The Sporting Word

Pujols Pulls Through

2005-10-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

With one swing of the bat last night, Albert Pujols cemented himself as the best hitter of the 21st Century. With one swing he showed why he is on a plateau above all the others. Great hitters compile great numbers during the regular season. There are several great hitters in the major leagues. But Pujols is the greatest because he can perform when his team absolutely needs him most.

The Cardinals were done. Their season was all but over. All but Albert. Facing one of the most dominating closers in the game, when nothing other than a home run would suffice, Pujols delivered. He trotted around the bases calmly, with his chin held high. Nothing ecstatic. No jumping around or pumping fists. It was as though he completely expected to hit that ball 450 feet.

Pujols is carrying this offense in the postseason just as he did during the regular season. In the playoffs, he's batting .429 with two home runs. He's getting on base 50% of the time. During the regular season, he led the Cardinals in every major offensive category. And most of the minor ones, too. He played the most games, got the most hits, scored the most runs, hit the most doubles and home runs, drove in the most runs, got the most walks. He even stole the most bases.

Several other players in the league are a dominant figure on their team in a similar way. But Pujols separated himself by showing he can deliver on a large stage, with the season hanging in the balance and in the face of 40,000 screaming Astros fans. Notice the postseason numbers for some of his notable contemporaries:

Alex Rodriguez: the MVP candidate got just two hits in 15 postseason at-bats after batting .321 during the regular season. He led the team (along with Derek Jeter) with five strikeouts in the four-game American League Division Series loss to the Angels. He stranded three runners and went 0-4 in the Yankees' final game of the postseason.

Vladimir Guererro: The career .324 hitter batted just .184 in the postseason. He got seven hits in ten games, all singles. He drove in one run. In the American League Championship Series, he went 1-for-20.

Andrew Jones: He had a strong postseason in many respects, hitting .471 with five RBI in four games. But in the Braves' elimination game (the same situation the Cardinals faced last night), look at how Jones performed in his several chances to put his team on top. In the top of the ninth, he grounded into a double play. He struck out swinging with two runners on in the 11th. He walked in the 14th. He flied out in the 15th. He reached on an error in the 18th. That's five plate appearances in which he could have put his team on top of the Astros. Five plate appearances, no hits. The major league home run champ hit 51 during the regular season. But he couldn't do it to keep his team's hopes alive facing elimination.

David Ortiz: He is the toughest to take a jab at. He put up very Pujols-like numbers and performed fairly well in the Red Sox' elimination game. Ortiz hit .333 in the series loss to the White Sox. Facing elimination, he put the Red Sox on the board with the home run in the 4th inning of Game 3. But in his two remaining at-bats that game, he flied out to end the 5th with two runners on and struck out swining in the 7th with the Red Sox trailing by one run. He was on deck when Edgar Renteria grounded out to second to end the game. If Ortiz had been hitting after Eckstein, maybe it's a different story.

The NFP

2005-10-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

The NBA has finally achieved all its objectives. The league has obviously mastered any salary cap issues, ridded all violence from the league, and has purged its reputation that drugs are rampant in the NBA. Yes, it was only a matter time before the league addressed the most ubiquitous and pressing issue the league has ever faced: a mandatory dress code.

The NBA has turned into the National Fashion Police (NFP). Business casual attire is required during league or team activity. Players must wear a collared or turtle neck shirt. Khakis, jeans, or dress pants are required as well. I don’t want to see Dirk Nowitzki dressing up in an attempt to look nice. Did you see what he wore during his Dallas Mavericks conference introducing him as their top pick? In case you forgot here is a link: http://www.njsportspromotions.com/NowitzkiUltrarookie.jpg. I’d much rather see him in this attire: http://www.deansplanet.com/encounters_dirk-nowinski.html. I am unsure what the NBA thinks this new requirement is going to accomplish? Will people who wish to emulate Allen Iverson wear blazers instead of gold chains? I understand the NBA has a reputation to uphold, but the clothing is not the thing causing harm to its reputation. It is people like Shawn Kemp the NBA needs to be worried about.

Shawn Kemp has been in and out of rehab for drugs. His weight had ballooned almost as much as the number of illegitimate kids he has. Players like Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace have been caught using marijuana. Fellow star, Carmelo Anthony has also been ticketed for possession. The NBA needs to deal with the problem head on. It needs stricter standards and penalties for drug offenders. Charles Oakley claims 60% of the league uses marijuana and calls the enforcement by the NBA “a joke”.

So let Allen Iverson be Allen Iverson. If you squash his individuality what incentive does he have to try and be a role model? The more one attempts to change a person is, the more angered and rebellious the player will become. Mr. Stern needs to focus on the bigger problems that are responsible for the poor reputation of the NBA, but it now seems as if Mr. Stern is in fact a big reason why the NBA’s reputation is lacking.

A Wie Bit of a Mistake

2005-10-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

Michelle Wie made her much anticipated professional debut this weekend in the LPGA World Samsung Championship. This was the biggest story of the weekend in golf, even bigger than Annika Sorenstam coasting to yet another victory. The problem was that Wie didn’t just make the headlines for competing in her first tournament as a pro.

She made the biggest headlines for being disqualified from the tournament, and losing $53,126 in the process. She was disqualified for taking an illegal drop on the seventh hole Saturday, removing her ball from a bush and putting it three inches closer to the hole, according to Wie. She was then disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

The problem wasn’t that she was disqualified necessarily, it was the way it happened. She wasn’t disqualified until Sunday after her final round, a full day and then some since she made the drop. Most of all, the person who reported the incident was a reporter for Sports Illustrated, not a LPGA official.

First of all, hasn’t the LPGA ever heard of a statute of limitations? I know this is something every other rules organization has heard of. I understand that the Rules of Golf are a big part of what makes the game so endearing, but come on. Disqualifying someone for an incident that happened a full day earlier is obscene. Also, no LPGA officials picked it up. If the officials didn’t notice it at the time, nothing should be done about it. That’s the just way the ball bounces.

Think of it this way. A baseball team wins the a game in extra innings thanks to a walk-off two-run homerun. The call is controversial and it looks like a fan interfered with the play, but the play stands as called, game over. MLB consults the replay the next day and sees it’s not a home run, so they reverse the call and award the game to the other team. Sounds crazy right? Exactly. This would never happen in any other game, that statute of limitations had run out.

The next thing is who reported the incident to the LPGA. It was a reporter for Sports Illustrated by the name of Michael Bamberger. So the way I see it, Michelle Wie was penalize because of her popularity. If she were some mediocre golfer who nobody cared about nobody would have even noticed and she would have never been disqualified.

Another thing, since when is it the reporters job to help make the news. I’ve been taught throughout my journalism education that reporters report the news, they do not make it. So who is this guy to take this issue to officials. He can write about it and say anything he wants to in print, but it is not his place to do the job of LPGA officials. Sure he was trying to do the right thing, but it’s not his job. Reporters can squawk about calls from the press box, but they cannot change them.

Lastly, the way the LPGA went about the situation is a joke. Besides the fact that they should have left well enough alone, admitted a mistake and told everyone the statute of limitations had run out, they handled the situation very poorly in my opinion.

They reviewed the tape and didn’t see anything conclusive. So after Wie had already signed her scorecard for the final round officials took her and her caddy out to the seventh hole to ask them about the incident. They then measured it off with a string, that’s right, a string. Pretty scientific I know. Seems like some sort of rinky-dink operation to me. Then they decided to disqualify her.

Wie made an amateurish mistake by not getting officials to help her, sure. But the way the LPGA handled the situation was a disgrace, and robbed this young lady of an excellent start to her career and a nice chunk of change. The Rules of Golf simply need some boundaries that make it clear you can’t be penalize for something that happened after two different scorecards were signed, that to me is a joke. Until then, one can only hope Wie has learned from her experience.

Angel's Not Robbed

2005-10-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Can we please put an end to all this talk about how A.J. Pierzynski and the "called third strike" controversy won Game 2 for the Chicago White Sox? Reporters, on-air personalities, and baseball players alike act as if the game was won when Pierzynski reached first base. Though filled with controversy, Pierzynski's "stealing" first base was not even the most significant play of the inning. It may not even be the most significant stolen base of the inning.

Everyone conveniently forgets the series of events that transpired after Pierzynski reached first base that allowed the White Sox to win. After all, a man on first with two outs, no matter how he got there, is still just a man on first with two outs. The two plays that followed are of considerable more importance than how Pierzynski got on first base.

Event number one: Pablo Ozuna steals second base. Consider this achievement. First of all, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had to gamble by removing one of his best postseason hitters with the game still tied. Then, Ozuna had to attempt a stolen base against a team that gunned down both Pierzynski and speedy Scott Podsednik in Game 1. Granted, it was Bengie Molina who threw out those two potential base stealers, and backup Josh Paul was behind the plate in the ninth. Guillen, obviously, knew that. And he knew he could exploit it.

Paul is taking a lot of flack for not tagging out Pierzynski on his way to first. Yet no one seems to care that he stood up slowly in the box and didn't even manage a throw to second as Ozuna easily swiped the base. He must have still been frustrated from the previous play. But does that give him permission to let the winning run move into scoring position without a fight? He gave Ozuna second base as easily as he "gave" Pierzynski first base.

Event number two: Crede hits a game-winning double: Consider how Escobar was looking on the mound. He had struck out five of the last seven batters he'd faced (including Pierzynski). He made Tadahito Iguchi look like he was swinging a bat for the first time in his life with an ugly strikeout in the eighth. He blew past Paul Konerko in three pitches. Yet, for some reason, Joe Crede had Escobar's number.

He doubled off Escobar in the seventh, and did it again in the ninth. Why is there no mention of Escobar throwing a cheese ball with an 0-2 count? How can Pierzynski be the hero and not Crede? Pierzynski said it best in an interview after the game. "Give Crede all the credit," he said. "I didn't do anything. I just struck out."

If Pierzynski had not swung at that pitch, it would have been ball four, and he would have reached first base anyway. Then, with all the controversy aside, Crede and Mark Buehrle would be the heroes of last night's game. They still should be.

I don't mean to take anything away from what Pierzynski did. His heads-up hustle extended the inning for the White Sox and made it possible for them to win the game without going into extra innings. But I do want to eliminate the argument that the umpire lost the game for the Angels. Instead, a mental breakdown lost the game for the Angels. Paul was too frustrated to try to make a play on Ozuna stealing second. Escobar was too frustrated to pitch something off the plate with an 0-2 count to Crede.

Arguing with the umpire is like arguing with the sun. The ump is baseball's absolute. The game is set up in such a way that whatever the umpire says happened, happened. It is the responsibility of baseball players to play the game within this framework. To stretch the analogy further, the movement of the sun allows for a day to exist. The outcome of that day is entirely up to us and in our control. Likewise, the umpire allows for a baseball game to exist. What players do with that game is entirely up to them. An ump's call is concrete and permanent, and it's up to baseball players to treat it as such and move on to the next play.

The Angels didn't move on. They let the call fester. And they let the winning run score. All on their own. I was pleased to see that Angels manager Mike Scioscia understands this. In his press conference following the game, after discussing the controversial play, he put all the blame on his team "playing bad". The bottom line, as with any baseball game, is the losing team didn't execute. The winning team did.

Nothing controversial about that.

Somber Series

2005-10-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Everyone keeps talking about the Anaheim Angels' flight itinerary as if it's the most important aspect of the American League Championship Series. All of a sudden, because the Angels were on a plane the last two nights, they enter with a huge disadvantage against the White Sox. It's true that Anaheim should be an underdog in the upcoming series, but it has nothing to do with jet lag.

On a list of several aspects that will affect the outcome of the ALCS, the Angels' travel exhaustion ranks near the bottom. After all, baseball teams are taking red-eye flights all season long. If you want to talk about doing something strange, talk about the White Sox not playing a game for three consecutive days. That happened only once all season, during the All-Star Break. The Angels have taken at least 40 flights prior to this suddenly exhausting four-hour flight to Chicago.

Exactly one month ago, the Angels beat the Red Sox in Boston in a game that ended at 10:23 p.m. They got on a plane, flew to Chicago, probably landed at about 3:00 a.m., went to a hotel and slept. They started a three-game series with the White Sox later that day, at 8:00 p.m. Remember what happened? The Angels swept Chicago, jet lag and all.

That scenario isn't much different, rest-wise, from what Anaheim is facing today. They've been at their hotel since 6:00 a.m. They don't need to be at the ballpark until 4:00 p.m. at the earliest. That's ten solid hours to get a good night's rest. All that alcohol should have them pretty much knocked out anyway.

These players are professional athletes that make a living travelling the country with little rest and performing at a high level. In baseball, more than any other sport, players are prepared to handle hectic travel plans.

This championship series will be decided, like all the others. First, by starting pitching. Second, by timely hitting. Exhaustion from a five-hour flight will have no effect whatsoever.

Not Packing It In

2005-10-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

This is finally the year the Green Bay Packers will be left behind in the NFC North Division, or so it seemed until this past week. The team that has reigned over the division for the past three season looked to be all but done after a 0-4 start left them one of the few winless teams leading into week five of the NFL schedule.

Then the New Orleans Saints rolled into Titletown. Everyone feels badly for what the boys from the bayou have had to go through this year, of course, but the Saints were just what the doctor ordered for a Packers squad that looked absolutely pathetic in the first four games of the season.

The Packers were down 3-0 early, then proceeded to rip off 52 unanswered points to win the game in a laugher. They were led by none other than the legendary Brett Favre, who some critics said would eventually end his consecutive games streak to give rookie Aaron Rodgers playing time under center.

Favre is nowhere near being at the end of his career. He still has the game, he still has fun and he still can lead his team when he needs to. The problem is he doesn’t have the team around him that he usually does. Ahman Green hasn’t run for a hundred yards in 12 sraight games including the playoffs. Pro Bowl wide receiver Javon Walker is hurt. Two Pro Bowl offensive linemen are gone via free agency, and simply put the defense is bad.

The Packers are in rebuilding mode, and Favre has to realize this by now. The organization has let him down from this stand point. He is there to win and win now, the organization is ready to get younger in a hurry. The whole team is young to the point of needed time to get used to the league.

With this organizational mentality it is only a matter of time before Favre is holding a press conference to announce his retirement, then rebuilding will really be under way with a young quarterback, it almost makes you think they want him to retire.

After saying all that, the Packers still have a shot at winning the North. Simply put, the North is bad, worse than it was last year. The Pack started 1-4 last year too, then reeled off six straight wins to help clinch the division title.

Nobody has set themeselves apart this year in the North, with Minnesota being a major disappointment already. Sure the Packers have been awful until this week, but maybe this win was just what they needed. The defense stepped up and had two interceptions for touchdowns, Favre was Favre and the running game wasn’t as bad as it has been.

A 52-3 win can do wonders for the confidence of a young team, and a confident young team is a much better asset to Favre than a young team that isn’t confident at all. The moral of the story is this, you cannot count anyone out of this division race yet, especially a team with a living legend under center, and a sudden burst of confidence and momentum.

Okafor Odyssey

2005-10-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

Emeka Okafor grew up in Houston, Texas. He went from a relatively unknown high school player onto center stage at the University of Connecticut. Coming out of college, most people believed he was as close to a sure thing as an athlete can get. He was projected to be a double-double guy night in and night out. The Charlotte Bobcats immediately grabbed him with the second overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft.

Emeka’s rookie season was faced with its ups and downs. He led all rookies in points per game at 15.1, led all rookies in rebounds at nearly 11 a game, and finished fourth in the league in double-doubles for the season. The question is why isn’t he getting the attention he deserves? Perhaps one of the biggest reasons is that he is not flashiest rookie in the league. While Ben Gordon may have outstanding fourth quarters to surge the Bulls back into games, Emeka Okafor would steadily contribute throughout the entirety of the game. Emeka Okafor doesn’t have the athleticism of a Kevin Garnett or the power of a Shaquille O’ Neal, but he still gets the job done. Another reason for the lack of attention given to Okafor is that he plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. He played in the team’s inaugural season. Nobody cares about an expansion team as they are years away from competing. If Brevin Knight and Gerald Wallace are the other stars of your team, than you have a problem. That may help explain how the Bobcats were able to secure 18 wins this past year.

In spite of all the hardships Emeka Okafor had to endure, he still remains optimistic. The reason for this is due to a solid draft by the Bobcats. They got two tar heel alumni in Sean May and Raymond Felton. This should help create more chances for Okafor because defenses must remain honest. I even read recently that Okafor has looked to Hakeem Olajuwon for advise. Olajuwon has turned him to yoga as way to keep fresh during the season. The future looks bright for both the Bobcats and Okafor.

Baseball's Workhorse

2005-10-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

This season, major league baseball players did something that hadn't been accomplished since 1964. It's not a new home run record. In fact, it has nothing to do with power numbers. It has nothing to do with the nine steroid suspensions that were dished out this season. On the opposite spectrum of the nine suspendees stand ten players who stood up this year and showed that baseball players can be dependable and resiliant.

In my mind, these ten players are the most impressive work horses in the major leagues. They are the players who showed up to work everyday and played in all 162 games. I originally wrote a column on August 12 celebrating the 11 players who, at that point, had played every game. Now, 50 regular season games later, all but one have kept up pace.

Step back and think of this accomplishment for a moment. These players played in 162 games over a 180-day span. That's like working Monday through Saturday for six straight months. Plus, seven Sundays. And on the off days (and some on days) these players took about 38 flights with their team over the course of the season.

That's enough to wear anyone down. So much so, that this number of players have not played all 162 in more than four decades. This should put an end to the argument that players today are weaker, more susceptible to nagging injuries, and less dependable than they were in the old days.

The following ten players didn't miss a game the entire season:

1. Bobby Abreu, Phillies: Didn't play too well after his monstrous Home Run Derby performance, but still finished with more than 100 RBI and 31 stolen bases.

2. Jason Bay, Pirates: He's emerged as one of the most balanced hitters in the National League, coming from literally off the radar. He had 32 home runs, 44 doubles, scored 110 runs and drove in 101 RBI.

3. Raul Ibanez, Mariners: He doesn't put up anything spectacular, but has shown consistent production the past four seasons. All those games seem to have taught him patience at the plate, as he put up career numbers in walks (71) and on-base percentage (.355).

4. Carlos Lee, Brewers: Lee slowed down significantly as the Brewers playoff chances dwindled. Still, he set career marks in home runs (32), doubles (41) and RBI (114).

5. Hideki Matsui, Yankees: This international work horse has never missed a game as a Yankee. They say his consecutive game streak goes back another 1,000 games if you look at his Japanese career. He batted above .300 for the first time in his MLB career and finished second in the American League with 45 doubles.

6. Juan Pierre, Marlins: He had an off year offensively, batting just .276. But his legs more than made up for his weakened bat. He got 13 triples and 57 stolen bases.

7. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: He had quite possibly his best season in a career filled with incredible seasons. He bat above .320 for the first time in nine years. He also led the American League in home runs (48) and slugging percentage (.610).

8. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners: After getting 262 hits last year, Ichiro's accomplishments were all but buried this year. Yet, he still managed to get more than 200 hits for the fifth straight season (his first five in the major leagues). Ichiro was willing to go beyond singles this year, belting 15 home runs and getting 13 triples, both career highs.

9. Mark Teixeira, Rangers: He has made steady, consistent improvements in each of his three seasons in the majors. Teixeira was the leader of a power-packed Rangers offense. He was one of only three players in the league (and the only one not on the Red Sox) to get more than 140 RBI.

10. Miguel Tejada, Orioles: It would be big news if this guy didn't play in every game. He's got the league's longest current consecutive game streak, spanning the past five seasons. Tejada's run production was way down this season, but he managed a career and league-high 50 doubles.

The A's Eric Chavez missed a game on August 23 after playing in the first 124 games. He joins Andruw Jones, Brandon Inge, David Wright, Adam Dunn, and Jeromy Burnitz as players who took only two games off. Another three players (Hank Blalock, Albert Pujols, and Jose Reyes) missed just one game.

But these rare ten who played in all 162 should earn a special place in the hearts of fans, players, and managers. The work horses make no excuses for missing games and prevent their teams from having to scramble among Triple-A talent to fill their roster spot.

Hockey Towns USA

2005-10-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Mike Moore

After 16 months of anger, 16 months of frustration, and 16 months of resentment, it took only 95 seconds for fans of Hockeytown to remember what it was they had missed so much. And it wasn’t a sight which sparked the memory, it was a sound. Resembling that of a speeding fire truck, the horn blared once, then again, three times, and finally four. It is a sound in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena that is as synonymous with goals as the goal judge himself. In an ordinary time, it is a sound that visiting teams may relate to the 7am screeching of an alarm clock on Monday morning, but Wednesday, even fans watching from St. Louis had to welcome it.

The purpose of its sounding was simple. Red Wing’s forward Pavel Datsyuk skated out from the corner and scored the first goal of the season just 95 seconds into the first period of meaningful hockey in Detroit since May of 2004. But the symbolism of the sound was much deeper. It caused over 20 thousand fans wearing red and white to jump from their seats and scream. Fists were pumped, high fives were exchanged, and there, in that brief moment, the memory of the NHL lockout was gone. All that mattered now was the siren, the five players with the winged wheel hugging in the offensive zone, and the song resonating from the speakers, “Hey Hey Hockeytown…”

Four more times Wednesday night the same scene would play out, four more times the new-look Wings moved the puck as if they had been playing as a unit for years around a Blues defense which looked confused to say the least. Four more times the crowd raised from their seats to not only cheer a goal, but to cheer the return of the best game on earth. And you know what, from those at the rink to those watching on T.V., the message was the same; “Welcome back hockey! We missed you.”

From the day NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman took to the podium to inform the hockey world that the 2004-2005 season had been cancelled, many worried how the game would ever rebound. Sponsors lost interest, fans turned away, legends called it a career and even ESPN, a station which features pro-figure skating and pro table-tennis, said no thanks to an opportunity to broadcast NHL games. Actually, the real worry wasn’t how the game would rebound, but if it would.

While only time will give the complete answer, things couldn’t have started much better Wednesday night; and while the response in Hockeytown could have been predicted months ago, it wasn’t only Detroit which enjoyed the return. Wednesday marked the busiest playing date in the NHL’s 88-year history. For the first time since ten teams took to the ice to open the 1928-1929 season, every franchise opened on the same night; 15 games and 30 teams in all. Even more remarkable were the numbers. Eleven of the 15 games were sellouts and the total attendance of 275,447 across the board (18,363 average) shattered the leagues old record of 259,837 in February of 2003 when 14 games were played on the same night. Over 41 thousand fans gathered in at two separate rinks in Florida alone. Nearly 18 thousand were on hand in Nashville, nearly 19 thousand in Dallas and at the same time the White Sox were defeating the defending World Series champions in MLB’s divisional series, nearly 17 thousand gathered at the United Center for the Blackhawks debut.

Those not blinded by the excitement of its return noticed the game of hockey is a different one. In Detroit for example, names such as Hull, McCarty, Dandenault and Joseph have been replaced by Lilja, Cleary, Franzen and Osgood (second time around). The two line pass will no longer be called while “water skiing,” or the constant clutching, hooking and grabbing by defenders will no longer be ignored. For one night, the rule changes looked better than a winning lottery ticket. Not only were more goals scored, but scoring chances were present at every pass of the puck. Quicker more talented skaters had room to work. Datsyuk had a goal and an assist for the Wings while Jaromir Jarg had two goals for the Rangers. New faces in new places, another selling point for the game, played as if they were right at home. Eric Lindros (Toronto) had a goal, Peter Forsberg (Philadelphia) controlled the ice as he picked up assists on the Flyers first two goals, Paul Kariya (Nashville) scored his first goal as a Predator in front of a sell-out crowd and what many think to be the next great one, Sidney Crosby had an assist in his first pro game. Not to mention the first ever shoot-out in NHL history took place in Toronto.

If nothing else was proved Wednesday, it is obvious hockey still has a spot in the hearts of sports fans. Fans who were given every explanation as to why the game had to go away, why it couldn’t afford to continue as it was and why the lockout, in the long run, would save the NHL. If that is in-fact the case, if a better game continues to take the ice and if the NHL can return to its glory days both in the United States and in Canada, where the sport is often considered a religion itself, and if the excitement seen on one fall night in October is just a preview of what is to come, well, then 16 months of anger, frustration and resentment won’t seem all that long after-all.

Hockey's Home

2005-10-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The NHL debuts tonight in an arena near you. The league is coming back in full force, with each of its 30 franchises opening on the same night. Games are literally going on across the continent.

Not a single league game has been played since the Tampa Bay Lightning won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on June 7, 2004. That was 484 days ago. Since then, the NHL has gone through numerous negotiations and made several important changes to the rules. Tonight the game is more exciting than it has ever been.

The goalie equipment is smaller. The offensive zones are larger. The two-line pass rule is gone. But the most important change is what happens after the game. After tied games, that is. Starting this year, games tied at the end of regulation will be decided by a shootout. Teams will get five minutes of regular overtime to try to win the game. If no one scores, three players are selected from each team to compete in a shootout.

Ties have been eliminated. Forever. Teams' records will no longer look like winning lottery numbers. Sure, they're still keeping track of overtime losses, but you can't have it all.

The underlying requirement for all sporting events is there must be a winner and a loser. For generations, the NHL ignored this seemingly simple law. During the 2003-2004 season, there were 170 ties. That means 14 percent of all games ended with no winner or loser. A competition without a winner is not a competition at all. Meanwhile, the league was allocating "points" for games that, on a competition standpoint, didn't really exist.

Now all of that (or the most important part of it) is gone. Shootouts are the most exciting parts of the sporting world's low-scoring games like hockey and soccer. They put the best of one team against the best of another in a quick flurry of action. They give fans a reason to stay until the end of the game, because, for once, the game promises a winner.

The NHL has a long way to go. In many ways, the league could not be further off the sports radar, doomed to the Outdoor Life Network. Plus, the baseball playoffs are in full swing and the NFL has reached the meat of its regular season. However, the league has taken some vital steps to move back into the sporting realm. For the first time in more than a year, actual meaningful games will be played tonight. And thanks to the new rules, there will be 15 winners and 15 losers.

Viking Warrior Hurting Team

2005-10-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Daunte Culpepper came clean yesterday about a knee aggravation that may be the cause of his horrible start this season. He suffers from a strained ligament and bursitis in his right knee. Nevertheless, he insists that he's going to stay off the sidelines. "There's swelling, and it's painful, but I'm a warrior," Culpepper told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I'm going to push through this."

Why should he force himself to push through it? Isn't that what we've been witnessing the past four weeks? What good is he doing playing at less than full strength?

Culpepper has 10 interceptions and only four touchdown passes. In the Vikings' three losses this season, he's thrown just one touchdown. Last week against the Falcons, he was sacked nine times. That moves the total to 20 for the season. It looked as though things were back on track with an impressive victory over the Saints in week three. Culpepper played nothing like the ugly imposter that took him over in the first two weeks. But after the embarassing loss to the Falcons on Sunday, it looks more like the Culpepper who played the Saints was the imposter.

Culpepper is an extremely talented quarterback who will do wonders for Minnesota when he's completely healthy. Right now, he's obviously not. Culpepper insisting he'll be in the lineup is bad for the team and bad for himself. I understand that's he's a competitor and naturally wants to start every single game. I can respect that. But Mike Tice needs to step in and say enough is enough.

Through all the difficulties this season, Tice has never removed Culpepper from a single play. His backups have no pass attempts. How many sacks and interceptions does it take to get backup Brad Johnson in the game? You remember him. He helped the Buccaneers get their only Super Bowl title in 2002 with a pair of touchdown passes. Now he's gathering dust while the Vikings let their season dwindle. I'm wagering that a Brad Johnson at 100 percent is better than a Culpepper at 70 percent.

Here's what Tice needs to do. The Vikings have a huge game this Sunday against the division rival Chicago Bears. Pulling Culpepper from his starting job might do more damage than good. But Tice needs to give Culpepper an untimatim. He needs to give him a simple task: take the lead in the first half. Tice should pull Culpepper aside and tell him "if we go into the locker room at half with the lead, you're staying in the game. If not, Johnson's going to get his shot."

That way, Daunte has his own destiny in his hands. He knows his body more than anyone else. He knows what he can do. Culpepper is more responsible that anyone else on the offense for putting points on the board. So Tice needs to give him some extra incentive to do just that. If Daunte feels he needs to be a "warrior" and stay in the game, he needs to show the coach and the fans why he deserves to be in there.

Playoff Pickings

2005-10-03T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

October is the best month to be a sports fan. You've got the baseball playoffs (which, unlike basketball and football, involve only the upper-eschelon teams and don't drag out for two months), the heart of the NFL regular season, and college football. Professional baseball writers will try, and fail, during the course of the day to select which teams will move on from the opening round of the baseball playoffs. I am no different.

Only four teams will remain after this week in contention for the World Series title. The following are my selections:

San Diego vs. St. Louis: The Padres will stun everyone by beating Cris Carpenter tomorrow night in St. Louis. The Cardinals are cold from playing largely meaningless games in September. In his last four starts, Carpenter is 0-1 with a 9.14 ERA. Also, one of his five losses this year came to the Padres. Peavy, on the other hand, had a 2.03 ERA in September and is backed by a team that has won five its last six.

From there, it will be all downhill for San Diego. Pedro Astacio doesn't have much of a chance against Mark Mulder in game two, and the Padres' offense just doesn't have the firepower to stay with the Cardinals. Adam Eaton has a chance to beat Matt Morris in the first game in San Diego, but it will likely be an offensive showcase for both teams, with the Cards coming out on top.

The Padres are a mediocre team that snuck into the playoffs because they play in one of the weakest divisions in baseball history. They will give the Cardinals more problems than St. Louis fans would like (the Padres are 4-3 against the Cards this season), but in the end, Albert Pujols will put this team on his back if necessary and carry them into the National League Championship Series. The Padres have no one with 20 home runs and no one with 85 RBI. Only Dave Roberts has the capability to steal, so I don't see them putting up more than four runs in any game of the series.
Cadinals win 3-2.

Houston vs. Atlanta: The Astros have the huge advantage of starting the series with Andy Pettite on the mound. No pitcher has had a better second half than Pettite. He's 13-2 since July 1 and he's won seven straight starts. But he's facing Tim Hudson, who threw nine shutout innings against the Astros in his only start against them this year. Whoever takes that first game will win the series, and Pettite will win.

Game two is a juicy pitching matchup between Roger Clemens and John Smoltz. Neither of these veteran fireballers had a very good September, but in the playoffs, they'll be pulling from experience. Even still, this game will not be as meaningful as the game one. So it remains a toss up.

In the end, the Braves are doomed to take the route of so many Braves team before them. It hasn't been their year the past nine division titles, and it isn't this year either. Andruw Jones is an incredible player, but one individual isn't enough to win a playoff series. The Astros, on the other hand, are an incredibly balanced offensive team. If Biggio has an off night, Morgan Ensberg, Jason Lane, or Lance Berkman can back him up. If Andruw Jones has a bad game, the Braves are done. Adam LaRoche will swing at anything under pressure and Chipper Jones did not finish very strong. The Braves' young talent was incredible in the regular season (including beating the Astros five of six times), but won't be able to handle the Pettite, Clemens, Oswalt combination under pressure. Plus, with Brad Lidge closing games, the Braves won't have much of a chance at late-game comebacks.
Astros win 3-1.

Chicago vs. Boston: This should be a classic battle between an explosive offense and a stellar pitching staff. The Red Sox bring home runs and late-game heroics from David Ortiz. The White Sox bring one-run victories and stolen bases. Conteras will silence Boston's bats Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field. He helped the White Sox survive their way into the playoffs by winning his last eight starts and compiling a 1.99 ERA in September. Matt Clement, on the other hand, went 1-3 in September. Since entering the All-Star break at 10-2, Clement went just 3-4 in the second half.

