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August 31, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

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Last Year

Typically, an injury hurts a team, but in Pittsburgh's case last season, it allowed them to tryout their rookie quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. All he did after stepped in Week 2 and was re-write all sorts of records and lead the Steelers to a 15-1 record. He was shielded with a confident running game and a stout defense, but come playoff time, those rookie symptoms surfaced against the champions-to-be in the AFC Championship game. While a strong core remains, don't expect the same results.

What We Learned From Last Year

Head coach Bill Cowher's philosophy has always been the same: run the ball and stop the run. It may sound vanilla, but his style of physical football simply pounds teams into the ground.

After Ben Roethlisberger was forced into the lineup, Cowher shielded his young quarterback by putting an even stronger emphasis on the running game. No team attempted as many runs per game and the Steelers averaged more than five more per game than the second closest team.

You're not going to run the ball this well unless you have the offensive line and running backs to do it.

Tackle Marvel Smith, guard Alan Faneca, and center Jeff Hartings led the way and all were recognized for their efforts and received Pro Bowl selections.

Running back Duce Staley was signed to become the feature running back in Pittsburgh and ease the burden of off the aging Jerome Bettis, but the Bus did not fade out. Staley started off strong, racking up 707 rushing yards in the first seven games, but Bettis was sucking up all the goal line carries. He had seven touchdowns in his first 40 carries. When Staley stepped out of the lineup for a few games, Bettis proved that his tank was far from empty, averaging nearly 31 carries per game in the six outings that Staley missed.

While some dubbed the Steelers a temporary flash in the pan, they asserted themselves in Weeks 8-9 when they became the first team to defeat both the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. Granted, they hosted both contests, not only did they blemish the undefeated records of the Patriots and the Eagles, they blew them out of the water.

On defense, their bully-like swagger stemmed from the play of their linebackers. The Steelers have been a linebacker factory for years and last year, Larry Foote and James Harrison emerged. Joey Porter and James Farrior were the regular stalwarts and with a horde of agile linebackers around them, the Steelers entailed the stingiest rush defense.

What was so impressive about the Steelers run was that they did it without one of their key players. Nose tackle Casey Hampton tore his ACL in Week 5, but the Steelers didn't miss a beat.

With such a fluid running game and a solid run defense, a large part of the Steelers' success was their ability to dictate the style of play and to control the clock. Their offense spent more time than any other offense on the field and their defense spent the least.

But with such a reliance on the run, their passing game seemingly lagged behind. The trio of wide receivers, Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, and Antwan Randel El were excellent targets, but were underused. Roethlisberger looked fine in the regular season when he only average 21 pass attempts per game, but he looked like a rookie in the playoffs when he was forced to throw more.

The Steelers have only had three losing seasons during Bill Cowher's tenure, but have yet to win any Super Bowls. Expect more of the same this year.

This Year

The first notable difference will be on the offensive side of the ball as Plaxico Burress has departed via free agency.

He was not a large part of what the Steelers ran on offense, but he did have a big hand in keeping teams honest. If opponents loaded extra defenders in the box, throwing to him was an easy way to deter teams from focusing on the run.

Hines Ward is the best blocking receiver in the NFL and fits this offense perfectly from that standpoint, but he will deal with more coverage this year than ever before. Antwan Randel El is a quick shifty receiver, but is better suited for the slot where he can exploit linebackers or safeties. He will have to face more defensive backs and more jamming at the line of scrimmage as the second receiving option on this team, which is not ideal for him. Rookie tight end Heath Miller should turn out to be an outstanding target, but he does not have the same gears that Tony Gonzalez and Jeremy Shockey. He still has enough speed to exploit linebackers and is too big for defensive backs.

It's hard to imagine the Steelers running the ball with as much success as they did last year. Every team will force — or try to force — them to pass the ball.

Ward is always reliable in traffic, he plays with good size and he is a great route-runner. One thing he is not is a legitimate deep threat. The Steelers are not as much of a threat to stretch the field this year, which means more defenses can key in on the running game.

Roethlisberger will be called upon to throw more this year, but he should be up to the task. At the very least, he will be more prepared for it. He is a big quarterback with decent mobility, he has a very strong arm, and still has a rugged offensive line to protect him. The only thing that hindered him last year was his decision-making late in the season, but that can be expected from a rookie.

The line lost Oliver Ross and Keydrick Vincent, but Kendall Simmons and Max Starks are ready to play. Simmons was the starter last year until a knee injury ended his season.

Jerome Bettis contemplated retirement, but returned for one more year and might get a few early starts. Duce Staley had mid-August knee surgery to repair a lateral meniscus and likely won't be ready for Week 1.

The Steelers wisely spent one of their top draft picks on a cornerback, drafting Bryant McFadden in the second round, as this is an area of concern. Veteran Chad Scott was released after an injury-riddled 2004 season, leaving Willie Williams, Deshea Townsend, and Ricardo Colclough as the team's top three cornerbacks. All three are decent but none are known as shutdown defensive backs.

Joey Porter, Clark Haggans, James Farrior, and Larry Foote return as the starting linebackers and are a very solid unit. Kendrell Bell left as a free agency and his explosiveness will be missed. Depth will be thinner than recent years and it will be tested early if Porter has not recovered from his arthroscopic knee surgery.

Safeties Troy Polamalu and Chris Hope are basically two extra linebackers. Polamalu plays with reckless abandon and is always around the ball. He is not someone wide receivers or quarterbacks look forward to playing against. But as a whole, this defense is not very strong in pass coverage. Teams who can spread them out, such as the Indianapolis Colts, the New England Patriots, or possibly the Cincinnati Bengals will give them trouble.

It is critical for the Steelers to run the ball extremely well because that is how they control the game. If opposing offenses have several opportunities to pass against them, the elite teams will eventually find a way to mismatch a linebacker on a wide receiver.

On the other hand, running the ball against this unit will be a difficult task, especially with Casey Hampton returning to the starting lineup. The former Pro Bowler has looked good in training camp and is one of the best nose tackles in the game. Aaron Smith is perfect for the Steelers at defensive end. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau loves to help out the line and send blitzes from everywhere. He disguises his aggressiveness very well, which is very stressful for offensive lines.

The Steelers rode a very big high last year as confidence was at a peak level with Ben Roethlisberger leading the way. They will be good again this year, but they have downgraded their roster slightly, while their division rivals the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Baltimore Ravens have all improved. Nonetheless, they are among the teams that will battle for a playoff spot.

Over/Under: 9.5

Coming off the heels of a 15-1 season, their strength of schedule should stiffen up. The Steelers will lose more than one road game this season, but Heinz Field remains a tough visit for any opponent. The Steelers play: TEN, @HOU, @SD, JAX, @GB, @IND, CHI, @MIN, and DET. Along with the Baltimore Ravens, they should be considered the front-runners for the AFC North.

Fantasy Sleeper

Depending on how deep your fantasy pool is, rookie tight end Heath Miller may go undrafted. With Plaxico Burress out of town, although the Steelers love to pound the ball, Miller should become a vital red zone option. He is a big target who catches everything thrown his way — perfect for sophomore Ben Roethlisberger.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 2:36 PM | Comments (1)

Unaccountability Leaves Cloud Over MLB

We have finally reached the final stretch of the 2005 Major League Baseball season, where playoff spots are still being wildly contested. Both the National League and the American League wildcards are up for grabs with the Astros and the Yankees respectively holding on for dear life, and the National League East winner is still very much a crapshoot to date, as it remains the most closely-contested division race.

The beginning of the 2005 season, however, began on an ominous note, preceded by a hearing before the House Government Reform Committee of the House of Representatives on March 17, 2005, on Capitol Hill. It was expected to become a part of baseball lore at the time, due to the controversy it stirred concerning MLB and its steroid and banned substances testing program, alone.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and his administrative team and medical advisor appeared. Additionally, high-profile sluggers of the 1990s were sworn in. Mark McGwire, who broke Roger Maris' home run record in 1998, Sammy Sosa, who was in that contest for Maris' record with McGwire and still playing, Frank Thomas, still an active player, Rafael Palmeiro, possible future Hall of Famer, and Jose Canseco, coming off a book tour in which he exposed names of fellow teammates he claimed used anabolic steroids going back to the 1980s, were all questioned. For good measure, outspoken starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Curt Schilling, was also on hand.

Perhaps it was no coincidence that Congress called two of those players accused of using anabolic steroids in Canseco's book, namely McGwire and Palmeiro, to appear on the same panel as Canseco. But maybe even more surprising was who was not called to testify. Both Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees and Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants were not subpoenaed because of a potential conflict of interest Congress feared, in that they were presumed to testify in the BALCO trial in June 2005. Grand Jury testimony of both Giambi and Bonds from December 2003 had been leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle, stating that both had used varying types of anabolic steroids. The BALCO trial never reached fruition, however, as plea deals were made for both Victor Conte and Greg Anderson, both indicted on distributing banned substances connected to the BALCO case.

Since March of 2005, MLB has taken a number of hits along the way, for its supposed unaccountability on behalf of its players using banned substances and the finger pointing testimony of Rafael Palmeiro denying he ever used banned substances. Since that date, he has tested positive. Infinite newspaper articles and sports channel commentaries have been shared with the public all season long, admonishing both MLB, as well as the Major League Baseball Players' Association.

But players associated with illegal drug use such as Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, and now Rafael Palmeiro, have been shielded by the player's union and have hardly done any mea culpas for their behavior. The closest we got to one was when Jason Giambi appeared in a planned press conference in New York in April when he said, "I'm sorry for everything that happened." He went on to include apologizing for his injuries and illnesses over 2003 and 2004 and we can only assume it included his benching himself during the 2003 World Series with a bad knee.

Fans generally want to forgive and forget and get on with the game. However, in the case of Jason Giambi, who signed one of the most lucrative contracts in baseball history to play for the NY Yankees for seven years beginning in 2001, he has not been penalized by Yankees management or MLB for deliberately deceiving the organization and the fans of NY. If his leaked Grand Jury testimony is to be believed, he was injecting anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, as well as a female fertility drug at the time of his contract signing and most probably until early 2004. When he appeared for spring training in 2004, sports analysts estimated he had taken off roughly 35 pounds, although Giambi still in denial, denied that, too.

Most would have lost their jobs for signing a contract under false pretenses. In fact, Giambi's quality of play did not even appear worthy of a major leaguer from 2004 until July 2005. He was hitting .195 in May of 2005. By July, he caught fire with impressive numbers, being named the American League Player of the Month. He hit 14 home runs, had a .974 slugging percentage, a .524 on-base percentage, driving in 24 runs, and lifting his batting average to .286. Unfortunately since then, Giambi cooled off and August has been a struggle for him, once again.

Many in the press thought that Giambi's July would be enough to erase all of his misdeeds. And perhaps if he ends the year with the numbers he generated in July, that will be the case. But hardcore fans remain disappointed and with the continual excuses made for multi-millionaire ballplayers who actually do owe something to the communities for which they play. Rather than the arrogance we have seen from Rafael Palmeiro since it was revealed he failed his drug test, showing use of an anabolic steroid not found in supplements or energy drinks, we have now heard that the test must have been wrong. It was a setup, some have said. Even when caught, MLB players cannot be humble.

Never mind the Hall of Fame, now, how about some accountability? If the drug test is to be questioned, perhaps as was suggested by Congressmen in March, MLB should use the same non-affiliated testing lab used by the U.S. Olympic Committee. But given the hubris of MLB, the MLBPA, and its players, even then positive results will be doubted. As long as positive drug test results can be dismissed by players, doubted in the headlines by the press and penalties to players so meager, such as the 10-day suspension served by Palmeiro, MLB will continue to have a public relations cloud over its head. For once, it would be nice for players to just do the right thing, without needing to have consequences hanging over their heads.

We can only hold our collective breaths, though, as Mark McGwire refused to answer questions by Congress regarding use of banned substances and Rafael Palmeiro has been advised by legal counsel not to address his positive test, especially while Congress investigates whether or not he perjured himself during testimony.

Whether Jose Canseco's revelations in his book are to be believed or not along with the San Francisco Chronicle's report, rest assured that if they did not exist, that neither the Congress nor MLB would have even entered a dialog about use of illegal substances and that MLB would continue to blame the MLBPA for less than stringent drug testing in baseball. It's now time for all parties including players to cowboy-up. They owe at least that much to the integrity of the game of baseball, not to mention its fans.

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 2:18 PM | Comments (4)

What's in a Name?

I forgot something last night.

It's one of those things that rowels you to lie awake in your bed for hours, all glossy-eyed as you stare at the ceiling, raking your head for that one ... piece ... of ... information.

You figure that tomorrow won't be right without the news because goshdarnit, it's important!

I laid on my back for what seemed an eternity, and that "something" I happened to forget quickly managed to change into "something" I hated. I eventually fell into a subconscious daze until the sunlight rushed into my dorm windows at 6:43 AM.

I checked the computer and, well ... the "something" that I forgot was John R. Wooden. Yes, I flunked on basketball's most respected and honored man, ever.

All last night, I ran through the Nelson basketball file from the day before: Carmello Anthony, Latrell Sprewell, George Karl, Bob Huggins (again), Michael Finley (again), Brandon Rush (finally!). Still nothing. It was painful. It was downright embarrassing. It was vexing and troublesome.

And the worst part of it all: forgetting Wooden was far too simple.

"Shocked and saddened."

"I must withdraw my support."

"The club has a legal duty to defend its trademarks."

"I'm feeling better than I have a right to feel at my age."

"I never say never."

Last night, soundbites ran through my brain as if my ears were L.A. and New York and everything in between was Route 66. They came with enough frequency to convince me of my thought's legitimacy, but also continued to remind me of my inadequate memory.

Suddenly, it would fly in one ear ... and I'd lose it again out the other.

I started calling the soundbites demons.

And, of course, the demons didn't stop there. All the while, they sat on my shoulder, whispering I was crazy. They said I was looking for nothing. That I was squeezing my brain because of psychological insecurity. They said I wasted time.

That I worried about nothing.

The demons came at the most random moments. They tormented me because I knew that I once knew. I understood that I once understood. I recognized that I once recognized.

But why all this worrying in the first place? Why then? What for?

Looking back, the answer is obvious: I should've paid more attention in class.

It's one of the (seemingly 50) Elements of News journalists are taught over and over until their brains practically ooze the five, six, and 10 o'clock newscasts.

It's called prominence.

John R. Wooden is a name recognized by the sport unconscious as well as sports cognoscenti's. Wooden's name is in the news solely because his name is Wooden. He, quite simply, is prominent.

That's why I couldn't quite remember, but still had the nagging demons running through my head.

Is it really top news that Wooden won't present the eponymic collegiate player of the year award? The legend will be 95-years-old when March roles around again. He's got to call it quits sometime. We all knew that.

Heck, the award's name isn't going to change or anything!

If the award was named after anyone else, money says ESPN wouldn't even mention it.

So when I saw that computer this morning, I could only think one thing: those demons weren't really demonic.

They were trying to warn me. I worried about nothing.

Posted by Ryne Nelson at 2:03 PM | Comments (0)

August 30, 2005

Five Picks to Click to in 2005

During the college football season, every fan circles specific games to either watch or be in the crowd for. Whether it's a rivalry, a visit from a historic program, or the possibility of catching a glimpse of that one superstar player, the national schedule offers great viewing for people of all ages. And, of course, there are several matchups each year that will decide conference titles and BCS hopes. Of the 1,300+ contests slated for 2005, here are my picks for the five games to watch throughout the season.

Boise State @ Georgia (September 3rd)

It's the classic case of flash-in-the-pan battling the historic juggernaut. Just like Gonzaga has done in basketball, the Broncos have turned their mid-major football program into a successful entity. Now comes the next step — playing at a shrine to the game in front of a national audience. Boise State has an opportunity to be a fly in the BCS ointment this year. Defeating the Bulldogs in Athens would make a huge statement.

Florida @ LSU (October 15th)

This is a potential preview of the SEC Championship Game. Both teams have a potential hurdle when they host Tennessee, but homefield will give the Gators and Tigers an edge. It will be interesting to see how QB Chris Leak will handle the Bayou fury this time around. Remember, he did throw for 230 yards, 2 TDs, and no picks against LSU as a freshman.

The twist to this story lies in the new head coaches to this rivalry. Les Miles has proven capable of beating the big team while at Oklahoma State. Urban Meyer vaulted to a higher plane with those Mid-Major vs. Monster upsets during his days at Utah. It should be interesting to see which coach will thrive in this new pressure situation.

Miami @ Virginia Tech (November 5th)

With no disrespect towards Virginia or Georgia Tech, this game will determine who plays in the first ACC Championship game. Two of the new kids on the block, the Hurricanes and Hokies, have surely proved their worth to the conference. Question is, can the rest of the ACC catch up? Even with both teams introducing new starting quarterbacks, the talent level is high enough to take them past the rest of their division.

And who could be right there to face one of these former Big East squads in Jacksonville? How about fellow alum Boston College? Hey, it could happen.

Texas A&M @ Oklahoma (November 12th)

This may be the most important game of the 2005 season for both teams, even though it won't be as publicized as the more famous Red River Rivalry. The Aggies could be undefeated (5-0) in the Big 12 heading into showdowns with the other three powers of the South Division. A win at Texas Tech should set up this opportunity for A&M to rise above "darkhorse" or "spoiler" status.

If the Sooners continue their dominance of Texas in the Cotton Bowl, then head coach Dennis Francione and QB Reggie McNeal might be the last hurdle on the way to another conference title game. However, A&M has the confidence to hang with OU after last season seven-point loss. Don't expect a 77-0 shellacking in Norman this year.

Ohio State @ Michigan (November 19th)

It's an annual battle for the Big 10 title is usually a heavyweight prizefight. This year, though, the Buckeyes and Wolverines game might look more like a season finale of the reality show "The Contender." Both teams are loaded. Michigan boasts an offense including RB Mike Hart and QB Chad Henne, while Ohio State features their swarming defense (led by LB A.J. Hawk) and playmaker Ted Ginn, Jr.

If tradition and talent holds, these two should duke it out for a trip to the BCS. However, Purdue and, more importantly, Iowa, will have a say in that outcome.

No matter how important these games become over the long haul, one thing should stand the test of upsets in this regular season. Each one of these five battles should be what college football fans love — nip and tuck.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 6:24 PM | Comments (0)

A New Hope in the Madden Challenge

It seems tough today to find a true sports hero who actually can wag his finger and mean it, so I've decided that the country needs another underdog story, hence the following transcription of a recent press conference.

Moderator: Members of the press, thank you for coming. We will have a brief statement, and then open it up for questions. Ladies and gentlemen, Mark Chalifoux.

(thunderous applause)

Thank you, than-

(interrupted by more thunderous applause)

(laughing) Thank you all for coming today. I'm here today to start a journey. A journey that will encompass more than has ever been attempted by modern man. A journey that will forever be remembered as the singular act that turned the scales of fate in favor of man. A journey that will be remembered as the day the world learned to love again.

I'm here because we need a hero. Too often today, our heroes are tainted and we find ourselves hesitant to believe in someone and even more hesitant to believe in greatness. Also, too often, even in the most heart warming sports stories, it always seems as if someone from the lower class rises above to achieve greatness. Even the great sports movies have the same theme, from Cinderella Man to Rudy to Coach Carter, it's always a rags to riches story. While noble, I ask you, where is the middle class hero? That is why I am here.

I'm here today to announce that I am entering the EA Sports 2005 Madden Challenge. I will be playing on October 23rd at 12 PM. I will be battling 511 other competitors before advancing to the finals in Honolulu, where I will win the championship and the $100K grand prize. The prize money will then be split between several charities, including the Pat Tillman Foundation, Warrick Dunn's Homes For the Holidays, the Live Strong campaign, and Habitat for Humanity. It's going to be a battle of wits, skill, and endurance. But I am not here to fail, I will become the champion.

Moderator: Questions, please.

Mark, the tournament is played on Madden '06, how familiar are you with this year's game?

Uh, good question, good question. I am very familiar with the game. I know it had the best first week of the Madden franchise and I know it's a big hit with people. What I am not familiar with is playing the game. I don't own a copy, so that will present a difficulty, but I was looking for a challenge. If I wanted to do something easy, I'd walk down to the end of the driveway and get the mail. But that won't make me a champion.

And that being said, remember, I owned the college ranks. As you can see in that sheet you were all given when you arrived, I lead Notre Dame to three national titles in College Football 2005. I also resurrected the Kentucky program and brought them a Heisman trophy winner and to a BCS bowl in my first year there. If that's not enough, I took a garbage Alabama team to the national title game in my first season there, and proceeded to win one title and head to two BCS bowls over the next three years. So my track record as a coach is there, and I think my utter dominance on the college stage will translate to the next level.

Mark, this is an Xbox tournament, do you have an Xbox?

No, no I don't. That will be another hurdle to overcome, but one that I welcome. I will have to become familiar with the system through marathon training sessions with my trainer, Nick Hughes, and by playing at store display systems at Best Buy. It is a setback, but it just forces me to get creative. And if there's one thing I can do, it's, uh, be creative.

How important is the mental aspect to this matchup?

Well, they don't allow trash-talking, which hurts a major part of my game. I think that, uh, mentally, I'm stronger than the other contestants. I am an excellent coach and a defensive genius. My game plans rival the best that is out there. Also, I think that the mental side is what gives me the advantage. The mental endurance it takes to ride out 511 other competitors is what sets me apart.

And let's face it, this is a thinking man's game. Some of our greatest leaders on planet Earth owe this game for what they have today, that's just a fact. And again, this just forces me to be creative. I don't know who I will be playing on October 23rd, so I have to go through the next few weeks like I'm playing everyone I see. I can't wait to trash-talk until I know who I am playing, because then it's too late, so I have to trash talk everyone I come in contact with before the tournament, because that's the best shot I have to get in their heads. Any collateral damage there is just a hazard of being a champion, I suppose.

I have to know, how do you plan to prepare for this tournament?

There is so much more to this than being the best at manipulating a controller. I know to win I have to be at my strongest mentally, psychologically, physically, and uh, did I say mentally? If not, then I must be at my strongest mentally. Uh, what was the question?

How do you plan to prepare for this tournament?

Okay, okay, fair question. I plan to be in the best physical shape of my life. Rather than boxing myself up in a room and playing until October, I plan on becoming stronger in other areas. When it comes down to it, my opponent will have the edge on familiarity with the system and game, so I have to make sure I have the advantage in the other categories.

I'm going to be doing a lot of running, thinking, pushups, and then, of course, some game-planning and game-playing.

Also, I heard you learn a lot by failing. So I'm going to fail at some things.

What's the key for you to make it to Honolulu?

The key for me will be playing a smart game. So many players out there just try to score quickly, so I think I'm going to slow down the tempo. With only two-minute quarters, I think a good ball control offense will be crucial in the upset. Let's face it, kids these days just don't know how to control the ball, they just want to get in, score, get out. And to me, that strategy is just backwards. To me, defense begins with my offense. The longer they are on the field, the less defense I have to play. And also remember, I made my career on defense. I will be just fine.

What team are you looking at selecting?

I'm thinking of taking someone ranked outrageously high, like New England. They have the defense to compete, they have the offense to chew up clock time, and they have a good running back, which is crucial. My running game isn't where it needs to be, I'm a West Coast guy, so having a back that can step in from day one and make a difference is important. I'm also looking at Atlanta, because they have some good weapons offensively and I'm sure Michael Vick is overrated. I'm also looking at Indy because of the ridiculous passing attack, which is important if I fall behind.

With such little experience, how do you plan to compete in this tournament?

I have no experience in Xbox or Madden '06, but know this: I have more experience as a competitor than anyone I will face October 23. I am a competitor, I compete every day. I think my experience competing in other facets of life is what makes me such a dangerous wildcard, and, dare I say, the favorite. I know how to adapt and I know how to win under many different situations, many of which I expect to face October 23rd. I will be able to deal with that, but will the other 511 guys? I say no.

Also, let me ask you this. How much experience did Christopher Columbus have in finding America before it happened? How much experience did Jesus have in turning water into wine before he did it? How much experience did General George Washington have in fighting off the British? I mean, if you look at it, maybe history is trying to tell us something. Maybe experience is the worst thing to have before trying to accomplish something outrageous. Maybe my lack of experience is what makes me the favorite. I don't know, I'm not a doctor.

With such a growing abuse of steroids and other performance enhancers in competitive sports, before fans can invest in you, they have to know, are you clean?

I'm cleaner than the bald guy on those bottles of soap, and If I'm not mistaken, his name is Mr. Clean. So you get the picture. Parents can feel safe when their kids put posters of me up on their walls. Kids can feel safe in buying Mark Chalifoux apparel on eBay. Most importantly, know this — I will never embarrass the sport in front of Congress. Period. We have time for one more.

Where do you see yourself at the end of the day on October 23rd?

I see myself at Friday's in Covington, OH, on the river, at the celebration party. And more importantly, I see myself standing as the champion over 511 other competitors, and getting ready to conquer the world at Honolulu. With all of you behind me, there's no way I can fail. Eye to eye with the other competitors, I don't have much of an advantage, but standing on the shoulders of my supporters, I cannot be defeated. Thank you all.

The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. BetOnSports.com gives you the greatest sports action to bet on. Wager on football, cricket, boxing, Rugby, horse racing, and more. 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 6:06 PM | Comments (1)

August 29, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Philadelphia Eagles

Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com

Last Year

After three NFC championships and no Super Bowls, it was obvious that the Philadelphia Eagles needed a spark, an inspiration, or a player to put them over the top. Enter Terrell Owens. The marriage was celebrated and the honeymoon lasted throughout the year for the Eagles as they finally surpassed that championship barrier that some thought they would never overcome. Then came the champs. Expectations are once again high in Philadelphia — what else is new?

What We Learned From Last Year

Pop quiz: who was the last Eagles receiver to accumulate over 1,000 yards receiving prior to Terrell Owens?

You give up?

His name was Irving Fryar, you may have heard of him. That was way back in 1997, meaning Donovan McNabb had yet to play with top-notch receivers before Owens arrived.

Torrance Small, Charles Johnson, James Thrash, and Antonio Freeman are a few names McNabb has become familiar, with but none came close to Owens' caliber.

"McNabb isn't a pocket passer and he can't make accurate throws" were the type of criticisms you could regularly hear about him, but all of those little nitpicks dissipated now that he was playing catch not only with someone reliable, but with someone who could made him look good. He output his best season as a pro.

The biggest surprise was that it took the Eagles so long to get a primetime player in the passing game, particularly since head coach Andy Reid loves to emphasize the pass so much.

The influence of Owens was immeasurable and the momentum the team gained with a renewed confidence allowed them to blaze through a weak NFC.

For some reason, the Eagles don't like to run the ball. They are capable of it, they just don't do it. In the past two seasons, they only have 793 carries, which ranks at the bottom of the league with the likes of St. Louis and Detroit.

The common thought used to be that Duce Staley wasn't durable enough to handle the load, and once he left, it became that Brian Westbrook wasn't strong enough to do it either.

The Eagles supplement their lack of a traditional running game with short/intermediate passes which act like running plays. Westbrook's 73 receptions were second on the team only to Owens last year.

That works, but a regular running game would keep their defense fresh and improve their 26th-ranked time of possession. Their defense spends too much time on the field — that doesn't happen to New England.

Jevon Kearse was the defense's prized signing last season, but battled injuries throughout his first year in Philadelphia. His effect waned as the season progressed. Hugh Douglas made his way back to Philadelphia, but he proved to be more of a part-time player at defensive end.

But quarterback pressure rarely failed as Jim Johnson and his aggressive scheming led to 47 sacks with 15 different players registering at least one.

All the blitzing did not affect the two young cornerbacks, Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, who took over after the departure of veterans Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent. Sheppard went to the Pro Bowl and Brown could have been there, as well. It also helped to have third-year strong safety Michael Lewis and veteran free safety Brian Dawkins at the backend. Both also went to the Pro Bowl.

The Eagles have come off looking like geniuses with their defensive personnel moves such as cutting ties with Vincent, Taylor, and Douglas, but one move that they regretted was losing linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to the Washington Redskins in 2002. He returned to the Eagles last year and was injected into the starting lineup midseason. It didn't take him long to regain his Pro Bowl form and strengthen a weak run defense.

There is no question that the Eagles were the class of the NFC and still are the best this conference has to offer, but their path to the Super Bowl will not be as easy in 2005.

This Year

For a team that went to the Super Bowl and boasted 10 Pro Bowlers, not much needs to change.

Another wide receiver on offense and an imposing running game would be nice, but neither is likely to happen.

Terrell Owens has made a circus of the Eagles offseason, but not to worry, winning cures all sorts of infections. Will Owens ever be happy? Probably not, but he loves attention, which is not as readily available in the offseason.

Once the season gets going and he catches two touchdowns Week 1 against Atlanta in primetime, he'll feel a little better.

Losing Todd Pinkston to a season-ending injury stings a little bit, but he is barely an adequate starter. He is easily pushed around and hates contact. Greg Lewis suffers from the same symptoms, but he is a bit stronger.

Pinkston may not be very good, but he is familiar with the intricacies of the offense. Even though Reggie Brown is a rookie, once he learns the offense, there won't be much of a drop-off with him in the starting lineup. After all, Pinkston only caught 36 passes and one touchdown last year. No defense cared about him.

McNabb really zoned in on Owens last year, but expect him to spread the ball around some more this year. L.J. Smith is ready to breakout and can help keep attention off of Owens, while Greg Lewis should have an increased role if he polishes his route-running.

The running game will be the same — especially since Correll Buckhalter will miss another year with a knee injury. The Eagles are usually playing with the lead, so it would be nice for them to have a steady running game to lean on to wear the clock.

The offensive line is still a quality unit, but is definitely weaker than it has been in recent years. Second-year lineman Shawn Andrews will slide into the vacancy left my Jermaine Mayberry, but is coming off a season-ending leg injury. Andrews is a converted tackle and so is guard Artis Hicks and center Hank Fraley. Tackles Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are still Pro Bowl-caliber, but there is little depth behind the starters.

The Eagles did not retain a couple of key players on their defense that they will have to replace.

Since Hugh Douglas is more of a situational pass-rusher and Derrick Burgess has fled to Oakland, the Eagles will go with N.D. Kalu as the starter opposite of Jevon Kearse. Burgess began to blossom last season and Kalu is returning from a serious knee injury, so there will be a noticeable difference in production at this position. 2003 first-round draft pick Jerome McDougle was shot in the offseason and his status is unclear.

The Eagles have a stockpile of players at tackle including Darwin Walker, Sam Rayburn, Hollis Thomas, and rookie first-round selection Mike Patterson. Corey Simon was just released. He was franchise-tagged and was unhappy without a long-term deal.

Walker is very active and are tough to block. Rayburn and Thomas are backups, but are excellent against the run. This is a very deep unit.

If there was a chink in the armor, it might be the linebacking corps. Trotter returns and will start from the beginning of the season while Keith Adams and Dhani Jones will man the outside positions. Keith Adams came to light late in the season while filling in for Mark Simoneau, who he continues to battle with for playing time. This grouping has a lot of speed, but cannot afford to lose Trotter for any period of time. Ike Reese went to the Pro Bowl as a special teams specialist, but signed with Atlanta in the offseason.

Even though a few NFC teams have closed the gap somewhat, the Eagles remain the best team in the conference. Another receiving weapon outside of Owens would really put this team over the top, but until that happens, they are still a step behind the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots.

Over/Under: 11.5

You might laugh, but the NFC East has improved in the offseason. The Cowboys have revamped their roster while the Giants are slowly growing. They may not start 13-1 again, but they are still a lock for the playoffs. They play: @ATL, SF, OAK, @KC, SD, @DEN, GB, SEA, @STL, and ARZ.

Fantasy Sleeper

L.J. Smith is not going to be among the first wave of tight ends taken off the board, but he should be a valuable fantasy contributor. Chad Lewis is not around to take catches away and without any proven receivers aside from Owens, Smith could see a fair share of passes.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 5:40 PM | Comments (0)

The Fictional Terrell Owens Interview

Terrell, thanks for sitting down for this interview. Could you please stop with the sit-ups already?

T.O.: "First of all, it's Ter-rell, not Ter-rell. Hey, and the same rules that apply to my coaches apply to you — don't speak to me unless I speak to you. Okay? You may speak.

Does your agent, Drew Rosenhaus, live with you? It seems as though you can't do an interview without him on the couch beside you.

T.O.: "No, he doesn't live with me. He does rent my pool house, though. He's out there doing laundry right now."

Yours or his?

T.O.: "T.O. doesn't do his own laundry."

Did you two negotiate over rental costs?

T.O.: "Oh yeah. I started out asking $1,800 a month. Somehow, Drew got me down to $250."

Let's get right to the point. Why were you suspended for a week by Andy Reid?

T.O.: "It's simple. Coach Reid confronted me in practice and spoke to me without me speaking to him first. I let him know how I felt. He said, 'Shut up.'" I said, "You shut up. Nobody tells me to shut up except for my grandmother." He said, "Save the drama for your grandmomma." That's when I walked away. Coach told me not to come back for a week."

If you would have told your grandmother to shut up, what would have happened?

T.O.: "She would have tanned my hide with a hickory stick."

So, what gives you the right to tell Andy Reid to shut up?

T.O.: "He's not my grandmother, is he?"

When your grandmother told you to shut up, did you ever listen?

T.O.: "No, but she was hard of hearing, so she never knew."

That explains a lot. What about the story about the medical waiver you supposedly signed for the Super Bowl? The Eagles' organization claims to have no knowledge of it. Did it exist?

T.O.: "Of course it existed. I drew it up myself. I even had it notarized by the manager at a local Burger King. Are medical waivers written on a napkin legally binding?

I think about as binding as a seven-year, $49 million dollar contract, at least as far as you're concerned. What makes you so quick to want out of a contract you signed a little over a year ago?

T.O.: "What makes you so sure I signed that contract? I sign my names so many times every day I can't keep up with it. As far as I know, Eagles management asked me for an autograph and had me sign a contract, without me knowing it. Who are you going to believe, me or them? Next thing you know, they'll have you believing I pulled a Sharpie pen out of my sock and signed a football in the middle of a game."

But you did do that.

T.O.: "Yeah, I know. But I just made $10K to say 'Sharpie.'"

Speaking of Sharpie, will you sign this Jeff Garcia jersey for me?

T.O.: "No, thanks."

How about this Donovan McNabb jersey?

T.O.: "Nope."

You seem to have problems with quarterbacks who wear No. 5, especially those that throw you touchdown passes.

T.O.: "I'll sign that Kerry Collins jersey for you, though. Then I'll bad-mouth him behind his back."

T.O., do you have any friends?

T.O.: "Three: me, myself, and I."

That's great. I bet by season's end, you'll be feuding with "myself" and "I."

T.O.: "Okay, I'll play along. I'll probably accuse "myself" of being gay and "I" of being a hypocrite."

Dang, T.O., you haven't been this funny since you imitated Ray Lewis' dance last year.

T.O.: "Thank you."

On the subject of end zone celebrations, do you have any classics planned this year?

T.O.: "Let's see. Week 1 in Atlanta you'll see me do the 'Dirty Eagle' dance. Week 3 when we host the Raiders, in honor of Randy Moss and the Raiders, I'll present my 'Moon Shot, Bong Hit' celebratory dance. Then I'll walk off the field, get in my car, and run down a parking attendant. That may take some practice. Week 5 in Dallas I'll sign the Cowboy star at mid-field. Of course, there will be the usual improvisations and ad libs throughout the year."

I can't wait. T.O., as you know, fantasy football is huge today. What do you have to say to owners who shied away from drafting you?

T.O.: "Suckers. That's why they call it 'fantasy,' because otherwise these so-called owners couldn't manage their own pathetic checkbooks."

So are you predicting a bigger year than last year?

T.O.: "I'm looking at 20 touchdowns, provided the groin holds up, Roy Williams doesn't horse-collar tackle me, and I play 16 games."

Let's say you get those 20 TDs. Will you demand a new contract next year?

T.O.: "Do you really need me to answer that?"

T.O., earlier this year in the midst of your conflict with the Eagles, you compared yourself to Jesus. Do you regret making those statements?

T.O.: Look, I'm not saying I'm Jesus. He's never scored a touchdown in his life. I can't walk on water, but I'm a pretty decent barefoot waterskier. I'm no prophet, but I'm looking to make a profit. So, we do have a lot in common. I'm sure in some bible somewhere, it says 'Thou shalt not hateth the player; hateth the game.'"

Wow, that was a butchering of bible-speak of hellish proportions. I'm impressed. Can we expect a rap album soon?

T.O.: "Has a professional athlete ever released a rap album worth a damn? I don't think so. I would say the 'Super Bowl Shuffle' is the best rap by athletes in the last 20 years, or history, for that matter."

T.O., you played college football at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, the Moccasins. What is the mascot? A snake or a shoe?

T.O.: "I think it's an Indian."

Why did you choose to play at UTC?

T.O.: Well, I think UTC was the only school that recruited me. I really wanted to play in the Southeastern Conference, though.

Because an SEC school would have been close to your home in Alexander City, Alabama?

T.O.: "Yeah, that and I hear SEC schools pay the most. But I guess I didn't need to make a name for myself in college. I came into my own in the pros."

What did you study at UTC?

T.O.: "I majored in Anti-Sociology and minored in Human Relations.

What was it like beginning your career playing with Jerry Rice?

T.O.: "Who?"

Jerry Rice. The greatest receiver in the game.

T.O.: "Oh, that Jerry Rice. Jerry taught me humility, compassion, honesty, and a lot of other respectable human qualities that I've failed to utilize."

T.O., what would you like to accomplish in your career to make it complete?

T.O.: "Well, of course I'd like to carry the Eagles to their first Super Bowl. And to be the game's highest-paid receiver would mean a lot as well. It almost embarrasses me to say '$49 million' when I know that Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss make more."

It would pain me, as well, to only make $49 million. I'd be happy with two of those six zeroes.

T.O.: "Okay. Here's a dollar. That gives you two zeroes, plus a decimal. Who says I'm not generous?"

That's mighty kind of you, T.O. Any last words?

T.O.: "No words, just stats. 94 receptions, 1,448 yards, 20 touchdowns. See you in Detroit, then I'll see you in Honolulu."

Also, see Jeffrey Boswell's fictional Randy Moss interview.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 4:58 PM | Comments (2)

How Golf Can Attract New Players

According to the National Golf Federation, there are fewer golfers today than there were four years ago. While someone with a political slant could blame the President, there really is no easy explanation for the downturn in the numbers of golfers nationwide. It does seem like a strange coincidence, though, that the peak in golf participation coincided with the peak of Tiger Woods’ dominance on the PGA Tour.

Regardless of what has triggered the dip in golfing, the NGF estimates that two out of every three people who take up the game wind up quitting. This is good news for people who are familiar with the book "How To Quit Golf," but is disconcerting to those of us who always seem to be looking for a second, third, and/or fourth. The whole point of the game, after all, is to have a good time with friends and get some exercise and drinking in at the same time.

As it turns out, the NGF speculates that many people quit the game because it can be very difficult to get from Point A, starting to learn the game, to Point B, getting drunk on the course with your buddies. And it may very well be that process that is holding back the expansion of golf.

First, golf is an expensive game. It can cost over $1,000 just to get the appropriate equipment between buying irons, woods, a putter, balls, shoes, a bag, a glove, a towel, and other accessories. Then you have to learn how to play. That will usually cost a hefty sum in lessons because even the cheapest teachers make over $40 per hour. Then you have to practice what you learn by hitting at the driving range, which consumes time and money. Oh, and you have to buy a collared shirt and nice pants to even get on a golf course.

Even if you can manage to afford the small debt, the game is time-consuming. On average, a round can take nearly five hours to play. For the obsessive golfer, that is no problem. The more golfing they can do, the better it is. But, for the average person with a life, a job, and a family, it can be very difficult to find five consecutive open hours for a round. Practicing takes even more time and is absolutely necessary if you want to save yourself embarrassment of topping the ball on the first tee.

Oh, and on top of all that, it can be difficult to learn golfing protocol. After all, unless you know someone who plays golf often, it is tough to find courses to play. Hell, most people have difficulty making a tee time their first time. Then you have to learn golf course etiquette and customs. And, as an inexperienced player, you are often subject to the gripes and ribs of more experienced and less tolerant older players.

Golfing is frustration for most, but for beginners, there is an extra layer of annoyance that may be driving new players away for good. So, what do we do about it?

Well, it seems like there needs to be a comprehensive strategy to encourage golfers through the learning curve. There needs to be more done than having athletes and celebrities to tell Americans to play golf. We need to hold the hands of new golfers, show them how easy it is to access the game, and make sure that it can be as affordable as possible.

My idea is that we develop something along the lines of "The First Tee" program for adults. "The First Tee" gives children discounted access to facilities, equipment, and lessons to learn the game. This allows children the opportunity to foster a lifelong love for the game at a young age. The problem, though, is that most people do not decide to be interested in learning the game until their 20s.

The similarities between the finances of children and of young adults fresh out of college are astounding. There is a reason college kids drink Milwaukee's Best and it is not for the taste. Golf must be made fun, cheap, and accessible — like cheap beer — in order for young adults to take hold of the game. Free clinics, discounts as golf courses, and driving ranges for newcomers, and even golfing leagues at public courses could make this happen.

The USGA and PGA of America could team up to make this a reality. They already do much to help get support for the game. Now it is time, though, to take those efforts to a new set of people and begin to cultivate the next generation of golfers. After all, what good is a golf course if it is empty?

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 4:37 PM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Oakland Raiders

Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com

Last Year

Good idea: signing Kerry Collins, hiring Norv Turner as your head coach, and then winning two of the first three games to start the season. Bad idea: having the worst running game, having the third-worst total defense, and winning only three more games the rest of the way. Last year, the Raiders manned a decrepit pirate ship, but with a few renovations in the offseason and a new captain, the black and silver are sailing in the right direction.

What We Learned From Last Year

There is no question that Norv Turner is one of the more creative offensive minds in the NFL, but even his scheming couldn't make up for the lack of playmakers on the Raiders' roster.

While Raider Nation wanted to select wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald with their first overall draft pick in 2004 to fill that exact need, management made the smart decision by drafting offensive tackle Robert Gallery instead.

Gallery was NFL-ready from the get-go and quickly developed into a key constituent on the offensive line.

In training camp, Kerry Collins and Rich Gannon battled for the starting quarterback job. Gannon, the incumbent, ended up winning the role, but would relinquish the responsibility after a rough Derrick Brooks hit in the open field ended his season.

As Collins stepped into the lineup, the offense was forced to morph because his strengths are the weaknesses of Gannon, and vice-versa. Collins had a stronger arm and much better downfield accuracy, but struggled on short passes. Gannon was the opposite.

The statistics indicate that the Raiders were eighth overall in passing offense, but that doesn't mean their air attack thrived. Rather, it is more of an indication that they simply couldn't accomplish anything on the ground.

Receivers Jerry Porter, Doug Gabriel, and Ronald Curry all posted career-highs for receiving yards and touchdowns, but the running game couldn't find anyone nearly as reliable to emerge.

The combination of the Raiders top three running backs, free agent signing Amos Zereoue, Tyrone Wheatley, and Zack Crockett, didn't even amount to 1,000 yards together, leaving the Raiders as one of only two teams to average less than 90 yards rushing per game.

As for the defense, it was not much more palatable.

They made the transition to a 3-4 last season, but it was far from successful. Usually, when a team switches to the 3-4, it is because of a surplus of talent at linebacker and a shortage of talent on the defensive line.

Although the Raiders signed tackles Warren Sapp and Ted Washington in the offseason, there were still shortages both on the line and in the linebacking corps.

They experimented by placing Sapp at defensive end, a position he was never suited for or capable of, and second-year defensive end Tyler Brayton at linebacker. Washington was perfect for the nose tackle role, but his age (36) was an obvious factor at times.

Danny Clark, Napolean Harris, and Tim Irons were the main linebackers, none of which threatened opponents.

Sacks were a novelty for this defense as they only finished with 25 (second-lowest total in NFL). The highest single total was four, posted by rookie tackle Tommy Kelley.

With no running game and no ability to stop opponents, the Raiders defense was on the field more than any other defense in the NFL last year (33:13 minutes per game).

You can only imagine what happened to the secondary after all the other components of the defense failed.

Charles Woodson was avoided by most opposing quarterbacks, but aside from him, there wasn't much anyone to shy aware from in a secondary that allowed 245.2 passing yards per game.

Considering the Raiders only sent one player to the Pro Bowl, punter Shane Lechler, it's obvious they had work to do in the offseason.

This Year

Don't ask what you can do for Randy Moss, ask what Randy Moss can do for you.

Remember when Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat? Sure, the Los Angeles Lakers got three quality starters in return, but the intangibles of the one superstar outweighed the total value of the players headed in return.

That is what Randy Moss will do for the Raiders.

His arrival instantaneously makes Oakland's offense one of the premier units in the league. He is impossible to single cover, which means that a safety or a second defensive back must be in the vicinity at all times. Then you factor in Jerry Porter, a quick and tough Pro Bowler-to-be, and two receivers that are still maturing, Ronald Curry and Doug Gabriel, and the Raiders passing game will be a serious problem for any secondary.

The league's worst-ranked running game finally gets a young stud in LaMont Jordan, who is capable of supplying a fluid running attack. He has breakaway speed, he has adequate power to bulldoze defensive backs, and his running lanes will be wide open since the passing game will have to get so much attention.

Kerry Collins often takes a lot of flack as a starting quarterback, but with adequate protection, he is capable of taking a team to the Super Bowl. When it comes to throwing downfield, he is a top-three quarterback.

Good thing the Raiders drafted Gallery instead of Fitzgerald a year ago because it is evident that their receiving corps is stocked, but their offensive line would be thin without Gallery. He and Barry Sims are team's best and will man the two tackle positions. The middle of the line has talent, but is under construction.

Jake Grove will start at center this year, his natural position in college, but Brad Badger and Langston Walker, the team's two guards, are better built for the tackle position. Nonetheless, they are strong enough to keep Collins out of harms way.

After the secondary was shredded to bits last year and starting cornerback Phillip Buchanon was traded to Houston, the Raiders needed to replace some bodies. They spent their top two selections in the draft picking up cornerbacks Fabian Washington and Stanford Routt in the first two rounds of the draft.

Washington is expected to battle former first-rounder Nnamdi Asomugha for the starting job and Washington has the type of skill to make a very smooth transition to the NFL. There haven't been many bad things to say about Asomugha in his two years in the league, but he is still a bit raw. Depending on how quickly he or Washington can develop into legitimate starters will go a long way in determining the success of this team.

If the cornerbacks are comfortable in man-to-man, the front seven may have some more time to work out its kinks.

Derrick Burgess and Bobby Hamilton will man the ends on the line which should create some more pressure than last year. It appears as though defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is intent on keeping Sapp at the end position. A 4-3 scheme would make much more sense for this defense since Sapp could play alongside Ted Washington at tackle instead of being out of place at end.

The linebacking corps is simply brutal for the Raiders, which doesn't bode well for their 3-4 defense.

Danny Clark is the best they have to offer, but a complement for him would be that he is consistent. Tyler Brayton will see more time at outside linebacker this year, but as a former defensive end, he has yet to look comfortable as a linebacker. The other two projected starters, Tim Johnson and Grant Irons, have a lot of work to do. Jay Foreman is the only addition through free agency, but he is recovering from an ankle injury that limited him last season.

Strong safety Derrick Gibson has not developed exactly how the Raiders expected when they selected him 28th overall in the 2001 draft, but he looks to have cracked the starting lineup this year. He missed last season with a shoulder injury. Stuart Schweigert will start at free safety, but this tandem leaves much to be desired.

The Raiders are fairly bare on defense, but we've seen unbalanced teams with high-octane offenses achieve success before. They will need to learn how to manage a game and minimize the time their defense spends on the field, but they are capable of making the playoffs.

Over/Under: 8

Although Denver and San Diego seemed to be the most fundamentally-sound teams in the AFC West, all four teams are capable of finishing 10-6 or 6-10. The Chargers and the Chiefs had a worse passing defense than the Raiders last year and we've seen what can happen to Denver against capable passing games (see Denver vs. Indianapolis), so keep an open mind for this division. The Raiders play: @NE, @PHI, DAL, BUF, @TEN, @WAS, MIA, @NYJ, CLE, and NYG.

Fantasy Sleeper

Many a wide receiver have cashed in playing alongside Randy Moss and Jerry Porter will be the next. Porter figures to be the most talented wideout to start opposite Moss in a while and he will love the reduced amount of attention he'll face with No. 18 drawing all the focus. A bad defense and a good passing game means lots of real points and lots of fantasy points.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 9:32 PM | Comments (2)

Heatley, NHL Players Learn the Hard Way

It was a difficult task to do: NHL GMs knew that they had to readjust the players' salaries in order to respect new rules from the collective bargaining agreement. Everybody knew it, in fact. A lot of surprises came along, but how far will it go?

Despite major trades such as Peter Forsberg's moving to Philadelphia, Dany Heatley also surprised everyone when it was announced that he was going to play for the Ottawa Senators. Marian Hossa and Greg deVries will switch places. That way, the Senators will be able to negotiate with defensemen Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden, who will be free agents next year.

Therefore, Heatley was ready to move and, according to some sources, needed a change of air. Maybe a lot of people supported him after his car accident that took the life of his good friend and teammate Dan Snyder, but the pressure of being around the same environment probably made it hard to cope with. It was also said that Heatley already sold his house and was ready to jump on the ice with other players. We'll see if he can cope and bring his skills to Ottawa in his usual, productive way.

More and more Canadian players return, and it's a good thing. Hossa will also be a good alternative for Trashers coach Bob Hartley, who also has to live with major cuts. Still, he'll probably play with Ilya Kowalchuk, and it should bring an interesting offensive play.

The Senators' owner, John Mucklet, definitely takes a risk by making such a trade. He just traded a good offensive player, one of — if not the best — scorer of his team. Heatley will have to take that role entirely and no mistakes can be allowed. So, even if he changes his environment, and the players he works with, the pressure will be the same — but it will be lived differently.

Let's not forget that Dany Heatley is not alone in his situation. While GMs tried to cope and keep their best players for the next season, players soon realized a crucial fact: they cannot take anything for granted anymore. There is absolutely no insurance on the table, and the money is counted more than once. A new word evolved into the NHL: greed. To be honest, no one expected to hear that word in the world of professional hockey.

Circumstances are new and everyone involved — players, GMs, and coaches — will have to adapt to the new structure. Good for fans, good for the teams? We'll see.

However, the first thing to do is hope that the tickets' prices decrease a little, go back to the games, enjoy it, and see if players can give a better show with new rules and a new way of living. As for Heatley, I'll see how he goes in Ottawa. Like the rest of the players, he'll learn the hard way: logic and maturity in life often consists in knowing how to concede and let go.

Posted by Josie Lemieux at 8:53 PM | Comments (1)

Eternal Sunshine of Robinson's Mind

INT - LACUNA, INC. The office of renowned DR. HOWARD MIERZWIAK, who, after years of dedicated research, has developed a cutting-edge, non-surgical procedure for the focused erasure of troubling memories. Mierzwiak, who bears a striking resemblance to actor Tom Wilkinson from that movie with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, sits at his desk. The door to his office swings open revealing an older gentleman in a Washington Nationals uniform. He is FRANK ROBINSON, a baseball Hall of Famer. A pained look hangs on his face, crushed under the weight of memories he'd rather no longer have.

MIERZWIAK: Please, sit down, Mr. Robinson. I've reviewed your file, and I must say you certainly are a perfect candidate for Lacuna's focused erasure of troubling memories.

ROBINSON: Good to hear that, Doc. I just don't want these memories any more, knowing what I know now.

MIERZWIAK: Oh, I agree. Anyone who managed Cal Ripken, Jr. for four seasons and but only had a .447 winning percentage must be practically begging for memory erasure...

ROBINSON: ...uh, Doc, that's not exactly why I'm here.

MIERZWIAK: Oh, I see. What about the last three years of your playing career with Cleveland, where you slummed as a DH and couldn't hit over .245?

ROBINSON: Strike two, Doc. Let me cut to the chase: I want to wipe out all of Rafael Palmeiro's records.

MIERZWIAK: From your memory?

ROBINSON: Well, yeah. And from the record book.

MIERZWIAK: Is there actually one official Record Book?

ROBINSON: No. It's more of a metaphor for the entire fabric of baseball's rich history, woven through the decades by some of the most legendary figures in American sports and popular culture. Besides, if there really were one official Record Book, Bud Selig would have pimped its naming rights to Pepsi or Viagra by now.

MIERZWIAK: I see. Is there a specific reason for wanting Rafael Palmeiro's records erased?

ROBINSON: As I told the media the other day: "He was found to have used steroids, and he served a 10-day suspension. I was surprised and taken aback that he was using steroids, because I never thought about him being a person that might be a steroids user. I always admired him for the way he went about his work, the way he performed on the field and the way he conducted himself off the field."

MIERZWIAK: Ah, yes, steroids. Glad there wasn't anything like that back when you were playing.

ROBINSON: If there was, we sure as heck wouldn't have taken them. That's cheating.

MIERZWIAK: Right ... just like corked bats or spitballs or using an Emory board to illegally alter the official equipment used in the game. Say, how far away from your plaque in Cooperstown are Gaylord Perry's and Phil Niekro's?

ROBINSON: What are you getting at, Doc?

MIERZWIAK: Oh, never mind. I should inform you, Mr. Robinson, that this is a very intense procedure. Literally, we inflict damage on your brain.

ROBINSON: I've managed Jack Clark and Jose Mesa. I've seen damaged brains before.

MIERZWIAK: Indeed. This procedure isn't dangerous per se, but it's certainly nothing to sneeze at. Before we get into specifics, can you tell me exactly from which point you'd like to begin wiping out Rafael Palmeiro's records?

ROBINSON: Like I said, from the beginning. Like I told the media the other day: "Where do you go back, stop and say, 'OK, when did he started using steroids?' To eliminate all that, and get the players' attention, you wipe the whole thing out. Why put the burden on baseball to try and figure out where to go, and maybe put an asterisk? Just wipe the whole thing out."

MIERZWIAK: I must tell you, Mr. Robinson, that this seems a bit ... impulsive.

ROBINSON: How so?

MIERZWIAK: I just don't think you've thought through the ramifications of this decision. You see, the mind is like a map. One path leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to a specific memory. To delete the memory, you must also delete the path to that memory, right to the emotional core, or else you run the risk of a relapse.

ROBINSON: What are you getting at, Doc?

MIERZWIAK: From a practical sense, erasing all of Rafael Palmeiro's records, from the start of his career to the end, would cause an unstoppable chain reaction that would alter the very history of Major League Baseball forever. Do you know what happened on June 9, 1996?

ROBINSON: Oh, man, was that one of the days I got fired? Or was that the day some kid mistook me for John Thompson?

MIERZWIAK: Surprisingly enough, no. It was a game between the White Sox and the Orioles at Camden Yards. Palmeiro had four hits and three RBI. Now, take away those hits and those RBI from that game. All of a sudden you've changed the RBI standings for the 1996 season, in which Palmeiro was fourth. Erase his hits and RBI for the entire season. How many times do you think Roberto Alomar scored hitting in front of Palmeiro? In 1996, he was tied for third in the American League with 132 runs. But if Palmeiro never had a hit that season, then he never hit home a runner. Thus, Alomar never scored. So his runs total drops to, what, 60 for the season?

Not to mention the ERAs of the pitchers who gave up runs to Palmeiro. You'd have to alter their stats, as well, because the runs they surrendered no longer exist. And you'd have to do this for every pitcher in every season that gave up a single run, a single hit, or even a walk to Palmeiro. Hell, you'd even have to adjust their pitch totals, because technically they were throwing to a player that never played in the game.

ROBINSON: Hold on a second here, Doc. You're making this a hell of a lot more complicated than it needs to be. It's like a horse race where the first-place horse gets disqualified. It's not like the horse never existed. It's just in the record book that it didn't win, place or show.

MIERZWIAK: And what happens to the other horses, the ones that finished behind the disqualified horse? They all move up, that's what. The same idea applies here, Mr. Robinson. It's a chain reaction — wipe out the records of one player, and it should affect every other record kept during that time period. Can you imagine the lawsuit baseball would face if it didn't adjust all the players whose numbers were influenced by that proven cheater?

ROBINSON: What about when Jose Canseco admitted steroid use, and Mike Greenwell sued to become the 1988 AL MVP award, which Canseco won? Everyone had a chuckle, and then went on with their lives.

MIERZWIAK: The difference, Mr. Robinson, is that wiping out all of Rafael Palmeiro's records would mean Major League Baseball acknowledging the fact that he cheated throughout his entire career, from rookie to retirement. This isn't Madonna's Cuban cabana boy admitting he dabbled in steroids for a few seasons. This is the governing body of a professional sports league telling everyone that one of its players no longer exists statistically.

Look, Mr. Robinson, here's the deal. I'd love to help you wipe out all of Rafael Palmeiro's records, I really would. But it's just not as easy as it sounds. And what about when the next player gets caught, and the next after that? You'd need a NASA supercomputer working around the clock for 25 years just to compute the "new" pitching stats. Quite frankly, I don't think the Elias Sports Bureau has that kind of budget.

ROBINSON: I don't care, Doc. Just erase every memory of that young man's career from my brain.

MIERZWIAK: This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Rafael Palmeiro is most likely going to pass you on the all-time home run list, having hit 569 to your 586 through August 23?

