Sports Central | Articles and Columns

« March 2011 | Main | May 2011 »

April 29, 2011

Foul Territory: Top Pick, Angry Chick, Ryan's Schtick

* Veni, Vidi, Michi: I Came, I Saw, I Stabbed, or Now That A-Hole Has a "B"-Hole — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall was stabbed by his wife, Michi, during a domestic dispute last Friday in the Miami area. Marshall underwent surgery for a stab wound to the stomach, and is expected to make a full recovery. The injury was similar in nature to the "gut feeling" former Broncos coach Josh McDaniels experienced when he traded the character-challenged Marshall to Miami.

* Book of Jabs — In his new book "Play Like You Mean It," New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan blasts former Jet Kerry Rhodes and discusses the Ines Sainz and Sal Alosi tripping incidents. Ryan also responds to Tom Brady's "I hate the Jets" comments by saying the feeling is mutual. Ryan stated he is fully aware of the inflammatory nature of his statements, and said he is not concerned with his words backfiring, mainly because he doesn't mind putting a foot in his mouth.

* WTF's in a Name? — The Oakland-Alameda County Stadium will now be called Overstock.com Stadium, thanks to a $7.2 million deal with the internet retailer. Overstock.com is in the process of rebranding itself "O.co," so the stadium could possibly become O.co Stadium. It's highly unlikely the name will catch on with loyal Raiders fans, so it seems that Overstock.com is simply feeding its money into a "Black Hole."

* He Surely Won the Dawg Vote — Peyton Hillis easily outpointed Michael Vick to win the fan vote to appear on the cover of the Madden NFL '12 video game. Hillis received 66% of the votes, thanks in part to an aggressive online campaign geared toward Cleveland fans. It was likely the most complete and successful instance of "Brown-nosing" in history. Vick, who was the Madden cover boy in 2007, was gracious in defeat, and likened the experience to a stint in the slammer, saying "once is enough."

* No. 1 With a Pulpit — In Thursday's NFL draft, the Carolina Panthers selected Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, and didn't have to pay his father anything for the honor. It's a high risk/high reward pick, and the Panthers ask that you either save your applause or save the comparisons to JaMarcus Russell.

* Bland Ambition — Lee Westwood regained golf's No. 1 ranking by winning the Indonesian Masters, coupled with Luke Donald's playoff loss in The Heritage at Hilton Head Island. Donald would have jumped from No. 3 to No. 1 with a win. Instead, Westwood overtook Germany's Martin Kaymer for the top spot. Since Tiger Woods lost the top ranking in November, after holding it for 281 weeks, Westwood and Kaymer have shuffled the top spot. Woods can only sit back and enjoy, thankful that, for once, Europeans will occupy American territory, and maintain the No. 1 spot until he decides to take over. After all, there's nothing Woods likes more than "hot tail" than a warm seat.

* Jerry Curl — Cowboys Stadium will host the U.S. Women's Open of bowling in June, the first bowling event to be held in the Cowboys massive Arlington expanse. Dallas owner Jerry Jones plans to announce a sellout at any cost, and will offer free tickets in a special "Three-Finger Discount" promotion.

* "On the Floor," Quoth the Raven. "On the Floor," or, Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a "Zbi" — With a first-round knockout of Blake Warner on Saturday night, Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski improved his professional record to 4-0 as a cruiserweight, with 3 KOs. Zbikowski thanked Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Mark Gastineau for graciously showing NFL players-turned-boxers how not to do it.

* Misogyny-cidal Squeeze Play, or Bosom Baddie — Albert Haynesworth was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor sexual abuse for allegedly grabbing the breast of his server in a Washington hotel restaurant. Evidence shows that Haynesworth placed a credit card in the woman's blouse and fondled her breast. Much to Haynesworth's surprise, he was "charged" and "declined." Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan expressed disappointment, that Haynesworth failed to display that kind of aggressiveness last year on the field.

* Bronx "Bomb" Threat — Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes' Monday bullpen session ended early after he suffered a "setback" after throwing approximately 20 pitches. Hughes, who won 18 games last year, has suffered a dramatic loss of velocity and arm inflammation. On the bright side, Hughes' off-speed repertoire has vastly improved, and with a little luck, he may have an arm surgery named after him.

* Jive Turkey, or Public Enemy No. 1, At Least to People in Clinton, Iowa Who Like Fried Chicken — Flav's Fried Chicken, a restaurant in Clinton, Iowa founded by rapper and reality show goof Flava Flav, closed on Sunday, just four months after opening, after a dispute between Flav and restaurant manager Nick Cimino. Some former employees had complained that they were not paid, and Cimino reportedly taunted many by wearing a time clock around his neck.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 6:17 PM | Comments (0)

Sports Q&A: Liar, Liar, Sweater Vest on Fire

The NCAA sent Ohio State a "notice of allegations" accusing head football coach Jim Tressel of withholding information and lying in order to keep players on the field, although he knew they had accepted improper benefits from the owner of a tattoo parlor. Is this the beginning of the end for the Buckeyes' successful coach?

It can never be a good sign when a university is presented with an NCAA report detailing numerous potential violations. It's an even worse sign when those violations appear in conjunction with the words "owner of a tattoo parlor." Now, ironically, it seems that the most unsavory character in this mess is not the tattoo parlor owner, Eddie Rife, but Tressel himself. And, like tattoos, these allegations won't go away.

In their report, the NCAA accused Tressel of failing to "deport himself ... [with] honesty and integrity." Obviously, the NCAA chose its wording very carefully, and cleverly. Is the phrase "deport himself" a not-to-subtle plea for Tressel to resign? And "honesty and integrity?" Tressel was probably pleased to see those words mentioned along with his own name. But in his rose-colored view of the situation, he refuses to see the "without" or "lacking" that, as we've all become accustomed to with Tressel, appear before "honesty and integrity."

Tressel found out in April of 2010, in an e-mail from lawyer and former Buckeye walk-on Christopher Cicero, that a federal raid on Rife's house turned up a wealth of Ohio State memorabilia, including autographed jerseys, cleats, pants, and helmets, not to mention a signed copy of Woody Hayes' autobiography, "Smack Talk." Okay, there was no Hayes book found, but you can best believe if this would have happened under Hayes' watch, somebody would have been punched, whether a tattoo parlor owner, nosy investigator, or a Clemson player.

Anyway, it's probably not the first time a raid on a tattoo parlor owner's house turned up worthless junk, but in this case, it was junk useful in an NCAA investigation. Tressel, of course, knew this was trouble, yet he failed to notify athletic director Gene Smith, OSU president Gordon Gee, the NCAA compliance department, or anyone in the school's legal department. Instead, the cover-up began.

It would have been one thing had someone stumbled upon Rife's stash and informed Tressel of the memorabilia. A little dishonesty in this situation would have been understood. College athletics are built on white lies. You've heard of recruiting pitches, right? A stern reprimanded to his players, and a nifty payoff to Rife, sweetened with some hush money, and Tressel would have had the problem solved. It's not so simple when the memorabilia is discovered in a federal raid. The feds don't raid a house because they suspect a signed Terrelle Pryor jersey is lurking inside. No, it takes much more, like the suspicion of drugs, guns, and/or prostitution, all of which can often be found in or near the houses of most tattoo parlor owners.

Instead, Tressel forwarded Cicero's e-mail to Ted Sarniak, a businessman and friend and mentor to Pryor, which, by association, makes Sarniak's role as "businessman" seem a bit shady. Over the course of a few months, Tressel had numerous email and phone conversations with Cicero and Sarniak, and while only they know exactly what words were spoken, you can best believe that coming clean to the school or the NCAA was not discussed. Funny thing is, Cicero and Sarniak may be the only two people to which Tressel has spoken the truth.

Then, in September 2010, Tressel signed and dated an Ohio State compliance form indicating that he was not aware of any NCAA violations. A signed compliance form? Apparently, that's not worth much to Tressel, but I bet it would serve as quite a bargaining chip in a tattoo parlor. Reportedly, Tressel stopped using mirrors after submitting this document. In any case, it was another opportunity for Tressel to come clean, and another that he passed on.

And this point, there was no turning back for Tressel.

Then, in December, the bottom started to fall out when the U.S. Attorney told OSU that it had uncovered the memorabilia. Surely, an incredulous Tressel replied "What memorabilia?" to this development. Of course, it's easy to "play dumb" when you've "been dumb." After a cursory, Barney Fife-thorough investigation of the matter, the university discovered the players' connection to Rife, but found nothing on Tressel. Hmmm. Something is rotten in Columbus, and they could even smell it in Denmark.

The five players involved were suspended for five games, starting with the 2011 season opener, but were allowed to play in the Buckeyes next game, the Sugar Bowl against Arkansas. Ohio State, with a full complement of players, won that game 31-26, and to celebrate, some players curiously slapped wrists instead of slapping hands. That's what the Ohio State football program has become — even when they are handing out punishment, it seems suspicious.

Tressel looked to be in the clear. That is, until OSU decided to appeal the players' suspensions. That's when, remarkably, and as the result of what was likely the easiest NCAA investigation in history, the communications between Tressel, Cicero, and Sarniak were found. Tressel was given a five-game suspension and fined $250,000, or roughly $10,000 for every lie and $5,000 for every half-truth.

Where does this leave Tressel? Firmly in the NCAA's doghouse and owner of a tarnished legacy. Should he retire? Yes, but not until he has a clear understanding of the difference between "volition" and "violation." There is really nothing Tressel can say, short of "I resign," that would right his many wrongs. Just as his sweater vest has no arms, his excuses and explanations have no legs.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 12:55 PM | Comments (4)

April 28, 2011

2011 NHL Conference Semifinals Preview

The opening round of the NHL playoffs saw only one sweep, four seven-game series, 11 overtime matches, and three double overtime matches. With the exception of Phoenix failing to show up at all, it was a really solid first round of hockey.

Also, with the exception of Phoenix not showing up for the first round, I had a pretty solid round of hockey predictions in the opening round, pegging the winners in seven out of eight series and nailing four series with the correct number of games, as well.

So what's on for the next round?

Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators

The Canucks were battle-tested, without a doubt. They had four games to eliminate the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks. In their first two tries, they lost by five goals both times. In their third, they lost in overtime and in their fourth and final try, facing elimination themselves, they figured it out, winning in overtime.

So what did we learn about the Canucks in the first round? The Sedin twins are not a sure bet. In the first and last game of the series, both of which were won by the Canucks, the Sedin twins had no goals and no assists. If the Canucks want to show they aren't cursed by the President's Trophy, the Sedins need to pick it up. They performed well in Games 2 and 3, won by the Canucks, but two solid performances out of seven from your best two players is not enough to continue winning in the playoffs.

Also, Robert Luongo is completely unpredictable. He blanked the Blackhawks in Game 1 and was stellar in Game 7, but in between was a mess. I think the Canucks pulled him too late in Games 4 and 5. Letting him play into the third period in Game 4 was unnecessary. He needed to regain some mental focus and while obviously sitting a goalie on the bench is hard on them mentally, so is allowing 6 goals. In hindsight, Luongo should have been pulled after the Blackhawks' third goal in Game 4, scored a whole 17 seconds after the Blackhawks' second goal.

After some solid rest and a flight back to Vancouver, Luongo could have regrouped and won the series for them at home without another trip to Chicago and back. Instead, in Game 5 Luongo let in 4 goals in less than 22 minutes at home and got benched again.

The Canucks need the Sedin twins and the need Luongo to start fresh. If Luongo can build on a brilliant Game 7, and the Sedins can put some goals in the net, the Canucks could get off to another fast start against the Predators. Winning the first two games at home would be advisable against the Predators, whose series win against the Anaheim Ducks in the opening round was the first playoff series win in franchise history.

It should also be noted that the Predators scored 3 goals or more in every single game of their series with the Ducks. Shutting them down in Game 1 might break their spirits enough to win the series.

Canucks in 6

San Jose Sharks vs. Detroit Red Wings

The Coyotes looked terrible against the Red Wings, but that's not to say that the Red Wings didn't look great. Even without Henrik Zetterberg, the Wings played team hockey, seeing all but three of its players score a goal or record an assist in only four games of play. The only question mark I see at the moment for the Wings is goaltender Jimmy Howard. Don't get me wrong, he is a solid goalie, but he only has one post season under his belt (in which he went 5-7). The series against Phoenix should certainly help his confidence, but this postseason is shaping up rather similarly to last season.

What happened last post season? The Wings got behind three games to none as Howard allowed four goals in each of the first three games. Then the Wings exploded for a 7-1 victory and lost in San Jose two days later.

The Sharks goaltending is also a question mark. Antti Niemi let way too many goals in against the Kings. The Sharks should have a shorter hook this time round for Niemi and allow backup Antero Niittymaki a chance to stop a few pucks before the game is out of hand.

What will happen this season? Howard and the Wings will have more than one day of rest between finishing off Phoenix and facing the Sharks, but don't expect things to turn out too differently. I think the Wings will win one in San Jose this year, but it will only prolong the inevitable, a San Jose victory in San Jose.

Sharks in 7

Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Capitals looked solid in their opening series, most impressively on defense. Michal Neuvirth has been spectacular between the pipes, allowing only 8 goals in five games.

On offense, Alex Ovechkin tallied 3 goals and 3 assists in five games and looks to be ready to lead the Caps through the playoffs.

It felt like the Lightning were playing from behind all series against the Penguins. However, after losing Game 4 in double overtime, and going down three games to one in the series, the Lightning battled back, winning impressively in Game 5, winning solidly in Game 6, and shutting out the Penguins 1-0 in Game 7. The Lightning proved in their opening series that they can battle adversity and win with their backs against the wall, even on the road.

The Capitals have the rest advantage, but the Lightning have the momentum, seeing as they've won three straight, two of which were on the road.

The Capitals need to shut down the Lightning early and you can count on Neuvirth to do just that. An opening series shutout will lead the way to the Capitals moving on.

Capitals in 6

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins

Last year's version of the playoffs had the Flyers come back against the Bruins after being down 3-0 in two separate ways. Firstly, the Bruins won the first three games of the series. Secondly, they went up 3-0 in Game 7 only to lose that, as well.

This year's version won't be quite that dramatic. The Flyers have the home ice this time around, so falling into a 3-0 hole is unlikely. Last season and in the opening round this season, the Flyers simply have found a way to win. With three goalies to choose from, it doesn't seem to matter who is between the pipes. A good or bad performance can come instantaneously from any of Philadelphia's three options at goalie and the rest of the team doesn't seem to notice. They just play hockey.

This season, the Bruins are the antithesis of the Flyers at goalie with the consistency of Tim Thomas always there to make them feel comfortable. But Thomas didn't play in last season's meeting of the Bruins and Flyers. If he had, I think the outcome may have been different.

Expect a different outcome this time around, as well. I think we'll see a lot of back and forth in the series with the series being tied after two games, four games, and six games without any blowouts.

Bruins in 7

Posted by Andrew Jones at 3:25 PM | Comments (2)

Andy Murray's Coaching Dilemma

Since Andy Murray reached the 2011 Australian Open final, he has been having a nightmare season. He was ousted from the three tournaments he played after the Australian Open in his first matches at each of them. This dismal run led to Murray parting ways with his coach, Alex Corretja, after the Masters 1000 event in Miami. Now the 23-year-old Scotsman is searching for a new coach.

In the meantime, Murray has been working with the well-respected coaches Darren Cahill and Sven Groeneveld. It's hard to gauge whether Cahill and Groeneveld have had an effect on Murray, or whether it was just the fresh start on a new surface, but Murray regained the kind of form he has become known for during the Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo. The Scot went as far as one would expect him to get given that he came up against the clay-court master, Rafael Nadal, in the semifinals. Nadal reached the final, but not before Murray gave him a scare by taking the first set.

Ideally, given the reputation of Cahill and Groeneveld and the immediate impact they have had on Murray, he would probably like to keep hold of them, but given other engagements, it is only a temporary measure.

The likes of Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors have expressed their interest in coaching the world No. 4. Murray, however, has stated that he isn't just looking for a big name. Having visited WBA heavyweight boxing champion David Haye at his training camp, he realized that it is all about having a coach that he feels comfortable with and a relationship exists where ideas can be freely traded. Haye's trainer is Adam Booth, who had never trained anyone before Haye, so it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Murray will opt for a complete unknown.

The big problem for Murray, however, isn't so much about improving his play (though after watching some footage of himself he has admitted that he can't believe some of the mistakes he makes) as it is about being mentally prepared. Having reached three major finals, his ability isn't in question, but the fact that he has failed to win a set in any of the major finals is somewhat alarming. And perhaps more alarming is that he played below-par tennis in all of the finals.

How can someone play so well in the lead up to the final and then crumble in the final? Surely it is a problem between the ears. Maybe Murray has already been to see a sports psychologist, but if not, then I suggest that it is time to do so.

The same could be said of women's world No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, who recently lost to Julia Görges in Stuttgart. On paper, the final should have been a breeze for Wozniacki, but was way below-par. Wozniacki has reached one major finals and though she put up a brave fight, she succumbed to the vastly experienced Clijsters. There, quite possibly, is the secret to success. Experience.

Wozniacki is reportedly after Martina Navratilova to consult with her, whilst still keeping her father as her coach. Listening to multiple slam winners like Navratilova, Jimmy Connors, or Ivan Lendl will almost certainly be beneficial. They have been there and done it, but sometimes it can be a bit easy to rely on coaches and blame them when things start to go awry. When it comes time to play, it is the player that matters and they can only reach the top and win major titles by learning from past experiences. Very few are good enough or mature enough to win slams at the start of their careers.

Posted by Luke Broadbent at 1:49 PM | Comments (3)

April 27, 2011

2011 NFL Mock Draft Competition

In the season of mock drafts, frankly they can all run together. Although there are thousands of schlubs like me guessing what will happen on Thursday night, only a small percentage of writers actually talk to anybody involved, and most of them are being used, misled, and outright lied to. Then everybody reads everybody else's mocks, and picks and chooses the reports they want to believe.

The result is a massive case of groupthink, the artificial setting of "value" for each of the available prospects, and a journey farther and farther away from the only things that really count — how the players performed in college, how they project to play in the NFL system in which they will be drafted, the existing rosters and contracts on each team, and the history of the decision makers involved.

Every year, I take a selection of "professional" mock drafts and score them as follows: player/team/draft position all correct = 3 points; team/player = 1 point; player/draft position = 0.5 points; highest point total wins.

To put it gently, most of the "professionals" aren't very good at this. While Mel Kiper, Jr. took last year's title, he finished ninth in 2009 as Mike Mayock took the crown. Mike Lombardi, though a very good reporter, has finished last each of the past two years. Peter King, the master of MMQB, finished a "career-best" third last year after finishing seventh the year before. Todd McShay and his Scouts, Inc. cohorts finished 10th last year. The CBS Sports guys are terrible (Rob Rang excepted). And I always — ALWAYS — beat SC's own Matt Thomas.

So keep that in mind as you check around these things this week. The guys with the big checks may not be the guys with the best mocks. Come back here next week to see who did best. I'll post the results in the comments section.

1. Carolina Panthers — Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

Does Newton carry red flags? No doubt. But when people only pay attention to the red flags, they miss the real story — this kid can play. In his only two seasons of being a starting quarterback, at Blinn College and Auburn, his team won the national championship. In his only season at Auburn, he adapted to a new system run by offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to become the first SEC player to ever throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. In 2009, he was a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American. In 2010, he won the Heisman. He's 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds and runs a 4.56 40. He's got a cannon for an arm. He commands the huddle and is a leader in the locker room. He knows how to handle adversity (and then some) and is an engaging enough personality to be the face of a franchise.

Now tell me which of these things wouldn't instantly make the Panthers a more competitive and compelling franchise.

2. Denver Broncos — Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama

The Broncos are moving to a 4-3 defense, and the other top two defensive linemen at the beginning of draft season, Nick Fairley and Da'Quan Bowers, have more red flags than a 1965 Soviet military parade. Dareus is a beast on the field and doesn't carry the risk off it.

3. Buffalo Bills — Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

People expected so little out of Ryan Fitzpatrick that his 57 percent completion rate, 23 TDs and 15 INTs actually seemed respectable. It wasn't. The Bills have to develop a stud behind center if they ever hope to climb the AFC East ladder. After taking speed back C.J. Spiller at number 9 last year, I'm guessing Buddy Nix can talk himself into the ideally-built QB prospect Gabbert.

A note here on "reporting": not a single person in last year's mock competition had the Bills with Spiller. Most (myself included) had Iowa OT Bryan Bulaga, with a few picks for Tennessee DT Dan Williams. Nix knows how to put up a smoke screen, so don't take the complete lack of connection between Buffalo and Gabbert as a sign that they're not interested.

4. Bengals — Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

Here's where we start to go our own way. Does Fairley have all kinds of character concerns? Absolutely. But not even Al Davis loves ultra-talented guys with character flags more than Bengals boss Mike Brown. Fairley brings a special kind of nasty to the interior defense, and while all these Albert Haynesworth comparisons are supposed to be bad, remember there was a reason the Redskins gave Haynesworth all that money — dude can dominate in the middle.

5. Cardinals — Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

Remember Aaron Curry a few years ago coming out of Wake Forest? He was the last "can't-miss" linebacker, and though he hasn't been a full-on bust, his impact in Seattle hasn't exactly been transformational. Miller is small and his reputation is based on doing one thing (rushing the passer) extremely well. Still, the Cards are in need of defensive playmakers, and Miller's speed off the edge could prove very useful in a division with relatively immobile quarterbacks.

6. Browns — A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

With Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie and Joshua Cribbs, the Browns are not without talent at receiver. But they need a true number one in order to make everything else fall in place. Enter Green, the most polished receiver to enter the draft since Calvin Johnson in 2007.

7. 49ers — Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

No need to over think this. Peterson has incredible physical skills, and the 49ers need to improve their secondary. Match made in heaven.

8. Titans — Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

This team was so desperate for playmakers last year, they signed the corpse of Randy Moss. Jones is a super stud on the outside and could finally give the Titans some stability in the pass game so defenses can't just stack up on Chris Johnson. Plus, it's only a matter of time before Kenny Britt pulls a Pacman Jones and gets himself suspended for a year, so it's best to be prepared.

9. Cowboys — Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

Only three teams allowed opposing quarterbacks a higher QB rating than did the 2010 Cowboys. The best case scenario here is that Amukamara lights a fire under Mike Jenkins, who was garbage last year, while allowing new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to float Terence Newman as a nickel corner.

10. Redskins — Jake Locker, QB, Washington

Mike Shanahan has to have a mobile quarterback to run his offense. Locker gets killed for his completion percentage in college, but he has the best athletic skills this side of Cam Newton, and Shanahan didn't exactly mind taking Jay Cutler's 57% college completion percentage back in 2006 (Locker is at 54%).

11. Texans — Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

When you're building a 3-4 defense, you have to have a nose tackle to control the middle of the line and outside linebackers who can create pressure. Since there's no B.J. Raji-type nose to build around, the Texans take Quinn and his elite athleticism in hopes he becomes their own version of DeMarcus Ware.

12. Vikings — Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois

After being one of the best run defenses in football for years, the Vikings slipped a bit last year, allowing over 100 rush yards per game to opposing offenses for the first time since 2005. Now Ray Edwards is a free agent who will likely get a monster deal elsewhere, and Pat Williams is a 38-year-old free agent. The Vikings spent a second-round pick on defensive end Everson Griffen last year, so this year they fortify the interior with the powerful Liuget.

13. Lions — Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

The Lions keep being connected to Clemson DE Da'Quan Bowers, but pressure on opposing quarterbacks wasn't the problem in 2010. Detroit had 44 sacks last year, sixth most in the NFL and just four back of the NFL-leading Steelers. The problem was their inability to cover on the outside (Alphonso Smith anyone?). If you have any hopes of competing with the Packers in the North, you have to be able to cover. Jimmy Smith bring the same kind of aggression to the secondary that Ndamukong Suh did to the front.

14. Rams — Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

The Rams need to come out of this draft with upgrades at wide receiver and safety. Unfortunately, those are two areas where there is no value at this point of the first round. The best case for Billy Devaney is the Rams find a way to move back. But, barring that, Bowers has the highest upside of anybody on the board and the Rams have the luxury of giving him the time to fully recover from his knee injury.

15. Dolphins — Mike Pouncey, C, Florida

Before the Dolphins go drafting a new running back or giving up on Chad Henne, they should really try to fix the root of their issues — the interior of their offensive line. When you're playing against three other teams in your division that run a 3-4 with very good nose tackles, you need a center and guards who can open up the middle because you won't be able to beat them to the outside. There is still debate over whether Pouncey will be a top-line NFL center, but I've not heard anybody question whether he will be a very good guard. That's a start.

16. Jaguars — Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA

There are some strong d-line prospects available, but after taking linemen with their first four picks last year, it's time to build up the LB corps. Ayers is to linebackers what 2010 first-rounder Tyson Alualu was to defensive linemen — unspectacular, but somebody you can trust to step on the field every week and do his job. That's saying a lot compared to some of the Jags' recent defensive starters (Justin Durant).

17. New England Patriots — Tyron Smith, OT, USC

If Matt Light comes back at the Patriots' price, Smith gets to provide insurance while learning from one of the best offensive line coaches alive in Dante Scarnecchia. If Light leaves, Sebastian Vollmer moves from right tackle to the left side and Smith competes with Nick Kaczur (assuming he's healthy) and Mark LeVoir to start on the right side. Either way, this is great value and the Pats make a long-term investment in Tom Brady's wellbeing. Win Belichick.

18. San Diego Chargers — J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin

The Chargers had 47 sacks last year, ranked fourth overall in rush defense and first overall in pass defense. Still, defensive end Jacques Cesaire is a free agent and reports are that GM A.J. Smith isn't super eager to bring him back. Enter his replacement in the relentless Watt.

19. New York Giants — Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

This couldn't have worked out any better for the Giants. Need, meet opportunity.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin

Despite the strong season in 2010, the Bucs still have a lot of holes to fill before they can expect to be looking down on the Saints and Falcons in the NFC South. With his strength, intelligence, motor and personality, Carimi fits what GM Mark Dominik and head coach Raheem Morris are building.

21. Kansas City Chiefs — Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri

It will be hard for Scott Pioli to top his 2010 draft class, but the in-state Smith is a great start. Smith will take a bit to transition into a 3-4 OLB you can rally trust, but with Mike Vrabel still around, defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel can use Smith's raw athleticism early without over-exposing him as he learns the finer points of the position.

22. Indianapolis Colts — Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

For all the accolades about the Colts' strong drafting, they've come out of the past few drafts with very little out of their top picks. This year, Indianapolis has to find a way to reinforce their pass protection, and their run game. You could make a case here for Alabama's Mark Ingram, but there's a lot of depth at RB in this class. There isn't at OT, so Solder is the pick.

23. Philadelphia Eagles — Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

Okay, hear me out.

As it stands, the Eagles have Mike Vick on a franchise tender, plus Kevin Kolb in the last year of his rookie deal. Say they play this year out with those two, plus 2010 fourth-rounder Mike Kafka. Now going into 2012, they have an unrestricted Vick, an unrestricted Kolb, and Kafka, meaning they are guaranteed to lose either Vick or Kolb for no compensation (save a compensatory pick), forcing them into giving a long-term deal (or another franchise tender if still available under the new CBA) to Vick, who will be 31 and injury prone, or Kolb, who has never proven himself worth a long-term deal. And then they have Kafka as their only back-up with system experience.

But, if they take Mallett here, that leaves them free to flip Kolb for at least a second, if not a first-round pick in the 2012 draft, and gives them cover if the new CBA forbids a player from being franchised two years in a row and/or Vick breaks down from the beating he will take in 2011. So in 2011, they have Vick/Kafka/Mallett, and the guarantee that their worst-case scenario in 2012 is Mallett with a year of experience in their system. Plus, it gives them leverage in the Vick negotiations (ala the Packers with Brett Favre when Ted Thompson knew he had Aaron Rodgers in his back pocket).

You have to admit — that's not entirely unreasonable.

24. New Orleans Saints — Cameron Jordan, DE, California

The Saints don't have a real glaring weakness on their roster, save maybe at safety where Darren Sharper got abused by the Seahawks in the Wild Card round. Still, this is too early for Rahim Moore, so give defensive coordinator Gregg Williams another explosive pass rusher with which to terrorize opposing quarterbacks.

25. Seattle Seahawks — Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor

Despite their division championship in 2010, this is still a 7-9 team with some major holes. With new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell coming over from Minnesota's run-first offense, it's a good bet the Seahawks will be looking to bolster the interior of their offensive line. As a 26-year-old who started every game during his tenure at Baylor, Watkins can step into the starting line up from day one.

26. Baltimore Ravens — Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

The Ravens don't ask their outside linebackers for much — just kill the quarterback. With his combination of speed, strength, instinct, and attitude, Kerrigan is well suited for the job.

27. Atlanta Falcons — Brandon Harris, CB, Miami

In their beatdown by the Packers in the playoffs last year, Aaron Rodgers shredded the Falcons to the tune of an 86% completion rate (31-of-36) for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns. Drew Brees averaged nearly 350 yards per contest in their two games last year. Carson Palmer threw for 412 yards and 3 TD. Kevin Kolb threw for 326 yards and 3 TD. So, yeah, I'd say they could probably use some help in the secondary.

28. New England Patriots — Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, Temple

There's virtually no chance the Patriots hold on to this pick, but I don't predict trades, so here we are. At 17, Wilkerson would have been a good pick. At 28, he's an incredible pick.

29. Chicago Bears — Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State

Ideally, the Bears move up for one of the better offensive tackles to protect Jay Cutler's ego. But without a move up, the best available OT is Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod and that guy has bust written all over him. Paea is a bit of a reach in the first round, but he is a beast on the defensive line who set the all-time record for the bench press at the combine. He's just a Bears defense kind of guy, if that makes any sense.

