History is Written by the Victors

As sports fans, we love nothing more than to see a record-breaking performance. We always like to look back at the day we witnessed history. And there is something magical about seeing something happen that has never been done before in the history of a sport.

In our effort to carve out a unique place in history everyone, we tend to loose focus of the big picture. The problem is that some records are nothing more than a tribute to mediocrity or dumb luck.

Bobby Knight, the legendary college basketball coach who turned the University of Indiana basketball program into a household name, is standing on the brink of history. Now the head coach at Texas Tech, Knight is tied for the all time wins total with 880 victories in his carreer. And there is no doubting that he is indeed an excellent coach. But is this record really worth all the hype and attention its recieving from the sports news media?

When it comes to win/loss records, any coach who sticks around long enough will eventually get to the top of the list. In order to maintain your job as a head coach, you need to produce winning teams year after year. Coaches who cannot win consistantly are simply kicked to the curb. So logic tells us that any coach who has been around for a decade or two is bound to have a winning record. String together enough winning seasons, and you start moving up the all-time wins list. Stay in the business long enough, eventually the laws of probobility and basic mathmatics come into play, and you find yourself with more victories than any other coach in history.

This is true in all sports. Just look at Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden in college football; both are excellent coaches who managed to survive the tough years but are primarilly thought of in regards to their carreer wins total... and both have been coaching since before any of thier players were born.

The Persistance of Time is not the real mystique behind Bobby Knight's march towards victory number 881. The real accompishment is the simple fact that the man still has a job in sports at this particular moment. Over the years, Knight has become the poster child for 'Out of Controll Coaches.' His outburst on the court are legendary. His outbursts in the locker room are infamous. He is abusive to game officials, players, and reporters . He screams, curses, and throws things. More disturbingly, he has been accused of physically assaulting his players on numerous occasions. But somehow he manages to maintain his job.

I have nothing against Knight or his coaching style. At this point, students know what they are getting into when they agree to play for him. But in recent weeks the major sports networks have repeated touted all the carreer accomplishments of Bobby Knight. They also mention the negative outbursts and behaviour he has become famous for, but they mention those only as an amusing sidenote. The countless marks against him in the past have now been covered by the banner of 'All Time Leader: Carreer Coaching Wins'. History is truely written by the victors.

Knight lost his first attempt at win number 881. His second attempt might be called off due to a huge snowstorm in New Mexico. The sports news networks are clinging to this story and acting as if there is some sense of drama surrounding this event. There is no suspense here. Knight might not get the record tonight. He might even go on a 10 game losing streak. But eventually he will get another win. Its just a matter of patience and persistance.

Will Bonds ever break the home run record? Maybe, maybe not. Will Tiger woods catch Niclolaus for the tournament wins total? Who knows? Will any NFL team have an undefeated 16 game season? It looks like there is a contender every year, but the still fall short. Will Bobby Knight ever get victory number 881? Yeah, sooner or later its going to happen. If you have a decent team, you will get a win eventually. If you have a crappy team, eventually you will stumble across a team worse than yours. Either way, its not too difficult to predict at least one more win for Bobby Knight.

Congratulations to Coach Knight for managing to stay out of the unemployment line for so long.

The Answer Creates Questions

Its day six of the Allen Iverson trade saga, and still no developments. Iverson sits at home, his locker sits empty, and the 76ers continue to lose.
At least 11 teams have expressed interest in trading for the leagues leader in points per game this season (31.2 pts per game.) In reality, its only believed that 3 teams can make legitimate offers that Philadelphia management might consider, but that will not stop them from entertaining speculation in an attempt to drive the price up.
Ironically, Iverson currently leads all guards in the Eastern conferance in the All-Star votes. In the unlikely event no trade took place prior to the All-Star game, would he be allowed to play? And what uniform would he wear?
Or what happens if he is traded to a team in the West, which is proboble, and he still is voted into the All-Star game as a player from the East?
Not only has Iverson managed to disrupt the operation of the entire Philadelphia 76ers franchise, but his on-court performance has now managed to throw the entire All-Star game into turmoil.
When will the fans learn that life in the NBA is not about winning championships, scoring points, or putting on a spectacular performance night after night? When will the fans learn that the NBA is about good sportsmanship, team chemistry, gratuitous charity work, excellent practice ethics, and compatibiltiy with upper management?
The 76ers are demonstrating that you don't need star players to provide the fans with a quality product for their money. The teams current losing streak is proof of that. In fact, why should ownership even care about what the fans think? The Clippers managed to survive a couple decades playing in an empty arena, and just look at them now.

Ford, Millen, and Mellencamp Chevy Ads?

Is anyone else here sick and tired of the over-the-top, ultra-sappy Chevy ads featuring Mellencamp's 'My Country'? We see it at least 12 times during each NFL game. Its like getting hit in the head with a brick repeatedly. Its supposed to get us all sentimental and emotional, remind us all what a wonderful country we live in, remind us of the great struggles in our nation's past... and convince us to buy a truck? What the F#%K?
Now I will not get into the debate about which brand of vehicles is better... I really don't give a rats ass. But there needs to be some way to make this relate to sports, other than the football edition of the ad that sometimes airs during Sunday night games. And when it comes to car makers and football, FORD clearly plays a bigger role than Chevy. Specifically, the Detroit Lions. Ford Field. You get the point.
Now some of you will be quick to point out that FORD is the oldest name in automobiles, and one of the oldest names in the NFL... The FORD was a pioneer in both. And some of you will be quick to point out that the Lions function about as well as thier automobiles... meaning they both need serious redesign.
Some day the Lions will fire Matt Millen and begin to turn things around. Until then, we will just have to settle for ultra-cheesy ads and videos to remind us that there is always hope for a better life....