ROBINSON: Of course not. Except for the fact HE'S A CHEATIN' NO GOOD LYING S.O.B. WHOSE STEROID ENGOURGED HANDS COULDN'T HOLD MY JOCK! Except for that.

MIERZWIAK: I see. Well, I'm still not sure this is the best idea.

ROBINSON: I'll have you know that no less an authority as Boston Red Sox star Curt Schilling agrees with me. And I consider that man an American hero after what he did in the ALCS last season.

MIERZWIAK: There was an ALCS last season?

(Frank Robinson glances over and sees a New York Yankees pennant hanging above a framed picture of Mariano Rivera.)

ROBINSON: Gotcha, Doc. Out of mind, out of sight.

Greg Wyshynski is the Features Editor for SportsFan Magazine in Washington, DC, and the Senior Sports Editor for The Connection Newspapers of Northern Virginia. His book “Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer: The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History" will be published in Spring 2006. His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 8:25 PM | Comments (0)

August 26, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: New York Jets

Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com

Last Year

So much for the skeptics who said Curtis Martin would tail off in 2004 as all he did was lead the NFL in rushing yards and guide the New York Jets to the second round of the playoffs. An excellent season was cut short as kicker Doug Brien missed 47- and 43-yard field goals, which likely would have propelled the Jets into the AFC Championship game. But that spilled milk was yesterday. Today, we'll see if the Jets can build on their stellar accomplishments and see if they can contend with the big boys in the AFC.

What We Learned From Last Year

In the offseason, Curtis Martin asked for more work in training camp and more work in the preseason. Typically, most 31-year-old running backs prefer to lessen their workload in the offseason in order to prolong their crispness deep into the regular season.

Not Martin.

His concerted effort to prepare for the regular season was to ensure that he wouldn't start off slowly in 2004 like he did '03 and '02.

He came out flying with 196 yards in the season-opener and racked up 613 rushing yards in the first five games of the season. It was no coincidence that the Jets were 5-0 at that time.

With a strong offensive line and Chad Pennington in the backfield, the Jets had no weaknesses in those areas of their offense.

Pennington continued to be an accurate and smart quarterback, coughing up only nine interceptions all year long. Only Donovan McNabb and Drew Brees had less.

In 2003, the Jets found out first-hand what the cons of not having an adequate backup quarterback. After Pennington was injured in the preseason, the Jets started 2-6 and never recovered. Last year, the pickup of Quincy Carter provided a viable short-term solution for the team while Pennington missed three games in the middle of the season.

While the Jets entailed the third-ranked rushing offense, their passing game left much to be desired.

Offensive coordinator Paul Hackett was notoriously conservative with his scheming. Tight ends were nonexistent in the offense and wide receivers did not meet their potential.

Justin McCareins was acquired from Tennessee and provided the Jets with their best go-to option in the passing game. Santana Moss has been a career underachiever and a soft receiver in general.

The Jets defense was built around a premiere line that featured Shaun Ellis, Dewayne Robertson, Jason Ferguson, and Pro Bowler John Abraham.

New defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson tried to be aggressive with a range of blitzes, but most of the sacks came from the front four. They accounted for 27 of the team's 37 sacks (they applied more pressure than the mediocre total of sacks indicates).

Robertson had a breakout year in his sophomore season and will be a Pro Bowler for years to come. The combination of him and Ferguson made it very difficult for teams to run the ball (rushing defense ranked fifth in NFL).

Rookie linebacker Jonathan Vilma was labeled as "too small" by critics on draft day, but he played a major role in his rookie season, starting 14 games and finishing as the team's leading tackler.

The secondary was burned badly in the offseason when Antoine Winfield picked the Minnesota Vikings instead of the Jets in the 11th hour and the team's rebound option, cornerback David Barrett, turned out to be a second-rate starter.

Another rookie that blossomed very quickly for the Jets was fifth-round draft pick Erik Coleman. At safety, he led the team in interceptions and finished third in tackles. The Jets secondary was not bad, but was picked apart with no trouble if the front four didn't apply pressure. Donnie Abraham and Terrell Buckley were both decent starters, at best.

The Jets were a very good team last year, but the adjective "good" seems to fit them too well. They were good on offense, but not dominating. They were good on defense, but not overpowering.

The Jets are a smart team who will beat any weaker opponent or better opponents that make mistakes, but they still have to take another step forward before they can compete with the likes of the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.

This Year

It's safe to say the Jets have high expectations heading into this season. Not only because they are in the city of New York, a well-known pressure-cooker, but because they came within a makeable field goal of the AFC Championship game.

In typical New York fashion, they weren't exactly forgiving of their off-target kicker. Doug Brien was promptly waived after the Jets spent a second-round draft pick on All-American kicker Mike Nugent.

The roster changes may seem minor, but when a team is close to success, vast transformations are not necessary.

On offense, the Jets somehow convinced the Washington Redskins to trade Laveranues Coles for Santana Moss straight up.

Aside from Moss's top speed, and his ability to reach it quickly, Coles does everything better as a receiver. He makes tough catches and plays through pain — two critical flaws in Moss' game.

Coles isn't much bigger than Moss, but Justin McCareins will provide the big target (6-2, 215 lbs). The Jets also acquired tight end Doug Jolley on draft day from the Oakland Raiders. He is an above average receiver and blocker, something the Jets have lacked for years at tight end. The last Jets tight end to have more than 500 receiving yards was Johnny Mitchell in 1994.

New offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger should get some good use out of Jolley. He loves to be creative and should give this offense a jolt. In his last year as Tennessee's offensive coordinator, Titans tight ends accounted for 83 receptions.

Pennington will be seen in shotgun formations and now has permission to audible at the line of scrimmage. Although the passing game should be more fluid, the running game will still be the emphasis.

Martin will try to become the first running back in NFL history to post at least 1,000 yards rushing in his first 11 seasons. LaMont Jordan was groomed to be the heir to Martin, but he departed as a free agent to Oakland.

The loss of Jordan means a couple of things: the team does not have a stellar power running back for short-yardage situations and should anything happen to Martin, injury-wise, the Jets will feel a significant drop-off to backup Derrick Blaylock.

Right tackle Kareem McKenzie moved on to the Giants, which raises a few minor reservations at one position for one of the better offensive lines. 2004 fourth-round draft pick Adrian Jones is expected to start, but he is a project.

The defense will once again be built around a commanding line, but that grouping will not be as strong as last year with Jason Ferguson signing with the Dallas Cowboys. Ferguson was a vital component in the Jets' first-rate rush defense and James Reed/Lance Legree come nowhere close to his skill level.

With Robertson, Abraham, and Ellis, the Jets are still dominant up front. Keep an eye on Robertson, who has been complaining about a lingering knee pains. The team cannot afford to lose him. Abraham has held out through training camp, but has a one-year $6.7 million deal (franchise tag) on the table so he should report just before the season starts.

Jonathan Vilma enters his second season as a pro and will only get better. He has an innate ability to make plays, but he'll see more blockers without Ferguson around. He is teamed with Eric Barton, a very underrated, sound starter. All he's done in the past three seasons is play in 48 games and surpass 100 tackles each year. Third-year linebacker Victor Hobson will man the strong side — he's better in run defense than pass defense.

The secondary got a boost of vigor with the signing of cornerback Ty Law. He is still a true shutdown defensive back and will shift everyone down the depth chart. David Barrett is a good second starter and second-round draft pick Justin Miller is a quality nickel back until he matures into a starter.

Erik Coleman will be the starter at free safety while strong safety Oliver Celestin has had a very strong training camp.

Although the Jets came oh so close to beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs last year, it is still evident that there is a sizeable disparity between the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and the New York Jets.

Overall, the Jets are very good, but they are still just good, not great.

Over/Under: 9.5

The Jets schedule looks to stiffen a little bit this coming year and they won't have any freebies like Miami, San Francisco, and Cleveland this year. This is where they are hoping that Mike Nugent can be a difference maker. They play: @KC, JAX, @BAL, TB, @ATL, SD, @CAR, @DEN, NO, and OAK.

Fantasy Sleeper

Chad Pennington has yet to play a full season as a quarterback, but he is welcome on my fantasy team any time. He's smart, he's efficient, and he doesn't throw many interceptions. With a new, creative, offensive coordinator, Pennington could post an excellent season as long as he stays healthy. More importantly, he can be had in the mid- to late-rounds of most pools.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 5:33 PM | Comments (0)

The Michael Finley Sweepstakes

Free agent Michael Finley's camp had a master schedule planned.

His four suitors have plenty of title potential. Last year's Final Four were all scheduled a day to court the 32-year-old this week:
Monday, Miami. Tuesday, Phoenix. Wednesday, Detroit. Thursday, San Antonio.

They went to a neutral site — Finley's hometown, Chicago (well, really, Maywood, IL, but close enough) — and told four teams to get their power points ready. It was Kobe '04 in summer '05.

Although he can't receive more than the $5 million middle-level exception next year, Finley says he really doesn't have money on his mind. Whether he's offered the veteran's minimum in Phoenix or the full mid-level exemption in Miami, pay means little difference to Finley.

Set to receive a cool $51.8 million from the Mavericks, Fin is all about getting a chip in '05-'06.

So being the sly reporter that I am, I taped a micro-microphone in the room where Finley and his suitors would be doing their buizznesss. And, boy, do you have to see this!

Below are some of the best soundbites from each day's negotiations. Enjoy!

***

Monday: Miami Heat

Agent Henry Thomas: Aight, Mike, I want you to take good consideration of these guys.
Finley: What do you mean?
Thomas: Just pay attention. The Heat reps should be here any minute now.
Finley: Good, I hope they brought food.
(Door opens. Tall, dark, team president Pat Riley strolls in followed by short, balding coach Stan Van Gundy, struggling with a large cardboard box.)
Riley: (regally) Good morning, gentlemen.
Finley: Really?
Riley: Uh, yes ... Stan, you can put that down now!
Van Gundy: Thanks, boss.
(Drops the box in front of Finley.)
Finley: Man, get away from me! You're drippin' sweat all over my J's! Plus, you smell like a hog!
Van Gundy: Mike, don't you remember me?
Finley: No.
Van Gundy: I was one of your coaches at Wisconsin.
Finley: Then what are you doing with Miami?
Thomas: What's in the box, Pat?
Riley: Good question. But I'm going to let you guess what it is first, Mike.
Finley: Shaq?
Van Gundy: Um, I'd be sweating a bit more.
Finley: Dwyane Wade?
Thomas: Also my client, but I'm sure that's not part of the contract.
Finley: Your mid-level exception?
Riley: Oh, that will definitely come, but in a much smaller package.
Finley: Well, I don't know then.
Riley: We thought you looked pretty good in red and white.
Finley: Psst, Henry, the Bulls aren't scheduled for today, are they?
Thomas: Just look, Mike.
(Riley opens the cardboard box, unveiling 20 posters of Finley wearing a Heat jersey that had been placed on poles next to American Airlines Arena.)
Finley: Damn, I do look good! What are they for?
Riley: Well, I guess they're for you.
Van Gundy: They were supposed to be street pole signs.
(Riley shoots an evil glare.)
Finley: Thanks, guys ... This'll be good for my bath towel collection.
Van Gundy: Glad to help.
Finley: Anything else?
Riley: Whatever you want.
Finley: How 'bout lunch?
(Riley eventually offers $5 million while dining at The Cheesecake Factory.)

***

Tuesday: Phoenix Suns

Thomas: Aight, Mike, day two.
Finley: Fo' sho'. Fo' sho'.
Thomas: You getting' used to this yet?
Finley: Not really, man. It's only day two.
(Door opens. Phoenix president Bryan Colangelo, managing partner Robert Sarver, coach Mike D'Antoni, Amaré Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Raja Bell squeeze through the narrow doorway all at once. Bell struggles with a large cardboard box.)
Thomas: Gentlemen.
Phoenix six: We want Finley! We want Finley! We want Finley! Yeeeeaaah!
Colangelo: Can I get an adlib?
Phoenix six: Yeeeeaaah!
Colangelo: Just like Jeezy.
Finley: All right, now I'm real confused.
Sarver: So why should Mike choose Phoenix over anywhere else?
Finley: What, is this a rhetorical question?
Stoudemire: Mike can play with close friend Steve Nash!
Finley: What?!
Colangelo: Okay!!
Finley: What???!!!
Colangelo: OKAY!!!!!
Marion: Mike could play a big role on a team that won 62 games last season!
Bell: And Mike's familiar with the organization and the city, as it was the Suns who originally drafted Mike out of Wisconsin back in 1995!
Sarver: All right, thanks, boys. You can step back outside now.
(Stoudemire, Marion, and Bell warily turn around and walk out door with heads low.)
Finley: So what's in the box? Posters of me in a Phoenix uniform?
Colangelo: Shoot, should've thought of that!
D'Antoni: No, Mike, actually, it's e-mail.
Finley: Man, don't take me for stupid. I know e-mail's a computer thing!
Sarver: Oh, we don't think you're stupid at all, Mike.
D'Antoni: We printed out the e-mail.
Finley: Oh, forest preservers, I see.
D'Antoni: There's such a thing called recycling, you know.
Finley: Just open the box before I kick y'all crazies out of here!
D'Antoni: All right, all right!
Finley: I don't like your accent.
(D'Antoni opens the box, revealing 5,000 fan e-mails.)
Sarver: (reading a piece of notebook paper) Just in case Mike forgot, several of the Suns have placed calls to Finley to remind him and let him know how much they want him here. But we want to take it a step further.
Colangelo: Right, we brought 5,000 emails from fans that wanted to show respected and share their favorite Michael Finley memories.
Finley: Suns fans?
Colangelo: Yeah.
Finley: Dude, I played 27 games for y'all before you dealt me! They don't know me!
Sarver: (motioning toward the door) Here, let us take you out to eat.
Finley: Wait! You expect me to read 5,000 emails? What am I supposed to do with all these?
Colangelo: Recycling!
(Colangelo eventually offers $1.1 million while dining at Park Grill.)

***

Wednesday: Detroit Pistons

Finley: Where is everyone?
(The Pistons eventually offer Dale Davis and Maurice Evans its middle-level exception.)
Finley: Henry?
Finley: It's day three, right? ... Henry?

***

Thursday: San Antonio Spurs

Finley: Where were you yesterday?
Thomas: I left a message on your phone saying that the Pistons cancelled.
Finley: Man, you know I don't have a phone!
Thomas: Since when?
Finley: Since I got that Sidekick last year.
Thomas: Whatever ... day four at the door.
Finley: Fo' sure.
Thomas: Money?
Finley: We want some more!
Thomas: Hey, we should pitch that to Ron Artest.
Finley: Definitely.
(Door slowly opens. San Antonio president John Diller and coach Gregg Popovich peak their head through a crack.)
Popovich: Whew, they're still here.
Diller: Um...
Popovich: All right, let's go in.
Finley: What's good, Pop?
Popovich: Well, three rings in seven years is a pretty good thing. Not the best, but pretty darn good.
Thomas: I think Mike meant what's up.
Popovich: Oh ... nothing, Mike.
Thomas: Haven't you heard that expression when you're coaching?
Popovich: Huh?
Thomas: Never mind.
Finley: (looking at Diller) And who are you?
Diller: Um...
Popovich: Sorry, I told him not to talk. Spurs president John Diller.
Finley: Right.
Thomas: So what do you have to offer today?
Finley: No, cardboard boxes or anything?
Popovich: Cardboard boxes?
Thomas: So you don't have anything to offer?
Popovich: Oh, we do. Just no boxes.
Finley: Damn, I was hoping for 100 pairs of Jordans.
Popovich: One, championships.
Thomas: Okay.
Popovich: Two, a low-key locker room.
Finley: No PlayStations?!
Popovich: And, three, the chance to play with Tim Duncan.
Finley: Tim Duncan, man. Does he even talk to his teammates?
Popovich: Mostly in his sleep.
Thomas: I don't even want to know.
Popovich: Honestly, Mike, we came prepared to come home empty-handed.
Finley: Man, you can go home with have my autograph.
Popovich: Figure of speech, Mike.
Finley: Oh yeah, like “shaving dry”?
Popovich: Uh, sure ... We probably should get going, but can we at least take you out to eat?
Finley: That's what I was waiting for.
(Diller eventually offers $2.5 million while dining at Portillo's.)

Posted by Ryne Nelson at 5:10 PM | Comments (2)

August 25, 2005

Top 10 Non-Conference Games in '05

Well, well, well. Look what time of year it is. School's getting started up again, my birthday's almost here, and the weather is starting to cool off just a little. For me, all that adds up to the best season of the year — college football.

Now, I don't know about you, but when all the preview magazines start coming out, I know it's time to start making some long-range plans. I'm not talking about retirement, or where we want to vacation next summer, or even what to get people for Christmas. No, it's time to plan which Saturdays in September, October, and November I need to be home to watch the "game of the year," of which there's at least one every week.

Many of these games are traditional conference rivalries, especially the ones that get stacked up at the end of the year: Michigan/Ohio State, USC/UCLA, Alabama/Auburn, etc. But some of the most interesting matchups and exciting games to watch are those so-called "intersectional," or non-conference games. Some rivalries have been around a long time, like Florida/Florida State and USC/Notre Dame. Others, though, are either once-in-a-decade or brand new.

So, one of the first things I look at when I get my new magazines is the best non-conference games among the top teams. After checking out who plays whom in these intersectional games, I've narrowed down what I think are the 10 best games to watch this year.

Georgia Tech @ Auburn (Sept. 3)

The two schools meet for just the second time since 1987 as the Yellowjackets try to establish themselves as ACC contenders.

Boise State @ Georgia (Sept. 3)

In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, the Broncos can either prove they belong with the big boys or prove the naysayers right.

Texas @ Ohio State (Sept. 10)

Two of the best programs in college football history clash on the gridiron for the first time. Can the 'Horns handle the Horseshoe?

Arizona State @ LSU (Sept. 10)

Another inaugural matchup as both schools prepare for tough conference schedules.

Southern Miss @ Alabama (Sept. 10)

The Golden Eagles try to break a four-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide, who have won 11 of the last dozen meetings.

Oklahoma @ UCLA (Sept. 17)

It's just the second meeting between Troy Aikman's former schools since 1990 and the fourth overall. The Sooners look to take out their national championship frustrations on their conquerors' arch-rival.

Bowling Green @ Boise State (Sept. 21)

Two of the top five offensive teams from 2004 clash on the Smurf Turf in Boise for the first time ever.

Colorado @ Miami (FL) (Sept. 24)

It's the first meeting between the schools since 1993 and the Buffs' first visit to Miami since 1975.

Notre Dame @ Washington (Sept. 24)

Husky coach Tyrone Willingham has his former team visit Husky Stadium for the first time.

Fresno State @ USC (Nov. 19)

It's the first meeting between these schools since the Bulldogs beat the Trojans in the 1992 Independence Bowl. Could be a good late-season non-conference challenge for USC.

And, just for good measure, the Army/Navy game, although usually dull on the field, is one of the best traditions in all of sports, collegiate or pro. Seeing all those men and women in their uniforms cheering on a bunch of guys who are more likely to see action on a battlefield than on a football field after their academy days are over is truly heartwarming. It should serve as a good reminder as to what is really important in life — besides college football.

Posted by Adam Russell at 7:16 PM | Comments (1)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 23

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Shocking: Stewart did not win the race. More shocking: Stewart did not even lead a lap. Not shocking: Stewart officially clinched a spot, likely the top spot, in the Chase for the Cup, set to begin September 18.

"And not a moment too soon," says Stewart. "That means I can go to Bristol and just chill. Otherwise, Evil Tony would take over and bump somebody into a wall and create a feud. And I would be angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

We certainly wouldn't, Tony. Angry Tony is much scarier than the Tony who's won five of the last eight races. So, you go to Bristol and take a leisurely 500-lap drive around the track, sit back, and watch the guys at 8-15 in the points battle it out.

Stewart finished third at Bristol in April, his best finish there since winning in 2001. Look for a relaxed top-10 finish from the No. 20 Home Depot car.

2. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson's day in Michigan was a model of consistency: he started 10th and finished 10th, giving him his series-leading (along with Stewart) 13th top-10 of the year. In doing so, Johnson clinched a spot in the Chase with three races remaining.

"Does that mean I can sit out the remaining three races before the Chase and still cinch?" asks Johnson. "I'm sick of not winning races."

Theoretically, J.J., you could do that, but why would you? Right now, you're working on a mini-streak of momentum. Sure, it's only two straight top-10s, and it pales in comparison to what Stewart has done lately, but it's a start. Remember last year? You were only eight points from a championship. You need to get hot. What better time to do that than the last three races before the Chase?

In his seven career starts at Bristol, Johnson has finished out of the top 10 only twice. Saturday night short track racing appeals to him, and with points not on his mind, expect Johnson to battle hard for a much-needed win.

3. Greg Biffle — After a miserable qualifying effort of 31st, Biffle rebounded and finished sixth, one of four Roush Racing cars in the top 10. It was Biffle's first top-10 since New Hampshire, and maintained his points position of third, 37 up on fourth-place Rusty Wallace, who had been creeping closer and closer to Biffle's spot in the last few races.

"I thought I smelled a Wallace," adds Biffle. "It's an uncomfortable feeling to have someone lurking that close to you with the intention of passing you for some sort of position. I'm just glad I was able to put a little distance between Rusty and myself. And my goal at Bristol is to creep a little closer to Johnson and Stewart in the points. I seem to be the forgotten man in this championship race. I just want everyone to know, I'm still here."

Hey, Biff, we never would have forgotten about you, but you just stopped winning races there for a while.

In his last four starts at Bristol, Biffle has finished no lower than 12th. To gain ground on Johnson and Stewart, Biffle may have to pull a win out of the hat. He's no magician, so he may have to settle for a top-five, at best.

4. Rusty Wallace — Wallace improved dramatically from his starting point on the grid of 38th, finishing 13th to maintain his stronghold on fourth in the points, 289 behind Stewart. However, the day could have been even better, but mileage and overheating situations proved costly.

"Man, we had a top-five or top-six car here today, but it all got spoiled by hot dog wrappers and the fuel mileage deal there at the end," said Wallace. (Note: actual quote by Wallace.)

This has to be the first time in history that hot dog wrappers have been blamed for a car's problems. But Wallace does have a point: hot dog wrappers and general debris on the track were the bane of many racer's unfortunate finishes. And there's only one thing NASCAR can do about it: put NASCAR fans on a no-hot dog diet. And outlaw beer at races, too. Heck, if they can ban smoking from bars, of all places, then nothing is safe. So, NASCAR fans, this Saturday at Bristol, to show your support, eat hot dogs and drink beer like your life depended on it. Maybe it does.

Anyhow, back to Rusty. Wallace is the man at Bristol. He has nine wins there, including his first-ever Cup win back in 1986. He was well on his way to victory there earlier this year in April, running second when a flat tire spoiled the effort. Wallace will be shooting for nothing less than a win Saturday.

5. Jeremy Mayfield — Mayfield stole the win at Michigan by outsmarting the field with fuel mileage strategy — he traveled the last 52 laps without a stop and won easily.

"Can you blame me?" asks Mayfield. "Have you seen gas prices lately? You regular consumers complain because it's $2.50 a gallon. That's nothing. We run this high test stuff. It runs us about $9.00 per gallon. Of course, I don't pay for it."

Well, with your win at Michigan, maybe you can buy your own gas now, Jeremy. You certainly can relax a bit as far as your Chase aspirations go. That victory most likely sealed the deal for you. You're in, baby! You gained ground on Tony Stewart, but, more importantly, you gained ground on the 10th-place driver in the points. Previously, you were 91 points up on 10th. Now, you're 167 up. Only three consecutive disasters in the next three races would keep you out of the Chase. That's not likely. What's likely is a nice, smooth top-20 finish from the No. 19 Evernham car.

6. Mark Martin — In a car with top-five quality, and after leading 10 laps, Martin was bitten by a late decision to stay out on old tires. That, compounded with coming up on the short end of the fuel mileage game, left the No. 6 Viagra car with a 17th, the only Roush car out of the top 10.

"Man, if you only knew how old that makes me feel," says Martin. "Finishing last among all the Roush cars, that really hurts. The only thing that gives me comfort is knowing I'll be done racing at the end of this year. Wait a minute. No, I won't. Jack wants me to come back. Noooo!"

That's right, Mark. All you have to do is just say no. But I bet you've never told Jack Roush "no," have you?

Anyway, Martin hopes to reverse his fortunes as of late at Bristol. In April, Martin finished 31st in Bristol after starting 34th. It will take his best effort to grab his first top 10 in there since 2000.

7. Kurt Busch — In a race led by 13 different drivers, Busch led the most, 62, but was unable to cash that in for the victory. After a green flag pit on lap 181, Busch returned to the fold in 31st, and advanced 24 places in the final laps while posting some of the race's fastest laps. Busch lost a spot in the standings to race winner Jeremy Mayfield, and now stands seventh, 420 behind Stewart.

"I feel that despite finishing seventh, we had the best car out there," says Busch. "With fuel mileage being such an issue, it's just a crapshoot to figure out when and when not to pit. So, all I can say to that is, ‘Crap! Shoot!'"

Wait, let me check with NASCAR to see if those are acceptable words to use by a driver. Yes, they are acceptable. You won't be fined, so you can keep all those points you earned in the race. In seventh and only 20 points from the 400-point window, you're in great shape.

Busch is a clear favorite in Bristol. He's got four wins there, including a sweep in 2003. And he's anxious to rebound from his 35th there in April and build some momentum for the upcoming Chase. And Kurt, don't forget to give your regards to Jimmy Spencer.

8. Carl Edwards — Edwards' fourth-place in Michigan was his seventh top five of the year, and validated his fifth-place at the same track back in June. All of this with the sponsorship of AAA auto club on his hood.

"I guess you could say I was thumbing my nose at bad luck," says Edwards. "Like I was just asking for my car to breakdown. Of course, had my car broken down, I would have had the advantage of AAA coming to anywhere on the track and giving me a free tow. Membership has its advantages."

Yes, it does, Carl, as does membership in the Chase. You took a big step in that direction with your result in Michigan. But Bristol is a tough cookie to crack, and a low finish there (in two races, he has a 26th and a 33rd) could ruin your year. So, do one thing: keep your car on the track and off the wall and stay on that lead lap. You'll be good to go.

9. Ryan Newman — Like most of his competitors, Newman fell victim to the fuel mileage war, as a sure top-10 car was hampered by a final pit stop that dropped the No. 12 to 26th-place, a lap down. However, Newman scrambled to 12th-place in the race's final 15 laps, including seven spots gained in the final two. Newman maintained eighth position in the points with three races to the Chase, but by no means is his spot guaranteed just yet.

"No rest for the weary," exclaims Newman. "I'm near the bubble where one mistake can kill my chances. I've got to keep tabs on who's behind me more than who's in front of me."

Here's a quick solution, Ryan. Just take out Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Dale Jarrett, and Jeff Gordon with one huge crash. That will get you in the Chase for sure.

Newman struggled at Bristol this spring, finishing 30th. But, he did post two top-10s in 2004, including a pole. Thirtieth won't cut it, but top-10 will.

10. (tie) Jamie McMurray/Jeff Gordon — McMurray and crew chose to play it safe last Sunday, not gambling on fuel to ensure that they remained in the top 10 in points. The result was a 20th-place finish, which dropped McMurray from ninth to 10th in the points. A stop for fuel and tires on lap 191 got the No. 42 to the end, put pit cycles didn't play out as they hoped, and McMurray wasn't able to crack the top-15.

"It's a classic case of risk-reward," explains McMurray. "The reward of going for a top-10 finish and the subsequent points did not outweigh the risk of running out of gas and falling out of the top 10 in points. Of course, now that I'm on the Chase bubble, I don't have the luxury of playing it safe."

Gordon battled handling complications all day, but wrestled the No. 24 Dupont Chevy to a 15th-place finish, nevertheless. Gordon moved up one to 12th in the points, trailing 11th-place Dale Jarrett by seven, and McMurray by 83.

"Well, it looks like my Chase hopes will have to go through Dale and Jamie," says Gordon. "Which is fine by me. I have no problem passing two guys whose first names could be those of a girl, as well."

As is the case in Bristol, where so many cars are fighting for position on the track, McMurray and Gordon are fighting for position in the points. It just happens to be the same position, 10th, and others are after it to, including Jarrett, Elliott Sadler, Kevin Harvick, and the hard-charging Matt Kenseth.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 3:12 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2005

Dreams Fade Quickly For D.C. Teams (Pt. 1)

It was a warm spring day in May and something seemed very odd with the sports world. The 2005 baseball season was only a month old and something strange was happening. A very unfamiliar sight to say the least, and as I flipped through the sports section of the Washington Post, something caught my eye.

The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals were each in first place in their prospective divisions. Was I dreaming? Could this be a misprint? Unfortunately, I wasn't dreaming, but that day proved to be a good one for me after all. Hours after my shocking discovery in the newspaper, I had a very interesting conversation with one of my friends.

My friend, who is an Orioles fan, had a sparkle in eye, along with a pompous smirk on his face as he talked about the first-place Orioles. I couldn't stand it any longer. He was talking about the playoffs, even the World Series. I had to do something.

"I bet you $10 bucks the O's won't be in first place by the All-Star Break," I said.

"Dude, they're playing great baseball, I'll take that bet," my friend said.

Now, I am no Miss Cleo, but I do know the tendencies of D.C/Baltimore area sports teams and their fans. The fans in the D.C metropolitan area are a special breed. The attitude these fans take towards their sports teams is very different from other diehard sports cities and states such as Philadelphia and New York. While Philadelphia and New York fans can be brutal at times, they still have a rational, level-headed frame of mind when they talk about their favorite teams.

D.C/Baltimore area fans, however, can be the total opposite. The beginning of any sports season is like a breath of fresh air for these fans, filled with high hopes and dreams. But as the season progresses, fans often become disgusted with their team's performance and they are quick to lash out.

Well, in case you were wondering, I won the bet, but how did I know the Orioles wouldn't be in first place by the All-Star Break? The answer is quite simple. I've seen this before folks, many, many times before. There was a buzz surrounding the Orioles after their hot early season start. Although "Slammin'" Sammy Sosa wasn't and still isn't slamming anything but air, the Orioles finally started to win. With Brian Roberts having a breakout season and Miguel Tejada playing at a MVP level, Baltimore looked like a team that could go deep in the playoffs. And for the first time since the Jeffrey Mayer fiasco, the city of Baltimore was excited about baseball again.

But what a difference a couple of months make. On June 15, Baltimore was 13 games over .500 and boasted a two-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League East. Two months later, however, the Orioles are in complete disarray. With a multitude of injuries, the firing of manager Lee Mizzili, and Rafael Palmeiro's suspension for violating the league's steroid policy, the Orioles have fallen fast. And some, but not all, of their fans have turned their backs on the club as the season winds down. Many of whom have turned their attention to the new team located about an hour down the beltway.

While the Orioles try to stay out of the basement in the American League East, the Washington Nationals are stealing the headlines in the local papers. Washington is in the thick of the playoff race in the National League and fans in the District can't be happier. After a 33-year absence, baseball is back and booming in D.C. It didn't matter that the team came was the Montreal Expos, who spent most of their existence as perennial doormats in the National League. The newly-christened Nationals didn't take long to impress their new fans.

The Nats seemed revived and it showed. After years of playing in front of abysmal crowds in Montreal, the Nationals are finally getting the fan support they craved. Many are former Orioles fans fed up with Orioles ownership and the Nationals were the easiest and obvious team to switch allegiances to. There were even whispers of a Nationals/Orioles World Series after each team's strong start to the season.

But just like with the Orioles, a divisional lead in June has turned into a fight for survival in August. As of this writing, the Nationals are only 1½ out of the National League wildcard race, while the Orioles are booking plane tickets to the Bahamas for the offseason. But why do D.C. area fans get so excited so quickly? Didn't they know they inherited the same exact team that finished last in the NL East a year ago? Maybe it was the mystique of baseball being back in D.C. that sparked such an interest.

And maybe it was finally having a reasonable size crowd to play in front of that got the Nationals feeling excited about coming to work every day. Who knows, and whatever sparked such early season frenzy has diminished somewhat, while the Nationals battle more experienced teams such as the Florida Marlins and Houston Astros for the National League wildcard. And depending on the final outcome of the National League wildcard race, it appears D.C area fans will suffer through another sports season of extremely high hopes with little to no results.

Baseball, however, isn't the only sport in the D.C./Baltimore area where fans become disgusted by season's end because of a team's lackluster performance The NFL season is quickly approaching and there are also high hopes in the D.C. area regarding the two area football teams. Next week, I'll be back with part two of my series on D.C./Baltimore area sports teams and their fans.

Posted by Andre Watson at 5:28 PM | Comments (0)

X's and O's, Huggs and Kisses Goodbye

We just want to thank you, Coach Bob Huggins, for everything you've done for the university and its basketball program. We just want to thank you for your 16 seasons of intense and competitive basketball.

And for your impressive 399-127 record with us. And for being the winningest coach in school history. And for the 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances (third longest in the nation). And for taking UC from the NIT tournament in 1991 to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 1992.

And for making this team an annual contender. And for the 10 conference titles and eight league tournament titles. And for the Danny Fortson's and the Nick Van Exel's and the Anthony Buford's and the Melvin Levitt's and the Kenyon Martin's and the Steve Logan's.

Oh, and by the way, you now have 24 hours to either quit or be fired!

That is basically the message that UC President Nancy Zimpher, who came to the university in 2003, sent to Cincinnati's own success story, who ranks eighth on the list in percentage wins among active Division I coaches.

And as for the 51-year-old, he got no love from Zimpher for his faithfulness to the school. He turned down the ideal head coaching position at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2002 to fulfill his own obligation to the fans, players, and the city. Huggins got no love from Zimpher after he suffered a heart attack last September and then was back at practice within a couple weeks, good as new, focusing on the team. His dedication and determination were evident in more ways than his notoriously painful practices and pushing his players to the max.

However, the timing for this decision is all off. Huggins wasn't even in town on Tuesday for the news, as he was on a recruiting trip in Las Vegas. Also, practices are on the horizon with less than eight weeks remaining. Is UC really planning on finding a worthy head honcho who could restore order that quickly? So much for impressing the new rivals right away. This announcement came just two months after Zimpher refused to implement Huggins' contract rollover option, raising eyebrows and assumptions that Huggins' days at Cincinnati were coming to a close. Yet Tuesday's news did more than just raise eyebrows.

Why now, Mrs. President, when Huggins could (and wanted to) finish out his two-year deal and get his team settled into new territory? Why now, when UC is in the middle of transitioning from Conference USA to the Big East? Why now, when Huggins was about to bring in one of the best recruiting classes ever with Cincinnati's own O.J. Mayo and teammate Bill Walker out of North College Hill High? Pardon me, but this is no Mid-American Conference they're moving to. This is the conference that sent eight schools to the Big Dance last year with high expectations to do the same again.

UC basketball was already projected to finish last among these powerhouses in 2005-06. Now they've probably fallen to a negative ranking in the Big East. Now they're likely to be the embarrassment of the Big East for several years. Now they're likely to become the "Bengals" of college basketball. And UC sure as heck isn't going to the Big East for football...

The handling of this situation was off, as well. UC faxed the news in a letter to Huggins' agent Richard Katz, and Huggins did not know of the news until the reporters contacted him. After all Huggins did for the university, shouldn't there have been a better way for this UC icon to go out? Shouldn't there have been a ceremony of some sort? Applause? Cookies and punch? A standing ovation? The only standing "O" that Huggins has now is his posse of protestors outside the Fifth Third Arena, cheering not for Huggins, but for the firing of Zimpher.

What exactly does UC think it will use at the moment to attract top recruits away from the Notre Dame's, the Syracuse's, the Connecticut's? A not-so-scenic campus in a bad neighborhood? Not really. A harsh and frigid winter weather not suitable for outdoor hoops? Not so much. A top-rated academic program? Don't count it.

Count this, though. President Zimpher has said that the reason for the ultimatum was because "character counts" now at UC, and Huggins was not setting a good example for his players, most notably with his DUI arrest in 2004. Or was he, though?

On Tuesday night, UC has already lost one recruit, and maybe more to come. There is no way Jason Bennett, a 7-2 center from Jacksonville, will be a Big East Bearcat. He was going there because of Huggins. Bennett's coach, Rex Morgan, was as devastated, as well.

"With the way Cincinnati handled everything," Bennett said, "I hope no one goes there."

That's probably exactly what Zimpher wanted to hear, but it gets better. Nick Aldridge, a 6-6 power forward from Webster, Ohio, withdrew his oral commitment. So much for using the Big East as a recruitment tool.

But yes, Zimpher won the power struggle. She smirked as she spoke the news that she wouldn't apologize for setting high standards. Here's some news for her — she won't be smiling very long when she finds out how many former UC supporters will be holding back their funds. Count on less financial support. Count on less attendance. Count on people not renewing their season tickets. And count on thousands of angry fans.

How about Huggins' players? Will they warm up to assistant Andy Kennedy, who is slated to take over as interim head coach? What's going to happen to Huggins' seniors, his finished products? Eric Hicks' future could be in question now. With the Bearcats likely to struggle immensely, his 13.7 points per game and 8.9 boards per game could be long shots for this forward.

Huggins had a special connection with all of his players, past and present, which is difficult to find in a lot of coaches these days. He listened to his players' opinions. They flocked to him. Anthony Buford left the University of Akron, where he played three years under Huggins, to play for the Bearcats when Huggins accepted the job there.

They respect him. Michael Perry, the sports editor at the Cincinnati Enquirer, wrote in his book "Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball" that, "UC players may complain privately about Huggins when they're on the team, but after their eligibility expires, most are extremely loyal to Huggins. All he has to do is ask for something, and it's done."

So what if Huggins wasn't getting past the Sweet 16 in the tournament? So what if he got a DUI? He still had the respect of his players and fans. Now, the school is the one losing respect from the fans. But if it was his time to go, fine. Fire him after the DUI. But why wait until now, in late August? This situation was not handled the right way, and that is why fans are upset.

Indiana moved on from Bobby Knight. Now UC has to move on from Huggins, but it's a lose-lose situation for them. If he's fired, UC pays him $1.9 million. If he resigns, UC pays $3 million. Yet either way, UC loses a mentor, friend, icon, and basketball savior. And this is how they chose to lose him — a paper faxed to his agent. Bottom line — there is no way UC would ever be in the Big East this year if it weren't for Coach Bobby Huggins.

Posted by Sara Normand at 5:12 PM | Comments (8)

2005 NFL Preview: New York Giants

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Last Year

The New York Giants severed ties with head coach and quarterback like Paris Hilton discarded her tiny Chihuahua. Hilton picked Bambi over Tinkerbell while the Giants preferred Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning over Jim Fassel and Kerry Collins. Just as Tinkerbell did, Fassel and Collins went in search for new homes, and the Giants endured a 6-10 record through a rebuilding year. If Manning is ready this year, the Giants will easily be the second best team in the NFC East. Now that's hot.

What We Learned From Last Year

It was time to start spreading the news as the New York Giants stole the draft headlines by acquiring Eli Manning (after he proclaimed he would not play for the San Diego Chargers).

Manning didn't start immediately as Kurt Warner was signed to be a stopgap quarterback and in the early going, he did much more than just that.

The Giants started 4-1 and were frequently in the conversation heading into their Week 6 bye.

But then the wheels came off the bandwagon as Warner — and the offensive line — struggled the next four weeks. The Manning chants had quieted down after the 4-1 start, but had returned in full force now that the team was only 5-4.

Although some pundits questioned whether inserting Manning into the starting lineup was a wise decision since the NFC was so dreadful and the Giants were in the thick of the playoff race, Tom Coughlin didn't cave to the pressure.

He kept the future in mind and started Manning to speed up his development. Did he sacrifice a playoff berth? Possibly, but the Giants were no Super Bowl contender either way.

Under Manning, the team finished 1-6 with the only win coming in Week 17.

There was no question that the most evident weakness on the offense was the line.

Warner was sacked 39 times in his nine games while Manning was dropped an additional 13 times.

Tiki Barber posted his best statistics as a pro with over 2,000 yards rushing and receiving combined and is still, for some reason, quite overlooked when it comes to discussing the top running backs in the NFL. Last year, he changed the way he held the ball during carries, which limited his normally lofted number of lost fumbles to just two.

Production from the receivers was spotty. The Giants only averaged 176.1 passing yards per game (26th in NFL) and finished with the second-lowest total for passing touchdowns.

Furthermore, the starting wide receivers, Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard, combined for zero touchdowns. Toomer was hindered by a hamstring injury throughout the season, but the bigger factor in the dull passing game was the combination of a rookie quarterback and a shaky offensive line.

The Giants defense was ravaged by injuries as starting defensive ends Michael Strahan and Keith Washington did not play in more than eight games. Shaun Williams, the team's starting strong safety, was lost after Week 2.

Starting cornerbacks Will Peterson and Will Allen were decent, but only combined for three interceptions in 2004.

At linebacker, Carlos Emmons was recovering from a broken leg injury that he suffered in 2003, but he grew stronger as the season progressed and finished as the team's leading tackler.

Barrett Green was another one of the Giants wounded men as he only played in 10 games. Keith Lewis and Nick Greisen did a lot of starting for the Giants, but should be backups.

Former first-round pick William Joseph struggled at tackle and free agent signing Norman Hand also underachieved and was an injury casualty, as well. That left Fred Robbins as the team's only quality tackle and with a weak assortment of starting linebackers, the Giants were easy to run on (28th-ranked rush defense).

The Giants were battered and bruised by a host of defensive injuries, which indicates that this team is better than the 6-10 record they finished with. Now if Manning can take a few steps forward and the offensive line is upgraded, this will be a playoff-caliber team.

This Year

Steve Erhardt is a man who has had 36 plastic surgeries and is obviously looking for aesthetic perfection. The New York Giants had a makeover of their own this offseason, but clearly nothing as drastic.

They haven't been in and out of plastic surgery in hopes of looking like a real-life "Ken" doll, but they have made a couple of nips and tucks in order to look, feel, and play better this coming year.

They didn't add a cleft chin or pec implants, but they did add wide receiver Plaxico Burress, linebacker Antonio Pierce, and a few cogs to the offensive line.

Free agent Kareem McKenzie gives the Giants a good starter at right tackle who excels at pass blocking. With Luke Petitgout on the other side, the Giants will have two sturdy tackles to work with. Guards Chris Snee and David Diehl are on the rise and center Shaun O'Hara is above average. The Giants also have a couple of former starters in Bob Whitfield and Rich Seubert, in case a few players get nicked up (Snee and O'Hara missed five and six starts, respectively, last year).

Barring injury, this line should make significant progress this season.

Manning needs to work on his decision making a little, bit but that will improve with more playing time. He is a smart quarterback who feels pressure well in the pocket and can make throws to practically anywhere on the field. The key here is that he is not as raw as a quarterback like Carson Palmer was because he did have seven starts last year. In essence, Coughlin sacrificed last season to expedite the learning curve and enhance his opportunity for success this year.

With Tiki Barber behind him and Burress, Toomer, and Jeremy Shockey around him, this team could be fairly competitive this year — after all, it is the NFC.

Barber has proven the past couple of seasons that he can carry the full-time load and no one will miss Ron Dayne. Keep an eye on fourth-round pick Brandon Jacobs, who is 6-4, 265, but runs like the wind with a 40-yard dash time of 4.37. He will be used in short-yardage situations for now, but is garnering rave reviews in the preseason.

Barber is also an excellent receiver out of the backfield, which gives Manning a reliable check-down option.

With Burress and Toomer, the Giants have a very tall duo at receiver. Burress is a tough cover one-on-one simply because he is hard to beat out in jump-ball situations. The Giants love the prospects of having him in the red-zone. Toomer is one the leagues most underrated receivers. He is smooth and can get off the line quickly. Burress has the better speed, but Toomer is unfailing when the ball comes his way.

Those two targets are 6-5 and 6-3 and tight end Jeremy Shockey is also a big boy at 6-5. Although Shockey struggles as a pass-blocker, he makes up for it with his uncanny pass-catching/route-running skills. Tim Carter and Jamaar Taylor will supply the speed.

Now Manning is in environment where he can succeed.

On defense, a fully-recovered Michael Strahan is essential for the line. Osi Umenyiora showed some promise last year and won't have to deal with any double-teams now that Strahan is back. Tackle seems to be a weakness outside of Fred Robbins. The team is still waiting on Joseph and Kendrick Clancy, who played in Pittsburgh last season, was added to the rotation.

Barrett Green is not yet at full speed, but the signing of Antonio Pierce should take some pressure off of him. With Green, Pierce, and Emmons, the Giants don't have to worry about their linebackers.

In the secondary, Will Allen and Will Peterson should be the starters, but Corey Webster, the team's second-round draft pick, could push for some starting time. The Giants still don't have anyone quarterbacks will avoid, but they have three quality cover guys.

Gibril Wilson took over Shaun Williams' starting job after he suffered a season-ending injury last year and doesn't look like he will relinquish it. Brent Alexander is a savvy veteran at free safety, but the Giants will try to get their two best safeties, Williams and Wilson, on the field together.

There's always Super Bowl aspirations in New York, but it won't happen this year. A lot still depends on Eli Manning's improvement, but the Giants are on the rise and should finish no worse than second in their division.

Over/Under: 6.5

The Giants will try to separate themselves from the 6-10 logjam in the NFC East that included Dallas and Washington last year. The Redskins have more problems than prospects, leaving Dallas will be New York's only competition for second place. The Giants play: ARZ, @NO, @SD, STL, DEN, @SF, MIN, @SEA, KC, and @OAK

Fantasy Sleeper

Manning is definitely a sleeper with a rebuilt offensive line and a set of gifted tools around him. Most importantly, he is a Manning, which means that all of us are expecting something special. Don't forget about Amani Toomer, as well, since he won't have so much defensive attention on him now that he's playing next to a quality wide receiver.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 4:53 PM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2005

The NFL's 20 Greatest Records

Five Quick Hits

* Last year around this time, I questioned Sean Taylor's desire to play professional football. I think it's pretty clear at this point that he's got other priorities.

* Do not draft Ricky Williams in your fantasy football league. That's as much advice as I can offer for now, because my league hasn't drafted yet, and I can't give away my strategy.

* I am stunned by Thomas Herrion's death. He was only 23. What an incredible shame.

* The Eagles played in three consecutive NFC Championship Games when Terrell Owens was wearing red and gold. They'll win the NFC East this year with or without him.

* It's so tempting to draw meaningful conclusions from preseason games. I'm trying to resist, but it is not easy.

Welcome back. The long summer is finally over. Football games are on television again. Fantasy leagues are forming. ESPN occasionally covers NFL stories that are not about Terrell Owens. It's great. Before I drop my predictions and power rankings in your lap, I'd like to pay homage to seasons past. NFL records are dropping like flies, even those people thought might never be broken, like Dan Marino's record for passing touchdowns in a season (48). I mean, before last year, no one else had topped 41.

So which records have staying power? What are the most impressive individual marks in league history? Here's my list.

Most Points, Game: 40, Ernie Nevers, 1929

The longest-standing record in league history. Nevers scored six touchdowns and kicked four extra points. One day, someone will probably score seven touchdowns in a game and this record will finally fall. Then again, last year no one tallied more than four TDs in a game. Nevers' record is one of the most impressive in any sport.

Most Consecutive Games With a Touchdown Pass: 47, John Unitas

Everyone knows about Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, but sports fans who know find this one more impressive. Brett Favre has come closest, with a 36-game TD streak (now over), but until last season, Marino's 30 was next up. That's less than 2/3 of Johnny U's total. This record may never fall.

Most Rushing Yards, 14-Game Season: 2003, O.J. Simpson, 1973

Eric Dickerson, of course, holds the record for rushing yards in a season. But Simpson holds the record for rushing yards per game (143.1) by a wide margin (Dickerson's 131.6 isn't even top-three). No one has ever come within 10 yards per game of Simpson's record.

Most Interceptions, Season: 14, Night Train Lane, 1952

Lane's record for interceptions in a season has stood for more than 50 years. That's impressive by itself. But what's most remarkable is that 1952 was a 12-game season: Lane's 16-game pace would have given him 19 interceptions.

Most Consecutive Games Played: 282, Jim Marshall

Marshall was the NFL's iron man. Jeff Feagles is starting to approach this record, with 272 consecutive games over 17 seasons, but Feagles is a punter. Marshall was a defensive end, and an undersized (235 pounds) defensive end at that. He mostly played 14-game seasons, with a streak extended over 20 years.

Most Passing Yards, Career: 61,361, Dan Marino

It's fashionable to dismiss Marino's accomplishments as those of someone who just threw a lot. But Marino's average yardage per attempt (7.34) was well ahead of John Elway and Brett Favre (both 7.10), his closest competitors — each of whom is about 10,000 yards behind.

Best Rushing Average, Season: 6.40, Jim Brown, 1963

This is with a minimum of 150 carries, and no one else is close. Barry Sanders, with 6.13 in 1997, is next. For context, Emmitt Smith's career best was 5.25 (1993) and Walter Payton's highest was 5.46 (1977).

Best Rushing Average, Career: 5.22, Jim Brown

This is with a minimum of 1,000 carries, and no one else is close. Barry Sanders, at 5.00, is next. Emmitt Smith averaged 4.16 and Walter Payton 4.36.

Best Passer Rating, Season: 121.1, Peyton Manning, 2004

The focus was on his touchdown record, but with Marino only one behind and given Manning's much stronger supporting cast than his predecessor, I don't find Manning's TD mark to be one of the NFL's greatest records. His record for passer rating, however, shattered Steve Young's record of 112.8.

Most Receptions, Season: 143, Marvin Harrison, 2002

Receiving records aren't what they used to be, but this one really stands out. The closest mark is Herman Moore's 123 in 1995, which was a banner season for receiving records (Cris Carter and Jerry Rice both had 122 the same year). In '02, Harrison led the NFL by 31 receptions and broke the old record by 20.

Jerry Rice

He holds the NFL's career records for receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895), and receiving touchdowns (197), among many others. No one is close to any of those, or most of the others.

Consecutive Postseason Wins: 9, Bill Belichick

The competition is stiffest in the postseason, and Belichick has put together a remarkable winning streak. Purists may complain that the older, shorter postseasons were harder to win in, since you got to the difficult championship game more quickly, but I'll still go with Belichick's record.

Most Passing Yards, Game: 554, Norm Van Brocklin, 1951

The third-oldest mark on my list. The 1951 Rams had perhaps the greatest offense ever assembled, including a pair of Hall of Fame receivers (Tom Fears and Crazylegs Hirsch), but this record, set in a run-oriented era and still standing half a century later, is one of the NFL's most legendary numbers.

Most Interception Returns For Touchdowns, Career: 12, Rod Woodson

This is such a specific category that I hesitate to include it here, but Woodson obliterated Ken Houston's long-standing record of nine and now holds a 33% lead on this category. Woodson also holds the NFL's record interception return yardage (1,483) by over 200 yards.

Most Receiving Touchdowns, Season: 22, Jerry Rice, 1987

Rice is all alone with this record (Mark Clayton's 18 is closest). What makes this a truly extraordinary record, though, is that 1987 was a strike season — Rice played only 12 games. He also scored a rushing touchdown in 1987, giving him 23 TDs in fewer games than any other player in any other season.

Longest Rush: 99 yards, Tony Dorsett, 1983

In theory, a 99-yard run isn't much more impressive than a 97- or 98-yarder. But 97 was the record from 1939 to 1983, and Dorsett is still the only player to take a handoff from his own one-yard line and keep running until he hit the endzone. Dorsett's run wasn't just unlikely, it was a thing of beauty. And of course, it's an unbreakable record. I'm sure it will be tied one day, but Dorsett's original was perfection on a football field.

Most Points in a Season: 176, Paul Hornung, 1960

I wasn't going to put this one on the list. Hornung scored 15 touchdowns, 41 PATs, and 15 field goals in 1960. It's great that he was multi-dimensional, but I'm more impressed by Don Hutson's 17 TDs almost 20 years earlier. Hornung's record, though, still stands 45 years later, with 12 points to spare. Even that wouldn't be enough for me, except that Hornung only needed 12 games for all this. His 16-game pace was 235 points.

Sammy Baugh's Triple Crown, 1943

In 1943, Sammy Baugh led the NFL in passing (as a quarterback on offense), interceptions (as a safety on defense), and punting (as a punter on special teams). Chuck Bednarik may embody the classic two-way player, but Baugh was a remarkably successful three-way player.

Most Consecutive Championship Appearances: 10, Paul Brown

This is kind of cheating, for a couple of reasons. First of all, it includes four seasons in the AAFC and six in the NFL. Second of all, the league was smaller and it was easier for the Browns than, say, Bill Walsh's 49ers. And perhaps most importantly, this record is usually identified with Brown's quarterback, Otto Graham, who led the team to a championship appearance every year of his career. The team went 5-7 after Graham's retirement. Regardless, this is a record that will never be seriously challenged.

Most Rushing Touchdowns, Career: 164, Emmitt Smith

Jerry Rice's record for touchdowns (208) is far ahead of Smith, and receiving touchdowns are harder to come by than those on the ground. But Rice, like Don Hutson and Jim Brown and maybe Dan Marino, plays by a different set of rules, and it's unfair to hold anyone else to his standard. Smith leads second-place Marcus Allen by 41, or 33%. His closest active competition is Marshall Faulk, trailing by 64 and on his last legs. Next up is Curtis Martin, who at 85 TDs is barely halfway to Smith's total. This record will stand for a very long time.

There are a lot of other records I would have liked to include. More special teams would have been nice, but I was limited by qualifying numbers (Gale Sayers, for instance, only returned 91 kickoffs, and many other standout returners stopped returning to focus on scrimmage plays), changing eras (today's kickers are far better than in the past, and all meaningful records have been set within the last decade), and quality of personnel (is Brian Mitchell worthy of a spot on this list, when Walter Payton and Tim Brown are not?).

I faced the same challenges with many records related to receiving and yards from scrimmage, a category I value immensely, but that does not translate well from season to season. There are no Super Bowl records on this list (too few games). There are no sack records (the stat has only been kept since 1982). There's no Hutson or Steve Van Buren, not much Marino or Jim Brown. Only two coaching records. But even with all that, I'm satisfied with this list. I don't think I'm leaving out anything I meant to put in. I welcome your comments and additions, but this is my list of the NFL's 20 greatest records.

I'll be back before the season starts with preseason power rankings and postseason predictions. Enjoy the preseason.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 6:18 PM | Comments (1)

AL Pennant: Yanks' For the Taking?

It's top billing on the Boston social calendar. It's Mardi Gras and Cinco de Maio rolled into October, only without the punctuality. After all, it's been canceled 26 times in the last 102 years — 28 if you count 1904 and 1994.

Well Beantowners, start your guest lists if you must, select your color schemes, but be advised not to set a date for this year's Yankee Elimination Party quite yet.

It might not come.

For much of the 2005 season, the anomalous play of The Evil Empire has stirred the imagination of both Yankee haters and neutral fans that wonder what a postseason without the New York Yankees might be like.

They've inspired the conjecture of partisan analysts and chic media personalities who have been like so many coroners looking to pronounce death over the New York Yankee corpse since May. Among their ranks are talk show hosts from New York's WFAN and Boston's WEEI; writers from the New York Daily News, Newark Star-Ledger, Hartford Courant, and Boston's Globe and Herald; and nationally-syndicated columnists on ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

Even loyal Yankee fans have at times conceded them to be the 21st century's version of the 1959 club whose mediocre season was sandwiched between nine pennants and four World Series championships over a 10-year period.

In short, predicting the demise of the New York Yankees is hip in 2005.

As my luck goes, I've never been hip. I'm not of the in crowd. The lines I stand in are always short. I find myself in a short one now, a weak linking of outcasts who believe the American League's East Division and pennant are the Yankees' for the taking.

All of which has me wondering what the masses know that I don't. What inside information can be convincing enough to concede the division crown to the Boston Red Sox before September begins?

This line I'm in mutates incessantly. Sometimes it grows long, as when Shawn Chacon shuts out the White Sox and fair-weather Yankee fans append our ranks. Then, four bombs off Randy Johnson the next day truncate it sizably. Another shutout by Jaret Wright and the strays are back in.

Much like our line, the 2005 Yankee season has ebbed and flowed. An 11-19 start — their worst since 1966 — cast them into a last-place tie with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on May 6th, nine games behind the then-soaring Baltimore Orioles.

With the Yankee season about to flat-line, schedule makers dialed up the paramedics dressed in green and yellow smocks. If you're from the Bronx, it's frightening to think what spring would be like without a vernal resuscitation by the Oakland Athletics.

A year after sweeping the A's to start an eight-game winning streak that righted a bad start, this year's Yanks opened a 10-game streak with back-to-back shutouts over the A's, who contributed five losses in all. That run ultimately extended to 16-2 and landed New York on a 27-21 record.

Nevertheless, they sifted back into mediocrity at 39-39 by July 1st. Then the bats really heated up, pitching woes subsided, and the Yankees have enjoyed a 29-16 run that has brought them to the threshold of the American League postseason once again.

Which brings us to the first reason Bostonians may want to hold off on that non-refundable deposit with the caterer: New York is not that bad.

Since July 1st, the Yankees are among the top of nearly every significant offensive category. Their 76 homers during this stretch have come from seven spots in the batting order. They've been led by both an expected and unexpected source in perennial all-star Alex Rodriguez and embattled first baseman Jason Giambi, each with 16.

