's Bad Coaching Equals Bad Offense

Tom Hammer — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:58:41 -0500

As a football enthusiast and Ohio State Buckeye critic I believe it is my right and responsibility to call out what I see as "BAD" offensive football coaching without coming off as a spoiled fan with a bias towards exciting football.

And up front I want to say this isn't about Jim Tressel and whether or not he is the right guy for this football program.

Jim Tressel is a hell of a football coach, end of story. And anybody calling for his head really needs to take a breath and gain some perspective.

However, I feel like I am 100% justified to say he has been a poor offensive coach this year.

"Tressel-ball" to many Ohio State fans means coaching in a conservative manner that relies on a stout defense and good special teams while minimizing offensive mistakes to win football games.

This formula has been extremely successful for coach Jim Tressel and nobody can argue the resume. Once again, the right HEAD coach is in place at THE Ohio State University.

But the offensive scheming, the play calling and general management of the offensive side of the ball has been head scratching on one end and infuriating on the other. And that goes beyond "Tressel-ball".

This goes beyond "conservative" or "low risk" or "cautious" or even "defensive" play calling.

If avoiding turn overs and allowing your defense and special teams to win the game is your strategy (eg. Tresselball) that doesn't mean that you have to forfeit your offensive possessions.

Doesn't an offensive coordinator have the responsibility to at least attempt to maximize the possessions they get during the game in order to be called successful??

Isn't getting first downs and controlling the ball a key piece to a conservative strategy?

There are ways to scheme and to execute offensively even within the constraints of a conservative game plan.

But week in and week out I watch this offense and I truly believe there is no scheming going on here it is just plain ol' stubborn play calling where you line up in the same formation(s) and run the exact same play.

I'm not saying you have to be deceptive to run a good offense but when these division one defensive coordinators have all week to game plan against you and they see you run the same set of 3 or 4 plays over 85% of the time, believe me their guys will be in position to stop those same plays.

I have a friend in the coaching profession and he heard through the grapevine from a Big 10 coach that Ohio State is the easiest team to defensively scheme against in the conference and probably the nation.

I believe that 100%. I sit on my couch and broadcast the play as soon as I see the formation. It is that easy.

Let me use an example. When they line up in the shotgun formation and the running back is on the left or right side of TP, or even if there are two backs on both sides, they run the zone blocking off tackle run to the halfback every time.

Now, that in of itself, is not a bad play BUT the whole key to that play being successful is for the QB to play out the fake because the QB has a zone read on that play where he can read the end, pull the ball out and run the ball the opposite way. OSU never lets Pryor actually keep the zone read.

A guy with TP's running ability should be keeping the ball on the zone read more the 70% of the time on that play. OSU does it 2%. I've seen him keep the zone read maybe 3 times the whole year. Half the time he doesn't even carry out the fake.

TP's technique in even carrying out the fake is really hard to watch. A guy with 4.3 speed, and the scheme doesn't call for the defense to respect him in a shot-gun zone read play? That is poor coaching.

Further, there are ways to emphasize the run through aggressive and smart scheming. Tressel prefers to line up exactly how the other team expects and run the exact play that they run over 80% out of that formation.

Against teams with lesser talent, you can still move the ball and win playing this way which is why the Buckeyes will win the Big 10 this year.

Look, I'm not saying he has to be tricky or innovative even for heavens sake, but give your athletes a chance to succeed and make plays that lead to first downs and points.

Isn't the goal on offense to score points? I think that goal gets lost in the frame of game management often times and what it does is it limits your ability to "finish" opponents and in return the other team always has a fighting chance.

I realize these are basic arguments against "Tressel-ball" but again this is less against conservatism and more towards just plain bad offense.

I understand Tressel doesn't want turnovers but there are ways to avoid turnovers other then running THE SAME TWO RUNNING PLAYS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

An offensive coach should be evaluated and judged by how the offensive unit is playing and the key metrics should be A.) Points and B.) Execution.

Nobody that has watched the Buckeyes play offense this year can say they've been effective in either case.

It's hard to execute when the other team knows what's coming. And it's hard to score points when you can't execute.

I equate it to my basketball days when you were running plays in practice that you called out and your teammates knew what was coming so they just "played the play"

I can count over a dozen times last Saturday where Iowa just played the play.

Tressel's wins and losses and big 10 titles and national championship appearances speak loudly enough where anyone suggesting that he be fired should be mocked and labeled a bad fan or critic.

But that doesn't mean fans can't be critical of bad offensive coaching because trust me, eventually it will catch up in the form of a bad loss. Heck, it has several times in his career and two times this year.

It mystifies me as to why he had so much success running an offense with Troy Smith, an athletic QB, in the past but can't seem to grasp how to use Pryor. Yea, I understand Smith was an extremely accurate thrower but that doesn't mean the whole playbook goes away.

In this instance, I really feel like one player, Pryor, has crippled Tressel to the point where he just flat out doesn't trust him on the field running the offense and he refuses to scheme for this kid to be successful.

I do see improvement with Pryor in the passing game and that is encouraging but I still maintain there are ways to scheme for him with his current skill set and still have an explosive offense.

And I believe this could be done without totally reconstructing your offensive philosophy. It could be accomplished with some smart play calling that utilizes Pryor's feet and keeps the defense off-balance.

In the end, I'm sure this will be read as somebody venting because they are a Tressel-ball hater and that is fine and dandy.

Or, the "fire Tressel" crowd will speak up and be heard with some irrational ideas and demands.

All I'm interested in seeing is better offensive coaching on many levels because in the end there are two sides to the ball. Why not coach well on both ends?

