The Folly of College Football Bowl Games

Way too much ink has been spilled in vitriol against the BCS.  I am usually the optimist who will feel bad for the underdog, the picked-on, trying to find something good in what everyone else sees as bad.  Not possible with the BCS.  I don’t have to convince anyone that it is (insert rage here) ridiculous.  I want to look at the other side here.  Everyone wants a playoff because the BCS system more closely resembles a beauty contest than athletic competition.  But let’s think for a minute about how futile bowl games are.  

Let’s begin with the obvious - how can we take seriously a game which is played on blue astroturf, features 2 teams from mid-major conferences, and is called the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl?  ESPN tries to get us to care but I don’t even think most Toledo fans watched.  Games played in half-empty stadiums named for whoever shells out the big bucks to put their name on the game by players who have practiced for 4 weeks since their last competition don’t really do it for me.

But its not just the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl (Ball St. vs. Central Florida in case you care, which I’m sure you don’t) that is frivolous - they all are.  Yes, that includes you too Rose Bowl.  I know Keith Jackson calls you the granddaddy of them all but you mean nothing.  I grew up in Pac 10 country and then lived in Big 10 country after college.  How funny is it to see Buckeye fans wearing t-shirts which read “Rose Bowl Champions”.  Congratulations.  You are the champion of a game between 2 schools who may or may not have won their conferences and if they did it means their conference wasn’t the best in the country or else they would have been playing in a different bowl game.  But if it makes you feel good to call yourself champion then you go right ahead.  

More evidence for the meaninglessness of bowl games is the games themselves.  If you need more plays for the back of your playbook then watch more bowl games.  The reason college coaches not named Les Myles don’t do onside kicks in the 3rd quarter and fake punts 50% of the time in the regular season is because the regular season matters and coaches really want to win those games.  Bowl games on the other hand - who cares if you win or lose, so you might as well try out all of your fake field goal plays.      Remember the famous Boise State vs. Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl?  BSU forced overtime on a hook and ladder, and won in OT on a Statue of Liberty play - the same plays we drew up on the playground in 6th grade.  It is the same approach I take when I play video games - never kick a field goal - always go for it, never punt - 4th down is never too long, never kick off - always go onside.  Why?  Because who wins a bowl game matters about the same amount as who wins the video game in my living room.  

I actually saw 2 guys on the sideline of the Arizona game today (the Gildan New Mexico Bowl vs. Nevada - I didn’t watch it I just saw the highlights) punching each other in the face.  You usually don’t see teammates comes to blows in the middle of games that matter.

And here is the reason why I wrote this article - if the coaches don’t give a rat’s patoot about these football games then why should I.  It happens every year.  December is the month in which college coaches take new jobs.  Wait a minute...THE SEASON’S NOT OVER YET!  The Wisconsin Badgers will be coached in their bowl game this year by Barry Alvarez.  Why?  Because their coach took the job at Arkansas (in my opinion that was a ridiculous professional decision but that is another post).  And oh by the way, Wisconsin is playing in the Rose Bowl this year!  What if Jim Leyland would have retired in between the ALCS and the World Series?  That would be ridiculous...right?  And why would that be ridiculous?  Because the World Series is not an exhibition, it matters.   

Having said all that, I will watch as many bowl games as I can this year.  I am a sucker.  I will watch the onside kick fests coached by interim head coaches by adolescents who haven’t played in over a month.  I will watch them and be entertained, but will mostly watch them asking the question at the end of each impressive win by a quality team, “what could have been.”  I will watch the Rose Bowl and think how much better it would be if it was a national quarterfinal between the Pac-12 champs and the Big-10 champs only to play next week in the semifinal game against the winner of the SEC champs vs. A Wild Card team.  

Since you asked, here is my solution:

Champions from the 6 “BCS” conferences (of course they wouldn’t be called BCS conferences because the BCS would be taken out back and given what it deserves) are automatic bids.  The 2 highest ranked non-BCS conference champions are also in as are the 2 highest ranked non-conference champions.  The first round is 4 teams, the other 6 get a bye.  Then let ‘em have at it.  

Top 10 - Worst Hair in Sports

The first of what is sure to be many to come.  Lists.  I love lists.  I love the subjectivity of it all.  Here is the first - Bad Hair.  The rule for this list is that it has to be current hair - we are not making a list of all time, just a list for now.  This list is partially biased towards my watching Arsenal play this week and watching an NBA doubleheader tonight.  While we may disagree on the top 10, we can all agree that there is some bad hair going on is sports today.  Leave you nominations in the comments.  

10 - Marv Albert - 

You might be thinking, “his hair looks fine.”  His hair does look fine...on a 39 year old.  The problem is that Marv Albert is 71.  

9 -  Bryan Engblom - 

- Baseball players and football players are largely not know for their hair as their career is spent wearing a hat/helmet.  Hockey players also wear helmets yet they still have their own genre of hair.  No one does it better than Bryan Engblom.

8 - Michael Beasley - 

Cornrows?  Still?  Does he look in the mirror each morning and say, “oooohhh yeeeeaaaaahh, early 2000’s criminal, exactly what I’m going for.”

7 -  Eric Spoelstra - 

 - Wilson is a clown, Engblom is a hockey player, at least they have excuses.  This is Spo’s attempt at suave.  Maybe he learned from his mentor Pat Riley.  At least Riley’s used to work for him back when it had color and wasn’t so long that it is curling at the collar as it is now.  Spo’s hair symbolizes the Heat’s failures before last year - unwilling to actually step up and be something.  Lebron and co. fixed their problem, the coach’s greased mop must now do the same.  

