Since the Arizona Diamondbacks' season ended (officially) in September, nothing has been constant but the changes. Former Padres' General Manager Kevin Towers is the Dbacks new GM. Kirk Gibson is now the manager, finally losing the "interim" tag. Brandon Webb has left to join the Rangers. Mark Reynolds has been banished to be a DH in the American League, where he will fit right in. Xavier Nady and Melvin Mora have joined the team, giving Gibson some much needed flexibility in filling out the roster. The bullpen has been completely reconstructed.
So how long of a honeymoon period does Kevin Towers have? Everyone in Arizona knows that the fans here will not stand for mediocre teams. There are too many teams in town and the weather is too nice to pay attention to a bad product. You can call it a "bandwagon" town, if you'd like, but I think we're maybe just a bit smarter than people who cling to awful sports teams for decades. See Browns, Cleveland.
If the season opens in April and the Dbacks again have a bad bullpen and too many players swinging for the fences, what is the fallout? Towers has been given a free pass by everyone, based on his (well earned) reputation. His teams in San Diego always had a strong bullpen and always seemed to be competitive. That is what the fans are expecting. I just hope they give the man some time to work his magic.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Do We Want the Cardinals to Win in Week 17?
The last week of the NFL season is looming over the Arizona Cardinals. A win over the arch-rival 49ers would do the team and its fans good. The 49ers have owned the Cardinals for the last several years, so beating them to end the season would be a very welcome surprise.
Or would it? The "historical" Cardinals fan would be forgiven for looking forward to the draft next year. If the season ended now, the Cards would have the sixth pick in the draft. That's right. We're in Cam Newton territory here. Even if the Cards didn't want to draft Newton, they would be in great position to draft a quarterback that they believe in. (No offense meant, John Skelton.)
Do we want the Cards to throw the last game of the year? Of course not. But this is one of those rare opportunities in life where a loss may be better than a win in the long run.
Or would it? The "historical" Cardinals fan would be forgiven for looking forward to the draft next year. If the season ended now, the Cards would have the sixth pick in the draft. That's right. We're in Cam Newton territory here. Even if the Cards didn't want to draft Newton, they would be in great position to draft a quarterback that they believe in. (No offense meant, John Skelton.)
Do we want the Cards to throw the last game of the year? Of course not. But this is one of those rare opportunities in life where a loss may be better than a win in the long run.