Small Market Blues

There is a story out now that shows the major difference between the NFL and the NBA. It shows why the NFL is king and will be king of professional sports in this country without a major conspiracy happening. The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted the Spanish phenomenon Ricky Rubio with the number five pick. He decided not to show up to play in Minnesota. He is staying in Spain for now after saying a move to Minnesota would complicate his life. I was reading this story and all I could think of was how if he would have been drafted by The Knicks, Celtics, Bulls or some other large market team he would have already been signed and bought his first mansion by now. Commissioner Stern shouldn’t let stuff like this happen.

That’s the power of the NFL. No one makes more money than the Cowboys but they can’t use that to sign every big name player and win every Superbowl. In the NFL my team has a chance if the right moves are mad and everyone does their job. In the NBA or major league baseball a small market team is just a farm system. Your only hope is that you get a really good general manager that can put a roster together that can go all the way before the roster’s free agency period kicks in. If you pull for the Green Bay Packers you know every year you have a shot. If you are a Milwaukee Bucks fan you know it’s going to take a super effort to get to the finals and no big name free agent is coming there. Why do you think everyone is so worried about Lebron leaving in Cleveland? Everyone knows that’s the normal order of things in the NBA. That’s why I still haven’t totally bought into the Hornets yet.