I guess I have to include some suggestions on how to improve and at the macro-level my first thought is that Tressel needs to find an offensive coordinator he trusts who is familiar with scheming with the tools they have in place this year and for the foreseeable future.

I also always feel that the play calling should be left to folks in the booth who have a good view of what the defense is doing on the field. I'm sure somebody who saw Iowa full fledged selling out to stop the run on any of those drives in the fourth quarter would have suggested play action vs. continuing to run the I-right dive right.

In summary, it's not "Tressel-ball" that should be blamed for the offensive futility it is just plan and simple B-A-D offensive football coaching and execution.

The Disassembling Of a Franchise: Your 2009-2010 Cleveland Browns

Tom Hammer — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:53:00 -0400

This article is in response to a question I got from a friend of mine who was wondering, "Are the 2009-10 Browns worse then the expansion Browns?"

My dirty but not so quick response, "The Browns are actually in worse shape then they were coming off expansion and, in fact, are the worst franchise in the league at the moment." It's amazing!

I said during the off-season when I saw Mangini taking the steps he did that they were going to start from scratch.

It's debatable if that was necessary just one year removed from a 10-6 season but the bottom line is, he took what talent this franchise had, and let it go.

The real error in judgement here is that he let go for next to nothing.

Whenever a franchise decides to take a "moral" stand or they look to "rid themselves of bad people" or they take the proverbial "high road", rare if ever, does that mean their priorities are straight which means winning football games, attracting fans and keeping talent.

It usually means that some arrogant and self centered task master has assumed control and wants to incorporate a "my way or the highway" approach that seldom if ever is successful.

Look, I get it. Mangini thinks he is Bill Belichick. The difference is that Belichick EARNED the right to act like a smug jerk because he as won the big prize. PLAYERS ONLY WILL RESPECT COACHES THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS.

What has Mangini achieved? Nothing, nada, squash, zilch, zero. And therefore he does not have the right to act like a pompous ass. It just is construed as arrogance by players and they will not respond.

To get back on subject, I understand the issue when guys like Edwards and Winslow put themselves before the team and are not good "character" guys but the bottom line is they have talent and ability which somebody will pay for.

Where is the business sense in this organization? The team plays in the NFL, we aren't running for local office.

Instead of getting value for talent, to make a point it seems, they just dump the guys and get nothing in return.

In fact, I can't even name who they got for Winslow and if it was draft picks you can see how good they did with those.

And the guys they got for Edwards are a joke. I've watched Chansi Stucky and his bewildered, unsure routes followed by stone hands long enough to know that he isn't even serviceable.

Preseason we brought in the leftover Jets that Rex Ryan didn't want but probably guys who Mangini likes and are "high character" guys but they stink.

Eric Barton is a joke, he's slow as erosion. Ab Elam is a turd too, he couldn't even start for the Jets. And those other D-lineman can't even get a sniff of the QB so what the heck is the purpose.

At the end of the day, Mangini is going to run this franchise into the ground and then try to build it back up.

The key point of this rant is that I think he and Brown's management under-estimated the frustration of the fans and team and they've completely lost both.

This is now the worst franchise in the league and I include Detroit, TB, Kansas City and the Rams in that. At least those teams have youth and some talent. The Browns have neither.

And we are brilliantly stuck with two highly paid QB's who both are completely inept! D. Anderson is the worst QB I've seen take snaps in the NFL this year. How in the world did he make the Pro Bowl??

Oh, that's right. He was throwing to Winslow and Edwards and those guys made plays. Now he has neither. But the good news is, the locker room is in much better shape and everyone generally likes each other.

That equates to what in the NFL? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? It equates to nothing of substance that could lead to a win or at least an offensive touchdown.

And Brady Quinn is a never will be and I've said that from day one. He is timid, scared to let the ball go, and really doesn't have any physical tools other then he's lifted enough weights to appear in Mens Fitness magazines.

It is obvious that Mangini is smart enough to understand the current predicament he's created and he's trying to compensate by doing a little cheer leading on the sidelines, giving up a few good sound bits per interview and generally acting like a guy whose been exposed for what he is and that is a loser.

I apologize if this type of honesty is offensive to any true Browns fans out there and I'm sure everyone has reached a level of frustration but honestly this isn't emotionally driven anymore.

It's just reality and until somebody in the Browns organization wants to wake up and deal with reality then this franchise will continue to flounder.

This team and the decisions it's made is a blue print for how to go from a team on the rise to a team with no hope and/or future. They should offer this as a class at every major University and the Browns are the only case study.

Maybe I'll throw in the Indianapolis Pacers as a case study as well because a few years back they expelled the city and franchise of "trouble makers" and "low character" guys.

You can see where that's got them the past two years. All the while, Steven Jackson and Al Harrington are laughing it up, knocking off the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks and show casing themselves as one of the most exciting teams in the NBA playing in front of sell out crowds.

The Pacers? Well they had the lowest attendance in the league last year.

My point is, the Browns took the moral "high road" so they should not be offended when fans chant, "Let's go Packers" at a home game.

They made their bed, so let them sleep in it.

Cleveland's Late-Season Success Shouldn't Mean More Eric Wedge

Tom Hammer — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:54:42 -0400

This just in: The Cleveland Indians are winning ball games late in the season with nothing on the line and a host of young talent in the lineup.

This sort of story lead may pique readers' interest if it wasn't a script that Tribe fans have read all too often the past five or so years.

Cleveland has won 15 of 25 and is 22-16 since the All-Star break. That is respectable, especially considering the team had the worst record in the AL at the break.