30. New York Jets — Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

Couldn't you just see Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum sitting there, thinking, "Man, we can get a Heisman-winning running back that Belichick loves and run his ass against them twice a year? Hell yeah."

(That, and LT is washed up and Shonn Greene has more fumbles than touchdowns in two years.)

31. Pittsburgh Steelers — Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia

Pittsburgh has a variety of options with some good defensive front seven prospects still on the board. You could see them picking somebody like Arizona DE Brooks Reed and putting him into the OLB developmental program that produced James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons. Still, with memories of Aaron Rodgers' Super Bowl MVP performance fresh on their minds, my bet is they go for the immediate upgrade at corner. Dowling has the best combination of instincts and physicality on the board.

32. Green Bay Packers — Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor

You can't teach size, and Taylor would provide good depth behind B.J. Raji at nose. And because the Packers won't be counting on Taylor to step in and start, they can take a tough line with him if he doesn't adapt to the rigors of being a pro. He'll have to earn his snaps, and that's the best thing for a guy with weight and work ethic questions.

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 7:13 PM | Comments (2)

Requiem For a Redemption

We all know about those teams in sports that just don't get the job done. They have the talent to make deep runs in their respective postseasons, but they struggle. They flounder. They disappoint. These are the underachieving teams of professional athletics.

In recent history, this label clouded that names of organizations such as the Washington Capitals in hockey, the Dallas Cowboys in football, and the New York Mets in baseball. And, true to form, there's a squad playing under the same name this month.

While most would point to the Dallas Mavericks, I'm not headed down that road. Sure, they've never been "right" since losing the 2006 NBA Finals. The loss in the first round of the 2007 playoffs to eighth-seeded Golden State definitely left a terrible taste in their mouths. The fact that this organization has won only one postseason series since June of '06 is very troubling. But these guys aren't the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks have been a franchise of "possibly"s and "could've been"s since losing in the Division Finals of the 1969-1970 season, when the Association consisted of 14 teams. From 1978 to 1999, Atlanta qualified for the second season all but four years. Unfortunately, those teams (usually led by Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins) ran into foes including the '80s Celtics, "Bad Boy" Pistons, Shaq-led Magic, Patrick Ewing-anchored Knicks, and '90s Bulls.

Post-2000, the Hawks needed to rebuild. After missing the playoffs in eight straight campaigns, Atlanta made it back in 2008. The young team consisted of fourth-year forward Josh Smith, third-year swingman Marvin Williams, and rookie center Al Horford. With veterans Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby settling the backcourt, the eighth-seed faced a Boston squad that finished with the best record in the league. In a surprising twist, the 66-16 Celtics needed a seventh-game beatdown to dispatch the 37-45 Hawks.

A 10-game improvement in the win column left Atlanta as a four-seed in the 2008-2009 postseason. That left them to battle it out with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in another seven-game tussle. This time, A-Town came out on top. Their reward: seven scheduled dates with LeBron James. The Cavs only needed four double-digit victories to easily dispatch their opponents. Sure, Atlanta was soundly crushed (lost by 18 ppg), but it was a step forward.

More hope and hype followed after they secured their first 50-plus win season since 1997-1998. The 2010 version of this squad looked to possibly reach that Conference Finals plateau for the first time in 40 years. But a hiccup came along in the form of the Milwaukee Bucks. No, the Bucks didn't beat Atlanta. They just made the Hawks appear extremely suspect in a full seven-game tilt. The Hawks needed to win Games 6 and 7 just to reach the place they had been only a year before.

The suspect feeling turned into a collapse that dwarfed last Winter's Metrodome roof fiasco. Orlando was merciless in a four-game sweep of their division rival. The beating was even worse than it was against Cleveland in '09 (the Hawks lost by an average of 25.25 ppg).

Tail squarely between their legs, the Hawks shuffled back to Atlanta, fired head coach Mike Woodson, and began to regroup. Now, a year later, and with Larry Drew running the ship, Atlanta finds themselves face-to-face with the same rival that thrashed them so thoroughly last season. And yeah, you can say that Orlando is different, due to the blockbuster trade that reconfigured that team back in December.

However, despite a blowout Tuesday night, the Hawks still lead the best-of-seven 3 games to 2. And it's not the fact that Atlanta's leading a first round series. We've seen that. It's the way they're leading it. After getting their lunch handed to them last year, this incarnation of the Hawks has more life, spirit, and poise. These attributes helped rattle the Magic's outside shooting in the first four contests of this series and put them on the brink of a third-straight Conference Semifinal.

All this is good in the "Dirty Dirty," but can it lead to something bigger? Can it be the start of a level not seen in a generation? If the Hawks can banish their 2010 demons to the nether regions, there could be an advantage heading into a series with top-seeded Chicago. The major pieces of the 2009 Cavs and the Magic 2010 had played together on deep playoff runs. These Bulls haven't had much postseason success as a unit. The way Indiana battled Chicago should expose some flaws for the rest of the conference contenders to attack.

Atlanta has the length, size, talent, and experience to not only bother, but defeat the Bulls. And I believe that after the Hawks redeem themselves on Thursday night, they'll redeem their franchise's history (a little) with a six-game shocker over the Bulls. For the team that can't quite climb the cliff, the would be as good a time as any to find that next foothold.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 6:48 PM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2011

Sabermetricians: Help!

I like sports statistics. They are a fantastic resource for fans. Properly used, stats help us understand what's happening and deepen our appreciation of the game. Statistics are very seldom the end of the argument, but they are often a good beginning.

Baseball, over the last 10 or 20 years, has seen a revolution of advanced statistics. For all that we still talk about batting average and RBI and pitching wins, we also have DIPS and WAR and OPS+ and UZR. Joe Posnanski recently wrote a clever piece trying to explain a little about UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating), a highly-regarded advanced fielding stat. The sabermetric community needs more of that. There are still far too many fans who are intimidated by VORP or don't understand BABIP, and until that changes, most fans and analysts will still rely on batting average and pitching wins.

Fifty homers, 200 hits, .300 average, 20 wins ... everyone knows what these numbers mean. The new stats have the potential to tell us far more, and to help us compare players in different parks and different eras and at different positions. If you're a baseball fan, that's got to be exciting. But everyone knows what batting average and ERA are measuring, and why those are useful stats. Most fans don't understand the new stats, and they're understandably wary of them. It's in everyone's best interest for that to change. Folks who rely on the traditional stats can use OPS+ and FIP to improve their understanding of the game. Stat geeks can stop wringing their hands about whether Tim Raines will ever get the respect he deserves.

I'm not a sabermetrician. I don't have a degree in math or statistics. And honestly, I don't know where some of these new statistics come from. I want to like these statistics. Combining defensive performance into a single number like UZR does, that's an immensely useful tool for fans and managers. Combining batting performance, like OPS+, or batting and fielding, like WAR — if we can have faith in those numbers, it opens up realms of objective analysis our parents never dreamed of. But right now, most fans don't have faith in the numbers. It sometimes seems like they're being shoved down our throats by those who are unwilling or unable to explain how they work and why we should trust them. Some sabermetricians come across like emo kids and indie snobs, jealously guarding their wisdom from mainstream acceptance, lest their "special" knowledge become commonplace.

Here are four questions I think the statheads should answer if they want the rest of us to switch from RBI to WAR.

Why is WAR better than Win Shares?

All but the most cynical of fans acknowledge that Bill James has contributed important things to baseball ("I made baseball as much fun as doing your taxes!"), and his work is more widely known than that of guys with weird names like Tom Tango and Voros McCracken. About a decade ago, James introduced a statistic called Win Shares, an all-in-one number that rates a player's performance as a single integer. Calculating Win Shares is not easy, but there are websites that will do it for you, and the results are easy to understand. A Win Share is equal to one-third of a win for your team, and 30 Win Shares is an MVP-quality season. Lots of people read Bill James, and lots of people know about Win Shares.

But most statheads today prefer Wins Above Replacement (WAR). James, when he unleashed Win Shares upon the public, made a pretty compelling case for the system, its analysis of fielding statistics in particular. James writes about the "false normalization of fielding statistics", so that a bad team's fielding often appears to be better than a good team's fielding. If we're measuring range by stats like putouts, both the good team and the bad will only have 27 per game. If we're using assists, bad teams may actually have more, because they allow more baserunners.

There are multiple calculations for WAR, but the most prominent are from Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs. Baseball-Reference uses a statistic called Total Zone for its defensive ratings in WAR. In 2010, according to Total Zone, the best fielding team in the American League, by far, was the Seattle Mariners, who had the worst record in the league. Second-best was the A's, who were a .500 team. Third was Cleveland, which lost 93 games. Only one playoff team, the Tampa Bay Rays, actually was better than league average. The Central champion Twins, according to this system, were very nearly the worst fielding team in the AL. I'm not saying that's wrong, but it seems strange. The Mariners lost 101 games despite having the best fielders in the league? The Twins and White Sox had the best records in the Central despite being the worst fielders? Really?

What makes WAR a better all-in-one stat than Win Shares? I don't mean to imply that it isn't better — it probably is — but I've never, ever, seen anyone explain why.

Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs WAR sometimes differ hugely for the same player. What gives?

Ichiro Suzuki was selected as AL MVP in 2001, his first year in the majors. Baseball-Reference credited him with 7.6 Wins Above Replacement, FanGraphs with only 6.1. That's a 25% difference, a huge gap. In 2005, Baseball-Reference saw Ichiro with 4.7 WAR, FanGraphs with only 3.2. That's almost a 50% difference. The next year, tables turned: BR 4.2, FG 5.5. It's not just Ichiro. We could play this same game with Alex Rodriguez (2000, '02, '03, '10) or Derek Jeter ('98, '02, '10) or dozens of other players. Here's Chase Utley:

Utley has played six full seasons (2005-10). These two systems show a difference of at least one full win in four of those six years, and the difference is 0.9 in one of the others. Are Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs even watching the same game? Last year, FanGraphs saw Josh Hamilton as the runaway AL MVP, with 8.0 WAR, no one else over 7. Baseball-Reference preferred Evan Longoria (7.7), with Robinson Cano a distant second (6.1) and Hamilton tied for third (6.0).

When these systems produce such wildly disparate results, how can we take them both seriously? Obviously someone is wrong. Why should we trust these numbers?

Is there a middle ground between fielding percentage and UZR?

It seems to me that all our fielding statistics are either overly simplistic (fielding percentage, errors, putouts, assists) or too arcane (UZR, Win Shares, Dewan plus/minus). Sometimes you have to sacrifice precision for simplicity and accessibility. That's part of why OPS is becoming widely accepted and wOBA is not. The formula for OPS is easy to understand, and you don't need a math degree to calculate it. OPS is not perfect. It underrates the importance of OBP, it's not park-adjusted, it doesn't include stolen bases, and so on. It's still a pretty good stat. The day television announcers tell us everyone's OPS when they come to bat, I'm throwing a party.

OPS is accessible — a lot of people use OPS, and it's not just statheads. All you do is add OBP and slugging percentage. Addition: nothing hard about that. And while on-base percentage and slugging aren't the most popular stats out there, they're widely recognized even by fans who prefer traditional statistics. Add them together and you have OPS, a single number that usually gives a fair indication of a hitter's efficiency.

Fielding needs a stat like that, something people can figure out in their living rooms. Plus/minus and UZR are accurate and useful because they're derived from an incredible amount of film study, an amount no fan could hope to do. We need stats like that, too, but surely there's some kind of middle ground. Is there a defensive equivalent to OPS? Something that may not be perfectly accurate, but is easy to understand and can help us evaluate fielders in a way that makes sense?

What pitching statistic(s) should we use?

A few years ago, David Gassko at Hardball Times wrote about a potentially revolutionary statistic he called Pitching Runs Created. It's a direct counterpart to the more widely known Runs Created stat for batters, which in its simplest form is OBP x TB (on-base percentage times total bases). The heart of Gassko's research was that a run saved is worth more than a run scored. This is critical knowledge when we try to balance offensive and defensive contributions, or compare batters to pitchers.

John Dewan mentioned PRC (which will always be People's Republic of China to me, but whatever) last season in his stat of the week at ACTA Sports, but it doesn't seem to get much attention. Is there something wrong with the premise? Has it been left by the wayside because there are better stats? Has it been incorporated into other systems?

ERA+, FIP, xFIP, FIP-, PRC, WPA, BR-WAR, FG-WAR, innings pitched ... I don't even know where these intersect with each other any more. Which ones are park-adjusted? Which are defense-independent? Which is the best average? What about linear weights, a WAR-type stat to reward someone who throws a lot of innings?

It's (relatively) easy to find people explaining why (for instance) ERA+ is better than ERA (it's adjusted for park, league, and era) or FIP is more predictive than ERA (it subtracts fielding performance and focuses on what the pitcher can control) or WAR is more telling than Wins (a great pitcher on a bad team — like Felix Hernandez — won't win many games, no matter how well he pitches, because his team never scores). But I'd love to see someone explain how ERA+ compares to xFIP, and why PRC is better than WAR, or vice versa.

* * *

Informed fans often gripe about baseball's honors: All-Star selections, Gold Glove choices, MVP and Hall of Fame voting. Some people are simply closed-minded, and will never be open to appreciating modern statistics. But many others would, if the stats people would take a break from talking amongst themselves to help the rest of us understand why their findings are useful. Why is WAR better than Win Shares? How can we reconcile the huge disparities in WAR? Are there useful fielding stats that don't require months of film study? How should we evaluate pitchers? Publicly answering these questions won't quiet clowns like Bruce Jenkins, or put Raines in Cooperstown, but it would be a step in the right direction.

Sabermetricians: help!

Posted by Brad Oremland at 4:24 PM | Comments (2)

Eyes Wide Shut: MLB, Wall Street Lay Bets at Same Table

As all-time hit king Peter Edward Rose celebrates his 70th year, it would seem only appropriate to at least wish Pete a happy birthday on behalf of his still legions of Major League Baseball fans.

They — perhaps foolishly — remain hopeful that one day Pete's banishment from all-things-MLB will be over-turned; at least before he dies.

Pete's own admission of guilt for having not only been involved in illegal gambling activity and then divulging, albeit years later, that he bet on his Cincinnati Reds team to win, has paid a mighty price. Pete's sin was but a violation of MLB's Golden Rule No. 21:

"Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible."

Yet no such rule exists for looking the other way as a presiding MLB Commissioner, over nearly 20 years, where it is a known fact that elicit performance-enhancing drug (PED) use by players in baseball was pervasive.

No such rule exists for MLB owners, such as Fred Wilpon and his partner Saul Katz — owners of the New York Mets — who, for nearly a decade, were serial borrowers of funds from fraud and now convicted Ponzi gamester Bernard Madoff, presently incarcerated for 150 years.

They merely got up to 18% returns on their investments and over-leveraged the team's assets, while the average Wall Street investor saw 7% returns. Deferring players' salaries over periods of years, while reinvesting them with Madoff, is only one example of Wilpon's own schemes.

But at issue is whether the now learned borrowing of nearly $500 million by Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz and their Sterling Equities, Inc. was off the backs of Madoff's other victims' investments. And whether Wilpon and Katz indeed were complicit in the Ponzi scheme, with them also looking the other way, is yet to be decided through a court of law.

No such rule exists for one Frank McCourt, beleaguered at least 50% owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet we do not indeed know if Mr. McCourt even owns the entirety of the club, as his wife, Jamie McCourt, remains a 50% owner, too.

Larry Silverstein, Frank McCourt's attorney, complicated the ownership issue with his alleged fraudulent change to the ownership documents after the sale of the Dodgers to the McCourts, giving Frank sole ownership. And now the divorce settlement, also intertwined in the Dodgers' fate, awaits a determination by a court to decide who actually does own the Dodgers.

In addition, McCourt is in debt for $525 million; with some of his expenditures in question, whether they were for his legal bills for his divorce or his own personal use.

As concerns Dodgers' ownership, Commissioner Selig abruptly took over day-to-day operations of the Dodgers this past week, appointing a trustee to manage the club's operations indefinitely. He cast McCourt out of the picture, since Selig felt the Dodgers' fiscal house was too far gone.

Yet no such punishment was assessed for the Mets' owners, for Bud Selig has had a close personal relationship with Fred Wilpon over many years, with no love lost for Frank McCourt. Furthermore, McCourt solicited FOX Sports for a loan, against Selig's wishes, which ultimately did him in.

What a game, huh? And what a bunch! Alleged embezzlement, fraud, thievery, greed, self-righteous indignation and a selective might of the sword. But Pete be damned.

Due diligence, not to mention due process in MLB tends to tip the scales of reason, as does its sovereign rule, through its process of selectivity in meting out punishment.

As we learned by way of the U.S. Court of Bankruptcy, through its court appointed trustee, Irving Picard, that the Mets' owners are being sued for nearly $1 billion. The government is on a tear to recover tens of billions of dollars for Madoff's victims via those who it believes are accomplices to his misdeeds. And Picard believes that Wilpon and Katz fit that bill.

Fred Wilpon's Sterling Equities, Inc. held up to 400 Madoff accounts, many of those Mets' holdings and assets. That also includes its SportsNet NY (SNY) cable television network enterprise.

While Selig can claim that McCourt is guilty of fiscal negligence and that his public display of a "War of the Roses" divorce may have brought embarrassment to MLB, legally, McCourt is so far in the clear with respect to criminality. However, legal troubles have befallen Fred Wilpon, his assets, and partners, as storm clouds are amassing.

So what is the point of all of this, you ask?

It's to outline the duplicitous nature of rule and order in business where corruption exists not only in the prototypical corporate or government entity, but extends to that of the Commissioner of MLB. He only presides over a nearly $10 billion industry, of which he commands a $20 million annual salary, and owes yet far more to the consumers of MLB.

Furthermore, it is municipalities that float interest-free bonds, offer tax abatements and provide taxpayer subsidization of MLB operations that enable billionaires to become ever wealthier, in a climate of greed and deceit.

"They know nothing. They know nothing," said Bernard Madoff in a February 2011 New York Times interview; the first such granted after his incarceration in prison. He was referring to Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, specifically, having not been privy to his business dealings relative to his Ponzi scheme, going back to 1992; even though Wilpon's relationship with Madoff goes back as far as 30 years.

Yet Madoff has had nothing but disdain for many of those he claims should have known better than to claim victimhood at his behest. From J.P. Morgan Chase Bank to individual investors alike, Madoff clearly stated in a Financial Times April 2011 interview that, "They were complicit, all of them. They had to know, but the attitude was sort of, 'If you've done something wrong, we don't want to know.'" Yet Madoff's credibility is tenuous, at best.

So, the question begs, is there that much of a difference between the Commissioner of MLB and those complicity involved in the Madoff scandal? MLB owners and Commissioner Selig himself had selective memory when it came to PED use by players in the commission of a fraud. And the selective processes in which fines and punishments are allotted by the Commissioner of MLB remain suspect.

Regarding Madoff, it involves the SEC and those in the agency who overlooked whistleblowers, virtually ignored for many years. And the seemingly endless list of victims of the Madoff scheme remain a vital part of the equation, as Madoff himself had a fiduciary duty to protect their investments and best interests. They may never recover from his misdeeds.

But at the bottom of the scale remain one Peter Edward Rose, the fans of MLB, its ticket holders, the taxpayers of municipalities, and the many investors of Madoff's, many of whom were merely third-party innocents who lost their pension funds or non-profit charities that lost valuable funding for important programs benefiting the sick, the indigent, and the disabled, having directly invested in organizations that were hopeful recipients of Madoff's.

But you decide. Who has won and lost?

It has been quite the gamble, right, Pete?

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 3:16 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2011

Is Home Court Advantage in the Davis Cup Gone?

One of Davis Cup's traditions is its format that allows one team to play at home and modify certain conditions within the rules in order to maximize its home court advantage. The first obvious advantage, of course, is the support. The ability to play in front of a partisan crowd makes the competition exciting, and opens the door for some possible upsets in every round. Just ask France's Davis Cup captain, Guy Forget, who had the comfort of playing every round up to the finals at home, and capitalized on it by reaching the final round.

Another big issue about the Davis Cup ties has been the modification of the surface by the home team to suit the play of its members. Needless to say, the decision is usually based on how well the home team players play on a certain surface, or how to choose the surface that is the least preferable by the visiting team. The speed and nature of the surface must, however, be in accordance with the guidelines and rules set by the ITF in order to avoid the extreme abuse of the privilege by the home team.

All the above mentioned came into play when Spanish Tennis Federation disputed the choice of the surface made by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) for their quarterfinal round, to be played in July in Austin, Texas. The Spaniards claimed that the Indoor Hard Premiere surface chosen by the USTA was not on the list of one of the 91 manufacturers approved by ITF. They based their argument on the fact that ITF Rules required that a surface can be used in Davis Cup only if it was used in at least three ATP tournaments with prize money of at least $350,000. This was not the case of Indoor Hard Premiere.

Ultimately, their appeal was rejected few days ago by the three-member Davis Cup committee. The committee chose not to take into account the brand of the surface, but considered rather the material used in it, namely acrylic, and responded that the material was used in more than 30 other tournaments and two slams. The Spanish were right in at least giving it a shot. This was the same surface used by the Americans when they beat Spain back in 2007, also in the quarterfinals. USTA made it no secret that they will attempt to make the surface as fast as possible, probably to offset Rafael Nadal's game and suit the Americans' style better.

There was a time when such appeals would not have even seen the light of day. Until recent years, home teams had a free pass on any modifications to the surface, or choose any surface they desired. The unwritten rule was that if tennis was played at some point on a certain surface, that surface was fair game. The rules and guidelines that exist now, setting limits on the type of surface, did not exist for most of the Open era. Who can forget the example of Paraguay, who made it a habit of tilting the surface and other conditions in their favor, and as a result, produced few memorable upsets of Davis Cup giants in the '80s?

Lendl-lead Czechoslovakia arrived to Asuncion as a large favorite in 1983. The "favorite" stamp disappeared quickly as they stepped on the lightning-fast, wooden-parquet indoor floor in scorching heat. Let's mention in passing that the indoor arena did not have air-conditioning, either! It was a carnival-like atmosphere, and the crowd was hard to control, even for the experienced head umpire Bob Howe, who was also the tournament referee of U.S. Open at the time. The Paraguay Davis Cup team, led by Victor Pecci, who was beginning the downside of his career after having reached the final in Roland Garros in 1979, and little-known Francisco Gonzales, who lived in Paraguay only a few days a year, played college tennis for Ohio State, born in Germany and living in Puerto Rico, pulled the monumental upset and eliminated the Czechs.

In 1985, the French Davis Cup team, led by Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte, suffered the same destiny under the same conditions in Asuncion. Surface and the heat were only part of the reason as matches were started past 6 PM to avoid the heat and lasted well in the late hours of the night, finishing, for example, at 3:39 AM Saturday morning after the first two matches. The French called the three days "Hell” and were ousted by the same duo, Pecci and Gonzales. The crowd and the misery of the French trying to adjust to science fiction-like conditions deserve a whole another article; needless to say, that one major headline called what happened over the weekend in Asuncion "disgrace to Davis Cup."

Paraguay had one last trick up their sleeves in 1987. With the same duo Pecci and Gonzales, now well past their prime, helped by the young and unknown Hugo Chapacu in singles (one U.S. Davis Cup team member admitted reading about the terrible results of Chapacu prior to the match and laughing), managed to take out another giant, the U.S. team led by Aaron Krickstein and Jimmy Arias, and the legendary doubles team of Flach and Seguso. This time, Paraguay dropped the enigmatic indoor parquet surface, and chose to play against the U.S. on extremely slow clay. Although Krickstein and Arias could possibly be called the worst that U.S. Davis Cup teams had to offer in the Open era, they were no failures on clay.

But with the unusually slow surface (even for clay), together with the kettle drums being played after each mistake made and coins and pebbles being thrown at them, not to mention some horrendous line calls by local officials, the Americans soon returned home following an excruciating defeat that left nightmarish traces in the members' minds well after it was over (Flach could not hide his excitement in 1989, when the chance to take revenge on U.S. soil presented itself, and Arias admitted to having nightmares where he was hearing drumbeats).

Paraguay's Davis Cup Team's success in the '80s was the extreme case of manipulation by the home team to modify the conditions in order to tilt them in their favor. Other similar examples were numerous, although none so extreme. Sweden and France have been known to build clay courts indoors when they faced USA. Australia had a grass court installed to play France in the finals several years back (it backfired). And Spain has played matches on temporary red clay courts built in bull rings.

But now it is not that easy. Since, 2008 surface speeds are subject to new rules and guidelines and as in the recent example of Spain, appeals are not out of the question for having the surfaces inspected. For example, the surface used in U.S. vs. Russia in the 2007 final would now be deemed illegal, surpassing the allowed court speed. ITF has ways of measuring the court speed and do meticulous tests prior to a tie on the surface of the court. When Spain was rejected, their captain Albert Costa was assured by the ITF that all proper tests would be done on the surface of the courts in Austin, Texas to make sure that USA would not benefit from an unfair advantage.

Having lived through and watched all Davis Cup encounters since the late-'70s, especially the ones mentioned above, I can't help but wonder why it would be such a bad thing to allow modifications by the home team and not put a limit on it. While I agree that the crowd should be controlled better, the surface and the surroundings of the court should be completely left up to the home team. In my opinion, it is in the essence of Davis Cup competition to allow the underdog who gets the advantage to play at home to modify the conditions as they see fit in order to increase their chances. It is not a neutral concept.

Although court surface remains the only condition subjected rigorously to guidelines, there is no guarantee that other limitations would not arrive soon. Gone are the days of Paraguay-like upsets; and that is acceptable to a degree. However, I do not desire to be forced into saying the same sentence about upsets in general because the never-ending addition of rules and guidelines may happen to ultimately neutralize any manipulations of conditions by the home teams.

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 11:09 AM | Comments (4)

April 24, 2011

2011 NFL Mock Draft, Version 2.0

As is often the case in the world of mock drafts, much has changed in the past week. As a result the blogosphere is saturated with ever-changing opinions and prognostications in advance of the annual NFL draft, most of those coming from sources who publish weekly and even daily "state of the union" assessments.

In the past, I personally submitted my mock draft to this site and, in turn, into public record, earlier than most and my reputation as a viable resource for mock draft enlightenment has suffered accordingly.

This season, based in no small part to the lack of interesting off-season football-related information to capture my attention, I have decided to provide an updated version of my own mock draft in hopes of a) providing you, the readers, with more current information for your reading pleasure in the week leading into the actual draft and b) providing myself an opportunity to actually top Mr. Joshua Duffy in a man-to-man battle of halfwits who think they know more than the average fan and, more importantly, are afforded the space on this site to share our views with a not-so-doting public.

As always, my draft does include potential trade scenarios. As an added "bonus" (or risk, since it is my skills of deduction being put to the test here), I have included rounds two and three in this particular mock. In the spirit of saving space and, in turn, your time in reading this article, I have only provided an explanation of picks in the first round.

As you will see, and as was alluded to in the opening paragraph, much has changed in this version from my previous posting on this very site. For any of you that follow mock drafts, this should come as no surprise, rather, it is a byproduct of this draft enthusiast having access to more current information (or mis-information, as is often the case come draft time). With no further ado, I present my official mock draft for your consumption and, in the case of one Josh Duffy, for your rebuttal pleasure.

Round One

1. Carolina Panthers — QB Cameron Newton, Auburn — I have been talking myself out of this for about six weeks now, but, with the draft less than a day away, I can listen to myself no longer. While it makes ZERO sense for me to draft a development QB on a team desperate for impact players all over, it is what it is.

2. Denver Broncos — LB Von Miller, Texas A&M — Denver needs a play-making linebacker to anchor a defense that had more holes in it than a Japanese nuclear plant (okay, that was uncalled for, but I'm just saying) and Mr. Miller is exactly that.

3. Buffalo Bills — DL Marcel Dareus, Missouri — Dareus is a steal here (and may well go 2nd to Denver, which would net Buffalo the equally appealing Von Miller) and Buffalo's brass will be happy to have an impact d-lineman on board.

4. Cincinnati Bengals — WR A.J. Green, Georgia — Yes, those of you who commented on my previous inclination that Cincy would look at drafting LSU DB Patrick Peterson here, this is a partial nod to your diligence. The bottom line is this pick makes too much sense not to happen. There is still a shot that the Bengals go QB here, but I'd put those chances at slim.

5. Arizona Cardinals — CB Patrick Peterson, LSU — For my money, Peterson is the top guy in this draft. The Cardinals will certainly take a shut-down type cornerback to help combat the fast-paced short passing strategies that their divisional rivals showcase.

6. Cleveland Browns — DE/OLB Robert Quinn, UNC — I suspect, quite strongly I would add, that Quinn is the guy the Browns have been coveting since late February. Julio Jones is a possibility as well.

7. San Francisco 49ers — QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri — Gabbert is a wise pick for the Niners, even with a plethora of other holes - particularly at CB - to fill. A trade down (with, say, the Minnesota Vikings) is also a possibility here, which would allow the Niners to grab either Nebraska's Prince Amukamara or Colorado's Jimmy Smith in more "sensible" territory, but nabbing a promising QB for a team with only David Carr officially under contract isn't a bad plan B.

8. Tennessee Titans — DT Nick Fairley, Auburn — Though it may create a riot in Nashville, Cam Newton does not make sense here. The Titans (technically) have a star college dual threat QB on their roster (sort of) that reportedly has a tough time understanding the complexity of the pro offense ... why would they draft another? Fairley, though clearly facing a great deal of doubt about his prospects as an NFL player, has the advantage in Tennessee of familiarity, as his collegiate defensive line coach (Tracy Rocker) is now an assistant with the Titans.

