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May 31, 2006

The NBA's David and Goliath

Let's face it, big men in the NBA don't possess a whole lot of sex appeal. The fans are fascinated with the sizzle of the soaring dunks, three-point shooting, and flashy passes of the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Steve Nash.

Remember Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in those old-school shorts mechanically dropping sky-hook after sky-hook with such ease? Not exactly the stuff that fans crave. However, of the past seven world championships, teams with a dominant big man won six of them — nothing to scoff at.

The following table illustrates the importance of a world-class center in recent NBA history.

YEAR	TEAM	  CENTER
1999	Spurs	  David Robinson/Tim Duncan
2000	Lakers	  Shaquille O'Neal
2001	Lakers	  Shaquille O'Neal
2002	Lakers	  Shaquille O'Neal
2003	Spurs	  Tim Duncan
2005	Spurs	  Tim Duncan

And what about 2004? The Detroit Pistons won with a hard-nosed brand of basketball that featured stifling defense and focus on the team instead of any single player. The last championship team to get it done without a dominant center was the Chicago Bulls. Winning six titles in eight years without a strong post presence shows just how special Michael Jordan was. Absent Jordan's spectacular feat, history has shown over and again that the big man is the critical cog in the championship machine.

NBA teams recognize the edge gained by possessing the coveted center with the ability to take control of games. In fact, little else would explain the high draft status given to centers like Manute Bol and Shawn Bradley, who never quite met expectations. The league even inserted itself into the David and Goliath battle and attempted to give the little guy a leg up in the odds by creating the three-point shot. This change has been met with great approval by the fans.

Great players, at any position, need a good supporting cast to persevere through a grinding season and the rigorous playoffs to ascend to the top. Obviously, one player does not a team make. However, given the option of choosing a solid playoff team with outstanding guard play or a solid team with outstanding post play, the edge over the past several years has gone to the team with outstanding post play.

But that trend may be changing. Fans are getting what they want in this year's NBA playoffs. A fast paced, driving, slashing style of superstar guard play has fans following the playoffs more closely. Ratings for TNT's coverage of second-round play are up 22% over last year.

Of the teams remaining in the 2006 playoffs, only one has a claim to having a dominant inside presence — and that's a fairly weak claim. Shaquille O'Neal provides the Miami Heat with a mere tease of his past greatness. Hampered by injuries throughout the season, he has returned to solid form for the playoffs, posting 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block per game through Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Those stats are good, but not great.

This year's playoffs will buck the trend of the past seven years and crown a "peoples" champion — a champion with great guard play and solid, but not spectacular post play. David will prevail over Goliath and the fans' love affair with the underdog will be rewarded.

Todd Beckstead is the founder of MonsterDraft.com, a fantasy football draft resource.

Posted by Todd Beckstead at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)

Edmonton's Cinderella Story On Ice

In the postseason of any team sport, the higher-seeded teams are there for a reason. They also have the rewards of extra home games in their playoff series in addition to their presumed advantage of talent and ability that comes with their superior regular season resume. For the most part, this system does its job, making sure that at least most of the better teams advance against their weaker adversaries.

Aside from the NCAA basketball tournament, which uses single elimination and neutral sites, one exception to the power of home advantage in a seven-game series apparently is the NHL. The revitalized league has proven to be a utopia for underdogs in the 2006 playoffs, most notably in the mess — I mean the West.

An NHL playoff bracket may be more difficult to find than a music video on MTV, but if you were to take the time to write one out, or even picture one in your mind, it would be quite the startling sight. In the West, you would notice advancing to the second round were the Sharks, the Mighty Ducks, the Avalanche, and the Oilers. That seems all well and good until you realize that in their wake lay the conference's top four seeds, all of which had superior records, and home ice advantage. In this sense, four Cinderellas, four giant-killers had emerged with no favorites left standing. The outcomes of these series had seemingly been decided with all the chaos and random elements of a bouncing-on-end puck in ice traffic.

Those top teams to burn out were the Flames, Predators, Stars, and most notably, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings. While winners of this trophy given out to the team with the highest regular season point total have not always fared well, Detroit was a talented veteran team with championship experience (numerous holdovers from the 2002 champs), as well as a great deal of championship expectations. Their opponents, the Oilers, had squeaked into the postseason's final (and unenviable) spot with no reason to be thought of as any more than dinner for the inevitable octopi.

However, one element may have been overlooked. Edmonton's franchise, long dormant since the Wayne Gretzky/Mark Messier/Jari Kurri dynasty of the '80s died off, swung a trade deadline deal for goaltender Dwayne Roloson. While balanced scoring and veteran leadership from stars Chris Pronger and Michael Peca certainly provided key contributions, Roloson's goaltending has made all the difference.

In that fateful No. 1-8 matchup, the Oilers had managed a split of the first four games. Edmonton then stunned Hockeytown with a one goal win in Joe Louis Arena to set the stage for a raucous Rexhall Centre matchup in Game 6. The Red Wings kept the underdogs and the fans under control as they went ahead 2-0 after two periods, but once again, the unexplainable happened.

A wild, delightfully entertaining shootout broke out between the two teams in the final period. The pace picked up and Edmonton came roaring back with two goals from Fernando Pisani to tie the game. Just under the 10-minute mark, Detroit answered with a crowd-silencing goal to retake the lead at 3-2. Yet the Oilers were far from finished with their onslaught of Red Wing goalie Manny Legace. Ales Hemsky tied the game on a bizarre goal where his body was checked into the puck from behind right in front of the net. Just like a cue ball deflects the eight ball into the corner pocket, Hemsky's body unconsciously knocked the puck past Legace to tie the game at 3.

While the tying goal may have been a fluke, Hemsky scored the game-winner with just over a minute left on a red-hot slapshot to show he could score the pretty ones, too, and with that, he may have single-handedly killed off a contemporary giant of an NHL franchise while reviving another one that had been in a long hibernation. A minute later, the Oiler players were celebrating amongst an endless, deafening sea of waving white towels. The eighth-seeded Edmonton Spoilers had just done the unthinkable.

The story was a charming one, although San Jose did not take kindly to it in round two, taking the first two games of their ensuing series. That was okay though, they had had their George Mason-esque moment of glory. No one on Edmonton, however, was willing to rest on such laurels.

Game 3 was as defining a moment as has ever marked a playoff run. A tie game spills into an overtime period. Then a second, then a third. A 3-0 series deficit and the edge of the playoff cliff stood behind them, should they falter. Roloson makes an unfathomable glove save in the second overtime to keep that deficit from ever seeing daylight, and a period later, center Shawn Horcoff finally all but wills the puck past Sharks goaltender Vesa Toskala to end the marathon in favor of the still-standing home team, the heroes in navy blue.

The Oilers would take another nail-biter at home, overcoming a pair of two-goal deficits in the process, and suddenly found themselves on their way to a remarkable seven straight playoff victories, and eight out of nine. With each win seemingly easier than the last, the Oilers polluted all over the Sharks' and then the Ducks' (in five games) home ponds en route to a sensational and historical Stanley Cup Finals berth for the first eight-seed ever to reach the NHL's final round.

While many are eager to compare Edmonton's sudden success to their glory days of the '80s, another comparison seems more appropriate, that of the last major North American team sports champion of the calendar year, the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here was a team known almost entirely for a dynasty long past, that being the '70s Steelers of Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann and the Steel Curtain, with no title banners hung since then. The 2005 edition reached the sixth and final NFL seed at a modest 11-5 record, knocked off the juggernaut Indianapolis Colts in heart-stopping fashion along the way, and suddenly found themselves celebrating in a Super Bowl champions parade. Hmmm, sound familiar?

At the moment, Edmonton lay in wait for their opponents from the east. Whether it is Carolina or Buffalo (Carolina currently leads the series 3-2 as of this writing) who advances, the Oilers will have a considerable chance to defeat either team and thus become the first eighth-seed champion in the history of professional sports.

With ours being a country that often does not know what to make of hockey, it is only fitting that a story this inspiring goes to a city, and a country full of rabid fanatics north of the border, who can properly appreciate the home team's heroics, as well as playoff hockey in and of itself, in all its wonderfully random glory.

This article has also been submitted to the sports section of www.english.ohmynews.com otherwise known as the OhMyNews International website and may shortly be appearing there as well.

Posted by Bill Hazell at 10:04 PM | Comments (1)

MLB at a Glance as We Pass Memorial Day

The unofficial start of summer and the first hurdle in baseball.

Memorial Day weekend. A time for barbecues, family get-togethers, and watching America's pastime. They call it the "unofficial start of summer." It's also looked at as the first point in the baseball season where the contenders start to pull away from the pretenders. Of course, this is not an exact science. But fans can start to see how their teams are shaping up by perusing the standings at the end of May.

Teams will not mail it in until closer to the July 31st trading deadline, especially with the wildcard possibilities. But some marginal deals will start being made, which will setup the potential blockbusters later on.

Starting with the National League, the East is somewhat predictable, with the improved Mets, Braves, and Phillies going at it from the first pitch. New York is clinging to a small lead, although they have had serious injury concerns and ineffectiveness out of the back end of their starting rotation. Atlanta is always a threat, regardless of roster turnover every offseason. Philly has played good ball and should be there most of the way. The bottom dwellers, Washington and Florida, are in for long seasons.

The NL Central has the class of the league, the St. Louis Cardinals, in their customary position on top. After that, a few surprises are present. Cincinnati and Milwaukee have played very solid baseball without many expectations. Houston is in the mix and may get a big push if Roger Clemens decides to come back. The Cubs and the Pirates have underachieved, but at least Chicago has their annual injuries as an excuse.

Out west, all five clubs are within four games of each other and over .500. That race is shaping up nicely with the Diamondbacks and Dodgers playing better than expected.

Over in the Junior Circuit, the East is about where we expected it to be. The Yankees and Red Sox are fighting it out for the top spot with an improved Blue Jays squad keeping themselves close. The Orioles and Devil Rays are holding up the "second division," but keep your eyes on Scott Kazmir, who is answering any questions the Mets may have had about him and then some.

The AL Central has the surprising Tigers on top, with old dog Jim Leyland making the naysayers eat their words. The defending world champion White Sox are still one of the better teams in baseball and should be there when it's all said and done. The Indians have been a bit of a disappointment, and the Twins are basically a mediocre team. The Royals are going to give the 1962 Mets a run for their money for the 120-loss mark.

The AL West has been somewhat of a letdown. The Angels are in the basement, while the Rangers are leading in the early going. The A's and Mariners look to be what they have been so far — under .500 and trading deadline sellers.

The next mark to judge teams will be the All-Star Break in July. Much can change between now and then, and that is why this game is so great. A bold prediction — Tampa Bay will not contend, but not be the easy out they have always been and finish at least .500.

Posted by Joe Pietaro at 9:31 PM | Comments (0)

May 30, 2006

Why Baseball's Losing its American Identity

On a day in which Barry Bonds succeeded in hitting his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth's homerun record and now second to Hank Aaron's Major League Baseball all-time home run record of 755, it is representative in a number of ways of the present state of MLB. Specifically, the state of the game's future in the African-American community comes to mind. And it might be an appropriate time to re-examine the decline of participation of the black athlete in baseball, which is a far more multi-faceted problem than commonly expressed.

While there is a dearth of interest among young boys and teenagers in the black community participating in organized baseball, the reasons most often provided are shortsighted and often too easy to come by. Without an honest discourse between the leaders of the black communities throughout the United States, as well as some candor coming from the offices of MLB, what seems an insurmountable problem to attract blacks to baseball will forever remain.

And although it is simply too easy to blame any one entity for all of the fall-off of black players in baseball, the primary beneficiary, of ignoring players from the U.S. including white players, remains MLB. And it must be held accountable, regardless of myriad cultural reasons attributed to children's lack of interest predominantly in the inner-city neighborhoods, for its lack of investment in them.

On February 28, 2006, MLB opened its first Urban Youth Academy in the U.S. At a cost of $3 million which took three years to complete, with the idea shopped around for six, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig clucked, "This is the first of what I hope is a series of academies all over America."

The facility is located at the campus of Compton Community College on 10 acres of land in Compton, CA, south of Los Angeles. It includes two regulation size baseball diamonds, a youth field, including one for girl's softball, and a 12,000 square foot clubhouse with locker room, weight room, and other training facilities. It is expected to be a prototype for other U.S. facilities, through the Urban Youth Initiative, which will serve not only as a catalyst for reviving baseball but a place for inner-city youth to enjoy each summer and after school.

Starting in June 2006, 125 children each day are expected to participate and to be given instruction by professional level coaches on playing the game. The monetary investment, however, was not solely supplied by MLB. $70,000.00 was collectively donated by Enos Cabell, Jr. and Tim Purpura, GM of the Houston Astros for batting cages and $500,000.00 was donated by L.A.'s Anaheim Angels. Access to classrooms and computers are being made available by Compton Community College.

Compton was picked primarily as so many African-Americans from MLB's past arose from Compton, but also because the college donated a number of its facilities. It takes on average three years to build a major league stadium. It is stunning how long it took to put in four ball fields and a clubhouse with so little financial investment from MLB and whose idea largely came to the Commissioner's Office as a grass roots effort.

In 1989, former major league player John Young developed a program called RBI or Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities in South Central Los Angeles for children ages 12-18. In 1991, MLB got involved and assumed its administration. MLB then teamed with the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association from 1993-1996 in providing grants to various cities demonstrating financial need. After five years, Young went national and by 1997 RBI collaborated with various chapters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. However, MLB and its individual teams have only provided $15 million for RBI since 1991.

The RBI program now includes both boys and girls and its objective is to also include nurturing children's interest in school along with baseball as the main component. It claims that it has helped more than 150,000 children in more than 200 cities worldwide play baseball. And its Quick SMART! Program addresses the issues of alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful drugs with city youth.

Says Roberto Clemente, Jr., who founded the RBI program in Pittsburgh, "RBI keeps kids out of trouble and off the streets, while at the same time teaching them to stay in school. The educational components help them realize their potential and worth in receiving college scholarships based not only on athletics, but academics." But one can question the program's expansion worldwide before the job is done in the U.S.

"Campos Las Palmas has set the standard for what a baseball academy should be and we're extremely proud of the work done here, not only on the field, but in the community, as well." No, this is not another baseball academy planned for the U.S., but a quote from Frank McCourt, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, upon his visit to the Dodger's Dominican Republic baseball complex, in celebrating its 20th year anniversary, earlier in 2006. And while no one can find fault with the individual efforts of the RBI program nor with the idea of Urban Youth Academies in the U.S., it is necessary to contrast those programs with over the $60 million dollars each year which MLB and its individual teams pour into Latin American countries for player development.

Most MLB teams have more than one such facility in Latin America with the most located in the Dominican Republic, followed by Venezuela. When Camp Las Palmas opened in the 1987 season, it was the first facility of its kind and became the universal prototype for all MLB teams in Latin America. It sits on 75 acres of land, equipped with two full and two half baseball fields, a dining room, kitchen, recreation room, and two two-story dormitories accommodating 100 players. In addition, it provides lessons in adapting to American culture, classes in English, and nutritional counseling.

Players stay up to 30 days at a time and can be signed at age 16, unlike players in the U.S., where players must at least complete high school or be 18 years of age. If they are enrolled in college, U.S. players must wait until the age of 21 to be signed. But then they go into the draft, which clubs claim deters them from investing in any development of U.S. players, as another club could end up as the beneficiary of such efforts. Also, Latin America does not face competition from the sports of basketball and football as baseball does in the U.S., therefore giving MLB many more prospects to choose from.

It is crucial to understand that off-shoring of Latin American baseball players is arguably directly proportional to the loss of African-Americans being developed in MLB. Black players were at their peak of their composition in MLB in the late '70s and early '80s or roughly 27% of all players. Today, they total hovers around 10%. However, it is the combination of other factors which make the Latin American factor even more decimating to the black athlete's chances of ever making it to the major leagues.

Ideologies include the increased incarceration of young black males, the lack of positive role models, and the lack of two-parent families as contributing factors. They, however, cannot necessarily be declared the primary determinants of the lack of blacks' participation in baseball. It is argued that expense is a factor, as it supposedly takes $100,000 to build a baseball field and that even if there are baseball fields available, maintenance costs are necessary, too. But urban and rural African-Americans played baseball on sandlots and played street stickball for generations, long before pristine $100,000 fields were considered a prerequisite to playing baseball.

Others argue that the National Basketball Association has done a far better job at marketing to black youth, who rarely ever go to MLB games. And making the National Football League is far more attractive than an arduous and lengthy learning process on the way to earning a MLB contract. Both the NBA and the NFL, although they now require at least a year of college play, are a fast track on the way to fast bucks for those lucky enough to make it.

Still, the family fabric not only in the inner-city, but more pronounced there, has destroyed the learning curve necessary to build a baseball following. Baseball requires a father or father figure such as a youth leader or mentor to have an impact upon, what used to be considered the National Pastime, the inner-city child. And if they are not hooked by age 13 or 14, it's hard to get them interested later.

Requisite hand-eye coordination skills do not come to children naturally and must be learned, unlike the immediate impact of shooting a basketball or running with a football. It takes patience and fortitude for those skills that must be nurtured. Historically, such nurturers were fathers.

But also absent today is the presence of present MLB players who do not involve themselves with the community like Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, and Reggie Jackson did. The black MLB player today must step up even more so, especially because of the lack of male role models in the black community.

The dissolution of the once three-sport player has also added to the demise of baseball in the inner-city. Many public schools only field a football team or basketball team and have dropped baseball altogether. Intramural programs, the victim of budget cuts, only heightens the chances that black youth will be absorbed into gangs due to lack of organized programs for them.

And for college baseball players, scouting is limited and even more so for the black baseball athlete who rarely competes in baseball in college due to the small scholarships awarded for baseball. Even Howard University has dropped its baseball program, which one would think is a no-brainer for the development of African-American baseball players, given its vast appreciation of black history.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association only allows for 11.7 baseball scholarships at any given time for a team of 30 players on a roster. Full scholarships are rare. Football, however, is allowed up to 85 scholarships and basketball gets 13 for a roster half the size of baseball's. Both programs are provided far more full scholarships.

Frank Robinson, now 70, and presently the Manager of the Washington Nationals, after holding several positions within MLB, became part of the first generation of great black players who followed Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier in 1947. And Frank Robinson holds today's players accountable. "People don't see minorities attached to the community or going home and giving something back. Now the stars and the top players, they hide. They don't go into the community. They don't go back into the inner-city or where their roots were. Baseball is now third, maybe fourth in the [inner-city] household."

Yet, the baseball draft instilled in 1965, with stricter age limits, combined with MLB's vastly increased development in Latin America over the past 20 years, remain the biggest impediments, along with the lack of MLB's moral will, in increasing the African-American presence in MLB. Much like the ill-fated acceptance of the off-shoring of U.S. manufacturing jobs by U.S. multi-national corporations, MLB has enjoyed the same misguided regime, regardless if it ultimately hurts the American athlete.

Commissioner Selig stated after the 2005 season that gate receipts, merchandising revenue, team revenue sharing, and acquired broadcast rights revenue were at all-time highs in MLB. He likes the public to know that, given his abysmal management in other areas such as steroids allowed over the years, the 1994 strike, the handling of the sale of the Montreal Expos, including his lack of involvement with the black community. However, while baseball enjoys such "good times," like its multi-national counterparts, MLB does not re-invest in the U.S.

Much like cheap labor overseas appears to be a required component of U.S. industry, similarly the benefits of signing and investing in baseball players has been relegated to Latin American players and more recently in Asia, where the rules of the U.S. do not apply. So instead, MLB has found new ways to circumvent its problems by merely skipping over U.S. players.

And while the African-American community has seen the starkest decline in participation, the white community is also losing ground to foreign players. More than 40% of major and minor league players are born outside of the U.S., with nearly 30% comprising the major leagues. It is predicted that by 2007 over 50% of all major and minor league players will be Latin Americans.

Prior to 1965, teams could contract with any high school graduate that scouts identified. Since it was believed that this advantaged only the wealthier teams, MLB imposed the draft. U.S. citizens could no longer be signed immediately, starting the cycle of lack of development investment by particular clubs. Along with supposedly eliminating the exploitation of underage players, the age restrictions followed. However, a player can be signed to a MLB contract at age 16 in Latin America with the clubs developing those players far earlier.

By the time a U.S. player reaches 18 or 21 if they are in college, they are years behind Latin American players. Secondly, the contracts offered the Latin American undeveloped players are far less than those offered drafted U.S. prospects. And prior to 1984, there was no age limit on signing Latin American players who were signed as young as 12 or 14.

Since developing players is a big expense, MLB simply went after the "cheap and unregulated labor." Sound familiar? And for foreign and U.S. players of similar talent levels, the expected recompense for U.S. players is much lower given the lack of property rights in developing him and what is expected to be a shorter career. If it is a choice between two players of equal talent in both the U.S. or Latin America, the MLB club invariably chooses the foreign or Latin American player.

While white players who are affluent or has a family willing to invest resources to have their sons join available teams outside the inner-city, the road still remains a gamble due to the outright scouting delays of Americans, given the preference of the cheaper talent. Unless a draft choice is truly bankable, the chances of that prospect succeeding are contingent upon his former training either from college or paid for opportunities from family. And U.S. baseball players do not have the benefit of competing at academies like those in Latin America often run like baseball boarding schools with seemingly unlimited budgets.

In conclusion, much like the U.S. watches its industries and institutions being sold bit by bit to foreign entities, it will take the will of the community, not just the black community or the white community, but the American community, to fight for our young people and to show them that America is worth fighting for. We can no longer afford to isolate ourselves from each other regardless of our color or ethnicity.

For this fight is far more than the one between basketball and baseball. It is symbolic of the erosion of that which once identified America and was a staple of the family and by extension our neighborhoods. And contrary to popular belief, the hijacking of America's National Pastime is not unimportant, but is indicative of a dangerous trend in the U.S. And we owe it to ourselves as Americans to not only save our children in the process, but in turn, to save our country.

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 4:29 PM | Comments (2)

Who Cares About Bonds? You Do

Baseball, more than any other sport, relies on statistical records to add intrigue to the game. Except, of course, when it comes to home runs, which, oddly enough, is one of the most important statistics in baseball. Still, if you are to believe a bunch of grumpy old men, no one cares about Barry Bonds breaking Babe Ruth's home run record.

It's always refreshing to see so many members of the media handle Bonds' breaking of the record with all the maturity of a second grade boy who recently contracted cooties.

As a casual baseball fan, I was fascinated at the level of venom people had for Barry Bonds at the start of the baseball season. Bonds could have given a sandwich to a starving homeless man, and blowhards on "Around the Horn" would've spent 10 minutes blasting him for not throwing in large fries and a coke. About the only thing Bonds could've done to make people happy was to fulfill the ridiculously selfish notion of many pundits and retire.

Throughout the season, people enjoyed ripping Bonds and not a day went by without people taking their shots at Bonds. Anyone in the newspaper business older than 40 came out with the exact same thoughtless "Bonds isn't good for the game, he's a goober" column. Shortly after that, they would follow with the "Ha, Bonds is struggling, justice would be served if this jerk is stuck forever on 713" column. Both are stupid notions, but hey, they may be old and bitter, but they are still entitled to their opinions.

Then Barry Bonds hit 714 and 715. Now, everyone has the same opinion — it doesn't matter, he'll never be good enough to carry Ruth's hot dog. Not only did they tell you it didn't matter, they went one further, by telling you that "no one cares." After all the hate, all the build up, all the episodes of "Bonds on Bonds" and front page stories every time Bonds tied his shoe quicker than the day before ("Bonds back on 'Roids," page 2!), it turns out that no one cared in the first place. It's pretty clear what this really is. Prattle.

It's humorous just how much this hurts baseball fans older than 40. They are furious and still hate Bonds more than ever. There's nothing wrong with it, but let's be honest, just about everyone has an opinion on Bonds. After seeing these articles and comments, I'm firmly convinced that the Boy Bander of College Basketball (until he gets drafted), JJ Redick, has smarter fans.

Any typical conversation with them goes like this

Fan — Hey, how about that Joakin Noah? He's the best player in college hoops right now.

JJ Fan — omfg how can u say dat? JJ is sooo much better. You are just ugly and that's why you like Joakin Noh. JJ Redick is the best college basketball player eva.

Fan — Really, well, I'm always open to a good argument. How is JJ a better college player than someone like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, or even better than other Dukies like Grant Hill?

JJ Fan — JJ is soooo hoottt. OMG does he have a gf, if he doesn't pleeeeez tell him I wud be his gf anytime. He is hotter than da sun, it is reedickuless. Easily best player in sports history. No comparison. Gawd I would do anything to be mrs jj...(sigh)

In conclusion, 14-year-old girls aren't the best when it comes to sports conversations. Half of them probably can't name JJs team and the other half probably can't name what sport he plays. However, they aren't paid to talk and write about sports, columnists and talk show hosts are. It's even worse when they manipulate their sources to support their baseless claims.

A USA Today story recently quoted experts such as Babe Ruth's daughter, Julia Ruth Stevens, who chimed in with a, "As far as I'm concerned, Daddy will always be No. 1. Not to take anything away from him or Hank, but Daddy did it all on his own."

That is almost as priceless as the AP story that ran about Kobe's dad's take that Kobe deserved the MVP. When all else fails, just resort to the "my Daddy can beat up your daddy argument." She is 88 and the daughter of Babe Ruth, but if that's not enough to write off her comments, how about the fact that she lumps Hank Aaron in with Bonds with the backhanded "my dad did it all on his own" comment? If we buy that, it's time to send the crew after Aaron's record.

Of course, my favorite argument from all these pieces also came from USA Today courtesy of Hal Bodley. His argument was basically that Bonds could hit 780 home runs, but wouldn't be the best home run hitter of all-time because it's an arbitrary honor given out on the basis of what Hal Bodley thinks. But, he had a credible source back up his thesis, MLB's Official Historian, Jerome Holtzman.

"Babe Ruth was the greatest home run hitter period," Holtzman says over the phone from his home near Chicago. "He had a certain majesty about himself, his swing, the way he led his life. Heck, he was bigger than life. He's still alive."

Yep, that's the best they've got. Babe Ruth is still freaking alive. The whole cancer thing was an elaborate ruse. The packed funeral and thousands of mourners were all "punk'd", 1940s-style. Actually, right now, Babe Ruth is playing cards with Elvis and Tupac on an island in the Caribbean and having a good laugh at our expense.

"Aaron was a helluva player and a tremendous hitter, but not the best home run hitter," Holtzman continued. "I think what proves this point is the fact Babe Ruth is still alive."

I can't make stuff up this good. People, not just people, but people who know baseball, have to resort to using facts like "Babe Ruth is still alive" to defend their arguments. Babe Ruth is still alive, therefore, he is the greatest home run hitter of all-time. Okay, thanks for coming prattlers, but let's come back to Earth and see this for what it is.

You hate him? Fine. You love him? Fine. But don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that no one cares and that Babe Ruth is still alive. Simply pathetic. Actually, there's a better word to describe it.

Prattle.

The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. All readers get a 10% signup bonus at BetOnSports by entering "Sports Gospel Promo" as the promo code. Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on SC. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 3:42 PM | Comments (2)

May 29, 2006

NBA Playoffs: Forecasting the Final Four

If the general public could take their collective eyes off the WNBA and Indiana's league leading 3-0 record for one second, they would realize something great is taking place.

If the general public could turn away from American Idol for more than a moment, they could tune in to something much more entertaining.

Season finales for Lost, House, 24, and Desperate Housewives?

Who cares when you have drama, comedy, competition, and eliminations all wrapped up in one program ... the NBA playoffs?

Nothing I thought I'd be saying a couple of weeks ago. But, alas, here we are.

Four teams.

One ring.

From the start, every one of these teams seemed to have a decent chance. No one would have written off Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix, or Miami as possible championship contenders at the start of the season. In fact, they were probably four of the top six or seven favorites to get this far.

There are no surprises at this point. Just a history. WIth few exceptions, every team knows what to expect out of the other. After the practices, the film sessions, and the gameplans, there is simply the execution. Every time a player comes up big, it's not a surprise any more, it's just that player living up to his expectations, whether it be the public's or the coach's.

Miami. Dallas. Phoenix. Detroit.

These teams belong here, kids. The easy way, the hard way, it doesn't matter anymore. They got here.

So, with four teams left standing fighting it out over one ring, it's time to break down each team and tell you why they will win, and why they will lose.

Detroit Pistons

Why They Will Win

Who, out of the four remaining teams, has won an NBA championship in the last five years?

Even though they stand at a 1-2 game deficit in their series with the Heat, Detroit still gets the nod as the favorite to capture a ring this year because of their experience.

You can complain all you want about their apparent lack of focus and intensity. You can tell me that they don't respect Flip Saunders, and that there's a better likelihood that Rasheed Wallace will draw a technical foul during half-time for performing with the cheerleaders than there is a chance of the team listening to their coach.

All of that doesn't matter because the Detroit Pistons are still the Detroit Pistons.

The proved it in Game 2 of this series, and they surely proved it in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Cleveland.

Why are they arrogant? Because they can be. They can turn on the defense and the intensity when they want to. This team feels that there's no one out there better than them, and they are right. They've been down in series before, and they have come back and won championships.

You're telling me that Detroit should be scared because they are down 1-2 against Miami? Are you kidding me?

Ask Shaq when the last time he won a ring was. Ask Shaq what city he was in the last time he did it.

And if you really want to know how bad Miami is lacking in the experience department, ask Pat Riley when the last time he won a ring was.

Detroit is still the team to be feared the most in the playoffs. Their offense has caught up to their defense, and together, nobody stands a chance.

Why They Won't Win

Is it really that out of the realm of possibility that Rasheed Wallace could really get a technical foul during half-time for performing with the cheerleaders?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no.

I believe 'Sheed has the ability to get seven technicals called on him in seven seconds. The only thing saving him in that respect is that silly rulebook thing.

Detroit has no chance of advancing to the NBA finals over the Miami Heat. Flip Saunders, while being brought to Detroit to bring a little offense to the defense mix, somehow lost his team during the second half of the season. Winning came easy in the Eastern Conference during the season for the reigning Eastern Conference champions, but when times got tough against the Cavaliers in the second round, the new Detroit team showed its face. It is one not marked by intensity from start to finish, but rather one marked by weariness and age.

It seems that in Game 7 against the Cavs, the defense for the Pistons showed up out of instinct and necessity, not ability or desire.

Right now, the Pistons are an aging father watching, for the first time, their young son beat them in the front-yard in a one-on-one game. The son (the Heat) has grown up and is ready to knock down dad for the first time after being the whipping boy for too many years.

The smug look the Pistons' faces? That's just leftover from before, from when they were the big bully in the front-yard.

Unfortunately, the only thing left that is making the Pistons believe in their team anymore is that smug feeling of superiority.

Why aren't they going to the NBA finals?

Because that smug feeling isn't justified anymore. Junior is about to beat the old fogie.

Miami Heat

Why They Will Win

Four letters.

Shaq. Wade.

The Heat are led by one of the best young players in the NBA, as well as one of the best aging veterans of the league.

It seems that a little bit of Wade's youth has gotten into Shaq's blood because he is playing like a man (with a boy's enthusiasm) on a mission. He may realize that he is at the tail end of his career and this year might be the best chance he has to make a substantial contribution to his team. There is a sense of focused energy about Shaq the last few weeks that we haven't seen in awhile. At once, he is having fun while being a leader — clowning around while keeping the team together.

All season long, Miami has won because of their athletic ability and their energy. Jason Williams was a great addition at point guard, and he has done nothing but give the two superstars chances to shine.

At this moment, the squad is working together just like Pat Riley dreamed it up during the offseason. The team he built to contend and beat Detroit en route to the NBA finals is leading the Eastern Conference Finals 2-1.

On the back of Shaq, and on the legs of Wade, the Heat are controlling the tempo and pushing Detroit at every opportunity. The defense, the rebounds, the intensity ... they all belong to Miami at this moment, and they are what is going to carry them into the finals.

Why They Won't Win

Isn't Shaq due for one of those games when he plays 20 minutes because of foul trouble?

Isn't Antoine Walker due for one of those games when he goes 3-of-17 from the field?

If Kobe and LeBron couldn't carry their teams by themselves, is there really a chance that Wade can do the same?

The real question when it comes to the Heat is how long can Pat Riley keep the disjointed parts together. Putting two superstars in Wade and Shaq on the floor with two known headcases in Williams and Walker can't be a recipe for success.

They had plenty of rest and time off after knocking out the Nets in the second round, and this is the only reason why they are up 2-1 against Detroit. The Pistons are tired from a seven games against the Cavs while the Heat having been relaxing in the spa and on the beach.

Of course the Heat look energetic right now, but wait and see what happens as the series goes deeper. Watch Wade slow down a step, and watch Shaq look sluggish. Watch the Detroit defense wrap around Miami and not let go. Watch those jump shots start clanging off the front of the rim. All of those drives to the basket and easy jump shots are going to stop once Miami starts to get a little bit tired.

Watch Miami slow down, and watch the parts slowly come apart as they do.

Dallas Mavericks

Why They Will Win

Dirk, Dirk, and some more Dirk.

As a whole, the Mavericks are playing some of the most consistent basketball in the playoffs. They swept in the first round, and then toppled the reigning NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs.

What better resume can you put together for the team that has the best chance of winning it all this year?

Dirk Nowitzki has come into his own as a true MVP-type player. Where he once settled for jump shots and nifty moves in the lane, he is now taking the ball to the basket like a seven-foot beast. Dallas has enough quality outside shooters to allow for Dirk to work in the paint a little more, and he is taking advantage to the benefit of himself and the team.

Since Dallas lacks a true scoring center, it is up to Nowitzki to provide that inside offense that is going to allow Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry to score from the perimeter.

So far, so good.

It doesn't look like the Mavs are going to get tired trying to keep up with the Suns. In fact, Dallas has controlled the tempo for the majority of the time, and if not for a torrid comeback by Phoenix in Game 1, Dallas would be easily leading this series 2-0.

As it stands, the series is tied going into tonight's Game 3 — however, the experience the Mavs got from taking down the Spurs in the second round is going to give them all the confidence in the world to beat the Suns.

Why They Won't Win

All season Dallas had been looking forward to a matchup with the Spurs in the playoffs.

They got it, and the won it.

Too bad it wasn't in the Western Conference Finals.

The Mavs are going to have a huge letdown against the Suns in this series. They had their finals already in the second round, and all that adrenaline, all that intensity, and all that urgency is gone.

Dallas got all geeked up about the Spurs, and nothing is going to be left for the Suns.

That's not to mention that Dallas spent seven games playing a style of defense that isn't going to work against Phoenix. Steve Nash and company are not going to stop running — ever.

Dallas can try all they want to get into a half-court set, but one turnover or rebound later, and they are back to the races. They are just not built to run for six or seven games. Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker were runners. Nowitzki and DeSagana Diop are not. With no big men back quickly on defense, Phoenix is going to thrive in the lane. Steve Nash is going to live in the paint, and there is nothing the Mavs can do about it because they just aren't fast enough.

Mark Cuban can scream all he wants to, and Dirk Nowitzki can make all the amazing shots in the world, but nothing short of a dirtbike is going to help them defend the Suns' fastbreak.

Phoenix Suns

Why They Will Win

Because I believe that even if the Mavs score 109 points, Phoenix will score 135.

When everyone assumed that because the Mavs had beaten the Spurs that they were going to the finals, Phoenix was sitting quietly in the background waiting for the actual games to start. And, in Game 1 they proved that they belong. They proved that Dirk and Dallas were really not that great. Fine, you beat the Spurs, but you still have to beat us.

After taking some shots because of his play in the early rounds of the playoffs, Steve Nash has taken charge and taken the Suns to the Western Conference Finals. Nash and Phoenix control the tempo of the game, push Dallas at every chance, and provide threats from the outside and inside.

Shawn Marion is just one example of the type of athleticism that is going to push the Suns into the finals. As a collective, they present a myriad of different options and looks in a split second. Ally-oop dunks one trip down the floor, and a three-point bomb the next.

The Suns are going to shoot lights-out in this series, and they are going to shoot themselves into the next round.

Why They Won't Win

Two things need to happen for the Suns to win a game.

1. They need to control the tempo.
2. They need to hit their three-pointers.

If either one of these things don't happen, the Suns don't win.

The rebounds and turnovers feed the fastbreak, and from there Phoenix dominates the perimeter and the paint.

The problem? Phoenix is hit or miss. They are streaky.

Defense wins championships, not three-pointers.

The Suns depend on scoring 115 points to win games, because they can't hold the opposition under 100 to save their lives.

The Phoenix offense is a living organism, and if any of the parts aren't working properly, it dies.

Which is fine if you're playing the Lakers.

It doesn't work so well when you're playing the Mavericks.

Sure, Steve Nash is allowed to have a bad game or two, he's only human. But at this point in the season, at this point in the series, one or two bad games means one or two losses for the Suns.

WIth one loss already in the books, you can pretty much guarantee that Phoenix will not play a perfect series, and every night that the tempo and three-pointers aren't perfectly in their favor means a victory for the Dallas Mavericks.

The Suns can shoot lights out all night sometimes, but once in awhile isn't good enough right now.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 4:58 PM | Comments (1)

A Whirlwind NHL Playoff Season

Time for a show of hands. Who correctly predicted the NHL's "final four" before the playoffs began? Nobody? Well, that's not a surprise.

To say the least, the 2006 playoff race has been unpredictable. Highly-favored teams have fallen — swept, even — to their underdog opponents. The further the playoffs have progressed, the more of a guessing game it's become. It's refreshing for veteran hockey fans and exciting for those just tuning in ... or is it?

Though the outcomes have been shocking in some instances, it seems that many matchups in this year's playoff race have been very lopsided. One would think that a salary cap would create a tougher set of series bound to end in Game 7s, but for the most part, that hasn't been the case. Maybe the tables have been turned so that the more popular NHL franchises no longer hog the spotlight. Maybe it's an indication that the NHL is still muddling through changes after the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Or, maybe it's too soon to tell.

Is the new NHL more competitive, exciting, and fun to watch? Consider these moments from the playoffs thus far and make the call.

Edmonton Takes Detroit in Five

For a team that just barely squeaked into the playoffs, Edmonton sure made a statement in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Stacked against the President's Trophy winners, the Edmonton Oilers were predicted to be squashed by the older, wiser, and more experienced Detroit Red Wings. That prediction couldn't have been any more wrong: Edmonton took everyone — even themselves — by surprise when they won the series in five games.

San Jose vs. Edmonton

These two hungry, eager, and very evenly-matched teams met for the most competitive series in the Stanley Cup run thus far. San Jose, who pushed their way into the playoffs in the last month of the regular season, was still thriving in their "get it done now" mentality.

Similarly, Edmonton was coming off of a similar state of mind after taking the Detroit Red Wings by storm. Ultimately, the Oilers had more energy and momentum on their side. Even LW Ville Nieminen of the Sharks, known for his grit, said, "The Edmonton Oilers were a littler bigger, a little stronger and a little more physical." But San Jose didn't hand them the series by any means, giving Edmonton a heck of a dogfight the whole way through.

New Jersey's Short Surge

Consistently regarded in favor with fans and critics, New Jersey is one of those teams that is always expected to achieve high. Never mind the fact that New Jersey nearly missed the playoffs altogether — that didn't matter when New Jersey easily defeated the New York Rangers, sans Jaromir Jagr, in round one. In the semifinals, however, Carolina showed the Devils who was boss, spanking them with a 6-0 shutout in Game 1, on Martin Brodeur's birthday, no less. Four games later, the Hurricanes closed the series on a strong note while the Devils were left to plan their tee times.

Colorado's Surprising Victory Over Dallas

The Colorado Avalanche played the quarterfinals as though the presentation of Lord Stanley would happen right after each game. They came out hungry and energetic, completely dominating the Dallas Stars. What ultimately won the five-game series, however, was the Avs' ability to score in overtime — three games were settled after regulation. A superb 50-save performance by Jose Theodore kept the Avalanche alive against the desperate Stars, and Andrew Brunette sealed the series 13:55 in overtime.

Anaheim's Sweep of Colorado

The tables were turned for the Avs in round two. After nearly sweeping the Stars, the Avs found themselves swept against Anaheim. The energy of the Avalanche offense found itself blanked against little-known G Ilya Bryzgalov, backup to Jean-Sebastian Giguere. In the meantime, Ducks RW Teemu Selanne skated all over his former teammates, while Jose Theodore struggled in the Avalanche net. The lopsidedness of this series shouldn't have occurred, but Colorado's uninspired play made it a quick one.

Buffalo's Appearance in the Eastern Finals

Since losing to Dallas in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, Buffalo has been aching for a comeback. This year, they got it. After a season of ups and downs, Buffalo's postseason seemed uncertain. A tidy victory over Philadelphia set the tone in round one, and a win over top-ranked Ottawa in round two raised a few eyebrows. Nevertheless, the Sabres entered the Eastern Conference Finals as underdogs against the Carolina Hurricanes. Now, with a series of injuries plaguing the Sabres' defense, the series is tied at two. This series could easily finish on an emotional Game 7, regardless of who wins.

Posted by Charlynn Smith at 4:22 PM | Comments (0)

I Hate Mondays: New York, New York

At one point in time, the New York Knicks and the New York Yankees had quite a bit in common.

Late in the 1990s, New York was the place to be if you were a sports fan with two of its major teams being the model of success in their respective sports. The Knicks traveled past the first round of the playoffs nine consecutive years and appeared in the NBA finals twice. Although the Yanks were late bloomers in the '90s, they have made the playoffs every year since 1995 and tallied five World Series championships in that span.

The modern day reflections of the two franchises might seem quite different on the outside, but a closer look details that they still have many similarities.

Solely examining at the bottom line, the win-production of both teams is utterly disparate. The Knickerbockers are in basketball's basement and among the worst teams in the league, while the Yankees are still riding high and competing for first place in the American League.

While the records have no semblance whatsoever, the front office decisions certainly do.

It is clear that the Knicks of today are not the successful Knicks of the '90s. Not only are they a cellar-dweller, their hopes of a bright future have been pawned off on a string of implausible roster decisions such as the signings of Jerome James and Jamal Crawford and the acquisitions of Eddy Curry, Steve Francis, and Quentin Richardson.

The Knicks, with the loftiest payroll in basketball, have a roster full of overpaid underachievers and have accumulated very few tradable assets (outside of their annual expiring contract).

Which brings me to the Yankees. They, too, can claim the title as their sport's most lavish spenders, but they, like the Knicks, are not built around their '90s blueprint.

The Yankees of yesteryear — more specifically, the late-1990s — were pieced together through shrewd front office decisions. The roster was constructed of a harmonious mix of cultivated, home-grown prospects and canny imports.

Domestic products included the likes of Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter, significant signings included Wade Boggs, Jimmy Key, and Tino Martinez, while astute trades brought in Chuck Knoblauch, Scott Brosius, and Joe Girardi.

The decisions made nowadays by the Yankees brass are more Isiah Thomas-like than Yankee-like.

Bloated contracts to Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright, and Carl Pavano have led to dead-ends, while the Bronx Bombers' farm system has been all but traded away.

The trade deadline used to be the time that the Yanks would find a diamond in the rough, but exchanges from the last couple of seasons have only provided a cheap form of zirconium in the form of Matt Lawton, Tony Womack, and John Olerud.

The Pinstripes also used to have this Atlanta Braves-like aura about them. (To briefly explain: every year, the Braves take some average pitcher off the scrap heap and make him above average. For example: Jaret Wright, Damian Moss, Jorge Sosa.) Average players used to go to New York and overachieve. Now players head to New York and fall apart (Jeff Weaver, Esteban Loaiza, Jose Contreras).

No, the Yanks are by no means in serious trouble. They are several games above .500 and there are about 20 other teams who envy their position.

But going forward, the Yankees, similar to the Knicks, do not have many tradable assets and do not have an overly bright future. For starters, most of their players are past their best years.

Nobody is inquiring about the services of a clean-shaven Randy Johnson or a savvy Bernie Williams.

Even their top-level talent, at an exorbitant price, would not appeal to most teams. The number of takers for Jason Giambi with a $20m price tag or even a .290-hitting Alex Rodriguez at $25.6m are few.

With a healthy hitting lineup, the Yanks will continue compete for a top spot in the American League, but it has to be pointed out how much Knick-like financial waste this team has accumulated.

Who knows, maybe at the turn of the millennium, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Knicks general manager started sharing ideas.

The New York Knicks and the New York Yankees mix like Mondays and me.

"The more furious the pace, the more diminished the spirit." — Henry Miller

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 4:11 PM | Comments (0)

May 27, 2006

World Cup Preview: Group C

Group C

This is one of the two groups of death. Aside from tournament contenders Argentina and the Netherlands, both Serbia and Montenegro and the Ivory Coast have the talent to get out of this deep group.

Argentina

What you need to know — Other than Brazil, who is on another level, Argentina is one of the favorites to win it all. In qualifying, Argentina throttled Brazil, 3-1, and completely dominated the game. And they will be looking to make amends for their last World Cup appearance when they were unexpectedly sent home without advancing out of the group phase.

Style — Argentina is blessed with some of the highest skilled offensive-minded players in the game today. They like to run the offense through Juan Roman Riquelme, who, with his tight control and precision passing, funnels the attack through cleverly-weighted for strikers Hernan Crespo, Leo Messi, Carlos Tevez, etc.

Achilles heel — Great up front, suspect at the back, especially in goal, where Roberto Abbondanzieri can be a liability. They are generally so dominant in ball possession, though, that the defense goes through long spells without being tested.

Player you need to know — Juan Roman Riquelme. The Villarreal midfielder is a maestro with the ball. He's not much for defending and doesn't possess a tremendous amount of speed, but the ball seems to move around him, not the other way around. He had a strong year with his club, leading the undermanned Spanish side to the semifinals of the Champions League, and has also been brilliant in qualifying, particularly in their home win over Brazil, when he was the best player on the field. The knock on him, though, is that sometimes he disappears for long stretches in a game, especially when he is dealt with physically.

Player you will learn to know — Leo Messi. The 18-year-old Barcelona winger is being labeled as the next Maradona. An injury cost him most of 2006 with his club Barcelona, but it is being reported that he is fit and raring to go, and before the World Cup is over, he might be the biggest star of the tournament.

Prediction — This is the toughest group in the World Cup. But Argentina should go through. However, when adversity strikes this team, things go south in a hurry. They have the talent and the depth, but do they have the heart? Head coach Jose Pekerman went a long way towards ensuring that, dismissing regulars Juan Sebastian Veron, Javier Zanetti, Walter Samuel, and Martin DeMichelis in an effort to change the mentality of his squad. This team could make it to the final, or they could get bounced out early on. I'm leaning towards the latter, but I won't be surprised if they make me look foolish ... like in the 2002 World Cup.

Netherlands

What you need to know — Another revolution of sorts, as head coach and former Dutch legend Marco Van Basten came in and cleaned house from a squad that reached the 2004 Euro semifinals. He passed over European stars Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, and Roy Makaay and brought in unheralded local talent like Denny Landzaat, Hedwiges Maduro, and Ryan Babel. And it proved successful as Holland went undefeated in a qualification group that featured Romania, Finland, and former nemesis the Czech Republic.

Style — The Dutch continue to use the 4-3-3 formation and a belief in total football, although they might not play as elegantly as they used to. One other thing — Van Basten will try anything. He doesn't care what the fans or media think, and because of the deified status he enjoys in Holland, will not fear the consequences of his unorthodox methods.

Achilles heel — When you go with a youth movement, experience is obviously sacrificed. The defense can be inconsistent, and key midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart is coming off a foot injury.

Player you need to know — Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Due to a bust up with club manager Sir Alex Ferguson that has led to his reputation being damaged, Ruud will be eager to demonstrate in this World Cup that is the prolific striker everyone remembers him to be. There have even been whispers that he could be replaced as the lead striker with on the Dutch squad with Dirk Kuyt, but Van Basten has been quick to quash such rumors.

Player you will learn to know — Arjen Robben. The Chelsea winger lit up the 2004 Euros, and is one of the most dangerous players with the ball at his feet. He has a propensity for keeping the ball too long and not looking to pass, but is brilliant none the less.

Prediction — Everything has gone swimmingly for Van Basten so far, and he says he is ahead of schedule with his team — the former player of the year claims his actual goals were the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup. Now that he is here, though, everyone with a Van in their last name will expect big things this summer. And if they do indeed get out of their group of death, with a little luck, they could be poised to take the title.

