The All-Star weekend is a good indicator of the apathy that surrounds the game. In the events of the weekend, including the dunk contest and three-point shootout, many of the stars of the game were missing. Now I understand that no player is obligated to participate in any of the events offered, but without the representation of the stars the game will continue to suffer.
The apathy is clearest in the dunk contest. Last year Vince Carter put on an unbelievable show en route to winning the contest. A central figure on Sportscenter, Carter lived up to his billing as the game's most exciting player, and that contest was the central focus of the weekend.
This year, the story was different. The contestants in the dunk contest-Baron Davis, Jonathan Bender, Corey Maggette, Desmond Mason, DeShaun Stevenson and Stromile Swift-read like a b-list of NBA players. Mason won the contest, but none of his dunks-or any dunks by the others for that matter-were spectacular. In years past, the dunk contest has been the pinnacle event of the weekend, with the memorable duels of Michael Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins and the astounding skills of five-foot-seven Spud Webb standing out, but this year it experienced many of the same problems that have confounded the NBA as a whole.
Even with the outcome of the All-Star game the NBA found a way to lose. The game MVP Allen Iverson has been under criticism from the league for his homophobic statements on his rap album and during a game. The boost that a good game gave the league will likely be negated by backlash against Iverson.
MLB division preview: NL West
This is the first installment in a seven-week series analyzing the divisions of major league baseball. I will preview each one of the divisions and then, in the seventh week, make predictions about the playoffs and major postseason awards.
San Francisco Giants (First Place, 2000)
Last year the winner of the west was the San Francisco Giants. Behind the offense led by league MVP Jeff Kent, Barry Bonds and Ellis Burks, the Giants compiled the best record in the league with 97 wins. This year the Giants, who are under the financial constraints that come with a small-market team, should not expect to do as well. It should be expected that two of the keys to the success of the team in 2000 will not be repeated.
Burks signed with the Cleveland Indians during the offseason, and he was a crucial part of the offense. He did miss a large amount of time due to constant knee injuries, but when he was in the lineup, the Giants were an exceptional team.
The second area in which the Giants can expect to decline is their bullpen. Last year Robb Nen made a serious run at the NL Cy Young award, a rare feat for a relief pitcher. He had a career-high 41 saves and was nearly unhittable in the second half of the season. Felix Rodriguez-the Giants' best eighth-inning pitcher-was nearly as good late in the season, so the Giants were effectively able to shorten the opposing team's opportunities to score runs. Similar production from that pair is unlikely this year, just because that level of excellence is rarely repeated, so expect the Giants to lose a few more games due to their bullpen this year.
Los Angeles Dodgers (Second Place, 2000)
Next up in the NL West are the Los Angeles Dodgers. This year there will be intense pressure put on the team to justify their high payroll, and added pressure will be put on star players Shawn Green, Kevin Brown and Gary Sheffield. Brown and Sheffield continued their dominant play, and both have continued to justify their enormous contracts. Green is a different story.
After having a breakout season in 1999, Green was traded to the Dodgers, signed a huge contract and promptly took a major step back towards mediocrity. The Dodgers will need increased production from Green-which I do expect-if they wish to improve on last year's 86 wins.
The Dodgers' pitching staff should continue to improve, but if they falter early, there will be much talk about their contracts. Darren Dreifort-a pitcher with a career win-loss record under .500-signed a five-year deal worth over $50 million, and he will be expected to increase his production. Expect the Dodgers to improve, largely based on their starting pitching.
Arizona Diamondbacks(Third Place, 2000)
Next up in the west are the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs are a team built around old players, but they may have enough life left in them to cobble together another playoff run.
The real strength of the team lies in their two dominant starting pitchers, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. Johnson-the Cy Young winner last year-is the most intimidating pitcher in the major leagues. Left-handed batters have very little chance of doing anything productive against him, and often they are not included in the lineup. Schilling, who was acquired in a late-season deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, is a workhorse at the top of the rotation, and the D-Backs will benefit by having him for a full season.
The lineup is getting older and should continue its' downward spiral. Matt Williams, who when healthy is the best hitter on the team, has a lower back problem. Mark Grace-an offseason acquisition-will not provide much power from the first base position. Only Steve Finley continues to play at an elite level despite entering middle age.
Expect the D-Backs to fall further in the standings this year, precipitating major changes in the next offseason.
Colorado Rockies (Fourth Place, 2000)
The Colorado Rockies are the next team in the division, and they made the most moves in the offseason to improve their team. Last year the Rockies changed their philosophy, deciding to try to make the team less centered around the home run. The philosophy worked for the most part, but it didn't help the pitching. In the offseason they addressed that matter.
The Rockies added two established pitchers in Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle. I expect Hampton to play well in Colorado, but Neagle might be horrific. The basic difference between the two is that Hampton is a groundball pitcher-he will be less affected by the thin mile-high air-and Neagle is a fly ball pitcher. In Coors Field, the Rockies home stadium, expect Neagle to allow a ridiculous number of home runs, while we should see little difference from Hampton.
Todd Helton led the Rockies offense last year, narrowly missing the triple crown and flirting with .400 throughout much of the season, but he will need more help from oft-injured Larry Walker and Jeff Cirillo.
The Rockies will improve this season, but until we see how Neagle adapts to the new ballpark, we don't know by just how much that will be.
San Diego Padres (Fifth Place, 2000)
Finally, the San Diego Padres round out the division. Last year the Padres were the only team in the division to finish below .500, and they will likely hover around that same mark this year.
The Padres' starting pitching is solid but unspectacular. All five of their starters have the potential to win 10 games or more, but it is unlikely that all of them will perform at that level.
In the offseason the Padres narrowly avoided a publicity disaster when they resigned Tony Gwynn. Gwynn was one of the best hitters in the NL, but recently old age and injuries have caught up with him.
The brightest star for the Padres last year-sluggin' third baseman Phil Nevin-may end up with another team by the end of spring training. Nevin, by present standards, is vastly underpaid and can command a high trade value. The Padres have Sean Burroughs-former Little League World Series star and a top prospect-at third base, and they may trade Nevin and let Burroughs play.
Unfortunately for the team, it is likely that the decision at third base may be the most exciting event of the season. The Padres have the potential to be a good team in a few years, but don't expect major strides this year.