Is there an A-Rod jinx?

[Ishoutandscream]

I know that it is early in the season, but bear with me for a moment. A-Rod played for Texas the past three seasons, and by the time the Rangers finished their 19 game start with AL west teams in the last couple of years, the Rangers were essentially out of the race. The Rangers have just completed this tough stretch of their schedule, and they are 11-8 and tied for first. Now I know they will not win the west, and they will falter. But this is far and away an incredible start for such a young and upstart team.

I believe also during A-Rod's first season with Texas, the Mariners broke the single season mark for most victories. Now, A-Rod is a Yankee, and the Red Sox have just dealt a great psychological blow to the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees are off to a terrible start, and who knows what fate has planned for their season.

I know it's early, and ghosts do exist in Yankee Stadium. But could there be a new curse - the A-Rod curse. Something to think about.

[tsakshaug]

1. we can only hope

wait and see. hope and pray there is

[wysimdnwyg]

2. Pleeezzzzeeeee

PLEASE, let there be an A-Rod curse!!!!

[MissMillie]

11. lol... oh the irony

still gotta break that other nasty curse though.

[findyouranswers]

3. A-Rod can be the new goat

If there is a baseball God, he is finally smiling down on those of us baseball fans who believe there should be more to the sport than buying championships.

May the Yankees fail miserably and laughably for the months to come.

[sniffa]

4. the grady LittLe curse

i cast a curse on the yankees after the ALCS. the yankees wiLL never win a worLd series untiL the red sox do.

[jobycom]

5. I've been trying to tell people-- and it's not a jinx

A-Rod is one of those types of people who bring everyone down without anyone realizing he is doing it. Hershel Walker was the same way. Both decent folk (Hershel was a saint), but both the same type of person.

They do something in the clubhouse that introduces a note of strife, a note of doubt. With Walker, he used to say things like "Tony Dorsett is a great running back, and I'm honored to be on the same field with him-- even if he slows us down." Okay, not that obvious, but that's the effect he had. He sounded optimistic, but still divided.

A-Rod is the same way. Seattle got better without him. The Rangers will get better without him. The Yankees will struggle with him. They may overcome him, because of who they are, and the experience and talent on their team. But he will hold them back. How far back is the question, of course, since the Yankees can win the World Series and still not play to their full potential.

Although, in his defense, he's just gone from a little pond where he was the undisputed kingfish to an ocean where all the other fish are as good as him, and where the fans and his teammates will not cut him any slack. That may take a bit of adjusting to.

[Ishoutandscream]

7. Yes, he's now in New York

and it won't take long for the media there to crucify him. And to get off topic for a second - does Eli Manning know what the hell he's getting into by "choosing" New York over San Diego?

[jobycom]

12. maybe

Archie's in media, now, and pretty savvy. I'm not saying it was a good move. Neither team looked like they had anything to offer last year. And i don't see how Eli is any better than Rivers. Or better than Collins, for that matter. Dumb trade for NY, great move for San Diego. Well, it would be, if SD had any interest in playing football, anyway.

[Ishoutandscream]

14. Agreed. New York gave up too much for Eli.

I really kind of feel sorry for the kid. I hope he will be able to handle the environment in New York. Plus the fact that he will have to live up to Peyton, and to a lesser extent, his dad Archie.

[Sandpiper]

16. If Eli thinks the fans in Indy are tough on Peyton

When he folds in the playoffs, wait till he craps out in his first big game in the big apple.

[Sandpiper]

6. The Yankee's struggles have little to do with an A-Rod curse

And much to do with losing Pettite and Clemens to the Astros. Pitching wins championships.

[Ishoutandscream]

9. I know, and you're absolutely right

Steinbrenner has taken the old Tom Hicks approach - load up on big hitters at the expense of pitching. But it is kind of funny that A-Rod is once again playing with a currently struggling baseball team.

