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June 30, 2008

All-Star Voting Casts Shadow Over Game

Here's a look at how the ballot is shaping up in both leagues.

American League

Catcher: Joe Mauer — who should be the selection given Victor Martinez's struggles — leads Jason Varitek by a short head. Varitek is batting .228 in 219 ABs. Brandon Inge has hit 1 less HR and 2 less RBIs in only 144 ABs. Mike Napoli has more HRs and RBIs in only 131 ABs. Either would be a better all star than Varitek, despite his reputation with pitchers. Rod Barajas would be a solid pick (6 HRs, .298 AVG, .861 OPS) but he's only had 151 AB's as he platoons with Greg Zaun in Toronto.

First Base: The Greek — or Jewish to be precise — God of Walks Kevin Youkilis leads the vote, no surprise given that Red Sox and Yankee fans seem to have given up work, family, and social life to stuff the online ballot boxes in a tribute to Robert Mugabe.

Youkilis has had a good season and he's a fine defensive player, but offensively he's a notch behind Jason Giambi. The mustachioed-one got off to a horrendous start (as late as May 18 ,he was batting .191) but he's gone on a hot streak to such an extent that he's been carrying the Yankee offense. He's actually better at first than he gets credit for and seems to have worked on his defense knowing there is competition for the DH spot.

With more HRs, less Ks, and more BBs than Youk, plus a better OPS (.942 vs. .930), Giambi gets the nod with an honorable mention to Justin Morneau.

Second Base: This is where things get annoying. Dustin Pedroia leads the ballot and he's a reasonable player. There's the Eckstein thing going on with him — he's the same height, he's Caucasian, scrappy, a "gamer," he hustles — all those intangible (or made-up) things writers love about the little guy north of the border who won a WS MVP on the strength of a bloop single.

Ian Kinsler in Texas leads Pedroia in every single category except times wearing a Red Sox uniform. In OPS, he leads by over 100 points, yet he's second in the voting. This one vote, if it stands by the cut-off point, should be enough to end the process of allowing fans to vote. Give it to the players if fans are too stupid to vote for guys not on their favorite team.

Third Base: A-Rod leads Mike Lowell and Joe Crede — fair enough. Hank Blalock is fifth in the voting, which accounts for Mrs. Blalocks' pasty complexion, Howard Hughes-like reclusiveness, and swollen index finger.

Shortstop: Derek Jeter? Again? Will there ever be a time The Great Leader of the Intangible Nation isn't in an all-star game? It's a thin position, but Michael Young leads Jeter in every offensive category except OBP. Don't folks own computers in Texas?

Outfield: The first two OF names on any ballot should be Carlos Quentin of the White Sox and Josh Hamilton of Texas. Ludicrously, Quentin's name doesn't appear in the top 15 of the voting (as of Sunday), despite his 18 HRs and 60 RBIs. The youngster has carried the White Sox offense with help from Jermaine Dye and deserves recognition.

Hamilton is possibly the most talented player on any MLB roster. Texas is a strong offensive club, but that shouldn't detract from the claims of both Hamilton and Milton Bradley.

The third name (currently) on the ballot is Ichiro Suzuki, which a bordering on insane. I can only assume he's on there for his 33 steals. By that criterion, Michael Bourn and Juan Pierre should be in the NL outfield.

Ichiro is on-pace for career lows in most categories. He's hitting 40 points below his career average, is on–base 30 points below, slugging 60 points below, and his OPS is 100 points below. Added to that he looks as if he's not even trying anymore, often jogging to first on routine plays.

Ichiro personifies the fading star that gets in the ASG on the strength of his past and name recognition. He's the Pacific Northwest's Derek Jeter.

The other outfielder could be any one of a bunch, excluding Ichiro. Take your pick from Milton Bradley (who's usually a DH), Jermaine Dye, Grady Sizemore, Manny Ramirez (just), Jose Guillen, and my own choice, the rejuvenated J.D. Drew, who has come alive since David Ortiz hit the DL.

Designated Hitter: I refuse to recognize anybody who can't field as an all-star.

National League

Catcher: Cubs fans have swamped the ballot boxes in true Yankee-Red Sox fashion and catcher Geovany Soto is one beneficiary, despite Atlanta's Brian McCann having better numbers. It's not a felony, a la Ichiro, that Soto leads McCann, but it's at least a minor misdemeanor.

First Base: Lance Berkman leads Derrek Lee by 500,000 votes. Berkman's the clear choice. Albert Pujols and San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez are having better years than Lee. Gonzalez, in particular, gets little hype, but is the Padres' only offensive threat.

Second Base: Chase Utley and Dan Uggla slug it out — literally. Uggla has had less ABs, but has the same HRs. Utley has a better OBP, but they are virtually inseparable in OPS. Utley is the better known and wins the ballot by miles. Laughably, Mark DeRosa and Kaz Matsui lead Uggla on the ballot.

Third Base: Chipper Jones may have less RBIs than Aramis Ramirez, but he carries his team with an astonishing .485 OBP and .630 SLG. The clear choice.

Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez is just ahead of Miguel Tejada. It shouldn't be that close — Ramirez is a MVP contender.

Outfield: Out of pure sentiment, Ken Griffey, Jr. is third on the ballot. Out of loyalty to the Cubs, the fans have Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano leading. None of the three deserves a place in the starting lineup, though Soriano has had a season disrupted with injury and his numbers are still good.

Fukudome isn't a top-15 outfielder. Griffey isn't in the top 25.

So who should be on the field come July 15th? Well, the first name should be someone who started the season as a virtual unknown, outside of Missouri. Without Ryan Ludwick, Albert Pujols would hardly see a pitch to hit and the Redbirds wouldn't be in contention for the NL Central. His 16 HRs, 56 RBIs, and .940 OPS merit a starting berth.

Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Corey Hart are three of the most feared young bats in the NL. Braun has holes in his game (he strikes out too much, doesn't walk, and has a paltry OBP of .326), but the kid can rake and is less of a defensive liability in the outfield instead of at third base. But 20 home runs and 58 batted in before July deserve recognition.

The third spot should go to Carlos Lee with his 18 HRs and 62 RBIs, though he's had almost 100 more ABs than Soriano, who could well have matched Lee's numbers with a healthy half-season.

The much-maligned (in Philadelphia) Pat Burrell is worthy of consideration, with a tremendous .409 OBP and strong offensive numbers, though in a hitter-friendly home park.

Meanwhile, there have been some strange happenings on the mound so far in 2008.

The AL ERA leader is Oakland's Justin Duchsherer, a converted reliever who is only 8-5 despite a 1.91 ERA and an incredible 0.92 WHIP. Opponents are hitting a miserly .197 against him and in the 5 games he's lost, he's given up 2,1,3,2 and 1 run. Duchscherer had only started 5 games previous to this year, but he's been an amazing find and proves the long held believe of some scouts that there is a strong pool of relievers that are perfectly capable of making solid starting pitchers. Expect to see similar experiments by starting pitching needy teams in the next few seasons.

Joe Saunders (LAA) and Cliff Lee (CLE) lead the AL in wins with 11. Both were afterthoughts for spots in the rotation in spring training. Saunders is a lefty that likes to pick around the edges in Tom Glavine style. Lee, another lefty, throws harder and walks fewer. Both are better than the 10 win guys Mike Mussina and Vincente Padilla, who have pitched fairly well but benefit from good run support.

Who wins the AL Cy Young? While Duchscherer, Lee, and John Danks in Chicago have had great first-halves, in the end, the voters like proven names and/or wins. In all likelihood, Josh Beckett (7-5, 3.74 ERA), Roy Halladay (8-6, 3.12), and possibly Ervin Santana (9-3, 3.32) will end September fighting for the AL award.

In the NL, the successes of Cliff Lee and Justin Duchscherer have been replicated by Edinson Vólquez and Ryan Dempster.

Vólquez, like Lee, was a rotation afterthought who has ripped through NL hitting (.202 BAA) and collected 10 wins and 110 Ks. Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey were the touted young pitchers in the Reds organization, but it is Vólquez who has led from the front. He walks too many and pitches in a hitters paradise, so he may struggle to keep up the torrid start. But I like his ratios (only 78 fly ball-outs so far against 110 Ks and 104 groundouts), which indicate that he may keep the longballs down during the hot summer.

Dempster closed last year but, with fragile Kerry Wood taking over in the 9th, he got his wish to start. He had six years starting in both Florida and Cincinnati without success. No one could have predicted he'd be at 9-3 with a 3.26 ERA by the end of June. He's often got himself into difficulties with walks, but has pitched his way out of it with a strong nerve he never displayed as a young starter.

Johan Santana (7-7) was the popular (and obvious) pick to cruise to a Cy Young against weaker NL hitting. So far, even in a favorable park, he's been HR prone (14, so far) and has a mediocre BAA of .246. He'll likely catch fire in the second half and figure in the race.

Brandon Webb (12-4) is still a groundout machine (3.45 GO/AO ratio) who strikes out over 7.5 hitters per 9. He's never far away from the top of the NL ERA chart when the season ends and he'll almost certainly top 20 wins.

My own tip to burst out from the pack and take the award is Dan Haren, the No. 2 starter in Arizona.

Haren (8-4) hardly ever walks anybody (17 BB so far this season), has held opponents to a mere .216 BAA, and, even though he has a fly ball biased ratio (1.15 career), he has reduced the impact of HRs by keeping men off base (1.55 BB/9, 7.16 H/9 — both career lows). With a team behind him likely to make the playoffs and all his numbers improving year-on-year, Haren is primed for his best year yet.

Posted by Mike Round at 11:44 AM | Comments (3)

NFL '08 Predictions: NFC North

Since the divisional shift in 2002 that named the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers the NFC North, each of the teams have seen their ups and downs (well, the Lions mostly downs). But 2008 has the potential to see something quite unusual: a division where the champion will emerge with a record no higher than .500. Each team has the possibility of winning the division and going 10-6 or even 11-5, but the number of question marks, or the size of one question mark makes the 2008 season potentially a season worth forgetting for all members of the NFC North. Let's start with the obvious.

Green Bay Packers

The Pack has been led by Brett Favre for 16 years. While Aaron Rodgers shows a bit of promise, anybody thrown into the starting role with zero career starts can hardly be expected to win a division title. While it may happen since Green Bay is so strong in so many other areas, I find it hard to believe anything above 8-8 is in store for the Packers unless Favre recants and comes back for another year. Another problem is running back Ryan Grant, who is still in a contract dispute. If he is unable to be signed, forget 8-8 and pray for 6-10.

Prediction — 8-8, win in tie-breaker

Minnesota Vikings

It looks as though the Vikings have many key elements in place, much like the Packers. With the acquisition of Jared Allen on the defensive front, a new generation of Purple People Eaters seems to be emerging. Fully expect Allen to have a record-breaking year is sacks. With the Kevin and Pat Williams hogging up all of the space, Allen will have an even easier time knocking down quarterbacks than he did in Kansas City. Adrian Peterson is amazing, but unless Tavaris Jackson can step up his game, teams will continue to throw eight or nine guys in the box all game long. If Jackson doesn't perform, Peterson can't perform and if Peterson can't perform, the Vikings will end up losing a lot of games 10-7 or 14-10.

Prediction — 8-8, lose in tie-breaker

Detroit Lions

The Lions had a great start last season. A first half of 6-2 had them set for the playoffs for the first time since the days of Barry Sanders and possibly even a division championship, which they'd been without for 14 years. But poor execution and tough opponents sent the Lions into a tailspin in the second half. The Lions have difficulties here and mediocrity there with very few spots of awesome play. For the Lions, it seems to be a matter of team play, getting on the same page, and executing together. No one stud is going to pull them out of their decade-long playoff drought.

Prediction — 5-11

Chicago Bears

Two seasons ago, the Bears were atop the NFC, losing to the Colts in the Super Bowl. Their defense was the best in the league and their running game made up for the defects of Rex Grossman. Trading Thomas Jones proved to be a very bad move. The defense suffered injuries and seemed to slow down and age in the offseason. And somehow, Grossman got worse. Take all of that and add off-the-field problems and the Bears look like they're in for another mediocre season. Unless Grossman finds a way to play as he did in the first half of 2006, the Bears are going nowhere fast.

Prediction — 3-13

This seems to be one of the hardest divisions to peg a champion in. Due to previous success and steady growth, the Packers have the best chance to win the division. Don't expect Rodgers to ever be Brett Favre, but he seems to be more prepared for success than his neighbor to the west, Tavaris Jackson. The champion of the NFC North hinges upon the play of these two young arms.

Posted by Andrew Jones at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2008

Sports Q&A: Shaquille Raps the Classics

Duke from Winterset, IA writes, "Shaquille O'Neal's rap attack on Kobe Bryant was the most talked about issue in the music industry. Is there a full-length, anti-Kobe project in the works?"

O'Neal's critical rap of Bryant is sure to set off a firestorm in the rap community, which, as of late, has lacked a high-profile rap feud. Just as Roxanne Shante offered a quick response to UTFO's "Roxanne, Roxanne" back in 1984, you can expect a quick response from Bryant to counter O'Neal disses. If history is any indication, O'Neal can expect an $4 million diamond ring from Bryant any minute now. In the meantime, O'Neal has signed a deal with Lethal Injection Records to remake some of raps greatest hits, infused with witty put-downs of former teammate Bryant. Here's some of the tracks:

* Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two (To Make a Ring? You Right)" — Shaquille raps that Bryant couldn't win the big one without him, then completes the dis by switching Base's lyrics from "it takes two to make it outta sight" to "Kobe whines then I'm outta sight."

* Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message," featuring the lyrics "I'd push Kobe if he was close to the edge."

* Doug E. Fresh's "La Di Da Di (Colorado Party)" — Shaq displays his easy flow with this rap describing Bryant's exploits in Colorado with the ironic lines "we don't cause trouble, we don't bother nobody."

* LL Cool J's "Momma Said Knock You Out" — Shaq cuts loose, with a guest appearance by Bryant's mother, who incites Shaq to K.O. her son.

* Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" — Shaq raps about a list of places Bryant has cheated on his wife, including "hotels, motels, Holiday Inns."

* Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance" — Shaq, sporting a prosthetic nose, pink sunglasses, and a huge, yellow-feathered headpiece, boasts that he "once got busy in a Burger King bathroom," but was later ratted out by Bryant.

* Kurtis Blow's "Eight Million Stories" — Shaq ridicules Bryant's numerous and feeble attempts to explain Bryant's infidelity to his wife.

* Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" — Shaq criticizes Bryant for buying his wife's forgiveness with diamonds, while Shaq supports the method that's worked best for him — simple lump sum cash payments.

* Tupac Shakur's "Hit 'Em Up" — Shaq viciously decries Bryant's role in forcing O'Neal's trade to the Miami Heat. In the song, O'Neal wonders aloud whether Bryant does, in fact, have a "Chump Life" tattoo across his abdomen.

* Run DMC's (featuring Aerosmith) "Walk This Way" — Shaq praises old-school rap pioneers Run DMC for injecting "whiteness" into the rap genre in their collaboration with Aerosmith. O'Neal then flips the script, admonishing Bryant for injecting "whiteness" that fateful night in Colorado, then not immediately owning up to it.

* Eminem's "Stan" — In his remake of Eminem's smash hit, O'Neal equates himself with former Miami coach Stan Van Gundy. Just as O'Neal was ran out of town by Bryant, Van Gundy was forced out by an equally egotistical control freak, Pat Riley.

* Sir Mixalot's "Baby Got Back (to Back, to Back)" — Shaq flaunts his ample behind in this party favorite in which he tells Bryant that without Shaq, Bryant could have never won three NBA titles.

* Young MC's "Buss a Move" — Shaq blasts the Lakers organization, particularly owner Jerry Buss, for acting immediately any and every time Bryant wants something.

* LL Cool J's "I Can't Live Without My Radio" — In this remake of a young L's early hit, Shaq whimsically raps about his boom box, and the zany, oddly-dressed seven-foot genie that emerges from the stereo when it is fondled by Bryant.

* Public Enemy's "Caught, Can We Discredit a Witness?" — In this duet with oddball PE comic foil Flavor Flav, Shaq raps about Kobe's legal troubles while PE's militant S1W's, dressed as Eagle, Colorado policemen, march in formation.

* Queen Latifah's "Ladies First" — Shaq questions Bryant's sexuality, then offers Bryant underhanded congratulations on his MVP trophy, and commends the voters for showing class by placing "ladies first."

Get Your Questions Answered!

Do you have a question or comment? Then send your question or comment along with your name and hometown to [email protected]. You may get the answer you're looking for in the next column on Friday, July 11th.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2008

Schilling Most Important Pitcher in Sox History

After undergoing season-ending surgery, Curt Schilling will not play for the 2008 Boston Red Sox.

I have to admit, in the heat of the Celtics' playoff run and the budding Red Sox/Rays rivalry (that just doesn't sound right, does it?), I completely forgot about Curt Schilling. Which is strange, because love him or hate him, he's the most unforgettable Boston sports figure of this century.

This is a guy whose first post-contract appearance in Boston was on a commercial where he boldly stated that he was going to come to Boston and break a curse. Who else would have had the balls to do something like that?

This is a guy who had elective surgery on his ankle so he could pitch in a playoff game, then repeated the same procedure a week later so he could pitch again. And won both games.

This is a guy who was so messed up from that ankle injury that he couldn't pitch the next season, yet he rushed himself back and even took over as the team's closer for a period of time. Then switched back to starter, and won the wild card-clinching game against the New York Yankees on the last day of the season.

This is a guy who communicates directly with the fans through his blog. A blog he had, by the way, before it was "cool" for a professional athlete to have one. He revolutionized communication between athletes and fans. He took direct questions from fans, he interacted with us, and he gave insights into his preparation and in-game performance that we were never going to get from the Boston Globe or Herald.

This is a guy who reinvented himself in 2006 as a guy who could actually pitch. He couldn't throw 95 mph anymore, so he figured out how to win at 89 mph. How many other pitchers could go from a Josh Beckett fastball to a John Burkett fastball and remain successful?

This is a guy who fought through injuries last season, only to grow his postseason legend. In what may have been his final game, he pitched a one-run gem against the Colorado Rockies in the World Series.

This is a guy who turned down multiple two-year deals to take a one-year deal for less money so he could end his career in Boston. Not because he knew he was injured and just wanted to steal Red Sox money (as some morons in the media, and some even bigger morons in the fan base have suggested), but because he respected the uniform and loved the fans. Most guys take the guaranteed two-year contract somewhere else.

Most guys aren't Curt Schilling.

If any athlete shouldn't be forgotten in any city, it's Curt Schilling in Boston. It's sad that his career may end with an injury. It'll be even more sad if he plays again, but somewhere other than Boston. So consider this a plea to Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox front office: do not let Curt Schilling end his career in another uniform.

I don't care if he's the worst pitcher in Major League Baseball.

I don't care what you need to pay him.

I don't care who you have to sit in order to play him.

Curt Schilling has done more for the Boston Red Sox than any player not named David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez over the last five years. If he wants to make it a sixth, we owe it to him to make it happen.

I don't want a "Pedro Martinez with the Mets" moment at Fenway Park.

I want Curt Schilling walking out to the mound for the first time in two years, in Fenway, to pitch the top of the first inning. I want to give him a standing ovation. I want him to walk off a Fenway mound after he decides he's made his last career start, tipping his cap in appreciation for the standing ovation we're giving him.

And I'm not a sappy guy. I could care less about the human element most times. I'm all for trading the Super Star when he starts to show signs of age. Or not resigning the fan favorite because he's asking for too much money.

But when you don't win a championship for 86 years, the rules change a bit. There are three guys I never want to see in another uniform. Curt Schilling is one; Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are the other two.

So, if there are hard feelings because of the disagreements over the treatment for his injured shoulder ... get over them. If there are concerns about his ability to help the team next season due to his age and injuries ... look past them. If you think he's asking for too much money ... give it to him anyway.

You owe me for all those years I watched and rooted for a bunch of overpaid stiffs who never could do what Curt Schilling and the 2004 Boston Red Sox did. He said he was going to bring us a championship, and he did. Two of them.

If he never pitches again, he'll be one of the most important players in Red Sox history. If he does pitch again, it'll be a travesty if it's not for the same team he redefined five years ago.

SeanMC is a senior writer for Bleacher Report and writes a column for Sports Central every other Thursday. You can read more articles by SeanMC on his blog.

Posted by Sean Crowe at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)

June 24, 2008

Bryant's Lakers, Legacy, Stumble in Finals

"It's not about how hard you push along the way. It's about having something left in you to finish."
— Michael Jordan

It often seems with Kobe Bryant that he models his career with WWJD in mind. What Would Jordan Do? Even his jersey switch to No. 24 could be implied as an attempt to be seen as one better than the greatest ever to lace 'em up.

If Kobe Bryant was going to stake his claim as the greatest of all ballers, he needed to win the 2008 NBA Finals. Perhaps not only that, he needed to do something legendary and treat Boston's TD Banknorth Garden the way Jordan treated the Delta Center in Utah. In short, Kobe needed an epic clutch performance against a respectable opponent, and quite possibly in their building during a Game 6 or 7.

He finally had the setup he wanted. The star of the team that as he had said "instilled his DNA into the team," (no this did not happen during their first round playoff series in Denver, Colorado, although they did win both of those road games), getting them to play at a high level around him, make crisp passes and create a new chapter of the Showtime Lakers. Having conquered the mighty and defensively sound Spurs in a mere five games, things seemed to be right on track.

Yes, Boston is a great and tenacious defensive team, but are they really that much better at stopping the ball than the Spurs? Kobe seemed to think so. Unlimited competitive toughness and killer instinct notwithstanding, Kobe Bryant did not raise his game to the challenge in the Finals. Instead, he got cut down to size by the leprechauns.

This is not to say he did not have M.J.-like moments in these Finals. Yet without the performance and without the required four wins, those moments become significantly less relevant. With the Lakers trailing two games to none, Kobe did deliver a quality performance in Game 3 at Staples. He scored 36 points, his most in any game of the series, including two jumpers in the final 1:06 to salt the game away and get the Lakers back in the series.

Kobe was not as dominant in Game 5. Starting strong, Bryant scored 15 points in the game's first 8:25 while his team enjoyed an early 19-point lead, then disappeared entirely, not scoring again until the third quarter. This showed as his team went scoreless for nearly seven minutes straight in the second. This was all reconciled by Kobe's heroics in the game's final minute, however.

While Paul Pierce had clearly gotten the better of Kobe on this night, with 38 points, Bryant got the last laugh with the game on the line. As Pierce carried the ball up the court with a chance to tie, Bryant pounced at the right moment, and in a lightning-quick swipe, Kobe reached in between Pierce's arm and body to get only ball, knocking it loose and racing downcourt, where he took the outlet pass from Lamar Odom and turned it in to the game-clinching slam. All this while staring down Finals elimination. Jordan-esque? Absolutely.

Those moments could have been great for his legacy had he come through in any of the other games of the series. In fact, rumor has it that for the three games in Boston, Kobe never actually made it to the arena. While he had performed sublime, superhuman performances throughout the playoffs, regardless of home or road, the men in green served as kryptonite.

Effectively stymied in Game 1 and most of Game 2 in Boston, Kobe led the Lakers on a too-little-too-late charge, just falling short of a series-tying comeback. Kobe scored 24 of his team's 88 in Game 1 and 30 of 102 in Game 2.

His counterpart, Paul Pierce, meanwhile, enjoyed a pantheon moment recovering from a knee injury, walking back onto the court and draining two backbreaking three-pointers in Game 1. While many will forever question the authenticity of the injury, and rightfully so, the fact remains it was still gutsier and more productive than anything Kobe could muster in the series.

