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April 30, 2010

Sports Q&A: Jesus Christ! It's Tim Tebow!

The Denver Broncos made arguably the most surprising pick in last week's NFL draft, taking Florida quarterback Tim Tebow with the 25th pick in the first round. Was Tebow worthy of such a high pick, or were the Broncos influenced by a higher power to draft the "Holy Knight?"

There is no earthly explanation as to why Denver chose Tebow so early, when, chances are, he would have been available later, and at a cheaper price. The Broncos forsook second, third, and fourth-round picks to the Ravens for Baltimore's first-round selection. It appears that in order to obtain a player they considered a 'horse,' Denver brass were, indeed, wearing their "blinders."

Since there's no earthly explanation for the Broncos choice, we must look towards the heavens for an answer, because it seems that the Broncos selection of Tebow was a case of divine intervention. Did God himself alter the course of the NFL draft because He wanted Tebow to become a Bronco? Was His only Son present when Denver made their fateful pick? Of course He was. How else can one explain the fact that upon learning of the Broncos selection of Tebow, most observers exclaimed, "Jesus Christ!" That was no coincidence.

Others stunned by Denver's choice labeled the pick "God-awful." Those people are going to Hell.

It makes little sense that the Broncos would suddenly trade up to draft Tebow when most draft projections had him as a second or third-round pick. Why the sudden rise in Tebow's draft stock? Did McDaniels receive a "hot tip" from someone, or something, say, a burning bush, maybe? Did he receive a sign from God, perhaps a Tebow-shaped cloud in the blue Denver sky? Or, did the marquee at a local church with the bible verse "Tebow 4: 3 of Baltimore's Picks" grab his attention?

Tebow became a first-round surprise, and many onlookers, much like those who witnessed Jesus on that very first Easter, were left mouths agape, uttering "He is risen!" And, keeping with the Easter theme, the Broncos placed "all their eggs in one basket."

Ironically, Denver was victimized by something that the righteous Tebow has spent much of his adult life avoiding — temptation. Let's just say the Denver front office fell victim to a case of "Tim-tation." Oddly enough, it wasn't the devil's work. Tebow came to the Broncos clearly at the behest of God.

With incumbent Kyle Orton set as the starter and Brady Quinn an offseason acquisition, it would appear that the quarterback position would have been low on the Broncos priority list. And what must the drafting of Tebow say of the Broncos confidence in Quinn. Quinn's presence as Denver's second-string quarterback should serve more as a boost to Tebow's confidence than to that of Quinn.

Or does it? Did the Broncos draft Tebow for the sake of Quinn? Some of Quinn's best football was played in the shadow of Jesus, "Touchdown Jesus," that is. Could playing in front of Tebow, a real life "Touchdown Jesus," turn Quinn's heretofore mediocre career around? God only knows.

And Orton was never anyone's idea of a long-term solution at quarterback, anyway. Tebow's selection would seem to support that notion.

It's obvious the big man upstairs sees a lot of similarities between his only son and Tebow. Jesus Christ walked on water; Tim Tebow ran on a swamp. Jesus came back from the dead; Tebow came back for his senior year. Jesus exorcised demons. Tebow exercised abstinence.

Both have their share of believers and non-believers. And now, Tebow's followers, like Jesus Christ's, will congregate on Sundays to hail his praises.

And while Jesus never displayed bible verses on his eye black, he did the next best thing — he quoted them.

So, it's no wonder God would want Tebow near. That's why Denver was the most immaculate destination for Tebow — in the Mile-High City, he's that much closer to heaven. Tebow is slowly gravitating closer to God, while Ben Roethlisberger is inching closer and closer to the almighty Satan.

By no means am I suggesting that Tim Tebow is the second coming of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, Jesus Christ was a superstar. And His mechanics didn't need retooling. Didn't you hear — Jesus tossed a perfect spiral when he threw Lucifer from Heaven.

For the last two years, Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels has been trying his damndest to rid Denver of players whose un-Christian behaviors have clashed with his own principles. Talented players like Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall have been cast from the Mile-High City. "Get the 'hell' out of Denver" is not just an order, it's a philosophy.

To further his "character first, talent second" agenda, McDaniels jettisoned two "hell raisers," and has incorporated a bible-thumping "hell razer," Tebow, to give his team a "new testament" to team chemistry.

That's an honorable methodology employed by McDaniels, but it doesn't necessarily make the Broncos a better team. Off the field, they are a much better team. Gone are the "demon seed," Cutler and Marshall, who made plays on the field but sorely lacked Tebow's natural ability to bring a team together. Maybe Tebow can't turn water into wine, or anything into wine, for that matter. But that's okay. That makes him the total opposite of Cutler and Marshall, who turned everything into "whine."

Assuming Tebow learns the Denver playbook as well as he knows scripture, will he see significant time at quarterback? It's possible. Most likely, Tebow will initially be groomed to administer the Broncos version of the "wildcat" offense, often called the "wild horse" in Denver. Maybe Tebow's first order of business will be to rename the "wild horse" the "crazy horse," or something even more creative, like the "single wing and a prayer," or "The Tim-porary."

Tebow will play. His size alone makes him an asset on offense. At 6'3" and 240 pounds, Tebow is as big as most NFL fullbacks. Those measurements are of biblical proportions.

He won't lead the team in touchdowns or any major statistical category. He will lead the team in prayer, however. And in the Broncos' two meetings with hated AFC West rival San Diego, Tebow will bring a world of experience to the task of "shouting at the devil," Charger quarterback Philip Rivers.

Regardless of what he does on the field, Tebow will have a positive impact on the team and the Denver community. He'll be worshipped, somewhat like a false idol, and his work ethic will be an inspiration to players and fans alike. He'll be a trailblazer — on the inspirational speaker circuit. And he'll be a constant reminder to local schoolchildren of the perils of the pleasures of the flesh. It's a role Travis Henry excelled in; Tebow will take it to a new level.

He'll have throngs of followers, not just on Twitter, thus earning the nickname "The Pious Piper."

Financially, Tebow's impact is already being felt. His No. 15 jersey is easily the top seller among NFL rookies. Tebow jerseys are flying off retailers racks, prompting frequent restocking, a phenomenon known in the Broncos pro shop as being "hung like a horse."

The popularity of the Tebow jersey raises an interesting scenario, one which Vegas oddsmaker will certainly weigh in on. What happens first — a Tebow touchdown, or a perpetrator wearing a Tebow jersey is arrested on "Cops" or another law enforcement-related show?

Assuming Tebow does score a touchdown, it may go down as one of the most defining moments in NFL history, one in which a player thanks God for something for which God is actaully responsible.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 1:59 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2010

2010 NFL Draft Grades

AFC East

Buffalo Bills: B-

They drafted C.J. Spiller, who could develop into one of the elite ball carriers in the league as early as the end of this year. After that, there was nothing to write home about. The only other picks that look like locks to be contributors on this team any time soon are defensive linemen Torell Troup and Alex Carrington. WR Marcus Easley will get playing time right away, but needs time to develop into an elite player.

Miami Dolphins: C

While the trade for Brandon Marshall will help Chad Henne and the Dolphins offense greatly, the draft itself, partly as a result of trading away a second-round pick to get him, was underwhelming. They drafted a few solid players, but I'm not convinced that any one of them will make the Pro Bowl within the next two or three years.

New England Patriots: B+

All of the wheeling and dealing on the first day of the draft, and they still got exactly what they wanted. Devin McCourty perfectly fits the mold of a defensive back in the Patriots scheme, and they added solid starters to an already elite team. The goal here was to get younger and just a little better. With 12 picks, and additions to the already dangerous passing game, they did just that.

New York Jets: A-

They didn't need to do much, given what they already had. After this draft, the best defense in the league has outstanding corner Kyle Wilson, who will be added to a secondary that already had Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. They also added Joe McKnight to complement Shonn Greene, and turned one of their draft picks into a deep threat (Santonio Holmes), which should make things easier on Mark Sanchez.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: B

As boring as their draft was, they were smart with their picks, and, like the Patriots, did the right thing by trading down, and getting more picks in the process. At the end of the day, they replaced every major piece they lost, most notably by getting Terrance Cody to solidify their defensive line. Overall, it was a good draft for the Ravens.

Cincinnati Bengals: B

They didn't fill all of their biggest needs, but adding Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley makes the offense much better, and Carlos Dunlap could prove to be a great value pick. I love half of their picks, but the others leave me unimpressed. Still, I think they made their team better, which makes this a successful draft for them.

Cleveland Browns: C

I've heard quite a bit about what a wonderful job Mike Holmgren did with this draft, but I just don't see it. Colt McCoy was a good pick in the third round, but they took nearly everyone else too high. Joe Haden seems overhyped to me, as do RB Montario Hardesty and WR Carlton Mitchell. Athleticism goes a long way, but instincts go farther. I just don't see any of their picks making an immediate impact, and as bad as they are, they need players who can contribute now.

Pittsburgh Steelers: B

They didn't fall for the hype, but instead went with solid players who can start right away. Maurkice Pouncey and Thaddeus Gibson give them young players that could develop into leaders for their team on both sides of the ball. Most of the picks also fit the Pittsburgh offensive and defensive schemes perfectly. This was a solid draft for the Steelers.

AFC South

Houston Texans: C+

Their biggest offseason loss was Dunta Robinson, who they replaced with Kareem Jackson. Other than that, they had an average draft with some picks, like Auburn RB Ben Tate, who could be regular contributors, but have little chance to be game-changers. They might have reached for a few players like Earl Mitchell and Garrett Graham, but this draft wasn't too bad for Houston.

Indianapolis Colts: C

Their entire draft was unexciting, and filled with fairly solid picks like Jerry Hughes and Pat Angerer, who have upside, but were probably not worth first and second-round picks, respectively. But this team didn't get any worse, and they still have Peyton Manning throwing passes. It was an average draft for a great team.

Jacksonville Jaguars: D+

Tyson Alualu was the biggest reach since the Chiefs drafted Tyson Jackson with the third overall pick in 2009, and D'Anthony Smith could have probably been picked one round later. Believe it or not, the best pick they made came in the sixth round, when they took RB Deji Karim, whose pro day numbers ranked among the best in the draft. Overall, this was a disappointing, although not completely disastrous, draft for the Jaguars.

Tennessee Titans: B

They replaced Kyle Vanden Bosch with Derrick Morgan, and got Damian Williams at the end of the second day. Those are two of the highest-value picks in the draft, and filled glaring holes in this team. They also drafted players like Alterraun Verner that add depth to a team with some aging players, which should leave them satisfied with this year's draft.

AFC West

Denver Broncos: F

They didn't add a single player that will make an immediate impact, and they gave up too much to get back into the first round, where they then reached for a player in Tim Tebow that most experts agree will never be a quality NFL starter. All of this came after using their first pick on a WR that was probably only the third-best available at that position. This draft was a failure in every possible way.

Kansas City Chiefs: A-

Eric Berry was the most NFL-ready player in the draft, and will probably be a game-changer by the end of the year. While I initially hated the second-round pick of Dexter McCluster, the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. He could be to Matt Cassel what Wes Welker was in New England. Jon Asamoah was also a high-value pick, and will start right away. The Chiefs are much better now than they were last Wednesday.

Oakland Raiders: A-

If this was any other team, I might be inclined to give them a slightly lower grade. But the Raiders taking players like Rolando McClain, Lamarr Houston, and Jacoby Ford surprised me enough to make a great draft seem that much more impressive. Add in the fact that they turned one of their picks into Jason Campbell, and this was the best draft they've had in a long time.

San Diego Chargers: C+

They traded up 16 spots to take Ryan Matthews, which I initially thought was a reach. But factor in that they needed a replacement for L.T., and that Matthews is coming from an offense much like the Chargers', and it was a solid pick. Still, they gave up a lot to get him, and drafting Donald Butler is a bit of a head-scratcher, considering their depth at LB. They did a better-than-average job overall, which is all they had to do to remain the class of the AFC West.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: B-

As good as Dez Bryant is, they had more glaring needs than WR, which was a relatively deep position in this year's draft. They probably could have done better by taking an offensive lineman, and then taking a quick receiver like Jordan Shipley later. Instead, second-round pick Sean Lee will be a welcome addition to the quickly-aging Dallas linebackers. They did well enough to warrant some praise, but could have done even better.

New York Giants: C

I'm not at all sold on Jason Pierre-Paul, who only started seven games in D1 in his college career, and there were better picks available at that point in the draft. But picks like Mitch Petrus, who benched 225 pounds 44 times at the combine, were solid, needed additions to this team. There is nothing impressive about this draft, but the only truly bad pick was Pierre-Paul, making this an average, if not boring, draft.

Philadelphia Eagles: B

They didn't make any moves that will be talked about for the rest of the offseason, but they drafted 12 players, most of whom will at least compete for a starting position. They will be one of the youngest teams in the league when the regular season rolls around, and a good one at that.

Washington Redskins: C

They had an extraordinarily boring draft, but that's okay for them. Trent Williams will be a staple of their offensive line for a while, and the rest of the picks should be fine under the tutelage of Mike Shanahan. They couldn't ask for more out of a draft where their main goal was to put pieces around an offense that features Donavan McNaab, Clinton Portis, Willie Parker, and Larry Johnson.

NFC North

Chicago Bears: C+

They didn't draft in the first two rounds, but still found some great players after that point. Major Wright and Corey Wootton are two players with a lot of potential, and Lovie Smith is usually pretty good at developing defensive players. Without any truly elite players, this wasn't a great draft for them, but it certainly wasn't bad.

Detroit Lions: A-

In the first round, they got Ndamukong Suh, the most talented player in the draft, and Jahvid Best. In my mind, a single round that nets you an anchor for the defensive line and an explosive offensive playmaker is excellent. They only picked six players, but each of them might be the frontrunner to start at their respective positions.

Green Bay Packers: B-

Bryan Bulaga and Mike Neal just look like they belong in Green Bay, and should help immensely. With Bulaga protecting Aaron Rodgers and Neal putting pressure on opposing passers, the Packers drafted with the intent of building their young core starting with the line, which seems to be what perennial playoff contenders always do.

Minnesota Vikings: B-

Chris Cook is the type of defensive back that can stick with a receiver all day long. Given the Vikings' star-studded defensive line, he was exactly what they needed to get with their first pick. I think Toby Gerhart could be a great complement to Adrian Peterson, but he could just as easily be a total bust. Overall, this was an above-average draft that got the Vikings exactly what they needed to remain one of the best teams in the league.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: B+

They added speedy defenders Sean Witherspoon and Dominique Franks, both of whom will fit perfectly in their cover 2 defense. Mike Johnson and Joe Hawley are solid linemen to protect Matt Ryan. This is one of the most underrated group of players put together in the draft, and should get Atlanta back to the playoffs this year.

Carolina Panthers: B

I thought not having a first-round pick might really hurt this team, but then again, I also thought Jimmy Clausen wouldn't fall out of the first round. Having a QB with his skillset will make it easier to transition out of the Jake Delhomme era. Armanti Edwards was the FCS version of Tim Tebow last year, and will find some position in the Carolina offense. They did well, considering the picks they had.

New Orleans Saints: B

I think their first-round pick, Patrick Robinson, will improve a mediocre defense, especially against speedy receivers. All of their picks on the second and third days were low-risk players, although none of them have much potential for high-reward.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A-

Gerald McCoy will make plays for this defense from the get-go, and is also a great presence in the locker-room. Arrelious Benn may prove to be the best WR in this draft and could play special teams, too. Myron Lewis and Cody Grimm complement the pick of McCoy on defense, and help make this one of the better drafts for Tampa Bay in recent memory.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: B-

In the first round, they got the player they wanted with DT Dan Williams, but nothing else about this draft was exciting. They got players like Daryl Washington that will fit in well with the established schemes, but I can't see him or Andre Roberts, who also looks like a good fit, making a difference in the near future.

St. Louis Rams: B-

They got their QB of the future in Sam Bradford, and even drafted a receiver for him in Mardy Gilyard. Both of those players should be solid contributors for years to come, but I don't think some of their picks, most notably George Selvie, will do well in the Rams system. The success of this draft will be determined by Bradford and Gilyard, however, and that should be enough to make this a pretty good draft for the Rams.

San Francisco 49ers: A-

This team was close to breaking out last year, and this draft should fix most of the problems they had. Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati will make this an elite offensive line for the foreseeable future, and with Frank Gore running behind them, might make the San Francisco offense one to fear. Taylor Mays in the second round was also a steal, and is exactly what they needed on defense. They had a nearly perfect draft.

Seattle Seahawks: A+

The Seahawks had an unbelievable first round. Russell Okung was the best OT in the draft, and Earl Thomas will contribute right away. After that, they got WR Golden Tate and turned some picks into both Lendale White and Leon Washington. No other team got anywhere near as much out of their picks. Pete Carroll should have a fine first year in Seattle.

Posted by Paul Foeller at 8:05 PM | Comments (2)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 9

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson clipped Greg Biffle's No. 16 Ford on lap 196 at Talladega, spinning Biffle and sending the No. 48 Lowe's Chevy hard into the inside wall. Johnson suffered his second DNF of the year, and his 31st in the Amp Energy 500 wiped out much of his points lead, now down to 26 for 108. A few laps earlier, Johnson inexplicably blocked the charge of teammate Jeff Gordon, forcing Gordon to check up and fall back in traffic, where he was moments later caught in an accident.

"There was a time when my relationship with Gordon was considered 'tight,'" Johnson said. "Now there seems to be considerable distance between us, as if something 'jimmied' that tight bond open."

"I understand Gordon said he's 'reached his limit.' Therein lies the problem — he's stuck on four titles and fears for his legacy. But let's face it — people don't like me because I've won four consecutive Sprint Cup titles. I say to them, 'Don't hate me because I'm bountiful.'"

"But I've taken responsibility for my actions at Talladega. Gordon and Biffle are understandably not happy with me. Mathematically, '48' is divisible by '24' and '16.' And, apparently, that makes the driver of the No. 48 a 'divisive' figure.'"

2. Kevin Harvick — Harvick's dramatic last-gasp pass of Jamie McMurray at Talladega gave Harvick his first win since 2007, and denied McMurray a spring sweep of restrictor-plate races. Harvick benefitted from a third and final green-white-checkered attempt, made possible when Jimmie Johnson nipped Greg Biffle on lap 196, prompting the race's final caution.

"It's been a long time between wins," Harvick said, "and it's great to make big news on the track instead of off. 'Harvick by a Nose' is a much more satisfying headline as opposed to 'Edwards by the Throat.'"

"While my team and sponsor for next year are currently unknown, I have to thank my longtime sponsor Shell, which sadly is leaving to adorn Kurt Busch's No. 22 car next year. To borrow a familiar racing phrase, Shell is pulling a 'gas and go' on me. And, although Shell won't be with me next year, I hope they feel my appreciation when I say 'thanks for nothing.'"

3. Kyle Busch — Busch led eight times for 22 laps in the Amp Energy 500, and survived several late restarts to bring the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Pedigree Toyota home in ninth. After a mediocre start to the season, Busch has reeled off top-10 finishes in the last three races, and four of the last five. He is fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 160 out of first.

"Michael Waltrip was quick to condemn me for the accident in which I nudged Johnny Sauter out of my way and into Waltrip's No. 55," Busch said. "Is that surprising? Not at all. Four Michael Waltrip Racing-affiliated teams were just penalized for using illegal parts, so Michael's got plenty of 'blame' to spread around."

"Besides, my car was pinned firmly between Sauter's No. 36 and Waltrip's No. 55. You can't blame the No. 18 Pedigree for Sauter taking a hard 'dog'-leg left, nor can you blame it for the result-Sauter and Waltrip becoming 'lapped' traffic."

4. Jeff Gordon — Gordon's late run to the front at Talladega was foiled by a block from Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson, who swerved into the path of the No. 24 DuPont Chevy just as Gordon was building steam, pushed by the No. 5 Chevy of Mark Martin. Forced to check up, Gordon fell back in the field, and subsequently sustained damage moments later when Jeff Burton hit the wall and slammed into Gordon. Gordon fell a lap down, but quickly redeemed a free pass when Johnson caused an accident and the race's final caution. Gordon finished 22nd and fell five spots in the point standings to 10th.

"I had a great run going that probably would have put me in position to win at Talladega," Gordon said. "So when Johnson slid in front and stopped my momentum, it's easy to see that such a move would drive me to both my 'breaking' and 'braking' points."

"Jimmie needs to keep a well-focused pair of eyes on me in the near future. Like the millions of fans of Fox's action/drama series starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jimmie will be watching '24.'"

5. Denny Hamlin — The No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota was consistently fast all day in the Amp Energy 500, and Hamlin led nine times for 17 laps on the day. Hamlin avoided a potentially disastrous outcome on lap 76 when traffic in front checked up, and he spun wildly down the track, regaining control without hitting the wall or other cars. He eventually finished fourth, and improved two places in the points to ninth, 193 out of first.

"That's not the first time a Toyota has been seen spinning wildly through traffic," Hamlin said. "Obviously, my 'recovery' skills are top-notch. And that new spoiler did its job; I could have easily gone airborne during that spin. White men can't jump, and, with a new spoiler on their cars, they can't fly, either."

"Remember, I'm racing with an injured left knee, so, much like Jimmie Johnson's defense of his actions at Talladega, I barely have a leg to stand on."

6. Matt Kenseth — Misfortune struck Kenseth early at Talladega, as the No. 17 Valvoline Ford was collected in a lap 84 accident triggered when Kyle Busch sent Johnny Sauter spinning in to traffic. Repairs to the damage cost Kenseth four laps, and he finished 28th, which dropped him from second to fourth in the point standings.

"I hear the tension at Hendrick Motorsports is so thick you can cut it with a knife," Kenseth said, "or Rick Hendrick's business acumen. We here at Roush Fenway Racing don't always agree, but when we do, we almost always agree to disagree."

"With sponsor issues a major topic of conversation, I'm happy to have a solid major sponsor, Crown Royal, in addition to Valvoline, which sponsored the No. 17 at Talladega. It seems that both of my sponsors are in the business of being 'well-oiled.'"

7. Mark Martin — Martin posted his fourth top-five finish of the year with a fifth in the Amp Energy 500, leading one lap in a race that saw 88 lead changes, a Sprint Cup record. Martin jumped four places in the Sprint Cup point standings, and holds the sixth spot, 169 out of first.

"What a race," Martin said. "It had more twists and turns than the Jeremy Mayfield vs. NASCAR court case. And just as much, if not more, 'speed.' And, as with the Mayfield-NASCAR case, much like a Talladega race with the maximum number of green-white-checkered finishes, there seemed to be 'no end in sight.'"

"Hendrick Motorsports has really made headlines lately. First, it was the 'Kahne Mutiny.' Now, it's the emerging feud between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. I imagine Rick Hendrick will nip this turmoil in the bud when he says to those two, 'Can't we just get along.' Funny thing is, that's practically the same thing he told me when he signed Kasey Kahne to drive for HMS and showed me the door: 'can't you just get along.'"

"Hopefully, Jimmie and Jeff can solve this issue the same way Rick and Kasey did, by 'coming to terms.'"

8. Greg Biffle — Biffle had his hopes of a promising Talladega finish upset when he was clipped by Jimmie Johnson on lap 189, just moments after a slow start by Tony Stewart derailed Biffle's momentum on a restart. Damage from the spin was minimal, but Biffle and the No. 16 3M Ford fell to 23rd before reclaiming six spots in the final two laps. Biffle's 17th-place finish was only his second result outside the top 10, and he maintained third in the point standings.

"Sure, Stewart and Johnson made mistakes," Biffle said, "and those mistakes cost me. But I'm not one to be critical, lest I sully my reputation as a driver who gets along with nearly everyone. Maybe you've heard me say, 'Nobody beefs the Biff,' nobody beefs the Biff.' For all you old-school rap fans, like Mark Martin, out there, that's a play on Biz Markie's 1995 classic 'Nobody Beats the Biz.' I guess that makes me 'Biff Markie.'"

9. Kurt Busch — Busch's eighth-place finish at Talladega was a testament to the perseverance of the No. 2 Miller Lite team, as the squad overcame significant damage in a lap 84 accident, as well as a late speeding penalty on lap 146. Busch was 29th on lap 188 prior to the first green-white-checkered attempt, and steamrolled his way to the top 10 by the time the checkered flew. With his fifth top-10 result of the year, Busch improved two places in the point standings to seventh, and trails leader Jimmie Johnson by 177.

"I really made up a lot of ground in those last laps," Busch said. "And speaking of 'make-up sessions,' Rick Hendrick has his work cut out keeping his two superstars at peace. Trust me, he won't be asking my boss, Roger Penske, for advice. Roger dealt with a similar situation when Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman were teammates. Roger's learned his lesson. Then he had two guys that didn't like each other. Now he's got two drivers, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski, that others don't like."

"Now, as everyone knows, I'll be in an entirely new car next year, piloting the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge. Obviously, Shell/Pennzoil prefers their drivers one way-unlikeable."

"Brad Keselowski will assume duties in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. So, next year, when Carl Edwards deems it necessary to again decide 'what code he wants to live by,' we can all call it a 'beer run.'"

"Consequently, anyone wronged by Keselowski can address him directly as the 'devil in the blue deuce.'"

10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt scored a solid, yet disappointing 13th-place finish in the Amp Energy 500, his charge to the front in the deciding laps dashed by the luck of the draft and unforeseeable circumstances. Left without a drafting partner, Earnhardt faded down the stretch, but found comfort in the fact that he hasn't finished outside the top 16 since California.

"And so it goes," Earnhardt said. "My winless streak continues and frustration builds. You've probably heard that I said racing at Talladega is comparable to a 'lottery.' I guess that's not entirely true; I could win the lottery."

"As you know, when Dale, Jr. shaves his beard, it's newsworthy, as well as a boon for one of the most disturbingly obsessive Junior fans out there. At Richmond this weekend, one Junior fan will be selected to receive a package gift-wrapped with 'all the trimmings.'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 10:56 AM | Comments (0)

April 28, 2010

MLB Milestones on the Horizon

One of the best things about sports is when a player, who has dedicated their life to the sport, reaches a milestone that few have reached before. Don't you just love it when fans have signs they can flip as players get closer to said milestones? Well, here are some players who have an opportunity in the years to come to join some of the elite clubs baseball has to offer.