Serbia and Montenegro

What you need to know — Part of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro qualified by winning their group, a group that included Spain (who received a top seed in this World Cup), and hated rivals Bosnia-Herzegovina. They went undefeated, and conceded an astonishingly low one goal in 10 games.

Style — Their qualification speaks for itself ‚ defense, defense, and more defense. They rarely make mistakes at the back, as evidenced by their record of only giving up one goal in 10 qualifiers. While not lethal offensively, they do have veteran strikers (Mateja Kezman, Savo Milosevic, Dejan Stankovic, Mirko Vucinic) that play at the highest level of competition in Europe.

Achilles heel — There might be one troubling spot with this team, but it is far removed from the pitch. Montenegro has just passed an independence referendum from Serbia, which means this will be the last time the country is unified in the World Cup. I'm not going to pretend to be a history buff when it comes to the likes of Serbia, but I know just enough to realize there is a lot of bad blood in that part of the world, and politics can break up a team's chemistry a lot faster than any other internal grievance.

Player you need to know — Mateja Kezman. The former PSV standout and Chelsea striker didn't have a spectacular year at Atletico Madrid, but he was his country's leading scorer in qualifying, including one goal in each of the last four qualifiers.

Player you will learn to know — Mladen Krstajic. When this central defender starts, Serbia does not lose, or at least not yet. His country is undefeated when this Schalke defender's name is penciled into the starting lineup.

Prediction — Everyone, including FIFA, overlooks this team. Their current ranking of 44, 39 places behind Spain, who they tied twice in two critical qualifiers, is an absolute joke. A lot of teams love to play the line of "they're giving us no respect," which is usually unwarranted — but not in this case. This is one of the teams everyone was looking to avoid. I think the class of Argentina and the Netherlands will win out in the end, but just narrowly.

Ivory Coast

What you need to know — They almost choked their qualification away when they lost at home to Cameroon, only to get in, thanks to the Indomitable Lions' Pierre Wome's missed penalty on the final qualification day. Earlier this year in the African Cup of Nations, they finished second to the host Egypt, losing out on penalty kicks.

Style — This is a team that posses an abundance of talent, especially attacking. Between Didier Drogba, Arouna Kone Aruna Dindane, and Bonaventure Kalou, they have the ability to score on anyone. And their coach Henri Michel is prone to letting his young guns attack without hesitation.

Achilles heel — Their defense also boasts household names, particularly the Arsenal duo of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, but they, like a lot of African teams, sometimes lose their discipline. This was especially true in their qualifier against Cameroon, when strikers were roaming inside the Ivorian box completely unmarked. They did show significant improvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, but their competition was not at the level they will see in the World Cup this summer.

Player you need to know — Didier Drogba. The Chelsea striker has a staggering 21 goals in 31 internationals. There has been a lot of negative criticism surrounding his play over the last year (he actually came out and said he wants a change of venue after being branded a cheater in England for his perpetual diving), but Chelsea didn't shell out €36 million Euros because he isn't any good — he is one of the top strikers in the world.

Player you will learn to know — Didier Zokora. The defensive midfielder is being linked to many English clubs as a transfer target, and will have to play a pivotal role if the Ivorians hope to control any part of the midfield against Argentina, the Netherlands, or Serbia and Montenegro.

Prediction — If the Ivory Coast were in any other group, I would find myself picking them to go through. But the group of death is a hard place to make your World Cup debut. They certainly have the talent, but I believe the overall talent of Argentina and the Netherlands along with the disciplined style of Serbia and Montenegro will be too overwhelming this time.

Posted by Piet Van Leer at 11:55 PM | Comments (2)

The Turgid Truth About the World Cup

What's the most controversial, pressing issue in sports today? The spread of performance-enhancing drugs? The scourge of athlete misbehavior, on the field and off the field? The continued fiscal insanity of professional teams? Gender and racial inequity?

None of the above, people.

It's dildos.

Pseudo-phalluses aren't exactly an abnormality in sports. They have a home in the hands of baseball, hockey, golf, and lacrosse players, not to mention javelin throwers. Sometimes NFL running backs use them to try and beat a drug test. They're also quite prevalent on the NHL's Board of Governors.

But the international soccer community is a different story when it comes to bogus bones — as if you'd expect anything else from a sport where you can't use your hands.

The Munich Tageszeitung newspaper reported that representatives for German soccer stars Oliver Kahn and Michael Ballack were exploring legal options when it was discovered their clients' names were being used to sell vibrators — retailing at 69.90 euros each — at a German sex shop chain. There was also a battery-powered adult pleasure toy with David Beckham's name on it (well, besides Posh Spice).

Give the porn shop, Beate Uhse, some credit, as it didn't blatantly use the names of these players on its magic sticks. No, here's the ingenious part: instead of "Oliver Kahn" on the dildo, it said "Ollie K."; rather than Michael Ballack, it read "Michael B." Even more ingenious is the way Beate Uhse's vowed that naming a vibrator "Ollie K" had nothing to do with the most famous athlete in the entire country sharing that first name and initial. "We never had any intention to make a connection between the vibrators on sale in our shops with the names of 'Olli K.' and 'Michael B.' and the footballers," company spokesperson Assia Tsernookoff told the German media. Brilliant!

Clearly, the publicity became too much for Beate Uhse to handle. It pulled the puds off its shelves as a precautionary measure, despite continuing to claim it had done nothing wrong in naming them: "If we had written the whole names, it would certainly have become expensive for us. However, it is not forbidden to shorten the names."

I think she has a point. It's like a blind item in a gossip column — it's up to you to take the vague information provided and jump to your own conclusions. Do you know how many people the 'Michael B.' model could have been the stand-in for? What about action director Michael Bay? What about Cubs catcher Michael Barrett? I imagine his model allows you to slide home, but then punches you in the mouth if you slap the plate too hard.

What if you walked into your favorite American porn shop (c'mon, everybody has one) and noticed a line of pinstriped pleasure props with "Derek J." or "Alex R." on them? Who are we to tell the beautiful ladies of these United States that they're forbidden to fantasize about a lustful evening with Shakespearean thespian Derek Jacobi or comic book artist Alex Ross?

What about finding one labeled "Barry B."? You know, the one whose batteries never seem to run out, but who'll never admit to being artificial? It's right next to the "Rafael P." model, which won't work unless you spend a few extra dollars for the little blue extender kit.

There are several reasons why we'd never see any of these products on the market here in the U.S. For example, Nike and Reebok can barely make shoes that don't fall apart after a year. Would you trust them with something a bit more sensitive?

Then there's the fact that professional athletes would never allow their names to be used in conjunction with sex toys. Not because they'd be embarrassed like their German counterparts — it's just that if a sports star in America wanted to make some money in the sex business, he wouldn't have his name on a dildo. He'd do it the old fashioned way: by leaking a sex tape on the Internet featuring himself and a famous heiress making love in the Arizona Cardinals locker room.

But the primary reason it'll never happen is our own sexual immaturity and repression — compared to the rest of the world, we're about two sermons away from sewing scarlet letters on our polo shirts.

Look at the international sex news preceding the World Cup. I have no idea who's starting on defensive for the American side, but I know that soccer dildos have been pulled and that fans attending the tournament should think twice before having sex with a hooker. Could you imagine the same stories being reported before the Super Bowl?

Other than soccer players not wanting to be seen as tools, the big news over in Germany is that sex traffickers are expecting a rise in demand for prostitutes during the World Cup, considering the world's oldest profession is legal over there. But officials are warning that these pimps might smuggle in thousands of women and force them into sex slavery to meet this unprecedented demand for commercial nookie — especially with both Italy and Brazil in the tournament.

European media outlets are doing their best to spread the word about this potential human rights crisis during the World Cup. MTV, in fact, has been working with British police on distributing literature to UK and German fans at hotel and airports. I'm not sure how the Hare Krishnas are going to compete with 100,000 leaflets that have "THE TRUTH ABOUT HOOKERS" screaming at the top.

MTV has also enlisted the help of actress Angelina Jolie in the anti-trafficking campaign, as she'll be used in print and televised PSAs.

And really ... who better to convince millions of young men that they don't need to have random sex with legalized prostitutes than "Angelina J.?"

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 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2006

Red Sox and Yankees: Rethinking the Rivalry

Rivalries are everywhere in sports. Fans and media are quick to blow the significance of "rivalry" games way out of proportion. Another Red Sox/Yankees series began Monday and although it comprises just three games of a 162-game season, it is nothing short of playoff intensity for fans at Fenway Park.

I have been a part of this rivalry for most of my life. I was born in 1981 in Massachusetts and was a Red Sox fan by age 5. I have a collection of Red Sox ticket stubs from as far back as 1988 and have seen them play in six cities — Boston, New York, Toronto, Oakland, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Having said that, I should be as excited as anyone about the Yankees coming to town.

I hate the Yankees with every fiber of my being, but the rivalry is starting to get ridiculous. The press likes to say that the rivalry is 88-years-old — since the Babe Ruth sale. But that's not true. The Yankees have been the gold standard for professional sports franchises for 90 years. The Red Sox have only been to five World Series since 1918 — winning one. That's not a rivalry. The Yankees have 26 titles and are a threat for another every year.

Maybe the genesis of this rivalry can be traced back to the Babe, but it only surfaces for short periods of time. In 1978, the two teams finished the regular season tied for first place, resulting in a one-game playoff for the division. A Bucky "Bleeping" Dent home run led the Yankees to the playoffs over the Red Sox. I wasn't even alive for that game, but I must have heard the story 500 times by my 8th birthday.

1978 was a great year for the rivalry. Unfortunately, the Red Sox didn't make the playoffs until eight years later. The Yankees have only had two playoff droughts of more than eight seasons since their first World Series appearance in 1921 — 12 years from 1964-76 and 14 years from 1981-95. But an eight-year absence isn't too bad for the Sox. Boston missed the playoffs 28 straight years from 1918 to 1946, and didn't make it again until 1967. That's two World Series appearances in 49 years compared to 29 for New York over that same span.

It's not exactly breaking news that the Yankees and Red Sox have much different histories. But where was the rivalry? If this is the most storied rivalry in all of baseball, where was it from 1918 to 1967? The Yankees won the pennant 29 times in 49 years compared to two for the Sox. Boston finished in second place only six other times. That means that in 49 seasons, the Boston Red Sox finished in third place or worse 41 times. The Yankees: only 13.

The Red Sox have been to three World Series since then. The Yankees have been to three of the last six.

How can teams with such different pasts have such a heated rivalry?

Recent events have helped. The two teams have met up in the ALCS three times in the last seven years, twice going to Game 7. They also play 19 times every year in the regular season thanks to unbalanced scheduling.

There have also been battles for players, with the Yankees always winning. Alex Rodriguez was supposed to be the Red Sox shortstop. Instead, he plays third base for the Yankees. Jose Contreres was also going to sign with Sox before receiving a higher offer from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Others include Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi, not to mention New York's recent acquisition of Johnny Damon.

These failed Red Sox acquisitions who ended up in pinstripes made the fans hate the "Evil Empire" even more. But I can pinpoint the exact moment the rivalry ignited again. It was Game 3 of the 1999 ALCS. Pedro Martinez vs. The Rocket. I was at Fenway Park for that game and the Sox shellacked ol' Roger. It was the only game Boston would win in the series, but the atmosphere in Boston and at Fenway Park has not been the same since.

Back then, I never missed a Pedro Martinez start. I believed then and believe now that Pedro is the best pitcher of my lifetime and among the top-five of all time. It warms my heart to think about the games he pitched against the Yankees. He owned them. And it kills me that he couldn't finish the job in 2003 and that Curt Schilling gets the credit for 2004. It could not have happened without Pedro.

Regardless, it was that October Game 7 years ago that launched the rivalry again. The Sox have finished in second place behind the Yankees every year since then. That is the main reason for the rivalry's resurgence. Both teams have been in contention every year for eight consecutive seasons. The rivalry has not had a chance to fizzle like it did in the past. It keeps growing. Perhaps it has even outgrown itself.

It's great for Boston sports. Fenway Park has the second longest consecutive sellout streak of all-time, and it gets extended every night. Experts on television talk like it's always been like this. That is absurd. The New England Sports Network, or NESN, shows classic Sox games regularly on its station. These games show an entirely different Fenway Park. There are empty seats everywhere during important games from winning seasons. NESN also shows a commercial featuring a game in 1999 and there's almost no one there.

There's a reason that they never put seats on the Green Monster before 2003. The Sox weren't selling out games as it was. Certainly, they didn't need more empty seats.

Now there's not an empty seat in the house and fans have more trouble getting tickets than ever before. It's these fair-weather fans that perpetuate the rivalry. I find it hard to believe that any of those fans hated the Yankees before the Derek Jeter era.

Growing up, I hated the Knicks more than the Yankees and I probably hated the Lakers more than either of them. Now everyone just hates the Yankees.

And so do I. I attended the first game between the two teams this season. On May 1st, the Yanks made their first trip to Boston and I was there to see it — and to boo the living hell out of Johnny Damon. But 10 years ago, a cold, rainy May 1st game against any team would have been half empty at Fenway. Not anymore. It's a circus from Opening Day these days.

Now a May game against the Yankees brings ESPN, Ben Affleck, Governor Mitt Romney, and all sorts of others to tiny, old, uncomfortable Fenway Park. It seems to me that sports fans outside of Boston and New York must be sick and tired of it.

As for me, I'm somewhere in between. I'm more disturbed by the way the whole thing plays out. I don't like the ESPN coverage that treats every game like the Super Bowl. I don't like the guys in Boston who wear shirts that say "Jeter Sucks A Rod" or "R. Kelly Banged Sheff's Wife." I am a baseball fan and these guys are not. These are the people who like the rivalry more than the sport. They would rather the Sox win one game against the Yanks than 10 against the Devil Rays. I believe some of them hate the Yankees more than they like the Red Sox.

Perhaps the recent influx of fans and the inflated rivalry are functions of the Sox success. Maybe the fact that the Sox have been competitive for eight straight seasons is the reason for both the rivalry and the sellouts.

I don't believe that. I believe the fans are a function of the rivalry. I believe the Red Sox' success is, as well. The organization is in a constant "arms race" with New York. I can't say I blame them considering it is the rivalry that brought the fans out in record numbers.

The 1999 ALCS made it clear that the rivalry could be used to garner intense year-round support for the Red Sox in Boston — the kind there is now. The 1999 Red Sox roster had very few stars on it. The team overachieved with guys like Troy O'Leary, Darren Lewis, and Jose Offerman. The Sox record was worse in 2000 than it was in 1999, and worse in 2001 than 2000. It took the major signings of Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, and Curt Schilling to get the Sox back to a World Series-caliber team. And it never would have happened without the Yankees.

I just hope all the fans continue to support my beloved Red Sox long after the days of Jason Varitek and David Ortiz. I wonder what Fenway will look like in 10 years. If the 2015 Red Sox lose 90 games, who will sit in the Green Monster? Who will sing "Sweet Caroline" in the middle of the eighth inning? Will "Fever Pitch 2" be the lowest-grossing Drew Barrymore movie since "Home Fries?"

I don't have the answers, but I know that there are Red Sox and Yankees fans who agree with me. The rivalry is not bigger than game. It is just a part of it.

Posted by Isaac Miller at 6:33 PM | Comments (2)

Why the PGA's FedEx Cup is Empty

As I have said lots of times over the past few years, I have been a huge advocate of a season-long points race for the PGA Tour that would be modeled after the compelling Race for the Chase on the Left Turn Circuit (aka NASCAR).

And with the announcement of the television new deal for the PGA Tour, it was revealed that my prayers were going to be answered in the form of the FedEx Cup. The Cup race would lead to a four-event playoff that would culminate in a huge payday for the champion at the TOUR Championship. It seemed that my golfing fantasy would come true.

But as I have found out more about how the FedEx Cup is shaping up, the more discouraged I have become about the potential value of this series. First, I found out that a player could win all four major championships and hypothetically not be guaranteed to win the FedEx Cup.

To me, at least, it would seem that if someone could pull off the Grand Slam in a calendar year, that this golfer would win the FedEx Cup, be anointed Golfing King for Life, and receive $100 million. Given the ego of PGA Tour Commish Tim Finchem, though, and his man-crush on the Players Championship, I could see how this circumstance would happen.

This week, though, we found out some more preliminary information on how the points system would actually be structured for next season. From Golf Digest's John Hawkins, we get some of the details:

1. All "regular" tour events will award a total of 25,000 points. The World Golf Championships will award 26,250, with the four majors and the Players Championship worth 27,500.

Here's the first set of problems. This point layout seems to not consider field strength at all in determining points to be awarded. Any PGA Tour fan knows there is an absurd disparity between so-called "regular" PGA Tour events. This week's PGA Tour event, the Bank of America Colonial, is a much better event than the Honda Classic in terms of prestige, field strength, and overall value to the average Tour player. Yet, in the grand scheme of this FedEx Cup, they are considered equal? That seems like a travesty.

Further, if you had to attach a value to the four major championships in relationship to the other Tour events, you would almost certainly consider the majors to be at least 110% of the value of a normal event. But, in the FedEx Cup, the major championships are only worth 10% more than a regular PGA Tour event. You mean to tell me that the Zurich Classic of New Orleans is that close in value to the Masters? That's a joke.

Even more than that, the ego of the PGA Tour really comes out in this point structure. The World Golf Championships events are a shell of their original intent and have devolved into guaranteed paydays for President's Cup and Ryder Cup team members. There are no cuts and the fields are especially small. But, somehow, there are extra points awarded for these events on the FedEx Cup schedule. We'll return to the WGC events later.

Also, the FedEx Cup has given the PGA Tour an artificial opportunity to once again shove the Players Championship down our throats as the "fifth major." Vomit. By awarding the same number of points for the Players and the four real majors, the PGA Tour has attempted to elevate the importance of the Players to that of the major championships. We have been hearing from the Tour for years how the Players should be the fifth major.

I get the message, but it is beyond ridiculous that the PGA Tour has to institute its egotistical opinion of its best tournament into the FedEx Cup system. Until the rest of the golfing world recognizes the Players Championship as a legitimate major championship, it should be considered as a "regular" event.

Just think — that's the first bullet point! It gets worse, though, with bullet point number two:

2. The winner of each tournament will receive 18 percent of the total points — the same percentage as a standard purse breakdown. All players who make the cut will receive points.

On the surface, this might not seem like a very relevant point. But, think about the implications of this statement for a moment. The winner of each tournament receives the same percentage of the point pool as they do from the purse pool. This simple calculation for determining the point distribution of each event, in effect, makes the FedEx Cup points race into a de facto money list.

My whole point behind backing the concept of the PGA Tour playoff system was to create a new system of evaluating a golfer's season that would encompass a lot of the things that the money list misses. The money list does not consider a wide variety of issues that are important to golfers and golf fans. Think about it. The money list does not consider the following:

a) Average money per event — There are a number of players high up on the money list that play way more often than others and make a lot of money on the volume of their schedule alone. Adam Scott and Lucas Glover are 18th and 19th, respectively, on the money list. But, Scott has earned his $1.5 million in just eight events, while Glover has played nearly double the number of events (15). If you break out money per start, Glover would be significantly lagging, but he is considered equal with Scott on the money list.

b) Strength of field — As a player, you can place fairly well in a large number of second-tier events and wind up at a fairly high level on the money list at the end of the season. Every year, several players sneak into the Tour Championship on the basis of playing well in some mediocre events down the stretch. Talk to Charles Howell III about his play toward the end of 2005 and how that locked up his birth in the Tour Championship. His play in the weaker fall stretch of events gave him enough money to creep into the field when he was not one of the best players on the Tour last year.

c) Importance of winning — Several years ago in 2002, David Toms had a fantastic season and finished fourth on the money list. But guess what? He never won an event. A player can hypothetically finish very well in the money list despite never winning an event. This diminishes the value of a win on the money list and makes each event look weak in the grand scheme of the season. The Tour must balance the desire to create continuity through the season while making each individual event appear as singularly important.

On top of those three points, I would like to return to the World Golf Championships events. The money distributed in these events is usually larger than that of average PGA Tour events, but is distributed to fewer players. For example, in last year's WGC Bridgestone event, Tiger Woods took home 20% ($1,300,000 out of $7.5 million) of the prize pool for his win. The last-place finisher, Jyoti Randhawa, made approximately 0.5% of the pool.

Compare this to a normal PGA Tour event. This week at the Bank of America Colonial, Tim Herron picked up 18% of the $6 million prize pool. The last guy to make the cut, Bill Haas, earned 0.2% of the total purse this week. So, there really is not a dramatic difference in points at the top. But, there is a significant difference as you get away from the medal podium positions. On top of that, when you factor in the additional 1,250 points per each World Golf Championships event, these gimmick events give an unfair advantage at the start to those who get in the field.

Even more than that, all of the major championships have a cut and players who qualify do not automatically make money. As a result, half of the field that qualifies for the much more prestigious major championships do not get any points while players that get into WGC events can play terribly and still earn more FedEx Cup points than they normally would if they barely made the cut at a "regular" Tour stop. Yet again, the PGA Tour puts its own events on a subtle pedestal through its proposed points system.

So, with all of that in mind, the PGA Tour should not make the money distribution the lone determinant for the FedEx Cup. To do so is lazy, unimaginative, and unfair to a number of superior players. It is a slap in the face of the golf fan that is looking for a measure of success that is a bit more representative of an entire season of play for an individual golfer. This point distribution just does not appear to accomplish that — not even close.

The last key point of contention, still under discussion, is the way that the culminating series of events will qualify players and how many golfers will make the field for the Tour Championship. Current indications show that the Tour is going back and forth on how small they want the field to be. It could range between 20 and 60 golfers making the final field of the year that matters.

My preference would be closer to that 20 number. The whole point of a playoff system is to eliminate mediocrity and to showcase the sport's absolute best, on top of giving the best performers of the season an opportunity to make a ton of money. By allowing more golfers to have a shot at the biggest payoff of the year, the Tour again caters to mediocrity as it already does with the purse distribution. If the Tour continues this trend in the FedEx Cup race, then nothing has really changed at all.

The PGA Tour cannot introduce the FedEx Cup with these proposed guidelines. It comes across as lazy, uninspired, and catering to mediocrity. In order for the FedEx Cup to mean anything at all, the Tour must fundamentally change two things.

First, the PGA Tour must redistribute the way that prize money is awarded for individual tournaments. Winners should receive closer to 25% of the total prize money and top-10s should actually be rewarded more than they are now. Making the cut should no longer be good enough on the PGA Tour. This will inspire struggling players to play more often to make their livelihood and also encourage players that are not able to crack the top 20 to play more often if they want real paychecks.

Otherwise, the Tour will continue to reward mediocre play and cater to a base of players that are aching to protect their piece of the pie that they have secured because of the brilliance of a select few golfers — the supposed Big Five or Six. Well, second- and third-tier players have had theirs for long enough and they now need to be brought back to reality. Play well and you can have a chance at some real money. Otherwise, you can subsist.

Second, the FedEx Cup points race must be redesigned to consider strength of field. The FedEx Cup cannot become a de facto money list. Golf fans are not happy that the sport current pays out so much money to B- and C-list golfers. If the FedEx Cup rewards those golfers in the same way that the prize distribution does, then the Tour will fail to create buy-in from fans for this concept. Fans have already begun to check out from the game for a variety of factors, including this one. The Tour cannot present a solution that is merely smoke and mirrors of the same old way of doing business. That will make the FedEx Cup worthless and fail to achieve any of the goals it had.

In the end, the FedEx Cup (and, by extension, the PGA Tour) must respond to the logistical problems that the current Tour faces when it comes to money distribution, tournament field of strength, and schedule volume for individual players. It appears that the proposed structure of the FedEx Cup fails to meet any of those concepts and also propagates the failures of the existing structure and the pitiful ego of the PGA Tour concerning its own events.

The Tour must drop its ego, stop insulting fans and top-tier players, and actually introduce an original concept for the FedEx Cup, or it will actually make the sport worse off in the long run. The FedEx Cup was a gamble to begin with, but given the current indications of how it will look in practice, it looks like it's dead money.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 6:10 PM | Comments (1)

May 25, 2006

Life After the NFL

I miss the USFL.

Maybe the NFL does have too much of a monopoly on talent for a spring or summer football league to succeed in the United States, or at least one that's not a bizarre caricature of the game. The USFL wasn't a bizarre caricature, it was an earnest football league. Give me your Washington Federals, Michigan Panthers, and Oakland Invaders. Give me your Chicago Blitz, Denver Gold, and Boston/New Orleans/Portland Breakers.

We're about 20 years past the USFL. What do football fans get in 2006 to whet their warm month appetites?

There was the XFL, but I believe we should seriously try to expunge the XFL from our memories and our history books. If we all pretend hard enough that it never happened, it didn't. Somebody go back to those archived TV Guides and edit them to show that NBC was showing "Battle of the Network Stars" on Saturday nights, or something.

There's the Arena Football League. That would be the "bizarre caricature" I referred to earlier. A 77-70 final score should be a game for the ages, not just another day at the Thunderdome.

There's NFL Europe. It's okay, I suppose, but its status as a development league for the NFL gives the games a decidedly uncompelling, preseason vibe. Most NFLE teams rotate two quarterbacks because, well, they are charged with developing the players on their roster. It's not a strategy (in most cases) though, for championship football.

Plus, they have adopted a rule this past season that I can't stand: field goals from 50 yards out or more are worth four points. If this catches on, you're gonna see strange, un-football-like situations emerge.

For example, Team A, on offense, is down by four with 30 seconds left, ball at midfield. The quarterback hits the open receiver, but oops, he led him out too far and he's at the 25. Now the receiver is running backwards towards his own goal, trying to get back to the 33, the cornerback is trying to drag him down before he can lose sufficient yardage to get a four-point field goal attempt and what kind of tripe is this? It's not football. It is worth remembering that this rule was first attempted in the XFL, which we already agreed never happened. Tommy Maddox was selling insurance that year before joining the Steelers.

Then there's the Canadian Football League. Last year, a few of the Comcast Sports regional channels, FOX Sports regional channels, FOX College Sports, and independent sports channels like the MSG Network started carrying CFL games, and it appears they will this year, as well. This means that if you subscribe to a cable system that carries one of the above networks, you get to see some CFL games, and if you get the DirecTV or Dish Network sports packages, you can see very nearly all of them.

Last year, I gave the CFL a shot and as sacrilegious, nay, treasonous as it may sound, I fell in love with it. I did. The games are imported, graphics and all, from either CBC or TSN (Canada's national sports network), and they broadcast the games cleanly and knowledgeably. I was especially impressed with TSN's Chris Cuthbert, who strikes just the right note between professional disinterest and enthusiasm, and I've come to understand he's a national hockey announcer in Canada announcer, as well.

In fact, with Keith Jackson joining Pat Summerall in the retirement house, I'll even go as far as to say he's my favorite football announcer working today — although that says as much about the dearth of national announcing talent in the U.S. (I'm staring directly at Joe Buck when I say that) as it does about Cuthbert. The CBC announcers are a little on the dry side, but generally all the announcers, analysts, and studio guys I watched at both networks were articulate and interesting (which puts them above the CBS guys) without being gimmicky or over-the-top (which puts them ahead of the FOX guys).

I'll get my testosterone card pulled for saying this, but another thing I like are the uniforms. Again, a perfect balance is struck by most teams. They are neither boring, plain, and "traditional" like Penn State or Alabama, nor overdone like Arena League unis.

The rule differences (12 men, 110-yard field, plus 20-yard deep end zones, surrendering a point on a touchback, etc.) are tolerable, and I sort of enjoy the main difference — three downs instead of four — as a change of pace from American football. In fact, if you've been watching the CFL all summer, going back to four downs seems sort of conservative and stodgy.

With three downs, every play has a sense of urgency. Fail on first down and all of the sudden you're in that zone us Americans feel on third down: do or die. Needless to say, this opens up the game a great deal and teams pass more than they run. But they do run, and the pass-first philosophy that three downs compels actually opens up the running game. It works.

So consider this column your CFL primer and preview ... although since I've only been following the Canadian game a year myself, I will refrain from making predictions or trying to wing any hardcore knowledge. The season kicks off June 13th.

Eastern Conference

Montreal Alouettes

Last season — 10-8; Lost to Edmonton in the Grey Cup (CFL Championship Game).

Players you may recognize — Quincy Carter, Avon Cobourne, Robert Edwards (yeah, that one: the Patriots tailback who tore up his leg).

Look/style seems inspired by — The World League of American Football, ca. 1990.

Comments — The Als are my favorite CFL team. Their star quarterback, Anthony Calvillo, is probably too old to be given a serious look by the NFL, but I think he could've made an impact. They were formerly the Baltimore Stallions when the CFL experimented with having American franchises in the mid-'90s.

Toronto Argonauts

Last season — 11-7; Lost to Montreal in Eastern Conference Final.

Players you may recognize — Ricky Williams in a minute here, Eric Crouch, Saladin McCullough, Lee Woodall, R. Jay Soward, Jon Avery.

Look/style seems inspired by — No one in particular, but you can see here if you scroll down to their historical helmets, they've gotten more boring of late.

Comments — CFL detractors like to guffaw at the fact that Damon Allen, who turns 43 in July and is Marcus's brother, is still a CFL heavyweight (he compiled a QB rating over 100 last year). But Warren Moon made a Pro Bowl in his 40s.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Last season — 5-13.

Players you may recognize — Kwame Cavil, Anthony Davis, Craig Yeast.

Look/style seems inspired by — The Pittsburgh Steelers come closest.

Comments — Their PA announcer is fun and sounds like Randy "Macho Man" savage. Probably the worst team in the CFL last year, but they beat their archrivals (Toronto) in their annual Labor Day battle, which is a CFL tradition like Detroit and Dallas on Thanksgiving here.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Last season — 5-13.

Players you may recognize — Tee Martin, Onterrio Smith, Brad Banks.

Look/style seems inspired by — Washington (the University, not the Redskins).

Comments — They are moving to the Eastern Conference from the Western Conference this year after the Ottawa Renegades (look/style seemed inspired by Texas Tech) suspended operations last month. Whenever a franchise folds or the league expands, Winnipeg is the franchise called upon to switch conferences and balance things out. This isn't their first conference move.

Western Conference

British Columbia Lions

Last season — 12-6; Lost to Edmonton in Western Conference Final.

Players you may recognize — Jarious Jackson, Ryan Thelwell, Tim Wansley, Aaron Lockett.

Look/style seems inspired by — Nothing springs to mind.

Comments — Started last year 11-0, setting a CFL winning streak record. Then they finished 1-7 to close out the season. How's that for a turnaround? It's like every team figured them out at once.

Edmonton Eskimos

Last season — 11-7; defeated Montreal to win Grey Cup.

Players you may recognize — Troy Davis, Reggie Durden, Jason Johnson.

Look/style seems inspired by — The Green Bay Packers.

Comments — The Esks are the Packers North through and through — same colors, both play in a frozen tundra of sorts (Edmonton being the northernmost big city in North America), both have a successful history and both have an iconic quarterback (okay, so Eskimo QB Ricky Ray is too young to be an icon, but he was the Grey Cup MVP and he's balding, so he looks older than he is).

Calgary Stampeders

Last season — 11-7; Lost to Edmonton in Western Conference semifinal.

Players you may recognize — Henry Burris, Jeremaine Copeland, Terrence Wilkins, Ken-Yon Rambo, Danny McManus.

Look/style seems inspired by — SMU.

Comments — This is where Doug Flutie played the bulk of his CFL career. Edmonton is their big rival. Known colloquially as the Stamps.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Last season — 9-9; Lost to Montreal in Eastern Conference semifinal (crossed over from Western Conference for playoffs due to imbalance of teams).

Players you may recognize — Darian Durant, Almondo Curry, Kareem Kelly.

Look/style seems inspired by — Nobody since the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles both decided green has to be very dark to be sufficiently masculine. Saskatchewan uses a lighter green more reminiscent of the Jets and Eagles of the '80s and have, in my opinion, the sharpest uniforms of the CFL.

Comments — Up until recently, they shared a nickname with the Ottawa Rough Riders, who folded in 1996. The Roughriders played the Rough Riders four times in the Grey Cup. A segment of their fans are called melonheads, who hollow out a watermelon and use it as a hat. Once again, I sense the influence of the Green Bay Packers.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 11:05 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

NBA Playoffs: 40 Games in 40 Nights (Pt. II)

Continued from 40 Games in 40 Nights (Pt. 1)

As many of my former bosses will attest to, I am not one for working.

I go in spurts, as I feel like it, and when it's convenient for me.

That's why, two weeks after I started, I am finishing my list of 40 items about the NBA Playoffs.

Forty's a big number. Bigger than I thought it would be.

It became painfully apparent to me as I wrote the first half of the list that I didn't have the time, or the material, to compile a full list of 40 items. That's why I stopped at 20. The whole "40 is an important number in the Bible" thing ... totally a cop-out.

The real reason ... I was tired, I was hungry, and the librarian was staring at me like I had snuck a first edition of The Great Gatsby under my coat.

2,657 words in one afternoon were quite enough.

But alas, it would be rude of me to start such an important list without finishing it. It would be a complete let down. How am I supposed to be a pioneer in the world of list-making if I can only make it halfway?

So, after two weeks, I am proud to unveil the second half of:

The 40 Things I Have Seen, Thought About, Heard Through the Grapevine, Considered, Predicted, Been Insulted By, Been Nauseated By, Scoffed at, and Missed About the 2006 NBA Playoffs So Far (In No Particular Order)

21. Desagana Diop was a first round pick.

Yes, folks, that's right.

I had forgotten about it until watching the seventh game of the Mavs/Spurs series.

As a Cleveland fan, I must have erased that memory in order to save my sanity.

He was the eighth overall pick in the 2001 draft, then spent the next four years planted firmly at the end of the Cavaliers' bench.

Career stats: 1.8 points per game, 1.1 blocks per game, 3.1 rebounds per game

Of course, I was glad to see him go. It was a relief to get rid of him. He's a seven-footer with no coordination, no offense, and an ability to look completely goofy at all times.

I am only surprised that he has found himself as the starting center for the Mavs this season. And, more than that, I am surprised that they are in the Western Conference Finals despite that fact.

22. Chris Kaman is still ugly.

23. It's okay, Mark Cuban, there are rivalries, now please keep your shirt on.

Last week, commenting on the NBA in general, Mark Cuban said, "We need intense, bloodthirsty, Red Sox/Yankees rivalries in this league."

Sure, it has been awhile since the NBA has had a Bulls/Pistons, Lakers/Celtics kind of rivalry. That's no surprise considering the fact that it has been awhile since the NBA seemed interesting at all. Beyond this year's playoffs saving interest in the league, beyond the fact that they have been some of the most exciting and competitive series in recent memory, these NBA playoffs are giving birth to rivalries.

The Miami Heat have been geeked up this entire season to get a second crack at the Detroit Pistons after losing Game 7 last year. They have been waiting all all season, and have said as much in the press.

The Detroit Pistons had been waiting all season to return to the Finals and get a second crack at the San Antonio Spurs. They have been waiting all season, and have said as much in the press.

The Dallas Mavericks have been the bridesmaid to the Spurs' bride in the last couple of years. With a determined drive to the basket, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs accomplished what Mark Cuban had been dreaming of the entire season. They beat their rivals. They got the monkey off their backs.

The motivating factor, the thing that is getting players and teams excited and pumped about the rest of the playoffs is the idea of revenge. The Heat, the Pistons, the Mavs — every team is gunning for NBA Finals glory and they want to do it at the expense of the teams that stopped them last year.

Next year, the Cavs and Heat are going to pressure the Pistons.

Next year, the Spurs and Mavs are going to once again battle for bragging rights, while at the same time worrying about the Clippers and the Suns.

All the while, the East is going to be motivated by the West, and vice-a-versa.

That's what is making these playoffs great, and that's why you will see David Stern sitting court-side and smiling like an idiot that just won the lottery.

24. Root, root, root ... for whom?

After the Cleveland Indians missed the playoffs last year because of a complete nosedive against the White Sox in the final week of the season, my girlfriend said she hoped the White Sox would win it all.

Forget that they are a division rival. Forget that they were the reason my beloved Tribe missed the playoffs.

Her logic? She wanted the White Sox to win so that we could say we lost to the best team in baseball.

Little comfort, I know.

So, now we come to the NBA playoffs, and the Detroit Basketball Pistons eliminated my beloved Cavaliers.

Who do I root for?

In my heart, I want the Heat to put a serious hurting on the Pistons. Nothing would give me so much pleasure as to watch Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, and company tank in five or six games. That would shut 'em up.

Then again, part of me wants Detroit to beat the Heat. Part of me wants Detroit to win it all. Part of me doesn't want Detroit to lose another game. That way, we lost to the best team in the league.

It's little consolation, I know. But if you're from Cleveland, you'll take any consolation you can get.

25. Beware of flying frying pans.

Every week since Top Chef has started, I have been flabbergasted. I've thought, "Who the hell is that redhead, and why haven't they kicked her off yet?"

Week after week, I prayed Tiffani would get tossed to the curb with her knives, and every week, she has stuck around simply to annoy me.

So, Wednesday night we came to the Top Chef finale, and it's between Harold and Tiffani. Needless to say, I'm a little nervous. It's not that I like Harold that much, and it's not that I am that emotionally invested in the show to really care who wins.

In fifth grade, I used to play one-on-one basketball games with my best friend in my frontyard. I was Michael Jordan (shameful, I know) and he was Jay Guidinger, a backup center whose entire career consisted of two seasons with the Cavs.

Anyway, I inevitably lost those games, and every time I lost, I would kick the basketball over my house in a stunning display of disgust. (Even if I didn't have the actual skill and ability to ever make it to the NBA, at least I had the emotional pouting part down.)

So I fear something similar might happen. If Tiffani wins Top Chef, I very well might hurl my $2.00 frying pan at my television set in disgust.

26. Conan O'Brien-style SAT practice questions.

Q. What do the following three statements have in common?

"I'm pretty sure that the little birds living in Zydrunas Ilgauskas' beard could defend the Pistons better than he could."

"The Heat just aren't a good team. The Pistons aren't a good team. The Mavericks aren't a good team. The Suns aren't a good team. There aren't any good teams left. I could go suit up right now and beat everybody. Hell, I could beat everybody by myself while I was eating a chocolate chip cookie. That's right, me and the chocolate chip cookie will take on anybody."

"You might as well go ahead and start making plans to put my head on Mount Rushmore, because I'm the only one that can figure out what they are trying to do out there. George Washington, William Howard Taft, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton, and me. I like that Taft guy. He was big, right? He was big like me. See, big guys like us, we can still do great things. He ran a country and he was a big guy. There ain't nothing wrong with that.

"And Clinton, you know he liked his food. You ever see that SNL skit where they had him in a McDonald's eating everybody's food? That was funny. He's out for a run and he's gotta stop for a Big Mac. See, that's how I am, I need a snack to keep going. Big Macs, Whoppers, don't matter."

A. These statements are more and more likely to be uttered by Charles Barkley as the playoffs continue.

27. A personal question.

I write for this site, not for a major publication.

I write as a hobby, not as an occupation.

That doesn't mean I don't have pride in what I do, and it doesn't necessarily mean that everything else out there is better.

Some of my articles are better than others. I have my personal favorites, and I certainly have the ones that I regret to some degree.

Last week I posted an article, NBA Playoffs: Ahead of the Curve.

I was quite proud of it.

It was about LeBron James and the expectations and performance in his first year in the playoffs.

That was on Thursday, May 18.

Skip to Sunday. I pick up the local Cleveland Plain Dealer and turn to the Sports section.

There, on the front page, is a column by Bud Shaw entitled, "Magnificent Seven?"

It covered much of the same topic areas as my article, but as I read it, I felt that mine was significantly better.

This is not to whine, and this is not to take anything away from Bud Shaw. However, I was curious, given the similarities, how the two would stand up head-to-head.

So, if anyone has an opinion, feel free to comment.

Once again, just curious.

28. I'm glad the first round is seven games.

The first round is not boring, it is not easy, and it is not something to be skipped.

Four of the series this year went six games. One went seven.

If the first round of the playoffs were five games instead of seven, you wouldn't see the Phoenix Suns playing the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals.

Is that the type of basketball you want to watch? Five games in the first round?

Five games opens the door for streaky teams that have no business advancing to the second round. You don't want to make it impossible for upsets to happen, but at the same time the NBA playoffs shouldn't resemble March Madness.

You complain about the possibility of a Spurs vs. Pistons final from the start, but wait and see how interested you would be if either of them got knocked out by the Bucks or the Kings in the first round.

You're just asking for it if you make the first round best of five.

29. Jack Bauer would be voted All First-Team NBA, for sure.

"So Jack, how are you going to handle the Pistons' zone coverage in the second half?"

"I'm going to need a hacksaw."

30. Predictions, anyone?

So far, I've stayed away from making any predictions. I've simply tried to sit back and enjoy everything without getting too involved.

That ends here.

In the East, I'm not that confident in Detroit coming off their seven game series with the Cavs. They looked tired Tuesday night against the Heat, and the Heat have in Shaq what the Cavs didn't with their starting roster — a second scorer and an inside defensive presence.

I'm taking the Miami Heat in seven games over the Pistons. I think Miami is going to avenge their Game 7 loss from last season, and I think it's because of Dwyane Wade's consistency, Shaq's determination for another ring, and Pat Riley's ability to bring together all the disjointed parts of the team.

As far as the West goes...

It's strange — I can objectively say that the Dallas Mavericks are the better team in the series. I don't think there's any doubt about that.

However, for some reason, my heart is telling me to pick the Suns.

I think Steve Nash is going to earn his keep as MVP, and I think the more the Suns run, the easier it's going to be to wear down Dirk Nowitzki. If Dirk is tired, if he can't be the man Dallas needs him to be, then I think the Suns have the edge.

Phoenix is rested, and Dallas just came off a grueling (physically and emotionally) series.

I'm going to take Phoenix in six games.

***

All right, I warned you. I'm not one for working.

We're at 2,150 words and counting.

I know, I only got to number 30 on my list, but I feel that, for the time being, it has run its course.

Anymore entries and I'm going to start telling you increasingly irrelevant and tangential (at best) information.

For example, number 31 was going to be, "The library is next to a hibachi restaurant that has great lunch deals. I could go for scallops and filet right now."

See, not so good, especially for a sports column.

Ten more items done, 10 more to go.

I'm allowed to stop here, you know, because 10 is one quarter of forty, and thus, it's important, too.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 4:12 PM | Comments (1)

French Open Preview: Nadal Repeat?

Some years, magic happens at Roland Garros. Small miracles of sorts. Often, a champion emerges that leaves even the most passionate of tennis fans asking, "Who in the name of Gustavo Kuerten is he?"

In 1997, Kuerten was that miracle. The unseeded and relatively-unknown Brazilian shocked the tennis world that year by reaching the French Open final and erasing veteran clay-court specialist Sergi Bruguera in straight sets to win the title.

While Albert Costa had already made a name for himself on the ATP Tour by 2002, his triumph that year at Roland Garros was nothing short of shocking. Once again, an unseeded player toppled a heavily-favored opponent (this time the victim was Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero) in the championship match.

The same sort of miracle graced the French Open in 2004. Unseeded Argentine Gaston Gaudio rolled through the likes of Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian en route to a final clash with countryman Guillermo Coria. At the time, Coria dominated the clay the way Rafael Nadal does now. Five sets later, after squandering a two-set lead and two match points in the fifth set, Coria was reduced to just another victim of Roland Garros magic. On the other side of the coin, Gaudio entered the tournament destined to be forgotten by history, but left a history-maker.

Of course, in other years, the champion has been exactly who we anticipated. Following his stunner in 1997, Kuerten slowly evolved into a clay-court force with whom the Roland Garros faithful fell in love. By the turn of the century, with no French hometown hero as a true contender, he was the man the crowd rooted for and expected to win. He did just that in both 2000 and 2001.

At the 2003 French Open, Ferrero was No. 3 in the world, but easily the top clay-court player. He finally realized his potential and erased the disappointment of falling to Costa the previous year.

And we all remember what happened last year, when Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal rode a tidal wave of momentum into the French Open by dominating the clay-court season. As expected, he could not be stopped at Roland Garros.

Lest we forget, however, even when the odds-on favorite has triumphed at the French Open, the magic is never lost. When Ferrero won in 2003, the runner-up was Dutch giant Martin Verkerk. I must admit I had never heard of him before that tournament. Not once. He had done nothing before, and has done nothing since. Adding to the shock factor is that Verkerk's game was best-suited for grass — clay should have been his worst surface. His run to the 2003 French Open final is something that can never be explained — it was truly a miracle.

Similarly, little-known and now-forgotten Mario Puerta stormed into last year's championship match and gave Nadal everything he could handle. Like Verkerk, Puerta had done absolutely nothing before his coming out party at Roland Garros. And all he has done since is test positive for performance-enhancing drugs (his second offense) and get banned for eight years from the ATP tour.

Needless to say, the forecast for what will take place at Roland Garros is never clear. Sometimes it calls for a miracle, other times it calls for the old reliables to put the upstarts in their place. It's impossible to know, but here is my best shot at a preview for the 2006 French Open.

Contenders

Rafael Nadal — He has won a record 53-straight matches on clay. He is three-for-three in clay-court tournaments this year, including Masters Series titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. Not only is he playing better than anyone else at the moment, but Nadal has also learned to play the big points better than anyone else (see: Rome final against Roger Federer when he saved two match points in the fifth set). Of course, at this year's French Open, he may not face any crucial points unless he plays Federer in the championship. Right now, Federer is the only player who can stay on a clay court with the Spaniard. Nadal is the overwhelming favorite to win the tournament and should not be bet against at any cost.

Roger Federer — Overall, he's still the best player in the game, although Nadal always gets hyped up during the clay-court season. At any other Grand Slam tournament — especially Wimbledon — Federer would be an even bigger favorite than Nadal is here. As the top two seeds, Federer and Nadal will be on opposite sides of the draw, so Roger should get to the finals. If Nadal somehow gets bounced along the way, Federer would instantly become the favorite, but even if he does go up against Nadal in the championship, his showing in Rome proves he still has a legitimate chance.

David Nalbandian — In my mind, he is definitely the third choice to win the tournament. The Argentine won the year-end Masters Cup last year in a five-set epic over Federer, and the momentum has carried over into 2006. He has a whopping 24-6 record for the year, including a semi-final appearance at the Australian Open. Without question, Nalbandian is unfazed on tennis's grandest stages. He has also been thriving on clay as of late. He won three weeks ago in Estoril, and had strong showings at both Rome and Monte Carlo, losing in three sets to Federer and Tommy Robredo, respectively. Nalbandian should be seeded third at Roland Garros, so he can avoid Nadal and Federer until the semis.

Tommy Robredo — He is coming off the biggest win of his career, crushing Radek Stepanek in straight sets to win the Masters Series Hamburg on Sunday. Robredo certainly benefited from the absence of Nadal and Federer, but he still had quality wins over David Ferrer and Mario Ancic, in addition to his domination of Stepanek. The Spaniard also reached the quarterfinals of Monte Carlo (lost to Gaudio) and the finals of Barcelona, where he gave Nadal a decent match. Robredo is playing the best tennis of his life right now, and if he receives a favorable draw (i.e., avoiding you know who), he can do some serious damage.

Pretenders

Since "pretender" is synonymous with "American" at Roland Garros, I'll just put all the notable American players in this category. Hey, it's exactly where they belong.

Andy Roddick — I remember a few years ago when Roddick lost to Nadal in the Davis Cup final on clay and I considered it an upset. All I can do now is laugh hysterically at myself for thinking that. Roddick stinks on clay. He's played two tournaments on the red stuff this year and has produced no notable results. Tommy Haas took him out in Houston in early April, and 19-year-old Gael Monfils erased him in two uncontested sets in Rome. Adding insult to injury, Roddick has not even played well on the hard courts this year. His loss to Marcos Baghdatis in Australia is somewhat explicable (the Cypriot was unconscious the entire two weeks), but losses to David Ferrer, Igor Andreev, and Julien Benneteau are simply unforgivable. He'll be gone the first time he sees a seeded player, if not before.

James Blake — He's actually playing decent tennis right now and is really the only hope for an American man to get past the third round. Blake has had his fair share of clay-court disasters in the past, though, so advancing well into the second week would be a stunner.

Robby Ginepri — He's won three times in 2006 ... I'm talking about matches, not tournaments.

Taylor Dent — Please.

Mardy Fish — Zzzzz.

Paul Goldstein, Vince Spadea — That's when you know it's time to stop analyzing.