6 - Bryce Harper -

 I think he actually got a haircut, but it was too late.  You are 19, you just received the most hyped call-up to the majors that I can remember, SportsCenter is covering your every step, and your Parents have to see you on TV with the Daniel Boone coonskin cap underneath your Nationals hat?  First impressions...bro.

5 - Bacary Sagna - 

  I’m all about having a trademark - Lebron’s headband, Tiger’s fistpump, Jordan’s tongue, Rodgers’ discount double check - but this?

4 - Mel Kyper - 

 - You are on TV for a living.  I know you cover football, Mel, but come on.  I actually can’t even stand Mel Kyper when he is on the radio.  I would not be able to call myself a friend if you were on a date and you had a boogie hanging out of your nose and I did not tell you.  Where are Mel’s friends?  Where were they 15 years ago?

3 - Brian Wilson - 

 - Man! I hate the Giants, and I can’t stand Brian Wilson.

2 - Marouane Chamak - 

 - Congratulations, Arsenal, on having 2 players in the top 10.  And all the Arsenal fans said, “give us a break...they’re both French.”

1 - Andrew Bynum - 

When you win you get 2 pics.  The bizarre thing about Bynum is that there seems to be no fashion statement going on here.  If the big man had things figured out on the court then we would view his hair in a different way.  Unfortunately his hair epitomizes his career - confused.  

How Terrell Pryor Saved Columbus

The Ohio State University is, according to Wikipedia, the 3rd largest public university in America.  It has the largest NCAA fan base in the country, and their scarlet and grey merchandise emblazoned with the block “O” leads the country in sales every year.  Their stadium seats over 100,000 fans.  They are also home to TBDBITL.  Those who love the Ohio State University can thank Terrell Pryor for salvaging their institution.  

Yes, that Terrell Pryor.  The one who headed up the tattoos for merchandise scandal which cost (the most beloved man in Columbus at the time) Jim Tressel his job and cost the Buckeyes their bowl eligibility for the 2012 season.  Take it back Buckeye fans.  All those bad words you placed in between Terell and Pryor.  All those #2 jerseys you burned in anger.  Take them all back.  He saved your university.

First you must understand the 58,000+ students at OSU.  This is the student body that loses dozens of couches every week in fall - they burn them in anger when the Buckeyes lose, they burn them in euphoria when the Buckeyes win.  Everyone knows not to leave your car parked east of High St. at night on a Saturday because if the right atmosphere surrounds it, it may get overturned - in anger when the Buckeyes lose, in unbridled joy when the Buckeyes win.  

Of course last Saturday night was an extra raucous party on High as the Buckeyes not only beat Michigan, but capped off a perfect 12-0 season.  The damage done from those parties would have only been a drop in the bucket compared to the damage that would have been done tonight, Sunday, Dec. 2nd, in Columbus, Ohio had Terrell Pryor not exchanged tattoos for autographs.  

Were it not for Terrell Pryor, tonight’s BCS selection show (assuming, of course, that the Buckeyes would have rolled over Nebraska last night in the Big 10 championship game), would have a revealed a National Championship final of the 12-0 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame vs. the 12-1 Crimson Tide of Alabama, with the 13-0 Buckeyes going to the Rose Bowl...and OSU, Columbus and possibly the state of Ohio going up in flames.  If you’ve not experienced the irrationality of OSU fans then you don’t understand, but this would have destruction that Sandy and Katrina could only aspire to.  

In the AP poll, the only poll that the BCS ineligible Buckeyes are eligible for, the Buckeyes are 3rd.  In the USA today poll Alabama is #2 but still received 3 out of 59 first place votes!  Who knows what the computers would have spit out, but I have no doubt that they would have led to the most pissed off Rose Bowl participants of all time.  Let’s be honest - Kansas St., Oregon, Notre Dame - however this season played out at the end there was going to be an SEC team in the Championship Game.  Now I am not saying that Alabama is not the best team in the country, I am only saying that the people who decide on this what-should-be-a-sporting-competition-but-is-really-a-popularity-contest had their minds made up before the season started.  When people started asking in October the (incredibly ridiculous) question of whether or not Alabama could beat the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL you know that objectivity is thrown out the window.  

Full disclosure - I am a Buckeye.  And honestly, I believe that if Alabama played OSU next week that Alabama would win (the spread would be a lot lower now than it was pre-Texas A&M loss).  But that this is how the national championship is decided is the 2nd most embarrassing news story in major american sports (thanks NHL).  

The BCS got real lucky this year that they didn’t have to do this.  Columbus, Ohio got real lucky that this scenario didn’t play out.  It is much better for everyone involved that the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines and rode off into the sunset with the undefeated season.  And I never thought I would say it but...thanks Terrell Pryor.  I really mean it, thanks.

My Hall of Fame Ballot

The ballots are out.

This is why I began writing about sports.  This is the single funnest discussion in all of sports.  Five years ago we took my Father to Cooperstown and had this discussion for 3 days straight.  The Hall of Fame was created to compare apples and oranges, to make objective a discussion which is truly subjective.  The beauty of the Hall of Fame is that it draws a line in the sand and gives absolutely no criteria to define where that line is to be drawn except for the definition itself - Hall of Fame.  Where is the line drawn?  It is drawn between the Hall of Famers and the non-Hall of Famers.  Wait, you can’t use the word you are defining in the definition.  When defining Hall of Fame criteria you have to.  

