The AP Top 25 Is Crazy, Craig Counsell Still Has Me Questioning the Cubs

 

After a little hiatus, I’m back with Season 3, Episode 16 of The Shawn Mackey Show — and I’m coming back with a new studio, a slightly less chaotic background, the old whiteboard, and plenty of opinions.

The studio may look a little different, but the show is still me. That’s what I want people to understand about this podcast. I’m not trying to be somebody else. I’m bringing the same sports opinions, stories, rants and nonsense that got this whole thing started.

I grew up in Chicago, and sports have always been a huge part of my life. I grew up listening to Chicago sports radio and guys like Mike North, and I always loved the idea that somebody could take their personality, their opinions and their life experiences and turn them into a show.

That’s part of why I started this podcast in the first place. It originally had the name Chronicles of a Dumbass, because I wanted to tell stories about the dumb things I did growing up. Eventually, my family got tired of hearing me complain about the Cubs and Bears, and I realized I had plenty of sports opinions to talk about too.

So here we are.

The NFL Season Is Here

With football season getting underway, I’m bringing the Bears and the NFL back into the conversation. The format of the show is going to move between Bears football, college football, sports opinions and, of course, the things that piss me off.

That last part is important.

Sometimes the things that piss me off involve sports. Sometimes they involve life. And sometimes they involve both.

That’s what I like about this show. I can talk about football, jump into college football, start talking about baseball and somehow end up telling a story about my childhood or something happening in everyday life.

That's just who I am.

My Problem With the AP Top 25

One of the biggest things that pissed me off in this episode was the Associated Press Top 25.

Michigan needed a second chance on a Hail Mary against Western Michigan and ultimately escaped with a 13-12 victory. To me, that should matter when voters decide where a team belongs in the rankings.

If you’re a highly ranked team and you’re playing an unranked opponent that you were expected to beat, I believe you should be punished when you struggle.

I don’t care whether you're ranked No. 1, No. 5 or No. 25.

If you struggle badly against a team you were supposed to handle, move down.

That’s my problem with the AP Poll. Too often, I feel like the voters look at what happened before the game instead of what actually happened during the game.

If a top-ranked team struggles against an opponent that was supposed to be a relatively easy win, somebody else should have an opportunity to move up.

Earn it on the field.

And Then There Are the Cubs

As a Cubs fan, I’ve got another issue: Craig Counsell.

I’m still not sold on him as the manager of the Chicago Cubs.

I understand injuries have played a role, especially with the bullpen and pitching staff. But I believe a great manager has to recognize the strengths of individual players and adjust based on what is happening in the game.

Sometimes you have to read the room.

Sometimes you have to go beyond the notebook.

That’s where I question Counsell.

I talked about the idea of a baseball “Bible” or binder filled with statistics, information and strategies. Statistics can be useful, but I don’t believe they should completely replace a manager's ability to watch the game and understand what is happening in front of him.

Baseball has become incredibly analytical. We have all kinds of statistics now, and I understand why teams use them.

But sometimes I wonder if we’ve gotten so caught up in the numbers that we're forgetting the actual game.

Take Ian Happ, for example. If a player is struggling over a long stretch, I want to know why he continues to get the opportunities he gets. At some point, the manager has to make a decision based on what he is actually seeing.

The Game Isn't Always in the Book

That’s ultimately my argument.

I’m not saying statistics are useless. They aren't.

I’m saying baseball managers still need to manage.

I look at the way baseball used to be played and compare it with today's game. Starters routinely went deep into games. Relievers were used differently. Closers could be called upon frequently.

Today, there seems to be a tremendous amount of emphasis on predetermined usage, matchups and statistics.

And then you get situations like the Cubs blowing an 8-2 lead and suddenly finding themselves in an 8-6 game with two outs and the bases loaded.

That’s when every decision becomes magnified.

When Craig Counsell pinch-hit for Carson Kelly with a rookie because of the matchup, I couldn't help but wonder whether the decision was being made because the situation called for it or because the book said to do it.

That’s the difference I’m talking about.

Sometimes the game tells you what to do.

You just have to be willing to listen.

The Shawn Mackey Show Is Back

That’s what Season 3 is going to be about.

Yes, we’ll talk about the Bears.

Yes, we’ll talk about college football.

Yes, we’ll talk about the Cubs.

But I’m also bringing back the part of the show where I talk about the things that piss me off, the things that don't make sense and the things happening in everyday life.

I’m still building this thing, and I appreciate everyone who listens, downloads, watches and shares the show.

The studio is new.

The background is cleaner.

The whiteboard is still here.

And the opinions aren't going anywhere.

Welcome back to The Shawn Mackey Show.