USC #2, Michigan #3

There seems to be a lot of grumbling going on about how Michigan is being treated in the BCS. Many people believe that Michigan should be ranked #2 in the BCS standings right now, and should be playing Ohio for the National Championship. But the bottom line is that logic does not justify placing Michigan in this game ahead of USC.
Both USC and Michigan are one-loss teams. Both defeated Notre Dame with similar scores. The only difference is that USC ACTUALLY WON ITS CONFERENCE! Michigan did not win thier conference. Period.
If we start allowing non-conference winners to leap ahead of conference winners, then we might as well throw the whole system out the window now. What would be the point of conference games?
Now a lot of people are still screaming for a playoff system. I would also like to see a playoff system of some sort. But even a playoff system would not have helped Michigan this year. If we had a playoff system, who would get in? Conference winners. Again, MICHIGAN DID NOT WIN THIER CONFERENCE! Ohio State won the conferance. In a playoff format, Michigan would still be out of the picture.
Still need convincing? Just keep in mind the fact that Michigan lost to Ohio State in thier final game of the season. It was the equivilant of a one-game playoff to get to the National Championship. Ohio State won, Michigan lost, and thats the end of it. We have already seen who would win a game between these two teams.
And if anyone should be blamed for the lack of a playoff format, just look towards Notre Dame. They are opposed to a playoff format because they do not belong to a conference. Which is their own fault, really. They choose to try and remain 'different' and refuse to join a conference. Why? Because they would then be required to win a conference in order to get into the BCS. Notre Dame currently receives special consideration each year, as long as they have a winning record.
It might seem like I have something against Michigan here. I don't have anything against them. I enjoy watching them play. But I want fairness in the system, and Michigan blew thier shot. The National Championship game will be USC vs Ohio State. As dysfunctional as the BCS system is, they actually got it right this year.

We're Back!

After an unexpected absence, I am happy to announce that we are back! We will be updating this blog regularly from now on. There will be a few minor differences though.
In an effort to maintain a regular schedule, we have decided to begin featuring shorter, more concise articles, instead of the long winded rants you all have become used to. But don't worry... you will still find the same sacastic, humorous, and insightful comments that we have always provided. It will just be straight to the point from now on, and will come more often.
Things will start moving quickly around here. Stayed tuned and enjoy the ride!

And be sure to listen to our most recent radio show! Just click Play on the media player on this page!

When Dirty Business is Good for Fans

Jim Balsillie, whose company makes the BlackBerry wireless messaging device, signed an agreement Thursday to buy the Penguins from Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux's group for approximately $175 million.

Balsillie promised he is committed to keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh -- the NHL had all but mandated that the franchise cannot move as long as a new arena is built. Mellon Arena, opened in 1961, is the NHL's oldest and least fan-friendly, a 1950s design still in use a half-century later.

In the past few years, city of Pittsburgh has used substancial taxpayer money to build new stadiums for the Pirates and the Steelers. The people of that city cannot withstand year of taxdollars being spent on sports rather than infrastructure.

So how will the stadium be paid for?
The Penguins' agreement with the Isle of Capri casino chain to build a $295 million arena at no expense to the team or taxpayers. To build the arena, Isle of Capri must gain the rights to build a new slots machine parlor in downtown Pittsburgh, and the state agency that will award the license is not expected to make a decision until the end of the year at the earliest.

Now if Balsillie is serious about keeping the team in Pittsburgh, he has a significant sum of money he can pump into the lobby effort in order to get the license awarded. In other words, a payoff.
If Balsillie does NOT want to really keep the team in Pittsburgh, he can do the same thing and simply spend money to ensure the license is rejected. Then he can say he tried his best and ship the team off to its new home, which would lost likely be somewhere in Texas.

Bilsillie and the casion are two huge financial resources. They can get a state-of-the-art modern sports facility built in that city withing a short period of time. The city would rake in tax dollars from the casino. The city would draw visitors to sporting events, concerts, and conventions held at the arena. The citizens of Pittsburgh would keep thier team. Everyone wins.

So whats the holdup? Some low level politicians are afraid that they might lose future votes if they approve a new casino. A few loud members of the moral minority could derail this entire deal.
Then the question becomes this: Can Penguins survive in Houston?

A Nation on Trial

A federal judge ordered two San Francisco Chronicle reporters jailed Thursday, pending an appeal, for refusing to testify about who leaked them secret grand jury testimony from Barry Bonds and other elite athletes. Transcripts of the testimony of Bonds, Jason Giambi and others before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative were published by Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada. The grand jury was investigating the possible links between star atheletes and the company linked to a large steroid ring.

The two reporters have been ordered to sit in jail for 18 months, or until they reveal thier sources.

So much for our Freedom of the Press. Our reporters need to retain the ability to protect anonymous sources. The same type of anonymous sources that helped break the Watergate story, the Iran-Contra scandal, and the Clinton/Lewinsky sex scandal. And now the Barry Bonds/BALCO scandal. Our nation has been brought to its knees by the revelation that professional athletes may possibly have use performance enhancing drugs. How will we ever survive?

The real issue here is not the steroid use. That is a cultural phenomenon that will never completely go away, and we must find better ways to deal with it. The current systems of testing and fines simply does nothing to curb the increased use of steroids by high school atheletes.

The courts have put the wrong people in prison here. The reporters in this case did exactly what they were supposed to do. They had a big story with some juicy details about some of the sports world's biggest stars, and they printed it. They had information that indicated that cheating in professional sports was more widespread than previously thought, and that many individuals were making huge profits thru thier cheating, so these reporters printed the story. They did thier job.

