Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hair of the Dog, 10/21/08

Nothing in the world of Wisconsin sports happened yesterday, unless you count Randy Moss giving me a loss in my fantasy football game, and I'm guessing you don't. Therefore, all you get are some links:

TNT's David Albridge ranks NBA teams in terms of best offseason moves. The Bucks came it at #11 with more of the same analysis we've been hearing. Hammonds is a great GM, Skiles will improve their defense, Jefferson is a big upgrade, they got rid of Mo Williams's silly contract, etc. Curiously, he ranks the New Jersey Nets, who lost Jefferson to get Yi, at #1.

The search for the new Brewers manager continues. Tom H. believes there are 5 names on the short list with 2 more on the slightly longer list. I'll sum up his thoughts:

1. Bob Brenly. Won a WS with the Diamondbacks in 2001. Knows the NL Central because he's a Cubs broadcaster. History of being member of media may make him less likely to be a total asshole to the media like Yost was.

2. Ken Macha. Macha has already interviewed. He was Melvin's original choice in '03, but turned the job down forcing him to settle for Yost. Macha posted 4 winning seasons in Oakland including 2 division titles. He was canned because he couldn't win in the playoffs and for being Billy Beane's bitch. Jason Kendall thinks Macha sucks.

3. Buck Showalter. Won 100 games in Arizona in '99. Was in first with the Yankees in '94 before the players strike. Otherwise sucks.

4. Willie Randolph. Black guy. Interviewed with Brewers in 2000 but was passed over for Davey Lopes. Managed the Mets to an NL East title in 2006, followed by a historic collapse in 2007 and a mid-season firing in 2008 that gave the Mets the opportunity to show the collapse may not have been his fault.

5. Jim Tracy. Had some solid seasons with the Dodgers including an NL West title in 2004. Had 2 losing seasons with the talentless Pirates.

6. Bobby Valentine. Managing in Japan. Had some success with the Mets. Kind of a dick.

7. Jerry Narron. Has had no success. Friends with Melvin.

Can't we just have a computer be our manager?

Rumors of Favre's douchebaggery are becoming more believable. Glazer is standing behind his story "100%." And he's a pretty stand-up guy. Leroy Butler says he doesn't believe Favre made the call to the lions, but he does think Favre is a dick:

“Brett didn’t do a whole lot of calling around,” Butler told WSSP. “People called him, and he loves to talk and the phone was passed around.”Butler also said there are “other stories that are going to come out” about Favre.“This is just the beginning,” Butler said. “This is only the smallest one.”

This could get uglier.

The not too clever Tyler Mass of Bugs & Cranks has a round-up of the Wisconsin connections to the World Series.

That's all I got today.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brenly got some press a while back for an incident that made me think he was insane. But I google "Brenly insane" and get nothing that rings a bell. Anyway, I never watched him closely but a friend from Arizona thinks he sucks as a manager.

I like Macha, but I put some stock in Kendall's ability to judge a manager (more so than his ability to hit, anyway)

Bobby Valentine is insane. The rest of these guys may not be insane, but that doesn't mean they're any good. If this really is the short list, I'd rather have Sveum.

PaulNoonan said...

I'm a Macha fan. He knows what he's doing. Anyone else on this list will be a lateral move.

E.S.K. said...

I like Macha too. As long as Beane is telling him what to do. (yes, I buy that whole heartedly. It's the only thing that makes him not getting another shot make sense)

DannyNoonan said...

I agree. Macha is the only one that seems more promising than Sveum. But I really don't know much about any of them beyond their records.

Anonymous said...

Brett Favre is dead to me.

Anonymous said...

can you honestly picture Favre on the phone with Anybody for 90 minutes?

E.S.K. said...

Eric...still hating Aaron Rodgers?

Anonymous said...

i Never hated Aaron Rodgers. Never ever ever ever. I was impressed during the Dallas game of Last year. and even more impressed this year.

What i hate is the decision making process the Packers employed to reach their conclusion.

If i hated anybody it's ted thompson for that demonstrably stupid decision to pass on the Cleveland trade offer and drafting Justin time for injury Harrel.

E.S.K. said...

you really think Derrick Anderson's back up would be outperforming Aaron Rodgers right now?

Anonymous said...

no. um, why?

Anonymous said...

damn. forgot to ask if you've stopped beating your girlfriend

E.S.K. said...

Wasn't that the Cleveland deal? For Quinn?

E.S.K. said...

I don't get the girlfriend beating thing?

Anonymous said...

you asked if i'm still hating aaron rodgers. it either presumes i do or that i used to. neither case is true.

cleveland wanted Quinn and wanted to swap draft choices to get him. they also offered a first rounder in the following year.

Anonymous said...

http://www2.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=800035&format=print

According to Bob mcginn from september a fourth round pick was also dangled. you have to scroll to the middle of the article to find it.