Moderator: Hello everyone .. Colin is wrapping up the show and will be joining the chat room at approximately 1:10 p.m. ET ... keep sending your questions!

Colin Cowherd: Wow! I'm surrounded by computer hackers! It's a dream come true! Anyway, fire away! Good to be here.

Micromick, portland: Colin, are you going to lean on your buddy Phil Knight for a bunch of old shoes to give away as prizes?

Colin Cowherd: Believe me, the calls have already been made!

Elaine (San Diego): Why does larry bowa have a job? What am i missing? The players hate him and the team is underachieving.

Colin Cowherd: Give him a little more time. Remember the Yankees are struggling too right now and Joe Torre could be the best manager in baseball right now.

Tom (jefferson, nj): How has the internet affected your job, and sports generally? It seems like sports programs have to be "more" than just recapping scores since that information is easily available via the net.

Colin Cowherd: Makes it easier AND tougher. More access and more responsibility. I love the internet and any rumors about me and low-grade porn sites are strictly that!

Dennis (Newark): There seems to be a trend in sports reporting (Sportscenter, talk radio, PTI, etc) to be a "personality" first, and be a reporter second. Have sports become a forum for medicore comedians, and if so, what can be done to stop it?

Colin Cowherd: It's real simple ... most people have broader lives than sitting around studying box scores. The more people you can reach, the more revenue you produce for a company. If you want hard core sports, there are plenty of places to find it on the internet. Never make the fatal mistake to think everybody thinks just like you. Those personalities you rip, have five times the ratings of the Xs and Os guys.

Derek (Corvallis): Will the industry-wide work stoppage in the porn industry have an effect on Mike Bellotti's moustache?

Colin Cowherd: I knew a beaver fan would show up on this site! Good luck vs. LSU! I'll be there.

Adam U. (Portland, OR): So what's the talking hairdo..er..Dan Patrick really like? And don't start kissing ass here.

Colin Cowherd: Actually, everybody has been great to me. My show has a different vibe than all the other shows on ESPN. But that's why they hired me. As for Dibble, he's a dangerous man. And I'll leave it at that.

Larry (Bronx): Do you have any listeners who are NOT in Portland?

Colin Cowherd: Frankly the response has been overwhelming. 99 percent of our listeners are NOT from Portland. Remember, we are not on in Philly, NY or Boston. We are in LA, San Diego and 260 other markets. The response from the audience has even surprised management. Best wishes.

Dennis (Newark): Follow up: So, ratings are the most important thing? Doesn't it say something when hardcore sports fans have no interest in watching sportscenter? ESPN has become the next MTV. It's just a matter of time before Stuart Scott joins the cast of Real World.

Colin Cowherd: Your opinion is clearly contradictory to the ratings I'm looking at. Ratings are the truth serum and they are up 11 percent at ESPN on SportsCenter. Again, don't fall for the mistake unsuccessful people often make .. thinking everybody thinks just like them.

Tony (Washington): how are your show ratings?

Colin Cowherd: They don't come out for months.

Shane Breidenstein (Reading, PA): What advice do you have for someone who is in college and interested in working in the field of sportsbroadcasting and sports talk radion?

Colin Cowherd: Don't be a sports nerd. Read about a lot of different things. This network is looking for smart people, not just sports junkies. TV and radio research indicates that the more interest people have beyond sports, the higher the income. Guess what? ESPN wants those guys as listeners and viewers.

PJ (Parcipany NJ): Do you get a chance to listen to any of your peers? Mike and the Madog recently had Michael Lewis (author of moneyball) on and were very disrespectul to him. Keep up the good work.

Colin Cowherd: I don't have the opportunity to listen to anybody. Too busy working on my show. Frankly, listening to other people can be disruptive to your own style. I don't listen to any other talk radio.

Charmc (Daphne, AL): What do you think of Mike Price? The local sports radio station celebrated the one year anniversary of him being caught at a strip club, by broadcasting from a local strip club.

Colin Cowherd: Mike Price won at Washington State. Enough said. The guy can coach.

Lin, Tampa: Like your segement "Expand the Globe". I have one question, how is your work day like? (ie. how many newspaer do you read everyday to prepare the show?)