To call manager Eric Wedge's seat at the break a hot one, is like calling Tom Brady's wife cute. It is an understatement, and for Wedge fans I'm sure they are feeling vindicated from haters who were calling for his head.

Management made a midseason statement that Wedge would finish the season as manager and they would "evaluate" the team and the direction at season's end.

If the "evaluation" consisted of viewing the team's progress and results from the All-Star break of this 2009 season forward, then it isn't hard to believe that Wedge will be back next season.

But doesn't this said evaluation really need to look at the full body of work.

Throw out the 2007 run to the A.L championship series and the epic collapse in the Red Sox series, and what you are left with is a lot of high expectations, unreached potential and a less then stellar record that consists of terrible starts to seasons and the annual late season, nothing on the line, push.

This doesn't get it done in my eyes. I'm tired of seeing the Tribe mentioned as the AL Central favorite only to look at the standings two to three months in and realize that those expectations won't be fulfilled.

Why is it that the Tribe's roster is bulging with talent each season, yet it takes an early season collapse, a complete roster over haul and an infusion of even younger players to net a turnaround in terms of wins?

My answer is that Wedge isn't pushing the right buttons, or more true to the point, is pushing too many buttons in the early parts of the seasons.

Starters, be it pitchers or hitters, never seem to find a rhythm and Wedge is left groping for a myriad of line up alterations, frequent calls to the minors and waiver wires and a general over-reactive management style that kills the team's confidence.

Later in the season, when there is nothing to lose, he displays extreme patience with guys who are struggling. Heck, they are young players who need the experience so why not run them out there each day to learn their lessons.

Lo and behold, what happens is guys who are playing every day, hitting in the same spot, knowing their roles and having a common goal, getting wins, is a dangerous thing in baseball.

Case in point, Andy Marte boosts his average 70 points in a span of eight games and this is a guy who was going to be released because Wedge refused to allow him any consistent playing time early in the season.

Instead, Wedge preferred to bounce Marte back and forth between Triple A and give him 12 to 20 at-bats and then reach the conclusion he can't hit.

Unfortunately, it takes the team languishing in the standings for their manager to adopt a style that gives the team the best chance of winning.

It's for this reason, and several others unmentioned in this article, that I feel the team has to go a different direction in terms of team management.

Even with the loss of team leaders and stars, this team still has enough talent to compete day in and day out. It's time to get someone who can nourish this potential and get the team playing up to their capability.

Browns' Running Game Is the Key to Success

Tom Hammer — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:51:04 -0400

If I had a dollar for every Brady Quinn versus Derek Anderson article I've read this preseason, I'd be able to afford a dozen overpriced 16-ounce beers at any NFL stadium.

The overly-publicized QB battle is clearly the focus, but I'm here to say it will have significantly less impact on wins and losses than many other crucial aspects going into the season, most importantly the Browns' run game.

The reality of pro football is if you can't run the ball, then your quarterback will have a difficult time throwing it.

The only caveat to that is Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. They proved last year you can still be successful in the pass game with a dismal running game. But Peyton Manning is a once-in-a-generation quarterback and the Colts' offense is a pass first offense to begin with.

When the Browns were successful in 2007, Jamal Lewis was bulldozing through holes and establishing a solid run game. They called it a career-rejuvenating season for Lewis, but more importantly, from a team perspective, it opened up a plethora of other options for the Browns' offense.

Play action was a staple that year, with Anderson and Braylon Edwards stretching the defense vertically. Safeties had to respect the run, forcing them to play closer to the line of scrimmage. Defensive ends and tackles couldn't just sell out towards the passer but rather had to hold their positions and play gap responsibility.

At the end of the day, teams had to stop the run first, which opened up the passing game and allowed Anderson and Braylon Edwards to have career seasons.

Now I fully admit, drops and missed o-line assignments had a factor in the failure of the passing game and under performance of Browns QBs. But in my opinion, those were secondary to the fact that the team could not run the ball.

In 2007, the team averaged 4.3 yards per carry for a total of 1895 rushing yards. In 2008, the average dropped to 3.9 yards per carry for a total of 1606 rushing yards.

That doesn't seem like a huge discrepancy, but when you consider football is a game of inches, and the number of close games the Browns lost, it's a significant delta.

Jamal Lewis suffered the most, as his yards-per-carry average went from 4.4 in 2007 to 3.6 in 2008.

Maybe even more importantly is what the running game means to time of possession.

In 2007, the Browns averaged a time of possession of 29:30. In 2008 that dropped to 27.32. That's a two minute difference, and football fans know how many points are put up in the final two minutes of every half and game.

New head coach Eric Mangini loves the run game, which just amplifies its importance.

And in the NFC North, the new black and blue division, with stellar Steelers and Ravens defenses, it is imperative you run the football.

The point I'll try not to lose is that the media can and will focus on Quinn vs. Anderson. Each and every possession, snap and drop back will be analyzed and scrutinized.

I, however, will focus on the run game and know the only way the Browns win this year and improve offensively is to get better up front and in the backfield.

So the real question I'd like to ask fans, media and coaches is how do the Browns get back to a yard-per carry-average of 4.3-4.5, which would indicate moderate success?

Clearly, 59 yards in the preseason opener isn't getting it done.

Is Jamal Lewis past his prime and is it time for the younger backs to get a chance? Do they need to dedicate themselves to the run and be willing to hand it off on any down and in any situation?

I believe its a combination of both. I think Lewis can still be effective if they can get him running downhill, which means the o-line has to create and maintain running lanes. But I also think they should utilize Harrison more as a change of pace back.