9. Dallas Cowboys — CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska — While many have USC OT Tyron Smith penciled in as the Cowboys' first round selection, it is sounding more and more like Dallas is really wanting to make a selection that nets them a start-ready prospect, which Amukamara is.

10. ST. LOUIS RAMS (via trade with Washington) — WR Julio Jones, Alabama — Washington is looking to be active this draft and St. Louis has made no secret over their desire to bring Alabama WR Julio Jones into QB Sam Bradshaw's arsenal.

11. Houston Texans — DE/OLB Aldon Smith, Missouri — Slim pickings for Houston with many of their "preferred" options now off the board. Smith makes for a nice edge rusher in new Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillip's 3-4 scheme. While half of me is pretty sure (like 98% sure) that the bumbling Houston front office will somehow screw this pick up, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt this one last time in calling Smith as their guy.

12. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (via trade with Minnesota) — DE Cameron Jordan, California — Jordan has been a player that the Chargers have had their eye on for the better part of a year. He fits their style well and, as an added bonus, played his career at nearby Cal, so you know their scouts are familiar with him. All indications and rumblings are that Jordan is a player the Chargers front office is very high on and which some extra picks to play with, this is a sensible move for San Diego.

13. Detroit Lions — OT Tyron Smith, USC — No team in the top fifteen will be happier to know that Dallas passed on Smith than the Lions. While Detroit could use some help on defense to help solidify an emerging strength, there is an absolute need to build up a better, more athletic offensive line to protect QB Matthew Stafford as he looks to return from a second devastating shoulder injury in as many years. Smith is a great prospect that, while requiring some developmental time, should be a viable player for them early on in his career.

14. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (via trade with St. Louis) — QB Jake Locker, Washington — Locker's name has been thrown around as an option for the Redsksins since early this draft season, and I see no reason to believe their front office has cooled on him yet.

15. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (via trade with Miami) — DE Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson — In need of a hell-raising edge rusher, look for Philly to make a move into the top fifteen to grab Quinn, who's stock has taken a late hit due to health concerns.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars — DE Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue — Setting the edge has been nothing more than an interesting theory in regards to Jacksonville's defense in recent years. Kerrigan is one of several quality "edge-setters" and is a nice, safe, effective pick.

17. New England Patriots — OG/C Mike Pouncey, Florida — Pouncey has three things going for him that endear him to Belichick and Company: he's smart, he's versatile, and he played for Urban Meyer. With an offensve line that is charged with protecting franchise player Tom Brady, Pouncey is a welcomed addition to the Foxboro gang.

18. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (via trade with San Diego) — DT Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple — Many expect Minnesota to stand pat and select Gabbert (should he fall) or Locker with their original pick, however it is becoming increasingly clear that the Vikings may be more likely to bring in a veteran signal caller, as they see themselves as a team on the brink of punching through in 2011, one year removed from a wholly disappointing 2010 campaign and two removed from a hugely successful 2009. Wilkerson's value is soaring due to his versatility and agility in relation to his size. With the Williamses aging, look for Minnesota to eschew their needs at QB in favor of a value pick in the Temple DT.

19. NY Giants — OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College — Castonzo to New York just feels right. I'm not sure why, but he just "looks" like a Coughlin-esque player.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — DT Corey Liuget, Illinois — Liuget has seen his stock soar, fade, and soar once again for no apparent reason. The bottom line is, the powerful Illini tackle is stout against the run and quick-footed enough to impact the passing game. A nice fit in Tampa.

21. Kansas City Chiefs — OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin — The Chiefs will be looking to fill a need along their interior offensive line, and Carimi is an excellent option to do just that. Linebacker may also be an option here, but the Chiefs showed enough on defense in 2010 to provide some level of comfort to management that they can look toward solidifying their offense early in the draft.

22. Indianapolis Colts — OT Nate Solder, Colorado — Manning will be quite content in seeing the massive Colorado tackle as his backside protection over the next several years.

23. MIAMI DOLPHINS (via trade with Philadelphia) — QB Andy Dalton, TCU — Having traded down to get the second rounder they desperately wanted to replace, Miami will look hard at RB but will have some flexibility with solid options likely to be available in round two. Dalton is a pro-ready QB and one that the Dolphins reportedly are sold on.

24. New Orleans Saints — CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado — With an aging secondary, the Saints will be willing to take a chance on the talented but troubled Smith, relying on a strong leadership nucleus and great coaching to keep the playmaking cornerback on the level in the Crescent City.

25. Seattle Seahawks — DE J.J. Watt, Wisconsin — Seattle may be targeted by the Tennessee's of the world as a potential trade options, but with Watt fallng, I'd be surprised to see them pass up the opportunity to snag him.

26. Baltimore Ravens — CB Brandon Harris, Miami — There is little chance Baltimore doesn't select a defensive back early in this year's draft. Harris is a play maker and a solid defender and, most importantly as far as the Ravens are concerned, a 'Cane.

27. Atlanta Falcons — TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame — Most pundits are looking at defense in trying to determine who Atlanta will bring into the mix for 2011...I see Rudolph as a no-brainer. He is a play maker at TE and the Falcons feature an offense that relies heavily on their tight ends to make plays.

28. CINCINNATI BENGALS (via trade with New England) — QB Christian Ponder, Florida State — The Bengals need a new signal caller and Ponder has the brain and arm strength to manage new OC Jon Gruden's complex offense. Expect the Pats to part with this pick in exchange for Cincy's 2012 1st rounder and perhaps some "filler" pick late in the '11 draft.

29. Chicago Bears — OG Danny Watkins, Baylor — Um, this just in ... Chicago has a bad offensive line. Watkins is a good pick and should be in the mix immediately for a starting role.

30. NY Jets — DT Phil Taylor, Baylor — Taylor is a solid option, but there are some concerns that make him more of an early round two option. Unfortunately for the Jets, unless they trade down, they have no round two picks and Taylor is truly the last of three potential Kris Wilson supplements available.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers — DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio State — Pittsburgh is looking at opportunities to allow them to move up to a spot where they can select Pouncey (for obvious reasons), but I think the price would be too steep. In Heyward, they get a guy with the versatility to fill multiple spots in the multi-look Steelers defense.

32. Green Bay Packers — LB Brooks Reed, Arizona — Reed will make for a very formidable partner to Clay Matthews, Jr. There are other options here, but the Super Bowl champ Packers have the luxury of building from strength.

Round Two

1. New England Patroits — RB Mark Ingram, Alabama
2. Buffalo Bills — LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA
3. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (via trade with Cincinnati) — QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
4. Denver Broncos — WR Torrey Smith, Maryland
5. Cleveland Browns — DT Marvin Austin, UNC
6. Arizona Cardinals — DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
7. Tennessee Titans — QB Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
8. Dallas Cowboys — OT Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State
9. Washington Redskins — WR Titus Young, Boise State
10. Houston Texans — S Rahim Moore, UCLA
11. CINCINNATI BENGALS (via trade with Minnesota) — DT Drake Nevis, LSU
12. Detroit Lions — CB Aaron Williams, Texas
13. San Francisco 49ers — CB Ras—I Dowling, Virginia
14. Denver Broncos — DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State
15. St. Louis Rams — LB Justin Houston, Georgia
16. Oakland Raiders — OG Rodney Hudson, Florida State
17. MIAMI DOLPHINS (via trade with Jacksonville) — RB Mikel LeShoure, Illinois
18. San Diego Chargers — OT Ben Ijalana, Villanova
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — DB Curtis Brown, Texas
20. NY Giants — RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
21. Indianapolis Colts — QB Ricky Stanzi, Iowa
22. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (via trade with Miami through Philadelphia) — WR Jon Baldwin Pittburgh
23. Kansas City Chiefs — DT Kenrick Ellis, Hampton
24. New Orleans Saints — LB Bruce Carter, UNC
25. Seattle Seahawks — DT Christian Ballard, Iowa
26. Baltimore Ravens — WR Leonard Hankerson, Miami
27. Atlanta Falcons — DE Jabaal Sheard, Pittsburgh
28. New England Patriots — LB Mike Herzlich, Boston College
29. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (via trade with San Diego) — LB Dontay Moch, Nevada
30. Chicago Bears — LB Martez Wilson, Illinois
31. Pittsburgh Steelers — CB Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State
32. Green Bay Packers — RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

Round Three

1. Carolina — WR Terrance Tolliver, LSU
2. Cincinnati — LB Quan Sturdivant, UNC
3. Denver — TE Lance Kendricks, Wisconsin
4. Buffalo — LB Mason Foster, Washington
5. CAROLINA (via trade with ARI) — CB Chris Culliver, South Carolina
6. Cleveland — WR Jerrel Jernigan, Troy
7. Dallas — C Stefan Wisniewski, Penn State
8. New Orleans — DB Marcus Gilchrest, Clemson
9. Houston — S Robert Sands, West Virginia
10. New England — WR Greg Little, UNC
11. Detroit — OG Will Rackley, Lehigh
12. San Francisco — DT Jurrell Casey, USC
13. Tennessee — LB Greg Jones, Michigan State
14. WASHINGTON (via trade with STL) — CB Davon House, New Mexico
15. Miami — OL Marcus Gilbert, Florida
16. Jacksonville — RB Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
17. Oakland — OT Orlando Franklin, Miami
18. SAN FRANCISCO (via trade with SD) — RB Taiwan Jones, Eastern Washington
19. NY Giants — DT Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson
20. Tampa Bay — CB Jalil Brown, Colorado
21. Philadelphia — OT James Brewer, Indiana
22. Kansas City — TE Luke Stocker, Tennessee
23. Indianapolis — S Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
24. NY GIANTS (via trade with NO) — S DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson
25. San Diego — OT James Carpenter, Alabama
26. Baltimore — LB Kelvin Sheppard, LSU
27. Atlanta — DT Terrell McClain, USF
28. New England — CB Randon Burton, Utah
29. Chicago — WR Randall Cobb, Kentucky
30. NY Jets — DE Sam Acho, Texas
31. Pittsburgh — OL Marcus Cannon, TCU
32. Green Bay — S Jeron Johnson, Boise State
33. Carolina (compensatory) — RB Jordan Todman, UConn

Posted by Matt Thomas at 3:57 PM | Comments (9)

April 22, 2011

Foul Territory: Dirty Talks, Manny Walks, Robot Balks

* Homo-erratic, or The Check's Not the Only Thing in the Male — Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA for uttering an anti-gay slur towards referee Bennie Adams on April 12 against the San Antonio Spurs. Although TNT cameras clearly showed Bryant saying the word, he still appealed the fine. Reportedly, Bryant claimed he had just realized that NBA officials no longer wear black and white striped jerseys when he exclaimed, 'That zebra is gray.' Bryant is now known for his "defense" in Colorado, and his "offense" in Los Angeles.

* Anarchy in the UK, or Knight Rider — Bobby Knight apologized on Tuesday after making inaccurate statements about the academic record of the University of Kentucky basketball team. At a speaking engagement in Indiana over the weekend, Knight incorrectly stated that the starters on the Wildcats 2009-10 team did not attend class in the spring semester. In a statement, Knight expressed remorse for his erroneous comments, and also apologized for a grammatical error, insisting he meant to say "Kentucky's players didn't attend class, period."

* Mark the Calendar, in Pencil — The NFL announced its 2011 schedule on Tuesday, with the season kicking off on Thursday, September 8th when the Saints visit the Packers in a matchup of the last two Super Bowl winners. It looks like a great matchup ... on paper, which, with a potential labor lockout looming, might be the only place the two teams meet.

* Manny Positive Returns — Tampa Bay's Manny Ramirez retired after testing positive for a banned substance, choosing to leave the game instead of serve a 100-game suspension. Ramirez served a 50-game suspension for a drug policy violation in 2009, and second-time offenders face double that penalty. It seems that after years of free-swinging at bats, Ramirez finally drew a "walk," and the enigmatic slugger left baseball on a positive note.

* Phillie Schematic — PhillieBot, a one-armed, three-wheeled robot, threw out the first pitch at Wednesday's Brewers/Phillies game in Philadelphia. The robot, designed by engineers at the University of Pennsylvania, bounced a pitch to the plate, and was later sent down to the Phillies single-A affiliate Lakewood Blueclaws to work on his mechanics.

* Wanna Be Ending Something, or White Wrapper — Memphis Grizzlies guard Jason Williams, affectionally known as "White Chocolate," announced his retirement from the NBA after 12 seasons. Williams has expressed an interest in broadcasting, and could possibly team up with TNT's David Aldridge to form the television duo of "White Chocolate and Black Vanilla."

* Britt-ish Evasion, or Pacman Fever — Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt was arrested on April 12th in his hometown of Bayonne, New Jersey for eluding an officer, hindering apprehension, and obstructing governmental function after speeding away from a traffic stop. It was the latest in a number of run-ins with law enforcement, including driving without a license in August and a role in a bar fight in October. Sources within the Titans organization say Britt pleaded ignorance to the most recent charges, and a New Jersey judge quickly declared him guilty.

* He Can Run, But He Can't Guide — Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis announced his intentions to run for the New Jersey Senate as a Democratic candidate, thus attempting the long jump from civilian to politician. Republicans challenged Lewis' candidacy, claiming he hasn't lived in New Jersey for the required four years. It was Lewis' first false start in nearly 14 years, and his first run-in with a "starting" block in some time. However, a judge ruled that Lewis' can continue his bid for office because Republicans failed to prove that he doesn't reside in New Jersey.

* Heel No, He Won't Go, or Staying Power—North Carolina freshman Harrison Barnes announced on Monday that he well return to UNC for his sophomore season, or, as Kentucky's John Calipari would call it, "pursuing a graduate degree."

* Defense Doesn't Win Championships, But it Does Win Awards, or Far From Rejected — Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard won the NBA defensive MVP award, easily outdistancing Kevin Garnett for the honor and Howard became the first player to win the award three consecutive years. Howard led the league in double-doubles and averaged 14.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.3 steals, and 0 instances of calling an opponent a "cancer patient" on the season.

* Top Jimmie, or Talladega Slight — Jimmie Johnson won the Aaron's 499 at Talladega by .002 over Clint Bowyer, which tied for the closest finish in a NASCAR race since the series went to electronic timing. It's a testament to the strides a sport that evolved from running moonshine has made, when the difference in winning and losing is measured in thousandths, as opposed to "fifths."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 6:54 PM | Comments (0)

The Young Tribe Are Rallying

If you've ever watched HBO's "The Sopranos," there's a good chance you know what it's like to get fooled by a dream sequence. A recurring pattern is for the audience to begin a dream sequence thinking they are simply watching the next scene. Something typically happens after a short while that cues them to the fact that this could not be the show's true reality. At that point, the audience registers that they are watching the dream and can begin to interpret the scene accordingly.

Cleveland fans often face the same dilemma. When people grow up rooting for perennially bad teams such as the Browns, Cavs, and Indians, they must often face the difficult task of discerning truth from reality. An easy discernment comes when the Browns win the Super Bowl. I've always known that if the Browns have just won the Super Bowl, I'm either dreaming or playing Madden.

I used to have a system for the Indians, as well. If I opened a newspaper and the Indians were at the top of the AL Central, I knew I was dreaming. To my pleasant surprise, however, I'm either in the midst of one really long dream, or the Indians are, in reality, in first place in the AL Central.

This, of course, brings up an important question: how on Earth could this have happened!? A lot has been going right, encompassing starting pitching, the bullpen, and the offense. The starting pitching is young, and with Mitch Talbot's recent injury, there will soon be a new face thrown into the mix. The bullpen shares the young trait, plus bullpens are always made up of such small sample size that extrapolations can become ridiculous.

One strength thus far for these AL Central-leading Indians has been their offense. Even in their first game, where the White Sox jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead after four innings, the Indians scored 10 runs. Sure, the White Sox pitchers were probably being lazy, as it was garbage time, but doesn't the same logic hold for the Indians' hitters?

I'm going to focus on figuring this out, therefore, by asking where the offense is coming from.

The Indians are top 10 in the MLB thus far in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. All this despite the fact that arguably their two best hitters, Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana, haven't been hitting particularly well yet. While it may be an impossibility for guys like Asdrubal Cabrera and his older, second base counterpart Orlando Cabrera to keep up hitting like they have been, it's a good indicator that this is a team that can beat you anywhere along the lineup.

On top of this, Grady Sizemore, the guy often dubbed the team's best overall player, only recently returned from a knee injury to hit a home run and double in his 2011 debut against the Orioles.

The Heart of the Order

Much of the credit for this early success has to be given to the resurgence of Travis Hafner, adoringly known as Pronk. This season, he's carrying a .346 AVG, a 1.042 .OPS, a .635 SLG, and he's hit 4 home runs. These numbers are a lot closer to his 2006 numbers of .308 AVG, 1.098 .OPS, .659 .SLG, and 42 home runs than they do to any numbers in between. Normally when a guy hits this well, I don't expect it to last, but when we've seen him do it in the past for entire seasons, I'll at least stay hopeful.

If Pronk continues to his like he has been, he provides a pretty nice backstop for Choo and Santana. To go along with all his other acclaim, the MLB Network this past offseason named Choo the MLB's second best right fielder (and first place was simply a lifetime achievement award for Ichiro Suzuki similar to Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn being in the 2001 All-Star Game). Given what Choo has done the last couple of years, I'm confident he'll provide some major offense this season.

On June 11, 2010, in Carlos Santana's first big league game, he hit a home run. It was the start of great things to come, as he was one of the only bright spots of the Indians' 2010 season. This was especially uplifting given the fact that Indians fans were still hurting from the loss of fan favorite Victor Martinez in a 2009 trade to Boston. Given that the heart of the lineup features Choo, Santana, and Hafner, therefore, you can see where the potential meat of this offense stems.

Top of the Order

In an effort to get some baserunners for Santana, Choo, and Hafner to knock in, Indians manager Manny Acta leads off the lineup with Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera (Droobs). Given Sizemore's fame, I'll skip right to Droobs.

Droobs made a name for himself in Cleveland during the 2007 run up to Game 7 of the ALCS. During that series, the announcers would continually shock themselves with graphics showing that Droobs was matching up statistically even or better than 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia (who was already having himself a nice little career, although if the two players were brought up on opposite teams, everyone would have probably been shocked that Pedroia was comparing favorably to Droobs).

Droobs has continued to be a good player for the Indians since, playing consistently well, but he was nagged by injuries last year. Should he remain healthy in 2011, a 1-2 punch of Sizemore-Droobs should provide a nice spark-plug for the Indians lineup.

Soft Underbelly of the Order

Once you get past the top and heart of the order, any team is going to have a little more difficulty finding legitimate optimism. The end of the order, however, is often what separates the good from the decent, the great from the good, and on and on.

The Indians lineup currently ends with Orlando Cabrera (the O), Michael Brantley, Matt LaPorta, and Jack Hannahan. Thus far into the 2011 season, this is the part of the order that has meant a winning record for the Indians.

An afterthought to most, the O was a quiet offseason signing in February expected to merely compete for a job at second base. What people tend to forget with a guy like the O is that intangibles like leadership and veteran experience can go a long way. Even without the promising production the O has been providing, therefore, he still would have likely been a worthwhile signing. Given the fact that he's shown so far this year that he can still hit (and has been playing stellar defense), the O has allowed the back end of the lineup to jump off to a good start.

Next up are Brantley and LaPorta. Both young hitters came over when the Indians traded away C.C. Sabathia halfway through 2008. While LaPorta was supposed to be the gem of the deal, Brantley has been the one shining brightest. When Sizemore was out, Brantley held down the leadoff spot by hitting above a .300 AVG. The value of this is increased when you consider that speed is one of his greatest assets.

In homage to Sizemore, Brantley is now hitting after the O. This means that the Indians have the luxury of high-level run scorer hitting in front of the supposedly powerful LaPorta. Despite not currently putting up anyone's idea of monster numbers (.260 AVG, 2 home runs, 9 RBIs), LaPorta is at least beginning to show some potential. Put a guy who regularly gets on base in front of him, and the numbers start to get cushioned. This means we may finally get to find out if Golden Boy LaPorta can be the next Jim Thome (fingers crossed hoping he's not the next Ben Broussard). If LaPorta works out, the Indians have a pretty potent one through eight.

The nine hole isn't going to provide much offense. Jack Hannahan started the season like he was going to have some magical year. He has since come back to Earth, which is where I expect him to stay. He provides reliable defense at third base, and at this point, that's enough. Anything he provides offensively is a gift.

Forecast

While the Indians may be overachieving a bit, they didn't get enough credit coming into this season. Barring a catastrophic injury bug like last year (Sizemore, Droobs, Santana, and Hafner all went down with injuries), this is a team that can continue to score some runs. Given the youth and question marks all around this team, don't expect to see a late playoff run. But given all the potential strengths, not to mention guys like Shelley Duncan throwing in an occasional 10th inning go-ahead double, the 2011 Indians could be a special and fun team to watch.

Posted by Charles Coughlin at 3:12 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2011

A Look at the 2011 NFL Schedule

In spite of the looming labor issues that threaten the upcoming season, it's still difficult not to get excited about the release of the NFL schedule, just as I get excited every year. Did my team get on prime time? Get screwed? Any changes to the usual format of scheduling (bring back the December Saturday doubleheaders!)?

So here at the Slant Pattern, we will plug our heads firmly in the sand and react as though the schedule is a sure thing to be played out. Here are my thoughts on a game or two each week:

WEEK 1

As they have been doing the last few years, the upcoming season will kick off on the Thursday night before the first full Sunday of action. Usually, this game will feature a rematch of either the previous year's Super Bowl or one of the conference's championship game. Such a contest was available — the Bears and the Packers meet twice this year, of course — but instead the NFL decided to go with the Packers vs. the Saints in this slot.

This is a bit of a puzzler. The bloom is nearly off the rose in New Orleans, where they were humiliated by the Seahawks in the playoffs. The Bears/Packers, in addition to being a championship game rematch, is also one of the two or three greatest rivalries in the NFL. Why not that?

WEEK 2

Not a fun week, with only three games featuring teams where they both made the playoffs last year, and one of those is the Seahawks at the Steelers. So I reckon the Sunday Night game (which replaced Monday Night as the marquee game each week several years ago) featuring the Eagles traveling to the Falcons is the best of a bad lot. I will be interested to see how Atlantans react to Michael Vick's return.

WEEK 3

So this is where the Packers and the Bears meet for the first time, in Chicago, and it doesn't even make primetime. The games that are on Sunday Night and Monday Night Football, respectively, are no slouches though: Steelers at Colts and Redskins at Cowboys.

WEEK 4

My Buccaneers are on primetime for the first time in three years (hosting the Colts on MNF). Hooray! Besides that, it's another clunker of a week, with only one game featuring two 2010-11 playoff teams not counting the Seasquawks: SNF's Jets at Ravens.

WEEK 5

As I said earlier, MNF doesn't have the cache it used to have, as it has been supplanted by SNF, and they will put games on MNF that are not exactly headliners. Still, I was surprised that the Lions will actually make a prime time appearance this week on MNF, hosting the Bears. I'd scoff, but I feel so damn bad for the Lions fan base and the years of ridiculous mismanagement they've put up with that all I can say is, bully for them for this bread crumb.

WEEK 6

Not much this week, with six teams on byes. One game that would've looked amazing a couple years ago, but still might be good depending on how much the Cowboys continue to build momentum under Jason Garrett, is their trip to Foxboro to take on the Patriots.

WEEK 7

For the second time in three years, the Buccaneers are going to play in the now-annual London game. I have mixed feelings about this, mainly because both this year and two years ago, the Bucs were the designated home team, meaning they give up a "real" home game. Still, it will be nice to see the field of one of the most famous stadia in the world, Wembley Stadium, done up in the Buccaneers colors and logos. Additionally, they are a much better team now than in 2009 when they were waxed 35-7 by the Patriots in front of 84,000 loyal British subjects.

WEEK 8

Speaking of games held outside the U.S., this will be the week the Bills play in Toronto, hosting the Redskins, a team they actually have a chance of beating. The game of the week, however, is unquestionably the Patriots at the Steelers.

WEEK 9

This week may be the best of the year. Check this out: Falcons at Colts, Bucs at Saints, Packers at Chargers, Giants at Patriots, Ravens at Steelers, and Bears at Eagles. Oh yes ... and Bengals at Titans!

WEEK 10

This is the week when Thursday Night games every week start up, which replaced my beloved Saturday afternoon games. The first matchup is so-so — Raiders at Chargers. The best matchups this week are divisional rivalries — Patriots at Jets and Saints at Falcons.

WEEK 11

Pretty blah. Eagles at Giants is the best game, and if the Chargers return to form, their matchup against the Bears should be decent.

WEEK 12

Thanksgiving Week. This year, it's the Packers traveling to Detroit and the Dolphins heading to Dallas, followed by the food hangover snoozer of 49ers at Ravens. Sunday and Monday treat us better with Patriots at Eagles, Steelers at Chiefs, and Giants at Saints.

WEEK 13

A tough stretch for the Chiefs continue, traveling to Chicago this week. The Packers at the Giants should be a great game, but the one everyone will be looking forward to is the Colts at the Patriots. NFL.com tells me this is the ninth straight year they have met, which is a tribute to how well these teams have done (as the first-place team in each division plays all the other first-place teams in their conference the next year).

WEEK 14

The week's best matchups on paper would seem to be the Colts at the Ravens and the Chiefs at the Jets, but I will be pretty intrigued by the Redskins hosting the Patriots. The last time these teams hooked up, the Pats won 52-7 to improve to 8-0 in what turned out to the their undefeated regular season. They were still throwing the ball up 45-0 in the latter half of the fourth quarter, and it just felt like a turning point game where you understood that these 2007 Patriots were perhaps the greatest team of all time, and the most hateable.

WEEK 15

Do you watch NFL games with your significant other? How do you handle it if you have different favorite teams? My girlfriend and I have chosen a path of supporting the other's team second only to our own. The only time that might get awkward is when they play each other, as my Buccaneers do when they host her Cowboys on Saturday night. I'm sure we will cut the tension with lots of beer and wine.

WEEK 16

Most of the games move to Saturday this week, as Sunday is Christmas. They did give us one outstanding Christmas night game, however — that Bears/Packers matchup I said should be held in Week 1. The Giants and the Jets battle for NYC supremacy this week, as well.

WEEK 17

For the second straight year, the NFL has decided to go with all divisional matchups in the final week of the season in order to increase the chances of crucial games being played. It's a good idea in theory, but not in execution, at least not this year: Just one of those divisional matchups features the teams that finished 1-2 in their division last year: The Colts at the Jaguars. By contrast, five of the matchups are the team that won their division last year against the team that finished last in it.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 4:30 PM | Comments (1)

Is Nike Diluting Tradition?

If you happened to catch the latest victims, er, clients of Nike's uniform takeover, er, partnerships, you might be wondering the same thing I am: is the sports apparel giant working toward a "one world government" when it comes to colors?

The newest unis to be unveiled by Nike-owned, er, partnered universities were Arizona State and Washington State, brought before the public eye last week. While the design of the uniforms are nice, and the updated ASU logo is catchy (although it resembles more of a trident blasting off than the devil's pitchfork), one thing that stood out to me was the addition of an all-black uniform for the Sun Devils and an all-gray uniform with black pants for Wazzu.

Here's my issue with this trend. Remember back in the late-'90s, I think it was, when it seemed like every team in the country was adding black to their uniforms just for the sake of adding it? The Detroit Lions added a black outline around their leaping lion logo; the San Francisco 49ers added black to their oval logo and stripe scheme; and even Stanford added black to their logo and helmet stripe. There was an uproar among old school fans and even some TV analysts. But rather than black becoming less popular from the backlash, it's only become more popular.

Now, though, thanks to Nike and their revolving door of uniform experiments at Oregon, black has become more chic than sequins on a Vegas showgirl. What bothers me about it is that pro teams and universities are adopting these styles and color schemes at the expense of traditional colors. Take Oregon, for example. For decades, the Ducks were green and yellow or green and gold with white. Granted, Phil Knight has to have some say into what the athletic teams at Oregon look like since he and his corporation pump millions of dollars into it. But to take a once-colorful tradition and clothe its players in black (never a school color) or silver (never a school color) or all-white (a tertiary color) signals a trend toward creating a colorless college football landscape.

I read an article recently that quoted one ASU player as being sold on the all-black look and that it would guarantee better quality recruits. Really? Kids are now picking which college they want to attend based on uniform color? I beg to differ. My oldest son is at least one case in point. His favorite color is orange, which also was one of his high school colors. But he chose to go to the University of Oregon (green/yellow/white/black/silver, etc.) based on its academic merits rather than enroll at the O's arch-rival Oregon State simply because their school colors include orange.

In the case of my alma mater, WSU, I'm actually pretty pleased with the new look. They've gone from silver helmets to a more basic gray, and have kept the crimson more true to its original hue. But what I really don't like are the all-gray unis with the black pants. For one, again, WSU has never had black as part of its school colors, except for the black outline around the Cougar script logo that the team introduced in 1988. For another, we can now look as ridiculous as the Huskies in their black uniforms come Apple Cup time. The thing that really bugs me, though, is the gray helmet with a slightly darker gray logo. That might look nice up close, but people past the fifth row at Martin Stadium won't be able to see that logo at all. It probably won't show up on TV very well, either.

My conclusion is that in 10 years, Nike will have become "partners" with every major college football program in America, and they will have convinced every one of them that neutral colors are the way to go, and logos that blend into the uniform are trendy. But in reality all they will be doing is minimizing the proud tradition of school colors and unique logos. Heck, if Nike has its way, every college team in the country will look like Penn State, except the blue stripe will be black (Go, Ebony Lions!).

So here's to a bright (or dull) future for college football, where Alabama will change its name to the Silver Tide, Texas Tech will become the White Raiders, and it will all look quite nostalgic in glorious black-and-white HD.