Colin Cowherd: I have two producers who bring me nothing but material to read all day. Fortunately, I love reading.

Brian NYC: How many games do you think Denver can win against the T-Wolves?

Colin Cowherd: One, the T-Wolves are better defensively.

Dennis (Newark): Last question, i swear... I'm not denying that more PEOPLE are watching espn. But, the came can be said about reality shows. I'm asking if "quality" is even an issue any more in programming or if ALL the network cares about is the bottom line.

Colin Cowherd: Again, your definition of quality may not be somebody else's.

pat park city utah: why do they call thre yankees boston the greatest rivalry in sports when it is 26-0?

Colin Cowherd: Great question! Maybe because of the heightened drama of all those Red Sox losses. I love Park City, by the way.

Maria (Norwood): What do you think of fantasy sports in general? I hate them, my boyfriend loves them, I may dump him because of it.

Colin Cowherd: I have lots of fantasies. Tracy McGrady isn't in any of them. I'm a gambler. I like gamblers. They pick up the check. Fantasy guys argue over the tip.

Louis (Kent): What is with the Mariners this year?

Colin Cowherd: Not enough punch in the lineup. And an owner not willing to buy any. Great fans, great stadium, great city, and really really cheap owners.

Andy (Sherwood): Are you still tweaking the tech nerds on anonymous message boards?

Colin Cowherd: Inside joke. Yes, I am. Thanks for listening.

Thor, Auburn: Follow up question. I'm not a sports nerd, i follow all current events. BUT my degree is in history, nothing to do with radio. What advice do you give guys like me who want to get into radio?

Colin Cowherd: Call radio stations and ask for an interview. If they find your bright and interesting, that may get your foot in the door. Good luck to you.

Jeff (Reading PA): When will u be fired? please say soon!

Colin Cowherd: I have a long term deal. Most of it guaranteed. I guess that means no, by the way, that phone rining is your mother. She's asking you to move out of the basement.

Tyler (Reno): What do you make of the NL West this year? Do you think the Giants can repeat, provided everyone stays healthy?

Colin Cowherd: Not a great division. Like the Padres youth, their bullpen could be a liability.

Josh (Portland, OR): What should the Blazers do in the off season so that they'll be able to compete for home court in the playoffs next year, after ending their 21-year playoff streak?

Colin Cowherd: New coach and a new PG.

MicroMick, Portland: Chad insults midgets, fat people and gamblers... If he is the moral compass for your show, isn't it likely that the whole ship is listing a bit?

Colin Cowherd: What up Mick! Love your stuff! You are as warped as usual! Keep it coming! Thanks man.

Brian NYC: Haven't been able to catch your show yet but do you talk about sports during it at all? Judging by this chat - not so much.

Colin Cowherd: Talk sports all the time .. but try to broaden discussions so that we can broaden the audience. Have a great weekend.

DG (Clayton): Could you take the clothespin off RyDawg's nose?

Colin Cowherd: They guy has so many nose rings you could hang a shower curtain on them.

Andrea (Trenton): Tracy McGrady was recently referred to as a "robin" and not a "batman" by the daily quickie. Call me crazy, but Tracy is a top 5 player in the nba. Does he really need a shaq-type teamate to win?

Colin Cowherd: Yes. Jordan didn't win without Pippen. And Shaq didn't win without Kobe.

Ross (England): You have a great show, but it can be even better. You should be wackier. Maybe some prank phone calls or something. Also, you should talk louder (read: scream). People will think you know what you are talking about then.

Colin Cowherd: Damn! England! We really are making an impact!

MicroMick, Portland: Did you find Marvyn's house of man bracelets?

Colin Cowherd: Yes. Keeps most of his best stuff in the attic.

JON Manteca, CA: Why do you think Warren Sapp made the move to Oakland from Tampa Bay? What's the main reason it happened?

Colin Cowherd: Warren Sapp's a great player but wasn't worth the money. I think he will be a better fit where he is at.

