The Grandstand

AROUND THE WORLD.....

Allow me to turn your attention to the other side of civilization for a [brief] moment, just because I wanted to mention something I deem important and symbolic. I know some of our, uhhh... "readers" may not follow European football very closely, but just bear with me for a moment because I have more of an overarching point here.

Zinedine Zidane, probably the greatest footballer on the planet, has agreed to return to the French international squad at the age of 33. Zidane also announced that Claude Makelele (32), who I think is the most underrated player in the world, will follow his lead and try to pull France out of an embarrassing 4th place standing in their qualifying group. A couple days later, Juve defender Lilian Thuram agreed to join the pair and come out of international retirement. I think it is admirable how three world-class players who make a TON of money with arguably three of the best clubs (Real, Juve, Chelsea) in Europe are prepared to jeopardize the tail-end of their careers for the love of their country and the honor of representing France on the international stage. The three stars -- particularly Thuram & Zidane -- have nothing to prove with either club or country, and are risking exhaustion and contract extensions to try and restore glory to a fading French team. Thuram, who scored twice in the 98 World Cup semis when France beat Croatia 2-1, and Zidane -- who scored a double in the 98 final before garnering his first of three player of the year awards -- may be the two most important players from the French victories at the 98 WC and 2000 Euro, so its not as if they are gunning for one last shot at intl. glory. Makelele, who was left off those teams, is in the prime of his career -- I think he is the biggest reason for Chelsea's success, as his position as holder allows Frankie L., Cole, and Gudjohnsen to push it forward. He could do the same thing for France -- who still have Viera in the middle and the planet's best goalscorer (Henry) up front with Trezeguet and Wiltord.

Zidane is unquestionably the greatest player of his generation and probably slides right in after Maradona and Pele among the game's legends, so not only is his elite status already secure in the annals of football, he risks tarnishing that legacy by playing on a squad considered a long-shot to triumph in Germany next year. France, just three points behind group leaders Ireland with one game in hand, should have no trouble qualifying for the Cup with its renewed talent and leadership, but they are still a step below favorites Brazil, Argentina, and England. That makes the patriotic moves by Zidane, Thuram, and Makelele even more impressive -- they are doing it simply for the love of football and the sincere desire to see France well-represented on the world stage. In fact, after carrying the French to the 98 Title match, Thuram said, "I'm no hero. I did my best but the team won, no just me." Contrast this attitude with athletes making millions in America, whose politicians and culturally-isolated masses claim is the most patriotic nation in the world. If that were the case, why does Sheffield refuse to play in the World Baseball Classic because his "season is when he gets paid" while the elite NBA players spit out b.s. about safety and nagging injuries to avoid competing in the Olympics? Meanwhile, Dominicans like Arod & Tejada (who are both better and better-paid than Sheff) consider it an honor to play in the Classic, and Portugal & Argentina sends the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, and Roberto Ayala to Athens. I think its ironic how American athletes (who I realize are not an accurate reflection of our whole culture) that are presented with a chance to represent the U.S. against the world's best choose their own personal and monetary comfort while the anti-U.S. (France) has players with more to lose and less to gain gladly accept the challenge.

BACK TO THE STATES: The Hawks/Joe Johnson Saga. While I sympathize with Belkin (whose 30% stake is larger than all of the other 354 co-owners), this is simply not the way to do business in the NBA, and if he had issues with the deal he should have brought it to Knight’s attention either in private or before it was offered. The five year, $70 million contract itself is a gamble for a player who had a lot of open looks and easy buckets created for him in Phoenix, and adding two first-round picks (albeit lottery-protected), a $5M trade exception, and Boris Diaw (whatever) certainly seems excessive given the fact that Johnson wants to leave the Suns and come to ATL anyways. I mean, if he wants to leave and PHO doesn't want a malcontent on their roster, why offer so much just to force their hand? Still, showing a lack of faith in your GM jeopardizes future transactions as teams will be worried about ownership certification and the actual bargaining power of who they are dealing with. I do think this will ultimately be another idiotic move of the Billy Knight era, but there is still a right way to do things.....

FOOTBALL: I can't wait until the college football season starts, and I'm almost as excited about the NFL. I'll post later about more specific stuff, since my Les Bleus tribute ran a little long. Let me just say one last thing about the TO situation that's already been put out there by a number of people, including someone [whose name I forgot] is the latest ESPNmag. How is it that Larry Brown (who we’ve discussed) abandons a lucrative, guaranteed contract in Detroit with his reputation intact while T.O. is vilified for trying to improve an unfair deal? His deal might look nice on paper but if you look at the guaranteed money and the yearly salary towards the early years it’s criminal. This is the guy who made a miraculous comeback (against medical advice) to keep the Eagles in the Super Bowl, but he is being criticized by Philly fans as selfish (I’m not saying his actions were completely self-less, but show a little appreciation). Also, isn’t T.O. working hard in camp while Brian Westbrook and a number of others are holding out? I think the real enemy here is the NFL’s CBA, which expires in 2008. Outside of signing-bonus money, which is prorated over the length of the contract, nothing is guaranteed, and a player can essentially be cut before any season with a minimal cap hit. If a contract is unfair, the only weapon a player has is to hold out, while the team can simply cut him. Last time I checked, don’t both parties sign the contract? Also, in reference to the Larry Brown vs. T.O. handling by the public and media, do I think race is involved: YES.

HOCKEY: It's fun seeing all these big name players move (Forsberg to PHI, Thrashers sign Bobby Holik!), but I think when the season starts, I still won't care.....

posted by -dig- @ 1:17 AM