Starting a Team

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Simple Question. You had one player to start your team with who would it be. All sports are welcome.

 

MLB-Mark Prior. At this point a bit of a stretch. But he's only 22. Great stuff. Great mechanics. He's just too talented to pass up.

 

NFL-Let me think for awhile. Not in NFL mode.

 

NBA-Tim Duncan. Not flashy, but you know what your gonna get. Leading a bunch of young, and role players to the Western Finals and maybe more.

[Guest phoenixrising]

MLB - As I did in my fantasy league, I take A-Rod first. Good-fielding shortstop, and he puts up some pretty good offensive numbers too. I'd stick him in the third or fourth slot of my lineup and build from there.

 

NFL - Michael Vick. I like what I've seen from the guy in two years. Great arm, seems to be a decent decision maker (low INT total) and has the ability to make something out of nothing with his cannon arm or impressive speed.

 

NBA - Kobe Bryant. I'm not a Laker fan but I am a Kobe fan, and I was very impressed with his attitude yesterday after they lost, saying he can't wait to start again and get another shot. Already has the killer instinct, and is capable of going off for 40 on any given night.

[Guest razazteca]

I would take a coach instead of a player in the case of NFL it would be Dick Vermil and Phil Jackson in NBA.

 

NFL player would be Moe Williams, what you don't believe in the power of the best 3rd down back in NFL?

 

NBA player would be Tony Parker, there is so much potential in him.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

First thoughts:

 

MLB: Adam Dunn -- young, cheap, powerful

 

NBA: Duncan -- I like him

 

NFL: Champ Bailey -- I have a fetish for corners

 

NHL: Modano -- Don't know that many people anymore...

[Guest PencilJobber]

I would go for:

 

NFL:Brian Urlacher(Most dominating player in the league except maybe Ray Lewis)

NBA:Amare Stoudamire(Maybe a bit early but i think he will be a major player in the league)

MLB:A-Rod(His Numbers are always consistantly great and he is still young)

[Guest MaxPower27]

Baseball: Vlad Guerrero for a player, and Kerry Wood for a pitcher. I'd take Mike Scoscia as a manager.

 

Hockey: Player-wise, I'd take Milan Hejduk. Goalie-wise, I'd pick Martin Brodeur. I'd take Jacques Lemaire for a coach.

[Guest evilhomer]

NHL - Goalie - Martin Broduer, consistently puts up great numbers and still relatively young

- Forward - Peter Forsberg, great offensive talent and plays hard

- Defence - Chris Pronger, assuming he can get his health worked out, he'd be an anchor on defence for the next decade

 

MLB - A-Rod, a good fielder who puts up great numbers and has a good attitude

[Guest Choken One]

M.L.B

-I would evalute my options here...Sure, Bonds and Sosa are great players and draws but only have a shelf life of 3-5 years. A-Rod is great and hasn't even gotten to his peak yet...

So I'll go with him as my Nucleus and Sign Barry Zito as my ACE pitcher.

 

Football

-It's all about the QB. I'll go with the money making superstar, Mike Vick.

 

Basketball

-Garnett. I think he and Duncan are about equal but he has an edge in terms of Drawing and Marketability.

[Guest Lethargic]

I'd take Shaq.....then trade him for one or two young players and two draft picks and build my team from the draft with young up and coming rookies.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

If I want to win soon/now:

 

NHL: Niklas Lidstrom

MLB: Alex Rodriguez

NFL: Marshall Faulk

NBA: Shaquille O'Neal

 

If I'm building with youth:

 

NHL: Alexander Ovechkin

MLB: Albert Puhjols

NFL: Michael Vick

NBA: Kobe Bryant

[Guest Spicy McHaggis]

NHL - I'm in Ducks fanboy mode so... Jiggy. If somehow he can maintain this high level of play, he'd be absolutely unstoppable. Assuming the Ducks can somehow win the Cup, this would be one of the best single-playoff goaltending performances ever.

 

NFL - Michael Vick. I truly believe Vick will revolutionize the QB position and change the way football is played... how offenses score and what defenses will do to stop it.