Ripe For an Early Upset

Lleyton Hewitt — He just played his first match of the year on clay two days ago, and to say it did not go well would be the understatement of the season. The fiery Australian lost to someone named Marcos Daniel from Brazil. The rest of Hewitt's 2006 campaign hasn't been much better. He has reached the quarterfinals of the French Open twice, in 2001 and 2004. He won't get close to that far this time around.

Gaston Gaudio — He is lethal on clay, as we all saw in 2004. But Gaudio embodies the unpredictability of the French Open better than any other player. He could either win the tournament or lose in the first round. After losing to Robin Vik last week in a World Team Championships match, Gaudio said, "I think I have to start again from scratch. That's as bad as I'm playing at present. I am very frustrated and simply only bad on the court." Uh, sounds like a first round exit is the safer bet.

Guillermo Coria — He spared himself by withdrawing from the tournament. Coria cited an elbow injury, but more likely is that he understood how bad he was playing.

Miracle Workers?

David Ferrer — The Spaniard is ranked 15th in the world and clay is by far his best surface, so it would only be a miracle if he won the whole thing. Ferrer has the tools to do it, but probably lacks the mental game to survive two grueling weeks at Roland Garros. He's a good choice to reach the quarterfinals, but if he goes down a set to one of the big guns once he gets there, he'll probably go in the tank and not come out.

Jose Acasuso — Another clay-court specialist who will never do anything noteworthy on any other surface. But the Argentine has had a good summer on the dirt, and he gained some valuable experience last year at the French Open in beating Roddick on his way to the fourth round. Acasuso has stormed into the top 30 in the ATP rankings, so he should be seeded at this year's proceedings. That will spare some other seeded player a terrifying early-round matchup.

Nicolas Almagro — This probably evokes a who-in-the-name-of-Gustavo-Kuerten-is-he kind of response from most readers, as Almagro is a relative no-name despite his recent climb to No. 42 in the rankings. With any luck, however, the 20-year-old Spaniard will make his presence known at Roland Garros. His record in 2006 is a mind-boggling 17-6 and recently he's been as hot as the summer sun. So far on clay, he has reached the semis of Acapulco, the semis of Barcelona (lost to Nadal), and the quarters of Rome, where he lost to Federer 7-5 in the third set. Almagro also won his first ATP tournament in Valencia. Still, however, his ranking won't earn him a seed at the French. Sound the upset alert.

Bottom Line

The ingredients are there for a miracle of Kuertenian and Verkerkian proportions to take place once again on the hallowed grounds of Roland Garros. At the same time, however, the tournaments two biggest stars are more-than-capable of fending off the magic that the upstarts will attempt to throw at them.

So that leaves me with only one option for my fearless French Open predictions. On one half of the draw, I expect the unexpected. On the other half, order will be restored. Quite frankly, I am way too terrified (and also too smart) to pick against Nadal, so it will be Federer who bows out prematurely. Nadal, meanwhile, will storm through the field en route to the finals, where he will play the Martin Verkerk of 2006. Until the draw comes out, it is anyone's guess as to who that player will be.

What I do know, however, is that there's a reason why that player will be the "Martin Verkerk" of 2006 rather than the "Gaston Gaudio" of 2006.

Gaudio won the whole thing.

He didn't have to play Rafael Nadal in the finals.

Posted by Ricky Dimon at 3:50 PM | Comments (37)

May 24, 2006

Hell Week in the Fens

The calendar might say May, but don't take the summer whites out of mothballs just yet. In this land of eternal September, there will be a distinctive autumn nip in the air this week as the Red Sox dig in against their chief antagonists in three key matchups that should offer the first prognostications for October on Yawkey Way.

The curtain lifts tonight as 5-4 Randy Johnson takes the mound for the Yankees at Fenway Park. Next comes Scott Kazmir (7-2) on Friday when the Tampa Bay Devil Rays come to town. The anchor will be Ted Lilly (4-4), who awaits in Toronto where the Sox will close a three-game series one week from tonight.

The three lefties have combined for a 14-3 record in their 27 starts against the Red Sox dating back to 2004. That's when Lilly rejoined the American League East and Kazmir came over in a trade with the Mets. Johnson arrived in the Bronx a season later.

Most of this damage was inflicted last season. The triumvirate of Johnson, Kazmir, and Lilly combined for a 9-1 record with a 3.27 ERA, .222 batting average against, and 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings over their 16 Boston starts. They arguably played a bigger role in the Red Sox abdicating the AL East crown than did Keith Foulke's knees, Edgar Renteria's glove, or Kevin Millar's bat. During last September's homestretch, the Sox lost four of the five games started by a member of the lefty trio and watched their 3½ game Labor Day lead evaporate.

It was Johnson who turned in the marquee performance of that run. On September 11, he held Boston to one hit over seven innings in a 1-0 win at Yankee Stadium. Granted, the version of the Big Unit we saw two weeks ago was more like the Big Eunuch. The Sox pounded him for five hits and seven runs — three earned — in an appearance characterized by the New York media as gutless. Moreover, he is pitching poorly this year, certainly more so than in the start of his first season in the Bronx. But when the weather warmed last year, so did RJ. He finished 17-8, including 5-0 in six starts against Boston.

Whereas Johnson was an addition of gluttony, Lilly and Kazmir were additions of necessity. For Toronto and Tampa Bay to see October any time soon, they have to forge inroads against either Boston or New York. After the 2003 season, the Red Sox certainly appeared the more attainable. Perhaps empowered by Boston's 26-27 record in games started by lefties, the Jays and Rays both set out to bolster their rotations by juggling southpaws.

Toronto moved Mark Hendrickson — who never mastered his surroundings at the SkyDome — to Tampa Bay and acquired Lilly. The Jays also called up Gustavo Chacin late in the 2004 season. Meanwhile the Devil Rays, in addition to picking up Hendrickson, signed John Halama and traded for Kazmir before the 2004 deadline. With so much mud slung on the walls that partitioned them from the AL East's elite, some was bound to stick. In the case of Lilly and Kazmir, some did.

The forced intimacy brought on by an unbalanced schedule has produced one silver lining for intra-divisional have-nots. Scheduling 19 games against divisional foes is MLB's equivalent to housing five siblings under the same roof. With that much time together, you learn everything about your brother and that knowledge helps you in cutting an existence of your own. It's hard to hide dirty laundry.

Just ask Mariano Rivera who has blown only 11 save opportunities since 2003, but six to the Red Sox, who are well acquainted with his cutter. Ask David Ortiz, whose .327 start was interrupted by a Devil Rays shift that employed four outfielders and a semi-vacant infield. He's hit .250 since as other teams have employed shifts of their own.

That's what makes this week so important. Tampa Bay and Toronto have been watching and taking notes. The former makes a dangerous spoiler who finds vindication in watching Kazmir shut down their feuding partners to the north. The latter have now graduated to contender status and savor the potential two-game swing in the standings whenever Lilly is up against their rivals. As for the Yankees, they will always be that immovable big brother that hogs the bathroom.

Each now owns a policy that insures it for some degree of success against Boston. All have collected on it in the past and will make claims at every opportunity to come. No such policy is currently in force against the Yankees, nor has one been since Tawny Kitaen knocked hubby Chuck Finley out of baseball with a right cross.

So, the Sox lineup can figure on a steady dose of Johnson, Kazmir, and Lilly for the remainder of the season. That's 11 potential starts in all, kicking off tonight. Pretty substantial for a division that was determined by a tiebreaker last year.

Posted by Bob Ekstrom at 11:37 PM | Comments (0)

World Cup Preview: Group B

Group B

The Group of Death this group is not, but it won't be a cakewalk for the favorites England and Sweden to get through. Trinidad and Tobago pose little problems, but Paraguay could be heard from before all is said and done.

England

What you need to know — England is consistently the most overrated team in every major tournament. They are probably the second most popular team in the world, trailing only Brazil for that honor, but their success pales in comparison to the South American power. They have won exactly one World Cup, 40 years ago, on home soil. Since then, they have not appeared in a final of either a World Cup or the Euro Championship.

Style — Despite everything I just wrote in the previous paragraph, this is the most talented team England has had in a very long time. They boast world-class players at almost every position, and they do not rely solely on long balls from defenders to forwards anymore. They can possess the ball for long periods of time and they can shut down opponents in the middle of the pitch.

Achilles heel — There are some concerns in defense and goal, and whether two dynamic midfielders such as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard can play together in the midfield, and whether Michael Owen will be completely healthy after being out most of 2006, but all of that has been put on hold thanks to the broken metatarsal Wayne Rooney suffered in his right foot almost four weeks ago. Yes, England is multi-talented, but the 20-year-old Rooney is the only player the English possess that can turn a game by himself. He is one of the elite players in the game, and his importance in the squad cannot be understated. It was said that he is as important to England as Ronaldinho is to Brazil. I disagree, not because he is a better player than Ronaldinho, but because Brazil has other creative avenues to turn to in case something should happen to Ronaldinho. England cannot replace the instinct, creativeness, and game-changing ability (read: finishing) that Rooney provides.

Player you need to know — Steven Gerrard. If England are to win without Rooney, Gerrard will have to play a pivotal role. Frank Lampard finished second to Ronaldinho in FIFA player of the year voting, but Gerrard is the only person England has that can come close to filling the vacancy left by the sorely missed Rooney.

Player you will learn to know — Theo Walcott. The 17-year-old was a shock call-up by manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, as he has never played a game in the English Premier League. Sven is looking to catch lightning in a battle, hoping the young forward uses the World Cup to fulfill his enormous potential.

Prediction — With or without Rooney, England should at the very least get out of their group. But if they have any hope of winning it all, Wayne Rooney must play. If everything goes right, he will be able to start training right about the time of England's first game. To expect Rooney to make an impact this summer though is the height of wishful thinking. England goes no farther than the quarterfinals, and once again, their overwhelming fan base is left disappointed.

Sweden

What you need to know — One of the more underrated and dangerous teams in Europe, Sweden has suffered heartbreaking exits in their last two major tournaments — ousted on penalties in the quarterfinals of Euro 2004 to the Netherlands, and beaten by Senegal in extra time in the round of 16 of the 2002 World Cup.

Style — The strength of Sweden lies in their attack — they outscored opponents 30-to-4 in qualifying. They will attack no matter the opponent, a method that has proven successful in recent tournaments.

Achilles heel — Although they only conceded four goals in qualifying, questions remain about the defense. Other than captain Olof Mellberg, quality at the back is a real area for concern. And in their two only qualification games against another European power, Croatia, they lost both times 1-0.

Player you need to know — Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He didn't enjoy the best of seasons at Juventus, but the tall striker is still considered one of the most dangerous talents in the game. He averages almost a goal for every two international appearances, and he can play provider as well.

Player you will learn to know — Henrik Larsson. He is 34, but as Larsson demonstrated in the Champions League final, he can still impact a game that features players of the highest skill. It was Larsson, and not Thierry Henry or Ronaldinho, who had the largest influence in the Stade de France on the 17th of May, setting up both goals that would eventually hand Barcelona Europe's most prestigious title.

Prediction — There are doubts surrounding creative midfielder and Calvin Klein model Freddie Ljungberg's fitness. If he isn't healthy, Sweden might not get out of their group. If he is, Sweden could advance as far as the semifinals. Somewhere in between those two stages is more realistic.

Paraguay

What you need to know — They finished fourth in South American qualifying, and are making their third consecutive appearance in the World Cup. And they have advanced out of the group phase in each of their last two World Cup appearances.

Style — Once known for their defensive doggedness as preached by former coach and Italian legend Cesare Maldini, Paraguay has changed their strategy to become a more attacking squad.

Achilles heel — The strategy change might be based out of necessity — they conceded 23 goals in 18 qualifiers. Team age continues to be a concern, as well.

Player you need to know — Roque Santa Cruz. The Bayern Munich striker was an integral part of their 2002 World Cup campaign when he was only 20, and although he has suffered injury setbacks, remains their best attacking option.

Player you will learn to know — Carlos Paredes. The Reggina midfielder is a strong defender as well as a capable finisher, whether in the air or on the ground.

Prediction — Paraguay definitely possess the striking quality to make life miserable for Sweden and England. In addition to Paredes and Santa Cruz, Nelson Valdes can also contribute in attack as he has shown with Werder Bremen. A more likely scenario, though, sees Paraguay's sloppy defense conceding more goals than they will score, and thus sent home before the start of the second round.

Trinidad and Tobago

What you need to know — The World Cup debutants did it the hard way, defeating Mexico in their final qualifier just to advance to a two-legged playoff against Bahrain, which they won 2-1.

Style — Having fun. Their players and their steel drum playing fans are the quintessential example of just happy to be there. Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker most definitely worked all of his magic in getting this long shot to Germany.

Achilles heel — Everything. This might be the weakest team in the entire field. To use a baseball analogy, they are a double A team playing in the majors.

Player you need to know — Dwight Yorke. The 34-year-old former star striker of Manchester United is now a slower-moving midfielder that just got done playing in Australia.

Player you will learn to know — Stern John. Their qualifying hero is one of the few squad members who still applies his trade in Europe. The Coventry City striker tallied 12 goals in qualifying.

Prediction — I honestly believe if Trinidad and Tobago scores one goal, it will be considered a major victory. Two European powers and Paraguay are simply too much for the one million in population twin islands just off the coast of Venezuela. But one thing is for sure — everyone associated with the team will have fun.

Note: Piet Van Leer will be providing previews for each group leading up to the start of the World Cup on June 9th. He will also be providing regular coverage during the tournament.

Posted by Piet Van Leer at 5:42 PM | Comments (0)

A Tale of Two Southpaws

This past Sunday, two southpaws at vastly different stages in their careers took the mound looking for their seventh win of the season. Scott Kazmir was looking to win his fifth straight decision for the Devil Rays against the hapless Marlins. After that, Tom Glavine was going to try give the New York Mets the rubber game in their Subway Series against the Yankees. Any baseball purist would have to be excited for these two starts, and neither pitcher disappointed.

Both Kazmir and Glavine, in their respective customary styles, chalked up victories. The way the two games unfolded were like microcosms of each player's seasons. Kazmir exploded against the Marlins, and Glavine did just enough to beat the Bronx Bombers.

Tom Glavine has crafted an entire career out of seemingly doing "just enough." If you watch Glavine for one game, sometimes you are not sure how he was able to get the win. If you watch Glavine over the course of as season (or his career), it is easy to see why he is destined for Cooperstown. He never had the electric stuff of Pedro Martinez or the intimidating demeanor of Roger Clemens. What Glavine did have was an artist's mastery of the strike zone, complete control of all four of his pitches, and the confidence to throw any of his pitches at any point in the count. Sunday night's game was a perfect example of what has made, and still makes, Glavine great.

After the Mets used two swings of the bat in the fourth to give Glavine a 4-2 lead, he went about using everything in his arsenal to make that lead stand up. He punished Yankee righties with his tumbling breaking stuff that starts on the outside corner, and, even after moving, somehow stays on the outside corner. This aspect of Glavine's game is always more effective when the home plate umpire gives him the "[Leo] Mazzone strike" (2-6 inches off the black), as was the case Sunday night.

Furthermore, Glavine was able to bust right-handed hitters in with his cutter when he needed groundball outs, something that was absent from his early career as a Met, but has been commonplace this season. When it was all said and done, Glavine gave the Mets bullpen the game after seven innings with the 4-2 lead still intact. Just another night's work for a future Hall of Famer.

While it is entirely to early to call Scott Kazmir a future star, much less a future Hall of Famer, it is very difficult not to get excited about the potential that this 22-year old left-hander possesses. Even at this stage in his development, it is impossible to find a pitcher with better pure stuff than Kazmir. His average of over 9.5 K/9 IP and multiple double-digit strikeout games attest to that. Furthermore, he is showing the ability to win close games, something very rare in such a young pitcher.

Pitching for Tampa Bay should give Kazmir many opportunities to win close games, as their offense does not exactly conjure up images of the '27 Yankees. As is usually the case, Kazmir was locked in a pitchers duel, this time with Marlin ace Dontrelle Willis. Willis blinked first, giving up three runs to the Devil Rays in the fifth. Kazmir would not blink. After striking out 11 Marlins over eight innings, Kazmir let the pen finish off the 3-0 whitewash of Florida.

Looking at his stat-line, as impressive as it is, does not do justice to how dominant Kazmir pitched. To understand that, you had to have witnessed the defeated looks on Marlin hitters when the count reached two strikes, seemingly knowing what was coming and knowing that they were powerless to do anything about it. Much like knockout artists will always be more beloved by boxing fans than slick defensive fighters, so to are power pitchers more revered than other types of hurlers. And Kazmir's performance, on Sunday and on most days he pitches, inspires the kind of awe that young power pitchers always do.

You could not pick two pitchers more different that Tom Glavine and Scott Kazmir. One at the tail end of a great career, the other with unlimited potential ahead of him. One who seems always to be described as "crafty," and one who throws too hard to ever invoke that adjective. But on Sunday, as they have consistently been through the first quarter of the season, both were able to get the same thing done in leading their teams to victory.

Posted by Michael Beshara at 5:21 PM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2006

The Tale of Two Nicknames

Nicknames are synonymous with sports. Practically every sport has a nickname for each team — Raiders, Yankees, Bruins, Lakers, Trojans, etc. Players have sported colorful nicknames over the years — The Bird, His Airness, and Too Tall are just a few that come to mind. Even games and events have nicknames — The Shot Heard 'Round the World, The Immaculate Reception, The Ice Bowl, and so-on.

Some nicknames are arbitrary, meaning they're associated with one particular game or event, but can be connected to another. Football's "Greatest Game Ever Played" refers to the 1958 NFL title game, but also has been used to describe the 1971 divisional playoff between Kansas City and Miami and the 1981 divisional playoff between Miami and San Diego.

Two nicknames that have been used in college football for quite some time also have been in the news recently. One is the "12th Man" moniker used at Texas A&M to honor their fans and student body, the other is the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party — the Florida/Georgia tilt played every year. Both have stirred a bit of controversy lately, one of which has been resolved and the other is being addressed.

In the case of the "12th Man," the controversy arose when the Seattle Seahawks came into national prominence with their Super Bowl appearance. Fans in College Station noticed that the 'Hawks used the "12th Man" to describe their fans at rowdy Qwest Field. "Wait a minute," they thought. "They can't use that — it belongs to us!" So they filed suit and an injunction was placed on Seattle, barring it from using the slogan during the Super Bowl. Seahawk fans, meanwhile, wondered why the issue wasn't brought up earlier — like 20 years earlier.

Back in 1984, the Seahawks' brass decided to retire the No. 12 and dedicate it to the fans who made the Kingdome — Seattle's home stadium at the time— one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. (Trivia note: who was the only Seahawks player to wear No. 12? QB Sam Adkins.) The 'Hawks were coming into prominence at that time after a trip to the 1983 AFC championship game. I remember thinking to myself at that time that the "12th Man" slogan was a Texas A&M thing and that the Seahawks were sort of treading on college football "hallowed ground" by using it themselves.

Why it took Aggie fans so long to realize what Seattle had done is unknown. Maybe it was because the Seahawks never made it that far into the playoffs again until this season. Maybe they thought it wasn't any big deal until it started garnering national attention because of the Seahawks' success.

Whatever the case was, the issue was settled earlier this month when the Aggies and Seattle reached an agreement whereby the Seahawks can continue to use the "12th Man" slogan under license from the university, which holds a federal trademark on the saying. That's good news for 'Hawk fans and Aggie fans, and it's good to see colleges and pro teams working together to help preserve each others' traditions, even if they are copied.

The other issue involving the nickname for the Florida/Georgia game is just coming into the spotlight with a recent request from both universities that TV networks discontinue referring to the game as the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," and for good reason. Two deaths of Florida students the past two years and a national push for responsible alcohol use are prompting both schools and the Southeastern Conference to rethink the message the nickname is sending. While TV executives say they don't place focus on what the game is called, they have said they'll refrain from any reference to the game in that context.

While it may be quite some time for both the public and those close to the game — primarily Florida and Georgia alums — to curb their "Cocktail Party" references, I think the move away from designating the game as an instant party atmosphere is good. For one reason, underage drinking should not be encouraged at any time or place and, for another, more emphasis should be placed on the game itself and not on the peripherals. And while the tag may never be completely eliminated from college football vocabulary, taking weight off the nickname through the media will help dissolve it some.

Of course, these aren't the only nickname controversies to be brought to football fans' attention in recent years, but they're the latest and probably just a couple of many more to come. But, if they can be resolved through agreement by all parties involved, or they are for a worthy cause, they'll be worth the effort to rid the sports world of outdated nicknames that do nothing but portray the wrong image to fans and the general population.

Posted by Adam Russell at 10:21 PM | Comments (1)

NBA Playoffs: Demanding Perfection

I have enjoyed these playoffs immensely. I have watched at least part of every single game. There isn't much I would change, but if things were in my hands then I would elect to fix these four flaws.

1) The First Round is Too Long

I am fairly confident that 90% of NBA fans agree with me on this point. There is no reason for the first round matchups to be best-of-seven affairs. The bulk of the pairings just aren't compelling enough to justify this many back to back battles. Sure, the Lakers/Suns and Wizards/Cavs series were fun to watch, but they would have been just as enjoyable in a best-of-five format. The biggest problem with the seven-game drag out is the time lag between rounds that it creates.

Teams that sweep or win in five are forced to sit and watch while the rest of the series unfold. Sweeping an opponent should be a reward rather than a hindrance. A team that sweeps shouldn't have to wait upwards of 8-10 days to step back onto the court for round two. This long of a delay can cause rust and the rust definitely doesn't do these teams or the fans any favors.

The solution — This isn't rocket science. Make the first round a best-of-five just like it has been in the past. It will be well worth the loss in revenues for everyone involved. Trust me.

2) Enough With the Celebrity Cameos

I never cared when Spike Lee, Jack Nicholson, or even more recently, Jay Z, got a little face-time during NBA playoff coverage. These guys are at least somewhat cool, legitimate NBA fans, and most importantly, are actually recognizable to the run of the mill NBA viewer.

However thanks to the Clippers' playoff run, we have been force fed a steady diet of past their time, Hollywood also-rans Billy Crystal and Penny Marshall, culminating in Game 5's coverage where Marshall and Crystal received more camera time down the stretch than Mike D'Antoni and Mike Dunleavy. It's outrageous.

I mean, have any NBA fans even heard of "Laverne and Shirley?" I think not.

The solution — With warm climate cities such as Dallas, Phoenix, and Miami still involved, there is a surplus of hot women with summer tans two months early that are begging for some camera time. Please give it to them.

3) The Officiating Has Been Truly Awful

I don't subscribe to the myriad of conspiracy theories that seem to fly around this time of year. (Although Game 6, Kings vs. Lakers in '02 is always in the back of my mind.) If the NBA really was fixing the results, then the San Antonio Spurs, who reside in one of the league's smallest media markets, would not be frequent beneficiaries of the zebra's gifts, and in turn, regular NBA finalists.

My main problem with the officiating in the NBA, specifically during the playoffs, is that there is no consistency from game to game. Just because a bump down low was a foul in Game 1 doesn't mean that an identical bump will be a foul in Game 2 or even on the next play of Game 1, for that matter. The inconsistency does seem to follow a distinct pattern, though.

Team A shoots more free throws in Game 1 than Team B.

Coach of Team B complains at post-game press conference.

Coach of Team B is fined.

Team B shoots more free throws in Game 2 than Team A.

Coach of Team B looks smart for crying like a baby and paying the subsequent fine for his whining

The solution — Call the games in a consistent manner across the board, and tell the officials not to act so flamboyant/excited when making big calls at the end of games, This pisses me off and, for the most part, I have nothing riding on these games, but I can't imagine what it's like for the players and the diehard fans to endure this shameless one upsmanship.

The Players Complaining About the Officiating is Worse Than the Officiating Itself

I'm not referring to complaints made during press conferences or thinly-veiled innuendoes made to beat writers here. I'm talking about the bitching, moaning, and bewildered looks that the players exhibit after every "non-call" that takes place.

I haven't witnessed a single possession all postseason where someone wasn't unhappy with a call or a lack thereof. The crying and complaining is a big enough turn-off, but the following maneuver is even worse. I've seen this ploy unfold at least two dozen times this postseason already. Here's how it goes down:

Rasheed Wallace/Stephen Jackson/insert NBA complainer here, doesn't get a foul call while on offense.

Said player complains to the nearest official while the rest of his team heads back on defense.

The opponent that said player is responsible for guarding scores an uncontested lay-up.

It's a ridiculous trend, really. I am very tempted to start tracking this as a stat to see who is guilty of it the most.

The solution — If I coached an NBA team, and lord willing I never will, I would fine my players each time they did this. I can understand that it must be frustrating to get hacked and not be rewarded with foul shots, but you are only hurting your team by costing them points on the other end.

The NBA is back in strong form and appears to have great staying power. If they tackle these minor blemishes, then things could really take off next year.

Posted by Ryan Hojnacki at 10:15 PM | Comments (1)

A Long Overdue Date With a Lady

She is baseball's Mecca, the requisite pilgrimage for every able-bodied fan in the course of his or her lifetime. She is its pillar, a testament to the game's tradition, yet a rock on which its future is founded. Her name is Camden Yards.

Last Friday evening, my son and I made our pilgrimage. What had started as a celebration of the bricks-and-mortar portal between baseball's storied history and its modern comforts proved to be much more. Ours was a rite shared between a million fathers and a million sons before us, one catalyzed by the coincidental occasion of a baseball game.

I cannot account for the 14 years it took for this journey considering my travels have taken me through Baltimore several times in recent years. Maybe there wasn't a good enough reason until now. My middle son has come of age and has chosen baseball. He is the only one of my children to do so. It is largely for him that I try to take in a game whenever we visit a major league city.

As the rest of the family is decidedly non-baseball, there was only the motel room and a nearby Burger King for them on this Friday night. My son and I had dibs on the minivan and headed downtown, uncertain of what to expect. You see, Bostonians ascribe a mythical quality to their baseball stars and we have more than once found ourselves washed away in the flood of fans pouring into the aged confines of Fenway Park each night. It has gotten to the point where an occasional scrap from the bosses' season ticket buffet has surrendered its virtue to inbound traffic, scarce parking, and obstructed views. Going to the ballpark has become a dread.

On the other hand, Lady Camden's inexplicably low attendance figures are not lost on me, nor is talk of baseball's decay in this once-great baseball city. Before we left for the park, WBAL aired an evening news teaser on the expanding green pastures of Camden Yards. The reference was not to the playing field, but to empty green seats. Truthfully, reports such as these weighed into my designs for this stopover in Baltimore and an evening engaged in the very activity I devise excuses to avoid back home.

The first sign that we weren't in Boston anymore was fastened to a tripod near the attendant's booth at the parking lot: Special Event $10. A few weeks ago near Fenway Park, I paid $30 for a gravel spot up against a cement retaining wall under the cascade of beer spilled from passers-by above. On this weekend, my spot was paved and I would not have to turn on the windshield wipers before leaving.

Oranges in every type of concession — hats, pennants, bats, even sneakers — adorned our two-block walk. We soon reached the iron-gated centerfield entrance and passed under the memorialized gaze of the Great Bambino as he turned his watch on the entering masses and his back on the daily proceedings of the game within. On this night, Barry Bonds would bid for his 714th career home run amid scandal. Ruth's forlorn expression was eerily reminiscent of The Crying Indian's in that Keep America Beautiful commercial when rubbish tossed from a passing car landed at his feet. The sun as it set on the Babe's countenance glistened as if a bronze tear was collecting in his eye.

By now, my son's Rawlings and Sharpie were burning a hole in his pocket. We happened into the right field bleachers just as Kansas City lefties were taking BP. Crisp white balls showered us, but none close enough to reach. One guy in his mid-20s leaned into a nearby circle of hands to glove a fly from their midst, while a sexagenarian in mid-conversation behind us paused in time to barehand another. The athletic prowess of baseball fans can make discernment between their abilities and those we pay to see impossible at times. There is no shortage of bleacher talent when a $5 souvenir is at stake.

Before finding our seats, we searched out the Boog's BBQ tent and filled in the shortest line. To my astonishment, the middle line led not to pork and beef platters, but to Boog Powell himself. There he sat, freely signing anything and engaging anyone before him, another sign I was in a foreign land. You simply do not come across Carl Yastrzemski sitting on a beach chair in the middle of a Fenway concourse.

We were in our seats in time to boom out the exaggerated "Oh" in the middle of the national anthem, but not for much else. We're talking Left Field Upper Box here, a fancy name for the fourth tier. Far more green-bottomed chairs separated us from the left field fence than from the back wall leading to the street below. At the end of the first inning, we sought refreshment and rappelled down into the Lower Box for the second.

Before the game, I had made a pact with Lady Camden to replenish her coffers with victual purchases if I should take liberties with her seating. For the remaining eight innings, I lived up to my word.

Actually, it was the pursuit of ballpark fare that drove our nomadic existence. Take potato wedges. The only vendor we came across was located in the concourse under the third base grandstands, so it was there that we sat for the third inning. A Bacardi Silver Raz lured us to third base box seats, then a promotional give-away sponsored by Deer Park took us deep to right center in something called the Eutaw Street Reserved seating.

As in any ballpark, these seats housed the friendliest fans. A group of four middle-aged men and I swapped horror stories of front office miscues and underperforming players on our respective home teams, while Corey Patterson entertained us with two running catches.

After starter Erik Bedard and reliever Sendy Rleal surrendered two runs to the Royals in the top of the sixth, my son and I moved on to center field seats beside the famous Camden Yards bullpens. Both figured to be active and before long, they were. There is something about the narrow confines and the amplified pop of the catcher's mitt that exacerbates the intimidation factor of a major league fastball. It was fun to see my own first experiences of this phenomenon now mirrored in the watchful eyes of my son.

A stopover inning was needed in the right field grandstands as we hunted that ballpark delicacy known to us as malasadas. You may call them doughboys or even fried dough. At Camden Yards, they are referred to as funnel cakes and the only concession stand offering them sold out the inning before. We emerged dejectedly from the concourse and landed in the first base box seats.

On the field, rookie infielder Brandon Fahey singled home the go-ahead run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and closer Chris Ray was loosening in the bullpen. There would be little chance for extra innings so we hustled over to seats directly behind home plate for the ninth. On the way, it occurred to me this would be our ninth position of the game. We had become the Cesar Tovars of this Friday night crowd.

When ex-Red Sox Doug Mientkiewicz swung through a third strike, we remaining fans in attendance stood and cheered. Game over! Mientkiewicz turned to ask the plate umpire something, perhaps for the game ball to augment his collection. The ump replied by holding his hand at the approximate height of the final pitch and nodding his head.

Meanwhile, no one in the stands was leaving. The Lady did not intend to send us home without one more treat. It was fireworks night, and the Baltimore sky was soon ablaze with the same passion that had once inspired Francis Scott Key.

After the show, we staked out the players' parking lot along with a dozen other fans. A lean young man soon walked out of the runway with cell phone in hand. He would have escaped us entirely if not for the lot attendant pointing him out. It was Brandon Fahey and he was enjoying the anonymity of a rookie. His autograph became the perfect complement to that of Boog Powell's on my son's ball. Orioles past juxtaposed with Orioles future.

Behind us, the Babe's watch was at its end. On another coast, Barry Bonds was swinging for the fences. The lights of Lady Camden were extinguished and concessionaires had by now vacated Eutaw Street for the evening. Baseball's past juxtaposed with baseball's future.

Posted by Bob Ekstrom at 10:01 PM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2006

NBA Playoffs: Deluxe Detroit Defense

At the end of Game 7, the score firmly in their favor, the five Detroit Pistons stood in an arch around the paint as Eric Snow calmly and aimlessly dribbled the ball waiting for the game clock to run down to 0:00.

Zeros were especially important in this game, and emblematic of the Detroit Defense that by this point should be copyrighted by the team.

• Damon Jones, 0-5 from the field
• LeBron James, 0-4 from three-point land
• LeBron James, 0 field goals in the third quarter
• Zero starters besides LeBron scored in double digits
• LeBron James, 0 assists in the second half
• Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall (the two three-point specialists for the Cavs), combined 0-6 from three-point land
• Drew Gooden, 0-4 from the field
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas, 0 offensive rebounds

Zero is also the number of times that the Cavs led during the game. Sure, at 38-40, the Cavs were only down by two points at half-time after coming back from a double-digit deficit.

But that was the first half, not the second.

After a long series, the Pistons returned to what made them great in the second half. Standing there at the end of the game, defending the paint, defending their house, defending their home court, Detroit arrived where everyone expected them to be.

For all the apparent arrogance and lack of focus, Detroit came through when it mattered the most. After surrendering a 2-0 series lead, after falling behind 2-3, after eking out a two-point victory in Game 6, the Pistons took a step back and turned it up a notch.

Where LeBron had free reign to roam the paint and create for himself and his teammates off the dribble before, there were now two, three, and sometimes four Pistons waiting for him.

Where there had been easy dunks in the paint by Gooden, Ilgauskas, and Anderson Varejao before, there were now the outstretched arms of the interior Detroit defense.

Where LeBron had scorched the Pistons for 21 points in the first half, there were only six to be had in the second.

Over the loudspeaker at the Palace of Auburn Hills, you will hear the Detroit PA announcer scream "Detroit" followed by a resounding answer of "Basketball" from the crowd.

"Detroit Basketball" is exactly what Detroit returned to in the second half. As if willfully summoned at the last second, it appeared at a moment's notice and didn't let up for the rest of the game.

Perhaps the scariest thing for the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs or Dallas Mavericks is that the Pistons seem to be able to recall their defensive intensity that easily and that quickly. Even when their offense sputtered and when their free throws wouldn't fall, their defense came through. More than come through, it ensured that the Detroit lead grew with every passing minute of the second half.

Say that you guarantee a game, guarantee a victory, guarantee a series win.

Say you've been here before, that a 2-3 series deficit is no big thing because it happened to you already and you won anyway.

Say that LeBron did a great job at breaking down your defense, and that you'll have to figure out someway to stop him before he sends your team home packing for the offseason.

Talk is cheap, and we've heard a lot of it this week. From 'Sheed, from Tayshaun Prince, from Flip Saunders.

Playing like they did in Games 3, 4, and 5 the Pistons could talk all they want, but everyone was still going to question their ability, intensity, and their early reservations for the NBA Finals.

Talk doesn't win basketball games.

The feeling that the Pistons are going to score every time down the floor and you aren't — that means something. And that feeling isn't born of trash talk or guarantees, sports columns, or sound bites. That feeling comes from blocks, steals, 24 shot clock violations, altered shots, hands in faces, rebounds, and triple-teams.

That feeling comes when you look at a team confident in what they're doing on the floor, not what they're saying off of it.

Detroit did win the series, just like 'Sheed predicted. Detroit did come back from a 2-3 deficit, just like Prince said. And Detroit did finally find a way to shut down LeBron for an entire half.

All three things were predicated on the "Detroit Basketball" defense showing up for the first time since Game 1 of the series.

Maybe it was in spite of Flip Saunders, maybe instinct took over when it looked like they were heading for extinction, maybe when the offense sputtered they turned to what they had done best for the last four years, but whatever the motivation or source of the change, it looks like the "D" has returned to Detroit.

Standing there at the end of the game, an impenetrable arch around the paint, Detroit did more than just defend the basket, their house, and their home court.

After perhaps the best defensive performance in a Game 7 ever, the Pistons defended their reputation.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 3:19 PM | Comments (0)

Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?

Though certainly lacking the universal appeal of "Remember the Alamo," pop-culture enthusiasts and avid baseball fans alike can recall the oft-repeated phrase "cowboy up!" from the Boston Red Sox 2004 run to glory. "The Idiots," as they took to being called, used the slogan to preach the importance of rising above adversity by displaying mental and physical toughness.

Facing a three-games-to-zero deficit in the American League Championship Series versus the hated New York Yankees, each near-elimination-experience was countered with a proud exclamation of those words as the Sox somehow, someway managed to scratch and claw their way to an improbable World Series berth and an even more improbable World Series title, their first since 1918.

While no sane and self-respecting baseball fan could possibly conclude that those words actually helped Boston to the title (other than perhaps on an inspirational, mind-over-matter level), a case certainly can be made that the concept is a solid one: it is wise to put the greater good of many before the good of one.

As they say, sport does imitate life and all too often in today's social environs we see individuals negatively impact the direction, performance, and goals of the group by overstating the personal implications of an action or by not sacrificing singular glory as it would compromise individual worth. Relating that to athletics and to professional baseball in particular, all too frequently we see a player spend two weeks on the bench because of a blister, an earache, or a slight twinge in a joint somewhere on their person.

Not to say that it is an easy or even a practical course of action to "play through pain," especially when it could compromise a player's ability to do the job with which they are tasked. But it can certainly be brought into any argument that if pro baseball players are going to constantly remind us that "being a player is a job," then they should be held to as high a standard as you or I.

Coincidentally, this last point relates back to the original premise of this article — the theory of pulling up your big boy pants and slogging through the mud as a team served that historic Beantown team exceptionally well, yet it seems more and more you see "workers" in pro baseball calling in sick rather than honoring their responsibilities as "employees." These actions make one wonder why more championship-starved organizations (Wrigleyville, I'm talking to you) don't demand their players to follow the lead of those unlikely baseball history makers — it makes one wonder where all the cowboys have gone.

Everywhere you look in both leagues, you see pitchers racking up more DL time than innings pitched. While I will give this group of broken and battered combatants the benefit of the doubt considering the violent nature of hurling a baseball upwards of 90 miles an hour, I will just as diligently point out that starting pitchers are maxing out their season production at 200 innings these days, and this generally is a precursor (excepting the obvious performances of some the league's consistent greats) of marked loss in production for the year immediately after the season in which the pitcher gave anything approaching yeoman's effort.

In the old days, this sort of glad-handling of pitchers was unheard of. It wasn't even 20 years ago when the Mike Scott's, Frank Viola's, and Bert Blyleven's of the league were racking up over a quarter of a thousand innings pitched and double-digit complete games. There arms held up fine over time and their consistent performances year and year out led to a great deal more stability for baseball franchises throughout the land. When they had an "ouchie," they sucked it up, took a painkilling injection, and hit the hill with their "B" and "C" stuff. As a result, their toughness and guile got them through those outings and they were all the better for it the next time they came up stiff or bruised.

Nowadays, young guns like Josh Beckett sit out with blisters (now I will admit that pitching with a blister is tough, and I haven't actually seen the blisters Beckett gets, so perhaps they are like bleeding ulcers, but it is little more than painful ... suck it up and put your curve and slider away for a night), the Kerry Wood's of the world seem to come up more and more stiff with each homer they allow and elbow surgery is as common as Sammy Sosa's back-ne. Again, sport so often imitates life and just as the corporate world is seeing an all-time high in absenteeism, the professional sport community is seeing a shockingly large number of days missed due to nickel-and-dime laments.

As was expressed earlier, these missed starts or lessening of appearances by MLB's pitching corps will get somewhat of a pass. Perhaps the shortening of pitcher shelf life is a result of sliders being taught in the minors or maybe it is because today's aces actually rely on their arms to succeed rather than emery boards and belt buckles. But there is no such bevy of excuses for the position player.

Pete Rose, who is a favorite of mine for his undying passion for his sport, would have likely played with severed fingers. Cal Ripken, Jr. couldn't possibly have been one-hundred percent in each and every start in his remarkable string. Even the "soft" Wade Boggs played through twisted ankles and bruised knees on a semi-regular basis.

Today's "gladiators," however, can't wait to miss a start. Lance Berkman, who is a player of whom I think the world, recently missed four games with what was described as a twinge in his hamstring. Lance is a first baseman. He has no speed. He is paid to knock people in and catch other player's tosses across the infield diamond. He can do this with a "twinge in his hamstring."

I understand the thinking behind this (well, sort of). Why risk losing a player for a month when you can rest him early in the year? This mindset creates a two-fold problem. First, and more obviously, when you run out of games come October and you look up and the standings and find yourself one or two games out of the race, those few games in May where you sat your star loom large. Secondly, this sort of behavior actually creates those problems you try to avoid.

Explain, you ask? Don't mind if I do. Imagine yourself in the heat of a baseball season, playing every day, rolling along, and putting up nice numbers. Suddenly, one unseasonably chilly afternoon you feel a bit of a tug in the back of your leg, nothing too painful, but certainly a new and relatively unsettling sensation. You mention it to your trainer and than your skipper and the three of you decide that perhaps you should take a few games off.

During your few games off, you watch your team lose by a combined score of 34-5. You haven't done much running or taken any batting practice in an effort to protect your leg. Now you have a road trip coming up. You jump on the plane, sit for three hours, and spend the rest of that afternoon in the hotel. Game day comes and you are finally cleared to play — with the first pitch, you hit a weak dribbler up the third base line (remember, you are now out of the groove having taken a few days off, so your swing is more conducive to this type of contact). As you scream down the line, you feel a substantially more noticeable tug in the back of your leg.

While many will say that this is unavoidable, a freak injury that certainly would have occurred had the player continued to play through the pain, I beg to differ. Maybe you, as a manager, can pinch-run for this player late in games to save him from starting and stopping multiple times in high-pressure base-running situations, but players have played through pain on all levels and it seems that those significant injuries occur much more frequently to the player who nurses said injury in and out of the lineup than that player that plays through the pain.

Many more readers out there will state that a player isn't doing his team a service by playing through these ailments, but I submit that logic as being flawed in most cases. Sure, a marginal player won't help your team if he is at less than 100%, but he likely isn't helping your team anyway. But if you tell me that cement-footed and uni-browed Mike Lamb is any better an option than a one-legged Berkman, I'll tell you about some beautiful oceanfront property I have for you in Oklahoma.

In basketball, the Pistons and Spurs are both consistently in the running, and they also consistently sport the same starting lineups. In football, the Patriots and Eagles have spent the better part of the 21st century defending division titles (minus the occasional hiccup) — those two teams have featured a toughness of attitude as they have players play through breaks and tears and twists each and every week. Baseball's two Sox, Red in Boston and White in Chicago, have taken home the last two trophies. They've done this by "cowboy-ing up" and playing through adversity.

A novel idea, if you ask me. Too bad there aren't many cowboys left in the world to learn from the lessons of others.

Posted by Matt Thomas at 2:58 PM | Comments (0)

May 20, 2006

World Cup Preview: Group A

Group A

One of the weakest groups in this summer's World Cup features the host nation Germany, along with Poland, Ecuador ,and Costa Rica.

Germany

What you need to know — Their CV is impeccable with 13 European Championship and World Cup finals since 1954, having won three of each. And this summer, they are the host, which means they were the only team that didn't have to qualify.

Style — They have undergone a revolution of sorts since their disappointing 2004 Euro campaign. Head coach and former German star Juergen Klinsmann has decided to go with youth and speed, which has produced a more exciting brand of soccer. In addition, 2002 World Cup Golden Ball recipient Oliver Kahn was replaced as the No. 1 goalkeeper by Jens Lehmann.

Achilles heel — The defense. Yes, Germany is scoring more, but they are also conceding more than what is typical of the former three-time World Cup champions. Also, they haven't played a competitive match since they were unceremoniously dumped out of the 2004 European championships by the Czech Republic.

Player you need to know — Michael Ballack. The captain is clearly Germany's most talented player, but, despite his much ballyhooed move to Chelsea, is not an elite player. That being said, he did almost single-handedly carry Germany to the 2002 World Cup final. The best way to sum him up is that he's an excellent footballer, just not a special one.

Player you will learn to know — Tim Borowski. The Werder Bremen midfielder has had a break out season and is primed for the World Cup.

Prediction — Former England striker Gary Lineker is famous for saying, "Football is a simple game — 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win." That is not the case any more. Germany is vulnerable, and their track record since 2002 is sporadic. But they are at home, which is a huge advantage. The three previous hosts also enjoyed a large amount of success: South Korea made it to the semis in 2002, France won it in 1998, and the United States made it out of the group stage in 1994, when at the time they might have not been a top-50 team in the world. Germany is clearly the class of their group, but not one of the class teams in the world. They will win their group, but not get past the quarterfinals, something that will not sit well with the fans.

Poland

What you need to know — They finished second in their qualification group behind England, and finished last in their group in the 2002 World Cup behind South Korea, the United States, and Portugal.

Style — Like Germany, Poland has undergone a revolution, as well. They have opened up their game to a more attacking philosophy, but coach Pawel Janas shook things up even more by not including longtime incumbent goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek or co-leading qualification scorer Tomasz Frankowski in his squad, something that has prompted outrage back home.

Achilles heel — Talent. Poland is a good team, but nowhere near one of the best. Time and again, when faced against the best opposition the world has to offer, Poland cannot compete. Twice they lost to England in the preliminaries and they didn't qualify for the 2004 European Championships. In addition, they were completely embarrassed in the 2002 World Cup after losing their first two games by a combined 6-0 margin.

Player you need to know — Maciej Zurawski. Known as Magic to his fans, Zurawski spent last season with Scottish champions Celtic, where he scored 16 goals in 24 games.

Player you will learn to know — Ebi Smolarek. The forward scored 13 times for his club team Dortmund, which also happens to be the site of the game between Poland and Germany.

Prediction — Poland borders right in between the mediocre and strong teams, as they proved during qualification where they won all of their games against lesser opponents Austria, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Azerbaijan, but struggled twice in losses to England. They should be able to handle Ecuador and Costa Rica, finish second to Germany, and bow out in the round of 16.

Ecuador

What you need to know — They finished third in South American qualifying behind superpowers Brazil and Argentina, and finished last in their group in the 2002 World Cup with losses to Italy and Mexico, while defeating Croatia.

Style — Ecuador is a disciplined team that relies heavily on frustrating opponents with strength in the middle of the field. Despite a few qualifiers that would suggest a propensity for goals, Ecuador is not a high-scoring team.

Achilles heel — Games not played in Quito. Ecuador's home and away form is staggering: 23 points in qualification came at home, where as they only 5 came away. The reason? The altitude. Quito sits almost twice as high above sea level as Denver. When their opponents get wheezy, the Ecuadorians take advantage.

Player you need to know — Agustin Delgado. This will be the last World Cup for the team's co-leading qualification scorer, who is one of the members of Ecuador's golden generation.

Player you will learn to know — Edison Mendez. A club and country teammate of Delgado, the midfielder was the other co-leading scorer for Ecuador during qualification and will need to be an impact player if his team has any chance of getting out of the group stage.

Prediction — The track record is clear: if the World Cup was played in Ecuador, the team might be one of the favorites, having beaten Argentina and Brazil during qualification on home soil. But when they leave the cozy confines of Quito, they are no better than Venezuela. If they advance out of the group, it will be a historic achievement.

Costa Rica

What you need to know — They finished third in CONCACAF, which aside from Asia, is probably the weakest qualification zone. However, in the 2002 World Cup, they did perform valiantly, losing out to Turkey for second place in their group based on goal differential. And Turkey went on to the semifinals!

Style — The Ticos were in jeopardy of missing the World Cup until Alexandre Guimaraes was reinstated as head coach and took an out of control Costa Rica squad that loves to attack and applied some discipline, but their strength remains with their offense.

Achilles heel — Talent. They are clearly a step below Mexico and the United States. They did have a win over the U.S., but that was after America has already qualified and Bruce Arena sent his B-team to play at San Jose. In addition, they needed last-minute miracle wins against Guatemala and Panama at home just to get to Germany this summer.

Player you need to know — Paulo Wanchope. He has played successfully in Europe and despite having returned to play his club football in Costa Rica, he was still the team's leading scorer in qualification.

Player you will learn to know — Carlos Hernandez. As anyone who saw him play against the United States will attest to, he can score when you least expect it. He has the ability to change the game with the spectacular.

Prediction — Costa Rica was unfortunate not to do better in the last World Cup, but this time they appear to be on the way down rather than up. A leaky defense will probably see them wind up finishing last in their group.

Note: Piet Van Leer will be providing previews for each group leading up to the start of the World Cup on June 9th. He will also be providing regular coverage during the tournament.

Posted by Piet Van Leer at 11:59 PM | Comments (3)

Sports Q&A: Tyson in a Boy Band?

Seamus fron Boston, MA writes, "Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson allegedly wants to record a song with the Irish boy band Westlife. Would it be wise for Westlife to take Tyson up on his offer?"

You bet your Blarney Stone that Westlife should allow Tyson to join the band. I'm sure Tyson can't sing or dance, but he's a publicity machine, and he could serve on security detail when necessary. Besides, if Westlife denies his wish, Tyson has threatened to eat their children.

