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January 31, 2005

The Legend of T.O.

It shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone that Dr. Mark Myerson refused to clear Terrell Owens to play in the Super Bowl next week.

If Myerson, who performed surgery on Owens' ankle last month, had given approval for the Philadelphia Eagles' receiver to play, the very next sound would have been a thud made by the good doctor being dropped — most likely from a great height onto his head — by his malpractice insurance carrier.

"He has great risk in clearing Terrell to play and no reward," said Eagles' head trainer Rick Burkholder, in an Associated Press story. "We think there's some risk and we think there's great reward, so right now we're going to progress with his rehab."

That's easy for Burkholder to say. He and the Eagles aren't taking the biggest risk. Owens is the one who, at least in Myerson's justifiably cautious estimation, stands to jeopardize his career by aggravating the broken ankle he sustained last month.

Of course, that begs the question of how much career T.O. has left anyway. Perhaps because of his brashness, perhaps because of his end zone antics — which have been largely absent from his repertoire this year — fans tend think of Owens as an angry young man.

But he's actually 31 and a nine-year NFL veteran with a lot more career in his rear-view mirror than outside his front windshield.

This will be Owens' first chance to play in the Super Bowl. If his career pattern holds up, he won't get another. If that sounds harsh, remember Dan Marino, who started for the Dolphins in the big game as a second-year pro, and never got there again, even though he played for 16 more seasons.

Individual greatness doesn't come with a guarantee that a talented player will appear in the sport's biggest spectacle.

At least Marino got there once. There is a long list of great players of great players — including Ozzie Newsome, Dan Fouts, and Kellen Winslow — who never played in the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Owens' teammates next Sunday will include a guy named Jeff Thomason. There's no need to apologize for not knowing the name. He was a late addition to the Eagles' Super Bowl roster, replacing tight end Chad Lewis, who was injured in the NFC Championship game.

Last week, he was working in construction. Next week, he'll be working in construction.

But on Sunday, he'll be playing in his third Super Bowl. Thomason, who had a nine-year NFL career ending in 2002, appeared in the big game twice while he was with the Green Bay Packers.

Owens has the final decision in this matter. And he knows the risks. But he also knows this is his first — and quite likely, only — chance to play in the Super Bowl.

The risks are actually less than a lot of observers are making them out to be. Myerson, at least, has a good reason for not giving Owens the go-ahead. If the doctor clears Owens and the worst-case scenario comes to pass, it stands to cost Myerson, in terms of both cash and reputation.

But that's not terribly likely. This isn't 1974, when severe shoulder injuries usually meant the end of a pitcher's career, or even 1984, when knee blowouts routinely left football players a shadow of their former selves.

The age of Steve Austin is here, which is fitting, considering how many professional athletes are "Six Million Dollar (and more) Men." The top orthopedic doctors can rebuild broken athletes.

Doctors like Myerson don't, of course, use cyborg parts like they did in the 1970s science fiction TV show. They use scalpels, thread, Gore-Tex and cadaver leftovers. But the result — better, stronger, faster — is pretty much the same.

Short of getting his legs blown off by an Al Qaida trip line planted in the tunnel leading to the field, there's very little Owens could do to aggravate his injury so badly that he won't be around to play next season.

And even if Sunday turns out to be Owens' final game, he is still assured a measure of immortality. If he never plays again after this week, T.O. is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.

Admittedly, he might need one or two great seasons to reach that level if he does continue after this year. But any Hall-of-Fame voter who holds it against Owens if he sustains a career-ending injury because he rushed back to play in the Super Bowl should have his credentials stripped immediately.

If Owens does play in the Super Bowl — and it looks like he will — a lot of people are going to have to rethink their opinions of him. He and the Vikings' Randy Moss are cited as the examples of players who crave the spotlight and running up big personal numbers at the risk of team accomplishment.

If Owens plays Sunday, he can't be compared with Moss anymore.

Owens' athletic equals would be guys like Lynn Swann, who was MVP of Super Bowl X after sustaining a concussion in the AFC Championship game that year; Jack Youngblood, who played three postseason games on a broken leg; and Ronnie Lott, who had part of one of his fingers amputated rather than miss playoff games.

Playing seven weeks after an injury that requires 10 weeks to heal isn't the action of a prima donna; it's what you typically see from an athlete who would rather be part of a championship team than rack up gaudy stats.

And this is one party that, to Owens' credit, he doesn't want to miss.

Posted by Eric Poole at 2:53 PM | Comments (0)

I Hate Mondays: Wrong Said Fred

Who is No. 84 for the Philadelphia Eagles?

He's a first-round bust, has caught only 90 passes in four seasons, struts around in cheap postgame attire, and claims that he's too sexy for Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, Hank Poteat, and Troy Brown of the New England Patriots secondary — but I can never remember his name.

Is it James Thrash?

No. 84 has contributed roughly three cents to the NFL's piggybank, two of which came in a decent playoff performance two weeks ago, and he's decided it's time to put the 15 seconds of fame he's received to bad use.

But that's how the spotlight is dished out in the NFL, isn't it?

For three years, naming the constituents of the Philadelphia Eagles receiving corps was a simple task because they were non-existent. Their spectral offerings became a well-documented story in the media, and now everyone truly knows who these ghosts are.

But in those same three years, two of which New England was crowned Champions, how many Patriots were blown up into mass-media dolls? The only household name is Tom Brady, and he is constantly deflating his own publicity.

Celebrating prematurely, wearing Mohawks, and taunting opposing teams pre-game earns you a spot on the camera — quietly winning does not.

While No. 84 is far from a winner, his cheap shot is very disrespectful.

It's not like the Patriots have badly underachieved in recent weeks and are looking for a spark to motivate the squad, but this will work. To some teams, there are worse things to say, but not to the Patriots.

This team has fought through seasons with the unavoidable tag of "no-names." When they faced the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl, it was the Greatest Show on Turf versus some hopeless underdog. Very few people at that time could name at least four members off the whole Patriots roster, never mind four players in the secondary.

Last year, and this year, they weren't supposed to beat Indianapolis' brand name team with their President's Choice backups. How could Randall Gay and Troy Brown slow down Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning's lethal passing attack? The Patriots thrive on underestimation.

For a team that has overcome virtually every type of opponent possible in the past three years, has lost only two games in the last 34 weeks of football, and hasn't lost in the playoffs under Tom Brady, nothing fuels the fire like saying, "I'm not quite familiar with your team."

Hey No. 84, celebration and success only come before work in the dictionary. Enjoy doing what you do best — losing.

No. 84's taunting and superfluous media appearances mix like Mondays and me.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 2:39 PM | Comments (1)

Dear Andy

Dear Andy,

I just got done watching your match with Lleyton Hewitt. I was your biggest fan, but now I'm forced to re-evaluate my true love for your tennis game. I must ask, if I may, WHERE DID YOU PUT THE REAL ANDY RODDICK?

I was disappointed, Andy, when you gave my friend Barry Gilbert's son Brad the boot as your coach. Brad can be many things, but the one thing he is for sure is a winner. And while you were with him, you were a winner, too.

Under his wing, you won your first major tournament. Under his wing, you went from having potential to actually realizing your potential. Brad even wrote a book that seemed to be an undying love story for you as his pupil. If what he wrote is even half true, my friend's kid was truly the "wind beneath your wings." To leave him so easily, and so quickly, left me empty and wondering why.

Andy, you have great talent, and you can be the best player on the planet earth. Heck, for a while, you were. Your serve was feared. Your groundstrokes were cannons that everyone dreaded to face. You had spark and gumption not unlike another former mid-westerner who graced (or some would say disgraced) the pantheon of champions for over two decades. You had speed, youth, and desire. You were the complete American tennis champion.

Something has changed. I notice it. All your friends notice it. Your parents notice it. Brad, Cliff, Mary Jo, Mary C., and even Chris Fowler of ESPN notice it. As a long-time coach, I even see it before you start your matches. After a complete examination, all of us have figured out that its not your funky hair, or that dreadful new design line of Reebok clothing, not those Pure Drive racquets (although maybe you should switch to one of those new custom Vantage Sport racquets, or even maybe a new 24 mm X-45), nor is it anything in particular about your tennis technique. While none of us can put our finger on it, we all agree that something has changed, and not for the better.

I thought about having an intervention for you, but I haven't been able to get your closest friends to win deep enough into tournaments for them to be around as long as you. I thought about maybe starting a "Can any of us beat Roger Federer?" support group and inviting you, but our schedules wouldn't give either of us any time to do it right. I wrote down many, many tips and other free advice, and it will always be here, but I figure since you are already paying a coach, maybe he will or has already told you my ideas (although based on your play and results, I'm guessing he hasn't hit them yet).

So, my dear A-Rod, I am writing you this letter, to let you know how I and many of us feel. While our love is not conditional, we do have to question some of your recent moves. We have only your best interest at heart, so please listen to what we are saying:

1. Apologize to Brad, and ask him to come back and work with you part-time. I'm not sure if he will, but if you need some help, I can give you his dad's number. Wouldn't hurt to have his support either.

2. Stop trying to become another Taylor Dent, Greg Ruzedski, or any of the other huge-serving, mediocre pros on the tour. Having the world's fastest serve never got my New Jersey neighbor Colin Dibley much more than a foot note in a few books and magazines.

3. Try actually playing as if it was your last match. If there is one thing you are blessed with, it's being an American and having the great privilege to watch Jimmy Connors, Vitas Geralaitas, Johnny Mac, and a host of other all-time greats who never gave less then 150 percent every time they were on court. You know, play with heart, like the guy who beat you yesterday, Lleyton Hewitt!

4. Get to the net, get to the net, GET TO THE NET!

Lastly, Mr. Roddick, please listen carefully to this piece of advice that was given to me by a long-time friend and coach who I trust. She has never lead me down the wrong path, and any advice she has ever given me that I actually listened to and applied has always either enhanced my financial or winning condition. If there is anyone on this planet who has all the answers, on and off the court, she comes the closest. She loves to watch you play and win, too.

So, when I asked her to help me help you, she was more then eager to oblige me. So, I will leave you with this sage, wonderful, and game-transforming advice from a perspective only a woman of her caliber can give. When I asked her what was missing from your game she said, "Gee, that's simple. Why isn't Andy winning anymore? Because he broke up with Mandy Moore. If you break up with a girl as talented, sweet, and beautiful as her, you must be a loser!" Hmmm...

Sincerely,

Tom from Sports Central

Posted by Tom Kosinski at 2:08 PM | Comments (4)

January 29, 2005

The Battle Over Beer

The world is separated into two types of guys: those that love beer, and those that really love beer.

(Okay, then there are those who are allergic to beer, and those who prefer wine coolers, and those who can't legally consume beer because of some pesky court order ... but you catch my drift.)

I loved beer when I used to sneak my father's Reingolds (slogan: "My beer is Reingold, the dry beer.") from the fridge, drink them, crush the cans and keep them in my bedroom desk ... just in case my father saw an extra empty or two in the garbage. (No, it never occurred to me he could just count the beers in the fridge ... c'mon, I was like 15!)

I loved that cool Heineken I had while suffering through a sweltering D.C. summer afternoon on the day I moved out of my freshman dorm. I loved discovering Belikin beer down in Belize; a brew that, when fresh and depending on whether you're sipping the light or the dark, can put either Sam Adams or Guinness to shame.

Can you tell I love the beer?

Furthermore, can you tell I REALLY REALLY love the chili turkey dog with spicy mustard and cheese from the Vienna Inn in glorious Vienna, Virginia?

My first "legal" beer came at a New Jersey Devils/Washington Capitals game in DC's hockey arena ... meaning it cost about as much as a Ford Fiesta. And while both contain a good amount of water ... aw, screw it, I'd still pick the beer.

That beer was sold to me not by the MCI Center, but by ARAMARK Corp., a management company that does everything from running concessions at sporting events to cooking up school lunches to selling uniforms for catering operations.

Oh, and their nachos taste like ass.

ARAMARK has been in the news lately for doing exactly what it did for me nearly a decade ago: selling a cold one. Unfortunately for Ronald and Fazila Verni, it was actually six cold ones, sold to Daniel Lanzaro in one transaction. That's four more than Giants Stadium allows its vendors to sell; Lanzaro tipped his beer man/woman $10 to sidestep the law.

His blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit, Lanzaro drove home from a Giants game in 1999. The Verni family was driving back from a pumpkin farm when Lanzaro plowed his truck into their car. Seven-year-old Antonia Verni was paralyzed from the neck down in the crash.

Lanzaro is serving a five-year prison sentence for vehicular assault. Last week, the Verni family was awarded $60 million in compensatory damages, assessed equally to Lanzaro and ARAMARK. One day later, a jury awarded $75 million in punitive damages to the family, finding that ARAMARK was liable for selling beer to Lanzaro "even though he was clearly drunk, and that ARAMARK fostered an atmosphere in which intoxicated patrons were served," according to the Associated Press.

The NFL doesn't sell beer after the third quarter, mainly because if you're not tanked by then, you're probably not drinking beer anyway. The Giants actually go one step further, ending beer sales at the start of the third. (Is that fallout from SnowballGate a few years back?)

Fans are already feeling repercussions of this $135 million suit — which is being appealed by ARAMARK. At last weekend's AFC Championship Game, no beer was sold in the stands during the second half of the game. Fans could go to the inside concession areas to buy some brew — if they were willing to miss chunks of the title game to do so. The NFL and Heinz Field both claimed this wasn't in response to the jury's ruling against ARAMARK, which operates concessions at the Steelers' stadium.

(Riiiight ... and the hotels in Jacksonville were planning to raise their prices next weekend even before the city was awarded the Super Bowl. Uh-huh.)

If the award to the family stands, this could be the kind of sports legal case that leads to sweeping changes. The NHL put up mosquito netting after a child was killed with a puck; will the NFL go dry after a child was crippled by a drunken ticket-holder?

Both the league and the Giants were not found liable in the Verni case. But should this scenario play out in another region, with another jury, and perhaps a death instead of paralysis, who knows?

We're living in Cover Your Own Ass times. No one told Gary Bettman he had to throw up nylon mesh in front of the stands behind the goals; the NHL chose to do so because it figured that, next time, the league could have been hit with a enormous lawsuit. (The young girl's family was awarded just $1.2 million in a settlement.)

It's conceivable that the NFL and ARAMARK could similarly overcompensate.

There are two very distinct ways of looking at this issue. The first is clearly going to be a majority opinion, which is that a few bad apples/eggs/drunks shouldn't spoil the bushel/dozen/game. Stadiums and arenas are filled with fans that can drink responsibly, before and during the game. Those fans would see the cost of attending games dramatically rise if alcohol was no longer sold; hell, they'd probably see their favorite team cut a salary or two, as well.

The second view is a bit more complex. Should a company like ARAMARK ensure that employees who serve alcohol at games are, in fact, the type that could literally be the last line of defense against dangerous inebriation? By the letter of the law, they are: most states hold commercial alcohol vendors liable in a number of legal scenarios, such selling booze after hours or serving a clear-intoxicated patron.

But tell me, friends: in our many trips to the concession stands at an arena or a stadium, what priority do you feel customer service is to these food and drink workers?

I know in my travels, I'm lucky if I get a bun with my hot dog.

I'm not saying these people aren't supremely intelligent individuals with extensive education and training.

Oh wait ... yes I am...

In fairness, these people deal in volume, so taking a few moments to administer a sobriety test really isn't a viable option.

But perhaps it should be.

Perhaps concessionaires like ARAMARK should hire some folks with a trained eye for intoxication, either to sell beer or to simply observe patrons buying it. Ex-cops maybe. Or at least current bartenders.

Furthermore, perhaps stadiums and arenas should work with local law enforcement to flag drivers that leave the arena in a manner in which their level of alcohol consumption appears to be an issue. There's probably as much booze consumed before, during and after a football game as there is on New Year's Eve, and most local roads are practically in a police lockdown every Jan. 1.

All that being said, you may have noticed that I haven't mentioned the 'T' word yet: tailgating. That's because, in the NFL, there are only Four Undeniable Truths:

1. Alcohol will never be eliminated from tailgate parties.
2. Gambling will never be eliminated from football.
3. The Super Bowl will never be held in Lambeau Field.
4. Even if it was, the Seattle Seahawks wouldn't win it.

Greg Wyshynski is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 10:56 AM | Comments (0)

Talent's Broad Shoulders: The Dark Axiom

In 2002, when Qyntel Woods unexpectedly survived twenty David-Stern-trips-to-the-podium without hearing his name, the Portland Trail Blazers excitedly drafted the 6-8 forward from Northeast Mississippi Community College.

By all accounts, Woods' level of talent was a steal as the 21st overall pick in the draft. But Woods' personality and reputation as a troublemaker was the reason he fell to the Blazers, while names like Ryan Humphrey, Curtis Borchardt, and Bostjan Nachbar flashed on the big board before his own.

The league's caution was well-founded, while Portland's optimism could only be described as short-lived. On the Trail Blazers — or "Jail Blazers," of late — a team that has featured Ruben Patterson, Zach Randolph, Damon Stoudamire, and all of their legal baggage, Woods has found a way to stand out.

Following a violation of the league's substance abuse policy and a no-contest plea to a marijuana possession charge, Woods admitted in court that he had "mistreated" his pit bull and plead guilty to the charge of first-degree misdemeanor animal abuse. According to the charge brought against him, Woods arranged bloody pit bull fights in his home. The Blazers almost immediately waived him, claiming that he had breached his contract by engaging in conduct that was detrimental to the team.

Now, in a seemingly oxymoronic NBA development from Friday's wire, the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat have signed oft-troubled but surely-talented Qyntel Woods.

Steve Patterson, president of the maligned Blazers' franchise, had no choice. For years, the Blazers have been attempting to clean up their image in the city of Portland following public outcry pertaining to the Blazers players' behavior. Woods embodied the Portland public's frustration with the players, so he needed to go. Plus, the Blazers had a chance to avoid paying him the $1.1 million they were to pay him for the 2004-2005 season, the final year of his contract.

Conversely, the Miami Heat are 31-13. They seem to play in front of maximum capacity crowds every home game, and they boast arguably the best little man-big man combination in all of basketball: Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. Broken, they're not. So why bring in Woods during this renaissance season?

Terms of the signing have not yet been disclosed, but you can bet that Woods saw a reduction in salary from the $1.1 million he was scheduled to earn. Financially, it's a low-risk signing for Miami. Plus, Woods is undoubtedly more skilled than his 3.1 points per game career average suggests. Even if Woods is a locker room menace, he is easily expendable.

In fact, Heat coach Stan Van Gundy has already endorsed the team's newest member with every agent's worst nightmare: an apology. "How many of us at 18 or 20 make a lot of mistakes?"

Only later, praise: "He's a very athletic young guy who's got good skills putting the ball on the floor."

Even Shaquille O'Neal said that Woods would make the Heat slightly better as a team.

But this bizarre situation only illuminates an axiom of the NBA as a business: talent will always be welcomed, even when attached to significant personal — and even criminal — baggage.

Woods is not alone. In recent years, high-risk, high-talent players have found homes in the NBA despite serious and/or multiple transgressions in their personal lives. Eddie Griffin, Latrell Sprewell, and the aforementioned Blazers are all paid at a level equal to their talent, minus the chance that their playing career will either be disappointing or end early as a result of their personality and/or chosen lifestyle.

And how about Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O'Neal, and others involved in the melee in Detroit with fans? O'Neal's sentenced was reduced on appeal, and Jackson has already said that he has not changed a bit from his experience, other than vowing to stay out of the stands in the future.

Artest is the most volatile player in the NBA, but also one of the most talented. He is a tireless worker that will always have a job in the NBA as long as he wants it. When he returns to the Pacers, they'll welcome him back alongside Jackson and O'Neal. The talent, plus the baggage, will be back on the floor. And as long as the Pacers' fans remain loyal to these three, the Indiana brass will do what's necessary to re-sign them. Talent wins.

This dark axiom is not limited to the NBA. In 1998, Leonard Little, while driving drunk, fatally wounded a mother of two from Missouri in a crash. Six years later, he was busted again for drunk driving; nevertheless, Leonard Little remains a paid starter for the St. Louis Rams. Meanwhile, Theo Fleury received numerous chances to play in the NHL despite a history of substance abuse and disorderly behavior that often placed him at odds with the law. And Major League Baseball provides the most cynically comical example of the dark axiom with its steroid abuse "scandal." Jason Giambi admitted to using steroids in the past. Barry Bonds admitted the same.

So why is it that the New York Yankees are seeking to void the multimillion dollar contract of Giambi, thereby waiving their financial responsibility to Giambi and severing their ties with the former American League Most Valuable Player, while the San Francisco Giants have sought no such action against Bonds?

Maybe the Yankees are taking the moral high road here, sacrificing the team's interest for the good of the game and its integrity. Surely, Giambi's shrinking physique, mysterious string of illnesses in 2004, and pathetic offensive numbers had nothing to do with New York's decision. And, just as surely, Bonds' 2004 MVP season and impending attack on Hank Aaron's home run record — think of the ticket sales and revenue opportunities — have not been considered in the Giants' front office when such questions of integrity and morality are at stake.

The dark axiom casts a very real shadow in the fantasy world of professional sports. The interested paying public must contend with a decision: understand and watch the callousness grow, or shun it completely for bliss.

It's a question all fans of the Miami Heat now face, knowing that Qyntel Woods' talent was not sweet enough to make his baggage palatable to the Portland fans, and thereby the Portland front office. The dark axiom alone delivered him to Miami, a team of "good" guys who do nothing to embarrass the franchise and its fans. If the Woods experiment is a success, Miami fans may want to curb their glee; for one Qyntel Woods could turn into two or three, and coupled with a few seasons of mediocrity, the Miami fans would be ripe turn on Portland's reject as quickly as the fans of the Blazers.

Posted by Vincent Musco at 9:48 AM | Comments (2)

Illinois Seeking an Undefeated Season?

When talking about the greatest basketball team in college history, the 1990 UNLV Rebels might come up. Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt. The team pretty much finished off the Duke Blue Devils in eight minutes to win the national championship.

What does this trip down memory lane have to do with anything?

Well, it's that time of year where there are still a couple of unbeaten teams out there in the college basketball world. This year, there is Illinois and Boston College as the Top 25 undefeated. Duke had been there, but let's face it, an undefeated season just isn't going to happen in the ACC.

UNLV fits in this because that 1990 team, the team that won the title, is the team that goes down in history as one of the greatest ever. That UNLV team lost five games and is still considered in this realm. Not the 1991 UNLV team that only lost one game. That one loss being the Final Four to Duke.

Going undefeated in the regular season is a great accomplishment, but one that isn't necessary. A team hasn't gone undefeated with a national championship since Indiana did it in 1976. It is something that just isn't in the cards for a number of reasons. Still, it is fun to talk about.

Right off the bat, let's just say Boston College won't go undefeated. Not going to happen. The Big East won't allow it. Despite Boston College having won in Connecticut already, the task is one that shouldn't even enter into their thought process. They still have Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Plus, road games with Villanova and Notre Dame. And the whole anyone-can-knock-off-anyone in a power conference is a factor that most definitely exists in college hoops these days.

The other undefeated, however, Illinois, has a very good chance of getting this done. Illinois is the clear best team in the nation at this point in the season. Luther Head, Dee Brown, and Deron Williams are as good a trio as you are going to see out of any school. For a team to go undefeated, they have to sit high above the rest in their conference. Illinois accomplishes that.

The one downside is that they only accomplish this because the Big 10 is down this season. They are a remarkable team that would probably lead any conference, but they would see more contenders in the Big East or the ACC. They still have to get by Michigan State and Iowa on the road. That isn't a simple thing. Plus, the Big 10 might have a little of that upset power hanging around in the conference despite the overall decline in play.

Still, going undefeated is more or less just aesthetically pleasing at this point. It can't be shown in any way whether or not going undefeated throughout the season is even going to help the team when March roles around. Confidence might sweep through in droves, but let's go back to the UNLV example for a second.

The 1991 squad that lost only that one game to end the season was undefeated, but was not battle-tested when compared to the 1990 team. The 1990 team on the other hand took five losses in varied fashion. Routed by Kansas. Road losses to Oklahoma, New Mexico State, and LSU. The LSU loss coming by two points, a heartbreaker for sure. The fifth loss came towards the end of February, a conference loss at UC Santa Barbara to keep the Rebels honest.

Losses prepare teams for postseason play. Illinois, if they remain undefeated, will fight hard to dismiss the theory that one can learn from a loss. Try as they might to toss that to side, it is hard to dispute that one learns from their flaws.

The 1990 UNLV team had a knock in that David Butler was probably their weak link at the center position. Despite the loss to LSU, the team realized things that needed to be done to compete down low. They had gone up against Shaquille O'Neal and survived without getting embarrassed. Win or lose, that is something you want to see in a game where you can try things out and see what may or may not work.

Illinois has played a couple close games, home against Iowa stands out. They've even played two games in which the prevailing thought going into the game was that they were going to get beat. First, when Wake Forest came in to town and then when they played at Wisconsin. Winning close games and games that you aren't expected to win are not just characteristics of an undefeated team, but also characteristics of a great team.

And undefeated is not something that should be on their list of goals for the season. If they want an undefeated season for some sort of "legacy," then they are going to fail. To be ready for the tournament, a team needs to know how to play the game in multiple ways. To get to the point of winning in multiple ways, you need to try new things out during the regular campaign. Trying things out that you aren't normally used to doing isn't exactly conducive to playing at your best level, but it is a necessity.

In March, this is something you need. Sticking with one of the greatest college basketball teams of all time, for continuity sake as an argument of the best college team is a different argument for a different day, the Rebels showed it all in the March of 1991.

They played several tight games that were low scoring by UNLV standards. They saw Ball State give them a hard run in the Sweet 16. They went to the opposite end of the spectrum against Loyola Marymount and tossed 131 on the board to the 103 that the Lions tossed back. Then UNLV found themselves down at halftime to Georgia Tech and their "Lethal Weapon 3" of Brian Oliver, Kenny Anderson, and Dennis Scott. Needless to say, that now the trio remembered from that tournament is Anderson Hunt, Larry Johnson, and Greg Anthony. As mentioned earlier, the Rebels then went out and stomped Duke in the final.

Going undefeated wasn't necessary for that team to have confidence going into the tournament. Winning might bring confidence, but winning isn't the only thing that brings it.

Confidence can be a bad thing if you allow that confidence to separate you from the task at hand. Thinking that you can win every game is not a bad thing. Overlooking your opponent because of your confidence is the area you want to steer clear of. Illinois is a savvy veteran team, by today's standards of the college game, that are playing as an amazingly tight unit. They know the ups and downs of a college season.

In the end, whether or not this team goes undefeated simply does not matter. It's fun to talk about on the road to March Madness, but in March, history has shown that it doesn't mean anything. If Illinois goes undefeated with the national title, they won't be vaulted to the top of any greatest team lists based simply on that one qualification.

If they can do it, great, but a team cannot sacrifice the opportunity to get better in preparation for the tournament for the illusive undefeated season. The undefeated regular season is just that, a spectacular regular season. But the postseason is how a team will be remembered.

Posted by Doug Graham at 9:20 AM | Comments (2)

January 27, 2005

SC Interviews a Man of 100 Games

Kyle Whelliston is a man on a mission. His quest is to scan America for NCAA basketball, and see 100 games, up close and very personal. Kyle reports on this adventure from the blog "The Mid-Majority" (subtitled "Truth, Justice, and College Basketball"). To that end, he's witnessed everything from the Missouri Valley Conference to the Ivy League. That's not easy to do if you're getting paid, which he isn't. I decided to pick his bouncing brain.

Sports Central: What prompted all of this?

Kyle Whelliston: It kind of clicked together in a random way. Last season, I had a lot of free time on my hands, and I seemed to be attending a lot of games. Somewhere around January, I said I'd add all the games up, and the count was getting pretty high. I was sitting at a Rider game, figuring it on pen and paper, and I arrived at a total of 34. I thought, "I must have too much time on my hands." Eventually I got up to 82, including 25 games in the space of one week. I went to Championship Week, and was out on the road in the early rounds, quadruple-headers. I saw so much basketball I figured once I got up into the '80s, it wasn't a stretch to see 100 games.

SC: Sort of like the fans in Hershey, PA the night Wilt [Chamberlain] went over 80 points — they started cheering for 100.

KW: It's been suggested to me that when I reach 100, I should pose with the number written on a piece of paper, like Wilt did. I don't know that I'll do that. I thought of it as a good blog gimmick.

SC: Were you blogging prior to that?

KW: No, I started The Mid-Majority in November. I was originally going to cover the state of college basketball, and say, "By the way, I'm trying to attend 100 games." I aimed to provide news, a little database, and a box where one can enter their zip code to see what games are in their area (which I originally did for my own purposes). After about 10 games, it dawned on me that rather than just attending LaSalle and Penn games, I could start making plans and venture out a little further, and make ventures way up north and way down south. I wanted to see where college basketball is now, and provide recaps. One day, I might have a letter to a program, the next I might have a googy cartoon.

SC: How are you getting to the games? Car? Train?

KW: I go to most games in the family car. I've traveled some by train.

SC: Have you garnered much media coverage, sports talk radio and such?

KW: No, I didn't set out to do this as a gateway to a book, or a spot on ESPN. It has pretty much taken over my life. I should mention, first of all, that I have the utmost respect for anyone who makes their living as a writer. By default, writers are my heroes. I'm in awe of what you do. This isn't an attempt to get a job in sports media, or a book like [John Feinstein's] "The Last Amateurs." Feinstein was at the Palestra last night.

SC: Yes, he called into to [Tony] Kornheiser today. Kornheiser's son goes to Penn.

KW: He was on NPR yesterday, and he was talking about Illinois/Wisconsin, but he said, "But I'm not going to be at that game, I'm going to be at the Palestra, where it's really happening.

SC: He and Kornheiser agreed on-air that it's hands-down the best place in the country to watch a game. No disrespect to all the WAC arenas called "The Pit," or those places where the court is higher than the players' chairs.

KW: Someone once said that at The Palestra, 100 fans sound like 1,000 and 1,000 like 10,000, and that 10,000 fans create a din the likes of nothing else on earth.

SC: Probably Bill Conlin.

KW: I'm sure it was some crusty old Philly sportswriter. After the Palestra, there's a long silence to second place.

SC: What conferences (that you weren't previously familiar with in person) have surprised you, either in terms of fan enthusiasm or basketball talent?

KW: I've really gotten an education in the MVC. I've lived on the East Coast most of my life. I went to school at Oregon, The Pit, so I saw a lot of Pac-10 games. The middle of the country was my gap. I'm impressed with the fans from Bradley, Southern Illinois and Wichita State. I mean 20-year-old kids who can name rosters from way back.

SC: Theyve heard of Chet Walker, Dave Stallworth, and Mike Glenn?

KW: (Laughs) Yeah. The Missouri Valley is a classic mid-major. I get two or three of their games a week on the dish.

SC: Seen anybody that could knock off a larger school in a 4/13 (seeded) game in the tournament?

KW: You said you were in Orlando (for the NCAA Regionals) last year, so you saw Western Michigan. They could have beaten the six seed, Vandy, last year. Things are starting to shake out now. I read what you wrote about the NBA for Sports Central with great interest. I see a lot of that in the college game — players who shouldn't shoot three's, offenses with no one in the post, teams where no run knows how to run a fast break. They're not being paid a million dollars, but their penalty is they won't have a 250 RPI, or they'll lose to that eighth seed in the East Regionals. I've hammered on it at length. The popularity of the three-point shot, prior to that, the game required more all-around skill. It has stratified the roles of players. As far as ESPN is concerned, they're not going to air a show that examines the ill effect of the three-pointer.

SC: Not as long as ABC is airing those games. Can't bite the hand that feeds you.

KW: That's why independent journalism is so important. The networks love to see those mid-major teams with a marquee player, those teams that get wiped out by 30 points

SC: Bryce Drew.

KW: Right, remember Harold "The Show" Areceneux of Weber State?

SC: And Jerald Honeycutt at Tulane.

KW: The exceptions that prove the rule. They'll have a guy that goes nuts and gets 40 points. But to take a game in the tournament, or two, a school's gotta have an inside game and outside threats. I was in Kansas City last year, when Pacific went a round in. They knocked off Providence. The game was not as close as the score indicated. Then they ran into Kansas, which was essentially the home team. They held their own for 25 or 30 minutes, then Kansas just threw all their big men at them. Pacific is out the Big West. They had to undergo special preparations to face 6-10 guys.

SC: Holy Cross put a scare into Kansas a few years back.

KW: They play so hard. I just saw them play American U. up in Worcester, and they just throttled them. They're so anonymous. I had a few Holy Cross fans approach me and tell them I wasn't giving them enough respect, but I just have to see a team more than twice, to make sure they're not just a bunch of lunchpail guys.

SC: They could send somebody packing early (from a Regional).

KW: Yeah, but they've got to get through Bucknell. They haven't played yet, and Bucknell's stacked. When they meet, sparks are gonna fly. I'll get up to that one. I primarily commute between Boston and Phily.

SC: What's ahead for The Mid-Majority?

KW: I have a LaSalle game tonight. I'm going to Rider-Princeton, sort of a South Jersey game. There are three games in Philly Saturday. I hope to be up to 50 by next Tuesday.

SC: Was last week's snow an issue?

KW: It caused me to miss some. If I need games late, luckily, there's a regional in Worcester this year. Then I can try to get a Continental flight for about $100 to the first round games in Cleveland, I've got good friends there. I went to the MAC Tournament there last year — now those are some fans. They bring 'em in round-by-round. I could do four here and four there, or two and two and two. I hope it doesn't come to that.

SC: Did you have a writing background?

KW: I originally went to school for journalism — Oregon had the second best school on the West Coast. I was one of those kids who planned to "teach the New York Times about real journalism." This was in the early '90s. Then the Gulf War changed all that, and students began to wonder whether they could spread lies for the evil machine. The Oregonian made sweeping budget cuts, pretty much gutting the school of journalism. I studied graphic design and printing, and moved back East. I went to Drexel, the non-Big Five school. That was my introduction to Philly basketball, they were in the America East Conference, Malik Rose and all that.

SC: The Shaq of the MAC.

KW: Right. There've been so many conference shakeups. The Seaboard, the America East. I got a basic college basketball education. At Oregon, I went to all the games, Terrell Brandon was there, and he certainly made it worth showing up. But at Drexel, I discovered the Palestra. For the past seven years, I've "lived" there. I guess that's why fans accuse me of an East Coast bias.

SC: Really?

KW: I get asked why I don't cover more Western ball.

SC: Are these people offering airfare and expenses?

KW: That's my comeback to them, I'm doing this out of my own pocket, on limited finances. If they want to fly me out, and pay for accommodations, I'd be happy to cover Cal State-Northridge, or their Idaho State Bengals. I'm just a guy blogging about going to basketball games. I walk up and buy my own tickets. I got credentialed at one school, but they treated me so poorly because I was writing for the web, it wasn't worth it.

SC: Well, I wish you well on your quest, enjoy the games.

KW: Thank you.

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 1:39 PM | Comments (2)

January 26, 2005

Deep Thoughts on the NFL

* Maybe it is me. I was born in August of 1980. Earlier that year, the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers were completing their fourth Super Bowl title in six years. They were the elite team in the NFL and you would assume that over the next quarter century they would at least win the Super Bowl one more time. You know what they say about assumptions, right? The Steelers have not won the title since, and lost in their only showing, losing Super bowl XXX to the Dallas Cowboys in January of 1996. I ask that any Steelers fan born in 1980 really take a look in the mirror. If you are the jinx, please come forward.

* Message to Plaxico Burress: are you a big-time receiver or not? You have shown flashes, but when the Ben throws you a lob in the end zone, you have to come down with the ball. You are six-foot and a billion inches! You were covered by a 5-10 Defensive back, it's the AFC championship game, that touchdown would have put the Steelers within one score with the entire fourth quarter to go. You dropped it, and Bill Cowher elected for a field goal instead. GAME OVER. Good luck in Baltimore.

* I do not blame this game on Coach Cowher, but going for the field goal with 4th-and-goal down by 14 points in the fourth quarter was questionable to say the least. Bill, you are at home, momentum is huge, and a touchdown there and it's a game again. Considering the Patriots stopped the Steelers earlier on 4th-and-1, I could see why he chose to do this, but I say go big or go home. The Steelers went home.

* The city of Pittsburgh is a great place filled with great people. Our passion for football is endless. I know first hand, as I live in the D.C. area, but commute back to work every game at Heinz field as an usher. It consumes my entire fall schedule and this year has been amazing, but after the latest AFC championship loss, I am not sure if I can do it again. Leaving the stadium on Sunday night was like being at a funeral. By Monday, it was a ghost town. Keep your head held high, Steelers fans; we lost two games all year, both to teams we also beat during the year. After the jinx steps forward, I think we'll be just fine.

* Big Ben is 22-years-old! Don't forget that. Three interceptions in an AFC championship game might make you angry, but Ben is young and I think he'll have another shot at a title, so be easy on the guy.

* On a flip note, can you imagine being a Philadelphia Eagles fan right now? THE RELIEF! What a major hurdle your team got over. At least for the next two weeks you should be on cloud nine. You have an even bigger game ahead. Not only do you guys get a shot at taking down the defending Super Bowl champions, you get to do it in the Super Bowl! With or without T.O., the Eagles have proved to be a worthy opponent. I will be rooting for you in the big game, help western Pennsylvania out and take down the Pats. Patriots fans, beware, you will have to conquer all of the Keystone state to be considered a dynasty. Philly, defend the state, please!

* Speaking of dynasties, the Patriots are on the brink of doing just that in an era where that is unheard of. A win against the Eagles puts Tom Brady into the Hall of Fame and the Pats as a dynasty.

* So which is it, dynasty for the Patriots or destiny for the Eagles? I, for one, believe in destiny.

* So here it goes, never thought I'd be writing this: E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!

Posted by Kevin Ferra at 1:34 PM | Comments (3)

Home Cooking Adds Spice to Melbourne Park

"Once again, there was record crowd attendance at the Australian Open today..."