Chicago, IL: Hi Colin. I'm a big fan of ESPN radio and have enjoyed your show since you came on to the national spotlight. My question is, why do you continually repeat segments throughout the day? For those of us that listen for the full three hours, its kind of boring listening to repeat clips over and over. You must have more material to go over in one day than repeat information from the previous day or earlier in the day segments. Thanks for reading my question! Keep up the great work and keep it real! Ashish (pronounce Ahh-sheesh)

Colin Cowherd: Because the average listener on any national show only listens for 20-25 minutes.

Colin Cowherd: We do it just like FM stations. Replay the hits. We have to cater to the 90 percent who listen for 20 minutes and not the 10 percent who listen all day.

Gary - Show Low, AZ: The Show not bad. However, I wish you would stay on a certain topic longer then you do. Example - (You were talking about Kobe Bryant) I was getting real interested, and then all of a sudden, you went on to another story, just at a drop of a hat. (Not Good) in my opinion. I bet a lot of other people get annoyed at how you change storys so fast too!

Colin Cowherd: Remember, my show is on in the morning in the West. I have to touch on a lot of different subjects. That's what the research says.

Steve, Knoxville, TN: What has been the biggest adjustment going from KFXX to ESPN?

Colin Cowherd: Different studio and working with different people. But radio is radio. Not that much different.

DG (Clayton): Colin, you're like the Billy Beane of radio...

Colin Cowherd: I have no idea what that means.

Eddie (Cleveland): You seem to have a better understanding of the industry as a whole than almost any other personality. Why do you think that is?

Colin Cowherd: It's a business. Plain and simple. A damn fun business.

Colin Cowherd: One thing people fail to understand, it's GOOD to have some hate mail. It's NOT good to have everyone like you. Because it means your opinions aren't strong enough.

Chris (San Diego): How does it feel for you to have taken over for Tony Kornheiser? I thought when I first started listening that nobody could do that. You've really pleasently surprised me. Thanks and keep it up.

Colin Cowherd: We have a different show than Tony. That's what ESPN wanted. Appreciate the comments.

Steve X (Manalapan): What's stopping MLB (or any sport) from cutting a deal with a network to get more games on tv? Why can't espn2 air a different game every night. Wouldn't everyone benefit?

Colin Cowherd: Interesting question. Keep your eye on the NFL Network. That may very well happen.

Rich, Milwaukee: They told me to give you a chance. And I am. And you're starting to grow on me. The takes you have that are based on business philosophy resonate with me, and I've never heard them in a sports context before. Do you have any business in your blood?

Colin Cowherd: Yes. I love business and am involved in some ventures outside of radio.

Neil Leesburg, VA: Does anyone else get annoyed that you replay segments from the show everyday? I am trying be be a loyal listener but this aspect of the show will force me to turn the dial. If this segment is so good, change the time you run it.

Colin Cowherd: Read what I said earlier. We play to the percentages.

Michael (Washington DC): Uh, I think your show is indecent and I'm going to fine you 1/2 million. And there's nothing you can do about it!

Colin Cowherd: Is this Michael Powell?

wilmington, NC: Colin, I just wanted to tell you how excellent your show is! I got so "fed-up" with "Mr. Tony's" show, I wouldn't listen to ESPN radio for 3 hours, until his show was over.. But I must say, your show is very good,, more info I hear everyday on your show,, more than Dan Patrick, or any other show on now...Thanks, One question: Why do broadcasters boycott Hockey? NO-ONE! Talks about tha NHL Playoffs, not even mention the scores,, I mean, these are games on ESPN, and ESPN2 ALL NITE!,, and no promotion, story plots, or lines,, nothing from any radio shows?? Is it that bad, I mean, I'm a big hockey fan, and enjoy watching it, but sometimes I think I'm tha only one in tha US watching these games on ESPN..if it's that bad, why don't ESPN just drop it altogather, and NEVER talk about it at all... They basically do that now?? thx

Colin Cowherd: I have my style and Tony has his. But I never try to copy anybody. Some like me and some don't. It's been that way for 14 years.

Thor, Auburn: Whos going to win the National CHampionship in Football next year? And don't give me any favorites i want somebody ranked below 12 in the preseason polls.

Colin Cowherd: Keep your eye on Cal .. great coach, best QB in the nation, if they can get through the first month, they could be tough. Also, Georgia and Purdue could surprise people.