I also think that any good run team has to commit to using the option to hand the ball off on each and every down, so the defense has to respect it. Far too often, it seems coordinators think committing to the run means handing it off on first and second down.

First down is the most crucial down in football and a team must keep a defense off balance. I like teams that utilize the short passing game on first down to supplement the run. Swing passes, quick slants, wide out and running back screens keep teams off balance.

A team that is successful on first down allows itself a running play option for second and third if needed.

In summary, I'd like to challenge somebody to keep track of the metric that correlates yards-per-carry to the overall performance of the quarterback in the passing game.

You could use QB rating to gauge it for all I care.

But I guarantee that the lower the yards-per-carry average, the lower the QB rating. That goes for whether the Browns line up Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson or Bernie Kosar under center.

10 Reasons Why the 2009 Cleveland Indians Are a Bust

Tom Hammer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:53:48 -0400

The Cleveland Indians have left a lot of fans scratching their heads as a once promising season outlook has been replaced by the reality that their season is over at the All-Star break. The worst record in the American league is what the team has to show for their efforts thus far. This post lists the 10 reason why the team has been such a bust in 2009.

Begin Slideshow

Cleveland Indians: Pitching Reaching Epic Standards for Futility

Tom Hammer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:26:29 -0400

The bottom line on the ESPN SportsCenter screen scrawled by and the White Sox versus Indians score blinked an all too familiar array of crooked numbers.

The 11 runs scored by the White Sox, in a rain shortened game to boot, helped cement a growing 2009 pitching legacy that bathes in futility.

It's been well known, the struggles that the Indians pitching staff has had this year. The Indians have given up 440 runs in 2009, which is exactly 80 runs more than the next highest allowed run total of anyone in the American League Central.

If a team averages, say five runs a game, which is probably median for the league, then it would take a team 16 games to catch the Indians IF the Tribe pitching staff could throw shutouts in those 16 games.

It is well advertised that this staff cannot throw strikes. They give up the long ball and they can't get easy outs via strike out, but these numbers are starting to get ridiculous.

At what point, does general management send down the whole staff and bring up all new arms? It sounds far fetched, but honestly, I think this ploy would be welcomed by Tribe fans.

They've already used 25 different pitchers in a game this year. Ten different starters and 15 different relievers.

The most amazing part of this pitching drama is that the exact coaching staff including the manager are all still in place, all still earning a pay check and obviously not getting the job done.

Cleveland Indians: SWOT Analysis Before the All-Star Break

Tom Hammer — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:25:51 -0400

If the Cleveland Indians were a company on Wall Street, they would be looking for a bail out.

In business, as your company approaches the end of a quarter and earnings are set to report, often times you take an opportunity to perform a SWOT analysis.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

This is a continuous improvement exercise. I don't think anyone would argue that after two and a half months, the Indians are desperately in need of improvement.

Heading into the All-Star break, the Indians have the worst record in the American League. They are 12 games below .500, and 10 games back in the division.

This would be the equivalent of a corporation reporting that sales have declined 30 percent, gross margins are compressed, and they realized a net loss for the quarter.

Shareholders in business would be the equivalent of the fans, and a shareholder upon hearing that report would more then likely start dumping the stock and taking their losses.

I'm sure fans of the Indians feel like dumping this team and buying a new one.

But sometimes in baseball, there is more to a team then wins and losses, and it just takes a focused look at some key areas to really tell the true story.

Herein lies the purpose of this article, which is to perform a SWOT analysis on the Cleveland Indians.

Strengths

The Indians scored more then enough runs for them to be a .500 team or better. Their 375 runs is good for fourth in the American league.

The Indians demonstrated good patience at the plate, working the counts and drawing walks. Their 289 walks is good for third in the American league.

In an odd category, the Indians have showed they aren't afraid to take one for the team. Their 48 hit batters is first in the American league by 14.

In the field, the bright spot has been the emergence of the middle infield and the ability to turn the double play. The Indians' 78 double plays is good for second in the American league.

But when a team is dead last in the league, the weaknesses probably outweigh the strengths.

Weaknesses

Point blank, the pitching has been horrible. The Indians' staff has given up more runs then any other team in the major leagues.

The team ERA is .527, again, worst in the major leagues.

What could possibly lead to the above two points, you ask? The Indians lead the league in walked batters. You give free passes, you will not win in this league.

When the pitching staff isn't giving up walks, they are giving up homers. Their 85 home runs given up is fourth to last in the major leagues.

The bullpen has set a new standard for futility. In 26 opportunities to save games, the it has only successfully saved 13. This is last in the major leagues.

From a hitting perspective, the Indians struggle putting the ball in play. Their 570 strike outs is worst in the American league.

The Indians obviously allow a lot of base runners, which means in order to limit damage, they need to be able to get strikeouts. The Indians are fourth to last in the American league in that category.

I understand that evaluation of coaching is subjective, however, I think it's safe to say that the Indians coaching staff has done a poor job all year. From coaching the bases to selecting the line ups to managing the fine details of the game. the Indians always seem to be three steps behind.

Looking at those weakness stats can get depressing, so let's give some depth to this SWOT analysis.

Opportunities

The reality is nobody is running away with the division. The Indians, I believe, have played as bad as they can play. A good seven- or eight-game win streak, and they are back in the race.

The Indians have been ravaged by the injury bug. Some of those guys are set to come off the disabled list, which could help the team.

It may be time to go a different direction with the manager. The team has not responded to Wedge, and clearly with three out of the past four seasons being major disappointments, the fans need a change, and a new manager could bring rejuvenation.