This is not the first time Tyson has revealed his desire to sing. In 1990, before he lost his undisputed heavyweight title to Buster Douglas in Tokyo, Tyson mentioned a desire to join the Japanese super-group Pink Lady. Needless to say, Pink Lady rebuffed him, citing fear for their lives. Tyson also requested a tryout to become Metallica's new bassist when Jason Newsted quit the band in 2002. His request was granted, but in his tryout, Tyson worked the heavy bag instead of playing bass, and he didn't get the job.

One of the members of Westlife, Brian McFadden, left the group, and Tyson expressed his interest in filling the spot. Like many American boy bands, such as N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys, one of Westlife's members is the "cute" one, one is the "sensitive" one, another is the "funny" one, and still another is the "one with the alcohol problem." Luckily for Tyson, McFadden just happened to be the "one who was a boxer with a criminal past and a tattooed face."

Tyson would be a perfect fit. And Tyson's connections to promoter Don King should open doors for the band. Just think, for his next comeback bout, Tyson and Westlife could perform a mini-concert before the fight, then Tyson could hit the ring against a washed-up journeyman. Sure, he'd probably lose the fight, but Westlife would be exposed to an American audience. With King promoting the spectacle, publicity for the band would skyrocket, and although they wouldn't see a dime from King for their performance, Westlife would surely sell more albums.

I mean, really, who wouldn't want to see Tyson onstage dancing in unison with three Irish boys? I surely would. Add Tyson singing to the mix, and you have the makings of a true spectacle. I can see it now: in front of 65,000 screaming fans at Wembley Stadium, Tyson moves to the front of the stage to croon the heart-wrenching ballad "A Right Cross to the Chin (Love Is)." The lasses in the crowd are sure to swoon, or run for their lives. Or maybe Tyson could break out the up-tempo number "In One Ear, And I Bit Off the Other," or the hit "I've Made $500 Million In My Life, But I Really Need This Gig."

Let's face it. Does Tyson really even need Westlife to hit it big in the music industry? Why can't he just go solo? Michael Jackson did it. Sammy Hagar did it. Sting did it. William Hung did it. And speaking of Hung, Tyson should start his singing career on American Idol, the launching pad for the vocal stars of tomorrow, or maybe just a face on a $1 CD in the future. Anyway, as an Idol contestant, Tyson could hone his singing skills, verbally spar with Simon Cowell, and possibly hook up with Paula Abdul, who may be the only human crazier than Tyson.

But if Westlife takes Tyson up on his offer, he should jump all over it. A spokesman for the band has said, and I quote, "This sounds really interesting. The band are all fans of Tyson." In other words, the spokesman said, "Gosh, I hope Tyson just forgets about this whole matter." Sure, musically, it may not be in Westlife's best interest to have Tyson join the band, but who cares about music? The current members of Westlife probably can't sing a lick themselves. A former heavyweight champion, and current lunatic, in a boy band. We all want that. It's got pay-per-view written all over it.

Woody from Clifton, OH writes, "Photographs of athletes from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut have been posted on a website allegedly showing them engaged in initiation parties. What's the big deal?"

Honestly, I don't know what the big deal is. There are far more controversial postings on web sites than those mentioned above. And when I say "far more," I mean about two billion. Earlier this week, Northwestern University suspended its women's soccer team in response to pictures of alleged hazing activities that appeared on the same website. Due to that, several universities are investigating hazing incidents, including Catholic and Quinnipiac.

Catholic is investigating its women's lacrosse program after photos magically appeared on the web showing a male stripper at a freshman initiation party. Oh, those poor girls! That level of dehumanization and psychological shock experienced by that male stripper should not be tolerated by universities. Actually, I doubt any of the lacrosse team members complained about that particular initiation rite. In fact, I wouldn't even call this an "initiation party." I would just call it a "party." Michael Allen, athletic director at Catholic, said in a statement that he and lacrosse coach Kristine Manning weren't aware of the party until Wednesday morning. "Otherwise, we would have been there," he added.

Quinnipiac is investigating photos that show "men dancing around in underwear and adult diapers and spraying whipped cream on a women who is lying on the floor" as part of a baseball team initiation party. Also, the university is holding a contest to see who can come up with the best caption to the photo, with the winner receiving an invitation to the baseball team's next initiation party.

Seriously, though, who hasn't worn underwear and/or adult diapers while spraying whipped cream? Believe me, it takes more coordination than you think, and when you have a target to hit, it's almost impossible. So, to some, all this may be called an initiation party, but I call it "training." And don't tell me that the situation is degrading to women unless you agree that the male stripper at the Catholic party was degraded, as well. I'm sure both were paid very well for their services, and if they don't like their jobs, they can quit.

Anyway, some cases of hazing rituals are more serious than the two mentioned above. In some instances, initiations involve the forced consumption of alcohol, sleep deprivation, or psychological cruelty. But sometimes that's what you must do if you want to call yourself a "frat boy." Athletes are held to a different standard than the everyday college student. If there's a stripper at a college party not hosted by athletes, you won't hear about it. Underwear, adult diapers, and whipped cream won't make the news, unless it's part of a hazing ritual, or if one of the members of Motley Crue is involved.

So Woody, the big deal here is someone put some photos on a website. Then, somebody with no sense of humor who's offended by strippers, diapers, whipped cream, and what not saw the photos and felt the need to create a stir. Why? Probably because they weren't hugged enough as a child, or because they've never been sprayed with whipped cream. Whatever the case, it's an over-reaction. As is the case in basketball, "no harm, no foul."

Get Your Questions Answered!

Do you have a question or comment? Is your methamphetamine lab missing a touch of style? Want to ride Space Mountain? Having trouble understanding "Three Stooges" comedy? Then send your question/floor plans/intelligence quotient to [email protected]. You may get the answer you're looking for in the next column on Friday, June 2nd.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)

Boxer Floyd Patterson: An Appreciation

Last week, two-time heavyweight king Floyd Patterson died at age 71. Though a cursory exploration of his boxing career hints at a man known for his defeats, the life lesson of Patterson was that of victory.

Born into an "against all odds" situation in Waco, NC, Patterson was reared on the unforgiving streets of Brooklyn. Unable to find his way as a youth, he spent several years in reformatory institutions. From these beginnings, Patterson rose to become Olympic middleweight champ, the youngest heavyweight champion in history, and the first fighter in his weight class to recover the championship belt.

Because of his famous bouts with the menacing Sonny Liston and the militant Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson is unfortunately recalled as a man forced to defend clean living and Christianity against men who were out of his physical league. To paint such a portrait obscures the obstacles Patterson overcame to face these unpopular ring titans.

True, in his "matches" with both Liston and Ali, Floyd carried the hopes of Good Guy America. Keep Sonny and the Mob away from the coveted heavyweight crown. Retrieve the title from black Muslim "Clay" in a canvas crusade on November 22, 1965 in Las Vegas, two years to the day after the nation lost its greatest Catholic fighter, President John F. Kennedy. Both Sisyphean tasks were beyond Patterson's considerable talents, given he stood a mortal six-feet tall and weighed only 188 pounds. Had there been a cruiserweight classification when Floyd fought, he may have dominated it for a dozen years or more.

Yet Floyd was a true success story, a ringside rags-to-riches. Born into a family of 11 children, he turned his life around with the help of tender trainer Cus D'Amato. Consider this — Floyd fought in the Olympics at 156 pounds, but professionally as a heavyweight, a much more challenging transition than that of his successors Ali (who weighed 178 at the Rome Games), Joe Frazier (an Olympic heavyweight), and George Foreman (also a heavy as an amateur). Patterson employed flashing speed of fist and a dangerous leaping hook to remain a competitive heavyweight for all of 15 years. At his retirement in 1972, he was still a top contender capable of giving the best challengers all they wanted.

Floyd was a good sport, and shied from no challenges. When trainer D'Amato advised he not face the burly Liston, who outweighed Floyd by some 30 pounds, Patterson insisted on facing all worthy challengers. Even President Kennedy asked his fellow Catholic not to risk the crown against the former loan shark and union "enforcer" from St. Louis. Floyd sometimes took defeat so hard, he dressed in disguise thereafter. And though Patterson refused to address Ali by his converted name, he was gallant in his 1965 effort to unseat the champ, despite a bad back he threw out early in the bout.

Patterson went on the become New York State Boxing Commissioner, an articulate spokesperson and authority for an often dirty sport. He adopted and managed Tracy Patterson, a contender himself. After he regained his title from Swedish slugger Ingemar Johansson, he penned his autobiography "Victory Over Myself." In the memoir, he sounded off on everything from his lonely childhood to the abandonment he felt when American fans and media embraced the foreign Johansson over their own countryman.

Floyd appeared at benefits for leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. He encountered the vandalism of bigoted neighbors when he moved his family into an all-white enclave of Queens. He married a Swede at a time when interracial marriages were pariahs. Inside the ring, he was ever fit, businesslike, and clean. The man with the '50s pompadour emerged from a background that foreshadowed that of Cus D'Amato's last prodigy, Mike Tyson.

So when you remember Patterson, remember for the excitement embodied in the 21-year-old who beat the ageless Archie Moore for the vacant heavyweight crown, the underweight crusader against the ring villains of his day, the man who took the hammer back from Johansson's Thor figure, and a black man trying to provide his family with the best surroundings his ring purses could buy. None of is victorious in every battle, the most telling triumph is often internal.

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2006

Lip Service: Verbal Sparring

Trash talking is nothing new under the sun. In fact, it goes far back to biblical days when Jesus said to Pharisees trying to discredit him, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Fast-forward into modern times and it seems like we're all with sins, yet we're all throwing bricks.

I was at my gym working out and the TV was on "Pardon the Interruption" as hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon were talking about Detroit's Pistons Rasheed Wallaces comments. The Detroit player was Guaran-Sheeding a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here is what he had to say about Game 4:

"Oh, we're going to bust their ass. I'll tell you that now. That's a given, y'all can quote me, put it back page, front page, whatever. They can send whoever they want to send. I know the crew I think they're going to send. But it don't matter. I know we can do it, and they know we can do it. We know what we've got to do. It ain't bulletin board material, it's a fact. They can put it on the bulletin board, they can put it on a video, I don't care. I know what we're capable of doing, that's all that it is."

Then after Detroit's 74-72 loss to Cleveland, straight out the frying pan into the fire, he had this to say: "I ain't worried about these cats, There's no way in hell they can beat us in a series. They played well. I give them credit. We lost. We shot 30 percent and they had to play their best to beat us." (Irony is, his team is down 3-2.)

No matter what he says, you have to love Rasheed and all other big-mouth athletes that paved the way before him and mastered the art of trash talking. But you have to wonder why most fans love trash talkers? I certainly believe they sell the sport, the game, or maybe we identify ourselves to the trash talking. Was it a slick response we gave a co-worker? Could it be the verbal assassination of a teacher giving your kid a bad grade for a school paper? Trash talking is part of life — you can take it or dish it out.

Would we have watched the Lakers/Suns series if Kobe, Raja Bell, and MVP Steve Nash didn't share blows of all sorts, verbal and physical? I believe not.

According to well-known sports psychologist Dr. Richard Lustberg, whom I had a chance to speak to, amongst athletes, Muhammad Ali "had to be the best of them all," he was sort of the trash-talking guru. "If you had the chance to watch the fight in Zaire, you can see that he trash talked the entire fight. Whispering in [George] Foreman's ear every time they were tied up."

But why all the blatant disrespect during sporting events, why the heated exchanges between [Michael] Jordan and [Larry] Bird? Aren't sports supposed to be about discipline, friendly competition, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, and grace in losing?

Well, according to Dr. Lustberg, athletes do it "to take the opponent out of their game or also create psychic mental energy."

I don't think sports would be what they are without big mouths. Sports without trash talking would become as tedious as a Willie Nelson and Jessica Simpson duet.

Many came after Ali and became his trash talking "disciples," maybe not as flashy and charismatic, but just as good. Who can forget comments from Antonio Tarver before his third fight against Roy Jones? Jones reunited with his father and trainer (father trained him since age 13) after parting ways in 2004. Tarver had this to say about it:

"I bring families back together again. I should be commended. I don't know what difference it's going to make. I guess that when he's getting punished and beaten mercilessly, his father will throw in the towel to protect his son. I don't think anyone else would show that compassion."

This is classic lip service, in fact, it's what sports needs as long as athletes are able to keep it as a certain decent level if there is such a thing.

My personal favorite would have to be in June of 1997 when Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey was going after United States Olympic hero Michael Johnson. It was a bid to determine who was the world's fastest man, both parties were mouthing off. Johnson, a 200 meters god and Bailey, a 100 meters genius, split the difference and choose to go at it at a distance of 150 meters.

Looking back short of the finish line, Bailey saw his opponent pulling up with an injured right leg. $2 million (prize money) and few Baileys later, the Canadian sprinter who had predicted the win earlier by saying, "I will smoke his ass," later called Johnson a "coward." So much hype created for so little, but still it was fun while it lasted (14.99 seconds on the track to be exact).

No matter how absurd this race may have been, or how crazy verbal competition can become amongst athletes, we must admit that it is entertaining. It makes the difference between choosing a basketball game or changing the channel to American Idol. There too we will find big mouths such as Simon Cowell blasting contestants and sometimes host Ryan Seacrest.

There are different levels to trash talking — you can do it with style and grace or you can become obnoxious as Terrell Owens, but still back it up. Either way, most fans will pay attention. You can do like Nike and "let your game do the talking," but we must realize that for many, talking is the game.

Posted by Ray Leroy at 6:18 PM | Comments (1)

Sendek Faces Monumental Task

Herb Sendek surprised much of college basketball when he decided to leave tradition-rich North Carolina State to take the head coaching job at Arizona State.

The Wolfpack have two national championships, three Final Four appearances, and 22 trips to the NCAA tournament. ASU has only 12 NCAA tournament appearances, has advanced as far as the Sweet 16 only four times, and has only one trip to the NCAA tournament since 1996. The Pittsburgh native said he felt it was the right time for his family to make the move. "This is the perfect time to be making this move for myself and my family."

Sendek has a 253-158 record, including 191-132 at NC State. The job of rebuilding the Sun Devils is daunting. The Pac-10 is full of high-profile coaches. Lute Olson is entrenched at Arizona, Ben Howland at UCLA, Tim Floyd at USC, and Lorenzo Romar at Washington are big-name coaches with less than five year tenures at their schools.

Olson has set the blueprint for building a program in the Pac-10. The Wildcats have been successful by attracting in-state blue chips and routinely mining Southern California and Texas to become a national power. Now that they are on the national stage, the Wildcats have been able to recruit players that are being recruited nationally.

Leaving the ACC behind, means Sendek doesn't have to butt heads with Duke and North Carolina, but Arizona, UCLA, and Washington are programs with national profiles, USC is improving under Floyd, and Cal and Stanford are always competitive. Leaving NC State and the ACC for ASU and the Pac-10 was curious. The ACC has multiple national television appearances per week, while the Pac-10 has two to three appearances weekly.

The ACC is the hot-bed of college basketball, while the Pac-10 appears to have a greater focus on football. But UCLA's run to the NCAA championship game, Washington's recent resurgence, and Arizona's national profile might help make winter a more intriguing sports season. The Pac-10 recently its renewed television contract with FOX Sports that will provide the conference with greater exposure, including a nationally-televised Sunday night game.

Security and assurances to improve facilities had to play a part in Sendek's decision to move on. Even with five straight NCAA tournament appearances in Raleigh, the fans were never completely happy with the results. North Carolina and Duke's success have given Wolfpack faithful the illusion that they should compete on a national level annually.

NC State has had success nationally in the past, but has never been able to sustain it year in, year out since the '80s. The Wolfpack's five straight NCAA tournament appearances over the last five seasons tied a school record. Ungrateful NC State fans had erected a website FireSendek.com during his first five seasons when he failed to make the NCAA tournament. At ASU, where making the NCAA tournament is an accomplishment, Sendek will have time to build a program.

Sendek transfers to Tempe at the relatively young age of 43. Competing against the California schools and Arizona will take time. Both Arizona and ASU have been able to go into Texas with success. The Sun Devils have bought in Ike Diogu and Mario Bennett from the Lone Star State in the past to help them get to the tournament. Sendek will have re-mine the Texas pipeline to Tempe, recruit Southern California well, and continue to bring in international players with success. Ilian Evtimov from Bulgaria and Engin Atsur from Turkey were key contributors for the Wolfpack in recent years.

Building ASU's name and getting the Sun Devils more exposure will be telling in how Sendek is able to build a program. He scheduled aggressively at NC State. The Wolfpack played NCAA tournament teams Alabama, George Washington, and Iowa in the past two seasons during their non-conference schedule. ASU, however, played only Minnesota and Iowa in an exceptionally easy pre-conference schedule in 2005-06.

The Devils return an experienced, veteran team in 2006-07. The top seven scorers return led by five seniors. Sendek's spread offense perfectly suits an excellent three-point shooting team. NC State was second in the ACC in three-point shooting percentage at 39% and their nine made attempts led the ACC. Bryson Krueger and Kevin Kruger are adept three point shooters who should thrive in Sendek's offense. Jeff Pendergraph was an all Pac-10 freshman selection at center. Antwi Atuahene had an excellent first year at the point and Allen Morrill will return from an injury to give Sendek depth on the perimeter.

Sendek was also able to secure his first big-name recruit, swingman Jerren Shipp from Fairfax, CA. Shipp is the younger brother of current UCLA forward Josh Shipp and former Cal standout Joe Shipp. Duke center Eric Boateng also announced he is transferring to ASU. He will become eligible in 2007-08.

The hiring of Sendek and the recruitment of other well-known coaches demonstrates that the ASU administration has a greater commitment to winning than they have in the past. Plans include building a new practice facility.

ASU has a long way to go to catch the Pac-10's elite programs. They are the only conference school that has never advanced to the Final Four and the glory days of Byron Scott and Alton Lister were almost 25 years ago. Getting Sendek was a definite coup for the Sun Devils, however. Coaches with national profiles moving to the Pac-10 have become a trend in recent years. The problem for Sendek could be that the other coaches are established at their schools and have roots out west.

Using Olson as a role model, Sendek said, "He (Olson) was very successful at Iowa in a well-established program in the Big 10 and he made a quantum leap to Arizona at a similar stage in his career." The differences between Olson and Sendek are stark. Olson had a Final Four appearance at Iowa and had previously coached on the West Coast at Long Beach State, Long Beach City College, and in Southern California high schools.

It will take Sendek a few years to rebuild a dormant program. Previous coach Rob Evans was able to build Mississippi into a consistent team that hadn't had much success before his arrival. He wasn't able to build ASU, even with 2005 Pac-10 player of the year Ike Diogu.

Sendek discussed that his plan was to worry about ASU first. "Our focus had to start and end with ourselves. We had a saying [at NC State] 'It's about us, not them.' We have to embrace who we are."

If ASU is able to do that next season, the Sun Devils should be good enough to achieve an NIT berth. Once recruits see success, then Sendek can aim at the more accomplished programs. With the Pac-10 as competitive as ever, the Sun Devils will be an interesting program to keep an eye on.

Posted by Alan Rubenstein at 5:44 PM | Comments (4)

May 18, 2006

NBA Playoffs: Ahead of the Curve

"Not only will the Pistons' 4-0 or 4-1 series win make LeBron face linear defeat for the first time in his career, the beatdown the Pistons will hand out will make him make sure he'll never go through anything like it again."

"This series is going to be his biggest challenge. Being here is going to push him to search for answers. Losing here is going to push him to never want to experience that feeling ever again.

Which is where greatness comes from. It's where it is born.

And even though he might be 10-12 ppg off of his initial playoff average when this series is all said and done, we'll all be able to say years from now that we were witnesses to when LeBron James was really born. Not the day he got drafted, not the day he became the youngest player to ever win an All-Star MVP.

It'll be the day the Detroit Pistons eliminated him from the 2006 playoffs.

That day he'll always remember."

— Scoop Jackson from "By Losing, LeBron Will Win"

A couple of games ago, the Cavaliers faced the prospect of returning to Cleveland with a 0-2 deficit in their series against the Detroit Pistons, the prohibitive favorites to reach the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference.

Those first two games against the Pistons were embarrassing.

No one gave the Cavs a chance at winning the series. No one gave them a chance of winning more than one game, and that one game was being generous.

And why not? The Pistons had the best record during the regular season and they had taken the Cavs behind the woodshed in those first two games. There was little doubt in anybody's mind that the series was going to go 4-0 or 4-1, just like Scoop Jackson said.

So what happened in the last three games? What happened to the sweep?

LeBron manned up, stepped up, and climbed one more rung on the ladder.

But hold on, he wasn't supposed to do this until next year, until his next trip to the playoffs.

It was going to take a complete series sweep for him to learn how to be a player that thrives in the intense playoff atmosphere.

We were going to witness something great from LeBron during the postseason, but that would be next year, not this. He was going to make his mark as one of the NBA greats, but that was later, not now.

After all that LeBron has accomplished in his very short career in the NBA, why are we surprised at what he has managed to do in the last three games?

After being...

• The youngest player to be named Rookie of the Year
• The youngest player to record a triple-double
• The youngest player to score 50 points in a game
• The youngest player to score 2,000 points and average 30 points per game in a season
• The youngest player to reach 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, and 6,000 points in a career
• The youngest player to be named the All-Star Game MVP
• The first player to score 40 points in his first career road playoff game

... why are we surprised?

In his first taste of playoff basketball, why would anyone expect that it would take a series loss before LeBron would step up his game again to match the unbelievably high expectations that are all around him?

Before now, during the regular season, there was always another game to be played. Losing never sat well with LeBron then, but the sense of urgency wasn't there.

It may have taken three years to get here, but with two game winning shots against the Wizards and a marquee scoring matchup against Gilbert Arenas, LeBron burst into the playoffs with the energy and urgency of a leader and a winner.

And then came the two losses to the Pistons. The two embarrassing, lowly, depressing losses against the best team in the NBA. An 0-2 deficit with no hope in sight.

Maybe that's all it took for LeBron to learn.

Maybe that's all it took for LeBron to take the next step, because we don't have to wait until next season to see the LeBron that Scoop Jackson wrote about in his column. That LeBron is here right now, leading the Cavs to a 3-2 series advantage.

Why would we expect anything less from the man that hasn't ceased to surprise us since he left St. Vincent St. Mary high school in Akron, Ohio and walked onto the hardwood of the NBA court?

His learning curve isn't the same as everyone else's.

Youngest and best don't even begin to describe LeBron.

In fact, most of the gimmicks and names don't mean anything at all.

Witness. King. Phenom. All-Star.

Those are fine for selling shoes and shirts.

As for defining LeBron, though, they don't even come close. James will be defined not by words, but by numbers.

Number 23 will be defined by what he does on the 94x50 foot hardwood court.

James is 21-years-old, is 6'8", and weighs 240 pounds. He scored 32 points against the Pistons in Game 5, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists.

The points per game, the rebounds, and the assists are all significant, but they don't mean everything.

Those numbers will describe his success and his career, but they won't define them.

No, the wins and losses, and, most importantly, the number of rings will define LeBron.

Those are the important numbers.

Witness, Phenom, King, and All-Star don't do justice to the man that has surprised us once again.

James has taken the next step ahead of the curve, and apparently we didn't expect it because of his age (another seemingly unimportant number for LeBron.)

Never mind that his Basketball IQ is unmatched, except by a few.

Never mind that he likes adding his name in front of dozens of NBA records that begin with "First" or "Youngest."

Never mind that we all wrote off LeBron and the Cavs after the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Taking his team to three straight wins over the Pistons for a 3-2 series lead was just LeBron's latest surprise.

After this weekend, he might have one more up his sleeve.

Of course, if history is any guide, nobody will see it coming.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 8:18 PM | Comments (0)

A Tale of Two Cities

In the season's past two weeks, two National League teams have thrown it in fifth gear and headed in opposite directions. The Philadelphia Phillies, dismissed early in the year by some as an NL East also-ran who would battle for the scraps behind the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, have surged, winning 13 of their last 15 games. Heading into May 16's action, the Phillies were just a game and a half behind front-running New York.

The Chicago Cubs, on the other hand, have descended into the abyss at meteoric velocity since an injury to first baseman Derrek Lee transformed their lineup from MLB-average to a weak-hitting version of the Iowa Cubs. Not only can the Cubs not hit the ball, but their starting pitchers continue their season-long refusal to get anybody out, fueling a 7-17 spiral since April 20, the day Lee left the game holding his wrist after a collision at first base. The Cubbies are six games under .500 and seven and a half games out of first place in the NL Central.

The question, of course, is whether these teams will continue trending in their present directions or whether these streaks will be mere blips on the radar by the time August arrives. Obviously, it's unlikely that either team will keep up its current remarkably good or remarkably bad pace for the entire year (although it turns out the Cubs could be a pretty bad team), so we'll instead ask one question for each team as a proxy measurement for their future play.

In the case of the Phillies: is this the team (not the Braves, after all) that will do the most to challenge the Mets' bid for supremacy in the division?

For the Cubs: can players and coaches start making reservations for October vacations already — are they essentially out of the playoff race in May?

For those of you who aren't into reading low-quality prose (and I can promise that the rest will be fairly painful), here's a quick guide to the rest of the column. Read on if you dare.

Phillies: Yes.
Cubs: Yes.

Philadelphia Phillies

I (along with the population outside downtown Philadelphia, I believe) was pretty pessimistic about the Phillies' chances to field a pitching staff that could perform in the bandbox that is Citizens Bank Ballpark. And not much has changed. Of the team's five regular starters, one guy (Brett Myers) has an ERA under 5.12. This isn't a recipe for long-term success, and the Phillies will most certainly sink like a stone if it continues. Fortunately, there's almost no chance that it will.

Jon Lieber, for instance, isn't going to wrap up the year with an ERA of 5.50. It will be much closer to the 4.21 he posted a season ago, and possibly lower since he's actually giving up fewer home runs in the early going than he did in 2005. In a fun side note, Lieber is one of the few guys, along with possibly David Wells, that makes an annual bid to give up more home runs than walks (he did it in 2002 and 2004). The count so far in 2006 is even, 5-5. Stay tuned.

Ditto, Cory Lidle. He won't be amazing, that's for sure, but he's striking out 8.85 hitters per nine innings, which puts him in Curt Schilling/Scott Kazmir territory. To be clear, Cory Lidle is not Curt Schilling or Scott Kazmir, but guys who strike out that many hitters almost always (unless, of course, they're Daniel Cabrera) have ERAs in the low 4 range at worst.

The Phillies' rotation isn't going to be confused for the mid-1990s Braves any time soon, but it's a group that almost certainly better than it's showed so far, and so far, the Phightins are six games over .500.

The other reason for optimism, and the reason that the pitching staff doesn't have to take home any hardware at the end of the season for the team to be successful, is the offense. When this lineup gets going 1-9, the Phillies will mash opponents into submission.

Philadelphia is currently just 20th in the majors in runs scored, but they have yet to receive even modest contributions from two of their biggest producers. While they have to be happy with the fact that Ryan Howard is batting .302 in addition to his 12 home runs and with Aaron Rowand's .310 average (before he got up close and personal with the center field wall in one of the most ridiculous displays of heart in quite some time), Jimmy Rollins will not continue to hit .248 and reach base at a .313 clip.

When Rollins finds a way to get to first base, his speed and base-stealing ability will give the offense a dimension that it has been missing. Another guy who won't be stuck on the status quo for very long: Bobby Abreu and his .257 batting average. Bobby is still walking quite a bit, so his .437 average isn't killing his run production, but there are a lot of hits between .257 and his lifetime mark of .302. When Abreu starts closing the gap, he'll carry the club on his back for a week or two, at least.

The loss of Mike Lieberthal definitely smarts, because he was hitting well in the early going, but the Phillies look like they could be built for the long run, something we haven't been able to say very often in the last few years.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are done. Finished. They might not play quite this badly for the rest of the season, but they likely won't play a whole lot better, and that's a scary thought.

First, some numbers to illustrate the absolute inability of this team to score runs since Lee left the lineup. Those with weak constitutions or less than 4-feet-8-inches tall should skip down the page a bit.

Since April 20 (24 games), the following figures apply to the Chicago Cubs offense:

Batting average: .220
On-base percentage: .285
Slugging percentage: .324
Home runs: 12
Extra-base hits: 47
BA with runners in scoring position: .185

Sure, that's bad, but how bad is it really? Perhaps the following will provide a more concrete sense of the utter ineptitude with which the Cubs have swung the sticks over the past month. If one were to search for a player to match the numbers above, the result of the search would be ... drum roll, please ... Henry Blanco. As luck would have it, Blanco is actually a Cub, so Chicago fans get a chance (every fifth day or so, since a player who hits as poorly as Blanco doesn't usually get regular playing time, even at catcher) to see what a career .216/.286/.254 hitter looks like.

As it turns out, Blanco's shortcomings should be fairly inconspicuous these days, since the Cubs lineup as a whole has hit as if every player in the lineup is Henry Blanco. A lineup full of Henry Blancos — need I say more?

I'm tempted to write "QED" and just leave it at that, but let's continue, shall we? After all, the Cubs can't possibly be this bad at the plate for the rest of the year, right? Right, because eventually, in two or three months, Lee will come back. Until then, um, put on your seatbelts, Cubs fans, because it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Without Lee in the middle, the Cubs' lineup is absolutely toothless, and the fact that Aramis Ramirez's batting average is hovering above the Mendoza line isn't helping things. But the real problem starts at the top, where Juan Pierre is getting on base at a .269 clip — so bad that manager Dusty Baker actually took him out of the leadoff spot at one point. Dusty could literally put 90 percent of the everyday players in the league in the leadoff spot and do better than .269. Maybe not what the Cubs were expecting for their offseason investment, huh?

Frighteningly, shortstop Ronny Cedeno has been the lone bright spot on offense, but not nearly bright enough. Oh, did I mention that right fielder Jacque Jones is hitting .056 against lefties? Maybe that's why the Cubs have gone from frigid in general to absolute zero against southpaws, batting .163 as a team with two home runs against left-handers since Lee went down.

They do have Felix Pie waiting in the wings at Triple-A Iowa, but do they really want to bring him up at this point? Wrigleyville isn't exactly the happiest place on earth at the moment, and who wants to see the kid get heckled along with the rest of this squad?

Aside from getting Ramirez to hit better (which he will), the Cubs don't have a whole lot of options to improve their lineup. They've already got some of their young players at the major league level (Matt Murton, Cedeno), and the rest of the equation is a group of veterans (Todd Walker, Ramirez, Jones) who just aren't getting it done and don't look equipped to change things without Lee's ability to get them more fastballs and better hitting situations.

Of course, no collapse is possible without the cooperation of the pitching staff. Fortunately, the Cubs' starting rotation has been a more-than-willing accomplice. Besides Greg Maddux and Carlos Zambrano, who have held up their end of the bargain, the starters have been a disaster with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood on the shelf. Baker has had the pleasure of mixing and matching Sean Marshall, Angel Guzman, Jerome Williams, Rich Hill, Glendon Rusch, and David Aardsma to fill the final three spots in the rotation.

Wow, I can't imagine why they're not winning. Guzman (7.00 ERA) has been utterly overmatched, and he's also been the best of the group. Rusch couldn't throw strikes and was moved to the bullpen. Unfortunately for Cubs fans, he still sees plenty of mound time, because a Chicago starter gets out of the third inning about once a week.

Wood's almost back, but only time will tell what he can give them and for how long. Prior? Word is he kind of likes Iowa and might never leave after making his next rehab start.

Then again, even if Wood comes back in a week, the Cubs could already be more than 10 games out of first place. He only gets to play every fifth day, and there's still the matter of the lineup producing about two runs a game.

It's gonna be a long summer on the north side of Chicago. Hey, at least they get White Sox games on WGN, too.

Posted by Zach Jones at 7:24 PM | Comments (0)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 11

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson — After a lackadaisical qualifying effort of 25th, Johnson charged to the front after the green flag dropped and was in the top five by lap 60. On lap 191, Johnson took the lead, and for the next 120 laps, he and eventual winner Greg Biffle took turns at the front. Biffle took the lead for good on lead 319, and Johnson finished fourth for his series-leading eighth top-10 of the year.

"Yep, things are looking up for me," Johnson beams. "I've got a comfortable 93-point lead in the points and we're headed to the track named after my sponsor, Lowe's, for two races. And I just signed a two-year extension to my contract. The only thing that could bring me down is a failed inspection, a drastic drop in Lowe's stock, or more eyebrow."

2. Tony Stewart — Riding a hot streak of five consecutive top-10 finishes, Stewart cooled slightly as he combated a continually loose No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet. But as he has proven several times, a mediocre day for Stewart is still better than 90 percent of other drivers. He still managed a 12th-place finish, and maintained second in the points standings, 93 behind Johnson.

"Don't forget," says Stewart, "I did a 360-degree spin and survived without hitting a thing. Which just goes to show what a great driver I am. All these other drivers don't even spin and they hit things. Anyway, it's off to enemy territory, Lowe's Motor Speedway, a place that makes my skin burn, kind of like when Damien the Anti-Christ enters a church. But I'm much more intimidating than that guy. Damien may have the number of the beast, 666, on his head, but I've got the number of the best, 20, on my car."

3. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth qualified 31st on Friday, but obviously ate his Wheaties overnight and came out blazing on Saturday, assuming the lead on lap 114 and leading 64 laps on his way to a third-place finish.

Kenseth was the second of three Roush racers in the top 10, as Greg Biffle won and Mark Martin finished eighth.

"I'm happy with the result," says Kenseth, "but isn't it funny how even when I finish as high as third, I'm still overshadowed by my teammates? Let me explain. Biffle wins the race, Martin's got a rap song coming out, and Lowe's Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler picks Carl Edwards to win the Nextel All-Star Challenge on Saturday. And, of course, Jamie McMurray has nice hair. I can't rap and my hair is greasy, but can't Matt Kenseth get a little love around here? Maybe if I show up with corn rows, bust a rhyme, and actually win the All-Star Challenge, I'll get some respect. Word. Peace out."

4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Despite battling a case of the flu, Earnhardt overcame the illness and managed a fifth-place finish. His fifth top-10 of the year moved him up one notch to fifth in the points, 226 behind Johnson.

"Well, I was hot-blooded, check it and see," says Earnhardt, "got a fever of 103. You want hear NBA stars quoting the rock band Foreigner, at least not intentionally, but here in NASCAR, people don't forget the classics. Anyway, I felt like my car looked in Martinsville, when I pulled out of third in a heavily damaged car. Go ahead and try this sometime: if you have the flu, put on a racing helmet. It will definitely keep you from vomiting."

5. Jeff Gordon — Gordon bounced back from his worst finish of the year, a 40th in Richmond, with his best of the year, a second at Darlington, where he had won six times previously. Gordon led only five laps, but closed the gap on Biffle in the race's final laps, but was unable to mount a serious attack after being held up by the lapped car of Ken Schader.

"That was a blatant block by Schrader," says Gordon, "And he was a lap down. I was of good mind to give him a good, hard shove after the race. But I remembered that Schrader is old school and probably wouldn't take no junk. And, he's an apt pupil in the Jimmy Spencer School of Self-Defense, where the only lesson is 'punch first, ask questions later.'"

Gordon moves up three spots in the points to sixth, 295 behind teammate Johnson.

6. Mark Martin — Martin scored his sixth top-10 finish with an eighth in Darlington, but as has been the case often this year, the No. 6 AAA team was unable to crack the top 5. Of all the driver in the points top 10, Martin has the fewest top-five finishes, with one.

"That's all about to change in Charlotte," says Martin. "Last year, I won the Nextel All-Star Challenge there, and I plan on repeating this year. It should be a magical weekend. The Red Hot Chili Peppers will be grand marshals for the all-star race and Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers will be waving the green flag. If you take the Chili Peppers and Steve Smith and put them in a blender, you get me, as a rapper. That's right, I rap. And my good friend Flava Flav of Public Enemy sent me this oversized speedometer to wear on a gold chain."

7. Kyle Busch — Busch scored his second-straight top-10 finish, following a fifth in Richmond, with a seventh in Darlington. In the previous two races, Busch had struggled with a 36th in Phoenix and a 32nd at Talladega.

"It's good to bounce back," says Busch. "Two good results following my problems in Phoenix and Talladega really gives us momentum. Like going a month with no run-ins with the law. That may be a Busch brothers record. I'll have to check our rap sheets to be sure. It's been awhile since a Busch brother had a run-in with the law or a fellow racer. That's about to change. With the exiting racing at Lowe's and the trouble with traffic just getting there, something is bound to happen."

Busch moves to seventh in the Nextel Cup points standing, 298 off of Johnson's pace.

8. Kevin Harvick — Just 30 laps in to the Dodge Charger 500, Harvick's crew noticed a pool of water in their pit stall after a stop. Further diagnosis revealed a punctured radiator, the result of a chunk of pavement hitting the front of Harvick's car. He finished 17 laps down in 37th and lost four places in the Nextel Cup points standing, down to ninth, 321 out of first.

"I sign a new contract with Richard Childress," says Harvick, "and then my luck goes downhill. I guess that's fate's way of saying I should have signed with Michael Waltrip Racing. I could be driving for the clown prince of car owners. Did you see Michael on 'Inside Nextel Cup' on Speed Channel? He was wearing flip-flops on the show! That's the kind of guy I want to drive for."

9. Kasey Kahne — After winning his third pole in Darlington, Kahne was a front-runner for the first third of the race, but after that, the handling of the No. 9 Evernham Dodge deteriorated. This situation was worsened when Kahne brushed the wall on lap 272, earning what is known as a "Darlington" stripe.

"The 'Lady in Black' strikes again," says Kahne. "Whomever calls this track a 'lady' has a low opinion of what a real lady is. This track is ugly, frightening, and difficult to like. But, if you consider Rosie O'Donnell a lady, then I guess it's okay to call the track a 'lady.'"

10. Greg Biffle — Biffle jumped six places in the points with his first win of the year, leading 170 laps to take the Dodge Charger 500. It was the fourth race this year in which Biffle led the most laps, but only the first in which circumstances fell in his favor. Biffle took the lead on lap 319 and didn't look back.

"This victory has been a long time coming," says Biffle. "I was so elated, I was expecting a call from the President. Of course, he didn't call, but I figured he's been listening in on my calls anyway, so it's like I've already talked to him."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 7:01 PM | Comments (2)

May 17, 2006

Nadal and Federer Enough For ATP?

The final of the ATP Masters Series tournament in Rome last week only confirmed what has been developing over the last two years.

We have a heated rivalry on our hands at the top of the men's tennis world.

Swashbuckling Spaniard Rafael Nadal took out the ever-dominant Roger Federer in five epic sets, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6. Lasting over five hours, the match felt eerily similar to the five-hour classic in last year's Rome final, in which Nadal also prevailed.

The difference, of course, is that last year Nadal defeated Guillermo Coria, he of a whopping zero major championships. This time, however, Nadal stared down arguably the most dominant player the ATP Tour has ever seen. And then he took him down.

But it's not like the Spaniard has never done this before. Nadal and Federer have now faced off six times, with Nadal holding a 5-1 advantage that surely has many tennis fans assuming the aforementioned statistic is a misprint.

It's not. But Nadal's 5-1 record against the world No. 1 is somewhat explicable.

The tennis analysts and fans who, after the Rome tournament, began to whisper that the Nadal/Federer rivalry is one-sided are grossly mistaken. To Roger Federer's credit, three of his losses have come on clay, a surface Nadal has dominated to the tune of a record 53 consecutive victories. The Spaniard has not lost on the red stuff since unheralded Igor Andreev shocked him in Valencia in early 2005 (I highly recommend asking your tennis buddies that trivia question if you wish to stump them cold).

In my humble opinion, Federer taking Nadal to a fifth-set tiebreaker on clay is the equivalent of a three, maybe four-set victory on hard courts. And on grass, well, Nadal would not even stay on the court with the Swiss star. So while Nadal has gotten the best of Federer recently, and probably will do so again at the upcoming French Open, one has to think that Roger will get his fair share of revenge in this rivalry when the hard-court season heats up in the fall.

The point is this is a rivalry in the truest of senses, and it is exactly what the men's tennis game needs. With Pete Sampras retiring in 2002 and Andre Agassi on the way out, fan interest in the sport has been dwindling, especially in the United States given the lack of American star power. In covering the four Grand Slams, SportsCenter is good for showing approximately one point of the championship matches in their highlight reel. Maybe two points if the match involved either Agassi or Andy Roddick. Non-Grand Slam tournaments don't even sniff ESPN highlights. All they get is the scrolling bottom line.

Now when the game gets slighted in this way by SportsCenter, or by Pardon the Interruption's Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser (who, in the off-chance they discuss tennis, always maintain they've never heard of anyone in tennis outside of Federer, Nadal, Roddick, and Marat Safin's ex-girlfriend), I feel inclined to pitch a fit and hurl projectiles at the TV.

Unfortunately, for the normal sports fan/casual tennis fan, showing the score or at most one or two points during highlights is enough. Anything more means less time for beloved baseball web gems. Even worse, showing an extra clip of a Sunday tennis match could reduce Chris Berman's weekly Fastest-Three-Minutes-In-Sports NFL highlights to Chris Berman's Fastest-Two-Minutes-And-Forty-Five-Seconds-In-Sports. And, of course, that would be totally unacceptable to the everyday SportsCenter viewer.

But I digress. What Nadal and Federer are doing, quite simply, is putting the game back on the map. Individually, they are hands down the two most entertaining players to watch, albeit for very different reasons. Nadal is a specimen of unprecedented proportions, and with his sleeveless shirt and trademarked clamdiggers, he is not afraid to show it. His raw emotion, as seen by his vicious fist-pumps that follow almost every single winner he strikes, never ceases to captivate the crowds. Federer, on the other hand, amazes with his fluidity and ease with which he plays the game. He can hit any shot from anywhere on the court.

Putting them together — on the same court at the same time — is simply God's gift to diehard tennis fan. Their contrasting styles and unrivaled skill levels have provided us and will continue to provide us with some of the most interesting and intense tennis matches since John McEnroe/Bjorn Borg. Nadal and Federer will satisfy the appetite of the hardcore tennis fan for years to come.

But if the sport is to truly be saved in the United States, an American player must step up and turn the dynamic duo into a holy trinity.

The problem, of course, is that the candidates are few and far between.

And by few, I mean two.

Let's start with who the savior of American tennis is not going to be.

Andre Agassi finally appears to have nothing left in the tank. He is skipping this year's clay-court season to get ready for Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, hoping for one last triumphant run through a Grand Slam tournament, ala Pete Sampras, 2002 U.S. Open. In all likelihood, however, we saw Agassi's last thrilling Grand Slam moment in his five-set victory over James Blake in last year's epic U.S. Open quarterfinal.

Robby Ginepri showed flashes of brilliance in reaching the semifinals of that same U.S. Open, before falling to Agassi in five sets. But he lacks the game to soar all the way into the top five, and quite frankly, he's not who tennis fans want to see there anyway.

I was lucky enough to be in a box in Arthur Ashe Stadium last year to witness one of the biggest victories of his career, a five-set win over Tommy Haas in the third round of the Open. Although it was one of the most entertaining matches I've seen in Flushing Meadows, our box was by far the rowdiest and most pro-Ginepri section of the crowd (we still maintain that Ginepri would have lost the match had it not been for us). Judging from the wine-and-cheese atmosphere of the rest of the stadium, you would not have even known an American player was even participating in the proceedings.

Same goes for Mardy Fish and Taylor Dent. Of course, they have another small problem. They just aren't very good at tennis. I honestly do not think I have heard anything about either one of them since they both got lucky at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

That leaves us with James Blake and Andy Roddick.

Blake certainly has a following, and one that certainly would expand if his on-court results called for it. The raucous "J-Block" made headlines at the 2005 U.S. Open, and so did James' play. His good form carried over into 2006 and propelled him into the top 10 for the first time in his injury-plagued career. However, he's shown no signs of doing anything on clay, nor is his game suited to make noise at the All-England Club during Wimbledon.

We'll just have to wait for the U.S. Open, where his stunning upset of Nadal last year was one of the most amazing displays of tennis I have ever witnessed live. But to consistently challenge Nadal and Federer, he would have to play like that match in, match out. It's unlikely, to say the least.

We all expected great things from Andy Roddick after he prevailed in the 2003 U.S. Open. But in an era where statisticians love to use asterisks (mainly due to the presence of steroids in baseball), I propose an asterisk by the victory denoting that it occurred before Roger Federer emerged as a dominant force.

Since then, all Roddick has done is make coaching changes and lose matches to Federer. He put up a decent fight in the 2004 Wimbledon final against Federer, but was derailed by an ill-timed rain delay. Last year, he might as well have withdrawn after the semifinals.

Said Roddick, after the 2005 Wimbledon final, "For me, if you can't compete against the best and beat the best, then you don't deserve to win these titles. And that's what I'm faced with right now. You know, it's either figure it out, find a way, step up, or maybe I don't deserve to win this title."

Right now, only two players have found a way and stepped up in terms of captivating the tennis world. Until Blake, Roddick, or some currently unknown American emerges as rival to Nadal and Federer, that tennis world will be limited to diehards.

But for now, while the casual fan longs for something more, I'll sit back and enjoy Nadal and Federer produce what could become one of tennis's all-time great rivalries.

Posted by Ricky Dimon at 8:37 PM | Comments (4)

NHL Award Predictions

While the second round winds itself down, the nominations for the annual NHL awards have been announced. Who should take home the hardware when all is said and done? Check it out.

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Nominations: Jaromir Jagr, Joe Thornton, Miikka Kiprusoff

SC's Winner: Joe Thornton

There's a valid argument for all three players here. Jagr was the heart and soul (a phrase not usually associated with Jagr) of the New York Ranger resurgence, Joe Thornton changed the San Jose Sharks from also-rans to Cup contenders, and the Flames simply don't win when Kiprusoff has an off day.

However, no one has had a more complete impact on his team than Joe Thornton. Thornton affected every aspect of the Sharks' roster. Patrick Marleau's newly-formed second line forced teams to pick their poison. Thornton played the penalty kill, backchecked, and was one of the Sharks' best face-off men. In addition, the usual dominance that came when Thornton was on the ice allowed the Sharks' young defense a little bit of wiggle room to get their legs going. From top to bottom, no one changed a team like Joe Thornton.

Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman)

Nominations: Scott Niedermayer, Sergei Zubov, Nick Lidstrom

SC's Winner: Scott Niedermayer

What a season for Scott Niedermayer. Not only did he post career highs in points, he showed the world that his success was based on his inherent leadership skills and unmatched skating ability, not the New Jersey Devils' system or the presence of Scott Stevens. Assuming the captaincy of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Niedermayer started off slowly in his new surroundings and gradually became better and better as the season went along. Skipping the Olympics for the sake of his NHL team, Niedermayer rounded off into form around the midway point of the season and was easily the league's best blueliner since then.

Calder Trophy (Best Rookie)

Nominations: Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf

SC's Winner: Sidney Crosby

The winner of the Calder will almost undoubtedly be Alexander Ovechkin, but my vote goes to Sid the Kid. Many people overlook the fact that Crosby only finished with four less points than Ovechkin (102 vs. 106) — an amazing feat considering that Crosby is still 18-years-old (and the youngest player in NHL history to hit 100 points). Honestly, you can't go wrong picking either Crosby or Ovechkin — they're both magnificent franchise players that the league should market the heck out of over the next decade.

My vote goes to Crosby simply because the Washington Capitals knew they were in a rebuilding year and gelled as a team because of the acknowledged youth movement. Crosby had to endure drama, retirements, supposed locker room infighting, and the general deterioration of a team that had high hopes and transform that into the successful campaign that he had.

Some will argue that Crosby had more to work with during the first third of the season, and to an extent, that's true — Ziggy Palffy was still effective when he retired and Mark Recchi was fairly consistent. But a broken John Leclair and Mario Lemieux with heart problems doesn't make for a Stanley Cup contender. The fact that Crosby was able to pull it all together for a great end run while a team was rebuilt, destroyed, and rebuilt again all while facing media scrutiny and criticism makes him the winner by a hair in my book.

Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender)

Nominations: Martin Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff, Henrik Lundquist

SC's Winner: Miikka Kiprusoff

How important was Miikka Kiprusoff to the Calgary Flames? Consider the fact that the team had a 100-point season and won their division while being one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. Kiprusoff's heroics weren't enough to get the team past the first round of the playoffs (scoring zero goals in a Game 7 won't help any goaltender), but it doesn't diminish the accomplishments of Kiprusoff's amazing season.

