What is the definition of a true fan?

Unbelievably loyal?

Die-Hard?

Band-Wagon?

Watch every game on TV or listen on the radio?

Just a sucker?

The Diamondbacks had their largest weekend of the season this last weekend in terms of attendance. Almost 99,000 fans came to see the Dbacks and White Sox. The next highest attended series was the previous interleague series against Minnesota. Is this something to celebrate or cause for concern?

Is Phoenix finally a baseball city? Did the fans wake up and see the Dbacks close to 1st place and decide to show support?

Maybe it's the documented proof of the success of interleague play? For the record, I'm against interleague play but I also accept I'm wrong. Fans have proven me wrong, however, showing through their ticket purchases they want interleague play.

I don't think the ticket sales against Chicago and Minnesota prove either of those two things. I think it's the age old problem in Phoenix. The White Sox fans who have moved to Phoenix bought enough tickets to make this the highest attended series this year. The Twins fans who have moved to Phoenix bought enough tickets to make that series the second highest attended series of the season.

Ted Miller, who blogs about the Pac-12 for ESPN.com, pointed out ASU football plays in front of more empty seats than any other conference team. He connects those empty seats as the main reason why major prospects from the state don't stay in the state.

If you're 17 years old and you go to a game at Auburn, Nebraska, USC and ASU, where are you going to go to school? Without actually saying this, I believe Miller is saying the lack of passion from ASU fans directly leads to mediocre results on the field.

Fans love honesty unless it is negative towards them or their team. I was a rogue voice and a maverick when I called the signing of Eric Byrnes bad for the money. Fans thought I was rebellious when I ripped the hiring of AJ Hinch as manager and went crazy on Suns owner Robert Sarver for not retaining Steve Kerr. I was also told I'm a homer because I don't think Dennis Erickson or Ken Whisenhunt should be fired for their previous seasons. Truth is I just say what I think whether it benefits or stings one of our local teams.

Interestingly enough, if my opinion is anti-fan, I get ripped the most. I can't thank you enough for listening to my show. The more people read my blog the stronger my job security. I wish I could make everyone happy with every opinion I have but that wish is not based in reality. I don't say this to offend but state the reality: your expectations of the DBacks and Sun Devils will never be achieved unless you change.

Your support of the Arizona Cardinals puts instant pressure on them in a positive way. The Cardinals should expect to compete for Super Bowls every year because you are filling the building. They owe you the opportunity to compete for a championship. When the Cardinals struggle your voice should be heard because you are giving them the financial support to succeed.

Although Suns attendance has been down over the last two years, you're undying love of that team makes them an underachiever. You have supported them and there should be more than one trip to the finals every 20 years.

The Diamondbacks, Coyotes and Sun Devils are completely different. Why would a free agent/recruit want to play in front of empty seats or a wealthy individual buy a team that can't sell a winner?

The DBacks have won more division championships in a shorter amount of time than any other franchise in MLB history. Fans, however, say they don't buy tickets because of color changes and one 100-loss season. The DBacks are a ½ game out of first place. The GM\manager have put a product on the field that wins. The ownership group charges in the bottom 5 in all of MLB for ticket prices but attendance ranks in the bottom third.

The Sun Devils are picked by almost every national magazine to compete for a division championship. With USC not eligible to win the division, the ASU/UofA game could be for the right to play in the first ever Pac-12 championship game. There is significant hype over this year's ASU football team but have you bought season tickets yet? Have you looked into going to a home game?

The Coyotes were in an amazingly fierce battle for any seed, #1-#8 in the Western Conference and ticket sales didn't go up until the last month of the season. Shane Doan is one of the classiest athletes in Phoenix history yet he hasn't swayed 15K people to buy a ticket consistently.

I am in no way telling you where to spend your money. I think you have every right to not buy tickets to local sports teams. I don't think you owe a measly talk-show host an explanation on what you're doing with your money or why you don't go to games. However, by not going, I think you lose the right to complain.

Why yell and scream at Ken Kendrick for not spending the money to get a big contract at the trade deadline when you're not going to the games anyway? If you don't want to hear someone tell you how to spend your money, why demand Kendrick lose money on a big signing?

If local kids like Prince Amukamara go to Nebraska because ASU doesn't draw fans, why blame Dennis Erickson for not having talented kids? He would have the talented kids if you created an impassioned environment.

Judging by the recent history of the Coyotes, do you really blame Jerry Moyes for bailing on Glendale? Don Maloney has pulled off a miracle and the seats are still empty. If Jerry Moyes said he was selling the franchise to a market that cared about the product, explain to me a logical rebuttal.

I might be the sucker here. Growing up in the Midwest where sports is life is probably pretty sick. If I look at it logically, the West Coast attitude of laid-back non-support is smarter and definitely cheaper. I know I'm the one with the problem getting so bent out-of-shape when someone doesn't hit the cut-off man. I'm the one who needs therapy when I question a 1st Quarter play call.

I know you're more grounded in reality than I am. I also know it's no fun to be that way. I think you missed an amazing Coyotes season which makes Maple Leaf fans want to throw-up. I think you're missing a great Diamondbacks season that Twins fans would kill to have. I think you're about to miss a fun ASU season that 20 schools in the SEC and Big 10 would die to have.

Fans have absolutely no responsibility to the teams they support, yet look at the most successful teams: Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Auburn, Alabama, Florida Gators, the Yankees. If you want to win like that, show ownership by showing up. If you can't, I get it, times are tough but times are tough in every American city and other American cities win.

Expectations are directly proportional to attendance and ratings. If you want a Stanley Cup, World Series or Rose Bowl, I'll see you at the game.

I realize we would all take LeBron's paycheck if it meant we had to deal with his "pressure." I think it's insulting to ask people to categorize the pressure James is dealing with versus our military or the firefighters in northeast Arizona. Anyone with a clue understands the point and it's OK to be left unsaid.

Accepting the fact that few of us go through the same pressure as first responders and the military experience, how's it going at work today? Is it a normal day or do you feel a lot more pressure than normal?

If every single person you interact with at work has been looking at you wondering if you're going to do your job, LeBron James knows how you feel. The same thing happened to him Tuesday.

The bigger issue is his Thursday. It's time for him to let Tuesday go. Thursday night LeBron James has the highest challenge of his career. Is he one of the greatest players of all time or is he a mentally weak man?

For thousands of professional athletes, this is an unfair question. Rarely do athletes fail due to mental weakness. Most of them fail just because they weren't the better player that day. Some fail because it takes every ounce of their talent just to make that level of sports and they're just not good enough to succeed at the highest level. Their success is just being there.

It is fair to ask the question when the subject is LeBron. It is a fact that he is one of the most talented basketball players in the history of the game. It is my opinion that he is the most talented player in the history of the game. With that title comes a high level of expectations. It is undeniable he was completely unfocused in Game 4. If he's great, we'll see it Thursday night.

What if we don't see it in Game 5? This is bigger than a talk show host writing a blog. It's bigger than just a good player having a bad series. This is about how history and his co-workers will look at him. Thursday night has short-term and long-term ramifications. If he struggles Thursday night, Miami's title will always be Wade's title. He could only recover by dominating an NBA Finals with an injured Wade sitting out. Mike Miller can score 8 points in an NBA Finals game, James can't get away with those numbers.

As you work, do your co-workers believe in you? Right now, James' do. If Tuesday night happens again in Game 5, they won't. Thursday night will forever forge the opinion his teammates have of him. This is so much more than coming off a bad game. This is James answering the question to his teammates whether he's even in the foxhole with them.

I think James is going to be incredible in Game 5. I think Miami will be incredible. There are hundreds of journalists and talk show hosts questioning James' ego. So many think James' performance is inversely proportional to the success of Wade. I don't see how you come up with that assessment. If James cared to shine on his own at the expense of Wade, he wouldn't be in Miami in the first place.

James could have stayed in Cleveland if he wanted to be a one-man band. If he wanted a little more help but still wanted the entire spotlight, he would have chosen New York after Amare was signed. He said no to both. LeBron James wants to win an NBA Championship with Dwyane Wade, not in spite of him.

There were things on James' mind in Game 4 that we may never learn. His own legacy in the face of Wade wasn't one of them. LeBron James will close out Games 5 and 6 in legendary fashion. LeBron James will win his first NBA Championship.

Indianapolis, we have a problem.

No, I'm not in favor of moving NASA.

College football is broken. The people that are the cause of the problem are also the ones in charge of fixing the problem…thus the problem.

Is John Junker the only bowl President to host massive parties of self-indulgence?

Is Jim Tressel the only college football head coach to receive information about players violating NCAA rules and try to cover it up?

If the answer to these questions is yes, college football has just purged itself of two men who were pariah in the sport and the future of the game looks great.

I don't believe the answer to those questions is yes.

John Junker was in the business of self-preservation. Where did coaches and the dignitaries of college football get the idea to see skin and party? I don't believe these college football superiors went to Miami, New Orleans, Nashville and San Diego as great pillars of integrity and the lure of Phoenix women was too much to bear. I believe the Fiesta Bowl did what they thought they had to do to stay on top.

I see Jim Tressel in the exact same light. Tressel said he didn't go to compliance because he didn't know where to go with the information that was to be kept confidential. LIE! If he didn't know where to go why did he forward the information to Pryor's Pennsylvania mentor? He obviously knew where to go. He did it for self-preservation.

Let's move on from attacking Junker and Tressel's character. Is it deserved? Absolutely!...but it is also a waste of time. Junker and Tressel decided that winning was above any cost. It's up to you whether or not you want to attack their character for it. All attacks need to be focused on the college presidents that make up the NCAA.

The actions of Junker go on at almost every bowl game. The actions of Tressel go on at almost every university. When you create a billion-dollar system with gutless checks and balances, the Fiesta Bowl scandal and Ink-for-gear is exactly what you'll get. You can keep blaming the Junker's and the Tressel's of the world but the system will just produce more of them. Until the NCAA decides to get serious and fix college football, nothing will change.

The NCAA is not some pie in the sky group. The NCAA made up of college presidents too scared to take on the sacred cow of college football. These are some of the most spineless men and women in the country. Any penalty short of the death penalty for OSU shows the NCAA isn't serious about fixing the problem. The NCAA won't do it because Ohio State is doing what almost every college football team is doing. If you go after OSU, you have to do it to the next program. College presidents don't want OSU to get the hammer because they're afraid the cat will get out of the bag and their school will be in front of the same committee.

Ohio State was already under probation for the men's basketball coach paying a player with his own money. Tressel has a series of events at Youngstown State that are very similar. He already had used the ignorance card in his dealings with Maurice Clarett. He then lied to NCAA investigators on this subject. We're not talking about the fifth string LB exchanging memorabilia for tattoos. We're talking about the head coach's hand-picked QB exchanging the head coach's autograph and other memorabilia for merchandise. Please don't waste time arguing a head coach who spends his whole life noticing every change an opposing defense makes doesn't notice a change in car and appearance of his own QB.

Don't fall for the argument "it was just a couple of tattoos." As soon as you do that you're announcing at the top of your lungs, "I'm an ignorant fool when it comes to college football."

AJ Green got a lot of attention before the draft because he was a great college receiver. He got a lot of attention during his college career because he violated an NCAA rule soon after its passing. The NCAA realized there was a major loophole in the rule book. Players were selling game-worn merchandise or championship rings to boosters for big bucks. The NCAA warned all member institutions to be on the look-out for this violation. Players on every campus were warned that selling merchandise is a violation. Soon after, AJ Green sold his Independence Bowl jersey to a drug dealer.

If the NCAA just issued a reminder that selling merchandise for cash and gifts is a violation and AJ Green just lost 4 games due to the violation, then I think it's a joke to justify the actions of the OSU players as simply "just tattoos." What the players received in return for the merchandise doesn't matter. It isn't just "tattoos" when the NCAA just announced this is a major focal point of compliance and one school within months has players commit the exact infraction.

I also reject the argument that Coach Tressel couldn't possibly keep 150 kids in-line. The man has a track history of these "incidents" occurring without his knowledge. At what point should he be held accountable for his ignorance? If you think Tressel is a great guy that doesn't deserve this attention, let me ask when does he? How many times should a coach be allowed to play the ignorance card before someone tells him that his job security is determined by his effort to keep the program compliant? If you have a glaring weakness in your managerial ability, does your employer give you 10 years to fix it? They do if you bring in 100's of millions of dollars to the company and your boss doesn't care about breaking regulations to get that money.