PJ (Oxford): Don't you think that Japanese pitcher who did the gay porn has to be so gay even though he claims he's not. Not that there's anything wrong with it.

Colin Cowherd: He's not gay but his boyfriend is.

Michael Powell (DC): How dare you call me out! That's it, i'm doubling the fine.

Colin Cowherd: Sorry, Mr. Powell. I promise I'll vote for George.

Jorge (Buffalo): Hey Colin, Should the Yanks move A-Rod to Shortstop and Jeter to Third? I know A-Rod has more range, but my cousin says Jeter has the intagibles that make him a better fit and SS, any thoughts?

Colin Cowherd: I think Jeter is there to stay. ARod has the kind of physical fram that makes 3B an easy transition. I still think ARod got too much publicity and people forget the Yankees gave away a pretty darn good 2B.

Del Columbia, SC: Nice to get a college footbal guy doing a daily show. With that being said, How do you feel about Lou Holtz being able to turn South Carolina into a winner??

Colin Cowherd: Lou Holtz could be the best gameday coach in college football. He doesn't get mention much because he's not at a powerhouse. But give him a couple weeks of preperation and Lou is a nightmare to face.

Brett: C'mon people are the most honest when their drunk

Colin Cowherd: I always felt Haray Caray was baseball's most honest announcer.

Josh (Portland, OR): Besides the obvious, such as climate, what do you miss most about leaving the west coast? And what is a pleasant surprise in the East, other than large volumes of bread...

Colin Cowherd: Connecticut is beautiful when the sun is out. Much like Portland. I love the West but I felt living in the East would make me a better broadcaster because it would broaden my horizons.

William (Salem): What do you think of the FCC cracking down on radio speech?

Colin Cowherd: Not a big fan of it. Turn the dial if you don't like it.

James (Tampa): POST MY FREAKING MESSAGE COLIN! U IDIOT!

Colin Cowherd: Good to see my brother is keeping track of me.

Rob Neyer (Portland, OR): Stop stealing my fan base!

Colin Cowherd: If this is the real Rob, love your stuff.

Chris (San Diego): Some people said that the Diamondbacks would win the West this year. I know it's early in the season, but honestly, do you believe that will Curt Schilling gone and all those players they traded to get Richie Sexson gone, that they have a true shot?

Colin Cowherd: Don't think the DBacks have enough aces in their deck.

Mike Reston, VA: Colin- Show sounds great.... I have to be a homer and challenge you on your blanket statement about highering from w/ in. The "Fridge" at Maryland has been the best thing since hiring Gary Williams... hey wait a minute...where did Gary go to school?

Colin Cowherd: We are both right. It's a personal perference. I just don't like schools that choose inside candidates BECAUSE they are inside candidates.

Kyle, Blacksburg: What is the name of that book where the students take over Vegas, it sounds interesting, I'd like to read it

Colin Cowherd: It's written by a guy named Ben M. Go to Google, punch in 'Vegas gambling' and 'MIT' and see what comes up.

Maria (Caldwell): I've won the NCAA pool 3 years in a row. Why do guys get pissed when a girl wins?

Colin Cowherd: We're guys. We get pissed all day.

Clock: 15:01: Uh, your time is up.

Colin Cowherd: That's my favorite post yet!

Aloha, Oregon: Do you think the Pac-10 will finally get some love this season? I see a potential of 5 programs being in the top 25 this season. I also think my Cougs will continue on their path towards becoming a perinnial power in the Pac.

Colin Cowherd: USC No. 1, Cal and Oregon battle for No. 2, Washington State and Oregon State will be better than expected.

Pete (Quahog, RI): Who do you like tonight, Boston or the Yankees?

Colin Cowherd: I just like the fact they are playing. This series doesn't mean much other than for entertainment value.

Colin's Mom: Time to give me a back rub hunny!

Colin Cowherd: Ick!

Ross (England): are you concerned by the trend of having sports jerseys having advertisements on them? How many nike swooshes are needed on a catchers chest pad before we say enough is enough!

Colin Cowherd: Advertising doesn't bother me. I would put a Boston Market tatoo on my butt if they paid me $1 million a year.

jAY NEWINGTON,CT: Nice show so far. i might not agree with you on allthings but you at least seem to have honest well-thiugt opinions

Colin Cowherd: Appreciate it.

