A Mediocre Mailbag

No, it's not the questions that are mediocre. In fact, you'll soon see these are some of the most well thought out questions in the history of my blog. The mediocrity comes from the answers. You see, I'm not much of an NBA guy. I follow it a little bit, mostly the Jazz and the postseason (not to be confused with the Jazz in the postseason, because that's not a real frequent occurrence), but I just don't feel as adequate to answer these questions as a lot of other people. In fact, these questions are so well thought out that I actually wondered if J Money, the reader who asked the NBA questions in this mailbag, even needs me. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that he doesn't. Just to illustrate, let me show you just how little I care about the NBA. Below is a list of my top five favorite sports to follow, meaning watch, read about, learn about, and keep up to date on. Keep in mind it would be different if it was my overall favorite sports, including sports I like to play, because basketball would certainly top that list.

Have you ever watched the Little League World Series?
It's actually a ton of fun, and the kids are really good.

1. Baseball - I mean, I even make it a point to watch as much of the Little League World Series as I can every year. This year hasn't been as kind to me in that regard, but top to bottom I love watching and going to baseball games, no matter the age and skill level.
2. Basketball - There is simply nothing more beautiful than the month of March my wife. But second to my wife is the month of March. I lose focus on everything to watch college basketball. But college is really the only level of basketball I consistently follow. Ever since John Stockton retired and Karl Malone sold out and became a Laker, the NBA just hasn't been the same for me. If it weren't for the NBA though, basketball would hands down be my favorite sport.
3. Football - I really do love football, and I definitely enjoy the NFL more than the NBA when it comes to watching professional sports. I definitely don't consider myself an expert on the NFL, but I enjoy it. Bowl Week is a beautiful thing, and with the BCS era coming to a close, the college game is going to get that much more interesting. A few things still need to change, but we're getting closer to the solution.
4. Tennis - Okay, sure. The scoring system was created by a drunk person. And people think it's boring. But as a tennis player, I just love watching these athletes compete and I appreciate the difficulty of the game. During my playing career (which admittedly was nothing special whatsoever) I followed tennis much more religiously, in fact tennis likely would have topped this list. Since the rapid decline of American tennis I have to admit I've fallen off a bit, but I still love watching the Grand Slams.
5. Soccer - I definitely don't follow Major League Soccer here in America, and barely follow the Premiere League in England, but it's an international classic, and when it comes to international competitions, I really get into it. That's especially true of Euro Cup, World Cup, and the Olympics.

But now to the Mailbag. These questions came from my good friend J Money and Prince Michael, and I appreciate the challenge they presented to me. As you will know by the time you've finished reading this, the NBA and the NFL are areas I'm not quite as knowledgeable in. I also appreciate that it gave me something to do at work. And if my boss is reading this, by work I really mean at home.

I enjoy reading your blog and I was wondering if you could look into something for me good sir. Why are you wearing an O's shirt in one picture and a Rockies shirt in another and then displaying them on your Facebook two inches away from each other? -J Money

Tulo has a great bat and a knack for the spectacular.

Simple, really. I'm a die-hard Rockies fan, and nothing can ever change that. But before the Rockies were born in 1993, the same year my family moved to Colorado, I was an Orioles fan living in Maryland. And so, while I will always cheer for the Rockies, even if they're out of the playoff race and the Orioles are still in it and they're playing against each other, like last weekend for example, I'm upset if the O's were to beat the Rox 2-1 in that series.Which they did.

I've lived a lot of places in my life, and as a result I'm actually a fan of a lot of teams. And while I'm in the mood of making lists, here's the order I place all 30 teams in baseball. The top two are completely locked, as are the bottom two, but from day to day they may be some movement in the middle, but I think it's mostly how I feel.

1. Colorado Rockies - I moved to Colorado the year they were formed, when I was three almost four. Pretty crucial time in your life to pick a team, and we went to quite a few games. Those Blake Street Bombers were fun to watch, especially pre-Humidor.
2. Baltimore Orioles - My first team. Cal Ripken Jr. Plus Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a really cool stadium.

   

   Chris Davis has been remarkable to watch for the O's.