"TV ratings were at record highs once again for the tournament..."

We often hear these words from the commentators on the tube or read similar quotes in the newspaper articles during the Australian Open. The tournament has earned the "most fan-friendly Slam tournament" title few years back. One can be certain that the tournament organizers cherish the reputation and the seem to be doing everything in their power to ensure that nothing rocks that boat.

Spending time at the Australian Open's Melbourne Park is a delightful experience. The workers are friendly, people are relaxed. It seems that the organizers have designed every detail of the tournament with one principal in mind: fans come first.

If you think this should be nothing to write home about and that every big tournament should hold itself to these types of standards, think again. After thinking again, if you still have not changed your mind, go visit Wimbledon during the tournament.

Unlike the Australian Open, one ticket will not get you anywhere. Certain parts of the grounds will seem to be sacred and you will feel like secret demons will come out after you if you happen to venture that way. Not to mention, the ground crew is anything but relaxed and if you happen to ask an annoying question (by their standards, of course). They will not feel a bit disturbed if by the end of the day they have made you feel like the lowest denominator in the real world. The prices are also outrageous, but to be fair that is a London problem, not a Wimbledon one.

At the U.S. Open and French Open, the experience is more pleasant than at Wimbledon, but it still pales in comparison to Melbourne Park.

The last few days of the tournament promise some top quality tennis as Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova are in the semifinals. On the men's side, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin, and Roger Federer are still in the hunt. Or shall we say, "everyone is hunting Federer?" No matter how you interpret it, fans will be treated to top notch competition.

For all the superior qualities that Australian Open has to offer, tennis fans of Australia have been shortchanged for a long time. Australia has had seven players who have won Grand Slams elsewhere but failed to reward its home fans by grabbing the title in their home. To the fans' dismay, Tony Roche, Pat Cash, and currently Lleyton Hewitt are amongst those Australian champions who have never won the title at this prestigious tournament. Pat Cash reached the finals twice losing both.

In fact, to find the last homegrown talents to be victorious at the Australian open, you have to go back to mid-'70s. This is the reason why I am so pleased to see that Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt are providing some major excitement to their fans. Granted, just about an hour before this article was written, Molik was defeated by Davenport in a thrilling and extended three-set duel. Nevertheless, she had a fantastic run that included Venus Williams and symbolized hope for the home crowd well into the middle of second week.

On the men's side, Lleyton Hewitt is in the quarterfinals and will face the giant-killer David Nalbandian, who seems to give nightmares to some top player at every Slam tournament. For the tournament's sake, I hope Lleyton Hewitt advances all the way to the finals and rewards the fans of this truly wonderful tournament. Perhaps Federer being on the other side of the draw was heaven sent.

Aussies have provided the tennis world with a top quality tournament for many years. People from all over the world enjoyed the pleasant hospitality provided by these people. It is time for them to enjoy the tournament with a little added adrenaline factor by proudly supporting one of their own to the very end.

Regardless of what the next few days bring, our gratitude goes out to everyone who plays a role in making this tournament popular. We will be back next year, in attendance and in ratings.

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 12:48 PM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2005

NFL Conference Championship Roundup

Five Quick Hits

* Coup for the Packers landing Jim Bates as their new defensive coordinator.

* Nick Saban has to be pretty happy, getting Minnesota coordinator Scott Linehan to coach his offense in Miami. If only they had players to run it.

* If Duce Staley hadn't held out in 2003, he might be playing in Jacksonville this week.

* Rumor has it that Cleveland's interim head coach, Terry Robiskie, could be back with the club as Romeo Crennel's offensive coordinator next season. That would be a great way for Crennel to start building his staff.

* Johnny Carson was an American icon, probably the most popular man in the United States at the time he retired from "The Tonight Show." We'll miss you, Johnny.

Barring significant developments, I'll be off next week, but check in after the Super Bowl for my breakdown of the game and the third annual All-Loser Team, an all-star team made up entirely of players whose teams missed the playoffs. Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Championship Game Roundups

Falcons at Eagles

The story of this game was the utter domination of Philadelphia's defense over Atlanta's offense. The Eagles took away Atlanta's running game early, and that put a stop to things. The most telling statistic from the game is Atlanta's third-down conversions: 2 out of 11. That's what happens when you have no passing game. As with Philadelphia's victory over the Vikings last week, even when the game was close, it always felt like the green and white were in control.

In the first quarter, the Falcons had 13 runs and 3 passes. By the second quarter, they were already getting away from the running game, with 7 rushes and 8 pass plays. By the fourth quarter, they were down to one run and 12 pass plays. Jim Johnson's defense is especially geared toward shutting down the passing game, and Atlanta never had a chance to win the game on Michael Vick's arm.

This game featured three signature moments, all among the most memorable of the postseason, and all in Philadelphia's favor: Dorsey Levens' first-quarter touchdown run, a lesson in perseverance; Donovan McNabb's mad scramble before completing a pass to Freddie Mitchell, a reminder that Vick isn't the only QB who can elude defenders; and Brian Dawkins' bone-jarring hit on Alge Crumpler, an intimidating message to Atlanta's receivers.

The Falcons lost in every phase of the game. The offense got slaughtered. McNabb (111.1 passer rating) and Brian Westbrook (six yards per carry) were effective against Atlanta's highly-regarded defense. Punter Chris Mohr had a terrible game. I don't know that there were any matchups the Eagles really dominated; they were just a little better across the board.

Patriots at Steelers

It would be easy to blame the rookie quarterback. It would also be understandable. Ben Roethlisberger showed this year that he can make big plays under pressure, but it's also clear that for now he's most comfortable and most effective as a game manager. Hand it off, hit the tight end on 3rd-and-6, that kind of thing. In that type of offense, three interceptions will sink you. When you look at the stat sheet, everything else was pretty equal.

If you want to break it down a little further, Tom Brady was 14-for-21 for 207 yards and 2 TDs. Forget the interceptions, and Big Ben was 14-for-21 for 226 yards and 2 TDs. Almost identical. Roethlisberger made some nice plays, but he also made mistakes that took his team out of the game. Give the Patriots an inch and they'll take a mile.

Turnovers and field position certainly help to explain how New England scored 41 points against the league's top-ranked defense, but there's necessarily more to it. For starters, and I've mentioned this before, New England's offense is better than it gets credit for. It's a balanced attack, capable of dominating with the run or pass. And as Charlie Weis reminded us on Sunday, it is totally unpredictable and utterly fearless.

Several playcalls seemed to defy not only conventional wisdom, but common sense. Weis is the most daring and original playcaller in the league; the gameplan he threw at the Steelers was one they never could have prepared for.

It bears mention that for the second game in a row, New England's offensive line was extremely impressive.

The Crystal Ball

Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots vs. Eagles
Jacksonville, Florida

This is the matchup we've been hoping for all year: the best team in the AFC against the best team in the NFC.

New England enters the game with several substantial advantages. One is experience. Most of these guys have a ring or two already. They aren't going to let the magnitude of the game psyche them out. Another is mindset. For all their denials, the Eagles were under tremendous pressure last week. It was a colossal triumph for the organization to finally win an NFC Championship Game, and I imagine the emotional reserves are pretty dry at this point. Two weeks is a long time to refill the tank, but while the Patriots have never taken their eye off the prize, Philadelphia will have to contend with "just happy to be here" syndrome.

The Pats also have a huge coaching edge. Bill Belichick clearly is the best head coach in the NFL, and his coordinators are widely regarded as the best at their respective positions, as well. On the other side of the field, Andy Reid is a very good coach, while Brad Childress and Jim Johnson are excellent assistants. Weis against Johnson could be a battle for the ages. But Belichick versus Reid is no contest. Belichick is this generation's Vince Lombardi; Reid was badly outcoached in consecutive NFC Championship Game losses at home. Andy's had some trouble getting his team prepared for the big game.

For the Patriots to win, they'll need to balance their daring playcalls with a conservative approach to the game. If they don't give up the big play and don't commit any turnovers, the Pats win in a cinch. Ideally, New England will keep Donovan McNabb out of a rhythm and get him frustrated. McNabb is capable of taking over a game with his arm or his legs, but if Belichick and Crennel can limit his effectiveness, the Eagles will find points tough to come by. The Pats frequently dropped seven or eight men into coverage each of the last two weeks, and I think a similar strategy will work against Philadelphia.

Moving the ball against Johnson's defense is a trickier task. The Eagles' secondary is so good that it's tempting to say you blast Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk all game to wear down Philly's defense at its weakest point. I don't think that would work, though, and I think the Patriots will be far more creative.

Jeremiah Trotter, the heart of Philadelphia's run defense, is mediocre in coverage and sometimes leaves the game on passing downs. The Pats use empty backfields more frequently and more effectively than any other team in the league, and I expect a lot of four- and five-receiver sets from New England. If Trotter stays in, they'll attack him with passes; if Trotter goes out, it's Faulk up the middle. The Patriots have had great success this postseason handing off to Faulk, their third-down back, when the defense expected passes.

For the Eagles to win, they'll need to break Brady's magic spell. When the Pats lose, it usually can be traced to Brady: in New England's four losses over the last two seasons, he has a combined passer rating of 55.0. When Brady throws at least two interceptions, the Patriots are 5-9; when he throws more than two, they're 0-6. If the Eagles can disrupt Brady with pressure and force him into a couple of turnovers, they'll put themselves in position to win.

Brady has to be Johnson's top priority, but the defense also needs to stop Corey Dillon. It doesn't have to shut him down completely, but if Dillon hits the century mark or averages six yards a carry (as he did in New England's rout of the Colts two weeks ago), the Eagles are toast.

On offense, it all comes back to McNabb. He's been the heart and soul of his team for five years, and he's finally taken them to the game's biggest stage. McNabb is capable of taking over a game, and he'll need to be in top form for Philadelphia to leave Jacksonville as winners. I don't expect Terrell Owens to have much impact (if he plays at all), so Westbrook remains the big-play guy.

Carolina hung with the Patriots in last year's Super Bowl thanks largely to three touchdowns of 30+ yards. Even the best defenses can't guarantee they won't give up a big play, and Westbrook is the kind of guy who's a threat every time he touches the ball. Philly's WR corps could come up big, too, of course, but if I'm Reid, I want Westbrook to get 25 touches on offense. I would probably have him do some returning, as well.

I believe New England's defense will force McNabb into some mistakes, and I don't think the Eagles can rattle Brady when the stakes are highest. A Philadelphia win wouldn't be shocking, but it would definitely be a surprise.

Patriots 27, Eagles 16

Posted by Brad Oremland at 4:57 PM | Comments (0)

The NHL Lockout Stinks

Hockey fans everywhere were recently given a unified voice in the form of dying words from lifelong hockey fan Archie Bennitz when the elderly man used his obituary as his platform to provide the planet Earth with the best known description of the NHL Players' Association Director Bob Goodenow and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman: "They're skunks," Bennitz said.

At the start of the lockout, which has now lasted over 130 days, I was in the camp that the game needed to be fixed and that if it took the whole season to fix it, then so be it. I, along with all true hockey fans, had to find other ways to get my hockey fix. I watched my younger brothers' hockey games (on the off chance that they inexplicably start reading me, they both are great hockey players as they had a chance to learn from their great older brother), I watched college hockey, and I even watched replays of old games on TV. Still, it wasn't enough.

As a huge sports fan, I tried to take in more of other sports to help fill the void. I watched plenty of football and even more college basketball. I knew it was going to be tough, especially after football was over, but I knew I had to endure one year without the NHL for the game to be healed. As hard as it was, I had made my peace with that.

I still followed the NHL labor talks in passing, expecting to see little or no developments at first and thought they would start to compromise more around the midseason point. I rolled my eyes when I saw Chris Chelios try to bobsled, I sighed when I read the hardships that employees of teams and of the league had to go through, and I cringed when I heard how many people were laid off.

It was when I read the recent remarks of the NHLPA President Trevor Linden that I was left dumbfounded and wondering what was happening to the league. Linden told the players to be prepared for the lockout to stretch deep into next season.

It was when I read the obituary of Archie Bennitz that really made me think of the game and what Bob Goodenow and Gary Bettman are doing to it (I understand that they are puppets, but if they truly loved the game, they could rise above their positions to save it). Are the players and owners that incapable of compromise? Their collective arrogance and incompetence is nothing short of absurdly astounding.

Can they really be unaware that Chris Moneymaker is now a bigger celebrity than Chris Pronger? Can they not understand that NASCAR, of all sports (I use this term very loosely, because NASCAR, while it may be entertaining to their fans, is simply not a sport), has lapped the NHL in popularity? Why can't they understand that the casual fan simply does not need the NHL, but that the NHL needs the casual fan?

I have learned a lesson from Archie Bennitz. You never know how much time you have in life, you can't know when your number will be called and you really have to live every day as if it was your last. If I was, God forbid, to pass away tomorrow, I would take to the grave my true feelings of Bob Goodenow and Gary Bettman and the lockout.

In honor of Archie, I'm no longer going to sit idly by while hockey fans lose their passion and while people are really hurt by the lockout. I'm no longer going to give Goodenow and Bettman the benefit of the doubt during the labor talks. I refuse to continue to rationalize their ineptitude.

Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow have been disgracing the game of hockey for too long. Hockey is the biggest joke to the majority of sports fans in the country and those that truly love it can't even watch it being played at its highest level. The fact that they cannot even begin to compromise and put aside their differences to do what is best for the game makes me sick to my very core.

It would be different if they were giving it everything they had to fix the game, but they aren't even talking anymore. This has turned into what's best for Gary Bettman and the owners and what's best for Bob Goodenow and the players instead of what's best for hockey. The fact of the matter is if they loved the game even half as much as many of its fans, I could watch an NHL game tonight. Their greed is utterly ridiculous and the fact that they aren't even trying to fix the game anymore is unfathomable.

The next time someone asks you what you think of the lockout or the NHL, rather than explaining the lockout or rationalizing the stances of the two sides, just give the standard "Goodenow and Bettman are skunks." Archie would've wanted it that way.

Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 4:37 PM | Comments (1)

Biting the Big Apple: MLB Preview

Q: What do Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield, Jason Giambi, Art Howe, and Mick Jagger all have in common?

A: The same fate that Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and former Yankee Willie Randolph will have this coming season: when you don't produce a Series ring, the Big Apple eats you up and spits you out.

You thought last year was whacked? This year will turn inside out when the Big Apple erupts on its newest newcomers ... and it's going to get ugly. This and the predictions of a wild and wooly year of baseball to come.

Biting the Big Apple

Baseball experts and fans alike can only be wowed by the transactions made by the New York baseball franchises once again this summer. In the past, stars such as Rickey Henderson and Dave Winfield were lured for big money contracts by George Steinbrenner in the 1980s, and given a swift pat on the butt out of town when they didn't produce championship-caliber results.

New York City is reputable for baseball legends and boasts many rings from the past. New York City is also the hardest on its athletes, especially free agents, who do not meet their billing. The Big Apple remains more feared than the Green Monster. Notably this year, you'll see why.

1. Randy Johnson: The Yankees simply went out and took arguably the best player in the game, and are stacked with multimillion-dollar talent. They are the favorites to win the Series. The Big Unit must understand that Phoenix and Seattle are shady meadows in contrast to even greater city life in New York. If you believe in foreshadowing, Johnson has already dropped hints of tempered reaction to the media. Sure, the Unit will pick up a solid 15 or 16 wins in '05, but the Yanks' inability to capture a title again could be a sign of their own curse. And, once again, the Big Apple will claim its next free agent, regardless of the Bronx Bombers' talent.

2. Pedro Martinez: Congratulations, Petey. You've won your title, and could've begun a dynasty in Boston. However, hanging out in "the city that never sleeps" and blubbering to the media about how the Red Sox organization disrespected him may not fare too well in the city whose media likes to antagonize its athletes. What the Mets and new manager Willie Randolph need to do is flat out focus him on playing team ball in the Big Apple, for there is no room for error here when a mammoth amount of cash demands championship success. Only John McEnroe could whine and cry and be a champion in New York City. Good luck, Pedro. Perhaps you should call Art Howe daily for emotional support throughout the season.

3. Willie Randolph: The former Yankee second baseman who starred as a player in the eighties was hired as skipper for the enigmatic Mets. Randolph has been involved with coaching after his playing days were over, and has finally gotten the nod from a franchise so desperate to win with all the cash that has flowed through Shea Stadium continuously resulting in futility.

Whether the former all star Randolph can keep Pedro and crew together after they fail to make the postseason again. Best of luck, Willie. You're now a rookie again.

"Go ahead ... Bite the Big Apple. Don't mind the maggots." - Mick Jagger

Note: Carlos Beltran is exempt from this list. He is too calm and cool under pressure.

Predictions For 2005

1. Carlos Beltran wins the All Star MVP honors and National League MVP, and a yellow ribbon award for being a great hitter and not needing an asterisk for any reason.

2. The Giants win the World Series, defeating the surprising Chicago White Sox on Omar Vizquel's safety squeeze bunt to win one for the City by the Bay.

3. While being pummeled 21-4, the Mariners throw Ichiro Suzuki on the mound because of a lousy and depleted bullpen. After his first pitch nails the hitter, Ichiro tips his cap to the batter, and draws national attention for his gesture. In Japan, it is protocol that you tip your cap after striking the batter, and the game moves on. ESPNews airs the incident for a week. Ichiro wins the batting title and the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

4. The Washington Nationals franchise ceases operations at All-Star Break. Being the only team that has ever moved to a city without a stadium ready for its first season, the Nats become the Unified Team in honor of the Russian Olympic athletes who served a warring Russia in the 1988 Olympics. George W. Bush takes over operations, hires John McEnroe to manage, and sends them to Iraq to "boost baseball awareness" in the Middle East. They were safer in Canada.

5. Barry Bonds hits career-low 4 home runs this season. Hank Aaron's godson falls far shy of the all time home run title in 2005, mainly because of his new record of 1,244 walks. Unauthorized reports claim that National League pitchers unite to intentionally walk Bonds every time up in protest of the BALCO scandal, and managers around the league are behind it. The future Hall of Famer's only homers come off of Ichiro Sukuki.

6. League owners agree that "God Bless America" no longer be sung during the Seventh Inning Stretch, and sold the slot to Disney's "When You Wish Upon a Star." At all ballparks, fans will rise and sing along with Jiminy Cricket.

7. Ozzie Guillen wins the AL Manager of the Year award and leads the White Sox to the AL pennant.

8. The Yankees, White Sox, and Angels take their divisions. The Twins qualify as wildcard, and Boston is a no show this season. Look for the Yanks to lose in the first round.

9. The Dodgers, Cardinals, and Mets win their respected divisions. The Giants will qualify and take their revenge on the Dodgers in the postseason. Walking Barry backfires on managers, and Moises Alou, under his daddy's coaching, wins NL MVP honors. Look for San Francisco to shine in the end.

10. Disney Inc. offers Bill Murray $2 million to sing to the fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago for Game One of the World Series. Murray, a Cubs diehard, refuses. Ashton Kutcher is his replacement, and is booed. Riots begin and the game is forfeited to the visiting Giants.

Enjoy this year's season, and offer your prayers to our Washington Nationals, who will risk their lives trying to "preserve our way of life" in the Middle East.

Posted by Jon Gonzales at 4:32 PM | Comments (5)

January 24, 2005

Whither Goes the Vanquished

The biggest winner Sunday in the NFL's conference championship games just might have been Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.

First, his beloved Philly Eagles get beyond the NFC Championship game on their fourth consecutive try and reach the Super Bowl with their win Sunday over the Atlanta Falcons. Then, in the late game, the New England Patriots took care of business against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Yeah, sure, Rendell, former mayor of Philadelphia, said he was looking forward to the possibility of an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl.

Of course he did. He's a politician.

But Rendell's also an Eagles fan of more than 40 years, going back almost to Philadelphia's last NFL championship in 1960. The governor has even hosted an Eagles-related radio talk show.

The last thing Rendell must have wanted — especially with a long list of Republicans, possibly including Steelers' Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann, lining up for a shot at him — was being forced to choose one of the state's two largest cities over the other, particularly when he's going to need heavy support from both if he wants to get re-elected.

Fortunately, he won't have to worry about that now. As long as he doesn't smile too big while walking around the governor's mansion, no one in western Pennsylvania is going to hold his Philly connection against him.

Not including Rendell, Sunday's biggest winners were the Patriots and Eagles, who will be getting ready for the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, the Steelers and Falcons are left to figure out what went wrong, and how to fix it for next season.

The difference between Atlanta and Philadelphia, at least for this season, can probably best be summed up in a play that didn't even count. In the second quarter of their game Sunday, Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb, finding himself under pressure, avoided two Falcons pass rushers and stepped up almost to the line of scrimmage.

Then — and this is the important part — he threw the ball, even though he had an open running lane. McNabb's strike to tight end L.J. Smith gained 17. Or it would have, had the Eagles not been busted for an illegal shift, which wiped out the play.

Had that been Michael Vick, or even the Donovan McNabb of four years ago, he would have tucked the ball away, gotten his half-dozen or so yards, and Joe Buck and Cris Collinsworth up in the booth would have raved about what a great playmaker the Falcons' quarterback is.

Granted, Vick is a great playmaker, just to belabor the obvious. But 17 yards is more than six or seven, just to additionally belabor the obvious.

I suspect both Vick and the sports media types who are anointing him the NFL's most exciting player have been deceived by the huge chunks of yardage he ripped off like teams like the Rams in the divisional round.

Hopefully for Vick, the Eagles disabused him of the notion that it's possible to get to the Super Bowl with a quarterback that runs for 100 yards and throws for 100.

That's not to say Vick should never run, or that he should turn into a pocket passer. But any team that gets to a conference championship game is good enough to take away an element of the opponent's offense, even that offense's strongest element.

In the Falcons' case, that strongest element is Vick's running. The Eagles held him to 26 yards on the ground, and that doesn't include a five-yard loss on a bootleg in the fourth quarter that was tallied as a sack when it was obviously a running play.

The biggest thing the Falcons can do in the offseason is get a deep-threat wide receiver to complement tight end Algy Crumpler, and then add a downfield passing element to their offense.

By throwing long more often, and getting more big plays through the air, the Falcons will be better equipped for playoff football. Even when the deep passes are incomplete, opponents will be forced to defend the entire field.

That deep threat receiver might be on the open market, depending upon the Steelers' actions in the coming weeks.

Of all four conference championship teams, the Steelers might be heading into the offseason in the best shape. Pittsburgh's only important player not already signed heading into 2005 is wide receiver Plaxico Burress.

Conventional wisdom — as expressed by Ed Bouchette, Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh's representative on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee — is that the Steelers will let Burress go and sign Hines Ward to a long-term contract extension.

On the surface, that's solid reasoning. Ward is a five-time Pro Bowler, one of the Steelers' most popular players, and a team leader. He's also probably the NFL's best blocking wide receiver, an especially necessary attribute in Pittsburgh's offense.

But Ward is under contract for another year. Burress isn't. And, in a league where there is a short window of opportunity for winning a Super Bowl, the Steelers should keep this year's 16-2 team as intact as possible for next season.

When rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was thrown into the Steelers' lineup, in the season's second game he and Burress built up a rapport, to the point that Big Ben's stats — and the Steelers' overall offensive numbers — took a nosedive after Burress sustained a hamstring injury against Cincinnati in Week 11.

Burress could turn out to be Roethlisberger's Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, or Terrell Owens. If he does, that would relegate Ward to No. 2 receiver. However, no one will know until next season if he will, and Burress will be looking for No. 1 receiver money this offseason.

Given the Steelers' propensity, as an organization, for playing it safe, it's likely their top priority after the season will be to make Ward happy.

Even if the Steelers lose Burress, though, it might be academic. With an entire season to study film and refine his game, there's no reason Roethlisberger couldn't lead the Steelers into the promised land next season — maybe even against the Eagles.

Of course, there's one person who's probably hoping that doesn't happen.

In Pennsylvania, 2006 is a gubernatorial election year.

Posted by Eric Poole at 1:16 PM | Comments (0)

I Hate Mondays: Barenaked Astros

If I had a million dollars — if I had a million dollars — it's possible that I would buy you a fur coat ... or maybe I would buy myself a house ... at the very least I would invest in the expensive ketchups when I eat Kraft dinner (even though I wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner).

Now if I had $18 million dollars, there are a number of other wants that run the gamut, such as the Barenaked Ladies' greatest hits album, but one thing that doesn't fit the bill is a Roger Clemens one-year contract.

That's no shot at The Rocket. Some might say a seven-time Cy Young winner who just finished a season with 214 innings pitched, an earned run average of 2.98, and 218 strikeouts is worth every penny of his high price tag, but might I remind you that before the Houston Astros finalized a deal for Carlos Beltran, their record was merely 38-34.

After the trade, they finished on a 54-36 run.

Picking up Beltran may not have been the only reason for their reincarnation, but Roger was there before and after, so he certainly was not the catalyst. There were others to credit for the turnaround (Brad Lidge becoming the closer, Phil Garner becoming the new manager), but come playoff time, there's no eschewing Beltran's impact.

In the postseason, every miniscule deficiency is magnified, but this five-tool talent masked a number of shortages. While Clemens diminished in the playoffs, the fresh centerfielder was simultaneously carrying the batting lineup, securing the outfield, and wreaking havoc on the base paths.

The Astros fell only one game short of the World Series, but their lack of depth eventually became apparent. In the starting lineup, hitters 6-7-8 were invisible, contributions off the bench were spectral, and the bullpen (aside from Brad Lidge) was as trusted as an Enron executive.

A year later, Houston has made the questionable decision to spend on Rogers Clemens instead of Jeff Kent, Carlos Beltran, or possibly other foreign talent. The loss of those two former Astros will sting even more since they will have to wait until May for Lance Berkman to recover from a torn right ACL. Never mind the subtracted power that was critical to the franchise's success last year, an oft-overlooked fundamental in baseball is defense.

While Houston rented Beltran, he quickly became the anchor on a shaky defense. Beltran adapted quickly to the toxic waste/hill in centerfield at Minute Maid Park making dazzling, momentum-altering outs in a hitter's stadium.

Who will fill his shoes? Either a post-injury Lance Berkman, or an aging Craig Biggio? Whoever replaces Kent at second base will likely upgrade the position from a defensive standpoint, but who's going to replace his 27 homeruns and 107 runs batted in?

Biggio and Bagwell are a year older, the bullpen is still desperately scarce, the defensive gem of the team has walked, and a batting order that had only three holes, now has only three moderate threats.

But at least they have Clemens.

It's too little, too late, but it's all been done before in Houston.

Barenaked Ladies and Barenaked Astros mix like Mondays and me.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)

Clemens' Return a Boon For MLB

Say what you will about the $18 million salary which Roger Clemens was awarded by the Houston Astros on January 20, 2005, but his return to the pitching mound will be well worth it for not only Houston fans, but for the over all health of Major League Baseball.

A year ago, Roger Clemens surprisingly signed with his hometown team for $5 million after he announced his retirement with the New York Yankees following the 2003 World Series. But as he left his name on the active player list until the 11th hour, he never had to reactivate himself. Clemens, egged on by family, friends, and best buddy, Andy Pettitte, also signed last year by Houston after being let go by the NY Yankees, publicly made no excuses for wanting to return then, at a bargain basement price for the Astros, and will not equivocate now.

Roger Clemens has nothing left to prove, especially after being the oldest pitcher in baseball in 2004 to win his record-setting seventh National League Cy Young Award. He also led the all-but-dead Astros prior to August, to within one game of reaching the World Series; and this without benefit of pitching ace, Andy Pettitte, who opted to have season-ending elbow surgery in August.

Speculation was leaning to Clemens' retiring after 2004. Most of it came from Clemens himself. In order to continue being a top-shelf pitcher and the physical regimen he requires, Clemens questioned whether all of the time away from his family in 2005 would be worth it, even with the exception in his contract allowing him to stay at home if he is not set to pitch when the team goes on the road.

But after listening to Clemens' press conference on January 20th, it became evident that Clemens is also looking ahead. He admitted that being able to play on a winning team again with Andy Pettitte as well as some ego were parts that played into his decision. But he also commented on the future of baseball for the Astros as well as his continued desire to leave the Astros in a better place than when he originally signed on in 2004.

Given the tenuousness of the Astros' roster for 2005, Clemens also feels committed to and an obligation in helping grow the Astros organization. He showed interest in remaining with the Astros after his retirement, as well, as he noted that Nolan Ryan works with youngsters in the minor leagues, which he feels is very important. And he also expressed his passion to keep interest in baseball especially in Houston on an incline, in the football-driven state of Texas. Clemens himself was overwhelmed with the support the fans of Houston gave the Astros last season.

Roger Clemens' return illustrates more about his persona than his pitching craft. He has been and will continue to represent the good things about baseball. His Hall of Fame career will be well documented, and for all of the discord he has aroused from opposing fans and players alike, he does not get nearly the credit he deserves for all of his philanthropic efforts in the various communities he has lived for the teams for which he has pitched, although he did get more press coverage last year surrounding his appearance at the All-Star Game, as it was in Houston.

All said, when a pitcher such as Clemens has pitched himself into the history books, and has more on his mind than just being the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history, his motivation to return this time has one foot out the door, as he is looking ahead with investing in the Astros in other ways when he retires. He has been passionate in expressing his preoccupation with keeping youth engaged in the game of baseball, and seems more than willing to carry that torch in 2005 and beyond in that endeavor through his sense of obligation.

With all of the negative stories that engulfed the world of Major League Baseball this past 2004 season, we look forward to starting anew in 2005 and to witness the apparent final-go-round of a marvel at work. Clemens is also one of the few standard bearers left who can take us back to old school baseball, and to a time when we could just enjoy the game.

To that end, both Major League Baseball and the Houston Astros have made a good investment this year with Roger Clemens and will get nothing less than his best efforts on as well as off of the field as an expression of his love of the game.

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2005

Mr. Touchdown vs. The Black QB

Prior to Super Bowl XXII between the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins, quarterback Doug Williams was badgered with questions for two weeks about being the first black quarterback to start in the NFL's biggest game. (Yes, even bigger than the Pro Bowl and the Hall of Fame Game, if you can believe it.)

He was asked about being "like Jackie Robinson." About whether his good fortune should somehow entitle him to be an activist voice in the black community, and whether he sought that role. Hell, even about school integration.

(FYI — Next time the issue of race and the NFL comes up, consider this: There are more black NFL head coaches right now than there are black reoccurring characters on "The Simpsons." Now, is it time for Homer to start playing by the Rooney Rule or what?)

Legend has it Williams was even asked a question that, to this day, remains symbolic of both the frivolity of pre-Super Bowl hype and the incredible lunkheadedness of white sports journalists talking about racial issues with African-American athletes:

"Doug, how long have you been a black quarterback?"

Thanks to those cynics at Snopes.com — the urban-myth site that continues to provide needles for a plethora of balloons — we now know that demeaning question was never asked of Williams. The reporter actually said: "'Doug, obviously you've been a black quarterback your whole life. When did race begin to matter to people?" Only Williams misunderstood him, and repeated "How long have I been a black quarterback?", and the answer replaced the question in our mind's eye.

Perception is always a primary issue when talking about NFL quarterbacks, black or otherwise. The majority of fans are apt to think of a quarterback looking like the proverbial Mr. Touchdown — white, sox-foot-something drop-back passer with a chiseled jaw and a steely reserve. Johnny Unitas, Dan Marino, John Elway, and now Peyton Manning and Tom Brady fit the bill.

Warren Moon didn't ... probably because he didn't have that chiseled jaw.

Are we more likely to laud the accomplishments of Joe Montana or Steve Young? By all accounts, Young was the better athlete; but Montana was the better passer. And that's what we want out of our signal callers — a quarterback, not a running back.

That's why, 17 years after Doug Williams was named a Super Bowl MVP, I think the debate over what a black quarterback should be is more a debate of what a quarterback should be.

Michael Vick is not a quarterback — he's a running back who occasionally calls the halfback option. If you're like me, then you don't really care if Vick swallows the ball whole and then craps it out, just as long as he's in the end zone when he does it. For other people, the fact that he doesn't fit the mold of a traditional quarterback is really quite bothersome.

Donovan McNabb has became that traditional quarterback — for a variety of reasons — yet is still considered to be the same kind of run-first, pass-later field general who scurried 86 times for 629 yards in 2000.

Of course, it all comes back to perception: McNabb actually had more passing attempts that season (569) than he's had in any of this other five years as a pro.

Are black quarterbacks all painted with the same broad brush as players who aren't hardwired to be successful drop-back passers?

I don't think so. But then again, I've seen Tony Banks play.

No, this is just another case of institutional bias against running quarterbacks. For example, if the Falcons win this weekend, we can expect a deluge of stories about how Michael Vick won't be able to "figure out" either the Pittsburgh or the New England defense. It's not because he's black; it's because there's a perception that he can't pass the ball well enough to win, and that's why he has to leave the pocket so damn much.

Rush Limbaugh had it wrong (I know ... shocker!). The media no longer cares whether the quarterback is black or white; it's more concerned with how he plays the game.

And if the media is still "very desirous that a black quarterback do well," I wonder what Rush would make of the journalistic fellatio given to Peyton Manning before the Colts lost to the Patriots.

That wasn't desirous; that was flat out lustful...

Random Thoughts

The best Golden Globes? Charlize Theron's...

Not to make light of what could be a very tragic situation ... but is Boston's panic level in regards to a terrorist "dirty bomb" blowing up in the middle of the city tempered in any way by the Red Sox winning the World Series?

And would anyone have an iota of anxiety had it not been for the fact that the Pats are two wins away from a repeat?

SportsFan Magazine columnist Nick Prevenas wrote a very insightful review of the Samuel L. Jackson basketball opus, Coach Carter — a film I will only see if Sam begins his halftime speech at the big game with a passage from Ezekiel 25:17.

Prevenas's review featured a rundown of all the basketball movies ever made, from the good (Hoosiers) to the bad (He Got Game) and the fugly (Juwanna Mann). He makes a good point: there hasn't been that seminal, landmark film about basketball yet. And perhaps there never will be.

Great baseball films are either about its place in Americana, the honor among its warriors, or the quality of its groupies. Great boxing movies are never actually about boxing. Great football films are typically focused on the players, and typically feature football segments that don't compare to the real thing. (Save for Any Given Sunday, which actually should have featured more on-the-field action and less Cameron Diaz playing the least convincing team owner since Donald Sterling.)

But what all of these films have in common is that they strike a balance between honoring their sports and telling a story. Great basketball movies have successfully told a story — see Hoosiers, White Men Can't Jump, and Love and Basketball — but none have ever been able, in my eyes, to make basketball seem anything more than a job or a hobby. I felt more passion from the fans in Hoosiers than I did the players; could you say the same thing about a film like Miracle?

There's only one film I've seen that successfully marries basketball with life, love and loss — Hoop Dreams. But saying that's the best basketball movie of all time is like saying Faces of Death is the most disturbing horror film of all time ... there's no substitute for the real thing.

Could it be that, in all of these basketball films, screenwriters and directors simply don't "get" hoops like other directors "get" a sport like baseball? What will it take for a basketball movie to actually connect with us as a movie about basketball?

More importantly: where the hell is the Caddyshack/Major League/Necessary Roughness/Slap Shot of the basketball genre?

I used to have a comedy kicking around in my head about a wacky NBA team with an eccentric owner, a curmudgeonly coach, a nutty forward from West Germany who everyone thinks is a stoner, and a 7-foot-6 white dude who plays center, yet has no discernable skills.

And then somebody went off and made something called the Dallas Mavericks...

Finally, here's my latest theory on Ashlee Simpson:

Her father is attempting to make her into the heel version of Jessica Simpson.

Think about it: she wants to be as big a star as her big sister. But Jessica can sing; Ashlee can't. Jessica is an attractive blond; Ashlee is a brunette with a nose that can be seen from the International Space Station. Jessica is sexy yet wholesome; Ashlee has to sing about dressing like a French maid and licking milk off the floor just to get noticed.

So I think the SNL and Orange Bowl debacles are orchestrated to make Ashlee Simpson into America's tartheart. I think she's supposed to be someone who we actually love to hate, and that's why we'll tune into her reality show on MTV like we used to tune into "Dallas" to hiss J.R.

It's actually quite brilliant, from a PR standpoint.

Who knew Ashlee Simpson would become the Ric Flair to Jessica's Dusty Rhodes?

Wooooooo!

Greg Wyshynski is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 3:17 PM | Comments (0)

Are the Hoyas Back?

The Georgetown University Hoyas once was one of the premier basketball programs in the country. Led by John Thompson, the Hoyas were known for their rugged, in-your-face defense, and a long succession of dominant big men, beginning with Patrick Ewing. The golden era for the program was the 1980s, as Thompson led the Hoyas to a string of NCAA Tournament bids, three championship game appearances in four years, and a national title in 1984.

However, as the '80s came to a close and the '90s arrived, Thompson no longer was able to bring in top-flight talent to keep the program among the nation's elite and the team fell into the throes of mediocrity. The Hoyas were still good enough to make the NCAA tournament, but they were never serious championship contenders.

Things only got worse as we entered the millennium. The Hoyas were never quite bad enough to be considered one of the worst teams in the Big East, but they never were a serious threat to contend for a conference title, either.

Eventually, Thompson retired and his long-time second-in-command, Craig Esherick, was hired to replace him. Unfortunately, Esherick wasn't able to recreate the success that "Big John" had enjoyed back in the '80s and early '90s, never leading the Hoyas past the Sweet 16 and failing to get the team into the tournament altogether in his last three years at the helm.

So, in an effort to restore the luster to a formerly luminous program, Georgetown officials went "back to the future," hiring John Thompson III, the son of former coach Thompson this offseason. Many felt that Thompson III was hired mainly because of his famous father and not because of the solid results he'd achieved as head coach of the Princeton Tigers.

Not many people gave him much of a chance to succeed, especially this season, citing the difficulty of closely following a coaching legend who also just happens to be your father and because of a dearth of big-name talent. As such, the Hoyas were picked by many to finish at or near the bottom of the Big East standings this year, continuing the recent downward spiral of the team.