Brian (Memphis): Great show. Love the coverage from around the nation. Daily football fix is great. Please give some good karma to my Grizzlies.

Colin Cowherd: Tough first round matchup. Love Battier. He's a warrior.

Guy (Nantucket): Vazquez (-145) or Wakefield (+125)?

Colin Cowherd: Don't you know I think gambling is pure evil? Go study!

Rich from Tampa, Florida: Did you ever meet the late Chris Thomas, the WFLA sports anchor from Tampa, FL? If so, any thoughts on the man?

Colin Cowherd: Chris Thomas had more of an impact on me than any TV sportscaster I ever watched.

Mychaela (Madison, WI): Hey, Colin! I wanted to know if you're ticklish and if so, what spots?

Colin Cowherd: I'll be in Madison soon!

Tattoo Artist: Bend over.

Colin Cowherd: Your mom is on line 4.

Tracy - Cedar Rapids, IA: One simple question, why no Hockey?

Colin Cowherd: It gets a 0.6. I love the sport but it's bad radio. It's great in person.

Larry (LA): Are you my caucasian?

Colin Cowherd: I'm somebody's.

Vince (Paterson): What's the deal with soccer? Why does it suck so bad and why do all foreigners love it so much? U.S.A!!U.S.A!!

Colin Cowherd: I love World Cup soccer. But indoor soccer is like human foosball.

bob, newberg, oregon: What aspects made living in Portland enjoyable for you?

Colin Cowherd: Great summers and falls. Great restaurants. Laid back lifestyle. Wonderful people.

Adam U. (Portland, OR): Um...did anyone, um... tell you um... you say um... too much?

Colin Cowherd: Uhm ... no.

DJ (Long Valley): My fantasy team has a rotation of: pedro, vaz, moose, and santana. Are you jealous?

Colin Cowherd: Mine is Elle McPherson and Liz Hurley.

Gotta run. Thanks for the questions!

Dear Mr. Kay,
I have long been an admirer of your commentary and the sense of humor you bring to the telecasts.

Having also listened to your radio program in the past, I recall that your initial take on the Randy Johnson trade to Arizona was far from favorable. You seemed to believe that because Johnson won 17 games with a 5.00 ERA, there was something magic about his ability to win. You seemed to think that his veteran ability to win games despite giving up oodles of runs was a talent no other pitcher could match. It seems from what we now know that a) Johnson wasn't exactly a clubhouse leader and his "veteran" presence certainly didn't do much to mentor other Yankees; and b) a young talented arm is more helpful to achieving playoff aspirations than having a grumpy, over-the-hill veteran soaking up innings.

You have certainly in recent weeks praised the Johnson trade, but in full candor to your listeners perhaps you should not give the impression that at the time of the trade you were gung ho in favor of it. In hindsight, the Yankees would have "won" the trade even if all they received was Russ Ohlendorf.

Anyway, keep up the good work.
Roger B. Calistro — New York, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Calistro,
I did not like the trade at first because I did not like giving up a 17-game winner. I also knew that he was not a leader or a favorite in the clubhouse, but the trade is now a good one because Johnson went down with a bad back. If he had not, the Yankees could have used those 17 wins and probably would not have gotten off to such a terrible start and might be in first place today. But in hindsight, and also learning afterward that he wanted no part of playing in New York, I think Brian Cashman pulled off a really good deal when he had absolutely no leverage.

Let's
ignore the fact that 50% of the top 10 falls within the last 21
years. Chalk that up to humans having weak minds and thinking what
they personally experience is more important/relevant. I just like
to draw attention to the fact that last night's game (which was what sparked
this article) wasn't even a playoff or postseason game. It's a
regular season game. A "play in" for you simpletons.

How much
cooler would the wii be if it also gave you access to a vast catalog of
oldschool NES, SNES, and n64 games for free? There would be
little reason for Nintendo to not offer such things for free (or perhaps a
nominal cost) because there is no longer a market for these games.
However, Nintendo realizes that among their target market is a rogue group of
idiots called fan boys. They will buy anything that Nintendo has to
offer b/c it rulez! And being the cool kid on the block who can
play Ninja Gaiden on their wii is too tempting to pass up. So
they'll pay the 6 dollars (or whatever it is) to download a game that they
already have on the NES and on their computer emulator as well.
Just on that slim chance that they may want to spend a half hour playing it at
some point.

