Sports Central | Articles and Columns

« April 2007 | Main | June 2007 »

May 31, 2007

Goodell: My House, My Rules

New commissioner Roger Goodell has already left an imprint on the NFL — mainly in the form of a father's backhand across the back of the head of some of his problem children.

Great.

Seriously, no sarcasm, no punch line coming. Just about every movement Goodell has initiated since taking over has been good for the game, especially his policy regarding off-field conduct. As Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, and Tank Johnson prepare to start out the season on suspension, don't think the rest of the players haven't noticed.

Goodell has every right to suspend these players even without any convictions. Employees damaging the company's reputation merit discipline. Now the abilities to get 10 sacks a season, to take a punt to the house have been removed for the list of abilities that render a worker immune from penalties for such behavior. That list that is already shorter than Danny DeVito in less glamorous professions.

And the outcry against his brash, unilateral, harsh actions? (Cue crickets chirping.) Yeah, I don't hear anything either. Granted, most in the league know that such backlash would be heavily frowned upon if not fineable, but coaches, other players, even the players union have ranged from supportive to silent. And the NFL (especially players) doesn't just keep its mouth shut that well, making you wonder how many people in the game were already getting tired of police blotters reading like the Bengals' roll call.

It all comes down to accountability. In the past, players simply weren't being held responsible for their actions. They can afford the best lawyers. They could put stuff off on their buddies from their old hood. They could end up with probation or a fine while plea bargaining what once was a felony, which comes somewhere between saying "stop that" and "don't make me pull over" on the discipline meter.

Now, regardless of the courts or the uselessness of fining a millionaire, players can be hit where it hurts. If they don't learn from mistakes and continue to damage their team's, their league's, and their own reputations, Poppa Goodell can rap them with a broomstick and send them to time out. Grounded. No video games, either. They can watch TV — to see their teammates have all the fun on Sundays while brooding over their multi-million dollar financial hit. No more stern warnings. No more buying your way out. See you next year ... if you apologize don't mess it up further.

Every league in the country should adopt similar policies (NBA, looking at you). The whole Tom Osborne philosophy — football is the only thing that can keep some of these problem children out of trouble, so let them play regardless of their actions and hope they mature — simply doesn't work. Ask Lawrence Phillips (among others).

Players, whatever background they come from, need to learn to grow up and be men. That's tough in an environment where they are paid ungodly sums and worshiped by entire cities, with all but the most egregious sins forgiven as long as they produce. Players need to take responsibility for what they do, and accept punishment and learn from mistakes. They need to recognize it as a chance to grow as citizens, rather than constantly act out of a sense of entitlement.

Tank Johnson has been a great example, impressing Goodell in his meeting with him, assuming responsibility for what he did, and taking positive steps towards growing as a man. And so he has been projected to receive a suspension in the neighborhood of four games, rather than full- and half-season suspensions burdening Pacman or Henry.

Pacman, conversely, reportedly did not impress in a similar meeting. So the road will be tougher for him. The year-long suspension will give him time think, and hopefully take responsibility, or else it would be even longer before he straps on any shoulder pads in Goodell's house. And when he does, he will come out of it not just a better representative for the league, but a better man.

The NFL, meanwhile, will churn on without him. He should realize that the league has truckloads of talent, and frankly, doesn't need him nearly as much as he needs it. He should recognize that he is accountable for friends that lead him into trouble. Who's in the driver's seat in a relationship when Pacman has all the money, fame, and everything to loose? His buddies from the 'hood, living the high life on his dime and feeling invincible because of it? Come on.

Hopefully, Pacman and other players learn from Goodell how to be a better daddy themselves. Or else the children will be running their households/careers. Straight into the ground.

Other Moves

Goodell has been active on a number of other fronts early in his tenure as his vision for the NFL begins to take shape. Here are some of the other ideas he has put out there:

Whistle-Blower System For Concussions

Another winner. No-brainer. Which is ironically what we could call a player rushed back too fast after concussion. Players are bigger, faster, and stronger than ever. There is also more money on the line providing a team incentive to keep its best players on the field. But anyone who can argue that a player's safety is less important than competitive concerns needs to have themselves checked for recent head trauma themselves. Granted, players take risks to their safety every game. But when we start talking about preventable brain damage, the word safety takes on a whole new meaning.

Extra Regular Season Games

Not as sold on this one. For a young guy, I tend to be old-fashioned and conservative when you start messing with things like the number of teams in the playoffs and number of games in a season. A seventh team in the playoffs (kicked around in the past) would water down the regular season, and an extra game would, too. And the argument that cutting two preseason games (which alone I am fine with) would offset the stress/injury risk of an extra game is weak. I ask what percentage of those two games starters were playing in anyway? But they will be playing in that 17th game.

Another problem would be an uneven home-away schedule. Unless...

Consistently Playing Regular Season Games Overseas

Intriguing. It would balance the home-road balance in a 17 game schedule. Goodell, like Bud Selig in baseball and David Stern in basketball, wants to make his American game global, only on an even vaster scale. But I am still not thrilled on the idea.

Preseason games overseas are great. I love getting this amazing sport in front of a global audience. But this is America's game, and because of the high demand and already limited supply driving up the market price of tickets, its already tough enough for average Americans to get to a game. That's why only with a 17th game would I be tolerant of this, so that tickets aren't taken away from the fans in the teams' cities. Even in that case, it would be like buying a case of Natural Light; a good choice economically, but isn't the easiest to swallow or stomach.

Overseas Super Bowl

Over the line. This is the one sporting event that truly unites America, drawing in even the most casual sports fan, for four short hours in the winter. A Super Bowl in another country would feel as out of place as the Winter Olympics in Bermuda, and the premise would be as nauseating as watching Oakland's offense last year. Despite being abysmal last year, the premier sporting event in this country will continue to bring us together. Keep it here.

Altering the Draft

Anyone who has any problem with shortening the first round time allotment per pick from 15 to 10 minutes has never sat through the first round. These teams have been evaluating and rating these players for months. They don't need a quarter of an hour to figure out their second choice after the team before nabbed their first.

As for moving the draft to prime time on, say, Friday night, it sounds like a good idea. I'd watch it. But Friday night is a tough spot in TV land. People (i.e. women who don't care with husbands that do) aren't necessarily going to stay in just for the draft. But a lazy Saturday afternoon has always been an appealing option. Plus, shortened rounds could allow a later start on Saturday, allowing lazy people on the West Coast (i.e. me) to catch it from the beginning.

Overall, Goodell has a lot of great ideas for the NFL, and his emphasis on integrity is refreshing. It not only improves the image of the league and sets a good example for those who follow it, but it also aides its players by giving them incentives to mature. And while Goodell's vision of taking the game global seems to grate against a lot of our instincts as a mistake, that's usually what separates a vision from mere progress.

Of course, that is also what separates a setback from a train wreck. Why tinker too much with a model that is already dominating the professional sports landscape?

Posted by Kyle Jahner at 4:20 PM | Comments (3)

In Praise of Losing Teams

I've been a sports fan all my life, and if you took the amount of heartbreak and pain I have felt as a fan up to this year and doubled it, it still wouldn't approach the amount of pain and heartbreak I have felt this year alone. Consider:

My alma mater is Ohio State. They did something pretty remarkable and unprecedented this year, making it to the National Championship Game in both of the big sports. No one is ever going to remember that, though, since the same team beat them in both games. Really took them to the woodshed, in fact. Florida has now won three straight college-sports-anyone-cares-about championships, and it's going to stay that way at least until January 7th, 2008.

My hometown is Akron, and I cheer on their school's football and basketball programs even more feverishly than Ohio State. They followed up their 2005 MAC championship football season with a 5-7 season with mostly the same players. As far as basketball, what happened to them was so uniquely excruciating and ridiculous that it deserves its own column, which I already wrote. I say this has been the most painful sports year for me, and Akron basketball represents the crown jewel of the pain.

I'm not much of a pro basketball or baseball fan these days. To get through the parts of the year not covered by football or college basketball, I turn to soccer and the English Premier League. I'm Pompey mad, which for the uninitiated means I'm a supporter of Portsmouth Football Club. They would have qualified for advanced European competition this year for the first time in their history, if a disallowed goal that should have counted against Arsenal the last game of the year did count (and the rest of the game then played out as it actually did).

Finally, for the last two years, I've followed the CFL, which I have decided is a better summer football alternative than NFL Europe and Arena Football. I watched every Montreal Alouettes game available to me (about 85% of their total games) in that time. That means I've watched them lose the Grey Cup (the CFL Championship game) both years. In fact, Montreal has participated in five of the last seven Grey Cups, but won only one of them.

The team that gave me the least amount of pain this year? The team that gave me my greatest moment of 2006-7 joy? The 4-12 Tampa Buccaneers, that's who.

Although they were a playoff team the previous year, they were a tenuous and rapidly-aging one. When quarterback Chris Simms went down early in this last season, pretty much any hope of being competitive went with him.

But, anything can happen in the NFL, and on October 22nd against the Eagles, a couple of poor throws from Donovan McNabb were returned by Ronde Barber for touchdowns and the Bucs were up 17-0. McNabb, needing to redeem himself, went on a tear to guide the Eagles back out in front. During the comeback, it was painfully clear how superior the Eagles were to the Buccaneers from a talent perspective. The Bucs were powerless to stop the comeback on their own turf. Their only hope was for Bucs kicker Matt Bryant to hit a 62-yarder on the game's last play. He was 0-for-3 from beyond 40 yards up to that point on the season, and his career-long was 50. Of course, he made the kick, the third longest in NFL history. I yelped when I saw it sail through the uprights.

So what do all the stress-inducing teams have in common with each other, in contrast with the Buccaneers? They are all quite good, so they engender hope. Hope can be a dangerous thing, Red told us in The Shawshank Redemption, and he was right.

Think about this. In a 30-team league of any given sport, perhaps six or seven have the talent to win a championship (at least, if you ask their fans). But for all but one of them, the season is going to end in disappointment. There can be only one champion.

Save for the Buccaneers, all of my teams were win-a-championship-good (or in the case of Portsmouth and Akron basketball, good enough to earn a berth in a more prestigious tournament) and it earned me a year of aging prematurely. These damn teams left nothing but disappointment and the chance at cursing the heavens (and some producers and officials) in their wake.

None of that is an issue for fans of bad teams. Any loss is expected, any win or positive development is a pleasant surprise. All upside.*

So here's my advice: love sports, but don't like the stress associated with being a hardcore fan? Pick a poor team to support. Once they get any good, for the sake of your sanity, move on to another bad team.

* This does not count teams whose front office is so horrendous that they have sucked for years and still have no real prospects of getting better. Sorry, Royals and Lions fans.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 4:01 PM | Comments (1)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 12

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon — Gordon's bad luck continued at Charlotte when he was nudged by the loose car of Tony Raines on lap 61. Gordon nearly went airborne before the car of A.J. Allmendinger slammed him, and the No. 24 car hit the wall head-on. Gordon's 231-point lead dwindled to 132 heading into Sunday's event at Dover.

"So this is what it feels like to be Lindsay Lohan?" says Gordon. "Me, I'm totally sober, casually doing about 180 miles per hour, and I get taken out by someone else. Lohan's coked up and drunk and she can't even park straight. At least she kept her panties on. My point is this: I think Lohan needs a NASCAR-trained driver to chauffeur her around, as well as a NASCAR-trained refueler to feed her alcohol."

2. Jimmie Johnson — Tire issues were the story of the race for Johnson. On lap 53, the left rear tire of the No. 48 Chevy fell off, triggering a pileup involving 13 cars. Johnson escaped with minor damage, and was leading on lap 436 before a loose lug nut on his next-to-last pit stop cost him nine spots. He finished 10th, but made up 97 points on leader Jeff Gordon.

"Did I get stuck with Denny Hamlin's tire changers somehow?" asks Johnson. "Did lug nuts all of a sudden become slicker than Michael Waltrip explaining to his sponsors why they're never seen on television? Anyway, I'd like to apologize to everyone taken out by that wheel of mine rolling down the track. It's funny. We're penalized when that happens on pit road, but not when it happens on the track."

3. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin scored his seventh top-10 finish of the year with a ninth in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He holds on to fourth in the points, 239 out of first.

"Tell me again," says Hamlin. "What does the '600' in Coca-Cola 600 stand for? Is it minutes? I could have sworn we were out there for at least 10 hours. I think NASCAR should mandate a break halfway through, for napping, eating, manicures, or bitch-sessions with your crew. You know, normal, everyday things."

4. Tony Stewart — Stewart lead 55 laps in Charlotte, but had to pit with seven laps left for 1.1 seconds of fuel (that's about $8 worth for you and me). Stewart finished sixth, but knew he had the car to beat.

"I always get a little misty-eyed on Memorial Day weekend," says Stewart. "I love racing in Charlotte, but I'll always have a soft spot for Indianapolis, especially when women drivers are making such great strides. Danica Patrick, Milka Duno, and Sarah Fisher were the first trio of women to compete in a major American race. But Indy won't be truly sexually integrated until they start letting ugly chicks race there."

5. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth started fifth and was strong early, but the handling on the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford faded late. He still managed a strong 12th-place finish to maintain a solid hold on third in the points, where he is 207 behind Jeff Gordon.

"On a the greatest day of racing of the year," says Kenseth, "with world-class racing in Charlotte, Indianapolis, and Monte Carlo, I was disappointed by only one thing: that Indy got the Chris Daughtry pre-race concert. We get stuck with Kelly Clarkson's awful concert at Daytona. It's just not fair. Luckily, while she was singing, I had my earplugs in, tuned to the latest Clay Aiken release."

6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr — Earnhardt, sporting the special Budweiser Desert Camouflage paint scheme, had a solid drive in Charlotte, qualifying fourth and finishing eighth.

"Hey, if you're in the desert, and you want a Budweiser, and you don't want anyone to see you drink it," says Earnhardt, "then the Budweiser Desert Camou can is for you. What's that? They don't make actual beer cans in that paint scheme? Well, they should, because DEI should take advantage of every marketing gimmick possible while they still have a relationship with Budweiser."

7. Jeff Burton — Burton had moved up his No. 31 AT&T Chevy from 25th to 6th when he was collected in the crash that wiped out Jeff Gordon. Later, a blown rear tire sent him into the wall, and after seven laps in the garage, Burton returned to the track and finished 24th, an acceptable result considering he was 15 laps down.

"You can't win 'em all," says Burton. "Just ask Nextel. They tried to keep me from displaying the AT&T logo on my car, but the courts said otherwise. Now, should I win the points championship, you can best believe I'll be accepting congratulatory phone calls on my rotary phone and not on a Nextel cell phone."

8. Casey Mears — Mears took a gamble on fuel mileage and was dealt a pair of aces — he won the race and ran out of fuel just after crossing the finish. It was Mears' first Nextel Cup victory and somewhat validated the high hopes cast upon him when he joined Hendrick Motorsports and eased the critics who labeled him the weak link at HMS.

"If you would have told me before the race that a Hendrick driver would win the Coca-Cola 600," says Mears, "I would have responded with a popular expression that comments on your skills or deduction while calling you 'Sherlock.' If you would have told me that the winner would be me, I would have told you that you were 'full of shift.' But it's great to get my first win. It really takes a load off, and the other Hendrick drivers finally let me on to the secret handshake."

9. Kurt Busch — Busch started alongside teammate and pole sitter Ryan Newman on the Charlotte front row and led the most laps, 107, before an accident on lap 298 knocked him out of the race. He falls two places in the points to ninth, 519 out of first.

"I guess my brother Kyle, the punk, was right when he said I didn't need help to crash," says Busch. "Don't we make great brothers? We'd make even better teammates. Here's a little scenario I worked out: Ryan Newman to DEI, Dale, Jr. to Hendrick, and Kyle to Penske. If you think Newman and Rusty Wallace had a great relationship at Penske, wait until you see me and Kyle on the same team. Sure, we'll trade information like we trade insults."

10. Kyle Petty — What is Kyle Petty doing in the power rankings? Well, for a number of reasons. Okay, for one. He recorded his first top-five finish in 10 years with a third in the Coca-Cola 600, while driving the Petty Enterprises Dodge sponsored by Coke Zero, which, when mixed with Jack Daniels, creates the popular drink known as the "Jackie O."

"And, by drinking Coke," says Petty, "you can win a tire signed by me. What fireplace mantle is complete without that? Anyway, I'm really excited about our finish in Charlotte, and so is my dad. King Richard still doesn't dig the ponytail, though."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 3:21 PM | Comments (9)

May 30, 2007

Inside the NBA Western Conference Playoffs

— Although the Phoenix/San Antonio series was mired in controversy, the outcome was fair and square. Though many throughout the media were claiming that Phoenix got a raw deal in regards to the suspensions of both Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire for coming off the bench during an altercation, the NBA did nothing scandalous.

The rule could not have been much clearer. If a player leaves the bench area during an altercation, he is to be suspended for at least one game. Both teams knew this going into the game and the NBA followed this rule to a tee. Whether or not the rule is stupid or unnecessary is irrelevant. It's the rule and only if an exception to this rule was made would one be able to logically argue that this series was somehow tainted.

San Antonio was not rewarded for a cheap shot. Robert Horry was suspended for two games for his body check on Steve Nash. Instead, Phoenix was penalized for its lack of composure. A few years back, during the Western Conference semifinals between Sacramento and Minnesota, Sacramento's Anthony Peeler smashed Minnesota's Kevin Garnett in the face with two forearm shivers. Even though Garnett got belted, he kept his composure and didn't retaliate. Peeler, like Horry, was suspended for his cheap shot. Garnett, however, had the presence of mind to understand his importance to his team and to the series and did not react and thus was active for the deciding game in the series.

Unlike Garnett in 2004, Stoudemire and Diaw were not even involved in the play. They didn't take any forearm shivers to the face, nor were they checked into the scorer's table like Steve Nash was. They were bystanders who lost their cool for a second and it cost them. A cheap shot didn't help decide the series. A stupid reaction to a cheap shot may have.

— Speaking of San Antonio, we've now reached the point of the season where Tim Duncan receives all the credit for how good the San Antonio Spurs are while all of his teammates take a back seat. It's time to put an end to this.

During the Spurs' last title run, the best player in the entire playoffs was on the San Antonio Spurs and his name wasn't Tim Duncan, but Manu Ginobili. The Finals MVP that Duncan received that year was a sham and anyone who watched the entire 2005 NBA playoffs should know that.

This year, the Spurs are again making their run and while Tim Duncan has been playing outstanding ball, the team's fortunes rise and fall largely with the play of Ginobili and Tony Parker. Parker's quickness and ability to penetrate has made him almost unguardable and his jump shot is virtually automatic these days. Ginobili is doing nothing but making big play after big play. He steps on defense and he's the offensive catalyst of this team, hitting big threes, and driving to the hoop for back-breaking buckets at the most crucial times. He is the one player on the Spurs that most often livens up the San Antonio crowd or takes the opposing crowd out of the game. This type of contribution is priceless.

Add the stellar individual defense and big-time clutch-shooting of Bruce Bowen and the surprising play of big man Fabricio Oberto and it's crystal clear that this team is much more than just Tim Duncan. Don't get me wrong, Duncan is a fantastic player, but he's a fantastic player on a fantastic team and this has been the case since the day he stepped into the league. We all know what he can do, so let's start noticing some of the players around him. After all, basketball is a team sport.

— While we're discussing team play versus individual play, please allow me to vent about the NBA MVP voting. First, in light of league-MVP, Dirk Nowitzki's, postseason meltdown, let me say that I don't think the award should be voted on at the conclusion of the NBA postseason. It's a regular-season award, so I don't think the postseason should play into it.

What I do have a problem with, however, is that too many voters are deciding to vote for the best player on one of the best teams. Let me ask a question: what did Dirk Nowitzki do differently this year to make himself the MVP? I don't know the answer to that, but what I can tell you is that the players around Dirk improved and Dallas became almost unstoppable in the regular season. This shouldn't have any affect on the MVP voting, though. Josh Howard improves and that raises Nowitzki's MVP profile? How does that make any sense?

In the last three years, Steve Nash has won two MVPs and Nowitzki has won one. Both are great players who play on great teams, surrounded by other great players. Although I can make a better argument as to why Nash should have won an MVP, the truth is that I don't believe that either Nowitzki or Nash should have won any. Not only is each surrounded by a ton of serious talent, but neither is really adept at playing defense, which is half the game.

Although I've never been a huge proponent of Kobe Bryant and his ball-hogging ways, he changed his game this year and single-handedly propelled his team to the playoffs. There are no great players on the Lakers besides Bryant. Lamar Odom shows glimpses, but that's it. In the past, Kobe would get his stats while shooting horrible percentages and the Lakers lost most of the games he put up monstrous scoring numbers. This year, when Kobe scored outlandish amounts of points, his shooting percentages were actually pretty good, and more importantly and perhaps, not so coincidentally, his team usually won those games. Add to Kobe's all-around offensive play his defensive excellence and it's clear to me that Kobe Bryant should have been the 2006-2007 NBA MVP.

— It may be pretty tough for the Utah Jazz to win it all this year, but this team is for real. Yes, they do not have a low-post presence that scares opposing players, but Carlos Boozer is on his way to becoming that guy. Moreover, Mehmet Okur is an all-star big man that gets it done in many ways and although Paul Millsap is just a rookie, he's absolutely nasty on the boards and should improve over time.

Andrei Kirilenko is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league. When he's feeling it defensively, there is not a more disruptive force in the entire NBA. Matt Harpring defines "scrappy," and seems to always come through when it's most needed. Derek Fisher is a fantastic defender and a guy who hits the shots that break the opponent's heart.

The team's best player, however, is point guard, Deron Williams, who's only in his second-year, but is playing the same way he played in college at Illinois — dominant. The only difference is that he's now schooling NBA players, not college kids.

There's plenty of reason to be optimistic in Utah. Few teams, if any, can boast not only the front line depth, but talent that Utah has put together. Few teams have two young players that are as exciting to watch as Deron Williams and Millsap. Utah can run or they can play in the half court. They can kill you offensively or defensively. Although, they don't have the "experience" of the Spurs, there are guys on the team that have played in the big games.

Derek Fisher was the number three scorer on those Laker championship teams from a few years back. Okur was a contributor on the Pistons team that won it all by stopping the Laker dynasty. Let's also not forget that Deron Williams was the key cog on the University of Illinois team that made it to the NCAA championship game. Yes, it wasn't the NBA Finals, but one can make a legitimate argument that the NCAA title game is as big, if not bigger than the NBA Finals. One way or another, these guys have got it done on the biggest of stages and if they don't pull it off this year, they'll be more "experienced" for next year's title run.

... and with that, I'm outta here.

Posted by Kiarash Banisadre at 6:39 PM | Comments (1)

Liddell Goes Down; UFC With Him?

This was the time for the UFC to breakthrough. It's most marketable star, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, had his Light Heavyweight belt on the line in one of the most hyped UFC events of all time.

ESPN.com had just launched a Mixed Martial Arts page. Sports Illustrated had an MMA cover for the first time. After the disappointment of Floyd Mayweather/Oscar De La Hoya in the fight that was supposed to "save" boxing, this was the night to showcase MMA as the combat sport of the future.

BAM.

Liddell goes down in under two minutes.

Even more disappointing than the fact Liddell got knocked out (these things happen) was the fact that the punch that sent him to the canvas didn't have that "oh sh&%!" quality to it.

MMA knockouts are supposed to be devastating, like Gabriel Gonzaga crumpling Mirko Cro Cop with a head kick, or Houston Alexander demolishing Keith Jardine in one of the under card fights on Saturday.

But this one was more "what the f%#^?" than "oh sh&%!"

Liddell had just finished throwing a combination and was moving back out when Quinton "Rampage" Jackson caught him with a right hook to the jaw. Even though Liddell was moving away and Jackson didn't have his full weight behind the punch, it hit Liddell right on the button.

Down goes Liddell.

Jackson jumped the opportunity and, an elbow to the head and a few punches to the face later, the fight was stopped. Liddell argued, but it was an empty protest. He was out, his left eye pointing in a very different direction than his right.

From a champion to a former champion in 113 seconds.

Now, Chuck Liddell is a badass. So is Quinton Jackson. Either one could kick my ass in 10 seconds or less.

(I say this because to imply in any way that a fighter went down easy — which I am not doing, by the way — invites the unimaginative comeback of "oh yeah, well he could kick your ass." Yes, he could. Thank you for pointing that out. Tell your mom I said hi.)

For people who have been watching the UFC for a while (or MMA in general), these kinds of upsets are part of the game. MMA fighters use 4 oz. gloves, just slightly more padding than wrapping an Ace bandage around your knuckles. Matt Serra knocked out Georges St. Pierre. Jardine kicked the snot out of Forrest Griffin, only to have the same thing happen to him by Alexander (in his UFC debut no less). Anderson Silva broke Rich Franklin's face in less than three minutes.

You just never really know.

And that's cool. I like it that way.

I just wish it hadn't happened this time.

Of all the nights where a fight needed to follow the hype, this was it. With all the attention heaped on Liddell, he needed to back it up with a war. He didn't necessarily have to win, but it had to be a war, something to catch all the people who were tuning in for the first time.

This was the time for UFC to finally push boxing into the abyss, staking its claim to the title of "America's Combat Sport." And Liddell was supposed to be the flag bearer.

But when it came down to backing up the hype, a tap on the chin sent Liddell to the canvas — and may have sent the UFC back in its quest to fully capture the national attention.

But to those of you who may be tempted to write off the UFC, don't even think about it. The Rampage Era in the Light Heavyweight division has begun. And all those fighters who were locked out by having already lost to Liddell (Tito Ortiz, Babalu among them), plus other comers from PRIDE (Dan Henderson), the future is bright.

In the next six weeks alone, there's Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher at UFC Fight Night (June 12 on Spike). There's Franklin vs. Yushin Okami at UFC 72 on June 16 (with Griffin and Jason MacDonald also on the card). There's the B.J. Penn/Jens Pulver fight on The Ultimate Fighter 5 finale (June 23) and Rashad Evans/Ortiz at UFC 73 (July 7), a card that also features Silva and what should be a hell of a battle at 155 lbs. in Hermes Franca vs. Sean Sherk.

And, unlike boxing, you never know what's going to happen. Perhaps it's not the "sweet science," but it's entertaining as hell.

And that's good enough for me.

Seth Doria is a freelance writer, poet and blogger in St. Louis. For more, visit The Left Calf.

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 6:07 PM | Comments (5)

May 29, 2007

The Sports Fan's Cable/Satellite TV Paradox

I love cable (or satellite, in my case) TV; on the other hand, I hate satellite TV. I know, it's a quite the paradox to grapple with, but I'll try to explain what I mean.

I love satellite TV because of the choices it offers to whet the insatiable appetite of the general sports fan. There are channels with baseball, basketball, hockey, football, news, historical games, and events — name it, you can find it. You can watch an NBA playoff game on one channel, the NCAA men's lacrosse semifinals on another channel, and Major League Baseball on a different one. Heck, ESPN Classic is even showing old "American Gladiators" episodes!

I'm a huge fan of that network and CSTV, the all-college channel run by CBS. Since I am such a sports history freak, where else can I watch a 1979 Woody Hayes documentary, the 1935 Army/Ohio State football "game of the century," or the 1982 North Carolina/Georgetown basketball championship? Man, I love satellite TV!

But I also hate satellite TV. Here's why.

A few weeks ago, I'm scrolling through the channel guide when I notice an event on ESPN-U titled "college football." I'm thinking, "Oh, goody! Another classic game to check out!" So I hit the button that pops up the description, and it's the Alabama spring game. What? They're televising a spring scrimmage? I look ahead in the programming week and see that CSTV also is showing a spring game (can't remember which school — might have been Florida). Now I'm thinking it must be a slow time of year if they're showing scrimmages — they'll put just about anything on TV. A lot of people harp about the NFL making a big deal of preseason games, but at least they're playing a different team!

The point is, there are now so many specialized networks on cable/satellite TV that executives are forced to find anything, and I mean anything, to fill their programming schedules. It's bad enough that they have to show replays of the Army/Rutgers soccer match 17 times during the week, but now they're resorting to throwing scrimmages on national TV. As another example, the NFL Network has televised cheerleader tryouts. And with more special events being created by leagues and associations to help market their teams and players, there appears to be no end in sight.

One question I have about televising scrimmages is who makes the decision which school to cover? Why did they pick Alabama? Florida's was also televised, and its spring game drew more than 90,000 fans. How much did knowing that the game was going to be on TV factor into that large of a crowd? At my alma mater, Washington State, they'd be lucky to draw 9,000 for their spring game, let alone filling Martin Stadium to its near-40,000 seat capacity.

