Crowmania Draft Feedback

Well, I had to really think about this draft, like most drafts that I participated this year because I simply did not prepare.  No mock drafts, barely listened to Fantasy Focus Football or even read the ESPN Magazine.  Simply, I would have angered TalentedMrRoto (twitter: @MatthewBerryTMR) and any other fantasy guru.  Either way, here's some analysis of my Crowmania Draft tonight, and thoughts of persperation and desperation.

Keepers: Hakeem Nicks and Darren McFadden (Run DMC).  I had to a choice of 4: Nicks, RunDMC, Jamaal Charles and Fred Jackson.  By Labor Day, I felt like crap.  I should have moved up in draft picks and really try to sell Charles and Jackson for either a better keeper or better a high draft slot on my 8th pick in the 3rd round.  I kept Nicks because the Giants got rid of Manningham.  I don't think whatever Victor Cruz does affects Nicks.  Eli's [Manning] going to throw the ball because I don't think Bradshaw can run 20 times per game, and their game management has gone similar to Green Bay and New England with a RB committee last year.  Nicks, if healthy for the year could go 1200 yds, 12-15 TDs.  I talked myself to that pick.

RunDMC over Jackson and Charles was difficult.  I honestly don't like any of these backs.  Jackson is on a better team, but CJ Spiller is lurking.  RunDMC gets injured and does not finish games.  Jamaal Charles is coming off of ACL surgery and as much as I don't like Peyton Hillis, Hillis I think can thrive and take away carries.  And oddly, I like Dexter McCluster.  It's why a couple of years ago I named my team the "Dexter McCluster***."  I finished 3-10-1 that year.   Either way, I chose RunDMC because if there's a guy who can be a top 3 RB is McFadden.  Taiwan Jones isn't going to take away carries, and the change to zone blocking isn't going to matter, despite numbers saying otherwise.  Either I run my way into the ground and finish last or attempt to win a playoff game and not be in the middle of the pack.

Before the draft, I debate with the owner of RASix about whether it's unfair to bad teams to snake draft, and  prove that I can do well, when my QBs in the last few years were David Garrard, Trent Edwards, Donovan McNabb.  I nearly started Tyler Palko last year.  I eventually wound up with Dalton and he's been my best QB, since I traded away Peyton Manning (oops).  Anyway, I always thought that this type of league needs more keepers, but for 15 picks, more than two picks owners would consider that a dynasty league and people will just cry, bitch, and moan.

First Pick: 3rd Round 8th Pick: Fred Jackson.  Both of my keepers were there.  Do I go with the Bills will be better and Jackson stays healthy or do I go with Charles, and deal with drafting Peyton Hillis because Charles TDs will be limited.  Easy choice, go Fred Jackson.  Picked.  Sigh of relieft.  I got 15 picks before I draft again.  Now if Charles, falls.  Victory.  Fail.  Fourth Round, Round 1: Jeff Rhoades picks Charles.

4th Round, 7th Pick: Steven Jackson.  Before this pick was interesting because I was debating myself, Gore, Jackson, or blow this whole thing up and draft Robert Griffin III, RGIII.  I couldn't decide and got Autopicked.  Steven Jackson was tops on my list, which I don't think Isaiah Pead is going to do anything.  Another league, Steven Jackson is on my team.  I feel safe about what he's going to give me.  Worth the pick.

So, I'm debating, do I try to blow things up by going RGIII in Round 5.  RGIII gets picked by Jeff Tripplete.    I guess he's blowing things up instead.

5th Round, 8th Pick: Brandon Lloyd.  Brandon Lloyd has been someone I targeted to draft, and got in my league.  I think he's going to be big.  Bold prediction: 1500 yds, 12 TDs.  I know I'm overzealously high, but I like the situation.  At the time, he's the best WR in my opinion on the board, who Demaryious Thomas, Desean Jackson, and Steve Johnson (which ESPN messed up because it's "Stevie") got picked ahead.  I'm thinking about winning this league for once.  Eyes wide open.

6th Round, 7th Pick: Willis McGahee.  I figured if I'm going to attempt to win this league, I need a safety net.  A big safety net.  Torrey Smith gets drafted at the end of Round 5, and I'm reeling a bit.  Maclin, Smith, Austin and Meachem gets drafted, but I don't like Austin and Meachem.  So, I'm second guessing myself for a minute.  I lost out on a good 3WR depth.  I could go Pierre Garcon, but I'd rather wait or flex him.  I go with McGahee because at some point Jackson and McFadden will let me down, and at least with McGahee,  he's going to bail out Manning for when they realize he cannot throw more than 20 yards and the Broncos have to ground and pound to be successful.  Calm.

Between picks, I look at the QB rankings.  The QBs are gone.  The best ones that are left are Flacco and Dalton, which I like in that order, as 1 and 1a.  I sort of prefer Flacco because of Baltimore having a better passing game, and the Bengals are coached by Marvin Lewis, who will essentially mess up some sort of sequence at least ten times a year.

7th Round, 8th Pick: Andy Dalton.  I laugh, but I got a QB in the 14 team league.  Unless Dalton goes insane, I don't think about keeping him.  He's a QB that I just going to have to deal with.  But he's the best QB I had drafted.  Ever.  And I realized that, and I feel pathetic.

8th through 10 Rounds: Nate Washington, Beanie Wells, Eagles-DEF.  I get my 3rd WR in Washington.  He's not going to be good or sexy in this spot, but I can play him some weeks.  I danced with Nate a couple of times before, and got burned in the past, but I get points per reception as well.  As bad I think Tennessee is with their QB with Locker, they need to throw the ball to get the pressure of Chris Johnson and the run game.  I'll worry about WRs a bit later.  So, I go Wells and Eagles DEF.  I got 5 RBs in the first nine rounds because, I am going to safeguard myself from failure at this spot.  I'll laugh, and it could happen, when my only healthy RB is Steven Jackson.  I think the Eagles DEF will score more, and because I feel confident, I'm drafting them now, because I simply just passing on Greg Little and Davone Bess who go the next two picks.

11th through 14th Rounds: Mike Williams (Bucs), Santana Moss, Dustin Keller, Jacquizz Rogers.  Williams and Rogers are depth picks.  I think that Freeman can do better than what he did last year, and when Williams had a competent sidekick, Tampa was successful (remember Kellen Winslows good year).  Santana Moss I think can do well in PPR as he'll be in the slot.  The next two picks I'm debating, do I get another WR, or do I attack depth.  I look at the Insider Ranks and thought about Martellius Bennett.  What is wrong with me?  He's not draftable in the league.  I'm debating between Dallas Clark and Dustin Keller.  The Jets needed to score something.  I think he may be the best receiving option, if he can stay healthy.  I choose Keller.  Rogers is interesting.  I choose Jacquizz because he could give me the Dexter McCluster season that I'm hoping for (which Jamaal Charles had done).  Plus, it's PPR and Rogers could get involved.  I'm taking the chance.

Last round.  I take a kicker.  Because I have to.  I guess I should just take the kicker who can either kick a lot of 40 yarders or can kick 50 yard field goals.  Janikowski got picked up.  I'm going with Shayne Graham for the Texans.  As long as he can put the ball through the upright, I'll take my 7-10 points per week, and run with it.

