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August 31, 2009

Calipari's High Wire Act

Somewhere in Las Vegas, Phil Ivey is risking stacks of cranberry-colored $25,000 chips on rolls of the dice. Somewhere in North Carolina, Michael Jordan will win or lose the cash equivalent of a mid-size luxury sedan on a golf course. And somewhere in a Hollywood studio, another contestant will tell Howie Mandel he'll open one more case instead of taking the banker's offer on "Deal or No Deal."

But none of them will face stakes higher than those facing Kentucky coach John Calipari.

Calipari arrives at Kentucky with savior-like expectations. His unsurpassed recruiting prowess and the memories of what UK looks like in its full glory make the Wildcats' goals anything but modest. In short, Cal's Cats have to be Final Four contenders in the next two years, if not win the NBA's Eastern Conference.

And if that was the whole challenge, Calipari would be alright. Plenty of coaches have had disappointing stints under the spotlight and lived to tell about it. Even Kelvin Sampson, disgraced through recruiting improprieties at Indiana and Oklahoma, found a golden parachute as an NBA assistant in Milwaukee. Yes, if Calipari's teams underperform on the court, the resulting fan backlash would be uncomfortable and even, at times, nasty. But his track record suggests an even more devious worst-case scenario.

Calipari is trying to outrun an ever-growing pack of NCAA wolves dressed in suits and armed with recruiting rulebooks. In his last two collegiate stops at UMass and Memphis, Calipari evaded the pack, but saw his legacy, seasoned by reports of academic fraud, devoured from history. Those Final Four trips led by Marcus Camby and Derrick Rose? Sorry, according to the revised NCAA history books, those are now figments of your sports memory.

But sins at UMass and Memphis can be forgiven when the coach is the program. Sure, it's not ideal for a coach to reach ill-begotten success and flee town before the NCAA posse finds him. But what would UMass or Memphis have been without Calipari? Even in spite of the messy breakup, UMass and Memphis fans should have warm feelings about their relationships with Coach Cal.

Kentucky is different. Calipari's scorched-earth policy on NCAA rules can't be swept under the rug there. For a school that faced the devastation of brutal sanctions not even two decades ago, winning within the rules matters. Wildcat fans know Calipari's past and the shadowy landscape of today's recruiting world. But that happened and happens in other programs, they'd tell you. Kentucky has been Kentucky for decades without Calipari and still will be when he leaves. The only question is, will the Kentucky he leaves be in a state of nuclear winter after the NCAA retaliates for the next link in his chain of scandals?

And that's why the stakes are so high. Calipari's challenge is to elevate Kentucky back from middling St. Charles Place to Boardwalk status without sullying the program's reputation or crippling its future. If Cal can do it, the cries that his past successes were a mirage projected by his corruption will fall silent and his resume of national success with three distinctly different programs will headline his page in college basketball history. But if he fails in any of those charges, it will be a fatal third strike for his legacy and yet another humiliation for one of the sport's proudest fan bases.

Don't let the bluegrass fool you; there is no greener college hoops pasture than Lexington, KY. But if Calipari can't separate his knack for winning from his pattern of scandal, his career will be put out to pasture.

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

How HBO's "24/7" Saved Boxing

In 2007, HBO reinvented the way big boxing fights are promoted when they debuted the show "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7." The four-part series was a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters as they prepared for what some dubbed "The Fight That Will Save Boxing."

The show was an instant success. Whether it was the awesome soundtrack, the all-access look at training, or the undeniably entertaining Mayweather family, "24/7" became must-see TV overnight.

Averaging over 4.1 million viewers per week, "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7" served as the main promotional tool for what would go on to be the highest grossing pay-per-view boxing fight of all-time. The fight achieved a record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys and earned over $140 million in revenue, shattering the previous record of 1.9 million buys for Evander Holyfield/Mike Tyson "Bite Fight" in 1997.

Two years a several installments later, "24/7" (and the Mayweathers) is back, this time promoting Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s upcoming fight on September 19th against Juan Manuel Marquez.

Like most boxing fans, the Mayweather/Marquez fight isn't my dream matchup. It's clear as day that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are the two best fighters in the world. The fact that the inevitable fight between them keeps getting pushed back just opens up the possibility that by the time they actually fight, one or both fighters will be past their prime.

To be honest, if it weren't for "24/7," this fight would mean little more than a one-night sports filler for me before the MLB playoffs and NBA regular season get under way in October.

Still, nothing could spoil the return of "Money" Mayweather to reality TV for me. Less than five minutes into "Mayweather/Marquez 24/7," I was already setting a reminder on my phone for the day before the fight to order it.

HBO Sports has a way of doing that.

I'm convinced that if the 24/7 crew followed me around and the guy with the cool voice narrated my articles I would be the greatest writing sensation the Internet has ever seen.

(That voice, by the way, is that of Liev Schreiber, a.k.a. "Cotton Weary" from the "Scream" movies, or if you want to get really obscure, the "good" kidnapper from "Ransom" that offers Mel Gibson's kid a candy bar.)

Watching "Hard Knocks" earlier this month, I felt terrible when Reggie Kelly of the Bengals went down with a season-ending injury. It happened less than 15 minutes into the first episode of the season, and I was already attached to the guy.

That's what HBO does. They can make anything, even the trials and tribulations of a journeyman tight end, seem compelling. Over the past few years, they've quietly raised the bar for sports programming so high that no one else even comes close.

Whether it's a riveting documentary ("Assault in the Ring", which debuted last month, was really good) or shows like "Hard Knocks" or "24/7" that boast an almost impossible turnaround time, HBO continues to knock it out of the park with their sports programming.

Hell, even when HBO Sports swings and misses like they did with "Joe Buck Live," they still managed to inadvertently deliver great entertainment in the form of Artie Lange.

That's why 24/7 is so important to the sport: it brings back the entertainment aspect of boxing. As a boxing fan, of course I'm excited to see Floyd Mayweather fight again. He's the best fighter of my generation.

But if we're being honest here, I'm more excited to see his uncle, Roger Mayweather, mumble through four weeks worth of interviews. I'm excited to see how many different ways Floyd, Jr. can refer to himself as "The Greatest." I'm excited to see Floyd, Sr. do anything.

And when it's all said and done, after four episodes of "Mayweather/Marquez 24/7," I'm going to be excited for the fight.

That's the whole point of 24/7. Maybe the hype for the fight is a little overblown. Maybe it is nothing more than a tune up for Mayweather, a chance to knock off some of the dust before taking on Pacquiao in the spring, but at least HBO is doing a great job of promoting it.

With no single governing body, television contracts spread out across about10 different channels, and somewhere around 20 different weight classes with what feels like 50 different titles, boxing as a sport is a mess.

No one fight can save it.

But little by little, HBO is doing its part to keep boxing off life support and make title fights events in this country again.

Maybe we'll never have another fight that captivates the entire nation like Muhammad Ali/Joe Frazier back in the '70s. But as long as 24/7 is around, you can bet that HBO is going to try like hell to create one.

Given HBO's track record, if anyone can pull that off, they can.

And if they do, you can guarantee that I'll be tuned in every week for the 24/7 that leads up to it.

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

August 28, 2009

State of the Imperfect, But Glorious, Union

College football is getting stale.

Got your attention? Good. I'll need it; I kind of went Simmons-ian in length.

Don't get me wrong. I'm happier that college football is arriving next week than Donte Stallworth on sentencing day. We're obviously not talking about the kind of stale you get finding a piece of bread that was dropped behind a couch a year ago. There are plenty of great storylines. And not just the ongoing "who can create the most bizarre shape with his body" competition between Mark Mangino and Charlie Weis.

So while you read this apparent gripe-fest, don't protest with your thoughts on how college football is super-awesome. I know it is. But as any coach will tell you, you can always get better. And there are some things that irritate me right now. They might irritate you, too; feel free to weigh in with any ideas to fix some of the core problems I'm having:

Problem #1: Thanks to competitive imbalances, in a league of 120 teams, maybe 10 have a realistic shot (maybe four with great ones) at a reaching the national title game as of week one. Three, at most, have a good shot at most conferences.

Problem #2: Thank goodness there's a lot of games, because most are somewhat uninteresting, whether in-conference matchups are laughably lopsided, or out-of-conference matchups are scheduled so that a small program can make an extra buck while the big program gets an extra home game (read: can also make an extra buck.)

Problem #3: No one is discussing problem one or problem two, but kicking and screaming for a playoff. That would help the elite teams crown the elite-est team, but still not address the system as a whole.

Problem #4: The one compelling thing to play for once the conference title is out of the question, a bowl berth, has been cheapened so much that the bubble spotlight shines on crappy, .500 teams that got half their wins against the high school teams they schedule OOC. (Whether to cut bowls or explicitly delineate tiers of bowls, we basically need something tangible to give separation between nine-win, third-place finishes and seven-win, fifth-place finishes. Something for good, but not great, teams to play for.)

Obviously, I include Florida, Oklahoma, USC, and Texas are among those 10. You probably wouldn't give me even money if I took those four and gave you the field for the Crystal Ball. (If so, call me. The odds-makers sure as hell wouldn't.) Considering only one game pits two of those teams together, I find those odds to be a not so compelling race. "Winner is the one to not suck too much against a sucky team ... GO!" (Full disclosure, I went to USC. But, frankly, it almost gets old playing 8-10 games per year where the outcome is either A) expected by everyone, or B) utterly soul-crushing. Okay, it isn't that horrible to always win. I bet you are enjoying it less than I am. But still...)

Moving on, Alabama and Mississippi have enough talent and pretty manageable SEC schedules. (Non-SEC? After 'Bama/Virginia Tech, there are seven punch-lines to chose from.) LSU would be clinging to the outside of that boat, but they play Florida and Georgia, teams their aforementioned West rivals avoid. (Stumbling onto another problem, one with the 12-team division format, perhaps?) Penn State and Ohio State play each other, Ohio State plays USC, and then there's 21 games against double-digit underdogs that could propel one of them to the title game if they don't blink. Remember, we were a Hawkeye's blink from Penn State/Oklahoma for the title last year. Fun.

After that? Horrifyingly, the nation's leading senile grandpa, Lou Holtz, said Notre Dame has as good a chance as anyone at reaching the title game. More horrifyingly, he's actually kind of right. If the Irish have even moderately improved with experience and we haven't dramatically overrated (I believe the new term is "Irished") them at No. 23, they will be favored in 11 games. That's 10.

Oklahoma State and Georgia warrant mentioning, but they play each other, and have two in-conference top-11 roadblocks each.

Sure, it isn't quite as stagnant and boring as I describe, but it's closer to it than you think. A national title winner hasn't come from outside the top eight since 2002. And just one other title game participant came from lower.

To channel Jim Mora: "Playoffs? PLAYOFFS!?" They could set the field for an eight team playoff in the preseason, and you would almost never miss a title winner or runner-up.

The talent gap is too wide for us to pretend all these teams are in the same league. We all love upsets. They're cute. Exciting. And usually no one is watching the whole game, because most of the time when a team plays an inferior one, the expected happens. Talent wins. Coaching wins. And teams that have the most money, best facilities, and biggest support will continue to win more. That's just a fact. Wouldn't you rather see them play each other, rather than beating up on some hapless team looking for a game check and to escape without too many injuries? If we just wanted to see upsets, we could just have the top-10 play nothing but Sun Belt teams all year. Surely, we'd get a magical moment then. Eventually.

So what can we do add to the already palpable intrigue in college football?

First, systematically discourage these laughers of non-conference games. Charleston Southern will have to cope without their visit to the Swamp. (Name their mascot and colors, quick!) Schedule an exhibition game and sell tickets if you need a tuneup and they need a payday. BCS teams should never play D-1AA ... I mean, FCS teams. Ever. And cap the number of home games so teams have to play an OOC game on the road each year. Eight home games is a joke. And by forcing teams to travel, they'll start looking to teams that can put up a decent payout, and, voila, they start to play big-boy teams that get them TV coverage and national exposure ... and real live competition.

Second, (unlikely, but hell, it's my column) I am all for some form of realignment. Teams get behind in the college football world, and aren't all on the same rung. Why does Florida have to beat down Kentucky each year? Does Ohio State need to prove its dominance over Northwestern and Indiana every fall? USC has to show that it can beat downtrodden Washington schools that can't beat WAC teams?

The system ESPN posed is an intriguing one. Teams in the upper division (with four 10-team regions) play nine games a year against other teams in the top 40. My mouth waters at that sentence to the point where the impracticality and logistics problems I'm chewing on dissolve like cotton candy. If teams falter, they drop back into the lower division to reprove themselves. Lower division teams play other teams of their ilk, and have a chance to move back up by excelling; otherwise they remain in competitive, exciting games. Meanwhile, keep rivalries alive with the three non-league games. I'm not kidding myself that it could happen, but tell me that wouldn't be more fun than kicking a terrorist in the marbles.

Thirdly, yes. A playoff. Something that allows a team to lose a game and not be done for the year, but one that keeps every game pivotal in importance. Even now, a semifinal and a final should be enough. I've never heard someone say that the No. 5 team is the best in the land and should have a shot at the title. But four-team, eight-team, I don't care; get one.

Fourth, take action to balance the money and talent out a bit. Maybe cap the scholarships another level lower than now, say 80 or 75. Capping it at 85 in 1994 leveled the field dramatically, preventing the big guns from hoarding all the talent. NFL rosters make due with 53. College teams can make it with 75, plus their usual platoon of walk-ons and non-scholarship players.

Money-wise, the comparisons between even teams in the same conference can be kind of embarrassing. If we aren't going to realign and recognize that Iowa State, Missouri, and Oklahoma aren't in the same league, at least pretend to have an interest in a level playing field. Some schools have more alumni, money, and support for football, and the game should not be a check-writing competition between boosters. I'm not calling for radical collectivism, but implement a luxury tax on a percentage of revenue made over a threshold; put it into a fund, and let other FBS programs posting revenue below a threshold get a taste (keep the money within the conference, if you'd prefer), under the condition that they invest it into the athletic program.

You could make this fair. Have certain rules to limit benefits so teams don't end up abusing it; make them use it to build the program. The Yankees still make and spend by far the most money despite such taxing in baseball; the big boys won't suffer much. The little guys could take an extra recruiting trip or two, keep coaches for more than stepping-stone periods, or fix that one embarrassing aspect of the program/facilities recruits cringe at, all with table scraps from the big boys.

So there it is. Ranting and raving. I hope I didn't hit you in the front row as I foamed at the mouth. Again, I'm truly thrilled about college football being here, and if I wrote a piece on what was right about college football, I'd need to make it a mini-series that was not so mini. Plus, most of what I said will never happen. But at least two of the ideas were pragmatic, so cut me some slack.

And perhaps this obsession we all have with a playoff, with making everything perfect at the top, with worrying about only the best nationally and dismissing everything else, we miss great football. I'm guilty, too. I live in ACC country now. Unbelievably exciting conference. Regularly the most balanced, parity-driven conference, loaded with good, if not great, teams. Hell, even Duke can play now. And that should be what we consider great college football.

Since there hasn't been a true national contender for years, the ACC gets no respect. Nationally, we need to credit conferences built like this as being great for excitement and drama and take advantage, rather than shun them for failing to have a Superbeast. Embrace more parity. Watch some teams that aren't title contenders: Oregon State, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Iowa. Don't fall into the trap of having your entire season consumed by coverage of Florida, Texas, and my school. Even if ESPN drives you in that direction. You'll find a lot more on the buffet of college football that way.

So in that positive spirit, we end with the five most mind-numbingly annoying specifics to look forward to in 2009:

5. Unbalanced, 12-team conference schedules. As mentioned, silly. So easy to miss two or three of the best teams in the other division.

4. The lack of a true national contender in the ACC or Big East. I love parity, but come on, someone emerge once in a while.

3. The lack of at least second-rate contenders in the Big Ten to give Ohio State and Penn State the upset loss they would receive as the flawed contenders they are each year. At least the Pac-10 forces USC to keep its head up.

2. The lack of a fifth team on Florida's schedule. Georgia, neutral. LSU on the road. Maybe FSU in the Swamp. SEC title game. That's it. That's
their entire season.

1. Notre Dame is ranked. And with a schedule barely tougher than Florida's, they will probably finish that way.

Hey, I did go to USC, remember?

Posted by Kyle Jahner at 11:56 AM | Comments (3)

The NFL's Summer of Malcontents

To report on the NFL during the offseason can often be a tedious exercise if you want to do something other than make empty and ultimately foolish predictions. This year is different, however, but for all the wrong reasons. It has been an offseason that featured men guilty of being idiots, divas, criminals, and sometimes all of the above.

It may be worth noting that Terrell Owens has been one of the quiet ones. His move to Buffalo has gone relatively smoothly, even if it did only come about because he ruined the locker room resolve of the Cowboys last season. His quip about going from America's Team to North America's Team was well-played, even though I believe he wasn't clever enough to come up with it himself.

Most of this offseason has centered around players on the offensive side of the ball: particularly two quarterbacks and two receivers. This is only fitting, as recently all of these players have led offensive attacks of a very different sort. We have two quarterbacks playing who perhaps shouldn't be, and two wide receivers who will see no action in 2009. Let's start with the QBs.

Michael Vick has offended PETA lovers, dog owners, and basically anyone who values life on this planet other than just us humans. Number seven has served his time without incident, and will now return to the football field, still a national pariah.

Brett Favre has offended the sensibilities of all football fans who simply ask him to make career judgments based on honesty, integrity, and selflessness the way he claims to. In essence, he has become a politician.

In retrospect, both are sad stories. We loved Vick for the spectacular athleticism he once exhibited, as he appeared to be on his way to becoming the greatest rushing QB ever. The No. 7 highlight machine seemed to promise at least one wildly entertaining big-gain scramble every game. Leaps, dives, somersaults, and stops on a dime were the order of the day, and his highlights became a favorite part of our weekly diet.

Then Vick had other plans; he fed wild dogs to each other, and in the process, fed his career to the dogs. Surely, he showed signs on the field of being troubled even before that, as some may still remember the middle-finger gesture he once made towards his own fans when walking off the field into the tunnel, or the infamous Ron Mexico alias he was accused of using by a woman who claimed he knowingly gave her genital herpes. We realized, however reluctantly, that we could no longer make his on-field play our top priority in our opinions of this man.

Brett Favre has been lauded as an All-American hero since he famously filled in for Don Majkowski and won a game against Cincinnati with a dramatic touchdown pass to begin his career. He fit middle America's ideal mold for a football hero to a tee from the twang in his voice to his genuine-little-kid touchdown celebrations.

Even when he first began having trouble with the decision about retiring or playing one more year, we found it endearing. The man loved the game so much, he couldn't find it in his heart to let go of it. Surely, that's admirable to see as a fan. But Favre has taken that need to keep playing, and twisted and stretched and mutated it into something entirely different, something none of us can respect any longer. It's been four seasons in a row now of waffling, indecisiveness, and outright lying from the iconic one. Favre showed callous indifference for the Packers organization and the promising career of his young understudy, Aaron Rodgers, by making decisions, then un-making them on his own time, rather than the team's. After wiggling out of his contract to play for the Jets, he has finally come full circle and gotten his dirty revenge wish; a season with the rival Vikings to get back at the organization that made him a legend.

And just a week ago when Favre signed with Minnesota, he stared America straight in the face and said it had nothing to do with revenge. I don't know about you, but my intelligence was insulted when he made that statement. Why else would you pick the Vikings, Brett? It was widely known he wanted to go directly to the Vikings from the Packers last offseason and Green Bay would not give him his wish. Favre simply found a way around that and waited an additional year to strike.

And now on to the problematic pass-catchers. Plaxico Burress' self-inflicted gunshot wound vs. Donte Stallworth's life-ending bender. These are sad stories for different reasons than the QB dramas. Both cases involve a miscarriage of justice.

Plaxico Burress interrupted a dominant Giants season when his gun went off in the middle of a Manhattan nightclub and tore into his own leg. After being suspended for the remainder of the season, he was also condemned by NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, who promised Burress would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And so he was. Even for a civilian, two years in jail for a self-inflicted gunshot wound sounds like a bit of a stretch. Certainly former Giant legend Lawrence Taylor got away with more than that on a regular basis.

There is something to be said for the notion that athletes or celebrities should not be any more immune to the law than anyone else who commits the same crime. This has often been considered idealistic and unrealistic. If Plaxico's folly marks the first of a change in mentality when prosecuting athletes, then perhaps it is for a greater good, but this makes it no less frustrating to Burress and those close to him. He will spend the next two years behind bars because of actions that may have put others in danger, but harmed no one but himself.

Finally, there is Donte Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns, who was found to be both both legally intoxicated and high off marijuana after hitting and killing a pedestrian with his car in Miami Beach. Stallworth served a paltry 24 days in prison before being released. In fairness to Stallworth, who previously had a reputation as one of the NFL's good guys, he showed appropriate concern for the man he struck, called 911 on the man's behalf to rush an ambulance over, and cooperated with police. This does not change the fact that he struck and killed someone while both drunk and high.

There were no further charges pressed against Stallworth, he was clear to go after 24 days. Astounding. Well done, Miami legal system. Fortunately, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also found enough fault with this incident that he has suspended Stallworth for the entire 2009 season. Still, Stallworth walks freely while Burress copes with a long prison term.

We need the start of this 2009 season as soon as possible. Only then can the NFL's actual games take our attention off the foolishness of its players. And since T.O. still hasn't been arrested or suspended for anything yet, get your popcorn ready.

Posted by Bill Hazell at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2009

Also-Rans Key During MLB Stretch Run

The following is a conversation recently overheard between Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer and first baseman Justin Morneau.

Joe: Yo Justin, how's it goin'?

Justin: Not so hot. Rumor is our fan base is fixin' to take yet another hit. Football season, you know.

Joe: Yeah, heard that. It's too bad, too. With our stretch of games coming up against the dregs of the American League, we really have a chance to make a strong late run.

Justin: Amen, brother. Hey, so I hear you are a legit MVP candidate. Congrats, man. Been there, done that, would love to do it again sometime. How do you like your chances?

Joe: Too bad we can't get any media outlets to report on us; that really hurts. With all the attention being paid to those East Coast teams, you have to think it'll be someone from over there. Still, it sure is nice to be considered.

Justin: I'm sorry, what was that? I just got distracted; another one of those Brett Favre interviews on the television. Pretty sad the attention that guy is getting. And to think, we aren't even in Minnesota right now! You were saying?

Joe: Ah, nothing, no worries. Believe me when I tell you that you aren't the first to ignore me because of that dang [Brett] Favre cat. I'm sort of getting used to it.

Justin: Hey, could be worse. You could be that Sage Rosenfels fella right now. Whew, that dude has to have a complex. Started out as the future of Washington, got passed over in Miami in favor of some schlep named Fiedler, then was shipped out of Houston to a "great situation" only to learn five months later that Favre had another itch to scratch. That's gotta suck.

Joe: For real. I sure hope, for your sake, Kent Hrbek doesn't decide to make a comeback!

Justin: Very funny, kid, very funny.

This sort of give-and-take is not uncommon all around the league once late August rolls around. Most pennant chases are down to two or three contenders and the wild card rush is still a couple of weeks away, leaving lots of free time to discuss what really matters: MVP races and the upcoming NFL season. Even in Minnesota, where the Twins sit less than a half dozen games out of first, the collective fan base has moved on to follow every step of the aforementioned Favre as he preps himself for his first season as a Viking. As unfortunate as this is, it is the reality to nearly two dozen professional baseball cities and their teams.

But baseball must go on, even in those cities where frankly the race has been over since mid-May (Washington, I'm looking at you). In honor of such moribund franchises, what follows is a breakdown of the five most relevant irrelevant teams in Major League Baseball for the balance of the 2009 season.

1. Oakland Athletics

What role CAN they play — Only two teams in the AL sport worse records than the A's of Oakland. Things look bleak for a team that lacks any real quality depth within their pitching staff and has absolutely no power at the plate. Still, these A's have an opportunity to turn the division on its head as they face-off against the division leading Angels 10 times and the second-place Rangers for seven games. Throw in a series each against AL Central contending Chicago and Minnesota and the Athletics will be in position to rain on somebody's parade to be sure.