The death penalty is made for transgressions like this: a program on probation which clearly lacks institutional control and failed to monitor the team after numerous signs pointed to problems within the football program. How does Sports Illustrated learn more in 2 months of investigating than OSU did in over a year? This isn't a school hell-bent on compliance and integrity.

Some Ohio State fan will take this as if I'm rooting for Ohio State to receive the death penalty. I'm not. I don't want to see kids who didn't do anything wrong lose out on their dream of playing football for Ohio State. There's a difference between rooting for a penalty and being educated by it.

I don't care whether or not OSU gets nailed or how hard they get nailed. I do know what the penalty says. The penalty the NCAA gives to Ohio State shows whether or not they really want to change the culture of college football at the division one level. Ohio State's "crimes" are far beyond the actions of USC and Alabama. Those schools recently received 2-year post-season bans.

If Ohio State is not given the death penalty, the NCAA is saying they hope the corruption ends. If OSU is given the death penalty, it shows the NCAA is saying the corruption must stop.

I am not asking anyone to forgive and forget the transgressions of Junker and Tressel. I think both men should be without a job today. I think both men violated everything that they pretended their institutions represented. I just think the people that hand them the power are just as guilty.

You can copy Nike and say, "Just Do It." Steal from the Larry "The Cable Guy," "Git er done." It's never wrong to quote from Caddyshack, "Let's go while we're young."

Baseball needs to strike a deal with the players association in the next 40 days.

It is a rare opportunity when MLB gets to be the progressive league. MLB gets to be a trendsetter if it moves now. Without an appearance of trying to show up other sports, MLB would be slapping Goodell, Smith, Stern & Hunter right across the face.

The NFL can't find a way to divide 9.4 billion dollars. The NBA just asked the NBAPA to accept a hard cap and a 40% salary rollback. The NFLPA is tying up the progress towards a deal in the courts while the NBAPA has just filed unfair labor practice charges against the league to the National Labor Relations Board. It wasn't that long ago that the NHL shut down for an entire season. The irritability of fans could never be higher.

The All-Star Game is coming to Arizona. Use that platform to make the Earth-shattering announcement. Too much attention will be placed on the legal fight of SB 1070. Steal the media's thunder by giving them a much bigger story. Instead of, "Do you, Mr. Player, believe Arizona should be hosting an All-Star Game while deporting illegal aliens?" you would get, "Why, Mr. Player, do you think the MLB and MLBPA care more about their fans than football and basketball care about theirs?" MLB could tap into the rage of fans right now by saying, "Don't worry, we've got your game."

Maybe MLB should not let the media in on the scoop. Imagine if Bud Selig and Michael Weiner (MLBPA President) walked to a PA microphone behind home plate at Chase Field. The backdrop is all of the All-Stars surrounding the Commissioner with their union leader. The stadium PA announcer says, "Ladies and Gentlemen: Commissioner Bud Selig and MLBPA President Michael Weiner."

Ladies and Gentlemen: I have an announcement for baseball fans everywhere. The owners of Major League Baseball would like to thank the Major League Baseball Players Association for their devotion to keep the game going. Through conscientious and difficult talks though never derogatory, MLB and the MLBPA have agreed to a new 5-year collective bargaining agreement. There will be no strike. There will be no lock-out in Major League Baseball. For the next 5 ½ years, you will hear (insert cute kid to yell in the mic) "PLAY BALL!"

The shock to fans and media would be amazing. The players would all gather around and start shaking the commissioner's hand. Fans would immediately see the irony of the moment. On the deadest sports day of the year, (the day after the MLB All-Star Game) the sports world would be abuzz with stories about the labor agreement. Everyone would talk about the owners and players' understanding of the economic plight of fans.

Goodell and Stern would be in the middle of lockouts. For the first time in his tenure, Goodell would be asked, "Why can't the NFL be more like Major League Baseball?"

Fans disgusted with the NBA and NFL would spend money on MLB. Why save up for NBA season tickets when you're not sure if they're going to play? Why keep making payments to hold your NFL season tickets when you can spend that money on baseball's pennant races?

I know it would be tough to get a deal done in the next month. Neither side would want to risk a terrible mistake that creates an uneven balance just to say the deal is done. The urgency, however, needs to be created now. MLB can't wait until near the end of the season or rely on pressure from the upcoming 2012 season to negotiate with the intent to deal. The MLBPA can't be threatening strikes to wipe out the end of the season.

Selig needs to meet with the owners immediately and find their breaking point. Not what they want but what they will accept. Weiner needs to know what the players can give up and what they demand. Both men need to come to the table with the idea they are working on a deal and not posturing for future negotiations.

This can't wait. Show a side MLB has never shown. Take advantage of the most incredible time in sports. No sports league has ever announced an agreement while two other major sports are in a lock-out. It's time for MLB to be the first.

Git ‘er done, Bud.

There is nothing more subjective than lists. Who's the greatest player of all-time (Babe Ruth, Jim Brown, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky)? Who's the greatest Super Hero of all-time (Batman)? The real tough one: who is the greatest American of all-time?

It's too difficult to say "any man or woman who died protecting our freedom" is number one but that group would be my choice. If I'm forced to go with individuals, I'm taking: 1) George Washington, 2) Abe Lincoln, 3) Ben Franklin, 4) Jackie Robinson.

Washington had the courage to fight for his nation and lead his nation as first President, yet the lack of ego to accept the title "King" or "Emperor." Lincoln kept a nation together while being attacked equally from Southerners and Northerners to the point his own general ran against him for office. Franklin was a brilliant inventor, writer and brilliant diplomat that secured French intervention into the Revolutionary War.

Jackie had the pride in his country to fight for America when our country was right and never shy from doing the right thing even if it went against laws that made our country wrong. If you ever want to know the greatness of what an American can accomplish, learn about Jackie Robinson.

In 1946, Jackie was assigned to the Montreal Royals spring training camp, the triple-A affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Montreal was managed by Clay Hopper, a plantation owner from Mississippi. During the spring, Jackie made an astounding play at third base, Dodgers GM Branch Rickey said, "Did you see that Clay? No other human being alive could have made that play!" Hopper retorted, "Do you really think a n****r is a human being?"

I was thinking of this amazing and horrifying story all day Sunday and Monday.

The Thunder need Steve Nash even more than the Suns do. Yes, I know that statement seems unreal. We've seen for years what it does to the Suns when Nash just sits on the bench. The idea of not having Steve Nash at all is even more disturbing.

Before we get to the Suns, let's look at the Thunder. Russell Westbrook must be stopped. The problem is that statement goes for the Thunder opponents and the Thunder themselves.

Westbrook is simply not a point guard. Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury types of point guards can not win championships. When your point guard takes the most shots, the rest of your offense stands still. When your offense stands still, so does your defense.

NBA players have massive egos. They have to. Personal stats equal playing time for bench players and money for starters. If your point guard is taking shots with no passes to even start the offense —- Westbrook has done this over 30 times in the OKC/MEM series -— other players look at that as a direct attack on personal income to raise a family.

Don't believe the high-fives and chest bumps. Russell Westbrook can't last as the point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder and keep all Thunder on the floor happy. They need Steve Nash.

Ibaka immediately becomes a top 3 center in the league with Steve Nash. Durant might become an MVP. Since Westbrook is a great scorer, now he doesn't have the burden of bringing the ball up and leading the offense. There's no way a great free agent point guard would ever want to live in Oklahoma City so the only way the Thunder can get one is through the draft or a trade.

Since they are only a great point guard away from being a championship contender, they can afford to part with future draft picks. The Thunder need to make it happen.

Obviously, that brings up the second part of the equation, the Suns trading Steve Nash. I must have picks to make the move. It's not too much to ask for two first round draft picks. Granted, these picks will be late first-rounders but it gives the Suns the flexibility to possibly move up in the draft by packaging the picks together. I'm not done though. The Suns would need an NBA ready guard right now. The Thunder have one, or numerous ones.

The easy choice is Westbrook himself.

At first you'll hesitate and assume the Thunder would never give up Russell Westbrook, but why not? If you believe Westbrook will develop into a pass-first point guard, then I disagree with you but it does blow my argument. If we can agree that he will always be a shoot-first point guard then OKC will never win a title with Kevin Durant and Westbrook. You can't have a potential MVP going 9 minutes in the fourth quarter without a shot attempt and that's exactly what happened in Game 4 of the OKC/MEM series. It has to be Westbrook at the point or Kevin Durant on the team. It won't work with both for very long as egos and seasons go by. Once you accept Durant needs a pass-first point guard then you either need to move Westbrook to the two-guard or move Westbrook altogether.

The other option: bring James Harden home.

Watch the OKC offense when Harden starts the possession. The ball moves. Every player is moving with their hands up because they know Harden might feed them at any moment. When Harden shoots it's only because the defense gave him the shot. Although Westbrook is a better overall basketball player than Harden, James is developing faster as a point guard.

If you're reading this and saying, "The Thunder would never trade Westbrook or Harden for Nash," then I'm saying the Thunder will break apart before winning a championship.

It happens every year.

The NFL draft takes place. Experts give grades. If the NFL team likes the grades, they promote their good grades through their media relations arm. If they don't, they rip the grades saying it takes 3 years to evaluate a draft. If the player fails, the team says the draft is a crap shoot.

I would like to see one team stand up and say, "Kiper was right. We deserved a bad grade in 20??."

Since I just took a shot at teams, let's be fair. I think it's a cop out when "experts" rip or support a draft without saying what should have been done. Holding the Cardinals and me accountable at the same time, here's what they did and what I would have done. Now you can give me a grade on what I'm writing and everyone's happy and accountable.

1st ROUND:

CARDINALS: Patrick Peterson

ME: Patrick Peterson

Reports have surfaced the Lions offered a swap of 2011 1st rounders, a 2nd and a 4th in this year's draft. I agree with the decision to say no. If DET would have given up a 1st, 2nd or 3rd in 2012 on top of the offer, I'm in. I would have traded down and selected Mike Pouncey. Admittedly, I think I would have been proven wrong by that choice because Peterson is so good.

Since Detroit didn't want to go higher, I completely agree with the pick. I think Patrick Peterson will be a fixture in Honolulu.

GRADE: A+ (only because I can't go higher than A+)

2nd ROUND:

CARDINALS: Ryan Williams

ME: Akeem Ayers

Obviously the Titans agree with me that Ayers can play since he was the very next pick after the Cardinals chose Williams.

Much has been made by some media members who claim CKW has quietly admitted it was a mistake to take Levi Brown (based on need) and not Adrian Peterson (based on best available). With that lesson in hand, he wasn't going to pass on Williams with a need pick still on the board.

There's no way I'm going to argue this logical point and hard lesson. I disagree, however, with using the Peterson/Brown decision as an example. Brown was a huge reach at 5. Very few insiders thought he was worthy of a #5 selection overall (granted, very few insiders considered him to be any worse than a #15 pick so let's not act like the Cardinals took someone with their first pick that wasn't going to be drafted soon anyway).

Ayers is not a reach at 39. I'm not going to say there's great value because he graded out as a high 2nd round pick, which is where he went. There's no way the Cardinals can be happy with their RB production. If Williams is truly the 15th best player in this draft — the rumored spot of Williams on AZ's big board — I see the value. It doesn't change the fact for me that this team needs serious upgrades at LB and they had one fall in their lap and didn't take him.

Obviously, I'll be comparing these two players for years.

GRADE: C

3RD ROUND:

CARDINALS: Robert Housler

ME: Martez Wilson

I admit. I do have a problem with people getting stabbed. I'm not a big fan of guys with character questions but I truly believe there's good chemistry on the defense between the players. Wilson is a great teammate so I think he'd respond to the team's leadership.

He either gets caught in the wrong place at times in his personal life or he's an idiot. I don't know the answer and I'm not privy to interviews with him that may have affected the Cards desire to take him. I do know he can play.

I wanted the Cardinals to take Kyle Rudolph in the second round if Ayers wasn't there so I'm completely on board with taking a TE. I'm just not sure about Housler. If you're a 6-5 TE with blazing speed playing in the Sun Belt, why do you only average about 3 receptions a game? Housler isn't a great run-blocker so don't tell me he was selling out to help the run game. With the assets he has playing in low division one, I want more domination to make him my TE.