Young players are getting a lot of valuable at-bats and mound appearances. I like the Indians' young talent. If they were contending, guys like Ben Francisco would have to sit down because they are struggling.

The display by the bullpen this year should clearly have an impact on general management's future decisions. In major league baseball, a team has to spend money on arms for the bullpen, and it can't be $10 million on on closer and expect that to fix the problems.

Time to look at moving some of the high-priced merchandise that hasn't produced as planned. Mark DeRosa was a pricey acquisition, and although he's started to hit lately, I don't think the Indians can afford him long term. Let contenders overpay with prospects.

Threats

Obviously, a lack of success is hurting team confidence, especially in the bullpen. Some of the younger arms need to experience success, or the Indians risk losing their confidence for good.

Being 10 games out, the team has not given up on the season, which is admirable. However, they need to fight the urge to give up their young talent to try and fix holes in this years team. I don't think that's a good investment.

Injuries are beginning to pile up, and it's clear that a guy like Travis Hafner may be tainted goods. They pay him way too much for no productivity, and I'm afraid he just isn't going to get healthy.

The fan base is restless. If the team doesn't turn it around, I fear a public revolt against the team, which is never a good situation.

At the end of the day, this SWOT analysis should give a pure look at the good, the bad and ugly and help paint a picture of hope or despairs depending on the perspective.

When I review the list, I feel extreme frustration when I look at the weaknesses.

Throwing strikes and putting the ball in play are the truest of fundamentals in baseball. If the Indians are struggling in these areas, what kind of talent are they really dealing with on this club?

The bottom line is the Indians clearly don't equate to a Fortune 500 company today, but if they maximize their strengths and opportunities, and eliminate a few weaknesses, they could be closer than we think.

Boston Celtics: Before Paying "Big Baby" Study the Austin Croshere Case

Tom Hammer — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:35:13 -0400

I remember it like it was yesterday. The 1999-2000 NBA finals when Austin Croshere went from an under sized back up power forward to a clutch performing hot commodity.

Flash bulbs pop and here we are in 2009 and Glen "Big Baby" Davis fits that same mold.

In the finals versus the Lakers, Croshere played like an emerging star averaging 15.2 points and 6.0 rebounds, including a career playoff high 24 points in 25 minutes in Game Two. Most of those came while the Pacers went small and Shaq was forced to guard him.

He was an absolute match up problem for those Lakers and he consistently exposed slower defenders on the perimeter, getting to the basket and finishing as well as hitting his trade mark corner jumper.

Croshere was in his third season in the NBA and his contract was up after the 2000 Finals.

By the way in the previous two seasons he averaged a little over 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds a game in injury shortened seasons.

So impressed were the Pacers brass with the 6'8" Croshere that they promptly offered him a seven year, $51 million contract.

At the turn of the century, this set a new standard for rewarding players for playoff performance.

If you are a basketball fan, I don't have to remind you how this story played out for the Pacers and Mr. Croshere. Croshere started 72 games in the next six years, with career high averages of 10.1 pts and 6.4 rebounds in the season following the contract, respectable but not $51 million worthy.

He'd never average double figures after 2001.

He quickly became the figure head for over paid players in the NBA. The Pacers front office never escaped the scrutiny for that contract and they paid dearly in the years to come as they were saddled with this huge deal for a guy who didn't produce.

Fast forward to 2009, and the Boston Celtics have an eerily similar situation with their under sized power forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis.

Davis showed marked improvement in the '08-'09 season marked by an impressive 15.8 point scoring average in the playoffs. He filled in brightly for K.G during the playoffs, culminating with his game winning jumper in Game Five at Orlando.

As time expired, and "Big Baby" stormed down the court my first thought was, "Don't you do it Danny Ainge! Don't you do it!"

You see, I am a life long Celtics fan that lives in Indianapolis, so there is no way I can escape these obvious comparisons between Croshere and Davis.

To be honest, even as Baby was doing some good work in the playoffs I still constantly felt like he handicapped the team due to his limitations.

He can't guard the perimeter and he is too short to guard the post. He struggles to finish around he hoop even though Rajon Rondo is slick with setting up the C's four-men.

After the playoffs, I was desperately bothered by the thought of Ainge opening up the pocket book to retain Baby's services. I decided to search 82games.com for some underlying stat that would prove that Big Baby was the next Croshere.

I found it and it was called the Roland Rating.

The main components of the "Roland Ratings" are a production measure for a player's own stats versus the counterpart player on the other team while he is on the court, as well as a simple on court/off court plus minus (plus minus being the number of points ahead or behind the team is while he is in the game versus when he is out of the game.)

The qualifying criteria is that the player has to have at least played 35 percent of his teams minutes. Big Baby qualified and out of all the players who did, he was fourth to last in this rating.

While in the game for the C's Big Baby accounted for 12.2 pts of production while the guy he was guarding produced 18.2 pts. When Big Baby was in the game the C's outscored their opponents by 2.8 when he was out of the game his teammates outscored them by 10.7.

The negative divergences demonstrate that Big Baby, while admitting being a clutch performer, cannot be on the court in large doses if the Celtics want to get back to the finals.

To me this means, that when his agent requests the $7-8 million a year that he undoubtedly will, Ainge has to say thanks for the memories Baby, but Austin Croshere's case study will not allow me to commit this ultimate sin.

In the end, I truly respect Glen Davis and his ability to find a niche in the NBA. He is a good fit for the C's system and you can tell he relishes the opportunity to learn under K.G and is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

But in this business, it comes down to production and dollars.

In this case, as the Roland Ratings suggest, there isn't enough of the former and he'll request to much of the latter.