What role WILL they play — So far in '09, Oakland is 3-6 against the Angels and have actually played the division leaders pretty even. However, with Santana back on track and the return to health of Vlad Guerrero, Los Angeles clearly has the upper hand. Of the 10 games, seven are in L.A., so don't expect the A's to put up too great a fight. The real interesting point to note is the A's are 6-6 against Texas and of the six losses, four were by two runs or less. If these trends continue, and there is no reason to believe they won't, Oakland should do just enough to keep the Rangers out of the playoffs.

2. Milwaukee Brewers

What role CAN they play — Milwaukee still feasibly could play themselves back into either the division race or the wild card race, but that is unlikely at this point with the team remaining three games under .500. But the Brew-Crew has a talented lineup and could create havoc, changing the dynamics of the playoff chases completely. Milwaukee plays nine games against the division-leading Cardinals, so if the Cubs still hope to have a prayer at their third consecutive Central Division title, they had better become Brewer fans quickly. However, the Brewers also play the Cubs seven more times in September, so they'll be backed by the Cards for a bit, as well. Factor in three games each against San Francisco and Colorado and Prince Fielder & Co. play a key role in the contenders' plans.

What role WILL they play — Milwaukee is a very dangerous team to have to face in September. Their lineup, when producing, is as good as anyone's in the NL and with nothing to play for, you know they will revel in this role. The first series they play in September should set the tone for what is to expect from the Brewers as they travel to red-hot St. Louis and will face Carpenter and John Smoltz. If they steal two games from the Cards, expect the momentum to only build from there. If the Cubs are to win the NL Central, which is becoming more and more of a long-shot each day, Milwaukee will need to win at least six of the nine games against Tony La Russa's gang. I would anticipate this to happen, but am equally sure that the Cubs will not be able to put together the run of sustained wins they will need, so St. Louis will get in despite Milwaukee's efforts.

3. Kansas City Royals

What role CAN they play — Who says they have nothing to play for?! At 47-77, the Royals find themselves in their oh-so-familiar home below the other 13 AL teams in the standings. Still, this team is young and spunky and is hungry for a reason to play, which their remaining schedule provides. With Detroit holding a tenuous lead (at best) and the increasingly evident likelihood that the wild card team will come out of the AL East, the AL Central is a three-team fight for one playoff spot. With 15 games remaining against those three teams (Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Minnesota Twins), KC could play the spoiler and return a little bit of sunshine to an otherwise bleak summer.

What role WILL they play — Sadly, even though the Royals can make a late run that would mess up the plans of some of their bitter rivals, it remains unlikely that they will make such a run. With a combined record of 16-23 against the Sox, Twins and Tigers, a case could be made that they can put up a fight; however since their hot start, KC has gone 9-19 against those same six teams since mid-May. Expect more of the same as KC is unlikely to create any real concern amongst their opponents.

4. New York Mets

What role CAN they play — As the Mets fade further and further out of contention, the natives are getting understandably restless in the stands of their new gem of a ballpark. With little to play for outside of pride, this seemingly pride-less bunch may well win as few as a dozen games the rest of the season. Injuries have torn this promising roster apart, but they have also become annual underachievers, which certainly doesn't position them very well as any sort of "spoiler" down the stretch. Still, the Mets play the Cubs (6 games), Rockies (3), Marlins (8), Phillies (4), and Braves (6) among their final 36 games. If what is left of this team can put together any sort of passion and consistency in late August and into September, they could have a deciding say in who represents the senior circuit in the playoffs come October.

What role WILL they play — As surprised as I would be to see the Mets actually put together a string of consistency — especially one born from pride and love of the game — this is not an awful team. With the disappointment the Mets have felt in each of the last two seasons down the playoff stretch, you have to think they would love nothing more than to stick it to the Phillies in 2009. Unfortunately, with only four games against the Phils and a combined 14 against the Marlins and Braves, the only way for them to do that would be to tank those games against Florida and Atlanta. This is a tough pill to swallow, even for the Mets. The likely scenario will be New York playing out the string at or near .500 with Philly winning the division on the strength of their current lead and the other two fading as September moves along.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

What role CAN they play — Last year's NL West division champ is currently 15-games under .500 and sports one of baseball's worst home records (28-35). Injuries have derailed the team, particular within the ranks of their much-ballyhooed pitching staff, as has a shockingly unproductive lineup. Still, Arizona plays an astounding 22 of their last 37 games against the Dodgers, Giants, and Rockies, putting the underachieving Diamondbacks in the enviable position of being able to effect the outcome of their division rivals' playoff chances. The road to the NL Central title will pass through Phoenix again in 2009; unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, it is for all the wrong reasons as far as the home team is concerned.

What role WILL they play — Arizona has by far the most ability to make a difference in their division race. With the season-ending series against the Cubs, the D-Backs even have a say on what will go down in the wild card race. It is tough to predict how this team will fare as September rolls along, but I see them as being dangerous enough to impact their division race greatly. I fully expect the Rockies to suffer most from an Arizona resurgence and look for the Diamondbacks to knock Colorado into third place in their division. For good measure, I also expect the D-Backs to sweep the Cubs in the series during the season's last week to bury any playoff homes Chicago may have remaining at that time.

For this season's MLB postseason hopefuls, the Mets, Brewers, D-Backs, Royals, and A's will play an integral role. Each year, one or more teams that have sat at or near the bottom of the standings raise above their injury plague, unfortunate luck or underachievement to surprise some unexpected contender and knock them out of playoff contention. 2009 should be no different.

The only question left to answer is whether or not those five teams will answer the call and put their best foot forward in reveling in their underdog role.

Posted by Matt Thomas at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

What I Hate About Your Team: NFC

Also see: What I Hate About Your Team: AFC

Dallas Cowboys — "America's Team," huh? Well, I'm a 'murican, and the Cowboys are not my team. Apparently, the nickname started with an NFL Films producer. I'm gonna get a job with NFL Films and work tirelessly injecting into the public consciousness that the Cincinnati Bengals are "America's real team."

Philadelphia Eagles — Their stupid "Fly Eagles, Fly" theme song. I've lived in the Philly area for over six years now, and I'm no more a Philly sports fan than I was when I came here.

New York Giants — That they jettisoned the underlined "GIANTS" logo on their helmet. The retro design does nothing for me. The underlined one was the helmet of L.T. and their pre-2007 Super Bowl victories.

Washington Redskins — It's amazing that they cling to such a racist nickname. If you had a Native American friend, would you call him a Redskin?

Chicago Bears — A bear is an awesome animal, but do they play it up? No, their primary logo is that boring Cincinnati Reds "C." May I suggest instead a bear with a viking horn, a lion leg, and a Packers ... something ... hanging out of its mouth?

Green Bay Packers — Vince Lombardi. I know as a football fan I'm supposed to idolize him, but instead I think I would secretly enjoy it if he was coaching today, blowing his stack while losing to a bunch of thugs who don't even have crewcuts nor a bible in their locker.

Detroit Lions — William Clay Ford, Sr. You know what he's not good at? Running a football team. That's what he's not good at.

Minnesota Vikings — The historical haplessness. Losing four Super Bowls, "Marshall is running the wrong way!" and of course, the sex boat.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — How they don't go back to the creamsicle, Buccaneer Bruce uniforms on turn back the clock games.

Carolina Panthers — As a Bucs fan, I hate all of their division rivals, but I hate Carolina the most. I had the misfortune of sitting next to a Panthers fan watching a Bucs/Panthers game at a bar a few years back. He was obnoxious. I'd like to throw him into a cage with a 'roid-raging Steve Smith.

Atlanta Falcons — Their uniforms look like their were designed by the FOX NFL graphics production team.

New Orleans Saints — Their "Who Dat?" slogan. I don't care how long it's been retired. Irredeemably stupid.

St. Louis Rams — What you did to my fantasy team last year. What happened to the greatest show on turf? Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, Stephen Jackson — didn't you guys used to be good?

Seattle Seahawks — That grey-blue color is pretty stupid. And I'm not sure that Seattle, not exactly a beer-and-a-shot kind of city, should even have an NFL team.

Arizona Cardinals — One of the most sorry franchises in all of sports, you had a chance to strike a blow for the underdog in last year's Super Bowl that would have been heard 'round the world. But you blew it, and to the team that already had a share of the most Super Bowl victories.

San Francisco 49ers — Your lack of a real rivalry with the Raiders. Of course, teams have to be good for a rivalry to be interesting anyway, and when was the last time the Niners and the Raiders even combined for enough wins to get a team into the playoffs?

Posted by Kevin Beane at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)

August 26, 2009

Ochocinco, Bayless Enter Twitter War

I don't like Chad Ochocinco.

I don't like Skip Bayless.

But I do like the constant fighting between the two. It's like they're little children fighting over who gets to have the last cookie at lunch. Only this isn't a cookie, it's respect, and it isn't at lunch, it's on the World Wide Web.

Now, there are many reasons why Ochocinco is near the top of my most-hated NFL players list. One of them being his annoying attitude surrounding the league and its teams. While I do enjoy the way he reacts to some issues in the NFL, I typically find him to be immature and childish.

With Bayless, you not only get a stuck-up sportscaster, but you also get a person so stubborn that he'll often react in a similar way that his counterpart, Ochocinco, does.

That's why this whole argument is great. Bayless has insisted on a debate between the two on his show, "First Take," but that won't solve anything — nothing will. Ochocinco will continue to act like he is the best player in the NFL and Bayless will pretend like Ochocinco is somebody to be laughed at.

Figuring out exactly when the two began to argue is hard to find, but a good estimate would be whenever Bayless called out Ochocinco a few months ago.

In June, Bayless wrote in a Twitter message that "Chad Johnson lost me when he actually changed his name to Ocho Cinco. Straight clown. 'Hall of Fame' jacket was bad enough. Now no respect."

No respect? If anybody knows anything about Ochocinco, they can count on at least two things — he loves Twitter and he doesn't like to be disrespected. So naturally Ochocinco responded and the battle has been available to the public for free through the social networking website.

For months, there was trash talking and there were ridiculous jokes, but things started to get really heated recently whenever Ochocinco kicked the game-winning PAT and a kickoff in a preseason game against the New England Patriots. Everybody expects something like this from Ochocinco in a meaningless preseason game.

Everybody except for Bayless that is. After saying that the Cincinnati Bengals' receiver to watch this year was not Ochocinco, but instead Chris Henry, Bayless took another shot at the Bengals by saying that "[e]very NFL has two or three tryout kickers in camp, except the cheap Bengals. Do they really want Ocho Kicko trying crucial FG? Please, child."

Hours later, Ochocinco responds by suggesting that he is close to taking up Bayless' offer and appearing on "First Take" for a heated debate. Ochocinco said he was going to jump on Bayless "the way Jim Everett jumped on Jim Rome."

The Everett/Rome reference is a flashback to a 1994 incident where Everett appeared on Rome's show as a guest. On his show, "Talk2," Rome would constantly mock and put down Everett. After Rome did so to Everett's face on live television, Everett flipped a table over and charged at Rome before leaving the set.

If anything like this ever happens between Bayless and Ochocinco, I don't want to miss it. And with a confrontation getting closer, Ochocinco is saving his best for the final push by questioning Bayless' qualifications as a sportscaster: "How the fu#% did you even get a job, whoever hired you gets a short bus child pleeze without the helmet!!! Paid 2 be dumb!"

Bayless has said he is ready for a debate against Ochocinco. And now it looks like Ochocinco is, too.

Posted by Jay Huerbin at 11:13 AM | Comments (2)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 24

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Stewart fell off the pace early as a faulty radio necessitated several pit stops, taking the No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet out of contention soon after the green flag dropped. Then, after the radio issue was resolved, Stewart was struck by an electrical problem that caused his engine to lose power. The end result was Stewart's worst finish of the year and first result outside the top 30.

"Not only is '10-4' my car number," said Stewart, "it's also a useless term over a dead radio."

"It's not often I find myself reciting Queen lyrics during a race, but for a while there, all I could hear was radio ga-ga. Luckily, radio problems don't strike with great frequency."

"And speaking of radio, those lucky listeners who tuned in to the right frequency were treated to some fascinating dialogue. It was neither 'AM' nor 'FM,' but 'MF' band."

2. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson, winless at Bristol, had victory at the famed Tennessee track in sight, but a botched pit stop late in Saturday's race likely cost him the win. Johnson relinquished the lead during a pit under caution on lap 423, but a loose lug nut forced a return to the pits, and Johnson fell to 21st when green flag racing resumed. He still finished eighth, and rose from third to second in the Sprint Cup point standings.

"We absolutely cannot have those kinds of errors in the pits," Johnson said. "Heck, I've had better service parked on the White House lawn."

"In this business, mistakes can cost people races, championships, jobs, even $100,000."

"Of course, our bad luck was everyone else's good luck. Had I won this race, I think it would have even more apparent that I'm the man to beat in the Chase. As Walter Brennan often said in The Guns of Will Sonnett, 'No brag, just fact.' However, since we screwed up and lost the race, I have to curb my confidence. In other words, trade my 'high hat' for a 'Lowe's' hat."

3. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin was Bristol Motor Speedway's biggest mover, improving 36 positions from his qualifying start of 41st to finish fifth, his eighth top-five of the year. Hamlin fell a lap down when he shredded a tire on lap 64, but quickly recovered, boasting one of the fastest cars on the track as Joe Gibbs teammate Kyle Busch took the victory. Hamlin moved up one spot to fourth in the points, 423 behind Tony Stewart.

"I guess my fifth is outdone by Kyle's first," Hamlin said. "Just when it looks like I'm becoming Joe Gibbs Racing's 'ace in the hole,' I'm overshadowed by JGR's 'acehole.'"

"I'll be the first to admit that congratulations are in order for Kyle. And I'll be the last to admit to actually congratulating him. But Joe Gibbs insists I need to be a good teammate. You know, they say there are no 'team orders' in NASCAR, but in this case, I beg to differ."

4. Jeff Gordon — After an awful qualifying effort, starting 33rd, Gordon and the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet showed promise early, as they cracked the top 10 by lap 200. However, an unsuccessful adjustment left the car terribly loose, and Gordon struggled over the final half of the race. He finished 23rd, the lone Hendrick driver outside the top 10.

"It was a tough day for the top three in the points," Gordon said. "After a visit to the White House, Jimmie Johnson lost the race in the pits. Word is the guy who dropped the jack to soon has been impeached."

"And Tony Stewart had some radio issues. I'm not sure who couldn't hear who, but suffice it to say the No. 14 team's favorite rapper is not Mos Def."

"Of course, we can't forget Dale Earnhardt, Jr. I know the people of Junior Nation love coming to Bristol, especially when Dale cashes in a top-10 finish. I think I even heard his fans chanting 'Hooray for Valley, Dale.'"

5. Mark Martin — Martin started from the pole and led a race-high 207 laps at Bristol, but his quest for his fifth win was foiled by NASCAR bad guy Kyle Busch, who held off Martin over the closing laps, including an exciting three-lap duel to close the race. Martin firmed his Chase chances by improving two spots in the Sprint Cup point standings to tenth, 60 points ahead of Kyle Busch in 13th.

"Kyle may not be the most popular guy in NASCAR," Martin said, "nor a good human being in general, but he deserves to be raced fairly. That's why, instead of sending him into the wall, I attempted to 'pass the douche-y on the left-hand side.'"

"So, in essence, I took the 'high road' by taking the 'low road.'"

"But many may ask whether such clean racing amounts to 'Bristol blasphemy.' Not in my book. I may live more purely than Jesus himself, but Kyle is no devil, despite Brian Vickers' assertion that 'if Red Bull gives you wings, then M&M's must give you horns.'"

6. Kurt Busch — Busch, a five-time winner at Bristol, overcame some late setbacks to post a solid seventh at Thunder Valley, his 13th top-10 finish of the year. After a loose lug nut caused a serious vibration, Busch was later collected in a crash initiated by contact between Richard Childress teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer. Quick repairs to the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge gave Busch ample time to work his way through the field.

"We had a car good enough to win," Busch said, "but circumstances forced us to impress instead with our damage control. Luckily, we're much better at damage control than Jeremy Mayfield's public relations team, which I believe consists solely of a stepmother and a megaphone."

"Frankly, I'm stunned that Harvick would be so careless as to wreck Bowyer, RCR's only hope for making the Chase. When Richard Childress asked that his underperforming team 'come together,' I'm sure that's not what he had in mind. Of course, Harvick's helped choke Carl Edwards before; why not help Bowyer 'choke' in his attempt to make the Chase?"

7. Carl Edwards — Edwards battled handling problems throughout the night, as well as an overheating car, to salvage a 16th-place finish at Bristol. Starting 32nd in the No. 99 Aflac Ford, Edwards fell a lap down at one point, but got the "Lucky Dog" free pass with 60 laps to go before rallying. He fell one place in the point standings to fifth.

"I think the Aflac mascot would agree," Edwards said, "that Saturday night was one big 'cluster duck.'"

"But with a spot in the Chase practically secured, we can go all out for the win in these last two races, with the hopes of improving our seeding. It's simple. The No. 99 Roush Fenway Aflac team can either rise to the challenge, or 'duck' and run."

8. Kyle Busch — Busch snapped a 13-race winless streak with a much-needed win at Bristol, giving him a sweep of the season's races at Thunder Valley. Busch held off Mark Martin over the final laps of the Sharpie 500 for his fourth win of the year and vaulted two spots in the point standings to 13th, only 34 behind 12th.

"I'm always amazed at how one win can magically change the entire media's perception of me," Busch said. "I pull out the win in Bristol, and the headlines go from 'Busch Blows' to 'Busch Bows.' The media's skill at criticism is only outdone by their ability to forget."

"To be honest, I'm surprised Mark Martin didn't shove me out of the way and take the win. If the tables were turned, I would have pounced on the win with a maneuver that surely would have 'left a Mark.'"

9. Ryan Newman — Newman posted his first top-10 finish in the last five races with a sixth at Bristol, capping a busy weekend at Thunder Valley in which he raced in four events over four days. Newman improved two places in the point standings to seventh, 94 clear of Kyle Busch in 13th.

"Fortunately, we didn't have the electrical issues that plagued Tony," Newman said. "The car ran great. Not only were we dialed in, we were also plugged in."

"I know Tony's tore up about the No. 14 team's performance. In fact, he seems to be in a deep depression over the electrical mishaps that ruined his day. But he's got to snap out of it soon; the Chase begins in less than a month. Hopefully, he won't need to seek professional help, although it wouldn't be the first time someone's suggested 'shock' therapy for Tony."

10. Greg Biffle — Biffle qualified second, behind pole-sitter Mark Martin, and passed the No. 5 on the first lap to take charge early in the Sharpie 500. Biffle kept the No. 16 3M Ford out front for the first 76 laps until handling issues arose, allowing Martin to reclaim the lead. Biffle stayed close to the front until late adjustment remedied the handling issues, and he charged to his eighth top-five finish this year. He is now eighth in the points, 75 ahead of Kyle Busch in 13th.

"With no wins and a low Chase seeding staring me in the face," Biffle said, "I find myself in the same boat with Carl Edwards — a 'woe' boat. They call me the 'Biff,' and, in our quest for wins this year, we've whiffed. And that leaves me miffed. When it comes time for Chase seedings, we'll be stiffed. That's assuming we make the Chase, which is still a big 'if.'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:00 AM | Comments (2)

August 25, 2009

Who's Playing Florida For SEC Crown?

While it's a lightly contested opinion that Florida will cruise to its third SEC East title in four years come December, who they'll be facing remains a mystery. Will Mississippi's Jevan Snead improve upon his 26 touchdowns as a first-year starter? Will Nick Saban and Alabama take advantage of what many perceive to be a weak schedule? Will first-year starter Jordan Jefferson and a talented defense be able to overtake the pass-happy Florida Gators? The following are some of the frontrunners to challenge Florida for the 2009 SEC title along with a couple of dark horse teams you may want to think twice about.

Mississippi State

With what many consider to be a solid defense, new head coach Dan Mullen, 36, will have a bright future ahead of him. After all, Mullen, who was hired in December, was Florida's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the past four seasons, spending most of his time grooming the Heisman-winning All-American Tim Tebow. Tebow, one of only two players to win the Maxwell Award (given to the nation's top football player) and Heisman, shows just how good a coach Mullen is, and will be, at Mississippi State.

Sadly, this is his first season not just as head coach at Mississippi State, but as head coach anywhere. The team that finished with a paltry 2-6 conference record and 4-8 overall record (both SEC worsts) won't get much better. Sophomore quarterback Tyson Lee will improve upon his 7 touchdowns and backup running backs Christian Ducre and Robert Elliott will benefit from the improvement in quarterback play that Mullen will bring. Freshman recruit Montrell Conner (6'2”, 210 pounds) out of Monroe, Louisiana, will certainly add to their stable of running backs.

Odds of winning the SEC West: 200/1

Arkansas

The strength of this team has to begin and end with the genius of head coach Bobby Petrino. The man is a genius and convincing sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallet to transfer to the Razorbacks from Michigan shows what kind of recruiter Petrino is. Mallet only helps what is a burgeoning offense. The defense, while not great, isn't bad and the recruiting of two top cornerbacks in Darius Winston and David Gordon will help the Razorbacks' pass-defensive woes.

However, all these things will only help in the future. While Arkansas may only be one year away from contention, it's still one more year. The greatness of LSU, Alabama, and Mississippi will overtake a team that is so obviously improving on both sides of the ball.

Odds of winning the SEC West: 150/1

Auburn

A new head coach, a new offensive coordinator, a new starting quarterback, poor returning talent, and lack of recruiting will never translate into good news for the home team. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, innovator of the Wildcat offense at Arkansas, will do good things for the Tigers by season's end, but can hiring a 5-19 head coach out of a program like Iowa State be considered a good move?

Not only that, but the departure of Auburn's defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes, and a thin defensive depth chart, gives Auburn hopefuls feeling hopeless. Look for improvement by season's end, but not much. A 6-6 overall record in December is most likely.

Odds of winning the SEC West: 125/1

LSU

First-year quarterback Jordan Jefferson will lead this talented offense and will be a bright spot on the team. After all, how could you not get better than Jarrett Lee, throwing 13 touchdowns to 16 interceptions last season? Senior running back Charles Scott certainly came into his own, running for 1,174 yards and 18 touchdowns and will certainly help ease the burden of Jefferson as he attempts to combat the stringent defenses of the SEC.

The Tigers should settle into the middle of the SEC West early into the season and it will be evident by the time conference play starts why. With a new defensive coordinator and a lack of development, LSU lacks the defensive strength to overtake Ole Miss or Alabama, two offenses that will run circles around the inexperienced Tigers. Also, LSU has a brutal schedule, playing at Georgia October 3rd, Florida on October 10th, at Alabama on November 7th, and at Mississippi November 21st. LSU will lose at least two of those games. It's not inconceivable that the Tigers lose all four of those.

Odds of winning the SEC West: 75/1

Ole Miss

Many people can't seem to wrap their head around the fact that Ole Miss is a potentially dangerous team, especially on offense. In years past, their air attack has left something to be desired, but with the improvement of third-year player Jevan Snead, their three starting wide receivers being seniors Dexter McCluster (44/625/1), Shay Hodge (44/725/8), and Mike Wallace (39/784/1) and running backs Cordera Eason and Brandon Bolden coming into their own last season, combining for nearly 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns, Rebels fans have plenty to be hopeful about.

The only reason Ole Miss can't edge Alabama out for the top spot is because of strength of schedules. By the time the two teams meet on October 10th, the Crimson Tide will have played five games, with only one against a formidable opponent (opening day at home against Virginia Tech). Ole Miss will have battled through four games, three of which are on the road. They'll be coming off two straight road games against weak SEC East opponents Vanderbilt and South Carolina, but road games are road games and Ole Miss will drop the early game against Alabama and trail the Crimson Tide for the remainder of the season.

Odds of winning the SEC West: 25/1

Alabama

They say defenses win championships, but the same can be said for lightweight schedules. While it's true that Alabama was building up to this year (the Crimson Tide will see nine of their 11 defensive starters return) their schedule is easily manageable. Their first away game isn't until October 3rd when they travel to Kentucky. Their first away game that will be a challenge is the following week at Mississippi. That is their only away game that will present any kind of problem for the Crimson Tide as their third and fourth games are at Mississippi State and Auburn, respectively. Four away games and seven home games? Are you kidding me?