But, a funny thing happened to the Hoyas on their way to the grave this season — they began to win. And compete. Hard. The Hoyas enter the last week of January sporting a surprising 11-5 overall record (3-2 in the Big East), including a road victory over a Pitt Panther team that almost never loses at home. They played Illinois, the number one ranked team in the country, to a stalemate for a half, before running out of steam in the second half and losing by 15. They stormed back from a 20-point halftime deficit before eventually losing to the ninth-ranked UConn Huskies by seven. They fought tooth-and-nail with the No. 7 ranked Syracuse Orangemen, extending them into overtime, at the Carrier Dome no less, before finally succumbing, 78-73.

Not bad for a team that wasn't given much of a chance to do anything this year. So, what's been the difference? The young Mr. Thompson III, that's what. He's transformed a team that played porous defense and with little energy last year into a team that fights, scratches, and claws for everything, plays fundamentally-sound offensively, and plays defense with an intensity that hasn't been seen on the Hilltop since the days of "Hoya Paranoia."

Thompson III has combined the defensive teachings learned at the feet of his father with the deliberate, half-court offensive sets taught to him by legendary Princeton coach Pete Carril to form a team that's very tough to play and has a legitimate shot at getting an NCAA tournament bid ... if they continue to play well.

Of course, there's still a lot of basketball yet to be played this season, but for the first time in years, there at least appears to be hope for Georgetown basketball. Freshman forward Jeff Green has been a revelation, garnering multiple Big East Rookie of the Week awards and providing the Hoyas with a potential star and building block for the program. Along with Green, junior swingman Brandon Bowman has recently stepped his game up, especially since conference play began.

If Ashanti Cook ever lives up to his high school press clippings and improves, the Hoyas will not be as far away as people think. Big Roy Hibbert, all seven-feet, two inches of him, gives the Hoyas a big presence in the middle and is another solid piece to the rebuilding effort. If Thompson III is able to recruit a few quality guards next season to go along with Green and Bowman, the resurrection of the program will be even quicker.

The Hoyas, along with the equally surprising St. John's Red Storm, are quietly turning the corner and appear to be back on the road to having a quality program. With one or two more solid recruiting classes, coach Thompson will soon have a team very capable of making noise in the NCAA tournament.

Whoever said that Georgetown basketball is dead had better keep an eye on the Hoyas. They may have been on life support for a while, but coach Thompson has given them the electric shock that just might resuscitate them and bring them back to life quicker than people may have imagined. Although he probably wasn't the first choice by many to coach the Hoyas, Thompson III has proven very quickly that he is the man for the job and that he will, given time, bring the program all the way back to national prominence.

Indeed, the rumors of the death of Georgetown basketball have been greatly exaggerated ... thanks to a prodigal son that found his way home.

Posted by Eric Williams at 12:40 PM | Comments (0)

Confessions of a Football Junkie

Hello, my name is Gary, and I am a football junkie. Every September comes and surrounds me in the bliss of football. I feel healthy and I am eating right. I am indeed in shape and trim. You see, the NFL offseason is my on-season. I spend February through August working out and dieting until D-Day comes and kickoffs are imminent.

My opening day tradition is simple: I get up early and I take a long walk. I envision big hits and stingers. I take a deep breath and say to myself, "Ah, you can just smell the football in the air." I call all my friends hours before they normally awake to kill their day: "Can you smell it?" I ask. "Can you smell the football in the air?" They usually hang up. Sometimes, they call the mental hospital and I miss some pre-game. That really annoys me.

By Thanksgiving, my addiction is getting the best of me. Nightly after dinner walks are replaced by episodes of "NFL Live". Instead of homemade spicy green beans for dinner, I'm ordering the finest New Jersey Pizza (with extra cheese) you can find in Austin. Why? Well, because "NFL Matchup" is coming on and I don't have time to cook anymore.

Occasionally, reality will bring pangs of discontent and I think "What am I doing? Surely, I could be helping my kid with homework or paying some attention to my wife, and geez, would it kill me to do a load of laundry?" Eventually, I cave and come to the conclusions that hell, terrorist alerts go from green to orange constantly, and quality family time comes and goes like a sober Dick Van Dyke on St. Patrick's Day. Watching Randy Moss mime a moon ... well, action like that only happens once a generation.

After Christmas as I watch the players introduce themselves on Monday Night Football, I lament that the season is just about over. I breathe the morose sigh of a National Guardsman watching the Presidential Inauguration and hope that the last few weeks of the season will at least be full of playoff dramas.

By the way, why is there a bye week before the Super Bowl? I think the NFL has a week off to help people like me adapt to months without the game. I now have two days in a row off to fill each weekend. It is like having another day added to the week. The Super Bowl follows Black Hole Sunday, it soothes, heals, and provides. The big game is one last drag, one last taste of grizzle before the cholesterol test.

Then, as quick as Brian Bosworth's career, it's all over. There's that sigh again. Champions are crowned, awards are won. Until training camp action in mid-July, all that's left is firings, hirings, signings, and the draft. Well, it's not top shelf, but you'll still find me at the bar ordering a double with no ice. It doesn't go down as smooth, but I'll gladly have a drink.

Posted by Gary Geffen at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)

January 21, 2005

Kids in the Hall (of Fame)

Some 28 years ago, Southmoreland High School won an almost entirely nondescript football game against its cross-town rival from Mount Pleasant.

How unremarkable was this end-of-the season game 28 years ago between the two teams from small western Pennsylvania high schools? Let's put it this way. I was at the game and I don't even remember what the final score was.

The only thing worth mentioning — especially now — is that it was the last high school game for the Southmoreland quarterback, a University of Pittsburgh-bound senior named Russ Grimm.

Yeah, that Russ Grimm. The head Hog was a quarterback in high school. But in fairness, Pitt did recruit him as a linebacker.

For Grimm, February of 2005 might turn out to be far more memorable than November of 1976.

He could get the chance to bag a Super Bowl ring as the Pittsburgh Steelers assistant head coach to go with the two he won as a player for the Washington Redskins. Shortly thereafter, he'll find out if he will be head coach for the Cleveland Browns, where he interviewed during the Steelers' playoff bye week.

And he'll find out if he gets into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Grimm was among the 15 candidates listed as finalists for enshrinement into the Hall next summer. The inductees will be named the day before Super Bowl XXXIX.

In a lot of years, the former Redskins' guard would be an easy selection. But among this year's crop, he's no better than a borderline candidate for enshrinement.

Under Hall of Fame rules, a 39-member selection committee is required to choose between three and six inductees in any given year. In 1973 and 1976, the committee has picked the minimum.

That won't happen this year. Like Tommy Lee at closing time, this year's crop of finalists is loaded.

The finalists are, in addition to Grimm and fellow guard Bob Kuechenberg; linebackers Harry Carson and Derrick Thomas; defensive ends Richard Dent, L.C. Greenwood, and Claude Humphrey; wide receivers Michael Irvin and Art Monk; cornerback Roger Wehrli; contributor George Young; quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young; and seniors committee nominees Benny Friedman and Fritz Pollard.

The three no-brainers in the field are the quarterbacks. If you've read this far, there's no need to explain why Marino and Steve Young belong in the Hall of Fame. Friedman's qualifications might need some explaining, if only because he played his entire career in the 1920s and '30s.

Of everybody eligible who isn't already in the Hall, Friedman is probably the one who belongs there the most. Inducting him along with Marino and Young would provide a nice NFL historical bookend — the NFL's first great passer going in alongside the two most recent.

Picking the other three most worthy candidates, at least this season, is best done reality-show style, by kicking nine candidates off the island until only three are left.

George Young would be the first one gone. In a year like this, I wouldn't want to see a worthy player left out of the Hall so a front-office guy could be inducted.

I always thought of Humphrey, a standout on some pretty bad Atlanta Falcons' teams and the Eagles' 1980 Super Bowl squad, as a very good, but not great, player. So I was getting ready to eliminate him too until I looked at his career in "The Hidden Game of Football."

That book includes entries for almost every Hall of Fame contender, with listings for how many times each player was named a consensus first- or second-team All-Pro or named to the Pro Bowl. While the selection process for all-star teams is itself flawed, being named to a team indicates that a player is well-regarded when compared to his peers.

During his 14-year career, Humphrey was a four-time consensus All-Pro, was named to at least one All-Pro team or the Pro Bowl two other times, and was a three-time second-teamer. He did better than fellow Hall of Fame contender Greenwood, who started his career one year later than Humphrey and retired the same year.

Even so, it's not good enough to get in — not this year. But, if Humphrey gets bumped, Greenwood has to go with him.

During his 14-year career (1970-1984), Kuechenberg was named consensus All-Pro exactly zero times. That means he was never considered the best player in the league at his position. Admittedly, there was a logjam in the 1970s with Hall of Famers Art Shell and Joe DeLamielleure at the top, but there are too many good candidates not getting in this year to allow Kuechenberg in now.

Carson went to nine Pro Bowls, but he wasn't even the best linebacker on his own Lawrence Taylor-dominated New York Giants' team during much of his career, so he's gone.

The two receivers, Monk and Irvin, are next out. Both had careers marked by a consistent high level of performance. But neither were the best receivers of their time.

And the next two guys were the best players of their era at their positions and they're not getting in either. Grimm was first-team consensus All-Pro for four consecutive years from 1983 to 1986, and the streak was cut short by injuries that plagued him the final five seasons of his career. Wehrli was a five-time All-Pro.

Both Wehrli and Grimm probably belong in the Hall — and isn't this becoming a familiar tune — but neither are cracking this top six list.

And that leaves (in addition to the three quarterbacks)...

Pollard, who belongs in the Hall, if only because of his historical relevance as the NFL's first black head coach and was a standout player before the league erected a color barrier in the late 1920s. He was named a consensus All-Pro only one time in his seven-year career, but racism probably kept him from being picked more often.

Dent was the best defensive lineman on the mid-1980s Chicago Bears, one of the NFL's best defensive units ever. He also retired with 137.5 sacks, good enough for third all-time. And he saved one of his biggest performances for the biggest stage, earning Most Valuable Player honors in the Bears' Super Bowl XX victory.

As with Dent, Thomas makes the cut because of his status as a pass-rush linebacker. In a career cut short by his death in a car accident, Thomas finished with 126.5 sacks. And he played well in his final season, which indicates that he would have had a couple more years to pad out those numbers.

That makes the Hall of Fame Class of 2005, in order of worthiness: Marino, Dent, Steve Young, Thomas, Friedman, and Pollard — or at least it should be.

But even if Wehrli, Grimm, Humphrey, Irvin, or Monk bump one or more of them, one thing's for certain — there won't be any counterfeit Hall of Famers getting into Canton this year.

Posted by Eric Poole at 2:23 PM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2005

Looking Back at College Football in 2004

What will we think of when we reflect on the 2004 college football season? I suppose if we're living in Alabama, we'll forever carry a heavy chip on our shoulders that Auburn was shutout of an opportunity to win a national championship. After Oklahoma proved so completely overmatched by the Trojans of Southern California, Auburn Tigers fans could be heard weeping tears in their beers, ranting and raving that they'd been disrespected, and might have given Southern Cal a real fight.

While I personally doubt that the Tigers would have fared much better than the Sooners (no one understands just how much faster the Trojans are than nearly everyone else till they run on the same field), the claims of injustice seem hollow considering the Tigers played a non-conference schedule that would have challenged my Division III college football team, but not many others.

Maybe, if we're living life in Big 12 country, we'll remember the introduction of freshman sensation Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma's superstar running back. All the talk of Ohio State's great freshman back from 2002 has been forgotten now. There's a real amazing talent in town, and he seems to carry no baggage! Now there's something to revel in. Had Peterson had any kind of success against the Trojans in the Orange Bowl, he might have eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark.

In ACC land, we might be wondering where all the great football has gone. Florida State, while still a national presence, is falling and falling quickly. The Seminoles failed to win the ACC for only the second time since joining the conference in 1991. While that might not be cause for concern, the real problem lay in the fact that Florida State has failed to win the ACC in two of the last four years. Adding insult to injury, the 'Noles were knocked from their perch by first-year conference member Virginia Tech.

In the Midwest, where football was born, Ohio State is suffering from the same maladies that befall any athletic program that turns a blind eye to the willingness of boosters to rub elbows and shake hands and leave hundred dollar bills in the pockets of student-athletes. While I personally have little sympathy for the program, I have the strong impression that Ohio State has simply been doing business in the way that the majority of major college athletic programs do. And, if that's the case, what hope is there of major sports retaining any semblance of amateurism, at least the Division I-A level?

Mediocrity prevailed in the doomed Big East football conference. The WVU Mountaineers proved to be mostly, if not completely, fraudulent in their pursuit of their second straight Big East title. Ultimately, the conference, down to seven members in 2004, had four members finish in a tie for first place. WVU had a chance to win the conference outright, but lost to Boston College (in their final season in the conference) on their home field.

The following week, though, the conference obtained some retribution, and Syracuse crushed Boston College on their home field, in a game that kept the Eagles from winning the conference in their last year. The rebuilding of the Big East will be an arduous task. Next year, its best team seems to be a new member, likely Louisville.

And, out west, the best college football team in at least six or seven years won an undisputed (by all but Auburn fans, anyway) national championship title. Southern California might not have even seen its best days. With superstar-to-be quarterback Matt Leinart choosing to stay for his senior year of eligibility, the Trojans look to be stacked on the offensive side of the ball.

Add to Leinart the explosive talent of Reggie Bush, the maturation of Duane Jarrett, an offensive line returning all but one starter, and perhaps most important, the oversight of Norm Chow as a head football coach at Stanford, leaving him in the coach's booth at The Coliseum, and the Trojans will be odd-on favorites to win an unprecedented third straight national championship.

Posted by David Martin at 4:22 PM | Comments (1)

NFL Weekly Predictions: Conf. Championships

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

Atlanta @ Philadelphia

I can't tell you why, but one of these nights, the Eagles will relieve their heartache tonight, take it to the limit, air their dirty laundry, and finally win the NFC Championship.

"But we won't be able to take it easy until we win the Super Bowl," says Philadelphia coach Andy Reid. "Only then, can I say that life's been good."

"Oh, I see what's going on here," responds Falcons coach Jim Mora. "The Eagles' Greatest Hits. Well, two can play that game. As all of you saw last Saturday against the Rams, we're quite capable of the long run, so if the Eagles think this is their year, then I have just one question for them: who are you gonna believe? Me, or your lyin' eyes?"

Both the Eagles and Falcons responded to doubts about their legitimacy as Super Bowl contenders in resounding fashion; the Eagles proved their passing game is still potent without Terrell Owens, jumping out to a 14-0 lead en route to a 27-14 dispatch of the Vikings. Wide receiver Freddie Mitchell scored two touchdowns against the Vikes, then thanked his hands after the game.

"They call me 'Hollywood,'" says Mitchell, "so if you want an interview, talk to my agent. No, better yet, talk to the hand. Even better, talk to my palm reader, Claire Voyant. She's the queen of the open-palmed slap to the face. That's what gets Freddie Mitchell going. That, my paycheck, and the Dhani Jones five-star bow tie."

In pulverizing the Rams 47-17, the Falcons rushed for 327 yards. Rookie head coach Jim Mora, Jr. garnered his first playoff win, and in doing so, improved the Mora family playoff record to 1-6.

"Dad's been wearing that monkey on his back for so long that we now call it a sweater," says Mora, Jr. "Well, the Mora's have our playoff victory, the monkey's been spanked, and we can go forward."

Of the Falcons' 327 yards rushing, Michael Vick rushed for 119 of those, breaking Donovan McNabb's playoff record for quarterbacks.

"I guarantee you right now," says Eagles' defensive end Jevon Kearse. "If any member of the Falcons rushes for 119 yards, I'll sleep on a soiled mattress underneath an Interstate 95 overpass, warm myself over a fire in a barrel, and sip Night Train out of a Dixie cup."

Damn, Jevon, you talk like all that is a bad thing. Night Train was made for the discriminating soiled-mattress sleeper who resides in the underpass of luxury. Anyway, I'm sure McNabb doesn't give jack squat that Vick broke a record McNabb probably didn't know he even had. What he does care about is finally winning an NFC banner in his fourth try. This is the year. Priority No. 1 for the Eagles is shutting down the Falcons' running game; when forced to pass, Vick is just ordinary, especially against an Eagles' secondary that features three Pro Bowlers. On offense, the Eagles will attack the potent Atlanta front four with draws and screens, then expose their secondary with the deep ball.

"Only then," adds Reid, "after we've defeated the Falcons, can my true football genius be realized, and we can concentrate on winning the Super Bowl. Hopefully, it won't take us four tries to climb that mountain. I also will announce a new bet with T.O.: should T.O. play in the Super Bowl and score a touchdown, I will wear a pair of Speedos, a baby bonnet, and a snorkel."

"That's a deal!" replies Owens.

McNabb accounts for two touchdowns, and the Eagles advance with a 22-15 win, and experience a peaceful, easy feeling.

New England @ Pittsburgh

Tom Brady spent Monday spreading the ashes of Peyton Manning's Super Bowl hopes on the frigid turf of Gillette Stadium.

"It was purely a symbolic gesture," Brady explains. "But one that required a team of hooded druids and the soundtrack from The Omen to make it complete. Interesting fact here: those druids were union druids, so they came with a rider stipulating that they work only for scale plus 15 percent. I always suspected the druids to be a greedy bunch; my suspicions were correct. Anyway, Peyton will someday win his Super Bowl. His path to enlightenment just won't come through Foxboro. Just like Corey Dillon says in the Visa commercial: 'Not in our house. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.'"

If the Patriots plan to advance to their third Super Bowl in four years, it will be resultant of an AFC Championship win in the house that ketchup built, Pittsburgh's Heinz Field, site of New England's 2001 AFC title win.

"I don't know about you," says Pats' coach Bill Belichick, "but a stadium named after a popular condiment just doesn't strike fear into me. Now, on the other hand, I'm frightened to death of mustard, and mayonnaise gives me the creeps. But ketchup; I like it on a boat; I like it on a goat. I like it here or there. I like it anywhere."

Hey, Bill, is that a Wocket in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me? That's a line from the Dr. Seuss classic Earthwind Moreland Hears A Hoot, And Sees Some Hooters. By the way, does Earthwind Moreland have a twin brother named "Andfire?"

All kidding aside, Sunday's title game has all the trappings of an epic contest. One quarterback will leave with the first blemish on his respective undefeated streak: Tom Brady has never lost a playoff game, and Ben Roethlisberger has never lost a game, period. The Patriots want to avenge their Week 8 loss in Pittsburgh which ended their 18-game regular season winning streak; the Steelers lost the 2001 AFC title game to the Pats at the Heinz, and want payback. Pittsburgh is the AFC's No. 1 seed, they're at home, and they whipped the Pats earlier in the year, yet they are the underdog, so they also want a little respect. New England's defense looks to halt the Steeler running attack, led by "The Bus", Jerome Bettis, and Duce Staley, "The Airport Shuttle Van." Pittsburgh's No. 1 defense has designs on stopping the Patriot running game and Dillon.

"We Patriots, as you know, are not much on nicknames," says Dillon, "but, if I had to call myself a motor-driven vehicle, I would have to be Bigfoot, Grave Digger, Bounty Hunter, or some other monster truck. You know, not the fastest, but able to run you over, whether you're a lineman, linebacker, defensive back, or a 1976 Country Squire Station Wagon."

Damn Corey, that's no way to treat the greatest wood-paneled classic ride of all time, although you certainly are a bullish runner, even though your name is Corey.

Dillon, of course, missed the Week 8 Steeler game, and the Patriots could only muster five yards rushing for the game. You'd be a fool to think that the Patriots won't crack that total on their first possession. You'd also be a fool to think the Patriots' defense will surrender anything near the 221 yards rushing the Steelers amassed in Week 8. With a forecast of snow, wind, and a high in the 20s, both offenses will be hard-pressed to establish any kind of momentum. Turnovers and special teams will decide the outcome.

"The Men of Steel, like all teams, and Superman, have a weakness," explains Belichick. "And we eat Kryptonite like Tic-Tacs. We just needed a tablespoon to vanquish [Peyton] Manning to the Phantom Zone; against the Steelers, we will need a little more Kryptonite, and some added help from various members of the Legion of Doom would be nice, as well. That's what we do; we exploit weaknesses, and, to borrow an overused phrase from those analysts at the NFL Network, we 'impose our will upon the other team.'"

The term "will-imposing" never made anyone watch a football game, so let's just say both teams try to pound each other into the ground. You won't hear the word "finesse" mentioned one time in this game, nor will you hear the words "pretty boy," "negligee," "coward," or "Jason Sehorn" mentioned. It's a dogfight. The Heinz contingent are fired up, thanks in part to a pre-game ceremony retiring the right leg of Jets' kicker Doug Brien. The rowdy fans boo pop skanklet Ashlee Simpson right off the field, as she fails to properly complete the "Oh say..." part of the National Anthem.

The Steelers know they have a distinct edge with their receiving corps of Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, Antwaan Randle El, and Lee Mays, so they surprise the Pats and go for the long ball early. A long completion to Ward rids Roethlisberger of early-game jitters, and Jeff Reed gives Pittsburgh an early 3-0 lead. The teams then set a playoff record of "three-and-outs," and trade field goals and a defensive touchdown apiece.

After an Adam Vinatieri field goal ties it at 13 late in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger finds himself in a position that could define his career.

"I can either lead us on a game-winning drive," the rookie thinks to himself, "or I could make a mistake and lose the game. I choose to be a winner."

Roethlisberger then remembers something his hero, John Elway, told him some years ago: "Hey, kid, stop pestering me for an autograph." From that point on, Roethlisberger knew quarterbacking was his path to stardom.

Starting from the Patriots' 35-yard line, Roethlisberger engineers a 45-yard drive that culminates win Reed's game-winning 37-yard field goal.

Steelers win, 16-13.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 12:42 PM | Comments (3)

January 19, 2005

Importance in the Making

This week, the country took a moment to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. People conducted ceremonies, took a day off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and got together to celebrate how great the United States can be. Many people are grateful to Dr. King. I know I am.

As a black man, I understand that the job I have now probably wasn't available during his lifetime. The doors were opened thanks to leaders such as him, not to mention those who endured the up front struggles (including my parents, grandparents, and ancestors).

The same can be said in sports. Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Willie O'Ree, and the 1966 Texas Western basketball team all broke down stereotypes in their respective sports. Even though their accomplishments might not been as accepted in their time, the magnitude of their presence is felt and seen in the sports leagues of today.

It seems appropriate that while we celebrate Dr. King, the sports world will prepare for another small breakthrough in the annals of its history.

Sunday afternoon, the NFL will decide which two teams will be represented in the Super Bowl on February 6th. The AFC championship will feature two powerful defenses and a couple of squads that personify the word "team." The NFC title game will feature two outstanding teams, but also holds something more significant.

By the end of that game in Philadelphia, either Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb will become only the third black quarterback to start in the Super Bowl.

When Doug Williams led the Washington Redskins into Super Bowl XXII, I was only 8-years-old and really couldn't comprehend the significance of the moment. Williams' four touchdown tosses in the second quarter made the game irrelevant in the eyes of those looking for a close game. However, I can't help but feel that the performance stood tall in the eyes of Willie Thrower, Marlin Briscoe, and Joe Gilliam, Jr.

When Steve McNair ran out of the tunnel five years ago (in Super Bowl XXXIV), I was much more aware of the situation at hand. I remember watching most of the game in my dorm room at Iowa State, quietly rooting for the Alcorn State grad to lead Tennessee to a win. Instead, homegrown Iowan Kurt Warner ended his Cinderella story thanks to a tackle on the one-yard line.

The older I've gotten, the more I recognized what African Americans have gone through to be seen as worthy to stand in arenas of power and prominence. The NFL quarterback is no different. In 1953, Thrower, a member of the Chicago Bears, became the first black man to throw an official pass in the league.

Baltimore Colt George Taliaferro (1953) and Green Bay's Charles Brackins (1955) saw limited time behind center before another 13-year span of no black QBs in the pros. Briscoe broke the mold again when he started 11 games for Denver during the 1968 season. That venture into the league opened the way for Gilliam, James Harris, Williams, Warren Moon, and Randall Cunningham to take over the brightest position on the field.

In the present, youngsters like myself can't really imagine the struggles it took to get our race this far. There won't be another Civil Rights Movement as there was in the '60s. Although there are improvements to be made on the sidelines and in the front office, the field is showing some results. McNabb and Vick are only two of six first-string QBs to take the field this season (not to mention a handful of backups who formerly started).

But an opportunity to be seen on the big stage doesn't come along at the drop of a helmet. Even with six starting quarterbacks in the league, the deck is pretty stacked against one of them getting to the almighty championship.

So, as we celebrate the life of a man who preached equal rights, let's remember that plan as a slow work in progress for all walks of life. Hopefully, as the game unfolds Sunday, millions of blacks around the country will enjoy the outcome, no matter who wins. I'm sure I will.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 1:37 PM | Comments (0)

Over What Hill?

Vijay Singh has not lost a step since his record-breaking 2004 PGA Tour season. There was little question that Singh would remain on top of his game as the world number one. But there was some doubt as to how long it would take Singh to re-establish his winning ways.

The answer: two weeks. In difficult conditions, the best player in the world fired a five under par 65 to win the Sony Open in Hawaii by a stroke over Ernie Els.

Coupled with a top five finish at the Mercedes, and it is obvious that Singh has intentions of remaining number one for more than one glorious summer. That's not much of a surprise, though. On the verge of his 42nd birthday, Vijay is playing the best golf of his life in the twilight of his career.

Singh's success is the ultimate example of the trend in golf toward superior players extending their careers or even improving at the end of a career. The world number one, though, is just one of several men over the age of 40 moving higher in the world rankings.

The Sony Open in Hawaii showcased another man over 50, a Champions Tour regular even, that still has what it takes to play on the big Tour. Craig Stadler finished in a tie for ninth this past week and was a winner at age 50 of the BC Open in 2003. He is fully exempt on the PGA and Champions Tours and could very well make the Tour Championship on both Tours with performances like this past week.

How would any article about the elder statesmen of the Tour be complete without a mention of Jay Haas. Haas was the man who began the most recent resurgence of the older players on Tour. Jay had his best season at age 50, finishing with well over $2 million in earnings. On top of that, last season, Haas almost became the second man in Tour history to finish in the top 30 on the PGA and Champ Tour money lists. Although he still has not won in more than a decade, a top three at the Tour Championship in November indicates that Haas is close as ever to winning.

Perhaps the play of Singh, Haas, and Stadler have served as an inspiration to Tom Kite. Kite has just a few wins on the Champions Tour since turning 50, but he has opted to use a one-time season long exemption for career money list to plan on the Tour this year. In his re-debut at Sony, he did not manage to blow the field away, but he did manage to make the cut. That could be a start for the 1992 U.S. Open Champion and long-time mainstay on the Tour's money list elites.

Interestingly enough, though, another fully exempt 50+ golfer has opted to go full time on the Champions Tour. Peter Jacobsen, winner of the 2003 Buick Championship (formerly the GHO), turned over to the Champ Tour full time last season.

Although he played a limited schedule, Jake has said that he will most likely not go back to the PGA Tour to finish out his full exemption this season. The quintessential fan favorite, Jacobson will likely grow into a Champ Tour superstar with the combination of his excellent golf prowess and his ability to engage and entertain the growing fan base of that Tour.

The list, though, is not limited to the aforementioned men. Nick Price may very well still have one good last run left in him. Davis Love III is well over 40 now, as is Tom Lehman, who is experiencing quite a resurgence in the past ten months.

With these examples, it seems then that age gives former A-tier players more playing options than ever before. The opportunity to play on the Champions Tour offers guys over 50 a chance to earn a very strong wage for their day jobs. But, for those who have managed to stay in shape and integrate improved equipment options, the PGA Tour no longer has a speed limit of 50.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 12:21 PM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2005

Raising Futility in NBA's Atlantic

The halfway mark is almost here for the '04-'05 season, and little has changed across the NBA landscape. The Western Conference still appears to be beating the East upside their butts with a metal paddle (wooden just doesn't seem harsh enough).

That being said, there are some teams east of the Mississippi that can compete at the professional level. Miami's addition of Shaquille O'Neal has had an isolated effect on the balance of power. LeBron James shares the ball with his Cavalier teammates, and they're all being rewarded for nice play. And don't forget, The Palace of Auburn Hills currently holds the reigning champs.

Then ... there's the new Atlantic Division. Five teams with seemingly one goal. To breathe more stench into the Association than a crosswind over a cow pasture. Entering play on Sunday, each team had more losses than wins.

No team in the division has had a winning streak of more than three games during the season. When you look at the opposite end, every team lost at least four-in-a-row at one point in the last two months.

The biggest problem that squads from this corner of the country seem to face is the concept of playing defense. Only one team allows less than 95 points per game. Four of the squads have given up triple digits in at least 17 games this season. A couple of decades ago, that was the norm in the "run and gun" NBA. These days, that kind of effort won't buy you a pack of Wrigley gum at the store.

In New York, the Knicks (17-19) are seeing the bottom fall out in January. After pushing their record three games above even at the New Year, they've lost six out of their last seven. In that stretch, New York was out-rebounded in five games (including their win) and lost to such impressive teams as the Nets, surging Baby Bulls, and newly-crowned "Or Nots" from New Orleans.

The Celtics actually score more than their opponents (by 0.6 points), but they've been in a constant stumble. Then again, Boston (17-20) did have a winning record this year. It was at 3-2, but hey, baby steps. The good news for the team from Beantown is that they have beaten Seattle twice. The bad news, they don't get to play them again until next winter.

Philadelphia is in the midst of a rebuilding phase. With young bloods like Andre Iguodala, Kyle Korver, and Samuel Dalembert getting a lot of playing time, the Sixers (16-20) are trying to grow into their new skin. This is even more important for Allen Iverson. The scoring machine might not be 30 yet, but his punished body may need more borrowed time from his younger crew.

Let's face it. Toronto is just disgruntled. The Raptors (14-23) have already traded away Vince Carter. Then we've got Rafer "Skip to My Lou" Alston, who gave us this wonderful statement in early December:

"I'm tired of getting into it with my teammates and my coaches," he said. "I don't know if I'm a good fit for this team and I don't know if I'm a good fit for this league. I'm going to take some time off. I might not even play the rest of the season."

Classic sign of an upcoming episode of "When Teammates Go Bad." After beginning the campaign with wins over Houston and Detroit, the guys from north of the border took a southerly turn. However, there are signs are improvement without Vince. Before Air Canada claimed his one-way ticket, the Raptors had losing streaks of five and seven. Since then, the biggest skid they can claim is three. Again, baby steps.

Finally, there's Vince's new team in New Jersey, who sits at 12-24 and in dead last. The Nets have played the best defense in the division (92.7 ppg). Too bad they barely scratch 88 two-thirds of the time. Kenyon Martin's shipping out and Jason Kidd not playing for the first month-plus had quite a bit to do with the team's fall from grace.

Now, the Nets won't have Richard Jefferson for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, this will starve some of the team's youth-driven fire, not to mention devastation in the scoring department. All Lawrence Frank can hope for is to avoid the long losing streak he suffered when Kidd rode the pine.

Since the league started playing 82 games in a season, a divisional champion has finished with a losing record twice. The '71-'72 Baltimore Bullets and '75-'76 Milwaukee Bucks both wore a division crown while going 38-44.

I realize there's still a lot of season to play, but at this rate, there's no guarantee that the record no one wants will stay in its sleeve.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 4:24 PM | Comments (1)

NFL Divisional Playoffs Roundup

Five Quick Hits

* Unforgivable Blackness, the new Ken Burns documentary about boxer Jack Johnson, is terrific. Check PBS.org for local listings.

* Chris Berman has become intolerable.

* Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots over Eagles.

* Maybe I shouldn't hold Mike Nolan's disastrous stint as defensive coordinator in Washington against him, but I think the 49ers have made another terrible hire.

* Until Sunday, no one had held the Indianapolis starters under 20 points.

What common thread tied together this weekend's winning teams? Rushing offense. Every winner in the divisional round had more carries than its opponent. That statistic can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, since teams tend to throw more often when they trail, and run more often when they're ahead — but this weekend's numbers are staggeringly unbalanced.

Total carries can be misleading, especially when so many talented running QBs are playing, so let's focus on handoffs to RBs. The Steelers, in the only close game of the bunch, outrushed the Jets 39-24. Atlanta RBs carried the ball 32 times to the Rams' 16 and Philadelphia's pass-oriented offense managed a 22-16 margin over the Vikings. And, most glaringly, the Patriots pounded the Colts with 34 rushes, compared to only 14 for Indianapolis.

As a total, that's 127-70: the victorious teams handed off 81% more than the clubs they defeated. This is less about rushing offense than rushing defense, though. When an opponent runs the ball 30 times, it wears out your defense, leaves the offense cold, and demoralizes your entire operation. Let that happen and you haven't got a chance.

Divisional Roundups

Jets at Steelers

The first point to note about this game is that the Jets played really well. Probably about as well as they can play. They rattled Ben Roethlisberger, dominated the return game, and got Curtis Martin four yards per carry. New York's offense was okay, its defense was great, and the special teams didn't suffer total humiliation like St. Louis's.

It's tempting to pin the loss on special teams, since Doug Brien had two chances to win the game at the end of regulation, but if not for the Santana Moss punt return that gave New York its first TD, the Jets wouldn't have been in that position in the first place. The team's coverage units held Antwaan Randle El in check, and early in the game Brien and holder Toby Gowin somehow made lemonade (a 42-yard FG) out of lemons (a high snap).

There's room to second-guess any close loss, but I think the Jets put on a pretty impressive performance, coming off two consecutive overtime games on the road and taking a 15-1 Pittsburgh team to overtime on the home field where it was undefeated this season.

The reason this game was close is the New York defense. In the first half, it effectively took away Pittsburgh's running game. And, perhaps as a result, Big Ben never really looked comfortable. In fact, except for the odd play here or there, he looked awful. It wasn't until the second half, banging away with Duce Staley and Bettis, that Pittsburgh's offense finally put together a drive of more than seven plays and 37 yards.

The stout Steeler defense kept the home team alive while its offense struggled. It sacked Chad Pennington three times, held him to 182 yards (a measly 5.5 per attempt), came up with a big interception, and allowed only three points all game. I rip officials when they screw up, so it's only fair to mention that I thought Bill Leavy and his crew did a great job with this game.

Rams at Falcons

The Rams have been pretenders all season, and Atlanta exposed them in convincing fashion. The Ram offense retained its brilliant reputation even during a sub-par season in which St. Louis ranked 19th in scoring offense. The defense, ranked last in interceptions and 29th against the rush, also allowed 15 runs of 20 yards or more (only Miami was worse) — something which came into play against the Falcons — but somehow avoided the reputation that plagues the defenses of Indianapolis and Minnesota. The special teams, neglected by head coach Mike Martz, were the worst in the league.

The game was a blowout from the beginning, so there's not too much to discuss, but it's worth pointing out that Atlanta's offensive line had itself a heck of a game. Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn made terrific plays, but Dunn had some huge holes to run through. Ed Donatell's defense pressured Marc Bulger without blitzing the safeties, and the Falcons had Bulger on the ground all game, sacking him four times and forcing two turnovers.

Awful run defense would have been enough to cost St. Louis the game, but the Rams also suffered the most embarrassing special teams meltdown in recent memory. Martz's predecessor was Dick Vermeil, who as an assistant to Hall of Fame coach George Allen became the first special teams coach in NFL history. The Rams have perhaps the most distinguished special teams tradition in the league, but on Saturday, Martz's team muffed a kick return, bungled the simple act of downing a punt, and allowed Allan Rossum to break NFL single-game playoff records for punt return yards and average.

Vikings at Eagles

At the end of a game in which both teams made mistakes — a lot of mistakes — the Eagles came away with a sloppy but convincing victory. Easily-excited folk talked about Minnesota as a Super Bowl contender after its victory over Green Bay last week, but the Vikings went 8-8 — in the NFC, no less — for a reason.

Philadelphia made some nice plays on offense, particularly in the first half, when they were supposed to be rusty. Andy Reid and Brad Childress didn't get the memo, though, and the offense looked very sharp. Minnesota never seemed to figure out exactly what to do against Brian Westbrook, while Freddie Mitchell, who brings his best for the postseason, came up with big play after big play. The offensive line did its job and Donovan McNabb looked comfortable in the pocket.

The story of this game, though, has to be Philadelphia's defense. Jeremiah Trotter was all over the place. Daunte Culpepper was under constant pressure and completed barely half his passes. Viking RBs combined for only 16 carries, leaving the only potentially weak spot of Jim Johnson's defense untested. Minnesota never seemed to make any adjustments to put themselves back in the game, but even when it was still close, it was never close. From beginning to end, it just felt like the Eagles were in control.

Colts at Patriots

Everyone knew what the Patriots wanted to do in this game. Everyone except, apparently, the Indianapolis coaching staff.

On offense, New England wanted to run the ball, control the clock, and keep the Indianapolis offense on the sidelines. And inexplicably, the Colts allowed them to do just that. The Colts spread out horizontally, emptying the middle of the field for inside runs by Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk. They blitzed about twice all game, usually rushing only the three or four down-linemen. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to see a team play "prevent defense" for an entire game, this was your chance.

On defense, the Patriots wanted to take away the big play. The Colts played into their hands by handing off and throwing short passes. Indianapolis could have stood to borrow a page from Mike Martz's playbook and taken their shots down the field. Instead, they let New England dictate the flow of the game and mostly threw screens and slants and quick crosses, with a heavy dose of the running game early.

A game plan that facilitated everything their opponents wanted to do wasn't the only problem, though. New England's defense played an incredibly good game. The Pats controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish. Edgerrin James found holes hard to come by, and there was constant pressure on Peyton Manning, often with only four rushers. The underappreciated Patriot offensive line created opportunities for Dillon and Faulk and, though it struggled at times in pass protection, generally kept Tom Brady off the ground.