In Game 4, Kobe seemed lost. This seemed to be a side-note the way the Lakers offense kicked into gear for two and a half quarters. They were crushing the Celtics without him before the Celtics famously came back from down 24 points on the road. This included one stretch in which the Lakers saw a 20-point lead cut to 2 in just 5:49 of game time, thanks to a Celtics 21-3 run. While Kobe did score 10 points in the final quarter, it would again be a futile attempt as the Celtics won by 6. Again it begs the question: would a Michael Jordan-led team have allowed a loss this humiliating to occur?

Finally, the humiliation factor in Game 6 was amplified greatly even from there. Yes, winning playoff games in Boston is tough for any opponent, but the Lakers lost Game 6 by 39 points and were just about never in it after the first quarter. For the second straight game, Kobe was red-hot in the first quarter and quieter than a kitten for much of the game thereafter, totaling only 22 for the game and losing the title by a gargantuan 131-92 score.

Not only that, the Lakers failed to show a basic sportsman's effort that Tuesday night. With seven minutes left in the second quarter, the Lakers only trailed by 3. From that point, the Celtics ran away with matters, in part because the disheartened Lakers flat-out gave up on the defensive end. The Celtics converted on 13-of-26 three-pointers in Game 6, including a ridiculous 7-of-9 from three for the formerly slumping Ray Allen. Many of these looks were wide open and the result of a team in purple and gold putting up the white flag. The 131-92 Celtics win transcended mere butt-kickings. This was a three-hour blow-torch session to the collective derriere of Lakers pride.

Kobe may have become what Ray Allen had been in the first two rounds of the playoffs: a shadow of his former self who had thrown up enough bricks in the series to rebuild the old Boston Garden. It is not the first time this has happened, either. In the '04 Finals against Detroit, Kobe had taken much of the scoring responsibilities from the aging Shaq. While he had a memorable three-pointer to force overtime in their only win in Game 2, Bryant was completely stymied otherwise during a serious Detroit beat-down in five games. In 2006, Kobe seemed to have put away the Suns with otherworldly heroics in Game 4, forcing overtime at the buzzer and then winning it in overtime at the buzzer to gain a 3-1 series lead. This only led to Kobe's Lakers dropping the next three straight, culminating in a Game 7 in which Bryant only scored one second half point on 0-of-3 shooting.

This all leads us to Shaq's entertaining appearance in a Manhattan nightclub just a few nights ago in which he took the mic and tried to pick up his fallen rap career with a slam on his estranged former teammate. Shaq said, "Tell me how I be/Last week Kobe couldn't do without me." While far from a classy move by Shaq, it goes to show Kobe not only fell short of his idol, he also failed to silence his most notorious critic.

In basketball math, that means 23 is still greater than (and not equal to) 24.

Posted by Bill Hazell at 3:06 PM | Comments (6)

June 23, 2008

Wimbledon Preview: Has the Reign Stopped?

Roger Federer is bidding to become the first man in the Open Era to win six straight Wimbledon titles. Since that run began, however, rarely has Federer looked more vulnerable than he does now.

So when Wimbledon begins on Monday, something's got to give. Will it be Bjorn Borg's record-tying five straight titles from 1976-1980 that gives way to Federer as the sole record holder, or will it be Federer giving way to a new champion and perhaps even a new world No. 1 in Rafael Nadal?

If the draw has anything to do with it, the latter will become a reality.

First Quarter of the Draw

As if Federer did not have enough problems already, his section turned out to be by far the toughest when the draw ceremony took place on Friday morning. The other seeded players in this quarter are David Ferrer (who just won his first grass-court title in 's-Hertogenbosch), big-serving Tomas Berdych, French Open quarterfinalist Fernando Gonzalez, former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, Nottingham finalist Fernando Verdasco, French Open semifinalist and Nottingham semifinalist Gael Monfils, and finally Michael Llodra, who has already won two singles titles this season and is always dangerous on fast surfaces — and now it looks like he is dangerous on any surface after reaching the fourth round in Paris!

Think that's all? Think again. Adding to the ridiculousness of this part of the draw are several unseeded threats against whom nobody in his right mind would want to play early in the Wimbledon proceedings. Robin Soderling has been one of the hottest players on tour this season and he almost beat Nadal at Wimbledon last year, Robby Ginepri just made it to the fourth round of the French Open on his worst surface and took a set off Roddick at Queen's Club, Philipp Kohlschreiber lost to Federer in the Halle final last weekend, and Mario Ancic, one of the most dangerous grass-courters in the business, reached the 's-Hertogenbosch semifinals last week.

What would really be fun is if all of these guys were in, say, Nikolay Davydenko's section of the draw instead of Federer's. To say that would have been a wild free-for-all would be an understatement. With Federer in here, however, it is obviously his quarter to lose. But if the world No. 1 does stumble early, this part of the draw will instantly become even more chaotic than it appears on paper right now.

Best First-Round Matchup — A smorgasbord of mouth-watering matchups make it almost impossible to pick just one, but Ancic-Llodra looks like it might be the cream of a loaded crop. The 6'5" Croat has somewhat quietly enjoyed an outstanding 2008 campaign after returning from myriad injuries, and he is only just now embarking on his favorite part of the season: grass courts and fast hard courts. Llodra, meanwhile, started concentrating on singles this year and it paid off instantly with two titles on slick indoor courts. Few breaks of serve and a lot of sets should be on the menu for this showdown. Other first-round barnburners include Fernando Verdasco/
Philipp Kohlschreiber, Robby Ginepri/Fernando Gonzalez, Gael Monfils/Chris Guccione if the huge Aussie's serve is clicking, and maybe even Robin Haase/Lleyton Hewitt if the young Dutchman suddenly lives up to his potential.

What to Watch For — Federer's early form. The Swiss looked lifeless against Nadal in the French Open final, but not surprisingly he bounced right back on the grass by winning the Gerry Weber Open in Halle. Federer often starts out slowly in Grand Slams, letting lesser opponents hang around longer than they should, before turning it on in the second week as the title nears. With his draw, however, Federer does not have time to mess around. He needs to be the Federer of old right from the start.

The bad news for Federer is that he has not been himself this year and that he is the toughest section of the draw. The good news is that anything close to the Federer of the past few years is good enough to get past anyone outside of Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Prediction — Roger Federer

Second Quarter

Under normal circumstances, Djokovic would be crying foul over the most recent two Grand Slam draws. At the French Open, he found himself on Nadal's side, and at Wimbledon he shows up in Federer's half.

These are not normal circumstances, however, in Federer's case. With Federer not the same Federer and Nadal having just completed an incredible French Open-Queen's Club double, it's hard to say which man Djokovic would prefer to face in the semifinals. Either way, the Serb should not be complaining about being stuck with Federer as opposed to Nadal.

Djokovic certainly can't complain about his own quarter of the draw. The second highest seeded player behind him in this section is David Nalbandian, whom Djokovic just destroyed 6-1, 6-0 in the Queen's semifinals. More likely is the possibility that Djokovic will meet up not with Nalbandian, but with either No. 18 seed Ivo Karlovic or 10th-seeded Marcos Baghdatis in the quarterfinals.

Of course, he first has to make it there, but that does not seem too taxing at the moment. Marat Safin looms in the second round for Djokovic, but the Russian has always been surprisingly hopeless on grass. Juan Carlos Ferrero, Sam Querrey, and Stanislas Wawrinka are dangerous potential fourth-round opponents, but Juan Ferrero and Stanislas Wawrinka would prefer to get Djokovic on a slower surface and Sam Querrey clearly is not yet at the point where he is ready to take out one of the top three players at a Grand Slam event.

Best First-Round Matchup — Juan Carlos Ferrero vs. Sam Querrey. As a past French Open champion, Ferrero is known by many as a dirtball specialist, but the Spaniard can get it done just fine on grass as well. In seven Wimbledon appearances he has never lost in the first round and he has been taken out in the second round just once. Last year, Ferrero made it all the way to the quarterfinals, where he took a set off Federer. Ferrero's stellar return game will have to be on display once again against Querrey. The up-and-coming American owns one of the biggest first serves in tennis, so he should be a terror to deal with on grass if that first delivery is working. Ferrero is definitely the favorite due to his past history at Wimbledon, but if Querrey serves well, the No. 21 seed could be in a world of trouble.

Also sound the upset alert when Baghdatis goes up against Steve Darcis. The Bagman should not let that happen under any circumstances, but you just never know what you are going to get from him when he takes the court. On top of that, Darcis already has captured a title this season (Memphis) and the young Belgian who stands just 5'10" (and that's generous) can frustrate any opponent who is off his game by incessantly getting balls back in the court. And "off his game" is exactly what Baghdatis has been this season.

What to Watch For — Whether or not Djokovic does anything in his first five matches (assuming he keeps winning and plays five matches) to inspire any confidence about his chances in a potential semifinal showdown with Roger Federer.

Also keep an eye on two boom-or-bust players who are under serious pressure to perform well at Wimbledon this year. Baghdatis got the No. 10 seed from the All-England Club despite being ranked 15 places lower. Apparently, the tournament committee put a lot more stock in Baghdatis' past Wimbledon results (semifinals in 2006, quarterfinals last year) than it did in the Cypriot's dismal 2008 form. He simply has to reach the second week in order to justify a seeding that has him ahead of guys like Berdych, Andy Murray, and Stanislas Wawrinka.

Meanwhile, 6'10" Croat Ivo Karlovic has been a massive underachiever at Wimbledon throughout his otherwise stellar career. Armed with such an imposing serve, Karlovic is always a dark horse to go deep in this tournament or even win the whole darn thing. Instead, he has flamed out in the first round in his past three tries. Baghdatis and Karlovic are on a collision course for the third round, so it's already been decided that one will be checking into an early flight home, bags packed with disappointment.

Prediction — Novak Djokovic

Third Quarter

Andy Roddick has to be jumping for joy over his placement in the draw. He's in the "Nikolay Davydenko" section, which is where anyone who isn't one of the Big Three always wants to be. Now the question is whether or not Roddick can handle the pressure of high Wimbledon expectations — expectations that were commonplace before the top American saw himself rapidly surpassed by Nadal, Djokovic, and others.

While Roddick has a favorable draw, he is no shoe-in for the semifinals. Not even Davydenko can be completely discounted. The Russian won just one match is his first five appearances at Wimbledon, but out of nowhere he seemed to find some comfort on the grass last year, when he ousted Evgeny Korolev, Chris Guccione, and Gael Monfils before falling to Baghdatis in the fourth round.

First, however, Roddick and Davydenko must make it that far. Roddick could get Janko Tipsarevic in round two and Dmitry Tursunov (or Tursunov's opening opponent Nicolas Mahut) after that. Both Tipsarevic and Tursunov are streaky and have upset potential when at their best. Like Ferrero, Nicolas Almagro is a Spaniard known for his clay-court prowess, but his serve is one of the most underrated weapons in tennis. Almagro has a great chance of taking out James Blake in a potential third-round clash and neither one would be a pushover for Roddick in the fourth.

Best First-Round Matchup — Ivan Ljubicic vs. Jurgen Melzer. Ljubicic is not the player he was earlier in his career when he was once solidly entrenched as the No. 3 player in the world. Nevertheless, the 6'4" Croat turned heads at the French Open by stunning Nikolay Davydenko en route to the fourth round. Ljubicic has never made it that far at Wimbledon despite a big serve and forehand that should work well on grass, but he has reached the third round each of the past two years. Melzer's game is definitely best-suited for the slick stuff. The Austrian can serve and volley with the best of them; that's why he is a lethal doubles player and why he should be a beast to deal with on grass. But Melzer has never astounded at the All-England Club, in part due to a succession of brutal draws. His best performance, a third-round showing in 2005, started with an opening round win over — who else — Ljubicic by a convincing 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 decision. It should be a lot closer this time around; such as multiple tiebreakers over five serve-dominated sets.

What to Watch For — Everything. As always, the penultimate question about Davydenko's quarter of the draw is just who the heck will join the Big Three in the semifinals. At the Australian Open, it was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. At the French Open, it was Gael Monfils. Will another talent-rich youngster like big-serving Croat Marin Cilic rise to the occasion, or is the door open for another unseeded player like Tipsarevic? Or will one of the more established veterans — Nikolay Davydenko, Roddick, James Blake, or Ivan Ljubicic — restore order to the up-for-grabs section of the draw?

Prediction — Andy Roddick

Fourth Quarter

The French Open draw did Nadal no favors and the Spaniard still made everyone else look like chump change. So how easy will it be for Nadal at Wimbledon, where he has been handed what appears to be a much friendlier path to the title?

Well, rarely is anything "easy," but Nadal's road to the semifinals is as smooth as it can get. It's very possible that his toughest test en route will come in the second round, after he destroys qualifier Andreas Beck in the opener. Nadal gets the winner of the John Isner/Ernests Gulbis match, so either way, he will be up against one of the faces of huge-serving, pure power tennis for years to come.

Richard Gasquet, Andy Murray, and Radek Stepanek also lurk in this section, but Gasquet has still not fully emerged from an utterly atrocious slump, Murray had to withdraw from Queen's Club after two matches, and Stepanek pulled out of Nottingham last week after just one match.

Perhaps those exit strategies of Murray and Stepanek are merely signs of things to come if either one has to face Nadal at Wimbledon.

Best First-Round Matchup — John Isner vs. Ernests Gulbis. There are two pieces of bad news regarding this brutal opening-round showdown. First, both players appear to have massive potential on grass and one will be gone after just one match. As for the winner, well, that's the second piece of bad news. The winner's prize is a nationally-televised second-round exit at the hands of four-time French Open champion and two-time Wimbledon finalist Rafael Nadal.

Back to the match at hand. Isner is 6'10" and is naturally armed with one of the most dangerous serves in the sport. Gulbis, 19, is 6'3" and has arguably the best second serve on tour. Why second? Well, the talented Latvian also demolishes his first delivery, but in this day and age so does almost everyone else. Gulbis, however, consistently fires his second ball in well over 120 mph and that is the essence of how he plays — no fear, going for winners with almost every stroke. At the French Open, Gulbis smartly and surprisingly played with a patience that took him all the way to the quarterfinals on his worst surface. On the grass courts of Wimbledon, he can probably throw patience out the window and prosper with his go-for-broke game. Isner will do the same, and the end result should be very few breaks of serve. This one will almost certainly come down to who plays the crucial points (break points and tiebreakers) better.

Other matches to keep a close eye on are Richard Gasquet vs. Mardy Fish, Guillermo Canas vs. Tommy Haas, Fabrice Santoro vs. Andy Murray, and Nicolas Kiefer vs. Julien Benneteau.

What to Watch For — Nadal, Plain and simple. The question is not if Nadal will reach the semifinals, it's how. If he makes mincemeat out of his opponents like he has been doing the past two months (and if Federer stumbles on his way to the final weekend), Nadal would enter the final as the odds-on favorite.

Prediction — Rafael Nadal

Overall

There's a lot more at stake for Federer than just a record sixth straight Wimbledon title. If Federer loses this and loses it to Nadal, his second-ranked rival will move ever closer to the No. 1 ranking and Nadal will be so far ahead of Federer in the points race that Federer can kiss any chances of finishing the year on top goodbye.

Less importantly, the whispers about Federer losing his grip on tennis domination are growing. Those whispers won't reach a crescendo if Federer loses; those whispers will stop altogether. After all, the end of his reign will no longer be rumored, it will be fact.

If all of that can't get Federer's season turned around, nothing can. The bet here is that it can and it will.

Federer over Nadal for the third consecutive year.

Posted by Ricky Dimon at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2008

Stop Whining and Shut it, Plax

It became the catch heard, or rather, the catch seen around the world, that made New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress a hero in New York. Just a short three months ago in Super Bowl XLII, Eli Manning connected with Burress for the game-winning touchdown against heavily favored (and heavily hated) New England Patriots. That catch made him the hero in many Giants fans' hearts and will go down as one of the greatest clutch moments in Super Bowl history.

Burress not only was huge in the Super Bowl, but was an essential reason why the Giants even made it to the Super Bowl. In the NFC Championship Game, Burress had 11 catches for 154 yards receiving. His outburst throughout the playoffs was uncharacteristic of him, as he was not known as a big-time player on that grand a stage. Sure, he had all the potential in the world to become a dominant wide receiver, but he usually never showed up.

So one would think that he'd be happily willing to return to the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, right? To come back and play with Eli Manning, who might've moved into elite status by his play in the playoffs, right? Well, Plaxico Burress proves once again why NFL wide receivers are the biggest prima donnas in sports.

"Me and my agent are trying to get a deal done so I can stay a New York Giant for a long time," Burress said. "I, personally, don't like the way they're going and I am not happy about it. I am choosing not to participate," he told ESPN.com.

This is coming from a so-called "professional" player? I thought most "professionals" in any job carry their business and complaints like mature adults instead crying about it. His frustrations and comments are that of a 12-year-old. Burress is making $4.1 million a year and he's unsatisfied about his contract? Unfortunately, players like Burress grow the biggest ego ever, which makes everyone else suffer. Burress has his one shining moment in the Super Bowl, and now all of a sudden thinks he's a lock for the Hall of Fame.

This is why the NFL is starting to turn into a soap opera. Instead of hearing daily reports on how the rookies are looking in the Giants mini-camp or what players suffered injuries, you're hearing the constant whining of Burress and how he's going to sit out of mini-camp until he gets a new contract. Burress has not only made himself to be a distraction to the New York Giants front office, but he's made a distraction to his team. Right now, the Giants should be celebrating and rejoicing at mini-camp after the Super Bowl win. No, no, that can't happen because Plax has put a sour taste upon the Giants camp. As days go by, he'll continue to act like a child, instead of a professional until he gets what he wants for his own benefit.

To be honest, what has Plaxico Burress accomplished to be worthy of a big payday? Yes, he was instrumental in the playoffs and without Burress, I doubt the Giants make it to the Super Bowl, let alone win it. So for the first time in maybe his career, Burress actually came up big in important games. That's the problem, though, except for last year's playoffs, he's never shown that he can be capable of making a clutch catch to win a game or show any leadership whatsoever to will his team to victory.

Throughout his whole career in New York, Burress has caught passes from Eli Manning. Manning early on in his career struggled quite a bit and it showed. Quarterbacks like Manning need a wide receiver that can be his go-to guy. Tom Brady has Randy Moss, Peyton Manning has Marvin Harrison, Carson Palmer has Chad Johnson, etc. Unfortunately though for Eli, he never had that guy that he can depend on, which forced the idea that Manning was a bust because he couldn't come up in clutch situations.

This is where Plaxico Burress comes in. Burress is easily the best playmaker the Giants have had the past couple years. His height, hands, and elusiveness are evidence of it. But at the end of close games, he'd curl up like a cat and be so non-existent, you wouldn't even know he was on the field.

Last year was Burress's seventh season as an NFL player. At about the fifth season, I consider wide receivers like Burress to be able to rise up to the challenge of being that go-to guy. However, Plax didn't want to be that guy. Those situations for Burress, however, would be the right time for him to be selfish. Selfish enough to want the ball, just like the great ones do. Manning needed Burress to be selfish and want the ball, but he never delivered.

So many times the Giants have been in situations where they could've collected a better seed in the playoffs to increase their chances of going to the Super Bowl, but couldn't because they would lose in the end. A big part of this blame goes to Burress. Wide receivers in today's game have to play hero at the end. So do quarterbacks, but they must depend on the play of their wide receivers. Sadly, though, Manning could've really benefited from Burress, but didn't benefit from his presence in tight games.

Burress never had the killer instinct to play "Superman" and win a game or two for the Giants. Now I'm not saying everything was on him. Of course others could've stepped up, but like I said before, Burress was easily the most athletic player in the Giants' offense. He's the type of guy you'd expect to make the game-winning catch.

Even with the way he came up clutch and helped Manning immensely in last year's playoffs, I doubt Burress can keep coming up clutch in the future. It's not like fairy dust has been magically sprinkled on him, and now he'll be the next Jerry Rice at the end of games. Yes, his play in the playoffs and Super Bowl could turn him around, but we still don't know yet and judging by his past performances, there's still some serious doubt he can keep that up. Sometimes players have a "flash in a pan" time period where they're excellent and can't be stopped. Soon after, though, they set right back into reality and are the same players they always have been.

Plaxico Burress will have to prove to not only me, but to others he can maintain the play he had during the playoffs and Super Bowl. Right now, many people are doubting him, and for good reason. He hasn't reached his full potential yet and is sometimes lazy (see his effort against Pac Man Jones in 2006). Instead of complaining so much about how he wants money or how he doesn't like the way the Giants are running things, how about he just goes out there and shows them that he deserves more than he's getting? If next season Burress plays the way we all know he can, then he'll have something to gripe about. But until then, Plaxico Burress, please just shut it and play your game.

Posted by Ben Feller at 11:52 AM | Comments (1)

June 19, 2008

NBA Finals Game 6: A Random Review

You know those split-screen commercials for the NBA where the players say that there are a lot of different emotions that you feel at the end of the season? That's how I feel right now. I've had 24 hours to try to come to terms with the fact that there is no NBA basketball for another five months and I'm still in denial. I feel like I should be getting geared up for Game 7 instead of eulogizing the 2007-08 season.

The biggest problem is that I've got a lot of random thoughts that I still feel like I need to get off my chest, but now that the season is over, I only have one chance to get them all out. I hate to be completely random, but it worked for K.G. in his interview with Michelle Tafoya, so I'll give it a shot. In honor of the Celtics clinching in six games, here are six random thoughts about the NBA finals.

1. Did you see the aforementioned Michelle Tafoya interview after Game 6?

Words cannot describe the interview. It really just needs to be viewed. I used to think that K.G.'s uber-intensity was an act, but now I'm convinced that he is actually a crazy person. In a two-minute span, he teared up, screamed at the rafters, swore uncontrollably for 15 seconds, hugged a bystander, hit on Michelle Tafoya, rambled on some more, then collapsed into Bill Russell's arms. Wow. If by saying, "I'm certified" at the end of that clip is his admission that he is certifiably insane, I can't argue.

2. One more K.G. thought. The universal opinion on K.G. is that he's such a great guy and such a great competitor. Yet all he did was whine last year that his situation needs to improve or else. Minnesota obliged and improved his situation by making him the final piece to a championship puzzle and everyone loves him for it.

Meanwhile, during that same span, Kobe Bryant whines that his situation needs to improve, the Lakers trade for Pau Gasol and improve it for him, Kobe changes his attitude and his style of play soon after, and everybody hates him for it.

Let's say that you are a fan of a certain team and there are two scenarios on the table, which would you rather see? Scenario A: Your star player complains quietly that the he wants to win a ring but this team sucks, so said star player gets traded and wins a ring for a different team. Scenario B: Your star player complains very publically that he wants to win a ring but this team sucks, but because he was so vocal the front office was forced to make a move which in turn set the team up for success for years to come.

There isn't a fan base out there that would choose Scenario A. Sure, in Scenario B you have to deal with the embarrassment of your favorite team airing its dirty laundry for the entire world to see, but once it's all said and done you get to keep your superstar and you get to compete for titles.

Maybe Kobe didn't handle the situation ideally, but the bottom line is that because of his comments Mitch Kupchak and Dr. Jerry Buss stopped sitting on their hands made the moves necessary to make the Lakers a championship contender for the next several years. As a Laker fan, I'll take a few months of bad publicity over a few years of watching a 20-win team in a heartbeat.

3. Enough Kobe vs. Jordan talk already. I've used this space countless times to sing the praises of Kobe Bean Bryant over the years, but even I think mentioning Kobe in the same breath as Jordan was absurd. I think, when it's all said and done, the most glaring negatives surrounding Kobe's career will be the fact that he disappeared when his team needed him most.