There are some criteria that are almost definite lines in the sand.  For example, of all HOF eligible players who have amassed 3,000 hits all of them are in the Hall except for Pete Rose (banned) and Rafael Palmeiro (tested positive for PED’s).  This looks real good for Craig Biggio this year - 3,060.  If we were to have this discussion 10 years ago we would have said the same thing about 500 home runs.  This of course being the stat most affected by PED’s (more on them later), a HR is not what it used to be.  There are now 2 eligible 500 HR Club members not in the Hall - McGwire (583) and Palmeiro (569).  As we look ahead to the next few years and see names like Jim Thome and Gary Sheffield the 500 HR is no longer a definite line in the sand.  This does not bode well for this year’s hopefuls who are Steroid Era guys who are just short of the 500 mark - McGriff (493) and Bagwell (449).  On the pitching side, 300 wins still is, and should be, an automatic entry in the HOF stat.  However, Roger Clemens will be testing that line this year also.  

So let’s get into the first determining factor for this year’s vote - Steroids.  The voters how proved that they are going to make the players pay for their (alleged, accused, or tested positive) sins.   Mark McGwire should be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and has only garnered 19.5% of the vote (75% gets one inducted in the Hall).  Palmeiro and Bagwell are already borderline guys but Bagwell is guilty by association and Palmeiro is guilty by testing positive, therefore there is little to no chance that they will ever be inducted.

Here is how I will decide my vote in regards to PED’s - I will take the entire era, call it the steroid era, and judge the players based on their peers.  Accused, tested positive, or otherwise, I will assume that everyone was doing it and judge their performance on the field during that era.  Ballots went out this week and are due on Monday, so with this as my criteria here is my ballot. 

IN (in order) - Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio, and Sammy Sosa.  

MAYBE NEXT YEAR (in order) - Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Larry Walker

Out (in order) - Jack Morris, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff

My Justification - I love the sabermetrics of baseball but I will leave out of this discussion.  In fact, I will leave most stats out of this discussion because I am a firm believer is this as a measurement - Is _________ a Hall of Famer?

IN

Barry Bonds - The 2nd greatest offensive player ever.  Bonds is one of eight players ever to join the 300HR/300SB club.  He is the only player in the 400/400 club, so of course he is the only player in the 500/500 club with 14 SB and 262 HR to spare.  

Roger Clemens - With pitcher especially we have to look at both peak quality and longevity, the classic Sandy Koufax vs. Nolan Ryan debate.  In the combination of peak quality and longevity Clemens would rank in the top 3 pitchers of all time, alongside Greg Maddux and Walter Johnson.   

Mark McGwire - In 1999 someone made a video naming the All-Century Team.  In 100 years of baseball they named the 2 All-Century first basemen as Lou Gehrig and Mark McGwire - one of the 2 received less than 20% of the vote to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  The writers should take their hypocritical pens and mark “yes” for McGwire this weekend.  

Mike Piazza - Offensively speaking he was head and shoulders above anyone who has ever put on the shinguards.

Craig Biggio - Of everyone on my “IN” list Biggio is the one who does not stand out in the that-guy-is-a-Hall-of-Famer measurement; unless you are counting dirt on the jersey.  He was a very good player for a long time, the best 2B in the NL for a decade, has 3,000 hits, and put up good non-steroid numbers in the steroid era.

Sammy Sosa - A home run is not what it used to be, but Sosa clipped off 66, 63, 50, 64, 49 over a 5 year span.  Lest you incorrectly remember Sosa as a one-dimensional player, he batted .306 over that same span.   

MAYBE NEXT YEAR

Rafael Palmeiro - These other Steroid guys need to be sorted out before Palmeiro is even considered.  And with more guys coming on the list every year, it may be a while.  His actual positive test may eliminate him for good, but how many other guys out there have 500HR and 3,000 hits?  Three (Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray - decent company)

Curt Schilling - Good regular season numbers, fantastic post-season numbers (11-2, 2.23 ERA in 19 postseason starts) and great post-season moments.  Schilling is a tricky one and may also benefit from the steroid fallout.

                                                                      The Bloody Sock is at Cooperstown, will Schilling join it?

Jeff Bagwell - A big reason why many of the names at the bottom of this article are not at the top  of this article is the best-of-your-time-at-your-position argument.  This same argument goes against Palmeiro - they were never the best at their position.  Too many good 1B, too many good home run hitter during their time.  Sorry guys.

Tim Raines - His pre-steroid numbers look better and better every year, but he is now too far removed.  Was a great lead off hitter who falls a little short.

Larry Walker - Larry Walker doesn’t scream Hall of Fame, but his numbers are certainly there.  The sabermetricians certainly do like Walker.  According to Bill James’ (pause for a moment of silent honor to the godfather of sabermetrics) HOF meter Walker scores a 148, with a score of 100 being the likely-to-be-inducted line.

OUT

Jack Morris - I am not a fan of voting players into the Hall of the 14th ballot.  He has done nothing over the last 19 years to improve his case for induction.  However, ironically, this may just be his year.  He may get the up-yours-steroid-boys vote from some writers.

Lee Smith - Closer is one of the 2 most overrated positions in sports** so Saves do not get my vote.

Edgar Martinez - Edgar was a great designated hitter in Seattle.  The only way for a DH to make the HOF is if his offensive numbers are off-the-charts, since, after all, he is only half a player*, and Edgar’s offensive numbers are not off-the-charts.

Fred McGriff - Too many good first basemen who could hit home runs.  Does anyone look at Fred McGriff and have the word great come to mind?

* It will come out every once in a while - I HATE the designated hitter rule.

