El Capitan

Derek Jeter and the Yankees continue to talk about a new contract. The first offer was a reported 4-year deal in the neighborhood of $50 million. Not a bad deal, right? Wrong. Apparently the two are about $50 million apart.

Derek Jeter is the Yankees and the Yankees are Derek Jeter, they were meant to be together forever and separating them just seems wrong. Am i saying that the two will walk their separate ways and bid adieu? Not at all, I know that in the end Jeter will be back in pinstripes, wearing the interlocking NY on his cap and the number two on his back. I'm just hoping that feelings aren't hurt in this process. Jeter is not your everyday free-agent and he shouldn't be treated like one. I'm not saying give the guy whatever he wants, wrapped in a big bow. But you have to be wise.

Jeter is quickly approaching 3,000 hits, and he would be the first Yankee to accomplish this feat. He has been a key cog for five World Series Championships and is the face of baseball. Reports are that Jeter and his new trainer are talking about Jeter playing well into his forties, a majority of those years remaining at short stop. He knows a position change is in his future but not any time soon. So my advice to the Steinbrenners and Cashman, pony-up and pay for tradition. He has given you everything and now its time to show that you have his back. He is your captain and treat him like one. Work it out and do it in a professional matter. Get the deal done before Christmas, and move onto bigger fish. 

Football in Baseball Venues

Today Notre Dame will take on Army at the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. This is just the latest in the recent sports trend to switch up the arenas in which to play in. For instance, the NHL has the Winter Classic where they play hockey games outdoors, the NBA also does the same thing, having some games take place outdoors in warmer climates. Now though, College Football has crossed the line. Northwestern and Illinois will be facing off at the historic Wrigley Field. The only problem is, the game is not safe for the players.

Wrigley Field is not the largest of stadiums, and when it was converted into a football field the dimensions just didn't work out. One of the end-zones is right up against the wall in the outfield. This walls are made of brick so they decided to cover the brick wall with padding. Still, not a great idea. Now you have players running full speed, and ultimately the only way to stop themselves will be to run into the wall. This wall also takes away play calling. There are certain routes that a receiver can not run because of the spacing issue. As you can see in the picture the end-zone is literally up against the wall.

Well there has been a solution to this fiasco. The two teams will now play towards the same end-zone, eliminating the safety hazard. This just turns the game into a joke, though. Now it seems more like an Arena Football game or even a back yard game. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out and if there are any stories that follow the game. I'm sure one or two people could lose their jobs because of the field issues. The only reason this idea was put into motion was because engineers deemed it safe to play. I do know one thing for certain, this will most likely be the last football game at historic Wrigley Field.

BCS: Will Boise State Finally Get Their Chance?

This college football season has been a roller coaster ride. A number of different teams have held the number one ranking in the nation and now we are down to just four undefeated teams. They are, ranked one through four, Oregon, Auburn, Boise State, and TCU. This is Boise States' greatest chance at playing in the national championship game, thats if they can remain undefeated and an easy remaining schedule says they will.

Oregon has looked human at times, Auburn is in a tough SEC where any school can beat you at any time and TCU, in my opinion is overrated. So if Boise State does remain undefeated how could they not be in the national championship? Well they've gotten snubbed before so it could happen. If Oregon and Auburn both remain undefeated, chances are they will match-up against each other. This is why college football needs a playoff, so these teams get the chance to show they can play with the "big boys". Boise State has already proven that with convincing bowl wins in the past but it still is not enough.

Create a playoff bracket where the top twelve teams get to battle it out for the national championship. Give the top four teams a first round bye and then continue the season. Some will argue that the season will be too long, but it already goes into early January, so at most it would be one week longer. Not only does it make sense logically, it also makes sense financially. Yes, I get it bowl games are all about money, but you could just have those same companies sponsor the playoff games and money will still be made. We would finally get a clear cut champion without any people claiming they weren't offered a shot.

Will this happen? Probably not because as I said college bowl season is all about money and they make a ton of it. So we will have to suffer through another year of the BCS and argue about who really is the best team in the nation.

Newest Star in Pin-Stripes?

If you have the money and you're a Major League Baseball team, odds are you are going after Cliff Lee, with force. Lee, who over the past three to five years has solidified himself as one of the top pitchers in the game. All he does is win on the big stage, meaning the post-season, and the past two years he has carried teams into the playoffs. Now is his chance to cash in. Lee and his agent have made it a point though that they will sit and wait, making everyone come to them. They will go through the league team by team until they find a team that they believe is the perfect suitor for Lee. Most people, including myself, believe that will be the New York Yankees.

That's right folks, the rich get richer once again. The Yankees made a push at the trade deadline to get Lee but the Mariners simply used them a chips to set up a deal with Texas. Who knows, the the Yankees had Lee maybe they would have won back to back championships? But now is their chance to lock him up for the next five years and you could bet your money on the fact that they will get their man.

Forget about all the talk with his wife saying she doesn't like the New York fans because they cursed at her and spit at her. You know what his wife will like? Money. You know who has a lot of money to give her husband? The Yankees. So suck it up Mrs. Lee and next year you'll be cheering with those lovable Yankee fans instead of cheering against them.