David Wells outdueled Mark Buehrle in Boston in August in a 9-8 slugfest and the same thing will happen in Chicago in game two. They are two very similar pitchers who are susceptible to giving up home runs. That definitely gives the Red Sox the edge.

This series will come down to whether the White Sox can win in Fenway (where they were 1-2 this season). Either Freddy Garcia or Jon Garland will pitch a gem in Boston and the White Sox will bring the series back to Chicago, where they will win the fifth game. A week ago, I would have picked the White Sox to lose in the first round. But this team has won five straight, including sweeping the Indians in Cleveland to finish the season, even though they didn't need a single one of the victories to make the playoffs.

The Red Sox are obviously a superior offensive team, and their two victories will likely be blowouts. But Boston doesn't have a reliable closer and the White Sox will use mechanics and small ball to produce meaningful runs against weak bullpen pitching in the late innings.
White Sox win 3-2.

Yankees vs. Angels: As in the Astros-Braves series, one team in this series has better pitching and better hitting. Plus, the Yankees have years of playoff experience and an owner who won't stand for anything less than a World Series title. The Angels do have home field advantage (thanks Showalter) and Bartolo Colon on the mound on Tuesday. Plus, they're 6-4 against the Yankees this season. Added up, that may be just enough to get one win against New York, likely in game two, with John Lackey over Shawn Chacon.

New York will not lose in Yankee stadium, and they will come out with a vengeance in any elimination game against their opponent, after what happened last year. The Yankees went 19-9 in September (so did the Angels). But the Yankees have so many more offensive weapons to rely on in hard times. They hit 82 more home runs than the Angels this season and scored 125 more runs.

The big difference in Mariano Rivera. Even though his 43 saves seem just about average, hitters are batting just .177 against him. In his lone appearance against the Angels this year, he went 2.2 innings without allowing a hit.

Golden Oppertunity

2005-10-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

I recently had a conversation with a rabid Notre Dame Football fan. Actually, I have these conversations frequently, having grown up no more than 30 minutes from the Golden Dome. But anyway, these conversations usually go something like this:

ND Fan: USC is going down in two weeks!

Me: Haven’t you noticed that USC is one of the best teams of all-time; they have a quarterback for the ages, and the best playmaker in the country?

ND Fan: It doesn’t matter, they’ll be over-confident when the come to South Bend and we’ll crush them.

Me: You’re brainwashed.

Now of course this conversation is paraphased, but it more or less represents the conversations I’ve had with every Notre Dame fan after they get a few wins and that crazy green fever in them. Nevertheless, you get the point, and I really do think they’re all brainwashed.

I remember the last time something like the beginning of this season happened. It was Tyrone Willingham’s first year as head coach for the Fighting Irish in 2002. He started 8-0 and the next thing I know I’m seeing all these “Return to Glory” t-shirts in the halls of my high school. South Bend had a fever, and the only cure was a dose of reality. Boston College delivered the first dose, USC the second, and N.C. State the third on New Years day when they beat the Irish 28-6. Next thing you know Willingham is run out of town.

Notre Dame, the surrounding area and the fans have a tendency to take this “Return to Glory” thing too far too soon, and I can see it happening all over again.

I will give them this; Brady Quinn is the real deal.

So is wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, who makes a highlight reel catch every week. I played against him in baseball when we were both seniors and he was imposing then (he collected the save and struck me out in the final inning, and also hit probably the longest home run ever hit at our field), but on the football field he is even more imposing now. He catches a touchdown or two every week (8 TDs in 5 games) and is averaging nearly 100 yards receiving per game.

So the offense is legit, and I’m sure Charlie Weis doesn’t have to pay for anything in South Bend. The problem is the defense isn’t capable of shutting anyone down. They haven’t gotten roughed up too bad, but they were certainly exposed by Drew Stanton and Michigan State in their only loss of the year to the tune of 44 points given up.

So how can anyone think that the Irish will be able to keep USC under say…49 points? This might be the best offense to ever take the field in a college football game. Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, I could go on forever. And let’s not forget how USC torched the Irish last year.

I’m glad Irish fans are confident (though I’m glad I’m not at home where the local news media would be absolutely saturated with pro-ND propaganda), but there is no way they can compete with USC.

Charlie Weis is a great coach, and is doing great things with Willingham’s offensive players, but that defense won’t be able to slow down Leinart & Co. any better than the next team. Also, let me say it will be interesting to see how the Irish offense reacts to a real defense like Tennessee.

Return to glory, maybe. Competing for a national title, possibly in the next few years. But that time is not now in South Bend, no matter how much people want to believe Touchdown Jesus will enact divine powers for it to be that way. USC will cure that fever again, and show Notre Dame what it’s like to be the elite program that ND used to be.

Roll'n Rollins

2005-10-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The focus of major league baseball this week is on pennant races. Rightly so. The focus is also on MVP races. Not so rightly so. Meanwhile, hardly anyone is talking about what could be the best individual accomplishment by any player this season.

Jimmy Rollins is in the middle of a 33-game hitting streak. With a hit on Friday, he would move into a tie for 12th for the longest hitting streak in baseball history. No other player in baseball is on the verge of such a momentous single-season accomplishment. Rollins already has the franchise record for a team that's been around since 1897. If he gets a base hit in the final three games of the season, he'll have the longest streak in the majors in the past 18 years. That would be the most impressive individual performance by any player this year.

Many people discount the importance of hitting streaks because it seems like such an arbitrary thing. However, looking at the list of the top hitting streaks of all-time shows that Rollins is joining select company. The top ten features Joe Dimaggio, Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Paul Molitor, Willie Keeler, and George Sisler, among others. All of them, except Bill Dahlen (who hit in 42 straight in 1894) are career .300 hitters or above. Jimmy Rollins is just two games from joining the top ten.

It's quite remarkable when you think about it. Rollins hasn't gone 0-fer since August 22. In most games, he gets only four at-bats to get a hit. Four bad swings, and it's over. One bad game, and the streak is cut to zero. It's not like an earned-run average of a batting average that a player can pull back up the next game.

Andruw Jones hitting 51 home runs, four more than anyone else in the league at this point, is pretty impressive. David Ortiz is six RBI shy of 150. That would be pretty impressive, but Miguel Tejada did that last year. If Rollins finishes the season with the streak intact, he'll have done something that's only been accomplished five times in the past 100 years.

The hitting streak is incredibly impressive because it is so individual. Getting a base hit is one of the most difficult things to do in all of sports, and Rollins cannot defer it to anyone else. When Greg Maddux was piling up the consecutive seasons with 15 wins, he had strong Braves teams backing him up most of the way. His streak is incredible, but it differs from Rollins' because Maddux could have a bad night and his offense could bail him out. Or, he could have a couple losses, and make up for it later in the season. Rollins has no such luxury.

Some say Rollins' streak will be tainted if it spans two seasons. They argue that for some reason, taking the offseason removes the pressure and that he'd only have to start 2006 with a 21-game hitting streak to surpass Dimaggio.

The likelihood of that happening is about the same as the likelihood of Corey Patterson going the first 21 games of 2006 without striking out (unless, of course, he's not in anybody's lineup). However, if Rollins somehow manages to keep the streak alive to reach 57, sometime in early May of 2006, it may be the most incredible streak in the history of baseball (Cal Ripken Jr. included). Being out of baseball for six months and then picking it back up without missing a beat is more incredible that just keeping a hot streak alive during the course of one season.

But we'll talk about all-time streaks when Rollins hits 57. In all likelihood, he'll go 0-5 tomorrow night and the discussion will be over. But for now, he's three games away from doing the most significant thing any individual player has done this year.

Fill in the Blanks

2005-10-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

Okay, kids, you know how “mad libs” work: Whenever you see parentheses, get your friends to give you whatever word the story asks for, and the story writes itself.

I’m (adjective) of Barry Bonds.

After a year of (verb ending in –ing) about how rough his life is, the biggest (noun) in baseball is back in the batter’s box. Apparently, he didn’t jump off a bridge like he said the media forced him to.

You remember that press conference, right? I’ve always laughed about the “bridge” comment. After all, did we force him to use the (noun), or the (noun)? And did the media force him to have an extra-marital (noun)? Whose fault is it that his former mistress (verb ending in –ed) about injecting him with steroids? What she said can’t really be verified, but is it our fault she exists in the first place?

Perhaps the most moving part of the whole thing was his son, who I’m sure was just (adjective) to be there. The son wore a Barry Sanders jersey, which struck me as kind of funny. See, Sanders was a record-breaker who was clean, whereas the press conference was for Bonds, a record-breaker who is (adjective).

It’s too bad he didn’t head off of the bridge he spoke of. Baseball was doing just fine without this distraction. Now, instead of talking solely about one of the most (adjective ending in –ing) playoff races in recent memory, we have to hear about his pursuit of Hank Aaron, a pursuit fueled by (anything on BALCO’s shelves).

We almost made it a year without hearing about the (adjective) outfielder, whose knee couldn’t keep him out long enough, as far as I’m concerned. He was probably just waiting for his (noun) to flush out. It explains the constant delays to his return, right?

There’s too much excitement in baseball this year to make room for his ego, which is roughly the size of (any of the nine planets). Roger Clemens’ E.R.A., BoSox-Yankees, and Dontrelle Willis have kept me (adjective). Why make a place for a (noun) like Bonds?

At the plate, baseball has filled his void with other solid hitters. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are giving pitchers fits in Boston. Albert Pujols is still a menace with a (noun). Andruw Jones is carrying the Braves to another division title. And check out what Jimmy Rollins is doing in Philadelphia. His hitting streak is the longest by a shortstop since 1900.

The return of Barry means that the talking (part of the body, plural) on ESPN have made a story out of the N.L. West. Seriously, any airtime dedicated to the N.L. West this year makes for worse television than (Stephen A. Smith talk show). We need to worry more about the Indians chasing down the White Sox in unprecedented fashion than we do about teams like San Diego and San Francisco, who will finish with worse records than (any team that has ever finished eight games over .500).

With any luck, the Giants will miss the postseason, and we won’t have to watch any more Bonds than we already have to. The Yankees might make it, but hey, I’ll take the Yankees over Bonds any day of the week. After all, it will be nice to see Joe Torre one last time before The Boss (verb ending in –s) him.

Something else that (verb ending in –s) me: it’s a little confusing that a guy who was as silent with the media as (Eagles football player with the initials T.O.) before he hurt his knee — when he was questioned endlessly about steroid use — is currently talking more than (former 49ers football player with the initials T.O.) now that everyone is obsessed with his comeback.

Bonds is talking all the time now. He even told Congress to get a (noun) and stop pursuing performance-enhancing drug use. Pretty bold statement from a guy who (verb ending in –ed) his way out of testifying before a Congressional committee on steroids.

The best thing to do with Bonds right now is to ignore him, like we do with (any WNBA star, if you can name one). Stop thinking about him, and he’ll disappear. With any luck, so will this (adjective) talk about him being the most-feared hitter of all time. Seriously, the most-feared? How about (former baseball player whose name ends in –abe Ruth)? I hear he was something special.

Bonds will likely pass 714 homers, but I certainly hope he never makes it to 755. With any luck, next year he’ll have a season worse than (any member of the ’62 Mets except Richie Ashburn).

But he probably won’t. If he plays, he’ll have a (noun) year. So, I’ll just hope something prevents him from playing, be it his ingestion by a (prehistoric reptile) or a guilty (noun).

Or, if he has any respect for the game, he’ll just walk away, and let the records of greater ballplayers stand.

Steroid Crackdown Not About Kids

2005-09-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

I admire the efforts by Congress to bring stricter punishment to steroid-users in baseball and other professional sports. The baseball players union has been dragging its feet and has not properly dealt with the problem. Commissioner Bud Selig's proposal of a 50-game ban for the first offense, 100-games for the second, and lifetime for the third is appropriate (although I would raise the second offense to an entire season).

However, Congress has missed the point in one major aspect. The reason baseball should crack down on steroids is not because high school kids are "following" the examples of major leaguers and using drugs themselves. Senator John McCain made a plea during today's hearings, hoping to punctuate this point. "This is an issue which is greater than the issue of collective bargaining," he said. "It's about young Americans who are tempted to take these substances into their bodies, and some of them commit suicide!"

That's not what it's about at all. Pardon me for not taking the "won't someone think of the children?" approach, but getting steroids out of the major leagues is about protecting the integrity of the game of baseball, not about protecting teenagers from making dumb decisions. Congress knows that the average mother cares much less about Hank Aaron's home run record than the safety of her own child. That's why McCain is trying to make the problem sound like a threat to kids.

The main problem is the integrity and history of baseball is coming under attack from a substance that makes the playing field unlevel. If a few (or a few thousand) teenagers are taking steroids on the side, that's a decent footnote, but it's not the reason we should be fighting to get steroids out of the sport. The average fan cares more about baseball's illustrious records than whether some teenagers are pumping themselves with drugs. And that's who the sport needs to be saved for: the fans.

Let's pretend that Barry Bonds came out and said he used steroids. Let's say he even specified the dates he injected himself. Then he told kids not to do it. How big of an effect would this have on preventing teenagers from using steroids? I think it would have no effect. Kids don't care if Barry Bonds tells them not to do it, they'll just look at his power numbers and try to duplicate them in the same "performance-enhancing" way.

Athletes should not be held responsible for being role models to kids. If a teenager is dumb enough to take a steroid, it's not a pro baseball player's fault. It's not the coach's fault or the parent's fault. It's the teenager's fault. Let's stop pretending that high school kids are incapable of making a sound decision without first getting it endorsed by one of their major league heroes.

The biggest threat steroids bring to the game of baseball is tainted records, not teenage drug abuse. Baseball, more than any other sport, is steeped in its history. Fans thrive on comparing former sluggers to the home run hitters of today. They love using numbers to compare pitchers from different eras. This is a good thing. In baseball, it may be the most important thing. The records bring generations together. The numbers transcend time.

Steroids put all of that at risk.

Yet Congress is trying to define the problem as just another ill facing today's youth. Baseball integrity is much more valuable than that. It's too important to be clumped together with the effect of "Hollywood's morals" on kids, or Joe Camel cigarette ads.

We're not talking about kids stuff. We're talking about the most endearing and enduring sport in America. And it's facing what could be its biggest challenge.

That's why baseball needs to be harsher on steroid users. Because the fabric of the game could be torn if it's not. I could not care less if high school kids continue to take steroids. That's their own decision, and their own fault. But major league baseball should have none of it, for the sake of the league.

Palmer Power

2005-09-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The Cincinnati Bengals are off to their best start in 15 years, due in great part to the turnaround of second-year quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer is leading the NFL with eight touchdown passes and ranks second only to Ben Roethlisberger in quarterback rating.

Palmer is at the head of the league's most surprising team (Dolphins notwithstanding). He's calling the shots on the NFL's most exciting offense. He's throwing to, quite possibly, the league's best wide receiver in Chad Johnson. He's performing like the leader the Bengals have needed for so many years.

But Palmer's influence in the world of football extends beyond the NFL. Exactly three years ago, Palmer emerged as the top passer in college football. It came after a mediocre season his junior year. Witnessing his rise (and most likely mirroring his moves) was freshman backup Matt Leinart.

The new stud of USC football spent his first two seasons watching Palmer from the sidelines. He redshirted as a freshman (2001), then watched Palmer win the Heisman Trophy in Leinart's first year of eligibility.

Palmer took the Trojans from a 6-5 team that lost to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2001, to an 11-2 team, that beat Iowa in a BCS bowl the next season. Since then, USC has won two consecutive Associated Press national titles, built on the strength of Palmer's protege, Matt Leinart.

Now, Palmer could be starting the same thing in Cincinnati. He had a rough rookie season, throwing just 18 touchdowns to go with 18 interceptions. The Bengals finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. This season, Carson and the Bengals are 3-0 (as are the Trojans), with a good chance to win their fourth straight next week against the offensively-anemic Texans.

Palmer's strength comes from his ability to open up enormous leads. The Bengals have trailed only once the entire season (down 3-0 early in week one to the Browns). In week two, Palmer helped open a 37-0 lead over the Vikings with three touchdown passes in the first half. On Sunday, Palmer already had two touchdown passes before the Bears got on the scoreboard. He's also poised, having completed more than 70 percent of his passes this season.

In the NFL, patience is usually something for losing coaches and losing organizations. But USC showed patience in Palmer, and the school was rewarded with another Heisman winner, not to mention a resurrected program. The Bengals have also shown patience. Not much, but just enough, for Palmer to start to feel comfortable and confident. The Bengals may or may not be on the verge of a dynasty. But Palmer is definitely the one to take them there.

After all, he's built programs before.

The New In-"DEE" Colts

2005-09-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

If you would’ve told me a year ago that the Indianapolis Colts would be undefeated through three games with only two touchdown passes by Peyton Manning I would have laughed at you. But here we are, three weeks into the season, and that is exactly what has happened.

The defense Indianapolis has featured over the past few seasons certainly has not been Super Bowl caliber, to say the least. If it weren’t for Manning and his offensive mates, the Colts defense would have held them out of the playoffs. But this year is a different story. Dwight Freeney and company have established themselves as a defense to be recokoned with, or have they?

Let’s have a look at Indy’s opponents so far: Baltimore, Jacksonville and Cleveland. Call me crazy but none of those offenses exactly strike fear in me. Baltimore is a run-first, pass only when we have to offense that has struggled to score points in recent memory. Jacksonville has a good young quarterback in Byron Leftwich, but that’s about it. The Cleveland Browns, while improved over last season, are not going to put the fear of God in a defense with Trent Dilfer under center.

I will be much more convinced about this “improved” defense when they play a more high powered offense, like Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Cincinnati or New England. So the defense has been impressive, but I’m not convinced until they show me they can shut down an offense capable of putting up some points.

So until that time comes, they had better figure out the offense. Peyton and company have been woefully inept at putting the ball into the endzone even by Ravens standards. Their 47 points scored ranks third in their own division, behind the Jaguars and the Titans. So I guess it’s a good thing the defense has been good, or they may have found themselves on the wrong side of the win-loss column.

They have played a couple of good defenses (Baltimore and Jacksonville), but 13 points at home against the Browns, you must be kidding me. That’s really bad, and nobody knows that better than Manning and his record breaking band of receivers. It is possible that defenses have figured them out; it is also possible that the departure of tight end Marcus Pollard and the injury to tight end Dallas Clark have hurt the offense more than anyone suspected.

I’m convinced that the Colts offense will come around, and still not convinced that the defense is as good as everyone has been playing it up to be. So until they can prove that to me, the AFC title still goes through the defending champion New England Patriots, who reasserted their dominance with a victory over Pittsburgh this weekend.

Besides, if everyone else in the league has “figured out” the Indianapolis offense, can you imagine what Bill Belichick will be able to do when he gets a chance at making Manning’s life a living hell again? If Manning can’t put up points against the Browns, there is no reason for me to believe he will be able to do so against the Patriots.

So for those reasons the Colts still have a long way to go if they want to play in Detroit at the end of this season. They not only have to prove they can beat other perennial AFC heavy weights, but they also have to go through a team that is less than two hours away down I-74, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Torre's Trouble

2005-09-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

ESPN baseball writer Tim Kurkjian reported earlier today that Joe Torre could be fired if the Yankees don't make the playoffs. This seems ridiculous at first. After all, Torre has built the franchise, and has kept it going for almost a decade.

In Torre's nine complete seasons as head coach, he has compiled a record of 887-567. He's never had a losing season. He's won eight division titles, including seven straight. He's taken his team to the World Series six times, winning four rings. He's never had a losing record with the Yankees. He's never missed the playoffs.

But all that winning is also Torre's crutch. I believe the Yankees are headed for the postseason again this year and that Torre's job will be firmly intact. But for a team that has made the playoffs every year since the strike, missing the postseason with so much talent is inexcusable. That's why Torre isn't out of the woods.

People talk about the Yankees' payroll all the time, as they should. They have almost twice as much money as any other team in the league. But it goes beyond money. Their lineup is just too loaded to not make the playoffs. They have Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, and Jason Giambi. They have Randy Johnson and Mariano Rivera. I understand players can have off years, but the cornerstone of a manager's job is getting his team to perform at its talent level. The Yankees are a playoff-level team. Not living up to that potential is like any other coach failing expectations.

Some may say Torre is being held to unreasonable demands. After all, 24 other managers in the leauge won't make the playoffs this season, and almost all of them will still have their jobs next year. But in reality, the scales are not equal. Each team has different expectations set by its ownership. Some teams, like the Royals or Devil Rays, may just be shooting to play .500 baseball. Other teams may just want to sell more tickets than last year. Still others may just want to match last year's win total after losing a key player.

Torre is in danger because George Steinbrenner's expectations are to win the World Series every year. And it isn't the flowery "we'd like to compete in our division every season" kind-of goal that every team owner has. Steinbrenner literally wants to win it all, all the time. Anything less is a failed season. By that measure, Torre has had four failed seasons in a row. He hasn't won it all since 2000. In fact, the Yankees haven't even made it to the series in two of the past three years. That's a pretty hefty slump. Several managers have been fired for much less.

I completely expect the Yankees to perform well in the next ten days and slide into the playoffs, likely with an eighth straight division title. But if they crumble, crash, and miss the playoffs, Torre is as deserving to go as any other manager who's lost his job for failing to meet expectations.

Making a Pitch for the Playoffs

2005-09-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Both the Houston Astros and the Anaheim Angels appear to be playoff-bound. Both teams have been carried since August by an underrated veteran pitcher.

Bartolo Colon finally got some attention when he became the first pitcher in the American League to get to 20 wins. Not Johan Santana. Not Jon Garland or Mark Buerhle. Not Randy Johnson. Instead, it's the short, stubby Colon who has helped the Angels take a 1.5 game lead in the division.

Colon is often dismissed because he doesn't look like he should be a good pitcher. He looks like Fernando Valenzuela. The bad Fernando Valenzuela. Yet he is one of the hottest pitchers in the majors. Again. Colon is 9-1 in his last 12 starts. His ERA in August was 1.72. And this isn't a first. Colon was a 20-game winner for Cleveland and Montreal in 2002. Perhaps most impressive, Colon has pitched more than 200 innings for five consecutive years, and more than 188 innings for eight straight years. He hasn't had a losing season since he went 4-7 as a rookie in 1997.

The Astros ace is even more impressive. And I'm not talking about Roger Clemens. Andy Pettite has emerged as Houston's clutch performer on the mound. For some reason, the team hits more for Pettite than they do for Clemens. Pettite has won seven consecutive starts, improving to 17-9 with a victory over the Pirates last night. His ERA is a remarkable 2.45. Yet "The Rocket" usually gets most of the remarks on that team. Pettite has quietly bounced back from a season of obscurity last year.

Even though Pettite has been riddled with missed starts the past four years he's never had a losing season. Ever. His career winning percentage (.654) isn't far from Clemens' (.664). In fact, they're so close that in a hundred decisions, Clemens would average just one more victory than Pettite. During a critical July, when Houston was making up ground and battling up the wildcard, Pettite led the charge with a 0.90 ERA for the month. The Astros went 22-7 that month, with five victories from Pettite.

Neither Pettite nor Colon are appreciated because they aren't strikeout leaders. They both fare pretty well. Pettite is 22nd in the league with 161, while Colon is 27th with 149. But take a look at the top of the list. Some of the names are Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Mark Prior. Each of these pitchers is seen as an intimidator on the mound. They bring a lot of attention when they make a start because they can blow the ball past hitters. Yet none of them has more than 15 wins. In fact, only one of the top ten leaders in strikeouts has more than 15 wins. That's Cris Carpenter with 21.

Pettite and Colon win games because they know how to get outs, if not strikeouts. They don't allow needless baserunners. Colon has walked just 40 batters in 212 innings. Pettite has walked 41 in 209. Both pitchers average close to seven innings per start, which means they don't put unnecessary weight on their bullpen. They can be depended on to stay in the game until the victory is all but sealed.

Other pitchers may have higher numbers on the radar gun, more strikeouts, more press. But Pettite and Colon have more wins. And that's what gets teams to the postseason.

Mascot Madness

2005-09-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The WNBA announced the new team name and logo for the new franchise in Chicago today. And the much anticipated result is: The Chicago Sky. They'll be light blue and yellow (like a sky?). I'm told the logo includes the Sears Tower, which forms the "k" is Sky.

Team CEO and president Margaret Stender said the name had to be "distinctly Chicago". Right. No other towns or cities in America, or in the world, for that matter, have a sky. Stender said they got the idea because of the Chicago skyline, but doesn't every major city have a skyline? She said they chose Sky because it's inspirational, as in "reaching for the sky" and it's "high energy." Nothinhg gets my juices flowing like looking up at the sky, especially during drab Chicago winters when the city is covered in a gray haze for five months.

The most disappointing thing is that they had so many good things to chose from. Stender joked that one of the choices was Chicago Loopsters, named after downtown Chicago's "Loop." I don't think that's half bad. Drop the -sters and just call them the Chicago Loop. Chicago Wind is lame. Chicago Fire is taken. Heck, why not call them the Chicago Stenders after the first owner. At least that's original. Few things are more bland than the Sky.

So this got me thinking about the worst and best team names in professional sports. College teams are not included because they are way to numerous. Also, I don't give bonus points for tradition. Just because the Cincinnati Reds have been the Reds for 140 years doesn't change the fact that they're called the Reds.

Let's start with the negative:

Cities that didn't even try: Houston Texans, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Canadiens, New York Mets, New Jersey Metrostars (MLS). Come on. When your team mascot is just the state (or province, or country, or city nickname, or just a generic nickname for the word "city") that's just unacceptable. That's the reason you have the city to precede the mascot. There's no reason to double up.

Trying too hard to sound cool: Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Wizards, Jacksonville Jaguars, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Silver Stars (MLS). More recent franchises seem to be most guilty of this. It's like they're going out of their way to avoid having a monosyllabic nickname. Timberwolves, Jaguars, Wizards and Raptors may be cool in fantasy comic books, but not professional baseball teams. Diamondbacks, with the "clever" play on words for a baseball team, just sounds too cutesy. And nobody knows, or cares, what a Silver Star has to do with San Antonio (just don't mess with Texas, right?)

Too generic: Miami Heat, Connecticut Sun, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Sky, Columbus Crew (MLS). The first three have to do with warm weather. That in itself shows you've got a problem. Miami, Connecticut and Phoenix all claim to be hot. So does Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Houston, and pretty much any other city in the summer. Complaining about hot weather (or glamorizing it) is lame. The Chicago Sky have already been dealth with. For the Columbus Crew, why not just call them the Columbus Team?

Bad Birds: There are a surprising amount of bird mascots, but the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Red Wings (bird feature?) come up short in the fearful mascot factor. I don't care what your state bird is, or if you've got Cardinals taking over the city, you don't name your team after an animal the size of rat that couldn't hurt a fly. If you're going to go with a bird mascot, stick to Falcons and Eagles.

Seems depressing: The Indiana Fever (WNBA). Who wants to be sick? Why would you want to name your team after a condition that makes you want to lay in bed all day, vomit, and hope to die?

Now to the good ones, one at a time:

New York Yankees: It's a classic nickname that goes back even before professional baseball. It's distinctively American for a team that happens to be the most prominent in the country. Plus, it's original. No one else can, in good conscience, name themselves the Yankees after the reputation the boys in the pinstripes have built.

Milwaukee Brewers: This is one of my personal favorites. They've picked a profession that the city is known for, and that most people in Milwaukee can relate to. It's snappy, original, and distinctly Milwaukee. They brew beer, they're proud of it, they advertise it. That's what a mascot should do.

Seattle Mariners: How is it that all of these teams on the coast haven't come up with an idea to name the team after "one who navigates a ship"? It doesn't have Brewers impact, but a Mariner sounds like he'd be a pretty cool guy and someone you'd like to hear stories from.

Colorado Rockies: One of the few recent franchises that got it right. The Rocky Mountains are the most distinguishable feature in the area, and they're one of a kind (unlike the sun or the sky). Rockies sounds intimidating and it makes for a great logo.

Los Angeles Dodgers: I like this one just because of the history involved. When they were in New York, they were originally named the "Trolley-Dodgers." That's just great creativity. In a city like New York with so much going on, the ownership came up with something that almost everyone could identify with.

Dallas Cowboys: Teams in Texas are notorious for bad state-oriented names (see Texans, Silver Stars). But the Cowboys works because it's so appealing. What kid didn't pretend to be a cowboy when he was growing up? There's something very fun-loving and interesting about being named after guys who spent their lives going from town to town and rabble-rousing, kind-of like a professional sports team.

New England Patriots: This mascot has captured the American revolutionary spirit the way the Yankees represent the Civil War era. The leaders were known as patriots. Our founding fathers were patriots. Back in the day when Boston was king of the country, being called a patriot meant a lot. It still does.

Pittsburgh Steelers: This is a great city identifier. Pittsburgh is a harsh, industrial city. They make steel. No other city can stake such a worthy claim to steel, unless Gary, Indiana somehow gets a professional team (WNBA, maybe?). It symbolizes the grit and hard-nosed style of play this team is known for.

Green Bay Packers: It's such an original name because it has original roots. The name wasn't thought up in some committee like these new mascots are. The original team owner just happened to get uniform money from the Indian Packing Company, his employer. So, sure, he named the team after the company. The Packers is simple, and like Steelers and Brewers, a profession, not an animal, is always the way to go.

San Francisco 49ers: They had to be thinking, "we can't name our team after a year, can we?" But what else did they have? the San Francisco Rice-a-Ronis? 49ers is great because the history of that city is so well known, the number needs no explanation. The city of San Francisco may be non-existent if they hadn't struck gold in 1849. This is a proper tribute.

Philadelphia 76ers: You know I couldn't have the 49ers and not the 76ers. I like it specifically because Philadelphia is reminding everyone that they were around, and pivotal, when the United States declared themselves independent. Before Washington D.C., Philadelphia is where the fathers came and made their stand.

Detroit Pistons: Maybe my favorite of all. What says Detroit more than automobiles? But they didn't pick something lame like the Detroit Autos or the Detroit Transmissions. They picked the Pistons, a high-charged, powerful, no-nonsense firecracker that makes the car move. Brilliant.

Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks have done something smart that the Canadiens and Texans have failed to do. They took a regional name and twisted it a little bit. I didn't know until ten minutes ago that a Canuck was a "Canadian, specifically a French Canadian." But who knows that? Only the people who are distinctly Vancouver enough to get it. I'm fine with that. Plus, Canuck rhymes with puck. Pretty sweet.

Minnesota Lynx: This is another one I had to look up. Minnesota took a generic name like wildcats (perhaps the crappiest mascot name of them all) and made it distinct. A lynx is a wildcat native to northern North America, or, in other words, Minnesota, which is about as north as we go. Lynx is a snappy, one-syllable word that sounds crisp.

Phoenix Mercury: Phoenix has done for hot weather was the Lynx did for the wildcat. They've found a cool way to use it. Heat, Sun, Suns and Sky are all garbage. But Mercury sounds tough for some reason. It's lurking around the corner, blazing hot, and ready to pounce.

Chicago Fire: Another one of my favorites. They picked something well-known about Chicago, without getting lame about it. They're not the Chicago Columbian Expositions or the Chicago Riotous Democratic Conventions. They're lucky to have an event that sounds so cool as a mascot, but credit them for being the first professional team in Chicago (and there are many, and there have been many others) to think of it.

Week 2 Wonderings

2005-09-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The second week of action in the NFL is so full of surprises, shocks and oddities that I couldn't pick one thing to focus on. Some obvious observations coming from yesterday:

Team with an 0-2 start that still has the best chance: Oakland Raiders. Moss and Company at least competed in both of their losses, which can't be said for most 0-2 teams. Their problem is they're not using their best weapon to full potential. Sure, Randy Moss leads the NFL in receiving yards after the first two weeks, but he has only 10 catches. After tying the game 17-17 against the Chiefs yesterday with a 64-yard touchdown, Moss got just one more pass the rest of the game, for six yards. In the Raiders' final two drives, when they could have taken the lead, they didn't pass to Moss once. The future doesn't get easier, with a trip to Philadelphia next week, but the Raiders are the best 0-2 team in the league, and will probably be the best 0-3 team after next week.

