Quick Takes on Jason Bay, Charlie Weis, Mark Mangino
Good morning.
1. I’m not sure why the Cardinals are downgrading Jason Bay as an alternative to Matt Holliday. Look, I think Bay will probably stay in Boston. But if Bay doesn’t he’d be a fine alternative to Holliday should Holliday leave St. Louis. Because he’s older (31), Bay figures to attract fewer years on a contract than Holliday, and that limits overall dollars and liability. Bay is viewed as a weak left fielder, but I have to say, after watching Holliday play LF for the Cardinals, I don’t have a lot of trust in the metrics that rated him as one of the top LFs in baseball this past season. And since when did the Cardinals prioritize LF defense? You don’t see the home/road disparity in Bay’s splits the way you do with Holliday. Bay has been a productive hitter on the road, with a career line of .278 / .366 / .532 and a HR roughly every 15 at-bats. Holliday has huge numbers in his two primary home ballparks (Coors Field and Busch Stadium) but his career road splits: .284 / .353 / .455. And he homers on the road about every 30 at-bats.
2. If Charlie Weis is out at Notre Dame, then we have Tom Brady to blame: Weis gained currency for the Notre Dame head-coaching job because of his work as the offensive coordinator for the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. But let’s get serious; how much, really, did Weis have to do with the Patriots’ offensive success? It’s funny how everybody associated with the Patriots got a whole lot better at their jobs once Brady took over at quarterback in 2001. Notre Dame (and others) that coveted Weis were thinking they’d be getting some genius offensive mind. But Weis wasn’t who they thought he was, because Brady made him look so good. Weis rode Brady all the way to South Bend. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has also padded his resume with Brady’s assistance. As an NFL head coach (Cleveland, New England) Belichick is 107-30 when Brady starts a game (including playoffs) and 53-64 when another QB starts. In New England, Coach Hoodie is around .500 as Patriots coach when Brady doesn’t start, though the
3. If Kansas fires football coach Mark Mangino, it will be about one thing: he’s losing. The stuff you’re hearing about Mangino now — he has a foul temper, he bullies his players, he has a history of throwing tantrums after receiving parking tickets on the campus — were all true when he led KU to a 12-1 record two years ago. It was the best season in Kansas history, and I don’t recall any talk about Mangino’s hot-headed manners, or how shabbily he treated others. But Mangino has lost 5 games in a row, and and the Jayhawks are at the bottom (1-5) of the Big 12 North standings, and they play at Texas on Saturday, which means another massacre is coming. KU lost on the road at Colorado and at Kansas State and by any reasonable measure this is a horrible season for a team that should have been the best in the division this season. But now all of a sudden Mangino’s personality is an issue? Please. I call this the “Bob Knight Syndrome.” Indiana had no problem with Knight’s temper when he was winning NCAA basketball championships and tournament games. But when Knight’s Indiana program became average, then all of sudden his conduct was unacceptable. The hypocrisy in big-time college athletics is amusing. If KU’s administration is ticked off because the football team has collapsed, and if the bosses think Mangino’s program has stalled out — fine, change the coach. But just man up and say that the on-field performance is unacceptable. You don’t have to drag all of this other nonsense into it to justify the decision.
4. Guess what the Arizona Cardinals are working on this week? Though they rank a very fine No. 8 in the NFL against the run, allowing 101.1 yards per game, the Cardinals have been plundered on the ground in their last three games. Carolina, Chicago and Seattle rushed 80 times for 504 yards, an average of 6.3 yards per carry. And a whopping 25 percent of the runs went for 10+ yards. The Cardinals (6-3) will see Steven Jackson up close and personal on Sunday at The Ed. How many defenders will the Cardinals load in the box to stop Jackson?
5. Bernie Bytes: Is Kurt Warner a Hall of Famer? I’ll be writing about that in Sunday’s newspaper; I’d be interested in your thoughts…I loved the way forward Laurence Bowers played for Missouri last season, and as a sophomore he should be even better. The kid is relentless… there are a similarities between Mizzou’s 2006 football team, and this one, which bodes well for 2010… for example: as a sophomore at MU, quarterback Chase Daniel completed 63 percent, averaged 7.80 yards per attempt wiith 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a passer efficiency rating of 145.1. This season, sophomore MU quarterback Blaine Gabbert is completing 59 percent, averaging 7.81 yards per attempt, with 20 TDs and 7 INTs for an efficiency rating of 139.8 … Poplar Bluff native Tyler Hansbrough is off to a slow start as a rookie for the NBA Indiana Pacers; he’s made only 9 of 30 shots in four games.
Thank you for reading.
-Bernie
Bernie: You’re off base on Weis. ND is not offensively challenged. His problem is that he is only an offensive mind (Mike Martz, anyone?) and thus suffered in managing the entire team. Jimmy Clausen was horrible in his first two years; now he is talking about coming out early to the NFL. Brady Quinn wasn’t anything special under Willingham, and Weis made him a seemingly sure-fire NFL star (that didn’t turn out as well).