**  Football Running Back is the other.  Catcher and Offensive Lineman being to 2 most underrated.

You Probably Don't Know What You're Missing

The Houston Dynamo and the LA Galaxy will be squaring off next week in the finale of the 17^th season of Major League Soccer - but you probably didn’t know that.  Major League soccer, this year, had the 3^rd highest attendance average of the major US sports, only behind the NFL and MLB – but you probably didn’t know that either.  An MLS match is a great atmosphere in the Stadium and a very good product on the field – but unless you live in an MLS city you probably didn’t know that either.  MLS had a rocky beginning, and that was to be expected, but you probably haven’t noticed that Major League Soccer has found their niche, they are expanding, and their product gets better every year.

In a plan to ride the coattails of the 1994 World Cup the inaugural season of the MLS  was 1996.  They began with 10 teams.  As those of us who have followed American soccer for a long time knew would inevitably happen, the beginning years of the MLS were plagued with bad decisions.  Teams played in enormous, partially filled stadiums.  In an attempt to appeal to the American sports fan they concocted a wacky shootout system to conclude every tie match, apparently believing that ties, though the rest of the world accepts them as part of the game, are un-American.  The commentators were no good, the experience was lame, and the players tried their best.  They put one of their founding teams in one of the 5 worst sports town in America, Tampa Bay, for a league that plays a summer schedule.  They expanded two years later to one of the 5 worst sports town in America, Miami, for a league that plays a summer schedule. 

That was then.

The MLS currently has 19 teams, with an expansion to put a 2^nd team in New York City in the works.  Fourteen of those 19 teams play in soccer specific stadiums, most of them intimate venues with capacities around 20,000.  The recent round of expansions have tapped into some of the best sports towns in America - Salt Lake City, Portland, Seattle, Philly – and are capitalizing on the Canadian love of soccer as well – Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.  The atmosphere in the Northwest rivals that of European clubs. 

And speaking of other soccer leagues, the product on the pitch is fantastic.  High profile European defectors like Beckham and Henry, though they move the media needle, are not the main reason for the quality on the pitch.  World class internationals from smaller western hemisphere nations, homegrown talent, and a handful of big name Europeans have combined to produce a great product – don’t let any snobby yet uninformed sports fan tell you otherwise. 

This is now.

The attendance numbers are impressive.  MLS has surpassed both the NHL and the NBA in per game attendance averages (18,807).  The league broke the 6 million fan barrier in 2012.   To put that into perspective, they broke the 5 million barrier in 2011 and 4 million in 2010.  Granted, expansion has a lot to do with those numbers but that is eye catching growth no matter what the reason behind it. 

This year they began a new TV contract with NBC sports, and as we all know it is the TV contracts that drive American sports (and American Universities as is evidenced by the conference shakeups of recent years).  If they can figure out the TV piece of the equation (side note:  even the commentators are exponentially better now), that will be the key to marketing the game outside of MLS cities. 

You may not have noticed that the MLS is a great product.  Maybe you, like me, don’t have the pleasure of living in an MLS city.  Here is some sports advice that you will thank me for later – get on the MLS bandwagon.  You will be glad you did.

The Pinnacle of Journalism - The Sideline Reporter and the Athlete Interview

The brains behind putting sports on television have come up with some great ideas that enhance the sports fan’s viewing experience.  I love the camera that is suspended in mid air above the field.  Whoever decided a few years back that the score and the time/inning/down should always be on the TV screen - brilliant.  It makes one forget that a few years ago they would only flash the score on the screen every once in a while*.  And of course, the best thing to happen to sports since the shot clock - High Definition!  

There are two things, however, that do absolutely nothing to enhance my sports viewing experience and may actually detract from it - and the 2 go hand in hand.  They are 1) the athlete interview and 2) the sideline reporter.  I ask you, sports fans, 2 questions.  

1. Has a sideline reporter ever offered any bit of information or pseudo-news that was worth anything?
2. Has an athlete ever said anything in an interview that benefited anyone ever?

The answer to the first question is a unanimous “NO”.  A friend of mine and I were debating the value of the sideline reporter the other day and he mentioned as proof for the benefit of sideline reporters an instance where the sideline wannabe reporter reported that a running back was on the sideline getting his ankle re-taped and would therefore be reentering the game.  To which I responded, “could we not have deduced that from a camera showing said running back on the sideline getting his ankle re-taped?”  How often have we seen a wide receiver get his head knocked off coming across the middle only to have the sideline reporter tell us that the player has gone to the locker room for further tests.  Did the image of the player in a cart going through the tunnel not tell us that exact same thing? Thanks a pantload...how much are they paying you to do this job?  And since when did this become a job that can only be held by good looking females (sorry Craig Sager, I didn’t mean to exclude you - good looking females or guys dressed like clowns)?  It’s like they are now a more highly evolved verbally astute cheerleader.  Do any reporters aspire to this position?  Does this job scratch one’s journalistic itch?

The answer to question B. is yes.  If you exclude Charles Barkley and inebriated Joe Namaths then the answer changes to no.  

After every single coach or athlete interview I have ever heard I quote Billy Madison to myself, “and everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it.”  

My favorite all time sports talk radio show was host was Tony Kornheiser.  Not only is Tony smart and articulate, but he refused to do athlete interviews - and his show was better for it.  

And the worst of all, when you combine the 2 most worthless elements of sports on TV - a sideline reporter doing an athlete interview.  Do they have a school for sideline reporters to learn the mastery of their craft?  “Coach, what adjustments do you need to make in the 2nd half?”  “After a lifetime of training and sacrifice you just won a gold medal for you and your country, what are you feeling right now?”  That’s it.  Ask the brilliantly crafted questions and then all you have to do is just let those coaches and athletes open their mouths and spill pearls of wisdom and insight that will inspire sports fans the world over.  Sideline reporter school is over.  Now go out and Wow America ladies...and you too Craig. 