Team with a 2-0 record that still has to worry: This is a little tougher because all five teams that are 2-0 are pretty solid. But Kansas City gets the nod because their defense is suspect. They're ranked 27th in the league in yards allowed and they haven't been tested yet this season. They have decent wins over the Raiders and Jets, but nothing overpowering. They've got one of the better rushing combos in the league, but their winning ways won't continue if Priest Holmes keeps averaging just 80 yards a game and Larry Johnson can't stay out of trouble with the law.

Defense Bailing Out Peyton: Last year it was all about touchdown passes. This year, Peyton has thrown just two in two games (and none in yesterday's win over Jacksonville). But the Colts are still 2-0 because they're defense has allowed just 10 points in the first two weeks (best in the NFL). But the defense is deceptively strong. They actually allow quite a bit of yards (25th in the league), but force turnovers to make up for it. The Colts forced four turnovers against the Ravens and allowed the Jaguars in the red zone only once, when they got a field goal.

What's the Deal with Dillon?: The man who averaged more than a hundred yards a game last year hasn't got a total of 100 yards in the Patriots first two games. In 37 carries, he has just 99 yards, an average of 2.7 a carry. His longest run so far is just 14 yards. Tom Brady is tough, but New England's going to have a tough time three-peating if Dillon doesn't start getting some yardage.

Younguns stepping up: While Dillon and Ladanian Tomlinson have put up sub-par numbers, a couple young running backs are leading the league. The NFL's top rusher right now is rookie Carnell Williams with Tampa Bay. The same man who led Auburn to an undefeated record last season is helping the Bucs start 2-0. In second place is the Steelers' Willie Parker, in his second season. In the first two games, he's already passed his rushing total from eight games last year.

Roethlisberger's Range: The Steeler's quarterback has won 16 consecutive regular season starts. He also leads the league in passing rating (a near-perfect 153.7) and yards per attempt (14.8). Big Ben has been criticized for not throwing the ball very much (his 32 attempts is least in the league among quarterbacks with two starts). But maybe the Steelers should have him throwing the ball more with the start he's having.

Urlacher Finally Living Up: The much-promoted Bears linebacker is on pace to get double-digit sacks for the first time in his career. He's also tied for fifth in the league with 15 tackles. After disappointing Chicago fans the past two seasons, Urlacher seems to be back in his role as a leader on the very stingy Bears defense.

Culcrapper

2005-09-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

It seems as if everyone thought that when the Minnesota Vikings jettisoned their star wide receiver to Oakland in the off season they would be better for it. Sure, Randy Moss was a distraction both on and off the field. But after two horrific games this season, the Vikings seemed to be headed in the wrong direction without their former star.

The list of problems is long in Minnesota, but it all really begins with quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Eight interceptions and no touchdowns in the first two games is absolutely unacceptable for any quarterback in the NFL, but especially one who would have been the MVP of the league last year had it not been for some guy named Manning. Thanks to Daunte’s inability to keep a hold of the ball the Vikings have turned it over 12 times in 24 possessions.

Though much of the blame falls on Culpepper, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Michael Bennett. It’s a wonder I would even mention him, considering he has barely existed for the first two games. His stat line reads as follows: 9 attempts, 39 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 fumble. That is about equivalent to a typical first quarter for Willie Parker.

So they haven’t been able to pass the ball well, or run the ball well. Their defense hasn’t been much better either. But can you blame those guys? They’re put in awful position time after time. With all those turnovers the Vikes are giving up a ton of field position.

So in three huge facets of the game, they’ve been absolutely horrible through two games. Who does the blame eventual fall on but Mike Tice. The head coach has come under scrutiny at other times as well, but this year appears to be just what the doctor ordered for those who have wanted him out before. Daunte’s lack of composure, an anemic running game, and basically an all-around horrible team will eventually cost Tice his job, and rightly so. There is too much talent in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for him not to run away with the NFC North.

That being said, the North is not out of Tice’s reach yet. This division is pretty bad, and a 0-2 start does not drop them, or the Green Bay Packers, out of contention just yet. A couple more weeks of losing may drop both of them out, but that time has not yet come. The North has already proven to be an inconsistent division. The Lions dismantled the Packers in week one, but went on to be demolished by the Bears in week two.

Tice and his team have time to regroup and win the division because none of the other teams are going to run away with it. They had better get their act together though, or Tice and his staff will be sent packing sooner rather than later.

Lance Passing the Chance

2005-09-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Whew. Lance Armstrong is not coming back. It's a wise decision in a sporting world filled with athletes who don't know when to ride off into the sunset. Armstrong's decision to be done with competitive cycling is good for him, good for America, and horrible for the Tour de France.

Now Americans no longer have to pretend to care about cycling for three weeks in the heart of the baseball season. Not a single person from the United States will be following the Tour de France in 2006. You think we care if Ivan Basso or Jan Ullrich finally get to wear the yellow jersey? The only yellow jersey this country will follow next year is Kobe Bryant's. And that's the way it should be.

I have nothing against cycling as a sport. It requires stamina, strength and endurance. But the Tour de France is something Americans have never cared about unless an American is winning. It's a gruesomely long event that is scored in such a painstakingly drab fashion. It doesn't matter who wins day-to-day, just add up the total time and you've got your leader.

It was fun to watch Armstrong dominate the Europeans at their own game, on their own turf, for so many years. But what else is there for him to prove? He said he was thinking of coming back to combat doping allegations. The French press has said that Armstrong cheated in 1999. Look, if the six consecutive titles he's won since that year haven't proven he doesn't cheat, then would a seventh? I can understand if he wants to come back because he loves the sport and still desires to compete and dominate. But to come back to try and prove wrong the French press is dumb.

Plus, he's already had his "farewell" tour. Throughout July we had to listen to reporters say, "this is Armstrong's final race." Few things are more pathetic than resurfacing after all the good-byes and saying "hey, uh, do you mind if I stick around a little bit?"

We need to let Lance Armstrong move on. We need to let the Tour de France settle back into obscurity. Americans tend, instead, to find something of interest, then pump it and pump it until it loses its flare. Look at reality TV. And botox. But Lance has done the right thing walking away while he's on top, having done all that could be done, and letting Americans get back to focusing on the sports we love most.

MV-Lee

2005-09-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

There has been a lot of talk lately about the "front-runners" in the MVP race in the American and National League. Sportswriters and columnists seem satisfied in narrowing down their nominees to two players in the AL (Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz) and two players in the NL (Andruw Jones and Albert Pujols). Each of these players is having an incredible year and is extremely valuable to his team. But one player, the league leader in batting, slugging, and OPS, is inexplicably missing from the list.

Some time between now and when he was being touted as a Triple Crown threat during the All-Star break, Derrek Lee has dropped completely out of the MVP race. This is a gross error by several writers who are putting way too much emphasis on recent numbers. It's almost as though they're punishing him for having such a good first half. He was supposed to bat .400. He was supposed to win the Triple Crown. Now that those hopes have been dashed, the writers are writing him off as an MVP candidate, too.

I understand the MVP is usually won in September and usually goes to a player on a contending team. Usually. But that isn't really the intent of the award. The writers are asked to vote for the "most valuable player to his team" when they cast their ballot. Lee, Jones, and Pujols are obviously the most valuable players on their respective teams, but Jones and Pujols have the advantage of playing on a more valuable team. Both the Braves and Cardinals are playoff-bound. But Lee shouldn't be excluded just because he plays for the injury-ridden and all-but-eliminated Cubbies.

Lee's numbers are astonishing. He's batting .339, best in the majors. He has 46 doubles, that's 11 more than Pujols and 22 more than Jones. He's scored 20 more runs that Jones and is second only to Pujols for runs scored in the majors. Lee has a good chance to get 200 hits. Maybe most impressive is his domination in slugging percentage, which is perhaps the best measure of batting value. At .669, he's 43 points ahead of second-place Pujols. He blows away his American League counterparts, with Ortiz at .603 and Rodriguez at .596.

Lee doesn't do the flashy things. He doesn't have the late game heroics like Big Papi. He hasn't hit 50 home runs like Andruw Jones. He just hits. People fault him for trailing Jones and Pujols in RBI. But who does he have to drive in? For most of the year he's been batting third behind Corey Patterson and Todd Walker. Patterson may have cost Derrek Lee the MVP. His ridiculous .255 on base percentage is beyond unacceptable for a lead-off hitter. Plus, take away his 13 home runs when he wasn't technically "on base" to be driven in, and it's amazing Lee has still managed to drive in 100 runs.

Others may point out that Lee bat only .284 in August, dropping his batting average 16 points by month's end. Got a guess what Pujols batted in August? .287. And Jones? .272. So don't hand me this stuff about Lee crumbling down the stretch.

Lee also provides a Gold Glove at first base. In nearly 1,300 total chances this season, he's made only five errors. That's six less than Pujols, and Lee has 34 more assists. Jones is an incredible outfielder, granted, but Lee is involved in getting many more outs for his team. First basemen don't get many highlights on ESPN, unlike outfielders who can misjudge a fly, then sprint and make a diving catch. In my book, scooping a two hopper from Aramis Ramirez is just as difficult, but it rarely ends up in the highlight reel.

NHL's New Faces

2005-09-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

With the NHL season just three weeks from starting, and training camps already underway, veterans are dropping themselves out of the league in rapid form. In the past week, six veterans have announced their retirement. But this is a necessary and important turning point for a league that needs to rebuild itself. Coming out of a thrown-away season due to labor disputes, the NHL needs to reinvent itself. The league has already adopted new rules, the labor agreements already have put a new salary cap. Now we just need new stars.

But it won't be easy filling the shoes of Mark Messier, Al MacInnis, James Patrick, Vincent Damphousse, Trent Klatt, and Scott Stevens. Their combined numbers are astounding. Among the six, they've combined for 123 NHL seasons played, 8,378 games played, 11 Stanley Cup titles (thanks Messier), and 46 All-Star appearances. The NHL has lost, in the past seven days, three of the top five all-time leaders in games played (Messier is second, Stevens fourth and MacInnis fifth.) In NBA terms, that would be like seeing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Kevin Willis (out of place?) all retire in the same week. Even still, this is the best thing that could happen to the NHL.

Jeremy Roenick needs to be next. The re-emergence of the league cannot happen with players shadowed in the Gretsky era. It can't happen with slow, 40-year-old, hard-nosed fossils. The NHL needs new stars to emerge and excite people. The following is a list of five youngsters that the league is depending on to bring itout of the basement of professional sports.

1. Sidney Crosby, Penguins: No young phenom has gathered this much attention since Eric Lindros. And now he's officially a professional. Crosby inked a deal to make $850,000 his first season (the maximum allowed for a rookie) and could get twice that much if he earns his incentives. Look at what baseball has done with Alex Rodriguez. Before the strike he had played only 17 games, battin .204 with no homers. In the ten years since the strike, he has emerged as one of the most, if not the most talented player in the game. Crosby has comparisons to Gretsky already and he's got Mario Lemieux looking after him. And he's putting people back in the seats in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have already sold more tickets for this season that they did for the entire 2003-04 season.

2. Martin St. Louis, Lightning: He's the best player on the league's best team. St. Louis is older than most others on the list, but he's also the reigning league MVP and scoring leader. Plus, he just got locked into a six-year deal with Tampa Bay, which means he should have plenty of opportunities to perform back in the limelight.

3. Jarome Iginla, Flames: He tied for the most goals during the 2003-04 season and led the Flames to the Stanley Cup against the Lightning. He scored three goals and had two assists in the series against Tampa Bay, which the Flames lost, 4-3. Iginla is a two-time winner of the ESPY for Best NHL Player. I know what you're thiking. Who cares about the ESPYs? Even still, it shows somebody's watching. Iginla is a media darling with a bright smile. He also loves playing in Calgary and might have more fans that any other player in the league.

4. Brad Richards, Lightning: Hey, it worked for Messier and Gretzky back on the Oilers. The Lightning just happen to be lucky enough to have two of the top five most promising stars on their team. Richards led all players in the postseason in 2004 with 26 points. He's also just 25 years old. Plus, there's a limit to "unpronounceable last names" on this list. The casual fan isn't even going to try saying "Iginla" and they'll pronounce Martin St. Louis, Martin Saynt Loo-is. Plus, Richards seems to be coming into his own after streaky stretches early in his career. He's shown he can perform on the big stage and the Lightning won't be setting down the leading role anytime soon.

5. Miikka Kiprusoff, Flames: Okay, so Calgary gets two spots, too. Besides, this list would not be complete without the next generation goalie, not to mention another impossible last name (this one courtesy of Finland). Kiprusoff led the league with a 1.70 goals against average. His teams were 24-10-4 when he was in the net.

Make the Call

2005-09-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown
It’s September. That means many things in the sports world, college football is up and going, the NFL season has just started, college basketball practice officially opens in a matter of weeks. With all of the seasons starting anew there is hope for every franchise, no matter how lowly. This also gives those of us addicted to baseball a diversion if your team, like mine, is out of contention.

But there is something to look forward to for even us, the down and out baseball fan. September is call-up time in the Major Leagues, rosters expand and fans are afforded the chance to see the future of their organization on the field for a month. Not all of us are as lucky as the Braves, who have seen their top notch minor league talent blossom before their eyes while still contending for a playoff spot.
It is this optimism for the future that carries many fans through the final month of the season when they realize they’ll have to just wait until next year. That is why what the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are doing is so despicable. Sure they are playing very well in the second half, and almost single handedly keeping the Yankees from making a big time push to the playoffs. But in doing so, they’re keeping their two best prospects down in the minor leagues.

If any fan deserves some sort of hope at the end of another miserable season, it’s a Devil Rays fan. I’m not sure that they do actually exist, but if indeed they do, give them something to watch.

These two prospects, outfielder Delmon Young and shortstop B.J. Upton, are not only the best in the Rays’ system, but two of the best in baseball. Young was named the Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America this week after posting ridiculous numbers between Double-A and Triple-A, all of this at the tender age of 19.

Upton had an impressive year as well. He posted good offensive numbers all year, and despite having defensive problems at shortstop, he is undoubtedly one of the top prospects in the game.

Both of these young men had monster minor league years. Both are making big money in the minors because they were both number 1 overall picks in their respective drafts. So the question remains, why haven’t the Devil Dogs called them up? The answer is easy, money.

Once they are called up the clock starts ticking on their service time in the Majors. The more service time they accumulate, the closer they are to arbitration, which means they’ll be making more money because they will deserve it. The closer they are to arbitration, the closer they are to free agency. Once they become free agents they will be worth too much in an open market for the Rays to keep them. The Rays want to keep a hold of these guys for as long as they can, rightfully so, but at what cost?

First of all, this is just an awful way to run an organization. What kind of message does it send to your young players when they have a monster year in the minors, and you still won’t call them up? September is usually a time when prospects are rewarded with a chance to showcase their skills at the highest level. Not to mention, that for once, the clubhouse in Tampa Bay is probably a little more upbeat. These guys are winning right now, and beating the Yanks to do so, what a great time to throw in your young talent and show them what it’s like to play for a winner. It seems like it would cultivate the kind of winners mentality the Rays would want after all these years of well, being awful.

Second, and lastly, this is a disservice to the tried and true Devil Rays fans. I’m sure you noted the sarcasm, but seriously it is a disservice if there are any such fans. The reason the Rays have so much young talent is because they’ve been drafting so high for so long, a reward for being a horrible team. It is the organization’s duty, if they’re going to be bad, to at least bring up the ridiculous amount of talent they have and let them play. Let the fans see that there is a reason to believe that this team won’t be stuck in a quagmire of mediocrity forever. After all, all that a diehard baseball fan wants at this time of year is a reason to believe in his or her team, instead of having to shift their energies to football.

Raging Bull

2005-09-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

When Vince Young was a freshman at the University of Texas he lived in Chris Simms’s shadow. Chris Simms was supposed to be the nation’s top quarterback prospect out of high school. Chris Simms never could live up to the hype expected. Unlike Chris Simms, Vince Young thrives on pressure.

During Vince Young’s first season after being a red shirt he split time with Chance Mock. It was only a matter of time before Mack Brown let Vince Young take over as quarterback for the Longhorns. Vince Young was all hype. He was the number one ranked recruit in the nation according to Rivals. However, Texas as well as the nation remained skeptical of Vince Young as a quarterback. First, his throwing motion is considered awkward by many as he slings the ball sideways to his receivers. Some felt he would be better as a receiver where he could utilize his height and athleticism. Vince Young never thought of himself as a wideout and he never will.

After splitting time with Chance Mock as a freshman, Vince Young took over in 2004. He led Texas to a nearly unblemished year, losing only to Oklahoma. While many people look to the Michigan game as the breakout game for Vince Young, they would be mistaken. Texas was playing at home midway through the year versus Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State was running away with the game up 35-7. Vince Young decided to take the game into his own hands. Texas scored with 1:00 left in the first half and never looked back winning 56-35. Vince Young then proceeded to come from behind to beat Kansas. He scrambled for 21 yards on a 4th and 18 to keep the game alive and throw the winning touchdown. Later, he came from behind against Texas A&M, a game which helped Vince land a spotlight in the Rosebowl.

Vince Young entered the 2005 as a Heisman contender along with players such as Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Reggie McNeal, Ted Ginn Jr., and Drew Tate. Already through two weeks only Young, Bush, and Leinart’s teams remain unbeaten. Most critics pointed to Vince Young’s arm as the reason he would not win a Heisman and Texas would lose to Ohio State. Vince Young answered his critics Saturday night once again. He threw for over 270 yards as Ohio State made Vince Young use his arm to beat him. He capped it off was a perfect pass to Limas Sweed to give the Longhorns there biggest victory under Mack Brown. If the Longhorns can remain unbeaten Vince Young will when the Heisman because where would Texas be if Matt Nordgren was their quarterback. He is a combination of Michael Vick’s style with a little Randal Cunningham, a tandem that makes NFL scouts and Texas football fans salivating.

Come Back Lance

2005-09-10T01:50:00.000-05:00

By J. Slavich

The Associated Press reports that Lance Armstrong is training with Team Discovery. Even Lance admits that he “will no longer rule [a comeback] out.” The fact is America would welcome news that Lance is racing again.

Americans have already faced a difficult summer. Bloodshed in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina have consumed the national news. In the sports realm, this summer has been plagued by continued accusations of steroid and drug abuse in Major League Baseball. Rafael Palmeiro’s hero status and possible hall of fame career disappeared when he tested positive for illegal steroids after a random drug test. Now L’Equipe, a French tabloid, accuses Armstrong of taking the performance-enhancing drug, EPO, the first year he won the Tour.

The country needs to know that Armstrong is truly capable of winning again and silencing the critics in France without any extra help from drugs. It only took a month after Lance’s seventh consecutive victory in the Tour de France and his retirement for the French to come out and take cheap shots at his career. Confidential tests performed years ago were leaked to the public claiming that Lance had cheated by using EPO.

Lance has denied those accusations by the French media and Tour de France race organizers. In all seven of his Tour de France victories, not once did Armstrong test positive for performance enhancing drugs. On Friday the UCI, cycling’s governing body, stepped up to defend Lance and raised serious questions over the accusations made by L’Equipe and its specific attack against Armstrong.

Armstrong has a lot to give up if he is to come back. When retiring, he had cited wanting to spend more time with his children and now fiancé Sheryl Crow. He had admitted to looking forward to moving on to new aspects of his life and concentrating on his foundation and charity work. Even with all these incentives to stay out of racing, Armstrong says, “the recent smear campaign out of France has awoken my competitive side.”

Although, it seems the UCI will investigate the problem. It doesn’t seem likely that Lance will let his place in cycling history be set by a French tabloid. Instead, he has decided to get back on the bike and ride with his teammates this winter. Lance may not be motivated anymore by chasing records or out-performing his opponents, but it is clear he has not lost that competitive desire to disprove his critics. He could walk away from it all and say he’s had enough. This month’s news proves that he is wavering between attempting an eighth consecutive Tour win and staying at home.

The country needs to believe that Americans still have the will to take on adversity and win.

Come back Lance.

Katrina Can't Silence Sports

2005-09-09T01:34:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

Turn on any 24-hour news network the past week and you see some fluffy analyst with a bunch of initials talking about how unprepared the nation was for the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The talking heads compare everybody’s response to September 11, 2001. “What did FEMA do?” “What has the National Guard done better?”

Nobody has really talked about sports, and how the world of athletics has responded to this tragedy as opposed to 9/11. Nobody can forget the impact the terrorist attacks had on sports: everything stopped; all games in every top league were postponed. In this way, the sports world mourned.

But not this time. Sports are therapeutic. So this time, when a disaster struck the nation, one that had even more far-reaching effects than 9/11 (everybody’s suffering the problem caused by the oil shortages that resulted from the storms), the sports world didn’t stop. This is absolutely the right move, and it shows they’ve learned their lesson.

What does a husband do when the wife’s yelling? He turns up the game. At awkward gatherings with the in-laws, put a game on. Suddenly the untimely demise of Auntie Margaret’s cat isn’t as central to the conversation.

Ravage one of the nation’s major port cities with a hurricane. Now, some people are homeless; some lost loved ones; some only feel the pressure of gas prices, the result of lost rigs and battered pipelines.

But they’ll all ask where the Saints will play. Sports give them something grounded. All of life is chaos, but standing tall above the floodwaters is a scoreboard. The board was turned off for a week after 9/11, but it’s still plugged in today.

Sports teams have responded the right way, as well. Colleges have had to relocate, but you won’t hear them whining about it. Instead, they’ve uttered a “Well, fiddlesticks” or two, and moved on. Odds are Arizona State isn’t the only team that gets a standing ovation when Louisiana State visits them this weekend.

The New Orleans Saints have been nothing short of omnipresent at the shelters near New Orleans and in Houston, where the Astrodome (and you said they were crazy to keep it after they built Enron!) has been playing Carpathia to New Orleans’ Titanic. It all starts with upper management.

Owner Tom Benson has helped. General Manager Mickey Loomis has been everywhere to lend a hand. Their show of goodwill, the desire to dirty the white collar is nothing short of heroic. And the growth of hair on Benson’s face is enough to show you they’re not doing it for the cameras.

And then there’s Joe Horn, who you’ll remember from such stunts as “the cell phone in the end zone.” Think he’s a jerk for it? Think again.
The last time he’s been using that cell phone, he’s been calling teammates like Donte Stallworth, telling them, “We gotta ride.” Horn, Stallworth, and a plethora of other players on the Saints have been in shelter after shelter, and they show no signs of stopping.

It’s a beautiful thing, and the fact that the refugees see these men in person helping out gives the fan base an even stronger feeling of association. Imagine- the Saints will be the most cheered-for team in the NFL!

So next time Horn pulls an end zone stunt, I won’t change the channel. I won’t turn to my friends and say, “What a jerk. He wants the attention.”

I’ll say, “If you ever see that man, or anybody in his uniform, shake his hand.”

Chicago's Catalyst

2005-09-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The Chicago White Sox are back playing their best baseball of the season, just three weeks after going through a season-worst seven-game losing streak. In mid-August, White Sox fans were pushing the panic button worried their team was putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy. Now they're back winning like they did in the first half, getting strong outings from Buehrle and Garland, coming out on top in one-run games, and scoring early and often.

But the biggest difference is who's playing left field. Scott Podsednik was out of the lineup for six of those seven straight losses. Now he's back in the lineup and the White Sox have won their last six games. During this winning streak, Podsednik is batting .368 with an on-base percentage of .429. That's nothing spectacular. The league's top base stealer has notched just two stolen bases in his eight games back. But Podsednik does something for this team beyond the numbers.

His presence in the lineup brings the team alive. He gets on base, puts pitchers on edge, and, most important, scores runs. In his eight games back in the lineup, the White Sox have scored an average of 6.6 runs a game. In the eight games before he came back, they scored just 2.5 per game.

Several have debated which player is most valuable on this team. They obviously do not have a runaway superstar. Head coach Ozzie Guillen says second baseman and situational hitting specialist Tadahito Iguchi is his team MVP. Others have argued for Buehrle, Garland, Rowand, Konerko, Pierzynski, even Jermaine Dye.

All of these players have made contributions to this team's surprising and incredible season so far. Yet, come playoff time, the player that cannot be lost is Scott Podsednik. Without their leadoff man, their spark, the White Sox are just a mediocre team that has little chance in the postseason.

Loe on the Radar

2005-09-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Three weeks ago Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling garnered a lot of attention for coming back as a starter after spending a couple of months as the team's closer. In his first start back on August 25, he gave up six runs in nine innings and took the loss. The very next day, another pitcher in the American League was doing much the same thing to much less fanfare. Rangers pitcher Kameron Loe had spent his entire (two season) career as a middle reliever. Yet, on August 26, he began his attempt at moving into the starting role.

Three weeks later and, looking at the statisitics, it would appear that Loe was the intimidating veteran and Schilling the unproven greenie. The numbers speak for themselves. Both pitchers have made three starts since switching from the bullpen. Schilling is 0-2, with an ERA of 7.79, a WHIP of 1.85, and 13 strikeouts. Loe is 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and nine strikeouts.

I understand Schilling is a baseball veteran with years of experience, postseason heroics and served as a beacon of intelligence in the steroid hearings. I understand that Kameron Loe is still a largely-unknown and mostly mediocre middle reliever with a career total of eight wins and one save. But in his last three starts, (and, let's face it, this guy's had only four total career starts) he's looked as good as anyone in baseball.

Despite his towering 6'8" frame, Loe manages to stay mostly out of sight. He's been lost in the hysteria over rookie pitchers like the Mariners' Felix Hernandez and the Pirates' Zach Duke, who have each put up incredible numbers. Loe also is technically a rookie. But in his short time as a starter he's done something that neither Duke nor Hernandez have done: beat the same team twice.

Several rookie pitchers can start hot, with loads of strikeouts, because batters are facing them for the first time and haven't yet figured them out. The real test is the second time around, after opponents have a chance to watch the tape, look at scouting reports, and most of all, remember how a pitcher attacked them the first time.

Loe's first start was a five-inning no-run victory over the Twins. Two weeks later, he faced the Twins again, this time at the Metrodome. Again, Loe didn't allow a run, going eight innings and allowing only five hits. Hernandez also shut out the Twins the first time he faced them early this year for a victory. But the second time around, he got a no-decision and yielded two runs. Duke is yet to pitch against the same team twice.

Loe didn't get a lot of fanfare like Schilling when he made the jump to starter. His rookie season hasn't been filled with comparisons to Dwight Gooden like Hernandez' has been. And he certainly hasn't got the attention that Duke got for starting 6-0. Loe's career, starting meagerly with two apperances last season, looked destined to be ignored until it was forgotten. Instead, he made a courageous leap into the starting rotation. Loe turns 24 on Saturday. Duke is just 22 and Hernandez can barely buy cigarettes. It's definitely too late for Loe to be considered in the rookie of the year balloting, but a couple seasons down the road, the tall righty from Cal State Northridge may be starting alongside Hernandez for the American League All-Star team. Maybe then he'll get some attention.

Farewell to the San Francisco Treat

2005-09-06T11:01:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jashanakar

Jerry Rice’s announcement of his retirement from professional football yesterday brought an end to a 20-year career that saw the three-time Super Bowl-winning receiver break dozens of records. Rice made the decision after finding himself struggling to be the third receiver on Mike Shanahan’s Broncos squad. While he may have made 13 Pro Bowl appearances, and was capable of rushing for over 1000 yards only three or four seasons ago, it appeared that age finally caught up with him.

Within hours of his announcement, the sports pundits – that hypocritical pack of laughing hyenas – descended upon Rice as a has been, a great player who stayed past his Expired By date. “[Rice’s] football legacy deserves better than the prospect of standing on the sideline in street clothes,” wrote ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski. “There is no dishonor in quitting.” According to Wojciechowski, it was Rice’s “vanity, ego [and] unwillingness to accept the obvious,” that caused him to play the last few seasons.

But Rice’s comments after announcing his retirement reflected anything but egomania and denial. “I feel like it’s time now…I came here to compete for that third position and I gave it my best shot. And it didn’t happen. I want to be out on the football field.”

“It was real difficult,” he added. “I’ve had this routine for so many years and this has pretty much been my livelihood … I committed myself to football for so many years.”

It is heartless of sports pundits to expect someone to retire ‘gracefully’ at the top of his or her game, especially when most star athletes are barely in their thirties when that time comes. (Imagine if Tony Kornheiser and Skip Bayless and half the geezers on Around the Horn were forced into retirement today. I would love to see their reactions.)

When to end a career is always a difficult decision for a star athlete. Those who retire early are labeled burnouts. On the flip side, there are those who show remarkable resiliency and are able to resuscitate a faltering career. But you have got to admire the few – the Jerry Rices, David Robinsons, Andre Agassis and Rickey Hendersons – who demonstrate an unrequited love for their sports and for healthy competition, long after their careers have peaked. The 35-year-old Agassi is currently competing in his twentieth U.S. Open and has reached the quarterfinals. Robinson managed to win a second NBA title in his final season, years after he had stopped becoming his team’s best player. And at 46, Henderson continues to steal bases for the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League.

Rice’s critics should be lauding him for continuing to hold his own against younger opponents, rather than failing to consistently catch touchdown passes in his last few seasons. I think Wojciechowski got it all wrong. Rice has shown us that there is honor in perseverance. He has demonstrated in his lengthy career a true passion for football. Rather than tarnishing his career, he embellished it. Screw the 38 records. I think that Rice’s commitment and longevity automatically qualify him for the Hall of Fame.

End of the Line

2005-09-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

A week after the Denver Broncos cut Maurice Clarrett, and shed themselves of a player who never did anything with his talent after being buried on the depth chart in training camp; they lost another player who had become buried on the depth chart. The difference however, was that this player may be the greatest to ever strap on pads in the NFL.

Jerry Rice retired on Monday, leaving behind him an unprecedented legacy, and owning a stranglehold on the NFL record books. He is, without doubt, the best wide receiver ever. He played 303 games, made 1,549 catches for 22,895 yards while also reeling in 197 touchdown catches. All of these are records, and second place isn’t even close.

There are those who will say he hung on too long, tarnishing his legacy. These allegations are false. He played until he was 42 years old because he still had a desire to play the game, while also having the capability to do so. After San Francisco let him go he was still productive, turning in better seasons than the young receivers who jumped in front of him on the depth chart in Denver will likely ever turn in.

Rice decided to retire because he would be relegated to a fourth or fifth receiver in Denver and risked be inactive for several weeks because he was too old to be asked to play special teams. Besides, special teams are no place for the greatest receiver of all-time.

An emotional Rice retired on Monday with the same class and dignity he always carried himself with throughout his career. Besides being the best to ever play his position, he has been a model for younger players throughout his allustrious career. Apparently, Terrell Owens just never figured out that you can be a great player and a great person at the same time while playing along side Rice.

Many receivers, like Owens, have been finer physical specimens than Rice. And like Owens they have run their mouths more while delivering much less. Rice outworked everyone in the league, to prove to the people who let him fall to 16th overall in the 1985 draft that they had made a horrible mistake.

He proved his point over an incredible 20 year career. He established records that will likely never be caught, and did so while working hard and keeping a humble demeanor. The NFL lost not only one of its great players on Monday, but also one of its greatest men.

Decade Reivew

2005-09-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Exactly ten years ago, on September 3, 1995, both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers played their first games in the NFL. Both teams lost. The Jaguars fell to the Houston Oilers, 10-3, and the Panthers lost to the Falcons, 23-20.

Both teams have seen varied success in the past ten years. But which franchise has been more successful? This kind of thing can only be measured looking at several factors, with each team facing head to head. I'm using five measure sticks: best regular season, playoffs, best all-time player, winning and attendance.