The offense will feature quarterback Greg McElroy, who will bolstered by having weapons like wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Mark Ingram. Finally, Alabama will have the best head coach in the SEC West in Nick Saban and a team of assistant coaches and coordinators that only flesh out one of the best coaching staffs in the country.

The only chink in the Alabama armor seems to be a weak offensive line. If they can't gel by the third week, look for Ole Miss to overtake them in the West.

Odds of winning the SEC West: 15/1

Posted by Ryan Day at 11:57 AM | Comments (8)

Time For Solheim to Bring on Asia

For the eighth time in 11 chances, the United States beat the Europeans in the Solheim Cup. The USA is undefeated on its home turf and a very respectable 2-3 in road games. With a resounding 72% winning percentage in the event, I think it's time for the patriots to have a new opponent. Kick Europe out of the Solheim Cup.

Now, the reaction is going to be one of shock and horror. Let me anticipate a few responses:

"Ryan, you can't do that! Europe played so closely against the Americans. They proved they belong in the Solheim Cup!"

"The Europeans chicks were hot! Don't take that eye candy away from me."

"The Solheim now has two decades of history behind it. Why stop now?"

True. Yes, some of the Euros are hot. And if I have been alive longer than something, that's not enough history.

Look, this week's Solheim Cup was thrilling and interesting. The Americans almost went out of their way to get the crowd pumped. The golf was excellent. The gallery was out of sight. Even with the phony swans at the 17th hole, Rich Harvest Farms provided for some genuinely compelling match play.

The problem is that the expected result happened — yet again. Sure, the result — 16 to 12 — may not have indicated how close the match appeared to be halfway through the Sunday singles matches, but the Americans pulled through in the end to vanquish their familiar and weaker opponent. Winning on foreign soil is indeed a tough thing to do, but the Europeans made no excuses for that fact or anything else as to why they lost.

The Euros are fun to play against. They are more familiar with team competitions and match-play than most of their American counterparts. It gives them a strong advantage when it comes to team creation, course management, and general strategy. Though the USA prevails an overwhelming percentage of the time, the mental edge and the unending underdog mentality gives the Europeans a fighting chance.

The Euros have a different philosophy when it comes to expression. Their celebrations are shorter, more resolute, and defiant. Diana Luna's butt bump with her caddy following a victory over Nicole Castrale was the perfect example. Losing had clearly gotten under her skin and the win provided a chance for her to stick it to the victors in an individual way. Their passion for this competition — despite the thorough setbacks — has helped define this event's story.

That said, that is not enough for this competition anymore.

2009 has been one of the roughest years in the history of the LPGA Tour. Former Commissioner Carolyn Bivens oversaw a hemorrhaging of events unseen in the Tour's half-century plus history. Economic conditions and stubborn demands have created the perception that this product has an inflated sense of identity. This competition may well show that women's golf can be awfully riveting, but it does not showcase a reality that the Tour struggles to confront.

Don't call it by name, but no American has won on the LPGA Tour since May. That came when Cristie Kerr won the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill. Since then, the Americans have gone 0-fer on the Tour. Curiously enough, two members of the European team — Anna Nordqvist and Catriona Matthew — did win events. Every other winner in between was of Asian descent.

Asian players are dominating women's golf. Half of the last eight majors have been won by Asian golfers, one by an American, and two by Europeans. Lorena Ochoa claims the other. The second generation of Asian players — largely influenced by Se Ri Pak's initial success in 1998 — are now coming into their own. Two years from now may well be the watershed year that propels Asia into the position of being the most talented continent for women's golf.

The problem is that this transition is being received very poorly by American fans. Fans complain that the Asian players do not speak English very well. Others complain that they don't show much personality. While that's not really true, perception is reality when it comes to things like this. Perhaps because of their superb focus and calm demeanor, they have garnered the reputation as being robotic competitors. Eun-Hee Ji's celebration after a birdie to win the U.S. Women's Open may have done some good to destroy that imposed barrier, but Ji is just one example.

For the health of women's golf, Europe needs to be replaced by Asia in the Solheim Cup — even if temporarily, or in some kind of three-team rotation. (I'm completely open to suggestion on how it would work.)

Having Asia play some kind of part in the Solheim Cup would provide the public relations mercifully needed to boost the personal reputation of Asian players. Team-based match play brings out emotions that fans do not normally see in individual, grinding stroke play. The American players — with the very notable exception of Christina Kim — do not show nearly as much emotion on the course when it is only their hyde on the line. Insert a nationalistic theme and surround these girls with a team of their peers, and all of a sudden, women's golf becomes more emotional, compelling, and stirring to LPGA Tour fans and the general sporting public.

The same thing can be true for Asian players. These girls are no different than any other competitor. Put them in a situation that instills teamwork and continental pride, and the personalities of players flourish and become very evident. The girls on the LPGA Tour had very little clue that Michelle Wie was as emotional and fun as she is before this weekend. It took them being locked into some kind of wood-paneled team room to figure that out. This weekend was a public relations win for Wie that was not anticipated. The combination of her solid play (3-0-1 this weekend) and the way she carried herself with fans, press, and her teammates gave her a public rebirth that may be the springboard to finally meeting the burden of expectations that she has carried since before she could attend high school. Even if it is not, the public regard for Wie has drastically improved.

It's not a guarantee that the same thing would happen for Asian players, but it is tough to deny the strong possibility that it would help. After berating Gwladys Nocera for shooting 91 at the Women's British Open last month, I am a bigger fan of hers for putting up a hell of a fight this weekend. Who knew that Tania Elosegui was such a fiery and tough match? Diana Luna is kind of spunky, and I liked that about her.

Replace those names with the depth of talented Asian names. Perhaps then the barriers placed by American and European fans to embracing the supposed invaders from the East would begin to crumble. Asian golfers would be more perceived as a true part of the women's golfing community as opposed to strangers that have suddenly taken over the sport. That can be nothing but good for the future of the LPGA Tour that seeks to become the most globetrotting of any circuit in the game today.

The Solheim Cup serves a great purpose as a team competition, but its bigger purpose is an exhibition to showcase the humanity of players that often fail to show it when they play on their own. Solheim is a chance for fans to discover players they may not know from abroad and better understand the personalities behind the names they see on the leaderboard. Given that so many Asian-born players are on the LPGA Tour's leaderboards, breeding some familiarity with those names may well give Solheim an even bigger purpose as the game continues its transition to becoming a truly global game.

We may have to wait seven years for golf to get into the Olympics, but the Solheim Cup can certainly help showcase the global strength of the game sooner.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2009

The American League Shark Tank

If you haven't been watching "Shark Tank," a new reality show on ABC, you're missing out. And apparently you're not watching, since "Shark Tank" debuted two weeks ago with less than impressive ratings.

Basically, the idea of the show is that small business owners, people with ideas for new businesses, or inventors go in front of a panel of savvy (read: ruthless) self-made millionaires and try to convince them to invest in their company or product.

The show works on so many levels. First of all, the millionaires are all putting their own money up and investing in real businesses and real people, so there isn't the "one of these idiots is going to get a million bucks" feel to it that most other reality shows have. More often than not, the sharks just belittle the small business owners and laugh at their outrageous asking prices before sending them on their way.

When a shark has heard enough of a bad sales pitch or receives a ludicrous counteroffer, they have a simple yet effective two-word phrase that works to stop a presentation dead in its tracks every time: "I'm out." No capitol to get your business off the ground, no lump sum payment for your patent, nothing. Just, "I'm out."

What's not to love about that? It's Donald Trump meets Simon Cowell, only instead of insulting someone about their karaoke skills, the sharks essentially mock most of these poor people's entire livelihood.

Trust me, it makes for great television.

Unfortunately, to this point, my life has played out more like that of the hopeless business owner foolishly demanding unreasonable amounts of money than that of a shark.

That all changes today. I had an epiphany flipping back and forth between last night's episode of "Shark Tank" and the Yankees/Red Sox game on ESPN; when it comes to betting on anyone other than the Yankees winning the American League, I'm out.

You can currently get the Red Sox at 6/1 odds to win the AL; the Tigers at 15/2; the Angels at 7/2; the Rangers at 9/1; the Rays at 14/1. I wouldn't bet on any of those teams with your money.

I don't care that the Yankees are a hideous 6/5 favorite to win the AL and a 12/5 favorite to win the World Series; if I were a betting man, I'd have already made a big bet on the men in pinstripes after watching them dismantle the Sox in Fenway this weekend.

After all, the goal of any good shark is to make as much money as possible. Even if the odds aren't exactly conducive to a huge payday, would you bet against the Yankees right now?

Not only do they have two of the top three AL MVP candidates in their lineup in Derek Jeter and Mark Teixiera, but nine different Yankees have at least 15 home runs right now. No other team in the league has more than five players with 15 home runs.

All nine of the Yankee Regulars have an OPS of over .800; the Angles have seven such players, no other team has more than five.

Quite simply, the Yankees hit the cover off the ball.

But it's not just their hitting that makes them such a force. When you spend $250 million on pitching in the offseason, you would hope not.

Indeed, the big spending on CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett has paid off for the Yankees. Led by their newly acquired initialed aces, the Yankees boast a team ERA of 4.39, under the AL league average of 4.46. While that may not be a mind-blowing stat, when you consider that the new Yankee Stadium ranks as the most hitter-friendly park in the American League in terms of home runs, it becomes that much more impressive that the Yankees staff has been above average at allowing runs.

The Yankees pitching staff also averages the most strikeouts per nine innings and has the fourth-best WHIP in the American League.

Oh yeah, and they also have the greatest closer in the history of the game, still performing at an elite level at the age of 39 in Mariano Rivera, who also happens to lead the league in saves with 36.

And as if being great in both hitting and pitching wasn't good enough, the Yankees also have the fourth highest defensive efficiency rating in the league.

Unfortunately, only the people at Baseball-Reference.com and Matt Damon from "Good Will Hunting" can explain the formula behind the defensive efficiency rating, so I can't really elaborate much further on that, but we can all agree that being in the top five in overall hitting, pitching, and defense lays a pretty good foundation for a potential World Series champion.

It's not just the overall greatness of the Yankees that has me saying "I'm out" on the rest of the American League, either. All of the other contending teams in the AL have major flaws.

The Tigers can't hit or win on the road. The Red Sox are too inconsistent and look like they peaked about four months too early. The Angels have nine players hitting over .300, but rank in the bottom third in team ERA and fielding. The Rangers and Rays both get by on their overall depth, but neither has a definitive ace at the front of their rotation that can match up with the CC's and Burnett's of the world (although Scott Feldman looks like he could be headed there for Texas), a fatal flaw in a playoff series.

With so much working in their favor right now, it looks like the only way the Yankees lose is if they beat themselves. For as impressive a regular season as this has been so far, the same Yankees that are producing right now also have a track record of not showing up in the postseason.

A-Rod's struggles in the playoffs are well documented. So are Sabathia's. A.J. Burnett has never pitched in the postseason and Joba Chamberlain has never started a playoff game.

Mark Teixiera played well in his one and only postseason appearance, but he didn't advance past the ALDS with the Angels last season. Matsui is 10 for his last 47 in the playoffs. Even Mr. November himself, Derek Jeter, is only batting .285 in his last four playoff series, a good 32 points lower than his career batting average.

That's a lot of players underachieving at once. Maybe one or two of them will continue their unremarkable postseason careers this October, but if I have to count on several different all-star caliber players to play below their potential in order for someone other than the Yankees to win the American League, I'm sorry, but I'm out.

A good shark always knows a good deal when he sees one. 6/5 odds on the Yankees to win the AL, as unimpressive as it looks on paper, is still a better deal than anything you can get on any of the other teams. I say take it.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:50 AM | Comments (2)

August 21, 2009

Sports Q&A: Favre, Vick, Cable

Michael Vick is a an Eagle. Brett Favre is a Viking. And Oakland coach Tom Cable is a pugilist. What type of reception can these three expect when they travel to enemy territory this season?

Wow! What a whirlwind of activity the last two weeks have been. A questionable signing, questionable behavior, and a questionable retirement have conspired to form a perfect storm of NFL lunacy.

First, Vick signed a two-year deal with the Eagles, making him the highest-paid, ex-highest paid quarterback in football. Clearly, it was in Vick's best interest to sign with a team represented by an animal mascot. While PETA didn't condone Vick's signing, they did verify Vick's assertion that "flipping the bird" causes no pain to animals.

Then Raiders coach Tom "The Bay Area Bomber" Cable reportedly punched assistant coach Randy Hanson, an allegation that, if proven to be true, would be the first instance of accuracy of anything thrown by a Raider in the last five years.

Finally, Brett Favre trumped the magnitude of those stories by signing with the Vikings, just weeks after indicating he would stay retired. Apparently, Favre's word is as good as a Magic 8-Ball's.

Favre further alienated Packer fans by stating that "true Packer fans" would understand his motivations and machinations. Fans responded that a "true Packer" would understand why he's now an outcast in Green Bay.

Not that anyone should feel sorry for Favre. Should football not work out, again, he's got that acting career to fall back on. Hollywood insiders are whispering that Favre's in line to star in the next Batman movie, playing Batman's villainous arch-nemesis, "The Waffler."

So, where does that leave each team? Besides with less credibility? Well, for one, it leaves them open to ridicule from fans and public address systems of opposing teams. So, Vick, Favre, and the Raiders can expect to hear it loud and clear when they travel to some of the more hostile locales on their 2009 schedule.

When the Eagles travel to FedEx Field on October 26th to face the Redskins, you can best believe the speakers will be blaring ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me," with Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" sure to follow.

Not only will the "Hogs" be represented in Washington, so will the "Dogs," as Vick will certainly be teased with animated barks and cat calls.

And of course, you know some clever fan in Oakland's Black Hole, where the Eagles face the Raiders in Week 6, will display a poster of a dog staring down Vick, with the words "Fido vs. Phi-Do."

In the case of the Raiders, Cable's punch is pure overkill. Obviously, there's already enough material of which to ridicule the organization without coaches duking it out in a hotel room. Actually, Cable's punch is decades too late; someone should have KO'ed Al Davis long ago.

As would be expected, Cable has refused to comment, or even acknowledge, the incident. Of course that's no surprise, because the first rule of "Fight Club" is "you do not talk about Fight Club."

Anyway, Oakland's first away game on the slate takes them to Arrowhead Stadium, home of division rival Kansas City and their vocal fans. There, you can expect to hear Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" or LL Cool J's "Momma Said Knock You Out."

And since Cable slugged a coach named "Hanson," wouldn't Hanson's "MmmBop" be an extremely fitting tune?

Minnesota opens the season in Cleveland Stadium, home of the Dawg Pound, where fans, upset at not getting a chance to rail on Michael Vick, will apply all their energy towards welcoming Brett Favre.

Cleveland fans have been known to toss foreign objects at opposing players, so Favre can expect to dodge a fair share of batteries, dog bones, beverages, and, in Favre's case, probably the most apropos projectiles in NFL history, yo-yos. All of this as the Beatles "Let it Be" sets the mood from the PA system.

And it won't get any easier for Favre when the Vikes head to Lambeau Field on November 1st. There, if Favre is, in fact, still playing, he can do so while the Packer faithful get a sarcastic kick from the sounds of the Captain and Tennile's "Do That to Me One More Time."

And to really get under Favre's skin, Metallica's "Unforgiven," "Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me," and U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" would really have the former Packer second-guessing himself. And Tupac Shakur's "I Get Around" couldn't make him feel any better.

For those Packer fans still a little uneasy about criticizing the iconic Favre, Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me" would point them in the right direction.

Finally, in the closing number, which would surely have all of Lambeau singing along, the speakers could blast Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:48 AM | Comments (0)

National League Cy Young Race

Also see: American League Cy Young Race

Top Contenders

These are the pitchers who are the front-runners for the award right now.

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants — The reigning Cy Young winner is making an extremely compelling case for winning a second time. He currently leads the league in ERA, innings, and strikeouts and ranks third in WHIP and fourth in wins. Lincecum currently owns a 2.19 ERA and is on pace to win 17 games and strike out 289 batters. He is currently considered by many to be the front-runner and barring injury or major meltdown, is the odds-on favorite to bring the award home for a second time in two years.

Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals — The Cardinals' right-hander has been arguably the best pitcher in the league over the last six weeks, going 6-2 with a 1.21 ERA since the end of June. He currently leads the league with 14 wins, is second in innings, and fifth in ERA and strikeouts. He is on pace to throw 238 innings and strike-out 205 batters this season. Wainwright is typically strong down the stretch and could post 20 wins this season.

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants — The other half of the Giants' version of Spahn and Sain is having a breakout season posting a 12-4 record with a 2.49 ERA this far this season. Cain is on pace to win 17 games and is going to lose votes to Lincecum.

Dan Haren, Arizona Diamondbacks — Haren was running neck-and-neck with Lincecum at the break, but has seen his stock slide posting a 3-2 record with a 4.15 ERA since then. He has seen his ERA rise from 1.96 to 2.50 over his past five starts. Despite his struggles, he is still fourth in the league in ERA, wins, and strikeouts, is third in innings, and leads in WHIP. As the D-Backs slide further out of postseason contention, Haren becomes more of a long-shot to win.

Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals — The biggest argument against Carpenter is he missed about a month earlier in the season and is going to end up with about five or six fewer starts than the other contenders. However, there is no arguing against how well he has pitched ascending to second in the league in ERA and WHIP and has won six straight decisions to get to 12-3. Carpenter will have to pitch near perfect baseball the rest of the way to win the award.

Dark Horses

These are pitchers who have an outside shot at getting in contention, but will need to pitch lights-out baseball to stand a chance.

Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins — Johnson currently owns a 12-2 record with a 2.85 ERA and has pitched well all season long, but he does not rank in the top five in innings, strikeouts, or ERA.

Javier Vasquez, Atlanta Braves — Vasquez is second in the league in strikeouts and owns a 2.90 ERA, but is going to be lucky if he wins more than 15 games this season.

Johan Santana, New York Mets — Santana is second in the league in wins and is in the top 10 in innings and strikeouts and is always a threat to run off six or seven straight wins. However, Santana has been let down on numerous occasions by his teammates this season and is unlikely to have a low enough ERA to warrant serious consideration.

In the end, look for this race to come down to Lincecum and Wainwright. Lincecum is clearly the most dominant pitcher going right now and should win it unless he has a meltdown and comes back to the pack. Wainwright is going to get serious consideration if he wins 20 games, but is unlikely to have a comparable ERA or number of strikeouts.

This story was re-published with permission from PopPickle.

Posted by Eric Engberg at 11:45 AM | Comments (0)

August 20, 2009

Dark Horse and a Playoff Seat

Every year, baseball revels in its wooly mammoths. The Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals, and Angels of the diamond seem to propel themselves into the playoffs. But the landscape wouldn't be the same without the teams that rise up to challenge for their spot in the October sunshine. Any baseball follower will remember last year, when the Tampa Bay Rays stunned the world and lifted themselves to the World Series. So, who are this year's dark horses as we speed toward September?

Texas Rangers (67-52)

They don't appear to be your father's, or even your cousin's, Rangers ballclub. Manager Ron Washington seems to have hit a nerve that has Texas not only in the hunt for the wild card, but still within spitting distance of the AL West. There's been no secret that they can hit. That's been true since the mid-'90s. The question has always been, 'Will their pitching hold up?'

Scott Feldman has been their surprise star. With a 12-4 record, the righty is tied for sixth amongst AL pitchers in victories. Tommy Hunter is giving the Rangers what rookie J.A. Happ is providing for Philadelphia, a young hurler that's racking up quality starts and, more importantly, wins. The back of the bullpen is solid, with C.J. Wilson and Frankie Francisco converting 32-of-38 save opportunities.

The Rangers need Kevin Millwood to get back towards his inning-eating ways. But with a lineup that includes Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Hank Blalock, and a rejuvenated Josh Hamilton, I'd try to throw strikes and get outs.

Chances to win division: 10% (zero if the Angels stay on a roll through Labor Day)
Chances to win wild card: 35%

Tampa Bay Rays (65-54)

Sure, this is the same team that won the American League pennant last season, but these guys aren't perennial juggernauts yet. While the AL East looks a bit out of reach, the stingers are still alive for a wild card fight. Unlike last season, the Rays didn't shoot out of the blocks and stay hot. Things seemed to poke and prod their mojo.

The starting pitching isn't as strong. Jeff Niemann (Jeff Niemann?) leads the rotation with 11 wins and a 3.71 ERA. No other starter has more than seven tallies in the wins column. David Price, Scott Kazmir, and Andy Sonnanstine all have earned run averages over 5.00 (the latter two are over 6.00).

The bullpen was in shambles early on. Troy Percival got hurt again. Jason Isringhausen didn't last much longer. But Tampa finally found a saving grace when J.P. Howell stepped into the closer role. Howell has converted 14-of-19 save chances and picked up 6 wins on top of everything.

And let's not forget about second baseman Akinori Iwamura. He only got to play 44 games before losing the rest of his season to a knee injury in late May. The credit for filling the void goes to Ben Zobrist, whose 20 dingers have to be a power improvement from what Iwamura could have provided.

Yet, with all of those obstacles, the Rays find themselves in the heat of the playoff race. Now, with a year of postseason play under their belts, can Tampa handle the pressure of a repeat appearance?

Chances to win division: 0% (too far back of the Yankees at this point)
Chances to win wild card: 25%

Colorado Rockies (67-53)

The Rocky Mountains had been pretty quiet for a year and a half. After an improbable run to the 2007 Series, Colorado sunk below sea level in '08 and appeared to be headed that way again. Then, the avalanche of losses swept Clint Hurdle out of the manager's seat. Jim Tracy used the opportunity to his team's benefit.

The Rockies have been able to bash the ball, with six players hitting double-digit homers so far. Troy Tulowitzki is cracking the cover off the ball after a disappearing act in 2008. Clint Barmes has come on strong, Brad Hawpe has taken over where Matt Holliday left off, and Todd Helton just hits and hits and hits.

The aspect of this team that is completely confusing is the starting rotation. Ubaldo Jimenez? Aaron Cook? Jason Marquis? Jorge De La Rosa? If you told me that two, let alone all four, pitchers would have ten wins by mid-August, I'd uncontrollably chuckle from disbelief. All four are also near or below a 4.50 ERA. Huston Street may be the least surprising of their hurlers. The closer is back to his early Oakland days (31-of-32 saves converted this season). Maybe there is something to this Rocky Mountain air.

Chances to win division: 5% (pretty much a puncher's chance)
Chances to win wild card: 25%

San Francisco Giants (66-54)

Out of all of the "surprise" teams in the hunt (Rays not included), I might be rooting for the Giants the most. They've cleared the air of all the Barry Bonds controversy from the last decade. Now, the power of the team comes from the mound. Even with Randy Johnson out since early July, AT&T Park holds possibly the league's best one-two punch.

Tim Lincecum has 12 wins, the NL's second-best ERA (2.37), and lead the Majors in strikeouts (207). Matt Cain also boasts 12 wins and the NL's third-best ERA (2.49). Both should easily bypass 200 innings for the season, and each outing by these two seems like a lock for seven innings or more.

And it's a good thing that there are two aces at the top of the staff. This squad's hitting prowess is on the light side. The morale is lifted through the "Kung-Fu Panda" himself, Pablo Sandoval. The third baseman leads the team in average (.327), homers (18), and RBI (70). But in the end, pitching will make or break the Giants.

Will Johnson return and help the rotation in September? Can Barry Zito continue to be effective enough to rack up victories? Can Jonathan Sanchez provide stability after throwing his surprise no-hitter on July 10th?

Chances to win division: 15% (they have the pitching to scare Los Angeles)
Chances to win wild card: 50%

Florida Marlins (64-56)

It's hard to believe that the team from Miami is only in its 17th season of existence. Only four years after their debut, the Marlins won the World Series. Only six years after their first title, the Fish backed it up with another one. And guess what? The six-year cycle has come around again. All you need to do is erase the old names and pencil in the current product. Gary Sheffield turns into Cody Ross. Moises Alou slides over for Jeremy Hermida. Derek Lee fades to Jorge Cantu. Alex Gonzalez flips to Hanley Ramirez. Craig Counsell is replaced by Dan Uggla. Josh Beckett and Livan Hernandez ... meet Josh Johnson. The faces may change, but the result has remarkably been the same ... for now.