Nintendo
clearly doesn't respect this group of idiots, but why should they?
fanboys clearly don't respect themselves. Now, they may argue that
it's only 20 bucks, or whatever the cost is. But you can extend the
economists theory of "no such thing as a free lunch" to "there's
no such thing as only 20 bucks". Because if you've earmarked
that 20 bucks as expendable, the next step is to realize that there is a choice
in HOW you spend it. And wasting it on a game that you already own,
and will never play, is embarrassing. And while it's YOUR choice,
it still bothers me because it's affecting the market. The Virtual
Arcade (is that what nintendo is calling it?) is clearly something that should
be (near) free. And it would be, if certain people could exhibit a little
control.

1. I don’t think Clark and Team C have a secret
   agreement to make Clark’s team better.
2. Nor do I think Clark acted
   with malice or thinks that he was doing anything wrong with his trades.

However….

3. I think Team C is very inexperienced at fantasy
   baseball, and thus more vulnerable to manipulation.
4. I think Team C has shown great apathy towards the
   league throughout the season, evidenced by their lack of waiver wire
   pickups (despite having the worst lineup in the league AND having waiver
   wire priority throughout the entire season), ignoring trade offers,
   failing to fix their rosters numerous weeks, and generally “going dead”
   for weeks at a time.
5. I think Clark has an unfair
   advantage being Team C’s mentor.
   This goes above and beyond the general advantage that the inner
   circle of Prudential employees has as compared to the outsiders of the
   league.
6. Past evidence has shown that Clark
   acts with a “win at all costs” mentality.
7. Clark is aware of Team C’s
   poor fantasy skills, and used it to his advantage to the detriment of the
   intregrity of the league.

For those of you voting against
collusion because you have the limited definition of “secret agreement between
two teams” (which again, I don’t think Clark and C had), here are some examples
of trades that wouldn’t fall under that definition, but should still be
reversed.

A)
Mets and Yankees are neck and neck for first
place. The Redsox, who are stuck in the
middle of the pack, offer the Yankees a ridiculous package because they dislike
the Mets. The Yankees accept the trade
offer, without any secret agreement.

B) Mets and Yankees are neck and neck for first
place. The Mets have stolen bases
completely locked up and are guaranteed a 10.
Yankees have a 9, while the last place team has a 8. Mets, in the last week of the season, waive
Reyes, knowing that the last place team will pick him up, and pass the Yankees
in SBs, thereby giving the Mets the championship.

C) Redsox can’t stand the rest of the gms,
decides to quit the league, and waives all their players in the first week of
the season. All of the bottom teams get
3 very good players each.

Those
all seem obvious. Now here are two more
that are inching closer to what we have here.

D)
I invite my younger cousin to join the league even though I know he is really shy
and won’t talk trades with people he doesn’t know. Furthermore, I know he’s a big Yankee fan AND
I know that given enough time and opportunity, I could talk him into any trade
and convince him it’s in my best interest.
I then go ahead and make three trades with him, all of which grossly
favor me. He thinks he’s helping his team, but he’s not (by the vast majority’s
opinion).

E)
The Yankees haven’t paid attention to their team all season, and seem content
with wallowing in last place. It’s only
after the Mets, who have direct access to the Yankees, tell them “hey, you
could help your team if you do this”, that the Yankees decided to act, in that
specific act, and only for that narrow window of time. Yankees then go back to not caring about
their team. So, for that small 1 hour
window, they’ve acted in their best interests (in their opinion), but their
inaction during the rest of the season is clearly not in their best interests.

We have three trades in one season
and all are very lopsided. The team
losing all three times is inexperienced and apathetic towards the league. The team winning in all three trades has a
history of being overly aggressive in his tactics to improve his team,
particularly with inexperienced/weaker GMs and/or GM’s that are not in the
inner circle of friends/coworkers.