Some will speculate that Kiprusoff wouldn't be as good without such a strong defense in front of him, and that may be a valid point. However, the results do speak for themselves — if the Flames had an average goaltender, there's a good chance that they wouldn't have even made the playoffs. That's reason enough for the Vezina.

Jack Adams Trophy (Best Coach)

Nominations: Peter Laviolette, Tom Renney, Lindy Ruff

SC's Winner: Tom Renney

Tom Renney was able to do what a slew of coaches couldn't do before — motivate an aging Jaromir Jagr to reclaim the title as best player in the NHL. That's enough to warrant some consideration for the Jack Adams award, but Renney was also skilled enough to pull the Rangers — largely a nameless bunch — into playing a sound defensive game (with a better goals-against average than New Jersey) and, more importantly, change the culture of losing that had surrounded the team for nearly a decade. True, the Rangers came back down to earth during the last few games of the season after being hit by injuries on all fronts, but that doesn't diminish any of Renney's accomplishments.

Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward)

Nominations: Rod Brind'amour, Jere Lehtinen, Mike Fisher

SC's Winner: Rod Brind'amour

It's kind of surprising that Minnesota's Brian Rolston wasn't nominated considering the numbers he put up this season, but out of these three, Rod Brind'amour represented the best of all worlds. Nearly unbeatable on faceoffs, Brind'amour played in every situation — power play, penalty kill, with the lead, when behind. He defended leads and he led the charge when the Hurricanes fell behind. He took every critical draw and was always first to sacrifice his body on the penalty kill. There were even whispers that Brind'amour's season was Hart Trophy worthy. That didn't come to pass, so the Selke will have to be enough for now.

Posted by Mike Chen at 8:01 PM | Comments (1)

May 16, 2006

Can the Spurs Save the NBA Playoffs?

To many, the prospect of watching another NBA Finals that features the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons is, well, boring.

Unquestionably the two top teams of the last several seasons, their styles are well known, their stars familiar, and the mutual storylines milked for the smallest point of interest.

But that aside, I'd watch a closely-contested six-game series between those two powerhouses anytime, especially considering the current alternatives.

With either the Phoenix Suns or L.A. Clippers guaranteed a spot in the Western Conference Finals and the Dallas Mavericks holding a surprising lead over the defending champion Spurs, the long-standing tradition of defensive-minded teams rising to the top in later rounds is facing a serious threat of exception.

For years, I've been one of many to harp on clubs like the Mavs and Suns, ones that can run and score with anyone, but when faced with the task of actually keeping the ball out of the basket, you know, can't.

But this year it might not end that way. Assuming the Pistons continue to steamroll their way through the field in the Eastern Conference and Dallas can knock off San Anton, I think the emerging final would give new meaning to the word "boring."

Phoenix finished third from the bottom during the regular season defensively, allowing opponents to score almost 103 points a game. For their part, Dallas and the Clippers actually finished in the top 10 in the same category, but their team defense recently hardly draws comparisons to all-time great clamp-down clubs. And they're nowhere near last year's finalists, who finished second and third in team D this year.

Here's the point: Phoenix, L.A., and Dallas are fun teams to watch, but simply put, should any of them reach the finals and face the Pistons, we could be looking at one of the most lopsided contests since Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson vied over post-breakup media attention.

And that would be boring, because as much as the endless sideline shots of Eva Longoria can get tiresome come playoff time (I'm reaching, I know), it's considerably more interesting than watching Shaun Livingston or Devin Harris melt under the pressure of hard-nosed championship basketball they're not ready to play.

And thus, I'm torn. Yes, cheering for new blood is always appealing, and merely entertaining the thought of the Los Angeles Clippers reaching the NBA finals is enough to make milk spew from my nostrils. And yet when I see Quentin Ross on the court, somehow I have trouble believing.

Look, I just want a good NBA Finals and I don't think anyone left in the West can provide that against the Pistons other than the Spurs.

So let's settle. We'll just have to take a two-time MVP and one of the most dominant starting lineups in decades. We'll just have to deal with two of the best point guards in the league and the defensive player of the year (again). We'll just have to learn more about Eva Longoria, no matter how boring it is.

It'll just have to do.

Posted by Aaron Miller at 10:25 PM | Comments (3)

Prince Albert: Best Hitter You'll Ever See?

Baseball is a funny sport. Unlike the NBA, it has no clue how to market its superstars, or tell its best stories. If 1990s stars Ken Griffey, Jr. A-Rod, and Cal Ripken, Jr. had the NBA's publicity machine behind them, teenagers would still be wearing their jerseys in the street.

A decade before, league promotion gurus slept on the feel-good stories of Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, and Dale Murphy. Not one was a household name in the U.S., a figure that transcended the sport. Not even supposed teddy bear and two-time World Series winner Kirby Puckett. Worse, nothing has changed.

Now MLB has its own LeBron James in Albert Pujols, but they're not telling anyone.

In Japan, Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki are rock stars. In Panama, Mariano Rivera could mount a convincing campaign for national public office. But baseball's best story, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, labors in relative anonymity. When baseball was really the national pastime, American mothers knew from Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. News of Pujols' accomplishments, positive persona, and unlikely path to superstardom gets buried under an avalanche of "How Will We React When You-Know-Who Passes Hank Aaron?" headlines. Forget Barry Bonds — celebrate Albert.

When a player has performed to the tune of a .329 average, 37 homers, 130 RBI, and 47 doubles as a rookie, .314, 34 homers, and 127 RBI (add 40 doubles) as a sophomore, .359 with 43 jacks and 124 RBI with 51 two-baggers his third year, .331, 46, and 123 his fourth (again, an eye-popping 51 doubles), and last year, put up a .330 clip with 41 homers and 117 runners plated, it is well worth a pause.

We're not talking about the son of a famous outfielder or manager — in 1999, Pujols was a 13th-round draft selection from Maple Woods (Mo.) Community College. The Cards' first offer to him was only $10,000. A-Rod makes that every time he puts on his glove.

Albert Pujols plays for a successful, celebrated team. He speaks good English. He's clean cut and personable, and a model of hard work (more than a bat, he's toiled at third base, left field, and first for the Redbirds, and only the expertise of the Cubs' Derek Lee kept him from earning a Gold Glove last season). His is a story for the Dominican community, the little-recruited high school and college athletes, American immigrants, discussions of all-time hitters, and discipline at home plate.

And what discipline. In recent years, trembling pitchers have awarded Barry Bonds free passes to first base. Pujols will never approach Bonds in intentional walks, what with lineup protection such as Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds. Yet who wants to pitch to a man whose average season is .332 with 41 HRs, 127 RBI, and 47 doubles? Well, one must pitch to Phat Albert, as he will not swing at balls. Oh, the lessons he could teach Alfonso "It Looked Good at the Time" Soriano.

A lot of the "quietness" of the Pujols career may be attributed to the cloud that hangs over many of his fellow batters — the rumor that some may have achieved their best performances under the influence of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. The 60-homer season appears to be a thing of the recent past. Congressional hearing have been held, and bedsheet banners are brought to games to mock a certain Giants' slugger. The cacophony of editorial and sports talk bluster about drug abuse has drowned out a man who may be the closest thing we'll see to Ted Williams.

Major League Baseball is doing well at the gate, still riding the high tide raised by the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa race, the improbable Red Sox and White Sox triumphs, and a slew of relatively new ballparks. Fan interest, however, pales in comparison to that of NASCAR, the NFL, and NBA. There isn't the compelling attraction to casual and non-fans. Well, there is, but only in the form of a big secret in St. Louis that wears the number "5."

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 10:04 PM | Comments (2)

NFL Network Turns to Cheerleaders

Whatever you may think of those that run the NFL Network (and I'm sure most people devote an hour or two of thought each day solely to the NFL Network), you can't say they don't understand how the game works. Sex sells. The NFL Network doesn't sell (very much). What's the obvious decision? Sexing up the NFL Network, and that's just what's planned.

It's no secret that the NFL was facing its share of struggles with the network, but at least it is trying to make it better. Just last week, the network announced that they would carry college football's Insight Bowl and the network is expected to add more college programming in the future. It's one thing to add college games, though, and yesterday the NFL Network unveiled the new programming that should really bring in new customers — two separate cheerleading shows.

The first is going to be a behind the scenes series showing how the Tampa Bay and San Diego cheerleader squads are picked. Yes, it's a cheap ploy. Yes, it's been done before. Yes, people will watch it anyway. It's proven reliable in the past, so naturally people will watch the same old material repackaged in different logos.

It's American Idol meets Survivor, as talented dancers by day and, well, dancers by night vie for a spot on cheerleading teams. There is plenty of drama and heartbreak as girls are eliminated until the lucky 12 (or 15, 20, 25, I really have no idea how many girls are on a cheerleading team) survive the competition and are awarded a spot on the team. The real gem of the new programming is in the second show.

The second series is what the network is billing as the first-ever TV battle of NFL cheerleaders or something like that. Basically, it's just going to pit cheerleaders in some sort of competition against each other. That's literally all the network has at this point. Network spokesman Seth Palansky told USA Today that the details aren't finalized, "but it will be cheerleaders from different teams competing against each other." Do you need to know anything else?

The fundamental of selling sex is not a new invention, but programs in the past have at least posed as something with a purpose other than objectifying women. Really, though, who are they trying to kid? This is why I can appreciate the NFL Network. They don't insult our intelligence by trying to justify this as a show that celebrates the cheerleaders for their athletic abilities or their loyalty to teamwork and their respective NFL franchises. It's simply about objectifying women and nothing else. And it's brilliant.

I'm not trying to argue that women should be objectified or that it's good for our culture, because it's not. It's terrible, awful, and appalling (says the politically correct me). But it's a business decision and putting scantily-clad women on television is always good for business. They could even be doing math problems, but as long as they are carrying the 1s while sporting bikinis, people will watch.

I have to admit I'm surprised at the lack of development of the show, however. I would've expected them to have a little bit of information before making an official announcement. If all they have is that it's a show with "cheerleaders competing against each other," then how many ideas got nixed before that? A series about NFL players learning to read or maybe a legal-themed show glorifying the crafty lawyers that keep players on the field and out of prison? I just hope a raise was given to the guy that said, "Cheerleaders. That's all we need to know, just put some cheerleaders on TV and it will work. We don't need a premise, we don't need any object. We just need bikinis and pom poms."

It's only a matter of time before we leave things like competition and tryouts and delve into a whole new area of cheerleading programming. Think MTV's Spring Break, only the scantily-clad coeds happen to be NFL cheerleaders on the side. We can't be long from cheerleaders competing against each other in WWE-style matches where they just try to tear each other's clothes off.

The beauty of this plan is in the simplicity. Cheerleaders. What they are doing or why they are doing it, well, that can all be figured out later. They feel they don't need anything else to sell it. And they probably don't. When you're selling sex, there will always be plenty of buyers.

The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. All readers get a 10% signup bonus at BetOnSports by entering "Sports Gospel Promo" as the promo code. Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on SC. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 8:34 PM | Comments (0)

May 15, 2006

NBA Playoffs: The Fish That Saved Sactown

There is enough "O" in Sacramento, but apparently not enough "D."

That was the sentiment of the Maloof brothers after firing former head coach Rick Adelman this week.

Adelman had led the Kings to eight straight playoff appearances, but had fallen out of favor with the owners during the season.

Looking at the Sacramento lineup prior to Ron Artest, one wonders exactly what kind of magic the Maloofs were expecting Adelman to work in order to produce defense.

Kenny Thomas and Brad Miller? Seriously? That's your inside defense?

Along comes Mr. First-Team All-Defense Ron Artest, and suddenly the Kings turn things around and march into the playoffs to face the San Antonio Spurs.

Of course, they lost. Everyone knew that was going to happen. It was fun to watch for a little bit, but the Spurs are the better team.

Does that mean that given more time and some personnel changes, Rick Adelman couldn't have gotten his team to compete against the Spurs and the Western Conference next season?

No.

It simply means that without Artest, the Kings had a defense slightly worse than that of my eighth-grade middle school team.

However, the turnaround at the end of the season and the eight consecutive playoff appearances were not enough to save Adelman's job.

The Maloofs are looking for another coach.

Don Nelson has been mentioned in connection with the job, mainly because he is one of the few available candidates with the experience and success necessary to take over the Kings. However, the Maloofs are denying these reports, saying that Nelson wouldn't really fit into their defense-first approach.

Who cares about his philosophy on defense, or the fact that he went 339-251 with four 50-win seasons with the Dallas Mavericks?

What's most important is that he is working on a television project with the Maloof brothers for which he plays the coach of a fictional expansion team. Here we all thought he had been retired from coaching, and there he was hiding in the background practicing on a fictional set.

There are certainly some big names connected to this show, bigger than producer George Clooney.

Vlade Divac, Norm Nixon, and Marques Johnson are all onboard.

These three guys are my first recommendation to the Maloofs for the Sacramento coaching vacancy.

Divac would obviously be the head coach for a few reasons:

1. Vlade dadi, we all likes to party.
2. His wedding was attended by over 1.000 people and the ceremony was broadcast live in Yugoslavia.
3. His delicacy and deftness while helping to create a chocolate fountain shows his ability to lead a basketball team.

Norm Nixon would absolutely be the man to replace Divac should anything take place that wouldn't allow Vlade to coach (a renewal of his vows ceremony broadcast live on ESPN?).

Nixon appeared in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, a moving film about a team that absolutely stinks until they consult an astrologer and decide to only have players born under Pisces. Also in this fine film, Dr. J, Marv Albert, and Kareem.

Not to rest on his laurels, Nixon also appeared in Out-of-Sync as "Basketball Player #1."

I wonder what he's more proud of, "Basketball Player #1" or 15.7 points per game for his career?

Probably 15.7 points per game because, after all, it's not like "Basketball Player #1" is a challenging, Oscar-worthy role like "Frightened Inmate #2."

Maybe the Maloofs won't take my recommendation. Maybe they are looking for real coaching chops instead of acting chops.

According to some reports, the Kings are also looking at San Antonio assistant P.J. Carlesimo and former Kings assistant Terry Porter.

Both options are obviously poor choices compared to the troika of Divac, Nixon, and Johnson. However, if I had to make a choice, I would go with Terry Porter for a couple of reasons.

First, P.J Carlesimo already had one disastrous mishap with an unruly player. Do you really think he's the man you should employ to try and keep Ron Artest happy and handcuff-free?

Second, if the Kings are going to try and take personnel from the Spurs in an effort to mimic the strategy of the Cavs, then they should choose former player Terry Porter. Danny Ferry and Mike Brown, both formerly employed by the Spurs in some capacity, have come into the Cavaliers' franchise and taken them to the playoffs.

The similarity?

Ferry and Brown are bald.

So is Terry Porter.

You have to mirror every minor detail if you want to have the same effect.

Sorry, P.J.

The Maloof brothers have said that during this week they are going to take a look at all of the candidates (and hopefully a copy of The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh) and make a shortlist of final choices.

In an effort to save them some time (after all, they have a show about a fictional NBA team to help produce), I've taken the liberty of creating my own shortlist.

1. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh II: The Sacramento Remake

Clearly, Divac, Nixon, and Johnson are the winning team. The Maloofs could even offer Nixon the title of, "Coaching Assistant #1.")

2. Peter Gammons and John Kruk

Who knows more about defense than King of the Webgem himself, Peter Gammons?

What's John Kruk there for?

To sit on Ron Artest should there be any problems.

3. Steve Kerr

Doesn't being an analyst and announcer for more than two seasons qualify you for a head coaching job these days?

4. Larry Brown

I predict that if the Knicks decide to buy Larry Brown out of his contract, there will be another feeding frenzy among NBA teams for the vaunted coach.

His goal for the next year?

To coach every NBA team in a matter of two months and collect on $170 million in contract buy-outs.

5. Marv Albert

Because, as far as I'm concerned, everybody in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh is qualified to be a head coach.

6. The PA Announcer From the And1 Mix Tour

I would pay decent money to see him run up and down the court shouting at the crowd to get more pumped.

The hire would have a whole bunch of additional benefits, like finding out the secret nicknames for all the players, and saving some money from not having to hire a real PA announcer.

In fact, the Maloof brothers could use it to finance a new television project that would tell of a fictional basketball team that lacked the ability to play defense until they signed a First-Team All-Defense stud.

It would end up being a sad story, though, because in the end, the coach would be fired as an excuse for poor ownership.

Maybe it's a good thing the Maloofs might be looking at current television coach Don Nelson to lead the Kings next year because in the land of Sacramento, they seem to be more obsessed with fiction than reality.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 5:16 AM | Comments (0)

I Hate Mondays: Working Overtime

It's 15 minutes before your work shift ends and the hamster that runs the treadmill inside your head has already tired out for the day.

Then you're boss walks in and asks you to put in a few hours of overtime.

Not cool.

Overtime can be long and enduring, but not all types are that bad. In the realm of sports, when two teams have fully exerted themselves throughout regulation time and no victor has triumphed, an extra frame of overtime is cool.

There is a boiling point, though. There is a time when added time, particularly in the National Hockey League, turns from exciting to excessive.

The NHL has already renovated a heavily-scrutinized overtime formula prior to this season, and introduced a shootout to solve the age-old "tie" dilemma, but just as traditionalists have grown accustomed to this fresh amendment and newer fans have taken a liking to the new NHL, the league should now revisit another pressing problem: playoff overtime.

When the extra period starts, fans become enamored with the level of intensity of playoff hockey and the game really emanates of urgency and passion. But by the third frame, both the on-lookers and the players themselves are in dire search for an ending.

The bottom line is that while most people do not have the time to watch a sporting event from start to finish, the main goal is to either see the final minutes of the match or to view how the game was decided.

And if the grouping of people who can watch the full 60 minutes of regulation is in the minority, then the number of people who are plugged into the full four-and-a-half hours of the San Jose Sharks versus the Edmonton Oilers Game 3 is definitely few.

We already know that the sport of hockey needs to sell to the many, instead of the few, and when NHL playoff games go past one period of overtime, since it becomes too much of a commitment to continue watching, there needs to be a shorter, less time-consuming solution.

Shootouts could be the answer, although hardcore hockey fans convert to emotionally unstable individuals when this idea is presented, and four-on-four play is another option.

If both of these resolutions are acceptable enough to be used mainstream during the regular season, then it is only a matter of time before they will be viable in the post-season.

The NHL isn't the only sport with protracted playoff games as the Super Bowl breaks the four-hour benchmark and so do many Major League Baseball Championship Series games, but hockey is not on the same footing, popularity-wise.

While modifying one of the sport's greatest assets will not sit well with old school thinkers, the bottom line is that the game will gain better appeal with a shortened version of overtime.

For example, look at what the shootout has done for regular season viewing. Few fans quit on a game in overtime, knowing that they might see both team's top three forwards taking penalty shots. During International play, the shootout has always been a solution after one period of overtime, and rarely has anyone changed the channel in the midst of a Jaromir Jagr/Martin Brodeur or Peter Forsberg/Dominik Hasek head-to-head.

As it stands now, when a playoff hockey game hits overtime, it could take two minutes, or it could last two hours. With no end in sight, viewers are more likely to tune away.

It is time to find a faster fix.

NHL playoffs and overtime 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

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 5:01 AM | Comments (1)

Royals' Futility Highlights Hidden Danger

I've never liked revenue sharing in baseball from its inception. I like the idea of a salary cap or luxury tax even less. Sports doesn't lend itself to socialism. The whole objective of sports franchises is to win championships, divisions, pennants, games — just win, baby. Propping up ailing teams is the baseball equivalent of the Marshall Plan, with Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Florida playing the part of ruined European countries.

The NFL does salary cap well but the shortcomings in the system are papered over. Too many players change teams and too many rich men become even richer. Meanwhile, the fan gets stiffed with $100 tickets and expensive cable TV packages. And the Arizona Cardinals still suck.

If you enjoy mediocre play, hidden by slick marketing and shouting announcers hyping the well-known stars, then good luck to you. I prefer the days when football players were cut because they were no good, rather than seeing a team wave goodbye to a well-liked and productive player because the capologist says the square root of the hypotenuse divided by his inside leg measurement will send the team 47 cents over the cap.

The first problem with handing out great chunks of money collected from Boston and New York is that there's absolutely no incentive on the part of the recipients to either spend it or spend it wisely. You wouldn't give an unemployed bum off the street $10 million and be shocked when he or she spent it on crack cocaine, booze, cigarettes, and brightly-colored track suits, would you? MLB gave the Royals $10 million and they spent it on Reggie Sanders and Mark Grudzielanek.

The second problem is that the definition of a small market team is hazy, at best. Kansas City is small market, right? Not in 1994, it wasn't. The Royals had the fourth-highest payroll in baseball at $40.5 million, a mere $4 million behind the Yankees. Only Toronto and Atlanta came between Kansas City and New York. The Mets, Cardinals, Angels, and Mariners were in the bottom half of the payroll league.

Now, through mismanagement and years of losing, the Royals are cast as baseball bums in need of a socialist support system to keep them off the streets.

Baloney. The Royals don't need a handout to compete. They need a handout because they refuse to compete, settling instead for insulting a loyal fan base and pocketing a tidy few million a year from teams like Boston, the Angels, the White Sox, and New York who are busting their humps trying to win.

If baseball wants to make revenue sharing work, it needs to introduce some checks and balances to the system. The problem is that whether the money has been spent wisely or not is too subjective. Simply insisting that teams spend at least what they receive in revenue sharing on players would be a disaster, sending salaries for mediocre players through the roof.

Poor teams are poor, in part, because they sign average players to poor contracts. The Pirates spent over $8 million a year on Sean Casey. The Royals are paying Mark Redman (career stats 53-68, 4.58) $4.5 million a year and Mike (DL) Sweeney $11 million a year. Every team, even the good ones, has a bad contract or two. The Yankees have a dozen. The bad teams stay bad because they repeat their mistakes and have no margin for error. A handout from Bud Selig doesn't give a bad GM any better judgment.

What the revenue sharing and luxury tax pot does allow teams to do is spend money on the farm system. The Milwaukee Brewers have done exactly that. Rather than pocket the cash and abuse the fans, as is the way in Florida and Kansas City, the Brewers have got competitive through shrewd trading and investing in youth. Richie Weeks wouldn't have been signed by the Royals because his bonus would be judged too high.

The Brewers still have bad contracts (Corey Koskie, Brady Clark, and Tomo Okha), but the players involved are at least productive. And they have the ability, in the future, to lock up players like Prince Fielder, Chris Capuano, Bill Hall, and JJ Hardy to serviceable contracts, as Cleveland has done this offseason.

Revenue sharing isn't about reigning in the New York Yankees, which is an impossible task. Only George Steinbrenner has that capability. The Yankees waste money like no other sports team in history, but they can afford to. Revenue sharing is actually stopping teams like the Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Braves, White Sox, and Cubs taking the next step up and challenging the Yankees for the big acquisitions. A punitive tax on salary is a bigger deal in these cities than it is in the Bronx or Fenway.

In the case of the dismal Royals, it's not a shortage of money that is crippling this franchise. The team has a strong fan base, a history of achievement, and a sports-orientated location. There is no reason why the Royals couldn't compete with the Cardinals on an equal footing, but for poor management.

The Royals have lurched from one flawed plan to another under the disastrous regime of GM Allan Baird. In 2000, Baird talked of keeping his young hitters, even when they became expensive. By 2003, the prized outfield of Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye, and Carlos Beltran was gone. Not one everyday player of even average ability was gained in return.

The draft could have replenished the roster, but the Royals draft with the long-term vision of Mister Magoo. The past decade or so of first-round draft picks include such luminaries as Jeff Granger, Matt Smith, Juan LeBron, Jeff Austin, Matt Burch, Kyle Snyder, Mike Stodolka, Colt Griffin, and Roscoe Crosby.

The blame for this lamentable situation lies squarely with Baird and, vicariously, with Glass, who should have fired his GM years ago, but likes the fact that Baird's presence takes away the heat from his ownership. Glass has curtailed Baird's budget, possibly because he doesn't trust his judgment in the free agent market. That alone is enough to send a red flag up against the GM. Instead, Glass left Baird out to dry, watching him put together possibly the worst major league roster ever seen, including Florida's AAA 2006 model.

Last Monday night's lineup for the Royals' game with Cleveland was comical. The age of hitters two through seven was 36, 32, 32, 38, 34, and 34. Reggie Sanders didn't play. He's 39.

That wouldn't be so bad if the players were good. Clean-up hitter Emil Brown is hitting .220 with 2 home runs. DH Matt Stairs is hitting .200 with 1 homer. Catcher John Buck, part of the Carlos Beltran trade, hit his first homer of the season Monday, boosting his average to .217. The pitching is even worse than the hitting. Zach Greinke is not with the team, allegedly because he's depressed. He should try being a Royals fan — at least he's being paid for his depression.

Giving money on the pretext of being "small" to such a lame excuse for a team is an insult to the fans, where the money originates from. The solution to spending revenue sharing dollars lies in the good old capitalist win-loss column.

If you're receiving millions through revenue sharing and you want to spend it on Cristian Guzman or Mike DeJean, fine. But if the win column stays put or goes down, you lose your dollars until it goes back up.

Posted by Mike Round at 4:50 AM | Comments (0)

May 13, 2006

Team Disoriented in the NBA

I hated Michael Jordan. Hated how good he was, hated how easy it all looked. Hated how he could take Pippen, a rebounder, one jump shooter, and a gaggle of rec league players to the NBA title. Hated all of the bandwagon Bulls fans that used to buy up all the Chicago games at the Meadowlands just to see Michael and the Jordanaires beat the ever-loving crap out of my hapless, pre-Jason Kidd Nets. Hated the shoes, hated the posters, hated the smell of the cologne. Hell, I don't even think I looked at Bugs Bunny the same way after "Space Jam."

But I loved to hate Jordan. I watched the Bulls in the postseason, hoping someone could challenge them and knock Michael down a notch or two. I remember putting my faith in Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, and a galaxy of other stars that simply didn't shine as bright as Jordan did. But I watched, and I waited, and I hoped that someone could send him back to the Windy City with a scowl on his face and an unlit cigar on his hand.

That's what made Jordan larger than life: that for every two people who worshiped him, there was someone like me who resented him. That's how a player is elevated from stardom to mega-stardom: when love and hate collide to form a supernova. Barry Bonds is just another 'roid freak belting dingers if he wasn't the single most polarizing figure in baseball, perhaps since Jackie Robinson. Wayne Gretzky had the respect of every hockey fan, but half the league wanted someone to knock his block off just once, without Marty McSorley there for protection. The NFL? Two letters: T and O.

The best news for the NBA this postseason has been the emergence of two true megastars: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Both contributed mightily to the two most exciting series of the playoffs thus far. Both carried their teams at certain points during those series. And both had a hand in the emotional turning points in those series: LeBron's overtime taunting of Washington's Gilbert Arenas during his two missed free-throws, and Kobe's antagonism that led to Phoenix's Raja Bell unleashing a headlock/clothesline that earned Bell a one-game suspension and allowed Kobe to let loose with some of the most egomaniacal taunting the NBA has seen since Barkley retired. (Vince McMahon should hire all parties involved for SummerSlam, pronto.)

LeBron, even if his team is humbled by the Pistons in round two, has arrived as a player, and not just because his "We Are All Witnesses" shoe campaign has become the most often-quoted and frequently mocked since "Bo Knows." To hear the Wizards announcers bellyache about James getting all the calls and none of the traveling infractions — one announcer called him "King Teflon" after Game 6 — was laughable, considering Washington is only a few years removed from having the benefit of the Jordan Rules.

Now, like Mike, LeBron is the guy everyone bitches about the referees viewing through shoosh-colored glasses.

Kobe was already a star entering this postseason, but now he's morphed into something even more monumental: Public Enemy No. 1, the single most hated man in basketball. And that's with Ron Artest not only in the same conference, but playing in the same state.

You thought the level of hatred was high after Kobe's Rocky Mountain sex-capade and subsequent bling-filled reconciliation with the Mrs.? All of that feeds this new level of resentment, but Kobe has is now something even more polarizing. First came the Nike commercial where he identified his role as the NBA's preeminent villain: "Love me or hate me — it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran, a champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons."

It's all very Jordan-esque, of course, save for the fact that Nike would have never embraced the Michael backlash like it has for Kobe. Obviously, Jordan was much more universally accepted, and that's also fed the Kobe Hate around the league — Bryant's emulating nearly everything Jordan did. Is there anyone who doesn't expect Kobe to pick up a bat and try out for the Dodgers in about 10 years?

The Kobe/Jordan thing is covered well in this column by Sam Anderson of Slate.com:

"He's plagiarized MJ's game so expertly that, in many ways, he's ahead of the master's curve — Kobe is stronger than the 27-year-old Jordan and has a deadlier outside shot. But for all his miraculous skills, Kobe is painfully bad at mythmaking. Since he's a Jordan-like talent, Kobe clearly thinks that he's entitled to the Jordan mythology, but he doesn't have any of Jordan's charisma or imagination. As melodramatic and managed as Jordan's career was, there was some authentic core — it was original and seemed to mean something. Kobe exists entirely within quotation marks."

The bottom line is that both Kobe and LeBron got people talking about the NBA playoffs in a way fans haven't talked about it since Jordan left. There was a sense of urgency to these series, something intangible that made them required viewing and mandatory conversation the following morning — the "Did You See That?" factor that just doesn't seem to exist when the Nets are playing the Pacers.

We can pretend that the NBA is better when it's a team sport and not centered around the megastars, but then we'd just be kidding ourselves. We really don't care about the Pistons or the Spurs or the Suns. We care about Shaq and Dwyane Wade. We care about Dirk Nowitzki and Mark Cuban. We care about personality. We don't care about boxing out on a rebound, or how good the seventh man off the Detroit bench is. This is a star league, it's always been a star league, and the only time it doesn't work is when the stars aren't really stars.

Dan Wetzel, the perpetually perplexing columnist for Yahoo! Sports, touched on the fact that David Stern attempted to cast several players in Jordan's vacant role after the Bulls' run ended. But he misses the point when it comes to what makes the Association a success:

"The NBA, a league which has rejuvenated itself by rejecting just that thinking and emphasizing team play over individual performances, should have known better than to allow it.

This is exactly how the NBA got off track in the late 1990s, believing not in the inherent entertainment value of the game of basketball — merely the fastest growing sport in the world — but advertising slogans dreamed up by its New York office. The marketers believed they were smarter than the consumers and overloaded the game with flash and fashion, anything for the individual.

The result was a diminished level of play as games deteriorated into a slowed-down, overly physical, one-on-one bore that only Pat Riley could love. Oblivious, the NBA kept trying to hype up the "Next Michael Jordan," fooling no one with a steady string of weak imitators.

The NBA's rep, in some quarters, has never recovered."

The rep suffered, but the Association has suffered more when teams that don't have a legitimate star have found their way to the Finals. Look at last season: a seven-game series between San Antonio and Detroit whose average rating was down 29 percent from the previous season. In 2004, the Pistons played Shaq and Kobe, and the ratings were the highest since 2001's Shaq/Kobe vs. Allen Iverson series. In 2003, the Spurs beat the Nets and drew a 6.5 average rating; one year earlier, the Lakers played the Nets and drew a 10.2

The difference? No one hates Tim Duncan as much as they hate Shaq and Kobe. And no one cares about the homogenous defensive machine of the Pistons — where's John Salley when you need him?

We feel better about ourselves as fans when we pretend we don't care about the star system and pretend all we care about is "great football/basketball/hockey/baseball." It's all nonsense, and it's proven time and time again when the ratings for the NBA Finals and World Series come rolling in. (The Stanley Cup Finals are another animal — Gary Bettman wouldn't know how to develop a star if he was handed a manual entitled "An Idiot-Proof Plan For Developing a Superstar That Even a Moron Could Carry Out" by Simon Cowell, with a forward by Jessica Simpson's father.)

Don't be ashamed to admit you pick up a magazine at the supermarket if Lindsay Lohan is on the cover. Don't be afraid to admit that you're more likely to see an Adam Sandler comedy than a Golden Globe-winning British ensemble farce. Admit you crave stardom like John Daly craves an extra value meal with a MGD chaser.

Don't be Dan Wetzel, feigning innocence while taking a shaky stand:

"Why let TV claim the individual is more important than the team?

Why let LeBron — as great, as gifted, as exciting as he is — change the way you do business? This is something the NFL would never do, understanding the game and the league are bigger than any one sensation."

Right ... that must be why the NFL has as many Green Bay Packers (4-12 in 2005) games in primetime this regular season (3) as New England Patriots (10-6, division champions, and perhaps a Super Bowl contender again) games. Because the NFL has never cared about star-power, right?

Ask the Seattle Seahawks fans about that theory...

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 11:45 PM | Comments (1)

The Idiot's Guide to the World Cup

In less than one month, the grandest tournament on the planet kicks off — the World Cup. It doesn't receive nearly the attention in this country as it does every place else on this planet, but if you take a couple of hours away from the middle of the baseball season, you might see what all the excitement is about.

I could try to come up with a formula to better help Americans as to why the World Cup enjoys such global popularity, but Andres Martinez already did, and he's way smarter than me, so I figure I'll just give you his:

"First, add the collective passion in this country for baseball, basketball, and football. Then multiply it by four (the Cup happens only every four years), and add the intensity of patriotic fervor unleashed by your average war."

It cannot be debated that the atmosphere at the World Cup is without doubt the most frenzied in any event, anywhere. One of the coolest moments in all of sports is when both teams take the field and lineup to hear their national anthems played. The players sing, the coaching staff sings, the crowd sings, all in unanimity, and then the process repeats itself for the other team. And after the anthems are completed, the crowd erupts with such electricity that the hair on the back of your neck stands up! A ball hasn't been kicked and there is so much excitement that the next 90 minutes almost doesn't compare!

Another intriguing aspect of the World Cup is the storylines. In 2002, defending champion France played their former colony, Senegal, in the opening game. Senegal had never played a game in the World Cup, but that didn't stop them from besting their former imperialists.

It sparked such emotions back home that Senegal declared it a national holiday. And this year, France will play former colony Togo in group play, while Angola will do the same with their former conquerors Portugal.

Argentina and England, two soccer giants, have clashed repeatedly in recent World Cups. The talent on both teams alone would make for great storylines, but it also doesn't hurt that they had a little bust-up over the Falkland Islands way back when.

The World Cup is the only venue that can offer these kinds of clashes. There is the Olympics, but the sports there are too regionalized. Everyone in the world plays soccer.

America's head coach, Bruce Arena, has stated that he knows there is such a thing called the World Series, but considering that only a half-dozen countries play the sport competently, he's not real sure if the title fits. But the World Cup, that is truly a global competition. No matter how financially superior France might be to Senegal, everything is even on the pitch.

Lastly, the talent. You may not get excited about soccer in the states, but with all due to respect to Major League Soccer, the product you see hear is equivalent to Triple-A, whereas the World Cup will represent pro-ball.

The display in Germany this summer will be astounding. Just watch a game with the Brazilian Ronaldinho and try not to enjoy his brilliance. Check out the Frenchman Thierry Henry for 90 minutes and see if you aren't the slightest bit impressed. These are players with the ability to take a casual sports observer who doesn't see the allure to soccer and make them understand how this sport captivates the world.

Ronaldinho and Henry will be on full display this Wednesday in the Champions League, and I encourage everyone to tune in @ 2:30 ET on ESPN2. That game will be a good indicator of what we can expect this summer, and what we can all enjoy together, as the rest of the world does.

Note: Stay tuned as Piet Van Leer brings you a multi-part series previewing the World Cup!

Posted by Piet Van Leer at 11:27 PM | Comments (1)

It's More Than Golf

As I am sure most of you are aware, Tiger Woods' father, Earl, passed away this week after a long battle with cancer. Tiger has been very public over the years about his affection for his parents, especially the man he calls "Pop." Earl and Tiger challenged one another to become better people and to realize each other's potential. In the final analysis, it really looks like both were accomplished.

Their relationship is a great example of the type of thing we take for granted all too often in life. More than golf, and more than anything immaterial in life, it is family and friends that make life as great as it can be. Certainly, life is more than just people, but it is people that make the life story complete. This occasion serves as an opportunity to realize that all over again and be thankful for the people we are given in our lives.

We don't need for a high-profile athlete to show us that family really matters more than almost anything in the world. But I can draw parallels between the relationship that I have with my parents and what I have seen from Earl and Tiger.

I feel that I have been blessed with great parents who have played a very important role in guiding me to the place I am now — a place I am very happy being. They nurtured me and my interests and let me find my way into the things that make me go. They never held me back, but rather pushed me to the places they knew I could go if I only had the courage. Mom and Dad have always been the first two people to congratulate me when things go right, and were the first two to reassure me when they did not. And quite frankly, they're the first two people I turn to when the defining moments of my life happen.

Sure, not every parent-child relationship is that way. I know I'm lucky in that regard. But even if your relationship with your parents is not that good, I am sure you can think of a similar relationship that means just as much to you personally. At some point, we all have a confidant, or a mentor, or a love that means as much to you as Tiger's father means to him.

I suppose what I am asking you to do is take time to validate those relationships in some fashion. It doesn't have to be extravagant, over the top, and public. It could be something very simple and understated. Just make sure that do you do in a way that is comfortable for you and that the other person understands the gesture. We are constantly reminded that we do not have a lot of time, but we always seem to forget that lesson because we are so darned busy living our lives. In reality, making someone aware of how special and important they are to us only takes but a second or two — a handshake, a pat on the back, or a hug will do just fine.

Please forgive me if this column seems contrived or corny. Or perhaps I upset you because this writing has nothing to do with golf — which is what I'm supposed to be writing about each week. Like the title, though, there is a lot more to life than golf. Sometimes, it is important to take events like this in context and present them in a broader way that has some real impact on our daily lives. After all, this event has a much deeper impact on Tiger than just his golf game. It is his life that is changing.

I have used the present tense to describe the Woods' relationship. I did it for a reason. They say that as long as you remember someone that you are never really without them in your heart. I am sure that Tiger believes this and that he cannot ever possibly forget what his father has done for him. And because of the kind of man that Earl Woods was, the world will not soon forget what his son does everyday. As a parent, that is the ultimate accomplishment and legacy to leave. As a son, that is the ultimate gift — one never repaid and certainly never forgotten.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2006

Soccer: The Beautiful Game

On June 9th, Munich, Germany will kick off the most watched sporting event in the world, the 2006 World Cup. From across the globe, 32 teams will do battle on the field where their weapons of mass destructions will be talent and brilliance with a football. These skills and tactics will be displayed by using the head, chest, and feet.

Most continents will be represented and six past winners will take part as host Germany will lead a 14-deep European contingent, and holders Brazil will lead the South American football kingdom.

I reminisce a day I spent with family on a Plattsburgh City Beach listening to the 1994 World Cup quarterfinals between Brazil and the Netherlands. Being unable to find a television nearby to watch the game, at least 20 people of different nationalities gathered around a bench where an elderly Italian man had a small radio broadcasting the game. People's eyes were light up with joy and anticipation.

What's the big fuss with the World Cup or soccer, you may ask? Well, it's not dubbed the world's greatest game and pastime for nothing. For many, the tournament represents a time to put conflicts aside, whether cultural or political. For others, it is to watch a country humiliate another. But for some, it's to give a nation the boost it has been striving to get on the political field.

Take the 2002 game between defending champion France and former French colony Senegal, for example, held in Seoul Korea. Senegal stunned holders France with a 1-0 victory with a first-half goal from Papa Bouba Diop.

The significance of that game was more than met the eyes as Senegal was playing its first game ever in the contest. That upset was so big the West African country's president Abdoulaye Wade declared a national holiday. For many in Senegal, that match suddenly became bigger than winning the tournament.

Could you imagine President Bush declaring a national holiday after the Red Sox won the so-called World Series, ending 86 years of drought? Not a chance! Baseball is an American institution, but as I recall, there are only two teams from two major leagues (covering the United States and Canada) to partake in them.

Could you imagine citizens of major cities of North America parade around the streets if the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Detroit Pistons win another championship? Detroit certainly, but other cities, who are you kidding?

Do you think Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will ask for a moment of silence the year the Ottawa Senators ever win the Stanley Cup? Right, eh? Nope.

Well, that's what soccer represents in most parts of the world — frenzy, hope amongst pain and sorrow, light in the corridors of darkness. It is indeed a Beautiful Game as brilliantly said in Pélé's (soccer great) autobiography: My Life and the Beautiful Game.

Unlike the National Football league (NFL), who penalizes players for excessive touchdown celebrations such as carrying a Sharpie, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is not so harsh with its players when scoring. At the contrary, fans look forward to see what nation will bring the most creative dance or act.

As Papa Bouba Diop scored the only goal of the Senegal agaisnt France match in 2002, he took off his shirt and threw it on the grass. Soon after that, his teammates and him performed a dance around the shirt as if it was on holy ground.

Who could forget Julius Aghahowa of Nigeria in 2002, who, after pulverizing the Swedish defense, did summersaults that any gymnast could envy?

What about the unforgettable Brazilian player José Roberto Gama de Oliveira, better known as Bebeto, in 1994? After scoring, he used to cradle an imaginary baby in honor of his newborn child, and his teammates quickly followed.

Perhaps the best of them all was from Cameroon's Roger Milla in 1990, who performed a dance called Makosa. After scoring four times for his country in five games, he used to move his hips as if possessed by dancing Gods. Please keep in mind that hit show "Dancing with Stars" wasn't on at that time — he would have made Drew Lachey look like a fool. Soccer never fails to do what other sports don't do often — entertain the public.

Whatever comes next in the celebration scale at this year FIFA World Cup will be a tough act to follow. To this day, many individuals will ask how is a net so big yet the score is so low? My response to them is this: as a friend once told me, "it's not necessarily the score that's matters when its comes to soccer, it's what happens before and after a goal."

Most of the world is waiting anxiously for the start of this competition held every four years. The only exception is the United States, who ironically has great players in its 2006 World Cup roster. Unfortunately, we fail to impel the love of the game to the population. Perhaps the arrival of new immigrants devoted to soccer will help America understand why the real football is indeed a beautiful game.

Posted by Ray Leroy at 7:58 PM | Comments (0)

King of Smack, Pauper of Prophecy

Last Monday, I tuned into The Jim Rome Show during lunch. It was the day after Kobe Bryant's buzzer-beater had staked the Los Angeles Lakers to a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the Phoenix Suns.

I figured Rome, whose show broadcasts from Los Angeles, would be imbibing in the Purple Passion with heavy hand, but what the hell. It was only days before his annual Smack-Off and seemed as good a time as any to get in my own yearly smack fix. Besides, the New York sports station to the left on the dial and the Boston one to the right were both on commercial break. Rome was conveniently in the middle, an uncharacteristic position for him.

Take his views on the Lakers. For a seasoned sports guy, Rome did the unfathomable that day. He proclaimed the series over. Forget about the possibility of a Suns comeback, that a 3-1 deficit has been overcome seven previous times in NBA history. Maybe if Van Smack acted like he'd been here before, he would have realized he was.

These same Phoenix Suns faced first-round elimination against the Lakers in 1993 as the star-gazing young California native first set eyes upon the City of Angels. The Suns went on to take three straight games and that best-of-five series. Nonetheless, Rome wasn't buying into any of it on this Monday afternoon. It's not what the Clones wanted to hear.

Sure, this tunnel vision goes on in other places. In my own New England pasture, the host of Boston's top-rated morning sports program hung a "Closed For The Season" sign on the American League East last July when the Red Sox held a 5½ game lead over the New York Yankees. You would think a long-time New Englander who dates back to 1978 when the Red Sox lost a 14½ game lead at about the same point in the summer would know better, but the shock value draws callers.

So too have partisans of heavy Super Bowl favorites from the 1968 Colts to the 2001 Rams regaled themselves in the assurances of the house sage whose prognostications held all the certainty of fact. We can excuse these wayward prophets because many had never been there before, nor have they since. But Romey has, which makes his premature ejaculation of the tongue all the more inexplicable.

Don't get me wrong, Jim. It's okay to have a take. Just don't suck. Those are your two rules, are they not? Try following them every now and again yourself. If your take is going to be, "This series is over," there better be no comeback. Next time I want a forecast with that kind of accuracy, I'll ask Enron's CFO for his future earnings outlook.

Oh, I know, you had a busy week with your annual Smack-Off and all. What's that make now, Romey — twelve? I'm sure this taps your creative juices, what with lining up the same callers and following the same rules year after year after year. Let's see, do I want to put Jeff in Richmond up first smacking on Sean the Cablinasian, or go with Rachel in Houston smacking on Sean the Cablinasian? Looks like there are just so many ways to sneak old Sean into the winner's circle without exposing your man-crush on him.

Twelve years is quite a spell to keep the Iafrate Support Group up and running. Think about it, Van Smack: that's longer than it took Jethro Bodine to pass second grade while trickin' Uncle Jed into thinkin' he wuz in high school.

Hey Clones, nothing says "I have a life" better than laying on your top bunk rehearsing retread smack for a week, then sitting on hold for 90 minutes just to recite it verbatim with an arrogant undertone like you're pissed you had to miss this wave to make an obligatory phone call.

Well, Romey, your wave came and went. We called it Y2K and it washed away all your creativity. All it left were those pregnant pauses in your shtick that are more like memory lapses as you think up a fifth and sixth different way to say the same joke. Next time, stay home and Huge E-Mail it in. That way, T-Rodge can just read them off and maybe cut down on all the dead air. I bet your wife would like to see more of you around the house anyway after six weeks of vacation. No? Well, you can always live in your car like Jeff In Phoenix On The Car Phone does.

Speaking of Jeff, how long do you think he kept reciting this year's Smack-Off routine into that car phone mouthpiece of his before realizing you cut him off to pimp product? Ouch, that had to hurt! Well, let me close in a way Jeff never got a chance to: thanks for the vine and I am out.

Rack me.

While you're at it, rack the Phoenix Suns.

Posted by Bob Ekstrom at 7:32 PM | Comments (0)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 10

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson — After an early green flag pit stop that dropped him a lap down, Johnson struggled for the remainder of the day to recover that lap. Finally, on lap 386, the caution flew and Johnson moved back to the lead lap. Unfortunately, only 14 laps remained, and Johnson was unable to get any higher than 12th.

"We didn't win the race," says Johnson, "but we displayed a winning spirit. And that's what's important. As national spokesman for the All American Soap Box Derby, that's the message we're trying to impart. Give it your best, and good things will happen. Incidentally, I feel confident that Chad Knaus' entry into the Soap Box Derby will win easily. It will be the only motorized vehicle in the competition, but Chad's a master of disguising that sort of thing."

Johnson increased his points lead on his closest pursuer from 21 to 55 points. That closest pursuer now just happens to be the hard-charging Tony Stewart.

2. Tony Stewart — After qualifying 18th, Stewart grappled with the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet's handling for a majority of the race. But, late in the day, Stewart found the elusive balance between steering wheel and tires, and charged to a sixth-place finish.

"You know," says Stewart, "I had my pet monkey Mojo with me in the pits for the pre-race ceremonies, and somehow that little primate fiddled with the car's setup. If I'm told him once I've told him a million times, he's with me for two things and two things only: to teach me how to more skillfully climb fences after wins and to help me master the lost art of the monkey bars. I'm a terror on the track as well as the playground."

With his seventh top-10 finish of the year, Stewart storms into second in the points, and now trails Johnson by 55 points.

3. Kevin Harvick — Harvick was clearly the class of the field for three-quarters of the race, leading 272 of the first 329 laps. But a questionable call to remain on the track while everyone else pitted on lap 288 eventually cost him the win and his second sweep of the Busch series and Cup races this year. Harvick won the Circuit City 250 Friday night in Richmond, and clinched the Busch series title with 24 races left. Actually, Harvick didn't clinch, but he might as well have.

"You win some and you lose some," laments Harvick. "And your crew chiefs blows the others with unwise pit calls. Did I see Tony Stewart's monkey wearing headphones on top of my pit box? I noticed that every time the yellow caution flew, the monkey had to have a banana."

No, Stewart's monkey was down the way a bit confronting the monkeys of Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch. In any case, Harvick has a massive 317-point lead in the Busch race, and moves up two places to fifth in the Cup standings, 208 out of first.

4. Dale Earnhrdt, Jr. — Earnhardt won for the first time in 20 starts, passing Kevin Harvick with 47 laps remaining to win the Crown Royal 400, much to the delight of a partisan Earnhardt Nation crowd. Later, it was announced that May 6 would be observed as a holiday for all Earnhardt fans, unpaid of course. In addition, special 12-packs of Budweiser will be sold, for a limited time, in purple velvet bags with gold stitching.

