Bleacher Report - Articles by Brian A

A Letter To St. Louis Cardinals GM, John Mozeliak

Brian A — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:36:23 -0500

Dear Mr. Mozeliak,

You may not know me, but I am your biggest fan. The way that you have general managed and likewise negotiated your way to success and immense popularity in the city of St. Louis is quite a remarkable accomplishment in such a short time period.

This past year and this current off-season has and will show the Cardinals organization how truly valuable of an asset you are to us.

The greatest contribution that your truly creative genius has given the Cardinals is the virtue of patience. Last year, at 53-43 going into the All-Star break, we thought that we needed some left-handed relief pitcher or some other big bat to propel us to the playoffs.

Our bad Johnny, we're just naive fans that didn't know better.

Instead, our Cardinals continued on a pretty straight, consistent route that eventually attained us an 86-76 record, 4th best in the NL Central.

Kudos Bro, I agree with the not do anything "too" risky philosophy. You know, something that could have made us fall into something like fifth place would have looked bad. Good move.

However, that's only probably the third greatest thing you've done (or haven't done...high five dude) to propel this team to the highest echelon of prestige!

I had doubts about this next move, but now I whole-heartedly agree with letting Aaron Miles go to our most hated rival, the Chicago Cubs. Miles "only" hit .317, playing 130 games while only committing four errors in the field all season. He was probably the best middle infielder we had in terms of productivity. But luckily, I see your train of thought, we'll just have Albert play the entire right side of the infield and maybe the league will be lenient to us in having him bat twice in the lineup.

Hopefully our proposition for "ghost runner on first" also gets approved. You could probably also scrap that idea and use some other guy that hasn't played a day of baseball in the Majors or fully proved himself yet. It'd save budget and immortalize you for being "thrifty." Let's just hope it doesn't back fire like it did on your predecessor, Walt Jocketty.

Finally, not picking up a proven, durable left-hander this season was a move that will be gloriously remembered for the ages. The one thing that could have put us in the playoffs last season had we not blown 31 saves was some kind of consistent relief pitcher, preferably a closer or some kind of left-handed reliever that we were clearly lacking.

Again, you thought budget and picked up the future savior of our bullpen, LHP Royce Ring. Who needs experience in a Brian Fuentes when you've got guys out there as cheap and reliable as Ring? What was his ERA again? I haven't looked but I can only assume that it is Gibson-esque.

Side-note: There's a hot shot 11 year old with a sick knuckleball that I'm sure we could pick up for about $10 and a couple of baseball cards. Get back at me with that one, Zabroni.

In closing, I think that you, John Mozeliak, are the cats pajamas and the bees knees all rolled into one. You've not only got the sort of divine intelligence that only one like the Almighty holds, you've also got the logic that only the genius possess and the insane lament.

Here's to doing nothing and improving to...third place in the NL Central.

Love Always,

Your Greatest Fan

P.S.

No go on that 11 year old. He's asking for $20, so that's probably just a little too steep for us to venture into at this point in time. I'll continue to "gauge that market" and get back to you, Broski. Peace.

A Light In The Abyss: Missouri Tigers Basketball

Brian A — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:21:24 -0500

If you call yourself a sports fan and live in the state of Missouri or pledge your dedication to any of our teams, life has most undoubtedly sucked over the past couple years.

Take the St. Louis Cardinals. They were fresh off of a World Series win in 2006, and now are projected to finish near the bottom the of NL Central and watch the Cubs prance their way into another playoff series unbated.

Blah.

Take the Rams—at least there was some improvement noted here. They did not finish last in the league with two wins. Luckily, the Detroit Lions out-sucked us more and saved the little honor this franchise had. Blah.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues. They are not even worth mentioning. You want to watch hockey, then go to the local ice rink and watch the pee-wee and high school kids play. I'd much rather watch a God-forsaken District Five team coached by Gordon Bombay skate around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off than watch another Blues game.

One word—Goldberg.

The conclusion?

If you call yourself a Missouri sports fan, you are knee deep in suck. We are in an abyss and we need a light.

After at least two years of hopelessness, it appears as if one of our prayers has finally been answered.

Enter the 2008-2009 Missouri men's basketball team.

It was a normal Mizzou start. After we dominated the easy part of schedule against schools like College for the Blind and Po-dunk Community College, the true test of the season finally had began with the start of Big 12 Conference games.

The first Big 12 game didn't go as we'd all hoped for. It amounted in a loss to Nebraska. Yes, it seemed as if this would be the same old Mizzou of the past couple years that just rolled through their early schedule and then got simultaneously steam-rolled in conference.

Let's not be so naive.

Mizzou immediately went on a four-game winning streak by dominating Colorado and Iowa State, going on the road to beat Oklahoma St. and then by taking down Texas Tech.