Best Regular Season: The Jaguars' best season was in 1999 when they finished 14-2. Both losses came to the Tennessee Titans, who went on to the Super Bowl. The season included an 11-game winning streak. The Panthers' best regular season (remember, we're saving playoffs for a later category) was in 1996, their second year, when they went 12-4. They lost to four different teams (including the Jaguars), but finished with a seven-game winning streak that included wins over the 49ers and Steelers.
Result: This one has to go to the Jaguars. Not only did they have a better record, but the Panthers couldn't even beat the Jaguars during the Panthers' best season. (Jaguars 1, Panthers 0).

Playoffs: The Jaguars have made the postseason four times in their history, but haven't gone since 1999. They made the playoffs four straight years, but are now in the midst of a five-season drought. They've never made it to a Super Bowl, losing twice in the Conference Championship, once in the Divisional playoff and once in the Wild Card playoff. The Panthers have made the playoffs only twice in ten years, but both times, they won their conference to qualify. They lost in the Conference Championship in 1996 and made it to the Super Bowl following the 2003 season (losing to the Patriots, 32-29).
Result: This one has to go to the Panthers. A Super Bowl carries more weight than the Jaguars' advantage in total playoff appearances. Plus, the Panthers have proved themselves a tough elimination in the postseason. (Jaguars 1, Panthers 1).

Best Player: Jacksonville is a toss-up between running back Fred Taylor and wide receiver Jimmy Smith, but I've got to give the nod to Smith because he has been there for the entire existence of the Jaguars. He's had eight seasons of more than 1,000 receiving yards, including leading the league in receptions in 1999 with 116, and being second in receiving yards (1,636). He's scored 61 touchdowns for the team during its ten years and has played in all but five of the franchise's games. Carolina's best all-time player is also a receiver. Muhsin Muhammad had been with the team since 1996 before being traded to the Bears this year. He had three years of more than 1,000 receiving yards and led the league last year with 1,405 yards to go with 16 touchdowns. But aside from 2004, Muhammad has been an average receiver and fairly inconsistent.
Result: The nod has to go to the Jaguars and Jimmy Smith. Smith has been a competitive and excellent receiver for several years. He has five Pro Bowl selections to Muhammad's two. (Jaguars 2, Panthers 1).

Winning: The Jaguars have had five winning seasons and an overall franchise record of 82-78. The Panthers have had two winnings seasons, and one at .500. Their franchise record is 71-89.
Result: This one's pretty easy. The Jaguars get haev flat-out won more games and can be trusted more often to have a winning team. The Panthers' 1-15 record in 2001 isn't helping their cause, either. (Jaguars 3, Panthers 1).

Attendance: Both teams play in a stadium that holds about 73,000 fans, so there isn't much of a problem comparing total attendance and average attendance numbers. Even still, I'm giving more importance to percentage of the stadium filled. Jacksonville's fans have flocked out during winning seasons, the highest average (70,184) coming during their 11-5 season in 1998. However, during the past few losing seasons, attendance has dropped as low as 53,509. Carolina started out shaky, with just 55,203 in its first season, but they've strung together six consecutive seasons of more than 69,000 fans. Last season, despite a 7-9 record, fans filled the stadium at exactly 100% capacity (73,282), a season-high.
Result: Carolina fans are more consistent and still come out during losing seasons. Jacksonville has had only one season in which they averaged more than 70,000 fans. The Panthers have five such seasons. Jacksonville filled their stadium only 72.5% (second worst in the NFL) in 2003. (Jaguars 3, Panthers 2).

Save Your Sorry's

2005-09-03T11:01:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

I’m sorry, but I’m sick of apologies.

David Wells went on yet another of his binges the other day. (No, no- a binge of hurling insults, not putting away donuts or beer.) Angered by Major League Baseball’s lackluster response to the Rafael Palmeiro’s positive steroid test, Wells launched a tirade against baseball after losing his appeal of a six-game suspension, saying that Commissioner Bud Selig isn’t doing anything about steroids.

Baseball’s higher-ups, a terribly sensitive group, caught wind of the comments. They summoned Wells to the principal’s – excuse me, Commissioner’s – office, and had a talk with him.

A contrite Wells issued an apology that day. He said, “I was wrong in my statements about these issues, and for that I apologize.” But he didn’t actually give the apology himself. No, he had the MLB Players’ Association issue it for him.

So let’s review. A guy with a history of making outrageous comments issues an apology through somebody else. Does anybody really think he’s sorry? More, does he think people will believe that he is?

Wells is just the latest in an infinite line of athletes who apologize for things they do as soon as somebody important scolds them. Sports stars apparently have a syndrome which renders them incapable of understanding that nobody buys their poor excuse for remorse.

My favorite recent example is Tearful Todd Bertuzzi. Boy, was he ever sorry for what he did to Steve Moore. He cried and cried his way through his apology, wishing Moore all the best.

But y’know, it’s funny- I’ve seen that replay dozens of times, and I still don’t see any tears when Bertuzzi grabs Moore’s jersey, pulls it backwards, and slams him viciously to the ice with a cheap shot. Maybe I need HD…

Or how about Kenny Rogers? Oh, man, was he ever sorry for pushing a cameraman (then pushing him again when the guy recovered his balance). He hurt the guy’s back, and after a week or so of prompting from the media, he apologized. He was so sorry that the next time he saw a cameraman – when he was being fingerprinted after turning himself in to the police – he snapped at the cameraman and got into a verbal spat with him.

I’ll tell you what, I’ll take Jose Canseco right now. He’s pompous, he’s only in it for the money- but he’s not saying, “Gee, sorry for steroids.” He’s manning up and saying, “Yeah, I took them.” Before, I’d tell you to change the channel when he was on. But now, I’ll take that over finger-wagging first basemen who are “sorry” about steroids.

In the words of the immortal George Costanza, “Take your sorries and stuff them in a sack.” Take your apologies to somebody who’ll believe them, but don’t think you can pull the wool over the eyes of the American sports fan.

Ponson's Punishment

2005-09-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

Players like former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Sidney Ponson have no business staying in the major leagues. I applaud the team's decision to let go of their once-prized pitcher for breaking the team's moral code.

Listen to what Ponson has done in the past nine months:
Dec 25, 2004: Ponson punches a judge in Aruba and serves 11 days in jail. He agrees to perform community service and make a charitable contribution.
January, 2005: Caught driving under the influence in Florida. Case still pending.
August 25, 2005: Arrested for drunk driving, again.

This maddening display of irresponsible (and drunk) behavior would have gotten him fired from almost any job in the country. Yet, too often, celebrities and sports figures are given second, third, fourth, and tenth chances (see: Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden).

But the Orioles are making Ponson finally pay for his mistakes, and not in the cushy "charitable donation" kind of way. More like in the "eliminating his $10 million dollar contract for 2006" way. Ponson was the third-highest paid player on the team, ahead of proven veterans like Melvin Mora, Javy Lopez, and Rafael Palmeiro. Yet, in his eight seasons, he produced only one winning record (17-12 in 2003). His 6.22 ERA this season is fourth worst in the American League. You'd think a guy like this, performing so much below his team's expectations, would be extra careful not to do anything stupid. Or, at least, not three stupid things in nine months.

No one can say for certain why Ponson would so carelessly put his career on the line. Maybe he got depressed from being put on the disabled list earlier in August. Maybe that's why he's been packing on the weight (6-foot-1, 253 pounds). Maybe he's just an alcoholic. Either way, he shouldn't be back in the majors for quite a while. He broke the law three times within a year, doesn't that usually carry some jail time? If he serves his sentence and wants to slim down and give another shot at the majors, I've got no problem with that.

But the real problem is, there won't be any jail time. Here's what I foresee happening. First of all, the increasingly demoralized players union will dispute the dismissal. Yes, the same players union that allowed players to juice up in the 1980s and 1990s unpunished. Yes, the same players union that battled with owners for pay raises, canceling the 1994 World Series. That same players union will argue that Ponson's dismissal is too rash. They will say the contract language does not specifically ban "getting caught driving drunk twice in a season" or "punching out a judge."

They will argue that the "morals clause" in paragraph 3(a), which "pledges [the player] to the American public and to the Club to conform to high standards of personal conduct," is too vague. After all, what are "high standards of personal conduct"? They'll raise such a fuss that the Orioles may be forced into dishing out a couple million dollars to Ponson next year in severance fees. Ponson will take some time off, maybe get some rehab, but won't do any hard time, despite being charged with two felonies this year.

Then, some ill-advised team will pick him up, salivating over his 94-mph fastball. He'll put in a few more seasons, off and on, be nagged by injuries, and underperforming. But for now, the Orioles have made the right decision and emerge as winners. It's true addition by subtraction and now they can spend the $10 million on someone who's worthy at least to be in the league.

Wild to the End

2005-09-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

In the National League wildcard race, four teams are separated by half a game, with just a month of baseball left to play. Throw in the Nationals, who are just 1.5 games back and we've got the makings of one of the most exciting wildcard races in history. Another thing that makes this race special is that the top three teams are coming from the NL East, which means down the stretch, they face each other head to head numerous times.

With Atlanta, St. Louis, and San Diego (although still playing below .500 ball) pulling larger leads in their division, it looks like the Marlins, Phillies, Mets, Astros and Nationals will remain the heart of the wildcard without contending for a division title. I'd like to submit my list of where each of these five teams will end up in the wildcard race.

5. Nationals: Washington is fading fast. Once the darlings of the NL East, they've since succumbed to the Braves for the division lead and have now dropped 1.5 games back in the wildcard. Basically, they don't have the offense to stay in the race. They're ranked last in the NL in runs scored (508) and in team batting average (.252). Their offense was shutout four times in August and their pitchers can't bail them out against free-hitting teams like the Phillies, Marlins and Braves. This team also doesn't have many veterans with playoff experience, or even baseball experience. They'll continue to fade and finish well out of reach.

4.
Phillies: Philadelphia has not been playing good baseball the past week. They'd been having a good August (15-8 before Saturday) before losing their last three games and allowing their wildcard lead to evaporate. A big test will come next week against Houston, a team they haven't beat this year (they're 0-3 with losses to Clemens, Pettite and Oswalt). Philadelphia is low on the list because they are 24-31 this season against the teams remaining on their schedule (the worst of the five). Perhaps their biggest hurdle is six games against the Mets, who are 9-4 against them this season. Their only break is a three-game series in Cincinnati, and even that should be tough with the Reds starting to play like a playoff contender (8-3 in their last 11 games). All of their other games are against above-.500 teams. The Phillies offense is potent. They have scored more runs this year than any of the other five contenders. But their pitchers also have the worst ERA. As the race whittles down, the matchups are just not in favor of the Phillies and they'll lose lots of high-scoring games.

3. Marlins: Florida would have much more of a chance if their remaining schedule was not so tough. They have six games against the Braves (including three to finish the season), six against the Mets (who they're 5-7 against this season) and six games against the Phillies. They don't face a below-.500 team for the rest of the year. The Marlins can get on base, but have trouble scoring runs. They also have pretty bad power numbers, ranked 14th in the NL this season with 102 home runs. You've got to love their rotation with Dontrelle Willis, Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett. Also, Florida has not been dominated by any of their opponents this season. The down side is they have not dominated, either. The telling statistic is that they are 28-29 so far this season against their remaining opponents. Even with great pitching, the Marlins are going to lose a lot of one-run games down the stretch even though they may be in the hunt until their final series against the Braves.

2. Houston: With a remaining schedule like the Astros have, it's almost impossible for them not to compete. They're the lone contender not from the NL East, which means they don't spend September battling against a lot of other teams in the wildcard. The Astros face four teams under .500 (Pirates, Brewers, Cubs, and Reds) for 19 of their remaining 30 games. Plus, they get to finish the season against the Cubs, who should be downtrodden and depressed by that point. With Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite and Roy Oswalt, they have the second-best ERA in the NL, behind the Cardinals. So how can they not be the favorite? Well, Houston's got two problems: they can't hit and they're having a bad August (12-14 this month). Houston doesn't score many runs (see: Clemens' 11-6 record even with a 1.51 ERA). Willy Taveras, Morgan Ensberg and Lance Berkman have done well getting on base this season, but who's there to bring them in? Against good pitching, the Astros have no answer. For example, Houston is 2-9 against St. Louis this year, and they have five more games against them. The Astros will battle near the top through most of September, but a two-game sweep at the hands of the Cards at Busch Stadium in late September will be too much for them to overcome.

1. Mets: New York gets the nod because they are the hottest team of the five right now and they have played well this season against their remaining competition. The Mets are 30-27 this year against the teams they have left on their schedule. They also finish the season with a four-game series at home against the Rockies. Plus, the Mets have a winning record head-to-head this season against all the other contenders. That's something none of the others can say. With pitching, the Mets have experience on their side. Pedro Martinez will turn it on down the stretch as the playoffs get within reach. Tom Glavine helped secure for the Braves 11 consecutive division titles. Jae Seo has been the surprise of the staff, joining the team mid-year, standing now with a 6-1 record and 1.85 ERA. Braden Looper is a strong closer and Kris Benson, despite his recent slips still has a 9-6 record and ERA of 3.91. Their staff may not be noticeably better than the Astros or Marlins, but the Mets have a bit more offense to back them up. Jose Reyes can terrorize the base paths (46 steals this season) while David Wright (83 RBI) and Cliff Floyd (79 RBI) can provide the power. The rough spot will come in their six games against the Braves, who the Mets are 4-9 against this season and four games at Busch Stadium against the MLB-leading Cardinals. However, with a 16-10 record in August and winners of 10 of their last 14, the Mets energy will carry through and they'll be sealing up the wildcard against the Rockies at home while the other contenders knock themselves out.

Football Fortune Telling

2005-09-01T11:01:00.000-05:00

By Troy Eason

It’s that time of year. Saturdays and Sundays are no longer days for working in the yard or scratching items of ‘To Do’ lists. No, the weekend hours now must be dedicated to one thing and one thing only – FOOTBALL.

Another year has passed. And with the past year has come another year of exciting and in depth talk of the college circuits. Two questions are being passed around the poker and coffee tables as we speak. They are: “Who will win it all?” and “Who will win the Heisman?”

Gentlemen and boys…and the occasional female who enters this realm, I have all the answers to your College Football Questions….

Question 1. What two teams will meet in Pasadena come January?

Answer: Southern Cal (Pac 10) vs. Virginia Tech (ACC)

Pac-10 Powerhouse USC will make an unprecedented run to be 3-peat National Champs. They have it easy too. A soft non-conference and watered-down Pac-10 will make USC’s biggest foe themselves. If 2004 Heisman winner, Matt Leinart, continues his mastery and triple-threat, Reggie Bush, is his usual electric self, the Trojans should have no problem running the table this year.

Va. Tech’s success also depends on personnel rather than schedule. The Hokies play Miami, BC, and Georgia Tech all in Blacksburg. Their toughest road test is probably their final game, at Virginia. The Hokies should steamroll into their November meeting with the Cavaliers unbeaten provided enigma Marcus Vick can turn his “I’m better than my brother,” potential into action. Imagine a faster, stronger, better armed Michael Vick playing against ACC defenses…scary isn’t it.

But who wins? Marcus Vick runs for 150 yards and throws for 250 as the Hokies take the National Championship away from USC 31-27.

Question 2. Who wins the Heisman Trophy in 2005?

Answer: Texas A&M Quarterback Reggie McNeal

In his third season in Dennis Francione’s high-octane offense, McNeal should have a record-breaking senior campaign. The ‘Real Deal’ as he is known in College Station, has a lot to prove in his final college year. After a breakout freshman year and sub-par follow-up in 2003, McNeal found his niche in 2004 leading the Aggies to a 7-4 record and a Cotton Bowl appearance. This year, McNeal is set to break several Texas A&M quarterback records. There is only one roadblock in Reggie McNeal’s road to New York to hold the Heisman and he makes his home about 100 miles West…Texas’ Vince Young.

After an awing performance in the 2005 Rose Bowl, Vince Young was a Heisman favorite going into this season. However, he can’t hit the broad side of a barn with his arm and teams are going to key on him without star running back Cedric Benson.

McNeal nails his Heisman hopes shut with a victory over U.T’ the day after Turkey Day.

Guess the Attendance

2005-09-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The beginning of the WNBA playoffs tonight brings with it so many questions. Such as, how are the Storm going to stop Houston's Sheryl Swoopes? Or, are the Liberty going to be able to turn the tables against a team they were 1-3 against this year? But perhaps the most pressing question: are people really watching these games?

Turns out that they are. I realize I live in Chicago, one of the nation's only big cities not to have a WNBA team. But even still, I was surprised to find out what kind of crowds WNBA teams are drawing, and have been, since 1997.

Granted, they're nothing like the NBA's numbers. And don't mention them in the same sentence as the NFL and Major League. But among the low-revenue sports in this country, the WNBA is standing as a well-attended, well-run league.

The Los Angeles Sparks played in front of 17,769 people during a regular season game this year. The New York Liberty averaged more than 10,000 per game. And these are in cities that are already swamped with big-market, big-pressure baseball, basketball, and football teams. The league average this season was more than 8,000 people per game. That may seem like small potatoes, but consider the last time you went to a WNBA game. So where are these people coming from?

The best comparison is to pit the WNBA against Women's College Basketball. This comparison involves mostly the same size arenas, the same type of basketball and about the same frequency of games. In college hoops, the University of Connecticut brought in nearly 13,000 per game last season. Advantage: college, so far. But then consider that only four college programs in the nation averaged above 10,000 per game. Still, only two WNBA franchises did that. Advantage: still college.

But by the time you get to number ten on the college list (Penn State) the attendance numbers have dropped to 6,7771. Couple that with the fact that 200 Division I college teams failed to average 1,000 people per game and now the college numbers look much more sparse. Even though the top-echelon of college programs compete with and, in some ways, exceed the WNBA attendance numbers, college as a whole has a much smaller following. College towns have no excuse because they generally have a bunch of students around with nothing better to do on Thursday night. Plus, colleges and women's college basketball programs have been established in a community, as a whole, for much longer than the WNBA.

The WNBA wins this heads-on challenge for being able to draw thousands of fans in Detroit, Washington, D.C. and other major cities that have lots of other sports competing for fans.

I would, however, like to take this comparison a step further. The following is a list of the most attended and least attended sporting venues in the country. I'm even throwing in a couple of world venues. Obviously, it's not a numeric list because then I'd have a bunch of college football stadiums at the top, with football and baseball being skewed because they have larger facilities than basketball and other sports. Basically, the list is the best and worst of each genre.

Men's College Basketball, Division I

Most Attended: Rupp Arena packs them in. The Kentucky Wildcats play in front of an average of 22,271 people per night (higher than any NBA team).

Least Attended: Lowly Chicago State is number 332 on the list. The school on the South Side of Chicago averages 399 fans per game. This school has 7,000 students and they won eight home games last year, so there's no excuse.

NBA

Most Attended: The NBA is a great equalizer and has generally even attendance numbers across the board, but the Detroit Pistons take the title last year with just over 22,000 fans per game. Dallas, Miami and Sacramento also averaged more than their stadium capacity.

Least Attended: The New Orleans Hornets technically drew fewer fans (14,221 per game) but I've got to give this one to the Charlotte Bobcats (second to last at 14,431) who left an average of 38% of their seats empty throughout the year (worst in the league).

Division I College Football

Most Attended:The Michigan Wolverines averaged 111,025 people per game last season. They hold the record for largest attendance ever in college football (112,118 against Ohio State in 2003). The place is enormous and the stadium is incredibly simple. It's just a huge bowl, no upper decks, but tons of bleacher seats. They haven't had less than 100,000 people at a game since 1975.

Least Attended: San Jose State gets this honor, having drawn 6,479 people per game. This is more pathetic considering their stadium holds more than 26,000 and they have more than 20,000 undergrads. Their total season attendance is probably smaller than the student section at one Michigan home game. Of course, the Spartans were only 2-9 last year, so that could be a factor.

NFL

Most Attended: The Redskins take this title far and away in a league where almost every team sells out every game. Washington averaged 87,833 last season, 109% of capacity.

Least Attended: I did say almost every team sells out every game. The Arizona Cardinals, on the other hand, could barely fill half their stadium, having, by far, the worst average attendance (37,533) and worst average capacity (51.1%) in the league. They're the only team to not draw at least 50,000 per game.

Arena Football: 37,000 would be an incredible draw for this league. As a whole, they average just 12,024 fans per game. But this league is a lot like the WNBA because it has shown staying power and development of a loyal, though small, fan base.

Major League Baseball

Most Attended: The Yankees have the big payroll, the big stadium, and the big expectations. So it's no surprise they're the only team in the bigs averaging more than 50,000 fans a game (50,151). But props to the Cubbies, who lead the majors averaging 98.3% of their stadium's capacity each game.

Least Attended: It's too bad for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays that the Expos are no longer in Montreal, because now they take the crown as the lowest draw in the majors. They're the only team to not yet bring in a million fans in 2005 and their average per game (13,877) is nearly 5,000 less than the next lowest (Kansas City). Don't worry about scalping for these tickets.

Minor League Baseball, Triple-A Pacific Coast League

Most Attended: Granted this is an abbreviated list, but I thought it was sufficient to give a good ballpark (hah!) figure. The Sacramento River Cats lead the league at 10,433 per game. They've also got the best record in the league, so that tends to work out. Their stadium (Riley Field) has a capacity of 14,680.

Least Attended: The Colorado Springs Sky Sox bring in an average of 3,209 fans. Pretty pitiful, especially for a city with more than 350,000 people.

College Baseball, SEC:

Most Attended: I chose the SEC because it has the highest attendance in the country compared to other college conferences. So again, a skewed list. But LSU takes the cake, averaging more than capacity at 7,935 a game. That's more than most Triple-A teams get.

Least Attended: I guess the student body is too winded from basketball season (see above) because hardly anyone comes to Kentucky baseball games. They average 387 fans and only 13% capacity.

Two Random World Events

Tour De France: Officials claim that this three-week event attracts 10 million fans, making it the largest single sporting event in the world. Although I don't know what's so "single sporting event" about a 21-day bike tour covering an entire country. But even whittled down, that's still almost 500,000 fans a day.

Athens Olympics: Pretty pitiful considering you've got the support and representation of virtually every important nation in the entire world. The Olympics sold just 3,233,718 tickets, far short of the Tour de France numbers and that's just involving competitors from a few countries competing in an event even less popular than synchronized diving.

An Occupational Hazard

2005-08-30T23:01:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

It's been over a week since the sudden death of Thomas Herrion, and it appears that his tragic demise has already been forgotten.

The 49ers' offensive linesman collapsed in the San Francisco locker room after a preseason game against the Broncos and was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. Within hours of his death there was speculation that a possible cause may have been his immense bulk. Health experts were quick to point out that the 6'3, 23 year-old Herrion was listed at 310 pounds and had on occasion weighed-in at 350 pounds plus. His Body Mass Index, 38.7, categorized him as obese, bordering on ‘extreme obesity.’ The results of his autopsy, released last week, were inconclusive.

Herrion’s death comes at a time when more Americans are health conscious than ever before. At the same time, NFL players are currently larger than they have ever been. According to the AP’s Jim Litke, as many as 350 players currently on NFL rosters weigh over 300 pounds, which means they are ripe for a bevy of cardiovascular and muscular ailments.

Offensive linesmen, in particular, have a thankless job. They miss out on the stardom and financial benefits that quarterbacks, running backs or receivers garner but are expected to act like human walls to facilitate the workings of their higher-paid colleagues. Linesmen’s work, built as it is around repeated physical confrontation, is made easier by their size. And so it should be no surprise that NFL officials, coaches and players, while recognizing the tragic nature of Herrion’s death, refused to entertain the possibility that his weight was a factor.

And why should they worry? There have been only two football-related deaths to professional footballers in over twenty-five years (the other one, incidentally, was that of Vikings’ offensive linesman Korey Stringer in 2001). NFL players have played a combined 40,000+ seasons in that same time period. For many in the business the risk is too trivial to sacrifice a potentially lucrative career.

Sports, like other professional fields, have their share of dangers. Most athletes, especially those who partake in ‘dangerous’ sports such as auto racing and boxing, are well aware of the risks that come with participating in them. So football players, having found that increased body mass has become integral to their success, actively try to bulk up. While Herrion’s death was terrible, especially considering his youth, we must remember that, from his perspective, his obesity may have been little more than a minor occupational hazard.

Tale of Two Rookies

2005-08-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Val Thompson

The Chicago Bears made two big announcements yesterday. Both involved rookies. The first was that Cedric Benson has finally reached terms to a contract and will join the team. The second was that rookie quarterback Kyle Orton has become the number one starter.

This is a far cry from where these two players were on draft day. Benson was drafted fourth overall with the Bears first pick. He was coming as a star from Texas with durability and the fourth highest rushing yards in the nation his senior year. He graduated with the third most rushing TDs in college history (64).

Kyle Orton was drafted in the fourth round, 106th overall, after six other quarterbacks had been selected. He was coming from a mostly disappointing senior season that started with Heisman hopes and finished with a loss to Arizona State. Orton even lost his starting job for a couple games following a pitiful performance in a loss to Northwestern.

Then training camp started. Benson was nowhere to be seen, holding out for more money as he and his agent "negotiated" with the Bears. In a press conference, when asked where he was during that 35-day holdout, Benson said, "I was probably taking a vacation. It got to a down point."

Yeah. I can see how begging for more money could merit a vacation. Meanwhile, as Benson was vacationing in Texas, Orton showed up on time to training camp. He was the third string, behind Rex Grossman and Chad Hutchinson. As a rookie, it looked like he would have little chance of even taking a snap during the regular season. But he was there, to at least show his stuff.

All of a sudden, Glass-legs Grossman is out for three to four months with an injury. Then, in Hutchinson's two games as the first-stringer, he throws four interceptions and no touchdowns. Orton comes in and cleans up the mess, completing about 60% of his passes, with no picks, and a touchdown pass in victories over the Bills and Colts. All of a sudden, he's named the opening day starter. None of the six quarterbacks taken before Orton have that responsibility. Not even the number one pick, Alex Smith, on the lowly San Francisco 49ers.

Now Benson decides to show up. After training camp is over. After four of five preseason games are over. After his chances of starting opening day are over. After his chances of proving himself necessary are over. "With the running game doing well, we know we can be successful without Cedric being here," Bears coach Lovie Smith said today at a press conference.

"Even though he's a rookie," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said, "he's a playmaker." Nope. Not talking about Benson. Those kind of comments are reserved for Orton, now. Benson was originally slated to contend with Thomas Jones for the starting job. But the Bears have outrushed each of their opponents this preseason. Jones and Adrian Peterson have been playing like Benson didn't exist, because, for a while, he didn't.

Orton's rise is indicative of all the potential Benson squandered. Just five weeks, and Orton has emerged looking like the team's top pick, with Benson looking like a tired, selfish schlub.

No More Mo

2005-08-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

The Denver Broncos announced on Sunday that their third-round draft pick from this year’s draft is being cut. Yes indeed, Maurice Clarrett will be a Bronco no more. For a man who only a couple of years ago was the darling of the Buckeye State, it appears to be a gloomy ending to an all-too-short career. But to those of us who a) never thought of him as a darling by any stretch and b) are sick of hearing about someone with so little talent, all I can say is finally.

Clarrett’s journey has been something of a freak show. He rose to stardom as a true freshman at one of the finest football programs in the entire nation, helping Ohio State claim the 2002 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the national championship. After that it’s all downhill though.

He was suspended for his sophomore season by the team, whereupon he decides to simply quit school and try to test the NFL’s eligibility rules despite not being out of high school for three years. Clarrett’s quest failed in court, leaving him out of football for the year.

Then it just gets worse, he wants to workout, and then he doesn’t want to. He does workout for a while, but then quits. He gets invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but once again quits after he is frustrated by his workouts. Call me crazy, but I really don’t think many NFL teams were too keen on the idea of him just up and quitting during a workout. That may be beside the point though.

His workouts were awful; he was too slow for his position at a position that demands speed and agility. Well maybe it doesn’t require speed and agility, but you had better be able to at least barrel someone over, and he couldn’t.

Despite all of this Mike Shanahan and the run-happy Broncos made him the final pick of the third round of the draft this year. A reach for sure, but if there was going to be any place where this washed-up college back were to succeed it would be in the Mile High city. After all, Shanahan has turned out more no-name 1,000 yard rushers than anyone cares to remember.

The problem with Clarrett was work ethic. Which makes you wonder why anybody would want this guy in the first place? He was always quitting workouts, was slow and usually out of shape, and just didn’t seem like the kind of guy you’d want on your team. So finally Shanahan all but admitted to making a huge mistake on draft day by cutting Clarrett.

He didn’t even sniff any playing time in the preseason. Buried on the depth chart, he just wandered around in pads without ever seeming to belong. There is no doubt that Clarrett will draw the interest of somebody looking to fill out the roster with someone who at least showed promise at one point in his career, albeit for a very short time. But things are looking pretty grim at the moment, as his agent Steven Feldman alluded to.

“I’m not real confident of anything right now,” Feldman said in a recent interview. “We’ll see what happens now.”

I wouldn’t be too confident of anything with this sad waste of talent either. I just hope that this story can finally be over, though I doubt it will be. But maybe he has something to be proud of, after all, it’s not very often that so much is made of somebody with so little.

Green Rush

2005-08-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Michael Kelminson

When you think of the great running back factories in college football, the names of such traditional powers as Texas, USC and Oklahoma come to mind. However the last two NCAA rushing champions have come from a school that just re-entered Division 1-A a little over a decade ago. That would be University of North Texas, and the running backs in question Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas will share the same backfield this upcoming year.

The Mean Green, the four time defending Sun Belt Conference champions, has always relied on a strong running game under Coach Darrell Dickey. Cobbs, who was lightly recruited out of high school, backed up all-conference performer Kevin Galbraith in 2001 and 2002 and then exploded in his first year as a starter by leading the nation in rushing while leading the Mean Green to another conference championship.

Cobbs was on his way to another spectacular season last year until he went down with a knee injury in the season’s second game, which would sideline him for the remainder of the year. Thankfully the Mean Green had the freshman Thomas, who turned down scholarship offers from Big 12 and SEC schools to come to North Texas. On his way to the rushing title Thomas obliterated NCAA freshman rushing records including five straight games of over 200 yards rushing, while the Mean Green extended the nation’s longest conference winning streak to 25.

With Cobbs using a redshirt year last season he was able to join Thomas to become the first backfield in NCAA history to have two rushing champions in it. With a new quarterback at the helm there should be plenty of carries to go around between the two of them, as the Mean Green once again will run a running game dominant offense.

It is no wonder with Cobbs and Thomas leading the way North Texas is once again favored to win the Sun Belt. Although it is unlikely that either will win the rushing title this year, due to sharing of carries, these two will not mind as long as they capture another conference crown and a fifth straight trip to the New Orleans Bowl.

Glory Hole

2005-08-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Skinner

I’m begging to think my golf instructor is full of crap when he tells me that my swing relies on my legs just as much as it relies on my arms. I have Wally Stanley to thank for this new insight.

Stanley is a paraplegic who lost the use his legs when he was hit by a drunk driver while jogging over 10 years ago. On Wednesday, Stanley shot his second hole in one in as many years.

I, myself am a sub-par golfer and have never come close to hitting a hole in one. And by “sub-par golfer” I mean I’m much worse than the average golfer but still most golfers never get to mark the “1” on their scorecard but Stanley has done it twice in two years without the use two legs.

Stanley is slowing becoming the Lance Armstrong of golf. Overcoming all odds to amaze the world with his performances…O.K. that may be taking it a little far but Stanley should be someone should all look up to.

The 61 year old has gone and achieved what most people would have considered impossible…playing a round a golf without the use of his legs. Instead, on Wednesday, he aces a 140 yard par 3 and in the process gives hope to the entire paraplegic community.