Eric Mangini: Cleveland Browns Rebuilding?

Tom Hammer — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:06:46 -0400

2008 was a tough year to swallow for Cleveland Browns fans everywhere.

Coming off of a 10-6 year in 2007, there were huge expectations for the franchise and Browns fans and the Pound were down right giddy. Several factors contributed to a brutal season, including injuries, a tough schedule, late game collapses, bad coaching and poor play by several key players (eg. Braylon Edwards.)

As I've written regarding the Cleveland Indians current situation with Eric Wedge, I understand the need to move on from a coaching perspective because the head coach is accountable for the success and/or failure of a team.

I agreed with moving forward without Romeo Crennel and actually applauded the hiring of Mangini. What has transpired since his hiring has left me scratching my head and pondering, are the Browns looking at rebuilding or are they still feeling like a contender?

Every move the team has made since his hiring, smells of caution, safety and restraint. Whether its cutting and running from All-Pro caliber tight end in Kellen Winslow to trading down several times in the draft, to drafting a center with their No. 1 pick, I just don't see the team moving aggressively like a team ready to contend.

Mangini has brought in a whole host of his old Jets players, opting to go with guys who are familiar with his system versus going after impact players.

From a draft perspective it seems he was more interested in getting character guys who demonstrated a good football IQ instead of going after speed and athleticism.

I'm not at this juncture criticizing any of these moves, I'm more trying to figure out where management and this coaching staff heads are at in terms of their approach with this team. Are the goals for this team next year to win the division, or are the goals to improve?

Do the goals include making the playoffs or are the goals more focused on changing team culture?

I do see a focus on creating depth at critical positions including the offensive and defensive lines. I think the Browns have been burned in the past because of a lack of depth. A few key injuries and they are playing severely disadvantaged in past years.

So in this regard, maybe Mangini feels the key pieces are there and with the addition of some quality guys, guys who are certified pros and have played in his system, that he can win right away.

Maybe there weren't a lot of bright bold moves because he, in fact, doesn't feel he needs game changers but rather sturdy pro's who won't make mistakes. I think one thing can be said for certain and that is that the days of winning by making more big plays then the other team are being replaced by winning with disciplined and mistake free football.

Maybe Mangini will wear a sweater vest to cap off the whole persona, a-la his college counterpart down the road.

Ultimately, I think all Cleveland Browns fans need to evaluate where your heads are at going into this season. Are the expectations for a long awaited trip to the playoffs? Or would a 3 or 4 game improvement suffice? Knowing Cleveland and their fan base, I'd be surprised if it were the latter. Whatever the case, I think Mangini will be patient and he'll focus on improvement in a lot of key areas. Let's all just hope that this leads to points on the board and w's in the standings.

Bodybuilding by Carl the "Gym Guy"

Tom Hammer — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:06:41 -0400

[Editors Note, Carl has chosen to withhold his last name due to what he calls a persistent threat to his identity. We asked Carl, Strongman and Non-certified Bodybuilding Enthusiast, to give us some strength & conditioning advice. Carl doesn't actually own a computer or know how to send e-mails. What follows are a series of voice mails left on Tom Hammer's answering machine.]

Hi. This is Tom Hammer. You know what to do. (Sly wink and a gun not captured in message)—BEEP

"Whether you're looking to enter bodybuilding competitions or merely add some bulk muscle, it's time to separate fact from fiction in the weight room.

Normally, I would charge up to $250/hour to share these secrets, so take some freakin' notes. That skinny-necked Tom Hammer's been bustin' my balls to answer his fitness Q & As, so while I'm sittin' here in traffic, here goes:

Q: Which gym should I join?

A: You wanna look for a place that's got plenty o' free weights and that don't beef if ya use chalk to grip the bars. And tests show that kick-ass rock music boosts metabolism.

So find a joint that only plays the best rock music, Foghat, Thin Lizzie, Emerson Lake & Palmer. The classics.

Q: What should I wear to the gym?

A: Got any Under Armour gear? Throw it in the freakin' trash can. Physical strength is 50 percent attitude (see below for full percentage breakdown), so when you look in the mirror you don't want to see some pansy that oughtta be playin' tennis.

Ya wanna get a shirt that's a few sizes small and then cut off the sleeves. Let the lats breathe.The shirt should look like you could fight a bear at a moment's notice.

And always wear a weight belt, even if you're just doin' cardio. And only fags do cardio. It's a fact. You can look it up. And bring a pair of black gloves in case ya run out of chalk.

[Ed. note: Bohogan.com doesn't endorse any of the comments around sexual orientation]

Q: Should I get a personal trainer?

A: Only if ya wanna look retarded. Best thing to do is just ask for a spotter, even if da person is on a treadmill or talking to someone else, just let 'em know ya need some help in the squat rack.

Q: What's the best hour-long workout for the upper and lower body?

A: You just made yourself sound like a complete idiot.

First of all, one hour?

Look at the trapezoid muscles in my neck. You think I got those by takin' shortcuts?

If you're committed to being healthy you need to devote entire days to a specific muscle. Mondays are neck. Tuesdays back. Wednesdays chest and tris. Et ceteras, et ceteras.

Q: What about diet?

A: Regardless o' how many drinkin' fountains are in the joint, when you're at the gym ya wanna carry a jug full of distilled water for quick breaks.

Distilled water lets the pores breathe and re-oxidizes the veins

[Ed. Note - None of Carl's statements have been verified by the FDA].

And if you're just startin' out, ya wanna be eatin' at least 300 grams of protein a day. Most nights I eat a tube of bulk sausage or hamburger and a half dozen hard-boiled eggs. Fruits & vegetables cause joint stiffness, fatigue and lazy eyes.