New York has scored at least six runs 22 times over the last 45 games, winning 19. Perhaps of greater relief to Yankee fans, the maligned pitching corps has seemingly turned the corner, holding opponents to four or fewer runs 26 times, going 21-5 in the process.

As this year's trading deadline loomed, New York's team ERA was 4.66, their starting rotation was in disarray with three starters on the DL, and middle relief was so suspect that the acquisition of Red Sox castoff Alan Embree was regarded as an improvement.

Late-July additions of Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon, followed by Jaret Wright's return to duty, have patched the starting rotation. Chacon is arguably this season's best deadline move outside of Florida's retention of A.J. Burnett, pitching effectively in all five starts since coming to the Bronx. Since the trading deadline, Yankee team ERA is 3.56, a drop of more than a full run per nine innings.

In this year's pennant race, New York's fate need not rest solely in its own hands. Which brings us to the second reason they can win: Boston is not that good.

If the Yankee season can be labeled as streaky, then Boston's is no less than a Six Flags ride.

By the season's second week, the Sox were into their first hot streak, going 7-1. The very next day began a 1-5 stretch. This ended with an 11-3 run that fizzled out at 3-8. All this in the course of 39 games.

In June, the Red Sox surged into first place with a 12-1 run that was erased with a 6-12 stretch on either side of the All-Star Break. A 14-2 mark carried them into August before they opened their current 10-game road trip with four losses in the first six games.

Such inconsistent play is certainly worth a few swinging chads in the American League East election, but it is also symptomatic of problems that run as deep as The Big Dig deficit.

Streaky play is synonymous with the Big-Bat, Bad-Arm syndrome that has plagued both the Yankees and Red Sox, the latter much more acutely.

As good as the Yankee lineup is, Boston's is better, at least statistically. Their 5.7 runs per game leads the majors, as does their .284 batting average and .360 on-base percentage.

However, unlike in New York, Boston's pitching is still broke. Staff ERA has jumped from 4.71 before the trading deadline to 5.35 in the month of August. Their bullpen owns the worst ERA and second-lowest strikeout total per nine innings in the American League and this is not a defensive team you want balls hit into play against.

In team defense, they rank 26th. Shortstop Edgar Renteria leads the majors with 23 errors. The fielding exploits of Kevin Millar and Manny Ramirez — which often don't show up in the box score — are aired for the entertainment of the viewing public nightly.

With Curt Schilling moving back into the rotation, shaky Mike Timlin assuming closing duties, and a large void in setup relief, their staff is more of an enigma now than ever. This, as the Yankees are finding answers.

Ultimately, the American League East will be decided by its own. The Yankees and Red Sox possess the worst divisional records in the East and have 29 and 26 games, respectively, left to play.

Surprisingly, Yankee nemeses have been Baltimore (4-6) and Tampa Bay (4-9), teams they have dominated in prior seasons. The Orioles caught New York early on when they were actually competitive. With eight games remaining between them, the Yankees have a wealth of untapped victories. They will still have to endure the Tampa Bay nightmare for six more games.

On the other hand, Boston has struggled with the Birds every year and 2005 (5-7) is no exception. There won't be many easy ones here. Toronto (3-8) also has their number. Then there's the psychological burden of facing the Angels and Athletics in mid-September while the Yankees play Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Of course, there remain six head-to-head games. While history speaks of the difficulty in overcoming a four-game deficit, the Yankees seem to bide their time confident in this opportunity to make up ground.

Sport is full of irony. How about the West divisional loser clinching the wildcard as New York rolls into Boston three games back for the final regular season series? A three-game sweep, then the tie-breaker — let's see, that makes four straight — would end the Red Sox season. Sound familiar?

Well, okay, that's the division, but elimination comes in playoff form as well, just a little less sweet.

Not so fast. The rest of the American League is not that good.

The Yankees will be hitting the playoffs in peak form. Overcoming Boston would mean a half-season of play at a .650 clip, surely better than anyone else except perhaps Oakland. Concede Chicago the best record and the wildcard draw. That pairs New York with the West divisional winner.

If that's Oakland, it's not worth analyzing. There's no quantifiable way of explaining how Moneyball will succumb once again to the Yankees' experience or the pressure of playoff baseball. It just will. Billy Beane deeded ownership of his fate to the Yankees back in 2000.

The Angels promise an entertaining series, but they'll dissipate in the Bronx as fast as their four-run leads did in consecutive eighth inning collapses there earlier this month. The reason is in the 'pen: the Yankees have one, the Angels don't.

The pennant will go through Chicago, just as New York did last weekend. Save for one inning, they would have come away with a sweep. Over six games, the Yankee staff shut down the White Sox five times. Although the Yanks had trouble scoring themselves, Chicago aces Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle are not battle-tested. Nor will the White Sox as a team be after playing out September in a sluggish brand of baseball.

So proceed cautiously as you set your tables for the autumn festivities, you revilers of Yankee existence. That fork could be stuck in you well before it ever touches the hors d'oeuvres.

Posted by Bob Ekstrom at 4:12 PM | Comments (1)

Going Back in Time, WWE-Style

There wasn't exactly a shortage of entertaining sports stories in the news this week, especially with Lawrence Phillips trying to turn a bunch of kids into speed bumps, but to watch the most intriguing "sporting event" of the weekend I ended up at a Hooter's on Sunday night to watch WWE's SummerSlam and the first-ever match between Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels.

Granted, this is a match that would've been great 10 years ago, and probably would have been even better if it was 15 years ago, but I wanted to watch this just to see how far the WWE has fallen that they have to rely on a 75-year-old wrestler to carry their PPVs. I brought a notebook with me to Hooter's with the intent on keeping a running diary (a la the NBA finals this year), but was again minus anything that would tell time, so you won't know exactly when everything happened and how many minutes exactly it took Hulk Hogan to walk to the ring, but you will deal with it.

One last note: it has been a few years since I have watched wrestling, so most of the actors were totally lost on me, but once a few friends (the crew this time was my girlfriend, who hasn't watched wrestling since she was 10, her brother Nick and two of his friends, Josh and Logan) invited me to go watch with them, I couldn't turn it down. I mean, who doesn't want to see an aging wrestler with a new hip and knee?

* The first match had Matt Hardy fighting some guy. Matt Hardy's woman, who also appeared to be the other guy's woman, accompanied one of the two to the ring (the first match is never that exciting.) About three seconds into the fight, I already had my first major problem with the show: the announcers. What I don't understand is how the announcers can keep hyping up the most mundane moves — I mean it's ridiculous beyond the point that anyone can believe anything they say anymore. Here are a few quotes from the first match, which was pretty boring.

• "A jump through the ropes is like suicide, no one has ever done that before!"
• "Oh my GOD," thanks to Jim Ross (if there isn't one already, there should definitely be a Jim Ross talking action figure that just screams OH MY GOD and STOP THE DAMN MATCH every time you pull the string on his back).
• "Matt Hardy may have just been knocked out, I'm not a doctor, but he has to be concussed."
• "I'll tell you one thing, Matt Hardy didn't die!"
• "There's something to be said about living to fight another day!" (Really? Like what? I think it was pretty much covered with 'Matt Hardy didn't die.')
• "Lita has to be torn in 1,000 different directions." (Matt Hardy, Edge, or any of the 998 guys sitting near the ring- she did have a dilemma of who to leave with.)

* I do think that Jim Ross should be given another job calling football (he may or may not have done XFL). We have too many pre-season games when the announcers are lamenting about how boring the games are and how they can't wait to get out of there. Now, if you have Jim Ross calling the action, you get a third string running back gently tripping over some lineman falling down, and the call would be, "OH MY GOD, HE JUST HAD HIS ANKLE SHATTERED. STOP THE DAMN GAME, I CAN'T BELIEVE THE CARNAGE ON THE FIELD, HE NEEDS MEDICAL ATTENTION. What's that? OH MY GOD, HE IS GETTING UP! THIS CAN'T BE A MAN; THIS MUST BE SOME SORT OF A MACHINE. OH MY GOD, WE WILL REMEMBER THIS FOR YEARS, WHAT A COMPETITOR.

Can you really say that you wouldn't watch if J.R. was calling the action?

* I have seen a lot of weird things watching the WWF (now WWE) over the years, but the next match was right up there, as I finally got a taste of how different wrestling was (or maybe wasn't) these days. I'm used to the old-school ladder match, but this was new-school "Custody of Domanick" Ladder Match.

I guess that the little 6-year-old kid was adopted by Rey Mysterio, Jr., but was really fathered by Eddie Guerrero, and they were going to fight it out to see who got the kid. The new twist on the ladder match did provide several great highlights, especially when they would show replays of big spills spliced with little Dom's horrified reactions, all while the announcers yell, "Look at little Domanick's reaction as his father is broken in half over that ladder, what must be going through that young man's mind?"

Before the match, we took bets and I threw my money down on Eddie Guerrero. Why? Because he had to win, he was the heel, and if wrestling has taught me anything, its that the people rarely get what they want. If every PPV were satisfying with the babyfaces winning, then it would be boring.

So the kid ended up trying to stop Eddie from winning, and Eddie was about to teach the kid some manners with his right hand, until Mysterio woke up and beat the crap out of Eddie, only for them both to take some big falls before Eddie's wife sabotaged his win (and probably earned two black eyes for the effort, a la Stone Cold Steve Austin).

After the match I realized that they were just playing on everyone's emotions by adding the kid in. Once they completely overdid how bad of a father Eddie would be, it was pretty clear they would let Mysterio win, which pissed me off. If they really wanted to move fans, why not have a "Litter of Kittens" ladder match, where if Eddie won, he got to kill an entire litter of kittens? Then you would have all the fans saying, "Nooooo, not the kittens, get him Rey, do it for those adorable cats!" I'm still bitter over my loss and I'm sending Eddie's conniving wife a bill for $1 for costing me the match (by the way, there is nothing better than betting on scripted action).

After a few garbage fights, the Undertaker came out to fight Randy Orton. Taker is an interesting character, because he has gone from satanic, to regular, to more satanic (when he abducted Stephanie McMahon), to a biker type, and ultimately back to old-school satanic. The fight was bland outside of the high amount of near falls we had (which at this point is useless, we all know a match won't end until we see a finishing move, so all of those "1, 2, 3 ... no, just two, he got up at the last second!" counts are just annoying now).

As the main event approached, everyone started betting heavily on Hogan (except for Josh, who was too afraid to bet on anyone). I was the only one at the table to bet on HBK, and I had a few reasons. First, he's about 10 years younger than Hogan, yet still probably in his 40s. Hogan is twice his size, but can barely move, and Shawn Michaels still has hair.

Before the match they started showing highlights of what led to the fight. Being in a loud sports bar, you couldn't hear anything, but you could read the closed captioning and figure out what was going on. Relying on that, however, did have a few difficulties. For instance, they kept talking about how "Shawn Michaels just superdicked Hogan in the face," leaving everyone to wonder if HBK (and by the way, I think Michaels has to be the only person over 30, outside of Michael Jackson, that still refers to himself as a kid) had changed his finishing move over the years. And then they just run random words together, like when "Hon Toast God" ran across the screen. I'm pretty sure they throw that stuff in there just to see if people are paying attention.

As soon as Hogan came out and they dropped a giant American flag behind him, I knew I was screwed and that he was going to win. During Hogan's 20-minute march to the ring, the table started debating Hogan's hairstyle. Logan thought he should shave his head and just go bald, Nick went with a toupe, and Josh thought a comb-over would be a good look. I think that Hogan's ridiculously receding hairline is just part of him now; it would throw me off without his, in the words of Nick, Bozo-esque hair.

The match is everything I hoped it would be as Hogan can barely move. Watching him amble around the ring was worth the nothing I paid to see the match. It was comical watching him limp around like he still belonged in the ring. For his credit, Michaels was still able to move and had to double sell every move to make the fight at least look legitimate, but it still was beyond ludicrous.

Hogan got knocked around a little bit and broke out the crimson mask, but everyone at the table was certain it was fake blood. There was far too much blood for it to be real, because if it was, Hogan would've died in the ring. And for the record, it's probably not okay to refer to HBK as the upstart Shawn Michaels, because I'm pretty sure you can't be upstart after a retirement.

After two refs got knocked out (I think the best acting job of the night was that the refs didn't just start cracking up in the middle of the ring after being "knocked out" by Hogan brushing into them), Hogan finally started "hulking up" and hit Michaels with the devastating big boot and leg drop, leading him to the win.

As he pranced around the ring, the announcers started yelling that we might never see another Hulk Hogan ever, but the fact of the matter is we don't need to. Hogan has been fighting for the past 25 years, and will continue to wrestle into his 70s and beyond, because, let's face it, Hogan is going to be their marquee name until the day he dies. Sure, they had promise back in the days of Stone Cold and The Rock, but now, they are content rolling out an a decrepit Hogan for the main event. And it won't be too long before they are rolling him out, literally, which might lead to the first ever wheelchair match.

The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. BetOnSports.com gives you the greatest sports action to bet on. Wager on football, cricket, boxing, Rugby, horse racing, and more. 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 3:47 PM | Comments (1)

August 22, 2005

In Cincinnati, Jungle Fever is Alive

For 14 years, it's been lurking beneath the city's grass and pavement amidst the infamous Cincinnati cicadas. Waiting. Scheming. Hoping. For 14 years, it's been overlooked, criticized, beaten, worn down, and laughed at. For 14 years, it's been waiting for this September of 2005. As soon as the leaves change and fall to alert the city of the beginning of football season, it will peek out from beneath its hiding spot, seizing the city and all innocent passersby that will become hosts when bitten.

"Jungle Fever," as it was once known, has been idle and depressed for too long, and there's only a one-month period that will decide this year whether that fever is here to stay for a while or subject to another 14 years of underground oppression.

So we know that Jungle Fever has been hiding, but where have all the Bengals fans been hiding out? Not counting the select batch of diehards, it appeared as if Cincinnati was a bandwagon sports town. The Reds don't get much attendance when they're not playing well, and the same goes for the Bengals.

But for each of the three years that head coach Marvin Lewis has been running the ship, Bengals fans have continued to come out of nowhere, setting regular season home attendance records with every season. Last year, Cincinnati reached the half-million mark for the first time with all eight sellouts. Is it the new uniforms? Is it the new stadium? Is it the new mindset of the team? Is it the proven winners that Lewis has brought in? Is it the more noticeable faces and fan-friendly stars on the team?

I've been working at Cardboard Heroes in Cincinnati for a part-time this summer selling jerseys, hats, and other sports collectables for the company that has stores around the Ohio area. On Wednesday, August 17, a man wearing large black sunglasses and a low hat came in asking about a job and talking quite loudly. There were four of us working, and on that day, there was no one else in the store.

So we were talking and joking around amongst ourselves, and we pulled out an application for him while continuing our own conversation. The man seemed very offended, and he said, "I actually have to fill this out?" We were all thinking how rude this person was because of course he'd have to fill out an application to work here! We thought, well, who does he think he is?! He shook his head in disbelief, muttered to himself, and walked out the door.

We really didn't understand what that was all about. Why should he get special treatment? However, the next day, we learned that it was, in fact, Bengals' loquacious wide receiver Chad Johnson. The otherwise hard-to-miss Johnson, known for his elusiveness on the field, definitely played up his trickiness in the store that day.

But how could we not recognize Johnson and his 1,274 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns last season? The Oregon State grad considers himself the entertainer on the team, and some have labeled him a milder version of Eagles receiver Terrell Owens. Yet while Owens rips down signs in stadiums and trash talks his own teammates, Johnson, however, trash talks opposing teams.

He is notorious when it comes to pranks, including the one in which he sent in 2004 to the Cleveland Browns' four defensive backs a care package of Pepto Bismol and a greeting that the medicine will come in handy for them after he's finished in the game against them. Unfortunately for Johnson, the Bengals ended up losing that contest in Cleveland by a final of 34-17 before 73,000+ fans. Johnson himself had only three receptions for a total of 37 yards. If anyone needed the medicine, it was he.

But as the Bengals' training camp concluded, perhaps that "how-can-you-not-recognize-me" attitude was descriptive of many of Cincinnati's players, with a couple of flashy receivers, a former USC quarterback, a Pro-Bowler cornerback, and proven Georgia linebackers. But the group still remains down to earth, signing hundreds of autographs after practices.

Having been 14 years since their last playoff appearance, it is now officially do-or-die time for the team previously referred to as the "Bungles." In fact, it's even been 14 years since they last had a winning preseason record. However, things didn't look so great from the start in the Bengals' first preseason game against the defending champion Patriots. Quarterback Carson Palmer's first play ended up as an interception, but what does preseason even count for, let alone the first preseason game? The Patriots have one of the best quarterbacks in the game right now in Tom Brady, and what did he do on his first play in the most recent game against the Saints? Yeah — interception. Maybe Palmer is taking after the right guy...

And the whole team is taking after the right coach. Lewis has taken this franchise in a complete 360-degree different direction than his predecessor, Dick LeBeau. LeBeau's team in 2001 was 6-10, but the following year, they plummeted to a gruesome 2-14. Enough was enough — LeBeau was out like a mullet.

Enter Lewis, former Redskins and Ravens defensive coordinator. In his first season in Cincinnati, he coached the most improved team in the league and finished second to New England's Bill Belichick for Coach of the Year. The Bengals have only risen with each year and are looking to burst out of gate with a bang. The 1-4 start in 2004 put a damper on things early on, so the best thing for this team would be to avoid that altogether and set the tone immediately.

It didn't help, though, that the top story out of training camp was the contract holdout of their top draft pick, David Pollack. It didn't help that the Georgia boy who had 36 career sacks in college held out for 21 days, 24 practices, plenty of meetings, scrimmages, games, and precious bonding time with teammates. It didn't help that he missed the most important time for a rookie. It didn't help that he would be switching from defensive end to linebacker, but the Bengals are used to these situations. After all, in 2001 defensive end Justin Smith didn't sign with the team until the day before the regular-season opener.

Not to worry. Lewis has said it before, and he'll say it again — the team does not revolve around one person. This Bengals team has a solid core of receivers fighting for jobs, and after a breakout year last season, T.J. Houshmandzadeh combines with Johnson to form one of the most potent one-two punches in the league. A healthy Peter Warrick is also back on the radar at receiver, who faces competition from draft pick Chris Henry from West Virginia.

They've also got former Auburn running back Rudi Johnson, who is facing competition from second-year player Chris Perry from Michigan. Perry has been arguably the brightest star to emerge from training camp, looking to prove himself following an injury-ridden season. He had more carries in his first preseason game than all of last season combined. If Cincinnati can keep him healthy and win the big games at home, the AFC North won't know what him them.

But will this be the year? They've got the coach. They've got the explosive offense. They've got the playmaking defense. Now, they've got the fans.

I'll tell you this — the Fever has definitely come out. And it's not stopping at 8-8.

Posted by Sara Normand at 5:18 PM | Comments (3)

2005 NFL Preview: New Orleans Saints

Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com

Last Year

Oh, when the Saints went marching into the 2004-05 season, everyone knew they were an enigma. All the talent in the world — allegedly — yet no results. Last season was no different as the 8-8 finish was as up and down as a roller coaster and even though there is more talent at Jim Haslett's disposal this year, there's no reason to believe the pattern of inconsistency will change.

What We Learned From Last Year

The biggest misconception about the Saints is that they have a breadth of talent on the roster. That is inaccurate. Talent implies consistency, production, and flashes of excellence. Most of what the 'Aints encompass is unproven prospects and garbage.

In 2004, the Big Easy sported one big and easy defense.

There was nothing saintly about the Saints' worst-ranked defense as they allowed 383.8 yards per game. Opponents had a blast running or passing against a squad that was quite yielding.

The defensive line boasted a wealth of talent on the ends (Charles Grant, Darren Howard, and Will Smith), but lacked a presence at tackle. Bryan Young rarely attracted double-teams while former first-round pick Johnathan Sullivan was a bust.

If you're tackles are subpar, then your linebackers easily become blocked out.

For the Saints, there was no talent or prospects at the linebacking position in 2004. The three main linebackers the Saints started down the stretch were young and inexperienced. Courtney Watson and Colby Bockwoldt were rookies and James Allen was a third-year player. Veteran Derrick Rodgers was also in the mix, but all of these players are second-rate. No one here projects to become a game-breaker.

The team traded for Mike McKenzie midway through the season and added a quality starter to a group of prospects. Jason Craft, Fakhir Brown, and Fred Thomas were overmatched facing top wideouts. Strong safety Jay Bellamy has been one of the few consistent, quality defenders for the Saints over the past few years, but he started to look old on the field — at times — last year.

If you were looking for the abundance of talent, it was mostly on the offensive side of things.

Deuce McAllister persisted through an ankle injury last year that clearly slowed him down. He missed three games early on in the season after spraining the ankle and the injury lingered the rest of the way.

Understandably, the rushing offense took a hit, dropping to 27th overall.

Donte Stallworth continued his protracted development as a wide receiver, but he too was limited because of a leg injury. Joe Horn went to the Pro Bowl, but aside from him and Stallworth, the Saints had few options for a third target.

Jerome Pathon and rookie Devery Henderson were too streaky while tight end Boo Williams was invisible. He didn't have more than 38 receiving yards in any single game.

And then there was quarterback Aaron Brooks.

They say that a team takes on the personality of a quarterback, well in that case, the Saints are a mirror image of Brooks.

Brooks has every tool necessary to be a top-notch NFL quarterback. He's tall, he's mobile, and he has an excellent arm. It's the intangible quarterback characteristics, which he lacks. He's not a vocal leader, he doesn't feel pocket pressure very well, he has trouble reading coverages and, of course, he sometimes gets that Jake Plummer fever of forcing a ball into coverage or making a painful turnover.

The defense was laced with prospects that were not consistent, while the offense was replete with talent that endured a couple of key injuries.

Winning or losing often depended on the offense and, more specifically, Aaron Brooks. The Saints were 5-0 when he didn't throw a single interception.

Jim Haslett is running out of chances, so he better milk this team for whatever it's got or he'll be looking for a new job very shortly.

This Year

The Saints are like that 6-out-of-10 girl from your gym that keeps trying to hook you into a relationship, but you keep turning her down.

On appearances alone, she's tempting, but she's nothing to be serious about.

This time, she got a few highlights, and she says she's changed.

Really?

The 2005 Saints look painfully similar to last year's version with a few minor amendments.

The defensive line still has best set of ends the NFL has to offer, but nothing bulky in the center. Bryan Young is undersized, but can disrupt blocking schemes while Howard Green, the other starting defensive tackle, is a mediocre overachiever.

The linebacking issues from a season ago were also not seriously addressed throughout the offseason. Ronald McKinnon was added and is a solid veteran, but he won't start ahead of the team's best linebacker, Courtney Watson. James Allen and Colby Bockwoldt will round out the starting trio, but few members outside of the Saints organization are high on either of these guys. The latter two are both fairly raw and have trouble shedding blocks, which is an ominous combination without any imposing defensive tackles.

Expect most teams to run the ball run up the middle with a lot of success.

The secondary stands to improve with the additions of free safeties Dwight Smith and second-round pick Josh Bullocks. Smith is a playmaker while Bullocks is a budding prospect, but they play the same position. Bullocks needs to develop a physical aspect to his game before he can replace Jay Bellamy on the field.

Mike McKenzie is the team's best cornerback and Fakhir Brown has shown signs that he could be the opposite starter. Jason Craft and Fred Thomas would be excellent nickel and dime backs, but if Brown doesn't step up, teams will attack whoever McKenzie is not covering.

On offense, the Saints have one of the league's most powerful offensive lines, even though tackle Jon Stinchcomb was lost to a season-ending injury in training camp.

First-round draft pick Jammal Brown has looked impressive thus far in training camp and will team with Wayne Gandy as the starting tackles. Center LeCharles Bentley and right guard Jeremy Mayberry are both excellent players, which leaves Kendyl Jacox and Montrae Holland, both starting guards from last year, to battle for the left spot.

New offensive coordinator Mike Sheppard is simplifying the offense and refocusing on pounding the ball through the team's best player, Deuce McAllister.

The simplification of the offense includes less of a mental aspect for everyone including less verbiage and more straightforward formations. Less thinking, more playing.

It's questionable whether that will extract consistency out of Aaron Brooks, but concentrating on the running game will definitely help.

At wide receiver, the Saints should be well-equipped — better than in recent memory.

Joe Horn is the big dog, but Donte Stallworth should cross the 1,000-yard receiver benchmark any time now.

Stallworth creates great separation with his speed and has a superior pair of hands, but he needs to stay healthy. Devery Henderson and Az Hakim are also blazers and will compete for the third role, providing this grouping a great deal of speed to work with.

Brooks is still the same old Aaron Brooks, regardless of how dedicated his offseason workouts have been. It's hard to envision him ever leading a team deep into the playoffs especially since he doesn't have a defense to pickup the slack when his inconsistency surfaces.

The Saints are not competing for any championships this year and would be lucky to win the division. They have a talented offense led by an up-and-down quarterback, a defense that is still a few bricks short of a load, and an average coaching staff that doesn't get the best out of their players.

Enjoy.

Over/Under: 7.5

The Saints were 3-5 at home last year and 5-3 on the road. Sure, they did win the last four games, but keep in mind who they beat: Tampa Bay (5-11), Dallas (6-10), a Mike Vick-less Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina. I wouldn't trust this team with your money, let alone mine. They play: NYG, @MIN, BUF, @GB, @STL, MIA, CHI, @NE, @NYJ, and DET.

Fantasy Sleeper

After three very average fantasy seasons, most players have soured on Donte Stallworth, but his issues have mostly been with health, not talent. As long as he stays healthy this year, he will have the opportunity to post excellent fantasy numbers. Especially with Joe Horn attracting all the attention on the other side.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 4:34 PM | Comments (17)

I Hate Mondays: Tennis in Toronto

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Belgium is a country known for charming chocolates and bewitching beers. Now you can add women's tennis to that delectable list.

While the first two flavors are readily available locally, it was nice to get a taste of the third this week as the Sony Ericsson WTA tour stopped by the Rexall Centre at York University.

The final match of the tournament featured Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne, the only two Belgian females entered in the women's singles draw.

With a 9-9 career head-to-head record, the two close friends were expected to produce a spectacular finish to a week of action that fell short of expectations.

Clijsters entered with the hot hand, winning five titles on the tour this season, but had lost to her pal seven-of-nine times in their championship meetings.

The windy conditions clearly troubled Henin-Hardenne, who had lost only twice in her previous 32 matches. She fell behind 4-1 early in the first set after her serve was broken twice in her first three service games. She regrouped to level the match briefly, but Clijsters took the set, 7-5.

From that point, momentum clearly favored Clijsters as she made quick work of Henin-Hardenne in the second set, losing only one game.

Even with storylines aplenty for a final that offered two of the tournament's top talents, Center Court was visibly unfilled. Seating was readily available for almost every match throughout the week and attendance numbers fell short of expectations. Pre-tournament projections expected roughly 155,000-160,000, but the total figures reached just over 136,000.

The absence of Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, and Lindsay Davenport obviously affected the turnout. Serena Williams, one of the most recognizable faces in women's tennis, did participate, but retired after a round three win over the 14th-seed Flavia Penetta. Without the biggest attractions, the casual fans were thin in numbers.

But the ones who were present on Sunday did get a treat.

Two years ago, after Martina Navratilova won the doubles title with partner Svetlana Kuznetsova, she declared it would be her last time playing in Toronto. Not only did she return to play this year — to the delight of many — she immediately apologized for her false claim after winning the doubles title in exhilarating fashion with teammate Anna-Lena Groenefield.

The 48-year-old Navratilova and 20-year-old Groenefield found themselves in an unusual position after dropping the first set, 7-5, to their Spanish opponents Conchita Martinez and Virginia Ruano Pascual. The duo hadn't lost a single set prior to the finals. With the crowd clearly in Navratilova's corner, the tandem rallied to take the following two sets, 6-3 and 6-4.

But the burning question remained: will Martina Navratilova be back for one more appearance?

"Who, knows," she responded in regards to her return to Toronto. "You may see me back here in two years."

If she does return, she will be 50-years-old by her next visit.

"Nothing. I say nothing. I'm just not saying anything at all," she continued, keeping her plans flexible. "It's great to be here now. I appreciate it very much. It's a big bonus to still be playing and be healthy enough to be able to compete. Found me a great partner, so that makes it better. Yeah, so I'm not planning anything."

Navratilova and Groenefield will team together in the upcoming U.S. Open.

The Toronto tournament had a tough act to follow after the men's stop in Montreal provided excitement throughout, especially with a thrilling final between young stud Rafael Nadal and all-time great Andre Agassi. But the audience at the Rexall Centre also felt like they got a piece of history watching the female legend make her fifth doubles final appearance in Canada and capture her 175th career doubles titles.

Star power was not as bright as previous years and attendance statistics did disappoint, but the well-organized tournament and its planners have much to be proud of.

Poor fan support and good tennis mix like Mondays and me.

"The two prime movers in the universe are time and luck." — Kurt Vonnegut

Don't miss next week's installment of "I Hate Mondays," sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great sportsbook for horse racing and casino action!

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 4:28 PM | Comments (0)

August 20, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: New England Patriots

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Last Year

The 2004 New England Patriots paid their dues, time after time. They had their share of sand kicked in their face, but they've come through. Now they are the champions, my friend. They kept on fighting, 'till the end. They had no time for losers because they are the champions of the NFL world, but what are their prospects of a three-peat?

What We Learned From Last Year

I see a little silhouette of a man, scar-a-mouche scar-a-mouche, but he doesn't do the fandango. All he does is win.

Any way the wind blows, it doesn't really matter for Bill Belichick, he stays focused.

The Patriots have only lost four times in the last two seasons. In the modern parity-filled NFL, you might ask yourself if that's the real life, or if it's just fantasy?

Last year, for the cheap price of a second-round pick, Belichick added running back Corey Dillon to his offensive arsenal.

Pundits waved yellow caution flags, suggesting that Dillon will be a chemistry problem. All he did was rush for 1,635 yards with 12 touchdowns.

He filled a huge void for the offense as Antowain Smith was never this effective. With Dillon on board, not only could the Patriots spread teams out with their multiple wide receiver sets, they could also bludgeon opponents and wear the clock down in the fourth quarter.

No wonder the Patriots' offense climbed 10 rankings in 2004.

Quarterback Tom Brady posted nearly the exact same numbers as his previous season even though his top target, Troy Brown, was flipped to a cornerback role.

Deion Branch, David Givens, and David Patten picked up the slack, combining for over 2,000 yards receiving. The Patriots still spread the passes around, but with a potent running game, they weren't pressured to throw so much.

Brown moved to cornerback, primarily because depth was thinned after starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole were lost early on in the season.

Brown only played a nickel role, but was noticeably effective.

That just seems to be part of the Patriots' encompassing aura.

They have that Atlanta Braves/San Antonio Spurs effect on players. They know how to put any player in a position to succeed. Anyone who joins the Braves, Spurs, or Patriots seems to get much better and almost overachieve.

That is what the Pats have done time after time. Plugging in rookies, waiver-wire drifters, or other team's castoffs and extracting solid contributions. Something tells me Randall Gay would not be kept on most rosters.

Along with Gay, last year's emerging talent included rookie defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and ends Ty Warren and Jarvis Green.

There are no real qualms to be had at safety. Rodney Harrison was an MVP-caliber player again — he was a San Diego Charger castoff a few seasons ago. Meanwhile, Eugene Wilson was a portrait of stability.

There aren't too many issues to nitpick about since this is clearly the best team in the NFL. They only lost two games: one in which they where they didn't match the intensity and the other in which they lost focus.

It happens.

Going forward, the Patriots have far more pressing concerns heading into this season than they had last year.

This Year

The main concern for the 2005 New England Patriots is not the loss of any individual player, it is the loss of the coordinators that will be the biggest hurdle to overcome.

Losing Tedy Bruschi for the season is not something the Patriots envisioned or requested, but this team has overcome the losses of Pro Bowlers Lawyer Milloy and Ty Law in the past two seasons, so don't be too concerned about the absence of Bruschi.

The key will be persevering through the losses of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, two of the brightest minds in football.

Eric Mangini, the team's secondary coach, steps in as the full-time defensive coordinator and Belichick himself will call plays for the offense until one of his young disciples is ready to step in.

Don't expect a vast change in the defensive philosophy, as Mangini will mirror the same style Crennel produced.

The defensive line and the secondary stand to be improved over last season and the linebackers are the only area to question.

Randall Gay and Asante Samuel return with an extra year of experience under their belts while Duane Starks and Chad Scott are new cast members. Starks is the typical Patriots-type player who underachieves in one city, then comes over to New England and thrives. Scott is a decent third cornerback and Tyrone Poole is still around for depth.

On the line, Wilfork, Seymour, and Warren are excellent. No team running a 3-4 has a better set of starting linemen. The team also loves backup end Marquise Hill and Green. Both will be the backups, but Green could easily start for most teams.

The linebackers lost Bruschi and Ted Johnson in the offseason, but added Chad Brown and Monty Beisel. Also, Roosevelt Colvin will be more of a factor as a hip injury limited him significantly last year. Brown is a three-time Pro Bowler and undoubtedly has the skills to match what Bruschi brought to the defense. He can sack the QB, he is a quality pass defender, and he is tough against the run. Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel are still key constituents, which means that the Pats only need to replace Johnson. Johnson was stout against the run and although the Pats will try to fill his vacancy with either Beisel or Tully Banta-Cain, both are better pass-rushers from the outside than run-stuffers.

Still, Belichick has been able to teach an old dog new tricks before, so don't be surprised if he finds a cog for this hole.

Givens, Brown, and Branch return to the receiving squad, but the Patriots also add a couple new targets for Brady. The Chicago Bears grew tired of former first-rounder David Terrell, but he will add a tall receiver to the mix of short, speedy hands. It's just one more weapon that Belichick will know how to include. The Pats also added Tim Dwight, who can make a pretty dangerous option as the fourth or fifth receiver.

At tight end, the Patriots have a wealth of talent including two former first-round picks, Daniel Graham and Ben Watson, and 11-year veteran Christian Fauria. Graham is an excellent possession tight end, particularly in traffic, while Watson is an explosive tight end, is a threat down the field and is a difficult cover for any linebacker.

The passing game has virtually every necessary option available to them: two tight-end sets, five receiver sets, two running back sets, mixed formations, tall receivers, fast receivers, reliable tight-ends, fast tight-ends, workhorse running backs, and pass-catching running backs.

This is truly a nightmare for most defenses, especially with a genius mind scheming these plays.

There is no uncertainty surrounding Brady or Dillon, but the men in front do raise an eyebrow.

The Pats lost tackle Adrian Klemm and guard Joe Andruzzi to free agency and although their replacements are far from household names, they are good enough to suffice.

Matt Light is steady at left tackle, but Brandon Gorin or Tom Ashworth have much to prove at right tackle.

Center Dan Koppen and guard Stephen Neal are up and comers and the team is hoping that first-round pick Logan Mankins will beat out Ross Hochstein for the other guard position. If not, Hochstein is a seasoned veteran who can start until Mankins is ready.

Tom Brady has a great feel for pressure and won't burden his front five by holding on to the ball too long.

The Pats still game plan better than any other team in the NFL and know how to exploit every team's weakness. The road to the Super Bowl still travels through New England until proven otherwise.

Over/Under: 10.5

The Patriots have won three Super Bowls in the last three seasons, yet somehow this team always comes off as an underdog. They are still the class of their division by a long shot even though the division has improved, don't be surprised if J.P. Losman and A.J. Feeley really struggle against the Pats this season. Outside of the AFC East, they play: OAK, @CAR, @PIT, SD, @ATL, @DEN, IND, NO, @KC, and TB. If you haven't done it by now, go circle November 7th on your calendar as New England hosts the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.

Fantasy Sleeper

Tight end Ben Watson can handle any linebacker or safety on his own. Not only is he big enough and strong enough (6-3, 253 lb.) to win any battle for the ball, he also has exceptional speed to be a true threat down the field. The Patriots are salivating at the thought of having Watson and Graham on the field on the same time and with a solid running game to keep defenses honest, Watson should make a few long-distance connections with Tom Brady.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 8:21 PM | Comments (0)

The National League Scorecard

With a mixture of boos and cheers, the much-beleaguered first baseman of the Baltimore Orioles, Rafael Palmeiro, is back on the field. Long before his finger-wagging denial of ever using the juice, and subsequent failed steroids test, a debate raged regarding the Hall of Fame credentials of the now-tainted slugger. My stance remains the same post-'roids on Palmeiro — he belongs in the hallowed halls in Cooperstown.

It may be an old sentiment, but too often, the media waits to pounce on the weak like a lion on a gazelle. Palmeiro's numbers, which are solid enough to give him undeniable entrance to the Hall, were brought into question even after eclipsing the 3,000-hit mark. Most voters sat on the fence looking for a career-defining moment to catapult Raffy into baseball's heaven. Though this may not be the moment he would have liked, Palmeiro has gotten it.

If Palmeiro is not voted into the Hall, he has an iron-clad argument behind him to platform for entry. If writers do not vote in Palmeiro, how could they without conviction vote for the likes of Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa? Though it has never been proven by a urine sample that the big-time sluggers of the '90s used the juice, there actions are more audible than words.

Sosa is not even a shell of his former self.

Since Sosa's bat shattered in a flurry of cork in June of 2003, his batting average, home run totals, and public image have sunk faster than the Lusitania. Sosa has a mere 202 total hits since '03, as opposed to 213 strikeouts. Even if he didn't use steroids, a compelling argument could be made that Sosa's career ended when the life of his corked bat ceased.

Although the aforementioned Sosa and Mark McGwire "saved" baseball in the late-'90s, McGwire's legacy will be forever distorted by the fateful day he spent in front of Congress. Again, though a test has never revealed McGwire cheated, Helen Keller would be able to see that with the massive biceps, depleted numbers, and rabid injuries at the tail-end of his career, McGwire was a cheater.

The bottom line in all of this remains to be if you keep out Palmeiro with more hits and a comparable home run total to both men, keep out baseball's saviors.

Of course, the man vindicated in all of this is Jose Canseco. While he was destroyed by the media, as well as major league players, managers, and front office suits, the fact remains that Jose spoke the truth. Canseco said he thought Palmeiro, he tests positive. He says he injected McGwire, who wilted faster than a trample azalea in front of Congress. He said that Bret Boone told him he was on the juice, where is the flash-in-the-pan second baseman now?

Too many times, the persons vilified by the establishment that is athletes and writers take every opportunity to slander and disregard those who go against the same establishment. Though Canseco will never be a saint, his story should be used as an example for sports fans, players, and media members alike to think, research, and explore before a concrete, damning judgment is passed.

Wild Wild Card

With the usual suspects (Braves, Cardinals) running away with their respective divisions, and the NL West proving to be the worst division in baseball in some time, fans of the senior circuit have to be overjoyed with the five-team pack still vying for a wildcard birth.

Most baseball insiders give the advantage to the Houston Astros to come away with the playoff spot, and with good reason. Anytime your pitching rotation is fronted with Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt, and Andy Pettitte, your squad could compete with any team in the league. Problem is, they aren't beating the teams they should beat, and it has left the door wide open for the four NL East teams to make it interesting.

Since taking two-of-three from the Diamondbacks to start the month of August, they are just 5-8, with series losses to the Giants, Pirates, and Cubs. In those eight losses, Houston is averaging less than two runs a game. The Astros finish out the month facing the Brewers, Padres, Dodgers, and Reds, all teams they should beat, but can they score enough runs?

They may not have to. The Mets, Nationals, Marlins, and Phillies collide throughout the months of August and September. Among the aforementioned teams, the Mets have the best record against NL East foes at 25-22. The Phils, Nats, and Fish are all sub-.500 against their division rivals. Where the Mets succeed against their rivals, they are downright atrocious on the road, with a record of 23-35. In fact, in the NL East, including Atlanta, only the Nationals have won at least 30 games in opposing ballparks.

All that being said, the most compelling reason to believe the Astros will come out with the wildcard could just be that the four other teams will knock each other out of contention.

NL Worst

Plain and simple, the National League West is downright embarrassing. How one team, most likely the Padres, will be allowed to enter the postseason is a giant black eye for the senior circuit. The biggest benefactor of whichever team will limp into the postseason from the left coast will be the team that finishes with the second-best record in the NL. First-place will draw the wildcard winner, unless the Astros regain the top spot and the Cardinals finish with the best record.

In any event, the "winner" from the NL West will be the lamb going to slaughter at the hands of the Braves or Cards. With such a hotly-contested wildcard race and a division (NL East) in which every team top to bottom would be in first-place in the West, its a shame baseball will have to watch another three-game first-round sweep in the postseason.

Posted by Daniel Collins at 8:03 PM | Comments (0)

The Jester's Quart Bass Tale

His name was Ian.

I know this because his father said it. Many, many times. As did his mother. They used it in sentences like, "Ian, don't touch that" and "Ian, don't put that in your mouth." It would echo through the trees when Ian ran off to chase a frog or a bug or an imaginary frog that was trying to eat an imaginary bug.

Sometimes his father — one of those middle-aged guys from New York who has more hair on his shoulder blades than his head, yet continues to defiantly wear a tank top in the summer — would substitute another word for "Ian." Especially when he was trying to humor Ian's antic little urges while trying to sneak down to the lake for some lounging in the sun. He'd say, "That's a great looking puzzle, champ" or "That's a really funny story, buddy," while juggling two towels, a Sports Illustrated, a six-pack of Bud Lite, and a tub of pretzels down to his beach chair.

Ian and his family were staying in the cabin next to mine, and we were all living next to a large lake in eastern Maine for a week. I was there for vacation. So was Ian. So were his parents, although I can't imagine a level of relaxation could be attained when the majority of your time is spent trying to prevent a precocious 6-year old from eating broken seashells.

(I assumed Ian was 6 because he looked exactly like the little blonde moppet from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," who I always figured was about 6.)

(Then again, I wore blue jammies and thought aliens controlled the vacuum cleaner until I was about 23.)

Without sports for a week — the cabin didn't have a TV, radio, the Internet, a newspaper, phone, carrier pigeon, or an old copy of Golf Digest near the crapper — I was reduced to sucking down several beers on a screened-in porch every afternoon and living vicariously through the "athletes" around me, which, in this case, were amateur fishermen and women.

There was the guy who'd take out the powerboat every morning, using rods that probably cost more than my car to snag several bass each day. There were the knucklehead teenagers with the equipment from the local Wal-Mart, whose bright idea was to try and catch fish while sitting in a paddleboat. (Sample Bass Thought: "Wow, that's one good-looking worm. But I sure as hell ain't risking my gills swimmin' up to that spinning death machine to get it!")

And then there was Ian's family. He had two older brothers who had gone out a few times in the smaller motor boats docked on the lake. I don't want to say these gentlemen weren't the most effective fishermen, but Ray Charles could have caught more armed only with a bo staff.

True story: one morning, they went out on the lake and came back having only caught a rod some other poor bastard had lost in the water on a previous trip.

Perhaps inspired by his siblings, Ian decided to create his own fishing rod. He found a twig, maybe about 18 inches long and about as straight as Freddie Couples's vertebrae. He tied a string to one end of it, and took it down to the dock where his brothers were. They provided a hook and some bait, and Ian joined the millions of recreational anglers who populate America's streams, lakes, and parkway overpasses each summer.

Ian's father was also near the lake, peering through a large telescope. I can only assume that, based on his age and the fact that this was a solitary activity, he was looking at a naked lady in a nearby cabin. Or perhaps the moon at dusk. One of the two.

Suddenly, there was a commotion coming from down the shoreline, at the dock. Ian's father spun the telescope and sprinted over, no doubt expecting to find that his child had mistaken the fishhook as a cracker and, as a result, had caught his own esophagus.

The sounds gained clarity: it wasn't panic, it was jubilation. I left the porch to get a better look for myself. Ian's family had crowded around him. In his hand was the twisted little rod he made.

Dangling from it was a bass the size of small skateboard.

"My kid brudduh caught dis fish!" one of his siblings called over to me.

I've seen rod-and-reel sets retail for over $900. I've seen grown men browse the bait and tackle section of the local sporting goods store, actually holding an argument over whether a light green or dark green plastic nightcrawler would be more effective on a cloudy day.

And here was a 6-year-old kid, a stick, a string, a hook, some bait ... and a fish large enough to have earned Captain Ahab's ire.

What I'll most remember from this moment was the look on the face of Ian's father as he went back to the telescope a few minutes later. It's that look of pride that only sweeps over a father after a sporting accomplishment by his son. The satisfaction that the athletic prowess he had witnessed must have originated on his side of the DNA spiral. That glow of potential, only instead of dreaming about his boy winning the Super Bowl, he's thinking about cashing that check when Ian wins the Bassmaster Challenge on ESPN2. ("He'll be the Freddy Adu of the bass fishing world! Whoever the hell Freddy Adu is...")

Ian, I'm guessing, had a different reaction. He's a kid, and there are three different reactions by kids to animals, based on their size:

Small — an unwavering desire to kill them.

Large — a formidable fear of them.

Medium — a new best friend, like a puppy or a rabbit.

I figure this bass fell into the "medium" category, based on its size and the time that it would take to murder it with the sun and a magnifying glass. So when his brothers dropped that fish into a bucket, Ian probably thought they were going to carry his new friend Freddy the Fish back to the cabin so they could do a puzzle together or play hide-and-go-seek.

"Fweddy da fish is my new best fwend!" Ian would exclaim in that Fudd-ish accent every six-year old has. "Fweddy and I are going to wun and pway and gwow old together!"

I'm sure reality set in when that little tyke came back from the dock, looked around the cabin, and couldn't locate Freddy anywhere. I'm sure he had more questions than answers when his brothers kept exclaiming that Ian "caught dinner" earlier in the day. Later on that evening:

"Daddy, where's Fweddy?

"Yeah, that's great, champ. Honey, could you pass the tartar sauce?"

Thirty years from now, I'm sure Ian will be the one celebrating the fish his son caught.

Of course, depending on what we've been pouring into these lakes, the fish might be catching us by then.

The NHL on OLN

I've said for years that ESPN has poisoned the National Hockey League with lackluster production, poor choice of games, and a menagerie of announcers that made even the most ardent fan want to change the station. Not to mention giving the sport the kind of respect usually reserved for a red-headed stepchild that had recently been busted in a kiddie porn ring. (In other words, not much respect.)

The NHL signed on with the Outdoor Life Network this week, and has suffered the expected ridicule from the usual media critics, claiming the league might as well play in Siberia or that hockey is now completely on the fringe. Tony Kornheiser basically said hockey is dead as a sport on his radio show. (Perhaps not as dead as "Listen Up," but pretty darn dead I'm sure.)

I wouldn't expect anyone predisposed to hate hockey to like this deal, but I'm shocked how shortsighted some of these critics are being.

The NHL is now the centerpiece in a budding sports media empire. This isn't going to be some trainwreck like SportsChannel, because Comcast isn't a network — it's a cable provider, looking to turn OLN into a legitimate competitor to ESPN. And unlike the boys in Bristol, it's not going to shove hockey into the closet if the ratings aren't there — it's going to keep working until the ratings grow, until the broadcasts are exciting, until hockey is event programming.

That's the difference between someone who owns the Flyers, like Comcast, and someone who owned the Ducks, like ESPN — it's one thing to have your toe in the water, but another to want the pool to be perfect.

Besides HDTV technology, OLN is going to offer more than ESPN ever would have in extended content for fans. On Demand game highlights and a library of hockey's greatest moments. Online streaming of two games per night. And, perhaps best of all, the NHL Network is coming soon to Comcast cable. One look at that, and you'll wonder how we ever considered ESPN as having provided "hockey coverage."

This is what we, the fans, wanted. This is a network, and its media parent, taking an active interest in hockey and making the NHL work on television. I'm excited, and I just hope they don't screw it up by polluting the broadcast with the same gaggle of hacks we had broadcasting the games for the last decade.

As much as I'd like to give the NHL credit for this one, the OLN deal happened despite the league's efforts to bungle it. If ESPN had bitten, we'd be right back at square one.

The only credit that goes to Gary Bettman and the NHL is for sinking this league so far into the abyss, ESPN wouldn't touch it again.

Greg Wyshynski is the Features Editor for SportsFan Magazine in Washington, DC, and the Senior Sports Editor for The Connection Newspapers of Northern Virginia. His book “Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer: The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History" will be published in Spring 2006. His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 5:04 PM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2005

The Never-Ending NBA Season

See, for me, summer is the preseason of NBA training camps, which is the preseason to the regular season, which, when you really think about it, is the preseason to the only season that really counts — the playoffs. To me, this is the time when every team in the league begins to choose up sides, like when you're playing pickup basketball on the playground or in the gym. All my fellas reading this who play ball know how it goes: you go to the park with some of your boys, but you don't have enough people, so you have to pick somebody up who's already out there.

But, before you pick one, you check out his game on the low to see if he can actually ball or if he's a scrub. If he's going to help you win or if he's going to sabotage the team with the general suckiness of his so-called "game." (Sorry, I just had flashbacks to a few particular "players" who scammed their way onto some of my teams). That, dear reader, is exactly what's happening in the NBA right now.

This is the time to wonder and speculate about players and coaches changing teams and the effect those changes will have on the league. This is the time to dream about what your favorite team would look like if (enter the name of any NBA superstar) was traded to your team. And, at a time when there's nothing on television but repeats, the NBA summer leagues provide us with the ultimate NBA reality drama: recent NBA draft picks and NBA-wannabees trying to impress fans and coaches while fighting for a job in the NBA. Take all of that and it's no wonder why, for me, the NBA never has an "offseason."

In fact, this summer has been anything but "off" for the NBA. First, and definitely most importantly, a potentially-devastating players' strike was averted before the two sides reached the proverbial "point of no return," thus ensuring that the league would continue without a work stoppage. It also proved once again why David Stern is the best commissioner in all of professional sports today, the "anti-Bud Selig," if you will.

But, if you're like most fans, the most important thing to you is which players moved where. In Houston, the Rockets signed an athletic and active power forward complement to Yao Ming in free agent pickup Stromile Swift, giving Jeff Van Gundy and Tracy McGrady another weapon in their battle against the San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan.

Down in South Beach, the Miami Heat signed Shaquille O'Neal, "The Big Graduate Student," to a monster contract extension, which actually turns out to be a pay-cut, and then participate in the largest player trade in NBA history. In it, the Heat received Antoine Walker from Boston and Jason Williams and James Posey from Memphis, while giving up only Eddie Jones and two backups. Shaq and Dwayne Wade get even more help for a team that had the best record in the East, while the rest of the conference see their championship aspirations become a little less bright.

Up in the swamp, known affectionately by the locals as "New Jersey," the Nets first agreed to add Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the triumvirate of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter, only to reverse course and revoke the trade, due to a failed physical, and sign Marc Jackson and Jeff McInnis instead. Now, instead of Net fans having the brief vision of a potentially-dynamite fantasy basketball team come to life and a first round playoff exit, they are instead left with the vision of a team that may actually be better equipped to make a deeper playoff run.

Meanwhile, out in Hollywood, the next chapter was added to the league's longest-running and infinitely most compelling drama when Phil Jackson was re-hired to coach Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. While hiring Svengali Phil alone isn't enough to ensure a return to the playoffs for the Lake Show, it just proves once again that in sports, any bridge, regardless of the degree to which it was burned down, can be rebuilt — even after the book comes out.

The most consistent, and persistent, news story of the early summer, though, had to be the daily drama that I dubbed, "My Summer with Larry." Seriously, was it me or did it seem like every day there was more "news" about Larry Brown and his situation with the Detroit Pistons? One minute, Larry is the Pistons' coach and doesn't want to leave and the next minute he's telling everyone that the Knicks are his "dream job." One minute, he's healthy as an ox and can coach for years to come and the next minute he's weaker than a malnourished baby girl and can't ever coach again. One moment, his wife is telling everyone within earshot that the Browns aren't leaving Detroit and the next minute, they're putting out a welcome mat in the Hamptons.

Ultimately, what it boiled down to, without all of the Access Hollywood-styled drama, was that Larry Brown left behind a team he led to the NBA Finals two straight years for the massive reclamation project known as the New York Knickerbockers.

For a native New Yorker like myself, Larry Brown coaching the Knicks is huge news. The Knicks get their first coach since Jeff Van Gundy left and finally get an air of legitimacy and competence they had lacked in previous years. (Now, if only Isaiah Thomas could figure out how to stop ridiculously overpaying for mediocre talent, the Knicks could be a legitimate playoff team.) However, more than anything, this is a great basketball move for the current Knick team. The Knicks automatically became an improved team with Brown's addition and, with a little good fortune and a whole lot more inspired play, have an outside shot at making the playoffs.

One thing is for certain: Stephon Marbury, one of the league's most dynamic players and the self-described "best point guard in the NBA" has no more excuses. He finally gets to start his NBA career in earnest, getting a chance to learn how to really play basketball from one of the greatest basketball coaches of all-time.

If Larry Brown can transform Chauncey Billups from a player who averaged 11 points and 4 assists a game, was traded three times, was a free agent pickup twice, and labeled as a first round bust before him, into a world champion, a player whose numbers increased to 16.5 points and 5 assists per game, Finals MVP, and recognition as one of the most clutch performers in the league today with him, imagine what he should be able to do for Marbury, whose career numbers far outweigh anything Billups has ever done in the league. Everything except winning that big, diamond-encrusted ring emblazoned with WORLD CHAMPIONS on it ... and maybe winning just one playoff series.

Because of Brown's presence, I predict big things from Marbury this year, allowing him to finally gain some recognition as one of the NBA's best players and hopefully losing the "selfish" tag and team chemistry-killer image that has followed him from Minnesota, to New Jersey to Phoenix, back home to New York. (As an aside, did you know the only other player in the history of the NBA other than Stephon Marbury to have career averages of 20 points and 8 assists per game is none other than the "Big O," Oscar Robertson?) With Larry Brown patrolling the sidelines of basketball's "Mecca," Madison Square Garden, the lights will again be very bright on Broadway.

As I said, lots of things can, and do, happen in the NBA during the summer. So, while most people are calculating baseball magic numbers and screaming at their football team's number one draft pick to finally sign a contract and show up at training camp, I'm sitting back and watching everything that's happening in the NBA, because as an NBA fan, I don't want to miss one thing — especially since the first preseason game is only seven weeks away.

Posted by Eric Williams at 2:07 PM | Comments (0)

Sports Q&A: Mascot Hall of Fame

Bernie from Milwaukee asks, "How can the voters for the Mascot Hall of Fame justify inducting the Famous Chicken, the Phillie Phanatic, and the Phoenix Suns Gorilla while omitting Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald?

That's easy. Steroids. It's common knowledge in the mascot industry that Mouse and McDonald were notorious juice fiends, and contrary to popular belief, hated kids. If you've ever noticed, Mouse had abnormally large hands, a direct result of steroid abuse. And McDonald's red hair was a warning sign that he could fly into a rage at any minute, because of the psychological effects of steroids. The makeup was just a cover.

Really, what have Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald ever done? Mickey Mouse is nothing more than a glorified Wal-Mart greeter, welcoming visitors to the overpriced Disney Land and Disney World kingdoms, more so than not scaring the daylights out of kids who've never seen a common household mouse, much less a giant, six-foot rodent in red shorts and suspenders. Visitors to those bastions of amusement often look more fondly on baking their feet on the immense square footage of asphalt than they do meeting Mickey Mouse face to face.

As for Ronald McDonald, he's simply a burger merchant, clowning his way through life while providing our daily fat content in one simple meal. Frankly, he's a tyrant, and his subjects in McDonaldland, Grimace, the Hamburgler, and Mayor McCheese, among others, have tolerated his reign of terror for much too long. They are the true heroes there, and they deserve a place in the Mascot Hall of Fame more than Ronald.

On the other hand, those mascots inducted, the Chicken, the Phanatic, and the Gorilla, are all deserving of their enshrinement. The Chicken is the most famous mascot of all time, and there's not many umpires working today that haven't been pantsed by the San Diego native. The Chicken even lit the torch at the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville. That's famous!

What's more, baseball great Pete Rose dressed as the Chicken at WrestleMania XV, only to find himself tombstone pile-driven at the hands of pro wrestler Kane. That makes the Chicken even more famous. To be impersonated by the greatest baseball player ever, at WrestleMania, and then have your likeness pile-driven ... that's big time, and the Chicken is big time.

The Phanatic has been entertaining baseball fans for well over a quarter century, and has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and Live With Regis and Kathy Lee. The Phanatic was Grand Marshall of the Phillies' 1980 parade celebrating their World Series win. Perhaps the Phanatic is most well-known for holding the "Guinness Book of World Records" title of "Most People French Kissed."

Like the Chicken and Phanatic, the Suns' Gorilla deserves his place in the Hall. I feel that a jersey-wearing, slam-dunking primate be granted inclusion into any Hall of Fame he so chooses. Trust me, it's not easy being a gorilla in Phoenix, and it's not easy somersaulting off of a small trampoline and gorilla slam dunking a basketball. The Gorilla does that, and more, and is rightly in the Hall. Like Pete Rose, the Gorilla had the honor of being pile-driven by Kane, on a WWE Raw broadcast in 1998.

In short, Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald are all fluff and no substance. They are corporate pawns in a corporate world. If they feel ignored by the Hall, then they should do something about it besides selling us burgers or a $100 ticket to Disney World. Show up on wrestling, assault an umpire, grope a hot chick sitting in the front row. Come on, you're a mascot. Follow the examples of the Chicken, Phanatic, and Gorilla, and your time may come.