The person who needs to sit in jail is the individual who leaked the sealed testimony to the reporters. That is the person who violated the law.But the governement needs to find a new way to discover that person's identity. The reporters need to remain off limits. The constitutional freedoms granted to the press must be maintained for the sake of all our remaining liberties.

Why is this all such a big deal? Who cares if a few athletes used steroids? Yeah, it sucks.. but its a part of our culture now. We just need to accept that it happens, while still doing what we can to prevent it. We should never encourage it, but we should not completely demonize those who give in to the pressure to do whatever it takes to compete and give the fans what they paid to see.

This is only such a big story because its centered around Baseball. The National Pasttime. It does not matter that more people watch football or NASCAR every week. Baseball is the symbol of America. And that symbol is a pretty accurate reflection of what this country represents. A large, diverse immigrant population. A massive national training and education system starting at the very earliest of ages. Outrageous ticket prices that most people can only afford on rare occasions. Hot dog and beer prices that few people can afford at any time. Eight Dollars for parking during the game. Multi-millionaire players who have no loyalty for thier team and will happily work for whoever offers the most money. Greedy owners who have no loyalty to the fans and will happily trade their best players to save a few bucks. A greedly league that will make any changes necessary to accomodate the corporate sponsors.
That is what we call our National Pasttime.

I do not hate baseball. I hate the way it is placed on a pedastle as a sacred object and used as a political prop during election years. Politicians throw out the first pitch for big games, but how many players on the team can they really name? Ask your local cab driver what he thinks about the local team, and you will most likely get more details than your brain can process.
Now ask that same cab driver what he thinks about this whole steroid mess, and you will get more great commentary. The problem is that the politicians and the prosecutors and the judges are not in touch with the man on the street. They see baseball as a buisness that must be preserved and proteced. The man on the street sees it as a game where the players should police themselves.

And the guys in the locker room? I think they could figure out there own way to deal with the cheaters, if we let them. Especially now that a few individuals have brought them all under the microscope.

Raider Nation in Crisis.. and Denial

The Raider Nation has seen better days. The Black Hole is now known as the numbers on the scoreboard, rather than their loyal fans. The term "Black Hole' is appropriate, because Randy Moss and Warren Sapp seem to have been sucked into one and disappeared from the stat sheets.
Monday night against the Chargers, the Oakland Raiders registered a dismal 42 yards total in passing, but racked up 54 yards in penalties against them. When your penalties result in more lost yardage than you gain passing, your team is in serious trouble. They did manage 87 yards rushing, which is not much higher than their penalty total.
Maybe they don't understand the concept of the sport. You can't score by going backwards. A saftey is points for the OTHER team, not yours... so try to head towards the other end of the field on occasion.
We all understand that the penalties are a treasured part of the Radier mystique. Back in the glory days, the Radiers were known for taking blatent penalties just to strike fear into thier opponents. They abused thier opposition and stripped away thier will to play. But those were what we call 'smart penalties.' They served a purpose.
The new Raiders is a tradition of 'Stupid penalties.' There is nothing intimidating about a false start, offsides, or holding penalty. Its laughable. Until the team developes a bit of mental discipline, they are doomed to be at the bottom of thier division.
Penalties are not the only problem facing the Raiders. Fans had high hopes for Aaron Brooks in Oakland. If they had listened to me, they would have known that thier big offseason aquisition would turn out to be a disaster for them. Now they are stuck with a quarterback who can't hit an open reciever, can't avoid a blitz consitantly, and can't hang onto the ball. And his two primary recievers, possibly one of the best tandems in the league with Moss and Porter, are calling for a replacement. When the quarterback has lost the confidence of his recievers, his season is over.
The team is not much better on the other side of the ball right now. Last night, the Chargers scored all 3 of thier touchdowns from outside the red zone. For those of you not familiar with the term 'red zone,' that means the Charges scored 3 times from more than 20 yards away from the endzone. The Raiders are getting beat on big plays for long yardage. They are letting recievers get open, they are missing tackles, and they are failing to pressure the opposing quarterback.
In other words, the Raiders suck right now.
The first head to roll has to be Aaron Brooks. The quarterback carousel in Oakland needs to spin one more time.. something fans should be used to by now. The problem is that the Raiders missed out on the big fish during the offseason. They grabbed Brooks when they should have gone after Culpepper or McNair. Now they will have to do something drastic and desperate.
I predict that Patrick Ramsey will be traded to the Raiders soon. Oakland waited too long already, and now will be forced to overpay to get him. And thats IF they act quickly, before Pennington gets hurt again and Ramsey takes the starting job for the Jets.

2006-07 Season Preview

Its time for my annual NFL off-season recap and season preview. There is a lot of stuff to cover this year, so I won’t be spending too much time on any one team.

The AFC.
The Bills are in trouble again this year, but they will not admit it. They still do not have a championship caliber quarterback on the roster. The battle between JP Losman and Kelly Holcomb is like the battle between Kmart and Target… both might be great values, but there are better options around the corner if you are willing to spend more. The Bills defense lost Lawyer Milloy and have done little to replace him. The team is hoping that everyone will be “talkin ‘bout Willis” all season long. The McGehee Show is the only way they will put points on the board this year.

The Jets are not looking much better than the Bills. At least Buffalo has a decent running back. The Jets managed to further confuse their QB situation this year, guaranteeing fans an opportunity to complain about any decision made. Chad Pennington is coming off multiple shoulder injuries. Brooks Bollinger still belongs on a college roster somewhere. And nobody can be certain of Patrick Ramsey’s condition after making his escape from Washington… he took a lot of physical and mental abuse during his sentence there, and it took a toll on him. No Curtis Martin this year… wait, he says he can play… team says he can’t… wait, now they say maybe….um, they grab Kevin Barlow, just in case?

