Passed Ball Show

12-28-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by talking about the risks professional sports teams on the rise have when they make a big time move in season for a big time player. John discusses some pros and cons of a Ben Simmons trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers and questions whether a trade can disrupt the chemistry the team has already put together. John makes the statement he has made multiple times regarding Miami Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores- he is a very good coach. He was still a very good coach when the team was 1-7. John gives some reasons why Flores earned his keep even before the team ran off seven consecutive victories this year. John then talks about Baseball’s Antitrust Exemption and why it may be time to allow the Federal Government to intervene. That and the second “Howard Cosell this day in sports history segment.”

12-27-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by discussing the John Madden documentary and questioning whether this is the last we may ever hear from him. John talks about how Madden mastered three major talents over the course of the last 55 years and has lived the life of lives. John then talks about the situation in professional sports and how teams are being compromised because of the coronavirus. This could potentially be the difference in who wins a championship and who loses and John makes a comparison to World War II and the World Series played during those years. Finally, John asks the open ended question of Are You What Your Record Says It Is? He questions whether a coach is bad, simply because of their record. It is a fair question as a coach has to own their record regardless of the amount of talent the team has. John then introduces his first “This Day in Sports History” Segment hosted, badly he must add, by the legendary Howard Cosell.

12/22/2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by asking the viewers/ listeners what they suggest to best assure a quality NFL Quarterback is under center almost all the time. John then gives multiple reasons of why Tony Gwynn should retain his earned status as one of the greatest offensive position players of all time. John cites his on base percentage and rank within the game while he played as a couple softer reasons. He then talks about double plays, strikeouts, and base hits to finish off his points about Gwynn. Then, he suggests the NFL put an active developmental league to play at the same time as the NFL teams do (perhaps Tuesday and Wednesday games). This would keep solid quarterbacks fresher for use when injury/ coronavirus hits. He finishes off by taking another shot at the NFL for Colin Kaepernick not playing in one game over the past two COVID impacted seasons.

12/20/2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by explaining why there is a lack of continuity when it comes to the two New York Pro Football teams. Losing teams change their coach every two seasons, losing teams change their coach or GM without changing the other, losing teams refuse to commit themselves to the same quarterback and coach during troubling times. John explains why all have hurt the Giants and Jets and what else can be done to change the teams’ fortune. John then talks about the NFL, NBA, and NHL postponing games just like they said they would not do. John makes a suggestion as to what could be done to make sure games continue to be played during positive cases and outbreaks. Finally, John takes a little time to reorder the Quarterbacks of the 2012 draft. Once owned by Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin, III, the top three QB’s in that draft are all none of the above.

12-18-2021 Passed Ball Show. John spends this program talking about the many tentacles sticking out of the still fresh firing of Urban Meyer by the Jacksonville Jaguars. John questions whether or not Urban ever wanted the job or whether he just took it because of the money. He was not fired because the Jaguars were 2-11 this season; a coaching staff of Curly Lambeau, Knute Rockne, Vince Lombardi, George Halas, and Bill Belichick could not turn this group of players into a winner in one season. John probes the not spoken about angle of whether Meyer ever wanted this job in the first place, comparing it to the Boston Red Sox hiring of Bobby Valentine in 2012. Both moves in hindsight should not have been made. John questions whether money was the determining factor in both hirings and compares that to when players make a decision to take the extra money to play for a team they do not want to play for. Next, John studies the upcoming decision the Mets have when it comes to their next manager. John calls it a win/ win (for himself). If the Mets hire Buck Showalter, they will be hiring the most intelligent baseball person he has ever met, and after declaring Buck Showalter knows way more about baseball that even he knows, he mentions how excited he would be if that were the team's hire. He then asks whether the Mets increase in their analytics department could lean to a decision to hire either Matt Quatraro or Joe Espada as opposed to Showalter. Yes, Buck understands and cares about analytics, but John questions whether the Mets (or any other MLB team in this day and time) want to hire a manager that could pose a threat to the data that every MLB team has invested itself in. A hiring of either of the latter two candidates would be a victory for John, who claims that teams view its manager as nothing more than a figurehead, one who simply implements the plan of the front office and its analytics staff, and is responsible for the players being excited and motivated to come to work. All three should be able to check off box three, but the latter two fit the bill when it comes to the "Yes Men" baseball teams are leaning on for their manager. John talks about how a rift between baseball people and analytics could be a problem and cites the issues going on with the Phillies and their baseball people and numbers staff. Finally, John cites the eight times in a Championship Series (World Series, Stanley Cup Final, NBA Final) a team has won after trailing 3-1 in the series.