ROCKAWAY ROCKIES
8	Darren McFadden, Oak RB  K
22	Hakeem Nicks, NYG WR  K
36	Fred Jackson, Buf RB
49	Steven Jackson, StL RB
64	Brandon Lloyd, NE WR
77	Willis McGahee, Den RB
92	Andy Dalton, Cin QB
105	Nate Washington, Ten WR
120	Beanie Wells, Ari RB
133	Eagles D/ST D/ST
148	Mike Williams, TB WR
161	Santana Moss, Wsh WR
176	Dustin Keller, NYJ TE
189	Jacquizz Rodgers, Atl RB
204	Shayne Graham, Hou K

Draft Analysis.  I stacked up on RBs because if I have a shot of getting to the playoffs and winning a game, I will need them to be successful.  I feel OK with Dalton as my QB, but feeling OK in a 14 team league with a QB and an Offensive Player flex position, isn't good.  I got two good WRs, and I'm hoping between Washington, Moss, Williams they can fill in that 3rd spot.  I got a ton of RBs which gives me options for the Offensive Player spot.  As long as the Eagles can be decent and Keller stays healthy, there's some late value, which I can get some points during some good matchup weeks.  Usually, I find a Kicker at some point.  I don't really like Shayne Graham, but Houston will give him opportunities.  He can be stable, but Graham needs to put the ball through the uprights, which he has had problems in the past.  Overall successful, but we'll see how this will turn out.

The Reminder of Relationships

I keep on losing focus at times that I treat myself as an Employment Specialist who just mindlessly drums job application after job application to an employer rather than be a developer and create relationships with business owners, employers, and representatives from companies and corporations who honestly are looking for talent, but are not capturing the full scope of individuals who are within their employment pool.  Last week, I went to a Job Development Training at the Metro DDSO at 75 Morton St.  It was interesting because I attended training sessions for Job Development in the past and like this one, nobody talks about the elephant in the room; just it gets brought up and talks about how negative that our technology of streamlining applications and software to weed out the less desirable for the super, and quite possibly overqualified candidate who's looking for a job to possible give up in seven or eight months.  May be that turnover is good for a company that is willing to promote within and invest with its own human capital, but in the end the Human Resources aficionado depends on this technology because it may make the job easier.

The part of the problem is that a large number of  Human Resource employees are in a high paced, quantitative driven society that if the job applicant does not use the perfect word choice within their resume or cover letter, that individual is deemed unsuitable for employment.  This always winds up with the story, "When I was unemployed?"  So, when this story gets rehashed, it is always because I applied for 10 jobs a day for 9 months, and I did not get a call back.  Honestly, I applied for approximately 60-70 jobs when I was unemployed.  I also used two temp agencies, inquired with about 10 people or so from a few different industries, and I struggled.  I felt that whatever I did I was un-accessible because who I was applying to was denying me access.

Yes, we do live in a post 9/11 environment, and many people will say the amount of security and privacy that is required to not allow a person to even think about walking through the front door of a skyscraper of 100 companies makes it daunting, not to mention, getting turned away the millisecond you ask to speak to a manager or HR representative.  Websites are even worse, because they may even give contacts for Human Resources, who are you contacting in HR?  Are you communicating with a HR representative, like a manager, or an Employment Specialist; is it just contacting a HR member with hopes to hear a contact back, or what I normally get from two varied responses: Nothing at all, OR, the Bot that tells you to apply for a job online.

It lead into a conversation from a friends Facebook thread: "I don't like to talk on the phone!!!..."  The person said to start the thread ..."u call and get no answer take a hint."  Of course someone will say that is rude, but may be the inner therapist in me has to psychoanalyze that there is a deep down fundamental of I don't want to talk to you.  I could see a large corporation with mass numbers of applicants and people emailing to not reply, but when you have a person who does not want to do this, imagine when the small business turns you away.  Usually it is small businesses who require the help to bridge the gaps between "not getting things done" or "getting things done inefficiently" so they can perform better to their bottom line and look better in their community.

Like when you hire a developmentally disabled individual, or an individual which a business does a diversity study of who you are so it can be studied are we hiring enough of a certain grouping may be we are looking good.  But dear business owners, employers, HR aficionados: you are doing it for the wrong reasons.  Look good, but stick to your guns.  Hire the qualified, but also hire the under-appreciated and qualified too, so that you don't have millions of potentially qualified applicants unable to get into a field that is six degrees of separation from the job that someone wants, that is qualified and would not have to think so hard about I'm unhappy because I'm not compensated enough to do this.  I think businesses who just put out a Public Relations statement and say we talked to people does not show the testimonials of actually relating to the situation of the applicant.

So, I will be making a better effort as a liaison to the public to speak to the businesses owners.  But hopefully the employers are willing to talk to the business applicants; whether your are a "Mom and Pop" single storefront or a Fortune-500 corporation.

Inner ramblings...inner thoughts...expounded outward in a questioned thought of society.

Knickerbockering It Up

This is what I call a pregame, showtime and post analysis rant with background. Enjoy.

One of my best rants ever from the DukeofNBA Facebook page. I chalk this up to the one time that I was at a bar and tried to ask a woman out. I was underage, and had little knowledge of what I was doing. I basically was there because my friend was playing a gig at some SoHo bar, and I felt at the time this was pretty cool to do. The best thing that I could do at the time was probably make a fool of myself, as my "game" was laughable to say the least. She was smoking hot, and clearly other guys were trying to hit on her. I tried being cool enough, heck even being somewhat okay just being her friend. After finding out how much I should have ran the opposite way of knowing a bit about this girl; she was probably underage too although I didn't ask for her name and I failed to get a number...even a fake phone number. What was worse is that at the time I didn't have a cell phone, so my game would have been stifled if she called my house and my mom picked up. I thought it would be a total fail from there.

Either way, I talk about a hot mess, because this girl was a hot mess. She had some issues of where she was going, and although was able to muster some conversation, I think she was eyeing some guy who looked like he had drugs on him. And that would be too presumptuous of me, because the scene was all SoHo, and not all people in the punk/indie rock scene drug up. It was cool, because in the end, I got to understand that some of these girls I liked (and by then I had my first relationship) to sum up that women are freaking weird, and that may be I need to learn how to drink, and quote Dane, a floormate from the Poly dormitory, "You need to deepen your voice a bit, because you sound like a prepubescent Michael Jackson with a crackly voice." So I did. And it took me another 2 years to figure out that it can eventually work. So here's how I summed up the Knicks in this debacle.

The front office is terrible with "organization," and the fans are led blind. Not to sound like William and not to piss Thomas off, but this is a developing catastrophe, with the 5 guys that fit D'Antoni's system: Lin, Lee, Jeffries, Stoudamire, Fields who were miscasted and typecasted incorrectly. What really struck loudly was how Dolan said their meeting went and how Dolan believes this team can win. I think D'Antoni resigned because he was getting fired, and got talked into resigning.