Carpe diem: consume them at your peril.

Q: Should I work out if I'm sick or injured?

A: Most scientists agree that unless there's blood in your stools, it's safe to exercise. Last month I was scrapping for a valve cover for my IROC at my cousin's junkyard when a rat bit me and my forearm swelled up like a bastard.

Did that stop me? No freakin' way. I drove to the gym wit the rat still dangling from my arm.
Q: Is it okay to socialize at the gym?

A: Now I'm gonna talk about the rest of the bodybuildin' pyramid of success- Oooh, wait. Those idiot radio DJs finally played the song I requested.

[Ed. Note - For the next 3:47 Carl sings along to Van Halen's "Pound Cake"].

As I was sayin', 50 percent of bodybuildin' is attitude.

Time for the other percentages. I don't have a printer, but if you call Tom Hammer he'll probably print out a chart and mail it to you.

[Ed. Note - Please don't call.].

There's 20 percent supplements, Creatine, energy drinks and so forth. Eighteen percent is bein' tan. Nine percent is gear (see earlier note about clothing). Twenty-two percent is genetics.And 83 percent is effort.

If I ask a guy to spot me, the last thing I want to hear is how busy he is.

The only acceptable banter is a compliment like if you see a guy lookin' huge in the locker room—just say somethin' like "hey big man" or "nice meat."

Q: Are some people born scrawny and disease-prone and therefore hopeless?

[Ed. Note - Carl posed this question himself].

A: Without question, some of us have a huge advantage with the DNA.

One look at me and you know I hit the genetics lottery. My great-uncle Fritz used to travel with the circus as a strongman and people'd pay to see him lift wagons of coal or immigrants.Nowadays you need a license to do that 'cause everyone's so PC.

But even if you weren't born with natural gifts it's still possible to not look like a total freakin' embarrassment if you follow my fitness pyramid plan.

Best idea is to send me a check for $250 and then I'll call you to discuss a personalized plan.

Alright, I finally got to the gym. Time to get jacked up and bring the noise, I like to go in there like a Sherman tank full o' cobras.

Until next time, Carl is out!

Hedo Turns into Hedon't in a Flash

Tom Hammer — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:28:55 -0400

I love the NBA playoffs for many different reasons but most prevalent to my fascination is to watch previously obscure and under-rated players make names and sometimes careers for themselves throughout the course of the postseason.

It's true in all sports, in that a single player can resurrect, ignite and/or ruin their career with one single game or one single moment during the post season.

That's what makes sports so great is that the more ultimate the stage, the more pressure exists and its only when players are put under this extreme pressure, that all grey matter falls to the side and only the true ballers stand out and shine. There were many such examples in these NBA playoffs.

Ben Gordon for the Bulls guaranteeing himself a leading scorer salary next season, even though I personally think he is selfish and a team cancer.

Derrick Rose demonstrating that his talents definitely translate well to the NBA and those flashes we saw during his run to the finals in college hoops were not an aberration but rather a preview to what may be one of the more successful point guard careers in the history of the league.

Nene took center stage as an extremely athletic big man who creates match up nightmares and a presence on the defensive end that is coveted by all league executives.

"Big Baby" Glen Davis showed out as a key piece to the Boston Celtics future, although, with me personally being a Celtics fan I'd hate to see them over pay. But I think head and shoulders above these notable playoff performers, was the man from Turkey playing for the runner-up Magic, Hedo Turkoglu.

Coming into this season, I believed and bought into all the stereo-types that engulfed Turkaglu's career. He had "euro" game meaning he is soft but skilled, and he would never be that guy who you want in your corner when the chips are down.

I always saw him as a shooter with a great touch for a big man but on the other end, could not effectively guard anyone smaller or bigger.

I watched almost all of the Magic's games in the playoffs, and slowly but surely my perception changed. What I saw in the Celtics series was a huge wing, with great vision and above average ball handling skills even if you categorize him as a two or three.

He was gutsy and he was a leader. The ball always ended up in his hands when the shot clock was down and at the end of the game. You could tell, Stan Van Gundy had supreme confidence in this guy.

If there was one flaw it was he wasn't selfish enough in my opinion with when to take over the game. The Celtics had no answers for him.

And if I make one observation that proves my point from that series is that Paul Pierce is clearly the Celtics best wing defender and he guarded Turkoglu all series even while Rashard Lewis absolutely killed whoever was guarding him. The Celtics never made the change.

They couldn't because Doc Rivers knew that Turkoglu was the key, he was the engine to the Magic's offense. On defense, Turkoglu was deceptively quick enough to guard wings and when the Magic went small he did an adequate job of guarding the post.

In today's game, with the number of back to the basket players dwindling, you can afford to have a guy like Turkoglu guard the other teams power forward or center.

In the finals, my growing admiration took a giant leap as Turkoglu took center stage and in my eyes, showed he was the second best player on the floor in a lot of circumstances with Kobe obviously being the best. He was taking people off the dribble and scoring around the hoop or kicking to wide open shooters.

He was going to the boards on both ends. He was bringing the ball up the court and coming off screens and stroking. This guy looked like he belonged in the finals and was there to put his imprint, loud and bold, on the map of NBA superstars.

He was a multi- dimensional beast. In the back of my head, I was constantly thinking that the Magic were set for the future with Turkoglu being the perfect compliment to Howard for the next several years.

The Magic have the ideal system to accentuate all of Turkaglu's talents and next year he certainly would be an all-star as there is no way coaches and fans could over look him after these finals. Hedo Turkoglu had arrived and he was going to be a star.