To cap it off, no one on Indianapolis played well. The great o-line got dominated, and James looked tentative all game. Patience is great, but sometimes you just have to lower your shoulder, dive forward for the extra yard, and go back to the huddle; James didn't do that. Manning looked rattled almost from the beginning. He was jumping around in the pocket and throwing on the move. He'd move his arm and you couldn't tell if it was a pump-fake or a pass he decided to hold onto at the last second. His play fakes were unconvincing and he seemed frustrated and resigned by the end of the first series. The receivers couldn't get open downfield against New England's patchwork secondary. The defense never found a way to stop the run.

The Colts mishandled this game, and bad weather almost certainly played a role, but the better team won. Indianapolis was never in the game.

The Crystal Ball

Falcons at Eagles

Every team wants to make Michael Vick try to win with his arm. The Eagles are going to put seven or eight defenders in the box on almost every play, and they'll blitz frequently. Vick is dangerous as a runner, and you can never count on stopping him from making plays with his feet. But if that's the only way the Falcons are moving the ball, they won't be able to win. If Philadelphia can take Dunn and T.J. Duckett out of the equation, I like its chances.

Atlanta's defense, like Vick, is inconsistent but potentially dominant. Reid and Childress need to slow down the Falcons' pass rush with screens and draws, and protect McNabb with extra blockers and three-step drop passes to Westbrook and L.J. Smith. I'd try to get Mitchell involved, too. Atlanta will make things much tougher for McNabb than Minnesota did, but I don't know if they have anyone capable of covering Westbrook.

It's inconceivable that Rossum and the Falcons can duplicate their explosive performance in Philadelphia, and I think Atlanta will have trouble getting its offense going. Weather could also be a factor, especially in contrast to the fast indoor conditions Atlanta played in last week. Big plays on defense could make the difference for the Falcons, but I think Reid's Eagles will finally conquer their NFC Championship demons this year. Philadelphia by seven.

Patriots at Steelers

The Steelers are not as vulnerable as they looked on Saturday. The Jets game was two plays away from being an ugly (but convincing) 17-3 win. Pittsburgh has the NFL's best defense, a terrific offensive line, and explosive playmakers in the receiving corps. The first time these teams met, the Steelers dominated time of possession, 43 minutes to 17. They outrushed New England, 221-5. The Patriots had no rushing first downs. Tom Brady got sacked four times and intercepted twice. Staley averaged five yards per rush and Bettis had a season-long 29-yard run. Roethlisberger had a season-high 126.4 passer rating.

The Pats didn't have Dillon in that game, but they did have All-Pro defensive lineman Richard Seymour, who didn't play against the Colts and might not be available on Sunday. The Patriots match up against Pittsburgh better than the Colts would have, but the Steelers match up very well against New England, too. On paper, New England really doesn't have much chance.

But I'm taking the Patriots, somewhat uneasily. The huge holes Dillon and Faulk ran through against the Colts won't be there in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers' pass rush and secondary are better than the Colts', so Brady could have a rough day, but I think he'll generate the bulk of New England's offense. The Jets nearly made Pittsburgh beat itself, but New England's injury-depleted secondary and defensive line could have trouble getting Big Ben to make the same mistakes he did against New York. It wouldn't be wise to count on two miserable games in a row from the phenomenal rookie. The Patriots do have a terrific run defense, and that could tip the scales in their favor.

In the end, though, I can't break down a New England victory. Logic says the Steelers should win. Call it an edge for the Patriots' coaching staff, I guess. New England by three.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 4:10 PM | Comments (0)

Smith Leading Eagles to New Heights

Boston College's Jermaine Watson's attempt at a game-tying three-pointer as time expired in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Georgia Tech clanged off the base of the rim, sending the Yellow Jackets into the Sweet 16 and eventually to the national championship game. BC's leading scorer, Craig Smith, had to watch his team's season end from the bench, as the super-soph had fouled out 31 seconds prior with a career-low two points.

"It was one of the worst positions I have ever been in as far as playing college basketball," Smith said.

Now a junior, Craig Smith has his Boston College Eagles in the top 10 and many in the country are finally starting to notice this upstart team. Boston College is coming off wins over ranked UConn and Providence before traveling to what Smith called the hardest place he's had to play, West Virginia. The big play from Smith and his Eagles continued as they routed the 24th-ranked Mountaineers 73-53 for their eighth straight road win. Despite the success, Smith still finds himself thinking of that hard loss to the Yellow Jackets last March.

"It's in the past, but it still brings fuel to the fire," Smith said. "It's something that made me want to work harder in the offseason and get more prepared this season so I won't ever have to be in that position again.

Craig had been a great scorer through his first two years at BC, but had been slightly overweight. He was listed around 260, played around 270, and often couldn't keep up with the more dominant and quicker big men in the Big East. Players such as Emeka Okafor, Hakim Warrick, and Ryan Gomes would often 'blow by' the slower Smith.

"I was a little slow in that area," Smith said.

The operative word in his statement is "was," as Smith spent the summer getting in shape and working on his lateral defense. Craig can now guard the more versatile big men and plays at a chiseled 250 pounds. The Big East is a conference of great Big Men, and Craig Smith ranks near the top. The junior forward is in the top five in scoring and rebounding and will more than likely be on the Big East first-team for the second straight year.

While Craig's scoring has been fantastic, he knows the real key to winning in March.

"Defense," Smith said. "That's how we won the majority of our games in the Big East tournament last year and that's how we won a lot of close games at home too; just by strapping down at the end of the game."

It's been Boston College's ability to "strap down" at the end of games that has them undefeated at 14-0. They have won ugly at times, including a three-point overtime win over Holy Cross and a win over Kent State on a buzzer-beating shot by Smith. However, even a win uglier than a Jimmy Kimmel monologue is still a win and Boston College has done nothing but win lately.

The Eagles have been one of the most underrated squads in the country and are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve. Disrespect is nothing new to Craig Smith, who wasn't even a top 400 recruit during his senior year of high school according to several recruiting outlets. Smith, who is just starting to get some recognition, said the constant lack of respect he's encountered in his career is something he doesn't give much thought.

"During my career, I've always had to prove to people that I could play the game of basketball," Smith said. "It's the same situation for most of the guys on this team; they are guys who have been overlooked and don't get the chance and recognition most players get. Now we are all together trying to prove to people we are a good team."

They have proven that to most of the country with their wins over UConn, Providence, and over West Virginia. With Smith and guard Jared Dudley leading the way, Al Skinner's Eagles will be a force in the NCAA tournament. This team will go as far as Smith can take them and something tells me Craig will be leading the team this March instead of watching from the bench. I think that any last-second three-point attempts will come from Smith, resulting in teams learning something that no one really knows about Craig.

"I can shoot," he laughed. "I think people are going to give it to me more, and I'm going to knock 'em down."

Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 4:04 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2005

Super Returns to the Sonics

Being a professional sports fan in the Pacific Northwest over the past few years has been rough. The political equivalent of being a Democrat in Texas. Losing was the expectation. This past season was a prime example.

The Seahawks continue to have playoff woes, their last win coming over 20 years ago. The Mariners finished 36 games below .500. And we won't even mention the debacle that is the Portland Trailblazers. The only highlight for fans was Ichiro's breaking of George Sisler's single-season hit mark.

In the Sonics' first game this year, they looked to be continuing the same miserable trend. They went down to Los Angeles and proceeded to get drubbed by the Clippers, losing 114-84. Yet, the Sonics have turned their play around, and given hope to fans with little else to be hopeful for.

Nearing the halfway point of this NBA season, the Seattle Sonics find themselves in first place in the Northwest, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves by eight games. At 26-9, they are on pace for a 50-plus win season, and have a good chance at making the playoffs. They own the third best record in the league, trailing the Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs. And against those three teams, the Sonics are an impressive 2-1. They beat San Antonio, with the loss coming in the most exciting game of the year against Phoenix.

Even more surprising is that this is largely the same team as last year's that went 37-45. The only significant changes were the loss of fan favorite Brent Barry and the addition of Danny Fortson. While the fans hammered the organization over the offseason for not doing more to improve the team, it seems the management knew the talent and potential of their the team. So, other than Ray Allen, what do the Sonics have?

The first key piece the Sonics needed was a legitimate scorer other than Allen. They have one in Rashard Lewis. Lewis has stepped his game up immensely this year. He's averaging almost 40 minutes a game and scoring almost 21 points per, both of which are career highs. His points are good enough for 22nd among all scorers. Opposing defenses still clamp down on Allen, but that has freed up Lewis. Against the Mavericks on December 9th, while Dallas doubled Allen, Lewis scored 25, leading them to victory. A few days later, while everyone anticipated a Kobe-Ray shootout, Lewis quietly put up 37, outscoring both of them, and the Sonics won again.

But the Sonics' success is not due just to the play of the first and second leading scorers. The rest of the starters and the bench have contributed, as well. In fact, their bench is third in the league in scoring. They are getting impressive contributions from their second-year point guard and U of O alum, Luke Ridnour. His comfort level seems much higher this year, and his assists have improved from 2.4 to 6.5 per game. Along with Ridnour, Nick Collison, taken two draft picks later, is getting his first taste of decent playing time, having spent all of his rookie year injured after having surgery on both shoulders.

Perhaps the greatest addition this year has been Danny Fortson. Acquired from the Mavericks in a trade for Calvin Booth, Fortson has been a tremendous inside presence for the Sonics. While his numbers, 9.5 ppg and 6.4 rbg, aren't that impressive, his play has been. His impact on the team was best demonstrated in their two games against the Heat. In the first victory against Miami, Fortson contributed 15 points and 10 boards. In the second, he scored 18 with 9 rebounds, but more importantly, frustrated Shaq with constant pick and rolls, forcing the big man away from the basket and opening up lanes for the guards.

Finally, the play of Reggie Evans on the boards, Antonio Daniels at the point, and Vladimir Radmanovic from behind the arc has also contributed to the Sonics' startling turnaround.

With such improved play, the question now is can this team make the playoffs?

Yes. Can they win it all?

No.

The Sonics' form of basketball is dependent on the three ball. They trail only the Phoenix Suns in both three-point field goal percentage and three-pointers attempted. But as the season heads into March, teams that rely on the three tend to fade, while those with a dominant inside game tend to emerge. And while the Suns have Amare Stoudamire in the paint, the Sonics lack a presence on the inside. They rank 26th in the league in rebounding. That number, however, doesn't mean as much as it appears. While the Sonics don't rebound the ball much, their opponents don't, either, and only Utah is better at keeping their opponents off the glass.

The Sonics' style of play has been compared to the Europeans, where teamwork and the ability to shoot outside are more important than a prolific scorer in the middle. Unfortunately, that style hasn't done so well in the playoffs recently. With the exception of last year's Detroit Pistons, and the Michael Jordan-lead Bulls, all the NBA champions have had a high-scoring presence down low.

But fans have reason to hope. As mentioned earlier, against San Antonio and Tim Duncan this year, the Sonics are 2-0, and against Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat, they are also 2-0. Only facing the Suns and Stoudamire have they lost to a team with a dominant big man.

Regardless of how far the Sonics go this year, they will have greatly exceeded almost all of their expectations. Especially those of their fans. So sit back and enjoy watching fast-paced, freewheeling basketball. And hope the Sonics sign Ray Allen to a contract extension.

Posted by Chris Lindshield at 2:30 PM | Comments (1)

I Hate Mondays: Do USC What I See?

Now, after the Orange Bowl, tell me who's hot, who's not. Tell me who rock, who sell out in the stores.

If you guessed Ashlee Simpson, try again.

I'm referring to Matt Leinart and Pete Carroll who appear to have an affinity with a late '90s Notorious B.I.G. tune entitled "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems." Both have recently been presented with a bigger stage, but both have shied away from more money, and more problems.

Head coach Pete Carroll hushed hullabaloo about a possible return to the NFL when questioned about the San Francisco 49ers opening and standout quarterback Matt Leinart held a press conference declaring his return to college football for his senior year.

Leinart, a potential top-three selection in the upcoming draft, is being sacked by pundits for his controversial decision. With two national championships under his belt, they say the risks outweigh the reward. The possibility of a career-threatening injury is not worth the prospect of making history, while passing up guaranteed financial security is simply unconscionable.

There's no question that this is an ominous decision, but is this the type of society we live in? A society that discourages taking chances if they involve risk?

Leinart has the opportunity to win three national championships as the starting quarterback of his team, something that has never been done before, and he has the opportunity to become just the second player ever to win back-to-back Heisman Trophies.

As Wayne Greztky once said, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take."

Are you too scared to play basketball because you know you will eventually miss a shot? Do you reserve your feelings for cute significant others because you're afraid of rejection? Are you deterred from walking because one day, you might trip and fall?

No. If you miss a shot, you try again. If you don't get that hot date, you catch an eye for someone else. If you tumble, then you get back up and keep walking.

We all know his stock won't rise any higher, and we know 99.9% of society would take the known instead of what could possibly be behind door number one, but that is what makes Leinart truly special.

Matt Leinart and Pete Carroll will return to Southern California next season, but even though the endeavor is pious, it doesn't mean they'll accomplish their goal. Pessimists will surface at every bend in the road berating: "Ha, I told you so! You could have flossin' on the cover of Fortune," but win or lose, it's the effort that counts. In a time where money makes the world of sports go round, college athletes forego junior and senior seasons and high school athletes forego college, and NCAA coaches display minimal loyalty, a decision to stay and strive for glory should be revered.

Money has jaded sports to the point where enthusiasts have forgotten the very foundation of the game. The almighty dollar is such a ubiquitous concept in sports and is the basis for so many personnel decisions that one of the few times a decision is made from benevolence and competition rather than bankroll and chips, followers scoff.

Props to these two for passing on more money and more problems and using goodwill as the foundation of their determination.

Failure and fear of failure mix like Mondays and me.

Have a comment, question, or thought? Keep it to yourself! But if it still persists, shoot me an e-mail at [email protected].

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 1:06 PM | Comments (0)

Buy, George: How to Learn to Love the Yanks

In recent years, much hot air has been expended over how loathful the New York Yankee organization is for Major League Baseball. World Series wins by the D-Backs, Marlins, and Red Sox have doused the flames somewhat.

The general reasons given, whether by fans or media, concern "buying a team," and "having the biggest payroll." Kind of a bias against big market baseball. This brand of hating is unfounded on so many counts. Honest fans and objective journalists should take a breath, and get a reality check on the Pinstriped Universe.

Before Curt Flood, baseball's reserve clause bound a player to his team until said team chose to waive him, or exchange his services. In those days, the Yankees were a juggernaut, winning pennants almost annually. This dominance endured from the Murderer's Row era of the 1920s, through Joe DiMaggio's 1940s, and on during the Mick Mantle/Whitey Ford years that terminated with the loss of the '64 Series.

Not long after the advent of free agency came George Steinbrenner. Call the novice Steinbrenner "George the First" — he of the multiple firings of Billy Martin and the Trump-Like Me Decade celebrity persona. The butt of weekly jokes on "Saturday Night Live." George I won pennants with free agents that A's owner Charlie Finley chose not to pay — mainly Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson. The managerial musical chairs were a farce.

But contemporary fans spew venom at George II. Why is that? Who cast the historic Red Sox, with their shameful past regarding integration, and their early souring on Pudge [Fisk], Freddie [Lynn], and the Rocket [Roger Clemens], as America's sympathetic favorites?

Recent Yankee success began with talent developed within the team's own farm system — Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettite, and Jorge Pasada. Through deft dealing and free agency, George II added stars such as Jimmy Key, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Mike Mussina, and Roger Clemens. The team operates under the rules of the post-Flood (Curt, not Noah) era. Almost all the acquired talent is a the "good citizen" variety — players like Wade Boggs, Robin Ventura, and John Olerud that paid their dues in other cities.

The evidence that The Boss has mellowed is his soft spot for second chances. Da Bronx is where old players live again. The solid late '90s Yanks didn't have to sign Cecil Fielder, Tim Raines, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Chuck Knoblauch, David Wells, and Ruben Sierra, but they did. Past their primes, when teams weren't exactly beating down those guys' doors. That speaks volumes. And despite the team's woes the past three Octobers, George II has stood by cancer-stricken skipper Joe Torre. George I would have given him the gate. Ditto on Mel Stottlemyre (and probably GM Brian Cashman).

Then there's the analogy to other businesses. Would observers begrudge a law firm if they pursued the most talented attorneys? A software company if they recruited the best designers? A hospital for seeking the finest physicians and nurses available? Of course not. The vintage Yankees developed or traded for talent, and kept it. The Bombers of the arbitration age find it where they can (Alfonso Soriano was in Japan, as was Hideki Matsui).

If other owners lack the savvy to operate under these circumstances, haters should direct their ire at them. After all, the Braves and Cubs have national cable broadcasts, not the Yankees. It's not how much money one has, it's how one spends it. And to be consistently successful (not one and out like the D-Backs) in today's game, one must, to quote Robert "Iceberg Slim" Beck, "jar loose from respectable scratch."

If the Yankees, or any other successful entity, are not one's cup of tea for reasons of rivalry, regional preference, or opposite-league loyalty, all is well and good. But disliking an organization because they strive for excellence? The hot stove season can be long and cold — so save some energy and tip the cap.

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 12:30 PM | Comments (2)

January 16, 2005

There's Something About the Patriots

Dear Patriots,

On behalf of the entire sports world, I'd like to apologize. We doubted you. We thought you'd finally crack. Some of us picked against you. We were idiots.

You'd think we would have learned our lesson by now. But we did what we always do. We fell in love with the flashy team with the MVP under center, the team whose offense is one of the best in league history.

How shortsighted. How stupid.

But I know you understand — you've always been doubted. And this year, the doubting seemed sharper, stronger, grounded more in fact than in wishful thinking.

You came into Saturday's game against the Colts with a decimated secondary. A wide receiver was your nickelback. Your best defensive lineman was injured.

Your offense seemed too vanilla, especially compared with the steamrolling Colts. You had a great running back for a change, but that didn't matter. No way you could keep up with the pyrotechnics on the other side.

And your coach? Well, he's just boring. How can he be this genius? He wears a hooded sweatshirt and looks about as excitable as a snail. On top of that, his top two assistants are halfway out the door. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis has already been hired as the head coach at Notre Dame. He's got a foot in both places. And defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is the leading candidate to take over in Cleveland.

So do you blame us? All those analysts who picked against you, all those columnists who said your run would finally end — do you blame them?

No, I guess you don't. More importantly, you don't care. You've never cared about the superficial stuff, the big numbers. You cared only about the numbers on the scoreboard.

You proved to us that the scoreboard really is all that matters. You proved us wrong.

We said you couldn't stop the Colts' offense. Well, you did, and in a way none of us even considered. You barely had to stop them. The Colts never got the ball. You held it for 37:43, compared with 22:17 for the Colts.

The offense gave you, as always, just enough.

And now you're heading back to the AFC Championship Game. With a win, you can cement your place in football lore as an improbable dynasty in an era of ridiculous parity.

It won't be easy, of course. You have to play the Steelers, the only team that's beaten you this season.

But I've learned my lesson. I won't pick against you. Even if I thought you might lose, I wouldn't pick against you. There's just something about you.

I don't think you'll lose, though. That last time in Pittsburgh on Halloween was a ghostly aberration. You had four turnovers. You played terrible. And you still could have won.

Now, the golden boy Big Ben has lost some of his luster. Duce Staley is hobbled. And the Steelers haven't been here in a while.

And you? Well ... you're just you. There's something about you. I should have realized it before now. But I know I'll never forget it.

So, good luck, Patriots. But it's not like you need it.

Love,

William

P.S. — If you lose this week, I'm never speaking to you again.

Posted by William Geoghegan at 7:55 PM | Comments (3)

The Ernie Show: Washington's Wiz of a GM

While Washingtonians await the return of the National Pastime, their winter is not exactly devoid of sports interest. The longtime laughingstock Wizards, with a 22-13 record, are nine games above .500 for the first time since 1985. That's right, 1985, M.J.'s second year as a pro, and Lenny Bias' junior year of college. Two agonizing decades ago. After years of mismanagement by Bob Ferry, John Nash, Wes Unseld, and the aforementioned Air President, the Wizards are the hottest act in town.

Credit for this turnaround goes to former Tennessee sharpshooter and Knick guard Ernie Grunfeld. When the Queens native teamed with Bernard King in Knoxville, SEC fans knew them as "The Bernie and Ernie Show." The real magic involves what Grunfeld, and Coach Eddie ("I'm Doing Better Than Michael") Jordan are working with the Wizards.

The former Washington Bullets had some poor habits. Dan Roundfield, Bernard King, and Moses Malone came to Washington as has-beens. 1988 teammates Manute Bol and Muggsy Bogues resembled a circus act more so than an NBA tandem. And remember Gheorges Muresan? Speaking of the slow afoot, Washington drafted Juwan Howard, a center at Michigan, and asked him to guard small forwards in the NBA. That's not one, but two positions away from that which he had become accustomed.

GM Wes Unseld had a rep for trading young talent for old. Rasheed Wallace for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant in 1996. Ouch! Chris Webber for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe in 1998. Geezers! The Bullets/Wizards gave up on more gifted power forwards than you can shake Grunfeld's magic wand at — not only 'Sheed and Webber, but Ben Wallace, too. Some fans supported Unseld when he shipped Rasheed, on the grounds that 'Sheed was a head case. Well, Rod Strickland isn't exactly Terrell Brandon.

The strategy must have been contagious, for Michael Jordan fell into the "youth-for-couth" trap. On his watch, Richard Hamilton was dealt to Motown for Jerry Stackhouse, a Tar Heel crony. Like Richmond, Stack was damaged goods by that point in his career. Jordan's final personnel moves amounted to a fiasco — M.J., Stackhouse, and Larry Hughes — and only one ball. Talk about gridlock in Washington.

Enter Grunfeld. The revolving door of coaches (including poor selections such as Leonard Hamilton and Garfield Heard) closed. DC native Eddie Jordan, who as a playmaker helped undefeated Rutgers reach the 1976 Final Four, instituted the offense Pete Carril made famous at Princeton.

No longer does Les' Wiz stand around in the half-court and watch one player (Strickland, Richmond, Jordan) do his thing. The spacing is a thing of beauty, the ball movement precise. None of this would work without the right players. Unlike his predecessors, Grunfled dumped old-for-young. He acquired Gilbert Arenas from the woeful Warriors, and Sixth Man of the Year Antawn Jamison from Trader Mark (Cuban).

Arenas, Jamison, and Hughes aren't a DC law firm, they're three players who each average more than 20 points a game. Hughes leads the NBA in steals, at 3.7 per night. Who knew? Ernie did. With young scorers, no individual need do it all, and the club is often difficult to guard. The motion of the offense creates one-on-one situations, but not the type that consume the 24-second clock as when Richmond was the prime scorer.

Just as importantly, the team hustles on defense, a situation that should improve with the return of injured big men Etan Thomas and Kwame Brown. All this success should serve to motivate the enigmatic Brown, whom Michael Jordan selected first overall in the 2001 NBA Draft when Paul Gasol and Jason Richardson were still available. And while the Heat are the beast of the East, the Wizards compete each night out — they're no longer an off-night during an Eastern road swing. Ask the Sonics, T-Wolves, and Blazers, the three visitors Washington just swept at home.

So while it isn't time to name their basketball home the MCI Arenas, there is a valuable lesson to be learned. As Washington's long-suffering fans suspected, the organization's problems, like most in professional sports, were at the top.

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 4:19 PM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2005

The NFL's Four Simple Truths

Aside from an unhealthy devotion to fantasy football, I have to admit that I've lost interest in the NFL over the last few years. Now that the playoffs have started, however, I find myself being drawn back to the game. Thankfully, there some things about the NFL that never, ever change. Here's a list that I call the "Four Simple Truths of the NFL." Enjoy.

1. Rookie Quarterbacks Cannot Win in the NFL

I think it's safe to say that the most physically and mentally demanding jobs in all of professional sports is playing quarterback in the NFL. It's simply not possible for a rookie to be successful in this position. In addition to the incredible jump in speed and size of the defenses he'll be facing, the rookie quarterback also has to read 10 or 15 different types of coverage that he never saw in college. Plus, the offensive playbook looks like War and Peace, as compared to college's Old Man and the Sea. The rookie quarterback cannot win in the NFL.

And then there's Ben Roethlisberger. All he's done this year is win all 13 of his starts under center, a record for a rookie. He's been efficient all season long and avoided making big mistakes, but most importantly, he led the Steelers to a league-best record of 15-1. Okay, maybe rookie quarterbacks can win in the NFL...

2. Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren are Coaching Geniuses

Without question, Mikes Shanahan and Holmgren possess two of the more brilliant football minds in the NFL. After Shanahan's first season (8-8) in Denver, he turned the team around and went 39-9 over the next three years, winning the Super Bowl twice while transforming John Elway's legacy. Holmgren, meanwhile, won 75 games and a Super Bowl during his seven years at the helm of the Green Bay Packers. He molded Brett Favre into a Hall of Fame quarterback and brought one of the league's marquee franchises back to glory. Shanahan and Holmgren are geniuses, better than everyone else.

Really? Let's take a closer look. Since 1999, Shanahan's first year without Elway and Holmgren's first season in Seattle, these guys have been decidedly average. Shanny's record sits at 54-42, and Holmgren's even worse at 50-46. Neither man has won a playoff game; following last week's losses their combined postseason record is 0-6. Hmm. Maybe Elway and Favre were the real geniuses...

3. You Can't Beat the Packers at Lambeau in the Playoffs

There's no place like Lambeau Field. It's football's answer to Yankee Stadium, but it's in a small town. Season tickets are left in wills, fans volunteer to shovel out the bleachers after snowstorms, and there's the frozen tundra. Throw in Brett Favre, who's unbeatable in cold weather games (41° or below), and there's really no need to play the games. The Pack is a sure thing.

Well, not anymore. After Green Bay was crushed by the Minnesota Vikings (a team which had lost nine straight outdoor games), it marked the second time in three years that the Packers had lost a home playoff game. Also, it was the second straight cold weather game that Favre had lost. Could it be that Favre is just another quarterback? Is Lambeau just a field? Are the Packers just another mediocre team? It all sounds like blasphemy, but it just might be true.

4. Mediocre Teams Get Crushed in the Playoffs

Every season, there's a mad rush in the closing weeks of the regular season as a pack of mediocre teams scramble for the last few remaining playoff spots in each conference. It makes for some interesting storylines, and it allows the networks to manufacture interest for a Week 17 matchup between two 8-7 teams, but it's really all a colossal waste of time. The postseason is merciless. These teams that barely slide into the playoffs are always immediately dispatched by the superior teams that await them. Always.

Well, not always. Last week, two of the NFL's more enigmatic teams, the St. Louis Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, both won road playoff games. Both teams finished the regular season at 8-8, the very definition of mediocrity, but that didn't seem to matter last weekend. Might mediocrity prevail again this weekend against the top-seeded Falcons and Eagles? Who the hell knows?

So there you have it. Now that you know all you need to know about the NFL, feel free to call your friends over, order some pizza, crack open a few beverages, and enjoy the games this weekend. Just don't forget about the Four Simple Truths.

Posted by Hank Waddles at 6:18 PM | Comments (0)

Two For Hooking

I miss hockey. In a big, pathetic way.

The other night, I purposely overcooked some burgers on my George Foreman Grill just so I could slap-shoot them on a simulated power play in my living room. (My cat, Mr. Mittens, played the role of Olaf Kolzig.) I've thrown at least three hip checks while shopping at the local Safeway. I've been intravenously feeding myself Labatts at night. I even hesitated putting the moves on my girlfriend out of fear I might get two for instigating.

The NHL lockout has to stop.

I have the solution.

What's this entire debate between the owners and the players about?

Money, and who has it, needs it, wants it, or bleeds it.

All of this yammering about luxury taxes and salary caps and revenue sharing comes back to one problem: that the NHL simply doesn't make enough money to sustain itself. Not from TV, and not from the sagging attendance in dozens of cities.

Hockey on TV, alas, is a problem for TV; until HD technology takes hold, and enough cameras are added to the rink to convey the speed of the game, hockey just won't work on television.

But increasing attendance and revenue are two problems with an easy solution, courtesy of yours truly:

Legalized prostitution in NHL arenas.

Convert all of that open space in the bowels of the buildings — you know, those large stretches of concrete reserved for ambulances and circus elephants — into about fornication stations. Then take three luxury suites and convert them into "VIP" rooms, so American fans can experience what's commonplace in Canada: having the game on while you're getting your swerve on.

Open the arena three hours before the game, sort of an "extraordinarily happy hour" if you will. (Sure beats tailgating in 10-below on a Wednesday night.) Close the place up at 2 AM, unless there's a day game — there won't be any "dating" during matinees ... you know, for the kids' sake.

Hire back all of those goons Bettman legislated out of the league and make them bouncers. I sure as hell wouldn't push the issue if Stu Grimson tapped me on the shoulder and told me time was up.

Here's how this deal works: the price of a ticket guarantees you the opportunity to book some time with the puck bunnies. At any point during the evening, you can head down to the lowest level of the arena and visit the reservation booth for a full list of available professionals. Here's the best news for the NHL: everything on the menu has a concession stand-style markup compared to real-world price tags! If you think an $8 beer is outrageous...

Now, this isn't just going to be for the fellas. There will be a full staff of Eastern European man-whores for the ladies; players of limited ability who came to North America seeking to become the next Pavel Bure, but who are now bagging groceries at the local Wegmans.

Now, I'm sure some of you are bellyaching about things like "morality," "fidelity," "scabies" or what have you. But look at the facts:

Attendance problems? Solved. Every night'll look like Red Wings/Avalanche.

Revenue issues? Solved. Not only with the price for "services," but also with the money spent on such post-coital products as officially licensed NHL stripper-glitter remover, as well as a framed Polaroid of your big moment.

On-ice product? No problems there. I don't know about you, but after I scale Everest, they could play the entire game in a puddle of horse manure and I wouldn't stop smiling.

At the very least, no one will complain about lack of scoring in the NHL any more.

Could the world's oldest profession save the coolest game on ice?

All I know is if hockey fans are going to keep getting screwed, it might as well be with someone better looking than Bob Goodenow...

Random Thoughts

New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington missed practice this week with a bout of the stomach flu.

Jets fans were left hoping that when Pennington takes the field against Pittsburgh on Saturday, he won't be in the run and shoot...

I'm usually so quick to slam ESPN when it comes to professional hockey, allow me to give credit where it's due. ESPN.com produced this week a plan for something called "ESPNHL," in which the Cable Cabal dramatically remade hockey in its own image. It had some hits, it had some misses, and it had some complete frivolity that makes me confident that the quality of reefer in suburban Connecticut these days is outstanding.

The league, if the boys from Bristol ran it, would be contracted from its current total of 30 teams. This is smart: I'd drop Carolina and Florida tomorrow. But ESPNHL wants to reduce the league to 20 teams, dumping (among others) Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay, hockey hotbed San Jose, and the New York Islanders. It would keep teams in apathetic Atlanta and the constantly financially challenged Alberta cities. Hartford would get a team. So would Las Vegas ... because, you know, a city that already proved it couldn't house a franchise, and an arena-less berg in the middle of the damn desert deserve professional hockey more than Buffalo — another contraction victim.

Oh, and despite being 20 teams large, 16 teams would enter the postseason, which makes the ESPNHL basically Major League Soccer Version 2.0. (It also means a four-team draft lottery ... "and the Pick 4 numbers are...")

There'd be a luxury tax instead of a cap, confirming my long-standing belief that ESPN's so-called "experts" are closeted schills for the NHLPA. There'd be further restrictions on fighting, which makes me wonder it I'm still the only one who sees the decline of fighting and the decline of television ratings as parallel lines. There'd be a shootout, because the ESPNHL doesn't really need to be about hockey.

But above all else, the most curious and unintentionally hilarious proposals come under the umbrella of "marketing."

First, players will not only be contractually obligated to "meet and greet" fans after home games (like it's some damn carnival puppet show), but two players will be obligated to wear microphones during games. Great idea ... if half the league didn't speak English as a fourth language.

Does this mean we'll get to hear even more of Jeremy Roenick?

But without a doubt, the most idiotic thing I've read on ESPN.com since it announced the debut of "Mohr Sports" – ESPNHL will mandate the improvement of "quality and level of analysis" on televised hockey broadcasts.

That's right: The same network that's thrust Darren "Bowling Pin" Pang, Bill "Porn Star Mustache" Clement, Barry "Les Sopranos" Melrose, and Brian "Swedish Muppet" Engblom on us for the last decade is now saying that the analysis on hockey broadcasts isn't good enough.

Whose Fault is That?!

Sorry ... didn't mean to shout...

Finally, WHFS is dead. It was a decades-old rock station in Washington, DC that used to be one of those great FM-ers that would break the new Cure song, play a kick-ass REM song, and then play something you've never heard of that would become Jane's Addiction or Smashing Pumpkins a few months later.

WHFS flipped to Spanish dance music on Wednesday. Literally, in the middle of the day, without any warning. Fans of the station were stunned, and people who haven't listened to it in years were mourning its passing.

The station used to have a voice. Sure, its popularity was a niche; but its cultural impact within that niche was immeasurable. Fans were loyal. Fans were vivacious. Fans treated the station like an old friend, and looked forward to spending time with it.

Then that voice was gone, somewhere in the mid-1990s. The new, exciting bands were missing, replaced by Pearl Jam clones, then Eminem, then Nirvana clones, then the same five Linkin Park songs. The station sold out everything that made it peerless in a desperate grab at a brass ratings ring it could never wrap its fingers around.

Then, on Wednesday, it dropped dead.

The NHL could learn a thing or two from WHFS...

Greg Wyshynski is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 5:47 PM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2005

Counting Chickens

I still haven't seen anything that would make me think the Indianapolis Colts are going to walk into Foxboro and put a whippin' on the New England Patriots.

I'm not exactly sure how Manning's personal accomplishments this season translate into an automatic Super Bowl appearance.

I'm not sure where the NFL faithful have gone delusional and think the Colts have somehow managed to obtain a defense.

I'm not all that sure how a dome team like the Colts are going to overcome the weather on the East Coast. Last I checked ... it's pretty muddy over there. Inclement conditions are what the Patriots love.

Granted, the Colts have the most explosive offensive in the league, an honor once held by the St. Louis Rams, who are still in contention for Super Bowl glory, even with an 8-8 record, but the road to the Vince Lombardi trophy still goes through Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Let's start off with a few interesting statistics...

The Colts have lost five in a row to the Patriots and 13 of the last 15.

Peyton Manning's record is 1-6 against Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots.

But the Colts are going to destroy the Patriots?

I applaud Manning for searing the opposing secondaries, this season. Unless you've been in cave, then you know he tossed a record-breaking 49 touchdown passes this season, eclipsing Dan Marino's old mark.

But no one can throw 49 touchdowns in a game.

You say the Colts have a defense?

Let me put a little bug in your ear.

In the regular season, the Colts played a wide spectrum of teams. Opposing teams, that actually do have an offense, such as New England, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Minnesota, and San Diego scored 27, 31, 27, 45, 28, and 31 points respectively.

New England, Kansas City, and Jacksonville won those particular games.

On the other hand, toward the end of the season, five out of six games, the Colts played teams who, without a doubt, are the most lethargic of all the offenses in the league.

The Colts played Houston ... twice. You can, also, throw in the games against the scoring machines from Chicago, Detroit, and Baltimore.

Now, all of a sudden, the 1985 Chicago Bears' defense has manifested themselves into Colts' uniforms?

Are you kidding me?

No one knows what will happen until Sunday, but the pressure isn't on the Patriots. Belichick makes sure his defense isn't fooled by all the false audibles that Manning is so adept at calling (or not calling, as the case may be) and it's up to Manning to figure out what Belichick is doing.

It may look like the linebackers are blitzing, but why are the corners coming instead or the safeties seem to be dropping back into coverage, so Manning thinks they may blitz, but, oops, the safeties really are dropping back into coverage.

Mike Vanderjagt, the Colts placekicker, as you know doubt have heard, has provided the Patriots with bulletin board material.

Atta boy.

The Patriots, though lacking the skilled mastery of defensive backs such as Ty Law and Tyrone Poole, will still find a way to stop the Colts' scoring machine.

The only reason I know this is because I saw a different version of "The Lord of the Rings", starring Tom Brady as Frodo.

If there is one thing I do not need to hear again is how the Patriots have to outscore the Colts in order to win the game.

Duh.

Posted by Damian Greene at 3:05 PM | Comments (1)

Is 2005 the Year of the Mets?

The Mets, for some reason, have always remained an afterthought among sports teams in New York. They have been a coda to a musical symphony, if you could call, often landing over-priced and over-sized starts, who were well past their prime.

And their winning record would barely make a footnote in the record books in New York sports history. Their only recent note of merit came in 1986 when they denied Boston a World Series and helped extend the so-called curse to 2004. The Mets have gotten a strong fan base and also enjoy the overwhelming support of the Yankee Haters Club.

But the 2005 offseason news have been heart-warming for the collectors of 'Met-ographics.' Owner Fred Wilpon signed Omar Minaya, who has embarked on a gluttonous journey to gobble up a host of players that make look the Mets comfortable.

If newly-signed GM Minaya's offseason imports perform to the prognostications, then the Mets' saga is sure to reach a new level in 2005. Who knows may be even a World Series appearance or probably a World Series ring could adorn every Met.

For so long, it used to be your daddy's Mets who were failing to attract explosive starts and projecting an image of playing abode to stars whose career plummeted as rapidly as Dow Jones.

However, Minaya's swift swoopings have made Queens, for a change, the centerpiece in the baseball landscape.

Minaya got on the act quickly. His first acquisition was getting Willie Randolph as the coach. Randolph became the first African-American to coach a New York team. More importantly, Randolph comes from New York, hence wouldn't act like a schmuck when it comes to managing New York clubs. It's fair to say that he is adept in handling the shtick that New York usually throws up. Most of it all, he has served under Joe Torre's leadership and that should come good in the coming season.