In Game 7 of the 2006 first round series against the Suns, Kobe inexplicably took three shots in the second half and the Suns went on to handily beat the Lakers 121-91.

In Game 5 of this series, Kobe scored 15 points in the first quarter but only 10 points the rest of the way. He repeated this "feat" in Game 6 by scoring 14 in the first, but only 8 the rest of the way.

Jordan may not be the flawless, mythological basketball creature that lore is sure to turn him into one day, but he was as good as there will ever be. One thing that stood out about Jordan, you could always count on him with his back against the wall. You can't say that about Kobe right now, and I'm beginning to think you will never be able to.

4. I'm all for celebrating after a team wins, but Boston fans need to scale it way back when it comes to celebrating milestone achievements for their teams. After the Celtics won Tuesday night, some fans took to the streets breaking out windows of storefronts.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the poster child for great decision making, but it wasn't that long ago that a woman was killed after police had to shoot beanbags into a crowd of unruly Red Sox fans who had, among other things, tipped over and set fire to a few vehicles. You'd think that maybe after such a sobering incident the fans would have had a little more sense this time around, but apparently not.

I don't want to group every Celtics fan into the same category as the few boneheads who ruin an otherwise good time for everyone, but come on. Any Celtics fan will tell anyone willing to listen that this is their 17th title. It's time to start acting like you've been there before.

5. Congratulations to Paul Pierce on winning Finals MVP. No, really. No more cheap shots, no more questioning him. But an even bigger congratulations to the NBA for not making it a three-way tie for Finals MVP just for the story. You know at some point during the second half of Game 6, some low-level NBA executive was watching Pierce, Ray Allen, and K.G. all pile in shots and thought, "it'd be great if we made all three of them Finals MVP, that'd really make headlines."

It's one thing to reward John Stockton and Karl Malone in their hometown with co-MVP of the All-Star Game, but it's quite another to get sucked into the hype surrounding "the Big Three." Allen and Garnett were both solid in this series, but Paul Pierce was the best player on the floor. Period. He deserved to be the MVP.

6. You know what the worst part of not having a Game 7 is? Not being able to see the opening montage of great NBA finals moments one last time. I want to download this clip to my iPod and carry it around with me everywhere I go and use it as a litmus test any time a stranger wants to talk hoops with me. For example, if someone asks me a question concerning the league, before I answer, I want to pull out my iPod and make him watch that video and gauge his reaction. If watching that clip doesn't bring a smile to his face, he's not a real NBA fan and I don't want to waste my time arguing with someone who isn't a real fan.

Including the sweet opening sequence, overall I thought ABC did a pretty good job covering the series, except for the fact that Mike Breen's microphone volume was about as consistent in this series as Sasha Vujacic. Marc Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy didn't exactly replace Doug Collins are greatest NBA color commentator of all-time, but they did a much better job than Hubie Brown had done the last few years.

And that's that. No more staying up late to watch the West Coast games on the league pass. No more waking up and checking the West standings to see who dropped three spots after being idle. No more lobbying for Kobe for MVP. No more taking satisfaction in the Heat's free-fall from grace. No more blockbuster trades and evaluation process of the teams afterwards. No more NBA basketball until the end of October. As much as it disappoints me, the NBA season is no more.

The NBA ... where all good things must come to an end ... happens.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 12:15 PM | Comments (1)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 15

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch — During another three-race weekend, Busch needed to travel to only two states to experience another disappointing weekend. Busch finished 13th in the Life Lock 400 on Sunday, crashed out of the Nationwide race Saturday night, and feuded with Ron Hornaday, Jr. and truck owner Kevin Harvick after Busch spun Hornaday with a lap to go in the Cool City Customs 200 on Saturday afternoon.

"Look, I'm no one's race buddy," says Busch. "Least not Kevin Harvick's or Ron Hornaday, Jr.'s. Heck, I despise Ron Hornaday, Sr., and I don't even know him. If Harvick wants a war of words, I'm game. He can call me a 'punk,' I can call him a 'big mouth.' And, we can both pray we don't live in glass houses. Of course, we'll never say any of that to each other's face. This feud has the potential to spill out on the track, and if that happens, I'm more than willing to dance. And when I say 'dance,' I mean it literally. You recall Harvick's last on-the-track incident? It was his two-step with Juan Montoya last year at Watkins Glen. If that's fighting, then there was a battle royal at Joey Logano's senior prom."

"Now, I have no interest in meeting with Harvick face-to-face. The Busch brothers don't do face-to-face meetings. As my brother Kurt has shown, we will, however, do fist-to-face meetings."

"As you may have heard, I'm cutting back on my Nationwide and Craftsman schedules. So don't expect to see me this weekend as much as you did last weekend. Television viewers only saw two other athletes more than me last weekend — Tiger Woods, during live action, and Tiger Woods on replay. It's funny how Tiger only limps after a bad shot."

2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Ending a winless streak of 76 races, Earnhardt used a daring fuel gamble to win the Life Lock 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Earnhardt last pitted on lap 148, and, as the laps wound down, he displayed a fuel conservation strategy that all Americans should emulate, and all Saudi Arabians should fear. His efforts were almost rendered fruitless when Sam Hornish, Jr. spun two laps from the end, setting up a green-white-checkered finish that extended the race by three laps. Earnhardt professed at feeling "sick" upon that development, but his worries were allayed when Patrick Carpentier spun on the final lap.

"You can always count on those former open-wheelers for an untimely spin," says Earnhardt. "Who knew they were good for timely spins as well? I'm often 'fuming' after most of Tony Eury, Jr.'s decisions. Not this time. It's poetic justice that we completed this race on fumes. Tony's proved before that 'passed gas' is a powerful tool; now, he's also verified the benefits of 'past gas.' Victory never smelled so sweet."

"I'd like to thank all my fans for sticking with me through this winless drought. I just want to remind them all to keep the celebrations civil and safe. Contrary to internet rumors, my win does not give members of Earnhardt Nation diplomatic immunity in cases of unlawful burning of front porch furniture. And, since this win took place in Michigan, home of the Stanley Cup champions, the Detroit Red Wings, I encourage all of my fans, male and female alike, to do as the members of the Red Wings did with their playoff beards and shave that facial hair you've been growing since my last win."

3. Jeff Burton — Burton started second, as rain canceled qualifying, and quickly found himself at the mercy of handling issues that continued throughout the day. Despite those troubles, Burton managed a finish of 15th, and maintained his streak of top-15 results or better in each of the 15 races this year. Finishing only two places behind points leader Kyle Busch, Burton lost little ground, and only trails Busch by 32 points.

"I've still got Busch in my sights," says Burton. "If I were a sniper, that might mean something. But I'm no killing machine; I wouldn't hurt a flea, although I would like to slap the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. If I keep pulling top-15s out of my tailpipe, then I'll be within striking distance once the Chase starts."

"But let's hear it for parity in NASCAR. All four manufacturers were represented in the top 4 at Michigan. Now, if some female NASCAR employees would start flashing some male employees, then we would have total and absolute parity."

4. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson sported one of the stronger cars all day, leading a race-high 65 laps, but his victory aspirations were hindered by the game of chance known as fuel mileage. Johnson surrendered the lead on lap 182, and charged from 24th to sixth in the final 21 laps to post his seventh top-10 finish of the year. He moves up one place in the points to fifth, 254 out of first.

"Fuel strategy is not an exact science," says Johnson. "Nor are NASCAR inspection procedures. That's what motivates Chad Knaus. Ultimately, our goals are the same. We both want the No. 48 car to go places. I want to drive it to Victory Circle. Chad wants to drive it through a loophole in the rules."

5. Carl Edwards — Edwards joined Roush Fenway teammates Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray in the top 10 as Edwards finished seventh in Michigan, his sixth-straight top-10 result at the Brooklyn two-mile oval. Edwards remains fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 206 off the lead.

"We had a car capable of winning," says Edwards. "So I'm disappointed that we didn't. Many experts predicted this race would come down to fuel strategy, and they were right. I guess we misinterpreted exactly what 'fuel strategy' entails. Apparently, it has everything to do with mileage, and nothing to do with whether or not the fuel tank lid is on."

"And congratulations to Matt Kenseth for his third-place finish. Matt's really begun to assert himself on the track lately. I tried to congratulate Matt in person with a high five, but he slapped me — with a harassment lawsuit."

6. Kasey Kahne — Kahne nearly pulled off his second consecutive victory, instead settling for the runner-up spot in Michigan behind the magically-fueled car of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Kahne last pitted during a caution on lap 152, four laps after Earnhardt, and was in position for the win should Earnhardt's tank run dry.

"I don't know what's more impressive," says Kahne. "Jesus walking on water, or Junior running on fumes? Jesus can turn water into wine, but Junior can turn a cheap Mountain Dew mesh cap into $50! Hallelujah! Seriously, though, Junior must have had divine intervention to get his car to go that far on that amount of gas. Talk about a 'holy roller.' And, I believe he got a little help from some forgiving NASCAR officials, who chose not to penalize him for passing the pace car, which is illegal. That rules interpretation will forever be known as the 'Immaculate Exception.'"

"And, honestly, I haven't seen that kind of mileage since Fred Flintstone drove from home to work on foot power alone. Obviously, Fred would be a terror on NASCAR tracks since, on wheels of stone, he'd never have to worry about tire wear."

7. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin finished a mediocre 14th in Michigan after a third at Pocono two weeks ago. The driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing FedEx Toyota falls one spot in the Sprint Cup standings to sixth, 287 out of first.

"All the talk in the Joe Gibbs garage," says Hamlin, "is either about Joey Logano coming, Tony Stewart going, or Kyle Busch doing too much of both between the three NASCAR series. All the talk everywhere else is off lawsuits, harassment, and men exposing themselves to women. That said, it's a good time to mention that in addition to regular packages, large and small, FedEx also delivers subpoenas."

8. Tony Stewart — Constant adjustments, as well as a bold pit call on lap 186, allowed Stewart to record his fist top-five finish in four points races. While many cars stayed on the track or took just two tires during a lap 186 caution, Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot Toyota received four fresh tires. With plenty a fuel, Stewart passed his way into the top five in the race's final laps.

"I was impressed by NASCAR's decision to meet with drivers on Friday an advise us that we need to stop complaining so much. There's no place for whining in professional sports, except inside the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room. In light of recent harassment allegations, I think NASCAR president Mike Helton could have chosen his words just a little better when he said this sport needs to be 'bitch-free.'"

"It's ironic that Helton urged us to stop complaining, while Brian France, in his comments on Mauricia Grant's lawsuit, cited a lack of complaints. NASCAR's trying to send a message on their policies, and that message is clear: that their harassment policy is quite unclear. That's the kind of ambiguity you can expect from NASCAR, and from me, if you ask of my intentions of staying with Joe Gibbs or moving to a new team. So don't ask me. All you'll get is a 'Smoke' screen."

9. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth recorded his best finish of the year with a third at Michigan in a race that was decided on fuel strategy. Kenseth led 41 laps, and was leading on lap 188 when he was forced to relinquish the lead for fuel and two tires. He finished behind the two drivers whose fuel gambles paid off, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kasey Kahne.

"I feel I was cheated out of this win," says Kenseth. "First, I had to stop in the pits to miss a NASCAR official loitering on pit lane. And I'm fairly certain he exposed himself to me. He's lucky. I almost gave him a 'drive-over' penalty. However, I used a little discretion and chose not to penalize him. Apparently, NASCAR officials have a lot more discretion to offer. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was so far ahead of the pace car, I think the pace car qualified for the 'Lucky Dog' free pass."

10. Brian Vickers — With his second top-five finish in as many races, Vickers and Red Bull Racing announced that they will be factors in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. With his fourth at Michigan, Vickers is now 16th in the points, only 97 out of 12th, and charging.

"Ole. It was a great day for Red Bull Racing," says Vickers. "And, with Dale Earnhardt's victory in the No. 88 Amp Chevrolet, it was a glorious day for energy drinks in general. This team is so happy, we're bouncing off walls. I'm still coming down from a sugar and caffeine high as we speak."

"But I still can't understand why NASCAR officials placed me behind the No. 8 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. car of Mark Martin on the race's final restart. I know Mark's NASCAR 'DEI'-ty, but NASCAR's decision cost me a chance at the win. If those NASCAR officials would have been watching the race and not fumbling to get their pants back on, this never would have happened."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:36 AM | Comments (1)

CONCACAF Reviews and Previews

You might not know this, but World Cup qualifying is underway on every continent except Europe, who will start after Euro 2008.

CONCACAF (North America plus Suriname and Guyana) is in round two of qualifying, or the first round where the confederations bigwigs play, like the US and Mexico.

First, there's a preliminary round where the minnows of CONCACAF, mostly Caribbean islands, do battle. The winners of those home-and-home matches get a new home-and-home against one of the region's heavies, in the Second Round .

Backing up ... what is a home-and-home? While most U.S. sports settle their series by playing best-of-an-odd-number, soccer series are decided in two games, with each team getting a home game.

If they split their victories, then the team with the better goal differential goes through (so if I beat you 2-0 and you return the favor 4-1, you advance; you outscored me on aggregate).

If the goal differential is the same, or if both matches end in a tie, then the tiebreaker is whomever scored more goals on the road. This is called the Away Goals rule. Did we tie 2-2 at your house and 1-1 at my house? I win. I scored more away goals.

Still tied? Then they play 30 minutes of overtime after the second game (fully, as in basketball, not sudden death, as in NFL football) and then, if still tied, have a penalty shootout.

So, the Second Round. 12 minnows against 12 sharks. Who are the sharks?

1. USA (stock rising)

With better results in friendlies, winning the continental championship (the Gold Cup), and finishing atop the CONCACAF Final World Cup qualifying last round, the Americans are indeed the best in the region at the moment.

Minnow second round opponent: Barbados

Result and analysis: 8-0 in the U.S., Barbados leg to be held Sunday. It was very satisfying to watch the Americans dominate as never before: the win is the largest margin of victory ever for the U.S. Men's National Team.

2. Mexico (stock falling)

Average friendly results, losses to Honduras and the U.S. in the Gold Cup, and a failure to qualify for the Olympics led to the ouster of their coach, Hugo Sanchez, and the appointment of former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson.

Minnow second round opponent: Belize

Result and analysis: Mexico didn't score until the 66th minute in front of a pro-Mexican crowd in Houston, which hosted the Belize home leg due to inadequate facilities in their native land. They added another goal late and will head to their home leg up 2-0. No problem.

3. Honduras (stock rising)

I mentioned that win over Mexico in the Gold Cup, but the Honduras U-23 team also knocked Mexico out of Olympic qualifying, and beat the U.S. along the way (although the U.S. is still going to the Olympics, too). Forwards Carlos Pavon and Carlos Costly are beasts.

Minnow second round opponent: Puerto Rico

Result and analysis: They are already through to the third round, beating Puerto Rico 6-2 on aggregate. Still a moral victory for the Puerto Ricans, who didn't even apply to World Cup or Gold Cup qualifying in their last rotations, and managed a 2-2 draw with Honduras in San Juan.

4. Guatemala (stock rising)

Has also defeated Mexico in the last year. Looking for their first World Cup appearance.

Minnow second round opponent: St. Lucia

Result and analysis: Won first leg 6-0, anticlimactic second leg on Sunday.

5. Costa Rica (stock falling)

The drop-off after No. 4 is big. Costa Rica qualified for the last two World Cups but failed to crack the final four of the Gold Cup and have slipped to a FIFA ranking of 77.

Minnow second round opponent: Grenada

Result and analysis: Costa Rica is very fortunate they are home for the second leg, because Grenada mustered a 2-2 draw with them in the first leg. Program on the decline.

6. Panama (stock holding)

The standard for competence in CONCACAF is to qualify for the Gold Cup and make it to the final round of World Cup qualifying. Panama reliably does both, nothing more.

Minnow second round opponent: (11) El Salvador

Result and analysis: Panama got extremely unlucky in their draw by getting El Salvador, who deserved a bye into the Second Round over about three teams who got one. First round was in the pouring rain of Panama City, and Panama emerged victorious 1-0. Second leg on Sunday.

7. Canada (stock holding)

Hard to know what to say about a team that lost bigger to Estonia (ranked 115th in the world) than they did to Brazil (albeit in Seattle; Estonia was in Europe in a snowstorm). They made a nice run to the 2008 Gold Cup semis.

Minnow second round opponent: (12) St. Vincent and the Grenadines

SVG also qualified straight for the Second Round, so both teams got a bye this far. SVG made the Second Round of qualifying in '06, and while they did not qualify for the Gold Cup, they dragged Jamaica out with them, knocking them out in Jamaica. Canada looks to be through after winning the opening leg in the Caribbean 3-0.

8T. Cuba (stock holding)

See "Panama," except with a couple fewer results each time.

Minnow second round opponent: Antigua and Barbuda

Result and analysis: In what must have been a hell of a game, Cuba won in Antigua 4-3 to capture the first leg. When the Cuba u23 squad came to the US for Olympic qualifying, so many players defected that Cuba could barely man a team to finish the tournament. If Cuba makes it to the third round, they will play the U.S. in Washington, DC. Slick bit of scheduling on the U.S.' part.

8T. Haiti (stock holding)

See Cuba, and then see Panama again.

Minnow second round opponent: Netherlands Antilles

Result and analysis: Haiti is in very serious trouble after only drawing in their home leg of the series. Netherlands Antilles, who beat favored Nicaragua in the first round, sees more than half their roster play professionally in Netherlands.

10. Jamaica (stock falling)

As mentioned before, failed to qualify for the Gold Cup after losing at home to St. Vincent. Went on an Asian Tour last summer and got spanked by Iran (8-1) and Vietnam (3-0).

Minnow second round opponent: Bahamas

Result and analysis: I watched leg one and was quite astounded at how bad the Bahamas were, far worse than Barbados. Jamaica may have sunk, but at least they are pros. The Bahamas are not, culling most of their roster from U.S. colleges (surprisingly, a few white players appeared for them). They weren't just overmatched, they were lost. I liken it to a high school football team playing a D1A school.

But they did hold the final score to 7-0, thanks to highlight reel save after highlight reel save by their goalkeeper, "Wylie." He was outstanding. He was mesmerizing.

So I looked him up and "Wylie" is Dwayne Whylly, and he's a college kid, too. He's the 'keeper at Yale.

11: Trinidad and Tobago

Still reeling from a players strike, this team is a shadow of the team the qualified for the 2006 World Cup.

Minnow second round opponent: Bermuda

Result and analysis: None of the ostensible favorites are in bigger trouble than Trinidad, who lost the opening leg at home 2-1.

The other team to get a bye into the Second Round (albeit less deserving of one than El Salvador) was Guyana. They tied Suriname in Suriname in the first leg on the road.

The winners will go to round three, where they will split into three home-and-home round robin groups of four. If the heavies all win, the groups will look like this:

Group 1

USA
Trinidad
Cuba
Guatemala

Group 2

Mexico
Canada
Jamaica
Honduras

Group 3

Costa Rica
Panama
Haiti
Guyana

If the possible upsets hold (teams that either tied or won the opening leg, or lost by one on the road), then we will switch out Trinidad for Bermuda in Group 1, and change all four teams to Group 3 to El Salvador, Grenada, Suriname, and Netherlands Antilles.

The top two from each group will qualify for the final round, another round robin this time with six teams. Top three of those qualify for the World Cup. Fourth plays a home-and-home inter-confederation playoff with the fifth place South American team. I see the top four in my rankings all getting through.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)

June 18, 2008

How to Beat Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods won his 14th major championship with a victory that took 91 holes to achieve at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. He called it the greatest of his victories and rightfully so. With a tender knee that has not quite healed from surgery in April, Woods defied his doctors and the obstacles of that injury to win over a world class field of players.

Going into the week, though, many anticipated a showdown between Woods and Phil Mickelson. After all, Mickelson grew up on this golf course and has played it more than 1,000 times by his count. (Then again, Phil thinks he has grown an inch. Take that number as an exaggeration.) Between the two of them, they have practically had a strangle hold over the Torrey Pines complex for the Buick Invitational.

If not Mickelson, then someone like Adam Scott or Sergio Garcia would surely step up to the plate for their chance to challenge the world's best player. Both of them had significant seasons so far. Scott has won around the world — on the PGA Tour at the Nelson and in Qatar on the European Tour. Sergio Garcia ended a multi-year winless streak on the PGA Tour to capture the Players Championship.

Even still not those guys, the USGA set the pairings with the top 12 in the world grouped together in order. This was done so that fans on television and in person could see the best players in one place without having to watch lots of groups. The idea probably was also that this would encourage great play. Most PGA Tour players feed off of one another. When one is hot in a group, the others are likely to do the same — except when paired with Woods.

In the end, none of the top 12 in the world were in the picture on the back nine on Sunday. The closest was 20th-ranked Lee Westwood, who finished a shot out of the playoff with Woods on even par. Given the situation and the recent track record at the Open, that score was phenomenal. It was not enough, though.

The only other man in the field that had enough to stand up to Tiger Woods was 158th-ranked Rocco Mediate. The 45-year-old player has five PGA Tour victories, an injury-prone back, and a sure career waiting for him in the TV booth. (In fact, he already gave it a try early last season.) He has a home-cooked swing that pales in comparison to the technical beauty of Woods'. Disadvantaged in almost every way, Mediate still was the only man to tie Woods and become the first man in four years to break par at the U.S. Open.

Rocco, though, did have the advantage of low expectations. Coming down the stretch, in and out of the lead in his favorite golf tournament, Rocco was playing with house money. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain, including a major title at almost $1.5 million. Mediate was and still is 18 majors away from tying Jack Nicklaus' career major mark and is never going to set any historical golf record. With five years left until the Champions Tour, Rocco could just enjoy the ride.

As a result of that and Mediate's easy going demeanor, he was able to stand in with Woods for 91 holes. That is a feat yet to be accomplished on a major championship stage by any of the players sitting in the top twelve in the world rankings. The only one on that list even close was Sergio Garcia at the 1999 PGA Championship.

In fact, there have only ever been three guys that have seriously challenged Woods when he had a major championship within his grasp. Bob May gave Tiger an amazing fight at Valhalla in 2000 for the PGA Championship. Woods had to make birdie on the par 5 18th to force a playoff. The playoff was a wash, though, as Woods birdied the first hole with that famous pointer putt.

Five years later, relatively known Chris DiMarco stood up to Tiger and Augusta National in his bid to win the Masters. Having already had decent success at the tournament, to see DiMarco's name atop the leaderboard was not nearly as much of a surprise. In fact, may it not have been for rain delays throughout the weekend, DiMarco may have been able to sustain his momentum and win the green jacket. That was not the case, though. Woods eventually rallied on Sunday morning to take the lead and produced one of the greatest shots in major championship history to, again, force a playoff. Woods disposed of DiMarco quickly in the playoff with a birdie on the 18th hole in sudden death.

And now we have added Rocco to the golf lore filed under "Guys This Close to Beating Tiger Woods in a Major."

It only begs the question — why is it that unknowns can challenge Woods in the majors and the supposed best players in the world cannot? Certainly, the more acclaimed players like Ernie Els, Mickelson, and the like are expected to challenge Woods. Over his 12 seasons, though, they have also become expected to wilt to Woods when he wants a major title. When Tiger is playing at the top of his game or on one of his runs (2000, 2002, and 2006 to now), no top ranked player can touch him.

Certainly, there have been periods in which other players have beaten Woods in the majors. While Woods was rebuilding his swing, Vijay Singh won two majors — the PGA Championship in 1998 and the Masters in 2000. During the latest rebuilding period, 2003-2004, there were eight different major champions. Vijay got his third major, so did Ernie, and Mickelson got on the board with his 2004 Masters win.