* I hate the constant scrolling of other scores on the bottom of the screen - smart phones have rendered the ticker completely superfluous and distracting

Give the Boys a Chance to Win!

     We all just witnessed (I hope you were watching) a classic football game.  No, I'm not talking about the track meet in the Colleseum where the game was 3/4 finished before it saw it first punt.  I am talking about the 4 yards and a cloud of dust battle in the bayou.  Epic plays, great defense, a wild atmosphere...and the worst coached football game I have ever seen.

     I was just told by Kirk Herbstreet on SportsCenter not to criticize Les Miles for the decisions he made in this game.  On behalf of Kansas St., Notre Dame, and Oregon fans everywhere I am going to criticize Les Miles.  I know this might sound hypocritcal of me criticizing Les for taking risks since when I coach football I make those same risky decisions and often get burned also - EXCEPT THAT I ONLY COACH FOOTBALL IN VIDEO GAMES!  You are probably saying something about hindsight being 20/20, but my foresight was also 20/20.  On 4th and 12 when I saw the holder pitch it to the kicker only for him to slaughtered by the 'Bama defense, I was wondering about Miles' sanity and the kicker's ability to survive that dog pile.  The onside kickoff in the 2nd half was actually taken straight out of my Madden playbook.  Fourth down and a long 1 in the 4th quarter when they brought in the "wildcat" package I almost woke up my wife with shouts of "No, no, no" (my wife was also almost awoken by these same shouts we heard all the way from Manhattan, South Bend, and Eugene). You don't get that fourth down with that package against that defense.  Of course they went nowhere.

   It was the last 3 minutes where it really broke down for Les Miles.  It was 3rd down and fairly long with just over 2 minutes on the clock.  If they go nowhere on 3rd down they are looking at a 49 yard field goal (not happening).  If they run it and gain a few yards then they are still looking at a 45 yard attempt.  At that point LSU was up by 3.  At that moment in the game LSU's QB was on fire.  To run the ball burns 40 seconds and gives you almost no chance of getting a first down and a slim chance of making the field goal.  THROW THE FOOTBALL, LES!  GIVE THE BOYS A CHANCE TO WIN!  They ran it for about 4 yards.  No one was surprised they didn't run it for a first down (which would have essentially ended the ball game since Saban had burned all his timeouts already).  No one was surprised they went for the field goal.  I was a bit surprised LSU didn't fake the field goal since no one was surprised when he missed the field goal anyway (and by the way, jumping ahead, they would have lost even if he had made the field goal since 'Bama marched down and scored a TD instead of a FG - more on that later).  But here was the strange part about this decision - Les Miles was in the middle of coaching the most aggressive (albeit reckless) game I have ever seen...and then he wussed out.  He fakes a field goal of 4th and 12, he calls an onside kick in the 3rd quarter, yet he can't pass the ball on 3rd down with under 3 minutes to ice the game, beat his rival, and possibly earn a spot in the BCS championship game?

     So Alabama gets the ball back, down by 3, no timeouts, and under 2 minutes on the clock.  They start on about their 30 yard line, need to get to the other 30 or so for a chance at a tie.  At this point I am still feeling real good if I am LSU.  Gary Danielson reminds us that McCarron is 1 for 9 in the 2nd half with 0 yards.  The Alabama offense had gone nowhere the entire 2nd half.  So what does Les Miles do?  HE BACKS THE HECK UP AND GIVES THEM ALL THE SPACE IN THE WORLD!?  Instead of continuing his aggression and shoving it right down their throats, he goes prevent.  Pass complete, pass complete, pass complete, 'Bama in field goal range.  What happens next is the irony to cap off an incredibly ironic game - LSU blitzes (finally) and Saban had called a screen.  TJ Yeldon takes it 28 yards for an historic Crimson Tide TD.

     WOW!

     LSU gets the ball back with under a minute and they are so deflated that they can't even think straight, and they quickly made a mess of the final ticks and the Tiger faithful in Death Valley looked like someone had just pulled a cruel joke on them.  The tragedy of the game, and Nick Saban admitted it after the game, was that LSU dominated the game.  The boys on the field in purple and gold did almost everything right.  Even with all of the bad decisions, with 2 minutes left they looked like they were going to win this game - but their coach didn't give the boys a chance to win.

  Having said all that, unless they get jobbed by the BCS, Oregon will win the National Championship.

NBA Preview

Now that baseball is over, and the NBA regular season begins in 2 days, there are some questions that I am asking going into the 2012-2013 season.

How will Ray Allen enjoy his return to Boston?  I know, I know...it’s a business, it’s only a job.  But there’s lots of things I wouldn’t do at my job - even for more money.  When Ray Allen took his crooked smirk to South Beach he crossed the line.  Ray Allen is going to get absolutely hammered by the Boston fans, and he deserves every ounce of it.  

Can Jeremy Lin be an All-Star in Houston?  If you thought Linsanity was wild in NYC, you should try Beijing.  Lin Shu Hao surpassed Kobe and Lebron status in China - and that is a huge statement.  China already loves the Rockets (which is a big reason Tracy McGrady decided to sign in China this year and is obviously the reason Houston decided to pony up for Lin) but does Lin have any chance of succeeding with that lineup?  If they would have won the Howard sweepstakes I would have said yes, but not now.  They will love him in China regardless.

