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The 28th season of indoor pro lacrosse begins Dec. 28 with a Vancouver entry for the first time in 10 years and a novel new collective bargaining agreement. Players have accepted a two-year pay freeze even though schedules have increased from 16 games to 18, and lineups have decreased from 20 to 18. So, how did the new seven-year CBA come to pass? "We were concerned with the financial stability of the league," said Edmonton Rush captain Chris Corbeil, who took part in every bargaining session. "We realize a lot of teams are struggling to stay in business and as players we want to see the league survive so were able to play lacrosse for years to come." Steve Govett, the Colorado Mammoth president who chairs the NLL board of governors, lauds the players co-operation in ensuring the leagues stability. "We feel like the NLL has turned a corner," Govett said. "Our focus (in CBA talks) had to be on creating positive momentum for all of our teams and to show the viability of our league to potential new partners for expansion, for television and for sponsorships. We had to reduce costs without damaging the product." The Rochester Knighthawks, Toronto Rock, Philadelphia Wings, Buffalo Bandits and Minnesota Swarm, who move over from the West, make up the new East division, while the Edmonton Rush, Calgary Roughnecks, Vancouver (formerly Washington) Stealth and Colorado Mammoth represent the West. Six teams, instead of last years eight, will advance to playoffs. Gone are the single-game eliminations of previous years as playoffs will now be two-game sets beginning in the arenas of lower-seeded teams. Division leaders will get first-round byes and await the survivors of playoffs between the second- and third-place teams. If two-game sets are split, mini-games of 10 minutes will decide winners. Reducing active rosters to 18 -- 16 runners and two goalies -- will force in-game adjustments. "That was, for me, one of the toughest pills to swallow," Corbeil said. "Last season we had 10 defencemen -- two five-man units -- and eight forwards for games. Now well be mixing and matching. Guys are going to be double-shifting and sucking wind. Conditioning and stamina are going to play an even bigger role." Salaries range from a $9,207 max for rookies to a $27,217 max for veterans, with an exception for one or two "franchise" players per team wholl get an additional $5,000 for the season. A cost of living raise of 3.5 per cent a year kicks in in 2016. The heightened competition for jobs caused by reduced roster size has combined with the introduction of a salary cap of $400,000 per team to squeeze out some well-known players. A prime example was the release by Colorado of former captain Gavin Prout, 35. "For years, Gavin Prout was synonymous with the Colorado Mammoth," said Govett. "Unfortunately, he is a casualty of the reduced roster size and newly-implemented salary cap of the CBA. "Elements of the agreement made for some incredibly difficult decisions. This was the toughest. With just 16 runners dressing each game, theres a significant emphasis on speed and athleticism. Younger and faster players are the new NLL." Rochester will be seeking a third straight NLL title and that is entirely possible given the return of all significant players, the patient coaching of Mike Hasen, the consistent goaltending of Matt Vinc, a staunch defence led by captain Sid Smith, and the scoring exploits of Cody Jamieson, Dan Dawson, et al. Veteran forward Mike Accursi has retired and accepted an executive role. Others packing it in are Jimmy Quinlan, who passes the Edmonton captains "C" to Chris Corbeil, Torontos Blaine Manning and Cam Woods, Buffalos Mike Hominuck and Jon Harasym, and Colorados Rich Morgan. Casey Powell, the NLLs all-time leading American point-getter, has told the Mammoth hes sitting out for now, and transition speedster Paul Rabil is likewise unavailable to the Wings as some of the best U.S. players appear to be passing on the NLL season to avoid the risk of injury before the world field lacrosse championship in Denver this summer. Some of the most significant personnel changes involve the Bandits. After firing head coach Darris Kilgour, they replaced him with Troy Cordingley, who was let go by Toronto even though he was named coach of the year for helping the Rock to a league-best 10-6 season. Buffalo GM Steve Dietrich traded away future draft picks to get 34-goal shooter Ryan Benesch from Minnesota and tough defenceman Rory Smith from Colorado. One constant in Buffalo, however, is all-time NLL scoring leader John Tavares, 45, who will play his 23rd season in Bandits black and orange. The leagues other golden oldie, 39-year-old John Grant Jr., signed a new four-year contract with Colorado. Grant scored 43 goals last season. In all, there will be only seven players over the age of 35 on green NLL carpets in January as the youth-oriented league gathers momentum into the new season. John Lovell, an assistant under Cordingley, takes over as head coach in Toronto, and Blane Harrison is the new head coach in Philadelphia after GM Johnny Mouradian relinquished that job and promoted Harrison. The youngest and fastest team in the league will undoubtedly be Minnesota, which is blending five 2013 draft picks including No. 1 Logan Schuss and No. 2 Jason Noble into a lineup that already has four 2012 first-rounders. The Dec. 28 openers begin with Philadelphia at Buffalo, Minnesota at Rochester and Edmonton at Colorado. Calgary opens in Toronto on Jan. 3 and Vancouver opens in Colorado on Jan. 4. The NLL could be one lucrative league-wide TV deal away from flourishing and, with more and more all-sports channels starting up, it could happen sooner rather than later. If not, the leagues devoted fans will continue to enjoy some of the lowest ticket prices of any pro sport. "This was an extremely collaborative process, one that we hope will set the stage for the long-term stability and growth of the NLL," Govett said. "By allowing us to focus on fixing our business model, the nine teams will remain dedicated to the cause while attracting new franchise owners to the mix, ultimately replacing jobs that have been lost over time and growing the pie for everyone. "The existing players chose to understand that the sacrifices they are making today, along with owners that have been sacrificing for some time to bring this great game to the public, need to be in unison if the league is to make it to that ever-elusive next level." Nike Roshe Run Flyknit Schweiz . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Nike Roshe Run Flyknit Kaufen . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. http://www.schweizonlineshopch.com/nike-free-run-damen/nike- free-run-2.html . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Nike Free 3.0 v5 Herren Schwarz . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Nike Roshe Run Flyknit . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness.TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips answers three questions each week. This week, topics covered are the Jays declining to make qualifying offers for Josh Johnson and Rajai Davis, the Jays deciding to pick up options on Casey Janssen, Adam Lind and Mark DeRosa but declining to keep Munenori Kawasaki, and if a new hitting coach can make that big a difference. 1) The Jays declined to make qualifying offers for Josh Johnson and Rajai Davis. Was that the right call in both cases - the Jays will get no compensation when they sign elsewhere. The Blue jays did not make a $14.1M qualifying offer to either Josh Johnson or Rajai Davis therefore they will get no compensation for either player if they opt to sign elsewhere. They can still sign the players if they so desire. The Jays decided that the risk of offering either the money is that they would take it. Rajai Davis has visions of getting a multi-year deal from someone who looks at him as a starter. His stolen base numbers (45 of 51) are attractive but his on base percentage is not (.312). As they say, "You cant steal first base." Davis made $2.5M is 2013. He is a decent 4th outfielder on a good team. The Jays made the right decision not to make a qualifying offer to him. If he wants to return to Toronto he may be worth a two-year $5M deal but I would have no interest in anything more than that for him. Josh Johnson made $13.75M in 2013. He was injured half of the season and didnt perform well. He was significantly overpaid considering his 2-8 record and 6,02 ERA. If the Jays had offered Johnson $14.1M for 2014 he would have taken it. Considering his health issues Johnson will most likely be looking at free agent offers that include a base salary in the $6M range with incentives to earn more if he stays healthy. The Jays should not try to resign Johnson for any price. He is too unpredictable. That is the last thing Toronto needs again is uncertainty in its rotation. In their division the jays need bang for their bucks. They cant afford to have dollars wasting away on the DL and they had a bunch of that this past season. Of course, things happen and players get hurt. But if you sign Johnson you have to expect that he will not make 33 starts for you. That just doesnt work. So, yes, it is a bummer that the Jays wont get compensation for either guy but it is the nature of the beast in baseball today. 2) The Jays decided to pick up options on Janssen, Lind and DeRosa but declined to keep Kawasaki. Do you like those decisions? (many fans wanted to keep the younger and enthusiastic Kawasaki). I absolutely agree with all of these decisions. Casey Janssen had a terrific season. He is slated to make $4M in 2104. That is an absolute bargain for a closer that was 4-1with a 2.58 ERA who converted 34 of 36 save opportunities. Whether the Jays want to keep Janssen or trade him he is a real value to the franchise at that price. Adam Linds salary next season is more than Janssen. He is slated to make $7M. That is a bargain as well, though, for a .288/.357/.497 slash line as well as 23 HR and 67 RBI. Plus being able to have a power bat for one year allows the Jays flexibility with the payroll moving forward. Lind is a trade chip for the Jays if it fits as well. He gives Alex Anthopolous an option to consider moving in a trade for a pitcher. He is affordable power. Small, medium and large market teams alike could have interest in Lind. Mark DeRosa will be 39 in February. He still has value to a team however. He is versatile. He is a quality veteran player who understands his role and is a leader. With a salary of only $750,000 he barely impacts the budget. Although health was an issue last year, DeRosa still had an impact. He is a guy that is good to have around during tough times. He offers stability and perspective gained through his years of experience. There will always be trade interest in a veteran guy like DeRosa There has been some speculation that DeRosa might retire but so far his return to Toronto is likely. I know there are plenty of fans who fell in love with Munenori Kawasaki last season His passion for the game was obvious. He doesnt hit for average or power and doesnt possess any great tool for the game beyond his passion to play. Overall he is short on talent and talent wins in the big leagues. His $1M price tag became too much once the decision to keep DeRosa was made. This doesnt preclude the Jays from signing Kawasaki to a minor league deal and bringing him into camp for a chance to compete however. 3) They Jays hired Kevin Seitzer to be their new hitting coach - the third in three years. The Jays were disappointing .252 hitters last year - can a new hitting coach make that big a difference and what are your impressions of Seitzer in that capacity? I played in the minor leagues against Kevin Seitzer in 1984. I was in Class A with the New York Mets in Columbia, SC and Seitzer played for the Royals Class A team in Charleston, SC. I remember Seitzer as a player almost as much as I remember the swarms of Palmetto bugs at night games and the amazing quarter beer night crowds that came out to the ballpark. Back then Seitzer was a smart player who had a good eye at the plate.dddddddddddd He didnt have much power but he did have quality professional at bats day in and day out. He hit from line to line using the entire field. He walked more than he struck out and was a good situational hitter. He went on to have a solid major league career over a 12-year span. His major league numbers never deviated much from what he showed as a minor leaguer. So why is a guy who had such little power in his own career a good fit for a team full of power hitters? Because he can instill a new fresh perspective and approach. The Jays have been a "grip it and rip it" mentality over the last several years. They have scored their runs via the home run. There is nothing wrong with that but the game offers so many more opportunities to score besides the home run. If hitters make small adjustments in their swing and their approach they can make significant improvements in certain situations. The Jays need to be better at advancing runners with productive outs. Seitzer can help. With a man on second and no one out a batter should be looking to advance the runner to third with a ball hit to the right side of the infield. The Jays of recent past have struck out or popped up too much in those situations. With a man on third and less than two outs hitters need to put the ball in play and drive in a run. The Jays have been too prone to striking out in those situations. The hitters need to think differently and cut down their swings a bit to make more contact. Hitting is more mental than physical at the major league level. When a batter is struggling it is rarely his swing that is the problem. More often than not it is his head that is causing him problems. Players over think or under think. They get caught in between pitches; behind the fastball and in front of the off-speed pitch; unable to hit either. Seitzer will be more of a hitting psychologist than mechanic for the Jays. If they listen to him and make the appropriate adjustments they could lead the league in runs scored. Fair or Foul Baseball fans are in hibernation now. The weather is getting cold and it is the heart of the NHL season. The players and coaches have all returned to their hometowns. They are hunting and fishing and taking vacations with their families. The guys are able to take their kids to school and do many of the husband and dad things that they dont do during the season. They will start getting in shape after Thanksgiving for the 2014 season. As a member of the front office the work never ends. Its 162 games and then the work starts. Alex Anthopolous and his staff dont have an off-season. This is as busy a time of the year as there is in a baseball front office. Anthopolous is reading reports from his Instructional League program in Florida. He is perusing the game reports and scouting reports from Winter Leagues in the Caribbean and Mexico and the Arizona Fall League. He and his staff are evaluating the players on the major league and minor league rosters. He is deciding which players he is going to protect on the roster and which he will not. He is evaluating the arbitration values for the applicable players on his roster. He is negotiating with agents in advance of arbitration to see what deals can be made. Anthopolous is discussing with his minor league director the needs for his AAA team next season, as he will need depth and inventory to compensate for injuries in Toronto. He is negotiating contracts with agents for these non-roster invitees to major league camp. He is analyzing off-season conditioning programs for all of the players with his training and medical staff. He is calculating his payroll budget for next season with ownership. He is studying every team in baseball to identify which clubs the Jays match up with in trades... ... and finally he is deciding what he wants for dinner at the end of this very full day. The job of a general manager is 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. You are on call all the time. If a player needs you then you take the call. If an agent calls you always call back for fear that you could lose out on a deal. If another GM is on the phone you drop all that you are doing just in case he has a trade proposal that could make your team better. Let me correct myself; it is not a job being a general manager. It is a lifestyle. It takes a very understanding family. The demands are never-ending and at times it is all-consuming. I know there are so many of you that would kill to be a GM but just remember it is a job. Like any other job, there are things that you like about it and things that you dislike. I was a GM for the Mets from July 1997 to June of 2003. When people ask me how long I was a GM I joke that I did it for 42 years. It was six years but they were like dog years. I started out with brown hair and ended up with it being almost completely white. I for one would never take a GM job again. The next step would be to lose my hair and I just cant take that chance. So this off-season when you are watching hockey and you have a passing thought of the Blue Jays, please know that Alex Antholopus and his staff are working tirelessly to prepare for next season. Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China cheap jerseys factory ' ' '
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| Beitrag vom 09.03.2016 - 11:26 |
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