"That's all news to me," says Earnhardt. "Myself, I'm partial to Milwaukee's Best and Old Crow liquor in a paper sack. But, I'm happy for my fans and happy for the No. 8 Budweiser team. My job is to win races, but it's more important that I sell beer."

With the win, Earnhardt jumps two places to sixth in the Nextel Cup points race, and is 216 behind Jimmie Johnson.

5. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth splattered the track when his oil tank ruptured on lap 78, sending him to the garage and sending the clean-up crews on the track. By the time the No. 17 Dewalt Ford returned to the track 50 laps later, Kenseth was already 42 laps down and in 42nd position.

"But boy was that track spotless," says Kenseth. "That cleanup crew is on the ball, and much quicker at cleaning up messes than my crew. I haven't seen an oil spill clean-up that quick since Halliburton cleaned up a mess in Iraq. Of course, Vice President Dick Cheney pocketed about a million bucks for that. The NASCAR crew works much cheaper, and they get free tickets to the races."

Kenseth did manage to finish 38th, but the result cost him second place in the points. He's now third, 99 points back.

6. Mark Martin — Martin was the last of three Roush Fords in the top 11, as teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards finished fourth and seventh, respectively. Martin's 11th-place finish advances him one place in the points to fourth, and he trails Jimmie Johnson by 176 points.

"As a matter of fact," says Martin, "Greg, Carl, and myself were the only Fords in the top 11. But there were five Chevrolets in the top six. I guess the saying is right: nothing says 'America' like baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet. But that's changing. Pretty soon, when you say 'America,' you'll think of soccer, fried ice cream, and Toyota. And the national anthem might be sung in Spanish."

7. Kasey Kahne — Kahne sputtered to a 34th-place finish, thanks in part to some unattached spark plug wires that cost him five laps. After the problem was corrected, Kahne had one of the fastest cars on the track, but a lack of luck and a lack of cautions allowed him to make up only one lap, and he finished four laps down.

"You could say we were running a little 'loose,'" says Kahne, "meaning 'loose' spark plug wires. What brilliant crew member forgot those? Luckily, some of our more accomplished crew guys remembered to put gas in the car and attach four, count 'em, four wheels."

It was Kahne's second consecutive worse-than-30th finish, and third of the year. As a result, he falls three places in the points to seventh.

8. Jeff Gordon — In a bad day for former champions. Gordon, like Matt Kenseth, suffered early trouble and faltered to his worst finish of the year. Gordon had moved up to 13th from his qualifying start of 16th when his engine sputtered on lap 227. Despite extensive time behind the wall, Gordon's crew never could identify the problem, and the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet limped home in 39th.

"Back-to-back Gordons," say Gordon. "Robby Gordon finished 39th and I finished 40th. It's usually not a good sign when you finish behind Robby Gordon. Despite sharing the same last name, we are not related. But I wish Robby could have taken a look under my hood. Maybe he could have diagnosed the problem, because my crew sure couldn't. Again, I reiterate, I am not related to Robby Gordon."

Gordon tumbles to ninth in the points and is 305 back of teammate Jimmie Johnson.

9. Kyle Busch — Busch celebrated his 21st birthday on May 2nd with a fifth-place finish in the Crown Royal 400 in Richmond, his third top-five result this year. Busch moves up one notch to eighth in the points, 284 out of first.

"Fifth-place is great," says Busch, "but what's even better is that now I can drink the beverages that sponsor several cars and some races. That's reason to celebrate. Of course, I'm sponsored by Kellogg's, but let's say I was sponsored by Budweiser or Crown Royal while under 21. I could sell the product, but I couldn't drink it. That's hypocritical. NASCAR should do something about that, like lobby for the drinking age to return to 18. I've already started working on the winning essay to have next year's Richmond race called the 'Crown Royal Kyle Busch 400.'"

10. Jeff Burton — Like teammate Kevin Harvick, Burton was strong all day but his hopes for winning were dashed when, after a lap 345 caution, the No. 31 Cingular Chevy pitted while the pits were yet to be open. Burton was penalized with relegation to the end of the longest line, which left him in 14th place. After making up some ground, a spin on lap 390 dropped him back, and he finished fifteenth.

"We had a car that could have won," says Burton, "but we folded like the Lakers with a 3-1 series lead against the Suns. But seriously, who cares about the NBA? Not fans of NASCAR. Apparently, some people would rather watch a two-hour rain delay at Talladega than an NBA playoff game. Those people must really like racing. Or maybe they just like watching it rain."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 7:23 PM | Comments (0)

May 11, 2006

NBA Playoffs: 40 Games in 40 Nights

Everywhere you look, there are lists.

Power rankings, odds, scores, stats, numbers, etc.

From the best to the worst, from the highest to the lowest, from the most to the least, from the tallest to the shortest, we are obsessed with lists.

The problem I have always had was determining how long a list should be. I've always been tempted to create a list of something, but the process always ended when I could not correctly determine how long said list should be.

Should it be ten items long? Twenty? A hundred?

Top 10 lists seem to abound everywhere, from the Top-10 list on the "Late Show with David Letterman," to the poignant, emotionally-driven "10 Things I Hate About You" list from the eponymous film.

However, for my personal list (of whatever it may be), the number 10 never seemed to be enough.

There are larger lists also, for example, the Top 100 American Films by the American Film Institute. Unfortunately, I have been out of college a couple of years now, so counting that high without the assistance of nine other sets of hands has always proved a daunting task.

So that leaves all of the numbers in between, from 11 to 99. The golden question, of course, is what number is perfect for a list?

Fifty-seven? Thirty-five?

Should I go with a prime number? An even number? A number that holds a special meaning in my life, like a birthday or my favorite lottery number?

Maybe it should be the number of times I flunked Art History 102 because of poor attendance? (2)

Maybe it should be the number of times I attended Art History 102 in three semesters of taking it? (17)

Maybe it should be the number of times I had to ask out my current girlfriend before she said yes? (15)

Maybe it should be the number of times she has since regretted saying yes? (134,759)

My quandary was solved with the help of television (the source of many of the answers to my life's questions.)

After stumbling upon TNT the other night, I was not only surprised to find that there was finally a television station that showed episodes of Law & Order every once in awhile, but also that they were going to be showing 40 NBA playoff games in 40 nights.

At that point I knew exactly how long my list should be.

40.

It was perfect.

After determining just how many items my list would contain, I then embarked on finding a topic to cover. Considering that the number forty came to me while watching the NBA playoffs, I figured that it was some sort of omen or sign that the list should be about that topic (sort of.)

So, without further ado...

The 40 Things I Have Seen, Thought About, Heard Through the Grapevine, Considered, Predicted, Been Insulted By, Been Nauseated By, Scoffed At, and Missed About the 2006 NBA Playoffs So Far (In No Particular Order)

1. It has been magical watching LeBron James.

As a native Clevelander, it it surreal to find that a superstar of LeBron's caliber is playing for your team. After watching everybody else win championships, superstars rise in other cities, and Cleveland teams consistently walk toward the locker rooms with their heads down, we feel like it is simply about time for the tables to be turned.

This must be how the kids in Peter Pan felt the moment when they realized they could fly.

Things are going to end badly for the Cavs this year, but every step is about learning and maturing for LeBron, and you can guarantee that this year will be internalized and turned into motivation to get his team even further next year.

2. Charles Barkley should be put on the court and forced to try and guard Shaq.

It quite possibly may be the only way to shut him up and stop him from making anymore ridiculous comments.

Yes, the comments are funny to read every once in awhile.

No, viewers should not be forced to listen to him during broadcasts.

It is up to Shaq and his inhuman strength to shut Barkley up for good.

That, or a golf club to his bald head.

3. The playoffs are not the time to grow a beard.

It does not bring magical powers. I does not make you look cool if curly hairs are coming out of your neck. Yes, it makes you look like a crazy person that has been holed up in Wyoming for five years.

Beards are for winter, first of all. Second, they give the impression that you want to snuggle up on a couch in front of a fireplace.

Not exactly the impression you want to give while trying to score in the paint against the Pistons.

(I'm talking to you, Zydrunas Ilgauskas.)

4. A perfect place to tell you that 40 ounces at a time was the only way I could watch the first Cavs/Pistons game.

At that point, alcohol is your friend. (Sure looked like some of the Cavs players had sipped a few too many before the game, too.)

5. I dislike the new Pistons more than I disliked the old Pistons.

Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Vinnie Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars. Tough defense, high energy, full intensity, and total intimidation.

Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton. Tough defense, high energy, full intensity, and total intimidation.

Yes, there are many comparisons that can be made between the two teams. However, I seem to dislike this year's team a little bit more because of their attitude which can be summed up with the phrase, "We're better than you."

I hate them more — even if it's is true.

6. Mark Cuban is entertaining.

He has officially joined the ranks of George Steinbrenner and Al Davis in the pantheon of owners that are always fun to pay attention to.

This week, he was fined almost $200,000 for his actions during Game 1 of the Mavericks/Spurs series.

I don't mind the fine, as I'm sure he doesn't, also. It has always been about principle and honesty for Cuban instead of money and punishment.

Regardless of whether his beliefs were right about the officiating during the postseason or not, you have to respect the man for not cowering behind his status.

Because a fine of any amount is still minimal to Cuban, I would love to see him rush out in the middle of the court during the game, steal the ball and run off the court (kind of a basketball version of Lloyd McClendon stealing first base and taking it to the clubhouse).

I wonder if the NBA would push the $1,000,000 mark for that one?

7. Librarians seem unimpressed with my need to finish this article.

They also seem completely disinterested in the NBA playoffs.

One has just walked over to me and told me I must get up because someone else needs to use the computer and I have been on past my thirty-minute allotted time.

After trying to explain that I was making a very important list of 40 NBA-related items, and that I now know that 40 is the best number for making lists, the librarian still seems to want me to leave.

In fact, he is staring at me right now. Apparently, there are hoards of people waiting to log in at the library to check their MySpace accounts.

8. The seeding system in the playoffs is completely absurd.

In the East, the Cavs are the fourth seed, and in the West, the Mavericks hold that spot. The difference between the two teams is just amazing.

That, of course, is because the Mavs should be the second seed if not for David Stern's bizarre system.

The Spurs, instead of facing a true fourth seed, now have to play the second best team in the West in the second round. That is not to say that the Spurs/Mavs series won't be entertaining, in fact, the exact opposite is true. It's just that in a playoff system meant to give the top seeds an advantage because of their regular season records, the seeding of the division winners in the top three spots seems patently unfair and unbalanced when you take this year's Western Conference into account.

9. I was impressed with the L.A Clippers months ago after seeing them play the Cavs during the regular season.

The mix of talent, experience, youth, and energy on the team is impressive.

After thinking before the season that they hardly stood a chance to break .500, I was convinced that they would make some noise if they got into the playoffs.

I was not surprised when they beat the Nuggets, and I would not have been surprised if they beat a Nuggets team that included a focused and unselfish Kenyon Martin.

In the present, they are a squad that is going to test the Suns every once in awhile, but still lose the series.

In the future, they should present a strong competition to the likes of the Spurs and Mavs.

10. The number of people I expect to read past this point.

11. Next year will be the year of Gilbert Arenas.

2007 will be the year that Gilbert Arenas leaves the likes of Michael Redd and joins the ranks of Dwyane Wade.

His first-round performance against the Cavs was simply amazing. The scary thing is that his 500-foot shot to temporarily even the score in Game 6 might be nothing compared to what he does next year.

He matched LeBron step-for-step, shot-for-shot, superstar moment-for-superstar moment.

The Wizards have nothing to be ashamed about this season because they hung with one of the top teams in the East and showed the promise of the years to come.

12. How does New Jersey seem to hang around when, by all accounts, their age should be getting to them?

Led by Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, the Nets remain a minor powerhouse in the East. This could simply be because of the comparative lack of talent in this conference, or it could be because they have the ability to match up well against a wide range of teams.

This is apparent given their thrashing of the Heat in the first game of that series.

They are going to be in trouble if Richard Jefferson's injury prevents him from being on the floor for any substantial minutes in the remainder of the series, but they might still have a chance against the "play a game, take a game off" Heat.

13. This number is all about luck and the belief in it.

If you believe in luck you have to think that the Miami Heat are heading toward another disappointing end to their season.

Shaq never seems to have two good games in a row. Wade is feeling the pressure to deliver for every minute he is on the floor. The team seems to go through long stretches (like in Game 1 against the Nets) when they seem to be thinking more about the beaches in the city than the game on the floor.

There is no question about the talent on the team. Hitting on all cylinders, they have the physical ability to stay with the Pistons on any given night, but the problem is that their mental ability only lets them do just that — play well for one night.

Until their psyche catches up with their talent, it will always feel like they are one bad stretch away from exiting the playoffs.

Then again, you can always blame it on luck.

14. Rick Adelman's career rank for coaching victories.

He is the 14th most successful coach ever to walk the sidelines, and the Kings have decided to let him go despite the fact that he took the team to the playoffs in eight consecutive years.

752 career coaching victories apparently weren't enough to keep the Maloof brothers satisfied.

Even though the Kings started the season with a dismal stretch, Adelman led the team to the playoffs and took the Spurs to a sixth game in their series.

The 14th most successful ever, huh?

I wonder who on earth is on the short list to be his replacement.

15. Is Manu Ginboli's right leg going to fall off at any point?

With the way the man throws his body around on the floor and into the stands, you have to believe that he lives in a veritable igloo in between games.

The Spurs need Ginobli to make it into the next round. Tim Duncan can only do so much, and as we all know, that is quite a lot — however, his play largely depends on the team's ability to hit outside shots and provide penetration through the paint. Tony Parker is exceptionally gifted at this, but the Spurs can only be dominant if Ginobli lives up to his end of the bargain in these areas, as well.

16. I'm pretty sure that Steve Nash runs marathons in between games.

It is the only way to explain his endurance. The man never stops running. It is actually dizzying to watch.

With the exception of the early games against the Lakers, Nash has lived up to his status as MVP and AMC (Amateur Marathon Champion.)

And it is his style of play that meshes perfectly with that of the Suns, and that is why I was not surprised when the Clippers scored 123 points and still lost.

Phoenix is going to have a lot of success in the playoffs if they maintain their tempo and focus. As long as they continue to run up and down the court as if the Kenyan Marathon Team trained them in the offseason, they will continue to win.

At this pace, they could win even if the Clippers scored 135 points.

That is the power of Steve Nash, and that is the power of controlled, explosive speed.

17. Chris Kaman is ugly.

That is all I have to say about this one.

18. If Detroit somehow loses and doesn't make it to the Finals, is the Spurs/Mavs series going to be thought of as the real NBA Finals?

Would it be like the Red Sox and Yankees meeting in the ALCS if there was no real prospect of a great team coming out of the National League?

19. I would love to see the 2006 NBA playoffs give birth to a great rivalry.

Remember the Bulls/Pistons rivalry of the late 1980s?

That's the brand of basketball that I want to see in future playoffs.

The knockdown, five technical fouls per game, two bloody foreheads per game kind of basketball that makes you want to watch every minute of a series.

The NBA is dying for a rivalry like this.

If it's the Spurs/Mavs, so be it.

If it's the Cavs/Pistons, so be it.

It just needs to be somebody.

With the regular season altercations between Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Rasheed Wallace in the books already with a couple of technical fouls and some blood on the floor, my money is on the Cavs/Pistons reaching this level of intensity.

20. Forty is a pretty important number when it comes to the Bible.

It signifies coming to maturity or coming to the end of a trial. The 40 days and nights in the desert, for example.

What the Bible also teaches us is that numbers related to the number 40 also have similar meanings because of their associations. For example, 120 is three times 40, so it is also important.

And now we come to number twenty on my list. Twenty is half of 40, so it is important.

It is the last entry for part one of this list.

I'm allowed to do that because it is related to the end of a trial or journey.

That, and I think the librarian is staring at me again.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 7:14 PM | Comments (0)

Miami vs. Miami

Say what you will about the mainstream media — sometimes they have the resources to put together some incredible packets of information.

I speak of the Indianapolis Star's incredible database of the financial nuts and bolts of nearly every Division 1-A college program (some I-AA, as well), both in terms of their profits and their expenses. It's surprisingly comprehensible and digestible.

For example, what school made the most money off of football tickets? That would be Ohio State, just barely ahead of, coincidentally enough, Michigan. Yet another reason that, say what you will about Auburn/Alabama or Army/Navy or whatever, there's no surpassing the Ohio State/Michigan rivalry.

But who made the least off of football tickets in Division I? Florida International. Obviously, they have a ton of built-in excuses, chiefly that they are new to Division I. But I still find it ponderable, for the same reason that I find it ponderable that virtually all big city Division I cities, with a few exceptions like Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Florida International is located in Miami, so not only does it get to try to convince citizens that a day of FIU football is a better choice than other city happenings, but they have to somehow convince Joe Citizen to go the their games instead of Da Games of Da U (University of Miami for the uninformed).

How do you even start to do that? "Yeah, we're a struggling Sun Belt team, but come see us instead of that other local team that consistently challenges for national championships, plays an explosive brand of football, and has led the NCAA in SQPG eight of the last 10 years (Swagger Quotient Per Game)."

Indeed, Florida International University is one of the biggest schools you have never heard of. It has nearly 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students, more than twice that of da (private) U. In terms of recognition, though, not just athletically but culturally and academically, Miami has a 40-year head-start on FIU, which didn't break ground until 1965.

Is there hope that FIU can stay afloat in Division IA? Who knows. I'm a big believer in the enterprising minds of college students in action. That's why it kind of sickens me that schools don't merely source the manufacture of their uniforms to companies like Nike, but their very designs to those companies, as well.

You remember those hideous sleeves-of-different-color uniforms that Florida and Virginia Tech busted out last year? You ever notice that have half of college basketball has the same warmup suits, with only the colors differing? That's not a happy accident. That's Nike leaving their imprint. Not satisfied with a incalculable success of the swoosh, they try to create other recognizable swatches and styles to maximize consumer awareness and ultimately, profitability. And these schools, each of whom I'm sure has at least a few dozen art students that could design uniforms that would blow your mind (in a good way), says to Nike, "sure, go ahead and do it on our backs." Sickening, I tell you.

Da U is another template school of the Nike Conference (FIU's website seems to imply a recent switch from Nike to Adidas), so that works against Florida International, as well. So who can defeat the Evil Conglomerate from turning the beloved neighborhood teen center (or FIU football stadium) into a parking lot? Why, the plucky students, of course! Lord knows I don't have the answers, but a passionate student group can be fiendishly clever and practice some effective guerrilla marketing.

Of course, it would help if FIU fielded a winning football program. Are they anywhere near doing that? Perhaps. They have a nice receiver in Chandler Williams and the best QB in the Sun Belt in Josh Padrick. They were 3-4 in the Sun Belt and although they took their share of beatings, they kept it respectable at Kansas State, losing 35-21. The head coach is a name well-known in Miami and anyone with more than a passing interest in the NFL in the '80s: Don Strock.

Not bad for their first year in Division I-A and fourth year overall. Okay, I guess considering how infant-new the football program is, I can't compare their football stadium to the nostalgia-dripped sock hop being threatened with demolition by the evil developers. But I can damn sure compare Da U to the evil developers, and I can declare FIU the official college football team of Slant Pattern. And so it is done.

Oh yes ... their inaugural game against Da U is October 14th. Little Giants 2 anyone?

Posted by Kevin Beane at 6:33 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

May 10, 2006

NFL Draft Dodgers

The NFL draft normally contains dramatic storylines. Some are media-driven and others simply have an intrigue of their own.

The average fan has no idea what goes on in a team's war room. They aren't privy to the discussions and thought processes of the top executives who make draft day decisions.

This year, a number of teams made some very interesting choices. While we won't be able to truly evaluate how well teams chose their future stars, we can certainly try to form our own ideas about why the draft went down the way it did.

Who can truly say they saw Reggie Bush fall to number two in the draft? For months, Bush was portrayed as the next franchise-maker. He was a complete player with all the skills. As the Heisman trophy winner, he was proclaimed the best collegiate player. The end of the NFL regular season for the bottom teams was referred to as "The Reggie Bush Sweepstakes." Certainly, Bush would be the first pick.

But we know it didn't happen that way. The Houston Texans were considering Bush and even negotiating with his agent. But the deal didn't get done and the Texans went with DE Mario Williams.

Some things make the pick very interesting. First, defensive ends don't go first overall very often in the draft.

The second thing that makes the pick interesting is that the Texans let each player know that the one to negotiate a deal would be the first pick.

So, did the Texans put some downward pressure on the contract demands of each player with this tactic? The first overall pick gets the most guaranteed money. That's how NFL rookie contracts go. The higher you go in the first round, the more money in your pocket. And you make more than the guy who was picked first last year.

Mario Williams and his agent blinked first and the Texans took him. If the Texans were looking to pay the lowest amount possible for the first pick, they may have been successful. If they were truly looking to get the best player, their draft board was different from several other "experts."

Don't feel too badly for Reggie Bush. He will still make millions of dollars with the New Orleans Saints. However, he probably would have made more as a star running back who was the first overall pick.

The rest of the NFL should (and are) thanking the Texans as they have saved the league collectively millions of dollars in guaranteed money for signing this year's first round class.

The number three pick may not have been as surprising but has intrigue of its own.

Clearly, the Steve McNair era is over in Tennessee. The Titans had already banned McNair from working out at their facility in case he became injured leaving the Titans on the hook for all of his salary this season.

McNair wouldn't re-work his contract so the Titans were setting up to let him go. That would mean they would need a QB.

The Titans offensive coordinator, Norm Chow, held the same position at USC and had worked with Matt Leinart very successfully.

Surely, if the Titans needed a QB, Leinart would be a great fit since he already knew Chow's pro-style offense.

But the decision-makers of the Titans didn't think so and took Texas QB Vince Young. Were the Titans looking for a McNair-type player? Did they buy into the Vince Young hype that has been building since the Rose Bowl?

Many draft analysts saw Leinart as the most NFL-ready QB. Young may be a few years away from being ready to play and even then there is normally a learning curve for new starting QBs (Ben Roethlisberger aside).

Yet the Titans decided to take the long road with Young. Time will tell if it was the right choice, but you have to think that Norm Chow was lobbying for Leinart and it is clear how much his opinion is valued in Nashville.

As frustrated as Chow may have felt, Leinart wasn't feeling any better. He must have seen the past year of his life flash before him. Remember how he was praised by the football world as the Heisman trophy winner the previous year? He was a national champion and his stock couldn't have been higher.

Yet, he decided to stay at USC another year. He certainly would have been the first overall pick in the draft and was losing millions of dollars with every pick that came after number one this year.

With a top QB left on the board, some teams must have been re-evaluating their draft day plans. How often does a franchise QB with a Heisman trophy and national championship pedigree fall to you in the draft?

And yet it didn't seem like many teams did re-think their plans.

The New York Jets, even with their oft-injured QB Chad Pennington, did not decide to take Leinart.

The Green Bay Packers, having already drafted a first-round QB last year, understandably passed on Leinart.

The San Francisco 49ers made the first overall pick a QB last year and so were not in the position to take Leinart, either.

But what about the Oakland Raiders? Their QB position has not been the same since they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.

Rich Gannon never fully recovered from his injury. Marques Tuiasosopo didn't impress. Kerry Collins was not able to do the job, either.

Can the Raiders really be content with ex-Saints QB Aaron Brooks? Brooks frustrated fans in New Orleans for years with his inconsistent play. The Raiders have to know what they are getting with Brooks. Leinart offers the chance at a big-play QB. But they passed on him, also.

Surely, the Buffalo Bills must have had visions of another QB from the south slinging the football around in the Buffalo wind when their pick came around? The Bills have been experimenting at QB since Jim Kelly retired. Alex Van Pelt, Todd Collins, Rob Johnson, Doug Flutie, JP Losman, and Kelly Holcombe have all started under center and none can be confused with Frank Reich, let alone Hall of Famer Kelly.

Yet the Bills didn't move from their plan and selected a safety with their pick.

The Detroit Lions followed the Bills pick. They have seen inconsistent play at QB since ... well always. Certainly, the Lions needed a franchise QB.

But they chose a linebacker. At least it wasn't a receiver, but was there even pause at the thought of Leinart throwing to their first-round receivers from the previous drafts?

As we know, Leinart ended up in Arizona and maybe that will be a good place for him.

The tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are one of the best in the league at receiver.

The addition of Edgerrin James adds a real running game to the Desert Birds and while Kurt Warner must be tired of being the guy to mentor younger QBs, he can do that job once again for Leinart.

The draft of 2006 can't be evaluated properly until at least three years from now, but for those teams passing on Leinart, pray you don't have anything in common with the teams who passed on a QB from Pittsburgh in 1983.

Posted by Jeff Moore at 7:34 PM | Comments (1)

The Braves Bend the Pendulum

Then, again, things do not always go as you might suspect them to promise with the evidence at hand.

It seemed as though it might be a fair fight between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves, the Mets throwing Jose Lima up to John Smoltz Sunday afternoon in a pinch following an injury-mandated pitching shuffle. Smoltz working on short rest seemed a reasonable pigeon, considering a lifetime 6-7 won-lost record and 5.17 ERA on short rest before the first catcher and manager of the day were thrown out in the second inning. Lima working in the National League entered with a 59-47, 4.67 flight jacket.

Lima Time began a little on the shaky side, the veteran right-hander and cheerleader opening with three ground outs around a one-out single (Edgar Renteria) and a one-out walk (Adam LaRoche), but you would not necessarily have sounded an alarm after Jeff Francoeur forced LaRoche at second for the side.

But it finished with five earned runs on the resume and the exuberant Lima looking more like the hapless hail fellow hell met, smiling his way through a nasty 2005 in Kansas City, than the happy hail fellow hell on wheels, who out-pitched his ERA for 14 regular season wins and a nail-driving division series shutout for the Los Angeles Dodgers a year previous.

Lima had more heart than repertoire except for an occasionally hopping fastball. But he didn't have his reliable veteran catcher, Paul Lo Duca, an old colleague from half that happy Dodger season, after a little bit of absurdism provoked Lo Duca's ejection and that of Atlanta manager Bobby Cox following a busted squeeze that actually sent the Braves toward putting a weekend-salvaging squeeze onto the Mets.

Brian McCann opened the second with a single up the pipe and, a Lima swish (of Brian Jordan) later, Ryan Langerhans got himself an infield hit, and the Braves had first and third for Smoltz. Either Smoltz missed or someone forgot to bring him in on the squeeze sign, and McCann shot down the third base line like the Sixth Avenue Express, startling Smoltz into tapping one just in front of the plate.

Lo Duca lunged for the ball and lunged back to bag McCann crossing the plate. Lo Duca was convinced, and a few replays seemed to buttress him, that he had his man. Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez was convinced of anything but, and the run held up better than Lo Duca's forensic skills, Hernandez running him post haste. And then it got bizarre.

Almost forgotten was Langerhans taking second on the Smoltz tapper and moving on to third as Lo Duca thrust his tag at McCann. Unforgettable was Lo Duca slamming the ball to the ground in disgust after getting the ho-heave and Smoltz helping himself to second —only to be ordered back to first because, the umpires ruled, time was called upon the Lo Duca expulsion. Out came Cox, up went his argument, up went Hernandez's fist sending Cox back down to the Atlanta clubhouse, and out behind the plate went Ramon Castro to pick up where Lo Duca had been left off.

The comedy may have rattled Lima, which tells you something considering he could say with complete plausibility that he'd seen it all in Kansas City last year. He swished Marcus Giles before Renteria singled home Langerhans and, a walk to Chipper Jones later, got LaRoche to ground out to first for the side. A 2-0 deficit is manageable. But the Mets couldn't cash in their own second-inning gift from Smoltz, Cliff Floyd stranded after a leadoff plunk by two flies and a swish.

Then Jordan in the top of the third drove one over the center field fence with two out, and Carlos Beltran answered in kind in the bottom with one over the right field fence. And Lima wiggled out of a fourth inning jam admirably enough when, with Smoltz (a walk, an advance on a ground out, and a wild pitch) on third, he swished LaRoche on a riding fastball.

He was not the same kind of fortunate in the fifth, unfortunately, Francoeur opening with a triple and scoring promptly on a sacrifice fly, Jordan taking one for the team and Langerhans punching a single beneath Carlos Delgado trying for the low spear over from first base. That set up first and third for Smoltz. And the Braves got another squeeze idea into their minds, this time making sure Smoltz couldn't miss the sign if he was blindfolded and left with corks in his ears.

The Mets got Bartolome Fortunado — he who joined Victor Zambrano coming to the Mets in the still-debated Scott Kazmir deal — up and throwing, and this time Smoltz caught the sign and executed the bunt, Jordan hustling across the plate and Lima reduced to just eating up the rest of the fifth until Fortunado was ready. He punched out Marcus Giles for the side.

But Unfortunado in the sixth followed a one-out double (Jones) and walk (LaRoche) by serving Francoeur, recuperating from a slump, a textbook hanging breaking ball. And Francoeur missed a textbook hang into the Shea Stadium mezzanine deck by just a few feet, settling for a loge landing. The Braves have broken games open with lesser launches, and they were gambling the Mets weren't exactly going to recuperate from a seven-run deficit with another one of their freshly-patented mid-to-late-game resurrections.

Not that they were taking any chances, not even with Smoltz pitching close enough to his old self with eight punchouts and three hits. About the only thing the Mets answered back with was David Wright's peculiar eighth-inning RBI double, hit straight up into the sun and landing straight behind Langerhans's glove after the Atlanta center fielder looked up and went blind for moments enough. Whether it could or should have been scored an error remained open to debate, though Atlanta's Skip & Chip (the broadcasters Carey, that is) mused aloud that Wright was one player who didn't need any help from the official scorer. "He's good enough by himself," chortled Chip.

The Braves gave the Mets a ninth-inning gift, however, when Wilson Betemit spelling Renteria at shortstop booted Castro's grounder, allowing Endy Chavez (safe on a forceout and on second following a walk) to score, before sophomore reliever Macay McBride, spelling Smoltz's relief Kenny Ray in the eighth, got Beltran to line out to left for the 13-3 finish.

It was just what the Braves needed after dropping the first two of the set to the come-backing Mets, and it was just what the Mets didn't need to launch a round with a few of the league's more competitive aggregations.

No one has yet counted the Braves out after they launch a season eight or more games out of first place, but no one has yet accused the Mets of being hell on streaking clubs. They have three with the Philadelphia Phillies starting Tuesday, followed by a weekend set with the Milwaukee Brewers, a club which has done its best to leave its image as a pushover behind at least for the early going.

The good news for the Mets: they launch with Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine against Brent Myers and Cory Lidle. The bad news for the Mets: they still have a pitching shuffle to shuffle, with Zambrano down for the season, after he came out of Saturday night's game facing four batters (three for punchouts) before his elbow finally roared. Tendon tear, which apparently bothered him out of the gate and kept on barking.

The irony: Kazmir became expendable for Zambrano because the Mets are said to have feared Kazmir's was the elbow of suspect durability. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays still say thank you very much. But the options for the Mets run from moving Darren Oliver out of the bullpen to thinking seriously whether Lima's Sunday sinking was as much circumstantial as anything else, factoring his periodic bursts of movement.

But they're not going to think about Aaron Heilman moving out of the pen just yet. He may have held his own in the rotation before, when needed, and he may be hankering still to get back into the rotation. But the Mets are said to be reluctant to make much mess with their reasonably construed pen. It would still be less of a mess than the Braves made of them Sunday afternoon, when they bent the pendulum on Lima Time.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 7:18 PM | Comments (0)

Tennis Fan Looking For a Vacation?

Let me first make this clear in the beginning: this is neither your usual "go to Disneyland or Las Vegas" article, nor is it the typical "this tennis resort has golf, that one does not" sort of comparison article. You will not read about why this guy's tennis camp for one week is better for your tennis game than the next guy's camp, or why you should go to some $5 thousand-dollar-a-week resort so you can also enjoy golf and a plethora of body lotions offered in your bathroom as amenities.

You have a bit of money saved, and you want to do something out of the ordinary, right? Lo and behold, you happen to be a tennis lover, too. Fret no more! You have several wonderful locations to choose from during the summer, many being international. And no, it is not as expensive as you think!

Furthermore, for you Americans that suffer from "the whole world hates us" paranoia — no, folks, Europe is not a dangerous place. However, you may have to sit next to a couple who smoke at the local café (oh my, the horror!). Still, if you must insist, there are tournaments in the U.S., also. Remember the term "U.S. Open Series?" It begins in July.

So there you stand, willing and able to combine a vacation and quench your thirst for some fantastic tennis.

Solution: take a week-long vacation to one of the many tournaments taking place in June and July.

Gather a group of friends, or plan with your spouse, and have the best time of your life. Forget about the boring tour guide type of stuff that people are brainwashed into thinking that it is the only way to discover a place.

On the contrary, pick a tournament, and go to that town without talking to a tour guide or a travel agency. Make your hotel reservations yourself, look for deals. Find maps online, try to learn about the place prior to getting there. Look in the ATP and/or WTA website, check out the calendar of tournaments and pick your location. Learn about the tournament that you picked and find out how you can get tickets.

Trust me, folks, I have done this many times over the years. And it's half of the fun: the thrill of planning such trip.

The other half is even better...

Once you get there, don't take taxis. Take the subway, the train, or the bus. Pick a hotel within the town or the city. If you are in Europe, don't ever, under any circumstances, rent a car. The money could be used much wiser on sights to see or even get a better ticket at the tournament. Plus, as this writer found out in Bastad, Sweden three years ago during the Swedish Open, driving in a country where the rules are different can cost you dearly. I was fined equivalent of $70 dollars for parking my car within 10 yards of a curve where one car came by every ... oh, let's say ... 45 minutes!

Eat at smaller, authentic restaurants. Check out the side streets when you walk. Stop at the smaller cafés on those streets and don't get Heineken or Beck's. Try the regional beer. Get the local cheese plate. If you are in London, for example, don't take the expensive five-star tour of London which promises you the world in an air-conditioned bus. Take the double dutch bus tour, or draw a plan on a map yourself, schedule a day, and stick with it, using the subway to get from one place to another. If you are in Kitzbuhel, Austria at the Generali Open, rent a bike and discover the mountains and enjoy the beautiful views.

Do you have kids? If yes, even better! I have taken my daughter to some of my previous trips and those trips represent some of our best times together. I know she will always cherish the memories and is ready to make new ones. Tournaments often have a fun kid zone with plenty of activities, sometimes including games related to tennis. And just wait until you see the sparkle in their eyes when they are on top of a Swiss mountain in Gstaad, or when they are in a car crossing the bridge that connects Europe to Asia over the Bosphorus during the WTA Istanbul Cup in Turkey, or simply when they are riding on the top level of a double dutch bus.

The key to this kind of vacation is that you are going on a vacation with a purpose. This is not your typical sightseeing vacation. This is not a guided tour of a city. And the main attraction is not some theme park or some casino. Also, avoid planning to go watch the tournament every single day. Go one day to the tournament, then discover the area the next day.

The thrill of such vacation is the fact that you created it. You decided on the location, you chose the accommodation, you made your own schedule. The main attraction of this vacation was created by you (the main attraction is the tennis tournament in this case, along with the city travelled, or should I say "discovered?"). As President Bush so aptly (or inaptly) said the other day, "You are the "decider."

Another advice: pick a tournament other than Roland Garros or Wimbledon. The slams are there so we can say "I have been there." But prices are outrageous (how about double-digits for four strawberries and a drop of cream?) and the tennis itself gets somewhat lost in you trying to figure out how to get where, how many people are in line to buy a souvenir t-shirt, and with questions such as, "Am I allowed to walk behind this line or that marking?" swarming in your head. There is also a good chance you will shortchange a good tennis match and leave it quickly, simply because you feel the necessity of walking around and seeing who else is playing on other courts. And forget about getting the players' autographs, unless you have a special plan to corner the player.

The experience is much more thrilling at smaller tournaments. You get closer to the players, get a detailed view of their fascinating footwork and stroke technique. Players interact with spectators easier. Perhaps you can get lucky at some tournaments and see them hanging around the shopping area or even get to ask them a question or two after the match in the food area. Autographs are not hard to come by.

Players will walk through the regular crowd to practice and will ask you to toss the ball back at them if it goes over the fence or the wall. They will be sliding on clay chasing a ball and end up just a few feet from where you are sitting. In the earlier days of a tournament, you will be able to move closer to the court without anyone hassling you if the stands are relatively empty.

It would not be fair if I did not include my recommendations. Here are three of them (not in any specific order):

ATP Generali Open (Kitzbuhel, Austria) — Fantastic location situated in the Tirol area of Austria by the mountains. The views are spectacular, the town buzzes during the tournament because it is the main attraction of the summer for this area, whose more worthy season is the winter skiing months. People are extremely welcoming and trustworthy. The tournament is held at a very nice facility, the stadium court is up to par with the best stadium courts in the ATP calendar. For some reason, this tournaments always gets more of the top players than other clay court tournaments of the same level. Obviously, fans are not the only ones satisfied with this tournament.

Kitzbuhel is a picturesque town with many cafes, cute architecture, and a vibrant nightlife. If you want a true European smaller town experience, all the essence is there. Beware, though: make reservations in advance for accommodation, as we are not talking about a big city here.

ATP/WTA Ordina Open (s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands) — The neat thing about this tournament is that it is one of those rare tournaments outside the slams that hosts both a men's and a women's draw. The field is usually solid, too, since it is one of the four grass court tournaments in preparation for Wimbledon. The pretty southern town of s'Hertogenbosch (if the name troubles you, it is also called "den Bosch") with its canals and cobblestone streets in the center is simply icing to the cake.

I recommend getting reserved seating at this tournament. General seating is not numbered and you have to fight for seats towards the weekend anytime you leave your seat, including going to the bathroom. If you are with family or friends, sitting together can be a difficult task, so again, if you can afford it, pay a bit more and get reserved seating.

WTA Bank of the West Classic (Stanford, California) — Although this is a Tier 2 tournament, a non-slam tournament's player list does not get much stronger than this one. Last year, Kim Clijsters defeated Venus Williams in the finals and fans are guaranteed top quality tennis here every year.

The beautiful venue is Stanford University's tennis facility. The kids' day at this tournament is as good as it gets for little ones. The brunch offered on Sunday before the finals is a treat if you are willing to pay the price.

If those mentioned above don't tickle your fancy, WTA fans can take a closer look at Istanbul Cup in Turkey (it is in two weeks), taking place in one of the most historic cities in the world, or Palermo WTA Championships, a Tier 4 tournament, but after all, it is in the capital of Sicily. For ATP fans, you can consider Swedish Open, where the venue is next to the beach and marina, located in the artsy town of Bastad. Or you can still go to London, stay away from the hustle of Wimbledon, and enjoy a strong tournament field at Queen's Club, one of the nicest venues in the world of tennis.

As for me, I am betraying my own advice and going to Paris for the second week of Roland Garros. But it is not my vacation, I need to meet some old friends, take my daughter to the Eiffel Tower. I simply and conveniently made sure all "that" coincided with one of the four biggest tournaments in the world, that's all. I certainly will not go to the tournament on the weekend. I will be there during the week, though, enjoying quality tennis and plenty of crepes with "fromage et jambon" in the mornings.

Until next time, take care, everyone.

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 7:01 PM | Comments (1)

May 9, 2006

The NBA Gets the Right Guys After All

At one point during the first round of the NBA playoffs last week, I had to wonder if they got the right guys.

For instance, were the Sacramento Kings really an eighth seed after that 18-point hurt they put on the San Antonio Spurs last Sunday to even their series against the defending champions at two? Then in San Antonio on Tuesday, they overcame a 14-point deficit to tie the game with less than four minutes remaining. It seemed the logo on the jerseys was the only way to discern top seed from bottom in the West.

They certainly didn't get the right second seed. That was the Dallas Mavericks, but Commissioner David Stern's new playoff format confers upon divisional winners for artificial prominence. The top three conference seeds are reserved for each, regardless of record. Yet, an NBA division is no more than a collection of teams that share the same time zone. They face each other during the season only as frequently as they do most other teams in their conference. Stern's sudden reverence for divisional play each April runs contrary to his indifference throughout the other eleven months.

Artificial interference with a natural seeding order often produces bizarre results. Ask the Memphis Grizzlies, who definitely got the wrong guys. By virtue of beating out the Los Angeles Clippers for the West's fifth spot, they were paired with a second — make that fourth — seed in Dallas. Their postseason ended last Monday, a mere four games after it began. Later that same evening, the Clippers eliminated the third-seed divisional champion Denver Nuggets, who would have otherwise placed eighth.

Perhaps the most blatant case of mistaken identity was exposed at the Staples Center in last Sunday's Game 4 matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the visiting Phoenix Suns. Suns point guard Steve Nash, who was awaiting his second consecutive Most Valuable Player trophy, lost the ball in the final seconds of both regulation and overtime. Kobe Bryant made him pay each time, nailing the game-tying and game-winning buckets that put the Suns in a 3-1 hole. Bryant, who led the league with 35.4 points per game and helped the Lakers improve by 11 wins over the course of the regular season, sealed the popular vote for MVP with his performance.

Regardless of any polling slight, the Lakers have to feel they got the right guy. After the 2004 season, it was clear that Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal could no longer coexist on the same roster. Bryant was a free agent. Shaq asked for a trade. One had to go, and that one was Shaq.

For a year, it looked like the Lakers' decision was the wrong one. Shaq took his new Miami Heat teammates to the seventh game of last season's Eastern finals while Bryant watched the playoffs at home and bolstered his reputation as a selfish and destructive player.

But the pendulum began to swing the other way during this year's first-round series. Bryant was learning how to become a teammate and extract the best from his supporting cast while Shaq looked aged and fatigued at times against the Chicago Bulls. After 27 points and 16 rebounds in a 37-minute Game 1 effort, his productivity and minutes dropped off in the next three as the Bulls pulled into a 2-2 tie.

By mid-week, there indeed seemed an abundant share of mistaken identities.

Ah, but the NBA allows for market corrections over a seven-game series. It may not possess that edge-of-seat finality of the NCAA's one-and-done format, nor is its system likely to produce a North Carolina State Wolfpack or Villanova Wildcats any time soon. Sacrificing such Cinderella storylines is the price these Royal Canadian Mounties of the hardwood must pay but in the end, they always get their guys.

True to form, the smoke of any would-be dramatics had cleared by Saturday night's final first-round contest.

The Miami Heat dispensed with the Bulls in convincing fashion over the week, taking the final two games by 14- and 17-point margins. Even better, the old Shaq reemerged. He posted double doubles in the back-to-back wins, including a vintage '90s 30-point, 20-rebound game in Thursday night's closer.

Likewise, the San Antonio Spurs proved worthy as defending champions. They outscored the Kings 14-4 over the final 3:36 in that pivotal fifth game in San Antonio, then closed out the Kings in Sacramento Friday and opened the second round with a win over Dallas Sunday.

Although Commissioner Stern's funky playoff structure may have brought us the Western Conference finals one series prematurely, market forces did restore some second-round order. The Clippers, early beneficiaries of that funk who came one Phoenix loss away from spending the second round entirely in their own gym, must now travel to Arizona.

The Suns were an unlikely second-round host last week. They were seemingly no match for Kobe's newfound concept of teamwork and were flying home demoralized after last Sunday's buzzer loss. Nonetheless, they stepped up their own team approach when they stepped off that plane.

No fewer than six different Suns contributed double-digit scoring production in each of the final three games under the direction of Steve Nash, who collected 26 assists over that improbable run. On the other bench, the Glitter resumed the form of the .500 pumpkin they were for most of the season. Bryant got ejected from Game 5, then regressed into his one-man team with 50 points in Thursday's loss. Saturday, the Lakers found themselves a no-man team while the Suns were anything but.

It may have been ironic that formal confirmation of Nash's MVP award should be announced over the weekend. It looks like they got the right guy for that honor, as well. Overcoming a 3-1 deficit takes an entire team effort. After all, it's only been done eight times in league history despite the plethora of superstars such as Bryant that have adorned NBA rosters. Catalyzing such an effort was Nash's job and he did it better than anyone in the league could.

As the second round takes flight this week, it looks like equilibrium has again been restored to the NBA. Like the Royal Canadian Mounties, they have their guys despite the Dudley Do-Right antics of David Stern. Perhaps next year, the Commissioner may try mounting the horse frontward to better anticipate approaching dangers.

Posted by Bob Ekstrom at 9:24 PM | Comments (0)

It's Lima Time in New York

You have to think the New York Mets are feeling beyond confident right about now. They have won their second consecutive series from the Atlanta Braves. They are tied with the Chicago White Sox for the best record in baseball as of this writing. They are one of only two who've won eight of their last ten (the other: the resurrective Arizona Diamondbacks). The only thing standing in the way of their sweeping the Braves is John Smoltz.

And they decide it's Lima Time.

By the time you read this, Jose Lima will be one of two things. Either he will be the man of the hour after performing a death-defying stunt on the Shea Stadium mound; or, he will prove to have been a sacrifice to Smoltz when the Atlanta bellwether comes in at something less than his full power.

Lima will be many things, none of which include dull. Flying or fading, whether pitching over his head with the 2004 Los Angeles Dodgers or under his head with last year's Kansas City Royals, about the only way to keep Lima down is to chloroform him. But no team for whom he has ever toiled would even think of that last option. There have always been men worth having on a club even if they stink up the joint on the field or the mound. Lima has been one of those men.

When the National League West-winning Dodgers let him walk after the 2004 season, a few flags were flown at half mast. When the Royals sank into that epic losing streak last year, that was Lima you saw keeping the bravest face even during his own contributions to that streak.

The Mets must be thinking Lima doesn't exactly have to put on his bravest face against Smoltz come Sunday. Smoltz is working on short rest, three days, following a 109-pitch outing in Philadelphia. He looks remarkably mortal on short rest, which he hasn't pitched since 1997. Lifetime working short, Smoltz is 6-7 with a 5.17 ERA. Lifetime pitching in the National League, Lima is 59-47, 4.67. Seems almost like a fair fight.

Cheer up, Mr. Smoltz. You'd rather another dose of Pedro Martinez on short rest?

With rookie standout Brian Bannister down with a barking hamstring, and originally-scheduled emergency starter John Maine down with a middle finger injury, Lima got the incontrovertible word Thursday. How incontrovertible? He was pulled from his start for Triple A Norfolk after two perfect innings. The Tides, in Columbus to play the Clippers, were under orders to pull him after two no matter what, and Lima was under orders to be ready to fly to New York.

It gets even better. Lima could find himself hanging around at least to pick up what would have been Victor Zambrano's scheduled start against Milwaukee come Friday. Where he goes beyond that, assuming he pitches well enough, is open for speculation. He could end up sticking with the Mets. He could end up a trade trigger if the Mets begin seeking a little pennant race insurance.

Whatever he ends up, Lima could also end up a happy memory in Shea Stadium. Mets history is reasonably filled with players whose irrepressibility charmed the audience even when the Mets were something less than charming between the lines. It is also filled with players who have been known to unfurl career games at the least expected hours. "He's always been one of those guys that seizes the moment," said Willie Randolph.

Seizes it? Lima bastinadoes it, holds it hostage, and squeezes a hell of a ransom from its relatives before he gives it up.

Lima has done that sort of thing before. There are said to remain echoes among the ghosts of Dodger Stadium from Lima's last known appearance there. Some of them include a few St. Louis Cardinals' voices, usually exhaling variations upon a theme of, Wha' happened?!? Their should-have-been National League Division Series sweep of the Dodgers was rudely interrupted by the smiling Dominican with chutzpah where his best stuff was supposed to be.

He may have been the only man in the park who knew he'd still be there, in Game 3, walking out to the mound for the ninth inning, his 4-0 shutout threatened only by Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds. Maybe he and Shawn Green, who supplied some of Lima's insurance policy that night with a pair of home runs under either side of the bleachers. "Every time we've needed the big win," Green said after the game, "he's given it to us."

He gave Pujols a strike, something to turn into a foul pop, a waste pitch outside, and then something good enough only to sky to deep right center. He gave Rolen a pair of high sliders, a fast-ball right down the pipe for a called strike, and then something to hit on the switch and right into Steve Finley's leather in center. He gave Edmonds a strike on the ceiling and then something good only for popping skyscraper style toward third base for the game.

