tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post676958153215965362..comments2023-10-31T06:31:41.395-04:00Comments on Bottom of the Barrel: TMQ: I Can't Let This Go Edition And Simmons Doesn't Understand His Own DefinitionsBengoodfellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-84763430618721651032009-01-30T07:26:00.000-05:002009-01-30T07:26:00.000-05:00Even though he is 35, I would still like to have D...Even though he is 35, I would still like to have Derrick Mason on my team.<BR/><BR/>I love to watch tennis but I have never really watched that much of the Australian Open for some reason. I prefer the other three majors a little bit more. Nadal fascinates me to watch though, simply because I love the way he plays tennis. I don't dislike Federer but he seem(ed) to dominate players in such a boring way I never liked him that much. I do like Nadal though. I still remember how Bill Simmons wrote that column about how tennis was boring and then Federer and Nadal had that 5 set epic match. It's like they wanted to prove him wrong as quickly as possible.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-80428321175009257902009-01-30T06:43:00.000-05:002009-01-30T06:43:00.000-05:00You are totally right about the Titans having want...You are totally right about the Titans having wanted Mason, just their hand was forced.<BR/><BR/>Also, no idea if you watch tennis at all, but I can't sleep and this Nadal/Verdasco match is fantastic halfway through the third set.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00086638597582394978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-39656479093389954312009-01-29T22:30:00.000-05:002009-01-29T22:30:00.000-05:00Martin, I clearly did not remember Mason being cut...Martin, I clearly did not remember Mason being cut by the Titans, and again, the sad part is I actually researched that part (what I thought was) pretty well so I would not look like an ass. Oh well...I still say he was wanted. That salary cap is a bitch. <BR/><BR/>Durant, if I am not wrong on this, was the first freshman to win the PoY award, so that is in no way an underrating of him. I think people may take Manny for granted a little bit because of his goofy personality but he is definitely not underrated. <BR/><BR/>Aaron, I did not even think that both of those players were not good on defense. I was actually going to put something in there about Durant's defense stinking and that is why he is not underrated but he does block shots well and defense is so hard to really grasp a hold of on a statistical level. Manny may have a great arm in LF but he still makes it look like an adventure when a ball is hit to him. <BR/><BR/>I don't think Simmons wanted to actually look at players who were underrated, he just wanted to pimp his favorites, so he did.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-31369598505522476872009-01-29T22:07:00.000-05:002009-01-29T22:07:00.000-05:00Simmons is my new super LOL guy who doesn't make m...Simmons is my new super LOL guy who doesn't make me laugh. I like how he chose two players who suck at defense except for one part each (Durant is an ok shotblocker... ok, maybe I'm just making stuff up so it goes along with what I'm saying, a la Simmons; and Manny's arm is above-average, as per John Walsh's arm ratings on The Hardball Times) and thus give back a decent amount of their offensive value.<BR/><BR/>If Simmons wanted to look at players who are actually "underrated", maybe he should've done some research or something like that. I guess him just crapping on the computer is good enough for him and ESPN.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-57025178675670888872009-01-29T21:30:00.000-05:002009-01-29T21:30:00.000-05:00Yeah, I remember Mason being released by the Titan...Yeah, I remember Mason being released by the Titans. He was a good player for them and they wanted him, but they knew the team was going to suck for a couple years cause the cap numbers they were going to have to deal with were outrageous. You don't keep a wide out when the rest of the team is falling down around you.<BR/><BR/>I'm convinced that Gregg doesn't remember that there is such a thing as a salary cap and that some good players are let go by teams because they don't really have a choice. <BR/><BR/>Durant is a good player, but Bill acts as if he discovered Michael Jordan playing for North Texas State Tech off a grainy youtube video. As someone pointed out earlier, the kid has been given about a half dozen awards the last 18 months. How the hell is this underrated? Bill seems to think that because Durant "might" be a fantastic player in teh future, we are underating him right now. Bill, you can't underate someone based on results he hasn't yet put up. <BR/><BR/>Manny. People might not appreciate Manny as much as they should, but I don't think any baseball person or heavy intrest fan has ever underated Manny.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00086638597582394978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-90661461285237726862009-01-29T15:18:00.000-05:002009-01-29T15:18:00.000-05:00I know. He seems to think the only reason a team w...I know. He seems to think the only reason a team would let a player go is because they don't think he is talented anymore. Which is, of course, wrong. <BR/><BR/>Bill Simmons can't spell resonance. I am still amazed he felt the need to say Manny Ramirez was underrated.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-58665156042118729132009-01-29T14:44:00.000-05:002009-01-29T14:44:00.000-05:00I'm surprised Easterbrook didn't blast the Titans ...I'm surprised Easterbrook didn't blast the Titans for letting a telent like Pacman Jones get away. It's crazy that players have the freedom to move from one team to another. Free agency is the worst thing to ever happen to the NFL!