**Disclaimer: If you resign from a job, you CANNOT get unemployment.**

I see Knicks fans blindly feel that Lin's the best thing since sliced bread and they're fed by the media and magazine's in Duane Reade's and Brookstone's on the shelf. I think Dolan wants for his team is media attention because that's what sold seats the last 10 years, and not realizing he cannot help orchestrate putting together a team, who they're going to get hit hard with the cap after this season because Amare is looking for his extention or a reworked contract. I think what Knicks feel is winning and what fans think is winning are two different things, and the fans don't realize it because we continue to talk about this maddening piece of crap all the time. The Knicks are the organization to talk about because on face value it looks good, the history is regal (even in spite of winning 2 championships approximately 40 years ago) and it's New York City. However, they got all the problems that I've listed. It's like the hot chick in the bar that looks great, but after knowing her she's a hot mess. The Knicks resemble a hot mess, and there's some sort of fervor with Knicks fans, and it's still remotely possible because they are not eliminated. May be this chick can get her life straight. May be after getting with a good fan like Will, the Knicks could stop going back to Thomas, because the action is good. The Knicks feel good with Thomas. The Knicks have to work hard to have Will. It's easy with Thomas and feels immediate gratitutde. It's hard with Will, but if for once, they can get their head out of their ass and realize that if the Knicks want to win a championship, they need to listen to Will and develop something. Put together a roster and align it with a coach. Get players who want and need to be here. Not some 12 year joke, since 1999 when Van Gundy had to hold on to Alonzo's leg. End of rant.

I mention about the history of the Knicks and fandom. I realized in the end, fandom is liking the girl, lusting over fishnet stockings, exposed bosom, curvy hair and thighs, and Irish pale skin and realizing that with everything external about this girl, like everything external about the Knicks lies a deeprooted, yet public image. I don't know if the Knicks are ready to win and be called a serious title contender, like how this girl whom I lusted and tried to know seemed more deeply interested in what gets her off. And may be I was just bitter because I could never be the person like what the Knicks organization wants out of there fans, someone who believes in the hype. When I get answers from this chick, she's got a lot going on in the way that I don't want it going on. So, I got bitter, knowing me probably self-abused myself in my own machination of what I thought I wanted, yet in the end, I realized that if I wanted to be a human being I needed to like, lust, and potentially do some despicable machinating which any emo-like late-teen person would do. I was bitter, but I was a fan seeking for something greater than just a mind sex. I wanted a relationship which later I would eventually get after realizing that I wanted what Will was seeking in being a Knicks fan and not Thomas was seeking.

Braun Logic: Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc. MLB Approved

I somewhat recall when Sheldon's character in "The Big Bang Theory" (played by Jim Parsons) said, "That is post hoc, ergo proptor hoc" about something Leonard or Penny.  I remember the phrase, and in this case I remember what Ryan Bruan said in his press conference, "The system, in the way that it was applied to me in this case, was fatally flawed."

Ryan Braun's suspension getting lifted does not let me fucking care one iota whether or not he's innocent or guilty.  I care about how we got to the conclusion.  Post hoc ergo proptor hoc.  Kevin Goldstein (Baseball Prospectus / Twitter: @kevin_goldstein) and Jason Parks (Baseball Prospectus / Twitter: @professorparks) are indifferent, but they brought up the stark facts, "The reaction has been weird"...It's stupid beyond embarrassing returning the MVP award, jumping to conclusions.  It was an open story to tell, and it got fucking told.  And the way how the story got told, was great, the analysis was great, which I agree with Kevin.  The conclusion; however, was wrong.  How do you just claim that Ryan Braun did not test positive?  Yes the sample was not handled properly, but in what way or world should it be handled?  He tested positive.  When we lead to the motive, nobody gives a shit.  It's like the fucking meter maid giving you a ticket because you were two seconds past the time your ticket expired.  The meter maid doesn't care if you were buckling up your child.  You should have been driving on your merry way.  Not jerking off extra seconds where someone could be looking for a spot.

So I'm angry.  I understand that there is a fatal flaw and it starts with Ryan Braun and it continues to get pushed by Major League Baseball.

I got pulled to this rant because (1) I've been very angry at work, and I need an outlet to let some information out and (2) while sitting at the table with Leah, I saw the words on the ESPN teleprompter over the ESPN TV that was slightly behind me, "Fatally Flawed."  In my observation Ryan Braun appears to be a likable player, who plays hard, hustles, and does a lot of good things, but when I heard he saying the process is fatally flawed, he just set back Union and Management relations for the next 100 years.  Everyone knows that the process is always fatally flawed.  It just happens that this will get cleaned up and will have continuous litigation for other Major and Minor League Baseball players who tested positive.  When you piss in a cup and it doesn't get proved positive in five seconds, you are leaving to imagination what could happen.  Did that piss suddenly got more potent with stanozolol?  Did the tester or someone working at the laboratory ejaculated into the specimen?  Did Ryan Braun masturbate prior to testing which could elevate testosterone levels?  I don't know, and knowing today's media, everyone jumps into conclusions without following up with all the facts to determine an absolute.

So, I don't have a problem that Ryan Braun tested positive in December.  There was a sample that Ryan Braun pissed in, and the test showed that there was a performance enhancing drug.  But in the end, months later, when getting to the resolution; we can't suspend you because the test was not handled properly does not determine that if the sample was handled properly it would have tested negative.  You are jumping to a conclusion because event A happened, therefore event B is the result of event A.  Ryan Braun tested positive because the tester left the sample on his desk for 44 hours without refrigeration.  Nobody in the media stated that if the sample is not handled properly in that amount of time it causes a performance enhancing drug to form in that urine.  Nobody was able to tell that Ryan Braun is clean.  Ryan Braun used brain to selectively induce the media into stating he's clean using a fallacy argument.  And a lot of people don't get that.  We live in an age where people are hand-fed the information and take it for what it is; not discernment.  What is it taking a prospect list or a projection list for a Fantasy Draft, and stating this is true, this is accurate?  You get assholes like this every year praying at the altars of some writer, some personality to the field and take it as prophecy.

Fans of this media, you continue to get suckered into this sheepish mindset, and become too assuming to believe.  Educate yourself before coming to a decision; else you get proven into a sap, because everything you believe is "post hoc, ergo proptor hoc." End of rant.

The Oliver Miller Redux

I actually spent time looking up information about Oliver Miller.  Yes, Oliver Miller.  And somehow, somewhere a man that once looked like he ate Charles Barkley, sparked interest and feelings from Career Development to the Miami Heat signing Eddy Curry.

The one stomach virus like feeling I am getting about the NBA is that teams who attempt to get their proverbial big-3; teams who can afford it before hitting luxury tax penalties have to look at the Eddy Curry's of the world to see if there's any viability in there.  On the Duke of NBA Facebook page, Gen X Blair discusses how Kendrick Perkins lost 32 lbs to a svelte 267lbs and Gregory St. Fort mentions Eddy Curry's weight loss adventure from tilting over 400 lbs to 320-something.  I do think teams in the NBA look at the standpoint of lineup construction as Career Development, taking out-of-shape NBA players, and in the case of Eddy Curry to the point of being out of basketball for a year, to possibly of being as valued as Jamaal Magloire.