And he gave the audience his usual post-game, post-win (his own or any other of his team's wins) routine. Hugging, high-fiving, fist-pumping, skip-dancing, smooch-on-the-cheeking with teammates, windmilling the crowd arms open wide ramping up the racket, planting kisses on the cheeks of his pitching coach and team trainer, bounding in and out of the dugout, playing more to the crowd, the kid who just landed the keys to his own chocolate factory and a prom date with the number one dream girl in town.

You thought the Johnny Damon Red Sox were a bunch of happy-go-lucky Idiots? Lima makes those guys resemble clinical depressives. You almost wish the Mets would pencil Lima in for a start when interleague time comes and they have a date with the Johnny Damon Yankees.

"The fans deserve this," Lima whooped, after that unsinkable NLDS shutout, still recovering his breath, the human 'toon who has just snuck a stick of dynamite into the opposition's evening picnic feed and slipped out of sight two seconds before it went kaboom. "I love everybody. I'm pitching with my heart because I know they deserve it."

He feels that way whenever he pitches and his club wins. He also feels that way when he doesn't pitch but the club wins.

And if the club loses? That will be Lima looking to light up the party room, anyway, not because losing is a riot, but because he's learned the hard way that dwelling on it does nobody any favors except the other guys. And as far as he's concerned, the fans deserve every pleasure they get from a game. Even if his only role is cranking up the rooting.

Even if the Mets only get him for a week and two starts, Met fans are going to love it when the clock strikes Lima Time. Even if the Braves and the Brewers ring his chimes.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 8:50 PM | Comments (0)

Making Sense of a Tragedy

There's nothing better than playoff hockey. At least, that's what I liked to constantly tell people as a longtime hockey fan. I bought into the NHL playoffs as being 100% more exciting than any of the other major sports, which in my current situation is unfathomable and unforgivable. I've watched more of the NBA playoffs than the NHL playoffs.

For hockey fans, it was always a case of us-against-them, as it seemed that hockey was little more than punch-line to the rest of the country. The lockout made things even tougher on hockey fans, but we knew we had to band together to support the sport and keep it in the limelight. We finally hit the first playoffs after the lockout, the great reward for staying true to hockey — and I'm spending it watching LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

This isn't supposed to happen, ever. As a kid, I grew up watching minor league hockey in Cincinnati. Not only was I a hockey fan, I was a hockey player. In the early part of my illustrious childhood sports career, I was a decent soccer player, a formidable bench presence in basketball, and a superb T-ball pitcher. But hockey, I discovered, was the sport I played best, and I had a rewarding nine-year career. As both player and fan, I had a special place in my heart for hockey.

My career in sports media began as a color analyst for a minor league hockey team, a spot I reached after serving a few years as an off-ice official. I worked in, played, and watched hockey. Early in my writing days, I was one of hockey's biggest defenders, telling the haters to screw off and assuming they were just too ignorant to understand the game. The first column I wrote was about how cowardice was the cancer that was ruining hockey, and I got my start in sports talk radio doing a segment called "The Stanley Cupdate," which was a running playoff segment.

I was a hockey guy through and through ... so what the hell happened to me?

It's one thing not to watch the first round. It's early, things still need to settle, and there's plenty of hockey left to play. To watch the NBA playoffs instead, though, makes me feel like I walked past a burning Wayne Gretzky with a fire extinguisher, but then used the extinguisher as an impromptu stool as I watched him burn. It's the NBA — the league is full of thugs who travel all the time and share groupies more than the ball.

I could hide behind plenty of excuses. I could blame the lockout and claim to be one of those hurt, bitter, jaded fans that turn a cold shoulder to the game forever, but those people suck. I could whine about how shootouts messed with the game, but I've never really been against shootouts. I have been busier than ever, even too busy to play video games, but I've made time to watch the NBA. The pathetic job OLN has done with hockey this year is a legitimate reason for not being as in to the playoffs as I should be. Of course, the 2004 me would've found other ways to follow the action.

I overdosed on college basketball during the lockout to fill the hockey void, but I still feel guilty about this whole NBA thing. It's even been the best first round in the history of the NBA (say I, the well-celebrated NBA historian), but I can't shake the feeling that I've deserted hockey. The NHL will have somewhat better second-round matchups, whereas the NBA's second round should be wholly unentertaining, so there may be hope left for me to return from the dark side.

I shudder when I think of life without hockey and even can't entertain the thought that I'm no longer a hockey guy. My friends in hockey haven't given up on me yet, but if the NHL can't keep fans like me, how are they supposed to attract new fans? How is the sport going to grow when the hardcore fans lose interest?

Hopefully, I'm putting too much into this, and it's just a brief scare. I have to admit, seeing something like Daniel Briere suffering an "upper-body ailment" makes the elimination of my Flames a little easier to take. I'll make it a point to give hockey another shot. But if the games don't deliver, it's back to watching Gretzky burn. And that's a no-win for everyone involved.

The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. All readers get a 10% signup bonus at BetOnSports by entering "Sports Gospel Promo" as the promo code. Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on SC. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 8:33 PM | Comments (0)

May 8, 2006

NBA Playoffs: Where Are You, Craig Ehlo?

The euphoria brought on by Damon Jones' last-second shot against the Washington Wizards sent Cleveland fans into a complete frenzy.

It wasn't only the fans, but the players, too, as they celebrated on the floor by tackling Jones and piling on top of their last-second hero.

That was Friday night.

The award for advancing to the second round ended up being a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Detroit Pistons on just a few hours rest in between flights.

What a reward.

Saturday, though, was a day during which many Cleveland fans probably did the same thing as me — dream of a second round shocker against the Pistons. It was a day for ridiculous daydreams of LeBron pouring in 80 points and driving Detroit fans from their seats and back into their cars. It was a day when anything seemed possible.

By the end of the first half of Sunday's game, however, those dreams were dashed in an all too real way.

The Cavs got shellacked, yes, that is the right word, shellacked, by the Pistons. It's depressing to even think about the details anymore. Perhaps embarrassing is the right word for that, too.

The question is, what were Cleveland fans really dreaming about on Saturday afternoon as they enjoyed the Cavs' first round victory and eagerly anticipated the start of the second round?

What made them really think that any of their wildest dreams were possible in any sense?

Shouldn't they have known better after The Drive, The Fumble, the 1997 World Series, and The Shot that all fairy tales end badly if you happen to live in Northeast Ohio?

Well, The Shot, in fact, is the very reason that Cavs fans have reason to believe in this team and organization.

The Shot, of course, refers to the game-winning, series-winning shot made by Michael Jordan over the outstretched arms of Craig Ehlo on May 7, 1989. (I can still see the tears in my dad's eye that day.)

For more than any other reason, this moment was important because it was the first time that the Bulls, led by Jordan, made it past the second round of the playoffs.

Three of the previous four years they had bowed out in the first round, and it wasn't until their fifth try (against the best team in the NBA at the time to boot) that they got over the early round hurdles and on their way to the pantheon of great NBA teams.

As much as The Shot is a remembrance of everything bad that has happened in Cleveland sports, at this moment (especially with the impending doom at the hands of the Pistons just in the horizon), The Shot has to give Clevelanders hope in the future.

Ironic, isn't it, one of the darkest sports moments for a city also being a bastion of hope? It is a little funny, as Cavs fans, we have to believe in what Jordan did for the Bulls, just as we have to believe in what LeBron is going to do for the Cavs.

It was for the 1987-88 season that Chicago got Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen, clearly two of the most important players in the early Bulls' championship runs. Even with the addition of these two, it still took Jordan and Chicago another year to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

What does this mean for Cleveland?

After getting Damon Jones, Donyell Marshall, and Larry Hughes during the offseason, it is going to take more than just one season for them to gel with the rest of the team. LeBron is always going to be LeBron, and, who knows, he could end up being better than Jordan by the time his career is done, but in the moment, he can't get the team to the Finals by himself.

It is going to take a consistent team effort (a la Detroit and San Antonio) to get there. And whether Jones, Marshall, Hughes, Drew Gooden, Eric Snow, or Flip Murray are with the team in a year or two, or whether GM Danny Ferry makes moves in the future that shake up the base of the team in an effort to surround James with the right personnel, Cleveland fans can't look at this season and not feel good about the next.

Cavs fans can be reassured by looking at the number of championship rings that Michael Jordan has, and then realizing that they didn't start appearing on his fingers his first season in the NBA, or even his first time in the playoffs.

The comparisons between the two teams should give fans a reason to believe, from the time the superstars were brought on board to their first trip to the playoffs.

In the meantime, I do encourage everyone to join me in writing to Gatorade to express anger and dismay at making a commercial that taunts Cleveland fans with the question ... what if The Shot was off by an inch?

Then again, if Cleveland fans start looking at history with a sense of hope for the future, maybe everyone should start looking at The Shot in a different way.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 3:40 PM | Comments (0)

Time For Flyers to Oust GM Clarke

Thank you, Scott Burnside. Finally, someone is vocalizing the fact that Philadelphia Flyers GM/President Bob Clarke made mistakes in his preseason acquisitions heading into the 2005-2006 NHL season. That is precisely what he did. What makes these pickups so egregious is that Clarke added them to a team that he knew had to recalibrate itself in order to compete in the faster paced NHL.

Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje. Those are two major, long-term contracts Clarke negotiated, expending precious room in a new age of a salary cap to help the Flyers win a Stanley Cup.

Really, those two outdated defensemen? Rathje and Hatcher play exactly the style of hockey that the new rules in the NHL intended to eradicate — slow, immobile, tree-chopping hackers who beat the piss out of players that camp out in front of the net on power-plays or who whiz past them at full speed on their way to a 7-1, Game 6 rout. Clarke knew the freshly-opened ice was going to be an obstacle for these two defensemen and signed them anyway.

One can only assume that Clarke thought these weathered veterans could change their styles of play accordingly, as if it were easy to do so after already spending a decade in the league in which their mannerisms were the norm.

The Flyers' first-round playoff collapse should have been all but inevitable, especially considering the Buffalo Sabres' 110 points was the third best in the Eastern Conference and certainly some of the fastest. The Flyers couldn't keep up, literally. That's Clarke's fault — he's charged with the responsibility of making sure they can.

The only saving grace of Hatcher and Ratjhe's three- and four-year contracts is that Philly has a steady cash flow, giving them the opportunity to spend more once the cap rises*. Here's to quality moves for fewer tortoises and more hares.

Clarke is renowned for making questionable transactions in the name of building a Cup-worthy Flyers organization. Here are a few (in no particular order):

Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal and Ruslan Fedetenko — Both of them were dealt and ultimately ended up with the Tampa Bay Lightning. They both won a championship in 2004. Advantage: those guys.

Jimmy Vandermeer and Dennis Seidenberg — Vandermeer went to the Chicago Blackhawks and Seidenberg to the Phoenix Coyotes. These are two defensemen made for the new NHL. They can skate, they can pass, they can shoot (Seidenberg once registered the hardest shot in Flyers training camp when he was roughly 13-years-old**), and they can play tough.

Rod Brind'Amour — He went to the 2002 Cup Finals with the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost in five games to the Detroit Red Wings, and is the captain of this year's Hurricane roster that finished second in the Eastern Conference and is now colliding with New Jersey Devils in round two of the playoffs.

Danny Markov — In another of Clarke's notorious deadline deals in which he picks up a few players whose contracts are scheduled to expire at the end of the season in order to make a final run into the playoffs, he added Markov — a mobile, quick, and shifty defensemen who had great passing and positioning abilities. He left after one partial season. His downside, however, was he spent a significant portion of this year on the Nashville Predators' injured list.

Alexei Zhamnov — Zhamnov was acquired the same year as Markov (2003-2004) and was a great passing center who saw the ice and could easily play an off-wing on the power play, as well as center the team's second line. Zhamnov landed in Boston where he'll undoubtedly look back with regret on the recently-ended regular season.

Tony Amonte — Clarke picked him up for two seasons, maybe in hopes of agitating the chemistry once held between Amonte and Jeremy Roenick during their days in Chicago and with Team USA. Much like Markov and Zhamnov, the new NHL rules are tailored for Amonte’s method of play and allow him to test the elasticity of his twilight. He was an integral component of Philadelphia’s team that lost to the Lightening (see: Prospal and Fedetenko) in seven games in the 2003-2004 Eastern Conference Finals.

Jeremy Roenick — J.R. was a solid focal point for the Fly-guys during his tenure in Philly. He was good for consistent point production and leadership and sparking the team's momentum with big, albeit often controversial, hits. He could have flourished with the Flyers if the new rules had been implemented sooner and he not been as prone to injury as drug addicts are to theft. "Styles" (Roenick's infamous nickname/vanity plate for his Benz while in Philly) is where he belongs, though, now living the life as a flamboyant Los Angeles King.

Pavel Brendl — This guy was awful from the start, regardless of being heralded as the next big thing in the NHL. His stats speak for themselves. Since making his league debut in 2001-2002, he's put up numbers of 78 games played, with 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points, and 16 penalty minutes. Search the AHL for some of the lost productivity that Brendl promised as a top prospect (one who refused, at the onset, to start his professional career in the minors). Brendl is the kind of player who costs scouts their jobs.

Goaltenders — Only when discussing pro sports in Philadelphia can the names Garth Snow, Roman Cechmanek, Maxim Ouellette, Brian Boucher, Sean Burke, and Robert Esche appear in the same sentence. All who have passed through the hallways of the CoreStates Spectrum, First Union Center, Wachovia Center and the myriad of other corporate takeovers that have affected the name of Philadelphia's pro rink.

Lest we be too negative, Clarke does deserve a small fragment of credit. He did rid of the concussion that was Eric Lindros, who has gone on to achieve almost nothing aside from a gold medal in the 2002 Olympics, for the reliable, speedy Kim Johnsson from the New York Rangers. Although this year was tough for the defensemen, who's battling post-concussion syndrome, Johnsson has been a steady hand on the blue line and a leader in the points column for Philly for the last few seasons, playing in every game situation. The Flyers sorely missed him this playoffs.

And with the king of all moves, Clarke did acquire the best hockey player in the entire world in the form of Peter Forsberg. Forsberg missed 20 or so games due to injuries and may have to have both ankles operated on this offseason (injuries and surgeries have plagued Forsberg since he was originally drafted by the Flyers and immediately traded to the Quebec Nordiques — now the Colorado Avalanche — for Lindros in 1991), and still managed to be the key factor in Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble having career years statistically.

Ultimately, Clarke's inability to put together a squad that has meshed nicely enough to win a Cup speaks to his poor team-building skills louder than anything in his dreary managerial history. He signs the high-profile guys seemingly without considering what type of atmosphere it will create in the locker room. Clarke is a continued source of frustration for Philadelphia fans whose only reason for not targeting their malcontented disposition towards him is that he resides comfortably near the press box, looming high above rink side, looking over as the fans boo his team, which might, in a sense, be directed towards him.

* : So many bad moves in one GM's history would almost guarantee termination with any other organization. But for Clarke, that is practically impossible due to the fact that he's one of the most prominent executives of the team, purportedly holding more stock than almost of anybody other than Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider.

** : Not really, more like 21.

Posted by Jeff DiNunzio at 2:59 PM | Comments (2)

I Hate Mondays: A Philly Throwback

The Philadelphia Eagles are going back to basics and are once again focusing on what brought them success in their three NFC championship runs starting in 2001. But when they begin the 2006 regular season, they will have to take note that the landscape of the NFC East has significantly changed.

Gone is the Steve Spurrier and Patrick Ramsey era in Washington and in place is now an all-star coaching staff with a capable quarterback. An offense that was once a turnover or a sack waiting to happen is now a consistent threat and is supported by an intimidating defense.

The Dallas Cowboys are no longer mired by the coaching of Dave Campo or the quarterbacking of Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, or Vinny Testaverde and are poised to make a serious run for the playoffs themselves, as long as head coach Bill Parcells can keep emotional wide receiver Terrell Owens under wraps.

One thing that hasn't changed is that the New York Giants are still flagged for an excessive amount of penalties, but even so, they are the current division champs and have a roster infused with young and improving talent.

Quite a bit has changed since the last time the Eagles reigned supreme in their division, even though they have only had a one-year absence, but they are back to focusing on what got them to this point to begin with.

Although the Eagles enjoyed the ups (and downs) of having a top-tier wide receiver at their disposal, that was never what carried them to their three previous NFC title games. Their foundation has always been built around a solid offensive line, a dangerous defensive line, and an overly-aggressive defense.

The schemes of Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson revolve around sacking the quarterback or pressuring him into inaccurate decisions, but when the front-four is easily contained and the additional blitzers are picked up, the defense becomes fairly vulnerable.

In the past five seasons, in the four that the Eagles have traveled to the NFC championship, they averaged 46.5 sacks. Last year, that total dropped to a measly 29 and hence the defense's uncharacteristic plummet to the 23rd rank in the NFL.

It was pretty clear that the Eagles needed to boost their sack production, particularly the end position. Jevon Kearse provided 7.5 sacks last season, but was the focal point of attention from opposing offensive lines and had very little help to distract the double-teams.

As soon as free agency hit, the Eagles found him an end-mate in Darren Howard, who averaged about 7.5 sacks per season on a very mediocre defense in New Orleans. When you add last year's surprise rookie Trent Cole into the mix, the Eagles' rotation at defensive end goes from being a weakness to one of the strongest units in the league (and that is not accounting for 2003 first-round pick Jerome McDougle).

Up the middle, the Eagles have always had a "bend, but don't break" mentality against the run, and as such, they adore defensive tackles who can shoot the gaps and get to the quarterback.

With a burgeoning group of young tackles last season, the Eagles felt comfortable parting with stout lineman Corey Simon. In retrospect, they may have been better off holding onto him for one more season because the rotation Mike Patterson, Darwin Walker, and Sam Rayburn wasn't exactly ready last year, but that won't be the case this time around.

Factor in first-round pick Brodrick Bunkley into the equation, an NFL-ready tackle who will fit this scheme perfectly with his ability to penetrate the pocket, and the Eagles have a defensive line that resembles the olden days.

In 2001, the tag-team of budding end Derrick Burgess and then Pro Bowler Hugh Douglas anchored a fearsome front four. The following year, Douglas was once again a Pro Bowler, registering 12.5 sacks, and had an additional 20 sacks of support from fellow linemen Simon, N.D. Kalu, and Paul Grasmanis. In 2004, the combination of Kearse, Simon, and Walker totaled 17.5 sacks alone.

The Eagles were never a team that overwhelmed anyone offensively prior to Terrell Owens' arrival. Their offense actually has consistently lacked receiving threats and a traditional "pound-it" type of running back. But with a high-octane defense that forces the opposing offense into mistakes and sacks, the Eagles continuously reaped momentum from their defense, using opponent blunders and short fields to their advantage.

Last season, injuries undermined the team, but a lack of sacks also hindered much of their success. Without pressure on the quarterback, the defense was exposed and without Terrell Owens, the Eagles simply didn't have the firepower to come back. With an upgraded defensive line and without Owens, the Eagles' offense and defense should be back to its familiar form.

The Eagles may have only been gone for one season, and while their NFC East counterparts continue to load up on offensive weapons such as Terrell Owens, Sinorice Moss, and Antwaan Randle El, Philadelphia plans on making another run for the ranks the way their current regime has always done it, and that starts with their revamped and potent defensive line.

The Philadelphia Eagles and effective defensive lines mix like Mondays and me.

"I've always said Thomas Edison invented the movie camera to show people killing and kissing." — Quentin Tarantino

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 2:58 PM | Comments (0)

May 6, 2006

Fueling NASCAR's Responsibility

The most significant oil crisis in modern day America happened before my days began. The notion that, back in 1973, drivers with license plates ending in an odd number could only purchase gasoline on odd-numbered days of the month is, to me, the stuff of Orwellian nightmares.

Today, as prices are inflating again, we're hearing stories of thieves stealing gas — sometimes from the pumps, and sometimes from other cars. I don't want to say this burgeoning oil crisis has created a sense of lawlessness, but I'm pretty sure I just saw Mel Gibson drive past my house while being chased by a gang of post-apocalyptic bikers with mohawks.

"We're addicted to oil" is a phrase I've heard used in several stump speeches from Republicans, Democrats, Greens, and a variety of other political persuasions. It's such an empty, obvious admission that means absolutely nothing unless accompanied by action. It's a bit like a co-ed waking up with a hangover while wearing only some dude's varsity jacket, swearing she'd "never drink again," and then heading to the Tappa Kegga party a few hours later. You make that bed, you lie in it.

Where's the leadership? It certainly can't come from a Congress that is too worried about their own electoral lives to oversee a total re-imagination of the U.S. economy — hell, they can't even figure out whether to keep the illegals here or toss 'em back over the border like an undersized bass.

It certainly can't come from a President whom, shall we say, has a vested interest in seeing oil maintain its place in the arteries and veins of America's economic system. It's laughable to hear Bush talk about alternative fuels with the sincerity of Matt Leinart explaining he's happy to be an Arizona Cardinal because they play on the "West Coast" and he can learn a lot from Kurt Warner. (What's Warner going to tell him? "Make sure you have the best pass-catching running back in the league, three great wide receivers, and play 80% of your games on artificial turf ... oh, and never put eggs and a six-pack of Coke in the same grocery bag.")

Where's the leadership? The better question is "where should it be?" And for that answer, I turn to the single most influential organization in America: NASCAR.

According to some estimates by the league, racers consume about 6,000 gallons of racing fuel every weekend of the season. Emagazine.com, an environmental publication, had its own estimate:

"At the average consumption of two miles per gallon in a 250-mile race, 125 gallons of fuel would be required per car. Multiply that by 40 cars in one race, and each event consumes the staggering figure of 5,000 gallons of gasoline! If there are 10 races per week, that's 50,000 gallons. Multiply that by the number of NASCAR official tracks (not counting small ones), and the fuel consumption rises astronomically-to roughly two million gallons for one season!"

Where does the fuel come from? According to FOXSports.com, it comes from Sunoco at no cost, because it is the "Official Fuel of NASCAR." (I'm always fascinated by the "official ____ of ____" thing. For example, Popeye's Chicken is "The Official Chicken of the Washington Redskins." So can Santana Moss walk into any D.C. area franchise, flash some ID and get a bucket of wings? And does that count against the salary cap?)

It's not just the fuel used in races, of course: it's the fuel used to get to the races, to haul all of those cars and equipment from pit to pit. NASCAR, to its credit, recognizes the utter hypocrisy of wasting fuel for fun and games every weekend while many Americans have had to rearrange their financial lives in order to purchase a tank of gas.

"I hope fans believe me when I say this: receiving race fuel at the track has always been a privilege, and we know that," team owner Richard Childress told FOXSports.com, "and fans can rest assured that everybody in NASCAR feels the pain of rising fuel costs every bit as much as they do. We are all in this together."

Right ... it's just that NASCAR doesn't feel the pain as much as, say, Indy Racing, which is actually taking steps to help Americans get over our oil addiction.

The 90th Indianapolis 500 will be the first in which the full field uses ethanol, that magic grain alcohol that can be used as a fuel additive or alternative. This year, the IRL will use a blend of 90 percent methanol and 10 percent ethanol in its cars, which get less than two miles per gallon. By 2007, the cars will run on 100 percent ethanol. Combine this with the fact that IRL is also home to the barrier-breaking Danica Patrick, and Indy racing may actually be more progressive than Howard Dean.

It's time for NASCAR to also set up and take a stand against our oil addiction.

What better time than now?

And what better way than this:

No one is telling NASCAR and its drivers that they can't make money. It's just that with the state of the world today, any sport that's going to irresponsibly guzzle gas in a variety of ways needs to make sacrifices. In NASCAR's case, that means putting said gas guzzlers in mothballs until prices settle or fuel alternatives are considered — and replacing them with chariot races.

This would solve so many problems for NASCAR, it's amazing the league hasn't considered it earlier. Imagine the new sponsorship opportunities: Home Depot and Lowe's battling to become the official wood supplier; leather companies vying to make the uniforms, which can still have plenty of space for other ads — and let's not forget about those post-race toga parties sponsored by Maxim.

Pit crews will spend the race making new wheels and sharpening weapons. Oh yes, there will be weapons: what's the sense of having chariot races if Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch can't jab each other with spears during the final laps?

The benefits simply don't stop coming. Think about the promotional cross-over with other sports, namely horse racing. Could you imagine Jeff Gordon entering a race with the winners of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes harnessed to his chariot?

And speaking of Gordon, wouldn't all that debate regarding "NASCAR drivers aren't athletes" go out the window if he and the other stars had to Ben-Hur their way around 400 laps?

From an economic and social responsibility standpoint, this is the only decision NASCAR can make at this critical juncture in our nation's history. It's time to do the right thing, the honest thing, the patriotic thing.

Just think of the new slogan: "NASCHARIOT: Now We're Talkin' Serious Horsepower!"

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 5:03 PM | Comments (0)

NHL's First Round Knockout

I don't know what's more exciting about the NHL playoffs — is it because we missed hockey so much last summer or could it be that it's actually electrifying? To me, the postseason was always a mixture of goaltending glory, hard hits, brawls, great goals, and wild crowds. The winner of any series had to give is all: blood, sweat, tears, while the loser faded away quicker than Star Jones.

Speaking of Stars, Dallas was eliminated by Colorado. The Western Conference is leaving experts wondering how the West will be won. Upset after another from Edmonton beating Detroit, to Anaheim putting Flames out in Calgary in seven games. None of the top four seeds in the West made it out of the first round.

San Jose will be facing the Edmonton Oilers. It seems like being nominated for the Hart trophy is enough for Joe Thornton, who went heartless and goal-less in round one. Rumor has it in Boston that he vanishes comes playoffs time. Looks like history is repeating itself as stats show in 40 playoffs career goals, he's got 6. And as Joe Thornton disappears, so does Jonathan Cheechoo with two goals vs. Nashville. The Oilers are at the top of their game at every position and not too many experts expected much from them. The surprise will be enormous, as they will take the series in six.

As for Anaheim versus Colorado, José Théodore is certainly happy to be in round two and not his old Montreal Canadiens team. He posted great numbers in the first round (2.64 GAA, .910 save pct), but who is really convinced of how consistent he can be? Colorado will be fine against Anaheim only if Theo is confident. Joe Sakic, Alex Tanguay, and Milan Hejduk are back at the top of their games. The Ducks, on the other hand, are a good team, but burned from the series with the Flames. Avalanche will win in six.

For the East, it's any team's feast. The Ottawa Senators are waiting to display their legislative powers over the Buffalo Sabres, the clear underdog in this series. However, not to be taken lightly, Buffalo routed Philadelphia in round one. The Sabres are a great team, but allowed a Flyer team to give them a shock in round one. After jumping out to a 2-0 series lead, they let Philly tiptoe back into the series and needed six games to make it happen. They can't allow to play like that against the Sens who will surely make them pay.

Fans in Ottawa expect nothing less than the Stanley Cup from their Super Sens teams. Their kryptonite Toronto Maple Leafs team is no threat, failing to make the playoffs this season. The rivalry with the Sens and Leafs, better known as the Battle of Ontario, was sparked by repeated meetings in the postseason, with Toronto having the upper hand.

This season, the Sens were able to knock off the ex-heavyweight champions Tampa Bay Lightning in Muhammad Ali fashion — floating like butterflies, stinging like bees. During a third period brawl April 25, Vincent Lecavalier surely got his lesson, reminding the rest of us that even if you take boxing classes, Zdeno Chara (the Big Z) can still lay down the smack down. The 6-foot-9 Ottawa defenseman cocked his right arm and held it in a sinister way over Lecavalier, who was down on the ice ironically playing defense, but showed mercy by not throwing the big punch. Hopefully, Buffalo took notes on that one, and will have many weapons against Big Z Goliath Chara.

Even after last night's win, the Sabres still won't be able to match up with the likes of Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Martin Havlat, who combined for 30 points in five games against Tampa. The Senators will take the series in six and on to win their Stanley Cup without the Dominator.

It seems like the Beast of the East is New Jersey. After spreading its wrath in Philadelphia, the Devils continue their course for world dominance in Carolina. This should be a phenomenal series and we're going to find out if Cam Ward of Carolina is the real deal. However, looking down the other end facing future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, who hasn't lost a game in over a month, will be a test. New Jersey hasn't lost a hockey game since March 26th. I believe the Devils should be able to take these series in six.

The 2004-05 NHL lockout resulted in the cancellation of what would have been the 88th season. But thanks to teams' stellar play and performance, the NHL and NHLPA were able to score big with fans with the return of postseason hockey, delivering a first round knockout and leaving the door open to a second bout for much more.

Posted by Ray Leroy at 4:15 PM | Comments (0)

May 5, 2006

NBA's Second Season is Red-Hot

March Madness was fun, but now its time to enter May Madness.

The playoffs have not been with us long, but they may already be the best and most entertaining installment of the NBA's postseason since the glorious days of NBC ended in 2002. The first round has been wildly intriguing all across the board thus far, and the possibilities for future rounds continue to intrigue. The subplots and themes have already been well-developed only a week into things.

Strong Lower Seeds

Some, but not all, of this is a result of the NBA's new divisional and seeding system. Three divisions instead of two, and all division winners, regardless of how weak, are guaranteed to be seeded one through three. Fair? No. But interesting? Of course. In the NBA, a league where the favorite is more likely to win than in any other sport and upsets come few and far between, the Lakers, Kings, Bulls, Clippers, and Pacers are all six, seven, or eight seeds that managed to at least tie their series at two against seemingly superior opponents.

The Clippers

Did you ever imagine seeing those wonderful-but-tragic red and blue jerseys with the script lettering dominating the action in late April and May? While Kenyon Martin was confirming to us that he is in fact the ticking time bomb we all knew he can be, and star forward Carmelo Anthony once again played the first round as if someone braided his cornrows too tight, L.A.'s other team hit on all cylinders with their newfound nucleus.

While two members of that core are late-blooming superstars (Corey Maggette and Elton Brand), one more closely resembles E.T. (Sam Cassell), while the other resembles an Unfrozen Caveman (Chris Kaman) — if I may borrow from The Sports Guy himself. And yet it works. The Staples Center was going wild, only this wasn't the Staples Center we knew of. The lane was red, the sidelines, blue. And yet a capacity crowd was cheering wildly just the same. Their team dominated four of five games against the young-and-hungry Nuggets, and was going to the second round. Was this an alternate universe?

This also goes to show that the Clippers did in fact make the wise choice by tanking that odd regular season finale in Memphis. The Grizzles wanted to lose, but the Clips wanted it more. As a result, Memphis has been swept once again and the Clippers are headed for round two with plenty of rest.

Lakers vs. Suns: The Marquee Series

Steve Nash versus Kobe Bryant. MVP versus MVP snub. When was the last time a 2-7 matchup got this much attention and had this much solid play? Game 1 featured Steve Nash hitting a huge three to hold off the Lakers in the Arizona desert. Bryant answered that with a nasty Darryl Dawkins-style "yo mama!" dunk over a stumbling Nash. It only got more personal as it got to L.A. in Game 4, where the nightmare seemed never-ending for No. 13. The Suns had the game won twice, the series tied twice, and Nash managed to cough it up twice.

Meanwhile, Kobe had the answer both times. An impossible yo-yo lay-up over the top of Boris Diaw to force overtime and a be-like-Mike jumper over two Suns at the buzzer that caused bedlam not seen since Robert Horry versus Sacramento four years earlier. That shot prevented a 3-1 series, this shot created one. And the Lakers are now a single win from an improbable seven-seed vs. six-seed Staples Series in L.A. That's right: Clippers/Lakers, winner take all. Just as long as the Lakers don't let the dangerous, freewheeling Suns off the mat.

Kobe had also answered many critics' cries that he wasn't a team player. No. 8 shared in the victory with Lamar Odom, Smush Parker, and Luke Walton, all of which played huge roles in this improbable Laker comeback. It's also worth noting that while Bryant hit the tying and winning baskets, he was not the Lakers' leading scorer in that game, Odom was. Perhaps Phil Jackson has done it again. Perhaps Odom has finally figured out how to be Scottie Pippen. And remember years ago when the Lakers were winning titles and everyone claimed Kobe was the second coming of Michael? After this season, who's to say he still isn't?

For the Suns to have any chance, they will have to conquer their demons: Phoenix is the only playoff team in NBA history to not win a single game decided by three points or less. With a blowout home win in Game 5, Phoenix has a chance, but I predict they will have to win one nail-biting affair if they are to pull off the NBA's version of a 7-10 split and make the comeback.

LeBron

Drop to a knee and genuflect. The long-awaited arrival of the King is finally at hand! With a triple-double to announce his coming in his first-ever playoff game, he battled Washington's challenger-to-the-throne, Gilbert Arenas, to a duel in the final minutes of Game 3. LeBron thrust the sword through the Wizard with an impossible power move in the low-post. While he found himself trapped in mid-air, unable to release a shot in traffic, he patiently waited until an instant before his feet hit the ground to let fly an up-close bank-shot winner with three seconds remaining. It would be the new No. 23's first playoff game winner.

Yet Arenas has been here before, just a year ago, playing without home-court to the highly-touted "Baby Bulls" and they surprised many in winning in six games. While LeBron may be more talented than Arenas, Gilbert has a stronger supporting cast, as Washington can be seen as a three-headed monster of Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler. They have split the first four games of this series and it may very well be up in the air. However, home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs is often the defining factor in an even series. I would put the money on LeBron's Cavaliers in seven games and say the Wiz can't do it two years in a row.

Buzzer-Beaters

Last, but not least, the NBA is giving this year's stellar NCAA tournament a run for its money. Game-winners are pouring into the nets like coins at the arcade. Honestly, how many of you had heard of Kevin Martin — no, that's not a misprint ... Kenyon Martin was in street clothes — before Game 3 of the Kings/Spurs series?

Well, that second-year no-name player just dropped a stunning reverse lay-up over Tim Duncan at the buzzer to keep Sacramento alive. The shot may have recalled memories of Denham Brown's circus heroics for UConn only a month earlier in the NCAA regional finals, only Martin's shot won the game.

This was just an answer to Brent Barry's trick-shot three pointer that found every corner, including the top of the backboard, before dropping through in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime in Game 2. LeBron had an aforementioned game-winner, Kobe had a game-saver and a game-winner in the same contest. Dirk "Diggler" Nowitzki had a gutsy three-pointer off a rebound that forced overtime and ultimately put the Grizzlies to early hibernation.

And yet Carmelo Anthony, the most likely source for a game-winning shot in the regular season, could not join the party. Stay tuned, though, the first round of the playoffs is not over. We could be in store for something truly special.

Now if only we can get the NBA back on NBC where it belongs...

Posted by Bill Hazell at 7:20 PM | Comments (0)

From Bottom to Top

When the Detroit Red Wings clinched the President's Trophy on April 11, the team looked poised to dominate on the way to the Stanley Cup. Less than a month later, the team's next round is on the golf course.

In six games, the Edmonton Oilers won the series and gave the Red Wings a shameful first-round exit. "We didn't play like the No. 1 seed," Red Wings defenseman Mathieu Schneider said after Game 6.

Detroit entered the playoffs with the expectation of a quick first round. In the Western Conference, where seeds 3-8 were separated by a margin of only eight points, Edmonton had just barely edged its way into the last playoff slot. For a team that hadn't won a playoff series since 1998, Edmonton's chances against the invincible Wings looked bleak.

Detroit started the series as expected by winning Game 1, but Edmonton retaliated quickly by winning the next two.

By Game 4, Detroit was not only looking defeated, but old. With seven players 35 or older and two over 40, experience should have been on the Wings' side. Instead, they looked more like tired WWII vets in need of a cane, not a hockey stick.

This rang especially true for captain Steve Yzerman, who struggled with a nagging back injury. Yzerman, who turns 41 on May 9, was asked repeatedly about retirement prior to the playoffs. His answer? "We'll see what happens here and make a decision sometime in late June."

Yzerman sat out for Games 4 and 5, but played in Game 6. His assist to Robert Lang's goal upped him to 185 points, and moved him into the eighth spot for all-time points leaders.

The leadership of the Wings captain wasn't enough, however. Ales Hemsky's two goals in the third period sealed the series for Edmonton.

Fans in Edmonton couldn't have been happier. As the Oilers rallied in the third period of Game 6, the crowd let their team know just how much they were behind them. "They just blew the roof off Rexall," MacTavish recalled. "That's the loudest I've ever heard it."

Meanwhile, around the city, ecstatic fans rushed to the bars for victory drinks. Vehicle occupants high-fived each other at stoplights and waved their Oilers flags proudly. Total strangers wearing Oilers gear hugged each other to the incessant sound of horns honking and chants of "Go Oilers!" Despite all of the enthusiasm, Edmonton police reported that the crowds were well-behaved, and no serious incidents occurred.

One thing is for certain: Edmonton fans want more. And so does the team. "If we didn't believe before, we certainly do now," said D Steve Staios.

Edmonton wasn't the only lower-ranked teams to advance in the playoffs. In the Western Conference, all four top seeds were defeated by their opponents. San Jose defeated fourth-ranked Nashville, while Anaheim took out third-seeded Calgary. After Edmonton, the next biggest shocker was Colorado's defeat of the Dallas Stars.

Falling Stars

In the tight Western Conference playoff race, one point made all the difference in team ranking. For Colorado, such competition wasn't kind.

Injuries to Marek Svatos and Alex Tanguay late in the season took their toll on offense. G Jose Theodore looked rusty after an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for two months. In the last three weeks of the regular season, Colorado slid from third seed to seventh, an uncharacteristically low playoff position for the team. Overall, the Avs looked beaten-down and uninspired, and a short postseason seemed very likely.

As it turns out, seven was a much luckier number than initially thought.

Colorado embarrassed the second-seeded Stars in their own house with a 5-2 win in Game 1. When the Avs took Game 2, as well, the Stars knew they were in trouble — they hadn't come back from a 0-2 deficit since 1968. Unfortunately for Dallas, their woes only got worse.

When Colorado took Game 3 and threatened a sweep, a defeated Dallas team had few answers. "It's the way it's been for us in the series. The bounces haven't gone our way," said Dallas G Marty Turco.

Now Dallas was facing a situation that only two NHL teams had ever overcome: winning four games in a row to take a series.

The Stars did win, and a relieved but still on-edge team returned to their arena with high hopes.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche took their first loss in stride. "They jumped on our mistakes and capitalized on them," said D Patrice Briesbos. Added RW Ian Laperriere, "We're just going to have to raise our level to beat a great team like that."

Just as they had done in games two and three, the Avs finished the job in Game 5 in overtime, where Andrew Brunette scored the series-winning goal.

Doubts as to whether or not the Theodore trade would work out for the Avalanche were quelled with his stellar performance. Against a desperate Dallas team, Jose Theodore made 50 saves. "He's the reason we're standing here with smiles on our face, really. He was unbelievable today," said captain Joe Sakic.

The way the Avs impressed in their series versus Dallas should be a considerable warning to Anaheim, Colorado's next opponent. They'll have their hands full.

Consider the following:

• Theodore is confident and performing well in net.
• Reliable goal scorers Alex Tanguay, Milan Hejduk, and Joe Sakic all came through at key moments against Dallas.
• Lesser-knowns Andrew Brunette, Ian Laperriere, Antti Laaksonen, Wojtek Wolski, and Brett McLean have also been pitching in. No Avalanche line seriously lacks strength, meaning that Anaheim had better be on its toes at all times.
• F Steve Konowalchuk was given the green light to play as of May 3. He suffered an injury on Nov. 21 and will return to the lineup for round two. Without a doubt, he will want to make up for the time he lost.

For the Avalanche, the postseason has been a renewal. The struggles of the regular season have been all but forgotten, and with a thrilling win over the second-ranked Stars, confidence is back on the Avs' side.

Welcome to the new NHL, where anything can happen — and it does.

Posted by Charlynn Smith at 6:36 PM | Comments (1)

Sports Q&A: Daly in the Hole

Tony from Lodi, NJ writes, "Professional golfer John Daly claims to have lost $50 to $60 million during a 12-year period of heavy gambling, and is still paying off the debts. If Daly weren't such a public figure, would he be floating in a large body of water right about now?"

That's assuming Daly floats in water, which he does, when he's on an inner-tube in the Mandalay Bay pool in Vegas, sipping a Cosmopolitan to celebrate winning $300 in quarters in the slots. When not aided by a flotation device, Daly sinks right to the bottom.

Daly should consider himself lucky to still be alive. Not everyone can lose $50 to $60 million and live to pay it off, much less write about it in a soon-to-be-released book in which he explains his problem, including the part in which he says he doesn't plan on quitting. With Daly amassing that much in gambling losses, when did he even have time to write? Is the Russian mob publishing the book? Is the foreword written by Pete Rose? Can somebody get Daly a cigarette and an IOU note?

Daly is such an engaging fellow. Everyone likes him, even his creditors, or at least those he repays regularly. If I could tell a casino head a story about how I played the final round of the 1995 British Open hung over after destroying a hotel room and still managed to win, I would expect that casino head to grant me $500,000 in credit on the spot, and comp me a room. Daly is smart. He's using his celebrity to acquire all this credit, as well as extend the terms of repayment, but he must be the worst gambler in history. What's he doing? Betting large sums of money that he can kick his gambling habit? He's losing, but I bet he's getting great odds.

Daly has been in rehab before, but not for gambling. He previously kicked an alcohol addiction, and spent time in a Tucson, Arizona rehabilitation facility, where former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson was also a patient. While there, Henderson told Daly that Daly would likely find something else he loves as much as drinking, and he should be careful.

You know you've hit bottom when you're in rehab with "Hollywood" Henderson. You know you've hit rock bottom when you're taking advice from Henderson. Rock bottom gets even lower when it turns out that Henderson was right. Incidentally, while in that same facility, Daly allowed Courtney Love to balance his check book, and also let Scott Weiland manage his medication. And they shared several smokes and chatted about good memories and liver deterioration.

They say the first step in kicking an addiction is realizing you have a problem. Well, Daly has nailed that first step. He's realized his condition for about 10 years. Now, it's time to move on to the next step. In Daly's mind, that step is gambling more to pay off his gambling debts so he can stop gambling. If that works, expect Daly's next book to be titled Beat Your Gambling Problem in Three Easy Steps: 1) Slot Machines, 2) Roulette, 3) Blackjack.

All proceeds from the sale of the book would, of course, go towards paying Daly's creditors, and/or financing more gambling. Book deals may be Daly's way out of the 75-foot deep pot bunker that is his debt. He could call his follow-up book Drive For Show, Putt For Interest Payments On Your Massive Debt.

Daly should get a $2 million dollar advance for that, which, at his rate of success, should last about 45 minutes at a casino.

Seriously, Daly has a problem, but at least, as a professional golfer, celebrity, and guy with a lot of stories to tell, he still has huge earning potential. But the only way he can get out of his level of debt is to kick the habit completely. Obviously, Daly can't operate without some sort of addiction. Apparently, golf alone doesn't fill that need. I'm not advocating drinking, but alcoholism is a much cheaper addiction. At least Daly admits his problems and is willing to air them publicly. Give him credit for being a straight-shooter — just don't give him credit at the casino.

Jonathan from Nutley, NJ writes, "Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman was issued a flagrant foul after shoving Denver Nuggets forward Reggie Evans, who had just grabbed Kaman's crotch. If this were baseball, Evans surely would see a fast-ball near his head. Is there comparable retribution in the NBA, and if so, what?"

Isn't it appropriate that Evans plays for the Nuggets? You see a lot of loose balls in the game of basketball, but Evans took it a bit too far. Understandably, Kaman got a little "teste." For such a disgraceful act, Evans should be black-balled. But since he already is, it will be up to the Clippers to seek true vengeance next year, since Los Angeles was in the midst of closing out the Nuggets when Kaman should have exacted his revenge. Evans' comeuppance will come next year, when Kaman will give him a hard foul bordering on flagrant, and all will be settled.

The league, however, has already fined Evans $10,000 for his act, which goes to show that you can buy five packs of Raman noodles for a dollar, but just one handful of Kaman's noodle will cost you much more. In addition, FIFA, soccer's governing body, issued Evans a yellow card for handball. Also, the World Wrestling Entertainment official assigned to Game 4 of the series was mysteriously looking the other way when Evans crotched Kaman, as were the NBA officials on duty. But what WWE official has ever seen a low-blow? Evans' assertion that it was a simple hand check has fallen on deaf ears.

If Evans pulled a similar stunt in the game of baseball, he could immediately expect a bean ball upside the head, and he could do nothing about it but take his base. The Bible, as well as the Major League Baseball rule book, states "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," or something to that effect. In essence, if you hit my player with a pitch, I'll hit yours. There may be ejections involved, but the league usually lets incidences of retribution sort themselves out. The players are allowed to police themselves in that manner. The same applies to hockey. Fighting is not approved of nor discouraged, but if players fight, they are penalized equally, in most cases.

How does this apply to the Kaman/Evans' situation? Forget about Kaman's shove of Evans immediately after the incident. That's not true revenge. And Evans' fine of $10 grand isn't sufficient punishment. That's only $5,000 per testicle, and the physical and emotional trauma suffered by Kaman could render him sterile. Come to think of it, that may not be such a bad thing — the offspring of Chris Kaman are a frightening thought. However, Kaman chooses to get satisfaction, it won't equal his suffering, unless, of course, he tugs on Evans' shorts.

Let's say Kaman chooses to do unto Evans what was done unto him, and Kaman yanks on Evans' manhood when the Clippers and Nuggets first meet next season. Kaman will surely face a stiffer penalty than Evans, since everyone, including the officials and the league, will be looking for Kaman's reaction. Premeditation will be charged, and Kaman will face a more severe fine that Evans for the same offense. That's not fair. We all know Kaman won't go that route, because it's not cool to grab another man's testicles under any circumstances, unless your doctor is doing it. Well, even that's not cool, but if you don't like it, you don't vent your displeasure by grabbing your doctor's package. Ironically, you pay him for doing it.

So, what can Kaman do to vindicate himself? He should refrain from acts of revenge on the court. Psychological warfare is the name of the game now. Kaman should play with Evans' head. Even if Kaman has no intention of slapping Evans with a crotch shot, he should make Evans think he is. There's nothing worse than having your jewels grabbed except spending an entire offseason thinking you'll have the favor returned.

Kaman could start by mailing Evans a daily shipment of Kung Fu Grip G.I. Joe's. Ouch! Then he could send Evans a billiards rack with two matching eight balls. Rack 'em up! Finally, Kaman could have rapper Snoop Dogg call Evans and ask him, "Hey Reggie, did you get up with Deez?" When Evans replies "Deez who?" Snoop can respond with his famous line, "Deez nuts!" Upon hearing that, Evans will go limp with fear. It will be the worst offseason of Evans' life. Don't be surprised if he shows up for the season-opener in a Kevlar jock strap.

So, Evans will face retribution, but it won't be as immediate and absolute as it would have been had a comparable offense occurred in the sports of baseball or hockey. In addition, Evans will have to face the ignominy of being known as "that guy who grabbed that other guy's testicles."

Do you have a question or a comment? Want to tell me I'm an idiot? Need help with your homework? Need bail money? Want to know next week's Powerball numbers? Then send me your questions/comments/insults with your name and hometown to [email protected]. You may get the answer you're looking for in the next column on Friday, May 19th.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 6:05 PM | Comments (1)

May 4, 2006

NBA Playoffs: The Suffixer

Speaking to the media after Game 5 of the Lakers/Suns series about referee Leon Wood's decision to issue him his second technical foul in the fourt quarter, Kobe said, "He didn't like my toneage, if that's a word. He's the decider. Is that a word, decider?"

For all the fans of the "Daily Show," we know that "Decider" is in fact a word, and more than that, it is the name of the secret superhero that President George Bush turns into at night.

Maybe referee Leon Wood is Robin to President Bush's Batman.

Nevertheless, Kobe's quote is indicative of a new kind of NBA language that is coming to fruition as we near the end of the first round of the playoffs.

The playoffs are a special breed of basketball, and the language to describe them needs to be just as special. As a public service, I will now explicate the meanings of some of the most important words coming out of the postseason.

1. Decider

What will be the decider for the Suns/Lakers series?

The Suns showed up in Game 5 playing a rougher, more physical brand of basketball that seemed, for the moment at least, to give them the edge and to allow them to return to their up-and-down, frenetic style of play.

While this may have worked for one game, judging from Kobe's comments afterward I wouldn't expect the Lakers to back down. Phil Jackson will find a way to adjust and slow down the Phoenix offense while giving Kobe a chance for more open looks at the basket.

The Decider in this series is going to be the coaching of the Zenmaster. WIth his team constantly moving toward the point of understanding his philosophy, Jackson is in a good position to get a win in one of the next two games.