Now I know the SEC is football crazy, and it's probably not as big a shock to see that many people in the stands for a scrimmage, but — in my opinion — having as many fans in the stadium as there would be for a conference game doesn't really warrant national exposure. Do they think that many people in Washington or Texas or Ohio care that much about seeing the Crimson Tide in action against itself? I like Alabama football, but I'm not going to watch their spring game (nor did I when it was televised).

If anything, televising these scrimmages could give other schools a slightly unfair advantage in the scouting arena. I'd bet every school on Alabama's schedule TiVo'd the game to find out what talent they have and what their offensive and defensive schemes will look like come September. It's a heckuva lot cheaper than flying a guy to Tuscaloosa to take notes in person. But what about the other schools? I'm kind of surprised that the schools televised agreed to such a thing. They don't get to see their rivals' spring games (except for Florida, in Alabama's case). Is that fair?

Anyway, there's only one direction this can take cable/satellite specialty channel programming: further into the abyss of nonsense. Next thing you know, the NCAA will create some glitzy letter-of-intent signing day similar to the NFL draft. I can see it now. The top 100 blue-chippers are flown to New York, Los Angeles, or Miami for a convention center event. There, the head guy of the NCAA will announce that "Joe Smith of Bethel High in Wichita, Kansas is on the clock." (The preceding name and school are fictitious, as far as I know.)

Then, after a taking a few calls on his cell phone, Joe whispers his school of choice into his head coach's ear — who has accompanied him on the trip — and the message is relayed to Mr. NCAA head guy. He then walks back up to the podium and announces that "Joe Smith of Wichita Bethel has selected to attend Oklahoma University." There are cheers and tears; Joe poses holding his new Sooners jersey while cameras flash all around, then heads to the ESPN-U booth where he's interviewed and reveals his dad was a big Billy Sims fan, which is why he chose Norman over Nebraska and Texas.

Don't laugh — it could happen, especially in this day and age of big money and machine gun-like promotion. Don't think that one of these specialized cable/satellite networks won't promise the NCAA a couple hundred million dollars if they organize some event like this. Think back a couple decades — the NFL draft used to be something that was read about in the newspaper the next day; same with the Heisman Trophy. Today, they're as big a television event as the Academy Awards or the Grammys.

Another factor that could lend to the creation of such an event is the amount of attention given to high school athletes nowadays. The ESPN "family of networks" occasionally shows high school football and basketball games; and the first round of the Major League Baseball draft, consisting of a number of high school players, will be televised this summer. Don't think for a moment that the NCAA won't want its highest-touted football prospects given the same chance for exposure.

Of course it all boils down to the question of whether people will actually watch such a show. I haven't talked to too many people that even knew the Alabama spring game was on TV. Had they known, they probably wouldn't have watched anyway. This brings me back to my initial statement — I love satellite TV. If I don't want to watch "signing day," there's always something else more interesting on a different channel. Click!

Posted by Adam Russell at 3:28 PM | Comments (1)

The PGA's Head-Scratching Scheduling

The Colonial and Ben Hogan have been synonymous for many years. One of the all-time greats, Hogan won the event at the Texas country club five times. He managed a victory even after a debilitating car accident that brought an abrupt end to his golf dominance. In addition to the history between Hogan and this event, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Phil Mickelson are among the huge names that have won this event. It is one of the invitational events on the schedule that has not drawn the ire of regular Tour players because of the lineage of its champions.

The PGA Tour does not seem to have the same reverence for this event, though. Much like what happened to the event at Duluth, the PGA Tour moved the dates for both the event at Colonial and the Byron Nelson Championship. Traditionally, they happened in back-to-back weeks in what was known as the Texas Swing.

This year, that tradition ceased as the Nelson was moved from its traditional placement. As a result, the field for Colonial was negatively impacted, as well. Players that were invited to Colonial would play just down the road at the Nelson and then stay in the area to play the second half of the Texas Swing. In essence, players would make pilgrimage to Texas to pay homage to golfing legends Nelson and Hogan in the same two week span. It was the golfing equivalent of going to Mecca and Medina in the same vacation — just something that you're supposed to do.

The PGA Tour made that feat less likely, though, by breaking apart the Texas Swing. That was bad enough to hurt the field at Colonial. Then Colonial just happened to be scheduled against the European Tour equivalent of the Players Championship. The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in England is the European Tour's crown jewel. It usually presents the best field of the year on the European Tour that is not an event jointly sanctioned by multiple tours.

A large number of players that have moved to the PGA Tour from the European Tour for money and fame see the BMW as an opportunity to go back to their roots and play in a fantastic golf tournament. For them, it's an envoy back home despite what Hemingway might imply about such a trip. That means that the quality stars on the PGA Tour that matured in golf through the Euro Tour — Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, and others — make a jump across the pond and leave Texas in its famous dust.

All of a sudden, the Texas Swing has been dismantled and both events' strength of field has suffered tremendously. Tiger used to appear at the Nelson, but did not this year after the legend's passing. Only one player in the top 10 accepted the invitation to Colonial this year.

As it turns out, Jim Furyk represented the top 10 well by losing in the playoff to Rory Sabbatini. The event had a dramatic finish that did not need top 10 golfers in order to compel the crowds and television audience. It was a fortunate break for Colonial, but one that is not necessarily likely to happen year after year. It is much more likely that the trend will be a negative one for Colonial. As the European Tour continues to grow in depth of strength and the luster of the Nelson fades somewhat, Colonial will feel the effects from both tournaments. In the end, the fans in Texas, Colonial, and the PGA Tour all suffer.

More frustrating, it is a part of a running string of decisions that are negatively impacting several wonderful PGA Tour events. We lost the event in Denver for a variety of reasons, some the fault of the Tour leadership. The Canadian Open lacks a title sponsor and cannot seem to get a hand from the PGA Tour in improving its date to help them in the search. All of the WGC events are now scheduled in the U.S., which completely defeats the purpose and mission of the series. Colonial, the Nelson, and the AT&T Classic are all hurting in field strength because of scheduling that does not seem to consider matching geographies. The Tour's penchant for invitational events is impacting the ability of middle-tier players to secure their Tour cards and become a part of the upper echelon of golf.

This column and another about the Duluth event should be raising questions about the leadership of the Tour. The Tour is making decisions that negatively impact some of their best events. This is happening in the face of growing strength of the European Tour and proclamations from its current and former stars that the other major global tours should align to take on the PGA Tour. It is happening in the midst of a pinch for the Tour in generating new sponsors for Tour events because of a tightening economy and the realization that Tiger Woods is not a staple of the PGA Tour, but rather a special attraction.

In order for the PGA Tour to maintain its status and dominance as the world's best tour, it should be making decisions that prop up events with a long-standing record of field strength, local support, and sponsor commitment. That does not seem to be happening right now considering what we have seen in recent months coming out of Ponte Vedra Beach. Is it because of ignorance, arrogance, or some combination thereof? Are there factors that the average observer just cannot see that is the impetus for these head-scratching decisions?

What golf fans need is an answer. The PGA Tour should explain why it is doing what it is to hurt its loyal events, fans, and itself. Otherwise, fans will continue to become frustrated, the media will continue to raise questions, and the other world tours will keep catching up to the PGA Tour. All of those things make a combination the Tour simply cannot afford.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 3:08 PM | Comments (0)

May 28, 2007

Secrets of the 2007 NFL Season

— Mike Nolan's San Francisco 49ers remarkably win the NFC West, the NFL's most balanced division, by a staggering four-game cushion. Even more remarkably, they win it with a 6-10 record.

— In the second quarter of the season opener versus the Jets, the Patriots Tom Brady hits Randy Moss with a four-yard touchdown pass for the first of nine touchdown connections between the two on the year. Brady and Moss even become good friends off the field, as Brady and supermodel girlfriend Giselle Bundchen introduce Moss to Tyra Banks. The couples double-date often, and in late October, are spotted on the beach at Martha's Vineyard, where Moss and Brady diagram a pass route on Banks' spacious forehead.

— Cincinnati receiver Chris Henry, serving jail time after being charged with larceny for stealing candy from a baby, nearly succeeds in a daring attempt to escape in a truck delivering laundry to an off-site facility. However, Henry's escape is foiled when the drunk truck driver crashes into a utility pole while swerving to miss a motorcycle driven by a helmet-less Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was visiting the correctional facility in order to scout the Bengals. Roethlisberger is unhurt, but Henry receives three consecutive lifetime suspensions.

— Upon losing his appeal to his 16-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league, the Titans' Pacman Jones is further discouraged by the success of the reunion tour of his least-favorite musical artist of all-time, The Police.

— Cleveland's free agent acquisition Jamal Lewis rushes for 289 yards and two touchdowns on the season, less than the 295 and two TDs he rushed for against the Browns in his record-setting game in 2003.

— At London's Wembley Stadium on October 28th, the Dolphins shut out the Giants 15-0 behind five Jay Feely field goals. The following day, in The Observer's recap of the game, titled "Fish And Zips," columnist Jamie Jackson decries the play in goal for the Giants, and wonders if a team has ever scored on five consecutive free kicks.

— Chicago's Terry "Tank" Johnson, after serving a four-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the NFL, vows never to run afoul of the law again. However, when Johnson promises to "unload" all his weapons, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspends him for four more games. After serving that suspension, Johnson pledges that he has learned his lesson, and proves it by having both arms amputated, making good on his promise to Goodell to never be armed again.

— The half-time entertainment at Super Bowl XLII in Arizona features the return of Britney Spears in her first major concert in five years. Spears is joined on stage by R&B heartthrob Usher, and the two stun a Super Bowl and television audience when Usher rips off Spears silver lamé chaps, revealing that Spears is still, in fact, bald.

— Michael Vick, dogged by allegations that he was involved in a pit bull fighting scandal in his home state of Virginia, volunteers to do public service announcements condemning animal cruelty. Unfortunately, the ads, directed by Vick's own production company, based in Smithfield, Virginia and supervised by one of his cousins, show Vick delivering the announcements from a bull fighting ring in Madrid, Spain and a cock fighting arena in Valle de Chalco, Mexico. An embarrassed Vick is admonished by the commissioner's office, but the videos receive two thumbs up from the Redskins' Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels.

— After having failed yet another drug test, former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams announces his retirement from football for good. "THC-ya," says a tearful Williams, who admits that he has an uncontrollable addiction that has cost him dearly in his athletic endeavors. Williams says he regrets that his addiction has caused him to lose much of what he has worked for, but is happy to say that "luckily, you can fail a drug test and still maintain your subscription to High Times magazine, as well as appear on the cover on occasion, or in the personal ads."

— In the NFL's season opener on September 6th, the Colts open defense of their Super Bowl championship with a 31-27 home loss to the Saints. The game makes history, not because of anything that happens on the field, but because Colts quarterback Peyton Manning appears in every single commercial aired during the broadcast.

— The NFL Network, in an effort to capitalize on the reality show craze, premiers a program starring eight Cincinnati Bengals living under one roof. The show, titled The Legal Pad and hosted by attorney-turned-sex kitten "Legal Tender," offers $50,000 to the last remaining Bengal who has successfully completed challenges such as "drunk drive home," "conceal your weapon," and "eat your marijuana" without being arrested.

— Following a season of model behavior, Randy Moss finally drops the big one in the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro's snow-covered Gillette Stadium when, after an 85-yard touchdown reception to open the scoring, the controversial receiver celebrates by making a "yellow snow angel" in the snow. No one is more offended than LaDainian Tomlinson of the visiting Chargers, who rushes for 145 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns to lead San Diego to a 27-21 upset over the top-seeded Patriots. The Chargers avenge a Week 2 defeat, as well as last year's home loss to the Pats in the AFC divisional playoffs. Two weeks later, San Diego beats Dallas 26-20 to win Super Bowl XLII.

— In the wake of the Cardinals' 0-4 start, Arizona president William Bidwell defends the team's decision to fire Dennis Green after 2006's 5-11 season. "Dennis Green is who we thought he was, and we let him off the hook!" comments an angry Bidwell, who then storms out of the press conference.

— Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson is named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year, and dedicates the award to Calvin Johnson, noting that "without the 'Matt Millen Curse,' Johnson would have won the award easily."

— Proof that commissioner Roger Goodell's new conduct policy is working, not a single player is arrested from September 1st through October 15th. Soon after, pigs fly, Hell freezes over, and New England coach Bill Belichick appears on the cover of GQ magazine's fall fashion preview.

— Despite the presence of offseason acquisitions Luke McCown and Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms easily wins the starting job at quarterback for the Buccaneers, and is praised by his teammates for his toughness. However, after practice one day in late August, Simms is caught dipping a bag of Bigelow tea into a mug of steaming hot water. Unaware that "teabagging" was taboo locker room behavior, Simms suffers the fate of an outcast, and is benched in favor of Garcia as starter in Week 7.

— St. Louis' Steven Jackson edges Baltimore's Willis McGahee for the NFL rushing title by three yards, 1,501 to 1,498.

— During the third quarter of NBC's September 23rd broadcast of Sunday Night Football, Al Michaels and John Madden welcome the Geico cavemen to the booth, there to plug their new sitcom, Stone Age Wasteland, schedule to premiere the following Tuesday. Michaels and Madden briefly turn over the broadcast to the cavemen, and, surprisingly, they do a good job, with one offering some groundbreaking insight into the psyche of Terrell Owens. Things later get awkward when Madden admits that the Madden Cruiser is insured by Geico.

— After Oakland quarterback Andrew Walter is sacked 16 times in the Raiders' first five games, coach Lane Kiffin makes a change, inserting 6'6," 255-pound JaMarcus Russell into the lineup, at left tackle.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 4:37 PM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2007

Honoring "American Gladiators"

Remember when McDonald's came out with a "big kids" meal? It was a combo deal that was marketed to those young (and likely obese) customers who felt they had grown out of the Happy Meal phase of their lives; which pretty much meant they were ready for double cheeseburgers and toys that could potentially be swallowed by toddlers.

Growing up, I always felt Saturday morning television had this same progression of maturation. You started with the cartoons with the cutesy characters and the bright colors and the underlying commercialization: the Smurfs, the Snorks, anything from Disney. But as you got older, you began to sleep later, snoozing past those programs in favor of some "big kids" television that came on later that morning. Back when I was a kid that meant an array of live-action "sports" on several different syndicated stations.

There was "WWF Superstars," a wrestling show that featured big-name wrestlers beating the living hell out of some no-names with love handles — wrestlers commonly referred to as "Jobbers to the Stars." There was "Roller Games," a roller derby reboot that incorporated a few Vince McMahonian storylines into actual competition. I seem to remember there being a crocodile somewhere inside the track; maybe I was just on a morning cereal sugar high. There was also "G.L.O.W.," as in "the gorgeous ladies of wrestling," but at that point in my life I was pretty sure that all girls had cooties, so I wasn't going to waste my time with that (especially without the protection of a circle-circle-dot-dot "cootie shot").

But the greatest piece of Saturday morning "big kids" entertainment was without question "American Gladiators." A weekly battle of wills and wits, strength and stamina. A chance for someone who looks like your next door neighbor — if your next door neighbor used to start on his college football team or is a personal trainer at her gym — battling what seemed to be athletic gods and goddesses that were dressed like they just came from a Fourth of July parade in Provincetown.

"American Gladiators" came on the air in 1989 and survived various revamps of cast and format until it ended production in 1996. It's been resurrected by that wonderful time capsule ESPN Classic, which has been playing episodes daily and, naturally, on weekend mornings.

Looking back at this show, it's easy to see how I was hooked as a kid. You had these outlandish personalities with freaky bodies and goofy names, just like professional wrestling. Zap! Nitro! Gemini! Laser! Of course, as the show progressed, the names started to get a little lazy: Dallas, Rebel, Jazz. I'm happy it got cancelled before we were reduced to having Gladiators named Bruce and Jennifer.

You had an awesome Bill "Rocky" Conti theme song. You had elements from other sports — football, most prominently — that added an athletic familiarity. And every single week you had what is the most important factor in a compelling sports competition: an underdog, in the form of that week's victim ... ahem, "contestant."

But in the end, "American Gladiators" worked because of its wide-ranging collection of athletic competitions. It was like watching "The Price is Right": you'd stay tuned just to see if your favorite game was going to be featured that week. And just like I'd sit through that boring pricing game with the yodeling mountain climber to see if Bob Barker would announce that Plinko was next, I would sit through several pedestrian "Gladiator" events just to see a guy shooting Nerf missiles at a giant target while cannon-fired tennis balls are flying at his face.

With that in mind, here are the three greatest and the single worst "American Gladiator" competitions, starting with the best:

3. JOUST: Otherwise known as "adults hitting each other with giant Q-Tips." This was the game where the Gladiator and the challenger would stand on two shaky pedestals and whack each other with padded sticks. Wouldn't most political shows on MSNBC benefit from this format?

2. ATLASPHERE: I'd love to know what chemical enhancement the creator of this challenge was partaking in. The contestants and a few Gladiators are placed inside these giant metal spheres, and they run inside of them like hamsters. The challengers try to roll them onto these "scoring pods," pushing down a button and activating this special effect smoke machine to signify a score. The Gladiators, meanwhile, and going all demolition derby out there, trying to prevent the contestants from scoring. It was the kind of awesomeness you might expect to have seen in "The Running Man," only without the live chainsaws or Richard Dawson.

1. ASSAULT: Simply the greatest and yet the most frustrating game on the show. Contestants had 60 seconds to fire several weapons fitted with Nerf-like projectiles — a crossbow, a rocket launcher, a cannon, a pistol and several "grenades" — at a target above the Gladiator, who is launching tennis balls from an air cannon at them. Simply the most exciting thing on the show, with one qualification: The Gladiators had this giant Plexiglass shield in front of them. To protect them from Nerf rockets. While they're shooting tennis balls from an air cannon. Wussies...

As for the worst event in "American Gladiators" history?

HUMAN CANNONBALL: God, what a stupid competition. The Gladiator is on a pedestal. The contender jumps off of a platform on a rope and swings into the Gladiator. Rinse and repeat. Back in the early days of the show, contenders could do anything to knock down the Gladiator; later, they had to remain in a tucked "cannonball" position, eliminating nearly any spontaneity from the event. It would have been more exciting to watch the contestants read and sign their injury waivers before the taping.

Thus ends our look back at "American Gladiators." I'll leave you with this bit of trivia: Deron McBee, who was the Gladiator "Malibu" in the first season of the show, went on to portray the wrestler "Thor" in a memorable episode of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Just keep that in mind if you ever have to establish a link between Larry David and either Zap or Nitro in the Kevin Bacon Game...

ONE FINAL NOTE FOR THE PUCKHEADS

For the few, the proud, the hockey freaks reading this column, please note that I've been hired on as a blogger for NHL FanHouse on AOL Sports. Seriously, it's a must-read for puckheads; the talent writing on that site makes me honored to be a part of it. And remember to check out my columns on the ever-awesome The Fourth Period, which is in full hot-stove league mode as far as the rumors go right now.

Oh, and in case you were wondering: Ducks in seven.

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 is "Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer: The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History." His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 2:21 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2007

Why Federer Still Has Something to Prove

Is Roger Federer as great as they say?

Or is the competition these days not what it once was, say when Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Arthur Ashe, Ilie Nastase, Guillermo Vilas, Jimmy Connors, and Bjorn Borg were playing in the same pro tournaments together?

Okay, granted, the '70s was the Golden Age of Tennis with its overload of talent, of legends that have long gone down in history. A special time never to be repeated.

It corresponded roughly with the Tennis Boom in the U.S. and elsewhere, on a recreational player level, and also in TV fan interest. (You could extend the time period some if you want to include what is considered the second* best match ever played, the 1980 "Thrilla at Wimbledon" between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, which boasted the greatest tiebreaker ever, won by "Johnnie Mac," even though the
"Iceman" Borg took the title 8-6 in the fifth.)

Federer has won 10 Grand Slam tournaments to date, at the tennis-tender age of 25. There are whispers that the retired Pete Sampras doesn't like the look of things, in that his record of 14 major championships is in danger of being broken, and that he is considering a return to Wimbledon this summer, to pad his advantage over the stellar Swiss. (Such speculation was more recently squelched by Sampras.)

Yet one only needs to recall that it was Federer who upset Sampras in five sets in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2001 — to snap "Pistol Pete's" four-year (1997-2000) supremacy on Centre Court — to realize how sorry such a venture might turn out. (An over-the-hill Sampras lost ignominiously to Swiss journeyman George Bastl in five sets a year later, before improbably capturing the 2002 U.S Open over Andre Agassi in four, his grand finale.)

Earlier this year, Federer won the Australian Open over the vastly improved Chilean, Fernando "El Bombardero de la Reina" Gonzalez (thanks in great part to the hard work and insight of Fernando's new coach, Larry Stefanki). Federer admitted afterwards that Gonzalez "played better than me" in the first set, but the world's number one performed another magical escape act with two set points against him in the opener ... then shifted into cruise control to win in three straight.

Up next is the French Open, and if he wins it, Roger can lay claim to a "Federer Slam," like the "Tiger Slam" accomplished by buddy Tiger Woods in 2000-2001, in taking four majors in a row if not in the same calendar year (in Fed's case, it would be Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2006, plus the 2007 Australian and French opens).

Australia's Laver is the only player, male or female, to twice capture four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year, accomplishing that remarkable feat in 1962 and 1969.

If Federer wins the French and Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year, he will be the first tennis player of either sex to win a legitimate Grand Slam since Germany's Steffi Graf did so in 1988.

CAN FEDERER IMPROVE ON CLAY?

So are we getting a little ahead of ourselves? Of course we are. Standing in the way of Federer's apotheosis is Spain's Rafael Nadal, who has won the last two championships at Roland Garros. Until stopped by Federer last Sunday at the Hamburg Open, Nadal was in the midst of an amazing clay court victory skein that ended up at 81 consecutive matches won on the surface, after last year breaking Argentine Guillermo Vilas's clay streak of 53 straight matches, set in 1977.

Will Federer also slay Nadal in Paris? Federer seems poised to finally take the title, but against a more rested Nadal, if they both reach the title round, the odds would probably still favor the Spaniard.

Experts concur that Federer needs to dictate play by using his serve and going to the net more — as he did in Hamburg — in order to prevail against the only player who presently owns a winning record against the King.

In a certain sense, the best outcome for Federer to overcome this career hurdle would be for some player other than Nadal to get to the French final against him. There can be no denying that Nadal, for his mental strength, is one of the few players who can get into Federer's head, other than Argentine Guillermo Canas, of course, who beat the world's number one on two recent occasions.

COMPARING THE GREATS

If you follow sports in a broad range, and over history, you can arrive at the conclusion that today's athletes are stronger and fitter and yes, better, than past champions. In this scenario (and in spite of the steroids), Barry Bonds is better than Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, Ronaldo is better than Pele and Maradona, Woods is better than Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus. And Federer is better than Laver and Sampras.

The case of Sampras seems especially germane. In the modern era he is statistically the best grass court player of all time. He won Wimbledon seven times, more than Laver and Borg, the latter winning the title five times in a row, before eventually falling to McEnroe in 1981.

But Sampras never won the French, although he got to the semifinals in his prime, in 1996, losing to eventual champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia. McEnroe also never won in Paris, defeated in five sets by Czech Ivan Lendl in 1984, the American's best year when he posted a 96.3% winning percentage (he went 82-3), over second place Federer's 95.3% in 2005 (81-4).

Connors, for his part, got to the semifinals on two occasions, but never garnered the elusive trophy.

Today, Federer talks glibly about how the French is not an obsession (Sampras did the same), and that he was pleased that last year he got to the final, an improvement on his 2005 performance, when he lost to Nadal in the semis.

Fair enough. It seems that nothing ruffles Federer. Not history, not players past and present; he is delighted to be considered in their elite company. (Still, he recently conceded to the press in Australia that he is willing to be acknowledged as a tennis "genius.")

Hey, is there anyone out there ready to argue that point?

FEDERER A BORG CLONE?

Connors said after Federer won his fourth straight Wimbledon over Nadal last summer, that he now saw Roger in "Borgian" terms, that is the single-mindedness and unflappability that characterized the Swedish prodigy. In reading a diary recently of Federer's off-court life, it did remind of Bjorn's simplistic and unfettered way of passing time, even if Roger does not indulge in perusing comic books, as far as we know.

But Federer as serene and unflappable as Borg on court? That is a stretch. Federer does get mad, a state of emotion that he manifests by yelling after certain points, like when he was being pressured by Russia's Marat Safin in the 2005 Australian Open semis, after holding match point — an encounter that got away from him like a clay court encounter in the same year against young Frenchman Richard Gasquet, when Fed also squandered a match point in his favor.

In consulting various tennis cognoscenti for this article, the consensus was that it would take a very strong serve-and-volleyer to defeat Federer on grass, or even on hard courts.

Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt made the point several years ago that the only person who could really stop Federer in his tracks would be an in-his-prime Sampras.

Right now, we don't have that sort of option, unless you want to pencil in Safin, who has the raw power to intimidate Federer, if not the mental constitution to do it over the long haul.

So for the moment that leaves us with Andy Roddick, and let's face it, even with the coaching rah, rah from Connors, he is not the ideal candidate to dethrone Federer at Wimbledon, having already fallen on his face in the 2004 and 2005 finals.

Someone recently said that the guy who is going to be able to beat Federer on a consistent basis is not on the ATP circuit yet, which seems to be a realistic point of view.

TOUGHEST OF THEM ALL

But back to the French. What does it take to win the championship considered the most grueling of them all? It takes a crazy, born to grind-it-out-on-clay player such as Thomas Muster, who won it in 1995 as the putative "King of Clay," thus vaulting the Austrian to number one in the world amidst controversy because of his mediocre record on other surfaces. Or a tennis prodigy such as Andre Agassi, who everyone assumed would win the French a slew of times, due to his brilliant baseline play, but who did it only once, in 1998, to become only the fifth player in history to win all four major championships in a career.

To emulate Borg, who won the title six times, and in his last couple of championships hardly letting opponents take a game, is likely not within Federer's or Nadal's ken. To date, Borg is the best clay-courter who ever lived, while Sampras is probably the best grass-court player. Which leaves Federer as the best all-arounder? Or would that be Laver, who in most tennis polls is considered the co-equal of Sampras at the top of the historical heap.

Still, we return to Paris. Agassi did what Sampras did not, and McEnroe and Connors before him ... which was to win the French and get the monkey off his back.

So if Federer falls into that Roland Garros loser trap, how great can we call him?

RIVALRIES PROVIDE THE SPICE

A great champion — in any sport — is also defined by great and enduring rivalries. In tennis, in that memorable '70s era, there were defining matches involving: Laver vs. Newcombe, Nastase vs. Ashe, Connors vs. Ashe, Connors vs. Borg vs. Vilas vs. McEnroe, and Rosewall vs. most of the former. The Australian legend's devastating losses at age 39 to Connors in the 1974 Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals dramatically lifted Connors' incipient star, before "Jimbo" also went on to become one of tennis' geriatric marvels with his amazing run to the semifinals of the 1990 U.S. Open at age 39.

And Federer, who can he count on besides Nadal to raise him to such Olympian heights? The rest of the competition on the ATP tour these days is not exactly dazzling. The dour — though relentlessly competitive — duo of Ivan Ljubičić and Nikolay Davydenko doesn't fit the bill, nor the more dynamic U.S. combo of Roddick and James Blake, although any of the four can give Federer fits on certain surfaces, if not in the manner of Nadal on clay.

Gonzalez could rise to the occasion at Roland Garros, or he could turn out to be a one-Grand Slam-final wonder, where the company is plentiful. Other lesser known players are likely to make a move, providing upsets, since that always happens in the majors, though mostly at Wimbledon, due to the slippery fast surface that shortens points and favors huge-serving players such as 2001 champ Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia.

So the 2007 Paris prognosis? Interesting, even fascinating, win or lose for Federer.

*The 1937 Davis Cup encounter between Don Budge and Gottfried Von Cramm is considered the best match ever played. American Budge prevailed 8-6 in the fifth set against his German foe.

George Soules is the author of the "Playboy Book of Tennis," a former Washington Post freelance writer, award-winning Internet sports columnist, and bilingual (English and Spanish) radio and television tennis commentator.

Posted by George Soules at 6:47 PM | Comments (5)

Trent Green: Monkey in the Middle?

The Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Trent Green are involved in the old schoolyard game "Monkey in the Middle." You know the game, two kids on the outside tossing a ball back and forth over the poor kid in the middle trying to snag the ball to move out of the middle.

Usually, the game devolves to two bigger kids on the outside with a smaller kid stuck in the middle. The smaller kid grows increasingly frustrated because of his inability to impact the situation. It almost always ends badly.

The current situation in Kansas City has quarterback Trent Green stuck firmly in the middle while the Chiefs and Dolphins toss the ball back and forth as Green flails desperately, and without much success, to make something happen.

The Chiefs are determined to move in a younger direction. In a February meeting involving Green and Chiefs president Carl Peterson, the Chiefs tipped their hand. They told Green he needed to restructure his contract, take a pay cut, and make room for renewed competition for the starting quarterback position.