 

NBA - Kobe Bryant. The hardest working player in the NBA, bar none. Plus, he has the ability to create his own shot, or drive, draw doubles and triples, and kick it out for wide open jumpers.

[Guest Choken One]

NBA - Kobe Bryant. The hardest working player in the NBA, bar none. Plus, he has the ability to create his own shot, or drive, draw doubles and triples, and kick it out for wide open jumpers.

Hardest Working Man?

 

Please don't insult Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett like that.

 

 

How can he be the hardest working man in the nba when he only cares about himself and getting the points to pad his stats and refusing to be a leader and getting along with his team mates...

[HurriShane 0]

MLB: Alex Rodriguez

NFL: Mike Vick

NBA: Tim Duncan

[Guest Bricks]

NBA - Shaq. He's good for 25 and 10 at least. He's arguably the best passing center in the game right now. And he'll beat up the opposing center.

 

NFL - Michael Vick. So athletic and so young.

 

NHL - Peter Forsberg. He's the best player in the game IMO.

 

MLB - Alex Rodriguez. I watch baseball, but don't really know much about it. I know he's good though.

[Guest undisputedjericho]

As far as baseball goes, Albert Pujols is the complete package - Young, speed, average, power, defense, hustle, versitle. This guy is gonna be a stud in about 3 years. Torii Hunter also, just with a little less power. I've dubbed Hunter the 'New Old Griffey' since he reminds me of Junior during his years in the mid to late 90's.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

How can he be the hardest working man in the nba when he only cares about himself and getting the points to pad his stats and refusing to be a leader and getting along with his team mates...

Bullshit if Kobe Bryant only cares about his stats and himself. He led the Lakers in assists. He plays defense, he rebounds. The 40 point stretch was because Jackson told him to carry the team while Shaq got in shape.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I really only know football well.

 

With that said, I can't agree with the Mike Vick love only because he had one spectacular season. If he gets it done over a long stretch of time, then maybe I could see that, but he does have to his credit that the Falcons pretty much turned it around thanks to him.

 

My inner cheesehead says Favre, because you need leadership, but since this thread is about starting a team, I still say it needs to go with a quarterback. One who is young, but smart. (So there goes Jake Plummer, and Daunte Culpepper). One who's got it done over a long stretch of time (Sorry Chad Pennington, Mike Vick). One who can get it done in big games (Later Peyton Manning). And one who can has just a natural leadership ability (nope Drew Brees, not you...And even though he's an inspiration, Tom Brady couldn't carry the Patriots and fire them up to win huge games).

 

So my pick is Donovan McNabb. He's won the big games despite a talented supporting cast (even though Duce is held down, in wrestling speak), and yeah they haven't hit the Super Bowl level yet, but once it's playoffs is where all the intangibles start to take effect. He may have missed most of 2003, but had he been intact for the season, we might have seen the Eagles being Super Bowl Champs instead of the Bucs. We all know about his leadership, and he's low on mistakes, and has gotten it done over a long stretch of time, AT THE SAME TIME revolutionizing the quarterback position in the same manner as Mike Vick.

 

The problem with Vick is that he's too much of a running quarterback, and if a good team can handle that, he's not that intelligent of a passer. A hell of an arm, but he's not good with where he wants it to go. If he improves that area of his game, and keeps his level of play high and higher over a long period of time, then maybe we can start talking about him over McNabb.

 

(Oh, and Vick didn't beat the Packers, that was TJ Duckett and Warrick Dunn. Thank You[/cheesehead])

[Guest Vern Gagne]

The problem with Vick is that he's too much of a running quarterback, and if a good team can handle that, he's not that intelligent of a passer. A hell of an arm, but he's not good with where he wants it to go. If he improves that area of his game, and keeps his level of play high and higher over a long period of time, then maybe we can start talking about him over McNabb.

I totally agree. I'd even go further and say Vick is overrated, not a bad player just not the best player in the league. He's still a dangerous weapon, but keep him in the pocket and he's going to struggle at this stage of his career.