2. Sweepest

The only sweep in the first round was brought to us by the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki. The question is, should we take the Mavs' dominance as evidence of their power in the Western Conference? The Spurs have struggled with the Kings, and yet remain the prohibitive pick to make the NBA Finals from the West. After a long season during which the Mavs went down to the wire with the Spurs for the best record in the conference, the Mavs have shown to be the stronger team in the first round.

Perhaps it is a matter of matchups, and perhaps the Spurs haven't hit their championship stride yet, but are the Mavs the sweepest? Is that a word?

We'll see in remainder of the Spurs/Kings series whether or not the Spurs have earned themselves favorite status or not.

3. Shaq or Shaquer

Can Shaq be the big guy in the Heat/Bulls series?

In the two games that Miami has lost, Shaq only played around a total of 48 minutes because of foul trouble.

After a scary fall to the hardwood by Dwyane Wade in Tuesday night's game, Pat Riley and the Heat have to be wondering whether or not this year is going to finish the same way as last. Sure, Wade came back to lead the Heat's fourth quarter surge, but if there are any lingering effects from the fall, you can be sure the Miami organization is going to have scary flashbacks of last year.

The difference is going to be whether or not Shaq is Shaquer than he has been in Miami's losses. On his good days, when he is not in foul trouble and when he is manning the middle like an inhuman beast of basketball, the Heat are unstoppable.

Free throw percentage aside, he can be the most dominating player on the floor, and his presence and performance determine to some extent the success of Wade and the rest of the team.

4. Injurless

Speaking of Dwyane Wade's nasty fall in Game 5, what happens when one of your star players gets injured and you are forced to reconfigure your entire game-plan to compensate for his absence?

The question for the remainder of the playoffs is going to be who can stave off the injury bug the longest.

Chicago must have been asking the same question after they saw Kirk Hinrich limp off the floor after hurting his ankle in the first half.

Take away either player for an entire game and the complexion of the series takes on a whole new hue.

It is not what the organizations, nor the fans, want to see, but at some point, one of the playoff teams will probably have to contend with playing without one of their better players.

The rest of the players that rise to the occasion and the coaches that utilize their benches the best will prove to be the differences when a player the caliber of Dwyane Wade goes down.

5. Witnesser

Shirts are sold outside Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland bearing the simple phrase, "Witness."

They are, of course, a reference to the Nike advertisements bearing the image of LeBron James with the slogan, "We are all witnesses."

The question is ... to what?

Cleveland is a game up on Washington after Wednesday night's game, putting the series at 3-2.

If the Cavaliers are the ones standing around witnessing and watching LeBron, you can be pretty sure that the Wizards are going to be the team moving on into the second round.

If the Cavs are the ones witnessing Gilbert Arenas run sprints through the lane in the middle of a stagnant defense, then the result is going to be the same.

The only way the Cavs are going to advance is if the fans get to witness what made LeBron so magical during the regular season. He has to be a leader, and as such, has to bring his teammates up to his level in order to advance.

A possible second round matchup with the Pistons is only going to become reality if the Nike prophecy becomes truth in the heated and intense atmosphere of the playoffs.

Otherwise, LeBron is simply a regular season MVP candidate that gave Nike the opportunity to sell a lot of shoes.

6. Manifest Destiner

For almost the entire season we heard only one thing.

It is going to be the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

No one seemed to disagree to any large extent, and the regular season performance by both teams seemed to back up this prediction.

The first round of the playoffs have seemed to show some of the chinks in unbeatable armor of these two teams.

Pundits and columnists now seem content to still predict a Pistons/Spurs final, but it seems to be with less zeal than before. Their tough first round matchups with less talented teams, combined with the Dallas sweep of the Grizzlies, appears to have made everyone a little less sure about things.

Yes, they probably are the best two teams, and yes, I would still wager that they will both make the Finals, but everyone seems to be admitting that neither team is going to have an easy time getting there.

If we are prepared to admit the tough road ahead for them, then why are we not prepared for the possibility that one, or neither, of the teams might not get there?

What seemed like a sure thing only weeks ago seems to be getting more iffy by the game.

Perhaps things will change when both teams hit their playoff strides and again play like the best two teams in the NBA.

7. Apathiest

Am I alone in not caring about the Pacers/Nets series?

Other than Vince Carter, is there any other compelling storyline?

There is no defending champs, there is no Kobe or LeBron or Shaq. And, as such, no one seems to care that much.

Vince Carter remains the one intriguing characteristic.

The headline on ESPN for Tuesday night's game read, "Con-Vince-ing-Performance."

They were right about one thing, but only if they were assuming everyone reading the headline would take it with a little Spanish flavor.

For all those readers who didn't get the opportunity to take Spanish in school, "con" means "with" in the language.

And that is the biggest factor of the series ... the inclusion of Vince Carter.

The Nets can't win without him, and the public (at least me) wouldn't probably care if it weren't for him. His presence as a veteran, or rather a veteran playing determined, unselfish basketball, is going to get the Nets into the second round.

If the pouting Vince Carter of old comes back, even for a game, the Pacers are going to have a gigantic edge.

8. Artestamenter

The Sacramento Kings have showed that they can win with or without Ron Artest, which is impressive considering that they are playing the Spurs.

To no surprise, the Kings are a better team when Artest is on the floor and playing to his capabilities. His one-game suspension and Sacramento's performance in his absence have probably provided the impetus for him to be a sizable factor in the remainder of the series.

If the Kings and Artest can pull it out against San Antonio, it is going to be a testament to their late season turnaround and the organization's dedication to winning. The energy they have had since the trade with the Pacers has been matched only by a few teams (like the Lakers) in the last weeks of the regular season.

A Kings victory would also be testament to the lack of focus by the Spurs. How else could a team picked as the favorite in the Western Conference lose to such a low seed? How else could their talent and ability disappear so fast when the games mattered the most?

The answer would be a lack of focus, and the assumption that a first round win against the Kings would be a sure thing.

The Spurs can't wait too much longer to regain their focus and composure and play like the team that we all know they are.

Hopefully, this little explanation of the latest in NBA playoff jargon has helped a little in understanding the fundamental issues that we are all watching as the first round comes to a close.

After all, we all want to know what the decider will be.

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 10:17 PM | Comments (2)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 9

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson cruised for 187 laps in Talladega, avoiding two big crashes, then powered by Brian Vickers and held off Tony Stewart to sweep the spring restrictor plate races. Johnson won the season-opener in Daytona.

"Two for two, baby," says Johnson. "I'm the king of the restrictor plate. Hopefully, this will silence all the criticism I faced last year for causing wrecks at the two Talladega races. If not, anyone who still has a problem with my driving can call 1-800-Hows-My-Driving. If anyone still has a problem, then can suck the Big One."

With the win, his third of the year, Johnson regains the points lead over Matt Kenseth, and holds a 21-point lead over the Roush driver.

2. Tony Stewart — Who else but Tony Stewart would be sick of second-place finishes? Mark Martin, you say? Good point, but Stewart collected his second runner-up result of the year and sixth second-place at Talladega. Leading during a restart on lap 180, Stewart was passed by Jeff Gordon, who Stewart claimed "held up" and jumped the restart.

"That's a trick that's okay when I do it," says Stewart, "but not when someone does it to me. Kind of like getting a wedgie. It's hilarious when someone else gets the business, but when you're the butt of the joke, it's not so cool. And a good pair of underwear has been ruined."

Stewart picks up two places in the points to third, 78 points behind Johnson.

3. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth and teammate Jamie McMurray finished sixth and fifth, while Roush teammates Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, and Carl Edwards suffered through compromised engines, wrecks, and general bad luck. Kenseth himself got his bad luck out of the way early, starting at the rear of the field after performing engine maintenance after Saturday's qualifying. Kenseth quickly picked his way through the field, and eventually led 23 laps.

"It seems that Roush Racing is stricken by a curse this year," says Kenseth, clutching a rabbit's foot, "especially Mark Martin and Greg Biffle. If it wasn't for bad luck, they'd have no luck at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me! Hey, Grandpa, what's for dinner? Oh, sorry about that. I went a little Hee Haw-crazy there. But at least I can take comfort in the sounds of the Hee Haw All Jug Band's greatest hits on my iPod."

Kenseth now trails Jimmie Johnson by 21 points after heading to Talladega with a nine-point lead.

4. Jeff Gordon — Gordon clearly had the dominant car at Talladega, leading 62 of 188 laps, but, true to the nature of restrictor plate racing, fell to 15th after leading lap 186. Gordon raised the ire of Tony Stewart, who claimed Gordon laid back on a lap 180 restart, which allowed him to pass Stewart moments later.

"F Tony Stewart," says Gordon. "Wait a minute. His first name's not Francis? Who am I kidding? We all know what that 'F' stands for. 'Flip.' Not 'Flip' like Wilson, but 'flip' as in Tony flipped in the Busch race, then probably flipped me the bird after that restart. Anyway, I'd like to thank my teammates, Jimmie Johnson and Brian Vickers, for hanging me out to dry like a wet sock there at the end of the race. Maybe Jimmie's forgotten, but I'm his car owner and I can revoke his license if I so choose. Drivers are a dime a dozen, especially when unsigned drivers like Ricky Bobby are floating around."

Gordon maintains sixth in the points, and now is 221 behind Johnson.

5. Kasey Kahne — Kahne was collected in a lap nine crash triggered by contact between Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch that damaged 15 cars and sent more debris flying than a pit road cat fight. Kahne visited the infield care center and walked away under his own power, but was medically ordered not to continue driving. Fellow Dodge driver Hermie Sadler assumed the ride, taking over for Kahne in the No. 9 Evernham Dodge.

"It's a huge disappointment to wreck so early," says Kahne, "or should I say, 'be wrecked.' I wish I could have continued racing, but I have to respect the decisions of the medical staff. And I have to respect the decision of my crew chief to have Sadler take over. A brilliant decision. No one has more experience driving a wrecked car than Hermie Sadler."

Kahne got credit for a 39th-place finish, which dropped him only one position in the points. Kahne is now in fourth, 181 off the pace.

6. Mark Martin — Like Kahne, Martin was victimized by "The Big One" and had his Talladega hopes dashed in an early crash that damaged his AAA Roush Ford. Martin returned to the track with the hood of teammate Greg Biffle's Subway Ford on his car.

"With Triple A on the hood," says Martin, "you're just asking for trouble. Twenty-four hour roadside assistance? Hah! Fiddlesticks! Where were they on Monday? My car needed them. Subway's never let me down. Anytime I'm hungry, Triple A's not there, but geeky Subway spokesman Jared is there with a cold cut combo. Subway may not be my sponsor, but they hook me up whenever I need, just like Viagra did last year."

Martin eventually finished 35th, and dropped one spot in the points to fourth.

7. Kevin Harvick — Harvick finished second in Saturday's Busch series Aaron's 312, but wasn't so fortunate in Monday's Aaron's 499. The No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevy was damaged in the race's first big crash, and Harvick fell three laps down. He eventually made up two of those laps and limped home 23rd, one lap down. Harvick still gained a position in the points, moving up to seventh.

"Let me guess," complains Harvick. "Did a Busch brother have anything to do with that pileup on lap nine? Do I really even need an answer to that question? Some of these young snapperheads don't know how to get in a single-file line and follow. Some of these guys would mess up a good conga line at a Jimmy Spencer keg party. Three-wide is okay. Four-wide is questionable. Five-wide? That's like using the median as an extra lane on a four-lane highway. Somebody needs to be slapped, and I'm just the man to do it. But not until I sign a fat, new contract to drive for Richard Childress."

8. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet sporting the paint scheme of his late father's No. 3, led eight laps before a blown engine 37 laps from the end relegated him to a 31st-pace finish. Earnhardt fell one position to eight in the points, and is now 274 points out of first.

"Take away the blown engine," says Earnhardt, "and it wasn't such a bad extended weekend for myself. My pal Martin Truex, Jr. won Saturday's Busch race in his own No. 8 car. That dude has one cool goatee. I was kickin' it old school with the greatest actor of my time, Will Ferrell. And, because of Sunday's rainout, we all were treated to not one, but two national anthems by Edwin McCain. It doesn't get any better than this. Yeah, it does."

9. Kyle Busch — Busch was in the middle of a lap nine crash that affected much of the field. The No. 5 Hendrick Chevrolet survived, but not without damage, and Busch only completed 150 laps and finished 32nd. He remains ninth in the points, and is 317 points out of Jimmie Johnson's lead.

"That crash wasn't my fault," Busch pleads. "I've already got enough trouble on my hands, with my bad reputation and growing list of enemies. I'm still trying to issue an apology to Casey Mears for my behavior in Phoenix, but he won't return my calls. Which is the same result I get when I call my female friends, or 'pit lizards' as I call them. They won't return my calls. Just so we're on the same page, Casey, I'm calling to apologize, not to ask you out on a date."

Kyle, this is NASCAR. Real men don't apologize, they watch their backs. Never let your opponents know you were at fault. I know that's a difficult proposition as a Busch brother, because you and Kurt are usually always at fault, but you've got to suck it up. No apologies and no mercy.

10. Dale Jarrett — Jarrett shared his Taladega experience with a special guest, professional golfer and noteworthy fun guy Fred Funk, who watched Jarrett through a safe and solid 12th-place finish in the Aaron's 499. Jarrett climbed into the top 10 of the points, and sits in 10th, 328 points out of first.

"We want the funk, gotta have that funk," sings Jarrett, oblivious to the fact that he's 49-years-old and white. "It was great to have Fred here. We've got a lot in common. I insist that NASCAR drivers are true athletes, as I stated on the '10 Laps With Chris Meyers' segment on FOX, and Fred claims that golfers are athletes, as well. We're both right, and to prove it, I've challenged Fred to a 'Chew Gum and Walk At the Same Time' contest, which will be viewable on pay-per-view."

That's great, Dale. I'll look for that, as soon as I go blind. Anyway, you stated that the ability to drive a car for four hours under extreme conditions makes NASCAR drivers athletes. That only makes you well-conditioned. It doesn't necessarily mean you are an athlete. A true athlete wouldn't throw a baseball like Kurt Busch. You may be an athlete, but until you throw a 88 mph slider to open an Atlanta Braves game, you're just a driver.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 9:34 PM | Comments (0)

May 3, 2006

NBA Playoffs: Struggles of Power

If you think about it, there are words that can be easily interchanged through all sports. There's gliding, slamming, boarding, shooting, screening, checking, and so on. But while terms like these are in the lexicon of both hockey and basketball, it doesn't mean that I expect Tony Parker to skate down the ice, looking to slap a wrister past Ron Artest.

In other words, could someone tell the NBA their playoffs might run alongside the Stanley Cup Finals, but it's not quite the same. Or just maybe, the ballers are finally catching up.

It's unfortunate that ESPN doesn't "do" hockey anymore. I miss the nights of catching multiple glimpses and long stretches of postseason skate time. In my opinion, the NHL has the best championship run of them all.

Doesn't he know that those skaters are no more than barnstormers on ice right now?

The reason why? Will beats talent, momentum has a purpose, and home ice doesn't matter. How else could the top two seeds in the Western Conference (Detroit and Dallas) be looking for new fishing poles instead of prepping for round two?

The home ice argument doesn't matter so much in the Association (mainly because they don't play on frozen water), but the other two reasons I gave are starting to show a little more. As we turn the calendar to the month of May, three NBA series are looking mighty interesting. Granted, there have been upsets in the playoffs before, and this round still has a long way to go. But why are the current results so shocking this time around?

Look only to this time last year. The top four seeds in the 2005 playoffs (Detroit, San Antonio, Miami, and Phoenix) easily threw aside their first-round opponents, ending up with a combined 16-2 record. Plus, when comparing the bottom feeders, you might think the 2005 bunch was a tad bit better than their '06 counterparts.

Au contraire. This year, the same four teams (in the same four positions) almost all have two or more losses in their respective battles. Save for the Pistons, these squads are at least even with the seven and eight seeds heading into Game 5.

Most of the experts were saying that the Bulls and Kings didn't have much of a shot of winning four games combined, let alone the four needed to advance to the second round. It seemed that would be the case, with Sacramento getting destroyed in their first effort in San Antonio and Chicago losing two tough ones on South Beach.

However, both teams have bounced back, which has to have raised a few eyebrows. The home cookin' was enough to pull the lower seeds back even with the more experienced and talented opposition.

And don't forget about the Lakers. With Kobe's heroics leading the way, L.A.'s more famous team is up 3-2 on the favored Suns. That despite the fact Bryant is more than 12 points below his season average.

But there is a logical explanation as to how these three teams got to this position. As Woody Paige would so aptly say on "Around the Horn," look at the schedule. Over the last few weeks, Sac-town, Chi-town, and La-La Land have produced some hot basketball.

The Lakers were victorious in 11 of the regular season's last 14 games, including five in a row to end the year. Kings' fans embraced Ron Artest early and often. The welcome attitude paid off to the tune of a 26-14 record in his 40 regular season starts, part of it involving a 7-2 mark in the month of April.

Out East, people are continuing to see growth spurts from the Baby Bulls. With a team mainly comprised of guys who can't legally rent a car from your local Hertz, they proved to be more wily and gutsy than imagined. All but out of the playoff picture, the Windy City Kiddies won 12 of the stanza's last 14, with a 9-1 April résumé to boot.

Combining that with some stunning April results, top seeds San Antonio (lost three games at home), Miami (4-7), and Phoenix (5-5) should only help increase the confidence of certain opponents.

Like I said, we possibly have another week to go in the contests. These tides have basically turned on the strength of home-court, a much bigger luxury in basketball than hockey. However, the snowball effect is available to anybody in any and every aspect of sport. Momentum makes strange bedfellows, and some of the time, it doesn't include home sweet home.

Plus, when have you ever seen the Dallas Mavericks emerge as the odds-on favorite? This could be juicy.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 4:37 PM | Comments (0)

Losing Daly

Sports fans are naturally drawn to the lovable losers. It's hard for me to even really describe why without being a Chicago Cubs fan. I'm guessing it's the perpetual losing, but we don't have a remarkable number of Arizona Cardinals fans. I imagine it has to deal with the impressiveness of the losing, as it seems the lovable losers always find a way to master the art of losing. Perhaps it's the mastery of misery which makes them lovable. If that's the case, I can finally rationalize my newfound support of John Daly.

John Daly is pound-for-pound one of the biggest losers in sports. If you've seen a picture of him, you know just how powerful a statement that is. He's a decent golfer, as far as pros go, and has earned close to $9 million in tour winnings. The losing comes in the casinos, where Daly claims to have lost between $50 million and $60 million over the past 12 years. That is an astronomical figure that could set an entirely new precedent for losing.

I've got to admit, it is flat-out impressive. He can't be earning more than $4 million a year (legally, at least), yet he's losing an average of a little more than $4.1 million a year (and that's a conservative figure). His losing puts the Washington Generals to shame. The big question here is can he possibly keep this up?

Let's be honest, the Red Sox were much more enjoyable to root for before they broke that ridiculous curse. They are just another team now whereas before, they were special. Maybe it's simply because misery loves company, or maybe people are astonished by the mastery of the misery, but people were drawn to them. Daly is the on the verge of something huge here, and I want to be a part of it. As soon as a Nike competitor releases a knockoff of the LeBron James "Witness" shirt for Daly, I'll stock my wardrobe. But can he really pull it off?

Surely, it's going to be a lot harder now that people know about his habits. "Friends" and concerned people close to Daly are, naturally, going to try to mess this up. They will come to him with poorly-concocted plans to cure his "addiction," and I just don't appreciate that. I understand the concept of fixing something that's broken, but shouldn't the argument also be made that something that is broken to the point that it has created an entirely new and beautiful thing should be left alone?

Daly, who has a history of addicting vices, claims his gambling could "flat-out ruin" him if he doesn't get it under control. I'm not going to lie, with Daly revealing this story on his own, it sounds like a cry for help. If he teeters even a bit and loses sight of the goal for only a moment, things could very, very wrong. He's even telling members of the media that he's going to start playing $25 slots instead of $5,000 slots in order to get things under control.

Shouldn't this worry me, especially since I just purchased my personal seat license on the John Daly bandwagon? Nope, because I see through it all — he's using the media better than any club in his bag (which isn't saying much some days). In fact, I'm more encouraged after reading his comments to the press.

The reason we have this "revelation" isn't because John needs our help, he's doing this to spike sales of his book, "John Daly: My Life In and Out of the Rough." He doesn't want help to curb his gambling, he's looking to boost his income dramatically in order to fuel the fire. The beast is hungry, and John Daly has been spending the past 12 years of his life trying to feed it. Now, all he's doing is asking for donations to help feed the hungry.

His stories about losing $1.65 million in a span of hours and once losing $600,000 in half an hour have me liking my odds that he can keep it up. Those are feats of greatness that make Bill Buckner look like Joe Montana. Daly has shown flashes of brilliance, but as his career continues to advance, I've got to assume he's losing a step on his losing. I feel as if I've got to do everything in my power to help him succeed, so I figure the best way to end this column is with a piece of advice and with a pep talk. Anyone who reads this that truly cares about great losers, please forward this to John Daly's people.

The advice: John, the Internet is everywhere. I know you've got some impressive gambling losses in you and any night you are capable of dropping a few hundred grand, but consistency is the way to success. With the Internet, you can gamble consistently. Picture this: you could be on the golf course, smoking, drinking, and gambling at the same time. I'll do you one better, you can sign up with sponsor BetOnSports.com and use the "Sports Gospel" promo to help boost the streak. I know you're the one with the proven track record, but I just wanted to throw in my two cents (with a caveat that you must use those cents in some sort of wager).

Now, for the pep talk: John, everywhere you go, people refuse to respect you. They don't take you seriously. I do. They point and laugh at your failures, but I'm here to celebrate them. You can do this, John. Don't let anything stand in your way to immortality and history. In a lifestyle where losers are created on a regular basis, you will stand at the top of the food chain. And, when you do retire on top, everyone will finally know who the biggest loser truly is. Witness!

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 3:20 PM | Comments (0)

NL Central Race Brings Out Best in Reds

Forget the knee-shaking, nail-biting race that was supposed to be the NL East this year. In fact, the only thing tight about that division this year is the Mets' unlikely stranglehold of the Braves.

Now that we're all spared from the gazillion NFL draft preview stories on ESPN for another year, all eyes should be focused on the NL Central, when this one after that one after this one continue to belong to the Cincinnati Reds.

Let's be honest here — when Bob Castellini took on the role as the new owner and CEO in January and hired Wayne Krivsky as the new General Manager, you were excited, but your expectations weren't high.

You had been there before when Carl Lindner replaced Marge Schott as owner, but his broken promises and firm grip on his cash did nothing but disappoint.

You had been there before when Dan O'Brien signed free agents like Eric Milton for 2005, but that pickup summed up the entire Reds season after he gave up a major-league leading 40 home runs last year.

So this year you didn't want to believe everything you heard about the media buying into the organizational moves because you were tired of the false hope that the Cincinnati franchise demanded of you. You had been told your team was going to be rebuilt by 2004. Then it was 2008, but you knew it had to be 2020. What's another year of new faces?

Well, what's a new franchise record of 17 wins in April? Keep in mind this is no Arizona Diamondback team — the Reds have been around since 1869! Tradition is powerful, and it was just that rich history that Cincinnati was trying dig into for inspiration by bringing back former stars Tom Browning, Mario Soto, and others as "advisors."

With the best record in baseball at the end of April and sole possession of first place, you have to be excited about a team that hasn't had this kind of energy since 1999. Yet they're still soaring under the radar, and they nearly swept the defending NL champion Astros. Who cares if Roy Oswalt was 15-0 lifetime against us? With an 18-8 record after Monday, we can beat anyone!

Even if the Cardinals have Albert Pujols, you have to admit that the Reds' offense is just better. On any given day, any hitter from leadoff hitter Ryan Freel to the pitcher (yes, pitcher) could hit one out and spark-plug a burst of scoring. After a strong spring training, third baseman Edwin Encarnacion has quickly proven he can hit and field against the best. Sometimes you even have to wonder if he has a better arm throwing from his knees.

Some teams, like the Phillies of the NL East, move the fences back to give their terrible pitchers a better chance at winning. Others, like the Reds, figured out how to find the right players. Yet the Reds' pitching has always been an X-factor for them. It seems, though, that each man in the rotation is trying to outdo the other.

Bronson Arroyo says, "At first, I didn't want to be traded, but now that I get three at-bats each outing, I could hit more home runs than Barry Bonds this year!"

Aaron Harang says, "I can throw a complete game shutout on three days rest!"

Elizardo Ramirez says, "I can get my first major league win and hit in the same game after just getting called up from Triple-A!"

Brandon Claussen says, "I can out-duel Roy Oswalt when I pitch!"

And Dave Williams says, "Well, I haven't really done anything, but yeah! Go Reds!"

It's going to be a close one in the Central this year. You can't blame Williams for getting excited, though he has contributed the least on the staff. Even if the Reds' success continues, Williams knows as well as anyone — any team is better than Pittsburgh.

Posted by Sara Normand at 3:05 PM | Comments (0)

May 2, 2006

NBA Playoffs: MVP Talk

It is truly a shame that the MVP voting for the NBA occurs before the playoffs begin.

Whether or not certain voters would be persuaded or dissuaded from voting for a certain candidate based on how far his respective team advances, delaying the vote would give ample time and opportunity to accurately gauge the ability and influence of most of the prime players.

Take this year, for instance. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kobe Bryant were the viable candidates for the MVP Award, and guess what, they are all in the playoffs.

What they do from this point on, while mattering to their team's hopes for NBA Finals glory, don't mean anything as far as the MVP Award goes.

Honestly, when was the last time there was a viable candidate for MVP that didn't make the postseason?

And even if there was, or were, why would postponing the vote until after the season necessarily mean that those players making the playoffs would get some sort of edge, or secondhand benefit from the postseason success of their team? Would voters really be so blind to the meaning of the award and be swayed by other factors? Do we not trust them to be evenhanded (if not completely fair and objective?)

Regardless of the voting setup or the voting for this season's official MVP, I thought it was time to take a look at the NBA playoffs through some MVP-tinted glasses.

Is Steve Nash really the MVP? After watching the first four games of the Suns/Lakers series, isn't it plain to see that Nash isn't even the Most Valuable Player in the first round?

Whether or not Nash is struggling because Phil Jackson has devised a defense that stifles the Canadian point guard, or whether the Lakers are controlling the tempo to the point that the up-and-down Suns' offense never has had a chance to really get going, Nash and his Phoenix teammates are looking at the chance of being eliminated by a team that had to make a mad dash to even make the playoffs.

And then there is Kobe.

A player that I love to hate. "Love to hate" doesn't even describe it. But, much to my dismay, Kobe has found a way to get his teammates involved on a consistent basis. More than that, his teammates are coming through in a way they didn't in the regular season. Luke Walton, Smush Parker, Lamar Odom, and the bunch are active on the offensive end, cutting through the paint with hands up waiting for a pass from Kobe.

Kobe and the Lakers have found a way to win (and win against the Suns) that does not necessarily require Kobe scoring 40 points. Sure, he's going to have those nights, but it is apparent that the team is not relying on in it anymore.

What is important for Kobe to do, and what he has done thus far, is to be the veteran with the killer instinct. He showed it last night against the Suns, sending the game into overtime with a lay-up, and then sending the Lakers home with a victory with a buzzer-beating jumper.

Yes, it is the Suns vs. the Lakers, but it is also a matchup of two MVP candidates, and if the measure of that award is both how a player makes his team better and how he excels individually, then the verdict is clear.

One is looking Jordan-esque with a 3-1 lead, and the other looks like he'll get an early start on figuring out where he is going to watch the World Cup.

The Eastern Conference is a bit more muddled.

The Bucks took one game from Detroit last night in convincing and dominating fashion last night behind a stand-out performance by Michael Redd.

Even before the postseason began, I was never even slightly convinced that Chauncey Billups should win the MVP this year. On a team like the Pistons where there were four all-stars from the starting lineup, and there are no real superstars, I always thought it odd that one of them would be considered for the MVP. All-star, sure. MVP, no.

If you made anyone the MVP from the Pistons, it would almost have to be the entire team. From the coaching to the five starters, the Pistons play at a level and with a sense of team that isn't really found anywhere else. The system works, and not to downplay Billups' role, but you could probably plug another player in his role and the Pistons still win 50-60 games.

The same cannot be said for LeBron James and the Cavs. Take LeBron out of the picture and this team barely has a chance to make the playoffs. James carried the team on his throne through the entire regular season, oftentimes in spite of the coaching and his teammates.

After four games, the Wizards and Cavs stand even at 2-2 in the first round. WIth almost no exception, King James was the sole reason for the Cavs' second win. In a game that saw the Wizards lead almost 95% of the time, it was LeBron that finally got the Cavs over the hump and into the win column. His driving layup (with a no-call foul to boot) with five seconds left was the clincher in a game that saw him become the youngest player ever to record 40 points in his first game on the road in the playoffs.

The problem with LeBron is that, for whatever reason, he seems to be the only guy on the floor at some times. Every play runs through him, and oftentimes you can find the other four players standing idly by and watching him take on the entire other team.

Whether it's the coaching, the lack of talent in some of his teammates, or something inside of him, LeBron just doesn't seem to have the supporting cast (supporting as in how the Lakers are playing right now) that will allow the team to get much further in the playoffs.

One thing is clear though, LeBron is the reason Cleveland is here, and LeBron is the reason Cleveland has a chance to win this series.

The fact that the Cleveland/Washington series is knotted up at two games apiece isn't nearly as surprising as the fact that the Heat and Bulls are in the exact same position.

Who would have thought that Chicago would have any chance against Miami? I thought they might win one game at most, but never did I think that they would take two.

WIth an aging Shaq, Dwyane Wade is the heart, soul, and driving force behind the Heat now. As evidenced by game two of this series, it is he who has the ball in his hands in the fourth quarter and the game on the line.

However, in game four, Wade had only 20 points. Sure, he had 10 assists, but he also had 5 turnovers. Shaq had limited playing time, and Jason Williams had only 2 points.

The Heat seem to have lost their swagger and the only person that can get it back is Wade. If we were talking about one game I would say that an outstanding performance by Shaq would put them over the edge. However, they need two more wins to escape this series, and the youthfulness and talent of Wade is the only thing that is going to get them there.

At the end of the regular season I had a final list for the MVP Award:

1. LeBron James
2. Steve Nash
3. Dwyane Wade
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Kirk Nowitzki
6. Chauncey Billups

As of Sunday night, I have an entirely new list:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. Dwyane Wade
4. Steve Nash
5.. Dirk Nowitzki
6. Chauncey Billups

One through four changed entirely based upon the first week of the playoffs. Every player had a chance to make his case.

If the playoffs are a special breed of basketball, one alive with adrenaline and emotion, and if the playoffs are the stage where we find out what a player is made of, then Kobe has shown us that he is prepared to take the Lakers back to the Finals in the near future.

Players are defined by what they do in the postseason, so why not allow our definition of the MVP include that, too?

Posted by Vince Grzegorek at 4:59 PM | Comments (3)

One-on-One With Tony Richardson

The term "good guy" is not heard or used as often as it should be in the National Football League. In the media, we hear more about athletes being arrested than athletes lending a hand in the community. Every athlete in the limelight makes the choice to be tagged the "good guy" or the "trouble maker."

Minnesota Vikings' newly-acquired veteran fullback Tony Richardson has made the commitment to continue to be one of the elite "good guys" in the league. Take a minute to step inside the mind of T-Rich and learn what makes him a "good guy."

Hanna Loberg: After moving to Minnesota from Kansas City after 11 years, what will become of your charity work in KC?

Tony Richardson: I will still be heavily involved with Kansas City, still sitting on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club. Pretty much everything I've had going in KC I'll keep going because KC has been so great to me. Basically, I'll try to do just as much in Minnesota. [The] Rich in Spirit Foundation will stay in Kansas City.

HL: What sparks you to give back to the community?

TR: To me, that's what it's all about. As a professional athlete, we sometimes judge by how many touchdowns were scored or how many Pro Bowls they played in. But at the end of the day, I think ultimately we are going to be judged by the number of people we touch. That's something my parents always taught me, you can never run out of good things to do to people.

HL: Who did you look up to?

TR: My Dad. But once in the league, Derrick Thomas, Rich Gannon, and Lamar Hunt.

HL: Since you're known as a "good guy" do you feel pressure to uphold that?

TR: I don't think it's pressure, I think you just live your life being the person you are. You're under the microscope, but at the end of the day, I realize that I'm far from being perfect and I make mistakes just like everyone else. If you just stay who you are and don't do anything out of character, then you shouldn't have any problem.

HL: Temptations in the NFL?

TR: In the league, it's really a kind of fantasy life. So much if given to you because of who you are. Anytime you're in a limelight position, people may try to take you down or get you down the wrong track. In any situation, I always ask, what could go wrong in this situation? Will it embarrass my family or the organization? That is what has helped me in situations.

HL: Favorite thing about being an athlete?

TR: An opportunity to bring entertainment to a city. When a team wins, a city prospers. A person can go to a game on a Sunday and if they're team wins, they can have a great Monday. But as an athlete, it just gives you a platform.

HL: What do you value the most?

TR: My family. First and foremost, my family.

HL: When you have free time?

TR: I'm the type of person who loves to stay around the house. For me, a good night at home, a good movie, and dinner. I'm a simple guy, sit around the house, read, and relax.

HL: Favorite movie?

TR: Everyone throws out Scarface. One of my favorite movies, believe it or not, is Pretty Woman.

HL: Best coach?

TR: Dick Vermeil.

HL: Favorite Food?

TR: Pasta.

HL: Favorite hobby?

TR: A lot of people don't know, but I collect wine.

HL: Chocolate or vanilla?

TR: Vanilla. I'm allergic to chocolate.

HL: One wish?

TR: A cure for world hunger.

HL: Favorite sport to watch?

TR: College basketball ... Duke.

Posted by Hanna Loberg at 4:33 PM | Comments (1)

May 1, 2006

NFL Draft Breakdown

Five Quick Hits

* The Eagles have a better front office than Minnesota does. Two years ago, the Dolphins traded a second-round draft pick to get A.J. Feeley. This year, the Dolphins traded a second-round draft pick to get Daunte Culpepper.

* Was it just me, or was this year's first round more exciting than last year's?

* If you answered "yes," here's one possible explanation. Last season, it took six hours. This time, it was over in a little more than five. That still doesn't count as quick.

* The Saints entertained trade offers for the second pick and the right to draft Reggie Bush, but after the debacle of the trade Mike Ditka made to obtain Ricky Williams, no team was going to blow them away with a deal.

* Some teams are more active on draft day than others, but Denver makes headlines every year.

***

With the first day of the NFL's annual college draft in the books by this writing, winners and losers have already emerged. The first three rounds are where teams make their most significant draft picks, and every year, some teams do better than others.

First-Day Winners

* New Orleans Saints — The number of Google hits for "Sam Bowie" has probably doubled in the last 48 hours. Just as Bowie will always be remembered as the player selected before Michael Jordan, Mario Williams may go down in history as the man chosen before Reggie Bush.

I'm not trying to anoint Bush, but if half the things coaches and scouts have been saying about Bush — the comparisons to Gale Sayers and Marshall Faulk, the "once-in-a-generation talent" lines — are true, then Houston made a huge mistake by passing on Bush, and New Orleans cashed in big-time by getting him.

Deuce McAllister has had injury problems the last couple of seasons, and he hasn't been the same even when he was healthy. Barring something extraordinary, the Saints picked up a major contributor Saturday.

* Arizona Cardinals — Offensive line was a bigger need than quarterback, but if you have any respect for the idea of "best player available," the Cardinals had a great first round. And don't forget, Kurt Warner is only about a year and a half younger than Brett Favre. He hasn't played a full season in four years, and he's not going to be around forever.

* Vince Young — That could have been him sliding down to the 10th spot in the draft. The Titans showed tremendous respect for Young's leadership and athleticism by selecting him ahead of Matt Leinart. Offensive coordinator Norm Chow's relationship with Leinart is well-documented, and even though Chow was just one of several major decision-makers involved in the process, Tennessee's selection of Young has to qualify as at least a minor upset.

* Denver Broncos — If Javon Walker makes a full recovery from the injury that kept him off the field in 2005, he'll be worth much more than a second-round pick. Jay Cutler, the QB Denver traded up to take 11th overall, was evaluated as the best quarterback in the draft by both Ron Jaworski and Steve Young.

* Green Bay Packers — Everybody likes the A.J. Hawk pick, and in the second round they got an offensive lineman to help protect Brett Favre (and whoever plays RB after Ahman Green gets hurt), plus a wide receiver to fill the gap left by Walker.

* The Ohio State University — Five Buckeyes were chosen in the first round alone, and a total of six OSU defenders went on the first day. That's gonna look real nice to recruits.

* New York Jets — Their offensive line got a lot better yesterday. Besides adding D'Brickashaw Ferguson, the consensus top offensive lineman in the draft, the Jets replaced Kevin Mawae with Ohio State's Nick Mangold, a highly-regarded center. They also picked up an extra first-day pick in next year's draft.

* Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles' coaches and front office would have done handstands in the hallways if you had told them, before the draft, that they would get Brodrick Bunkley and Winston Justice.

Actually, I bet Andy Reid can't even do a handstand. He's a pretty big guy. But he would have been happy.

First-Day Losers

* The University of Southern California — Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, LenDale White, and Winston Justice all went lower than expected.

* Good Role Models — Matt Leinart showed loyalty and restraint — and if you count ballroom dancing, commitment to academics — by coming back to USC in 2005, and as a reward, he lost millions of dollars in draft position. It could have been worse, though (see Rodgers, Aaron).

* LenDale White — After the Rose Bowl, he was projected as a top-10 pick. Then he showed up to workouts out of shape and raised character concerns, so he fell to Tennessee 45th overall. That makes Leinart's slide look like nothing.

* Buffalo Bills — Donte Whitner may turn out to be a great player, and I'm not criticizing the Bills for taking him. I am criticizing them for taking him eighth overall. Unless Buffalo's front office knew something no one else did, they could have traded down several spots — probably at least five — and picked up another first-day pick without losing Whitner.

* Washington — No team mortgages the future so consistently. The team obviously likes Rocky McIntosh, and probably hopes he'll replace LaVar Arrington. But to get him, they gave up two second-round picks and a sixth-rounder.

* Marcus Vick — No one really expected him to go on the first day, but I wanted to include his name here anyway.

Tweeners

* New England Patriots — A running back, a wide receiver, and a tight end? That doesn't sound like the Patriots I know. Laurence Maroney and Chad Jackson were both nice pickups, though, and Jackson, especially, was a good value with the pick (36th overall).

* Philadelphia Eagles — Okay, so I know I already called them winners, since they got two top prospects who were good values for the picks. But the Eagles also did nothing to address deficiencies at wide receiver and a complement for Brian Westbrook. I guess they're counting on Bruce Perry at running back, but if they don't trade for Ashley Lelie, I don't know what the plan is at receiver.

* Pittsburgh Steelers — They got Santonio Holmes and Anthony Smith to replace Antwaan Randle El and Chris Hope. Holmes is a wonderful talent, and I think the Steelers are thrilled to have gotten him, but they gave up a lot to move up and take him (third- and fourth-round picks). And don't forget that Randle El was a quality returner and a perfect fit for Pittsburgh's multi-dimensional offensive sets. Hope left bigger shoes than Smith is likely to fill.

* Joseph Addai — The good news is that he went higher than projected and he'll be with a good team. The bad news is that he'll have the pressure of replacing Edgerrin James.

* Houston Texans — Some serious benefit of the doubt is the only reason they're here instead of with Marcus Vick and Daniel Snyder. In order for their selection of Williams not to be mocked for years, several things have to pan out. First, Williams has to be great. Like, all-pro great. Healthy-Julius-Peppers great. Second, Bush must be revealed as a drastically overhyped failure, or suffer a career-ending injury during mini-camp. Third, Young has to be out of the league in five years, or David Carr has to start making Pro Bowls.

Charley Casserley and the rest of the team's front office made a very bold, very unusual move by taking Williams. It was a huge risk from a football standpoint — passing on players with the potential of Bush and Young — and it was terrible, terrible P.R.

The main justification for listing Houston as a tweener is that they addressed a need. The team remains committed to Carr, and in Domanick Davis they have a talented, top-10 running back who plays the same sort of role Bush would have. Williams should be an immediate contributor to a team that last season had the worst scoring defense in the NFL.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 4:45 AM | Comments (2)

Kobe Discovers He Has Teammates

Since the NBA playoffs started on April 22, the NBA has been provided with several great storylines. You have LeBron James in the playoffs for the first time; you can also talk about how Dirk Nowitzki is playing; and how about those Clippers?

Despite all these storylines, however, the biggest story of the playoffs thus far has to be the play of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. After Sunday's game, the Lakers now lead their first round series with the Phoenix Suns, three games to one. If that isn't astonishing enough, the Lakers have gotten this series with balanced play as Kobe Bryant has changed his whole personality as a player.

He has become a facilitator that has allowed other players on his team to get involved. Players like Kwame Brown and Luke Walton have played pivotal roles in the series because Bryant's ability to find them in spots where they can score easily. Lamar Odom is another person to benefit from Bryant's change in play.

What has caused this change in Bryant's play? Why has Bryant suddenly started to believe in his teammates is anyone's guess, but I believe that this postseason has given the world a glimpse of the maturity of Kobe Bryant as a basketball player.

During the regular season, Kobe was a fantasy owner's dream. He averaged 35.4 points per game including a 62-point game in which he only played three quarters, and then there is his 81-point spectacle against the Toronto Raptors. However, there were plenty of times where the Lakers resembled a one-man show. This strategy proved somewhat effective as Bryant was able to carry the team to the playoffs, earning them the No. 7 seed.

Unfortunately, one-man shows do not last very long in the playoffs, so many people (including myself) had the Lakers losing the matchup with the Suns.

Before Game 1, Kobe tried to tell the public that he would "stay within the game plan," but very few believed him. Then Game 1 was played and Kobe backed his word by not forcing shots. Even though the Lakers lost, the game plan was designed and executed brilliantly. Few thought this would continue.

This is where the maturity of Kobe Bryant comes into play. Bryant recognizes that the easiest way for the Lakers to win against the Suns is not with him hoisting 25+ shots, but with the Lakers pounding the ball inside. This allows the aforementioned Brown and Walton to get involved and brings Lamar Odom into play. This strategy has allowed the scoring for Lamar Odom to increase from 14.8 points per game to 19.0 points per game. His rebounding has also increased from 9.2 rebounds per game to 12.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

Though Bryant's scoring average is down to 22.7 points per game from 35.4 points per game in the regular season, the Lakers have now seized control of the series. Bryant has shown flashes of his former self, taking over at the end of games. On average, though, Bryant has become a complete team player. He is even averaging close to 6 assists per game (5.7 is the actual number).

Will this play continue? Will the Lakers continue to win playing this style? Will the Lakers' role players continue to make shots? Will Lamar Odom continue to play aggressively on both ends of the floor? These are some of the questions that the Lakers will have to answer and continue to answer as they try to advance further in the NBA playoffs.

Leading the way for the Lakers is a new, more mature Kobe Bryant, one who seems determined to play the "team" game and keep his teammates involved. Stay tuned to see whether this translates into to wins for Kobe and the Lakers.

Posted by Alfons Prince at 1:54 AM | Comments (2)

Yankee Like Me

There is a fine line between good life and bad for a spectator. You can only choose your team and live your vicarious existence. The rest is up to them.

If they win, the world is your oyster. Strangers will slap fives with you merely because you're garbed in the same team apparel. To those who are cognizant of your allegiance, you are a sage. Others start to agree with your every opinion. They long to break the latest rumors heard overnight on JT the Brick just to get your reaction.

On the other hand, things are quite different when you back losers. Their failure makes you a failure. You are the butt of jokes at the water cooler the next morning. It's always "you blew another one last night" after the closer gets lit up, or "you guys will never appreciate the importance of pitching" when the front office trades a number-four starter for a fourth outfielder. Forget that the GM never checked with you first.

The latter is how other baseball partisans characterize the treatment they've received from Yankee Fan over the years, even as he has been paid the homage befitting a deity. Well, enough is enough. This year, I've decided to get my cut. That's right: the Evil Empire has just grown by one more.

Why not? The rules of engagement have never required me to declare an allegiance before my team is successful. Anyone can hitch on anytime. How do you suppose there came to be so many Yankees fans in the first place, especially in places like Arkansas and Des Moines and Butte, Montana?

Resistance to Emperor Steinbrenner each summer has finally fatigued me. I figure $200 million dollars can't always be wrong and if this should prove the year they're right, it will be with me. The Anakin Skywalker half of my soul is no more. With its exodus has come a new vigor.

Each morning, I no longer see in my mirror the image of a rank-and-file fan fretting over the uncertain twists of fate, but that of a World Series champion in waiting. That hack within me who once conspired random acts of defiance against the Death Star now carries the Force in all his actions. I no longer get laughed at by the cooler — minions bring my water to me, one Dixie cup at a time. All this by simply declaring for the Dark Side.

But it hasn't been as easy as I had imagined. The demands of aligning with an icon of American culture are great. If it were any other way, I suppose everyone would be a Yankees fan by now.

For instance, Yankees fans must possess an agility of affection and principle having no equal in baseball. Last spring's deadweight extortionist against whom we encouraged legal action has now become this spring's Giambino, the poster child of fortitude and resilience. At a moment's notice, we must embrace sworn enemies such as Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson and Johnny Damon that suddenly appear on our roster. Even now, I maintain a precarious balance atop the picket fence of Empire consensus as we await Roger Clemens' decision to become a Bronx folk hero or a Boston mercenary.

As a group, we see through a discerning eye with 20/20 vision. Items that appear indistinguishable to the untrained fan are quite discrete to us. Take steroids. Between Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield lies a world of difference. The former is a contemptible cheat who testified that he used illegal enhancers to advance his abilities beyond those of law-abiding peers. The latter looks great in pinstripes.

Every Yankees fan is a vessel of history. Ours is a bounteous tradition, manifest in 26 rings whose memories are as clear as if they were the spoils of seasons just passed. It is our solemn duty to pass these memories on to our children so they too can experience the joy of victory that sets us apart from franchises like the Red Sox and White Sox, who win but once every 86 or 88 years.

One of the toughest adjustments during my conversion was in maintaining an even disposition. It's a long season and we are expected to comport ourselves with dignity in early April as we weather the frivolous revelry of Mets and Red Sox fans over their 11-4 starts. Admittedly, I wanted to scream in frustration, but what a rush it was to have our emotional abstinence broken last Sunday as the Big Unit held Orioles hitters to one run over eight innings. Back-to-back wins was cause for our masses to loot a few stores before hitting the Cross-Bronx Expressway for home. It may still be April, but it's late April.

Just as Orwell's Winston Smith could not die before loving Big Brother, I could not find new life as a Yankees fan before hating Boston. It wasn't so hard to do once I followed everyone's advice and used Curt Schilling as my focal point. I mean, first he's a starter, then a reliever, now a starter again. Make up your mind! Is he ever going to take the ball in a big game? Hell, there isn't a Yankees fan among us that hasn't had a little blood shed on his clothes, and a good many of us have stitched our skin into ridges that keep the tendons in place so we can hold a coin to rub our scratch tickets.

Another thing about Red Sox fans: it infuriates me when they bring up our unlimited budget. Whenever I hear this, I remind them that no team in baseball history ever spent as much as theirs did to win a World Series. That comment always elicits a smile from them — no doubt to hide embarrassment — then they move on. Consider yourselves put in place, Red Sox Nation.

Unless you are fortunate enough to be in my shoes, you cannot imagine the grace that must be summoned over the course of a regular season in the Bronx. Think back to one of those Christmases of youth when mom and dad gave you everything on your list. Then Uncle Frank came over — that would be dad's elder and favorite brother — and presented you a lousy Slinky. And it wasn't even wrapped. You had better look thankful or next Christmas would bring coal.

That's how it is for us after a typical three-game series against the Orioles or Devil Rays. These are never wrapped up, either. We know we're getting a sweep and if we don't gush over beating the crap out of teams filled with anonymous players, the Emperor won't buy us any more household names next year.

Fortunately, the schedule is filled with anonymous players on innocuous teams. It's what makes a New York summer such a joy and I for one plan to enjoy every minute of it. As for all you less fortunate partisans, may the Force be with you.

I know it will be for me.

Posted by Bob Ekstrom at 1:15 AM | Comments (0)