Since then, Phil Mickelson has been the only player to even come close to standing toe to toe with Woods at the majors. In 2005, he captured the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Then he picked up the 2006 Masters. Everyone was ready to swim across the Atlantic to watch the Mickelslam until Phil was an "idiot" and gave away the U.S. Open at Winged Foot to Geoff Ogilvy. From that point on, Phil has become a non-factor in the majors.

In the last 16 major championships, only one other man than Phil Mickelson has added to an existing win tally. Retief Goosen won the U.S. Open in 2004 at Shinnecock. That's it. Every other major winner was a first timer.

Again, it is only fodder to the question of what it takes to stand up to Tiger — at his best — in the major championships. It almost seems as though the prerequisite has to be to have no prerequisite accomplishment in the major championships. Among the guys that have succeeded are Trevor Immelman (1 PGA Tour win), Zach Johnson (2 other PGA Tour wins, all of them in the state of Georgia), and Ben Curtis (1 other PGA Tour victory). These are guys with no burden to carry, no expectation to fulfill. They can play however they want and, if they lose, no one would have even noticed.

In effect, the underdog has the best chance at beating Tiger. My theory as to why is that these relative unknowns produce situations for Tiger Woods in which he has to come chase them. Woods is not a chaser. He is a leader, and a sprinter with the lead. Tiger has never won a major championship in which he has not held a share of the 54-hole lead. He has held a share of the lead after 54 holes in other majors (2005 U.S. Open, 2007 Masters) and could not finish the deal. Why? Because he was chasing the lead.

More importantly, Woods was chasing the lead with guys who were not afraid of hearing his footsteps. On a regular basis, Woods has made a mockery of the best players in the world. He has made other-worldly comebacks in tournaments around the world to steal victory from great players. It is a common occurrence for Tiger to beat down a field into submission and take a golf tournament. One need only look at the 2008 Arnold Palmer Invitational as an example of the morale letdown possible in the course of a Woods victory.

It is that kind of event the leads many to speculate that the long-term challenger to Woods is still not in his prime. Someone like Anthony Kim, with a win under his belt, a cocky attitude, and inexperience may be a suitable candidate. In addition to those qualities, he has not been mentally crushed time and again by the legendary Woods.

Yes, the aforementioned men that have stood up to or even beaten Woods in his prime in majors are also constantly subject to those experiences. Still, they are not ones that have experienced the full impact of those wins. They were not grilled by the media about how much they stink and how great Tiger is. Generally, they were not in contention to win the events that Tiger steals. In actuality, they were just bystanders to greatness.

When these players contend in or defeat Woods, they are an active part of greatness. They know that they will never become Tiger Woods and they do not have to even try to do that. But, for one weekend, they can claim that they stood up to the best player ever. They become a part of the golf legend and become immortal as a part of that story. Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan in 1955 at the U.S. Open at Olympic Club. He never did anything of significance ever again, but every golf fan knows his name and curses it.

These men challenging Woods today are not striving to be Fleck, but they have the same mindset — play within your own game and hope that is good enough to win. Mediate demonstrated that mindset time and time again in the Open. Coming down the 18th fairway on Sunday, Mediate was notified that he was ahead of Woods thanks to a bogey. Mediate simply replied, "I could not care less." He knew that he was going to give everything he had and see if it stood up to the best.

The other greats of the game could learn a lesson by following the example of Rocco. The secret to beating Tiger Woods is to never get lost in the idea of beating him. Rather, a player should be content in giving it your all and leaving it in Woods' hands to beat you. Much more often than not, he will do that. Every now and then, though, it is not quite that simple.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2008

NBA Finals Game 5: Closing Time

During Game 5 of the NBA Finals, both Jeff Van Gundy and Marc Jackson seemed to have the same opinion about the how the game ended: the Lakers played terrible defensively.

While I don't necessarily disagree with that, there is a reverse side to that coin: the Celtics didn't close out the game. Sure, the Lakers' defense wasn't great down the stretch, but they still won the game by five points. What does that say about the Celtics' offense?

The Lakers gave them plenty of open looks down the stretch that the Celtics weren't able to capitalize on. For every missed assignment that the Lakers had down the stretch, there was a missed opportunity by the Celtics that immediately followed.

Therein lays the biggest hurdle that the Celtics face. Sure, they are still in great position to win the series with two home games remaining. But they had plenty of opportunities to take the game from the Lakers in Game 5 and didn't do it. Now, suddenly, the biggest question mark that has surrounded this team all season long has brought itself to the forefront: do the Celtics players, who have little to no experience closing out series, have what it takes to close out the biggest series any of them have ever played in?

For the record, I think that if last night's game was played in Boston, the Celtics would have pulled it out. But what are the chances that Game 6 will play out the same way during the stretch? Who's to say that the Lakers won't be able to make adjustments and fix the problems that they had down the stretch in Game 5?

It's possible that with the home crowd behind them that Boston will jump out to such a big lead that it won't matter how the stretch run plays out. It seems more likely at this point that Game 6 has a better chance of playing out like Game 2 than Game 5, where the C's just need to hold off a late charge by the Lakers.

If somehow the Lakers do manage to take the lead into the last five minutes of the game, it will be very interesting to see how the Celtics handle it. Maybe home court advantage will be enough to carry them over the top, or maybe Game 5 was just a microcosm of how the rest of the series will go.

Remember, this is still the same team that seemed to have trouble handling the pressure of winning a road game for the first part of these playoffs. They seemed to have put that obstacle behind them. Now they face a whole new sort of pressure: closing the series and winning an NBA title.

I wouldn't go as far as saying that Game 6 is a must win for the Celtics because home teams have an unreal advantage in Game 7s, but if it becomes another situation where the Celtics have the opportunity to close out the Lakers by playing well down the stretch and don't, all of the sudden, the pressure really mounts going into Game 7.

After all, if it does get that far, the Lakers will have won three of the last four games and the game that they did lose was the result of an epic, once-in-a-lifetime comeback.

All of the Celtics closing issues, however, will be rendered moot if they can jump out to a huge lead like they did in Game 2.

And if you are to believe Jeff Van Gundy and Marc Jackson, the Lakers defense will allow them plenty of opportunities to do so.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:57 AM | Comments (2)

Here's to "Next Year"

We have all read the signs at ballgames or heard the familiar lament from players, fans, and even coaches: "wait 'till next year." While your typical obsessive fan takes losing about as well as they take a prostate exam, those all-too-familiar words seemingly ease the pain as they remind us all that as bad as it may get this time around, things start over anew in less than 12 short months and that next time, anything can happen.

Why is it that those four words soften the blow of impending failure so effectively? Why do we, the supportive fan base for a given franchise in a given sport, accept such trivialization of the very outcome we long for and expect season in, season out? Shouldn't we demand more? Shouldn't "next year" be "this year" every single year?

In a word, no.

Waiting until next year has become part of the fun, part of the experience. Think of it in terms of your job; from the moment you start working, if you have any semblance of motivation and drive, you long for a promotion. Once you get that first promotion, you strive for another, and then another, and so on until you have reached the penultimate position within your given discipline. Once in that secondary position, you patiently wait "your turn" as you pickup the skills and tendencies of the current number one on the food chain.

Then it happens — the day you've waited what seems like an eternity for — you're the Top Dog. The congratulations pour in, the celebration lasts all weekend long, you are finally "the man" and everyone knows it.

After two short weeks, the honeymoon is over. You realize that being Top Dog isn't what you thought it was. All those little mistakes that were made far down the corporate ladder now seem to matter much more. Those board members that used to seem so friendly and so accommodating now treat you with a cold and cutting directness that you can't help but get rattled by. The enjoyment that you used to get from your job slowly fades as hopes and dreams are replaced with expectations and stress. You are left with an empty void where your dreams used to reside, where the anticipation of the future used to be found, from where your passion and drive were born.

Such is the lot for your typical professional baseball franchise. For years and years, frustrated Red Sox fans went about their business of whining, crying, and hoping for the best while knowing that their team's best would never be quite good enough. Nowadays, your typical Sox fan is tied tighter than one of the Steinbrenner's Windsor knots; the expectation of winning weighs far heavier on a person than does the anticipation of losing. Sure, the ride to that championship seemed as rewarding a sports fan experience as one could have; the years of coming up just short, the excruciating near misses, the laughable failings so many suffered through finally being replaced with the jubilation of being the best.

But once it happens, then what? Now you're expected to win. This is fine, as long as you keep winning, but eventually, inevitably, you will fall short. The disappointment has to start over again, the emotional pain and mental anguish you've dedicated to the team becomes little more than a historical footnote, and the identity you used to find solace in is no more.

Look at the New York Yankees. Pretty much a universally detested franchise, the Yankees have been doomed by their consistent success. Why are they so hated? The answer really is quite simple. The team and its ownership is forced to approach the game with a rigidity that belies the very spirit of the game — anything less than absolute success is considered absolute failure — what fun is there in that? This business-like approach to sport turns most sports fans off; who wants to root for a bunch of guys that won't be happy with a mere win if it doesn't result in a championship? Who wants to cheer for the inevitable?

Yankee fans have no identity, no way to relate to the masses who have long found satisfaction in "almost." It is no coincidence that the once-bitter rivalry between Red Sox and Yankee fans has lessoned since the Sox have won their titles. Don't believe me? Watch one of their games now and then a tape or highlight reel of one from a few years back. The tension and the anticipation which used to create such high drama is all but invisible, creating little more than just another game between two dynastic franchises.

This is just one example and one scenario. Another would take into consideration those teams that mortgage their future in an effort to get that title of World Champion, if even for just a single season.

The ownership of the Florida Marlins has twice sold the soul of the team so that they could realize "next year" far before they were "due." Ironically, the team had a thriving fan base during their first championship run, which is quite obviously one of a franchise's most valued assets. This is ironic because shortly after their first championship — days after, as a matter of fact — this fan based ran from the franchise like Marion Jones runs to the pharmacy. This fan base was built on the anticipation many had for a new team to spring onto the scene and succeed against all odds.

What was ultimately left post-title was a team with no identity and a big trophy, so fans had little to root for and even less to look forward to. The disappointment cut so deep that even as the young franchise moved towards a second title, the bandwagon was slow to fill as the fans anticipated and were given a very similar "fire sale" sort of approach to the post-championship squad. Was it a net gain for the Marlins? I would be willing to bet that if you came across a die-hard Marlin backer that he or she would gladly trade either of those titles for one of those "oh my god" heart-breaking moments that they could share with hundreds of thousands of other Marlin fans. Unfortunately, there are and never will be hundreds of thousands of true Marlin fans and that is by and large a direct result of the team's approach to skipping ahead in line to get their title before their time.

The cost of winning is often underrated by the brain trust of a given franchise. Yes, having a title is a huge plus, and I'm not one to belittle the importance of such grandiose accomplishments; however, it often greatly affects a team's relevance in the years immediately following those championship years. The Bulls in basketball were nearly forgotten after Michael Jordan left and remain in a state of flux to this day. The enormous fan base they had were passionate not simply because they had the greatest player on the planet in uniform, but rather because they watched that great player climb the mountain, repeatedly slide down its façade, and then ultimately overcome his fears, failures, and challenges in reaching the summit. That is where the love came and that is what made the result so very special: the anticipation, the crushed dreams, the "wait until next year."

For all the "wait until next year" frustration that many fans complain about year in and year out, it beats the heck out of the alternative. As a loyal Cub fan for the better part of my life, I can certainly relate. Leon Durham's inability to make a simple play in the field, Brant Brown's dropped fly ball, the curse of the Billy Goat, Steve Bartman's play immediately followed by Alex Gonzalez's critical error ... these improbable events have helped build within me a passion for Cubs baseball that cannot be understood or even put into an appropriate context. A championship for my beloved Cubbies would quite literally make me bawl like an infant; even thinking about it makes me well up with emotion. Those years when the Cubs are absolutely horrible don't make a bit of difference to me, because there is always "next year," so I always watch.

With my team looking very much like a group on the precipice (at least for now), every now and then for a moment I can't help but wonder if this may finally be "next year."

In the next moment, I can't help but wonder if I really want it to be.

Posted by Matt Thomas at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2008

L.A. Mystery

It's the moment I will always remember. Michael Jordan in a heap on the floor, ball in one hand, head tucked into his body, the image of No. 23 pulsating as he cried on Father's Day celebrating an NBA Finals Championship and mourning the loss of his dad at the same time.

The reason that particular image sticks in my head over the millions of images I have witnessed over the years is because in that instant you saw what made Jordan — Jordan.

After a year and a half off, Jordan led the Bulls to a record-setting season and the NBA championship. And no one doubted he would do it.

Unless you lived in Seattle.

Jordan had the unequaled ability to will his team and himself to win when it was needed. He did it with talent, competitive fire, but most importantly, heart.

It seems Kobe Bryant is still trying to learn the right combination.

In these Finals, it has become clear that all the comparisons need to stop. It's true Kobe is just 29-years-old, and possibly has six or seven more years of great basketball left in his body, but Bryant has yet to figure out the one thing Jordan deciphered in his first trip to the Finals: when you'll do everything to win, sometimes it means not doing everything.

Jordan learned that through Phil Jackson. He knew to get over that mountain top, he needed to trust his teammates. Maybe that's why in his first Finals, Jordan averaged 30 points and 11 assists.

This was before rule changes made great perimeter players almost unstoppable.

Even with 11 assists per game, however, there was no doubt Jordan would take the last shot and make it. With the game on the line, Jordan constantly came through. Can we the same thing for Kobe?

No.

Kobe isn't even the best player in this series. That honor goes to Paul Pierce.

Save for Game 3, Pierce has been the player who looks like the MVP. Pierce looks like the baller who will go down as one of the best ever. As Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have been inconsistent, Pierce has put the Celtics on his back and led them to a 3-2 lead as they head back to Boston.

In Game 5, Bryant and Pierce had one common goal. Win.

In Game 5, both took different approaches.

Kobe came out the way everyone expected. He scored 15 points in the first quarter as the Lakers enjoyed a 17-point lead. Every time he took a shot, "money" is what I said to myself.

Then, for an unexplained reason, he disappeared.

Then, for an unexplained reason, he deferred to Pau Gasol. Maybe it was strategy. Maybe, Kobe realized Kevin Garnett was in foul trouble and kept feeding the big man to either get easy points in the paint or get Garnett out of the game. To me, it seemed for the first time Kobe had lost the Black Mamba-esque demeanor that had made him the best player in the game today.

Some might say he was being a team player feeding the hot hand and keeping the Lakers in front. I would say, if that were the case, he went about it the wrong way. The best player in the game doesn't stand at the top of the key throw the ball down low and watch him do all the work. The best player in the game creates. The best player in the game draws double teams. The best player in the game doesn't get stopped, he merely can be contained.

In this series, the Celtics have neutralized him. For the first time in his career. And what a time for it to occur. This was never more apparent than Game 4 and Game 5. In Game 4, Bryant played probably the worst postseason game of his career. Can you imagine any other top-20 player besides Karl Malone throwing up a stinker with that much on the line? Especially a player who is considered the best in the game? He allowed the Celtics to come back from a 24-point deficit. That is not the sign of a champion.

Then in Game 5, Bryant scored 10 points in the final three quarters.

Pierce, on the other hand, has been the heart and soul of the Celtics in these playoffs. In the Finals, Pierce is the best player on the court. I could reel off the statistics, I could reel off the series record, but anyone with an objective pair of eyes could see who was outplaying who in this series.

With all of that being said, there can't be a confident soul in the Boston Celtics bandwa- I mean Celtics clubhouse. At any time, the Mamba can strike with deadly precision. And with his reputation on the line as the game's best and facing the greatest task in NBA Finals history, is there anyone you would rather have on your team than Bryant, despite his most recent history?

When the greatest players have their backs against the wall, that's when we find out the truth.

In the case, however, "The Truth" resides in Boston.

Posted by Wailele Sallas at 12:36 PM | Comments (1)

College Basketball: Buy or Sell?

As we look forward to the 2008-09 season of college basketball, it's never too early to look at which teams are going to be ones to watch, as well as the teams that will see a decline from the 207-08 season. So, in the spirit of the stock market, which teams should you buy or sell for next season?

Memphis: SELL

John Calipari, who was being courted strong by Arkansas last season, said he didn't want to leave because he thought he had a national title team on his hands. He was off by a Mario Chalmers three-pointer, but needless to say, that was the best chance Memphis had for awhile, as a talent exodus (especially Derrick Rose) will cost the Tigers next year.

North Carolina: BUY

As long as Tyler "Psycho T" Hansbrough is around, the Tar Heels are never a bad team to have in your corner, and are likely the preseason favorites for next season. Granted, Kansas proved that Carolina needs a lot more weapons from their guard play to be a national champion, but Hansbrough is such a powerful weapon that you can't count the Heels out of any game at any time. Wait until next year to sell Carolina.

Oklahoma State: BUY

I'm sold on what Travis Ford is wanting to bring to the table in Stillwater. It's not as if Sean Sutton left the cupboard bare; Ford will have some athletes to work with, and James Anderson has the potential to be the newest star in the Big 12. With Kansas and Texas losing some of their talent, count on the Cowboys as a legit contender in the Big 12 next season.

South Florida: SELL

If you haven't bought already, sell this for now. Stan Heath's a good guy, but he lacks the intensity that makes me believe he can win on a consistent basis down in Tampa. Consider this one a biased pick, but I tend to put my stock in coaches who seem to be more intense and much more demanding.

Drake: SELL

Keno Davis leaving after one season will hurt the Bulldogs, but I doubt anything they could've done this year could match last season's stunning tear through the Missouri Valley. Don't expect Drake in the cellar, but don't expect last year's domination, either.

Arizona State: BUY

The main reason why I'd buy the Sun Devils is Herb Sendek. Last season, the Sun Devils seemed to be much better than their RPI showed, and Sendek, who is a defensive-minded coach, is a good fit to keep ASU on the right direction, while building a small power in the Pac-10.

Arizona: SELL

I'm not sure if Lute Olsen is on his A-game yet coaching-wise. If this team was led by the Lute Olsen of 10 years ago, I'd buy in bulk. However, it seems as if Olsen isn't 100% there yet, and it seems like his days are numbered in Tucson. The players sense that, too, and I see a slow decline in the Wildcat program.

And finally, for some long-term buys and sells...

LONG-TERM BUYS: Indiana and Missouri State

We all know Tom Crean can coach, but we know he's going to struggle a bit next season with the enormous lack of talent he was left with after the debacle with Kelvin Sampson. However, the Hoosiers were lucky to land a coach of Crean's caliber, especially during the middle of an NCAA investigation, and he's the right choice to rebuild a proud IU program.

As for Missouri State, Cuonzo Martin was a force at Purdue as a player, and I can see him relishing his first chance to unleash that energy as a coach. He's going to turn the Bears into a very tough-minded, aggressive team. Martin will also be blessed with a chance to recruit St. Louis and Kansas City for talent, and has a sparkling new 11,000-seat arena to show off to recruits. If you want the up-and-coming mid-major of the future, it might be sitting in Springfield.

LONG-TERM SELL: Auburn and Ole Miss

I pick two SEC schools in the long-term sell category, mainly because I don't see these two schools aiming to achieve national prominence. Arkansas has a fiery coach and a gorgeous arena, Alabama has a solid coach in Mark Gottfried, Mississippi State has a proven winner in Stansbury, and LSU's Trent Johnson will definitely keep them in contention for division titles. Auburn's Jeff Lebo and Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy are both talented coaches whose administrations are just failing to make these programs anything but stepping stones. Ole Miss plays in a small, crumbling bowl of an arena (known as the "Tad Pad") that basically tells any college basketball fan or recruit that football is all they worry about in Oxford. The very fact Kennedy has won there is a testament to this guy's coaching abilities.

Meanwhile, Auburn is replacing the horrific Beard-Eaves Coliseum (which seats 12,000) with a new arena that seats a whopping 9,600. I don't care if it's a state-of-the-art facility or not, what does it say when you build a new arena on a SEC campus and you make it almost 25% smaller than the old facility? Lebo's done a good job trying to build something out of practically nothing, and he deserves a better voice of confidence from his athletic director.

Posted by Jean Neuberger at 11:23 AM | Comments (4)

June 13, 2008

NBA Finals Game 4: All Apologies

For several months now, ever since the Kevin Garnett trade, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop on the Boston Celtics. Since their season started in November, I immediately dismissed every story that I read about the Celtics with some sort of skeptical response.

Boston starts 8-0 and ESPN starts tracking their pace against the 72-win Bulls.

My response: whatever, wait till you go out West.

What do the Celtics do? Go 4-0 on their first West Coast road trip.

Boston goes 13-1 in December.

My response: whatever, wait till April rolls around. It's early, your team is old, and you'll run out of gas.

What does Boston do? Finish the season by winning 12 of its last 13 games.

Boston wins Game 7 of their first round series by 34 points.

My response: whatever. You got pushed to seven games by a 37-win team. Wait till you play a Cleveland team with Finals experience and a superstar.

Boston beats Cleveland in an epic Game 7.

My response: whatever, wait till you play a red-hot Pistons team that doesn't rely on one player.

Boston beats the Pistons in six, winning in convincing fashion on the road.

My response: whatever, the East is weak this year. Wait till you have to play a team from a real conference.

Boston takes the first two games of the NBA Finals.

My response: whatever, wait till you have to go to L.A. They're a lock to beat you all three games. You can't win on the road against a team that's this good at home.

Boston makes the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, on the road no less, storming back from being down 24 at one point to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, with two home games still remaining, all but guaranteeing their 17th NBA title.

My response: whatever, wait till...

Wait till what? The parade? The ring ceremony? There's no more wait till. This is it. As much as I don't want to believe it, as much as I've tried to talk myself into the Celtics being overrated, it's all but a foregone conclusion.

The Celtics are going to be the 2008 NBA champions.

And I was wrong.

It hurts more than you can imagine typing either of the previous two sentences.

You could write a lot of thing about last night's game. You could break down each play and try to pinpoint exactly where things turned around. You could point fingers at various Lakers. You can praise Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. You can talk about K.G. coming up huge down the stretch.

But I'm not going to do any of that. Instead, I'm going to man up and apologize to various Celtics.

I apologize to Doc Rivers. I basically blamed the loss in Game 3 on you. I found a way to twist the fact that your two best players played terribly into some sort of game mismanagement on your part. You coached a hell of a game in Game 4, and the adjustment to play small ball was exactly what the Celtics needed to spark the comeback, and you made it to happen.

I apologize to Paul Pierce. I don't apologize for ripping you for using a wheelchair. I'll never waiver on that. I do, however, apologize for not giving you the credit you deserve. I wrote at one point that Kobe, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol were about as good as the Boston Big Three. To put Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol in the same breath as those three players for Boston is insulting.

Maybe it's because I don't like Paul Pierce as a person that it blinded me from realizing that as a player, he is really good. Everyone knows what he can do on offense, but the defense he played on Bryant in the second half is hands down the best I've ever seen Kobe defended. There are a lot of guys who can hit big shots or make clutch free throws. But there is nobody on the planet that has ever played Kobe that well, in such a big game, in Kobe's backyard, all the while knocking down clutch shots on the other end. Kudos to Paul Pierce.

I apologize to Ray Allen. I'm sorry I described you earlier in the playoffs as "what's left of Ray Allen." I was wrong. I had mistaken your early playoff shooting slump for you being washed up. Instead, you came out and played great in the Detroit series, carried it over into the NBA Finals, and ending putting the dagger in the Lakers with your drive on Sasha Vujacic.

I apologize to Kevin Garnett. I'm sorry I spent so much time doubting your ability to perform in the NBA Finals solely because you had never been there before. Just because you haven't had the opportunity before doesn't mean that you are incapable. Your four double-doubles in four games has more than proved me wrong.