Sports allow us to witness that when someone does something that jeopardizes their ability to maintain a career, whether it's physical health self-devastation such as Curry, Miller, Perkins, and even as recently as Shaquille O'Neal, who had to find semblances of healthy by going to Phoenix as teams treat these athletes as reclamation projects.  Eventually, all athletes retire, bodies betrayed such as Brandon Roy with no cartilage in his knees, Yao Ming with deteriorated feet, and Oliver Miller who could not keep the weight down.  Eventually, we hope that terms of Oliver Miller, we do not wind up with other athletes pistol whipping your girlfriends brother.  See Oliver Miller's Pleads Guilty...

The career development of an athlete is very different from the career development of positions that the average person acquires.  But, often over time, we have to consider who we hire and fire, promote and demote.  For instance, I remember one time, where as an Assistant Coordinator of Athletic Operations, I was on my high horse, and was basically right about this one work-study student who's making his minimum wage dishonestly; he was not doing anything.  And I said to myself, I want to make sure that I hire and get 30 people who would do the job.  Eventually, I couldn't find 3 people because I could not find people who were like me.  You create lofty expectations, sift through work-study students and eventually just wind up miserable and doing the work yourself at 10:30PM at night.

I think the NBA is lucky that for every Eddy Curry who's going to get the chance, if he's unable to succeed, the Heat, I hope will have some accountability, and allow Eddy to get his health back, not to mention his self-confidence, and be what many busted NBA players who leave High School to the NBA do...find a career that matches a skillset for something non-stereotypical such as black Santa Claus.  Eventually organizations have to take accountable measures with their players so that they're instrumental in their employees career development such as telling Brandon Roy he shouldn't play again because his knees would not take it anymore.

And we have to look at players all-the-time, like the real-life person.   Organizations as much as we want to be realistic or delusional need to know that not all employees have the perfect skills at their position.  This is the reason why we get asked questions "What are your strengths?" "What are your weaknesses?" on interviews.  Often, an employer is always looking to hire someone when they recognize they have flaws.  Then when you have someone who has a disability, does those flaws make the hiring choice not attainable for that potential disabled employee.  Unfortunately yes.

I guess when I listened to a B.S. Report Podcast from December 9th, I learned that this is winding up to be a situation where organizations are cutthroat; wanting the best players from each team, because teams don't have the KSA's to build an organization from the ground up.  And then when a team such as Oklahoma City does that as the Phoenix of the Seattle Super Sonics, I think eventually that can all end when they attempt to make their big three trade, for instance dealing Serge Ibaka, Eric Maynor and three first rounders for Dwight Howard.  Although I'm being hypothetical, and probably won't work cap wise, so far this season has been witness to superteam organizations.  So instead of teams building sound, smart organizations in the NBA, teams now create markets to potentially destroy other teams.  Hopefully, those teams who, in turn are the have nots have the awareness to rebuild smartly, replace these dumb teams, before they get swallowed in perpetual losing and eventual contraction.

Then may be we get an awkward looking team, somewhat disabled to win a championship; sort of like an old, awkward shooting Dallas Mavericks team who won it all last year, because they exploited the weaknesses of the Miami Heat.  You win with the talent you acquire to build the team.  You don't build the team that acquires the talent.  Doing the latter gets you nowhere.  Doing the former wins games and championships.

Life as a Mets fan

One thing I will say is that being a Mets fan is not easy.  Normally it does require Pepto Bismol, Malox, and Pink Bismuth for all the ebbs and flows that occur.  It's what's quirky about my favorite team.  It's always interesting from the inconsistencies of the Mets driving in runs at many stretches throughout the season, or even the analysts and play-by-play announcers.  Every night one can go from pure elation to witnessing what Mark Simon calls "#crumbssituations"; an area where you enter at minimum four-letter explicitives for the zany blunders caused from lack of knowledge, overwhelmed by pressure, and sheer dumb coincidence that happens every game.

Q: So, why do I want to expose Micah to the imperfectness of being a Mets fan?
A: Being a Mets fan; likewise a fan of any franchise, requires responsibility to own up to the franchises shortcomings.  Every franchise has one; even the great Yankees with the collapse vs. the Red Sox in 2004, or the worst teams ever, such as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now Rays) from 1999 through 2007; where the ballpark was a barren wasteland of misused, underfunded talent, clearly requiring the 2% provided by new infused energy provided by ownership, so well regarded in Jonah Keri's book, "The Extra 2%".  At the end of the day, Mets fans "fandom" is one of those 2% addages; we have an apple that pops up with every home run, and probably that's it.

My best thing I like to discuss with Micah about the Mets with is the history.  Albeit San Francisco and Los Angeles still carry the names of their predecessor NY franchise Giants and Dodgers, the Mets tradition stems from losing those two teams in 1957/58 with a blend of refusal to join the pinstripe black & white Yankee empire.  Something about being relentless, and having something to believe in; not to mention catchy slogans such as "You Gotta Believe" and "Who Let the Dogs Out" is part of a Mets fan DNA.

Q: Are Met fans going to succumb to mediocrity and high number of "#crumbssituations" until the Mets finally get it right?
A: Every season, every team has at least several dozen "#crumbssituations."  #crumbssituations are a requirement of feel, coupled by an event that changes the game negatively.  It's basically when you eat something, and after you eat the food, you realize you got crumbs all over you.  Now you're angry, then dejected, then succumbing to defeat when you are unable to remove the crumbs unless you wash, or dry clean the clothing...if you're lucky.

With the level of youth and inexperience, nights like Saturday, such as Bobby Parnell blowing the save and taking the loss will always happen.

Hopefully I can get to write some more thoughts about sports, fantasy sports, and things applicable to job developing for developmentally disabled individuals some more.  It surely felt cathartic.

You can follow me on twitter: Akil_El; or via Facebook.  Feel free to comment.

Talent and Intangibles

The key foundation of understanding employees comes from the foundation of KSA's: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. There are other attributes as well, but when we think of the metrics used in sports to define the athlete; it's all about what they are capable of doing, the knowledge of how to do it, their level of success doing it, the possession of the athlete's having to use what they know, the skills possessed. I currently see this in my line of work of job developing, where I am the one looking at the end advocating for people who need to know about the job the could be doing. The gap between what they know and what they don't. So, it's very important; whether it is on the Fantasy Baseball, the real sports level, and the job seeker, that employers know what they are getting and to anticipate what they do not know.

Talent and the Environment

When measuring a talent, you review the KSAs compared to your client (athlete, baseball card, or consumer). When you talk about healthy lineup construction; you try to match the athlete's feasibility: how they learn, apply, and use KSAs to the positions in the lineup and defensively to maximize your ability to have the team perform. In terms of Fantasy Baseball, you look at the construction of the team in respect to your league. Are you playing traditional roto and what you gauge your teams KSAs to achieve the counting and rate stats that makes you successful. With the potential employee, it's the mix: you look for the utilization of KSAs as well as the rate stats to measure how successful that person is. This is why sometimes we look at all of these baseball trades and wonder why some bad deals are done.