3,000 Hits

It seems like a monumental task, doesn't it? To achieve 3,000 hits, a player needs to have 15 healthy seasons of 200 hits. No current MLB player is in this prestigious club. But expect a few to get there in the next two to three years.

As of Tuesday morning, Ken Griffey, Jr. stood at 2,774 hits, but I think he's running out of gas rather quickly. Already at age 40, Griffey would need two decent years of limited time to reach 3000 hits. His 2009 batting average of .214 tells me it would be rather difficult for him to reach 3,000 by the end of 2011. He'll need to play into 2012. Can he keep it together at age 42? I certainly hope so. Nobody deserves such an honor more.

Derek Jeter (2,771) will soon overtake Griffey as the top active hitter. At age 35, one can fully expect him to reach 3,000 hits barring any severe injuries that would be career-threatening. He should cross the 3,000-hit line in May or June of 2011.

Ivan Rodriguez can reasonably expect to reach 3,000 hits. He sits at 2,734 and has been fighting annoying injuries, but he is playing well and if he wishes to play another three seasons, he should reach his milestone considering his primary position of catcher.

Omar Vizquel (2,706) and Gary Sheffield (2,689) won't get enough playing time (especially considering Sheffield remains unsigned) to reach the mark. Five years ago, I would have said both could make it, but there has been significant drop-off in their production.

Alex Rodriguez (2,511) is only 34. He may find himself looking to cross the 3,500-hit mark before all is said and done.

In 2009, four players had 200 hits or more. In 2008, only three players had more than 200 hits. Only one had 200 in both seasons. That is, of course, Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki, who has had 200 hits in every season he has spent in Major League Baseball. In nine MLB seasons, Ichiro amassed over 2,000 hits. If you combine his Japan totals with his MLB totals, he already has over 3,000 hits. Even at 36-years-old, I still believe Ichiro will find his way to MLB's 3,000-hit mark. He simply doesn't seem to be slowing down.

Going down the list a bit farther, we find Albert Pujols (1,742). Pujols is the only relatively young player I have faith will reach 3,000 hits. I think Hanley Ramirez (792) has a good chance, but Pujols is the only player I see at 30 or under that stands out as well on his way.

500 Home Runs

This club has five current players resting in it. Ken Griffey, Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, and the out-of-work Gary Sheffield.

If Griffey (630) stays around to achieve the aforementioned 3,000 hits, he could very well end up pretty close to 700 home runs.

Alex Rodriguez (585) had been my hope to overtake Barry Bonds and I still think he will, but his not being clean makes him less desirable as the champion of the home run club. I think Rodriguez can reasonably expect between 750 and 800 home runs before his career is over.
Jim Thome (567) has found a nice home in Minnesota. I think he'll end up playing into 2011 and cross the 600 home run mark.

Manny Ramirez (548) should also reach 600 in 2011. I'm don't trust him to achieve much beyond that.

Sheffield limped across the 500 mark last season, ending at 509. I don't know that he'll play another game and even if he does, he won't get near 600.

Carlos Delgado is next on the list at 473. He should have reached destination 500 in 2009, but injury prevented him. He expects to be back in early summer. He should have enough left to reach 500 eventually, but not much beyond.

Chipper Jones (428), Jason Giambi (409), and Jim Edmonds (383) don't have enough games left in their bodies to reach 500.

Vladimir Guerrero (409) is playing well at his new home in Texas. I expect his 500th to come, but not until early 2013.

Andruw Jones (394) just turned 33. He seems a lot older on the field, doesn't he? He also seems to be doing well with a change of scenery in Chicago. If the White Sox keep him around and throw him enough at bats, he should also reach 500 by 2013.

Albert Pujols is my hope for a clean record-holder in the home run category. He has 373 at the moment and unless Delgado makes a comeback should be the next player to reach 500. By the end of the 2014 season, he will be 35 and I expect him to be around 600. It's far too early to tell how well his body will handle aging, but 700 seems likely at this point. Topping Bonds (or Alex Rodriguez if he tops Bonds first) may be out of reach, but I think I speak for the general fan population outside of New York in saying, I hope Pujols will hold this record someday.

Adam Dunn (319) is the only other candidate I think can be put into the category of "he should make it." He's only 30 and still playing well. One can reasonably expect 30-40 home runs for the next few seasons which should put him close enough for him to glide across 500.
Prince Fielder (161) turns 26 next month. He certainly has a chance, but it's far too early to tell.

300 Wins

It would not be a bad bet to say that no current player will ever reach 300 wins.

There are no current players with more than 300 wins. There are no current players with 300 wins on the horizon for the next five years, but there are still some who might make it.

Jamie Moyer is 47-years-old. He has managed to reach 260 wins over a career that started before some current players were born. If he can pitch into his 50s, he'll reach 300 wins, but I just can't see it.

Of the remaining pitchers who are halfway to 300, only one will even start another 150 games, much less win very many at all and that is Roy Halladay. Halladay turns 33 in May and has 152 wins. Playing with the Phillies, many people are expecting not only 20 wins out of him, but perhaps 25. Four seasons of 25 wins would put him above 250 and he'd be 37. If he can keep his right arm healthy and live up to some admittedly high expectations, 300 is a possibility.

Tim Hudson (149) and Roy Oswalt (139) are in the same boat as Halladay, except Hudson is two years older and Oswalt is 23 wins behind and playing for a worse team.

C.C. Sabathia is a name that really jumps out on this list. He has 139 wins and turns 30 in July. The problem with Sabathia is that he is not the type of pitcher that typically can pitch into his 40s. Then again, neither was Nolan Ryan, but Sabathia's size would be the concern for me. He'll need to keep in good shape to keep winning games.

Mark Buehrle (137) is a name I really like to make 300. He looks like the type of guy that could pitch until he is 40 and perhaps beyond, which gives him at least nine seasons to win 163 games. That's about 18 games a season for nine years; 16 a season if he gets to 10 years. I think he could do it.

Then there is Johann Santana (124). Had Santana stayed with the Twins, I think he'd make it. As it stands, he has a long contract with a poor Mets team, I don't think he'll make it.

Touching on some very young players, Felix Hernandez (60) is only 24. He could turn into a dominant pitcher for the next 10 years and be well on his way or he could implode and never make it to 100 wins.

Tim Lincecum (44) turns 26 in June. He's in the same arena as King Felix, but older and behind in wins.

3,000 Strikeouts

Pedro Martinez (3,154) and John Smoltz (3,084) are both listed as active players with more than 3,000 strikeouts, but I doubt either will throw another major league pitch.

Next on the active list is Jamie Moyer (2,353), but I think he would have to pitch into his 60s to reach 3,000 punch-outs.

Javier Vazquez (2,271) is a mere 33. He may have another few good years in his right arm.

I truly like Johann Santana (1,755) to reach 3000 Ks. Even if the Mets are terrible, he'll still strike out plenty of batters, especially since his changeup is his strikeout pitch. That will never go bad.

Sabathia (1,613) should get there as well if his health can hold up.

Again, at 24, King Felix (841) and Lincecum (708) at 25 may very well find their way towards 3,000, but it is far too early to tell.

Other Milestones in the Immediate Future

Juan Pierre (468) should reach 500 stolen bases in 2010. He already has nine in 18 games for the White Sox.

Jason Kendall may be hit by a pitch for the 250th any day now. He sits at 249. Don't expect any player near that mark for another five to 10 years.

If Jim Thome (2321) plays for another two seasons, he will likely become the second player in major league history to strike out more than 2,500 times; the other being Reggie Jackson (2,597).

Jimmy Rollins (96), Johnny Damon (95), and Carl Crawford (93) could all hit their 100th triple of their careers this season. Unfortunately reaching 100 won't even put them in the top 100 for all-time in the category of triples.

Trevor Hoffman (594) should get save number 600 in the near future. He would be the first player to reach that milestone.

Posted by Andrew Jones at 1:10 PM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2010

2010 NFL Draft Roundup

The 2010 NFL Draft featured few surprises at the top, but plenty to last us through the next 6½ rounds, starting with Jacksonville's selection of Tyson Alualu 10th overall. This year's draft also saw a flurry of trades, including every pick from 11-14 going to a team other than the one originally slotted for it. Here are my choices for the best, worst, and most puzzling of this year's draft.

2010 Draft Winners

* Seattle Seahawks — Russell Okung fell into their laps at sixth overall, a no-brainer selection as both the best player available and fitting a critical need. Earl Thomas is a play-making safety, and although Golden Tate is undersized for an NFL wide receiver, so is Wes Welker. Tate had a fine college career and should be able to contribute at any level. The Seahawks also added Leon Washington and LenDale White over the weekend.

* Cincinnati Bengals — They've had a nice offseason. Jermaine Gresham was the consensus top TE in the draft, and Jordan Shipley was a nice value in the third round. Brandon Ghee is an intriguing prospect who won't be rushed into action too soon.

* Cleveland Browns — If the Bengals have had a nice offseason, the Browns have had a fantastic one. They've got Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, and Colt McCoy to compete at QB, which is a huge upgrade from the last two seasons. Delhomme is a known quantity, Wallace came shockingly cheap, and McCoy was a great value late in the third round. Florida cornerback Joe Haden was a solid pick at seventh overall, an important addition for a defense that ranked 31st last season.

* University of Oklahoma — Three Sooners were chosen in the first four overall picks. That's got to be unprecedented. A fourth Sooner was chosen later in the first round, making Oklahoma the clear standout in this year's draft, following several years of dominance by USC.

* The Big 12 — Home to the first four selections in the draft. No one outside the Big 12 or the SEC was chosen until the ninth pick.

* New England Patriots — Traded down twice to turn their first-round pick (22nd overall) into a one, a three, and a four. They also turned their second-round pick (47th overall) into a second-rounder this year (62nd), a second-rounder next year, and a fifth-rounder this year. They made five picks in the first 90 and stockpiled extra picks for 2011. The Pats are in a league of their own with this kind of thing.

* Detroit Lions — There's something you should know. I'm not a Lions fan, but I mistakenly named them draft winners during the Matt Millen years, not once but several times. My evaluations of Detroit's draft classes have been horrid. With that disclaimer out of the way, I really liked their draft. I love Ndamukong Suh. I like Jahvid Best, though I don't think he was a need pick, and trading up to take him probably wasn't a good idea. DB Amari Spievey was a very good pick in the third. This draft immediately makes the Lions better.

* Tim Tebow — After months of speculation regarding his draft position, Tebow landed in the first round and was the second quarterback chosen. Gator lovers everywhere have to be pretty gratified by that. Part of me wonders where someone like Eric Crouch might fit in today's NFL.

* Denver Broncos — Traded up, down, and all around. I don't like some of the moves (Tony Scheffler, Tebow), but Josh McDaniels is building the team with a clear vision of what he wants. I like the attention Denver paid to its offensive line this weekend, particularly Utah's Zane Beadles in the second round. If Beadles is any good, he'll make a few Pro Bowls just on a memorable name. You think I'm kidding.

* Defensive Linemen — Two of the top three picks. Six of the first 16. Nine first-rounders altogether. Teams are concentrating on the defensive line like never before.

* Green Bay Packers — Drafted for need. Iowa OT Bryan Bulaga was exactly the right pick in the first round, and second-rounder Mike Neal should contribute as a DE in Green Bay's 3-4 alignment. Nothing flashy, just good, solid picks that make the team better. The late-round picks on players with big upsides were gambles.

* Miami Dolphins — Can you tell Bill Parcells is running this team? Jared Odrick and Koa Misi are natural fits for the 3-4 defense, and third rounder John Jerry fills a need on the offensive line. Brandon Marshall was a helluva value for a pair of second-rounders. That's an elite wide receiver this team added. What is about Parcells and talented diva receivers? Terry Glenn, Keyshawn Johnson, Terrell Owens, now Marshall ... they hurt him, but he loves them and always comes back.

* Indianapolis Colts — The most consistent team of the last decade used the draft to plug the few obvious holes in its roster. Jerry Hughes takes over for Raheem Brock in the short term, and presumably for Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis a few years down the line. Fifth-round choice Brody Eldridge is a high-level blocking TE who should have immediate impact on the running game. I would have liked to see the Colts do a little more about their offensive line, but that's nitpicking.

2010 Draft Losers

* Buffalo Bills — I don't understand the C.J. Spiller pick. He was great at Clemson, but he's small enough that I have concerns about his impact at the pro level. This isn't Maurice Jones-Drew small. MJD is short, but he's built like a truck. Spiller is tall and light (listed at 5'11", 196 lbs, 27.3 BMI). Even if Spiller is a great pro, the pick doesn't fill an obvious need for a team with both Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch. Torell Troup may have been a reach in the second round.

* Atlanta Falcons — I don't have a problem with first-round pick Sean Weatherspoon, but I hate the rest of their draft. The Falcons rolled the dice on too many prospects and re-fortified positions at which they're already strong. This is a good team, and it should have chosen players who could contribute immediately.

* Jimmy Clausen — No matter where you had him graded, I don't think anyone expected Clausen to last until the middle of the second round. Some analysts expected him to go in the top 10.

* Philadelphia Eagles — They traded up, they traded down, they traded Donovan McNabb. Lots of action, but I don't see the payoff. Brandon Graham needs to become a special player to justify what the Eagles gave up to get him, and I think the team dealt Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong at much too cheap a price. Not a good month in Philadelphia.

* San Diego Chargers — It's one thing to go after the guys you really want. It's another to agree, over and over, to highway robbery. The Chargers got the guys they wanted: Ryan Mathews in the first round, Donald Butler in the third, Cam Thomas in the fifth. But those three picks cost them their second- and sixth-rounders, plus a four and five in next year's draft, as well as LB Tim Dobbins. I'm not as down on the trade to go after Mathews as some other people, but the team gave away fourth- and sixth-round choices to move up 12 spots for Butler in the third. That's excessive. Later, San Diego traded two fifth rounders — one this year and one in 2011 — for the one fifth-round choice used to select Thomas. I do think Thomas was a good value in the fifth, but there's got to be a better way to get there. Someone in the GM's office needs to get better at bargaining.

* Chicago Bears — I don't care what they did with the late-round choices, any team with no picks in the first two rounds is a draft loser. If Jay Cutler doesn't turn into Kurt Warner pretty fast, last year's trade could go down as one of the worst in NFL history. I think most people see Corey Wootton as a good value in the fourth round. The question is his health.

Tweeners

* Jacksonville Jaguars — Nearly everyone agrees that Alualu probably would have been available later. Trading down in the first round usually yields at least a fourth-round pick, and at that point in the draft, just a few spots lower can save millions of dollars on a rookie contract. I liked the trade for middle linebacker Kirk Morrison. Jacksonville used each of its first four selections on a defensive lineman.

* Baltimore Ravens — Can you say, "Best player available?" The Ravens had a clear philosophy in this draft, and they got some good value, but totally neglected to address their secondary. Cornerback was Baltimore's biggest need in the draft, and the team never chose one. The Ravens picked up some good players, and made a nice trade out of the first round, but as far as 2010 goes, I don't know if this team is actually any better than it was a week ago.

* New York Jets — I don't think they're clear winners or losers, but the Jets have certainly been active this offseason. I liked the trade for Santonio Holmes, didn't like getting rid of Leon Washington, and was caught totally off-guard by the release of Alan Faneca. I might have liked to see the Jets do a little more with their offense, but there's every reason to believe this team is going to be very competitive in 2010.

* St. Louis Rams — Passed on Suh to select Sam Bradford, and chose Rodger Saffold rather than trading down at the top of the second. If Suh is a star or Bradford a bust, people will question that selection for a long time. The Rams have a lot of holes, so Saffold needs to be awfully good to justify not turning that selection into two or three picks a little lower down.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 3:39 PM | Comments (0)

Why 68 is Great

Most college basketball fans breathed a sigh of relief around lunchtime Thursday when the NCAA announced that it would be expanding the NCAA tournament to 68, and not 96 teams.

Perhaps the NCAA realized the likely backlash against a 96-team tournament would lead to declining viewership, and a possibly unsustainable TV contract. Or maybe the NCAA concluded what we all knew the Friday before the Final Four, which was that the 96-team model was so haphazardly explained that even they didn't truly know how it would work. Or perhaps it was all a ruse to get extra TV money.

Whatever the reasons, 68 is a fantastic number and for now, 96 is a non-issue.

Next year's 68-team tournament will have some merits for schools and fans that 65 did not provide.

The first is one that few people are excited about. The three extra play-in games are going to be beneficial. You will hardly hear anyone trying to claim this point. As a result of the minor expansion to 68, three more teams will win tournament games from conferences that would have likely not won a first-round game in the previous setup. The effects of this are not limited to the confidence of the players and coaches.

Each time a team wins a game in the NCAA tournament, its conference gets over a million dollars to distribute amongst its members. During this year's tournament, Arkansas-Pine Bluff won SWAC's first tournament game since 1993 when it beat Winthrop in the play-in game.

SWAC schools averaged only $700,000 in 2009 for basketball expenses, less than half of the national mean. For a 10-team conference, approximately $100,000 of extra funds per school can have a great impact. This effect can be translated to three other conferences every year with the extra play-in games.

In the aftermath of the news of the 68-team field, some writers proclaimed that the extra play-in games should be used to determine which of the last few teams in the field get to advance to the round of 64. While that is a noble thought, it would have adverse effects on the schools and conferences that are supposed to "benefit" from going straight into the round of 64.

Also, the entire tournament will be available to pretty much anyone who has cable under the new TV deal. That's right, no more of that maddening waiting for CBS to turn it to the close game, just because a team in your market is up 20 or down 20 and your CBS affiliate has picked up the "constant feed" of the game.

Anyone who has had broadband Internet has been able to watch the entire tournament for about the last five years or so, but the consistency of March Madness On Demand to deliver a fast, quality stream will pale in comparison to having every game on TV within a few remote control clicks of each other.

The new tournament will not dilute the field the way a 96-team one would have done. I believe that the three teams that would have gotten into a hypothetical field of 68 who were not in the field of 65 would be Virginia Tech, Illinois, and Mississippi State.

Personally, I would have liked to seen all three of those teams given a chance to play in the tournament. What's more is that the bubble teams from a field of 65 to a field of 68 change minimally, if at all. Teams such as Rhode Island, Ole Miss, UAB, and Arizona State, who might not have made the 68-team tournament, were all contenders for at-larges in the final week of the season.

This isn't to say we're out of the woods concerning a 96-team field by any means. When the NCAA higher-ups were asked about it, they were non-committal about further expansion or the lack thereof. Yet one of the reasons the NCAA was considering the 96-team tournament was to integrate the NIT into the NCAAs since the NCAA owns the NIT. During the announcement to go to 68 teams, the NCAA said it was looking for a new TV contract for the NIT. If that is a longer contract, it may be another good sign that the tournament will not be expanding to a watered down number.

Whatever the TV contracts are, at least for now, college basketball fans should be pleased and even optimistic that a 68-team tournament can produce fantastic tournaments like the 2010 version.

Posted by Ross Lancaster at 2:11 PM | Comments (2)

April 26, 2010

Catching On

Who are the two major league pitchers with 3 wins, and an ERA and WHIP each below 1.00?

Yup, you got Roy Halladay. The other?

No, not Tim Lincecum. Hint: he's a Cardinal.

Adam Wainwright? Good guess, but no. Chris Carpenter? Strike three.

Give up? Thought so.

Brad Penny. Yes, that Brad Penny. After spending a month with the Giants rebounding from a disastrous stint in Boston, Penny has re-emerged with St. Louis. But really, you can just add his revival to the list.

Jeff Weaver. Braden Looper. Jeff Suppan. Todd Wellemeyer. Kyle Lohse. Joel Pinero. All these pitchers came to the St. Louis Cardinals after less-than-stellar seasons, and most teams had less-than-active interest in picking them up. And all of them became at least solid middle-of-the-rotation type guys crucial to a quality pitching staff. (Ask the Mets.)

Weaver and Suppan were key components to a World Series title. Wellemeyer and Looper were bullpen-retreads turned reliable starters. Pinero took his 5.88 ERA from 2005 to his mid-2007 trade to St. Louis, and posted a 4.15 ERA over the next two and a half seasons, including a 15-win, 3.49 ERA campaign in 2009.

So Penny is following a pattern, and has allowed just three earned runs allowed in over 28 innings. The lore of St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan grows by another right arm. (We have barely broached the brilliance of Wainwright and Carpenter.) The Cardinals' pitching coach has clearly been pivotal in keeping the staff competitive year-in, year-out despite never really splurging on the free agent market or even attempting to compete on price with other teams on their own success stories.

But that might even be a superficial explanation. There's another common element in the equation, one that has more to do with a pitcher's success than most realize. It's the man behind the man behind the scenes. Or in this case, the man behind the dish.

Yadier Molina is regarded by most as the best defensive catcher in baseball. (This "most" includes other catchers.) What is poorly understood and rarely relayed by analysts is just how helpful that can be to a pitching staff. Most recognize that Molina ties anchors to base-runners. Teams simply don't try to steal on them, and when they do, they regularly get thrown out about half the time...if they're not picked off first. (Only eight have even tried this year; four have failed. And he regularly leads the league in pick-offs) This obviously takes tons of pressure off pitchers.

But the handcuffs he puts on would-be thieves might just scratch the surface. His ability to block pitches in the dirt allows pitchers to throw breaking balls with any count and with any number of runners on without worrying about a wild pitch. (Don't think this is lost on Wainwright and his freakish bender.) In addition, his biggest contribution might be the game he calls. Even Duncan himself concurs:

"I think pitch to pitch along with Yadi, and I find my thinking very predictable where his is very innovative." So said the man largely credited with being the reason pitchers have success in St. Louis, quoted from an article about Molina last August.

And the pitchers trust him; quotes like this don't come out of nowhere:

“Last year, I shook Yadi off only four times. And I gave up 3 hits," said Kyle Loshe in that same article.

The article (written by Lindsay Berra, granddaughter of catching great Yogi Berra, of all people) does an incredible job of explaining Molina's value. It also raises an important question, one that I haven't seen addressed effectively since: quantifying the value of catchers.

Jorge Posada makes about $9 million more than Molina in a year, and yet his defensive stats are routinely brutal. Last year, he had a catcher's ERA over 1.75 runs higher than his primary backup (go figure, another Molina: Jose). It was about a run higher than Jose's the previous year. Think about that: the last two years, the same Yankee pitchers allowed well over a run more per game when Posada caught. And no one writes a word about it. Nothing. But if Posada hits 5 more home runs this year than last year and drives in 15 more runs, everyone will be all over the ageless hitter's increased "production."

So Brad Penny was walking into a great situation, even if writers and analysts have a hard time explaining just how great. Now, let's be fair. This is a smart veteran who had success in the past, and who admittedly had turned things around somewhat with a sub-3.00 ERA in his final month last year with San Francisco. And his ERA probably won't stay under one all year. This isn't turning water into Cy Young, here. But it certainly shouldn't be as surprising as it's been to people that Penny has shot out of the gate in St. Louis. (Go check to see where Penny was drafted in your fantasy league. If he was drafted.)

In this fantasy-happy and Bill James stat-happy world, it's remarkable that we haven't been able to even attempt to address the evaluation of the second most important position on the field. And considering the everyday vs. 230-innings-per-year imbalance with catchers vs. pitchers, maybe the most important. We rarely even consider a catcher's direct defensive influence on the game, and fail completely with regard to his effect on his pitchers. It's about time we (your languishing GM probably included) start figuring out who the other catchers (and coaches) are that can help transform a pitcher's, or even large parts of an entire staff's, career. And maybe even start paying them as such.

Posted by Kyle Jahner at 12:12 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2010

While Celtics and Magic Roll, Stern Fumes

There are three things we have learned during the NBA playoffs: the ghost of Tim Donaghy past still haunts David Stern, the rumors of the Boston Celtics' demise have been greatly exaggerated, and the Orlando Magic may need to find a cape for Jameer Nelson.

The Ghost of Donaghy

The ghost of Tim Donaghy past has resurfaced and David Stern has had enough. Although it has been three years since the Donaghy mess, the NBA is still working to protect the reputation of its officials. Even before Donaghy, there was criticism of NBA officials that included favorable calls to superstars, a perception that the NBA wants certain teams to advance in the playoffs and the officials work to make sure this happens.

NBA officials also look vulnerable as coaches do their best to work the officials both on the court and off the court in any way the coaches can. This year, Phil Jackson took the first salvo by making comments about how often the Thunder's Kevin Durant gets to the free-throw line.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has had enough of referee criticism both past and present. Stern has made it public that criticism won't be tolerated and is not only making players and coaches pay fines, but he is now threatening to give out suspensions.

Orlando forward Matt Barnes and coach Stan Van Gundy were each fined $35,000 for being critical of how referees were treating Dwight Howard. Barnes said referees needed to "stop calling such tic-tac fouls on him." Van Gundy's said he doesn't "see the other great players in this league on the bench all the time with foul trouble, especially on marginal calls." Van Gundy has since said he is done talking about the referees. After hearing this, Stern smiled and said it was the best news he'd heard all day. In Orlando's Game 3 win, Howard fouled out with three minutes to play, but the Magic went on to win.

The USA Today reports Stern going after former coach Pat Riley retroactively saying, "I wish I had it to do all over again. Starting 20 years ago, I'd be suspending Phil Jackson and Pat Riley for all the games they play in the media. You guys know that our referees go out there and knock themselves out and do the best job they can, but we've got coaches who will do whatever it takes to work them publicly."

Stern went on to basically say, "And if someone wants to try me in the rest of the playoffs, you know, make my day. Because the game is too important and I don't think that the people who trash it are respecting it, and we'll do what we have to do — the players and coaches alike — because they give the impression to our fans that the referees somehow have an agenda.

Stern is right to go after coaches and players who go after the referees, but is it too late? The league has made it a point to market stars and most people would agree that the stars get the calls, so is it too late for Stern to try to make referee-bashing a thing of the past? It is most telling that Stern would like to retroactively punish Riley and Jackson for comments made on the officials. The fact that it is being acknowledged by Stern that coaches play these games in the media is refreshing. Hopefully, Stern's comments will go a long way into cleaning up all of the urban myths about the NBA being one large conspiracy theory to get certain teams and players in the championship.