Posted by Adam Russell at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2011

A Summer of Black Swans?

Economists occasionally study a set of rare and unpredictable outcomes that significantly impact the world. A discovery like penicillin or the macroeconomic carnage of an earthquake cannot be predicted, and yet, they influence the world far more than any political agenda or organized campaign. They call these flukes of chance black swans in honor of the highly unusual birth of that animal (and no, Natalie Portman does not make any appearances below this paragraph, so I will understand if you stop reading here).

This NBA postseason was supposed to follow a script, and its later scenes very well may. But after several unexpectedly close games and a few upsets, we cannot dismiss the possibility that the 2011 championship will belong to a hardwood black swan.

This is not an overreaction to a couple of unlikely Game 1s in Los Angeles and San Antonio. This is the realization that for all of the talents that were taken to new cities and big markets pounding their freshly relevant chests, relatively little separates the 16 remaining teams.

Consider this hypothetical game. Let's say before the playoffs I offered you $1,000 for every playoff team you guaranteed would not win the title, but with the penalty that if one of your guarantees was wrong, you would owe me $100,000,000. In essence, I'm asking how many unlikely outcomes you are willing to write off as impossible for a small gain under the threat of losing everything for being wrong. The game is especially interesting when you recognize that one of the 16 options will definitely ruin you; call it NBA roulette.

Mathematically, you probably should stay silent. 100,000:1 is a lot of risk to accept for an event that, although unlikely, is more probable than .001%. But let's live a little.

In the East, we probably would not have lost sleep over Indiana or Philadelphia defying the odds. Both teams seem to have benefitted from the simple fact that the NBA playoffs require eight teams per conference. But beyond them, is anyone else worth writing off? Clearly, Miami and Chicago are contenders, and while Boston, New York, and Orlando are flawed, it does not take Stephen King to envision a plot that leads to a championship for any of them. What about Atlanta? Nothing the Hawks have done reminds me of the 1998 Bulls, but there is enough talent on the roster to win into June. I would not put them on my list, but it's your $100,000,000 we are playing with.

The West is even more open. I probably would have written off Memphis (and still would), but none of the other seven teams seem completely incapable of winning four series. Maybe I am risk-aversely creative when I see Chris Paul holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy, but it could happen.

This might be the point where you scoff and say, "Sure, anything could happen," and I would readily agree. The beauty of studying and discussing probability is that there is always another universe where things turned out differently. When we speak in terms of "most likelies," it includes the implied hedge that we recognize other outcomes, rare as some may be. But too often, sports fans and media see outcomes as pre-ordained because they do not consider the range of probability. We write narratives to pretend as though the answer was always out there if we knew where to look. But in reality, the outcomes are always in doubt. Even the heaviest favorite has to show up and take care of business, odds be damned.

Very likely, an expected team like Miami or Chicago will emerge as the NBA's champion in June. As memory of the season fades, we will attribute too much of it to the Summer of 2010, Tim Duncan getting enough rest, or the Lakers "knowing what it takes" to win. But even if we have a chalk-champion, remember that it did not have to be that way. The black swans are always out there; we just forget about them until they shock the world.

Corrie Trouw is the founder of Pigskinology.com.

Posted by Corrie Trouw at 7:18 PM | Comments (0)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 8

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Carl Edwards — Edwards paired up with Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle late at Talladega, and led with two laps to go before finishing sixth following a chaotic shuffling on the final lap. Edwards maintained the lead in the Sprint Cup point standings, and leads Jimmie Johnson by five.

"With five laps to go," Edwards said, "there were eight drivers with a chance to win the race. Eight, if you count Dave Blaney. I found it interesting that I started the race beside Brad Keselowski and finished it beside the concrete wall. That's called running a race between a hard head and a hard place."

2. Jimmie Johnson — Benefitting from a race-winning push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Johnson won the Aaron's, nipping Clint Bowyer by .002 in a stirring finish at Talladega. Johnson's first win of the year moved him up to second in the Sprint Cup point standings, where he trails Carl Edwards by only 5.

"Obviously," Johnson said, "I couldn't have done it without Earnhardt's help. They say Earnhardt is NASCAR's most popular driver. He just became Jimmie Johnson's most popular driver, as well. I guess this is what happens when 'push comes to love.'

"I'm just glad I was able to lead the Hendrick charge. There may only be room for one driver on my bumper, but there's room for three on my coattails."

3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt finished fourth in the Aaron's 499, sacrificing a chance for the win to push teammate Jimmie Johnson to a dramatic victory. In the tandem racing prevalent at Talladega, Johnson was faster in front with Earnhardt pushing. After the race, a grateful Johnson presented Earnhardt with the checkered flag.

"I can't thank Jimmie enough for the flag," Earnhardt said. "Actually, I think once is enough. I'm honored, but not winning at the track at which I'm most capable of winning is something I'd like to put behind me. Thus, the flag becomes my 'checkered past.'

"You've got to hand it to Jimmie, though. He's a very shrewd racer. It was quite clever of him to say he was slower in the back. Of course he's slower; he's behind me. But I bought it, and now I have to live with it. I guess I'll now be categorized as the 'consummate' teammate. 'Consummate' would be the operative word, because I believe I got screwed."

4. Kevin Harvick — Harvick nearly pushed Richard Childress teammate Clint Bowyer to the win at Talladega, as Bowyer lost to Jimmie Johnson by .002 in a photo finish at the line. Harvick finished fourth, collecting his fourth top-five result of the year, and leaped five places in the point standings to fourth.

"One day I'm stocking grocery stores with Budweiser," Harvick said. "The next, I'm thriving in the role of dedicated teammate, and using the No. 29 Budweiser Chevy to push Clint Bowyer to a near-win at Talladega. In both cases, you could say I 'shelved' Budweiser for the sake of others."

5. Kyle Busch — Busch saw his Talladega hopes dashed when Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano nudged Busch's No. 18 M&Ms Pretzel Toyota on lap 140, sending Busch into Matt Kenseth's No. 17. Busch finished 35th, and tumbled four spots in the Sprint Cup point standings to sixth, 38 out of first.

"In a restrictor plate race," Busch said, "sometimes you have to learn to accept your 'restrictor fate.' C'est la re(strictor). Joe Gibbs Racing cars have had their engine issues this year, but at Talladega, it was Logano who was the culprit. Either way, you could say it was still Toyota's fault."

6. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer led the most laps at Talladega, 38, but came up just short at the end, losing to Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Hendrick Chevy by .002, which tied Ricky Craven's 2003 win at Darlington for the narrowest margin of victory since the age of electronic timing. Bowyer improved two places in the point standings to tenth, 50 out of first.

"It was an exciting end to an otherwise boring race," Bowyer said. "I think we gave the fans what they wanted. Although I didn't win, I was the pleased the No. 33 BB&T Chevy could add a little 'interest' to the race."

7. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth's run of four-straight top-10 finishes ended at Talladega, when he was collected in a lap 139 wreck that sent him to the garage. Kenseth's No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford was nailed by Kyle Busch's No. 18 Toyota after Busch was clipped by Joey Logano. Kenseth finished 36th, and fell four places in the point standings to eighth.

"Wrecks at Talladega are a lot like what Kyle Busch must experience with his teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing," Kenseth said. "There's no way to avoid them. And speaking of 'unavoidable wrecks,' Kyle's brother Kurt had quite the day at Talladega. The 'Duke Of Hazard' invented a new style of racing called 'constrictor plate,' because afterwards, everyone wanted to choke him.

"Now, lost in all of the Talladega hoopla was the story that NASCAR chairman Brian France filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife, claiming she recorded phone conversations without his consent in order to extort money from him. That's amazing! Amazing that she thought someone would actually want to hear what Brian France has to say."

8. Kurt Busch — Busch led 19 laps in the Aaron's 499, but faded at the finish after losing Dave Blaney's No. 36 car in the draft. Busch finished 18th, and remained fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now trails Carl Edwards by 28.

"I started the day fifth in the point standings," Busch said, "and ended the day in the same place. I guess the point standings are the only thing I could say I didn't put a dent in.

"Unfortunately, I was in the middle of three major wrecks. But don't blame me — I couldn't see what was ahead of me. Apparently, my fans are much better at one thing that I, and that's 'blindly following.'"

9. Ryan Newman — Newman finished 25th in the Aaron's 499, a result that could have been much worse had Newman not made two miraculous saves to stay in the race. On lap 171, Newman momentarily lost the draft with Denny Hamlin, but when their bumpers reconnected, Newman spun, collecting Juan Montoya's No. 42. Newman miraculously straightened his car and kept going. Two laps later, he spun again, and kept the car out of danger. After pitting for four tires and fender repairs, he resumed in 27th. He eventually finished 25th, and remained seventh in the point standings.

"I even amazed myself," Newman said. "Only one other thing has made me grip a steering wheel so tightly. That would be Rusty Wallace."

10. Jeff Gordon — Gordon started on the pole at Talladega, and after riding safely at the back of the pack for most of the race, charged at the end with a continual push from his drafting partner Mark Martin. In the thrilling dash to the line, Gordon finished third behind Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer.

"You could say Jimmie Johnson 'came out of nowhere' for the win," Gordon said. "But it seems implausible that a five-time Sprint Cup champion could 'come out of nowhere.' Let's just say he 'came out of somewhere' and 'pulled it out of someplace.'"

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

April 19, 2011

A Decade of Standing and Cheering

Sometimes it's weird being a sportswriter. I've had friends get offended when I tell them I can't go out because I have to watch football. You say that, and people feel like it's a cheap excuse to avoid spending time with them. No, seriously, I have to watch football. But the strangest part is how it changes being a fan.

You've probably read before that sportswriters root for the story. It's true. We also root for our predictions to come true. Everyone likes to look smart, and often that dictates who I root for, sometimes including the shameful practice of cheering against the underdog. I still feel that Super Bowl XLII is the best Super Bowl in history, but I had to throw away a dynamite piece when the Patriots lost.

The other factor is objectivity. I have been accused by readers of bias for and against every team in the NFL. I even had a colleague accuse me of bias toward the Red Sox when I wrote in 2006 that Alex Rodriguez wasn't living up to his potential. That's a cheap and cowardly accusation, and flat-out untrue. If your position is strong enough, it can stand on its own merits, and there's no need to try to discredit someone who disagrees with you. It's moral and intellectual laziness.

Some writers, like Bill Simmons, make their living being openly biased. I don't see how you take those people seriously, but a lot of people love Simmons, so I guess that's just me. The fact is, and most people find this hard to believe, I really don't care much about football teams any more. I grew up hating the Cowboys — hell, lots of us grew up hating the Cowboys. I don't really care about them now, one way or the other. I root for and against individuals (coaches and players) more than I do for teams. I don't hate the Cowboys any more than I do the Bengals, or Broncos, or Saints, or whoever.

But sports are more fun when you're invested in the outcome. Sometimes all that objectivity goes out the window, and I go nuts, waving my arms, jumping around, screaming at the television. This is a tour of those moments.

January 21, 2003: Roddick/El Aynaoui

This is actually a weird one to open with, because I didn't particularly care who won. I suppose I leaned toward Roddick, but this match drew me in purely for its intensity and high level of play. Roddick's epic Wimbledon showdown with Roger Federer in 2009 did the same thing. I've always rooted for Federer, but that match made me like Roddick in a way I never had before, and sympathize with him.

But in January '03, Federer was ranked 6th in the world and had never won a slam. The world was wide open for these two, the Australian Open genuinely up for grabs, and they played maybe the greatest tennis match I have ever seen. I was at a Florida motel for my cousin's wedding, glued to the television at 4 AM or whatever, watching this incredible battle between two players hitting amazing shots, pushing each other to the limit, probably beyond what they even thought themselves capable of, and utterly, absolutely refusing to give up. Just remembering it makes me want to stand and applaud. I'm not kidding.

October 20, 2004: Johnny Damon's Grand Slam in Game 7

I hate the Red Sox. Hate hate hate. But I hate the Yankees more. I also hated the Red Sox somewhat less in 2004 — when they were self-pitying sore losers instead of smug, cocky winners — than I do now. When the Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the ALCS, everyone knew Boston had blown it again. The Yankees would win the AL and probably the World Series, and the rest of us would have to deal with it for another 364 days.

But Boston came back. I've written about this before, and you all know what happened anyway. The Red Sox somehow tied the Series, 3-3, and I was sitting in front of the television waiting for them to blow it in Game 7. I was on the phone with a friend during the second inning, and we were about to hang up when Johnny Damon came to the plate. "Hold on," I said, "I just want to see this pitch."

When Damon's bat connected, my heart skipped a beat, I made a rather high-pitched sound, and the incident became forever etched in my memory. Damon hit a grand slam, and the Sox took a lead they never relinquished. The Yankees gave away their 3-0 series lead, and Boston went on to win its first World Series in 3,048 years.

January 4, 2006: The Rose Bowl

Do you remember how ESPN hyped USC in the run-up to this game? The Trojans were not only the greatest team in the country, they were the greatest team in history. In fact, they were by far the greatest team in history. Jonathan Chait, writing for Slate, compared ESPN's premature celebration of USC to the SNL Chicago Bears "Super Fans" who wonder whether Mike Ditka could single-handedly defeat another team. The whole exercise was sickening.

So when the Pretend National Championship Game rolled around, I was rooting firmly for Texas. This contest, like most of the others on my list, achieved "instant classic" status. It was an evenly-matched, back-and-forth game: USC led at the end of the first and third quarters, Texas at the end of the second and fourth. It was in that fourth quarter that Vince Young simply took over. He put the Longhorns on his shoulders and carried them to victory, just refusing to lose. It's always inspiring to see an individual excel like that, especially in a comeback, against the odds. And it's even sweeter when you're cheering for him already, and his heroics can set back blowhards like Mark May. Honestly, would it have killed the guys at ESPN to wait until after the bowl game to evaluate USC's place in history?

April 4, 2006: Fear the (Female) Turtle

Some time around 2000, I got really bored with men's basketball, both college and NBA. The style of play was so individual-oriented and slow, physical and lacking in finesse. I discovered that some of the better women's teams still played the game I loved, and my favorite basketball team became Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies. But I have roots with the University of Maryland — friends and relatives who went to the school, and the Terps were my team in the tourney. I actually lived about 10 minutes from College Park when this game was played.

After a fantastic semifinal win against conference rival North Carolina, the Terps met Duke in the final, a 78-75 overtime win sparked by freshman guard Kristi Toliver. The game was an instant classic, and if you haven't seen it, you should. This was one of those moments when I degenerated into that drunk guy next to you at the game, or the bar, or wherever. I'm in the living room, jumping up and down, literally running around, screaming, "Fear the (female) turtle!", except I may have used an expletive instead of female.

When your favorite team plays in a classic, dramatic game, and your emotions build up more and more, to a tense win at the end — there's no feeling like it.

January 1, 2007: Boise State Wins the Fiesta Bowl

The classic underdog story, with a twist. The weird thing about Boise and Utah and TCU in football, or Butler and Gonzaga in men's basketball, is that those teams aren't proper underdogs. In fact, they're year-in, year-out powerhouses, and the whole argument is that they are just as good as teams from the so-called power conferences. They prove it over and over, but many people are reluctant to take them seriously — in particular, the conference commissioners and corrupt BCS, who profit from their exclusion.

So my head came to the Fiesta Bowl knowing the Broncos were a great team, but my heart and gut were wondering how long they could stay on the field with Oklahoma. In one of the greatest games ever played, they hung around long enough to notch one of the most spectacular, most improbable wins in history. "Improbable" not so much for the mere fact of their victory — this was a great team — but for how they won, with a series of almost unbelievable trick plays.

The full game is available online at Hulu.

January 21, 2007: Colts Come Back From 18 Down

This was an extremely happy day for me, one that I treasure for reasons not entirely related to what happened in Indianapolis. But certainly the game was amazing. I respect the Patriots, but I don't particularly like them. I don't like Bill Belichick. I don't like Tom Brady. I don't like the team's attitude, the way they exude moral superiority, condescension, and coldness. The Colts seemed so much more human to me: vulnerable, flawed, likable. I mean, you couldn't ask for a bigger contrast than Tony Dungy and Belichick. Plus, I foolishly predicted a Colts victory.

So when the Pats led 21-3 just before halftime, I was in a doom-and-gloom kind of mood. And then the Colts pulled off this ridiculous comeback. I compared it, at the time, to the 2004 ALCS. You have this team that every year is almost good enough, and always seems to lose the big ones, sitting on the wrong end of a one-sided rivalry, and then, when the stakes are highest, pulls off this incredibly improbable — actually unprecedented — comeback.

The Red Sox took a week to complete their comeback. They won Game 4, Game 5, Game 6, and all of those had as much drama as Game 7, maybe more. Boston led most of the way in the final game (a second-inning grand slam will do that), and the tension evaporated a bit near the end. The AFC Championship Game went in reverse: from no tension when it looked like a New England blowout, to this incredible comeback and finish with the Colts bursting back into the game before their victory in Super Bowl XLI.

June 9, 2007: A Filly in the Belmont

I cheer for fillies. Actually, I think horse-racing is barbaric, but on this afternoon I was already in front of the television, and the Belmont was on, and I knew that a filly named Rags to Riches was in the field. I wasn't watching tv to see the Belmont, but I figured I'd tune in for three minutes and see what happened. I have a weakness for races. Actually, that's understating it. I love races. I like basketball and soccer and MMA and hockey, and I like football a lot, but I love races. That's why I enjoy the Summer Olympics so much: track and field, swimming, marathon — I love it all. My favorite event in the Vancouver Games was cross-country skiing. I get caught up in it.

The Belmont was on, and I decided Rags to Riches was my girl. I watched the video earlier today, for the first time in almost four years, and it brought tears to my eyes. There's no substitute for the stretch run. Have you seen this race? Actually, I don't care: take three minutes and watch, whether you've seen it already or not.

I'll wait.

That last straightaway, when Rags to Riches and Curlin pull away from the field, gives me goosebumps. My eyes well up, my breath catches. That moment. That first moment, when they pull away. They've been biding their time, and all of a sudden you see that these two are in a different class than the rest of the field. There's no substitute for that kind of excitement. Today was actually the first time I properly heard the terrific call by announcer Tom Durkin, because on June 9, I was on my feet, standing in front of the couch, yelling at the television, "Come on, girl! Come on, girl! Come on, girl!" She didn't let me down. Glorious.

August 11, 2008: Men's 4x100 Meter Freestyle Relay

I don't consider myself a nationalist, but all things being equal, I root for the U.S. I also tend to root against trash-talkers, like France's Alain Bernard. But I didn't start off on the edge of my seat, praying for an American victory, just like I didn't wake up in June 2007 knowing how invested I would become in a filly's date with destiny. Have I mentioned how much I love races? How I get caught up in that moment when the impossible becomes reality?

This event (watch here) also highlights something that I think makes great sports moments legendary: the announcers. Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines were resigned, from the beginning, to the likelihood of a French victory, and their suspicions played out for the first 90% or so of the relay. Hicks says, "The United States trying to hang on to second. They should get the silver medal," just as Bernard starts to tighten up and Jason Lezak begins to pull even. He and Rowdy Gaines go nuts, appropriately nuts, Jack Buck nuts, Russ Hodges nuts, Giants win the pennant. As a viewer, you can't help but get drawn in by their excitement, and it compounds your own.

April 24, 2010: Leonard Garcia vs. The Korean Zombie

Just as easily, I could go with Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. But when this fight aired, I was so buzzed up that between rounds I was pacing back and forth, talking to myself, debating whether to call my friends and tell them to turn on the tv. After Round 1, I decided not to make any calls; there was no way Round 2 could live up to the same standard. Lo and behold, Round 2 was probably even more exciting than the first. Now I am totally amped up, having detailed conversations with myself about whether this is the most entertaining fight I've ever seen.

There's no way Round 3 can be a classic, too: these guys must have punched themselves out by now. Fifteen minutes of war, the ugliest technique you'll ever see paired with the most beautiful heart, two guys who put everything into this fight, swinging for the fences, even kneeing for the fences, and turning Chan Sung Jung into a legend almost a year before he pulled off the first twister submission in UFC history. The UFC is not generous with its copyrighted material, but if you have any appreciation whatsoever for combat sports, you need to find a way to watch this.

* * *

Different people have different moments. Some of these events are famous, widely recognized as modern classics. Others are less celebrated, but they're all seared into my consciousness. Moments like these are why I'm passionate about sports. I have a lot of friends who are totally ambivalent about sports, and sometimes I try to explain why I'm so moved by them. When you watch sports, you're almost waiting for the impossible to happen. Every year, athletes accomplish things we thought were impossible. They come back from enormous deficits, continue past the point of exhaustion, beat the odds with David-and-Goliath upsets. There's no substitute for that type of inspiration.

I watch the highlights of Roddick-El Aynaoui and can't stifle my gasps and cheers. The '07 Belmont brings tears to my eyes. The 2006-07 AFC Championship Game holds a special place in my memory, like a bookmark in life. Sports fans have games and moments like that, the sort that everything else is shaped around. They're moments that inspire us, that bring us closer to the people around us, closer to humanity and its remarkable capacity for achievement. The four-minute mile, the three-pointer at the buzzer, the two-minute drill, the one-punch knockout, the no-look pass ... those are the sports moments I live for. Sports inspire us because we're human. These are some of the matches that have inspired me.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 6:03 PM | Comments (1)

An Ode to the Jolly

There's nothing quite like a sport where you can be a star as a fat guy. Sure, the NFL has tons of fat guys (see Ted Washington, Sean Rogers, Albert Haynesworth), but nobody pays attention to them. The NFL is run by the Tom Bradys, Peyton Mannings, and Adrian Petersons. Basketball is a little closer. Shaq has blimped up over the years, but he's really just a star based on his pre-fat days (you could make the same argument with a couple NFL examples like Ray Lewis, but there's less of them). Carmelo Anthony has chubbed up a bit, too, but I wouldn't quite put him yet in the category of fat.

Now the MLB on the other hand. There's a league where the fat guys can reign supreme. The MLB proclaims 1869 as its inaugural year, and despite all the cover-ups (see steroids, 1919 World Series), I'm willing to believe them. When a league has been around for 142 years, I don't expect to know all the players well enough to come up with any overarching and comprehensive list. I present to you, therefore, the ghosts of fat-MLB past and present (if you have any suggestions for a ghost of fat-MLB future, I'd love to hear it, unless it's your son or the star pitcher on your son's team):

Past: Babe Ruth (a portly 215 lbs.)

The Bambino. The Sultan of Swat. The Babe. Heck, I bet every now and then you could even find someone who called him George. Find me an American who's never heard of Babe Ruth. I dare you. Having been born about 52 years after his retirement, I obviously never got a chance to see the guy play. Nonetheless, his iconic nature continues to live on. Just thinking about this brings to mind the scene from "Sandlot" where the kids are astonished that anybody could have never heard of Babe Ruth.

After thinking of the movie, the next image that comes to mind is just that: an image. I think of a picture of Babe Ruth. He sure looks like a happy, jolly guy. Legend has it that he used to chow down on hot dogs and drink a whole lot of beer, so you can understand why he was so happy. Along with his excellent diet and reputation, he also happened to have pretty good statistics.

In 1916, Babe Ruth won 23 games, had a save, an ERA of 1.75, and a WHIP of 1.08. These were no one-year wonder stats, either. In the three-year span of 1915 through 1917, he won a total of 65 games (averaging over 20 a season) and carried ERAs of 2.44, 1.75, and 2.01 and WHIPs of 1.15, 1.08, and 1.05. In 1916, Babe Ruth pitched Game 2 of the World Series and did pretty well, too. He pitched a complete game shutout. Oh, and by the way, the game went 13 innings! This would start a consecutive scoreless innings streak that would reach 29 in 1918. I'm sure you're convinced now that Babe Ruth was a pretty good player.

Wait, what's that? You said Babe Ruth was a hitter? Babe Ruth's switch from Boston to New York also meant a change of positions. He finished his career with a whopping .342 career batting average, 714 home runs (and zero lies to grand juries), 2,213 RBIs, and a .474 OBP. In 1927, when Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs, nobody else but Lou Gehrig hit more than 30. And you know how every time somebody mentions Roger Maris, somebody else chimes in that other than the year he hit 61, he never even got to 40 in a season? Well, along with the year Babe Ruth hit 60, he had a year with 59 and two years with 54.

So I think we can all agree that Babe Ruth has earned all his nicknames with all those impressive statistics. And yet, when I think of him, that image of the portly, jolly man still stands out in my mind.

Present: C.C. Sabathia (300 lbs.) and Prince Fielder (250 lbs.)

I know what you're thinking, aren't C.C. Sabathia and Prince Fielder actually two separate people? Technically, you'd be right. Nonetheless, they will always be remembered for being what must one of the heaviest teammate duos ever in MLB history. This fact makes them one in my mind.

Carsten Charles Sabathia came up with Cleveland in 2001. He won 17 games in his first season. In 2007, following a spectacular 19-win season in which he (and the then-magical Fausto Carmona, Travis Hafner, and Grady Sizemore) led Cleveland to a seven-game ALCS against Boston, (a truly, truly heartbreaking series, especially when you consider that the Tribe would have rolled right over the Rockies for their first World Series championship since 1948), he won the Cy Young Award.

Despite the short time he spent in Milwaukee, it has to stand out as one of the greatest half-a-seasons I've ever witnessed. In 17 starts, Carsten Charles had seven complete games and went 11-2 with an ERA of 1.65 and a WHIP of 1.00. He also never backed down from a start on three days of rest.

Regardless of these impressive regular season statistics, when the Yankees signed Carsten Charles, I thought they were crazy. Sure, he's a monster in the regular season, but the whole point of being the Yankees is that you build for the playoffs. Playoffs were never the big man's strong point, as he had never really been one to thrive on pressure. The year before in 2008, he put up a goose egg in the win column, an ERA of 12.27, and a WHIP of 2.73. In Cleveland's magical 2007 run, he was 1-2 with an ERA of 8.80 and a WHIP of 2.22. Not great. On top of this, throughout his years in Cleveland, he was terrible every time he pitched in his hometown (Oakland) or on Opening Day. As if the Yankees' regular season doesn't provide enough pressure, their yearly playoff appearances surely would.

Well, lo and behold, Carsten Charles led the Bronx Bombers to a World Series in his first year there. I guess the big man was enough to make up for A-Rod's deficiencies, and it doesn't look like the Yankees are going to consider hiring me for General Manager anymore. Bummer.

Meanwhile, Carsten Charles' teammate for a brief time in Milwaukee, Prince Fielder, is having himself a nice career, as well. Despite a rather large shadow to walk in (figuratively and literally) due to his father being the great Cecil Fielder, the Prince has been carving out quite the identity for himself since debuting with the Brewers in 2005.

Using his powerful frame, the Prince has had seasons with 50 and 46 home runs and a career batting average of .280. Probably more impressive than the raw numbers, he did something nobody thought possible: he made the Brewers relevant.

In 2008, knowing that they finally had a team worth building around, the Brewers made a blockbuster trade for the aforementioned Carsten Charles and pushed their way into the playoffs for the first time since their 1982 World Series loss. Given that the Milwaukee Bucks have always been bottom feeders, from 1982 until 2008 the only professionals Milwaukee had to hang its hat on were Laverne and Shirley working in the brewery (and even that ended in 1983). Besides, we've all had Milwaukee's Best, and if that's the best they've got ... well that's beyond the scope of this article.

Dessert

And there you have it. If you need any more reasons to thoroughly enjoy the fact that the new MLB season is upon us and in full swing, just read the article again. Because in the end, there's nothing quite like seeing the fat guy be the star.

All right, I'm off to the game, you'll recognize me as the guy in the stands with the hot dog, nachos, cotton candy, and beer ... hey, how else are they going to know that I support them?

Posted by Charles Coughlin at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2011

Once Again, the West Proves Wild

The NBA postseason that got underway Saturday didn't exactly pick up where the regular season ended, but while breaking the mold is a bad thing when you're casting for a Transformers sequel, it's a blessing when you're a league marred by the absence of any drama since its All-Star Break.

All eight playoff series opened over the weekend, and seven were in doubt deep into the fourth quarter. Given this season's static second half — the 16 playoff teams have controlled the postseason landscape since February, with 10 finishing in the same seeding they held coming out of All-Star Weekend — this has to be considered a major coup for the NBA.

By Sunday night, the East's top three seeds could each count their fortunes after receiving wake-up calls before the final buzzer, though for the Boston Celtics it rang with only 4.6 seconds to spare. The best-in-league Chicago Bulls came from 10 back in the final 3:28 to beat the Indiana Pacers, while in Miami, the second-seeded Heat got down by 14 points early, then let a 13-point fourth quarter lead dwindle to one before hanging on against the Philadelphia 76ers. Ray Allen's last-second trey gave the C's their 2-point win over a surprisingly-energized New York Knicks team that played much larger than their roster bios.

It was a different story out west. The conference renown for postseason theatrics dating back to Dikembe Mutombo's 1994 Denver Nuggets, which became the first eighth-place team in NBA history to knock off a top seed, hinted of a reprise as the top two teams found themselves down one game come Sunday night, while the third and fourth slots survived scares of their own.

That the top-seed San Antonio Spurs are in early trouble out West after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies is not particularly shock-the-world material. The Spurs have been struggling for a month, losers of 8 of their last 12 while their once-untouchable best record was surpassed by the Bulls; the Los Angeles Lakers even came within a game down the stretch. Exacerbating their poor play, the Spurs were without all-star Manu Ginobili, who sat out with a sprained elbow.

Like on-the-job naps to an air traffic controller, losing opening games is what the Spurs like to do. Sunday marked their six consecutive opening game loss. Although they ultimately went down in three of those previous five series, and the Western Conference is a petri dish for incubating eighth-seed upsets, the Grizzlies lack the requisite experience to sustain another Western top-seed collapse. If the world hadn't already known it, the way in which Zach Randolph and his teammates celebrated just a single postseason victory removed any doubt that the Grizzlies have never been here before.