<BR/><BR/>/sarcasm<BR/><BR/>Also, the word Simmons is looking for is resonance. Resonance, Bill.The Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03323030436625176444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-11578094101284045492009-01-29T11:57:00.000-05:002009-01-29T11:57:00.000-05:00Really? That is what I get from getting my informa...Really? That is what I get from getting my information from Wikipedia then. Here's the quote from his wikipedia page and I thought I remembered him as a free agent. <BR/><BR/>"Mason signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an unrestricted free agent on March 7 2005."<BR/><BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Mason<BR/><BR/>Maybe I should go to more reliable sources next time. Good catch but I honestly feel better knowing I researched it and I just went to an unreliable source. I guess he became that unrestricted free agent after he got cut. <BR/><BR/>Still a good catch.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-25288986124536314302009-01-29T09:54:00.000-05:002009-01-29T09:54:00.000-05:00While Gregg is an idiot and his team is terrible, ...While Gregg is an idiot and his team is terrible, Derrick Mason is actually a good choice<BR/><BR/><B>Derrick Mason<BR/><BR/>2 time Pro Bowl selection. Signed as UNRESTRICTED free agent by Ravens in 2005 after Titans decided not give him large enough contract offer. Too expensive, not unwanted.</B><BR/><BR/>Actually, Derrick Mason actually was released by the Titans because they were over the cap by a ton. He was part of the purge that they had in 2005 which sent them into the dregs of the league. It was because his contract was already so large. He was not an unrestricted free agent.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/titans/2005-02-21-titans-salary-cap_x.htm" REL="nofollow">This is the story</A><BR/><BR/>Sorry to nitpick, but I had to mention it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-25609232731506585972009-01-28T22:17:00.000-05:002009-01-28T22:17:00.000-05:00I don't know if Manny is overrated or not but I wi...I don't know if Manny is overrated or not but I will tell you that I will never, ever think he is underrated. Ever. When you are giving a guy like that such a huge contract and he has a history of flaking out over money, there is going to be some hesitation but it doesn't mean he is underrated. <BR/><BR/>I don't know about him being potentially the best RH hitter of all time. That is pushing it, even with the numbers Bill threw out there. Willie May is still the greatest in my mind, if not Hank Aaron. I really don't know how his editors let him get away with this crap.<BR/><BR/>Edward, I am completely with you, I don't like points as a way to determine whether a player is good or not. I am beyond tired of Simmons trumping Durant as the next big thing. Sure, he can score and do other things well, but that is about it at this point. To not put Kobe on that list of best players in the NBA is just dumb.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-80338497468753366062009-01-28T21:15:00.000-05:002009-01-28T21:15:00.000-05:00Glad you got to Simmons, Ben. Like I said in my c...Glad you got to Simmons, Ben. Like I said in my comment to the previous post, Durant, if anything, is <I>over</I>rated by the casual fan and hype-generating "expert" who judges players solely by points scored.Edwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13158622845810579702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-2183372009114414612009-01-28T18:57:00.000-05:002009-01-28T18:57:00.000-05:00Durant has more buzzer beaters than LeBron. LeBro...Durant has more buzzer beaters than LeBron. LeBron sucks so bad. Manny is not playing because he's underrated. Exactly. I am sure it has nothing at all to do with teams playing the waiting game and hoping to snag him for $20 or 30M less than he wants right now. I am a Mets fan and I am terrified of signing Manny. Not because of his rating factor but because since this is it for Manny, no more contracts to play for, there may be no motivation. Seriously, this will be his last baseball payday. How does he stay motivated. I like Manny too. Like watching him hit. That said, he may be OVERrated! Great right handed hitter, yeah. At best, though, he's the 3rd best RH hitter in baseball. <BR/><BR/>This article really sucks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-58279095246087140852009-01-28T13:43:00.000-05:002009-01-28T13:43:00.000-05:00That is exactly what he does. Then he tries to ram...That is exactly what he does. Then he tries to ram those players down everyone's throat. You are right. What is funny is that Simmons chose two players he talks about frequently in his columns. I would think if somebody was underrated, it would be someone who rarely gets mentioned. <BR/><BR/>Durant plays for a crappy team, that is the only reason he gets no publicity, but he is not underrated by anyone. Good comparison with Carmelo Anthony too. <BR/><BR/>To say Manny Ramirez is underrated is beyond incorrect in my opinion. That is bordering on absurd.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-81023596563445259022009-01-28T13:10:00.000-05:002009-01-28T13:10:00.000-05:00Durant is just another example of Simmons' track r...Durant is just another example of Simmons' track record of falling in love with a player in college, and then talking about them obsessively until every one of his readers is sure he is right. This also happened with Carmelo Anthony, who strangely enough, is just enterting his prime and is in his third straight year of declining scoring. Luckily, he's just as awful at defense, rebounding, passing, and attitude as he was coming in to the league... Kind of like Durant will be.Miserable Bastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275506476452693194noreply@blogger.com