Celtics' Demise Exaggerated?

Boston has a little left in the tank. Maybe the Celtics aren't completely done, as has been reported by many. Even with Kevin Garnett missing an entire game due to suspension, Miami couldn't beat Boston in Game 2. Maybe, however, Boston's sudden playoff exuberance could be credited more to its first round opponent than being able to just flip the playoff switch. Boston has won nine of its last 10 games against Miami. Then again, beating the Heat three straight games is no small feat considering Dwyane Wade is still one of the best in the game.,

If Boston can put the Heat away quickly, it may allow the Celtics to put more in the tank. In a recent interview on Boston.com, Paul Pierce said, "It's very important, if we're able to get Game 4, it'll give us some days rest. We're an older team, sometimes we need that rest." The Celtics last two postseasons have seen all series go six or more games and four of them went seven. The Heat have not advanced past the first round since they won the Finals in 2006.

If the Celtics can finish the Heat, the next opponent will be the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. Assuming the Cavaliers beat the Bulls, the Celtics will need a full tank to take on LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

Nelson Lifting the Magic

The Orlando Magic can win in the playoffs when Dwight Howard struggles. Jameer Nelson's 32 points in game one helped offset Dwight Howard's foul troubles and Vince Carter's 4-of-19 shooting. Game 2 saw Vince Carter catch fire as he scored 19 points, while Dwight Howard was limited to 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 28 minutes due to foul trouble.

Dwight Howard fouled out of Game 3 with 3:32 left and Charlotte leading, but Jameer Nelson again had a huge night with 32 points. Game 3 also saw Howard's replacement, Marcin Gortat, go 3-of-4 from the foul line, even though he was shooting 64% from the charity stripe during the season. Gortat has played 60 minutes to Howard's 82 through three games.

Last year, Nelson missed the first three rounds of the playoffs, and the Magic went to the NBA Finals with Howard carrying the team. In this year's playoffs, the Magic have found a way to win without relying on Howard. In addition to Nelson's scoring, Rashard Lewis is now playing like Vince Carter. Lewis' ability to drive to the hoop late in the game and clutch free throws after getting fouled have been very Vince Carter-like.

Of course, it is doubtful that Orlando would like to continually invent new ways to win. Howard will need to get back to his old high-scoring ways and start to stay out of foul trouble as the playoffs go forward. Magic fans would rather see Howard on the court and Gortat on the bench.

It will be interesting to see if Boston and Orlando can finish off their first-round opponents and to see if anyone else is willing to test David Stern's mettle.

Posted by Vito Curcuru at 11:05 AM | Comments (2)

April 22, 2010

College Football Odds and Ends

* It's been awhile since the Florida/Florida State rivalry has been competitive, and so it has lost some of its national luster. But the rivalry continues to amp up the Sunshine State, and a gaggle of Gator fans are looking to remind the Seminoles just how long the rivalry has been non-competitive with this billboard they are hoping to erect this summer in Tallahassee, if they get enough donations.

I, for one, hope they succeed. Not because I'm a Florida fan (hardly), but because I think FSU fans on their daily commute seeing the billboard can at least smile to themselves and say, "Hey, at least we don't capitalize letters at random."

I also note that if you donate, even as little as $5, you can get to leave a little message on the billboard website. This got me wondering if they would even accept donations attached to an anti-UF message. Just as I was about to reach down into my e-wallet and find out, I realized I don't have to. One donation already says in part, "Dear Gators, you have no class." I think a good Tebow joke would have been more cathartic, but at least we have our answer.

* From the Locking The Barn Door After The Horse Has Already Been Stolen Department, the NCAA announced they are investigating improprieties in the West Virginia program that occurred during the Rich Rodriguez tenure. The very next day, WVU posts a job opening for Director of Athletic Compliance. Delicious.

* I confess: I do wish I was baller enough to throw a birthday party for myself that was worthy of a glossy flyer.

I'm pretty laid back, so don't worry, the dress code will not be swagged out. Come as you are. I wonder about this "nuvvo punch," though. I unsuccessfully googled its contents. Whether it's because this Monroe, Louisiana hotspot is too obscure to find sufficient discussion on the interwebs, or because its recipe is a well-guarded secret, like KFC's eleven herbs and spices, I'm not sure. I also was curious about the origins of the name "nuvvo" until I realized with horror that there's a good chance it's a misspelling of "nouveau." I also wonder how a college sophomore can afford such an opulent bash. Perhaps LSU boosters made him nuvvo riche.

* Next to Boise State, I'd say TCU and Utah have made the most noise in the BCS era from outside the Big Six. But if the latter two continue their winning ways, they will be joining the BCS party, and this time their membership will be official. Or at least laminated. Finally, that UNLV/Northwestern National Championship game we all dream of is a possibility.

* Pete Fiutak, whom I admire, has to put together a ranking of all of the coaches in college football, ordered by how hot their seat is. It's actually not a novel idea, but at least Fiutak gives it to us for free ... I'm not sure why the Coaches' Hot Seat guy thinks his rankings are worth paying money for.

That said, Fiutak make it clear that "hot seat" does not mean "the most imminent possibility of getting fired." He means ... well, anyone who will take a lot of heat for losing. That definition is a little to broad for me. Hence, CoachesHotSeat.com's rankings make a bit more sense to me (still not paying for the whole thing, though), where we do get the top 10 for free.

One man who ranks the high in both lists is Ralph Friedgen. Remember when Maryland was the first threat to Florida State in the ACC? I wonder if Friedgen signed a secret lifetime contract then, because every year I pass a Maryland game on TV and see him on the sidelines, I think, "Wow ... he hasn't been fired yet?"

Dan Hawkins also makes the top 10 of both lists. If I was a Colorado Buffalo fan, I would have been thrilled at the 2006 hiring of Hawkins. He made Boise State who they are today. Colorado has more resources, more money, and a winning history. So the disaster of CU program under Hawkins is surprising, to say the least. This is year five, and Hawkins has yet to post a winning record. Boise State, meanwhile, continues to truck along, and are in far, far better shape than CU. It must be the (undoubtedly blue) water in Boise.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 5:10 PM | Comments (1)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 8

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson finished second at Texas, avoiding a late pile-up that collected several top contenders, including Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon, who engaged Johnson in some hard racing late in the race. Johnson led 39 laps on the day, surpassing the 10,000 laps led milestone in Sprint Cup races, and expanded his lead in the points to 108.

"Wow. 10,000 laps," Johnson said. "That's a lot of zeros. And that's to be expected, because as the four-time defending Cup champion, I've been running 'circles' around these guys for years."

"As for Gordon, we'll sort our differences out like professionals, which, in this sport, equates to subtle criticisms lobbed harmlessly back and forth via the media. That little bump I gave Gordon is nothing to be alarmed about. To me, it's just 'hard racing.' To Gordon, it's a 'brush with greatness.' Besides, he's my teammate as well as my car owner. With that being said, I've got four consecutive Cups and three wins this year. So, it's a legitimate question to ask 'Who owns who?'"

2. Greg Biffle — Biffle scored his series-best seventh top-10 finish this year, coming home 10th in the Samsung Mobile 500 in the No. 16 3M Post-It Ford. He is third in the Sprint Cup point standings, 128 behind Jimmie Johnson.

"Top-10s are very well and good," Biffle said, "but we need wins. Right now, like all but four drivers, we have no wins. Hey, what do you get when you adhere a Post-It note to David Reutimann's car? 'Stuck on zero.'"

3. Jeff Gordon — Gordon led 124 laps in the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, boasting the day's dominant car, before a promising finish was canceled by a big lap 317 melee triggered by Tony Stewart that collected nine cars. Gordon finished 31st, 17 laps down, and is fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 220 out of first.

"Most of you are probably wondering what I said to Stewart when we met after exiting our wrecked cars," Gordon said. "My words to Tony were simple and direct: 'can I blame Matt Kenseth for this?'"

"I think it was very noble of Tony to immediately take blame for the accident, although it would have been convenient, and believable, had he pointed the finger at Carl Edwards. Not that Carl did anything wrong, but it would be easy to throw Carl 'under the bus,' as, where Carl is concerned, that bus would probably be airborne."

4. Kevin Harvick — Harvick scored his first top-10 finish since Atlanta on March 7th with a seventh in the Samsung Mobile 500. He maintained the fourth position in the Sprint Cup point standings, and is 141 out of first.

"All would have been lost had I not avoided that huge pile-up on lap 317," Harvick said. "I owe it all to my spotter, Bill O'Dea, who's quite talented at the art of guiding me through the carnage of huge wrecks. In those cases, he's responsible for 'happy trails.'"

"I was glad to see Tony Stewart take responsibility for the accident. That saved me the trouble of having to do it. He's the proprietor of a NASCAR team, so it makes sense for him to 'own' up to the deed."

"Tony took out quite a bit of the 'field' in that one. It wasn't all bad for Tony, however. That's the first time since 2005 he's been called the 'cream of the crop.'"

5. Kyle Busch — Busch posted his best Cup finish of the year, finishing third at Texas in the rain-delayed Samsung Mobile 500. After the race, Busch hopped in his No. 18 Nationwide ride and dominated the O'Reilly's 300, leading 153 or 200 laps for his fifth-straight Nationwide win at Texas Motor Speedway.

"That's 534 laps in a single day," Busch said. "Rapper Eminem may be famous for 8 Mile; now I'm famous for '800 Miles.' Incidentally, I love M&Ms."

"It was a solid day for Joe Gibbs Racing. Denny Hamlin displayed a lot of heart out there. It was very clear he was uncomfortable. No, not because of soreness in his surgically-repaired left knee; he just seemed out of place in a ten-gallon hat with a couple of six-shooters. Usually, when Denny says he's 'packing heat,' he's got a hot water bottle on his knee."

6. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth suffered a flat tire eight laps from the end of the Samsung Mobile 500, falling two laps down and finishing 20th, only his second result outside the top 10 this year. He lost ground in the points to Jimmie Johnson, but is still second in the standings, 108 out of first.

"Let me get this straight," Kenseth said. "Tony Stewart admits he was a fault in the wreck that took out Gordon, yet Gordon confronts Stewart like a fan seeking an autograph? Looks like a double standard to me. It seems, according to Gordon, that there are two types of culpability: 'at fault' and 'Matt fault.'"

"Dr. Jerry Punch took the Hippocratic Oath before practicing medicine; I believe Gordon took a similar oath, the 'hypocritic,' before distributing blame."

7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt led 46 laps at Texas, second to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon's 124, and grabbed his third top-10 finish of the year with an eighth in the Samsung Mobile 500. Earnhardt improved three places in the point standings to seventh, 235 behind Jimmie Johnson.

"I feel like we're on the verge of something great," Earnhardt said, "like a win, or, even better, a new endorsement deal. But I'm sure my fans were excited when I took the lead on lap 76 at Texas and led 45 laps thereafter. That's just a preview of things to come, and with Talladega up next, a victory could be imminent. So, you could say I'm 'peaking' at the right time, while my fans are 'piquing' at the right time."

"Now, as someone who's enjoyed the fruits of the Hendrick empire, it would be hard for me to question Kasey Kahne's decision to join Hendrick in 2012. You can't fault the fact that the mighty Kasey 'struck out' to seek a better deal. When Rick Hendrick flashes that bank account, it's hard to say 'no.' In this case, it's not embarrassing at all to get 'Rick-rolled.'"

8. Jeff Burton — Burton overcame an early penalty, as well as a late brush with the wall, to capture a hard-earned 12th at Texas. The driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy is eighth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 243 out of first.

"That infraction is known as a 'commitment line' violation," Burton said, "which, if I'm not mistaken, can also refer to a driver who signs with a new team nearly two years in advance, leaving his current team hanging and his future for next year uncertain. Of course, I'm referring to Kasey Kahne engagement to Hendrick Motorsports. Money talks; Kahne made the HMS walk."

9. Mark Martin — Martin finished sixth at Texas, his fourth top-10 finish of the year, as Hendrick Motorsports placed three cars in the top 10. Martin is now 10th in the points, 254 out of first.

"Once again," Martin said, "Hendrick Motorsports is NASCAR's true powerhouse. Whereas last year, I looked to be the best bet to dethrone Jimmie Johnson, this year Jeff Gordon seems to have the desire to be the top challenger to the crown. Jimmie and I had a true 'civil' battle for the Cup; this year, there seems to be a 'civil' war brewing between Johnson and Gordon."

"All the talk around Hendrick is the 'Drive For Five.' Due to last week's developments, that not just Johnson and Gordon's quest for title number five. Kasey Kahne's 'Drive For 5' has begun, and will be completed in 2012 when he takes over my car. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to this team, but I figure after a full year as a 'seat' warmer, my ass will be ready to go."

10. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin led the final twelve laps at Texas, taking charge after a huge wreck five laps earlier wiped out several front-runners, including Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Carl Edwards. It was Hamlin's second win in three weeks, and first victory after surgery to repair a torn ACL. It was also his second Monday win, as his victory in Martinsville came after a rain delay. Hamlin moved up seven places in the point standings to 11th, and is 275 out of first.

"I'd like to thank my mom and my dad," Hamlin said, "as well as The Mamas And The Papas for the use of my new victory song, 'Monday, Monday.'"

"Nothing cures a limp like a victory," said Hamlin, "although Mark Martin's No. 6 Viagra car worked wonders in its day."

"This is a great win for the No. 11 FedEx Toyota team. It will go down in history. Days, maybe weeks, from now, people will be calling it 'leg-endary.'"

"In all honesty, to me it's no big deal. Heck, it's a Toyota. You really only need one good leg to drive it anyway; odds are likely that between the gas, brake, and clutch pedals, only one will be working."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2010

The NFL Mock Draft Mock Challenge (Pt. 2)

Mock drafts, no matter the sport, are about as useless an exercise as it gets. We spend months pouring over scouting reports, reading team reports, and looking for hidden innuendo in trying to decipher which team will take which player at which spot.

An you know what the result of all that work is?

Maybe about a 30% success rate — if you're lucky.

Take last year's NFL mock draft from Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post, the NFL Network, and various other outlets. The guy lives and breathes the NFL. He headed the Raiders’ and Browns’ personnel departments. He worked with the 49ers, Eagles, and Broncos. This time of year, he's everywhere with all the latest info and insight.

Out of 32 first-round picks in his mock draft last year, do you know how many Lombardi got right?

One. He called Darrius Heyward-Bey to Oakland with the seventh pick, and missed every single other first-round pick. That's one out of 32 correct, or a 3.1 percent success rate. Not too hot.

Now this isn't to pick on Lombardi. By all accounts, he seems like a jovial guy, good at his job as a correspondent and all that. But when you have a guy like that, with all his connections within the league, and he comes up one for 32, then you get the sense of just how much of a crap shoot this mock draft business can be.

But of course that's not going to stop us. I'll probably never get a perfect NCAA tournament bracket either, but I'm still going to go at it year after year, because that's what we do. We love football. And so we mock on.

I used to have a complex formula for grading out mocks in my annual NFL Mock Draft Mock Challenge, but Sports Central's Matt Thomas found it a bit too complex for his liking. So we simplified the formula as such: player/team/draft position all correct = 3 points; team/player = 1 point; player/draft position = 0.5 points; highest point total wins.

To recap last year's results:

Mike Mayock (NFL.com): 30
Me (Sports Central): 28
Todd McShay (ESPN): 26
Rick Gosselin (Dallas Morning News): 24
Rob Rang (CBSSports): 24
Tab Bramford (Bleacher Report): 23
Don Banks (CNNSI): 23
Peter King (CNNSI): 20
Mel Kiper (ESPN): 19
Matt Thomas (Sports Central): 14.5
Pete Schrager (FOXsports.com): 9
Mike Lombardi (NFL.com): 6

Matt has submitted his 2010 mock draft. And now for the official Doria entry into this years' battle royal, the fifth in the NFL Mock Draft Mock Competition:

1: St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

What the Rams should do: take Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh, then grab Texas QB Colt McCoy with the first pick in the second round (since I highly doubt he goes in the first). I'd take the Suh/McCoy combination over Sam Bradford/Pick 33 combination, mainly because I don't think there's near as much difference between Bradford and McCoy as there is between Suh and Pick 33. Suh will also come at a significantly lower price than the Oklahoma QB.

But...

What the Rams will do: succumb to the need to create a splash and redefine the franchise by taking a quarterback with a once-damaged shoulder, even though his representation has indicated he won't sign a contract before the draft. I'm not saying Bradford won't be a good pro, but there's too much risk for my mind to pass on Suh, who is a lock to dominate.

2: Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

There's some debate over whether Suh or Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy will be the best pro, but I heavily subscribe to the notion that the will to dominate is just as important as any other intangible in assessing these players. Watching Nebraska play last year, you couldn't help but notice just how much Suh wanted to dominate the opposition. I never got that sense from McCoy. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz wants to build a dominant, mean, nasty defense, and Suh is the better fit.

3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

The Bucs are playing with house money here. If the Rams take Bradford, the Bucs take either McCoy or Suh, depending on who the Lions choose. If the Rams go Suh or McCoy, that means Bradford falls to three and they can trade the pick for a ransom. There's no way they can screw this up.

Then again, these are the Bucs.

4: Washington Redskins - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

I'm putting my faith in NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst Rob Rang here. The chalk pick is Oklahoma State's Russell Okung, but Rang insists Williams is the better fit for Mike Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme. And as I've said many a time these past years, the path to the best mock draft is in listening to the people who actually do the work scouting and talking to team executives (not all of them, mind you, just the ones who have a track record of success, which Rang does — last year, he had Tyson Jason to KC, Heyward-Bey to Oakland, and Michael Crabtree falling to San Francisco at 10).

Just a note: this would be the fourth straight player from the Big 12 to open the draft. If that comes to pass, it would be the first time four players from the same conference led off the NFL draft since 1945.

5: Kansas City Chiefs - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

Atlanta GM Tom Dimitroff was quoted earlier this offseason commenting how former Patriots boss and current Chiefs GM Scott Pioli isn't a huge fan of picking safeties early in the draft, which is how Tennessee safety Eric Berry continues to fall despite being the unquestioned top defensive back in the draft for a league that is more and more becoming pass heavy. With Washington's decision to jump on Williams, Okung is left for the taking by KC.

(And that would make five straight players from the same conference to lead off the draft, something that has never happened since the NFL draft began in 1936. You find me another mock with that kind of historical detail.)

6: Seattle Seahawks - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

The Seahawks have some huge needs on offense, so the choice comes down to Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga and Berry, the two-time unanimous All-American safety and reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year out of Tennessee. And though the Seahawks desperately need to bolster its offensive line, they finished just 30th in pass defense in 2010. Berry would fill a huge void.

7: Cleveland Browns - Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Haden is a perfect need and value combination platter for Mike Holmgren in his first year as shot-caller for the Browns.

8: Oakland Raiders - Taylor Mays, S, USC

The Raiders are a cliche of a cliche. They could go with Bruce Campbell, the Maryland tackle who seems better suited for doing combine tests than holding up against NFL defensive ends. They could reach for a corner in preparation for losing Nnamdi Asomugha. Hell, they could pick Tim Tebow and just blow the whole damn thing up for all we know. So since we have no idea what Al Davis will do, I'll just pick a major reach in Mays, a big kid with off-the-charts speed and athleticism who skips out on technique and goes for the big hit and highlight play. In other words, Al Davis' kind of guy.

9: Buffalo Bills - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

Buffalo actually had a pretty decent season running the ball in 2009, especially considering the lack of a passing game to keep defenses honest. I'm not in the camp that believes Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen is any sort of franchise savior (or even better than Trent Edwards or Brian Brohm), so they are better off continuing to build from the inside out, and that means upgrading the offensive line.

10: Jacksonville Jaguars - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

McClain is a winner, leader and general all-around bad-ass, the exact kind of guy head coach Jack Del Rio will fall in love with as he tries to save his job.

11: Denver Broncos - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

This is a good place to point out that anybody who comes to the mock draft detail spouting certainty is full of it. Nobody knows anything. The teams don't even know what they are going to do. They just have varying degrees of hypotheticals and what-ifs. And so when somebody like Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson tell you there's no way the Broncos are taking Bryant, it's just hot air. He doesn't know any more than you do.

So why risk it and go Bryant here? Because the Broncos' top two receivers are Eddie Royal and Jabar Gaffney, and Bryant is the clear best at the position. That's why.

12: Miami Dolphins - Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

Even before the eight-game suspension handed to DT Jason Ferguson, the Dolphins had to be thinking about adding some depth in the middle of their 3-4 defense. But with Ferguson out for the first half of the season, the 327-lb Williams becomes even more of a need.

13: San Francisco 49ers - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

I don't think Clausen is the second coming of anybody, let alone the last quarterback the 49ers drafted out of Notre Dame. Clausen's career stats are more likely to approximate those of Jim Druckenmiller than Joe Montana. But word out of San Francisco is Mike Singletary and Co. are digging on Clausen, so that's what we'll go with. Personally, I'd rather have Colt McCoy.

14: Seattle Seahawks - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

It will take exactly 4.38 seconds for the Seattle rep in the draft room to hand in the card with Spiller's name on it.

15: New York Giants - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

The Giants have to have a pass rush in order to succeed, and last season's ineffectiveness in getting to the opposing quarterback (only 32 sacks, down from 42 the year prior) was one of the main reasons behind the Giants' descent into mediocrity. With Morgan on board, New York will have some flexibility if the Osi Umenyiora situation doesn't resolve amicably.

(Note: I'm not advocating they trade Umenyiora, just that if they can get a good price for him, which I think they could, it wouldn't be the dumbest move in the world.)

16: Tennessee Titans - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

Like the Giants, the Titans' step back from championship contender to out of the playoffs can be tied to their inability to get to the opposing quarterbacks (44 sacks in 2008, 32 in 2009). I'm not personally sold that Pierre-Paul is the answer, because there are some serious questions about his ability to hold up against the run, but the man has speed off the edge, and Tennessee is going to need to get to Peyton Manning if they have any hope of climbing back atop the AFC South.

17: San Francisco 49ers - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

The 49ers need to find a bookend to Joe Staley, and Davis is a much better fit for Singletary and the toughness-first mindset of this franchise than the more athletic Bruce Campbell.

18: Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Iupati, G, Idaho

With the Steelers' needs along the interior of their offensive line, the choice will come down to Iupati and Florida center Maurkice Pouncey. Iupati is bigger by about 25 pounds and a better run-blocker, and should push for an immediate starting job in 2010.

19: Atlanta Falcons - Earl Thomas, S, Texas

The Falcons' pass defense ranked just 28th in the league last year and both Thomas DeCoud and Eric Coleman will be free agents after the 2011 lockout/season. Thomas and 2009 second-round pick William Moore (Missouri) will combine to form the backbone of the secondary for the next five or so years.

20: Houston Texans - Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama

I wanted to give the Texans running back Ryan Matthews from Fresno State to prop up a pathetic run game from 2009 (just 3.5 yard-per-carry average), but the loss of Dunta Robinson to Atlanta in free agency forces Gary Kubiak to fortify his defensive backfield.

21: Cincinnati Bengals - Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida

The Bengals offensive line played well beyond expectations last year, but there's no long-term stability on the interior. Even if Pouncey can't break into the first team from the onset, he would provide valuable depth at center and both guard spots.

22: New England Patriots - Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

Every year, pundits seem to want to give the Patriots a DE/LB hybrid in the first round, and it's never happened under Bill Belichick. Not once. And it's not going to happen this year either. Personally, I think Belichick trades out of this pick with no real great value-need combination and several players that other teams might covet. But since I'm staying true to the order (predicting trades is a sucker bet), I'm giving them Dunlap, a bit of a reach, but a winner (Defensive MVP of the BCS National Championship Game) from a program Belichick is intimately familiar with and respects. He may not be the next Richard Seymour, but he can help get back some of that defensive line push that they sorely lacked last season.

23: Green Bay Packers - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

The Packers could go offensive line, but Wilson is great value and puts in place the next generation with Charles Woodson (34 in October) and Al Harris (36 in December) getting up in age.

24: Philadelphia Eagles - Everson Griffin, DE, USC

The Eagles are all about the defensive line rotation and getting heat on the opposing quarterback. Griffin is strong (position-high 32 reps on the bench press at the combine) and fast (4.66 40-tard dash), plus he has experience dropping into coverage, which provides defensive coordinator Sean McDermott flexibility for his exotic blitz schemes.

25: Baltimore Ravens - Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas

All the world has Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens continuing their stockpile of offensive skill players, either with Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas or Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham, but Kindle fits into the line of 3-4 OLB that are the lifeblood of the Ravens' defense. Plus Newsome is as much a value drafter as there is in the league, and the TE depth will be there in the next few rounds, while WR isn't as much of a need with the additions of Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth.

26: Arizona Cardinals - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

Any time you have Anthony Becht atop your TE depth chart, you need an upgrade. Gresham is the clear cut top player at the position and a steal at 26.

27: Dallas Cowboys - Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech

Jerry Jones may not be able to hop in the hot tub time machine to stop himself from giving Roy Williams that ridiculous contract, but he can at least ensure he has a capable replacement opposite Miles Austin if Williams doesn't show up to play in 2010.

28: San Diego Chargers - Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama

This one will send mild shock waves through the draft room, but the 3-4 has to have the big NT anchoring the middle, and San Diego lost the aging Jamal Williams to Denver this offseason. Cody certainly carries some baggage (and then some), but as long as he can get out there on first and second downs and clog up the middle, he'll do just fine.

29: New York Jets - Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State

For some reason, the Jets are in must-win-now mode, throwing all conventional wisdom aside. Like the whole rule about not adding a bunch of underachieving ego players looking for their own stats so they can get paid? Yeah, never mind about that. Of anybody on the board, Odrick best seems able to contribute in a rotation role in 2010, which apparently is the only season the Jets care about.