Granted, it's not my money and I've taken a character risk for my pick over a married man who is said to be a good teammate with a strong work ethic. I think TE's turn playoff teams into championship teams. LB's turn 5-11 teams into playoff teams. I don't think the Cards were in a position to pick a TE who's not a guaranteed product. I would have shouted to the hills if the TE pick was Rudolph but I'm not board here.

GRADE: C-

4TH ROUND

CARDINALS: Sam Acho

ME: Luke Stocker

This one is impossible to grade. The Cards can't take a TE one round after taking a TE. However, there is no way you're going to get me to believe they would have taken Housler in the 3rd round if they knew ahead of time that Stocker would be there in the 4th round. He is the perfect "Ken Whisenhunt guy." I think Tampa Bay got a steal taking Stocker with the very next pick.

This is why this pick is impossible for me to grade. Since the Cards have already taken a TE earlier in the draft, I think Acho is the right pick here. I love his attitude. He's a tough guy who doesn't take any crap but he doesn't take himself too seriously at the same time. He cares deeply about community and his fellow man. Cardinal fans will be very happy with Acho.

Acho is a good pick. There's no way in the 3rd round I would have known Stocker would be available so I'm not presenting myself as smarter than the Cardinals, but I would have hit a HR with the combo of Wilson/Stocker versus Housler/Acho.

GRADE: B+ for the actual pick but D for draft management

5th Round:

CARDINALS: Anthony Sherman

ME: Marcus Cannon

I think this is the only pick in the whole draft where you could really say the Cardinals screwed up.

Sherman is a high-quality person. The Cardinals are in no way thinking Sherman is going to be an every down player. They drafted him for special teams and short yardage and that's exactly where he will excel. If Cannon was off the board, I would completely support this pick—but he wasn't.

Marcus Cannon redshirted as a freshman and still played the full four years so he's very experienced. He started at right tackle as a junior and left tackle as a senior so he can go to either spot on the line. He played in two BCS games so he's used to a spotlight despite coming from TCU.

I don't think anyone would deny the Cardinals have O-Line problems. I think this is an actual 5th round pick that could have made difference right now. The Patriots grabbed Cannon 2 picks later.

Sherman will make the team and be a solid contributor for years. Years later, Patriot fans will marvel at how well a 5th round pick has played and helped keep Brady around for a few extra years.

GRADE: F

6TH ROUND:

CARDINALS: Quan Sturdivant

ME: failed trade

This is a complete HR by the Cardinals. Yes there are character issues here but it doesn't matter. When you get a player of Sturdivant's caliber, in a position of need and do it in the 6th round, the pick cannot be improved upon.

Sturdivant has the perfect balance of patient aggression needed to be a good ILB. He stays strong waiting for his read and has a wonderful burst to explode in the hole. The fact that he played in a pro-style 3-4 (Butch Davis) is another bonus.

The reason why I wrote "failed trade" is because I would have choked with this choice. I like Sturdivant so much I would have tried to trade back into the late 5th round just to get Sturdivant. The Cardinals deserve a ton of credit for their patience. Obviously they believe Sturdivant's issues are in his past and so do I.

GRADE: A+

CARDINALS: David Carter

ME: Rick Elmore

This is a toss-up. I saw both players play quite a few times. I think Elmore will be a better special teams player so I'm going with him. I like his wheels but he's going to be moved to OLB and I have no idea if he can cover.

Carter is an undersized DT which means he'll have to play DE in the Cards 3-4. He showed me some quickness but he can easily get engulfed if he can't get his hands on you. He might be strong against a tired tackle late in the game and add depth to the D-Line. It's just I'm taking a special teamer this late and I think he'd be better than Carter.

GRADE: B

7th ROUND

CARDINALS: DeMarco Sampson

ME: Bill Nagy

I'm being completely biased on this pick. The Cardinals need O-lineman and Wisconsin makes good ones so I want Nagy.

Sampson is a 5th round pick when healthy but he's rarely healthy. Either the Cards wasted a pick on a guy who will always be hurt or got a steal with a guy that has great tangibles.

I'd trust the Cardinals on this pick over my bias.

GRADE: I HAVE NO IDEA

OVERALL GRADE FOR 2011 DRAFT: B+ because it's a weighted scale since I'm down with OPP!!!

Why should I stop dreaming? Hit a home run in Round 2.

You'd be worried about my family life if you knew how much college football I watch. Despite traveling with ASU, I use two DVR's and a VCR to record almost every nationally televised college football game so I can watch it when I return from each ASU football game.

Every time I saw Patrick Peterson he just jumped off the TV in my house, and I'm not ready for 3D. I never thought during the college football season that the Arizona Cardinals would be so bad and Peterson would slip so that the two would eventually be married.

Some people try to take credit away from the Cardinals because Peterson just fell to them; I've always rejected that kind of thinking. Getting your guy in your slot means you didn't panic. The Cardinals correctly guessed the Bengals couldn't get a deal done for someone to move ahead of them to number four and steal Peterson away. If you were going to rip the Cardinals for not trading up if Peterson had been ripped away by a rogue team trading up, you must praise them profusely for staying at five.

I love the selection and I think every member of the Cardinals organization is better this morning than they were yesterday — secretaries included. Teams are not made, however, with the first round alone. It's time to look at what's coming Friday and Saturday.

There's going to be massive changes to the Cardinals LB core. I would love to add Akeem Ayers OLB from UCLA. He played OLB at UCLA but I'd like to move him inside in the Cards 3-4 alignment. He's tall but plays low. He's already very strong but can still add good weight, and has a quick burst. He doesn't have top-end speed but he's fine in the short porch of inside LB. Since he played on the strong side in the Bruins 4-3 it should be an easy transition.

If Ayers isn't there in the 2nd round, I'm doing something a little risky. I want the best acne medication available in the second round. I want Kyle Rudolph, the Notre Dame tight end.

Keep in mind, a ton of people who know more football than I do hate that idea. I think it's a bias against the tight end position. Maybe I'm spoiled living in Kansas City and seeing Tony Gonzalez for four seasons. A good tight end makes everyone else more open. More importantly, a good tight end can turn an 8-yard loss on a sack into a 4-yard gain on a dump off.

Remember how great the early 90s Cowboys were? When did they fall apart? It was when Jay Novacek got hurt.

Suddenly more people were in the box to stop Emmitt. It was easier to double Irvin. More defenders attacked Aikman because he couldn't throw it over the top to Novacek.

Whether the Cardinals are starting a young QB or a new one, he'll need that safety valve. Rudolph will help a horrible offensive line because there will always be someone open in the flat or down the seam.

The Cardinals have more pressing needs than a TE, but Rudolph covers a lot of zits.

I'm fully aware the Arizona Cardinals do not care whether I support their first pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Insultingly enough, they have never once asked my opinion (although they should have since I didn't like the Levi Brown pick).

Having said that, there are only two scenarios that I can see happening between now and 5:45 P.M. (when the Cardinals will be on the clock) on draft day that would lend my support to trading down.

1) Mike Ditka has been hired by one of the teams selecting 6-32 as their new GM and he would be willing to trade his entire slew of draft picks and picks for next year for the #5 spot in this year's draft.

2) Patrick Peterson and Von Miller are off the board.

To this day, no one remembers the worst decision in draft history. Everyone thinks the worst decision is a pick like Ryan Leaf or Tony Mandarich. No. The worst decision in draft history isn't even the fact that Mike Ditka traded his whole draft to move up to select Ricky Williams. The worst decision in draft history happened by a team that answered Ditka's phone call.

The worst decision in draft history is when Mike Ditka called the Cincinnati Bengals and the Bengals said, "No." The Saints offered every pick they had in the 1999 draft, a first and third rounder in 2000 and a first round pick in 2001 for the #3 pick overall. The Bengals said no and drafted AKILI SMITH, QB, OREGON. Who says no to that trade to draft Akili Smith? Only the Bengals.

The Saints weren't able to get to #3 but they offered the same deal without the 2001 first round pick to Washington and moved up to number #5. Since that is the precedent set for the number 5 pick, if the Cardinals can get Ditka on the phone, make the trade!

If we've established that option one, the ridiculous trade offer, isn't on the table, the only way the Cards should trade out of the #5 spot is if Peterson and Miller are both selected in the first four picks.

It's impossible for me to sit here and say what the Cards should get to trade down because it all depends on just how far the Cardinals are trading down. I would need to know what four guys are gone at the time of the trade, where the Cards are drafting after the trade and what's the position of the other picks attained.

I can say I don't like trading down if either are on the board unless I'm getting a Ditka deal. Peterson and Miller do one thing immediately: they make everyone in the organization instantaneously better.

If it's Peterson, the front seven has more time to rush the passer, DRC has a challenge to live up to, Greg Toler is now the 3rd CB while Andre Roberts and Steve Breaston can focus on being better receivers. If Miller is a Cardinal, Toler has less time he needs to cover, Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell see less double teams and it makes releasing some veteran LB's easier for cap space.

Both players improve the defense dramatically. With a better defense, the offense can play more ground control and stop trying to win the game in the 1st quarter. A bad or new QB doesn't need to play catch-up most of the game and throw the ball all over the place. Coach Whisenhunt and Mike Miller can take more calculated chances since the defense will be there if it doesn't work versus calling plays out of wishful thinking that the offense does something since you know the defense won't.

Then there's the Horton factor. You can't get a better fit into the zone-blitz scheme than a do-everything outside LB or a shut-down corner. If Coach Whiz is tired of going through DC's, there's nothing better than giving the new DC a toy with 4.3 speed.

I'm fine with staying at number 5 as long as I'm not getting a QB. I'm fine with trading down from number 5. What I won't be able to stomach is trading from number 5 with Miller or Peterson on the board. I'm down with OPP. I hope the Cardinals are too.

Mr. Shane Doan
Captain Phoenix Coyotes
6751 North Sunset Boulevard
Suite 200
Glendale, AZ 85305

Dear Mr. Doan:

As you prepare to play your last game ever as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes, would you mind if I ask you for a favor?

On your way out of Phoenix, please don't tell anyone of your stay. I think our region would look much better in the eyes of the nation if you just keep your years as a Coyote our little secret. I don't want the country to know we're not a major league city.

You have been a role model to every professional athlete in this city as well as every kid. You accept every media request. You tirelessly work to promote your team and sport. Every ounce of your heart has been put on display as you've tried to carry the Coyotes in the playoffs. You kept working to come back to the ice last year despite a shoulder that wouldn't allow you to tie your own skates. None of it matters.

I don't want other local athletes to hold you up as an example. "Why should I do that interview or that charity promotion? Shane Doan did it and how did it work out for him? He got shipped out to Canada?"

I don't want the rest of the country to know that Phoenix sports fans have the biggest gap between team expectations and what teams can do with poor support from the very fans placing the expectations. You are a winner that went unsupported.

I can't stand reading the Canadian press that mocks your inability to lead a team deep into the playoffs. If they know so much about hockey, can't they see your career was handcuffed by Wayne Gretzky, a destroyed shoulder, and a goalkeeper who can't handle the playoffs? You've done your job while never letting anyone else even take the bus out of the garage, let alone running over someone with it.

I can't imagine your pain now that it seems to be over. Do you retire when you still have good hockey left in you? Do you move your family to the city of your employer when all they know is Phoenix as home? Do you miss every one of your kids' games, plays and "Donuts with Dad" event at their school while you keep playing in another city feeling like you've selfishly moved away from your family as they stay in Phoenix?

All of these decisions must be made because Coyotes ownership, the NHL, the Goldwater Institute, Wayne Gretzky and Phoenix sports fans didn't support you as much as you supported them.

You are the most under-appreciated athlete I've ever had the privilege of covering, watching and enjoying. You deserved better.

Sincerely,

Doug Franz
Co-host Doug and Wolf

The Minnesota Timberwolves are the future Phoenix Suns in positive and negative ways.

Steve Nash must be traded during this off-season for a package of players that makes the Suns closer to winning a championship in the long run. The problem is there are 0 teams in the NBA who will move a package for Nash.

For years now Minnesota has been looked at as a poor organization or an easy win or both. How quickly we forget that the Wolves were a one-seed in the West just a few years ago. At the end of the 2007 season, there were fans and media in Minnesota demanding Garnett be traded because it was time to rebuild. Have those fans continued to buy tickets to see the product the Wolves are putting on the court? Has the media been patient during the process or are they just shifting their ire to something else?