Here are some anecdotal examples of
things that I have experienced while being in the league. I believe 2004 was my first season in this
league. I definitely felt that Clark (and
others, to a lesser degree) attempted to take advantage of me in my first
season (I guess thinking I didn’t know what I was doing). I tried to be as diplomatic as possible when
I received offers, but they were always extremely lopsided. On the day of my last Law
School final, I was drunk at a bbq
when I received a phone call from Clark. I told him that I was in no condition to
discuss trades [Tommy, if you are in fact reading this, drinking is wrong. It’s no fun and only leads to problems], but
that did not end the conversation. He
continued to toss names around until I had to more forcefully tell him that I
had to go. It’s possible that I
remember that conversation more harshly than how it actually went down, but it
definitely gave me an uneasy feeling that this league didn’t attempt to make
“win-win” trades.

In 2005 we had agreed upon a trade
with Perlman for Jeter (pending his partner’s approval, which Perlman felt very
confident in obtaining). I believe this
was on a weekend. The next day,
expecting to see confirmation of the trade on the website, I instead see that
Perlman was trading Jeter to Clark. Perlman would later claim a combination of
his partner not liking Harden (even though they had attempted to trade for
Harden the entire season) and that Clark just happened
to come up with a better offer. Time and
time again, people outside of the inner circle get frozen out of trade
talks. It goes beyond the “well, it’s
convenient to discuss trades with someone who works down the hall from
me”. I think it may border on the
example way above about how one team roots for another to win. Every single season there has been at least
one or two instances where I will receive a couple of trade offers from
multiple GMs all for the same guy in the span of a day. It’s as though there is a group discussion
that takes places where they decide, “hey, that Dunn guy is pretty good, and I
bet dennis doesn’t value him as much as he should.” Of course I would have to be paranoid to believe
it’s a blunt as that, but something is definitely going on. It probably happened 5 times in the first
three years (and has happened to other Gms as well).

2006 was when my opinion of Clark
as a ruthless GM was solidified. Before
the draft, I traded 4 different slots with Perlman in order to get the 3^rd
pick of the draft. The goal was to
draft Johan Santana. Now, even though
he’s clearly one of “our guys”, I don’t think it was 100% obvious to the rest
of the league that that’s why we were trading up (I’ve looked back at preseason
2006 draft rankings, and Johan was around 7.
There was no clear #3). Of
course, as a professional curtsey to Perlman (in order to help him better
prepare for his first two rounds), I told him who we’d be taking with the
pick. This is something I’ve always
tried to do with teams to my right because it’s nice to have an idea as to how
the first two rounds are going to go (In fact, I did just that for Mudville
this year, b/c they had the swing picks at 10/11).

When we get to the draft, Clark
immediately comes up to us and tells us we wasted our time trading up b/c he’s
taking Johan. (This week, I learned for
the first time that this was a “joke” according to Clark). Well, it was a cruel joke with no discernable
punch line if you ask me. He offers to
trade us our first two picks for his first two picks. My partner and I now spend the entire pre
draft time 1) trying to figure out if he’s bluffing, 2) reevaluating how the
first three rounds are going to go if we have to take Arod with the 3^rd
pick, 3) feeling really shitty for wasting our other draft picks to trade up
and 4) general panic. The difference
between going with a pitcher and a hitter in the first round had such a trickle
down affect that our sheets and draftboard became completely chaotic. Since we already knew that Clark
had a reputation for inappropriate behavior, we decided to just assume he was
bluffing. He was of course. After I overheard him him bragging to
another GM during the lunch break about how he “almost was able to get us to
trade”, I knew that that would be my last season* [or so I thought]. Not only did another GM lie to us for the
sole purpose of trying to take advantage of us (for only one slot up in the 2^nd
round!) but it seemed that other GMs had all discussed this beforehand. Again, the inner circle knew that Johan was
the guy we wanted, and this little ruge (or “joke” as clark
likes to defend it as) was a known tactic going into the draft. But, I will say this in Clark’s
defense...I don’t believe he thinks this type of behavior is wrong. Just like I believe him when he says that he
doesn’t think his trades with Team C are inappropriate.

Wow, what happened to my goal of
writing everything in short bullet points?