Recently, the Texas Rangers signed third baseman, Adrian Beltre to a contract; which now displaces Michael Young from his position, and possibly the lineup. The Rangers say he will be a super-utility guy, primarily playing 1B and DH. The Rangers had moved Young twice, twice for young players in their organization due to Young's inability to play the position well. However, what makes young successful is that he's a team guy. It is the reason why he's still a Texas Ranger. But his skill sets are being phased out. On the real baseball scale, Young will still be viable. On the Fantasy Baseball scale, his average draft position, ADP, should fall because he no longer will play every day. Young won't accumulate 600-650 PAs this season, and thus the counting stats will decline. His rate stats, some say are in decline, while others say the stats are not feasible for him to be the top 10 at any position. Henceforth, the job developer would think that he needs to be traded to somewhere that the Rangers can obtain value, and another team could maintain value; or as the Rangers thought...we will keep this guy around.

The Intangibles to Environment

Michael Young's viability to the Rangers is his ability to be the team guy; the guy who's past his prime and is able to be a measuring stick on how others should view their work ethic. As according to the Baseball prospectus podcast from Wednesday, Jan 26th , those are individuals who continue to get jobs. The example of Mike Sweeney was very noting. Sweeney, a very good player and clubhouse guy; clearly with very limited skills, still gets contracts. It's the reason why Henry Blanco still gets work, Julio Franco had got work, and from listening the Baseball history podcast, even Frank Thomas (not the Big Hurt) continued to get work despite plateauing. They become essential to the team without the statistical sense. It's like sometimes looking at rate stats. ERA, Batting AVG, and WHIP only tell a portion of the game, while stats like WAR (Wins Above Replacement) become huge. General Managers look for these guys to help them win championships; which Fantasy Baseball managers consider these as sleepers; where others don't expect the .280 15 80 that Young could be useful as a replacement Corner Infielder.

When I look at this in my line of work, you look at metrics. You prescreen the applicant. You may review the resume, contact previous employers, find stats on the applicant. The same should be done with GMs, real and fantasy, that help define lineup and roster construction. This also means you look for guys that makes the team successful. I remember one time long ago, I don't need 6 A-Rods and 5 Rogers to win a championship. But I will need the Shane Victorino's, Jose Bautista's surprises, and Mike Leake's limited track record, with the guys who do the things as Cory Schwartz will say "Clockwork Orange." Because in the end, employers get all the information for the known, and anticipate that unknown which makes the Edwin Encarnarcion's different from the Jose Bautista's, the Mike Leake's different from the Jason McDonald's, and the Shane Victorino's different from the Franklin Gutierrez's. The individual talent is only part of a team's dynamic.

A Long Hiatus

97 weeks since I have blogged about; anything except for the little blurb that I put on a facebook note in August. In the past 97 weeks, I have had gone through two Fantasy Football and Baseball seasons; mostly mediocrity and failure; and I have had 3 jobs since then. I also try to speak to people carefully, hopes to be more goal oriented by solving problems and moving on. There are things that have unchanged too. Same fiancee, living in the same apartment since I was 9, same moping of our dilapidated transit system. Also an undying love for sports; especially Baseball.

Fantasy Baseball

A couple of things to note. Mike Siano and Cory Schwartz recently came out with their List of Twelve. The list may be 15, but their work is still pristine, yet going big-time on the MLB Network. Yovanni Gallardo, Francisco Liriano, and Josh Johnson will probably be targeted and drafted above their value, but I am intrigued at where Jonathan Sanchez, Johnny Cueto, Shaun Marcum and Jason Hammel will get valued. Sanchez pitching in San Francisco and having to pitch in ballparks like PETCO Park and Dodger stadium on the road definitiely add to his high K-rate. His ERA may go up to 3.60-3.70, but he puts up Ace-like Strikeout numbers. Shaun Marcum, I find similar to Sanchez, but this season Marcum will have to prove it in Milwaukee. Miller Park is more pitching friendly than The Rogers Centre, and Marcum places similar numbers with a better walk rate. Both Sanchez and Marcum are flyball pitchers, but also the NL Central I believe contains weaker teams with the Pirates, Astros, and Cubs.

Johnny Cueto and Jason Hammel are on my interested list because they have not been able to put it together for a season without massive struggles. Cueto has a great strikeout rate, but he's prone to a 5-6 start stretch where I wonder he needs to get cut. Jason Hammel struggled at the end of last season; however overall his two seasons in Colorado showed improved K/BB and B/9 rates for two consecutive years. Hammel is someone that I would rather pitch and ditch with, but he may likely get drafted.

Mike Pelfrey is on their list of 12, but Pelfrey's better bet is more of a real baseball pitcher than Fantasy. "Big Pelf" comes with a low K rate, but he makes my interesting list.

Mike Pelfrey: Opening Day Starter

I was highly intrigued by this move. Pelfrey for all intensive purposes has been the Mets pitcher of development since 2006. Now, in his age 27 season, it's the approximate age where a baseball player puts it together. Pelfrey did improve in ERA, WHIP, and mental toughness. Even Pelfrey's struggle in June/July, he still was unflappable, and kept on grinding. Eventually he put a good season together, despite the negatives of rate stats declining throughout the season. Pelfrey simply made pitches. As the opening day starter, Pelfrey's development is going to be about making good pitches and using a fairly good defense (4th in NL in 2010). His Spring Training is going to be vital to see if the Mets bestowed too much on what some fans say slow-developing/fraudelent.

Cramer vs. Stewart

Apparently, "it's not a game."

Jon Stewart, host of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" was able on Thursday, March 12th, to lambaste a familiar foe of the financial system cronies that pollute the markets for ever so often.  An eight minutes and thirty-one seconds of Stewart applicably blaming Jim Cramer, host of "Mad Money" on CNBC for the lies he had spread over the last eight years from the George Bush term and chronyism that led to individuals losing their retirement, savings and jobs.  Stewart was not merciful for one second, and when Cramer could not give a definitive answer of whether or not these market derivates would result in continuous market gains, likewise with the excessive bargaining companies would do to leverage a quick profit, it turned to be a make money quick, make money evaporate scheme.

Cramer admitted to that he knew that he was being lied when he conducted interviews with Harry Paulson and Ben Berancke, the former CEO of AIG Martin Sullivan and Joseph Cassano, and likely many others.  Individuals who believed that these derivates would provide instant gains, instant cash flow, instant play in the market.

However, we are now left with a crumbling economy, billions of dollars loaned to AIG from our government, which US taxpayers may or may not be paying for.

The exercise of Stewart on Cramer was a note on how much that was known that these derivates were in play would causes for huge upheval and turmoil in the market.  Companies such as Bear Stearns were spending ten's of ten's of billions of dollars per day by funding their expenditures with company 401Ks, where these individuals were being bailed out, paying out that money with bonuses, to only let their companies, and their employees evaporate.  It was totally agreeable, and likely even almost criminal that Cramer let this game willfully playout, although the path of friends lying to him with history of trust.