If you wonder that something dramatic has happened to the Mets, you are probably right. Primarily, there has been a paradigm shift in the Mets' brainstrust (read as owner Fred Wilpon). Wilpon, after all, witnessed the dramatic rise of the Mets during that glorious World Series in 2000 to the abysmal depths the team scaled pretty much after that.

The Mets, inexorably, had the habit of second-guessing. They seemed to backpedal after bidding for Alex Rodriguez. They let slip Vladimir Guerrero through their hands like Mike Piazza struggled at first base. They seemed to make real baffling decisions that would've made look The Osbournes wiser. The Victor Zambrano-for-Scott Kazmir trade would still induce nightmarish dreams for the loyal Mets fans, who of course, were immune to such outlandish acts.

However, Wilpon brought Minaya, the manager of the itinerant Montreal Expos. Minaya has experienced first-hand the agony that comes as a result of remaining in the dungeons of the baseball scrap heap. He understands the frustration and more importantly has faced failure and despair time and again. Hence, he won't fluster as soon as you mention failure to him. It wouldn't have been more appropriate for anyone else than Minaya to manage the Mets, a team that has induced its fans to wear the cloak of inferiority.

Minaya, after signing manager Willie Randolph, eyed Pedro Martinez, his Spanish-speaking former Expos pitcher. And once he got wind of the rumblings between the Red Sox management and Martinez, he got into overdrive. He acted fast and smart and Martinez was officially signed as a Met to strengthen their rotation which already has the sub-par Tom Glavine.

If you looked at plugging holes in the Mets, they needed tones of cement. Their pitching looked scratchy and begged for a major facelift, while their defense was equally bad and their batting, too, needed a spark.

The happy days of Glavine and Mike Piazza seemed to be confined to ESPN Classic and their other players Kaz Matsui, Jose Reyes, and David Wright either were injured or lacked experience.

After making a successful run for Martinez, Minaya certainly played bully with his crosstown rival in the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes. Beltran was arguably the glittering offering of the offseason from the Scott Boras Showroom.

On previous occasions, the mere sight of Brian Cashman and his cohorts negotiating for the same star would've automatically thrown the Mets out of the equation. But Minaya and Wilpon showed resilience and stayed put. They even managed to drag their way to Puerto Rico to entice Carlos Beltran.

Surely, Minaya's vision of a Hispanic dream team would've played in Beltran's signings. Beltran was offered seven years and $119 million. And finally the unthinkable happened. The Yankees opted out of the race and the Mets landed the prize deal. For those who are superstitious, isn't this proof enough the Mets are certain to blossom in 2005? They have thumped the Yankees for once in the offseason.

Though Beltran and Martinez are sure to improve the Mets' standing in the baseball universe, they still need a qualify first baseman. Instead of angling for Sammy Sosa, who again belongs to the Mo Vaughn, Roger Cedeno clan, if Minaya could make a run for Doug Mientkiewicz, their defense is sure to go up a notch. Minaya could inflict a double whammy on Boston if he could play the "ball-gate" in his favor. If he fails, he could always fall back to John Olerud. After all, Olerud has played in New York and can adapt to the pressure-cooker situation. Incidentally, Olerud hit the game-winning homer against Pedro Martinez in Game 2 of the ALCS.

But Beltran and Martinez need time to cope with the new team. Most managers would vouch that the key to success in baseball not only relies on a powerful outfit, but also on clubhouse chemistry.

Martinez is known for his occasional flare-ups inside the clubhouse. He needs his space. Though Martinez is expected to be a hit in the DH-less world of NL, he seems to tail off once he reaches the 100-pitch count. (One certainly hopes Randolph doesn't commit Grady Little-esque mistakes when it comes to handling Martinez.)

Beltran, after having spent six and a half seasons in Kansas and half a season in Houston, certainly needs to acclimate to New York levels of pressure and expectations. Call that big market baseball. Beltran, last season, put up astounding numbers. He batted .267 with 38 home runs, 104 RBIs, and 42 stolen bases, which might seem mediocre. His October performances have elevated his star value into the stratosphere. In the three months with Houston, Beltran batted .435 and hit 8 home runs, 14 RBIs, and six stolen bases in 12 playoff games in the postseason, more than Barry Bonds.

Apart from these two marquee names, the Mets seemingly remain unaltered. Glavine, Kris Benson, Steve Trachsel, and Victor Zambrano will share the rotation with Martinez and Braden Looper will return to his role of a closer.

However, the momentum certainly seems to be on their side and 2005 could very well turn out to be the year of the Mets.

Posted by Venkat Ganesan at 12:27 PM | Comments (2)

January 13, 2005

NFL Weekly Predictions: Divisional Round

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

N.Y. Jets @ Pittsburgh

The Jets displayed an unusual formula for success last Saturday in San Diego, a formula which involved a forearm blast to Chargers' quarterback Drew Brees' head, and a heated exchange between coach Herman Edwards and running backs coach Bishop Harris.

"This week, we plan to eliminate the Steelers by having Eric Barton blast Ben Roethlisberger with a steel chair," explains Edwards. "And, just for good measure, I plan to curse out offensive coordinator Paul Hackett at some point, while television cameras film it all. Hey, it worked against the Chargers."

Barton has been the brunt of several jokes in Jets camp, and has good-naturedly accepted his new nickname of "TKO."

"Eric's hit may be the most bone-headed play ever that didn't cost a team the victory," explains Curtis Martin. "Hence the nickname 'TKO,' for 'technically,' that play could have 'knocked' us 'out' of the playoffs. But it didn't, so Eric still has a job."

As far as the Edwards-Harris verbal melee, who knows what that was about. Some lip readers have interpreted the words as a disagreement on who was the greatest Beatle, Paul McCartney or John Lennon. Others have opined that Edwards and Harris were disputing the East Coast/West Coast rap feud.

"Man, will you guys give us a break?" demands Harris. "Herman and I were simply debating the question: Lindsay Lohan — real or fake? Now, please let us turn our attention to the Steelers."

Oh yeah. The Steelers. Pittsburgh has won 13 straight with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, a streak that earned Big Ben a much-deserved Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. One of those victories was a Week 14 win over the Jets, 17-6.

"I'm very proud of the streak and the award," adds Roethlisberger. "No quarterback has ever won this award, and that includes Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Dan Marino, and Roger Staubach, and Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Tim Couch, and any of the Griese's, Detmer's, and Simms', for that matter. Also, my jersey sales are number one in the league, so look for me, or my jersey, that is, in several upcoming rap videos, as well as any of the "ride pimping" shows that every single cable channel seems to have now. Have you seen the Discovery Channel's newest hit, Pimp My Facelift?"

Steelers' coach Bill Cowher is a little miffed, however.

"How in the hell can Marty Schottenheimer win Coach of the Year over me?" asks a baffled Cowher. "Suffering succotash! It's insane. We were 15-1, by golly. Do people think I had nothing to do with that? It's not like we were picked to win our division, either. I'd like to see the detailed voting on that award. I bet that same moron who voted for Mike Vick as MVP voted for Schottenheimer. Can't somebody give Bill a little love? And a Super Bowl win?"

Well, this is your chance, Bill. Home playoff losses have been the curse of the Steelers in the past, and it doesn't get any easier this year. Beat the Jets, and you either face the high-powered Colts or a Patriots squad bent on revenge. Pittsburgh and New York battled in a defensive struggle in Week 14. The Steelers turned a 3-3 stalemate heading into the fourth quarter into a 17-6 win, thanks mostly to two Jerome Bettis touchdowns (one rush, one pass).

The Steelers are well-rested, and will have both Bettis and Deuce Staley available at running back. The Jets are dealing with their second straight short week (back-to-back Saturday games), and may be without defensive end John Abraham (who missed the Week 14 game). As in the first contest, Bettis and Staley combine for 100 yards, and the defenses dictate a low-scoring game.

Pittsburgh advances, 20-13.

St. Louis @ Atlanta

After the Rams' 27-20 upset win over the Seahawks last week, coach Mike Martz decided to renew his vows to MENSA, the genius organization, in a ceremony presided over by fellow nerd, Jeopardy super-champion Ken Jennings, with music performed by super group N.E.R.D. front man Pharrell Williams.

"Wait just a minute there, buddy!" a livid Martz screams. "Time out! None of that is true. You're just patronizing me."

You're right, Mike, I am. But I did force you to waste a timeout, much like you did five times in the Seattle game. You know, I haven't seen time out mismanagement that bad since Chris Webber called a timeout he didn't have in the 1993 NCAA Basketball Championship Game.

"Hey, but there's a big difference," replies Martz. "Michigan lost that game. We still won ours. I follow the 'use it or lose it' philosophy when deciding when to use our timeouts. I knew with four minutes left in the third quarter that we wouldn't need our timeouts. That's why I had used all three by then."

In Atlanta, the Dirty South, clock management has nothing to do with football, and everything to do with how to squeeze in two lap dances and three shots of Jägermeister with 10 minutes left until closing early Sunday morning at the Gold Club.

"And we can still make a one o'clock kickoff, easy," says Michael Vick.

The Falcons are sure to remember the blueprint of their week 2 victory over the Rams, in which they outrushed St. Louis, 242-30, including 109 from Vick, and pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 34-17 victory.

"Jiminy Crickets, man!" exclaims Martz. "That was ancient history. We were just a shell of our current selves then, and I was just in the opening stages of establishing myself as one of the most unpredictable, and sometimes downright ignorant, coaches in the league. This game will be totally different. I promise."

Lemony Snickets, man! Are you saying you won't do anything stupid on Saturday? You're really going out on a limb there, Mike. I'm sure you'll make at least two foolish decisions, and one will come back to haunt you. At some point, you're going to need time outs at the end of the game, either to stop the clock or challenge a play.

Martz and the Rams take a ride on the Michael Vick Experience, then suffer a series of unfortunate events, culminating in a 30-24 Falcons victory. Vick rushes for 82 yards and passes for 170, statistics that are obviously more impressive than anything Peyton Manning has done, at least in the mind of one idiotic MVP voter.

Rams backup quarterback Chris Chandler exacts his revenge for Martz's critical comments weeks earlier, as Chandler reveals he has been a mole in the Rams' locker room for six weeks, and dropped dime to the Falcons everything he knew about the St. Louis game plan.

Minnesota @ Philadelphia

Okay, all you people who have overblown the latest Randy Moss incident, take a deep breath, loosen your sphincter, and chill out. Yeah, yeah, I know. The fact that I had to qualify my statement with "the latest Randy Moss incident" almost immediately defeats my argument, but the bottom line is, it was a simulated mooning. Moss didn't drop trouser.

"Yeah, dog," replies Moss. "Knick knack, paddy, give a dog a break. I was just giving the fans at Lambeau an astronomy lesson; you call it a 'moon shot.' I call it a 'lunar eclipse.' If you critics can't see the humanitarian efforts of my actions, then so be it. Tune in next week and I might just go with an anatomy lesson. Y'all know what my third metacarpal looks like?"

That's one of your fingers, right? In any case, Moss' shenanigans last week overshadowed his two touchdown receptions, the last one being the game-clincher, in the fourth quarter, on a sprained ankle.

"Don't forget the atomic-poof afro, player," adds Moss. "It takes a lot out of me just to get my helmet on over that. But it was our lucky charm last Sunday, so this Sunday, it's round two of the 'Sho' The Ghetto 'Fro Once Mo' For The Mo' Fo', You Know, Ho?'"

It's been so long since the Eagles' starters played a game that it's easy to forget that they are the number one seed in the NFC.

"Yes, it has been awhile," says Eagles quarterback Donovan F. McNabb, "but I don't think it will take us long to get game-ready. Sure, we've had a lot of time off, but we've had several great practices."

"Practice? We talking 'bout practice?"

Hey, how'd Allen Iverson get involved in this? Oh, that's right. We're in Philly. That's the answer.

The Eagles, of course, are without wide receiver Terrell Owens, All-Pro and controversy magnet.

"It's an empty feeling watching my teammates in the playoffs, knowing I can't contribute," laments Owens. "But I have all the confidence in the world that they can pick up my slack. Look at Moss. Has anyone noticed that as soon as I was injured, Randy picked up my slack as far as controversy goes? I hope my teammates look at Randy as a source of inspiration. And you media types need to give Randy a break. At least he didn't shoot the moon and leave the field in the same game."

That's the new "Randy Ratio:" one controversial act per game. You can bet Randy has one more in him; luckily for the Vikings, Moss' controversial acts seem to be proportionate to Moss touchdowns. This time, Moss stirs the hornets' nest by scoring a touchdown, saluting FOX's Joe Buck, then sprinting to the sideline and signing Owens' ankle cast.

"An eye for an eye," yells Owens, as he whacks Moss across the Viking star's own damaged ankle with a crutch.

The Vikings, as they did last week, strike early, and maintain a narrow lead throughout. McNabb finds Brian Westbrook in the fourth quarter for a short touchdown pass, giving the Eagles a six-point lead. Daunte Culpepper comes right back and hits Marcus Robinson for a TD to tie it. Morten Anderson's extra point barely clears the crossbar, and Minnesota holds on for a 28-27 win.

Indianapolis @ New England

It would be an understatement to say that the Patriots have Peyton Manning's number.

"And guess what that number is?" Patriot quarterback Tim Brady says, as he enjoys a bagel, a donut, and a scrumptious Zero candy bar. "That's right, Manning. That number is zero. You have zero wins against the Patriots and myself. Mmmm! Mmmmm! This Zero bar sure is delicious. Oh. Where are my manners? Peyton, why don't you take this Butterfinger candy bar and give it to Edgerrin James. He obviously has a problem holding on to the ball. Hell, his fumbles have cost you the last two games against us."

"Brady," replies Manning, "I resent you disparaging my fellow triplet, although your opinions are factually correct. But if you want to talk candy bars, I'm certainly game. Maybe you've heard of the Three Musketeers bar? Well, if you have, you're no doubt familiar with its delicious blend of milk chocolate and rich, creamy nougat, together forming .... I'm sorry. I got a little off track there. The pressure to beat you Patriots makes me very hungry. Anyway, my Three Musketeers are my receiving corps of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley, all 1,000-yard receivers, and all with at least 10 touchdowns."

"That's very nice, Peyton," replies Brady. "And, by the way, congratulations on your MVP award. What is that? Two of those? Two. That's a number of which I'm very familiar. That's the number of Super Bowl rings I possess, as well as the number of Super Bowl MVP awards I've been honored with. Now, excuse me while I take two sips on this 22-ounce can of Miller Lite. I think they call it a 'Double Deuce.'"

If the Colts can't beat the Patriots this time, then they never will. As if New England needed more motivation, Colts' kicker Mike Vanderjagt had to go and say that New England was "ripe for the picking."

"Dad gummit!" screams Manning. "Can't that idiot Canadian keep his mouth shut?"

"No, I can't," Vanderjagt replies. "At least I'm not an American idiot. And I get my healthcare for free."

Unfortunately, not all Canadians can be Pamela Anderson, so, yes, Vanderjagt is an idiot Canadian.

You can best believe that New England coach Bill Bellichick has endlessly studied film of Week 16's San Diego/Indianapolis game. In that game, the Chargers stymied the Colts for three quarters, holding them to just 16 points and sacking Manning four times. The Patriots will likely be obligated to blitz and pressure Manning, especially since the Pats are lacking Ty Law and Tyrone Poole in the backfield.

Of course, New England has won without those two before, but this year's edition of the Colts is stronger than ever. Colts' giveaways have cost them in the past against the Patriots; this time, the Colts force a couple, helping Manning and company finally get over the hump.

Indianapolis wins, 34-31.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 4:36 PM | Comments (1)

Slant Pattern's World Golf Preview

One advantage to being a golf fan is there no real offseason to speak of, although December can be sort of slow if you don't care for charity exhibitions.

So I'm thrilled that the 2005 season is up and running, and to ring in the New Year, it's time to present the Slant Pattern World Golf Top 10. Consider this list as you would a college football preseason poll. No one would argue that Kevin Na has the sort of resume that makes him a top-10 golfer right now, but I think he's due for a big year ... and not just because of his namesake. In other words, this poll speaks towards the kind of year I think said golfer will have, not what kind of career they have had thus far.

1. Retief Goosen

Here is a golfer that is almost impossible to criticize. Last year, he won a major, another PGA tour event, a European Tour event, a silly-season event ... sixth on the PGA money list, second on the European Tour money list ... he's just rock steady and more than ready to be mentioned in the same breath as [Ernie] Els and [Vijay] Singh.

2. Tiger Woods

Guess what? He's hitting greens again! This spells doom, DOOM, for the rest of the PGA. He's now won two events int he last two months (one in Japan, and his own TargetWorld Challenge tourney) and finished third in the Mercedes Championship last week in spite of taking 112 putts on a surface he hates. He will spend most of the year on the bentgrass greens he likes. Doom!

3. Vijay Singh

I don't think a man of his age can follow up on his historic nine-win season he had a year ago. But then, I can't put him any lower than this because of that season. The Mercedes Championship was the first tournament out of the last 12 that he led after three rounds and didn't close the deal.

4. Ernie Els

I would really, really like to put him higher than this, but he has quietly become a bit of a choker. He was in the final pairing of the U.S. Open last year only to shoot an 80, he got stared down by lightly-regarded Todd Hamilton in the British Open playoff, and last week he needed a birdie on the par-5 18th to force a playoff with Stuart Appleby, and instead lost his tee shot out of bounds and made bogey. I do think he's the best golfer on the planet, nerves aside.

5. Adam Scott

This is the one young player I feel absolutely certain is headed for legendary status, even more than Sergio Garcia. He also has a bigger victory than Garcia has had, last year's Tournament Players Championship (the so-called fifth major), and seems more even-tempered.

6. Thomas Bjorn

Just beats out Miguel Angel Jimenezas the best player who primarily sticks with the European Tour. Mostly famous for losing the 2003 British Open in heartbreaking fashion, he nearly quit the game in frustration last year, but took some time off to get his head together and recovered by almost knocking off Els at the million-dollar superstar American Express Championship, finishing second. He's also finished in the top five in both tournaments he has entered this year. An inspiring story.

7. Stewart Cink

He sort of flies under the radar because he's rather nondescript, but the best move Hal Sutton made as captain of the Ryder Cup — he didn't make many — was taking Cink as an at-large pick. Cink rewarded him by winning the NEC Invitational the week he was picked, and finishing fifth on the year-end money list. He has stayed in form, finishing tied for fifth at the Mercedes.

8. Miguel Angel Jimenez

He won four times in Europe last year and won the only tournament he has entered in this season. Jimenez would have run away with the European Order of Merit (i.e. money list) last year, but all the majors and the four American Express tournaments (which are sanctioned by both the U.S. and European Tour) count, and they dwarf the regular European events in terms of prize money. Accordingly, he finished an undeserved fourth. Then again, he played in all of those high level tournaments, so that seems to be his Achilles heel — he doesn't seem to be at his best in big events.

9. Phil Mickelson

I'm not going to reward players who don't always bring their "A" game, and he seems to bring his "A" game in majors, and the odd event here and there where he somehow finds motivation. He finished in the top five of all the majors last year, but there were six times where he finished outside the top 30, got cut, or withdrew. How many times did his contemporaries get cut/withdraw/finish out of the top 30? Els and Woods twice apiece, and Singh four times ... and Singh plays in far more events. More distressingly, the majority of those clunkers were in the second half of the season. Everyone above him on this list has won more recently than Mickelson except Bjorn. Focus, Phil, and rise on my list.

10. Kevin Na

My darkhorse pick of the year. He only just turned 21, but he had seven top 25s last year, and stayed warm in the offseason, finishing tied for second along with Miguel Angel Jimenez in November's Korea Golf Championship.

Honorable Mention

Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Stephen Ames, Daniel Chopra.

Slant Pattern Picks the 2005 Majors

MASTERS: Tiger Woods
U.S. OPEN: Retief Goosen
BRITISH OPEN: Retief Goosen
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Daniel Chopra

Posted by Kevin Beane at 2:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Back to the Future

Sunday April 3, 2005

The Yankees and Red Sox officially kicked off the 2005 MLB season tonight in a highly-anticipated rematch of last year's ALCS. These are not the same teams as last year, though, with hefty additions and subtractions on both sides.

Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright, and Carl Pavano join Mike Mussina and Kevin Brown in the Yankee rotation, and the Red Sox have added Wade Miller, Matt Clement, and David Wells to their rotation to balance out the loss of Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe.

With Steinbrenner perched in his luxury suite and the seats packed at Yankee Stadium, the scene was set for the first in a series of matchups between the arch-enemies as Randy Johnson took the mound in the first inning, making his first start for the pinstripers.

Johnson's first pitch flew from his hand at over 100 mph, but went wildly sideways missing Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, and the ump. After the crowd shook off the shock of their new ace's wild pitch, a few noticed screams coming from the camera bay. Freakishly, the pitch had gone directly through the lens of a camera and lodged itself in the operators eye socket. Baseball insiders commented later that at this moment Larry Walker had jumped off his couch and put himself flat against his carpeted floor.

Johnson collected himself and quickly disposed of Damon and the Sox in the top of the inning.

The other half of the pitching duel wheeled himself onto the mound in the bottom half of the inning. Curt Schilling, as many know, was not fully recovered from offseason ankle surgery, but somehow convinced everyone that he was prepared to start the season-opener. Perhaps in his wheelchair, Schilling looked less imposing, or maybe the seated position took a couple of miles off his fastball, but whatever the case, Sheffield and company laced into the bloody wonder for five hits and three runs.

With one out in the top half of the second inning, something pretty strange happened. Johnson was mid-windup when Jason Giambi's jersey came busting off of his chest. He started growing at an enormous rate and within minutes, was 10-feet tall, his hairy green body pulsing with rage. Giambi began tearing the bases out of the ground and launching them into the stands. Any fear the fans had that BALCO Giambi had a ‘roid rage problem was allayed when he snatched a premade sign hidden in the tarp that read, "The Hulk: Part II, in theatres July 4th," and did a lap around the outfield.

A string of hits by David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez inched the Sox closer in the fourth inning, scoring Jason Varitek from second. Manny's double down the first base foul line might have scored Johnny Damon, too, but Damon tripped on his hair and was tagged out at the plate.

In the bottom half of the fourth inning, blood now covering the entire mound, Schilling set down the Yanks in order, and Steinbrenner could be seen reaching for the phone.

Randy Johnson became a little wild in the fifth inning, which after the game he attributed to 'talking' and 'flash photography.' Tiger Woods showed up in the Yankee pressroom to offer statements.

Little Pokey Reese sent a goliath shot toward the left field upper deck with two out in the inning. We reproduce the actual on-air broadcast portion of this inning for dramatic effect.

"And there's a shot by Pokey Reese high into the New York night. Folks, that ball has a shot at the upper deck. Wait, folks, what's this? An usher is frantically grabbing a fan, giving him a glove and a jersey. The fan is now sprinting down the aisle, and YES! He makes the catch. We've just received word that the guy's name is ... YES! Jeffrey Maier, the newly-acquired Yankee outfielder. Look for that play on SportsCenter's Top 10."

The Big Unit's wildness continued his next time out, and a head-high fastball to Manny Ramirez set off a melee. Manny took two steps toward the mound, but before he could do anything, Pedro Martinez, who was at Yankee Stadium taunting fans, rushed on to the field and toward Johnson. Randy threw down his glove, fully prepared to take on Martinez, but was shoved aside when Don Zimmer, at the game promoting his latest boxing match, brushed him aside and went straight at Pedro. Both teams, confused by the altercation between the non-participants, waited for the umpires to break up the fight and escort both out of the stadium.

By the ninth inning, the Yanks still led 3-1 and they turned to the bullpen to protect Randy's lead. Mariano Rivera had finished warming up and waited for a Boston batter to take the plate, except no one came. Johnny Damon, meanwhile, was running frantically around the visitor's dugout looking for a bat. After a delay of 10 minutes, and the refusal by the Yankees to let Damon borrow a bat, Bud Selig walked onto the field and announced the game was over, and in addition, that since the Yankees won they would have home field advantage for the season, playing all but two games in the Bronx.

After the decision, an excited Randy Moss ran from his seat in the stands to the batters box where he proceeded to rub his bottom on home plate while Tom Green led the crowd in a stirring rendition of "My bum is on the plate."

Following the game, Red Sox officials declined to comment on a story that all of the team's equipment was for sale on eBay by a 'd. mientkiewicz.'

Final Score: Yankees 3, Red Sox 1.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 1:51 PM | Comments (1)

Playoff Talk in Chicago Just "Bull"?

What do Chicago Bulls fans expect? Since winning three NBA championships in a row, the Bulls went six straight seasons without coming close to the playoffs. Through those six seasons, the Bulls made it to 30 wins only once, during the 2002-03 campaign.

One of the biggest bright spots was Elton Brand, a "20-10"-type player, and was traded away prior to the 2001-02 season, in order to receive Los Angeles Clippers second-round pick Tyson Chandler. Until this season, how good of a trade was that?

Suffering through the short-term eras of Charles Oakley, Jalen Rose, even to a very ... very shortly-lived John Starks era has forced Bulls fans to hide deeper and deeper inside their caves. Other players such as Ron Artest and Jamal Crawford were traded away.

Who will forget the tragic motorcycle accident that has kept former Duke great, Jay Williams, away from the game for a year and a half now? While he was a bit of a disappointment in his rookie year with the Bulls, he still had potential to improve in the upcoming season.

The drama by Eddie Robinson forced the Bulls to get rid of him prior to the start of this season. And of course, who will forget the continued ordeal after ordeal from Eddy Curry?

Prior to this season, the main bright spot was the drafting of Kirk Hinrich from last year's draft. The Bulls this past summer drafted Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon. Ben Gordon, the fans hoped, would be an individual who would have potential to add star power to the team.

After starting the season 0-9, Chicago fans had no reason to expect that this year would be any better. That all changed after the Bulls went on a five-game winning streak last month, and again this month. The last time the Bulls had a three-game win streak was two seasons ago. The last time the Bulls had a four-game winning streak was in 1997-98. That season was also the last time the Bulls had a five-game win streak, of course that being their final championship year.

Coming off Wednesday night's blowout win over the Sixers, the Bulls have a five-game win streak, and are No. 8 in the East. The Bulls play New York Saturday afternoon. They are 15-18.

With the team's recent success, are the playoffs a realistic goal for the Bulls this season? ESPN Radio 1000's (WMVP-AM) Carmen DeFalco says yes. "The Bulls are better than both Philly and Boston," said DeFalco, Tuesday morning on the Silvy and Carmen show. "Yes, they will make the playoffs." Co-host Marc Silverman asks "are you sure?" in which DeFalco, also the pregame and postgame host of the Bulls on that station, replies again with, "yes."

The season is still young. While the Bulls have been playing decent to good basketball as of late, the one thing that worries me still is that they are a very young team. The Bulls do not have an established veteran. Eddy Curry is beginning to come around, but he is not the offensive threat that he was originally supposed to be.

Curry probably will never be that player. Chicagoans are beginning to accept that Curry isn't the star player or "go-to" guy. Yet they are beginning to accept that he is starting to become a good supporting player. His future with the Bulls remains in doubt, though. This is his contract year and he apparently wants a large contract. He certainly doesn't deserve it, and I don't see the Bulls giving him that. It remains in question whether the Bulls will trade him prior to the trading deadline.

Tyson Chandler is really beginning to come around as a defensive player. His offensive skills are rather ... offensive, but his contributions in the fourth quarter as of late really make a difference. Chandler wasn't thrilled when coach Scott Skiles removed him from the starting lineup. Since then, Chandler has been more effective coming off the bench, since he previously was ineffective or barely visible in the fourth quarter.

Ben Gordon, despite early struggles, is beginning to really come around. He has really impressed those who are willing to watch. Gordon is still a rookie and has plenty of potential to develop still. Hinrich, in his second year, clearly has emerged as a fan favorite and a vital contributor to the team's recent success.

With such a young team, growing pains are still to be expected. The Bulls continue to make silly mistakes and give up a lot of turnovers. If there is a positive, many of these games the Bulls have won recently, would have been losses if they were played a year or two ago.

Despite the turnover and silly mistakes, their defense remains to be a bright spot.

The Bulls have won a majority of these games at home, yet they remain .500 on the road. What does Coach Skiles have to say about the added excitement as of late? "We are getting a little ahead of ourselves," says Skiles. "We are still a very young team that has a long way to go."

Very true. With the rest of the Eastern conference remaining in a horrid state, the Bulls have a chance to make the playoffs. I would rather talk about the Bulls making the playoffs because they are a really great team, not because their fellow teams in the conference stink. But with how the last six seasons went, what we have now, I will take it. Fifty more regular season games to go for the Bulls. I'll be watching. Now, I say, just bring it.

Posted by Martin Hawrysko at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)

January 12, 2005

Tar Heels Will Leave Footprint On ACC

I was convinced it was a typo. I watched figure skating for much longer than I should have just to see the score flash across the ESPN2 bottom line again.

North Carolina 109, Maryland 75. Could that possibly be right? Are we sure it wasn't Maryland/Eastern Shore? Are we sure it wasn't 89-75? Are we sure it wasn't a women's score?

A few triple sow-cows later, I saw the score again. It said the same thing. No typo.

I knew North Carolina was good, and I knew a score like that would have made sense if the Tar Heels were entertaining the likes of Cleveland State or William and Mary.

But Maryland? The Terps may not be a top-10 caliber team this year, but they're certainly not an ACC doormat. They came into Saturday's game against the Tar Heels toting a 9-2 record and a top-25 ranking. They left with their tails planted firmly between their legs.

When you play North Carolina, you'll have that. I thought the Tar Heels were back last year. With all that talent plus a savior on the bench in the form of Roy Williams, we were sure the Heels would climb to the top.

But North Carolina stumbled on the way up. It wasn't a head-over-heels fall, but it was bad enough. Nine ACC losses translated to a No. 6 seed in the Big Dance, which translated to a second-round defeat at the hands of third-seeded Texas.

Along the way, there were questions about maturity, questions about defense, and questions about heart. I don't know that all of those questions have been answered. We won't really know until March. But if these were essay questions, we'd have rough drafts.

The Tar Heels are good. Really good. It's safe to say that they're on another plane of existence in the college basketball world.

Yes, North Carolina did fall flat on its face in a season-opening loss at Santa Clara, but still, this team is special. And that first game was filled to the brim with extenuating circumstances. Point guard Raymond Felton was suspended. The team was on its way to Maui and probably looked past Santa Clara.

But once they got to Hawaii, the Tar Heels started rolling. BYU, Tennessee, and Iowa did little to get in the way as the Heels cruised to the Maui Invitational title.

They haven't let up since. While the schedule has been stocked with a few cupcakes, the numbers make up for it. A 13-point win over Kentucky. A 28-point win over upstart Vermont. And an average margin of victory of 36 in the cupcake games.

Of course, it gets tougher. The Heels play Georgia Tech and Wake Forest this week. That means I might end up sounding like an idiot if the Heels lose. You can read this column in a week and laugh at me.

But I don't think they'll lose. There's too much talent, too much chemistry, too much offense, and too much good coaching.

There's Rashad McCants, Jawad Williams, Sean May, and Felton. Those four are easily the best quartet in college basketball. No other team has four players in the starting lineup with that much talent.

And this year, Roy Williams is making the pieces fit together. McCants and Jawad Williams carry the bulk of the scoring load. May grabs 8.6 rebounds a game. And Felton does everything else.

As of Monday, the Heels boasted a 13-1 record. They're ranked third in the AP poll and fourth in the ESPN/USA Today poll. If not for the loss out west, they'd be No. 1.

In a way, the situation is reminiscent of Connecticut last year. A few stumbles early on kept the Huskies down, but all the while, they were the most talented team. And it showed in March.

North Carolina finds itself in a similar position. No bulls-eye on the back, but plenty of talent. Sure, the Heels are still not a dominant defensive team. And if injuries strike, they're in trouble.

But for now, we can once again add powder blue to the list of primary colors in college basketball.

College Basketball Notebook

Trends

Ah, the joys of an easy non-conference schedule. Many teams have those cupcakes to thank for outstanding starts to the season. And there sure seem to be a lot. In the seven major conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big 10, CUSA, PAC 10, SEC), there were 27 teams with two losses or fewer. A few of them are legitimate, but others probably aren't. Cases in point: Arizona State, whose toughest games were at Temple and home against Vanderbilt; Texas A&M, whose biggest test was at Penn State; and Kansas State, who went to Rutgers ... and lost. I'm not saying these teams aren't for real ... well, actually, I am. We'll see what happens in conference play.

Eye on the Prize

While North Carolina may have the most talent in the country, Illinois still has a firm hold on the No. 1 ranking. And it's not undeserved. The Illini have coasted through a moderately tough non-conference schedule and made emphatic statements in wins over Gonzaga, Cincinnati, and then-No. 1 Wake Forest. In the Big 10, where only Iowa and Michigan State would seem to pose big threats, the Illini might just keep it going.

Team to Watch

George Washington. The Colonials, ranked 22nd in this week's ESPN/USA Today poll, have only two losses. One was a 21-point defeat to Wake Forest, the other a six-point loss at West Virginia. There's no shame in either of those losses. And in a weak Atlantic 10, GW should get 20 wins easily and might sow up a four- or five-seed with a conference tournament crown.

Players to Watch

Craig Smith, Boston College — The wide-bodied junior is averaging 19.6 points and 8.7 rebounds for the undefeated Eagles.

Brian Thornton, Xavier — The transfer from Vanderbilt is putting up 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He's also shooting 66 percent from the field.

Player to watch because he has an interesting name (aka "The Majestic Mapp Award")

I should explain this. Majestic Mapp played for Virginia a few years ago and vaulted to the top of my list of greatest names ever. He was plagued by injuries throughout his career, which is a shame because I really wish Majestic Mapp was a household name. The best part? His brother's name is Scientific. Seriously.

And this week's winner: Englebert Cherrington, Houston. The 6-7 forward hails from Belize and obviously from a very creative family.

Posted by William Geoghegan at 2:23 PM | Comments (2)

The Four-Month Itch

Okay, I admit it. I really, really, ridiculously miss the NHL.

I held out for a pretty good amount. This is coming from a guy who owns season tickets, orders NHL Center Ice on satellite, buys the annual video game release, and listened to the NHL's daily radio show online during the season and the playoffs. This is coming from a guy who hits reload on his web browser every two minutes during the trade deadline to make sure that he doesn't miss a big deal.

This is coming from a guy who has been mentally and emotionally prepared for this for years. Everyone new the 2004 Stanley Cup would mark the beginning of a lengthy lockout. Problem is, I remained optimistic that the powers-that-be would come to their senses. After all, billionaires squabbling with millionaires over billions in revenue was sheer stupidity. Too many smart people were involved in this to not realize the potential long-term damage this could have on the sport. Too many smart people were involved to realize that the NHL was already suffering on so many fronts, that a blow like this wasn't shooting itself in the foot — it was shooting itself in the head.

And yet, I also understood the position of the league. Gary Bettman knows that his owners are too competitive — and too stupid — to contain themselves. He also knows that player agents are too crafty to assume that a few simple roadblocks would keep salaries from escalating. He sees a salary cap as a means for leveling the playing field for everyone. Love it or hate it, you can at least be sure that Bettman believes in his stance 100%, even if all of the owners don't.

And you know what? I was okay with that. If the lockout meant that the trade deadline was no longer be the annual Colorado/Detroit pump-up spectacle, if it meant that free agent season no longer produced forehead-slapping contracts from the New York Rangers, if it meant that the Pittsburgh Penguins could have the same budget as the Dallas Stars, then darn it, I'm okay with that. I could handle the pain to make sure that my beloved NHL never turned into the financially imbalanced disaster that was Major League Baseball.

Or at least, I thought I could. I was very strong at the beginning. I read my daily lockout news, but knew things wouldn't actually heat up until late December. Until then, I shut hockey out of my mind. I still played my weekly house league games, and I even fired up this year's new video game to get my fix, but by and large, the NHL and hockey were far from my mind.

And then it began. Innocently enough, I caught a classic game on my local FOX Sports Net. It was a playoff game from several years ago, and my overachieving hometown crew had pulled off a major upset to close out the series. At the end of the broadcast, they announced the date of the next classic game. Thinking nothing of it, I programmed it into my TiVo and went on about my business.

The next classic game was a thriller from the 2003-2004 season. My hometown boys, after a hideous 2002-2003 season, had rebuilt and reformed into a speedy, creative, tough, and fun team to watch. Seven months removed from the Stanley Cup playoffs had purged the memories of how good my team could be — and how much fun NHL hockey could be, even with its current obstruction problems. My hockey itch was coming back.

My hometown team gave season ticket holders free tickets to a game featuring their AHL affiliate. It was a gesture of goodwill to fans that had been starving. My friends were reluctant to go, but I convinced them that if nothing else, we could resume our pre-game and intermission rituals of meeting up and critiquing everything on the ice.

The game itself was pretty awful. The hockey was sloppy, and our AHL squad didn't even score a goal, despite playing in front of a reasonably filled arena and skating out to an NHL quality introduction and production values. Still, sitting among my fellow fans, hearing the ooos and aahs that came with a great scoring chance, screaming at the lackluster power play, and groaning at yet another lost face off, things felt right. I was at home. And yet, I wasn't. I was, as my friend put it, watching fake hockey.

A few days after, I popped in my DVD of the Tampa Bay Lightning championship. I watched the feature program, which captured the Lightning's playoff march in more cinematic detail than an ESPN broadcast ever could. I topped it off by watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, a bonus feature of the DVD. I marveled at Jarome Iginla's speed and power, Vincent Lecavalier's shifty moves to set up Ruslan Fedotenko's second goal, Nikolai Khabibulin's inhuman cross-crease save in the third period, and the sheer joy on Dave Andreychuk's face as he lifted Lord Stanley.

Next came this past week's World Junior Championships. The Christmas night thriller between Russia and the U.S. reminded me of the same defensive miscues of my AHL viewing; however, it featured immense skill, speed, and passion. I'm convinced that you could show that game to any casual sports fan and they would take a liking to The Coolest Game. I watched the U.S. beat the Swiss while squandering away the Belarus game. I watched the U.S. pull together for a dominating victory against the Swedes. I watched Ray Bourque fall asleep on camera. And I watched Alexander Ovechkin dominate, cementing his status as one of the NHL's brightest future stars.