They hit a roadblock in their next game against Kansas State though. Every loss that Mizzou has had this season (Xavier, Illinois, Nebraska) is usually caused by piss-poor FT shooting, equally bad FG percentage, or a when our "40 Minutes of Hell" is figured out and starts to freeze over. This happened against K-State, but did Mizzou continue to fade?

Not by a longshot, chief.

After this loss, all cyclinders are now clicking. Four straight wins over Baylor (by 17 nonetheless), at Texas, at Iowa State, and the most recent Kansas.

You heard that right—we beat Kansas. Rock Chalk yourself to sleep on that one Jayhawks.

Now, with six games left in their season before the Big 12 Tournament, Mizzou has a record of 21-4 and has undoubtedly clinched its first NCAA Tournament Bid since 2003.

This was a team that was completely overlooked. We saw the potential brewing last year, but although we expected a couple more years to see these kind of results, who isn't happy with the immediate success this season has brought?

This is no doubt a great thing for all Missouri fans. Who would have ever imagined that this school could field Top 25 football and basketball programs? It was something that was always hoped for, but was never fathomed practically.

And now our dreams have come true.

But, this dream has just begun. Mizzou needs to stay strong and focused on the long term goal, the NCAA Tournament. They have worked for it, but now they have to work harder and earn it.

If you don't see anything miraculous about this immediate ascent in Mizzou basketball, then you are going to quickly be thrown under this growing bandwagon and left in the dust.

Done are the days where we hope that Mizzou will win and back are the days when Mizzou is expected to win.

Book it.

Seeking a NCAA Tourney Cinderella (Part II)

Brian A — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:28:10 -0400

I have a confession...

I am a college basketball addict.

My condition is so bad in fact that I watched every single Big 12, Big East, ACC, and Big Ten conference game this year.

Now, I don't need a doctor or anyone else to tell me that I'm mentally insane for doing this, but this year I got the Madness and I got it bad...

Unlike other years, it seems as if I have a pretty strong opinion on almost all of the teams that made the field. There are going to be a lot of awesome match-ups ahead in these next couple weeks. It certainly should shape up to be one heck of a March Madness...

So...let's take a look at the potential Cinderella's. They're the funnest to look at and keep everyone intrigued, so I'll give a small rundown of the teams that I think have that certain "gusto" to advance to the Sweet Round of Sixteen.

PS...I consider Cinderella's at least a 6th seed or higher...

So without further adue, I bring to you:

#7 BUTLER

So, I already pretty much broke down the Bulldogs in my one of my previous articles (Part 1), so it might be better to look there. The Bulldogs are back again after going to the Sweet Sixteen last year by eventually being uprouted by last years National Champs, the Florida Gators. Butler has one sweet frontcourt spearheaded by G Mike Green. Four of the starters are seniors and have been in this type of situation before. They have shown that they can beat teams from power conferences (Michigan, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Florida State) and it has earned them a lowly 7th seed. They should be able to breeze by South Alabama and most likely be matched against Tennessee in Round Two. If we get that matchup, Butler has the potential to pull the upset.

#6 USC

Most people forget that USC was a Sweet Sixteen contender last year. Many people were predicting that a Kevin Durant led Texas team would shake up the brackets last year...until USC destroyed them in the Second Round. This year, USC played one tough nonconference schedule and only lost to this years #1 seeds Kansas and Memphis by four points. This is a team that can stick around until the end of the game with the chance to win it. Everyone is calling the first-round matchup with K-State the Beasley vs. Mayo game, but USC is a lot more than just O.J. Mayo...unfortunately for Kansas State, Michael Beasley is the only consistent threat for the Wildcats. USC would most likely face Wisconsin in the Second Round. They'd face a considerably different playing style, but they more than have the arsenal and the talent to overcome them if they can contain their post players.

#7 MARQUETTE

In all of those hours that I spent in front of my television, one team really stood out to me. The Golden Eagles have arguably some of the best guard combinations that I have seen. James, McNeal, and Matthews all have the ability to hit the three, but can be quite streaky at times. It all depends on the Marquette that is going to show up to the tournament. If they can get a decent showing from Lazar Hayward inside, they'll be able to easily route Kentucky and have a real shot at a probable Stanford in Round Two. In that regard, Marquette's guardplay destroys Stanford's almost seven-fold...but when dealing with Stanford, containing the inside game will be what is important.

Those teams should provide for some awesome March Madness excitement. It should be interesting to see where all of these teams end up because we can speculate all day, but most of our brackets are going to be messed up by the end of the day anyway. These are simply the teams that jumped out at me during Conference Tournament weekend.

The Future of Missouri Tigers Basketball

Brian A — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:08:16 -0400

The Missouri Tigers came into Kansas City on Thursday night to kickoff the first round of the Big 12 Tournament against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

However, the Tigers did not know beforehand that this game would inevitably be their last of the 2007-2008 season.