While Florida continues to stockpile young, explosive talent, the big concern with them is, like many, their rotation. After Johnson (12-2, 2.85 ERA, 140 SO), can Ricky Nolasco and Chris Volstad right the ship enough to give the Marlins a push up the wild card ladder? And who can step into the slot that Andrew Miller couldn't fill? It might not be as big of an issue if they had a one-two punch like San Fran's Lincecum and Cain. Unfortunately for this Oceanside city, they don't have that luxury.

Chances to win division: 20% (they swept the Phillies in Philly a couple of weeks back)
Chances to win wild card: 15%

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 11:36 AM | Comments (0)

Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch

Good Bets to Play

Following are rookies who are likely starters or key contributors to their team's success this season.

Knowshon Moreno (RB), Denver Broncos — Once his knee is 100%, it will only be a matter of time until he is the number one back in Denver. Even if he starts the season as the backup, he is worth sticking on your bench as he should be getting the bulk of the carries by the end of the year.

Chris "Beanie" Wells (RB), Arizona Cardinals — Wells is expected to be the starting running back when camp breaks and at the very least, will be the backup and see his share of carries this year.

Percy Harvin (ATH), Minnesota Vikings — If Harvin gets healthy, he is expected to be a key contributer for the Vikings lining up as a back and a wideout.

Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR), Oakland Raiders — Is expected to start for the Raiders this season.

Kenny Britt (WR), Tennessee Titans — The Titans took Britt number one for a reason and leads the team in receiving yards after two preseason games. He is a safe bet to land in the top three on the Titans' depth chart when camp breaks.

Donald Brown (RB), Indianapolis Colts — Do not be surprised if he ends up starting for the Colts this year. They took him in the first round for a reason. Even if he does not start, Joseph Addai seems to be more productive when sharing the workload with another back, so, at the very least Brown should see 150 to 200 carries this year.

Michael Crabtree (WR), San Francisco 49ers — If and when he signs, Crabtree becomes the Niners' top receiving talent.

Mark Sanchez (QB), New York Jets — Even though he has not been named the starter, it is believed to be just a matter of time until he is. He is at least worth a pick in a keeper league.

Hakeem Nicks (WR), New York Giants — Nicks is a good bet to be a starter when the season begins and at worst, the third receiver.

Brandon Pettigrew (TE), Detroit Lions — Pettigrew is a good bet to be the starting tight end this season.

Shawn Nelson (TE), Buffalo Bills — The Bills have been in need of a difference-making tight end in the passing game for several years now and Nelson potentially fits the bill for the Bills. It is likely just a matter of time until he cracks the starting lineup for the Bills.

Chase Coffman (TE), Cincinnati Bengals — With the veteran tight ends dropping like flies in Cincy, Coffman is getting a chance to play with the first team offense in camp and has been getting generally good reviews on how well he is adapting to the Bengals' offense.

Shonn Greene (RB), New York Jets — Some think he has a real shot to win the backup job behind Thomas Jones. He is considered the heir apparent to Jones and would be a good pick in a keeper league.

Pat White (QB/ATH), Miami Dolphins — At the very least, White is going to see action as the Dolphins' "Wildcat" quarterback so he should have the potential to give fantasy teams a handful of passing and/or rushing touchdowns.

Brian Robiskie/Mohamed Massaquoi (WR), Cleveland Browns — Keep an eye on these two this summer. There is a strong possibility one of them ends up starting opposite Braylon Edwards and the other being the third receiver in Cleveland this season.

LeSean McCoy (RB), Philadelphia Eagles — McCoy is not going to start but should see 8 to 10 touches a game as Westbrook's backup. If you take Westbrook in your fantasy draft, then it would be worth it to take a flyer on McCoy in the later rounds. If Westbrook goes down, McCoy will get his carries.

Keep an Eye On

Matthew Stafford (QB), Detroit Lions — Head coach Jim Schwartz has yet to officially name a starter for the opener. There are those who believe it is Daunte Culpepper's to lose for the time being.

Josh Freeman (QB), Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Has a shot at being the starter, but Freeman is considered a bit of a project player and most reports have Leftwich being the favorite to open the season as the Bucs' starting quarterback.

Jared Cook (TE), Tennessee Titans — Was not expected to be a key player for the Titans with the presence of Alge Crumpler and Bo Scaife, but he leads the Titans in catches and ranks second in yards after two preseason games.

Derrick Williams (WR), Detroit Lions — With Bryant Johnson missing all of camp thus far, Williams has a real shot to win a starting job and at the very least, is a contender to be the third wideout.

James Davis (RB), Cleveland Browns — Davis had a rather underwhelming college career in Clemson, but he has speed to burn and has a bigger frame than Jerome Harrison does. With Jamal Lewis looking more like the Jamal Lewis of 2005-06 last season, Eric Mangini may not wait terribly long to get some younger, fresher legs in there to carry the rock.

Louis Murphy (WR), Oakland Raiders — Could end up as a starter or the No. 3 receiver.

Ramses Barden (WR), New York Giants — Will get a chance to be the No. 3 guy and with his height should see a lot of balls thrown his way in the red zone offense.

Jeremy Maclin (WR), Philadelphia Eagles — Maclin is not likely to start unless Kevin Curtis or DeSean Jackson come down with an injury, but he is likely going to be the Eagles' third receiver and primary return man.

Mike Thomas/Jarrett Dillard/Tiquan Underwood (WR), Jacksonville Jaguars — With Torry Holt being the only established wideout on the roster heading into camp, this trio of rookies should get a chance to compete for the second and third receiver spots.

Rashad Jennings (RB), Jacksonville Jaguars — Could get a chance to compete for the backup spot behind Maurice Jones-Drew and could also see carries as a short-yardage back.

Kenny McKinley (WR), Denver Broncos — With Brandon Marshall moaning and complaining about being traded again, McKinley could get an opportunity to slip into the top three of the Broncos' depth chart at receiver after his performance in their preseason opener.

Austin Collie (WR), Indianapolis Colts — With Anthony Gonzalez likely taking Marvin Harrison's spot opposite Reggie Wayne, the No. 3 receiver spot is up for grabs in Indy. He could grab the spot, so keep an eye on him this summer.

Deon Butler (WR), Seattle Seahawks — Has a real shot at being the Seahawks' third receiver when the season opens.

Brian Hartline/Patrick Turner (WR), Miami Dolphins — Without any real stand-outs at the receiver position in Miami, Turner and Hartline could get the opportunity to claim one of the top three spots in the receiving corps.

Juaquin Iglesias/Derek Kinder/Johnny Knox (WR), Chicago Bears — Without any proven entities at receiver going into camp, these three rookies should get a shot at significant playing time.

Keeper League Players

These are guys who could contribute, but are likely to be backups this year and are worth picking up for a keeper league as they should be starters in another year or so.

Brandon Tate (WR), New England Patriots — If you get the chance in later rounds, take a flyer on Tate if you are playing in a keeper league. Once he gets healthy, he could contribute on special teams and give the Pats another big play weapon at receiver.

Javon Ringer (RB), Tennessee Titans — With LenDale White in a contract year, Ringer could be his heir apparent.

This story was re-published with permission from PopPickle.

Posted by Eric Engberg at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2009

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 23

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Stewart finished 17th at Michigan, behind several cars that gambled correctly on fuel strategy, yet ahead of others that ran out of gas near the race's end. Just by starting the race, Stewart clinched a berth in the Chase, and holds a comfortable 284-point lead over Jeff Gordon in the point standings.

"Never has the 'Gentlemen, start your engines' command meant so much," Stewart said. "Usually, the most interesting aspect of that command is seeing if Robby Gordon realizes that the grand marshal's use of the term 'gentlemen' precludes Robby from following that command."

"Now, as the first Chase qualifier, I've become even more desirable as NASCAR's most eligible bachelor. But really, I'm not necessarily looking for the one lady to say 'I do;' I'm looking for as many ladies as possible to say 'I will.'"

"Of course, there should have never been any doubt that I'm NASCAR's most eligible bachelor. Heck, I have a bachelor party every weekend."

2. Jimmie Johnson — For the second time this season, Johnson dominated at Michigan, easily leading the most laps, only to see victory evaporate as a fuel mileage gamble went sour.

In June, Johnson relinquished the lead at Michigan when his tank went empty on the final lap. On Sunday, his tank went dry while leading with three laps to go, handing the win to Brian Vickers, who was on a nearly identical fuel strategy. Johnson finished 33rd and dropped a spot to third in the Sprint Cup point standings.

"That's simply a case of 'deja fu-el," Johnson said, while deleting Jackson Browne's 'Running On Empty' from his iPod playlist. "To lose the lead on fuel twice in one year at the same track is simply uncanny. That gives new meaning to running 'un-lead-ed' fuel."

"That's twice in Michigan we've been bitten by mileage issues, and it's cost us countless other times. Obviously, the No. 48 isn't the most efficient when it comes to fuel mileage. Can my devious crew chief Chad Knaus find a way to overcome that weakness? Well, that's the 'Six Race, $100,000 Question.'"

3. Jeff Gordon — Unlike his Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson, Gordon made a pit stop 51 laps from the finish his last, stretching his fuel mileage while Johnson ran out with three laps to go. Gordon finished second to Brian Vickers, who conserved fuel by drafting Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet. With the runner-up result, Gordon reclaimed the second spot in the Sprint Cup point standings, trailing Tony Stewart by 284.

"The fuel situation handed me second place, and almost the win," Gordon said. "After what I went through last week at Watkins Glen, I think it's only fair I was able to 'back' into the runner-up spot at Michigan."

"Now I think it's just dandy that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finally showed some spunk. First, he criticizes NASCAR, then he goes out and picks up a third-place finish. That 'criticism followed by a top-5 finish' attitude is a very astute strategy, one that Kyle Busch has been employing, to little success, for most of the year."

"But I know Dale is pleased. His third-place finish must have felt like a win; someone needs to tell Junior Nation that it wasn't."

4. Carl Edwards — On a track traditionally dominated by Roush Fenway Racing cars, Edwards was the team's highest finisher, posting a fourth-place finish and rising two spots in the point standings to fourth. It was the first time since 2001 that a Roush Fenway driver failed to win at least one of the Michigan races.

"It's way too early to count this organization out," Edwards said. "I think most people have forgotten who won the first two races this season, including me. I just know it wasn't me."

"However, there's still time for Roush Fenway to win races. So the motto in the garages is 'Just win, baby,' although Jack Roush would rather know 'Just when, baby?'"

5. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin finished 10th in the Carmax 400, his second top-10 result at Michigan this year. Hamlin remained in the fifth spot in the points, and, with Kyle Busch faltering, will likely be the sole Joe Gibbs Racing representative in the Chase.

"Hey, Kyle's not down for the count just yet," Hamlin said. "But I think it's apparent he could use a 'standing 18 count.' Kyle's quick to criticize others, but maybe he should take a look in the mirror. Sure, it might say he's the 'fairest of them all,' but that's obviously a reference to his lack of a tan, and not his driving skill."

"With three races to go before the Chase, and Kyle 70 points out of 12th, his Chase chances have reached 'critical mass.' Kyle tends to blame his failures on anything or anyone but himself. That makes him a 'critical mess.'"

6. Kurt Busch: Busch, behind the wheel of a strong No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, was impressive early, moving to second in just one lap from his starting position of sixth. But disaster struck past the midway point of the race on lap 121, when the No. 6 UPS car of David Ragan got loose in front of Busch. With nowhere to go, Busch made contact, and the No. 2 sustained major damage. After replacing the entire front end, Busch returned, 22 laps down, but engines troubles ended his day for good on lap 146.

"Lately, I've had my eyes open for Jimmie Johnson's No. 48," Busch said. "We've had our share of incidents. Little did I know I'd need to keep a sharp eye on David Ragan's No. 6 car. In the future, my spotter's main duty will be 'UPS tracking.'"

"I knew when we had to replace the front-end that this wouldn't end well. Replacing your front end won't get you 22 laps back, but with the right tank top, it will usually get you a good job in one of the corporate hospitality tents."

7. Juan Montoya — Montoya made contact with Kasey Kahne's No. 9 Dodge on lap 141, leaving his No. 42 Target Dodge hobbled with a flat rear tire. As he carefully wobbled to the pits, the loose rubber severed a brake line, compounding the issue. Montoya lost a lap for repairs, but scored a "Lucky Dog" free pass on lap 157 and salvaged a 19th-place finish, maintaining the seventh spot in the point standings.

"The outcome could have been much worse considering the damage," Montoya said. "Usually, after suffering a cut brake line, you're lucky to even cross the finish line. By comparison, in my homeland of Colombia, a severed brake line means you've crossed a drug dealer."

8. Mark Martin — Martin's Chase standing took a costly hit when he ran out of fuel on the final lap, seeing a sure-fire top-10 finish become a painful 31st. Like many, Martin pitted with 51 laps to go and chose to stay out when the caution flew for the last time on lap 159.

The conservative play would have been to use the caution to top off the fuel tank, thereby giving the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet the ability to race hard to the finish. However, crew chief Alan Gustafson chose to gamble and hope for more cautions, which never materialized.

"Gustafson just threw an 'Alan' wrench into my Chase For The Cup plans," Martin said as he left the track in an angry huff. "As you saw, despite the lack of fuel, I high-tailed it out of there faster than you can say 'It sure is a much bigger deal when Kyle Busch does this.'"

"You could say my exit from the track was 'steam'-powered."

9. Brian Vickers — Vickers and the No. 83 Toyota team played the fuel mileage war to perfection at Michigan, outlasting Jimmie Johnson and the field to give Red Bull Racing its first Cup victory. With the win, Vickers moved up a spot to 13th in the point standings, and is a mere twelve points behind the 12th spot.

"It's funny," Vickers said. "On Saturday, Kyle Busch was 'raging against the machine.' Then, on Sunday, you had 'Bull's on Parade.'"

"This was a huge win for us. And, as expected, Busch was nowhere to be found afterwards. But he sure made himself available after Saturday's Nationwide race."

"What's worse than Busch angrily tapping at your driver's side window? I'll tell ya' — a drunk and disorderly Lisa Mayfield knocking at your front door humming the Speed Racer theme."

"I know she and Jeremy aren't blood kin, but lack of credibility sure does seem to run in that family. With feuding like that, these Mayfield's don't even need the McCoys."

"Here's a classic joke that's making the rounds in the garage — 'What do you get when you Google 'Lisa Mayfield?' 'Stupid Yahoo.'"

10. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer posted his third-straight top-10 finish, and fourth in the last five races, with an eighth in the Carmax 400 at Michigan. In what so far has been a disappointing season for Richard Childress Racing, Bowyer has made a late push to represent RCR in the Chase. He is 14th in the point standings, 58 out of 12th.

"The No. 33 Cheerios Chevrolet has really come around lately," Bowyer said. "As a whole, RCR really hasn't performed up to its capabilities. In fact, you could say this organization is a lot like Cheerios — it has a lot of holes."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:27 AM | Comments (2)

August 18, 2009

The Return of Favre

On Tuesday morning, we all were given the least surprising surprise of our lives. Brett Favre changed his mind again. A press conference Tuesday afternoon confirmed the rumors that started flying again less than three weeks after Favre informed the Vikings he was going to stay retired. I had my doubts that he would be football-free for all of 2009, but I did not think he'd be starting for an NFL team in Week 1. I would have bet money that an injury could have coaxed him to come play midseason for a competitor.

Despite all the crazy talk about why Favre does things the way he does things, let's look at how much better the Vikings will be because of Favre.

Since Adrian Peterson joined the Vikings, defenses have known that he was the man to stop. Many teams stuffed nine men into the box on first and second down all game, trying all too often without success to slow Peterson down. In his short career of only 30 games, he has amassed 3,101 rushing yards at 5.2 yards per carry with 22 rushing touchdowns. He already has sixteen 100-yard games and it seems unlikely he'll slow down any time soon with things not changing at quarterback.

The Vikings at QB have been mediocre at best. Between Tavaris Jackson, Gus Frerotte, Kelly Holcomb, and Brooks Bollinger not a defense in the NFL has been afraid of the Vikings' pass attack since Peterson entered the league in 2007.

How much better could Peterson be if defenses were afraid of the Vikings' air attack? We are about to find out. At 39, Favre's health is not great, but as a defense, you have to look at some of the amazing games he had when he was healthy in 2008 and wonder how afraid of Favre you need to be. Favre will take chances; he always has and he always will, which means there will be interceptions, but how different is that for the Vikings, who saw 14 interceptions to only 12 passing touchdowns in 2007 and 17 interceptions to 22 passing touchdowns in 2008?

The most valuable thing Favre will do for the Vikings is not throw lots of touchdowns, it will be making defenses afraid of what he can do. By signing Favre, the Vikings are loosening up defenses on the run enough that it is not unreasonable to expect Peterson to rush for 2,000 yards this season and even average over 6.0 yards per carry.

Staying healthy is a big question mark, but Minnesota still has an indoor stadium and as long as they do, Favre's health should hold up better than it did in New York or in Green Bay. Another factor is that Favre will not be asked to throw the ball nearly as much with the Vikings because of Peterson. It is a very mutually beneficial relationship.

Favre doesn't need to be amazing for the Vikings to be the favorite in the NFC. All he needs to do is keep the locker room happy (and that is best done by winning games), show that the deep threat is still there, and stay healthy. The Vikings are good enough all-around that Favre could have the same season he had in 2008 with the Jets, 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions, and the Vikings will still go 12-4. Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson could have the exact same seasons and the Vikings would only go 9-7 or 10-6, but because people respect Favre more and because he knows how to handle a blitz, he will win games for the Vikings.

NFC foes, beware. The Vikings are now the team to beat in the NFC.

Posted by Andrew Jones at 2:23 PM | Comments (1)

American League Cy Young Race

Top Contenders

These are the pitchers who are the front-runners for the award right now.

Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays — The 2003 Cy Young winner leads the league in innings, complete games, and WHIP and is second in ERA and tied for second in wins. Halladay is on pace to win 18 games, throw 240+ innings, and strike out over 200 batters for the second consecutive year. He currently sits on 13 wins, but one wonders if he will be able to win 18 to 20 games with the Blue Jays moving a couple of their starters and basically packing it in for the season.

Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners — The 23-year-old righty is finally living up to the "King Felix" moniker and is having a breakout season for the Mariners. The young flame-thrower is on pace to set career marks in wins, strikeouts, and innings and owns a 2.72 ERA. He currently rates in the top five in the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts and is sixth in innings pitched. Hernandez is in the same boat as the Halladay as the Mariners are slowly slipping out of contention and the opportunity for wins may not be there for Felix down the stretch.

Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox — As the Sox battle to stay in the wild card race, Beckett has kicked it up a notch during the month of August going 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in his three starts. Beckett currently leads the league in wins (14) and is amongst the top five in the AL in strikeouts, WHIP, and complete games. Josh is one of the best big-game pitchers in the game and one expects him to be one of the league's best pitchers down the stretch as the Sox jockey for playoff position. He is on pace to win 20 for the second time and three years and whiff 200 batters for the first time in his career. If he does win 20 and the Sox manage to get into the postseason, Beckett will garner a lot of votes for helping them get there.

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers — Verlander is in the same boat as Beckett as he is trying to help pitch the Tigers into the postseason. He is currently on pace to win 18 games and strike out an astounding 273 batters, but his ERA is a bit on the high side (3.28) and he has been struggling a bit of late, giving up 5 runs in each of his two previous starts prior to the 8 scoreless innings he posted in Boston this week. Verlander has a history of wearing down in August and September and has never posted an ERA better than 3.63 over a full season. If he keeps it together and the Tigers win the Central, than Verlander should get his share of votes. He currently leads the league in strikeouts, is tied for second in wins, and is third in innings and complete games.

Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals — Two months into the season, Greinke was running away with the award going 8-1 with a 1.10 ERA, 88 strikeouts, and only 12 walks after his first 11 starts of the season. Since then, Greinke has been a victim of playing on a mediocre team and has gone just 3-6 and seen his ERA rise to 2.33. He still leads the league in ERA and complete games and is third in strikeouts; however, he is only on pace to win 15 games and 15-game winners rarely win the Cy Young Award. Greinke is likely going to have to go on a run like he had at the beginning of the season if he wants to hang on and win the award.

Dark Horses

These are the pitchers who have a shot at winning, but have some work to do to get there.

C. C. Sabathia, New York Yankees — Sabathia is second in the league in wins and innings and will get some mention simply being the winningest pitcher for the Yankees, but his ERA ranks 11th in the league and he is not striking guys out this year like had been the past two seasons. He has pitched well of late, but he needs to get his ERA closer to being one of the top five in the league if he is to gain serious support from voters. He is definitely one to keep an eye on as August and September are historically his strongest months. However, this could all change if the Yanks hold a comfortable lead going into September. There have been questions about Sabathia running out of gas in the postseason the past couple of years due to him throwing 240+ innings during the regular season. There is a very real possibility Sabathia could start seeing an extra day or two in between starts in September if the Yankees are still up by five or six games.

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels — Weaver's stock is plummeting as his ERA has dropped from 2.09 to 4.12 since the middle of June. He is on pace to win enough games (17) and strike out enough batters (201), but needs to start throwing like he was at the beginning of the year to get his ERA back down to where it needs to be to win the award.

In the end, look for this to become a three-man race between Halladay, Beckett, and Sabathia as Verlander and Greinke fade into the background. Hernandez is the real wild card here, but he is going to lose votes toiling in obscurity as the Mariners slip further and further out of the race.

This story was re-published with permission from PopPickle.

Posted by Eric Engberg at 11:42 AM | Comments (1)

August 17, 2009

2009: The Year of the Runner-Up

Y.E. Yang did the impossible Sunday afternoon in the final round of the PGA Championship: he beat Tiger Woods.

In golf's fourth and final major of the year, Yang went head-to-head with the greatest golfer that ever lived stole the lead from him in the final round of a major, a feat that no other golfer in history has been able to accomplish.

Heading into Sunday, Woods had won all 14 major championships in which he's had at least a share of the lead heading into the final round. Yang, with his steady and unflinching play all day, made sure that Tiger would not improve his streak to 15.

Yang deserved to win on Sunday. He played great, making eagle on the 14th hole and hitting his approach on 18 from 210 yards away over a tree to inside ten feet. He seemed immune to the pressure that comes with playing alongside Tiger Woods in the final round of a major.

With the win, Yang joins Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, and Stewart Cink in one of the most unique foursomes in golf history. All four players won a major in 2009, and all four tournaments will ultimately be remembered for who didn't win them.

For as great as Yang played on Sunday (his 2-under 70 tied him for the lowest round of the day), history will not remember the 2009 PGA Championship as the one that Y.E. Yang won, but as the one that Tiger Woods lost.

It's nothing against Yang. He makes for a great story. He didn't start playing golf until he was 19-years-old. He's the first male player from Asia to win a major championship. He seems like a genuinely good guy.

But that fact is, when Tiger Woods does something that's he's never done before, in this case relinquishing the 54-hole lead for the first time ever in a major, it becomes a bigger story than the actual winner of the tournament.

Maybe Yang should seek out Angel Cabrera for advice on how to deal with playing second fiddle despite winning one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world. After all, it was just four months ago when the biggest story at the final round of the Masters wasn't Cabrera winning on the second playoff hole, but the PGA tour's resident nice guy Kenny Perry completely choking away the green jacket with bogeys on 17 and 18 that forced the playoff with Cabrera and Chad Campbell.

Or maybe Yang can call Lucas Glover. Glover wasn't even the second biggest story at the U.S. Open this year. The rainy weather that all but eliminated half of the field from contention after the first round stole the show early in the event. Phil Mickelson and his army of followers at Bethpage was the second biggest story. David Duval trying to complete the biggest comeback in golf history ranks up there. Then, somewhere way down the line, comes the story of Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champ.

But if Y.E. Yang truly wants to chat with someone who knows exactly how he feels right now, he need look no further than 2009 British Open Champ Stewart Cink. The 2009 Open at Turnberry ranks as the major whose winner will eventually get overlooked the most.