Hockey was back in my life and I was hurting. I pulled out my copy of "On The Road" by Howard Berger. Berger chronicled the 1995 Maple Leafs by traveling to nearly every game with the team. Berger's book begins with him awaiting the end of the 1995 lockout, a topic that I hadn't visited in detail in years. It was a different era back then. A decade ago, the owners wanted a luxury tax and the players said, "Never!" A decade ago, the Internet was there to give us daily sound bites and news stories when nothing happened in particular. A decade ago, the owners thought they won by getting the most restrictive free agency in sports. After all, all they had to do was stick to their budgets and they had the players by the throat. Right?

A decade ago, the rhetoric was almost exactly the same. The same vitriol, the same sarcastic words, the same dirty looks, it was all there. We forget because it wasn't documented by our 24/7 media culture that the Internet has given us.

The problem is that this time, the stakes are much higher. In 1995, Sports Illustrated dubbed the NHL as the hot new sport. Ratings were trending up, excitement was high, and the league just signed a new TV deal with FOX and ESPN. As we begin 2005, the NHL barely graces SI and other US magazines, ratings are bottoming out, and the league's new deal with NBC doesn't even involve any money for the league.

Ten years ago, months and months of harsh words and company-line rhetoric came down to a two-day marathon bargaining session between Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow. Will history repeat itself? I sure hope so, because I'm hurting. And I know I'm not the only one.

And if a deal isn't reached, the only thing that will be hurt more than the hearts of fans like me will be the state of the game in the professional sports world.

Posted by Mike Chen at 1:56 PM | Comments (1)

Never Say Never With Yankees

It's early January, and after what some critique as a "slow" hot stove season, many of the big player deals have already been put on paper, although not technically etched in stone, given that some team required physicals still linger for some before the ink finally dries.

Yet there are still some worthy free agents unsigned and players looking to be moved, such as first baseman Carlos Delgado, outfielder Magglio Ordonez, and pitcher Derek Lowe. But by February 24th, the MLB deadline to report for spring training, we will know to which teams these players will belong. For possible trades such as one involving Sammy Sosa, they may wait until the regular season starts. But since the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes has wrapped up with the Mets, it sets the stage for several teams to get going fast with their other pressing needs.

It appears, however, according to Yankees management, that most of the New York Yankees' work is done. Given their decimated pitching corps that they finished with in the 2004 postseason, the Yankees appear substantially better off for 2005, but doubts still remain for the long haul for centerfield and first base.

Many new faces will be showing up to the Yankees' Legends Field in Tampa this February, so much so that combining this offseason with last year's offseason, even an avid Yankee fan may have to think twice to name the entire place setting at this point.

While the deal the Yankees made with pitcher Randy Johnson received the most notoriety, (as it has been waning since this past July when the deal could not be accomplished and again this past December when the Los Angeles Dodgers begged out of a three-way deal) it will only be a part of the impact of the total player moves made this winter by the Yankees.

And as any well-schooled baseball fan knows, games are not won on paper, with so many other intangibles playing a factor in coming out a winner. Given three new starting pitchers in the rotation with several new faces in the bullpen, in a way the Yankees will be starting anew. Randy Johnson will join veteran Mike Mussina along with new acquisitions, Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright, as well as the returning Kevin Brown.

Not returning to the Yankees rotation will be Jon Lieber, a formidable pitcher for them in the 2004 postseason, Javier Vasquez, sent packing to Arizona in the Randy Johnson trade, and Yankee favorite, Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, picked up by the Chicago White Sox.

Now no one can say Randy Johnson is replaceable if he pitches when healthy, but the rest of the rotation remains suspect given the many past health problems of a 39-year-old Kevin Brown who spent a good portion of 2004 on the DL as well as the past arm and knee troubles of Jaret Wright. Wright only rehabilitated his career this past season in Atlanta with pitching coach Leo Mazzone, and is untested in the NY market.

While Carl Pavano has similar stats to Vasquez' prior to Vasquez' trade to NY, he is also untested in a big market town, let alone the Yankees. And given the arm problems of Mike Mussina from last season which had him on the DL for a couple of months, he is not the pitcher he was a couple of years ago. And not enough can be said of El Duque who came on for the Yanks at the end of the 2004 season after reconstructive arm surgery in 2003. He went 9-1 just prior to the post-season, but because of his great effort, did not leave enough in the tank for the playoffs. Always a big game pitcher when healthy, his presence will be missed from that rotation.

Then we come to the infield and the big question about first baseman Jason Giambi. The first priority is for the Yankees to assess his health and ability to produce when he gets to spring training. Given that George Steinbrenner will probably not get involved in the Carlos Delgado lottery, most likely the Yankees will keep Giambi for the interim, because he is now damaged goods physically and image-wise and is owed a balance of $82 million on his contract.

Rumors have been flying that the Yankees have consulted with legal eagles to somehow move Giambi or buy him out of his contract since the leaked grand jury testimony of his admission to using steroids and human growth hormones prior to and after he signed his Yankees contract. But for good measure and as insurance, the Yankees were able to resume a relationship with and acquire fan favorite Tino Martinez from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, whom Giambi replaced after the 2001 season.

In the long-term, the Yankees can only hope that Giambi returns to the player he once was without benefit of illegal substances and that his health does not fail again. But given the "pride of the Yankees," he will eventually turn out to be a flash in the pan and dismissed, and another example of one of several "gotta have it" overpriced and lengthy contracts dictated by Steinbrenner himself.

The outfield remains the same as 2004 with a big question mark in centerfield given Bernie Williams' career winding down over the past three years and his physical problems now chronic. It is not a knock against Williams, but because the Yankees did not use him enough as a DH over the past year as promised, and given the luxury of having Kenny Lofton as a backup. It actually had initially been thought there would be a problem giving Williams enough opportunities at DH since they fully expected to use Giambi in that role.

But as Giambi went down, replacements Tony Clark and later John Olerud were used just as much for their fielding capabilities and required a hitting spot, which would have cleared the way to use Willliams as a DH. However Lofton saw more and more a limited role as well as being on the DL himself, necessitating Williams to play in the field on an almost daily basis and Rubin Sierra was used as DH much of the time. We will see what Williams has left this season. But given the circumstances, it looms large how much the Yankees could have used the services of Carlos Beltran, and did not aggressively become a part of the equation in a contract bid.

The Yankees' bullpen has been fortified, as it desperately needed to be since the 2004 bullpen had the most collective appearances in all of MLB due to the failed efforts of its rotation. Mike Stanton, a part of all four Yankees World Championships in the '90s, comes back after a retreat to the Mets the past couple of seasons. He was the quintessential setup man to Mariano Rivera back then, but this time around, will probably be used more discriminately given the choice of the returning Tom Gordon, Tanyon Sturtze, and Steve Karsay, who hopes to be able to contribute as he did prior to surgery in 2003. The Yankees also picked up the services of Felix Rodriguez from the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade for Kenny Lofton.

Yankees fans can be certain of a couple of things to still occur prior to Opening Day against the Boston Red Sox on April 3, 2005. They are that concession and ticket prices have risen and that management will continue to tweak the roster not only now and in the early season, but throughout 2005. Manager Joe Torre will have his hands full in once again creating a new and working dynamic with arguably more a roster of all-stars rather than a dependable winning team at this point.

But for now, all will have to settle for what appears on paper, rather than too closely analyzing what is expected to happen. As there are never any guarantees in baseball, only that you can never say never, and especially when it comes to the NY Yankees.

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 12:13 PM | Comments (2)

January 11, 2005

NFL Wildcard Weekend Roundup

Five Quick Hits

* Pretty sketchy that John Abraham skipped a playoff game after doctors cleared him to play. It's tough not to think that Abraham has prioritized his status in free agency over the good of his team.

* I'd say the odds that Ty Law plays for New England next year are about 50-50.

* Neither of my Super Bowl picks played this week, so my prediction is unchanged: Steelers over Eagles.

* Great Hall of Fame finalists this year. Off the top of my head, I like Harry Carson, Benny Friedman, Dan Marino, Art Monk, and Steve Young. The only ones I definitely wouldn't support are Richard Dent and L.C. Greenwood.

* Halftime of the Colts game: I call an old college roommate. "Are you watching this?" What a massacre.

Three wildcard teams (the Rams, Jets, and Vikings) advanced to the divisional round of this year's playoffs. History tells us that their chances of winning a second game this postseason are slim to none.

Since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format, 80 wildcard teams have made the playoffs. Only six of those 80 have won more than one game in the postseason. Those six teams had a combined record of 66-30, including 34-14 in the second half of the season. The 1992 Bills tied for the best record in the AFC. The 1996 Jaguars closed the season with five straight wins. The 1997 Broncos and 2000 Ravens finished 12-4. The 1999 Titans went 13-3. Even the 1995 Colts, with a 9-7 record, won four of their last six before beating a fellow 9-7 (San Diego) and then knocking off Marty Schottenheimer's choking Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs.

None of this year's wildcard teams has that kind of résumé. Their combined record was 26-22, with an 11-13 mark down the stretch. These are second-tier teams, and they're going to have a rough time next weekend.

Wildcard Roundups

Rams at Seahawks

Saturday's playoff matchups produced two very exciting games, but only one of them was well-played. This was the other one. The Rams, playing against Seattle, looked like a real threat, but when they play Atlanta next week, the team's weaknesses will be painfully apparent. St. Louis went 3-0 against Seattle this season, but only 6-8 against everyone else. Even in the NFC, that's not Super Bowl material.

Seattle showed flashes of talent — defensive end Chike Okeafor had a great game — but for most of the game, the Rams simply looked better. Head coach Mike Martz approached this game with confidence bordering on bravado, and the Seahawks seemed oddly caught off-guard. By dropping six and seven defenders into coverage, Seattle held Marc Bulger to an 18-32 day (56%), well below Bulger's 65% average in 2004. But by rushing three or four and seldom blitzing, 'Hawks defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes gave the St. Louis QB time to throw downfield, and Bulger's 17.4 yards per completion easily exceeded his regular-season average of 12.3.

It was particularly puzzling that Rhodes held back his blitzers even after Bulger took a hard hit that appeared to at least temporarily affect his thinking process. You don't want to hurt anyone, but if you can force the guy into a quick decision, that's the sort of thing that turns a game around. Count me among those who think Rhodes completely mishandled his defense on Saturday.

Inconsistent officiating did little to help either team. Walt Coleman, one of the worst refs in the league, managed to get the call right on the replay review of Torry Holt's first-quarter TD, but it was all downhill from there. Several questionable calls went against Seattle's defense in key situations. Late in the fourth quarter, Seattle's Ken Hamlin made a very late hit on Shaun McDonald, but no flag was thrown.

The Rams got their playoff win and a convincing sweep over a division rival, but the Martz train ends next week. In Seattle, I believe Mike Holmgren will get another season as head coach, but if I were Paul Allen, I'd part ways with Holmgren. Seattle will be better with someone else, and some other team will be better with Holmgren. A fresh start will help everyone.

Jets at Chargers

In a game that featured both of the AP first-team all-pro RBs, neither team got its running game going. San Diego in particular struggled, with LaDainian Tomlinson averaging barely three yards per carry. The Chargers had so much trouble getting Tomlinson, their biggest weapon, into the open field that late in the game LT was essentially taking the "extended handoff" Bud Grant developed for Chuck Foreman in the 1970s. All nine of Tomlinson's receptions came in the second half or overtime.

With both defenses focused on stopping the run, QBs Chad Pennington and Drew Brees put up big numbers: a combined 54-75 with 598 yards, 4 TDs, and only 1 INT — about the same as Peyton Manning's first half against the Broncos. All four touchdowns were scored through the air, six players had at least 50 receiving yards, and Keenan McCardell made an incredible catch in the second quarter to put the game's first points on the board. Early in the third quarter, Pennington answered with as perfect a pass as you will ever see, a 47-yard TD to Santana Moss.

The deciding difference in this game came from the sidelines, not the field. I like Marty Schottenheimer and I was pulling for the Chargers, but Marty and his staff got outcoached. They particularly mishandled playcalling and clock management. Schottenheimer's teams are 4-5 at home in the postseason, and those are games you're supposed to win.

Broncos at Colts

The box score shows a 49-24 Indianapolis victory, but the real final score was 35-3. The Colts dominated the first half so thoroughly that the last two quarters mattered even less than the Week 17 game between these clubs.

When Manning has a blah first quarter and you're still down 14-0, it's not going to be a good day. Manning is getting all the accolades, but Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne made plays on their own to facilitate Indy's blowout win. In the second quarter, Manning found his rhythm and the Colts easily put the game away. Manning's gift is making everything look easy. He hit Wayne perfectly in stride, putting the receiver in a position to pick up yards after the catch.

The NFL went out of its way to give Indianapolis an edge, but the Colts never needed it. I don't have a problem with the large fine directed at Denver's John Lynch for his hit on Clark last week, but the league's emphatic insistence that Lynch and his teammates would be ejected for hitting the Indianapolis receivers struck many league observers as ridiculous and unfair. I have no doubt that the Colts would have dominated this game without any help from the NFL, but it's upsetting that the league went to such extreme measures to protect the brilliant Indianapolis offense.

Vikings at Packers

Last season, I went 9-2 in my postseason predictions. The year before, I was 8-3. So far this season, I'm 2-2.

The Vikings finished this season so poorly that it was hard to imagine Minnesota beating the Packers on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Minnesota, though, has potential. It's a good team on paper, but played with no heart for the last month or two of the season. The Vikings came into Green Bay fired up and at the top of their game, while the Packers came out flat and never really hit their stride.

The Packers underperformed in almost every facet of the game. Despite sacking Daunte Culpepper four times, Green Bay was unable to generate a consistent pass rush. Culpepper had 338 net yards and a 137.1 passer rating. Randy Moss, playing on a gimpy ankle, had two TD catches. On the other side of the ball, Green Bay averaged only 3.6 yards per carry and Brett Favre threw four interceptions. It didn't help that Pro Bowl WR Javon Walker missed the second half and CB Ahmad Carroll was the victim of two questionable penalty calls that gave the Vikings first downs, but Green Bay wasn't up to the task anyway.

I don't understand why Chris Berman and the FOX crew gave Favre a free pass for the stupid penalty he took at the end of the first half, tossing the ball to Walker from three yards beyond the line of scrimmage. If Favre had slid, Ryan Longwell's field goal attempt would have been 23 yards instead of 28, and that five-yard penalty might have been the difference on a close miss. Instead of criticizing Favre, though, sycophantic television announcers laughed and praised him for it.

The Crystal Ball

Jets at Steelers

Remember that opening paragraph about wildcard teams winning a second game? The 10-6 Jets closed the regular season with three losses in their last four games, and now they're going on the road against 15-1 Pittsburgh. No 15-1 team has ever failed to reach its conference championship game. In fact, the previous 15-win teams won their first playoff games by an average of more than two touchdowns. Luck and perseverance will get you only so far. The Steelers are probably the best team in the NFL, and they're not going to lose at home to the Jets.

Pittsburgh, unlike San Diego, can stuff Curtis Martin and LaMont Jordan without leaving its secondary wide open. When these teams met in Week 14, Dick LeBeau's squad held Martin to three yards per carry and intercepted Pennington three times. Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley combined for 108 yards and 4.2 per attempt, but Plaxico Burress didn't play and Big Ben Roethlisberger had a rough outing. I don't see that happening again. I think the Steelers will be way too much for the Jets and win by double-digits.

Rams at Falcons

St. Louis finished the regular season 8-8 and limped into the playoffs with some help from a Philadelphia team that rested its starters against the Rams in Week 16. The Rams are 1-6 when they don't play in Seattle or St. Louis. The team's only road wins were against the Seahawks and 2-14 San Francisco. Against teams outside the NFC West, St. Louis is 3-7 with an 0-5 mark on the road. That includes embarrassing 20-point defeats against Buffalo and Green Bay, 0-6 Miami's first win, and a 17-point loss to the very Atlanta team the Rams face on Saturday.

When these teams met in Week 2, the Rams were held to 30 rushing yards on 15 carries, while Michael Vick alone ran for 109 and completed a season-high 73.7% of his passes. The Falcons were 11-3 before dropping two meaningless games at the end of the season. They're 7-1 at home.

Both of these teams are unpredictable, but it would be lunacy to predict a Rams win. My faith in Atlanta has been shaky all season, but the Rams may be the worst team ever to win a playoff game, and I can't see them making it two in a row. Atlanta's pass rush will pressure Bulger, and he'll have at least one turnover. Falcons RB Warrick Dunn has given the Rams fits for years, and Vick had his best game of the season against them. Falcons by 10.

Vikings at Eagles

What are the odds, do you think, that the Vikings can put together two great games in a row? Not so good? Minnesota came away from Green Bay with a convincing victory, but they got some help from the Packers. Donovan McNabb probably won't throw 4 INTs against Minnesota's 29th-ranked pass defense. Minnesota likely won't score 31 points against Philadelphia's second-ranked scoring defense. That defense, led by all-pro safety Brian Dawkins, sees McNabb every day in practice and probably won't allow Culpepper to run for 54 yards. The weaknesses Minnesota exploited against Green Bay this weekend don't exist in Philadelphia.

Three of Philadelphia's four starters in the secondary made the Pro Bowl, and the other, CB Sheldon Brown, isn't the kind of weak link Carroll proved to be against the Vikings. Run defense remains the weakest area of the Eagles' excellent defense, but Minnesota, the least run-oriented team in the NFL, is unlikely to take advantage of that.

We still haven't seen Philadelphia's offense without Terrell Owens, but it seems safe to say that versatile RB Brian Westbrook will play a key role. Westbrook gained over 700 yards both rushing and receiving, with an eye-popping 14 gains of 20 yards or more. Teams who devote too much attention to Westbrook, however, risk letting McNabb beat them — either throwing to his other targets or on the ground.

The Eagles match up really well against the Vikings, and they're the better team to begin with. This is Minnesota's third road game in a row, and it isn't going to be close: Philadelphia by 17.

Colts at Patriots

Easily the most compelling matchup of the weekend, maybe even the whole postseason. Manning and the Colts have struggled against New England, going 0-3 the last two seasons, including a decisive loss in last year's AFC Championship Game at a time when the Colts had looked red-hot.

The Patriots are always game, and they seem to step things up a notch for the postseason, but I don't think they're capable of beating Indianapolis without several serious mistakes from the Colts. With Ty Law on injured reserve and Richard Seymour's status in question, New England's defense simply doesn't have the resources to slow Manning down right now. We saw Manning torch Denver DB Roc Alexander time and again this weekend, and there's little reason to expect that New England's battered and depleted defensive backfield will do much better.

New England will keep the game close. The offense is better than it gets credit for, and I wouldn't be shocked if both teams score more than 30 points. The Colts didn't see much of Corey Dillon in the season opener (seems like years ago, doesn't it?), but they'll get a heavy dose of him on Sunday. Charlie Weis will attack Indy's aggressive defensive line with screens and draws and quick slants, and the Patriots will get their points. It just won't be enough. Colts by 10.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 7:00 PM | Comments (1)

Chip Magic: The Montana Pete Story (2)

PART 2 of 2 (Part 1 here)

The following is a true story about a real person. Some names have been altered to protect those involved.

When we last left Paul Chapel, he had recently been left by his fiancé on their third anniversary and he was stuck in a job he hated. The play of his Browns and Buckeyes began to mimic his poker game; by losing every week. Paul was not in a good place.

In life, a man can only be pushed so far before he can't take it anymore. It's at this point where a man finds out what he is truly made of and what he is really capable of doing. It's at this point where a man must decide if he has the testicular fortitude to push back or if he is just going to retreat back into the shadows of life.

Those who knew Paul Chapel, and even those who had once heard of him or had seen him from afar, would've classified him in the latter group; the group of people who would much rather flee from the fight than put everything on the line to stay and see how the chips fall. However, it turned out that Chapel was part of group one ... Paul was going to push back.

Shortly after his separation, one of Chapel's friends, Adam, informed him of a huge poker tournament that was taking place in several weeks. Adam had benefited the most financially from Chapel's poker playing, so it was only natural that he would convince Paul to play. Normally, Paul would balk at a game that had so many poker veterans, but he was no longer the Chapel that would go down without a fight.

Paul knew that he was going to have to do something drastic if he was going to have any shot at fairing well in the upcoming tournament. He needed a whole new style and a whole new game. Chapel's game was fine for playing at church festivals and with people who didn't know how to play poker, but he would be slaughtered in a game with real players.

Paul started by playing as much as he could. Every night during the week before the tournament, Chapel played poker. He went nowhere without a deck of cards, trying to learn percentages and to get a feel for how the cards were treating him. He would play online and with his dad, with his cousins, and even with Adam, who continued to mop the floor with Chapel. Still, something was missing.

The night before the tournament Paul was sitting on his balcony and reflecting on his life. He thought of his ailing Buckeyes and Browns, he agonized over the locked-out NHL. He tried not to think of his job and eventually his thoughts drifted to his ex-fiancé and her new life with her marijuana farmer. His despair turned to determination as his attention turned to the next day's poker tournament.

Paul had to escape his stench of losing. He recalled a line from a movie where someone said that you should never play cards with someone whose first name is a state. He started thinking, and before long, he had an entirely new persona. He donned a cowboy hat, found the perfect pair of dark sunglasses, and topped it off by lighting up one of his favorite cigars, a Macanudo White Label Prince Philip. The poker players he knew in the tournament were expecting Paul Chapel to show up the next day. Instead, they would meet Montana Pete.

Not many took notice as Chapel entered the unfinished house in suburban Ohio. The only pieces of furniture in the entire place were game tables and chairs. When several players asked him who he was, he simply replied, "Montana Pete." They laughed and walked away, but Montana Pete didn't care. He wasn't there to make friends; he was there to win.

Chapel quickly found himself in trouble in his first game, but a series of poor bluffs by the chip leader at the table combined with a few lucky hands by Paul to make Montana Pete the new chip leader. Paul's old, conservative style quickly clashed with the dangerous play of Montana Pete and left Chapel confused on many hands. A few bad decisions by the other players, a successful bluff here and there, the play of Montana Pete, and finally, an unusual amount of blind luck, landed Chapel at the final table.

Paul saw a familiar face at the final table in his friend Adam, who couldn't believe that the timid, unconfident poker player he once knew was now at the final table in the biggest tournament he had ever played in. As Chapel introduced himself as Montana Pete to the others at the table, Adam laughed and began introducing himself as "Albany Glen." Montana didn't even look up; he simply lit another of his Macanudo White Label Prince Philip cigars. He was ready to play cards.

After Chapel won the first hand, he was quickly intimidated by the big-timers at the table and his conservative nature won out. Nearly an hour went by without Paul winning a single hand and he was down to the second smallest stack of chips at the table. Chapel began to panic as the images of his recent troubles in life flooded his head. As cards were being dealt, he couldn't take his mind off of Cherie and her marijuana farmer. He couldn't stop thinking about his job and about how nothing had gone right for him lately. Even this little poker charade, along with his stack of chips, was beginning to disappear before his eyes.

He stared intently at his King-Five, unsure of what to do. A five came up on the flop and Chapel had planned to play it safe, but Montana Pete threw caution to the wind and went all-in, drawing five other players into the hand, as well. One of the big-dogs at the table paired the five, but only had a ten kicking. No one else paired anything. As players stared in disbelief at Montana, the only thing to escape his mouth was a puff of smoke from his Prince Phillip cigar.

Montana surgically knocked out the two weakest players at the table within the next five hands. After staying out of a few hands, Montana was dealt a Jack-Seven. A man called Bob, mainly because no one knew his real name, immediately went all-in. The next three players decided to fold before Adam stared into Bob's soul and then decided he wanted to go all-in. Montana Pete, with his J-7, called.

The flop produced a two, three, and eight, helping no one. As everyone flipped their cards before the turn, Chapel experienced a feeling he knew too well from life, the feeling that his hand was lost, as he saw Bob had an Ace-Queen and Adam had an even better Ace-King. The turn was a meaningless four. Paul pulled his cowboy hat down over his sunglasses and embraced for his inevitable, imminent defeat.

The river was a seven.

As Bob cursed and pounded the wall with his fist and Adam looked longingly at the stack of his former chips, Montana Pete merely leaned back in his chair, the joy and exhilaration of finally vanquishing his life-long poker nemesis hidden behind his cowboy hat and dark sunglasses. Paul's anxiety at being so close to what could be his biggest victory in recent memory quickly gave way to Montana Pete's calm confidence.

Montana pulled two of the last three players at the table all-in over the next three hands and summarily disposed of them. As he collected his new chips from the center of the table, the next hand was dealt. The other player looked at his cards and then at Montana Pete, who was too preoccupied with stacking and organizing his chips to even glance at his hand.

As Montana finished assembling his newfound wealth, he still didn't reach for his hand. Instead, Montana Pete took his Macanudo White Label Prince Philip cigar from his mouth, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air, and removed his sunglasses. He looked up at the only other player left at the table and, for the first time in weeks, he smiled. He stared a hole into the man sitting across from him and grinned ear to ear, knowing that it was only a matter of time before things would turn around for him, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he would be a champion.

The other player threw his cards down, pushed his chair away from the table, and stood. Paul Chapel had finally won.

In the days and weeks after the epic game, Paul's life began to turn around. His ex-fiancé came crawling back to him, complaining of the male inadequacies of her new farmer, but Paul sent her away. He actually started to have success with other girls and even caught a few breaks with his job. Things weren't perfect, but he had a new outlook on life.

Every now and then, when he is feeling down, needs a financial booster shot, or just when he wants to exert his dominance, he dons his cowboy hat and dark sunglasses, lights up his Macanudo White Label Prince Philip cigar ... and he plays cards.

Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 6:47 PM | Comments (0)

January 10, 2005

I Hate Mondays: Spurs of the Moment

Didn't your mother tell you not to take candies from a stranger? I guess some sugars are simply irresistible.

As the NBA season approaches the halfway mark, naïve basketball enthusiasts have developed a real sweet tooth for wanna-be contenders. The Phoenix Suns have impressed, the Seattle Supersonics have transcended, and the Dallas Mavericks are hot, but don't let the sugarcoated challengers distract you from the real sweetmeat.

The San Antonio Spurs have surreptitiously eased into the background — just the way they like it. It's simple to understand really. They don't average 100 or more points per game or offer a fun-and-gun brand of basketball, they don't have a player recovering from improbable ankle injuries, and they didn't make any MVP-like free agent signings or acquisitions in the offseason.

They are just a model group who follows fundamentals, and grinds out their 9-to-5.

Even at 28-7, the Spurs are still a second story to LeBron' James’ Cavs or Kobe Bryant's Lakers, but come playoff time, the headlines will change.

The Spurs are the most complete team in the NBA. With coach Gregg Popovich as pilot, the Spurs are a no-nonsense disciplined team — something few other squads can echo. But since the Spurs don't razzle, dazzle, and rock the rim as many of the Dallas Maverick look-alikes do, their highlights move to the back of the line and therefore, move into the back of interested minds. They are the finest defensive team in the league, allowing less than 86 points per game, but that is not the most saccharine of stats. Bobby Basketball wants to see crams and jams, not 24-second shot-clock violations.

While the Phoenix Suns have garnered most of the pundit praise — rightfully so, since they've only lost four contests — they are not built for the playoffs. When games are slowed down to a crawl, the depth chart is tested, and half-court mettle is magnified, the Suns will fail. Jason Kidd's New Jersey Nets and Dirk Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks have lost time and time again to more balanced teams — Phoenix will Rolo-over, as well.

The Supersonics will also give fans cavities and tummy aches as they are just as likely to flop in the postseason. While they are the only team to have defeated San Antonio twice this season (once at the SBC Center), it's hard to envision the Sonics triumphing in a seven-game series relying so heavily on the jump shot. Their field-goal percentage has already begun to slip and given that their second worst rebounding rank in the Association, if/when they meet the Spurs in the playoffs, it will be payday.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were penciled in as San Antonio's stiffest competition, but their locker room is about to pop like a bubble of chewing gum. Sacramento's bench is thinner than ribbon candy, Houston is still a mystery of Caramilk proportions, and Dallas' defense is comparable to melted chocolate.

So who's left to impede San Antonio's path to the NBA Finals?

If you said the Lakers — gimme a break.

See you in the finals.

Confection and competition mix like Mondays and me.

"Feeding is a very important ritual for me. I don't trust people who don't like to eat." — Gina Gershon

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 8:42 PM | Comments (0)

January 9, 2005

A Blazing Light in Dark Times

29 up and 53 down.

That was the record a season ago for the Phoenix Suns. The one-time darling franchise for the entire state of Arizona had been reduced to a non-competitive laughing stock of the NBA. When Amare Stoudamire went down early in the year, the Suns' postseason hopes went along for the ride. The Suns shipped out, if not there most popular player at least their best player, Stephon Marbury. Marbury took the aging wonder Penny Hardaway with him to the Garden.

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the purple and orange, and rebuilt they have. The have constructed the most enjoyable team to watch play the game of basketball since at least the mid-'80s.

It seems improbable that one player, one piece could make such a difference with the tide of the franchise. Yet alone a player that is only six-feet tall and 30-years-old. That player is Steve Nash, or in acronym form: MVP.

Nash (15.5 ppg, 11.1 apg) has rejuvenated a franchise that desperately needed a savior. A point guard in the purest sense of the term, everyone on the team has improved as a result of his unselfishness and competitive fury.

The mark on the Suns franchise has always been that they have never possessed a big man that could lead them to the Promised Land. At 6-10, Amare Stoudamire would not be considered your prototypical center. However, Stoudamire has become the best power forward this side of Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

The man-child known as Stat boasts the most apropos moniker since Rocky was dubbed the Italian Stallion. He ranks fourth in points per outing (26.4), second in field goal percentage (.591), and is averaging almost two blocks and 9 rebounds per contest. While watching your favorite sports highlight program, you may only see the viscous dunks thrown down by number 32, but you don't score over 30 points 12 times (including a 50 point outburst vs. Portland) through 32 games by just cramming the basketball.

Amare has improved his free throw percentage by two points over his career average, and is also averaging two more attempts per game. The only stat that has dropped is the number of turnovers he commits a game (from 3.2 to 2.6).

Nash and Stoudamire are two pieces to a lineup that flies up and down the floor, frustrating the opposition by never letting up. Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, and Quentin Richardson all average better than 15 points per game, for a starting lineup and offense that is the most potent in the league (109.3 ppg). They do not boast the best defense in the league by any stretch, but when you're beating opponents by almost 11 points on a nightly basis, defense becomes minimal, at least in the regular season.

If it were not for the acquisition of Nash, the Suns' most prized offseason move would be the addition of Stephen Hunter. Hunter (5.4 ppg.) was not brought in to score. He was brought to the desert to block shots (almost 2 bpg.) and clog up the lane. Hunter has been a valuable asset to the Suns while only averaging 13 minutes a game, an average that will increase as the season rolls along.

Headed into the weekend, the Suns have avenged two of their only four losses, by beating the T-Wolves in Minnesota, and the Cavs in Phoenix. The Spurs and Kings still loom later in the schedule, with contests both home and away.

Facing reality, the Suns are not the front-runners to win the Larry O'Brien trophy. Come playoff time, Phoenix will be vulnerable because of their run-and-gun style. Similar to the way the Dallas Mavericks attempted to outscore everyone, but ended up on the losing end.

All of that can be scrutinized as the season progresses. For now, in a season marred by fistfights, childish bickering, and abhorrent play, the Suns have provided the excitement and energy the league has lacked for years. It has been their fast-faced, high-scoring, intense style that has boosted ratings, ticket sales, and fan interest.

The Phoenix Suns personify what the game of basketball should be: fun. Fun to play, and fun to watch. Hopefully, the Suns prove to be a needle that points the league in the right direction, and restores the hopes of fans across the country. The hope of enjoying the game of basketball and the NBA again.

Posted by Daniel Collins at 12:18 PM | Comments (1)

Good Guy in a Black Helmet

Last month, Tanya Pickle, a single mother from St. Petersburg, moved into a new home.

Her own home.

That's not significant in the grand scheme — history will record that an Indian Ocean tsunami killed more than 150,000 people the same month that Pickle first put a key in her new front door.

But for her, it means being a part of the "ownership society," to use the words of President George W. Bush. For her children, it means having a level of stability and comfort for the first time.

And she has Betty Smothers to thank for it.

You'll find Betty Smothers' name on Panel 7 of the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington DC. She was killed in a botched robbery on Jan. 7, 1993 — two days after her oldest child's 18th birthday.

But the real monuments to Smothers' memory might be the single mothers who have joined the ranks of homeowners in the last three years, and their children, who have the security of going to bed at night in their own homes, instead of living at the mercy of a landlord who might see their dwelling as an investment.

That was how Betty Smothers and her six children existed, even while she risked — and eventually lost — her life as a cop in Baton Rouge, LA. Tragically, she didn't live long enough to realize her own dream of buying a home.

Even more tragically, she didn't live long enough to see her oldest child become a star in the NFL.

But the memory of Betty Smothers lives on every time her son, Warrick, helps a single mom become a homeowner.

In some places, including the Associated Press, which reported Tonya Pickle's moving day, Warrick Dunn has gotten top billing, because the Atlanta Falcons' running back has the marquee name. But in so many ways, this story is about Betty Smothers.

The Warrick Dunn Foundation, which was founded in her memory, instituted the "Homes For the Holidays" program in 2002 so Dunn could help other women realize his mother's dream. The foundation does this in two ways — through direct funding and by working with social service agencies like Habitat For Humanity and the United Way.

Since then, more than 50 single mothers, and more than 130 of their children, have moved into their own homes. Dunn's good deeds have followed his own path through life — he has helped women in his hometown of Baton Rouge; in the area of Tampa, where he began his NFL career with the Buccaneers; and in Atlanta, where he has played since 2002.

"Homes For the Holidays" is a classic example of a program that is a hand up rather than a hand out.

For the working poor, most of whom live paycheck to paycheck, the toughest thing about buying a home isn't the mortgage. Many "Homes For the Holidays" beneficiaries make smaller monthly payments as homeowners than they did as renters.

The most difficult part is coming up with the up-front costs — the down payment, for one thing. Many apartments and rented homes include things like the stove, refrigerator, which a homeowner has to provide his or herself when moving in. In Pickle's case, those expenses came to more than $50,000.

That money came from the a wide range of agencies, according to the Associated Press, including $37,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $10,000 in a loan that will be forgiven after 10 years, $5,000 from the Warrick Dunn Foundation, and $2,000 from Pickle herself.

In January, during NFL Players' Week on "Wheel of Fortune," Dunn participated, with the winnings going toward his foundation. Unfortunately, he didn't do nearly as well spinning the big wheel as he, and the Falcons, did this season.

Atlanta earned a first-round playoff bye after finishing the regular season with an 11-5 record and Dunn purred beyond the 1,000-yard barrier at an age — he turned 30 on Jan. 5 — when most running backs are headed for the scrap heap.

This season marks the third time in Dunn's career that he has finished with more than 1,000 yards, which is thrice more than many expected of the 5-foot-8, 190-pound running back when he came into the league in 1997.

Even this season, statistically the second most successful of his eight-year career, Dunn has defied convention. Logically, he's not the right feature runner for the Falcons, which already have one quick elusive back taking the snaps from center.

Conventional wisdom would hold that a bigger back, who could provide power running, would be a better complement for Michael Vick. But Dunn has made a career of defying convention, both on and off the field.

It's no coincidence that he has the maturity and toughness — both mental and physical — to pull that off. Even before his mother was killed, Dunn, as the oldest child, often found himself caring for his siblings while she was at work. After her death, he was suddenly burdened with adult responsibilities without the benefit of an adult paycheck.

Those who dismissed Dunn as being too small as an every-down back at both the collegiate and professional levels apparently focused too much on the size of his body and not enough on the size of his character — the very same character that leads him every year to the single mothers he helps provide with homes.

Apparently, he comes by that character the old-fashioned way. He inherited it.

And it's equally apparent that Betty Smothers' greatest monument isn't having her name carved into a stone tablet in Washington, DC nor is it in any new home.

It's in the legacy of a son who values doing good as much as he does being good.

Posted by Eric Poole at 11:55 AM | Comments (1)

January 8, 2005

Sandbaging Sandbergs

If nothing else, I strive for consistency.

I'm consistently late to important meetings. I get consistently angry at Virginia drivers who treat lane mergers like a M.I.T. entrance exam. And this column, by and large, is consistently awful.

I'm also consistent when it comes to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I remain, as always, the Cooperstown Nazi. My Hall of Fame would have about 25% of the players currently enshrined. You can't be great. You can't be an all-star. You can't be a Hall of Fame-caliber player. You have to be a legend. You have to be timeless. I have to be able to mention your name in the same breath as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays without choking down my bile.

I know this is restrictive. I know that in some cases, uncomfortable and uncompromising decisions have to be made. Like, for example, telling Ryne Sandberg that he doesn't merit induction into My Hall of Fame.

Sure, he's Cooperstown worthy. Best second baseman in baseball — until Robbie Alomar revolutionized the position. He's a better hitter than Sandberg was, and in the end will have more hits, runs, and RBI. Sandberg is going into the Hall of Fame because of his defense, his consistency, and his professionalism. (Why he meets these criteria better than fellow Cubs alumnus Ron Santo is a question for the baseball writers.) But he's certainly not going in because generations of fans will speak his name in hushed tones. I mean, is there any comparison between the impact Ryne Sandberg had on baseball and that of contemporaries like Ozzie Smith?

Wade Boggs is in my Hall of Fame. No question. He and Tony Gwynn are the best pure hitters of the last 30 years. Better than George Brett, Robin Yount, or Paul Molitor. Better than dozens of names that are currently etched on plaques in the Hall.

Next year, there are no sure things for Cooperstown. If years past have been bumper crops, this one's the bummer crop. Unless you just need to have Mickey Morandini in your Hall of Fame. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even admit him into mine.