Look, I hate being wrong even more than I hate the Celtics. But the fact is sometimes you have to admit when you're wrong, and sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due.

And today is just one of those times.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:06 AM | Comments (5)

Tennis' Unforgettable One-Hit Wonders

With the in-between two slams period in session, the articles and columns attempting to explain Rafael Nadal's dominance on clay and to predict if Roger Federer will get his sixth Wimbledon title should be in ample numbers around the web and in the newspapers. Instead of adding just one more, I decided to write about one of the ultimate clubhouse chatter subjects: one-hit wonders of the tennis world.

At first, it seems easy to find names that fit the bill. So a name here, another name there, get thrown into the conversation, people have a good time. Once the discussion becomes serious, it becomes obvious that some of the names circulating around the table really do not deserve to be there. Then a serious tennis history addict joins the table, he deepens the discussion. A few beers later, brains are working overtime in the clubhouse table, to come up with the ultimate one-hit wonder.

The parameters are the same for men and women. In this article, the focus will be on the men, but an astute tennis fan should be able to come up with past WTA players who fit the various descriptions below. Three names worth mentioning are Andrea Temesvari (hint, she is Hungarian), Iva Majoli, who won a Slam and pulled a quick disappearing act, and Iroda Tulyaganova, who had one terrific 12-month period during which she won three titles and reached top 30, only to struggle even being in the top 100 the rest of career. Perhaps, the latter is more of a one-year wonder.

The obvious place to look for these people are the Slams. One glance at the list of finalists and winners of Slams in the last few decades, should provide a few valuable candidates for the title. It is not for anybody, however. A distant fan of tennis may look at the list and think, for example, that a champion like Yannick Noah may qualify for a one-hit wonder. Any serious tennis fan will tell you quickly that this would be a mistake. Noah was a respectable top-10 player for a long period of time, did fairly well in a couple of other Slams, and has several ATP titles to his names. Heck, some Noah fans, who lack sense of humor, may take offense to that. Therefore, one must be more than just a light casual fan to make the right pick.

Equally, the non-open era should not be included in the discussion for obviously being too far in the past, as well as, and more importantly, once taken into account that players turned professional often after becoming successful in the amateurs, thus leading historic lists to falsely display plenty of one-hit wonders.

Another requirement is that the one-hit wonder's ascent and descent must both be efficiently at warp speed factor nine. Taking this into consideration, Andres Gomez, the winner of French Open 1990, is a good example of a player who does not qualify as a one-hit wonder. His descent was swift without a doubt. The guy won Roland Garros, a year and a half later, he was outside top 100, and less than three years following his Slam title, he played his last ATP match, ever!

However, Gomez was an established top-20 and an occasional top-10 player prior to his Roland Garros title, for a long period of time. He won several prestigious tournaments. He did not come out of nowhere to win the Roland Garros title in 1990; his ascent was steady, but slow. He was a more spectacular version of Albert Costa, who himself was a long-time top-20 player, before finally reaching the apogee of his career, also in Paris, by winning Roland Garros in 2002. His descent was quick, as well, although a little slower than Gomez' rapid disappearance. Costa never won another title, and found himself outside the ATP top 100 three years later.

Chris Lewis of New Zealand brings us closer home to our discussion. He came out of nowhere to reach the finals of Wimbledon in 1983, before getting schooled by John McEnroe in the finals (those of you thinking Nadal's win over Federer on Sunday was the most one-sided win in Slam finals, think again). He only won three career singles titles, otherwise. But those three titles, along with seven finals appearances, did spread to an eight-year span. A smooth ride overall, with a minor spike in the middle, but no swift ascent or descent.

Martin Verkerk, a Roland Garros finalist, is definitely a hotter prospect. The Dutch player gained his 15 minutes of fame by reaching the 2003 Roland Garros, showcasing his bulging eyes in the process. Despite his finals appearance in a Slam, he never did well enough to enter the top 10. He was outside the top 100 until late in the summer of 2002. No later than April 2005, he was right back outside the top 100. Just for the curious fan, the guy is still playing, now a journeyman around the 300s.

Yet all these players pale madly in comparison to one Roberto Carretero, an obscure Spanish player who came out of nowhere to win a prestigious Hamburg Masters Series title in 1996, coming from the qualifying draw, beating two top clay court players at the time in the main draw, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Alex Corretja, on his way to the title. With no other titles or finals, Carretero only saw ATP success in his wildest dreams for the rest of his career. In fact, he had a lopsided win-loss record, struggling to win a match seldom on the tour. Just to be precise, he won one (yes, one!) match the following year, while losing 18.

So one more round of drinks for the mysterious man from Madrid. An extra light one for the one who is able to tell what he is doing now. Cheers to Carretero!

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 11:04 AM | Comments (5)

June 12, 2008

It's Official: NBA Has Referee Problem

The NBA may be fantastic (though that point is entirely debatable), but their officials are not.

In fact, they're quite the opposite.

Headlined by Violet Palmer, Bennett Salvatore, and Joey Crawford, this group of incompetent zebras actually make it easy to believe a scumbag like Tim Donaghy when he says that the NBA is using their officials to help "fix" games.

I don't buy for a second most of what Tim Donaghy says about the NBA. I do not believe officials threw games (except, maybe, for Donaghy himself). I do not believe the NBA targets players or teams in an effort to maximize TV revenue. I do not believe there are officials who give calls and miss calls simply because they're good company men.

I just don't buy it.

As much (or as little) as you think of David Stern, even he couldn't pull off a conspiracy on this level without any word of it leaking out. The sheer number of people who would have had to have been involved is staggering. To think that none of them would have written a tell-all book by now, especially in the world we live in today, is naïve bordering on ridiculous.

The problem with the NBA isn't crooked officials, it's bad officials.

Terrible officials.

Insanely awful, unspeakably incompetent officials.

The NBA has a problem. Their officials have been a problem for years. Highlighted by the Lakers/Kings Game 6 from 2002, the entire Heat/Mavs series, any game involving LeBron James, and now both Games 2 and 3 of what was supposed to be the NBA's dream Finals.

The NBA not only refuses to admit there's a problem, but they fine anyone under their control who even broaches the subject.

Then, to make matters worse, they do what they did in Game 3, which is just par for the course in David Stern's NBA.

The very day allegations of fixing games arose, they assigned Joey Crawford to Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The same Joey Crawford who famously ejected Tim Duncan for laughing on the Spurs' bench, then challenged him to a fight. Only to find himself suspended indefinitely by the NBA.

As ESPN.com's Jemele Hill wrote:

And that typifies what's wrong with the NBA. This is why some people are willing to entertain Donaghy's wild accusations rather than accepting Stern's firm denials. A referee who was once suspended indefinitely because of a personal beef with Tim Duncan, who had to resign from the NBA because he pled guilty to falsely stating his income, is back in the league and officiating on the NBA's biggest stage.

Then you have tonight's crucial Game 4. The NBA, we all assume, would love for the Lakers to tie up the series. The longer this goes, after all, the better it is for the NBA.

Conspiracy theorists rejoice, because the NBA didn't disappoint. Two of the three officials they assigned to Thursday night's game are noted "home-friendly" officials. In games officiated by Joe DeRosa and Tom Washington, the home teams carry a stunning .650 winning percentage (104-56).

In fairness, the third official, Steve Javie, is a more "even" official. The home team only carries a .550 winning percentage in games he officiates.

So why, while under this scrutiny, would the NBA assign a team of "home-friendly" officials in a game that they desperately want the home team to win?

Some would say that it doesn't pass the smell test — but it's far worse than that. It's not that the NBA is a devious criminal enterprise bent on maximizing profits at all cost, it's that they're a criminally incompetent enterprise in the process of destroying itself.

The NBA refuses to acknowledge the scrutiny and dismisses anyone who does. It's business as usual for the NBA, which means the playoff referee rotation goes on as if nothing was happening. With so many bad NBA officials, the odds were good that at least two of them would end up officiating this game.

Good officials can be influenced by a loud home crowd. It's human nature and can't be helped. Bad officials, of which the NBA has an abundance, lack the ability to be objective in a playoff environment. It's a big part of the home/away disparity in this season's playoffs. The Celtics are allowed to play physical, pressure defense at home. On the road, the games are called differently and they're forced to adjust and play a less aggressive style.

You just don't see this type of stuff in other sports. The strike zone is the same when Josh Beckett pitches in Boston as it is in New York. Holding is holding whether Matt Light is playing at home, or in Indianapolis.

The NBA needs to acknowledge that they have a problem. They need to take Phil Jackson's suggestion and look into setting up an outside authority to oversee the NBA's officials. They need younger, better officials who understand today's game and today's players.

They need to do something. Because until they do something, every Tom, Dick, and Bill Simmons wannabe will continue claiming that the NBA uses their officials to influence the outcome of games.

Is that really what David Stern wants me writing about during his "Dream Finals?"

Probably not.

SeanMC is a senior writer for Bleacher Report and writes a column for Sports Central every other Thursday. You can read more articles by SeanMC on his blog.

Posted by Sean Crowe at 11:51 AM | Comments (1)

We Wish It Was You, Ken Griffey, Jr.

Last year at this time, the baseball world was patiently waiting for Barry Bonds to hit his 756th home run, which ended up passing Hank Aaron on the all-time home run list. Baseball fans had to endure the soap opera that was Barry Bonds career. We had to hear about the steroid controversy with Bonds and his comments about how "the record wasn't tainted," in his own words. Then, every once in a while, the media reports how Bonds is a locker room cancer and reports his always silly, immature comments. The endless drama happened for a a string of years over and over again.

But now that Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. is silently on the brink of hitting his 600th home run, fans wish it was Griffey, not Bonds, that would have the all-time home run record.

At the beginning of Griffey's career, he appeared to be a lock for the Hall of Fame. Griffey was on a roll in the 90s and hit his 400th career home run at only 29-years-old. Griffey's career seemed like it would last for a long time and there were already premature talks of Griffey passing Aaron for the all-time home run leader. The sweet stroke that Griffey possessed in the '90s caused fear in pitchers every time he came up to bat. His personality and character made him a fan favorite to everyone. He never seemed to possess the cockiness and arrogance that some players do. Mostly humble and quiet, Griffey let his game do the talking, and boy did he ever let his game do the talking. Griffey was tearing the league up in the '90s, right before he started to tear up his own body.

The only way to keep a player like Griffey out of the game is injury. Throughout his young career in Seattle, Griffey never had any significant injuries that kept him out of the game. The lack of injuries in his career enabled Griffey to get on a fast start at the home run record that many were predicting him to take over.

However, the decline of his career was when he was traded to Cincinnati. From 2000-2004, Griffey was plagued by a string of injuries. From 2002-2004, Griffey suffered season-ending injuries. Griffey wasn't the same player throughout the 2000s because of the reoccurring injuries he sustained and it was evident. His bad speed was lowered, resulting in less power and fewer home runs. The effortless swing that bombed so many homers in his career before wasn't as effective. The way everybody was on the edge of their seats, waiting for what Griffey was going to do next with his bat didn't happen nearly as much. Of course, Griffey is still a fan favorite for what he did in Seattle and what he could still do (it's not like he's a terrible player). Unfortunately for Griffey, his career was held back significantly by parts of his body turning an awkward way or failing on him.

Let's play make believe. Let's make believe that from 2000-2004, Griffey was healthy and he never suffered those painful-to-watch injuries. Let's make believe that Griffey stayed on his tremendous run through those years and kept climbing the all-time home run list.

If all of that occurred, the famous title of "Home Run King" wouldn't belong to Barry Bonds, but instead to Ken Griffey, Jr.

Unfortunately, though, for baseball, we couldn't have an exciting player chase the record as baseball would watch and anticipate a new leader. No, instead, we had a giant maniac that cared more about his ego than the game of baseball. Someone that always put himself over others, even if that meant the expense of his own team. Someone that was always a ticking bomb, just ready to explode. Let's face it, other than some of his teammates and Giants fans, no one liked Bonds. With Bonds, the hatred was beyond baseball and culminated from him being arrogant. In a way, baseball fans weren't watching the memorable home run chase, they were watching the steroid controversy and his comments about how the record isn't tainted, when we all know it is.

This time, though, wrong prevailed right. Ken Griffey, Jr. could've been the one that the media darling. With Griffey, there would've been no mention of steroid use. Baseball could've have a player that they could hang their hat on and use Griffey as an example that baseball isn't all that screwed up. The new home run king, would've actually been clean, which is what the baseball world needed at the time.

The nation commends Griffey for not using steroids. They commend him for not cheating the system to make himself better. They commend him for not disgracing himself and the game of baseball, only for his own selfish needs and pleasures. Sure, with steroids, Griffey probably would've healed from all those injuries much faster, but he didn't. He played the game fair, which is something you don't see nowadays. Griffey knew he didn't have to load up on HGH or anything like that because he knew he didn't need it. Griffey had an eye for the ball that was greater than the muscles inside his body. Ken Griffey, Jr. was everything that Barry Bonds was not in baseball. He was a student of the game and didn't take the easy route by using steroids or HGH. Instead, Griffey actually worked hard and put the extra effort. Oh and I guess it can be assumed that Griffey got stronger in the weight room, too, instead of some guy putting needles into him.

In a recent poll conducted by Sports Illustrated, they asked 495 MLB players who their all-time favorite baseball player was. Griffey, not surprisingly, was the second most popular player, only beaten out by Nolan Ryan. There's a reason for that. Griffey's personality, character, and most importantly, class, has made him a fan and player favorite. The way he represents himself on and off the field makes him a role model for younger players. Rarely does Griffey show off for the camera or is cocky about his game, even though he has all the right to do so. Instead, Griffey is always humble and giving credit to other players on his team.

This is what separates Griffey from Bonds. Bonds was a headcase that couldn't control himself over any situation. Griffey, on the other hand, was always calm and never let anything get to him. Griffey never sought out to bash a teammate if they did something wrong, other than Bonds when he would rip not only teammates, but his own managers. Honestly, who decides to rip the guy who makes the decision on whether or not to play you that night? Who decides to rip the guy who could have you off the team like that? This is why Griffey is such a lovable guy in baseball. Regardless of what happens, Griffey has his head on straight and doesn't say inappropriate and incorrect things. Unfortunately for Bonds, he did, which is why every time he came up to plate in a away stadium, he got booed.

After many years, Griffey has been trying to capture that illusive World Series ring. In the '90s, year after year, the Mariners were considered one of the top teams in the league. However, the farthest they've got was the ALCS, where they lost to the Cleveland Indians. What's so interesting about the postseason failures that Griffey had was that stuff like that never got to him. The next year, he was in spring training and preparing for another eventful season. During the offseason, his name was rarely mentioned unless it was for a new video game he would be sponsoring. That's the type of guy that Griffey is and was. Never shining in the spotlight in the negative way. Even now, with the Cincinnati Reds, a team that Griffey has never made the postseason with, he still plays 100%.

Let's compare that with Barry Bonds, who literally handicapped the San Francisco Giants organization himself. Always making stuff bigger than it really is and always had the "world against me" tenacity. It even goes all the way back to when Bonds played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and got in a heated argument with the Pirates manager, Jim Leyland. Bonds, for his whole career, has always acted like everyone was against him. "Woe is me" could've been the slogan for his career. Whether that came from the media making comments about his play or the steroid scandal, he always had the wrong thing to say.

For decades upon decades from now, baseball fans will see Barry Bonds 756th home run on their television sets, wishing it was you, Griffey. We'll imagine what you could've done with your career, if not for those nagging injuries. Young players will look up to Griffey forever now, seeing the perfect example of a hard-worker and teammate. No matter what the record books say, in our hearts, we wish it was you, Ken Griffey, Jr.

Posted by Ben Feller at 11:37 AM | Comments (2)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 14

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch — Busch wrecked his primary car in Saturday's Cup practice, then, on lap 46 in Sunday's Pocono 500, he failed to clear the No. 26 car of Jamie McMurray before moving up the track. He clipped McMurray and suffered serious right-front damage, and headed straight for the garage. He returned 87 laps down, spun again, and finished last, 105 laps down.

"I guess my 'Triple Crown' weekend ended much like that of underachieving Big Brown," says Busch. "Underneath a tiny man in knickers with a whip. Hey, those kinky Japanese engineers expect some type of remuneration for providing us with those fine Toyota engines."

"But let's give Big Brown some credit. There's no shame in only winning two legs of the Triple Crown. He just didn't have it in the Belmont. Just because somebody's beating you with a riding crop and yelling 'Go!' doesn't mean you always 'go.' At least it doesn't work that way at Hendrick Motorsports, or I would have been out of there long ago."

2. Jeff Burton — Burton's fifth-place finish, coupled with Kyle Busch's numerous troubles, allowed the Richard Childress driver to take a huge bite out of Busch's points lead. Burton entered Pocono trailing by 142; he leaves with a deficit of only 21. Burton, along with Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Carl Edwards, leads all drivers with 10 top-10 finishes. Not surprisingly, those four drivers occupy positions 1-4 in the points.

"I doubt Busch will ever again run three races in three states in three days," says Burton. "The only threesome a Busch brother has ever completed is Kurt getting smacked by three different drivers at three different tracks. Anyway, Kyle likes that fast-paced lifestyle. I prefer to slow down and savor the moment. I'm not 'rowdy,' I'm 'regular.' He's a 'punk'; I show 'spunk.' He's into 'Girls Gone Wild' videos; I prefer the 'Girls Gone Mild' series, in which middle-aged women in various stages of dress perform routine household chores, with not even the slightest lesbian implications."

3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt survived a grueling Pocono 500, as air temperatures in the 90s left the Hendrick Motorsports driver drained and exhausted, yet satisfied with a fourth-place finish. It was Earnhardt's 10th top-10 of the year, and he maintained third in the Sprint Cup point standings, where he is 145 out of first.

"The heat was nearly unbearable," says Earnhardt. "But you can't prosper in this sport without expecting to sweat a little. And you can prosper even more in this sport when you take that perspiration, bottle it, have it blessed, and sell it to your fans as 'Hol-'E' water. It's great for baptisms, exorcisms, mixers, and burning the skin of Kyle Busch fans. Even Bruton Smith's purchasing power doesn't rival that of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans."

"And, speaking of new marketing schemes, how about 'Steak-Umm' sponsoring my former ride, the No. 8 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet, driven by Mark Martin? You know, one year, Mark's in the 'Viagra' car. Then, he's in the 'Steak-Umm' car. Apparently, if your car is sponsored by a meat substitute, then Mark's your driver. If 'Spam' wants to team up with Amp energy drink, then we'd gladly field the 'SpAmp' car."

4. Carl Edwards — Once again, Edwards' attempt at victory was plagued by errors in the pits. During the final caution, the valve stem was pulled from the rim of the left rear tire, which almost immediately went flat. Edwards returned to the pits to remedy the situation, which dropped him to 33rd. He heroically made 24 passes in the final laps to finish ninth, and held on to fourth in the points.

"I guess my crew puts the 'stop' in 'pit stop,'" says Edwards. "We've given away more positions than the Kama Sutra. We've lost more points in the pits than we have in the inspection line. Frankly, it makes me very upset. But I'm trying to work on my anger issues. I've come to realize that physical intimidation is a brutish and uncivilized way to handle problems. That's why, in dealing with my pit crew, I'm turning over a new leaf, and resorting to making my points in a more civil manner, with just verbal intimidation."

5. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin was the lone bright spot for Joe Gibbs Racing, finishing third as teammates Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart faltered at Pocono's 2.5 mile tri-oval. Hamlin led 17 laps on the day, and advanced four places in the points to fifth, where he trails leader Kyle Busch by 284 points.

"Momentum is like the NASCAR rule book; it changes quickly in this sport," says Hamlin. "Before Pocono, Kyle was the hottest driver. After Pocono, Kasey Kahne looks like the hottest driver, although Juan Montoya has the hottest car. That fiery Colombian really had a scary wreck with Clint Bowyer's Jack Daniels Chevrolet. Kudos to the emergency crew who got extinguishers on that fire immediately. I'm sure that's not the first time a white powdery substance has been found in a Colombian's car. Usually, 'Jack' and 'Coke' mix much better."

"And speaking of 'hot cars,' I think Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant said it best when he sang, 'You need coolin', baby I'm not foolin' in 'Whole Lotta Love.' Obviously, he was referring to these four-wheeled saunas we call cars. There's more hot air in those things than a Waltrip family reunion. You could fry an egg in those things. And if you did happen to fry an egg in your car during a race, that might arouse NASCAR's suspicion, and they might be compelled to say to you, 'Hey, that looks like your brain on drugs. And lay off the heroin.' Still, I don't think that hypothetical episode would meet NASCAR's requirements for reasonable suspicion for a drug test."

6. Kasey Kahne — Kahne started on the pole and boasted the fastest car all day, slowed only by a miscue in the pits on lap 58 that dropped him to 38th. Kahne easily made his way through the field, passed Brian Vickers on lap 185, and led the final 15 laps. The victory gave Kahne two wins in the last three points races, and moved him within the top 12 in the points to ninth.

"I think we've really turned a corner," says Kahne. "The car was just awesome. Even when I fell behind, I knew I could come back. All I had to do was hit my marks, which was more difficult than it sounds, especially with all those 'Not For Sale' signs at the track. I don't blame the Mattioli family. I wouldn't sell the track to Bruton Smith, either. In fact, the Mattioli's have stated publicly that they won't sell the track to anyone that resembles 'The Thing' of 'Fantastic Four' comic book fame. Bruton is a dead ringer."

"I feel really good about the No. 9 car now. Suddenly, it's cool to drink Budweiser again, and the prospect of actually winning over some male fans has me really stoked. I'll soon be issuing a public statement through my spokesman, actor and All State Insurance pitchman Dennis Haysbert."

7. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson pitted on lap 168, gambling that the race would remain under green, which meant necessary pit stops for several cars in front of him. Unfortunately, that plan was rendered irrelevant when Kyle Busch spun with 23 laps remaining, forcing practically everyone to pit. Instead of contending for the win, Johnson settled for sixth, which moved him up one place in the point standings to sixth.

"Of all people, Chad Knaus and I understand the cold, hard facts of gambling," says Johnson. "Whether it's pit strategy, fuel strategy, $100 on the Lakers to cover, or illegally altering a car part, you win some and you lose some. Lately, we've lost more than we've won. In fact, we've lost so much that we even owe Charles Barkley money."

"Seriously, though, Hendrick Motorsports is ready to bust out. Joe Gibbs may have four wins, but we've got three drivers in the Sprint Cup standings. That's more than Gibbs can say. And, Jeff, Dale, and myself are trying our best to encourage Casey Mears to step up his game. And, by 'encourage,' I mean we're keeping the 'dead weight' comments to a minimum and referencing Weekend at Bernie's as little as possible."

8. Jeff Gordon — Much like teammate Jimmie Johnson, Gordon's fortunes were victimized by Kyle Busch's late spin. Gordon pitted on lap 165, and had the race remained under green, would probably have left with a top-five finish. Instead, Gordon lost track position due to Busch's spin, and had to work feverishly in the final laps to salvage his 14th-place finish.

"In hindsight," says Gordon, "I guess it was pretty optimistic to expect the race to go without a caution for the final 35 laps. Especially with those former open-wheel racers, like Patrick Carpentier, Sam Hornish, and Dario Franchitti, slipping and sliding all over the place. I can't speak for Carpentier and Hornish, but I myself have no problem driving with photos of Ashley Judd taped to my dashboard."

9. Tony Stewart — Stewart was on track for a top-10 finish before a pit lane speeding infraction on lap 171 incurred a penalty. Stewart served a drive-through penalty that left him a lap down, dampening his spirits after a promising day that saw him lead 14 laps.

