Please stop...

With the Simmons for Bucks GM

I'm not even going to get into the numerous mistakes he has made regarding talent evaluation, his ability to make successful trades on Madden, the fact that he is a Boston douche, his wife is a Boston douche ("I would be the skinniest woman in Wisconsin if we moved there") or the fact that he actually seems upset that the Bucks have not contacted him about their non-vacant GM position.

I want you to read below, only instead of 2008 Bucks, insert "2002 Milwaukee Brewers."

(A) Not only are the 2008 Bucks headed for the lottery again, but there isn't a single player on their roster who could be the best player on a championship contender.

(B) If you're expecting the lottery to change things, know that there isn't a prospect in the 2008 draft who could be the best player on a championship contender with the possible exception of Michael Beasley (who has a little too much Glenn Robinson/Derrick Coleman in him for my liking).

(C) You can't sign a free agent who could be the best player on a championship contender because your previous GM killed your cap space for the rest of the decade.

(D) Of the available GM "candidates," there isn't a single one that could get their fans excited or even somewhat interested in any conceivable way.

(E) As tragic and depressing as this sounds, other than winning the 2008 lottery, framing LeBron James for a crime or bringing Don Nelson back to Milwaukee, the only realistic way that the Bucks could generate some local and mainstream buzz would be to make me a candidate. Think about it. They interview me and "Bucks Interview Sports Columnist for GM Job" becomes a national story, not because it's me, but because it would lead to a weeklong debate about whether a sports columnist could successfully run an NBA team. Name me another realistic move that the Bucks could make right now that would crack the first 10 minutes on "PTI," generate 100 comments on a sports blog or lead a sports radio show. You can't.

Ok. Besides the obvious differences between the two leagues (it takes longer to rebuild in baseball) the situation the Bucks are in is not much different than the situation the Brewers were in - in fact I think most people would agree that the 2002 Brewers were in much, much worse shape.

What did Brewers ownership do when they knew they needed a change? Hire Peter Gammons to run the team and get the fans excited? That would have gotten all kinds of airplay on ESPN! People would have been talking about it!

They instead interviewed different candidates from across the league and hired the former GM of the Texas Rangers most noted for signing A-Rod to a billion dollar contract.

Fans excited? Hardly.

What about the publicity? ESPN? Energized fan base?

You see, the Brewers actually sat down with qualified candidates and hired the one with the best LONG TERM plan to turn around a struggling franchise. I'm assuming Melvin didn't come into the interview with a notebook full of proposed trades and half baked ideas like "trade Yi to a city with a large Chinese population" (Good luck). He came into the interview with actual experience, relationships throughout the league like Jack Z and the Arizona Diamondbacks, and most importantly a long term viable plan to put a winner on the field.

Other blogs have done a much better job articulating why the Boston ass-clown should shut his mouth. I just ask you to look at the Brewers for an example of the right way to turn around a franchise and leave the gimmicks to the Cubs.

Wisconsin sports blogs- Please stop with the Simmons for GM rhetoric. It makes us all look bad.