Cheers & Jeers - Wednesday, May 14, 2008

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

POSTED May 14, 2:32 PM

Different, but better?

The Redskins have changed coaches, put in a new offense and switched coordinators on defense. They will be different. But are they better?
Not really, say experts.
The big disclaimer is obvious: it’s only May. And nobody knows what kind of coach Jim Zorn will become.
But the Redskins have a couple problems: an aging and brittle defense and the rest of the NFC East.
“They’re in major transition,” said Chris Landry, who served as a scout on three teams and remains a consultant to a handful of others. He’s also a co-host of two shows on FOX Sports Radio. “The coaching change put them in that spot. I can’t say they’re better personnel-wise or coaching-wise than at the end of last year. They’re not as good as this time last year. They would be fourth and they’ll have to have something unusual or bad happen to another team in the division to climb up. They’re capable of being .500.”
One rival general manager — who liked the receivers they took in the draft — said he doesn’t like the Redskins’ defense. Too many older guys along the line and injury issues at linebacker and in the secondary.
“They’re fourth in the division,” he said. “The [East] has two of the best coaching staffs in football [New York and Philadelphia]. The Eagles have two really special coaches on both sides of the ball. The Redskins had that, but now that’s gone. … And they have a lot of wear and tear on that defense.”
Quarterback Jason Campbell, entering his fourth year in Washington and playing in his seventh offensive system in eight years, also remains a question mark.
“He’s a very bright guy and works hard, but he has limitations as a passer,” Landry said. “He’s very streaky. He’ll have the bad throw that comes out of nowhere and hurts him. Jim is a really good [quarterbacks] coach, but going through the constant changes can only hurt him.”

Acta: Ramirez is one of the league’s best young players

While the rest of baseball slowly discovers Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez, Nationals manager Manny Acta knew about his talent long ago. And he’s not surprised at the direction of Ramirez’s career.
Ramirez, 24, played for Acta in the Dominican Winter League in 2003-04 as well as 2004-05.
“From that moment you could tell he was going to be special,” Acta said. “He was 19, 20 years old and playing winter ball in the Dominican with lots of confidence. He’s special. He’s going to be a superstar in this league for a lot of years. He’s one of the legit five-tool players in the game. There are not that many five-tool guys. This is one.”
Ramirez is considered by some as the best young player in baseball. It’s why the notoriously frugal Marlins reportedly signed him to a six-year, $70-million contract. However, The Examiner’s Brian McNally said when Ramirez was asked about it at Nationals Park over the weekend, he laughed and kept yelling “No comment!” and waved off reporters.
The Nats wish it was as easy to dismiss Ramirez, who after this past weekend, is now hitting .371 with three homers, eight RBI and 14 runs scored in eight games vs. Washington.
For the season, Ramirez is batting .331 with nine homers and 22 RBI.

D’Antoni: For love or money?

Mark Jackson was headed to the New York Knicks. Mike D’Antoni was going to the Chicago Bulls. And everyone was going to be happy.
Until … D’Antoni took the job in New York, leaving Jackson still on TV as an analyst and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf upset.
“I’m disappointed in him,” Reinsdorf told the Chicago Tribune. “He chose to go to New York knowing there was a good chance we would make him an offer. If he had really wanted to be in Chicago, he would’ve waited. Instead, he misled us.”
A source close to D’Antoni said it came down to simple economics. Reinsdorf would not pay him more than $4 million a year; New York gave him $6 million a year.
“He said he wanted a job where he was going to be happiest,” Reinsdorf said. “He said he didn’t want to coach the Knicks.”

Column inches

Opinions from around the nation on the hottest topics in sports:

» Let players on the take jump straight to the NBA, if only so colleges don’t have to deal with the [Rodney] Guillorys of the underworld and the rest of us don’t have to endure the charade of labeling characters like [O.J.] Mayo “student-athletes.” Would there still be kids taking money? … Undoubtedly. But there would be less.
— Luke Winn on USC guard O.J. Mayo allegedly being paid $30,000 by Los Angeles event promoter Rodney Guillory. (SI.com)

» The series is now best-of-three. One team has LeBron James and one does not. Who you gonna pick? Be afraid, Celtics followers. Be very, very afraid. The Celts and Cavs are now tied at 2 in this best-of-seven affair, and the Cavaliers look far more capable of winning in Boston than the Celtics do in Cleveland.
— Tony Massarotti after Cleveland beat Boston 88-77 on Monday night. (Boston Herald)

» Every day, the neighborhood looks a little more familiar. Every game, the success looks a little more routine. The Rays have won once again, and what’s the big deal about that? They have knocked around another of baseball’s brand names, and why should anyone be surprised?
— Gary Shelton on the unprecedented success of the Tampa Bay Rays (St. Petersburg Times).

» Five years is an eternity in the NHL. Just don’t call it a surprise. Because this is what hockey teams do when they plateau. When they’re stuck in the same spot, year after year after year. They change coaches. If the NFL is the Not For Long league, then the NHL is the Not Half-as Long league.
— Ann Killion on the San Jose Sharks firing of coach Ron Wilson. (San Jose Mercury News)

On the record

“I think they’re ridiculous. I think that the noise, the fire, the smoke, is a kind of assault that we should seriously consider reviewing.”
— NBA Commissioner David Stern on the over-the-top player introductions around the league.

“There’s no place for it in the game. … I love Joba Chamberlain. He’s a great kid, but no one is passing the torch today ... When I broke into the big leagues, I didn’t say two words all year.”
— Former Yankee great and closer Goose Gossage on the yelling and on-field antics of current pitcher Joba Chamberlain.

By the numbers

$96.6 M » Career earnings of Latrell Sprewell, who played in the NBA from 1992-2005 for the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves.

$320,284 » Amount of money owed by Sprewell on his home in suburban Milwaukee that was foreclosed on Monday.

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Cheers & Jeers
The Baltimore Examiner's Dave Carey and the Washington Examiner's John Keim review the daily buzz around the sports world with their insight and analysis. Feel free to give us your take at caj@examiner.com