The Patriots will be a playoff contender again. Period. No need to say more, but we will. The lost the best kicker in the game to free agency, but they will survive. They might lose Deion Branch because they refuse to pay him more, but they will survive. The defense is still solid and interchangeable, so they can always plug any holes that appear in the roster… and they just added Junior Seau to the mix (I will discuss that in detail later.) Their offense is always consistent, and now they have added rookie Lawrence Maroney to back up Corey Dillon… by week 3, I predict Dillon will be the backup, if not sooner. Maroney is my early pick for Rookie of the Year…. The guy is good!

The Dolphins are on the rise. They dealt with their QB problems by adding Daunte Cullpepper and Joey Harrington… Leo Clemon and Brock Berlin will also work in a pinch, but are not starting material. Culpepper looks a lot better than anyone thought he would after his massive knee surgery. The offensive line finally has a desire to protect the QB and give him time to deliver the ball. Chambers and McMichael are going to have huge numbers this season. And the defense is hungry, feeling disappointed at not being the #1 defense in the league last season. It’s a battle between the Patriots and the Dolphins for this division, and the edge will go to the team with the least amount of injuries at the end of the season.

The Ravens finally got themselves a QB when they added Steve McNair to the roster. He looks healthy enough to produce for them and will provide the stability they have lacked at the position since Trent Dilfer left (huh? Did I really just say that?) McNair is reunited with Derrick Mason, and Jamal Lewis is looking to erase the dismal memories of last season. The Ravens defense is still the most feared in the league, and they will be playing with a chip on their shoulders this year.

The Bengals are all about Carson Palmer. He looks like he is not 100%. If his knee is not fully recovered, they have no chance at the playoffs. All their eggs are in one basket. They have great receivers and a good running game, but without their star QB it will not matter. Herman Edwards might be a great coach, but you can’t coach ‘Injury’…its just not in the playbook.

The Cleveland Browns… Take a look at the team’s official website, and their team calendar tells it all… only one item listed: College Football: Wisconsin vs. Bowling Green. It seems like they are already scouting for next year’s draft. I would have suggested the same, despite their improved defense.

The Steelers are the defending champions. And they pretty much stayed intact. Bettis retired and Randel-El has moved on, but they are still basically the same roster as last year. They just need to glue the helmet to Roethlisberger’s head, or remind him of the lesson that took them to the Superbowl last season: Ride the Bus. They are still the class of this division, and should clinch their playoff spot early.

With the #1 pick in the draft, the Houston Texans pick… Not Reggie Bush. If this season goes as expected, that will be the punchline. They did not even draft an offensive line to protect David Carr (poor guy… now that Ramsey has left Washington, Carr has NO competition for the ‘most battered QB’ category.) Instead they took Mario Williams, a capable but not great defensive end. Its time for a complete overhaul of the front office in Houston.

The Colts are the team to beat in the AFC. Sure they lost Edgerrin James, but Rhodes can get the job done. Marvin Harrison might be old, but its never a bad idea to throw the ball in his direction… odds are he will catch it. Peyton Manning will continue to add to his growing legend this year, as will their new kicker Adam Vinitieri. Dwight Freeney and Cato June are just plain scary for opposing teams to deal with. This should be the year the Colts get over the hump and make it to the Superbowl… but we have been saying that for 3 or 4 years now… If the Colts do not go to the Superbowl this year, expect the team to be completely dismantled at the end of the season.

Lets hope the Jaguars can overcome the injury bug this year. They have a dynamic, sharp looking, sleek looking, fast team. They plan to turn every game into a horse race towards the endzone. Unfortunately, that’s where the plan seems to end. They will be fun to watch, even if they don’t win.

The Titans picked up a pair of Rose Bowl rivals in the draft. They beefed up their RB situation with LenDale White, but have since had to deal with his injuries and attitude problems. I suspect that once the season is in swing, White will hit the field and work out just fine for them. They also added Vince Young, the new ‘human highlight reel.’ He promises to be everything Micheal Vick was not. Young has not been named the starter yet, but it should only take a few snaps before the decision is made. Otherwise the Tennessee fans will riot.

The Broncos are always in the hunt. They are solid, not great, at every position. You know they will find at least one RB who will produce over 1000 yards this season. All eyes are on Jay Cutler right now, who looks incredible during preseason play. Everyone is wondering if this marks the end of Jake Plummer in Denver. I still think Plummer can get the job done… we can’t blame him for dropped passes in the playoffs, although I certainly will not justify his own many mistakes. Plummer is not the sole reason Denver got beat by the Steelers last year. I am putting Denver into the AFC championship this season.

The Chiefs are all about LJ this year. The Larry Johnson phenomenon has started, at least in the eyes of the public. Lets hope the coaching staff has a better plan. Everyone gawks at Johnson’s numbers last year… ‘was on pace for a 2,400 yard season.. blah, blah, blah…” Now lets look at the facts: He took over the starting job late in the season, so he was a fresh healthy back going against bruised and battered defenses. Yeah, he did an amazing job, no doubt about it. And yes he will demolish the opposition this year. But his numbers WILL drop off this season. Its easier to get yards in weeks 9-16 than it is in weeks 1-9.

The Raiders are still the Raiders. Always unpredictable, always entertaining. Aaron Brooks will become a comedy of errors just like he was in New Orleans. But he just might get enough protection to produce a few points, then let the defense keep the other team’s points down. And when in doubt, THROW THE BALL TO RANDY MOSS. It works. Too bad this team is in the same division with 3 playoff caliber teams, otherwise they might have had a wildcard shot.