3. Washington Nationals - My family moved back to Maryland and sent me a Nats hat. Plus I thought they were going to be really good so I started cheering for them. Kidding, but Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg are fun to watch.
4. St. Louis Cardinals - I used to play for the Cardinals back in Little League, and I really liked Ozzie Smith. I like to think of him as my uncle. We're both Smiths after all.
5. Seattle Mariners - I lived in Washington back in the days of Ken Griffey Jr. (the first time) and A-Rod (when he was cool) and Randy Johnson (who was really only uncool during his two year stint in pinstripes) and Ichiro (who is somehow still relatively cool in pinstripes). And I'm realizing Junior is the only one of those never to play for the Yankees. What a stud. I also lived there when Junior, Pay-Rod, and The Big Unit all left, Ichiro arrived and suddenly the M's were good and won 116 games.
6. Atlanta Braves - When I was a kid I loved the Braves. Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux... They were loaded.
7. Tampa Bay Rays - Something about the Rays is fun to watch. I read an article on Grantland last year that made me realize those guys are just having a blast. That's how professional athletes should be. I mean, they're getting paid to play the game they love. Have fun!
8. Los Angeles Angels - I'll admit it. They made it this high because of Angels in the Outfield. Plus, the Rally Monkey.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks - When the Diamondbacks debuted I got a hat and cheered for them. I don't know why, but I did.
10. Cincinnati Reds - Okay, Dad. I'll put your team in my top ten. I suppose the Big Red Machine was pretty cool back in the day. I'm sad I missed it.
11. Miami Marlins - Back when they were the Florida Marlins they pulled off a huge upset and beat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series. Consequently, I like them.
12. San Francisco Giants - I had a roommate who was the biggest Giants fan in the world. We were roommates when they won the World Series in 2010 and that was actually pretty fun.
13. Philadelphia Phillies - Likewise I had a good friend on my LDS mission who was a die-hard Phillies fan and I was around him when they won the Series in 2008. So since I like him, I'll sort of like the Phillies.
14. Kansas City Royals - I don't know why, but I've never really liked the Royals. But lately they've been growing on me. Their success this year is kind of inspiring. 
15. Chicago Cubs - I'm almost completely indifferent with the Cubs. I mean, Wrigley Field is cool and all, but I really only put them this high because I feel bad for them. I mean, when else are they going to be ranked in the top half?
16. San Diego Padres - I don't particularly like the Padres. But wasn't Tony Gwynn awesome?
17. New York Mets - They're okay I guess.
18. Los Angeles Dodgers - I don't like the Dodgers. But we had season tickets to their Single A affiliate in Washington. Until that team became the Single A affiliate of the Diamondbacks instead.
19. Oakland A's - Moneyball.
20. Houston Astros - Craig Biggio was one of my favorite players of the 1990s. But the Astros have never done anything worth cheering for. And don't even bother to mention that the Rockies haven't either. The Rockies are awesome.
21. Minnesota Twins - I like Little Big League.
22. Toronto Blue Jays - It just dawned on me yesterday how smart it is to have an indoor stadium in Canada.
23. Detroit Tigers - I've cheered for them on rare occasions, but I try not to make it a habit.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates - Sure it's cool to watch them finally have a good season. But I really don't like the Pirates. Though I have no idea why.
25. Texas Rangers - They turned A-Rod into Pay-Rod.
26. Cleveland Indians - The Rockies should have beat the Indians in the 2007 World Series. But instead the Indians had to blow a 3-0 lead against the Red Sox in the ALCS, causing the red-hot Rox to go cold as ice and get swept in their one and only chance at glory.
27. Milwaukee Brewers - Ryan Braun is really starting to tick me off.
28. Chicago White Sox - I think it stems from the big, ugly, tobacco spitting dude on the White Sox in Angels in the Outfield, but I really don't like the White Sox.
29. Boston Red Sox - I only cheer for the Red Sox 18 times a year. That's how many times they play the Yankees, right?
30. New York Yankees - If we were talking about the historic Yankees with players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle, I would have placed them significantly higher. But we're not. We're talking about the Steinbrenner Yankees. And I hate them with my whole heart.

I named my car CarGo. Seriously.

That was actually a lot harder than I thought. Ask me tomorrow and numbers 8-27 could all be different. A couple things I know for sure: I love the Rockies, I hate the Yankees, and I think the National League is cooler than the American League.

Well, now that I've spent a ton of time answering the question J Money was apparently "kidding" about, I should probably take a crack at his real questions.

All kidding aside, what are your thoughts on this: The Pistons recently traded for Josh Smith making a crowded frontcourt the most crowded frontcourt of all time with him, Andre Drummond, and Greg Monroe. Spacing is going to be terrible especially since Monroe and Smith are essentially the same player offensively (decent inside-out game [emphasis on decent] and great passers for being big men). For starters what are your thoughts on this little experiment of Joe Dumars? -J Money

If it doesn't work it will doubtless be Monroe that leaves.

If we've learned anything from the Lakers the past couple years it's that big men occasionally have a hard time co-existing. Having said that I think this experiment is fine for a couple of different reasons. First, the Pistons are really, really bad and they need to try something. Second, while Monroe and Smith are similar, Smith can stretch the floor more. He's not a great three point shooter, but he's at least a threat from deep.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out though because the Pistons will be putting a ridiculous amount of size on the floor. Smith will need to focus on his perimeter game because there will simply not be enough room for him to come inside with regularity. As all three of these guys do like to play above the rim they will need some major help from the perimeter. The three point shooters will need to step up for Detroit because if defenses can crowd the paint at all this big man experiment will fail.