“I felt foolish looking in the cup – that’s usually the last place I’d look – but there it is,” he said later. Wally, I don’t blame you. I probably wouldn’t even looked in the cup and taken a drop assuming I put it in birds nest somewhere.

With horror stories constantly on the news of people lives being destroyed by drunk drivers and reckless idiots, it’s a great relief to see that some people push through and find ways to achieve in areas where others never thought was possible.

Well I’m off to the practice range so hopefully someday I can be half the golfer Wally Stanley is.

Milk Money

2005-08-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

After assaulting a cameraman, Kenny Rogers was suspended for twenty games.

After taking a dare from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny, a Florida Marlins batboy was suspended six games.

Yeah, you read that right. Penny, a former Marlin, dared the batboy to drink a gallon of milk in an hour without vomiting, with $500 at stake. The “gallon challenge” has been a fixture in high school cafeterias since they started selling the stuff in gallons. But in Major League Baseball, the same sport that couldn’t suspend a soul for steroids until this season, the law has unleashed is wrath.

The Marlins suspended their helper after learning of the dare, keeping him on the bench for the six-game homestand from Aug. 28 through Sep. 4. Fortunately for the batboy, the rest of the world realizes how ridiculous the situation is.

The Milk Processor Education program will compensate him the amount of the dare if he promises to drink three glasses of milk a day. And a Twins’ single-A affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle offered the kid an honorary batboy position, according to espn.com.

“Similar to a rehab sting, we want to help this kid stay on top of his game,” Miracle GM Steve Gliner said, in what might be the funniest quote in minor league baseball this year.

But seriously, all fun aside, are we for real with this? Let’s look at some facts. Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for using steroids. He lied to Congress (that would be the highest legislative body in these United States), lied to fans, lied to baseball, and only received the maximum penalty for steroid use.

The maximum penalty for using steroids is ten games. So essentially, this is very nearly as much of a disgrace to the game as steroid use, right? Keep your eyes open for Congressional hearings concerning milk gluttons.

Let’s take a look at high schools across America. Tell me you don’t know that kid, the one who looked you in the eye and said, “A gallon of milk in an hour? Of course I can do that. What’s the bet?” And now tell me you didn’t laugh your face off when he spewed. It’s a fun, immature prank, and I don’t remember reading a law against immaturity in professional sports. (That sigh of relief you hear is Randy Moss.)

Maybe there are more important things for the Marlins to worry about? How about being stuck in the Wild Card race after being a favorite in the offseason to win the NL East? Or how about Jack McKeown’s inability to get this team winning consistently despite an incredibly talented roster? Or how about just selling out the stadium so we don’t have to cover seats with tarps?

Of course, there’s always the notion that maybe the rest of the world is crazy, and Florida is the only sane organization. Perhaps the Marlins haven’t gone far enough. Pete Rose, the Black Sox- all of them were suspended for betting on baseball. This wasn’t betting on baseball per se, but it was a baseball guy involved in gambling. Maybe we should suspend this ruthless troublemaker for life. What’s next? Streaking through the locker room for a free sundae? What won’t this monster do!

I suppose the kick in the teeth for this kid is that he didn’t win the bet. According to Penny, he didn’t throw up, but he didn’t finish the milk in the allotted time. So not only is he facing suspension by a Major League franchise, but his friends in high school are most likely going to be talking about him, knowing that he’s a sucker.

Next thing you know, he’ll be trying to eat six saltines in 60 seconds.

Rocket Must Play Catch-Up

2005-08-22T23:47:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

September is quickly approaching, that not only means that the playoff races are heating up in baseball, but that the races for individual awards are heating up as well. Perhaps no sport more glorifies individual performances than baseball, which makes achieving milestones and winning individual awards as important to the history of the game as what team wins the World Series in a given year.

No award has been debated more hotly this year than the Cy Young Award in the National League. There are perhaps three or four candidates for the award, but after throwing out the Pedro’s and Dontrelle’s of the world, you’re left with two legitimate candidates for this year’s Cy Young. Chris Carpenter and Roger Clemens have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack.

Carpenter, while playing for the NL’s best team and most potent offense, has compiled a 17-4 record and 2.29 ERA over 25 starts while throwing a league-leading six complete games, including four shutouts. Clemens on the other hand has an 11-5 record over the same amount of starts, but with a far superior 1.53 ERA.

Carpenter has surely gotten better offensive support that Clemens, seeing as the Astros were one of the worst teams in baseball in the beginning of the season, and the Cardinals have been running away with the Central Division all year. Clemens certainly would have more than 11 wins if he were playing for the Cardinals. But the fact that he has no more than 11 wins can’t be used in his favor. Voters should not say, “Well if he were on a better team…” The fact remains that no starter has won the Cy Young with less than 16 wins since Fernando Valenzuela did it with only 13 in 1981. Chalk that one up to Fernando-mania. Clemens will probably not get to the magical 16 number. He would likely have to win his remaining five or six starts to get there.

Carpenter on the other hand has already eclipsed that mark, and will likely push towards 20 wins. He also leads Clemens in strikeouts, complete games and shutouts. As a matter of fact Clemens has not recorded a complete game or shutout all season. Perhaps if he could finish the game himself he wouldn’t be at the mercy of the bullpen and a weak offense all of the time. Clemens is holding hitters to a lower batting average against, but Carpenter has more strikeouts per nine innings, and his strikeout/walk ratio is better.

For every category that Clemens takes home, Carpenter comes up with something equally impressive. Voters will also look at the win-loss record and vote accordingly, as they have traditionally. This makes Caprenter a heavy favorite as the summer draws to a close, especially if the Cardinals make it further in the playoffs. The Astros, despite being in the fight for the wildcard spot, may not make it at all.

The age card will no doubt be played by those arguing in favor of The Rocket. “Look at him, he’s 43, practically drawing Social Security, and he can still dominate.” My response to that argument; “So what?” Age has nothing to do with who the best pitcher in the league is, absolutely nothing.

So for now the Cardinals’ young ace seems to be a favorite over the Astros’ aging fireballer. If Clemens wants to win this award, he’d better start winning ballgames fast and maybe looking to the sky and closing his eyes during his windup would help.

The Next Generation

2005-08-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

It will be interesting to see how the general sporting public will welcome back hockey. Most sports fans ranked hockey as the least favorite among the big four sports (football, basketball, and baseball). A good consensus of the fans seemed apathetic about the existence of hockey during the lockout. All these things are about to change. What Tiger Woods did for golf Sidney Crosby will do for the National Hockey League.

Tiger Woods entered the wide world of golf at a pretty ordinary and mundane time. Golf was losing ground fast compared to its previous history. There was no Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer in golf at the time. Enter, Tiger Woods. This phenom single-handedly revived the sport of golf from something hardly bearable to something enjoyable. Sure, there had been others who the world might thought might challenge him like a David Duval or a Phil Mickelson, but to see what Tiger Woods has done throughout his career thus far is truly an amazing feat. Nike jumped on the Tiger Woods bandwagon and has marketed him successfully around the world with Nike products. Tiger single-handedly turned the image of golf from a bourgeois sport and into a sport that anyone can now enjoy regardless of class or ethnicity.

Sidney Crosby will be the Tiger Woods of golf. The number one overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins is going to revolutionize the game. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux are both gone from there triumphant days in the NHL. No new great ones have come along since although Mike Modano is as close as they get (I am a Stars fan after all). He has all the tools player dreams of. A great skater, a great knack to get the puck in the goal, and the size, strength, and speed necessary to dominate at a high level. If anyone will bring back hockey from its decay, it is Sidney Crosby. After all, hockey needs Sidney Crosby much more than Sidney Crosby needs hockey.

Wild Wild West

2005-08-19T11:00:00.001-05:00

By Blake Skinner

As it happens every mid August, sub .500 teams start to look toward next season in hopes of a chance at the playoffs. Of course, unless your in the NL West. The division leading San Diego Padres were two games below .500 going into play on Friday.

Nipping on their heels are Arizona Diamondbacks (3 GB), the L.A. Dodgers (4GB), and the San Francisco Giants (6 GB). None of these teams would be better than third in any other division and they would all be in last place if they played in the NL East where all five teams are over the .500 mark.

Unfortunately one of these teams are going to make the playoffs while either the Nationals, Astros or Philis who are fighting for the wild card won’t make the playoffs with records that are currently at least 4 games better than the Padres.

The Padres’ record isn’t even in the top half of all major league teams. As of now, there are 9 teams with better records that will not make the playoffs. If the playoffs started to day, the Padres would be matched up against the Cardinals who are 16.5 games a head of them.

Although this is a travesty, it does not mean that baseball should revamp its whole divisional system or put in a special sub .500 clause in the collective bargaining agreement. This is more of a freak occurrence that every sport is prone to. In fact, a similar thing happened in the NCAA tournament this year when Oakland, who was 9-18 during the regular season, but won their conference tournament and the play in game to make it into the Big Dance.

Even though this will hurt the competitive balance in the National League playoffs, who can you blame? You can’t blame San Diego. Their just playing the best them can and we’ll probably be the first to say their surprised to be in first place with a 59-61 record.

As though as it is for Phili, Houston and Florida fans to swallow, the wild card system as done much more to help baseball than to hurt it and this is just one of the sacrifices baseball will have to make. Who knows? Maybe come October we’ll all be dumbfounded when game three of the World Series finds itself in Southern California. It’s baseball and weirder things have happened.

Real Old School Sports

2005-08-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

"Yeah, some of those guys run 60 or 61 400s."

I was walking home from the gym with friends after working out when we came across two Senior Games competitors, an elderly husband and wife who run track. I'm pretty sure the guy said he was pushing 72, so I figured he was talking 60 minutes, maybe 60 hours. After all, the thought of my grandfather running 400 meters brings to mind images of the new, post-BALCO scandal Marion Jones -- it just ain't that fast. But this guy was serious. 60 seconds! And so began my experience with the National Senior Games.

For a couple of weeks this summer, Pittsburgh was home to a collection of the toughest elderly people you'll ever meet. Competing in everything from track and field to racquetball to basketball, these folks are the best athletes in their age groups. They're old, to be sure, but they either a) don't care or b) are in such good shape they don't realize it.

Take my track-running friend. He runs basically every day, and has for decades. He explained how he put up with hecklers back when it wasn't popular to run -- we're talking about 30 years before I was a glint in anyone's eyes -- and was a role model once it became the thing to do. I can understand the role model idea, though I don't know how inspiring it is to realize that I'm in good shape and this guy could probably still whip me without breaking a sweat. The more he talked, the more I kept looking over my shoulder at the Petersen Events Center and thinking that I should have spent more time working out there.

However, being a role model doesn't mean you can't have role models of your own. This particular athlete was a big Lance Armstrong fan.

"How can you argue with what the man's done, coming back from cancer like that?" he said to my trio. I wanted to ask him if he'd seen Armstrong cameo in Dodgeball, but figured his answer would be a look more blank than Mike Tyson's he ran into Buster Douglas.

The more competitors I talked to, the more I realized that seniors still have a world of fun playing sports.

Take Jerry Wingen from Connecticut, who plays basketball constantly. He admits his game isn't exactly above the rim -- so much for the Nike deal -- but he and his friends, who have played together for 35 years, are still good enough to have qualified for the last four National Senior Games.

He's also another example of the inspirational type, passing the game along to the next generation of Wingens. He and some of his sons play in an adult league together, and his youngest son, Tony, is the head basketball coach at Carnegie Mellon University. Despite the fact that CMU is hours from Connecticut, Tony admits that it hasn't kept him from following Dad's progress.

"It's still fun for me to go watch him play," he said. "They're anxious to show off for friends." What's more, every time there's a tournament, the family members that go along get a mini-vacation out of the deal. Everybody wins! But then, winning isn't what matters at the games.

"Competition's important," Tony explains, "but it's inspiring to see the camaraderie."

For others, winning isn't everything for different reasons, like simple Darwinism.

"The competition dies off!" a Michigan tennis player told me enthusiastically. "You just wait long enough and you'll be number one!" Sure, our conversation came to a screeching, awkward halt, but he makes good point.

Much to the chagrin of people like my tennis-playing friend, however, some people refuse to quit not just sports, but life, too. Case in point: a 103-year-old bowler, who aside from rolling a great game also holds the distinction of being possibly the first athlete to actually be as old as Otis Nixon looks. Forget rolling a ball down an alley -- if I'm still breathing at 103, I'll count my blessings.

The competitors do have some complaints about the games. A couple from Louisiana explained that they were disappointed in the low number of volunteers at the shuffleboard event. Some games, they had to keep the score themselves. Funny coincidence: they were telling this to a guy who wanted to volunteer but didn't have time.

But generally there were few disgruntled folks among those I talked to. All of them looked ahead not only to competing in the events they had remaining but to next year's game, as well. Some mentioned hanging up the shoes, but Tony Wingen's got a pretty good idea of what their decisions will be.

"They say [this is their last games] now," he said with a laugh, "but who knows what they'll say when they get home."

I certainly hope they say they'll compete again. Because what Lance is to the runner I talked to, Jerry Wingen and the hundreds like him are to me: one heck of an inspiration to never give up the things I love.

West Coast Rookie Ball

2005-08-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

Can you name the only divisional race in baseball that is currently being decided by a difference of two games or less? There’s only one race that close, and you’re probably in bed too early to catch the final scores, or even the highlights. The American League West has the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ahead of the Oakland A’s by a mere game in what is shaping up to be the most hotly contested division race in baseball.

As of May 29 the A’s had lost eight games in a row, plummeting to the cellar of the West with a record of 17-32, which left them 12.5 games back of the Angels. Since that time the A’s have been arguably the best team in baseball, behind a young and talented pitching staff with three big contributors being rookies, and a resurrected offense led by the resurgence of star third baseman Eric Chavez and another impact rookie.

Despite the fact that two of their top three pitchers were traded away in the off-season (Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson in case you didn’t know) the pitching staff has found its feet after a shaky start. Former Cy Young Award winner, and elder member of the starting rotation at 27, Barry Zito, has rebounded from a rough start to the season to go 8-0 with a 2.27 ERA over his last ten starts. Rookies Joe Blanton and Danny Haren have found their place in starting rotation as well. Blanton is just behind Zito with a 2.58 ERA since June 21 and Haren is 5-1 over that same period of time. All of this has happened while Rich Harden has blossomed into the ace of the pitching staff while compiling a 9-5 record and 2.78 ERA in 18 starts.

The starters aren’t the only pitchers contributing to how hot the A’s have gotten as the summer has heated up. The back-end of the bullpen has been lights out this season. All-Star reliever Justin Duchscherer hasn’t slowed down since the break, and since the injury to closer Octavio Dotel, rookie Huston Street has accumulated 15 saves while blowing only four opportunities, with a 1.42 ERA.

Certainly pitching has not been the only thing going right for the A’s. The offense has turned around in a big way. Chavez and Crosby have been big contributors, but perhaps the biggest and most unexpected has been from yet another Oakland rookie. First baseman Dan Johnson has been one of the best offensive players in the AL since his recall from Triple-A on May 28 to replace oft-injured slugger Erubiel Durazo, hitting .323 overall and .347 since June 21. Johnson also leads those with at least 200 at-bats on the team with a .535 slugging percentage and .404 on-base percentage.

After such a discouraging start to the season many were ridiculing General Manager Billy Beane for the personnel decisions he’d made for his ball club before the year started. However, now that they’re vying for a playoff spot, just one game out of the division lead and with a 2.5 game Wild Card lead over the Yankees, Beane can sit back and watch his rookies fulfill their potential and surprise yet more experts as they play integral roles in a heated playoff chase.

The Year of the Tiger (Again)

2005-08-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Dhurva Jaishankar

Cynic that I am, I’m often wary of the hype that individual players or teams receive from the mainstream media. I get some sort of perverse pleasure out of pointing out the weaknesses of great athletes: Michael Jordan could be selfish and never had the all-round game of a player like Magic; Pete Sampras couldn’t beat his grandmother on clay; Lance Armstrong took part in only one major race every year. In each of these cases, I inevitably find some statistic or fact to back me up.

It’s tempting to try and do the same with Tiger Woods, the man who gets the lion’s share of the media attention before every golfing Major. The only problem is that as hard as I try, I can’t find a single fault with the guy. You look at his game or his career – a career which, frighteningly, is still on the upswing – and there appear to be no weaknesses at all.

• Tiger has won every Major at least twice, for a total of ten Majors, and he is not yet 30 years old. If he plays at a similar level for another six or seven years, he will pass Jack Nicklaus’ monumental 18 career Majors.

• His scores in Majors are also impressive. He holds or shares the low score record in relation to par in all four Majors.

• Although he does compete in fewer tournaments than most other players on the tour, he does not pass up on the big ones. He has victories at the World Cup (1999, 2000), the American Express Championships (1999, 2002, 2003), the NEC Invitational (1999-2001) and the Match Play Championships (2003-04), giving him a unique career grand slam in World Golf Championship Events. He has also won golf’s biggest purse at the PLAYERS Championship in 2001, a Ryder Cup in 1999 and five Grand Slams of Golf (1998-2002). Even before his professional career started, Woods won three U.S. Amateur titles, as well as a collegiate title at Stanford. There is not a single important victory that still eludes him.

• Every aspect of Woods’ game is solid, from one of the best drives on tour to consistent putting. He has the lowest scoring average on the PGA tour this year, the second-longest average drive and his putting average is fifteenth.

• He performs well in smaller tournaments as well: he is tied with Vijay Singh for most wins on the PGA tour in a year since 1950, with nine.

• In 2000, he averaged a 68.17 on the PGA Tour, breaking Byron Nelson’s low-scoring average of 68.33 set in 1945. His adjusted scoring average that year, 67.79, is also an all-time low.

• He made the cut in 142 consecutive PGA tournaments, more than anyone else.

Phil Mickelson may have capped off an amazing weekend to clinch his second Major on Monday, but Tiger’s comeback from just making the cut on Friday to a piece of fourth place may have been the PGA Championship’s most compelling story. Only four golfers – U.S. Open winner Michael Campbell, Mickelson, Thomas Bjorn and Steve Elkington – can say that they performed better than Woods in a 2005 Major. Another way of looking at it: Woods was just six strokes away from winning a Grand Slam this year – an unheard of feat.

It’s sometimes heartening to remember that Woods is mortal. He suffered dips in his form in 1998, and more recently in 2004. And while this year’s Byron Nelson Championship saw him miss the cut for the first time in many years, 2005 has also seen Tiger return magnificently to his indomitable self.

Get Excited About Hockey

2005-08-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

During an economics class last fall, one of my professors, a die-hard Red Wings fan, asked how many other people were crying themselves to sleep the night the NHL’s aborted season should have begun. Somewhere, a cricket chirped. I raised my hand, because hey, sports are sports, and I missed the Flyers, but you could see the sadness in the poor guy’s eyes. You could see the pain he felt at seeing that nobody cared about hockey. But let’s face it- being a hockey fan is like being a Soviet who says, “Maybe Stalin’s wrong!” You’re in the minority.

That’s why I’m so stunned by what I’m about to say. May God forgive me for uttering these words, but (gulp) hockey might be a lot of fun to watch this year.

I know- I’m as surprised as you are. But after a year of being the butt end of jokes, the NHL has come away from its strike with a plan that could not only salvage the game from the rubble of the strike, but perhaps make it even better than it was before. The salary cap and revenue-sharing plans in place give every team a chance to become a buyer before the new season begins.

Try to understand what this means for the sport. It’s as if the NHL has become a video game: players going to places you never dreamed they’d go to, teams pursuing deals that they’d never try in real life until this year…it’s like I’m playing NHL 2004, except without using Dany Heatley as a cover boy. (How many heads do you think rolled at EA for that one? What’s next, Ray Lewis on a cover?)

But I digress. Look at who’s currently playing where. Pittsburgh, who finished in a ’62 Mets kind of basement the last season of NHL play, now has Mario Lemieux, Mark Recchi, and Sydney Crosby, the latter of which is the next great player according to pretty much any hockey publication on the planet. Chicago has Nikolai Khabibulin in the net. Paul Kariya is in Nashville. Chris Pronger is in Edmonton. The list goes on and on and on, kind of the way NHL games before the strike just dragged along, daring you to gouge out your eyes rather than endure sheer boredom. But not this year.

This year, things are exciting! Everyday, somebody’s new deal with a team stops you in your tracks, makes you say, “How’d they get him???” Every team is building for a playoff run, not just the perennial contenders. Hockey already has the most exciting playoffs of any sport – don’t try to argue that point, because you don’t win no matter how hard you try – and now the possibility of seeing virtually any team in the postseason has given all fans a reason to tune in.

As if more was needed to spice things up, The Great One has returned to the arena, this time as coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. There are skeptics, to be sure, people who think that his unrivaled skill as a player won’t carry over to coaching. And they have plenty of examples, too. Ted Williams couldn’t find the groove for managing, even though he was the greatest hitter that ever lived. Magic Johnson? Well, he lasted longer as a coach than a talk-show host, though that’s really not saying much. But then again, you’ve got Mike Ditka, a stellar college and professional player who became a successful coach. Anything can happen. I’ve always believed that the best managers are players that were, at best, average. They succeeded as players not because of their mediocre talent, but because they knew the game well enough to make up for what they lacked physically.

Maybe Gretzky can surprise people. Or maybe he tanks. But people will be watching the Coyotes. The NHL will get publicity – think of how many SportsCenter shorts will feature some washed-up hockey pro talking about what Gretzky did wrong or right the previous evening – and ultimately, hockey wins.

The doubters are disappearing. Before the strike, you had ticket prices through the roof, boring games, and Todd Bertuzzi. Now, there’s nothing but hope in every city with a team. The NHL has the most unique opportunity in the history of sports, the chance to go from the worst disaster the sporting world has ever seen to perhaps the most exciting athletic venue in America. For the sake of the game, and for the sake of my professor, let’s hope they get it right.

Corner Kicks: La Liga Preview

2005-08-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

This is the third in a four-part preview of the European soccer season.

Almost continually since its foundation in 1929, Spain’s Primera Division has been caught in a duopolic stranglehold by giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barça and Madrid have won the Spanish title a combined 46 years out of 72, and while they have recently faced serious challenges from the likes of Deportivo, La Coruna, Valencia, Real Sociedad, and Atletico Madrid, this year should be a typical contest between the two for the Spanish title.

By Madrid’s lofty standards, the last two years have been ones to forget. Despite having bought the most expensive players, the world’s richest soccer club has failed to win a Spanish title since 2003 and have not won a European Championship since 2002. The title drought has put a lot of pressure on manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo and his team’s many superstars. Luxemburgo has recently announced that he will shed the club’s unofficial policy of starting star players. He looks likely to adopt a three-man midfield featuring the iconic David Beckham, former World Player of the Year, Zinedine Zidane, and defensive-minded Thomas Gravesen behind a trio of strikers – probably Ronaldo, Raul, and new signing Julio Baptista. The arrival of Baptista and Brazilian starlet Robinho, combined with Luxemburgo’s new policy has led to an exodus of sorts from the Bernabeu Stadium. Among those who have left are former World Player of the Year Luis Figo, Argentina’s Santiago Solari, and Walter Samuel. Also likely to go is England star Michael Owen.

Madrid’s perennial rival, Barcelona, is looking to build on last year’s success. In addition to an exciting roster featuring Spaniard Xavi Hernandez, Brazilian Ronaldinho, Portuguese Deco, and Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o, manager Frank Rijkaard has brought countryman Mark van Bommel from PSV Eindhoven.

Other teams have done their best to keep up with ‘the big two’ in the off-season. Real’s cross-town rivals, Atletico Madrid, have brought together a potent strike force by purchasing Mateja Kezman from Chelsea and Maxi Rodriguez from Espanyol. But the biggest threat to Real and Barca may come from small-town club Villarreal. With a core of Argentine internationals – Juan Riquelme, Juan Pablo Sorin, and Luciano Figeroa – as well as prolific Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan and new signings Alessio Tacchinardi and Jan Kronkamp. Villarreal looks to do better than last year’s third-place finish.

Recent Spanish champions Deportivo and Valencia, both of whom had sub-par seasons last year, look headed in opposing directions. Valencia is likely to rebound, having brought in former Premiership players Edu and Patrick Kluivert and signing Getafe’s Quinque Flores as manager. Meanwhile, Deportivo no longer has the services of successful manager Javier Irureta, having replaced him with former Seville chief Joaquin Caparros. Strikers Fran and Walter Pandiani and midfield Mauro Silva have all departed, leaving a skeleton of the side that reached the last four of the Champions League less than two years ago.

2005-06 Standings: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao, Espanyol, Sevilla, Malaga, Deportivo, Zaragoza, Celta de Vigo, Mallorca, Alaves, Getafe, Osasuna, Racing Santander, Cadiz.

Top Scorers: Eto’o (Barcelona), Forlan (Villarreal), Maxi (Atletico Madrid), Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Torres (Atletico Madrid), Tristan (Deportivo La Coruna), Ricardo Oliveira (Real Betis), Nihat (Real Sociedad), Urzaiz (Athletic Bilbao), Villa (Valencia)

Gretzky Back Just in Time

2005-08-09T00:43:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

The Great One is back, and it couldn’t come at a better time for the National Hockey League. No, he’s not donning the sweater and skates for another team, he’ll be sporting a suit and tie on the bench as the coach of the Phoenix Coyotes beginning next season, hoping to revive not only his team, but also the image of the NHL following a season-long lockout.

It’s safe to say that there is no man more suited to lead the NHL from the lockout than Wayne Gretzky. After retiring in 1999 Gretzky held 61 individual NHL records including goals, assists and points. Not only did he hold a ton of records, but he held iconic status the world over. After all, you don’t get the nickname The Great One for nothing.

Though the job in Phoenix will be his first coaching job, it is hard to believe that a man that was a step ahead of everyone else while he was on the ice will have trouble being a step ahead of the other team while leading a group of players as coach. His knowledge and feel for the game is unprecedented in the history of hockey. As Gretzky said himself at the news conference announcing his hiring, “It is what I know, it is what I love.”

The NHL has to be desperate to repair its public image after a lockout that all but crippled the sport in America. Who better than hockey’s greatest icon to help restore the image of the league? Granted, it would be better if Gretzky were coaching in a big hockey town, say Detroit or even a city in his native Canada, but at this point I think Phoenix will just have to do.

The hiring of Gretzky, as head coach of the Coyotes, had to bring a smile to Commissioner Gary Bettman’s face. He is, after all, generally regarded as the scapegoat for the lockout. Having Gretzky back in the game will take pressure off of himself and those around him to repair the image of the NHL. As a matter of fact, Gretzky may be able to single-handedly rebuild a league that has all but crumbled in a year’s time.

Time will tell how good of a coach Gretzky will be, who knows if he will be able to win as many Stanley Cups on the bench as he did on the ice, but he will certainly help lift his beleaguered sport from the ashes.

Steroids 101

2005-08-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Blake Skinner

In the wake of the suspension of Rafael Palmeiro, along with the suspensions of Alex Sanchez and 6 other players, Major League Baseball needs to take the next step in ending the steroid problem: educate.

In the rush to complete a new steroid policy before the season, MLB has failed to really teach the players what not to use and what to watch out for. Both Sanchez and many other players have said they did not know they took any thing illegally and you know what? They’re probably telling the truth.

With the new policy in place, the last thing any major league player wants to do is get caught using steroids. By creating an steroid education program for the players, it takes the steroid responsibility off the league and on to the players.

A majority of professional athletes take supplements, vitamins and over the counter body enhancing chemicals that they believe are legal to use. It’s almost necessary in today’s sport’s world be use supplements to increase strength, speed, quickness and overall athleticism for professional athletes to compete.

Supplements that can be found in any GNC store are now illegal in the sport of baseball because they contain chemicals that are illegal under the new band substance agreement. MLB can’t expect the players to know every little chemical that is now all of a sudden illegal especially since the players didn’t get to ratify the agreement till the middle of spring training. It’s even harder for foreign players who have a hard enough time learning English.

Now baseball’s integrity is being hurt because of a steroid policy that was rushed into place too quickly. This is partially because of the pressure Congress was putting on baseball but primarily because the problem of steroids was taken care of when it first became an issue.

Baseball must create an extensive steroid education program so all the players know what to look out for and what is legal and what is not. It is in the best interest of the game as a whole that steroid controversies stay away from baseball and to keep the headlines on the events on the fields rather than samples in a urine cup.

Pitty for Phili

2005-08-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

We’re coming up on the annual ritual of late summer. Every year around this time, Cubs fans start muttering about the decades since their last title, using the Billy Goat curse as their excuse for not winning (even though that still leaves about 35 years of losing unaccounted for). They moan about how this will be another failed crusade towards the World Series trophy. I’m usually good-natured about Chicago’s complaints, as I was with Boston fans’ when they were still Bambino-cursed. But I’m finding that with each passing year it becomes harder to deal with the sports complaints of others. Why? Because I’m a Philadelphia fan. So, I’ve decided to stop their negativity before it starts this year by showing these people how rough it is to cheer for the City of Brotherly Love.

Go ahead, make your judgments now. But look, I wasn’t one of the guys cheering when medics carried off Michael Irvin on a stretcher. I wasn’t there when fans booed Santa Claus. I’m just cursed to root for a sports city with worse luck than any other city, and I get tired of hearing how bad everybody else has it. This isn’t just a rant- it’s pure fact.

Has it been a while for the Cubs? Sure. Was it for the Red Sox before last year? Absolutely! They waited a darn long time. But if we’re talking consistent poor play, turn to the Phillies’ page of the Baseball Encyclopedia. You’ll notice that the Phils are the worst team in baseball history. Now take it to the next level- the four major sports. In the history of baseball, football, hockey, and basketball, the Phillies are the worst franchise in the history of professional sports. They have won one World Series in their 122 years of baseball. That in itself is pathetic. But let’s look at the whole sports circuit in the city. Philadelphia’s last championship in any major sport came in the NBA, when the 76ers won the title in 1983. Since then, every other city with a team in each of the Big Four has won some sort of championship.

We can start with Boston. Sure, the Bambino’s legacy caused problems in baseball. But last I checked, the Celtics have won title after title, and the Pats have won a handful of Super Bowls. Compare that to the Eagles, who haven’t won a title since 1960 (or, a year before man flew into outer space). You may remember the Eagles from such NFC championship game chokes as 2002, 2003, and 2004, and from the losing end of the final scores of Super Bowls XV and XXXIX.

New York’s had no shortage of trophies thanks to the Yankees, and the Giants, Rangers, and Islanders have all chipped in titles since 1983. The Twins have brought World Series wins to Minneapolis; the Redskins have won a couple of titles for the nation’s capital; and the Pistons and Red Wings have helped the Motor City to championships. (This latter did so at the expense of the Flyers.) Denver won titles in the ‘90s in hockey and football, while Los Angeles has championship banners of all sorts. And Chicago? I’m sorry about the Cubs, truly I am. But Da Bears and Da Bulls have brought glory of their own to the Windy City.

So please, don’t waste time telling me about how awful it is to not have a World Series. Look at the big picture! You don’t know what it is to long for a championship. You want desperate? When Smarty Jones made his Triple Crown run in 2004, the city rallied around him like Frenchmen around Napoleon. Local sportscasters explained how Smarty kept calm despite the media surrounding him, even though he knew everybody expected big things from him. The local yokels who always turn up on sports talk shows were so excited, saying things like, “This horse knows how long the city’s been waiting for a champ! He knows how much it means to the people here!” I’m sure that’s exactly what went through the horse’s mind. Not, “Hey, where are my carrots?” or, “Why do I always have to run in an oval?” I’m sure Smarty had trouble sleeping, spent nights lying nervously in his stall saying, “Everybody’s counting on me!”

I realize there are cities who haven’t won anything in their sporting lives. But in all of sports, nobody has made a habit of losing as much as Philadelphia has. So please- don’t talk to a starving man about how bad your bread tastes. Take a look beyond baseball, Chicago, and realize how much you have to be thankful for.

Can LB Help the NYC?