The Chargers will rock this year. Tomlinson will still be the best player in the game. Gates will continue to redefine the position of Tight End. Phillip Rivers… well… let’s wait and find out. He might not be that great, but he has enough support around him to make it all work.

The overall AFC picture: Colts vs Broncos in the AFC championship. Gee, I really went out on a limb there, eh?


The NFC.

NFC stands for No Fucking Clue. Which pretty much describes the NFC picture this season.

Lets start with the big story. Maybe you’ve heard about it. The Dallas Cowboys signed Mike Vanderjagt. Oh, you were waiting for the Terrell Owens story maybe? The TO situation has already gone into OT, and everyone is waiting for the explosion. The team slapped him with a $9500 fine yesterday for missing meetings. Put him on the field on game day, and he will find the end zone… with or without the ball. Its just a matter of Bledsoe staying on his feet long enough to throw it to Owens. But Vanderjagt will be the guy who wins games for Dallas. He is one of the most consistent kickers in history. He will turn short-punt situations into 3 pts for the team. And they lost three games by 3 pts or less last season. One field goal per game will turn a 9-7 team into a 12-4 team.

The Eagles do not have Terrell Owens anymore… Maybe you’ve heard about that? McNabb claims to be healthy this season. And the entire team is singing the chorus of ‘TO is gone, so our problems are solved.” Sorry boys, but Owens never sacked your QB or caused him to fumble. And Owens never allowed the opposing offense to get a first down in a critical situation to keep a scoring drive alive. Nope, the team had more problems than just Owens. But with Owens gone, maybe they can focus on them now.

The Giants are a contender. They are moving in the right direction. Eli Manning is turning out to be a pretty good QB… maybe its in his genes? Jeremy Shockey is having concussion problems, and I expect him to be injured off and on throughout the season. They might not make the playoffs, but they certainly have a good shot at it.

The Redskins are a mystery. They have to tools, they just can’t get them all working at once. Clinton Portis is hurt now, with an injury that could nag him all season long. Mark Brunell still seems to be ‘the guy’ in Gibbs Land, but if he gets hurt Todd Collins will have to take over… too bad the team opted not to sign Kerry Collins as a backup. The Redskins are a really good team on paper. The problem is getting them all healthy enough to be on the field at the same time.

Everyone got excited about the Bears last year. The team was under the radar and managed to bring Defensive football back to the NFL. Even without a real starting QB, they managed to produce enough points to win. They still have the same QB situation this year, but have added Brian ‘can’t keep a job or the ball’ Griese to the mix. So expect more of the same this year. They will need to win on defense. Thomas Jones is still a stud, but he needs an offensive line that can open some holes for him… and they just don’t have that.

The Detroit Lions are like that geeky kid on the block who you always let hang around, but you don’t really know why… he is never good at whatever it is your doing, is laughed at by everyone around, but he is always just happy to be there. The Detroit Lions are still a joke. They will continue to be a joke as long as Matt Millen is associated with the franchise. The owner refused to hear the chants of the fans when they held their ‘Millen Man March’ last year, and over 150,000 people marched through the streets demanding Millen’s removal. Lets shoot for 250,000 this year, and maybe they will hear it.

ATTENTION: Brett Favre is NOT retiring this season. Repeat: Brett Favre is not Retiring this season. Citizens of Green Bay, you may now leave the shelters and return to you homes. And no, they did not bother to improve the rest of the lineup much.

The Vikings will be the most improved team during the early portion of the season. Expect them to come out of the gate with some big wins. Brad Johnson is a damn good QB… understands that you don’t need highlight reels to win games, just yardage and points. Tarvaris Jackson is listed as their #4 QB, but he will be moved up to #2 soon, and will be the starter next season… he is really, really good! The team looks to fix its traditionally shakey running game by adding Chester Taylor to the roster. Overall they have a combination of power and consistency that reminds me of the old Riggens/Thiesman Redskins. The Vikings are easily a playoff contender this season, as long as their defense can hold the points down. Lets just keep them away from those famous Minnesota lakes for a while.

The Atlanta Falcons always show a lot of promise. Any year could be ‘the year’ for Michael Vick. And every year falls short. Warrick Dunn will pile up more yardage this year, but they lost the short-yardage power of TJ Duckett. The receiver lineup is confused… they have a lot of talented guys who just can’t seem to catch the ball. They have a really solid defense though, and that will keep them in contention. They will at least be a wildcard team, but I can’t promise more than that.

Its hard to not like the Panthers. They always look good. Their lineup is strong, they have exciting play, and they are a tough, gritty team. But they have chronic problems with the injury bug. But even if the team falls apart and can’t win games, at least we can hope for more drunken lesbian cheerleader bathroom brawls.

The Saints are a new team this year. I am not going to make fun of them (their owner is still at target for any rude remarks I choose to make, though.) Drew Brees is a playoff caliber QB. Reggie Bush will live up to all the hype and will help them win a few games. They still need to beef up the defense, particularly the secondary. But this team is starting to turn it around. Its just a matter of how their owner will find a way to screw it all up.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are turning into a pretty good looking football team again. Nothing spectacular there, but they work hard and get the job done. Chris Simms will finally get the chance to establish himself as a true NFL starter… if he fails, the team will need look towards Tim Rattay and Brad Gradkowski to turn it around, and that does not sound too promising. The Cadillac will again be almost impossible to stop, and will have Alstott to replace him for the ugly yards… it’s a powerful combo that will cause nightmares for defensive linemen.