That's because 59-year-old Tom Watson stole the show, turning back the clock by about 30 years to when he edged out Jack Nicklaus in 1977 at the same course in "The Duel in the Sun." Thirty-two Years later, Watson had a putt on the 72 second hole that would have made him the oldest major champion ever, by a full 13 years.

Cink went on to outlast Watson in a playoff, but years from now, no one will remember who beat Tom Watson in 2009, just that Watson came about eight inches away from making major championship history.

Does that fact that Yang, Cabrera, Glover, or Cink weren't the biggest story of the week during their major victories lessen their accomplishment in any way? Absolutely not.

But sometimes that's just how sports works. As compelling as a great game may be, it will always be trumped by a great story.

Such was the case this year on the PGA tour.

It may not necessarily be fair for the winners to have to share their 15 minutes of glory with the runner-up, but I would be willing to bet that none of this year's four winners would trade back that victory for all the headlines in the world.

The headlines went away after a few days. The names of Y.E. Yang, Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, and Stewart Cink will be etched on their respective trophies from now to eternity.

That sounds like a pretty fair trade off to me.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:40 AM | Comments (1)

August 15, 2009

The National League MVP Race

Also see: The American League MVP Race

Top Contenders

Here is a list of contenders for the award.

Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals — The Cardinals first baseman has terrorized the league's pitchers for the entire season and currently leads the league in home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs, and OPS. He is also third in the league in hitting, is top 10 in hits and doubles, is hitting .383 with runners in scoring position, and is 8-for-11 with 5 grand slams and 27 RBIs with the bases loaded this season. Pujols has been able to post these numbers with little to no support around him in the lineup the first half of the season.

Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins — If not for Pujols being a legitimate Triple Crown contender this season, Ramirez would be the odds-on favorite to garner his first MVP award this season. The Florida shortstop leads the league with a .351 average and is on pace to drive in 115 runs and steal 32 bases for a Marlins team that is still in the wild card hunt. Ramirez is hitting .418 with runners in scoring position, .455 with runners in scoring position and two outs, and has collected 3 grand slams of his own. There really are not any compelling arguments against him other than Pujols' numbers are that much better than Hanley's.

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers — Prince is becoming the king of Milwaukee and is in the midst of arguably his best season in the majors. Fielder is the only other player in baseball to reach 100 RBIs, is fifth in home runs, and fourth in slugging and on-base percentage. Fielder is on pace to hit 40 homers and drive in 144 runs, which would be a career-high for the young first baseman.

Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants — Sandoval's candidacy is much like Miguel Cabrera's in the American League in that he is the only real offensive threat Giants team that remains in playoff contention. Sandoval is currently second in the league in hitting (.329) and is on pace to hit 25 homers and drive in 98 runs. The Kung Fu Panda is also tied for third in doubles, and is in the top 10 in the league in hits and slugging percentage.

Darkhorses

Players who are hot now and could sneak into contention if they keep the momentum going.

Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks — The Arizona third bagger is currently nipping at Pujols' heels for the home run lead with 36 bombs and is hitting .284 with 80 RBIs. Reynolds had been flying under the radar screen until recently, but with 12 home runs and a .371 batting average since the break he is starting to get noticed around the league. The only problem is the D-Backs have little to no chance at the postseason and one has to ask themselves if a guy who is on pace to whiff 220 times is really the MVP?

Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers — Ethier is hitting .352 with 20 runs driven in since the break and has come up with several clutch hits to win ball games for the Dodgers and is currently ninth in the league in homers and RBIs. He is a big reason the Dodgers stayed in first place when Manny Ramirez was serving his 50-game suspension but, in the end, the numbers are not going to be there for him.

Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies — The burly slugger is currently fourth in RBIs (82) and seventh in home runs (26) and while he currently does not have the numbers, he is always a threat to go on a tear and have a 10 home run, 30 RBI month.

Maybe Next Year

Here is the best of the rest who would warrant consideration if their teams were better or they were in different circumstances.

Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies — Ibanez started the season white-hot and would probably be getting serious consideration had he not gotten hurt and missed over three weeks of the season. He currently ranks fifth in homers (27), eighth in RBIs (78), and second in slugging (.606). Had he not gotten hurt he would probably be third in the league in homers and RBIs.

Adam Dunn, Washington Nationals — Dunn is hitting a career-high .281 and is on pace to hit 43 homers and drive in a career-high 121 runs. He is in the midst of his best offensive career, but is largely overlooked because he plays in DC for the worst team in baseball.

Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals — Zimmerman has already matched his career best in home runs with 24, is hitting a career-best .305 and is on pace to drive in 109 runs. Like Dunn, one does not hear a lot about him because he plays for the lowly Nats.

With Pujols being a legitimate Triple Crown threat for the Cardinals, it is almost a foregone conclusion that he is going to be the National League's MVP, barring a major catastrophe that costs him significant time down the stretch. Ramirez would need to add another 20 to 30 points on to his batting average or someone like Fielder or Howard would have to go on a monster tear and end up with 55 homers and 150 RBIs to give Pujols a run for his money.

This story was re-published with permission from PopPickle.

Posted by Eric Engberg at 11:49 AM | Comments (3)

August 14, 2009

Vick Lands in Philly: Now What?

Let me preface this by saying that I am an Eagles fan and am not thrilled with the fact that Michael Vick is going to be suiting up for my team this season. Now, do not get me wrong, I am all for Vick getting a chance to play in the NFL again, that does not bother me at all. I, for one, say he did his time he paid for his crime and I do not think he will do it again, unless he was lying about crying in jail at night while he lay in bed.

My beef is first of all I have never liked the guy. He is an amazing athlete, but there has always been something about the way he carries himself that rubs me the wrong way. Vick has always seemed like the guy who grew up doing what he pleased because he was the gifted athlete that was going places. He was one of those guys who chose to surround himself with enablers and yes men. He was the ring leader and did not surround himself with people who truly had an interest in his well-being beyond him being able to financially maintain the crew, or the entourage if you will. Remember, they nailed Vick because the cops were able to flip a guy who had fallen out of favor with Vick and his crew. He gave up the goods on Vick rather than go to jail for him.

Vick just has a long line of bad behavior and getting his name in the news for all the wrong reasons. That is why it's hard to root for him or be in his corner. In early 2004, two men were nabbed for distributing marijuana and the truck they happened to be driving at the time was registered to Vick. While there was no evidence Vick had any direct involvement in this at the time, in retrospect, one has to wonder how much he did or did not know about it at the time.

In October of 2004, as Vick and his entourage are preparing to board a flight, one of his associates were caught on tape taking a watch that did not belong to them as they passed through security. When the Falcons found out about it, they reportedly interfered with the investigation and the watch was eventually returned. Again, there is no evidence Vick had anything to do with it, but one starts to see how he was not surrounding himself with people that had his best interests at heart. They do not care that Vick appears to be guilty by association on matters like this.

This also the same guy who was sued for allegedly giving herpes to another woman, who flipped off the fans in Atlanta because they booed him, and who had a suspicious-looking water bottle with a secret compartment in it confiscated at the airport. Officials later dropped the case, but it was widely speculated that the compartment was used to smuggle weed on to the plane and not attract suspicion. Of course, Vick claims it was to stash jewelry in while traveling. Then he failed a drug test while out on bail and awaiting sentencing in the dog-fighting case. He just has a history of seemingly taking the easy way out and making bad decisions.

This has translated onto the field, as well. For as many games he would win making an incredible play, he would give just as many away with an untimely turnover. He was notorious for throwing bad interceptions and was always near the top of the league in fumbles because of lax ball security. He would typically try to force the action when it was not there and would try to make something happen rather than throw the ball away or step out of bounds. There is something to be said for trying to make a play, but there is also something to be said for taking care of the ball. As the saying goes, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

Another concern with Vick the football player as it pertains to Philadelphia is he never seemed to be able to grasp the West Coast offense and really seemed to regress rather than progress as a quarterback. He took a lot of sacks and his completion percentage had dropped from a peak 56.4 in down to 52.6 in 2006. One wonders if this is a product of him just not having the mental capacity to learn a pro offense or if his off-the-field activities were catching up with him and he was having to give as much attention to those as he was to football. Is it a co-incidence that as his personal life started spinning out of control that his professional life did, as well?

Most people will tell you that when faced with distractions away from the office that their quality of work on the job suffers as well. It is tough to stay focused on one's job when everything around them is a whirlwind. Is Philly a good place for Vick? Is he going to thrive on a team where he has a good friend in Donovan McNabb and a head coach who has no compunction over giving his players some tough love? This could be the best place for him to go this season. McNabb is the starter, so there are no real expectations for him this season and anything he does give them is gravy. They could potentially line him up in different positions and use his elite speed, assuming he still has it, to their advantage.

But the proof is in the pudding with Michael Vick. If he is going to be the same haphazard, undisciplined player he was in Atlanta, then I am not interested, but, if he is willing to be coached up and has learned some discipline and ball security, then I am intrigued by what he could bring to the table. The main thing is Vick is actually going to have to work for it this time around. He is going to have to put the time in that he was not willing to do in Atlanta in learning the offense. The Falcons were perfectly willing to simply let him get by with his superior athletic ability and as long as the team was moving tickets and Vick swag, they were perfectly fine with as long as they were competitive.

The bottom line is Vick was babied in Atlanta. Will we ever forget the scene of Falcons owner Arthur Blank pushing him around the sidelines in a wheelchair? One has to wonder whether the coaching staff was even willing to be tough with Vick in Atlanta. It just always seemed like the team bent over backwards to accommodate Vick and his lifestyle and were quick to intervene if he got into a scrape. They were always looking out for the millions of dollars they had invested in him and Vick knew it and took advantage of it. They slapped his wrist when he flicked off the fans that time in Atlanta and that punishment came from the league, the team did nothing at all. They essentially made him promise not to do it again and let him have dessert anyway.

This will not happen in Philadelphia. He is going to have to earn his playing time, it will not be handed to him. The stark reality is McNabb is the starting quarterback and have two quality running backs in Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy, and have the most depth they have ever had at receiver during the McNabb era. In fact, I cannot remember the last time the Eagles had this much talent at the skill positions on offense. For the Eagles, having an athlete like Vick is a luxury and not a necessity. He will have to learn the playbook or he will not play. The fans are not going to take it easy on him, either; they will crucify him the instant he costs them a game or makes an untimely turnover. His time in Philly is truly going to be one of that which does not kill me only makes me stronger.

Beyond what he is able to do this season remains the caveat of what happens next summer. The Eagles have to make a decision on what to do with Kevin Kolb, who has yet to show he can play at the NFL level. Kolb recently injured his knee and it was not believed to be anything serious, but one begins to wonder how injured he is and whether the Eagles are going to carry four quarterbacks this season, although the consensus seems to be that Vick is going to be utilized more for his athletic ability and not necessarily his quarterbacking skills. Does Vick's presence spell the end of Kolb or A.J. Feeley in Philadelphia?

Will Reid gamble on Vick being able to do the job as a backup if McNabb goes down and will he cut Feeley loose? The stark reality is that Feeley is a better pro quarterback than Kolb is right now and if push came to shove, Feeley would likely get the nod over Kolb if McNabb had to miss more than a game or so. Feeley knows the system and has shown in the past that he won't lose games for you and put up solid numbers and Kolb has yet to do that. At the very least, I am interested in seeing how Reid integrates Vick into the offense, but as I said, if he is the same player he was with the Falcons, then I am not interested.

Ultimately, the question ends up being has prison changed Vick's life for the good? Did his 23 months in the joint teach him a lesson? Obviously, he now knows who he can trust and his real friends truly were, but will he show better judgment as a result of this? He is saying all of the right things and time will tell, but remember that this is the same guy who reportedly hit up the clubs with Allen Iverson his first day of freedom after his house arrest ended. I will leave you with this final tidbit that ultimately has me a bit skeptical as to whether he is truly sorry for what he did or simply sorry he got caught.

I came across this little snippet the other on Sports Illustrated's site that mentions Vick's recent appearance at a summer basketball camp for kids hosted by Hampton University. He told the kids to use him as an example for their dreams and that after accomplishing his dreams he, "allowed someone who didn't have my best interests at heart to take all that away from me." I am not sure that sounds like someone who gets it or is even sorry for what he did. It more or less implies that had he not kicked this guy out of his crew, then he would still be an Atlanta Falcon to this day and still running his dog-fighting ring.

Vick is believed to be the one who bankrolled the operation. It was his kennel that was breeding dogs specifically to participate in fights. It is not as though he simply cut these guys a check to start the whole operation and he was simply taking a cut of the winnings for bankrolling the start up of this operation. I suspect he was in on it from the start, but that comment makes it sound as though he was persuaded to do this and was duped by someone who did not have his best interests at heart. That statement alone does not own up to it and does not take any responsibility for what he did. Instead, he almost portrays himself as a victim in it all for allowing someone else to screw him over.

For his sake, I hope that Vick listens to guys like McNabb and his new mentor Tony Dungy and keeps the negative people and influences out of his life that brought him down in the first place. Hopefully, he starts coming around and owns up to running with the wrong people and letting himself be brought down. It always amazes me how guys with everything to lose are willing to risk it all on such moronic activities like running drugs or dog-fighting. Michael Vick had the world in the palm of his hands and he threw it all away on a dog-fighting operation that was worth peanuts in comparison to the kind of money he was getting from the Falcons, Nike, EA Sports, Coke, etc. He managed to piss away an entire fortune and financial security for the rest of his life for him and his family. All for the sake of getting your rocks off and making a few bucks on an illegal dog-fighting operation.

Vick's life up until this point is the true definition of a tragedy. He was destined for greatness only to be knocked off his perch. For the sake of his kids, let us hope that the remainder of his life becomes a comedy and he shows us that in the end, some lives are worth redeeming. Tony Dungy and the Philadelphia Eagles seem to think so.

This story was re-published with permission from PopPickle.

Posted by Eric Engberg at 1:25 PM | Comments (5)

The American League MVP Race

Top Contenders

First, we will be looking at the top contenders for the American League MVP.

Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees — Tex is currently second in the league in homers (29), third in RBIs (84), and fifth in slugging percentage (.558). Texiera traditionally puts up better numbers over the second half of the season, so one can expect to see his numbers climb a bit rather than level off down the stretch. He is hitting .324 since the break and is hitting home runs and driving in runs at a better clip than he was leading up to the break. The main plus for him is he has been the most consistent hitter on the team with the best record in the league this year. The biggest argument against him is the Yankees really did not start consistently winning until Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup.

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins — Mauer currently leads the league in average (.368), slugging (.608), on-base percentage (.435), and OPS (1.044) and is hitting .386 with runners in scoring position. He truly is in the midst of one of the all-time great seasons for a catcher. He is currently on pace for 31 homers and 103 RBIs and it would have been interesting to see what he could have achieved had he not missed the first month of the season rehabbing an injury. The main argument for Mauer winning the award is catchers are not supposed to lead the league in hitting the main argument against is the Twins are 13-12 without Mauer in the lineup and 42-46 with him in the lineup and the Twins are three games under .500 as a team.

Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — Morales has essentially come out of nowhere to help lead the Angels to the top of the American League West this season. He has been garnering a lot of notice the past month leading the league with 10 homers and 27 RBIs while hitting at a .367 clip. He currently ranks sixth in the league in homers (25), ninth in RBIs (76) and second in slugging percentage (.581). While it is unlikely that he keeps hitting at this pace if he does stay hot at the plate, he could very well end up being in the top five in the league in homers and RBIs and sneak into the top 10 in hitting and steal the award away from the other candidates.

Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins — Morneau currently leads the league in RBIs (91) and is third in homers (28), slugging (.566), and OPS (.953) and owns a .300 batting average. Morneau's candidacy has slipped a bit in recent weeks as he has seen his average drop 11 points since the All-Star Break and is hitting .256 with just two home runs thus far in the month of August. The main argument for him at this stage is he is one of only two players currently ranked in the top three in the league in home runs and RBIs and he is hitting .300. He is going to lose votes to Mauer and the fact the Twins are a pretty mediocre team this year.

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers — Cabrera is the only bat in the Tigers' lineup that truly scares anyone this season and he is a big reason the team currently sits atop the American League Central division. He currently ranks fourth in the league in hitting (.324) and is on pace for 33 homers and 97 RBIs. The main argument for Cabrera is he is the only every day player hitting above .277 on the team. The thing that is going to hurt him when it comes time to vote is the lack of support around him in the lineup is killing his RBI numbers this season.

Darkhorses

These are the guys who are currently on the periphery in terms of their candidacy, but could lay claim to the award with a strong showing over the next six weeks.

Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox — Bay seems to be snapping out of his funk that saw his average plummet almost 75 points down to .250. Despite the horrendous slump, he is still eighth in homers (24) and fourth in RBIs (81). If he turns it around the last six weeks, he should have the home run and RBI numbers and if he can get his average up to a more respectable number and help the Red Sox get into the postseason, he could steal some votes.

Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox are starting to drift away from being Jason Varitek's team and becoming Youkilis' team. He is hitting .311 and does whatever Terry Francona asks of him playing some left field and third base, so Victor Martinez can get his at-bats. However, getting suspended for five games when the team needs his bat in the lineup is not going to win him many votes from the writers.

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays — Longoria is currently eighth in home runs (24) and second in RBIs (85), so he should have the numbers to garner some votes if he gets average up and the Rays clinch a playoff spot. His candidacy revolves around the Rays making the postseason.

Michael Young, Texas Rangers — If the Rangers somehow manage to get into the postseason, Young is going to get some attention for the MVP award. He is currently hitting .317 with 19 homers out of the two hole in Texas and September is historically his best month for batting average, so do not expect to see a drop-off for the Texas third baseman as we head down the stretch.

Maybe Next Year

Here is the best of the rest who would warrant consideration if their teams were better or they were in a different situation.

Robinson Cano, New York Yankees — It would be interesting to see what the Yankees lineup would be like if Cano were hitting in front of Tex and A-Rod instead of behind them. He is sixth in the league in hitting, ninth in doubles, and has only whiffed 38 times this season.

Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays — Pena leads the league in homers and is on pace for his second 40-homer season in three years and would be a perennial candidate if he could ever keep his average above .280 on a regular basis.

Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays — Hill, who is currently in the top five in homers and RBIs and is hitting .289, would have gotten serious consideration had the Jays not fallen out of contention so early.

Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays — The same can be said for Lind, who is on pace for 52 doubles, 33 homers, and 103 RBIs.

Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles — Markakis is one of the best young outfielders in the game who is going to drive in 100 runs despite, in all likelihood, not hitting 20 homers.

In the end, look for Teixeira and Morales to battle it out as the Twins struggle to stay in contention in the Central. Teixeira is the slight favorite right now as he is on pace to crank out 40 homers and drive in 120 runs for the team with the best record in baseball, while Morales just does not have the name recognition or cache to edge him out right now. Of course, this could all change two or three weeks from now if Morales keeps going at the rate he is going.

This story was re-published with permission from PopPickle.

Posted by Eric Engberg at 11:30 AM | Comments (5)

August 13, 2009

Big Papi's Big Burden

He isn't the first to make the connection, he won't be the last, but right now he's the highest-profile — and certainly most likable — player to say he got nailed by a test for actual or alleged performance-enhancing substances thanks to supplements he was buying in the Dominican Republic and taking, so he thought, quite legitimately.

That's David Ortiz's story, and Big Papi's sticking to it. And he may not be as far off base as you might otherwise think. The Major League Baseball Players' Association — ushering out Donald Fehr, ushering in Michael Weiner as executive director — and baseball government say some of the names on the infamous and leaking 2003 survey got there despite never having taken steroids.

"I definitely was a little bit careless back in those days when I was buying supplements and vitamins over the counter — legal supplements, legal vitamins over the counter — but I never buy steroids or use steroids. I never thought that buying supplements and vitamins, it was going to hurt anybody's feelings. ... I want to apologize to fans for the distraction, my teammates, our manager. This past week has been a nightmare to me."

— David Ortiz, at a press conference in New York Saturday, before the Red Sox tangled with the Empire Emeritus for the third time that weekend.

Big Papi tested negative on 15 tests subsequent to baseball's penalty program launch in 2004. He told the reporters he'd met with Weiner, then a players' association attorney, in 2004, but wasn't told he'd tested positive for steroids, while Weiner, for his part, said the union can't confirm to the popular Red Sox designated hitter anything beyond his turning up on the list.

The Olde Towne Team is standing by their man, too, easy enough to do considering he isn't anywhere near being the pain in the ass certain others who've worn their silks in the past decade (like the guy who used to bat behind him and now swings for the Los Angeles Dodgers, to name one) have been. Says a team statement: "There are substantial uncertainties and ambiguity surrounding the list of 104 names. David Ortiz is a team leader, and his contributions on the field and in the community have earned him respect and a special place in the hearts of Red Sox Nation."

Weiner isn't saying whether the players association asked courts to approve any probe into who's been leaking the infamous list, but if they get that green light, they'll agree to player requests to tell them what the test results said they used or had in their systems.

Baseball government, which hasn't exactly been as forthright as it could be in tackling the issue — or, while we're on the subject, helping to let facts get in the way of good speculation and condemnation (or am I the only one who thinks an awful lot of people are more interested in cutting ballplayers down to size than in coming to terms with whether actual or alleged performance-enhancing substances do a damn thing tangible beyond inflating your musculature and perhaps your skeleton?) — cautions that the infamous list suggests uncertainties enough that it's a dumb idea to jump to conclusions based on anonymous leaks.

Makes you wonder where they were when the whole mess began in the first place, and a lot longer ago than just the sad Ken Caminiti's confessional or the suspect Jose Canseco's actual or alleged revelations.

And you may rest assured Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News is not even close to the only one willing to give Ortiz and others the benefit of a badly-strained doubt:

David Ortiz said Saturday he never used steroids, that it was vitamins and over-the-counter supplements that turned him into a positive test from baseball's survey testing year, in 2003. Maybe Ortiz is just another caught guy lying about that. But it is just as likely that Ortiz is telling the truth.

The government seized that 2003 survey list of baseball's positive tests as it investigated the BALCO case. Now some of that list comes out in magazines and newspapers. Sunday, Major League Baseball and the players' union confirmed what our I-Team reported in the Daily News the other day, a story saying that not all of those positive tests from '03 were for injectable steroids, that some of them could have involved supplements spiked with a substance called nandrolone, legal at the time. (Emphasis added. — JK)

It sort of matters.

... At least Ortiz was out in the open Sunday the way (Alex Rodriguez) was in the spring, whether you buy his version or not. At least he wasn't some Lawyer Familiar With the (Test) Results hiding in the shadows like a cockroach.

It turns out that the government's definition of what constitutes a positive test is different from baseball's definition, and the union's. Tell me what Ortiz was taking in 2003. Because only telling me his name is telling me half a story.

Tell us, too, whether it really enhances (enhanced) anything more than muscle mass. Tell us, further, what enough of us — who can't resist letting facts interfere with, er, juicy innuendo or with a hunger for beating ballplayers over the heads over beating a path to the deep and real story — can't help wondering, whether just because you inflate your muscle mass it automatically inflates you into the statistical stratosphere.

Sorry, but the preponderance of admitted juicers who didn't hit the statistical stratosphere as a result — and they (including Jason Giambi and Jose Canseco, and you can look it up) outnumber those who did — leaves that question extremely wide open.

Even when it's asked about sluggers who don't have the personalities of acid baths.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 3:02 PM | Comments (0)

What I Hate About Your Team: AFC

I'm in a foul mood. I went to a bar in time to catch the rerun of the USA/Mexico World Cup qualifier today, had the bartender turn it on, only to have the douchebag next to me say, "They're re-runnin' that already? Sucks the way the U.S. lost."

So that got me thinking about your team, and what I hate about them. The NFC will come next time.

Miami Dolphins, I hate the way you celebrate each year when the last undefeated team falls. It's even worse that they try to downplay it and say it's no big deal to them. The hell it isn't. Eat me, Larry Csonka.

New York Jets, I hate how you are New York's most uninspiring franchise. Of all the two and three teams for each sport in the NY/NJ area, no team is farther behind their brother in terms of interest. Even the Mets have some interesting history, with Casey Stengel and Marv Throneberry, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and the '86 World Series.

Buffalo Bills, I hate your bizarre shades of red and blue. Each helmet and uniform design of the last 35 years has been worse than the one that preceded it.