12-15-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by congratulating Stephen Curry for becoming the NBA's All Time leader in three point shots made. John gets something off of his chest he has been bothered by since Thanksgiving week when he blasts "reporter" Mark Konkol for lying about Matt Nagy being fired as Head Coach of the Chicago Bears after the Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions. John despises those that make up statements for personal promoting. This claim had no base for the beginning and John challenges Mark Konkol's rights to be able to put out a blatant falsity of a report. The Bears will fire Matt Nagy at some point, even if it is not after this season, which is expected. John takes this energy to the NBA and continuous reports that Damian Lillard is going to be traded, all reports that similarly have no merit. John explains that these reports come from the fans posed as media members who simply want this player on their favorite team. The Portland Trail Blazers seem to be building their team around Lillard and do not seem intent on moving him, something that is hard to believe based on all of the false reporting out there. Finally, John chronologizes the history of the three point shot in the NBA and how it has come from non-existent, to a novelty, to the center of the National Basketball Association and why Steph Curry may set a record that may never again be broken.

12-3-2021 Passed Ball Show. John spends some time talking about the history of the MLB players and owners being at odds and makes an interesting comparison to everyday life. John's loyalty to the MLB Players' Union is put to the test as he talks about a couple of things that may not need to be changed as much as has been publicized. John then opens up the Greatest of All Time discussion, stating that the GOAT in a sport should consider the entirety of the sport as opposed to just a specific era. John also adds the importance of position designation in situations when comparing the players is like comparing apples to oranges. He uses scenarios and examples for the four major sports. Finally, John shows some love for Babe Ruth, the inventor of the "Launch Angle" and elevating the baseball. John also explains why Babe Ruth would quickly adapt to the game of baseball the way it is played today.

11-30-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by talking about the upcoming MLB Lockout and some of the reasons for it. He then talks about the pettiness of some of the major issues and declares what side he is on. Are the players and owners close enough when it comes to their disagreement? How long of a lockout should we expect starting at midnight of December 2nd? John then eats a little bit of crow from his initial opinion about the MLB free agent movement. He talks a little about some of the major free agent moves and gives credit to the Mets, Rangers, and Tigers, all of whom were extremely aggressive. He then talks about what is worse, a bad team not making offseason additions or a bad team being aggressive in free agency. Finally, John questions whether it is time for reform when it comes to College Football and its Head Coach hiring process. John speaks about how it sucks for the players who get the short end of the stick when their coach bails on them in-season. John reiterates the reason most of these players choose these schools and suggests a way to keep college football coaches from leaving their school before the end of the regular season.

11-23-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by declaring that no major free agent position player (a player commanding over $150 million over the terms of their next contract) will sign before the owners lock out the players on December 1st. John then explains why. He then brings up the hypocrisy when it comes to the Baseball Hall of Fame and gives reasons why Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and others should finally get their due. John then spends a little bit of time on the Kevin Garnett documentary and brings up two things he did not know before he watched it.

11-22-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by talking about the fallout from the incident during the Detroit Pistons/ Los Angeles Lakers game the day before. He defends LeBron James, who he says deserved to be ejected and likely suspended for striking Isaiah Stewart during a scrum after a foul shot. While James should be held accountable, John states the contact was not deliberate and Stewart's actions following the incident are inexcusable. Prior to this game, few non-Pistons/ University of Washington fans had any idea who Isaiah Stewart and sadly, this moment will be what he will forever be remembered for. John also thinks Stewart will regret the mockery he made during this game, as justifiably mad as he was. Finally, John states that LeBron James, unlike great NBA players before him, has to deal with haters that will use everything that happens with the intent to discredit him. John then talks about how Baker Mayfield should not have been on the field during the team's victory over the Detroit Lions. He is clearly compromised, and even so, did not present himself well during this particular game. John believes he was playing to better position himself for his next contract extension, but he feels he is better off resting, definitely during this game against the Lions where they could have won without him. John next brings up the New York Yankees and makes it clear that there is no longer an armored car full of money for the Yankees to spend in the offseason and reiterates his earlier points that Hal Steinbrenner is (and will) forc(ing) General Manager Brian Cashman to be more creative when it comes to the team's plan. Does it mean the team is out on the major free agent pieces? John says maybe and he certainly does not predict a Mark Teixeira/ CC Sabathia/ AJ Burnett type of offseason ala 2008