Seemingly, the Chief's see Brodie Croyle as their future and want their future to begin now. Some have Green projected as third string behind Croyle and Damon Huard, who capably filled in for Green during his concussion recovery last season.

Unwilling to restructure his contract, Green sought a deal with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins would prefer not to begin the season with Daunte Culpepper at the helm. He is still recovering from the knee injury that severely limited him last year.

Ideally, the Dolphins would bring in Green to start for several years while mentoring Dolphins rookie second-round selection Jon Beck.

Green and the Dolphins reportedly worked out a deal. The sticking point is the Dolphins' proposed compensation to the Chiefs hasn't been enough to induce the Chiefs to pull the trigger on the deal.

What's at stake?

For the Chiefs...

The Chiefs stand to be stuck with Green's $7.2 million guaranteed paycheck this year — pricey for a third-string quarterback. Alternatively, they could end up cutting Green before the beginning of the season and receive nothing at all in compensation.

The Chiefs have publicly said they are willing to pay the money to keep Green on as a capable backup. However, this seems to be a bluff. Green won't be happy and the disruption to the team chemistry would be potentially devastating.

For Green...

Green badly wants to move to the Dolphins where he hasn't been guaranteed the starting role, but would be a prohibitive favorite to earn the spot. His chances of starting this year diminish with each day of missed workouts.

Green, through his agent, has said he will not play another game for the Chiefs. He has few options. He can continue showing up for team meetings and workouts while waiting for the Chiefs to decide his fate, hold out, or retire. Largely powerless under the circumstances, Green's frustration increases daily.

For the Dolphins...

The Dolphins desperately want Green. They have the tough decision of paying more to get Green sooner or wait out the Chiefs and pick him up late if he is cut.

The Dolphins face the prospects of beginning the season with the uncertainty of Culpepper's ability to fully recover from his injury or the prospects of starting the inexperienced Beck.

The most likely scenario is that Green ends up in Miami, but the question is when? The circumstances dictate that both the Dolphins and the Chiefs should be very motivated to make this happen sooner than later.

The Chiefs lose compensation if negotiations drag on too long and they are forced to cut Green. The Dolphins lose valuable time to acclimate Green to their system with the passage of time. And Green's odds of starting this year plummet without adequate time to integrate with a new team.

Both sides lose negotiating power as it drags on. And who loses if it drags out to the eventual cutting of Green? All three monkeys.

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

Posted by Todd Beckstead at 6:03 PM | Comments (2)

Kiawah's Weapon of Choice Blows Hard

Many sports have tried, and failed, to extend the shelf lives of their prized athletic commodities by introducing senior events. In most cases success has been moderate at best. It appears few of us enjoy watching our heroes' legacies diluted with the onset of time.

Golf's PGA Champions Tour is a notable exception. Now in its 28th year, the tour offers over $54 million in prize money (at an average of $1.86 million per tournament) and continues to attract the cream of golfing talent upon their 50th birthdays. Generous media coverage and packed grandstands reflect a brand built in part through nostalgia, but largely through the sustained ability of golf's twilight generation to perform remarkable feats.

"The only real difference between older and younger players is focus," said 44-time Champions Tour winner and all-time money leader Hale Irwin. "Sure, there might be a small gap in driving distance, but largely the same skills prevail. What changes is your priorities in life, having a family and not wanting to spend your whole life on the course."

South African Nick Price is making his Champions debut this year following a career on the regular tour that brought 18 victories, including a British Open and two PGA Championships. He believes there are elements of the senior tour that make it superior to its undergrad sibling.

"There is a far higher concentration of top quality players at Senior events than I can ever remember on the regular tour," said Price. "The vibe in the clubhouse is better and it's more enjoyable to be involved with. I am having so much more fun on this tour than I ever did before."

Price made an impressive start to first Champions tour major yesterday, carding a one-under-par 71 in the first round of the Senior PGA Championship at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Gusty conditions made for difficult iron play and saw Brit Tony Jacklin penalized two shots after wind blew his ball from its mark and he returned it before putting.

Argentinean Eduardo Romero held the overnight lead after finishing at four-under-par. Defending champion Jay Haas finished with a highly
respectable even-par 72, while last week's Regents Charity Classic winner Brad Bryant shot 71 to leave him tied for fourth place.

"I played real well out there," said Bryant. "That was some of my best golf of the year and I'm happy with my score. I'm going home for a nice dinner with my wife now — I'll need all the energy I can get for tomorrow if it's windy."

Posted by Will Tidey at 5:25 PM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2007

NBA Lottery Blues in Green

The Boston Celtics suffered a terrible misfortune at Tuesday night's NBA Draft Lottery. They were supposed to get No. 1 (Greg Oden) or No. 2 (Kevin Durant). Celtics fans haven't just hoped for those scenarios — we've depended on them. With each loss last year, with each dumb-ass move by dim-witted coach Doc Rivers, Celtics fans had two things to keep them off the ledge:

1. At least Doc will get fired.

2. At least we'll get Oden or Durant.

And now this. Pick No. 5, which should translate to (in no particular order) Julian Wright, Joakim Noah, the Chinese kid, Al Horford, Brandan Wright, Jeff Green, Mike Conley, or Corey Brewer. Oh, and Doc got an extension.

(Excuse me while I slam my nuts in my desk drawer to drown out the pain.)

(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!)

(deep breaths)

Okay.

So aside from straight anguish, there's a sense of karmic payback here. The Celtics tanked last year. It was grotesque. A team should not be rewarded for that kind of gutless strategy. (Though somehow Cleveland got LeBron after tanking, didn't they? DIDN'T THEY?!) Also, the argument can be made that Celtics ownership and front office have been so incompetent, they don't deserve to be rewarded with an NBA superstar. Really, if you're going to give Doc Rivers an extension after his piss-poor performance over the past two years, you don't deserve a potential Hall of Famer. You just don't.

And as far as Boston fans go, the Patriots have won three titles in six years and have been raking in the talent this offseason like George Steinbrenner was running the show (though within the limitations of a salary cap). The Red Sox won the series in 2004 and the fans have gloated as though there were no repercussions for being a sore winner. (No, I'm not a Red Sox fan. Eff them and eff the American League. And eff you if that's a problem. Go Cards.) And since New Englanders are supposed to be tortured (it's mostly Catholic and Jew, after all), it only makes sense that one franchise always be in the dirt at all times (the Bruins don't count). It just so happens it's the Celtics' turn (and has been for quite some time now).

With all that said, however, there is one chance left for this to not go down as one of the worst strokes of bad luck to ever befall a New England franchise. There is one other player in this draft who I think will do as much for the team as Oden or Durant would have, one player who can be an MVP-level performer at a critical position on the floor, who can make Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson and everybody else better, who would instantly make the Celtics a playoff team: Mike Conley.

We know what's going to happen at one and two. Atlanta has number three and Memphis number four. Atlanta should take Conley, who would be a No. 1 pick if he had stayed in college for another year or two. They need a PG and he's a difference maker. But Atlanta has shown no inclination to doing the smart thing. Last year, they took Shelden Williams over Brandon Roy and Randy Foye. In 2005, it was Marvin Williams over Deron Williams and Chris Paul. In 2004, Josh Childress over Luol Deng. If there's anybody I want picking ahead of me in the draft, it's the Hawks.

Memphis, though, is far more worrisome. They could really use Conley. They also don't have much need for either of the Wrights or the Chinese kid (fine — his name is Yi Jianlian), who is basically an Asian Pau Gasol. The only option of the top seven or eight players I could see them going with over Conley is Brewer, who would also vastly improve a position of weakness. But given a choice between a dominant point guard and a dominant two guard, the smart money is on the point. And though Jerry West isn't quite the logo he used to be, I have to think he still has that basic concept down.

But I'm going to hold out hope. With Conley in green along with Rajon Rondo and Delonte West (not to mention Pierce, who probably slammed his own nuts in a drawer last night), the Celts would have the beginnings of something special on the perimeter.

Now all we need is a coach who can set a rotation and develop the rest of the young guys and we're set!

Seth Doria is a freelance blogger and columnist in St. Louis. He is originally from Providence, Rhode Island and hates Doc Rivers. For more, visit The Left Calf.

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 3:34 PM | Comments (1)

Bryant Ready For Kiawah Challenge

On the PGA Champions Tour, life begins at 50. For some players, careers relatively untouched by success are blessed with tournament victories and earnings in dramatic contrast to the meagre returns of life at the peak of their abilities.

52-year-old Brad Bryant is the perfect example. The Texan turned professional in 1976, but managed only one PGA tour victory, at the Walt Disney Classic in 1995. Despite finishing in the top 125 for nine consecutive years, he remained a peripheral figure and never threatened to win a major championship.

Bryant became eligible for Champions tour in 2005 and earned $727,438 in his first year. The following season, he won two titles and over $1.5 million in prize money, taking his tour total to $2,419,855 in just two seasons. In a career spanning more than 20 years on the regular tour, he had earned just over $3.5 million.

Last week, Bryant won the Regions Charity Classic in Alabama, marking back-to-back success at the event and annoucing his intensions to make 2007 his best year yet. Arriving at the Senior PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in South Carolina, he reflected on a remarkable career honeymoon.

"In a sense, it's a second chance saloon," said Bryant. "I had one chance on the regular tour and I didn't take it as well as I'd have liked. I'm more motivated than ever now to realise my potential."

Bryant was runner-up to Jay Haas at the 2006 Senior PGA Championship at Oak Tree Club, Oklahoma, and believes he has a realistic chance of winning his first major at this week's event.

"I feel confident if I play well I can challenge at this tournament. I haven't had much of a look at the course, but that shouldn't matter too much. I'm looking forward to the challenge. A major tournament win would be something special."

As the players began their opening round today, conditions at Kiawah were far from ideal. A North-easterly breeze blew across the course, evoking memories of 1991's infamous Ryder Cup at the venue — dubbed "The War by the Shore."

Posted by Will Tidey at 3:15 PM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2007

This Season, These Playoffs: Worst Ever?

This past weekend, something downright shocking happened. I found myself watching more of the Red Wings/Ducks game on Sunday than the Spurs/Jazz game.

And this is coming from someone who grew up on basketball in ACC and SEC country and didn't even know what hockey was until about age 8. But yet, I was finding the sport that NBC cut off the air for an hour and a half of useless pre-Preakness filler more appealing that the NBA playoffs at this stage. It's safe to say that with the tanking that infiltrated the regular season and a lackluster playoffs, this has best one of the worst NBA seasons in memory.

If you're a Spurs, Pistons, Jazz, or Cavs fan, you won't want to accept that last sentence. Sometimes, though, the truth hurts, and it's not (necessarily) a criticism against your teams.

Yet, in five years, the biggest thing I will remember about this season and these playoffs will be the Game 4 Robert Horry hip-check of Steve Nash that saw the fans ripped off of a potentially classic series by way of a ridiculous, outdated rule.

Going by the letter of the law, David Stern and Stu Jackson had to suspend Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. That doesn't make the rule right by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, changing the rule needs to be the first item on the league agenda in the owner's meetings.

Would the Suns have won the series at full strength? I say no. The Spurs have the Suns' number and matchup against the Suns better than perhaps any team in the league. But the rational NBA fan has to believe that the series would have gone seven. Even so, the five games in the series with both teams having all their key players was great basketball.

The fact that the series ended one game too early was a huge problem. The biggest problem with the playoffs, though, has been the entire Eastern Conference.

In the first round, the only non-sweep was the Raptors/Nets series, a very average series that was perhaps only salvaged to that category by Games 5 and 6 coming down to the last shot.

In the second round, Detroit took a 3-0 lead on Chicago and then allowed the Bulls to get two games back only to put Chicago away at the United Center. None of the games, except for borderline unwatchable Game 2 were in doubt going into the final few minutes.

If Game 2 of Pistons/Bulls was unwatchable, then there's no explaining how bad the Cavs/Nets series was. Perhaps the Nets scoring six fourth quarter points and making only one shot from the floor in the final period of Game 5 and still winning would serve the series justice.

Many pundits and so called NBA experts kept using the crutch that both team were playing good defense as a reason why no one could make a shot going down the stretch in any game. But that wasn't the case. Each team missed an inordinate amount of open shots to essentially denigrate an NBA Conference Semifinal series into a Penn State/Northwestern Big Ten horror reel.

Cavs/Nets also took a turn for the worse when pre-all-star break LeBron decided to appear and camp out on the perimeter for stretches in the series. Perhaps he had some kind of sense that his team could still win the series with him taking bad 20-foot fall-aways. If he drifts into that, "I don't HAVE to get to the rim" mindset for similar periods against the Pistons, the Cavs will be swept.

Still, LeBron, in a series even the biggest of Cavs apologists would not call his best, averaged 25 ppg, 7 rpg and 8.5 apg. However, those raw numbers don't take into account his 42.3% from the floor against the Nets.

Another factor in why I decided to watch Red Wings/Ducks on Sunday afternoon instead of the second half of Spurs/Jazz is the sheer predictability of what we have left in the playoffs.

Mostly everyone who follows the NBA is already looking forward (or if you listen to some, dreading) another Spurs/Pistons Finals. There's no reason to think that everyone will be wrong. After all, the Spurs and Pistons have simply been better all season than the flawed Jazz and Cavs.

This season has seen more than its fair share of bad or lopsided basketball, and unfortunately, that doesn't look to improve in this round.

Posted by Ross Lancaster at 4:05 PM | Comments (0)

ADHD Power Hour: Beauty Edition

So I've been kind of a funk. I've got a bad neck, terrible allergies, and I don't like my job very much. I lost a bunch of weight and now it's coming back on. I stopped smoking, then started again. There's drama with some of my friends and my daughter is at the age where tears and screaming are a negotiating tactic. I just moved and now I'm broke.

In the past, I would get down and feel sorry for myself with little recourse. I would start writing poems about the futility of corporate loyalty, shave my head and maybe get another tattoo.

But not now. I've learned a new way, part faith, part love. When I start getting down, I do three things.

First, I thank God for what I do have. I love my family and, as far as health problems go, I'll take allergies over cancer any day.

Then I wish well to all those who I know are much worse off. I start with the families of those in the military, those killed, those injured, those missing, and those who face each one of those threats every day. Then I go to those in poor health, especially children. I can't imagine having to watch my child go through chemo or dialysis or suffer through something like Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, or Muscular Dystrophy. To the military families and the parents of these children, I pray you all receive the happy ending you desperately need.

Finally, I look to the good around me. I look for the things I love in this world, the beauty that surrounds us each day. It doesn't have to be monumental or of worldwide significance. Look around you. I guarantee it's there.

And that's why sports matter so much. No matter what time of year, sports, and the athletes who dedicate their lives to the competition, provide us with dozens of examples each day of the good in the world. So instead of my normal cynicism and mildly clever jabs against the world, here are 30 things I love about sports, the moments that draw us all back for more.

In no particular order:

A perfectly thrown bomb for a touchdown

The tears of an Olympic champion seeing his or her flag raised while the national anthem plays

A parking lot packed with tail-gaiters six hours before kick-off

Student sections

An NCAA tournament bracket just after the Sunday Selection Show

A crisp 12-to-6 curve

A super-slow-motion replay of a perfectly-placed knockout punch

The anguish of a team just defeated by a buzzer beater

Champagne celebrations

Soccer goals

A perfect golf shot

A crossover that leaves the defender on his ass

A racehorse at full speed

Decleaters

Crosschecks

Backhanding a ball in the hole and firing to first

Glove saves

Diving in any sport

A scrum

Light rain during a summer night baseball game

A ballpark dog with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions

Beer

Post-game hugs on senior night

A completely calm lake at dawn

A throw jump in pairs figure skating

The Star Spangled Banner

The vert ramp

Fresh powder

The line of scrimmage

I know I've gone way off the reservation with this column. And I fully expect I will be hearing about this for some time. You just can't go writing columns about beautiful things and not expect to get called some names. (And the fact that I included an ice skating reference will only make it worse. Sorry. Those jumps are cool.)

But at least I feel better. I hope you do, too.

God bless.

Seth Doria is a freelance writer and blogger in St. Louis. For more news, notes, observations, and mean comments about Sidney Ponson and Jeff Weaver, please visit The Left Calf.

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 3:48 PM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2007

Should Barry Bonds Be a Hall of Famer?

Three National League MVPs, eight all-star appearances, eight Gold Gloves, 1,751 runs, 1,917 hits, and 411 home runs. Those would have been Barry Bonds credentials if he had retired in 1998 after 13 years in Major League Baseball. He was a Hall of Famer then. He also still had at least eight years of a career ahead of him. So how is there even a debate over whether this baseball legend deserves a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

One word: steroids.

According to "Game of Shadows," a book written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, Bonds began using steroids in 1998. And now, as he threatens to break the most vaunted record in a sport that cherishes its numbers and worships its past, the controversy heats up. Will Barry Bonds be a Hall of Famer when he hangs it up?

I will present to you both sides of the argument. We will look at the argument that Bodns is a Hall of Famer in two ways: one, that Bonds was a Hall of Famer before he took steroids. And two, that he did not break any rules during his alleged steroid use as MLB did not have any anti-steroids legislation.

On the other side, I will point to the moral argument against Bonds; that his cheating through performance-enhancing drugs unapologetically broke a rule that transcends any bylaws baseball may have had and the result was that Bonds dominated the game of baseball and now is on pace to break a record held by a man, Hank Aaron, who stood for all that is good in baseball. Let's begin with the reasons Bonds is a Hall of Famer.

Recently, I had a chance to sit and talk with a tenured baseball Hall of Fame voter. I asked him whether he believed Bonds was a Hall of Famer. He said yes. The reason was simple. "Bonds is the best player, by far, of his generation," he said. "He is the best player I have ever covered."

Simply put, there is no one else that reaches the levels Bonds reached during his playing days — before or after his alleged steroid use. The numbers I spoke of earlier, including the 411 home runs and 1,917 hits, clearly prove how effective Bonds was at the plate, and the Gold Gloves show that Bonds was more than just a power hitter — he was also a top-notch fielder.

His numbers are so staggering, that if you took Bonds' average per season over the first 13 seasons of his career and spread them over the last eight years of his career, Bonds would retire at the end of this season with the following numbers: 2,957 runs, 3,240 hits, 699 home runs. There is absolutely no doubt that those numbers are Hall of Fame worthy. (While you may argue that Bonds could not have kept up that pace, keep in mind that the average numbers include his first few years in the majors when Bonds hit 16, 25, 24 and 19 home runs in his first four seasons).

Ignoring his amazing career numbers prior to the alleged steroid use and looking at his impact after 1998 and you still have one major road block: there were no rules in MLB that steroids were illegal, and so technically, Bonds did nothing wrong.

Many people point to Pete Rose as a comparison to Bonds, but Rose broke an explicit rule against gambling on baseball. When Bonds allegedly used steroids, there was nothing set in place that made that illegal. You cannot punish him if he didn't break any rules. Especially when you don't know how many different players in MLB were using steroids, including the pitchers Bonds was facing.

Now let's take a look at the reasons Bonds shouldn't be a Hall of Famer. It begins with the evidence laid out in "Game of Shadows," which clearly point to steroid use as the reason for Bonds resurgence in the last seven years.

There is no doubt that the numbers show that Bonds' statistics went up when trends show numbers usually go down. And the evidence in "Game of Shadows" shows Bonds was most likely using steroids.

In one part of the book, it chronicles how Bonds weight increased 15 pounds, almost all in muscle, and that his teammates began calling Bonds "the Incredible Hulk."

The book implicates that Bonds knowingly took steroids, in other words, knowingly cheated. He used steroids that had been banned throughout the rest of the sporting world, including the drug that got Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson banned. Furthermore, his use of drugs to increase his power left a stain on baseball, embarrassed the game and has led to constant doubting of the achievements he has had in baseball.

As he approaches the most sacred record in baseball, he continues to assault the sanctity of the game. And the sanctity of the game does matter. Proof? When Mark McGwire testified to Congress and refused to speak about the past, many speculated that the once sure-fire Hall of Famer was now in jeopardy of not being enshrined at all. The fears were confirmed when McGwire received just 23.5 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility, far below the required 75 percent needed for enshrinement.

If that is any indication of how voters feel about those with a steroids shadow lurking over there head, then Bonds may be in for some big trouble.

As the season continues, Bonds will continue to be at the center of perhaps the biggest scandal in all of sports history: the use of steroids in baseball. And while his numbers point to the obvious fact that he is a Hall of Famer, as McGwire's Hall of Fame vote shows, nothing is a sure thing when it comes to the voting. The morals and ethics of the game strongly resonate in the voting.

So in the end, will Barry Bonds be a Hall of Famer? That question will be answered in time. As for whether he deserves it, that's for each individual fan to decide on their own. What do you think?

Posted by Paul Tenorio at 3:28 PM | Comments (4)

The Sad Saga of Ricky Williams

The Ricky saga continues.

He was known as the Texas Tornado in college and while playing for the Miami Dolphins, he was a tornado spinning out of control. Ricky Williams' promising NFL career came to a complete halt after repeated violations of the NFL's substance abuse policy and just when he was to be reinstated in the NFL, he again tested positive for marijuana last month.

Over his seven-year NFL career, Williams failed five drug tests and, according to NFL policy, after a player tests positive three times, he is suspended for at least one year for each subsequent violation. After a year, a player can apply for reinstatement, which is at the commissioner's discretion. Now the ball is in NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's hands on his decision to bring Williams back into the NFL. But if it was my decision on Williams, I would say, "no."

How many times can a player be given a chance?

How many times does a player say "sorry" and then do the opposite?

In Williams' case, it's too many times with no remorse to seek help and clean up his tiring act. Too many times we hear how yoga is helping him, but then so is marijuana. For all intents and purposes, a normal citizen would be arrested and jailed if caught with marijuana and be forced to enter a rehab program.

In a statement released by Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, Williams stated:

"Due to the recent reports about me failing a drug test, I feel it is appropriate for me to issue this statement. Last month, following a psychological evaluation requested by the NFL, we — the psychiatrist and I — came to the realization that there were a few things I needed to iron out about myself in order to make my return to the NFL as successful as possible.

I am an honest, God-fearing man who is intensely dedicated to being the best person I can be on and off the football field. There is no need to smear my name or to defame my character for the sake of news. When the time is right, God willing, I will be back on the field scoring touchdowns for whatever team is fortunate enough to believe in me."

The Dolphins don't believe in him anymore and coach Cam Cameron made it known to the media. Cameron said: "I will not allow our fans to be let down by people that are not on our roster — not again. It's my responsibility not to let that happen again. We have the greatest fans in the game and we've got men on our team that we're going to focus on."

Williams was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder in 2001 and was prescribed to take the drug Paxil. However, he said Paxil didn't agree with his diet and that marijuana is 300,000 times better for him; it's a better treatment with fewer side effects.

It not only hurt his football career, but chances to be one of the best in the game. In 2002, he was the Dolphins' leading rusher with 1,853 yards and also has the awards to show for his football ability from the Heisman Trophy to Pro Bowl MVP. However, since 2003, he only played in 12 games and owes the Dolphins $8.6 million for breaching his contract when he sat out for the entire 2004 NFL season. His problems also hurt the Dolphins with a five-year playoff drought, which is the longest in their franchise history.

Dolphins' linebacker Zach Thomas said it best, when interviewed by MSNBC.com: "It has been a rough ride ... we have to quit looking for excuses and move on. Whoever is here, we've got to work with that and quit looking at all the drama that is usually off the field. There has been quite a bit over the last five years."

The last five years of the Ricky Williams saga.

Posted by Joe Boesch at 3:15 PM | Comments (6)

May 21, 2007

SUNthing's Got to Give

So what is the excuse this time, Phoenix fans? Was it Cheap Shot Bob? David Stern? The refs? It had to be something, because apparently the Suns don't get beat, they get robbed.

Last year, it was "Wait till we get Amare back." This year, it's "the suspensions killed us."

Call me crazy, but shouldn't the two-time MVP be able to elevate his team to another level for the biggest game of the year, at home no less, and send a big "F*** You" to the team they accused of being dirty? I seem to remember Ervin "Magic" Johnson having to play center in Game 6 of the 1980 finals because their first team all-NBA, first team all-defense, league MVP center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was hurt. All he did that game was score 42 points, grab 15 boards, and dish out 7 assists. On the road. As a rookie. To clinch the title. That, my friends, is an MVP.

Then again, MVPs used to mean something back then. Now it has turned into the BPBT (best player on the best team) award. Steve Nash won two consecutive BPBTs without playing any defense aside from sliding underneath someone to draw a charge. Yet I'm supposed to be surprised when that doesn't translate into playoff victories?

Brace yourself, Phoenix: Steve Nash is overrated. Wildly overrated. He's no better now individually than Jason Kidd was before his knee surgeries, with less playoff success on a more talented team. Look at the numbers. Kidd in 2002-2003, the year they got beat by the Spurs in the Finals, averaged 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and shot 41% from the floor. In his two BPBT seasons combined, Nash averaged 17.1 points, 11 assists, 3.7 rebounds, .9 steals per game, and shot 50% from the floor. Seems pretty much like a wash to me.

Now look at the other players playing with Kidd that year: Richard Jefferson (in his first year as a starter), Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles, Lucious Harris, Rodney Rogers, Aaron Williams, Dikembe Mutombo, and Jason Collins all averaged over 19 minutes per game. There isn't a single all-star, all-NBA, or all-defensive player on that team. Yet they were 14-6 in the playoffs that year.

Compare the players listed above with the 2007 Suns: Amare Stoudemire (first team all-NBA), Leandro Barbosa (Sixth Man of the Year), Raja Bell (first team all-defense), Shawn Marion (all-star), Boris Diaw, and James Jones all played at least 18 minutes per game. I don't care how deep the West is compared to the East in 2003, there is absolutely no reason that a team with that much talent should ever be outperformed by the group of players that the Nets had in 2003.

The difference clearly comes from the point guard position. Both players have that once-in-a-generation ability to see the floor and get the ball to teammates. The difference is that Kidd played defense and Nash doesn't. As my big book of sports clichés tells me: offense wins games, defense wins championships. Kidd's Nets won 49 games that year; the Suns won 61 this year. Which team was better suited for a deep playoff run?

You can say whatever you want about Phoenix playing an exciting brand of basketball or whatever, but the fact is that their style of play will never, I repeat never, be successful in the playoffs. Their approach is to try and play some defense and if not, oh well, we'll just try to outscore them. San Antonio's approach is to play great defense and wear their opponents out, then outplay them in the fourth. Which team do you think has three rings?

It's not that San Antonio can't get out and run like Phoenix; they have the talent, the athleticism, the shooters, and a point guard good enough to make it work. It's just that they know better. Phoenix plays a risk-reward style that pays off in the regular season because teams are too busy preparing for the other 29 teams that don't play like that to worry about them. Come playoff time, a coach like Greg Popovich coupled with a talented team will find a way to beat their style every time.

There is a reason that Nash never peaked as a player until he got into this system. He was a nice player for his previous teams, but it wasn't until Mike D'Antoni turned Nash into the player that he is now by seeming to encourage him to be terrible defensively to save his energy for his offensive-minded Euroball system.

So go ahead and make your excuses for the rest of the playoffs, Suns fans. Next year, you will forget all about the suspensions because you will win 60 games, score 110 points per game, and have false hope going into the playoffs. Then you will get completely dominated in a seven-game series (again) and find another excuse.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 3:08 PM | Comments (6)

Will the Cup Finally Return?

It has been 14 years since a Canadian team has been able to bring the Stanley Cup north of the border and now the Ottawa Senators have a chance to finally bring the treasured trophy home.

When the Montreal Canadiens won the Cup in 1993, it was an expectation among Canadians to reap the benefits of being a hockey loving nation and see the success play out on ice just as it has played out in the hearts of the world's most diehard hockey nation. In fact, ever since the trophy was to be awarded to the NHL champion, beginning in 1927, up until the Canadiens win in '93, it went to a Canadian team 41 of 66 times, or 62% of the time.

Never before did the nation have to wait for 14 years to see a Canadian team be proclaimed the champion.

Sure, there are more teams today then there were before. Sure, there is a salary cap which keeps the big-market Canadian teams in check. Sure, the league is much more evenly balanced now then it has ever been before. However, while all of these give reason to the madness, none of them provide escape from the sadness.

Whatever the history, Canada is eager for a champion. The Senators' bandwagon is as wide as the continent and the nation's capital is carrying the weight on millions as they prepare for their eventual matchup against either the Anaheim Ducks or Detroit Red Wings.

The Ottawa Senators have been rolling of late and are in the finals for the first time since the city's re-entrance into the league in 1992. They have consistently been among the league's most dominant teams over the last five years and are coming off an incredible series where they steamrolled the Buffalo Sabres, the top team in the East from the regular season.