Amy from San Diego writes, "Now that Phil Mickelson has won his second major, do you think he will win more and, if so, how many?"

It would be ludicrous to assume that Phil Mickelson won't win another major — he certainly has the skills and the experience, and a throng of fans hoping to see it. Let's face it — who doesn't well up with tears when the Mickelson girls run onto the 18th green to give daddy a congratulatory hug? Isn't that precious? After his second major win at the PGA Championship, Mickelson now has the momentum to pile up more majors.

If Mickelson wasn't a motivated individual, he could rest on his laurels and call two majors a career. After all, he just said goodbye to the "one major club," with such one-hit wonders as Ben Curtis, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III (or should I say Davis Love I?), Shaun Micheel, and Mike Weir. More importantly, Mickelson just passed Weir and Bob Charles for all-time major wins by a left-hander. Ned Flanders of The Simpson's fame would be proud, and if the Leftorium could afford Mickelson's endorsement, Flanders' business would explode.

Now, Mickelson finds himself in the "two major club," inhabited by the likes of Greg Norman, Retief Goosen, Curtis Strange, Johnny Miller, Fuzzy Zoeller, Mark O'Meara, Lee Janzen, John Daly, and Jose Maria Olazabal. A talented list, no doubt, but full of golfers who many thought would win more than two. And a list of golfers who are known less for their two majors and more for things they'd rather forget (Norman: losing three majors in one year in which he led after the third round; Strange: lost Ryder Cup as captain; Zoeller: comments made in reference to Tiger Woods' Masters champions dinner choice).

Anyway, I think Mickelson will easily win a third, possibly as soon as next year. I would say five would be a great career, but unfortunately, Mickelson will be measured more against Tiger Woods' major output. And, right now, five would be only be half of Woods' 10, and we all know Woods isn't through. And, to win more majors, Mickelson will have to win when Woods doesn't.

In golf, fans and media alike are guilty of extremely short memories. Only a month ago, after Woods captured the British Open, all the talk was of Tiger passing the halfway point in his quest to match Jack Nicklaus' eighteen majors. Now, after Mickelson's win, that Woods' exploits seem to be almost forgotten. Woods had one of the greatest years in golf, winning two majors and placing second and fourth in the other two. And he's not even 30 yet.

Mickelson is 35 and in his prime, but so is Woods, whose prime seems to be longer than anyone else's. Unfortunately for Mickelson, his best years are coinciding with those of Woods. That's not an ideal setting to win majors, and, when you include all the other major winners likely to win more (Goosen, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh), it becomes even tougher.

I don't know what Mickelson's expectation for himself are, but they're probably quite high. But there's nothing wrong with making five majors his goal. It's reasonable that he could get there, and that would place him in the company of Byron Nelson, Seve Ballesteros, and James Braid, who are legendary. Of course, there's nothing shabby about winning two, three, or four majors. Most of us have zero.

Get Your Questions Answered!

Do you have a question or comment? Want to be one with God? Want to be comped at the Bellagio? Have you fallen, and can't get up? Then send your question/religious affiliation/gambling preference/ to [email protected]. You may get the answer you're looking for in the next column on Friday, September 2nd.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 1:53 PM | Comments (0)

2005 U.S. Open: Admission is Free!

Last time I looked, you didn't need a pass to play basketball in the many city run parks and neighborhood playgrounds you find in the vast canyons of New York City. On any given day, you will find hundreds, if not thousands, of kids playing basketball, many dreaming of a career as a professional, and all the trappings and luxuries that can bring.

I asked one young man, all of probably 13 or 14, how much it cost to play. He looked at me like I had some disease, or if I had just been discharged from Bellevue. Then he laughed, asked me if I was serious, and went back to playing ball. I tried this several places, all with the same result, or similar. So I knew for sure, basketball is free.

Now, I didn't just do this randomly. A reader wrote me last week, and in the course of conversation, mentioned that a tennis pass to play on the courts in NYC cost $100 per year, and play is restricted to one hour at a time. So I did a quick calculation. First, maybe only 26 weeks of any given year here in the northeast are playable. Of those, maybe another two to four are off limits for a number of reasons. So, 22 weeks might be available to play. Now, let's say you are lucky enough to get one full hour each of those weeks. That's 22 hours of tennis, for $100. So, for just under $5 per hour, you can play tennis in NYC. Sounds like a bargain, doesn't it?

I was going to be the great journalist and contact the Parks and Recreation Department, and ask them what goes into the fee, but then I thought that it wouldn't matter. They will have some rational explanation of why it costs that much, It will all sound plausible. But it will really be just bunk.

Let's face it, most tennis courts are the same as basketball courts, and many are paved and built the same time a b-ball court is constructed or resurfaced. Yes, nets can cost way more then basketball nets, but I have seen some creative chain-link nets in high vandalism neighborhoods that have withstood the test of time and are probably cheaper overall to maintain then the hoops on many of the basketball backboards in the city. What I figure, it all comes down to the fact that the City of New York can charge a fee, and people will pay it, so they do.

I would love to see the city charge $5 per hour to anyone playing basketball. It would solve the budget crunches and crises and probably would have enough left over to finance the Jets' new stadium. But that won't ever happen. So tennis will pay the brunt of the bill, and tennis play will be restricted, keeping those inner city athletes the USTA so desperately wants to add to the ranks from getting a shot at our great game.

Now contrast that with the U.S. Open. During the fourth week of August, some of the top players in the world will converge on the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows in an attempt to earn a spot in the main U.S. Open draw. The Open Qualifiers feature players in the top 1,000 in the world, and you often will see some relatively well-known pros. Justin Gimelstob, local New Jersey boy, has played the qualifiers to get in the draw. Other higher-ranked players just outside of the top 100 have also played the qualifiers to earn their way in. It really is great tennis.

Did I mention it's free? Yes, admission to the qualifiers and the National Tennis Center is free. It's a great chance to see some great professional tennis, and to see the Mecca of tennis in the U.S. Oh, and did I say it's free? Quite a contrast to the city, where it costs you to play. One of the best bargains in professional sports.

If you wanted to see any of the top 1,000 players in baseball, you would have to go to a minor league park, and while its still a bargain, it will cost you about $15-20. For football, you will have to go to Canada or Europe, and that isn't too cheap, either. Just about every professional sport has a minor league of some kind, and each costs you admission. Well, not tennis, at least not before the major tournaments. For the cost of a subway ticket to NYC, you can see some of the best tennis you will ever see for free.

Now, doesn't that sound like the best bargain?

Posted by Tom Kosinski at 12:56 PM | Comments (1)

August 18, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Minnesota Vikings

Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com

Last Year

It couldn't have been a better opening for the Minnesota Vikings as they started 5-1 and the Green Bay Packers started 1-4. But as per their usual under head coach Mike Tice, they scalped away the division to the Packers in December. As the team shifts its strength from offense to defense for the coming year, the one lingering weakness remains to be their lack of mental toughness.

What We Learned From Last Year

In 2004, Mike Tice led the Vikings to their first postseason berth and victory since 2000, but during his two-year tenure, the team has been less than impressive.

In his first year, the team jumped out of the gates with a 6-0 record, stumbled to finish 9-7 finish, and was barred from the playoffs by a last-second loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Last season was even worse as their start was not as hot as 2003 and their collapse dropped them to .500 (could have been much worse — i.e. Detroit missing an extra point). Had the conference been somewhat competitive, the Vikings would not have made the playoffs at 8-8.

The difference between the Jekyll and Hyde is the ability to run the ball.

During their streaky 5-1 start, the Vikes were averaging 128 yards per game, but that average dropped to 106.6 amid their slide into the playoffs.

Their offensive line is ranked among the best in the NFL, but with a running back by committee, the Vikings don't seem to have that dominant, reliable one guy who they can count in critical situations.

Onterrio Smith was the starter early on, but then gave way to Mewelde Moore, who was effective for a few games. Then Michael Bennett reclaimed his starting job, but essentially, all three split carries the rest of the way. None were overly successful in the red zone as the Vikings tallied more rushing touchdowns than only the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, and Detroit Lions.

But the inconsistency did not faze quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who at one point looked like an MVP candidate.

He posted new career-highs for completion percentage (69.2%), passing yards (4,717), TD/INT ratio (39/11), and quarterback rating (110.9) and penciled his name under most of the Vikings' passing records.

While Randy Moss was his usual self, aside from missing a section of five games, Nate Burleson surfaced as a legitimate second option with 68 receptions for just over 1,000 yards receiving. He has shown great hands and good separation, but in all fairness, he wasn't the focus of attention by most defenses.

There are no real qualms to be had with the sixth-ranked scoring offense — it was the defense that was more of a letdown.

It is difficult to wrap your mind around the fact that the Vikings allowed opponents to convert 45.9% of their third downs and still made the playoffs. Only the Oakland Raiders and the Carolina Panthers ranked worse.

The defense as a whole finished 28th in the league, but the pass defense was unquestionably inferior to the run defense.

Free agent signing Antoine Winfield fit the bill, but there was no one adequate cornerback to start alongside him. Free safety was another area of concern as Brian Russell was barely tolerable as a starter. Strong safety Corey Chavous was the only other competent starter in the secondary, but often tried to do too much.

Chris Hovan wore out his welcome in Minnesota as the starting tackle, but partner Kevin Williams emerged as a primetime tackle and represented Minnesota's defense in the Pro Bowl.

The line also saw Kenechi Udeze grow as a first-round draft pick as he registered five sacks in his rookie campaign, but neither him, nor Kenny Mixon could offer the consistency that Lance Johnstone did on the other side.

Udeze wasn't an every-down player (because of a shoulder injury) and too often could Williams be double-teamed and the rest of the line would disappear.

The 2004 and 2003 Vikings were simply not mentally tough. They played well when it didn't matter and fell apart when crunch time came along. This type of team-wide collapse usually stems from the coach. See: 2005 Baltimore Orioles and 2004 Cleveland Cavaliers.

This Year

To be blunt, coaches like Mike Tice simply don't have their heads screwed on too tightly. Can you imagine Bill Belichick ever scalping tickets? Is it fathomable to think that Bill Parcells would start an injured franchise player, like Tice did Moss, just so his personal streak of consecutive games started would prolong?

Unlikely.

Tice blows a lot of hot air and very little of it is warming.

Remember the Randy-ratio? That hot air turned into smoke up our rear ends, so when he says he plans to return to a tough inside running attack this year, believe with caution.

Aside: there are coaches in the NFL who can take good talent and coach them up, such as John Fox and Andy Reid. Then there are coaches who have Super Bowl-caliber teams and barely reach the playoffs, such as Mike Tice and Mike Martz.

The Vikings have finally made a strong commitment to the defense, which is a complete deviation from their typical all-offense strategy.

The signing of Fred Smoot means that the Vikings will start arguably the best tandem of cornerbacks in the league. Brian Williams will get pushed back to a nickel role which he is better suited for.

At safety, the Vikings plucked the Packers' best defender in Darren Sharper and he will team with Corey Chavous as the safeties. With help around him, Chavous doesn't have to save the world this year.

On paper, there is nothing to be worried about in the secondary.

The linebackers will also welcome a couple of new faces as Napolean Harris and Sam Cowart arrive. Cowart should feel right at home playing the middle linebacker role. He thrived at that position in Buffalo before being misplaced to an outside spot in New York. Dontarrious Thomas misses too many tackles to be the third starter and E.J. Henderson will start ahead of him. Although this trio is much better than last year's group, they are still not as strong as the secondary projects to be.

On the line, bringing Pat Williams on board will create a massive predicament for opponents. Both Williams' can beat single-coverage, but teams will have to pick their poison. Furthermore, the drafting of Erasmus James, a pure speed-rusher off the end means that his development, along with Udeze's, should be expedited if they are only facing one lineman, as well. If neither matures, even though Lance Johnstone is still around, the passing defense will be burdened with quarterbacks having too much time to throw.

So the defense does a 180, but expect the offense to do the same.

A power running game, the Vikings will have not. The committee features Michael Bennett (5-9, 209), Mewelde Moore (5-10, 210), Moe Williams (6-1, 205), and Ciatrick Fason (6-0, 215), all of which are too small to handle the rigors of a 25-30-carry load per game.

But the Vikings will still have a premier running attack based on blazing speed and elusiveness.

The question is if the Vikings can rely on these running backs to wear the clock down in the fourth quarter. A big, powerful back in the mix would provide some variety, opposed to the crowd of small, shifty runners that they have.

They will also face the added difficulty of more defensive attention. With Randy Moss on the field, teams had to commit at least one cornerback and one safety to him. Nate Burleson and Marcus Robinson will not distract opponents as much.

Rookie first-rounder Troy Williamson and former first-rounder Travis Taylor are also part of the wide receiving corps. Williamson is a vertical threat, but he is a rookie. First-year wide receivers traditionally do not make a big impact. Taylor was a castoff from Baltimore, a team desperate for wideouts, and although he has starting potential, he has underachieved to this point.

Burleson is the opposite of Taylor: he has great focus and concentration, has excellent hands, and can catch in traffic.

But Burleson and Robinson were beneficiaries of having a Randy Moss on the other side of the field. Injured or healthy, Moss attracted the opponent's best cornerback and now Burleson will have to deal with that.

If you're an optimist, Taylor and Burleson will suffice with strong production from Williamson, pushing for a starting job.

If you're a pessimist, Burleson still has to prove he can be the unquestioned top target and Taylor still has to prove he has worth.

If the latter is the case, combined with a group of small running backs that disappear in critical situations, the Vikings will have trouble scoring points at times of necessity.

Something tells me this offense won't have any problems in the first seven weeks, but will struggle drastically in the last seven weeks. With Mike Tice on board, you can always expect the team to underachieve.

Over/Under: 9.5

In the NFC North, the Vikings are only the best team on paper. Come December, that paper is typically used in the bathroom as the Viqueens can be outplayed by Green Bay, Chicago, or Detroit in that month. They play: TB, @CIN, NO, @ATL, @CAR, @NYG, CLE, STL, PIT, and @BAL.

Fantasy Sleeper

Mike Tice says he has re-committed to Michael Bennett and since he is the only every-down back this team has to offer, look for a good fantasy season from him. He has track speed and can turn small gain into long distance runs. He's also in a contract year — you know what that means.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 4:30 PM | Comments (1)

Livewriting the Slant Pattern

They do it at ESPN.com. They do it at CollegeFootballNews.com. Bloggers do it every day. Some call it "liveblogging" and some call it "stream of consciousness" writing. It's the act of watching an event, writing down your thoughts as you watch it, and boom! You have your article/diary entry/blog posting/parole board recommendation.

Today, the Slant Pattern (and we'll call it "livewriting") will makes its make its maiden voyage with this technique, with notes garnered by watching last week's Buccaneers/Titans preseason game on NFL Network, which I TiVo'd. I press "play" at 6:21 PM ET...

6:21: Looks like we get the Titans' local coverage for the first half, which means we'll be getting the Buccaneers' guys in the second half. To say the sounds and images from the Titans' pregame intro is arena-rock-cheesy is understating it.

6:24: None other than Eddie George is the Titans' color analyst. The Titans crew made up for the corny, bombastic opening by playing the theme from "Welcome Back, Kotter" when introducing George.

6:30: Brian Griese starts for Tampa Bay. As a Buccaneer fan, nothing fills me with antipathy more than knowing he's the starting quarterback. I am 100% certain he will not get a brief hot streak like he enjoyed last year, nor will he/can he lead the Bucs to the playoffs. Please, give us Chris Simms. Or a free agent.

6:37: The Buccaneers just benefited from a bad pass interference call to give them deep penetration into Titan territory. Eddie George seems kind of nervous. The spotters seem to be off to a fantastic start, as no one mentioned the names of the running backs responsible for the Bucs' first two first downs.

6:39: Earnest Graham cuts outside and has an easy 10-yard TD run. 7-0 Bucs, great start for Graham. He'll make Cadillac Williams work that much harder.

6:46: Drew Bennett fumbles, the Bucs recover at the Titan 36, and Jeff Fisher challenges the ruling on the field. The replays they've shown look too inconclusive to overturn it, so I say the play will stand. Am I right? Stay tuned to find out ... now!

6:47: Woo-hoo! The refs uphold the field ruling. Slant Pattern 1, All the Fans Who Just Boo'd the Call 0.

6:48: It's just the second series, but they're putting Chris Simms in already — it's as if the football gods are hearing my plea and going backwards in time to grant my wishes! Did you know that the Buccaneers are going for their 29th consecutive Super Bowl victory this year?

6:54: Graham fumbles and gives it back to Tennessee. So far, George is okay, but he needs a more assertive delivery. To many "Ummm"s and obvious statements, but not bad for the first quarter of the first game. He made some insightful comments on the Graham touchdown run, so he can talk about what he knows.

7:01: Drew Bennett is having a rough night: the fumble, and now he dropped a pass that hit him in the hands with no one right on him. It would've been a 40-yard pickup.

7:09: Jermaine Phillips picks off a Steve McNair pass in the end zone.

7:10: First quarter is over after four drives: touchdown, fumble, fumble, interception. Must be preseason.

7:13: First drive of the second quarter: interception. Returned to the house by Keith Bulluck, in fact. 7-7. Who is this bum at quarterback for the Bucs? Bring on Brian Griese!

7:16: After two minutes gone in the second quarter, we finally have a punt. And what a punt! 69 yards! Too bad the announcers didn't see fit to tell us who the punter was.

7:18: Jarrett Payton just rolled off a 10-yard gain. Didn't I just write a column about him?

7:21: I am now officially a member of the Eddie George-as-analyst fan club, after a wide open Titans receiver apparently lost a deep ball in the lights: "It's understandable. He went to IU (Indiana)."

7:36: Jeff Fisher just made another challenge against a Buc completion, and this one is downright spurious. Definitely a catch. I'm surprised the refs are looking at it this long. Yep ... shut my mouth. They reverse the call, incomplete.

7:37: Because they reversed the call, they had to turn the clock back to 2:10 after it had ticked down to 2:00. Once the hit 2:00 a second time, they had a second two-minute warning. Hence, this game has become a footnote-trivia game, two two-minute warnings in one half. Tell your friends.

7:42: Score is 7-7 at halftime. Now we get the game from the Tampa perspective. Good night, Eddie George.

7:43: The announcers for Tampa Bay are, surprisingly, Chris Meyers (of FOX and formerly ESPN) and ESPN's Ron Jaworski (who's actually a Philadelphia guy and whom I think still lives in the area). What does he have to do with Tampa? Readers, help?

7:54: Earnest Graham picks up his second TD of the day, this time on a five-yard pass from Simms. Two big runs by Derek Watson set it up. Graham, Watson, and Ian Smart have seen a lot of carries tonight, but we've seen no action from Cadillac Williams. Interesting.

7:57: I guess the game ran over the allotted three hours, because the NFL Network apparently edited out a Tennessee three-and-out. The Bucs have the ball again after the touchdown and there's a minute and a half less left on the clock then there was after the TD. I rewound the game to confirm the editing.

8:04: Someone missed an assignment, it seems. 76-yard TD pass from Billy Volek to Roydell Williams, and no one was within 30 yards of him. We're tied again, at 14.

8:17: End of third quarter, game still tied at 14. Tampa Bay's winning the field position game at the moment and have it in Tennessee territory.

8:23: Todd France boots through a 35-yard field goal and the Buccaneers are on top for the third time tonight, 17-14.

8:40: The teams have traded some punts, and now the Titans are running out of time. Gino Guidugli, the new quarterback for Tennessee, did just scramble for a big first down on fourth down. 1:09 left, they're at their own 41, no timeouts left.

8:44: Incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, and now it's 4th-and-10, 56 seconds left.

8:45: D'oh! It's another big fourth-down conversion for Tennessee, Guidugli to Greg Guenther down to the Tampa Bay 35. They spike the ball and now have it 2nd-and -10 with 37 seconds left. They're not quite in comfortable field goal range.

8:48: Guidugli tries to scramble, but trips at the line of scrimmage and is forced to hurry everyone to the line to spike it again. He does, and it's now 4th-and-10 with 19 seconds left. The Titans will send in backup Rob Bironas to try at 53-yard field goal. After the Bucs call their perfunctory "icing" timeout (their last), to build suspense, I'm going to watch this big attempt on "slow" speed.

8:50: Waaaaaait. As the officials try to decide where exactly to spot the ball, I notice that, according to TiVo, I have 22 minutes left in the recording. This is in spite of the fact that they edited out at least one series. Methinks the context clues indicate a bit of overtime.

8:52: It ... is ... good. Yep.

8:55: Tennessee wins the toss and elects to receive. Fourteen minutes left in the recording.

8:58: After a three-and-out, the Bucs take over at their own 23 with 10 minutes left in the recording ... real time, not football minutes.

8:59: After a five-yard reception on first down, we have our first glitch that I've noticed ... the top banner reports, "Ball on goal line."

9:01: The second killer defensive pass interference penalty on Tennessee tonight. This one gives Tampa Bay the ball at the Tennessee 39. Eight minutes left in the recording.

9:02: Graham runs it for 24 yards down to the Tennessee 15. Jon Gruden sends in the field goal unit (this time with Matt Bryant as the kicker) on first down. Tampa takes a timeout, and then Tennessee does. This bodes well for Tampa Bay. I pause the TV at the snap, and there's four minutes left in the recording. So I'm thinking he makes it, two minutes to wrap up, and that's that. Or the kick is blocked and returned for a touchdown by Tennessee. That could happen, too.

9:04: It's good! Hooray!

Not a bad game. Bucs take the lead, Titans tie it, Bucs take the lead, Titans tie it, Bucs take the lead, Titans tie it, Bucs win in overtime. Considering that Cadillac Williams and Mike Alstott didn't play, the Bucs had a good time of it running the ball (169 yards). Chris Simms was 8-for-11. Good show defensively for the Bucs, as well, giving up only a field goal and a big-play touchdown. Tennessee looked pretty solid all around. Bless the NFL Network's policy of showing every non-nationally-televised preseason game over the course of the week. I'm looking forward to the Jacksonville/Tampa Bay tilt next week already.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 3:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 22

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Stewart's dominant performance at Watkins Glen was his second consecutive win, third in the last four, and fifth in the last seven. The words "dominant performance" are becoming synonymous with Stewart's accomplishments, as in those five wins, he has led the most laps and scored the maximum 180 points on all five occasions.

In fact, if you look up "domination" in the dictionary, you won't find Stewart's picture, but if you scan down about half a page, you may find a picture of a "dominatrix." What does that have to do with Stewart? Nothing, but I did make you look at a picture of a dominatrix.

Seriously, to put Stewart's efforts of late into perspective, in the last eight races, he's scored 1,371 out of maximum 1,440 points. In doing so, he's ensured that the Chase for the Nextel Cup will be a 10-man race — no one out of the top 10 will be within 400 points after Richmond four races from now.

At the Glen, Stewart led 83 of 92 laps, and delivered two perfect restarts at the end, not allowing anyone to get close. Stewart shows no signs of cooling off, either. His hot streak began June 19th at Michigan in the Batman Begins 400, where he finished second. Michigan just happens to be the site of this Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400. Will Stewart make it three straight, four of the last five, and six of eight? Who's going to stop him? Certainly not NASCAR, who just placed Stewart on probation for bumping Brian Vickers in the Busch series race at Watkins Glen.

"Probation?!" exclaims Stewart. "Phooey! I've seen more probations than Tonya Harding. It won't stop me."

And Stewart laughs all the way to the checkered flag.

2. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson rolled to a fifth-place finish, a very satisfactory result considering those ahead of him were the seemingly unbeatable Stewart, and three road course ringers, Robby Gordon, Boris Said, and Scott Pruett. J.J. did lose 30 more points in the standings to Stewart, but added to his cushion on his closest pursuers.

"I'm beginning to like this second-place position," explains Johnson. "In the four instances I haven't led the points this year, I've responded with a second, a first, a sixth, and a fifth. I like it just where I am. Stewart can win the next four races as far as I'm concerned. I'll only be five points behind when the Chase starts, even though, under the old points system, I would be about 250 behind."

Johnson is comfortably in the Chase, but needs to mount a challenge to Stewart, if not to boost his own confidence, then to make the rest of the field feel better as well. Back in June in Michigan, Johnson finished 19th. Nineteenth may win championships in April, May, or June, but certainly won't do the trick in August through November.

3. Rusty Wallace — Wallace celebrated his 49th birthday with a sixth-place finish, his 12th top-10 finish of the year. While losing a bit of ground to Stewart and Jimmie Johnson, who finished ahead of him, Wallace picked up 101 points on Greg Biffle, and now trails the No. 16 by only six points.

"While I'm happy with the sixth," says Wallace, "a win would have been much sweeter, especially on my birthday. And fans would have been treated to the greatest post-race celebration ever: me, in my birthday suit, running around the track on foot with a strategically-placed checkered flag."

As it was, Rusty remained clothed, but, nevertheless, has to feel good about his 12th top-10 of the year. And he has to feel good about another run at Michigan — in June, Wallace scored a 10th in the Batman Begins 400.

4. Greg Biffle — The suddenly-struggling Biffle, who, just under two months ago was leading the points, now finds himself scrambling for top-15s. Earlier in the year, it looked like Biffle, not Stewart, was likely to run away with the Chase. Last Sunday at the Glen, a broken transmission left Biffle eight laps down, and he limped home in 38th position.

"No worries," says Biffle. "It's been a chaotic last couple of months, for me and the entire Roush organization, what with bad finishes, drivers signing new contracts, and a generally unhappy vibe hanging around. But, we're headed back to Michigan, site of my last victory, so I'd love to duplicate that win and get back on track."

Biffle also won the GFS Marketplace 400 last year, so, if anyone is to break Stewart's momentum, Biffle would have to be the favorite.

5. Mark Martin — Martin collected his second straight seventh-place finish, and third straight top-10, with the highest finish by a Roush driver at Watkins Glen. Martin moves up a notch to number five in the points, his highest points position since June. But has he made up his mind about retuning to race next year?

"No, I haven't," says Martin, "but it's out of my hands. I figured if the fans can choose a driver to race in the All-Star Challenge, then they can decide whether or not I return. So fans, log on to ShouldIStayOrShouldIGo.com and vote. Psstt! Vote for me to retire. I don't know if I want to be around the tension between Kurt Busch and Jack Roush next year."

Martin finished third the last time out at Michigan, and finished second in the GFS Marketplace 400 last year. With his Chase aspirations secure, Martin is looking for a points-race win.

6. Kurt Busch — Like teammate Greg Biffle, mechanical issues were the downfall of Busch last Sunday. An early broken sway bar left Busch way back in the field, and, with only two laps remaining, Busch had to check up to avoid an accident, and the resulting spin left him mired in the kitty litter. He finished 39th, 12 laps down.

"Not the kind of performance you want after signing a contract with a rival team," adds Busch. "I'm sure Jack Roush was snickering and muttering something about 'poetic justice' when I crossed the line 39th. Hey, a few more finishes like that and maybe he will release me from my contract."

Here's to hoping, Kurt. In the meantime, you could concentrate on defending your Cup title, while Jack looks into signing another driver to fill your shoes, and thereby putting another car owner in the position he's in and so deplores. Now that's poetic justice.

7. Jeremy Mayfield — While he lost ground to points leader Tony Stewart, Mayfield picked up a spot in the standings with his 11th at Watkins Glen. Mayfield leapfrogged Ryan Newman for seventh in the points, and gained 86 points on sixth-place Kurt Busch, now trailing Busch by only eight points.

"I don't want to relive last year," says Mayfield, "in which I waited until the last race before the Chase to earn my entry. That was extremely nerve-racking. So, 'Mayfield's Map to the Chase' is to clinch before the final race, and experience a nice, leisurely drive around the Richmond track while those who haven't clinched race for their lives."

Mayfield's position in the standings is mainly due to his remarkable consistency. While he only has three top-fives, he only finished out of the top-20 four times, with two of those coming in the year's first two races. Another came in the Batman Begins 400 back in June, when Mayfield finished 22nd. Expect him to make a top-15 run this time.

8. Ryan Newman — Brake problems that began on lap 15 were just the beginning of a long and frustrating day for Newman and the No. 12 Alltel crew. After rectifying the brake problem during a caution on lap 26, Newman fell to 40th, but the car was running fine. Then, on lap 50, Newman reported that he's lost second and third gear. He actually led a lap despite his problems, but only because he stayed out when the leaders pitted on lap 58.

"We knew we were toast," says Newman, "but we did pick up those five bonus points. That could be crucial to our Chase aspirations. When mechanical gremlins strike, you've got to keep the profanity to a minimum and make the most of the situation."

You damn right, Ryan. Pardon my English. Five points may not seem like much — that's because it's not. To you, Ryan, five points won't be the difference. But another 30th-place finish might be your downfall. Especially if it follows a 34th. So keep your finishes under 20 and you should be okay.

9. Jamie McMurray — McMurray's solid 13th-place finish could have been much better, had a clutch problem not manifested its wrath late in the race. McMurray ran as high as fourth after starting on the grid in 11th, but fell to 19th when his clutch stuck, stalling the engine. His crew managed to push him away, and the engine refired, but any hopes of a top-10 were dashed. However, McMurray still moved up two spots in the points to ninth, holding a six-point edge over 10th-place Carl Edwards, and a nine-point cushion on Elliott Sadler and Dale Jarrett.

"Not much of a cushion, is it?" asks McMurray. "But I'll tell you what a cushion is. Knowing I'll be driving the No. 6 car in 2007, maybe sooner if Felix Sabates and Chip Ganassi will let me out of my contract. They may not realize this, but I can go 'Terrell Owens' on them in the blink of an eye."

Last year, McMurray finished fourth in the GFS Marketplace 400, then reeled off three more top-10s, but fell just short of qualifying for the Chase. This time, to be a part of the Chase, McMurray knows that he must continue with top-15s, at least, and hope that those that trail him so closely don't outrun him.

10. (tie) Carl Edwards/Elliott Sadler/Dale Jarrett/Jeff Gordon/Kevin Harvick — In all likelihood, only one of these five drivers will be sitting in the 10 spot four races from now, thereby qualifying for the Chase. Right now, only seventy points separates them. Edwards has a minute three-point edge on Sadler and Jarrett, with Gordon and Harvick 67 and 70 back, respectively.

In June, Edwards and Sadler scored top-10s at Michigan, while Jarrett, Harvick, and Gordon faltered, with none finishing on the lead lap. Expect one of these drivers to finish in the top five on Sunday to give his Chase hopes a boost. It may likely be Gordon. He's posted three consecutive top-15s, and probably would have been in the top five at Watkins Glen had he not suffered a flat tire. If he is to make the Chase, his bad luck has to end now.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 3:26 PM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2005

Baseball's Numbers Game: One For the Record

Seven hundred and fifty-five. Sixty-one. Five hundred and eleven.

These numbers are some of the most well-known numbers in America, known because of their association and place in the baseball record books. Most baseball fans can associate the numbers above with their accompanying records, more so than hockey fans can tell you Wayne Gretzky's career goals mark (894) or basketball fans can repeat Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career points tally (38,387). Baseball treats its numbers and its record books with ultimate reverence and veneration, more so than any other sport.

Now, in the midst of the latest steroid scandals, baseball has found its record books being threatened. But this isn't the first time that baseball's record books have come under assault by a changing game.

In the 1920s, Babe Ruth led an assault on the offensive record books, putting up power numbers that eclipsed those of baseball's previous all-time leaders. Whether attributable to smaller parks, the use of more easily seen white baseballs after the death of Ray Chapman by a pitched ball, the banning of the spitball, or the most common suspect, a lively "rabbit" ball instituted to increase attendance after the Black Sox scandal of 1919, records were shattered.

Ruth took only 2,108 at bats to pass the career home run record of Roger Connor, who did it in 7,794 at bats. But then, despite investigation into whether a doctored baseball was increasing offense exponentially, no one seriously questioned whether the records should be official or kept separate from the "dead ball" records.

In 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle battled to break the Babe's hallowed single-season home run record of 60, set in 1927. Maris eventually did, establishing a new record of 61. There were complications with this, however. In an expansion season that saw the addition of the Los Angeles Angels and the new Washington Senators (after the previous incarnation of the franchise had moved to Minnesota), the American League began to play a 162 game season.

Commissioner Ford Frick, a former ghostwriter for Ruth, ruled that any record broken in more than 154 games, the previous season length, would be held as a distinct and separate record. When Maris failed to break the record in 154 games, his record was entered into the books separately, leading many people to believe his 61 home runs was marked with an asterisk. A 1991 ruling by then-Commissioner Fay Vincent abolished the separate records, giving sole possession of the mark to Maris, who had passed away six years prior.

It's always been hard to compare baseball across eras. Hitting records are not the same from the dead-ball era to the lively ball era, from expansion days to the 1968 season where Carl Yastrzemski led the American League with a .301 average, to the inflated numbers of the 1990s. Pitching numbers vary wildly with the development of the five-man rotation and relief specialists. The game as a whole has changed due to cross-country travel, night games, the changing size of ballparks, and the changing height of outfield fences. Players have increased pressure from the media spotlight, but also no longer have to work a job in the offseason to support their families.

For every era, there are dozens of artificial, circumstantial changes that make it difficult to compare the numbers that are put up in 1998 to those put up in 1961 or 1927. We know this. So why do we care?

In the American public's mind, it's cheating. Whether steroids were against the baseball rulebook at the time, anabolic steroids have been outlawed without a prescription for years. Other supplements and steroids that guys have even admitted to taking have been perceived as unkosher assistance, because they were banned by the other major sports leagues at the time. Just because you can get away with something doesn't mean you should, if you respect the history or tradition of the game.

There are some who might say baseball has always embraced cheaters. Gaylord Perry is a Hall of Famer and celebrated member of the 300-win club, despite brazenly throwing outlawed Vaseline balls and earning a suspension in 1982. Fellow Hall of Famers Whitey Ford and Don Sutton admitted to scuffing the ball with sandpaper and other devices later in their career, once they had lost some of the zip off their fastball.

Additionally, two of baseball's favorite anecdotes involve the "hilarious" cheating efforts of former all-stars Graig Nettles and Albert Belle. Nettles was once suspended when his bat broke, revealing Superballs that bounced all over the infield, while Belle had a corked bat confiscated and replaced by teammate Jason Grimsley, who crawled through the heating ducts and into the umpires' room (replacing Belle's bat with a Paul Sorrento model). Neither Nettles nor Belle (or Grimsley, for that matter) were ever ostracized for their deception, merely facing a short suspension before they went back to making a living.

Many people simply don't consider this cheating to be that egregious. Using little tricks and advantages on the field do not affect the integrity of the game as much as getting an injection off the field does. In some respects, people who say this are right. Baseball should be more trusting of its umpires and players to police the game in between the white lines than it should of doctors policing it from a lab. If a player gets caught on the field, it's gamesmanship caught by an umpire. If his urine sample is detected in a lab, it's by a guy in a white coat with a diploma on his wall. It doesn't make that sort of cheating any more correct or right, but it does make it different.

So what can baseball do, since it's obvious that from casual fans to SABR members, people care about these numbers? The answer, right now, might be nothing. Short of rendering all of the "meaningful" numbers useless by moving to statistics based on complex formulas like OPS+ and ERA+, there's no real meaningful way to compare players across eras, leagues, and sometimes across needle tracks.

During the steroid hearings in March, Commissioner Bud Selig made the comment that he could not even consider altering the record book because "there have been no players convicted of anything." He added, "That's a question that if there's a necessity I'll look at something in the future."

Rafael Palmeiro, one of only four players to amass 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, has been caught. Others will be with rumors of a natural athlete and shoo-in for the Hall of Fame having tested positive, as well. It's time for Bud to step up and save baseball and its record books from itself.

Posted by Josh Frank at 11:35 AM | Comments (2)

T.O. and Ricky Different, Yet the Same

Terrell Owens is a jackass who thinks he has a viable education. Ricky Williams is a thinker who plays football. While both men have put themselves ahead of the team, if you choose to see it, Ricky's struggle is about life while Owens' is about attention and insecurity.

Ricky Williams focused on football his entire life while holding back other hopes and dreams. He is no different than the accountant with three kids and a wife who quit his job to try stand-up comedy, or the basketball player who decided to try baseball.

Williams spent last year trying out other interests such as travel and yoga. He took the time to discover who he is and what makes him happy. While Ricky clearly should have taken a walkabout years ago, he did it when he did it, and one has to respect the fact that he was responsible enough to take care of himself. If Pete Rose took a year off to attend Gamblers Anonymous, nobody would call him a bad teammate. I don't recall much disdain for Michael Jordan when he went into baseball, leaving a defending three-time champion team.

Ricky's whole problem was the media attention about his marijuana smoking. The media played it out as if Williams was the only American smoking pot. The reality is that there are 71 million Americans who have tried marijuana, about 25% of the population. Certainly, Ricky is not the only NFL player rolling doobies and the odds are he isn't even the only Miami Dolphin bending to reach the bong. So, really, Ricky's plight isn't about marijuana, it is about life and not leaving things behind you undiscovered.

Terrell Owens, on the other hand, is an anomalously gifted trouble making egomaniac. His vision of self-worth doesn't reach beyond his bank account. If you want to compare intelligence, I have yet to see Ricky Williams need to have a babysitter during an interview the way his agent Drew Rosenhaus has tried to keep T.O. in check.

Last week's interview by ESPN's Chris Berman was like watching an unrehearsed juggling act by the blind. Rosenhaus tried several times to guide Owens to a sensible answer that didn't make him look like a third-grader throwing a fit. Terrell went ahead and threw the fit anyway, saying he didn't think he and QB Donavan McNabb could work things out, and that he was unsure of his future status as a Philadelphia Eagle. Terrell also complained about head coach Andy Reid telling him to shut up. Oy!

Perhaps if Owens wasn't whining all the time, attacking his quarterback, or hell-bent on disrupting the Eagles' training camp and season things could be worked out. It is specifically what gets you there that kills you in the end and for Owens, it is his desire to be number one. With Donovan McNabb in Philly, that is never going to happen.

Williams is in camp trying to get his football career back on track, Owens is in camp causing a scene and purposely going out of his way to create havoc. So now ask yourself, who is the better teammate?

Posted by Gary Geffen at 11:29 AM | Comments (1)

August 16, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Miami Dolphins

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Last Year

Being a part of the 2004 Miami Dolphins is like being a guest on the Jerry Springer show because you receive attention for all the wrong reasons. Starting with the farcical retirement of Ricky Williams, followed by a season-ending injury to David Boston, then winning only one game in the first 11 weeks, and finally the resignation of their head coach Dave Wannstedt, all combined to make the Dolphins an absolute disaster. But there's a new sheriff in town named Nick Saban and with him, he brings a renewed sense of optimism.

What We Learned From Last Year

The Miami Dolphins were basically a fringe team at best last season, but the loss of Ricky Williams dissolved any possible hopes.

Say what you will about Ricky, but their offense was built around him and he was a top-10 running back in the NFL.

Nobody ever gave a chance to substitutes Sammy Morris and Travis Minor and they proved everyone right, being highly ineffective all season long. Neither broke the 100-yard barrier in a single game.

In case anyone was wondering if quarterback Jay Fiedler was capable of carrying an offense, he put on an abysmal display, downgrading his status from starting quarterback to backup. The team won only one game that he started.

As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours.

There were enough problems for the Dolphins to deal with, but fortune was obviously not on their side.

A run-of-the-mill passing game and a lethargic running game were forced to overcome yet another barrier as the offensive line was terrible. Opponents sacked Miami quarterbacks 52 times (tied for second worst in NFL), while the running game had no legs, averaging 83.7 yards per game (also tied for second worst in NFL).

It wasn't 100% bad for the Dolphins, there were a few cracks of light.

A.J. Feeley stepped in to a very messy situation, but found a way to make the Dolphins a bit more competitive. The team was 3-5 in games that he started even though he did have a penchant for throwing untimely interceptions, but then again, so did Fiedler.

Although the ball didn't get to the receivers enough, the Dolphins did have a pretty set of targets. Marty Booker, who was acquired from the Chicago Bears as part of the trade for defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, was a solid starter alongside Chris Chambers. Randy McMichael also continued to display the skills of a premiere tight end in the NFL.

Most of the team's problems stemmed from the offensive side of the ball — the defense finished eighth overall.

End Jason Taylor and linebacker Zach Thomas were their typical Pro Bowl-caliber while cornerbacks Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain were an excellent duo.

Losing tackles Larry Chester and Tim Bowens crippled the run defense (second-worst in NFL) as the team lacked bulk and depth behind them.

Madison and Surtain have teamed together for several years, but last year Surtain finally asserted himself as the top cornerback on the team.

The main dilemma for the 2004 Dolphins was that the retirement of Ricky Williams simply took the wind out of their sails. They prepared themselves mentally over the summer, endured the rigors of training camp, bought into all of the coaching staff's positive indoctrination, and then got kicked in the balls by Ricky's retirement. Of course, the team suffered a setback, but they never overcame it and it clearly lingered into the season. As the team started to lose football games early on in the season, effort was the next thing to go out the window.

With a change in regime and Nick Saban running the show, effort will not be sacrificed at any cost.

This Year

Although this is a rebuilding season for Miami, they are not starting from scratch. Their roster is far superior to that of the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, two other teams with comparable records in 2004.

NFL pundits believe that new Dolphins head coach Nick Saban is the closest thing to Bill Belichick. They are both control freaks, they plan exhaustive schedules for their players, and they have very high demands.

Ex-head coach Dave Wannstedt never emanated the confidence that Saban does. The team should be more self-confident under their new coach and have a clear direction.

Saban eventually plans on switching the defense into a 3-4 scheme, but until he gathers the right players, they will primarily use the 4-3.

Although the fish did have 36 sacks last year, four players accounted for 25 of them. Jason Taylor, Jeff Zgonina, David Bowens, and Dario Romero all return this season and Kevin Carter, Vonnie Holliday, and rookies Matt Roth and Manuel Wright are new additions.

This is a downright scary unit not only because of the starters, but because of the well of depth. Keith Traylor and Larry Chester are also in the mix, and the addition of Wright not only adds some mass, but it also lessens the burden off of Chester and Traylor, keeping them fresh and healthy.

With so many ends and tackles already vying for playing time, it doesn't make sense to switch to the 3-4 quite yet.

For now, Zach Thomas, Junior Seau, and Donnie Spragan will be the fulltime linebackers, but if rookie Channing Crowder turns out to be a gem, that may allow the team to play more of the 3-4.

The dilemma here is that although there is a wealth of versatile players, the 3-4 scheme significantly changes the roles of certain members. Zgonina and Carter can start at tackle in the 4-3, but neither is qualified to play the nose tackle in the 3-4. In the 4-3, Zach Thomas can run freely as tackles occupy his blockers, but in the 3-4, he will see more traffic, which is not his forte. He is a little undersized for the new system and Crowder is being groomed to be his eventual replacement.

Since they are not completely switching to a 3-4, this front seven should still be highly effective this season.

In the secondary, the Dolphins lost Patrick Surtain (trade) and Will Poole (injury) in the summer, raising a few question marks as to who will play on the other side of incumbent Sam Madison. Reggie Howard and Mario Edwards are decent nickel backs at best, which puts some pressure on rookie Travis Daniels to develop quickly. Poole was supposed to be the guy and since he's done for the season, this is going to be one of the few holes on the defense this season.

Much has been made of the Dolphins incapacity at safety after losing last year's starters, Sammy Knight and Arturo Freeman, but Lance Schulters and Tebucky Jones are quality replacements. Third-year free safety Yeremiah Bell has also impressed the coaching staff.

The picture of the offense may look strikingly familiar to you: a questionable quarterback, a problematic offensive line, and a good running game.

The Dolphins traded a second-round pick for A.J. Feeley, but he is not the quarterback of the future. He is a marginal upgrade over Fiedler in some areas (arm, accuracy), but is a severe downgrade in other aspects (decision-making, forces the ball too much).

Gus Frerotte has a couple of similar characteristics to Feeley, such as he doesn't throw the ball well when his feet are not set and sometimes he tries to make too much happen, but overall, he is probably the better choice at quarterback. Essentially, we are just splitting hairs here.

The receivers on this team are excellent, especially with the prospects of David Boston contributing as the third wideout, but the offensive line may not provide enough protection for the passing game to really flourish.

RT Stockar McDougle, LT Damian McIntosh/Vernon Carey, and LG Jeno James are of no concern. C Seth McKinney and RG Rex Hadnot are weak points and must improve. Saban brought aboard Hudson Hoack, one of the NFL's best offensive line coaches, to work his magic. He will make this group overachieve.

Ronnie Brown has missed considerable time from training camp, but he will be the starter when he does arrive. He is an excellent all-around back and should provide what Ricky Williams supplied in his first two seasons in Miami.

As for Ricky, the only reason Saban brought him back was to prove that he still has trade value. If he regains his skills, some team will give up a fourth- or fifth-round pick for him by next year's draft.

Essentially, this is the same old Miami Dolphins we have known to hate and love over the past decade. The foundation is built around a strong defense, the offense will be able to run the ball, but there are still major reservations about the offensive line and the quarterbacks.

Don't be surprised if this team reaches seven or eight wins.

Over/Under: 6

Playing in a division where you are the only team projected to finish below .500 is not ideal, but the Dolphins will not get walked all over this year. Last year, the Dolphins stole only one win from the division, but their defense alone should lead them to two or three. If the quarterbacks don't completely blow it, six wins is definitely manageable. They play: DEN, CAR, @TB, KC, @NO, ATL, @CLE, @OAK, @SD, and TEN.

Fantasy Sleeper

Wide receiver Chris Chambers is rarely among the first or second group of wide receivers taken in most drafts. but the reality is that he has averaged nearly 900 yards receiver and at least seven touchdowns in three of his four NFL seasons, even though the quarterbacks he has played with have been awful. Don't forget about him.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 1:23 PM | Comments (1)

Eagles Need to Accept Reality

As the drama continues in the Terrell Owens saga, everyone has pretty much sided with the Eagles, some going as far as saying that it's imperative for all of sports that the Eagles stand strong and some even suggesting that T.O. shouldn't be allowed to play in the NFL anymore. Sure, that may be a nice stance in theory, but in reality, they are all wrong. Philly needs to give Owens a new deal.

For a minute, forget about everything Owens has said over the past few weeks. Looking solely at the situation, it's hard to dispute his point. If players can be cut if they get hurt or if they have a bad season, why can't players get a new deal if they have a good season? The deals don't do a great deal to protect the players, and before you say, "They are just playing a game, Mark, they should be happy to get $30k," remember that just because it's a game doesn't mean the owners should make out like bandits.

Most of the deals in the NFL are back-loaded and most of it usually isn't guaranteed. I have to side with the players on this one. And as far as holdouts go, the guy I feel the worst for is Hines Ward, that guy makes about the same money as Justin McCareins and is five times the receiver McCareins could dream to be. Some players just deserve what's due to them, and Hines Ward deserves a new deal, even more so than T.O.

Now, looking at everything that has happened in the past few weeks, T.O. couldn't be in a better position to get a new deal. With Todd Pinkston hurt and T.O.-lite Freddie Mitchell gone, Philly has no one who can actually catch a ball. Terrell Owens has played the Eagles perfectly and every move they have made has gone from bad to worse. It has now gotten to the point that Philly needs T.O. much more than T.O. needs Philly.

How do the Eagles play it? Well, they want to make a statement. They want to get the point across that no man is bigger than the team and no employee can treat his bosses like garbage, mouth off, badmouth his co-workers, and get away with it. The Eagles want to let it be known to the football world that the "me-first" attitude has no place in their camp. It's noble really, a great message to send to kids around the country. But let's face it, it's stupid.

Amazingly, the Eagles took a bad situation and made it worse by sending Owens a letter about his actions, a probable precursor to a suspension. What's the point of punishing him and then keeping him off the field? It's great to take a stand on an issue and make a statement, but what's the one thing more important than towing the company line? Winning — and that's something the Eagles will not do if they suspend Owens.

Didn't we go through something like this with Miami? Everyone said that you just couldn't quit on a teammate and come back. I thought that once you turn your back on your team, that you would be loathed and despised by everyone. The Dolphins took a bold stance with their cold remarks, but what happened? They sucked without Ricky, so when he wanted to come back, he was welcomed with open arms and players decided to be "professional" about it, because they knew the needed Ricky.

What is Philly trying to do here? If they don't want to cave and give him a new deal, then ship him away. Get something in return, which is better than sacrificing your season. If I'm T.O., I think I'm doing sit-ups in my driveway, too. First, the comedy level is off the charts, as it's become a media hotbed to watch him workout in his driveway. Second, he is in the position of power, there just isn't much incentive for Owens to cave.

Columnists and fans can continue to vilify T.O., but eventually they have to deal with reality — Philly can't win with Owens on the sidelines. The Eagles should have given him his deal a long time ago, before he had to start acting like a child to get it. Now, the Eagles are going to look ridiculous if they cave, but, if they want to win, it's something they better get ready for.

The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. BetOnSports.com gives you the greatest sports action to bet on. Wager on football, cricket, boxing, Rugby, horse racing, and more. 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 12:44 PM | Comments (8)

August 15, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Kansas City Chiefs

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Last Year

After a 13-3 record with a playoff appearance in 2003, the Kansas City Chiefs tanked faster than a FOX pilot in 2004. Their 3-8 start was as surprising as the original cancellation of Family Guy and a large part of their failures stemmed from a porous defense that not even the Tick or the Dark Angel could have saved. A witty retort from Titus or Greg the Bunny would just pour salt on the wounds of a team that knows it fell way short of expectations. Now it's time to find out if 2003 was just a one-hit wonder.

What We Learned From Last Year

Chris Griffin is not the sharpest knife in the Family Guy drawer, but even he could tell you that permitting 27 points a game on defense will not result in success.

It all started with a distraught pass defense that ranked dead last in the NFL. Allowing 262.7 passing yards per game was as ludicrous as Peter Griffin swallowing nickels to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham employed his aggressive style of defense and his philosophy of constant pressure manufactured the eighth-highest sack total (41).

That alone was an impressive feat without any projected bosses in the front seven. Rookie Jared Allen ascended through the ranks very quickly and led the team with nine sacks. While he was a force off the end, tackle Ryan Sims also ripened somewhat in his third season and at times, attracted double-teams in the center.

The problem was that all the blitzing emptied out the secondary and the defensive backs were not capable of man-to-man coverage. They lacked talent almost as badly as Glenn Quagmire lacks etiquette around females.

Interceptions were few and far between and the defensive backs only accounted for 11 picked passes.

The run defense improved 18 rankings last year, but that was more of a microcosm of opponents crafting game plans to attack through the air instead of the ground.

On offense, the Chiefs were still the familiar juggernaut most fans recognized. For starters, they led the league in offensive plays (1,089), yards-per-game (418.4), first downs-per-game (24.9), and rushing touchdowns (31). These statistics are very good, but with a 7-9 record, it also demonstrates how appalling the defense was.

The running game was once again fluent whether it was Priest Holmes, Derrick Blaylock, or Larry Johnson carrying the ball. That can be attested to an offensive line that works with better chemistry than Quahog News 5 anchors Tom Tucker and Diane Simmons.

As far as running attacks, offensive lines and tight ends go, it doesn't get any better than the personnel of the Chiefs.

The real upside-down face on the offense was the wide receiver position. Eddie Kennison broke the 1,000-yard benchmark last season, but he was only valuable as a deep threat. Aside from him, the Chiefs banked on veteran Johnnie Morton to play commensurate to his lofty contract, but he never materialized. Injuries to Marc Boerigter and Chris Horn also curved the depth.

The Chiefs are one of the best in the business when it comes to running the ball, but they find trouble when they fall behind and are forced to rely on the passing game. Tony Gonzalez required a lot of defensive attention, but aside from him, the other wideouts were easily blanketed with man-to-man coverage.

We've seen unbalanced teams with high-octane offenses achieve success in the past such as the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams, but can the Chiefs follow their blueprint?

This Year

What separates the Chiefs from the latter two potent offenses is the passing game. The Colts and Rams can throw as well as the Chiefs can run, but if you were weighed down by an ineffective defense, it would be better to have an efficient air attack than a powerful running game.

After a busy offseason of addressing several deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs are hoping not to be plagued by a horrible defense this coming season.

Quarterback pressure was not much of an issue last year, so the Chiefs concentrated on the second and third levels in free agency and the draft.

The linebacking corps will get a huge boost with the additions of Kendrell Bell and rookie Derrick Johnson. Bell will fit in perfectly in Kansas City with his explosive speed, especially since Cunningham loves to blitz linebackers. Johnson is also a tremendous athlete and similar to Bell, can cover a lot of ground. The Chiefs have not had linebackers of this caliber since Donnie Edwards departed after the 2001 seasons.

At cornerback, the Chiefs finally picked up a legitimate player who is capable of covering top-tier receivers and given Patrick Surtain's track record, he is clearly one of the NFL's best cornerbacks.

At safety, the signing of Sammy Knight adds yet another playmaker to what used to be a listless defense.

The benefit of all of these additions is that the Chiefs will have quality starters instead of B-squad players feigning that role. Dexter McCleon can be a very good nickel cornerback, but he is overmatched as a starter. Jerome Woods and Mike Maslowski will be a good special teams player and should be solid situational players (in case of injury to starters), but are not viable starters.

Eric Warfield will also benefit from Surtain's presence — when he returns from his four-game suspension — as he, too, will slide down the depth chart. Pitting Warfield against the other team's best receiver isn't ideal, but he is qualified to face most number twos.

The secondary and linebacking corps are vastly improved from last year and if the front four can maintain its pressure, the pass defense will deflate some of those gaudy statistics from a year ago.

If that's the case, look for more teams to test the Chiefs run defense.

Ryan Sims has slowly improved in his three seasons in the NFL and has flashed the potential that caught the franchise's eye at number six overall, but he needs to be more consistent. His starting partner at tackle, Lional Dalton, scratched the itch the Chiefs were looking for at defensive tackle, but he doesn't attract double-teams like Sims can. Jared Allen was a good pass-rusher on the end, but was vulnerable in run defense.

The other starting end, Eric Hicks, is the exact opposite. He's not a prolific pass-rusher, but he's good at jamming a running game. There is depth all-around on the line as John Browning, Junior Siavii, and Carlos Hall are all solid, but a dominant player needs to surface — the Chiefs are still hoping for that player to be Sims.

Cunningham is a smart defensive coach and will get the most of this squad.

On offense, virtually the same cast returns with some new faces at wide receiver.

Starting with the line, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, Casey Wiegmann, and Brian Waters are pretty much as good as it gets, but only Waters is under the age of 30.

Trent Green is an above average quarterback, but at times, gets that Jake Plummer fever where he'll throw an interception late in the game. His receivers haven't been very reliable outside of Tony Gonzalez, so for now, he can use that as an excuse.

Larry Johnson did take the diapers off last year, but this is still Priest Holmes' team as long as he remains healthy. He doesn't have the wear and tear that most running back do at his age (31) and he should be fresh this year since he played only half a season last year. Head coach Dick Vermeil prefers to use one feature back opposed to sharing the wealth.

The wide receivers have a new look this year Samie Parker expected to start alongside Kennison. The depth behind them contains a few projects, such as rookie Craphonso Thorpe, ex-CFL star Marc Boerigter, and Eagles loudmouth Freddie Mitchell. This group offers a lot of potential, but very little experience. If healthy, Boerigter has the tools to come off the map and be primetime a la Antonio Gates/Drew Bennett.

The side effect of having enough depth at wide receiver means that Dante Hall won't be on the field as much and will be back to his x-factor role. He was overused last year.

With an improved defense, the Chiefs won't fall behind their opponents right after the coin toss, but they still need to establish a reliable passing game for critical situations. If they can do that, they are definitely a Super Bowl contender. If not, they'll find themselves within arm's reach of the playoffs.

Over/Under: 8.5

Even though the San Diego Chargers will probably come down to earth a little bit this season, the AFC West is still stocked with playoff contenders. The Chiefs get a break in the schedule as they will play virtually all of their challenging games at home and all of their easy games are on the road. The play: NYJ, PHI, WAS, @MIA, OAK, @BUF, @HOU, NE, @DAL, @NYG, and CIN.

Fantasy Sleeper

Am I crazy for telling you that Priest Holmes is a sleeper? We both know that he is not a sleeper, but most cheat sheets have him ranked below LaDainian Tomlinson, Shaun Alexander, and Deuce McAllister, but there is no running back with greater upside than Holmes. L.T. and S.A. finished with 17 and 16 touchdowns, respectively, but Holmes had 14 in only eight games played. He also had the highest per-game rushing average (111.5). You might be scared off because of durability question marks, but as of right now, his health is fully restored, so don't hesitate to take him with your top pick.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 2:12 PM | Comments (0)

I Hate Mondays: No-Clout Holdouts

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One is subtle, one is ostentatious, but both will produce the same result.

Hines Ward and Terrell Owens will be on the field playing for their respective teams this year, regardless of the drama.

A holdout just doesn't hold any water if he is under contract.

If Owens or Ward were to hypothetically not show for the whole season, they would not be any closer to free agency than they are right now. In the NFL, if you holdout for the whole season, the time on your contract does not elapse, it remains the same.

And furthermore, you definitely don't get paid.

Owens, and his ubiquitous aura of drama, will be back with the Eagles because he virtually has no other choice.