For anyone who screams at the Suns to trade Nash and rebuild, I present to you the T'Wolves. For anyone who screams that Nash is one of the greatest Suns ever and should never be traded, I present to you the Celtics from 1993-2007.

A quick history lesson: Boston was great but allowed their 3 stars (Bird, McHale and Parish) to fade away or leave for nothing. Granted their exit strategy included high hopes for two players who died young (Bias and Lewis), but Boston wanted to treat their aging stars with great dignity and allow them to retire as Celtics (Parish kept playing elsewhere for a short time). By giving this special treat, they gave their fans 14 years of misery. The misery ended for Boston only because the T'Wolves wanted to rebuild.

Two decades ago Boston chose not to rebuild and they were terrible. One half decade ago Minnesota chose to rebuild and they've been terrible ever since.

It's easy to sit in a studio and say: "The Suns must trade Steve Nash." It's easy to be a fan and scream: "If you trade Steve Nash I'm not buying tickets." Take your pick. Do you want to be Minnesota and rebuild? Would you go the way of the Celtics and allow Nash to play out his career and retire?

The answer is, he must be shopped but the trade has to be right. I realize you might read that and think it didn't take much creativity to come up with that revelation. The problem is doing nothing isn't creative either.

Allowing Nash to retire as a Sun sounds like a beautiful sentiment and if the Suns let it happen they will not win a championship in the next 10 years. The quandary for Lon Babby and Lance Blanks is trading him for the wrong deal alienates fans immediately and would bury the team for years until they can draft multiple better players.

Blake Griffin and Kevin Love have been phenomenal for their teams this year. The Clippers and T'Wolves will still be deep in the lottery puddle this year. There are only two ways to rebuild successfully. Tear your team down, become terrible for multiple seasons and draft perfectly for three years, winning the lottery at least once in those three years is the first option. Possibly get lucky that some team is looking to rebuild and sell their star while you have over-rated young talent that you can dupe a team into taking off your hands (Boston and the Lakers are the most recent examples of this method).

Trading Steve Nash is only step one in a 3 year process to rebuild. If the Suns trade Nash, they would be terrible next year. Would you still buy tickets to see a terrible team?

Jerry Colangelo banked on Phoenix as a great sports city when he mortgaged the future of the D-backs for a World Series. He figured if they won the Series you would be more forgiving of lean years and keep buying tickets. He planned on using that money to pay off the debt of deferred payments. When the D-backs went south, so did you. With little fan support the team was buried in a mountain of debt the other owners didn't want to pay and they forced Colangelo out. Jerry gambled on the fans of Phoenix and lost.

Robert Sarver is dealing with a similar scenario yet he doesn't have a World Championship to use as leverage for fan loyalty. He knows if he trades Steve Nash, fans won't buy tickets. He knows if he doesn't trade Steve Nash, the Suns will fight for two more years to make the playoffs just to lose in the first round.

Although the path to a championship includes some years like the T'Wolves are going through now, keeping Steve Nash almost guarantees no championship. Shopping Steve Nash for a great deal and then making the move is the solution. However, this isn't a blog that's just demanding the Suns trade Steve Nash. You don't trade one of your best players just because he's old. You trade him because you're getting the proper bricks in return.

I think the Suns are going into this season looking at the CBA scrap heap. By keeping Nash, they're banking on good veterans being cut loose right before the season starts as part of a CBA agreement into helping owners get out bad contracts. Nash is the best piece to use as a recruiting tool to bring in veterans for one last championship run. The Suns have to think trading him is a mistake since they don't even know the future state of the NBA.

I support this plan as long as they try to execute the exact opposite plan at the same time. Use Steve Nash to sign veterans for the abbreviated season that will occur next year. However, while the Suns talk to agents about possibly bringing in their client, talk to GM's about the price they're willing to pay for Nash. If the Suns can't get real championship pieces to play in Phoenix at the beginning of free agency, BAIL. ABANDON SHIP. Shop Steve Nash immediately. Instead of looking for pieces to surround Nash, look for teams to give you picks and players. If the Suns aren't able to pull off a major coup like Boston did in pulling in their big three, then Nash should be apart of someone else's big three.

Don't trade Steve Nash just to get something because he's too valuable now. Don't keep Steve Nash because you want to delay the inevitable. It's an easy decision. Shop Steve Nash and decide if the bid from the highest bidder will lead to a championship.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

I hope you went for extra credit and read all 8 innings of the baseball project. I must admit I was honored when Colin Cowherd's spies found my blogs. I heard this week his "strong" opinion was there should be three teams in New York. I wouldn't have given myself credit for his opinion until he also mentioned baseball should radically re-align.

Since I've been writing for eight weeks and baseball has implemented none of the changes I've suggested, I should probably make my season predictions based on the current format.

I must admit. I'm nervous for my predictions. Last year's baseball predictions were nearly perfect. However, my football predictions were average. My Suns prediction was just plain wrong and I turned in the only NCAA tourney bracket of my life with ZERO teams in the Final Four correct. I need to get back on track. Hopefully these are the picks that do it.

Obviously the main topic of conversation is the D-backs. Let me declare this now. I think Kirk Gibson and Kevin Towers need to be left in place for years. No more musical chairs in the manager and GM position. These are great baseball people that need to be allowed to do their job and build for the long haul. The Diamondbacks are severely broken and need time to be fixed.

I am extremely optimistic on the future of the D-backs. Unfortunately that future isn't the present. I can't come up with any baseball scenario that gets this team to 80 wins. I say this with great pain: Arizona will battle with San Diego for last place in the division. Since SD has Heath Bell, I think the D-backs win the fight for 5th.

Last year I picked the Giants to win the division and was routinely mocked. I stood my ground with great confidence. This year I pick the Giants to repeat. Admittedly, I do not stand my ground with great confidence and can easily be pushed off the mountain for the Rockies. I didn't think Colorado was ready just yet last year. I completely believe in them this year. However, I will never go against superior starting pitching and San Francisco still has that over Colorado.

I could be wrong on the Dodgers in third. The divorce proceedings of the McCourts might drag the entire time into a season long funk, especially with a new manager. There's just too much talent on the field, though, for me to not think they'll just run into some wins despite being distracted some nights. If you want to argue the Padres are finishing third, I'll listen with no reason to dispute you.

NL WEST

1) SF
2) COL
3) LA
4) SD
5) AZ

NL CENTRAL

I wish I knew how the Pujols contract situation was going to play out to make a prediction for the NL Central. I don't think St. Louis is a division champion unless he has a historic year. I mean, close to Triple Crown proportions.

I think the Reds are the top dogs of the division because of the balance of their offense and they have just enough pitching to win a weak division. I don't like the Brewers bullpen and defense enough to give them the division but I think they'll be a solid competitor for Cincinnati.

The rest of the division is horrible. The Cubs will dream of 82 wins and fall short. Houston and Pittsburgh are terrible. If the Brewers or Cardinals were just a little bit better I would take one of them for the wild card simply on the amount of wins that can be racked up by playing the Astros and Pirates.

1) CIN
2) MIL
3) STL
4) CHC
5) PIT
6) HOU

NL EAST

Phils, Phils, Phils. The Chase Utley factor determines whether or not they win the World Series. Philadelphia is the best team in the East with or without Utley. Philadelphia will hit the magic number of 100 wins. The Mets and Nationals are simply not major league teams. Each team will come close to 100 losses with at least seven a piece at the hands of Philly.

New York and Washington will play a huge role in the Wild Card race. Colorado, Milwaukee and St. Louis all have very legitimate hopes for the playoffs. Atlanta, however, has such a big advantage with the weakness of the bottom of the East, I pick them for the Wild Card. Obviously I'm a little nervous taking Atlanta to make the playoffs in year one without Bobby Cox. It's more of a slam on the division than it is a compliment to Atlanta.

1) PHI
2) ATL (WC)
3) FLA
4) NY
5) WSH

In the American League, I don't see how you can write a prediction blog without glossing poetic about the Red Sox. I don't care how much money the Yankees spend between now and 9/1/11. Boston is loaded. There isn't a question they're the best team in the American League, let alone the East.

If I had full confidence that Mauer and Morneau would stay healthy, I'd take MIN as the Wild Card, but I don't. Yankees finish second and Sabathia has a great year to lead New York to the Wild Card.

Toronto is very underrated. They're not good enough to challenge for the playoffs in a division as tough as the East but they'll win 86 games and keep Tampa from really challenging because the fight for 3rd will be too tough to make it up to second. Baltimore will be the best last place team in history coming close to .500 and fighting for everything all season.

AL EAST

1) BOS
2) NYY
3) TB
4) TOR
5) BAL

AL CENTRAL

Don't like any of the first three teams dramatically better than the other two. Since I don't trust the health factor of the Twins, I'm taking Chicago. Back of the rotation is a concern for the White Sox but it is for everyone in that division. Indians and Royals are horrible. I wish I could pick them to tie for fourth with only 60 wins.

Notice I didn't write much on this division because there's not much to say.

1) CWS
2) MIN
3) DET
4) CLE
5) KC

AL WEST

I love Mike Scioscia. I think he's the best manager in baseball. I just wanted to say that since they won't do much this year.

No one did enough in the division to catch the Rangers. Oakland deserves a medal for effort but that's it. Anaheim isn't good enough despite having Haren for the entire season. Seattle will be the same abomination they were this year.

1) TEX
2) OAK
3) ANA (yes it's LAA but I hate what the Angels did to Anaheim)
4) SEA

I realize it's like taking all number one seeds to go to the final four (look how well that worked out) but the Red Sox and Phillies are so far and away the best teams that only injuries are going to get in the way of a Boston-Philly World Series. American League wins the All-Star game at Chase Field putting Games 6 and 7 in Boston. I think it will be a great series but the Phillies pitching is too much in a 7-game series. As long as the Phillies bullpen doesn't implode, Philadelphia will be champions of the world.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

The greatest invention of my lifetime is clearly the garage door opener. I remember a time in my young life of watching my father run out in the rain to open the garage door and then run back to the car to pull it into the garage.

My opinion was further solidified seven years ago. While living in Kansas City, our garage door opener stopped working. It was blasphemy. Your entire life instantaneously reverts to a primeval sense of survival. The next step after a broken garage door opener is to kill your own food or become a nomad sheep herder.

The previous 7 innings to the Doug Franz Baseball Project have all been based on a theory baseball is behind the other sports. Although MLB has the most limited use of replay than any of the other major sports, they are not behind in this category. Using instant replay correctly is an individualized topic. Instant replay, itself, is great for all sports. However, the implementation of instant replay could kill different sports.

For an example, complete instant replay would be a disaster in hockey. Who would want to wait through every challenge of a hooking call? Instant replay to determine if the puck was kicked or completely cleared the goal line is a perfect use of the technology.

The huge dilemma for MLB is not should the game have instant replay—since it already does—but how should it be implemented. For the 8th inning, I'd like to present to you the second greatest idea of my lifetime: a simple plan to institute instant replay into the game of baseball.

In order for instant replay to be implemented into baseball, it has to be simple to use. Fans won't accept a complicated system. Baseball is already struggling with a time problem. Instant replay must be accomplished in a timely fashion. Purists would never accept something that resembles the NFL. The system needs to be clean, concise and correct.

I propose baseball adds a fifth umpire to every crew. This is a regular, fully functioning field umpire. It is not some old man who has never refed/umped a game before. I want an ump who cares about getting it right but also understands the work it took for the ump on the field to make the call in the first place. In no way can my system slow down the game but I don't want the replay umpire feeling pressured to speed up his analysis of the play.

Umpires rotate from base-to-base during a series. They actually go in opposite directions as the base runner. Next time you're at a game, notice who the plate umpire is. Tomorrow, he'll be the third base umpire. Umpires move clockwise around the bases during a series while players make left turns.

I want a five man squad because the replay booth will be no different than any other base. Instead of third, the home plate umpire rotates to the replay booth for the next game. The rotation continues around the bases like it always has. Now there's a regular umpire who works the game every day and not just some hired hand or retired ump who can hide up in the same booth every game at one stadium.