New England Patriots, I hate your coach, Bill Belichick. Smug, humorless, anal, and a cheater.

Cleveland Browns, I hate how low-rent you are. I'm from Northeast Ohio, and you constantly mortify me. Remember when Kellen Winslow was in the hospital? For an "undisclosed condition?" That turned out to be a staph infection? And that it came out that multiple users of the Browns facilities had suffered the same? Clean your gross, disgusting whirlpools, Browns, and stop embarrassing me.

Cincinnati Bengals, I hate you for being so hapless. You're a team where one winning record in six seasons (and a quick playoff exit) gets Marvin Lewis hailed a genius.

Baltimore Ravens, I hate your purple on black uniforms, and I hate your decades-long offensive ineptitude, and I hate that Ozzie Newsome is here and not in the Browns front office where he belongs.

Pittsburgh Steelers, I hate your terrible towel, I hate that you think you're cute with the helmet logo on just one side, and I hate how you keep lucking out with good coaches.

Indianapolis Colts, I hate how many commercials Peyton Manning is in. Hey Peyton, take a hike.

Tennessee Titans, I hate that you didn't keep the name Oilers when you moved to Tennessee. Your logo was a freakin' oil derrick, and you replace it with, as Gregg Easterbrook calls it, a flying thumbtack.

Houston Texans, I hate how you still have that expansion team smell of putridity. Jacksonville and Carolina won almost right out of the gate.

Jacksonville Jaguars, your jaguar's tongue is freakin' turquoise. That'd be fine if the rest of it was turquoise or some complementary color, but no, you had to give Jaggy realistic colors for everything except the tongue.

Kansas City Chiefs, I hate how you make the Bengals look like alter boys. I realize there's nothing to do in KC, but Larry Johnson commits more assaults than half the teams in the NFL by himself. And you suck on top of it.

San Diego Chargers, I hate Philip Rivers and his rabbit ears. You kept the wrong quarterback.

Denver Broncos, I hate how you said, "Okay, fine, take Jay Cutler. We'll take the awesome, proven Kyle Orton to lead us to victory!" Poor Bronco fans. You deserve better.

Oakland Raiders, I hate Al Davis. He is every bit as bad as George Steinbrenner was, and he tried to disingenuously pass himself off as a basketball player at Syracuse. Also, he has this tiny head that makes him look like a snapping turtle.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 11:03 AM | Comments (3)

August 12, 2009

Istanbul Cup, Five Years Later

Most of my readers know that once or twice a year, I will write an in-depth review of a tournament on the ATP or WTA Calendar. Not having done so this year, and finding myself in the beautiful city of Istanbul, Turkey, I had once again the pleasure of attending Istanbul Cup, a WTA Tournament that was added to the WTA calendar for the first time in 2005.

I used the word "again" because, interestingly, I was also there for that first tournament five years ago, and wrote an article related to it on Sports Central. In that article, my tone was optimistic, especially when considering the potential of Istanbul as a city of attractions and as a host of other big sports events (Formula 1 being one example).

Five years later, the tournament had a much different look. The surface and the venue have changed, the organization has become much more professional, and over the course of these years, Istanbul Cup has obviously excelled in many ways, perhaps enough to be considered in one of the factors influencing Istanbul's success in bidding and winning the privilege to host the year-ending WTA Championships for three years, beginning with the year 2011.

When Venus Williams won the inaugural tournament five years ago by defeating Nicole Vaidisova in the finals, the surface was clay and the tournament took place the week before Roland Garros. It remained on clay for the next three years. Big names were not lacking in any of the draws; Anastasia Myskina, Maria Sharapova, and Elena Dementieva came to play in the following years. Previous winners were Venus Williams (who came twice), Shahar Peer, Dementieva (also twice), and in 2008, Agnieszka Radwanska.

This year's tournament was held at a different time in the calendar and at ENKA Arena in ENKA Club, one of Istanbul's more established tennis clubs, also one that has an important place in Turkish tennis. For the first time, the matches were played on hard courts, which made it more attractive to European players who wanted to get a head-start on their preparation for the U.S. Open.

Once again, the Istanbul Cup was not lacking in first-class activities in preparation for the tournament — who can forget, back in 2005, the exhibition tennis display on the Bosphorus bridge with Venus Williams and a Turkish player, a virtual "intercontinental tennis match?" A star-studded pre-tournament cocktail party was held at the wonderful Archeology Museum of Istanbul under the watchful eyes of all international media, accompanied by a concert by Hadise, the fourth-place finisher for Turkey in the acclaimed yearly Eurovision song contest. Players did not forget to praise the tournament; Arezane Rezai, on her WTA blog during the tournament, summed up her feelings in three single words: "I adore Istanbul."

One other big difference from the previous years was the addition of night matches, which allowed the local crowds to arrive after work and watch the feature matches as is the case in many other tournaments. Despite the exit of the top seeds early in the tournament, they were not disappointed with the quality of tennis and the venue. Without a doubt, it helped that for the first time in Istanbul Cup history a Turkish player, Pemra Ozgen, a talented all-court player with a superb touch, won a round in singles draw and played a respectable three-set match against the third seed, Annabel Medina Garrigues, before being ousted from the tournament.

Speaking of the draw, surprisingly none of the top four seeds made it to the semifinals. The top two seeds, Vera Zvonareva and Patty Schnyder, both lost in the first round. The only one to reach the quarterfinal round was Medina Garrigues, losing to the eventual champion Vera Dushevina. The latter was practically unstoppable, losing only 16 games on her way to the title, in one of the most dominating tournament performances ever seen on the WTA Tour.

However, the big winner was Istanbul Cup, proving once again that it has a bright future. With its year-to-year improving standards, experience adding on each year, with its ability to attract top players due to superior hospitality, and with the natural advantage of taking place in one of the world's most bewildering and wonderful cities, the Istanbul Cup continues to look with an optimistic disposition toward next year. As for me, I already can't wait for the 2011 year-ending WTA Championships.

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 11:41 AM | Comments (1)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 22

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Stewart took charge midway through the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen and held off Marcos Ambrose, as well as fuel uncertainty, to win for the fifth time at Watkins Glen. With his closest points pursuers, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, finishing 12th and 37th, respectively, Stewart now has commanding 260 and 342-point leads over the Hendrick duo.

"I think it's only fitting that I won the first NASCAR race with an obscenity in the name," Stewart said. "What's next in this sport? The F'NA 500?"

"But I'm most proud of my NASCAR record five wins here at the Glen. That's a number worth celebrating. If I had the athletic ability, not to mention the desire, to perform a Carl Edwards-like victory celebration to plunge head over heels from my car to the ground, you could call it the '5-Finger Dismount.'"

2. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson, seeking his first road course victory of his career, started from the pole at Watkins Glen, but his lead was quite short-lived as Kurt Busch passed the No. 48 Lowe's Chevy in Turn 1. Johnson raced up front for over half of the race, but a spin on lap 54 sidetracked his run for a top-10 finish. The three-time Cup champ finished 12th and now trails points leader Tony Stewart by 260.

"If there's anything this last month or so of racing has taught me," Johnson said, "it's that anytime you line up beside Kurt Busch, it's all downhill from there."

"We were hoping for better things here," Johnson said. "I was really looking forward to my first road course win. But, as anyone can tell you, a spin on a road course makes it a road 'coarse.' But there are no worries. The 'first' will have to wait; now, we can concentrate solely on the 'fourth.'"

3. Kurt Busch — Busch was fast early, seizing the lead in turn one of the first lap from pole-sitter Jimmie Johnson. Busch led 23 laps, second to Tony Stewart's 34, but subpar fuel mileage in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge forced an extra pit stop and ended Busch's victory hopes. Still, Busch produced his best ever finish, a seventh, at Watkins Glen, and solidified his fourth position in the point standings.

"I think we had the fastest car out there," Busch said. "So our finish is a real disappointment. We pitted for fuel on lap 29, which was only nine laps after a regular stop on lap 20. I'm not sure whose stupid idea that was, but, as our seventh-place finish indicates, and, as Robby Gordon proves on a weekly basis, you can't fix stupid."

"I think Joey Logano has shown driving skill beyond his years. Now, it seems he's beyond his years in clever put-downs of fellow drivers."

4. Jeff Gordon — Gordon's Watkins Glen fortunes went dramatically sour when on lap 62 he violently smashed the No. 77 car of Sam Hornish, which was spun after contact from Kasey Kahne. Gordon's No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet was totaled, and he suffered his first DNF of the year, finishing 37th and falling 342 points behind race winner and points leader Tony Stewart.

"Sometimes," Gordon said, "it's best just to close your eyes and pray for the best. That worked like a charm on my second marriage, but not so well on Monday at The Glen."

"Impacts like that are apt to induce a cringe," Gordon said, "especially from my chiropractor. Many more crashes like that, and I may find myself experiencing the same fate as the tire barrier that Hornish slammed into — being 're-tired.'"

5. Juan Montoya — Montoya posted his eighth top-10 in his last 11 races with a sixth at Watkins Glen. The Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver moved up one slot in the point standings to seventh, with a 96-point cushion over Matt Kenseth in 12th.

"I'm pleased with the direction this team is headed," Montoya said. "Although it was mostly a financial necessity, uniting the Chip Ganassi Racing and Dale Earnhardt Incorporated enterprises has really paid dividends. I attribute that to a tireless attitude, a seamless transition, quality information, but mostly to Teresa Earnhardt's new 'hands off' approach."

"And, with Australia's Marcos Ambrose finishing second, and Italy's Max Papis eighth, the top 10 at Watkins Glen had a nice international flavor. It's great for the sport to have four nations represented in the top 10. Now, if only a driver from Junior Nation could score a top 10, then NASCAR's diversity would skyrocket."

6. Carl Edwards — Edwards scored his best Sprint Cup road course result ever in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen with a third, his sixth top-5 finish this year. Edwards just missed damage in a lap 23 incident, then edged past Kyle Busch on lap 79 before running out of fuel as he crossed the finish line.

"Although we didn't win," Edwards said, "we're still making progress towards the season's first Cup victory. We're trying to pinpoint exactly why, after nine wins last season, we've seen Victory Circle not once this year. Whether luck, happenstance, coincidence, or the complete lack of a loose oil lid, we're baffled as to where our speed went, although I'm sure Jeremy Mayfield has an idea."

"Maybe it's just an off-year for Roush Fenway Racing. After two wins to start the season, this organization began a figurative 'disappearing act' and hasn't won since. And, with the organization dropping Jamie McMurray from the mix, it looks as though the literal 'disappearing act' has begun."

"Hopefully, next year, with just four cars in the garage, we'll get back to our winning ways. That would be considered 'addition by contraction.'"

7. Kasey Kahne — Kahne triggered a massive accident on lap 62 when he sent Sam Hornish sliding into the tire barrier in turn nine. Hornish bounced off the tire barrier and flew into the path of Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton. Kahne emerged relatively unscathed and finished 17th, and is now eighth in the point standings, 69 ahead of Matt Kenseth in 12th.

"I totally accept blame for the accident," Kahne said, "but I honestly didn't know they were going to use Flubber in the tire barriers."

"I sincerely apologize to Hornish, Gordon, and Burton. I'm responsible for the destruction of three cars that were specially fabricated just for this race. I can't replace those, so the best I can do is listen graciously while the drivers involved tear me a 'new one.'"

8. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin overcame a pit road speeding penalty after the first caution to finish 10th at Watkins Glen, his 10th top-10 this year and fourth in the last five races. Hamlin maintained the fifth spot in the point standings and trails Tony Stewart by 536 points.

"After my win at Pocono and Tony's win at Watkins Glen," Hamlin said, "I believe the theory of 'Hendrick domination' needs some more consideration. So, with a little Hendrick rumination, let's reconsider before we officially anoint them as the team to beat."

9. Mark Martin — Martin finished 23rd at Watkins Glen on an eventful, albeit unsuccessful day for Hendrick Motorsports. After three consecutive top-seven finishes, Martin's Chase standing took a mild hit, as he dropped one place to 11th. He is 31 ahead of Matt Kenseth in 12th, and 89 clear of Kyle Busch in 13th.

"Consistency has been an issue with this team this year," Martin said. "And, at my age, consistency is very important. And while the sound of a flushing toilet at home is a welcome sound, it's not what you want to hear at the finish line."

"And, as the Chase For the Cup rules clearly state, you can't sit on the throne as Cup champion without first qualifying for the Chase. I've suffered many championship disappointments, and failing to qualify for the Chase despite having the most wins would be another great disappointment. As Richard Petty is so fond of saying, 'You know you don't want to be that guy, son.'"

10. Kyle Busch: Busch, in the face of assertions that he won't qualify for the Chase, responded with his best race since a seventh at New Hampshire. Busch's third at Watkins Glen left him 13th in the Sprint Cup point standings, 58 points behind 12th.

"There's no reason to believe I can't make up one place in the points in four races," Busch said. "Heck, I tried roaring into the Chase last year as the top seed, and we all know how that turned out. This year, I've decided to try something different — whimpering into the Chase."

"But Tony Stewart deserves congratulations. He ran one heck of a race, and is proving to be one heck of an owner-driver. Tony referred to Watkins Glen as 'my house,' and with five wins here, it would be difficult to argue against that statement. However, if I were to argue against that point, I would start by asking Tony 'If this is truly 'your house,' then where are the strippers and alcohol?'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)

August 11, 2009

MLB Writer Scoops Self to Remain Relevant

At a time when rumor and innuendo in sports journalism has arguably never been more pervasive, one would hope that the current active senior statesmen of their craft would still have an interest in maintaining their once high standards.

As prominent newspapers in cities large and small are folding, to wit, Denver's Rocky Mountain News and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, sports coverage is being depleted. In addition, many regional newspapers are sharing content and sending fewer personnel to cover Major League Baseball games this season. In Los Angeles for instance, only two newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and the Daily News of Los Angeles are covering the Dodgers; down from 12 a decade ago.

The New York Times is cutting back on MLB road trips for the NY Yankees and the NY Mets, in the publishing capitol of the world. The Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun are sharing stories for coverage of the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals.

Over all, the number of baseball writers in the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) is down 65 writers from 2008 and its total is now 725, including non-active members. That does not include those sportswriters who are not members of the BBWAA.

The argument will wane as to whether this is all relative specifically to the economy, exacerbated by the expanse of the internet. Perhaps newspaper proprietors, generally corporate holding companies that preside over numerous assets and businesses, are using the economy as an excuse to downsize.

Whichever it is, however, when a journalist perhaps sees the writing on the proverbial wall, does he or she then deliberately bend the rules to remain relevant? Such apparently appears to be the case as evidenced in a July 27, 2009 NY Daily News column written by highly regarded sportswriter Bill Madden. The piece was titled, "MLB Commissioner Bud Selig Mulling Pardon For Hit King Pete Rose." The NY Daily News still enjoys the fifth largest newspaper circulation in the U.S. and remains an exclusive property of publisher Robert Zuckerman.

In Madden's column, published the day after the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, he "broke" the story that MLB Commissioner, Bud Selig, "is said to be seriously considering lifting Pete Rose's lifetime suspension from baseball."

The source of his information? Madden goes on to say, "The tipoff that Selig may now be inclined to pardon baseball's all-time hit king was Hank Aaron's seemingly impromptu interview session with a small group of reporters ... on Saturday."

Aaron also spoke publicly regarding his stance on steroid users. But what Madden honed in on was when Aaron spoke about Pete Rose. Aaron said, "I would like to see Pete in. He belongs there." That quote was apparently enough for Madden to frame a complete story and to put the whole broadcast media and press corps in a tizzy.

Here is his own logic: "It is no secret that Selig considers Aaron one of his closest friends and values his opinions over perhaps all others ... It was also learned that in a meeting of the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors, two of Rose's former teammates on the Board, Vice Chairman Joe Morgan and Frank Robinson, also expressed their hope that Selig would see fit to reinstate Rose."

Madden goes on to say, "Another Hall of Famer familiar with the situation" also joined the chorus for Pete's admission back into baseball, which potentially could allow his admission into the Hall. And Madden added, "According to another source, the behind-the-scenes lobbying process began five years ago, but stalled because Selig was still not satisfied that Rose was 'reconfiguring' his life."

This prompts the question: was that Madden's version of a journalist's "who, what, when. where, why, and how?" Not to those journalists who take such questions seriously.

Madden apparently had doubts himself when on the following day, July 28, 2009, he wrote a NY Daily News column titled, "MLB Commissioner Bud Selig Will Not Ease Up on Pete Rose." Since Madden's first article's title was fancied to purport fact, it came as a surprise that the very next day he would write a column almost as if someone other than himself had written the supposed news the day before.

However, prior to his near "retraction" article on July 28th, Madden's name bounced across America from television and radio networks to new media outlets online to other newspaper dailies, and Madden was promoted as the guy who got the "scoop." Pretty clever, eh?

As momentum built, before sunset on July 27, 2009, it was a "fact" that Selig was entertaining reinstatement for Rose. And everyone knew that Bill Madden got the exclusive.

The only problem? No one had told Bud Selig about his supposed intention. And for a guy covering NY sports for 30 years, Madden erased any doubt that he was not now well known. Unfortunately, no so for his best work, but for arguably committing a neat publicity stunt of sorts.

Given the climate of broadcast and newspaper outlets offing their talent near retirement age, it makes sense in some circles that Madden would want to gain instant and unabated relevance. And few ever read or heard about Madden's follow-up column the next day on July 28th which he began with, "Despite growing sentiment from a number of influential Hall of Famer's — most notably Hank Aaron — that 20 years has been a sufficient sentence for Pete Rose for betting on baseball, Bud Selig insists nothing has changed from his stand point."

But most curious is Madden's conclusion in the first paragraph as he denotes, "And I'm coming to the belief that he's going to remain so as long as Selig is commissioner." He goes on to state, "The image Selig has been carefully crafting for himself over the past two years is that of no-tolerance ... So how would it look now if he pardoned someone who broke baseball's cardinal rule?"

You have to love this guy. A day later he draws a conclusion as if the original article never existed, but based upon his own reporting and history with Bud Selig on the Pete Rose saga. So the only conclusion we can conclude is that Bill Madden knew better, but needs to be part of the national spotlight, whether his reportage is accurate or not or even belies what he really knows.

The underlying point of citing Bill Madden here is that it sets a bad precedent not only for sport journalists but the state of journalism generally. For if a guy, supposedly well regarded and one of the most powerful sports writers in New York City, has to stoop to such rubbish to bring unearned attention to himself, then what kind of example does it set? It goes against the Journalist's Creed, which is incumbent for the survival of the Fourth Estate.

And you will be interested to know that Bill Madden is one of three finalists for the J.G. Taylor Spink Award to be voted upon this November and to be awarded at the 2010 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. The award is the highest one bestowed by the BBWAA to its membership. However, winners are not "inducted" into the Hall of Fame but rather "enshrined" by way of a permanent exhibit within the Hall's library. And Spink Award recipients also enjoy lifetime membership on the Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee that elects those players who are past their 15 years of eligibility on the ballot, as well as non-player candidates.

So why Madden's self-scribed hype? To keep his job? To get another job? To win the Spink Award? Or to do it because he can get away with it given his good reputation? Whatever the reason, he certainly was not thinking of his journalist brethren and those who strive to report the facts and for whom it still matters. It would be refreshing to hold on to that last bastion of good journalism, given the times in which we live.

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2009

Why Donovan McNabb is Vastly Underrated

It is possible to win an NFL championship without a great quarterback. In 43 Super Bowls, we've seen winning quarterbacks who were very good but not great, as well as a handful who were barely average. But most Super Bowl champions begin with a Hall of Fame quarterback: 28 of those 43 Super Bowl winners had a Hall of Famer under center (including Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning, all of whom are locks for the Hall).

Hall of Fame quarterbacks aren't a dime a dozen, of course, but they're not really uncommon either. Below, I've listed every Hall of Fame QB active since the 1970 AFL merger, going by decade (so some players are listed twice). A player whose name is italicized was active in fewer than 32 regular-season games that decade.

1970s

George Blanda, Terry Bradshaw, Len Dawson, Dan Fouts, Bob Griese, Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton, John Unitas

1980s

Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, Dan Fouts, Bob Griese, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Warren Moon, Steve Young

1990s

Troy Aikman, John Elway, Brett Favre, Jim Kelly, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Warren Moon, Steve Young

2000s

Troy Aikman, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Warren Moon

Uh, where did all the Hall of Famers go? The '70s had nine HOF QBs, plus three part-timers, Starr at the beginning of the decade and Montana at the end, with Blanda as a backup. The '80s featured eight HOFers and two more part-time (Griese in 1980 and Aikman in '89). In the '90s, we saw nine Hall of Fame QBs: seven in their primes, plus the beginning of Peyton Manning's career and the end of Joe Montana's. Pretty steadily, we have about nine Hall of Fame quarterbacks per decade.

The 2000s basically have three: Brady and Manning in their primes, the agonizingly slow retirement of Brett Favre, and a combined total of 12 starts from Aikman and Moon, both of whom officially retired after the 2000 season. And let's be realistic: Favre is a Hall of Famer because of the '90s. He could have retired in 1999, and three MVP awards plus a Super Bowl ring would have made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He had some good seasons this decade (2001-2004, 2007), but he's also had a couple of pretty horrible seasons. Just on the last nine years, he wouldn't be a serious candidate for Canton.

So for the 2000s, we have two future Hall of Famers in their primes, plus another who played most of the decade. What happened? Aikman, Elway, Favre, Kelly, Marino, Moon, and Young were all in their primes for the '90s. How did we go from seven to two?

Some of it probably is just weird timing — Aikman, Elway, Marino, Moon, and Young all retired at or near the end of the '90s, and an extra couple of seasons would have substantially boosted the roster for this decade. I also suspect that some of the younger QBs in the league today will eventually become Hall of Famers, though I'm really not sure who. Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger are possibilities, plus maybe some of the really young guys. Kurt Warner could sneak in there if he has another big season or two. I can't imagine we'll really end up with only three HOF QBs from this decade when all is said and done.

But even five or six would still be a significant dropoff from previous decades, especially since the league is bigger than ever, with 32 starting quarterbacks instead of 26 or 28. I believe we must have quarterbacks who deserve to be Hall of Famers, but haven't gotten the recognition their accomplishments merit. There are several candidates who might have been Hall of Famers if not for their misfortunes: Steve McNair had near-constant injury problems, while Rich Gannon and Trent Green might have put together Hall of Fame credentials if they had gotten to play earlier in their careers. Warner didn't start an NFL game until he was 28. Still, those are might-have-been cases. Injuries and late starts to a career have happened in every decade. Who has played, without any of those excuses, and maybe played at a Hall of Fame level without us realizing it? There has to be somebody.

Assuming there is, I think it's pretty obvious that this somebody must be Donovan McNabb. Peyton Manning is easily the best quarterback of the decade, and Tom Brady is clearly second, miles ahead of anyone else. Almost as clearly, McNabb is third. Consider his accomplishments, season by season:

2000 — 11-5 in his first full year as starter, for a team that was 5-11 the season before. Passes for 3,000 yards, goes +8 in TD/INT, and leads all QBs in rushing, with 629 yards and 6 TDs. Makes the Pro Bowl and finishes second in MVP voting.

2001 — Leads the Eagles to their first NFC Championship Game in 20 years. Passes for 3,000 yards, goes +13 in TD/INT, and rushes for 482 yards and 2 TDs. Makes second straight Pro Bowl.

2002 — Gets off to the best start of his career, but misses the second half of the season with an injury. In 10 games, he passes for 2,000 yards, goes +11 in TD/INT, and rushes for 460 yards and 6 TDs. Returns for the playoffs, taking Philadelphia to a second straight NFC Championship Game and making his third straight Pro Bowl.

2003 — Leads the Eagles to a 12-4 record and their third consecutive NFC Championship Game. Passes for 3,000 yards, goes +5 in TD/INT, and rushes for 355 yards and 3 TDs. Makes fourth straight Pro Bowl.

2004 — Easily the best season of his career, even better than his near-MVP performance in 2000. McNabb passes for 3,875 yards with 31 TDs and only 8 interceptions, a TD/INT differential of +23, which is among the 10 best single-season marks in NFL history. He posts a passer rating of 104.7 and rushes for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Eagles breeze through the NFC playoffs, winning by a combined 54-24, before losing by a field goal in Super Bowl XXXIX. McNabb is named a Pro Bowl starter, his fifth consecutive selection.