[Guest Choken One]

How can he be the hardest working man in the nba when he only cares about himself and getting the points to pad his stats and refusing to be a leader and getting along with his team mates...

Bullshit if Kobe Bryant only cares about his stats and himself. He led the Lakers in assists. He plays defense, he rebounds. The 40 point stretch was because Jackson told him to carry the team while Shaq got in shape.

And Boom...He couldn't do that could he...

 

So why would you sign the guy if you're trying to build a team that wins...

 

With Kobe you might get the flash but you won't get the W.

[Guest bravesfan]

MLB: Alex Rodriguez as a position player, Barry Zito as a pitcher.

 

NFL: Tough choice here, but Donovan McNabb on offense, while I'll choose Brian Urlacher on defense.

 

NBA: Tim Duncan.

[Guest Vitamin X]

The problem with Vick is that he's too much of a running quarterback, and if a good team can handle that, he's not that intelligent of a passer. A hell of an arm, but he's not good with where he wants it to go. If he improves that area of his game, and keeps his level of play high and higher over a long period of time, then maybe we can start talking about him over McNabb.

I totally agree. I'd even go further and say Vick is overrated, not a bad player just not the best player in the league. He's still a dangerous weapon, but keep him in the pocket and he's going to struggle at this stage of his career.

That's what the Bucs did both times they met with Vick's Falcons. We also all remember that fuckin vicious hit that Brooks laid out on Vick, and you could tell Lil Mikey was too afraid to wander out of the pocket after that.

 

That would have been a perfect "Welcome to the NFL, rookie" type segment.

[Guest DrTom]

I'd even go further and say Vick is overrated...

Like hell he is. Everything he did last year, he did without really knowing what he was doing. He was still learning the offense on the job, and still getting by on talent when the gameplan deserted him. He has limitless upside. He also has a very strong arm, so when he learns to stay in the pocket and pass, he'll carve defenses like cheap Thanksgiving turkeys. Give him a couple years to figure it all out and this guy is going to be a fucking MEGA-star.

 

Anyway...

 

MLB: Pitching and defense wins, IMO, so I'd go with Mark Mulder.

 

NFL: Vick

[Guest Vern Gagne]

I'd even go further and say Vick is overrated...

Like hell he is. Everything he did last year, he did without really knowing what he was doing. He was still learning the offense on the job, and still getting by on talent when the gameplan deserted him. He has limitless upside. He also has a very strong arm, so when he learns to stay in the pocket and pass, he'll carve defenses like cheap Thanksgiving turkeys. Give him a couple years to figure it all out and this guy is going to be a fucking MEGA-star.

 

Anyway...

 

MLB: Pitching and defense wins, IMO, so I'd go with Mark Mulder.

 

NFL: Vick

Tom overrted doesn't mean he's a bad player. Just not has good as people make him out to be. I said he's learning to be a pocket QB. More teames beside Tampa will figure out, keeping him in the pocket is your best way to contain him. He's gotta learn to be a complete QB. Which I think he will with time.

[Guest Choken One]

If Vick has good guys (Coaches) then he'll be a bona fide god...

 

If not, He's merely a flashier Jeff Blake

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'd even go further and say Vick is overrated...

Like hell he is. Everything he did last year, he did without really knowing what he was doing. He was still learning the offense on the job, and still getting by on talent when the gameplan deserted him. He has limitless upside. He also has a very strong arm, so when he learns to stay in the pocket and pass, he'll carve defenses like cheap Thanksgiving turkeys. Give him a couple years to figure it all out and this guy is going to be a fucking MEGA-star.

 

Anyway...

 

MLB: Pitching and defense wins, IMO, so I'd go with Mark Mulder.

 

NFL: Vick

But the thing you're completely missing is that Vick hasn't gotten it done over a long stretch of time. How could he still be learning the offense on the job when he has been on the sidelines as a rookie holding clipboards and figuring out the offense for a full year BEFORE he was the starter?