But, were we really that surprised?

The Tigers finished with an overall record of 16-16. Among some of the more impressive wins this season included Maryland, Purdue, Texas, and Kansas State. Those would have put together a decent resume' if it had not been for the dozen other embittering losses the Tigers faced this season.

The downfall of the Tigers' season were numerous and they started on day ONE.

The pre-season suspension of Forward Kalen Grimes definitely cost the Tigers an experienced post-player. But despite this, Forwards Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll seemed to make due in the paint and exceeded far past anyones expectations. Still, we'll never know what difference the beastly post presence of Grimes could have made.

About halfway through the season, when we thought that it couldn't get any worse, Stephon Hannah breaks his jaw in a bar fight and is kicked off the team while 4 other players are suspended temporarily for breaking team rules. The majority of these players were starters. This was definitely a step back in the program, but it was dealt with appropriately and didn't get out of hand.

Even with all of this drama occuring, the Tigers still played teams close. That was one thing that was a definite improvement from last year. While Mizzou still lacked that clutch player and were severly sidelined by the suspensions, they were able to stay close with even the toughest teams and hold their own.

Mizzou fans are probably still not happy about how this particular season concluded, but there are many things to be optimistic about.

First and foremost, the Quin Snyder era recruits are gone.

Another postive is that the players that will be back for the Tigers next year will be guys that will provide a very solid foundation to build around. These will include Leo Lyons, Keon Lawrence, JT Tiller, and Matt Lawrence.

Also, Coach Mike Anderson will have his first true year of integrating his own recruits into the program. Maybe now the Tigers will actually be able to implement their "40 Minutes of Hell" instead of many fans screaming from their seats, "What the hell is this?"

This year, perhaps we weren't quite able to get over the hump. We could play with our opponents, but the Tigers couldn't find that one genuine quality that made them a team to be reckoned with. Usually, all teams face this dilemna at one time or another and time is usually a sure-fire remedy to build up a decent program again. Mizzou is definitely in the process of regaining its former winning composure of long ago. People will not want to hear it and it may get frustrating at times, but patience WILL pay off for this team.

It is true that we haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2003, but fear not Missouri fans. As fans, we have a lot to look forward to. This is a team that is making leaps and bounds forward.

Isaac Bruce Fallout: There Goes the Rams Franchise...

Brian A — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:32:33 -0400

The St. Louis Rams made the biggest mistake in the history of their franchise last week:

They released future Hall of Fame wide receiver Isaac Bruce.

When asked about the move, head coach Scott Linehan said, "It's a tough choice for the franchise...It's like anything else. We make decisions as a franchise on the business side and that's the part that makes it the most difficult."

What the Rams failed to recognize is that when your team posts a pathetic 3-13 record and is looking to make cuts, it's not wise to either...

1. Dump the most famous and well-respected player on your roster.

OR

2. Dump one of the best players on your roster.

Any Rams fan can attest to the terrible attendance and fan indifference in the Edward Jones Dome last year. Most games were dominated by the cheering of opposing fans—and the few Rams supporters who were there were either sporting bags over their heads or wearing Isaac Bruce jerseys in celebration of their favorite player.

People didn't seem to care about the Rams last year—but whenever Isaac Bruce caught a pass, you were sure to hear "BRUUUUUUCE" echoing throughout the rafters.

Which begs the question:

What are the Rams smoking?

Bruce had a contract that paid him $5 million a year. San Francisco signed him to a two-year, $6 million deal. Is that $2 million a year really so important to a player who spent his entire career as a Ram and never once complained about it?

The morons in the St. Louis front office didn't think so.

Instead of honoring a 15-year veteran...who's third in NFL history in receiving yards (14,109), sixth in NFL history in receptions (942), a four-time Pro Bowler, and has had eight 1,000-yard seasons...the Rams decided to part ways with one of the greatest receivers of ALL TIME.

What reason will there be to watch the Rams struggle next season? Are the signings of quarterback Trent Green and tight end Anthony Becht going to rekindle the Greatest Show on Turf? Will our second overall draft pick somehow make the Rams contenders again?

Oh wait—when have the Rams ever had a first-round draft pick turn out right?

Bottom line: A struggling team decided to get rid of the one thing the fans loved about them. Now they're going to struggle even more—and there will be no one theres to support them on their dismal way down.

However, I can already guarantee that there will be ONE game that will sell out next season in St. Louis—and I can foresee one wide receiver wearing the Red and Gold who'll be looking to light up the scoreboard at least two weeks out of the year.

St. Louis still loves you Isaac Bruce...and when you destroy our pathetic secondary, we're only going to love you MORE.

That's the sort of divided loyalty that all Rams fans are going to face this year—provided anyone still cares about the Rams after this saddening move.