[tsakshaug]

8. Whatever it is

It sure has been fun to watch baseball the past two weekends.
the question is who is George going to fire? or who is he going to buy?

Question 1 answer? mattingly?

[Ishoutandscream]

10. Didn't George just re-sign Torre to a multi-year deal?

nt

[Teddy_Salad]

19. No it hasn't!

Watching baseball the past two weekends has sucked! Big Time! :cry: :crazy:

Hey, I know it's a rumor but there has been talk in NY of a straight up swap betwen the Yanks and the A's.
Giambi for Tim Hudson.

I'd do it. Hudson couldn't be 'hitting' any worse than Giambi right now.

[Bertha Venation]

13. I don't know, but here's my tuppence

big-money ballplayers who whore their skills out to the highest bidder are among the lowest forms of life. I don't much care what happens to the teams stupid enough to pay the kind of money they demand. It's bad for the game.

[northzax]

17. why should big name ball players be any different?

I personally whore my consulting skills out to the highest bidder all the time. does that make me among the lowest forms of life? If it is legal for me to work for them, and they will treat me and my work with the respect it is due, then I'm for sale. Isn't everyone for sale to the higest bidder, in the long run? You may take less money for better working condition, or more time with your family, but the employer who offers you the best overall deal is oging to get you, if you make a rational choice. Why should an athelete be any different?

When, by the way, is the last time you turned down a raise? told your boss you weren't worth the extra money? That's what you're asking them to do.

[Bertha Venation]

18. We're talking about two different things, northzax.

You and I aren't star ballplayers. We don't have household names; we can't get multi-million dollar endorsement contracts from twenty different companies in addition to our outrageous salaries.

Nor does it affect our industries adversely when you or I receive raises or bonuses.

[northzax]

20. they aren't different things at all

sure, I'm not making ten million dollars a year, but it's the same principle.

And yes, if some company hires me and pays me too much, it affects their bottom line, right? They hire me because they believe they will get their money's worth from my services. If they don't it adversely affects their bottom line. If every consultant in the industry is overpaid, it adversely affects the entire industry. Pro sports are private entitities, they can enter into any contracts they wish. If they fail to produce a product people want, they fail, (hey, whatever happened to that WUSA thing, anyway? and has anyone seen a nhl game on TV lately?) CBS and FOX pay the NFL billions of dollars a year for the right to show the games on TV. Football teams make absurd amounts of money, as do most baseball teams, why shoudn't they then pay their employees commensurate to their financial benefit to the company? If Steinbrenner thinks that signing A-Rod to a 25 million dollar a year deal (yeah, yeah, he didn't sign it, but he traded for it) will make him 26 million dollars a year, then it's a good move. I don't think it will work out, but then I don't have six world series rings, either.

[Sandpiper]

21. It's simple economics

People are going to seek the best compensation available for the service they provide.

Some people seem to lose all sense of rationality when it comes to professional athletes.

[Bertha Venation]

23. ooh, I love being some people and losing my rationality

:eyes:

[Sandpiper]

24. Roll your eyes all you want

But why is a professional athlete a whore for wanting to negotiate the best salary possible for their services?

Is a school teacher a whore if s/he leaves their current job to work for a school district that pays more?

[Bertha Venation]

25. for chrissakes

No.

I give up.

[Bertha Venation]

22. Okay. Here's my bottom line.

I'm not talking about the economics of Major League Baseball as it affects the owners. I'm talking about fans. When I go to a game and have to spend twenty times what I did twenty years ago, just to enjoy myself in the same way -- and that's after I've paid for my ticket and parking -- something's wrong.

I'm not an economist, but no one can tell me that middle-class families having to mortgage their homes to enjoy a night at the ball game has nothing to do with multi-million dollar contracts.

If I had time I would lay out the point I meant to make in my "my tuppence" post. If I'd done that clearly at the outset, I doubt we'd've run into this diversion.

[Raven]

15. YES!!!!!!!

Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,
Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,

Please God, YES!!!!! :bounce: