Spring training! ... It's... Uhhh... Well... It's really just the worst. It's especially bad heading into a season like this, when almost every positive or negative analysis of a situation - from Michael Saunders looking competent to Adam Moore's injury - gets tagged with a variation of the phrase "...not that it really matters anyway, this team's not going to be that good regardless." So instead of dwelling on through meaningless games in anticipation of a likely meaningless season, I thought it'd be fun to think happy thoughts about the past. Happy thoughts!

While listening to the most recent Lookout Landing Podcast, a thought came to mind. Jeff and Mathew were discussing how it wasn't enjoyable to watch Jamie Moyer pitch. Which naturally got me thinking about Cliff Lee. (My mind works "naturally" in odd ways.)

During his short stint with the Mariners, Cliff Lee was the most enjoyable pitcher to watch that I've ever come across. Felix is awesome. Randy was awesome. But Cliff Lee trumps them. In fact, I don't think it was very close. Lee's combination of quick pitching, great stuff, and pinpoint control was a thing of beauty in his short time with the Mariners. The control is what I remember most vividly.

In my memory, he could throw it exactly where he wanted to during those few months in 2010. His control was unreal. But my sports memory (and memory in general) doesn't always jive with reality, so I figured I'd check to make sure.

My notion was that Cliff Lee was better than umpires this year. The comment has often been made in the past (at least before last season) that when Ichiro strikes out looking the umpire was probably wrong. Well the way I remembered it, the umpire always being wrong when Cliff Lee walked a guy during his Mariners stint.

Alas, It turns out I was wrong.

He walked one guy.

One.

Official statistics tell us Cliff Lee walked six batters during his 13 starts as a Mariner. Or rather he was credited with walking six batters. In fact, most of those were on account of umpire error.

To the PitchFX!

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Apparently the Pacers are in the mix for Shane Battier. According to NBA.com's David Aldridge it's between the Pacers, Heat, Griz, and Raptors.

Link. (For some reason the actual original blog isn't loading on my CPU, but it's Aldridge and it's NBA.com, so it's legit.)

It's interesting to hear this because I've not heard Battier's name connected to the Pacers at all until now. That said, I'd be all for it. I would MUCH rather spend cap room on Battier than Jamal Crawford. Batter makes much more sense for the team as it's assembled, providing a perfect backup for Granger at SF. He'd bring defensive intensity and 3-point shooting in addition to his lauded reputation as a good character/locker room guy.

While the Heat are the clear front-runners to get Battier's services, the idea that we're there's a chance is exciting.

There's a season! You know what that means? Player movement!

Let's all make wild (but hopefully somewhat rational) speculations about what the Pacers should do in constructing this year's team. Then we can subsequently tell each other how wrong we are.

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Things to keep in mind:

*The cap is $58 million. (There is no way the Pacers are going over this.)

*The Pacers currently are on the books for $37 mil next year.

*Teams are now forced to spend 85% of the salary cap ($47.6 mil).

*The amnesty waiver bidding. Other teams get rid of their awful contracts, and team under the cap (that's us) can bid for their services (then be on the hook for that much salary per/year). If you say you want to pick up a likely amnesty guy, it'd be better if you say how much you figure to bid.

*Try to keep it within the realm of possibility. Ex. The Celtics aren't trading Rondo for Collision and Hansbrough, but they may trade him for other pieces.

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Have at it.

Hawaii.  When I saw the addition of that game in B.C. a while back I thought, "Oh, that's a cool setting and an easy win."  I'm not so certain about the easy win anymore. 

You see,I recently stayed up and watched all 24+ hours of ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon and blogged about it for NBADraft.net (if you like to see a man descend into insanity, you can relive it here: http://www.nbadraft.net/ncaa-hoops-tip-marathon-chat). While the story of the marathon was KEVIN PANGOS, the team I was most surprised by was Hawaii.  They have a lot of players I really took a shining to.  Considering most of you sane folk were probably resting your weary eyes at the time, Here's an abbreviated breakdown by someone who hasn't had enough sleep this week...

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Once again the time has come for the Lady Zags to start their season.  Last year was a monumental success, but for many it’s always hard to maintain interest in women’s hoops before the NCAA Tourney.  Head coach Kelly Graves has done a magnificent job building a program, but it may be hard to keep the student body’s interest after losing a once-in-a-generation player like Courtney Vandersloot and still having a walk-over WCC schedule.   So what can help spell tepidity and get The Kennel rocking for Lady Zags games?  A gimmick.  Students of Gonzaga, it’s time for the the Graves-yard.

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I thought it might be good to create a kind of open thread so that there aren't 30,000 FanPosts with each user posting their own ideal draft scenario.

A couple rules (or more accurately guidelines I'd like people to follow, since really I can't control what you post) to keep things realistic:

1. Let's avoid pick trades.  Yes trades happen, but putting them in a mock is just dumb.  The NFL is too crazy to predict like that and people very rarely make fair pick trades in mocks.  More likely than not these will be the picks.  Use that framework.  If you'd like them to trade down, just mention it in a "but since these are the picks they have, I'd take..." manner.

2.  Know projected value. Example: Prince Amukamara isn't suddenly going to fall to the Broncos 2nd round pick.  Look at more professional mocks for a guideline.  If a guy is being mocked to be gone 10+ picks earlier than the Broncos the slot, don't put them there.

3. No pressure to pick rounds 6 & 7.  By all means feel free, but if you have any real knowledge about what will happen in those rounds (especially at this point), you should be getting paid to do this stuff.

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Michigan State just lost their 3rd game.  The general reaction - They've tough schedule, but they are talented and get it together.  Even with 2 losses they were a Top 10 team, so they'll probably be ranked in the teens even after dropping their 3rd.

Gonzaga lost their 3rd game on Saturday.  The general reaction - THE SKY IS FALLING!  THIS TEAM IS HORRIBLE, AND THIS IS THE YEAR IT ALL FALLS APART FOR THEM.  After 2 losses they were ranked in one poll, and now it's a joke that they're even receiving votes.

What's the difference so far between the two teams losses?  Well, Michigan State has lost to slightly better teams and weren't blown out in 2 of their losses, only 1.  Really in the big scope of things there's not a massive difference.

You know how many bad losses we have so far?  Zero.  We weren't even the favorites in 2 of the 3 losses.

Things to remember:

There's still no team as talented as the Zags in the WCC.

The WCC seems worse than usual.

Elias Harris was a non-factor until the first half of the Illinois game.  He can only get better from here.

The rotation right now includes 4 guys who are in their first year playing with the Zags.  They'll grow.

Just saying.

Looking at the majority of FanPosts and the like, I see a clear trend in people posting stories on why we shouldn't be upset, how we're really much better, and how we shouldn't think thoughts of panic. Clearly these type of posts are only be the inclination is to be filled with gloom at the moment. If not why would these posts exist at all?

Now I pose the following, when do we get concerned? I'm not saying go jump of a building because the team is in disarray, but I'm getting worried. Now there are plenty aspects with the team that have been impressive this year. I for one did not expect this level of defensive toughness or for the passing game to put up this yardage. On the other hand, the running game has been abysmal and the defense hasn't been as stout to close out games.

However, more concerning is this:

4-12.

Over our last season's worth of games (16 for those who are bad at math) our record is 4-12. Over that time the only teams in the league with a worse records is the Lions at 2-14 (the Rams are also 4-12 over that period). Now some will claim this isn't important since it includes the previous season, but I think it matters. So many people tout the "culture of winning" as something that a coach and a team must build, and I fear that losing might becoming ingrained in the mind of the Broncos. I worried at what point losing stops becoming a trend and becomes a habit.

Now we should bounce back and pick up a W next week versus the Raiders. Then again, each of the past three years we've lost a game where we were "supposed" to beat the Raiders. And overall our schedule from here on out doesn't look daunting. The Broncos could win the West still.

But at what point should we get concerned?

[From the FanPosts, love this post and all of the comments so far from SethGrandpa so I'm bumping it up to gather more opinions. Rumors are flying so opinions may vary a few times before the draft tomorrow. Time to add my comment. -TL]

Since everything else is fairly specific right now, I thought I'd throw this thread up so that people can toss out their thoughts as the draft approaches.  Think of it as a more "open thread" as opposed to discussing specifics of rumored trades.

Where's your head at as a Pacer fan right now?  Are there guys you've warmed to the possibility of taking?  Are you in the "we must trade the pick for a PG" camp?  Just basically use this as the spillover to place your thoughts (not wild trade speculations) that don't fit elsewhere.

I'll start...

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Hello all.  I'm new here and there's a reason for that.

I want to go all-in on the Sabres.

I hail from Billings, MT and went to undergrad at Gonzaga in Washington state.  Partially because of these geographical proclivities I've never really developed a connection with an NHL club (though I do sport the odd Mariners, Broncos, Pacers triumvirate of fandom in the other major sports).  When I was little I kind of liked the Rangers, but that's mainly because they had Gretzky and who doesn't want to play with the Rangers when firing up Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey '98 on the N64?  But really, I tended more towards cheering for the underdogs come playoff time.  I remember being furious and devastated when "The Goal That Shall Not Be Named" happened in the 1999 Finals for example. 

Anyway, I've decided since I've causally always cheered for the Sabres for years, and since I'm moving to Syracuse in July, I would attempt to commit myself to them.  Some may scoff at this as phony, but I'm serious.  I get hardcore about my sports teams and I really want the Sabres to be my NHL squad.  The problem is that "hardcore" element, because really I don't know a lot about the squad as it's currently assembled.  I mean I know the "no frickin' duh" stuff like - Ryan Miller is really good.  But come on.

That's where I'm hoping you diehards might come in.

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[From the FanPosts, Seth takes a nice pre-pre-draft camp, pre-workouts look at the Pacers' draft options with the 10th pick. -TL]

To nobody's surprise here the Pacers are again - outside the playoffs and without a good lotto pick.  Weak.

There's no sense to wallow in our misery anymore (though I will - I'm highly illogical), so why not discuss who each of us initially want the Pacers to pick?  This draft is pretty decent talent wise for the middling picks, so there are lots of options.

I suppose we should start out with who we aren't getting.  Barring a Granger like multi-organizational brain shortage these guys aren't going to be available, so just don't talk about them:

John Wall
Evan Turner
Derek Favors
Wesley Johnson
DeMarcus Cousins
Greg Monroe
Al-Farouq Aminu (Though he certainly doesn't compare to the talents listed above.)

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[From the FanPosts, SethGrandpa taps into a common issue facing Pacers' fans these days. -TL]

Everytime I check the Pacers score and see that they won, I get disheartened.

It's been like this for the past few years.

The team needs to lose.  That sucks.  It's a symptom of a broken system the NBA has created and is dragging its fans through.

The Pacers need to lose because they need a high draft pick.  They need a player who can be a franchise savior.  They need a Derrick Rose, a Kevin Durant, heck, they'd even settle for a Stephen Curry.  It's the only way to drag them out of their current hole.  But why is this the case?

It boils down to this - Indiana is not a destination franchise.  The term destination franchise refers to a place that appeals to the top-tier of free agents - the guys who can either be the best or second best player on a title contending team.  These destinations include big markets (New York, Chicago, L.A.), states with huge tax breaks (Florida and Texas), and possibly even places where it never snows (Pheonix).  To put it simply, there isn't anything appealing to free agents about a place like Indiana.  They won't get media coverage, tax breaks, or consistently warm weather.  Because of this truth, the only way Indiana can drastically improve its club is to hit big on a draft pick or swindle a team in a trade (as was the case in the trades that brought back Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, and Brad Miller).  Considering none of those types of trades have happened under the current regime's watch, that pretty much only leaves the draft.

Over the past few years the Pacers have done the one thing you cannot do as a non-destination franchise - they've barely missed the playoffs.  While logically it would seem to be a good thing to at least be mildly competitive, getting stuck in this niche is a franchise killer.  By finishing just shy of the playoffs, players do not get valuable postseason experience and the team has what essentially boils down to a zero chance of picking high. 

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So let's be realistic, whether you like the reasons why or not, Brandon Marshall has probably played his last game in Denver.  He doesn't get along with the coach and the coach isn't going anywhere (at least not this year).  Assuming the men in charge of the Broncos are intelligent, he'll be tendered the restricted free agent money and then they will begin to shop him for the 1st and 3rd round pick that such a player would bring back (mandated by league rules).

So that leads to the question: Which teams would possibly be willing to pay that fairly hefty price tag for a troubled, but Pro Bowl caliber wide receiver?  Well let's play the elimination game and find Brandon a new home!

Note before we begin:  This is only looking at teams that could give the Broncos a first rounder THIS year.  For the sake of argument and analysis it is a lot easier to look at it from that perspective.  It avoids opening a proverbial Pandora's Box of new possibilities with future picks.

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Because...

A) I love lists.

B) I love looking at other people's lists.

C) No one's posted one of these yet and we're running out of the properly do so.

D) We've done these before and it's been fun.

E) I believe it's a big enough topic that it requires it's own post (sorry if I'm besmirching new OT rules).

So what are your favorite albums, movies, books, ect. of this year or the past 10?

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I'll start things off with my completely biased music picks...

Top 10 Albums of 00s

1. Deja Entendu - Brand New

2. American Idiot - Green Day

3. The Body, The Blood, The Machine - The Thermals

4. Reinventing Axl Rose - Against Me!

5. Highly Refined Pirates - Minus the Bear

6. Control - Pedro the Lion

7. Relationship Of Command - At The Drive-In

8. Stay What You Are - Saves the Day

9. Nightmare Of You - Nightmare Of You

10. With Love And Squalor - We Are Scientists

(I actually took this list to 50...but I'll spare you)

Top Albums of 2009

1. Hospice - The Antlers

2. Daisy - Brand New

3. Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band - Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band

4. Actor - St. Vincent

5. Yes! - k-os

6. Never Better - P.O.S.

7. Now We Can See - The Thermals

8. Sainthood - Tegan & Sara

9. Mean Everything To Nothing - Manchester Orchestra

10. Mama, I'm Swollen - Cursive

Top 10 Songs of 2009

1. "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" - k-os

2. "Two" - The Antlers

3. "Going On A Hunt" - Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band

4. "Vices" - Brand New

5. "I Let It Go" - The Thermals

6. "The Strangers" - St. Vincent

7. "From the Hips" - Cursive

8. "Hell" - Tegan and Sara

9. "A Little Bit of Red" - Serena Ryder

10. "Satellite Heart" - Anya Marina