The implementation is very simple. Balls and strikes as called pitches are not reviewable. Everything else is. There are no challenges. Check swings, foul balls, missed bases by the runners, home runs, name a play, it's reviewed. The most important aspect to my instant replay plan is the time allotted to allow for replay. There isn't any.

As soon as a play ends, the fifth umpire immediately begins to review the play. If he can determine before the next pitch that the wrong call was made, he signals the home plate umpire to change the call. There's no delay for an umpire to run across the field to look at a monitor. There's never a reason for long umpire deliberations. If the next pitch takes place, the review is over and the game continues.

Obviously, players and managers might do anything to stall to give the replay umpire more time but that's easily correctable. If a manager comes out to argue, the replay is immediately ended. If he wants to tell the ump he's blind on that call and kick dirt, he can do it all he wants but now the call stands. Players who step out of the box or pitchers who are stalling can already be charged a ball or strike by the home plate umpire. They will have a more liberal use of this rule in order to ensure the integrity of game speed. It's the greatest review system in sports because there's no waiting. It would never slow a game down unless the call is wrong and the base runners are reset.

Some replay proponents and opponents are worried about the continuous flow even during the play. In the "what if" category of a wrong call before a correct call, such as a player who is called safe and is actually out, where do the other runners go?

Here's the scenario brought up that seems to kill replay. Runner on first. Soft liner is ruled caught. Runner on first was stealing. He runs back to first is tagged out going back to tag up? If replay ruled the catch was not a catch but a trap, is the base runner still out since he was tagged or is it assumed it was the bad call that put him in the tough position? What if it was trapped by an infielder? If it was ruled correctly on the field, the fielder might have thrown it to first to force the batter and the runner would have been safe at second since he was stealing.

To that I say, really? Are there not enough smart people in baseball to come up with solutions to most scenarios. If the best way to fix the bad call is to do nothing, I'm fine with that. Opponents will go nuts and say, "Then why have replay if you can't even use it." Again, really? If the umps get 98% of all calls correct and replay will help bring it to 95.5%, I'll give up the 0.5% of all calls made during a baseball season that are incorrect by the umpire on the field but the error leads to a series of events that can't be overturned by the replay umpire.

If you're not with me on using a fifth umpire in baseball, let me ask you one question. Let's say a pitcher has thrown a perfect game for 8 2/3. On the 27th at bat of the game the batter hits a grounder to the 1st baseman. The 1st baseman fields, flips to the pitcher who steps on the bag in a bang-bang play. The pitcher beats the batter to the bag but the 1st base umpire says "safe." If the umpire missed the call and blew the chance for that pitcher, wouldn't it be great if one signal from the replay umpire made it all go away?

Baseball is broken.

There are too many cooks in the kitchen. With so many agendas it won't be fixed as long as so many are in it for themselves. Someone needs to be named dictator to fix the game. There are many more worthwhile candidates than me to hold the position. Since I couldn't get Bob Costas, Daniel Okrent or Bill James to write my blog, I will accept the job.

We are 9 weeks away from the first pitch of the 2011 season. Over the course of the next 8 weeks I will give you 8 things that a true leader of baseball would do to fix the game. Each blog will build on the previous blog. The ninth blog will be the prediction blog. Since I got almost every prediction right last year, I should probably not risk it by making more predictions but I will live dangerously.

Here are the 9 things that need fixed and the dates I'll try to fix the problem as we lead up to opening day.

1) The New York Problem: 2/2

2) Expansion: 2/9

3) Radical Realignment: 2/16

4) Eliminating the Sport's Pariah: 2/23

5) Survival of the Fittest: 3/2

6) Playoff Expansion - Part I and Playoff Expansion - Part II: 3/9

7) Interleague Play: 3/16

8) A Look Back: 3/23

9) The 2011 World Series: 3/30

It's time to get our hands dirty. Let's get started.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

If you've been reading the first six innings of my Baseball Project, you'll be shocked at this next statement: the 7th inning is the most controversial and has the least chance of being accepted than the previous six.

I declared MLB broken and Bud Selig can't fix it. I wield a machete to the established system. I've put teams in Brooklyn and Portland. I've made the divisions symmetrical and completely realigned the teams. The Wild Card and DH are gone. I've even revamped the playoff system taking home games away from lower seeds. Yet none of these changes would cause a revolt as much as this one: the 150 game season.

Losing six home games would make the owners go insane. The players wouldn't be happy either when they find out the double-header comes back in force. The money of lost home games is made up in massive television revenue as viewers finally come back to watch the playoffs. Furthermore, radical realignment has already saved the owners millions due to the reduced travel costs so their whining falls on deaf ears.

I have always hated interleague play. I think it's wrong to have a 162 game season and yet different teams play different schedules. It's a joke that some National League teams have to play more games with a DH—a disadvantage for them—than other NL teams while some AL teams have to play more games without the use of their DH—a major disadvantage—than other AL teams their competing against.

Since I've eliminated the Wild Card and DH in the previous innings, the only thing that's important now is to give every team in each division the same schedule. However, even though I don't like interleague play, I'd be a fool to get rid of it. The fans have spoken. They love interleague play. Attendance is always up at interleague games. Obviously, there's going to be more fans at a Mets/Yankees game but even Rockies/Royals draws better than the average Royals game. Fans like interleague play and I need to give it to them.

If every team in the division is playing the same schedule, even interleague play is fair. The new schedule is made up of all three-game series. Every team would have three home series against each team in their division, one home series against teams in their league outside the division and one home series against each team in one designated division in the other league.

I want a vast majority of the games in the division since winning the division is the only way to make the playoffs. At the same time, fans get tired of seeing the same teams over and over again. Although 27 home games within the division seems like a lot, I think since every series will only be three games at a time, fans won't feel division games are redundant because the road team is only in town for three games. 72 of the remaining 96 games are played within your league but outside the division. Each National League team will travel to the cities outside of their division once per season. Again, since every series is three games and there are 12 other teams in your league besides those in your division, it works out to 36 non-divisional league home games and 36 road games against non-divisional league opponents.

You may have noticed a theme in the "Baseball Project" blogs. Some of the ideas are innovative and some of the ideas are simply stolen from other leagues because they work. In the NFL, the scheduling is so easy to understand. One aspect of the NFL schedule is the four games every year against one designated division from outside the conference.

Giving the fans interleague is exactly what they want but I have to have perfectly equal schedules. Stealing from the inter-conference scheduling format in the NFL makes that easy. Each division will be assigned an opposing division in the other league. The divisions will rotate from year to year just like the NFL so fans experience different teams. To make sure the schedules are similar, each team will host three games against each team in the other division.

150 games does not make the season any less credible than 162. The season is now five months long ending on Labor Day before football. Now the MLB playoffs are already underway before the NFL has started their season. MLB starts on the first Monday of every April. The season will last 22 weeks with teams playing six days a week. The big change is after April.

Every Sunday from May-August will have a double-header. Most of the Sunday's would be day-night double-headers so the owners get two gates. I wait until May for the DH's to start to allow teams to get into a little bit of a rhythm starting the season. Labor Day weekend will not include the Sunday DH so playoff bound teams can get their rotations and bullpens in order for the post-season.

MLB doesn't think outside the box enough to realize what a marketing opportunity this could be. As part of your suite plan or box seat plan, you get to stay between the games instead of having the stadium cleared (since you've already paid for two games why get up if you don't want to?). Any fan with tickets for both games gets to stay between games as well.

Now steal an idea from Arena Football. Have each player go to their position 15 minutes after the first game and sit at a table. Between games fans can line-up for autographs. The starting pitcher for game 2 is exempt and any player who is excused by MLB due to injury. How amazing is the value in a double-header ticket? If you want to buy a ticket for just one game, fine. Buy the "DH" ticket and you get an autograph of your favorite player.

Have players do this for 20 minutes before they go back to their clubhouse. This isn't just reserved for the home team but it's required for the road team as well. This would revolutionize the marketing of the game. You could stay in your suite if you wanted to between games. The teams would make thousands on concessions and on their in-house restaurants.

These are the ideas that aren't being floated in the MLB offices. Baseball must have two goals going forward: making fans feel value and taking from football. I've done more for baseball in seven weeks than they have in the last 15 years. Name a Larry Scott as commissioner. Hold nothing sacred. Save the game. The game of baseball is great but the MLB is broken. Please Bud, let us have our game back.

2) DEN...Alabama defensive tackle Marcel Dareus...Lock-out really hurts because they need to know the injury and free-agent status of Elvis Dumervil. If they know they have him back and healthy, they go with Dareus. If they're concerned about the future of the franchise tag, his status, or his injury, they look at Von Miller. Since they feel good there's nothing that would keep Dumervil out of their line-up, they take defensive tackle help.

3) BUF...Auburn quarterback Cam Newton...I'm completely buying into the rhetoric coming from Buffalo. They need all the attention they can get. To put it bluntly, they need a hero. Plus, Fitzpatrick would be the perfect mentor.

4) CIN...Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers...The truth is I have no idea. I know you didn't read this to have someone admit that but I really don't know what Cincinnatti will do. If Newton's here they'll take him but I think he's gone (they drafted Palmer and sat him for the year so they'd do the same with Cam and trade Carson next off-season). They need to rush the passer so they'd look at Bowers/Miller very hard. They need to catch the football so they'd look at AJ Green and Julio Jones. They need to cover wide receivers so head coach Marvin Lewis and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer can be more creative in blitz packages so they'd look hard at Peterson/Amukumara. Since Mike Brown loves head cases, they might even take Ryan Mallet. In other words, I have no idea.

5) AZ...Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller...Out of all the issues that occurred last year, the most under-rated was the inability to get to the QB. Bertrand Berry offered much more leadership on the defense than anyone realized while still getting to the QB. Having Miller and Daryl Washington together would be an unbelievably fast defense.

6) CLE...Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green...Holmgren thinks his QB's are bad because they don't have anyone to throw to. He hasn't considered his QB's are bad.

7)SF...LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson...I was asked to do a mock draft for the first five picks. I went for extra credit so you could feel my pain. Patrick Peterson is the Dwayne Wade of this draft. Everyone over-looks him until four years from now when he'll be the player we're always talking about. Don't forget he also returns kicks. When the Cardinals pass him up in the draft, think of one name: DeJuan Blair.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

Since we can all assume Commissioner Selig doesn't care what changes I've made in the first 5 innings that led to the 6th inning, let's improve the post-season within the confines of the way MLB is currently structured. Since you're so nice to me to read my 9 inning baseball project, I give you the Bottom of the 6th inning as I go for extra credit.

The major flaw with the baseball playoffs is MLB has never figured out they're in a competition. So often sports looks through the narrow prism of their own game instead of a broader view. MLB competes with every sport, every activity, even our daily lives to grab our attention. So why not change the system to make it easier to fit in to our lives.

The hard core baseball fan will watch the playoffs no matter what. MLB has lost or is losing everyone else to football. Since MLB's post-season takes place in the heart of the NFL season, the casual sports fan hasn't been engaged enough by the time October gets here. MLB must realize fans have left during the regular season to get what they're looking for somewhere else. The NFL gives them weekly drama. Worse, fans know the characters by the time the MLB playoffs start but aren't interested in the plot because they left the sport months ago.

MLB should end the season sooner to ramp up excitement for the end of the season before MLB losses all relevance at the start of the football season. Either go back to the old days of Sunday double-headers during the regular season if you want to keep 162 games or play only 140 games. Either way, Labor Day would be the end of the season.

Even baseball players talk about the "dog days" of August. Do you ever hear NFL players talking about how hard it it's to get through November? No. In the NFL the second to last month of the season is revered as everyone knows you're in an intense fight for the playoffs. In baseball, players just try to get through August. If the players lack intensity, how can MLB expect the fans to have any?

If the season ends in August, football hasn't stolen any thunder. The playoffs start at the same time football's regular season begins. Now MLB has the entire stage.

To make the playoffs the most exciting in sports, steal elements of every other sports' post-season so MLB's has everything to offer. Take advantage of the NCAA tourney by having a one-game playoff. Steal the 6 team NFL format. Reward regular season greatness like college football does and MLB used to. Keep the drama of a multiple-game series like MLB has always had and the NBA uses currently.

The current system is just too boring to compete with football. If you're going to have a Wild Card (which I hate—see the 5th inning blog) then why stop at one? The advantage of winning your division is completely diminished with only one Wild Card. There's no difference between the Wild Card winner and the third best division winner.