There is a lot of buzz surrounding Arizona this year. Yeah, I will admit it: Their new stadium looks great. Too bad they have to put those ugly-ass uniforms on it. The team added Edgerrin James to finally establish a running game. That will win them a couple games this year. They still have Kurt Warner at QB… that will win a couple games for them and lose a couple games for them. Does anyone here really believe that Matt Leinart will sit on the bench as a backup all season long? I give it till week 4. But no matter what happens, it’s the Cardinals… they are still going to suck.

The Rams will be looking to score big with Stephen Jackson this year. He has all the tools, but not enough support. Tory Holt and Issac Bruce will still be a great combination, but Bruce is on the team more as a mentor than as a scoring machine… this will be his last season in the NFL. The ‘fastest show on turf’ needs to oil its gears a bit. Their defense needs a complete engine change. I love the Rams, but this team is going nowhere.

The 49ers are sad. Thank god for the Cartoon Network… at least the kids can be entertained on game day.

The Seahawks are the runaway favorites in the NFC. Shaun Alexander is still dominant… lets hope he can avoid the EA curse and can deal with his new popularity in the media. Matt Hasselbeck gets the job done, somehow. The Seattle defense is the most underrated squad in the league. This team is really, really solid. They just play in the wrong time-zone, so nobody sees it.

The overall NFC picture: No fucking clue. If I had to make a prediction, I would say… um…Seattle vs Atlanta in the NFC championship… I am really not comfortable with that prediction, because the NFC is wide open.

The rest of the football world
Something happened in the NFL last week that really pissed me off. Junior Seau retired. The Chargers signed him to a one-day deal and threw a huge ceremony for him. ESPN aired is whole retirement speech live, and he cried and ranted and carried on like a preacher at the Rapture. Then 24 hours later, he signed with the Patriots. That’s bullshit. The NFL needs a rule that requires players to sit out at least a full season if they retire. What Seau did was an insult to the Chargers and the Dolphins. I lost all respect for him.

This is the end of the Paul Tagliabue era. The commissioner is stepping down soon. It was a good run. He rolled with the punches, made his mistakes. But overall, he did a fine job. During his tenure, the league made huge improvements. New teams joined the league in Carolina, Jacksonville, and Houston. Cleveland moved to Baltimore, then Cleveland got a new team. The Rams moved, the Raiders moved several times. But the league stayed strong. The NFL added instant replay, then experimented for several years until they got it right. The 2 point conversion was added, and a whole new dynamic of the game was opened up. The league is stronger now than it was when he took over. Thanks for all the hard work over the years!

Clarett Fought the Law, and the Law Won...

Maurice Clarett was charged with carrying a concealed weapon after a highway chase early Wednesday that ended with police using Mace on the former Ohio State running back and finding four loaded guns in his sport utility vehicle.Officers used Mace to subdue Clarett after a stun gun was ineffective because the former Fiesta Bowl star was wearing a bullet-resistant vest. He tried to avoid police and led them on a short pursuit which ended when he ran over a police spike strip.
A few years ago, Maurice Clarett was on top of the world. He led Ohio State to the NCAA Football National Championship. He was the front runner to win the Hiesman Trophy the next year. He was set to be one of the top NFL draft picks after the next season. He was on the brink of having it all.
But he screwed it all up.
First came the minor legal troubles. There were far too many to recount now, but none were serious enough to really warrent concern. Then the academic troubles arose.... he simply could not keep his grades up and was not attending class, the classic college athelete saga. The came his failed attempt to enter the NFL draft early, his lawsuit against the league to challenge the rules, and the flurry of last minute court hearings and appeals... all resulting in a victory for the NFL. Then the NCAA dealt another blow to Clarett by ruling him ineligable for NCAA play because he had declared his intention to enter the NFL draft.... more lawsuits followed, and again Clarett lost. A year later came the NFL draft, and the Denver Broncos took a chance and drafted him in the late rounds. Clarett never saw action in an NFL uniform, and was released before the season ever started.
Since being cut by the Broncos, Clarett has been in constant trouble with the law. Before this latest incindent, he was already awaiting trial on two counts of aggravated robbery, four counts of robbery and one count of carrying a concealed weapon in a separate case.
So what went wrong with this guy? Bad wiring in his head? Momma raised him wrong? He fell in with a bad crowd? Or did society and the celebrity-athelete lifestlye drive him to stupidity?
The short answer is this: Despite all his athletic talent, he was still just a little punk who felt the world owed him something, and he tried to take what he could not earn.