Everybody seems to be peaking at just the right time. Daniel Alfredsson has proven to be clutch in recent weeks, Dany Heatley is leading the playoff points race, Jason Spezza has been getting his, and Ray Emery is proving that Ottawa goalies can save pucks in the playoffs, something that has been questioned in previous years.

Even the defense of this offensively minded team has been able to hold their own, slowing the Sabres to only two goals a game compared to their season average of 3.75 per contest.

The stars have aligned and it seems as though the Canadian dream will finally become a reality. The Senators have hit a hot streak that should make them capable of fighting off whatever is thrown at them. With one series to go — all of Canada will be leaning on a Swedish captain to bring Lord Stanley back for a long-overdue visit.

If this is the time, well ... it's about time.

Posted by Chad Kettner at 2:18 PM | Comments (1)

May 20, 2007

Worst Enemy is Your Best Player?

By the time some of you read this, Vince Carter will have scored 80 points over the span of two playoff games, keeping the Nets alive to play another day.

Or, he'll have gone 1-for-12 in the fourth quarter, fumbling away the ball on his final shot like Butterbean trying to eat a greased cantaloupe.

It'll be one of the two, because there's no middle ground with Vince: he's either the best player on the court or the worst example of a pseudo-superstar in the NBA. He's either the Air-apparent, able to hang above the floor for what seems like hours as he sinks a highlight-reel shot, or he's a complimentary player with an all-star's shoe contract.

He's either your best friend, or your worst enemy. And as a Nets fan from the days of 5,000 people in the Meadowlands watching Otis Birdsong pass to Mike Gminski, I miss players that either rock (Buck Williams) or suck (I'm a Nets fan ... we simply don't have time for the litany of counter-comparisons that could fit between these brackets).

In other words, I'm sick of Vince Carter, and it's time for him to leave.

I knew when Carter arrived in New Jersey that the Nets were getting a polarizing figure — a player that had a funny way of pissing everyone off but getting a pass from the locals as long as he produced. It reminded me of when my New Jersey Devils traded for Claude Lemieux, one of the most hated players in hockey history and a guy whose own coaches labeled him a locker room cancer. I watched the guy play with more emotion, grit, and dastardly determination than any other player on the ice, and was enamored with him; No. 22, with "Lemieux" above it, was the first personalized sports jersey I ever owned.

The rest of the league thought he was a bastard; to me, he was a hockey hero.

Same goes for Vince. There were stretches during his time in Jersey when I was a huge Carter mark, defending his game to detractors and believing he could elevate this franchise to its first NBA championship. No offense to Jason Kidd, a true immortal of this game, but Carter's explosive talents convinced me that he was the best pure athlete the franchise has seen since Dr. J.

Delusional? Maybe, but you can be seduced by the charms of a player like Carter. The acrobatics. The flashes of brilliance that seem effortless. And the big, timely plays that superstars make — like the game-tying three-pointer I saw him sink with clicks left on the clock in a game down here in D.C. earlier this season.

The problem is that he never made enough of them. He was eighth in the league in scoring, and first in empty points — those baskets that come during meaningless times of the game, spotlighted by those misses that come during crucial junctures.

Like, for example, his pathetic fourth quarter in Game 4 against Cleveland in this year's Eastern Conference semifinals. He was an inept conduit for the Nets' offense, destroying consistency and halting momentum whenever he could. His timid turnover with 1.2 seconds left in a two-point game — the ball muffed out of bounds as Carter had his back to a double-team — is, as of Game 6, the biggest turning point of the Nets' postseason.

Whenever that postseason ends, so will end this incarnation of the team. Kidd's got his eye on the Lakers, and Kobe's got his eye on Kidd. The notion that Richard Jefferson could be packaged for another superstar (Garnett?) has been floated; so has the notion that the Nets could pull a Washington Nationals-like move, shedding their star salaries and going into the tank until their new home in Brooklyn is ready for them.

Carter? He'll likely opt out of his contract and become a free agent as of July 1. And since nobody believes Vince Carter is a star more than Vince Carter, he'll seek a max contract that will only come to him from a team that's far under the cap or a team willing to take this enigma via a sign-and-trade with New Jersey.

I believe the latter option will happen, and Carter will be flipped for some cheap young labor. We'll look back at his time in New Jersey as a microcosm of the team itself during the last few seasons: flashes of undeniable excellence mired in a muck of unfulfilled potential.

What I'll miss most about Vince Carter: that rare ability to show you something, for better or for worse, that you've never seen before on an NBA court.

What I'll miss least about Vince Carter: His look of disbelief and exasperation whenever a call didn't go his way. The eyebrows arch up, the forehead crinkles, the eyes seem to scream "DON'T YOU KNOW I HAVE A SHOE CONTRACT, REF?"; he looks like a 3-year-old who gets caught sneaking a cookie and then gets mad at his nanny for catching him.

So long, Vince. Time to find a new babysitter.

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 is "Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer: The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History." His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 9:19 PM | Comments (0)

May 18, 2007

Sports Q&A: Celebrating Bonds

Curtis from Muscle Shoals, AL writes, "How can we, as baseball fans, or readers of fictional record books, celebrate Barry Bonds eclipsing Henry Aaron's record of 755 home runs, and maintain our sense of dignity?"

With apologies to Judgment Day and Armageddon, the day Bonds breaks this record may be the most feared date in the upcoming future. If only those Jesus freaks and weirdos who have been warning us about Judgment Day and Armageddon for the last 2000 years would have given us any kind of warning about Bonds, then maybe we could have done something about it.

But now, with the infamous date approaching, there is little we can do to stop Bonds from breaking one of the most hallowed records in sports history, except, ironically, pray for Judgment Day and/or Armageddon. But the odds of either one of those occurring is very slim, although the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Jason Giambi, also known as Perjury, Andro, HGH, and Steroids) have presaged this dark day that will forever scar the good book, the Major League Baseball record book.

But we don't have to take this sitting down (which, by the way, is the easiest way to take an injection of steroids). There are small, simple acts of defiance that will let Bonds, and baseball, know that we won't recognize his record. So, after Bonds breaks Aaron's record, put on your Che Guevara t-shirt, a black beret, raise your first, and revolt!

Wear oversized shirts, hats, and shoes. You know, I worked my entire life to have bigger feet, because you know what they say about guys with big feet: they hit more home runs. But, it just didn't happen for me. Bonds, on the other hand, found the secret to enlarging his feet, as well as his head. Big feet + big head = more home runs. They say Bonds' record will be untouchable, but if the love child of Ronald McDonald and Elmer Fudd plays baseball, watch out.

At your next BINGO game, when you have the win, don't yell "BINGO!" Shout out "BALCO!"

Use the words "implicate," "overwhelming," and "evidence" in a sentence.

Assemble 12 of your peers. Place your hand on the Bible and lie to them.

Tell acquaintances that you've bulked up by taking a substance similar to HGH called "FCV." When pressed, admit that it's simply Flintstone's Chewable Vitamins.

Rename your dog "Victor Conte." Have your dog fetch a stick or bone a couple of hundred times. Then refuse to acknowledge that your dog has ever brought you a stick or bone.

Use counterfeit money to buy a counterfeit ticket to a baseball game, then use more of that counterfeit money to buy a black market Bonds' jersey (10 sizes larger than you would have worn 10 years ago).

Go to the nearest nutritional supplement store and ask the shadiest-looking character there for the "clear" and the "cream."

Fill your bathtub with water and christen it "McCovey Cove." Write the number 756 on a baseball, drop it in the water, and leave it there.

Deny an obvious fact. If you're a male, and someone accuses you of being a male, deny it. Cheat on your spouse, videotape it, show the footage to your spouse, then deny you cheated. As noted connoisseur of buffoonery and tsar of tomfoolery Chick McGee has often advised, you must "deny, deny, deny."

Name your next-born child "Henry" or "Aaron." Name your new pet snake "Barry."

Petition to have the "seventh inning stretch" in baseball games changed to the "fifth inning plead." For further explanation, contact Mark McGwire.

Never say the number "756" again. If asked why, explain that you simply do not recognize this number anymore.

The next time you hit a home run, or do something impressive, point to the sky, and feel confident knowing that since Bonds isn't struck by lighting when acknowledging the man upstairs, you won't be either.

Have an asterisk tattooed on your rear end.

Do you have a question or comment? Were your 15 minutes of fame preempted by a rerun of The Andy Griffith Show? When someone says "Hour of Power," does a drinking game come to mind as opposed to a religious experience? Then send your question/comment/answers and a small donation along with your name and hometown to [email protected]. You may get the answer you're looking for in the next column on Friday, June 1.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 2:14 AM | Comments (2)

May 17, 2007

Sports Cultures in Focus: Australia

This is the first in an irregular, whenever-I-feel-like-it attempt to capture the sporting zeitgeist of a country, region, or city. It requires you to forgive my arrogance in trying to accurately sketch places I have never been, like this first one. My inspiration for this project is The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup, a book of essays about soccer, politics, culture, and life in each of the 32 countries of the 2006 World Cup, each by a different, talented writer.

I used to ponder and begrudge the Aussies' green and gold finery in international sporting events. Their flag's colors are blue, red, and white. It's sacrilege to adopt national colors that are nowhere to be found on your flag.

But I've mellowed on my stance a bit. The field of countries that have that combination of colors on their flag is awfully crowded (the U.S., the UK, France, Russia, and the Netherlands just right off the top of my head), so I can understand a desire to set yourself apart without rewriting history.

If the Australians did want to start wearing their flag's colors, however, no one could deny them that based on athletic merit. Just about 20 million people strong, they have a sporting track record that belies those numbers (to be sure, they consistently win the most medals-per-population in the Summer Olympics).

What's particularly impressive is the array of sports they succeed at. We know here in America that they can play basketball thanks to Andrew Bogut, Luc Longley, and others. We know they can play baseball thanks to Dave Nilsson, Graeme Lloyd, and others.

I remember, perhaps 10 years ago, attending a minor league game of my hometown Akron Aeros. It was just the second game of the season, still April, and by the sixth inning, flurries begin to swirl and the temperatures dipped into the thirties. Perusing my program, I noticed the Aeros' starting catcher was an Aussie (Mike Moyle was his name, if I recall correctly). I scanned his bio and noted that his previous minor league stops had all been in Southern states, and there was no mention of attending college in the U.S. or any other American connection. So a burning question, forever unanswered, ran across my mind: is this the coldest he has ever been in his life?

So yes, Australians do well in sports with Olympic and worldwide popularity. What makes that feat even more impressive, in addition to the relatively small resource pool, is that those sports aren't even the most popular in Australia. They succeed in world sports, and they succeed in their more insular Commonwealth sports: Rugby Union, Rugby League (which contain enough key rule differences to render them different sports, and players rarely cross over), and the most popular sport in Australia, and as unique to them as American Football is to us, Australian Rules Football.

These three sports, along with soccer (more on that later), give Australia self-sustaining professional leagues in four different hybrids of the soccer/football family, a claim no other country can make.

Why is Australia so successful in sports? The main reason seems to be they take the best of capitalism and the best of socialism to create the perfect sporting environment.

More specifically, they enjoy all the advantages, trappings, and cash flow that a robust capitalist system often delivers, but they also have a centralized, government-run sports factory of sorts, the kind you might associate with old Iron Curtain countries: the Australian Institute of Sport. It's essentially a national school for the brightest, most promising athletes in 26 different disciplines. Think Fame, or fill in the name of your local Performing Arts high school, but for sports.

I haven't even touched on the sport Australians are arguably the most successful at, and it's the sport where Greg Norman opened the floodgates.

In this week's events on the PGA, Nationwide, Asian, and European tours, at least 10 Aussies will tee it up in each. Six of the top 30 golfers in the Official World Golf Rankings are Australian, a number bested only by the U.S.

You may have noticed that, in rattling off the names of the biggest international golf tours, I did not mention an Australian Tour. Do they have one? Well, yes, they do, it's called the Australasian Tour, but in stark contrast to all other Australian sporting venues, it struggles greatly to make an impact.

The only events on the Australasian Tour that are not co-sponsored by one of the previously mentioned larger tours are two of their majors, the Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship. Even including the co-sponsored events, there's just seven events in all, and they agreed to let their third major, the Australian Masters, be co-sponsored by the European Tour in 2007. Their richest event, the Heineken Classic, ceased to be last year after Heineken dropped out. Channel 7 Australia's head honcho has made some straightforward remarks about his distaste for broadcasting golf, and in the U.S., The Golf Channel has stopped showing same-day coverage of their non-cosanctioned majors. The event organizers have a devil of a time getting Australia's best and brightest to come home and play in their native majors at all. The best comparison is today's NBA stars' indifference to representing America in international competitions.

The Asian tour, by contrast, continues to add events and more prize money by the minute. It has truly left the Australasian Tour in the dust as the region's pre-eminent golf tour.

It's hard to know why this is, but it's doubly baffling considering how well-managed their other sports leagues are and how the Aussies distinguish themselves in golf even more so than in other international sports. Mismanagement, perhaps?

Speaking of international sports, I haven't had much to say about their soccer program. The socceroos (how I hate that moniker) was long regarded with sneering ignorance on my part. For most of its history, Australia has been part of FIFA's Oceania region, which is just them, an overmatched New Zealand, and several Pacific micro-nations overmatched by New Zealand.

Invariably, Australia would cruise to an Oceanic World Cup-qualifying title, play an also-ran from another federation in a tiebreaker match to gain entry into the actual World Cup, and lose.

This last round, it was Uruguay they had to play and beat in a home-and-home to gain entry into the World Cup. I laughed off the claims of my soccer-loving friends that they had a chance. They always lose this intercontinental playoff to the team from the stronger confederation and Australia itself has since moved into a stronger confederation: the Asian Football Confederation. Now it's left to New Zealand to kick around the Fijis and Vanuatus. Why would this time be any different? Against a South American country, no less? One they lost to in the last World Cup Intercontinental playoff, for good measure?

But win they did (and they went on to advance to the second round of the World Cup, too), and while I'm going to refrain from calling Australian fans, or any other fans, more passionate then anybody else (I firmly believe the hardcore followers of Manchester United are no more passionate then the people who follow East Tennessee State's basketball program around the country; the only differences are in the number of supporters and how they demonstrate their support), one anecdote passed along in The Thinking Fan's Guide really struck me.

As the Australians were winning the shootout in the decisive game in front of 82,000 strong in Sydney, the fans broke out in song. Far from being an obscure, drunkenly-crooned ballad like you might shrug off in Europe, the fans sang something that probably sounded familiar even to the Uruguayans, or at least those old enough to have clear memories of the mid-'80s.

Living in a land down under, where women glow and men plunder...

Wait, I can imagine thinking as a dejected Uruguayan leaving the field. These boozy songs are supposed to be meaningless to non-natives. Why does this song sound so familiar?

Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?

That's gotta be intimidating and one of the most effective crowd-participation gambits around. You travel to the most isolated continent on Earth, practically a different planet as far away as Australia is from everywhere, and while your body tells you you are far, far from home, your mind and the people around are haunting you with relics of familiarity. And they're beating you, too.

You better run, you better take cover.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 8:55 PM | Comments (3)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 11

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon — Despite a leaky radiator that spewed steam for over the final 100 laps in Darlington, Gordon was able to hold off the charging cars of Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson. Gordon's third win this year was Hendrick Motorsports' fifth in five COT races, and he extended his lead in the points to 231 over Johnson.

"I had a lot to be thankful for on Mother's Day," says Gordon. "My wife will soon be a mother, and it's great to get the win on such a special day. Plus, I'm especially thankful that I'm not employed by Teresa Earnhardt, and even more thankful that she's not my mother, stepmother, housemother, or godmother. If Dale, Jr. wants a job with Hendrick, I'm sure Rick Hendrick can make Casey Mears disappear, even though he's yet to appear this year."

2. Jimmie Johnson — While leading with 29 lap remaining, Johnson opted to pit for fresh rubber during a debris caution. He exited the pits in seventh, and used much of the remaining laps to get by the car of Ryan Newman. Johnson finished third, while teammate Jeff Gordon, who elected not to pit, won in an overheating car that miraculously went the distance.

"Here we go again with the 'debris caution' issue," says Johnson. "I guess it's no coincidence that I was building a huge lead when that 'debris' materialized on the track. And when I say 'debris,' I don't mean Toyota engines. Maybe Tony Stewart's not crazy after all."

3. Denny Hamlin — As has been the case often this year, Hamlin's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Chevy was the class of the field, but once again, circumstances out of his control cost him the victory. This time, loose lug nuts on two occasions cost him, and Hamlin called out his crew after the race.

"I'd like to say my pit crew is unflappable under pressure," says Hamlin, "but I can't. They're 'flappable.' As much as those tire guys handle lug nuts, they should be able to juggle them, then put the tire on. I'm irritated with my team. If I were Brett Favre, I would demand a trade, then deny it later."

4. Matt Kenseth — After starting 31st, Kenseth worked his way to the front, then assumed the lead with a quick pit stop on lap 238. He led the next 29 laps, but a change in the weather ended his quest for his first victory this year. The sun came out for the first time all weekend, making the track slicker and forcing the No. 17 Ford squad to make adjustments.

"Unfortunately, we didn't come here for a tan," says Kenseth. "Obviously, you can look at my skin and tell that. I'm no fan of sunlight, nor am I too fond of garlic. Speaking of blood suckers, I noticed the red Budweiser No. 8 car was looking a little peaked. It looks like the parasitical Teresa Earnhardt has bared her fangs. Kudos to Dale, Jr. for leaving DEI and allowing Teresa to drive a stake through her own heart."

5. Jeff Burton — Burton scored his seventh top-10 finish of the year with a 10th in the Dodge Avenger 500. He holds on to fifth in the Nextel Cup points standings, where he is 395 behind Jeff Gordon.

"I've just got one thing to say after seeing Jeff Gordon pull out that win:" says Burton. "Steamed brocolli, anyone? That definitely was the little engine that could. But it makes you wonder about Hendrick engines. That engine should have let go, but it didn't. They've got to be using something illegal. I'm sure some light investigation will eventually lead to Barry Bonds."

6. Kurt Busch — Busch continued his climb in the points, moving up two spots to seventh with a 12th at Darlington. Busch's teammate Ryan Newman finished fourth, continuing Penske Racing's recent resurgence, while Busch's brother Kurt struggled to a 37th.

"Brother Kyle had a very special message for mother," says Busch. "'Look Ma, no Hans.' Actually, Kyle didn't break his HANS in Darlington. But really, the story of the week was Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s decision to leave DEI. It's great that Dale, Jr. is keeping his Budweiser sponsorship. Let's face it. Budweiser without Junior is like Miller Lite with me."

7. Tony Stewart — It was a day-long battle, but Stewart forged his way into the top 10 with a sixth at Darlington, known as the track "too tough to tame." After starting 26th, Stewart quickly darted into the top 5, but a cut tire on lap 215 knocked him back down to 31st, two laps down.

"People take a simple tire change and blow it all out of proportion," Stewart complains. "I just asked my crew for a 're-tire'; the next thing I knew, people are reporting that I plan to 'retire.' I don't need people putting words into my mouth, especially with my foot in it and NASCAR's foot swinging towards my rear."

8. Carl Edwards — Edwards started fourth and finished fifth in the Dodge Avenger 500, his third top-10 finish of the year. He now stands tenth in the points, 590 behind Jeff Gordon.

"Hey, there was a shakeup in the front at Darlington," says Edwards. "Yeah, I know the Hendrick team won again, but Matt Kenseth was not the highest-finishing Ford for once. I was. Once thing's for sure: Roush Fenway Racing is the most dominant Ford team going today."

9. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer won the pole in Friday qualifying and led the first 17 laps on Sunday before tire wear tightened his No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevy. He never led another lap, but did finish ninth for his fifth top-10 finish of the year.

"As a driver whose car is sponsored by an alcoholic beverage," says Bowyer, "I feel it's my duty to support the decision of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., whose car is sponsored by Budweiser. I imagine Teresa Earnhardt needs a good, stiff drink right about now, as well as a firm kick in the tail. I'm sure Dale will have no trouble finding a job. He'll have his choice of teams, and should he decide to start his own team, Rick Hendrick has already agreed to pimp out his engines."

10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt's eighth-place finish at Darlington was a distant second on his list of important weekly matters. First was his announcement earlier that he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Incorporated after failing to come to terms with his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, on ownership in the company. Also, Earnhardt was docked 100 points for an illegal part in his rear wing at Darlington, and two Phoenix Suns were inexplicably punished for his actions, as well.

"I think Teresa forgets that she's an Earnhardt through marriage, not birth," says Earnhardt. "I wouldn't be surprised if she changes the name to TEI. Or, she could just add an 'L' and a 'V' to DEI, rearrange the letters, and call it 'DEVIL.' Teresa, consider your bluff called."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 8:39 PM | Comments (2)

May 16, 2007

NBA Superstar Power Rankings

The NBA is a league of stars; we've heard that time after time. Forget talent or accomplishment. No other league values style over substance quite like the Association. And now that the grave for Dirk Nowitzki's 2006-07 stardom is finally finished (go ahead and throw on a last shovelful of dirt ... I'll wait), it seems like as good a time as any to examine the pecking order for NBA stars. Of course, don't confuse this exercise with a ranking of, say, the actual talent levels of the Association's stars.

No, this list is not an attempt to establish who the league's best player is. Instead, the question in play here refers to the old joke about U2's Bono and Jesus: if Player A and Player B were walking down a hallway in opposite directions and bumped into each other as they passed, which one do we think should turn and say, "Excuse me." (The way the joke goes is Bono would look back at Jesus, expecting the Savior's apology.) So here are my NBA star power rankings:

The B-List (Missed the Cut)

Amare Stoudemire/Shawn Marion — Good players, but they are continuously in each other's way. Their brewing feud is based on their competition for shots, accolades, and attention. More than that, they're certainly not cracking the top 10 if I didn't include...

Steve Nash/Jason Kidd — While so much has been made about the dying role of the big man in modern basketball, what about the pass-first (or even fourth, for that matter) point guard? Other than Nash and Kidd, everyone else at the point either passes if his own offensive options are checked or because he doesn't have any offensive options (the Eric Snow effect). Either way, can you name what sneaker brand either wears? Okay, that's not fair; everyone wears Nike.

Vince Carter — While Dirk's image has taken the most public beating this postseason, Vince Cartercomesupgimpy (at least that's how I always hear his name) has also taken a Louisville Slugger to the character. It's always interesting to see a) how Carter's limp comes, goes, and intensifies as he makes or misses shots and b) how quickly Carter can find a referee after a missed shot. There isn't a quicker whiner in the league. And did I mention he's a free agent in perhaps only a few days? Have you pre-ordered your Orange Vinsanity jerseys yet, Bobcats fans?

Carmelo Anthony — At the beginning of the season, 'Melo almost certainly makes the top 10. But after the Allen Iverson trade and the overexposed fight in MSG, Anthony fell far away from the spotlight. There's just something about Carmelo that screams "second banana." Maybe he's been surrounded by too many talented players in his career (not his fault), but I remember his Syracuse days as much more impressive than what we've seen in Denver.

Honorable International Mention

Yao Ming — He doesn't exactly tip the scales of celebrity in the U.S., but more than a billion people can't be wrong. Consider this an apologetic acknowledgment that I don't have much of a feel for the buzz in Beijing.

Mr. Congeneality

Gilbert Arenas — Nobody brings more fun to the NBA than Agent Zero. Any player who openly bets opposing fans behind his bench that he will hit a game-winning shot (let's not mention that he missed by five feet) deserves some measure of celebrity. The only problem is if Arenas can sustain this for the long term. Kooky athletes like Bill "Spaceman" Lee have been around as long as people have played sports. After all, the world of athletics is a society like any other with its share of leaders, free riders, and weirdos.

However, as the scrutiny and focus of the media tighten exponentially on this generation's stars, how long can we expect a guy like Arenas to dodge the bullets of columnists who need a target on a slow, dreary Wednesday February devoid of a sports lightning rod? Let's see if he's still as happy-go-lucky in three years.

The Top 10

10. Kevin Garnett — I love his heart, I love his intensity, and I love his loyalty. Unfortunately, you can't help but feel that K.G. left quite a bit on the table. He never took off as a personality off the court, and we all know how his T-Wolves have performed during his career. In fact, while his numbers certainly are top shelf, there are several players of far less fame who compare at least reasonably to Garnett (check out relatively anonymous Pau Gasol's 21 ppg, 10 rpg this season versus K.G.'s 22 ppg, 13 rpg). Along with Iverson, Garnett has (deservingly) earned his fame by spilling his guts on the court on a consistent basis. Quite a few guys (that means you, Vince Carter) could learn from that example.

9. Greg Oden — Wasn't the point of David Stern's age rule to avoid young guys from getting too much too soon? Well, let's just say Oden is being grandfathered in (this is where I pause for the cheap laugh ... get it, he looks old?). One of the NBA's most time-honored traditions is the emphasis of potential over accomplishment, and it seems as if Oden's 2007-08 will give LeBron's 2003-04 a run for ridiculous rookie expectations. Let's just say I think fans in Memphis and Boston have already put down deposits for next year's playoff tickets, and Oden is currently second behind Yao for the Western Conference's center spot for the 2010 All-Star Game. We might all just be a bit ahead of ourselves on this guy.

8. Tim Duncan — In all honesty, I wanted to leave him off the list to prove a point. Probably the league's best player, Duncan's star couldn't even be a nightlight. But I thought it was just as effective instead to put him behind...

7. Tracy McGrady — Look, I really respect the game T-Mac talks. He seems legitimately devoted to winning over his own stats. And to be fair, he hasn't been losing first round matchups he was supposed to win easily. But it's just hard to overlook never winning a playoff series. Like a third ear in the middle of a blind date's forehead, it's just a deal-breaker for me. Maybe you can look past it; I can't. And yet, who got a half million more all-star votes? Welcome to the Association.

6. Dirk Nowitzki — In all fairness, Dirk probably wouldn't have cracked the top four prior to his disappearance in the Bay Area. It's a shame that Dirk is lumped in with many other international players who lack a flair for the aesthetics of the game. After all, to be able to supplant a fictional male porn star as the most famous Dirk in American culture, you have to at least have some personality. And Dirk, here's some advice: I wouldn't mention singing any David Hasselhoff songs at the free throw line again any time soon. And let's stay away from repeating Alec Baldwin jokes, too. It's just too soon.

5. Allen Iverson — I think literally every possible thing that could be written about A.I. has been. As The Answer moves into his golden years, looking back on his image throughout his career is sort of comical. Iverson is probably the poster boy for the NBA's ill-fated marriage to hip-hop in the post-Jordan era. However, while that combination may have been a failure because of a disconnect between corporate America and hip-hop culture, there's plenty of egg on the faces of the press that has covered Iverson. What if the entertainment media covering Anna Nicole Smith had been composed of mostly Amish women? Those glowing obituary profiles might have taken on a different tone.

What does this have to do with Iverson? Doesn't it seem at least somewhat similar to a horde of cynical white sportswriters trying to appreciate A.I.? In some ways, Iverson has been a pioneer of the league in opening the minds of NBA fans. Do you think we'd be as freely accepting of cornrows, baggy shorts, and tattoos as we are had Iverson not weathered the initial wave of glares and second-looks as he dared to challenge the clean-shaven corporate image of M.J.? I think his significance to the game will grow in decades to come.

4. Dwyane Wade — The continued wailing about referees' infatuation with Wade obscures a key point that continues to be overlooked. Shaq never quite meshed with Penny Hardaway, and we all remember the Kobe saga. Wade must have a humility about him that defies his stardom. Maybe he has us all fooled, but he certainly comes off as the unwilling superstar. One word of advice, though: change that spelling of that first name. The public warms up to stars when they know how to spell the one name they're known by. You know, all of the big stars, like Kobe, LeBron, Madonna, Eminem, and, of course, the easiest to spell, O.J.

3. Shaquille O'Neal — Before all of you Diesel bashers put a hole in your monitors, remember what we're looking at here: stardom. The man has more nicknames than anyone can keep track of, even if he does give 90% of them to himself. Anyone who can get away with calling himself "The Big Sewer" because he has a lot of, ummm, "stuff" in his game has to be in the top three. Fine, you want a basketball-related reason? If Shaq is as broken down as you say he is (and he is), why were NBA experts falling all over themselves to pick Miami to beat Chicago in the first round, despite Wade's busted-up shoulder? That is the mark of stardom.

2. LeBron James — In the name of transparency, let me admit to being a Cleveland homer and owner of a No. 23 wine-and-gold jersey. With that said, there's something about the LeBron era that is mysteriously unfulfilling. Sure, he'll have plenty of time to continue to build his legend, but King James seems to get a pass for his weaknesses more often than many other stars. I'm not of the opinion, like some, that a player can't be considered great without a championship. After all, is it the player's fault that ineptitude can trickle down from the front office into the coaching staff or the rest of the roster? But let's let LeBron determine his own greatness rather than throw expectations in front of him and expect him to grow into them. I'll crown King James at the top of the list when I see a little more steak and a little less sizzle.