My note to Cramer is that as a reporter and entertainer of facts, your reports do need to be substantiated by facts, not the "assumptions of friends" and past history to discern as truthful reporting.  Reporting lies is dangerous.  Rather was fired by CBS in 2005 for those noted errs.  By not noting that the derivates were dangerous, you helped include your audience into the radical freefall of the declining market; burning any distinction with the acknowledgement of what the market should be; long-term and mid-range investors building profits to return gains with fair capitalism; not false chronyism, nor the ponzy schemes that exist, which very few I believe even have been found out.

Stewart's note is of the Obama objective.  People work for their money, people earn their money; so if someone is willingfully invests in the market they need to have trusted information to be available so that a fair and just system can exist leading to a growing economy.  Skills and talents show that people who make $30k are different from those who make $1.5 million.  What did happen was a few investors and advisers ruining the pot for billions of people.  Now we are left to redefine; regardless of currency, what is earning money?

Inaugurally Addressed

This was the site of the 44th Inaugural Address of the United States, ceremoniously anointing Barack Hussein Obama as President.


Obviously I did not go; I watched it on TV with my dad.

Change is something that is not just outrageous and flamboyant, normally; usually its subtle, patient, and takes a great deal of time for it to be noticeable. People do not accept change to be truthful and evident; it is a difficult, forlorn process that is dissected and scrutinized. And change, can show it is hidden form as a detriment, as setting back the clock; like prohibition, or the feminist ideal that women should burn their bras, or declare that anyone with a XY set of chromosomes should have any influence over their lives whatsoever.

However, people believe in change, because change is different. Also, when people believe in change, it makes a difference in someones life, whether oh so subtly, or drastic. Like someone joining the rich elite of millionaires or sports lore such as David Tyree's catch in Super Bowl XLII. I guess that change is something that I look forward to, but in the past 48 hours that Obama has been President; unlike his credo, I do not feel overwhelmed with change.

I personally do not see all the changes going around me, like it was going to be oversweeping nostalgia because now the things should be different. The temperature is still cold, the process in Congress is still slow, and the warring is still evident. Black on black violence still has not been solved, nor anything else. Yet, we the American people should be able to do that. May be it is just a naivety of mine, but I do not feel this same change occurring with myself.

If anything, I will just start with refurnishing my resume, and send it out to a dozen dozen more job opportunities, if companies are still being honest, and these opportunities still exist. One thing I want to see in change is being not just involved, but a part of change. Which means no longer being on someones resume list to be thrown out in a year, but to be considered as a viable member in the community of an organization, like how people should be considered a viable member in the community known as the United States of America. When that does not happen, like years of civil instability, there is no accountability. When we are not members, we are disenfranchised members within an union that must be lumped with the elite. The only difference is that the elitist can say that we are lazy, schwasbuckle scourge that goes against any notion of capitalism, and any notion of the United States. It is as if we did something wrong and incorrect, incoherent, and patsy. Like people like myself failed.

I guess this is what happens when someone from 21 Jump Street wants to go to Main Street. Both areas are pretty messed up, just one is a couple of blocks from gun shots and violence, Main Street is the middle class family who gets blamed for all the problems of a white-collar society. Then again, everyone is in the pursuit of happiness, and as we all go, like change...it is a pursuit. We just do not know if it is just another condition.

AoL

It's been a long long time that I've done any blogging of any kind (See Xanga: A Rose Grown From Concrete), and may be that's more than my fault than anything else. Lately, I have been feeling inclined to keep things private to a lot of people, including my own family.

Here's the things that are affecting me since after Thanksgiving 2008:

• I lost my job on December 9, 2008


• Found out my grand ma "Mother Rose" is very ill.


• Went to Jamaica to say farewell to her. (Hopefully I'm wrong on that)


• Going to take some time off from school to figure where am I going?

Losing my job started to put a lot of things into perspective. I never got depressed, but part of my life after December 15, became very depressing-like after my first interview. I only looked at jobs intermittently since then, when I found out at the same time, Mother Rose was very ill, she had surgery, and many family members had written her off to die. It took my mom and brother a while to get their passports, but we eventually went to see her.

Losing my job also meant I could not return to school next semester. It also meant I needed to start paying off bills as soon as possible. I cleared out most of my debts, but I have to let clear that now I need to start paying off loans. I don't know how long, or if I will ever complete my degree. I put it in perspective, where am I ending up in life.

Am I...

1. going to be in an HR or HR-like profession where I can put my skills to use?


2. going to work in the financial industry, and get my certifications there?


3. to completely open myself up and go into a new field such as healthcare administration, or something else?

This is the dilemma of being too talented. You know too much and it gets you into trouble. I can only follow my heart, and whatever decision I wind up, I know I would be happy with it. I'm doing the same thing again, sending my resume to see where I fit, and if it's in Finance or Human Resources, I can make those entirely more specific.

In the meanwhile, I refuse (whether out of love or blindness) to write my Mother Rose for dead. Her illness, I think can be treatable, even in Jamaica. Although things have seem depressing with my daily waking up late in the morning, or sometime in the afternoon, I don't feel depressed and I love my Munchkin to death. I try to keep in touch with Norm as much as possible, even playing World of Warcraft (on Gorgonash, Arcimonde and Burning Blade) with Norm and hunniebunny) and I keep myself going out ever so often, such as Bowling on New Year's Eve and my fiancee's co-workers "I Can't Believe She Said Yes!" party this coming Friday.

I just want to let everyone know that although a lot of bad things have happened, you should all know, I have not written myself off for dead, and life (as complicated as it is) is still fully enjoyable. To quote my former supervisor, Sam Delgado, "Tomorrow is another day."

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

A Rock in a Hard Place

During some point of a woman's lifetime (not all), the personal comfort of bearing a child, physically remarkable, they want to endure the pain, the drugs, and the mood swings to bring a life into the world. I understand that. But understanding that has declared me to being insensitive rather than attaining male-female bonding. The insensitivity is comparable to me telling Leah that work and school are being chores; information she tunes me out. I tune her out when she clamors that she wants to have a baby. Regardless of what is said; what is felt is insensitivity.

It is difficult when we all want to be catered to. "To err is human." To give is divine.

Thank you Doogie Howser M.D. for short journal entries.

Living to Cope

I am trying to stick to my guns and make a post once in a while. Even if I am waxing poetic, it's necessary. The mind needs time to reflect, even in this fast paced world where we have to be everywhere and when time spent has to be efficient. Usually for most people, the mind is strong and the body is weak; lately, I feel I am just flat out weak.

I made it a point not talking for a bit. Trying to take care of certain things and clearing my head from certain people who get to me. May be avoidance with certain issues is good, and I'm starting to realize that. A lot of friends, family, and people I work with are greedy, self-centered, selfish, and ignorant. Whether or not it means that people do care about you, is one thing, but when people know that you're not on your game they take advantage of you; sometimes it is of best interest to remove yourself from that agita.

Some days I just don't get it. One day this week, I understood what I was doing on the wire, the next day, I'm just near helpless. The easy part is entering the orders, but being a psychology major, I should have the inside track of handling peoples personalities. I don't. Between brokers pestering me, pissed off individuals at different desks, and stubborn bodies that muddle the way from getting things done correctly, I feel like I am just running around in circles.