There's nowhere to go but up, but how high can the Bobcats rise?  After the worst winning percentage in the history of the NBA it is inconceivable that the Bobcats can get any worse.  No one is really asking this question but I live in NC now so I am hoping for some watchable basketball in Charlotte in the not-too-distant future.

Will Pau Gasol still be the best big man in LA?  Ok, honestly, I don’t really think this is going to happen but I really wish it would.  I don’t hate the Lakers like most people do - but I hate Dwight Howard.  I used to like Dwight Howard.   I even had Dwight flair on my Facebook flair board back in the day.  He went south fast in the reputation department.  He has possibly had the worst looking free agency (and pre-free agency) that anyone not named Lebron James has had ever.  The superstar who makes it known well in advance that he wants to be traded is bad, but Howard still had a lot of miles left on his contract.  Gets his coach fired, still has the best smile in the NBA, team hits the tank and looks embarrassing some nights.  It makes you think it is more of a campaigning politician smile and less an I-love-this game smile.  If a superstar demanding to be traded is bad, said superstar who then says he will only go to one of two cities in that trade should draw the ire of every basketball fan in North America.  Because he is the thing with choosing your team, when was the last time anyone ever said, “Milwaukee or nothing” in that situation.  Is the NBA, even with the presence of a salary cap, going to become the English Premier League with a few power clubs and everyone else fighting for 4th and 5th?  If this continues will we ever see another San Antonio or Detroit based champion?  If Howard ends up with the Nets then he is only hated in Orlando.  He ends up with the Lakers and he has just crossed over into territory that is only understood by John Rocker, Barry Bonds, and Mike Vick - national villain.  And here’s another thing that should anger basketball fans around the world -   It was a huge signing, but not an enormous upgrade.  The Lakers just signed the best big man in the league, but they just traded the 2nd best big man in the league.  Granted, there is a large gap between Howard and Bynum, I was really looking forward to seeing Nash lead the Lakers into the finals, now Nash will only get a fraction of that credit when the Lakers hoist another banner into the rafter of the Staples Center.  This will not be the last time you will read these words on this blog this year - man I hate Dwight Howard. 

Can the Spurs keep the magic going?  I was shocked to see OKC come back and beat the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals lost year.  The Spurs looked as good as any team has ever going into that series.  The question at that point was how many games the Heat could eek out against the steamrolling Spurs.  We didn’t even ask this question at the beginning of last year because of how the Spurs finished in 2011.  It was just assumed by everyone that their window had closed.  And now...?

What will be Kevin Durant’s response after some weaknesses were exposed in the Finals?  Durant should repeat as scoring leader.  Kobe has more points to share this year and Durant has less (Harden was traded to Houston today).  I would have said that Lebron isn’t interested in the title but he just publicly made statements this week that he wants to be known as the best ever, and I am becoming a believer in the idea that Lebron can do whatever he decides to do.  I still think Lebron passes too much to win this crown, but Durant had some weaknesses exposed against Miami this summer.  Will teams try to expose his being “soft”?  It didn’t work in London, that’s for sure.  And Durant’s defensive shortcoming shouldn’t change the fact that this guy can make any shot on the court with that tall, quick, and beautiful stroke.  I don’t know that answer to these questions but I do know that it will be real fun watching.

How awesome will the Michael Beasly/Luis Scola connection look in PHX orange?  Well..as a long-time and hardcore Suns fan I have to feign excitement about something this season.  It would have felt too pessimistic to ask how many ping pong balls Phoenix gets in the Lottery.

What is Steve Nash’s ceiling now that he is finally playing with a big man?  (Full disclosure - not only am I a Suns fan, but I have a not-so-secret man crush on Steve Nash)  The only true big man Nash has ever played with is Marcin Gortat.  Dirk in Dallas and Amare in Phoenix were tall but neither ever really played like a big man.  Now he will have 1.5 big men in LA to play with.  While I miss the 7-seconds-or-less Suns and I will always wonder what could have been if they would have held on to Joe Johnson and kept what they had instead of dismantling them piece-by-piece eventually to stoop so low as to sign Shaq, I think Nash will be off the charts good with in LA.  Nash lead the break better than anyone in history not named Magic, but I have no doubt that he can adapt to the tools he will have in LA.  I don’t believe Mike Brown can coach his way out of a paper bag, but lucky for him it is a very thin and soggy paper bag in LA.  With Nash in charge, Brown will just have to try not to get in the way.  And has any player in history ever had an easier chance of succeeding than Dwight Howard?  Nash alone will make him 5 points a game better, and Gasol is the best passing 7 footer in the game.  I think the Lakers were going to win the West even without Howard.  Nash was 1 win against Utah away from single handedly leading the otherwise junior varsity Suns last year to the playoffs.   If his spinal surgeon did a halfway decent job then my money is on LA to prevent Lebron’s repeat.    However, the question I am most looking forward to seeing anwered this NBA season is...

Can Lebron really do whatever he wants to do? - Don’t take it for granted folks.  Enjoy it while it lasts.

The Power of Sorry

Here we go again - another performance enhancing drug scandal, and another athlete swearing his innocence.  This time it is different …way different.  Lance Armstrong, prior to the last few months of allegations and testimonies, was the greatest sports story, well, maybe ever.  This guy was infinitely more courageous than anyone else in an extremely courageous sport.  He beat cancer.  Then, after having his body ravaged by cancer and chemotherapy, he became the best there ever was in a sport which requires its champions to absolutely pound their bodies and their wills into submission.  He is only the 2^nd American cyclist ever to win the Tour de France.  Then he just kept winning…and winning…7 straight times!  In the process he started what has to be the most successful cancer research foundation in the history of the disease.  He didn’t just start a foundation, he started a movement.  Lance was so cool that he even got fat America riding bicycles again.  