1. Kobe Bryant — In the movie (and novel, Google tells me) "Sophie's Choice," Meryl Streep's title character has to choose which of her two children to sacrifice to a Nazi doctor and which to allow to live. In 2004, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak faced the NBA equivalent. With Kobe and Shaq both serving notice that L.A. wasn't big enough for the two of them, Kupchak's faced a choice of superstars. Choose Shaq, surround him with shooters and players who fit the triangle, and contend for the next three to five NBA titles. Choose Kobe and face the possibility (now a reality) of extended mediocrity, trimmed with the brilliance of a star's magnetism in a city helplessly attracted to fame.

No player better represents the flashbulbs and glitter of NBA stardom than Kobe. Sure, he is limited in his ability to affect wins and losses. And, yes, his teammates either bristle at his ego or shrink from his competitiveness. But as the staple of Staples, the league's most dazzling talent has to be considered its greatest shooting (and rarely passing) star.

Posted by Corrie Trouw at 4:49 PM | Comments (3)

May 15, 2007

Why the Colts Will Not Repeat

Last year around this time, I wrote an article entitled Why the Steelers Will Not Repeat.

It didn't take a crystal ball to see that Ben Roethlisberger would still be feeling the effects from his motorcycle accident well into the winter and that the losses of Antwaan Randle El and Jerome Bettis would be detrimental to the 2005 champions.

That being said, I do believe it's time for another edition of "Why They Will Not Repeat." Up now: the Indianapolis Colts.

Reason No. 3: They're running out of running backs and fast.

The reason the Colts' running game is at all successful is because they run a spread passing offense that keeps defenses, above all else, tired.

Last year, they only had three backs that recorded any rushes. And only two that rushed more than five times all season. Yes, two: Dominic Rhodes (187-641-5) and Joseph Addai (226-1081-7). These two backs split the load in carries almost in half, keeping constant fresh legs on the field. It is essential that the Colts have two running backs that can split the load of carries because they rely on spreading the defense from sideline to sideline before the snap and then running draws, counters, and cutbacks; maneuvers that wear on a back's legs much more than simple runs between the center and guard.

With the loss of Dominic Rhodes, the team only has one running back that has rushed in an NFL game. Not to say that Joseph Addai isn't a powerful running back, but he is certainly not an every-downs player. Not in this offensive scheme. If you want to wear down a defense and get them huffing and puffing, you're going to be doing a little huffing and puffing yourself. That's why the Colts need an experienced back to complement Addai to be successful.

Reason No. 2: The AFC South has improved. Significantly.

Let's do this one-by-one, shall we?

Houston — The Matt Schaub signing alone is enough to garner some excitement in Houston. The media didn't take too kindly to the Texans not addressing their offensive line concerns in the draft, but the Jordan Black signing is what this team has needed for a long time — a dependable offensive lineman in the prime of his career. For the three years he's been a starter, he's started every game. Any member of an offensive line that can push their running backs for more than 2,000 yards and give both of their quarterbacks over a 60% completion percentage can't be bad.

Jacksonville — They've made an already championship defense even better through the drafting of Reggie Nelson from Florida. Their offense was close last season, but suffered from injuries to the quarterback and inconsistent play by the wide receivers. That was also addressed in the draft with the speed of UCF's Mike Walker. The running game was the best in the league (with the exception of the Atlanta's scrambling Michael Vick) with one back rushing for more than 1,100 yards and another (a rookie) scoring a dozen touchdowns.

Tennessee — Vince Young is not the best quarterback in the league. In fact, statistically, he's near the bottom. But he was thrown to the lions very early on in his rookie season. No quarterback without the last name of "Marino" is going to be great their rookie season. But he grew, ended the season on a high in winning six of his last seven, and won Rookie of the Year honors. The departures of Travis Henry and Drew Bennett hobble this team, but Young is a wildcard and can never be counted out of a game. His ability to win (and lose) those he shouldn't makes each game exciting.

Reason No. 1: The big heads of the Colts' defense will pop.

The only reason the Colts won in the playoffs is because their soft defense stepped up their game and started playing like an actual NFL defense.

Peyton Manning had 7 interceptions to his 3 touchdowns (making for a 70.7 QB rating). Dominic Rhodes only had one rushing touchdown all postseason. The receiver with the most receptions was a tight end. Their special teams even allowed a kickoff for a touchdown.

Their defense had 9 sacks, 7 interceptions, 11 passes deflected, and an interception returned for a touchdown. All in four of the most high-pressure games most of these players have been a part of.

If it wasn't for the defense playing with a reckless abandon, the Colts would have lost.

If it wasn't for Trent Green and the Chiefs literally handing them the game, Manning and his three interceptions that afternoon would have lost them the game.

If it wasn't for Steve McNair showing his age, Manning and his two interceptions that afternoon would have lost them the game.

If the Patriots had rushed a player more than eight times, it would have lost them the game.

If it wasn't for Rex "I Like Playing Horrible In Super Bowls" Grossman playing as badly as he did, it would have lost them the game.

During the regular season, the Colts defense allowed the 23rd-most points that year. Not a statistic you'd like your defensive coordinator reading in the Monday sports section. There is no pressure in the regular season for the defense. Even if they laid down and died, Peyton could still put up the points to win 12 or 13 times a season. The pressure was on them in the postseason and Tony Dungy used that to his advantage as he convinced his defense that now is when they needed them.

Now that the pressure of winning a Super Bowl is behind them, the defense will settle into its old ways and return to the conservative cover two that allows teams to rack up points.

Posted by Ryan Day at 4:48 PM | Comments (1)

Rafa's Season and Place in History

As Rafael Nadal played his third set against Nikolay Davydenko in the semis of Rome ATP Masters Series Tournament, I could not help but question myself if I had ever seen a better clay court player. They were on serve, midway through the final set, and Davydenko looked like he may be able to pull off the monumental upset, but for the purposes of the answer to my question, it did not matter.

One match was not going to change the answer. Nadal was one of the best clay court players that I have ever seen. Was he better on clay than Sergei Bruguera at his best? Thomas Muster at his best? Guillermo Vilas, Ivan Lendl, or Mats Wilander? Certainly not better than Bjorn Borg, right?

I returned my attention to the match. All of a sudden, when everyone thought the quality could not get any higher, Nadal pulled off some fantastic flat winners from his forehand side, his shots started bouncing even closer to the baseline, and switched to a gear that seemed impossible. Fifteen minutes later, he was the winner, for the 76th time in a row on this surface.

The answer to my question of 15 minutes ago became slightly more lucid. Nadal was the best clay court player that I have ever seen since Bjorn Borg.

I will not go into a "Borg vs. Nadal on clay" comparison because one is a legend, whereas the other is on his way to becoming one. This comparison will only be fair once Nadal's career is over. However, there is no doubt that on clay Nadal already deserves to be in the same class with Borg, a class occupied by only the two of them.

Good clay court players are grinders by nature. Even successful clay court players who were not strictly baseliners, such as Yannick Noah and Andres Gomez, were willing to "eat the dirt" to win on clay. However, to be great on clay, that is not enough. To say that Nadal owes his success to his animalistic fighting ability and physical strength would represent a narrow view of this man's qualities.

For beginners, Nadal has a good feel for the ball. Some will raise their eyebrows at this statement, but Nadal has more touch than most players on any surface. He can drop shot. He can hit the loopy, short-bouncing, angle ball. Out of nowhere, he can flatten his forehand for a thunderous winner. He can hit the fully stretched two-handed backhand cross-court passing shot. On his serve, he can slice, kick, and spin at will. To top it all, he can do all these when it's 6-5 in the final set, after three or four hours on the court.

Can he volley? Some say that he can't, I disagree, but does it really matter? Did Muster, Vilas, or Bruguera have to volley well to become great clay court players? Nope. Can Nadal volley at least as good if not better than these guys? Yep! He will need to volley better to win consistently on other surfaces, but that would be the subject of another article.

During his 77-match win streak, he has defeated 50 different players and was pushed to the final set only 10 times. By the time this article is published, he may have added more in the ATP Hamburg Masters Series tournament. So, can anybody beat him on clay? If yes, how?

Ironically, the player who has come the closest to beating him is the world's number one player, Roger Federer. While, it is true that Nadal has dominated him on clay (6-0 against Federer), Federer has come close to beating Nadal on two different occasions and has won sets against him. Don't laugh, that is closer than anyone else has come to defeating Nadal, other than Davydenko last week, and Guillermo Coria in the Rome 2005 finals. I started the paragraph with "ironically" because Federer does not really have the game to beat Nadal on clay. He has come close simply because he happens to be the best player in the world by a large margin and should logically give trouble to Nadal on any surface whenever they play against each other.

To beat Nadal on clay, his opponent must take the ball early off the bounce, hit power shots, keep the rallies short, and hit a large number of winners and aces. In short, he must have a "big" game and not let Nadal get into a rhythm. Federer, as superior as he is in terms of skill, is not by nature a power player. This is why he has not beaten Nadal comfortably on any surface. Even their grass court encounter at Wimbledon was a tightly contested match. Nadal's counter-punching ability comes in handy when returning Federer's well-placed but not necessarily powerful shots. Federer's wide variety of shots that completely look martian to other players do not seem to bother Nadal.

To add insult to injury, Federer has more worries than Nadal this year. He is in the middle of his worst slump since he became number one. He just parted ways with Tony Roche, his coach during six of his 10 Slam titles. Then again, with or without Roche, Federer's problem remains the same. He is clearly lacking in motivation. His footwork and focus level have dropped down due to the apparent lack of drive on the court. In two of his four losses in the last four tournaments, first one against Guillermo Canas and against Volandri last week, he did not even look like he wanted to be on the court. Unless he shows drastic improvement in a short two-week span, his dreams of beating Nadal and winning Roland Garros will have to be postponed.

That leaves us with a bunch of other players who realistically have close to zero chance of beating Nadal on clay. This week in Hamburg, a tournament that he has never won before, he may be pushed by a motivated player, or even Federer himself, but Roland Garros is another story.

Davydenko may have challenged him in Rome, but it is highly unlikely he can take three sets out of five in Paris against Nadal. Other classic clay court players lack the power to hit winners consistently for three full sets and they don't have the serve to combine the little power that they have.

The only other players left that have a chance against Nadal are players like Fernando Gonzales, James Blake, Marat Safin, Thomas Berdych, Mikhail Youzhny, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick who could, on any given day, come up with a big enough game to rattle Nadal, make him hit his shots late, and force unexpected errors out of him. Combine that with exceptional serving and some help from up above, maybe the impossible could occur. Blake, Youzhny, Gonzales, and Djokovic have already shown that it is possible. But those matches were not on clay.

Nadal just took two of those players, Gonzales and Djokovic, through a clinic on how it's done on clay. Nadal's balls bounce higher, making it tougher to hit the ball early to put Nadal under pressure. Aces don't come as easy on clay. As fast as Nadal moves on any surface, he is even quicker on clay.

Last but not the least, Nadal's behavior on the court rivals some of the best minds in the history of tennis. Rarely does he look upset or out of control with his emotions and he never (ever) looks defeated. Even Muster, who was a ball of energy on the court, looked like he would lose the fire in his eyes when it looked like the match was slipping away even though his strut on the court remained the same. Let's not forget that Nadal will only turn 21 in June. But he shows the body language and mental toughness of some great champions in the history of the game (Borg again comes to mind). Due to his maturity level physically and mentally, he does not choke in big points and makes all the right decisions throughout the match.

Past clay court monsters have shown a tendency to fade away after a spectacular string of a few years of domination. Bjorn Borg, the best clay court player in the Open era along with Nadal, lasted seven years, clearly longer than other clay court specialists in the last 40 years. The discipline and the hard work that it takes to "eat the dirt" consistently wears them down, shortening their careers, unless they adjust their game during their career to add plan a's and plan b's to their repertoire. Wilander and Lendl have done it and it helped them not only last longer, but also to win important titles on surfaces other than clay. Whether Nadal can make the same transition or not remains an interesting development to watch over the long term.

In the short term, however, don't look for anything interesting. At least for this year's clay court campaign, it is Rafa's season again.

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 4:29 PM | Comments (11)

May 14, 2007

Birth of a College Football Fan

I've made a decision. And it's a big one. It could pay off big or ruin my life. It might do both.

I'm not kidding. I could lose my marriage over this. I could lose my house and even my job. I could be in financial ruin for the next two decades. I mean, do you know how much child support I would have to pay for two kids?

I'm becoming a college football fan.

It may not sound like much, especially to you out there already well versed in the college game. But trust me. This could be an all-consuming task.

See, I've always been big into the NFL. Lost my first bet on Super Bowl XVII in 1983. I was seven. I took the Miami Dolphins over the Washington Redskins because I liked their helmets better. The 'Skins won 27-17 and I owed my dad a dollar. I've hated the Dolphins ever since.

But that's beside the point. The real point is that I've been hooked on the NFL my whole life. And despite a brief flirtation with the college game when I was a freshman (1994, Arizona was SI's preseason No. 1, they finished at .500 and lost to Utah in the Freedom Bowl), I've never made that plunge.

Well, that's all about to change.

I, Seth Doria, do solemnly swear to learn everything there is to know about college football. I will get really excited for Auburn/Alabama. I will believe the hype of Michigan/Ohio State. I will know in my heart that no matter what else is happening, nothing takes precedence over the Red River Shootout. Missouri/Nebraska. Notre Dame/USC. Georgia/Georgia Tech. Florida/Florida State. Miami/Florida International. I'm all over it.

I will start learning the high school game so I can go on message boards and rant about how coach so-and-so lost recruit such-and-such and oh my god he should be strung up, hung, shot, eaten by dogs, shot again, then drowned in boiling excrement.

(Don't laugh. People get excited about this stuff.)

And one last thing. When I have to wait six weeks between the final regular season game and the BCS title game, I will loudly argue for a playoff because playoff brackets (in any sport) are the greatest inventions since penicillin. And I will use many expletives for effect.

And though it may seem like I'm being sarcastic, I'm not. I am 100 percent serious. Nay — 110 percent serious.

And since this may mean nothing to you, having clicked on this story with the expectation of gaining some knowledge about something, here are the 50 games this year I've already circled on my calendar. It may be a few months till camps open, but it's never too early for the hype to begin. I've learned that much already.

Saturday, September 1
Tennessee at California
Oklahoma State at Georgia

Friday, September 7
Navy at Rutgers

Saturday, September 8
Miami at Oklahoma
Virginia Tech at LSU
Oregon at Michigan
Notre Dame at Penn State
Boise State at Washington

Saturday, September 15
USC at Nebraska
Arkansas at Alabama
Tennessee at Florida
Notre Dame at Michigan
Ohio State at Washington

Saturday, September 22
Georgia at Alabama
Penn State at Michigan

Saturday, September 29
Florida State vs. Alabama (at Jacksonville, Fla.)

Saturday, October 6
Notre Dame at UCLA
Florida at LSU
Georgia at Tennessee
Oklahoma at Texas
Nebraska at Missouri

Saturday, October 13
Boston College at Notre Dame
Auburn at Arkansas
Wisconsin at Penn State

Saturday, October 20
Miami at Florida State
California at UCLA
USC at Notre Dame
Tennessee at Alabama
Auburn at LSU

Friday, October 26
Boise State at Fresno State

Saturday, October 27
USC at Oregon
Florida vs. Georgia (at Jacksonville, Fla.)
Nebraska at Texas
West Virginia at Rutgers
Ohio State at Penn State

Saturday, November 3
UCLA at Arizona
LSU at Alabama
Wisconsin at Ohio State

Thursday, November 8
Louisville at West Virginia

Saturday, November 10
Arkansas at Tennessee
Michigan at Wisconsin

Saturday, November 17
Miami at Virginia Tech
Ohio State at Michigan

Thursday, November 22
USC at Arizona State (College football on Thanksgiving!)

Saturday, November 24
Miami at Boston College
Florida State at Florida
Alabama at Auburn
Georgia at Georgia Tech

Thursday, November 29
Rutgers at Louisville

Saturday, December 1
UCLA at USC

Seth Doria is a freelance writer and blogger in St. Louis. For sports, politics, entertainment, and miscellaneous nonsense, go to The Left Calf.

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 5:50 PM | Comments (5)

Dallas Mavs: The Brad Lidge of Basketball

Stick a fork in the Dallas Mavericks — they are done.

And I'm not wasting your time with the elephant-in-the-room-sized observation that their season ended over a week ago. What I mean is that this incarnation of the franchise as we know it is done and it's back to the drawing board for Mark Cuban and Avery Johnson.

Following the biggest upset in NBA playoff history at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, the Mavs are officially toast. No mas. Finito.

Just as an untimely postseason meltdown against Albert Pujols essentially erased Brad Lidge's career as a dominant closer, the loss against the Warriors has all but wiped out any hope for a title anytime soon in Big D.

After hanging 67 wins on the league in the regular season, the Mavs folded like a quesadilla to the Boys from the Bay. And it wasn't just thatthey lost to the eight seed ... it was how. You can bet it's a sting that won't be going away any time soon, nor should it. It was a monumental upset and while Dirk Nowitzki may be the MVP, one thing he has never been is mentally tough. In fact, this whole team is lacking the resolve to put this defeat in their rear view mirror and move forward.

So with that, a few reasons the Mavs will never win a title without wholesale changes:

There's No D In Dirk

Name another team whose star player is a seven-footer who plays defense like he's allergic to it. I'll give you a minute...

No?
Nothing?
Exactly.

In fact, I'm not sure anyone has told the Giant German that the game can actually be played inside the three-point line — on both ends of the court. The man is a stat machine and can fill up a box score with the best of them on the offensive end, no doubt about it. But when you hang your hat on a big man, he can't sit 23 feet from the hoop lobbing up threes for 48 minutes. It just won't cut it. Even the 6'7" Josh Howard (who I have nothing bad to say about and is a superstar in the making) averages more blocks than the seven-foot Nowitzki.

And don't think for a second I'm suggesting Dirk should be shipped out of town. But if he wants to be the leader that brings the Mavs a title, he's got to elevate other elements of his game.

We know you can score. Now show us what else you can do.

Point of Contention

Look at all of the teams left in the playoffs and they all have one thing in common — a solid point guard. While I love my Wildcats brethren, Jason Terry is a scorer, not a true point and lets opposing PGs drive to the lane like he's a matador. Olé!

Devin Harris also suffers from defensive allergies and doesn't have what it takes to drag the Steve Nashes and Tony Parkers of the world up and down the court for 48 minutes. Dallas needs a guy who can handle the rock and thinks pass first, score second, and right now, they don't have one.

Empty Bench

Few teams have the luxury of being able to go eight or nine deep in the pros. In college, maybe, but in the NBA, it's a rare sight. But when your starters are off, you have to have a guy or two sitting down there you can depend on. Besides senior discount-eligible Jerry Stackhouse, look at the names Avery Johnson can call on in a pinch (not only that, but check out how much some of these scrubs are taking home) — Erick Dampier ($9.6 million), Austin Croshere ($7.3 million), Devean George, Maurice Ager, and Greg Buckner.

Yuck.

Even the aging Stackhouse is pulling down a hefty $9.3 million paycheck. Repurposing some of that cash on the aforementioned proven PG they so desperately need would allow Terry to shift permanently to the two and would push Harris to the bench where he could provide a much-needed spark.

Hey, he's certainly better than anyone else I just mentioned sitting on the pine ... and cheaper, too, at $3.1 million.

There is a God

Watching Mark Cuban wallow in misery on the sidelines season after season when his boys fall short is proof that somebody up there loves us. Honestly, is there anyone you take more pleasure in watching fail than the whiny billionaire? Here's an idea — you're the owner, not the coach. Sit in your press box and cut the checks. You're not the one who should be making headlines for your team. I admire his passion. His methods are another story. (Disclaimer: Should Mark Cuban end up buying my beloved Chicago Cubs as he is rumored to be, this theory becomes instantly irrelevant. Go Cubs!)

So there you have it. A four-part recipe for success in Dallas. And I'm not exactly screaming for an unreasonable cure, saying the team has to trade for Kobe or K.G. or move up in the draft to take Greg Oden. I'm just trying to provide some very real solutions for a very real problem. (By the way, in five years, people will be marveling at how anyone could've debated taking Kevin Durant over Mr. Oden. Durant will be good. Oden will be great.)

One final suggestion for the Mavs if they hope to make a run for a title — don't draw Golden State in the first round.

Eric Anderson is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. For more musings from the world of sports, poker, and entertainment, visit That's What HE Said.

Posted by Eric Anderson at 3:43 PM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2007

What is MLB Drinking?

I think Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten hates his fans.

He's one of the suits who's turned Major League Baseball's gift to the Nation's Capital into a pathetic place-holder of a franchise: a bottom-feeder that will twist in the wind until it's time to move into a pretty new waterfront stadium.

Yet as Kasten and the Nationals' management pinch their pennies while a cheap knock-off of a professional baseball team is eliminated from the pennant race by the end of May, have those season-ticket prices dropped as dramatically as the Nationals have in the standings? Of course not. Washington's baseball fans are paying big-league prices to watch expansion-level pitching.

Like I said, I think Kasten hates his fans; but I didn't think he'd be apathetic as to whether they live or die.

How else can one rationalize the hypocrisy of the Nationals banning alcoholic beverages from their RFK Stadium clubhouses, yet selling them to fans every few feet on every level of the stadium?

Washington banned the booze on Tuesday as an (over)reaction to the drinking-and-driving death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock last month. Said Kasten to the Washington Post, "I don't think it's a good place for us to be providing alcohol to people right before they get into cars and drive away."

What a double-standard. I mean, this is a franchise that offers something called "The Miller Lite Beer Pen" for fans to rent for parties. If this decision was truly born out of concern for drinking and driving after the ballgame, then just ban it all, from the clubhouse to the upper deck.

Booze is everywhere in these stadiums, from the readily available hooch around the ballpark to the alcoholic advertisements found around the stadium. The difference, of course, is that sales to fans and ads in the stadium generate more money than a shortstop taking a longneck out of a fridge. Perhaps if the players were paying for their own beverages at stadium-level prices, the financial hit would have been too great for this decision to be made.

It's true that the Nationals and other MLB teams have restrictions on fans purchasing alcohol at the game. Like, for example, the two-at-a-time rule for beer purchases, or the limits placed on how many beverages can be purchased throughout the game by the same fan — as if Aramark employees have some kind of face recognition capability, like a Terminator robot.

There are also restrictions on how late into the game alcoholic beverages can be sold. But if the concern is that people will drink "right before they get into cars," it doesn't matter if you stop selling beer after the seventh inning; if your team stinks as badly as the Nats do, chances are fans are leaving before the cut-off anyway.

Then there are those arenas and stadiums that offer their high-rollers with the chance to purchase top-shelf liquor in special "Winner's Clubs" or "Champion's Lounges" after the game. I guess the assumption is that if you own season tickets to a professional sport and have access to these clubs, you must also employ your own designated driver.

Look, I'm no teetotaler; in fact, I'm a booze-hound, attempting to hold up the great traditions of sportswriters through the ages. I wrote "Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer" with years of research, a rapier wit, and about two dozen bottles of Irish whiskey. I believe fans should have as much a right to have a beer at the game as a professional athlete has to drink one after the game. In both cases, any prohibition of these libations is just going to force us to the nearest local watering hole, where we will drink and be merry "right before we get into cars."

That is, according to Nationals reliever Ray King in the Washington Post, what happened to Hancock: he left the clubhouse, went to a bar, and then tragically died on the road.

For every fan or player that can drink responsibly, there is going to be one that can't. Accidents will happen. People will die.

I respect the right of Kasten or any MLB official to not want blood on their hands; as the Nationals president told the Post, "We haven't had any incidents, and we think everyone will continue to act responsibly. Nevertheless, I didn't feel comfortable being the one providing the alcohol in those situations."

But it's a slippery slope, Stan. You're not the one providing alcohol to players anymore. But who's providing it to the thousands of fans paying to see them? The concessionaires? Their employees? How does one reconcile such politically correct concern for his players while allowing and encouraging that same behavior amongst the paying customers?

I think Major League Baseball has just opened Pandora's Cooler.

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 is "Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer: The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History." His columns appear every Saturday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Greg at [email protected].

Posted by Greg Wyshynski at 2:56 PM | Comments (0)

May 11, 2007

Ref Bias Study Angers, But Pushes Progress

I will never forget the three 5-year-old boys who saw me pitch during high school.

It was one of my best starts — six shut-out innings. I walked out of the dugout feeling pretty good about myself. But these three kids stepped in front me, pulled their eyes lids horizontally to imitate Asian eyes, and said, "Ching, Ching, Chong, Chang."

Granted, they got my name right on the fourth try, but still, it hurt. How did 5-year-olds know how to be racist? Were they even doing this out of any ill-will? They were so innocent, yet I couldn't sleep that night. I began to think everyone viewed me the way these kids did — except these kids just didn't know it was wrong to be so up front with their thoughts. To me, it was a harsh reminder that racism still exists, somewhere within the folds of society.

It is one of those issues we like to dance around. One wrong move, and you will forever be tagged a racist. After the Don Imus incident, it's just flat-out stupid to make any jokes with racist undertones. But these isolated incidents are not what really matter — they are not what rub us the wrong way. When someone says something so outrageous and offensive, we can just say it's another psycho out there trying to be heard. We can call these people ignorant, and move on.

What makes us twist and turn is the reflections of society we see in these incidents — the linings of truth. People often accuse others of racism, but it's not the accusation that carries the weight. Accusations are subjective. What carries weight is the truth of society speckled in throughout the accusations.

The New York Times published a page one story last week about a study that showed that white NBA referees called more fouls against black players than white players. The waters were once calm. But now, it is a beastly storm brewing in the background, ready to unleash Noah's flood.

The NBA offered its own study. They refuted the original study's claims. But that's like asking a murderer to prosecute himself. The sports talk show hosts and the newspaper columnists offered their wisdom. The players responded. The fans responded. But in the end, there is still one question that remains.

Is it true?

No one wants it to be true. Everyone knows NBA referees really aren't racist — or at least they aren't consciously racist. They don't see a Dwight Howard hack and a Dirk Nowitzki hack any differently. They don't let Steve Nash get away with a charge Chris Paul couldn't get away with.

But this is what it comes down to: what are the pictures that Americans have inside their heads when it comes to people of other races?

Racism still exists in America. Much of it is hidden behind light-hearted jokes and "honest" conversations. But it's there. And once it a while, it peeks its ugly head out and we all freak out.

This NBA study rubs us the wrong way because it is like those 5-year-olds coming out and showing us the racism that still exists in our society — and it shows us how deeply embedded it is in our culture. It is unconscious, hidden behind layers of hegemony. Racism peeks its head out just a tiny bit, and we hate it. We hate it because we created it.

I don't know if this study is accurate. But, if it is true, what should the league do? What should the refs do? Should NBA refs look to call fewer fouls on black players to even out the difference? I can't tell you what they should do. It's a tough call — one I am in no position to make. But I can say that this study has done so far.

It has reminded us that just 50 years ago, there were separate water fountains for white and colored people. It is a reminder that only 150 years ago, slavery was rampant. Folks, 150 years is not that long ago.

We have been selfish, hateful, stupid, and bigoted in the past. We changed. Someone noticed we acted this way, someone said it needs to change and then we went about changing it.

If white NBA refs really have a bias against the black athlete, they didn't know it. Someone had to tell them.

Being conscious of our actions allows us to be educated, and therefore gives us the tools to progress. But far too often, we run away from the 5-year-olds yelling racist comments and avoid a more accurate consciousness of the world. We're afraid of being hurt.

My hope is that the NBA takes a real good look at this study and figures out whether there is something there. I understand why they have to say this isn't true. It's a PR move. But behind closed doors, they must be open to the possibility that there is some truth to this study.

The storm is brewing. But like Noah's flood, it will come and go; it will wash away deep-rooted evils in our society by putting it out in the open for us to destroy the very thing we created. And in the end, things will be better.

Society is progressing. This is a part of it — albeit a small part. But, in the meantime, remember that life is good, remember to love, and enjoy the playoffs.

Posted by Alvin Chang at 9:05 PM | Comments (0)

May 10, 2007

Does Clemens' Contract Disrespect Baseball?

By now, the baseball nation has had time to try and wrap its head around the re-signing of Roger Clemens to the New York Yankees for the remainder of the 2007 season. Most likely, according to Clemens and Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, it will be around June 1st, if not sooner, when Clemens makes his 2007 MLB debut.

Sports pundits, broadcasters, journalists, as well as every MLB fan has an opinion about the big dollars involved and whether Clemens is essentially a hired gun. But there are perhaps a number of questions beneath the veneer which should be discussed, which are far bigger than one Roger Clemens. For baseball history and the supposed integrity of the game dictates, at least seemingly so, that no one player is greater than the game itself.