2005 — Probably the worst season of his career, hindered by the Terrell Owens implosion and the world's most famous sports hernia. In only half a season of play, McNabb still passes for 2,500 yards, going +7 in TD/INT. For the first time in his starting career, McNabb misses the Pro Bowl and the Eagles miss the playoffs.

2006 — McNabb starts the season playing at MVP level, but his season is cut short by injury. In 10 games, he passes for 2,500 yards, goes +12 in TD/INT, and rushes for 212 yards and 3 TDs. His passer rating of 95.5 ranks second in the NFC.

2007 — 3,000 passing yards, +12 TD/INT, 89.9 passer rating, 236 rushing yards.

2008 — Career-high 3,916 passing yards, +12 TD/INT, fifth NFC Championship Game appearance.

Here we have a quarterback with very good statistics: almost 30,000 career passing yards, almost 200 TDs and under 100 interceptions, a passer rating of 85.9, and over 3,000 rushing yards, plus 26 rushing TDs. How good are those numbers?

* McNabb has more career passing yards than Terry Bradshaw. For that matter, he has more than Brady, Brees, or Warner, too.

* There are seven QBs in NFL history who have 100 more passing TDs than interceptions: Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Donovan McNabb. That's not just select company — it is incredibly elite company, probably the six best quarterbacks of the last 30 years. I'd entertain arguments for including John Elway (+74) in that group, but you see my point. You have six no-brainer HOF QBs, plus McNabb. Either this statistic is meaningless, or McNabb is at least on the second tier of HOF QBs, with guys like Jim Kelly (+62) and Warren Moon (+58) and Troy Aikman (+24).

* McNabb's career passer rating of 85.9 ranks 12th among players with at least 2,500 pass attempts. Only three players with as many attempts as McNabb have a higher rating: Manning, Marino, and Montana. Again, this is very select company.

* McNabb is among the greatest rushing quarterbacks in history. Only six other QBs have 3,000 rushing yards: Randall Cunningham, Elway, McNair, Fran Tarkenton, Michael Vick, and Young.

If you have a guy with some of the best passing statistics in history, who is also one of the best running quarterbacks in history, made five straight Pro Bowls before injuries became a problem, and took his team to five conference championship games, you might think it would be obvious that such a player should be considered for the Hall of Fame.

So why is McNabb seldom mentioned as a strong candidate for the Hall? The main reason is that he doesn't have a Super Bowl ring; it's almost a prerequisite for quarterbacks. Kelly never won a ring, but he played in four straight Super Bowls. Moon never even played in the Super Bowl, but he threw for a zillion yards and was chosen to nine Pro Bowls. McNabb's accomplishments are strong across the board, but he doesn't have one statistic that jumps out at you like that.

I would also submit, though, that judging McNabb by his statistics would cause us to underrate him. This is a player who has never really had a first-class receiver. Fine, he had one season with Terrell Owens. One season, and apart from that he's never played with a Pro Bowl receiver or an elite tight end. Go ahead, name the best wide receiver McNabb has played two full seasons with. Todd Pinkston? Reggie Brown? There's certainly no Jerry Rice here, no Marvin Harrison or Michael Irvin or Shannon Sharpe. The one full season he played with Owens, McNabb's statistics exploded. It seems reasonable to guess that if he'd had a few years with a Sterling Sharpe or a Randy Moss, McNabb's numbers would be even more impressive.

If the Eagles had surrounded McNabb with better receivers, or if he had won a Super Bowl, I think we would view McNabb as a lock for the Hall of Fame. He wouldn't be at the same level as someone like Manning, one of those guys you bring up in best-of-all-time arguments, maybe not even first-ballot, but a good, solid Hall of Famer. The 2006 Colts, who did win a championship, weren't any better than the 2004 Eagles, and Indianapolis didn't win because of Manning any more than the Eagles lost because of McNabb. Manning and the Colts faced a Bears team that had peaked early in the season, while the Eagles ran into the heart of the Patriots dynasty. Sometimes luck plays a role in these things.

The quality of quarterbacking in this league is probably as high now as it has ever been, and I refuse to believe that Manning and Brady are the only HOF-caliber quarterbacks of this decade. There's someone else out there who is deserving, and he plays in Philadelphia.

Sign up for the Hall of Fame-caliber NFL picks at BetFirms and have no problems at all beating the NFL lines this fall.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 11:54 AM | Comments (5)

Why Tiger Needs to Win at Hazeltine

Tiger Woods entered the final round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational trailing leader Padrig Harrington by three strokes. By the fifth hole on Sunday, Tiger had taken the lead. He ended up winning by four strokes.

Though the tournament may have been closer than the final score thanks to an 8 by Harrington on the par-5 16th that essentially assured Woods his 70th career win, it was business as usual for Tiger.

In typical fashion, Tiger posted an unremarkable score on Thursday (a 2-under 68), made his move on Friday and Saturday, and sealed the deal with a near flawless performance on Sunday. As a result of this tried and true approach, Tiger hoisted the trophy for the seventh time in 11 starts at Firestone.

Just another day at the office for the greatest golfer who ever lived.

Unfortunately, as fans, we seem to be taking Tiger for granted.

Last week when Woods won the Buick Open, the prevailing thought by both the commentators and fans alike was that Tiger cruised to victory because he didn't have any of the top players in the world chasing him.

This week, despite beating one of the most competitive fields of the season (49 of the top 50 ranked players in the world were at Firestone), the big question afterwards was, "Will he be able to ride this hot streak at the PGA Championship next week?"

Has Tiger set the bar so high for himself that winning any tournament that isn't a major has become irrelevant? Is the success of a Tiger Woods season based solely on his performance in the four biggest tournaments of the year?

For better or for worse, the answer to both questions is an empathetic "yes."

If you would have told me in March, before Tiger had played in a single event since having major reconstructive surgery on his knee, that he was going to win five of the first 12 events he played in this year, I would have said that you're crazy.

There's no way that someone can go nearly eight months without playing competitive golf and come out and win nearly half of the events he plays in the following season. It's just not possible.

But Tiger has made a career out of doing the impossible.

Instead of playing himself back into shape, Woods has finished in the top 10 in every single stroke play event that he's played in this season with one very big exception (more on that shortly).

He's won five times already this season; no other player has won more than twice. He leads the PGA tour in 11 different statistical categories, most notably scoring average. He's already won $2.6 million more than any other player on tour this season and has done so playing in five fewer events than second place Steve Sticker. He's been nothing short of Tiger-like in his return to competitive golf.

With a resume that dominant already this season, does it even matter that none of Tiger's five victories have come in major championships?

Absolutely.

Major championships are the ultimate test of skill and mental toughness in the PGA Tour. Tiger has been synonymous with those two things since turning pro in 1996. He's won a major in nine of his 12 seasons as a professional.

1998, 2003, and 2004, the three seasons in which he failed to win a major, are the only three seasons in Wood's career in which he did not finish first on the money list. Three subpar seasons by Tiger's standards.

He's one bad week away from adding another year to that list.

While Tiger and Phil Mickelson may have stolen the show on Sunday at the Masters with their star-studded pairing in the final round, Tiger finished tied for sixth, four shots off the lead and was in no position to win at any point in the tournament.

Tiger, hampered by an unlucky early tee time on Thursday that caused him to play in the wind and the rain in his first two round at the U.S. Open, was only able to claw his way into another tied for sixth finish with a final round 69.

Then there was the debacle at Turnberry at the British Open, where Woods missed the cut at a major for only the second time in his professional career. It was a dark moment for a golfer who has made a career out of shining brightest of golf's biggest stage.

Now, riding the momentum of back-to-back wins heading into the PGA Championship since missing the cut at the British Open, Tiger has once last chance this week to make 2009 a success.

Tiger could go on to win the FedEx Cup, finish first on the money list, and win Player of the Year for a record 10th time, and none of it matters if he doesn't win at Hazeltine this week.

For all of his accomplishments already this season, anything less than a first-place finish at the PGA Championship this week and 2009 will be remembered as a subpar season for Tiger.

Maybe as fans we should stop taking Tiger's greatness for granted and learn to appreciate wins like the one at Firestone last week for how impressive they truly are.

But we didn't set the bar this high for Tiger, he did. He expects to win every major championship that he plays in.

As fans, why should we expect anything less?

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)

August 9, 2009

Time For Smoltz to Hang 'Em Up

In the world of sports, there is seldom something sadder than watching a one-time great player trying to hang on to the glory days trying to play well past his prime. Such was the case Thursday night for Boston pitcher John Smoltz.

Smoltz has struggled all season long, but Boston fans were pointing to last night as the reason they went out and got him. He has a history of being a big-game pitcher and Sox fans were expecting that he would step up and shutdown the hated Yankees Thursday night, only it just did not happen.

What happened was an over-the-hill pitcher, who has given up fewer than 5 runs just twice in his previous 7 starts, got lit up by a red-hot Yankees team last night. Smoltz has made it back from arm/shoulder injuries that cost him months of playing time in the past only this does not seem to happening this time around. Smoltz had nothing for the Yankees and has had little to offer all season long.

Manager Terry Francona sounded resigned to the fact that Smoltz' days as a starter, and possibly a member of the Sox, may be numbered saying he needed to speak with General Manager Theo Epstein about what the team was going to do next. Boston is now 2-6 in games that Smoltz has started and with Daisuke Matsuzaka's not coming back any time soon, this could not have come at a worse time for Boston as they struggle to find any kind of stability in the rotation after Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

Tim Wakefield is on the Disabled List and the team is not sure when he will be back, though the fact that he is throwing bullpen sessions and not experiencing too much discomfort is a positive sign. Brad Penny and Clay Buchholz cannot seem to get out of the fifth inning on a consistent basis, so Boston really needed Smoltz to get it together and start giving them six innings on a consistent basis. At the beginning of the year, Smoltz was seen as a luxury for the Red Sox and now his ability to give them quality starts is a necessity they were not bargaining for and it has hamstrung their staff.

The fact that Boston went out and signed Paul Byrd to a minor league deal yesterday leads signals it is preparing for the worst in terms of Smoltz and Matsuzaka's ability to deliver quality innings down the stretch for them. There is some sentiment that Smoltz could continue on as a reliever for the Red Sox. After all, he was a dominant closer for the Braves over a three-year span earlier in the decade before begging to get back into the rotation. Does he really have enough left to even be a quality reliever for them?

Consider that hitters are hitting .267 against him in the first inning of starts alone. While that is not horrible, consider that in his 8 starts this year, he has struck out 7, walked 5, and allowed 5 runs. His best innings this year have been the second and fifth innings, which is typically when a starter is facing the bottom half of the batting order. The fact of the matter is he is getting lit up by the opposition's best hitters and seems to only be able to get out the lesser hitters these days. He simply is not fooling anyone and the fact that lefties are hitting .440 against him is a huge red flag. They might be able to use him as specialist to get out right-handed hitters, but what is to stop the other team's manager from putting left-handed pinch hitters in there against him?

Even if they went that route, the Red Sox have better relievers against right-handed hitters than Smoltz and Francona does not have to worry about yanking them against lefties since they are equally as adept at getting left-handed hitters out as well. Why risk even running Smoltz out there when he is struggling to get quality hitters out anyway? Signing Smoltz back in the winter was a nice story and looked like shrewd move at the time. But given that Smoltz could not even give them quality starts against teams like Baltimore and Oakland, what use is he really? Boston's bullpen is full of quality arms and goes six deep. They need starting pitching right now and if Smoltz cannot give that to them then it is time to cut him loose and move on.

Maybe they give him an opportunity to work it out in the bullpen, but can his stuff be trusted in tight games? There is no doubting his toughness and mental capacity to rise to the moment, but it is readily apparent that his body is not willing to do what his heart is telling him to do. If you are Terry Francona, are you going to go with Smoltz over Jonathan Papelbon, Daniel Bard, Ramon Ramirez, or Hideki Okajima if you need an out late in a tight game?

Until Smoltz proves he can get guys out on a regular basis out of the 'pen, he is of no real use for the Red Sox and he just needs to do the noble thing and simply fall on his sword and put an end to it all. He needs to announce his retirement now rather than suffer the potential embarrassment of being released. Come to grips with reality, John, and hang 'em up so that Boston fans can move on and not anguish over the next time you are scheduled to pitch. You know and I know that you have nothing left. You say you want to do what is best for the Boston Red Sox and what is going to help them win more games. What is best for the Red Sox is you not taking the mound in a game that matters or the outcome is still in the balance.

It is sad that it has come to this and I always enjoyed watching you throw down in big games, but those days are behind you now and it is time to join Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux on the golf course and enjoy the spoils of a long and storied career.

This story was re-published with permission from PopPickle.

Posted by Eric Engberg at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

August 7, 2009

Secrets of the 2009 NFL Season (Pt. 2)

Also see: Secrets of the 2009 NFL Season (Pt. 1)

* In an unfortunate and politically incorrect grouping of performers during halftime at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, disgraced R&B crooner Chris Brown and singer/songwriter Jackson Browne join English electronic/industrial group The Prodigy for a rendition of the band's controversial single "Smack My Bitch Up."

* The Lions set a lowly precedent for inept NFL franchises, suffering through their second-straight 0-16 season. However, the dismay is offset when the team collects yet another No. 1 draft pick, as well as a Tony award for More Misérables, a play based on Detroit's 2009 campaign.

* In a symbolic gesture aimed at exorcising the painful end to the 2008 season from fans' memories, Carolina Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme releases a dove with an olive branch into the sky from the 50-yard line of Bank of America Stadium. Unfortunately, the olive branch is intercepted by a cardinal before it can reach its intended destination.

* Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison declines an invitation to attend his oldest brother's wedding, claiming that his brother "wouldn't have invited me if I weren't his brother."

* Michael Vick, conditionally reinstated by Roger Goodell in July, is signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in mid-August. In one of the many NFL-mandated conditions of reinstatement, Vick is ordered to further his role as a canine activist by periodically tweeting his thoughts on his PETA-sanctioned blog, "Woofer and Twitter."

In Week 6 against the Rams, Vicks sees his first action, when, in response to a rash of injuries to Jacksonville's safeties, he is inserted at the rover position. Vick records an interception and six tackles in four games, but is cut on November 11th after he is spotted feeding Alka Seltzer to seagulls on Jacksonville's Intracoastal Waterway.

* Eager to cash in on the success of "The T.O. Show," which revealed a side of Terrell Owens few knew existed, VH1, in association with a disgruntled Bills coaching staff, debuts Owens' new reality show, "T.O. Go."

* Kim Kardashian, fresh off her breakup from Reggie Bush, is photographed in a Nashville night club getting cozy with Titans running back duo Chris Johnson and LenDale White. Later, when Johnson and White are seen leaving Kardashian's hotel room the next morning, gossip web site TMZ breaks the story with a headline reading "Smash and Dash and Kardash(ian)."

* Embattled former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress is sentenced for weapons charges stemming from an incident in which he accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a Manhattan nightclub in November. A compassionate judge orders Burress to serve 18 months in a maximum security prison in upstate New York, with a reduction in the sentence possible for good behavior.

There, after two months of exemplary behavior, Burress inexplicably resorts to his old ways and embraces the hardcore prison lifestyle. After inking himself with a homemade tattoo that reads 'Lifer,' Burress fashions a shank from a kicking tee. Then, in response to an unannounced bed check, Burress hastily conceals the weapon in his pants, nearly severing his manhood in the process.

Luckily for Burress, teammate Antonio Pierce is again there to pick up the pieces.

* Denver running back Knowshon Moreno is an early breakout rookie in the 2009 season, rushing for 311 yards and 3 touchdowns, with a punt return score, as well, in the Broncos' first four games. Moreno is also a star in the marketing arena, and one of the most popular ads in the Denver area spoofs the drug problems and affinity for frequent, unprotected sex of former Broncos Travis Henry. Several billboards picture Moreno enjoying a Coca-Cola in a Henry jersey, surrounded by 11 children. The "Coke and a Smile" ads boost sales of the popular cola by 33%, while teen pregnancy decreases by that same percentage.

Moreno goes on to win the AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

* At the Packers' August 22nd preseason home game versus the Bills, Brett Favre's tearful farewell speech is interrupted by Vikings coach Brad Childress, there to announce that he's named a starter for the Vikes' regular season opener against the Browns.

As Favre wipes his eyes, Childress gives the nod to Sage Rosenfels, and Childress acknowledges that a decision would have been made sooner if not for "special circumstances," none of which he details.

* In Washington, prized Redskins newcomer Albert Haynesworth displays early domination, and the 'Skins rush defense leads the NFL early in the year. Haynesworth's ability to hold his position, even in the face of double- and triple-teams, earns him the nickname "The Washington Monument."

Haynesworth is photographed at the base of the D.C. landmark for the October 25th issue of Sports Illustrated, one week after 'hitting for the cycle' against Matt Cassel and the Kansas City Chiefs. In a 23-13 Redskins win, Haynesworth records a sack, secures a Cassel fumble, picks off a Cassel pass, and accidentally steps on the helmet of the K.C. quarterback.

* Tom Brady returns to form, dumping pregnant wife Giselle Bundchen, just months before she is to give birth to the couple's first child, for actress Florence Henderson.

* In October, video filmed through the hotel door peephole of Tony Siragusa surfaces on the Internet, showing the portly former defensive lineman primping naked in front of a mirror. Siragusa and his attorneys rush to have the video removed, and succeed, but not before the former Raven is saddled with the nickname "Goose Pimple."

Later, Siragusa markets the video with a collection of some of his zaniest and most rambling sideline reports in a DVD package called "Goose Gone Wild."

Sales reach 17, well behind the 1,245,000 discs sold of fellow reporter Erin Andrews' boxed set.

* The NFL's most surprising team is the Kansas City Chiefs, who, after a dismal 0-5 start, reel off seven wins in their last 11 games to finish second in the AFC West. New head coach Todd Haley credits his predecessor, Herman Edwards, with instilling a 'play to win the game' attitude in the team, while crediting himself for supplying the missing ingredient — "coaching to win the game."

* In October, Jessica Simpson appears on the Barbara Walter's Special, and the celebrity interview queen immediately presses Simpson about her breakup with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Simpson confides that she is not bitter, and states that "I shouldn't have reasonably expected Tony to put a ring on my finger when he can't even put one on his own finger."

* San Diego's Shawne Merriman, who missed all but one game last year because of a knee injury, roars out of the gate, eager to prove his health and quell conceptions of performance-enhancing drug use. Merriman records 4 sacks in the Chargers first two games, including three takedowns of Joe Flacco in a 16-10 win over Baltimore in Week 2. The beastly linebacker cites a grueling offseason conditioning program, and an even more intense attitude, fueled by Pop Rocks and cola, for his quick start.

Merriman records 19 sacks on the year, and is named AFC Defensive Player of the Year, which he celebrates by sending Jason Taylor a signed copy of his latest drug test.

* St. Louis rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis, son of legendary professional wrestler Road Warrior Animal, is put through the rookie initiation wringer at Rams training camp in Earth City, Missouri. Laurinaitis good-naturedly accepts the mild humiliations initially, such as being forced to "clothesline" the sweaty undergarments of the Rams veteran linebackers.

But when the vets handcuff him to a whirlpool and make off with his belt, Laurinaitis snaps. As Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" is mysteriously queued over the public address system, Laurinaitis breaks free and systematically overwhelms and pins his tormentors, as referee Ed Hochuli offers a quick three count.

* Early reports from training camp on the Buccaneers quarterback battle, featuring Luke McCown, Byron Leftwich, Josh Johnson, and rookie Josh Freeman, note that the race has the competitive feel of an open tryout, and the talent to match. Freeman impresses with his strength as well as a lightning-quick release. Freeman's seven-step drop and release is timed at 2.1 seconds, well ahead of the 2.1-minute time of the veteran Leftwich's.

McCown eventually wins the starting job, but is pulled in favor of Freeman in Week 6, and Freeman completes the year as starter.

* Excitement abounds in Seattle, mostly created by the free agent signing of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the biggest thing to hit the Pacific Northwest since Twilight. In Seattle's Week 1 game against the Rams, Houshmandzadeh runs afoul of the NFL's draconian touchdown celebration rules, as well as teeny-boppers jaded by romanticized vampire novels, when he howls like a werewolf celebrating his first touchdown as a Seahawk.

Houshmandzadeh loses nearly all of his 12-to-16-year-old female fan base, but gains a Coors Lite "Silver Bullet" spokesman gig, as well as an audition for the next installment in the Teen Wolf movie franchise.

* Oakland rookie wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, thrust into the starting lineup at the behest of owner Al Davis, scores on a 99-yard, fourth quarter flea-flicker from JaMarcus Russell to give the Raiders a thrilling 27-26 win over AFC West rival Denver. As the defeated Broncos file dejectedly off the field at Oakland Coliseum, they are serenaded by a Black Hole chorus of 'Sha Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey-Hey-ward, Good Bey!"

* Arizona rookie running back Chris "Beanie" Wells, the Cardinals first-round pick, suffers through an injury-plagued season, as minor ankle and toe injuries keep him sidelined. With 9 yards on 4 carriers for the year, Wells' earns a new nickname, "H.G.," as his meager statistics render him an "Invisible Man."

* Colts safety Bob Sanders plays in 12 games for the Colts, thereby winning a preseason wager with Peyton Manning, who bet that his own commercial appearances would be greater than Sanders' games played.

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

August 6, 2009

The 2003 Steroid List is Ruining Baseball

Devastating.

David Ortiz' name showing up on the 2003 steroid list is absolutely devastating.

It's not like we didn't suspect it. His numbers crashed almost as hard as the stock market over the last two seasons, culminating in a ridiculously long power outage that lasted until the middle of June.

But I really, really wanted to believe he was clean.

The "take away the World Series rings" can go suck on a lemon. What Ortiz did doesn't invalidate anything the Red Sox have done over the last few years any more than what Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, or any of the other steroid user Yankees did invalidated the Yankee dynasty in the late '90s.

When the Red Sox beat the Yankees in 2004, there were steroid users on both teams. When the Yankees beat the Red Sox in 2003, there were steroid users on both teams. The same goes for every other team they beat and every other team they lost to.

But it certainly does invalidate the player.

The most home runs in a season by a Red Sox player? A sham. The most clutch player in Red Sox history? A fraud. Big Papi? Big cheater.

I don't want to feel this way about Ortiz. Unlike A-Rod, he's a genuinely good guy. He's big with charities, great with the fans, and by all accounts, he's a great teammate and family man. It's fun to hate Jason "White Bonds" Giambi and Alex Rodriguez because they're so damn unlikable. It's much harder to feel that way about David Ortiz.

And yet he's put me in a position where I almost feel obligated to hate him.

The "I'll get back to you later" thing is just making it worse. He's "investigating" so he can "get more answers" and yet he hasn't asked the players association to get any of those answers? You seriously expect me to believe this? You've done nothing but make yourself look like a guilty coward who doesn't want to face the music.

Suck it up, be a man, and take your lumps. Doing anything less than that is even more embarrassing than having Manny Ramirez inject you with some of that "B-12" you've been hearing so much about.

This 2003 list is awful for the fans. It is. As far as I'm concerned, the "leaking of the list" is the darkest moment in baseball history. No contest.

Who's to say a few months from now, just as I'm starting to get over the David Ortiz thing, another name of a player I love won't be leaked? How about Pedro Martinez? Or (gasp) Curt Schilling?

This is absolute garbage.

The players association needs to release the entire 2003 steroid list, and they need to do it before any of the other names leak out. Then, once the shock dies down, they need to use every resource available to them to find the scumbag lawyers who are leaking the names and make sure they spend a few years in prison thinking long and hard about whether it was worth the thrill of watching baseball fans suffer every few months.

Lost in the venom being spewed towards players like Ortiz is the fact that the people leaking the names are breaking the law. And the list, as Nomar Garciaparra so aptly put it, is beyond obsolete and even further beyond fair at this point.

Back in 2003, the players were not notified that they failed a test, so they had no chance to appeal (they weren't told until the feds seized the list in 2004). Baseball, back in 2003, was not releasing lists of safe supplements like they do today. Half the crap sold at your local neighborhood GNC could cause a positive test.