Since MLB won't implement my system of changes, the bottom of the 6th adds more Wild Cards to increase the advantage a division champion receives.

#1 seed (first place in division and league): bye in first round; four home games in best of 5 second round and even chooses which game it will give up as the road game; four home games in best of seven LCS.

#2 seed (first place in division but fewer wins then one seed): bye in first round; three home games in best of 5 second round; four home games in best of seven LCS unless facing the #1 seed.

#3 seed (first place in division but third among division winners): must play in first round but receives three 1st round home games to beat the #6 seed twice; 2 home games in best of 5 second round; three home games in best of seven LCS unless playing a lower seed.

#4 seed (best second place team): hosts a one-game all or nothing 1st round game vs. #5 seed; gets only one home game in best of 5 versus the #1 seed in the second round or two home games in best of 5 vs. #2 seed; three home games in best of seven LCS unless playing a lower seed.

#5 seed (second best non-division winner): must travel to

#4 seed for a one-game all or nothing 1st round game vs.

#4 seed; gets only one home game in best of 5 versus the

#1 seed in the second round or two home games against the

#2 seed; three home games in best of seven LCS unless playing a lower seed.

#6 seed (third best non-division winner): 0 first round home games in a best of 3 series at the #3 seed; gets only one home game in best of 5 versus the #1 seed in the second round; three home games in best of seven LCS.

The post-season starts the Tuesday after Labor Day. The division winners are seeded 1-3 based on record. The Wild Card winners from each league are seeded 4-6.

In order to give the regular season the respect it deserves, the #1 and #2 seeds each earn a bye in the first round. The three seed deserves respect as a division winner so they get to play a best of three series with all three games at home. The #6 seed can't host a playoff game until the second round.

The #4 and #5 seeds have the challenge and opportunity of a one-game playoff. I'm stealing the greatness of the NCAA tourney to add excitement to the playoffs. Although it adds great pressure, a one-game playoff also saves a bullpen from a previous series. As soon as you win, you're on to the next opponent.

There's no time between the playoff series other than waiting to see who wins. Just like the NFL, there is no bracket. The highest remaining seed travels to the lowest seed. This stays consistent through each round. The first Tuesday after Labor Day is game one of the Wild Card Round. The #6 seed travels to the #3 seed. Game 2 is a day game on Wednesday. Wednesday night is the thrilling one-game elimination of the #4 and #5 seeds. If there are any games remaining from the #3 v #6 series, they are played Thursday night.

This works perfectly for two reasons: coverage and rest. I've completed a lightening fast playoff round that dominates the week of headlines during the same week that is normally reserved for NFL hype due to their season beginning. Of course the NFL would get huge coverage and numbers like they always do but baseball wouldn't disappear in September like it does now. Now, MLB has anywhere between 9-12 cities wrapped around their finger during a time formally owned by the NFL.

The second positive about the format is I've given the #1 and #2 seeds plenty of rest without destroying their rhythm. They would have played their last game of the regular season on Monday, had three days off—similar to the All-Star break—and they're back at it on Friday.

I accept the fact that the weekend will be owned by football. My format sets up games 1 and 2 of the LDS on Friday and Saturday. I don't fight the NFL giving it Sunday and MLB would get its first off-day in the playoffs. Now I've had a whole week of momentum going into my game 3's on Monday night. Since the second round is best-of-5, I get the nation's attention right back after a weekend of football because the second round is almost over.

The LDS's would end after the second week of September. It would take just a hair over a week to complete the LCS. In late September, the World Series begins. I realize football is king but under this format, MLB is taking over September. Why let football get rolling and then try to steal attention. MLB should never give up control of the American sports fan. If the entire baseball post-season is played in September and only the first few days of October, you also avoid the bad weather of the Northeast and Mid-West that has plagued some of the recent Fall Classics.

The current leadership of baseball doesn't have the foresight to figure out a way to take football head-on. The way to do it is to not let football get started. Make the first month of the NFL season compete with a re-designed fast paced post-season and watch the fans come back.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

NASCAR and the PGA Tour both realized just how far behind they are versus the NFL. Although they haven't found a solution, they dramatically altered they're post-seasons in order to generate any kind of buzz during the middle of football season. Let the NFL own November-February. It's time for baseball to establish itself as King of September.

The first 5 innings of my attempt to save baseball focused on streamlining the game by eliminating the financial advantages of big market clubs without instituting a salary cap, making the rules uniform across the game, and increasing playoff opportunities for every team despite eliminating the wild card.

In the 6th inning I want to do two things: establish how baseball should be but also improve the playoffs if I'm stuck working within the confines already in place.

In case the 6th inning blog is the first one you've had the opportunity to read, I've created 8 four-team divisions by expanding to Brooklyn and Portland. I've completely realigned the divisions along geographic lines with no regard to American or National League. This creates a division with Brooklyn, the Mets, Yankees and the Boston Red Sox fighting each other for the division championship.

With the Wild Card eliminated, the only chance to make the playoffs is to win your division. However, with only three teams of similar market-size to compete against, if your team doesn't make the playoffs there's no one else to blame.

In the new MLB, only the four division winners of each league make the playoffs. The playoffs would be seeded 1-4. There would still be two playoff rounds before the World Series with the #1 seed playing the #4 and the #2 against the #3. Since that's not enough incentive to keep teams playing and competing throughout the end of the season I've got an extra carrot.

There would be a tremendous bonus to earning the number one seed as the team with the best overall record in each of the two leagues: GAME 5.

I have always thought that Game 5 is the most important game of a 7 game series. Either you're clinching the series if it's already 3-1 or you're forcing your opponent to go on a two-game post-season winning streak if you're now up 3-2.

Where is it written that one team has to have 3 post-season home games? Making the playoffs was your reward for being the best team in your division. I want to reward the best team in the league with an extra home game.

The #1 v #4 series immediately becomes more difficult for an upset because the #1 seed has earned it. Games 1 and 2 are at the #1 seed. Games 3 and 4 move to the #4 seed. Games 5-7 are all at the home of the one seed. Yes this is a tremendous advantage and that's exactly why I'm rewarding the one seed. The other playoff series is the standard 2-3-2 format.

Every single playoff spot comes with a major incentive. If you're the #4 seed, yes you made it but it's going to be tough to get past the #1. If you're the #3, you were able to hold off the #4 during the regular season and avoid less post-season home games as a penalty but you're still on the road at the #2. The #2 seed earned home-field in the first round so it's a reward for having a better regular season record than the #3 but the #2 missed out on an extra home game it could have earned.

Now you can't be the best team in the world without being the best team in your division. At the same time, being the best team in your league actually means something more than just winning a special number by your name. If the #4 seed thinks it's unfair, then be more about "bi-winning" next season.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

You have been completely duped. There has been a con artist at work for 15 years and the baseball public has fallen for it hook, line and sinker. I will stand up and take the arrows and bullets from the 90% of baseball fans who think it is working.

If you think it's good for baseball, you're in love with the fantasy and reality. It doesn't work the way it was sold to you. It allows for the above-average to be rewarded the same as the best. It gives false hope and stunts future growth. The bold are accused of quitting.

Fix the game. Eliminate the Wild Card.

If you read the third inning, from two weeks ago, I realigned MLB into eight 4-team divisions. For the most part, realigning MLB places teams in similar size markets into the same division. It eliminates the advantage money creates to get to the playoffs when rich teams compete against rich teams.

The Wild Card puts rich versus small. The Wild Card doesn't work. It rewards second place. Baseball used to have the clear distinction as the one sport where only the best advance. It was survival of the fittest in baseball and now it's survival of the pretty good.

If I can loosely quote Bob Costas, he once said, "Baseball went from two pennant races to four to zero." From the beginning of baseball until 1968, every team was fighting to win their league so they could advance to the World Series. From 1969 to 1993, four teams made the playoffs but each one had something in common. They were all first place teams.

The pennant race is the one thing baseball had that no other sport could match. The highest pressure was September baseball when one mistake could cost you the playoffs. Now, that pressure is only reserved for divisions dubbed weak—if the wild card team has a better record—or cross-country teams fighting for the wild card when they haven't played against each other in three months.

In my newly redesigned divisions, you win, you're in. No second place teams allowed.

In order to convince you the Wild Card is a farce, you must look at the number one reason the Wild Card was sold to the public:

It gives teams who would be out of the playoffs a chance to stay alive in the race.

Now here's how it has played out.

FACT: 11 of the 16 AL Wild Card teams were the Yankees or Red Sox

The Wild Card diminishes the amazing accomplishment of an organization like Tampa Bay when they prove they're the best team over the course of 162 games yet New York or Boston get into the playoffs anyway.

FACT: 75% of all teams leading the Wild Card standings on July 1st do not win the Wild Card

The month of July is full of trades. As teams look to improve, they make big moves to push themselves into the playoffs. The Wild Card and the trade deadline conspire to help the bigger market teams. Since large market teams can more easily afford high-priced players, they can make the moves necessary to advance to the post-season.

The Wild Card diminishes the importance of April-June baseball and allows teams to save their seasons. Fans are sold that this is a great thing but look deeper. Who are the teams that are being saved? The large market clubs who can afford an end of the season run.

Only three times out of 32 Wild Cards did a small market team trailing on July 1st of that year in the Wild Card standings overtake a large market club (2001 A's, 2003 Marlins and 2007 Rockies).

FACT: The LDS has had two teams from the same division 11 times in only 16 years of the Wild Card's existence.

In other words, in the course of 162 games team A proved they were better than team B but they had to prove it again. Even though I'm writing to end the Wild Card, if we have to have one, cut the season down. At least make the argument in a 110 game season the division champ has more to prove. At least add another Wild Card team so they have to face each other and make it that much harder for the Wild Card winner to advance to the World Series.

FACT: Two stunning pennant races were nullified because of the Wild Card.

2001: HOU/STL tie for Wild Card and division. Ending any suspense, baseball uses head-to-head match up and declares Houston division winner.

1996: The dream match up. Two teams. Two games of separation. Three games left. One team sweeps their way to the division championship.

No suspense though. The loser was going to be the WC any way so LA didn't even play their best line-up allowing San Diego to sweep.

FACT: Fans rip a trade that makes a non-contender better.

In 1997, the Chicago White Sox knew they were not a World Series team despite being 3.5 games out of a playoff spot. They made a trade with the Giants that helped set up Chicago for future runs at World Series. The trade worked brilliantly on the field and was a nightmare for Public Relations as fans thought the Sox put up the white flag on the season.

Chicago went to win the division a few years later, only to be beaten by a wild card team in the playoffs.

For the most part, the Wild Card helps wealthy clubs save themselves and make the playoffs. It puts a second place team on an even keel with three different first place teams. It lies to the fans making them think they should keep buying tickets throughout the summer when history shows your team isn't going to make it. It helps continue the separation between the big market clubs and the small market clubs.

As the great American philosopher Charlie Sheen said, "Deal with it Middle America."

Dragic for Brooks?

Don't like it but I'll get over it.

Dragic and a 2nd round pick for Brooks?

Somebody's asleep at the wheel, swerved and caused an accident.

DRAGIC AND A 1ST ROUND PICK??

I stared at my e-mail this afternoon in absolute disbelief. This is a classic case of covering up an embarrassment with a screw up.

I had this crazy dream in 2010 that the Suns bench was actually feared. It must have been a drunken stupor I was in while watching last year's bench actually win games. I remember traveling with Morgan Freeman last year through a wormhole and I saw the Suns sweep the Spurs behind Goran Dragic taking over.

The problem this year wasn't Dragic. There was a vacuum of basketball intelligence between the kicking to the curb of GM Steve Kerr/VP David Griffin and the hiring of President Lon Babby/GM Lance Blanks. In the vacuum 3 marginal players were signed to 12 years and $82 million dollars worth of contracts.

If you were listening to the show during that time, I went on a 2 month rampage against the organization for losing Kerr/Griffin and then compounding their mistake by signing 3 average to worthless players. The king of bad signings was the Hedo contract. There's a big difference between owning a basketball team and knowing basketball.

Just because you've heard of Hedo and saw him play well in the playoffs doesn't mean he's a good fit for your team. Hedo plays well if the offense is run through him as a point forward. He creates a match-up problem because power forwards can't guard him up top and get into foul trouble. Small forwards get out-muscled on his way to the basket. Surround him with a good shooter and a big man -- insert Magic reference from the playoffs 2 years ago -- and you've got a serious playoff threat.