But if we expect an ex-owner and opportunist such as Commissioner Bud Selig to be the one to honor the game, we might as well give up now. Given his wretched record of ignoring performance enhancing drugs in his sport for almost 15 years, for example, until he was ultimately squeezed by the U.S. Congress to seriously address the issue, how can we expect anything but business as usual from such a flawed figure presiding over the integrity of the game?

And when speaking about the integrity of the game, we must address the very basic idea of baseball as being a team sport, which takes the efforts of every player to be in attendance for every game, whether or not they are actually participating on the field that day.

It can be argued that Roger Clemens is being paid entirely too much compensation for his truncated season in 2007, but more importantly, is the precedent setting structure of his deal. But in order to evaluate his current deal, it is helpful to revisit his contracts of the preceding three years.

Those who have followed Clemens' career, since his first retirement after the 2003 season with the NY Yankees, know that he spent three consecutive years with the Houston Astros, thereafter. Clemens returned to Houston, supposedly for the opportunity to close out his career with his hometown club.

With some prodding from good friend and starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, who also left the Yankees to return to his home in Houston, after not reaching an agreement with NY after the 2003 season, Clemens came out of his brief six-week retirement and signed a one-year contract with Houston on January 12, 2004 for the entire 2004 season.

Clemens pitched in 33 games in 2004, 214.1 innings, had an 18-4 record with a 2.98 ERA. He followed that up by winning the 2004 National League Cy Young Award, the seventh of his career.

In December 2004, Clemens accepted salary arbitration from the Astros and re-signed for a one-year deal in January 2005, for the entire 2005 season. The contract was for $18,000,000.022; almost double that of his 2004 incentive-laden salary. During 2005, he pitched in 32 games, 211.1 innings, with a 13-8 record and finished with the lowest ERA in MLB at 1.87.

The Astros made it to the 2005 World Series, but were unfortunately swept by the Chicago White Sox. Clemens also disappointingly was forced to leave Game 1 of the 2005 World Series due to a hamstring injury, a chronic problem for him during his years from 1999-2003 with the NY Yankees. Primarily due to those injuries, Clemens thought long and hard about whether or not to return to MLB for 2006, due to his conditioning program, stamina, and longing for his family. He eventually, however, filed for free agency in November 2005. Then the Astros denied him arbitration in early December 2005, thus precluding him from re-signing with the club until after May 1, 2006.

Clemens then went on to participate in the World Baseball Classic in March 2006 and left the door open to return for the 2006 MLB season. And on May 31, 2006, he signed a contract with the Houston Astros worth $22,000,000.022, pro-rated for the portion of the season which he completed. Clemens' first game of 2006, however, was not until June 22, 2006. He ended up pitching in 19 games, 113 innings, with a 7-6 record and a 2.30 ERA.

It can be speculated that since Clemens lived in the Houston vicinity, that he initially retired after the 2003 season to spend more time with his wife and four young sons, and that it was the main reason he was accommodated by the Astros allowing him to stay at home in Houston, when not scheduled to pitch, while the club was on the road.

Most baseball fans, at least those outside of Houston, were reportedly not even aware of such an arrangement. Those who did know, as well as the media, pretty much gave him a pass for such an allowance, given the future Hall of Famer's contribution to the game of baseball over the course of his career. Presently, Clemens has 348 lifetime wins and 4.604 strikeouts, second all-time. His advancing age also worked in his favor for such a request.

But Clemens' just executed contract with the NY Yankees ventures even more so into untested waters. For not only will Clemens be playing a shortened season, but for the first time, at least in Yankees history, the storied club with the most wins in history, will allow him to essentially be a part-time player. Yes, his contract is excessive even for a full-time player, which works out to around a pro-rated amount of $4.5 million per month for the 2007 season. But he will be accorded the option in his shortened season to be away from the team on his four days between starts if he so wishes, to either tend to family, charity, or other business obligations.

Ever since the DH was instituted in 1971, it has been scrutinized as it raises the question as to whether it is fair for a DH to be considered a full-time player, as he does not play the field. But it remains the obligation of the DH to cheer on his teammates, whether he is on the field or not. The same can be said for relief pitchers, pinch hitters, utility players, or pinch runners, whether or not they are used on a daily basis.

Clemens seemed rather disingenuous when he said at his news conference on May 6, 2007 that, "I didn't know the details of my contract sitting down yesterday." Rest assured that Roger Clemens knew exactly what he wanted and that his agent Randy Hendricks would not have deleted such a clause in the contract without checking with him first.

But, if it really does not matter to Clemens when asked specifically about such an arrangement, then he should honor his promise to work with the young pitchers on the Yankees staff when he is not pitching, and strike that traveling clause from his agreement. Otherwise, how he will have time to work with the other pitchers, given his out-of-town distractions, will remain questionable.

Where Bud Selig should make a ruling is to make it clear that such an arrangement should not be left up to any one franchise as it will ultimately lead to favoritism over other players and opens the door for other players demanding like contracts. It also leads to the probability for low team morale, and thereby a lack of team cohesiveness.

And the contributing parties to this whole scenario must be held accountable in addition to the Commissioner of MLB. They include the Houston Astros, its management and ownership, the NY Yankees, its management and ownership, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), and of course, Roger Clemens himself.

But the fate of MLB clearly rests on Bud Selig's shoulders. However, he is once again too shortsighted to foresee that MLB's future also is determined by his inactions and benign neglect of his obligations for the good of the game of baseball. And yes, sometimes it is not about the money, but rather about the game itself and about preserving its integrity for generations to come.

You decide.

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 5:36 PM | Comments (2)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 10

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon — Gordon won his fourth-straight pole, but fell short of capturing his third consecutive win, finishing fourth in Richmond behind Hendrick teammates Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing. Gordon holds a sizable 211-point lead in the Cup standings, meaning he could miss a race entirely and still maintain the points lead.

"That's called 'Hendrick dominance,' says Gordon, "not to be confused with 'Hendrick dominatrix,' which is what our boss Rick Hendrick ordered as motivation for getting Casey Mears up to speed with the rest of us. No, I'm not talking about a crew chief change. That's a pointless tactic, haplessly used to imperfection by Toyota teams. I'm talking about a good whipping from the lady in black. And no, I'm not talking about the track at Darlington."

2. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson passed Kyle Busch on lap 381 and pulled away for his fourth win of the season and Hendrick Motorsports' seventh victory this year. Hendrick drivers have won all four of the Car of Tomorrow races this year, and Hendrick drivers have four 1-2 finishes this year.

"Once thing's for sure," says Johnson. "I'm sick of champagne. I hear that other teams are getting desperate trying to find our secret. And desperate times call for desperate measures, so don't be surprised if one of these teams with a big budget hires Roger Clemens to drive for them. I hear the Rocket's fastball still reaches 95 mph, which would out-qualify Michael Waltrip easily on most occasions."

3. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin was the only non-Hendrick interloper in the top four in Richmond, finishing behind Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch and ahead of Jeff Gordon. Hamlin has yet to see victory lane this year, but has four third-place finishes.

"All these third places may be good enough for my car owner, Joe Gibbs," says Hamlin. "He'd kill for that kind of finish in the NFC East. But I want to win. I'm hungry to get that first victory. And I'm hungry to see Paris Hilton serve her 45 days in jail, and hopefully Pam Grier will be her sadistic, yet sexy, warden. 'Minimum security' to Hilton means 'pantiless.' I think Hilton could successfully capitalize on the skanksploitation film market."

4. Matt Kenseth — Stop me if you've heard this before: Kenseth starts in the back, and after several adjustments throughout the race, manages to get his car in the top 10. That's what happened in Richmond, as Kenseth started 28th and scrambled his way to the front, finishing 10th. He holds on third in the point standings, 260 behind Jeff Gordon.

"If I had a nickel for everytime that's happened," says Kenseth, "I'd have about a quarter. And a quarter will allow you access to a phone, on which you could call someone who cares. And, since I drive a Ford and don't drive for Hendrick, no one cares. But let's not get too excited about the Hendrick dominance. If you'll recall, two years ago, Roush cars were dominating, and look at us now."

5. Kyle Busch — Not only was it a successful day for Hendrick Motorsports, it was a good day for the brothers Busch. Kurt finished fifth, while little brother Kyle led 27 laps and finished second to teammate Jimmie Johnson.

"I noticed that Jimmie didn't get pelted with beer cans after taking the checkered flag," says Busch. "I guess those 14 fans banned from Talladega are apparently the only ones who throw cans. Seriously though, NASCAR has to be careful of whom they ban from race tracks. You can't take away the fans' inalienable right to hate Jeff Gordon. It's unconstitutional. That would be like removing their right to bare arms. You can't have NASCAR without 'wifebeaters.'"

6. Jeff Burton — Burton's car blew an engine 139 laps into the race, ending the day for the No. 31. Burton finished dead last, and fell from second in the points to fifth.

"If Jim Stewart can write me an essay explaining who's at fault for my engine blowing," says Burton, "then I'll put his name on my car next week. Or if anyone can write me an essay about why a NASCAR fan who wins an essay contest is not a true NASCAR fan, then I'll tattoo their name on my rear, right beside the name of my engine builder."

7. Kevin Harvick — After leading 105 of the first 205 laps, Harvick had the car to beat. Then, during a lap 253 pit stop, Harvick collided with the No. 6 car of David Ragan as Harvick was exiting. His right front fender was damaged, and Harvick didn't lead another lap, but he still managed to finish seventh.

"I don't know who was at fault for the accident," says Harvick, "but it sounds to me like part of this conspiracy by NASCAR to only allow Hendrick drivers to win. I hear NASCAR was also conspiring to keep Michael Waltrip Racing cars from qualifying, until they realized they didn't need to conspire at all. Anyway, I'm sure I'll see Ragan again. Most likely in the NASCAR offices after I introduce him to the wall. That is, if Juan Montoya doesn't beat me to it."

8. Kurt Busch — Busch scored his second consecutive top-five finish in Richmond, coming home fifth, one spot ahead of teammate Ryan Newman. Busch lead 27 laps, but regrettably relinquished the lead by pitting on lap 278, while many of the leaders stayed out.

"That was not a good call," says Busch. "And isn't it ironic that the slogan for Miller Lite, my main sponsor, is 'Good call?' I should change sponsorship to Bud Light, because their sarcastic 'Real men of genius' slogan works much better in that situation."

9. Tony Stewart — Stewart scored his sixth top-10 of the year with an eighth place finish in the Crown Royal Presents the Jim Stewart 400. Stewart (Tony) is now seventh in the points, 466 behind leader Jeff Gordon.

"Off the record, that's got to be the dumbest name for a race I've ever heard," says Stewart. "On the record, that's got to be the dumbest name for a race I've ever heard. Oops! Was that out loud? Probably not a good idea for me to voice an opinion, otherwise I may find myself in the NASCAR offices, or in the control tower for a Busch race, where I can see first hand how bogus cautions are invented. Come on, NASCAR. If you want to punish me, show some balls and sentence me to a week with Miss Manners."

10. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer finished ninth in the Jim Stewart 400, two days after winning Friday's Circuit City 250 for his second Busch Series win this year. The Richard Childress driver is now 10h in the Nextel Cup standings, 532 out of first.

"Okay, enough about me," says Bowyer. "Let's talk about the meeting that took place between British royalty and American royalty. No, that wouldn't be Queen Elizabeth's visit to the White House, in which President Bush was informed that a Burger King crown does not royalty make. I'm talking about 'The King' Richard Petty's meeting with the Queen at the Kentucky Derby. She asked if he'd like to be knighted, to which Petty replied, 'I don't roll like that, but if you'd like to be 'Kinged,' I can make that pasty white skin of yours turn rosy red.'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)

May 9, 2007

Patriots to the Promised Land?

In a much publicized move, the New England Patriots acquired Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders for a fourth round draft pick. The prevailing consensus surrounding this move was that not only had New England fleeced the Raiders from their most-prized possession for a paltry pick, but that they had also firmly entrenched themselves as Super Bowl favorites.

But before we put the Pats in Glendale next February, I think we need to scrutinize the Moss acquisition a bit further. And I don't want to get bogged down in his off-the-field antics, either.

Everyone is familiar with Moss's prolific statistics, or at least what everyone assumes to be his prolific statistics. His first six years in the league were on a par with the greatest receivers of all-time.

Would you believe, though, that over the last three years this certain Hall of Famer has averaged 50 catches and 775 yards? There are plenty of excuses — he was hurt, his quarterbacks were terrible, or he had no motivation to play.

It could be a change of scenery is all that is needed. But what if it's not just psychological? Randy Moss has had nagging hamstring injuries every season. And this will be his 10th year in the NFL. He's 30-years-old, not exactly the age that is most conducive for a rebound season at a skill position.

It might just be that Randy Moss has lost a step. That it's not the good old days, when he would rundown Daunte Culpepper's 80-yard bombs. The truth is that if he does try to rekindle his youth, his aging legs might suffer another inevitable injury.

What confuses me further is New England's failure to sign Deion Branch last season. Tom Brady voiced his displeasure last year when an agreement with Branch could not be brokered, and he seemed to miss his security blanket for much of the second half in the AFC Championship Game in Indianapolis last season.

Why New England would opt to let Branch go, then put its trust in Moss is beyond me. I know they also signed Donte' Stallworth, but again, a wide receiver with a history of injury trouble in place of a sure-handed Super Bowl MVP bewilders me.

I'm not saying New England isn't going to be good this year — they could have easily made it to the Super Bowl last year. I just don't believe that this Randy Moss "steal" cements their status as the team to beat this season.

Posted by Piet Van Leer at 8:21 PM | Comments (4)

May 8, 2007

Raptors Gone Today, Feared Tomorrow

By the time the New Jersey Nets are settled in Brooklyn and Vince Carter's grown used to the orange color scheme employed by the Charlotte Bobcats, his seasons of wincing and whining in a Toronto Raptors uniform and all the bitterness they created will be long forgotten.

And just as the days of the lowly Phoenix Suns have given birth to potential NBA champions, the Raptors will shed the past and almost certainly emerge as what we glibly call a "contender."

After all, you don't stop being the Toronto Raptors overnight. You can't. You don't forget names like Zan Tabak, Vincenzo Esposito, and Acie Earl in the bat of an eyelash, and the mark of clumsiness they leave on a franchise doesn't just wash away with a 47-win season and a first round loss in six games.

But even on the heels of a series that many will instantly forget, the Raptors are poised to become one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference, and probably sooner than most people think they can.

Two years ago, Sam Mitchell's team put together a record of 27-45. This year, they bested that mark by 20 games, won an admittedly shoddy Atlantic Division, and had the best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference after January 1st.

Mitchell may not even be back to coach the Raptors in 2007-08, but if Bryan Colangelo's Phoenix North experiment continues to unfold as expected, it shouldn't make much of a difference.

Remember, a year before Colangelo's Phoenix team won a franchise-best 62 games in 2005, they sputtered to a 29-53 mark with much of their current nucleus (Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Leandro Barbosa). Sure, they added Steve Nash that offseason, but if nothing else the fact that the Raptors orchestrated a turnaround of 20 games without inserting a two-time MVP into the fold is testament to the club's strength, balance, and simmering potential.

Ask a Raps fan and they'll tell you point blank: losing to New Jersey after such an exciting season, watching Carter smirk with fists clenched in victory, all of it hurt. That "Wince" and his club may disband before Toronto ever gets another postseason shot at them is also tough to swallow, but the knowledge that the team is one with a future of astronomic possibility in NBA terms means current disappointments can be tolerated in exchange for future triumphs.

And they're coming. It's no coincidence that everyone from "Dr. Dunkenstein" Darryl Dawkins to 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell to commissioner David Stern himself were spotted at one of the six Raptors playoff games and the buzz around the team and organization is such that people who know basketball have already caught on.

If Chris Bosh and company can follow their breakout season with a 50-plus-win campaign, possibly under Mitchell's rumored replacement, Suns assistant Marc Iavaroni, then most everyone else who gives a damn about basketball will be right behind them.

In the meantime, the secret's out in Toronto and people who were always content to sum up the organization with "the Raptors suck" when Reggie Slater was the team's most significant interior presence are now sporting Andrea Bargnani jerseys and claiming lifelong fan status.

The good news for them is that it could be a few years before their bandwagon jumping is exposed, because Reggie Slaters don't exist anymore in Toronto's basketball universe.

Now it's a young, deep, and extremely talented core of players that for the most part have played just one year together since Colangelo imported seven new players prior to this season. Among them: T.J. Ford, Anthony Parker, Andrea Bargnani, Jorge Garbajosa, and Juan Dixon.

Add them to the approaching prime of all-star Chris Bosh, the astounding play of back-up point guard Jose Calderon, and the fact that everything Colangelo touches seems to turn to gold and you've got a few good reasons why a cohesive Raptors unit will be a tough one to break down.

Consider this: Colangelo successfully unloaded Rafael Araujo for Kris Humphries. For anyone that pays close attention, that's enough said right there.

And for anyone not paying attention, don't worry. Pretty soon, the Raptors' emergence will be obvious even to you.

For more from Aaron Miller, visit Grandstand Admissions.

Posted by Aaron Miller at 8:33 PM | Comments (0)

Previous Playoff Failure Key to Success

The key to winning in the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs is losing. If you want to win Lord Stanley's precious mug, don't think you can waltz on to the playoff scene and master the tango without previous postseason follies.

The NHL's playoff system is no "American Idol" competition or "America's Got Talent" where the winner rises from obscurity to become a nation's hero. No, hockey is a playground in which only the battle-tested can emerge victorious. The last team standing in June has nearly always just recently tasted bitter defeat.

This year's playoffs have eliminated 26 teams from Cup contention and the teams that are left all have fans who are grasping for something greater than spring suffering. Of the teams that have advanced to their respective Conference Final, Buffalo, Ottawa, and Anaheim have all come painfully close to glory in the not-too-distant past. Their prior failures give them plenty of ammunition because if history repeats itself, as it far to often does, the winning team path to the Cup will liken itself much more to Martin Scorsese's journey to Oscar glory than to Forest Whitaker's route to grandeur.

This evidently necessary step of losing in the playoffs before winning has been a blatant trend in the NHL. Since 1947, only four teams have won the Stanley Cup after missing the playoffs in the previous year. The winners have almost always received a taste of the playoffs before the sample was all too soon snatched away.

The playoffs, especially of the NHL variety, are a grueling test of man's strength and endurance. The seemingly endless overtimes take a toll on the body and the mind. Thus, it is imperative that teams have a large lot of athletes who have felt the pain of defeat and learned from it. Playoff experience is often balked as inconsequential, but when it comes to winning it all and actually hoisting the silver mug, there is nothing more imperative.

Last year's Stanley Cup winning Carolina Hurricanes — although they hadn't been to the playoff ballroom in the previous two seasons — had the necessary experience to draw from when they were forced to a seventh game by the Edmonton Oilers. Just four years earlier, the Hurricanes had lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final in just five games. Nine players from the 2002 team were still with Carolina in 2006 and undoubtedly were the catalysts behind much of the success.

In 2004 the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Calgary Flames in the Final after having lost in five game to the eventual Cup-winning New Jersey Devils. Nineteen of the players who felt the stab of defeat were parading on the ice the following year.

The same story can be told for nearly every Cup winner. The 2002 Detroit Red Wings had lost in the second round the previous two years before breaking through and winning the Cup. Colorado won the 2001 Stanley Cup after losing in the Conference Final in three of the previous four years.

Now come back with me to the 2007 NHL playoffs to delve into how this historic trend will play out this year.

Ultimately, if the hockey gods are fair and forgiving, the Stanley Cup should be Canada bound, landing in Ottawa. The Senators and their fans have been invited to the year-end dance for the past 10 seasons and still have nothing to show for it. They have experienced their fair share of defeat, especially to the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, and they are due to break out of their decade-long funk.

With hockey's best line in Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, and Dany Heatley, Ottawa is primed for a Cup run. By beating the New Jersey Devils in round two and knowing the Leafs are on the links, the Senators should finally be rewarded for their 10 years of failure.

Although Ottawa's fans can cry foul for the last decade of playoff heartbreak, their Conference Final foe, the Buffalo Sabres, haven't exactly perfected their parade route. In 37 years of existence, Buffalo has qualified for the playoffs 28 times and have fell short every year. Combined with the NFL's Bills futility, the city of Buffalo can make a strong case for "paying their dues" and deserving a championship.

In the Western Conference, Anaheim has moved on to the next round and is also looking for its first Stanley Cup. The Ducks came within one win of presenting California with the Cup in 2003 and lost in the Conference Final last year. They don't have the strongest argument for lengthy runs of frustration but still qualify for the "lose before you win" criteria.

While Anaheim prepares for the Conference Final, Detroit just prevailed after slugging it out with San Jose in the second round. Detroit's recent string of first-round losses will give them extra motivation to brighten the spirits of a sagging Motor City by bringing home the franchise's 11th Cup.

With the Conference Finals just on the horizon, the final dance is within reach. For the franchises who are left — three of which who have never won a Cup — they are in the third round because of an abundance of playoff experience and previous losses. Ultimately, the final do-se-doe will be performed by the team who is most starving for a Cup.

If "absence makes the heart grow fonder," then losing make the desire grow stronger.

Posted by Mark Janzen at 7:56 PM | Comments (1)

May 7, 2007

The Legend of Barry Baseball

So undoubtedly you've seen hundreds of headlines about Barry Bonds' imminent breaking of baseball's home run record. What follows is usually a grumbling rant, centered somewhere on steroids and integrity of the game. The moral high ground is a crowded plateau these days.

But not here. I'm happy Bonds is breaking Henry Aaron's record. And, oddly enough, I think Bonds breaking the home run record represents the same baseball karma that Aaron's accomplishment represented back in 1973.

See, Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's record wasn't about bat-meets-ball, ball go far, repeat 715 times. It wasn't about chicks digging the long ball, and it wasn't about the greatness of Aaron as a power hitter.

It was about race. It was about a black player crashing the most significant landmark in baseball, held by the ultimate white man in the white man's ultimate game. It was about proving that a black player could achieve the highest standing in a sport that was racist to its tightly wound core.

And this is not at all to diminish Aaron as a player. In addition to the long balls, he has the most RBI in history (2297). He hit 624 doubles (10th) and was one of the most durable players ever (third-most games at 3298). He was a career .305 hitter (tied at 142nd with turn-of-the-century Boston Beaneater/American Chick Stahl for you history buffs).

But career excellence aside, when Aaron broke the record on September 29, 1973, it wasn't just about who was in what place. It was a symbolic final death to the image of the black player being less than the white player. And, in the fight against racist stereotyping, symbolism is the biggest weapon in the arsenal.

And this is where we come back to Bonds.

On a personal level, there couldn't be a bigger difference between Aaron and Bonds. Aaron was distinguished, professional, outwardly calm against the storm of controversy unfairly thrust upon him. He was class personified.

On the other hand, Bonds has been a cantankerous prick most of his career. Whereas Aaron faced the "whites only" signs with stoic grace, Bonds lashes out, whining and making himself out the martyr. If reports on his reaction to the 1998 home run race are to be believed (and I have no reason to disbelieve them), he was so jealous of the attention heaped on Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa it drove him to rage.

Henry Aaron, he is not.

So why the comparison between Aaron breaking Ruth's record and Bonds passing Aaron?

Because, just as Aaron breaking Ruth's record was a symbolic victory over the racist institution that was Major League Baseball, Bonds' accomplishments are a symbolic punishment for baseball's two-faced hypocrisy over the use of chemical enhancements.

That story has been told before. In summary, baseball was damaged goods after the 1994 strike cancelled the World Series for the first time since 1904. Billionaires vs. Millionaires. Who gives a crap?

The game returned in 1995, and Cal Ripken, Jr. broke the all-time consecutive games played record. It was a nice story, a national headliner for a day or two. But other things were more important.

Michael Jordan and the Bulls were off on their second three-peat. Mario Lemieux was back from Hodgkin's and paired with Jaromir Jagr for the most explosive scoring tandem in the NHL. Steve Young got the monkey off his back by leading the 49ers to another Super Bowl. There was Oklahoma City and O.J.

Baseball just wasn't itanymore.

But then 1998. Big Mac and Senior Sammy. The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. It was magic. There wasn't a newspaper in the country that didn't cover that story daily for months. Every newscast in every market led with the running tally. When you woke up in the morning after a West Coast late game, that's the first thing you checked. Baseball was back.

And of course we know now the revival was chemically enhanced, built on things we really didn't know about yet, like Andro and, later, HGH. You can argue about proof, about the lack of positive tests that were never given, about innocent until proven guilty. That's all well and grand.

But, deep down, you know. We all know. And as we find out more about what really went on back then, from admissions by 1996 MVP Ken Caminiti and leaks from the BALCO case and admissions from a New York Mets clubhouse attendant, we know now there were more than a few people in the baseball world who knew back then. They knew. And they did nothing.

And so now Bonds, protected for years by the league's unwillingness to be honest with itself or its fans, is on the verge of holding the title as baseball's all-time home run king. And though the league and institutional media will disparage the accomplishment, it is just as much their responsibility for letting baseball's culture get so corrupt in the first place. Baseball is a game of karma, and just as a black man passed Ruth, so will a classless cheat pass Aaron.

And so will the Legend of Barry Baseball be written, the scarlet letter on baseball's collective chest.

Long live the king.

Seth Doria is a freelance writer and blogger in St. Louis. For more, please visit The Left Calf.

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 4:28 PM | Comments (6)

NBA Playoffs: For Whom the Bell Tolls

First and foremost, I'd like to thank Dallas for proving my "Beware of the Ides of March" column to be true; winning in March means nothing. Since I was dead on with that, I'd like to make a small request: can we please give the East some love?

Look, I'll be the first to say that I picked the Spurs to win the title before the playoffs started, and despite what Floyd Mayweather might think ($34,000 on Denver in San Antonio? And he got it right!), they held strong. The Spurs shouldn't have much trouble with Phoenix either, because running all over Kobe is a lot easier than running over damn near a decade's worth of unstoppable team defense.

The point is that they are still going to have to play someone from the East to win it all, and that someone is going to be good. Real good. Since New Jersey is a joke, and LeBron James isn't ready, they'll be playing the winner of Detroit/Chicago. We've seen in the past where the winner of conference championships are basically crowned champs, but this is almost unheard of where two semifinal round series will determine who plays in the finals. Didn't the Commish try to eliminate this after having the two best teams meet in the West semis last year?

Since I've already given you the West representative, I guess it's time to breakdown the East. To do that, you have to start with the man in the middle. Not John Amaechi (he faded faster than Scott Skiles' hairline); I'm talking about Ben Wallace.

Remember him? He's the guy who "lead" the Pistons to four straight conference championship series then signed with the closest thing to a rival they had because they threw $60 mil at him. So who really got the better end of the deal there? The answer is not as simple as right or wrong, black and white. There is a real gray area here that has to be examined further before a winner can be declared.

The Bulls needed to do something. The Pistons were clearly in a class above them last season, and they needed to improve. They had young pieces in place and needed a veteran, a proven winner, to be the glue the holds them together. If you can snatch that player from a division rival, even better.

The problem is that they had to overpay to get that piece, and it didn't really improve them that much. They were already second in the league in opponent's field goal percentage and in the top 10 in rebounding. What they didn't have was a post presence on offense.

Well, guess what? They still don't. They drafted a Ben Wallace clone in Tyrus Thomas and traded a younger and nearly as talented version of Big Ben in Tyson Chandler to get P.J. Brown, leaving their glaring weakness still exposed.

Now they enter this series completely outmatched at every position except one (small forward), and still feel like they made the right move. GM John Paxson will tell you that Wallace brings the intangibles to this otherwise young team that they need to succeed, but last I checked the going rate for good locker room guys was less than $60 mil.

Have no fear Bulls fans, because there is more than meets the eye to Ben's game, just asked the man who pulled the trigger on the deal. In case you missed it, last week he had these gems to say about your high-haired savior: "He's very underrated offensively" and "he's the kind of player that you can run the offense through."

Trust me, I watched nearly every one of Wallace's games with the Pistons, it is impossible to underrate him as an offensive player. Words cannot describe how brutal he is with the basketball. I had almost forgotten how bad he was after watching Chris Webber fill his position in the offense flawlessly until Wallace shot one over the backboard from 12 feet in the last regular season meeting of the year, reminding me how glad I was that the Pistons didn't match the offer.

As for running the offense through him, that statement made me laugh out loud. He is talking about the same player who butted heads with the previous three coaches in Detroit because they refused to give him the ball because of how bad he was. He's talking about the same player that when Rick Carlisle coached against the Pistons with the Pacers actually refused to guard him off the ball. He's talking about arguably the worst offensive player in the game.

