Something I was discussing with a friend earlier...

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

In sports, there are generally two kinds of teams, yes? There are teams that will try to build from the ground up, and teams that will spend huge money in free agency to go after the best players available. My question to you is, does it matter to you as a fan how your team improves? Say your team comes up short one season, and the next wins it all with a whole new roster? Will that cheapen a championship in your eyes, or will you just be happy for your favorite organization and/or hometown? I really want to get your opinions about this. If this has ever been discussed before, I apologize in advance, and I'd love to see a link to a similar topic if there is one.

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

It's relative to the team in question. I'm excited about the Bulls and Hawks building from within and doing it "the right way," but I don't care how the Cubs go about winning. Ideally, you'd like to watch your team mature from a bunch of rookies to a core of good players to a championship, but desperate times, &c.

[Steviekick 0]

Even though I prefer the idea of a homegrown team, I really don't think it matters. There are so many examples of young talent that wind up bailing to another city if they have a better offer.

 

I'm more concerned with the team's management trying to find the right players than how they get there.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I don't think that it's realistic in the era of free agency to expect a team to do either. In the end, it's going to take a mix of home-grown talent and free agent acquisitions to build a contending team. It's entirely too expensive to hire a team of mercenaries to win the whole thing. Conversely, building from with is difficult because you have to entice an entire team to forgo possible monetary gains to stay together and go for a title.

 

In the end, I just want an astute front office that makes wise decisions on player acquisition, whether that's through the draft or from free agency.

[Brett Favre 0]

I think that through the season and the playoffs you grow to love the players no matter how long they've been there, although it's always a little sweeter when they've been there for a while.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think building from within is the better strategy. I prefer it personally because I have an opportunity to see the Phillies advance through the farm system locally.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I agree with the building from within. This is one of the reasons I've enjoyed watching the Packers since the Ron Wolf era, since he played the free agency era in the NFL so well from the start of it. He made one huge free agent signing, and one big trade, and the rest of the team through the draft. The Patriots have also done a spectacular job of the same thing, and one of the reasons why they've been a threat to the championship this entire decade. It's also the same reason I really like the current day Rockies, as well as the Trailblazers, since I think both teams have bright futures ahead of them.

[Guest Gym Class Fallout]

The Patriots have also done a spectacular job of the same thing, and one of the reasons why they've been a threat to the championship this entire decade.

Having free agents take pay cuts just to play for Hoodie McAsshat helps too.

[CanadianChris 0]

In the end, I just want an astute front office that makes wise decisions on player acquisition, whether that's through the draft or from free agency.

This sums it up for me. Pat Gillick successfully combined both during the Blue Jays' World Series run. Building entirely from within was good, and it led to a couple of division titles, but it wasn't until they went out and traded for big guys like Alomar, Carter and White, signed top-level free agents like Morris, Winfield and Molitor, and made the big deadline deals for Cone and Henderson that they were able to get over the top. But they also wouldn't have made it without the homegrown guys that remained, like Juan Guzman, Jimmy Key, Duane Ward and John Olerud.

[Just John 0]

The Patriots have also done a spectacular job of the same thing, and one of the reasons why they've been a threat to the championship this entire decade.

 

I would agree with that for the first half of the decade. I don't know how you can say that's true now after they've gone out and signed Moss, Stallworth, Welker, and Thomas, though.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Even without those additions, though, it's difficult to argue that the majority and the foundation of that team is mostly built on solid drafting and getting the most value out of cheap, overlooked, quality free agents. This is a team that's made it at least to the second round of the playoffs five out of the last six seasons, and the AFC Championship in four of those same six, winning 3 of those and the Super Bowl afterwards. This is part of the reason people are terrified at how well the Patriots are playing this year; even without the contributions those four players are making, they'd still be a threat to win no matter what, even when they throw a third string running back out there.