Then with one idiotic statement by his obviously greedy and desperate agent, all of that went away and HeDO quickly went back to HeDON'T, as he made the decision to not pursue re-upping with the team that had just got him to the finals but rather he would "aggressively" pursue free agency.

I understand that in business as well as sports, you have to strike when the irons hot and I can see where Turkaglu and his agent felt that his playoff performance was a good spring board to a huge contract from the free agent market. I'm not dumb. I do see that logic.

However, what ever happened to competitive spirit, whatever happened to dedication to winning, and what ever happened to respecting an organization who got you to where you are?

What a slap in the face if you are a Magic fan, player or executive, that after you just poured your heart and soul out into a very successful season that you are rewarded with complete selfishness and greed from one of your star players.

Mark my words, history will show that Hedo Turkoglu peaked in this 2009 playoffs, if he leaves the Magic.

No other team and no other system is going to put him in the situation to succeed no matter where he decides to go. I could see the New York Knicks being a great fit but we all know they are saving up for the huge LeBron James lottery.

No, Hedo will go to a non-contender who will expect him to be a 20-point stat sheet stuffer and he'll drift back into obscurity.

And I truly will hate it because I saw flashes of a completely new type of weapon in the NBA and the Magic had a chance to be a great team for a long time to come but in the end, they fell victim to circumstances that stain all of professional sports. Money means more then winning.

End of story.

Cleveland Indians in the Crosshairs

Tom Hammer — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:25:14 -0400

To preface this post, I'd like to share that I am and have been a hard core Cleveland Indians fan for over two decades. To say that being a fan equates to a weekend at Cedar Point is probably an accurate parallel as the ups and downs are extreme and violent.

I've become numb the past several years as I feel like I've reached the point of indifference. While this is a horrible spot to be in as a fan, as a writer it actually allows me to be more objective with my opinions on the direction of the team.

In this light, I'd like to address this current version of the Tribe and give readers a little bit of a different angle on the lack of success that's been demonstrated on the diamond this year.

I'll first go to the "Fire Eric Wedge" mantra that's been so prevalent the past few months.

Accountability and responsibility are two terms that are often used interchangeably in the world of business and in sports and I think in order for an organization, be it a professional sports franchise or a fortune 500 company, to be successful a crystal clear definition needs to be communicated and understood by all resources.

In professional sports, ultimate accountability for success or failure falls to the manager, albeit baseball blurs the line more then any other sport. I personally feel it is more difficult for a manager to put their personal prints on a game, then any other coach for any other sport.

But the fact remains, if a team doesn't win it is the manager who should be held accountable.

Responsibility in professional sports falls to the players, as their actions and performance directly correlate to whether a team wins or loses. So while the manager is accountable for wins, the players are responsible to do what the manager asks and execute in order to get those wins.

In the case of the Indians, I definitely feel like the players have not lived up to their responsibilities, especially the bullpen, and I also feel that Eric Wedge should be held accountable for the failures.

Eric Wedge has been around baseball his whole life and I do not doubt or dispute that he is a very intelligent and cerebral coach who also seems to demonstrate the ability to motivate and relate to the players.

He knows more about baseball then I do, that I'm sure, so for me to question his game tactics I feel is like the custodian questioning the principal of a high school.

Not one member of Tribe nation knows the inner workings of the team and franchise like Wedge so I think a lot of wasted words have been written. But the bottom line remains, the Indians have not been winning games and you can go back to last year for examples.

I think it's time management holds him accountable and goes a different direction. The longer they wait to make this move, the more credibility they lose with the fans and players. If a player sees that a manager isn't held accountable then they definitely won't feel responsible to perform for that manager. It's a cycle and it's time to make a change.

Second and lastly, I'd like to address the elephant in the room and that is the bullpen. Let's be honest, the bullpen has been flat out atrocious. Some of the worst work, I've seen done by a staff of pitchers in my thirty three years of watching baseball. They lack confidence, they lack discipline and they lack talent.

That is not a troika of favorable circumstances that leads to success.

Now to be fair, I think the pieces that were in place to start the season, and the exhibition of talent and past statistics would not have led me to believe they would be this bad.

But, I also believe that the major flaw that I see of Tribe management is their willingness to put heavy stakes on inexperienced and unproven players who have demonstrated a lot of talent but haven't necessarily ever achieved consistent results.

I'd say this is especially prevalent with the pitching staff. For example they tagged Fausto as the ace of this staff and he really has only ever shown flashes. The same can be said about Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez, two relieves whom I'm sure Wedge felt he could rely on as his set up men to get left and right handers out in pressure situations.

The issue I see is, these guys again are young and inexperienced and when you put these type of players in these tight situations and they don't experience success early, it creates a snow ball effect where each time out the pressure grows and they don't have the tools to draw on to get them through it.

What is left is a head case of a player with no confidence and that doesn't not bode well for a relief pitcher in the big leagues. Again, this is where the accountability factor rears its heads, and I think Wedge should have eased these guys into those roles and allowed some of the more veteran guys to assume the pressure situations to start the season.

He didn't go that direction and now he's left in panic mode, searching his minor leagues and the waiver wires for any arm that is different then the arms that have failed.

I'll continue to write about the Tribe for the remainder of the season but with the season in the crosshairs at this very moment, I felt compelled to post my opinion. I don't feel all is lost at this point for the Tribe and I think if management made a decision, that would offer a fresh start that maybe could spark them in the right direction.

Personally, I feel Wedge has a great relationship with management because he is a great guy and has a great personality. But, to parallel business again, nice guys finish last in most cases.