If everyone in basketball knew Hedo can only play with the ball and doesn't move well without the ball, why would a team with one of the greatest point guards of all time sign him? Unless you try to fool the defense by playing with two basketballs, you're going to diminish the effectiveness of either Nash or Hedo. The only place for Hedo to go was to run the second unit and that's how the Suns screwed up Dragic.

Dragic came into the season feeling more confident than at any point in his life. The Suns completely screwed with that confidence the second they moved Hedo to the bench. Dragic had no idea what he was doing. Dragic looked like a tourist with a bad map on offense. As you saw in the Terry Porter years, Dragic's age and origin parlayed into a lack of confidence. Last year Alvin Gentry brought out everything Goran had and it was magnificent. This year the management vacuum destroyed him and injury made the recovery painful.

If you want to give up on his upside, go ahead. I can actually understand some people wanting a little more known commodity and hoping Brooks can do some of the things he did last year. Including the draft pick is outrageous.

We were told last June by owner Robert Sarver the Suns were going to start building through free agency and put less stock in the draft. So far the team is destroying itself through free agency and won't have a draft to worry about.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

One question to Mr. Weiner (MLBPA director): would you be willing to lose 14 jobs at the Major League level to gain 50 jobs at the Minor League level and gain 200 more potential Major Leaguers at the minor league level? It's time to end the second most ridiculous rule in all of sports: eliminate the designated hitter.

Are the Lakers allowed to shoot threes in the West but the Celtics can't in the East? Do the Steelers have to play four players both ways in the AFC while the Packers can use 22 different starters in the NFC? There is no amount of logic that can be used to justify a different set of rules for one league opposed to the other. Ridding baseball of the sports pariah of old timers hanging on will also eliminate an unnecessary expense.

Each Wednesday article builds on the last one. If I got you to buy into the first inning, I'm sure it was easier to follow along each successive inning. I've expanded the game to two cities, brought amazing endorsement opportunities for some of the players by putting them in Brooklyn and increased the revenue pool for the MLB Players Association by giving them 50 more jobs. In doing these three things, I ask the union to accept DH-free baseball.

An American League team is constructed differently than a National League team. An NL team uses a bench player for its DH or gives a weak fielding starter the "day off" by improving the team's defense while still keeping a bat in the lineup. An American League team simply uses their starting designated hitter -- a player who has an entire routine of preparing for each at-bat down to a science. The NL DH during Interleague play just feels like he's pinch-hitting four times.

Whenever the two leagues meet, one of the teams is at a terrible disadvantage. In all of sports, home field advantage in an Interleague contest is at its highest. I will stop saying "home-field advantage" in baseball and start using "road-team rule change."

The World Series is somewhat of a farce. The best AL team over 162 games might not be the best at winning without its DH. If a pitcher in the National League works harder at his bunt game and being a good hitter, he has a huge advantage over the other starter. In the American League, his work ethic is completely short-changed. Every swing he took in the cage is wasted and it benefits the opposing pitcher's lack of work. The DH is baseball socialism (cue America the Beautiful and farm back drop with boy having a catch with dad in a shirt stained from the falling fruit of Grandma's apple pie).

Let's say the Packers played nine man football (no offensive tackles). When they get to the Super Bowl, they now have to place two backups on the offensive line for the championship of the world.

How have we gone years with this making sense? Two games with one set of rules, then three games with one set of rules and then two games with a set of rules we played with at the beginning.

There is absolutely no difference in this ignorance than saying half the NBA will no longer play with a three point line. Why put a shooter on your roster? There's no need to spread the floor if a 25 foot shot is worth the same as a layup. The NBA Finals would be a nightmare. Ray Allen would rain threes for 2 games and then completely lose effectiveness for a week.

Compounding baseball's problem is the farce of the All-Star game. The ASG doesn't just determine home-field advantage in the World Series but it also determines who gets to play by what rules. Continuing the cross-sports analogy, Carmelo Anthony could hit a last second shot for the West, get traded to the East forcing his new team in the finals to play more games against his opponent under the rules used by Anthony's old team.

The DH makes baseball into athletic softball. Pitching stats are completely skewed. Is it harder to pitch in the AL? Of course but you also get the advantage of pitching yourself out of jams because your spot isn't coming up in the order. You give up two runs through 8 innings in the NL, you're out of the game because you're coming to bat and your team needs runs. In the AL, go finish what you started.

AL managers earn their wins because managing is about managing the human beings first. However, never compare managing in the AL to managing in the NL. An NL manager is forced to manage his bullpen around his own batting order. He has to set up matches an inning or two later versus a certain pinch hitter who will bat for their pitcher. He has to weigh whether he should let the starter stay in one more inning despite signs of fatigue because the lineup didn't turn over in the last half inning.

National League baseball is faster. National League baseball is more cerebral. National League baseball is more strategic. National League baseball is … baseball.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

It's the third inning and we're still trailing in the ballgame but we're making a comeback.

Baseball is losing to pro and college football. The NBA is having a phenomenal season. The opportunity for MLB is very tangible. The NFL could be headed to disaster. The NBA is staring down the same problem after the NBA Finals. This is the time to strike. Follow "Doug's 9 innings to save baseball." You'll never see it with Bud Selig but put Larry Scott in that position and this is exactly what you'd see.

If MLB filled the NFL void this year by letting it slip they are considering these changes, the buzz would be enormous. Inning 1 gave baseball back to Brooklyn to divide the pot within the city of New York. Inning 2 expanded the game to Brooklyn and Portland to put more money into the game without affecting competitive balance. Inning 3 will tie the score with the other professional leagues by bringing complete competitive balance without a salary cap.

It's time to scrap the American League and National League. Sure we'll keep the names but the teams will be completely different.

I present to you, INNING 3: RADICAL REALIGNMENT.

East: New York Yankees New York Mets Brooklyn (Expansion) Boston Red Sox	East: Philadelphia Phillies Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles Pittsburgh Pirates
Lakes: Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Indians Detroit Tigers Chicago White Sox	South: Florida Marlins Atlanta Braves Tampa Bay Rays Washington Nationals
North: Chicago Cubs St. Louis Cardinals Minnesota Twins Milwaukee Brewers	Central Kansas City Royals Colorado Rockies Texas Rangers Houston Astros
West Oakland Athletics San Francisco Giants Portland (Expansion) Seattle Mariners	West Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim San Diego Padres Arizona Diamondbacks Los Angeles Dodgers

Every division now stands alone. Almost every division is made up of four teams of similar market size. It will be easy to generate great regional rivalries. The owners will be thrilled because travel costs will be cut almost in half. Every divisional game is worth even more when you're only competing with 3 other teams for the division title.

Divisional realignment is a Grand Slam. What is baseball's number one problem? It is the perception of a lack of competitive balance. Everyone screams at how much the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets can spend on payroll while it's not fair to the "small market" team (I put small market in quotes because the term has become a catch phrase for teams that don't spend money). With these divisions, the three big dogs of spending can now fight it out between the four of them.

Creating divisions based primarily on geography dramatically changes the game. The Yankees dominance under the current system can only be changed by moving the Yankees from New York. As I explained in the first inning, it's the number of eye balls and ears in New York that give the Yankees their power. Putting a team in Brooklyn divides market share but radical realignment does even more.

Now, the Yankees are competing against Boston, the Mets and Brooklyn for the playoffs. Although the new American League East might win more World Series than other divisions, there won't be a run of consecutive Worlds Series championships by the Yankees as there have been in year's past.

It also forces Brooklyn to pay homage to the big dogs. The new expansion team in Brooklyn may have hit the jackpot by getting a team in one of the world's largest markets but they immediately have to play ball with the biggest dogs on the porch.

New divisions also pumps life back into some great baseball cities. Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, Kansas City and Pittsburgh have been either dead or rarely relevant for far too long. Radical realignment saves those teams by placing them against teams in similar markets. They'll compete with teams that have similar budgets.

Radical realignment keeps the resurgence of great baseball cities alive like Milwaukee, Detroit and Cincinnati by not trampling on their success. Tampa Bay also gets new life moving into a division that more reflects what they can do and rewards one of the great organizations.

Of course there are winners and losers. Philadelphia is the big winner. Smaller markets like Pittsburgh and Baltimore replace big market teams like Atlanta and the Mets from the old National League East. Baltimore is a huge winner by trading two behemoths in their division for just one. Cincinnati wins by finally being able to develop real rivalries. Since the Reds were in the NL West from 1969 until the mid-1990's, they've never had a real rivalry with Chicago, St. Louis or Pittsburgh—all teams in the NL Central now that used to be in the NL East. Now Cincinnati is in a division where they can consistently compete and their fans can drive 5 hours to see road games in the division.

The biggest loser is the Chicago White Sox. The Sox don't really have a true rival. Any of the teams in the new American League Central are perfect for the Sox. The problem for them is they're not in it. The White Sox would have a major problem with not getting one of the big three for them (St. Louis, Milwaukee or the Cubs). Their fourth choice would have been Minnesota and they lost them too.

The screaming from LA and SF would be very loud. I say get over it. The LA/SF rivalry is nothing like the Dodgers-Giants rivalry from the New York days. Los Angeles only cares about winning. They don't care about their teams unless they're winning anyway. Although Giant fans would have a major problem with it, winning their division as often as they will, they'd soon get over it.

The goal of "Doug's 9 innings" is to never ask for a hard salary cap while improving the game on the field. I also want to increase fan excitement and belief in their team. Radical Realignment makes money less relevant than any other plan. Inning 3 goes the farthest in saving money, creating new and exciting rivalries while eliminating the threat of New York and Boston money destroying the hope of every fan.

If MLB made the announcement of the first 3 innings being implemented during the All-Star game, all of the focus on the NFL labor situation would evaporate and baseball would rule every sports page. More importantly, MLB would be right on the NFL's heels going into inning 4. Next week we finally eliminate another money-grab position that creates one more line between the haves and have nots.

Editor's Note: Doug believes baseball is broken and would like to fix it. He plans to discuss an issue a week for the coming weeks. Read here for the topics he plans to help baseball fix.

There are 16 teams in the National League. There are 14 teams in the American League.

Just let that hang for a second. The NBA and NHL have 30 teams but they go with 15 in each conference. The NFL figured it out by going with 32 teams and everything fits perfectly into divisions. As a general rule, I think anything the NFL does, every league should look into doing the same. It doesn't make it right but it should be explored.

32 teams would actually improve the game. The old adage has always been baseball gets watered down with expansion. I won't dismiss the argument entirely but it can be overblown. Obviously, through simple math, a number five pitcher in a 32 team league would not even be in the majors when MLB was at 16 teams. I understand the logic but I think it's a short-sited indictment of expansion.

For years black players were barred from the game. Although Jackie Robinson broke the color-barrier in 1947, there wasn't a sudden influx of blacks into MLB. The Boston Red Sox—embarrassingly—almost made it to the 1960's without blacks on their team (with 3 months left in the '59 season Boston debuted Pumpsie Green who was mostly used to pinch run).

Only the best blacks were accepted into MLB. The injustice there was good black ball players were still left in the Negro Leagues. The thought process was why bring in an average or good player who's black when you already have a white one. Early on it was only the Aaron's and Mays' that were getting the invitations. It wasn't until the late 60's that teams were actually filling their roster with the best overall players regardless of race (Some will dispute that fact since black pitchers and catchers were strongly pushed to other positions).

If an entire part of the population is blocked from entry, you lack the quality of baseball that could have been achieved. If there were 16 teams of only the top 25 players on a team, there would be a reason to cry foul for baseball to expand. I don't think the quality of baseball declined in the 60's because blacks were able to make up the difference. If you were an average white pitcher in the 50's, you had a job but if you were black you didn't. Due to the addition of 8 teams through the course of the 1960's, if you were an average white pitcher, you still had a job. The difference was now there were average black pitchers, too. Since average is unaffected by skin color, I've never believed there was a considerable drop in the quality of the game.

With the expansion in '77, there were more jobs but the same effect happened. The 70's marked a new population influx. The game of baseball spread to all of Central and South America. Even though the Mariners and Blue Jays added 50 new MLB jobs, the game didn't change because the population boom of post-WWII and the new avenues to the Latino ball player more than supplied enough major league talent.