"Normally, I've got no problem with 'drive-throughs,'" says Stewart. "especially if there's food involved. Those NASCAR officials have no sense of humor, though. They didn't even smile when I drove through for my penalty and said 'I'd like that biggie-sized' while holding a giant, foam middle finger out of the window."

"Take away the penalty, and we had a good day. The car ran well, we led 14 laps, and I made one of the most daring passes of my career when I nervously slipped by Elliott Sadler on lap 109. I was pretty sure one of us was going into the wall. I thought everything was cool until I bumped into Elliott after the race. It was an accident, but Elliott showed me his fist and said, 'I got your "Prelude to a Dream" right here.'"

10. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth scored his fourth consecutive top 10, coming home seventh in the Pocono 500 as the top finisher in the Roush Fenway stable. The driver of the No. 17 DeWalt Tools Ford is now 15th in the point standings, only 34 out of 12th.

"I've quietly put myself back in contention for the Chase," says Kenseth. "That's how I roll—quietly. I do everything quietly, even when I utter a blood-curdling scream whenever I feel physically threatened."

"I've got to hand it to TNT for their coverage of the race. Nothing gets me more excited about racing than knowing what drivers are eating and drinking during a red flag. And Kyle Petty is a great analyst. He really has some great insight. It's like he used to be a driver or something. I've got to bow to the 'King' Richard Petty for his driving, but Kyle definitely gets a curtsy for his broadcasting acumen."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2008

NBA Finals Game 3: What's Up, Doc?

It's too early to say that the Lakers have regained control of this series; they still trail 2-1.

It's too early to say that Kobe Bryant has figured out the Celtics' defense; he shot over 50% for the first time in four tries against the C's last night.

It's too early to say that K.G. is out of gas, as Phil Jackson mentioned in the post-game press conference last night.

But it's never too early to second guess Doc Rivers. While the C's still have control of the series despite the loss last night, Rivers might want to rethink his strategy for Game 4. Some of the most glaring coaching mistakes from game three:

• Not double-teaming Kobe in the final minute.
• Only playing Leon Powe six minutes.
• Playing Sam Cassell at all.
• Not force-feeding the ball to K.G. in the post.

We'll start with the most inexcusable error: allowing Ray Allen to cover Kobe one on one in the final minute. What is the theory behind that? Has Doc watched a single playoff game this year? If Kobe has a chance to put a team away in the final minutes of a game, he will. He's done it no less than seven times (off memory alone) in this postseason alone.

In the two possessions before Kobe's game-clinching baskets, the Celtics double-teamed Bryant as soon as he crossed half court. Both times, he passed immediately, one resulting in a terrible shot by Sasha Vujacic, the other a three-pointer in which the Lakers worked the ball well and Vujacic still had to knock down the shot with a hand in his face.

It was obvious what the Lakers were going to do if the Celtics double-teamed: get the ball to Lamar Odom in the middle of the floor. In the previous two double-team possessions, the Lakers had executed properly once, or 50% of the time.

Basically, what Rivers was saying is that he'd rather take his chances with Kobe going right at Ray Allen with no help than to take the ball out of his hands. Honestly, how often would you expect Kobe score in that situation? 85%? 90%? He never comes up empty in spots like that. Never. Ask San Antonio. Or Utah. Or Denver.

Doc had a chance to force the Lakers into two situations: one where they have a 50% chance of converting, one where they have about a 90% chance. He chose the latter.

Late-game strategy wasn't the only area where Doc was lost. His rotation was also a mess.

Leon Powe played the game of his life in Game 2. He scored 21 points in 15 minutes. Check out the excerpt form my NBA Finals preview:

"Y — Youth. Just like "next," youth can play a huge role in an NBA finals. "Next" is all about who is taking the leap, but youth can be about what young player finally pops up and shows his team he is ready to play. Think Tayshaun Prince, Josh Howard, or Stephen Jackson-type performances in recent NBA Finals. Those guys may not have been ready to carry a team, but they were able to step up and make big plays in big games and force their way into the forefront for their respective teams."

That completely describes Leon Powe's performance in Game 2. He was the young role player who comes out of nowhere and completely changes the series. There is one in every finals. Game 2 was Leon Powe's coming out party.

So how does Doc reward him? By burying him deep on the bench and playing Powe only six minutes in game three. Six minutes?! Could he have done any more damage to his confidence last night? I imagine the conversation Doc had with Powe before game three went something like this:

"Leon, you were great in Game 2. You gave us the energy and a spark off the bench we really needed. You kept making impact plays and swinging the momentum in our favor. Great job. Unfortunately, I won't be able to give you a single opportunity to repeat all those great things you did for us in Game 2. Not even if K.G. and Paul go a combined 8-for-35. I just can't. You understand, right?"

Good luck trying to get any production out of him for the rest of the series.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, Doc also remembered that Eddie House is still on the team. Maybe Rivers got as tired of Cassell's act as everyone else and just said, "Screw it, let's see what Eddie can do." And even though House's shot was off (to be expected since he had played all of 11 seconds in the past four games), the Celtics showed their only signs of life when he was in the game in the third quarter.

You know what that means: Sam Cassell will be the first Celtic off the bench in Game 4, taking shots that Ricky Davis wouldn't even dream of and talking trash to the guy who sits next to the Laker bench and claps with his program some more, while Eddie House does his "good teammate" routine and encourages his team even though he no doubt has to be furious that he's not playing.

It's one thing to not play the right players, but it's another to mismanage the ones who are playing. Doc had no trouble doing either last night. K.G. came out and couldn't buy a jumpshot in the first half, but it wasn't until about halfway through the third quarter that the Celtics finally cleared out for him on the block. He scored on two consecutive post plays.

Even if Garnett was 5-5 in the first quarter instead of 0-5, you still have to run through him in the post. It is inexcusable to allow almost 30 minutes go by before you exploit the biggest mismatch your team has offensively.

As bad as Rivers handled Game 3, Celtics fans need not panic. Despite all the shortcomings of your head coach, you still lead 2-1. You have two more games in L.A. to steal one and pretty much wrap up the series by only needing to take one of the two remaining homes games you have left. You are still in the driver seat.

Unless Pierce keeps going 2-of-14. Then you're screwed. (You know I couldn't go the entire column without taking a cheap shot at the Wheelchair Basketball Champion).

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:58 AM | Comments (1)

Boy, They Sure Grow Up Fast

If you don't learn from history, you're doomed to repeat.

That's the old adage to help everyone learn from their mistakes and grow into better people.

It's supposed to let us know that when we stand up on a table in the middle of a bar and start whirling around our shirt like a copter blade, bare-chested and all, that we might want to choose a different line of thought the next time we get drunk.

It's supposed to let you know that you may want to select a different spouse when considering marriage for the fourth time.

And it's supposed to change around your luck when things aren't going you're way in a championship series. In layman's terms, you probably know it as adjustments.

That's what stands in front of the Los Angeles Lakers after falling in a 0-2 hole Sunday night against the Boston Celtics. L.A. was up in Game 1 of the Finals before the Celts put the defensive clamps down. Beantown surged to a 20-plus point advantage in Game 2 before fending off the Lakers as if they were failing a wooden spoon against a tiger.

Then there's another saying. Watch what you say, because it may come back to bite you. (It may not be as official as the other adage, but it seems that way from time to time).

In both cases, these two sayings about history and comeuppance have a little to do with prophecy. In some way, they can be used to look at future events with some sort of certainty. That's why I'm taken back about a week to Derek Fisher, the starting Lakers point guard. He was asked about the team's gelling through the season and how they got to the point of making the Finals.

"We've said it this entire postseason," he said, "that we're learning to be champions as we're doing it."

It's funny, but those words may be extremely prophetic. However, they I don't think they're about his team. These are comments that would be more suited to their opponents in green and white. It's true that both teams are full of young, burgeoning talent. But when you look at the core of both squads, there's a certain "je ne sais quoi" to the Lakers ... and a lot of "I dunno" with the Celtics.

L.A. has enough experience in their back pocket to get by. Their best player (Kobe Bryant) has three rings. Their starting floor general (Fisher) received his three rings alongside Bryant. Their coach (Phil Jackson) is tied for the most coaching championships in NBA history with nine.

By contrast, Boston can only boast two players who know what it takes to taste victory at this stage ... and they both come off the bench. Sam Cassell (two with Houston) and James Posey (one with Miami) can give inspiration, but you don't particularly look to them when it comes to crunch time. The Celtics' new Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen only had three appearances in the Conference Finals in their combined 32 seasons of play. Head coach Doc Rivers hadn't gotten to the Finals as a player or a coach until a week ago.

This may be why Boston's run to the NBA Finals might be more in line with what Fisher was thinking. Los Angeles had pretty much rolled through the Western Conference Playoffs.

They basically brought their bazookas to a knife fight in sweeping the Denver Nuggets. The Utah Jazz provided some fairly stiff competition, but couldn't do what the Lakers could: close out a team on the road. The defending champion San Antonio Spurs had their opportunities, but you had to think that a seven-game series against New Orleans wore them down in their five-game defeat.

On the other hand, Boston has looked more like a six-month-old toddler learning to take their first steps. The opening round series against Atlanta was supposed to be a bit of a joke.

Hey Hawks, glad you could make the party, but, uhhh, we're gonna have to ask you to go back home.

Unfortunately, like those lovable losers from "Revenge of the Nerds," they didn't get the message. The Hawks' athleticism caused Boston a world of problems, especially in the Dirty South. They won each of their home games and forced the Celts to seven games before bowing out.

Cleveland figured to be tougher, with the Cavs being led by LeBron James. Again, the series went seven before Boston could prevail, thanks to a brilliant performance by Pierce. The showdown at the "New Garden" was, by far, the highlight of the series for James, who had been held in check by Boston.

Going into the Conference Finals against the Pistons, two things were hovering over the Celtics: a far superior opponent to the first pair and the inability to win a road game in the postseason. Item two was checked off the list when they claimed victory in game three in Detroit. Item one was toppled with a second road win to seal their trip to the Finals in six games.

Now, up 2-0 on a team with arguably the best closer in the game, Boston seems to be the one that's grown up in front of our eyes. From a team viewed as flawed, inexperienced, and one prone to shriveling in the clutch, the C's only two steps away from bringing the title back to New England for the first time in 22 years. And they're two steps away from having their three stars shedding the aura of not winning the big one.

You know what they say. If you can't beat 'em, gang up on 'em, then beat 'em.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 11:48 AM | Comments (0)

A Novel Concept: Last Two Are Best

The most hardcore NBA fans will usually use the best-of-seven argument to display how their favorite sport puts the best teams in the latter rounds as a way to show some superiority over the college game. Let's just ignore how I think this is wrong and assume that it is, in most cases, right.

For whatever reason, I just don't feel that the best teams always get to the Stanley Cup Finals. This year, though, for probably the first time since the 2001 Finals between the Avalanche and Devils, the two best teams met for the championship.

I'm not totally sure why this happens in hockey. My first hunch is to say that the nature of overtime can have this effect on momentum and confidence, but then again, I've really only been following hockey since about 1996 (Uwe Krupp scoring the clincher for the Avs) or so.

The best example of this was the seventh-seeded then-Mighty Ducks, who won a triple-OT Game 1 against the Red Wings, five-OT(!) Game 1 against the Stars and then a measly double-OT Game 1 against the Wild in the conference finals. That team also had the brick wall that was 2003 J.S. Giguere in the playoffs, another way underdogs winning in the hockey playoffs could be explained.

But yet, if you're a fan of hockey in general, and especially after this year, it would be fully understandable if you never want to see another sneaky seven-seed playing for the Stanley Cup again.

As great and star-studded as the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals were, it could be easy to forget a few years down the road how absolutely dominant the Red Wings were in this series. To measure a team's control of the game in total shots can sometimes be futile, but in this series, it seemed to tell a tale. In every game, Detroit outshot Pittsburgh, and in four of the games, outshot them by 10 or more.

You really can't say enough about the play of Detroit's top line of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Tomas Holmstrom. And in turn, when you mention those three guys in this series, you have to mention Mike Babcock, who was gutsy enough to put his top line against the best the Penguins had to offer in Sidney Crosby.

Crosby ended the series with a respectable line of six points, but I don't know how Detroit held him pointless in the first two games of the series.

It does, however, make me worry for the league to have a series like this. And by that I really mean that, save having these two teams meet back up in this series next year (very possible), I'm not sure how it can get a whole lot better than this when it comes to the whole package of general excitement in the sport. I truly hope I am proven wrong on this one.

Of course, here's to hoping that next year we can see the Penguins and Capitals duel for Eastern Conference supremacy and that the best team in Detroit can get a solid challenge in defense of the Cup. And yes, that the top two teams in the league can once again play in the final series.

Posted by Ross Lancaster at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)

June 9, 2008

NBA Finals Game 2: Too Little, Too Late

After Game 1 on Thursday, the general consensus was, "Ok, we've got a series on our hands."

After the blowout that was Game 2 on Sunday, that sentiment has changed to, "Can we please have a series?"

In what I predicted to be the most TV-friendly Finals in years, the first two games of the NBA Finals have proved to be anything but. Despite the too little, too late run that L.A. made to cut the lead to two with less than a minute left, neither game has been the as advertised slugfest we had hoped for.

Unless you are a Celtics fan, Game 2 couldn't have played out much worse. Vladimir Radmanovic picked up two fouls in the first two minutes. Kobe picked up two first quarter fouls, but can be labeled as questionable at best. Lamar Odom received two first quarter fouls.

You can see the pattern developing here. All of the early foul trouble forced the Lakers to alter their rotation, leading them to uncharacteristically play five reserves at the same time to start the second quarter. Those five reserves allowed the Celtics to go on a 9-0 run, a run from which the Lakers never fully recovered. Like I said, unless you are a Celtics fan, this doesn't make for great basketball.

I'm not just being a Laker fan and complaining about how one-sided the whistles were in the first half (believe me, I did enough of that last night), I'm being a basketball fan and complaining because the officials were a bigger factor in setting the tone than any of the players.

I've never blamed the referees for a loss or credited them with a win in the past, and I'm not going to start now. Boston won that game because they played great defense for the first three quarters and their crowd kept getting behind them at all the right times.

That being said, they got a lot of help from the officials. One of the toughest things in sports is to come from behind and win a big basketball game on the road. With the free throw discrepancy as big as it was (16-2 at in favor of the Celtics at halftime) and several players in foul trouble, the Lakers were faced with an uphill climb right from the beginning.

Getting help from the officials is not the biggest concern that the Lakers should have heading back home. In fact, it shouldn't even be on their radar. You can't control what calls the officials will and won't give you throughout a series, but there are plenty of things that the Lakers can control that they must improve on if they want to have any chance to make this a series.

Two of the most important changes the Lakers need to make, in no particular order:

Attack the basket — Maybe the Celtics' defense has been so good that they've forced Kobe to be a jump shooter. But I've never seen a defense that was good enough to stop Kobe from getting his shot off, and I don't imagine that is the case now. It looks more like a case of Kobe settling for what the defense gives him instead of imposing his will and making things happen. Look for him to be much more aggressive early in Game 3 and really set the tone for how he is going to play for all three games at the Staples Center.

Change the way they defend the pick-and-roll — I understand that there is no reason to guard against Rajon Rondo's jumpshot. He can't shoot and he passes up just about every shot he has. However, by giving him as much room as the Lakers have given him when he comes off screens, Rondo has picked them apart by finding open teammates (23 assists, 4 turnovers through the first two games). Forcing Rondo to take jumpers is a good strategy. Allowing him to pick you apart isn't. It's time to start forcing Rondo into doing something different on the screen and roll.

The Lakers aren't dead yet. Twice in the last four NBA Finals the team with the three consecutive home games has swept all three games and gone on to win the series. This Lakers team is certainly good enough to put up a fight, as evidenced by the fourth quarter rally they had in Game 2.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the rest of this series may play out like Game 2: too little, too late.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

June 6, 2008

NBA Finals Game 1: Truth Hurts

"Wheelchairs are for guys like Lieutenant Dan." 10:54 PM.

"Seriously." 10:56 PM.

"How much you wanna bet he makes a 'heroic' comeback and hits some big shots?" 10:57 PM.

That is the text message exchange I had with one of my friends after Paul Pierce's near-fatal knee sprain. Less than five minutes later, he was back in the game.

After watching him go down in the third quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, I actually believed momentarily that Pierce was hurt pretty badly. I thought that we as basketball fans were going to be robbed of what could have been a great series because one of the most key players had been injured.

Then they busted out the wheelchair and I knew better.

I'm not saying that Pierce didn't hurt his knee. I'm not saying that initially the Celtics didn't have every right to ere on the side of caution. I'm not even saying that his return to the game wasn't impressive.

I'm just saying that once I saw him being pushed in the wheelchair that there was no doubt in my mind that he was coming back into the game.

Sure enough, about five minutes later, Pierce came trotting out of the Celtics locker room like he was back there changing his socks instead of being treated for a serious knee injury.

This is a trend in the NBA that has to stop. I can't put my finger on exactly when it started, but sometime in the last five years or so, it became the cool thing for NBA players to get dinged up, go back to the locker room and build suspense, then return a few short minutes later like nothing happened.

I call it pulling a Dwyane Wade. I'm positive that Wade wasn't the first to do this, but in the past three or four seasons, Wade has to have shattered the all-time record for visits to the locker room during the game after a hard fall. Then he topped it off by being taken off the court in a wheelchair with a shoulder injury.

Can you imagine Jordan or Isiah or Magic ever being carted off the floor? I think that if Jordan were on Wade's team when he hurt his shoulder, as soon as they plopped him into that chair, M.J. would have walked up to him and reenacted the scene from "The Godfather" where Vito Corleone slaps Johnny Fontane in the face and screams at him, "You can act like a man!"

Unless you are old, pregnant, or crippled, there is absolutely no reason to get a wheelchair involved. I think that teams only keep wheelchairs on hand just so they can build the drama for TV. Were Scot Pollard and "Big Baby" Davis so busy that they couldn't have helped Pierce back to the locker room?

The sad part about the whole situation is that Pierce played awesome in the second half. He was absolutely lights-out. Had he not tried to milk his injury so bad, I would remember that game for Paul Pierce being unstoppable in the second half.

Instead, the only thing that I took away from game one is that the Lakers played terribly, K.G. came to play early and then disappeared, and Paul Pierce is a drama queen that craves attention. (We're talking about the same guy who showed up to the press conference after Game 6 of the Pacers series in '05 with a bandage around his head in protest of a non-call that got him ejected.)

As for the series itself, the Lakers can't be all the miserable after the loss. They played as badly as they've played all postseason and were still close enough that a little spurt at the end would have been enough to win.

The big question that may be answered in Game 2 is are the Celtics so good that they forced the Lakers into looking so bad, or were the Lakers just that flat?

In my NBA Finals preview, I wrote that the Celtics will probably come out more prepared than the Lakers in game one. That held true.

I also said that the Lakers will be better at making adjustments between games. They had better be, or they could find themselves in deep trouble heading back to L.A.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)

Sports Q&A: Kimbo Slice: Media Darling

Grace from Brazil, IN asks, "Is Kimbo Slice the 'next big thing' in mixed martial arts?"

Kimbo is "big," and he's a "thing," but he's not next. That's because he already is a big thing in mixed martial arts.

He was a big thing even before his second MMA contest against Tank Abbott, who, long ago, in the formative years of the sport, was the equivalent to Slice — a character with a shady background and devastating punching power.

As millions of views on YouTube have shown, that may make you champion of the back alley between Martin Luther King Boulevard and Bad Street, but it doesn't make you a champion in the major leagues of MMA.

But let's not hold that against Kimbo.

Lest you forget (if you do, you'll be reminded incessantly), Slice gained fame as a street fighter. He appeared mostly victorious in several underground fights that wildly circulated on the Internet, including a famous draw with a character known only as "Bigfoot" that went down behind a Kroger's in suburban Seattle.

Slice's success in the Internet arena propelled him into the world of MMA. In his first two sanctioned bouts, he defeated former Olympian and heavyweight boxing champ Ray Mercer and Abbott, respectively.

Most recently, Slice defeated 14-8 James "Colossus" Thompson in an EliteXC contest that caused an outrage, mostly felt by Mercer and Abbott, when they realized they were mere stepping stones to eight-time loser Thompson.

They felt better when they saw Thompson's left ear, a bulbous, sickening mass of flesh that obviously had something to do with the nickname "Colossus." Several celebrities in the crowd expressed disgust at Thompson's ear, including Vincent Van Gogh, the "Elephant Man" John Merrick, and Evander Holyfield.

Obviously, with an undefeated record, Slice will fight again, but will his efforts eventually lead to status as champion?

With a massive overhaul of his wrestling and defensive repertoire, Slice will be ready to challenge for the heavyweight title. Possibly in the UFC, where president Dana White is set to introduce the new "stand-up only" division, which has been fully endorsed by Chuck Liddell.

Slice may not be the most technically skilled fighter out there, but let's give Kimbo credit for what he does have — wicked punching power, and probably the most intimidating beard in athletics.

It makes sense. Slice's popularity is based much more on the power of marketing than on his abilities as a well-rounded fighter. It's no surprise, then, that growing on Slice's chin is the hair of boxing marketing tool Don King.

It's only a matter of time before King convinces Slice to make the logical move to professional boxing, where there's more money to be earned and less to be done to "earn" it. You want a superfight? Kimbo vs. Butterbean! That's marketing!

Slice is on the right track, and he's doing what he needs to be a major player in the sport. I hear he's even dating Jenna Jameson, or what's left of her. Nike will soon be rolling out its "Kimbo Knows" marketing blitz.

And he's already complaining that he should be paid more money. He's studying to be an actor and he was able to apply some of what he learned in the Thompson fight already.

Offers for acting jobs are flying in faster than you can say "fraud." These include roles as Mr. T in the new A-Team movie, an option to face Sylvester Stallone in the new Rocky movie, "Rocky vs. Son of Clubber Lang". And James Bond could always use a fresh villain.

Can you imagine Kimbo in a white suit, a monocle, with a chihuahua as a mascot?

Intriguing, no doubt. If none of those roles are suitable, then there's always money to be made pummeling the members of the Jackass crew. Kimbo, in his illustrious career, has probably beaten a midget, a fat guy, and a masochistic idiot. But never a world-class skateboarder in a chicken suit.

Slice will never be a champion in mixed martial arts, but he should enjoy a lengthy career due to his drawing power. As an Internet sensation, people wanted to see Slice knock people out. In the near future, with such legendary status, people will be content just to "see" him.

And if the MMA thing doesn't work out, Slice is one of the few people in the world who can say "I have that street-fighting thing I can fall back on."

Get Your Questions Answered!

Do you have a question or comment? Then send your question or comment 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 20th.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)

June 5, 2008

Scouting the NBA Finals

If you've watched any sports news on television in the last few days, you may have heard that the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are about to meet in the NBA Finals. Really, it's going to be on TV and everything. And you might have learned that they've played a few times before in the Finals. But most of all, you definitely figured out there are some very happy network execs right now.

But enough with the hype, already. NBA Nation is begging for some meat-and-potatoes analysis of what will happen when the 2008 incarnations of these two teams meet. In fact, this intro is already too fluffy. Let's cut right to the hoops:

Keys for the Lakers

Least influential player: Kobe Bryant — This might sound completely outrageous, but Kobe Bryant's play will not be a factor in determining the Finals' outcome. No, I'm serious.

I fully expect Kobe to turn in 30 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists consistently, and that's why Kobe himself won't be the difference between the 2008 banner being green or purple. Let's not forget that our last memory of Kobe in the Finals was his jumper-happy 24-point (on 21 shots) Game 5 in 2004 at Detroit. So while there are plenty of past example of Kobe dominating the offense and leading the Lakers to a win, there are counterexamples, as well. Which leads us to...

