BenMaller.com - Ben's Takes

Will the Vikings Head West?

By Ben Maller

The idea of Randy Moss & Daunte Cullpepper playing in Los Angeles is an exciting one. Rumors have Philip Anschutz, the Denver billionaire who owns the NHL's Kings, trying to buy the Vikings for the city of the Lakers. I have always been against franchises moving from city to city, but after seeing LA get passed over in favor of Houston in the latest round of expansion I've decided that all's fair in love, war, and the NFL.

Minnesota has a solid fan base for the Vikings, but the problem there is the same as the problem in Los Angeles: a messed up local government. Red McCombs is a bright guy by all accounts- he helped build Clear Channel into the largest radio empire in the free world(Before selling his stock last week). McCombs knows if he's going to sell the Vikings, he can get a hell of alot more from them playing in the nation's second biggest market as opposed to middle market Minneapolis. The key thing to remember about his denying a sale and move to LA is this: he's got season tickets he still has to sell in the Twin Cities this season. It's hard to sell a lame duck product.

I have concerns over the way the Vikes have been run the last few years. Their defense is horrible, and they have from accounts not treated some of their players well. These things go in cycles of course, and given a new ownership group I'm sure they can turn things around on the left coast.

Kobe Bryant and Shaq better watch out, because if Randy Moss ends up playing on Sundays at the Rose Bowl or a new downtown stadium, he'll become just as big as the NBA superstars.

It's in the best interest for the NFL and Los Angeles to have a team that has star players from the get go. The Colts would be my first choice with Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James, but the Vikings are not far behind. LA's sports fans respond to star players and winning- that's about all.

Who knows? In 2004 we could be talking about LA as the city that stole the Vikings and Lakers from the land of 10,000 lakes. permalink

Monday, August 12, 2002

Big Ben's Weekend Thoughts

By Ben Maller

Barry Bonds would not have hit six hundred homers if he had not taken something to enhance his body(and thus his power). Bonds is not anywhere near the player that the other guys in the 600 HR club are. Babe Ruth, Henry Aaron and Willie Mays are all legends of baseball. Barry Bonds is a guy who has never done anything to make his career standout.

The Defining Moment's of the 600 Home Run club

1.) Henry Aaron: Helped the Milwaukee Braves beat the Yankees in the 1957 world series. Passed Babe Ruth when he hit HR #715.

2.) Babe Ruth: Helped make baseball America's Pastime. Legend has it he called a home run against the Chicago Cubs in the 1932 series. Also holds records for his pitching with the Boston Red Sox. Batted .326 with 15 HR's and 33 RBI's in 10 series.

3.) Willie Mays: Not the greatest player in the playoffs, but his most memorable moment came in the 1954 series against the Indians when he made an over his head catch, running, backwards robbing Vic Wertz of a hit at the Polo Grounds.

4.) Barry Bonds: Has batted .196 with 1 homer and 5 RBI's in 27 playoff games. While with the Pirates was unable to throw out Sid Bream of the Braves in game seven of the 1992 NLCS. Wouldn't sign a baseball for a family in Pittsburgh who lost a child. Pirates had to buy a Bonds signed ball of the home shopping channel and get the rest of the team to sign it.

Paul Shuey has really filled the void created when Terry Mullholland was sent to the Indians.

Kevin Brown can start to earn that $100 million dollars if he is able to lead the Dodgers into the playoffs over the season's last couple of months.

The Angels are getting ready for what they do best: a late August/early September free fall.

I'm still waiting for Curt Schilling & Randy Johnson of Arizona to breakdown. They can't keep going like this the rest of the season, can they?

Sammy Sosa had 14 RBI's in the weekend games at Coors Field. I believe if he played 81 games at Coors he would hit 85 HR's and the Cubs still would miss the playoffs.

The New York Mets have been my favorite team to watch this season. Steve Phillips was the talk of baseball in the offseason for putting together this $100 million dollar mess. It's been a joy to watch Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, Roger Cedeno, Jeremy Burnitz and Shawn Estes(among others) fall apart.

The most amazing thing about the Angels' season is that Jarrod Washburn is a 15 game winner.

If the Yankees don't get it done this season, let's hope that Oakland and Minnesota meet in the ALCS. That would make Bud Selig look like an even bigger jackass than he already is.

I have no say in who is going to replace the legend that was Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn on KLAC. If I had a vote, I would go with Brian Wheeler, the voice of the Trail Blazers who is the best young basketball radio PBP guy in the league. Wheeler is also a Los Angeles native. He brings lots of energy to each broadcast.

The NY Post is a great paper. Everyweek it seems another NBA player is quoted as saying he would love to play with the Knicks. This week it's Wally Szerbiack of the Timberwolves.

Michael Olowokandi has still not signed a contract with the Clippers. I wonder if Donald Sterling is sticking to his guns on this one. Bill Walton said that people can say lots of things about Sterling, but one thing they can't say is that he ever gave a huge contract to a stiff. The Kandi Man has had half a season. Let's see him do it again before he gets the cash.

Keon Clark does not make the Sacramento Kings better then the Lakers.

Charles Oakley is still unsigned and could end up in Purple & Gold.

I'm guessing that Shaquille O'Neal is putting off toe surgery so he can miss training camp. We all know the big fella is not a fan of camp and early season games. Also, Shaq hates playing in the all-star game.

Del Harris has turned down coaching jobs with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets the last two offseasons. Life working for Mark Cuban must be great. Harris is one of 12 assistant coaches in Big D.

Wonder if the Miami Heat will sign former Clipper point guard Troy Hudson this week.

Congrats to the Cleveland Browns, the winners of the 2002 preseason injury award. Jamir Miller was the heart of that defense; he had 114 tackles last season, and he'll have none this year. I met Miller at the Pro Bowl in February, and he was a good guy who was hoping to get a new contract before this season. If he was a baseball player, he'd have been in year 4 of a seven-year deal for mega millions.

Steve Spurrier's teams averaged over 30 ppg at Florida. His Redskins teams have done the same. If only those games counted.

Carolina got a steal when they picked up Deshaun Foster from UCLA in the 2nd round. He's going to be a Pro Bowl RB.

Michael Vick could have a break out season for the Falcons if, as one my callers from Atlanta pointed out, he only had some receivers.

Can we just start the NFL season next weekend?

This figures to be the best season of college football in years. I've just started to read up on the upcoming season. It looks like the year of the quarterback. The next generation of NFL QB's will be playing this season around the nation.

Rex Grossman (Florida) , Byron Leftwich (Marshall), Dave Ragone (Louisville), Ken Dorsey (Miami), Chris Simms (Texas), Carson Palmer (USC), Seneca Wallace (Iowa State), Jason Thomas (UNLV), Kliff Kingsbury (Texas Tech), Jason Gesser (Washington State), Brian St. Pierre (Boston College), Eli Manning (Old Miss), Casey Clausen (Tennessee), Jared Lorenzen (Kentucky), Marquel Blackwell (South Florida), Jeff Smoker (Michigan State), Luke McCown (La. Tech), Cody Pickett (Washington), Chris Rix (Florida State)

Bob Toledo better win and win big this season. How long can UCLA put up with his teams getting off to go starts and then folding in the 2nd half of the season? He's the anti-Steve Lavin. Lavin's teams play better at the end of the season until they run into a Duke or Kansas.

It's amazing to see how well Tiger Woods plays in events sponsored by Buick.

Actor Jason Priestley is my dumbass of 2002. He's got good looks money and as much fame as one needs... so why in the hell did he have to try and drive 180 miles an hour? permalink