Contract Extensions...??

Maybe it's because we're "Minnesota Nice" and all...but, all across the board it seems that our local teams hand out undeserving contract extensions at some of the most inopportune times...here's a rundown of some of the recent extensions:

* Brad Childress - I like Brad Childress. I like stability. But, handing a contract extension in the middle of a season (specifically, a one of a kind season with the aging Brett Favre underneath center...with no future quarterback currently in the fold, even though he's an "offensive guru") is a bad decision. Keeping him is not a bad decision. Striking a deal at that time is a bad decision.

* Denard Span - To be honest, I think Denard is overrated. He plays outfield between Delmon Young and Jason Kubel/Michael Cuddyer...so he looks like a track star in comparison. His arm is a wet noodle. He pretty much hits ground balls (some for hits/most for outs). He is one of the worst fundamental base runners on the team. Yet, we extend his contract out for another 4-5 years before the 2010 season even starts. And we have Ben Revere and Aaron Hicks (similar players) making a fast rise in the minors.

* Tim Brewster - Maturi extended Brewster's current deal out for one more year so it wouldn't hinder his recruiting. It's actually not a bad deal on the University of Minnesota side (it creates a cheaper buyout after this year). However, the Gophers just opened up a new stadium last year and are already having trouble filling it. They should have cut ties with Brewster after this past year. Football is the main income in the athletic department and the with the brand new complex, it's unacceptable to have the program just waffling in mediocrity.

* Nick Blackburn - At the time, I really thought this was a good signing. They locked him up to a modest four year extension after pitching well in some of the Twins biggest games during the last two years. However, something went awry with Blackburn this year in the summer months. And now that extension is a black eye on a front office that usually has a keen eye on their own talent. Remember, this is a franchise that never handed out extensions unless it was their premier player(s) (and sometimes that didn't even happen...they often traded them). This past year they handed out three extensions with the new revenue that the stadium is piling up. And two of those (Span and Blackburn) look to be mistakes in hindsight.

* Darko Milicic - I'm in the minority and was actually hoping they would re-sign Darko. However, if you look at his "body of work" throughout his NBA career...it's pathetic that he should garner five million/year. And signing him to a four year deal is a little long in the tooth for someone who proved himself worthy in 20 something games for your club the previous year...?? I would've been happy with a 2-3 year deal for the big man.

SBG