2005-08-02T23:01:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

In an off-season devoid of blockbuster trades and big free agent signings, Larry Brown’s move from Motown to the Apple is the closest thing to a shift in the NBA’s balance of power. Last week, Brown was welcomed to New York by a beaming Isaiah Thomas, a sycophantic gaggle of New York pens and a $10 million paycheck. It’s easy to see why New Yorkers are so excited about Brown. He has reached the playoffs 17 times in 22 years as an NBA head coach and his teams have finished under .500 only three times.

Now that the hoopla has died down, it is clear that Brown has been stuck with the most difficult job in professional basketball. The sputtering Knicks, 33-49 last season, have not won forty games since 2000-01 and currently sport a roster filled with overpaid, out-of-form veterans, most of whom will be difficult to trade.

Brown has always been more about great teams than great players. In Philadelphia, he surrounded Allen Iverson with a core of solid role players and curbed A.I.’s frenzied shooting. In Detroit he managed to tame Rasheed Wallace and fashion a championship team from a bunch of underachievers. In Jamal Crawford and Quentin Richardson, Brown has a few of the requisite parts needed to forge a Detroit part deux. Crawford may be the player most adaptable to Brown’s coaching. He has the potential to be a steady scorer in the Rip Hamilton vein and may be able to provide some effective D. Quentin Richardson is another player who is likely to fit the Brown paradigm, although it may take him a while overcoming the run-and-gun Mike D’Antoni approach he is used to.

What Brown and Isaiah Thomas are going to have to do is fill in the rest of the blanks. The Knicks need a front court and a supportive point guard, i.e. not Stephon Marbury. They do have Allan Houston, Tim Thomas, Malik Rose and Penny Hardaway, a quartet of former (or in the case of Thomas, unrealized) stars who are, frankly, a burden to the Knicks. Nate Robinson and Channing Frye, two great draftees, are still green and Brown has rarely been patient with rookies. Remember Darko.

Brown is undoubtedly a great coach and is fully deserving of a fat paycheck. But unless Isaiah Thomas and the Knicks’ front office give him their full support and are willing to keep their checkbook open, the only thing New York is going to be in contention for is next year’s draft lottery.

A Happy Tuna

2005-08-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Troy Eason

It’s the hottest part of the summer. And that can mean only one thing…it’s time for NFL Training Camps. Many a superstar has changed teams, Moss to the Raiders, Rice to Denver, and Bledsoe to the ‘Boys; and many a holdout is sure to come as well. When all is said and done however, the next month is surely to be, oh, what’s the word, fascinating, no. Exciting? No. Boring, YES, that’s what I’m looking for. For the most part, NFL training camps are lifeless weeks of running drills and running sprints.

However, in one training camp located in Oxnard, California, a massive surprise has already happened…on the first day of camp. The Dallas Cowboys Training Camp always starts with a “State of the Team” address by owner/GM, Jerry Jones and head coach, Bill Parcells. The past two seasons, this press conference has had a very negative tone. Parcells is normally very short and defensive with the media members there.

The 2005 “State of the Team” was very, very different. While listening to the conference on Dallas’ 1310 The Ticket, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was so odd about the conference at the beginning. It was about 20 minutes into the media questions when I figured it out…there was laughter in the background. Bill Parcells made a joke. A FREAKING JOKE! Had the world gone mad? Did hell freeze over? What in the sweet name of Little Bo Peep was going on?

The 2005 Dallas Cowboys are going to be a lot better. Last year, the Tuna made sure that everyone knew that his team wasn’t as good as their 10-6 record of 2003. He was more than right as a dismal 6-10 season followed. However, this year is going to be different. I can tell already the ‘Boys are going to be more competitive just because the Big Fish in Big D is happy.

He’s got a lot to be happy about. Jerry Jones called the 2005 Draft the best the Cowboys have had since they drafted Troy Aikman in the 1988 Draft. Secondly, the Cowboys’ prize running back, Julius Jones, has a year of experience under his belt and more importantly, a 100% clean bill of health. Parcells his foaming at the mouth about what Jones can do over a full season. Finally, Big Bill brought back one of his favorite people, Drew Bledsoe. While Bledsoe is no Donovan McNabb or Michael Vick, he is most definitely NOT Vinny Testaverde. Bledsoe can’t run a 4.4 but he is mobile enough to get out of most pressure situations and make a play every now and then. He’s durable, smart, and he’s won at the highest level.

The addition of Bledsoe will not only mean more plays will be made, but it also means that Drew Henson will have another year to develop and won’t be rushed into the starting line up. Parcells loves this fact. He said that he wanted Henson to have at least 2 years watching and improving his game before he’d be comfortable putting him in charge of the Cowboys offense. With Bledsoe, the Tuna gets his wish. And a happy Tuna is a good Tuna.

While most of the big holes have been filled, a few questions still remain as to whether the Cowboys can contend for a Super Bowl. They need a fourth receiver. Terrance Copper or Patrick Crayton will need to step up and show that they can make plays. They need a true free safety so that Roy Williams can play more towards the line of scrimmage.

I’m not predicting that Parcells and Jones will hoist the Lombardi trophy in early 2006, but I can say that the ‘Boys will be a force to be reckoned with in the mediocre NFC.

Point, Counterpoint: Palmiero's Hall Halt

2005-08-01T23:01:00.000-05:00

By Nick Matkovich

The new steroid testing policy reminded me of the Royal Rumble, the annual WWE event held to see who fights the world champion at Wrestlemania. You put your finger on who you thought would be the first entry but you really had no idea.

The steroid testing policy brought about a similar feeling. Sure you had your Alex Sanchez’s of the world test positive, but that was nothing but another seed in a pumpkin. A light heavyweight drew the first steroid suspension, yawn, next story. Things changed drastically this week when Major League Baseball landed a pumpkin of Charlie Brown sized proportions.

Rafael Palmeiro, the slugger who recently joined the elusive 3,000 hit 500 homerun club was suspended 10 days for using steroids.

Hold on just a minute. Wasn’t this the same Palmeiro who attacked congress with the fervor of a fat girl with a box of thin mints and a Diet Pepsi that he never used steroids? The same Raffy who was put on a committee with congress to solve the steroid problem?

Palmeiro said he did not knowingly take steroids, he supposedly had no clue what he was taking was illegal. It sounds foolish but it is believable that Palmeiro did not know he was using an illegal substance, but that is the ultimate sign of blatant ignorance. Did he really think he was so above the game that any pill could be stomached and it would not leave a blip on a drug test? Maybe Palmeiro consulted with Dr. Dimento before taking whatever he did that gave him a 10 day vacation.

This incident gives credence to what Jose Canseco supposedly did to de-fame the game of baseball by calling out all these puffy-headed monsters. Oh how could Canseco have called out the Mark McGwire’s, Sammy Sosa’s, and Rafael Palmeiro’s of the world? What right did he have to do that even though McGwire was as flexible as a pretzel towards the end of his career? Take a look at it now and realize that perhaps Canseco did know what he was talking about and that your (gasp) boyhood heroes were actually taking more than the Hulk Hogan treatment of prayers and vitamins.

It will be interesting to see how Palmeiro’s Hall of Fame chances are hindered by this. This does not help his chance at all even if this mess gets cleared up. This is not the way a career should come to an end. I hope the Viagra works so well it gets his image up, if not you can see a Hall of Fame career coming up limp.

Counter Point: Still Hall Worthy

2005-08-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown - Indiana Dailey Student

Rafael Palmeiro became the first really high-profile Major League Baseball player to be suspended in violation of the MLB’s steroid policy Monday. This came on the heels of collecting his 3,000th career hit, becoming only the fourth member of the 3,000 hit and 500 home run club, joining Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray.

Palmeiro had all but punched his Hall of Fame ticket after that 3,000th hit in Seattle. However, a positive test for steroids will open up the debate as to whether he really deserves to be admitted into the Hall. Are his numbers tainted? Is he really that good or are those statistics inflated?

He denied steroid use in front of Congress, saying under oath, “I have never used steriods. Period.” Palmeiro claims that the banned substance was in an over-the-counter supplement that was not prescribed to him. Palmeiro does not seem like the kind of person to lie under oath, as he said himself during an interview: "Why would I do this in a year when I went in front of Congress and I testified and I told the truth?" he said. "Why would I do this during a season where I was going to get to 3,000 hits? It just makes no sense. I would not put my career on the line. I would not put my reputation on the line, everything that I've accomplished throughout my career. I would not do that. I'm not a crazy person."

He makes a very compelling point. Sure, many athletes would be dumb enough to do all the things that Palmeiro says he did not, but for as cynical as I am about steroid use in baseball, something about me wants to believe that Raffy just isn’t that dumb.

There is no doubt that Palmeiro will serve his suspension, and move on with his career. There is also no doubt that this suspension will hang over him for the rest of his career, and his Hall of Fame balloting. If the writers prove willing to keep him from the Hall because of this discovery, are they then willing to keep out a whole generation of ballplayers?

Maybe Palmeiro actually did use steroids despite his denials, and if he did, can you blame him? I certainly can’t. Not many people can take the high road while their competition is cheating all around them. If it’s a matter of keeping your job, you’re going to do what it takes to keep up with your competition.

Rafael Palmeiro is still a first-ballot Hall of Famer despite the recent turmoil surrounding him. Anybody who thinks they can keep him out had better be ready to keep out an entire era of baseball. Nobody has ever thought back and said, “Well you know what, the 1960’s was a pitchers era, so maybe some of those pitchers weren’t really as good as they seemed, we should re-evaluate their Hall of Fame credentials.”

Let’s keep in mind that in the so-called Steroid Era these ballplayers were doing nothing illegal according the collective bargaining agreements at the time. Sure they tainted the game and sent the record book into a tailspin, but that’s not their fault. If baseball had done something in a timely fashion for once and gotten steroids out of the game before they did irreparable harm we wouldn’t even have to have this debate.

Corner Kicks: Serie A Preview

2005-07-31T00:51:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

This is the second in a four-part preview of the European soccer season.

Italy’s glamorous top-flight league, the 20-team Serie A, attracts some of the brightest talents and biggest names in world soccer. A predisposition toward cautious defense (or catenaccio) and a wealth of talent across the board mean that the league is often closely competed. As a result, all four titles between 1999 and 2002 were decided on the last day of play. At the other end of the table, the last day of the 2004-2005 season saw as many as 11 teams facing the possibility of relegation. The upcoming season looks to be much of the same.

Perennial heavyweights AC Milan and Juventus have to be the two clubs most likely to win the Serie A title (Scudetto) this year. Juventus has made European soccer’s biggest off-season buy by purchasing redoubtable French midfielder Patrick Vieira from Arsenal. Vieira joins an already talented team boasting the steady Fabio Cannavaro in defense, a former European Player of the Year in winger Pavel Nedved and towering Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as well as Gianluigi Buffon, often considered the best goalkeeper in the world. In the face of Juventus’ prize purchase, rivals AC Milan have not let up, bringing in former star striker Christian Vieiri and the man popularly believed to be Vieiri’s heir Alberto Gilardino, giving them two forwards to partner last year’s European Player of the Year Andriy Shevchenko. In every other department, Milan is equally stacked, although aging captain Paolo Maldini may now be irrevocably over the hill.

Internazionale, Milan’s hometown rivals, are once again likely to finish no higher than third. The team will suffer from a defense that is not getting any younger and a disorganized midfield. Now that they have let go of talismanic striker Vieiri, Inter will have to rely more than ever on the goal-scoring abilities of Brazilian Adriano.

The big jumper in this year’s Serie A will probably be former Scudetto winners Fiorentina, a team that had gone from title contenders to bankrupt fourth-division team and back in less than five years. Last year, the Viola flirted with relegation, but by this summer they have forged an impressive line-up of internationals. The pick may be 19-year-old Valeri Bojinov who should blossom into one of Serie A’s biggest stars.

As usual, Italian soccer has been dogged by scandal in the off-season. AS Roma, champions only five years ago, are facing a ban on all transfers following their illegal approach for French defender Philippe Mexes. That means that a number of high-profile transactions conducted by the Giallorossi are in jeopardy, leaving the team at a severe disadvantage despite having two of the league’s best players in Francesco Totti and Antonio Cassano. A further scandal has erupted with newly-promoted Genoa being found guilty of match-fixing. As a result, the team has been demoted, although no club has been appointed to take its place.

2005-06 Standings: Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Sampdoria, Messina, Roma, Udinese, Reggina, Lazio, Palermo, Chievo, Lecce, Siena, Torino, Livorno, Cagliari, Parma, Empoli

Top Scorers: Bojinov (Fiorentina), Adriano (Inter), Chiesa (Siena), Gilardino (Milan), Toni (Fiorentina), Di Michele (Udinese), Ibrahimovic (Juventus), Esposito (Cagliari), Shevchenko (Milan), Pandev (Lazio)

A Date to Remember

2005-07-31T00:50:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

July 31st, a day that will live in infamy. Okay maybe I am exaggerating but hopefully most of you know that this Sunday is the MLB trading deadline. Teams are still allowed to make trades after the deadline only if the player clears waivers or is traded to the team that makes the waiver claim. This year seems like it will be a pretty quiet year. There is no Randy Johnson available or even a Carlos Beltran. The big names on this year’s market include Alfonso Soriano, Aubrey Huff, and Jason Schmidt.

For the past couple of years the rumor of Soriano to the New York Mets has been floating around. It has since gained some momentum. By my count, there are at least 100 rumors of the players being demanded for by both sides. In one version, the Rangers have asked for Jose Reyes. In another the Rangers demanded Mike Cameron and the Mets top two prospects. The list can go on and on of all these “sources” with inside information. Let’s suspend reality for a second and assume that Soriano does get traded to the Mets and Mike Cameron comes to Texas in return. The Mets get a player in Soriano who hits only .240 and 7 home runs away from the hitter friendly Ameriquest field. Cameron, on the other hand, is hitting .243 and 5 home runs at home and plays a lot better defense than Soriano. Is Soriano really worth it? Remember when the Astros traded Larry Anderson to the Red Sox and got back a prospect named Jeff Bagwell. The Boston Red Sox went nowhere from the trade while the Astros got a hall of fame talent in return. Karma came back around from Houston later. The Astros essentially sold the farm to get Randy Johnson. The Astros gave up the likes of Carlos Guillen and Freddy Garcia. The Houston Astros failed to make it to the NLCS that year and subsequently lost Randy Johnson much like they did with Carlos Beltran last year.

Before you give up a future hall of famer or all-star, make sure you know what you are getting in return. I bet the Houston Astros would love to have Garcia as their fourth starter, or Carlos Guillen teaming up with Morgan Ensberg on the right side of the infield. The Red Sox could have had Jeff Bagwell at first base throughout the 1990’s. Sure, I didn’t mention any of the trades that put a team over the top, but more often then not, it’s a team mortgaging its future for the chance to win now. Just remember the old saying: buyer beware.

More Games, Less Sports

2005-07-29T12:54:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

As the World Series of Poker antied up for its last day, ESPN held a press conference to spell out the possibility of more card games on the network in coming years.

“We’re very excited for the future of card games on our all-sports channel,” said the spokesperson. “We’ve just signed an agreement with the World Series of Go Fish, the World Series of Old Maid, and the World Series of 500 Rummy. So, while the sun is setting on this year’s poker Series, the horizon is ripe with new World Series.” Despite the excitement, cynics still grilled the spokesman about what, exactly, constitutes a sport if card games are featured on the sports network.

“What makes poker a sport is the fact that the people are skilled at what they’re doing, “the spokesperson responded. When a representative of the National Association of Rock-Paper-Scissors objected, saying that participants in the NARPS World Series were very skilled, the spokesman dismissed the representative’s reasoning.

"Yes, but the WSOP is very competitive,” he said. “That’s what really makes it a sport. That part’s even more important than the skill aspect.” At this, the president of the National Competitive Speed-Typers Association actually shouted at the podium that his organization was full of incredibly competitive people, but they hadn’t shown the World Series of Speed-Typing. The burst of temper didn’t surprise anyone, as the NCSTA has lobbied loud and repeatedly for airtime on ESPN or ESPN2 for years. The president was removed from the conference.

Tempers have flared among minor activities that claim to be sports ever since ESPN started airing the World Series of Poker. As the card game journeyed from smoky kitchens to the airwaves, it became a role model for other household games wanting to make the leap from random room of the house to television. Risk (the living room), air hockey (the basement), and Nerf basketball (any room with a door) have all formed committees to determine the likelihood of forming their own World Series and heading for the networks. But even though these games are played all over, there’s more to being a sport than just popularity.

“Some of your players have to have really quirky names that apply to the sport,” said the spokesman. “You know, like Chris Moneymaker. Croquet wanted air time, but until they get a Jimmy Wicketsplitter, it’s just one step short of ESPN quality.” The spokesman went on to say that despite the large interest from actual sports – rugby, track and field, water polo, lacrosse, wrestling, to name a few – to get air time, the network plans on airing even more card games.

Besides the aforementioned Go Fish, Old Maid, and 500 Rummy, executives have also been in contact with numerous other card games to try to initiate more World Series play. Problems have developed in some areas, however, causing concerns over whether or not all of the games can appear on the worldwide leader of sports.

Cribbage appears to be one such stumbling block. The traditionalists don’t want any changes made to the wooden board, while the network has pushed hard to get a “peg cam” in the bottom of each of the board’s holes. Solitaire has presented its own problems, as nobody’s quite sure of how to set up the bracket since only one person plays per game.

Political correctness has also ruffled feathers of higher-ups on the card circuit. Gin Rummy’s World Series organizers have said anonymously that they’d be willing to change to “juice rummy”, but the World Series of War has put up an intense fight against the proposed name “World Series of Fun”.

“It’s a battle out there,” says Andy Turnover, the unofficial national War champion of 2001. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the same number of letters, because war is more than just a name- it’s our emotions. We’re talking about a card game’s World Series here! This is no small thing.”

ESPN has plans in the works for World Series of Bridge and Hearts in the coming decades, though these are still in the brainstorming phase.

“Nobody really knows all of the rules to bridge,” an ESPN official said. “And Hearts, well, fwe can’t decide whether to have humans vs. humans, humans vs. computer, humans killing time at work vs. computer, eight year-olds who don’t really know the game but always play on the computer when they get tired of minesweeper vs. college kids that just play to put off major essays... We’d need some sort of conference play set up. Perhaps a system like college baseball, with regionals and super-regionals before the actual World Series.”

When asked whether so many World Series would hinder programs like baseball, hockey, basketball, or football, the official smiled. “We’re not sure, but there’s a definite chance we’d bump other programming,” he replied. “But hey, they’re all sports, right?”

Lance's Legacy

2005-07-25T23:01:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

Lance Armstrong outdid himself yet again by comfortably cruising to a seventh straight Tour de France victory on Sunday, completing a saga that has captured the imagination of a nation and brought a relatively obscure sport to the forefront of America’s consciousness. With this final win, Armstrong has cemented his status as a hero to millions of cycling enthusiasts. For non-cyclists, and non-sports fans, Armstrong continues to provide inspiration as a cancer survivor. His Livestrong Bracelets are now iconic. Such is his stature in American society that there is already talk of him running for governor of Texas. Sports pundits are proclaiming him the greatest athlete of his generation in any sport.

Call me contrarian, but while everyone was busy fêting his victory, I decided to look into what he had accomplished in his storied professional cycling career. Leaving aside his amazing seven consecutive Tour de France titles, I counted one World Cycling Championship (1993), one Olympic Bronze medal (2000), one Tour de Suisse (2001) one US Pro Championship (1993) and one Fleche Wallone (1996). That’s good, but not great for a guy who is being proclaimed as the greatest cyclist ever, and the most dominant athlete of his generation. His CV still lacks a Giro d’Italia or a Vuelta a Espana, a World Time-Trial Championship, an Olympic gold medal or a win at any of the five one-day Classics. He never finished a season ranked number one, although he did finish second in 2002. I do not mean to belittle his achievements, but Armstrong appears to have focused only on winning the Tour year after year. The legend of Lance has overshadowed the one-dimensional path of his career.

Now that he has retired, true cycling enthusiasts may come to rue last Sunday. Their beloved sport may return to relative obscurity, in this country at least. A poll on ESPN.com showed that 60% of fans would not follow next year’s Tour if an American was not in contention. With the emergence of Alexandre Vinokourov, Mickael Rasmussen and Ivan Basso as contenders, an immediate American success-story is unlikely, despite the achievements of Floyd Landis, George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer.

Armstrong has certainly been inspirational, but one cannot underestimate the short-term memory of the American sports fan. Does anyone other than die-hard cycling fans remember American cyclist Greg LeMond, who won three Tours in the late 1980s? In 1989, riding with 37 shotgun pellets in his body from a hunting accident, LeMond pipped Laurent Fignon to win his second Tour by 8 seconds. That year, Sports Illustrated declared him the Sportsman of the Year. Today he is largely forgotten. Armstrong will persevere in the public consciousness because he overcame cancer. He deserves to be feted, celebrated, even mythologized for what he did. But greatest cyclist or most dominant athlete he is not. Not when he has passed up on other major races. Chances are, now that Armstrong’s gone, the sport will suffer. Sunday may well be remembered as a small step for Lance, but a step in the wrong direction for American cycling.

Playoff Ready?

2005-07-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

I love how everything has fallen into place for the Chicago White Sox this season. I really do. Okay, so I don’t. I can’t stand loudmouth manager Ozzie Guillen and his scrappy “smartball” team. Scott Podsednik gets on my nerves and I think Frank Thomas is no longer the ballplayer that Sox fans still think he is. That’s why I’m here to remind South Siders that despite the fact that their team has the best record in the league, they still have a long way to go.

First a history lesson is in order. Does anybody remember the White Sox of five seasons ago? Best record in the American League in 2000, seemingly storming toward the World Series only to be swept in the Division Series by the Seattle Mariners. We also shouldn’t forget that the Sox haven’t won the pennant since 1959, and haven’t won the World Series since 1917. Each of those dates marks the second longest droughts in the majors, behind that other team in Chicago.

Statistically speaking, the Sox aren’t as dominating a team as their record indicates. They have the second-worst batting average in the AL, and the third-worst on-base percentage in the league. Sure they lead the league in stolen bases, but that doesn’t do much good if your guys aren’t on base very much.

They do have the best pitching team in the AL, but that might not get them as far as you’d think in the playoffs. They’re going to have to go through at least one of the slugging teams from out East if they want to make it to the Series. The Red Sox and the Yankees will be able to hit their pitching, especially since nobody on the White Sox staff is a fireballing strike out pitcher. White Sox starting pitchers pitch towards contact, rather than for strikeouts, and that’s not something you necessarily want to do when you’re going through the heart of Boston and New York’s lineups.

The White Sox bullpen remains a question. Sure, they’ve been great so far this season. However, none of the guys down there have proven they can handle the tight spots of a pennant race, and the health of closer Dustin Hermanson’s back as the season slogs along will be a big question. The bullpen isn’t the only part of the team that lacks big game experience, though. Aside from Frank Thomas, who has spent the majority of the season on the disabled list, much of this team has no idea how to win big games in October, and most of their opponents in the playoffs will have that experience.

What they do have is a manager who won a World Series as a coach for the Florida Marlins in 2003, and a general manager who isn’t afraid to tinker with the team if he thinks he can fill a need. Ozzie Guillen has the experience to lead his team through the postseason and to the World Series, and GM Kenny Williams will make a move to improve his club if there is a move to be made.

White Sox fans should still be wary though; they’ve seen their teams do this in the past. Only time will tell what the 2005 Chicago White Sox will do, but I wouldn’t put a repeat of the 2000 postseason past them.

Wood Wearing Out

2005-07-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Nick Matkovich

Kerry Wood left Wednesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds with stiffness in his right shoulder. Only the gullible and stupid would have thought that Kerry Wood was going to make it through the rest of the season without missing another start.

How many times do the Cubs have to get pantsed by Wood’s right arm before they realize they have to start wearing suspenders when it comes to dealing with the fragile fire-baller?

Each year is supposed to be the year for Kerry Wood. The year where he puts it all together, avoids injury, and claims a top spot in the baseball world. Flashes of his brilliance are shown once in a while such as the 2003 playoffs, but those flashes last shorter than ice cream sandwiches in front of Tony Gywnn.

Each year is met with an arm injury from Wood, more specifically, an injury to his throwing arm. These are not hard-luck injuries like taking a line drive off the forearm or getting hit by a pitch in the wrist, no, these injuries are based on stubbornness and ignorance, nothing else. These are injuries that could be avoided if Wood altered his mechanics.

Wood refuses to change his mechanics, and surprise to no one, he ends up injuring his arm. Wood’s problem lies in the fact that he gets up for big games but yawns and fires through ones versus cellar teams. Wood is always up for games against teams like the Cardinals and Astros or more specifically, games on national television where America can idolize his nastiness on the mound. When it comes to a Thursday afternoon game versus the Pirates broadcasted locally, Wood’s national exposure bravado dwindles to local lackadaisicalness where a minor twinge causes him to miss a start and give Cubs fans a natural dry-heave.

That’s why it’s time to ship the warped Wood out of a Cubs’ uniform. Thank him for his 20 strikeout against the Astros his rookie year. Pat him on the back for the job he did in the 2003 playoffs, but send him out of Chicago as soon as possible because it would be dishonest to say Wood’s trade value is going to turn in an upward direction.

If Wood catches on with another team and turns it around, god bless him, and god bless the part ordained minister, part pitching coach who will be able to perform that miracle. Hopefully, he won’t have to sacrifice too many chickens or burn that much incense to impart some sense in Wood. Mechanically speaking, Wood is on the fast track to nowhere, and a trade would be the thing to make him realize the Cubs are not waiting for a 27-year-old to mature.

Corner Kicks: Premiership Preview

2005-07-24T00:54:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

This is the first in a four-part preview of the European soccer (football) season. This week, I focus on the English Premier League, England’s top club football league which consists of twenty teams that play one another twice (once home and once away), for a total of 38 matches each. Teams get three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. The team with the most points after 38 matches is crowned champion, and along with the second-, third- and fourth- placed teams, takes part in the lucrative European Champions League competition the following season. Teams that finish fifth, sixth and seventh are usually eligible for the UEFA Cup, Europe’s second-tier competition. The bottom three teams are relegated to the Championship, England’s second league.

Chelsea (1st last season) are the current champions and the smart money is on them to repeat last season’s dominant form. Their defense will remain miserly thanks to goalkeeper Petr Cech, defensive stalwart John Terry and ball-winning midfielder Claude Makelele, and they have a bevy of exciting attacking midfielders. However, questions surround their star strikers’ abilities to find the back of the net.

Arsenal (2nd last year), Manchester United (3rd) and Liverpool (5th) are the only three other teams with a realistic chance of winning the Premiership. Arsenal has a gaping hole in midfield with the departure of hard-tackling captain Patrick Vieira to Italian champions Juventus. Their only big purchase this summer has been Belarussian Alexander Hleb, who, while creative, is unlikely to support Arsenal’s porous defense. Man U. may have found a temporary fix to their keeper headache by buying giant Dutchman Edwin van der Sar. If star strikers Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy are healthy and Cristiano Ronaldo, Kieran Richardson and Park Ji-Sung mature into star midfielders, the Red Devils could finish ahead of rivals Arsenal. Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has spent the summer buying a host of players from his native Spain. However, he appears to lack the planning of Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho. Apart from midfielders Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, defender Jamie Carragher and goalkeeper Pepe Reina, no one’s place is certain. Liverpool’s first team is both large and chaotic, and as a result, the Reds could finish anywhere between 2nd and 5th this year.

The jostle for UEFA Cup spots is far more open. Tottenham (9th) and Newcastle (14th) have both made big signings over the summer and are the favorites, although Tottenham is weak in midfield and Newcastle has yet to acquire replacement strikers for Patrick Kluivert and Craig Bellamy. Last year’s surprise team Everton (4th), their coffers filled with Champions League money, could possibly fall in this range as well. Other contenders for UEFA Cup spots are Birmingham (12th), Aston Villa (10th), Middlesbrough (7th), Manchester City (8th) and perennially-overachieving Bolton (6th).

The relegation battle is often the most exciting aspect of the league format. Last season, four teams had a chance of going down on the final day of competition, with West Bromwich Albion (17th) narrowly escaping after a dramatic 2-0 win over Portsmouth. This year WBA’s going to have their work cut out for them again. Premiership newbies Sunderland, Wigan and West Ham, however, have done little on the transfer market to turn themselves into Premiership regulars, so they are the favorites to go back down. Portsmouth (16th), Fulham (13th), Blackburn (15th) and Charlton (11th) may also flirt with relegation this year, but chances are they will all remain comfortably in mid-table.

You heard it here first:

2005-06 Standings: Chelsea, Man U., Liverpool, Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Tottenham, Everton, Bolton, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Fulham, Blackburn, Birmingham, Charlton, Sunderland, West Brom, Wigan, West Ham.

Top Scorers: Henry (Arsenal), Yakubu (M’brough), Hasselbaink (M’brough), Rooney (Man U.), Lampard (Chelsea), van Nistelrooy (Man U.), Pires (Arsenal), Cisse (Liverpool), Keane (Tottenham), Cahill (Everton).

Taking the Power Back

2005-07-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Blake Skinner

It looks as though, the only thing Terrell Owens will be catching this year is boo's from Philadelphia fans. The Eagles are refusing to re-negotiate with the All-Pro wide receiver. He is demanding a new contract after one year of a seven year, $49 million deal he signed last year. All I have to say to that is, "Good job Philadelphia."

The Eagles are refusing to even listen to Owens and his cut-throat agent Drew Rosenhaus. This is a great move for not only the Eagles but also a great move for all professional sports teams. In an era where players’ agents seem to hold more power than general mangers, this move by the Eagles puts the power back in the hands of the people who should have it: the front office.

Some players’ demands are almost as absurd as their perspective on life. Owens is demanding a new contract, after signing a deal for seven years in which he played one season. A season where the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl without Owens playing in the final two games of the season and missing the first two games of the playoffs with a leg injury.

This is not as if Owens signed small deal and had a break out season. He is getting paid $7 million a year and really hasn't shown any signs of being a better player than he was before he signed the deal.

The Eagles need to sit pat and tell Owens that he is expected to report to camp and if he doesn't than he can spend the rest of season rotting on the bench, losing value. The Eagles are putting the power back where it belongs and taking it away from super agents like Rosenhaus and Scott Boras. If the executives don't take back the bargaining power, then other sports leagues are going to have the same problem the NHL had. The salaries got too high for the market and everybody knows how that ended up.

Executives across sports, follow in the footsteps of the Eagles, or the next time you look at your league's balance sheet, you could be seeing red.

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood

2005-07-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

Hello, neighbors. Welcome to Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. I know I look different today. That’s because Mr. Fred Rogers is a little under the weather. I’m his distant relative, Kenny. I’m a pitcher for the Texas Rangers. Can you say that? Rangers?

Sure. I knew ya could. We’ve got a lot to do today. But before we get started, I’m going to go around the rooms of Mr. Rogers’ house and close all the blinds. Here we go: one blind, two blinds, three blinds. Now none of those cameramen can see what we’re doing. That’s actually what we’re going to talk about today, kids: the evil, evil cameramen who work at baseball stadiums.

When you grow up, you’ll all be very good at something. Some of you will be teachers in a school, some of you might be an astronaut, and some of you could even be the President! But some of you will become cameramen. These are the people holding those big black cameras you see at games. They shoot the videos of games so that you all can see them at home. They’re the very best at what they do.

Now, I know they sound good, but believe me, they’re not. You see, they keep taking pictures of me for their TV stations. I’m a high-profile athlete, and I shouldn’t have my picture taken if I don’t want to. I know, you’re probably thinking, “But hey, Mr. Rogers, every other athlete except Barry Bonds talks to cameras and doesn’t get angry at them.” But I’m Mr. Rogers, and I should have things the way I want.