 

Granted, it was impressive that he helped get the Falcons into the playoffs this year, but the keyword is HELPED. Before last year, the Falcons didn't have EITHER of the two running backs they have now TJ Duckett was a rookie, and Warrick Dunn had been with the Bucs the previous year. He has an extremely strong arm, but he is still not very accurate, and if he did learn to stay in the pocket and pass, he obviously isn't a smart enough quarterback (2 years in the system and you still have to resort to your physical talents instead of football smarts? Come on, that's not a quarterback) to really make it work.

 

But I don't know, maybe he will be a mega star in a few years. It's just I've seen way too many "breakout stars" become no-names so fast your head will spin. Chad Pennington was a MUCH better quarterback in my opinion, and you can even look at the stats for that.

[Guest DrTom]

But the thing you're completely missing is that Vick hasn't gotten it done over a long stretch of time.

I didn't miss that at all. The question was who would you pick if you were *starting a team*. In that case, you don't want an older QB who's only going to play a few more years, even if he HAS gotten it done on big stages before. I'd want someone young who can grow into the position and emerge as a solid leader in a couple years, when the team is ready to compete in the playoffs. And the man I would take, with those qualifications in mind, is Michael Vick.

[Guest goodhelmet]

actually, i disagree tom. if i am starting a team, i want a veteran quarterback to teach the younguns. plus, being a packer fan, i'd go with 3 time mvp brett favre.

 

for the nba, i'll take duncan over anyone anywhere.

 

i don't care about baseball.

[Guest Vitamin X]

But the thing you're completely missing is that Vick hasn't gotten it done over a long stretch of time.

I didn't miss that at all. The question was who would you pick if you were *starting a team*. In that case, you don't want an older QB who's only going to play a few more years, even if he HAS gotten it done on big stages before. I'd want someone young who can grow into the position and emerge as a solid leader in a couple years, when the team is ready to compete in the playoffs. And the man I would take, with those qualifications in mind, is Michael Vick.

Exactly. If yousee my earlier dialogue, I picked Donovan McNabb. He's still quite young, has gotten it done on big stages, awesome leadership ability, and is just as athletic, but smarter than Vick has displayed thus far.

 

Come on, I'd expect better decision making from the only other person besides myself who has Kitana~ as his avatar.

 

Oh, and I would have picked Favre also, if the point was to teach the younger guys how to play. But this is all about *starting* a team, as has been stated over and over.

[Guest DrTom]

actually, i disagree tom. if i am starting a team, i want a veteran quarterback to teach the younguns. plus, being a packer fan, i'd go with 3 time mvp brett favre.

Different strokes for different folks. Personally, I wouldn't start a team with a 33 year-old QB who's kicked around the idea of retirement, but that's just me. I'd want a veteran or two in the backup slots, but IMO, when you're starting a team, you're building with an eye toward being competitive in two or three years. Favre's still a tremendous player, but I wouldn't want to rely on him at 36 to lead me to the promised land.

 

Exactly. If yousee my earlier dialogue, I picked Donovan McNabb. He's still quite young, has gotten it done on big stages, awesome leadership ability, and is just as athletic, but smarter than Vick has displayed thus far.

Keep in mind that Vick should have been a senior in college last year. McNabb has years of experience -- both as a college upperclassman and as a pro player -- on Vick, so it's an unfair comparison to say one's smarter than the other. McNabb knows his offensive system better and has learned how to adapt his skills to the NFL environment. Vick is still learning those things. McNabb's certainly an excellent choice to build a team around, but I still like Vick. Given a few years, I think he'll be better than McNabb. Pair him with a solid RB, a good offensive line, and a good veteran as his backup, and you're starting a team off on the right foot. (And yes, it's definitely possible to do all that -- solid O linemen are released for cap reasons every year.)

 

Come on, I'd expect better decision making from the only other person besides myself who has Kitana~ as his avatar. 

KITANA~!

 

Oh, and I would have picked Favre also, if the point was to teach the younger guys how to play.

I'd like to have a solid veteran around as Vick's backup. Someone who can show him the ropes during practice, room with him on the road, go over the playbook with him, etc. Obviously, a star like Favre isn't going to be a backup, but there are enough reliable veterans out there to find one or two for a fledgling team.