30: Minnesota Vikings - Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State

What? Why on Earth would the Vikings, with superstar Adrian Peterson in the prime of his career, take a first-round running back? Well, they lost Chester Taylor to the Chicago Bears, so they clearly need a new number two. Plus, and I don't want to bring up bad memories for Vikings fans, but Peterson has a bit of a fumbling issue. It's probably not a bad idea to remind him that there are other alternatives for carries. And if AP gets hurt, you don't want Albert Young as your only option.

31: Indianapolis Colts - Brandon Graham, LB, Michigan

There's been a lot of talk of Graham converting over to a 3-4 OLB, but I don't think backing up in space is the place for him. He's a line-of-scrimmage play maker, and his "questionable" frame (6-1, 270) is just about the exact same size as current Colts starting DEs Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney.

Just another note: the Colts are all about the Big Ten, having drafted 11 Big Ten players in the past five years. That's the most of any NFL team, followed by Pittsburgh (10), the Jets (9), and Miami and New Orleans (8 each). The 11 picks of Big Ten players by the Colts represents more than a full quarter of their draft picks over the past five drafts (11 of 43). Just in case you were wondering.

32: New Orleans Saints - Jahvid Best, RB, California

This is the perfect situation for Best — an imaginative play-caller in head coach Sean Payton, an established run game with Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush so Best won't be expected to carry the ball 20 times per game, an opening/need for an explosive kick and punt returner (only San Francisco was worse than the Saints' 4.6 average yards per punt return in 2009), and a schedule that will include almost all dome or warm-weather games (at least 14 of 16 depending on weather at Baltimore and Cincinnati).

And with the pick of Best, queue what will be an incredible day of speculation and action on Friday leading up to the second and third rounds on Friday night. You could make a whole day of just sitting back and watching the NFL Network checking up on the various trade scenarios and updated draft boards. And if you're stuck at work, you better be following Adam Schefter (@Adam_Schefter) and Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) on Twitter. (What the hell — give @michaelombardi a follow, too. And of course @sportcentral.)

(Note: Before the draft, I'll post the link to the other mocks in this year's competition. And depending on how things go, we'll have the results up on Monday or so.)

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 12:59 PM | Comments (5)

April 20, 2010

A Month of Weird Trades in the NFL

It's like a month-long April Fool's joke. An elite quarterback to a division rival? Santonio Holmes for a fifth-round pick? Tony Scheffler for almost nothing? Come on, I'm not going to fall for that.

Except it's all true. In the latest round of head-scratchers, the Broncos dealt Scheffler and a seventh-round pick as part of a three-way trade that yielded only a fifth-round draft choice. Most fifth-rounders don't even make the team, and Scheffler is a good receiving tight end. There are extenuating circumstances, including injury problems and a poor relationship with head coach Josh McDaniels, but it's always surprising to see talented young players (Scheffler just turned 27) dealt away for a song.

This follows on the heels of the Steelers unloading Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes in return for a fifth-rounder. Holmes is entering the prime of his career and coming off his best season, with 1,248 receiving yards. Just as he establishes himself as an elite receiver, the team gets rid of him. The Steelers are a classy organization at the top, and dropping Holmes was surely intended to send a message to the rest of the team. Furthermore, he was suspended four games for failing a drug test. But he's an undeniable talent with a promising future, and the trade brought almost nothing in return. There's no way Pittsburgh couldn't have picked up better than a five in return for their elite receiver. Even if teams know you want to get rid of the guy, it's worth giving up a fourth-round pick to get exclusive rights to a player like that.

We've already discussed the biggest move of the offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles' unexpected trade of Donovan McNabb to their division rivals in Washington. Moving McNabb wasn't a huge shock, but sending him down the road to a team you play twice a year was. McNabb's price tag was also very reasonable, especially compared to the robbery Denver pulled on the Bears last year with Baby Jay Cutler.

Then there's Brandon Marshall, maybe the most talented wide receiver in the NFL — the one with the most potential, the highest ceiling — sent to Miami for a pair of second-round draft choices. This one actually makes the most sense to me. Marshall is a phenomenal prospect, and he's clearly worth more than two second-rounders. But he clashed with McDaniels and had become a huge distraction. He didn't want to play in Denver any more, and before too long the team might have been forced to lose him for nothing. Marshall also has some issues with his decision-making. He seems immature and has had problems off the field. The Broncos unloaded him before any of that became serious, and got two valuable picks in return. Is Marshall worth more than his trade value? If he keeps his head on straight, absolutely. That's a real "if", though.

Let's not forget the first big trade of the offseason, Arizona's Anquan Boldin, shipped to the Ravens in Feburary for a couple of mid-round draft picks. Boldin is almost 30, and he's been unhappy in Arizona the last couple of years, plus he's had trouble staying healthy, but he's had five 1,000-yard seasons, including two in a row. He's been reliably productive whenever he's on the field, and no one questions his toughness.

Why has there been so much action this offseason? To some extent it's just coincidence, and we can't discount the obvious impact of McDaniels, who has scared off several high-profile Broncos since Mike Shanahan was fired after the 2008 season. The biggest reasons, though, are probably administrative. The 2010 NFL season will not have a salary cap in place, and the cap has discouraged trading players, because teams would immediately become responsible for the remainder of the traded player's signing bonus. Financially, that's not a big deal, but when all of that money counts against the cap in a single season, it was often too much. This year, there's no downside.

The other major factor is probably Roger Goodell. Now entering his fifth season as league commissioner, Goodell has made his mark with a strict, mostly well-received discipline policy that includes suspensions for off-field incidents. That makes players like Holmes and Marshall much riskier than they would have been a decade ago. If Holmes gets caught smoking green again, he'll be out a whole season. Marshall has had legal troubles throughout his adult life and could also face a lengthy suspension if the trend continues. Even teams that don't share the Steelers' moral compass are starting to act strategically, trading players away (and getting what they can in return) before the long suspension hits.

Even if there are good reasons for all the action, though, it's been a long, strange month of trades.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 2:19 PM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2010

Jimenez Should Thank His Manager

Ubaldo Jimenez, the rifle-armed right-hander in the Colorado Rockies' rotation, is lucky. After pitching the first no-hitter in Rockies history in Atlanta on Saturday night, Jimenez thanked his center fielder, Dexter Fowler, with an embrace of gratitude in the ensuing celebration. Fowler had made a truly spectacular diving catch in the left-center field gap to save the no-hitter with no outs in the seventh inning. It was probably the play that will be remembered most from this historic contest.

Jimenez, though, should have saved that hug for his manager, Jim Tracy.

The reason Ubaldo is lucky is not so much because Fowler preserved his attempt at history with that catch, as one great defensive play has become almost the standard in no-hit/perfect game bids, but because he is managed by Tracy and not New York Yankees skipper Joe Girardi.

Had Jimenez been a Yankee or otherwise managed by Girardi, he never would have gotten that chance. The complete game effort by Jimenez included 6 walks and required 128 pitches, the most thrown in the majors so far by any one pitcher in a game, and with good reason.

Just a week earlier, on April 10th, Girardi's ace lefty C.C. Sabathia was working on a similar no-hit bid in Tampa against the division rival Rays. The problem was that C.C. wasn't being economical and was at 110 pitches with 2 outs in the eighth. Kelly Shoppach was the batter that finally ended the attempt with a single to left, and thank the baseball gods for that. Girardi almost instantly walked out to the mound to take his big man out at 111 pitches. What we learned after the game was that Sabathia was going to be pulled by his manager after the at-bat with Shoppach regardless of the result.

"It's not something you want to do, but you have to think big picture," Girardi said in all seriousness. "I told Dave (Eiland, the pitching coach) 110 to 115 and that was it. If he would have been 105 in the ninth, maybe I'd let him go out."

Girardi already had a reputation as an over-manager who tinkered with everything and made unorthodox decisions to begin with. Now he was going to stop a no-hitter in progress because it did not conform to his pitch count of 110 to 115 pitches. Weren't these feats hard enough to accomplish to begin with?

Bear in mind that Sabathia, the Yankees' ace in the rotation, is known as a fierce competitor and a workhorse with a durable arm. At age 29, he is in the prime of his career. And for a complete game effort, 120-130 pitches from the starter is not unusual, even if it is considered taxing. Even so, Girardi decided it was too early in the season for C.C. to throw any more pitches and was ready to end the historic bid himself.

Sabathia's response to such a scenario, at least to the media, was that of a good-natured soldier. He claimed to respect and understand the manager's decision and that Girardi had every right to make it. It is hard to believe, though, that it would have played out this way on the mound had this occurred.

Had Girardi been a Yankees' manager in 1998, instead of a player, David Wells may not have been allowed to finish his perfect game, which took all of 119 pitches against the Twins. Perhaps he also forgot about the no-hitter he caught in 1996 when a declining and weary Dwight Gooden threw 136 pitches to get the job done against a vicious Mariners lineup. The unwritten rule is you throw away the pitch counts if no one on the other team has a hit. All major league pitchers are willing to risk a little extra fatigue and soreness for the opportunity to pitch one, and the manager is generally wrong to deprive him of that.

If ever there was an exception to this rule, it was David Cone. In 1996, three years before his perfect game (which Girardi also caught), Cone returned from a shoulder aneurism that had shelved him for 3½ months of the season and cast questions over whether his career was in jeopardy or if he would ever be the same pitcher. In his first game back, Cone miraculously threw 7 no-hit innings in Oakland against the Athletics before then-manager Joe Torre pulled the plug. Cone was disappointed, but this was a special case where no one knew how his arm would handle his first start after such a difficult surgery. Jimenez and Sabathia, by contrast, were healthy and ready to go. Jim Tracy recognized that. Joe Girardi did not.

Baseball fans and Yankee fans alike have Kelly Shoppach to thank for keeping Joe Girardi from making what may have become the most infamous and bone-headed move of his managing career. Likewise, Ubaldo Jimenez has Jim Tracy to thank for letting his pitcher pitch his way into the Rockies' record books. Apparently in today's game with such an emphasis on pitch counts, leaving a pitcher in to finish a no-hitter is no longer something that can be taken for granted.

Posted by Bill Hazell at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)

Newsflash: Roddick Doesn't Dance!

Just a week ago, I had the pleasure of attending an early-season tennis event in Atlantic City, New Jersey — the Caesar's Tennis Challenge. For those of you who keep up with current celebrity, that would be the "Jersey Shore." Fortunately, while I was in Atlantic City (AC to us here) for some great tennis, the cast of the show "Jersey Shore," including Mike "The Situation," Snooki, J-Wow, and the rest of the guidos were sunning themselves in Miami.

Good thing there, too, as the Sony Ericsson Open had just finished and I was able to escape back home before they arrived at South Beach. I'm thinking Andy Roddick was happy, too, as he was able to defeat Rafael Nadal on his way to the title at Key Biscayne before there was the potential for his great victory to be overshadowed by this cast of characters.

Roddick was the headline player at the Caesar's Tennis Challenge at Boardwalk Hall in AC. At this amazing exhibition, Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Marat Safin, Ivan Lendl, and Mats Wilander all put it on the line for four hours of dazzling tennis. They were joined by Venus Williams, who served as co-host for the evening.

Roddick's appearance here was interesting. Normally, during the "regular" season, top players like Andy don't deviate from tournament play, let alone take a short weekend trip to New Jersey. True, the early U.S. season had come to a close with the final of the Sony Ericsson Open, but most of the top players normally leave the U.S. behind and make a b-line straight for Monte Carlo and the deep red clay following Key Biscayne so that they can start to prep for the French Open in late May.

This is one of the reasons professional tennis is the premier sport, at least in my humble opinion. In the middle of playing year, a top-10 player and the number one American player, found time to bring the sport to fans who otherwise would never get the chance to see one on their native soil. Even more important is that Roddick is having the best start to a year in his career, and was still here on the boardwalk to hit with Marat and Pete.

Roddick did take a few minutes for himself, as he announced a long-term partnership with a new company called AQUISS (pronounced a-kiss) that will be mass marketing nano-encapsulated hydration drinks starting in May. Roddick stated that he has been using the new formulations since the beginning of 2010 and that it is a major factor, at least in his mind, to his current success and level of play.

Maybe the best thing about the event, not including the witty banter between New Jerseyan Justin Gimelstob and co-host Venus Williams (who also made her first-ever appearance in New Jersey) was watching Ivan Lendl play his first competitive set of tennis in 16 years. Lendl has had back problems since his playing days, and recently found treatments for his chronic back condition that have allowed him to resume competitive play.

In the pre-challenge press conference Lendl was quite expressive, and also gave a great insight into the differences between professional tennis when he ruled the world and professional tennis now. When I asked him about the differences in the game, he replied, "In my day, the key was speed and stamina. You had to hit the ball at least 50 times before you won a point. Today, I think the game is speed and strength. You don't need stamina because the players will hit a strong shot at any moment to finish the point."

I won't argue with him. Watching Lendl and Wilander play their exhibition set was a throwback to those days of speed and stamina. The ball crossed the net at least 30 times during most points, and both players used touch and placement to open up the court for the winner. Just a few hours later, Marat Safin and Roddick put on a contrasting show of strength. No doubt about it, the points were shorter and it was actually hard to track the ball, as both players were hitting the ball super hard.

I had the opportunity to pose a similar question to Mats Wilander following his match with Lendl. I asked him why fellow Swede Robin Soderling has suddenly "blossomed" after many years of lower-tier play. Wilander was quite complimentary, and pointed out some early career mistakes that Soderling had made. Wilander believes that Soderling has matured as both a player and a person, and he has finally figured out how to play on and with a team, including his current team of management and coaches. Wilander was quite clear in his response that he "would be surprised if Soderling didn't win a major soon, and more surprised if he never won a major." Pretty high praise from a former Australian, French, and U.S. Open champion and Hall of Fame player.

I won't comment too much about Pete Sampras, as he was the gentleman he always is, and he still showed some of the greatness in his play that made him one of the greatest all-time. Justin Gimelstob did allude to another exhibition incident at Indian Wells, CA a few weeks ago where Pete and Andre Agassi exchanged words, and enough has been written about that, so I'll just leave that alone. Nice to see Pete here. I think the last time I saw him in New Jersey was when he got off a plane in Newark and ran through the airport on his way to a tournament many years ago.

As the press conference was coming to a close, Lendl, Wilander, and Safin all had commented how much their backs hurt since the end of their careers and after working out for these exhibitions. There weren't too many tennis media personalities at the press conferences, and I was very happy to be among my peers, including Bonnie Ford of ESPN.com.

While there were many great questions from the press, it seemed that the media was avoiding the obvious question. So, as you would guess, that left it up to me. So I asked, "Will we see any of you on 'Dancing with the Stars?'" After a chuckle from Lendle, a wink from Wilander, and after Safin rolled his eyes, Roddick stepped to the microphone and said, "Tom, just by asking that question, you made my back hurt." 'Nuff said.

Posted by Tom Kosinski at 10:16 AM | Comments (1)

April 16, 2010

Sports Q&A: Behind the Steel Curtain

Ben Roethlisberger's off-the-field issues, coupled with troubled wide receiver Santonio Holmes' trade to the Jets, have clouded the Pittsburgh Steelers' aura of integrity. Was the Holmes' trade necessary for the Steelers to restore their good name? And have the Jets' offseason moves made them a Super Bowl favorite?

The sale and usage of illicit drugs. Lurid sexual encounters. Motorcycles crashed. Drinks tossed. No, it's not Behind the Green Door. It's better. It's "Behind the Steel Curtain."

In case you've been under a rock and/or don't follow the always compelling legal matters of NFL superstars, you're probably unaware that the Pittsburgh Steelers organization's good name has been sullied by the actions of Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes. Although neither has actually been charged with any of the crimes they're accused of committing, the Steelers felt they could not sit idly by without taking action. So, while the limitations of shabby law enforcement and the ambiguities of the legal system won't allow repercussions, the sterling reputation of the Pittsburgh organization will. That was realized when the Steelers guttered Holmes to the Jets for a fifth-round pick, thus converting the "7-10 split."

It was an admirable move by the Steelers, but was it a wise one? Together, Roethlisberger and Holmes formed one of the NFL's most lethal connections. Now, the words "lethal connection," modified by three or so letters, can easily spell "legal conviction." What are those three letters? It's not "DNA" or "THC," but it's clear that actions bordering on criminal have robbed the Steelers of arguably their best offensive combination.

Holmes' troubles include a domestic violence charge (which has been dropped) sandwiched by numerous marijuana issues. Most recently, Holmes is being sued by a Florida woman who claims he hit her in the face with a glass at an Orlando nightclub. Usually to Holmes, "thrown glass" means nothing more than a "passed bong." However, this situation is much more serious.

Holmes claims his innocence, but I'm sure he can attest that the pain from such an injury is comparable to being "slapped" with a subpoena.

Holmes will be suspended for the first four games of the 2010 due to a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. It's clear that Holmes has problems, but let's not label him a miscreant just yet. He may or may not be, depending on his attorney's fees.

How many times has a player with a history of domestic violence and drug abuse followed his NFL dream? Quite often. Heck, if you rid the league of all players with drug and/or domestic issues, you'd be left with nothing but quarterbacks. And the Steelers would also be missing a kicker.

Now, if you show an NFL scout a wide receiver with drug and domestic abuse issues, that scout will immediately draw comparisons to Michael Irvin. But, there are few instances in which a player's character issues have prevented a team from drafting a player with a checkered past. In the NFL, physical gifts almost always override character issues. Holmes, you could say, was a risk. But you can also say the reward outweighed the risk. Until now.

Roethlisberger's troubles started innocently enough when, back in June of 2006 when he was seriously injured after wrecking his motorcycle. Wrecking a motorcycle does not make one a bad person, but driving a motorcycle without a helmet is certainly evidence of bad decision-making. Of course, if Roethlisberger had not wrecked, then the helmet decision would not be an issue.

But it sure does seem like a good decision compared to some of Roethlisberger's latest decisions, particularly those which led to two sexual assault accusations, one in 2008 and the other in March of 2010, both of which took place in bars. As stated previously, Roethlisberger won't face charges in either case due to lack of evidence. Finally, we can commend Big Ben for a good decision: not leaving the crime at the scene.

So, what conclusion can be gleaned from a motorcycle wreck and two sexual assault accusations? Only one: Roethlisberger needs a helmet to drive, and a lawyer to party.

Now, one could argue that Roethlisberger is simply a victim of bad luck. It's doubtful he would argue that statement, and would also state that he trying his best to change his luck. Heck, in his efforts to "get lucky," Roethlisberger has indeed found "luck," as two, count ‘em, two, criminal charges have been dropped.

Roethlisberger's name has been so tarnished that marketers don't even trust it enough to sell beef jerky. PLB Sports, a marketing company, has discontinued a contract to make "Big Ben Beef Jerky." Shame on Roethlisberger! No, not for his mistreatment of women. For depriving the world of "Big Ben Beef Jerky." Now that's criminal.

There'll be no more "Big Ben Beef Jerky" on grocers' shelves. Let's here it for Ty Ballou, president of PLB Sports. At least there's one person who knows when Big Ben's beef shouldn't be.

It's a development that sure to have consumers of the product asking "Where's the beef?" It's a question that if Roethlisberger continues to ask of himself, then he will soon find "the beef" in a crime lab, scrutinized and analyzed. Instead of the beef jerky, Roethlisberger will find that he himself is the "processed meat."

It's probable that had Roethlisberger not been accused of his latest sexual assault, Holmes would likely still be a Steeler. Holmes was the fall guy for Roethlisberger's stupidity, collateral damage, if you will. No, race had nothing to do with the Steelers decision. Holmes was not let go because he was black. In the eyes of the Pittsburgh front office, there's no difference between a stupid white guy and a stupid black guy. But the stupid white guy is clearly more valuable to the Steelers. There's not a woman alive who would label Roethlisberger a "keeper," but the Steelers have no problem labeling him as such.

Does the acquisition of Holmes make the Jets a Super Bowl favorite? Absolutely. When you strengthen a team that advanced to the AFC Championship Game last year, then they have to at least become the most likely candidate to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. And Holmes' acquisition definitely strengthens the team.

Along with Braylon Edwards, Holmes gives the Jets a dynamic wide receiving tandem, and one good set of hands. They're sure to impress as the wideout duo known as "Dropped Balls, Dropped Charges."

And Holmes, along with Jets defensive end and marijuana connoisseur Shaun Ellis, will encourage supply and demand to converge in economic equilibrium.

For a fifth-round pick, Holmes was a bargain. It matters not that he'll miss the first four games of the season. I'm sure that when the Jets front office and coaches analyzed the trade, they likely speculated on Holmes' contribution in the last four games of the season anyway.

So the Steelers' loss is the Jets' gain. And the Steelers' loss is a clear message to Roethlisberger that if his behavior doesn't improve, they'll be forced to trade another player.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 12:21 PM | Comments (5)

April 15, 2010

Surprise! Another Erin Andrews Hatchet Job

We like to have fun here and that's okay. Sports debate is a fun diversion from everyday life, but there are crises that bring us together as a people and we have another one facing us today. I'd like to think that we could put aside our differences and let our humanity take the wheel as we work feverishly to right the latest wrong in our world.

Random hot chicks aren't getting enough attention.

This conclusion can be extrapolated from purely anecdotal evidence as a random female broadcaster (read: hot chick) recently threw a hissy fit on Twitter directed at Erin Andrews. Kristin Tallent, a broadcaster from FOX Memphis (I looked it up, it's a city in Tennessee), attacked Andrews for appearing on "Dancing With the Stars."

She started with this tweet:

"Newsflash Erin Andrews, not all women in sports see you as one of their own. I'm nothing like you lady &I never looked at u as a journalist."

Then followed up with these comments, directed at a reporter from CBS who called her out for her original tweet:

"not a hater, just speaking my mind. She has pimped herself out...She was soooo upset about being "stalked" that she went on dancing with the stars. I was a college athlete, sports has been my entire life and I don't appreciate someone pulling that."

Then he asked if she would pass on the show if invited:

"yes, actually I would pass on DWTS bc I think it is a dumb show. Now, if some show called about training me to be in the WNBA, or the LPGA, then I would definitely be in. Of course, they don't wear stripper clothes in the WNBA/LPGA."

Before breaking them down, let's acknowledge these tweets for what they really are: a pathetic and desperate publicity stunt. It's one of the oldest tricks in the attention whore media book. Start a feud with someone bigger than you and hope they acknowledge you, therefore allowing people to discover you exist.

If this was a college party, Tallent would be the drunk sorority girl who keeps tripping over coffee tables and somehow can't keep the straps of her shirt from falling off her shoulders. Everyone knows she's acting 100 times drunker than she really is, but they tolerate it because they know she draws sustenance from being tagged in photos on Facebook.

I get it, these are tough times for her. There are two wars going on right now, the economy is in the tank, the world is being bombarded with natural disasters, and political dissension is higher than its been in years. People have real stuff to pay attention to and hot chicks sometime fall by the wayside.

If you actually break down what she's trying to say, you run into the same problem a lot of people have with things hot chicks say. It just doesn't make any logical sense.

She starts by saying Erin Andrews isn't a journalist and that women in sports don't see her as part of the group. On the other hand, you can tell Tallent is a journalist right away because she starts her tweets by saying "Newsflash." I'm pretty sure Tallent also wears a fedora with a press pass in the brim when she does her newscasts.

From there, she just gets absurd. She puts "stalked" in quotations like it wasn't a big deal. Andrews had some creep following her around the country and drilling holes in the hotel room next to hers to videotape her when she was naked. What needs to happen before Tallent would classify it as stalking?

Does the guy need to sleep in the bed next to her? Call her up late at night and just breathe heavily into the phone? Mail her pictures of him doing dirty things to her family pet?

Then Tallent goes on to say she has been in sports her whole life and doesn't appreciate someone pulling that crap. The "crap" she's referring to is Andrews making a brilliant marketing move by going on a harmless ballroom dancing show that is one of the most watched shows in the country. Who wouldn't make that move?

Tallent is in a business that places an enormous value on looks. Being hot is way more important than anything else you bring to that job. It's not fair, especially for women because they are forced out far before men. Andrews is in that same business. How could Tallent now understand Andrews trying to take advantage of anything she can while she still has a TV career? It's laughable if Tallent doesn't understand this and really considers herself a true journalist.

One of my favorite parts of her tweet meltdown is how she says she has played sports her whole life and doesn't appreciate someone pulling that. As if because she played recreational soccer as a kid, she is now the protector of the Sports Universe and its integrity.

Again, it doesn't make any sense because if she was really offended she would have just as much a problem with Chad Ochocinco and other athletes being on the show. She doesn't, because logic isn't important when your real message is that "hey, everyone, I'm a hot chick, pay attention to me!"

She ends with some drivel about how she'd never do DWTS, which I assume is because she's not a star. She does say she'd do a show based about getting her ready to play in the WNBA or something, because they don't make you wear stripper clothes.

Again, just more nonsense that doesn't make sense. In one season of DWTS, Andrews will earn three to five times the salary the average WNBAer makes in three seasons. Really, Tallent should have just tweeted, "Hey, everyone, look at me! I'm insulting Erin Andrews!!!" to save us from even trying to understand what she's saying.

As a dignified and united American people, forgiveness is the only reasonable option we have for Tallent's misguided and hopelessly pathetic rant. Now that we have identified the problem, the best course of action is to establish a fundraiser in Tallent's honor. So, please, if anyone reading this has any extra attention, please donate it Kristin Tallent.

You can leave it in the comments section here, or you can contact her on Twitter (@Kristin_Tallent). Please do what you can. Any little bit helps.

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 7

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson opted for four tires on the final caution at Phoenix, foregoing a quicker two-tire stop in lieu of better handling for the final sprint to the finish. Alas, Johnson's decision proved wrong, as Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon, on two fresh tires, battled for the win while Johnson was rendered an observer with a third-place result. Still, Johnson lengthened his lead in the point standings, and enjoys a 36 point cushion over Matt Kenseth.

"As you know," Johnson said, "I made the call for four tires. And even though my 'Cups' runneth over, Chad Knaus is no bartender. But that doesn't mean he doesn't reserve the right to say 'last' call.

"But let's face it. My growing lead in the points proves that I am again championship material. And making the wrong call in the pits doesn't dampen my status as Cup favorite at all. On the contrary, it's championship immaterial."

2. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth rolled to a solid sixth-place finish at Phoenix, capturing his sixth top-10 finish of the series. After a weak qualifying effort of 27th, Kenseth and the No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford used timely adjustments to steadily ascend the leaderboard, and a two-tire stop during the race's final caution solidified the finish. Kenseth is now second in the Sprint Cup point standings, only 36 behind Jimmie Johnson.

"I'm certainly pleased with a sixth-place finish," Kenseth said, "if for no other reason than I was far enough away from Jeff Gordon not to be blamed for his miscue on the start. He was good at making sure I didn't win at Martinsville; he's even better at making sure he doesn't win anywhere."

"Now, the good folks at Diageo distillery have already given us Crown Royal in a purple bag. Now, they've made it possible to 'brown bag' a 'black bag.'"

"Furthermore, while in the Crown Royal Black car, if I exact my revenge on Gordon, you can call it being 'Black bagged.'"

3. Jeff Gordon — Gordon took the lead with a quick two-tire pit stop on the final caution, and took the green flag needing only to hold his position for two laps to secure his first win of the year. But Gordon spun his tires on the restart, and the error allowed Ryan Newman, in the No. 39 Tornados Chevy, to pass underneath, and Gordon settled for a disappointing second.

"That's two races in succession in which a late lead has vanished before my eyes," Gordon said. "So I guess it's only appropriate that I lost in Phoenix to Newman's Tornados car, because another lead was 'blown.'"

"If Tiger Woods had to describe my restart on the Fujita tornado measurement scale, he would no doubt call it an 'FU.' I believe that means the 'wins' are at 0."

4. Kevin Harvick — Harvick finished 13th in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 in Phoenix, with handling issues hindering a top-10 run. Harvick raced as high as fifth on Saturday, but with his cornering ability compromised, he could only manage to crack the top 15 by race's end. He stands fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 112 out of first.

"We've struggled somewhat as of late," Harvick said. "On Saturday, we just couldn't find the right measure of adjustments. We've got no one to blame but ourselves. Often, people have marveled at my ability to 'get inside the heads of my competitors.' Well, now I know exactly what they must be thinking, because I feel like my own worst enemy."

5. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer finished ninth in the Subway Fresh Fit 600, posting his second consecutive top-10 after disappointing runs in Atlanta and Bristol allayed a strong start to the season. Bowyer improved three places in the point standings to sixth, and is 188 out of first.

"It's great to be back in the top 10," Bowyer explained. "We had a few missteps in Atlanta and Bristol, but we were back where we belong in Phoenix, with the No. 33 Hamburger Helper/Cheerios Chevy cooking up another solid finish. Call me 'Chef Bowyer Ardee.'"

"And speaking of food sponsors, Ryan Newman's win really puts Tornado's foods in the public eye. Tornados are a delicious mix of meat and cheeses wrapped in a tortilla shell, quite similar to a familiar microwaveable product manufactured by Nestle. It's a marketing deal Newman couldn't pass up if offered, because it would be the perfect opportunity to call him not the 'Rocketman,' but the 'Hot Pocket-Man.'"

6. Carl Edwards — Edwards came home seventh at Phoenix, his fourth top-10 finish of the year and third in a row. Edwards jumped six spots in the Sprint Cup point standings to eighth, and is 200 out of first.

"That's called good points racing," Edwards said, "as opposed to racing to make a point."

"The No. 99 Subway Ford was solid all day. And it felt great to represent Subway in a race they sponsored. 'The $5 Dollar Foot Long' sounds like a great deal. But is it? Usually, when a sub costs five dollars more than someone was fined for wrecking a rival competitor, you're looking at a sandwich costing well in excess of $100,000."

7. Greg Biffle — Biffle suffered his first finish outside the top 10 with a 22nd in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 in Phoenix. With handling problems prevalent all day, Biffle and the No. 16 3M Ford struggled with grip, and numerous adjustments did little, if anything, to correct the problems. Biffle fell one spot in the point standings to third, 92 out of first.

"Nothing seemed to work," Biffle said. "The word of the day was 'futility,' not to be confused with 'fertility,' which obviously applies to the many drivers expecting children this year."

"I'm childless and Cup-less, so if that's to change, I'll need to 'get busy' in both respects."

8. Joey Logano — Logano raced to his fourth top-10 finish of the season, posting a 10th in Phoenix and validating a stellar qualifying effort of sixth. Cooling track conditions late in the race made handling difficult, but Logano held on to join Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch, who finished eighth, in the top 10. Logano is now 11th in the points, 211 out of first.

"Some may say I lack the 'killer instinct' necessary to be a force in this sport," Logano said. "That's wrong. Denny Hamlin may be weak in the knee, but I'm not weak in the cujones."

9. Kyle Busch — Busch's charge to the win in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 was derailed by a caution with three laps remaining, forcing the No. 18 M&Ms team to make the crucial two-tire or four-tire pit-stop decision that has been the difference in several races this year. Busch, along with Jimmie Johnson, went with four, and Busch restarted in eighth, but could manage no improvement to finish eighth.

"It was a good finish," Busch said. "Relatively speaking, it was a great finish, because my brother Kurt finished 35th."

"Leave it to a bad pit decision to stop a Toyota, because the brakes surely can't do it. But you see how quickly a massive two-second lead can vanish because of a caution. I think the G.I. Joe Gibbs action figure put it best when he said, 'One for all, and all for naught.'

10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt finished 12th in the Subway Fresh Fit 600, as all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers scored top-12 results. Earnhardt holds steady at 10th in the Sprint Cup point standings, 207 out of first.

"It's not the result we were looking for," said Earnhardt, "but we'll keep plugging away, and hopefully, our efforts, as well as our fans, will be rewarded. You know me, it's all about the fans. And, if I can't give them wins, I can at least give them hope. Or a t-shirt, a hat, a die-cast collectible, or some flatware. Correction. I can't give them those. They'll have to pay for those items. Plus shipping and handling."

"You've probably heard that Kasey Kahne is coming to Hendrick in 2012, which I believe the Mayan prophesied centuries ago. The situation is sure to leave Budweiser with an interesting dilemma. In a twist of their well-known catchphrase, I think you'll be hearing them ask 'This Bud's For Who?'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

April 14, 2010

The Cult of the Quarterback

When the Rams, presumably, select Sam Bradford first overall next week, it will be a gamble. The Rams cannot be sure Bradford's injured shoulder, which kept him out of most of Oklahoma's 2009 season, will never grace the injury report. They cannot be sure his gaudy stats are more than a product of a high-flying Sooner spread that might have made everyone in crimson and cream look good, a little too good.

But for a franchise nearly a decade removed from the magical reign of Kurt Warner, Bradford is a chance to push every last chip to the center of the table and hope for another franchise quarterback savior.

What makes St. Louis' gamble even riskier is what they will be passing up. No, sure things don't wear shoulder pads. But load up the video of Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh dominating Texas' pedigreed offensive line in the Big 12 title game, and you would swear he is as a safe bet as the draft could offer.

And then, of course, there is the money. Fellow signal-caller Matthew Stafford, the 2009 draft's top pick, earned $41.7 million in guaranteed money. JaMarcus Russell, the quarterback taken atop the 2007 draft, signed for $32 million guaranteed. Assuming a linear progression, Bradford would get somewhere near $47 million guaranteed.

By contrast, 2008 top pick and non-quarterback Jake Long earned $30 million guaranteed and 2006 overall No. 1 Mario Williams signed for $26.5 million guaranteed. If Suh could be signed along the same lines, he would garner something in the mid-$30 millions in guaranteed money. I tend to think this difference between guaranteed money for quarterbacks and non-quarterbacks is a little exaggerated, but even conservatively, Bradford will certainly cost the Rams at least $5 million more than Suh would the second he signs. And none of this addresses the larger difference in annual salary.

So why pass on the surer, cheaper player to roll the dice on Bradford? Because no position offers a flailing franchise instant credibility in the NFL like the quarterback.

Football is an intricate and complex game. Its grand masters spend 100 waking hours per week, at least, trying to out-scheme one another— and that doesn't include the hours they dream of Xs and Os. But for those of us who don't share their monk-like vigils to the technical side of the zone blitz, we watch the ball. And nobody dictates where that ball goes more than the quarterback.

The quarterback takes nearly every offensive snap. Even on running plays, he hands off, a subtle reminder that even though this play is not about him, it couldn't happen without him. And when time is short and victory is pinned to the next big play, coaches quit humoring the running game. When games are on the line, the running game heads to the kiddie table, and quarterbacks dominate the conversation. At least that's how the masses see it.

Really, it is an embarrassingly simple way to watch football, akin to blaming the waiter for a bland entrée. After all, the football fan food critic would point out, the waiter is the one with the plate in his hands last. Never mind that the farmer skimped on fertilizing before planting that batch of corn or the receiver ran the wrong route. No, it's the man with the pigskin or pork belly in his hand who is subjected to our instant judgment.

And that's exactly why the Rams will — no no, have to — take Bradford. The franchise is for sale. They have won six games in the last three years, total. They averaged fewer than 11 points a game last year. For a diagnosis that dire, the patient's loved ones and the team's fans demand aggressive treatment. Sure, those symptoms could be caused by a disease other than bad quarterback play. The Rams' goats on defense came within the hairs on their chinny-chin-chins of yielding 28 points per game over the past three years. But that's not what the fans see, that's not what they understand. Spare them field position and time of possession. After all, how many touchdowns will Suh score?

Once the Rams have taken their under-center white knight, Detroit will gladly snap up Suh, the most dominant player in the draft, the kind of stalwart around which great defenses are built. Are Lions fans just more capable of seeing the complexities of the game? Is their organization more sophisticated? Is the front office unwilling to kowtow to the screaming hordes of ball-watching media and fans?

Uh, no. They're just lucky enough to have already burned $41.7 million on a shiny new quarterback last year. For now, the new quarterback smell of Matthew Stafford will keep the ball-watchers occupied.

Posted by Corrie Trouw at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

Fake or Not, Mickelson's Third Masters Was Great

You can call Phil Mickelson a lot of things — Lefty, People's Champion, FIGJAM, phony, corny, know it all. Love him or hate him, he can now be called three time Masters champion. He joins the pantheon of Masters lore. Eight men have combined to win more than a third of the Masters ever played. With his win on Sunday, Mickelson joins the esteemed company of players to have won three or more green jackets.

As he relates to the Tiger Era, Mickelson now trails Woods by one Masters title. While Woods has been on his drive for five since 2006, Mickelson has won two green jackets. Yes, Mickelson trails Woods by a whole 10 major championships in total. Still, it seems like Mickelson could not be riding higher at this point in his professional career.

Somewhere in the fall of 2009, Phil Mickelson found something in his game with both Dave Stockton and teacher Butch Harmon. It allowed MIckelson to win the Tour Championship and HSBC Champions in the fall, both with Woods in the field — and both before Tiger Woods' world came apart.

Looking back, perhaps the victories seem to mean a little less now knowing that Woods was juggling a triple life — pro golfer, sleezebag, and husband. After November 27 and the ensuing weeks, it became clear that golf would continue on without Tiger Woods for a prolonged period. Mickelson was the de facto number one, while Woods would remain so in name and truth. Mickelson was leading multiple lives, though, as well.

The fact of the matter is that for nearly a year now, Mickelson and his wife Amy have faced her battle with breast cancer together. She has been engaged in a protracted battle against the disease. There have been complications. Mickelson — typically a pretty open book with the media — has been reluctant to share details, merely saying that he would be skipping the Accenture Match Play in February while his wife was undergoing additional cancer treatment.

What was Tiger Woods doing that week? Commandeering global attention to deliver a thirteen minute apology speech across the country as a cannonball aimed at the sponsor that dropped him for his behavior.

Like it or not, Phil Mickelson was the antithesis of Tiger Woods in this Masters. He brought his family to the tournament — for the first time since last year's Players Championship. Callaway Golf did not air an exploitative ad about his wife and mother's illnesses. Mickelson was understated in his approach, but was clearly confident that he could find a way to win his third Masters.

In fact, in some ways, Woods was forced to channel his inner Lefty. He was over-the-top nice to media in his Monday press conference. Woods signed an inordinate number of autographs. There was smiling and goofing around, instead of his usual laser-like focus in practice rounds. And what did Woods get from media (golf and otherwise), the patrons, and PR observers? Praise, surprise, and compliments. Woods earned credit for being like Phil Mickelson.

On a weekly basis, Mickelson critics cannot bear to give him credit for doing the very same things that many of them likely cheered Woods for doing — and at that, just once and in a very transparent fashion. Why didn't Woods do this sooner, they asked. When it comes to Phil, they ask when he will stop.

In winning his third Masters, Mickelson fired the fourth lowest score in the history of the championship. From the early reaction to his victory, it almost seems to be an afterthought at how well Mickelson played in light of everything he has gone through. Had Woods fired -16, won by three, and putted out of his mind, there would have been talk that this was the greatest comeback in sporting history. Mickelson will never get that kind of hyperbole even though he has clearly dealt with so much more than Woods.

The embrace that Mickelson shared with his wife in back of 18 green after securing the title was genuine. It was real. It was moving. That tear was not a lie.

Mickelson is a schmooze. He is a kiss-ass. The guy is eager to show how smart he is. Lefty is the smart kid that you loved to hate in elementary school. I was Phil Mickelson when I was little. I heard the whispers about the bad things about me. People talked smack about me behind my back. And I know I heard it. Mickelson does, too. Should that make him more of a sympathetic character? No. But perhaps it can create some sense of empathy.

For people who ardently dislike Mickelson, want to know if he has an illegitimate child in Ohio, or think his wife had an affair with Michael Jordan, they won't empathize. They'll reference back to those rumors, the wedge thing, Tiger's "inferior equipment," and being an idiot at Winged Foot. This time was different, though. It really was.

It started on 18 with a three wood off of the tee. Mickelson remembered what an errant drive and too much gusto can do to bomb a championship. He made the final putt to win, leaving nothing in doubt. The victory celebration was muted, with a hug to his caddy, and then onto his family. The speech outside when he received his green jacket gave credit every which way to the people that have supported him, and it sounded real.

That's not to say that Mickelson will channel the better parts of Tiger Woods' approach, go on a tear, and become a cultural icon. Mickelson will still say "gosh" instead of "God damn," and almost never make YouTube for an outburst. He will take a stand on silly equipment issues. We will all roll our eyes, shake our heads, and be dumbfounded by some of the stuff that he does. But, like him or not, the method has worked and this evening, Phil Mickelson may well have cemented his place as the Arnold Palmer of this generation.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 10:28 AM | Comments (0)

April 13, 2010

Golf: Soap Opera or Sport?

Phil Mickelson won the Masters this weekend, which raises the obvious question: is golf really a sport? Chances are, you have a fairly strong opinion on this matter. If you are a serious golfer or a fan of the game, you almost certainly believe — with great conviction — that golf is a sport. If you're a critical thinker, or a wiseass, there's a good chance you believe otherwise.

There is not a universal definition of sports, but I think a simple one that would be widely accepted is "athletic competition". Personally, I'd want to refine that, but it does immediately rule out poker, so that's a good start. Other activities, however, are on the border of "athletic" (how athletic is billiards, really?) or "competition" (for the last time, Dancing With the Stars is not a sport). Golf is obviously a competition, but how athletic is it?

In a way, golf is somewhat like baseball. In both sports, you swing a stick at a ball. In golf, you then walk to wherever you hit the ball. In baseball, you then run somewhere while someone else tries to catch the ball, then throws it at fast as he can to someone else, who is required to catch it. Also, the ball is moving 90 mph when you try to hit it. I'd say we're pretty fuzzy here, golf. That doesn't sound very athletic, but it at least resembles a sport.

The problem, for casual fans, is that we don't see much action. Casual fans aren't going to linger on PGA (or, heaven forbid, LPGA) coverage, so we just see what makes it onto SportsCenter or the front page of the newspaper. And what does make it onto the front page of the newspaper? It isn't Lefty's sweet swing, that's for sure. Let's briefly review the biggest golf stories of the last decade or so:

There was the controversy over Augusta National's refusal to admit women as members. Annika Sorenstam playing the Colonial. Mickelson's first victory in a major. Tiger Woods' marriage to Elin Nordegren. And the current Tiger scandal, which has probably received more coverage than all the others combined. Where's the coverage of actual athletic accomplishments? It takes a back seat to the circus. To the casual observer, this looks more like a soap opera than a sport.

Obviously, every sport has its share of scandals, and they're often big stories. But for every steroid bust or criminal accusation, there are a dozen headlines about the sport itself. We could do this for any sport, but for now let's look just at baseball, which has been rocked by a number of scandals in recent years. Wading through the botched 2002 All-Star Game and PED controversy and everything else, there's been great coverage: the Diamondbacks' dramatic World Series win in 2001, the retirement of Cal Ripken, Ichiro Suzuki's single-season record for hits, the first World Series wins in nearly a century for both the Red Sox and White Sox, the enormous accomplishments of Albert Pujols, even Barry Bonds hitting 73, before the record was tainted by the cream and the clear.

Is this a reflection on golf itself, or merely on the media that cover the game? Maybe golf has wonderfully compelling storylines that the media ignore in favor of the sensational. Unfortunately, the game's signature moment in recent years hasn't come on the course. No golfer, including Woods himself, has ever gotten more airtime on ESPN than during the current scandal. Even before this mess, viewers saw more face time for Woods in commercials than in competitions. The media treats golf as being about the personalities, not the putting.

So, is golf really a sport? Well, maybe so, but it's hard to tell through all the drama. And I don't have the patience to really immerse myself in the game and find out; I don't like soap operas. This runs counter to conventional wisdom, maybe even common sense, but I think the best thing for golf at this point would be for Tiger to go away. No sport can be healthy when it's so dependent on a single superstar, especially when he makes so much news in other arenas. Golf fans should be talking about golf, not text messages or tasteless ads or anything else. The focus is not on the game, and that makes it hard to take any sport seriously. Of course, the walking thing doesn't help. Maybe they could start running to the next hole?

Posted by Brad Oremland at 3:33 PM | Comments (1)

April 12, 2010

The 2010 NFL Mock Draft Challenge

At this time last year, I challenged fellow columnist Seth Doria to a "mock-off." The rules were straight-forward: the two of us would submit into record our respective mock drafts and would measure the results against one another in hopes of entertaining you and determining which of us was the rightful Sports Central Mock Draft Champion. 2009's challenge was accepted, terms were reached (and later changed — thanks, Seth!), and the rest is a matter of historic record.

The results? I lost, relatively convincingly actually, and for that victory, Seth deserves his well-earned notoriety as the Sports Central Mock Draft Champion for 2009 (check's in the mail). Truth be told, and not unsurprisingly, we both sort of sucked, but my "suckitude" far eclipsed that of Mr. Doria. Seth nailed nine first round picks (worth 3 points each), which is a reasonably respectable number, but only hit on one other team-player combination (1 point value), giving him a final score of 28.

I managed a feeble four player/team/pick bulls-eyes and added two team/player combos and a single player/position identification (0.5 point value) for my total score of 14.5. The one solace is that the reality is that in the unpredictable game of mock drafting, even the most well-respected draft gurus (ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. and NFL's Mike Mayock would be two of those) miss more often than they hit, so we mock drafters soldier on.

In the spirit of that soldiering on, the time has come for the 2010 Sports Central NFL Draft Mock-Off and as the resident loser, I'll go first. Once again, the scoring is simple: 3 points if you nail the pick, 1 point for a correct player/team selection that happens in a spot other than what was forecast in the mock, and 0.5 points if you hit the player in the right position, but he goes to a team other than the one indicated in our picks.

As an added bonus to our readers, I've added round two, but must throw out there that my round two picks cannot and will not be counted in the competition, unless it suits me, in which case I'll see what I can do to change the rules after the fact. May the best mocker win...

Round One

1. St. Louis Rams — Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford

His recent workouts solidified the highly accurate OU signal-caller as the Rams' first choice. He appears fully recovered from his arm troubles of '09 and should make a solid, though unspectacular pro.

2. Detroit Lions — Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh

How do you spell relief in Detroit? N-D-A-M-U ... well, you get the point. Suh should add instant stability to a defense desperate for a reliable building block. Behind the Rams' brass and Bradford's agent, Jim Schwartz was the happiest man in the house as he watched Bradford flawless move through his pro day routine.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy

The Bucs need a run-stuffer and a presence in the middle of that d-line, and McCoy fits that bill perfectly.

4. Washington Redskins — Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung

With the recent move to acquire Donovan McNabb, the 'Skins won't be in the QB market any longer. As such, I wouldn't be entirely taken aback to see a team with a particular interest in Tennessee's super-safety Eric Berry looking to move into this slot ahead of the Chiefs, particularly since you have to think Washington will be looking to recoup a second round pick (their original round two was traded for McNabb). Alas, I don't see anybody making that move, so Okung will be brought on to protect McNabb's blind side.

5. Kansas City Chiefs — Tennessee S Eric Berry

OT Bryan Bulaga is a name that many experts are calling here, but with a secondary so poor in '09 you have to think that a player of Berry's impact at a position of need can't be ignored.

6. Buffalo Bills (from Seattle) — Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen

Buffalo secretly pines for Mr. Clausen (well it isn't that big of a secret) as they feel he is a proven commodity who will be able to perform in the poor weather of upstate NY, but you have to think they have their doubts that another team — say a team like San Francisco — won't try to move up to get the best pure passer in the draft. This leads me to the conclusion that they will pull the trigger on a deal with Seattle, who has their eyes on some personnel they can grab later in round one.

7. Cleveland Browns — Florida CB Joe Haden

Yes, he has run consistently slower 40s than most thought he would. Yes, he hasn't gained any momentum in his draft status since his relatively pedestrian showing at the combine. But film doesn't lie and Haden is a stud on any tape study you review. Cleveland needs a shut-down corner type, and Haden is their guy.

8. Oakland Raiders — USF DE/OLB Jason Pierre-Paul

Okay, last year I gave Al Davis the benefit of the doubt against my better judgment and had them picking the best available at a position of need. In short, they went a different direction, as Davis always does. The lesson? Al Davis will pick a player with whom he is infatuated regardless of what general consensus is. This year's fetish is the freakishly athletic edge rusher from South Florida.

9. Seattle Seahawks (from Buffalo) — Iowa OT Bryan Bulaga

Bulaga is technically sound and a behemoth up front. Though he has some lingering health concerns unrelated to injury, Bulaga is a guy that can be plugged in and be productive from day one. With the loss of Walter Jones, that is the sort of player Pete Carroll will need as he hopes to build a winner in the Great Northwest.

10. New England Patriots (from Jacksonville) — Texas S Earl Thomas

Two factors to consider: the Jags are facing immense pressure to select Tebow, a hometown hero, with their first pick and the Pats are desperately searching for a way to settle their sporadically productive secondary issues, but know that they won't have any options there later in round one. Add to that the facts that Jacksonville has no round two pick and New England has three such selections, and these two make sensible trade partners.

11. Denver Broncos — Alabama ILB Rolando McClain

McClain is, in my estimation, the most impactful name on this list. Denver needs some production up the middle defensively and the powerful and speedy hitter from the national champion Tide team fits that bill to a tee.

12. Miami Dolphins — Idaho OG Mike Iupati

As a loyal Dol-fan, I'd like to see someone like Dez Bryant, C.J. Spiller, or even Taylor Mays go here. But Bill Parcells and his disciples are firm believers that you win games in the trenches with size and power, and the 6'6", 330-pound guard is athletic, powerful, and sound technically and will make a good replacement for Justin Smiley, whom the 'Fins have been disappointed with.

13. San Francisco 49ers — Clemson RB C.J. Spiller

I think this I a bit high for Spiller, but the team is making no secret of their lust for a play-maker in the backfield to pair with Gore. Spiller offers all of that and then some, excelling in the passing game, return game, and as an option as a change-of-pace runner.

14. Seattle Seahawks — USC S Taylor Mays

With their second first round pick, the 'Hawks will be able to bring in a Pete Carroll guy, and he raves about Mays at every possible opportunity. I would be very surprised to see Taylor not playing in Seattle next season.

15. New York Giants — Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan

Morgan has top-10 potential, particularly lately, but will likely fall as most teams needing a rush end before this slot play 3-4 style, which Morgan isn't really well suited for. The Giants will be delighted to have him available and should snatch him up as a long-term partner to Justin Tuck.

16. Tennessee Titans — Tennessee DT Dan Williams

WR Dez Bryant is an option here, too, but if Williams falls, the Titans should jump all over him. One thing that was evident in Tennessee last season was how much they missed Albert Haynesworth and Williams does fit that mold.

17. San Francisco 49ers — Rutgers OT Anthony Davis

In addition to some playmakers, the Niners are looking to improve at the point of attack. Davis makes sense and could move in at RT immediately.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers — Oklahoma OT Trent Williams

Trent Williams is a pure RT, lacking some of the footwork that left tackle prospects need to compete on a QB's blind side. The Steelers have given up a bushel of sacks over the past two seasons and surely have identified their own offensive line as a weakness. Williams fills a real position of need.

19. Atlanta Falcons — USC DE Everson Griffen

Griffen looked great in his Pro Day and solidified himself as a viable round one option. Once Derrick Morgan starts slipping, the Falcons may try to move up to grab him, but otherwise the USC end makes good sense here for a defensive line that needs some bolstering.

20. Houston Texans — Penn State DT Jared Odrick

I live in Houston and I can tell you first hand that the entire fan base of the city is begging for Dez Bryant or C.J. Spiller here. Bryant would in fact be a very good fit, but it wasn't offense that kept the Texans from making the playoffs in 2009, it was their ability to stop a team when the most needed to. With their defensive end positions solidified and a superior set of linebackers, Odrick would be a perfect fit as a guy that brings pressure up the middle, funneling action towards those ends and rushing QBs into dumping the ball into the short zone patrolled by Pro Bowl linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing. H-town won't like it, but this is a pick that will go a long way towards bringing a disappointing franchise to the next level.