2006 NFL Hall of Fame

The 2006 NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place today. This year's group of inductees is special, even when compared to all the great names who have recieved the honor in the past.
You know its a big event when a pair of Cowboys legends, Rayfield Wright and Troy Aikman, are the small stories of the event. This does nothing to diminish thier greatness or their accomplishments. It just means that the other stories are truely spectacular.
John Madden is a household name. As coach of the Raiders, he helped create one of the most feared teams in the history of sports. His sideline antics were as outragous as they come. In the broadcast booth he brought his endless wealth of experience and information, and he translated that into terms that the average viewer could understand. He spoke like a fan during broadcasts, and the viewers could relate to that. As a spokesman, he became a household name. His Madden video games have revolutionized sports video games and have helped teach the game of football to millions of kids. John Madden has already left a huge footprint in the history of the NFL, and he is far from finished.
Harry Carson had to wait far too long to recieve his honor. As a linebacker for the Giants, he was one of the most dominant players of his generation. He kept his name out of the headlines, preferring to be the perfect 'team player.' His smart, aggressive style of play set the standard for many of today's linebackers. Off the field, he was even more amazing. Whenever a friend or teammate was in need, injured, or just fallen on hard times, Harry Carson was always the first to respond. His dedication to community projects is unparralled. He has always been a class act. The NFL made a mistake by not including him in the Hall of Fame until now. Finally a new generation of fans can be introduced to someone who truley deserves it.
Warren Moon was one of my favorite players ever. In his prime, he was magic on the field. He brought a whole new level of mobility to position of Quarterback. And as a pocket passer, he was one of the best. Even before coming to the NFL, his stats in the CFL are still held in awe. In his 6 seasons in the CFL, he led his team to 5 champioships. He made his NFL mark with the Houston Oilers. He came into the the league at a time when black quarterbacks were rare. He helped break down a few of the racial barriers that still existed at the time. He never got them to the top, but they were always a contender with him. Injuries finally ended a carreer that age could not. Warren Moon is still considered a prototype for guys like Steve McNair, Michael Vick, and Aaron Brooks.
We all know the Reggie White story. He was one the true good guys. Thats all that needs to be said. His death was painfull for everyone who ever knew him and everyone who ever watched him play. There will not be a dry eye remaining when his name is spoken at today's ceremony. The Hall of Fame will be in good hands with the 'Minister of Defense' there to protect it.

NBA Changes Playoff Format

Mark Cuban continues to alter the course of NBA history. His verbal antics during this year's NBA playoffs have forced the league to admit there was a flaw in the system. The league has even gone so far as to correct the problem that has always existed but has rarely arisen. Leave it to Mark Cuban to find an obscure loophole and jump into it head first.
The issue the NBA had to deal with was this: The Dallas Mavericks finished the regular season with the second best record in the Western Conference. Division winners are automatically given the top seeds in the playoff bracked based on regular season record, then the rest of the 8 slots are filled out by teams with the best records. Dallas had a better record than the #2 and 3 seeds, but were given a lower seed position because San Antonio had won the division. The end result is that the top two teams in the conference, San Antonio and Dallas, had to play each other in the conference Semi-Finals, rather than in the conference Finals.
Dallas dealt with the sitution by beating San Antonio in the Semis then beating Pheonix in the Conference Finals, before losing to Miami in the Championship series.
It was a minor glitch in the system, but the NBA has corrected it. Now the top 3 seeds will get thier spots, then the teams with the next best records will be filled in..... wait... that still leaves the possibiilty of this situation happening again!
Ok.. here is an idea that the NBA should consider: Lets guarentee each division winner a spot, but still seed ALL positions based upon thier record at the end of the season. That would completely eliminate this problem. It does create the possibility that an entire division could enter with the top four seeds in the conference, but the odds of that happening are very remote.
Either way, the fans got to see the top two teams in the conferance battle in a 7 game series. That is what is important. Who really cares which round of the playoffs it happened in. One team was going to be eliminated by the other eventually.

The 'Yellow Floyd' Sports Scandal

Here we go again. Another Tour de France in the books, and another round of steroid allegations. Once again the french are claiming that the winner, who happens to be an American for the 8th straight year, tested positive for steroids. Well, not exactly. He only tested positive for an abnormally high level of testosterone after the race, but lets not get technical about little details like that. After all, its only a bicycle race.
If he did in fact use an illegal substance that effected his performance in that now famous 17th stage, then he should certainy be stripped of his title and banned from competition forever. If he did not use anything to alter his performance, than he simply put on a miraculous display of athleticism, determination, and... ok, he simple pedaled faster than everyone else that day.
I am not really trying to poke fun at the sport of cycling. The Tour de France is a brutal month long event where most of the time is spent going uphill. Its hell and I certainly would not be able to do it.
But this all becomes really silly when you consider this as another of the great scandals in sports history. But it does reflect a trend of big scandals erupting from insignificant sports.
The previous cycling scandal will rage for years. People will continue to debate whether or not Lance Armstrong cheated.
Figure skating has had more than its share of headline making scandals. The Tanya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan incident. The Olympic Scoring scandal. The Second Olympic Scoring scandal. The Johhny Wier sexuality controversy.
Track & Field is nothing but scandals involving doping accusations. Ben Johnson alone accounts for more than most other sports ever see.
Golf has controversy and scandal. Women golfers competing in men's events. Women and minorities being barred from certain courses.
Soccer is filled with scandal. This year's World Cup had many drug related issues, with entire teams and their coaching staffs coming under fire. Italy won the world cup despite the fact that over half the team was under investigation for match fixing back in thier home country. The Zidane headbutt has found a home in pop-culture now.
Chess has seen a few scandals over the years, although its hard to imagine what could possibly happen during a chess match. Competitors are now tested for drugs prior to international competition for some silly reason.
Why do these silly little sports seem to have so many scandals? Because the contestants are desperate to get their 15 minutes of fame. Even if they are the best in their sport, they will never be a household name.. until they are involved in a scandal. If Landis had not been accused of doping, his name would already be out of the headlines. Nobody would remember Tanya Harding if she had not hired a hitman to injur her rival.
The heads of these sports organizations claim they hate scandals. I am sure they never want to see cheating in thier sport. But they secretly love it because it gives people a reason to talk about a sport that they would otherwise ignore. And lets admit the truth here: We never pay attention to these events until there is a controversy.
These controversies do not help these sports enter the mainstream or become more popular. Viewership increases after such things happen, just like more people look at the side of a road when there is a wreck. Its a freak show and we just watch and hope all hell breaks loose on live television.
These things will never rank with the true historical sports scandals. Floyd Landis will never be compared to the Chicago 'black sox' who threw the world series. He will never be compared to Barry Bonds and his steroid scandal. His situation will not be compared to the Mike Tyson rape conviction or the Kobe Bryant rape allegations. He will never be remembered in the same light as OJ Simpson. His scandal does not shake the world like the Magic Johnson HIV announcement did. Big sports, big scandals, big story. The Floyd Landis story is just the result of a slow news week in sports.
History remembers the real scandal and all the details. The public barely remembers the name of the people involved in these scandals in minor sports.
If you want to look at a real sports scandal, then consider the Charlie Brown/Lucy situation. For decades Lucy has deliberalty pulled the footall off the tee just prior to the kick, causing her teammate to miss the kick and land painfully on his back. Where is the investigation into this?

