Sports Agenda For Tuesday (11/29/11)
Big Story:
Well, the free agency wire is ready to explode in the NBA; Al Golden finds out the U is covered like a pro team; Jim Boeheim = scumbag; the Panthers hit the ice again tonight; and are we ready for the annual Dolphins December collapse?
Let's get this agenda moving faster than the Saints offense!
Miami Heat:
Lots of questions surround two things for the Miami Heat.
First, will the Heat amnesty Mike Miller to free up more salary cap space?
Second, who could the Heat target to give a better supporting cast to the Big Three?
For the first question, it requires a little explanation.
Miller is in the second year of his roughly 5-year, $20 million contract.
The Heat can amnesty him and remove all of his contract off the books.
If they do that, they free up an additional roughly $5 million in cap space.
It would also lower their luxury tax hit.
But, before they do that the team has to figure out his status both physically and emotionally.
Pat Riley wanted to see him and Udonis at 100 percent in the lineup last season. Neither got even close to being 100 percent.
Naturally, Riley will probably be inclined to keep Miller in the loop if at all possible.
Here's how we transition into question two and it gets a little technical.
Assuming the Heat keep Miller, the team will have little money to offer except the veteran minimum and the mid-level exception.
The mid-level exception allows the team to sign a player for up to $5 million even if the team is over the salary cap.
So, for example, the Heat could sign center Samuel Dalembert to a $5 million contract if they so choose.
But is that the wise thing to do?
As Jorge Sedano said this morning, Riley's never signed anyone to the full mid-level exception.
He could though break it up and sign say three players to a smaller amount than the mid-level exception.
So, as the Heat Index pointed out, the team could sign veteran Kurt Thomas to the minimum, Grant Hill to either a minimum contract or a $2 million contract; and still have a little money left over to help the roster.
Confused yet? Don't worry, there's more.
The Heat will have to make all of their moves and be cognizant of the salary cap this year and for years to come.
Plus, Dalembert made $13.2 million last season and a team like the Knicks has much more financial ammunition to go after him.
But what the Heat can offer is a ready-made ticket to the NBA Finals.
Past Dalembert, the Heat could look at Kwame Brown, Brendan Haywood, and possibly Eddy Curry (who worked with the team before the lockout).
Unlike last season, Riley doesn't have a lot of free agent ammunition to fire.
Still, given what he pulled off last year in free agency, anything and everything is possible with him in command!
Al Golden:
Let's give some big props to CBS4's Jim Berry for asking the tough questions of Golden yesterday, as pointed out by the Sedano Show.
Berry asked Golden how he could sell a 6-6 team to recruits and if he was surprised that he got an extension after a 6-6 season.
The second question got under Golden's skin and he claimed that the team faced the toughest schedule in the nation.
I was curious if Golden was right.
Yeah, not so much.
According to Jeff Sagarin, The U played the 45th hardest schedule in 2011.
Ranking far behind teams like Kansas State, Texas A&M, Texas, Baylor, Missouri, Iowa State, and others.
As to the first point, it's a very valid question.
FSU is on the rise and UF may be soon to follow, unless Will Muschamp is in hopelessly over his head.
Even Florida International is looking like a stronger football team than the U.
Plus, FSU, UF, FIU, and others don't have looming NCAA sanctions coming their way.
Look, Golden is the best the Canes can get right now and they're wed to each other.
But he better be ready to face those kind of questions unless his teams really start showing marked improvement.
Jim Boeheim:
Just a quick word on him that I forgot to mention last week.
We don't know if the allegations against former Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine are true.
The evidence against him seems to be growing by the day though.
But what Boeheim did in the name of friendship completely undercut everything he's ever done at the school.
He called the potential abuse victims "liars" and said they were only out for money.
I try not to jump the gun on things like this, but Boeheim should be fired or at least suspended for the rest of the year for those comments.
He's basically telling the victims, you're going to have to go through me and I rule the roost in this neck of the woods.
It's classless and really a sad state of affairs for the coach and the university.
If he's fired, it will finally start making a point to these coaches that they don't run the school and they, like every other employee, must follow the rules.
Florida Panthers: (@ Carolina Hurricanes, 7:00 p.m.; Fox Sports Florida)
The Panthers hit the ice again tonight looking to maintain their lead in the Southeast division as the calendar turns to December.
Florida is currently three points ahead of second place Washington heading into Tuesday night's game.
The Panthers play a bunch in December, but if they can maintain their lead in the division as the calendar turns to 2012, hey, anything is possible!
Dolphins:
Finally, after the Dolphins lost last week and the team has the Raiders this week; the question has to be, is it time for the annual Fins late season collapse.
If you're a Fins fan, you really have to hope the answer is yes.
Currently, the Dolphins would have the number four pick in the NFL Draft next season.
Of course if the team wins more games than all bets are off.
This is the conundrum the Dolphins are in right now.
Win more this season and you continue your annual bout of mediocrity.
Lose and you'll endure short-term pain for long-term gain.
The Fins have a realistic shot at beating three of their final opponents (Oakland, Philly, and Buffalo)
That leaves the Patriots and Jets as probable losses.
If you're a Fins fan, you have to hope Oakland and Philly can put themselves together enough to leave only the Bills game as a possible victory.
Sadly, that is what Dolphins fans need to do, cheer for the opponents to knock off a very tough Dolphins team.
More than likely, the Fins will win just enough to kill their draft position.
And we haven't even gotten to who will be the coach next season!
That's another story for another day.