You probably saw me push Larry the Cameraman the other day. That’s because he was getting too close. Sure, the general manager of my team says that Larry is one of the best cameramen the Rangers have ever had, but remember, I’m Mr. Rogers. I deserve special treatment, even if it means that I had to hurt Larry’s neck and back to do it. Your Daddies are probably saying that Mr. Rogers is a bad guy right now for pushing Larry, and they probably said I shouldn’t have pitched in the All-Star Game. But because of the appeals system in baseball, I was able to throw an inning. Can you say that? Appeals?

Sure. I knew ya could. Appeals let me pitch the games I’m scheduled to pitch, even the special ones like the All-Star Game. I’ll be facing criminal charges since I turned myself into the police station. But I don’t think baseball should have suspended me for twenty whole games. After all, I might play in four or five of those games. And they want to fine me $50,000. Do you know what a fine is? A fine is when baseball tries to take .01497 of the $3.3 million contract you negotiated hard for in the off-season. Sounds mean, doesn’t it? Well, it is. And it makes me angry.

Have you ever been angry about something? I’ll bet you have. Maybe you couldn’t get a kite to fly. Maybe you were missing a piece to that jigsaw puzzle you almost had finished. Or maybe you’re a Bills fan. Now, regular Mr. Rogers will probably tell you to find a way to channel that anger. Maybe you could draw a picture, or jump into a swimming pool and splash and play. But if you really want to make that angry feeling go away, what you should do is punch a cooler in your dugout.

Your Little League coach will probably tell you that’s the wrong thing to do. But it’s okay to have a temper. Mr. Rogers punched a cooler, and all he got was a broken finger and a missed start. I might have let some of my teammates down, because we were playing very good baseball at the time. I took myself out of the rotation when my team really needed me. But I want you to remember this lesson when you get older: it’s all about you, and not anybody else. Besides, I’m sure if I apologize, Hank Blalock, Alfonso Soriano, Mark Teixeira, and the rest of the team will forgive me. Can you say that? Teixeira?

That’s okay- I really never learned to, either. But I do need forgiveness. Have you ever wanted somebody to forgive you? When I pushed Larry, I needed people to forgive me. Not because I felt bad, but because the longer I took to apologize, the more cameramen would come around me and try to take pictures. And people in the media would keep writing angry articles about me, too. So, a couple of weeks ago I apologized, and pretended like I was really sorry. But I wasn’t. I probably would have gotten away with it, but then another cameraman tried to take my picture when the policemen at the station were fingerprinting me. I threatened him, too, and it showed people that I really wasn’t sorry.

Well, that’s okay, that’s all the time we have anyway. Make sure you tune in tomorrow, kids. Trolley’s going to go to the land of make-believe, a land where you’ll see Mr. Rogers getting off scot-free for his criminal acts, and suffer no permanent repercussions for his actions.

But be sure to remember, kids: it’s just a land of make-believe.

Playing the Wild Card

2005-07-21T11:01:00.000-05:00

By J. Slavich

If you are an American League fan, this will be an exciting next two months. As we move into the second half of the baseball season, the wild card spot is up for grabs between eight teams. Even the Detroit Tigers are still in the hunt.

If you look at the wild card standings, there is an incredible amount of AL teams still competing. Compared to previous years, when it seemed clear that one or two teams would dominate the wild card race after the second half, this year nobody has a lock yet. As of today, Minnesota and the New York are tied for the lead, with Baltimore 1.5 games back, Oakland 2.5 games back, Texas 3 games back, Cleveland 4 games back, Toronto 4.5 games back, and Detroit 5 games back.

The national league doesn’t even compare. Atlanta seems to have a firm lead, 4.5 games up on Philadelphia and 5 games up on a host of others. That’s as far back as Detroit is from the Yankees and Minnesota. While there are a small number of teams still competing in the NL, the majority of the AL can still compete over the next two months for a playoff spot.

In three of the last four years, the AL wild card winner had a lead of at least 6 games when the season ended. The only exception was in 2003 when the Mariners finished two games behind the Red Sox. This year seems like it could break the norm of only five or six teams competing for a playoff spot.

The AL Central leading White Sox and the AL West leading Angels, already have significant leads of 11 games and 6.5 games, respectively. But the AL East is still up for grabs. The Orioles, the Red Sox, and the Yankees have been switching positions as if it’s the newest trend. On top of that, the Twins are playing just as well as anybody in the East. Giving them the chance to make the playoffs despite the White Sox ridiculously good first-half. Also, the A’s and the Rangers in the west still only sit a few games away from grabbing the wild card lead. All it takes is one team going on a lengthy winning streak to put it at the top of the wild card race.

What does this all add up to? An exciting August and September. When the weather can get the hottest and the aches and pains of a long season begin to pile up, teams will be asked to play their best. With so many teams in contention, maybe this year we won’t see the usual flood of bad pitching from the minor leagues when the rosters expand, as teams try to stay competitive. Maybe someone will pull away, but not without a fight. Everyday in the AL from here on out is going to be a brawl for the top spot.

Junior Back?

2005-07-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

By Troy Eason

The numbers don’t lie. From 1990 to 1999, no one was better. The youngest member of the All-Century Team, Ken Griffey, Jr. was on pace to break Hank Aaron’s home run record and become one of the greatest players to play baseball. Spectacular defense, monster home runs, and two divisional titles for the Mariners were just some of Junior’s accomplishments in the 90’s. Despite being competitive, the Mariners never made it to a World Series. Griffey wanted out as a new star was emerging from Seattle in the person of Alex Rodriguez.

After a blockbuster trade to the Cincinnati Reds after the ’99 season, Junior put up 40 homers and had 118 RBIs in his initial campaign in the Senior Circuit. In 2001 however, a scary trend began to occur. Over the next 3 ½ seasons, The Kid missed an astounding 331 regular season games due to injury. In 2001, a torn knee ligament and torn hamstring limited him to 111 games. The following year, another hamstring, foot, and knee problem limited Griffey to only 53 games. Following this, many speculated that this was simply hard settling on Junior. However, 2003 brought more of the same. Another leg injury combined with a separated right shoulder sidelined Griffey yet again and held him to under half a season played at 70 games.

Griffey was never known as a guy who worked out hard in the off-season to stay in shape…he never had to. Junior had such amazing natural ability that his body could handle taking four months off and picking up again in full stride. Ten years of playing on the hard Astroturf in Seattle’s Kingdome had finally taken its toll on one of the most gifted athletes baseball had ever seen.

Sports writers and critics began to write Griffey off as a has-been, a wash-up, or a once-was. Many wondered if he could even stay healthy an entire season anymore. However, a rigorous off-season workout between ’03 and ’04 had people’s eyes opening and whispers stirred that The Kid was back. The first half of 2004 certainly looked as though Griffey had returned to form. Twenty home runs and sixty RBI’s in the first three months of the season earned Griffey his 12th All-Star selection. But tragedy struck once more. Junior tore his hamstring completely off the bone on July 8th, 2004 ending his season. What would he do now, many people wondered. Retire? Try again?

“I still don’t have a ring,” Griffey said in an interview with ESPN’s Joe Morgan, “I’ll play ‘til I get one.”

Thanks to some titanium screws holding his hamstring to his bone, Griffey is back at it again and so far this season it looks like he’s FINALLY back. Batting at or near .290 with 20 homers and 62 RBIs has been very impressive (even for a Red’s team on pace to lose 110 games). What’s even more impressive is that Junior has looks healthier now than when he arrived in Cincy nearly 5 years ago.

If he can return to form, Junior may once again start to chase records so many thought he would never reach.

Final Adjustments

2005-07-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown - Indiana Daily Student

As the trading deadline approaches many teams are beginning to make some deals in preparation for a second half run at the playoffs. Some teams are trying to hold on to first place, and some teams are retooling for a push from second or third place. While the American League East may be the most compelling race with the Orioles and Red Sox a mere half game behind the resurgent New York Yankees, and the AL Wild Card interesting in its own right, the National League Wild Card is shaping into a fine race as we push through the dog days of the season.

The Braves, who find themselves a half game behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East hold a 4.5 game lead on Philadelphia and a 5 game lead on Chicago in the Wild Card. The team to watch for here though is the club from the North Side of Chi-Town. The Phillies don’t seem to have much of an idea whether they want to play to their potential or not, and their pitching simply isn’t good enough to sustain a run.

The Cubs on the other hand finally have their starting rotation in order after what has seemed like an endless string of injuries to one of the finer rotations in baseball. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood were injured for so much of the first half of the season that they’ll be stronger going down the stretch. After Wood and Prior, Zambrano, Maddux and Jerome Williams have been throwing well. If these five all pitch to their potential in the second half the Cubs is a team nobody wants to face.

Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Jeromy Burnitz have been carrying the offense for most of the season, with sporadic contributions from elsewhere. After shaking up the lineup by sending strikeout machine Corey Patterson to the minors however, players like Todd Walker and rookie Matt Murton have been stepping up.

The bullpen is a problem, but don’t think that general manager Jim Hendry doesn’t have something in the works to fix that. He has been one of the most creative and active GM’s near the trading deadline for the past few years. Besides, the closer situation finally seems resolved, as Ryan Dempster has converted 13 of 14 save opportunities. The other glaring weakness is the lead off spot. Hendry has been desperately searching for a lead-off man since it became obvious that Patterson was incapable of filling the void, most notably being rumored to be after Florida’s Juan Pierre.

If Hendry can find the resources and the buyers to help fill some of the holes that the Cubs have, watch for them to continue on a tear and contend for the Wild Card for the rest of the season. Nomar Garciaparra will be another bat added to the lineup in a couple of weeks, and the pitching staff has the potential to be absolutely lights out. Nobody wants to see this team in the playoffs, especially in a shortened series where they would face Prior, Wood and Zambrano.

Though the NL Wild Card may be the third-best race this season, there is still potential for a lot of fireworks down the homestretch and into October.

ESPY-cially Wrong

2005-07-18T23:01:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

Curiosity caused me to turn on my television on Sunday night to watch the 13th annual ESPY Award ceremony. The ESPYs (pronounced “es-pees”) are ESPN’s attempt to bring the flash and dazzle of Hollywood’s award ceremonies to the world of sports, with the fans voting online in a host of categories. The show definitely had its highs (the tear-jerkingly inspirational stories of disabled athletes Jim MacLaren and Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah) and lows (Matthew Perry’s frequently dweebish stand-up routine). But after it was over, I was left shaking my head at some of the nominees and winners.

The biggest winners by far were Curt Schilling and the Boston Red Sox. Or rather, Schilling’s now-legendary bloody, bandaged ankle and David Ortiz’s ALCS heroics. Schilling won the award for Best Championship Performance, while the Red Sox were voted ‘Best Team’ and Game 5 of the Yankees-Red Sox series was adjudged ‘Best Game.’ I thought I saw revisionist history in the remaking. While Game 5 was possibly the most exciting baseball game of the last decade and Schilling gave a powerful performance on the mound, the fans appear to have forgotten that the Sox only made the post-season on a wild-card and stumbled through the ALCS until the home stretch. Can one really place the Red Sox above a USC football team that went undefeated, or a New England Patriots dynasty that had a 21 game unbeaten streak or even a Baylor women’s basketball team that won 20 straight to finish the season, including three wins over top seeds?

Should Maria Sharapova have won ‘Best Female Tennis Player’ when she won only one Grand Slam and has yet to reach No. 1 in the rankings? Or was Mia Hamm more deserving of the ‘Best Soccer Player’ award than MLS star Eddie Johnson, or female World Player of the Year Brigit Prinz, or the men’s World Player of the Year Ronaldinho?

ESPN watchers obviously thought so. But I was left disillusioned: SportsNation, I realized, was just a sucker for hype and commercial value.

The Red Sox had a great year in 2004, finishing with the second best American League record and an incredible post-season run. But everyone will remember it for being the year the Sox managed to overcome the infamous ‘Curse of the Bambino.’ Sharapova, proved she was no Anna Kournikova by winning Wimbledon, but then again she’s no Svetlana Kuznetsova. Her looks and marketing potential mean she will probably be this year’s highest paid female athlete. And Mia Hamm has been a cover story her entire career, making soccer the leading past time of pre-pubescent American females.

While the fan’s selection appears to have coincided with Hollywood producers’ and advertising agents’, I was equally disappointed by the choices they were given by whoever decided the nominations.

Are Annika Sorenstam, Seimone Augustus, Natalie Coughlin and Sharapova really the four most accomplished female athletes of the past year? And are Lance Armstrong, Peyton Manning, Bode Miller, Michael Phelps and Vijay Singh really the best male athletes?

How come Michael Schumacher, Roger Federer, Lindsay Davenport and Brigit Prinz were snubbed? Schumacher dominated the world’s most prestigious auto-racing circuit for a record seventh title, Federer proved himself to be far and away the best tennis player in the world, Davenport recovered her top ranking and Prinz is widely believed to be the best female soccer player in the world. The quick and dirty answers: Federer and Schumacher are foreign. Davenport is plain-looking. And Prinz is both.

The ESPYs chose to forego the celebration of sporting achievement in favor of celebrating sop-stories – Mia Hamm’s accomplished career coming to an end, Reggie Miller’s retirement, Lance Armstrong’s continuing dominance after coming back from cancer and Schilling’s ankle. They also celebrated flashy play (Dwayne Wade’s on-court heroics and Blake Hoffarber’s last second shot from lying down) and sex appeal (Sharapova and Danica Patrick). It was as if ESPN’s Page 3 editors had organized the entire gala.

I don’t mean to downplay the achievements of Sharapova or Patrick or Wade or Schilling: they are all great sportspeople. But many times during the night, I felt like Sports lingered in a distant second place.

Without a Trace

2005-07-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Nick Matkovich

Why don't I appreciate Rafeal Palmeiro? I mean he has 3000 hits, 500 homeruns, needs a pill to achieve a homerun in the real field of dreams, yet I cannot bring myself to put him at my personal baseball head table.

Don't get me wrong, I realize what type of select company Palmeiro is a part of. To be in a group of 3000 hit 500 homerun heroes Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Eddie Murray shows you are a part of baseball royalty, but I do not have a defining Rafeal Palmeiro moment. Every great player has a defining moment. A time where you hold the baseball world in your hand, like Mays' over the shoulder catch, or Joe DiMaggio collecting hits in 56 consecutive games.

Do you have a defining Rafeal Palmeiro moment? Aside from Baltimore Oriole or Texas Ranger fans I would find it very difficult for even die-hard baseball fans to remember Palmeiro doing something that leaves an imprint on your mind. The thing Palmeiro will most be remembered for will be Viagra commercials.

Sometimes I wonder if the stat peeps running the show for Major League Baseball slipped up and gave Palmeiro 2 hits for every game where he had only one. It just seems his hits came out of nowhere and here he stands in baseball elitism.

Another factor for Palmeiro's inability to steal my baseball heart is because he was never the dominant player at his position for his entire career. Names like Frank Thomas and Jeff Bagwell and more recently Albert Pujols have been the face of the position. I find it very hard to believe that Palmeiro was the gold standard for first basemen. Palmeiro is always in the team picture but he's certainly not in the front row.

I am not trying to take anything away from Palmeiro because I realize the magnitude of what he has accomplished, but he's not the first face I think of when I hear "first base" or "legend." Congratulations to Raffy for being the symbol of consistency. Going about your business in any field for 20 years is something to be admired especially when you do your job well, but consistency doesn't sell tickets or make me hit "29" on my remote control to turn on "Baseball Tonight."

I am not diminishing Palmeiro's Hall of Fame candidacy. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and his numbers certainly back up that statement. Yet I don't think there will ever be a Hall of Famer who leaves less of an impact on Major League Baseball's mind than Rafeal Palmeiro.

Beginner's Luck

2005-07-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown - Indiana Daily Student

Can you imagine, just for a second, a sport where amateurs can time after time beat professionals? That is the world of a professional poker player at the recently concluded World Series of Poker, where the turn of a card can send the professional packing. For the past three years an amateur has outlasted the world’s best poker players to claim some of the richest prizes in all of sport.

This year was another record setting year; 5619 entrants ponied up the $10,000 entry fee. Of those 5619 entrants, nine made the final table, and all of them left as millionaires. An Australian by the name of Joseph Hachem took home the championship, which includes a gold bracelet commemorating his victory and a cool $7.5 million. Never heard of Mr. Hachem? Me either, and that is why the World Series of Poker Championship is one of the greatest events in sport.

Hachem achieved something that many people dream about every day, competing at a top level in their favorite past time. The only difference is that in poker he can actually do it. I’m never going to be able to step into the batters box and swat a home run off of Randy Johnson, heck I couldn’t even hit a home run in rookie ball, but I’ve surely dreamt about it.

At the WSOP anybody can step in and compete against the best players in the world and actually stand a legit chance of coming out with the victory. Sure the odds aren’t exactly great; weeding your way through 5000 some people isn’t exactly easy money. But where else can someone drop down some dough (or win your seat through a variety of less expensive satellites) and shoot the bull with the best players to play the game. Go ahead and try to get Shaq to play one-on-one, I don’t think he’ll take.

The best thing is that just entering gives you the chance to go home with some serious cash. Since luck does play a factor, literally anybody can win. That is what makes the WSOP such a great event, and such compelling television. You, me, your granny, anybody can win.

While poker still struggles to get credit as a legitimate sporting event, I believe that it is one of the finest displays of pure sport that can be found anywhere. At the poker table everyone is equal, and the cards do the talking, no matter who you are. After all is said and done the pros do most of the winning, but the amateurs can still hold their own, which is a rare and unique quality for an event that can make millionaires out of anybody.

Hall of Popularity

2005-07-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

Welcome to elite status Rafael Palmeiro. On Friday night, Rafael Palmeiro became only the 26th player in the history of Major League Baseball to record 3,000 hits. He is only the fourth player in history to record 3,000 hits and 500 homeruns during his career. He is a career .290 hitter with a .372 on base percentage. He has won three gold gloves, two silver sluggers, and is a four-time all-star. Surely these numbers merit him being inducted into the hall of fame; however, writers and fans alike seem to be disagreement over this issue.

Rafael Palmeiro may not be the flashiest player in the world. He doesn’t possess the charisma that a Ken Griffey Jr. holds (although he is Viagra’s most marketable persona). He has never won a championship or even made it to a world series. He is relatively quiet and prefers to lay low and not be the center of attention. These are the points critics of Rafael Palmeiro point to as evidence that Rafael Palmeiro is not hall of fame worthy.

Unfortunately, what these critics fail to realize is that the hall of fame should not be a popularity contest. If that were the case than maybe a Mitch Williams would have been inducted. The hall of fame should be and usually is designated for the best of the best. The real question is, is Rafael Palmeiro among the best ever to play the game. I will concede that Rafael Palmeiro is not in the same class as Babe Ruth, but is Rafael Palmeiro worse than a Bill Mazeroski. Bill Mazeroski was a lifetime .260 hitter. No doubt he was a terrific defensive players, but his offensive numbers were lagging. How about a more recent comparison: Eddie Murray. Eddie Murray was inducted in 2003. Eddie Murray was a career .287 hitter. He has 504 homeruns and over 3000 hits. Those numbers look awfully similar to Rafael Palmeiro’s.

Rafael Palmeiro deserves a spot in the hall of fame. His numbers are on par with his peers. His longegivty should be rewarded not punished. Most baseball players do not last anywhere near the 19 plus years that Rafael Palmeiro has played. He may not be the flashiest player, but when you talk about what you want in a ball player, Rafael Palmeiro is the guy you start with.

Mixed Golf?

2005-07-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

Contrary to what you might have heard, Michelle Wie wasn’t the only competitor at the Amateur Public Links tournament this week. The media made so much of the teen phenom’s having two “x” chromosomes that it’s easy to overlook the fact that she’s also got some serious game. The fact that she’s trying to pit herself against men in competition really has some people on edge. So why not take a lesson from tennis?

Anna Kournikova spoiled Steffi Graf’s return to the tennis court on Tuesday when the Russian beat the Graf 5-4 in singles, then took down her doubles team 5-2. Kournikova’s Sacramento Capitals rode her victories to an overall win, 21-18, over the Houston Wranglers.

Two things intrigued me about this. First, Anna Kournikova won a match. Sure, Graf’s had two children since her heyday, and hasn’t seen stiff competition for years, but Kournikova doesn’t usually make it out of the second round. Second, I didn’t know any big names played team tennis. I’d heard of the league, but figured it was all just players who hadn’t made the cut for the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). So, like any guy with a computer and some free time, I got online to find out what I could about World Team Tennis. It was pretty educational.

Each team has male and female members. The league’s format is a combination of singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Each meet features five sets: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.

On one hand, it’s amazing to see the kinds of players that find their way into the mix. In recent years, the list of stars in the league has featured all kinds of stars beyond their prime who still look to play the game. In this century’s first decade, Patrick Rafter, Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova, Mardy Fish, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors all played at one point or another. But on the other hand, it’s not just old pros looking for a good time. Lots of players have taken a turn while on top of their game. The second-best player in the world, Andy Roddick, has played in the league since 2000. Lindsay Davenport, a perennial threat to the top spot on the women’s tour, has also played the entire current decade.

Now, let’s tie this back to golf. With the emergence of Annika Sorenstam over the past few years, the LPGA has become more or less a competition for second place. So, she’s looked to play on the PGA tour. Wie currently wants to do the same thing. If golf were to develop a league similar to WTT, they’d get a chance to play against men with regularity, leaving the regular tour seasons to be divided by sex. Tennis does a good job balancing the two: no women are trying to play against men, and if they feel so inclined, they can play a mixed doubles match. WTT’s cast of characters has included several major stars, even if they only want to make a guest appearance like Graf did (she hasn’t made clear yet if she’ll keep playing). Golf could do exactly the same thing.

The scoring system could be similar to the Ryder Cup format, albeit probably with less players. Golfers could compete in one-on-one stroke rounds; match play; best ball, foursomes, etc. There are several different styles the golfers could compete in. It would present a situation even better than WTT’s. Women could play with men in best ball, something in which the pair works as a team. But then women could face men in stroke play or match play to set up a purely male vs. female match, which is what proponents of Wie, Sorenstam, etc. want.

But eliminating the gender gap is just the beginning of what team golf could do. It also solves a problem that some have with golf: four straight days of watching the same golfers play the same course in the same fashion. Granted, some events have Stableford scoring, and others are match play. But generally, it’s the same game four days in a row. The league would have the appeal of a Ryder Cup type of tournament, and each contest would be two different teams.

A league would also present a regional quality that the average golf fan never gets to experience. Teams would have a home course, and likely a nice one at that. A team in California could play its matches at Pebble Beach, a Georgia team could play at Augusta (c’mon, Hootie, do it for the sake of the game!), others at Sawgrass, Pinehurst…the possibilities are endless! And fans wouldn’t just have to root for a player each weekend. They could root for the local team. The home-field advantages would be great: players would play these tough courses during practice, and thus know the course better; and they’d have a gallery rooting for them, not just for whoever’s doing well that weekend.

And much like WTT, golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, and Laurie Davies can take the places of Connors, McEnroe, and Navratilova, playing matches well past their prime just to stay sharp and have fun. Meanwhile, Tiger, Phil and the rest of the guys can play regularly (like Roddick), or just from time to time (like Graf’s stint).

I suppose the primary concern of anybody willing to venture into the choppy waters of turning an individual sport into a team contest faces the ultimate challenge: profit. And the sad truth is that team golf, no matter how exciting the prospect, has a very real danger of selling like Vanilla Ice’s comeback album. But if it’ll solve the dividing issue of women playing on the men’s tour, maybe it’s worth a shot.

It's Back Baby!

2005-07-14T00:37:00.000-05:00

By J. Slavich

Maybe the title of the column shows too much excitement. The NHL is back . . . probably. The press is buzzing with the news that the National Hockey League and the NHL Player’s Association have reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. Although both sides have yet to sit down and sign the agreement, it seems that the NHL has returned.

Of course, the agreement is good news for the fans and the sport. Die-hard hockey fans have been left without any good substitute for an entire hockey season this last year. It only took 301 days for the owners and players to solve their problems.

Many in the media have begun to ask who came out the winner in this new collective bargaining agreement? The answer: the owners. Although the agreement has not been made public, ESPN is reporting that it includes a salary cap, revenue sharing, baseball style arbitration, and a 24% reduction in player’s salaries.

With all these new additions, the owners finally got what they wanted, and the players refusal to come to the table earlier resulted in a worse bargaining agreement than they could have reached initially. The new arrangement will help the revenues and profits of the owners, what they had wanted from the beginning. The salary cap and the initial reduction of players’ salaries are going to give the owners an edge in the future at being able to create profits, or so they hope.

The owners and players have forgotten who the real losers have been in the last 310 days – the fans. This could be a fatal mistake. The fans of hockey have been left out to dry for this last season. Who says the league is going to be welcomed back with open arms?

The league had enough trouble competing for attention with the NFL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball. Most fans have already gotten use to a year without hockey. The diehards might come back, but there are no assurances about the casual hockey fan. Neither the NHL nor the other major leagues have ever gone this long without a work stoppage. When baseball had its strike, the league was saved by the home run race of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. The NHL has no foreseeable saviors. Have the owners and players shot themselves in the foot by keeping the fans waiting?

Barryless Baseball is Good Baseball

2005-07-14T00:33:00.000-05:00

By Darren Grossman

In a recent interview, baseball commissioner Bud Selig defended Barry Bonds, saying the slugger has never been convicted of anything.

According to the Associated Press, Selig said of Bonds, “"Barry hasn't been convicted of anything. It's unfair at this point," he said of those who criticize the outfielder. "The sport is having a great year. Has Barry's absence helped or hurt? I don't know, I really don't know."

Well, Mr. Selig, let me answer the question for you. The sport is having a great year because Barry Bonds is not there. We are all sick and tired of seeing him cheat his way to a record. Recently, Scott Miller of CBS Sportsline wrote an article that asked Mr. Bonds to please stay away forever, and not to tarnish the record books any further. I couldn’t agree more.

Bonds has tarnished the record books enough for my lifetime, and I hope the slugger never sets foot on a baseball diamond again, unless its at an old timers day at the ballpark.

Is Bonds a great player? Of course he is, and Bonds was even great before the steroid controversy came his way. Bonds was good enough to win several Gold Glove awards and was probably already a Hall of Famer before he started hitting 70 HRs in a season.
With that being said, the recent controversy hurt Bonds’ image and would make me never put him among the likes of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays. That being said, Bonds should still be in the Hall of Fame because he is a great baseball player, and that is what the Hall is about.

It’s the same argument that I will make in a future column with Pete Rose. The Hall of Fame is for the great baseball players, not the really nice guys. If you want to make a Hall of Fame of nice guys, don’t include Bonds. Bonds has always been arrogant, rude to the media, and just a guy that most people despise because his ego is so big it takes up the entire state of California.

In a spring training interview, Bonds went for the sympathy vote when he blamed the media for his problems, and told them that they finally won, they finally got to him. Well, why doesn’t everyone just play a swan song on the world’s smallest violin for Mr. Bonds? You expect people to feel bad for you, Mr. Bonds? After you cheated your way into the record books? I don’t need any steroid test to give me any answers, all I need to do is look at Barry Bonds on the Pirates and Barry Bonds on the Giants and the answer is clear enough for me.

If you want sympathy or respect from the fans again, Mr. Bonds, be honest with baseball. Come right out and say that you have used steroids to help you break records. Apologize for doing it, and ask for forgiveness. Only then will I ever want to watch Barry Bonds on a baseball diamond again. Only then will I give Bonds respect as an athlete. You might be a great player, Barry, but you’ve struck out in the game of life. That’s so much more important than what you have done on a diamond.

Dreaming of Dominican Dominance

2005-07-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Troy Eason

The year was 1992. For the first time in any team competition, a team dominated their opponents like none had done before. I speak, of course, of the USA Dream Team.

Jordan, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Drexler, Pippen. They were the hype and face of the Barcelona Summer Olympics and were considered by many to be the single greatest sports team ever assembled. Everyone knew they would win the gold, but no one expected them to dominate the way they did.

Michael Jordan once said, “It wasn’t a question of if we’d win, but how much we’d win by.” No one believes another team like this will ever come around again. However, a potential baseball juggernaut is in the works for the upcoming World Cup of Baseball scheduled for early 2006. If everything sets up right, this team will be the single greatest baseball team ever…period.

They will make the 1927 Yankees look like a team full of spares. Keep in mind this Yankees team had players by the names of Ruth and Gherig. Not only will this iconic team win the World Cup of Baseball, they will dominate it.

This team will rule the world of baseball because every breath and every drop of blood from the people of this country is about baseball. Children grow up on baseball here, playing with anything they can find from rocks and sticks to tennis balls and metal pipes.

The true passion and love they have for the game is what makes them such amazing players. Baseball may be “America’s Pastime”, but it is most definitely the Dominican Republic’s way of life.

Imagine, if you can, a nine-player lineup with five or six legitimate MVP candidates, a three-man starting rotation with three Cy Young quality pitchers, and a bullpen that could save 100 games a year. This lineup of stars could probably drive in enough runs to support themselves, the Devil Rays, and the Royals for a whole season…maybe two.

Please, for a moment, hold your breath as I give the starting lineup of my 2006 Dominican Republic National Team along with their 2004 statistics for batting average, home runs, and RBIs:

AVG. HR RBI
1. Alfonso Soriano – 2B .280 28 91
2. Sandy Martinez* – C -- -- --
3. Albert Pujols – 1B .331 46 123
4. Vladimir Guerrero – RF .339 39 126
5. David Ortiz – DH .301 41 139
6. Manny Ramirez – LF .308 43 130
7. Miguel Tejada – SS .311 34 150
8. Aramis Ramirez – 3B .318 36 103
9. Jose Guillen – CF .294 27 104
Wins ERA Ks
SP: Pedro Martinez 16 3.90 227
*plays for Dominican’s Tigers del Licey

If you haven’t passed out or hidden under your bed yet, imagine a bench of Sammy Sosa, Moises Alou, Luis Castillo, and Adrian Beltre. If Pedro isn’t getting the job done, throw out Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia. And in the unlikely event that the DR isn’t winning by more than 20 runs by the ninth, the bullpen boasts Francisco Cordero, Armando Benitez, Yhency Brazoban, and Guillermo Mota.

Speechless??? So am I.

Struck Out

2005-07-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

In May, Major League Baseball unveiled next year’s first annual World Baseball Classic, a flashy, international pre-season tournament featuring professional players from sixteen countries. Fast forward to early July, when the International Olympic Committee decided to cut baseball and softball from its 2012 lineup, and suddenly the potential of exporting America’s Pastime overseas looks bleak. Baseball and softball now join polo, pelote, croquet, rink-hockey and tug-of-war on the illustrious list of ex-Olympic sports.

While the American delegates at last week’s IOC conference in Singapore were left shaking their heads in disbelief at the vote, it should not have come as such a surprise.

Both sports were enormous drains on resources and space, had limited television viewership and often lacked high levels of competition (the Americans outscored their opponents 51-1 in nine softball games at Athens).

London’s winning Olympic proposal involved building two stadiums for the sports, costing 50 million pounds, in Regent Park, a home run away from the London zoo. The temporary baseball stadium would have had to have been torn down after the games while the softball field would have been left for use by the softball-playing population of London. I imagine the organizers are now breathing a sigh of relief.

The baseball world, on the other hand, should be panicking. The Olympics are the best way of garnering the recognition and interest of an international audience and in the past few decades they have shed their mantle as champions of amateur athletes, with restrictions currently in place only on men’s football (soccer) and boxing.

With pro players allowed to participate, the Major Leagues should have raised their anti-doping policy to Olympic standards and altered their schedule to allow their players to compete in the summer games. Instead, the MLB’s apathy meant that an amateur U.S. team could not even qualify for the 2004 Olympiad. The MLB had the ideal vehicle for marketing themselves to a foreign audience and they stubbornly refused to take it. Instead they’re banking on the Classic – a great idea in principle, but ultimately too little, too late.