Look, Ben Wallace is really good at what he does. He's and above average post defender, a great help defender, and a great rebounder. If those are your weakness as a team, then Ben Wallace is a great fit. Just know that by paying for those services you are also getting a liability offensively in return. The Pistons could afford to play four on five because their other four were good enough. The Bulls' other four aren't at that level.

If they lose this series, the Bulls are going to find themselves in the exact same position they were in after last season: a middle of the pack team in the weaker conference with no inside help offensively. Only they will have $15 mil less in cap room to fix the problem.

Ultimately, the winner of this series will have gotten it right. If the Pistons win, there were smart to not throw $15 mil a year at someone who plays on one side of the ball, and if Chicago gets to the finals, it was well worth it.

I just don't see how Chicago can pull it off. The Pistons are too tough defensively, too fluid offensively, and too deep up front to contend with. Their only hope is that Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich get hot and out-shoot the Pistons' backcourt. It may happen in one or two games, but Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton are too much. They are what Bulls fans hope their guard combo can develop into one day.

Maybe Chicago is a little hungrier because they haven't won since No. 23 was around, but hunger is an intangible. As listed above, I'll take talent over intangibles any day. Pistons in six.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 3:09 PM | Comments (0)

Seve, Great White Shark Set for Kiawah

The Ocean course at Kiawah Island offers a sumptuous stage for golfing theatre. This year rated the "toughest" golf course in the U.S. by Golf Digest, Pete Dye's masterpiece is awash with contradictions for the senses, rugged yet pristine, elegant yet brutal, and understated yet strikingly beautiful.

This year it has the honor of bringing a major tournament to South Carolina for the very first time when the 68th Senior PGA Championship rolls into town from May 24-28. Set against Kiawah Island's cinematic vistas, the 156-player field will bring together nine former champions, including homestate hero and 2006 winner Jay Haas.

Also confirmed are a total of 24 major championship winners, boasting a combined haul of 60 majors between them, and every eligible member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team who triumphed at Kiawah in 1991.

The Senior PGA Championship dates back to 1937, making it the oldest and most prestigious event in senior golf. Past champions include Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, and Lee Trevino. Making their debuts this year will be two players who need little introduction, Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman.

Ballesteros, a five-time major champion and the first European winner at Augusta, turned 50 on April 9 and will make his Champions tour debut at the Regions Charity Classic in Birmingham, Alabamba. The charismatic Spaniard has struggled with arthritis in recent years, but will be hoping to re-ignite a remarkable career at Kiawah.

"Seve is the third member of our 'Class of 2007' to become eligible for our Tour and he continues the momentum started when Nick Price and Mark O'Meara joined us earlier this year," said Champions Tour president Rick George. Both Price and O'Meara are also committed for the Senior PGA.

Australian Norman has only played two senior events since becoming eligible in 2005, the British and U.S. Opens that same year, choosing instead to concentrate on business interests. The 52-year-old, who won the British Open twice in a career that saw him top the world rankings for 331 weeks, now lives in Florida and dedicates most of his time to golf course design.

The inclusion of the Great White Shark speaks volumes for the pull of the tournament itself and the idyllic setting. Tournament director Brett Sterba is confident this year's event, which will enjoy comprehensive live coverage on cable television, will provide riveting viewing.

"This is undoubtedly the strongest field in senior major championship history. Nearly everyone will recognize the names of some of the greatest players in professional golf, including Ben Crenshaw, defending champion Jay Haas, Peter Jacobsen, Tom Kite, Gil Morgan, Gary Player, Nick Price, Loren Roberts, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller, Ballesteros, and Norman," he said.

The Ocean Course, also chosen to host the 2012 U.S. PGA Championship, will unveil a new $24 million, 24,000 square-foot clubhouse development at the event.

Posted by Will Tidey at 2:48 PM | Comments (0)

May 5, 2007

Is the PGA Giving Up Too Soon?

We are about halfway through the first ever race for the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour. Before I tell you, can you think of who is the leader in the standings? The odds are that you cannot. The answer, by the way, is Vijay Singh. You probably do not care, though. Even I — as someone who was calling for something like to FedEx Cup to be implemented — am not too invested in the week to week standings except for when I update them on my website.

The Tour has not done a very good job in creating inherent excitement about the FedEx Cup. The failures began with the design of the playoff system. In previous columns, I have discussed how the points system is designed to guarantee that the best players (even those with very lazy schedules) will at least make the first playoff tournament. Further, the number of players — 144 — that will qualify in total for the first playoff tournament automatically takes something away from the concept of the FedEx Cup.

In no other sport do approximately 70% of teams or individuals qualify for the playoffs. That's essentially what is happening with the FedEx Cup, though. More players will qualify for the first event of the four in the playoffs than those that will actually maintain their Tour card under the money list exemption — which is 125, just in case it has become foggy. Really, the playoffs for the PGA Tour FedEx Cup do not begin until the second event of the series when the initial field of 144 is pared down to 90 players, which is a number slightly less than the usual field for an invitational Tour event.

The NBA is as frivolous with its playoff invites as the FedEx Cup appears to be. Sixteen of 30 teams in the NBA get into the playoffs. Fans of the NBA concede that the regular season is almost rendered meaningless by both this fact and the sheer length of the regular season. Players discreetly show their laissez-faire attitude toward the regular season by obviously tanking a few games here and there.

Even with the reality recognized by sporting fans, the fans of the NBA and casual sporting fans still talk about the league throughout the regular season. Fans and media question the direction of teams, which might be most likely to make a playoff run, and speculate about true championship contenders. Somehow, despite a reality that says there is no need to fret, NBA fans still are intrigued by the playoff structure during the regular season.

This is not true for the PGA Tour, though. It has become frustrating at the beginning of each golf telecast to see that the PGA Tour is proudly presenting the FedEx Cup. Sprinkled throughout statistical graphics is a player's position in the FedEx Cup standings. Casual mention is made to the points race by commentators. Despite the subtle reminder about the FedEx Cup to viewers, when the tournament of the week is settled, the viewers and fans rarely are presented with a live update concerning the FedEx Cup. Perhaps the PGA Tour broadcasting partners just do not care that much about the Cup.

The cynic in me has seen this trend and it has led me to an even scarier question — does the PGA Tour even care about the FedEx Cup? Think about it for a moment. For as much as I would like to think journalists and fans had a hand in the FedEx Cup coming to fruition, it was really the vocal complaints of Tiger Woods about season length and providing meaning to it that caused this points race to be instituted. The Tour recognized one of Tiger's demands and they succumbed to it in order to placate him. If you can accept that as the true reason for the FedEx Cup, then the PGA Tour developed the concept as a way of keeping some players happy, not a method of revolutionizing how the Tour is perceived.

After the initial tidal wave of commercials promoting the FedEx Cup, the Tour has certainly scaled back the promotion of the race. The commercials still air from time to time and the Tour still has a part of its website actively dedicated to the FedEx Cup standings. The Tour still refuses to display the money list prominently on their stats page and the standings are visible in the media room at every tournament site. Those are not unique and outstanding promotional efforts, though. In fact, those are very much the same efforts that the PGA Tour used to make to keep fans interested in the top 30 players on the money list and determining who would qualify for the Tour Championship — now the final event of the FedEx Cup season.

The PGA Tour gave up on the Tour Championship as a concept of finality to a long, 11-month season. Fans did not really buy into the concept of the event because it usually had little weight in determining the money list winner or the player of the year. Over time, the Tour Championship evolved into a final money grab for the best players and for those hard working journeymen that found a way into the top 30. Beyond that, it was another tournament on the schedule that just happened to be the last.

To replace that and perhaps enhance it in accordance with Tiger's wishes, the Tour developed a four tournament finale. The Tour acknowledges, though, that it has done extensive modeling of points scenarios and determined that a player has to be within the top 20 percent of initial qualifiers (around top 30 players) to have a statistical hope of winning the FedEx Cup and its $10 million payout. In essence, the Tour has implemented a much longer version of the Tour Championship. It is entirely possible that the FedEx Cup could be determined before September and the Tour knows it. In essence, the FedEx Cup could become as much of a lame duck as the Tour Championship was. Fans could withdraw support for a FedEx Cup that allows that to happen. Could that be the cause of what has become a fairly obvious pullback in promoting the FedEx Cup?

Perhaps the Tour is instituting the FedEx Cup this year as a way of at least getting the concept running. Its format is subject to change and can certainly improve with a better points distribution system and more stringent requirements to qualify for the final playoff series. They know that the FedEx Cup as it exists now will not be around all that long. In that case, why promote it? Wait until the FedEx Cup represents something that will really strike a chord with golf fans and then resume the media blitz.

It is my hope that this is the case. Despite my stated complaints, the FedEx Cup does have an opportunity to succeed if retooled appropriately. One season of the FedEx Cup has not even finished yet and it will take this season to see how it can possibly unfold to discover the potential excitement it can create in future years. The PGA Tour needs to continue presenting tempered enthusiasm for the concept, recognize its current inherent flaws, and more fully promote the FedEx Cup and its potential. If it succeeds in doing that, the needed coming tweaks to the FedEx Cup will be perceived as a move by the Tour to create a more exciting product for fans and will resonate with the people that go crazy for this game, like me.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

May 4, 2007

Sports Q&A: Vick vs. Goodell; Moss

Matt from Dodge City, KS writes, "Will Michael Vick be the next victim in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's crackdown on unacceptable behavior?"

If Pacman Jones and Chris Henry are the hardcore thorns in Goodell's side, then Vick must be the annoying little kid poking a finger in his ribs. Many of Vick's indiscretions may not be punishable, but they sure are laughable. First, there was the "Ron Mexico" STD scandal of 2005, which occurred well before Goodell's tenure as commissioner began.

That's not to say Goodell has forgotten about this; heck, he probably dusted off his old Ron Mexico Falcons jersey when he met with Vick at the draft. If your impact on the game extends to the infamy of fans requesting your jersey with a name you used as an alias when tested for sexually transmitted diseases, then you've got a problem. If Vick's got a problem, then Goodell's got a problem. When Goodell's got a problem, heads roll. Just ask Pacman.

In January, while trying to board a plane bound for Atlanta from Miami International Airport, Vick had a water bottle confiscated by security. Vick was apparently unaware that water bottles are no longer allowed on planes. Nor was he aware that water bottles with secret compartments that smell a lot like marijuana are also forbidden, on planes and pretty much everywhere else.

And he was also oblivious to the fact that when you're a well-known NFL player who's known to smoke marijuana on occasion, and you're in the Miami airport, probably the one place on earth where drug suspicions run highest, then slipping security with the old "secret compartment water bottle" trick won't fly. In the Miami airport, anything and anyone are capable of having a secret compartment for drugs. Again, Vick wasn't charged and was allowed to board the flight to Atlanta. Unfortunately, due to the length of the flight, Vick was only able to enjoy half of the in-flight feature, the hilarious Half Baked.

In November, Vick gave Atlanta fans the finger after several heckled him after a loss to the Saints. The league took no action, but the Falcons organization fined him $10,000. Again, not a crime, but not an act that will win you brownie points with the league.

Which brings us to the latest incident in the "Michael Vick lives the life of the Three Stooges saga." On April 27th, while investigating a drug charge against Vick's cousin, Virginia state police raided a home owned by Vick. Inside the home, police found several dogs, many in states of injury or bad health. Also found were items associated with dog fighting, such as dogs in states of injury or bad health, championship collars, Don King, and a recording of the Rocky theme, as performed by those dogs that bark Christmas songs. Vick was flustered by the findings, and vowed to choose his relatives more carefully, and also vowed never to rent houses to pit bulls again.

So, where does Vick go from here? I'm sure Goodell told Vick that, "It's my way or the highway." Which means Vick must turn his life completely around, or he'll soon be facing a four-game suspension. At their draft meeting, Goodell probably told Vick that one more incident, regardless of how minor, would result in a suspension.

Can Vick make the changes necessary to avoid a suspension? He's probably got money on "yes" with his local bookie. It remains to be seen whether that bet pays off. If it does, then he better hope Goodell doesn't find out. Vick's problem is not only with himself, but with his friends and relatives. He's got to keep them straight, as well as himself. It's possible, but I've got a feeling that Vick may soon be the victim of a not-so-random "random" drug test. That might be the time to use the name "Ron Mexico."

Lyle from Brooklyn, NY asks, "What are the ramifications of New England's acquisition of Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders?"

(As answered by Randy Moss.)

Ramifications? I came here to talk about me, not the sexual escapades of sheep. Look, it was a fair trade for both teams. Sure, it sounds like the Patriots got a steal by giving up only a fourth-round pick for one of the greatest receivers in NFL history, but ... aw, hell. Who are we kidding? It was a steal. Of course, it's a big cap hit for the Pats, but who cares about that stuff. And what can Oakland do with a fourth round pick? They'll select a guy who'll be cut at the end of training camp. A week later, New England will sign that guy and he'll be starting on opening day. It's like a two-for-nothing deal.

I've got to thank my new hero Tom Brady for making this deal possible. It says a lot about a guy who's willing to restructure his contract in order to allow the team to acquire a superstar. If the tables were turned, there's no way I'd restructure my contract to bring Brady to Oakland. I wouldn't want anyone to suffer that fate.

Correction ... I would restructure to get Tom Brady to Oakland, but only if part of my payment was in the form of Giselle Bundchen. But Tom was willing to flip some money around to get me here. That guy's a winner. He's just as good at restructuring a contract as he is at repositioning a supermodel in his bedroom. I think Tom and I will get along just fine.

A lot of critics are saying that the Patriots don't need me to reclaim the Super Bowl. And they're right. But I need the Patriots to get there. I'm getting up there in age. I'm 30, and with the way I've exerted my body on every play in my career, I feel like I'm 23. And, with a Super Bowl ring, I'll finally be able to get Cris Carter to shut up.

Will I be on my best behavior in New England? You bet. My new teammates and coaches, as well as the New England fans, won't tolerate any lack of hustle and toughness. Heck, I'll even play with a concussion, especially if Coach Belichick forces me to. I know I don't have the most impressive resume when it comes to hustling, playing hard, communicating, and all those other crazy things expected of players with good reputations. But reputations are like No. 3 receivers; everybody's got one, but you don't need one to be good.

I'm not going to bring this team down; I've promised Coach Belichick that I won't leave the field before a game is over and I won't moon anyone, although a Randy Moss mooning would make a perfect bookend along with Zeke Mowatt's exposing of his Patriot missile. It's also stipulated in my contract that I cannot run over any parking lot attendants, without justification, of course.

I know what a lot of critics of this deal are thinking. Acquiring such a talented yet troubled player by a Super Bowl contender sets a bad precedent. Lazy players who want a Super Bowl can continue to loaf until their current team has had enough and unloads them to a contender. That's bull. This doesn't work for everybody. It helps to have 100 touchdowns and 10,000 yards receiving. You see that Jerry Porter is still in Oakland. I figure if we don't win the Super Bowl this year, I can always demand a trade to the Colts.

You can analyze this move with a fine-toothed pick all you want, but it's the right move for Randy Moss, and the right move for the Patriots. The Pats have the heart; I'm gonna bring the soul. Anything less than a Super Bowl victory will be a disappointment, and anything less than me ruining the foundation of one of the great franchises in NFL history will be a disappointment to the rest of the league.

Hopefully, this situation will be a career-defining moment for me, one that will top my other career-defining moments, like the mooning, the loafing, leaving the field early, afros, cornrows, squirting water on a referee, running over parking attendants, taunting, the marijuana, etc. Once I get that ring on my finger, I'll be a changed man. Well, I'll be changed only in the fact that I have a Super Bowl ring. And, I'll finally be able to fulfill my ultimate goal: mooning Joe Buck while wearing my Super Bowl ring.

Get Your Questions Answered!

Do you have a question or comment? Were your 15 minutes of fame preempted by a rerun of The Andy Griffith Show? When someone says "Hour of Power," does a drinking game come to mind as opposed to a religious experience? Then send your question/comment/answers and a small donation along with your name and hometown to [email protected]. You may get the answer you're looking for in the next column on Friday, May 18th.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 6:59 PM | Comments (0)

May 3, 2007

Sizzling Summer in Store For ATP

It's hard to imagine a clay-court season as enthralling as the last, but all the makings are in place for yet another fantastic ride on the red stuff.

In fact, we're only two weeks into the dirtball season and one more Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal clash is already in the history books. The two titans of tennis met last week in the final of the Masters Series Monte-Carlo, where Nadal took out Federer with surprising simplicity, overwhelming the No. 1 player in the world 6-4, 6-4.

Although Federer failed to mount any real challenge to Nadal's clay-court superiority, hope is by no means lost. For those Federer fans who are disheartened by Nadal's convincing win to the point where the already-old question of "Will Roger ever win the French?" is creeping back in their minds, I have good news. Of course that is not to say some bad news inevitably stems from the loss, as well, so I will start with that.

The bad news for Federer is that this was his most disappointing effort yet against Nadal. He is now 3-7 against the Spaniard, and still winless in five attempts on clay. Unlike Monte-Carlo's championship match, the previous four clay-court meetings were three-out-of-five set duels, and Federer extended the clay-court master to at least four sets in all of them. So last month was the first time Nadal had swept his adversary off of his favorite surface in straight-set fashion. If Federer goes into a potential French Open Championship rematch with this taste in his mouth, he will have little to no chance.

In other words, he must get another shot at Nadal before going to Roland Garros in order to restore confidence that surely eroded with the events in Monte-Carlo. Federer was ever so close multiple times last summer to extinguishing Nadal's clay-court dominance, so it seemed like the breakthrough was inevitable this time around. Now, however, it looks like Nadal is as invincible as ever on the dirt.

But, alas, there is good news yet for Federer and his legion of fans. It would be nothing less than shocking if Federer does not get another crack at his nemesis prior to the French Open. Nadal was in Barcelona this week, where he steamrolled a Federer-less draw, while Federer took a break before the brutal clay-court stretch leading up to the French. There are still two Masters Series events between now and then, one in Hamburg and one in Rome. Federer and Nadal met in both finals last year, and there is no reason to think they will not do so in at least one this time. Only a dose of immense upsets could prevent the dynamic duo from colliding once more before taking their rivalry to the ultimate stage of Roland Garros.

For hardcore tennis fans, what's almost as tantalizing as a potential Nadal/Federer rematch at Roland Garros is that the two will have some worthy company on the clay this summer. Yes, an incredible spring has set the stage for what should be a most entertaining clay-court season.

Two players, in very different circumstances, enjoyed especially incredible runs on U.S. hard-courts this spring. One was back-from-the-dead Guillermo Canas, a 29-year-old Argentine. Canas, against the odds, is returning from what all fans must have thought was certain tennis death. Players aren't supposed to come back strong from two-year suspensions, in Canas' case, for doping (he steadfastly maintains his innocence). Especially not when the sentence is handed down when you are 27-years-old, 29 upon return.

But that's just what Canas has done. Prior to February of this year, Canas had not been heard from since the 2005 French Open, where he lost a five-setter in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Mariano Puerta. Coincidentally, Puerta is now serving a two-year suspension of his own.

After spending 2006 in South America dominating various Challenger-level tournaments, Canas came back with a vengeance on the ATP Tour by winning a February tournament in Brazil. In three consecutive matches there, he defeated Agustin Calleri, Juan Ignacio Chela, and then Juan Carlos Ferrero in the finals.

While that accomplishment — albeit extremely impressive — went mostly unnoticed, Canas was just weeks away from sending shockwaves through the tennis world. At the Masters Series tournament in Indian Wells, Canas pulled of the year's biggest upset by taking out Roger Federer in the second round. And he did it emphatically in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2.

Two weeks later at the Masters Series event in Miami, Federer had his chance to exact revenge on Canas. Few doubted that Federer would come out and put a thorough beat-down on the Argentine. After all, Federer rarely loses. And he practically never loses more than once to players not named Rafael Nadal. But Canas, who had already defied the odds in his comeback effort, defied even bigger odds in Miami. With another victory over Federer, this one a 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 7-6 (7-6) thriller, Canas announced he — and his comeback — was for real.

Before vanquishing the world No. 1, Canas took out Tim Henman, No. 18 Juan Carlos Ferrero, and No. 15 Richard Gasquet. Unlike the Indian Wells tournament in which Canas suffered a letdown to Carlos Moya in the match after Federer, the Argentine went on to upset No. 7 Tommy Robredo and No. 8 Ivan Ljubicic en route to the final match. I challenge anyone to provide a more accomplished list of victories in a single tournament by any player this season.

Canas' incredible run ended at the hands of the player behind the other big story of the year, Novak Djokovic. The 19-year-old Serbian, who has simply been on fire in 2007, notched by far the biggest win of his young career by defeating Canas 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

While winning arguably the fifth biggest tournament in the world was certainly a surprise, it didn't exactly come out of nowhere. Djokovic's 2007 campaign began with a victory in Adelaide, which he followed up with three wins at the Australian Open before bowing out to Federer. One month later he lost to Federer again in Dubai, but by extending the Swiss to three tough sets, Djokovic perhaps laid the foundation for a strong spring.

Strong? More like devastating. At Indian Wells, Djokovic absolutely destroyed his opponents on his way to the finals. The highlights included a 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 16 David Ferrer in the quarterfinals and a 6-2, 6-3 semi-final victory over No. 10 Andy Murray. He did not come close to losing a set in his three other wins.

At the Indian Wells final, Djokovic was clearly not ready to handle the grandeur of a Masters Series final stage. He lost to Nadal 6-2, 7-5 and played an abysmal first set.

But Djokovic's learning curve was about as short as learning curves can get. Two weeks later in Miami, Djokovic met Nadal in the quarterfinals and erased the Spaniard 6-3, 6-4. He then embarrassed Andy Murray again by a 6-1, 6-0 score before taking care of business against Canas.

Djokovic will always have a better chance to win on hard-courts than on clay, but anyone playing this well and with this much talent has a chance to win every time out on the court, regardless of surface. When the French Open rolls around, Djokovic has to be considered one of the elite contenders to challenge Nadal.

While it would be unrealistic to try to swindle tennis fans into thinking that anyone other Federer and Nadal has a legitimate chance to win the French Open, there are other contenders who will be intriguing to watch on the clay. Chilean Fernando Gonzalez is all the way up to No. 6 in the world after his incredible showing in Australia. If Djokovic destroyed people in Indian Wells, Gonzalez absolutely decimated people in Australia. I still think Tommy Haas and James Blake might never recover from the beatings they received.

Gonzo has cooled off considerably since January, but considering the way he pummels the ball with every single swing, he is a threat to win every time he steps on a tennis court. He is one player who can beat both Nadal and Federer at the French, but I just don't see him putting together another seven-match string to win the whole tournament.

Other players who seemed poised for a solid summer are 21-year-old Czech Thomas Berdych and 6'4'' Croat Ivan Ljubicic, who is surprisingly adept on the clay. Ljubicic reached the semifinals of the French Open last year before losing to eventual champion Nadal, and Berdych made it to the semis of Monte-Carlo two weeks ago, where his run was also ended by Rafa.

As for the Americans, well, once again there is not much to get excited about heading into the clay-court summer. The red stuff has been the bane of United States' tennis ever since Andre Agassi won the French Open in 1999, and this year shows no signs of bucking that unfortunate trend. James Blake has been extremely disappointing this year, and Andy Roddick has been dealing with injuries. The streaky Robby Ginepri is in the midst of yet another disappearing act.

For tennis fans who care exclusively about the fates of Americans, this summer will give them every reason to tune out for a while. But for hardcore followers who simply live to see intense, slug-it-out, grind-it-out, in-your-face tennis, the clay-court season, as it always does, will provide just that.

And while some fans might be turned off by the assumption that Nadal and Federer will blow past people in their inevitable paths to meet in every clay-court tournament final, remember that nothing — not even a shocking upset or two — is beyond the realm of possibility.

Just ask Guillermo Canas.

Posted by Ricky Dimon at 7:31 PM | Comments (1)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 9

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon: — Gordon dominated at Talladega, winning the Aaron's 499 pole, leading the most laps, and winning under caution after a hectic final 10 laps. Laying back for a final charge, Gordon grouped with Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart for the push to the front, then passed Jamie McMurray on lap 186. As was the case in Phoenix, Gordon and the No. 24 Dupont Chevy were pelted with beer cans, mostly by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fan, who were upset 1) that Gordon's 77th career win put him one up on Dale, Sr., or 2) that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. didn't win the race.

"Or maybe there was a sudden outbreak of skanky Budweiser," says Gordon, who happens to be a strong advocate of aluminum recycling. "Shouldn't those beer-throwing fans have been tossing the cans at Sterling Marlin's Waste Management-sponsored car? Heck, maybe they were upset that I took a victory lap while waving the yellow flag. Anyway, I think Tony Stewart is right — racing is a lot like wrestling. Turn on wrestling and you're quite apt to see beer cans flying."

2. Jimmie Johnson: — Johnson tucked in behind Gordon just before a series of wrecks brought out the race's final caution, ending his chance to battle for the win. The No. 48 Hendrick machine was lucky to be at the front; Johnson was involved in two incidents that led to wrecks, one involving teammate Casey Mears.

"Sorry about that, Casey," says Johnson. "I missed your signal indicating that you were pitting. My bad. Keep in mind that hand signals work great when you're on a bicycle, but not when you're doing 200 miles per hour in a finely-tuned automobile. And keep in mind that I'm the defending Nextel Cup champion, and you're the new kid, so the only hand signal I acknowledge from you is the 'thumbs-up' you give me when you're done polishing my trophy."

3. Matt Kenseth: — Kenseth hovered near the front for much of the race, even leading three laps early, but was shuffled back in the unpredictable last laps. He eventually finished 14th, only his third result out of the top 10 this year, and held on to third in the points, 229 behind Jeff Gordon.

"What has this sport become when we're talking more about wrestling and beer than Jeff Gordon passing the great Dale Earnhardt in career wins?" asks a perturbed Kenseth. "I'll tell you what it's become: a lot more interesting. Tony Stewart, keep talking. Earnhardt fans, keep tossing those cans. Take it from me. I know boring, and today's NASCAR is not boring."

4. Jeff Burton: — Burton was an unfortunate victim in the fracas that started when Jimmie Johnson spun a pitting Casey Mears. Burton's No. 31 Cingular Chevrolet slammed into Joe Nemechek, severely damaging Burton's car. After repairs, he returned to the track and finished 34th, which left him 203 points behind Jeff Gordon. Burton started the race trailing by only 74.

"What's up with Hendrick Motorsports?" asks Burton. "They can win nearly every race, but they can't pass along a simple communication from one team to another? How do they relay information? Via radio, or with two tin cans and a length of string?"

5. Denny Hamlin: — Hamlin led 48 laps, second only to Jeff Gordon's 71, but a late caution smothered any chance for the win. After leading as late as lap 182, the Virginia native faded to 21st, but held on to fifth in the Cup standings, 332 out of first.

"First, let me assure you," explains Hamlin, "that although I am a native of the state of Virginia, I am in no way related to Michael Vick, nor do I condone the mistreatment of dogs, although having them work out on treadmills sounds kind of cool. I'd really like to see a pit bull working the speed bag, too. Anyway, I can't be disappointed with the outcome, and I'm sure my sponsor, FedEx, feels the same, especially when the car sponsored by their competitor, UPS, was seen sputtering around the track with Dale Jarrett behind the wheel. Maybe they should race the truck."

6. Jamie McMurray: — McMurray was leading on lap 186 when David Reutimann's engine blew, but before the caution flag flew, McMurray was passed by Jeff Gordon for the lead. McMurray still finished fifth, and jumped five place in the points. He is now in seventh, 462 out of the lead. McMurray was initially fingered by Tony Stewart as the guilty party in the last-lap wreck that wiped out the No. 20. Replays indicated that David Gilliland, in the No. 38 car, bumped McMurray into Stewart.

"Whew! Thank goodness I was vindicated by instant replay," says a relieved McMurray. "It looked like Stewart was challenging me to a 'Tony Stewart Street Fight,' in which combat is strictly limited to words. If he wants to take it to the squared circle, I'm ready. I've got the perfect finishing move, a version of the traditional piledriver. I call it the 'Crown Royal.'"

7. Kurt Busch: — Busch scored his best finish of the year with a third in the Aaron's 499, and along with teammate Ryan Newman, gave Penske Racing two cars in the top 10. Busch fared better than little brother Kyle, who wrecked in spectacular fashion in Saturday's Busch race, then was caught up in lap 130's mini-Big One in Sunday's race.

"Obviously, I didn't learn to drive from my brother," says Kurt. "Wow! What a crash in Saturday's Busch race. And speaking of the Busch Series, it looks like Kentucky Fried Chicken is the front-runner to win sponsorship of the series. I think that's great. In fact, it's finger-lickin' good. The Nextel champion may win the 'Cup,' but the new KFC champion will be honored with the 'Bucket.' I think Colonel Harland Sanders, were he alive, would be imminently proud about the union of chicken and race cars."