In 2007, first-ballot sure things like Gwynn, Mark McGwire, and Cal Ripken, Jr. are up for the Hall (along with walking conundrum Harold Baines). So it's expected that at least one or two of the near-misses from this year — Jim Rice, Goose Gossage, and Bruce Sutter for example — will get the nod for 2006.

I know the rest of the sports world isn't about to adopt my rigid criteria for Hall of Fame induction. But at the very least, I beg the baseball writers to at least use some common sense in voting to bestow the greatest of great honors on players who may or may not deserve them.

So let's just drop the following Hall of Fame debate points, shall we?

"HE WAS THE BEST AT HIS POSITION FOR 'X' NUMBER OF YEARS." This criterion is just hypocritical, because the voters refuse to look at every position in baseball as being of equal importance. Do they differentiate between left fielders and centerfielders, or is everyone just an outfielder? One position is clearly more challenging defensively than the other. Starters and closers are considered, but a middle reliever or setup man will never be. Laugh all you want at some guy for "throwing away" his vote on Tony Phillips this year, but I bet he could make a better case for the best utility man of the last 20 years getting into the Hall of Fame before some guy who voted for Willie McGee could.

"HE MADE 'X' ALL-STAR GAMES." Not only are we talking about a completely subjective and political achievement here, but we're talking about an honor given for a half-season of success. Shouldn't a Hall of Famer play his best baseball after July?

"PEOPLE WOULD PAY TO SEE HIM PLAY." Out of the handful of arguments I've heard made against Boggs' induction, this is the one mentioned most. That he wasn't, by some measurements, a star. That no one went to the ballpark to watch him play. I wonder if these people would rather have Dave Kingman and Darryl Strawberry in the Hall?

"HE WON 'X' CY YOUNG AWARDS." Like certain power numbers (500 HRs, for example) are the benchmarks for sluggers getting into the Hall of Fame, a Cy Young is nearly mandatory for a pitcher. This is where relievers get completely screwed. Since Steve Bedrosian in 1987, three relief pitchers (Mark Davis, Eric Gagne, and Dennis Eckersley) have won the Cy Young Award ... out of 36 possible awards. Compare that with the 1970s, when Mike Marshall, Bruce Sutter, and Sparky Lyle all won in a span of five years.

"OTHER TEAMS FEARED HIM AND PITCHED AROUND HIM." This was an argument I heard Bob Ryan make regarding Jim Rice. There's no denying that Rice was a feared hitter and a great player. But if he gets in, so does Andre Dawson. So does Jose Canseco. So does Fred McGriff. Hell, Juicy Giambi could even get in.

And if he gets in ... who doesn't?

Random Thoughts

In 2001, close to 3,000 Americans died in terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC. Out of respect for the dead, and the means by which they died, Rocky Mountain News columnist Bernie Lincicome suggested the New York Jets change their name.

In 2004, over 150,000 people died in a Tsunami in Southeast Asia.

So c'mon, Bernie ... where's the outrage? Should the University of Alabama eliminate its nickname? What about the Tulane University Green Wave? Then there's the Colorado's Rapids of the MLS. That's right in your backyard, Bern...

Boggs and Sandberg both mentioned they think Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. "Without him, there's a void in the Hall of Fame. He needs to be there," said Boggs.

Okay, boys, you win. I think Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, too ... on the condition he takes one of your spots.

Deal?

Didn't think so...

I'm so disappointed with the fans at the Orange Bowl for booing Ashlee Simpson after her halftime performance. Why? Because she "can't sing?" Because she has no "discernable talent?" Because her nose looks like the beak of a toucan after it flew into a "brick wall?"

What about the art, people? What about taking a step back from the MTV razzle dazzle aesthetics and really focusing on the words coming out of her mouth in her new hit single, "La, La":

"You make me wanna la la, la la la, la la, la la la la la la la la la
You make me wanna la la, la la la la
You make me wanna la la, la la la, la la, la la la la la la la la la
You make me wanna la la, la la la la
You make me wanna la la, la la la, la la, la la la la la la la la la
You make me wanna la la, la la la la"

On second thought...

Speaking of the Orange Bowl: 55-to frickin'-19? And you thought Oklahoma was emasculated by being a Broadway musical...

Why does every Verizon customer service representative sound like Harriet Tubman? Just asking...

Marv Albert was on The Late Show With David Letterman Wednesday night and was absolutely fantastic. Good banter, some interesting insights, hilarious sports bloopers. And not once did he attempt to munch on Paul Schaffer's back...

Finally, Christmas has come and gone, and I'm left wondering if my parents have paid attention to anything I've said for the last 27 years. Seriously, I'm not that hard to shop for: Jets, Mets, Devils, Nets, Mystery Science Theater, DVDs, sports books not written by either John Feinstein or Mitch Albom. This isn't brain surgery.

But was there a single gift from any of those categories for me under my parents' tree? Hell no. Did my father hand me a decretive bag of de-icer, scrappers, and a big plastic shovel so I can winterize my car here in balmy Washington, DC? Of course.

Makes me yearn for those Christmases of yore, when I'd ask for whatever the hot gift that season was (Laser Tag, Teddy Ruxpin) and then never touch it again after January 12th...

Greg Wyshynski is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 3:26 PM | Comments (0)

Stoudamire Needs Attitude Adjustment

After a lackluster performance with only one field gold attempt and no points against Utah, Arizona senior guard Salim Stoudamire subsequently sulked on the bench. Coach Lute Olson has grown increasingly frustrated with his senior guard.

Stoudamire hasn't been providing the senior leadership that Olson expects from his seniors. Olson kicked Stoudamire out of practice for the week after the game against the Utes and ultimately suspended him against Marquette. Stoudamire has a tendency to get down on himself and pout when things don't go his way.

In the Wildcats' win over Utah, Stoudamire didn't cheer or encourage his teammates. Olson wants Stoudamire to understand that he needs to have a positive attitude both verbally and physically.

Arizona needs Stoudamire in the lineup to be at their best offensively. In their 48-43 victory at Marquette, the Wildcats shot only 34.6 percent from the floor, but were able to win with defense. The Cats held the Golden Eagles to only 30.6 percent shooting. Chris Rodgers stepped into Stoudamire's spot in the lineup and keyed the victory. He scored 16 points and helped hold Eagles star point guard Travis Diener to 5-of-17 from the field.

The Wildcats' 48 points were its lowest output since a 50-41 loss to Alabama in the 1985 NCAA tournament. The 'Cats did, however, rebuff the frequent criticism that West Coast teams aren't tough by outrebounding Marquette, 40-29.

With Stoudamire back in the lineup, the Wildcats returned to their customary high-octane offense. The Portland-bred guard was a different person in his first game back. He nearly matched the school record for three-pointers. He finished with 23 points on 7-of-9 from three point range in a 105-75 Arizona win over Manhattan. Stoudamire finished with 21 points after returning from a suspension under similar circumstances last season. His senior leadership is a key to the Wildcats' season. Last season, Arizona struggled without senior leadership after being ranked highly in the preseason.

Lute Olson has a stable full of players he can insert into the lineup to replace Stoudamire's playing ability, but with mostly freshman backups, their leadership would be a question mark. If Arizona is going to grow as a team and make runs at the Pac-10 title, as well as a deep foray into the NCAA tournament, they will need a more mature Stoudamire to stop sulking and become a leader.

Posted by Alan Rubenstein at 2:49 PM | Comments (0)

January 7, 2005

NFL Playoff Predictions, From Start to Finish

The holidays are winding down and the ritual of exchange and returns is beginning in malls across America. George Steinbrenner is once again watering his money tree, the hot stove is heating up, and fans and pundits are arguing the merits/drawbacks of the current BCS product.

2005 has certainly started off in a great direction.

As New Year's hangovers slowly retreat, the most important thing we can look forward to, though, are the NFL playoffs, finally set in stone after weeks of mediocrity at the lower rungs of both conferences.

It turns out we'll have a bus and a couple of guys named Bill, but not the Bills. There'll be the Pats and Peyton, but no Panthers this year. GB and St. L will be around, but probably no TO. Expect to see Jeremiah, Isaac, and Ahman; and enjoy the services of a Plummer, a Fisher, a Driver, and a Porter. And if all else fails, there's always Earthwind.

Yes, it is time to try to make sense of the chaos and do a little prognostication in search of this year's stallion. Muddle through the stats, records, histories, streaks, advantages, and injuries and saddle up.

NFC

Minnesota vs. Green Bay

Mike Tice and company once again started this year at full stride, and once again they have managed a fantastic collapse to finish the season. Losing four of their last five games, including the finale at Washington in a game that would have clinched a playoff berth, doesn't seem out of place for these Vikes. The temporary absence of Randy Moss, both physically and mentally, is perhaps the only legitimate reason for the slide.

Brett Favre and the Pack are moving in the opposite direction. After struggling early on (a streak capped by the atrocious Monday night game against the Titans), the Packers have put together another division-winning season. With a quarterback that doesn't quit (even when he's tossing up jump balls), a running back in Ahman Green that can dominate a defense in cold weather (when he's not fumbling), and the momentum of the second half, Green Bay is certainly one of the contenders in the toss-up NFC.

Don't expect this game to be as close as the previous two meetings.

Green Bay 24, Minnesota 13

St. Louis vs. Seattle

Seattle will try again against the Rams this weekend. Barring an actual stab in the back, Shaun Alexander should have a field day against a St. Louis team that ranked next to last in rush defense this season. In the previous two losses, Alexander mounted 150 and 176 yard efforts.

The 2004-2005 Rams are not the aerial juggernauts of the past, despite Marc Bulger's numbers. Four of their wins this season have come against weak teams and second strings (Arizona, San Fransisco, and Philadelphia, respectively), with the other two coming against the Seahawks.

If Mike Martz didn't look more like he belonged on a street corner with a rainbow wig and a "John 3:16" sign than on a sideline with a headset and clipboard, then maybe the Rams would have a chance.

Seattle 24, St. Louis 16

Green Bay vs. Atlanta

In 2002, Michael Vick marched the Falcons into Lambeau Field and won a game that not many thought he could. Simply put, the Packers don't lose home games in the playoffs. But they did. This time, Green Bay will take its game to Atlanta and its artificial turf, on which the Pack and Favre don't have the best record. Green Bay's porous defense probably won't be expected to contain Vick in his natural habitat, either. For ego, for retribution, for bragging rights — these are the reasons the Pack will win.

It's not the greatest logic, but it's logic nonetheless.

Green Bay 17, Atlanta 14

Seattle vs. Philadelphia

Seahawks against the Rams. An even matchup. The Seahawks against a rested Philadelphia team. Not even close. You can imagine that over the past few weeks, the McNabbs have been keeping the Eagles well fed with Campbell's chunky soup. I swear, that might be the only preparation needed for them to take care of Seattle.

Philadelphia 35, Seattle 12

Green Bay vs. Philadelphia (NFC Championship Game)

1. It's doubtful that TO will be back for this game.

2. The shellacking from earlier in the season is probably very fresh in Green Bay's mind.

3. A perfect time for it to snow, and snow, and snow in Philadelphia.

4. Donovan McNabb and crew might not have the offensive flow after not playing for three weeks (the last two regular season games and the bye week.)

5. If history repeats itself, Philly may very well have a Viking-like collapse and make it another NFC Championship game disappointment.

6. The finest meats and cheeses of Wisconsin are an even match for the chunky soup, and perfect for a postgame feast.

Green Bay 24, Philadelphia 16

AFC

Denver vs. Indianapolis

This game will bear very little resemblance to last week's contest. Jake Plummer has to play near perfect to match Peyton Manning, who is out to prove there's more to this season than just breaking the touchdown record.

Even with knowledge of some of the routes and strategies the Colts might use against them, Denver's defense will be hard pressed to contain both Edgerrin James and Manning.

Indianapolis 35, Denver 17

New York Jets vs. San Diego

The Chargers are certainly one of the best stories this year. Marty Schottenheimer has led San Diego on a dramatic turn of fortunes, and Drew Brees is playing like the quarterback everyone thought he might be someday. Not to mention the effort of LaDainian Tomlinson, whose 1,335 yards this season makes it a little easier for Brees to attack through the air.

Chad Pennington and the Jets are not the team they were in Week 2, and that victory will be a distant memory after their loss in sunny California.

San Diego 31, New York 13

Indianapolis vs. New England

The defending Super Bowl champions will suit up and play the team they beat 27-24 in Week 1 of the 2004 season. The mystique of the streak is over now and the Pats' beat up secondary will have a tough time contending with the precision of Peyton.

49 touchdowns — that's nice. Manning and the Colts want what New England has, though, and that is a championship.

It's tough to bet against New England at home in the playoffs, but if there were ever a year when the Colts had a chance, it's this one. A defense led by Dwight Freeney and his 16 sacks just might give the offense the chance it needs to pull out a big postseason game.

Indianapolis 17, New England 13

San Diego vs. Pittsburgh

The Steelers boast a rookie quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger that hasn't lost a professional game yet, a rejuvenated Jerome Bettis that is running like he's got something to prove, and a talented wide receiver trio in Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, and Antwaan Randle El. That, and a defense that is reminiscent of the Steel Curtain.

San Diego's season has been impressive, but by no means enough to pick them against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh 16, San Diego 6

Indianapolis vs. Pittsburgh (AFC Championship Game)

1. I'm just saying, Big Ben hasn't lost a game yet. It's bound to happen.

2. Peyton has a couple of things to prove. First, he can win a Super Bowl. And second, he is better than the rookie sensation.

3. I'm from Cleveland, and I just can't pick the Steelers to win.

4. Mini-matchups galore. Peyton vs. Ben. Bettis vs. Edgerrin James. Ward, Randle El, and Burress vs. Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley.

5. The game will be decided in the last 60 seconds.

Indianapolis 20, Pittsburgh 17

Green Bay vs. Indianapolis (Super Bowl)

Yes, I know we're all excited about Paul McCartney playing at half-time. Oh, and there's the commercials, too. But more importantly, these two teams would certainly put on one hell of show.

Okay, it might not even be worth trying to justify who wins this game since this probably won't even be the matchup, I know this. But it's the matchup almost no one will pick, and it's the game I want to see. So, I'll leave it at this simple defense.

The Colts win after the Pack's emotional tank runs dry after a season of close calls.

Indianapolis 35, Green Bay 13

Whatever the outcomes, whatever the upsets or letdowns, the postseason will invariably keep us entertained and in front of the television or next to the radio, and give rise to a friendly debate or two.

But only one thing really matters, because there is little consolation for losing, as the namesake of the Super Bowl trophy would remind us.

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 1:37 PM | Comments (18)

'Roid Rage in the Drive For 755

After a scintillating hot stove season, pitchers and catchers will report to spring training in five weeks. Fans will then see such amazing sights as a clean-shaven Randy Johnson, and a Washington baseball franchise. Once the novelty of the "old faces in new places" wears off, all eyes will turn to one story- Barry Bonds' assault on the all-time home run record held by Henry Aaron.

"Hammerin' Hank." The model of consistency. A man who labored in the shadow of (Bonds' godfather) Willie Mays for two decades, who never hit more than 44 homers in a season. One of MLB's last links to the Negro Leagues. A proud, outspoken man who integrated the majors in the Deep South. Bonds is out to erase his hallowed mark. Unfortunately, the specter of the BALCO grand jury testimonies looms darkly above every National League outfield wall. A happening in which MLB would love to bask, will be tainted.

Our sports networks and late night sportscasters will showcase live remotes of Bonds at bats each step along his pursuit. They will also note the derisive signs and bed sheet banners held by opposing fans: "Clear This Fence, Barry," "Cream the Ball," "Stee-rike One! Stee-rike Two! Stee-roid!" "BALCO Barry," and the like.

There's no way Bud Selig and his minions can paint a pretty face on this one. Sure, there's no retroactive way to prove B2 was juicing when he smashed 73 big flies. Baseball can't erase what he, or any other players did during the power explosion of the late 1990s. When middle infielders morphed from Punch-and-Judy hitters to long ball threats. When once-slender outfielders tagged 50 homers out of the blue, never to approach such numbers again. What's done is done, but The Race (for 756) will be ridiculed.

If healthy, Barry Bonds could surpass 800 homers, and fans, journalists, and former players the world over will wonder How He Did It? People will lobby for a Roger Maris-style asterisk to accompany his name in the record books. Will the president call him to congratulate him on the record? What will Aaron's take be — he'll be asked about it from March until the record is broken (assuming it will be)?

When Roger Maris challenged Babe Ruth's single-season home run mark, many fans objected because Ruth was bigger than baseball, the man who "built" Yankee Stadium, a Hall of Famer in whose class the crecut rightfielder did not belong. Others, particularly Yankee fans, preferred longtime pinstriper Mickey Mantle, Mr. All-American, as the man to break The Bambino's record. When Hank Aaron began to approach Ruth's other hallowed standard — 714 career homers — he received quite a bit of hate mail, even death threats, fans angry that a Black man was supplanting their Babe.

How times change. The 2005 season will see another home run record threatened, yet not with the drama and enthusiasm witnessed during the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa tag team effort to better Roger Maris in 1998, but with suspicion, criticism, and disapproval.

The irony is that MLB, caught up in the euphoria of the magic summer of '98, which did much to revive fan interest after the strike-shortened 1994, missed an opportunity to implement a policy against steroid/HGH use long before Barry entered the 700 Club.

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)

January 6, 2005

NFL Weekly Predictions: Wildcard Round

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

St. Louis @ Seattle

"Perhaps the football gods were looking down upon the Rams and myself," beams an ecstatic Mike Martz. "First, the Saints beat the Panthers, then we edge the Jets in overtime just minutes after they find out they are in the playoffs. Gosh, were the Jets even trying there at the end?"

Yes, Mike, the stars seemed to align themselves for you, or maybe Will and Holly arranged those crystals perfectly in the Sleestaks' pyramid, much like they did on The Land Of The Lost. Wasn't it cool how that one Sleestak, I think his name was Enoch, wore a red lame vest, and nothing else?

"Good gracious, man," exclaims Martz. "While you were wasting the Saturdays of your youth on morning pulp entertainment, I was designing complicated offensive stratagems for teams in the college ranks. But you're right, Enoch was a picture of primitive reptile style and hipness in the red vest."

Indeed, Enoch was the Hugh Hefner of prehistoric times. But you know that hissing sound the Sleestak made? That's the sound I'm making, because I'm quite irritated that two NFC West teams made the playoffs. But maybe the football gods are looking down upon me, because those two NFC West teams play each other, insuring that only one will advance. And, if the regular season is any indication, the Rams should be the team to advance. The Rams swept the Seahawks this year, including a 33-27 comeback win in Seattle in Week 5.

"That loss was the beginning of our spiral downward that ended with a 9-7 record," says Seattle running back Shaun Alexander. "Normally, a record like that wouldn't get you anywhere, but this year, in the NFC, the conference surely to be dominated in the Super Bowl, 9-7 gets you the playoffs and the pansy division title. To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed to be here."

Don't be embarrassed about that, Shaun. You should be embarrassed about criticizing your coach, Mike Holmgren, for not giving you the ball on Atlanta's one-yard line last week in the fourth quarter. Holmgren instead called for a quarterback sneak, a move that you, Shaun, claimed cost you the NFL rushing title. Well, maybe it did, but you have this little problem called "the goal-line fumble" that maybe your coach was worried about.

Anyway, in this game, as in the conclusion of a courtroom trial, the defense rests. In other words, the Rams can't stop the run, and the Seahawks can stop the pass. In their two meetings this year, the Rams defense gave up 393 yards rushing, while the Seattle defense surrendered 587 yards passing. That's the kind of numbers one would expect from a 9-7 division winner and an 8-8 wildcard team. This game may be decided by whomever has the ball last. I'm guessing the Seahawks get the final shot, and Josh Brown wins it with a field goal as time expires.

Seattle wins, 30-27.

N.Y. Jets @ San Diego

"I know it seems like ancient history," says Jets head coach and future headliner on the World Professional Motivational Speakers Tour, Herman Edwards, "but we did beat the Chargers earlier this year."

Come on, Herm, you're kidding me, right? The Jets beat the Chargers? When? I suppose now you're going to tell me the Jets were undefeated at some point this season, say, after five or so games?

"I know it's kind of hard to believe," replies Edwards, "even for me, but we were 5-0."

The Jets' season mirrors that of the Vikings: quick start, terrible finish, lose your way into the playoffs.

"And like the Vikings, owe a special thanks to the Saints," adds Chad Pennington, "we owe a special thanks to the Steelers, who beat the Bills, allowing us into the playoffs, despite losing our last two, just like the Vikes. Thanks, Steelers!"

Gee, Chad. You sound very proud of the fact that you stumbled into the playoffs. But that's why you start 5-0: to give yourself room to go 5-6 down the stretch and still make the playoffs, right? But check this out, Chad. Just as the Jets are a wildcard, so are you. We know the Jets' defense is solid, as well as the running game, with Curtis Martin and Lamont Jordan. The questions are: can your spindly right arm make the throws? If Santana Moss is open 40 yards downfield, will he have to backtrack to catch the weak pass you throw to him?

"I just remembered. I'm not answering any questions. Toodles."

Now the Chargers, on the other hand, know how to take it to the house. After a 3-3 start, the Chargers nearly ran the table in their last 10 games, winning nine on their way to clinching the AFC West and a first-round home game.

"As the season goes longer, the Chargers get stronger," says San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer. "I've got to give my wife credit for coining that phrase. Whether or not it has anything to do with football, I don't know. I became a little suspicious when I found her hiding in LaDainian Tomlinson's locker listening to a 2 Live Crew album. If I hadn't been in that same situation before, I'd say something was up."

L.T., Drew Brees, Antonio Gates, and the rest of the Chargers are too much for the Jets, especially at Qualcomm Stadium, where they are 7-1. Of course, that one loss was at the hands of the Jets, but the revenge incentive will only add to the Chargers' desire. Tomlinson rushes for a score, and Brees throws two TD passes.

San Diego advances with a 23-15 win.

Denver @ Indianapolis

"I've got just one thing to say," says record-setting Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning. "If my backup, Jim Sorgi, can throw for 168 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos last week, then just imagine what I can do against them in the first round of the playoffs. My man Jim Sorgi softened up that Denver defensive backfield as only Jim Sorgi could; now, I'm prepared to go ballistic on the Broncos."

"Manning can talk all he wants," replies Denver coach Mike Shanahan. "He's earned the right to smack talk. But we feel pretty good about beating the Colts for the second straight week. After all, last week we held Manning to zero touchdown passes. I repeat: zero. That makes us the only team to hold Peyton to zero TD passes this season."

You're right, Shanny. Manning wasn't able to throw a single touchdown pass against your Broncos. Maybe you were just blinded by giddiness at being gifted with a playoff entry, but Manning played one series and completed only one pass.

"Was it a touchdown?" asks Shanahan.

No.

"My point exactly."

Shanahan and his Broncos will try to counter the Indy air attack with a clock-consuming ground game, led by the running back duo of Reuben Droughns and Tatum Bell.

"The Colts' offense can't score if they're not on the field," Broncos safety John Lynch obviously states. "Unfortunately for me, if the Colts' offense is not on the field, then I'm not on the field, and everyone, as well as my checkbook, is safe from a concussion-inducing helmet-to-helmet cheap shot that I am infamous for. Like Ric Flair, I'm the dirtiest player in the game."

Denver should be able to run the ball against the Colts, provided the Broncos don't fall victim to the quick-strike Colts early in the game. Should that happen, Denver will have to abandon the running game and rely on the arm of quarterback Jake Plummer. Plummer, known to some defenses as "The Gift That Keeps On Giving," to other defenses as "Habitual Interception," and known to the rest as "The Snake," is a fairly decent quarterback when he's not tossing INTs and earning nicknames.

"Isn't that like saying Manning sucks," asks Plummer, "except for those 49 touchdown passes?"

Yes, I guess it is.

"Then, I don't know whether to be flattered or offended."

Take offense, Jake, because that's what I'm doing. I'm taking the Colts' offense over anything with which the Broncos can counter. Manning throws three touchdown passes, Edgerrin James rushes for one, and Indy maintains a touchdown or more lead throughout. A late score by Denver keeps the score respectable.

Indy wins, 34-29, then prepares for the much-anticipated rematch versus the Patriots.

Minnesota @ Green Bay

Let's see: for the last two weeks of the regular season, the Vikings were in the position of controlling their own destiny. A win in either game would have secured a playoff spot. So, what do the Vikings do? They lose their last two, then are saved when the Saints upset the Panthers. Can you say "slipping in the playoffs through the backdoor?"

"Yeah dog, I can say that," replies Randy Moss. "But I'd rather say this: 'Backdoor Bonanza.' When people ask me, 'Randy, how'd you get into the playoffs?', it sounds a lot cooler to simply answer 'Backdoor Bonanza,' than explain to them how we got in with an 8-8 record. You dig, dog?"

Yeah, Randy, I dig. But just to clarify: when you say "Backdoor Bonanza," are you referring to I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, or VIII?

"Oh, I'm talking 'bout the box set, player."

If you keep up with football, you are certainly familiar with the Vikings' penchant for fast starts, late-season swoons, and choking on the final week and missing the playoffs. Last week was no different, except the Vikings miraculously made the postseason, thanks to the aforementioned Panthers' loss.

"I equate that to flying a plane over the Football Ocean," explains Mike Tice, "experiencing catastrophic engine failure, crashing into Playoff Island, and being met by a man in a white suit named Mr. Rourke, a midget, and hot island chicks eager to 'lei' me and serve mixed drinks with little, tiny umbrellas."

Green Bay, on the other hand, won the NFC North Division with style and savoir-faire comparable to that of Ricardo Montalban hawking the rich, Corinthian leather interior of a 1977 Chrysler Cordoba. And now, they welcome Minnesota to the Packers' Fantasy Island, the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in January.

"We know the last time we hosted a domed team at Lambeau for a playoff game," adds Brett Favre, "we lost, to those stinking Falcons two years ago. This year, we vow to reclaim the Lambeau mystique without the use of a Ouija board and satanic chants. We plan to do it the old-fashioned way — by icing the Vikes. And if Randy Moss wants to head to the locker room early, then we won't stop him."

The latest episode in the "Randy Moss Not Giving 100% Saga" was Moss' decision to leave the field at Washington with the Vikes down 21-18 and preparing to attempt an onside kick.

"Man, I was just trying to get a jump on the celebratory champagne in the locker room," explains Moss. "We already knew we were in the playoffs, and I take plays off all the time. Does it really matter if I take the last play of the game off as opposed to the ninth play of the second quarter? A play's a play. The whole situation is played out, player."

As are the Vikings Super Bowl hopes. However, you can never discount a team quarterbacked by Daunte Culpepper, who has had arguably the greatest non-MVP season of any quarterback. Should Culpepper stay hot, Moss get focused, and the Vikings' defense make one or two big plays, Minnesota could beat the Packers. If not, they lose as expected.

Call it a hunch, and probably a wrong one, but I'll go with the Vikes in an upset, 37-35.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 3:23 PM | Comments (0)

Mr. Unexcitement, Up to Cooperstown

Typical. "I don't know what it feels like to be considered among the greatest who ever lived and I don't know if I ever will," said Ryne Sandberg to a Chicago reporter, after learning he was elected to the Hall of Fame. "I have too much respect for the game and for the players who played it before me to think anything like that."

Now you know how the best second baseman of his time took it when he got the call he probably should have had sooner, but doesn't object to getting a little later.

"There's been some tremendous players who had to wait longer than I had to wait," he said during a conference call following the word of his election. "I don't think it diminishes the honor at all. You're either in the Hall of Fame or not."

Few players were more inappropriately named than Sandberg. While not quite as incongruous as the nickname affixed to Harmon Killebrew — some still marvel that such a gentle man could have been nicknamed the Killer — no less comparable fellow could have been named after a hellion of a Yankee relief pitcher.

On the other hand, this son of a mortician who seemed in dire need of gunpoint to loosen up in the limelight turned out to be a classic clubhouse practical joker, many a Cub having testifying to Sandberg having been as deft with the hotfoot as he was with the extra base hit or the improbably yard shot.

They still talk about — and, in ESPN Classic's case, show periodically — the game of June 23, 1984. The Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals were going at it in their usual style. (Put it this way: The Israelis versus the Palestinians may be subtler.) In the game for the Cardinals was Bruce Sutter, a former Cub, whom Sandberg concurs should join him in the Hall of Fame. At the plate, in the bottom of the ninth, was Sandberg.

He measured Sutter appropriately and tied the game with a blast into the left field seats. Then, in the 10th inning, Sutter still in the game, Sandberg returned to the plate and bombed another game-tier into the seats.

The Cubs never got beyond a National League Championship Series with Sandberg as their best player, and it wasn't exactly his fault. Ten lifetime postseason games, all in the LCS, and he has a .457 on-base percentage, almost half his hits for extra bases (7 out of 15), a .641 slugging percentage.

Sandberg thinks his defense was his key to Cooperstown. He's only half right. Not that many would remember him too vividly with the glove, if only because — as at least one Chicago columnist (would this be a Cub going to the Hall of Fame without at least one Chicago columnist finding an excuse for buncombe?) sniped — he was not a human highlight film and never turned up with a dirty uniform.

Neither a flying Wallenda nor a grinding Gus, Sandberg earned a rather unfair image among some as being a lot less in the field than he should have been. Well, now. He also earned nine consecutive Gold Gloves. Sandberg's lifetime fielding average at second base was nine points higher than his league, and his range factor was 63 points higher.

As a hitter, Sandberg may have been robbed because of his lineup position. So might Mark Grace, in fact. Bill James pointed it out first, so far as I know, but it makes only too perfect sense. Sandberg, batting second with the hitting skills of a number three hitter, probably lost a decent number of chances to drive in runs; Grace, batting third with the hitting skills of a number two hitter, probably lost a decent number of chances to create and score runs.

Sandberg did get turned into a number three hitter for a couple of years ... and his seasonal RBI totals jumped above his norm to that point. Sandberg also has the ninth lowest percentage of home runs with men on base among those with 200+ lifetime home runs. Would he have reversed that entirely had he been batted third for more than a couple of seasons?

It is not impossible to suggest that, if Cub managers had allowed themselves to at least poke their heads above the top of the box, never mind think entirely outside, Sandberg would probably have put up more overwhelming batting statistics and not had to wait three years for the Hall of Fame, and Grace might become a Hall of Famer at all.

(No, Sandberg wasn't strictly a Wrigley hitter, not in terms of the park dimensions. He didn't quite hit as well on the road as he did in the Confines, but, by his own admission, the operative factor was probably the day game factor: to this day Sandberg will tell you he saw the ball far better in daylight.)

But Sandberg's performance papers as they are make argument enough on his behalf. This gently handsome fellow, who had an endearing "Who, me?" look on his face whenever he was compelled to a curtain call, did not have to be Mr. Excitement. He did nothing but play the game the right way. Cub fans still feel blessed to have had him at all, never mind for 16 seasons. Any baseball fan should feel likewise.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 2:28 PM | Comments (0)

January 5, 2005

We Interrupt This Broadcast...

Kickoff. Commercial. First series of downs. Commercial. Punt. Commercial. Timeout. Commercial. Touchdown. Commercial. Kickoff. Commercial.

While recognizing that broadcasting sports on television is a business and meant primarily for advertising revenue, it is not out of the question to notice the increasingly frequent attempts by networks to sell things to us, the viewers.

Unfortunately, we do not have much say in the matter. Ad time is increasing and the game is taking a backseat to business.

Football is perhaps the biggest causality because the enormous costs networks pay in broadcast rights have to be offset somehow. This is the reason that besides stops in play caused by scores, timeouts, instant replay, or injuries we now also have official television timeouts that serve only to provide more time slots for promotional material and advertising.

Apparently, my desire to watch a football game from start to finish also means that I should want a new SUV, a six-pack of beer, and some insurance. For those of us without TiVo, you can be expected to watch between 90 and 100 commercials during an average professional or college broadcast.

Basketball is guilty to a less, or at least less noticeable, extent. There are enough breaks during the action to squeeze in commercials, and play is inevitably stopped with great regularity near the end of games with full and 20-second timeouts.

Baseball is the closest thing we have to a sport where the commercials revolve around the game and not the other way around. Pitching changes and breaks during innings are the only times during which networks get a chance to squeeze in some advertising material. Although, many have complained that commercials during radio broadcasts for the Indians often times cut into game action.

Do not be discouraged, though, as there have been times in recent memory when the broadcast of certain sports events have been viewer-friendly and not crammed with plugs, break-ins, and ads ad nauseum.

The 1994 World Cup set the benchmark for broadcasting soccer in the United States, a sport that has no stoppage of time or play for two 45-minute periods. ABC and ESPN used banner ads around the scoreboard that appeared on the screen, allowing uninterrupted viewing of the entire game and space for sponsors to plaster their names. To this day, any soccer broadcast (professional, international, or collegiate) uses this format. And to this day, because it's hard to make advertising revenue off this format, soccer is rarely broadcast on national television.

The Masters was commercial-free for a couple of years, although this had more to do with the potential effect on tournament advertisers by Martha Burk's protests of the club's sexist member policies than any sort of fan interest. Please do not be fooled, though, 2004 saw advertising come back to the broadcast of the Masters at a four minutes per hour rate.

As if it were not enough that networks stop play artificially to slam us with ads and fill every moment, not with constructive commentary, but with plugs for their latest sitcoms, viewers must now deal with the issue of sponsorship.

Let's just start with the naming rights to stadiums. Going to see a baseball game in Colorado? You'll be visiting Coors Field, and make sure to grab a frosty Coors Light on the way to your seat. Going to a basketball game in Miami? Head down to American Airlines Arena and think about that when you book your next flight. How 'bout a hockey game in Florida? Just go over to the Office Depot Center (wait, don't I need a new fax machine?) In Houston and want to catch a baseball game? Just go to Minute Maid Park and remember the last time you had a refreshing, sweet glass of orange juice.

So, you think corporate naming rights at stadiums and arenas is pretty annoying? It's only getting worse, as advertising has now invaded the actual game play with companies and organizations sponsoring certain moments or events during a telecast. This just equates to more time for the network to sell to companies that think it's more important that I learn about their new sandwich rather than hearing detailed analysis of the game. Professional broadcasters have now been forced to utter some of the most ridiculous statements ever put on-air.

For example:

The Browns move down to the Bengals' 15-yard line, which means they are in the Heinz Red Zone, Heinz products can be found at your local Giant Eagle supermarket, and while you're there, pick up some Truelawn fertilizer if you want your grass to look as good as the field at Brown's Stadium. Suggs runs up the middle for 2 yards. That brings us to the Dr. Scholl's two-minute warning, and that means we're only two minutes away from the Hooters Halftime Show, sponsored by The Piercing Palace. Back to the action. That's an incomplete pass by [Kelly] Holcomb.

When we come back from halftime, the Bengals will have the Foot Locker Second Half kickoff toward the Puppy Chow Dawg Pound. Stay tuned, we'll be right back after this commercial break.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 11:51 AM | Comments (4)

January 4, 2005

NFL Week 17 Power Rankings

Five Quick Hits

* Top three announcers this season: Bill Maas, Troy Aikman, Sam Rosen.

* Dick Enberg had a whole week to prepare for Sunday's game, yet in the overtime alone, he managed to mispronounce players' names three different times.

* Super Bowl XXXIX: Steelers over Eagles.

* A lot of football fans will feel cheated if Atlanta or Green Bay makes it to the Super Bowl. For most of the 1980s the "real" Super Bowl was between Washington and the Giants, or San Francisco and Chicago. This year, it may be Pittsburgh and Indianapolis or New England and San Diego.

* Three cheers for Troy Brown and Wes Welker, players who came through when their teams needed them.

These are the final power rankings of the 2004 season, but I'll have a column with playoff analysis and predictions every Tuesday between now and the Pro Bowl. Thanks for reading, and I wish all of you a very merry 2005. Brackets show previous rank.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers [1] -- The fourth team in history to finish 15-1, and they did it in the AFC and against a tough schedule that included New England, Philadelphia, Buffalo, the Jets, and Baltimore twice. The Patriots and Colts are capable of such dominance that anything less than your own best could mean a loss, but for now, the Steelers are the best bet in the field of an AFC postseason that should be among the best ever.

2. New England Patriots [2] -- Assuming Indianapolis beats Denver, the Colts' visit to New England will probably be the most anticipated game of the postseason. Patriots/Colts has developed into perhaps the best non-division rivalry in the NFL, New England's dominance in the series notwithstanding. Even a Championship Game matchup against Pittsburgh — even the Super Bowl — wouldn't be more anticipated among football fans than a meeting between the NFL's two best clutch quarterbacks.

3. Indianapolis Colts [3] -- I play in one fantasy football league every year, with friends from college. I won this season, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Brandon Stokley, and Dallas Clark for their assistance. Every time the Colts ran a play, I scored points. Indianapolis will beat Denver in next Sunday's game at the RCA Dome. By about 10 points.

4. San Diego Chargers [5] -- You'll find my All-Pro selections at the end of this column. Running back was probably the hardest decision, in a year full of tough calls. Last season, I chose LaDainian Tomlinson, and it was an easy pick. This season, many candidates were worthy. Joining LT were, in alphabetical order, Shaun Alexander, Tiki Barber, Corey Dillon, Edgerrin James, and Curtis Martin. I didn't select Tomlinson this season, but I want readers to know that I appreciate the enormous contributions of all these players.

5. Philadelphia Eagles [4] -- I'm all for resting starters, but there's a difference between staying healthy and playing like losers. Where's the desire to win? Where's the confidence-boost for a team that has lost its impact player? Andy Reid has been badly outcoached in two consecutive postseasons, and I don't like the way he's handling the end of Philadelphia's season. He can prove me wrong, and I hope he does, but until then, the Eagles are 0-2 without Terrell Owens.