After work today, I walked past Sam in the lounge (he was waiting for his wife), and we talked for a bit. He noticed I was beat tired. This week working, going to school, studying every night, and the most time of sleep I had was five hours, the weekend clearly was a welcomed break. Talking to Sam was a calming influence. His demeanor is always fair, stern, and gives great advice, because he's always patient and is so knowledgeable. Sam's the older brother; to consider with life experience that I did not expect. He's been positive towards me.

May be I'll always be a sparkplug, but I need to keep an even keel and treat everything the same so that may be the days and nights won't wear on me so much. I have to live with for a long time of not getting any good sleep, being harassed and dealing with crap, but I need to find some ways to cope with that stress.

Sam said, "The hardest part of working on the wire is not entering the orders, or knowing where to bust a trade, but dealing with people. Once you can deal with people, you know this job will be easy."

Simply what I need is better knowledge, people skills, and efficiency.

Overwhelmed

I am over-my-head.

I'm looking at the next couple of weeks and there are just so many short nights and long days; some I am very fearful that they will be sleepless. There is a possibility that even hygiene may be an aformentioned thought. Work, school, communiting. All work and no play really does make Jack a dull boy.

This Jack, is frustrated beyond belief. What is okay to be sacrificed, turns out to be a frustrating moment of things that needs to be done, because there is so much stake. I do not know whether it is even fathomable to spend time with my own fiancee, the one I love, anymore because there is so munch work to be done. Book review in two weeks, another paper due two days after that, saving up for a wedding, planning two fantasy baseball leagues, and figuring how am I going to get my fiancee's birthday gift.

As I sigh; I contemplate, how can I get all of this done right. Along the way, for the past couple of months, loved-ones, friends, co-workers and co-horts, and family has criticized the decisions that I make, or try to influence so heavily the decisions that I make that I feel guilty when I do not live up to their expectations. Now with a new job, same company, I do not want to screw up. I do not have any room of making an error.

I always hear that everything can be fixed. Yet, I hear, don't make this mistake, why the hell am I trusting a kid to do this, and so forth. I even heard the constant qualms of my future mother-in-law of me being over, or even me trusting the choice of my fiancee to choose where to go to dinner for our anniversary.

Suddenly, every small decision is gigantic. A few months ago, everybody around me could trust the decisions that I make, or are understandable why my choices should go this way. Personally, I am not willing to comprimise yet: I'm still in school, taking six credits, with two very difficult courses; I'm learning a new job; plus the need of friends and family is so clingy, the decisions to go my way those months, it is hard to reciprocate them. I find myself frustrated and pissed off in times that I should find relaxing. For example, while taking a shower and washing my hair, I cursed myself out for a good fifteen minutes because I am so behind on getting things done. I hoped that taking Friday off from work would allow me to get some things done this weekend, but now it's late Sunday night, and I have barely even started on the things that I need to get done by the end of tomorrow.

Wise people always say, you will learn from your mistakes; however, none of those wise people understand this, "What happens when you are in a situation where you cannot ever make a mistake? When you make a mistake, it issue is magnified beyond proportion. Like the things that I wanted to do is not so because it is hard to size up when things take higher priority. Everybody makes their issue the highest priority." Personally, to me...it is.

I want to give up drinking alcohol and going to parties. I want to hang out with people, meet an know them, but I find an issue of meeting people to drink, freak dance and smoke, not because it is scandalous, but I want to know people for who they really are. I like the idea of a group that goes to watch a movie, goes bowling, plays pool, or hangs out a coffee shop just shooting it. I miss playing World of Warcraft, and video games badly. I'm dying to play Guitar Hero, if only I had a TV and a X-Box 360, a PS3 or a Wii. I want to live no longer than 45 minutes from work; a commute that I don't have to transfer to a different train and wait 10-15 minutes for. A job that I like, not because I have to do the job. I want to be trusted with the decisions that are being made, and have the people around me be happy for them. I want to get back into shape, but bulk up and not having friends and family calling me fat.

It's overwhelming, and I know it's too much to ask. So I am going to do what's best. Late nights of studying and doing homework, plug through day-by-day with this job, and figure out how to get these leagues going; how to save up a penny somehow that my fiancee can be happy. If I struggle for now, I won't have to struggle in the future. And if I do; that's life. I'll figure out something. Everything eventually, will come into place, regardless if it's my way or not. But at least I know I tried, and that's what I hope friends, family, co-wokers and loved ones could try to see that as being important.

Snow Wish

Apology?
I should apologize for my absence; albeit, should it really matter. The last couple of weeks have me in transport to Brooklyn at 5AM and leaving between 10PM and midnight. This mainly doing temp work for professors and assisting the softball program. It has been a tiresome time.

Snow Wish
At the moment, it's 5:06AM, and it is snowing. The suspiciousness of what I said is that NYC hasn't had a lot of snow this winter, and this being the first real snowfall, suggests fears of global warming, ozone depletion, etc. I'm for destroying the planet, but also for doing it at only certain levels. It has been ironic that it has been fairly wet, but rainy all winter, and that the temperature has been warm not to wear winter clothing as so much. Despite a few frigid nights, most of them haven't required winter wear.



Winter Wear
As I have gotten older, the actual look of winter wear has felt kind of lacking. My sweaters, fleece jackets, and coats have gotten thinner in wear. Body fat in adults is not the excuse. Temperature has been warmer. .8° from normal on the global scale is a huge difference. Because temperatures don't really rise or fall at the tropic levels, they're magnified at the poles, and throughout other temperate zones. Henceforth, it's been a lot warmer this winter than previous. Not to mention, the fashion industry profitted more on clothing in 2003 and 2004, when the temperatures were unbareably cold, and people would wear 5 or 6 layers to stay warm. More layers is more clothing and more money.




Winter Wear Coat of Now


Winter Wear Coat of Past

A Sense of Normalcy
At least knowing that there has been some real snow this winter, gives a little sanity that the weather hasn't gone completely out of whack. I remember April 1996, where it snowed in New York during the Yankees game vs. the Royals of Kansas City. I also remember two years ago, playing baseball in late March and about 5 minutes after the game it started snowing. More appaproe is that those winters were lacking in the snow department. Yes, it got cold, but it didn't snow. I'm assuming, as the characteristics of winter arise, the more comfortable I feel that things in general are not going completely out of whack.

Makes you wonder, could I ever survive in Seattle, or Denver? Apparently not.

Mets Fans: Be Wary

I write about this, because Mets fans high off off-season acquisitions.  At first I believed in the hype.  It felt nice to have a big named closer for the Mets; however honestly, I think the Mets and the Yankees are not as good as perscribed.  The Mets have serious pitching and defensive problems, not to mention questions on offense.

Why There Was Such a Hype?
Acquiring Wagner, Lo Duca and Delgado were huge.  By doing so, they immediately covered three issues they had faced all 2005: closing out games, offensive production and stability.  Wagner is one of the most coveted arms in baseball, as he constantly throws 100 mph fastball, Lo Duca is a veteran catcher who also provides flexibility of playing OF and 1B and Delgado is the masher they really needed since Dave Kingman (37 HR but .204 BA in 1982).