While the two-time defending champion Lakers are the antithesis of the Spurs, having won six consecutive opening round games heading into Sunday, they were in a similar position by week's end, down a game in their series with the New Orleans Hornets. Los Angeles is looking for their fourth consecutive Western title, all without a legitimate point guard. It's the one advantage the Hornets hold in this matchup, and they cashed in their chips on Sunday, getting 33 points and 14 assists out of Chris Paul.

Look for Phil Jackson to make the necessary adjustments on Wednesday to reestablish his front-court dominance and exploit a Hornets team missing its top scorer in David West, who is finished for the year. Jackson's coaching career is going to end soon enough, but Monty Williams will not be giving Phil his final handshake, especially with Kobe Bryant putting up 26 shots a game.

Of course, it was one of Bryant's shots – a three-pointer with less than five seconds remaining in Sacramento last Wednesday night – that helped the Lakers' cause by protecting the second slot and sending the pesky Portland Trailblazers to Dallas. On Saturday, the third-seeded Mavericks struggled, trailing Portland by six in the fourth quarter and not taking the lead for good until 3:40 left to go.

Dallas has been a first-round knockout three times in the last four years, including last season as the West's two-seed. They're a team that never seems to incrementally improve, but, like on-the-job movies to an air traffic controller, you just feel compelled to watch them. The Mavs figure to struggle when the series shifts to Portland, where they lost both regular season games. That makes Tuesday night an early must-win. It will come down to a best-of-three series, and if you're Mark Cuban, you cannot like those odds.

Rounding out the West's wild weekend is the team feeling the most pressure to dethrone the Lakers: the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder came one non-call away from pushing the Lakers to a seventh game in last year's opening round, and the consensus throughout the NBA is that they improved greatly with the mid-season acquisition of Kendrick Perkins, who complements perhaps the best young duo in all of basketball in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

As a Celtic, Perkins did the most to neutralize the front-court presence of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. After he went down with a torn ACL in last year's Finals, the Lakers grabbed 23 offensive rebounds in Game 7 en route to their 15th championship.

It's not surprising that most of the free world not living in Southern California has placed its hopes of stopping the Lakers on the Thunder. And they took their first step in that direction on Sunday, if only partially on script. Durant and Westbrook combined for 72 points to keep Denver at bay, notwithstanding 9-of-11 shooting for Nuggets center Nene Hilario, aka Perkins' man. Forget Perk's sub-par 4-point, 5-rebound night; he got the tip-in that delivered OKC's win, and he provides some veteran playoff experience his new team was missing last year. He has what the Thunder need to carry them into a showdown against the Lakers. The only question in this Wild West postseason is, will either of them be around come Conference Finals?

As Dikembe Mutombo once said, “These are the playoffs. Nobody invites you into their house. You just have to go in and get comfortable.”

Western teams certainly do make themselves feel quite at home, no matter where they are.

Posted by Bob Ekstrom at 2:58 PM | Comments (0)

Ovechkin Showing New Side to His Game

If the Washington Capitals make it to the Eastern Conference Final and beyond, there's a lot of different aspects of their game to cite. The team is more defensively responsible thanks to a roster-wide change in culture, and trade-deadline acquisition Jason Arnott helps establish necessary depth for secondary scoring. However, as always, the Caps go as far as superstar Alex Ovechkin goes. If the first few games of the playoffs mean anything, Washington's fans could be in for a long — and rough-and-tumble — run.

Ovechkin's always been one of the game's biggest hitters. He's physical and fearless, throwing his body around with reckless abandon — so much so that rumors swirled that his off-pace this season had as much to do with saving his body for the post-season than various bumps or bruises.

The early returns on Ovechkin's game show that he's indeed a changed man. The Ovechkin goal log featured many shots of the exciting nature: a breakaway rush, a one-timer from the point, and so on. Not too many of those goals from past seasons would have had Ovechkin furiously banging away at the puck in the goalie's pads, all while being manhandled by a defenseman.

Yet, that's the Ovechkin we've seen so far this season. His trademark physicality isn't just about jarring the opposition on a big hit, it's about doing whatever it takes to meet the end goal. There's no doubt that Ovechkin cared before, as he seems to be the type of person that's passionate in anything he does. The difference so far in this post-season is that Ovechkin seems to be channeling that passion in a more focused way. Perhaps it took some time for the true weight of the captain's C to sink in with Ovechkin, or maybe it's just that one of the game's most skilled players is maturing with age. Whatever the case, it appears the fun-loving Ovechkin has taken a turn for the serious, and his dialed-in effort is leading by example.

Great players change over the years. Look at how Mike Modano and Steve Yzerman transformed their respective styles to become all-around players. Ovechkin's oft-mentioned rival Sidney Crosby seems to have taken one trait in each off-season and fine-tuned it into a new strength (face-offs, shooting).

That's not to say that we'll be talking about Ovechkin for the Selke Trophy in a year or two. However, The Great 8 is certainly showing a different side to his game. The postseason is still young, and the Caps haven't been perfect, but Ovechkin's willingness to add gritty play for dirty goals creates a necessary dimension. It's the difference between being considered the most-skilled player in the game and the best player in the game.

This might be the final step in Ovechkin's evolution. Will this lead Washington to the Stanley Cup? It certainly couldn't hurt.

Posted by Mike Chen at 1:31 PM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2011

Losing Sight on Replay

In yet another battle in the steep, uphill war for instant replay in Major League Baseball, it appears there has been but one more small victory. On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that MLB is "leaning toward" an expansion of instant replay that would include trapped balls and fair-or-foul rulings down the lines.

Count me among those disappointed. Not because I oppose instant replay — I strongly support it, in fact — but because I cannot help but question MLB's motives. If you want to get the calls right, and consequently incorporate more instant replay, why take these small steps?

We have the technology, we just don't seem to have the dedication. That MLB is willing to take such insignificant steps is an indication that there really is no motivation to get the right call. It's almost as though Bud Selig is acting out of obligation rather than his own passion.

And what's most disappointing, beyond the lack of necessary action, is that this debate has been sheltered by a wave of ignorance, even by some pro-replay advocates.

Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Franklin, in support of instant replay, said, "I just think they should all be called the right way, and it doesn't matter if it takes an extra five minutes."

Bravo, Mr. Franklin. Yes, of course we should strive to get every call right. But I must question the latter half of your statement. Where do you come up with the fact that instant replay adds time to baseball games?

What lengthens the games is not getting calls right, it's getting calls wrong. Umpires converging on the field as players and managers offer their own two cents, sometimes without civility, is hardly a quick process. As if that weren't enough, the call rarely gets changed anyway. That, if anything, is the real waste of time. And it's pretty unproductive as well.

Replay, on the other hand, would speed up games and decrease the amount of arguments. With a call in question, the crew chief can simply signal up to an official sitting in the press box watching the television broadcast. "Safe or out?" the crew chief would ask. "Safe." Done. Thirty seconds.

That I can sit home and watch multiple slow motion replays at five different angles on FOX while the umpires — with memory as their only evidence — argue ferociously with the opposing manager is absolutely ridiculous.

Another major leaguer, Aubrey Huff, decided to contribute his opinion as well. "You're messing with the history of the game when you start messing with too much," he said.

Dear Mr. Huff,

If the history of the game is principally based on less, if not inaccurate evidence, then that is a history I am sure pleased to "mess" with.

Sincerely, Logic

This debate always makes me think back to one of Mike Francesa's radio broadcasts on WFAN. A caller argued that instant replay was essential and that we should strive to get every call right. Mike Francesa viciously countered, screaming, "You want robots?! You want a little beeper system running the game?!"

Nobodies asking for robots. Nobody is suggesting that we should dismantle tradition. But why, if not through logic then through a love for the game, would you ever not support a system that will get more calls right.

Maybe it's not even about the answer anymore. Maybe we just haven't yet asked the right question.

Posted by Jess Coleman at 7:55 PM | Comments (0)

April 15, 2011

Sports Q&A: Tiger Likes Going All the Way (Back)

Tiger Woods finished tied for fourth at last week's Masters, surging into the lead with a signature charge on the front nine that gave fans a glimpse of the "old" Woods. He didn't win, but it is clear that, win or lose, no one brings drama to golf quite like Woods. The question is, can Woods be the golfer he once was?

"He's back." Woods hadn't heard those words spoken so often since the days when his mistresses would herald his arrival for seconds with those very words, back in the day when he was making more "rounds" in hotels than on golf courses.

However, it would be a bit rash to say that Woods is "back" just because of a fine tournament in the Masters. Woods has finished fourth or better in the six Masters since his last win there in 2005. He's always good at the Masters. Woods has loved many things many times, but he's loved Augusta National more than any. He knows the course like the back of his hand, or the inside of Rachel Uchitel. So to simply say that Woods will regain his dominance because of a four-hole charge on the front nine is purely a case of premature evaluation.

However, Sunday's early charge may have been the first sign that Woods can be the dominant force he once was. Sure, Woods has supposedly quelled his sexual appetite since that fateful night in November of 2009, but somebody got "laid" at the 2011 Masters. That would be the "foundation" for Woods' re-ascension to the mantle of world's greatest golfer. He may never reach that point, but if he does, the sporting world will look back to the 2011 Masters as the launching point. Woods has reorganized and rallied since his personal and professional lives crumbled. Today, "regroup" takes on an entirely new meaning than it did a year-and-a-half ago, when "re-group" probably indicated plans for another orgy.

What makes Woods' Sunday magic so monumental? No one expected it. Sure, everyone expected him to be in contention, but last Sunday, Woods was tied for the lead. And the "fist pump" was back, overtaking the "pelvic thrust" as the Woods celebration of choice for the first time in months.

Did the pressure of sharing the lead affect Woods? Possibly. A more logical explanation? It was merely a case of being out of practice. Woods has spent the last 18 months trying to forget what it's like to be on top, that he forgot what it's like to be on top, of a leader board. Indeed, Woods' latest "coming out" party at the Masters was just as shocking as his "pulling out" party, when he was forced to end his many illicit affairs. The suddenness of his downfall was matched by the unexpectedness of his Sunday blitz.

For sure, other golfers didn't wilt or disintegrate when Woods' Masters magic electrified Augusta. But why should they? It's obvious Woods isn't the golfer supplying the pressure to which they've grown accustomed to withering under, as he once was. But deep down, the top golfers know that it's a just a matter of time before the intimidation factor rears its scary head. Soon, the steely stare of a focused Woods will be the only thing on his person considered "penetrating."

Other players can disguise their fear of Woods behind veiled criticisms and empty wins over an obviously not-at-the-top-of-his-game Woods. And that could be working for those golfers as motivation. It seems to be. By that same token, it is also motivation for Woods. Not that Woods needs external motivation. Most of his motivation comes from within. But hearing golfers with no major wins, or golfers with one major win, condemning a golfer with 14 major wins must make Woods feel better about himself.

One would think that, with Woods not at the top of his game, one or two other golfers would take advantage and win multiple majors. That hasn't happened. In fact, in the ten majors since Woods' last major, the 2008 U.S. Open, ten different golfers have captured majors. Everyone has stepped up, but no one has stepped up. They've fooled themselves into believing they are playing in a "Tiger-less" era, when, in fact, they are playing in an era of "less Tiger." And they are enjoying it, while they can.

The truth is that competitors are still in awe of Woods, impressed by the sheer will of a man capable of suppressing such a legendary sexual appetite for the sake of his golf game. Woods already presents a challenge to their manhood; when his game comes around, the will of his rivals will be completely broken. He's had the women, and, once again, he'll have the major titles. Then he'll be able to declare his "glory whole." Don't forget. Woods is only 35, well within his prime, golf-wise and sexually. The only "scandal" left to mar his career would be if he doesn't win at least four more major titles.

To recapture the glory, Woods may retrain his mind and focus on vanquishing males as opposed to conquering females. He should have no trouble with this. It has often been speculated as to what Woods is thinking when faced with a challenge from another golfer or golfers. What's on his mind? Ironically, it's probably the same thing he was thinking when his next hookup was the priority over his golf game: "get some."

What's keeping Woods from a total return to form? As always, it's his inconsistent putting. Woods seems as comfortable with a putter in his hands as he does with a 9-iron in his face. He's apparently overcome his sexual maxim of "gimme, gimme, gimme." Now, ironically, he must overcome his aversion to "gimme, gimme, gimme's" on the golf course.

Woods' downfall was clearly the worst thing that could have happened to his career. But there's a silver lining. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you the reason he hasn't won a major in three years is because of that. It's an excuse. Can you imagine how Woods, or anyone, would explain such a major drought if there was no scandal, there were no mistresses, and Tiger's was a happy home? His game would truly be lost, and he would have no hint of an explanation. As it is, he has something to blame, which has to be comforting. We can speculate and say that Woods would have won three, maybe four majors. And that would have been quite an accomplishment. But to win three, four, or more majors after hitting the bottom? That would be even more impressive, and add to his greatness. Of course Woods realizes this and uses it as another motivational tool.

Woods will win another major. But it won't happen before he wins another tournament. Once he wins that 15th major, though, the swagger will be back, and thus will begin the "PC" phase of Woods' career. "PC" not for "politically correct," but for "post-coital." Once he regains the title as world's best golfer, earning the title of greatest golfer of all time can't be far behind. But even that's not enough for Woods. Now he wants to be known as the greatest golfer of all time whose career was interrupted by a sex scandal and fall from grace. No other golfer could ever make that claim.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 12:37 PM | Comments (0)

April 14, 2011

2011 NFL Mock Draft

While much of the excitement of the 2011 NFL season has been tempered by the ever-present lockout situation currently facing the league, the NFL will be holding its annual draft April 28-30. In spite of the arrogance and stubbornness surrounding the ongoing labor dispute, loyal draftniks like me must put our frustration and ridicule of the "as-is" state aside in favor of a more optimistic assessment of what "will be" as we postulate on which ex-collegians will be going where — at least in theory — when their names are called later this month.

For the past two seasons, SC's Joshua Duffy and I have "competed" for the crown as Sports Central's least wrong mock drafter and, to be frank, the competition has been more one-sided than the 1985 Bears' Super Bowl romp over the Patriots. Joshua has wiped the proverbial floor with me, and for that, he has earned my respect. Unfortunately, with that respect comes a steadfast resolve to establish the previous trend as "old news," so to that end I have redoubled my efforts in research and "guess-timation" in preparation of this missive, which enters into the official record my 2011 NFL mock draft assessment.

As always, my mock does include potential trade scenarios — which creates additional risk to my dwindling reputation as a draft "expert" — and is based on the facts as I interpret them in the weeks before the draft. Without further ado...

1. Carolina Panthers – DE Marcel Dareus, Alabama — While I am probably going to rue over thinking this one, I am resolute in my belief that the Panthers will not take a shot at Cam Newton here considering the following facts: 1) as lost as their QBs looked last season, the reality is they did spend a high draft pick on Jimmy Clausen last season; 2) in Carolina's worst-case scenario, they will suck again in 2011, which will net them a shot at QB Andrew Luck, who — assuming he remains healthy — will undoubtedly be the first player taken overall next season; 3) if the Panthers are intent on bringing in someone to compete for reps at QB, there is no reason to believe that they won't go for one of a very strong second-tier set of rookie quarterbacks early in the third round.

2. Denver Broncos – DT Nick Fairley, Auburn — Denver needs help up front and Fairley is the top option here. Von Miller (LB) is also an option here, but expect the Broncos to build their defense from their inside out, making DT a priority.

3. Buffalo Bills – QB Cameron Newton, Auburn — Buffalo is another team that may not be sold on the top QBs in this draft, but the immediate value Newton's brand name brings a team searching for an identity should prove to be too great a draw to overlook.

4. Cincinnati Bengals – CB Patrick Peterson, LSU — All signs point to Georgia's WR A.J. Green in this spot, but Peterson is a stud and fills a position of need for Cincy.

5. Arizona Cardinals – LB Von Miller, Texas A&M — No team will be watching the board more closely than the Cardinals. They are absolutely smitten with Miller and are wringing their hands in worry that another team may decide on the most talented rush linebacker to come out in recent years. Depending on how draft day buzz rolls along, the Cards are one team that may look to move up should they really start to worry that Miller won't fall to this slot.

6. Cleveland Browns – WR A.J. Green, Georgia — The Browns need some explosiveness on offense, and the productive Georgia wideout makes sense. Should the board fall like this, I really like this pick.

7. San Francisco 49ers – CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska — Expect the Niners to receive some calls for this pick — particularly from the Vikings as they look to leapfrog Tennessee to draft Gabbart — but you have to think San Francisco is looking at getting a top-flight corner in this draft and moving to a slot behind the Texans (12 overall, if they did swap picks with Minnesota), would guarantee that they would not get a shot at the defensive backfield's consolation prize, Prince Amukamura. In the end, Washington could move here if they somehow manage to parlay a trade down (perhaps with New England) into additional second and third round picks that could be packaged and sent to San Fran, but reality is this scenario is highly unlikely, so the best bet is for the Niners to stay put and select the promising Cornhusker cornerback.

8. Tennessee Titans – QB Blaine Gabbart, Mizzou — Probably not a big surprise here. They clearly like Gabbart and they clearly need a new QB.

9. Dallas Cowboys – DE Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson — While OT makes the most sense for the Cowboys, Jerry Jones will not be able to resist the temptation of teaming another hell-raising defensive pass rush specialist with DeMarcus Ware.

10. TRADE – San Diego Chargers – DT Robert Quinn, UNC — Quinn is an interesting player. Big for an outside linebacker, he has a great motor and is a solid pass rusher, to be sure. If he remains "big" (6'4", 260 lbs), he could play 3-4 end for San Diego but should he slim down a bit, he would be a nightmarish pass rush outside linebacker option in the mold of Shawn Merriman, minus the 'roid-rage. Washington will be looking to move down to recoup some later picks and the Chargers have one extra pick in both the second and third rounds to work with.

11. TRADE – New England Patriots – OT Nate Solder, Colorado — The Patriots have tons of ammo for potential trades and, while they don't historically move up in the draft, Solder is a Bill Belichek kind of lineman — big, athletic, nasty, smart. Houston will be reeling as their nightmare scenario will have unfolded, leaving them with absolutely nobody they coveted as a high draft pick remaining on the board and a trade down will be their best option.

12. Minnesota Vikings – QB Jake Locker, Washington — Minnesota, like Houston, will be frustrated on draft day. They, more than any other team, will want to move up in this draft to get a shot at either Newton or Gabbart. Additionally, few teams will be willing to trade up into this spot as right here is about where value levels off in the player pool. Left with little choice, the Vikings will take their highest-rated remaining QB.

13. Detroit Lions – OT Tyron Smith, USC — Won't waste much time justifying this one. Detroit needs offensive line help and Smith is the best available.

14. St. Louis Rams – WR Julio Jones, Alabama — Jones has opened eyes throughout the offseason with his skills. The Rams will be happy to get him here.

15. TRADE – New Orleans Saints – RB Mark Ingram, Alabama — Miami, contrary to popular belief, is more intrigued with some of the second-tier running backs that they will be able to get later in the draft. Additionally, all signs point to DeAngelo Williams being a primary free agency target for the Dolphins, making this pick a commodity that they can comfortably do without, should they find the right suitor. Enter the Saints, who will be happy to bring a durable, hard running power back into their offensive mix.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars – DE J.J. Watt, Wisconsin — Pass rusher is a key position of need for the Jags and Watt is a cerebral, hard-working type that is low risk, high reward.

17. TRADE – Houston Texans – LB Aldon Smith, Mizzou — Smith is a nice fit in Houston, and they have made no secret about the fact that they are intrigued by his skill set and motor. Should they land the Mizzou sack artist, the trade down with New England will have been a rare draft-day success for a team needing to emerge from this offseason transformed and more stable.

18. TRADE – Washington Redskins – DT Corey Liuget, Illinois — At 6'2", 300 lbs, Liuget is undersized for a NT prospect, however, he is extremely strong and this strength makes him a real option in the middle of a 3-4 despite his lack of ideal size. All in all, this would be a sound pick for the Redskins who will be looking to reform their defense on draft day.

19. New York Giants – OT Anthiny Castonzo, BC — A very, very solid pick at a position of need for a Giants team not needing wholesale changes to get back into the mix in the NFC. Castonzo should be able to start immediately.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado — With the drama surrounding Aqib Talib, Tampa will need an insurance policy in the defensive backfield. Smith is the best remaining CB on the board and makes sense.

21. Kansas City Chiefs – LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA — Georgia's Justin Houston is another option here for the Chiefs, but Ayers is a bit more polished.

22. Indianapolis Colts – OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin — And Peyton Manning will let out a huge sigh of relief.

23. Philadelphia Eagles – RB Mikel Leshoure, Illinois — By many accounts, the hard-running Illinois halfback is the most "pro-ready" prospect at the position, and Philly could use a hard-running halfback to team with McCoy.

24. TRADE – Miami Dolphins – LB Dontay Moch, Nevada — Moch is an uber-athletic linebacker that could start immediately in Miami.

25. Seattle Seahawks – OT Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State — A bit of a reach in the first round, the 'Hawks need offensive line help.

26. Baltimore Ravens – CB Brandon Harris, Miami — Yes, it may be cliché, but the Ravens love them some Hurricane defenders. Harris is nasty and aggressive, just how they like them in Baltimore.

27. TRADE – Houston Texans – DT Muhammed Wilkerson, Temple — Wilkerson is the best 3-4 guy in the lot, particularly this late in round one. Houston, desperate for a solidified defensive alignment in 2011, will be happy trading away their two second-round picks (their own plus a late first-rounder acquired from Pats in an earlier draft-day trade) for the rights to the 330-pound defensive anchor. Atlanta, not in a position where they need to grab impact players, will use this opportunity to stockpile picks and build depth.

28. New England Patriots – LB Justin Houston, Georgia — Houston is versatile and aggressive and will help bolster a defense that lacked depth in 2010.

29. Chicago Bears – OG/C Mike Pouncey, Florida — The Bears need interior line help and Pouncey is versatile, smart, and has a nasty streak. He comes from a proven bloodline, so this pick should be a no-brainer for the Bears brain-trust.

30. TRADE – Arizona Cardinals – QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas — Arizona, having gone defense early in the draft, will most certainly look to trade back into the first round should any of the top four QBs drop. In this scenario, Mallett is that guy. The Jets, without a round two pick, will be happy to pick up some additional selections in either this year's draft or next's.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers – CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia — Dowling's stock is fading, but he is a big, relatively athletic playmaker who should be a nice fit on an aging Steelers defense.

32. Green Bay Packers – DE Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue — I'm not sure why I think this pick makes so much sense, but I just do. The defending champions could use some help at defensive end and Kerrigan is a mid-first round value and a steal this late in the round.

Posted by Matt Thomas at 4:39 PM | Comments (7)

Tennis Has Gone to the Clones

On Saturday, a friend and I watched the final of the Family Circle Cup. I found it to be typically boring, as I have come to find most WTA tournaments. As most of my readers know, I am a huge fan of women's tennis, having coached it for over a decade and having written about it for longer.

During the match, my friend mentioned to me that he saw an article about John McEnroe's tennis academy in NYC. I was very interested in hearing what my friend had to say, as I know that John McEnroe's tennis academy approach is going against the grain of every other academy in the world.

My friend was predictable, and immediately decried that it would not work, and that John is competing against all the Florida and Spanish based academies with "proven" records. I proceeded to tell my friend he was wrong, and that Johnny Mac would create a top-10 player quicker then any academy on the planet.

I think my opinion is even more spot on now. This past weekend, we saw Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki take two more WTA Tour finals. Funny thing is, if I didn't know what the differences in clothing styles were on these players, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell which one was which. Tennis, and women's tennis more so, has become a sport of clones. I'll thank and curse my compatriot Nick Bollettieri for that.

Western grip, open stance forehands. Loopy, high topspin backhands. Almost mechanical service motions. Almost non-existent net games. Heck, they even all have similar grunts.

John McEnroe is taking his approach back to the way it was when he was coming up, and the way it was when tennis produced much more prolific and interesting champions. McEnroe spends his days not trying to create strokes in the same way, the same motion, but instead works on enhancing the skills and style the players bring to him. John McEnroe learned his game from one of the greatest, Mr. Harry Hopman. Hopman alone was responsible for the amazing Australian dominance of men's and women's tennis in the late 1950s through the late 1970s, and is personally responsible for McEnroe.

I scanned the top 10 woman's players right now. Of that list, only three have what I would call unique styles and they aren't even that different. Kim Clijsters, who tends to hit flatter and chop her forehand a lot, Maria Sharapova, who again hits flatter (thank you, Robert Lansdorp), and Francesca Schiavone, who has the epitome of the traditional Italian clay game. Everyone else, by and large, is a clone. And that even goes as far as the mental pieces. How many times do we have to do the fist clench and pump after every point anyway?

No one can argue that John McEnroe didn't have one of the most unique games and styles of all time. With that cutting slice serve and deft touch at the net, serve and volley tennis never had it so good. And it was always amazing to watch McEnroe go it toe-to-toe against the ultimate baselined, Bjorn Borg. The two contrasting styles made for many memorable matches.

What made those matches great, and those players great, was the way they hit the ball and the way their games were fashioned around a unique capability each had. You could tell, immediately who was on the court. Ilie Nastase did not look like Jimmy Connors, who did not look like Arthur Ashe, who did not hit like John Newcombe, who did not serve like Rod Laver. With just one swing of the racquet, you knew who was playing whom.

Tennis isn't alone in this cloning. I used to love Major League Baseball. You could tell each batter by his stance at the plate and his swing. Rod Carew with his nearly horizontal bat. Carl Yastrzemski with his bat pointing nearly right at the pitcher. Willie Mays and his right arm pump, Joe Morgan and his left arm pump. Then came Charley Lau and his creation of the Kansas City Royals. Every hitting coach in the world suddenly ran out and started cloning his approach and style. Now just about every batter in the game has the same stance, same swing, and same swing style. In many respects it makes baseball boring, at least to me.

Tennis has become the same. Everyone coaches and teaches the same style and method, having cloned Nick Bollettieri's camp a million times over. Tennis doesn't need that. Tennis needs more "style," and I don't mean more Serena Williams Aneres fashions nor do I mean new designs by Stella McCartney for Adidas. The game needs more unique players, and more individual, unique games. Johnny Mac is on the right track.

The French Open is quickly approaching, as the European clay season has begun. The academy-created games of the baseliners will be everywhere. The competitive field now goes to the clones. I am just hoping that I'll be able to tell the difference between whichever blond-haired, blue-eyed, perfect-stroking woman is in the final while I'm watching.

And I'll be hoping that Johnny Mac is successful very, very, very soon.

Posted by Tom Kosinski at 11:14 AM | Comments (6)

April 13, 2011

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 7

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Carl Edwards — Edwards took third at Texas, passing Tony Stewart's gassed out car on the final lap, as Roush Fenway Racing placed all four cars in the top seven. Edwards battled stomach problems all day, as well as handling issues in the No. 99 Scott's Ford, but hung in to post his fourth top-five result of the year. He vaulted passed Kyle Busch in the point standings, and holds a nine point lead.

"We were loose all day," Edwards said. "And when I say 'we,' I mean the car and me. It's hard to find a rhythm when you're constantly telling your car to 'go' and only your stomach is listening. It was a day of 'fits and sharts.' My teammate David Ragan may drive the UPS car, but it was me who truly found out what brown could do for me. The answer was very little.

"As you may know, I'm in the last year of my contract, and I'm currently in talks with Roush Fenway concerning a contract extension. I'm pretty confident we'll get it done, especially after Saturday night's performance, because I seriously doubt anyone else would want my 'seat' after that."

2. Kyle Busch — Busch was running third and primed to contend for the win at Texas, but a left-rear tire vibration forced a late pit stop, putting the No. 18 Interstate Battery Toyota a lap down. Busch never got a caution to get back on the lead lap, and settled for a disappointing 16th, which knocked him from the Sprint Cup points lead. He trails Carl Edwards by nine points.

"Given the circumstances," Busch said, "I'd rather not be behind Edwards at this point. As it stands, though, Carl's the only driver in front of me, and that makes him the public enemy No. 1. Ironically, public enemy No. 1 faced a devious nemesis at Texas, 'public enemy No. 2.'

"Joe Gibbs Racing is still experiencing engine problems. Luckily, we've identified the issues — they're apparently called 'Denny Hamlin' and 'Logano.' I think those two have answered the age-old question: 'What happens when a driver and car run out of talent at the same time?'

3. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth ended a 76-race winless streak with an assertive victory in the Samsung Mobil 500 at Texas, leading 169 of 334 laps and winning by over eight seconds over Clint Bowyer. Kenseth donned the ceremonial ten-gallon hat and six shooters afforded the Texas winner in victory lane, celebrating his first win since California in 2009. He leapt six places in the Sprint Cup point standings to third, 13 behind Carl Edward and 4 behind Kyle Busch.

"Surprise!" Kenseth said. "It's Matt Kenseth with the 'hat trick,' and not Kevin Harvick. And it's not just Carl Edwards 'shooting blanks;' it's me as well.

"I've always ran well at Texas, and I knew we were capable of winning here. I just had to go out and do it. Much in the same way that Edwards did, I told myself, 'I've got to go.' Luckily for me, and for Carl, I did, and he didn't."

4. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson battled loose-handling conditions for the majority of Texas' 334 laps on Saturday night, but still managed a solid eighth-place finish. Johnson dropped one spot in the point standings, and now trails Carl Edwards by 13 points.