Most important player: Pau Gasol — We'll get into this with Boston's keys, but the Celtics have feasted on teams that could not attack from the post on the offensive end. Gasol presents a nasty matchup issue for Doc Rivers. Does he drop Kendrick Perkins on Gasol and provide as much help as possible? That seems like an invitation for Kobe to carve up the paint in kick-outs and penetration. Does Doc use Kevin Garnett on Gasol and hope fatigue/fouls don't become a factor? That has its own nightmare scenarios.

Obviously, Rivers will mix up his defenses, but either way, Garnett will have to pay more attention to Gasol than any big man he's seen this postseason. On top of that, Gasol's underrated ability to get up and down the floor in transition will make Garnett also have to work in that phase of the game. The days of Garnett staying in the backcourt to harass inbounds passes seem to be over.

Spotlight guy: (tie) Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom — With the Celtics' attention being dominated by Kobe and Gasol, Fisher and Odom will have the opportunity to be huge factors. When Gasol sees double-teams in the post, Odom should be the most likely benefactor.

And then there's the point guard issue. Detroit was not able to consistently exploit Boston's musical chairs at the point enough to beat Boston. But you have to think between Phil Jackson and Fisher, there's enough savvy to know that Sam Cassell's done, Rajon Rondo has no confidence, and Eddie House is frustrated by his role. Fisher's impact won't be as obvious in the scoring column, but look for him to make gritty defensive stops and start productive offensives series by beating Rondo with position.

Keys for the Celtics:

Least Influential Player: Ray Allen — I know he exploded in Game 5 against Detroit, but shouldn't that be more of the rule than the exception for a guy being paid max-contract money for his shooting ability? At this point, Boston has to be happy with any contribution they get out of Allen. He's a defensive liability, so if you can't count on his three-point shot, what's he out there for? If you're Doc Rivers, how long can you wait on him to come around in this series before cutting your losses and his minutes?

Most Important Player: Paul Pierce — You could make a good case that Rondo would fit in this spot, but Boston is going to need to score somehow. Against the defensively-minded Cavaliers, Pierce provided that firepower in Game 7. It's tough to imagine Boston routinely scoring less than 90 and winning this series. On the nights when Garnett is not assertive on offense (and with the added defensive responsibilities, there will be a few), Pierce will have to be productive.

Spotlight guy: Kevin Garnett — As inconsistent as Boston's supporting cast has been, the new Big Three (err, Big Two and Ray Allen) will make or break their series. Garnett, especially, has been criticized for not taking over games in key moments, but that's never been his style. Charles Barkley made an excellent point at halftime of one of TNT's contests. In talking about the Cavs and the Celtics, he said neither team gets many easy points.

That idea of nothing coming easy is Garnett's game in a nutshell. He certainly brings more energy and enthusiasm to the arena than anyone, and he's praised as a consummate pro and honored as Defensive Player of the Year for that. But also because of that, he has to take 12-15 foot jumpers in key situations, rather than getting the easy low-post buckets some would expect from him. Perhaps the reason why Garnett doesn't force the issue in key spots is that he knows how hard he has to work to be productive, and respecting those limitations is a heck of a lot better than the alternative: trying to do too much.

Still, I think there will be one or two key moments in this series where Pierce isn't clicking and no one else is stepping up. At that time, Garnett will have to use that grit and determination on which he's built his reputation to get a win.

Finals Prediction

The Lakers have the better coach, the best player, and will get more easy points. That's too much for Boston to overcome; Lakers in five.

Posted by Corrie Trouw at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)

Let Joe Paterno Coach

As I've written before, I live in the periphery of Penn State country. As an Ohio State alum myself, I enjoy the ad hoc rivalry I therefore have with a lot of my friends and coworkers.

But as much as I may disdain Penn State for that rivalry, I find it impossible not to admire Joe Paterno. He's 81, but physically looks 60 and is as mentally together as you or I. That we might be that together at that age, but the vast majority of us will not be.

Penn State isn't quite the powerhouse they were in the '80s, but they're not nothing, either. JoePa's team has slightly outpaced their peers in the Big Ten in the last four years to the tune of 18-14, with a Big Ten title in that span. If PSU is not as good as they were 20 years ago, I don't think it's quite as simple as "the game has passed this doddering old man by." Clearly, it hasn't.

So I'm a little puzzled by the sudden media wave to push him out the door. Oddly, I'm not seeing the same level of media uprising against Bobby Bowden, who is just three years younger than Paterno and has the exact same 18-14 conference record in the last four years. FSU's fall from powerhouse status is also a lot more recent.

Paterno has basically indicated he will continue coaching as long as Penn State will allow him to and as long as he is physically and mentally able, and I admire that attitude. The "he's hanging on and it's time let go" stance against him might be appropriate if he has not been competitive, but again, only Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin have a better Big Ten record in the last four years. And then, that 2005 Big Ten title. He clearly can still coach.

The most odious of these retirement calls comes from Sports Illustrated's Peter King (last page). First of all, I do not understand for the life of me why King is given the latitude to write about whatever he wants. He, of course, it the main man of the SI's NFL coverage, pumping out at least two columns a week even during the offseason.

I have few complaints about his NFL coverage. He comes up with a lot of interesting insider tidbits, even if he is self-indulgent in his ingratiating references to his elite access status. ("So last week, Ronde Barber invited me to his favorite Japanese restaurant. He wanted to privately share with me his uncensored feelings on the state of the Buccaneers..." is his typical lead.)

So as a reporter, he's fine. As an NFL opinion columnist, he's average. But who at SI finds his prose so precious as to grant him carte blanche to write his trite, inane "Aggravating/Enjoyable Travel Note of the Week," and "Coffeenerdness," running items, and musings on his daughter's lacrosse team, week after painful, bloody week?

The thing is, these non-NFL thoughts are never insightful and never artistically expressed. They are boring thoughts boringly expressed. I give Bill Simmons more stick than anyone, but I at least recognize that he is capable of being funny and has a signature style.

So I guess this why I find King's recent Paterno-must-step-down comments downright offensive.

Besides pointing out the obvious, that Paterno isn't as sprightly as he was 30 years ago, and that sprightliness would help on the recruiting trail, King offers nothing to indicate why he thinks it would be in Penn State's best interest to step down. It's worth mentioning that Paterno is still more energetic and vital than King is, and if you think that's a cheap shot, consider what King wrote about Paterno:

"[C]an't one of his friends tell him he's being selfish in not stepping aside to allow a younger man to coach the team? At the very least, Paterno should announce that this will be his last year — or confide this to the university president. Every coach should always do what's in the best interests of his team."

Again, it's just a given that it's in the best interest of the team for Paterno to step down, and even his "friends" know it. No evidence offered (and as I've tried to illustrate, the evidence is actually to the contrary unless you insist upon '80s era Penn State). But it gets better (in response to Paterno saying "I want to be a part" of this team):

"That's just it. I want to be a part of it. Of course he does. But what he should be thinking is the team would be better off without me, and with a younger, more energetic person who can recruit, coach, and lead the way I used to. There's no shame in admitting that at 81 you're not as good as you were at 51. The shame is not being able to walk away, and making it about you.

Now, all those who are outraged by criticism of Paterno should ask yourselves these questions: is it about Paterno wanting to coach, even if it might not be best for the team, or is it about the team?"

Dang, he's got us Paterno defenders there. Wait, no he doesn't. It is about the team. It is not automatic that Greg Schiano or anyone else would do better now, in two years, or in five years than Paterno would, and (have I mentioned this?) the Lions have been winning under Paterno.

So King is attacking Paterno's integrity and calling him selfish, and that's the worst part of this. That's just the sort of accusation that you want to be able to back up pretty convincingly given Paterno's well-earned reverential status with allies and foes alike. For him not to offer any demonstrates that, besides being a boring hack, King doesn't have a lot of character, something Paterno has in spades.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 11:34 AM | Comments (5)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 13

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch — Busch dominated the second half of the Best Buy 400, leading 155 of the final 200 laps, to capture his fourth Sprint Cup win this season. Combined with his four Nationwide wins and two Craftman Truck triumphs, Busch has 10 total wins on the year. And he extended his points lead over Jeff Burton to 142.

"I'd like to thank my sponsor, Combos," says Busch, "another product made by the huge conglomerate of Mars, Inc., also the makers of M&M's, Snickers, and other foods contributing to this obesity of this nation. Ten wins — that's just goes to show that I can win anytime, anywhere, regardless of who I'm racing, and regardless of whatever silly-looking racing suit I'm wearing."

"Now, I understand some unscrupulous fan sneaked into the racetrack early Sunday with the intention of stealing my helmet. Luckily, a wary security guard foiled the plot. At first, I was quite impressed that one of my fans would go to such lengths for a souvenir. Then I was informed of the complete, evil intentions of the fiendish plot: it was not one of my fans; it was a Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fan. The plan was generally the same — to steal my helmet, only with my head still in it."

2. Carl Edwards — Edwards took charge at the midway point in Dover, leading laps 171 through 232, but was no match for Kyle Busch in crunch time. Despite having what seemed to be the best car, the No. 99 team faltered in the pits, losing five seconds to Busch over the final two pit stops. With Busch in clean air, Edwards was unable to remotely threaten the No. 18 car down the stretch.

"I hate to throw my pit crew under the bus," says Edwards. "Just as much as I hate to speak literally. But we gave away way too much time to Busch in the pits, and five seconds is too much for even me to make up, with or without an oil lid cover."

3. Jeff Burton — Just like clockwork, Burton put his Richard Childress Chevy in the top 10 at Dover, finishing a smooth eighth and avoiding the carnage that afflicted teammates Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick, who were sucked into the lap 17 accident. He maintained the No. 2 spot in the points, and is now 142 behind Kyle Busch.

"Tough break for Kevin and Clint," says Burton. "They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it sure was cool to see Richard Childress working on Harvick's car. Richard hasn't got his hands that dirty since his last bribe. Harvick's car didn't look anything like a 2008 model when he returned to the track. It looked like something out of the 1950s. I could have sworn he was running moonshine. And Junior Johnson looked thirsty."

"But I'm sure Formula 1 driver David Couthard, a guest of Red Bull racing, felt right at home watching the race. Just like in Formula 1, there was a spectacular crash, virtually no on-the-track passing, and a high-ranking official was filmed participating in a Nazi-themed, sado-masochistic sex orgy. Okay, maybe that last one wasn't true, but it would have made the race imminently more enjoyable. That race was just boring. On the bright side, though, it's nice to hear chants of 'Boring, Boring' and realize they're referring to something besides me."

4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt was one of many victims of a lap 17 crash initiated when David Gilliland tapped Elliot Sadler, sending Sadler sliding down the track and into the path of several cars, one of which was Earnhardt's. The No. 88 suffered front and rear-end damage, and Earnhardt eventually finished 35th, although he held on to third in the points.

"Hey, it's not the first time I've had a bad experience on the 'Monster Mile,'" says Earnhardt. "That's also the name of the one-mile driveway leading to my stepmother Theresa's mansion. The surface was abrasive, and a bitch to navigate."

"As far as our finish at Dover goes, we can't dwell on it. You can moan about it, or toss blame. You can even have some of your pit crew brawl with another pit crew. In the end, though, where does it get you? Nowhere. The wins will come. For now, I'll just have to deal with that monkey on my back, which shouldn't be a problem since I've been known to easily tote camels through the desert."

5. Jeff Gordon — Gordon recorded his fourth consecutive top-10 with a fifth in the Best Buy 400, a solid result, but one not without some concern, as he finished nearly a lap behind race winner Kyle Busch. He jumped four spots in the points to sixth, 404 out of first. Gordon also inked a two-year extension with primary sponsor DuPont, and also spent a day at the firm's headquarters in Dover.

"The company of DuPont shares a lot of operational qualities with the Hendrick Motorsports organization," says Gordon. "In fact, if I'm not mistaken, DuPont just allowed one of their top scientists to leave and go to a rival corporation, where that scientist has flourished."

"But let's not hand the Sprint Cup trophy to Kyle Busch just yet. Sure, he's well ahead of everyone in the points. Trust me. I know what it's like to build a huge points lead only to have it ripped right out from under you by the Chase for the Cup points format. Jimmie Johnson's got no problem with that, though."

6. Greg Biffle —Biffle sported the best car early, leading 164 of the first 170 laps after starting from the pole. But an alternator problem emerged soon after, and the resultant electrical problems sapped some of the No. 16 Roush Fenway Ford's strength. Biffle still managed to finish third, his second consecutive top-five, and leapfrogged from 11th to fifh in the points.

"Carl Edwards thinks he's got problems with his pit crew?" says Biffle. "Well, when my crew chief Greg Erwin asked me what was wrong, I calmly replied, 'it's electric.' Imagine my surprise when the next words out of his mouth were 'Boogie woogie woogie.' Multiply that level of surprise by 10, and you'll understand my reaction when I pulled into the pits for service, only to find my crew engaged in the 'Electric Slide.' I'll give them this: they were in perfect unison."

"And unison is what this Roush Fenway organization will need to combat the mercurial Kyle Busch. My teammates and I will have to strike with a three-pronged attack, three-and-a-half-pronged if you're counting Jamie McMurray. I fully intend to extend my contract with Roush Fenway. I don't want to break up this happy family comprised of four drivers who really have very little like for one another."

7. Jimmie Johnson —Johnson overcame a pit road speeding penalty following a stop on lap 153 to score a seventh at Dover, giving him his fifth top-10 finish this year. He now stands a comfortable seventh in the points, 406 behind Kyle Busch and 120 ahead of Kasey Kahne in 12th.

"We're happy with the top 10," says Johnson, "but we know we've got a lot of work to do before we're able to challenge for wins. What we have to do is find a way to win. And, when I say 'find,' I'm challenging Chad Knaus to reach into his bag of tricks for the answer. When Chad waves his magic wand, and says the magic words, the car gets faster. Of course, Chad's magic words aren't 'Abracadabra' or 'Presto.' Instead, his trusty magic words are 'Do it, but don't say I told you to.' Works every time. That is, unless those NASCAR officials ruin the magic show. They're no slouches in the realm of magic themselves. They can simply say 'failed inspection,' and Chad disappears for six races."

8. Tony Stewart — Stewart was unlucky enough to be the first car at the scene of the Elliott Sadler/David Gilliland incident that affected nearly half of the top 12 drivers in the Chase hunt. With nowhere to go, Stewart plugged Sadler's car, causing serious damage to the No. 20 Home Depot machine. Stewart made it to the garage and returned much later, completing 199 laps. He finished 41st and fell three places in the points to 11th.

"That's right," says Stewart. "I'm usually the first car on the scene of an accident. And Elliott Sadler's always there waiting on me. I'll give him props for his promptness. Don't bother with an apology, Elliott. Not that I don't deserve one. I just don't want to hear that grating, southern Virginia accent you speak with. Anyway, people should be happy with the way I'm handling myself in tough times. The 'old' Tony Stewart probably would have punched Sadler. Of course, the 'old' Tony Stewart likely would have then got his butt kicked. That Sadler is a big country boy."

9. Denny Hamlin — Like his teammate Stewart, Hamlin plowed into Sadler in the lap 17 pile-up, knocking the No. 11 FedEx Toyota out of the race for good. Hamlin finished last, and tumbled five spots in the point standings to ninth, 420 out of first.

"Contrary to popular belief," says Hamlin, "my car does have brakes and they do work. I hope my wrecked car doesn't reflect badly on the delivery qualities of the FedEx fleet. FedEx drivers are trained to go around accidents, not through them."

"Luckily, the smell of crumpled sheet metal and flat-spotted tires in the Gibbs garage was offset by the smell of teen spirit, that of Joey Logano, the fresh-faced prodigy who is sure to put the future of Joe Gibbs Racing in a state of nirvana. Well, Joey, now is your time. Here we are now. Entertain us."

10. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth continued his recent resurgence, finishing fourth at Dover for his third-straight top-10 result. Kenseth, in the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford sporting the black Dewalt Nanotechnology paint scheme, followed Roush Fenway teammates Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle across the line to give the squad a 2-3-4 finish.

"The last time I was that close to Edwards," says Kenseth, "I ran. But, I'm finally getting a feeling of teamwork in this organization. See how that works, Carl? Heck, I'd do anything for this team. I'm not even averse to team orders. In fact, Carl and the boys send me out for Chinese food just last week."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

June 4, 2008

NBA Finals: Easy as ABC

There is so much that goes into winning an NBA title. It isn't as simple as just X's and O's. In fact, X and O are just two of the 26 letters that you must conquer to win a title.

Here are all 26, and who has the advantage as we prepare for the most TV-friendly NBA Finals in over a decade.

A — Athleticism. The Lakers have the advantage here. They have a big man who runs the floor better than any other big in the game (Pau Gasol), a power forward who can stretch the floor and plays better from 30 feet than from 10 (Lamar Odom), and a player who can use his athleticism to get any shot at any time (Kobe Bryant). The Celtics have a bunch of 30-somethings and bruisers. If the Lakers get out and run, the C's won't be able to keep up and the series could end quickly.

B — Bench. The edge goes to the Lakers again here. In every series thus far, the Lakers have had at least one game where the bench game in at the start of the second quarter and made a huge run. The Celtics have already played 20 playoff games this year compared to the Lakers' 15. If this series goes long, both teams are going to need their benches to play quality minutes. Whose would you bet on in a pinch?

C — Coaching. Nine rings to zero. Let's move on.

D — Defense. The Celtics are on the board. They play great defense, no doubt about it. They can, and will, lock-down the Lakers for long stretches at a time in this series. The big question is will they be able to handle whatever counter the Lakers have? Against Cleveland, they took LeBron completely out of rhythm for six of the seven games because he had no one he could defer to. If they take Kobe away, he has lots of weapons around him that he can go to, and has shown willingness these playoffs to get them the ball. Against the Pistons, they locked down and the Piston droughts were prolonged because they didn't have a go-to guy that could break the slump; the Lakers certainly have a go-to guy. If the Celtics can play the best of both worlds, they are unbeatable. But if Doc is a step slow reacting to any adjustments that the Lakers make (and he will be), the Laker offense will be too much.

E — Efficiency. The Lakers are shooting 47.5% this postseason, while turning the ball over 12.5 times per game. The Celtics turn the ball over slightly less times per game (12.1), but shoot much lower from the field (44.8). Factor in that the Celtics and Cavs played at a snail's pace for seven games, while the Lakers were involved in shootouts for the first two series, and I'd say that the Lakers have been far more efficient this postseason.

F — Foul Trouble. This one is impossible to predict. Like holding in football, a foul could be called on just about every trip down the floor. The big thing here is that neither team can afford to lose a starter to two early fouls. I don't think it'll happen too often. If the league can no-call Derek Fisher in Game 4 of the Conference Finals, they can certainly let a few slide in the first quarter and let this series be decided by the stars. (Except in Joey Crawford's mind, he is the star of the series, so who knows?)

G — Game planning. I would refer to the letter "C" on this one and move on, except that Doc and Co. have had pretty solid plans so far. They came out and completely handcuffed LeBron James for two straight games on one day of practice. As bizarre as it feels to type this, the Celtics might be better prepared in game one of this series. Making adjustments between games is a whole other story, but I'm giving the advantage to the Celtics here.

H — History. In my opinion, history is big part of what makes a team unbeatable at home. Think about it. Is the garden going to be any more or less rowdy than New Orleans or Utah's home crowds were this postseason? Probably not. What sets them apart is the history. New Orleans didn't have Red Auerbach's name on the floor or 16 banners in the rafters. They didn't have Bill Russell sitting courtside. You can believe it doesn't matter, but it does. As storied as the Lakers franchise is, they ain't the Celtics.

I — Intensity. Advantage Celtics.

J — Jump shooting. It's hard to imagine that a team with Ray Allen isn't the best jump shooting team in the series, but that is the case here. The Lakers are the second best three-point shooting team these playoffs. The Celtics rank 11th out of 16. As lights-out as Allen can be, surrounding a slasher like Kobe with shooters like Sasha Vujacic, Derek Fisher, Vladimir Radmonovic, and Jordan Farmar and the edge clearly goes to the Lakers.

K — Killer instinct. I could probably write 1,000 words here on Kobe's ability to take over a game in the fourth quarter, but I'd be wasting my time because anyone who has watched the playoffs knows it. When the game is on the line, not just a final shot, but the final stretch, Kobe is a lock to turn it up. The Celtics don't have anyone like that, because frankly, there has only been one player in the last 20 or so years whose killer instinct can match Kobe's.

L — Legacy. The NBA Finals are about carving your legacy in the history books. M.J. is M.J. because he was six-for-six in the NBA Finals, not because of his 10 scoring titles or five MVPs. Kobe is going for No. 4, and Phil Jackson No. 10. They started to grow as legends years ago because they were good enough to get here before. None of the Boston Big Three have a legacy to speak of because none of them have been here. Advantage Lakers.

M — Maturity. This deep in the playoffs, you can't lose your cool. Both teams have done a good job of staying poised pretty much all throughout this playoff run. But if I had to bet on one team that was more likely to break down mentally, it would be the Lakers. Already, Sasha Vujacic has come close a few times to blowing the game with bonehead plays and Ronny Turiaf has been ejected. Those guys had better grow up fast, because one mistake could be it in the finals.

N — Next. The Finals are where new stars emerge. As recently as 2006, Dwyane Wade took center stage as one of the up-and-coming stars in the league. Will anyone be "next" this year? The only obvious answer is possibly Rajon Rondo. Everyone else on either team has pretty much established who they are as a player. Only Rondo remains as the one player who could possibly break out in the Finals.

O — Offense. The Lakers' offense is a machine. When they are clicking, there is no stopping them. They have the triangle down to a science, getting open looks at will in the first quarter of games while getting everyone involved. Then Kobe does his thing late, and defenses, like the Spurs defense that this time last year contained LeBron, don't know what hit them. The Celtics have been great on D, but they haven't played an offense like this. Advantage Lakers.

P — Pressure. As in handling pressure. The pressure of every possession in the Finals is so intense that it has the potential to make or break careers (ask Nick Anderson). Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen have all done plenty to shred their reputations of folding under the pressure so far in the playoffs, but the most pressure-packed situations are yet to come. You want the ball in the player's hands that you are most confident can handle the pressure.

Q — Quality shots. Both teams have a weakness in this area. The Lakers rely too much on Kobe hitting tough shots; the Celtics are so lethargic on offense sometimes that they never get the ball in scoring position for an entire possession. The responsibility then falls on the point guard to get the team settled and have quality sets. In the battle of the point guards, I'll take Derek Fisher, his ability to shoot threes, his experience, and his knack of knowing when to feed Kobe and when to ignore him, over Rondo and is "hero" shots all day.

R — Rebounding. Rebounding numbers for each team are nearly identical. The Lakers grab 40.5 boards per game, while the Celtics get 39.4. The advantage goes back to something I mentioned earlier, pace. The Celtics are getting as many rebounds as the Lakers on far fewer possessions. In fact, the Lakers are being out-rebounded by over 3 rebounds per game in the playoffs, while the Celtics are out-rebounding their opponents by nearly the same margin. If the Celtics defense is as good as advertised and can get stops, they certainly have the rebounding advantage that could cause the Lakers to play uphill all series.

S — Showtime. Let's face it, the Finals are a spectacle. The over exaggerated intros, the Larry O'Brien trophy painted on the floor, the 9 PM primetime start. It is a big show. And big time players like to put on big time shows. Certain players crave the attention, certain players don't. Since we've never seen any of the C's on this stage before, we don't know how they'll react to it. But we do know this: no one loves the big stage like Kobe. Until the others prove they are better equipped, advantage Lakers.