21. Cincinnati Bengals — Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant

The Bengals need to start adding offensive weapons to the mix, and Bryant is a very strong option.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (from NE) — Florida QB Tim Tebow

Still early for Tebow, but Jacksonville needs some good press and Tebow gets them that. It is a sensible match since the Jags aren't going to be looking to make him the savior for 2010 and it buys them some positive mojo from a fan-based tired of disappointing results as he develops into a viable pro quarterback, which make no mistake, Tim Tebow will be.

23. Green Bay Packers — Michigan DE Brandon Graham

Graham is a second round guy on paper, but does nothing but make an impact on tape and in person. He dominated the Senior Bowl, had a great showing at the combine, and has looked strong in individual workouts. The Pack can plug Graham in on passing downs right away and further their ability to get after the QBs in their pass-happy division.

24. Philadelphia Eagles — Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon

Philly plugged in as many options at LB as they could imagine last year and never did find the right guy. Weatherspoon provides energy, leadership, and playmaking ability and fits well in an aggressive scheme, which Philadelphia certainly employs.

25. Baltimore Ravens — Boise State CB Kyle Wilson

Wilson is a hard-hitting, play-making, impact-creating defensive back that plays with an undeniable toughness and swagger. Is there a better fit for a Raven team looking for secondary help? I don't think so.

26. Arizona Cardinals — Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham

Arizona has an emerging ground game, great receivers (though one less with the departure of Anquan Boldin), and a serviceable offensive line. Their defense is good enough to maintain without needing a big-time add. Their one most obvious variable from '09 is their new QB, Matt Leinart, who will be stepping in for the retired Kurt Warner. A huge, fast, good-handed tight end is a young QB's best friend, so Gresham makes sense.

27. Dallas Cowboys — Maryland OT Bruce Campbell

The Cowboys are loving two defensive backs, USF's Nate Allen and Rutgers' Devin McCourty. However, they are needing some depth along the offensive line, and Bruce Campbell — who made a name for himself with a spectacular and somewhat legendary combine performance — offers some versatility that they could leverage into a lot of playing time for the youngster. If Campbell remains on the board this late in round one, Dallas will be hard-pressed to pass him up, even if it means losing out on a player they've otherwise coveted throughout their draft prep process.

28. San Diego Chargers — Florida State CB Patrick Robinson

The epitome of a boom-or-bust player, Robinson at times looks like an All-Pro-caliber play maker and other times is Swiss cheese. But Robinson does have good attitude and that combined with his raw tools makes for an intriguing option for a team needing some help at cornerback.

29. New York Jets — Penn State OLB Navarro Bowman

Bowman is as good as it gets at OLB in this draft, and the Jets having access to him here is a boon for their top-ranked defense. He makes plays, covers well, and can edge rush as a stand up 'backer in a 3-4. His versatility makes him an easy fit and his experience in complex defensive schemes (ran at Penn State) show he has the aptitude to pick up on New York's varied looks.

30. Minnesota Vikings — Florida C Maurkice Pouncey

The Vikings need to improve their interior defensive line, and Pouncey can play C or G for a pro team immediately. Whomever is quarterbacking in Minny, Pouncey will be a welcomed addition and a contributing factor in 2010.

31. Indianapolis Colts — UCLA DT Brian Price

The Colts need to start rebuilding their aging defensive line and Price offers a sorely-needed boost to their run defense.

32. New Orleans Saints — Texas DE/OLB Sergio Kindle

Though a player like Bowman is a better fit, the Saints will be looking to shore up their LB corps on draft day and Kindle is an interesting guy to consider. He may be better suited in a 3-4 defense, but Kindle is a guy that did drop into coverage some at UT and could be dropped in as a defensive end in the nickel scheme for New Orleans, as well.

Round Two

33. Rams – Florida DE Carlos Dunlap
34. Lions – Rutgers CB Devin McCourty
35. Buccaneers – Illinois WR Arrelious Benn
36. Chiefs – Alabama DT Terrence Cody
37. Eagles (from Wash) – Iowa ILB Pat Angerer
38. Browns – Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews
39. Raiders – Texas QB Colt McCoy
40. Chargers – Georgia Tech RB Jonathan Dwyer
41. Seahawks (from Bills) – Mississippi DE Greg Hardy
42. Buccaneers – Mississippi RB Dexter McCluster
43. Cowboys (from Miami) – USF S Nate Allen
44. Jaguars (from NE) – Clemson DE Ricky Sapp
45. Broncos – Oklahoma CB Dominique Franks
46. Giants – Penn State ILB Sean Lee
47. Patriots – TCU DE Jerry Hughes
48. Panthers – Duke DT Vince Oghobaase
49. 49ers – TCU OLB Daryl Washington
50. Chiefs – Texas OT Adam Ulatoski
51. Texans – Stanford RB Toby Gerhart
52. Steelers – Oklahoma State DB Perrish Cox
53. Patriots – Tennessee RB Montario Hardesty
54. Bengals – Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski
55. Eagles – California RB Jahvid Best
56. Packers – Massachusetts OT Vladimir Ducasse
57. Ravens – Hillsdale OT Jared Veldheer
58. Cardinals – Georgia Tech WR Demaryius Thomas
59. Dolphins (from Dallas) – Northwestern DE Corey Wootton
60. Seahawks – USC WR Damian Williams
61. Jets – Virginia Tech OLB Jason Worilds
62. Vikings – USF DE George Selvie
63. Colts – Wake Forest CB Brandon Ghee
64. Saints – Florida ILB Brandon Spikes

Posted by Matt Thomas at 4:40 PM | Comments (14)

Is it the End of an Era?

I've just come up for air from a thrilling March of college basketball. Over the last few weeks, upsets, tight finishes, and outstanding performances have kept my brain pinging at a turbo-charged rate. And the Monday night finale was fantastic. My rooting interests were with Butler, but Duke was definitely a worthy champion.

As I said in my last effort for this site (while my ineptitude said they would go out to Syracuse), these Bulldogs played together as a team. Defense, motion offense, rebounding ... they all applied under a five-man principle for this "hometown" squad. Now, as I come out of my collegiate haze, my eyes focus in on the end of the professional schedule.

With a few days left in the marathon, one playoff spot is left in the East, and the squads out West are basically jockeying for seeding. In all the positioning, there's one organization that seems to be lost in the shuffle. Thing is, they're probably used to that feeling.

To put them in NCAA terms, they have the defensive mindset of Butler and West Virginia. Their main trio is as substantial of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith. Their coach is as accomplished as Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo. And their personality is as unassuming as each of this year's Final Four.

Since the end of the Chicago Bulls' dominance in the 1990s, no franchise has more titles than the San Antonio Spurs (only the Lakers have the same count with four). They've proven that they should be regarded as one, it not the, team of the 2000s. The core of this team has mostly stayed intact through that time.

However, in 2010, the wear and tear on that core is starting to show. This is Tim Duncan's 13th year, the ninth for Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili's eighth. Bruce Bowen has gone from covering Kobe and LeBron to covering games on ESPN. Basically put ... time catches up to all of us.

Although the Spurs will be playing past next week, the threat for title contention seems to have faded. Could the Riverwalk see another Larry O'Brien Trophy in the near future? Sure. But let's play out the option of this era coming to a close. In that case, I'll have to rethink some things.

Have the Spurs Been Good For the NBA?

Over most of this run, I've been pretty staunch in avoiding or downplaying this franchise. I felt that they were the epitome of the lower-scoring, bogged-down defensive Association that developed in the mid-'90s. I remember saying multiple times during the 2005 and 2007 editions of the Finals that the competition was pretty unwatchable.

But looking back earlier in the week, I think of that Butler team. This squad didn't have a Da'Sean Butler, a John Wall, a Wesley Johnson, or a Cole Aldrich. However, I was fascinated by the fact that they held their first five tournament opponents under 60 points a game (and Duke only got to 61). If a team that focuses so much on fundamental play and defense can be good for college ball, then the same style has to be good for the Association.

Has This Run Been Undervalued?

Yes, and I've been at the forefront of that movement. I know that the experts have rolled out these facts before, but when comparing San Antonio's current core trio, there are few equals. Over the past 40 years, only two sets of players have won more titles ... the '80s Showtime Lakers and the '90s Bulls tandem of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Sure, there are individual players that have had more success. However, as a combination, these players are in the most elite of classes.

Why Has This Squad Been So Underappreciated?

As I said before, they've been extremely fundamental, a.k.a. boring. Thing is, I like fundamentals. Utilizing the pass, switching picks, throwing back-cuts at an opponent's defense, and rebounding as a team make the game better, in my opinion. That's what the Spurs have done for the last 10-plus years under Gregg Popovich.

Furthermore, I've got to go back to Dick Vitale. That's right, the "Awesome, super-sensational, Diaper-Dandy" orator of the college roundball world. After Duke made the Final Four two weeks ago, he avowed his admiration for the program, talking about how their kids "go to class, don't get in trouble, and play with integrity" (so to paraphrase).

Wait a minute. He just described the scholarly equivalent of the Spurs organization. When's the last time you heard that any of the players were in trouble with the law, a jilted lover, the IRS, etc? Nothing? Me neither. Okay, what about on the court? What about Bruce Bowen and his "dirty" play? To be honest, that continuous designation of him would be tame compared to the teams of the '80s (Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Pistons) that people would probably say made the game more colorful.

On a Scale of 1 to 10, How Underrated Has Tim Duncan Been?

Personally, I would say an 8. Referring back to the last question, most of the Spurs haven't been given their due, but Duncan has been the overall leader of that bunch. In my mind, he single-handedly kept the bank shot alive in the professional game. His all-around presence puts him among the greatest power forwards in NBA history. But he's done it so quietly that the tidal wave of accomplishments seems more suffocating than crushing.

I remember all of the hype around him when he came out of college and was drafted with the first overall pick in 1997. And now, 13 years later, I wonder how the world would have showered him with glowing praise if he put up this type of career in Boston.

So, Overall, Are the San Antonio Spurs the Team of the 2000s?

This is interesting. If you proposed this question on the NCAA stage, you'd figure that Duke or Michigan State would be up for debate. Both have been fairly dominant in power conferences, while playing in multiple Final Four appearances under one coach.

Lakers lovers everywhere don't want to hear this, but I'm answering this question with a yes. Does L.A. have more titles? Uh huh. Do they have more conference crowns? Sure. But once Shaquille O'Neal left Tinseltown, the makeup of the Lakers core shifted, so, in my mind, the fourth title is very different from their earlier three-peat.

In contrast, San Antonio's core has pretty much remained intact since their 2003 championship victory against New Jersey. Parker, Bat-Manu (c'mon, you had to figure one of those was coming), Duncan, and Bowen were the glue that kept this squad a contender throughout the middle of the decade. If the question concerned the "organization" of the 2000s, I would have said L.A. (just like Michigan State or North Carolina would be in college). But focusing on the word "team," I'm going to put my stamp in the Heart of Texas (as I would for the Florida Gators that won back-to-back crowns in '06 and '07).

San Antonio is no longer the staunch title contender it has been over recent years. The Lakers have reloaded, Dallas and Denver have become legitimate threats, and Portland and Oklahoma City are becoming wiser than their youth. So if this is the Spurs' last stand, they've earned their due. But I've underestimated them before. It wouldn't surprise me if I underestimate them now.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 11:36 AM | Comments (1)

April 10, 2010

Could This Be the Year For Boise State?

In 2009, the Boise State Broncos won their first game, 19-8 over the Oregon Ducks. The Broncos began the season ranked No. 14 and defeated ranked opponents in their first and last games of the season. Oregon at No. 16 and Texas Christian University at No. 4.

Despite going undefeated in the regular season for the fourth time in the decade, the Broncos weren’t even considered to be in the National Championship Game. Granted, there were five undefeated teams to choose from, but for the second time in the decade, Boise State emerged undefeated, unblemished, and had no claim to the national title.

In a new decade, they look to make their case to be in the National Championship Game stronger. Week one of the college football season has Boise State hosting Virginia Tech, an ACC team that ended the season ranked No. 10 by the AP and USA Today.

The Broncos' third game pits them against the Beavers of Oregon State, a team who spent significant time ranked in the top 25 and fell from those rankings after an embarrassing loss to BYU in the MAACO Bowl. This game is also at home for Boise State.

If Boise State emerges from the Oregon State game 3-0, the Broncos will have their most compelling case yet to reach the game they haven’t even been considered for, the National Championship.

They will need some help to get there, though. Some scenarios that will help:

1. The Broncos will need to win the rest of their games. The WAC is not a slouch conference. Losing to Nevada and Idaho on the road are real possibilities. The Broncos have to pull through unblemished, obviously.

2. The Beavers and Hokies must have good seasons. If Oregon State and Virginia Tech. wind up being mediocre and unranked, those wins will mean less in the long run.

3. There cannot be a plethora of unbeaten teams standing in the way. The power conferences and the Mountain West must beat each other up. BYU, TCU, and Utah will need to lose along the way.

4. Without a conference championship game, the Big Ten, Pac-10 will both need to boast champions with two losses. The Big East, as less of a powerhouse, can have a champion with one loss. This is probably the year to have such a thing occur. USC has a new coach. Can he fill the big shoes that have been left behind?

5. Either the Big 12 or the SEC Championship Games will need an upset. There will likely be an undefeated or one-loss team from both of these conferences that makes its way to their respective championship games. Only one of them can emerge victorious to dance with the Broncos of Boise State. Last year’s Nebraska over Texas dream will have to come true.

If all of these things can happen, we very well could end up watching a Boise State vs. Alabama National Championship Game come January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

We will certainly know soon if we have reason to hope for such a game. The Broncos' first test comes September 6 against the Hokies of Virginia Tech.

Posted by Andrew Jones at 11:45 AM | Comments (6)

April 8, 2010

Two Thumbs Down For Tiger and Nike

Have you seen the new Nike Tiger Woods commercial?

Take a look, then get back to me. Prepare to endure a boring commercial for Showtime. I'll wait.

Now. I know Nike can be pretty avant-garde, but this ... well, it's a bad commercial, it's an obfuscatory commercial, and it's an icky commercial.

Never has the product been so far, far removed from the pitch as in this commercial. I don't think you need LeBron James to say, "These shoes put an extra spring in my step!" to get Nike's point across, but still ... this commercial has nothing to do with:

1) Golf
2) Nike golf products
3) Tiger's golf game
4) Nike products of any kind
5) Sports of any kind
6) Motion

Second, Earl Woods is long dead, so whatever he was talking about in this sound clip (and I watched it three times, couldn't make out what he was saying that sounded like "acquittative," gave up, Googled it, and discovered he was saying "inquisitive" or at least that's the web consensus"), it wasn't about Tiger's affair.

My mother died not long before Earl Woods did. I just cannot imagine allowing her voice to be used to assemble a gentle reproach to some misdeed I committed long after her death, and then cash the paycheck I earned doing so. This makes me think less of Tiger Woods far more than the infidelity did.

Who was Nike trying to appeal to here? I understand that many people are indeed sticking with Tiger Woods, but are they so vehement about it that they'll watch this commercial and buy Nike products in a show of solidarity?

Of course not. And since there is no groundswell of support for Tiger Woods, this only stands to cost Nike money, from frothing moralizing housewives who will see this commercial and start buying young Jayden and Blake Adidas gear instead.

So I'm stumped. I can only muster two realistic possibilities.

1) Nike subscribes to the "any publicity is good publicity" philosophy. As I tried to outline above, I think this commercial can only hurt Nike sales. But that doesn't mean I think every sponsor ought to drop Tiger. I just think you put him in the same type of commercials you did pre-scandal. Don't try to milk it or exploit it. This commercial is nothing but exploitative. And that brings me to my second theory,

2) This isn't so much about selling Nike products as it is about establishing (or reestablishing) Nike as a boldly relevant, unshy, unflinching force in the corporate world. They see value in simply sending the message, "Yeah, we're GOING THERE." As if the sweatshops and the Oregon football uniforms weren't enough reason to hate Nike already.

It's just creepy all around and disheartening that Tiger is going right alone with it. Tiger and Nike deserve each other, a holy matrimony of arrogance. I wasn't particularly down on Tiger after the affair, but I am now. P.S. $10 bucks says he's caught cheating again within five years.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 4:44 PM | Comments (3)

April 7, 2010

NCAA Tournament Winners and Losers

The NCAA tournament ended Monday night. And wow, what a grand finale!

From the first day until the last heave by Gordon Heyward that just missed, March Madness outdid itself this year. There's been some great triumphs that have come out of this tournament, as well as some surprising losses and disappointments. And with the tournament all wrapped up, here's a quick list of the winners and losers from this year's epic March Madness.

WINNER: Duke

Here we go again. Duke sits on top of the college basketball world. Coach K has shown America that he's the real deal, and the Blue Devils keep the NCAA title within the Research Triangle of North Carolina. Certainly, Kansas and Kentucky were the favorites, and talk of Big East powers Syracuse and West Virginia were overshadowing Duke's play in the regular season. But, as usual, Duke's solid, consistent play wore down its opponents and carried a team that, although was loaded, wasn't the most talented Duke team of all-time, to greatness.

LOSER: College basketball fans outside of Duke

Ever get tired of hearing about Duke from the media? You're a loser this year. Duke is replacing Tim Tebow as the new symbol of love from ESPN and the majority of the national sports media. Granted, as national champions, the Blue Devils deserve the press and the glory, but if you think Duke hatred had reached its limit, think again.

WINNER: The ACC

Despite the hype from the Big East, the ACC has won another title, making it five of the last 10 for the basketball-crazy conference. As the SEC has locked up football, the ACC is doing the same with college basketball.

WINNER: Cornell

Talented, gritty, gutsy. Doesn't sound like the description of an Ivy League school, does it? Cornell was impressive in its run to the Sweet 16. The Big Red played stingy defense, while being absolutely lethal behind the arc for most of the tournament. Steve Donahue's plan at Cornell was long-term, but it paid off well for the Big Red. No doubt, Cornell bowed out to a much superior Kentucky squad, having earned the respect of college basketball fans everywhere.

LOSER: Cornell

Cornell became a loser this week, as Steve Donahue left the school to take over at Boston College.

WINNER: Mid-major conferences

Naturally, Butler's run did wonders for the school and the Horizon League, but the Missouri Valley carried their banner high with Northern Iowa, who pulled off the upset of the tournament by taking down Kansas. Cornell's run definitely boosted the Ivy League, and there were some solid wins from mid-major schools this tournament, including Old Dominion and Murray State. The mid-majors made some quality noise this year.

WINNER: Brad Stevens, Butler head coach

This is a total given. Stevens was brilliant during Butler's title run. Cool, calm, and collective, the team took their lead from their young, energetic coach. Stevens had a plan, stuck to the plan, and it worked wonders for the Bulldogs. Even in a losing cause, you have to give Stevens credit for his game plan. He went inside, utilized the speed of his team, crashed the boards well (especially in the first half), and attacked Brian Zoubek to force Duke to back down just a bit inside the paint. Stevens is going to be a huge success wherever he's coaching, but hopefully he stays in Indy next season.

LOSER: Georgetown

I'll keep this one simple. Really, Georgetown? Not to take anything away from Ohio, but you guys got stomped in the first round. It definitely goes to show that you can't sleepwalk through a game in the Big Dance. Kansas, you dodged a bullet from being on this list.

WINNER: Indianapolis

It couldn't have been better for the host city to have the hometown team playing in the Final Four. Similar to Creighton making it to the College World Series, Indianapolis basked in the buzz and celebration of having some of their own in the Final Four.

WINNER: Butler

No school that small has ever picked up so many fans. Butler fever swept the country, and though they came up just short, there's not one sports fan who can't help but admire what those kids did this tournament. Butler was all class, all heart, and a great reminder of why March Madness is so special. The BCS blocks the Butlers of the world from moments like these. Thank goodness March Madness provides small schools the chance to dream. And thanks to Butler, the dream is growing.

LOSER (potentially): All college basketball fans

Butler's great run reminds us all that the NCAA tournament is awesome ... just the way it is. If the NCAA pushes the tournament to 96 teams, they would simply water down this tournament, and worse, make it harder for some of the mid-majors to make a run. Thankfully, Butler was a five-seed in this tournament. However, what happens to a solid mid-major team who gets handed the nine-seed? You're now asking them to win seven games in a row to win the title?

Make it fair for everyone ... keep it at 64 (or 68 if you must expand, with four play-in games for at-large teams to earn a nine-seed). The beauty of this tournament is that everyone has to win six games to win the title. Forcing it any other way would be a huge loss to all of us college sports fans.

Posted by Jean Neuberger at 6:22 PM | Comments (0)

Clay Court Season is Here!

Every year, we see it happen, and it will probably happen again. The European clay court circuit is kicking off and based on past years' patterns, a good advice would be to expect different names, and some new ones, to emerge in the earlier rounds on both the WTA and ATP tournaments, followed by the domination of the European ladies in the later rounds on the WTA side, by Rafael Nadal cleaning up one tournament after another on the men's side, and Roger Federer picking up the pieces where Nadal has neglected to clean up.

I know there will be plenty of so-called experts or prognosticators claiming this or that player to break the pattern, and never mentioning two months later that they were dead wrong, of course. I would have made one myself on the ATP side had Juan Martin Del Potro had a healthy 2010 campaign. However, considering his nagging wrist injury and the little activity that he has had this season, I find it unlikely that the big-hitting Argentine can take on Nadal or Federer anytime soon.

So who is really left to challenge them? Nobody, really. And please don't say Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, or Andy Roddick. I admire the latter's late form, but let's face it, on European clay, it would be a miracle. Don't keep your hopes up, either, on another Robin Soderling miracle similar to last year's Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic is perhaps your best bet.

Many will speak of Federer's and Nadal's slumps of late. I say even with their slumps, I will take those two over the rest of the field during the clay court season, and Nadal over Federer between the two. Since 2004 in Roland Garros, except last year's big upset by Soderling, Nadal has not lost to anyone, and Federer has not lost to anyone but Nadal. Let me sum it up: my main hope for some "new" excitement on the ATP season rests on the gap between Nadal and Federer on clay courts to decrease and see some more epic matches in this great rivalry.

We are slowly but surely moving away from the era that lasted a few years, during which these two players were automatically being written in for the finals of most major tournaments. The last time that they met in the finals of a tournament was almost a year ago in Madrid. Yes, Federer won that one, but how many would be willing to bet on Federer over Nadal the next time they meet on clay courts? Still, I want to see a few more episodes of this terrific rivalry.

Nadal will have plenty of time to win a tournament or two, find his form, and be the favorite once again to win Roland Garros. Federer may shine in one of the Masters Series tournaments and probably show up in the semis of Roland Garros for a record 24th time in a row in the semis of a Slam tournament. So there are your main entertainment ideas: can anyone stop Federer from reaching that new record? Can Federer beat Nadal on clay? Can anyone beat Nadal on clay?

But here is a more interesting idea: what if Nadal falls on the same side of the draw as Federer in Roland Garros? Furthermore, if by some miracle he has a bad clay court season, and he loses the ranking points from last season, and he gets seeded even lower than number four in Paris, and to muddy the waters further, he gets placed in the draw at a spot where he and Federer would have to face each other before the semis? Wow! I realize that I am reaching here. But, would that not be an odd thing to happen? Yes, some strange things must indeed take place for anything to break the pattern of past seasons on clay courts.

One would be more optimistic to see new patterns on the women's side. The mere presence of Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters should add excitement, and I have a feeling that Serena and Venus Williams will challenge for the title this year. It's about time; Venus has reached the quarterfinals only once since 2002, and the last time that Serena has gone past the quarterfinals was in 2003. That just does not sit well with these two champions. They are due for a good show in Roland Garros.

Experts will once again say how Americans simply fail on red clay; they will show you the example of Pete Sampras, etc. I reject those arguments. Venus and Serena have shown in the past they can be the best on any surface. Sampras' clay court misery during his otherwise fantastic career (only one European clay court title, total of three) is simply a bad comparison, and the last time I checked, Venus and Serena were Americans when they met in the finals of Roland Garros in 2002. In fact, if it was not for the return of Clijsters and Henin, to predict another final between the Williams sisters would not have been considered a surprise pick.

In any case, I am glad the clay court season is here. Bring on the tournaments in the wonderful cities of Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid, etc. followed by Roland Garros. Let's enjoy some terrific rallies and a variety of skills.

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 11:51 AM | Comments (9)

April 6, 2010

Donovan McNabb Goes to Washington

In by far the biggest news of the 2010 offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend traded Donovan McNabb to their division rivals in Washington. McNabb was Philadelphia's quarterback for 11 years, a six-time Pro Bowler who was 92-49-1 as starter, equivalent to 10.5 wins per season. He is the Eagles' all-time leader in every major passing category and ranks among the team's top 10 in rushing yards and rushing TDs. He played more games for the Eagles than any other QB in franchise history.

Does all of that mean the Eagles are losers in this trade? Not necessarily. McNabb is 33. His contract is almost up, and his best days are probably behind him. The team has Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick in place, so it won't need to search out a replacement. And for a fairly mild-mannered guy, McNabb attracted a surprising amount of controversy. It began when he was booed on draft day, by fans who thought the Eagles should have drafted Ricky Williams. And as the most successful black QB since Warren Moon, maybe the most successful ever, McNabb was the go-to guy whenever the media raised issues about "black quarterbacks", and he was often asked to address the subject during otherwise unrelated interviews. Now the team has the far less controversial Vick. Well, Kolb seems pretty low-profile, at least.

Frankly, the Eagles have been locked into a move like this ever since Kolb was drafted. Although he was technically a second-round pick, Kolb was the team's first selection in the 2007 draft, and you don't use a pick like that on a guy you hope won't have to play. Nor do you sign a lightning rod like Vick just to use him twice a game out of the Wildcat formation. McNabb has played at such a high level, though, that it didn't make sense for the team to move him earlier.