"We've gone seven races this season without a win," Johnson said. "I could be a whiner and blame everybody, which would be a case of a 'critical ass' calling out the 'critical mass.' But I've learned that criticism is a useless endeavor — it can only lead to forced, insincere apologies to NASCAR.

"But it is much too early in the season to be worrying about my deficiencies. I should know that better than anyone. I've made a habit of spending the first 26 races showing I'm mortal, and the last 10 proving I'm immortal. I've spent five years perfecting the art, and it's a cause I'm proud to champion."

5. Kevin Harvick — Harvick's effort to win his third-straight race was derailed early after a right-side tire violation penalty on his first pit stop. With track position compromised, he eventually fell two laps down and never returned to the lead lap, finishing 20th. He tumbled four places to ninth in the point standings, and trails Carl Edwards by 28.

"Unfortunately," Harvick said, "I won't be saying 'three in a row.' They say good things come in three's, except for four-tire pit stops."

6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt posted his second-straight top-10 finish, and fourth of the season, with a ninth in the Samsung Mobil 500. He moved up two places in the point standings to sixth, and trails Carl Edwards by 21.

"It's now been 100 races since my last win," Earnhardt said. "That's a dry spell any member of Junior Nation could be proud of. But that's a long time to go without a win. Now, when I see a 'three-finger salute,' I'll know it means 'three digits.' Of course, that's opposed to the normal 'three-finger salute,' in which three of my fans stand in unison and flip the bird to the driver that just passed me on the track.

"Now, that 100-race winless streak could very well come to an end at Talladega. I hear two-car tandems again will be the norm as they were at Daytona, and the multi-car draft seems to be a thing of the past. So, Sunday's race will be a lot like a typical weekend in the Talladega infield, with multiple hookups with 10-15 partners, and the occasional threesome, with feelings of regret when it's over."

7. Kurt Busch — Busch led five times for 50 laps at Texas, but found himself in an off-sequence pit situation without a much-needed caution. Forced to pit late while running second, Busch settled for a 10th, and fell one spot in the point standings to fifth, 16 out of first.

"We qualified 10th and finished 10th," Busch said. "That's what I call 'running in place.' And speaking of 'running in place,' the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge team could use a 'jog,' preferably to the noggin, to rouse us from the doldrums of mediocrity. I've told my team the same thing I've told my cosmetic surgeon: 'You can do better than this.'"

8. Ryan Newman — Newman faced an uphill battle on Saturday night at Texas, as the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevy lacked the necessary handling and speed to be a factor in the Samsung Mobil 500. Newman salvaged a 14th-place result, scrapping until the end. He dropped one place in the point standings to seventh, 23 out of first.

"It was a tough day for Stewart-Haas Racing," Newman said. "I struggled all day, and Tony Stewart ruined a potential race-winning fuel strategy by speeding in the pits on his final stop. So I was 'sorry,' and Tony apologized. I'm sure Tony had a horrible feeling in his gut after that huge mistake. It seems that, much like Carl Edwards, Tony was suffering from his own case of 'botch-ulism.'"

9. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer's runner-up finish at Texas gave him three consecutive top-10's after an early season of struggles, and solidified much-needed momentum for the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team. Bowyer nearly wrecked while leading when contact with Brian Vickers sent him spinning, but a miraculous save kept him in the running.

"My sympathies go out to Carl Edwards," Bowyer said. "I can certainly relate to the ordeal he experienced on Saturday, because I nearly crapped my pants, too. If not for our abilities to avoid catastrophe, we both could have had a mess on our hands."

10. Tony Stewart — Stewart's shot at a Texas victory ended when a late pit road speeding penalty ruined what appeared to be a winning fuel strategy by the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 team. Stewart ran out of fuel on the final lap while running third, and finished 12th.

"In times like these," Stewart said, "I must choose my words wisely. Criticizing NASCAR's pit road speed monitoring system so soon after being penalized would be a case of bad timing. And explaining the use of sarcasm and puns right now would be a case of good timing. And you know me. If you believe overly embellished Rolling Stone accounts of my life as a playboy and hard partier, then I certainly know everything possible about 'good time-ing.'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:12 AM | Comments (2)

April 12, 2011

The Greatest Postseason Quarterbacks

Last month, we looked at the greatest postseason running backs in NFL history. Players like Franco Harris, John Riggins, and Terrell Davis became legends for what they did when the stakes were highest. But while some running backs have found glory in playoff and championship games, the postseason spotlight has always shown most brightly on quarterbacks. Twenty-four times in Super Bowl history, 45 games, the winning quarterback has been named MVP — more than every other position combined.

A quarterback's performance in the postseason — or at least the performance of his team — can make or break a player's Hall of Fame case. In the minds of some fans and sportswriters, it's the only thing that matters. That's insane, judging a player with a 15-year career by 10 or 15 games, but a great postseason deservingly carves your name in history. No one is ever going to forget Doug Williams. Eli Manning's play in the run up to Super Bowl XLII forever quieted many of his critics. Jim Plunkett's reputation was rebuilt on a pair of title runs.

Naming the best postseason runners in history, you kind of have to go looking for them once you get past the first four or five. For quarterbacks, the challenge is trimming the list, not filling it. Several very accomplished postseason QBs didn't make the cut; it's not to say they weren't great playoff performers, just that others were even better. With so many fine players to choose from, I've tried to avoid one-hit wonders, guys who only played a handful of games. Below are the eight finest playoff and Super Bowl QBs in NFL history.

Sid Luckman
Chicago Bears, 1939-50

We don't have reliable statistics for all of Luckman's postseason games, but he set the league's earliest standard for postseason dominance, leading the Bears to four NFL championships in the 1940s.

The Bears were underdogs heading into the most thorough whipping in NFL history. The 1940 NFL Championship Game was a rematch of an earlier game between 9-2 Washington, the Eastern Division champ, and 8-3 Chicago, which had lost the earlier meeting 7-3. The game was even played in Washington. In the first half, Luckman ran for one touchdown and passed for another, leading the Bears to a 28-0 halftime lead. The final score was 73-0, the largest margin of victory not only in championship annals but in the whole history of the league.

The Bears also won the 1941 championship, 37-9 over the Giants, and the 1946 game, with Luckman passing for the first touchdown and scoring on a 19-yard run in the 24-14 victory. But it was in the 1943 Championship Game that Luckman's star shined most brightly. Washington was the defending league champion, and had just won a playoff 28-0. Washington QB Sammy Baugh had completed his famous triple crown, leading the NFL in passing, punting, and defensive interceptions.

Rather than Baugh, though, it was Luckman who dominated the field, turning in one of the most masterful performances in championship history. Luckman passed for 286 yards and 5 touchdowns, rushing for another 64 yards, and the Bears won by 20 points. Altogether, Luckman was 5-1 as a starter in the postseason, including four NFL championships.

Otto Graham
Cleveland Browns, 1946-55
159/300, 2,101 yds, 14 TD, 17 INT, 67.4 rating

During Otto Graham's 10 seasons in Cleveland, the Browns went 105-17-4 and won seven league championships, plus the so-called "World Series of Pro Football" in 1950. No one else in history has that kind of résumé.

The Browns won four straight AAFC titles from 1946-49. In the '46 Championship Game, Graham passed for the winning touchdown with five minutes left, and intercepted a pass on defense to clinch the victory. In '47, he rushed for a touchdown in a 14-3 win. The 1948 championship was a 49-7 rout of the Buffalo Bills, the '49 title game a 21-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers. All that set up the "World Series" in 1950.

Following a partial merger of the NFL and AAFC, Week 1 pitted the NFL-champion Eagles against the AAFC's Browns. The Eagles were heavy favorites, but the game was so heavily anticipated, it was moved to a Saturday night and a larger stadium — the crowd was 10,000 larger than for the first NFL-AFL Super Bowl. Graham passed for 346 yards and 3 TDs, and the Browns dominated the defending NFL champs, 35-10. They went on to win the NFL championship, their fifth straight title, with Graham passing for all four Cleveland TDs in a 30-28 victory.

That's a résumé any quarterback would envy: five championships in five seasons, plus a decisive victory in the biggest non-championship game in history. Graham was just getting warmed up. His performance in the '54 title game is among the greatest in history: he passed for three TDs and ran for three more, and the Browns won 56-10. The next year, in his final game, Graham threw 50- and 35-yard TD passes, rushed for two more scores, and led Cleveland to a 38-14 win.

Graham's Browns went 9-3 in the postseason, including seven league championships — and he was a star in all of them. Projecting his postseason career to a 16-game season yields 212/400, 2801 yards, 19 TDs, and 23 INTs, plus 479 rushing yards and 8 more touchdowns.

Bart Starr
Green Bay Packers, 1956-71
130/213, 1,753 yds, 15 TD, 3 INT, 104.8 rating

Bart Starr was a good regular season quarterback. In the playoffs, he was a legend.

Starr is the only quarterback whose postseason accomplishments are truly comparable to Otto Graham's: five championships, including the first two Super Bowls, and a 9-1 record in playoff and championship games. His 104.8 postseason passer rating is terrific in any era; in the 1960s, when the rules favored defense, it was astronomical. Remember when offensive linemen weren't allowed to use their hands, defensive linemen were allowed to use the head slap, and receivers could be hit anywhere on the field? Starr put up a 100+ rating in that era, against the best defenses in the league and when the stakes were highest.

Starr had several terrific performances in the postseason — three TDs in the 1961 NFL Championship Game, passer ratings over 100 in both Super Bowls — but his crowning moment was surely the Ice Bowl. It was New Year's Eve at Lambeau Field. There was a heating grid under the field, to prevent it from freezing, but the -13° F temperatures were so cold that the heating grid itself froze and stopped working. The wind chill was nearly -50°.

In these almost unplayable conditions, Starr shined. The Cowboys led 17-14 when the Packers took over at their own 32 with 4:50 remaining. Starr was 5-of-5 for 59 yards, giving Green Bay first-and-goal with :30 left. With :16 left, Starr scored on a QB sneak, making the Packers NFL champions for the third consecutive year — the only team to do so — and earning them a ticket to Super Bowl II. Starr was in on all three Packer TDs in the 21-17 victory, passing for two TDs before his game-winning sneak.

With Starr at the helm, the Packers amassed an incredible 9-1 postseason record. Projecting Starr's numbers to a 16-game season, you get 208/341, 2805 yards, 24 TDs, and just 5 interceptions, a +19 TD/INT differential.

Terry Bradshaw
Pittsburgh Steelers, 1970-83
261/456, 3,833 yds, 30 TD, 26 INT, 83.0 rating

In four Super Bowls, Terry Bradshaw compiled a 112.8 passer rating, finishing over 100 in all four games and winning MVP honors in two of them.

Founded in 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Steelers went 39 years without winning a playoff game. Thanks to Bradshaw and the Immaculate Reception, the dry spell finally broke in 1972. Two years later, Bradshaw helped the Steelers win their first Super Bowl, passing for a 108.0 rating and rushing for 33 yards in Super Bowl IX. It was to be the weakest of his four Super Bowl performances.

Among Bradshaw's other postseason highlights is a statistical perfect game: he recorded the maximum 158.3 passer rating in a 1976 playoff win over the Colts: 14/18, 264 yards, 3 TDs. It's for the title games, though, that we remember Terry Bradshaw. No other quarterback, except maybe Bart Starr, elevated his game so much when a championship was on the line. The Steelers went 14-5 in the postseason during Bradshaw's tenure, including four Super Bowls. Bradshaw's 16-game pace equates to 220/384, 3228 yards, 25 TDs, and 22 INTs.

Joe Montana
San Francisco 49ers, 1979-92; Kansas City Chiefs, 1993-94
460/734, 5,772 yds, 45 TD, 21 INT, 95.6 rating

The standard by which postseason greatness is judged today, Montana directed the 49ers to four Super Bowl wins, without throwing an interception in any of the four games: 83/122, 1142 yards, 11 TDs, no picks — plus 105 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. Projected to a 16-game season, Montana's Super Bowl performances would yield 4,568 yards, 44 touchdowns, still no interceptions, 420 rushing yards, and 8 rushing TDs.

It's no surprise that Montana earned three Super Bowl MVPs for his work; what is surprising is that Montana — unlike Terry Bradshaw — was often as effective in the earlier rounds of the playoffs as he was with a ring on the line. Consider the playoffs of the 1989 season. In a 41-13 win over the NFC Central champion Vikings, Montana passed for four touchdowns and a 142.5 rating. The next week, in the NFC Championship Game, he completed 26-of-30 passes for 262 yards and 2 TDs. In Super Bowl XXIV, 297 yards, 5 TDs, 147.6 rating.

Everyone remembers the 92-yard game-winning drive in Super Bowl XXIII, the touchdown pass to John Taylor, and The Catch in the 1981 NFC Championship Game, but perhaps Montana's finest moment came in Super Bowl XIX, when Montana out-dueled NFL MVP Dan Marino, passing for 331 yards and 3 scores, plus keeping the Miami defense off-balance by rushing for 59 yards and a touchdown.

Montana also led the Chiefs to two of their few postseason wins under Marty Schottenheimer (3-7 overall, 2-2 with Montana). Altogether, his teams were a combined 16-7 in postseason play, including four Super Bowls. Squeezed into a 16-game schedule, Montana's postseason stats look like this: 320/511, 4015 yards, 31 TDs, 15 INTs, a +16 TD/INT differential. He holds the postseason record for passing TDs, and ranks second in completions and passing yards (Brett Favre).

John Elway
Denver Broncos, 1983-98
355/651, 4,964 yds, 27 TD, 21 INT, 79.7 rating

I didn't really want to put Elway on this list. Yeah, yeah, The Drive — his team lost three Super Bowls by an average of 32 points each. Seven of the eight players on this list were fairly obvious selections, guys you can't leave off. The other was Elway. He edged out, in roughly chronological order:

* John Unitas — 6-2, 3 championships, -3 TD/INT, Greatest Game Ever Played
* Roger Staubach — 12-7, 2 championships, +5 TD/INT, Hail Mary
* Jim Plunkett — 8-2, 2 championships, -1 TD/INT
* Joe Theismann — 6-3, 1 championship, +4 TD/INT, 91.4 passer rating
* Jeff Hostetler — 4-1, 1 championship, +7 TD/INT, 112.0 rating and no INTs
* Kurt Warner — 9-4, 1 championship, +17 TD/INT, more TDs than incompletions in a Wild Card game
* Ben Roethlisberger — 10-3, 2 championships, + 3 TD/INT, 69.9 passer rating in Super Bowls
* Aaron Rodgers — 5-1, 1 championship, +10 TD/INT, 5 TDs and 121.3 rating in only loss

The hardest cuts were Unitas, Warner, and Rodgers. Johnny U's two-minute drill in the 1958 Championship Game is just as legendary as Elway's in the '86 AFC Championship Game. Warner's +17 TD/INT differential ranks ahead of everyone but Montana; very few QBs have performed at such a high level in extended postseason action. Rodgers is simply off to the finest start of any QB in postseason history.

Why did Elway, whose early postseason career was full of brutal humiliations, edge ahead on my list? Because we focus more on having great moments than avoiding bad ones. Because he finally did win two championships. Because only Montana won more playoff games as a starting QB. Because he is the only quarterback to lead his team to five Super Bowl appearances. Because of The Drive, The Fumble, The Helicopter, and Super Bowl XXXIII, a legitimate MVP performance. Because that was Elway's final game, and he and Otto Graham went out on top like no one else in history.

The Drive is rightly famous, but looking at the whole game, Elway actually was better in his other two playoff wins over Cleveland than in the '86 AFC CG. In '87, he passed for three TDs with a 114.4 rating and 317 total yards. In a far less competitive conference championship game two years later, Elway passed for 385 yards, rushed for 39 more (424 total), and threw three TD passes with no interceptions, rolling up a 120.7 rating.

The Broncos were 14-8 in the postseason with Elway. Condensing his stats to 16 games, we get: 258/473, 3610 yards, 20 TDs, 15 INTs, plus 335 yards and 4 TDs rushing.

Troy Aikman
Dallas Cowboys, 1989-2000
320/502, 3,849 yds, 23 TD, 17 INT, 88.3 rating

I wrote above that everyone on this list except Elway was "obvious", a guy you can't leave off. Aikman and Luckman probably come closest to failing those criteria. Could you make a reasonable argument for, say, Kurt Warner ahead of Aikman? I suppose you probably could.

Aikman doesn't have Warner's stats. Really, no one does, except Montana. But Warner went 1-2 in title games, Aikman 3-0. Yeah, there were a lot of other people on the field in those games, and it's as unfair to blame Warner for the losses as it is to give sole credit to Aikman for the wins. At the same time, Warner threw two critical interceptions in Super Bowl XXXVI, and his two best performances came in wild card games (770 yds, 10 TD, 1 INT).

Aikman's best postseason game, maybe his best game, period, was Super Bowl XXVII: 22/30, 301 total yards, 4 TDs, and a well-deserved MVP. Aikman had nine postseason games with a passer rating over 100, all wins. Warner had four, including a loss. Aikman raised his level of play for the postseason, and the more important the game, the more he raised it. The Cowboys were 11-5 in the playoffs with Aikman, and his playoff stats actually are better than his regular-season averages: 281/457, 3194 yards, 16 TD, 14 INT, 81.6 rating.

Tom Brady
New England Patriots, 2000-10
424/682, 4,407 yds, 30 TD, 16 INT, 85.7 rating

Three titles, two Super Bowl MVPs, one 18-0 start. Brady is one of six players with at least 30 postseason TD passes; the others are Montana, Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Kurt Warner, and Bradshaw. He is one of six with at least 4,000 passing yards (same list, except Peyton Manning instead of Warner). He is one of only four with 14 postseason wins as a starting QB (Montana, Bradshaw, Elway).

Brady's last three postseason games have been sort of disastrous: the upset loss in Super Bowl XLII, ending the perfect season, and home losses each of the last two years. Before those three defeats, his Patriots were a staggering 14-2 in the postseason, with Brady throwing more than twice as many TDs (25) as INTs (12). Brady is still one of the few QBs to lead his team to three postseason road wins: AFC Championship victories over the Steelers in the '01 and '04 seasons, plus the weird win over the Chargers in '06, Marty Schottenheimer's last game.

Starting quarterbacks whose teams have won at least three championships: Luckman, Graham, Starr, Johnny Unitas, Len Dawson (sort of), Bradshaw, Montana, Aikman, and Brady. The Pats are 14-5 in the postseason with Brady. His stats, converted to a 16-game pace, are 357/574, 3711 yards, 25 TDs, and 13 INTs.

The Best of the Best

There are plenty of great QBs who didn't make the list, but with all due respect to players like Dawson, Plunkett, Bobby Layne, and Big Ben, I think these are the best. The very finest, I believe, are rather obviously Starr and Montana, with Graham, Bradshaw, and Brady rounding out the top five.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 3:05 PM | Comments (0)

2011 NHL Playoffs Preview

The table is set for the NHL's playoff race. The President's Trophy has been awarded to the Vancouver Canucks, as they and 15 other teams vie to hoist the cup that really matters, the lord of all trophies, Lord Stanley's.

The 2010 playoffs featured some lovely upsets, including the Washington Capitals suffering from the President's curse and falling to the Montreal Canadiens, the last team to get into the playoffs with 33 fewer points than the Capitals.

This season, the Canucks won the President's Trophy and their reward for such wondrous play throughout the season, the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks who defeated the Cinderella Philadelphia Flyers in six games, then made a huge trade two weeks later, sending Dustin Byfuglien (amongst others) to Atlanta, simply to help out the salary cap. This pairing is just one of many intriguing matchups that await us in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks

The Canucks and the Blackhawks met in the 2009 and 2010 conference semifinals, with the Blackhawks winning in six both times. But these are different teams. The Sedin twins remain the same and have continued to dominate, accumulating 198 points between them this season, one more than last season. Also, the Canucks scored more goals than any other team in 2010-2011 and allowed fewer goals than any other team, as well, a completely ridiculous and remarkable feat. They've improved all around.

The Blackhawks are the ones with the new faces. With a penalty kill ranked 25th in the NHL going up against the Canucks, ranked number one, expect a few shots to go in the net while a Blackhawk is sitting in the box. Lots of people think the Blackhawks have a chance at an upset here and I simply don't see it, playoff experience or not, President's curse or not.

Canucks in 5

San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings

The California opening round will make travel a non-issue, seeing as each team only has to travel about 300 miles to reach the opposing team's arena. While the Sharks have been perennial chokers in one way or another, losing in the opening round in 2009 and getting swept by the Blackhawks in the conference finals in 2010, I don't think the choking will occur too early on.

The Kings, as a rather defensive team, are going to have a hard time stopping the Sharks, a rather offensive team for more than one game in a row. Something has got to give and I have a feeling it will be the Kings.

Sharks in 6

Detroit Red Wings vs. Phoenix Coyotes

This is an interesting matchup simply because both of these teams had better regular season records on the road than at home. This has the makings for an upset. Detroit, being not dominant at home, may leave Detroit down 0-2, which is just demoralizing, even if a team plays better on the road. Strangely, playing at home first might be a bad thing for the Red Wings.

These two teams met in last year's opening round of the playoffs as well, with Phoenix hosting. The Red Wings won in seven. Three of their four wins in that series were on the road.

Also of interest in this matchup is that three out of four games between these two teams during the regular season needed overtime to be decided. Throw in Henrik Zetterberg's mystery injury and I'm a little worried about the Red Wings in the opening round.

Coyotes in 7

Anaheim Ducks vs. Nashville Predators

Three teams from California in the NHL playoffs? And one from Phoenix? I protest.

While the Predators like to play defense. They certainly know how to score goals against the Ducks. In four games this season, the Predators went 3-1 against the Ducks and scored 17 goals, while allowing 11.

You may say, "Big deal. That's only four games." But take into account that the Ducks may be without all-star goaltender Jonas Hiller, who is suffering from vertigo and that trend of four plus goals per game could easily continue into the playoffs. Backup goalie Ray Emery looks okay, but he's not 100% as of now and he hasn't been at the top of his game since 2007.

Predators in 6

Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers

I felt like the Capitals underachieved this season, and they still won the Eastern Conference. Alexander Ovechkin only scored 32 goals and the team as a whole went all boring and non-offensive, only scraping a number 19 rank in goals scored.

It's probably a good thing they're playing the Rangers. Unless Marian Gaborik steps it up and remembers how to score a goal, which he failed to do in the last nine games of the season, the Rangers are dead in the water.

Capitals in 5

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres

A lot of people seem to be on the Sabres bandwagon right about now, but is it with good reason? Ryan Miller is certainly a goalie that can shut a team down and he has been playing well lately, recording two of his five shutouts on the season in the final weeks. But I think Miller is still riding the fame train a little bit from the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver. Yeah, he's a great goalie. Yes, he can take over a game if he's on. But this is a series against the same team for up to seven games, where players can figure you out a little bit.

Staying on, really on, for that long against the same team is not an easy task and it is simply a different skill than Ryan Miller showed us last winter. Miller simply doesn't have the playoff resume to prove he can upset the Flyers. His last run was in 2007 when the Sabres eventually lost to the Ottawa Senators.

The Flyers have a better team than they did last season and while the path to Lord Stanley's Cup may prove more difficult, I think they'll handle the Sabres in the opening round. They know how to score goals and they know how to break down a goalie, even the likes of Ryan Miller.

Flyers in 7

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

On paper, the Bruins outmatch the Canadiens. They score more goals. They allow fewer goals.

But the Canadiens won the regular season series 4-2. However, those 2 losses were some of the most ridiculous losses of the season. On March 24, the Bruins pounded the Canadiens 7-0. On February 9, Boston beat the Canadiens 8-6. The matches that the Canadiens won had much more reasonable scores. I think it is safe to say that there is the potential for some really interesting games in this series.

The one weakness the Bruins have in competing with the Canadiens is the power play. Boston is middle of the road to mediocre in killing penalties and managing to score. Montreal is pretty solid on both.

If Boston can stay out of the penalty box, which they're not particularly good at, they should be able to handle the Canadiens.

Boston in 6

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

I think this is the most intriguing matchup of the opening round. A lot of press has been given to Sidney Crosby and his concussion three months ago. The latest reports don't expect Crosby to be available for the opening of the playoffs and if he's not available for the opening, I don't expect he'll be available at all.

Remember that Evgeni Malkin has been out and will be out until next season after knee surgery, so the obvious choice to step up and fill Crosby's shoes is more unavailable than Crosby himself. Since Crosby's injury, the Penguins have been a streaky team, winning four here, losing four there, but have played well overall.

The problem is that they're facing Tampa Bay. If the Penguins had the tiebreaker over the Flyers and were opening against the Sabres, I might give them the benefit of the doubt ... though probably not. The Lightning are an explosive team led by the veteran Martin St. Louis and the young gun Stephen Stamkos, who teamed up for 190 points this season. While Stamkos cooled off as the season progressed, the Lighting's goaltending has improved.

More than likely, veteran Dwayne Roloson will start every playoff game for the Lightning. He has solid playoff experience and even at 41 is no slouch. I mean the guy started 54 games this season. Not bad for an old man. But if Rolo can't cope, the Lightning do have a capable backup in Mike Smith, who can get hot between the pipes.

Without Crosby's leadership, I just don't see the Penguins making a run or even getting out of the gate.

Lightning in 5

Posted by Andrew Jones at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2011

Three NBA Playoff Predictions

The NBA playoffs are here and there are many storylines to keep track of this postseason. The Los Angeles Lakers are once again poised to make a deep run, but they are again another year older and Phil Jackson is again ready to call it quits. Is this L.A.'s final championship or did they win it last year?

Teams like the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder look closer and closer to being championship-caliber, but are they still another year away? The Dallas Mavericks are good as they usually are, but are they not good enough as usual? The San Antonio Spurs are the best in the West, but can they handle the speed of the Thunder or the defense of a team like the Denver Nuggets over seven games?

The talk about the Celtics has been more about who doesn't play for them than who plays for them. Shaquille O'Neal's absence and the Kendrick Perkins trade have been making headlines for weeks. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat have shown so many flashes of alleged brilliance that is a wonder why the NBA hasn't canceled the postseason and given them the championship. Again and again, the Heat look like they have learned how to play together, but the postseason will provide the answer with finality. The Orlando Magic will be a tough out, but not as tough if Dwight Howard is suspended due to his vast collection of technical fouls.

Perhaps the most interesting team entering the playoffs is the Chicago Bulls. Derrick Rose is the MVP favorite, Chicago is the number one seed in the East, and they are playing incredible defense. This Bulls team, however, hasn't necessarily had to "learn" how to win in the playoffs. Derrick Rose and company could take the NBA by storm and instead of taking a few years to "learn" how to win and overcome a veteran team; they might just advance to the NBA Finals.

The West is Up For Grabs

The San Antonio Spurs are the number one seed, the Lakers were hot and have cooled, the Oklahoma City Thunder are probably the most athletic team in the West, and the Denver Nuggets are better without Carmelo Anthony. It is tough to pick against the Lakers, but when and if they matchup against the Thunder, it could spell trouble for the defending champions.

The Thunder and Nuggets might not break through to the Finals in 2011, but they could take veteran teams like the Spurs, Mavericks, and Lakers to seven.

The Dallas Mavericks are getting lost in the championship talk. The Mavericks will probably advance past the first round, but in the end, they will most likely fall short of the NBA or conference finals.

Although the Lakers and Phil Jackson's hunt for another and possibly final title will steal the headlines, they remain vulnerable.

Teams in the West this year are bringing different styles to the playoffs and it will be tough to run the gauntlet this year. Kevin Durant and the Thunder are young and quick, while Denver's speed and defense is unique. Dallas and San Antonio bring veteran teams to the playoffs and Portland will not be an easy out.

There Will Be Upsets

Who is primed for an upset? What is considered an upset? Miami has promised seven championships, so is anything short of a Finals berth or championship considered an upset? If it is, then Miami will most likely be upset in the playoffs both on the court and emotionally. The Heat may find a second round exit from the playoffs a more appropriate time to show emotion and cry in the locker room.

The Heat's recent audition of Eddie Curry is an indication that their first championship is at least a year away. Bringing in Curry shows Miami might be looking ahead at possible playoff matchups against the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic big men. Erick Dampier, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Joel Anthony don't appear to be the big men Miami believes they need to challenge the length of Orlando, Boston, and Los Angeles.

Boston's Kendrick Perkins giveaway and reliance on the health of its O'Neals could prove to be a disaster for the Celtics' championship hopes. Jermaine is just getting into game shape and learning the plays, while Shaquille is overcoming injury after injury. Boston's ability to beat Miami will be tested if they meet in the playoffs, but it is difficult to see another team challenge Boston on the road to the conference finals. If there is a team ready to challenge the Celtics, it is the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls will enter the playoffs as the number one seed, but many aren't picking them to advance to the NBA Finals. If they do, is it an upset for a number one seed to get to the championship round? Especially a team that has the player who has already been crowned MVP? Is this Bulls team like the Michael Jordan team that advanced to its first Finals and beat the Lakers? Joakim Noah's rebounding, the shutdown defense, and Rose's jump shot could propel Chicago into the conference and NBA Finals.

What team could upset someone in the playoffs? Do any of the lower seeds have a chance to advance or at the very least advance to the second round? Philadelphia is flying under the radar with its defense. If the Sixers don't win a series, they most likely they will drag a first round series out to seven games. The defense of Thaddeus Young and how he gets to the basket will make it tough for opposing players. Doug Collins will have Philadelphia ready for the playoffs without a true superstar and it wouldn't be surprising if the Sixers sneak into the second round.

If anyone other than the Spurs and Lakers advance to the Western Conference Finals, will that be considered an upset? Are Kevin Durant and the Thunder ready to make a deep run? Their talent level looks like it could, but their youth might hold them back one more year.