I wish the Major Leagues the best of luck with the Classic. But with everyone from Bobby Valentine to Fidel Castro to George Steinbrenner threatening to throw it a curveball, the tournament could end up being a low-profile, pre-season mess.

Baffling Braves

2005-07-10T23:01:00.000-05:00

By Nick Matkovich

With names like Johnson, Orr, Marte, Francouer, and Langerhans all in one place it would be safe to assume that the United Nations called an emergency meeting. Rather, those are some of the names that dotted the box score for the Atlanta Braves when they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Friday night.

Gone are the names of Maddux, Sheffield, Castilla, Lopez, and Glavine replaced by a group of young guns that have the Braves primed to win his thirteenth division title in a row.

I can't figure out the secret to the Braves' success otherwise I would have at least found a job running the Royals, but year in and year out they always seem to make it to the post season.

Last week the Braves swept the Cubs in a four game series in Turner Field where Kerry Wood, Greg Maddux, and Mark Prior were all defeated by a group of under assuming Braves' pitchers, showcasing the strangle-hold they have on the National League for so long.

Different people will come up with different theories as to why the Braves have been so good for so long but I believe the biggest reason they have succeeded is because they do not fall in love with their players.

They did not let affection for players get in the way of their winning. It's all well and good to recognize the accomplishments of what your players have done but a pat on the back and a fine word out the door is much cheaper than a five year contract and a declining on-base percentage..

I applaud what the Braves have done especially since their payroll has a much lower ceiling than it used to. They have had to make some tough decisions in terms of not re-signing players but they have kept winning in the process. This Ellis Island of baseball has seen many a player walk through it but a few stick around such as John Smoltz, Andrew Jones, and Chipper Jones. It's sad that the most famous person wearing a hat with an "a" on it is Usher.

Besides giving Cox credit it is important to applaud the front office, especially general manager John Schuerholz. Someone with a keen eye for talent, Schuerholz knows exactly what his team needs to compete for a World Series title each season. Schuerholz does not fall in love with his players and if someone offers an Atlanta free agent a contract that does not fit Schuerholz standards it's "thanks for the memories."

The final man working behind the scenes to throw bouquets of tomahawk chops to is pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Mazzone, the man who has perfected the art of sitting in an imaginary rocking chair, has resurrected more careers than the "Surreal Life." Pitchers who I would have felt comfortable grabbing a bat from the rack against suddenly become dominant under Leo. In fact, I think Russ Ortiz should make monthly payments to Mazzone for helping him thief that mega contract from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

While October is a time for the return of football, and goofs cross-dressing on the thirty-first, it also signals a second season of baseball each year in Atlanta.

Red Tee's: The New Thing

2005-07-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

Michelle Wie proved something to the nation this weekend. Sure she missed the cut at the John Deere Classic, but she proved to everyone that she is quickly becoming the biggest thing to happen in the golf world since Tiger Woods rose to superstardom.

I’ll admit to tuning into the tournament on Friday afternoon. Under normal circumstances I would only see the highlights of the John Deere on ESPN, but I was willing to sacrifice some of my valuable time to see if this teen sensation could do what not even Annika Sorenstam could do, make the cut at a PGA Tour event.

If it weren’t for a total meltdown on the final two holes of her tournament, she would have been the first woman since Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1945 to make the cut at a PGA event. It’s hard to say woman though, after all, she’s only 15.

At 15 she seems to possess more raw talent than any one person should possess. However, she needs to hone her game on the women’s tour, not the men’s tour. Only when she proves that she can go out and beat the golfers on her own tour should she begin to play PGA events regularly.

I’m all for her competing against the men, just not right now. She could be a real asset for the LPGA Tour. As a matter of fact, all of her publicity, along with that of Sorenstam’s and other young superstars in waiting, is leading the LPGA Tour into a renaissance of sorts. She is capabale of reviving the LPGA Tour similar to the way Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa brought baseball back to the forefront of the American sports in 1998, or how LeBron James is using his phenom status to kickstart the NBA again. She owes it to the LPGA and to herself to grow up on that tour. It will be easier for her to experience success there, and once she learns how to win she should really be a force to be reckoned with.

Wie has a chance to dominate the LPGA Tour in a fashion that would put even Tiger’s dominance to shame. Once she learns how to do that she’ll be able to step onto the PGA Tour with high profile success under her belt, as well as the confidence and mental toughness that it takes to compete late on a Sunday afternoon against the best golfers the PGA Tour can provide.

The Death of the Doubles Specialist

2005-07-10T11:01:00.000-05:00

By Dhruva Jaishankar

The press has been gushing over the resurgence of Venus Williams and the sheer dominance of Roger Federer at last month’s Wimbledon. But a major development in the world of tennis has been much overlooked.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the federation that organizes the men’s professional tennis circuit, has decided to make some key changes to the men’s doubles game in an effort to widen its popularity. Firstly, sets have been reduced so that the winner is the first to win five games. A tie-breaker is to be played after 4-4. But more importantly, the ATP has stated that top singles players will be given priority in the doubles draws beginning next year. Also, beginning in 2008, a new doubles entry system will be initiated that takes into account a doubles players’ singles records. In addition, with the exception of a handful of wild cards and a few other qualifiers, only players who qualify for singles draws will be eligible to play in doubles tournaments. The tour organizers are hoping the popularity of the doubles game will increase the participation of star singles players. “The long-term result of the ranking changes will mean most of the doubles teams will be made up of players from the singles draw,” explained ATP Europe President Horst Klosterkemper.

Unfortunately, this could have severe ramifications for the quality of the game. Of the top twenty doubles players in the world, only nine have played in ATP singles tournaments in 2005. Of these, only four are top 100 singles players. Only two of those players – Wayne Arthurs and Max Mirnyi – have had consistent success in the singles game, and only one – Arthurs – has won a singles title this year. If the ATP’s agenda is followed through, as few as two or three top doubles specialists will regularly feature in doubles tournaments throughout the year.

At the same time, top singles players rarely play doubles because a) they’re often not as good as doubles specialists and b) they don’t want to risk further injury. Of the top five singles players in the world, Rafael Nadal chose to enter six doubles draws this year, Marat Safin entered five, while Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick entered two apiece. Of the five only Nadal and Federer have won doubles titles in 2005, and only one each at that. The shorter sets, as well as certain scheduling changes, are the ATP’s way of encouraging singles players to participate, but unless matches are shortened to a best of three format, the reformed scoring system is unlikely to entice too many players.

What the tour appears to have forgotten is that the singles and doubles games are so different. Doubles is, in essence, a team sport and not all singles players are comfortable sharing half a court with a teammate. Doubles is also often faster paced and relies on better net play and crisper volleying.

The ATP’s attempts at reforming the sport have historically proven a mixed bag, but they have been responsible for some remarkable failures. For example, they introduced the INDESIT ATP Race as a substitute for the older rankings system in 2000. It was supposed to make the tennis season seem more like a ‘season,’ with an end of the year championship tournament and a year-end points champion. But the race rankings matter little outside the two months between the year-end championships and the start of the new season (“It’s January, and Fernando Gonzalez is leading the ATP points race!”) The women’s tour, not surprisingly, has not followed suit.

I foresee the change in the doubles format being a similar flop. Non-doubles specialists will be playing reluctantly, if at all, in a mode with which they are not comfortable. Top singles players will be plagued by more frequent injuries and will succumb more easily to strain. And with the shorter sets, weaker teams will be going farther in tournaments.

The ATP was created to watch out for the interests of professional male tennis players. With this latest motion, I don’t think they’re doing their job. And a whole lot of doubles specialists will most likely agree.

Forgetting the "Sports" in Sports Entertainment

2005-07-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Emin Avakian

True. July is not a great month if you are a sports fan or if you cover sports for a living. True. The sport’s world is in desperate need of more sporting events this month. True. ESPN needs to air something other than the MLB marathon regular season.

But what is up with all these wannabe sports being portrayed as real sports on TV? If I offend anybody’s favorite “sport,” then I apologize ahead of time.

Let me define what a sport is. It is an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

Basketball, football, baseball, tennis, hockey, among others are sports. They fit the description.

Lately, a hot dog eating contest, people playing poker, and a league called NASCAR have been on ESPN. ESPN is a channel strictly for sports, for those of you who have been living in a cave.

The question I have is why are these activities being called sports? As a huge sports fanatic, I take offense to athletes who are not athletes calling themselves, well, athletes. The media has apparently been brain-washed, because they have no idea what they are doing.

For example, Skip Bayless of ESPN2’s Cold Pizza had the audacity to call Takeru Kobayashi talented, and also said the ludicrous statement that a hot dog eating contest is a sport. By the way, Kobayashi ate the most hot dogs in a contest in New York for the fifth straight year. He gobbled down 49 dogs in 12 minutes, and just missed his record of 53 ½ he set last year.

Come again Skip? Since when is eating an excessive amount of lunch a sport?
Kobayashi is not an athlete. Kobayashi is not talented. Kobayashi just knows how to eat a ton of hot dogs in a short period of time. Nothing more.

The 2005 World of Series of Poker is coming up! Let’s all get in front of the television and watch a bunch of low-life men playing cards!

The fact that this event is being promoted on ESPN is tragic. Playing poker is not a sport. Playing poker is a hobby that some have mastered more than others. Similar to Golf, but I’ll give golf a little bit of slack.

Here’s my prediction for the 2005 World Series of Poker: some overweight, single man will win it, because playing poker is all that he has been doing for the past year.
Oh, yesterday I was driving and a beautiful sports car just sped right past me. Did I say, “he’s really good at that sport?” Nope. Did I say, “now that’s a great athlete?” Nope.

Newsflash: Race car driving is not a sport. The drivers you see on the NASCAR circuit are not doing anything extraordinary, they are just making a bunch of left turns over and over and over again.

ESPN, how about you stop all this nonsense and show us some real athletes participating in real sports.

Here are some suggestions:
-gymnastics
-beach volleyball
-swimming
-track & field
Thank you, and bring on the comments.

Raising the Red Flag

2005-07-08T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Blake Skinner

Red Sox Nation has put itself in an unnecessary panic mode. With the injury to closer Keith Foulke and the emerging recovery of Curt Schilling, it looks as if Manager Terry Francona and the Red Sox are going to move their recovering ace to the closer role. This may be the biggest mistake the Red Sox have made since Grady Little left Pedro Martinez in too long during the 2004 ALCS.

Although Schilling isn’t strong enough to become a starting pitcher, he should not be the closer. Schilling is one of the premier pitchers in the Majors. It would be a waste to only use him for one inning a game. If you have a pitcher with the qualities of Schilling, you need him on the mound for as long as you can get him.

This would be the equivalent of the Miami Heat leaving Shaq on the bench until five minutes left in the 4th quarter. He may be more rested and play the best five minutes of his life but he could help the team out a lot more if he played the whole game.

Also, it isn’t like the Sox are in September and have no other options. There is still more than two weeks till the trade deadline and Sox have plenty of bargaining chips to bring in a quality closer.

Not to mention, they already have a guy who is probably even more qualified for the job than Schilling in Mike Timlin. Timlin has already saved two games for the Sox this year and has a 1.30 ERA in 41 appearances. Timlin also, has the experience of coming out of the bullpen on short notice and pitching well. Schilling on the other hand, is use to tossing 60 warm-up pitches before he ever hits the mound. That’s a luxury closing pitchers may not have as Johnny Damon has publicly pointed out.

By putting Schilling in the closing roll, it just delays the problem. Once Schilling is healthy enough to start, then you go through the whole problem again and by that time it’s past the trading deadline.

If the Sox want to put Schilling in the bullpen till he’s healthy enough to start, that’s fine but not as the closer. Right now, the Red Sox have two logical options: Timlin or acquire a closer via trade. Why Schilling is even being considered any option is beyond logical comprehension.

To compete in one of the toughest divisions in baseball and in the playoffs, the Red Sox are going to need Schilling for every inning they can get. To put him in a new situation, that would as a temporary fix to problem that need a permanent answer. It would just be another chapter in a franchise’s history which is filled with blunders.

Fan to the Death

2005-07-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Brian Weaver

James Henry Smith has just fulfilled the American Dream.

No, not Manifest Destiny. And not the equal-opportunity nation that will yield a prosperous life for all. Smith, a die-hard Steelers fan who died last week of prostate cancer, took advantage of the slow moving disease to make arrangements for exactly the kind of funeral he wanted. The Samuel E. Coston Funeral Home set up a room to look like Smith’s living room on a Sunday afternoon. They set up a television, then laid the deceased out in an easy chair, legs crossed, in black and gold pajamas. A pack of cigarettes and a beer flanked his body while a remote control kept silent vigil nearby. A tape of Steelers highlights looped on the television.

I’d be lying if I said this didn’t absolutely thrill me. Nothing bothers me more than hearing, “Didn’t he look like himself?” at funerals in which the guest of honor is laid out like a wax dummy, stiff as a two-by-four. This guy looked not just like himself, but like America. He did what every sports fan always says he’s going to do, laying himself to rest in his team’s colors.

It got me to thinking what I want my own room to look like once I go. I figure I’ve got a good sixty years left if I play my cards right, but one can never start planning soon enough. So for starters, I want a guy outside the room I’m being kept in with one of the big signs from the Masters that says, “Quiet!” It’s a funeral home, after all. To get into the room, I want people to have to walk through a turnstile from Ebbets’ Field or Polo Grounds. I know, it’s a stretch, but there has to be one left somewhere.

Next, I’ll need a sofa and a television. Not a huge TV, but one big enough that I can set bobbleheads of each Phillies Hall of Famer across the top. (That includes broadcaster Harry Kalas.) On the tube, I want a loop of the Miracle on Ice playing. But, it can’t end with “Do you believe in miracles???” at the end of the game. Instead, it has to run all the way to the players all cramming themselves onto the one tiny podium. Then it can loop back.

The television will be against one wall, while the sofa will sit against the opposite wall. I want to be laid out in kind of a sprawled position, with a big picture of Muhammad Ali standing over me in the follow-through of one of his huge right uppercuts. That way, it’ll look like The Greatest knocked me into the next life. While I’m laying there, I want to be in a Lou Gehrig jersey, a plain, pin-striped number. The Iron Horse faced a worse end to his life than man could previously imagine, but faced it with more courage than a soldier. I can only hope that when I go, I do so with as much dignity and character.

However, I’m not a beer fan, and I don’t smoke. So on one side of me, I’ll take Turkey Hill iced tea. (You’d have to be local to get that one; it’s the official beverage of the Lancaster County, Penn. sports fan.) On the other, I’ll need a cell phone instead of the cigarettes. Dad and I are both really close even though I’m on the other side of the Keystone State, so “watching” games together requires a cell phone. Every event features at least a dozen 15-second calls of, “Didja see that? Awesome, huh? Okay, bye!”

Also, I want a fireplace on one wall. In the fireplace, I want a fire that burns purely on fuel provided by the torching of scorecards from Game 6 of the 1993 World Series. Above the fireplace, I want a picture of the 1999 U.S. Ryder Cup team celebrating their amazing victory. Across the front of the mantel, where hopeful kids hang stockings, I want instead a replica of the Notre Dame “play like a champion today” banner. I can’t stand Notre Dame, but hey, it’s a great saying.

The top of the mantel needs a few things, too. First and foremost, I need a ball with its cover blown off, just like the ball Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez hits in The Sandlot. It’ll remind people of that movie, make them remember how nice it was to be a kid, and hopefully help them to never forget to have fun, just like the film always does for me. Also, I want two cleats. One will come from Pelé. I don’t care which foot the cleat comes from. I just want to have a piece of the soccer player who wasn’t quite a god, but was definitely more than human. The other will be one of the ones Diego Maradona wore during the victory over England in the ’86 World Cup. In the very middle of the mantel, of course, will stand want my favorite picture, Dad with his hand on my 12 year-old shoulder in a shot from Little League.

The final wall will be covered in pictures. I want a shot of Carlton Fisk waving his ball fair. I want the picture of the Brooklyn Dodgers from the cover of Roger Kahn’s The Boys of Summer, showing the first truly integrated team. I want Jordan over Ehlo, His Airness hanging infinitely just above his defender’s outstretched fingertips in what truly began the legend. I want Lance staring down Jan Ullrich in the Alps. I want Tyson fumbling for his mouthpiece after Buster Douglas floored him. I want Flutie in mid-air, celebrating his Hail Mary against Miami. I want Willie, Mickey, and the Duke in pictures right next to each other. I want Joe Namath running off the field after Super Bowl III.

Sure, it’ll probably take me my remaining decades to get my hands on this stuff. But I think in the end, it’ll be worth it.

The All-Star Burnout

2005-07-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Jake Brown

The Major League Baseball All-Star game is just days away, and let me tell you I’m excited about seeing David Eckstein start at shortstop for the National League. Likewise, I’m just thrilled about seeing a broken-down Mike Piazza lumber behind the plate and try to convince the nation that he is still and All-Star caliber catcher. He’d better hope nobody tries to steal a base.

Eckstein, though a serviceable player, is not the best shortstop in the National League this year, and while nobody has really stood out at catcher in the NL, Piazza certainly isn’t the best at his position anymore. These are just two examples of a terribly flawed system for making out the roster for a game that is played with home field advantage for the World Series in the balance.

I’m all for having the fans doing the All-Star voting. Fans should be able to see who they want to see, but a line must be drawn somewhere. Let’s face it; Piazza is not having a season worthy of selection. Really, nobody is in the NL, but since somebody has to do the catching it should be Paul LoDuca starting behind the dish. His backup should be San Diego Padres receiver Ramon Hernandez, who has a higher batting average than Piazza, and trails him by a slim margin in both runs batted in and home runs.

Piazza’s selection is not the worst of it, though. Eckstein starting over Cincinnati Reds shortstop Felipe Lopez is a complete joke, and really proves to me the overall ignorance of many voting fans. Lopez leads all NL shortstops in every Triple Crown category. As a matter of fact, Lopez leads Eckstein in just about every major offensive category, save on-base percentage and runs scored.

When fans totally fail to recognize a season such as the one Lopez is having something must be done. I will grudgingly accept Piazza starting because he’s been a perennial selection for so long, but Lopez deserves to start the game at shortstop no matter who the fans want to see. I don’t think he should be riding the pine in favor of a guy whose slugging percentage is only 43 points higher than that of Carlos Zambrano.

In cases such as this, where a player is unjustly denied a start, the vote should be taken out of the hands of the fans. Perhaps fans should be able to vote for who they think should be on the roster, but the manager chooses who is to actually start the game.

All-Star snubs are just a part of the process, and in the grand scheme of things they don’t really matter. However, if Bud Selig wants me to believe that this game actually means something, then he should prove it by trying to clean up the selection process.

The Gambler's Fork in the Road

2005-07-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Troy Eason

The recent exploits of Texas Rangers ace lefthander, Kenny Rogers, have left him at a dangerous fork in the roads of both his career and season. A longtime fan favorite and team superstar, Rogers is perilously close to free falling into what could be a career ending situation.

Everything began with a poor performance against AL West rivals the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim…or whatever they call themselves these days. Rogers gave up six runs on ten hits with no strikeouts and three walks over only 3.1 innings. This was by far his worst outing of the season and qualified as only his second “non-quality” start*. Rogers has always been a fierce competitor and hates to lose. However, for one reason or another, he decided to throw a temper tantrum in the dugout and punched a water cooler, shattering a bone in his non-throwing hand. Behavior like this is seen often with starting pitchers who are normally very hard on themselves for what seems like a failure in their minds. Rogers has rarely, if ever, demonstrated this lack of self-control, which makes his outburst so extraordinary. Perhaps he was frustrated with the Rangers’ lackluster performance as a team or perhaps he was upset at the idle contract extension talks from the front office. Whatever was upsetting the forty-year-old lefty got worse. On June 29th, Rogers walked up to a local news station’s cameraman, Larry Rodriguez, and shoved his camera, nearly knocking over Rodriguez in the process. When Rodriguez tried to pick up his camera, Rogers again pulled down on it and kicked it. A day later, Commissioner Bud Selig suspended Rogers for 20 games and fined him an undisclosed amount – rumor around the Metroplex is that the fine is in the neighborhood of $50,000. If Rogers wanted attention, he got it…and gave up several things in the process.

First, Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who also owns NHL powerhouse, the Dallas Stars, immediately halted contract talks with Rogers’ agent, Scot Boras. Even if the Rangers were going to match the ridiculous starting offer of 2-years, $25 million that Boras asked for, they certainly are going to do no such thing now (Rogers is in the last year of a 2-year, $6 million dollar deal). Secondly, many argue Rogers is one of the top five starters in the American League with the likes of Bartolo Colon, Jon Garland, Mark Buerhle, and Roy Halliday and was a serious All-Star candidate. Rogers nearly forfeited his rightful spot on the 2005 American League All-Star Team with his recent tirade (he was named to the team July 3rd). Finally, Rogers has placed himself in a precarious position for the rest of the season. If Rogers pitches badly until September, the world of baseball will view Mr. Rogers’ actions as another tirade of an overpaid, under-achieving, temperamental superstar wanting more money. However, should he continue hurling gems as he has done for the majority of the first half, the fans will more than likely brush these incidents off as nothing more than a competitor being competitive in trying to help his team win.

Kenny Rogers must decide which road he takes. The way he pitches for the rest of the year will determine not only how much money he will get next season, but will also determine the outcome of his legacy as well.

* a quality start is any game in which a pitcher goes six full innings and gives up three or fewer earned runs

Hollywood Scripts Lacking Leading Roles

2005-07-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Ryan Phillips - Inidiana Daily Student

After the re-hiring of Phil Jackson, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed determined to put the past behind them. They brought back the coach who provided them with three world titles and seemed determined to erase the memories of the Shaq-era by continuing to reshape the roster around Kobe Bryant. So what did they do on draft night? They selected Andrew Bynum, a 7 foot 300 pound center hailing from New Jersey, an extremely talented offensive player who at times suffers from a lack of effort on the defensive end. An affable, well spoken kid who will surely be a media darling…hey wait a minute…don’t we know how this story ends? Though I sincerely doubt the Miami Heat will unload half of their roster for Mr. Bynum.

Mitch Kupchak had the best quote from draft night when he told Jim Gray that when given the chance to get a dominant center, you have to take it. Uh excuse me Mitch, sorry to interrupt, but you had that dominant center, then you traded him.

I hear a lot of Laker fans saying they are optimistic about next year and that the team is really only one player away from being a championship contender. And honestly, they’re right, that one player happens to be in Miami.

I’m going to ease up on the Lakers though; they aren’t even the most miss-managed team in the city of Angels. That award goes to the terminally hapless Clippers.

On draft night the Clips showed they still had the ability to baffle grown men, as they selected Yaroslav Korolev a 17-year-old Russian project while more accomplished guys like Danny Granger and Antoine Wright were still available.

Most scouts say that if Korolev pans out, he could be as good as Toni Kukoc. Anybody else not see this as a compliment? Kukoc played with Michael Jordan, a man who made everybody he played with better. I mean without Jordan, Scotty Pippen would be the tallest guy working the counter at Hardee’s, instead he may be a Hall of Famer. So the Clippers drafted a guy who could be the next Kukoc, a guy that Michael Jordan could only turn into a good 6th man. How can I be so sure that Korolev will flop? Because the Clippers front office made the pick. The vaunted Elgin Baylor-Donald Sterling bust-creating tandem has wreaked havoc on the NBA draft for years but now they added another solid decision maker in Mike Dunleavy. I don’t have a problem with Mike Sr., but I know he had to have been involved in the discussion when his son decided to leave school early. Hmm, well son you can come back to Duke and be the odds-on favorite for player of the year and a national championship or you can go pro and risk splitting time with Troy Murphy on the Warriors, I think the choice is pretty clear. Hey how’s that working out for Mike Jr.?

How are the Clippers going to justify this selection to their season ticket holders? I mean Frankie Muniz has to be pissed. It’s Hollywood so I’m thinking they should just make a big trailer. Something like this: “From the front office that brought you Michael Olowokandi, Melvin Ely and Chris Kaman comes the next big thing… maybe… Yaroslav Korolev. Ok, we know you aren’t that thrilled about this but we promise to try really hard to get Ray Allen.”

Oh well, just seems like another ho hum season of Los Angeles basketball…I can’t wait.

Ageless Blunder

2005-07-03T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Nick Matkovich

Did someone give Thomas Hearns a lobotomy when I wasn't looking? Something must be wrong because Hearns has decided he wants to return to the boxing ring at the spry age of 46.

Though I'm still a few years away from that age when pills are needed to get things going and slow other things down, I thought 46 was a time when people sat back and enjoyed their life by playing golf or joining a book club. Perhaps picking up a hobby like whittling is something 46 year olds would do. I didn't think a 46 year old enjoys life by being paraded by punches.

I'm really not sure why Hearns has decided to come back. Maybe his Hearns' fondue pot didn't sell as well as the Foreman Grill. Maybe that televangelist was too enticing and Tommy figured why not send some money to improve the minister's bling.

Another possibility is that Hearns wanted to fight on the same card as his son who is fighting in the middleweight bout. Nothing spells family fun like putting up your dukes and then having the chance to ice each other after the bouts. Or perhaps Hearns is just stupid.

I realize that Hearns is retired from boxing, a sport unlike any other. Baseball gives people like Fred Lynn and Jim Rice a chance to be in the public spotlight again by participating in legends games. Basketball allows a puffy Magic Johnson do his best Grimace impression at the NBA All-Star weekend during a shooting contest when he puts on the Laker purple. In boxing, legends matches would amount to the same thing as an actual boxing match. There are no bonus points or taking it easy in boxing, the mission remains the same, beat the living crap out of each other.

But on July 30 Hearns will walk in between the ropes for the first time in five years and I can't come up with a sufficient reason that explains the situation. Competitive fires are a tough thing to douse even if the competition could lead to eating through a straw later in life. Doesn't someone like Muhammad Ali serve as a picture of "this can happen to you" to all other boxers, influencing them to stay retired when they notice their speech beginning to slur?

When July 30 rolls around Hearns' match will bring out a wide range of emotions from people. Some will hope for Hearns to win, others for him to lose while hoping Hearns would avoid all serious injuries. I for one just hope his dentures don't fall out when his manager removes his mouthpiece after the first round.

Iron Mike No More

2005-07-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Darren Grossman

With his loss to journeyman Kevin McBride last week, it is official: The Mike Tyson era in boxing is over. And it is sad to see him go.

Now, most people don’t like Tyson, some even hate him. However, a true boxing fan loves the excitement, charisma, and element of surprise that Tyson would always bring to the ring.

Tyson was always fun to watch, always exciting. One of the greatest punchers ever, Iron Mike could knock someone down with one good shot, so he was never out of a fight. Even though he may have the IQ of a marble, I was one of those people that loved watching Tyson do what he did best, box, because, with Tyson in the ring, you never knew what was going to happen.

And when he was in his prime, Tyson was great too. Good enough to be the undisputed champion and rattle off win after win until a lucky Buster Douglas punch stopped all that. People seem to forget that Tyson lost the best years of his career to prison when he was convicted of rape, a crime some believe he may not have committed. If you followed the facts of that case, Mike Tyson was convicted because he was Mike Tyson, a violent boxer, and someone viewed as a thug, but that is not really the point of this column, so there is no need to debate that fact.

Before he was convicted, Tyson was a feared fighter, guys like Lennox Lewis, one of the biggest frauds in boxing history, wouldn’t fight him. No one who was a big name heavyweight wanted any part of Iron Mike Tyson.

And now that Tyson is a shell of the fighter he used to be, it is sad to see him go. It is sad that Tyson couldn’t beat the average grandmother anymore in a boxing match. It is sad because without him, the heavyweight division of boxing is so boring, most people would rather watch a soap opera, or Judge Judy or even Dr. Phil. I was rooting for Tyson, hoping he still had it in him because he was the only heavyweight who was worth watching. He was the only active heavyweight fighter, who at one time in his career, was worth paying to see fight In typical Iron Mike fashion, Tyson left boxing in the only way he knew how: surprising fashion. In a fight that all 3 judges had him ahead in, Tyson didn’t answer the bell. He lost one round, and he quit, knowing the tide had turned. How someone with his punching power could just quit on a fight is puzzling, but that’s Tyson for you. The guy always seemed to be missing a couple screws in his head.

Perhaps the main reason it is sad to see Tyson go though is the state that he leaves the heavyweight division in. Most boxing fans will not order a heavyweight bout anymore because they are just boring. In the heavyweight division, there is not one fighter who could have lasted 5 rounds with any of the all-time greats, or with a Mike Tyson in his prime. There’s no Ali, Foreman, or Frasier. There’s not even a Holyfield in his prime.
Instead, there’s a bunch of big, boring fighters who like to hold. Look at John Ruiz, the king of the hold, who has terrible pay per view buy rates due to the fact that he puts people to sleep during his fights with excessive holding. He has lost points in the past for too much holding, and will probably continue to lose them in the future. James Toney looked like he might have had some charisma, then he tests positive for steroids. So the heavyweight division is perhaps the worse it has ever been. And without Iron Mike, there’s no reason anyone should watch a heavyweight fight.

Don’t worry though, the lightweights are great to watch. Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales recent fight was one of the best boxing matches in recent memory, and the rematch will probably be too.

Anyways, in conclusion, I’d like to say a final goodbye to Mike Tyson. Not necessarily the man, but the boxer. Thanks for making the heavyweight division interesting Mike. Thanks for always keeping people on the edges of their seats, because if I have to watch one more John Ruiz fight, I’m going to scream.

Perfection

2005-07-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Greg Kelminson

The year is 1982. Interest Rates are at 15.75% and the Falklands War is starting to take shape. Most of you probably don’t remember these events, as you were not yet born, but this is also the year that Kenny Rogers is drafted as a 39th round draft pick by the Texas Rangers. It would be seven more years before Kenny Rogers would make the major leagues as a hard throwing lefty out of the Rangers bullpen.

Flash forward to July 28, 1994 and Kenny Rogers is on the verge of a perfect game. His last pitch of the game is a fly ball to left field that Rusty Greer easily handles. Perfection. Kenny Rogers has accomplished a lot of impressive awards during his 23-year tenure in the Majors. He is a two time all-star with a third appearance this year more than likely as he is boasting a 9-3 record with a 2.46 earned run average. He is a three time gold glove winner and has 176 career wins with a 59% win:loss ratio. Wait, there is still a couple more statistics to go: a meltdown in New York, one trade veto, one threat of retirement, a gag order on the media, a smashed cooler resulting in a broken hand, and most recently a spout with local cameramen that sent one of them to the hospital for x rays on his shoulder, wrist, and leg.

Kenny Rogers will not win the good sportsmanship award. He is a short fused and selfish individual. In 2002, the Texas Rangers finished with a 72-90 record, good enough for last in the A.L. West. Kenny Rogers knew the team was headed nowhere, and yet he enforced his no trade clause that would have sent him to the Reds for a couple of prospects. At the time, Kenny Rogers stated he thought it would be better for the Rangers if he stayed. Does not make sense to anyone else? Mr. Rogers, the Rangers were dead last with you on the team and you are only getting older, but you can help the team get to .500 according to you. Unfortunately, things only got worse. Prior to this season, Kenny Rogers, upset with the media for reporting that he would retire if not given at contract extension at the age of 41, imposed a gag order on himself. He would not talk to reporters for the whole year. In the midst of a superb year, selfish Mr. Rogers punches a cooler in disgust and cost the team the ace it desperately needed. On Wednesday Mr. Rogers lost it. He attacked the media both verbally and physically. In case you haven’t seen the video, here is the link: Rogers.

Kenny Rogers may be one of the few pitchers to throw a perfect game, but to use perfect and Kenny Rogers together in any other context would just be a flat out lie. Kenny Rogers may know how to excel at pitching in the majors, but he will never succeed in life with an attitude and viewpoint that he currently possesses.