It has only been since August 1st, 2007 that the Big Ten Network has launched, but with the amount of frustrations experienced as a result of it, it seems like much longer to the average sports fan.

I’ve lived within the Big Ten footprint during this time, so naturally I’ve followed this situation carefully. My favorite team is not in my local area, so with this network I was supposed to be getting all of their games. All subscribers to both DirecTV and Dish Network have the network, while cable companies with the channel seem to be very few and very far between.

Frustrations and anxiety have been high as fans head out to bars/restaurants to catch games because they can’t get them at home. In the beginning, it seemed that most of the anger was focused on the cable companies for not making a deal, but now I’m mostly seeing anger directed at the Big Ten conference. After all, these games used to be broadcast for free on basic channels.

The few people that have the channel have now started to complain about the quality of their programming and announcers.

Another problem that has come about as a result of this channel is schools often now have to wait until 9:00 p.m. EST / 8:00 p.m. CST to start the games. As a result, attendance is down at most Big Ten games.

So where do you stand on this? Has the Big Ten Network been a success? If you are a fan of another conference, do you want your conference to launch their own network?

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There seems to be a lot of arguments among fans, and probably among major league front offices, about what they should focus more on. Should they try to stack their rotation and bullpen, or should they try to land a big free agent and a few role players to strengthen their lineup?

It’s an argument that happens every single season out here in Padre land. Every year I keep hearing fans call for the “big bat,” though I’ve never heard any of those fans actually give me the definition or throw out a REALISTIC name.

So, I’m curious to hear what other fans have to say on this subject. Are you a believer that pitching and defense is what wins games, or are you one of those that believe without hitting how much does the pitching really matter?

I’m going to make the argument for pitching, since I’ve become a big believer in good pitching and good bullpen. The World Champion Red Sox are a perfect example for me. They finished the 2007 regular season with a 3.87 Team ERA, good for 1st in the AL and 2nd overall (behind San Diego 3.70). They were only 1 of 2 teams in the majors that had a team ERA under 4.00, but that ERA got that much stronger once they got into the playoffs. The Red Sox capped off their World Series run with a 3.27 playoff ERA. I know what you stat happy people are going to say before you even say it too…”but look at the Red Sox team batting average in the playoffs.” Although I will agree that a .313 team batting average in the playoffs is impressive, look at the teams they knocked off in the playoffs and their team ERA’s and tell why I should be impressed. In the first round, the Red Sox knocked off the Angels and their 6.66 team ERA, then the Cleveland Indians and their 5.55 team ERA.

Want another example? How about the 2006 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals? The Cardinals were very lucky to play in the worst division in baseball with the NL Central, but they made the most of their playoff experience when they got there. They finished the 2007 regular season with a 4.54 team ERA, 9th in the NL, 16th overall. Their team batting average, .269 was 4th in the NL, 15th overall. Then came the playoffs and the Cardinals pitching shut down everyone they faced. Their team ERA went from a 4.54 regular season to a 2.68 playoff ERA and the biggest example of why I think hitting isn’t as important? Look at the Cardinals team batting average during the playoffs…. .248.

I guess the bottom line in my stat riddled argument is, if you can build a good rotation and a good bullpen to follow, your offense can put up 2-3 runs a game and still win games, win the division and get yourself into the playoffs. As we all know, anything can happen during playoff time, and usually does.

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Every season, whether it’s the off-season or during the regular season, we usually hear about a team’s “top prospect” and how good this young player is going to be.Are teams putting too much pressure on a young player coming up through their system?  Are they hyping him to the point where failure would crush his confidence?  I know us fans love hearing that our team has a few young, up-and-coming, players that we look forward to seeing in years to come, but how much talk is too much?

Look at all the young players getting a lot of hype going into the 2008 season.  Guys like Chase Headley (Padres), Jay Bruce (Reds), Ian Kennedy (Yankees), Clay Buchholz (Red Sox), Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox), Cameron Maybin (Marlins), Colby Rasmus (Cardinals), Andy LaRoche (Dodgers).  The USA Today has a great article out previewing the Top 100 names to watch in 2008 that’s a good read and will add more names than I’m going to in this article.

What if any of these players were to struggle the first 2-3 months of the season, hear fans question them on every sports talk show in town and start to wonder if they could actually be a big league player?  Would that player ever get his confidence back?

Us fans can be brutal with expectations of these young players can’t we?  I have to admit though, I was one of those fans that thought it might best for the Padres to send 3rd baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff to Triple-A after struggling to a .114 month of April.  He proved all his critics wrong by keeping his confidence, his teammates kept their confidence in him and it paid off, finishing the 2007 season with a .275 batting average with 18 HR’s and 75 RBI’s.

I am looking forward to watching all these young players, especially guys like Andy LaRoche, Clay Buchholz and Ian Kennedy only because they’re playing in “must win” markets and in front of fans that expect to win.  I’m wondering how they’ll perform under that kind of pressure.

From everything I’ve heard about Andy LaRoche, and I mentioned this in one of my earlier articles, I think he leaves Nomar Garciaparra out of a job at 3rd base.  We saw what Clay Buchholz was capable of when he no-hit the BaltimoreOrioles last season, he’s going to be a very good young pitcher in the Red Sox rotation.  Ian Kennedy was a name a lot of us heard in trade rumors when the Yankees were discussing a deal for former Twins’ ace Johan Santana.  I had asked Steve Goldman of the Yankees YES Network about Kennedy who said “his stuff is exceptional.”