Injuries May Determine Outcomes

Amare Stoudemire will need to be healthy for the Knicks to make a run and his late-season injury will only hamper the Knicks' quest for a series win. New York isn't expected to do much in the playoffs, but will do even less if he isn't 100% healthy. Chauncey Billups' recent injuries are also not helping Knicks fans hopes for a second round series.

Shaquille O'Neal is injured. Although not breaking news, it could seriously impact Boston's title chances. He has missed more games this year than in any other year in his entire career. The Celtics were counting on 20-25 minutes a game and with him they may have the force in the middle to challenge the Magic and the height to give Miami problems. Jermaine O'Neal's ability to fit into the offense will determine his playing time and if he fits in and Shaquille O'Neal delivers his minutes then Kendrick Perkins may not be missed as much.

The NBA playoffs have begun and this year the race to the finals looks more open than usual. Teams like the Bulls, Lakers, Spurs, Heat, and Magic all look like the favorites to reach the Finals. Underdog teams like the Knicks, Sixers, Thunder, Nuggets, and Mavericks could make it not only difficult for the favorites to make the Finals, but one of the underdogs could find themselves challenging for a conference crown.

Posted by Vito Curcuru at 11:46 PM | Comments (3)

The Wild, Wild West

Two teams last season went to BCS bowls, one of them winning the BCS title game.

Three more not only went to bowl games, they went to January bowls.

Sounds like a pretty strong conference, right? What if it's not a conference, but merely half of one?

The SEC West was simply fantastic in 2010. They dominated their conference, the polls, the headlines (sometimes good, sometimes bad) and everything else in between. From Jeremiah Masoli's admittance to Ole Miss to Gene Chizik hoisting the crystal ball in Glendale, through hype, hope, and controversy, no collection of schools dominated the season like they did.

And, as we head into the 2011 season, the question that has to be lingering in the minds of college football experts is simply how do you predict how the six teams will finish this season?

Do you take LSU? Take the Bayou Bengals, fresh off a Cotton Bowl dismantling of Texas A&M, loaded in the trenches with the possibility of a new quarterback in Zack Mettenberger? Do you take the Mad Hatter, who's won a national title, yet feels the heat each year to get back to the BCS? One thing's for sure, if LSU escapes their schedule with just one loss, they deserve at least some consideration for the national title game. Talk all you want about SEC schedules being soft ... I doubt many teams are willing to tackle Oregon and a road trip to West Virginia while handling the SEC.

What about Alabama? Sure, you lose the school's only Heisman Trophy winner in Mark Ingram. Sure, you lose one of the smartest game managers in college football in Greg McIlroy. But can you underestimate Alabama's defense? Everyone knows Trent Richardson is still around to keep the ground game punishing and no doubt Marquis Maze is still a lethal passing threat. The question mark looms with the struggle to find a new quarterback, but Nick Saban simply reloads, and to count out the Crimson Tide would simply be foolish.

What about Arkansas? Fresh off of a 10-3 year and a trip to the Sugar Bowl, Arkansas returns with some of the top back and receivers in the nation. Knile Davis returns to lead a powerful running game mixed with the arsenal of pain in the receiving core. Quick, someone name me a team who has a better assortment of passing options than Greg Childs, Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, and Cobi Hamilton? And Chris Gragg's not that bad, either. Losing Ryan Mallett hurt, but anyone who saw Tyler Wilson step in during the Auburn game knows Arkansas isn't exactly starting over from scratch. The key? If a new offensive line gels, and the secondary tightens up, you might want to pencil in the Razorbacks.

Let's not forget Mississippi State, either. Dan Mullen's miraculous revival of the Bulldog program is hard to ignore, and what's also hard to ignore is that a vastly improved Chris Relf is back to lead the Bulldog attack. Mississippi State is big, physical, and confident, especially on defense. No Pernell McPhee? Seems to be no problem in Starkville. The key to State will be adding dynamics to Relf's passing game. Vic Ballard will be a force at running back, especially with a strong offensive line, but for State to reach the next level, the passing attack will have to come to fruition.

Then there's the situation with the defending champions. Auburn loses Cam Newton. They lose Nick Fairley. While both are huge losses, the real question lies in the Auburn offensive line, who loses four starters from last year. There is no doubt that talent is still plentiful on the Plains, and no doubt that Gus Malzahn can develop a dangerous ground attack (see McFadden, Darren and Jones, Felix). It will definitely be up to the offensive line to provide time for Michael Dyer, as well as time for the new quarterback to keep defenses from stacking the line. Not mentioned much though is Auburn losing reliable PK Wes Byrum. In close games, the Tigers might seriously miss having such reliability on the sidelines.

So, throw five legit contenders into the mix for SEC West supremacy, as well as five legit contenders for BCS level bowl games. The only team not mentioned is Ole Miss, who comes off a season they'd rather soon forget. No doubt, with Houston Nutt, it's going to be a serious focus on the running game and a desperate revamping of the defense, especially defending the pass. Granted, Nutt seems to do his best work with his back against the wall and no high expectations, but the Rebels seem to be a few steps away from being a serious SEC West contender at the moment.

It's going to be a serious question this fall. And, as spring practices wrap up and two-a-days begin in the late summer, pieces of this mystery will finally start to take some shape.

Posted by Jean Neuberger at 1:20 PM | Comments (0)

April 10, 2011

Say Goodbye to Mannywood

He was somewhat huffing and puffing in the moment, probably in the throes of adrenaline ebbing and a season's worth of emotional exhaustion finally bringing itself to bear. But if you were in the middle of making a long-enough longed-for celebratory racket, after Edgar Renteria bounced back to Keith Foulke, for the out that nailed down the Boston Red Sox' at-long-enough-last World Series triumph in 2004, you never forgot Manny Ramirez — freshly named as that Series's most valuable player — offering this terse but joyous post-mortem:

"I don't believe in curse. I believe you make your own destination."

How those words must come back to haunt him now, if they hadn't come back to haunt him in the years between his having done so much to yank Boston from yesteryear's sorrows to today's sagacities and his less-than-honorable exit from the game. Confronted with a spring training drug test positive for which he'd have faced a one hundred game suspension as a second-time drug test failure under baseball's incumbent program, Manchild Ramirez opted to call it a career Friday.

What a difference a fortnight makes. As spring training wound down and the regular season approached, we heard Ramirez was happy, we saw he was swinging the bat with something better resembling his former authority than he'd shown in two testy seasons in Los Angeles and Chicago. His former Red Sox teammate and lineup ward, David Ortiz, said he hadn't seen Manny being a happier Manny in a very long time.

That was then, this is now. "I don't really know the details, how everything went down," Ortiz told a reporter Friday, when he learned of Ramirez's retirement. "It's sad, man, to see a player with that much talent and who had an unbelievable career, to get out of the game with negativity."

"An unbelievable career." Talk about an unintentionally loaded statement. The manner in which Ramirez retired, and the apparent provocation thereof, leave Ramirez as quite unbelievable in the minds of only too many to whom actual or alleged performance-enhancing substances — and they are what Ramirez is believed to have been caught using once again — are no questions asked disqualifiers, for the Hall of Fame or otherwise, no matter the actualities of the substance(s) or the user.

Ramirez had signed a dirt-cheap single-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays for 2011, had reunited with his fellow former Idiot Johnny Damon in Tampa, and had impressed one and all with his love of the game. "He's in the clubhouse at 9 AM and he's already put on his pants and shoes and his belt," said third baseman Evan Longoria, by any definition the face of the Rays. "Not a lot of guys do that. Manny just loves baseball and being around baseball."

You can probably see the head-shaking and hear the sighing, both preludes to variations on the theme of, "He had you fooled, too, eh?"

It was never a simple job to read Ramirez no matter how often you either laughed or retched over the "Manny Being Manny" schtick. There never was a single side to this manchild who could be so likable one moment and so enraging the next. The man who sprinted out to left field with a tiny American flag upraised like the Statue of Liberty's torch on the day his American citizenship became final was the same man who invented disarming and often grotesque opt-outs whenever things (dollars, whatever) were no longer to his liking.

This was the manchild who throve on the spotlight and the pressure cooker that is Boston baseball, letting little enough of it keep him from his appointed task of driving baseballs somewhere onto the Massachusetts Turnpike in the interest of putting crooked numbers on the scoreboard, and the curse in which he didn't believe into its grave. But he felt himself so unappreciated that, when he wasn't inventing obscure knee troubles to keep him on what amounted to fortnight strikes, he was decking elder traveling secretaries who couldn't scrounge 11th-hour road ballpark passes for whomever he wanted to plant in the seats.

This was perhaps the least athletic baseball player of his time, a man who could hit the ball ten miles but who could barely find his way around left field, though he had no problem whatsoever finding the gents' room inside the Green Monster whether or not his body's timing was appropriate to the game situation. "In my own romantic view of baseball and the world," writes Sports Illustrated's Joe Posnanski, "I tended to see Manny as baseball's Mozart — an often vile personality who did one thing so beautifully that you could not turn away."

It was everything else he did that caused even his staunchest supporters at last to turn away. Up to and including that pitiful 2010 day in Colorado, when he was sent to the plate to pinch hit for Dodger reliever Ronald Belisario, with men on first and third and the Dodgers now standing a reasonable chance of cutting a deficit exactly in half. Ramirez looked at one borderline pitch, hit the ceiling on plate umpire Gary Cederstrom's dime and ball one call, got tossed out of the game, and left the Dodgers to settle for one measly run on the entire inning, the Rockies going on to finish what they started, a 10-5 shellacking.

Manchild learned the hard way that not even Joe Torre, the Dodger manager who'd stood by him and admired him even those years when he'd wrecked Torre's Yankees, but who'd recently benched him for Scott Podsednik (at the time, a .336 slugger), was likely to bail him out that time.

Ramirez got shipped to the White Sox. He finished the season a further shell of his former self. The Rays took a flyer on him, marveled at his apparent revival, at the plate and in the clubhouse alike, then stood with their jaws japing Friday when Manchild Ramirez retired — informing baseball government, but not his team.

You almost don't dare to ask what could have bagged a man who'd served his first drug-program suspension, fifty games, after he'd tested positive for what turned out to be a women's fertility drug that is thought to be used as a steroid masking agent.

The reactions now are running the gamut from the absurd to the surreal and back to the exasperated. Kind of the way the reactions ran to Ramirez's act most of his career, and they only began in his Cleveland seasons, with the day he was bagged for a traffic ticket, couldn't talk his way out of it, then flipped an illegal U-turn and got himself another ticket.

The Chicago Cubs are now thought to be pondering aloud whether they were cheated out of the 2008 postseason, during which their rather magical season was stopped cold by a Dodger division series sweep. Well, now. They had the lead in Game 1, 2-0, when James Loney hit Ryan Dempster for a 2-out grand slam in the top of the fifth. The Cubs never scored again in the game; Ramirez made the Dodger lead 5-2 with a leadoff blast against Sean Marshall in the seventh, but Casey Blake singled home Blake DeWitt with nobody out in the eighth and Russell Martin took Jason Marquis into the left center field bleachers to open the ninth.

In Game 2 — which ended in a 10-3 Dodger blowout — the Dodgers hung up a five spot on Carlos Zambrano in the top of the second. Where was Manny while the Dodgers were hanging 5 with 2 base hits, a run-scoring 1-out infield error, a followup bases-loading infield error, an RBI infield hit, and a 3-run double? Why, Manny was looking at strike three to end the inning. He made the score 6-0 with another leadoff blast, this time off Zambrano to open the sixth, but unless you want to say it was a tainted one-out seventh-inning walk (which ended Zambrano's day's work) off which he came home courtesy of Matt Kemp's double to right, you can't exactly say that Manny did the big damage in that game. Not even his RBI single in the eighth, one strikeout after Rafael Furcal singled home Blake, who'd drive in the tenth Dodger run in the ninth.

And in Game 3, Manny singled his way on in the Dodger second, pushing Martin (a one-out double) to third and setting up the ducks for Loney to drive in with a 2-out double. That proved to be all the Dodgers would need, as Hiroki Kuroda, Cory Wade, and Jonathan Broxton manhandled the Cubs (whose only tally would be an RBI single in the eighth) while the third Dodger run came home on an RBI double ... from Martin.

It may not explain much in the way of figuring out Manny Ramirez's act, but it just might add to the evidence that the Cubs didn't listen when Manny proclaimed in the throes of a curse-busting World Series conquest that he didn't believe in curse, he believed in making your own destination. For better and, apparently, for worse.

A year after he didn't do the biggest damage to the Cubs' postseason prayers, Ramirez committed an unlikely jewel, and it's one of the ways I'd prefer to remember him. In the sixth inning of Game Four, 2009 National League Championship Series, with men on first and third and two out, Philadelphia's Raul Ibanez reached Hong-Chi Kuo's first pitch and hit a sinking liner to left. Ramirez scampered in and shocked one and all by catching it on the shoestrings to keep the Phillies from tying the game at 4. Unfortunately, Broxton in the ninth fed Jimmy Rollins something he could seven-iron between gap-squeezing outfielders Kemp and Andre Ethier for a walk-off double and a 3-1 Philadelphia advantage.

He wasn't known for his glove or his athleticism in the outfield, but for that one moment Manny Ramirez looked like a complete ballplayer. It was as fleeting as his manchildhood is enduring, as swift as his self-manufactured fall from grace is profound, as game-saving if not game-changing as his home runs, tainted or otherwise, so often were game-breaking.

"I don't believe in curse. I believe you make your own destination."

Manchild has made his own destination. It's not the destination even his most stubborn detractors might have imagined him to make. He came into the game's consciousness with a bang and he leaves it with a whimper, and a pregnant third-party whimper at that.

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 2:11 PM | Comments (0)

April 8, 2011

Foul Territory: Title Towns and Brick City

* The Big Calhoun-A — The Connecticut Huskies won the NCAA championship on Monday, making 68-year-old Jim Calhoun the oldest coach to win a title. The UConn locker room was a picture of joy, with hugs, high fives, and other forms of contact that may or may not be deemed "improper," pending an NCAA investigation.

* Girls Gotta Have It — The International Olympic Committee approved women's ski jumping as an event in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. It was a big victory for women's athletics, and certainly gives new meaning to the sport's "flying V" technique.

* Jersey No. 1 and Done — Freshman point guard Kyrie Irving announced his intentions to enter the NBA draft after one season at Duke. Irving played in only 11 games this season due to an injured big toe on his right foot, a toe that was the most talked about single digit in sports since Vince Young took the Wonderlic test.

* Non-Shooting Foul or Play Missed-ty For Me or it's a Brick House — NCAA runner-up Butler shot 18.8% from the field in losing 53-41 to Connecticut, connecting on only 12-of-64 shots. It was a far cry from last year's title contest loss to Duke, which was notable for one Butler missed shot, while this year's unsuccessful championship effort was marked by 52 misfires.

* Back-Tracking — Five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson apologized to NASCAR on Tuesday, two days after making critical comments over a pit road speeding penalty at Martinsville he felt was unwarranted. Johnson was later issued another speeding citation, for going from accusatory to apologetic way too fast.

* Sports Bra-vo or Blair Niche Project — Texas A&M beat Notre Dame 76-70 on Tuesday to win the women's NCAA championship. The Aggies knocked out two No. 1 seeds, Baylor and Stanford, on their way to the title, and made 65-year-old Gary Blair the oldest coach to win the women's championship. The Aggie women made Texas proud, doing something the Cowboys, Texans, Mavericks, Spurs, Rockets, Astro, Rangers, and Stars haven't done in awhile, and that's "man up" and win a championship.

* Defense? Defense? — Federal prosecutors dropped one of five charges against Barry Bonds, and Bonds' defense team rested without calling a single witness. Bonds now faces three, instead of four, counts of lying to the grand jury. The jury now gets the case for decision, and Bonds finds himself in a familiar position, in which he'll nervously "wait for the results."

* Goes Down Easy — Sports Illustrated conducted an informal player poll asking to identify the NBA's most notorious floppers. Cleveland center Anderson Varejao topped the list, followed closely by San Antonio's Manu Ginobli, with actor Lee Majors running a close third.

In a related story, Steve Nash's ex-wife, Alejandra, was voted in an informal player poll as the league's most notorious "fluffer."

* British Abrasion or Talking "Man Ure" — Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney could face a two-game ban after he was caught using the "F" word into a camera after his third goal in a 4-2 Manchester win over West Ham United on Saturday. Mooney later apologized for his language, and offered an alternate version of his outburst, performed by American singer-songwriter Cee-Lo Green.

* Shaka Con-tract — Virginia Commonwealth head coach Shaka Smart turned down an offer at North Carolina State and instead signed an eight-year contract with VCU that will pay him $1.2 million annually. The Wolfpack were the most notable of several teams wishing to jump on the Shaka Smart bandwagon, but instead settled for former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried, as well as several more years of 1983 nostalgia.

* O's in the Loss Column — The Baltimore Orioles, who finished 66-96 last year, started the 2011 season 4-0, their best start since 1997, and a start that puts them on pace to be overrated this year.

* Mass. Exodus — The Boston Red Sox struggled out of the gate with an 0-6 record, and fans of a team expected to contend for the World Series are exchanging their "easy" buttons en masse for "panic" buttons.

* Liquor Out the Front, Poker in the Back — Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel was arrested on Monday for theft at a Florence, Indiana riverboat casino, allegedly for taking bottles of alcohol from a deli without paying. Vrabel was cooperative, and likely won't face jail time, although if he did, he would then be known as an "inside" linebacker.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)

April 7, 2011

Sports Television: Past and Present

When I was a kid in the 1980s, sports on television was worlds different than it is now. Besides "Monday Night Football," the occasional abortive attempts by ABC and NBC to emulate the MNF model for baseball, and perhaps a few local stations bringing you your market's basketball and baseball games, you had to wait for weekends for sports.

Even ESPN was something of a novelty then, and it took it several years for the network to land a major sports league. Before that, they showed a lot of USFL, CFL, and Australian Rules Football.

There was no such thing as a regional sports network. I take that back. There was such a thing, but not in Cleveland, my home market. Until one glorious day when I noticed a new channel in the TV guide: "Sportschannel Ohio."

Alas, it was a premium channel, and my parents refused to subscribe to anything but basic cable.

The good news was the signal was only scrambled at night, when they actually had programming. During the day, Sportschannel ran this sort of precursor to the tickers so common today.

While elevator music played, a full screen would come up with the box score and brief recap of each baseball game (for example; they covered all sports) that was played the day before. After about 30 seconds, the screen would move on to the next game. These screens with box scores and recaps resembled screenshots from an old Texas Instruments computer, complete with a "picture" that is hard to describe (a computerized photograph is the closest I can come) of the relevant athlete to the box score or news story.

Just like some people watch "SportsCenter" on repeat all morning long, so did I with this ticker. I could even hum some of the elevator tunes today. Nostalgia.

I later learned that Sportschannel Ohio was part of a larger group called Sportschannel America, and included all sorts of different regional stations like Sportschannel Florida and Sportschannel Bay Area. Does this sound familiar? It should, because it was the forerunner of regional sportscasting as we know it today.

Eventually Sportschannel dissolved and was snapped up by NewsCorp, who owns FOX. That is why today we have FOX Sports Ohio and FOX Sports Southwest. Others joined with Comcast instead of FOX.

With each major market getting its own, larger part of the sports pie, it was time for ESPN to make a move ... which they did, launching ESPN2.

Not many seem to remember ESPN2 started out very differently than ESPN. It was the young, irreverent sports channel. They had their own stylized lower-case font, and when they showed an athlete being interviewed or his highlights being shown, they would put a "funny" caption in that font under his name (an example: jim everett - don't call me chris, ok!).

I guess the approach did not work too well in the ratings, because before long ESPN2 became like it is today: a clone of ESPN, with no difference in tone, style, or content.

Thus, the sports broadcasting landscape started to resemble the format we recognize today, with ESPN's ever-burgeoning television and video-streaming portfolio being a strictly national affair, and the regional sports networks are increasing and starting to become independent, or at least breaking away from the FOX/Comcast marque.

The latest of these developments just occurred on April 1st. Viewers in Denver, Seattle, and Pittsburgh expecting to see FOX Sports Rocky Mountain, FOX Sports Northwest, and FOX Sports Pittsburgh, respectively, are now getting Root Sports Rocky Mountain, Northwest, and Pittsburgh.

Root Sports is owned by DirecTV and will still receive most of their programming from FOX Sports. However, they promise to make the Root Sports experience more "immersive" by including relevant tweets during games and — are you sitting down? — "a camera following a manager to the mound during pitching changes." I'm excited, too.

That said, regional sports networks definitely have their niche in local programming. If you are a subscriber to FOX Sports Bay Area, you might see talk shows and interview/coach's shows for each of the Bay Area major pro sports teams, plus Cal, Stanford, and San Jose State.

ESPN's niche is national, of course, but also in live streaming. If your ISP has an agreement with ESPN3, it gives you entree into an absolutely staggering amount of sports, including most of the games aired on ESPN and ESPN2, their college football and basketball packages, and plenty of coverage of sports ESPN proper does not televise such as a full day's worth of action in non-major tennis tournaments and non-U.S. centric sports like rugby, cricket, and various European soccer leagues.

FOX Sports and their affiliates, as well as regional sports television as a whole, lag way, way behind in this regard. CBS and NBC also regularly stream sporting events, particularly college sports, on their websites. But not FOX Sports.

All in all, there is no comparison between ESPN and regional sports networks: it's a tie. Hardcore sports fans need both.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 6:26 PM | Comments (1)

The Second City's Second Wind

The Chicago Bulls are a franchise still defined by a team and its shooting guard that left the building 13 years ago. You know who I mean, the guy who can't be described as iconic because it's still not a strong enough word. Michael Jordan won 6 championships in the 1990s wearing that same Bulls jersey and defined an entire league.

And then he walked out, and he took Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman and Phil Jackson and even Ron Harper with him. The Chicago Bulls haven't been the same since.

Sure, they have rebuilt, several times, trying time and again to find the star player that could replace His Airness. First, it was Elton Brand, then there was Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry; they called them the Baby Bulls. By 2004, they had added Ben Gordon, the guard they called Mister Fourth Quarter as he could come alive at the end of a game and hit numerous game-winning shots like his predecessor.

It wasn't until 2007 that they won another playoff series, a surprising sweep of the defending champion Heat. The following year gave them the draft pick that allowed them to get Derrick Rose, who gave them glimpses by leading them to a wild first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics featuring an orgy of late-game heroics by both sides, taking the series to the maximum 7 games. It was at that point that they realized what this Bulls team could really do.

This year's Chicago Bulls team is in a position not seen since Jordan's glory days. Ever so carefully, the Bulls managed to tiptoe underneath the Hawks, around the Heat, and between the Celtics and Magic, to the top of the Eastern Conference without making a sound. This would be the first No. 1 playoff seed for the Bulls since that fateful season of 1998. And yet they remain the East's best-kept secret. Even as their star guard Derrick Rose is making his push for MVP of the league, he does it under the radar because of the phenomenon that is Blake Griffin.

As long as Chicago does in fact clinch the number one seed, they will have the opportunity to continue to do what they've done so well all season: win at home. With only 5 home losses, only San Antonio has an even comparable home record. As we all know, the advantage of playing at home means more in the NBA playoffs than in any other sport. Chicago will have that to draw on.

If the Bulls did do one other thing this year that put them on the map, it was sweeping their season series with the Miami Heat, winning all three games in the final seconds, and leaving the team of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade with tears in their eyes and little to say for themselves.

By acquiring Carlos Boozer this past offseason to put at the power forward, the Bulls added 17 points and 10 rebounds per game to a frontcourt that already had the shot-blocking and rebounding presence of Joakim Noah and the versatile skills of Luol Deng. Suddenly, Rose found himself the ringleader of a young but powerful group that came together to overthrow the powers-that-be in the East.

At least that is, in the regular season. But the question remains, can they do it in the only season that really matters? Well, who would they have to get past?

The Celtics did the smart thing and actually got older this offseason and now it's paying dividends because (everyone act surprised now) Shaq is having injury problems and becoming the Big Albatross. Chicago also has the experience of battling them tooth and nail in that series in 2009 when the Bulls were still a lowly eighth seed.

Miami, for all their talent and potential, has had their season undermined by underachievement throughout. While they still have the second best record in the East, they have played awful against elite teams and stockpiled victories against mediocre ones. Logic says they will struggle mightily in the playoffs, even as they appear to be built for them on paper.

And Orlando has rebuilt around Howard with scary depth that features Gilbert Arenas and Quentin Richardson off the bench, while Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson form the starting backcourt. Not to mention, reclaiming their playoff x-factor Hedo Turkoglu, who had a tendency to make clutch shots time and again the last time he wore a Magic jersey.

Come to think of it, in the 1990s we saw a few Bulls/Magic playoff series featuring Jordan vs. Shaq, one of which was epic. In 2011, we may just see another Bulls/Magic series with Derrick Rose vs. Dwight Howard in their place.

Perhaps we are looking at too small of a picture here for these Bulls, though. This is a team that should be causing us to look at who would matchup against them from the West in the Finals. Derrick Rose, meet Kobe Bryant for all the marbles. The Jordan clone vs. the Heir (no pun intended) to Michael's throne in Chicago. Perhaps this becomes a thrilling title run for the young Bulls, the first of many, that lead their fans to think of not one, but two great eras in Chicago Bulls history.

But for now, they're just a top-seeded team that no one saw coming. Not even Michael himself.

Posted by Bill Hazell at 1:17 PM | Comments (1)

April 6, 2011

The Tournament Team

On March 5, UConn lost a close contest at home to Notre Dame, despite Kemba Walker's 34 points. It was the Huskies' fourth loss in five games and dropped them to a final regular season Big East record of 9-9, only good for a ninth seed in the next week's Big East tournament. Connecticut fell to 21st in the subsequent national poll, a status largely reflective of the Huskies' six quality wins in the non-conference season, and not the three weeks prior.

Then the Huskies got to postseason tournament play.

UConn had already had its successes in a tournament a few months earlier. In the infant stages of the season, Connecticut arrived at the Maui Invitational as perhaps the fourth or even fifth-favorite to win the tournament in a loaded field with Kentucky, preseason No. 2 Michigan State, Washington, and Missouri Valley favorite Wichita State all taking part. Kemba Walker, in a sign of things to come, scored 90 points in three games. A Maui Invitational win is obviously not the same as winning a Big East or NCAA title, but it is still a three games in three days gauntlet that is a predictor of future, greater success. With UConn's victory on Monday, three of the last seven national finalists won the Maui Invitational in the same season.

When UConn arrived at Madison Square Garden for the Big East tournament, it faced a near-bye against DePaul, and what then a probable win against a Chris Wright-less Georgetown team. The next three days, in winning nail biters against Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville proved that UConn was not only a contender, but a special team in tournament situations. In all tournament games, in Maui, New York, and the NCAAs, UConn was 14-0.

College basketball can make you wary of the team that has one superstar mixed with various other talent who take far less shots and use less possessions. After all, the super-teams the sport has featured in the last 20 years like 1992 Duke, 1996 Kentucky, and 2007 Florida have all had multiple, extremely talented players who were among the best in the nation at their position. Yet, for nearly every example of those teams whose fourth option was nearly as dangerous as the first, there are instances of one superlative player leading a group to the highest prize. Kansas from 1988 and Syracuse's 2003 teams come to mind among those conditions.

The NCAA tournament has proven not only that a variety of players with differing talent levels can win a title, but that there are an infinite number of ways to win the necessary games.

The general formula UConn used to win the title was a unique one, bearing more of a resemblance to 2011 Old Dominion than to 2011 Ohio State, but still relying on an old Huskies staple.

Connecticut, as a team, didn't shoot particularly well and didn't get to the line that often. However, the Huskies were among the top teams in the nation in offensive efficiency, or points per possession. The Huskies were able be so efficient on offense thanks to the extra opportunities provided by rebounding nearly 40 percent of their own misses on the offensive glass. When UConn did get to the line, they made it count, shooting 76.3% at the charity stripe. Walker, on his own, shot nearly 82%.

It's no secret that UConn did not possess an Emeka Okafor, Hasheem Thabeet, or Josh Boone-caliber player in the middle that has historically made teams avoid going inside against the Huskies. However, two-point field goal defense for the Huskies was still a huge strength, as they allowed opponents to hit just 42 percent of their shots inside the arc. That strength turned into the game-changing factor during the Final Four.

In the championship game, UConn held Butler to 3-of-31 on its twos, a total that registered as the worst two-point shooting performance in any Division I game all season. In the semifinals, Kentucky registered just 12-of-35, giving UConn's defense a remarkable 22.7% clip on two-point shots in the two most important games of the year. Several players helped lockdown the interior for UConn, but Alex Oriakhi and Roscoe Smith were the two most important.

Walker was obviously the guy who made everything go for UConn, not only with his scoring prowess, but his leadership and hustle. Throughout the Big East tournament and the NCAAs, Walker made key deflections, dove for loose balls and did all the clichéd little things that help a team succeed in postseason situations.

While Walker deservedly won Most Outstanding Player for the tournament, a huge key for UConn offensively was the consistency of freshman wing Jeremy Lamb. In January, Lamb emerged as the second option to Walker, but faded during the Huskies' pre Big East-tourney averaging less than 8 points a game in the five games leading up to MSG. He scored in double digits every game thereafter and shot 50% or better from the field in all but one contest. His offense provided a necessary complement to Walker's, and made UConn anything but a one-man team in March and April.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't give Butler a great amount of credit for what it accomplished for the second year in a row. I'm not quite sure anybody can put the Bulldogs' accomplishments into proper perspective, since nothing like this has ever come close to happening in the big-money, at-large bid era of the NCAA tournament. Last season, Butler spent $2.8 million on basketball, ranking it 98th in the country in basketball expenses and behind every single BCS conference school. When Butler beat three straight teams from big six conference to win the Southeast Region, it was spending, on average, $4.3 million less on basketball than its opponent. Quite simply, Butler has done far more with far less over the course of the last two NCAA tournaments, and one awful performance on Monday night should not take away from its feat in the least.