8. Tony Stewart: — Stewart began his Talladega weekend in the principal's office, face to face with NASCAR's new "Intimidator," Mike "Giv 'em" Helton, who gave Stewart a 9,000 rpm reaming in response to refusing to talk to the media after the Phoenix race, as well as comparing NASCAR to professional wrestling on his Sirius satellite radio show. Suffice it to say the Joe Gibbs Racing driver emerged with a limp. Stewart was then edged at the stripe by Bobby Labonte in the Busch race, and was punted from the top 10 on Sunday by a last-lap wreck.

"I guess I've learned my lesson," says Stewart with a sly grin. "I'll never criticize again. Incidentally, I've just removed the word 'again' from my vocabulary. Seriously though, NASCAR is not the least bit like professional wrestling. Helton was adamant that I never make that comparison again. If I do, he's threatened to deny me title shots, shave my head, and/or suspend me high above the track in a cage. Somewhere, Vince McMahon is cackling wildly."

9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: — Earnhardt made a charge late in the Aaron's 499, drawing raucous cheers from the mostly pro-Earnhardt crowd. Ultimately, though, he didn't have the horsepower to stay in the front, but still finished a solid seventh. Earnhardt Nation's public enemy No. 1, Jeff Gordon, won the race, and again was pelted by beer cans from the crowd.

"Again, I plead to all my fans," says Earnhardt, "don't throw beer cans on the track. It's dangerous, immature, and a waste of good beer. To all my fans, here's a motto to live by: 'Don't throw beer cans, throw 'em back.' That means drink them. And I see some of you took me literally when I said throw toilet paper instead of cans. First of all, what are you people doing with toilet paper in the stands? Please don't answer that question."

10. Kevin Harvick: — After a miserable qualifying effort, Harvick started 41st and quickly found his way to the front and remained there, the only Richard Childress car not victimized by a wreck. He finished sixth and jumped back into the top 10 in points, where he is ninth, 469 out of first.

"I'm just happy that Shell is my sponsor and not Dale, Jr.'s," says Harvick. "Else instead of beer cans being tossed at Jeff Gordon, he could be facing a barrage of Molotov cocktails. I hear toilet paper makes a great fuse."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 7:19 PM | Comments (2)

May 2, 2007

NBA Playoffs: For Starters...

Usually at this time of year, I'm, at laziest, a little immersed in the NBA playoffs. I'd sit at home and watch at least a part of one game per night, enthralled by the poetry of a late-game run, the artistry of a great dunk or block, and the intensity of the home crowd. The length of the postseason notwithstanding, keeping track of the Association at this time of the year is fun.

That hasn't been the case this year. Most of it is due to my move from the Pacific Northwest back to the expanses of the Great Plains. Along with that, I've decided to try an experiment of not owning a television for the next few months (we'll see how long that lasts). All this, combined with my current early morning work schedule, means I've had to catch a couple peeks of roundball at local bars and establishments.

While this does give me the chance to get out a little more in a strange city, it has limited my base knowledge of the playoff season to radio highlights and online statistics. I haven't had a chance to see all of the emotion that comes along with a box score. But even in my limited knowledge, I have noticed a couple things that are going on in this year's edition of the title chase.

1) It the Good Ship, Lopsided

Since the NBA went to seven-game series in 2003, has there ever been a year when the first round seemed this lopsided overall? (The actual answer is yes, but we'll stick with the jaw-drop factor for the moment.) Heading into Tuesday night's games, only the Utah/Houston series was within one game after four contests. By the end of all game fours, three series were already over.

It took Toronto's close shave against New Jersey in Tuesday's early game to help the '07 playoffs avoid the fate of the '04 postseason, where the first round was highlighted by three sweeps and four five-game tilts. Through the first quarter of the late game, Dallas looks to do the same against Golden State.

2) Central Powers Unite

The Pistons, Cavaliers, and Bulls have a couple more things in common than just residing in the Association's Central Division. All their cities rest on the shore of one of the Great Lakes. Those same locations are the largest metropolitan areas in their respective states. All these squads faced Southeastern Division teams in the first round. Oh yeah, and the last thing ... is 4-0.

As in sweep ... perfection ... utter domination ... no mercy ... you can stop me any time.

The Central Division has had its share of mediocrity the last few years. Other than Detroit, and Indiana in the past, there seemed to be an anticipation of something building, but not fully coming through. This year, the door burst open. And I understand that all of the opponents were inferior in several ways (injuries, fatigue, talent). But there's a reason why these guys wins were one, two, and three in the Eastern Conference.

3) Looking in the Mirror?

What happened to the Dallas Mavericks? They did win 67 games in the regular season, right? Didn't they have three different streaks of 10 or more wins and five different runs of eight or more victories? They outdistanced everyone by at least six games for the league's best record. Yet, that's the same number that haunts them before Tuesday's must-win. Six, that's one-third, of their 18 losses this season have come to the Warriors.

And this wasn't totally unforeseen. I'm not talking about these bloggers that think the Mavs are either a thorn in their side or too chic of a pick. Listening to Jim Rome's radio show last month, I heard him predict the future after speaking with midseason pickup Al Harrington.

"This is a scary team," he said. "This isn't a team I'd want to face in the playoffs."

Let's face it. This is basically a series of the old Mavs versus the new Mavs. The Warriors have former Avery Johnson teacher Don Nelson on their sideline. The City's team is playing a run-and-gun, care-free style of ball. And the news Mavs can't seem to keep up. We'll see if the top team can pull things together, but they'll have to do it quick to avoid their version of the "Perfect Barnstorm."

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that the Warriors are finally back in the playoffs. But why did it have to be at the expense at the team I'd like to see raise the trophy? Maybe I'll find a place to wash my misery away.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 8:59 PM | Comments (0)

Well Done, Mr. April

April is Doris Day and Roy Bolger dancing in the streets of Paris. It's the fresh scent in Downy, payday for Uncle Sam, a prelude to May flowers.

April is when fans in Cleveland and Milwaukee can wake to find their teams in first place and delude themselves into thinking it will always be. It is the month to dream before dreams are extinguished by the hand of summer. The old baseball adage may hold that wins in April weigh the same as wins in September, but they always seem to be more plentiful now.

April is and has been many things. This year, it was A-Rod's.

In the century plus since baseball started counting things, a more prolific month has never been tallied than Alex Rodriguez's April. He hit safely in 20 of his New York Yankees' 23 games, and at a .355 clip. With 14 homers, he tied the April mark set last year by Albert Pujols. His 34 RBI were one short of Juan Gonzalez during the latter's MVP season in 1998. Rodriguez had four more homers and just one fewer RBI than Boston's Gold Dust Twins of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez combined.

Despite it all, the Yankees find themselves 6½ games behind Ortiz, Ramirez, and Company at month's end.

If you believe in the magic of extrapolation, figure Rodriguez for 99 homers and 239 RBI. Until the last days in April, he was on pace to hit both his 500th and 600th career homers this season. He'll account for 331 runs, which is 42% of 2006's average team offense over the entire season. But as for his team, they'll win 63 and lose 99.

So much for math. The Yankees are as apt to lose 99 games as Rodriguez is to hit 99 homers. They are the exception to another baseball adage that pennants can never be won in April, but they can be lost.

New York starts May in exactly the same position they found themselves two years earlier — last place in the American League East, 6½ games out of first. And the 2005 club hadn't even hit their low-water mark. That came on May 6th, when they fell to 11-19 and nine games back. Nonetheless, they managed to win the division, albeit with an asterisk when a potential one-game playoff with the Red Sox was foregone in favor of avoiding November baseball.

Precedent suggests there is no need for concern in the Bronx. Still, one has to wonder where the Yankees would be if it weren't for the Hundred Years April of Alex Rodriguez.

Start by sliding two wins over to the lost column. Those would be the beneficiaries of A-Rod's two two-out, walk-off home runs that capped improbable comebacks against the Orioles and Indians. As bad as the Bronx April was, a 7-16 alternative may have spelled the difference in manager Joe Torre's tenure, subject as it is to the vagaries of a bi-polar owner. More than anything, Torre's calming demeanor righted the ship in 2005, and it can do so again.

Of course, the Yankees' rotation and bullpen aren't as sure as they were two years ago. If they are to wake from their winter hibernation, it will take more than Torre's pixie dust. They need another dependable starter, and starters collectively need to shorten the game for their bullpen, which leads the majors with 4.2 relief innings per game through April. In short, the Yankees need Roger Clemens, and it's up to A-Rod to keep things within Rocket range, lest he opts to spend his swan-song in the greener pastures of Fenway Park.

The numbing reality is that his teammates' lackluster play has had all the erosive effects on Rodriguez's gaudy production as time has on the dollar bills in my wallet. Even worse, his production is due to seek its own level, albeit the much higher level of one of the game's true superstars. There's already a leveling. A-Rod didn't homer over his last 18 April at-bats after averaging one in every 5.4 at bats until then. And he didn't drive in a run over his last five games, his longest draught of the young season. The opportunity may have been squandered.

Pinstripers hope that, with Hideki Matsui and Chien-Ming Wang back in the lineup, Rodriguez may not have to keep it up. In fact, he may have already done enough to bring his team to that last stepping stone before the river deepens and the only means to cross lie in Torre's pixie dust and Roger's right arm. Should this be the case, the MVP Electoral College must weigh these April accomplishments on even par with those down the stretch.

Yankee Fan has impatiently awaited in A-Rod the reincarnation of Mr. October that once brought glory to the Bronx. The problem this season is that, without a Mr. April, October may not come.

Posted by Bob Ekstrom at 8:38 PM | Comments (1)

Reina Takes Liverpool to Athens

Liverpool 1, Chelsea 0 (after extra-time, Liverpool won 4-1 on penalties).

Liverpool reached the Champions League final for the seventh time after a dramatic penalty shoot-out decided a night of unrelenting tension in the second leg of the all-English semifinal.

Pepe Reina saved from Arjen Robben and then from Geremi, allowing striker Dirk Kuyt to fire home the winning penalty and send Liverpool to Athens, leaving Chelsea's ambitions in tatters.

The build-up had been ferocious. Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho spent the week exchanging verbal blows with growing acidity and ever-decreasing decorum. Bragging rights and a date with AC Milan or Manchester United were at stake and only one could emerge with pride in tact.

Predictably, a frenetic pace ensued and both teams were for a time lost to the intensity of the occasion. Anfield's red and white cauldron, lauded as the team's 12th man by Benitez, burned brightly and the Mersey hoards urged their team forward with every breath.

After 20 minutes, Liverpool created the first meaningful chance of the game and Daniel Agger sent the masses into delirium with a crisp drive from the edge of the box to level the tie on aggregate. The breakthrough came after Joe Cole crudely bought Steven Gerrard's progress to an abrupt halt on the left flank.

Gerrard's cleverly taken free-kick, passing the ball square with Chelsea expecting a whipped cross, provided the ammunition for Agger's first goal in European football. Unlike Luis Garcia's disputed strike when the teams met at the same stage in 2005, it seemed there would no protest this time. Replays showed a subtle push from Dirk Kuyt in the build-up, however. Mourinho, no doubt, took note.

Advantage Liverpool. Great sides are measure by their resolve, however, and Mourinho's found theirs quickly. On the half hour mark, Didier Drogba came close to realigning the balance in Chelsea's favor, bursting down the inside right channel before blasting his shot into the body of Pepe Reina.

Ten minutes later, the Ivorian again came to the fore, this time sending a towering header into the path of Essien, who failed to make meaningful contact. Drogba, as ever, carried his team's attacking ambitions upon his muscular shoulders with verve, invention and tenacity.

With the game sumptuously poised, the second half began with Liverpool in the ascendancy and Peter Crouch drew a sharp save from Peter Cech with his first aerial contribution of the game after 55 minutes,

Five minutes later, the impressive Jermaine Pennant found Kuyt, whose header crashed against the crossbar with Cech rooted to the floor.

This was footballing theatre of the highest order and a sense of looming crescendo built with every interception, near-miss, and desperate tackle. With a quarter of an hour left, Ashley Cole burst forward and, timing his run to perfection, Drogba came within inches of an equalizer that would have left Liverpool chasing two goals.

With just five minutes remaining, and the drama of extra-time and penalties on the horizon, Reina was called upon to make a swift inception from Drogba. Shortly after, Boudewijn Zenden cut inside and struck a fierce drive that Cech could but parry to safety. The tension mounted. With one mistake the game could be decided.

Chelsea entered the final minutes with the knowledge that they had scored 26 times in the last 10 minutes of matches this season. Liverpool held firm and the final whistle bought "Chelsea time" to a close.

With extra-time came a moment of high controversy. Kuyt raced through and slotted passed the onrushing Cech, only for the goal to be over-ruled for the tightest of offside decisions. Echoes of 2005 resonated once more. This time Benitez, and not Mourinho, was left aggrieved.

As lottery by penalty shoot-out loomed large, Kuyt had one final chance to win it for Liverpool. Substitute Robbie Fowler played provider, but the big Dane could find only Cech's imposing frame.

Chelsea were without the suspended Ricardo Carvalho, and Michael Essien was duly asked to slide one square back in Mourinho's chess set and sit alongside John Terry at the heart of their defense. Carvalho had missed his team's last visit to Anfield when Chelsea lost 2-0; their last defeat and the only time in the past year they had lost by two goals.

Also absent through injury were Andrij Shevchenko and Michael Ballack, players of the highest European pedigree who have failed this season to meet the quality their monikers evoke. It was Shevchenko's priceless goal that had decided the quarterfinal, however.

The Liverpool team news came with more than a hint of irony. Having baited Mourinho by suggesting his tinkering had cost Chelsea the Premiership title, Benitez himself made 10 changes to the Liverpool team who lost at Portsmouth on Saturday. Only Zenden survived the cull.

Surprisingly, there was no place for Xabi Alonso, one of the heroes of Liverpool's 2005 Champions league triumph, in the starting lineup. The Spanish international missed the semifinal second leg between the two teams in 2005 through suspension. This time, despite being fully fit and available, Jermaine Pennant was preferred.

Liverpool will play the winners of tonight's semifinal second leg in AC Milan's San Siro stadium. Manchester lead 3-2 from the first leg at Old Trafford last week.

Liverpool
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Pennant (Alonso), Gerrard, Mascherano (Fowler), Zenden, Crouch (Bellamy), Kuyt

Chelsea
Cech, Ferreira, Essien, Terry, Cole (Robben), Makelele (Geremi), Lampard, Mikel, Cole, Kalou (Wright-Phillips), Drogba

Referee — Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain)

Posted by Will Tidey at 7:52 PM | Comments (0)

May 1, 2007

There'll Be No NBA Finals Rematch

Hope you weren't hoping for a sequel, boys and girls. This just in: your defending champions of 2006 have just been exposed as a fraudulent act of smoke and mirrors in 2007. What's worse? Their righteously vanquished opponents on the grand Finals stage are currently being upstaged by the little Oakland team that could. After four games, the champs have now been swept and the number one contenders are staring at a 3-1 hole. How did this happen?

Ben Wallace

Again, the numbers will not reflect this, as Wallace is not a numbers player. However, take a look at this Chicago team now with Big Ben in the middle, P.J. Brown and Luol Deng at the forwards, and Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon at guards. Throw in Andres Nocioni and Tyrus Thomas off the bench, and you have not exactly an impressive roster by any stretch, but one that has found balance and chemistry throughout. And yet Deng, the pleasant surprise, and Gordon, the Bulls' reliable scorer, have carried the load offensively doing whatever has to be done, pretty or otherwise.

Now what does this have to do with Wallace? Well, the team blueprint is not too far off from the one he left last summer in Detroit. No superstars, just a solid balanced team that understands its role in the system and each other, while lulling everyone else to sleep with its lack of a big-name star. Ben Wallace did exactly what Chicago fans hoped he would and provided that cornerstone toughness to transform this already playoff-tested team. Oh, and he blocked Shaq in the lane ... again!

Miami's Lack of Intensity

You've heard the whisperings: they're not a good regular season team. The old, cagey vets know how to "pace themselves" for 82 games and then step it up in time for the playoffs. They will rise to the occasion when it counts. While it is a common and understandable offense, what it boils down to is this: the Heat are like any normal high school or college student with a big project or test two weeks on the horizon. They are procrastinators, personified by Shaq himself, who once went through the whole 2000 playoffs by punctuating every ugly Laker playoff loss (always games in which the Lakers already led in the series) by saying things like "We didn't bring our 'A' game today."

Despite the presence of coach Pat Riley, who generally gets the most out of his players at all time, this team seemed too concerned about wasting unnecessary energy rather than trying to put their opposition away while they still can.

Perhaps it was even a championship hangover. If you put enough veteran guys searching all career for their first title (Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, Alonzo Mourning) and they finally win and then opt to stay together rather than retire, what's left to do next year other than subconsciously let down your competitive willpower just a shade? While Shaq can perhaps be accused of general laziness, he cannot be charged with not wanting to win another ring as badly as the past four, as the man still proved he could carry a team with Dwyane Wade hurt.

Ever notice how Wade started trying to take over those Chicago games only after his team was significantly behind in the final minutes? It worked pretty well in last year's Finals, he may have thought. And it looked so convincing; often, we watched at home thinking he would pull it off single-handedly like we had seen so often before. But the Bulls were too resilient to let him steal the show. Deng and Gordon would come right back on the offensive end and quietly and consistently counteract Wade's one-man show.

Matchup Problems

The Heat had nobody who could run with and defend Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. They were two agile, speedy guards who never hesitated to run the floor and dared the opposition to slow him down with the ball. Perhaps Eddie Jones in his prime could run them down on the fast break, but not Jason Kapono, Jason Williams, James Posey, or Antoine Walker (quite possibly the slowest non-center in the league), and certainly not Gary Payton. Both also showed enough dexterity in mid-air while driving to the basket at top speed, befuddling even top defenders Shaq, Udonis Haslem, and Mourning en route to tantalizing layups. The half-court Heat, being a year older and a year slower, could not run with the Baby Bulls.

The end of this series has actually made me want to look back into my archives and figure out how this tired old team actually won a title last year.

And what of the promising Mavs? They are also looking tired, old, and slow these days, thanks to a team with a style of play as electric and energetic as the yellow thunderbolts on their jerseys would imply. By winning their final game of the regular season, the Golden State Warriors have turned the hungry and bitter 2007 Mavericks quest of vengeance into an early nightmare.

Suddenly, the Mavs are looking more and more like the 1994 SuperSonics, a supreme top-of-the-line team that knows they should win, yet playing scared and back on their heels. The Warriors are a team we have seen before, too. Think Sacramento from 1999-2004: raucous, overbearing home crowds, fearless style of play, always on the run, unafraid to hoist any jumper at any time from any spot, and no matter how improbable or how poor the selection, they always seem to find nothing but nylon.

B-Diddy and J-Rich

Oh, we knew he was good if we recall the fuzzy memories of Baron's days leading the Charlotte (yes, old-school I know) Hornets through a few playoff series in '01 and '02. But has Davis ever played at this level before in any four-game stretch in his life? Had he not been ejected for essentially clapping at the referee in the third quarter of Game 2, we might be talking about a four-game sweep for this series, as well.

Jason Richardson was the player we originally thought was the star of this Warrior team, while it now appears to be Davis. Yet Richardson has put on a show of his own, at one point making a crazy no-look reverse lay-up very much reminiscent of Dwyane Wade's on-a-chair-in-mid-air Game 4 shot against the Pistons last year. The man who seemingly could only make his name in slam dunk contests in February was now proving himself in April. Who knew the two-time dunk champion could drain dagger threes, as well? Certainly not the Mavericks.

Mavericks' Awful Defense

The swiss-cheese tactics of the Mavs without the ball are reminiscent of the days when Don Nelson was coaching on the other side. Dallas coach Avery Johnson has prided himself on the gritty toughness and defense he instilled in his team. This has seemingly disappeared as the Warriors have had their way with the Mavs, whether it's driving and making the pass inside for easy and emphatic dunks, or firing the three with room to spare on a tentative defender.

Nothing/Everything to Lose

The end of Game 4 proved this point perfectly. While the Mavericks had worked hard all game to keep the suffocating Oakland crowd out of it, they just about fell apart on the offensive end near the end of the game. While generally pinpoint shooters, this Dallas team was firing air-balls wide of the rim with the game on the line, and they were doing it repeatedly.

How else can this be explained other than tightness, mentally and emotionally? The Mavs know they can't be losing to an eight-seed that should never have even made the playoffs. They know they never should have even had to deal with the likes of Golden State, one of those pesky under-the-radar lottery teams that always seemed to have Dallas' number. Only now we know that the regular season contests were not a fluke.

Golden State's young team has no reason to believe their helter-skelter style won't work in the playoffs since they've never been there before. They seem to play without a fear or a care in the world and it shows. This team has excelled in the clutch rather than cowered and the contrast between the two teams' mindsets came to a head Sunday night as the team from the Bay took a 3-1 series lead.

On paper, it does seem as if the Mavs should be able to make the 3-1 comeback, which has been difficult, but not insurmountable over the years, especially with Games 5 and 7 at home, but the Warriors have won two games (Games 1 and 3) convincingly and one game (Game 4) in the final minutes while taking Dallas' best effort. Most likely, the series will end before getting to a Game 7, and the Warriors will be licking their chops as they look forward to the mediocre Rockets and Jazz pounding on each other in the 4-5 matchup. Who knows how far this firecracker of a basketball team can go?

As far as the teams the overachieving Bulls and Warriors have left in their respective wakes? Well, it looks like it's time to forget everything you thought you knew about last year's playoffs. The two championship-caliber teams in last year's main event have proven unworthy of the crown. The NBA's late-June throne is now vacant and up for grabs.

Posted by Bill Hazell at 8:51 PM | Comments (0)

Feeling the (NFL) Draft

Let's get one thing out of the way first. No less a gridiron expert than Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing and expecting different results. By such a definition by the man who could have written a simple formula for why a pigskin spirals and a punt hangs, the Detroit Lions are crazy. That is to say, what will Georgia Tech wideout Calvin Johnson, whom they drafted second overall, bring the team that Carlos Rogers, Roy Williams, and Mike Williams did not? Is this team infatuated with receivers or not? Now it's off the old soap box to analyze the rest of the draft weekend.

The Browns are to be commended for nabbing Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas first (No. 3), and Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn later in the first round (No. 22). Quinn is no more capable of turning a team around by himself than were Joey Harrington or Matt Leinart, but with Thomas' protection, it's a start. Adding UNLV corner Eric Wright (No. 53) later in the first helps on the other side of the ball, where the Browns can use all manner of assistance.

Arizona went out and got Leinart a bodyguard in 328 lb. Penn State T Levi Brown (No. 5). Why Washington, who had no second, third, or fourth round picks, didn't get some offensive line protection for young QB Jason Campbell is inexplicable (though their pick LaRon Landry, No. 6, was clearly the best big safety in the pool).

The Saints had to take Tennesse WR Robert Meachem at No. 27, having lost Joe Horn. Sure, Ohio State WR Ted Ginn, Jr. (No. 9) could help the Dolphins, if they have anyone that can get the ball to him. Confidence in Daunte Culpepper and Cleo Lemon can't be high; the Fish offered Kansas City a sixth-round pick for Trent Green (the Chiefs wisely deferred, insisting on a second-rounder or nothing).

Another Florida team, the Bucs, look to revive their tradition of great defense, with newcomers DE Gaines Adams (No. 4 out of Clemson), SS Sabby Piscitelli (No. 64, Oregon State), OLB Quincy Black of New Mexico with their 68th pick, and Syracuse CB Tanard Jackson 106th. Even their fith rounder, North Carolina Central Greg Peterson (No. 151), will probably stick. Washington or Cleveland should have followed suit.

Florida State OLB Lawrence Timmons (No. 15) and Michigan DE Lamar Woodley (the 46th pick) will help the Steelers, though who knows why a team starring Heath Miller would select Minnesota TE Matt Spaeth with their third choice (No. 77). The Patriots went to Miami and the defensive students of new 'Canes head coach Randy Shannon twice, for free safety Brandon Meriweather at No. 24, and DT Kareem Brown at No. 127 in round four. They also made Tom Brady a happy man by signing Randy Moss, given Brady's past criticism of management for letting receivers get away (or made him sad — only time and Moss' performance will tell).

Who were the steals of the bunch? I like Southern Cal wideout Dwayne Jarrett to Carolina at No. 45 (where Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson still draw coverage), Penn State RB Tony Hunt to the Eagles at No. 90 in the third, and Florida DT Ray McDonald at No. 97 to the Niners in the same round. The Niners also added veteran WR Darrell Jackson.

Across the Bay, bet on Louisville RB Michael Bush, No. 100 overall, to pan out for the rejuvenating Raiders. And teaming with Peyton Manning, who knows what young Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio State (No. 32, last player taken in the first round) will eventually do with the Colts? Another top-flight Big Ten wideout was Steve Breaston, who could help the Cards when the regulars are nicked — he went No. 142. Michigan receivers have fared well at the next level.

Of the national champion Gators, DE Jarvis Moss (No. 17 Denver) and S Reggie Nelson (No. 21 Jacksonville) should help their teams right away. What a showcase the title rout over Ohio State was — Florida defensive linemen Marcus Thomas (No. 121 to Denver) and Joe Cohen (No. 135 to San Francisco) went in round four.

Bear in mind that just as important as anything that went on this weekend in New York were the offseason acquisitions of RB's Willis McGahee to the Ravens, Travis Henry to the Broncos, Ruben Droughns to the Giants, and Thomas Jones to the Jets. Nothing spells "Super Bowl contender" like the addition of a veteran 1,000-yard rusher. Unless that man's name is Edgerrin James.

In the grand scheme, the big offseason winners appear to be the Patriots, with the addition not only of Moss, but TE Kyle Brady, WR Donte Stallworth, LB Adalius Thomasm, and the two rookie defenders from "The U." It almost makes up for losing Adam Vinatieri last year.

Posted by Bijan C. Bayne at 5:18 PM | Comments (0)

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Myth of Momentum

If you're a Sharks, Red Wings, Ducks, Canucks, Senators, or Devils fan, you've probably read your share of second round quotes and media write-ups about how X team has the momentum and Y team is doomed. The funny thing is that if you read enough of these things, you're likely to believe that, well, pretty much every team involved in the second round is completely in control based on who won which game in the two-game split, who was at home, who played well, who stole a game, and a bunch of other random criteria.

Want in on a little secret? Momentum's really a myth. It doesn't mean much of anything except to fans and media who need something to talk about. Just because one team steals a game in overtime or one team pounces on another's mistakes, the series isn't over. Consider the following cases where momentum didn't really mean a thing:

Sharks vs. Predators, 2007 Playoffs — Generally outplayed, the Sharks win the first game in double overtime, then get smoked by the Predators in Game 2. General wisdom says that the Predators have momentum on their side, right? Not so much — the Predators take a bevy of ill-timed penalties, lose their composure, and exit in five games.

Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 2003 Playoffs — Washington storms to a 2-0 lead by outscoring the Lightning 9-3 while taking both games in Tampa. The Capitals had all the momentum on their side — right? Not so much as Tampa Bay rockets back to win four straight, including three on the road in Washington, to win the series in six.

Phoenix Coyotes vs. St. Louis Blues, 1999 Playoffs — After dropping the first game at home to St. Louis, the Coyotes win three straight, including two on the road. Up 3-1, the Coyotes have all the momentum in the world — except they drop the next three straight, including a 1-0 heartbreaker in overtime in Game 7.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Colorado Avalanche, 1998 Playoffs — In the height of the Peter Forsberg/Joe Sakic era, the Colorado Avalanche rolled to a 3-1 lead over the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers, playing as heavy underdogs and with no theoretical momentum on their side, scrape to a 3-1 win in Game 5, then a 2-0 win in Game 6, before blowing the Avalanche out of the water 4-0 in Game 7.

New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils, 1994 Playoffs — It's the mythical Messier Guarantee series and it just goes to show how little momentum means. After splitting the first four games in succession, the Devils go into enemy territory and grab the theoretical momentum to put the Rangers on the brink of elimination. With two chances to knock out their rivals, Mark Messier gives the media even more fodder by guaranteeing a win in New Jersey, then the Rangers win two in a row to kill whatever momentum the Devils had.

Momentum simply doesn't travel from game to game. Sure, it makes for a good story, but it's simply impossible to consistently predict the outcome of a series based on momentum. Instead, the best prognosticator for how well a team will do is to look at the sum of its parts. Is the goaltending sharp? Are the superstars playing like superstars? Are third and fourth liners getting opportune goals? Are the special teams working?

These are indicators of a series winner and a Cup champion. As for momentum, remember that weird bounces and lucky shots mean much more in determining who wins a particular game.

Posted by Mike Chen at 5:03 PM | Comments (0)