Second, let's look at the scenario if it doesn't work. In a recent interview with Grantland, Dumars was excited about Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith coming to town and excited about the development of Drummond but seemed indifferent to Monroe, citing his defensive shortcomings. It can probably be assumed that if this fails then Monroe, who will be a free agent next summer, will be allowed to walk. If this is the case, how do you like him with the Wizards?

Here's why I think it would work:

1. DC for some reason beyond me is not attractive to free agents. They do have a solid core of young guys who have a shot of being as high as the six seed in the East this year (if you don't believe me tell me who is going to be better in the East). They are up and coming and will be solid, barring injuries, for at least the entire time John Wall is there. 
2. Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor are coming off the books next season. That's over 21 million available for next season. A big chunk is going to Wall but there is still some left over for another max, or near max, contract if DC entered a bidding war for Monroe. 
3. Though regarded as a defensive liability, DC I believe was ninth defensively in the league. Not great I know, but my point is he has help. Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin are defensively minded backups and working with Nene in the starting lineup will offer some added rim protection. He's no Okafor defensively but is it worth it to sacrifice Okafor's defensive production for Monroe's offensive production?
4. The organization has made it clear that they believe Brad Beal will be a major contributor in the rebuilding process. When his free agency comes up, Nene will be coming off the books so there isn't a worry of him not getting paid because Monroe is there. Also with Monroe, defenses will have to crowd the paint to deal with Monroe, Nene, and the potential of a Wall drive, thus creating tons of space for Beal and Martell Webster to get open looks on the perimeter, or the likes of Otto Porter Jr. for easy mid-range jumpers.

I think it would work, but tell me your thoughts. -J Money

Sounds good to me! See what I mean about well thought out questions?

If Emeka Okafor walks when his contract is up after the 2013-2014 season the Wizards will be in the market for a big man, and Monroe feels like a good fit for all the reasons you outlined. It might be worth it for the Wizards to let Okafor go if they can bring in Monroe, defensive liability or not. Right now there are no legitimate scoring threats in the post and Wall needs someone in the paint to dish to, and a guy like Monroe might be the best player they can attract.

John Wall and the Wizards could really use
a scoring presence in the post.

From Monroe's standpoint it would make sense to go to Washington if for no other reason than he would have more room to operate. Rather than three bigs they would have a true small forward in Otto Porter. The lane won't be as crowded, and if somehow it is you have a legitimate deep threat in Beal to kick the ball to.

Also, I agree with you, the Wizards have a shot at the playoffs if for no other reason than the East is horrendous overall. I mean, the eighth seed had a losing record and the seventh seed barely cleared .500. So the fact that the Wizards have a chance to make the playoffs ought to make Washington a relatively appealing stop for Monroe if this experiment in Detroit fails. If it's a success and the Pistons make the postseason this year, Washington will be harder to sell.

The guard line in Washington, while perhaps not yet elite, is solid. Wall and Beal should make a good combination for years to come and they certainly have the potential to become the amazing backcourt the Wizards are expecting. In order for that to happen though, they need a scoring post presence. Adding a guy like Monroe seems to make a lot of sense from the Washington perspective, and should make sense to Monroe as well.

This wasn't as intelligent an answer as I would have liked, but hopefully it at least sort of answers the questions. I'll study up on the NBA for next time.

Who's going to the Super Bowl this year? People in Denver are going nuts about the Broncos, but they lost Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller is suspended so I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. Still, no one else in the AFC is that good, are they? -Prince Michael

And on go my blue and orange goggles. Be warned, this question is answered with an extreme amount of bias.

I agree with you. With Dumervil gone, Miller out for the first six games, and Champ Bailey getting old Denver isn't going to be unbeatable. Having said that, the rest of the AFC, and the NFL for that matter, doesn't exactly look dangerous. And the offensive side of the ball looks to be pretty good with Peyton Manning now teaming up with Wes Welker.

Manning to Welker. Oh, it's going to be awesome.

Looking at those first six games that Von Miller will be suspended for I think the worst case scenario is that the Broncos make it out 4-2, best case 5-1. Sure the defense will give up some extra yardage and it may cost them, but it's a pretty weak top half of the schedule. The only two games I think Denver may drop, barring any surprise teams, are the first two against the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants. The Giants should be a solid team this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if Denver drops that game. But the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens aren't looking like they'll be as good this year with the loss of Ray Lewis and a few injury concerns. The next four games are against lower tier opponents: Oakland Raider, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

I'm going to bet the Broncos finish around 12-4, give or take one game either direction. They'll win their division and probably meet either New England or Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship. While those are dangerous opponents, I'm going to give the edge to the Broncos.

I think the NFC will come down to Green Bay, Atlanta, and Seattle, and as much as I would love to see the Broncos beat the Packers or Falcons in the Super Bowl again, I think Seattle will be playing Denver on Super Bowl Sunday.

And the Denver Broncos are going to win.

Come on. You had to see that coming.