With the current amount of parity in the NFL, Owens would immediately improve the status of any team vying for a Super Bowl and he would simultaneously diminish the Eagles' prospects if he were traded. That is why sending him out of town is out of the question — and that is not factoring the salary cap aspect of it.

That leaves Owens with two options: continue his antics and get deactivated (a la Keyshawn Johnson with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) or just play and contend for a Super Bowl. The first option will not reduce the six-years off of his contract if he doesn't suit up at all this season and it will also decrease his value. Who would want a problem child who has been out of football for a year? Well, who wants Ricky Williams right now?

T.O. will be 32-years-old by the end of the season and is not as youthful as his immature personality would indicate. 34 is the over-the-hill age for wide receivers and since Owens is nearing that magic number, he will take the money, prove to be productive, and continue to lobby for a trade. The only way that he is not a part of the Eagles this season is if the brass decides to suspend him. Given their shortage of depth at the position, that option is also highly unlikely.

Ward is similarly looking for a pay raise and although he may be more deserving, it doesn't mean he will get it.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are more likely to negotiate and open their checkbook since Ward is not single-handedly acting out a soap opera, but if it doesn't happen, Ward will still be playing for the Steelers come Week 1.

He faces the same dilemma as Owens: sitting out does not bring him any closer to his goal and he loses out on this year's money.

He is in the final year of his contract that pays him $1.67 million this year and will receive a steep increase in salary as a free agent or as the Steelers' franchise player at the end of the season.

There may be speculation about the status of these holdouts, but if they are under contract, their options are either play or delay.

The Steelers need Ward too much, so they will likely find a middle ground and Owens needs attention too much to just sit out.

You'll see both of them Week 1.

Holdouts and NFL teams mix like Mondays and me.

"If you can't beat 'em, arrange to have 'em beaten." — George Carlin

Don't miss next week's installment of "I Hate Mondays," sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great sportsbook for horse racing and casino action!

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 1:54 PM | Comments (0)

Rafael Palmeiro: Hall of Famer?

Before Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for steroids, he was on his way to Cooperstown. Never a standout player, Palmeiro still accumulated career numbers that were hard to ignore.

Over 500 home runs and 3,000 hits. A distinction only three other men in major league history can lay claim to.

Raffy had a career of nonchalant consistency, hitting for power and average. The limelight went to others, players with bigger egos, bigger personalities, and bigger single-season numbers. Players like Jose Canseco.

What those other players didn't have, besides one of the best mustaches around, was the longevity of the man that made productivity a perennial staple.

As it turns out, at least one of those other players had what Rafael Palmeiro is now desperately trying to look for — the truth.

After having sat in front of Congress, and swearing under oath that he had never taken steroids in his life, Rafael Palmeiro is now the biggest name in baseball to test positive under MLB's new drug testing policy.

Besides the inevitable beating he will take in the court of public opinion, Palmeiro may now also be on the hook for a much worse beating in a much more serious court should perjury charges be pursued.

If you think the public is unforgiving, just try Congress.

Raffy, in comments made to the media after his return from his 10-day suspension, says that he has an explanation for the positive test. This information, of course, can't be divulged until a later time because of the aforementioned legal problems.

Unfortunately for Raffy, regardless of whether the explanation is plausible or true, every day that goes by without the public hearing his side of the story means another day when his credibility continues down the path of no return.

Who knows, maybe Viagra has some side effects and hidden ingredients that we don't know about yet.

The time will come when Palmeiro's name will appear on a Hall of Fame ballot, and there is little to no chance that he will ever garner enough votes to enter the shrine.

Sure, there are cheaters in the Hall of Fame, from players that used corked bats to players that doctored the ball with spit and other foreign objects, but steroids is a whole other story. Sportswriters voting for the Hall have the obligation to use all the information in front of them when making their decisions.

The numbers may say one thing, but the chemicals say another.

The fact that "cheaters" are already in the Hall doesn't give them the right to ignore evidence that a large percentage of Palmeiro's numbers may have come from illegal enhancers.

If his explanation for this situation is that he was taking a supplement of some sort and was unaware that it contained a banned substance, 1) that explanation is becoming less believable by the day, 2) it's the player's responsibility to know what is going into their bodies, and 3) anything coming from the mouth of Palmeiro lacks a certain degree of truth these days.

Mustache Hall of Fame: Yay.

Baseball Hall of Fame: Nay.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 1:33 PM | Comments (1)

August 13, 2005

An Ode to the Boston Red Sox

(Note to the reader: My gag reflexes kick in at the thought of Boston Baked Beans, I think the slop they serve at Boston Market is deplorable, the Boston Tea Party is my least favorite moment in American history, and I once went out of my way to break a girl's heart in college just because her name (Bonnie) sounded too much like Boston.)

Anyways, a few weeks ago, I wrote a column for you guys entitled "You May Now Kiss the Centerfielder." Now, I thought the thing was quite the humdinger, but calling the Boston Red Sox "the Village People of the MLB" apparently rubbed one or two of my valued readers the wrong way.

Take, for example, one Mike Romova — a reader of mine who eats, sleeps, breathes, and mates (wait ... scratch that) amongst you.

In this recent column of mine, I merely equated the Red Sox to some diabolical Y-M-C-A dance that I abhor, but — in what I could decipher from the desultory drivel at least — here is what Mr. Romova had to say about the column:

"If only there was a law recalling keyboards," he pouted, "from homophobes who've spent nearly a full year green with envy over the [Curt] Schilling trade ... For crying out loud [Kevin], you're supposed to be a columnist ... Time to get over ... your writer['s] ego. [By the way], how [are] the dance lessons coming? Do you practice with guys?"

Let this be known: I feel deeply for people who, for whatever reason, have to live in or around the Boston area. So, benevolent guy that I am, I felt it was my journalistic duty to make amends.

Here was my response to the poor Bostonian:

"Dearest Mikey Romova ... Dance lessons are coming along great, but the writing is even better ... There's this one guy who likes my writing so much, Mikey, he wakes up each morning to write me a new comment ... Thanks for caring ... Yours Truly ... Kevin Connelly."

You see, amongst a horde of other things, what separates me from Mr. Romova is my general coherency and his lack thereof.

This is not, as you might surmise, though, a crack against Mr. Romova.

I firmly believe that all people are products of their environments, and being from the greater Los Angeles area myself, I spent my youth learning how to communicate with the English language. Coming from the Boston area, Mr. Romova obviously never had that luxury, as he most likely still believes the place Red Sox starting pitcher David Wells gets loaded on Irish Car Bombs before games is called a "baaa."

On a similar note, I actually found out just the other day that the fine university where young Los Angelinos go to get their higher education is what Ben Affleck was attempting to articulate when he kept burbling "Haaavaaad" in that (scoff) award-winning movie a few years back.

How can I really expect Mr. Romova to be able to communicate effectively when he, like Mr. Affleck, cannot speak the native tongue?

So, after this conversation with Mr. Romova, I promised myself that I would never take the simple things in life, like reading, for granted. With this newfound respect for reading, I picked up a copy of the Los Angeles Times and read everything I could get my eyes on from the latest on the war in Iraq to that "Meaning of Lila" comic strip (what a babe, that Lila!). In doing so, I came across the latest in sports, where I learned that both Manny Ramirez and Kevin Millar of the Red Sox were begging management for a one-way ticket out of Boston.

Now, at first glance, I found Mr. Ramirez' desire to jump ship to be a bit impetuous as — I'll admit — he's been punishing the ball of late with 32 home runs and an MLB-leading 107 RBIs. I then happened to glance at the photo attached to the story and, before long, things began to click: the city of Boston has brought Mr. Ramirez to such a state of despair over the years that he no longer has the energy and fortitude to get a haircut.

Simple things, I tell you!

Then came Mr. Millar. According to the L.A. Times, the Red Sox first baseman was sulking to manager Terry Francona about losing playing time this year to journeyman first baseman John Olerud. Now this story didn't hit the national scene with as much clout as the Manny Ramirez story because Mr. Millar, well ... stinks, but I gave it due thought regardless.

Mr. Millar plays first base and designated hitter — the positions most synonymous with power hitters. At these positions, Mr. Millar has hit a paltry four home runs in 344 at bats — not exactly numbers Babe Ruth would be proud of — not exactly numbers my late aunt Ruth (god rest her Massachusetts-hating soul) would be proud of.

Don't you find it amusing how delusions of grandeur work? Mr. Millar hits one home run in every 86 at bats and is somehow under the impression that he deserves more playing time than normal. Similarly, the people of Boston win one World Series in 86 years and are somehow under the impression that they deserve to act more idiotic than normal.

At this pace, though, the Red Sox will not win another World Series title until the year 2090.

I, in that case, will try to find solace in this:

At least, by then, I'll be dead.

The final word comes from none other than Boston's finest, Mr. Mike Romova:

"Count me as your biggest fan, [Kevin]. Just don't blow it by writing something in-depth next time. I don't mind telling you how much I like your features. [By the way], Johnny [Damon] and I are doing drinks later. Care to join us?"

No.

Posted by Kevin Connelly at 4:48 PM | Comments (15)

A's Aren't Pretty, But They're Good

I hate the white shoes.

They make the Oakland A's look ridiculous. If they wore overall tops and had orange skin, they'd look like oompa-loompas.

I've never understood why the A's insist on wearing bright white shoes to accompany their bright white pants. Those shoes are one of the great mistakes in sports fashion land. Yet, year after year, the A's keep slipping them on.

I read the book "Moneyball," which chronicled a season with the A's front office, in hopes of finding out a reason for the whites shoes. No dice.

I asked a friend who has a friend who knows a guy who knows Bobby Crosby to have said guy ask Crosby why they wear the white shoes. No dice.

I've done exhaustive Internet research and still I come up with nothing.

But if I had to guess, I'd say it's part tradition and part strategy. As in, if we wear white shoes we'll look unathletic and teams will underestimate us. I'm not sure anybody but me thinks that way, but you never know.

The more important thing, though, is that those shoes are a pretty good metaphor for the A's themselves. Especially this year.

Three adjectives to describe the shoes: ugly and plain, but probably good quality.

Three adjectives to describe the A's: ugly and plain, but definitely good quality.

Now, I don't mean the players themselves are ugly. I am in no position to make those sorts of claims. I just mean that the A's don't have the beautiful swing of a Ken Griffey, Jr., or the smooth outfield movements of a Torii Hunter or the nifty glovework of an Omar Vizquel. They have baseball players, the kind who don't always look graceful.

In terms of plainness, the A's just aren't flashy. They have guys who get on base a lot, per the front office's philosophy, and they have starting pitchers who throw strikes. There's no superstar, and there's not even a big story angle now that the Big Three of Mark Mulder, Barry Zito, and Tim Hudson is down to the Big One.

But as the A's are proving, none of that matters. Sure, they started the year slow, but they've made a tremendous run and are now in the hunt for the American League West crown.

Early this season, when Eric Chavez was struggling, when Crosby was on the DL, and when the young rotation was sputtering, there was some talk that Billy Beane's philosophy was finally showing its holes. And after the furor that surrounded "Moneyball," it was no surprise that many were quick to criticize.

But as we're finding out, it wasn't Beane's philosophy that wasn't working, it was a simple case of a team not performing up to its abilities. Beane still had the kind of team he wanted, with good on-base percentage guys and a solid rotation. He just had to wait for things to click.

And it took awhile. The A's were 15 games under .500 at one point, but are now deadlocked with the Angels for first place. The lineup is working the way it always has during Beane's tenure. If you get guys on base, you'll score runs. And the pitching has caught up to that lineup with the emergence of Joe Blanton and Danny Haren in the rotation and Huston Street out of the bullpen.

Of course, even if the A's make the playoffs, questions will still abound. The A's of recent years have folded in the playoffs. Only time will tell if this year will be different.

But for now, don't knock the A's. Or the white shoes.

Posted by William Geoghegan at 4:27 PM | Comments (1)

August 12, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars

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Last Year

Year two of Jack Del Rio's tenure began with a roar as the Jaguars started 5-2, including a victory against the mighty Indianapolis Colts. But nicks and cuts to quarterback Byron Leftwich and running back Fred Taylor led to offensive inconsistencies and the Jaguars only won four games the rest of the way. When it comes to young, ambitious teams climbing the ranks in the NFL, it doesn't get much better than the Jaguars.

What We Learned From Last Year

If you had any sort of heart condition last season, your family physician likely advised you to avoid watching any Jacksonville Jaguars football games.

The Jaguars quickly developed the nickname "cardiac cats" early on in the season as their first five wins were decided with less than a minute of playing time remaining and their sixth win came in overtime.

In his two seasons in Jacksonville, head coach Jack Del Rio has installed a scrappy mentality for his team. If they aren't winning, they always seem to be within a possession. In 2003, the Jaguars lost six games by seven points or less, in 2004, they were within one score in the fourth quarter of six of their seven losses.

One of the main reasons for their competitiveness can be attributed to two players: Pro Bowl defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.

They combined for 10 sacks last year and were a 640-pound roadblock in every opponents running game. With their imposing presence, the Jaguars were able to dictate their physical style of play, and more importantly, keep opponents within striking distance.

Strong tackle play always frees up the linebackers, which is important for leading tackler Mike Peterson, who is somewhat undersized for a middle linebacker. Peterson and Akin Ayodele have top-notch speed and are able to run free with Stroud and Henderson consuming potential blockers. Rookie Daryl Smith flashed premier pass-coverage skills along with the characteristics of a prototypical three-down linebacker and is one of the best prospects on this defense.

While the center of the line was commanding, pressure off of the ends was irregular. Converted linebacker Greg Favors accounted for 5.5, but there was no total higher than his.

Less pressure from the line meant more pressure on the secondary. Second-year cornerback Rashean Mathis was up for the challenge and started to emerge as a shutdown defensive back. Dewayne Washington and Juran Bolden were just average, while the tandem of Donovin Darius and Deon Grant were one of the league's best at safety.

While the defense performed like a seasoned group, the offensive is where the Jaguars underwent their trials and tribulations. Byron Leftwich fully established himself as a franchise quarterback and eliminated any speculation about his skills. He led the team in fourth-quarter rallies repeatedly and carried the team in victories at Tennessee and Indianapolis.

For those who view a quarterback's immobility with some trepidation, just follow the Jaguars' formula: build a sturdy offensive line and supplement with a quality running game.

Leftwich can make every throw necessary from the pocket and with a solid offensive line in front of him, he doesn't need to be mobile.

The front five suffered a pretty serious hit when left tackle Mike Pearson torn three ligaments in his knee in October, but the other four starters remained strong, starting all 16 games.

Fred Taylor was excellent in support, compiling 1,224 rushing yards in 14 games with a 4.7 yards-per-carry average. Only one other full-time running had a superior per-carry average.

Reggie Williams struggled through the rigors of his first season and his 27 receptions looked quite meager in comparison to the outputs of Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams, Lee Evans, Michael Clayton and Keary Colbert from his rookie class. Jimmy Smith was Leftwich's main target, but the receiving corps clearly lacked a second threat.

The team is fairly complete and mirrors the characteristics of the Carolina Panthers: they are always competitive, they have a physical defense, and excel at running the ball and stopping the run.

This is no longer a sleeper team — they have arrived.

This Year

The 2005 Jacksonville Jaguars are not amongst the A-list of Super Bowl contenders, but they are one of those playoff fringe teams who could make it to the dance with a little momentum.

Heading into the offseason, the Jaguars needed to add some playmaking wide receivers, find a defensive end, enhance the depth at cornerback, and discover a safety net at left tackle. The Jags hit three out of four objectives and on paper, look a cut above last year's squad.

For starters, this is a fairly young team and it can only be expected for talents like Daryl Smith, Rashean Mathis, Byron Leftwich, and Reggie Williams to continue to their progress.

The defensive line lacked intimidation off the ends, so the Jags recruited Marcellus Wiley and Reggie Hayward as free agents, while Paul Spicer will also returns after recovering from a season-ending injury last year. Hayward led the Broncos in sacks last year and looks to be entering his prime. Also, while Wiley's best years appear to be behind him, he should still make a fine situational rusher.

The linebacking corps added Nate Wayne into the mix and although he won't be a starter, he still has much to contribute and will add depth. Look for Daryl Smith to take on a bigger role, as he is the team's best linebacker in pass coverage.

Success in the secondary will depend on the cornerback who will start opposite of Rashean Mathis. Washington and Bolden were not spectacular last season, but they look a lot better than current options, Kenny Wright, Terry Cousin, and Kiwaukee Thomas. This seems to be a pretty big hole in the defense, but a dominant defensive line may be able to buy some time until one of the young projects (second-year players Chris Thompson/David Richardson or rookie Scott Starks) steps up.

The offensive line will hope that pre-draft scouting reports were right about tackle Khalif Barnes and that he is in fact NFL ready right now. If so, the team can alleviate the anxiety in regards to Pearson's rehab and Leftwich won't have to worry about his blindside so much. The other four starters return to a cohesive group, with guard Vincent Mauwai as the best talent. This is among the league's most underrated units.

At running back, the Jags fell short of the Travis Henry sweepstakes and will hope that Fred Taylor can fully mend torn knee ligaments. He is back on the practice field going through non-contact drills, which is an encouraging sign. The backups, LaBrandon Toefield, Chris Fuamuta-Ma'afala, and rookie Alvin Pearman, have never been asked to carry a full-time load.

The wide receiver position is generating a ton of hullabaloo this offseason. Reggie Williams has shed 10 pounds during a committed summer of training and is hungry to be a special player while been sixth-round pick Chad Owens has been a real standout in practice. He is elusive and has excellent breakaway speed and although he's undersized, he could be a valuable weapon out of the slot. First-round pick, Matt Jones, is still very raw, but his speed should fit in with new offensive coordinator Carl Smith's downfield plays.

The short, West Coast passes are out and with an eclectic mix of size, speed, experience, and youth, the Jaguars should have a much more prolific set of receivers this year.

The offense will once again piggyback on the defense and with an improved line and a keen defensive-minded head coach, as Martha Stewart would say, that's a good thing.

Taylor's health is directly linked to this team's success, but if the defense obliges and the receiving corps develops, this team is going to be a serious hazard in the playoffs.

Over/Under: 8.5

If the AFC South tightens up as expected, the Jaguars will have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. They face only four teams who had a losing record in 2004, one of which is the Houston Texans, who swept Jacksonville last season. With SEA, @NYJ, DEN, CIN, @PIT, @STL, BAL, @ARZ, @CLE, and SF as their out-of-division opponents, their path to the playoffs is not a facile one, but they are capable of getting there.

Fantasy Sleeper

When you talk about top-flight fantasy quarterbacks, Byron Leftwich is not usually mentioned, but with a new offensive coordinators and a youth movement at wide receiver, Leftwich should at least develop into a viable number two on your fantasy team. He averaged 210 passing yards and one touchdown per game in 2004-05 and with improved targets and another season of experience, those numbers are expected to increase.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 6:30 PM | Comments (0)

Operation Dumbo Drop

"With Frankie? Are you kidding me?" Darin Erstad told a reporter Thursday late afternoon, when asked whether he was "irritated" after the drop heard ... well, up and down the West Coast to begin. "I'll never be irritated at that guy. He's a great player, a great person, a great teammate. You just feel for him. It's hard to explain."

As it happened, it was only slightly easier to explain than Erstad seemed willing to acknowledge on behalf of having his teammate's back. And his teammate did it for him. "I should have caught the ball, and I didn't, and it cost us the game," said Francisco Rodriguez, his half-marksman, half-cherub face bloated in shame. "It was a throw a 5-year-old could have caught. I'm embarrassed we lost a game like that, but what can you do? You have to get over it and get ready for the next game."

It almost seems a shame K-Rod can't make personnel decisions. In the wake of his most humiliating hour, in a career described as brilliant with some understatement, he showed more wisdom than evinced by higher authorities than he in the Angels' chain of command. Those authorities might begin to accept that they have allowed one very gaping flaw to creep into an otherwise sound team which had, until what one Orange County Register columnist called their come-from-ahead losses in Oakland, the best bullpen in the American League at least.

"Must," of course, is not synonymous with "will." Ask Mike Scioscia, customarily among the most acute of baseball seers, currently in danger of Operation Dumbo Drop. "I'd rather have the right-handed arms we have than the lefties that are available, and I'll stand by that," he told said columnist after the Drop Heard 'Round the Coast. "It's a valid argument about needing a left-hander, but where's the solution now?"

Where was Scioscia — and, for that matter, Bill Stoneman, the composed general manager — when the Boston Red Sox decided to stick a fork in Alan Embree and the Empire Emeritus took a flyer on the aging setup man? Very well, this one may come with a qualifier. About the only aging pitching the Yankees seem not to be scouting these days can be narrowed down to Mike Maddux, Atlee Hammaker, and Jon Matlack.

Where was Scioscia — and, for that matter, Stoneman — earlier this week, when the Chicago Cubs designated Mike Remlinger for assignment and the Red Sox slipped a little green through the waiver wire?

Where was Scioscia — and, for that matter, Stoneman — last winter, even better, when the same Red Sox were willing to let Mike Myers (left-handed opposition batting average in 2004: .189) walk as a free agent, but went whoops! in short enough order and dealt a couple of prospects to get him back?

Myers signed with the Cardinals December 22nd. The Angels could have swept him up in time enough and without having to deal a thing for him as the whoops! Sox ended up doing. Through the end of July, Myers has averaged 6.14 inherited baserunners per nine inheritance-possible innings pitched based on having had 29 inherited runners to work with, and he has a 4.39 stranded inherited runners average against a 1.75 inherited runs average.

Of course the second guess is a convenience, but allowing that it is reasonable to suspect that Mike Myers, spelling a less-than-full-power Brendan Donnelly to pitch to Eric Chavez Thursday afternoon, had at least a far better chance of not watching his best service take a game-tying flight to the right centerfield seats.

But it is also reasonable to suspect that Scioscia with his bullpen has begun straddling that very treacherous line between addictive confidence and flagrant abuse thereof. Clearly, the Angel bullpen has been either overworked, mis-worked, or pitching at less than peak efficiency since the All-Star Break. Just as clearly was there no pressing requirement to lift Ervin Santana Wednesday night, Santana having outpitched Barry Zito with less than his best repertoire, on a night Zito had his monstrous curveball breaking at better than peak power and showing its voluptuous self with telling frequency after Vladimir Guerrero hammered one of Zito's fastballs for a parabolic second-inning home run.

And there was almost as little pressing requirement to lift Paul Byrd Thursday afternoon, however many pitches Byrd had thrown through six, however many leadoff hitters the A's put on base, considering Byrd seemed to take such leadoff baserunners as calls to arms and the Angel defense had shaken off the stumbles of the first two games in the Oakland set.

Could Scioscia have been that surprised when Oakland manager Ken Macha, knowing Guerrero had not a Garret Anderson (knee tendonitis) hitting behind him for two games, walking Vlad the Impaler at any reasonable opportunity, even with two out and the bases empty late in the Thursday game?

Could Scioscia not have entertained even a momentary thought of moving Steve Finley up in the order Thursday? Finley has not entirely shaken off his summertime hitting miseries, it being reasonable to assume that a 40-year-old man does not recover a swing compromised by a foolishly played-through shoulder injury as swiftly as once he did. But he did shoot one off the right field foul pole screen in his final Wednesday night plate appearance and might have offered a minimum of the appearance of Guerrero protection.

As if to add to the prosecution's evidence, Finley on Thursday afternoon swung for a bases-loaded, two-run double into the right field corner off Oakland reliever Joe Kennedy in the top of the seventh, making the game 4-0, Angels.

Finley's Wednesday night screen shot might have proven the Angels' insurance had Scioscia, leading 2-1, not hooked Santana prematurely and gone to Scot Shields an inning earlier than Shields customarily arrives. Shields had not worked in five days and Jay Payton greeted him with a leadoff triple. A groundout later, Nick Swisher singled Payton home with the tying run. A base hit and a fly out later, Angel shortstop Orlando Cabrera — who is making the case of late that the Angels made a mistake letting David Eckstein walk — overran Mark Ellis's grounder into an RBI single. Then Sheilds hit the backstop with a wild pitch and Melhuse found a clear path across the plate.

The good news is that there are 49 games left to play, at this writing, and the Angels begin that schedule with a weekend in Seattle. The bad news comes in two parts. 1) When last they met, in Anaheim, over a month ago, the Mariners swept a four-game set. 2) Assuming the Angels recover from Thursday's thud and take the division once again, they could still square off with the Red Sox in a postseason set.

And, if and when they do, the Angels will spot that tapered enough, sidewhipping lefthander, aged but deadly accurate, coming in from the bullpen to let them know vividly enough that the ball they dropped between last November and December might prove to have been deadlier than the jaw Jason Kendall dropped for a split second before gunning home from third on the return-throw ball poor Francisco Rodriguez dropped.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 5:42 PM | Comments (0)

Fantasy Football Forecast: K Ratings

The final installment of my fantasy football forecast profiles the little men of the NFL, the kickers. While kickers religiously receive little of the credit and absorb lots of the blame (especially if you name is Doug Brien or Scott Norwood), having a solid one on your fantasy football team is a good way to consistently outscore your opponents. If nothing else, being secure at this spot will alleviate at least a modicum of the stress you face as you make your weekly lineup.

Kickers are a tough breed to rate. Generally, a kicker's performance is tied directly to the inability of his team to score. This makes the kickers on teams that have difficulty scoring touchdowns a premium group. However, there is a balance to be noted, and that balance is predicated on the fact that you don't want a kicker on one of these teams if they also have difficulty moving the ball at all.

It also helps if the kicker you draft plays on a team with a rugged defense, as this will minimize late-game fourth-down conversion attempts and allow for some cheap end-of-game or end-of-half field goal attempts that do add up over the course of a season.

My kicker grading system is a bit different than the other positions. Though there are exceptions, generally, most kickers I would recommend play on teams with stout defenses, effective offenses, but teams that also lack a short yardage stud or a red zone maven. I've included only the top 10, but using this formula, it is pretty easy to slot all those not mentioned below.

1) Adam Vinatieri, Patriots

I said there were exceptions, and this is one of them. Though Corey Dillon is a great short yardage guy, the Pats are one of those "do just enough to win" teams and usually that consists of kicking lots of field goals and not turning the ball over. Vinatieri is a strong pick in or around the early part of the second half of the draft.

2) David Akers, Eagles

Akers is accurate and has a relatively strong leg, and Philly is lacking a real horse in the red zone (at least on the ground). This should translate into ample opportunities for the Eagles kicker. Another good pick early after round 10.

3) John Kasey, Panthers

Kasey kicked very well at the close of 2004, and should continue to see lots of chances. Many will say this is too high, but I don't buy it. The best thing about Kasey is the value he'll bring you — few owners will even consider drafting him, so he should be available in your last few picks.

4) Jason Elam, Broncos

Though he is aging, the mile-high Denver air adds life to his career, and the struggle I anticipate Denver having punching the ball into the end zone will be a godsend for fantasy owners who grab Elam late in their drafts.

5) Mike Vanderjagt, Colts

Another of those exceptions I mentioned, Vanderjagt gains value for kicking indoors and for the effectiveness of his team's offense. Most leagues will have an owner that reaches for Vanderjagt, so let them and take one of the others unless he's still there late in the draft.

6) Mike Nugent, Jets

No player should see more field goal chances than Nugent, but you have to temper his value as he is just a rookie. Still, a good bet to be close to or at the top of the field goal charts, just be careful if you league deducts points for misses, as rookies generally do have a bit of a learning curve to overcome, especially considering the unpredictability of New York's winters.

7) Olindo Mare, Dolphins

Miami's offense is certain to improve under new coach Nick Saban and new coordinator Scott Linehan, which will translate into more opportunities for Mare. He is inconsistent, though, so you may want to grab one of the others if they remain late in your draft.

8) Josh Scobey, Jaguars

Since Jacksonville doesn't really have a goal line back, Scobey should get some in-close chances. He has a strong leg, too, which will help, but he is still young and may struggle at times. A safe pick.

9) Nate Kaeding, Chargers

Loses some value with the presence of L.T. and Antonio Gates, both strong red zone players. But Kaeding has a cannon and plays in reasonably tame weather, so he's a good bet to produce.

10) Billy Cundiff, Cowboys

Cundiff is the least skilled of all the kickers in my top 10, but Dallas will certainly have a solid enough offense to get him in range and their defense will keep most games close. Look to grab him as a free agent if you don't feel comfortable with any of the kickers on the board late in the draft.

Drafting a kicker is a bit of gamble, as there are many serviceable candidates that will be around as free agents, especially in relatively small leagues. Still, making sure you get a guy you are comfortable with will create a sense of calm with the position that is well worth a late-round investment.

My kicker of choice, as alluded to above, is John Kasey. I like to feel good about my kicker, but I drafted mine late nonetheless, using my more valuable picks on skill positions that may be on my competitors' radars. As with the defenses, the only true failsafe method for picking the kicker you want is approaching you draft with a solid plan and sticking with that plan.

With that, my fantasy football forecast for 2005 comes to a close. Hopefully you've had a chance to check out all six of the articles, and I certainly hope you've found value in my effort.

If nothing else, my rankings can provide a starting point that costs far less than one of those publications you can get on most any newsstand. In fantasy football, any little bit of info helps, and I trust that you'll at least consider my analysis when coming up with your preferred plan of attack as you prepare for your league's draft.

In any event, good luck and happy drafting!

Don't miss the QB, RB, WR, TE, and D/ST ratings.

Posted by Matt Thomas at 5:39 PM | Comments (0)

August 11, 2005

2005 College Football Preview: Big East

The Big East Conference has gone through many changes. Miami, Virginia Tech, and now Boston College have defected from its ranks. The conference has lost some of its luster, but will still feature competitive and talented teams. Which teams will be the class of the conference? Let's find out.

5) Rutgers (Projected Record: 6-5; League: 3-4)

The Scarlet Knights have always been a team that has found away to pester the elite teams in the Big East. With Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College now gone, Rutgers has the opportunity to step into a more dominant role in the conference. It won't happen this season, but I do feel that they are talented enough to get earn a winning record and just maybe their first bowl game in 26 years.

The offense is led by Ryan Hart, the Scarlet Knights' senior quarterback. Hart is an experienced field general who has excellent options through the air. Tres Moses and Shawn Tucker will be one of the best receiver tandems in the conference. Hart also has a very viable option at tight end with Clark Harris. Harris is a huge target with very soft hands.

The running game is still a concern for head coach Greg Schiano. Clarence Pittman is the projected starter, and is somewhat of an enigma. He has not produced as the coaching staff would like, but the hope he can turn it around and have a good season. Another aspect of the offense that the Scarlet Knights will have to improve on is consistency. They turned the ball over far too much, and if they are to be successful, the interceptions and fumbles have got to cease.

The main concern for this team will be improving their defense. Rutgers' rankings against the pass and the rush are similar to what I would shoot at St. Andrews — just downright atrocious. The defensive line has got to generate more pressure on the pass-happy teams in the conference. Ryan Neill, Rutgers' top defensive end, should excel there has he has proven to be able to get to the quarterback in the past.

The linebackers will also have to play much better in 2005 if this team is to be bowl-bound. The talent is not at the level that it needs to be to dominate, so these guys will have to play as a unit if they have any chance. The secondary is in the same boat, and now that they are more experienced, they should be able to stop teams from throwing at will.

There are far too many question marks for me to pencil this team into Tempe come next January. If Rutgers can improve their rushing attack, and their consistency on offense, they will surprise people. The defense has got to keep this team in games, and play as a unit as well. It should be an interesting season and hopefully a historic one, as well.

4) Syracuse (6-5; 4-3)

Last season, the Syracuse Orange played the spoiler role perfectly by trouncing Boston College, 43-17, and ending the Eagles' hopes of a Fiesta Bowl bid. This year, the Orange hope to improve and regain their winning form.

When Syracuse has the ball this year, fans should notice some changes in their schemes. The Orange have ditched their traditional sets and implemented the West Coast Offense. This offense is based upon precision and timing, so Perry Patterson, their starting quarterback, must improve his consistency and can not throw more interceptions than touchdowns again this year.

The running back position should be reliable as Damion Rhodes is very talented. He torched Boston College in the aforementioned matchup, and I think he could have a banner year. Rhodes has a very good offensive line in front of him, so 1,000 yards should be easily attainable. Unlike the running game, there is no real standout among the receiving corps, so either Tim Lane or Rice Moss must have a breakout season and contribute.

The defense will have a lot of work to do as they were 101st in the nation last year. The Orange have addressed this issue over the offseason, and hired Greg Robinson. Robinson is an experienced NFL guru who will add instant creativity and stability to a unit who needs it sorely.

Robinson will feature what he calls his "attacking 4-3" defense, a system that applies much more pressure on the quarterback and relies on strong linebackers and ends. Orange fans will be happy to know that their linebackers should excel in the attacking 4-3. Kellen Pruitt, Jerry Mackey, and Kelvin Smith are the projected starters, and all three of these guys can get the job done. Depth is not a concern for the linebackers as this area is by far the strongest overall in the defense.

Where Robinson and the Orange should be concerned is the secondary. These guys gave up a ton of passing yards last year, and got embarrassed on national TV against Georgia Tech last year in the Champs Sports Bowl. The corners have gained experience by playing together last year, but I'm just not sure if it will be enough. Coach Robinson and Syracuse fans have to hope that this new attacking style of defense will be enough to carry their uninspiring secondary.

Orange fans will definitely have to exhibit a high level of patience with this year's squad. The West Coast Offense has proven to be a set of schemes that have not yielded early results. Plays are very long to call out and susceptible to errors, especially in a hostile environment. If the Orange can grasp it quickly, they may just be a national sleeper.

3) West Virginia (7-4; 5-2)

The Mountaineers have had quite the bipolar 2004-2005 in their athletic program. On paper, their football team had BCS hopes, but underperformed at 8-4, and lost their bowl game. Their basketball team was supposed to be "middle of the pack" in the conference, but caught fire in the Big East tournament, and proceeded to make a huge splash during March Madness.

This year, the expectations will be toned down a bit in Morgantown, as the team is rebuilding. The offense has been decimated due to turnover and there are many more questions than answers. The quarterback position is still somewhat undecided, and the receivers are young and inexperienced.

One area that West Virginia fans will still see success is the running game. Jason Colson is the real deal and he will excel, and continue the string of highly skilled Mountaineer running backs. The offensive line is experienced and will open up plenty of holes for him, Pernell Williams, and highly-touted freshman Jason Gwaltney.

On defense, Wocka, Wocka (Adam "Pac-Man" Jones) is gone, but the defensive backs in Morgantown will still excel. The secondary is the strength of this team, and I see Mike Lorello and Jahmile Addae having even better years than they did last season. The linebackers are decent, but depth has to be a concern for Rich Rodriguez. The defensive line has more depth, and the starters do have some talent.

This year's team will be one that should be in a lot of games. The defense will bend, but not break, and keep them in games. The running attack should chew up tons of possession time, but what will they do on 3rd-and-13. The passing game is a huge question mark, and has to be addressed. I'm sure whoever gets the nod at quarterback will have enormous pressure to deliver. If the Mountaineers are able to balance their offensive attack, this team could easily win the conference.

2) Pittsburgh (8-3, 5-2)

The Panthers backed into the Fiesta Bowl last year and played like a team that didn't deserve to be there. They got smashed 35-7 by a far superior Utah team who showed them exactly how good they needed to be in order to be among college football's elite.

That game cost Walt Harris his job, and along the Allegheny, public opinion is divided as to whether he should have been fired for a guy whose best player couldn't even stop smoking marijuana. Dave Wannstedt, Pitt's new coach, must produce much better results than he did in the NFL or he will be shown the door again.

Wannstedt prefers to run a team with a bruising, physical attack. Unfortunately for him, the Panthers are a team based much more on finesse and timing. Tyler Palko, the Panther quarterback, is an excellent leader on the field with a super left arm to match. Palko has his favorite target Greg Lee back at wideout. He's a physical guy at 6-2, and has the speed to go deep, as well. This guy just might be the best at what he does in America.

The running game is the only real question mark for the Pitt offense. They were 105th last year on the ground, and at times it seemed as if they were only moving the ball that way because they had to. That will certainly change this season, and with Raymond Kirkley skills, and Dave Wannstedt's schemes, the yards should pile up.

The defense is talented, but must translate some of that raw physical ability to success on the field. H.B. Blades will be a guy who will make a name for himself again this year. He will anchor a linebacking unit that should be the best in the country. There is no concern as far as depth — the Panthers have five guys who can start at any time.

The secondary and defensive lines are both areas that must show improvement this year. Josh Lay is a super corner and will shut down his side of the field. Unfortunately, opponents will just throw to the other side. Darrelle Revis or Darnell Carter will have to elevate their game this year and unify the strength of the defensive backs.

The defensive ends have got to improve on a team that provider a lackluster pass rush at best. Pitt fans have to hope that the lack of experience that this unit suffers from can be overcome by their talent level. The coaching staff will substitute freely until they can find the guys who can deliver the most efficient pass rush.

It looks like this will be a good year for first-year head coach Dave Wannstedt. Walt Harris did not leave the cupboards bare, and a bowl game is just about a certainty. What is uncertain is how he will run this team on offense. He will undoubtedly try to increase the number of reps for his running backs, and improve the ground game. If he's smart, he will make sure that the ball gets to Greg Lee's hands, as well, as the passing attack can do tons of damage.

1) Louisville (9-2; 6-1)

There hasn't been this much buzz in Louisville in regards to a sport besides basketball since a guy named Clay [Muhammad Ali] won the Olympic Gold in Rome, and there's good reason. This Cardinal football team could easily run the table. Unfortunately, due to some inexperience, they could also disappoint, as well. I'm hedging my bets by saying that they'll win the conference, but go to Tempe instead of Pasadena.

The offense will go through some transition with Brian Brohm taking over for all-world quarterback Stefan Lefors. If Brohm displays the poise and talent, along with even half of the leadership that Lefors provided, he will be superb. There are high expectations for him, but he has the physical ability and the smarts needed to be a legend.

Another guy who will impress is Michael Bush. He was a former all-state quarterback who has been converted into a 250-pound running back. He has been able to retain his mobility and quickness at the weight and can of course pack a powerful punch. I really think he can run over 1,500 yards this season if he gets a good volume of carries. His 5.6 yards per carry average last year was outstanding, and he is a superb outlet and screen guy, as well.

Speaking of outlets, the Cardinals have a slew of talented options at wideout. Montrell Jones, Joshua Tinch, and Broderick Clark are all seniors who can get open and make plays. Jones and Clark are the home run hitters, and Tinch is an extremely valuable possession guy. Louisville also has a super tight end in Gary Barnidge. He's only a sophomore, but he's got great hands and I expect him to get a lot of work, especially in the early going.

Any time you have a team that grabs so many headlines on offense, the defense is sure to be forgotten about. If opposing teams make that same mistake, they will be in for a surprise. The Cardinals were 15th in total defense last season, and although I don't expect them to be that high this year, they have a unit that can make things happen.

Mike Cassidy, Louisville's defensive coordinator, lost three starters from his secondary last year. Anytime there is upheaval amongst the defensive backs, continuity is always a problem. These guys will have to gel quickly, or opponents will take advantage and throw early and often. William Gay is the only upperclassman in the unit, and his speed and experience will be vital in order to stem the tide.

The linebackers are serviceable with Abe Brown and Brandon Johnson looking to ease the loss of Robert McCune. These guys are both upperclassmen who can have the lateral movement and strength needed to make a ton of tackles. I think these guys are both underrated and should perform well as a team.

The defensive backs will be extremely important for this year's team. They will have to put an increased amount of pressure on the quarterback to offset the talent deficiencies in the secondary. They will also have to maintain their level of success from last year against the run. I don't know if they will be able to do both, but with talents like Elvis Dumervil and Montavious Stanley, they will make a solid attempt. Depth should not be a problem so long as the injury bug doesn't run rampant. I think that if another guy such as Brandon Cox can emerge as a star that just might make the difference and solidify this unit.

Louisville has the talent and the coaching to be the class of the Big East. Brian Brohm is a Heisman hopeful waiting to happen and offensively this team is a juggernaut. Michael Bush will chew up the clock, and the defense should not let them down. This team may be vulnerable to an early season upset, but they just might run the table. The Cardinals seemed to have turned the corner and are on the verge of establishing a perennial winner. America, we'd better get used to these guys, so let's at least pronounce the name right. It's LOU-A-VULL, and they're your Big East conference champs.

Also, see previews for the Pac-10, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, and ACC. Stay tuned for more college football previews!

Posted by Avery Smith at 6:43 PM | Comments (0)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 21

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Stewart realized a lifelong dream, winning the Brickyard 400 for his first win at Indianapolis, in a stock car or an Indy car. Stewart also wrested the points lead from Jimmie Johnson convincingly, and now holds a 75-point lead after trailing by 66 heading in to Indy.

"Check. And checkmate," says Stewart. "A win in Indy and the points lead. There's just no stopping the No. 20 Home Depot Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet. I guess you could call me the 'Depot Inferno.'"

Out of respect for The Tramps, artists of the disco super-classic "Disco Inferno," I won't call you that. But I will call you the hottest driver in auto racing, and a clear favorite to win your second NASCAR points title of your career.

Life could get even better for Stewart with the upcoming road course race at Watkins Glen, which Stewart won last year. Stewart should extend his points lead as he goes for win number five in the last seven races.

2. Jimmie Johnson — With 15 laps to go, and eyeing a sure top-10 at Indy, Johnson's fortunes changed dramatically when he blew a right front tire and slammed the turn four wall hard. As a result, the No. 48 Chevy was finished for the day, in 38th, and Johnson paid a visit to the infield care center for evaluation. He was fine, but his points lead's prognosis was much worse — Johnson lost the lead to race-winner Stewart, only the third week in which J.J. was out of the points lead.

Before the crash, Johnson and crew seemed to have reversed a disastrous start to the weekend. On Saturday, their car failed two inspections before qualifying, and eventually were unable to qualify. As a result, Johnson started last in the 43-car field.

"It's one thing to fail one inspection," laments Johnson. "But two? That's unheard of. I think we failed more inspections than the local Waffle House. But, apparently, they can still serve food. Why can't I qualify after failing my inspections?"

Johnson's crash broke a string of four consecutive top-15 finishes, and he now faces a crucial stretch in which he must build momentum for the Chase. Last year, at Watkins Glen and the following race in Michigan, Johnson finished 40th after qualifying on the pole in both instances. Assuming that Stewart cools off, Johnson will need to be in top form to capitalize.

3. Greg Biffle — Biffle's 21st-place finish at Indy was not what he was looking for, but, all things considered, it could have been worse. The No. 16 car was penalized for crossing the pit road commit line and then not pitting. The penalty for doing that is, get this, a pit stop. After serving his "penalty," Biffle returned to the track in 33rd, but cleared 12 cars in the remaining laps to place 21st.

"The good, old 'pit road commit line' penalty," says Biffle. "The 'misdemeanor' of the NASCAR penalty world. I honestly didn't even know there was a line there. Answer me this, NASCAR officials: if I decide to just take a joyride down pit road, and not pit, is there a penalty for that? Is there a penalty for racing with a Subway sub in your lap? Well, lock me up and throw away the key! I'm guilty!”

Biffle stands third in the points, 111 behind Stewart. While he's likely to lose a little more ground to Stewart at Watkins Glen, Biffle can look to the August 21st race in Michigan for confidence. He won the second Michigan race last year, and took the checkers earlier this year at the Batman Begins 400.

4. Kurt Busch — Busch was the fourth of five Roush cars in the top 21, and his 18th-place finish maintained his hold of fifth in the points. Busch is currently fifth in the points, 277 off of Tony Stewart's lead.

"Yes. That calls for a celebration," says Busch. "And I think I'll celebrate by signing to drive for Roger Penske in 2007 and asking Jack Roush to free me from my contract for next year. You know, it's true what they say: it's harder to get out of a cell phone contract than it is to void a NASCAR contract.”

Busch will take over the No. 2 car of Rusty Wallace, and become the teammate of Ryan Newman. Maybe it's me, but I just can't see those two getting along. Anyway, it will be interesting to see whether Busch's decision affects his performance and championship hopes. Will Busch's concentration be exclusively on making a charge for the championship, or will thoughts of the prestige and money inherent in the No. 2 Miller lite car seep into his head? Only time will tell. Suffice it to say that car owner Jack Roush is none too happy.

5. Rusty Wallace — Wallace's run of consecutive results in the top 12 (a streak he began in at Charlotte in late May) ended with a 25th-place finish in a race that Wallace called the team's "worst of the year." Still, Wallace is fourth in the points, and, with five races left to the Chase, is a lock to be a participant.

“I was hoping to say 'farewell' to Indy with a win,” says Wallace, “but it was not to be. Instead, the Brickyard kicked me to the curb. I'm hoping things will be a little different at Watkins Glen this Sunday. August 14 is my birthday, and an appropriate gift would be a win at the Glen.”

That would be nice, but wouldn't it be even cooler if Kurt Busch popped out of a giant birthday cake and announced he'll be driving your car, possibly as soon as next year?

Wallace is one of the all-time masters of road courses, and backed that up with a fourth at Sonoma earlier this summer. He's won twice at the Glen, but not since 1989 — this may be Wallace's best chance for a win in his final year. He will find challengers, such as other road course wizards like Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and Stewart, in his way.

6. Mark Martin — Martin's second consecutive top-10, and 11th of the year, moved him up one spot to sixth in the standings, 287 points behind Stewart. Martin and the No. 6 Viagra Ford were consistently good all weekend, qualifying 10th on Saturday and racing in the top 10 most of the day Sunday.

“That's all very well and good,” says Martin. “But let's talk about a little thing called 'loyalty.' My teammate, Kurt Busch, who's under contract to Roush through 2006, signs to drive for Roger Penske in 2007, and now Kurt wants out of his Roush contract. Can't a driver stay with a team, especially one whose team led him to the Cup championship? And where does Roger Penske get off raiding the Roush stable for drivers before their contracts have expired?”

Good points, Mark. But didn't Jack Roush do the same thing with Jamie McMurray?

“Oh yeah, I guess you're right. Now, I bet there's no way Jack will let me retire. Thanks Kurt and Jamie, for showing no honor and asking out of a contract early.”

Despite all the shake-ups at Roush, Martin remains the steadying force behind the team. Always consistent, and always willing to honor a contract, and then some. Martin finished third in this race last year, and is always steady on road courses. Expect no less than a top-10 finish for the No. 6.

7. Jeremy Mayfield — Mayfield's fourth-place accented a huge day for Ray Evernham Racing at the Brickyard, as teammate Kasey Kahne challenged Tony Stewart for the win before settling for the runner-up spot. Mayfield and Kahne represented two of the four Dodges in the top 10, and Mayfield solidified his eighth-place standing in the points, now only 369 under Tony Stewart.

Mayfield qualified the No. 19 Dodge in second, behind only pole-sitter Elliott Sadler, and ran in the top five for a majority of the day, placing as high as second. In the end, his car tightened a bit, and he settled for fourth, his best finish ever at Indy. The result left Mayfield firmly in eighth-place in the points, with a substantial 67 points between he and 10th-place.

Mayfield and crew now head to Watkins Glen, where they hope to ride the momentum of their Indy result and claim a high points-producing finish. Mayfield finished seventh last year at the Glen, and scored the same result at Sonoma earlier this year. Expect Mayfield to tighten his grip on his points position.

“And don't forget to check out 'Mayfield's Map to Watkins Glen” on NASCAR.com,” says Mayfield, “where I'll clue you in to where to find the nicest public restrooms in the area.”

8. Ryan Newman — After a strong qualifying run on Saturday that placed him sixth on the grid, Newman was looking like a contender for the Brickyard crown in his home state of Indiana. Instead, fellow Indiana native Tony Stewart took the win, while Newman finished 34th, two laps down, after enduring severe handling problems that the No. 12 Alltel team could never solve.

"My guys were under my hood more than Pamela Anderson's plastic surgeons are under hers," a frustrated Newman states. "We never could quite get our hands on the problem, or problems, though."

At Watkins Glen, Newman will look to grab his first career road course win. Three years ago at the Glen, Newman finished second, and in June of this year, he scored a ninth-place on the road at Sonoma.

9. Dale Jarrett — Jarrett battled handling issues all day at Indy, falling as low as 40th in the running order before recovering to post a respectable 14th-place finish. D.J. now stands ninth in the points after gaining one spot, and trails Stewart by 430 points.

“It's a very precarious position to be in,” adds Jarrett. “If I'm out of the top 10 and still 430 behind, I'm out of the Chase. So, I've got to watch my back."

Indeed, only 30 points separates Jarrett from the 12th-place in the points, and that position happens to be held by teammate Elliott Sadler. Also looming are Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick, who are both less than 100 points behind Jarrett.

"So you're telling me a good finish at Watkins Glen is imperative?" asks Jarrett. "Tell me something I don't know."

In his last five starts at the Glen, Jarrett has two seventh-place finishes sandwiched between three results of 27th or worse. He will need a result much like the former to improve his Chase standing.

10. Jeff Gordon — Gordon seems to be back on track, with and eighth at Indy to follow up his 13th in Pennsylvania, and picked up a spot to claim 14th in the points. Still, to make the Chase, Gordon will need to improve on those finishes, and will probably need a win somewhere in the next five races to qualify for the Chase.

"As if I needed more pressure in my life," complains Gordon. "But I've got ice water in my veins, and my Magic 8-Ball told me that I will make the Chase. So, worry not. I will be there when it counts."

Gordon has five races to make up four places in the points standings, or 123 points to reach the 400-point window to qualify for the Chase. He has four career wins at Watkins Glen, but his best finish there in his last three starts is a 21st. That won't cut it in Gordon's current position. It's do-or-die time for the No. 24 Chevrolet.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 2:57 PM | Comments (0)

NBA Draft Changes NCAA Landscape

With the NBA draft concluded, college basketball can now look forward to next season. Many players who submitted their names for the NBA draft withdrew before the June 21st deadline and are returning to college for the 2005-06 season. The players who stayed in the draft and those returning to school can drastically alter the landscape for the following season.

Past entrants who have returned to school after submitting their name for the draft include Jason Gardner of Arizona and Chris Thomas of Notre Dame. Gardner helped lead his team to the Elite Eight as a senior after entering and then withdrawing from the draft as a sophomore.

The early entry candidates and the players who decided to return to school all will have a major impact on which teams will march into Indianapolis and which will fade into the pack and possibly become bubble teams.

It took Roy Williams 17 years as a college basketball coach to finally grab the elusive title. His 18th, however, will be one of his most trying. No one was more impacted by early entry candidates than Williams' North Carolina Tar Heels. The second pick in the NBA draft, Marvin Williams, the NCAA's most outstanding player, Scott May, Rashad McCants, and point guard Raymond Felton all gave up eligibility in Chapel Hill. The former Heels comprised four of the top 14 picks in the 2005 draft. Williams will face a rebuilding job in 2006.

Not much is left in Williams' cupboard. David Noel is the only player with significant experience returning next season. The dream season of 2005 will be next to impossible to duplicate in 2006.

Illinois enjoyed its best season ever in 2005. They made only their third Final Four appearance in school history and played in the national championship game for the first time. The Illini completed the season a school record 38-2. After three years in Champaign, the junior class might be regarded as the best in school history. James Augustine, Dee Brown, and Deron Williams have all been three-year starters. Brown and Williams, along with Luther Head, were the catalysts behind the Illini's high-octane perimeter attack.

While Brown provided the slash and sizzle, Williams was quietly the team leader both on and off the court. Williams has two Big 10 titles and two Big 10 tournament championships After three stellar seasons in Champaign and not much left to accomplish individually, Williams will take his game to the Wasatch Mountains next season and suit up for the Utah Jazz. Williams was picked third overall in the draft by the Jazz. Brown had to withdraw his name from the draft after being breaking his foot in the tryout camp in Chicago.

Augustine was the workhorse down low for Illinois and was often the Illini's only legitimate big man. He will return for his senior season and figures to become more of a focal point for the Illini on the offensive end in 206. To improve his draft status, Augustine has a lot to work on. He will have to improve his footwork in the halfcourt, his strength, and scoring ability. Channing Frye destroyed the Illini front line in the regional final with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Brown will also have to improve his strength, as well as his shooting percentage.

With Augustine and Brown returning, the Illini will have great senior leadership next season. But the losses appear to be too great for Illinois to be among the national title contenders again.

After failing to close out Illinois and missing a potential game-winning shot in overtime, Hassan Adams' return has Arizona primed to stay among the nation's elite teams in 2006. With the losses of seniors Salim Stoudamire and Channing Frye, seniors-to-be Adams and Chris Rodgers and junior Mustafa Shakur will be counted on as the team leaders this coming season.

Jawaan McClellan is being touted as Lute Olsen's next star guard. The 6-5 Texan averaged 7 points per game during the Wildcats' run to the Elite Eight and will challenge Rogers for a spot in the starting lineup.

Kirk Walters and Ivan Radenovich will battle for minutes up front. Walters backed up both Frye and Radenovich last season. If Radenovich improves as much as a junior as he did as a sophomore, then the 'Cats will have a solid inside-outside scorer in the post. Other names to watch are swingman sophomores, swingman Jesus Verdejo, and voracious rebounder Mohammed Tangara. Lute Olson calls Tangara the best rebounder he has had in 20 years. A stellar recruiting class with swingman Marcus Williams, point guard J.P. Prince, and power forward Fendi Onobun will position the Wildcats as a possible national title contender again in 2006.

A year after a national championship, Connecticut reloaded. Charlie Villanueva, Josh Boone, Marcus Williams, and Rudy Gay all assumed prominent roles for the Huskies. Only Villanueva decided to ride that success to the NBA. Boone was able to learn from Emeka Okafor as a freshman and is poised to become one of the nation's most dominant big men in 2006. Williams led the Big East in assists in 2005 and Gay was UConn's leading scorer. Talent-wise, this might be Jim Calhoun's best team. Add in redshirt freshman A.J. Price and the Huskies are likely to open the season No. 1 in the nation.

Stanford fans breathed a sigh of relief when star point guard Chris Hernandez decided to return to the farm after originally entering his name into the draft. The Cardinal had already lost seniors Rob Little and Chris Robinson. Hernandez's return is a huge lift for Trent Johnson and company. Center Matt Haryasz (12.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and forward Dan Grunfeld (17.9 ppg) will complement Hernandez as the Cardinal seek to challenge Arizona and Washington for Pac-10 supremacy. After not being invited to the NBA pre-draft camp, Hernandez has work to do. He has to prove he can stay healthy, improve his field goal percentage, and cut down on his turnovers. The Cardinal also are hopeful that Grunfeld can return to his old form after a torn ACL in 2005.

Once known as strictly a football school, Billy Donovan has turned the Florida basketball program into on of the elite teams in the SEC. Despite the loss of big man David Lee, many were excited in Gainesville for the 2006 season. The excitement was dealt a double dose of reality with the early departures of Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson. Both went undrafted. Walsh has since signed a non-guaranteed two-year contract with Miami. Walsh was an excellent three-point shooter and Roberson ran Donovan's fast-paced offense. Sophomores-to-be Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Lee Humphrey will be counted on to step up.

Lorenzo Romar has built Washington into a national force in just four seasons in Seattle. The Huskies earned their first number one seed ever, captured the Pac-10 tournament title, and was the Pac-10 regular season runner-up. Expectations are now as high in Seattle as they were for the football team during the '80s and early-'90s. In addition to the loss of senior Tre' Simmons, Nate Robinson entered the NBA a year early and incoming freshman Martell Webster decided to forego college altogether.

After being part of a great perimeter attack the past three seasons, Brandon Roy will now be asked to step up his game and become the team leader. Bobby Jones played a big role in Washington's success the past two years and should shoulder much of the load with Roy. Sophomore-to-be Joel Smith, seniors to be Jamaal Williams and Mike Jensen, and incoming freshman Jon Brockman should solidify the front line. Despite the loses, Washington should still be among the best in the west in 2006.

No one might have been bolstered more than Duke by the return of possible early entry candidates. Shelden Williams and J.J. Reddick were both probable first-round picks. That the duo decided to return to Duke to get an elusive title in their Duke tenure says a lot about their loyalty and dedication. The Blue Devils did lose backup C-F Shavlik Randolph a year early to the NBA. Randolph was highly-touted entering Durham, but never lived up to his potential. The Blue Devils will easily replace Randolph with incoming freshman center Josh McRoberts. Seven years after playing for a national championship, Duke and UConn continue to be national title favorites.

Kentucky's losses to the NBA might be the most puzzling. Kelenna Azubuike migrated to the NBA a year early to help his father pay for legal expenses and Randolph Morris left after one year in Lexington. Morris needs to bulk up and polish his offensive game before being able to compete at the NBA level. Both former Wildcats went undrafted. Morris has petitioned the NCAA for reinstatement and might regain eligibility by repaying draft expenses and serving a suspension. Kentucky still figures to be among the SEC's elite teams with the return of guards Rajon Rando and Patrick Sparks.

Karl Hobbs has done an outstanding job to get George Washington back among the top team in Atlantic 10. After winning the West division and tournament title a lot was expected from the Colonials in 2006. GW fans were crushed when star forwards Mike Hall and Pops Mensa-Bonsu decided to enter their names in the NBA draft. Their decision to return has the Colonials on many preseason top-25 lists. With Mensa-Bonsu and Hall returning, Hobbs has the potential to get GW to its first Sweet 16 since Mike Jarvis led Yinka Dare and company to the NCAA's third round in 1993.

