Holiday Musings

Winston-Salem, NC -- For the third consecutive year, I finished my holiday shopping before Christmas Eve. I've been a big fan of e-shopping, dating back to my time in DC to avoid the overcrowded malls and jammed streets. Approximately 70% of my shopping is done online, with the last bit resulting in a late run to a mall or specialty shop. I dropped in on Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem yesterday to place a bow on my Christmas shopping list -- pun intended -- and giving me a day or so to wrap up all of the gifts. Well, I looked like a mouse dodging a human broom in the mall hallways yesterday. I'm not really sure how people year after year can knock out a dozen people on their shopping list just by going to a stuffy mall. There isn't a store holding a sale or anything like that. Here's an even larger question. At this time of year with all of the holiday jargon, last minute shopping, final exams if you're in school, parties, etc. could you be "relaxing" in a Starbucks? Who are those people that sip on "tall" expressos with whipped cream, reading a book by the fake fireplace? They're probably laughing at all of us running around like turkeys to find the perfect gift for someone who will, in turn, probably trash it before the next holiday song that Dehlila plays in the following year.

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Good to see that The Dan hasn't lost his mind and is looking to keep some continuity in the coaching staff for 2009. If the Redskins win on Sunday, they'll be 9-7, exactly the same record as last year when they made the playoffs. Jim Zorn is a rookie head coach, so there's definitely a maturation process and a learning curve that's unavoidable with any rookie in sports, whether it be the Head Coach, QB, CB, RB, etc. I preach this notion in this space far too often: continuity breeds long term success.

Speaking of long term success in DC, I'm sure that Nationals' fans would all be excited to see a big name join the team via free agency. Other than the 1 year rental for Alfonso Soriano in 2006, the Nationals have never had a "marquee" player on the squad. Mark Teixeira definitely fits that description. However, I'm not sure that's the best option for the rebuilding Nats. No team has ever had success (defined here as a deep postseason run) with one player absorbing as much as a quarter of a team's payroll. With the Nats' payroll at $55M (in 2008) and a reported 8 year-$184M contract dangled in front of Bor-ass and Tex ($23M / year), that would spike the payroll up to $88M with Tex's contract consuming 26% of it. Sure, the willingness to spend large amounts of money is a great sign to the fans. The player that they're trying to lure is special. There would be utter outrage if this type of contract was offered to some clown like Manny Ramirez or a pitcher with a history or health issues when not in a contract year, such as A.J. Burnett, but "Tex" fits the definition of "no baggage." However, I'm not sure this signing would be the best for the Nats at this time. They are so far removed from contending. The pitching prospects in the minors are developing at their own pace. Steven Strasburg (RHP), the likely #1 pick in the '09 draft, will be an ace someday -- just not anytime soon. I believe that if Tex were to sign with the Nats, it would be detrimental to both the team and Tex. Let the Red Sox scoop him up... they'll need him to fend off the Yankees' new pitching acquisitions.