In a sport that has historically had more doping than any other sport, Lance was clean.  He was winning in a dirty sport.  He had to have been the most tested athlete in the world.  This guy peed in more cups and gave blood samples more than any athlete…ever.  

So what happened?  How did we get from there to here?  As they say, the cheaters are always one step ahead of the testers.  We have seen also that he not only cheated, but he was a mastermind in doing so.  Another factor is this:  Never has there ever been a governing body who wanted their athlete to NOT test positive more than the cycling powers-that-be.  They needed this guy.  

And now we are faced with a mountain of evidence.  Heck, forget about the science of testing and blood and urine and science, etc., 11 of his former teammates have testified against him.  A serious question to be raised is, “where was this evidence 5 years ago?”  

But here is what causes me to scratch my head as I follow this story – Lance still claims he is innocent!

He has said that he is going to give up fighting, but still claims that he is innocent.  I don’t know who he thinks he’s kidding.  He resigned his position at Livestrong, they are taking away his Tour victories, even Nike gave him the boot (Nike didn’t even give Tiger the boot – more on him later).  In light of all of this, the question that must be asked is what do we, the court of public opinion, do with Lance Armstrong now?  Hero?  Cheater?  Hero who cheated?  Cheater who is still a hero because he beat cancer and raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer?  Time will tell about the legacy of Lance Armstrong but I think there is something Lance, and all of us, can learn by looking at some case studies:   

Barry Bonds – First off, Barry Bonds is no Lance Armstrong.  Not only did all of America want him to be guilty, but they we also wanted him to fail.  He did not fail, he has kind of been found guilty, and like Armstrong, he still claims his innocence.  Now I have said many times that I think steroids in baseball is the most overrated news story of the last decade (I can say that now because Y2K was 12 years ago).  Steroids in cycling is a different story.  Baseball players chew tobacco and spit sunflower while working their craft, cyclists put their bodies through Hell, and then keep going.  Bonds without the ‘roids was still great…Lance without the ‘roids…?  Baseball fans hate Bonds not because of what he did to their team, but because of what he did to Hank, Willie, and the Babe.  Barry had an amazing way of being the victim and the villain at the same time.  He desecrated baseball’s most sacred records and makes us feel like the bad guys for being suspicious.  The reason Barry is hated is not because he claims his innocence, it is not because he has not apologized, its not even so much because he cheated.  He is hated because he is a prick.  But even bad guys who apologize get a second chance with America (see Tiger example below).  Ultimately, because Barry is Barry, he will always be the bad guy, and that will be his legacy.  

Roger Clemens – Clemens is a difficult case because he never tested positive, the feds threw millions of dollars into a case against him and came up with nothing, and he still swears that his heroics at an advanced age are due to his unmatched work ethic.  Like Armstrong, Clemens was ratted out by a teammate.  Unlike Armstrong, the evidence is not a slam dunk.  But here is the point of the whole article – what if Armstrong, Bonds, Clemens, etc. not only confessed their guilt, but gave a heartfelt explanation and apology?  We know they are guilty, their self-proclaimed innocence just angers us further, so would we judge them the same if they apologized?  If there is one thing I have learned about America it is that we love giving a second chance to the truly repentant.  

Tiger Woods – Tiger is guilty of something significantly more serious than using PED’s.  Armstrong, Bonds, Clemens, who can fault these guys for wanting to win that badly.  Tiger is a scumbag.  He destroyed lives.  Barry and the Rocket have not done that.  Tiger did not have the privilege of being able to deny what he was being accused of.  But here is the difference – Tiger said he was sorry.  Tiger is also no Lance Armstrong.  The guy has to be (scandal aside) the most boring off-the-field athlete in professional sports.  He cheated on his wife and his child with multiple women.  So why is Tiger Woods cheered by golf fans today?  America loves the apology.  America loves the 2^nd chance.  America forgives those who ask for forgiveness.

Michael Vick – Vick is another case of America’s willingness to forgive.  I would also say that Mike Vick’s crime was much more heinous than Bonds’, but after doing his time behind bars Vick was welcomed back with open arms by the fans of Philadelphia.  And this wasn’t just Philly fans who were rooting for Vick, I got the feeling that most of America wanted him to succeed.  Why?  There is power in apology.

We could look at many more case studies of cheaters.  We could look at ARod's sort-of-apology, or Ryan Braun getting away with winning the MVP award, testing positive for PED's, then getting off on a technicality (and what to do with his 2012 season which was as good as his 2011?).   We could look at Pete Rose who has pretty much been forgiven in the court of public opinion, but not the court of the commissioners office.  But the point in all these examples is the power of "sorry".  America loves Lance Armstrong.  Even still today.  If he stood up manned up, faced the public and said he was sorry I believe his legacy would be different.  If he told us he was sorry, that he cheated in a sport where everyone was dirty, that he had been through hell and just wanted to win, that he shouldn't have done it, and that he wants America and the world to forgive him - we will.  USADA and whoever it was that had the authority to strip him of his 7 Tour titles will not forgive him, but we will.  We will still hold him up as the best - the best cheater in a sport of cheaters, but still the best.  He was still able to put his body through something that I don't want to put my body through.  He was still able to become the most (drug aided) superhuman in a sport which required one to be a (drug aided) superhuman.  

I still like Lance.  I still respect his accomplishment.  He still won 7 Tours in my book.  I would respect him more if he owned up to his cheating, apologized, and was honest with those of us who bought yellow wrist bands, saved copies of Sports Illustrated with his picture on the cover, read his book, got excited to watch him race, and cheered his victories.