Do I buy that excuse for someone like David Ortiz? The tainted supplement excuse? Absolutely not, especially since his "investigation" hasn't turned up a potential supplement issue yet. But it certainly is a plausible excuse. Just ask Bronson Arroyo.

Which is why it's completely unfair to the players to have these names leak out six years later.

Think about it. The David Ortiz test was taken before he ever had a regular season at-bat with the Red Sox. Since he's been with the Red Sox, he's been tested over 20 times and hasn't failed a test. But everything he's accomplished is tarnished by a test he took and was never given the chance to question.

It wouldn't stand up in court. Unfortunately for Ortiz, the court of public opinion has different rules.

As unfair as it is to players like Ortiz, it's even more unfair to the people who root for them. And as Bud Selig always says, the fans come first.

So put your money where your mouth is Bud. Release the entire 2003 steroid list, let everyone react, then let everyone move on. Just close your eyes and rip off the Band-Aid.

This water-torture stuff is ruining the game of baseball.

Posted by Sean Crowe at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

August 5, 2009

7 Bold College Football Predictions

The time is coming.

This is one of the best times of the year, where the anticipation of the start of college football ignites the sports world. Every team starts with a clean slate and high expectations. Grills are being pulled out and prepped for tailgating. Two-a-days becomes the most important news of the day.

Who can't love this time of year?!

With college football officially just a month away, it's time to make some predictions for the upcoming season. If 2009 can deliver the drama of the past two years, no question we're in for a fantastic year in college football!

Awards and the BCS matchups are coming soon. For now, though, here are some things to look for this season.

The breakout guy of the season will be California RB Jahvid Best.

I'm partial to any back who is averaging big yards, and last year, Best ripped through opposing lines for the Golden Bears, averaging just over 8 yards a carry. Best has explosive speed and is almost impossible to be caught from behind. He ran for 1,580 yards last year, yet got very little attention from anyone outside the West Coast. This year might be a lot different. The Bears travel to Minnesota on September 19, giving Best a chance to impress in front of Midwest writers. Secondly, with Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow all back this season, Best will be the refreshing twist the Heisman race needs.

A potential shocker? Kansas over Oklahoma.

Now, I'm not saying this will definitely happen, which is why it's a potential shocker for now. However, the Sooners will travel to Lawrence the week following their showdown with Texas in Dallas. If OU rolls over Texas, forget it. If they beat Texas in a total dogfight, it might be a close one, but I'd still take the Sooners. However, if Texas beats Oklahoma, and the Sooners have to travel the following week to face a Kansas team that will most likely be undefeated and ready to make a serious statement, this has the makings of a Mark Mangino-sized upset.

There will be a coaching search at Notre Dame.

Let's face it, when you're not in the Pac-10 and you've got Washington and Washington State on the schedule ... okay, so maybe the Irish got a little lucky there. However, the fan base in South Bend, eager to see a revival of Notre Dame football, will be calling for the ouster of Charlie Weis when Notre Dame doesn't win 10 games this season. The search will no doubt be a long one; who will want to take on that much pressure right away?

Florida will beat Tennessee. It will not be pretty.

Most people expect Florida to beat Tennessee, but this season's matchup at the Swamp has all the makings of what could be a blowout to remember. Urban Meyer doesn't like being trash talked, and despite SEC commissioner Mike Slive's attempts to get everyone to play nice, Meyer will not call off the dogs for this one. Lane Kiffin needs a couple of years to rebuild Tennessee, so maybe he should've waited a bit before calling Meyer out. It will be a relentless attack, aimed at teaching Kiffin a lesson, and I expect Tebow to have career high numbers when it's said and done.

Duke will pull off one upset win this season.

Don't ever underestimate a David Cutcliffe team. He's already been a success at Duke by winning more games last season than the Blue Devils have won in the three seasons before that. Now, with better athletes making their way to Durham, Cutcliffe is actually building a foundation for Duke to be a winner on the gridiron, something that hasn't happened since Steve Spurrier roamed the sidelines. Duke is on the right track and something tells me that this season, they'll pull off an ACC win that no one thought they would.

After this season, the Big 12 will attempt to make Arlington, Texas their long-term football conference championship site.

The Big 12, as well as the other major conferences, has been schooled by the SEC in the media game, as well as in holding a football title game. While the Big 12 has rotated sites, the SEC has found a home in the Georgia Dome, a perfect venue for a game of such magnitude. The best answer for the Big 12 is the new Cowboys Stadium. No question, Jerry Jones has built a palace down in Big D, and the Big 12 could finally get a one-up of sorts if they can build a home at Jerry World.

The best game of Week 1 will be Georgia/Oklahoma State, and it might end up being one of the best games of the season.

Georgia's stingy defense against Oklahoma State's high-octane offense is going to make for one fantastic matchup, and will no doubt be a must see game for college fanatics. Stillwater will be rocking at the chance to knock off a SEC team early, and no doubt, Joe Cox will take his lumps early this season. Georgia's first five games are brutal, while their later half of the schedule looks much easier, despite that annual trip to Jacksonville to meet the Gators. How Cox handles himself in this game might be an indicator for how the Bulldogs end up this season.

Posted by Jean Neuberger at 11:58 AM | Comments (2)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 21

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Stewart wrecked in Saturday's practice, just as he did in June's Pocono race, and started at the back of the field in a backup car. After struggling with handling early, Stewart and crew got the No. 14 Old Spice Swagger Chevrolet in tune, and he finished 10th. Stewart increased his points lead over Jimmie Johnson to 197 points.

"Obviously, the wreck in practice didn't lead to the previous outcome," Stewart said. "You know, NBA star Allen Iverson has spent a career searching for proof, and I finally confirmed it — practice means nothing."

"But 'swagger' means everything, whether on the hood of your car, under your arm, or in your step. As the points leader, I've got 'swagger.' And, despite what the Old Spice Swagger commercial may indicate, I didn't get it by just putting on some deodorant. I've got a theory about Old Spice Swagger — if you attract women simply by applying deodorant, you must have been one stinking son of a gun beforehand."

2. Jimmie Johnson — After leading the first 22 laps at Pocono, Johnson's day took a turn for the worse when the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet lost power on lap 104. Ongoing repairs left Johnson three laps down and running perilously close to NASCAR's minimum speed requirement, but Chad Knaus and crew finally got Johnson up to speed with new spark plugs. Johnson recovered twelve positions in the final thirteen laps and finished 13th. He remained second in the points, and trails Tony Stewart by 197.

"Hey, I guess I have something in common with Jeremy Mayfield," Johnson said. "Apparently, we're both above NASCAR's minimum 'speed' requirement."

"I had some harrowing moments in that race. No, not falling three laps down, but racing close to Kurt Busch near the end. I thought for sure there would be contact. But I think it's time we put an end to this feud. We'll likely do so when we head to the White House, where President Obama will mediate our little version of 'white cop-black professor.' There's nothing better than getting liquored up and talking 'race.' NASCAR fans do it all the time. That situation started with an arrest; maybe Obama can help give our feud 'a rest.'"

3. Jeff Gordon — Gordon finished eighth at Pocono, making up ground late after a four-tire pit stop left him facing traffic ahead. Mounting a charge after the final restart, Gordon posted his 15th top-10 finish of the year. He holds the third spot in the points, and is 199 behind Tony Stewart.

"The car was good," said Gordon, "but not good enough to win. That seems to be a popular refrain for the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet this year. It seems that we're making progress, but only towards increasing our winless streak."

"But Jimmie Johnson's performance has to be an inspiration to all drivers. Not necessarily because he came from three laps down to finish 13th, but because he got three 'Lucky Dog' free passes. I'm surprised Jimmie didn't get a lap back when the piece of the caution light tumbled to the track, because everything always seems to 'fall' into place for him."

4. Mark Martin — Martin led 10 laps at Pocono and finished seventh, his 11th top-10 finish of the year. Despite his solid finish, Martin actually fell one spot in the standings to 10th, as Juan Montoya and Kasey Kahne, drivers jockeying for Chase position, finished ahead of him.

"Most experts contend I'm the 'Cinderella' story of the season," Martin said. "I disagree. Jeremy Mayfield is clearly the 'Cinderella' story of the year — he's the one with the evil stepmother."

"But I can't tell you how proud I am to be driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Now, if championships were based on how many times I've said that, I'd be kissing the Cup right now."

5. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin, in the No. 11 FedEx Toyota, passed Clint Bowyer with 10 laps to go at Pocono and held off Juan Montoya for the win in the Sunoco Red Cross 500. It was Hamlin's first win of the year and third victory at Pocono. He moved up one spot to fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, and trails Tony Stewart by 475 points.

"It's about time someone stepped up here at Joe Gibbs racing," Hamlin said. "I'm just trying to lead by 'Fed Ex-ample.' Our unofficial leader, Kyle Busch, has dropped the ball, so I felt it necessary to drop the 'Ham'-mer on the field. Kyle was leading the points at this point last year; frankly, he should be 'M&M'-barrassed with his performance so far this year."

6. Kasey Kahne — Kahne was running third on a lap 187 restart when he made contact with Juan Montoya's No. 42 car, dropping Kahne to seventh. He eventually finished fifth, his third-consecutive top 10, and moved up one spot in the points to fifth.

"I expect Juan and I will tangle again at Watkins Glen," Kahne said. "Sure that rhymes, but I'm nowhere near 'rapping' up a Chase berth. There's still work to do. As the winner at the last road course race, at Sonoma, I'll be battling for the win. And I expect Juan, a road course master, to be up there with me. If we make contact, one of us will be 'pretty bitter,' because one of us will be in the 'kitty litter.'"

"I'm just glad we put on a good show for the fans who stuck around at Pocono. But let's not forget about the fans watching on television. Sunday had to be grueling, what with nearly four hours of coverage before the race was officially postponed. Talk about unnecessary coverage. Some of the pieces were just plain uninteresting. It's bad enough spending time with Marty Smith in a bar, but then to have it televised! Yikes!"

"You know ESPN's digging into the bottom of the barrel when they show the Reed Sorenson interview."

7. Kurt Busch — Busch recorded his 11th top-10 finish of the year, taking a ninth in the Sunoco Red Cross 500. In the final frantic laps, Busch battled track rival Jimmie Johnson for position, and also scrapped with Johnson's Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon. Busch maintained the fourth position in the Sprint Cup point standings, and trails Tony Stewart by 437.

"I've learned that in dealing with these reckless Hendrick drivers," Busch said, "you have to turn the other cheek. And I'm good at that — it's easy to turn the other cheek when someone slaps the other cheek."

"And I've also learned my lesson about seeking justice on the track, something my teammate, David Stremme, knows nothing about. If experience has taught me one thing, it's never to engage a rival on the track, or in the NASCAR hauler, for that matter. Someone always gets hurt."

8. Juan Montoya — Montoya eased some of the disappointment from Indianapolis with a runner-up finish at Pocono. Montoya chased Denny Hamlin for the final ten laps, but never was close enough to make a move. Montoya's seventh top-10 finish in the last 10 races placed him tenth in the points, 100 ahead of David Reutimann in 13th.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get over the disappointment of Indy," Montoya said. "There's only one thing worse than 'highway' robbery and that's 'Speedway' robbery."

"But I can't dwell on the past. Sure, getting caught speeding on pit road at Indy may have raised my ire and helped confirm the notion that I'm a hotheaded Colombian, but please, don't label me as a pit 'rogue.'"

"On the contrary, I've learned to slow down and enjoy the scenery, like other cars passing me on pit road."

9. Carl Edwards — Edwards was in 17th position with 30 laps to go, and with four fresh tires he was gaining ground towards a likely top-10 finish. But the race's final caution spoiled Edwards' momentum, and on the final restart, the No. 99 was shuffled back. He finished 18th and dropped one place in the points to sixth, 523 out of first.

"There's been a lot going on with Roush Fenway Racing lately," Edwards said. "Just not with me."

"Jamie McMurray is out, and Matt Kenseth will carry the Crown Royal banner with Dewalt Tools ending its sponsorship. That's quite a surprise. I've always considered Matt a 'tool,' but not a marketing 'tool.'"

10. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth finished 11th at Pocono, improving one spot in the point standings to 11th, where he is one point ahead of teammate Greg Biffle in 12th.

"It was quite a hectic week for me," Kenseth said. "First, I lose a sponsor, DeWalt, then gain a sponsor, Crown Royal. I think that's called 'Robbing Jamie to pay Matt."

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

August 4, 2009

Drawing Parallels

In the four major American sports leagues, each team, with the exception of the odd NFL game once every few years, has two possible outcomes: win or loss. Everywhere else in the world, in their most popular sports, a draw (or tie) is not only a possibility, but can be celebrated. Sometimes, neither team deserves to win a game (but obviously, playoff games need results). And it is possibly unfair to a team that has dominated a game to have its efforts thrown away, without the possibility of honors being even on the day.

I especially feel that way about baseball, where it seems silly to play out every one of 162 games in a six-month season. Maybe that's somehow a view contrary to American custom, but sometimes life isn't simply wins and losses, as much as that means anything in a sports setting.

Recently, I've started to follow something else possibly un-American: cricket.

The second most popular sport in the world is the ultimate king of the draw, with a test match (the first and longest form of the game) many times going five days for six hours each day with a draw being the result. Interestingly, a draw and a tie are two different things. A draw in test cricket means that each side could not complete each of its innings, for a variety of reasons. A tie, predictably, is when each team has finished its innings has finished with the same number of runs. This outcome has happened just twice in over two hundred years, and it's easy to see why considering each team in a test usually gets 400-800 runs. Furthermore, these ties are known as two of the sport's greatest contests, while the first one is simply called, "The Tied Test."

Right now, the most famous series in all of cricket is going on, The Ashes, between England and Australia. In the first of the five five-day matches between the two countries (yes, 25 days and over six weeks), Australia was absolutely dominating, scoring 674 runs in their first and only time at bat before declaring (stopping because staying at bat would have taken too much time in a time-limited match) with four batsmen remaining for England to get out. On the final day of the test, Australia needed to get eight English batsmen out before allowing 220 runs, or have enough time left to bat and make up the difference should they have allowed more. The land down under did neither, and England drew the match.

All things being equal, England probably did not deserve a draw. However, the fact that a draw was there to be had (and was what England was gunning for from the first bowl of the day) made the last part of the match absolutely thrilling, and still gave Australia a result. It also was a turning point, as England won the next test, and drew the rain-soaked third. Australia will lose the series should it lose either of the next two matches.

The second test was concluding around the same time my beloved Texas Rangers were finishing up a series with the Twins. The last game of the series, one that the good guys needed to prevent a sweep, went to 12 innings before the Rangers won with a walk-off homer by Ian Kinsler. Despite the fact that my team won, I still thought that it was the type of game that would have been better served to be ended after a regulation nine innings.

Now, I'm not so much as naïve to think that extra innings will be done away with. It'll never happen. But it does present an interesting hypothetical, and one that can be worked out with some rearranging of the standings.

Here are the standings for the 2009 baseball season (as of August 2) if every game tied after nine innings was declared a draw. Note that a draw counts as no result in the winning percentage, rather than one half win and one half loss (ala the NFL system).

Under the no extra innings format, the lead in two divisions change hands with Boston going ahead of the Yankees and the White Sox jumping in front of the Tigers. The only playoff spot changing hands would be the White Sox instead of the Tigers, as they sit now. The most compelling difference of any division, even though nothing changes in the standings is in the NL West, where the Dodgers drop to having baseball's fourth best record due to their 10-3 record in extras. The Rockies not only jump out of a tie for the NL wild card, but become the NL's second best team thanks to a 1-4 record in 10+ innings.

This can only be a good thing, as the draw would not lead to drastically different results, even though it could be argued that strategy during a game would change and therefore change results.

All things considered, the standings would be not be all that different if draws were allowed, and pitching staffs could be saved from the possibility of an indefinite end and the need to find extra arms.

Posted by Ross Lancaster at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)

August 3, 2009

Five Fantasy Football Super Sleepers

As we head into the NFL preseason schedule this weekend with the Bills and Titans in the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday night, fantasy drafts are coming up soon.

And while some of you out there have kept informed on all the player movement during the offseason, it's always worth taking a look at how the change might impact a player's fantasy value from last season to the coming one.

After all, changing systems or moving to a team where you'll have a much better opportunity to play can have a dramatic effect on a player's fantasy production.

(It was this thinking last year that convinced me to pick up Michael Turner in the second round last year — championship!)

Another thing to consider is a player who has stayed with the same team, but will be playing in a new scheme due to a coaching turnover. He might be wearing the same uniform, but if the guy calling the plays is different, you need to take that into account.

So with all that said, here are five players who will be available far later in drafts than they should be.

QB Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos

Lost in all the hullabaloo over Jay Cutler is that Orton will now take the reins on an offense run by Josh McDaniels, formerly of the New England Patriots.

The Patriots pass numbers the past two seasons with McDaniels calling the plays:

2008: 534 pass attempts for 3,693 yards and 21 TD

2007: 578 pass attempts for 4,806 yards and 50 TD

Orton will have a very solid WR duo with Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, one of the best young offensive lines in the NFL, a deep stable of talented running backs, and a division not exactly loaded with stellar defenses (San Diego the exception).

Now I obviously don't expect Orton to go anywhere near Tom Brady's record season of 2007, but the 2008 Patriots numbers with Matt Cassel the primary QB are well within reach.

WR Chris Henry, Cincinnati Bengals

With T.J. Houshmandzadeh off to Seattle, there's going to be a redistribution within the Bengals passing game.

Laveranues Coles was imported from New York for $28 million, so you would expect him to slide into the second starting role. But make no mistake — Coles is no Houshmandzadeh, who averaged 98 catches for 1,042 yards and 8 touchdowns over the past three years.

Coles is a far more traditional number two at this stage of his career (10th season, turns 32 in December), meaning there will be more balls coming the way of Chris Henry, who caught only 19 in 12 games last season.

And though Henry has been the poster boy for idiot NFL players, it's been some time since he's run afoul of the league's personal conduct policy. Still just 26, it's possible he's finally figured it all out.

Don't be surprised if Henry goes for 50+ receptions and over 800 yards. And if Coles should go down to injury, those numbers could go up to 60-70 receptions and over 1,000 yards.

WR Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams

The first wide receiver selected in the 2008 NFL draft was one of four rookies last year to finish with 50 or more receptions and 500 or more receiving yards (53 receptions for 674 yards and 3 touchdowns).

With Torry Holt gone to Jacksonville, Avery now takes over as the undisputed top dog on the Rams WR corps.

Talent + Opportunity = Sleeper.

(Note: Keep an eye on Rams WR Laurent Robinson, as well. It looks like he's pulled ahead of the pack for the other starting spot in the Rams offense. He's tall, fast, and has good hands.)

RB T.J. Duckett, Seattle Seahawks

I'm going to thank Seattle WB Matt Hasselbeck for this one, since it was his Twitter post back during mini camps that first got my thinking about Duckett.

The crux of Hasselbeck's tweet: look for Duckett to be the main man on the goal line.

Aside from just Hasselbeck's observations, Duckett has also been reunited with Greg Knapp, who was his offensive coordinator in Atlanta, where he scored a total of 27 touchdowns from 2003 to 2005.

I expect Julius Jones will also have a resurgence thanks to Knapp and new head coach Jim Mora (plus the departure of Maurice Morris to Detroit), but it's going to be Duckett who hits pay-dirt the most often. He'll be a good guy to have on your roster for the bye-week fill-in or if your main RBs go down to injury.

WR Steve Smith, New York Giants

Ranked just the 67th best fantasy WR for 2009 by ESPN.com (one spot behind Giants rookie Hakeem Nicks), this guy might just be my favorite sleeper on the board.

Just look at all the things working in his favor:

1. He's going into his third season, which anecdotal evidence suggests is when many young WRs finally start to make their mark.

2. The top of the depth chart completely cleared out with the departure of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, and it's looking early in camp like Smith has inside position on the number one role.

3. He has a legitimate quarterback with Eli Manning who likes to throw him the ball.

4. The Giants feature a great run game to force opposing defenses to cheat toward the line of scrimmage, opening opportunities for the WRs to get behind the safeties.

Smith showed he could play last year with 57 catches for 574 yards. If he had more than just one touchdown, he would be on everybody's radar.

But he didn't, so he's not.

Take advantage.

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

Root For the Home Team? Not Always

There's nothing quite like attending a Major League Baseball game. The sights, the sounds, the smells, it's a one of a kind fan experience.

Sure, NBA basketball is my first love, and the ultimate fan experience for me would be sitting courtside at an NBA playoff game. Unfortunately, I don't have $2,500 of disposable income at the moment (or $5,000 if I wanted to bring a friend), so that's not really an option. And while cheap seats at a basketball game still provide a much different experience than watching the game on TV, it doesn't compare to being at a baseball game.

For about $10 bucks you can walk up to just about any stadium on game day, buy an upper reserve ticket, and just hang out at the ball park and stand and watch the game from virtually anywhere in the stadium, as long as you don't block the aisle way. I've been to 20+ Detroit Tigers games over the past couple seasons, I couldn't tell you where my seats were for any of them.

And what tops attending a baseball game? Attending a baseball game during a pennant race.

It's one thing to go to a game early in the season and enjoy the experience for what it is, but it's a completely different thing to be front and center for a big division rivalry game with playoff implications in August or September. There's something special about being part of a crowd of 30,000 plus people all buzzing over every at bat, trying to will the home team to a common goal: a trip to the postseason.

I've been a Tigers fan all my life. This time of year, when every game starts to take on extra significance as the AL Central tightens up, if I'm not watching the game, you better believe I'm refreshing the scores on my phone. I was in a wedding last week where all of the groomsmen cheered silently during the prayer before dinner because Carlos Guillen hit a "you-couldn't-have-timed-that-any-worse" walk-off base hit that updated on the iPhone we were watching somewhere between "Dear Lord" and "Amen."

You gotta love a good pennant race. There's almost nothing that could come between me and my beloved Tigers this time of year.

Almost nothing.

You see, the one thing I want to do before I die is see a no-hitter in person. I don't care if it is a Tiger or an opposing pitcher that throws it, witnessing a no-hitter in person would be like hitting the sports lottery.

That begs the question: would you rather go to a game during a pennant race and see your favorite team win or see the opposing pitcher throw a no-hitter?

For me, it's a no brainer. I love the Tigers, but nothing beats being in the building when history is being made.

The way I see it, even if the Tigers have a great season, they are still going to lose at least 70 games. In the grand scheme of things, a loss now is no different than a loss in April. The baseball season is a marathon; a loss here and there is inevitable. If I happen to be at one of those losses, even if it comes down the stretch, it might as well be a memorable one.

Consider this: there have been over 360,000 Major League Baseball games played in the over 130-year history of the league and there have only been 263 no-hitters. That translates to roughly one out of every 1,369 games played. That means there is a .0007% chance that if you go to a game you will witness a no-hitter.

Of the 263 no-hitters, only 18 of them have been perfect games. More men have orbited the moon than have thrown perfect games.

A no-hitter is unlike any achievement in sports. Everything builds to a certain point, and there is a finality to it. Any other great individual achievement in sports is open-ended. Kobe Bryant starts to get in his zone and the sky is the limit. It becomes, "What's he going to finish with? 50? 60?" Adrian Peterson starts shedding tacklers left and right and the question is, "Will he get 200 yards?"

In both cases, you never know until the clock runs out. Even then, in the back of your mind there's always the possibility that they could have done even better.

It's not like that with a no-hitter. You either record 27 outs without allowing a hit or you don't. There's no fine line to cross or gray area. There's no, "but he could have been even better". It's either history or it's not, and the tension builds exponentially with every out recorded. I could only imagine the level of anticipation that comes with watching live as a pitcher faces a batter having gone 8 2/3 innings without allowing a hit.

The thrill of witnessing something like that in person, even if it's the opposing starting pitcher doing it, far exceeds the joy that comes from watching a good, old fashioned 7-3 Tigers win on a hot and muggy August night.

As a fan of the Tigers, of course I want to see them do well. But above all else I'm a sports fans, and as a sports fan, I would like nothing more than to witness a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

Even if it indirectly results in watching the Twins or White Sox play in the postseason.

Check back at Sports Central every Monday for Scott Shepherd's weekly column. You can also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/scottosports.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)