Anyway, I’m just surprised that
there have been several comments about how “good of a gm” clark
is for constantly throwing numerous trades out there and how these three trades
with team C were just clark being a good GM. Yes, there’s going to be trades where it
seems like one team got the better end of the deal. But in this case, these trades are grossly
lopsided, involved a grossly incompetent team (who has some degree of
protégé/mentor relationship with the other team), and are shifting the
competitive balance of the league. This
is a team in dead last trading over and over again with a team at the top of
the standings (of course they are at the top in part b/c of the trades they
have made with team C).

Victor Martinez is robbed away from
team C under the guise of an upgrade at 3^rd (even though I think team C drafted Zimmerman before
Beltre anyway {and the trade occurred very early in the season, when it’s
really hard to ignore pre-draft expectations based on a small sample space of
games). Then, team C trades away Corey
Patterson (who now has 20 sbs) and FAILS TO EVEN PLAY THE GUY THEY TRADED
FOR. Now, without Patterson, they need
speed, so they trade away one of their last remaining quality players for
Johnny Damon.

Here’s a rare example of when there
almost is a duty to shop around a player.
I think we can all agree that Jones is more valuable to the league than Damon, but that in
C’s specific case, it’s possible that Damon might be more valuable. In this rare case, I think the team owes a
general duty to the league to give everyone a chance to get in on the
firesale. A trade of equal talent (or
close to equal talent) is fine, but Jones is being handed over at 50 cents on
the dollar to a team near the top of the league. It’s unfair to a team like Mo who’s actually
in contention. He should at least be
given a chance to get in on the auction.
It’s in team c’s best interest to get as much for jones as they can, and
it keeps the league at an even playing field.
If Mo knew he was available, I’m sure he would have tried to make an
offer, as would any of us. But again,
how are we to know that when team C goes a month without making a move?

Look again at the players who have
been traded between C and G. If there
was collusion (as in a secret hand shake), would the players involved look much
different? These trades are all so
lopsided that it effectively is that secret handshake. You just have to look a little harder because
it occurred three different times.

Finally, I’d like to address and
apologize the issue of the name calling.
I was really wrong for using words like retarded, and even collusion,
because they were done out anger and were mean spirited. I apologize to anyone and everyone that I
offended. It was the culmination of four
years of what I perceive to be questionable behavior and tactics. After already being on edge from insane ours
at work, I come home to see that yet another (!) lopsided trade has occurred
between G and C, and then after someone questions it jokingly (I caught that it
was tongue in cheek), I see G (Clark) pull the traditional “new comers league
mantra” of “stop whining”. Every time
there has been a disagreement in this league, you get a contingent of about 3
people who rattle off the “stop whining” “be quiet” and “it’s just a game, stop
taking it so seriously”. Over and over
and over again. And to be honest,
there’s no name can be worse to call someone (in my opinion) than a whiner. It’s degrading. It’s saying that because you are in the
minority, your voice is of no consequence.
It’s a bullying tactic and it occurs over and over again in this
league. If anyone else archives their
emails like I do, go back and look at some past arguments, and see who starts
in with the name calling first. What I
said was wrong, but it was done out of pure exhaustion by what goes on, and
what’s allowed to go on, in this league.

In terms of the “fun” of the
league, there are three main reasons why I play fantasy baseball. In no particular order, I like competition
(especially intellectual), it forces me to pay more attention to baseball, a
sport I love, and it gives me an excuse to bullshit more with my friends (95%
with my partner, and 5% for some of the guys I’ve met in this league). These trades this season have really cut
away at all three of those things.
There’s no sense of competition or satisfaction when teams become
superpowers by exploiting other teams.
It doesn’t feel right that a team who barely tries and is really bad has
such a huge impact on the rest of the league.
If I was in second, I would feel robbed and if was the team who won that
way, I would feel unfulfilled. I stand
by my statement that if I was offered Howard for Loney, I would reject it. It’s not winning in and of itself that is
satisfying, it’s how you get there.
There can be no satisfaction this season.

The rules state that collusion is
cause for expulsion. Of course,
collusion is never defined. My vote is
that all three trades between G and C are undone (not that hard since they
mainly involve the same position), team C is frozen for the rest of the year
(we waive the 50 dollar penalty for the inevitable last place finish), and team
G is allowed to continue to keep playing (with their original players).