The Prophetic All-Star Game

I love the MLB All-Star Game.

Following the All-Star tie game debacle in Milwaukee where Bud Selig couldn't have looked worse*, MLB made a knee jerk decision to try to save face and awarded World Series home field advantage to the All-Star game winner.  While almost all writers, talk show hosts, etc. have voiced vehement objections to giving any value to an exhibition game, I love the rule.  Here's why:  Before the rule change home field advantage went to the team with the better record.  While that might seem fair enough, it was very much an arbitrary measuring stick due to the fact that the 2 teams' schedules were completely different.  I have always rooted for the NL in the All-Star Game since I am a Dodgers fan, but now it matters - and I love it.  This postseason could bring out 2 almost prophetic results from this year's NL victory in the mid-summer classic.

#1 - The Ironic - You would have to look real hard to find someone who would say that anyone not named Justin Verlander is the best pitcher in baseball.  Last year's Cy Young and MVP award winner, and likely this year's AL Cy Young winner, was named the starter for the All-Star game due to his stellar performance in the first half of the season.  His second half performance was also stellar.  His worst start of the season was in the All-Star Game - 1 IP, 4H, 2BB, 5R all earned, and the AL lost 8-0.  The Tigers will almost certainly represent the AL in the World Series (leading the Yankees 3-0), and unless the Yankees can push the Tigers to a game 7 Justin Verlander will be starting game 1 of the 2012 World Series on the road...and he has no one to blame but himself.

#2 - The Tragic - The MVP of the aforementioned All-Star game was Melky Cabrera.  Melky was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI that evening.  Shortly thereafter he was suspended 50 games for a violation of the league's drug policy.**  If the Giants beat the Cardinals in the NLCS they will enjoy home field advantage for this year's World Series thanks to the efforts of the All-Star game MVP, and convicted cheater - Melky Cabrera.    

* Who would have thought then with steroids and All-Star game ties that in 2012 Bud Selig would look like the model commissioner with dictator Roger Goodell's authority being overturned by judges, David Stern vetoing trades, and Gary Betman (scratching my head and not being able to generate enough hyperbole to describe his tenure).  

**(Full Disclosure - I HATE the Giants)  To the Giants' credit, they played much better this season after Melky's suspension, thanks mostly to Buster Posey's monster 2nd half.  Also to the Giants' credit, Cabrera's 50 game suspension is up and they have told him to take a hike.  They have not reinstated him for the playoffs and it appears they have cut all ties with him.  Surely someone will pick him up next year but it will not be the Giants.

Why Yadier Molina is the NL MVP

I don't get a vote for the MVP.  Maybe after they read my blog they will give me a vote as one of the Baseball Writers of America.  If I had a vote this year it would go to Yadier Molina.  I wouldn't fault anyone for voting for Buster Posey, Ryan Braun, or Andrew McCutcheon, but my vote is for Molina.  Here's why:
1.  Braun and McCutcheon had fantastic seasons, but they were not valuable enough to get their teams into the postseason.  I know this is completely unfair, especially considering that McCutcheon (at least until August) and Braun almost singlehandedly got their teams into October baseball.  The Cardinals won the Wild Card, and Molina is the biggest reason why.  (This argument, of course, also works for Posey)
2.  The numbers - His traditional season numbers were .315 avg, 22 HR, 76 RBI.  These numbers are not herculean, but they are very good considering...
3.  ...he played 136 games this year as catcher.  Catcher is the most underrated position in sports.  The pitcher makes the pitches but the catcher calls the game.  Yadier Molina gets more out of his pitchers than any other catcher in baseball.  Kyle Lohse and Lance Lynn combined for 34 wins in 2012!  I realize that the catcher argument could be made for Posey, whose offensive numbers were much better than Molina's (.336, 24, 103).  However, Molina caught 25 more games than Posey (who played a bit of 1B and even 3 games of DH), and plays catcher much better than Posey.  They threw out roughly the same number of would be base stealers but Posey had almost 3x as many runners steal safely (Posey-87, Molina 38).
4.  Here is what, in my opinion, puts Molina over the top.  He played catcher for a team who lost its manager from last year, has a first year manager this year, lost the 2nd best offensive player of my lifetime in the offseason, lost his best pitcher (Chris Carpenter - only pitched 17 innings) to injury, had his 2nd best pitcher (Wainwright) returning from over a year off, lost their 2nd best offensive player from '11 (L. Berkman) to a knee injury, and still led them to the postseason.

Posey hit more home runs and his team won more games, but the MVP is not about numbers, it is about value.  No player was more valuable to his team this year.  Forget about stats like WAR (wins above replacement), Molina leads the league in just about every category which cannot be quantified with statistics.

"I don't believe what I just saw!"

Why?  Because my wife doesn't want to hear it, my kids aren't old enough to care (yet), and I have to tell somebody.

Title - I decided today, on the 24th anniversary, that Kirk Gibson's 3-2 homerun into the right field pavilion of Dodger Stadium off of Dennis Eckersley has been the greatest moment of my sports viewing career.  I was 10.  It probably should have been the worst managerial decision in World Series history.  After the first few pitches everyone in America was embarrassed for Tommy Lasorda.  He ended up looking like a genius.

Gibson didn't have another at bat the rest of the Series.

I hope that these short essays and anecdotes can every once in a while find a lucky swing and limp around the bases pumping their fists.  Chances are, most of them will end up more like the first few pitches which Gibby dinged in the dirt while he grimaced in pain.  Either way, my wife doesn't care to hear it.  I'm glad you do.