MLB is in a very similar situation now. Baseball is becoming a much more global game. Asia and Australia are producing Major League talent. Central and South America are being mined like it's a gold rush for talent. There's easily enough of a population surge and growth internationally of the game to support 2 more teams. It's time to expand into two new cities.

The first city is easy. Bring baseball back to Brooklyn. I brought to the table a litany of reasons in my last column of how a Brooklyn baseball team would significantly help control the revenue streams of the Yankees and Mets without hurting the other teams. I'm not advocating moving a team to Brooklyn. Expand there.

This brings up the easy question. Where does the other team go to make it 32 teams? I give you four options: Charlotte, Portland, San Antonio and Las Vegas.

Charlotte

This has long been a rumored spot for baseball. The Charlotte Knights were always one of the top grossing minor league franchises. There was strong sentiment to go to Charlotte for years. It would have been a good move at the time. The Knights aren't as well supported with the Panthers and Bobcats in town now. The textile industry collapse has made things difficult in the Carolinas. Charlotte is the best choice for simplicity of scheduling and re-alignment but baseball missed their window here.

Portland

There are four smaller cities in America with a Major League team. The population is there. What's great about Portland is the lack of competition for the entertainment dollar among other teams. Portland also creates a natural rivalry with Seattle and would significantly lower Seattle's travel costs and make west coast road trips easier on other teams. Obviously you hope some Microsoft and Nike money comes into play in any ownership group, as well.

San Antonio

Barely smaller than Kansas City and bigger than Milwaukee, SA makes great sense for "Texas three-step" rivalry it creates for the Rangers and Astros. It also has the same benefit as Portland. MLB is competing against only one other pro franchise. A huge advantage over Portland is that San Antonio is boring. There's so much to do in Portland that you'd always be competing against the great outdoors in Portland. In San Antonio, what else are the citizens going to do?

Las Vegas

There will be a pro sports team in Vegas, the only question is which league has the guts to go here first. Although cities like Columbus, OH, and Providence, RI, are actually larger in population, the buzz would be great. The money would be there because all of the casinos would have to buy tickets to make sure they had "comps" for patrons to earn. I think out-of-town fans would come in to cheer on their team and then hit the casinos. There's also a lot of townies that have nothing to do. It's a "well-known secret" Las Vegas citizens don't gamble much. How many people do you know that live there that go to the strip often? Bring those people an actual professional sports team and they would flock in support of something to finally call their own.

I realize the Pete Rose issue would come up. I know there would be fear of players' gambling on games at the sports books. Well, tell the critics to wake up. Every stadium is sponsored by a casino. There's nothing stopping players from illegally gambling except their own conscience so nothing's going to change if it's legal. If baseball keeps in place the rule that is currently keeping Rose banned, they'll have no problem with Vegas.

And the envelope please

Congratulations Brooklyn and Portland. You will begin play in three years. Brooklyn and Portland will begin the amateur draft in 2011 with minor league teams beginning in July of 2011. In 2012, both franchises will have the amateur draft and an expansion draft.

There will be an expansion draft every year for the next three years. Every year each franchise can protect three players. Next year, Brooklyn and Portland can only select players not on the 40 man roster who are not on the other 30 teams' list of three protected. Lose a player, you get to protect another.

2013 opens up the 40-man roster to the expansion draft but not the 25-man roster. Same rules apply as the 2012 expansion draft. In December of 2014, the final expansion draft takes place with the same rules but now a team's entire roster at every level is available. It's important to give each team the best chance to succeed quickly but still build through a solid foundation.

Improve the game by expanding to two new markets that have the ability to support the game. Every owner will be thrilled with the expansion fee. Fans in the cities of the new teams will stay with the teams because of the limited competition for the dollar.

32 teams fixes another major problem. Baseball's main problem is the assumption by fans their team has no chance to win a World Series. With 32 teams, radical realignment actually forces teams to compete against cities of equal size. That's the lead-off hitter for the third inning next Wednesday.

Welcome the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Portland Lumberjacks to MLB!!

Doritos…not good

Escape from luxury…Audi…Kenny G was funny

Cruze…to old people

Pepsi Max…hit the blond…too easy to see it coming

Chevy truck talks…silly

Movie and bikinis

Doritos…come back to life…best so far

Elantra…worthless

Cop steals car…Neptune steals car…alien steals car…Aztecs steal car…dumb

Eminem does Brisk…OK

Ben franklin…chevy volt…does nothing

Go daddy…not funny…go daddy has jumped the shark

Local spot…dodge ram…if you're going to buy a SB spot, get one that's in HD

Faith Hill…yes I laughed…sorry, I'm that guy

Movie

Motorola…not great

BMW…advanced diesel…average

Movie

Volkeswagon…played only 15 second version…bad move…30 second version is much better

Career builder…all those years of great chimp spots and you offer that?

Movie

Movie

Castrol sponsoring nothing

Carmax…very well done

Dairy spot…who thinks of these bad spots

Movie Fat spot

Cloud…not bad…will.i.am

I stopped watching local spots

Movie

Baby…e-trade…pretty good

Ozzy…best buy…buy back…OK

Anti hotel…homeaway.com

Tibet…group on…confusing

Coke border spot…average

Old service station…carmax…average

Simon…

Local spots not in HD…why waste my time?

Cars.com talking…OK

Dogs doing bud light…weak

Man and woman…excellent…pepsi max

Movie

Go Daddy fake nudity…dumb

VW black betty…better than most

Apple…Verizon…got the point across but not original

KIM…Sketchers…hot…not a great spot but hot

Movie

PIT ball

Quick out

Hand-off lost yardage

INC…3 & out

Punt…muff by Williams…rec by GB

Shotgun 5 wide…INC…Woodley deflected inside slant

Shotgun run middle…starks hit at line…+1

Shotgun…offsides…Driver quick slant…+24

Kissing Jennifer…missed play

Starks middle…powered for 3

3rd & 7…right through Nelson's hands…good pass…bad coverage

Punt…end zone…Bush missed it

Mendenhall…off RT…great block from Johnson…+15

M'hall…power tray...+9

Flag…FS…-5…Johnson

2nd & 6…quick out 0 route…+7

INC…little high, little behind Miller

Punt…in end zone

INC…Rodgers deep to Jennings…good coverage

3 wide…I back…3 step drop…sit down zone…+9

Starks hand-off…bounced outside due to penetration…+7

Nelson…quick out…+9

GB TO

Avoids sack…dump to Jackson

1st & 10…HO Starks with defense spread…+7

Dump to Hall underneath…another hit on Rodgers…+2

Playfake on the go route…Gay never looked for ball…great throw…TD

GB 7-0; 3:44 1st Q

Pit…-7…3:34… 1st Q

Playfake…pumpfake…Roethlisberger throws a duck, Ben got hit on arm…INT Collins pick 6

GB 14-0

Mendenhall middle…+4

Mendenhall RG/T…+8

Throw back screen to Sanders…late flag…Kemoeatu block in back

1st & 16…shotgun…tons of time…covered up field…dump to Mendenhall…+7

Playfake…Roethlisberger's plant foot slipped…missed miller throwing short…INC

Roethisberger up the middle on forced draw…+18

End of 1st Mendenhall bounced outside…Woodson came from CB…TFL

INC…Williams broke up…came back to the ball perfectly

Roethlisberger to Sanders…great blocking…Sanders caught it on the ground

1st & 10…2 TE's…great blitz pick-up…forced scramble…+2

3 wide…penetration forced run wide…+1

Underneath dump…quick tackle…+4

FG…33 yrd att…good…GB 14-3…11:08 2nd Q

Rodgers behind Jennings…INC

Rodgers 3 step to Jones…good tackle by Gay

3rd & 5…WW

Punt…Brown 1 yard return

Mendenhall bounced outside…+7…flag…Miller hold…bad call

Ben with time to throw…Wallace sit down…+15

2nd & 5…2TE…WW…Jennifer telling story

Amazing catch by Randle El…slant under Ward pick play

1st & 10…Mendonhall facemasked to the ground…-1

PIT TO…GB 14-3…4:35 2nd Q

Thrown into double coverage…Bush doesn't buy clear-out…steps up and makes INT

WW

Starks destroys this great run defense to the outside

TD Jennings…why can't anyone stop the GB slant

GB 21-3; 2:24 2nd Q

Deep 9 route back shoulder throw

2 min warning

Wallace deep fade…Woodson in coverage falls on shoulder

TO GB

Tipped pass…INC

Ward…middle…have no idea how it got there or how it was caught

PIT TO

Underneath to Brown…+1 and eats clock

PIT ball +25…pumps…Ward crossing pattern…+18

1st & G…incredible pass to Ward…excellent play by Ben…TD

GB 21-10; :39 2nd Q

Half time

Starks…off RT…flag…hold Lee…-10

Shotgun…Jones 5 yd out…missed tackle +10

Flag…FS…Jennings…-5

Nelson…come back…+5

Shotgun…great time…Jones on deep slant…dropped…INC…wide open…why can't anyone cover the GB deep slant? Punt…flag…facemask (bad call)

Mendenhall…bounced outside…no contain…+17

Ww

Roethlisberger forced draw…+6

Redmon handoff…middle closed…Collins crashed…bounced outside +16

Mendenhall…middle…TD

GB…21-17…10:19 3rd Q;

GB ball 10:13 3rd Q

Starks middle…

Nelson drop quick slant…INC

Sack…James Harrison…

Punt…47 yd

Ww

Quick out

3rd & 1…TO PIT

Meweldemore…bounced outside

1st & 10…playfake…overthrown…went upfield with throw…missed TD

Great time to throw…ward crossing route…+15

1st & 10…batted down by Mathews…INC

Heavy pressure…Dump to Miller…new fist shake hand signal…-2

5-wide…Buck factor…just said no GB sacks

52y FG att…hooked it

Playfake roll-out…Nelson middle

Starks TFL Timmons…bad block thrown by Rodgers…-2

TE curl…+5

3rd & 8…PIT TO

Trips RT…INC…Rodgers 1st bad pass

Punt…no ret

Mendenhall…off RT…+4

Quick slant to Wallace…+2

Ben way too high for Wallace…through hands

Punt…Williams threw a right hand

Playfake…INC…bad throw…high and behind

Rodgers couldn't get them set…forced roll-out…throw away…INC

3rd & 10…Swain curl…catch & Fumble…INC…challenged…INC

Punt…flag…ineligible…re-kick

Punt…gained 12 yards due to penalty

Mendenhall off RT…breaks tackle to the outside…+8

Mendenhall fumble…Mathews FF…3 PIT players couldn't find ball…GB recovered

INC…forced roll-out…deep shot to Jennings

Great blitz pick-up…hot route to Nelson…Polamalou with quick tackle

Jones with catch…great hands…+12 on 3rd down

Good patience…low dump off

Quick slant…Nelson drop…would have been TD

Nelson slant…doesn't drop…great blocking…Jackson protects…+25

1st & G…sack…great coverage in end zone

Great patience…Rodgers to Jennings…horrible coverage…Polamalou eaten alive…TD

GB 28-17; 11:57 4th Q

Quick fly to Spaeth…+9

Wallace underneath

5 wide…blitz…ben got hit…flag? Defensive holding on outside

0 route to Wallace behind Ward blocking…+12

Forced roll-out…dump off…Adams hold of Mathews...lot of acting

1st & 20…Wallace WR screen…+2

GB put 9 in box but rushed 4…Ward beat the coverage back to the spot…+15

3rd & 3…Wallace TD…perfect fade by ben…flag? Adams hold on Mathews?

2pt conversion…good decision…look for miller…option to Randle El…good

GB 28-25; 7:34 4th Q

Hood sack…-4

Nelson in route…+9

Flag…FS…-5

Jennings deep slant…why can't anyone cover the deep slant?...perfect throw

I-back…Starks off RT…+12

Inverted whishbone…Starks left side…+1

Jones abuses Gay…0 deep zone

1st & G…playfake…amazing catch by Crabtree…+1

2nd & G…Jones little dump

3rd & G…floater to Nelson…overthrown

23y FG att…good…GB 31-25; 2:07 4th Q

GB KO…PIT ret…flag…Fox…dumb

Miller middle…+15

Ward curl…+4

Throw away…back-2-back blitzes

Terrible pass…thought Ward was going deep

4th & 5…no blitz…flag? Refs were consistent in not calling penalties all game