Their miracle run to the Elite Eight in 2005 was the deepest West Virginia had advanced into to the NCAA tournament since Jerry West led the Mountaineers to the Final Four in 1959. Leading the way was sharp-shooting center-forward Kevin Pittsnogle. After his stellar performance, Pittsnogle decided to return to school after originally declaring for the draft. The Mountaineer will have to improve his ball handling and defense before becoming ready to compete in the NBA.

The Chris Paul era at Wake Forest was a definite hit in Winston-Salem. Under Paul, the Demon Deacons advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2004 and earned a No. 1 seed in this year's tournament. After being upset in the second round in 2005, many Wake fans were hopeful that Paul would return to try and take the Deacons to their first Final Four since 1962. His draft status and the NBA riches were just too much to pass up. Paul was picked fourth in the draft by the New Orleans Hornets.

Losing Paul was a huge hit, but when big center Eric Williams decided to throw his name into the draft, many Demon Deacon observers were resigned to a tough season in 2006. After realizing he wouldn't be a first round pick, Williams withdrew his name from the draft and Deacon nation breathed a sigh of relief. With Williams and Justin Gray both returning, Wake should still be in the tournament, but in the middle of the ACC pack.

In the past, college basketball was all about recruiting and what you did in March. The late spring has now become about re-recruiting your own players for the big schools. Who enters their name into the NBA draft, who withdraws, and which players return or leave can have an impact on the college basketball landscape for the following two to three years.

Posted by Alan Rubenstein at 2:32 PM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2005

Broncos' Shanahan Proving His Point

Is Mike Shanahan coaching with a chip on his shoulder?

Are the statements that John Elway was the chief reason for his two championships getting to him?

Or are we simply watching a coach destroy a team by buying into their hype?

These are all plausible reasons for an offseason of questionable moves made by the Denver Broncos. After being humiliated by Indianapolis for the second straight year in the playoffs, most fans looked for the Broncos to seriously address their defensive issues and to help Jake Plummer throw fewer interceptions by giving him more reliable options on offense.

Instead, the Broncos drafted and traded as if to prove a point — that they could win with the system and pieces they had in place. Or in the case of their defensive line, with the Cleveland Browns. The same Browns who not so long ago gave up a record-setting rushing day for Baltimore's Jamal Lewis. You can see the logic in this move because with LaDainian Tomlinson, Priest Holmes, and Lamont Jordan, the AFC West is composed of passing-dominant teams.

The one thing that did work for the Broncos last year was their running game. Shanahan has worked wonders with sixth-round running backs thanks, in large part, to the dirtiest offensive line in football. Last year, despite a number of injuries, they were able to use Reuben Droughns, Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson, and Garrison Hearst to take some of the pressure off of Plummer. Given last year's performance, Shanahan couldn't leave well enough alone, so he confused the situation.

So this year, Droughns is gone (to acquire key members of the Cleveland organization), but Ron Dayne (cursed by winning the Heisman) and Maurice Clarett (cursed by being himself) have been added. Shanahan once again sets out to prove that not only can he put anyone behind his offensive line and get 1,000 yards, but that running back by committee can work as well. The only question is who will the Broncos bring in next year to mix things up again.

While the running game was effective, the passing game too often involved members of the opposing team's defense. Despite throwing for over 4,000 yards (not even number 7 did that), Plummer threw 20 interceptions. Prior to the draft, it looked like the Broncos would target wide receivers as a need position. Rod Smith's body isn't letting him perform like he once could, and Ashley Lelie is still developing.

Since the Broncos should have gone after a wide receiver, they chose to draft the opposite position, corner back instead. They did do one thing right, however, in bringing Jerry Rice to camp. Lelie, with mentors in Smith and Rice, should emerge as the receiver he can be. That still leaves the issue of who else will Plummer have to throw to. Without more options, Jake tends to create his own, usually wearing numbers about 60 lower than his intended target.

In drafting three cornerbacks, the Broncos did attempt to take on of their deficiencies last year. But how much confidence does it inspire to draft cornerbacks with your first three picks? Either you don't have confidence in your scouting, or you don't have confidence in your "shut down" corner Champ Bailey. Which is it?

So while the rest of the AFC West has seriously moved to improve their teams, the Broncos seem mired in the status quo, determined to prove their point rather than win football games. It could be a long year for Broncos fans.

Random Thoughts

* Don't count on any wildcard teams coming out of the AFC West. The Raiders and Chiefs have both addressed glaring holes in their teams, and the result will be more beating up on each other. To make it worse, they also have the toughest schedule outside of the division. The Chargers reward for improving from 4-12 to 12-4 was games at New England, at Philadelphia, at Indianapolis, and hosting Pittsburgh. No team will emerge from this division with more than 10 wins.

* I understand that with all the drama in Seattle these past few months involving Shaun Alexander and Koren Robinson, another team might emerge to win the division. But, the Cardinals? Does anyone really believe Kurt Warner is the answer to their problems? The man needs a wall in front of him to be effective, and impenetrable and the Cardinals' O-line have not been synonymous. Warner's hurried throws and graceless sacks for the Giants last year will be replayed for Arizona fans this year.

* Who decided that preseason games should cost as much as regular season ones? I can understand a fan paying $50 dollars to see the Bears play the Browns when the game matters, and even that requires a serious amount of loyalty. But the same price to watch coaches play conservative football, and maybe see the starters for half the game? That would be like going to Disneyland and paying full-price and finding out Pirates of the Caribbean is closed and Splash Mountain stopped working an hour after opening. And that never happens. If they lowered ticket prices and made it a more fan-friendly environment, more people would show up and not mind that the fourth quarter was the equivalent of watching NFL Europe.

* There's a simple reason women shouldn't play fantasy football: they always end up winning. Nothing ruins a season of football like having a girl win the league using the default draft rankings. Or losing to a woman who always drafts Tiki Barber because he's cute (Ronde is clearly the cuter of the two). Women invalidate the whole concept of having to pay attention to all the games to win in fantasy football. So if you have any hope of convincing your woman to let you get NFL Sunday Ticket, don't let her play in your fantasy league.

* Now to figure out who to draft after Peyton Manning.

* Ten years from now, we'll be discussing Manning in the same way that we're talking about Dan Marino. A great quarterback, with great numbers, but no championships. Sorry, Indy fans, you can't win the Super Bowl without defense. Or having to play in New England in January.

* Fresh off pulling a young boy from a pool and initiating CPR, Drew Rosenhaus must be absolutely giddy. His image is bolstered, and his main client, Terrell Owens, is in a contract dispute with the Eagles who just lost their number two receiver, Todd Pinkston, to a ruptured Achilles. Fans in Philly might hate him, but T.O. will be getting the contract he wants, or the Eagles won't have a chance to return to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. Strange how karma works.

* If the Eagles refuse to budge in their negotiations with T.O., don't be surprised if you start to hear rumors that Donovan McNabb and Jeff Garcia are dating.

Posted by Chris Lindshield at 3:00 PM | Comments (2)

Big Leagues or Big Screen?

Deceit. Drugs. Fame (The Hall of?). What is this, Hollywood? It sure could fool me. And, in accordance, I now present this summer's biggest blockbuster hits ... and misses (Appeals Pending).

Batman Begins

Starring: Derrek Lee

Derrek Lee had 4 hits and 5 RBI for the Chicago Cubs on Opening Day and he's been raking ever since. Unquestionably the preeminent Triple Crown challenger since Gary Sheffield came up short in '92, the mainstay of the Cubbies has continued to scorch the baseball.

How will it end? In all likelihood, Lee (.350 BA, 33 HR, 84 RBI) will not be the first player since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 to pace the league in the three major offensive statistics. In fact, he may not even lead his own team in RBI at season's end (Aramis Ramirez currently has 81). Nevertheless, Lee has captivated the baseball world and has become recognized as a genuine megastar.

Besides his proficiency at the plate, Lee is arguably the best defensive first basemen in the National League (Dougie "Glove" Mientkiewicz and J.T. Snow are phenomenal, as well).

The Longest Yard

Starring: MLB Commissioner, Bud Selig

Bud Selig. The same guy who brought us the '94 Strike-inspired drama "Who Needs Fans Anyway?" And who could forget the 2002 midsummer release, "I Can't Believe the All-Star Game Just Ended in a Bleeping Tie."

Bud Selig and the All Star Game is a match made in ... well, Milwaukee. This summer's event was no different. While the All-Star Game did not finish in a tie, Selig made his mark with the Home Run Derby. Detroit's Comerica Park, regularly regarded as one of the most spacious and least hitter-friendly parks, was the host. However, I'm pretty sure the Derby contestants actually played on the ballfield which was part of the original design model for the Derek Zoolander Center For Children Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good, Too.

Bobby Abreu won the contest with 41 total homeruns. The full event took over three hours to complete. To add to the drama, Selig decided to make this year's Derby a national pride affair. Each participant represented a different country. Just to show how well this translated, I asked Ian Eagle, NBA and NFL commentator, whom he was pulling for. Kiddingly, he replied, "Does Israel have a representative?"

Hustle and Flow

Starring: Scott Podsednik and Jose Reyes

The first-place Chicago White Sox (72-38) have been ignited by the afterburners of speedy Scott Podsednik. Podsednik leads the majors in stolen bases (54) and plays the game like Vince Coleman once did.

Reyes (37 SB), while not as polished a base-stealer as Scotty Pod', is one of the most electrifying young talents in the Big Leagues. He is the only major leaguer since 1969 to have 7 triples in 10 games and watching him run from first to third is a thing of beauty. Just imagine how good Reyes would be if he didn't have the seventh most fly outs in baseball (145).

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Starring: Charlie Manuel and the Philadelphia Phillies (58-54)

The Sweet: Pat Burrell has bounced back from successive atrocious seasons. Pat the Bat (.280) is hitting for average and power and may wind up with 35 homers and 105 RBI if he continues to swing at strikes. Moreover, Philly fanatics have been given an opportunity to unwrap their golden ticket and watch young gem Ryan Howard play on a regular basis. In limited at bats, Howard (6'4") has 6 homers and the powerful lefty takes cuts that could dull Ronco knives. A first-basemen, Howard hammered 46 round-trippers and drove in 131 last season in the minors.

The Sour: The Phillies have surrendered the second most homeruns in the majors (138) and have struggled to get reliable pitching. Moreover, when slugger Jim Thome hasn't been injured this season, he hasn't been doing much slugging. With a hardly-breathing .207 batting average and merely 7 dingers, this year may diminish what once was a borderline Hall of Fame career.

Herbie: Fully Loaded

Starring: Lindsay Lohan

Just look who this movie is starring. Who cares what it's about?

Wedding Crashers

Starring: The Oakland A's and the Houston Astros

Each season there are several teams dancing to October, despite their lack of invitations. The 2005 A's were not believed to be doing any dancing. They lost their two finest starting pitchers in the offseason and were 15 games under .500 early in the 2005 campaign. Nevertheless, since June 1st, the Athletics are 40-14 and are prime playoff contenders. Offensively, they're third in the AL in BB, third in the AL in OBP, and have the fewest strikeouts in majors. Moneyball, anyone? The A's pitching staff sports the third best ERA in the AL and with Barry Zito, Rich Harden, and Danny Haren all pitching splendidly, losing Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder is a distant memory.

Very few prognosticators chose the Houston Astros to be leading the National League wildcard Race this late in the season. The team lost Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent in the winter. Lance Berkman was coming off a knee injury. Add setbacks to Jeff Bagwell and Andy Pettitte and the season seemed to be finished. Not so fast. While Morgan Ensberg (.290, 29, 82) and Craig Biggio have led the offensive charge, the real reason that the Astros are still alive and kicking is because of 43-year-old Roger Clemens.

Clemens (11-4) has been spectacular. When Houston was struggling early on, The Rocket kept Houston airborne. And now that the team is soaring, Clemens is the catalyst. His ERA, (1.38) is lower than Andy Katzenmoyer's Ohio State GPA. The Rocket's given up three measly earned runs in 73 innings pitched away from Houston. Clemens who has more wins than any living pitcher may add his eighth Cy Young award to an already-crowded trophy case.

Nonetheless, there is one thing that I have never understood with the Astros — Brad Ausmus (.241, 1, 28). Here's a guy who leads the majors in games played at catcher over that last 10 seasons, yet has never hit 10 homers in a season and is a blistering .254 career hitter. The only reason I can fathom that this guy still plays everyday is that he's Houston's version of Jake Taylor from Major League — a stabilizing presence, and a sensible veteran leader. How will we know for sure? If Ausmus proceeds to call his shot during the ninth inning of a playoff game only to drop down a successful suicide-squeeze-and-run with a runner on second base to win the pennant, then there is no denying he is a real-life Jake Taylor.

The Dukes of Hazzard

Starring: Zack Duke

National Leaguers now realize why Zack Duke led the minor leagues in ERA (1.46) last season ... he's nasty. The 6'2'' lefty is 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA for the Pirates, thanks to a stinging breaking ball and a sly fastball. The only people who can pick up Duke are fervent fantasy baseball owners. So far, batters have had no luck.

Fantastic Four

Starring: Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Jaret Wright, Carl Pavano

When the New York Yankees are referred to as the "Bronx Bombers," it's generally a good thing. However, the Yankees who have truly bombed this season have been these four starters. Randy Johnson has been average at best. He's allowed a whopping 24 homers and has a 4.29 ERA. As the most daunting left-hander in the sport, the Unit was brought to the Yankees to be New York's answer to Curt Schilling and to hurl gas by the class of the American League. So far, his tank seems to be approaching empty.

Kevin Brown (4-7, 6.50), a six-time all-star, has been awful in pinstripes for a second consecutive year and leads the AL in excuses per nine innings. Jaret Wright has been on the DL most of the season and has only been mentioned in New York baseball chatter because he is the answer to this trivia question: which pitcher did Carlos Beltran hit 3 homers off of in last season's playoffs?

And, who could forget Carl Pavano? Pavano's season (4-6, 4.77) can best be described by my girlfriend, Kate. As we were watching a miserable, crestfallen, Carl Pavano answer questions during post-game interviews, Kate turned to me and asked, "Oh no, did somebody die?" Kate was close. Pavano had just gotten shelled by the Devil Rays.

Cinderella Man

Starring: David Eckstein

That guy fielding grounders at shortstop for the Cardinals is not the batboy or a coach's son ... he's the heart and soul of the lineup, David Eckstein. Eckstein's gritty defense, his flair for getting on base, and his team-first attitude are what the Cardinals needed to get over the hump. He may barely be 5'7'' (that's generous), but he was also the starting shortstop for the NL all-stars this season. He's the present-day version of Phil Rizzuto.

Eckstein came over from the Angels this winter and replaced Edgar Renteria. Eckstein, already having won a World Series (he batted .310) may just be the toughest player pound for pound in the majors. Moreover, at 70-41, St. Louis is poised for another trip to the Fall Classic. The Cards went down without a fight versus the Red Sox last October. Now, armed with a commanding lineup, a promising pitching staff, and a tough as nails sparkplug, this may just be the Cardinals' year.

Bad News Bears

Starring: The Entire NL West and the New York Mets

The National League West is bad. I'm talking 2004-05 NBA Atlantic Division bad. I'm talking 2004 NFL NFC wildcard teams bad. The Toronto Blue Jays would be in first place if they played in the NL West.

The Mets (57-54), who also would be in first in the West, have been a disappointment as well this season under manager Willie Randolph. Carlos Beltran (.270, 13, 59) has etched his name as the man who made the most money off of one great postseason.

While Reyes, David Wright, and Cliff Floyd all have been bright spots, two examples illustrate why this team, and this rookie manager, are not ready for the next step. The first example deals with the treatment of Mike Piazza. Piazza, who has formerly saved the franchise, has been the face of the team, and is the greatest hitting catcher of all-time, was placed in the seventh hole in a game against the Brewers. I understand that Piazza is not a good defensive player. He couldn't catch Winona Rider stealing. But he leads all National League catchers in homers (14) and RBI (55), and for him to be hitting seventh is not only disrespectful, it's not sensible.

The second questionable move by Randolph was using 40-year-old reliever, Roberto Hernandez three days in a row in the same series. He proceeded to get rocked. In 4 total innings, he gave up 9 hits and 7 runs.

War of the Worlds

Starring: The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees

Even though many are saying that the White Sox are the class of the American League (they lead the AL in ERA), I still see the pennant coming down to the Red Sox and Yankees. The Red Sox have the most dominant lineup in baseball. They lead the majors in runs, hits, and batting average. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are the two most clutch hitters in the game and may combine for roughly 560 RBI over two seasons. If that wasn't enough, Manny also leads the major leagues in outfield assists (12) and times urinating (mid-inning) inside the Green Monster scoreboard (1).

Johnny Damon (.341) is putting together another dazzling campaign, as well. Yet, the two main question marks for Boston will regard the health of Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke as Boston's season hits the stretch run.

The Yankees have the bats to get to the ALCS, as well. Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield have been scorching opposing pitching. Jason Giambi (.293, 21, 51) has been the hottest player in baseball since June and leads the major leagues in OBP.

However, the Yankees embrace the concept of quality starts as much as Tom Cruise embraces psychiatry. Nevertheless, if the Yankees do end up getting dependable starting pitching, then the sky is the limit. Mariano Rivera has been brilliant again as the closer. His 0.94 ERA barely has a pulse and he may become the first reliever to win the Cy Young award since Dennis Eckersley did in '92.

***

Congress: Mr. Davis, in order to afford to see all of these movies, some say that you may have crept through the theatre's halls and into films that you didn't pay for. How do you respond?

Let me start by telling you this: I, Billy Davis, have never cheated in viewing a second movie free of charge by sneaking through The Hall without ever being caught. Period. I don't know how I could say it anymore clearly than that. Never.

Sadly for Rafael Palmeiro, he wasn't as fortunate.

Posted by Billy Davis at 2:29 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

2005 NFL Preview: Indianapolis Colts

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Last Year

The Indianapolis Colts and their superman, Peyton Manning, looked unstoppable in 2004 as their offense was made of steel and Manning's x-ray vision re-wrote the record books with 49 passing touchdowns. But the Colts still found their kryptonite in the form of the New England Patriots as their second consecutive season was ended by the Pats. As it stands right now, the Colts are the number one contender, but they need to beat the champ — or have someone else beat them — to be the champ.

What We Learned From Last Year

Last season started exactly like 2003-04 ended: with a loss to the New England Patriots.

Manning, once again, looked confused by the schemes of Bill Belichick — what else is new?

Some may forget, but the Colts were actually pretty sluggish out of the gate with a 4-3 record and were temporarily out of first place until the offense caught fire.

Although Indy didn't score less than 24 points in the first eight weeks of the season, it wasn't until week nine that they really started to maul opponents.

In the following six weeks, they outscored their foes 225-67 and never came close to losing any game.

The passing game was a highlight reel and for the first time in his career, Manning did not rely so heavily on only one receiver. This time, he had three.

Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley emerged with 1,000+ receiving yard and 10+ touchdown seasons, which kept the focus off the Colts' most dangerous receiver, Marvin Harrison. Factor in some double tight end sets with Dallas Clark and Marcus Pollard and this hydra was unstoppable.

Normally, over 2,000 rushing and receiving yards don't go unnoticed, but with so much of the spotlight on the passing game, Edgerrin James' best season in four years was somewhat overshadowed.

As for the defense, it's become much of an afterthought for the Colts with such a high-powered offense.

Head coach Tony Dungy has done a good job of cultivating some first-rate young talent, but it gets lost in the mix since every opponent is forced to score just to keep up.

Cato June and David Thornton were stout in the linebacking corps and both led the team in tackles.

On the line, Dwight Freeney was once again outstanding, but this time Robert Mathis and Raheem Brock sprouted as valuable complements. The latter two are still partially overrated since they don't have to play a lot of run defense.

The secondary was still a weakness as Nick Harper, Jason David, Joseph Jefferson, and Donald Strickland were not capable of covering anyone. The whole secondary combined for a mediocre 12 interceptions and was picked apart constantly.

At safety, Bob Sanders and Mike Doss have yet to meet expectations, but have bright futures.

Rewinding to last year's AFC Championship game, the defense may have been a little wet behind the ears, but they kept the Colts competitive. It was the offense who let them down.

In the world sports, there are some teams who just matchup so perfectly against others. The Ottawa Senators can't defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs, the Oklahoma Sooners own Mack Brown's Texas Longhorns, and the Indianapolis Colts can't handle the New England Patriots.

Indy has increasingly improved under Tony Dungy, but it's all for not unless the Colts can leap the mental hurdle and get past the Patriots.

This Year

November 7th is a date circled on most NFL calendars as last year's AFC Championship matchup will be revisited. By then, we'll truly know how the Patriots have responded to the loss of both of their coordinators.

On offense, the Colts return the same cast, minus tight end Marcus Pollard. The loss should be minimal as former first-round pick Dallas Clark has been groomed to step into the starting lineup and second-year players Ben Hartsock or Ben Utecht should be ready to be the team's second tight end. Offensive coordinator Tom Moore won't have to pull the two tight end sets that he loves so much out of his playbook if one of the two can step up, otherwise look for more three-receiver sets.

The offensive line is always a key for the Colts, but they have never really had any question marks regarding it. This grouping is among the league's premier units time after time. This year, they are set at center and the tackle positions, but the starting guards are not written in stone.

Rookie Dylan Gandy will compete with Ryan Lilja for the right job and Jake Scott should be penciled in for the left job after nine starts in his rookie season. Manning always does an excellent job of feeling the pressure and getting rid of the ball quickly, if necessary, so this unit should not be a concern.

The Colts spent six of their first eight draft selections on defensive players including first-round pick cornerback Marlin Jackson.

He will compete with a pack of pedestrians at cornerback, but is expected to develop into the team's shutdown man. Nick Harper, Joseph Jefferson, and Jason David are all decent nickel backs, but are overwhelmed when facing a solid number two wideout.

If Jackson can mature quickly, the Colts should have playmakers at every area on the defense.

At safety, Mike Doss and Bob Sanders are the Colts' 2003 and 2004 second-round selections, but have yet to establish themselves. Sanders is a presence at strong safety and Doss has shown flashes of instinctive playmaking ability, but both are relatively inexperienced.

At linebacker, David Thornton is on the cusp of becoming the playmaker in the middle of the defense. He is very athletic, is solid in pass coverage, and can cover a lot of ground. He will be joined by Cato June and Gary Brackett in the middle. The team also re-signed veteran linebacker Rob Morris, which was a wise move to provide some depth.

On the line, we're well aware of Freeney and Mathis, but Raheem Brock and Montae Reagor are very good pass-rushers, as well. The problem is that none of these four really excel in terms of run defense. They are much more effective playing with the lead when their opponent is forced to pass the ball and they can just go all out getting to the quarterback.

Larry Tripplett is one of the few Colts linemen with some bulk, but he has not lived up to expectations so far. This is a contract year for him, so don't be surprised if he becomes a bigger influence in the run defense.

It has been a few years now that the Colts have been frugal with the defensive personnel, only investing draft picks for that side of the ball while tying most of their finances into the offense but on paper, things look to be coming together for the defense.

The defensive line has talent on the ends and has a decent enough rotation at tackle while the secondary is replete with a few prospects waiting to blossom (although the same sentiments have been echoed in the previous two seasons).

This Colts' offense has mangled virtually every type of opponent the AFC has thrown their way: high-scoring outfits like the Chiefs, defensive-minded teams like the Ravens, and running-game oriented rivals like the Broncos. The only team Indy has struggled with is the Patriots (and the Jaguars, to some degree).

Last year seemed to be a prime opportunity for the Colts as their offense was climaxing in the playoffs while New England was without starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour. How much better can it get?

A scrappy division might keep the Colts from achieving homefield advantage throughout the playoffs but home or away, rain or snow, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis or no Romeo Crennel and no Charlie Weis, the bottom line is the Colts need to find a way to overcome or avoid the Patriots.

The latter might be easier.

Over/Under: 11.5

Twelve wins is a serious possibility for a focused championship contender with urgent homefield advantage needs. The Colts have never had any problems with division rivals Houston (6-0) and or Tennessee (4-0 in last four meetings), leaving Jacksonville as the only ominous opponent in-house. The AFC South faces up with the NFC West this year, which is one of the easier divisions, meaning that the Colts will have a legitimate shot at repeating last year's 12-4 performance. They play: @BAL, CLE, @SF, STL, @NE, @CIN, PIT, SD, @SEA, and ARZ.

Fantasy Sleeper

Troy Walters was injured throughout most of last season, but is capable of being an excellent weapon in the slot — a la Brandon Stokley. With Stokley enduring a separated shoulder on the August 3rd, look for Walters to get a few extra reps with the first team. If Stokley's injured is prolonged, or any of the Colts receivers miss time during the regular season, Walters will have some value.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)

August 9, 2005

Fantasy Football Forecast: D/ST Ratings

No championship fantasy football roster is complete without a strong defense. While some leagues employ an individual defender scoring system, the lion's share utilize team defenses combined with special teams to represent their defensive scoring.

While I certainly am anal retentive enough to bore you with a ranking of the top 100 individual performers, I'm not too sure how much that would impress the editor here at Sports Central, so I'll refrain from taking that route. Rather, I've put together a short list of those defense/special team units that are worthy of consideration at or near the early part of any draft.

Since the leagues I participate in don't use this scoring system, I will admit that my ranking system isn't quite as fool-proof relative to this position. But since I do have experience in the past using this type of scoring, it's not like the blind leading the blind here.

With that, I give you the top 10 defense/special team units for the 2005 season with a brief explanation for each and their particular slotting.

1) Baltimore Ravens

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure this one out. Lots of turnovers, explosive players, and constant pressure create headaches for any offensive coordinator working up a game plan in preparation for a game versus Baltimore. Their return game is solid, though not spectacular, and they've been known to throw in some blocked punts and field goals, as well, making theirs a thoroughly dominating unit. A very strong pick in or around the sixth round.

2) Detroit Lions

A very good return game mixed in with the most promising secondary in the game makes the outlook very good for this developing group. While sack numbers will likely remain an area of concern, they should do well enough in that category to keep this unit at or near the top of the league throughout the 2005 campaign. Not quite as sure a thing as Baltimore, the Lions would be a nice pick in round six.

3) Philadelphia Eagles

Their defense is the real deal, as they regularly compile nice sack totals and a whole lot of turnovers. While their return game is somewhat in a state of flux, Brian Westbrook may go back to returning punts full time, which would only improve a unit that is not terrible to begin with. As well-coached as they come, the Eagles get bonus points in the area of points allowed and yards given up. Their consistency warrants them a pick in round six or seven.

4) Buffalo Bills

While it is evident Buffalo's loss of Pat Williams will effect their run defense negatively, their returner, Terrance Maghee, is a stud and makes this a very nice pick in the eighth or ninth round.

5) Dallas Cowboys

The Tuna has his charges looking up this season, and while they are very weak at the linebacker position and will be counting on some young rookies to pressure the quarterback, their secondary is dynamite and the potential for a great return game in Big D is very real. Make this group a 10th-round selection, and you'll be doing well for yourself.

6) San Diego Chargers

With a very stingy defense, aggressive defensive backs, and a disciplined coaching staff, San Diego offers a very secure option as a fantasy defensive unit. Factor in the special teams, which should be anchored by rookie dynamo Darren Sproles, and you have a top-notch unit. Don't wait much longer than round 10 for this group.

7) Cincinnati Bengals

I like their tenacity and their development last season, though they did have some breakdowns. They generate a lot of turnovers, but may give up more yards than the others on this list. Still, they, too have potential to make hay in the special teams category. Look like a nice mid-round choice.

8) Miami Dolphins

A bit of a "homer" slotting here, though that allegiance has a lot to do with my feeling that the defensive unit isn't aging as quickly as all the pundits seem to think. An improved return game should help, and big-play types like Tavares Tillman and Tebucky Jones in the secondary will certainly boost their turnover ratio. Not to mention, they are always a threat to put up huge sack numbers. A mid-to-late-round choice.

9) Houston Texans

Sure, they still haven't proven to anyone that they can get any substantive pressure applied to the opposing quarterback. But this team is young and fast and has two big-play cornerbacks (Phillip Buchanon, Dunta Robinson) and a great return game. A solid pick in the second half of the draft as your primary defense.

10) Atlanta Falcons

Rounding out the top 10 is this aggressive unit, which generates a lot of pressure on the opposition. They may give up too many points to ultimately rank higher than No. 10 on this list, but they are well-coached and have a solid return specialist in Allen Rossum. A good choice early in the second part of a draft.

As I said, my specialty is not team defensive rankings, though I feel very good about the 10 units rated above. Beyond these 10, it's pretty much a crapshoot, so look to gain an advantage by drafting one of them without reaching too far. Maybe talk up the Ravens and Bills a bit to try to sucker a league-mate into reaching into round four or five for their defense, and then you wait until round 12 or so and grab a very productive unit like those of the Chargers or Falcons.

Since I am more familiar with individual defender league formats, I don't want to leave out at least one tidbit of info regarding potential drafting strategies, so here it is: when choosing an IDP (individual defensive player), remember the importance of consistency. As good as a Michael Strahan's 15 sacks look, keep in mind that he most likely won't be getting a sack in each and every game. This leaves a big hole in your lineup through those games where he isn't producing. You're better bet is too let the rest of the owner's in your league reach for their big-name players while you sit back and grab relatively unknown consistent tackling machines like Will Witherspoon (Panthers) and Mike Peterson (Jaguars), who will get you 8-12 points each and every week.

There are the obvious exceptions to the wait-and-see approach for drafting individual defenders. Those would be Ray Lewis (Ravens), Donnie Edwards (Chargers), Julius Peppers (Panthers), and Ed Reed (Ravens). Grab those guys early if you can — maybe as early as round five. Their production is consistent and they have unmatched big play potential on defense.

Beyond that, regardless of the format your league is using for defense, keep their value in perspective. While you don't want to waste picks that you should be spending on skill position players, you also don't want to completely neglect this particular area of your team. Defense does indeed win championships, even in fantasy football, and ensuring that your squad doesn't get left in the cold takes little more than having a plan as you go into your draft. Stick to this plan and you should be fine.

Don't miss the QB, RB, WR, and TE ratings. Stay tuned as Matt Thomas brings you more fantasy forecasts!

Posted by Matt Thomas at 4:40 PM | Comments (1)

Rafael in Bushworld

Even people who voted for the guy have to admit that George W. Bush isn't exactly tethered to conventional reality.

That's not necessarily a negative attribute — you could say basically the same thing about Albert Einstein, Galileo, Thomas Edison, or any other visionary.

But in Bushworld, to use a term coined by New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, global warming is a myth, "intelligent design" is a scientific concept, Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, and George Tenet, the man in charge of an intelligence service that never saw the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks coming, deserves the Medal of Freedom.

And Rafael Palmeiro is telling the truth when he says he never intentionally took steroids, or at least that's what the President thinks, according to a statement released within days of Palmeiro's positive test became public.

Anyone who is aware of the Downing Street Memo knows that, for Bush, gut feelings trump inconvenient fact — such as Palmeiro's positive test for stanozolol, the same powerful steroid that got sprinter Ben Johnson stripped of his Olympic 100 meters gold medal in 1988 — every time.

Stanozolol, known generically as Winstrol, doesn't appear in any over-the-counter supplements, which blows a massive hole in Palmeiro's story that he "accidentally" took the steroid prior to a positive test that netted him a 10-game suspension from Major League Baseball.

The notion that any professional athlete would ingest or inject something into his body without knowing exactly what is in it strains credulity.

Palmeiro's excuse would be far more believable coming from Barry Bonds' mouth. Bonds' supplement supplier — BALCO co-founder Greg Anderson, who pleaded guilty to federal steroid trafficking charges earlier this year — was his personal trainer and longtime friend.

If Anderson came at Bonds with a syringe and said it was a protein-B complex compound, the Giants' outfielder just might drop his pants and bend over, no questions asked.

That story is hardly believable, either, but compared to it, Palmeiro is telling fairy tales.

If Jose Canseco's book is to be believed — and we have less and less reason to doubt it — he's the one who initially provided Palmeiro with steroids.

And what does it say about baseball's drug problem that the most credible guy in the room isn't Palmeiro, Bonds, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, or even Commissioner wannabe George W. Bush, but Jose Canseco?

Palmeiro, who logged his 3,000th career base hit earlier this year to become only the fourth player in major league history with more than 3,000 hits and more than 500 home runs, is by far the most prominent player to test positive.

But that cloud hangs over other players — Jason Giambi and Bonds, who were reportedly named in leaked grand jury testimony from the BALCO case, just to name two. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire are also under suspicion.

The good news — or, to be more accurate, the least bad news — is that Palmeiro and most of the players who are merely under suspicion of using steroids are at or near the ends of their careers.

Last month, Bonds said he wouldn't return this year, thus ending speculation on whether he would overtake Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list this year.

He is expected to return in 2006. But Bonds is on the wrong side of 40, at least for a professional athlete, and not by a little bit. He's also had multiple knee surgeries.

And, if the suspicions are correct, he's also been robbed of the security blanket that enabled him to be a more dangerous hitter at age 40 than he was at 30.

There's a chance, a long-shot one, that Bonds might just walk away and turn his back on the immortality that getting his 756th home run would bestow.

That's the best news baseball, and its fans, could get. Bonds' retirement, and that day isn't far off in any event, would mean the beginning of the end of baseball's Monsanto — better baseball through chemistry — era.

The sooner he goes away, the sooner fans can focus on the next generation of (presumably) untainted superstars. Some of those players, like Luis Pujols and Mark Teixera, are already on the scene.

Maybe that cast will include Pittsburgh phenom Zach Duke, who won five of his first six starts (and got a no-decision in the other) with a sub-1 ERA for a team 20 games below .500, or the Braves' Jeff Francoeur, who has been knocking the ball lopsided since being called up last month.

At the beginning of last baseball season, fans argued about whether Cubs' star Sammy Sosa was on steroids. With any luck, the talk heading into next season will be about whether Cubs' star Derrek Lee's 2005 performance was a fluke.

Posted by Eric Poole at 3:38 PM | Comments (1)

NBA Summertime Scorecard

So tell me, how has your summer been?

Have you been keeping busy? Spending too much time on vacation? Spending too much time in the unrelenting heat? Spending too much money on Brian Scalabrine?

There are many different ways to spend the summertime. Just look at the NBA. Some teams spent their time and money efficiently to improve the state of their franchises. Others have made some decisions over the course of the offseason that have made their team's outlook for next year's campaign a lot less sunny.

In case you've been lying around on the beach all summer, I offer you three NBA teams that got better over the past three months and three that got worse.

Teams That Improved

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers put together an inspired effort last year en route to a 44-win season. This offseason, the team added one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft (Danny Granger), the most sought-after European import (Sarunas Jasikevicius), and welcomed back a former all-star and NBA Defensive Player of the Year (Ron Artest).

This year's team is even deeper than the one that led the league in wins two seasons ago. Indiana's second unit, consisting of the aforementioned Jasikevicius and Granger alongside the vastly underappreciated Fred Jones, the immensely talented, but oft-injured Jonathan Bender, and second-year center David Harrison (who punished No. 1 Draft Pick Andrew Bogut in summer league play), is better put together than some teams' starting fives (see: New Orleans, Charlotte).

If Reggie Miller ever had this much talent around him during his illustrious career, there's no doubt he would have retired with a championship on his resume. The Pacers entered the 2005 offseason with minimal salary cap flexibility and a mid-round draft pick and still were able to make significant improvements. Watch out, Miami and Detroit. There might be a new beast of the Eastern Conference in 2006.

Miami Heat

Heat brass had enough fortitude to make substantial changes to a roster that was one game away from reaching the NBA Finals. The chemistry between four offensive-minded players (Jason Williams, Dwyane Wade, Antoine Walker, and Shaquille O'Neal) seems destined to be volatile at times. However, this year's reincarnation of the Heat has a great deal more firepower than last year's squad, and Pat Riley added four new weapons at a miniscule cost. Williams, Walker, defensive specialist James Posey, and late-round steal Wayne Simien are definite upgrades over the role players the team had to relinquish (Eddie Jones and Rasual Butler) over the summer.

If all of the players that Riles brought in can play together, the former Coach of the Year might be in line for some new hardware, in the form of an Executive of the Year award and a NBA championship trophy. If the pieces don't fit, the Heat in Miami might drive him out of the front office and back into coaching. My best guess is that if White Chocolate doesn't melt — that is, if the Heat's new point guard continues to keep his assist-to-turnover ratio above the 3-1 threshold — then the team should to no worse than a repeat trip to the conference finals.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Mark it down. For the first time in LeBron James' career, his team will be playoff-bound. Even though the team was unable to land Michael Redd or Ray Allen, the Cavs still ended up with two impact free agents to fill out a formidable starting five in Cleveland. If a Larry Hughes/LeBron James backcourt can share point guard duties well enough to get open three-pointers for the newly-acquired Donyell Marshall, uncontested dunks for Drew Gooden, and post-up opportunities for the recently-retained Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavs will be able to claim one of the East's best starting units.

If Hughes was able to thrive alongside Gilbert Arenas in Washington last season, there shouldn't be any reason Cleveland's prized pickup shouldn't continue to develop with King James as his wingman. The Cavs should find themselves in competition for the Eastern Conferences fourth seed after a much-needed strong offseason. If the team fails to live up to expectations, the franchise shouldn't expect LeBron's reign in Cleveland to last much longer.

Teams That Worsened

Phoenix Suns

It may have been out of the Suns' hands that Joe Johnson decided he rather call Atlanta home. However, Boris Diaw and future draft picks are not going to help a team that was on the cusp of a championship last year to pull through in 2006. By the time the Suns develop their two upcoming first-rounders from the Hawks, league MVP Steve Nash will be on his way to retirement. The Suns would have been best off standing pat in the offseason. With a healthy Johnson in last year's playoffs, the Suns might have had enough to get past the Spurs. If they could have held on to him and added another piece, I don't see why they wouldn't have had the same opportunity this upcoming season.

In defense of the Suns' front office, the team did make an attempt to add some role players into the fray. Raja Bell and Kurt Thomas are nice additions, but neither of them are going to help Phoenix to keep putting up 110 points a night next season. Perhaps Bell and Thomas might play some D, but I can't imagine that Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire will stop fast-breaking enough to join them on the other end of the court. I would be surprised to see the next year's Suns up as high as they were during the 2004-2005.

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks will win more games than they did last year, but I still think the acquisitions they made will make their "team" worse. Atlanta brought in more talent without addressing the glaring needs on their roster. Last year, the team already had too many swingmen — Al Harrington, Josh Smith, and Josh Childress were all tailor-made to play the three, but not of them were great fits at the two or four spot. And none of them had the capabilities to play the point guard or center position at all (and for that matter, no one on the Hawks really did).

So what did Atlanta do? They drafted Marvin Williams, a player that fits the same mold as Harrington, Smith, and Childress, and Salim Stoudemire, a point guard prospect that played his entire collegiate career as a shooting guard. In free agency, they went and got one of the best players available, Joe Johnson, another player who is more comfortable playing two guard or small forward than floor general. In an offseason in which the Hawks had a higher draft pick and more free agent dollars to spend than almost any other team in the NBA, it seems inexcusable that the team still is lacking a real point guard, power forward, or center. There's no way Atlanta will make the playoffs when the team has more swingers than a '70s disco club.

Los Angeles Lakers

Is Kwame Brown the cure for the "Curse of the Shaq-bino?" He's not, and the player they traded away for him has a much brighter future (former UConn stud Caron Butler). The only other major move made by LA was to draft high school center Andrew Bynum with the 10th selection when there were better players on the board still available (Granger and Gerald Green, to name a few). Like Brown, Bynum has a lot of potential — a lot of potential to drive Phil Jackson back out of the coaching business. If Jackson sticks around for a whil, he might be able to mold the Lakers back into contenders. But that's far from a guarantee.

If the Zen Master is able to take this year's Lakers back to the playoffs, he should be rewarded for one of the best coaching jobs of his career. If Kobe Bryant can make this team overachieve, then maybe we can start talking about him in the same breath as His Airness again. Good luck, Kobe and Phil, you're going to need it.

Posted by Chris Speckman at 3:05 PM | Comments (0)

Sports Gospel's NHL Mailbag

Every now and then, people disagree with me. On top of that, some of my readers (a very small margin) just aren't smart enough to understand me the first time. So today, I'm mailing it in, because the Sports Gospel is to be enjoyed by everyone, not just the intelligent. Today's mailbag is dedicated to the NHL (a topic I haven't covered much lately). If you have issues you want addressed or want to make an appearance in a future mailbag column, drop me a line at [email protected].

Mark,

What's your take on the new CBA for the NHL? I think that the year off will do a world of good for the NHL and will make it stronger in the long run. Can we ever regain our spot as the fourth major sport, or have we, gasp, been passed by NASCAR forever?

Larry

Larry, as an avid hockey fan, I have done more than my fair share of worrying the past year. Among other things, I worried that the lockout would ruin the future of the sport, I worried that hockey would lose the casual fan because of the lockout, I worried about what hockey needed to do to fix the league and I worried that hockey was going to lose its respect from the national media. Now that the NHL is back, I'm done worrying for awhile.

Some things were done right in the new CBA, some things were done wrong. The big issue, the cap, was settled and the game is stronger now because of the lockout. As far as NASCAR goes, it will be a long time before we can catch up to it. But you know what? I can live with that. I am done worrying and I'm just ready to enjoy hockey again.

If the mainstream media still wants to take shots at it and claim poker is a more popular sport (poker as a sport is laughable), fine. If fans want to boycott games because of how they handled things, they are welcome to it. If people want to complain about how hockey is too violent for them or what else they are doing wrong, screw them.

I will always be a hockey fan and I'm thrilled the game is back. All I'm going to do this season is attend as many games as I can and just enjoy it. I will worry about the declining TV numbers or over-expansion in the offseason.

Mark,

As a lifelong Pens fan I love the fact that we got Sidney. I feel confident in saying he will be better than Gretzky and he will make more than a few people forget about the lockout. I know the whole thing about not counting chickens before they hatch, but mark my words, Crosby will go down as one of the savior of hockey.

Joe

Joe, techincally, what you are doing isn't counting your chickens before they hatch, but rather counting the great great, great, grandchicks of the possible poultry. I can mark your words until I'm blue in the face, but Crosby won't be better than Gretzky. It just isn't happening. Will he break some of his records? Maybe, but only because the rule changes will make the game more open, so I would put an asterisk next to any of the Great One's records Crosby breaks.

I know most hockey fans are all over Crosby's jock, but I've already seen one LeBron James in my lifetime, I don't know that I will see another. I think the pressure is going to be too much for him and I can't see how he will be able to live up to it. He's not going to immediately dominate the game or even be the best player on his team. In time Crosby will be great, but I just don't see him being the all-time great. I hope I'm wrong, because hockey sure could use someone like Gretzky. This is an interesting question because back in November, long before we had the new CBA, I wrote a column about how Crosby will be the savior of hockey.

The league will be fixed for the better and the result will be a more open game, which will play right into Crosby's strengths. The Pittsburgh Penguins have a great shot at having that pick and would immediately christen him as the next [Mario] Lemieux. In addition to the Crosby factor, the NHL still has a deep group of young superstars who are ready to blossom.

There will be doubters. There will be haters. There will be those who say that there is no way Crosby can live up to the hype. There will be those who say that one player cannot revive the league. And, naturally, there will still be those ignorant sports "journalists" who try to convince everyone that they shouldn't care about hockey.

"The one thing they will share in common? They will all be wrong." — Sports Gospel, 11/09/04

To be honest, I don't know how I knew the Pens would pick up Crosby, but the fact that I was so sure of it nine months ago means that it must have been completely rigged. I want Crosby to be great. I want him to succeed. But, I'm just not feeling it. Oh well, I warned you about people like me nine months ago, so we're square (nothing like being on both sides of an argument.)

Mark,

I just saw that Todd Bertuzzi has been reinstated, how stupid is the NHL? This guy should be banned from all competitive sports and deported to France for his cheap shot. This is the last thing hockey needs, what a complete joke. This is the last straw for me.

Tom

Tom, deported to France? How does that make any sense? That aside, I would originally agree with you, but I'm okay with his reinstatement. I only approve of it because I think hockey needs a good villain. Bertuzzi can turn into a modern day Ogie Oglethorpe. What Bertuzzi did pisses me off as a hockey fan, and I would hope that players around the league share my position. It's going to be a good season, but it would be even better if I got to watch Bertuzzi get smacked around in every arena he visited.

Bottom line, it was a cheap shot, but it wasn't the worst shot I've seen. Heck, even in football you have players on defense who try every play to injure players on the other team. I don't get any satisfaction from him sitting on the bench, but I would like to see him get knocked around a few times.

That's it this week, if you want to be in the mailbag, drop an e-mail to [email protected].

The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. BetOnSports.com gives you the greatest sports action to bet on. Wager on football, cricket, boxing, Rugby, horse racing, and more. 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 2:51 PM | Comments (0)

August 8, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Houston Texans

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Last Year

Similar to Dr. Leo Marvin's advice for Bob Wiley in the movie What About Bob, the Houston Texans have taken baby steps in their first three seasons in the NFL. Baby step to four wins, baby step to five wins, and baby step to seven wins in 2004. One victory from .500 was impressive for the Texans, since they did encompass the league's worst offensive and defensive lines. Franchise quarterback David Carr was surrounded with shoddy protection while opposing quarterbacks felt minimal duress. With a fortification in that area, the Texans might be ready for a bigger step.

What We Learned From Last Year

For the first time in the Houston Texans' existence, they didn't finish last in the AFC South and there was no question that progress had been made in their third season.

The offensive leaders, wide receiver Andre Johnson and running back Domanick Davis, continued their development, while David Carr experienced his best season as a pro.

The problem was not with the talent on the exterior, the problem was with the talent — or lack thereof — on the interior.

The offensive line was abysmal, surrendering 49 quarterback sacks. This has been a recurring theme for the Texans, which they have consistently failed to address.

Carr has been dropped 140 times in his three seasons, which averages out to just over three sacks a game.

Most of the fault can be attributed to a permeable line, but part of the blame can be directed to the lack of a reliable wide receiver outside of Johnson.

The mix of Jabar Gaffney and Corey Bradford has not been respected enough to distract attention away from Johnson and once Johnson gets double-teamed, Carr's options become quite limited.

Since Gaffney was not much of a deep threat and the offensive line couldn't sustain for prolonged periods of time, downfield plays often resulted in sacks. When you combine all of these factors together, you get a fairly compact offense.

The Texans' offense nibbled their way up the field last season, completing very few long distance connections. Only six passing plays of 40+ yards were completed and the offense accomplished only seven runs of 20 yards or more.

Although the rush attack wasn't exactly explosive, it was effective enough to provide balance.

Davis was a solid two-way threat, supplying nearly 1,200 yards on the ground and 588 receiving yards (second in NFL). His yards-per-carry dropped 0.4 yards in his second season, but you can attest that to poor blocking upfront.

On the other side of the ball, the defense line was just as much an Achilles heel for the Texans as the offensive front was.

Dom Capers' patented 3-4 scheme accumulated a league-low 24 sacks, which constantly put the secondary in a position to fail.

Robaire Smith and Gary Walker were inconsistent on the ends, while tackle Seth Payne was a good clog, but didn't create much of a push.

The linebackers accounted for most of the sacks with Kailee Wong (5.5) and rookie Jason Babin (4) leading the way, but without a steady rush, every opposing quarterback had too much time to throw. Opponents completed 64.9% of their passes (31st in NFL) and scored 32 touchdowns through the air against this defense (30th in NFL).

Playmakers were present in the secondary, particularly with seasoned veteran Aaron Glenn and rookie standout Dunta Robinson, but you can't expect any secondary to hold up if a quarterback isn't hurried. Robinson developed very quickly and by season's end was one of the best cornerbacks in the league — not only amongst rookies.

Marcus Coleman had a facile transition from corner to free safety, but once he suffered an injury, a shortage of team depth surfaced.

Depth was a concern at virtually every position on the team except running back.

All in all, seven wins in the AFC for a team who has two porous lines and isn't exactly overpowering on either side of the ball is a good start, but it is fairly clear that the Texans are still missing a few pieces of the puzzle.

This Year

Look who's creeping, look who's crawling, look who's all up in the mix. The Houston Texans may be inching their way up the ladder, but they are still not the (self-proclaimed) boss of the South, like rap artist Slim Thug, quite yet.

With the Texans finally tippin' around .500, the main goals in the offseason were to upgrade the lines and add some youth and athleticism.

The defense got a couple of boosts by way of defensive tackle Travis Johnson (draft) and cornerback Phillip Buchanon (trade). Buchanon will step into the void left by Aaron Glenn and will team with Dunta Robinson as the starting cornerbacks. This is a very talented tandem, but both have played less than four seasons in the NFL and need to fully mature. Depth is still a big concern behind these two — DeMarcus Faggins and Lewis Sanders are not starting material.

With the exit of Marlon McCree, Glenn Earl will step into the strong safety position beside Marcus Coleman. You don't want to meet Earl on a crossing route, but he has a lot of work to do in coverage.

Johnson, the Texans' first-round selection, has excellent pass-rushing skills, but will likely backup nose tackle Seth Payne and come in on passing downs. Payne is only effective in the running game.

The Texans are hoping for some sort of outside speed threat to surface from the guys they have because they didn't address this deficiency in the offseason. Hopes will lie with Gary Walker and Robaire Smith. Smith should have a better season in his second year as a 3-4 end.

Out goes Jamie Sharper and in comes Morlon Greenwood in the linebacking corps as the Texans undergo a minor makeover. Kailee Wong will move to one of the middle spots and Antwan Peek and Jason Babin will man the outside roles.

There is a strong emphasis on getting to the quarterback this year, but with this front seven there are no guarantees. The Texans still lack a dominant pass-rusher and will hang their secondary out to dry — once again — if they don't create pressure.

The offensive line isn't exactly under construction since there is only one new face in the mix, free agent Victor Riley. He will battle it out with Seth Wand for the starting left tackle position.

Wand could have been arrested for aiding and abetting last season as defensive linemen killed Carr time and time again from his blindside.

Riley is an upgrade and should win that job. Getting a full season out of Todd Wade and Zach Weigert should fortify right side of the line.

It's hard to imagine the defensive and offensive fronts being as bad as last season going forward, but that is not accounting for injuries. If the USC Trojans are the epitome of depth, the Texans are the polar opposite.

There is still no clear-cut second option for Carr amongst the wide receivers, so the Texans drafted a fleet-footed receiver in the fourth round. Jerome Mathis is one of the fastest players in the NFL, but his route-running is too raw for a receiver at this point.

Gaffney might overtake Bradford for the second starting spot, but neither will distract too much attention from Johnson. The Texans are trying to preserve the health of their franchise quarterback by inserting a number of short passing plays to the playbook in order to get the ball out of Carr's hands quickly. That could put Gaffney in a much stronger position to emerge since his forte is short routes.

The Texans have some depth at tight end with veterans Mark Bruener, Billy Miller, and Marcellus Rivers. Miller is the best receiver, but his production comes and goes and he is also a liability in pass protection.

As far as Carr, Davis, and Johnson go, they are a poor man's version of the triplets. Johnson and Davis are primetime and Carr is getting there — he needs better protection.

While the Texans have a very similar team to last year's version, one notable change will be on special teams. Buchanon and Mathis should put the "special" in "special teams" at least a few times, which should be a shot in the arm for a team who doesn't often carry out big plays.

The Texans are well-coached and are on the way up, but making a playoff push in the AFC South is an arduous task. An even record would be a successful season for a team who is crossing its fingers on the defensive and offensive lines.

Over/Under: 7.5

Last year, the Texans defeated only one team with more than seven wins and they were trumped by all six playoffs teams that they faced. They have made it to the point where they can consistently handle the league's hobos, but now the next step is to find a way to beat the quality opponents. Unless they sustain no key injuries, they are still a year away. They face: @BUF, PIT, @CIN, @SEA, CLE, KC, STL, @BAL, ARZ, and @SF.

Fantasy Sleeper

If you are looking for a deep sleeper, the team's second wide receiver, Jabar Gaffney, is worth a shot. He is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, but will be ready to go for the opening game. He will not face more than one cornerback at a time with Pro Bowler Andre Johnson starting on the other side and he is quick enough to beat single coverage.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 4:53 PM | Comments (0)

I Hate Mondays: Easy as 1, 2, 3

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The Jackson Five says it's as easy as A, B, C or do, re, mi, but as the baseball playoffs inch closer and closer, the level of difficulty will depend on whose 1, 2, 3 pitchers each team is faced with.

Take the Houston Astros, for example — who wants to deal with Rogers Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Roy Oswalt in the first round?

There may be a number of teams who run the gamut for a playoff berth, but no starting pitching staff is as ominous as the Astros trio.

Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young award-winner, anchors the staff and will likely win an eighth this year. The Astros will not have homefield advantage in the playoffs, but Clemens will gladly start Game 1 on the road — he's 16-2 in his last 29 road starts and boasts an ERA of 0.37 away from home this year.

It doesn't get much easier after that as Oswalt and Pettitte are also in the top five in MLB for ERA.

Second in line would be the dominant duo from St. Louis, featuring the other Cy Young candidate, Chris Carpenter, and Mark Mulder. Few teams are interested in tackling this tandem as Carpenter has made a strong case to be baseball's top pitcher, leading the league in wins, while Mulder has a postseason ERA of 2.25.

The fearsome tag team of John Smoltz and Tim Hudson for the Atlanta Braves is also one to avoid, particularly with Mike Hampton lurking in the background. Smoltz is right behind Clemens and Carpenter for NL pitching statistics and has been downright evil since returning to the rotation. Hudson and Hampton have battled nagging injuries, but when healthy, can cool off the hottest of bats.

The Chicago White Sox have a healthy rotation themselves featuring Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, and Jon Garland. The threesome has combined for a 40-14 record, but is relatively untested in the playoffs. Nonetheless, they have the deepest rotation in the American League and it's because of that that they are the top team in baseball.

The Athletics' top two starters, Barry Zito and Rich Harden, are more domineering than any of the White Sox trio, but they lack a third starter to keep pace. Zito is the AL Pitcher of the Month for July and hasn't lost since June 19th, while Harden has the AL's second-best ERA.

We know that pitching wins in the playoffs and these five postseason-bound teams are well-equipped, unlike the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, or Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Last year, three of the four National League playoff representatives (Atlanta, Los Angeles, and St. Louis) did not have a dominant pitcher in the starting rotation and aside from Curt Schilling and John Santana. Meanwhile, the American League was similarly devoid.

This year, it's different. Power batting numbers have diminished (probably because of steroid crackdown), which means there will be an even stronger emphasis on pitching and if you are a hardcore baseball fan, how much better can the pitching matchups get than Zito vs. Buehrle, Carpenter vs. Clemens, or Hudson vs. Mulder?

I'm frothing already.

The Jackson Five and premier pitching mix like Mondays and me.

"I don't say that we ought to all misbehave, but we ought to look as if we could." — George Orson Welles

Don't miss next week's installment of "I Hate Mondays," sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great sportsbook for horse racing and casino action!

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 3:00 PM | Comments (1)

League Called, On Account of Decadence

Don Denkinger may never live down the bottom of the ninth of a certain World Series game. But the most bristling St. Louis Cardinal fans would not go far enough in fustian that the lords of the National League would think about doing what one youth league in New Bedford, Massachusetts did this week, courtesy of parents about whom it might be slander to say they are old enough to know better.

League called, on account of decadence. "Verbal and physical confrontations involving parents of young baseball players have forced the Whaling City's Youth Baseball League to shut down for five days and prompted the league's president to take action," wrote Buddy Thomas, the sports editor for the Standard-Times.

In two words: zero tolerance, effective immediately, by order of league president David Dumont. In 25 words, written by Thomas, "parents who taunt or verbally jeer umpires or players from opposing teams will be ejected from games — and their children will pay the same price."

So much for this sort of nonsense being the kind of thing reserved for high school football crowds to whom losing coaches hire armed protection. (Laugh if you must — it has happened.)

"We hate to do this," said league PR director Tom Viera to Thomas, "but it's the only way to get to the parents."

According to Thomas, it started with July 25 game in which two mothers fell into a verbal scrum and graduated it to physical, enough so that Dumont requested the honor of the local gendarmerie's presence. Dumont then delayed that game, rounded up players and coaches from both sides into the outfield, told them it shouldn't have happened and they shouldn't have had to see it, and let the game go on with no further incident, Viera told Thomas.

It shouldn't have happened, they shouldn't have had to see it. The players ranged from ages eight to 12. Perhaps they had seen and heard it before, and July 25 might have been just the first time it exploded enough for a law enforcement call. And perhaps that was part of the impetus for Dumont sending a letter around telling league parents that kind of nonsense would not be tolerated.

Fast forward to August 2. Another parent got ornery and was ordered to leave the premises under league rules, but said parent did not comply fully. The umps let the game go on in spite of their concern, Thomas wrote. Apparently, the umps had good reason for concern: parents on the losing side let them have it after the game, presumably with the sort of dialogue that would have been considered obscene in the Oakland Raiders clubhouse.

"People get on umpires from time to time, and you expect a little of that," said Dumont to Thomas. "But when it starts to get ugly, it's gone too far. And this one went way too far."

The league is anything but kidding about cleaning up the parents' act. Thomas said they called meetings and August 6-7 with parents of every child on all 14 teams. And if any parent does not show up for at least one of those meetings, their child can say goodbye to the rest of the season.