Posted by Ross Lancaster at 7:11 PM | Comments (0)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 6

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch — After leading 151 laps and finishing third at Fontana last week, Busch duplicated the feat at Martinsville, leading 151 of 500 laps and coming home third. It was the third time this year Busch has lost a lead late in a race, and although he assumed the points lead after his Martinsville finish, many are left wondering if Busch's killer instinct disappeared along with his "bad boy" persona.

"Hey," Busch said, "they said the same thing about the 'new' Kyle Busch as they have recently about a late Kyle Busch lead in a race: 'it'll never last.'

"They call Kevin Harvick 'The Closer.' I guess that makes me the 'Close(r), But No Cigar.' It's amazing. The more things change, the more they stay the same. After winning at Bristol, I was considered the 'one to beat.' Now, I'm still considered the 'one to beat.'"

2. Kevin Harvick — Harvick was floundering in 27th before a red flag for Martin Truex, Jr.'s wreck allowed the No. 29 Budweiser team time to regroup. With a strategy established, Harvick methodically climbed to the front, and slipped by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. with four laps to go, then cruised to the win. It was Harvick's second-straight win, and boosted him four places in the point standings to fifth, 15 out of first.

"That's right, Junior Nation," Harvick said. "Kevin Harvick sucks ... the wind out of a potential Junior Nation-wide celebration. But I realize passing Junior doesn't make you the most popular driver. Being Junior makes you the most popular driver. But racing is not a popularity contest. You don't win races by collecting the most votes. Junior fans should realize there's no shame in losing to Kevin Harvick, just as there's no glory in being named 'Mr. Congeniality' at season's end.

"Early in the season, we were little more than mediocre. In fact, many of my competitors were calling me 'Happy Medium.' Now, the 29 car is the one to beat, and I, along with crew chief Gil Martin, have raised our expectations. Collectively, we're known as 'Happy Gil More.'"

3. Jimmie Johnson — After a caution on lap 465 brought the field into the pits, Johnson emerged as he entered, in second behind Kyle Busch, and a seventh Martinsville win was a distinct possibility for the No. 48 Lowe's team. However, Johnson was nabbed for speeding entering pit road, and forced to restart at the end of the longest line. Restarting 15th, he picked off four positions, and finished a disappointing 11th.

"I've won here like clockwork," Johnson said. "Now I can say I've lost here by clockwork. I was shafted. There's no way I was speeding. Obviously, there's a vast, rite-wing conspiracy at work against yet another season's-end ceremony honoring the champ, and there's bias at play. NASCAR doesn't want to see another Jimmie Johnson championship. It's called getting 'five-timed,' and as was the case when Brooke Gordon got 'two-timed,' it's costing a Hendrick driver dearly."

4. Carl Edwards — Edwards struggled at Martinsville, finishing one lap down in 18th and falling out of the top spot in the Sprint Cup point standings. He holds the second spot, five points behind Kyle Busch.

"By no means am I a short-track expert," Edwards said. "I'm no 'ringer,' but some, Kevin Harvick included, have called me a 'wringer.' When people think of Carl Edwards, they don't think 'short track;' they think 'short fuse.'"

5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — Earnhardt led 17 laps in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500, turning in his best performance of the year with a second at Martinsville. After a 24th to start the season at Daytona, Earnhardt hasn't finished worse than 12th since, and has climbed the point standings to eighth.

"I'm disappointed I didn't get the win," Earnhardt said. "But I'll say the same thing countless fans have said many times over at the No. 88 merchandise tents: 'I'll take it.'

"Now, should I fail to win at Texas, I'll be the owner of a 100-race winless streak. Sure it looks bad, but I'm finally doing something my daddy never could."

6. Ryan Newman — Newman saw a promising day at Martinsville deteriorate quickly when a broken header pipe on lap 328 left his No. 39 Haas Automation Chevy with compromised horsepower. A subsequent flat tire and spin sent him further back in the field, and Newman eventually hobbled home with a 20th-place finish, two laps adrift of the lead lap.

"A broken pipe, a flat tire, and a spin," said Newman. "That's bad for Ryan Newman, but even worse for Jeremy Mayfield."

7. Kurt Busch — Busch survived an eventful day at Martinsville, overcoming right-front damage sustained when he clipped Bobby Labonte midway through the race to salvage a 16th-place finish. After four-straight top-10's to open the season, Busch has finished 17th and 16th in the last two weeks, and after holding the points lead after Bristol, he's now down to fourth, 14 behind younger brother Kyle.

"There's good news and there's bad news," Busch said. "The bad news is I'm down to fourth in the point standings. The good news? Kyle's in the lead, so I like my chances to improve. Brother Kyle holds a Sunday lead about as well as Greg Norman at the Masters."

8. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth was penalized on the first lap of the race for changing lanes before the start/finish line, putting him in a hole early. But the No. 17 Crown Royal Black team patiently battled back, and Kenseth regained the lead lap on lap 221. He eventually finished sixth, joining Roush Fenway teammate David Ragan in the top 10. Kenseth is now ninth in the points, 24 out of first.

"I qualified 24th," Kenseth said. "As such, you can never underestimate the importance of taking the 23rd position less than a lap into the race. NASCAR officials foiled my master plan. But that's par for the course in the life of Matt Kenseth. Even my efforts to cheat are just as unspectacular as the rest of me."

9. Jeff Gordon — Gordon posted his first top-five result since winning at Phoenix in February with a fifth at Martinsville. He led 37 laps on the day, and vaulted four places in the Sprint Cup point standings to 12th, 49 behind Kyle Busch.

"Hendrick Motorsports placed four cars in the top 11," Gordon said. "Things are looking up for HMS. Or are they? I haven't won in four races, Mark Martin hasn't won in 51, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in winless in his last 99, and Jimmie Johnson's hasn't won a championship in well over 130 days!"

10. Juan Montoya — Montoya finished fourth in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500, charging late with several key passes to forge his fourth top-10 result of the year. He moved up one spot in the point standings, and is now seventh, 18 out of first.

"I hear that my former Formula 1 teammate Kimi Raikkonen has signed to drive trucks in the Camping World series. It's good to see F1 stars gravitating towards NASCAR. Years on the F1 circuit will prepare you for the rigors of any racing series, and Kimi's vast open-cockpit experience qualifies him not only for a seat with Kyle Busch Motorsports, but as a Southwest Airlines pilot as well. Kimi will be the first native of Finland to race in NASCAR. I'd say that's a good omen for him, as he's already crossed the 'Finnish' line even before his first race."

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)

April 5, 2011

Jim Calhoun Wins, Butler Loses

Greg Norman. Jana Novotna. Jean Van de Velde. What happened to Butler in the second half?

When you talk about last night's national championship game between the Connecticut Huskies and Butler Bulldogs, you have to start with the loser. The numbers are staggering. Their 18.8% field goal percentage was the lowest in championship history. Their 41 points were the fewest in a tournament final since 1949. They made 12 field goals and had 10 shots blocked. They were 3-for-31 inside the arc.

The shooting was poor all game, and not just by the Bulldogs — UConn's 53 points were the fewest by a champion since 1949. Butler actually went into halftime with a 22-19 lead, and sunk a three-pointer to open the second half: 25-19, Cinderella City. Then two things happened: (1) Connecticut started scoring, not a lot, but more than either team had to that point, and (2) Butler stopped making shots. At all.

12-of-64. That's 12 baskets, 52 misses. Fifty-two. That includes decent three-point shooting, 9-of-33, 27.3%. That's not good, but it's not terrible — a reasonable percentage against a good defensive team like UConn. But subtract 9-of-33 from 12-of-64 (52 misses) and you're left with 3-for-31 on two-pointers. That's 9.7%. I mean, holy crap. How does a college team shoot that badly? 9.7%, that's bad for a kid's rec league team. I was shooting 9.7%, guarded, from the time I was 6 years old.

I hate to single out one player, because these are young guys who I'm sure were doing their best, and who probably are crushed now at how close they came to the ultimate Cinderella story. I hate to single out one player, because the loss wasn't any one guy's fault. I mean, 12-of-64, you don't do that by yourself. I hate to single out one player, because the more I dwell on Butler's mistakes, the more I'm taking away from a fine Connecticut team, the new national champions.

Matt Howard, who is a serious NBA prospect, was a disaster in the second half. He was 1-of-13 from the field, 12 of those 52 misses by himself, more than any other Butler player. Malcolm Gladwell, in his superb essay on choking, describes the phenomenon as something akin to over-thinking. You realize you've missed your last 6 shots, or whatever, and you start thinking about the mechanics of shooting, doing it the way you did as a kid, step-by-step, rather than a fluid whole. That's what Butler's second half looked like to me. During a 14-minute span in which the team made only one field goal, it looked like the players were thinking too much on offense. It looked to me like Butler got psyched out and stopped playing on instinct.

Of course, Connecticut's defense played a role, too. Butler had a hell of a time getting open, especially from close range, and the three-pointers were probably the only shots falling because those were the only shots the Huskies were giving them. I thought the CBS announcing team did a fine job, except that UConn's defense didn't get quite as much credit as it probably deserved. What a performance.

Freshman Jeremy Lamb played a nice second half to help spark the UConn comeback and victory, but the man of the hour is Huskies head coach Jim Calhoun, who became just the fifth person to win three NCAA men's basketball championships, joining immortals John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Adolph Rupp, and Bobby Knight. Calhoun, who is 68, also became the oldest head coach ever to lead his team to the championship. Told by Jim Nantz that he had broken the record, Calhoun joked of the previous record-holder, "Phog Allen's just a baby."

This was Calhoun's third title, all in the last 12 seasons, and with a group of young men he made clear are special to him. Calhoun even suggested that the victory might be the happiest moment in all of those 68 years. Even if you were mesmerized by Butler's underdog story, it's easy to feel happy for Coach Calhoun. One presumes that his halftime adjustments helped spark the team's offense in the second half, with baseline screens looking like a deliberate strategy, and an effective one.

When people remember this game, years from now, it will be about Calhoun winning with a young team, and Butler's offensive struggles. I've invoked choking terminology, an accusation I think is often leveled unfairly, to describe the latter. I don't think the situation was "too big" for Butler. The Bulldogs came ready to play, and for the first half, they did. But these things can snowball, and that's what it looked like in the second half. A few tough offensive possessions, a couple bad shots, airtight defense, and next thing you know, 12-of-64. In its own way, a truly remarkable game, and a fitting end to a crazy tournament.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 6:25 PM | Comments (0)

The Green Jacket Means More Than Ever

Since 1934, few tournaments can claim to captivate the attention of the world (including those rarely interested in golf) like The Masters. The iconic green jacket has become a staple symbol of American sports, a tradition as ingrained in the tournament as milk after the Indy 500 and the Lombardi Trophy after the Super Bowl — if not more so. But even with the unparalleled imprint it has left on golf and sports in general, the green jacket means more than ever.

Six of the top seven ranked golfers could reach No. 1 in the world with a win at the Masters. The only member of the top-seven who can't do so is Paul Casey, because of the number of tournaments in which he has played. That Means that Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, and yes, even Tiger Woods, could be sitting atop the world rankings by this time next week. Of those six, only Mickelson and Woods have ever won the tournament, and they sit at No. 3 and No. 7, respectively, prior to their tee times Thursday, yet have a chance to be No. 1 if they don the green jacket on Sunday.

In the last 10 Masters tournaments, Mickelson and Woods have combined to win six, so they might seem under normal circumstances to be obvious picks as the favorites. But both golfers are far from their comfort zones right now. Woods is obviously in the worst stretch of his professional career, and seems to prove more and more with each passing tournament that golf is a game played between the ears, where he is far from okay. Mickelson had exactly a dozen chances last year to reach No. 1 in the world with a win, and failed to do so every time.

Given that the only golfers who have been historically good at Augusta and can reach No. 1 in the world this weekend don't look like good picks to win it this year, the tournament may be not only be as wide open as it has ever been, but may also be more important than it has ever been, especially for Kaymer, Westwood, Donald, and McDowell.

Those four golfers not only have an excellent opportunity to win their first Masters, but any of them could be the No. 1 golfer in the world if they do, and one can only hope that if that happens, the story doesn't devolve into an analysis of the psyche of Tiger Woods. Frankly, I don't care if his head is right. I want to see multiple golfers have an excellent weekend and be rewarded because of it. If Tiger does that, good for him — but I don't tune in to CBS on Sunday afternoons to see the same thing people monitoring TMZ see — I tune in to see golf.

I think the majority of fans of the sport agree with me on this point, and that's exactly why this tournament is so important. Given the relative craziness that could ensue if any major shift should take place at the top of the rankings, and the increased probability of that happening this weekend, the Tiger Woods drama might finally, mercifully, take a back seat to something truly important.

The 2011 Masters doesn't just mean someone will wear the iconic green jacket, and it doesn't just mean that a new No. 1 is likely to be crowned — it means that golf could once again be less about a single man, and more about the game itself. It's not that Tiger hasn't been eclipsed in the rankings already, but rather more that the way the rankings could be shaken this weekend would be a bigger story than it has in the past. I mean, seriously — how many people outside of golf's most dedicated fans knew Martin Kaymer was the No. 1 golfer in the world?

So even if you usually don't or never have before, tune in to the Masters this weekend. Because this year, the green jacket means more than ever.

Posted by Paul Foeller at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)

April 4, 2011

Ride That Darkhorse

I gotta admit, I'm flying high right now. My Sports Christmas came and went with fantastic basketball, and the start to my favorite week of the year included an unusually tight pair of semifinals in Houston. But with everybody focused on the Final Four and, to a smaller extent, the NIT Finals in New York, there was other college basketball out there.

To be frank, I try to bypass the other "speedbump" tournaments in the world of the NCAA postseason. However, the CBI finished its fourth year of existence this past week, and the newest playoff bracket, the CIT, got done with year number three. In the CIT championship, the West Coast stood strong as Santa Clara took down Iona from the Metro Atlantic Conference.

Meanwhile, the CBI Finals series could have easily been dubbed the "Dana Altman Classic." The coach's current team, the Oregon Ducks, defeated his former squad, the Creighton Blue Jays, on a last-second shot in the final game of the best-of-three tilt.

First of all, bully for you, Ducks and Broncos. The Pac-10 member had the chance to hold up a trophy at the end of a big transition in Altman's first season in Eugene. The WCC school best-known as Steve Nash's alma mater actually did play longer than conference behemoths Gonzaga and Saint Mary's.

However, there may be more to this story. When people look at indicators for future participants and sleepers in any NCAA tournament, we usually turn our eyes to Madison Square Garden and the NIT. But that's the easy way out. As useless as I believe the CBI and CIT have been in March, we may have to put more focus on those final rounds of the Invitationals to find that lump of coal that might turn into a diamond come the following March.

When referring to the CIT, the champs have really gained from the experience of being in some kind of postseason bracket. 2010 champ Missouri State won the 2011 Missouri Valley regular season title, battled for an NCAA spot, and ended up with a win in this year's NIT. The winner in 2009, Old Dominion, went a step further. The Monarchs found their way into the 2010 Big Dance after sweeping the Colonial regular and tournament titles. They pulled an upset over Notre Dame before falling to Baylor in the second round.

The CBI has a similar path of success, but not just for the champions. Each year following a CBI run, one of the finalists has advanced at least one notch in the tournament hierarchy.

After taking the inaugural championship in 2008, the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes scored a first-round win over Northwestern in the '09 NIT. Conference USA got another boost in 2010. UTEP finished as the 2009 CBI runner-up, but found enough success to sneak in as one of the final at-large teams for the 2010 NCAAs. The Miners ended up as the first casualty in the first Butler run. The last casualty in Butler's repeat journey to the national title game was VCU ... a.k.a. the 2010 CBI champion.

So how will these four finalists take their run of success and make it blossom in 2011-2012? One thing that lends well to all these programs is that they don't lose significant senior minutes.

Iona Gaels

Returning — There are two seniors that guided Iona to the CIT Final. However, they averaged the fifth and sixth-most minutes on the squad. This means that not only a ton of experience is coming back, but there shouldn't be huge holes to fill in finding that fifth starter.

Conference Obstacles — Rider will need to reload. The Broncs lose their top two contributors from this year's team. Conference tournament winner St. Peter's will get cut even deeper. Opposite Iona, the Peacocks' will go into the 2011-2012 campaign without their top four contributors from this season. Regular season champ Fairfield will keep most of their stock, though, providing another tough test for the Gaels to maneuver.

Where Will They Be Next March? — The Gaels will be on the road in the NIT after winning the regular season title, but losing out in the conference tourney.

Santa Clara Broncos

Returning — Backcourt mates Kevin Foster (leading scorer) and Evan Roquemore (tied for assists lead with Foster). Add them to the tallest player on the team, 6-9 forward Marc Trasolini, and that makes the three leading scorers (and 44.7 ppg) coming back to the Bay Area.

Conference Obstacles — Just like in other years, Gonzaga will come back strong. Saint Mary's should do the same. But some key pieces will be missing. The Bulldogs lose shooter Stephen Gray, while the Gaels will see point guard Mickey McConnell walk across the stage. But with Mark Few and Randy Bennett at the helm of their respective programs, expect more talent to flow in.

The bigger threat might be what Rex Walters is building at San Francisco. Although the Broncos actually beat this conference rival in the CIT quarterfinals. But the Dons only featured one senior and four juniors this season. So expect more improvement from their surprising third-place conference finish.

Sidenote: the conference season won't be any easier with BYU joining the fray next year.

Where Will They Be Next March? — I think the Broncos will join Iona in the NIT. (Can anyone say rematch?) They'll finish second in the WCC and fall just short of the NCAAs by losing to Gonzaga in the WCC tourney final.

Creighton Blue Jays

Returning — The Missouri Valley stalwart returns their top four scorers and two best rebounders from this season. Even though the program loses five seniors, the core of this team was made up of freshmen and sophomores. With a year of Valley experience under their belts, it should only put them as one of the favorites to win the conference next season.

Conference Obstacles — Wichita State was the favorite to win the regular season crown this time around and should be again, despite moving on without J.T. Durley and Gabe Blair (among others). Thing is ... the Shockers shared the time on-court. Ten players averaged double-digit minutes, which means a ton of experienced talent returns. Missouri State will likely return MVC Player of the Year Kyle Weems. Plus, NCAA tourney participant Indiana State gets a lot of their top talent back. But this might lead the Valley to get back to the days when they were the most-feared mid-major, with multiple Big Dance bids in tow.

Where Will They Be Next March? — They'll survive a tough run through the Valley to a second-place finish and wind up in the Arch Madness final in St. Louis. This will be enough to get the Blue Jays into the NCAAs as a dangerous 11-seed, where they'll pull off an unexpected Sweet 16 surge.

Oregon Ducks

Returning — If the rebuilding effort is to stay on the fast track, it starts with E.J. Singler. The younger brother of former Duke star Kyle, he led the team in minutes, while placing second in points and boards. Obviously, this will be his team next season. Malcolm Armstead and Garrett Slim may want to add some assistance, though.

Conference Obstacles — Arizona may be losing stud forward Derrick Williams, but many thought this team was a year ahead of schedule. Washington may take a hit if Isaiah Thomas follows through with his intent of entering the NBA draft (along with losing Venoy Overton, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, and Justin Holiday to graduation).

UCLA was also said to be a year away from getting back to prominence. However, that could stall a bit if Malcolm Lee and Tyler Honeycutt go pro (and Honeycutt intends to sign with an agent). Washington State might also get a bump if prolific scorer Klay Thompson stays in Pullman. The room for improvement is there, but it's there for the top half of the conference.

Where Will They Be Next March? — The Ducks will complete the Pac-10 season 11-7, in fourth place, and just above the bubble. They enter the main tourney as a 10-seed, but can't pull off a win in their first game. Then again, they could go on the "West Coast Sleeper" run nobody expects because the team's on too late for East Coast eyes.

It may not be the most glorious of circumstances to gain experience, but it's available for the taking. Why not use it? And for all us onlookers, why not pay attention? It could lend us insight we need to scope out the next sleeper semifinalist.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 3:30 PM | Comments (0)

The Circus is in Town

P.T. Barnum once said, "There's a sucker born every minute." Or so they say he said.

If you believe what erstwhile slugger and (alleged) perjurer Barry Bonds will tell you, then you don't need to look around for that sucker. It's you.

As the jury selection for the trial against Bonds and his entourage of legal eagles begins in the city which bore witness to his historical feats on the diamond (and egregious feats off of it), the circus arrives with it. There's a tent for the ravenous, drooling media, lying in wait for that first juicy, scandalous morsel to fall from the judge's bench. Then there's a tent for the innumerable hangers-on which have fed themselves on Bonds' leftover scraps of fame for years. Yet another tent has been raised for the various witnesses, teammates, scientists, trainers, and ex-girlfriends who each play a role in this ongoing spectacle. And Barry's the ringmaster.

A note for those of you who may have the wrong idea concerning the human drama that is the life and times of professional baseball's career home run leader: whatever you happen to read, hear, watch on "SportsCenter," etc., this is not solely about bringing an (alleged) criminal to justice. This is not just about the (alleged) use of performance-enhancing drugs; in fact, the potential jurors for this trial were specifically instructed to concentrate on the charge of perjury, and disregard the allegations of steroid use. Personally, I don't see how the two can be separated, but that's just me.

This is about payback.

You see, Barry Bonds is not just some nickel-and-dime crook, a common street thug, or a petty thief. Barry Bonds now holds sole possession of what is arguably the most highly regarded record in all of sports, and he was able to set the mark due (allegedly) to his use of PEDs. That's not something that many people will be able to easily forget or set aside, and therein lays the problem. Finding 12 men and women who:

1. Haven't been following the continuing saga of Bonds and his (alleged) use of PEDs, and
2. Would not be inclined to make prejudiced decisions regarding the aforementioned charge of perjury because of their feelings about said use of PEDs.

Would have to be extremely difficult, at best, and, as this trial is taking place smack-dab in the middle of Barry's longtime stomping grounds, quite near impossible at worst. At this stage in the game, I'm leaning toward the latter.

In any case, perjury cases are notoriously hard to prove one way or the other, and this particular trial is taking place EIGHT FREAKING YEARS after the (alleged) perjury occurred. This is not a matter of whether or not Bonds used steroids; it's about whether or not he lied about it. And that's why this case is going to be such a difficult one. How do you separate one from the other?

In order to prove perjury, there has to be a clear definition of what question was asked, as well as the specific answer given by Bonds at the time. Sounds simple, yes? No. Here's why, according to Professor Godfrey of Chicago-Kent College of Law:

"The falsehood has to be clear, so the questions must be clear. If someone answers a question with a question and the interlocutor never pins him down to an answer, the government can't show that there is a falsehood ... just an ambiguity."

What Bonds told the judge eight years ago was that he never knowingly used steroids. That statement alone could ultimately be the undoing of the prosecution. He never knowingly used steroids. So how do you prove he did or didn't know what he was putting into his body? That is, besides the common sense argument that a player as obsessive, driven, stubborn, and controlling as Bonds would ever allow anything to be rubbed onto, injected into, or otherwise ingested within his body without his knowing precisely what benefit he would receive from doing so? Problem is, common sense is not a valid argument, at least not in a court of law. Shocking, I know.

Nevertheless, there will be plenty of potential jurors who'll want to go with the common sense angle, regardless of what they tell the attorneys during the selection process. In fact, common sense ought to tell said attorneys that they'd have to ask for a 10-year continuance just to find twelve people who won't have that sort of opinion about Bonds. He didn't exactly go out of his way to win friends and influence people throughout his career, and that's not going to help him a whole lot. Yes, it shouldn't come into play in the legal process, but it often does, and you can bet it will this time. Only the horribly naïve would believe otherwise.

When you couple Bonds' legendary ability to poison the opinions of others about him with the amount of time which has already passed since this whole debacle began, as well as the nature of the accusation involved and the (alleged) use of steroids by said defendant, it's not likely that Bonds will receive an unbiased verdict from any group of 12 jurors in this hemisphere. As far as public opinion is concerned, that verdict was passed years ago, and in any event will affect the future of Mr. Bonds far longer than any perjury conviction ever would. Thus, the perjury charge is a moot point. It might as well be a traffic violation.

So while the dancing elephants wait their turn next to the lion tamers and the clown cars, Barry will take to the sky for his high-wire act.

How long before he finally realizes that he's working without a net?

Posted by Clinton Riddle at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)

April 2, 2011

Sports Q&A: Bonds: 'Roids, Tabloids, Freakazoids

Barry Bonds' perjury trial is underway, over seven years after Bonds allegedly lied in front of a grand jury. The trial is undoubtedly newsworthy, but will the tabloid nature of the subject matter rocket the United States vs. Barry Bonds case into the stratosphere of sensationalistic courtroom drama?

How can it not be? You can cut the circus atmosphere with a gavel. Think the trail won't be a circus? Think again. Someone mentioned "big top" the other day outside the courtroom, and they weren't talking about Bonds' enlarged head.

Less than a week into the trial, and already the jury has heard testimony involving gallons of urine, enlarged heads and feet, and shrinking testicles. Given the details, how can we reasonably expect a jury to render a verdict, much less a straight face. Contrary to what Bonds says, you can't make this stuff up. And with countless witnesses set to testify, or having already testified, about the proliferation of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, the potential abounds for the spectacle to become a zoo, a 'PED-ing zoo,' if you will.

In addition, Bonds' mistress, Kimberly Bell, shocked the courtroom and pleased the tabloids with allegations that Bonds threatened to cut her head off, cut out her breast implants, and burn her house down. Those are terrifyingly severe threats; luckily, thanks to the side effects of a regimen of drugs, Bonds didn't have the balls to follow through on them. However, Bonds isn't on trial for communicating threats. He's on trial for perjury, and Bell's claims paint a picture of a man whose disposition changed, just as dramatically as his hat and shoe sizes, despite his adamant insistence that he didn't knowingly take steroids.

Does Bonds have any ground on which to stand that's not littered with syringes and empty tubes of mysterious creams and ointments? If his defense team can convince the jury that no one in their right mind would use drugs that enlarge the head and feet, but not the penis, then they could be onto something. Chances are, the jury won't buy this argument, and will instead be easily convinced that Bonds was so obsessed with home run records that he willingly forfeited a little testicle diameter in exchange for a bigger head, bigger feet, greater strength, and faster bat speed. That's what you call "sacrifice fly."

There's a cavalcade of evidence against Bonds, and his public image is in tatters, so it seems his case is not one of "innocent until proven guilty," but "guilty until proven guiltier." And the evidence in the trial not only has far-reaching legal implications, but equally comic implications, as well. Bonds' steroid hell is everyone else's tabloid heaven. Below are some possible examples of what has been said, or what will soon be said, in the luridly spectacular trial.

"We're not here to argue whether Bonds did or did not lie to a grand jury. We readily admit that he did, at the Cannes Film Festival." Bonds defense team throws a shocker in the courtroom, admitting that Bonds lied to a grand jury, but not the grand jury. The defense also drops the heretofore unknown fact that Bonds is a regular on the international film festival circuit.

"If that's the case, then we would like to introduce evidence that Billy Bob Thornton received human growth hormone injections from Bonds' trainer Greg Anderson at Sundance in 2006." The prosecution's quick rebuttal to the defense's previous claim.

"Rub this on me and stick me here." Who said this? Take your pick, of any baseball player who has ever hit 40 or more home runs in a season after never previously topping 20.

"Is it true they called Greg Anderson "Hemorrhoid" because he gave 'him a 'roid' and 'him a 'roid' and 'him a 'roid?'" The prosecution grills yet another player who witnessed Anderson distributing steroids to various major leaguers.

"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't."These words were probably uttered by the honorable judge Susan Illston upon deliberating whether or not to allow testimony from Bonds former mistress Kimberly Bell involving his testicles. Headlines in several news sources the following day read "Juggling Balls."

"Baby got back-ne." Former San Francisco Giants trainer Stan Conte likely uttered these words to describe the back acne he noticed on Bonds before the 2000 season, when Bonds had clearly bulked up.

"As far as truth-telling goes, Barry Bonds is 'Public Enemy No. 1.' Now, to establish the chain of custody of the most famous urine sample in history, we want to know, at the time, who had public enemy's 'No. 1?'" The prosecution questions a lab employee to reaffirm that the chain of custody was never broken.

"I love Cream. And I love Clear. They're two of my all-time favorite bands." Should Bonds testify, this might be as straight of an answer anyone will get from him regarding his use of steroid-masking drugs.

"Are you familiar with the music of Flaxseed Oil and Arthritis Cream?" The prosecution's response, revealing that two can play that game.

"I'm not here to talk about the past." Mark McGwire makes a cameo at the trial.

"Bonds played for Arizona State. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. And he played for the San Francisco Giants. He's most famous, however, for playing "dumb." The prosecution appeals to the jury that it's inconceivable that Bonds, or anyone for that matter, could "unknowingly" take steroids that many times.

"We contest the notion that shrinking testicles is a side effect of steroid abuse. On the contrary, we contend that a major side effect of being awesome is an enlarged scrotum." Bonds' lawyer Allen Ruby tries to convince the jury that Bell was mistaken in her assessment of Bonds' testicles, arguing that a bigger scrotum would clearly explain her incorrect observations.

"You know what they say about men with big heads and big feet? They're guilty." It's the prosecution's coup de grâce, and to nail down their point, they produce a Bonds' hat and a pair of shoes, as well as an oversized foam finger, which the lead prosecutor uses to point directly at each and every juror.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 12:37 PM | Comments (2)