McNabb is coming off a Pro Bowl year, a season in which he threw more than twice as many TDs as interceptions. The previous season, he set a career high for passing yardage. Over the whole of his time with the Eagles, McNabb has joined some very select company:

Only QBs to start in five Conference Championship Games: Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady, John Elway, Brett Favre, Jim Kelly, Donovan McNabb, Joe Montana, Ken Stabler, Roger Staubach

Only QBs with 100 more TDs than INTs: Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Donovan McNabb, Joe Montana, Steve Young

Only players with 30,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards: John Elway, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, Fran Tarkenton, Steve Young

McNabb is also tied with Neil O'Donnell for the best interception percentage in history (2.11%) of any QB with at least 2,000 pass attempts. What distinguishes McNabb is his ability to produce positive plays — he is top-20 all-time in combined passing + rushing yards (36,122) and in combined TDs (244) — while avoiding negative ones. It is this quality that makes him such an intriguing fit for his new team.

For several years, Washington has been a good defensive team with a punchless offense. Over the last decade, many teams have been successful with great defenses backing up conservative offenses: the 2000 Ravens, '02 Bucs, '06 Bears, '09 Jets, etc. But typically, you need at least some level of production from the offense, and Washington has been missing that. Jason Campbell doesn't throw a lot of interceptions, but he doesn't create plays, either. Since he was drafted in 2005, Campbell has never posted a TD% above 4.0%. Over the same period, McNabb has never been below 4.0%. In fact, he led the league in Campbell's first season as starter.

Washington's problems are bigger than the quarterback — offensive line has become a huge issue — but McNabb represents an obvious and significant upgrade. Campbell seems like a nice guy, and he's put up with a lot of garbage, handling difficult situation mostly with dignity and restraint. That said, fans are most interested in how a player handles himself on the field, and Campbell had problems with both his reads and his downfield accuracy. He took too many sacks and fumbled too often. He didn't take chances downfield or in the red zone, and his coaches eventually lost faith in his pressure-situation abilities. His decision-making was spotty.

Now, for a relatively small price — a second-round pick this year and either a third- or fourth-round draft pick in 2011 — Washington has brought in a top-10 QB the team can build around while it searches for its long-term future at the position. The team may even be able to recoup the lower pick by trading Campbell. With a new coaching staff coming in, Campbell would have had to learn a new system anyway, so McNabb — who has 11 years of experience in a Bill Walsh-style offense — won't be behind on the learning curve.

Ultimately, I like this trade for both teams. It doesn't make Washington a contender, but it makes the team respectable and gives fans legitimate reason for optimism. It probably makes the Eagles weaker in the short term, but it fits with the team's strategy of building for the future, which was a blueprint for sustained success throughout the last decade. This is a reasonable time for the team to start looking to the near future, rather than trying to muster an unlikely Super Bowl run in 2010.

Why the Trade is Good for Washington

* Significant upgrade at QB
* Increased fan interest in a team that went 4-12 last year
* Fresh start for new coaching staff
* Weaken a division rival at least temporarily

Why the Trade is Good for Philadelphia

* See what they've got in Kolb
* Pick up a high draft choice (37th overall)
* Part ways with a high-profile player who was sometimes a distraction
* Unload a player who probably wasn't going to be the starter much longer anyway

These are two teams that I think would both be content to finish 8-8 this season, though I wouldn't be surprised if Philadelphia is a little better than that and Washington a little worse. It's an odd trade — Washington dealing away the future despite that it's obviously not a contender right now, and the Eagles giving up a proven franchise QB for a fraction of what Jay Cutler netted the Broncos last year — but it also makes a weird sort of sense on both sides. I think it's easiest to like this deal as a Washington fan, because of the obvious short-term benefits. McNabb is a proven winner and a good fit for the team. Philadelphia, on the other hand, seems truly committed to rebuilding, and between Kolb (the presumed starter) and Vick (an experienced backup) should be able to keep the ship afloat in the meantime. I've talked myself into it: good move for both teams.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 5:12 PM | Comments (0)

States Rushing to Legalize Sports Betting

With the meltdown of the global economy over the past two years, multi-national brokerage firms and trusted financial institutions bore the brunt of accusations of gambling away the financial health and futures of investors, primarily through the sale of toxic mortgages with credit default swaps as the vehicle in doing so.

Yet it is the mainstreaming of gambling on many levels that has created a culture whereby it has become an acceptable norm for not only corporations, but governments in the United States, on both the federal and state levels, to literally invest in the gambling industry, with the recession as the excuse for its necessity.

Yet, for years prior to the current recession, brokerage firms such as Goldman Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co., and Fidelity Investments were already investing their clients' stocks and mutual fund portfolios, in financing offshore casinos.

The question remains as to whether they skirted U.S. federal law, which prohibits offshore online gambling for Americans, as well as to whether they made reliable investments on behalf of their clients, many of whom remain unaware that such financial instruments are involved in such volatile industries. So Wall Street was already in on the game.

Fast forward to 2010, where many U.S. states are on the precipice of bankruptcy and are desperate for that magic bullet to increase tax revenues without continually cutting services for their already over-taxed residents.

And to that end, many state governors and state legislators are clamoring to push through laws in anticipation of overturning the federal law in place, prohibiting sports betting on both professional and amateur sports, otherwise known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (28 U.S.C. §3701) (PASPA).

To wit, the state legislature of New Jersey passed State Resolution No. 19 on January 12, 2010, which authorizes its President of the Senate to "take legal action concerning certain federal legislation prohibiting sports betting." It would repeal the federal ban on sports betting, in all other U.S. states, with the exception of Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana, already permitted to offer parlay-type sports betting. Nevada, however, exclusively enjoys all types of sports betting, statewide, on any professional or amateur sports games, in any capacity.

Basically, New Jersey, and specifically Senator Raymond Lesniak, who originally launched a lawsuit on his own in March 2009 against the federal government, claims that the 1992 law violates the 10th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, in that "It establishes a selective prohibition on sports betting in the U.S."

The argument is that it violates the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution by regulating a matter that is reserved to the States. And that it violates the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution by being unconstitutionally discriminatory against the Plaintiffs and the people of the State of New Jersey.

Lesniak's case presently resides in the U.S District Court, District of New Jersey, seeking declaratory relief. But the upshot is that New Jersey believes that it "would benefit significantly from lifting the federal ban and legalizing sports betting in this state, as increased revenues would be generated and numerous jobs would be created for New Jersey residents as a result of sports betting activities at Atlantic City casinos and New Jersey's racetracks, further enhancing tourism and economic growth," according to Resolution No. 19.

Prior to PASPA, the Wire Act was enacted in 1961. It was intended exclusively for prohibiting the placement of bets by telephone to bookmakers for sporting events, and was largely put in place by then U.S. Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy, in order to discourage organized crime and bookmaking. But gaming and its technology has come light years since 1961, and it would appear that the Wire Act's shelf life has thus expired.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. Congress, House Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has promoted a federal resolution to legalize and regulate the Internet gambling industry in the U.S. (H.R. 2667).

That proposal falls on the heels of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). It proscribes that offshore Internet gambling is a violation of federal law.

Furthermore, legislation was passed by the New Jersey legislature in its state Senate to amend the New Jersey State Constitution, allowing legalized sports betting, which the New Jersey voters would ultimately vote on in a referendum as early November 2010.

But this constant back and forth between drafting new law and upholding existing legislation on a federal level to regulate gaming, runs in direct conflict with those states introducing new laws, geared to open up the flood gates for a variety of legalized gaming platforms, including sports betting. In addition, the National Indian Gaming Association, with respect to state Indian gaming contracts, originally authorized by the U.S. federal government, presents other conflicts on both state and federal levels.

Therefore, with the rights of gamblers continually in flux, the question must be asked what about the rights of non-gamblers and the resources that will be expended towards the downside that accompanies a gambling culture, upon which states will necessarily become dependent?

In the state of Nevada alone, with unemployment approaching 23%, for those presently receiving extended unemployment benefits, as well as those no longer receiving such benefits, it is the gaming industry specifically that is responsible for such a jobs freefall, which accompanies a nearly $1 billion state budget shortfall. Add to that the highest mortgage foreclosure rates in the entire U.S. and there arises a recipe for disaster.

And as gaming drives all other industry including construction, conventions and tourism, primarily in Las Vegas, it would make one wonder what other state officials are thinking when gaming revenues in Las Vegas went down over 20% between 2008 and 2009, and it has yet to come out of its funk.

Las Vegas Strip properties' construction is at a virtual standstill with over leveraged multi-national conglomerates also reeling from the worldwide mortgage crisis. It appears that it was not only the little guys at the slot machines who gambled with their fortunes over the past few years.

With respect to sports betting on the National Football League's (NFL) Super Bowl, Las Vegas betting revenues for the past two seasons of 2008 and 2009 were down considerably from years past. Nevada casino sportsbooks in 2008 lost $2.6 million on the Super Bowl and in 2010 a total of $82.7 million was wagered with a net gain of only $179,000.00 more for casino sportsbooks than in 2009. In contrast, $94.6 million was wagered in 2006, prior to the recession.

Yet New Jersey is convinced and presupposes that sports wagering will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenue over the course of a five-year period, for its state alone. And it remains dedicated to also expand casino gambling in spite of its own realized massive decline in profits over the past two years.

But the state of New Jersey is hardly alone in its desire to gamble on gambling with many states introducing legislation and campaigning for both intrastate and interstate forms of gambling, both online and throughout casinos and racetrack locales throughout the U.S.

Currently, 48 states enjoy some form of legalized gambling and/or state lotteries, with the exception of Hawaii and Utah, which do not presently permit any type of gambling, wagering or lotteries. However, Hawaii is presently weighing legislation for a stand-alone casino in Waikiki.

States in addition to New Jersey proposing sports betting and some type of expansion of casino gambling, including online gaming, with some states already preparing such legislation regarding sports betting in the event that PASPA is overturned, includes: Iowa, Delaware, Massachusetts, California, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Michigan, Kentucky, and Illinois, amongst others.

In the case of Delaware, it won the right in 2009 to offer three-game parlay-style sports betting at its three racetracks or racinos for NFL games only, as states that previously offered lottery-style or legalized sports betting from 1976-1990 were exempt from PASPA. Yet, after its well-fought challenge in federal court in 2009 for Delaware to be permitted to bet on all professional sports a la Las Vegas style without restrictions, it was defeated. But Delaware has not yet given up its fight and its case has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Iowa is also leading the charge in crafting legislation to allow legalized sports betting. However, Iowa State Senator, Jerry Behn (R-Boone), thinks that gambling is a "tax on the people who can afford it the least." Yet, his colleague, State Senator Jack Kibbie (D-Emmetsburg), on betting on professional sports says, "people say I would love to do what they can do in Las Vegas."

Perhaps those with the same sentiments as those of Senator Kibbie will not be so game, so to speak, when there remains little discretionary income for such sin taxes to generate anticipated windfall profits.

With respect to California's new plan, there comes an additional rub. It plans to introduce an online gaming network. Yet, it potentially could be in violation of Indian Gaming licenses or compact agreements that California entered into in 1999 with Native American tribes in its state. The compacts gave the tribes exclusive rights to any gambling that involved gaming devices including slot machines, roulette tables and video poker machines, etc.

Furthermore, it took five years for California to get the tribes to honor the payment of taxes due to the state of California by virtue of the compacts. The tribes withheld tax payments until 2004, of which some were retroactively paid. However, the state of California still gives such exclusive rights to the Indian tribes through 2030, which remains a binding agreement to date.

Now the California tribes have threatened to once again withhold paying the government of California its share of taxes due for gaming revenues, should California proceed with its online poker network plans. The state's position is that the compacts do not include poker and cover only games of chance. Yet, the tribal councils deem gaming devices to include computers used for online gaming, and thus negating California's plan.

Such a dust-up could resonate through the Native American community, with its 442 tribal casinos operated by 237 tribal governments and Alaska native villages in 28 states. Revenues translate into a nearly $30 billion a year industry for them.

And Congressman Frank's legislation to regulate Internet poker would also be a direct threat to Indian gaming casinos, unless the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 is somehow amended.

Ideally, California wants its poker network to go nationwide, raising revenues by ultimately licensing interstate networks and thereby generating additional profits through the ownership of such various licenses between states. The hope is that it could eventually trump PASPA.

Everything is politics, it would seem. But complicated legislative loopholes aside, basing entire economies — and California's alone is the sixth largest in the entire world — on games of chance is quite the risky proposition itself.

And how taxpayers can be expected to trust their state governments to invest in struggling enterprises, already in the red, in order to prop up their cash-strapped states, many nearing junk-bond status due to irresponsible governing, remains the $64,000 question.

Time was when Vegas thought gambling was recession proof. And there should be little doubt that Las Vegas now serves as the poster child for that which results when gamblers stop gambling and traveling to destination resorts.

And for public officials to abandon all reason and principles, looking for a quick fix rather than by relying upon ingenuity for the creation of jobs and revenue outside of the gambling sector, could very well come back to bite them in the end.

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)

April 5, 2010

Why Kobe is Better Than LeBron

If you had to bet the mortgage on who will win this year's NBA Finals, is it the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers or the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James? Forget career statistics, don't worry about career progression, and stop thinking about starting a franchise with one of these players. The 2009-2010 playoffs start soon. Kobe and LeBron are the two most important players on the two best teams. Who has the edge in 2010?

The primary objective of the NBA is to win a championship and because sports teams are now considered businesses, the secondary objective is to make money. Three questions that shape the 2010 Kobe vs. LeBron debate are: who is in a better position to win it all? Who will have the better performance in the playoffs? Who is bringing in the most dollars to their franchise and the NBA?

Who is in a better position to win it all? Time and again, the argument is made that LeBron does not have the right supporting cast or right coach in Cleveland. This is the seventh year James has been in the NBA. It is generally thought that LeBron helped bring Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland and James approved of keeping Mike Brown as coach.

It is also widely believed that Kobe welcomed Ron Artest, and wants to keep Phil Jackson as coach of the Lakers. Is Kobe in a better position to win it all, because LeBron's personnel moves are not as savvy as Kobe's? If this is the case, then advantage Kobe.

It is clear that each player has heavy influence in their organization's futures. Currently, LeBron is holding the Cavaliers and entire city of Cleveland hostage with all of the discussion surrounding his possible departure. While Kobe has just signed a three-year deal providing stability to the Lakers, LeBron continues to woo and be wooed by the bright lights of New York City. Is Kobe in a better position to win the championship by his design? Has LeBron jeopardized bringing in the right talent to win a championship by not signing a long-term deal and making the Cavaliers one of the least stable organizations in the NBA?

It is not a stretch to say that with LeBron, Cleveland is one of the most valuable NBA franchises and without him, they are a small-market team struggling to fill an arena in this economy. The NBA rollercoaster in Cleveland is dependent on King James and he has been in the front seat of this ride for over two years.

Who are the players and who is the coach needed for LeBron to finally win it all? This year, he has Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison. Does he need Mike Krzyzewski, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Camelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard to win an NBA title? Should the NBA require the USA Olympic team move to Cleveland so that LeBron can finally have the supporting cast he needs to showcase his talent?

Do the players around Kobe make him better or does Kobe make the players around him better? Is Lamar Odom a player who can win a championship as the star of a team? He wasn't when he was the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat. Is Pau Gasol capable of carrying the Lakers to a championship on his own? He couldn't when he was with the Memphis Grizzlies. When Kobe had Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers were unstoppable in the playoffs. Now that LeBron has O'Neal, will they cruise in the Eastern Conference? If not, why was O'Neal brought on the team?

Who will have the better performance in the playoffs? In 2010, there are two sides to this discussion: statistics vs. rings. LeBron dominates most, if not all statistical categories, against playoff teams when compared to Kobe, while Kobe has the hardware. If the games were played on paper, LeBron vs. Kobe is no contest.

LeBron would dominate every team in the playoffs regardless of conference. In a review of the following statistics: points per game, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, rebounds per game, assists per game, steals per game, and blocks per game, LeBron is better.

A head-to-head comparison of the two players shows LeBron is better than Kobe against 10 out of the 15 playoff teams in points per game and field goal percentage. LeBron is better than Kobe against 8 out of the 15 teams in three point percentage, 14 out of 15 in rebounds per game, 10 out of 15 teams in steals per game, and 15 out of 15 teams in assists and blocks per game. In head-to-head competition, LeBron is better than Kobe in all of the above statistics with the exception of three-point percentage and rebounds per game.

Unfortunately, games are played on the court and it is tough to forget about Kobe's four championships and six Finals appearances. LeBron's only championship run ended at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe has now proven he can without Shaquille O'Neal. LeBron will try to win with O'Neal coming off an injury; the Cavs may need his aging body to bang against the new Superman in Dwight Howard.

Entering the 2009-2010 playoffs, there is a much greater advantage to having a championship pedigree than not. The last 29 NBA championships have been won by only eight teams. Miami and Philadelphia are the only franchises that have won the title once since the 1979-1980 season. Will 2010 be Cleveland's first or the Lakers' ninth in 29 years? If one has to choose the Lakers vs. the field or the Cavaliers vs. the field, it is hard not to take Team Kobe.

Who is bringing in the most dollars to their franchise and the NBA? The hype machine tends to be in overdrive when it comes to superlatives describing LeBron James. He came into the league King James, while Kobe Bryant came in as the 13th pick behind Vitaly Potapenko. Hype generally translates to money, but upon closer inspection of four dollar-driving criteria, Kobe has an edge in three of the categories in 2010. The four criteria reviewed include: home attendance, road attendance, jersey sales, and team merchandise.

According to an NBA.com report posted on Jan 20, 2010, Kobe Bryant topped the NBA's Most Popular Jerseys list. He has had this title since the 2008-2009 season. NBA.com indicates that the rankings are based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com since the start of the 2009-10 NBA season. LeBron James is in the second spot. The Los Angeles Lakers topped the Boston Celtics for the Most Popular NBA Team Merchandise edging the Celtics, while the Cleveland Cavaliers were number three.

Attendance figures, tell a more even story. Through 37 home games the Lakers average 18,997 in home attendance while the Cavaliers have averaged 20,562 through 36 games. The Lakers are at 99.7% capacity while the Cavaliers are at 100%. This gives a slight edge to LeBron. The Cavaliers, however, are a slightly poorer draw on the road as their road average is 19,153, while the Lakers' average 19,172. Nineteen fans a game is certainly a very slight edge, but winning by 1 or 91 is still a win.

If dollars were votes, Kobe and the Lakers would win this election on three of the four "basketball is a business" criteria. It would appear as though LeBron James' goal of being a global icon will have to wait until 2011. Next season could be different as James has already requested a new jersey number, and he may change teams.

Overall in 2010, the edge goes to Kobe as it generally has since LeBron has entered the league. There will be a time of course, when LeBron is finally surrounded by the the right supporting cast and is paired with the right coach. All of this will come true eventually, because the NBA has invested too much for it not to happen. When it does, however, Kevin Durant will probably have the better statistics, more upside, and he too will be waiting for the right supporting cast and right coach. Actually, some scouts say Kevin Durant has already surpassed LeBron in terms of his basketball skill-set.

When comparing LeBron and Kobe in 2010, it is easy to see why Kobe Bryant is today's king, while LeBron is next in line regarding succession in the NBA kingdom. The ascension to the throne is getting longer, however, with the emergence of Kevin Durant.

Posted by Vito Curcuru at 12:21 PM | Comments (19)

Mike Cuellar, RIP: "I Can Still See the Look on His Face"

Hands up to everyone who thinks Jim Palmer was the first Cy Young Award winner in Baltimore Orioles history. Now, hands down. The winner was Mike Cuellar, a National League expatriate who shared the 1969 Cy Young Award with Denny McLain after going 23-11/2.38 for the Orioles team that was supposed to squash the poor lil' Metsies in the World Series, probably in four straight.

The heat of the moment never bothered Cuellar, who died of stomach cancer at 72 Friday. Come to think of it, the heat of the anything never bothered him. "I belong to hot weather," said the Cuban-born Cuellar, the first Latino to win or share a Cy Young Award. "Cold weather no good for baseball or me."

The left-hander with the twist-and-shout screwball, as the top of the line of a repertoire that could be described fairly as slop, garbage, and byproduct, was the only reason the Orioles didn't get squashed in four straight in that incandescent Series. But that is not the only reason his teammates will miss him.

"When Mike came," outfielder Paul Blair told the Baltimore Sun, referring to the 1968 trade that made the Houston Astros look ridiculous for giving up on him at age 32, "he solidified the whole pitching staff. We had complete confidence in him, Dave McNally, and Jim Palmer when they walked out on the mound. We knew that if we scored two or three runs, four at the most, we'd win the game. That's a great feeling for a team."

Cuellar opened the 1969 Series by squaring off against future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver in Game One and beating the Mets, 4-1. He scattered six hits and worked spotlessly until the Mets loaded the pads on him with one out in the top of the seventh, Ed Charles interrupting the proceedings with a sky to left following a leadoff single (Donn Clendenon) and a walk (Ron Swoboda). Jerry Grote singled to left to load them up for hero-in-waiting Al Weis, who sent home Clendenon with a mere sacrifice fly.

The brainy lefthander ("His fastball couldn't black my eye, but he owns my hitters' minds," Billy Martin would say of him) merely shook it off with his customary cool and lured pinch-hitter Rod Gaspar (for Don Cardwell, who'd pitched a scoreless sixth in relief of Seaver) into a ground out to Brooks (The Hoover) Robinson, before finishing what he started, two modest hits (an eighth-inning single by Bud Harrelson and a single back to the box by Swoboda to open the New York ninth) and a walk (to Weis with two outs) the only interruptions before he secured it by getting pinch-hitter Art Shamsky (for Ron Taylor) to ground out to future Met manager Davey Johnson at second.

Seaver, for his part, had worked a solid enough early game, once he shook off Don Buford's leadoff bomb in the bottom of the first, but he ran into odd trouble in the bottom of the fourth. He'd mostly manhandled the vaunted Baltimore beaters to that point but, with two out and two on, he surrendered back-to-back RBI singles by Mark Belanger and Cuellar and an RBI double by Buford before dispatching Paul Blair on a groundout to end it.

He worked a scoreless fifth and gave way to Cardwell and Taylor, the latter of whom worked the final two Baltimore innings and cured his own lone mistake by picking Blair (a walk) off first for the side. But it was Cuellar's hour with 8 punchouts to 4 passes. He did everything he could to get the Orioles launched right, only to see another excellent performance go for nothing in a Game 4 rematch with Seaver.

This time, in Shea Stadium, The Franchise was very much on his game, with 6 punchouts to 2 walks and only Brooks Robinson spoiling the shutout bid with a game-tying sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth. By that time, the Mets were deep enough in the Oriole bullpen — the game was an early near-inversion of Game 1, Clendenon providing Cuellar's only real blemish with a leadoff bomb in the top of the second. Cuellar pitched in and out of trouble in the third, settled down for a spotless fourth through sixth, and stranded his only runner (Swoboda, a one-out single to left) in the seventh, before giving way to Eddie Watt, Dick Hall, and Pete Richert.

The problem was in the bottom of the 10th. Hall opened by surrendering a pop double to short left to Grote and, after Grote came out for pinch-runner Gaspar, put Weis on to lure pinch-hitter J.C. Martin into a potential double play. Except that Martin, with a little help from Richert, had a date with World Series destiny. The reserve catcher bunted one back to the box, glanced just beyond the baseline on the way up to first base, and escaped execution when Richert's throw over caught him on the wrist, enabling Gaspar's daring run home for the winning run.

Cuellar could only watch when the poor li'l Metsies upended the Orioles for keeps in Game Five. But he and his oddly elegant pitching motion (think of something between Sandy Koufax without the full extension on the leg kick and Warren Spahn without the slight upper body herky-jerky in the windup) returned to the World Series with a flourish in 1970. As would you if you were one of four 20-game winners (Palmer, future free agency co-pioneer Dave McNally, and Pat Dobson were the other three) on your staff, and you just so happened to be the one leading the American League in wins (24), winning percentage (.750), complete games (21), and home runs surrendered. (34 — now do you want to tell me what's the big deal in surrendering the bomb?)

He would finish a close enough fourth in the Cy Young voting, behind Minnesota's Jim Perry (who won the award), teammate McNally, and Cleveland howitzer Sudden Sam McDowell. First, however, there was business coming in. Cuellar got murdered in his only American League Championship Series start (the Twins jumped him for six) and started the World Series on the wrong side of the Big Red Machine, who jumped him for three in the first before chasing him in the third.

But this time it would be Cuellar going the distance to nail the Series in the fifth game, beating the Reds (his first major league organization, in fact) 9-3 after the Machine jumped him again for three in the first. This time, his mates hung up two runs apiece in the first through the third, padded it in the fifth when Merv Rettenmund reached the seats at Tony Cloninger's expense, and put it into the next county in the eighth with an infield out RBI (Boog Powell) and an RBI single.

In Baltimore, they still say prayers in front of the famous photograph of Brooks Robinson waiting with open arms as Cuellar bounds off the mound toward the Hoover, arms raised. "I can still see the look on Mike's face," Robinson told the Sun. "His mouth was wide open and he had a big, big smile."

As would you, if you'd first come to the Orioles as a 32-year-old slopper on whom the Astros gave up before your time. The Astros swapped Cueller for Curt Blefary, whom history remembers perhaps solely as an outfielder with the kind of hands that inspired Jim Bouton, briefly his Houston teammate, to recall (in Ball Four) Frank Robinson ordering the team bus driver to stop as the vehicle approached a junkyard so Blefary could pick out a new glove.

Crotchety manager Earl Weaver loved his new acquisition. Cuellar, as Robinson would remember, wanted the ball as often as Weaver would let him have it, maybe every other day if it came to that. "He was an artist on the mound," Weaver told the Sun. "[Getting him] put us over the top. Several times down the stretch he pitched with two days' rest when we needed it."

Cuellar was loved among his mates even through his quirks, of which there were several having nothing to do with the point that he tended to start slow but tighten down as the game, and the pennant race, went on. Beating the Reds after a three-run spanking to open a World Series game was the least of it.

You could get his autograph anytime you liked except on the days he was scheduled to pitch. You wouldn't see him poke his nose out of his hole to take the mound each inning until his catcher's shinguards were strapped back on. And you wouldn't see him touch a foul line even if he'd volunteered to walk the chalk down before a game. "If his stride [to or from the mound] was off and he got too close," Powell remembers, "he used a little chicken hop to step over it."