"What kind of message is being sent to them when they see adults, including, in some cases, their own mothers and fathers, berating umpires with all kinds of nasty words?" Dumont asked in talking to Thomas. "It's a bad message, and I want to put an end to it right now."

Dumont should spend some time in a major league ballpark. If he thinks his league's umpires or players get showered with toxic language — and his umpires threatened to quit altogether unless something was done about it — he ought to know some of what gets rained upon major league umpires and players. Some of that gets a little more lethal, and lots of it is delivered outside the park. And the victim does not necessarily have to be on active duty.

A high school science teacher and baseball coach named Calvin Schiraldi can tell you. The former Boston Red Sox closer tells a story of a young boy meeting him on the street and hitting him with lines of profanity even a hip-hop performer would deem worthy of an Ivory mouthwash. The kid's father, said Schiraldi, stood right beside him, saying and doing nothing, not even a whack upside the head.

Such children tend to become such parents as prompted a five-day Whaling City Youth Baseball League shutdown. "It's amazing," Viera told Thomas, "how the actions of a few adults can ruin things for so many children." It is also amazing (grotesquery often is) that enough children — borrowing the locution that may have harried its creator, Pete Rose, to the rack of his regrets — prove to have been raised without growing up.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 12:51 PM | Comments (1)

August 6, 2005

2005 College Football Preview: ACC

This season is a historic one in the ACC. Boston College defected from the Big East, and now makes this a 12-team conference. It should be an interesting year with teams like Wake Forest, Virginia, Clemson, and North Carolina State as potential sleepers.

Also, the now-ubiquitous championship game has been incorporated in this conference and will be held at the end of the season. There are many teams that want to play in Jacksonville this December, but only a few have a realistic shot. Here are the teams that I feel will have the best chance for bragging rights within the ACC.

5) Boston College (Projected Record: 7-4; League: 4-4)

Boston College had the Big East crown wrapped up, signed, sealed, and almost delivered. Unfortunately, they forgot how to stop the run against Syracuse and let a BCS berth slip through their fingers. The Eagles have an opportunity to improve upon last season's disappointment, and make a mark in their inaugural appearance in the ACC. They have a ton of starters returning, and hopefully that continuity will lead to wins. If Quinton Porter, BC's quarterback, has the year Eagle fans expect, a successful year is definitely within reach.

Porter is the projected starter at quarterback after being red-shirted for last season. He is not your typical redshirt, as he is a senior, and has put up good numbers in the past. If he falters, last year's starter, Matt Ryan, is ready to take up the reigns. There isn't a quarterback controversy now, but there may be once the season begins if Porter underperforms. Fortunately, for the Eagles, there is no controversy at running back, as the dynamic duo of Andre Callender and L.V. Whitworth will rack up the yards.

Even at this date, it is still unclear whether Callender or Whitworth will be the starter, but it doesn't really matter. They will both excel, and their contrasting styles will give defenses fits. Whitworth is the bigger, more bruising type back, whereas Callender is a more shifty, speedy threat. The Eagles also have speed at the receiver position in Larry Lester and Will Blackmon. These guys should get plenty of opportunities to go deep, due to defenses creeping up to try to stop the running game.

Of course, there is no running game without a solid offensive line. Boston College will have one of their best O-lines in recent memory. Jeremy Trueblood leads a unit that will no doubt leave other teams covered in the red stuff. Patrick Ross and Josh Beekman are also experienced upperclassmen that will assist in opening up holes for BC's star rushers. If these guys continue to improve, the Eagles will have a shot at improving their odds of going to Jacksonville this December.

On defense, the line will be strong due to the presence of Mathias Kiwanuka. Kiwanuka, projected to be a high draft pick in the NFL, is a fantastic talent, and excellent pass-rusher. This guy can flat-out rush the quarterback. Al Washington will also give support to a group of guys who are speedy, but might be vulnerable to a team with a physical presence.

The linebackers made a lot of tackles last year, and I think this trend will continue. The Eagles have the luxury of having guys who are extremely talented and can make plays in the open field. The trifecta of Ricky Brown, Ray Henderson, and Brian Toal are the best starting unit in the entire conference and one of these guys will earn All-American honors this year.

The secondary will improve upon last year's performance, as everyone has experience. There is no "Mathias Kiwanuka" of the secondary, however, this unit will do well as long as they communicate on the field. They have the luxury of having Wil Blackmon, one of BC's top receivers to go to as he was previously in the secondary. DeJuan Tribble and Jazzmen Williams will shore up the corners, and Larry Anam and Ryan Glasper are the projected safeties.

As long as the defense plays as expected, the Eagles should perform to expectations. The defensive line will be much more experienced than in years past, which will benefit the team. Quinton Porter will have a ton of pressure on his shoulders and it will be interesting to see how he handles it. There is potential for this team to move up in the standings, but I just don't think it will happen. They won eight games (nine if you include the bowl game) last year in a much weaker Big East. I just don't see them duplicating that feat in the ACC.

4) Georgia Tech (7-4; 5-3)

There is a chance that Chan Gailey could hoist the ACC championship above his head for all Tech fans to see. There is also a chance that the Jackets could get whooped and embarrassed again by North Carolina. This is the reason they are number four on my list. This team has the potential to be one of the best in the country, but they must master the art of consistency. No one would benefit more from this than Georgia Tech's starting quarterback, Reggie Ball.

Reggie Ball has been an enigma for the Yellow Jackets. He has excellent mobility and great playmaking skills, but his accuracy has been lacking to say the least. His 18 interceptions last year killed far too many drives. He has impressed this spring, so we will see what happens, but Taylor Bennett is waiting in the wings if Ball does not improve.

P.J. Daniels, the best running back you've never heard of, will be called on to continue the burden of carrying this offense on his capable shoulders. He is a solid performer and has both the speed and quickness to thrive in the ACC. The key with him will be his health. The Yellow Jackets don't really have a guy who can spell him, and with that scenario, an injury is unfortunately just about guaranteed.

Calvin Johnson, the best receiver you've never heard of, also suits up for Georgia Tech. He's been mired in obscurity, even though he starred as a freshman last year. I don't think this guy will have a sophomore slump — in fact, I think he'll be one of the best in the conference. Damarius Bilbo, a former quarterback, will be a more than effective wideout, and should have another strong year with teams putting more of their focus on stopping Johnson.

Of course, the only way any offense can do well is with a strong offensive line. This is the main area of concern for Chan Gailey's team. The offensive line returns only one starter from last year, and that spells trouble for even the most talented team. This group is going to have to get it together fast in order for Tech to win some games. Fortunately, Tech's defense will give them a chance to win almost every game.

Georgia Tech returns eight starters on a defense that figures to be one of the best in America. The defensive line will continue to excel against the run due to the talents of Eric Henderson. Henderson is a lock for All-ACC honors this year, and can stop the run and wreak havoc on opposing offensive coordinators' playbooks. I also look to see the Yellow Jackets' defensive lineman getting more pressure on the quarterback this season. If they can improve on their pass rush, these guys just might win games on their own.

The linebackers are solid, if not spectacular. Gerris Wilkinson is an absolute stud, who will be playing on Sundays soon, and will lead this unit to big things this year. The only concern I have with this part of the team is depth. The bench lacks game experience, and this could be a problem if Wilkinson or one of the other starters gets hurt.

Georgia Tech's secondary rounds out the defense very well. They are a top-10 unit in the country, and will be even more consistent this year. Reuben Houston and Dennis Davis are the best corner tandem in the conference, and Chris Reis and Dawan Landry are excellent safeties. As long as the lineman and linebackers can apply some pressure to the quarterback, these guys will continue to improve Tech's takeaway margin. This defense has a chance to be Tech's best ever.

Georgia Tech has always seemed to be overshadowed by someone. Whether it is their in-state rival Georgia, or another team like Florida State from their conference, the Yellow Jackets have always seemed to be on the cusp of greatness. If Reggie Ball can show the greatness that he displayed this spring on a more consistent basis, and if the offensive line can give him time to throw, the Yellow Jackets just might cast their own shadow on the conference.

3) Florida State (8-3; 6-2)

Bobby Bowden. He is one of the most recognizable head coaches of all-time. He is a recruiting guru and one of the best evaluators of talent the college coaching profession has ever seen. He will have to add "master strategist" to his already considerable resume in 2005 if the Seminoles are to exceed expectations this year, as his talent base is nowhere near what he is accustomed to.

Xavier Lee is an unbelievable talent, and he will get the first opportunity to lead the Seminole offense. Lee has the potential and the mobility to remind Seminole fans of Charlie Ward, but will he produce on the field. Of course, Lee's opportunity at quarterback is due to the suspension of Wyatt Sexton. Once Sexton gets back, he will resume his duties as field general of the offense. Sexton is experienced, but he is mistake-prone, and will have a short leash.

I'm sure that opposing defensive coordinators wish they could have a leash for Leon Washington, FSU's star running back. Washington may be the most unheralded Florida State star in the past 25 years. It may be due to the injuries he's suffered during his time in Tallahassee, but I think he's due for a superb senior season. I'm expecting very big things from this guy who can run over and around defenses.

Two guys that like to run past defenders are Willie Reid and Chris Davis, the Seminole starting receivers. Both of these guys have done what has been asked of them, and will be relied upon heavily to make big plays. Their careers have not been spectacular, but you could probably blame it on the fact that they haven't played with a quarterback with a bunch of talent. If we fast-forward six months and look back at this season and see that these guys have put up big numbers, then Florida State will be playing somewhere on New Year's day.

One area that should already make Bobby Bowden smile is the offensive line and its health. It looks like for the first time in a long while, the line will start of the season with every one in good health. Of course having Mario Henderson and David Castillo is an automatic reason to grin. These two guys will continue to provide the opportunity for Leon Washington to run for big yardage.

Yardage was hard to come by last season for opposing teams, as Florida State had probably the best defense in the nation. They will not be as good as they were last year this season, but the cupboards are definitely not bear, and they will perform. The line might be an area of concern as there are plenty of new faces.

Everyone in the ACC, especially opposing running backs, are very familiar with FSU's linebackers. A.J., Nicholson, who I'm sure didn't like getting tasered by an officer during the offseason, will be looking to avenge himself by causing chaos on the field. Nicholson will have a strong senior year, and Ernie Sims and Buster Davis will join him and put a halt to the adversary's ground game. These guys can also defend against the pass, and I'm sure we will see their speed put to good use.

The secondary has been severely impacted due to the loss of Antonio Cromartie. This guy was a potential first-round pick, and those kind of talents don't come round' everyday. They still have Pat Watkins, a stud a free safety, but besides him, the 'Noles are very thin. Depth will be a concern, but they do have the luxury of having excellent cover linebackers, so this will help tremendously.

The biggest game for Florida State this season will be the one that they are currently in. This will be a team that must grow week after week, especially in the secondary, and at the quarterback position. Either Wyatt Sexton or Xavier Lee must provide stability and lead their team offensively. These players will look to their head coach, Bobby Bowden, to guide them through a schedule full of pitfalls and give them the keys to success.

2) Virginia Tech (9-2; 6-2)

I really like Virginia Tech's chances this year. They have a solid squad and their schedule gives them a prime shot at ending up in Pasadena. Frank Beamer is one of the best coaches in the country and folks in Blacksburg have a lot to be excited about. Marcus Vick is a super talent and the question that has to be asked is how good will he be?

I'm probably the only writer who hasn't talked about Marcus Vick's off-the-field transgressions, and I'm not about to start now. Vick, the Hokie star quarterback, has an excellent support system and he needs to look no further than his brother for advice. I think being the brother of Michael Vick will pay off in a big way this year, as Marcus will excel. He had a fantastic spring, and coach Beamer has given the keys to the offense to him, and he just may drive these guys to Pasadena.

Another guy who will spend time in the driver's seat is Mike Imoh, V-Tech's star running back. He has excellent speed and deceiving power, being that he's only 5-7. He came back from a suspension the second half of last season and performed amazingly well. I look for him and Cedric Humes, Tech's power back, to provide the Hokies a more than suitable ground attack.

The wideouts will be another strength for this team. They go five-deep and will allow the Hokies to spread the field, making Marcus Vick even more dangerous. They are still relatively inexperienced, but they have gelled very quickly and will be fun to watch. One guy who Marcus Vick will always have his eyes on is his star tight end Jeff King. King will surely be a Mackay Award finalist and is the perfect complement for a scrambling quarterback. Tight ends are always a favorite for a mobile passer, and this situation is no exception. I look for Mr. King to have a huge year.

The offensive line is a bit of a question mark, but should resolve itself during the course of the year. Just about every starter has experience playing another position, and this will allow the coaches to be more creative. It may take awhile to find the right combination to present itself, but nevertheless, these guys are all experienced and solid. In the meantime, they should be able to provide holes for Imoh and time for Vick (not that he needs more than a second).

This seems like a re-run, but Virginia Tech's defense will once again be among the best in the nation. They are led by an awesome front four which features Darryl Tapp, one of the most explosive linemen in the country. Tapp is a terrorizing pass-rusher who explodes into the backfield and puts pressure on the quarterback. This defensive line also has excellent run-stoppers like Jonathan Lewis, who has excellent mobility for a man north of 300 pounds.

The linebackers should also have a fantastic season. Super sophs Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi will anchor a corps that can cover speedy running backs in a pass situation and shut those guys down on the ground. James Anderson is an experienced upperclassman that will also provide support and can get after the quarterback, as well.

Jimmy Williams might be the best cornerback in the conference not named Hester. He is a true lock-down corner and shuts off half of the field on every down. I look for him to improve on his 5 INT total from last year and make even more plays. His 60 tackles were a huge contribution, and I look for more of the same. The rest of the defensive backs are serviceable and should do well.

Virginia Tech could certainly be headed to a BCS bowl after this season is over. They have the talent, coaching, and a very favorable schedule. Miami and Georgia Tech both have to visit them in Blacksburg, and they miss Florida State. If they execute on offense with Vick at the helm and with a sprinkle of luck, this season could turn up roses for the Hokies.

1) Miami (10-1; 7-1)

The 2005 Hurricane season has already been active with hurricanes Dennis and Emily reaching Category-4 status. When the football season starts, though, watch out for Hurricane Devin. I'm talking about Devin Hester, of course, and he will lead the best defense that Hurricane fans have ever seen. The offensive production is the only uncertainty for now, but there is no lack of talent, and Kyle Wright, Miami's starting quarterback, has the potential to be mentioned among names like Bernie Kosar, Jim Kelly, and Vinny Testaverde.

Kyle Wright, Miami's sophomore quarterback, will lead the offense this season. His potential is limitless, but of course, you win the games on the field (just ask Ron Pawlus). He's 6-5, has a cannon for an arm, and the leadership capabilities that it will take to deal with the enormous pressure and expectations heaped upon him.

The 'Canes will look to Tyrone Moss to spark the ground game. Moss has good size, and should be able to carry a sizeable workload. His breakaway speed is underrated, and I feel sorry for the defensive back that doesn't get to the corner in time. Moss should easily rush for over 1,000 yards, and if he gets over 1,500, he will have given Hurricane fans an early Christmas gift.

Speaking of gifts, Lance Leggett has all the ingredients necessary to become a star wideout. Leggett has blinding speed, and as his experience grows (he's only a sophomore), his route running will also improve. Coach Larry Coker was also very impressed by Ryan Moore, Sinorice Moss, Darnell Jenkins, and Akieem Jolla this spring. Moss is very speedy and if Ryan Moore is fully recovered from his injury, he will be superb.

Another person coming back from injury will be Eric Winston, the Hurricanes' stud on the offensive line. Winston's health will be very important to a unit that many consider the weakest point on the entire team. Of course, the term "weak" has never been used in a more relative way, as the guys up front have a ton of skills. Rashad Butler and Tyler McMeans are blessed with talent, and this group will be just fine, especially in the latter part of the season when they begin to gel.

The Miami Hurricane defense is superb. This group is no doubt the best that this generation of 'Canes fans has ever seen. The defensive line loaded with Orien Harris, Baraka Atkins, and Thomas Carroll. Harris is a superb run-defender and clogs up gaps so that the linebackers can make plays. Atkins and Carroll are both unbelievable pass-rushers as the both sacked the quarterback 6.5 times last year. Those are super numbers and they will be even better in 2005.

The group of linebackers that take the field this season for Miami may just go down as the best ever. Rocky Macintosh and Leon Williams are two seniors that still taste the bitter defeat to Ohio State three years ago and take it out on the opposing team. They make plays and hardly ever make mistakes. Willie Williams looks like he's recovered from his injury and sparkled this spring. If he even comes close to living up to the hype surrounding him, he will be a very rich man someday, and Hurricane fans will only use Jacksonville as a pit-stop on the way to Pasadena.

Devin Hester will lead the best secondary in this country. There is no doubt about it — Miami has the best defensive backs in America. Hester has blinding speed and once he improves on his technique, he will be one of the best corners in Hurricane history. Everyone knows how good Devin Hester is, and how great he may be someday, what people probably don't know is how good everybody else is in Miami's secondary. Kelly Jennings, Anthony Reddick, Brandon Merriweather, and Greg Threat would all be the best DB on just about any other team in America. The scary thing about this group is that one of those four guys will be on the bench in base coverage. Can you say nickel or dime defense?!

Miami has the talent and the defense that can carry them all the way to Pasadena. They might be vulnerable to an early season upset (mark your calendar, Clemson fans, for September 17th), but if they get a head of steam, they will win the ACC and surely be in a BCS bowl. Of course, the beautiful part of sports is that its decided on the field, and it will be fun to see it all play out.

Also, see previews for the Pac-10, SEC, Big 10, and Big 12. Stay tuned for more college football previews!

Posted by Avery Smith at 6:53 PM | Comments (5)

Create Your Own Steroid Apology!

I liked Rafael Palmeiro a lot better when he was shaking his fingers at Congress instead of keeping them plugged in his ears.

There was something inspiring about Raffy sitting before all of those old white guys, defiantly denying that he had injected, ingested, or invested in steroids of any kind.

Remember?

"I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never. The reference to me in Mr. Canseco's book is absolutely false."

Damn! No "it depends on what your definition of 'is' is." None of that "we never said they had weapons, but the potential to make weapons." This was a major league ballplayer sitting before our nation's elected officials, basically telling them to bugger off when it came to his alleged association with steroids.

And now that Palmeiro's tested positive, lost his appeal, and is serving a 10-game suspension? He's a jellyfish. A pathetic, quivering little nothing with the stoic conviction of a puppy suffering from A.D.D. His statement following the suspension was an exercise in parsed words and the kind of writing you'd expect from a team of Peter Angelos's top lawyers. Jason Giambi's question-ducking press conference earlier this year was truth serum by comparison.

"The arbitrator did not find that I used a banned substance intentionally — in fact, he said he found my testimony to be compelling — but he ruled that I could not meet the heavy burden imposed on players who test positive under the new drug policy."

Well, what was your testimony, and what's the burden, Raffy? Did you say, "I didn't knowingly take anything," and then the arbitrator said, "Gee, that's a compelling argument. Got any receipts that prove you didn't take anything?" And they you said no, and found yourself suspended. Is that how it worked, Raffy? Because that's just ridiculous.

Steroid apologies/mea culpas don't all have to be as pointless and meandering as Palmeiro's. In fact, there's an easy way to spice them up...

... Through the Miracle of Mad Libs!

For those unfamiliar with the word game, here's a quick primer. Below is a list of different types of words. Randomly fill out each category. Below that list is Palmeiro's statement, with a bunch of blank spaces and numbers that correspond to your list of words. Print this out, fill it out, and revel in the fact that you managed to turn one man's career nadir into hours of family fun.

Here we go.

1. (Verb ending in -ing)
2. (Noun, singular, something you make)
3. (Verb, present tense)
4. (Adjective)
5. (Noun, singular)
6. (Noun, singular)
7. (Adverb)
8. (Noun, singular, paper product)
9. (Nouns, plural, can be swallowed)
10. (Noun, orifice)
11. (Noun, singular, type of communication)
12. (Verb, present tense)
13. (Nouns, a group)
14. (Noun, occupation)
15. (Noun, type of game)
16. (Noun, person)
17. (Adjective)
18. (Noun, occupation)
19. (Nouns, people)
20. (Noun, location)
21. (Noun, singular)
22. (Nouns, plural)
23. (Nouns, plural)

"Thank you very much for (1)___________ me on this call today. I am saddened that we are here to address this issue, but because of the importance of it, I feel the need to make a brief (2)_________ and address your questions. At the outset, let me say that under the rules of the basic agreement and the order of the independent arbitrator, there is an order of confidentiality governing the specifics of this case. I will attempt to (3)_________ as much as I can and be as (4)___________ as possible, but there will be issues I can't address based on the orders imposed on me by the (5)___________ and the (6)____________."

"I am here to make it very clear that I have (7)________ used steroids. (7)_______. (7)_______. Period. When I found out that I had failed a test under the new drug policy, I filed a (8)__________ and challenged the suspension on the basis that I had never intentionally taken (9)____________. Ultimately, although I never intentionally put (9)____________ into my (10)___________, the independent arbitrator ruled that I had to be suspended under the terms of the program."

"I am sure you will ask how I tested positive for (9)____________. As I look back, I don't have a specific answer to give. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to explain to the arbitrator how the (9)____________ entered my (10)__________. The arbitrator did not find that I used (9)____________ intentionally -- in fact, he said he found my (11)___________ to be compelling -- but he ruled that I could not meet the heavy burden imposed on players who test positive under the new drug policy."

"I (12)_________ this punishment and want to address it publicly. I want to apologize to Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Orioles organization, my teammates and most of all, my (13)__________. Given my role with the No Tolerance Committee and my relationships with Congress, I feel the need to communicate a serious message to my fellow players and to (13)_________ everywhere. All of us have to be responsible and exercise extreme care in what we put in our (10)__________. I hope that all major league baseball players and (13)_________ will learn from what has happened to me. I have never intentionally used (9)____________, but unfortunately was not careful enough."

"I take my role as a (14)____________ seriously. I love (15)_________ and have great respect for all of the players who played before me. I have always done my best to live each day in ways that would make my (16)________ proud. Everything I have accomplished is the result of hard work and dedication to being the best possible player I can be."

"I feel (17)_________ that this has happened, but I think there is something to be gained from it. If my situation results in the education of current and future players about the dangers of taking anything without a prescription from a (18)______________, that is a positive. At the end of the day, it is important for all players to understand the risk of contamination and to be very careful about what they put in their (10)__________."

"This suspension is going to be incredibly difficult for me, my wife and my two (19)______________. Over the next week and a half, I am going to spend time with my (19)______________. I am going to come back and will be as determined as ever to help the Orioles get back to (20)_____________. We have worked very hard to be in position to bring our fans a (21)____________, and I will not let this be a distraction."

"Finally, I would like to thank commissioner Selig and Mr. Angelos for their strong words of encouragement. I had the opportunity to speak with both of them and I am extremely appreciative of their (22)_________ and (23)___________."

One More Thing

No column next week, as I'm taking a little vacation up to the great state of Maine.

In closing, I'd like to echo the thoughts and prayers of most of my fellow New Jersey Devils fans in light of a recent free agent signing in the National Hockey League.

And the best way to accomplish this is by quoting the cinematic classic we call Animal House thusly:

"How does it feel to be an a**hole, Niedermayer?"

Greg Wyshynski is the Features Editor for SportsFan Magazine in Washington, DC, and the Senior Sports Editor for The Connection Newspapers of Northern Virginia. His book “Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer: The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History" will be published in Spring 2006. His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 4:32 PM | Comments (0)

August 5, 2005

Sports Q&A: Draft Owens or Moss?

Ricardo from Cordova, California writes, "I have the No. 5 pick in my fantasy draft. Assuming both are available, should I take Randy Moss or Terrell Owens?"

Ricardo, that's a tough decision to make, and the best way to handle a tough decision is to have someone else make it for you. So, see if you can sucker some sucker into a trade (preferably the person with the No. 6 pick) in which you move down to No. 6 and let the sucker take the No. 5 pick. Assuming some sucker falls for this, you would, of course, get an extra pick (fourth or fifth round, possibly) in exchange for moving down one spot in the first round. At No. 5, they would be left with the choice between Owens and Moss, and you take what's left at No. 6. If they choose to go with another player at No. 5 (Edgerrin James? Daunte Culpepper?), then you're still left with the Owens/Moss dilemma. So trade down again.

If you have to choose between Owens and Moss, you really can't go wrong either way. Take Owens, and you get a proven Donovan McNabb-to-Owens connection that produced 14 touchdowns in 14 games last year. Owens and McNabb don't seem to be so chummy this year as they were last year, but that doesn't matter.

Owens is a threat deep, and, with the status of the Eagles' running game somewhat in the air (Brian Westbrook has yet to report to camp; Correll Buckhalter returning from injury), Owens is a popular option at any point in the red zone, as well. Owens is clearly McNabb's favorite target, and number two wideout Todd Pinkston won't be taking many of Owens' catches. Especially not now, since Pinkston is out for the year with a ruptured right Achilles'tendon.

Forget about the questions about the "chemistry" between Moss and Raiders' quarterback Kerry Collins. I'm sure when Collins first heard about the trade that brought Moss to Oakland, he probably felt instant chemistry, the kind you feel when you know you'll throw two or three 75-yard touchdown passes this season. Moss may not score as many touchdowns as Owens, but he will score longer touchdowns. If your league awards points for length of scores, Moss would probably be your option.

The only fantasy knock against Moss is the quantity of receivers that are sure to dip into his fantasy production. Besides Moss, Collins will also have the options of Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry, and Doug Gabriel. Some of the passes and TDs will surely go their way.

If you want to get very technical, the Eagles have the third easiest schedule, while the Raiders have the ninth toughest. The Raiders play two division games apiece against the Chiefs and Chargers, who had the two worst pass defenses last year, statistically. The Eagles play the Chiefs and Chargers, as well as the Raiders, ranked 30th in pass defense last year. The Eagles face division games versus the Redskins and Giants, who had the seventh and eighth best pass defenses last year. The Raiders also face these two teams in inter-conference games. What does all this mean from a fantasy standpoint? Absolutely nothing, but if it will help you make a decision between Moss and Owens, then it was worthwhile.

If you have to, flip a coin to make your choice. And make it two out of three. And, of course, monitor injury situations before you make the leap. Owens recently tweaked his groin in practice — it doesn't sound serious, but it bears watching. If you're still having difficulty making a decision, just take Marvin Harrison.

Pete from Cincinnati asks, "Will Rafael Palmeiro's suspension for steroid use hinder his chances of enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame?"

No, not at all. Palmeiro will likely be in the first class elected to the new Steroid Wing of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, where the busts are made with genetically-enhanced bronze. In case you didn't know, I'm lying, but I'm not sitting before Congress, am I?

Seriously, though, Palmeiro's adamant denial before Congress of ever using steroids should undermine his integrity, which normally is a requirement for a spot in the Hall. But this is the 21st century, in which politicians and presidents lie before Congress and then go their merry ways, so why shouldn't a baseball player be afforded the same luxury? Palmeiro said if he took steroids, it was purely accidental. Should we believe that? Did we believe that Bill Clinton "accidentally" had numerous liaisons with Monica Lewisnsky? Or that Ronald Reagan "accidentally" sold arms to Iran? No. Read my lips: Rafael Palmeiro knowingly took steroids. And liked it.

How on Earth does one "accidentally" take steroids? That seems to be the claim of quite a few athletes who have tested positively for steroids. Do steroids work like cigarette smoke? Can steroids invade your bloodstream in a second-hand manner? Gosh, I can't tell you the number of times I've sat down and felt a syringe loaded with anabolic juice poking at my buttock. If I shake hands with a steroid freak, or attend a Mr. Universe contest, will I eventually bulk up?

Maybe if Palmeiro had the credentials of Barry Bonds, he could convince us that he unknowingly used some hand lotion that was laced with steroids. But Palmeiro is Palmeiro, and he was busted with the steroid Stanozolol, which helped make sprinter Ben Johnson the fastest human on the planet. Stanozolol is one of the strongest steroids, and usually administered by injection. For Palmeiro to attest that this steroid entered his body by accident is a ludicrous claim. When Palmeiro's suspension was announced, he didn't deny a positive test, but insisted it was accidental. If he's not denying a positive test, then he knows that steroids are in his body. If he knew this, how could it all be accidental? By logic, Palmeiro's a liar.

Who else in society can claim the "accidental" defense? Have you ever heard someone stand before a judge and say, "Your honor, I must have smoked that crack by accident," or, "To the charge of possession of 200 kilograms of cocaine, I plead innocent by reason of accident?" Maybe you have heard these, but I doubt the perpetrator was acquitted. Baseball players continue to use the "accidental" claim to purport their innocence, but the more the "accidental" plea is claimed, the less baseball fans are buying it.

Now, I realize Palmeiro's list of accomplishments is impressive, and probably 99% of it was done steroid-free. Maybe he felt that reaching the 3,000 hit plateau wasn't plausible without a little help for his aging body. Well, it worked. But at what cost? Now, he'll live forever in the minds of fans with the "steroid" stigma attached to his formerly good name. And we all know that once you are stuck with that stigma, you can't peel it, shake it, wash it, or jackhammer it off. This scandal may keep Palmeiro out of the Hall of Fame. What's worse, every time he crosses paths with Jose Canseco, Palmeiro will have to face a knowing wink from author of the book Juiced.

Get Your Questions Answered!

Do you have a question or comment? Need a babysitter? Do you need a good defense lawyer recommended? Need those nude photos of your lady friend authenticated? Then send the pictures along with your question, your name, and hometown to [email protected]. You may get the answer you're looking for in the next column on Friday, August 19th.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 5:09 PM | Comments (0)

Fantasy Football Forecast: TE Ratings

When drafting a fantasy football roster, the tight end position is often an afterthought. The reasoning behind this varies — league format, lack of impact players available, general distaste for the term — each is a valid reason (well, that last one is a bit of a stretch, but I digress). Whatever the reason may be, it must be noted that these days, times are a-changin'.

Never in recent history has there been such a deep pool of legit tight end targets. Offenses are looking for ways to get theirs the ball and defenses are trying to devise means by which to neutralize them. Strangely, many fantasy football owners that I have come across are slow to recognize this very clear shift in the NFL tight end paradigm, which could give you an advantage that may make all the difference for your team this season.

Again utilizing my unique rating system, I've compiled a list of the 20 most attractive tight ends (no pun intended) in the NFL. Strangely enough, my wife proofread this article and asked why she wasn't included as one of the most attractive tight ends (sorry, I couldn't resist), but never mind that.

In all seriousness, fortifying your lineup with an upper echelon receiving tight end is a move that I, for one, strongly recommend. It is my hope that the ranking of these players provided in the body of this article helps you in identifying your preferred target to achieve just such an advantage over your peers.

Following the same logic that I used in rating the wide receivers, I've included each player's strength of schedule rating, as well as the stats projected for each as a result of my analysis. If you haven't been keeping up, I strongly (but pleasantly) urge you to read through my separate analyses of quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers before running through this listing of tight ends, as it hopefully will help explain the how's and why's to my ranking methodology.

1) Antonio Gates, Chargers (24)

Bursting onto the seen with grandeur last season, Gates has established himself as one of the finest pass-catching tight ends to come through the league in a long time. The scary thing is he may not yet be done developing. No player in the league matches such overpowering size and strength with such soft hands, precise route-running, and effectiveness in traffic. As strange as it is to put in print, Gates is a value pick if grabbed early in round three, and could even be contemplated at the end of round two, unheard of recommendations for someone who plays that position.

(2005 projected stats: 100 catches, 984 yards, 11 TD)

2) Todd Heap, Ravens (11)

For all the disrespect I gave the Raven receivers in my wide receiver ratings, I give equal amount of respect to Heap. One worry with him his is health, as Heap does take a lot of hits and hasn't shown he can absorb all of them over the course of a season, but, when healthy, he is every bit as valuable as Gates. With consideration for the injury factor, grabbing Heap in round four is a solid roster decision.

(86, 847, 10)

3) Jeremy Shockey, Giants (21)

Shockey stands to get a lot of looks as protection breaks down for the inexperienced Eli Manning. In addition to those looks, Jeremy should be a more than adequate red zone alternative and should at least get a chance to score some touchdowns in that offense. Like Heap, health concerns may scare a few prospective owners away from Shockey, but early reports are good on the outspoken New York tight end and all signs point to a solid 2005 season. Late in round four would be a fitting spot to look to acquire Shockey.

(85, 833, 9)

4) Jason Witten, Cowboys (16)

2004 gave us all a taste of the kind of talent Jason Witten brings to the table. If Drew Bledsoe recognizes this, and there is no reason to believe he won't, Witten should have a very similar type of season in store for fantasy owners savvy enough to pull the trigger on selecting him. Witten is a good late fourth-round option.

(81, 801, 9)

5) Eric Johnson, 49ers (2)

E.J. is a solid tight end and certainly has shown that in recent years. With a young QB (whether Alex Smith wins the job outright or Tim Rattay/Ken Dorsey winds up as the starter), Johnson stands to have a lot of quick-hitting type plays designed for him so as to establish a comfort level for his signal-caller. Johnson likely won't get in the end zone as much as the others, but may well catch as many if not more passes. Johnson should be waiting for you in round five.

(99, 976, 7)

6) Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (31)

Gonzo is still a force to be reckoned with, and his rating in relation to the others on this list is more a commentary on how deep the position has become as opposed to and indication of how far his game has slipped. He should still be a safe weekly play in all league formats, but I wouldn't use anything higher than a fifth-rounder on him, unless the others go much faster than anticipated.

(101, 993, 6)

7) Alge Crumpler, Falcons (14)

In the past, being Michael Vick's favorite target normally wouldn't get you more than 60 or so catches in a year. However, this season, Vick should have a better grasp of the West Coast-style offense Atlanta utilizes, which should mean an additional 20 or so catches for the versatile big man. With so many other talented players at this position, though, don't use anything lower than a sixth-round selection on Crumpler.

(91, 900, 6)

8) Randy McMichael, Dolphins (8)

Watch how his recent legal troubles unfold, because his value would be significantly impacted were he to miss a substantial amount of time. If he does wind up being acquitted of his domestic battery charges, McMichael is an impact player and should improve upon very solid 2004 numbers. That is a big "if," however. Assuming all is well with Randy, snatch him up in round six or seven. If the news is not so good, hold off and take a flier on him as you fill out your roster at the back end of the draft.

(88, 866, 6)

9) Marcus Pollard, Lions (15)

It remains to be seen just how Pollard will adapt to the west coast offense, but Mariucci's San Francisco teams always managed to involve their pass catching tight ends. Pollard demonstrated in Indy that he is a viable weapon, and even brings a surprising amount of speed to a position that historically flourishes when match up problems are created. Pollard is a strong eighth-round pick.

(66, 647, 7)

10) Doug Jolley, Jets (29)

The Jets obviously think very highly of the ex-Raider Jolley, trading a first-round pick in this past spring's draft for his services. Since that offense even made Anthony Becht look good at times, Jolley is a fairly safe bet to put up adequate statistics. Look to grab Doug in or around round eight.

(62, 608, 7)

11) L.J. Smith, Eagles (7)

Smith could enjoy a very nice season, especially if Terrell Owens does indeed miss time. Even if the Eagles' receiving corps is at full strength, the young and talented L.J. could be the benefactor of a handful of short yardage touchdown opportunities. He is a good mid-round option and, if you do end up missing out on some of the other higher-ranked players at this position, Smith should be your guy.

(59, 584, 8)

12) Jerramy Stevens, Seahawks (4)

Every year, Stevens tantalizes with his talent and each year he disappoints with his production. If the natural maturing process applies to Jerramy, he should be able to step up in a Seahawk offense bereft of big play receiving threats. Look for Stevens as a backup on your team in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft.

(72, 712, 6)

13) Jermaine Wiggins, Vikings (9)

Wiggins put up very nice stats in '04, but those numbers will suffer a bit with Daunte Culpepper favorite Jim Kleinsasser returning to health. Still, Wiggins offers an athletic edge at the position and has a nose for making tough catches, so he is worthy of a mid-round draft choice if you've run out of other options.

(72, 708, 5)

14) Desmond Clark, Bears (18)

Starting with Clark, the rest of the top 20 are little more than stopgap solutions at the positions. Clark could emerge as a popular target with Rex Grossman, who demonstrated a solid mastery of the short passing game in the early stages of 2004. Still, using anything other than a late-round choice on Clark could leave holes in other parts of your roster with little to show for your investment.

(68, 669, 4)

15) Bubba Franks, Packers (28)

Franks' value is tied directly to whether or not his contract situation is resolved. If he does wind up playing this season, he has been a consistently average producer, but at least he doesn't get a lot of "0-fors." Late-round pick.

(47, 466, 6)

16) Freddie Jones, Panthers (17)

Being in Carolina can only help Jones' cause, as he was sometimes forgotten in the Cardinal offense. QB Jake Delhomme should grow fond of the athletic tight end early, but it is still difficult to expect too much from a player who has been known to underachieve. Another late-round pick in a thinning group of tight ends.

(54, 527, 4)

17) Dallas Clark, Colts (12)

On any other team, Clark would be a lock to be picked in the first six rounds. On Indy, he's just another great receiver who has to share his opportunities with the masses. Good pick if you're in a jam, but not worth anything aside from a late-round pick.

(51, 503, 4)

18) Ben Watson, Patriots (20)

Ben Watson is an interesting prospect. He has a lot of talent, but Brady has shown an alarming propensity for sharing the wealth. Still, Watson has to be considered a sleeper, as most owners won't even have him on their radar. Take him late as a second tight end and don't hesitate to use him if he emerges as New England's red zone target.

(41, 406, 4)

19) Boo Williams, Saints (22)

A victim of his team's inconsistency, Williams really is talented enough to be in the top 10 at his position. Unfortunately, he's trapped in an offense that is poorly designed and his skills are rarely truly utilized to their fullest. Williams should be picked up late in the draft or as a free agent.

(55, 542, 2)

20) Ben Troupe, Titans (10)

Troupe is another talented, young tight end who may wind up bursting onto the scene with regular playing time, but it is hard to count on a young, unproven player. Like the other young Ben on this list (Watson), look to grab Troupe late or as a free agent only if you are already set at the position.

(44, 436, 2)

***

As this list indicates, the top-tier of players has far more upside than the others. As such, taking a tight end earlier than you would in past drafts isn't as large a gamble as you would think. If nothing else, it will give you a decided advantage over most other teams in your league during head-to-head match ups at that spot.

My roster features Eric Johnson as my top tight end and I grabbed Randy McMichael with my last pick for insurance and depth.

The thought that the tight end spot on a fantasy roster can be filled with spare parts is a theory which dooms all who employ it to failure. The fact is, as parity most definitely begins to level the playing field in the other positions, which it undoubtedly has, a successful fantasy league owner will need to adapt to find new roster spots at which an advantage can be gained. Tight end is just such a position, as the separation between good and bad is very real and figures to remain as such for the foreseeable future.

Picking a tight end early may not be a popular choice and may even draw jeers from your league-mates, but you'll have the last laugh, even if you don't use some lame tight end joke like the one I busted out in this article.

Don't miss the QB, RB, and WR ratings. Stay tuned as Matt Thomas brings you more fantasy forecasts!

Posted by Matt Thomas at 4:56 PM | Comments (0)

August 4, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Green Bay Packers

Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com

Last Year

After coming within a fourth-down stop from the NFC Championship game, the Green Bay Packers declined somewhat in 2004. In the first five weeks, it looked more like a nose-dive with a 1-4 start, but the Packers righted the ship only losing two more games the rest of the way. Brett Favre is a year older, the offensive line in front of him is deteriorating, and the defense has been stripped — looks like the wave peaked in 2003 and is now rolling back into the sea.

What We Learned From Last Year

If you don’t believe that the tide is changing, the Packers' 4-4 home record should give you some indication.

That is not including their home playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings, dropping the Packers to 1-2 in their last three playoffs games at Lambeau Field — a stadium that traditionally symbolizes homefield advantage.

Sure, the flip side of it is that the Packers were 6-2 on the road, but they didn’t defeat a single opponent with a winning record last season (not even at home).

Brett Favre was much-maligned and although his statistics may look like the typical Favre numbers, there were times where you would see an aberration or a lapse in judgment — something we are not accustomed to seeing from Favre.

Running back Ahman Green endured a stiff drop-off after a career year in 2003. The buzzword is that he simply broke down after 461 touches in 2003, but that is questionable — particularly for a running back who is 28 and has only five seasons of tread on his odometer.

The Packers led the league in passing attempts in 2004, averaging 37.4 per game compared to the 29.4 in 2003, making it pretty obvious that they were consistently playing from behind. That meant less touches, less rhythm, and less emphasis for Green.

More passing translated into career-years for wide receivers Javon Walker and Donald Driver. Walker pulled in 89 catches for nearly 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns while Driver was caught 1,208 yards and 9 touchdowns. Injuries hindered Robert Ferguson’s development.

The main dilemma for Green Bay was the defense. They were ranked 25th overall and accounted for a league-low 15 takeaways.

With only eight interceptions, its clear the pass defense lacked playmakers. Cornerback Mike McKenzie held out until he was traded, which bumped up Al Harris, rookie Ahmad Carroll, and Michael Hawthorne on the depth chart.

Al Harris is a physical corner, but he’s not good enough to take on the opponent’s top wide receiver consistently, Hawthorne is useless, and Carroll looked extremely raw last year.

At safety, Mark Roman was a bust, leaving Darren Sharper as the only reliable player in the Packers' secondary.

The front seven generated a decent amount of sacks (40), but outside of Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, the Packers had no one to apply consistent pressure. They were abused by many running backs, surrendering a lofty 4.6 yards-per-carry (fourth worst in the league).

To be blunt, the cheeseheads simply couldn’t contain anyone. They allowed 60 passing plays of 20+ yards (30th in NFL), 12 passing plays of 40+ or more (28th in NFL), and 14 rushing plays of 20+ yards (25th in NFL).

Poor coverage, shoddy tackling, and missed assignments forced the hand of the offense and dictated how they were going to play. 10-6 looks nice, but this team was much worse than the record indicates.

This Year

Ideally, the plan is to run the ball and keep the spotlight off of an aging Brett Favre, but considering that strategy was warped out of shape by a permeable defense last year, how do you think it will function with an even worse squad this year?

The Packers are a strong candidate to undergo a steep regression.

The defensive line returns the same suspects and outside of tackle Grady Jackson and Gbaja-Biamila, the Packers are very average with little depth. Jackson is unhappy with his contract — although he has showed up for training camp — and will cut into the team’s morale. Aaron Kampman will start at the other end position while Cletidus Hunt is set at tackle. New defensive coordinator Jim Bates prefers to get pressure from the front four opposed to blitzing, so the line will be critical.

The only real additions to the front seven are linebackers Raynoch Thompson (free agent) and Brady Poppinga (fourth-round selection), neither of which will start.

The trio of starting linebackers, Nick Barnett, Hannibal Navies, and Na’il Diggs are adequate, but are still easily the worst grouping in the NFC North. Barnett is a strong tackler and is very good in pass coverage, but he’s not an imposing player.

The secondary will return the same faces minus standout safety Darren Sharper, who accounted for half of the team’s interceptions last year. Even without Randy Moss in the division, you can expect this set of defensive backs to be exploited by virtually every opponent. Al Harris is the only experienced back while Joey Thomas and Ahmad Carroll are unproven. Also, there is no guarantee that either will develop into a viable starter.

The safety position has been revamped as the Packers brought in Arturo Freeman and Earl Little as free agents and Nick Collins and Michael Hawkins through the draft.

Collins is a raw prospect with playmaking potential, but he is still a rookie. The signings of Little and Freeman emphasizes how cash-strapped the Packers really are.

On offense, here’s a revelation that you probably haven’t heard: the loss of Pro Bowl guards Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera is potentially crippling.

The Packers still have tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton, as well as center Mike Flanagan, but losing their best two linemen causes a chink in the armor.

Favre has been accustomed to having arguably the best offensive line in the league and now his entourage goes from "great" just to "good." That is a big deal especially with Minnesota’s signing of Pat Williams, the emergence of Shaun Rogers in Detroit, and Chicago boasting a strong defensive line to deal with.

It’s impossible to believe that the defense will be any better off this year, which means we can expect to see the same amount of passing. That is not good news for Ahman Green.

Playing from behind means Green becomes less of an option, which was obviously a problem for him last year.

That also means the Packers will be relying heavily on Favre’s arm once again. Although they are equipped to play in shootouts, it’s not Mike Sherman’s ideal style.

Placing the burden on an aging quarterback without a secure offensive line in front of him and without a decent defense to back him up is a recipe for disaster.

The cheese is starting to mold in Green Bay.

Over/Under: 7.5

With three teams in the division on the way up, this total might be too high for Green Bay to cover. Best-case scenario: Chicago and Detroit flop again and the Pack is still in contention come December. Worst-case scenario: 5-11. I’ll go with the latter. Outside of their division, they play: CLE, TB, @ CAR, NO, @CIN, PIT, @ATL, @PHI, @BAL, and SEA.

Fantasy Sleeper

Robert Ferguson has had a subtle impact during his four-year career, but he has the tools to start opposite of Javon Walker or Donald Driver. Considering this team led the league in pass attempts last year and might match that feat this year, Ferguson is a sleeper to keep an eye on.

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 6:08 PM | Comments (9)

Remembering the Fallen in Sports

Say you're watching a football game. The quarterback hits the receiver on a flare (or better yet, a Slant Pattern!). The wide receiver gets hit in an awkward way by two of the defensive backs, and is not getting up. After the team doctors huddle over him for several minutes, a stretcher or, worse yet, an ambulance is brought onto the field.

It's inevitable at times like this that one of the announcers will say the excruciating: it's times like this when you realize it's just a game, and not really that important in the grand scheme of things.

Of all the things that go without saying, this one really needs to go without saying. Clichés are an insult to the solemnity of such situations.

Another reason I find this utterance so vile is because they never add this footnote: "Of course, in 10 minutes, or at most a day, I'm going to go right back to treating this game like it's life or death. I'm going to pound out articles on why this player is overpaid, but I'll tell my daughter I'll take her to the zoo some other time. I'll make 3 AM calls to a sports call-in show, but I won't get around to sending my mother a mother's day card. I'll spend $50 on my wife's birthday and the next day, wager $100 on the Bills plus the under."

I'm not trying to scold, and I am certainly just as guilty of misplaced, selfish priorities as anyone. But at least it doesn't take my favorite player breaking his leg for me see the light. I know I'm a selfish jerk. I know sports aren't as important as love, family, religion, what have you. So Mr. Announcer, when the player is laying on the turf, wish him well, encourage the viewers to put their thoughts with him and his family, and if you feel yourself start to say, "It's times like this..." Stop yourself.

So this column is going to be about penance. Giving remembrance, with a little trivia thrown in. Players may break their legs or even become paralyzed, or die, on their field of play, but sometimes masses of athletes die en route to chasing a ball around and entertain us and themselves. That's what I'm thinking about when I note that an Air France flight from Paris to Toronto overran the runway in an attempt to land during a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon. The plane broke into several pieces, and shortly after the last passenger was rescued, the plane disintegrated into flames. It's miraculous no one was killed, but 43 were injured.

As safe as air travel is, and it's only getting safer (the last time a major passenger jet crashed in the U.S. and caused fatalities was November of 2001), I still can't help to think it's just a matter of time before a major pro sports team is torn from us in this fashion. The world of amateur athletics has been hit hard by this phenomenon. Cue the trivia portion: presenting 10 of the worst aviation disasters involving sports teams:

1) 1980: Fourteen out of 17 members of the U.S Olympic Boxing team were wiped out in Poland when one of the engines came apart, severing cables to the rudder. No survivors. Three members of the team, including Bobby Czyz, were not on the flight.

2) 1993: The Zambian national soccer team was killed when their plane crashed off the coast of Gabon.

3) 1961: Most of the U.S. figure skating team were killed due to a mechanical failure as their plane tried to land in Brussels, Belgium.

4) 1949: The Torino soccer team crashed in Turin, Italy, leaving only one non-flying survivor of the squad. At the time, Torino was four-time defending Italian champions. They wouldn't win Serie A again until 1976.

5) 1958: Air disaster has also befallen the most celebrated sports franchise in the world, Manchester United. Eight members died in Munich on their planes third attempt to take off in a blizzard.

6) 1960: Sixteen members of the Cal Poly-SLO football team died when their plane crashed after take off in Toledo. The plane was filled well beyond capacity, contributing to the crash.

7) 1972: Uruguay's Stella Maris Rugby team saw 29 of it's 45 players perish when their plane crashed in the Andes. If you're familiar with the movie "Alive," you know about this one.

8) 1970: This was, without of a doubt, the worst year for sports aviation accidents. The first of three highlighted here is Puerto Rican Women's volleyball team, who passed away when contaminated fuel caused both engines to fail shortly after takeoff from the Dominican Republic.

9) 1970: You have probably heard about this one. Marshall lost most of its football players in an accident in Huntington, West Virginia. The First Officer erred in his landing procedures, causing the plane to touch down short of the runway.

10) 1970: I'm not sure why this one isn't as recalled as often as the Marshall disaster, but Wichita State lost a large part of its football program on a crash in the Rocky Mountains. The pilot descended to give his passengers a better view of the scenery, then came up to mountains that were too tall to fly over in time, or to turn around.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 4:32 PM | Comments (0)

August 3, 2005

Secrets of the 2005 NFL Season: Part 2

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

Don't miss part one of Secrets of the 2005 NFL Season!

* Patriots owner Robert Kraft awakens in a cold sweat from a nightmare in which he dreamed he gave one of his Super Bowl rings to Russian president Vladimir Putin. After realizing it wasn't a nightmare, Kraft sees the reality as much worse, when he is informed that Putin has the ring for sale on eBay, along with a signed t-shirt that reads, "I met Patriot's owner Robert Kraft and all I got was this lousy Super Bowl ring." Luckily, Kraft recovers the ring with a winning bid of three Russian rubles and a case of Stolichnaya vodka.

* Burdened by the fact that he's never won a playoff game without John Elway, Denver head coach Mike Shanahan signs John C. Elway, a 58-year-old plumber from Grand Junction, Colorado, to the Broncos' roster. Asked about the move, Shanahan replies, "Maybe everyone is right. I can't win a playoff game unless John Elway is on the team. But no one said it had to be the John Elway. Haha! I've outsmarted you all again. I'm a genius."

Denver qualifies for the playoffs as a wildcard team, but they lose to the Ravens in the first round. Shanahan is stigmatized with another dubious career statistic: winless in playoff games with John C. Elway on the roster. Elway (John C.) sees no on-the-field action all year, but does solve a troublesome leak in the ladies' restroom on the west end zone concourse of Invesco Field.

* Celebrated super-agent Drew Rosenhaus marries his longtime sweetheart in a lavish Miami Beach wedding on September 17th, attended by many of his clients. However, the honeymoon is short-lived, as the marriage is done in by Rosenhaus' manic commitment to his work, and his failure to convince his wife to sign a prenuptial agreement haunts him and his bank account for years to come. His wife blames the failure of the marriage on Rosenhaus' inability to "close the deal" on their wedding night.

* Spike TV, the network for men, announces a joint partnership with the NFL and High Times magazine, in which the lowest-rated game of the week will be rebroadcast on Spike TV on Wednesday mornings at the odd air time of 4:20 AM. The agreement runs only for the first four weeks of the season, to concur with the drug suspensions of Ricky Williams, Eric Warfield, and Onterrio Smith, who will form Spike's announce team. Warfield and Smith will call the play-by-play, while Williams will wander the sidelines conducting interviews, as well as produce special features as he travels to various I-95 underpasses in his 1968 Volkwagen van.

* In the lead-in to ABC's special Thursday night Raiders/Patriots game, color analyst John Madden appears in a provocative skit with Jennifer Garner, sexy star of the hit series Alias. Then Madden drops the massive white towel covering his naked body and proudly states to Garner, "Boom! I'd eat Ben Affleck for dinner. Literally. Are you ready for some meatballs? I mean football?"

"I'm offended, and sickened, but strangely excited," says Desperate Housewives vixen Nicolette Sheridan from her Los Angeles home.

* Florence Cohen, an 85-year-old grandmother who is currently suing Rock Star Games, makers of Grand Theft Auto, because of sexually explicit scenes hidden in the game, announces a lawsuit against EA Sports, manufacturers of Madden NFL 2006. In both cases, Cohen bought the games for her grandson, not knowing that special codes could unlock sexual content. In Grand Theft Auto, a code will reveal nude characters engaging in various carnal acts — in Madden NFL 2006, the special code unlocks the video to the San Francisco 49ers' notorious training video, replete with lesbian acts, off-color jokes, and frolicking, topless blondes.

* Terrell Owens wins the "Most Popular Philadelphia Athlete" contest as voted on by citizens of the City of Brotherly Love. Owens beats out the only other athlete listed on the ballot, former Philadelphia Flyer Eric Lindros.

* Error-prone Saints' quarterback Aaron Brooks makes the most boneheaded decision in his football career when he uses the number one pick in his neighborhood fantasy league to draft Eli Manning, not Peyton Manning. He compounds the incompetence by using his second round pick on Redskins' wide receiver Santana Moss, and not the Raiders' Randy. By round 12, Brooks regains his senses and makes an intelligent and informed pick: choosing himself.

* Seahawks' running back Shaun Alexander holds a slim two-yard lead for the rushing title as time runs down in Seattle's final regular season game at Green Bay. The Seahawks lead 31-30 and hold possession of the ball with only seconds remaining, needing only to take a knee to run the clock out. Seattle coach Mike Holmgren sends quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in motion, leaving Alexander under center. Alexander fields the snap, kneels down, and loses three yards from his rushing total. Seattle wins, but Alexander, for the second year in a row, loses the rushing title by one yard, this time to the Colts' Edgerrin James.

* Ravens' running back Jamal Lewis scores on a 54-yard touchdown run against the Vikings in a Week 16 Sunday night game on ESPN. Announcer Paul Maguire delivers the pun of the year when he quips, "Lewis just took that one to the halfway house." Later in the week, when Lewis hears of the incident, he tries to call Maguire on his cell phone to voice his disapproval of Maguire's choice of words. Instead, he mistakenly calls a known Baltimore drug dealer while the FBI monitors his calls.

* Scheduled to perform "The Star Spangled Banner" at half time of the Super Bowl in Detroit, Whitney Houston and Bobbie Brown never make it to the Motor City, as they are detained at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport for erratic and suspicious behavior. Apparently, Brown, wearing a pilot's uniform, attempts to convince security that he left his twin-engine Cessna with valet parking on the south runway. Security was also alarmed by Brown's large duffle bag, which appeared to move while being screened. Upon a further search, security officials find Houston in the bag among several vials of prescription medication and a carton of Kool Menthols.

Meanwhile, back in Detroit, rocker Ted Nugent fills in, and begins a raucous version of the anthem. However, the Motor City Madman's performance is cut short when he is arrested mid-song for brandishing an assault rifle on the stage.

* Former Oilers' head coach Bum Phillips pays a visit to Texans' coach Dom Capers at Reliant Stadium, with Oiler great Earl Campbell in tow. While Campbell gives the young Texans a pep talk, Phillips slaps the Texans' baseball cap off of Capers' head, and then fits him with a 10-gallon Stetson and a pair of cowboy boots. To complete the ensemble, Phillips presents Capers with a pair of horn-rimmed eye glasses, and an authentic set of Texas longhorns for Capers' station wagon.

"Now you look like a real football coach," Phillips beams.

The Texans go 10-6 and as a wildcard secure their first playoff berth.

* Bengals' receiver T. J. Houshmanzedah legally changes his name to "¥," which loosely translates to "the receiver formally known as Housmanzedah." ¥ has a breakout year, with 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns, and his jersey sales increase ten-fold, as the name "¥" is clearly visible above his number, and doesn't form a semi-circle around it, as Houshmanzadeh formerly did.

* The Chicago Bears place a full-page advertisement in the Chicago Sun-Times for fan auditions to appear as extras in the "Super Bowl Shuffle: 2005" video. However, a spelling error, in which the "h" in "Shuffle" was replaced with an "o," renders the competition a cook-off for the best soufflé in town. "Iron" Mike Ditka wins the competition with his delicious Hot Chocolate Soufflé. Ditka is then carried from the kitchen on the shoulders of the defeated chefs.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 5:43 PM | Comments (1)

The Steroid Storm: Plausible Denial?

Now a picture is taking shape in baseball that makes sense of the decade since the 1994 strike. The power surge, the nagging injuries, the disappearances of Ruben Sierra and Julio Franco have all been puzzle pieces. Rafael Palmeiro's positive steroid test, coming on the heels of his 3,000th hit, is like Vanna White turning around the letter that you need. Now we see the word: C-H-E-A-T-E-R-S.

The faithful have maintained that Barry Bonds could have used legitimate weight training techniques to transform himself from a 35-home run hitter to a 70-home run colossus. They have defended Sammy Sosa, who began his career as a wiry White Sox, but captured America's hearts as a crushing Cub. Then came Raffy's dirty sample. A player who, in over 500 at bats in 1988, 1989, and 1990, produced 8, 8, and 14 homers respectively. In 2001, this man belted 47 home runs.