The Mets sought out to improve their bullpen woes by also acquiring Jorge Julio, Duaner Sanchez, Steve Schmoll, Chad Bradford, and Yusaku Iriki.  Combined with possibly Heilman, Wagner and Heath Bell, they have a solid bullpen even if Julio falters.

However, there are problems.  The Mets, first and foremost made one of the worst deals this off-season by trading Kris Benson for John Maine and Jorge Julio.  Maine is a 24 year-old had-been prospect, which seemed to fall out of Orioles favor and Julio has fallen out of favor with the Orioles for years.  Julio signed to arbitration, will be one of the focal points of this bullpen to pitch in the 8th inning.  I don't think Maine has much potential, and Julio has control problems.  This gave Zambrano a spot in the rotation, and moves Aaron Heilman's role into flux, alongside Aley Soler.

Zambrano is an injury-plagued pitcher throughout his career who has problem commanding the strike zone and has velocity issues.  An athlete by trade, these issues are difficult to overcome the strong NL East hitting (sans the Washington Nationals).  Also, Pedro Martinez has an lingering injury--a toe injury which causes him pain while pitching.  Not to mention, you don't know what you are going to get out of Tom Glavine (age) and Steve Trachsel (inconsistent throughout career).

In the field defensively, there are still two glaring holes: second base and catcher.  If the season started today, Kaz Matsui or Anderson Hernandez is your starting 2B.  Hernandez is a rookie, with talent, but wasn't able to translate it in his September call-up.  Kaz Matsui has been the talk of trades.  Nobody wants to take on his contract, nor the issues of injury.  He's a big a bust as Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzalez and Mike Lowell last season.  In addition, neither of these guys produce offensively or this season expected to.

At catcher Paul Lo Duca is an arm upgrade over Mike Piazza; however, I'm an upgrade at catcher over Mike Piazza.  More indepth however, Lo Duca has a propensity to break down throughout the season, as his stats become worse as the season progresses, both offensively and defensively.  The Dodgers and the Marlins used him at other positions throughout the season to keep his bat in the lineup, however, it didn't prove helpful.  For the Mets, he's unlikely to do so, unless he knows how to play second base.

The Mets have one issue with Delgado.  His ability to not make contact.  As a regular he has never had a season under 100 strikeouts.  They need to worry about maintaining health of Cliff Floyd, Carlos Beltran and whomever is to play RF (Victor Diaz, Xavier Nady, Endy Chavez?).

The last offensive issue is of the top of the lineup.  Jose Reyes as talented as he is, does not get on base enough.  The Mets have the worst BA from the 1 and 2 spots.  Carlos Beltran did hit well with RiSP, but it's hard to improve those stats when nobody is on-base.  The Mets don't have a soul speed guy past Reyes, although Beltran, Floyd and Wright can steal 10-20 bases a season (in Beltran's case 30).  Most importantly, if Jose can not get on base, the Mets can't get into the post-season.

But they'll challenge with the Braves and Phillies.  As Omar Minaya does, he puts out a competitive team; but is it really playoff or World Series calibur or building blocks; I have my doubts.

Job Thoughts

From the January 23 post:

le sigh.
change is often exciting. too much excitement is no good for us guys. we go limp easy. =\ lol

but yeah... i'm taking my time joining folks on the whole adulthood thing. we were officially deemed adults a year or so ago. it's fucked up.

ima take it slow after i finally finish poly.. work part-time for a while......the most important thing i realize now... is to not be lazy. can't afford to be as lazy as i am now. step 1, DON'T BE LAZY. step 2, keep moving forward... and the doubts/fears/insecurities tend to minimize and shovel emselves away.

- Posted 1/24/2006 at 9:38 AM by abed©

Taken to heart, I'm taking a job working with softball on February 1st. I'll keep your keys in mind Abed. I won't be lazy.

I decided to take thepath of starting from the real bottom. Meaning, I took a $7.00 per hour job (may be more) at the bookstore. I start on Monday. Granted if you remember that minimum wage is $6.75, I'm pretty close to there. After ranting and raving on the phone Wednesday on how life is unfair and crap, I decided that may be this is my place right now, and if not, for life. Apparently, I am of blame.

According to all my friends and parents, working for Athletics, nor my job at Beach Channel were not real jobs. It obviously not the real world, and no matter what I did, it was too unspecified. Henceforth, I didn't deserve to even be looked at. I think it was the idea that companies didn't see me working that kind of workstudy job to further better myself in that field; I was unqualified.

Yesterday, my mom was home early and first thing saw me was in bed, online. So, she started by first wanting to use my laptop to check her e-mail at work, then brought up the whole debacle of my future (something my dad brought to her attention). I think my mom was trying to be apologetic to my plight; meanwhile, it did not really do any good. I was listening to the same old same old again. Apparently the conversation ended with me realizing that I'm doing this until I land something better. But nobody actually believed in what I thought was true of me, that the jobs I had for Athletics meant something. Or at least I made it out to mean something.

That's the end of that crap.

Recommended Flash To Watch:

"Gong Xi Fa Cai" by daklewijd™

Chickens Sweat Out Over Unknown Assailant

The Unknown Assailant

The Unknown Assailant is a Dog!?! Will the chickens meet a foul fowl? Only way to find out is watch the flash!

Flash presented on Newgrounds™.

A Popularity Faux Paux

Everyone says that popularity never resolves all issues; matter in fact, popularity causes more stress in peoples lives between the ages of 5 and 22 more than anything else.  Popularity is not about who knows you, it is about who knows your name, your vogue, and your establishment in a society.  Considering HS, I had none.

Fall 2001, I went to Polytechnic University, and by Fall 2005, I had established a popularity.  Not well known, or snobbish or anything, but recognizable amongst peers.  People knew my name, they knew what I politically stand for and knew who I was.  I achieved popularity.

What makes 2006 different from 2001?  ...different from 1997?  ...different from 1995?

Popularity is in all cases destructive.  It's a method of upholding an image.  From 0-17, attempting to achieve this made me feel jealous of everyone else.  However; 18-21 makes me feel self-conscious of maintaining popularity to that it becomes destructive from what I was known from 0-17.  Eventually, I would never be the same person.

Popularity makes others attempt other absurdities: like closure.  I had a couple of those moments of closure, since HS; none the way I hoped it out to be.  Eventually, I come to learn very harshly that those who remember you remember who you stand for (and not vogue), who you care for (not who you know), and who is friend (not who is acquaintance).  Sadly, it cost me a few friendships, a couple of narcaissicstic confessions, and a lot of soul searching.

The worst and foremost; people remember your brother because of who he cared, what he stood for, and who was friend.  People only remember you as "his brother."  In my case, I'm "Tarik's brother."  Nobody knows if you are older or younger, if you are talented and skilled or a friend or a nerd.  Popularity was my killer.  At least now at 22, popularity is no more since politics rules our lives.

"Friends don't let friends be popular."