 Out of the players that I’ve named and talked about, I think the one player that will make the biggest impact for his team is Andy LaRoche.  I think he wins the 3rd base job outright from Nomar and never lets it go.  Look for him to be in the Rookie of the Year running all year long.

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So let me get this straight, the Tampa Bay (don’t call me Devil) Rays were so glad to get rid of Elijah Dukes (a so-called clubhouse cancer) that they got the bright idea to go after….Barry Bonds?

 Memo to the Rays, Barry isn’t much better.  The Giants are so glad to be rid of him that one Giant player said “the clubhouse is so much lighter.”  Not only are the Rays considering him, ESPN college basketball analyst and Rays season ticket holder Dick Vitale endorsed the ideaduring a phone interview on Sportscenter.  Come on Dicky V, say it ain’t so!  Actually, ESPN’s Buster Olney also thinks it would be a good idea as well for the Rays, but at least the reasons he gives make a little sense.

Barry has spent his entire career in the National League, but being in a DH role might be a good thing for Bonds, even if he’s never done it before with exception to interleague play.  Former Giants’ teammate Rich Aurilia brought up a good point when he was told about Bonds possibly being in a DH role, ”You have to be loose from the first inning,” Aurilia said. “You don’t get a chance to go out in the field and loosen up.”

You do have to admit 1 thing, he brings power to a young Rays lineup and protection to guys like Carlos Pena and Akinori Iwamura.  Bonds, if signed by the Rays, won’t have to hit in one of the biggest pitcher’s parks in baseball in AT&T Park.  He’ll get to hit in some of the biggest hitters parks in baseball like The Ballpark at Arlington, not to mention playing his home games at Tropicana Field.

The one thing I’d have to agree with Dicky V about, he will put butts in the seats at Tropicana Field.  Doing so might actually help the Rays payroll, something they desperately need

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If it wasn’t for the fans, where would any sport be?  A 1 point game with seconds left, everyone on their feet, the arena is electric.  A quarterback leading his team down the field, the stadium exploding with every big play, setting up a game winning FG.  Lastly, bottom of the 9th, game tied, runners in scoring position, there’s not one fan that isn’t standing with anticipation.

If you’re a fan of any sport, these situations are ones that make them great.  But no offense to those die hard basketball and football fans, I’ll take baseball any day of the week and a doubleheader on Sunday. 

As spring training opens, it means the baseball fan can dream of celebrating that World Series title in October, the parade down Main St, the excitement as the first players role by with the Championship Trophy gleaming in the afternoon sun….then you wake up from one of your best dreams in a long time.  Expectations are high for, ok almost, every team.  A few teams have begun their rebuilding phase, selling off a few pieces (Oakland, Florida) that fans had gotten used to, rebuilding their farm systems and stocking up with draft picks in the June MLB draft.

Think of it this way, would players get near as excited on a walk-off HR if fans weren’t jumping up and down, rocking the entire ballpark?  Would rookies, walking up to the plate for his first major league at bat, feel more nerves than he’s ever felt in his entire career if there weren’t 40,000 pairs of eyes staring down at him, wondering what he’s going to do?  Would a World Series parade mean as much to the players, if there weren’t hundreds of thousands of fans lining the streets to celebrate along with them?

You know what I enjoy the most about going to a baseball game?  I’m in one of the best parts of the country, Southern California, where I can drive down the 5 freeway from Orange County on a warm spring afternoon headed for downtown San Diego and Petco Park.  For me, that means hearing “Hells Bells” blaring over the intercom, signaling the entrance of Trevor Hoffman.  To me, there’s nothing that makes me love baseball more than getting to be there for that.  I remember, back in 1998, the Padres were still playing at old Jack Murphy Stadium, and when “Hells Bells” was blaring, you could hear the place erupt for miles.

To all fans of all sports, keep doing what you’re doing, it’s not just the players that make the game exciting, it’s the reaction of the fans that make the players play as hard and as motivated as they do.  Besides, next time they think fans aren’t that important, ask them were their millions come from, that might just change their tune.

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The NBA has finally returned to respectability.  There has not been this many loaded teams since the 80s.  There are 12 teams that have a chance to win it all, four from the East and all eight that make it in the West.  So which team is the favorite?

 Let’s start with the East…The Pistons are still the favorite and appear to be the only team deep enough to challenge a team in the West.  However, if there is a team out there that is built to give Detroit a run for their money, it would be the Celtics.

After those two teams, there is a slight drop off to the Cavs and Magic.  Both Cleveland and Orlando have key players, namely Lebron James and Dwight Howard that can carry their team to a series victory.

Now to the West…The Spurs are the team everyone counts out, but they seem to be there at the end every season.  The Jazz are catching fire with the addition of Kyle Korver.  Speaking of hot teams, the Lakers are untouchable since they traded for Pau Gasol.

The rest of the West is loaded with talent, but they don’t appear to be quite good enough this year to win the title.  The Suns got Shaq, but he has deemed himself a role player.  Dallas landed Jason Kidd, but they don’t have anyone to defend the rim.  New Orleans has the best record in the West.  However, they will have trouble beating more experienced teams in a post-season series.  The Rockets are playing as well as anyone, but we all know they have difficulty making it out of the first round.

Since this season is so up for grabs, the safe pick would be to take the Pistons or Spurs to meet in the finals.  However, I think this year resembles the 80s, so I am going Lakers versus Celtics, with the Lakers giving Phil Jackson his 10th ring.

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