Quick Links: The Franchise Tag is Outdated

What to read as you plot your ambush on the Galactic Empire... in Rittenhouse Square.

• Phi Sheridan believes the franchise tag is outdated and should be done away with.  It's an interesting point.  The case of L.J. Smith actually seems to be a unique situation in which the tag kind of benefits both parties. [Inquirer]
• That's gotta hurt.  On face washing: "The face wash is a baiting tactic that has been around since gloves were invented, or, as the Devils television announcer Chico Resch said, 'since hands were invented.'"
• An article on the art of the jump shot: "Larry Bird's jumper was as pure as prayer. It was perfect in every mechanic, particularly his rainbow arc, which enabled the ball to "see" more of the basket. Thus, he got a lot of shooter's bounces. It wasn't luck. It was the high arc, the perfect rotation, and the soft landing."
• Hillary Clinton on a rather interesting baseball card. [Lioninoil]
• Be sure to check out the photo of Rodney Carney posterizing Dwayne Wade.
• The Sixers head coach's new nickname: "Shoeless Mo"
• The Dallas Morning News uses some interesting imagery. [B&C]

Comments

[Kulp]

The franchise tag is not a perfect system, but Phil Sherian did not convince me it's broken. The Eagles used the tag on Trotter and Simon because thy were not convinced either player was worth a big long term contract. In both instances, they were correct.

Not only does a franchise tag allow teams to extend their evaluation period one more year, but it also protects perennially bad teams from losing marquee players that would otherwise bolt.

I think the players' biggest complaint with the tag is the lack of long term financial security in a game where every play could be your last. This could easily be fixed by simply limiting the use of the tag to one time per player. While the franchised player still lacks the benefits of a multi-year deal, it's hard to complain when you're one of the top five paid players at your position and you're still guaranteed to reach free agency the following season.

I'm sure there would still be guys out there who felt "disrespected," but if the players want to continue earning their outrageous paychecks, the teams should have some assurances before signing them.

[digi]

God I hate Darcy Tucker...

[johndewar]

I wonder if the posterization of DWade will be Carney's Willie Burton moment?