T — Talent. As much as intangibles can play a role, the fact is the better team will win a seven game series more often than not. In the 2008 NBA Finals, the Lakers just have more talent. The Celtics pride themselves on their Big Three, but even that is a stretch. All three very rarely show up to play in the same game, and that doesn't even guarantee a win (see: Game 2 conference finals). How come no one is mentioning that Bryant, Gasol, and Odom are probably close to as good as Garnett, Allen, and Pierce, if not better? Players 4-12 on the Lakers roster are far more talented than what Boston has to offer. Advantage Lakers.

U — Ubuntu. You try finding a relevant "U." Advantage Celtics for adopting this principle.

V — Versatility. At this point, you need to have guys who can do multiple things. Again, the Lakers have the advantage here because they have plenty of players on their roster that can play multiple positions. With the Celtics, you have several guys that have such a niche carved out that they don't have the ability to excel at other positions. The versatility of the Lakers bench gives them more flexibility with their lineups, and the potential for more matchup problems.

W — Want. You have to want it. It shouldn't be good enough to just get to this point; you have to want a title. As much as Kobe looks like he is on a mission right now, the Celtics have been building up to this series all year. They want it bad. We'll see if the Lakers want it just as bad. Advantage Celtics.

X-X factor. The x-factor in every playoff series is usually home court advantage. And the Celtics have the best home court advantage around right now. Sure, the Lakers play great at home, but you can't really compare the two crowds. Boston fans are annoying as hell about 95% of the time in all sports, but I give them a lot of credit, they support their teams better than anyone.

Y — Youth. Just like "next," youth can play a huge role in an NBA finals. "Next" is all about who is taking the leap, but youth can be about what young player finally pops up and shows his team he is ready to play. Think Tayshaun Prince, Josh Howard, or Stephen Jackson-type performances in recent NBA Finals. Those guys may not have been ready to carry a team, but they were able to step up and make big plays in big games and force their way into the forefront for their respective teams. With guys like Farmar and Vujacic getting bigger roles than anyone on the Boston bench, the Lakers' youth has the potential to alter this series more than the Celtics' young players (namely since they don't have any aside from Kendrick Perkins and Rondo).

Z — Zen. Everything needs to align just right to win a title. The Lakers have the Zen Master. Enough said.

Lakers in five.

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Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:55 AM | Comments (0)

Tressel is Dangerfield of College Football

Back in the old days when everything was so simple, famous comedian Rodney Dangerfield was on top of his game in the funny business. The line that made him famous, "I get no respect," made millions laugh throughout his career. Dangerfield ended up receiving the respect he deserved, but his catchy line may also describe an elite college football coach that doesn't get the respect he deserves.

For the past two years, the Ohio State Buckeyes have steamrolled through the Big Ten with ease. Before the 2006 season, there were doubters to whether or not the preseason favorite Buckeyes could go through the season undefeated. OSU would have to replace three All-American linebackers in A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter, and Anthony Schlegel, along with most of their secondary. Added to the fact that they had to go to Austin for a rematch with Texas and the always-tough Big Ten would make it difficult for OSU to go undefeated.

In 2006, though, the Buckeyes proved their doubters wrong and won the Big Ten title by going undefeated. In the National Championship Game against Florida, however, OSU got thumped, losing 41-14, making OSU the laughing stock of college football for the whole summer.

Then before the 2007 season, the majority predicted the Buckeyes to place third or fourth in the Big Ten. Most of the pundits said they would have a rebuilding year. Can you blame them, though? They did lose most of their offense, including Heisman winner Troy Smith and first round draft pick Ted Ginn, Jr. Not only that, but OSU had a rough schedule, as they had to travel to hostile environments such as Washington, Penn State, and Michigan (well, Michigan isn't that hostile, but it's still Michigan). There was real no mention of OSU when discussing who the Big Ten favorites are. Instead, everyone liked to talk about how Michigan was stacked on offense or how P.J. Hill was going to carry Wisconsin to a Big Ten championship.

In the end, though, the Buckeyes proved the experts and fans of opposing teams wrong by going 11-1 and winning the Big Ten title ... again. Just like the previous year though they lose in the National Championship to another SEC team in LSU which fueled fans even more to rag on OSU.

It's becoming a formality now. The doubters doubt OSU every season if they lost a lot or if their schedule is tough. Opposing fans say "they can't do it again," "this year, they'll be mediocre," or "they'll be soft this year." In some years, that's understandable like last year. OSU wasn't supposed to be good and were supposed to go through a tough rebuilding year. They lost Troy Smith, Antonio Pittman, Ted Ginn, Santonio Holmes, Alex Gonzalez, and the list goes on and on. But for the Buckeyes, it didn't matter — it never matters. Somehow, some way, they always find a way to be one of the best in college football. It doesn't take long to find the man that's responsible for all this. The man that always has OSU prepared no matter what. That man is a well-known coach in Jim Tressel.

Jim Tressel knows what it feels like to be doubted. Before taking the head coach position at OSU, Tressel was a head coach at Youngstown State, where he won four Division 1-AA National Championships and showed up in nine of them. However, when OSU made the decision to hire Tressel as their head coach, Buckeye nation wasn't too excited about the hire. After they fired John Cooper for his poor record against rival Michigan, OSU fans were looking for a big-name coach to come and take the reigns. With Tressel, though, they didn't get a big-name coach and it took many years for OSU fans to finally accept Tressel as their coach for the future.

A big reason why OSU reloads over year is because Tressel is been a madman at the game of recruiting. According to Scout.com, OSU has had a top-15 class for the last five years, except for one year where they finished with the 16th-best class. And add this year, where Tressel and OSU plan to bring in at least a top-three class. Arguably the most important aspect of college football is recruiting. Bringing in the top players that will make your team competitive year in and year out is something that coaches spend hours upon hours a day doing.

So far in his career, Tressel has been one of the best in college football at recruiting. Filling the needs for his team with blue-chip recruits every year is the norm for OSU classes. Tressel first started recruiting mainly in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Now he dips into the big recruiting states like Florida, Texas, Louisiana, etc. Tressel's recruiting is a big reason why OSU is in BCS games every year and considered part of the "elite" college football programs.

However, his astonishing recruiting sometimes goes unnoticed because OSU has been blown out of two straight National Championship Games. Yes, I do realize that national championships mean a lot more than recruiting classes, but let's give the man his due every once in a while. Sure, his team has been embarrassed the past two years, but at least he led his team there, which is a lot more than almost everyone else can say.

It's not like Tressel really needs the attention. He knows that he doesn't need the respect that he deserves because he'll get it in the fall. He knows that even though he's been embarrassed the past two years on the big stage, he'll just go out there and go undefeated again. In fact, disrespect toward Tressel fuels him ever year. Sure, the experts can diss OSU all they want, but in the end, Tressel proves them wrong time after time. I'm surprised no one has got it yet. OSU does not rebuild, they reload. The term "rebuilding" isn't in Tressel's vocabulary. So go ahead, everyone, doubt Jim Tressel and Ohio State. Make the predictions that they'll finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. Chances are that Tressel will show why he likes the "I get no respect" treatment.

Jim Tressel is one of the elite coaches in college football, we all know that. His recruiting and coaching strategies have placed him in the upper echelon of college football coaches. However, compared to many other coaches like Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, Bob Stoops, and so on, Tressel doesn't get the respect he deserves.

Posted by Ben Feller at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)

June 3, 2008

Roland Garros, The Tennis UFC

Who would have thought that a small bottle of men's cologne would ever generate a good tennis column?

Well, not me, but heck if it didn't. A friend of mine was over my house and noticed a new bottle of cologne I have called NoBs Alpha Male. The box it came in is clearly lettered with "Alpha Male." The cologne is a new one, advertised to be a scent for the true male. Nothing fancy. Nothing feminine. Just one masculine fragrance.

My friend spotted the bottle and turned to me asking, "remember when tennis had alpha males?" "Yeah, I remember," I replied. He and I were thinking the same things. The men's professional game used to be full of them. Just men. Masculine. Jimmy Connors. John McEnroe. Ion Tiriac. Ilie Nastase. Rod Laver. John Newcombe. Pete Sampras and the legendary Bjorn Borg. Each one pure man. each one a champion. Each one dominant. Confident. Put two of them on the same court and it was just testosterone versus testosterone. Two men enter, one man leaves.

My friend asked me who I think are today's alpha males. Good question. With the French Open in full swing, this is the time and tournament to reveal them. The slow, deep red, French clay is known for its extended points, long rallies, and equally long matches. Feats of endurance and pure brute strength. Each match the supreme test of man against man. After a full week of the tournament, the true alpha males should be still in play. True to form, yes they are.

If there was one on player on court who today epitomizes the alpha male, however, it's Rafael Nadal. Perfect in body, perilous in his play, brute strength and speed his primary weapons. Having only lost once on clay since 2005 Nadal is proving to be the dominant man at Roland Garros. He has moved into the quarterfinals without having to go more then three sets in any match. His matches have been displays of nothing short of invincibility. Strength and spin. Just watching him walk onto the clay court you can feel the fear in his opponents.

Clearly, he is the favorite here after again dominating the clay court season. Rafa has handled everyone this spring, including Novak Djokovic and Federer back-to-back in Hamburg just prior to arriving on the soil of France. He is the leader. Nadal is on his way to the final, where he most likely will meet the other "alpha male" on tour, Roger Federer.

Roger is still the best player in the game, and still the best player on the planet. Dominant in a different way than Nadal. Roger has a swagger in his step. Not cocky, but confident. He is the king of the hill. He's still in the draw, and barring something totally unforeseen he will arrive at Court Chartier for the tennis version of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Nadal versus Federer. Four years in a row.

The only thing really standing in the way of the fourth showdown is the emerging alpha male Novak Djokovic. The Serbian is new to the top of the mountain, and dominates the men's game on all surfaces. He was victorious in Australia and has been challenged only by Nadal, falling in three hours to Nadal in Hamburg. When the two meet in the semis, the air on the court will be thick and tense, like two lions challenging for leader of the pride. Djokovic seems to be one of only two humans on the planet who can stand in the way of Nadal winning his fourth French Open in a row, a feat only ever matched by Borg.

Federer has a tough quarterfinal matchup with Fernando Gonzalez and while Roger has been winning, he has not breezed through in the way Rafa has. Gonzalez, on a good day, will give Federer all he can handle. Roger will emerge victorious, and then nothing will match the final. When Roger and Rafa stand at the net before the final, it will be today's most dominant players ready to do battle. There will be confidence in their steps. Fire in their eyes. Testosterone everywhere. Just no bull alpha male versus alpha male.

Posted by Tom Kosinski at 11:34 AM | Comments (1)

Playing the Game Right

Now, I wonder — do he and they still scream bloody murder in Cincinnati over the night Pete Rose's hitting streak was stopped cold?

When Blaine Boyer handed Ken Griffey, Jr. first base on the house with nobody out, two runs in, a man on second, Brandon Phillips coming up, and the Reds with a vintage opportunity to put a Sunday afternoon game way beyond the Atlanta Braves' reach, you could almost hear the bristling around Great American Ballpark: Chickens!

Almost.

Griffey — whose first inning jerk Saturday afternoon had brought him at least to with one of number 600 — had already picked up two hits in the game, a first-inning single with two out and none on and, after Jay Bruce padded his phenom papers with a one-out blast over the left field fence, a third-inning double that built the third Cincinnati run of the day, thanks to Phillips doubling to the rear end of left center field.

He'd come up again in the fifth, the Reds still holding Tim Hudson in the hole 3-0, after Jerry Hairston, Jr. wasted a grand scoring chance by getting himself caught off the pads, but Bruce (who'd walked him to second after his one-out single) frisked and arraigned. Griffey hit one on the dead line to right, except that Jeff Francoeur was in the neighborhood with no intention of letting the Reds hang up the fourth run.

And there he was in the seventh, after Mark Teixiera and Brian McCann launched back-to-back bombs to wreck Jorge Cuerto's shutout, after Edwin Encarnacion chased Hudson with a leadoff single, and after Royce Ring found himself two runs further in the hole thanks to Yuniel Escobar's throwing mishap (allowing Anthony Phillips first on the house and Encarnacion to help himself to third), Hairston's RBI sacrifice back to the box, and Bruce's RBI single to left.

Mr. Fan in the Stands is now thinking, perhaps, that real men man up and challenge the big man who may have lost a few steps over the years to all those hustling injuries but who still has what it takes to break open a ballgame wider than the Pacific Ocean with one sing. Oh, you could just see it now. They weren't going to put Griffey on with Brandon Phillips having himself a decent day at the plate and an RBI double on his day's timecard.

And you could just hear those Reds fans, to many of whom history isn't just a bunch of dusty books in the basement, remembering that it was against this very franchise that Rose got stopped cold by a relief pitcher whose money was made on breaking balls around the corners and who didn't seem to believe that hitters, even those as iconic as Rose had been, had an absolute right to keep their hitting streaks alive.

Never mind that those Braves had managed to lighten Gene Garber's load — he'd come into the game with a mere four-run lead in the top of the seventh, and needed a punchout to stop a remade Cincinnati rally that Rose himself had helped kill — with a three-run bottom of the seventh and a five-run eighth.

They fumed almost as profusely as Rose did when that game was over, with Rose himself ending the game by swinging and missing on one of Garber's trademark breakers. He didn't play the game right!

Among other things they'd forgotten was that Rose stepped up in the ninth having gone hitless already in that game. He'd walked to open the game; he stranded Pedro Bourbon at first with a two-out liner back to Atlanta starter Larry McWilliams in the second; he'd opened the Reds' fifth lining grounding out to shortstop.

And there was that top of the seventh rally he'd done his best to help murder, when he lined into a double play with nobody out after Dave Collins had opened with a single up the pipe. Junior's father and Dave Concepcion resurrected the rally with back-to-back singles before Garber dispatched George Foster with a strikeout rather comparable to the one he'd drop on Rose to end the game two innings later.

Pete Rose had no more business accusing a pitcher of failing to do his job than Gene Garber would have had, in fair and honest competition, in giving him a hitting-streak-saving gimme, no matter how fat the Atlanta lead had been built by the time they squared off in the ninth.

What a surprise that Rose bellowed about how he thought Garber would/should have challenged him with a fastball that everyone in baseball knew would have brought Garber accusations that he really was trying to let Rose extend.

This time, however, you couldn't level any such malfeasance accusations at the Braves. Not when they're in the hole by three runs and a man hunting bomb number 600 is priming himself in the box. All Boyer had to do was even think about trying to challenge Griffey and Bobby Cox would have come out with a court order and a straitjacket as well as a hook.

So Boyer did the only thing he could do, and Griffey took first on the house, and if booing was the worst thing Reds fans did this time around you shouldn't hold it against them. Phillips followed up with an unintentional walk, and Boyer had only himself to blame for the sixth Cincinnati run, when his wild pitch invited Bruce home on the house, but Boyer played the game as rightly as Gene Garber had all those years ago.

And, as rightly as Rose himself would do, approaching Ty Cobb but swinging away on the road, when everyone including his owner wanted him to save it for the home crowd, because he stood in position to keep a rally alive and make a shot at a win, rather than force a free pass to his big RBI man by sacrificing rather than hitting away.

And Griffey — who acquitted himself a lot better en route his final latest crack at reaching his milestone before the home folks Sunday afternoon than Rose had done en route his final crack at extending his 44-game hitting streak — wasn't about to accuse the Braves of leaving their manhood in the clubhouse.

It's not that he's unaccustomed to reaching milestones away from home. He got his 200th, 300th, 400th, and 500th bombs in enemy territory, too.

He's spent a lifetime and given about half his body to playing the game right, and he wasn't about to spoil it by denying the Braves the smarts to do what they had to do when he had a chance to bust it open wider. Which is another reason why the yawn that seems to be accompanying his reach for 600 is so dispiriting.

Everyone yaps about the "right" or "wrong" person reaching this or that milestone. The right person is about to reach one that the two previous arrivals didn't reach without baggage enough. And nobody seems to care all that much, outside a city that's already seen one of her own baseball icons exposed painfully enough for clay.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

June 2, 2008

All Things Old Become New Again

Things are back to normal now in the NBA.

As the saying goes, old things become new again. NBA royalty has ascended back to the top of their thrones. For the 11th time in league history, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers will square off for the NBA title.

Every league is defined by their classic rivalries and they are often formed by the battles that occur in championship play. The NFL has Packers/Bears, the NHL has Canadiens/Maple Leafs, MLB has Yankees/Red Sox, and the NBA has a rivalry in Celtics/Lakers that has provided perfect drama made for classic must-see TV.

Once again, it is Boston and L.A. For the old-timers, the series that gave them the dominant Celtics teams of the '60s that spawned Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, and Bill Russell, pitted against the Lakers, who boasted Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain, this can't help but bring back times when the NBA. The league was still a relatively young one back then and was boosted in popularity by the birth of this sports rivalry that defined an era of basketball fans.

For those in my generation, however, you can't help but think about the Celtics with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish up against Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and an aging, but still effective Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the battles of the '80s. After a 21-year hiatus, the premier matchup that the NBA and its followers have always fancied has returned to the primetime.

Perhaps it's the allure that Wilt Chamberlain, probably the most dominant center to ever play the game in the post, could never put his team over the top because of the nuisance that the defensively brilliant Bill Russell provided. Maybe it's the fact that a Havlicek/Baylor matchup sticks in your mind with two of the truly special players that have come across the hardwood floors in league history. Maybe because after a dormant decade in the '70s, where the league seemed to lose its luster, did it resurface with Magic and Larry leading the Celtics and Lakers back on primetime television in May and June.

The Boston/L.A. rivalry has always been a series that is defined by the matchups and more importantly, the "ying" to the "yang." Think about it. Boston. Los Angeles. Gritty, working class Boston; glitzy Hollywood Los Angeles. Fundamentals and shooting from the Celtics; "Showtime" flash with the Lakers. The offensively dominant Chamberlain against the defensive genius of Russell. The wizardry of Cousy against the marksmen West. The confident, smooth shooter from French Lick against the jovial, round ball magician from Lansing. For every hero, a villain, for every ying, a yang, every thesis, an antithesis. Celtics/Lakers know no other way. Thursday night when Game 1 tips off in Boston, it's the series that most loyal fans of the game have longed for. The two most historic franchises in the sport that have combined for 30 NBA championships bring us a classic with a dash of nostalgia. How wide is David Stern smiling right now?

As we talk about opposites, it's only right that these two teams, who were in two entirely different situations, rebounded nicely with a great year to make it back to the Finals. The Celtics finished with the second worst record in the NBA last season at 24–58. The team was in disarray, and then the Celtics and their fans were dealt a crushing blow when they drew the fifth overall pick of the 2007 NBA draft instead of the first overall as they had hoped for. The Lakers, meanwhile, bowed out of the Western Conference playoffs in the first round for the second consecutive year, falling to the Phoenix Suns. Kobe Bryant came out publicly with his desire to be traded, a soap opera that would linger well into the summer and the opening of the next season.

For both franchises, things soon turned around. Boston traded Jeff Green, who they selected with the fifth overall pick in the '07 draft for Ray Allen to play alongside Paul Pierce. Then the blockbuster happened with Kevin Garnett coming to Beantown in a three-way trade. Instantly, Boston became a contender before a game of the 2007-08 regular season was played. Kobe eventually warmed back up to playing in L.A. as he put on his hard hat to build back some bridges with the Laker faithful and management. Add the fact that the waste of human flesh that is Kwame Brown was traded to Memphis for the talented Pau Gasol and the Lakers were the best team in basketball after the All-Star Break.

Boston was as good as advertised, winning 66 games and secured home court advantage throughout the playoffs, something that proved valuable in their 2008 playoff campaign losing only one game in the new Garden in Game 2 to the Pistons in the Eastern finals. The Lakers have simply been on a mission, losing only three games on the way to the Boston. Kobe Bryant, despite all of his wishes to not be compared to Number 23, is showing Jordan-esque dominance in these playoffs. Add the front-line tandem of Lamar Odom and Gasol, with role players such as Sasha Vujacic and savvy vet Derek Fisher, and the Lakers may be the popular pick to win the title.

But again, this is Celtics.Lakers in the Finals. Boston's trio of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen are all seeking their first championship in their illustrious careers. All three have stepped up in the clutch in various times during the postseason. This was not more evident than Paul Pierce with a monstrous Game 7 against Cleveland and a phenomenal fourth quarter in Game 6 against Detroit. The "Big Three" will need to have players like Rajon Rondo, James Posey, and the improving Kendrick Perkins to step up and make this a classic Finals ending a la Celtic Pride.

With players like Havlicek, Magic, Kareem, Cooper, Cousy, Bird, and Russell all watching intently with their stamps on this classic rivalry laying the foundation, it will be up to Bryant, Garnett, Pierce, Gasol, Odom, Allen, and Rondo to write the next chapter. After years of changes, trends, and dynasties, it'll be up to Celtics vs. Lakers for the Larry O'Brien Trophy to make us all feel good again about NBA basketball when it matters most.

Posted by Brian Cox at 12:46 PM | Comments (0)

Crosby and Company

Down by three games in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Detroit Red Wings, the Pittsburgh Penguins know what it's like to have their backs put up against the wall — literally. They have seen the good, bad, and ugly of the NHL. With their hopes for a Stanley Cup diminishing, they can only learn from the past and build for the future.

Beginning as an expansion team in 1967, the Penguins have seen the their share of two Stanley Cup wins in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons and a lot of good talent play for them. On the flip-side, they also saw the decline of their finances and them having to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 1998, dealing with rumors that the team may have to move or even fold. However, Mario Lemieux, the face of the Penguins, came to their rescue to save the team from financial ruins. After years of a deferred salary, Lemieux proposed to take his deferred salary and convert it into equity, which was agreed upon in court with him assuming control of the team in 1999.

"Since the beginning, I always loved the game. When you grow up in Montreal, one day you want to be a professional hockey player. When I was six or seven, I knew that was what I wanted," Lemieux is quoted saying. "I think we have to show some pride in the jersey that we are wearing, and can't quit."

After the 2004-05 NHL lockout, many players went to the European league and left for other teams. With Lemieux intent on rebuilding the team after the owners signed a new collective bargaining agreement, they began to rebuild under a salary cap and sign free agents Sergei Gonchar, John LeClair, Ziggy Palffy, and Jocelyn Thibault. However, it was Sidney Crosby, the Penguins' 2005 draft pick, that elevated the team to the next level.

"We feel that with Sidney we have a great opportunity over the next few years to put a great team on the ice. We're prepared to lose some money along the way. Eventually, we're going to need some help," Lemieux said. "I think the lottery changed everything for us once we got Sidney, it helped us turn this franchise around overnight."

The lottery and Crosby did indeed help save the franchise. In Crosby's first season in the NHL, he finished sixth in scoring with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) and in his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) and won the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Trophy, and the Lester B. Pearson Award, paving his way to become one of the best NHL players of the game. He was also bestowed with the honor of being named captain of the Penguins and helped in rebuilding the team into a contender.

"I think to be great, you have to prove that you're the best year after year after year and show that by winning. I think that's something you have to earn. You have to prove that. I don't really think about it. I think that's something that's too far ahead for me," Crosby was quoted as saying. "I'm not trying to be the next Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, I am putting pressure on myself to do my best and perform to my potential ... that's all I can do."

Also, the fight to keep the team in Pittsburgh was successful; in 2007, the team signed a lease agreement to stay in Pittsburgh for the next 30 years and began to plan for a new arena, which was approved this past May. The new arena will cost about $290 million and is expected to open for the 2010 season.

"It's up to the community now to decide if they want to keep this team," Mario Lemieux said.

With the Penguins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, it looks good.

Posted by Joe Boesch at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)