Hey Bernie! I completely agree with your point about Mangino. If KU was going to win the Big 12 North with Mangino at the helm, I think this was the year he had to get it done. As you pointed out, KU needs to stop beating around the bush and just tell everyone what they already know. Mangino is not meeting the expectations of KU fans, players, or (obviously)his bosses. Also, just wanted to say I am loving the new hours for your radio show…more bytes to read in the morning!
One of Belichick’s talents that is too often overlooked is his video work. I’m told he does documentaries of NFL teams, particularly their offensive schemes and signals. I think he has recorded each team he’s ever played. Maybe he’s planning a feature length film or something. I also hear these videos are really quite good. I hear that the Rams certainly appreciated the one Bill made of them before the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Does anyone know if they’re available on DVD?
Thanks for the comments, but I don’t think I’m off base at all on Weis. Nothing he did at New England suggested he was a leader who could run a team or a program with a consistently high level of excellence. Tom Brady changed his world and made him seem better than he is.
-B
At this time of year the Cardinals’ front office really doesn’t have to say anything much about their thinking, so when they do I figure they are trying to influence the market.
Starting from that premise, downplaying interest in Bay hurts his market. Perhaps increasing the likelihood he signs fairly quickly with Boston. Taking Boston out of the Holliday market. If the Yankees are truly not very interested in Holliday, the Mets are strapped and Boston sticks with Bay, that greatly increases the chances the Cards get Holliday.
If the ploy doesn’t work and they decide to go after Bay, when the time comes it’s easy enough to back off any statements they make today.
Always nice to read your columns, Bernie. Wish I could get your radio show here in the armpit of Illinois (Decatur). Another station plays over yours.
1. As much as I like him and root for him, I’m sorry to say that Kurt Warner is not a Hall-of-Famer in my opinion. He has a great story and has had a couple or three good years, but not a HOF career. However, Kurt will always be a WINNER.
2. I don’t understand the lack of interest in Bay. If nothing else, Mo should be shouting from the heavens how great he is, what a great fit he is, what a great hitter he thinks Craig will be–even if you don’t feel that way–anything to make Borass think that they are looking at opportunities besides Holliday. You gotta out-Borass Borass, wouldn’t you think?
3. I agree completely with you on Charlie Weis.
Bernie, there seems to be a little confusion with your numbers on the hoodie, you give two stats for when Brady starts and the two appear to be juxtoposed. I think there is something to be said about a QB - Coach combo (and it has been said before) coming together and working magic, I’m not sure you can separate the two just by win loss records unless you have the QB go on to win in another system for another coach.
This brings me to Warner. Warner has performed incredibly well under two separate systems. His records and stats in regular season compare favorably with all other HOF QB’s, his post-season stats are in the top 5 of all times (most passing yards in super bowl history). If Warner played an entire career in one city there would be no debate, he’d be in, which makes his candidacy and his performance all that much more amazing. I think his last superbowl appearance sealed it. He has now taken 2 teams with questionable defense to the big show and while he lost twice, he does have a ring.
I think the Cardinals are doing everything they can to posture themselves for Holliday - even if that means saying they don’t covet Bay. If/When the bidding gets fierce for Matt, Bay will look just fine. Bernie you know anything these guys say is all posture and no substance at this point. It’s like the days leading up to the NFL draft.
Bellichick may have padded his resume with Brady, but he was the best defensive coach in either league for years before that. You might be selling him a tad short.
Getting the Cardinals to the Super Bowl qualifies him for sainthood, so I think a HoF bid comes standard with that.
No one ever accused Hansbrough of being a natural talent. We is a worker. Workers take time to polish their craft. He’ll get there Bernie. Maybe not the next MJ, but he’ll distinguish himself.
Two Things Bernie,
1) Your thought on New England’s coaching staff are exactly my thoughts on Spags. Because he had a GREAT front four during his time in New Your does not mean he is a coaching genius. You suggested
yesterday that Spags might be a better coach than Rex Ryan. Ryan with a rookie QB is 4-5 and ultra competitive, Spags is 1-8 and has an all pro running back in the prime of his career.
2) Kurt Warner super bowl MVP, 2 time league MVP, has one of the highest QB ratings in league history. Won a Super bowl with a team that has a losing record without him (rams) and nearly won a super bowl with a team that never won a PLAYOFF game without him.
MIGHT BE A HALL OF FAMER?….LUDICROUS
Chase Daniel was released by the Saints today. Can the Rams pick him up? He would be great on the wildcat. As well as a good backup QB that the Rams can use in years to come. But, on the other hand, they will say he is too short (Joe Montana) and can’t throw the ball downfield. Oh, we have a QB like that right now. Not that he is short, but can’t throw the ball the the field.