6. Atlanta Falcons [7] -- They've lost two in a row and now find themselves higher in the power rankings than they've been all season. Atlanta does not, I believe, face the same psychological pressures Philadelphia does. The Eagles waited a week too long to rest their starters: T.O. is injured, and sitting Brian Westbrook and Dorsey Levens won't bring him back. The Eagles got blown out by Cincinnati; even if your starters are sitting, a loss like that hurts. The Falcons gave their starters significant game time and played competitively against Seattle.

7. Buffalo Bills [6] -- The play we keep seeing is Ricardo Colclough's fourth-quarter sack of Drew Bledsoe, which resulted in a fumble returned for a touchdown by Pittsburgh's James Harrison. The fault lies entirely with Bledsoe, who has had a sack problem for years. Willis McGahee picked up the blitz correctly, blocking the inside man and giving his QB plenty of time to throw the ball before Colclough arrived. Bledsoe blew it, and it may have cost his team a playoff spot.

8. Carolina Panthers [9] -- Even in defeat, Muhsin Muhammad made some terrific plays. No receiver was hotter the second half of the season, and Muhammad finished the year with the NFL lead in receiving yards and receiving TDs. RB was the most difficult All-Pro position to pick because there were so many worthy choices, but leaving Muhammad off the list was the hardest individual choice I made.

9. New York Jets [8] -- I'm not a Peter King fan, but his take on the Jets is good enough that I can't put it any better: "What would you say if I told you this team was 4-5 over the last two months? You'd say: 'This team's not winning in San Diego on Saturday night.'"

10. Green Bay Packers [11] -- Rebounded from a 1-4 start to finish 10-6. The Packers, one of three NFC teams with a realistic shot at making the Super Bowl, are a microcosm of their conference. Green Bay went 1-3 against the AFC and 9-3 against the NFC. Minnesota gave the Pack all it could handle a couple weeks ago, and their playoff rematch could go either way, but I like Green Bay by 10.

11. New Orleans Saints [15] -- Won their last four, including three on the road, to salvage a disappointing season. New Orleans finished the year as the NFC's hottest team, and would have been a legitimate Super Bowl possibility if it had made the playoffs. With some help at offensive line and defensive backfield this offseason, the Saints could enter the 2005 season looking pretty good.

12. Baltimore Ravens [10] -- Some key members of the defense are getting old, but there's at least one more season in there, and a number of key contributors are still young. If Baltimore can find an offense between now and September, the Ravens could be a very, very good team in 2005.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars [13] -- Only team in the AFC not to score 30 points in a game this season. Chicago (5-11) and Detroit (6-10) were the only other teams that failed to do so. Think this team relied on its defense? To succeed with that recipe, though, you need a dominant defense, not just a good one. Jacksonville finished 11th in total defense and seventh in points allowed.

14. Kansas City Chiefs [12] -- From Week 12 on, the Chiefs didn't lose to anyone except San Diego. There were unreasonably high expectations for Kansas City entering the season, and 2004 shouldn't be considered too disappointing a season. If you overachieve one year, as KC did in 2003, you usually stutter the next.

15. Denver Broncos [18] -- Won three of their last four to sneak into the playoffs, and are more dangerous than most people probably give them credit for. Denver's success on offense this week gives the Broncos reason for optimism heading into next week's rematch in Indiana, but I think the Colts will be too much.

16. Cincinnati Bengals [16] -- Marvin Lewis and his staff deserve a lot of credit. Bringing Cincinnati back to 8-8 respectability, even playoff contention, last season was remarkable. Making it to .500 again this season is every bit as remarkable. For the first time in more than a decade, this team appears to be headed in the right direction.

17. Houston Texans [14] -- A chance to go .500 for the first time in franchise history, and no one except Domanick Davis showed up. Next year's AFC South won't be any easier than this year's, but it's time for Houston to show real progress next season.

18. Washington Redskins [20] -- Gregg Williams and Greg Blache, the masterminds behind the league's third-ranked defense, went above and beyond the word "excellent" this season. On the other side of the ball, highly-regarded offensive line guru Joe Bugel got nothing from an offensive line that looks pretty good on paper.

19. Seattle Seahawks [21] -- Can't be thrilled that their playoff draw is the Rams, who swept Seattle this season. The Seahawks probably are better, or should be, but neither team is as good as it should be. I'm picking the Rams by seven, but I'm not happy about it. It doesn't matter who wins, because I don't think either team can beat Philly or Atlanta.

20. Oakland Raiders [19] -- At two separate points this season, Oakland allowed more than 30 points in four consecutive games. The Raiders need help at almost every position.

21. St. Louis Rams [26] -- The offense is not what it once was. The Rams didn't top 30 points in regulation all season. St. Louis finished 19th in scoring offense and went 0-19 on third-down conversions of 15 yards or more. That said, major props to Torry Holt, who with his fifth consecutive 1,300-yard receiving season has now accomplished something no one else ever has. Holt would be successful anywhere.

22. Miami Dolphins [24] -- What a job Jim Bates has done. 1-8 before he took over as head coach, the Dolphins went 3-4 down the stretch, with -- get this -- no losses to teams without winning records.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [17] -- Lost four in a row and five of their last six. The Bucs went 1-7 on the road. They're now 24-24 under Jon Gruden. The personnel isn't great, but it's good enough to finish better than 5-11 in the NFC. For two seasons in a row, Tampa has been puzzlingly bad.

24. Dallas Cowboys [23] -- Over the last seven weeks of the season, Julius Jones carried 192 times. That's 27.4 per game, which projects to 439 over the course of a whole season. The record is 410, by Jamal Anderson in 1998, and players with over 350 almost invariably get hurt or decline rapidly. Bill Parcells needs to be more careful with his star RB.

25. Arizona Cardinals [27] -- Finished 6-10, but Josh McCown went a respectable 6-7 as starter. Dennis Green seems to have little confidence in McCown, though, and it's tough to imagine that he's the long-term answer at quarterback. I could see Green being intrigued by someone like Alex Smith on draft day. Brad Johnson, who played for Green in Minnesota, is an interesting possibility via trade or free agency.

26. Minnesota Vikings [22] -- The potential is there, but the Vikings just play like losers. Their only win in the last five weeks was against Detroit, when the Lions missed a last-minute PAT that would have sent the game into overtime. Vikings center Matt Birk made the Pro Bowl, but I've seen Minnesota five times this season, and he didn't have one good game in the bunch.

27. New York Giants [28] -- The NFC East figures to be much tougher next season. Philadelphia will be good of course, and Joe Gibbs figures to have Washington playing much better than it did through the first half of 2004. Parcells will probably overhaul things for the better in Dallas, and if Julius Jones stays healthy, the Cowboys could return to the postseason. In New York, a healthy Michael Strahan and experienced Eli Manning could be enough to get the Giants to .500.

28. Tennessee Titans [30] -- Billy Volek has played well enough that I suspect he'll start for Tennessee next season if Steve McNair retires. The Titans will be much better next season. Offensive line is the primary concern this offseason.

29. Detroit Lions [25] -- Remember when Detroit was 2-0? 3-1? 4-2? 6-10 sounds so disappointing in that context. Even so, Detroit is -- for now -- my favorite to win the NFC North in 2005.

30. Cleveland Browns [31] -- Interim coach Terry Robiskie got his first win in five games as Cleveland's head coach. Robiskie is an offensive coach, but he had the support of players on both sides of the ball. Standout defensive end Kenard Lang said after the game, "Everybody wanted to win for him ... With Terry, we would run through a brick wall for him." Robiskie has little chance of being named the Browns' head coach next season, but whoever gets the job will have his work cut out for him.

31. Chicago Bears [29] -- Dominated the bottom of the NFL's offensive lists. Last in yards gained, last in points scored. It's hard to win without a quarterback or wide receivers.

32. San Francisco 49ers [32] -- King argues that if Matt Leinart declares for the draft (he will), the Niners should take him with the top pick, because Leinart is 24-1 as a starter at USC. San Francisco already has Ken Dorsey, who was 38-2 at Miami. This team has so many needs; you just take the best player.

Brad O.'s All-Pro Team

QB Peyton Manning, IND
RB Tiki Barber, NYG
FB Tony Richardson, KC
WR Marvin Harrison, IND
WR Terrell Owens, PHI
TE Tony Gonzalez, KC
C Kevin Mawae, NYJ
G Alan Faneca, PIT
G Brian Waters, KC
OT Willie Roaf, KC
OT Tarik Glenn, IND

DT Richard Seymour, NE
DT Cornelius Griffin, WAS
DE Julius Peppers, CAR
DE Aaron Schobel, BUF
OLB Takeo Spikes, BUF
OLB Willie McGinest, NE
ILB James Farrior, PIT
ILB Donnie Edwards, SD
CB Ronde Barber, TB
CB Chris McAlister, BAL
FS Brian Dawkins, PHI
SS Ed Reed, BAL

K Adam Vinatieri, NE
P Mike Scifres, SD
KR Dante Hall, KC

Off POY Manning
Def POY Reed
MVP Manning
Off Rookie Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
Def Rookie Jonathan Vilma, NYJ
Coach Bill Belichick, NE
Assistant Tom Moore, IND

Posted by Brad Oremland at 2:00 PM | Comments (1)

Exciting Bowl Season Coming to a Close

Well, it all boils down to this: one game left in the college football season, one which could create the biggest controversy in the history of the game. But I'm not going to talk about that today — there will be enough of that after tonight's Orange Bowl. What I'd like to focus on is the outstanding bowl season that is about to conclude.

In the past, I've been a vocal opponent of the number of bowl games there are nowadays, and I still believe there are too many bowls and too many mediocre teams that are allowed to play in the post-season. But, I must say that the number of close, exciting games and some surprises (at least to me) made for an enjoyable couple of weeks.

I will admit, though, that I was a bit worried that my long-held contention about the dilution of the quality of the games was going to come true again with the first three games being blowouts. But as we head into the 28th and final postseason game of the 2004 college football season, only a dozen so far have been decided by two touchdowns or more. The rest have been close games with several coming right down to the wire before determining the winner.

We've had one overtime game, three games decided on the last play, and two others won in the final minute. Five more games were decided in the fourth quarter. That's a total of 11 bowl games that have kept fans on the edge of their seats to the end of the game. Each one of those games had a final margin of victory of five points or less.

The Las Vegas Bowl set the tone for exciting victories as Cory Bramlett hit John Wadkowski from 12 yards out with :57 left to give Wyoming a 24-21 upset win over UCLA. From there, it just got better with Fresno State's 37-34 overtime victory over 18th-ranked Virginia in the MPC Computers Bowl.

Iowa State came from behind in the fourth quarter to knock off Miami (Ohio) 17-13 in the Independence Bowl, as did Colorado against Texas-El Paso in the Houston Bowl, winning 33-28. There was Minnesota's late defensive stand against Alabama in the Music City Bowl to hang on for a 20-16 win, and Eric Shelton's interception in the end zone as time ran out to help Louisville hand Boise State its first loss in three seasons, 44-40, in the Liberty Bowl.

Arizona State's Sam Keller put on a great performance in his first collegiate start in the Sun Bowl. Subbing for the injured Andrew Walter, Keller threw for 370 yards and three TDs, including the game-winner to Rudy Burgess with :44 left, to bring the Sun Devils from behind against Purdue for a 27-23 win. While Keller was rallying offensively, Georgia's offense put together a clock-killing, four-minute drive in the fourth quarter to keep Wisconsin from coming back in the Outback Bowl, preserving a 24-21 victory. And last night's Sugar Bowl saw unbeaten Auburn stave off a furious fourth-quarter comeback attempt by Virginia Tech to maybe shake up the BCS a bit, hanging on for a 16-13 win.

But arguably the two best bowl games this season were on New Year's Day. Drew Tate's 56-yard scoring pass to an unbelievably wide open Warren Holloway to give Iowa a 30-25 win on the final play of the game against LSU in the Capital One Bowl was an "instant classic." So was Texas' 38-37 squeaker over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. I don't think there were too many people watching that game who thought Dusty Mangum's 37-yard field goal attempt as time ran out had much of a chance of making it over the crossbar. But it did.

That game to me was one of the surprises of this bowl season. I didn't think Michigan had much of a chance against the Longhorns and firmly believed Cal should have been playing Texas in Pasadena. But in another surprise, the Golden Bears looked more like bear rugs as Texas Tech walked all over them to the tune of 45-31 in the Holiday Bowl. Other mild surprises for me were Wyoming beating UCLA, Fresno State's win over Virginia, and Connecticut rolling to a 39-10 victory over Toledo in the Motor City Bowl.

I guess another "sort of" surprise was Auburn's narrow victory over Virginia Tech. My teenage son was a staunch supporter of the Tigers' bid for the Orange Bowl and was certain they could handle either Southern Cal or Oklahoma. I agreed with his Oklahoma assessment, but I don't think anyone can beat USC this year. Anyway, after the game last night, he told me maybe he was wrong about Auburn, that maybe they couldn't beat either USC or Oklahoma ... which brings me to my final thought.

I have no reason to believe otherwise that the Trojans will win the national championship. I think the game will be exciting, but not too close. I would be surprised if USC wins by less than 15 points. But the matchups are intriguing. The last two Heisman Trophy winners squaring off in Matt Leinart and Jason White. Two terrific running backs in Reggie Bush and Adrian Peterson. A pair of defenses that have been quite stingy with allowing yards and points.

Whether this game will live up to the hype and follow in the footsteps of other great games played this bowl season is yet to be seen. And, whether the pollsters will deem Auburn or Utah worthy of sharing the title with Oklahoma should they knock off USC will be the conversation of many before Wednesday's final rankings. But, regardless of the outcome of tonight's game and how the polls end up, this has been one enjoyable and exciting bowl season.

Posted by Adam Russell at 1:15 PM | Comments (0)

Chip Magic: The Montana Pete Story

PART 1 OF 2

The following is a true story about a real person, a real sports fan. Some names have been altered to protect those involved.

Poker used to be a man's game, one that was played amongst casual friends in smoky rooms with poor lighting. Poker used to be something that was intimidating to card novices and beyond comprehension to most women, all soccer players, and nearly the entire continent of Europe. Thanks to ESPN (aka the World Series of Poker station), the number of people who know how to play Texas Hold'em greatly outnumbers the amount of people who can find Texas on a map.

The days of kids playing countless hours of real sports in their front yards, dreaming of winning a Super Bowl or NBA title are over. The kids of today have traded in their footballs and basketball hoops for a pile of chips and the Michael Moore diet in an attempt to become the next Chris Moneymaker.

While the majority of the poker world is quickly nearing sellout level, you can still find true underdog stories in the game. Stories of men that were pushed to their very brink of existence before fighting back with everything they had in them; stories of ordinary people who overcame insurmountable odds to do what no one believed they could. This is one of those stories; this is the epic of Montana Pete.

It wasn't that Paul Chapel was a bad guy; he just couldn't catch a break to save his life. The longtime Cleveland Browns fan spends his Sundays in his suburbanite home watching his Browns fire more blanks than a cowboy in a John Wayne movie. It wouldn't be as bad if his Saturdays weren't spent dwelling on the newfound mediocrity of the Ohio State Buckeyes and their world of post-Maurice Clarett issues. The longtime NHL fan's favorite franchise in sports, the Toronto Maple Leafs, hasn't won a cup in his lifetime. To a hardcore sports enthusiast, this is not an ideal setup; however, Paul would've considered himself lucky if his only troubles came from aligning himself with terrible sports franchises.

Shortly after graduating from college, Chapel landed himself a less-than-stellar part-time job working in video production. A man of no great size or skill, the majority of Chapel's successes in life came through victories in NHL 2005 for PS2 and in finding better-than-average parking spaces at various retail outlets. He did befriend Wayne Gretzky during a chance encounter at a minor league hockey game, where Chapel actually defeated the Great One in a shooting contest, but unfortunately, this event only transpired in a dream.

During the World Series of Poker craze, Paul took up the game of Texas Hold'Em poker. Not surprisingly, Chapel was never a successful gambler. In three trips to Vegas during his college days, only twice did he ever win an amount greater than $2, one of which being the time he slammed his foot on a $5 dollar bill on the sidewalk before several miscreants were able to pull it away with the fishing line attached.

Chapel, in true Chapel style, never won a single poker game he played in. He routinely flopped, sometimes even before the flop. His bluffs were called and his pairs were flushed. He was a magician with one trick, his ability to make tall stacks of chips disappear at the blink of an eye.

While Paul had been dealt some bad cards in both poker and life, he did have one thing going — he was engaged to the girl of his dreams. As the old saying goes, a person is either "lucky in cards, unlucky in love," or in Paul's case, "unlucky in cards, lucky in love" as he had been with his bride-to-be Cherie for nearly three years. Everything else in his life was secondary to him; the ineptitude of the Browns, the collapse of the Buckeyes, the incompetence of the NHL owners and players, his poker beatings, and all other shortcomings meant little to him when she was near.

September 21st was his third anniversary and started like any other day for Paul; he went to work, ate lunch at Chipotle, his favorite restaurant, and was looking forward to escaping the rest of his life to spend a quiet evening with his beautiful Cherie. Chapel's life took a tragic turn that evening when Cherie ended their relationship ... over the Internet ... on their third anniversary.

Paul found out the next day that Cherie had been cheating on him ... with a farmer, a marijuana farmer. Crushed by his separation, Paul turned to sports to lift his spirits. After his breakup, his Ohio State Buckeyes lost three straight games. His Cleveland Browns went on to lose 11 of their next 13 and his beloved National Hockey League remained locked out with little promise of a season. Paul was not at a great spot in his life.

Little did he know that around the corner his luck was about to change. Little did he know that his immediate future would include, among other things, a man known only as Montana Pete and the smoke from his trademark Macanudo White Label Prince Philip cigar...

TO BE CONTINUED

Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 12:59 PM | Comments (0)

January 3, 2005

Getting a Fix on the NBA

A number of basketball fans, some of whom played or coached the game themselves, have told me they find the current NBA unwatchable. Not every game, mind you, but most said that the quality of play in the average televised game is aesthetically displeasing. I agree. Though scoring is up slightly this year, the lack of basketball savvy displayed in the majority of the NBA product is neither worth the expense of a paid ticket nor a satellite network fee. The question, of course, is why?

As sports supposedly evolve, playing styles and philosophies change. Athletes emulate those they see highlighted by the media, particularly television. Unfortunately, American youth coaches must bow to the poor habits of contemporary children raised on a malnutritious diet of three-pointers and And1 tapes. The reasons the pro game has become an eyesore go beyond the fault of EPSN's "SportsCenter."

Broke Ballers

Today's game was exposed in Athens. The emperor has no clothes. The irony is that the Heir Apparent (King LeBron James) understands the floor game. But he is highly outnumbered. Despite the efforts of CYO, AAU, and high school coaches, the most talented American players are not schooled in working for the high-percentage shot.

Watch an NBA game tonight, or simply check out the highlights on your local news station. When teams are in their half-court offense, observe whether anyone is occupying the low post. For almost every team other than Miami or Houston, that answer will be no. Teams do not pass inside first, then move to get open if the best shot option fails. Everything initiates from the wing.

In basketball, at any level, an offense is most effective when the ball enters the pivot early in a possession. This draws the defense inside, and allows for a potential easy shot. From his/her perspective, the tall post player has the option to feed cutters or wing shooters. The ability to score inside and out stretches a defense, and causes it to work harder. It makes defenders move, creating lanes for offensive players. This is almost non-existent in today's NBA.

Ever watch a 1970's or 1980's NBA game on ESPN Classic, or NBA TV? A major difference between then and now is the amount of excessive dribbling that takes place today. Dribbling for reasons other than to score, or move closer to pass to a teammate, consumes the 24-second clock. Players put the ball on the floor while contemplating their next move, rather than faking a shot or pass. Many dribble in one spot. Others handle the ball on the wing, then pick up their dribble, which allows the defender to close in or trap. While this is going on, four teammates stand and watch. This puts no stress on a defense, nor does it attack the basket. The Phoenix Suns are a notable exception.

Tres Ugly

The three-point shot was supposed to help increase scoring. The problem is that too many players shoot it, and that potential fast breaks terminate with a pull-up bomb attempt. Rather than breaking before defenses can get set, offenses settle for a shot from the arc. No wonder scoring averages are down. Before the NBA installed a three-point arc, only one player on most teams shot from 20 feet or so. Those that did never did so on three-on-two fast breaks.

The Glory That Was Greece

During the Olympics, teams that move well without the basketball, pass off the dribble, and run plays through the post, had field days with the more athletic Americans. Employing offenses more reminiscent of Pete Carril than P. Diddy, the competition screened and back-doored Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and Stephon Marbury to death.

The world has learned the game we taught them. International stars liberally dot NBA rosters. Would such a team have defeated the original Dreamers? No, because in ancient 1992, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and John Stockton understood the value of an outlet pass (remember those?), and knew that during a fast break, the ball need not touch the floor.

The hope is that the trend toward unschooled teenagers entering the NBA, the allure of the one-on-one game, and the fascination with the three-point shot will not continue to be a mustache on the Mona Lisa. The fear is that it increasingly will.

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 1:56 PM | Comments (5)

January: Proving Your Status

For some, being the smartest, toughest, or fanciest in the city isn't the main goal. It's having the number one status on your block that shines the most. As another calendar year has come to a close, college basketball invites its teams to shut off cross-country ties and focus in a little more on their own neighborhood.

The major conferences' big boys are through snacking on smaller schools for the time being, and, as always, some bloated records are the result. I mean, you're not going to downplay Illinois, Kansas, or Duke. Talent and tradition precede these schools. However, others have managed to bypass the filters that weed worse teams out from the better. Having gotten to this point, they are called upon as "unproven," "untested," and "wannabes."

Every conference has one. You've seen them, running up and down the floor, gaining confidence, and their fans saying, "we're number one." But not all successful starts lead to fantastic conclusions. So, who leads this season's crop of squads who must prove themselves after the New Year begins?

ACC: Miami

The Hurricanes won seven out of nine to get the season going, including an upset of a Florida team that didn't seem ready to take the spotlight. The 'Canes also took UMass down a notch after the Minutemen upset Connecticut. However, it's time to introduce South Beach to their new home.

And what a greeting. Miami travels to Georgia Tech, Virginia, North Carolina, and Wake Forest. Then there are home games with N.C. State, Duke, and Clemson. If head coach Frank Haith goes .500 with this set of games, maybe him and his players should be one of the multitude of conference teams in the top 25.

Big East: West Virginia

With a history that includes Syracuse, Georgetown, Connecticut, and St. John's, the Mountaineers don't conjure up a bunch of memorable moments. This year, the boys from WV are trying to add a couple to the conference ledger. In building a 9-0 record, WVU won in Baton Rouge and, most recently, halted a speeding train in George Washington.

Actually, GW begins a sort of bookend month West Virginia. The Mountaineers will begin January with a road trip to face N.C. State. After that, the squad has a number of winnable games (including four straight at home) before ending the month at Syracuse, home to UConn, and at Providence. Hey, history was never easy. Just ask the Space Program.

Big 12: Texas A&M

Until this week, there were four unbeatens in this conference. Surprisingly, two of them were Kansas State and Texas A&M. The Wildcats got knocked off their perch Tuesday by Rutgers. That means we'll shift our focus to the Aggies. Sure, A&M is playing well, but they're doing it against power conferences such as the MEAC, SWAC, and Mid-Continent. Oh, and don't forget that astounding victory over Texas-Permian Basin.

So, they haven't played the toughest of opponents. That will change soon. The Big 12 has recently been known for its very physical style of play, and the Aggies will get more than a taste of that kind of play over a four-game stretch. Contests at Kansas, vs. Texas, at Texas Tech, and with Oklahoma will do nothing short of socking these guys in the mouth, repeatedly. Surviving this tussle could send A&M on their way.

Pac-10: Arizona State

The Sun Devils have a big presence in 6-8 forward Ike Diogu. The junior leads the conference in scoring and rebounding, which has helped ASU to an 11-1 record. While some of the teams the Devils thwarted have big ties (Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Temple), they don't really strike awe into the eyes of fans everywhere.

To get respect and a good reputation, this team will need to do a lot of winning over the next few weeks. That probably includes at least two out of their three big games of the month. The first test comes with a Jan. 2nd trip to in-state rival Arizona. Then, after a stretch of confidence-building games, the Devils head to Eugene to battle a tested Oregon squad. An invite to Washington on Jan. 30th lets ASU have a chance knock off a top team at home.

SEC: Arkansas

"Forty Minutes of Hell" isn't quite the mantra of the Razorbacks these days, but Stan Heath does have Fayetteville at a fever pitch with an 11-1 appetizer. However, it looks like the 'Hogs best win is at Missouri. Now, enter the SEC, with a totality of tough teams and environments that no one wants to face.

There aren't a large amount of dominant teams in the conference this season, but a lot of squads will be jostling for respect. Arkansas will face three of those teams this month in Ole Miss, Florida (in Gainesville), and Auburn. And those dominant teams, the 'Hogs have to face them, too. They get Alabama and Kentucky at home, while going to Mississippi State. For the Razorbacks, it appears that 240 minutes of hell are in the forecast.

At the end of the day, all of these conferences will get multiple bids to March Madness. Question is, will these teams be included in those power player plans? They've taken the first step by winning early. We'll see how well they do at getting through the champagne haze.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)

January 1, 2005

2004: The Year in Sports

There's no point in offering a review of 2004's sports stories because the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. They won the damn World Series. That's bigger than Janet Jackson's right breast and Nicollette Sheridan's shapely backside. It's the most momentous athletic achievement of the last quarter century, a story that will be passed down through generations of fans like a Wawaniki tribesman regaling his oldest son with the tale of "How Glooskap Found the Summer."

The Red Sox beating the Yankees, and then winning their first championship since 1918, is the only sports story in 2004 that, in my mind, rises above the "controversy of the week" news cycle that has hijacked sports journalism. Maybe BALCO comes close, but here's the difference: we knowingly embraced these cheaters for years; outside of more stringent testing policies and a few tarnished reputations, what changes now that the cream is clearly in the open? This isn't the Black Sox scandal. It isn't even Pete Rose getting kicked out for gambling. The integrity of the game remains, even if the integrity of half of its players is in question.

But BALCO was just one story in over a dozen that crafted what was the overall theme of 2004 in sports: that finally, after years of abuse, fans have finally had enough of the players they pay to watch.

It's just that we don't know what to do about it.

Barry Bonds' time as a mythic slugger is over. He will be booed, mightily and consistently, in every ballpark he enters next season — perhaps even his own. But what change do we, as fans, what to affect in Major League Baseball? The majority of us care about better testing for performance enhancing drugs, but that same majority knowingly paid to see these juicers (don't deny it) and were glued to the television every time ESPN broke in with another Bonds at-bat.

If it was good enough for us then, why bitch about it now? All of this talk about how baseball players were role models and responsibility to America's youth and yadda yadda yadda ... where was it when daddy took little Billy to see Barry? Did daddy just choose not to notice Barry's head had grown larger than 12 of Jupiter's 16 moons?

In the NBA, fans were treated with a variety of reasons to loathe the players, staring with the pathetic Team USA men's basketball squad falling to Puerto Rico in the Summer Olympics. I could have found 12 Puerto Rican guys in the Bronx and beaten that team.

Then there was Kobe, who managed to alienate his wife, his fanbase, most of Colorado, and break-up the best team in basketball in the span of about 16 months. Let's see Michael [Jordan] do that!

But, of course, the biggest fan story in the NBA this season happened not on the court, and not off the court, but near the court: the Melee in Motown. Know what's funny? They stopped, for whatever reason, showing the genesis of the Pacers/Pistons fight after the first 24 hours of coverage. Here's how it started: with his team winning handily, Ron Artest fouled the toughest S.O.B. on the Pistons, Ben Wallace, from behind. Wallace shoved him back, and a brawl on the court started.

After a few tense moments, Artest decided to lay down on the scorer's table near the sidelines. Let me repeat that: Artest, after participating in a fight on the court with 45.9 seconds left in the game, feigned taking a relaxing snooze on the scorer's table on the sideline, in front of the fans. He was mocking the Pistons, mocking their fans. And he paid the price. It wasn't as if some knucklehead in the stands hit Artest while he was standing at midcourt, or even sitting on the Pacers' bench. He was sprawled on the scorer's table, in a "ho-hum, my work here is done" act of immature defiance.

If you think getting hit with a cup of soda is akin to assault, that's your own shortcoming. It's not. It never has been, over the last 20 years of sports. Remember when Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox gave the finger to Buffalo fans as he walked off the field? Guess what was tossed his way. Guess what charges were never filed.

Nevertheless, Artest decided to go into the stands and beat up the skinniest, whitest guy he could find. Too bad it turned out not to be the same guy who throw that Weapon of Mass Saturation at him. Then the other Pacers and Pistons went into the stands, and we were left with a brawl slightly less ridiculous than the one at the end of Blazing Saddles.

There wasn't a time this season when I was more offended as a fan than watching ESPN's postgame show after The Brawl. Hearing these idiots putting the entire onus on the fans. Hearing Stephen A. Smith chastise paying customers as thugs, and characterizing the thugs as victims. WHAT KIND OF BIZZARO WORLD IS THIS WHEN PLAYERS CAN PLAY JUDGE AND JURY AND BE DEFENDED FOR IT!? WHY NOT EXTEND THE SAME CONSIDERATION THE JAYSON "THE RIFLEMAN" WILLIAMS?

I digress ... the brawl and the suspensions reinforced what fans already hated about the NBA, which is this generation of players like Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace that are more infamous than famous. It's one thing to cheer on a team full of Bad Boys; it's another to have to root for a league full of them.

But as fans, what can we do? Take the Larry Bird route and hope that the NBA gets some new white, wholesome stars because "the majority of fans are white America?" Stop going to the games? (Yeah, right.) We've yet to figure it out. We're at a crossroads.

When we do figure things out, it can be frightening. Look at what hockey fans have done during this lockout. We've done the unthinkable: siding against a labor union, and with the owners. The same owners who are the root of all the financial inequity in the league, along with their co-conspirator agents.

But in siding with management (as the majority of fans do), we've acknowledged a truth we are starting to face in baseball and basketball — that these people we pay to see, and the people who pay them, are greedy, ego maniacal miscreants who don't give a damn about us. So we have to pick our fights wisely. In the NHL, the fans have backed the owners because we know they're not smart enough to stop spending money, so we need a salary cap or some other control in place to thwart them. Even if it means dancing with the Devil, and rooting against the players we'd otherwise root for.

Maybe this stance by NHL fans is the dawn of the unified fan front. Maybe one day, Barry Bonds will play in front of an empty stadium ... you know, besides the one in Miami. Maybe one day, fans won't stand for their team banning fans from an arena but allowing Ron Artest back in.

Anything can happen in sports.

Ask the Bambino's ghost about that.

Random Thoughts

The Heat/Lakers Christmas Day game was the most entertaining regular season NBA game I've seen in years, both for on-the-court feats and off-the-court storylines.

It's amazing that the NBA remains the only league that can consistently market human drama. It goes behind Shaq vs. Kobe — it was also Pat Riley vs. L.A., Dwyane Wade vs. Kobe Bryant ... hell, it was even ketchup vs. mustard from a uniform standpoint. It didn't get any better than that for a basketball game played in December...

Speaking of the NBA: how weak is the Eastern Conference? How about the fact that Vince Carter is second to Shaq in the all-star voting amongst all Eastern players? More votes (938,817) than LeBron James (843,363) and Allen Iverson (825,179). But compare him with the West's top forward, Kevin Garnett (1,142,804). If Vince Carter is a star, what does that make Garnett?

I had high-school girlfriends who teased me less than the New York Jets...

One issue with the Randy Johnson-to-the-Yankees trade that hasn't been resolved: what's the over/under on the number of pigeons he kills in The Bronx next season?

In watching A Christmas Story about a dozen times last weekend, something new occurred to me:

Ralphie's mom is a MILF.

Not for the entire movie. Just that one scene in Ralphie's classroom, after he gets that C+ on his theme essay about the Red Rider B.B. gun. He has that brief daydream about his teacher dressed like the Wicked Witch of the West mocking him. And then he has a second daydream — dare I say, fantasy? — where the witch is joined by his mother, dressed as a court jester. They start singing "You'll shoot your eye out!" and Ralphie's mother has this hazy look on her face, like she just dropped some serious "X." And then she does this little nuzzle against the witch's face while they're singing, and I'm thinking we're finally going to see that long-awaited rendezvous between Margaret Hamilton and Harley Quinn. It was quite erotic.

I nearly shot my eye out...

Finally, I just wanted to extend a big thank you to everyone who has read, published, corresponded with, or simply acknowledged the column this year. The entire "The Jester's Quart" archive can be found on SportsFanMagazine.com's website, and there are a few outstanding pieces from this year that, if you missed them, I hope you'll get a chance to read.

Have a safe and healthy New Year, everyone ... see you after the split national championship.

Oh, and one more thing:

"Do we have any douchebags here tonight? What about dickweeds? Any bottom-feeding scum-suckers? Sir, you can put your hand down now. Sir..."

Greg Wyshynski is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 1:44 PM | Comments (1)

Another Chapter of Colossal Collapses

We all knew it would come down to this somehow. Even after their good starts, even after their big wins two weeks ago, it still comes to their final game. And to make matters worse, the two biggest choking dogs of memories past are inextricably linked in this final Sunday of the NFL season.

The New York Jets play the St. Louis Rams Sunday. A loss would all but send the Jets home with a 10-6 record but out of the playoff mix. A win, and the Jets are in.

What makes this particularly interesting is the way the Vikings fate is tied to the game in St. Louis on Sunday. If the Rams should lose, it would make things significantly easier on the Minnesota Vikings. Win, and the Vikings are in. But a Vikings loss coupled with a Rams win would just about doom Minnesota's playoff chances.

Why all the pessimism, you ask? According to the latest odds, both teams are favored to win, and all four prognosticators from "Inside the NFL" predicted Jets and Vikings victories. But what the likes of Danny Sheridan and Cris Collinsworth fail to comprehend is the stoic collapses these two franchises have enjoyed with regards to the NFL's second season.

Let's delve into the vaunted history of the New York Jets. True, they did win a Super Bowl ... in 1969. Back then, we had put a man on the moon and the Palestinians and Israelis were arguing about occupied territory.

Since then, well the Palestinians and Israelis are still arguing over the same thing and let's just say Stanley Kubrick's vision in 2001: A Space Odyssey is a little off, but come on, 35 years is still a really long time.

The Vikings counter that with being part of an esteemed club, the exclusive four-time Super Bowl losers club. Four times the men in purple have gotten to the big dance, and four times they have come up lame. At least the Jets have one.

True, the Jets retort. But at least the Vikes have gotten to the final game since '69. The Jets have been to two championship games since their Super Bowl season. Once in 1981, when they managed to score a grand total of 0 points to the Dolphins. And another, in 1998, when Denver stormed back from a 10-0 halftime lead to keep the Jets and their fans mired in a familiar state of great disappointments.

Great disappointments, you say? Minnesota counters with their 2000 squad, who seemed destined for the Super Bowl, before scoring getting goose-egged in the Meadowlands.

That team, though, hardly measures up to the colossal collapse of the 1998 Vikings. That year, the Vikings went 15-1 while setting the all-time scoring record for points in one season. If the 2000 team was destined for the Super Bowl, the 1998 one was pre-ordained.

In the championship game, though, the heavily-favored Vikings found themselves in overtime with the Atlanta Falcons. Even so, a Gary Anderson field goal would send them on their way to the big show.

Gary Anderson, who had succeeded on every single field goal and every single extra point for the entire season. Surely, the dependable veteran could be counted on, couldn't he?

Nope! These are the Vikings. He missed, the Falcons won, and Minnesota missed out on their chance to lose in a fifth Super Bowl.

Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat? That's a Jets institution. Remember 1986? Joe Walton's squad looked like money in the bank. A 10-point lead with 4:14 remaining was all that stood between them and the AFC Championship game. But thanks to Mark Gastineau's roughing the quarterback penalty on 2nd-and-24 to keep the Browns' drive alive, it was Cleveland who advanced.

Fast forward to 1997, when the Jets were in Detroit needing a win on the final day of the season to make the playoffs. They looked like they were going to do it, too, until Leon Johnson inked his name into Jets lore with a half-back option pass that was intercepted in the end zone, killing the Jets' fourth quarter drive and their playoff run in the process.

Or how about 2000, when the Jets were again faced with winning on the final day of the season to make the playoffs, in Baltimore. Home of the greatest defense since the '85 Bears. But despite jumping out to a 14-0 lead, and despite amassing 524 total yards offense, and despite only allowing five first downs, the Jets still managed to lose 34-20, ending their season in typical Jet-like fashion. Now that is an organization truly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Oh, contraire mon frere, the Vikings fan would say. Just look at last year, when Minny got out to a 6-0 record, yet needed a win on the final day to go through, on the road, against the 3-12 Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals. The team that annually rivals the Bengals as the worst in the league. Arizona, perennial doormats of the league. Arizona, the Clippers of the NFL. Arizona, who could have sewn up a No. 1 pick with a loss on the final day of the season, were what stood between the Vikings and the playoffs.

And yet, even an 11-point lead with just over two minutes remaining wasn't enough to secure Minnesota a win. Despite allowing a touchdown drive that included two Cardinals fourth down conversions, and a successful onsides kick, the Vikings could still win if they stopped Arizona on the last play of the game from 28 yards out.

But as we all know, the Vikings could not contain the lethal combination of Josh McCown to Nate Poole, and once again, Minnesota added another chapter to an already complete book on implausible finishes.

And now the Vikings' and Jets' hopes rest on the same game. If history is an indicator, there is a better chance that Joe Walton gets re-hired as the Jets head coach, then hires Bruce Coslett as his offensive coordinator, and then brings on Rich Kotite as a consultant, and then there is of the Jets winning Sunday.

It would have been tough enough for the Jets to buck the odds and reverse their own history of repeated failure by conjuring up a win in St. Louis Sunday. But once you hitch Minnesota's wagon to the Jets ambitions, there isn't enough karma in the universe for the gods of retribution to provide a happy ending for either of these two franchises.

Posted by Piet Van Leer at 1:05 PM | Comments (2)