Not The Frederick Douglass of Sports

Texas Longhorns running back Ramonce Taylor said Tuesday he will transfer to another college. Taylor has recently had legal problems resulting from a marijuana arrest. He was forced to miss spring practice due to poor grades.
While he remained in the shadows of QB Vince Young all season last year, Taylor still played a major role on the team. He scored 15 touchdowns and served to draw coverage away from recievers and Young. He enabled the team to open up the offense a lot.
So he has a drug problem and he can't keep his grades up, but he figures he can just walk away from his college and go play somewhere else this season? Remeber when college sports used to make people sit out a full season after they transfered to a new school? In recent years we have seen the NCAA make more and more exceptions made for star players, effectively killing that particular rule.
So whats the big deal? Well, first consider what it does to college sports. This is not the NFL, where players can pack up and move to a new team whenever they are not getting their way. This is college, where student athelets go to get an education. Part of that education sometimes involve learning how to cope with a situation they might not particularly like.
But there is a much bigger problem here. An individual like this should not find it so easy to relocate to a new school and be welcome with open arms. He is not the ideal student athlete. Nor is he the ideal citizen. He has legal problems and academic problems, and he shows no sense of commitment. This means we must question his judgement, his commitment to the sport or teammates, his moral values, and quite possibly his basic intelligence. In other words, he has displayed that he is immature, irresponsible, undependable, and either stupid or lazy depending on how you interpet his grades.
Taylor made the following statement with his announcement: "Frederick Douglass once said, 'No struggle, no progress.' I've had my share of struggles and now it's time for progress." Somehow I do not think Frederick Douglass was referring to anything as trivial as a football player switching schools. And I certainly do not think Frederick Douglass meant that you should simply pack your bags and leave town when the going gets tough. History tells us that Douglass stuck to his guns, stayed loyal to his people, and continued to fight.
If an athlete is going to quote a historical figure like this, they should at least open a history book and learn something about the person they are quoting. Following their example would not hurt much either.

Week In Review

A quick recap of the past 7 days in the world of sports....
American Floyd Landis won the Tour De France. This makes 8 years in a row that an American has won the race. And this time the French do not have Lance Armstrong to accuse of doping.
Ricky Williams broke his arm in a CFL game. The Toronto Argonauts say he will be out at least 4 weeks. They better keep a close eye on him, since we all know what Ricky does to relax in his free time.
Tiger Woods won the British Open. I still insist that Golf is not a sport, so it should not even be a news item.
Some 21 year old won the World Series of Poker. That is definately not a sport, so I will not even name the guy.
Tye Law has signed a 5 year deal with the Chiefs. Its amazing that someone with that much unused talent is unable to hold a job.
A San Fransisco Grand Jury has decided to not indict Barry Bonds on a variety of charges. Instead they ended thier term and will simply pass the problem on to the next Grand Jury. Kinda like taking time out to change pitchers before letting him walk.
Bengals DT Matthias Askew was arrested after a parking violation and altercation which resulted in police using a taser on him. Askew is the 4th Bengals player arrested in as many months. Oh, the jokes are just too easy now, so I will not even bother. Just add your own punchline.
Yeah.. it was a pretty slow week.

The Ricky Williams Saga Continues

The strange tale of Ricky Williams continues to take more twists and turns.
His career in the Canadian Football League came to an end today with a severely broken arm. The injury came during his fourth carry of the game for the Toronto Argonauts. Williams was scambling for additional yardage on a short carry, when the opposing players piled onto him. After the play he left the field under his own power, but was clearly in pain. The team has indicated that he has 'a clean break', but have not yet specified which bone is broken.
Now we are all left to wonder whats next for Ricky Williams. Its unlikely he will ever play for the Toronto Argonauts again. Its doubtful he will ever play in the CFL again, a league that is geared specifically towards the passing game. At the time of his injury, Williams ranked sixth in the league, with just under 300 yards total for the season.
Many are assuming that he will never again wear a Miami Dolphins uniform. His recurring drug problems will already force him to sit out the 2006 season, which is why he went to Canada in the first place. The only reason the Dolphins agreed to let him play in the CFL was so he could earn some money to pay off his debts and to stay in shape for the 2007 season. Now neither looks to be the case.
It is only a broken arm. Williams is not an injury prone player, having only missed games in 2000 due to a broken ankle. But the broken arm might just be the straw that broke the camel's back. The Miami Dolphins and the rest of the NFL will most likely throw in the towel now and walk away from the Ricky Williams saga.
And we will forever be left wondering just how good he really could have been.

Welcome to Front Row Sports

This is it. We finally have a space to share our madness with the world. The sports world will never be the same again.
Move over ESPN. Here comes something slightly different. We are just not sure exactly what it is yet.
This thing will take shape soon. I intend to let it grow and take on a life of its own. I am hoping the rest of the gang will be along shortly to make their presence and opinions known.
We have another one of our NFL Fantasy Drafts starting in a few moments, so the first real article here will have to wait a bit.
Be patient. The party is just getting started.