Players have been known to have lucky caps (Eric Gagne, notoriously, refused to change his salt sweat-trimmed cap at the height of his consecutive saves streak, or all season long, during his peak seasons with the Dodgers) but how many would compel a team to air mail the cap from home when forgetting it for a road trip?

Not that the Orioles minded. "Mike was, arguably, the best left-hander in the game from 1969 through 1974," Palmer — now the lone survivor of those four 1970 20-game winners — told the Sun, "but he never got his due. Like Frank Robinson, he came here, embraced the Oriole Way, and changed the destiny of our franchise."

Let the record show that Cuellar anchored the only pitching staff in baseball history to boast four 20-game winners scandal free. The only other franchise to boast four 20-game winners? The 1920 Chicago White Sox, with an even divide between Clean Sox (Red Faber at 23-13, Dickie Kerr at 21-9 and leading the team in winning percentage) and Black Sox (Eddie Cicotte at 21-10, Lefty Williams at 22-14).

Cuellar also impressed the most disbelieving opponents. "His fastball couldn't black my eye," Billy Martin once said of him. "But he owns my hitters' minds."

But he also entertained his teammates. "He made hitters look comical," Powell says, "like they could have swung three times before the ball got there. A couple of times, I almost had to call time out because I was laughing my head off ... It was fun [playing behind him], like when you were a kid. You felt like yelling, 'Hey, batta batta batta.'"

Cuellar had spent the last few seasons showing up as a volunteer Oriole spring instructor. He also spent a lot of years building up the kind of good will he'd built in the Oriole clubhouse in his chosen home of Orlando, Florida. Wracked with cancer — visitors were required to wear surgical gowns and gloves before being allowed to see him — after surviving a brain aneurysm and gall bladder surgery, Cuellar made friends with the same ease by which he dispatched hitters. Cuban-Americans weren't the only ones who ponied up to help his family defray his medical expenses and, ultimately, his funeral.

Until Cuellar's own illness took the wrong turn to the dead end, his buddy Jose Vargas suffered a pre-Father's Day heart attack last year. Cuellar cranked up the TLC and leavened it with buckets of autographed balls for his friend's hospital staff.

His Cuban-born friends, of course, remember the fellow who cranked it up on the mound for the Havana Sugar Kings, in the pre-Castro International League, helping lead a team that included future Showmen Tony Gonzalez, Leo Cardenas, and Cookie Rojas. Then, as in later years, hunting nightclubs where he might get a crack at sitting in when a conga player or a bass player (Cuellar could play either) took a break.

Cuellar shared a Cy Young Award with a fellow musician, one who played the organ as a sideline and probably should have kept his sidelines to that. Denny McLain's music hasn't been anywhere even close to Cuellar's sweetness since.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 11:06 AM | Comments (2)

April 2, 2010

Sports Q&A: "Fore-gasm!": Tiger at the Masters

Tiger Woods' return to golf at the Masters will be one of the most polarizing sporting events of the year. Does the story deserve the media frenzy that is sure to engulf it, and should Woods actually win or fail miserably in the Masters, what are some of the headlines we can expect to see?

Whether you love him, hate him, or are sexually involved with him, you will tune in to see Woods at the Masters. Considering the lurid details of Woods' exploits that have emerged over the last five month, a "turn on" is to be expected.

If you are somehow foolish enough to boycott the broadcasts, for whatever reasons, then enjoy your isolation. Are you disgusted by the fact that Woods is in the news despite his troubling behavior? Do you feel that watching would somehow amount to condoning such behavior? Is it an affront to your sense of decency that when Woods announces himself primed for "18 holes," the qualifier "of golf" has to amend the statement to avoid confusion? If you answered "yes" to all these questions, then you, like Woods, apparently have trouble saying "no."

It is perfectly okay to be offended by Woods' behavior. It was wrong and morally reprehensible, albeit immeasurably newsworthy. But let's not allow the past cloud our views of Woods' future. He is a troubled human being, and as such, he deserves a bit of sympathy.

Would we not applaud the comeback of an athlete recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction? Lord knows, Woods has been stricken with an equally debilitating affliction, sexual addiction, which, like drugs and alcohol, has been known to bring people to their knees. In Woods' case, however, his addiction often brings other people to their knees. It's no wonder Woods, like any other addict, was reluctant to seek help.

Regardless of, and despite, his sexual proclivity, Woods is a 14-time major champion, and that alone demands media coverage of the highest level. Particularly since this year's Masters will likely serve as the divider between two significant eras in Woods' career, the "pre-scandal" and the "post-scandal." If he fails to match Jack Nicklaus' mark of 18 majors, this Masters tournament will be looked upon as the beginning of the era of the "new" Tiger, who was not nearly as dominant as the "old" Tiger.

Should Woods match or surpass Nicklaus' major total, then this time will mark the "second coming" of Woods, and praise will be heaped upon him for overcoming such distractions and returning to form.

Either way, the ramifications are monumental.

Woods' tee shot from Hole No. 1 on Thursday at Augusta will be one of the defining moments in sports history. Years from now, many of us will fondly recall where we were when Woods' driver sailed errantly into the shrubbery along Augusta's first fairway, as a wise-cracking gallery member cries "We've got bush!" Or "Fore-gasm!" Or "Let the healing begin!"

As the world chuckles and a golf fan is escorted from the premises, it becomes obvious that the next step in Woods' rehabilitation has begun. And we all should rejoice.

The Masters, and the media frenzy encircling Woods, come at a perfect time in the sports arena, just after the NCAA basketball championship and before the next baseball drug scandal. And it falls conveniently in between Pittsburgh Steelers assault scandals.

The Masters is already an epic sporting event, and it's being made even more epic by Woods' presence. The story can only be larger if Woods accomplishes the unthinkable and wins the Masters. It will be classified as a "shocking" victory, and one that Woods will secretly describe as "better than sex."

Should Woods win at Augusta, what are some of the headlines we can expect to see describing his accomplishment?

"Masters Bastion: Woods Spanks Augusta Field"

Woods self-satisfies himself by shooting a 278, including a 67 in the final round to outpace the hard-charging Retief (rhymes with "relief") Goosen.

"Hare-m Razing: Woods' Purges Memory of Past Conquests With Masters Win"

"Hair-raising?" That's one thing. "Hare-m razing?" That's something entirely different. How do you cleanse the fond memories of relationships with a dozen and a half women? By winning the Masters, of course.

"Major Wood-y: Woods Scores 15th Major Victory"

Tied with Sergio Garcia on Sunday after 17 holes, Woods' seven iron from 169 yards lands stiff. Woods easily drains a two-footer for birdie, as Garcia overshoots the green on his approach, a shot Woods later describes as "Spanish Fly."

"Missionary Position: Woods on Top at Masters"

As a four-time Masters champion, Woods already knows the feeling of being on top. And after being busted, literally and figuratively, by his wife for his numerous transgressions, he's familiar with the bottom, too. But at Augusta, Woods again mounts the leaderboard, claiming victory and redemption.

"Shaved and Ready: Augusta's Fast Greens No Match For Woods' Hot Putter"

Woods needs only 23 putts in navigating some tricky hole placements, geared to maximize the impact of Augusta's sloping greens, for a final round 66.

"15 Down, Three to Go"

Although this headline could easily be confused with a tabloid magazine's investigation into identifying all of Woods' affairs, it's simply a reference to Woods' major titles won, and what he needs to match Jack Nicklaus' 18.

Had Woods' sexual transgressions never become public, he probably would have made it to 18. With his Masters win, 18 again looks like a number he'll easily surpass.

"Eating Crow: Masters Champion Woods Proposes Menu For Champions Dinner"

Chicken and collard greens for the champions dinner? No way. Like his women, Tiger doesn't like 'em "Fuzzy."

Woods takes a dig at all those who doubted him, and suggests they attend the champions' dinner next year at Augusta, where they can "eat crow."

"Green In Regulation: Woods Birdies 18th, Avoids Playoff With Harrington"

With a dramatic birdie on the final hole, Woods nips Harrington by one shot, and Woods realizes for the first time, in a long time, that one stroke is enough.

"Bump and Run and Grind: Woods' Par Chip on 18 Saves the Day"

Woods holes out on 18th from the rough with a nine iron, avoiding a bogie and preserving a one-shot victory over Stewart Cink.

An ecstatic Woods celebrates, and, with wife Elin Nordegren by his side, ironically "kisses" a nine iron again.

"Crowd Pleaser: Woods Thrills Gallery With Masters Triumph"

Adept at appeasing multiple women at one time, Woods kicks it "bisexual" at the Masters, giving both sexes something to cheer about on his way to the Masters win.

"Hootie Call: Former Augusta Chairman Johnson Congratulates Woods on Masters Win"

Already well-known for answering the call of a "Johnson," Woods takes another as Hootie Johnson phones with his respects after Woods wins the masters.

"Tee an A-Plus: Woods Eats Up Fairways at Augusta, Wins Masters"

Woods boasts an impressive 77% driving accuracy, up from 0% in November, and captures his fifth Masters over rival Phil Mickelson.

And if he loses:

"I Get a Round"

Woods bungles his way to an 86 in the first round at the Masters and withdraws, inspiring this Tupac Shakur-themed headline.

"Couples Therapy: Fred Gives Tiger Lesson In Patience"

Deadlocked after three rounds, Woods and Couples stage an epic battle on Sunday, and are tied at four under after 12 holes. On the 13th, both find Rae's Creek on their third shots. Couples scrambles for a bogey, but a frustrated Woods cards a triple bogey and snaps his putter over his knee. The elder Couples comforts and counsels Woods, and the two match each other shot for shot down the stretch, with both birdying the five remaining holes.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 3:08 PM | Comments (0)

April 1, 2010

The NFL's Best Defenses Ever

A little more than two years ago, I wrote a column ranking the greatest offenses in the history of professional football. For no particular reason other than that I miss football, this seemed like a good time to tackle the best defenses.

To narrow my search for the finest defenses in pro football history, I researched almost 100 great single-season defenses, then devised a formula to help me sort out the best of the bunch. I didn't use the formula in my final decisions, and it is too complicated to explain in detail here, but suffice to say that for all the defenses I examined, I know how many points they allowed that season, how many rushing yards they gave up, how many passing yards they allowed, their total yards allowed, the team's average yards per carry allowed, the opponents' collective passer rating, how many turnovers the team generated, its record that season, whether or not it won a championship, and where each of those statistics ranked in the league. Take this example, one of the teams that didn't make my final list, the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers:

223 points allowed (13.9 per game, best in the NFL), 3,795 yards allowed (237.2 per game, best), 1,284 rushing yards (80.3 per game, 2nd), 3.3 yards per carry (1st), 2,511 passing yards (156.9 per game, 1st), 63.4 opponents' passer rating (2nd), 29 turnovers (9th), 12-4, Super Bowl champions.

I could do that about 90 more times, but I'll spare you. A lot of research went into this project, and trimming this list to just 10 defenses was extremely difficult. If your favorite team didn't make the list, rest assured that I didn't "forget" them — there are an awful lot of great defenses that you won't read about in this column. Most notably, I restricted the list to the modern era, so there are no teams before 1946. The 1929 Packers allowed 22 points all season (1.7 per game). The '44 Giants gave up 3 passing TDs while intercepting 34 passes. I'm sure those were great teams, but they're just not comparable to anything from today's game.

In fact, there are no teams from before 1960. I did consider great teams from '40s and '50s — the 1950 and '54 Browns, the '51 and '59 Giants — and the 1949 Eagles were the last team I cut from the list (11th!), but ultimately I feel that the greatest defenses in history are all from the last 50 years. I also don't have any teams from the AAFC or the AFL, but there is a clear best from each league. The 1946 Cleveland Browns outscored opponents by nearly 300 points, allowing just 9.8 points per game and holding the opposition to a collective 3.0 yards per carry and 24.6 passer rating (8 TD, 41 INT). The 1969 Kansas City Chiefs led the AFL in every single category I tracked, won Super Bowl IV, and had three Hall of Famers starting on defense, plus at least one more who should also be in. Great defenses both, probably top-20, but they missed the cut here.

Here are the 10 best defenses in league history.

10. New Orleans Saints, 1991

245.8 yards per game (2nd in NFL), 13.2 points per game (1st in NFL)

This team is famous, still, for its linebacking corps of Rickey Jackson, Vaughan Johnson, Sam Mills, and Pat Swilling. In 1991, all except Jackson made the Pro Bowl, and he didn't exactly have a down year, with 11.5 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries. Swilling, who led the NFL with 17 sacks, was named Defensive Player of the Year.

The Saints were very solid against both the run (2nd in rush defense, 3.6 yds/att allowed) and the pass (2nd in pass defense, 1st in interceptions). This was the first team in franchise history to win a division title, going 11-5 and holding half of its opponents to 7 points or less.

9. Green Bay Packers, 1996

259.8 yards per game (1st in NFL), 13.1 points per game (1st in NFL)

As the league has gotten larger — it expanded to 30 teams in 1995 — it has gotten harder and harder to really dominate. Do you know how many teams in the 1990s led the NFL in both yards allowed and points allowed? Just this one. Unless you're a Packer Backer, you probably don't remember the linebackers on this team, but it was special on the defensive line and in the secondary, which would explain why it led the NFL in pass defense (171.3 ypg) and opponents' passer rating (55.4), with more than twice as many interceptions as passing TDs.

The star of the show was Hall of Fame DE Reggie White, but the best player this season was probably strong safety LeRoy Butler, who intercepted 5 passes, came up with 6.5 sacks on a devastating safety blitz, and finished second on the team in tackles, earning first-team all-pro honors. White was joined on the defensive line by Santana Dotson (who posted 5.5 sacks from his DT position), Gilbert Brown (who was listed at 333 lbs., but probably weighed at least 50 more than that), and Sean Jones (who had over 100 career sacks). Complementing Butler in the defensive backfield was Eugene Robinson, who led the team with 6 interceptions. The team went 13-3 and won Super Bowl XXXI.

8. Green Bay Packers, 1962

234.1 yards per game (2nd in NFL), 10.6 points per game (1st in NFL)

From 1961-67, the Green Bay Packers won five NFL championships. Those teams had exceptional offense, but the defense was even better, ranking in the top four in points allowed every season in the decade. The 1962 Packers allowed seven points or less in more than half their games.

The defensive unit's five first-team all-pros didn't even include Hall of Famers Ray Nitschke and Willie Wood, both of whom were named to the second team. This despite that Nitschke came up with 8 turnovers (4 INT, 4 FR) and Wood led the NFL with 9 interceptions. You know you've got a pretty good defense when a Hall of Famer, in his prime, is the only member of your linebacking corps not to be selected first-team all-pro. This team went 13-1 and won the NFL championship.

7. Baltimore Ravens, 2006

264.1 yards per game (1st in NFL), 12.6 points per game (1st in NFL)

They started the season with a shutout of the defending NFC South champions and went on to a franchise-best 13-3 record. Six defensive players made the Pro Bowl, and it wouldn't have been crazy for all 11 to go. Consider this honor roll: Trevor Pryce (13 sacks), Kelly Gregg (3.5 sacks, 3 FR), Haloti Ngata (60-yard INT return), Samari Rolle (3 INT), Dawan Landry (5 INT, 3 sacks). Those are the guys who didn't make the trip to Hawaii. Now add Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Chris McAlister, Adalius Thomas, and Bart Scott. That is one seriously loaded defense. For across-the-board, weakest-link talent, I don't think there's been a defense like it since the Steel Curtain. Maybe never.

These Ravens ranked 2nd in yards per carry against (3.3) and led the league in opponents' passer rating (63.4). They didn't allow any of their last eight opponents to score 20 points. Even in their playoff loss, they held the eventual Super Bowl champions to five field goals and no touchdowns.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2002

252.8 yards per game (1st in NFL), 12.3 points per game (1st in NFL)

Most championship teams have balance. This one had defense. The 2002 Bucs ranked 24th in yards and 18th in scoring, but weak competition and a historic defense combined to help them win Super Bowl XXXVII. This unit was particularly distinguished by its exceptional pass defense, allowing only a 48.4 passer rating, with 10 TD passes and 31 interceptions. Elite CB Ronde Barber had the fewest picks among the defensive backfield, trailing Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson (3), Pro Bowler John Lynch (3), and league leader Brian Kelly (8). So would you believe the secondary may have been the weakest part of this defense?

The defensive line featured Pro Bowlers Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice, who tallied a career-high 15.5 sacks, plus Booger McFarland in his prime. In the linebacking corps, Shelton Quarles made the Pro Bowl, but the star was clearly Defensive Player of the Year Derrick Brooks. He led the team in tackles, and set single-season linebacker records for interception return yards (218) and touchdowns (4).

5. Minnesota Vikings, 1969

194.3 yards per game (1st in NFL), 9.5 points per game (1st in NFL)

It wasn't easy deciding which year should represent the great Viking defenses of the late 1960s and early 1970s. I decided on this one for the simple reason that it allowed fewer points and fewer yards than any other team in franchise history, but don't sleep on the 1970-71 teams: those were superb, historic defenses. The unit earned a pair of unusual nicknames, the Purple Gang (after a 1920s Detroit mob) and the Purple People Eaters (after the Sheb Wooley song).

This team was built around the defensive line, and in 1969, all four members were chosen to the Pro Bowl. Three defenders from this team went on to the Hall of Fame: defensive linemen Alan Page and Carl Eller, plus safety Paul Krause, who holds the all-time record for career interceptions. This team was the hardest in the league to run against (3.2 yards per carry) and to pass against (42.1 passer rating). From a purely statistical standpoint, this may appear to be the most impressive team on the list — it leads all 10 in both yards allowed and points allowed — but the late 1960s were dominated by defenses, and great as this team was, it didn't stand out the way the teams at the top of the list did. It remains a historic defense. The '69 Vikings went 12-2 and lost Super Bowl IV to the aforementioned Chiefs.

4. Baltimore Ravens, 2000

247.9 yards per game (2nd in NFL), 10.3 points per game (1st in NFL)

This franchise has produced great defenses throughout the last decade, but none better than the one that carried them to victory in Super Bowl XXXV. Their 10.3 ppg allowed is the lowest since the 1978 rule changes that opened up the passing game, and their sterling run defense yielded only 2.7 yards per rush attempt, one of the lowest marks in modern history. The 2000 Ravens forced four shutouts and held all four postseason opponents to 10 points or less, giving up only 5.75 ppg. In the Super Bowl, they allowed no offensive points, with the Giants' only touchdown coming on a kickoff return. Linebacker Ray Lewis was named Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP.

This was clearly Ray's team (and defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis'), but it began up front, with 700 pounds of defensive tackle, in the form of Tony Siragusa and Pro Bowler Sam Adams. DE Rob Burnett notched double-digit sacks and led the NFL with 5 fumble recoveries. Peter Boulware was a devastating pass rusher, and Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, starting at free safety, tallied 7 takeaways. If there's an argument against this team, it's the Tennessee Titans, who allowed fewer yards than Baltimore and edged the Ravens for the AFC Central crown.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1976

237.4 yards per game (1st in NFL), 9.9 points per game (1st in NFL)

The Steel Curtain is probably the most famous defensive unit in the history of professional football, and this was its peak. If longevity were part of the equation, it might be at the top of the list, but we're evaluating the '76 Steelers, not the Steel Curtain. This team is widely regarded as one of the best not to win a Super Bowl, sometimes even as the best team in Pittsburgh history. We can argue about that, but I doubt many would argue against this team as a truly exceptional defensive group. It boasted 8 Pro Bowlers, including future Hall of Famers Mel Blount, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, and 1976 DPOY Jack Lambert. The entire secondary was chosen to the Pro Bowl.

After a slow start, this defense went on probably the greatest run in history, posting five shutouts in the last eight games, and allowing an average of just 2.8 points during that stretch. The run defense was particularly dominant. Over the whole season, the Steelers allowed just 3.2 yards per carry, and led the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed, lowest yards/attempt, and fewest rushing TDs allowed (5). They didn't allow a run of 25 yards or more all season, in 452 attempts. Pittsburgh also led the league in fewest defensive penalty yards.

2. Chicago Bears, 1963

226.9 yards per game (1st in NFL), 10.3 points per game (1st in NFL)

No one seems to remember the 1963 Bears. They led the NFL in points allowed, yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, yards per carry allowed, passing yards allowed, interceptions, opponent's passer rating, and turnovers. They won the NFL Championship Game, intercepting Hall of Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle 5 times in a 14-10 victory. The defense featured four Hall of Famers and five Pro Bowlers. All of the starting defensive backs intercepted at least six passes.

Perhaps just as impressive as this team's across-the-board dominance was its degree of dominance. Not only did the Bears lead the league in scoring defense, they led by a huge margin of 4.4 points per game: Chicago gave up 144 points, and everyone else allowed at least 200. The Bears led the league in total defense by more than 30 yards per game. They forced 54 turnovers, which is one of the highest totals in history, in a 14-game season. They held opponents to a 34.8 passer rating. And Chicago's defense did all this without a great offense that kept opponents off the field. Even the coaches were HOF caliber: George Halas ran the show, and George Allen was defensive coordinator.

Why does this unit receive so little notoriety? (1) It lacked sustained greatness. The team was awful in '64, and overshadowed by Vince Lombardi's Packers throughout the decade. (2) This was before the Super Bowl and before extensive television coverage. (3) It didn't have star power. Four Hall of Famers on one defense is remarkable — as many as the Steel Curtain — but Doug Atkins, Joe Fortunato, Bill George, and Stan Jones aren't exactly household names. George was the one who could have been a superstar, but his eventual replacement was a guy named Dick Butkus, so George is overshadowed a little bit. It goes against conventional wisdom, but I believe this was as fine a defense as the game has ever seen.

1. Chicago Bears, 1985-86

1985: 258.4 yards per game (1st in NFL), 12.4 points per game (1st in NFL)
1986: 258.1 yards per game (1st in NFL), 11.7 points per game (1st in NFL)

There is a strong case to be made that the '85 Bears were the greatest team of all time, and their offense was merely good. Chicago could have made this list for 1984, setting a single-season record for sacks that still stands, but there's no arguing with the '85 team. More than half of the starting defense was selected to the Pro Bowl. Mike Singletary was Defensive Player of the Year, Richard Dent came up with 17 sacks and 7 forced fumbles, and the team forced a remarkable 54 turnovers. It scored five defensive touchdowns and three safeties. The '86 squad held 10 opponents to 10 points or less.

Apart from the strike-shortened 1982 season, only two teams in the decade of the 1980s yielded under 200 points: the 1985 Bears and the 1986 Bears. The two teams combined to go 29-3. The '85 team is particularly distinguished by its postseason success: shutouts in both playoff games, and a 46-10 blowout of the Patriots in Super Bowl XX. New England's starting quarterback was benched without completing a pass, and the Pats had -19 yards at halftime. The Bears forced 6 turnovers, scored a safety, and limited the Pats to 6 rushing yards, the fewest in Super Bowl history. No defense in history has so strongly distinguished itself.

Just to be clear, I'm not a Bears fan. The 1963 team was the best in the league at everything, usually by a wide margin. The 1985-86 Bears stand absolutely alone among the best defenses of the 1980s. No one else from that decade is close to them. The Ravens and Steelers were incredible, and if you want to play with the order of the top four, I really don't have a problem with that, but in examining the best defenses in history, I came to the conclusion that these were the top two. Disagree? There's a comments section below. Please understand, though, that I put a ton of research into this project, and I didn't arrive at this list lightly.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 11:01 AM | Comments (23)

Let's Keep WWE Contained in a Wrestling Ring

A friend of mine that is in his late 20s and still lives in his parents' basement told me WrestleMania was this past weekend. I'm glad he can still enjoy that. I don't mind wrestling as long as it stays in its little hole. I start growing to hate it once I start seeing movie trailers with that John Cena and when I see things like Linda McMahon running for Senate.

Senator McMahon. That is exactly what this country needs to get its citizens to take government seriously. Someone who has built a life from dressing grown men in spandex, feeding them steroids like they were Everlasting Gobstoppers, and then parading them around a ring.

Linda said she's getting into politics because "Washington is out of control" and that she has the "experience and the strength" to make the changes needed. Until we find out that the Undertaker is the true mastermind behind Al-Qaeda, I'm not so sure the WWE counts as relevant experience. I can't wait until her credentials are questioned by the media.

"Linda, how would you end the violence in the Middle East?"

Linda: "It's simple. We need to arm our soldiers with the deadliest weapon known to man, the steel-folding chair. Then, and only then, will we be able to find Osama Bin Laden and finally slam him through the Spanish announcers' table."

We have enough trouble with normal Senators interrupting the president during addresses to congress, how long would it be before Linda just pulls a Kanye West on Obama and attempts to "cut a promo" on the floor of Congress?

"Barack, here's the deal, brother. What the American people need is change and hope. Let me tell you what I'm gonna do. On July 22nd, at Summerslam, I'm going to put change and hope inside a briefcase and suspend that briefcase at the top of a cage over the ring. Then you and I will enter the cage and you can be damn sure that I'll be the one walking out of that ring with hope and change and when that happens, the first thing I'm going to do is give it to America! And that's the bottom line, 'cuz Linda McMahon said so. Wooooooooo!"

I'm not even saying professional wrestlers can't be in politics; heck, it worked for Jesse Ventura. I would even support Irwin R. Schyster in a campaign for local comptroller. I'm just saying anyone with the last name McMahon can't be in politics. Every politician has skeletons in their closet. Unlike McMahon, most of them aren't available on YouTube.

Now, that being said, I don't doubt for a second that she could put together a formidable campaign. Who wants to go toe-to-toe in a debate with a mother that has slapped her own daughter in the face on national television? Even Kate Gosselin thinks that's extreme parenting.

I just hope, if she does go through with it, that she pulls Paul Bearer out of whatever Golden Corral he's been hiding in and names him campaign manager. Maybe she can make Mean Gene Okerlund her publicist and she can run on a platform of "taking your vitamins and saying your prayers."

We have enough problems in this country as it is. Electing leaders from the professional wrestling world will only make things worse.

Despite appearances, politics is a serious business and for Linda, it's just a million-dollar dream.

Posted by Mark Chalifoux at 11:00 AM | Comments (26)