Now the whole 2001 season is called into question as MLB was not testing for anabolic steroids then, and Barry Bonds hit an uncharacteristic 73 round-trippers. Barry Bonds? Where was he during the Mark McGwire/Sosa duel that held America's attention during the summer of '98? Bret Boone (now out of the game at 36), Luis Gonzalez, Brady Anderson. They're all under suspicion now, and rightfully so. All three, out of the clear blue homerless sky, posted season statistics worthy of Mickey Mantle or Jimmy Foxx.

LuGo's 57 homers came in 2001. Boone's 141 RBI? You guessed it, 2001. Commissioner Bud Selig sat on his hands, not introducing a steroid testing policy because the fans had come back to the national pastime, largely drawn by the longball (chicks dig it).

Even with players getting caught now, the drug policy is still a joke. It's a microcosm of the U.S.'s supposed war on drugs. MLB still doesn't test for human growth hormone (if the exposed cheaters were smarter, they'd have used that instead).

Palmeiro cries that he can't discuss the nature of his offense due to lawyer-client confidentially. No, Raffy, that means your attorney, and the Players' Union can't disclose anything. The confidentiality is to protect you. You can say anything you want — and if you really wished to help other players and youngsters as you said in your shameful, attorney-written appeal to Baltimore sports talk radio, you'd say, "Hey, guys and kids, if your coach or some street dealer tells you (fill in the blank name for the supplement) is clean, it's not. Avoid it like the plague."

It remains to be seen how this will play out. Already, Barry Bonds is saying his knees are too bad to return this season (another puzzle piece — Mark McGwire succumbed to bad knees). Arthritic knees are symptomatic of a body straining under all the weight one's frame was not designed to carry. And did you ever wonder why, in the 1990's, Julio Franco and Ruben Sierra fell off the face of the earth, only to return a few seasons ago? They were power hitters 12 years ago. Juan Gonzalez hasn't played 140 games since 2001. Were he healthy, he'd have 600 home runs, rather than his 434.

Baseball, more than any team sport, offers a standardized yardstick of performance. The 162-game season reveals both strengths and weaknesses. It is not a sport that lends itself to overnight change. Ken Griffey, Jr., Albert Pujols, and Alfonso Soriano came into the majors hitting for power. We all knew what Cecil Fielder could do, as we did with Reggie Jackson, who hit 47 homers when he was 23 (31 of them by the 1969 All-Star Break). The incredible hulks of the 1990s weren't credible after all.

Palmeiro asks us what he would have had to gain by risking it all during his milestone season? Well, looking back, in May, he was batting under .220, with a homer and 9 RBI. The Orioles were loaded with hitters who could have replaced him. The club was playing well. What he had to gain was not being benched in a year where 3,000 was in sight. The most likely steroid suspects are aging vets and marginal players — both trying to hang on and produce.

It's coming into focus, and the picture is ugly. Look at the players' defenses: Sammy didn't know what was in his bat. Bonds, Gary Sheffield, and Palmeiro didn't know what they were putting in their bodies. C'mon. High school athletes know everything they put into their bodies, and what it does. Weight lifters and weekend warriors read fitness magazines and shop at GNC. A lot of these guys are not only dishonest, perhaps even before Congress, but they appear to be unwise.

Some take the fans and media for fools. Their short-term statistical gains all go out the window now. What must Hank Aaron be thinking? Even if Bonds returns in 2006, what will we all think? Cheaters can run, but they can't hide from random tests.

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 5:16 PM | Comments (2)

What Can Brown Do For You?

Nomad.

Please repeat the word?

Nomad.

What is the root?

The root of nomad is no, as in a nomad will never say no to an offer to continue moving.

Definition?

A nomad is a person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer.

Nomad. L-A-R-R-Y-B-R-O-W-N. Nomad.

Not counting Larry Brown's stint at Davidson College, which lasted only a few days, the man Tony Kornheiser dubbed the "vagabond genius of basketball" has had 12 jobs in 33 years.

The torch has been passed, so to speak, from Brown, whose former team won last year's NBA championship, to Anurag Kashap, who captured this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee.

What's the connection? Well, neither the new Knicks coach nor Kashap really knew what they were doing after their most recent competitions. Until the saga finally unfolded and landed Brown what he once said was his dream job (that is until he has another dream), his future was about as foggy as Ricky Williams' car. Meanwhile, Kashap simply didn't know what he was doing following his victory — the 13-year old from California, known simply as speller No. 20 on the tour, described the feeling he was experiencing after winning as "ecstaticness," which is not a word. Hard to bee-lieve, but true.

But while Kashap presumably went back to his life as a Lego-building boy-genius, Brown's status remained for the immediate future one of sports' great mysteries.

Brown, whose resume reads as long as Ron Jeremy (both his list of movies and himself), was rumored to be the next president of the Cavaliers. Despite a game seven loss to the Spurs, he was still considered one of the best coaches ever and a franchise-saving guy, not to mention someone who probably won't stay long in one place and will always listen to other offers.

If Brown had won a second straight title and were asked if he was going to Disney World after, he might have said, "Why? Do they need a coach or someone in the front office?"

So as Larry the coaching legend headed to the Mayo Clinic to determine in what capacity he will be able to work next season, teams far and wide began to wonder, what can Brown do for us?

Realizing he'd be inundated with calls, letters, emails, faxes, etc., Brown probably cut himself off from the outside world. If he did, here's who might have expressed interest:

Larry,

We go way back. You've been here already — and I know we have Rick Carlisle in place — but you took his job before, so why not do it again? Granted, we lost Reggie Miller, but if you're looking for a challenge, try coaching an unchained Ron Artest. Let us know.

Donnie Walsh
Pacers CEO

***

LB,

Philly needs you back, man. We've lost our way out here. Holla.

A.I.

P.S. We were talking about practice!

***

Dear Mr. Brown,

Our organization is not nearly as high-profile as what you are accustomed to. That having said, we feel we can provide a certain spiritual satisfaction that you will not receive in the NBA. You will get Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons off, as well as various holidays, to spend time with family. Our team competes in the tough and always competitive East Coast JCC League. Your brother, Herb, has demonstrated great commitment by coaching Team USA in the 15th and 16th Maccabiahs in Israel; we hope you will follow suit.

Shlomo Weinstein
Captain, JCC of Greater Philadelphia men's basketball team

***

"This is Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the USA Basketball senior men's national team program. I'm heading a search committee to find a coach, and I was wondering ... (Wait! Why is this guy on my list?! Who am I leaving a message for?! I meant to call Larry BIRD!)"

***

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]

Larry,

Buknell! We lost to Bucknell! Help!

Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU

University of Kansas athletic department

***

"Yo, coach Brown, it's LeBron. Even though you did me wrong in the Olympics, I'd be down with you coming here as president of basketball operations. I don't hold grudges, and you're a winner, and that's what I'm all about. If you came, I think we'd get along. After all, we'll both probably leave after two years. Later."

***

"Larry, it's Isiah. I was really pulling for you guys to win back-to-back titles (smiling and laughing to himself). I know how hard it is to do it (looking at his two rings). Anyway, we'd love to have you coach up here in New York. You're at the top of our list (crossing off Phil Jackson's name). The new CBA allows us to be creative with our roster (crossing off Allan Houston's name). Let me know if you're interested."

***

To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]

Mr. Larry Brown,

I am not a basketball player, but I do need a coach that can help me win the national spelling bee. I was the first pick in ESPN.com's Page 2's First Annual Spelling Bee Fantasy Draft, but I tied for second this year. I am only 11, so my best spelling years are still ahead of me. Please help me spell "the right way," like you teach your teams to play.

Samir Sudhir Patel

Posted by Danny Sternfield at 4:39 PM | Comments (1)

ATP's New Doubles: A Necessary Evil

I have talked to a large number of casual tennis fans, several tennis club members, and occasional players before I decided to present my point of view on this subject. As I expected, most of these people expressed great sorrow over the ATP's decision to revamp the doubles system. And as I expected, most of them did that only after I explained to them what the new system brings to the table.

As I expected, most of them did not even know of such news.

In case you have not heard, ATP is changing the format for doubles once the U.S. Open ends. Sets will end after a team reaches five games, there will be tie-breakers at 4-4, and no-ad scoring will take effect. This is all in an effort to shorten the doubles' match time, thus resulting in more of the world's top-ranked singles players participating in doubles.

Furthermore, starting 2008, only players who are in the singles main draw will be allowed to participate in doubles, except for wildcards and two spots in a 16-team draw for trams with the best combined ranking not playing in singles. Also in 2008, a new ranking system will be in effect, where a player will be ranked based on the total of 50% of a player's doubles points added on to the 50% of his singles points.

Confused enough? Do you care?

If you answered "yes" to both questions, let me simplify it for you. ATP is basically half-axing the doubles game, making it a lesser factor in the world of tennis. The reason is simple, the money is not there for doubles.

If you answered "no" to the second question, regardless of your answer to the first, you are part of the reason for ATP's decision. I know my opinion will not be popular, but let me go on record saying that although the methods may be arguable, ATP's decision is a correct one. And please spare me the speech about "the greatness of watching doubles skills." My butcher down the street claims to have the greatest meat-cutting skill also, but would anyone sit and watch him on TV if he was broadcast in action?

If you are not convinced, ask yourself this question: how many times have you watched a player with the first name Lleyton, Andy, Roger, or Andre in the last few years versus Cyril, Laender, Mark (no not Phillippoussis), or Bob (no not Costas)?

So much for the silly "skills" speech...

Let's move on to "it's never on TV" excuse. Those that have the Tennis Channel will confirm that doubles is often broadcast on the tennis channel, with show times often repeated, including last week's RCA Championships. I have the Tennis Channel, and I did not make my Saturday or Sunday schedule around the doubles matches broadcast. But I did clear my schedule for the singles semifinals and finals. I am willing to bet most others did the same.

Most tennis fans will agree that a good doubles match is a pleasure to watch. However, when asked if they would rather watch any Grand Slam tournament's singles final versus doubles if given the choice, they will firmly choose singles. And let's face it, if both were on TV, do you really think most tennis fans would sit through another hour or two of doubles play after watching singles? Heck, you can't even get most spectators at tournament to sit in the stands through both singles and doubles.

Also, do you really think TVs will spare five hours of broadcast time on a Saturday or Sunday just so it can broadcast doubles featuring strange names after a singles final featuring two high-profile names (or at least one, most of the time)?

So yes, it's never on TV because, let's be honest, beach volleyball attracts more viewers than Aspelin/Perry vs. Paes/Zimonjic doubles match? Oh, don't get mad at me for being picky with names, both of those teams in the previous sentence are ranked No. 5 and No. 6 in the world, respectively!

The biggest losers in this new wave of doubles revamping will be people like the Bryan brothers and the Jensen brothers, who actually have a positive effect on the image of tennis, spending plenty of time with tournament sponsors, fans, and kids. However, they are very rare, in fact immense exceptions, in an environment where doubles players represent nothing more than a financial burden on most ATP tournaments.

Naturally, the Bryan and Jensen brothers have expressed their disappointments with this decision, along with Todd Woodbridge and a few others who use the doubles circuit as their bread-winning avenue. I see their point, but can't help wondering if they would feel as strongly if they made it on the tour as singles players. All those "doubles specialists," a term that faces extinction under the upcoming system, are only that because they did not succeed in singles. If Bob Bryan, Luke Jensen, Laender Paes, Mark Knowles, or Jonas Bjorkman ever made it to top five in singles, would they be playing doubles on a regular basis? I think not!

Do you see a pattern on all these views? It all comes down to one thing that I mentioned in the beginning: money! Players first try to make it in singles because there is more money, TVs don't broadcast doubles unless they don't have a choice because of money, and tournaments don't want the doubles specialist around because he does not offer a return for its cost in financial terms.

Fans are the only ones who don't have money as their reason for choosing to watch singles over doubles. Perhaps, it is we fans who need to put our money where our mouth is and demand more doubles before we do the talking.

Let's go back to those people that I mentioned at the beginning of this column, the club players, occasional fans etc. Once explained the revamping of doubles, talk they did. But when it comes to walking, they will not.

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 1:31 PM | Comments (2)

August 2, 2005

Fantasy Football Forecast: WR Ratings

Year in and year out, the wide receiver position is one that is religiously the most difficult to predict. Each season, the upper echelon of receivers, in terms of production, is dotted with one-hit-wonders amidst the "usual suspects" that tend to produce on a yearly basis. Add to that the reliance any receiver has on the production of his quarterback and the offensive scheme his team employs, and you have yourself a veritable crapshoot.

That's where I come in. The "science" behind my rankings in general, and especially my receiver rankings, considers all of the factors that are generally lost on the casual fantasy football participant. I think any reader will see as they peruse this list that some of these wide outs, who may otherwise be unnoticed, are very much in the limelight as a result of my analysis. Hopefully, this makes my top 50 wide receivers a palatable crew.

Having a solid group of receivers, especially in some fantasy football formats that require playing at least two each week, can make the difference between having an average team and a great one. Conversely, getting a consistently low score from the position could doom even teams with a great running back/quarterback combo.

Again, if you've missed out on my first two installments (quarterbacks and running backs), I invite you to check them out before you get into the meat of this particular article, as they give some background on my qualifications relative to the ratings.

As with the other lists, I've included each player's strength of schedule and, predictably, the value represented for wide receivers is indicative of the team's schedule difficulty against the pass. Statistical projections are also included, with receptions being calculated by taking yardage and dividing it by the league average yards per catch at the position. The top 50 receivers on my list have been included below, with a more detailed analysis accompanying the top 10.

1) Terrell Owens, Eagles (7)

T.O. has reported to Eagles camp and he'll be the same old T.O. Owens is deadly at any location on the field (heck, the guy's even deadly in the press room with all those microphones in his face) and is a lock to put up big-time yardage and touchdown numbers as Donovan McNabb's favorite target. If you are picking near the back end of the first round and feel that a running back you're comfortable with will still be around when you pick again in round two, don't hesitate on drafting Owens.

(2005 projected stats: 101 catches, 1,377 yards, 15 TD)

2) Randy Moss, Raiders (27-tie)

The saying goes, "A rolling stone gathers no moss," but recent history has shown that a rolling offense is covered in Moss. The latter is an adage fans of the Silver and Black will be eating up all year long. Despite having to cope with one of the five toughest pass schedules this season, Moss is a dangerous receiver with unmatched skills and tenacity (when applying himself, it should be noted). Pencil him in for his usual nearly pornographic array of dazzling touchdown catches and highlight reel runs after the catch. With Owens, he is one of the two worthy first stanza receiver selections and if you can manage to pick him up early in round two after you grab a running back in the first, you should consider yourself truly blessed.

(83, 1,126, 17)

3) Drew Bennett, Titans (10)

For all of the pageantry Moss and Owens provide at the position, this blue-collar wide out will give you nearly as much security without the hullabaloo. While many will point out that Bennett's emergent 2004 season was on the strength of three outrageously productive games, it should be noted that those games were under similar circumstances to those the Titans will face this season (large deficits and a thin receiving corps), which makes him a threat to burst onto the scene in 2005 with a much more consistent contribution. I like Bennett as a second-round talent, but caution any reader that he likely will be available in round three or four and would be a real steal if you could grab him in one of those rounds.

(89, 1,217, 15)

4) Muhsin Muhammad, Bears (18)

Another that many feel outperformed reality last season, Muhammad was always considered a superb talent, but never really lived up to expectations until last season, when the injury to Steve Smith availed him the opportunity to be the primary target in an offense. In Chicago, he will have the same status and even with an inexperienced quarterback he should stabilize what was an atrocious passing game a year ago. Look to grab Muhsin late in round two or early in round three.

(85, 1,152, 14)

5) Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (6)

I can hear all the boos and cat-calls now. However, Fitzgerald will be in his second season and should be ready to show the world that he is the real deal, especially with a rifle-armed Warner hurling him the pigskin. Even with two very significant receivers playing alongside Fitzgerald (Anquan Boldin and Bryant Johnson), Larry should have no problem handling the spotlight in the desert sun. With very little resistance in terms of the defenses he will regularly face, Fitzy is a very safe third round selection and a steal in any round thereafter.

(92, 1,253, 12)

6) Marvin Harrison, Colts (12)

You see, I have not forgotten about the ultra-consistent Indianapolis receiver, after all. Playing for the Colts affords Harrison many opportunities to shine, but also tempers his numbers a bit due to the variety of weapons Manning has at his disposal. That said, the guy leads the league in "Why in the hell was he so open?" exclamations from opposing coaches, and that alone slots him higher than his counterpart, Reggie Wayne. Harrison is an interesting case, who many owners will value as a first-round or early second-round guy, but my analysis places him firmly as a third-round producer and it would be wise not to fall victim to overvaluing Harrison, even if it means missing out on his services — just take Wayne a round or two later.

(75, 1,022, 15)

7) Torry Holt, Rams (5)

Production is Torry Holt's middle name, and this year will be no different. The one factor that drops him all the way to seven on this list is the likelihood that he won't score quite as many touchdowns as some of the other receivers will. The drop-off from Owens (who is No. 1 on this list) to Holt isn't too severe, and numbers three through 12 on this list will ultimately put up very similar overall numbers, but that difference is enough to move Holt (and the others) into the third round just on the fact that the receiver position isn't a real priority when considering it against the top-shelf backfield options.

102, 1,388, 10)

8) Chad Johnson, Bengals (19)

Johnson has been as solid as anyone over the past two-plus seasons at his position, and with a Cincinnati team that seems poised to make a strong playoff push, Chad should continue to excel. As with Holt, Chad Johnson could ultimately wind up leading the league in both receptions and yardage, but isn't quite the red zone threat that some of the others are, so that makes him a solid third-rounder and nothing more.

(96, 1,301, 11)

9) Reggie Wayne, Colts (12)

Part two of Indy's dynamic receiving corps, Wayne is an emerging stud and is quickly usurping many of Harrison's opportunities in the Colts passing attack. Still, Wayne hasn't quite surpassed Marvin in terms of touchdown potential as he sometimes struggles to shed double-coverage, especially in the red zone. Regardless of this, making Reggie your first receiver pick somewhere in the third round is a strong move and it will eliminate the frustration of reaching for a more renowned Harrison in the first two rounds without sacrificing a whole lot.

(91, 1,244, 10)

10) Hines Ward, Steelers (25)

As steady a pass-catcher as there is in the game, Ward certainly will continue to be a top-flight fantasy option. However, one of QB Ben Roethlisberger's most valuable assets is his ability to find the open guy, which will somewhat reduce the steady stream of passes Ward has seen in recent years. Even with that, Hines is a great third- or fourth-round pick and is pretty much a sure thing to produce at a level worthy of such a pick.

(81, 1,101, 12)

11) Joe Horn, Saints (22)

Like a fine wine, Horn continues to grow better with age. The inconsistency of Aaron Brooks and the Saints' offense in general hurts his stock a bit, but Horn is still an easy guy to figure relative to production. Snatch him up if he's still around late in the third round or early in the fourth.

(90, 1,223, 10)

12) Andre Johnson, Texans (3)

Andre should benefit greatly from the porous defenses he'll face within his division (aside from Jacksonville, of course) in 2005. He has become a highlight-reel performer who has proven he can make tough catches in traffic and his size makes him a solid red zone target for developing QB David Carr. An easy pick if he's around in round four, and may even be worth a late third.

(88, 1,204, 10)

13) Darrell Jackson, Seahawks (4)

With Koren Robinson out of the picture in Seattle, Jackson can go one of two ways. He may continue on his recent trend of dropping passes and put up just decent numbers, or he'll be a more focused football player and become the top-tier threat his route-running and nose for the ball would characterize him as. I look for the latter to be a more likely result, which makes Jackson a good pick in round four.

(96, 1,311, 8)

14) Javon Walker, Packers (28)

A huge asterisk should be placed next to Walker's name as he, unlike Owens, actually has a valid case for a hold out. If he does report, look for Walker to show that last season's production was no fluke. Watch his status carefully, because using the fourth round pick I recommend on Javon and having him miss even a part of the year would be unfortunate indeed. (Note: Walker has reported to Packers camp. — Ed)

(80, 1,095, 10)

15) Nate Burleson, Vikings (9)

Sans Randy Moss, Burleson is the de facto go to guy in Minnesota's offense. This has proven to be a very beneficial spot to be in, and Burleson should have no problem duplicating the promise he began to flash en masse last season. A steal in round five.

(82, 1116, 9)

16) Plaxico Burress, Giants (21)

The new setting in Flushing Meadows should do wonders for Burress' generally apathetic approach to a game he could dominate. Still, with all the talent Plaxico possesses, it is a shame that he rates out of the top-10, and that won't change until he shows he's committed to his job. Taking him before the fifth round is a risk, but one that may pay off.

(60, 820, 12)

17) Jimmy Smith, Jaguars (1)

Smith is clearly aging, but continues to show that he is an all-timer at the wide receiver position. While I do expect a continued drop-off in his numbers, the Jags feature a ridiculously pass-friendly schedule in 2005 and Smith certainly isn't ready to fade into the sunset quite yet. A solid fifth-round pick.

(80, 1,092, 9)

18) Chris Chambers, Dolphins (8)

Realizing that Chambers has never fully lived up to the hype, Chris is the best receiver on a team that should score more in 2005. Chambers has always had a decent nose for the end zone and should emerge as a favorite target, especially with the legal question marks surrounding their other primary pass catcher, TE Randy McMichael. A good fifth-round pick who should finally break the 1,000-yard plateau.

(77, 1,052, 9)

19) Michael Clayton, Buccaneers (13)

Year two of the Michael Clayton era in Tampa should be marked with improvement as a rapport develops between he and Brian Griese. Look to snag Clayton in round six.

(83, 1,136, 8)

20) Roy Williams, Lions (15)

Another emerging young receiver, Williams needs to stay healthy to justify a top-20 ranking. Clearly, the best of a very talented set of pass catchers in Detroit, his affinity for acrobatic catches in traffic make him a pretty safe bet as a fifth- or sixth-round receiving option.

(72, 979, 8)

21) Lee Evans, Bills (27-tie)

I mentioned in my running back analysis that I am not a believer in the Buffalo Bills for 2005. But because of his red zone potential, Lee Evans will bring to an end the Eric Moulds era of prominence in Buffalo, which isn't an easy task. If Evans is around in round six, jump all over him.

(55, 752, 10)

22) Donald Driver, Packers (28)

Someone that may slip through the cracks, especially if Walker's hold out becomes increasingly ugly. Without Walker, Driver should be slid up this list considerably, with him, don't use anything lower than a seventh-rounder on Driver.

(70, 957, 8)

23) Anquan Boldin, Cardinals (6)

A physical specimen if there ever was one, Boldin is poised to rebound from an injury-plagued 2004. A firm seventh-round choice.

(70, 949, 8)

24) Isaac Bruce, Rams (5)

No matter how hard I try, I just can't find justification for leaving Bruce out of the top 25 at his position. He'll be another step slower and a little more fragile, but he's a gamer and worthy of a pick late in round seven or early in round eight.

(81, 1,098, 6)

25) Jerry Porter, Raiders (27-tie)

Though Moss will render Porter obsolete as Kerry Collins' primary option on offense, his red zone prowess can never be completely ignored. Getting Jerry in round eight would be a coup, but be careful not to reach for him too early, as No. 3 receiver Ronald Curry may also cut into his chances.

(61, 831, 8)

26) Derrick Mason, Ravens (11)

Being Kyle Boller's number two option (remember, Todd Heap is there as his number one) is akin to being a number three on most other teams. Mason will certainly catch his share of balls, but the red zone belongs to Jamal Lewis and Todd Heap, which tempers any enthusiasm I may have had for Mason. Still, you could do worse in rounds nine or ten.

(73, 995, 5)

27) Quincy Morgan, Cowboys (16)

With one year of Bill Parcells in his rear view mirror, Morgan should be able to adjust to his coach's expectations in 2005. May emerge as the primary pass-catcher, as long as Keyshawn doesn't write any books about him. No better than a 10th-round choice, with a pretty good upside.

(62, 844, 7)

28) Reggie Williams, Jaguars (1)

Lost in the hype about 2005 first-round draft pick Matt Jones is Jacksonville's 2004 first-rounder, Reggie Williams. Williams has great size and should capitalize on a potent Jag offensive attack. A good sleeper in round 10.

(64, 872, 7)

29) Eddie Kennison, Chiefs (31)

Somebody has to catch some balls in Kansas City, and Gonzalez can't get them all. Kennison is the primary candidate to fit that bill, so he is worthy of a late 10th-round pick.

(54, 730, 8)

30) Troy Williamson, Vikings (9)

Finally, a rookie on this list. While I am not a believer in Williamson (hands of stone — trust me, you'll see), the nature of the Viking offense and his blazing speed will certainly yield him enough big plays to render him a relatively adequate pick in rounds 10-12.

(59, 810, 7)

31) Steve Smith, Panthers (17)

Coming back from injury, Smith won't be the same guy we saw in the 2003 playoffs — yet. A balanced Carolina passing game will be anchored by the diminutive Smith, though, and his numbers should make him worthy of an 11th-round selection.

(66, 897, 6)

32) Michael Jenkins, Falcons (14)

Recently anointed the starter in Atlanta, Jenkins is a promising young player who could turn the relatively harmless Falcon passing attack into more of a downfield weapon. I like him as a deep sleeper, as his projected numbers err on the side of conservative and he is worthy of a 12th-round draft pick.

(64, 870, 6)

33) Eric Moulds, Bills (27-tie)

Moulds is still a talent and should not be completely forgotten, but he stands to lose many touchdown opportunities playing alongside the emerging Lee Evans. His greatest curse this season will be the minimalist attitude the coaches take to the Buffalo passing game in year one of the J.P. Losman era. Worth no better than 12th-round choice.

(59, 805, 7)

34) Rod Gardner, Panthers (17)

As I implied in counterpart Steve Smith's explanation, Carolina should have a balanced offense, giving new acquisition Gardner ample opportunity to contribute, but little chance to shine. Another 12th-round value pick.

(55, 754, 7)

35) David Patten, Redskins (23)

There is not much to like about Washington's offense this season, but Patten is a nice addition and his contribution should be felt immediately. Not worth anything better than a 13th-round choice, but a player to keep an eye on as he should go undrafted in many leagues.

(54, 731, 7)

36) Keyshawn Johnson, Cowboys (16)

"Me-shawn" may be playing on borrowed time, even with his buddy Parcells running the ship. His size makes him a safe bet to at least get some catches, but he won't be much of a factor in terms of big plays and scoring chances. A good late-round pickup.

(60, 815, 4)

37) Bryant Johnson, Cardinals (6)

I'm as shocked as you to see three Arizona Cardinals in the top 40, but it is what it is. Johnson is the lesser of the three, but this is the year his production begins to match his potential. A late-round grab, but only if you don't have either of the other two Cardinal pass-catchers.

(59, 801, 6)

38) Brandon Stokley, Colts (12)

Another number three guy in the top 40, but this one is far easier to justify. Stokley's 2004 campaign will be tough to duplicate, but he has emerged as a reliable option in a pinch. Let somebody else grab him early, unless he sits on the board into the late rounds.

(66, 903, 4)

39) Mike Williams, Lions (15)

His presence in Detroit is actually the sole reason that Roy Williams doesn't find himself higher in the rankings. Williams will certainly emerge as the man in the red zone with the matchup problems his size creates. A late-round pick or free agent steal.

(37, 500, 9)

40) Braylon Edwards, Browns (30)

While Edwards may ultimately become a great professional player, his QB as of press time is Trent Dilfer. Ouch. Wait around on Edwards and grab him very late in the draft.

(52, 715, 6)

41) T.J. Houshmandzedah, Bengals (19)

T.J. (I'm not even going to try to write that last name twice in the same article) came on strong last season and proved to be a valuable option in the Cincy offense. As such, you shouldn't hesitate to take him with one of your last two picks if he's still around.

(63, 863, 4)

42) Reche Caldwell, Chargers (24)

Like the rest of San Diego's wideouts, Caldwell is a victim of the recent trend towards hammering the ball to the tight ends. Reche is talented and should be considered a deep, deep sleeper, so I would recommend grabbing him with your last pick instead of praying for him to still be around as a free agent once the season starts — he will catch some touchdowns.

(52, 706, 6)

43) Rod Smith, Broncos (32)

It is hard to believe no Bronco receiver lands in the top 40. But they play a nasty schedule and Jake Plummer still doesn't look comfortable, which makes any Denver receiver a risky play. Draft him late on his reputation alone, but don't expect too much.

(61, 825, 5)

44) Deion Branch, Patriots (20)

I must admit, I would never wait this long to choose Branch, nor would most other owners. But my analysis rated him here, so I'm going to go with it. Try to sneak him up to mid-rounds, if you want, but don't be surprised if his numbers break him down as a disappointment later in the year.

(50, 677, 6)

45) Ashley Lelie, Broncos (32)

With Rod Smith on the list, Lelie cannot be far behind. Lelie has worlds of talent and could blow up at any time, but not with this schedule and that quarterback. Try to get Lelie as a free agent or maybe as a last pick for depth.

(58, 791, 5)

46) Donte Stallworth, Saints (22)

There really isn't a more frustrating talent at the receiver position. He could score two touchdowns and get over 100 yards any given week, but then again, he could get shut out just as easily. For that reason, don't waste anything more than one of your last two choices on Stallworth.

(59, 667, 6)

47) Antwaan Randle El, Steelers (25)

If your league awards individual points for returns, give Antwaan a whirl, because he should get many more chances in the passing game in 2005, to boot.

(59, 809, 4)

48) Kevin Curtis, Rams (5)

Curtis could be looking at a nice breakout type of year. Keep a close eye on him, but don't draft him, unless you play in a very large league.

(57, 775, 5)

49) Johnnie Morton, 49ers (2)

I have not forgotten about the 49ers, either, but with a rookie QB (theoretically) and a TE (Eric Johnson) who should suck up all red zone opportunities, the receivers will be pretty much an afterthought in San Fran.

(66, 893, 3)

50) Lavarenues Coles, Jets (29)

Can this possibly be? No Jet receiver on the list until number 50, and I didn't even rig it to come out like this?! Truth is, Coles is allergic to the end zone and New York stand to be one of the lower scoring teams in football this season.

(61, 831, 3)

***

In my most recent draft, I waited on my wide receiver picks and grabbed Nate Burleson, Chris Chambers, Michael Jenkins, and Quincy Morgan in later rounds. This gave me two I am comfortable with (Chambers and Burleson) and a couple others that could have big seasons, if things fall right.

It should be noted that your wide receiver preference should match your strategic preference for your team. By this, if you are not a believer in putting all your proverbial eggs in one basket, you may want to shy away from drafting a higher rated player if he is on the same team as one of your primary running backs. Also, quarterback/wide receiver combos are nice when their team is putting up fat numbers, but keep in mind that during those lean weeks, you'll be suffering at two positions rather than just the one.

Additionally, if you play in larger leagues, the pickings will be slimmer as rounds progress, so you should adjust my projected round of selection accordingly.

My personal preference is to stay away from both scenarios, with a few very specific exceptions (McNabb/Owens, Peyton Manning/Harrison, Manning/Wayne, Collins/Moss, Carson Palmer/Johnson and Carr/Johnson). Rare is the case that you get a pass-catcher and a runner that both put up fat numbers, especially in consideration of touchdowns, so I have always shied away from creating such a dilemma on my teams. But to each his/her own, my opinion is just one bubble in the bath water, and there certainly is more than one way to skin a cat.

Since I'm running out of clichés, I leave each of you to your own devices when it comes to deigning your own wide receiver roster choices, but you can't say you weren't warned.

Don't miss the QB and RB ratings. Stay tuned as Matt Thomas brings you more fantasy forecasts!

Posted by Matt Thomas at 4:28 PM | Comments (0)

Membership Has its Privileges

My last article resulted in a flurry of feedback from the Sports Central readership. For those of you who missed it, basically I was noting that the quality of quarterbacks in the NFL is not what it should be and a number of teams have been unable or unwilling to upgrade at the position.

I also predicted (slightly sarcastically) that the playoff teams would not change since the better quarterbacks play on the playoff teams from last year.

I learned the following from the e-mails I received: (a) the Sports Central Nation is very well-informed (as indicated by several people who noted the error I made as I went through the QB depth charts of several teams); (b) Name-calling is apparently how debate is moved forward by a number of readers, and; (c) Jake Delhomme has a huge fan base within those of you who read Sports Central based upon the number of e-mails that came in to defend the Carolina Panther QB.

Readers, be ready as I move onto my next observation.

The NFL is an exclusive club and once admitted, the payoffs are huge.

This statement isn't one I make lightly. Think about what is said by analysts, columnists, and others who cover the league when one team wins. "The NFL is a copycat league."

Absolutely. But the reasons the NFL is a copycat league go beyond simply that imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

The NFL itself is setup as an entity that is slow to change or evolve on its own because the people who play, coach and critique are the same people.

I will outline a number of factors that I consider to be the main contributors that show that the NFL is a club that likes its own and resists outsiders.

Coaching Carousel

This term is more than a cliché. The coaches in the NFL set the team philosophy and direction. They set trends and innovate. The problem is, more often than not, owners will reach for a name from the past or a former head coach to run their team.

While this makes sense from a risk-reward point of view, it doesn't move the game forward.

When the Dallas Cowboys were looking for a coach, owner Jerry Jones went back to the future to bring in Bill Parcells. Parcells was on his way to the Hall of Fame and had to have his name removed from ballot considerations as he was going to become active again.

The Washington Redskins liked the 1980s so much owner Dan Snyder hired Joe Gibbs to repeat the success he had in the days when Miami Vice was a hit show.

Out in the desert, the Arizona Cardinals talked Dennis Green out of his self-imposed exile and convinced him to return to the sidelines.

Each of these men was out of football for a number of years and yet each landed the head coach job in a classic example illustrating how NFL membership can last a lifetime.

Dick Vermeil of the Kansas City Chiefs, Marty Schottenheimer of the San Diego Chargers, and Norv Turner of the Oakland Raiders also represent other head coaches who in some cases were thought to never coach again and yet, they are a head coach once more.

If you aren't a previous head coach, then the next best way to land a job in the NFL is to be on the staff that had a great deal of success. The Bill Walsh San Francisco 49ers have a great legacy in the NFL annals and also in the number of current head coaches with close links to the 49er glory years.

Mike Holmgren, Jon Gruden, Andy Reid, Steve Mariucci, and Mike Shanahan all have coaching roots that can be traced back to the 49ers.

The "West Coast Offense" is now played on the East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico Coast, the Lake Michigan Coast, and other places where there aren't any significant water masses at all.

If you throw in the Bill Parcells coaching tree with Bill Belichick and his offshoots, the vast majority of head coaches in the NFL really come from only a few teams. Same teams, same philosophies, same ideas.

While not all head coaches have this pedigree, those that don't often aren't given much of a chance to succeed when they do get a crack at the big job (see Chan Gailey, Jim Fassel, and Gregg Williams). Meanwhile, the same names get the opportunity to be a head coach in another town when they were just run out of the other city on a rail.

We Are Family

Some would say that those who play in the NFL represent some of the best athletes around. The odds of making a roster in the NFL are slim and many have their professional football dreams end long before an August training camp.

So, with so few jobs and so many hopefuls, what are the odds that members of the same family can land places on the roster?

Real good, apparently.

Ronde and Tiki Barber. Peyton, Archie, and Eli Manning. Phil and Chris Simms. Bob and Brian Griese. Ty and Coy Detmer. Matt and Tim Hasselbeck. Tony and Anthony (Jr.) Dorsett. Walter and Jarrett Payton. Mark and Michael Clayton. The Gramaticas.

Throw in all the cousins that are also playing in the NFL together and it becomes clear that in order to crack the NFL, knowing the right people is just as important as having the skills.

That isn't to say the above players named aren't worthy of playing in the NFL, but how many would-be stars don't get the invite to the scouting combine because someone had a brother or father who was there some years ago?

The Big Six

The NFL has the most extensive farm system of any professional league. College football is huge and national coverage for some teams is almost as great as the pro league.

The majority of the high-profile teams play in the big-name conferences: the SEC, the Big 10, the Big 12, the Pac-10, the ACC, and the Big East (although this one is fading as fast as teams leave the conference).

These six conferences run college football and the big-game, big-money BCS. If you want to play in the NFL, landing a scholarship with a team in one of these conferences is a great step forward.

Not only is the media present at these colleges, previous NFL coaches are also often on staff at the school. These connections play a role in getting a chance at the NFL. Think of the big names in the NFL: Peyton Manning (SEC), Tom Brady (Big 10), and Mike Vick (ACC).

Not every star played in one of the Big Six conferences, but it becomes a big story when they don't. When Chad Pennington and Ben Roethlisberger played well, part of the story behind them was the fact that they played their college ball in schools that were not part of the Big Six conferences.

How many other players don't get the chance because they don't play at a school with ex-NFL coaches and scouts on the payroll?

The Mel Kiper Factor

It isn't possible to talk about college football and not mention Mel Kiper. Look at Kiper's website the day after the draft and he posts his idea of who the top-25 recruits will be for next year.

Last year, Kiper had Carnell Williams of Auburn as the top pick for the next year shortly after Eli Manning was chosen first overall by the San Diego Chargers. While Williams was not the number one pick and in fact his team-mate, Ronnie Brown was chosen in front of him, the attention and hype for Williams didn't hurt him and could have played a part in him going number five overall.

Look at Kiper's website now and he has DeAngelo Williams from little-known University of Memphis in Conference USA on his draft board at number four overall and the number one running back.

It will be interesting to see how Williams benefits from Kiper's endorsement of his NFL abilities. We will never know how Williams would fare in the draft without Kiper's input, but if Kiper stated that Williams wasn't good enough for the NFL, don't you think that would carry some weight in some NFL war rooms on draft day?

Color Analysts

Former players and coaches are an important part of any broadcast or pre- or post-game show. These people can offer insights that those of us who never walked an NFL sideline could ever contribute. However, these former NFLers also bring with them their ideas of how the game is to be played.

In the 24-hour media presence of today's sports world, the comments made by these color analysts have an effect on those who still play.

How many times has a remark made on television or radio enraged present-day coaches and players?

The criticism isn't taken well and often results in interviews being declined or arguments that the networks gladly broadcast. This perpetuates the same ideas and narrows debate. The NFL doesn't like criticism and has some control over the networks.

Also, have you ever noticed that a large number of analysts then return to the game after covering all the teams and watching their practices? Certainly, this continues the same circle of the same people doing the same thing.

The NFL is where football players want to be. It has the money, the profile, and opportunities for fame that many dream about while they pursue their dream career.

But the NFL runs on a business model of lowering risk as much as possible. While this makes sense on a business level, it makes you wonder how many would-be stars are selling insurance instead of Gatorade.

Posted by Jeff Moore at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)

Tired of Fakes in Sports

An excerpt from the "My Hero" project: "I guess I picked Mr. Chamberlain because of one factor: determination." — Winston from Fredericksburg

An end was finally put to the Rafael Palmeiro Hall of Fame discussion when it was revealed Monday that he is a fraud. I can't say I'm surprised to hear the Viagra spokesman juices on the field, too, but with sports the way it is today, I'm sick and tired of fakes. That is why I will always have a certain amount of respect for Wilt Chamberlain. Not just because he was one of the greatest players of all-time, but more impressive to me was his ability to score as he bedded more than 20,000 different women over his lifetime.

I know that Wilt took a ton of heat for making that claim almost 15 years ago in his autobiography, but come on, 20,000 different women? He figured it out to be about 1.2 different women every day from the age of 15. Simply put, that is one overwhelmingly impressive statistic, regardless of how one feels about sex. For instance, I don't necessarily condone eating a lot of hot dogs in a short period of time, but I'm still impressed when a small Japanese man can down about 78 in three minutes.

There will always be people who try to turn this against him. People like Arthur Ashe, who claims that Wilt represented his race poorly for sleeping with so many women. Many said that Chamberlain was only reinforcing stereotypes of black men with his sexual promiscuity.

If I had a platform to defend Wilt back in 1991, I would've called those people out for their BS. I would have told Wilt that no one should be able to tell him how he should live his life and that if people are small enough to think only in stereotypes, screw them. And if you find people that don't think in stereotypes, screw them, too. And if you find people that don't even think, you would probably need to screw at least some of them, just to keep up the numbers. If people are pissed at 20k, just wait till you break 40.

The bottom line is that if Wilt liked playing the field, who are we to tell him he's wrong? For someone who slept around, he certainly did it the right way. Despite his numbers, he made the responsible play and didn't leave a trail of children everywhere he went. How is it that Shawn Kemp can have 47 kids from 17 different women, but Wilt the Stilt can roll 20,000 chicas and not get a single card on Father's Day?

Wilton Norman Chamberlain also never slept with a married woman, often going to great lengths to make sure they were single.

"I made a conscious effort to find out. Even as a single man, infidelity has no place in my life," Wilt wrote in his autobiography.

It seems athletes like Kobe Bryant, Johnny Damon, and Barry Bonds (I know I'm leaving out plenty of adulterers, I just named those three mainly because I don't like them and their faults come to mind quicker) could learn a thing or two from The Big Dipper. He also kept some decent standards, as he once said that the girls of the 20k club were women that "the average Joe would have proposed marriage to on the first date."

Chamberlain set many records on the court, but it's his off-the-court statistic that will stand the test of time. Realistically, there is no way any professional athlete could ever match this feat. First, you have the stupid athletes (the Shawn Kemps and Ron Mexicos of the world) who end any chance of reaching 20k before they start by racking up child support charges or passing around diseases.

Then, on top of that, you have too many gold-digging girls out there today. Wilt would have spent more time in court instead of on the court if he played now. We would have a Kobe-esque trial on our hands every season (which would make Wilt a "courageous" person for playing during it, of course). He could get paid triple the going rate for one of the best big men in basketball, pull a Paris Hilton and release a series of sex tapes, and do every commercial on TV and still not have enough hush money to keep his numbers up.

Sure, there will be haters that will immediately claim that his claim is false, to which I would respond by claiming that their claim that his claim is false is false (which eventually leads to a slippery slope). While we will never know for sure, I believe him. He ended up taking more heat than praise for this, and he's Wilt Chamberlain, he didn't need to lie to impress people.

Wilt benefited from many things in setting his records (both on and off the court), but two things I'd wager he didn't benefit from are steroids and Viagra. It seems like these days, the asterisks shouldn't be going to the players who cheated, but to the players who did it the right way. If nothing else, you have to admire the man's determination.

The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. BetOnSports.com gives you the greatest sports action to bet on. Wager on football, cricket, boxing, Rugby, horse racing, and more. 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 12:16 PM | Comments (0)

August 1, 2005

2005 NFL Preview: Detroit Lions

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Last Year

What's white, blue, and silver and underachieves? No, it's not a homeless guy wearing a Detroit Lions jacket. With a stellar draft and a lavish free agency period, the Lions were everyone's darling heading into the season, but fell way short of expectations. Joey Harrington was broke again and key injuries bankrupted this team's potential. Another solid offseason means Harrington will be unemployed if he doesn't shape up and pull this team out of the NFC North gutter.

What We Learned From Last Year

With a 3-1 start, the Detroit Lions looked like they were ready to shed the training wheels, especially with two of those wins coming on the road (ending an 18-game road losing streak). But that never transpired as they only won three games the rest of the way.

Harrington improved a little bit, as he has in each of his three seasons, but he didn't display enough consistency. There were games where he was 33-of-49 or 18-of-22, but he also had 11-of-33 and 5-of-22 outings. His completion percentage, touchdown/interception ratio, and quarterback rating all augmented last year and he has the necessary tools to be a starting quarterback.

Although Harrington has been the scapegoat for Detroit's incompetence, he has not been a flop. The issue is that he was recruited to be a savior and he's only been average to this point.

From the 2004 NFL draft, the Lions plucked three notable starters in running back Kevin Jones, wide receiver Roy Williams, and linebacker Teddy Lehman, but the free agents that Lions General Manager Matt Millen wooed, cornerback Fernando Bryant and center Damien Woody, and wide receiver Tai Streets didn't produce as expected.

Woody ranks among the cream of the crop for offensive guards, but was consistently overweight last season, which hindered his output. Bryant was slowed by a foot injury and missed six games while Streets was useless, even though he started 12 games.

The Lions have made an attempt to surround Joey Harrington with a sufficient set of weapons, but most of their moves have failed. Bill Schroeder, Shawn Bryson, Olandis Gary, Az Hakim, Tai Streets, and even Charles Rogers have all disappointed.

Rogers endured another fluke injury, breaking the same collarbone that ended his rookie season. Someone should tell this guy to start drinking milk. That injury left the receiving corps quite bare, but also gave way for Roy Williams. He was hobbled by an ankle injury, but was still outstanding as a rookie, vacuuming all sorts of errant Harrington throws.

The Lions' other first-round pick, Kevin Jones, put an end to years of despair at the running back position in Detroit. He immediately started as a rookie and rushed for 1,133 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also doubled as a pretty good receiver out of the backfield with 28 receptions.

The major problem for the Detroit Lions in 2004 was third downs. Offensively, the team converted only 31.4% (29th in NFL), which meant a lot of curt drives. Then the defense stepped on the field and allowed opponents to convert 42.4% of their third downs (28th in NFL) and prolong their drives.

The defense was replete with young talent, such as James Hall, Shaun Rogers, and Cory Redding on the line and Teddy Lehman in the linebacking corps, but they spent too much time on the field and wore down.

The Lions' defense was exhausted and accumulated more time on the field than any other defense except for Oakland's.

Poor offensive sets had a ripple effect all the way through to the defense and if they are more efficient with the ball, a fresh defense will perform better than their 22nd rank indicates.

This Year

The 2005 Lions are what Detroit rapper Eminem was prior to Dr. Dre — young, brimming with potential, but undeveloped.

Now it's their turn to walk down 8 Mile Road.

Another solid draft pulled in wide receiver Mike Williams and defensive tackle Shaun Cody, both of which should have an impact in 2005.

The drafting of yet another wide receiver made some people lose it, but the Lions have been marred by dismal receiving the past few seasons. Two years ago, the targets were Az Hakim and Bill Schroeder (after Rogers was hurt) and last year, it was Hakim, Roy Williams, and Tai Streets (after Rogers was hurt) so really, the receivers have been inadequate for years. The last Lions receiver to grab at least 1,000 yards was Johnnie Morton back in 2001.

Mike Williams will add a big target and if Roy Williams or Charles Rogers are shelved for any period of time, the team won't experience a serious drop-off like they have in previous seasons.

Factor in free agent tight end Marcus Pollard, and now Harrington truly has some weapons to work with instead of B- and C-quality receivers masquerading as top-tier wideouts. Harrington's palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. He's nervous, but on the surface, looks calm and ready to drop bombs. However, if he fails — like Rabbit did in his first battle — Jeff Garcia will make this team go.

If running back Kevin Jones continues his emergence — and there is no indication that he won't — the Lions will start to become the offense everyone thinks they can be.

Before you lose yourself in the music and the moment, there are two possible kinks in the offense:

(a) The line. If Woody's weight problems persist and Kyle Kosier/Kelly Butler are defective at right tackle, there will be fractures up front.

(b) The wide receivers. Roy Williams has established himself, and Kevin Johnson is a reliable veteran, but Charles Rogers and Mike Williams might take some time to develop. The potential is there, but don't confuse that with production – these guys are still unproven.

On defense, the Lions are trying to create a monster because nobody wants to see weakness no more. Well, this looks like a job for Kennoy Kennedy, so everybody just follow him because they need a little vigor to some degree and it feels so empty without hostility.

Kennedy will add some much-lacking toughness at the back end of the defense and his confident swagger should rub off on the others. He's a sure tackler and is great in run support, but he's not trustworthy in pass coverage. He'll be teamed with sophomore Terrence Holt, who has better coverage skills.

The cornerbacks are a complete collection, but lack a traditional shutdown man. Dre Bly is the best they've got and Fernando Bryant has exceptional covers kills, but both can be pushed around by bigger wide receivers. Both are also non-factors in run support, but with R.W. McQuarters and Chris Cash, the Lions' secondary should be confident in pass coverage.

Boss Bailey has the skill to be the team's best linebacker and his presence is directly linked to the defense's success. He's the only linebacker who can play in pass coverage. Earl Holmes is an unyielding run-stuffer with mediocre speed and Teddy Lehman has a non-stop motor, but isn't explosive. Bailey has an extensive history of knee injuries, but the Lions are hoping he'll revert to his rookie form, where he was healthy and rarely came off the field.

The Lions' front four is one of the most underrated groups in the country. Shaun Rogers is a massive obstacle for offensive lines and Dan Wilkinson is a sturdy veteran. Ends James Hall and Cory Redding are also very good and keep an eye on last year's second-round pick, Kalimba Edwards.

It's time for the Lions to be a man, time to stand up and travel new land, time to really just take matters into their own hands and escape from this 8 Mile Road of all potential and no production.

The Vikings are mentally weak and the Packers are fading, so the window of opportunity is open for Detroit.

Over/Under: 8.5

Well, are you an optimist or a pessimist? I'm the latter. Asking an untried team to win nine games is too much even in a weak division. If Harrington struggles in the first couple of games, winning nine will be a struggle. Even if he does play well, the schedule is not a gimme. Outside the division they play: @TB, BAL, CAR, @CLE, ARZ, @DAL, ATL, CIN, @NO, and @PIT. 8-8 seems about right.

Fantasy Sleeper

By the process elimination, the sleeper on this team is Joey Harrington. The wide receivers will share the ball, which means there won't be one stud, Kevin Jones is no longer a sleeper, and Jeff Garcia is on the bench. Harrington has the tools and now he finally has the weaponry. Could he be the next Drew Brees?

Stay tuned as Dave Golokhov brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! Sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great casino for horse racing and sportsbook action.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 5:46 PM | Comments (3)

Astros' Play is Deja Vu All Over Again

Having owned the best record in Major League Baseball since the start of the 2005 season and leading the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox are trying to prove that they are the real deal this year. Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals have been more of a surprise than anything as they held the lead in the National League East until this past week. They still expect to give the Atlanta Braves a run for their money as they get back some of their injured players.

But more of a surprise since the All-Star Break is the torrid streak of the Houston Astros with a 22-7 record in July, the best home record in the majors and tops in winning percentage at .759 through July 30th. And the Astros held the lowest National League starting pitching ERA through July 30th at 2.33 and is second only to the St. Louis Cardinals in overall ERA in the National League.

For a team that started out the season with a 14-30 record and is now nine games above .500, it is as if they have woken up from a bear's winter's-long hibernation, not realizing yet that it is August. There has been no epiphany for the Astros, but rather intangibles like the leadership and spectacular pitching of Roger Clemens, who has the lowest ERA at 1.46 in all of Major League Baseball, as well as manager Phil Garner's ever-positive attitude.

With Lance Berkman having returned the second week of June after offseason knee surgery, and now playing first base rather than right field, he has energized the hitting with a .379 average in July. Craig Biggio has started to light it up again at the plate and is back to his natural position of second base, having been relegated to left field last year. And third baseman Morgan Ensberg has had a bust-out year, being selected as an all-star for the National League team, helping the Astros become tied for the most hits in the National League.

Ensberg and Clemens have largely been the glue that has put the Astros on top in the National League wildcard race. They have just kept going no matter how grueling and dismal the first half of the season has been. Ensberg has 27 home runs, 77 RBI, and a .580 slugging percentage and has shown great defensive skills at third. Biggio has 28 doubles, 17 home runs, and is a National League leader in runs-scored with 66. Willy Taveras has been a pleasant surprise in centerfield, batting .294 with 116 hits and 27 stolen bases, topping the Astros' National League lead in stolen bases. He has also shown he can cover the field well. And Adam Everett has been a steady defensive force at shortstop.

Pitching has been the one constant led by Roger Clemens' consistent and remarkable pitching performances a few weeks shy of his 43rd birthday. His 1.46 ERA accompanies 127 strikeouts in 147 innings pitched. His 9-4 record is deceptive, however, as he has suffered eight no-decisions and in his four losses, he pitched worthy of winning, but he got virtually no run support. Roy Oswalt, who placed third in the voting behind Roger Clemens' 2004 National League Cy Young Award, has kept up his stellar stuff as well in 2005. He enjoyed a 2.33 ERA and a 14-8 record with 114 strikeouts and four complete games, leading the National League in innings pitched with 158.2, prior to his loss to the Mets on July 31st.

Fortunately, a healthy Andy Pettitte has started to show the same pitching brilliance he had throughout his years with the New York Yankees, since having elbow surgery last August, around the time the Astros started to make their ascent. Pettitte has a 2.58 ERA with 103 strikeouts and has gotten back his rhythm, enjoying the lowest ERA of 1.13 in the National League in July, with only 12 hits allowed. In his most recent start on July 30th against the New York Mets, Pettitte pitched eight shutout innings, allowing only three hits and getting six strikeouts. It was his best effort so far this season on a day when he told catcher, Brad Ausmus, after the first two innings, "I have no rhythm at all."

And not enough can be said about pitching closer Brad Lidge, who remains one of the premier closers in the game having accumulated 26 saves so far this season, which is among the top 10 in both leagues combined. Lidge also leads in strikeouts in the National League among relievers.

But for the Houston Astros, their second-half rise seems to be passé as it is appears to be a replay of 2004. Shortly after the All-Star Break in 2004 when Phil Garner came in as the new manager, the Astros were resurrected and never looked back. They came within one game of reaching the World Series, having been defeated by the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. While the Astros no longer have the services of centerfielder Carlos Beltran, a free agent who signed with the New York Mets for 2005, nor the benefit of veteran first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who is on the disabled list after shoulder surgery in June, Garner has been able to begin to pick up the pieces once again.

And much like last year, the Astros are not making any proclamations. They just hope to quietly grind it out with whatever players they have while staying focused. Even the most recent back spasms of starting pitcher, Brandon Backe, now on the 15-day DL, has not allowed the Astros to let up, let alone give up. And seemingly as long as Clemens stays healthy, we might just see the Astros again in the postseason. But the Houston Astros are trying not to worry about that now, though, because as Yogi [Berra] says, "The future ain't what it used to be."

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 5:25 PM | Comments (3)

I Hate Mondays: The Rose Bowl

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Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed. But I say love it is a flower, and USC its only seed.

The sweet-smelling Rose Bowl will host this year's BCS National Championship Game and differing strength of schedules makes the task less, or more, arduous for the premier teams to get there.

USC, for example, has an easier path to the final compared to some of the other contenders.

Starting in the Big 10, Ohio State, Michigan, and Iowa are the main challengers, but their conference is arguably the toughest.

Ohio State will host the majority of their demanding opponents such as the Texas Longhorns (week two) and the Iowa Hawkeyes (week four), but they will be tested on the road. Victories at Penn State and at Minnesota are not a given and a trip to Michigan in the last week of the season could ruin all aspirations.

Michigan obviously has the daunting matchup with Ohio State, but their home schedule is lighter. They will happily host Notre Dame after losing in South Bend last season and the only other tests they will receive are from the Golden Gophers and the Nittany Lions. On the road, Michigan State is a perennial trap and Iowa will want revenge from last season.

The Hawkeyes have a strenuous road agenda from top to bottom starting with Iowa State, Ohio State, and Purdue. Wisconsin and Northwestern will follow and winning in the backyard of a Big 10 rivals is never a gimme.

A conference championship game always cautions prognosticators, but in the ACC, the divisions are unbalanced. Florida State has had a tumultuous offseason and NC State and Maryland don't have the necessary ingredients for a Rose Bowl appearance, so the Coastal division should have less of a threat in the championship game.

That being said, the two best suitors, Miami and Virginia Tech, both face each other, Virginia and Georgia Tech. VA Tech also has to travel to NC State and West Virginia while Miami has scheduled trips to Tallahassee and Death Valley in the first two weeks of the season.

The Big 12 is another conference where the scales are tipped to one side. The top four teams in the South, Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, are as strong, or better, than the North's best team, Iowa State. Aside from the Cyclones, the North is as frail as Missouri and quarterback Brad Smith has yet to develop into anything special. Further, Colorado doesn't scare anyone.

In the South, the Longhorns are a pundit's sweetheart to meet USC in the Rose Bowl, but they have away games at Ohio State and A&M and an exigent home game against Oklahoma. The Sooners have a cakewalk at home with A&M being the only hazard, but they have to go through Texas, Texas Tech, and UCLA on the road. More importantly, they need to find a replacement for Jason White, reconstruct their offensive line, and have some receivers emerge in their offense.

In the SEC, almost every Rose Bowl contender has a harsh schedule. LSU might have the easiest with Tennessee, Florida, Arizona State, and Alabama on the map, but Florida's is the polar opposite with Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Steve Spurrier, and Florida State scheduled. Tennessee faces the same opponents — minus FSU — and has a tricky nonconference agenda with UAB and Memphis rolling into town. Oh yeah, that pesky championship game also comes into effect here.

You could make a case that if there was a Top 25 ranking right now, every contender above would face at least one or two top-10 teams.

Not USC.

There are potential thorns on their schedule, such as away encounters with Oregon, Arizona State, and California and a home appointment with UCLA, but it's hard to envision USC losing two out of these four.

So conceivably, the Trojans could lose a game and still make it to the Rose Bowl.

Considering their team is the closest to NFL-caliber from the college level and is deep enough to withstand a few bumps and bruises, you can expect it to happen.

Bette Midler and USC contending for another national title mix like Mondays and me.

"The strong man is not the good wrestler; the strong man is only the one who controls himself when he is angry." — The Prophet Mohammad

Don't miss next week's installment of "I Hate Mondays," sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great sportsbook for horse racing and casino action!

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 2:22 PM | Comments (0)